Eye-Opener

Monday was one of those days that will stand out to me for the rest of my life. We were in our jammies, taking it easy because we had just gotten back from our trip the night before and I thought we deserved a lazy day. The house was a mess and I hadn't finished unpacking and the boys were eating whatever they wanted.
My friend, Arlee, stopped by to return something and came in for a while to hang out and talk while the kids played.
Sam asked if he could have pancakes for lunch and I of course said, "sure, why not." Arlee then said, "wow, Karen. You're soft!"
She didn't mean it in anyway and I'm sure she doesn't even remember this happening. But wow did I get a slap in the face from myself.
I had become what I had vied I would never become. The mom that lets her kids stay in their jammies, do whatever, and eat junk!
I had a talk with myself and then with Seth and we both agreed it was time to get things back in order.
We are having purpose for each day. There is a reason to get dressed. A reason to act good, a reason to eat what is prepared, and a reason to sit down together at the table for dinner, and a reason to not wine at anything and everything that happens....and I had lost that reason!
It is always hard to notice in your own life when you need a correction and I am so glad that I had this experience to open my eyes and be able to react in a positive way to it.
I am pleased to announce that we have had an exhausting, but great week. It takes a lot of effort to keep yourself and your kids in line, but we have seen a great difference. The best one being that we all eat the same meal for dinner. No more, you like this so here, and here's what you'll eat. It's this is what is for dinner and we are all going to eat it.
I know this may seem silly to some, but to us it's reality. And it's baby steps!

Vegas

The only Vegas experience I've had before this trip was a one-night-stay at the Excalibur where we got in late, caught the Jousting and Dinner Show, and left early the next morning. We didn't see the strip, walk around, or anything, so this town was all new to me. But I guess I must have made a lasting impresion on this town, after all they did name a street after me! :)

We got in about dinner time and called the front desk to see how to best get to the Planet Hollywood Hotel where there was a sushi buffet Seth wanted to try (we were staying off the strip). They informed us that there was a shuttle that would drop us at Bally Hotel, just 2 hotels away, and that it was leaving in 5 minutes. So we raced to get ready and got on the shuttle.
I had no idea that each hotel is like a mile long! We had the two boys on foot and Chloe in her car seat. It was a little after 5 and we went walking and walking and walking to try to mind this buffet....30 minutes later...
Vegas is dirty!...in more ways than one . I felt so uncomfortable there with all the gross and grime around me and my family. I felt like the worst mom in the world having my little ones in that type of an environment. Thankfully my sweet little ones were looking at the lights and towers and things and not even aware of what else was around them.
So, the buffet (Todai) was heaven to Seth, so I guess it was all worth it.... :) Don't worry, I found my favorite buffet too! :) The breakfast buffet at Terrible's. Yum Yum Yum!

The rest of the trip was great, now that I knew what to expect and how to avoid the "yuckies." :)
We loved our hotel. It was right by the monorail and the airplanes flew right over us. The boys thought there could have been nothing greater than trains and planes passing every 5 minutes! They spent most of their time swimming in the hot tub (the pool wasn't heated - big downer) and playing with their new Chuggington trains they got.


The reason we went to Vegas was because Seth and his dad really wanted to see BYU play in the Mountain West Men's College Basketball Tournament. We had fun going to the games. Seth went to them all and his dad and I switched off going with him. It was fun to see BYU play with how well they are doing and having a player like Jimmer. He had his amazing 52 point game while we were there.

I got to go a shopping spree thanks to Dad M. It was fun to got shopping all by myself and for ME! The time flew by too fast, but not so fast that I wasn't able to find some really cute clothes. I even found a sweet little booth on the strip where I scored 3 pairs of funky sunglasses for $12. You can't beat that, especially with how quickly I go through sunglasses!
We even got the boys their summer sandals...crocs. They are my favorite for kids. They can put them on themselves, you can just wash them off, and you can add cute things to them to personalize them and talk them into wearing them! :) James wanted nothing to do with them until we found the balls to put on them. Now he doesn't want to wear anything else. Sam was an easy sell. We just had to tell him they were fast shoes and he put them right on and wanted us to watch how fast he could run now that he was wearing them! :)

We did find a few great things to do as a family. We rode the monorail a few times. I love how excited Sam gets about trains. It is so fun to watch. From the anticipation before it starts, to the complete focus he has to not miss anything while it's going.


The funny thing about the monorail is that as "convenient" as they try make it, it really has some funny quarks. At one stop you have to ride an elevator up to the ticket booth. Then get on another to go up over the monorail, and they another to take you back down to get on it. 3 elevators to get on the thing!

We took it to MGM and saw the lion habitat they have. It was fun.

We then took a tram to Mandalay Bay and saw the Shark Reef. It was huge and very impressive. We loved the whole atmosphere of it. You were able to literally walk into a huge "cave" of water and be surrounded by sharks, fish, and turtles.






All and all it was a fun trip. It was nice to get away after being cooped up and sick, and the nice weather was fantastic. I'm not sure we would jump back down there, but it was a fun experience.

Sick

This picture pretty much sums it up! We have had more than our share of sickness at our house this last month! Since Valentine's weekend we have had something or another. Chloe got 2 ear infections, Seth as well-with a bonus sinus infection, Sam and James a cough that could be heard 'round the world (and never ending founts of boogers), and I have thankfully stayed (relatively) healthy to get everyone through it.
I thought we were all turning a corner and getting better when Chloe started the throw-ups Thursday. Then I thought we were all turning another corner when our stomachs started bothering us last night....I thought it was just a little bug and was determined to get to church. Everything was going great until Chloe throw-up all over me during stake conference. I bet that was fun for the rows of people behind us!
Let's just say that we are still alive and on about or 3rd week of hanging out and sporting our jammies.
Here's to hoping that Spring is right around the corner with healthy, happy days where we get dressed and are up to doing things.

Boooor-ing!

A co-worker snapped this shot of Seth during a meeting this last week and sent it to me. I absolutely love it. This is one of those, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Needs

I am finding out that we all have different needs.
For example, the other night James woke up crying. He was crying so hard that I could not understand what he was trying to say to me. I finally got him calm and he said,
"I need a high-five."
Oh, of course! that's exactly what I was thinking he would wake up crying about and need! :)
So I gave him a high-five and he immediately went back to sleep!

I did it all by myself, Mommy!

Those were the proud words from my little cuties on Tuesday. I had a Primary Meeting (that I got to hold a sicky Chloe all the way through!). It was long and we were all still pretty sick in this house, so it was a little chaotic.
The boys kept coming and interrupting and wanting to blow bubbles, which is ALWAYS a supervised activity. Well, what can I say. I caved. I opened the bubbles for them and sent them on their way.
When the meeting was over I went into our family room and saw these 4 towels on the carpet with 4 empty bubbles on them. When I asked the boys about it they proudly beamed that they had spilled, but that they had cleaned up the spills. I couldn't be mad. I just smiled and loved their pride and enthusiasm! What sweeties. They worked so hard to do the right thing!

My Knight in Shining Armour

People say that your Knight in Shining Armour rides up on a white horse and sweeps you, the princess, off your feet...well he did come, he did sweep me off my feet, but he wasn't on a white horse and I didn't exactly look like a princess!
Last night was another do-zee (just add it to my week-long spree of no sleep due to how sick we have been!).
About 2:30 Chloe woke up. Wow, I thought! I actually got some sleep! I took care of her and went back to bed feeling great...but no. She was still up, so I went back in and tried to get her to sleep. Then James wakes up. So I put dosing Chloe down hoping she would fall asleep...nope. I get James settled and get back to Chloe to hear James up again. So again with the trade off. No cigar! So I tried again and again and again. I couldn't get either of them to calm down.
After, the I don't know how many times, I was headed into Chloe's room when Seth came, calmed me (who now needed help calming down) and took her from me and sent me to bed. He was so sweet. I could hear him walking and calming her over and over again and yes, he had to send me to bed over and over again as I woke up to take her back.
I was so grateful. I was able to take care of James and catch a few more zzz's. I don't like when Seth has to help me at night because I know he was to get up and go to work the next day, but he was so sweet to do it. He, more than ever, was my Knight in Shining Armour last night!

Dinosaur Museum

Every time we drive past Thanksgiving Point our boys beg to go to the Dinosaur Museum. So we finally decided to do something about it. We got passes and went. As we pulled in the parking lot it dawned on me that we forgot the stroller! I couldn't think of anything worse to forget!
We decided to brave it even though we were still feeling really sick and tired, just so that the boys could get out after being cooped in for a week.
As we were getting our passes we noticed that you could rent strollers....well, they were just the little umbrella strollers. They were going to do us no good since we had Chloe asleep in her car seat and we needed a place for at least James. Then we saw them....wheelchairs. Perfect!
We rented on and had a perfect set up for crating our little ones around. Seth actually loved pushing it and now wants to rent on every time we go! :)

Yum-Yum

Chloe attacked, and yes, I mean attacked, her solids! She was so ready to be eating "food". She has been eyeing us for a while now and I finally buckled down and gave them to her. It was a bitter/sweet moment. I am so glad she is growing and developing, but it does feel like it is going too fast!

2 Cooks in the Kitchen

Well, she doesn't exactly help out yet, but it fun to have my daughter in the mix of things with me! Good signs of things to come....! :)

A Bear Lake Valentine's

We love to go to Bear Lake in the winter. It is always so peaceful and quite. It is a great break from the bleakness of winter and the mundaneness of everyday winter life. We just pack up the video games, crafts, good eats, and plenty of jammies.
We had a great Valentine's day. We got fun treats and little gifts and enjoyed the relaxation. We had our friends up with us for the long weekend and enjoyed the good company.
The boys loved their Valentine goodies. Seth especially loved his. He got a little sushi dish set and chopsticks. I got him the bamboo roll too so that I could learn to make him some sushi.



The deer are everywhere around our condo and we love to see them. James had a face off with on on the porch. It was fun to watch them just stare at eachother. The deer were also everywhere round the hills where we were sledding.


The boys had a great time sledding. I love that they are fearless and love being out there having a good time.

Teeth, Toes, Hair Do, Rolling, and Sitting in the Up-right Position

This has been a HUGE week for little Miss Chloe. I can't believe how big she has gotten. The other week when I was visiting another ward I was in the mother's lounge and there was another woman there with her baby girl. She looked so beautiful and small. I asked the woman how old her baby was and she replied her age. I couldn't believe it. Her little girl was 2 weeks older than Chloe and half her size! Holy cow! My babies are so big!
Well, my little (big) girl has hit some mile stones this past week.
Chloe rolled over her left side on to her tummy last Saturday. She has rolled from her tummy to her back multiple times, but I was so proud of her for rolling to her tummy. She is getting so strong.
With the rolling around comes the circles on the floor and the grabbing of her toes. She just loves it when she is just in her onesie and then she can bring her legs up and grab her toes. She gets so excited and giggles the cutest little giggles.

Chloe got her first tooth on Wednesday (bottom, middle left) followed by her second on Thursday (bottom, middle, right).
I also did her hair (with product) for the first time on Thursday. It was so cute all geled up and curled.

She has also started sitting in her saucer and walker. She just loves being up and playing and feeling like she a part of what is going on around her. It is really nice to have her in this stage because now she can entertain herself a little more.

Did you feel that?

That's what I had to ask myself the other night after answering my door.
I have a "no soliciting" sign on my door, so when I do get a "solicitor" I am usually a bit annoyed.
Thursday night the doorbell rang and I answered it. It was a very humble looking Peruvian man selling some cookies his wife had made. I told him no thanks and sent him on his way. I went back inside my warm home and started eatting my take out we had gotten when thoughts started flooding my mind.
Here I was comfy as could be eatting deliciously, overpriced food, watching my TV with not really a care in the world, and at my door had been a very nice man who was out in 30 degree (or colder) weather, freezing, trying to sell homemade cookies his wife had made, using his broken English and his best manners...obviously trying to make whatever money he could...and what did I do, I sent him on his way!
I couldn't believe it. I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to repent, find him, and give him what ever cash/change we had.
I finally couldn't dismiss it anymore and went and talked to Seth about it. He told me I should of course act on my feelings. (What a great husband!)
I got my coat and shoes, raided my wallet, and started driving around my neighborhood. I found him down the street a little ways, and thankfully a neighbor was buying some cookies.
I ran up to him and apoligized for how I had acted. I gave him what I had and wished him luck.
I felt so much better, not because I have so much to give, but because I gave what I could. Seth and I feel so blessed for all that we have been given and have really tried to evaluate our lives and make sure that we are always looking for ways to serve, and we hope that when situations like this arise that we will listen to those promptings and go what we can. After all, "because [we] have been given much [we] too must (want to) give"!

Locks of Love

Well, after growing my hair out of a year I finally decided to chop it, and man did I chop it! :) It was time. I always get these huge desires to grow my hair out and I'm not really sure why because I don't look that great with long hair. I will admit that it was a lot easier to grow it out having bangs.
Needless to say, I was excited that it was long enough to donate, I did have to cut it a little shorter than I wanted, but it was worth it, and after all, hair grows! I found out that Seth's mom had enough to donate too, so we sent our hair off to Locks of Love together. It was really fun!

The Circus

We got coupons to the circus. They were such an amazing deal that I couldn't pass it up. I've wanted to take our kids to the circus for forever, and this was finally our chance.
It was a small town circus, but I thought it would still be fun, and I figured I couldn't go wrong since it only cost our whole family $16 to go.
Well, it wasn't that great (to say the least). It was very small and hard to see because not much was going on. I still thought it was somewhat fun, but the boys were not impressed.
The whole time we were there I kept thinking about the movie "A Bug's Life" and how those poor bugs were wanna-be circus performers. These poor people seemed like just that. We left at intermission and vowed that our next circus experience would be the big time! :)
It was still fun to get out, but I think we definitely understand the meaning of "the big top" now! :)