The Hunter Life

Potty Training

2012-01-25T17:13:00.002-07:00

When Sunday rolled around this past week Tessa was sick. She stayed home from church with Daddy. The day before we let her pick out a new potty seat at Wal-Mart. She had said that if she had her own potty chair she would use it. We told her we didn't have any more diapers and that the next day she would have to wear panties. Jason did great with her. He gave her lots of drinks all day and she only had a couple accidents. I was nervous for Monday...my day to babysit Heber and Houston. I wasn't sure if I was up for potty training and babysitting and being pregnant all at the same time. (I've tried it before with Tessa and FAILED miserably!)

We started this potty chart about 4 months ago and she added three stickers in all of that time. It was frustrating for her and for me. I felt like I was running into a wall. Plus, her telling me all the time that she was a baby and wanted diapers didn't really help me feel too motivated.Do you love my art work? After five stickers she got to have the cool pop-up book that was sitting on the back of the potty. After the next five stickers she got to go to McDonald's for dinner. By Sunday night she had filled every square.

Monday came and went. She did awesome. Only one accident. Tuesday was great. No accidents. And so far today, she has done super awesome. We even went to library time and the grocery store. I keep telling her how proud I am of her and she just smiles and smiles. She gets super excited every time she goes and she says, "Hip Hip Hooray for Tessa!" all of the time

Here is the new potty chart we're working on right now. Again, my art work is super cool. When she gets 15 stickers for going pee we get to go buy a new Mickey Mouse movie and when she gets 5 stickers for going poo Daddy is going to buy her the Dora fishing pool she saw at the store.

She is so fun to watch. Don't get me wrong....It's a lot of work and there are moments when I'm so tired and just want to put a Diaper on her so I can take a nap....or read....or not have to ask her every 15 minutes if she needs to go. I'm also worried about her reverting back to her old self when baby Asher gets here. Hopefully not.

Oh, and after we bought the cute new potty that sings songs when you do your business....she told us that the little potty is dumb dumb dumb. She used it once and now will only use "the big potty." What a kid!

Oh, So Ready

2012-01-18T22:33:00.002-07:00

I can't wait. WE can't wait. The days are passing so slowly! My c-section date is set for February 13th. I feel ready. Mostly. The crib is ready. The clothes are all washed and organized. We have diapers. Baby boy even has a name... Asher Jason Hunter.

I made these balls to hang on the mobile. It used to have flowers, a little to pink for me...I have some favorite things. Cute little boy things. Seriously, I am so excited to hold my son...to see Jason holding our son...to see the girls with their little brother.

There are some things I want to remember about this pregnancy. Some good things, and some not so comfortable things. Asher is a wiggle worm. I swear he rolls from side to side just to drive me crazy. He gets the hiccups a lot, like Jordyn did. He is right in my back. My left leg has pins and needles almost constantly and my right hip hurts down to my knee. I don't feel very big...In fact, I've only gained about 15 pounds. Mostly because I was so sick at the beginning. Asher is a teaser. I try to get him to kick and punch for Jason, but every time I try he won't move....then Jason moves his hand and Asher is back at it. Silly boy.

Our house is about to change. I'm nervous and excited and scared and thrilled and impatient and emotional and mostly going crazy. Life is good.

One Day, Maybe....

2012-01-18T21:04:00.002-07:00

....I'll laugh about this
She pulled up her own sleeve to show me this. Then she told me that now she has two casts.

She thinks she's so dang cute.

Seriously don't know what to do with this kid. She surprises me every day. For real. She would rather be cutting up paper, playing little people, or folding clothes with me than watching TV. For dinner tonight she ate one quarter of her sandwich and an entire orange. She says she's still a baby and hates the toilet. She asks to help me do the dishes. What a kid!

Happy New Year

2012-01-05T22:06:00.002-07:00

Jordyn was the photographer for our New Year's Eve Party. Besides about 5 pictures of my bum here are some of the others....

We went to my Mom and Dad's house for dinner, but we ended up leaving around 8:00. The girls were so tired from being on vacation for 3 nights. We drove from my Mom's to the Hunter house where we watched Jake light some fireworks. We sat in the car screaming "Happy New Year" while we watched. The girls were asleep by 8:35.

After that Nonie, Terry, and Jake came to play some games with us. It was a fun, quiet night.

As for my Goals for 2012....I'm not totally sure yet. One, for sure, is doing better with our budget. We set one every month, and I do pretty good, but I want to do REALLY good. That means sticking to cash envelopes and writing everything down. It also means that I'm working harder to make dinner at home, real meals, with plans. So far, so good. This is a hard thing for me - budgets and baking.

Have a baby, manage money, cook yummy food. Good enough for now!

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Tessa Marie

2012-01-03T20:24:00.003-07:00

Tessa turned 3! Can you believe it? Not me, that's for sure. We had a fun winter break with the Hunter family again this winter, and like last year, we celebrated Tessa's birthday while we were gone. We had cupcakes and pizza for dinner.

And then the spoiling began. What a lucky girl!

Jordyn was a great helper, and always ready to smile for the camera. Tessa was thrilled, can't you tell?

Hallie was at the party!

And when everything was over it looked like we had another Christmas.

Tessa is growing up so fast. Here are the things I want to remember about Tessa right now:

*Tessa loves to play. She can play by herself for hours. She loves little people, and barbies, and babies, and stuffed animals, and coloring. She even plays with forks and spoons...they have names and they talk and everything.

*Tessa's favorite color is purple, and sometimes orange.

*Bedtime is NOT her favorite time of day, but she's always a good girl if she gets a story from Daddy and a song. Her favorite song is "I am a Child of God."

*She loves to sing. She is always asking me to help her sing a song or say a poem.

*Tessa loves milk, rice, apples, mac 'n cheese, noodles, and treats. She does not like potatoes, of any kind.

*So far, Tessa doesn't love the potty. Soon. Hopefully, very soon.

*Tessa loves that she is going to be a big sister. She is always talking to my belly and giving me hugs and kisses.

Christmas Day

2012-01-03T20:05:00.002-07:00

Christmas morning we woke up to find a note from Santa and some coloring books. Santa told us to go to church and learn about Jesus...you'd think I would have gotten a picture of that.

Church was really great. Great songs. Great testimonies. We're so blessed to have the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ. The girls were reverent, really reverent. It was an amazing meeting!
When we got home we changed into our jeans and got ready to see what Santa brought. Tessa had already peaked, so I guess her milk was the most important thing on her mind.

Daddy was in charge of the video camera.

Jordyn was thrilled!

Tessa was thrilled-ish.

After all of our presents were opened we found some bikes in the closet. That tricky Santa! Jordyn was super happy....and I didn't get a picture of Tessa. (Good One Mom!)

After we played with our new toys at home for a little while we went up to Papa T and Gammy's house for breakfast burritos and more presents. (Again, no pictures....)

Then we went to Grandpa Day and Sue Sue's. More presents, more fun, and what...surprise surprise - NO PICTURES!

We were so blessed to have such an awesome Christmas. Our girls were spoiled rotten, so were Jason and I. I'm thankful for my family, for great memories, and most importantly for my Savior, Jesus Christ. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-03T17:56:00.003-07:00

My family has a tradition of getting together on Christmas Eve. It was a little sad for me this year, not going to Grandpa Halladay's house....this is our first Christmas without him. So instead of my Grandpa's we went to Jordyn and Tessa's Grandpa's. It was a fun night. We had a yummy dinner and played a white elephant game. Then we opened gifts from out name exchange.

The kids loved the Rudolph nose. Super Awesome!

Houston loved Christmas!Do the kids look tired?

What a fun night. After the party we made it home to leave cookies out for Santa. We listened for Santa's sleigh bells, and when we heard them for real Jordyn had a major anxiety attack because she wasn't asleep yet - and that meant Santa wouldn't come. After explaining that there are lots of houses around here for Santa to go to first she calmed down, and was asleep in about 3 minutes!

Color Me Mine - Take 2

2012-01-03T17:48:00.002-07:00

Boy we wish this place wasn't so expensive. The other day the girls were playing and Daddy's bowl broke. He needed a new one and we wanted to paint a plate for Grandpa Day and Sue Sue for Christmas. We let the girls paint their own plates too...Tessa's broke the day after we brought them home.
Jordyn and Tessa both love art projects, of every kind. I'm trying my best to love their love.

In Our Spare Time

2011-12-13T21:04:00.003-07:00

Some of us think it's okay to let go of the bunk bed ladder when we're at the top. Yep. She broke it. Last May she broke her left arm falling off a four foot slide in the back yard. This time it was her right arm. Jordyn got her tonsils out on Wednesday, December 7th. She was so excited. I felt bad for letting her be thrilled about the experience. She was so brave. Not a single tear was shed at the hospital. She loved it all, until they brought her back to us.I wasn't aloud (per Jordyn) to take any pictures at the hospital after her surgery, but here she is at home that same day. She really was such a trooper.Apparently this is comfortable.

Jordyn has been enjoying her limitless TV privileges. For real. This kid can watch TV. It's been hard to see her hurting so much. Last Friday she asked if we could put her tonsils back in. Eating and drinking have been a struggle too. Her voice has changed. Unless I'm looking at her it takes me a minutes to realize who is talking to me.Tessa loves her Daddy.She sits like him too.And oh the coloring. Jordyn is very crafty. Don't be surprised if you get a letter in the mail from her. It's her new obsession.

I'm glad that these last few days are over. Now if I can just get Jason home from his business trip to Texas we'll all be doing much better. It's been a week almost since Jordyn's surgery and today was the first day that I thought she was finally starting to get back to normal. And Tessa, well, it's 9:30pm and I can hear her...doing something naughty I'm sure in the other room, when she should be in bed.

Breakfast With The Mr. And Mrs.

2011-12-13T20:39:00.002-07:00

Last year Jason took the girls to see Santa by himself because I was sick. I was excited to go this year. Tessa was super excited, but Jordyn was not so thrilled.

Tessa jumped right up on Santa's lap. She told him that she wants a bike for Christmas.Heber and Houston came with us. Heber was too scared to even look.
Jason finally told Jordyn that Mrs. Claus is a close friend (her friend Ryann's grandma). She decided it was okay to give Mrs. Claus her list: snow boots, a sled, and a scooter. Houston did awesome!

And Heber let us get close enough for one picture. Silly kid!

Family Traditions

2011-12-05T11:37:00.002-07:00

I love Christmas time, but I always have a hard time teaching my kids about the true meaning of Christmas. The other day Jordyn was watching Strawberry Shortcake on Netflix and one of the characters said, "Christmas isn't about presents, it's about love." Then I heard Jordyn yell, "And presents. DUH!" I love how excited the girls get about Santa and gifts and reindeer, but I want them to understand Christmas a little better.

This is the 3rd year that we have gone to Build-A-Bear to make bears for Toys-for-Tots. We love it! We can have fun making bears and choosing clothes and still teach our kids about giving to others. This year we talked about how blessed we are. We explained that Santa will be coming to our house, but sometimes he can't go to some houses. That's why we make bears for "the poor kids," as Jordyn says.Jordyn making a wish.Tessa giving a kiss.

Bath Time!

So fun! I hope we'll be able to do this every year. I hope as our girls get bigger and understand more we can continue to teach them about the true meaning of Christmas, about our Savior and the great gift He gave to each of us.

One Day When I Was Sleeping . . .

2011-12-04T21:45:00.002-07:00

. . . Jordyn found my camera.

Turkey Day 2011

2011-11-29T20:07:00.002-07:00

This year we went to Sue Sue and Grandpa Day's for Thanksgiving. On Wednesday night when I told Jordyn that the next day was Thanksgiving she started jumping up and down, and was screaming, "Oh my gosh! I'm freaking out!"

The three kids actually played nicely for about an hour. That could be a record.Doesn't he look thrilled?!?And him too?!?

And this kids loves celery!The hardworking kitchen crew.

Dinner was awesome! So yummy! I'm in love with mashed potatoes and turkey and stuffing. I'm in love with Thanksgiving. It was fun being together, all of us. It was even more fun doing some Black Friday shopping at Wal-Mart, but that is a story for another time.

I'm Thankful * Day Twenty-Two

2011-11-22T19:52:00.003-07:00

*My Parents*

I'm old. Sometimes I feel like I'm too old to still need my parents, but I do. I still need them to listen to me. They let me cry and tell me things will be okay. I still need them to give me advice. I learn from them about being a parent. Espcially my Mom, she teaches me to be a better mother. I still need them to keep me in line. My Dad is not afraid to let me know when I'm doing something that could be changed and my Mom is just the same. I'm thankful for all they do for us. I'm thankful for the time they spend with the girls. I'm thankful for countless meals and treats and cans of soda. I'm really thankful that they taught me the Gospel, showed me how to be like the Savior, and gave me the love I needed to grow up safe and protected.

I'm Thankful * Day Twenty-One

2011-11-22T19:49:00.002-07:00

*Ice*

Call me crazy, but I am oh so thankful for delicious pebble ice. It tastes so good coated with just a little diet coke, and slightly melted. I love chewing it! Where would I be without ice?

I'm Thankful * Day Twenty

2011-11-20T19:56:00.002-07:00

*Jordyn's Testimony*

Today at church we had the primary program. In our ward we usually only have about 6 kids give talks and this year Jordyn was asked to share her testimony. We practiced and practiced. She was a little nervous when her turn came, but she did awesome. I'm so proud of her, and so thankful for her strong spirit and testimony.

"I love to share my testimony. I know this church is true. I know that Jesus Christ died for us. I know that Jesus lived again. I know President Monson is our Prophet. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

She came up with that all on her own. How blessed we are to have such an amazing little girl!

I'm Thankful * Catch Up * Again

2011-11-19T21:34:00.002-07:00

Seventeen * Sisters

I'm really thankful to have such super awesome wonderful amazing beautiful sisters. All 8 of them (that's right, I said EIGHT) are so different and fun and kind. Kara, Julie, Leslie and Jaymie are my sister sisters. We get a long, most of the time. :) We have fun when we get together. I can call any of them, whenever I need to, and they help...no matter what. Nonie, Camie, Janae, and Megan are my sister-in-law sisters. It's so great to be apart of their family. I'm lucky that they all live so close. They are so fun with the girls. They are my friends.

Eighteen * Medical Help

Day eighteen, Friday, I spent in Labor and Delivery at the hospital. The morning started off fine, but I was feeling a little sore. By 10 I was doubled over in pain. I thought I was in labor. I was freaking out. I called the doctor's office and she told me to go to the hospital. It ended up being a UTI, or so they thought. They sent me home after taking a Tylenol 3. After 3 hours I was still dying. Seriously. I have never felt that kind of pain. So, I went back. Turns out I have a kidney stone. I'm so thankful so medicine, doctors, and hospital. I'm so grateful that everything is okay with the baby, and that I'll be fine.

Nineteen * In-Laws

If you didn't know, we live 4 blocks from the Hunter house. I am so thankful for all the support and love they give us. Tonight Terry spent a few hours helping Jason install a new water heater. The other day Norah brought us a bunch of pizza ingredients. (Remember, Jason's makes great pizza.) They help us with the girls. They give us good advice. They feed us dinner. We are so blessed to have such an awesome family!

I'm Thankful * Day Sixteen

2011-11-16T23:25:00.002-07:00

Busy Days

Some days I love staying home, eating chocolate, and watching Tinker Bell and Tangled with the girls. But some days I love to be busy. Today we went to a primary presidency meeting, the bank, the copy store, Roberts Craft, and Grandma Sue Sue's. Might not seem like much, but with two little girls it takes a lot of effort and planning just to go to the bank.

Anyway, after a busy day I'm always tired. The girls fall asleep so quick. I feel a little better about myself. Don't get me wrong. Some days I love hanging with the girls in our jammas, and at the end of the day I feel great about the time we've spent talking and laughing and playing. It's just that busy days remind me that I can get a lot done in a short amount of time, that I still know how to converse with adults, and that I can be a mom and have a little "mom fun" too. ((Roberts Craft = Mom Fun.))

I'm Thankful * Day Fourteen & Day Fifteen

2011-11-15T21:07:00.003-07:00

I've been thinking all day about what to write for today, and yesterday. Last night I finished a pile of ironing that had been growing for weeks. 24 shirts. Ugh! It was nice to get done, but then I was too tired to blog. Tonight I'm too emotional, or something. I think I had one of "those" days, where everything just felt wrong. But, still. I do have things to be thankful for.

Couponing

I love to coupon. I love getting good deals. I love seeing how low I can get my grocery bill. But more than that, I'm so grateful I know how to use coupons because I can give. Tonight was the food drive for the youth in our ward. It felt so great to hand them two boxes, packed full. Jason and I love giving to others. ((Jason is probably one of the most generous people I know!)) This year, money is a little tighter because we've been doing the Dave Ramsey plan. (Another story, for another day.) Thanks to coupons we can still give, at least something.

Tessa

I'm sitting in the TV room while I'm listening to Jason talk to Tessa. He asked her how she was. Then she gave him a kiss. Then she sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (seriously SO CUTE). Then he told her it was time for bed. "But Daddy," she says, "we forgot to brush our teeth. I need knuckles. Now a high five." Now she's sitting on the couch with me. "Mama," she says, "my feet and hands are cold. Oh, your hand is warm. Will you share your ganket (blanket) with me? I need someone to sleep with me. I'll go get my ganket and sleep with you on the couch. Dora is my friend. Is it snowing outside? Dora is bigger than me. I'm getting tired. Mom, here's my belly button. Dora and Boots, it's winter outside. You need a winter coat." --Not sure what I did to deserve this kid. Not much today, I can promise that.

Tomorrow will be better. I will be a better mom.

I'm Thankful * Day Thirteen

2011-11-13T21:08:00.002-07:00

Kneeling

Some days, when bed time rolls around, I just want to throw the girls in bed and shut the door. Some days, I'd like to skip the bedtime routine...jammas, brushing teeth, a story, a song, prayers, and Daddy's special zoom. Tonight was one of those nights. And Jason did the dirty work. When I went in to say prayers with them they were already in bed. Jordyn started crying because she wanted to kneel. Not in her bed, but on the carpet. I'm so thankful for little girls who remind be how important the little things are, like kneeling. Also, Tessa singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star all by herself wasn't half bad either. Our sweet, cute girls. How thankful I am for their innocence.

I'm Thankful * Day Twelve

2011-11-12T21:56:00.001-07:00

This
I'm thankful for fun family nights, little girls who love their Daddy, and Duplo.

I'm Thankful * Two Days

2011-11-12T21:42:00.003-07:00

Day Ten * Freedoms

I'm so grateful for the country that we live in. I was trying to teach Jordyn about Veteran's Day. She was listening and it was awesome. I told her how lucky we are that we get to choose which church we go to, the clothes we wear, our jobs, where we live, what things we study in school, and a bunch of other things. I feel so blessed to be free to choose.

Day Eleven * 5 years, 5 months, 5 days

On Friday 11-11-11, Jason and I had been married 5 years, 5 months, and 5 days. You all know I'm thankful for Jason, and for his pizza. I'm also really grateful for our marriage. Especially that we were married in the temple, that we are sealed to our children, that we can be an eternal family. Marriage is hard, but I've learned so much. About compromise and trust and love and friendship.

I'm Thankful * Day Nine

2011-11-09T20:03:00.002-07:00

Jason's Pizza

Jason is the baker at our house. Really. He's good at it. Tonight he made the best pizza ever. He even put string cheese in the crust to make stuffed crust. It was delicious. So, yes. I'm thankful for pizza. But more than that, I'm thankful that Jason makes dinner around here more often that he probably wants to. He's a great honey!

I'm Thankful * Weekend Catchup

2011-11-08T21:41:00.002-07:00

*Day Five - Bedtime*

I love bedtime. Mine for sure, but totally the girls'. Especially when they are so good about it. We brush teeth, we read stories, and we say prayers. The girls give Jason and I kisses and then he zooms them into bed. It's the bedtime routine I love. ((Much better than those "other nights" when it's a big fight.)) I think what I love most of all is hearing the girls talk to each other when we leave the room. Sometimes they tell stories. They talk about Dora or playing house. They sing songs, and say extra prayers. It's super cute!

*Day Six - Primary*

I am the secretary in the primary in our ward. I love it, most of the time. The kids are super fun and always surprising me with comments that remind me how close they are to the spirit. I love how eager they each are to answer questions or hold up posters. I'm grateful for their examples of kindness and love. They love their teachers. They love to learn. I'm grateful for the music and the spirit it brings.

*Day Seven - Family Home Evening*

I'm so thankful for Family Home Evening. I love how simple it can be. The girls listen, and learn. And Jason and I learn from them. We're not that good at it, but we're trying. One week at a time we're inviting the Spirit into our home to help us learn a little bit more about our Heavenly Father and the plan He has for each of us.

*Day Eight - Friends*

I'm a pretty lucky girl to have such great friends in my life. They listen to me. They let me complain about stupid things. They are good examples to me. I'm lucky to be able to listen to them, even though most of the time I feel like I'm not as good at it as they are. I learn from them, about life, challenges, mistakes, lessons learned.

I'm Thankful * Day Four

2011-11-04T23:10:00.002-06:00

Clean Sheets

I am a freak of the sheets. I love clean ones. I love new ones. I love soft ones. Jason tells me that I wash our sheets too much. One set we had has holes in it now because it got washed so many times. What can I say? I love getting in bed at night when the sheets are clean and the bed is just made. It's great.

I guess that means I'm thankful for the washing machine that helps me keep my sheets smelling so nice. When I was on my mission I washed everything by hand, except in the winter when it was too cold for things to dry on the line. Which also means I'm thankful for my dryer.

Oh the luxuries we have.

I'm Thankful * Day Three

2011-11-03T21:58:00.002-06:00

Changing Leaves

I'm not big on change. It is hard for me. New furniture arrangements. New church callings. New food. New schedules....Or not new things. Like, diets or budgets or bad habits. But in the fall, the leaves change. Like it's easy or something. I love driving in the car, seeing the beautiful leaves. It gives me hope, that maybe, I can change. I can do hard things (and easy ones).

The best part about those changing leaves is that they all grow back in the spring. The trees and plants are bigger and stronger. They are ready for a new year.

So some times, maybe most of the time, change is good.

I'm Thankful * Day Two

2011-11-02T21:15:00.002-06:00

My Children

Jordyn makes me laugh. Her imagination takes her places that leave her telling stories only a four year old could dream up. She loves people and is kind, like her Daddy. She loves to learn and is constantly teaching her sister what she learned at church and preschool. Her spirit is strong and she challenges me to be better.

Tessa loves to play. She cuddles and often asks me to hold her hand. She is constantly telling us that she is "cared" (scared) and that she needs us. She loves books and stories and songs. Tessa teaches me patience and love. She loves to play house. She talks to my belly. She is quick to forgive and easily shares.

My sweet baby boy. I love his strong kicks. Being pregnant reminds me daily of miracles and teaches me about my Heavenly Father's love. This baby growing inside me reminds me how simple and wonderful life is.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T20:43:00.003-06:00

We started the holiday fun off with a party at my parent's house on the Saturday before Halloween. Julie did an awesome job with the food and prizes. Jordyn won best costume and as her crazy, pregnant mother I was in the corner bawling as she kept saying, "I'm so proud I winded." ((She was a Musketeer.))

Tessa was a cute cupcake. She was going to be a bee, but Jason bought this costume at Old Navy on clearance 5 days before Halloween and she fell in love with it.The pumpkin carving was fun. And gross. I scooped out a pumpkin all by myself, for the first time ever.

My Mom and Dad even dressed up!

I stole this picture from Julie's blog. I didn't have a picture of Houston from the party. What a cute little bat!

Jaxon was a cow. Look at those cheeks!And Heber was the best looking dog around.

I was a bun in the over and Jason was the bun maker.

**Trick-O-Treat**

This year the weather was awesome. No rain. No wind. It was a little cold, but really great. The girls had so much fun! We stopped at Grandpa Day and Grandma Sue Sue's.We walked to a few houses in our neighborhood.We went to Gammy and Papa T's.We had chili that Gammy made and then we went to the ward "Trunk or Treat." The girls got so much candy. I think, by the time they got in bed, it only took about 2 minutes for them to fall asleep. As the girls grow and learn new things it is so much to watch them.

Hair

2011-11-02T20:26:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago the girls said they wanted curly hair. I spent the next 3 hours braiding small braids all over. They sat sso still. Probably because we watched 6 episodes of Dora. Yuck! The next morning we took out the braids and they had the best looking hair in town.

Girls are so fun!

I'm Thankful * Day One

2011-11-01T21:37:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday.

I love the weather.

I love the calm before Christmas.

I love the yummy food.

This year I wanted to take time each day to write about something I'm thankful for. Hard, yes. I'm sure of it. But oh so completely worth it. President Gordon B. Hinkley said, "Be grateful. How thankful we ought to be. How comfortably we live. How very easy is life compared to what it once was. . . . We have it so easy, so pleasant, so delightful. . . . I hope you walk with gratitude in your hearts, really. Grateful people are courteous people. Grateful people are kindly people. Be grateful."

*Day One*

Jason. Where would I be without my best friend? In all honesty, marriage is hard. We have fights and disagreements. We are both stubborn. But, things always work out, and I'm so grateful for that, and for him. I'm thankful for his kind heart, for his willingness to serve, and for his dreamer-like attitude. I'm thankful for the sweet Daddy he is to our little girls. I love watching him with them. Story time. Bed time. Bath time. Toys. He is a good Dad. I'm thankful that he loves me, and I know it. He is my favorite person to be with.

September - And A Little More

2011-10-02T20:20:00.004-06:00

I've been meaning to post about all of this. Every night I sit down and think about blogging, but I'm too tired. Tonight is a good night. I'm tired, but it has been a great weekend.

We've been going to as many of Hayden and Jake's football games as we can. It has been super fun. Jordyn loves the cheerleaders and wants to be one when she grows up.
Tessa is a monkey at football games. She loves climbing up and down the bleachers and eating all the garbage she can find. It's disgusting. Jason is constantly asking her if she's been sucking on a pig.

Hayden was over one night with the family and decided to spend some time with the girls. They loved it!Jordyn started her 2nd year of preschool. She loves being the big kid this year. Miss Heidi told my mom that she is the class room helper, always making sure everyone is fair. She's just like me. I was the little mother everywhere I went.

I was so cool and let the girls play with play dough. Do you understand how hard that was for me?

Jason mowed the lawn one day and left his drink on the fence. When he was finished he grabbed his drink, drank the rest real quick, and ended up with a wasp in his mouth. This picture hardly does his swollen face justice. His lip was stung on the inside and he lip and face got so big!

I had a birthday, shout hurray. This year I turned 29. Yikes I'm getting old. It was a fun birthday. I loved that Jordyn kept asking me if it was my birthday and I loved that she and Tessa told me happy birthday about a million times. We had a fun dinner at my Mom and Dad's on the Sunday before. Then on the real day Jason took me to dinner and we had surprise cake and ice cream at the Hunter's. It was really fun!

The girls love playing in Grandpa Day's backyard! Tessa loves the fort and is always imagining some fun game.

Jordyn loves being a model and after every picture she always asks if her eyes were good. Silly girl!

Houston loves Jordyn. Hopefully. She is crazy about holding him.

One day when we went to my parents' house these three crazy kids were all dressed the same!

Tessa is getting so big. Some days I watch her play and just want to cry. Her hair is so blood and so long. She does not like to be called anything except Tessa. If you call her sweetie, or Tessie, or honey she will yell at you and say, "I'm Tessa Marie Hunter!"

General Conference was awesome! I'm not sure what made it so wonderful. Maybe I was listening more for answers that would help me be a better mother and wife. Maybe the girls were better. Maybe Heavenly Father knew I just needed to hear a lot of the talks. Jordyn was such a good example. On Saturday she watch almost all four hours. She would ask questions and she even got her Book of Mormon out to look at. I am in awe at the things she knows and the little testimony I see growing inside her.

And finally, Sunday Grandma Sue Sue made us all dinner and then we did the dishes while she sat in the swing with the Grand kids. Jordyn - 4, Tessa - 2, Heber - 2, Houston - 10 months, and Jaxon - 4 months. In February we'll had two more little boys (ours and my sister Leslie's). That will make 7 under the age of 5. SO FUN!

Have You Heard The Big News?

2011-10-02T20:07:00.002-06:00

We're getting ourselves a BROTHER!

The girls came with Jason and I for the ultrasound appointment. They look so good in this picture, but really, they were naughty...and all over the place. The biggest problem? That little boy of ours was being very stubborn. The nice tech tried for awhile, had me go to the bathroom and then tried some more. Then I went to my appointment and she tried again. Seriously. I thought we would be going home without knowing.We're super excited! And also, scared to death. I'm not sure what to do with a little boy. Plus, you have to teach boys about the Priesthood and missions and being good daddies and being nice to girls and all this other stuff. SCARY!

And the next question on every ones mind? The name. Good question. We've talked about a few different names, but nothing has really made us super excited. Good thing we have 20 more weeks to figure it all out.

Emotional - Or Something

2011-09-28T17:26:00.004-06:00

Jason worked late last night so this morning he slept in, so I did too. Which really isn't abnormal. I like sleeping in and the girls are really good to let me most days. But today, I was in a bad mood when I got up. After Jason left I got to work cleaning. Sometimes cleaning helps me get my grove back. I picked up the house, worked on laundry, did the dishes, vacuumed, swept and mopped...all the fun stuff. I gave the girls a bath, but my bad mood was getting worse and I just kept yelling at them for everything. Tessa splashed. Jordyn took Tessa's toy. Jordyn splashed. Tessa's toy got thrown out so Jordyn got out to get it. I was mad, and acting like a fool. Do you ever have those moments where you're yelling at your kids and the entire time you're thinking, "Stop it you crazy mother. You're acting like an idiot."???

I sent my sister a text to see if she wanted to do something. We decided on lunch, but because we're on the "Dave Ramsey Plan" we don't have money to go out to lunch so I got my birthday money out. Jordyn picked Los Hermanos because she wanted a free "special drink" and we have shirts. On the way to be seated I tripped on a rug. We sat down and ordered a drink for Jordyn and Tessa to share and a Diet Coke for me. (Diet Coke makes me feel better - most of the time.) When the Waiter came back to take our orders I wanted something off the lunch menu, but he said that you can't order from the lunch menu to get the free drink, so I had to cancel the drink. (I didn't have $12.00+ to get something off the dinner menu.) I felt so bad. Jordyn was crying and crying. Then the pregnant mother, who was in a terrible mood already, started crying and crying too. I just hate when I can't give the girls what they want. I hate when they cry about things, especially when I can tell it's a "real" cry. Not one of those "I want that and I'm going to throw a huge fit until you give it to me" cries. ((Around our house those kind of cries don't get you anything except for a trip to timeout.))

This baby is making me emotional - or something. I'm tired. I have very short patience. I get annoyed, at little things...like toothpaste in the sink or sippy cups on the floor. I want to be a good mom. I want my girls to have fun, make fun memories, and be happy. I want them to learn about being kind to others and working hard, not complaining and sharing. But really, how can they....if the example they see in me doesn't do any of those things some days???

On a happy note - We find out Friday if this little baby is a boy or a girl. SUPER EXCITING! My vote? Girl. (Used to be boy, but I changed my mind last week.)

What Our Daddy Doesn't Know

2011-09-18T22:11:00.002-06:00

Today Julie and I took the kids up Diamond Fork Canyon to visit our Daddies. It was fun. The weather was perfect. The drive was even fun, except on the way home when we got lost. Jordyn wanted to sleepover. I did too. Too bad it gets so cold at night up there.On the way up we, the moms, talked about how much the kids have been missing the Dads. Jordyn cries every night that Jason isn't home to give her a "zoom" (a special way to lift her up to the top bunk). Tessa wakes up during the night crying asking for him. Heber wants his Daddy to come check on him when he gets home.

We got home around six and I just can't stop thinking about our conversation. I told Julie that sometimes it makes me sad that I spend all day with the girls, taking care of them and everything...but when Jason spends 15 minutes with them they are so happy. Daddies are so important. Especially our Daddy.

I hope our Daddy knows how much we love and appreciate him. He tells the best bedtime stories and sings the best songs. He plays Lego's and little people. He is the best jungle gym. Our Daddy loves us, he takes care of us.

But I really hope our Daddy knows that we need him. He teaches us how to be kind, how to love everyone, how to work hard, and how to have fun. He keeps us safe and makes us feel special and important. We love him, a lot.

Lake Powell Picture Overload - SERIOUSLY

2011-09-18T21:52:00.005-06:00

In July we went with the Hunter Family to Lake Powell. This was our first week-long vacation as a family. I was super worried. I have this thing with dirt...I don't like it. But, the girls had so much fun and it was totally worth every dirty minute.
Jason and his brothers and sisters.

There was a slide someone made on Sand Hill. Tessa loved it.

Tessa also loved her Tattoo.

We went to Rainbow Bridge.

Sisters

Seriously a fun time. The sun was hot, the water was cold. The girls still talk about the boat and the sand and the tent and the shells and the bugs. I love seeing how excited the girls get about life.

Jordyn's Birthday Day

2011-08-31T21:03:00.004-06:00

I took Jordyn and Tessa to the movies. We saw the new Winnie the Pooh movie. It was so super cute! Jordyn cried the entire time that it was too scary and Tessa pooped. After the movie we went to Costa Vida for dinner and Daddy met us there.

Jordyn is such a character to have around our house. She is always singing, playing new games, and asking to do art projects. Jordyn's favorite phrase right now is "Here's the deal." She says it whenever she wants something. She love chicken nuggets and anything pasta. She doesn't care much for suckers or sour treats. I'm surprised constantly by her imagination. She speaks her own language, literally. She says it's English...but trust me....it's not. She has an amazing memory. I know because she is constantly repeating things she has heard me say....good and bad things. She is a good big sister and is so excited to have a new baby at our house. I'm so blessed to have such a talented, smart little girl teaching me every day to be a little more fun, a little more Christ like, and a little more crazy.

Jordyn's Birthday Party

2011-08-31T20:31:00.003-06:00

Holy Cow! I can't believe she is 4. Can you tell that she is thrilled? Poor kid. This was a bad day for the red, itchy hives. She was miserable.

We had her party on Sunday, August 7th. Everyone in the family came...even Aunt Julia (who lives in China) and Josh and Cheryl (who live in Georgia). We are so lucky to have so many awesome family members who love Jordyn, and support us. Jordyn is lucky to have 8 Aunts, 7 Uncles, 4 Grandparents, and 4 Cousins who all live within 20 minutes of her house. Jason made the cupcakes. He stayed up til 3 in the morning working on them. They turned out AWESOME! Jordyn was SpOiLeD! She got way to many gifts and loved all of them, but her favorite is the MagnaDoodle from Grandma Sue Sue and Grandpa Day. The other day she wrote "MOM" and but flowers and hearts all around to surprise me.It turned out to be a great party. Thank you so much to everyone who came. Tessa even had fun, and can NOT stop talking about her "3" birthday....coming December 2011.

Yo Gabba Gabba, Hives, Cookies, Princess Camp & Miss Tessa's Hair

2011-08-16T20:23:00.002-06:00

My kids are addicted to TV. Seriously. This has become a blessing and a curse. I love that I have a free babysitter, but I hate that the TV has to be on ALL THE TIME! They fight over which show to watch, who gets to choose, and where they get to sit on the couch. Some TV shows are great. They learn about colors, numbers, animals, sharing, cleaning up, and about a million little songs that they love. (I'm talking about Barney, Mickey Mouse Club House, Dora and Diego, Blue's Clues and Dragon Tales.) But, there is one show that I hate. REALLY! Yo Gabba Gabba. YUCK! Well, they love it. Look at them shaking their little booties.

Jordyn had another run of bad luck in the health department. I have no idea what happened, some internal virus the doctor said. My poor baby was covered in itchy hives from head to toe. This picture hardly shows what it was really like. She was miserable.Tessa is messy. Especially with food. What more can I say?Jordyn went to Princess Camp at Dance Showcase Company. She was so excited. She asked everyday for weeks how many more days. She was sick the day before...again. I was worried she wouldn't be able to go, but she did. She had so much fun. She is our Dancing Queen!

Oh, this kid. Look at that face. "Oh, Mom...put the camera away." You can't see it well, but Tessa has the best little twisty braid thing in her hair. Jordyn cries just looking at a brush. Tessa is tough. She'll sit in a chair and let me pull, yank, and tug her beautiful, thick hair until I think it's perfect. She can be a monster sometimes....WHO AM I KIDDING?!?! She is a little monster most of the time, but I sure love her and she is stinking cute.

Thing 3

2011-08-16T19:42:00.002-06:00

Thirteen and a half weeks. Are you ready to hear me cry about it? This pregnancy has been a lot different for me. I've had a major aversion to food. Nothing sounds good. Nothing tastes good. Nothing looks good the second time. Eh! I've been tired and crabby. I get impatient quickly. I want to stay in bed all day and at night I have a hard time sleeping. Jordyn asks me almost every morning if I'm sick. Poor neglected girls.

But, it's all worth it. I love thinking about having a new baby around our house. I imagine how cute Jordyn will be...and how extremely jealous Tessa will be. I think about cute baby toes and fingers, baby smells, and baby smiles. What a blessing!
These are the shirts Jason made. They turned out so cute.

Our Yard 2011

2011-08-16T19:24:00.002-06:00

We've worked hard in our yard this summer. Well, Jason has. I really haven't done much. We planted a bunch of new perennials this year. Plus this fall we'll be planting a bunch of bulbs for next spring. Jason also planted a bunch of corn...that we're still waiting on. Our Raspberries haven't been so great, but that's probably because we only planted them in the spring. Jason's grow box turned out great. We've had a bunch of zucchini and tomatoes. I'm excited for next year already, just so we can add a couple more boxes to our yard. Well, Jason can add them. I'll watch. I'm good at that.

My favorite flowers this year were the Black-Eyed Susans and the Lilies. They turned out so beautiful. It's amazing to me how my love for flowers grows each year. I love teaching the girls too. Jordyn is constantly asking what a flower is called. It's great!

Longest Post Ever

2011-07-11T21:09:00.004-06:00

I'll start off by saying that there's a surprise at the end of this post. Then I'll tell you, I am terrible at taking pictures. Sometimes I take a bunch at an event and sometimes I only take one or two. I need to do better. Time is passing so quickly and the girls are growing so fast. Sometimes it makes me so sad and other times I love seeing life through their beautiful little eyes.

STRAWBERRY DAYS PARADE

It was so fun. The girls loved it. Jason and I taught them all about yelling for candy. We came home with an entire bag full. Jordyn loved the dances and marching bands. Tessa loved the little kids from dance companies and gymnastic teams. FATHER'S DAY

Yes. This is the only pictures I took. Grandpa Day and the girls. Thanks Dad for being such a great grandpa, for helping whenever we ask, and for being such a good example to me.

To Terry aka Papa T: You are so great with the girls. They love playing on the tramp with you. They love when you read them books. Jason and I are so grateful for you advice and love of family.

To our Daddy...We love you so much! You are the best at story time. We love when you cook for us, play games with us, and teach us things. Thank you for growing a garden, for working so hard, for teaching us new things.

4TH OF JULY

We went to my Mom and Dad's for a BBQ. It was super fun! The girls especially love the cupcakes with blue frosting.After dinner we went up to the Hunter's for fireworks. The girls had fun sitting on a blanket. They loved the marshmallows Papa T made for them and the glow lights from Gammy.

LAST T-BALL GAME

Jordyn finished t-ball...finally. She had fun, but I think it was a little too much for me. I'm not a very good sport. But, she learned how to hit the ball a little better and she learned to run a little faster.Tessa had fun playing on the grass steeling drinks and playing with babies.STEVEN CAME HOME

Need I say more?? We are so happy to have Steven home and safe. We're so grateful for his service to our country.I can't even imagine what this hug felt like. Seriously.Cute family!The girls were super excited. Especially Jordyn. She prayed for Uncle Steven every night.Father and Sons

Hayden, Jake, Steven, Terry, and JasonThe entire family. What a happy day!

And last of all. A story or two. Jason made t-shirts for me and the girls. I'll post a picture of them soon. Jordyn's said "thing 1" and Tessa's said "thing 2". Each shirt had the real Cat in the Hat thing 1 and thing 2 guys. Mine was a red bean with blue hair that said "thing 3". We told the girls our little secret and headed up to the Hunters' to show them our shirts. We'd hoped the girls would keep quiet but we got out of the car and Tessa yelled, "My Mama's having a baby!" So much for that surprise.

A few days later we took the girls with us to an ultrasound appointment. You see, I've had two miscarriages, one before each of the girls. After my first I had an ultrasound and about 7 weeks with each pregnancy to make sure there was a heart beat. I was nervous taking the girls. I didn't want them to be there if something was wrong. Luckily, everything is great. Anyway, the ultrasound was pushing hard and said, "Sorry, I'm just trying to get a better picture of this cyst." Jordyn sighed, looked right at me and said, "Oh man. It's a sister." HA! What a kid. (If you couldn't guess...she wants a brother.)

So, there you have it. Baby #3 will be joining our family the beginning of February.

Strawberry Day's Carnival

2011-06-25T00:35:00.002-06:00

This year it was so fun to take the girls to the carnival. They were so excited....so much so that Tessa was actually being nice to Heber for once.And so excited that they didn't want me to take one more picture.We went on the big yellow slide, some ducks, the marry-go-round, a train, and a turtle. Tessa did awesome, even though I thought she would cry. And Heber kept asking saying "again" after each ride. Jordyn had so much fun....but by the end she was so tired, which at our house equals crying.

Los Hermanos and Dance

2011-06-25T00:16:00.003-06:00

Jason and I were feeling like Los Hermanos. We borrowed shirts from Camie and Janae for the girls. They were HUGE on them! The girls loved their specialty drinks. It was so fun to help them pick and let them drink, even before eating their dinner.Jordyn had her dance recital on the 11th of June. She loved all of the attention. She did great. It was fun to help her dress up and do her make-up. She was so proud of herself. Here she is with her friend Sophia. Megan and Nonie gave Jordyn flowers. SPOILED!

Grandpa's Video

2011-06-14T12:08:00.001-06:00

Arthur Roy Halladay

2011-06-13T22:02:00.001-06:00

Arthur Roy Halladay, 86, peacefully passed from this existence on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at his home surrounded by his family. Roy was born October 24, 1924, to Arthur and Florence Sorensen Halladay in Provo. In the family of seven children, Roy was the only son. He graduated from Provo High School where he was active in football and basketball. After graduation, he attended Utah Technical College in Aircraft Mechanics and then got a job for Pan American Airways in San Francisco. In 1943, he joined the US Navy as an aircraft mechanic and was shipped to the Hawaiian Islands where he worked on PBY seaplanes till the war ended.

After the war, he met Karyl Christiansen at a dance in Provo and they were married on February 18, 1947 in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of four children, 19 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren. After the war, Roy went to work for Geneva Steel where he was employed for 40 years, retiring in 1987. He was an active member of the LDS Church and held many positions to include Bishop and High Councilman. He lived in Pleasant Grove on the old family farm for 59 years and especially loved his fruit trees. He also ran “Roy’s Sharpen All” as a home business for over 50 years.

He is survived by his four children, Brent (Nancy) Halladay, Pleasant Grove; Diane (Les) Bennett, Roosevelt; Kaye (Ted) Davies, Spanish Fork and Neil (Susan) Halladay, Pleasant Grove. He was preceded in death by his wife, Karyl and two grandchildren: Jennifer Bennett and Aaron Davies.

Funeral services will be held June 15, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in the Timpanogos First Ward Chapel, 332 East 500 North, Pleasant Grove. Friends may call Tuesday evening from 6-8 p.m. at Olpin Family Mortuary, 494 South 300 East, Pleasant Grove and at the church on Wednesday one hour prior to services. Interment will be in the Pleasant Grove City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.olpinmortuary.com.

Lead Me, Guide Me

2011-06-11T16:44:00.002-06:00

Today my Grandpa Halladay passed away. It's hard to explain how you can feel so sad about something, but also be so happy. I'm grateful for eternal families. I know that my Grandma and Grandpa are together right now, and oh so happy. I can just hear Grandma asking him why it took him so long.

It's been a hard crazy day. We had Jordyn's dance recital and tonight is Heber's birthday. Plus Jason is getting ready for scout camp and I'm trying to help with that. On the way home from the dance recital I was crying. I know Grandpa is standing up strait now, catching up with family and old friends and basking in the light of the Savior. But I'm sad for me. I will miss him.

Anyway, on the drive home, the girls were fighting and I was crying and Jason was holding my hand and then, all of a sudden, they stopped. They started singing "I am a child of God" and their little voices were so cute and so sweet and so happy. Jordyn said she wanted to see Grandpa Great. Telling her was hard, but I think she understood. She asked how he got into heaven and if he was happy. Jason asked her what she thought and she said that she knew he was very happy.

What a blessing it is to know that Heavenly Father loves me so much to send me two sweet little girls who can help me understand that we are indeed Children of God. That He loves us. That He wants us to return home to live with Him. And that He has given us a "family kind and dear" to help us make it.

Baby Jaxon

2011-06-08T18:10:00.004-06:00

Super CONGRATS to my youngest sister Jaymie and her hubby Adam. Today they welcomed baby Jaxon into this crazy world. He's so cute. Tessa loved his hair but didn't want to hold him. Jordyn said she liked holding him. Both Jaymie and Jaxon are doing great!

Jaxon Adam Holdaway
7 pounds 13 ounces
19.5 inches long

(welcome baby Jaxon to a long list of "J" names in our family....Julie, Jesse, Josh, Jaymie, Jaxon, Jason, Jordyn, Janae, and Jake.)

Jordyn's First T-Ball Game

2011-06-07T21:40:00.002-06:00

These Days

2011-06-07T21:16:00.003-06:00

I always feel like summer is a hard time to blog. We're out doing stuff. We stay up late and sleep in late. Life gets pretty crazy. Time passes way to quickly and I find myself thinking... where's my camera, I could blog about this. Then when I don't I'm kicking myself because I want to remember all of this fun, crazy stuff.

Jordyn loves doing my hair these days. Don't I just look so beautiful. You should see the back. I remember when I was little my mom would let us "stay up" only if we would play with her hair or scratch her back. Oh the benefits of being a mom.Jason and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. We went to Salt Lake and stayed at the Hilton. They upgraded us to a suite and sent us this yummy chocolate cheesecake. Awhile back (just click here) I posted our love story. Go ahead and read it and see pictures from our wedding...back when we were both skinny-er.Jordyn loves Nonie. Can you tell?We've been doing LOTS of yard work.And probably most exciting of all we FINALLY got to meet our niece/cousin Hallie. the girls were SO excited and they are still talking about her. She smiled at me...she cried at Jason. It was perfect.

Life As We Know It

2011-05-23T21:52:00.003-06:00

It's good to be home. It's good to do housework and clean up messes and feel so tired at the end of the day. It's good to see the girls play and cry and eat and fight and sleep. They are mine and they are healthy and happy...and that makes me happy.Jordyn is doing so great. She is pretty much back to her old self. Well, except for the constant whining. It's driving me crazy. I guess that's what happens when you get everything your heart desires for 8 days and then....things go back to the way they were. Poor kid. This lego cow has my girls utter-ly confused. Get it? Utter. Ha! They keep asking me what the pink part is...and Tessa keeps telling me to take it off.I started watching Julie's kids again today. I can't believe how much they have changed in just a few weeks. Heber is talking so much. Houston is rolling over. It's crazy! And look...Heber and Tessa almost look like they like each other, which is totally not true. These two fight like crazy.Houston is so big...I wish I would have taken a picture of him awake.Want to know what we watch ALL DAY? Can you guess?Heber is the best kid ever to put in time out. He doesn't even move a muscle. Today he was singing or something. It was so funny!Tonight we had family home evening. Shocking, I know! Jordyn loved it...Tessa just wanted me to read a book to her. It really is so nice to be home and back to "normal." In the crazy, stressful moments I'm trying hard to remind myself that this is the only place I want to be.

This is the movie we watched tonight. It's so cute. I'm so grateful for my beautiful little girls, for my knowledge that we are all children of a Heavenly Father who loves us, and for Jason...because he pushed me to be better every day.

Understanding Trials

2011-05-18T23:54:00.003-06:00

Last Wednesday (May 11th) as I watched Jordyn leave in a helicopter my heart was breaking. I wondered how long it would take us to get to her. I wondered how sick she really was. I wondered how much money all of this was going to cost. I wondered if she was scared, if she would remember anything, how soon she would get better. Mostly, I wondered why I wasn't as scared as I thought I should be. I was nervous and worried and anxious...but I was also calm somehow. It was overwhelming, this feeling of comfort. I knew everything was going to be okay.

Each day in the hospital was full of a million different emotions. Sometimes I was mad, and sometimes I took that anger out on Jason. I cried. I was tired. I wanted to take Jordyn's place. Here she is with one of the doctors.

After 5 nights in the PICU we finally got moved to the CMU (Children's Medical Unit). The entire day I was smiling. Jason and I went to grab dinner and I was so happy. It was a great big step in the right direction. We knew the end was near. It was a nice feeling. And yet, I often thought about all of those kids in the hospital who didn't know when they were leaving. I felt so lucky, and again, I felt that comforting peace.Time flew. Jordyn started feeling so much better. Daddy surprised her with new jammies.Jordyn had visitors. Her friend, Ryann, came up. Jordyn loved it!And finally she got to see Tessa. They were so cute together. I was happy watching them play and tease each other. And then today, they let us come home.I love this picture. She looks so happy, and healthy.We only had a "baby car seat" in the car...which she is too big for, but it worked out great. Driving away from that place was awesome!I'm not exactly sure why our little family had to experience all of this. I know that we've grown and changed and learned new things about ourselves. I fell more in love with Jason. He was calm and strong. He comforted me in the hard times and kept me from exploding more than once. I learned more about myself. I felt a deeper love and appreciation for motherhood. I'm not sure what I would do without my beautiful little girls. My testimony grew. I have never felt so much peace, comfort, and love. I mean, I knew that the Savior loved me...and my family, but I didn't know how much. Maybe I still don't. I just know that trials help us grow. They bring us closer together. They push us to be better people...more compassionate, more grateful, more understanding, more kind, more humble. Everyday we change. Trials help us become the people that our Heavenly Father needs us to be.

A Few Pictures

2011-05-14T22:21:00.004-06:00

I've been wanting to post some of the pictures from this wild adventure. I'm sitting her with Jordyn, it's 11:00pm, and she sound asleep. Jason went home to be with Tessa tonight. This is the first night I've been alone at the hospital. It's a little strange and scary. The last few days has been crazy. Every time I update someone I usually start with, "What day is today, Saturday? Is it Saturday." It's strange to feel totally out of it.

Here's Jordyn when we first got to American Fork. Her oxygen levels dropped so quickly that they ended up flying her up to Primary Children's around 10:30. That was the hardest thing I think I've done so far as a mother...watch my baby fly away in a helicopter while I was left on the ground, with an hour drive.At Primary Children's we ended up in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). Jordyn has been a trooper. She has been pocked and moved a million times and she is still so brave.

During all of the crazy times with Jordyn we still had our sweet Miss Tessa with a crazy life of her own. Thursday she got her cast. Jason said it was fun taking her. And by fun I think he meant "fun" which really isn't fun at all. Plus, Friday she went to the doctor and he told us she had pneumonia like symptoms. He started her on the same stuff as Jordyn and so far she is doing great.Today Jordyn improved a ton. She was a little bit clingy today. She wanted me to sit with her a lot, and hold her hand. She kept asking if she could eat. But, she stayed on a regular mask all day and it was awesome.Now, tonight, they changed her to a nasal cannula and she is doing super. They say she is looking awesome. Now we're doing Albuteral treatments every 2 hours and when she can make it to every 4 hours they will let her leave the PICU and move to a regular room.

I can tell you that the only way I've made it though all of this is with the love and support of everyone who knows us. We've been so blessed and felt so loved. Jordyn is one lucky little girl to have so many people praying for her. Jason and I also feel very lucky. It's incredible. Really. So, I won't ever be able to say this enough, but THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of our friends and family members who have helped us in the tough time.

As Time Goes On

2011-05-13T18:23:00.003-06:00

This hospital stuff is hard. I wonder how parents who have to do this all of the time actually survive. We've met a few different people, who have much more difficult trials than we do. Puts things into perspective. We are blessed. We have the Gospel. We have felt so much love and support in this hard time.

Jordyn is doing about the same. We have good moments and bad. She had a feeding tube put in her nose today. They had to put her to sleep to do it. She is using a CPAP mask right now. Before she had a BiPAP mask. They doctor said they worked differently, but one is not better than the other. She was using a regular mask for awhile today but it just seems like after a few hours she can't get the oxygen that she needs. From what I understand the BiPAP/CPAP makes help push air in and also pull it out. She need this because Pneumonia makes it hard to breath in and the Asthma makes it hard to breath out. We're just taking it all one day at a time.

It's night now: I wrote all of that other stuff this afternoon. It's about 10:30. Things are still the same with Jordyn. She's been sleeping a lot more today but they keep telling us she's looking really good.

I'm tired. It's hard to see her like this. It's hard to feel helpless. It's hard to see Jason feeling stressed and helpless. We're just plugging along. I keep asking people what day it is. We've only been here for 2 nights (and then tonight) and it seems like it has been forever. Right now they say we're looking at Wednesday to go home. Wednesday. Seems like forever.

Sick Miss Jordyn

2011-05-12T11:09:00.000-06:00

Here is a email that Jason sent....

Dear Family

As some of you might have heard, we've had an eventful few days. Last week Sara came down with pneumonia and Tessa broke her arm. Both are now doing fine.

Jordyn also got sick last Thursday. She was seeming better over the weekend and we even all went to church. On Tuesday, Sara noticed that Jordyn was kind of taking a turn for the worst. We watched her Tuesday night and I just felt that she wasn't doing good. Sara took her to see the Dr on Wednesday afternoon. The dr checked her oxygen level and it was at 72 which is very low, so he had her admitted to the hospital. The Dr & Nurses thought that she was doing fairly well, but it appeared that she had some pneumonia and they said that she would probably be in the hospital for a few days. Then last night at around 8:00 she really took a turn for the worse very quickly (less than 5 minutes) and was maxing out the hospital's oxygen at 15 and was on a rebreather bag. She came back out of it slightly where her oxygen was back down at level 5, but the on call Dr didn't want to have her on max capacity and decided to send her to a hospital that could handle it if she got worse again. So Jordyn was life flighted to Primary Children's Medical. Sara and I couldn't ride with her, but the life flight nurse called and said that she did really well. Here at PCMC they put her on a breathing machine and she is doing well.

Talking to the Dr & PA today they said that looking at her xray she could have either a viral or bacterial pneumonia, but it also appears that she has reactive airway which could turn into asthma. (They usually don't diagnose asthma in kids until the age 5). Today she is doing well, watching Minnie Mouse and taking all this in stride.

Just wanted you all to know and would appreciate your prayers for our little girl.

Love you all

Jason

It's Thursday now, and we're still in the PICU. Jordyn seems to be holding up okay for the time being. They are probably going to put a feeding tub in, which I'm TOTALLY freaking out about, but trying not to show it. This is hard for me. Watching her go through this. It's super hard to see her sad, little tears running down her cheaks. I'm just not cut out for this...

Happy thoughts and prayers. We need them. She needs them. I need them.

Mother's Day And Stuff

2011-05-10T20:28:00.002-06:00

Jason had young men's tonight so it was just me and the girls. Jordyn always asks to watch a movie on nights when Jason isn't here. Actually, she always wants to watch a movie. Tonight it was Aristocats. About 25 minutes in they were both asleep.
Mother's Day was really nice. Jason and the girls picked out this planter for me. We spent most of the afternoon at Jason's parents house where Jason and Terry made a great dinner. It was fun and relaxing.

Of coarse the flowers are purple (Tessa's favorite color). I'm a sucker for flowers. I love them! Jason has been working hard in our yard. We were able to order a bunch of flowers from Spring Hill Nursery this year. I can't wait to post pictures of our yard later on this summer. Anyway, last year we wanted to plant some Raspberry plants. We picked the spot and started composting. We put everything in the pile. Food, old plants, food...it was gross. Here's our finished project...

After awhile Jason noticed we were getting weeds. We didn't understand it. Nothing had been growing here. Plus we had this red mulch bark stuff. He was pulling them out all of the time. I even helped a little, but they kept growing and growing. Turns out they are sunflowers. When we had pulled out all of the dead stuff from the front yard last year we piled it up and that included our sunflower stalks. The seeds dropped and now we have this....

The spring is turning out great, you know, besides the broken arms, fevers, coughing, and pneumonia. I'm loving all the work Jason is doing in the yard. (HA!) I'm excited to feel well enough to get out there with him. We have high hopes and big plans for all of the projects we want to finish this year. My biggest one: a finished (with grass) back yard.

This Lovely Week

2011-05-06T20:36:00.002-06:00

Monday Jason got off to work a little late and I got out of bed a little late. I didn't shower before Julie brought the boys over. BIG MISTAKE! If I don't shower before they come...I don't shower. So, I was in my bathrobe all day. (Yeah, the smart person inside of me would have at least put on some sweats and a bra.) The day was long and horrible with naughty little girls who didn't listen to their Mama all day. Plus I wasn't feeling well. So, I called Jason to come home early. I begged and he did, even though it totally messed up his work schedule. That night I went and got some wheat grass - hoping to kick my cold in the butt. ((Didn't work!!))

Tuesday I was feeling a little worse, but we made it to dance and preschool. (I even showered before Julie dropped off the boys.) The day was better, except Jason wasn't feeling well at all. He stayed home from work and went to the doctor. He had a sinus infection. In the afternoon we went to Jake's baseball game. It was SO cold. The wind was blowing like crazy. After the game Jason went to scouts and I got the girls in bed. That night I was not doing well, but didn't think much of it.

Wednesday morning I could barely move myself from my bed to the couch. At 10:30 the girls kept telling me they were hungry so I got down a box of Capri Suns and a package of fish crackers. That's all they had until my sister, Julie, picked them up around 12:30. Around 1:30 I called Jason at work and once again begged him to come home. He took me to the doctor and dun da da dun PNEUMONIA. What the? I felt like crap so I spent the rest of the day/evening sleeping on the couch. At around 7:00 (I think) I woke up to Tessa screaming hysterically and Jason saying something about her arm being broken. Then I asked him to hand me my strawberry lemonade from Sonic and I spilled it ALL OVER the carpet. It was a huge mess. He was gone to the Urgent Care for a long time. My sister, Leslie, came over and cleaned my carpet and my house. Jason came back with my little baby all bandaged up and the news that she broke her (left) arm right above her wrist.

Thursday was pretty uneventful. Oh wait. No it wasn't. Jordyn woke up in a terrible mood. She was crying a lot and whining. It was annoying. It was her fake birthday at preschool so Jason took her to Wal-Mart to pick out treats. (She has a summer birthday.) They came back and I could tell he was "done" with her. After a while she started to complain about being cold all over. We checked and she had a fever of 100.4. Poor kid. She was devastated. So we called Miss Heidi. She talked to Jordyn and made her feel much better. Later that night Jordyn's fever was up to 102.2 and she barfed in the tub when I was attempting to give her a bath. (Jason was gone to round table and Tessa was with Nonie.) By this time we were wondering what else would go wrong.

Friday (today) was pretty normal. I am feeling about 68.3% better. Jordyn slept til 10:30 and she seems to be doing fine. Tessa doesn't complain much about her arm. Jason, besides coughing a ton, seems better too. We - and by we I mean Jason - planted a bunch of flowers and plants in the yard. He went and took his CPA test this morning. And I watch about 6 episodes of GLEE. Then it happened, that one more thing, which really isn't that big of a deal, but very traumatic for little girls. Jordyn fell into the fence and got about 15 slivers. So, we sat on the lawn for 15 minutes telling stories and playing games while Jason dug them out.

That's it. It's enough I think.

video translation (Tessa's words only):
"Hi Tessa!" - "I feel down."
"hmmm." (This roughly translated means yes...she says it all the time."
"Slide." - "hmmm." - "Doctor." - "hmmm."
"Put a bandaid on me." - "hmmm."
"Scooby Doo." - "Yeah, Snoopy." - "Purple."
"hmmm." - "Hi Mama." - "Yeah." - "Yeah."

It made me laugh at the end when I told her to blow me a kiss she tries to with her broken arm, but can't so she switches. Silly girl. Love her! Love the other. Love him!

Easter 2011

2011-04-27T10:56:00.004-06:00

What a busy, fun day! Easter this year was so exciting for the girls because they both knew what was going on. We started the morning with an egg hunt in our TV room and baskets filled with little prizes for the girls. They loved it!

Jason made egg shaped/colored pancakes for breakfast. They turned out so cute!We took a quick picture before church. I kept reminding Jordyn that Jesus is more important than the Easter Bunny. She was cute. She understood. She loves primary.After church we headed up to the Papa T's and Gammy's for another egg hunt and family pictures.When we got home the girls found a surprise on the porch with hidden eggs in the yard. They were so excited. (Thanks surprise Easter Bunny...whoever you are!)Our final stop of the day was Grandma Sue Sue's and Grandpa Day's. Julie put together an awesome egg hunt in the front yard. It was fun!

The day was busy and crazy and wonderful. I love Easter. It's great taking time to think about the Savior and His resurrection. I'm very grateful for Him, for my family, for spring, new chances and changes.

Happy Easter!

Went To A Play

2011-04-27T10:34:00.002-06:00

Last Friday Jason, Jordyn, and I went to a play at the Covey Center in Provo to see Beauty and the Beast. It was really fun. Jordyn loves plays. She was funny. During the play she would tap me on the arm and say, "This isn't like the movie." So funny! When Belle came out the first time she whispered, "Oh I love her." Before the pay we went to Wingers for dinner and afterwards we stopped to see Jason's Aunt Julia. It was a really fun night!

Life's Challenges

2011-04-21T23:16:00.004-06:00

Over the last few days I've been thinking about how to write about some of the things going on at our house these last few weeks. Life has been crazy. So, I'll start with me. I get nervous sharing "personal" stuff on my blog. I mean, who will read it? What will they think? Am I dumb for sharing? Should I share less/more? ((blah blah blah)) I guess I'm sharing all of this because this is my journal, someday I may want to remember it all...or not.

Last August we got back on the baby making train. After a few months I went to the doctor for a chat. She put me on Clomid. I never had a problem getting pregnant before, but thought it might help get the ball rolling. Long story short, I didn't get pregnant. Instead, starting in February I had a period that lasted almost 7 weeks. I went back to the doctor. At the end of my appointment she told me that my weight, my history of miscarriages, and the excessive bleeding were all precursors to Uterine Cancer. Now if that isn't enough to freak someone out I don't know what is. The worst part was that she didn't tell me it could be something else. She only left me with that one option. It was scary. I ended up calling the nurse after two days to talk about what else it could be. She was nice and reassuring.

A few weeks later I went back for an Ultrasound. By this time the bleeding had stopped, but the Ultrasound showed a large cyst on my left ovary. They took a bunch of blood for some cancer screening. I guess the test result is in number form from 0 to 36 (36 being really bad) and my level was only a 3. The doctor said that's really good. So, I'm going back in a couple more weeks for another ultrasound to see if there have been any changes. Just more waiting. I'm not feeling very nervous any more. I'm a super planner and not having a plan is kind of bugging me. As for having more babies, right now it's on hold until August again. At least. (We can not have a baby during tax season.)

And now, as if this post wasn't long enough, I wanted to share what has been going on with my sweet Miss Tessa. Last weekend Tessa woke up with a major limp. She was crying about her leg and so I took her over to the after hours clinic that very morning. At the appointment the doctor checked her out and said it was her left knee. He said it was a little inflamed and that we would do some lab work to find out if she had an infection. He was also testing her for rheumatoid arthritis, he said. (This was another little freak out moment for me, but lately I've been feeling that something is a little off with Tessa.)

On Monday we got the results back that she did have some kind of virus. She also tested negative for the arthritis. The doctor who saw her Saturday morning, well his nurse, called me on Tuesday to see how she was doing. I explained that I was told she had a virus, but didn't know what it was. I also shared my concerns about Tessa and wondered if I should be one of "those mothers" who pushes more tests onto their little baby girl because they think something might be wrong. She was super nice. She told me that the text showed that Tessa has Bursitis. It has something to do with inflammation in the joints. They told me that the arthritis test can sometimes give a false negative if there is a virus in the system. (This only concerns me because my Grandma had RA.) So, I'm keeping a close eye on her, keeping a list of concerns, and taking her back in a week for a re-check...possible redo the labs or something.

Here's my list so far: Tessa wakes up 4 to 8 per night. This is not a joke or an exaggeration. She cries a lot...to be held, because she wants something, because she hurts. She always wants two pillows when she sleeps, or to be propped up on the couch. If she's sitting in a booster and you try to push her up to the table she cries that it hurts, even though she's not touching the table. She holds her wrists or knees or ankles when she watches TV. If you touch her wrong she says it hurts. She would rather sit on a chair outside and watch the kids play without her. She is a completely different person when I give her Ibuprofen.

There it is. But really, things are good. I know it could be worse. I'm grateful that in everything I've felt peace. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and my family and He watches over us. I know He guides us. I know that things will work out the way they are supposed to.

Any advice? Suggestions? Comments?

We Went To The Park

2011-04-12T00:22:00.004-06:00

The weather was so nice today. Such a nice change for once. We decided to go to the park for a couple hours. The kids had tons of fun. Kara even came for a few minutes to play.I think Tessa went down the slide 30 times. She loved it. She loves anything that lets her be free and do what she wants.We had a few hard moments...I love this picture. Tessa - free. Heber - wants Kara. Jordyn - singing to her own little tune. (You should hear some of the stuff she makes up.)Houston had a good day too, even though he slept the entire time at the park.

And, before I forget. Jordyn told me today that when she grows up she wants to be a "little kid hair cutter." I asked her what her shop was going to be like and this is what she said, all I remember any way. It will be shaped like a triangle and painted blue. It was have three doors: one for moms and dads, one for kids, and one for babies. They will sit in chairs shaped like rockets and cars and fruit. When they are done she will give them cookie dough to give to their moms. She is such a hoot!

Trip To College

2011-04-11T23:59:00.003-06:00

Friday we headed up to Rexburg. The drive was LONG! It's been awhile since we took a trip in the car and the girls were out of practice. Even with lots of treats and movie we still had to stop ever hour or so. Plus, the weather was yucky...

Jordyn was so excited to see Nonie and to "go to college." She kept asking the entire ride up when we would get to see Nonie and when would we be to Nonie's house. Here she is at the graduation, waiting for Nonie...Tessa did most of her waiting with the twins. Here she is with _______. She loves MiMi (Camie) and WaLa (Janae).Gammy made the girls leis. This picture makes me sad because they look so old. ((STOP GROWING UP!!))And here we all are with the Graduate. New rule: Only one camera may be taking pictures at a time. Apparently we're looking at three cameras in this shot. And Tessa looks ever so happy to be there.After two super fun nights we left Sunday afternoon. The girls had fun staying in our "new house" and swimming in the pool. I enjoyed going to bed Saturday night at 8:00 while Jason took care of the girls. Jason enjoyed his mini break from tax season. On the way home we stopped in Idaho Falls to see the falls at the temple. It was very cold!

Congrats Nonie!

You've worked so hard and we are so proud of you!!

Needed: A More Creative Title

2011-04-06T22:00:00.004-06:00

I found this awesome blog that I totally love. She makes hair doing look so dang easy. Today, I tried out a couple things. Here's the back of Tessa's head. Cute right! It was pretty fun, and really easy. BUT I couldn't get the clips to stay in, so it fell out a few times.

And Jordyn's head... I really wanted to try this cute hair headband thing, but Jordyn has very thin hair in the front. So we went with these twisty pigtail things.

And here they are...all dressed in matchy matchy clothes. Of course, then Jordyn wanted to make a video. This seems to be her new stage because she wants to do it everyday. ((Yes Tessa copies EVERYTHING Jordyn says - that is her current stage... Plus, I'm really sorry about the flipping off finger that might currently be displayed below.))

Friday we leave for Rexburg. Nonie is graduating! So, we're going up for the big day. The girls are SO excited. I'm not sure if they're more excited to watch movies in the car or swim in the pool. We'll find out soon enough.

Happy Weekend!

Picture Overload!

2011-03-28T22:17:00.005-06:00

We went on Saturday with Julie and the boys to Portrait Innovations to get new pictures taken. It was long, and the kids were tired when we finished, but I think they turned out so cute! Enjoy...

Tangled Coupon

2011-03-28T10:29:00.002-06:00

Some of my sisters were wondering about this..

You can create an account or log-in here and then you should be able to print a coupon for $5 off the 4-Disc blu-ray combo pack. This movie comes out on Tuesday th 29th (tomorrow). Jordyn is going to be so excited! She doesn't know yet...

I Crafted

2011-03-22T21:40:00.002-06:00

Jason's awesome Mom gave me these beautiful plants. (I love plants. Right now we have 12 plants in our house. Seriously!)
I glued butterflies onto sticks. I put the sticks in the plants. Then I put the plants in these cute buckets I found at Hobby Lobby. This is about as crafty as I get.

When Tessa saw what I was doing she started jumping up and down and screaming, "I want purple! I want purple!" So, she got a purple bucket and Jordyn got pink. Jason bought them a new shelf for their room to put the plants Way. Up. High.

These Are The Days Of Our Lives

2011-03-22T21:22:00.002-06:00

I feel like it's been awhile... Nothing big and exciting has happened at our house the last little while. Jason is still busy with tax season. The girls have Spring fever and want to be outside all the time. I'm still here, trying to get back into couponing and pretending that I love to cook and meal plan.

Tessa loves anything stuffed. She is so funny. We went to the Disney store in the mall the other day and while Jordyn was looking at the dishes and clothes, Tessa was loving on every stuffed animal in the store.
I got my ring sized. Two babies and a lot of post wedding pounds made it impossible to wear, but luckily Jason got the warranty plan thing and it didn't cost me a dime.

This is my new door hanging thing.

Love #1 - Stuffed Animals. Love #2 - Art projects. she would do this ALL DAY if I let her, but really I'm not that nice of a mom.

Tis the season of dirty feet...

The art loving girl used a sharpie on my bed. Grrrrr!

Don't you hate when this happens? All the bins, except two, dumped in a pile together. (It's only a problem because I'm a freak and the toys have to be organized a certain way.)

And of course, the forbidden front room is the best place to play.

Thank You Grandma Janice

2011-03-14T22:45:00.003-06:00

A couple of days ago Jordyn got a package in the mail from Jason's Grandmother (Great Grandma Janice). She was so excited! We opened it up and there were three books inside with a letter. We had to read the books right then, and have read them about 5 times each now. Jordyn loves books. We talked about doing a thank you note to send in the mail to Great Grandma Janice, but Jordyn wanted to do a video instead. So, here it is.

Tessa didn't want to be left out. She's hard to understand, but she keeps saying "Hi Grandma Janice" at the beginning. It's so cute!

The Best Day Ever

2011-03-10T22:17:00.002-07:00

According to Jordyn that is. You see, we started the day off with brunch. Daddy made us pancakes with bacon. Yum. Then we waisted way to much time and left running out the door to preschool. We dropped Tessa off at Julie's first. After preschool we went to Old Navy and bought new flip flops, which are so dang cute. Wish I would have taken a picture...

We picked up McDonald's and went to the "painting place." The ladies there LOVE the girls. I think they love my Mom better because every time I go they ask how come she didn't come too. So, we all got painted. ((I'm a little ticked that Jordyn stepped on my foot and ruined one of my big toes.))

Tessa picked purple. She loves purple!Jordyn wanted pink with sparkles.She got her fingers painted to.At the end, we were drying and Jordyn whispered, "Mama, this is the best day ever." She is so funny. I'm glad that a little nail polish makes her so happy.

And for Jason...I finished these for you. Love you babe!

My Cousin Aaron

2011-03-10T11:25:00.002-07:00

Last weekend my cousin Aaron passed away. I've been thinking a lot about him that last few days, about life and the choices we all make. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us. I know we are His children and that He loves us. It's just hard sometimes to understand why things have to happen they way they do.

As I've thought about growing up with Aaron a few different memories came to mind. **We used to play ninja turtles in Grandma Halladay's front room. Aaron and Ben (little brother) and Mark and Zac (other cousins) would bring their bags of turtles and we would play forever. **We played dodge ball on the tramp. It seems that Aaron and Zac were always winning. Those two were buds. I remember feeling very jealous that Zac liked Aaron better than me. **Grandma and Grandpa Halladay took some of us girls to Flaming George with them every year. Aaron and his family usually went too. It was fun. **Easter hunts were always so much fun. Aaron was fast and usually got to all of the places first.

I'll miss Aaron. I'll miss the life he could of had. I'll always remember the great person I knew. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have that families are forever. I'm grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered for all of us, knowing the difficulties we would each face.

Love you Aaron. Rest in Peace.

"I Said No"

2011-03-08T11:03:00.002-07:00

My favorite phrase of the day so far. Seriously, do they ever learn to listen? In about 10 minutes we have to load up so we can go get Jordyn from dance. Then we have to eat lunch and load up again so we can take Jordyn to preschool. I'm tired and in a bad mood. But on the bright side, I'm showered and all ready, the kids are all ready, and the house isn't too messy yet. I am however, seriously considering a full time job today because this stay at home mom job is hard.

I miss Jason. I know it's only been a day or something. ((Did I mention that he sleeps in his car in the parking garage. It saves drive time.)) He's coming home tonight for dinner and a good wife would get the house all clean and fix something terribly yummy for dinner. Is Papa Johns considered "terribly yummy"? Just wondering.

Other than all of that, the sun is shinning today. Which I LOVE! So, hopefully all of this snow will be gone soon. (Also, we put some sort of fertilizer stuff on the lawn Saturday, so we were happy for the snow and rain.) Happy Tuesday!

Goals of the day: Tells the kids I love them, read some books, and build a lego castle.

Spring Dresses

2011-03-07T20:21:00.002-07:00

Okay, so, these dresses were going to be for Easter, but I just couldn't wait one more second. I love spring time. I love watching my yard come to life. I love getting dirt under my nails ((sorta)) and walking through the garden section of any store.

Good thing I decided to be impatient. The dresses fit perfectly NOW. And I love them!

We Love The Flag

2011-03-07T20:12:00.003-07:00

In the car tonight Jordyn and I were playing "I Spy" and this is what she said, "I spy with my little eye something that is white, red, blue, and white."

She's been learning The Pledge at preschool. Isn't she cute?!?

And who could forget Miss Tessa?

In other super great news... Jason talked to Steven today. He sounded great and we're excited for him to come home this summer. (And Megan and Hallie too!)

Last Week When The Weather Was Nice

2011-03-07T19:52:00.003-07:00

Tuesday is the busy day at our house. Heber and Houston come over to play and Jordyn has dance at 10:45 and preschool at 12:30. Plus I have to clean the studio that day.

Here is Jordyn in her dance clothes. She looks so dang skinny, probably because her clothes are two sizes too big.

Tessa thinks she knows how to work the Netflix on the Wii. Heber is telling her to pick Barney.At my house, Houston loves being naked.After the morning stuff and lunch we decided to walk Jordyn to preschool. Tessa did NOT want to walk with us.She soon realized that I was leaving without her and decided to come. The girls ran the entire two and a half blocks. They loved it.Heber was very sad that we left Jordyn, but then a helicopter flew by.And he found a rock.

Motivation, The Lack Of

2011-03-03T20:10:00.002-07:00

Today before going to preschool with Jordyn I was thinking about going to the rec center tonight. I was thinking about all the "healthy" things I would buy at the grocery store. I was thinking about starting a new blog (that I would keep secret) to track my diet. I was thinking about how summer was coming and I want to feel comfortable in short sleeves.

Then I came home from preschool, picked up Tessa, and went to Walmart. We bought lots of Easter candy, and some french bread to eat with dinner. That's it.

I'm feeling just so tired all of the time. I don't really want to exercise. I think once I start it will be great, right? I don't want to eat healthy. I like cheeseburgers and diet coke and Easter candy.

So, what motivates you? Do you get up early and workout, or do it at night? Do you limit your treats, or just cut them out totally? Do you get prizes for pounds lost? Do you workout with someone, or just do it alone? Are you just blessed to be naturally skinny and think this post is stupid? Do you dread summer and "summer clothes" as much as I do?

On The Fridge

2011-02-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

Bambi Coupon

2011-02-28T19:25:00.002-07:00

My sisters were asking if I knew about a coupon for Bambi. Well, HERE it is...

Thanks I Heart The Mart!

Meal Plan

2011-02-26T09:54:00.003-07:00

I updated my meal plan with recipes over there on my side bar....in case you're interested.

I highly recommend the BBQ Chicken Quesadillas. SO GOOD!

Hopefully this will be a better week. (I only sorta HATE cooking!)

Happy Birthday Megan!

2011-02-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Constantly Learning

2011-02-20T22:24:00.003-07:00

There have been many days in my life when I'm not sure what I'm doing... Not sure about the kind of mother I am. Wife. Friend. I wonder if I'm living up to all Heavenly Father wants me to be. Do I serve enough? Think of others enough? I sometimes have the desire to change, but lack the motivation. I'm constantly comparing myself to others. But today, I decided that's okay, because I want to be just like her.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed some one's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived." - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

And in case you ever wondered why I blog...

"To you women of today, who are old or young, may I suggest to you that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper. Writing is a great discipline. It is a tremendous education effort. It will assist you in various ways, and you will bless the lives of many --now and in the years to come, as you put on paper some of your experiences and some of your musings." - President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Day 13 Day 14 & Day 15

2011-02-19T00:21:00.002-07:00

This Week
Ugh! This week was long and stressful and happy and fun all at the same time. Monday morning started off pretty normal. Julie brought the boys over for me to tend. My house was clean. I got up early so I was ready before the crazy day started. Well, Houston was sick and I met Julie at the doctors office and took the girls and Heber to McDonalds to wait. Turns out, Houston was much more sick than we were hoping and was sent right to the hospital. Heber stayed with us until Thursday night. It was a little stressful and crazy, but oh so worth it. I was glad to help. Wednesday night I cleaned the dance studio. Thursday I went to preschool with Jordyn. And today, according to Jordyn we went on a wonderful second date (to the mall to buy new earrings) and she was sad that Daddy missed out. Then, tonight Jason and I helped Terry (Jason's Dad) clean their rental.

What You Wore Today
Because I'm a day late, this seems much harder than it should be. Um, I wore jeans and a purple shirt with a black cardigan. Yep. That's all I remember.

Your First Kiss
My real first kiss was in eighth grade playing spin the bottle in Travis Allen's basement. ((Don't tell my parents.)) The first kiss that I count as my first kiss was in Florida one night when Noah kissed me. BUT, the most important first kiss was on Christmas Day 2005. You see, Jason and I started dating on December 2nd. I was so afraid to kiss him because I knew that would make our relationship "serious" and I wasn't sure if I was ready for that. Well, actually, I guess I knew that had something great, and we were destined to be together...and that scared me. A lot.

For Christmas I got Jason a new watch. Something else I can't remember. And some mistletoe. We were in the basement at the Hunter house and Jason went for it...and I stopped him. Yup! I totally set him up for failure. I was a BAD girlfriend. I was scared, remember? Well, Jason walked me to my car a little while after that and the rest is history. That means we kissed, a lot, in case you didn't know.

Houston Update

2011-02-16T14:21:00.002-07:00

It's seems like just a waiting game around here. Head on over to Jaymie's Blog to see what she wrote. We're so grateful for everyone who is remember baby Houston in their thoughts and prayers.

Our Weekend - And Other Important Stuff

2011-02-15T21:54:00.003-07:00

Friday night the girls and I went to IHOP with my sister Jaymie. It was lots of fun. I really needed to get out. The girls had so much fun. Especially when the balloon lady came by.After IHOP we went home and I cleaned my house. The girls fell asleep watching Dora.On Saturday night Jason took the girls and I on a date. For dinner we went to Wingers. In case you missed my story on facebook, dinner went like this:

Jordyn: "What is this place called?"

Jason: "Wingers."

Jordyn: "Oh. You're a boy and you have a winger...And Heber has a winger too."

Seriously. That's how it happened. No Joke!

After dinner we went to Color Me Mine. It was so much fun. The girls loved it.This is what I got when I said, "Come on Jord. Give me a real smile."After painting we went to Cold Stone at the University Mall. As soon as we left I remembered I was going to take pictures. Oops. Jordyn had strawberry with marshmallows and Tessa had cotton candy with something, sprinkles maybe.

Then, for the other important stuff....This handsome man is sick. Houston is in the hospital in Provo with RSV. We are so worried about him. So, all you blog readers out there, prayers for Houston. He needs them. His Mom and Dad need them.And while Houston has been away we've had a house guest. Heber has been sleeping over. He loves Jordyn. He sorta loves me. He kinda likes Tessa. And I'm not quite sure what he thinks about Jason yet.

Day 12 - What's In Your Bag

2011-02-15T20:34:00.005-07:00

I have these bags. Lots of them. And they are all tied neatly in the middle. Currently there is nothing in them, but soon enough each one will be filled with a very stinky diaper.

These are my extra diaper bags. They are empty.

This is my church bag. It is full of my primary stuff.

The striped bag is my temple bag and the white one has the DVD player that we take in the car sometimes.

This is my current diaper bag. It has wipes and diapers.

And this one. This is where all the good stuff is. I hope you're ready for this...

This is it. All the loot.

Side one: Jordyn's underwear, some napkins from IHOP, two things of dental floss, an umbrella, some singular for Tessa, insurance cards and immunization records, shout wipes, my keys, tic tacs, Viking cards - the kids ones, 5 dollars that someone put in my purse, hand sanitiser, a gum wrapper, and the start of the pens.

Side two: My camera bag, a sample of birth control, some envelops with coupons, some receipts, a coin purse thing, my planner, my wallet, two thumb drives, 3 pantyliners, and 16 pens.

Entertaining. Right?

Day 11 - Your Siblings

2011-02-15T19:49:00.003-07:00

Pictures of pictures. That's what you're getting today. You see, I don't know how to scan. BUT I did learn how to turn the flash off on my camera so there isn't a reflection anymore.

I am the oldest of 5 girls. My mom had all 5 of us in 5 years 6 months and 2 days. This is one of my favorite pictures. Sara, Kara, and Julie. I have no idea how old we are here.Here we all are. This was taken in December of 2007. Julie, Jaymie Leslie, Kara, and Sara. (I'm not going to tell you how old we are here.)
I'm pretty lucky to have such strong and beautiful sisters. Each one of them is kind and loving. I depend on them, more than they probably know. Plus, my daughters love them!

Day 10 - What You Wore Today

2011-02-14T21:46:00.003-07:00

Jeans, a peach colored tunic-y shirt with a white undershirt. A black belt. Flip flops. And underwear. Deodorant. Pearl earrings that Jason gave me for our very first Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope that Cupid's arrow struck a few hearts, turned a few heads, and made a few people happier today.

Day 09 - Your Beliefs

2011-02-14T21:10:00.002-07:00

Yesterday Jordyn had "testimony" in primary. We talked about it a lot during the week. We practiced a few times. I would ask her what her testimony was and she would tell me that she knows Jesus loves her. But other people don't. And she will tell them. Cute right?

The more I practiced with Jordyn the more I thought about what I believe. I'm grateful for her example of the Savior's love. I do know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that He loves me. I know that His true gospel is on the earth, and I know that it is lead by a Prophet of God. I know that Joseph Smith restored the true gospel and that he translated the Book of Mormon. I love that book. It changes me every time I read it, and I know it is true.

I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who created a plan that would give each of us the opportunity to be tested, to learn, to grow, and to one day return and live with Him if we are worthy. I'm so grateful that temples and families are a part of that plan. I know that I can be with my family forever and that knowledge is comforting and powerful. I know God lives. I know He loves us. I know, I really do.

Day 08 - My Moment

2011-02-11T13:49:00.003-07:00

A moment. I'm guessing this means I can pick whatever moment I want. The day we got married we had a great luncheon at the Lion House. Jason's sister, Nonie, made this awesome video for us. The first time I watched it I cried. Enjoy.

Yeah, it's kinda long. But worth it.

Favorite Holiday - Besides Christmas

2011-02-11T12:47:00.002-07:00

It's true. I love Christmas more. But Valentine's Day is my all time *second* favorite holiday. Did you know that Jason proposed on Valentine's Day? Yup. He did.

Jason swore he would never do such a thing on Valentine's Day. He hates all of the commercialism. I LOVE IT! My dilemma? Every year I get my hopes up for something, anything. I want a date with flowers, and a gift, and dinner, and some making out in the car afterwards. Every year I lie and pretend I don't want any of that stuff, all while secretly hoping that I'll be surprised.

I think I expect too much. I think.

This year, like every year, we're in tax season. ((TAX SEASON IS STUPID!)) Jason is busy. He really is. Tonight he is going on a camp out thing with the young men in our ward. Grrrr! I'm trying to pretend like I don't care, but I do. We don't see him that much around here. Tax season, remember?

Tomorrow night we're going on a Valentine's date as a family. The girls miss him as much as I do. Case in point: Tessa is sitting at my feet at this very moment crying for Daddy. So, family date it is.

But still, I'm hoping for flowers.

Day 07 - Your Best Friend

2011-02-10T22:04:00.004-07:00

Where do I even begin? I'm not sure how to even describe my feelings toward my best friend...who just so happens to be Mr. Jason Hunter. You see, I'm pretty sure Jason walked into my life, flipped it upside down, and set me on the straight and narrow.

This is my favorite picture from our wedding. Mistletoe. Get it?And when we left the wedding...look how happy and excited we were.Pleasant Grove Rodeo.
Spanish Fork Rodeo

Pretty much, I'm a lucky girl. Jason keeps me sane. Seriously. I'm not sure what I did to deserve him. So, why is he my best friend? He loves to play games with me, and sometimes he lets me win. He gets up with the girls in the night. Even when he just went to bed an hour earlier. When he gets up and goes in the kitchen he always asks if I want something. The other night when we went to the movies, he walked up behind me and put his arm around me. ((The butterflies were fluttering.)) He honors his Priesthood. He's a great dad. He works hard to take care of our family. He doesn't get mad at me when I want Bajio for dinner, even though is would be breaking the budget. Tonight I kissed him when he got home from work, the good kind of kiss, and I loved it!

Best friends are the best!

Day 06 - Your Day

2011-02-09T23:07:00.003-07:00

I woke up this morning at around 8:30, only because Tessa kept sticking her finger up my nose and saying "breakfast mama." After that we cleaned the house and I took a shower. Then the girls took a bath. At 11:00 we had some friends over. I went to high school with Kamille and she came over to learn all about couponing. The girls were uncharacteristically clingy. They were being brats about their toys - and they know better. After our visitors left we had lunch and then took a drive. I was hoping that the girls would fall asleep. We went to the post office and then the bank. Tessa finally fell asleep, two blocks from home. While Tessa napped I watch Veronica Mars on the Netflix and helped Jordyn put her Valentine's together for preschool tomorrow. We played toys, read a few books, cleaned up and went to the library. I dropped the girls off at my Mom's around 6:00 and went to my primary presidency meeting. I picked the girls up around 8:30. We came home, put on jammies, brushed our teeth, read some more books and fought about going to bed. Around 10:00 I gave up and got in bed with Tessa. Jason got home at 11:00 and woke me up. The girls were sleeping and I remembered I needed to write this post.

Day 05 - Your Definition Of Love

2011-02-08T23:51:00.003-07:00

I found this video on You Tube. It's not the original music video, just something someone put together. But, it's great. I remember listening to this song in my kitchen when I was a teenager. I LOVED it. I still do.

P.S. I've been corrected. My Mom sent me an email in response to my Day 03 - Your Parents. She asked, "How old are you anyway? ((28)) I'm pretty sure we've been married 30 years. Just saying." HA! Sorry Mom.

The Boys Are Back

2011-02-08T12:59:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was my first day watching Julie's kids. I will admit that I was very nervous. Four kids three and under. YIKES! But, the last two days have been pretty good. Yes. Tessa and Heber fight like crazy. Yes. Houston cries, and I forgot what it's like to take care of a baby. Yes. I've been showered in hugs and kisses.

Jordyn has been my little helper. She is great with Houston. She holds his binkie in. Bounces him. Sings. See the chairs. They got in all by themselves.Who knew my camera could do this? Not me. Just discovered it.

Heber loved his chicken nugget lunch.
I'm pretty sure Jordyn did this. So funny!

Day 04 - What You Ate Today

2011-02-07T22:09:00.001-07:00

Way too much.

Nothing Healthy.

Enough Said.

My Team Lost

2011-02-06T22:50:00.002-07:00

Technically I don't really have a team. I was only cheering for the Steelers because Jason was. Besides, I don't really like Green Bay. My Dad wore his Denver Broncos shirt, that shows how much he cared. Needless to say...We had a fun time.

See, look at these two monkeys. A. Great. Time. (Yes - There Was Cheese Wiz in that picture!)

Baby Houston. Isn't he cute!?!

Tessa loved the M&Ms and Grapes.

Heber LOVES football. He was having a great time. And Jordyn. She just loves showing off.

Day 03 - Your Parents

2011-02-06T22:06:00.002-07:00

My parents met on a blind date. My Dad wore bell bottoms and cowboy boots. My Mom fell in love, my Dad fell harder.

My Mom grew up in Spanish Fork, Utah. She misses it there, a lot I think. I should move there just so she could come and visit. My Mom's Mom had rheumatoid arthritis and was pretty sick most of her life. I watched my Mom take care of her, and after she passed away, I watched my her take care of my Grandpa. (He died of Lung Cancer a couple weeks before Jason and I got married.) My Mom is awesome.

My Dad grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah. My Grandma made him wear brown correction shoes while he marched in the high school band...everyone else wore white. He's a hard worker. He is also, like my Mom, a great example of service. He took care of my Grandma before she died and he takes care of my Grandpa now. I know it's hard for him. But he loves them. My Dad is da bomb.

Together they have been married for 25 years. They are great parents/grandparents. They love all of us. Would do anything for us. Are always taking care of us. Today, Jordyn wanted to take some papers she colored to "show my family" and Jason said, "I'm your family, show me." She told him that she wanted to "show my family that really loves me." She's right. She knows that her grandparents love her!

Day 02 - Your First Love

2011-02-05T23:52:00.004-07:00

Well, that is a long story. I'll try to keep it short. Noah moved to Utah from Florida our senior year of high school. I think he hated it here. We started hanging out. After we graduated we went to Florida on a vacation. Just us. Yes, my parents let me go. No, I have no idea why. Florida = First Kiss. ((What were my parents thinking?))

After that we were "hanging out". The difference between hanging out and "hanging out" is kissing. I really really liked him. So, he left on a mission and then I left. We wrote the entire time. We wrote about dating and marriage. We sent tapes and packages. I'm pretty sure I only survived those 18 months because of him. We said "I love you" which was probably super illegal on the mish. So, there you have it. I loved him.

I came home and then he came home. I was dating someone else. (Looooonnnngggg story there.) We broke up. Noah and I started dating, or something. I met up with Jason and we started dating. Noah wanted more time, I think, and I didn't. I chose Jason.

The End.

Day 01 - Introduce Yourself

2011-02-04T23:30:00.003-07:00

Technically this is still Day 1, but I only have 28 minutes. It's been a long day. You see, Fridays at my house is cleaning day. Plus tonight I did the ironing. 18 shirts later, I'm ready to tell you all about myself.

I was born in Payson, only because that's where my Mom's doctor was. They brought me home to Pleasant Grove and that is pretty much where I've stayed. In high school I loved singing and FBLA. I served a mission in Argentina. I met Jason at Blockbuster (more on that later) and we got married on 06-06-06. Seriously.

I like chocolate, movies, and those bean bag things you heat up in the microwave. I love my family, the gospel, a clean house, sleeping in, chicken and rice that my Mom makes, and hanging out with grownups. (Barbies and Barney don't quite do it for me.) I hate ironing (thus the 18 shirts) cooking, because it never turns out, and when people stop right in front of me when I'm walking.

Hobbies: I love to blog. I'd like to think I can write, but mostly I just amuse myself with all of my ramblings. I enjoy reading, especially cheesy "mormon" books. I used to like to scrapbook, but I don't like getting all of my stuff out. I like playing games...Ticket to Ride, anything on the Wii, cards, you know...games. Oh, and who could forget couponing?

Bad Habits: I'm obsessively organized. I probably watch too much TV. I yell at my kids, way too much. Sometimes I run my dishwasher when it's not full just so all of the dishes will be clean. I count the toys when I'm putting them away. That way I know if any are missing. When I drive from my house to my Mom's I don't usually buckle my kids. (I know - TERRIBLE mother.)

Secret Obsessions: Dawson's Creek. Taco Amigo bean burritos dipped in fry sauce. Red Lobster. Spending money on other people. The clearance table at Seagull Book. (I guess they're not a secret anymore.)

Okay. There you have it. Me in a post.

Blog Challenge

2011-02-04T12:06:00.003-07:00

In my quest to find something to blog about, Rachel suggest a blog challenge that she is doing. I thought I'd give it a try. Play along if you want.

Day 01 - Introduce Yourself
Day 02 - Your First Love
Day 03 - Your Parents
Day 04 - What You Ate Today
Day 05 - Your Definition Of Love
Day 06 - Your Day
Day 07 - Your Best Friend
Day 08 - A Moment
Day 09 - Your Beliefs
Day 10 - What You Wore Today
Day 11 - Your Siblings
Day 12 - What's In Your Bag
Day 13 - This Week
Day 14 - What You Wore Today
Day 15 - Your First Kiss
Day 16 - Your Dreams
Day 17 - Your Favorite Birthday
Day 18 - Your Favorite Memory
Day 19 - Something You Regret
Day 20 - This Month
Day 21 - Another Moment
Day 22 - Something That Upsets You
Day 23 - Something That Makes You Feel Better
Day 24 - Something That Makes You Cry
Day 25 - A First
Day 26 - Your Fears
Day 27 - Your Favorite Place
Day 28 - Something That You Miss
Day 29 - Your Aspirations
Day 30 - One Last Moment

Okay, now that I just read all of the things I'm feeling a little nervous. Might make for some interesting reading, or really boring.

Reasons To Blog

2011-02-03T17:13:00.002-07:00

I've been thinking hard. I've been looking everywhere. I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons to blog. So... here are some pictures to look at. On YouTube I search "hair braiding" and I learned how to do this.

Went to Smith's again today. I spent $43.35 and saved $76.17. The toothpaste was $0.23 each, the Dove Deodorant was FREE and the butter was $0.69 each. AWESOME! Plus, I transferred two prescriptions and received $50 in free groceries.

Tonight we're going to the ward basketball game. Maybe I'll take pictures and blog about that.

Come on... Somebody ask me something. I'll be honest. I need something to blog about.

It's Been Awhile

2011-01-27T16:44:00.003-07:00

Ah the thrill of a nice trip to the grocery store. The last few months we've been using what we had and not really stocking up on anything. But today, oh the joy! I know, I'm a dork. But who would pass up Finish dishwasher soap for $0.74 a box! My total was around $127 before store discounts and coupons. I ended up spending around $43. (That's like $0.83 per item.)

Jason will be so happy when he finds the white chocolate Flipz and the Sobe, I'm happy about the paper plates and dressings, and the girls were SUPER excited about the Goldfish Crackers.

Happy Shopping! On my side bar there is a link to Grocery Smarts. A lot of the deals were great even without coupons. Oh, I went to Smiths. You'd need to know that. Duh!