Its about time

Gage loved being outside,


Logan thought the gooey
pumpkin guts were cool.

Pumpkin carving is one of
Jared's favorite things.

I am so behind, and its about time I get caught up. I have some pictures and news to post. I guess I will start with pumpkins. We had a great time carving and decorating them this year. Only one casuality. Gage picked up a little pokey... (Those yucky stickers that get caught in your socks and hurt you.) in his mouth. First it was stuck on his tongue and then on the roof of his mouth. Not fun. But other than that, here are the finished products.

We're home...

from Disneyland. We had a great time. It was so relaxing, and fun to run from ride to ride. We really did run some of the time. We rode every ride, and saw every show that we wanted to. We slept the whole night without kids interrupting. I almost didn't know what to do with myself the first morning when we were eating breakfast. I ate, and just sat there while Jared finished. Kinda twittling my thumbs. Not sure what to do. Didn't need to help anyone or tell anyone to keep eating. It was so nice. and I got used to that way too quick. :) Can't wait to go somewhere else with no one but Jared. I am glad to be home, and be back to normal. Hope all is well with you. The kids all survived and so did our wonderful friends who took care of our tribe while we were away.

Request

I have a special request of all of you...

A sweet friend of mine, who I do not know, is really sick and could use all the prayers, and thoughts we can give her.
This special friend of mine is named Ashley. She is two years old and is the sweetest baby girl. If you would like to meet her, check out her blog at http://www.ashleysstory.org/ She has had a rough life. Her parents are amazing to me at how they have handled this wonderful, but crazy challenge.
Thank You for your help. And Please, please send all you know, that maybe willing to help, over to Ashley's Story.

Thanks.

taking me away

They're coming to take me away, ha ha. They're coming to take me away ho ho. he he, ha ha to the funny farm.

Just kidding. a week from Monday Jared and I are taking a vacation. No kids, just us two. We are heading to Disneyland for a week to use our season passes one more time before they expire. I am so excited, so ready, a bit worried. So my question (s) to you is...

Do you do anything special for your kids when you leave them with someone? Is it easier to leave before they get up? Or better in the long run to say goodbye? do you call and check in or just wait for them to call you? Ideas, Advice. Do you remember your parents leaving you? Did you get anything special?
I know they will all be okay, and even have a great time. Our great friends that are watching them are very cool and very fun.
We appreciate you Tim and Des. Thank You!!

Terrible & Terrific 2's, 4's, 6's, ...

8's, 10's, 12's for that matter.

At any given moment, on any given day, I have been yelled at, hit, poked, hugged, kissed, kicked, etc. etc.
All my kids are a wonderful challenge. Different kid, different problem, different joy. I love each of them for a million different reasons. I also struggle with them, for a ton a different things each day.
The two youngest are in what we refer to as the terrible two's. Gage is into everything. He makes a mess of anything he can these days. books, movies, toys, toilets, you name. Luckily, he is a very happy boy. I will take the messes, if he keeps his happiness.
Austin is almost three, and is into everything also, but in a different way. He climbs on everything, he rips, spills, throws, pushes, screams, cries, passes out due to being upset.
Last week, he was climbing at the park, fell, hit his mouth first on a solid bouncy thing and pushed teeth back, (only slightly), and bled, a lot, screamed a lot. He is fine, still a little sore, still a little crazy, still a little wonderful trouble maker. :)
One thing though, they are both cute.

Big Day

We had a big day today. First off, Gage went in for a MRI. He has some developmental delays, which until a couple weeks ago we thought were just due to his prematurity. ( He was born 10 weeks early). The pediatrician was concerned that he was too far behind and that we needed to see a neurologist. It is a long process, because any pediatric specialists that we will need to see come from Primary Children's hospital in SLC. and they usually only come once a month or even less, once every three months. So we had to fill out an application and then get an appt time, and hope it is a day we can work with. Anyway, we saw the neurologist and after an exam he decided that he thought he knew what was wrong but he wanted to do a MRI to make sure. So that was today. Gage had to be sedated, so we got there at 6:30 am, got a weight, and height and then put on a cute little hospital gown. After about a 15 minute wait, they took him into the MRI room. I went and tried to get myself lost in the hospital. And when I finally found the waiting room I found out they moved the vending machines, and so I sat there reading a book and starving. When they got all done about an 1 1/2 later I had him back in my arms. He had a breathing tube (which they took out before coming back to see me) and also an IV. He hates IV's. After I got him, it was only about 30 minutes before we were able to leave. He did really well. He came home and napped, and when he woke up was a super happy boy.(Like always) We should find out in the next couple weeks (I hope) the results of the test and I will fill you in.

We have more great news. Tanner and Kathryn both received awards today in school. This is so awesome. i am so proud of them. All the kids are doing really well in school and loving their teachers, and classes.

Tanner received the Hero Hunt award for Responsibility. His teacher said this,"Tanner has shown to be responsible in many ways. He obeys the rules, puts things where they belong, cooperates with others and the teacher. I know I can count on him to do the right thing. Your doing an excellent job! Keep it up!" For those of you who have known Tanner through his 6 1/2 years of life, this is an awesome accomplishment. Way to go Tanner!!!

Kathryn received the Super Scholar award. That means she is doing great in her school work, and behaviors. AWESOME Job Kathryn!!

We went to a celebration dinner. Which is tradtion when one or more of the kids gets an award. It's our way of saying Great Job!

Right after dinner, Jared went to SLC to do work. He took Cori with him to be his helper. Its great since this is the end of the pay period and he is doing extra work. I am okay with him being gone. It is only 2 or 3 days, as long as I don't have to leave the house with the boys alone, I will be happy. Unfortunately, I will probably go to church alone. which is managable, but not enjoyable. Hope you have a great weekend.

You Can Do It!!

Thanks to Cherie-a friend of a friend, I found this awesome website. Check it out. and just remember You are Awesome! You are important! You are mighty! You Can do anything you set your mind to. Go For it.

Enter this into your browser bar thing- yourname.youaremighty.com
so I would enter andi.youaremighty.com
go on, check it out, and turn your speakers on.

Have a great day.

what's on the menu?

I am trying to organize my recipes and menus so cooking won't be such a crazy time at our house. I am sturggling with meal ideas for breakfast. So What are you having for breakfast this week? and what are your kids eating? and your husband? At our house breakfast isn't the same meal for everyone. Cori leaves at 7, Jared at 8, the elementary kids at 8:30, then the 3 boys and I are home for the remainder of the day. any thoughts? I see all these blogs with dinner ideas but no breakfast or lunch for that matter. But I will focus on breakfast today.

I'm "IT" again

I've been tagged "IT" again. I thought this would be hard for me, but it ended up not as hard as I thought.
The idea of the game is this
1. I write 8 random facts
2. then tag 8 other bloggers to do the same
3. have fun

so here goes.

1. I absolutely hate the dentist. I would much rather go through all the labors, deliveries, c-sections and recoveries all over again, before having work done at the dentist. I hate that little pokey thing they use.

2. I really want to go to hair stylist college. I am so hair illiterate that I would love to go and learn, and I don't need to get a job after either. just so I could do cool things with the girls, and my hair.

3. I have an almost obsession with a clean and organized house. But you wouldn't know it by the way things look. and that is because I have 7 little people coming behind me making messes. and that is the way it is supposed to be.

4. I love to go to the batting cages or to hit softballs. I get such a rush hit the ball as hard as I can. which isn't much, because I am a wimp but I love it.

5. I love paper. printed, colored, stripes, polka dots, flowers. I love it.

6. I love to walk through model homes. I love the way they are perfect and decorated with pictures on the wall, beautful furniture and decorative things and that they are so clean!

7. I love fruit. Lots of different kinds. most days I would take a strawberry or mango over chocolate and diet dr. pepper.

8. I love to do the "Molly Mormon" things. Sewing, getting food storage, canning, cooking, family history, I would love to have a garden, and fruit trees, and I would love to freeze, or can the fruits of our labors. I am not all that good at any of it. but I love to do it just the same.

okay so I thought of a funny #9

(. I love to watch Richard Simmons workout videos. I only have one, but I think they are so great and fun. Jared thinks I am nuts for wanting to watch it, but I think they are great.

okay, so if you got this far, and have a blog. TAG YOU'RE IT