The flu bug came...

The flu bug came through a party and  left me the mess to clean up. I got sick on Saturday night, I thought it was because I ate a brownie (he he, especially if you just read the previous post) but soon found out that it was more than that- Yuck! I was so bummed, because Austin was having his primary program, in the morning.  The next morning I felt a little better but not to sure, I could make it through the program. I played it safe with some dry toast. I said a little prayer and was out the door. When I got to church, I found out EVERYONE is sick with this yucky stuff. There were a lot of people gone. When it came to the program, Austin did awesome. He sat pretty still in his seat, sang some words to some songs and said his line in the microphone without hesitation. This is HUGE, for our little shy guy. His Grandma Green came to see him, he was soooo happy!! Chad said Alyssa did awesome, sitting with Grandma and she didn't cry or try to run away (Luan, we need you with us every week!!). I sat up with the kids in our class. They did an awesome job!! I went home got in my comfy clothes and snuggled into my sick bed. Only to be tugged on, pulled on, jumped on, layed on, tickled, kissed and hugged and well, bugged until I got up out of bed. I should have known better than to think a mom of 2 young kiddos could be sick in bed for a day. Chad did a good job at trying to keep the kids busy and let me relax. But it was 2 against 1. 

I hope you are all keeping well, and away from this sick mess, meanwhile Austin's cousin Haylie slept over last night and she was a very sick little girl she threw up 7 times. So I will be doing laundry and disinfecting everything today!!! Ahhh...the joys of fall and back to school.

We love Aunt Melissa

My sister, Melissa was off work on Friday and her kids were off school. So they decided to come over and play for the day. She stopped at Dunford Bakery (so yummy) and brought everyone a yummy sprinkle glazed cake doughnut. The kids were in heaven! However Melissa is leaving to florida in 2 weeks and I am still on my "life change" So we enjoyed watching them enjoy their doughnuts. I'll admit Melissa and I are two of the worlds most addicted sweet tooths(the evidence is clear with me, but you would think she just eats celery and water) so we found strength in eachother, although it was a little bit of torture. However jumping on the scale today I am happy I didn't. 

I looked in the bathroom and what did I see....

Two little kids sitting down going pot-ty!

(sing it to the tune of popcorn popping)

Western Days

Austin's preschool had a Western Days party on Thursday last week. They got to "roast" marshmallows on a pretend fire and sing cowboy songs, and have a fun day. He is getting a little better with school, he still cries when we drop him off but stops before he gets in the building. He always comes out with a smile on his face though. He is learning so much!!! He knows what sounds and how to write an M,T,S,A,F,P.  and the improvements he has made in writing his name is something you would expect to happen over the coarse or a year not a month. I love all of his songs and stories of school. He told me, "mom you need to come to my school sometime it's really awesome" Of course his favorite things are the toys and the playground.

 

Austin's 4 year old Check up

I was a little late getting him to his appointment. About 2 months late. The whole time I was telling him don't worry you aren't going to get shots this time, but when you turn 5 you are going to have to get some. We got to the Dr. Office and he had to change into a gown, pee into a cup (he thought that was so silly), He was weighed 41 lbs. 9 oz. (90%) and measured 43 1/2" (90%) Which is so incredible to me...and then he had his eye test... he did amazing, He read all the way down to the second to the last line. I couldn't even read them up close and I don't wear contacts or glasses. (Maybe it's time I get mine checked too?!?!) And then I was about to get Austin dressed when the Dr said "ok, Austin will receive 4 vaccines today..." Today?!?!? I promised he wasn't going to have any shots today. The Dr. said we can wait, but they are now doing the kindergarten shots at 4 years old. I told Austin if we got them now he wouldn't have to get any shots until he was 1 year older than his cousin Tyler (11 years old) or we could not get them now and have to get them before he goes to kindergarten, luckily he opted for now. He tried to stay brave but, in the end, the needle won and Austin cried. And my being the forgetful mother that I am , forgot to massage the injection site, so now he has a huge bump, of where the vaccine is, and we are having to rub his very tender arm, and take hot soaking baths and I put a heated rice bag on it at night. Poor guy. It's a good thing he doesn't HAVE to get anymore shots until he is 11. Hopefully his memory of this will have faded by then.  The Dr. let him pick out a toy and a sticker afterward which he was very excited about, they even let Alyssa pick one out for being a supportive non-fussy sister.

mmm mmm Good!

Chad's cousin Amanda has been raving about this restaurant that her husband works for, so Chad and I had to give it a try on Friday night. (We weren't able to say hi to Scottie, he was way too busy!) It was soooo good!! Everything is fresh and made to order. They have their potatoes in sacks sitting right there in front of you. Chad and I tried the cajun fries....yummy!!! Not too hot, not too mild and a perfect flavor!!  They have a new location on 10400 S. State St. right accross from South Towne Mall. You should give it a try...or as Amanda says, or maybe not try it, if you are dieting, because you'll be wanting to go back for more!!

My Mama...

You may have noticed in the post before this one, that my mom is having to use a cane to walk. My mom was a dancer and a very athletic person. She is now paying for it. She has had 4 knee surgery's and 1 back surgery. Well, this started about a year and a half ago. After work she would come home and her knee would just be huge! It was so swollen, and sore. She thought she was just on her feet too much throughout the day. Well it just kept getting worse and worse. We finally talked her into going to see a Dr. because her last knee surgery was just a year and a half before. After talking to him and taking x-rays then taking blood, he told her he thinks she has Rheumatoid arthritis. She started taking some things that are supposed to help and it did a little, but her knee was just so swollen she decided to go get a second opinion, This Dr. said that it's not rheumatoid arthritis, and that he thinks it's somethings else called....(why, can't I remember the name?!?!) Well, this time my mom came home googled the new diagnosis and found that it wasn't what she had at all...none of the symptoms were what she was experiencing, it was nothing like her situation. She went back to the first Dr. he had mentioned something about a walking epidural, it doesn't always work, but she was willing to give it a try. Well, when she went into the office, he had her mixed up with another patient. And that was it for her. She didn't want to be on the operating table hoping for a walking epidural and come home with breast implants. So she is now self diagnosing herself as a crippled old woman. She finally caved and bought herself a cane to help her walk....So sad! I am trying to talk her into going to see another Dr. and I almost have convinced , we will see...

Wheeler Farm

I had a photo shoot coming up at Wheeler Farm...I wanted to go and scope things out and get a game plan, so my mom had the day off and we decided to make a day of it. We packed a lunch and headed out the door. When we got there the kids weren't too interested in eating. There was way too much to explore. So explore we did. We saw ducks, geese,  chickens, cows, horses, roosters, you name it! We went on a little tractor pull ride around the farm.  The kids loved it, when it was over they all said, "again!". Well, not all the kids loved it, you would have thought I was taking Alyssa to her death. She was so scared, after the tractor started going she stopped crying but then when all the other kids said let's go again, she was the first one off the trailor. We had a lot of fun!!! 

HaPpY FaLl Y'aLl

Today is the first day of Autumn/Fall here are some of the things our family is excited about!!!

1. Apple Fondue- We make our own caramel dip and cut up some fresh apples, then we all sit around the pan usually on the floor watching a movie together eating our very yummy fondue.

2. Changing leaves. I love all the colors of the fall!! I don't like the raking part, but we will rake all the leaves into a pile and play in them. It's a lot of fun now that our kids can now join us. We don't seem to have as many neighbors stopping to stare as when it was just Chad and I.

3. Saving Money so we can Spend Money. It's not hot enough for the A/C and not cold enough for the Heater, so we have a good solid month of savings, just in time for Christmas shopping.

4. Family!!! I love the fact that this time of year brings extended families closer. We are all about our families so I love how many opportunities the fall brings to get everyone together.

5. Halloween. I already have 5-6 pumpkins and I bought some more Halloween decor in August. I love it!! I love seeing all the kids in their costumes, and now that both of my kids get the idea of trick or treating now it is so much fun to see their faces at each door as the candy gets dropped in....like it's a surprise every time. It has taken all of my strength not to decorate...but today...it's all coming out!!!

6. Thanksgiving. I love getting together with our families and hear about what everyone is thankful for. We try to be thankful for what we have everyday, but taking the day once a year to share all of that with our families, very humbling. I also love Luan's rolls that she makes!!!

7. Craft time!!! I don't know why but I LOVE to do crafts in the fall...maybe because the heat was blocking all of my creative juices and they are ready to burst out!

8. I am so excited to take family pictures in the beautiful fall scenery this year. I have always wanted some outdoor pictures of our family taken in the canyon with all the colorful leaves in the trees and on the ground, but it was always so expensive. This year thanks to my new tripod and remote we can have them!!! Here comes my plug...And of you can have them too!! Just call and schedule, my prices are phenomenally low!

9. The smells!! I love the Harvest spice and the pumpkin pie smells of fall. They are so cozy and inviting to me.

10. New wardrobe. I am about sick of all my summer clothes by now and because of the change of weather, we have to pull out our winter clothes and it feels like we all have a new wardrobe. I can't wait!!!

What do y'all love about fall?!?!?

Halloween Costumes ready?

Does anyone have their kids Halloween Costumes ready, that would like their pictures taken?!?!? If so, call me!!! I got my background all set up and I can't get my kids to cooperate so I am all ready....just give me a call before 7pm...if it won't work out for you today...give me a call anyway and we can set up another date.
these are the ones I took of my niece today, and the Halloween greeting cards I made...

The Green Monster

So my friend Miranda, totally up to the minute everything Twilight...I really don't know how she knows the info she does. Anyway, the little gem (said in a jealous sounding voice) just got back from Forks, WA. She has some amazing pictures on her sight from her trip that make me want  to go now...not fair hmph! (said with a stomp of my foot) Now you have me thinking all things Twilight...not good for me right now, with starting my own Photography Business,

I am up until the wee hours of the morning as it is, now I am getting the itch to start all the books over, again and again and again!!

Check out her blog if you dare to see her awesome pics, but the green little monster might get you too!   www.mirandahollomon.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday Haylie

My little niece Haylie turned 2 years old on 09/09/08... She is such a sweetie. I will always have a special connection with her, because I was able to have the experience of watching her come into this world and then cut the umbilical cord...it was amazing!!  Happy Birthday "Hay-hee" we love you!!

6 QUIRK TAG

Carmen and Miranda tagged me...lets see if I can even think of 6 quirks that I have..hehehe!!
Rules:
-Link the person who tagged you
-List 6 of your quirks
-Tag 6 other bloggers by linking them
-List the rules on your blog

1. Quirk/Lazy? I love, love, love to do laundry. I hate hate hate to put it away!
2. I HATE knowing there is a secret being kept from me. If someone says I know what Chad is getting you for your birthday but I can't tell you...It nearly kills me!!! I'm not kidding. Even when I am at some public place and a stranger who is pregnant says they aren't finding out what they are having, it drives me crazy!! I want to take them down to fetal photos to find out. It's even worse when they are my close friends or family. FIND OUT PEOPLE!!!!! Your going to know one way or the other...might as well be prepared...for my sake!!!!
3. I am horrible at math, and my little "quirk" is that I still count using my fingers, toes whatever it takes. Whats worse, is I can't do percents at all (except 10%) so when I am at a store and it says 75% off when it rings up, I just have to trust that it's the right amount.
4. My shoes come off the instant I step through my front door, I know this isn't good but I am always barefoot. I have even gone to get the mail stepping in snow....I know, I know, Im just a tad bit insane!!!
5. I have claustrophobia issues. I always have to have a either my foot or my leg hanging outside of the sheets. I go nuts camping because the sleeping bag is just so confining and it is too cold to unzip it!
6. I take my camera everywhere and take pictures of everything. Chad teases that I should have it surgically attached to my body. He does however love all the pictures we have and all the memories we will be able to remember because of them though:)

And I tag....
1. D
2. Nora
3. Ashley
4. Margo
5. Amanda
6. Keri

Jack "The Cannonball" Kelly

My little 5 year old Nephew, Jack, is the 5 year old boys State Champion for ABA BMX Racing in the state of Utah. He is the only 5 year old expert in all of Utah. He is AMAZING!!! Way to go Jack we are all so proud of you!!!

Besides the title of State Champion. He also got a load of free stuff!!!

Lagoon!!

Thanks to our oh so loving and incredibly sweet and amazing "Grandma Greenie" (named by Alyssa.) We were able to go to Lagoon and have an incredible day. Chad's mom planned a day for Chad and his two brothers and our families to get together and spend the day at Lagoon. Chad and I haven't been in 6 years, so we were pretty excited!  We had 7 adults, 4 kids, and 2 babies.  We had 0 meltdowns, 1/2 pee pants accident (she finished the rest in the potty), 4 adrenaline rushed adults (we rode the sky coaster, that huge swing that drops you 150 feet, and you are only strapped in by a vest and a cable. okay it's stronger than that but not by much.) 4 very happy kids, 2 very happy babies, and 6 very happy adults, as for the 7th? (How are you holding up Luan?) She was so nice and offered to watch the kids, while us "big kids" went on rides that they couldn't go on. I, who watch children all day, know what she was dealing with, except she was dealing with it X 10, because we were in a public amusement park!! You are amazing Luan!! I would have been the one having the meltdown at the end of the first hour...Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!  Here are some highlights from our day!!!

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This is Chad and I on the Sky Coaster. It had been 12 years since either of us went on it. I was sure we were going to die, so I made sure to tell the lady harnessing us in to make sure she did it tight, and once she thought it was tight to do it even tighter, because I have two kids watching, she chuckled, then I said No, I'm not kidding! I may have scared her...



This is Casey and D, Chad only got a little bit of it. I was in charge of recording but had to run Alyssa to the bathroom. Sorry Casey and D, Chad said Nick got the whole video though. I loved how D was screaming the whole time. I was paralyzed with fear to make anything more that grunting sounds:)

Male Bonding

Chad, Darrel, Nick and Casey (A.K.A His 2 brothers and his dad) All went on the Southern Utah bow hunt the last week of August. They talk about it all year, buy all their "necessary" gear and plan a menu and write a shopping list. They bring their questionable music and drink soda and eat junk and hang out all day. They go hunting for deer with their bow and arrows...they are so manly. 

"Sadly" (I say it in quotations because, I don't think it's sad, I am oh so very glad) they didn't get anything, but they had some great male bonding, away from "the wife, and kids" now boys can we go at least a  few months without talk of "the hunt" ?  

OuR lItTlE AnGeL hAs A bIg HeArT...

Chad and I both had separation anxiety issues when we were younger. Chad would have to be bribed to stay at school with candy. And I would be walked into my class with tears in my eyes. By my mom or older sisters.  Poor Austin, poor, poor, Austin had to inherit that from us. We have been so encouraging saying nothing to make him sad about being away from home. (his preschool even gave us a paper of things not to say to your child, and we have been so supportive and enthusiastic about it all. I never once asked if he missed me or if he cried, only how his day was and what he learned. When he has told me that he cried I quickly reminded him that he stopped crying though because pre school is so much fun...he agreed and then that was that. Well, on Tuesday I picked him up and I could tell he had been crying. I said nothing. Then I asked how his day was and what he learned. He told me,  as he was fighting back his inevitable tears, that he cried for me, really hard that day. I was thinking it was him witnessing other kids crying for their parents, that would make him cry, because he always hops out of the car with no problem. So I asked, "Do the other kids cry?" he said "no, just me." I asked him what his teacher said to him. he said she just gives him a big hug and says mommy will be back, and that they are going to have lots of fun. I reminded him his teacher was right I always come back and I am always waiting for him, when he gets out of his class. And that he always has lots of fun. Then he said "I think I cry because I love you too much mommy."  That about broke my heart! 

Then today as I was dropping him off, I told him when I picked him up we would go to the store to pick up his cousin Haylie's birthday present and we could look at the Halloween stuff , he was so excited. Then as one of the school aides came to get him out of the car, he started crying. He said I love you mommy, I love you too much. I told him I was going to be right back and he was going to have a fun and happy time and I would see him soon. Then he was off. I then found the closest parking spot and bawled too...

Happy Birthday Tyler

My nephew, Tyler turned 10 years old on 08/28/08 I can't believe how time flies!! We had a little family party for him at our house and he had 2 of his friends over (Aizik and Xander) Every time anyone asked what he wanted for his birthday , he would say, money and a cell phone... ask and you shall receive...

He got a cell phone and he got $220 in cash!! I tried asking for a loan but he wouldn't go for it...