They don't come much cuter!

So here are just a few pictures from the last week or so....they are all stinking cute!

Good 'Ol Monday

So we have been consumed with the newest Harry Potter book! We are almost done and when we finish, I'm not sure what we will do with ourselves?! We have read all 7 books together outloud - I would highly reccomend it for any couple it is so fun!

I am also glad to report that my 3 children are normal siblings. It makes me crazy! They are constantly nagging at each other trying to push every button they can to drive each other nuts! It's enough to wear any person out in a matter of 3 seconds tops. IN fact, at the moment in the other room I can hear the baby crying as a result of Gwennie trying to "mother" him and I just had the office door slammed in my face because I wasn't listening like I was supposed to.

I must say in spite of all of this chaos - I am in a pleasant mood for the simple fact that I was up at 6:30 and my bathroom is sparkling clean. Wouldn't that make anyone's day? Definitely makes mine!

I've been "Tagged"

6 jobs I've had-

• Excel Agent Services - you can't have a **** to work there....(that's an inside joke - very funny, ask me sometime if I haven't told you- I am an idiot!)
• Earnhardt's Dodge Accounts Receivable
• Diamond Consortium
• CTA Architects Engineers - Accounting for Boise
• Boulder Creek Vinyl
  
• Mother
  

Places to go for a weekend getaway with my girlfriends-

• Boise
• Gilbert
• Cascade ( I went there once for a scrapbooking weekend - I had to take my baby though)
  
• Marie is really the only girlfriend I do anything with and those are the places we go.
  

Movies I can watch over & over

• Cinderella Story - Travis and I love that one
• Any of the Bourne movies
• Only You - Damon Bradley ---arrrrr!
• Slipper and the Rose
  
• Cars ( my kids watch that constantly)
  

My Guilty Pleasure-

• I love cookies - I always eat too many and then I feel so sick
• I love Dairy Queen - Banana Split or PBF
• Harry Potter Books - wahoo!

Places I have lived-

• Gallup, NM
• Gilbert, AZ
• London, England
• Boise, ID
• Star, ID
  

Shows I Enjoy-

• Friends - it can make anyone happy on a bad day. PIVOT...
  
• Spin City
• Wings
• Cash Cab - I love that one!

What were most likely the first things you thought of when you saw your significant other for the first time?

• I don't remember, but on our first date I noticed his great eyes...and realized he talked a big tough guy talk. I fell head over heels right then. :) He's hot!
  

Places I've Been on Vacation - since I've been married

• Orlando, FL
• Burley, ID
• Atlanta, GA
• Kirtland, OH
  

Favorite Foods-

• Sweet potatoes with I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray
• Vegetables
  
• Higley Hot Dogs
• Cheesy Chicken Chowder

If in a "jam" with your spouse, what tactics do you use to get out of the doghouse?

• We never are in a jam - :)
  

Websites I visit daily-

• keybank.com
• usbank.com
• usaa.com
• fiacardservices.com
• blogspot.com
• yahoo.com

(I do all our company's book keeping - I am always on banking sites checking balances of everything.)
1.
Best 1st Kisses landmark-

• Park Bench at the end of Saratoga St. in Gilbert, AZ
  

Places I'd rather Be Right Now-

• My bed
• a couch
• my kids' beds (I'm tired)

Now I get to pick other blog buddies to do this!

1. Mom
   
2. Marie Rich
   
3. Melissa Bosen
4. Scottie
   

Don't be a baby...you gotta do it!!!

The Parenting Plan

So, when my mother and father-in-law were here, my mother-in-law bought me a book on parenting from Deseret Book. I have started reading it and decided that I really do need to have a long term plan - not just a fly by my seat each day plan for raising my kids. It has brought me back to a reality that society in general is lazy and kids are being raised that way. So, I am in the process of making a "Training Chart" for each of my kids not a "Chore Chart" because they are not chores any more - the tasks are "training" so that when we get big we can do things by ourselves. It will be interesting to see if I can stick with it and make some progress. Anyway, it makes sense to have some sort of a plan rather than just hoping I can make it through the next hour...(even though I know I will still have some of those moments). I have already been surprised at how well Hunter and Gwennie have enjoyed doing some "training" activities each morning before school. Hopefully, long term I can have productive citizens that are fully competent hard working individuals. This parenting thing is a lot more WORK than I ever anticipated, but as I told my visiting teacher today - I wouldn't like to be doing anything else with my time right now, so I guess I'll make the most of it. :) I love my little ones...they drive me nuts, make me insane, and keep me young! What fun they are.

Cast your vote....

So I am having issues finding "the perfect bedspread" for my bed. I have had my current one for about 6 years and I just want a change...the one I love but it's a duvet and I dont' think I want a duvet - they are too bulky/messy for me ( i would include a picture of it, but it won't load right...)....but I love this print...so here is my question...of these others that I have found, which do you feel is the best? i will love any help! I think I like stripes.




OPTION 1
I like this one (above) because it's neutral and elegant....masculine enough for the master bedroom...
OPTION 2
This one is very strinking, but it has a lot of white....will it really stay clean and crisp with three little chitlens?
OPTION 3
This one is very simple....not sure if I love it...
OPTION 4
This one looks elegant and again very neutral.

Naps

Have you ever been so tired you aren't sure how you are going to function for the day? That is me today. I can just tell I am going to be dragging my rear end all day. Yesterday I found Gwennie asleep on the floor in the afternoon (she refused a nap earlier) without her shirt on, tangled up in her blanket...she was so cute....Hunter fell asleep on the way to Karate in the afternoon and Ty got 3 naps! I just wish sometimes I could figure out how to not be tired....cause a nap would sure be nice, and yet I don't get them any more.

Did any of that make any sense?

Mondays...

I will include pictures from the rest of Larry and Judy's visit in this blog. We are so glad they came and enjoyed every minute. Tyler was trained well by Lucky to give him a kiss on demand (pretty much as soon as he entered the room) it was very cute! Gwennie and Hunter loved reading books and playing games with them as well.

Sunday evening Lucky gave his "Faith Amidst Adversity" fireside and it was great as usual. Travis said I could go since he's heard it more times....so he stayed home and watched kids.

After watching my neighbor's children for 4 hours yesterday and cleaning and laundrying, etc I am seriously wiped today! I am anticipating a full recovery if my children stop screaming for more than a 30 second interval. At the moment Hunter is in the other room interrogating Gwennie and all I can hear is "TELL ME....JUST TELL ME." UGH! The big brother syndrome is going to kill me .

Ty Turns 1!

So, here is a photo tribute to our one year old (7-14-06). He is the most laid back easy going child I have. So much fun to have been blessed with him!

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

I'm sure there will be more pictures later but I thought an update would be good. Larry and Judy have been here since Monday spoiling the grandkids rotten!! They (my kids) have loved every minute. We have concluded that Ty looks exactly like Travis did and he has his temperment: very laid back, easy going. We went to the park with water features yesterday and that was a blast...today gm and gp have taken Hunter and Gwennie shopping and left me home with the wee one while he sleeps! It has been heavenly.








Larry has worked a few days with Travis and enjoyed visiting and catching up and Judy and I have bonded and chatted and hung out! They are great to be around.

DID I MENTION...I LOVE BLOGGING!

Car Trek 2007

We just returned from our Carson (Dianne's family) family reunion down by Cedar City, UT. It was so much fun to see family and how our lives have changed from footloose and fancy free to parenthood and chaos! We love it.

I don't think I saw much of Hunter - he convinced Grandpa LeGrand to let him use his pocket knife so he was carving wood or exploring with my cousin's son Justin the entire duration! The final evening next to the campfire, he had a stick he was carving for marshmellows....my grandmother didn't think it was a good idea and thought he had been waving it around too much...so she took it when he got too close. In order to soften the blow - my Aunt Kathy took him to her lap and said he would get it back later, but Grandpa came as well and said "honey, you shouldn't play with sticks, you can poke your eye out." which then triggered a whole new conversation with nurse aunt kathy- "where does your eye go if it gets poked out?" was hunter's question....it turned into quite the conversation!

Gwennie just wandered aimlessly looking for people and dirt. She charmed everyone.

Tyler mostly tried to eat sticks dirt or whatever rock looked tasty!

We attempted to wade in the river/creek/stream water and did find a little birds nest with babies in it under the bridge - that was exciting! However, the leeches all over our feet when we got out were not so exciting!