Life's Sweet Surprises...

So Long, Farewell....

2010-03-31T15:49:00.001-06:00

Alberta, say adeu.

That's how the song goes, right?

It is time to say good-bye, ciao, Sayonara, Au Revoir, Adios to Life's Sweet Surprises. I have been debating whether to keep this blog going for a while, since it has been badly neglected. With facebook and my backyard farming blog, I no longer have a need for this blog.

I have a growing passion for living sustainably and living more simply and want to focus my efforts on my backyard farming blog. Please join me over there! I will be posting about our endeavors to eat healthier, live more frugally, and our efforts to expand our backyard farm.

I want to leave you this quote to think about, it is frightening, but also motivates me to learn as much as I can, I hope it motivates you as well.

"In the latter days the time will come when there will not be enough
doctors to take care of our medical needs and problems, and it will be
necessary for men to honor their priesthood and to be prepared to take
care of the sick; and every woman will have to be a home nurse with a
working knowledge of nursing to meet the need."

J. Reuben Clark, Jr.; General Conference, 1937

Chickens Riding Motorcycles

2010-03-15T10:02:00.001-06:00

We have a new contest over at backyard farming. Head on over to check it out!

Joy-ography Workshop

2010-03-11T15:42:00.003-07:00

Well, the workshop was last weekend and we had an AMAZING time - pictures to come soon. We were really impressed with the group and how quickly they caught on and how much they improved in one day. We knew it would work! You can see their pictures from the day at the Joyography Facebook Page as well as their thoughts.

AND we have been overwhelmed by questions about when the next workshop is going to be so we are ready to announce it! Mark your calendars and reserve a spot for the September 18th Joyography Workshop. We're really excited about it and specific details will be announced in the coming weeks. See you there!

I can't believe it is snowing!

2010-03-05T11:52:00.001-07:00

This Makes Me So Happy

2010-03-04T22:15:00.001-07:00

What makes it even better is that my friend Megan actually did this workout in high school!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

2010-03-02T10:22:00.002-07:00

We will be reading plenty of Dr. Seuss books.And of course eating green eggs laid by our Ameraucanas, and maybe a little bit of ham to go with it.

What are you doing for his birthday?

You can check out this fun Dr. Seuss website.

My Mom

2010-02-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

I have one of those moms...

You know, one of those amazing moms. The mom that sewed all your clothes until you were 14 and you swore that you would rip your hair out if you heard her say, "oh I could make that for so much cheaper" one more time. The mom that for some reason that you still can't figure out, caught you EVERY time you snuck out of the house. Would sit on your bed and wait for you as you snuck back into your window. I'm sure she just wanted to make sure I had a good time! The kind of mother that no matter how early you had to get up for school, was up before you, had the house clean, was showered, dressed and had breakfast hot and ready for you along with your sack lunch. The mom that would do a dance to the song "Jump" for a church talent show and practiced singing and dancing with her walkman. Oh...and a dance to Abba's song Mama Mia with enormous Hershey Kisses, (get it? Mama Mia, here I go again, my, my, how can I resist you?)

The type of mom that desperately HATES having her picture taken, so it takes you an hour just to find one of her.

One of those moms that would turn on Ann Murray in the kitchen and make you dance with her. The type of mom that no matter how old you are, you can call her crying when you are sick and she always feels bad for you. The kind of mom that flies out a few times a year to see her grandkids. The type of mom that laughs so hard that she cries at a good poop joke. The type of mom that takes her trials and learns from them. The mom that has unshakable faith.

The type of mom that will never tell you what she wants for her birthday, and always says, "I just want obedient children."

I love you mom, have a Happy Birthday!

Seed Starting

2010-02-22T08:30:00.002-07:00

Interested in starting your own seeds this year for your garden? I just wrote an article detailing all the instructions over at my backyard farming blog. Click here to check out that article.

Have a Babe?

2010-02-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I do, so I'm loving these 8 natural ways to soothe your baby. Go check it out at simpleorganic.net.
(Madelyn last month, 6 months)

Sylvia

2010-02-19T16:01:00.004-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing sweet Sylvia and her family. Doesn't her mom just look stunning?

To see more of this session, go here.

To view entire session, go here.

Get Your Head in the Game

2010-02-05T15:43:00.006-07:00

Gotta, gettcha gettcha gettcha head in the game.

Reece gets really embarrassed and annoyed when I sing that song from High School Musical. Hey, that's my job as his mom, to embarrass him.

Reece is really talented on defense.

Because of this, he sometimes is teamed up with someone that may have a height advantage, as you can see in the picture below.

Hey buddy, go back to 8th grade, this is a 3rd/4th grade team.

At least we have a speed advantage on him when playing offense.All in all our team did really well!
We were unstoppable,
just check out the score.
Can you believe it?!?!?
Well don't, the score keeper was to busy talking on his cell phone to keep accurate score. It was really 10 to 2.

My Morning

2010-02-03T13:05:00.004-07:00

So my sweet husband Michael, feels bad that he is at work on my birthday. He feels bad that I don't get to lay around in bed in my jammies while he watches the kids.

But, then I would miss cute things like this today, when Mason noticed he had a hole in his underwear.

I wouldn't get to play a game with Mason while the older kids were at kid's camp.

And I would miss out on all the joy this little one radiates.

I've decided to document the rest of my day in pictures as well.

What a Great Way to Wake Up!

2010-02-03T10:20:00.002-07:00

So, this morning I woke up to breakfast in bed made by my little sweethearts.

And a cute "brithday" card made by Reece.

Memorization

2010-02-02T11:14:00.004-07:00

Okay everyone. Reece is in 4th grade now, and I as part of his home school curriculum I have added memorization. I'm pretty much running out of ideas, what did you memorize in 4th/5th grade? This year he has memorized:

30 days hath September, April, June and November
All the rest have 31,
Save February, 28 days clear,
and 29 each leap year.

And...

The Be Verbs

Am
Is
Are
Was
Were
Be
Being
Been
Do
Does
Did
Shall
Will
Should
Would
May
Might
Must
Can
Could

Now, he is memorizing this (the states song)

I was thinking about the Gettysburg Address?

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks!

It's a Family Affair

2010-01-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the past, just Michael and I have enjoyed browsing through the Seed Savers Exchange magazine together. This year I have found my kids picking up the magazine circling and making little stars or hearts next to the produce they want to grow this year. I couldn't be more proud!!! It has been so fun to include them in this stage of the process. I hope that this will help them feel even more ownership in the garden.

Do you plant heirloom seeds?
What is your favorite thing to grow?

We Have Hair

2010-01-27T00:43:00.002-07:00

I don't know if you remember "my terrible mistake", you know, when I shaved my babies head completely bald. Well, we can all move past that now, Maya found enough hair to put into a little piggie tail. Hurray!

I LOVE LOVE this skirt!

2010-01-25T15:31:00.005-07:00

One of my good friends made this adorable skirt and embellished the shirt to match, and I just had to share the pictures I took of Madelyn in it. I have been anxiously awaiting her to grow into this outfit, and it is even more adorable worn.

I Say Tomayto, You Say Tomahto...Quiz

2010-01-18T17:04:00.004-07:00

Have you taken the tomato quiz over on my
backyard farming blog?

If not, head on over there. Well, what are you waiting for?

I Can Feel it, Can You Feel it?

2010-01-16T08:12:00.001-07:00

Spring. It is getting close, and I'm getting excited. There is so much to look forward to in the garden during the warmer months. Here are some things I'm excited about:

Freshly picked strawberries.

Power Rangers protecting my garden.

Filling my kitchen with greenery.

Freshly picked melons.

When the kids ask for a snack, I just have to send them out to the garden.
This is Reece munching on a raw beet.

FRESH VEGGIES and HERBS!

Making forts in the garden.

What are you excited about?

~marisa

Feeding Fiasco

2010-01-09T06:00:00.001-07:00

Hey mom, did you see who grabbed my spoon and thinks they are going to feed me?

Yeah, Mason, the kid that can't even remember to flush the toilet,

The one that calls me "Big Fella",
The one that thinks he is going to be a Power Ranger when he grows up,
The kid that is ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD!

I guess I will give this a try.

Not bad, I think he's got it.

Look what he's done to my face!

Mom, you seriously are going to let this continue?

Check out this ridiculous face he is making!

You are just going to stand there taking pictures the entire time?

You don't need to put the spoon in my esophagus.

Only one of us is enjoying this!

OK, now I'm just getting mad.

What do you mean say ahhh? I just need to open my mouth.

HELP!

Can we be done here?

Nothing like a full belly, no matter how the job gets done!

Giveaway- Free Spot to Joy-ography Workshop!

2010-01-08T12:47:00.003-07:00

Hey ladies, Megan and I are so excited about our photography workshop for beginner's . We are so excited about it because we know that it will enable people to leap like 5 years ahead in their photography skills. And we are also giving away a scholarship to the workshop for which the contest starts today!!!

If you don't know what the workshop is about or want to know what to expect you can go here.

When It's Time to Change, You've got to Rearrange

2010-01-04T22:28:00.002-07:00

If you didn't catch the reference to the Brady Bunch reference in the title, I so kindly left you the 'you tube' video below.

With that said, Moondoggie Photography is making a few changes of it's own, and there is no better time than at the beginning of the year. Not only for tax reasons, but it seems that everyone is inspired and ready to push forward full speed ahead.

Megan and I have been friends since I first met her at a birthday party 20 years ago when I first moved to Texas. We have had a lot of the same interests over the years, (surprisingly enough, never in the same guy) but photography has been a common interest over the past 6 or more years. Megan was in Texas, I in Utah. We both started our businesses at the same time with the same equipment, and with daily phone calls we shared all our photography secrets and business ideas. When Megan moved to Utah, it just seemed right that we would abandon our old businesses and start one together.

The journey building Moondoggie Photography has been amazing! We have both had a great time and learned a lot in the process. But, it is time for a change. We found that coordinating the business aspects, managing a website and blog, managing the finances, and driving an hour round trip between our homes took away from the time we could be talking about how to be better photographers. We lost all that we loved about our businesses because we were "coordinating".

Marisa will be keeping Moondoggie Photography, and Megan will be reinstating Megan Knorpp Photography. We are happy to say that Megan and I agreed that there won't be any awkwardness between the two of us. So, if you are a previous client of mine, and want to give Megan's a try, I won't be offended, and visa versa.

Megan and I are still calling each other every day exchanging tips and ideas. My phone rang today, and my son Reece said, "it is either dad, or Megan", it was Megan. We are still planning on doing weddings together as well. So if you book a wedding with one of us, you can pretty much plan on seeing the other. Most importantly, we are still working vigorously on our Joyography Workshop! We will be giving away a scholarship to our workshop, so start thinking of all the reasons YOU deserve it.

Laura's Bridals

2009-12-29T17:13:00.002-07:00

Michael's cousin is getting married in January and asked me to take her bridals. How could I pass up taking a tall, blond, beautiful, and FUN bride's pictures? We had a blast, and Laura did an amazing job despite the freezing temperatures.

I did almost have a heart attack when she laughed into the straw of the Coke she was drinking and it blew up all over her dress. Thanks to some quick thinking, I had her stand up and we wiped it off the dress with a coat. Luckily, there are no spots on the dress!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I heart sledding!

2009-12-23T12:43:00.001-07:00

Sketchy Santas

2009-12-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm loving the sketchy Santas blog.

Felt Mr. Potato Head

2009-12-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

I just love this felt Mr. Potato Head found over at Make it and Love it.

Small Magazine

2009-12-16T16:32:00.001-07:00

Have you had a chance to check out Small Magazine? It is adorable!

Tradition

2009-12-13T22:02:00.003-07:00

We have a little tradition that on the babies first Christmas we take an "all natural" baby picture in a Santa hat.

Reece's First Christmas

Maya's First Christmas

Mason's First Christmas

And, our sweet little Madelyn's First Christmas

But, this tradition didn't start with us, it started way back in 1975 with my sweet husband's first Christmas. Isn't he a doll?

This picture just never stops getting funny, and has SO MANY MANY uses!

"Hey There Big Fella"

2009-12-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is what Mason says to Madelyn. It is so funny I just hate to tell Mason that a "fella" is normally a boy.

You are What You Live

2009-12-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.

If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.

If a child lives with pity,
he learns to feel sorry for himself.

If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns to feel guilt.

BUT

If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.

If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.

If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.

If a child lives with honesty,
he learns what truth is.

If a child lives with fairness,
he learns justice.

If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and those about him.

If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns the world is a nice place in which to live.

WITH WHAT IS YOUR CHILD LIVING?

Dorothy L. Law, 1959

Ahhhh Thanksgiving

2009-12-07T23:19:00.004-07:00

I realize I'm posting my Thanksgiving post way late, all the savvy bloggers have their Thanksgiving musings up the day after Thanksgiving. Not I.

Our Thanksgiving story starts with an ugly turkey I drew and feathers that hold things we are grateful for. Mason is very thankful for robots and sea monsters, oh how they have touched our lives! What would we do without them?

This year, was the best Thanksgiving EVER! Alas, Reece and I are both glad it is over so that we can start enjoying Christmas. You see, we believe in keeping our holidays pure. If it is Halloween, let's enjoy Halloween, when it is Thanksgiving time, I just want to focus on Thanksgiving. Reece and I had to roll our eyes, complain, and banter back and forth about retailers not letting us enjoy our holidays one at a time. Why do I have to start listening to Christmas music in October?

Now, onto the pictures and boring details of our Thanksgiving....

Last year we went to Golden Corral for our Thanksgiving meal. It was great, everyone got to eat what they wanted, while nobody had to slave for hours in the kitchen cooking (Michael) and nobody had to spend hours cleaning up (me). So, it was decided, Golden Corral again this year. The sign says it all.

We did have a few pity invites from well intentioned friends. When they heard that we were going to Golden Corral for Thanksgiving we would get the invite to their cousin's, uncle's, twice removed aunt Marsha's house for dinner, and they were sure nobody would mind. What they didn't understand was that although it is really "white trash" to go, it was a choice. It wasn't our only option. Each day leading up to the "big day", we would all make our personal "play list" of what we were going to eat....I'll start with the pizza, then move to steak. Steak, how many people get to say they had steak?

It was just great to be together as a family, and with all the "interesting" people there with us, it felt just like being with extended family.

Why is it that I can't ever get all of my kids to look good in a picture? We have Maya daydreaming in one, and Mason complaining that he doesn't want more pictures in the other. They are children of a photographer, they should know to just grin and bear it!

After our meal, we went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was just that....fantastic. The kids are still talking about their favorite parts and acting them out. We hurried and read the book before we went to go see it. The movie is better than the book, rare, I know.

The day didn't end there, oh no. We got some free tickets from my friend Janis to the Jazz game and just couldn't pass them up.

Reece and Michael obviously didn't hear the memo that they were supposed to pretend to be cheering.

It was one of these rare, and I mean RARE days that everything was just dreamy and wonderful. The kids didn't fight or cry, they said, "Thank You", we laughed, we ate, and we loved it all.

A Little Sneak Peak on My Next Project....

2009-12-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Joy-ography Workshop

2009-11-24T15:35:00.005-07:00

My business partner Megan and I joined photography forces over a year ago when she moved to Utah. It just felt right for both of us to work together. We both started getting into photography years ago, while she was in Texas and I was here in Utah. We started talking almost daily about cameras, new techniques, books to read, business plans, photography prices, websites and everything in between. We both had the same cameras when we first started, and we both were ready to upgrade cameras at the same time, so again we got the same camera. It was great to learn along side someone.

When she moved out here, there was no question in my mind that I wanted to get rid of "Portaits by Marisa" and start "Moondoggie Photography." We had a blast getting the ball rolling, coming up with a business name, logo, and philosophy. Megan and I have been best friends since 5th grade, and we were always plotting and planning something big.

Megan and I had something that many other budding photographers don't have, we had each other. When she would learn a new trick or technique, she would call and tell me and I did the same for her. I also had an amazing group of women photographers that would meet periodically to do the same thing. I was so lucky! I was able to learn so much quicker than learning everything on my own, book by book. I read tons of books, but the tried and true tricks of my fellow photographers were what really helped me the most.

Megan and I have been approached for help by many budding photographers whether they want to improve pictures on their blogs, want to be able to take "professional" looking pictures of their kids, or even wanting to become professional photographers. With a lot of thought and preparation, we decided that we wanted to help others learn the things that took us so long to figure out, all in just one day.

We came up with Joy-ography Workshops. You can go to our Moondoggie Blog for information as well as a new Joy-ography Workshop Blog dedicated to the website.

Cough Etiquette

2009-11-24T06:00:00.003-07:00

I've been hearing a lot of different methods as to how to keep germs from spreading. One of the best was my friend Kristi said you need "frequent hand washing and gargling with salt water and clapping three times and doing a cartwheel before bed." This video just hits home with all the "new methods" of keeping germ free.

Fluffylicious

2009-11-21T11:37:00.002-07:00

So, I've been seeing these amazingly fluffy skirts on Etsy for a while and I just knew they would photograph beautifully. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $80 for one, I have two girls now, I would have to get one for each of them, of course. Kids grow so fast, so who knows how long they would actually be able to wear them. It's a lot of money to spend for photographing my kids or to spend on a dress up skirt. But, I was in the fabric store the other day and saw that there was a class on how to make them. I signed myself right up. I'm thinking, if I could make them, then I could make one in every size and color and use them for my photography business!!!

After signing up for the class, I started thinking about how much ruffling you would have to do, and that the fabric does not look easy to work with. Both of which are very true. BUT, it wasn't nearly as hard as I had anticipated. I now know WHY they charge $80 for them! Cynthia was an AMAZING teacher, so patient, and has great instructions. If you want to check out her free online tutorial, you can go to her blog.

I just couldn't wait to take Maya out and photograph her in it. We did a quick 5 min. shoot, and both Maya and the skirt did a fantastic job photographing. Don't you think?

Reece

2009-11-16T16:54:00.001-07:00

Maya

2009-11-16T16:45:00.001-07:00

Mason

2009-11-16T16:37:00.001-07:00

Madelyn

2009-11-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

Family Pictures

2009-11-12T17:22:00.004-07:00

I HATE HATE HATE family pictures. I LOVE to take them of other families, but hate getting them done for my family. I forgot how much I hate them until this week. Megan (my business partner) and I have been taking family pictures like crazy this fall. We were talking over the weekend about how we have been so busy, we haven't even thought about our own family pictures. I was in Idaho at the time, so we decided we would do our family pictures Monday. We would bring both of our families and take turns shooting for each other. I planned on running to the store on Saturday to pick out some clothes while I was in Idaho Falls. That never happened.

Monday rolled around and I realized that I didn't have any clothes for us to wear. It was about 1:30 and I was supposed to leave at 3:30, that gave me a very small window to come up with 6 spectacular outfits that weren't matching, but coordinating, and talking my kids into actually wearing the new clothes.

Outfits set me back a few minutes, I couldn't find the shirt Michael wanted to wear, and I couldn't find him a shirt that would work at the store. So, I had to run back home and grab half his wardrobe and bring it with me.

I call Megan on my way, because I forgot to look up the directions on how to get there. She gives me the instructions, which I thought I followed to a T, but alas, I was wrong. I tried again, backtracked, and started over, wrong again. I call Megan, at this point I'm about 15 mins. late. She explains to me where I went wrong, and I made it there, just in time for the sun to set.

We were so rushed to try to get SOMETHING, ANYTHING, before it was completely dark, just so we wouldn't have to re-shoot, that neither Megan or I notice the port-a-pottie and parking lot behind us, instead of the beautiful trees. With some fancy photoshop work, I'm sure I can make it look decent, but mostly just for documentation, not for blowing up and hanging on the wall.

So at this point, I'm really disappointed and frustrated. I woke up the next morning with the ability to see the humor in it all. Megan and I have a philosophy that we explain on our website about making your picture day fun, and happy. Our picture day was anything but fun, happy and easy going. I wanted to try again, this time using our philosophy. It was 8 am, the kids were all awake, and in a great mood. All the clothes I had bought for pictures were in one big heap in my room. I gathered them, passed them out, and told the kids we were going to go try again.

I'm so glad we did. It was a beautiful morning, and the location, was just perfect, I knew I wouldn't get lost since it was just a block away. I wasn't able to get a family picture since I was acting as photographer and Michael was at work, but i got the most amazing pictures of my kids.

Here is just one of the beautiful images I got, I will be posting individual pictures of the kids once I have all of them edited. But, I have redeemed myself as well as learned a lesson.

New Suit

2009-11-02T21:11:00.007-07:00

I have begun to really love swimming, with all the swimming for exercise and taking the kids to the pool, I had worn out my suit quickly. I can normally get about 2 years out of a suit, but with all the use and exposure to chlorine, it's worn out. I knew it was time for a new one when I held it up to the light, and you could see right through it. The bottoms of my tankini elastic was so stretched out that when I would do a flip turn and push off the wall, they would flutter, offering less than ideal coverage. Being the off season for swimming, I didn't think there would be many options for suits in the stores. I turned to online shopping for my new suit.

I was excited to find a site that offered a virtual model. I could enter my height, weight, and a few other options that described my body type, then it showed me what I would look like in each particular suit. After entering all my data, this is what I was shown.

SWEET, I'm going to look hot in my swimsuit, right? Wrong!

First off, anyone that has more than 10% body fat on their body, will not look like the above picture. Speedos are so tight that they slice right into the fat leaving you with a large bulge on both sides of the suit. Second, they should have more options than just height, weight, and whether or not you are large chested. They need to have an option for cellulite: little, moderate, or excessive, it really makes a difference in how you look in swimsuit. Just to be fair, I think they should also offer varicose veins, cankles, and knee fat on your virtual model.

This is more realistic of what I saw when I put on the suit.

I'm not even sure why they give you the option to choose a bust size. It isn't like anyone has a chest once they put a speedo on. Speedo really got it right when they figured out how to make you perfectly flat up top, while allowing the midsection to show in all it's glory.
If you happen to chance upon a virtual model in your online shopping, don't trust it!

Who Says Miracles Still Don't Happen?

2009-10-16T12:11:00.001-06:00

I'm Hungry

2009-10-14T13:06:00.002-06:00

Mason: I'm hungry.
Mom: Do you want a carrot?
Mason: No, I want a piece of cuttie pie Madelyn!

You'd Think We Were In A Student Ward

2009-10-11T14:44:00.001-06:00

9 of the 11 babies born this year so far in my ward.

Yup, I'm Absolutely Out of My Mind Crazy

2009-10-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

I bought one of these...

a cloth diaper.

Just one, just to see how it all works.

Before Madelyn was born, I bought a pattern and some fabric to make these. We will try the pre-made one first, then I will invest the time and effort to make them if I like them.

I've made a terrible mistake!

2009-10-01T20:12:00.002-06:00

At the beginning of each month there are a few things that I always try to do, start a new budget spreadsheet, bathe the dog, get out a fresh pair of contacts, and I cut all my boys hair (Michael included). Today, being the first of the month was no exception. Warning the boys that today was haircutting day was received with moaning, grumbling, and bargaining for treats.

We started out with Reece who is going for that shaggy look. I finished up pretty proud of a job well done. He goes to look in the mirror and immediately starts yelling and crying that he hates his hair so much, he will have to wear a wig. Well, there goes one unhappy customer.

I bribe Mason with a Popsicle and finally get him to sit down for me. Mason's hair is easy, I have been cutting his hair the same for the past year and it is the same haircut I give Michael. I finished up, proud of a job well done. Mason goes to look in the mirror and starts crying that he hates his haircut. I wonder where he learned that? Two unhappy customers.

I had been telling Michael earlier that I wanted to trim up Madelyn's hair. I had heard that if you cut babies hair, it will come in thicker and more even. Michael was cool with that, and said to go ahead with it. I knew that Madelyn wouldn't complain about her haircut, so she was up next. I wrapped Madelyn up in a blanket to keep the hair off of her and to keep her hands pinned down. I also figured it would be easiest to use the clippers to get a nice even length all around. With Madelyn in one hand and the clippers in the other, I started to shave her head. Michael comes running toward me yelling "NNNNNOOOOOOOO", just as I skim the top of her head with guardless clippers. YIKES, those guards really serve a purpose, don't they? Well, what was done was done, I couldn't just leave her with a landing strip on her head, could I? I now have a completely bald baby, not a speck of hair on her little head. At least she didn't 'cry and complain about it, and she by far got the worst haircut of the day.

Michael opted out of a haircut.

Anyone know the number to Great Clips, and somewhere I can get some cute baby hats?

We Are Back!

2009-09-18T15:48:00.001-06:00

Madelyn and I are back from the Small Farm Conference, and we both had a blast. More details to come later, right now I just want to enjoy being in my house, with Madelyn asleep in her bed.

Small Farm Conference

2009-09-14T11:56:00.003-06:00

I'm supposed to be packing, which I hate...So I'm procrastinating by writing a blog post. The only thing I hate more than packing, is unpacking. Michael can count on my suitcase sitting in our room for a few weeks after my return. When I run out of clothes to wear, or wonder where those cute new black shoes of mine are, then I will break into that pack.

So my friend Megan and I got invited by the University of Maryland to go to Springfield, Illinois to present a poster about our backyard farming blog for a Small Farm Conference held there. We leave first thing in the morning and will be returning Friday afternoon. UofM is paying for our flights and entrance to the conference. I'm sure I will be posting pictures when I return.

Best Friends

2009-09-11T17:07:00.003-06:00

Madelyn already has a best friend, Gracie. She lives next door and was born only 2 weeks before her. Aren't they adorable?Madelyn & Gracie

Their older sisters are best friends as well and love having their own personal baby dolls.

The Meanest Mom Around

2009-09-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have one of those days where you just need at least ONE room to stay clean?
Well, this was my solution. Yes, I'm a terrible mom, I banned my kids from the living room. It was bliss.

It only lasted one day and the kids rejoiced when they could return to the living room.

Well loved

2009-09-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Augusts Field Trip

2009-09-04T06:00:00.001-06:00

Our second day of homeschool we took our very first field trip of the school year to the Dinosaur Museum. We went with my friend Megan who happens to be a fellow homeschooler.

Digging for fossils

Trying out New Haircuts for Reece

2009-09-03T11:52:00.001-06:00

What do you guys think?

The Garden is Thriving

2009-09-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to check out my backyard farming blog!

Back To School

2009-09-02T06:00:00.002-06:00

"Back to School" has a different meaning around our house since we homeschool. It is still exciting as we have new curriculum, markers, art supplies, books, science equipment, math manipulatives etc. But the teacher stays the same. Michael teaches science and I teach the rest. We are doing a few things different this year since Maya has chosen to homeschool as well. It is definately more of a juggling act, but we are still done around lunch time with time to explore other interests. This year I will be doing a cooking class for the kids once a week. This week Maya made pasta salad and Reece made zucchini brownies. Both were delicious.

A friend of mine sent me this, and I had to laugh since at one time or another I have done almost all these things:

You Know You are a Homeschool Parent When:

When a child busts a lip, and after seeing she's okay, you round up some scotch tape to capture some blood and look at it under the microscope!

You find dead animals and actually consider saving them to dissect later.

You ask for, and get, a copier instead of a diamond tennis bracelet for your wedding anniversary.

Your kids think reading history is best accomplished while lying on the floor with their head resting on the side of their patient dog.

Your husband can walk in at the end of a long day and tell how the science experiment went just by looking at the house.

You have meal worms growing in a container....on purpose.

Talking out loud to yourself is a parent/teacher conference.

You can't make it through a movie without pointing out the historical inaccuracies.

You step on math manipulatives on your pre-dawn stumble to the bathroom.

The teacher gets to kiss the principal in the faculty lounge and no one gossips.

You can't make it through the grocery produce department without asking your preschooler the name and color of every vegetable, and you can’t put the produce in your cart without asking your older student to estimate it's weight and verify accuracy.

You try to (quickly) capture the huge bee that was knocked unconscious as it accidentally flew into your car window, so the kids can classify and inspect it.

You DREAM of a room (or even a whole house!) with wall to wall, ceiling to floor bookshelves.

You are on a first name basis with the majority of local librarians.

Who knew that math manipulatives could be made into guns?

Re-purposed Shirt

2009-09-01T17:17:00.005-06:00

So I've been inspired by all the re-purposed clothes I have seen on other blogs so I thought I would give it a try.

This is an old shirt that had a cute style and was still in good condition, but I just wasn't a fan of how it looked on me.

Before:

So I took in the top around the shoulders and the sides, and it is a perfect fit for Maya. It looks adorable with jeans or some leggings.

After

Are you SERIOUS?

2009-08-26T15:01:00.004-06:00

Really? Seriously? Someone is going to offer me the CHANCE to save
$12.49
over the next year!

All I have to do is fill out a mere 3 pages of paperwork.
Sign me up!

I'm obsessed!

2009-08-21T16:20:00.003-06:00

Yes, I'm obsessed along with the rest of my family. We are obsessed with this little baby. Our entire world revolves around her and everything she is doing and it doesn't even seem that anyone minds.

I keep waiting for the honeymoon to be over, but it isn't and I love it. The kids still beg to hold her, Maya wants to be the official diaper changer, Reece wants to be the official clothes changer.

Madelyn isn't the only one growing fast!

2009-08-17T18:08:00.001-06:00

Madelyn's First Photo Shoot

2009-07-31T11:14:00.002-06:00

I had so much fun yesterday taking pictures of Madelyn, I thought I would share a few of my favorites.

Madelyn

2009-07-27T15:13:00.002-06:00

Madelyn is now 1 week old.
She is very well loved by all in our family. If I turn my back on her, someone is either trying to pick her up, kiss her, move her, touch her, talk to her, wake her up, play with her, check her diaper, change her clothes, pick her nose, look at her "belt cord", and the list goes on, and on!

I never believed in love at first sight until I had kids.

Meet Baby M

2009-07-20T13:01:00.003-06:00

She has FINALLY arrived! Looks like nobody correctly guessed her birth date. Sorry folks, there was a large cash prize for whomever could guess the exact date.

She weighed in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long and just the sweetest little thing. She had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and also once around her chest. I'm so grateful she arrived safe and sound, even if she was late.

She is definitely already a daddy's girl. She cried whenever any of the nurses held her, they gave her to Michael and immediately she stopped crying. He gave her to me and she started crying. She just stares and stares up at Michael.

The kids approve of her as well. Maya thinks she is the prettiest baby ever born, and was happy to find out that there really was a baby in my tummy, I wasn't just fat.

Petal Envelopes

2009-07-16T13:39:00.002-06:00

Aren't these adorable invitations? Click here to download the free template.

I think I might use this template to make envelopes for Baby M's birth announcements.

No Baby Yet

2009-07-16T11:15:00.001-06:00

She is stubborn one!

Make Your Guess

2009-07-01T22:17:00.002-06:00

When is baby M going to come into this world?

My official due date is July 16th. Reece was 2 days late, Maya was 7 days early, and Mason was 5 days early.

Leave your guess in the comments.

Summer Nights

2009-06-29T13:51:00.002-06:00

Ahhh....warm summer nights.In about 2 weeks everything is going to come to a screeching halt for a while. I'm trying to cram in all the fun summer activities possible before the baby comes.
So last night I let the kids sleep on the tramp. They were having a great time, laughing, talking, jumping.....20 mins. later in walks Mason with his pillow and sleeping bag stating, "I'm sleeping inside, they are telling ghost stories." At about 11:30 in walks Maya to sleep on her bed. Reece was the only one to stick it out.

I could hardly sleep all night, we put a lock on our gate last night in hopes that it would slow down any kidnappers that just happened to wander into our backyard looking for kids sleeping on the tramp. I also made our dog Jada sleep outside to protect the kids, the only problem is that she didn't like that idea, even though I put her bed out there, she whined the whole night.

What's up next? The Utah Symphony is putting on an outside concert tomorrow night, we may be going to that.

Awkward Family Photos

2009-06-24T17:17:00.004-06:00

Come on, we all have them. Now, you can laugh at the expense of others awkward family photos. Michael and I laughed for about an hour straight going through the site. Go check it out.

Michael and I are TOTALLY doing this for Halloween this year.

Hypno What?

2009-06-18T16:41:00.003-06:00

HypnoBirthing and HypnoBabies are the methods I'm choosing to birth baby M.

Maya and Mason were born using HypnoBirthing. I have lost my HypnoBirthing CD's, so my friend Julie let me borrow her HypnoBabies CD's to practice with, so I'm combining the two. They are basically one in the same.

What is HypnoBirthing and HypnoBabies (HB)

HB are natural virtually pain-free birthing techniques. Women's bodies are made to birth babies, and women all over the world birth easily and comfortably. The Western World has this infatuation with birthing stories, it is equivalent to men's fishing stories. The fish is bigger and bigger each year, just as our birthing stories get worse and worse. Deep down most of us have these fears of birthing, what if this or that happens, the pain, c-sections, the needle of the epidural etc. As we start to labor we experience fear, is it going to be painful, how long is it going to last? Our bodies go into a fight or flight mode. As this happens, blood is rushed to our extremities and away from the uterus where we need the blood and oxygen the most. The cervix is trying to open up and due to lack of blood, oxygen, and our tense muscles, it can't open without pain.

With practice, you can release your birthing fears and teach your body how to quickly get into a very deep relaxed state. As labor begins, it is important to get your body relaxed, and the contractions feel like a tightening and nothing more.

Epidurals

I remember going into labor with Reece and calling my mom at 3 in the morning. I was in excruciating pain, she told me to lay down, take some deep breaths and relax. It seemed to help. At the appropriate time, we went to the hospital, they checked me and I was at a 3. I was in excruciating pain at a 3??? I was never planning on delivering natural with Reece, I received my epidural when I was at a 5 and bawling because I didn't think I could lay still through a contraction. They warned me that I could be paralyzed with one wrong move of the needle. WHAT?!?!? I have to lay perfectly still through a contraction or I could be paralyzed? In the end, I had a beautiful amazing birth with Reece and I wouldn't go back and do it any other way. But, I knew for my next baby, there had to be a better way to birthing.

I am not anti-epidural, please don't get me wrong. For some women, it is the only way and the only option, I'm cool with that. There are a lot of possible side effects from an epidural, and after looking into them and deep down I knew that there had to be another way. For me, natural child birth is just that, a better way.

Natural Child Birth

Maya was my first natural child birth baby. I still remembered the pain accompanying Reece's labor, and in the back of my head I never really forgot that or convinced myself that natural child birth could be pain free. Michael was working late the night I went into labor. I was sitting with the neighbors on the front lawn, making sure to be focused, calm and relaxed. They were timing my contractions for me and writing them down. The contractions got close enough together to go to the hospital, they convinced me I needed to call Michael to come home. I was thinking that if I went to the hospital at that point, for sure they would send me home, none of the contractions hurt. It had to be false labor. I finally called Michael. I told him to wait maybe 30 minutes, then come home. As we were about to say good-bye, my water broke, I told him to come home right then. The neighbors were trying to convince me to let them take me to the hospital. I brushed it off, just knowing I had plenty of time until delivery. Michael wanted to rush me to the hospital, just because it is very rare that you get the excuse to speed somewhere. Luckily he drove fast! We got to the hospital and since it was after hours the doors were locked and there was no valet. Talk about a time to need a valet! (Do a google search for Brian Regan's comedy bit on this!) Michael dropped me off to go park as I'm ringing the intercom telling them to let me in, I'm having a baby. About 10 minutes later, Maya was born. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! The euphoria afterwards is like nothing else I have experienced, multiply runners high by about 100.

I had learned my lesson with Maya and was determined to go to the hospital earlier when delivering Mason. I wanted plenty of time at the hospital, I didn't want to be transitioning in the car, or worse yet, deliver in the car on the freeway. Again, contractions were close enough together to go to the hospital, but there was no pain involved. We got to the hospital and I had plenty of time to relax and get settled in. The nurses didn't think I was very far along so they asked me if I wanted to get into the bath. I did. About 5 minutes later I was ready to push and by that point it was to late to get back into the bed. Mason ended up being a water birth. Total time at the hospital before birth was 2 hours. The nurses were shocked and amazed that I delivered him and had no clue I was so far along. It was again, such an amazing experience.

What are the benefits?

The biggest benefit for me was the recovery time. I was up and walking around just minutes after delivery and able to see the babes get their first bath. With the epidural I was bound to the bed for hours after the effects wore off everywhere but my left leg. The weeks following delivery were so much easier as well. An epidural birth, the doctors/nurses tell you when to push, you could be at a 10 for an hour, waiting for the doctor to arrive so you can push the baby out. With natural child birth, your body is able to tell you when it is time to push. There is also the expense of the epidural, of course we have insurance, but we still would end up paying a portion of the bill. My natural child birthed babies have been much more alert than Reece was.

What does HB entail?

Well, each morning I listen to affirmations that help release any fears that I may have and help me focus on staying positive. I listen to it while I'm cleaning the house. The kids like to repeat phrases to me such as, "I love my pregnant body". I think we will each have it memorized by the time I have this baby. At night I practice the relaxation techniques with my ipod. There have been a few nights where I have decided not to practice and there is a considerable difference in how I sleep. Nights I don't practice, I toss and turn, I'm not as comfortable, and I don't feel as refreshed in the morning. Delivery day, you can expect a faster labor, a very calm environment in your room, and a very exciting, beautiful, natural delivery.

What about being induced?

I would allow the doctors to induce me as long as it was medically necessary, and that would be the only reason. Babies are born when they are ready and a chemical called Oxytocin which start the contractions is released. Pitocin is a stronger synthetic form of Oxytocin and is used when inducing babies. It has been said that it causes stress on the mother's body as well as the babies. There is also a higher risk of c-section when Pitocin is used. Pitocin and epidurals also work against each other. Pitocin will increase the intensity and duration of contractions, while an epidural will often slow them down, causing the need for more pitocin, causing a downward spiral.

Natural child birth is NOT for everyone or for every situation. We have modern medicine, and thank goodness for it! Hopefully if you have ever thought about natural child birth or had questions about it, this post answered some of those questions. Please don't feel that I judge anyone in their choices for childbirth, it is a very personal choice and everyone will do what is best for themselves. For me, this is what works best.

First Race

2009-06-08T10:00:00.005-06:00

Reece and I were running together and were planning on running a 5K together. I hit about 6 months pregnant and had to stop running. Reece would get bugged with me because I was to slow. I would yell to him , yards ahead of me, "Let's see you run with a watermelon in your shirt while pushing Mason in the stroller." There were a few times I had him push Mason just so I could have a break, then the guilt set in and I would push Mason again.

I signed Reece up for a 2K instead of a 5k, and I was just a spectator. I just love the excitement of race day!

I get butterflies in my stomach just looking at a starting line.
At this point I'm choking back the tears watching my boy running his first race.
Right here I'm embarrassing Reece completely as I'm screaming his name, I can't help it.
Here, you can imagine a pregnant woman, running along side her son, screaming his name, while trying to take his picture. Awesome!
At this point, I stopped running, I didn't want to wet my pants.

And Mason had to show us how fast he could run.

Of course the best part was the free hot chocolate and girl scout cookies at the end. We are pretty sure Reece placed 3rd in his age division, but it was too cold to wait around for the awards ceremony.

Our Family

2009-05-25T10:24:00.001-06:00

I just love this picture Mason drew of our family. Notice how even Baby M is in the picture, located in my belly.

Solar Oven

2009-05-23T16:19:00.002-06:00

For Science class Reece was learning about sources of energy. For one of his projects he built a solar oven out of a shoe box and tin foil so he could learn about solar energy. The kids are using the oven to cook a hot dog....yum! yum!

Decisons Decisions

2009-05-21T13:02:00.002-06:00

Michael worked on the chair rail today for me, but now I can't decide if I like it pink up top or green up top. I'm liking the green, but I wonder if I will like the pink better.

With th help of photoshop, I painted the top pink. I just can't decide.

Pink or green?

Maya's Room

2009-05-20T15:21:00.001-06:00

The chair rail is going to go where the green paint meets the pink, but I can't decide if I want to do solid lighter pink on the top. Maybe I will get the chair rail up and then decide.

Maya's Room-today's update

2009-05-19T13:49:00.003-06:00

Yikes, what was I thinking?!?!? I'm not going for a circus themed room! I'm not finished yet, obviously.

Maya's Room

2009-05-18T21:59:00.003-06:00

This is what Maya's bedroom looked like last Friday...

Here is what it looks like right now....It is hard for me to keep from getting sentimental as I paint over the little picket fence I so carefully painted 6 years ago when I was pregnant with Maya. Now I'm pregnant with Baby M and painting again. I'm not sure how it is all going to turn out. Wish me luck and I will keep you updated on my progress.

End of the School Year Party

2009-05-17T15:23:00.004-06:00

Being a home school family, you might think that we miss out on all the fun parts about school. Reece really had a hard time deciding weather he wanted to home school at the end of last years school year. He was so hung up about the end of school year PARTY. No kid ever wants to miss a party, and who can blame them. A full school day full of fun, treats, and games.
Washington Online School, this is the school that Reece is actually enrolled in, hosted our end of school year party at Hollywood Connection. They provide us with our free curriculum, a beginning of the school year party, tons of field trips throughout the school year, and an end of school year PARTY!
I don't know about you, but I never had an end of school year party like this... free pizza, pop, free admission to Hollywood Connection for myself and my family, and a few tokens to play video games.

My friend Megan home schools her son Elijah, shown above, since she was busy birthing a baby, Elijah spent the night and was able to go to Hollywood Connection with us.
Another one of Reece's home school friends, Tanner, was there and he hung out with us. His mom was home with a sick child.

This was the cart for those smart kids that didn't want to spin for 5 minutes during the ride.

This cart spun their cart the entire ride and regretted every second of it when they felt like they were going to throw up on the way home.

My little baby, isn't a baby anymore! He is riding a roller coaster.

And bumper cars!

Ahh, that's more like it, merry-go-round. He is still my baby. Reece is saying something like, "Mom, don't take a picture of me on this baby ride"

Eeww...where is the sanitizer? Get your mouth off of that railing!

30 weeks

2009-05-11T20:09:00.002-06:00

10 weeks left to go. My bedroom is painted and Michael and I both got new matching dressers (cute, huh?). Now that I have my room updated and a little more organized I'm moving onto Maya's/baby's room. Today we bought a loft bed for Maya. The bedroom is the size of a shoe box so we are getting rid of her full size bed and went with an option that lets us go vertical, the crib will go under the loft bed. Now I just have to decide on fabric/paint for the girls room.

Nesting

2009-05-08T14:08:00.003-06:00

So I'm majorly nesting right now, I only have about 2 months until the baby comes. I want to rip my house apart and put it back together, clean, organized with new paint, new decorations, new flooring etc. Since that isn't going to happen, to appease myself I bought some paint to paint my bedroom. Now, it has only been about 2 years since I painted it last, but I needed a change in there. So Michael takes a look at the paint and then looks at me as if I'm crazy and says, "you seriously think you have time for this? You have the temple celebration, you homeschool, you have a photography business, two blogs, you are doing about 5 appraisals a week, and you think that you have time to paint our bedroom?" My answer, "I'm nesting, can't you just let me nest before the baby comes?" His answer, "I guess I can let you, but I don't have to be happy about it."

Thanks baby for letting me nest, even if you aren't happy about it. Love you!

Candy Factory

2009-05-07T10:21:00.002-06:00

My mom and two aunts were in town last weekend. While they were here we were able to go to Women's Conference down at BYU. My friend Nicol was kind enough to offer to watch my kids one of the days. What a fun mom she is, she organized a trip to the candy factory. Not only did she tote along her 3 kids, but my 3 kids as well. A few other friends and moms went along as well. My kids had a blast. Thanks Nicol!

Temple Celebration

2009-05-04T19:40:00.002-06:00

Michael and I have been asked to be Stake Event Coordinators for a huge Cultural Event celebrating the opening of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It has been an enormous job for the last 2 months and we are down to our last month, which is going to be crazier than ever. The performance is May 30th! It involves 21 stakes (not beef stakes, but a way that our church organizes it's members) We are in charge of our stake in which about 300 youth are involved, some of them are singing and some are dancing. Luckily we have very talented dance directors, a wonderful choir director, and an amazing wardrobe director. Unfortunately a lot of things have been put on hold for the moment being, this blog included.

To find out more information on the Temple Celebration click here. I believe this celebration will be broadcasted to stake centers around the nation.

Aprils Homeschool Field trip

2009-04-14T10:39:00.005-06:00

Our April field trip was a tour of the capitol building. I wasn't really that excited about this one, especially since our last field trip was so much fun. But, if you haven't ever taken a tour, I would recommend that you take one. It was very interesting for me as well as the kids.

The House of Representatives:
Did you know that for the state of Utah, they are only in session for 45 days? The representatives all have other jobs. Hmmm.... maybe I will run for office one day.

The Senate:
The desks are original to the capitol and were not replaced in the remodel.

The architecture and paintings were just beautiful! They better be, after 4 years and millions of dollars of renovation!

Michael's Birthday Cake

2009-04-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Michael's birthday was last month and I decided to try this recipe, mmm.... they are so good. Rich enough that you can only eat one.

My Future Cosmotology Student

2009-04-03T16:07:00.003-06:00

Meet her favorite client. Sometimes a happy client.....other times not so happy.

A Great Afternoon

2009-03-27T13:37:00.002-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to go to lunch with 3 fabulous ladies. I grew up with Kristi and Megan and Sis. Carruth was one of my amazing young women leaders. She has stories about us that made me blush. She is a saint for putting up with us! I hope she is good at keeping secrets! Thanks for a great afternoon ladies.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T10:18:00.001-06:00

March Homeschool Field Trip

2009-03-13T18:19:00.007-06:00

Our March homeschool field trip was a trip up to Soldier Hollow for some cross country skiing and tubing.

Both the kids and I were so excited for this field trip. It started out with a great morning, I just knew that it was going to be a great day. I started to do Maya's hair and she had a major melt down about how I was doing her hair. A few minutes later Maya and Mason were having a slap fight screaming at each other and I'm wondering why I ever plan trips like this. If I hadn't prepaid, I would have quit right there.

Luckily I did prepay and had to go. I threatened the kids that I would NEVER in their entire lives do anything fun with them again if they didn't knock it off. It worked.

So we were off...We enjoyed a beautiful drive up through Park City. We couldn't have asked for better weather the skies were blue, the sun was out, and it was warm.

I had reserved a chariot (sled like thing) to pull Mason in so he didn't have to ski, but when we arrived and he saw Maya and Reece getting fitted with boots and skis, he wanted some too. I decided I would let him give it a try. My baby in skis was the cutest thing ever. Reece and Maya took off up the hill as Mason and I were trying to figure out a good system. The courses all basically go in a circle and they cross each other. Every once in a while I would call out to Reece and tell him to wave his poll so I could keep track of him. He wanted to do the more challenging courses, and was much faster than Mason. Maya decided she wanted to stay with me and after the first down hill, Maya and Mason were hooked. We ended up skiing for 2 and a half hours. We all had a great time and are excited to go back with Michael some time.
We went to the lodge for a quick lunch and then headed out to the tubing hill.

Being 5 months pregnant, I did not plan on tubing. The kids were SO EXCITED for the tubing. We got their tubes, I got them all set up, and the tow rope was pulling them all up the hill. Reece was in charge of helping everyone get down the hill. I went to sit down in a chair at the bottom of the hill when I noticed that the tow rope had stopped. I then noticed that a small child in a red coat, red hat and black pants running down the hill next to the tow rope, and about half way up was an empty tube.

I ran over there, and yes it was Mason, screaming. I profusely apologized to all those that had to wait and took Mason over to the bottom of the hill to wait for Maya and Reece. A few minutes later Reece comes down the hill having a great time. I ask him where Maya is and he explains that she is screaming at the top of the hill and would not come down with him. I then saw a woman and a little girl walking down the hill. Luckily we had met a few other families while we were there and one of the moms knew that I wasn't going to be tubing and recognized Maya as my daughter. Being the good Samaritan that she is, she stopped tubing with her kids to help one of my kids.

I knew that if Maya and Mason would just try tubing once, they would love it. I grabbed a tube, stuck Mason on a tube going up the hill and swore to him that I would be right behind him. I stuck Maya kicking and screaming on a tube and then got on a tube and started going up the hill. About halfway up the hill Maya is still screaming at the top of her lungs, while I'm yelling that she is going to be grounded if she didn't stop screaming. Good parenting, I know! At the top of the hill I had to promise her that she would like it and that I would slow us down if we were going to fast. We hooked all our tubes together and pushed off to go down the hill, within seconds all three kids were laughing hysterically having a great time.
Two and a half hours later I had to pry them off the hill. I was sad to go as well, I was having a great time and ended up tubing the entire time.

20 Weeks-Halfway done!

2009-02-26T14:44:00.006-07:00

The kids are showing off their cute little bellies.

Mason really believes that he has a baby in his tummy as well.

I had my ultrasound last week and really didn't want to talk about it until I found out the results. The ultrasound tech was TERRIBLE and said a lot of things and didn't say a lot of things that made me very concerned. My midwife finally got the results back from the hospital, and everything looks good. So, now I can talk about it.

Now, if there are any ultrasound techs out there, let me tell you a few things when you are dealing with pregnant women:

Do: Pretend to be excited for the mother and father, even though this is my 4th child, it is still a wonderful and exciting experience for us, don't ruin it!
Don't: Let your annoyance shine through when the baby won't cooperate and get in the correct position for you.

Do: Answer the parents questions when they ask you what anatomy you are looking at
Don't: Stay silent throughout the ultrasound unless the parents ask you to

Do: Ask any needed questions before the ultra sound starts
Don't: Ask the mother if she is in for an ultrasound because of problems minutes AFTER you have started the ultrasound, then tell the mother that you can not answer any diagnostic questions when she is freaking out that something is wrong with her baby.

Again: Do ask any needed questions before the ultra sound starts
Don't: Ask the mother if she is measuring normal at her Dr. visits after you have just measured the baby and then tell the mother AGAIN that you can not answer any diagnostic questions.

Do: print off lots of pictures of baby, hands, feet, profile, face, bum showing gender, etc.
Don't: Print off 2 measly pictures, one that even a Dr. couldn't recognize.

Example of a good Picture:

Example of a bad picture. I wouldn't mind if I got this picture if it was one of many, but it was one of TWO pictures. This is supposed to be the front of her face, you know the ones that look kind of alien like.
Do: Tell the parents congratulations as they leave the office
Don't: Send the parents off by telling them that their midwife will let them know the test results on Monday, making the mother think there was a problem and she needed to know the test results.

Just a few tips for those of you that are already ultrasound techs or thinking about becoming one!

FaceBook In Reality

2009-02-24T14:19:00.002-07:00

Repurposed Skirt

2009-02-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've had this skirt since around the time Reece was born, so at least 8 years. It actually got lost in the dark recesses of my closet and I found it recently and realized it was time for it to be retired. I wanted to make something else out of it because of the story behind it.

Here is the story, it may be completely boring, so feel free to skip over this part.

At the time I bought it, Michael and I were dirt poor college students. Reece was a newborn, so I quit my job and no longer contributed an income. Michael was working maintenance at Campus Plaza, an apartment building near BYU and was also a full time student. In the college paper or magazine there was and article about 2 or 3 members of the BYU track team and one of them was a friend of mine from high school. I cut it out and with a little note like, "I'm sure you've gotten a thousand of these, but I thought I would send it anyways" I sent it to his mom (Dee Jones). Apparently his mom had heard about the article, but was unable to get a copy of it, so the copy I sent was the only copy she had. Along with a thank you note she included a gift card to Old Navy. That gift card meant the world to me, it meant a new outfit! It seems so silly now, but back then it was so rare to get new clothes. So, with the gift card, I bought this skirt and a shirt.

It was so thoughtful of Dee to send the gift card, and I don't think she knows how much it meant to me and what a blessing it was. Hopefully, now you do Dee.Since I'm such a sentimentalist, I decided to make a bag out of it.

And here is the finished product. The pictures were taken a few months ago, before I was pregnant, I miss my waist!

I had my ultrasound today and it is a.....

2009-02-19T20:07:00.001-07:00

February's Homeschool Field Trip

2009-02-18T06:00:00.001-07:00

We walked around the Salt Lake Temple, no matter what your religion, it is impossible to deny how beautiful this building is. We also went to the Church History Museum

Building Temples

I'm so proud of Michael for completing this maze!

Valentine Festivities

2009-02-16T09:09:00.006-07:00

These heart shaped bean bags sure got well used this past week. They are made out of felt, I was able to make 2 hearts from one piece of felt, the kids stuffed them with beans and I sewed them up, we made 12 bean bags in all. We played a game where you throw them into a can and whomever gets the most in the can wins. Then we made a big tic-tac-toe board out of poster board and played tic-tac-toe. Maya used them for math questions ie. 2 pink plus 5 red equals? The the kids also came up with their own games such as bombs and grenades, the rules were basically the same as dodge ball.

I made rice crispie treats and formed them to look like giant Hershey Kisses. I cut a piece of parchment paper into long skinny strips and wrote a personalized note on each one. Michael and I hid them for the kids and played hot/cold until they found their kisses.

For some friends we made heart shaped sugar cookies.

The kids decorated the cookies for our family.

Since Reece is homeschooling this year, he isn't able to exchange Valentine cards with class members. We decided to make Valentines for his close friends, this was probably our favorite activity this Valentines.

We started with our "crayon graveyard" seen on the left.
The kids peeled the paper off of the crayons and I cut them into small pieces.

I found some heart shaped ice cube trays for $2.5o at Target. The kids filled the hearts with different colored crayon pieces.

The molds were made out of silicone, so I figured they could probably go in the oven. I gave it a test run and it worked. We baked the crayons for about 15 mins at 250 degrees. The crayons melted and formed a heart shaped colorful crayon.

The finished product.

Maya

2009-02-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Maya went to a birthday party where they hired a professional face painter. How fun is that? Afterwards she was glad to pose for a few pictures for me.

Sometimes she is just so weird, I just don't know where she gets it from!

Hope You Have a SWEET Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you are familiar with Utah, it is obvious I didn't take these recently. I actually took them this past summer, I'm not cruel enough to make my kids pose half naked in the winter.

Our Newest Edition

2009-02-11T20:09:00.002-07:00

Introducing Rodrick.....Isn't he adorable? There is just something genetically ingrained inside me, that I get a new pet every time I'm pregnant. Yes that is somewhat of an announcement if you caught it.

Michael was sweet enough to get me a bunny for my birthday, I have wanted one for the last 2 years.
He is really good with the kids, they love to chase him around and play with him, and he loves getting out of his cage. But, when he is with me, he just lays on my chest and lets me pet him. I hope it stays that way!

Boys and knives

2009-02-09T16:54:00.003-07:00

Reece is always begging to carve with his pocket knife. As a mother of an 8 year old boy, you might realize why I'm hesitant to allow this. Then I saw a craft on Blue Yonders blog and I thought I would let Reece give it a try. He cut out a heart shape about the same size as a bar of soap, traced it onto the bar of soap and then carved away. He was pretty proud of himself and wants to make one for each of his friends for Valentines Day.

Another Texas Update

2009-02-04T11:12:00.004-07:00

Ok, so my sister Linsey asked me to bring my "nice camera" so I could take pictures of her and her boyfriend Frank-a-licious. She swears up and down that they ARE NOT engagement pictures. You be the judge!

The story behind this picture....I basically wanted to see how much power I had over them. I convinced them that I was going to take a really cool picture where they had to get in a sumo wrestling position. Unfortunately, Frank caught on before I could snap the shot in it's full glory. Don't worry, I don't "normally" do this to my regular clients.
O

Terrifying

2009-01-21T13:19:00.002-07:00

This all went down while I was across the street at the gym with my kids. Ahhhhh scary!!!

KEARNS, Utah (ABC 4 News) - ABC 4 News has confirmed a shooting outside Kearns High School in Salt Lake County. It occurred sometime before Noon on Wednesday.

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office confirms a report of a 15-year-old male student who was shot outside the school, and went inside the school for help.

He is said to be in critical condition.

Kearns High School was placed in lockdown following the incident. Five other elementary schools in the area were also placed in lockdown as a precaution.

Three of those schools are Western Hills Elementary, Beehive Elementary, South Kearns Elementary, an unnamed charter and a private school.

Police say they have a person of interest, but had not yet taken that person into custody as of Midday Wednesday.

Inauguration

2009-01-20T09:11:00.004-07:00

In homeschool today we will be watching the Inauguration of Barack Obama. No matter who you voted for, it is undeniable that this is huge in America's history. Yesterday we studied Martin Luther King Jr., it is really amazing to me how bad things were in the past and how far we have come that America would elect a black president. It really makes me proud.