1st year photo shoot

 

 

I took Lindi in for a ONE year photo shoot last week.

Be still my heart. I love how they turned out!

Thank you, Kacy Hughes photography!

 

And since I am obsessed with my kids

you will get to view all of them:)

 

everyday stuff

 

 

I became a teenager again!

Well, at least in my mouth I did.

This is my second round of braces.

I had them in high school.

If any kids are reading this blog my advice to you is WEAR YOUR RETAINER!!

I just learned an expensive lesson.

Retainers for life is my new motto.

I am so grateful I was able to get them but man, these things are the pits!

 

 Her baby antlers kill me.

She is perfection.

There isn't a moment in the day where I don't want to pick her up

and squeeze her and snarf her face off.

Mom's can be such cannibals sometimes:)



And then she led right into a melt mommies heart why don't you moment.

She loves those brothers of hers.

She knows their names.

She can't say them but she knows who they are.

I'll say, where is Rusty? And she'll start looking around for them.

 

I was able to go out with my cousins the other weekend.

I am so grateful for these girls.

We really haven't been able to deeply catch up in a long time.

We laughed, we cried. It was a great night.

We didn't leave the restaurant until 10:30. We would have stayed longer but we

started seeing workers sweeping floors and figured that was our cue to leave!

We were able to watch Collin and Weston for a few days while

Stephanie and Travis went to Disneyland!

In the car on our way home from picking up the boys I felt something weird on my elbow.

Westons duffle bag was on the middle consult so I figured it was something scratching me.

But then I felt it again and knew instantly that it was a scorpion sting.

There is no denying that certain feeling of a scorpion sting.

Sure enough I look down and saw it crawling under my seat.

Luckily by the time I started screaming Casey had pulled into the garage so I flew the

door open and started doing the a bug is on me dance.

I ran inside to wash my arm while Casey unloaded all the kids and searched the car with a black light.

Sure enough he found the little bugger under my seat.

Goo! eww!

If anything I get more grossed out than anything after getting stung.

You just feel violated.



 

You can see the white bump on my elbow where I got stung twice.

That little devil.

It actually hurt pretty bad compared to the other times I have been stung.

For a whole day and a half my upper part of my arm felt like it was big and numb and

all tingly. Kind of like what your mouth feels like after getting all numbed up.

So Collin and Westons bags stayed in the garage the whole time they were here:)

And the cutest thing, the next morning I was loading all the kids in the car to take Lane to the bus stop. I told Lane to just hop in the front seat so he wouldn't have to climb over everybody else to get out. Weston with the most concerned look on his face and worry in his voice said, but that's the scorpion seat. I died!

 

 

We did have fun with them! Lane had a early release all week which worked out perfect!

After we got him from the bus we would hit up the park.

Marcie and Olive joined us one day.

Lindi loves her. She crawled right up to Olive to play.

I can't wait for when they really can!



 

This is park day 2.

Lindi sat in that swing for an hour straight.



The boys were totally entertained for an hour as well playing volleyball.

Their "volleyball" was a tiny soft ball you find in a prize box. Ha!

Whatever keeps em' happy!

 

Winter blows.

Want to know why?

This:

Yucky, yucky sickness.

This is Lanes second year for bronchitis.

He has the worst allergies which sets it off.

This year it got so bad he needed a breathing treatment right in the office.

 



 

So now we are the proud owners of a penguin nebulizer. Yay!

He thinks it's pretty cool. I mean, who wouldn't?!

 

I have always wanted to try Whole Foods grocery store.

There isn't one really close to us but one day I decided to take the trek out to one.

Lindi and I enjoyed the rain while waiting for our tropical green smoothie at the juice bar.

 



She likes to hog drinks.

Cant blame the girl.



It was a pretty fun store.

I picked up some amazing produce on steroids!

 

We have hit the high chair pretty much full time.

She has become less interested in bottles.

Mainly only in the morning and right before bed she wants one.

It has been interesting seeing which foods she prefers.

Fruit by far is her number one like.

Any kind of fruit.

 Our neighbors picked up this sweet electric scooter at a garage sale.

They said they pretty much bought it for our boys.

They love them.

It's the same couple we took to the temple open house.

So you can find them riding that bad boy almost everyday after school. Or at least begging to ride it.

 

Last Friday Lindi started a random fever at noon. It wasn't a super high temperature, around 101 and stayed like that pretty much the rest of the day. That night I noticed she felt warmer than usual and especially for being on Motrin so I took it again only it read 102.9. That made me really concerned so I loaded her in the car and took her to twilight hours at her pediatricians office. When the nurse

took her temperature with the forehead wand you could see a look of concern on her face. She took us back to a room and did a rectal temp because it was most accurate. As I was standing next to Lindi talking to her I glanced at the thermometer and the numbers were cruising up in degrees and not stopping. My heart started racing and the worry instantly started. It finally stopped at 104.2!

The doc came right in and started asking me questions and checking her out. Her ears looked great, her breathing sounded normal but when he started checking her heart rate his face went pale. That's when I knew we would be going to the hospital. He counted a 180 heart rate when normal for her age is 80. We had to wait about an hour in the nasty ER waiting room before they took her back. They ran urine and blood test on her. They discovered her white blood cell count was 28,000 when normal is 11,000. So they knew she was fighting some type of infection.They wouldn't know if it was viral or bacterial for a couple of days because they have to let her cultures grow. Since her fever dropped to normal and her heart rate slowed way down they said we could go home. But that was after 4 rectal temp checks, 2 attempts at a vein for blood, an x-ray to rule out pneumonia, and 2 shots of antibiotics in the tush.. It was a long, scary night but I was relieved to go home at 2:30 in the morning!

 

I tried to take a pic in the dark. She was the sweetest thing the whole time.

She finally crashed on my lap at about midnight.

After we got home I was still so worried about her.

She had a fever for 4 straight days.

The sweet thing was never super cranky. She just slept a lot.

I have never been so thankful for doctors and hospitals.

I think my nerves have never been more on edge.

While in the hospital trying to stay awake I would think, how do mothers of 4 or more do it????

I think 3 might be my limit.

Lindi isn't even one yet and she has put me through the worry ringer!

Being responsible and taking care of 3 children is freaking. hard!!!!
Trying to meet the needs of everybody is exhausting.
Don't get me wrong, my kids bring me joy and I love them to death but man,
I cant imagine being responsible for 7 kids.
Maybe I should ask Michelle Duggar for some advice!

 If it weren't for an amazing supportive husband, priesthood blessings, prayer and extended family I might be curled up in a ball somewhere.

 

Marcie and Alison could see my stress so they took me to sushi...at 10pm!

I don't even like sushi so you can tell I needed an out.

I must say it was pretty good.

And excuse the bags under my eyes!

 



Thirty 2

 

 

It feels weird blogging on the actual day these pictures were taken, ha!

That hasn't happened in a loooong time!

But Casey had a birthday today!

We didn't really get to celebrate the way I had hoped.

Lindi has been sick these past few days (more on that later).

 

On Saturday I had Alison lined out to watch the kids all afternoon and night

so we could hit up the town.

Instead we went to Pita Jungle, at Casey's request even...wow!

And he liked it a lot!

We had Lindi with us. We needed to take her to twilight hours to get

checked by the doctor to make sure she was doing ok.

We picked up some Frost gelato after dinner then headed to the doctors.

 

Today on his actual birthday he requested Venezia's pizza and wings for dinner.

So we got take-out along with some cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory for

his "birthday cake".

 

 

The boys beg to play catch outside every night.

I guess tonight was no exception!



 

They also have been hooked on Uno lately.

They are GOOD!

Rusty can play on his own and beats us quite often!



Casey is so easy going that he could have cared less that we didn't

do anything extravagant.

At about noon after being on the phone all day with the doctor, hospital and insurance company

I realized I hadn't really said happy birthday to him yet.

I text him wondering how his bday had been so far and he responded,

just another day in paradise:)

The joys of getting old.

Birthdays are just another day!

 

But we sure do love our super dad!

 

 



Valentines Day

 

 

Lovers holiday was here once again.

Feb. 13th I found myself in the longest line for chocolate that I've ever seen.

Casey prefers treats over presents.

So I hopped in that line to get my Valentine one of his favorites, peanut brittle.

Nut's and Chew's have nothing on the peanut brittle.

Well worth the wait!

 

I bake sugar cookies once a year.

Usually the Sunday before Valentines day.

And every year I forget that I lost my heart shaped cookie cutter! Argh!!

Circle shaped, with pink frosting and red sprinkles left over from Christmas will have to do.

 



 

My sister Stephanie is really amazing and sends Valentine packages in the mail

for the boys from their cousins. And this year Lindi got a package from Olive!!

She hearts her heart antennas!!

Valentines morning I woke up to the counter covered in my favorite candy

and this poem written by Casey.

His poems are my favorite!
Shakespeare better watch out!

He proposed to me on Valentines day with a poem

so when he writes them for me I get all giddy:)
I will share a little bit of it with you...

 

 

Aaaaand the best part, we actually got to go out ALONE for Valentines day!

He surprised me and lined out a babysitter for a night out on the town.

What a guy!!

Thanks Marcie for watching the kiddos.

We got pedicures, got our favorite nachos from Nando's, shopped at Hobby Lobby,

then ended with some Bahama Bucks!

Some how my family got in on a group text and started sending pictures of what we were

doing that night with our special Valentines.

 

Stephanie & Travis at dinner:

 

Dad, Mom & Craig at the Gilbert temple open house.



 

David & Abby

 

Christopher had a hot date with his homework:

 

Marcie & Alison and my kiddos:

 

 

 

 

And we all know Casey loves to take selfies in public so I feel lucky to have

gotten the 2 pics that I did to send in the group text!

First attempt:



 

 Second attempt:)

 

It must be true love:)!!

 

 





Youth Conference

 

 

Casey and I were the tribal adults for a youth conference.

We were over a group of kids much like a Ma & Pa on a pioneer trek.

To be honest, we both were dragging our feet when we

were asked to help with this activity.

Each ward in the stake needed 2 couples to serve as tribal leaders.

When the YW president asked me if we could volunteer I was really hesitant.

Yes, I am serving as first counselor and don't

get me wrong, we LOVE to serve,

 but it would be on a Friday night from 5-10:30.

Then all day Saturday from 7am-9pm

Casey works on Saturdays so he would need to take off.

Saturdays are super busy and we would have to find and pay babysitters.

I told her yes we could, but as a last resort.

She said she was waiting to hear back from a few other people and could ask a few others as well

so I kind of thought we were off the hook!

Not so much.

The YW president was unable to find couples to go.

They all either had work, or young kids at home.

What the heck, so do we!

I didn't say that but that is what I was thinking.

Even when someone from the Stake called to give me info and at

 the end of our conversation he said,

 thank you for volunteering.

 Not so much volunteered, more like got asked, but whatever!

Once again, didn't say that, just thought it.

I had a really great attitude about it, right?:/

 

Anyway, so the big event finally came!

The whole conference was at the tri stake center down by the temple.

That whole area has lots of great memories for me.

That is where I grew up until I was 12.

Just walking into that building and the particular smell it has sent me down memory lane.

So that part of it was fun and special!

I don't have any pictures of Friday but when we got there

everybody was separated into their tribes.

Each tribe was given a colored plastic bracelet and we started on picking our tribal name.

We were the color pink, the pink panthers!

We had a few get to know you games within our tribes then we had dinner.

Hamburgers/ hot dogs and sides.

The downside, I just had gotten braces put on the day before!

 I was super sore and since I was talking more than usual the inside of my mouth

and lips were rubbed raw!! I felt like a teenager with wads of wax stuck all over!

 

After dinner we went into the stage room where we had a fireside.

The stake presidency spoke about how each one of them met their wives

and what their dating experiences were like. It was really cute.

Then time to boogie! Gotta love youth dances.

That was Casey's favorite part:)

We handed out shirts for everybody to wear the next day then went home to bed!

 

We woke up bright and early to be back at the inter stake center for breakfast.

Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and orange slices.

Then I made Casey take a picture with me.

Ha, he was really happy about that!

And excuse my weird smile.

Still trying to figure out this whole brace face thing.

 

2 cute girls that are in our ward who were in a tribe. Madi and Karli.
I somehow need to get the group picture of our whole tribe from the Stake!

Then we played more tribal games. Stick pull. Casey against the champion.

Our tribe rocked. Really we did. We took FIRST in tug of war!

It was kind of crazy having kids in our tribe that we taught in primary as newlyweds

that are now seniors in high school!

After games were the workshops.

There were 4 different classes that rotated every 30 minutes.

Bro Hughso and his wife taught a dating class. I guess he is a popular seminary teacher.

There was a social media class.

How to have enthusiasm in the gospel,

taught by Bro. Bingham, another popular seminary teacher.

And a missionary class taught by Bro and Sis Ashby

who just served as mission president in I think Paraguay.

 

Then lunch.
Sub sandwiches, chips, veggie's and dip.
And then the best part.
While standing in line for food, Brad Wilcox was standing shaking everybody's hand.
He came down from Utah as our special  guest speaker.
I had heard of him and knew he was popular as a key note speaker but wow,
 he is now my favorite person! The NICEST man I have ever met.

I wish oh how I wish I  had gotten a picture with him!
He was just chatting away with all of us like we were his best friends.
 He was walking around with a big bag of M&M's and sharing with everybody.

We were able to hear from him after lunch.
I envy people that are good public speakers.
He can be so funny at one point but then somehow switch gears while
keeping everything on the same topic and turn it into the most spiritual moment.
He has like a Mormon Brian Regan/ Will Ferrell flare to him.
He gave me goose bumps the whole time he was speaking.

His message lead perfectly into the next activity, service project.

They split the 12 tribes in half.

The first half walked down to the temple.

The temple had been closed while they were re-landscaping.

We helped wheelbarrow dirt, pick up trash or big pieces of cement,
planted plants, and dug up old wiring.
There were kids COVERED in mud! But I never heard one complaint.

The man who was telling us what to do said that they had just dug up old piping that was the original pipes from 1927 when they built the temple. I wanted to take some home with me!

It was a really great service project. I could have stayed there all day doing just that.
Somehow it made me feel more, I don't know how to describe it.
I guess more intimate with the temple? I couldn't help but think about how
the pioneers felt while actually helping build the temple.
Such a simple thing but a testimony building experience for sure!

 

Half way through we switched with the other tribes who were at the retirement center

down the street. We planted flowers, washed window, played bingo and sang songs.

 

 

After the service project was free time! I was feeling brave and went down the zip line.

It was pretty gutsy of me. I don't know if the scaffolding they set up would have passed inspection!

Check out the wimpy, sketchy ladder you had to shimmy up to get to the top! Ya, that girls job at the bottom was to hold it steady!! All while balancing your canvas seat on your shoulder so you have something to sit on while you go down.

 Made it to the top.

The littlest of wind made me want to jump on that seat and

 high tail it down before it all came crumbling to the floor.

but it was pretty fun:)

 

After free time was dinner time!

Nacho bar...with the good nacho cheese sauce.

And the best green chili, cheese quesadilla's I have ever had.

We did not starve one bit that weekend.

 

 After dinner we all congregated back into the stage room for the closing fireside.
I was pumped because we got to hear from Bro. Wilcox one last time!!
He taught us how to act instead of react to situations we encounter in our lives
 and a bunch of other great stuff.
Which led perfectly into the closing portion of the youth conference.
 



They had a group of boys and girls along with a group of kids playing instruments perform the

song for the 2014 theme. It is based off of the scripture Moroni 10:32. Come Unto Christ.

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/come-unto-christ-2014-theme-song?lang=eng

 

Instantly the tears starting rolling!

If you hadn't felt the spirit, you surely did then!

And then came my shameful, guilty feelings about my attitude towards

being apart of this youth activity.

I knew at that moment Heavenly Father needed me at that youth conference.

Not so much for the kids sake, but for my own.

Just like in the song I was reminded to come unto Christ,

He's calling our name, waiting for us with

His arms wide open and with Him we will find eternal life.

It was a time for me and Casey to spend 2 days together,

without the worries of our children and day to day events.

A time to serve the Lord. It was a moment where I realized how

important it is to magnify your callings and to support your spouse in theirs.

My testimony was strengthened many times throughout the whole conference.

There is a lot of crap going on out in the world right now but there is also a lot

of good going on, too. Those kids that weekend helped me see that and also to see

 light and hope for those who are struggling.

There was definitely a fire that started burning under me.

To better myself.
To better my family.

 To reach out to those who I care about who are searching 

for the light of Christ in their lives.

So basically, lesson learned for me!!!

 

 

Of course my mom gave me the biggest chuckle of all that weekend.

My kids were well taken care of while we were out:)