Life in the Woodshed

We've Moved

2011-01-17T19:55:00.002-07:00

The Sickies

2010-09-09T14:50:00.000-06:00

We've been hit with the sickness this week. Our sickness? 3 strep and 1 almost bronchitis. Let's just say not much around the house has gotten done. Kids were feeling great & I thought I was too yesterday so we went to the fair. Today is a different story. I'm exhausted and I've got a ton of homework to do.

Campus Observations

2010-08-31T20:41:00.000-06:00

#1 - Most people are rather polite. People hold doors open for one another all the time. And I haven't heard all that much profanity. In fact I've heard more at Sportsman's in 1 day than I have the entire time I've been on campus so far.

#2 - Not everyone is as excited about their schooling as I am. LOL I'm sure that will wear off, but I kind of hope it doesn't.

#3 - As the day goes on the hill on campus gets steeper. LOL

4 Years Ago

2010-08-30T00:25:00.000-06:00

Can you believe that 4 years ago this beautiful girl was born? I can't. She's amazing!! Funny, charming, caring, a bit rebellious, and cute to boot. We celebrated tonight with Grandma & Grandpa McKinnon and the aunts & uncles. Boy did she have fun!

Birthday Dinner Menu:

HM Chicken Nuggets

Fried Red Potatoes

Carrot Sticks

Olives

Grape-Cherry 7up Jello

Milk

Cake & Ice Cream, duh!!

Happy Birthday Myelle!!

I love you!!

Thanks Christine for the awesome cake!! You did a great job
& Myelle loved it!

Oh Boy Birthday Dinner with the special birthday plate!

First Week

2010-08-27T19:10:00.000-06:00

Classes started this week at ISU. I go on Tuesdays & Thursdays this semester. I'm loving it. Loving being on campus & learning in my classes. I feel like I'm no longer stagnant; that I'm headed in some kind of direction and that makes me happy. It's also motivated me to work harder at home since I have less time at home.

Favorite things: Marching Band, watching my kids' excitement to ride the bus, class discussion & lecture(I hate textbook reading :P) and of course my awesome hubby and all his support through this

The kids started school this week too. :D While I'm in class they get to be in ISU's Early Learning Center. They are loving it & had a good first week also. They seem so grown up as they grin when I pick them up & they want to tell me about their days. Even Ben just chatters away telling me about his day. LOL Wish I had a translator.

I sure wish I had my camera to take our picture on the First Day of School.

Like A Refreshing Rain

2010-08-23T01:59:00.001-06:00

If you live in Southeast Idaho you couldn't miss the smoke covering the valley. Hazy, dirty, smoky. Then in the afternoon the clouds opened & it downpoured. The rain cleared away all that filthiness. The air was fresh, crisp, & clean. Everything was brighter and bolder. The grass was greener, the sky was bluer, the grain fields were more golden. Life was good & beautiful. It was a fitting scene for a Sunday and I couldn't help but think of how going to church & taking the sacrament is like a refreshing rain. The grit and garbage that we're exposed to everyday is washed away. I haven't been able to make it to church very often lately because I've been working so much on Sundays. I'll be so glad when I'll be able to quit working Sundays & go to church for that weekly refresher. Life will be bolder, brighter, & more beautiful and that feeling of all that will carry me through the week. Until then I'll try to make the best of it and remember my prayers & scriptures and soon my life will be refreshed like after a good rainstorm.

Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig

2010-08-20T20:30:00.000-06:00

After an awesome week at Grandma Wood's house Myelle is glad to be home...I think. :) A week filled with fishing, cows, rabbits, the fair, & the rodeo I don't think she wanted to come home. LOL She did miss her little brother though & he missed her. I wish I had the camera to take a picture of her trying to hug & kiss him when we met them at the mall.

I will miss the peace & quiet. Myelle's already mothering him & bossing him around which makes him mad. Ben can't talk a lot & when he's mad or wants something he just screeches. He gets mad at Myelle a lot and he always wants whatever Myelle has. Thus lots of screeching ensues. And they both get a big kick out of teasing the other. Oh those kids might be the death of me!

It's Been Such a Long Time...........

2010-08-19T22:28:00.000-06:00

I think I should start bloggin' again!

Quick update for all of us:

Bentley- will be 18months next month. He's a chunker & learning to talk. Favorite words right now: football, touchdown, clock, momma, dadda.

Myelle- will be 4 next week. She's a little teenager sometimes. LOL Her favorite things are helping around the house, being the mom to her dollies, and bossing Bentley around. She says the funniest things sometimes. Still to come are many Myelle quotes.

Erick-still working at Walgreen's as a Pharmacy Technician. School plans are in the works for him next fall working towards being a "Certified Drug Dealer" AKA Pharmacist. He's been doing some beautiful woodworking for his mom. Pictures to come when it's all finished.

Me- I've been working FT at Sportsman's Warehouse all summer & now in 5 days I'll start classes at ISU again. Pretty excited about that!! I think I've finally figured out what I want to do. Now I just need to meet with my advisor to see if they'll let me do it.

That's us in a nutshell....more to come.

Things I Didn't Expect as a Mom

2010-02-04T16:08:00.004-07:00

1. I am a human kleenex.

2. My kids would love baths so much I'd let them have one almost everyday to play.

3. How important having a doctor that is good with kids is.

4. Suckers can make anything better.

Settling In

2010-01-27T18:52:00.002-07:00

Well folks we're all moved in to our new apartment. I have to say that we absolutely L.O.V.E. it!! Still haven't found my camera in the mess of things, but I will soon. I've gotten a lot unpacked already.

The kids are still adjusting, but rather quickly I might add. Myelle keeps telling me "I like our new apartment."

Tomorrow's the Day!

2010-01-22T11:35:00.002-07:00

We'll be moving. Yay!! We're finishing up the packing today. (In fact I should be packing right now rather than blogging, but here I am.)

Thanks to Rachel H. for coming & helping me pack for so long yesterday! I wouldn't be this close to being ready without you.

Pics of our new apartment coming soon.

Giveaway at A Few Good Things

2010-01-20T09:32:00.002-07:00

My friend Jessica is having a giveaway on her blog. Check it out & enter here. I'm a bit jealous of the craftiness. Good luck to you all, but secretly I hope I win. ;)

You Know You're a Band Geek...

2010-01-18T21:38:00.002-07:00

When a great song comes on & instead of singing along with the words you sing the part you played in your marching band show. :D

Blaring trumpet solo to ensue. Wah wah wah wah.......

6 Days & Counting

2010-01-17T20:58:00.002-07:00

Only six more days until we move. I'll be packing like crazy this week. We sign our lease on Wednesday & can start moving in. I'm going to move a few boxes before, but the big move is on Saturday. I want to thank in advance all the family & friends that are helping us move. You guys are the best!

Just as We Were Getting Caught Up

2010-01-16T22:58:00.003-07:00

We got another medical bill. It seems like that happens every time. It's depressing. At first I was mad that Erick had to go into the ER & be admitted to the hospital. But after a bit I realized it was the best thing for him & it wasn't his fault. (Sorry Honey I can be so wraunchy sometimes...I know I'm working on it.)

Now I'm just stressed. And so I eat. More than should be humanly possible. When it hurts...I stop & sleep. Things will look better in the morning.

This too shall pass.

*****

And I love my mom. She is the greatest. Today she came & picked up my kids at the drop of a hat so I could go to the hospital with Erick. And when I got home I found she had done my dishes, vacuumed & cleaned out my fridge. Thanks Mom!! (If I knew how to do the heart symbol I'd insert one here) You are the greatest!

Yahoo!....Goals

2010-01-15T21:39:00.003-07:00

I got the player off my blog. :) My internet must have been having issues when I tried before. Yippee!

******

One of my goals this year is to be a better housekeeper. I don't mind tidying up or vacuuming or even doing laundry. However, I absolutely hate doing dishes. Hooray for the dishwasher we are going to have in our new apartment! I now set a goal to unload the dishwasher as soon as it's done & load my dirty dishes right into it.

What's your least favorite chore?

Help!

2010-01-14T22:21:00.003-07:00

I keep trying to remove my music player off my blog & it won't let me. Any tips, suggestions, how to's? Thanks in advance!

Back Up & Running

2010-01-14T17:00:00.004-07:00

We have a fully functional keyboard & fully functional screen again! Hooray!!

As a quick update:

We are moving. Erick got a job as a Pharmacy Tech at Walgreen's in Blackfoot. We were going to try to stay in Idaho Falls because it wasn't that far of a commute (30-45min depending on the weather) & we love our ward. But we found much cheaper housing in Blackfoot. 7 days & counting until we sign the lease.

2009-09-24T12:57:00.005-06:00

Myelle loves to watch movies. I try not to let her watch them very often, but this week we've been sick so we've just stayed home & vegged. We've been watching lots of movies. We watch the usual PBS stuff in the morning then choose from a plethora of DVDs to watch. Her favorite right now:

Enchanted or "Princess" as Mye calls it. She's really big into princesses right now. I'm pretty sure we've watched this at least once a day for the past couple weeks.

What she's watching right now:

It cracks me up that she loves this movie! She likes it for the singing & dancing. She'll get up & dance to it.

An Old Pic

2009-09-20T11:43:00.002-06:00

Aww. Look at my cute little girl that isn't so little anymore. I think she was about 18months here. She's 3 now.

Sparse Posting

2009-09-15T11:15:00.004-06:00

Hello all! I haven't forgotten my blog. My "n" key does not work so I have to copy & paste everytime I want to use an "n." Makes for a really long process to post anything. I have had lots of things to post & I will get to them sometime. Hopefully sooner than later. In the meantime, have a wonderful autumn!

Hard Thing of the Day

2009-09-04T19:14:00.003-06:00

I had to do a very hard for me thing today.

No it wasn't dealing with a screaming teething baby.

It wasn't potty training my 3 year old.

It wasn't being at home all day long by myself while my hubby was working extra temporarily.

It wasn't finding the motivation to do my housework.

It wasn't going in to pay rent not knowing whether or not we'll be able to make rent next month.

It wasn't figuring out which bills are absolutely necessary to pay & which ones will get skipped.

No, it wasn't any of those things that seem like they'd be hard.

It was having to tell my daughter that "No, we couldn't get an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck this time." And when she asked "Why?" Telling her "Because we don't have the money to buy that ice cream."

You see one of the joys of living in the city is that during the summer the ice cream truck comes. It's only come to our neighborhood 3 other times (that we know of) and I've always let M pick one of the $1 ice cream treats for a special treat. This time as the truck's music announced its arrival my heart dropped. I knew I would have to say no to most likely the last visit of the year.

The look of disappointment on her face broke my heart and brought me to tears. I think it would have been easier had she thrown a tantrum or made a big scene. I was actually expecting her to do that. However, she merely said "Okay," and then went off to play some more while the neighbor kids ate their ice creams. She acted quite "grown-up" and it kind of made me sad, yet very proud of my big little girl.

Edited to Add: BTW...I totally think that M not getting an ice cream is a good thing. There needs to be times when she doesn't get what she wants and I know that's good for her. It just isn't easy to see your kids disappointed no matter how good it is for them.

Homework: Dear Friend

2009-09-04T01:06:00.003-06:00

My awesome friend Jessica turned me on to this wonderful lady & her blog. You can join TravelinOma for class too. It's free!! Anyway this is my first assignment of the many I hope to complete.

(BTW I'm not sure how to put & link pictures from another site yet so I just hyperlinked the words. Soon I will be able to do pics too. :D )

Dear Friend,

I know you are worried about your husband's recent layoff at work. Knowing you like I do, I'm sure you feel upset, stressed, confused, and scared, but I trust your instincts. You seem so resilient that I'm sure you can bounce back from this difficult time with more spring in your step than ever. You've never given up on anything yet so why start now? If you put your mind to it you can do anything, including this.

You are doing the right things in turning to the Lord for comfort and answers. Try to cut your husband a little slack while he sorts through his own feelings of frustration. As his wife it is not your job to fix it for him, but to stand by him through it all as he finds a way to get things done. You will both learn and grow much more if you trust in the Lord and let each other fulfill the roles you were meant for.

Remember the Lord loves you, as do your family and friends. This too shall pass.

Always,

Your Friend

Feeling Blessed

2009-09-02T11:54:00.002-06:00

My house may not be very tidy or very big. There is always some chore that needs doing. A batch of laundry needing taken care of. A hurt feeling or owie needing attended to. A crying baby that wants fed/held/rocked to sleep. There's meals to be cooked. Shopping to do. Clothes to be mended. Feelings of inadequacy & imperfection often creep up about being a good mom, wife, friend, person. It's a scary time of our lives right now filled with worry & uncertainty. How do we know that we're doing what we're supposed to? How will we make it through?

I turned to prayer & the scriptures for comfort & answers. In doing so my faith has grown & I've been able to buoy up my husband & comfort him while he struggles with feelings of frustration at the situation that's been thrust upon us. I found I can be there to support & love him no.matter.what. And that that is all I need to do...what I'm supposed to be doing.

After a night of tossing & turning with worry & stress I woke up this morning & was enjoying the quiet this morning before my kids woke up. I found myself caught up in my thoughts. Next thing I know I'm tearing up. Not because I was sad, but because I was feeling so blessed. At a time of such uncertainty in our lives right now I was overwhelmed with the knowledge of how much the Savior loves me & my family.

We are buoyed up by friends, family, & members of the ward. I feel inspired by the many wonderful people I have association with. Whether they be from high school, college, or anytime after that I am grateful for them & their wise words & inspiring stories. I am grateful that they are willing to share with those around them. They have become my network of support even though they may not know it.

I have a wonderful little family that is sealed together for eternity. I am blessed with a loving hard working husband, who strives to live righteously & lead our family in good. Who provides as only a father can. Who wants me to stay home with the kids no matter how tight things are because he knows that's where I want to be & where the Lord wants me to be & will stick up for me & that decision when anyone criticizes it. Who loves me for me no matter what. Who doesn't mind if the house is a little messy. Who thinks I'm a great mom especially when I don't feel like it. Who understands I can't do it all. Who is my best friend in the world.

I have two great kids that may drive me batty at times, but I know they love me unconditionally even for my imperfections. Those precious moments we share when they cuddle up to me or when only "Mommy" can make it all better. When B looks at me with those big blue eyes that say it all..."Thanks for feeding me...Thanks for holding me...Thanks for being my mommy.....Thanks for loving me."

I truly am blessed with the things that matter.

2009-08-22T00:33:00.003-06:00

Dontcha just wanna squeeze his little cheeks? I do and I do constantly do it. :) Poor kid. He's growing up too fast though.

And yes he does look EXACTLY like his dad. Crazy.

Love the hair too.

Just a Hi!

2009-08-17T23:31:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let ya'll know I'm still here. Still alive and kicking. I'm finally caught up on everything! YAY!! It's amazing how dirty your house can get when you're always going, going, going. But it's all done and Mom came and helped me organize. Thank you Mom!! Now that summer is winding down we'll be home a lot more and things won't get so bad again. :)

Picture to make you smile.

My Newly Organized Bedroom

2009-08-10T00:43:00.001-06:00

Before: Yes, sadly, I really did let my room get this messy.

After: Lots better! I absolutely love it. And I love the dresser Erick made for me. All it needs is the drawers, but I can still use it until those are done.

Just Me and the Baby for a Couple Days

2009-08-07T02:09:00.002-06:00

Erick's mom took Myelle to stay with her for the weekend before she starts back to school. I'm going to miss that little bundle of fun, but I'm super excited to clean (and I mean deep clean) my house and have no one but me to mess it up! I'm planning to rearrange both the kitchen and my bedroom and finally do a deep scrub of the bathroom ( I didn't know tubs could get so dirty so fast!).

Erick is leaving on Saturday after I get off work to go backpacking with my bros, Dad, Kee, and a couple other people I don't know who they are. Those of us staying home are gearing up for a Girl's Night Out on Saturday. I'm looking forward to that.

Before she left today Colleen (Erick's mom) took us out to lunch and to the store to buy my birthday present. She got me a double stroller so I can take both kids on walks with me, allowing me to get out of the house more easily while Erick's out of town. Or just during the day too instead of waiting until night time. Thank you Colleen!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!

Longest Errand Day Ever!

2009-08-06T11:31:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I had a ton of errands I needed to do and there was no getting around them. So we got all prepped and headed into town. First stop Sportman's to pick up a mess kit for Erick for his backpacking trip. Chatted a bit there with Bethanie, Nicole, and Andy.

Next stop was Rosemark for some samples of a medication.

After that it was off to Smith's to fill my BP prescription and pick up a few groceries. They had some great deals! On the first trip I picked up some bread and cereal. I'll post the prices below. My prescription was going to take like 45 minutes to fill so we went off to Winco for some fresh fruit and a couple other things.

Then it was back to Smith's for my meds and a few other good deals.

Next we headed to Napa Auto Parts for some high-temp silicone so Erick could fix the Jetta. Which he did last night! Go Hunny! I can't say enough about the service at Napa! I was in and out within 5 minutes because they were so helpful!

Next was Idaho Steel to pick up our oil pan. Jay did an excellent job welding a patch on it and reinforcing it with a skid plate. Thanks Jay!! And for only $44.52! Wooot!!

We hurried off to D&L Cleaners to pick up a blanket and sleeping bag I forgot I had taken there.

Last stop before we went to pick up Erick was Walmart. By the time I hit Walmart I was in a daze. I think I wandered down the frozen foods aisle like 6 times before I found (remembered) what I was looking for! LOL

The kids did awesome! Especially for how hot it was. Myelle took a quick nap in the carseat in between a couple stores and Bentley slept on and off. I had to nurse him in between each stop it seemed like so that took a lot longer, but at least he was happy and I got everything done. Now to clean up and get stuff put away that didn't get put away last night.

Great deals:

Smith's

2 pack whole chicken $.79/lb

Instant oatmeal - $1.88 (for Erick's trip)

Puff's Tissues - $1.69/box, buy 4 and get $4 off instantly, ended up being $.69/box! (I'm most excited about that one)

Turkey Breast - $.99/lb

Post Cereals - $1.88/box

Granny's Pride Bread - $1/loaf

Goldfish crackers (regular sized bag) - $.99/ea

Twinkies - 2/$4 plus a $.50 off coupon = $1.50/box

Winco

Grapes - $.99/lb

That is probably the last time I do errands like that with 2 small children in tow for a very, very long time!

My Perfect Date

2009-08-04T23:09:00.002-06:00

My friend Jessica (Yes, she is awesome and I talk about her a lot. :D) is very inspirational. On her blog she posted a "Write Now Prompt." I haven't written anything from a prompt since I was in college, but here goes. ;)

My perfect date would be up in the mountains with lots of pine trees. It'd be just about dusk and the fire would be going in the firepit. My hubby and I would scootch our chairs close together and enjoy the still night air. Listening to the sounds of the wildlife going to bed or just waking up for the night. The night air would get cooler as it slowly faded to black and the stars twinkle to life like far away street lamps. We'd talk about our past memories and our future hopes and dreams. As the glow of the fire slowly grew dimmer we'd go off to our tent and snuggle down close to each other in the warm sleeping bags and drift off to sleep.

Scentsy Giveaway

2009-08-03T09:42:00.003-06:00

My friend Jessica is having a Scentsy Giveaway on her blog. Enter to win here. I L.O.V.E. Scentsy! I just wish I could afford it all. LOL I'm crossing my fingers hoping I win. :D It'd be the perfect birthday present to myself. ;)

Complete and Honest Gotta-Get-it-off-My-Chest Vent Post

2009-08-02T23:23:00.005-06:00

You know...I used to be a very positive person. I still am a positive person, but it takes a lot more work. I try to remember that there are so many other people worse off than me and majority of the time that's all it takes to pull me out of a funk. As our trials pile up this year though I feel trapped underneath and my soul yearns to feel joy again. It's been a bit of a rough summer. Don't get me wrong it's been a fantastic one with lots of happy memories being made and lots of friends, family, and traveling. But all the same it's also been a bit of a rough one. Some of which I will vent....the rest I don't really want to talk about.

Erick has been gone to Jackson a lot for work. He's been gone a lot before, but this year I've got 2 kids to handle on my own. It's amazing how big of a relief it is to have my husband come home even at a late hour. I didn't realize it until he's been gone. I honestly don't know how I could do without him for very long. I can't even imagine how my friends that have husbands in the military do it. My hat goes off to you ladies.

Money is tight. Like super tight. So tight that we went on government assistance so we could buy food. Boy is that hard. We won't be on it long...just long enough to get back on our feet, but there are so many people that are judgemental when you go to the grocery store. Cashiers are rude, people stare (or at least it feels that way) and I am wracked with guilt that we can't provide for ourselves. Then I have to tell myself (and have Mom tell me too) that it's okay to get help. We have an unusally high amount of medical bills for people our age (I have to remind myself of that too). That comes with the territory of Erick's Crohn's disease. One day we will be out from under the bondage of debt, but it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you're just at the beginning of it.

Coming back from a pregnancy is tough physically and emotionally. Even though Bentley is sleeping through the night now I still don't seem to have the energy I need to make it through the day. I do have PPD and am currently on meds for it, but I still feel like I'm missing something. I can't seem to lose the baby weight or any weight at all really. I'd really love to go running, but with Erick gone I don't exactly have anyone to watch the kids while I go. My jogging stroller is broken at the moment and it isn't exactly made for 2.

I feel like I'm failing as a mother. Myelle is whiny and crying all the time. She's not very confident of herself and wants me to do every little thing for her (even though she used to do it by herself all the time!). It seems like every little thing is a struggle and I'm picking my battles! I can hardly get her to eat anything close to healthy (milk and cheese is about it), she doesn't listen very well (I know 2 year olds don't listen very well but she seems extreme), and I hate to even think about bedtime. It's always 10pm or later when she finally goes to sleep whether she had a nap or not. I wake her up at 8am and she usually has a 2 hour nap around noon to one. I am at my wits end! I want to scream, yell, cry, tear my hair out, break things (not my children though, always inanimate objects. Had to throw that in there so no one feels they need to call CPS). I can't seem to keep the house clean. Laundry doesn't get done as often as it needs and dishes pile up until we don't have anymore clean ones, I'm lucky if I even get a shower or to do my hair. *Sigh* I love my family and my children dearly, but I need help. I can't do it on my own.

Now that being said I feel lots better. Tomorrow is a brand new day! I just have a few things to jot down in my handwritten journal and scriptures to read before I can drift off into a short but blissful sleep.

Thank you for listening.

We Finally Got It!!

2009-07-31T01:11:00.003-06:00

Woot! We finally got Bentley laughing on video! It was the funniest thing because I didn't have to say anything at first. I could just look at him and he started laughing his head off. I love it!

Enjoy the video...it'll make you smile.

Oh and I'm almost done rearranging and organizing the Living Room. Pics and post to come soon.

Mom just updated her cooking blog. Check out her recipe for amazing freezer jam here. I'm also now a co-author for that blog and can't wait to share some of my experiments in the kitchen.

P.S. you'll want to pause the music player at the bottom of the screen before you watch.

Refreshing Rearranging

2009-07-25T22:35:00.008-06:00

I don't think I have many quirks, but I do have one that I will admit to....I L.O.V.E. to rearrange my house. Not just once, but over and over again. Rearranging, reorganizing, redecorating. Growing up I used to rearrange my bedroom just about every other month. I get a thrill out of getting the most space out of a little room and making it feel big! I love how a new look for a room gives you a refreshed feeling.

Lately I've been feeling a bit down about having to rent an apartment rather than being able to buy a house right now. Things were just feeling chaotic and old. I needed to be refreshed so I've started a complete rearranging rampage (there's some alliteration for ya!) on my apartment. First up was the kids bedroom.

Before

After

These pics don't nearly do it justice, but it feels oh so much better!! Next is the kitchen or living room....haven't decided yet.

Naptime

2009-07-23T15:14:00.003-06:00

You never can really understand the blissfulness of naptime until you have kids. That one or two and sometimes three hours in the afternoon while they are sleeping is just what my soul (and my patience) needs to make it through the rest of the day. We've gotten into a better schedule nothing interferes with naptime. LOL Peaceful, quiet moments when I don't have to hear whining or crying (not that my kids do that all the time, but a good chunk right now. Tis the stages their in) and I can scramble to get all my housestuff done uninterrupted. Dishes, showering, and a bit of computer time until they wake up. Ahhhh sweet bliss!

Sunburns

2009-07-20T14:06:00.004-06:00

The other day I told my mom that "Sunburns are like pregnancy...you forget how bad it hurts until you're going through it." Such is what I experienced when we went to Bear Lake this weekend. I shamefully didn't put enough sunscreen on and then spent a solid 2 hours in the water. Needless to say I am a very crispy critter with blisters all over my shoulders. I haven't been burned this bad in...well I haven't ever been burned this bad, but I have been burned bad enough that I vowed I would never go into the sun without 60 SPF again. Well again and again I learn my lesson and recommit to that vow. This weekend was one of those renewing ones and I will pay the price this time as I vow I won't go into the sun that long without lots and lots of 60+ sunscreen.

A Bit of Camping

2009-07-14T10:08:00.007-06:00

Got in from camping last night at 10:30. We're all in one piece....well except for the car. We ripped a hole in the bottom of the oil pan whilst driving on some of the forest roads. It should be an easy fix. Erick thinks he can do it himself. Mom and Dad had to come out and rescue us. Ah memories.

We got up to Timber Creek Thursday night around 7. Just slightly (note the sarcasm) later than we were planning. LOL We just couldn't seem to make it out of town. Brett and Brianna made good time and made it up there by 9pm. When I paid the fee I accidentally counted the days were staying instead of the nights so I donated a little bit to the forest service. You're welcome Challis National Forest. LOL

We had a great time! Full of fishing, hiking, cooking and eating good food, worries about bears and wolves. Awesome neighbors that brought us firewood. Lots of bumps, scrapes, bruises, sunburns, windburns, and tons of mosquito bites. The week was filled with lots of laughs and only a little bit of grumpiness because I didn't get enough sleep. LOL (Next time Myelle is sleeping in her own sleeping bag instead of with me, Erick and Bentley.)

Now I'm off to figure out how to get down to the family reunion in a couple days. Here's some pics to get you by until I return. Have a great week!

Myelle in her power stance playing catch.

Fishing with her Scooby pole.

Bentley and Dad on the huge rock.

Myelle felt the need to sweep the ground. It sure was dirty.

Brett and his fish.

Where did we find these crazy people?

Like Uncle...Like Nephew? They both love the river.

Wolf Tracks

Our Rescuers

Mom's Cooking Blog

2009-07-08T19:20:00.003-06:00

My mom is a fabulous cook. I didn't learn nearly as much as I should have from her when I was living at home, but thankfully we live close enough I can learn much more from her. She's started a blog to post all of her old favorites and some of her new experiments. She even said I could occasionally chip in my adventures in the kitchen. Check it out here.

******

I've been trying not to spend as much time on the computer (Yes I am an internet junkie) thus the sparse posting. This will continue as the next few weeks are crazy busy! Camping this week in Sawmill Canyon(Thursday-Monday)...2 days to unpack and repack for the McKinnon Family Reunion in Bear Lake (Thursday-Saturday).....That leaves Sunday for church (Hallelujah! I will have missed it the past couple weeks) and Monday or getting ready or my 2nd annual throwing camp (Tuesday-Thursday) just before Pioneer Day. I will try to post in between all this. No promises though.

******

Bentley has started to giggle and laugh. I have yet to get it on camera because he stops as soon as I whip the camera out. He's too interested in that. And actually our camera has been missing for the past 3 weeks. Thanks Kee for letting us borrow one of yours.

Bentley has also been sleeping through the night for about a month now. He usually sleeps a minimum of 5 hours a night. Yay for sleep!! I'm a much nicer person when I'm not tired.

My Boy is a Thumbsucker

2009-06-24T19:52:00.003-06:00

He makes me chuckle. Myelle did not like to suck her thumb at all, but Bentley is always sucking on his thumb. In fact he gets really mad when "someone" takes it away. LOL

Love This Girl....Keeley Marie

2009-06-03T21:53:00.004-06:00

She's amazing! One of the most talented people I know....she inspires me.

Her musical abilities blow me out of the water. I am impressed with every new composition she writes on the piano.

I wish I could run like she can.

She's beautiful.

She's one of the most spiritual people I know. Her example makes me want to be better. I haven't seen many people as close to the Lord as she is.

She's ambitious. This girl is going to go places.

She's smart and funny.

She's kind even though she thinks she's not.

I consider her one of my best friends.

Hopefully I'll get to spend a lot of time with her before she goes off to USU in August.

Kee I know I told you this at graduation, but I love you. You're one of the best sisters anyone could ask for.

P.S. My computer's being dumb. I'll add pics later.

Bentley Pics

2009-06-02T13:08:00.006-06:00

I was realizing I hadn't posted any pics of Bentley yet. This is probably one of my favorites.

Grandma Wood

Busy Busy Busy

2009-06-01T14:24:00.002-06:00

Life has been crazy the last month. We've been going going going it seems like and the summer is going to fly by. Here's what we've been up to the last month.

Bentley's blessing
District track in West J
Mother's Day in Firth
State Track in Boise
Cole and Jay's dance recital
Kee's graduation
Bolander Fam Reunion
Memorial Day family fishing trip to Island Park
Family camping trip to Stoddard Creek
Sunday drive to Big Springs to feed the big fishies
Bentley's 2 month bday

In between all that we've been doing lots of laundry and as much housework as possible. I've also started back to work a few hours a week. We've got a couple more camping trips being planned and lots of other fun summer activities.

Adjusting.....more to update soon.

2009-05-07T12:01:00.002-06:00

As you can see I haven't posted for awhile. We're adjusting to having 2 kids now. Yep for those of you didn't know I had Bentley on March 30. I'll come back and do a full update when my hands aren't quite so full.

4 weeks and counting

2009-03-16T14:12:00.002-06:00

Only 4 more weeks to go! Of course I think that this is going to be the longest week ever since my little girl is hanging with Grandma Wood. I'm so glad that she gets to go spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Wood, but I'm gonna miss her sooo much. Mye I hope you have a blast! And thanks to Grandma Wood for helping clean the house before you left. :)

Spring...Please come soon

2009-03-13T00:49:00.002-06:00

So you would think with all this down time I'd be able to keep up on my blog. LOL That's a good one. :D I'm trying. Honest I am. Today was probably one of the warmer days we've had for awhile and Myelle wanted to go outside. Erick was home today so he took her out for a bit. Not even 5 minutes before her nose was bright red and she was cold.
They also tried to go to the park and play on the slide, but there is construction on the playground. Myelle was quite a trooper about not getting to slide though and hopefully it will make for more fun in the months to come.

Had a doctor appointment today. Not as good as last week's. My BP is up again so they're running all the preeclampsia tests again. And my fluid levels have risen again. Now up over 23. The NST is showing that the baby is doing well though. It's comforting that the doctor's are taking the measures to monitor both me and the baby closely to make sure we're okay. We just keep praying that both of us will be able to come out on top through this pregnancy.

I'm getting a little tired of being on bedrest. :D But that's to be expected. I sure wish Spring would hurry up and get here so I can sit out on the lawn while Myelle plays. We both could use some sunshine. :D

Spring...if you're listening.....Please come soon!

What exactly do you mean by bedrest?

2009-03-07T21:26:00.003-07:00

Very good question. Especially since I'm not on strict bedrest and can get up and walk around some, sit up, shower, travel to the doctor, etc. Mostly resting in between. LOL So if I'm on bedrest because of my blood pressure...as long as I keep my BP down I'll be okay to do a few things, right? ;) LOL I wish.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I have a dilemma. Do I go to church? or do I stay home since I'm on bedrest. Here is what I decided (last week actually since I had this dilemma then too :D ):

When it comes to things like going to church or attending the sealing this week when Wesley will be sealed to my parents the Lord will watch over us and bless both me and the baby that we will be okay during these times. I also feel comforted that the Lord knows I cannot sit through all 3 hours of church and that attending Sacrament meeting is the best I can do right now.

"Ammole"

2009-03-07T14:49:00.004-07:00

No matter how may times we tell Myelle that this is a Hippo, she insists on calling it "Ammole." I guess that's as close to animal as she gets right now. :D She walks around the house talking to it and pushing it in her doll stroller. "Come on Ammole." "Look Ammole!"

Of course this isn't even her hippo. Uncle Brett was given this by an investigator in El Salvador. Myelle found it at his house one day when he was babysitting her. Sometimes she'll forget about it completely and I'll set it away to go back to Uncle Brett. Each time Myelle manages to find it and cling to it. LOL Thanks Uncle Brett for letting us keep your hippo for now. We promise one day you will get it back.

This Girl

2009-03-03T20:30:00.002-07:00

This girl makes my heart happy. She can make me laugh most of the time. She only drives me crazy some of the time. And she definitely makes life interesting. What can I say she's an energetic 2 year old. I can't believe how fast she's growing up.

I love you Myelle!

Hooray for March!!

2009-03-03T17:38:00.003-07:00

So this is my first post of March.(was going to post yesterday, but my connection was being slow) I can't believe it's March! (this is me doing the happy dance) March is the beginning of so many of my favorite things. Spring and warm weather are on their way. It was 51 degrees outside today! And we had a thunderstorm!! The rain made everything smell so clean and refreshed. I opened all my windows and let our apartment air out.

March also marks the beginning of high school track season. Yay!! I love watching track and field. I won't be coaching this year for obvious reasons (LOL) but I plan on making it to as many track meets as possible after I have the baby. That's why God had someone invent front packs and oversized coats to keep the little one snuggli warm. :) It's Keeley's senior year and I don't want to miss anything.

There's nothing like March and some warm weather to lift your spirits and help you make it through the last few weeks of winter.

Happy March Everyone!!

How do I?

2009-02-26T22:34:00.004-07:00

Let me just preface this post with the statement that this is not meant to come off as complaining. It might come across that way, but it's mostly just thoughts and questions I've come across in my excessive amount of time to think. I am extremely grateful of my situation and everything I've been blessed with.

How do I...?

-stay patient with my energetic 2 year old when she gets upset that Mommy can't come play the things she wants to play?
-ask my tired husband to tidy up the house without feeling like I'm nagging?
-actually tell someone what I really need done when they ask if they can do anything to help?
-not feel awkward about asking for more help?
-not feel awkward about asking people that aren't family for help?
-not feel like a burden and an incovenience to everyone around me?
-not become irritable because I can't actually do anything while the housework continues to pile up?
-not get frustrated with my dear husband because he's not doing any housework?
-continue to graciously accept all the help that's being offered when I feel so guilty about not being able to do it myself?
-stay sane when everything is driving me crazy? :)

I don't know. I just don't know. But I am praying and studying as much as I can and trying. I'm not perfect and I can only hope that what I can do is good enough.

This week's Dr Visit

2009-02-25T22:33:00.002-07:00

Well it's official. I'm on bedrest for the rest of my pregnancy. 7 more weeks. That's right 7. Thankfully it's not strict bedrest and I can occasionally get up to walk around and shower, etc. My fluid levels were lots better this week. In the normal range this time. Labs came back normal also so I don't have preeclampsia. The only thing is that my BP is slightly elevated. Staying down should help that. Oh and I'm facing the fact that I'm just having one big baby. Dr said that my due date should be accurate and I'm just growing a healthy big boy. LOL Yeah at this rate he'll be over 10lbs!!

Thankfully I have wonderful visiting teachers that have been bringing meals in; An awesome Mom whose been fixing meals for us, cleaning at my house, and taking Myelle some so I can rest a little better; and lastly I have the most fantastic husband in the world who is so concerned about me, the baby, and our family. He's working so hard to make sure things will be okay and we'll be taken care of.

While I'm down I'm taking in a lot of movies, books, and internet time. LOL I'm also trying to really study my scriptures and pray more. I'm afraid with this much down time I'm going to start really stressing about how we're going to pay for things and what we'll do about insurance. I've been trying a lot harder to not worry and just trust that the Lord will take care of what we can't. I'm budgeting and tracking like crazy doing our part to be good stewards of our finances and I'm trusting the Lord will make things work.

Best of all is that Myelle gets to be home with me (even though I'm down mostly) or at Grandma's and not at a babysitter. I can't tell you how much that makes my heart happy. And how much we're going to try for me to be home a whole lot more after this baby's born.

Pics from Wesley's Adoption Day

2009-02-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Random Pics

2009-02-23T17:22:00.005-07:00

Since I'm on bedrest I thought I'd go through and share some random pics. Enjoy!

Myelle loves fries and fry sauce from Homestead. In fact I do too. I just don't have it all over my face. LOL

Doesn't matter what time of year it is, Myelle loves her pumpkin headband Grandma Wood sent her.

Christmas morning I asked Dad to take some pics. LOL This was apparently a really important one. :D Love ya Dad!

On Bedrest

2009-02-22T19:39:00.002-07:00

For the weekend at least. Sure is boring. Tomorrow I have another appointment to see if I have to stay there or if I'll get to resume normal activity. I'm hoping for the latter, but not holding my breath.

Poor Myelle is having a hard time understanding why I won't "wake up" (get out of bed). She's being a trooper though. Hopefully she'll have her little brother soon.

Pregnancy update for Real

2009-02-20T21:53:00.004-07:00

Okay now I have a few minutes to do a real update. Let's start with an updated belly pic. YAY! You know you guys are lucky because I hate pics of myself especially looking like this. Thus the reason we have like no pics of me while I was pregnant with Myelle. Thanks for motivating me.

Sooo....my BP is still slightly elevated even with the adjustment in my meds and I have constant headaches it seems like. The doctor told me they are now going to monitor me every week. "Okay no problem." ....Starting today. We'll be doing a NST (non-stress test) and an ultrasound every week. "Great...have you ever tried to do a non-stress test while trying to make a 2 year old behave for that whole time?" After a very stressful non-stress test we go into ultrasound and find out I have excessive amniotic fluid. The baby is practically swimming in it. Sigh. Okay so that's why I've been feeling more uncomfortable and that's why I got big so fast. (didn't know this until Mom looked it up on the internet for me. Thanks Mom!) K, and he's growing great. He's just over 5lbs. Now I thought man that boy grew fast (at my other ultrasound he was measuring a little big, but they didn't change my due date or anything and he was weighing over 2lbs then.) it wasn't until later when Mom was looking at the growth charts for me (my internet was down that night) that I realized that either I'm a lot further along than we think or I'm going to have one big baby. Alright call us if anything seems wrong and we'll see you next week. We'll be keeping a close eye on you. Okay thank you. Next time I'll be prepared and won't have a 2 year old with me and I'll have a list a mile long of questions. :D LOL

Boy what a lot to do and find out in 2 hours and my doctor wasn't very specific as to what it all meant. I know I've been through this before, but I'm not a doctor I don't know everything. :) So from what I've found and what Mom's found on the internet I'm definitely preparing for another Csection. A VBAC is still possible, but I'm thinking not likely. Thank you again for all your kind comforting words. I only cried a little bit when I talked to Mom about it. I think I'll be ready and able to handle it better this time around. LOL like that's easy with pregnancy hormones raging through your body.

I'm also thinking that this baby is a lot further along than we thought and I'm going to be having him sometime mid March. Not for sure, but that's one of the questions I'll definitely be asking the doctor on my next visit.

Soo....stay tuned for weekly updates now. :D

Pregnancy Update Coming

2009-02-19T22:33:00.002-07:00

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice. I try hard to accept what the Lord sends my way, but I struggle a bit sometimes. A pregnancy upday is coming I'm just too tired to do it tonight. Had a Dr. appointment yesterday and boy is it a doozy. :)

Have a great Thursday night!

This is What Happens....

2009-02-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

When Daddy puts Myelle to bed..or should we say when Myelle puts Daddy to bed. LOL

Thus no updated belly pics today. How about tomorrow after my appointment. :D

I didn't fall off the face of the earth

2009-02-16T23:07:00.001-07:00

Things have just been a little crazy around here. Finally we are settled into our new apartment...again. We're upstairs this time so no flooding. :D Both Erick and I are still working FT and trying to keep up. If anyone knows the cleaning fairy please give her my address and send her this way. :D

Myelle's doing great. We finally weaned Myelle from her pacifier this weekend. Hey she's only 2 1/2. Tonight's been the best she's gone to sleep. I'm amazed and don't know why I'm still up because I should be sleeping since she is. We're also starting to potty train. She does really good if I remind her, but not so good on her own. Hopefully she'll be out of diapers by the time the baby comes though.

So back in December I had a request for some belly pics. Here it is finally. This is at 25 weeks. I'll have Erick take another one tomorrow (32 weeks) and I'll post it ASAP.

I sure am feeling rather large and it's hard to sleep, but here's crossing my fingers that everything will continue to go okay. I have a Dr. appointment on Wednesday. Last appointment my BP had spiked and they adjusted my meds. It seems to be working. We visited Mountain View hospital the other day and just loved it!! So I'll be delivering there instead of at EIRMC. We're also going to try for a VBAC. Although I'm getting a little nervous about it. Silly really mostly I don't want to get my hopes up and then have a Csection because I struggled so bad emotionally with that with Myelle. I know that a few of you were aiming for a VBAC and ended up with a Csection. Any words of comfort or advice would be much appreciated.

We had a great Valentine's day! Erick is super sweet and got me tulips and cooked me dinner. I absolutely love him.

I promise I won't wait so long to post next time. :D

2009-01-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

I just want to say that I have the best hubby in the whole wide world. *Love* :)

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm really sad that I missed pretty much everything on this historic day. It sucks working and not having a TV available. I'm hoping to catch some news coverage a little later tonight when Myelle goes to bed. If anything I'll search it on the internet.

Now I have one little rant about today. I am sooo annoyed at everyone that made comments about how "It's a sad day today" or "He's not 'my' president", etc. Now I may not have voted for our new president, but I am an American and President Obama was who the majority elected. Therefore he has my full support as the president of my country and I DO NOT want to hear your derogatory and racial remarks against our new president because you can't accept the way things turned out.

It's a..........

2009-01-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Boy!!! No doubt about it. LOL Quite clear in the ultrasound. :D We're super excited and Erick couldn't say much more than "Awesome" when I told him. Myelle...well she hasn't caught on yet.

In other news: we are moving to a different apartment this Saturday. *Sigh* I feel like we just did this. Oh well. It's to an upstairs apartment so it will have light! Yay!! I'll post pics when we get all moved in...again. LOL Just call us the Nomads. ;)

2009-01-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Boy I'm getting behind on blogging already and we're only 2 weeks into the new year. *Sigh* Oh well. I've been cleaning and organizing like crazy the past 2 weeks so I could feel like my life was less chaotic. LOL Apparently Heavenly Father has different plans for me.

We noticed our bedroom was flooding on Thursday night and had to move our bed out into the living room. No company over for awhile I guess. Last night they came and sucked up all the water and cleaned the carpet in the bedroom. Smelled much nicer. Well...guess what....it's still flooding. There's more water in the carpet and it's smelling bad again. Erick will call the management again when he gets home from work today. They think they may have to rip out the drywall in our bedroom. We won't know what they can do for us in the meantime, hopefully they'll know something on Monday.

Ah well, what great adventures, huh? My life would be so boring without them. :D Monday we also have our ultrasound and find out the gender of the baby. YAY! Erick can't get work off so Mom is going to come with me.

We are being very thankful that Erick is getting all the hours he wants and can handle right now. It will definitely help out a ton.

And I haven't forgotten about the requests for pics of the baby bump. I'll post them tomorrow after church.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Update!

2008-12-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

I know Merry Christmas is late and Happy New Year is early, but the holidays are always a hard time for me to keep up on things especially when working retail. Here I am wishing you all the very best holiday season even if it is late. I also wanted to post an update on how we're doing.

I am so appreciative of my bosses for working with me this last crazy week. Last Saturday Erick had to go to the ER for a really bad flare up of his Crohn's. He was admitted and spent the night there. It was the busiest day at work but Nicole wouldn't let me stay. Thank you for that because despite what he said at first I'm sure that Erick was glad I was there with him.

I'm also thankful of how patient my bosses have been with me being sick. Not just with morning sickness that still hasn't gone away, but with the stomach flu I came down with this weekend. I called in sick Friday, but didn't dare call in sick again today so off to work I went and Nicole sent me home. Which I am very grateful for the extra rest because it's miserable being sick at work and now I won't have exposed everyone else to it.

We had a wonderful Christmas at Mom's house and when I remember to get my camera from there :) I'll post pics. Myelle had a blast and I had more fun watching her excitement than ever before. Erick and I are so blessed to have her wonderful little spirit in our family. Quick side story: Myelle just loves Jesus. She is always pointing out the baby Jesus in every nativity we see and today we got out our Christ with the little children statue and she was trying to give it hugs and kisses.

We are really sad the weather and the roads kept us from going to Burley this weekend, but we are so thankful for family that understands. It is great to stay safe and sound at home. Know that we love you and that we will visit as soon as we can.

Now I am going to head off to bed and hope that when I wake up this darn flu bug has run it's course.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

More Crafty Christmas Gifts

2008-12-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

I finished a few more gifts today. Good thing too since Christmas is only a week away. I finished a coloring book for Myelle. Just have to wrap it up with some crayons. She's going to love it. This pillow is for Erick.

I hope he likes it.

Erick made a couple of these. I think he did an excellent job! Very cool and I wouldn't mind having one for myself. Not mentioning who they're going to until after Christmas, but I hope the people they are going to are going to like them.

Fun Christmas Tag

2008-12-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on what it is. Mostly wrapping paper, but gift bags are occasionally more convenient. Santa presents always come wrapped in Santa paper.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real
3. When do you put up the tree? Shortly after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? Whenever I decide I need the space more than I want the tree up.
5. Do you like eggnog? Heck Yeah! Just finished a glass.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmm. Not sure. Maybe our puppy Chief. Or the Winnie the Pooh train when I was really young.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? Definitely Myelle. The hard thing is not going overboard.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. I have 3 at least. I think I have more.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? You mean people actually get them sent out? :D Mail or hand delivered for sure on the ones that I get sent out.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Never had a worst Christmas gift.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Anything other than The Christmas Story and Jim Carey's Grinch.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Christmas. :D I'm always looking for good deals and great gifts.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Any kind of Christmas candy.
16. Lights on the tree? Yes! I love motion lights. Erick loves white lights. We trade years who gets to pick, but my bro and his wife were ingenious and put white in the branches and around the trunk and the motion lights around the outside of the tree.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Pretty much all of them. Favorite favorite....Carol of the Bells. The list of ones I don't like is shorter than my favorites.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This is the last year we will be traveling. We're going to my parents house since Brett and Brianna will be there. It will be the last year Mom'll get to have the whole family together for Christmas morning.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? You betcha. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (is it Donder or Donner I never knew), Blitzen and Rudolf! Haha and I didn't even look.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? This year a star, but we alternate between a star, angel, and a big red bow.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Some years we get pajamas to open on Christmas Eve, but otherwise everything on Christmas morning. Except for open early presents of course ;)
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? How cranky people get while they are doing their Christmas shopping and how they take it out on the employees of the stores.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Eclectic.
24. Favorite time for Christmas dinner? Anytime
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Lots of stuff....Top things on my list.......Not having to work so I can stay home with my kids....a clean house......a good full night's sleep.........Being able to go to church every Sunday instead of working......Getting closer to my Heavenly Father......good health.

I TAG Mom, Rachel, Jessica, Jen, and Scott.

Scentsy Giveaway

2008-12-11T22:50:00.001-07:00

Hey Ya'll! I don't know if you've heard of Scentsy or not, but a couple of my friends are into it and sell it and I've been dying to try it. Can't wait until I've got a little money in the budget to try some out. But I digress. My friend Jessica is having a giveaway! Our friend Maria (check her site out here) donated some product to Jessica to giveaway. So go check it out here and enter to win! AWESOME!

SNOW!

2008-12-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

Yay! It snowed today! Now it definitely feels like winter. :D Sadly I was too busy getting housework done before work to take a picture. Myelle really liked it, but she wouldn't keep her gloves on Grandma said. She wasn't such a big fan after her hands got cold. LOL

Our Christmas Tree

2008-12-08T01:24:00.001-07:00

We almost didn't get one this year, but I'm glad that there was a little extra in the budget to get one. I sit at night with just the tree lights on and feel such peace thinking about the Savior and the meaning of Christmas.

Myelle and her "Wesee"

2008-12-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

Myelle just loves Wesley. She's going to be an awesome big sister.

Update to Grumble....Grumble

2008-12-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

We're back from town. What a day! But thankfully the only thing wrong with the car was the battery. Yay! And since we went to Les Schwab I was able to put it on our account for now until things are a bit brighter as far as those things go. I said a prayer of thanks as soon as they said it was just the battery.

Now to enjoy the Christmas season and then I can worry about finding a solution to the next problem on the list. :D

Grumble...Grumble

2008-12-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of stuff going on in our lives right now. No need to bother you with the details, but let's just say I have been in tears many times the last few weeks trying to figure out what we're going to do. I finally felt like we had hope and what happens this week? My car won't start. We jump it and it works fine all day. Next day....won't start again. Jumped it this morning and let it run for 15 min. Turn it off and try to start it back up right away. Just clicking as it tries to turn over. Dh is going to jump it again on his lunch and I'll take it in to Les Schwab. I'm praying that all it is is a bad connection or a bad battery and not our alternator.

It's just one thing after another it feels like. *Sigh* Oh well. I'm done grumbling about it and what doesn't kill us will make us stronger. Our trials will bring us closer as a family and closer to God. We'll just keep paying our tithing and doing the things we need to and just plug along and everything will work out.

Finally a Breather

2008-11-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been quite a week and life is just going to keep speeding by. We ended up spending Thanksgiving at the McKinnon house this year. We sure missed the Wood's, but between Erick's and my work schedules the trip to Boise just wasn't feasible. We hope to get to see you guys around Christmas time.

Black Friday was a fun and very long day. Sportsman's opened at 6am and it was busy! I started work at 5:30 am and left at 5pm. Then it was off to play games with the McKinnon family. I think I provided most of the entertainment since I was so tired. :D

Erick surprised me by getting us a Christmas tree while he was out getting me some powerade and soda today. (I think I've got the flu because I just can't keep anything down and we had nothing on hand that would work to keep me hydrated.) So we got that decorated today along with a few other things put up in the living room. I'll post pics as soon as I get my camera from Mom's house.

Not sure when my other day off this week is. It was supposed to be tomorrow, but I'm covering for a coworker and my boss didn't know which other day I could get off. If there isn't one then I'll be grateful for the overtime and for the next week when I can have 2 days off. :D

I hope ya'll had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Sending our love.

Reflection

2008-11-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

At the end of a busy and productive day I love to plop down in my chair, take a deep breath, and reflect back on the day. I don't get much time to myself, but there are a few minutes at the end of everyday when I can relax and think about my day and contemplate the next. This small habit I've started has helped me see how much I have in my life and has truly brought joy and peace in my heart.

It's become my favorite part of the day.

Being Grateful

2008-11-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Seeing as though Thanksgiving is less than a week away I've been contemplating everything in my life and I came up with a list of things I'm thankful for.

Things I'm Thankful For:

- Erick being able to get OT at work right now

-Having food in my pantry

- Being able to pay all of our bills somehow even though it didn't look like we'd make it this month

-The fact that both Erick and I still have stable jobs in this ever weakening economy.

-A good babysitter since I have to work and leave Myelle with someone

-A warm place to live that is inexpensive

-Prayer

and most of all

Family

2008-11-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

These are another gift I'm really excited to work on and finish. Erick is cutting and sanding the boards today and hopefully I'll be able to paint them tomorrow. It's going to be fun decorating them.

2008-11-17T23:22:00.001-07:00

Just trying out this signature thing.

Christmas: One Down..

2008-11-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited for Christmas this year! Last night I made these for my little brother Wesley. They were super easy and I did it while watching a movie. I'm thinking I might make a pair for Myelle also.

I've got a bunch of other projects in the works and I'll post pics when I can. Some I won't be able to post until after Christmas because they are for people that read this blog. ,

A Clean and Organized Home

2008-11-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

Isn't it so nice when you get your house completely clean? Even if it only lasts a short while it brings some kind of peace knowing that everything is clean and in order. Our house can get pretty untidy in a hurry, but I'm trying to keep up and I love nothing more than the feeling of it being clean. And I know that a tidy home is one where the spirit can dwell more easily.

One of my goals this month is to be more organized, which when working FT can be quite a challenge but is absolutely necessary. I've started by making a list of things that need to get done everyday. It's short since I don't have much time, but it includes washing the dishes, one batch of laundry, and tidying up 5 min in a room of my choice (usually the Living Room since it's the most lived in).

I just started doing this yesterday, but already I feel more energy and not so overwhelmed. I also have a big sense of relief and a little bit of accomplishment (because I'm not usually organized with my housework). The biggest thing I noticed....with the dishes done up and the kitchen clean I actually want to be in there cooking dinner and baking treats (which I love to do BTW). :D Funny how that works.

My next step in becoming more organized.....Coming Soon. LOL Pretty much I'm open to suggestions. Do you have a great way you keep organized?

Singing

2008-11-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Singing is a new thing that Myelle has picked up recently and it's the cutest thing. All day long she'll sing her own tune or tunes from other places she's heard. I can't always understand the words, but it's fun to have her sweet little voice ringing throughout the house. However, if you look at her while she's singing she immediately gives you "the look." I have yet to catch it on camera, but I can't wait until I do.

One of her favorite songs right now? "I Lub You" from Barney. LOL

John McCain

2008-11-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

I just want to say briefly how impressed I was with John McCain's concession speech. Very classy and graceful. Even if I don't like him very much I really gained alot of respect for him tonight.

Election Day

2008-11-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Election Day!

Today I exercised my right as a US citizen and voted. Hopefully you all get the chance to go out and vote also. My vote may not count for much, but I feel that I'm doing all I can. "If you don't vote...you can't complain...Right?" :D

TAGGED 2

2008-11-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS YOUR HUSBAND'S NAME? Erick McKay
HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN MARRIED? 3 Years 7 months
HOW LONG DID YOU DATE? Officially 3 weeks before we were engaged, but were really good friends for 3 months before that and then engaged 10 months.
HOW OLD IS HE? 26
WHO IS TALLER? Erick by about an inch
WHO CAN SING BEST? Not sure we're about equally matched.
WHO IS SMARTER? I catch on to stuff faster, but he knows alot more
WHO DOES LAUNDRY? I wash and dry and he folds. :D
WHO PAYS BILLS? Me, but he's trying to learn
WHO SLEEPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED? He does
WHO MOWS THE LAWN? We don't have a lawn anymore, but when we did he did mostly, but occasionally I would.
WHO COOKS DINNER? Mostly me. He has to when I work late.
WHO'S THE FIRST TO ADMIT THEY ARE WRONG? Me. I can be wrong alot.
WHO KISSED WHO FIRST? He kissed me first. I didn't object. LOL
WHO WEARS THE PANTS? we share them, I wear one leg and he wears the other. <-----Yeah that.

I tag Mom and Ainslie.

TAGGED

2008-11-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

Jessica tagged me a couple of times. On the first one I'm supposed to post my 4th pic of my 4th picture album and explain it.

LOL I forgot I took this picture. This is Myelle helping Daddy stack the firewood at our old house. This was back in May I think. She sure had a blast. :D

Now I tag Ainslie, Mom, Rachel and anyone else that reads this.

We're Off To See the Wizard

2008-11-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Here's Myelle on Halloween. She was Dorothy from Wizard of Oz. (Too bad she wouldn't take her pacifier out) She was just too cute! And she had a blast Trick or Treating with the girls. And she is not happy when we tell her she can't have any more candy for now. LOL

Back from Boise

2008-11-02T15:22:00.001-07:00

A short trip, a very long drive, but a great time had by all! We drove to Boise Friday night with Brett and Brianna (Not sure if they'll ever do that again. ;) ) and went to Sizzler with Darren when we got there. Yum! I love their salad bar.

After that it was back to the hotel to watch scary movies. :D We had to...it was Halloween. House on Haunted Hill and Return to House on Haunted Hill were our picks for the evening and we stayed up until 3am watching them. LOL

Saturday was fantastic weather for the races and Keeley and both the Firth boys' and girls' teams did fantastic!! Keeley took 3rd and broke 20 min. YAY! Congrats Kee! We're so proud of you! The girls' team took 2nd and the boys' team took 1st. And I am proud to announce that I am not the only one that cried (because we're so proud of her) while Keeley was racing! Brett and Brianna did too. Well so did Mom, but she's the mom so it's okay. :D

Afterwards we ate out as a family and then went and visited Chris and Jen for awhile. Watched the last quarter of the BYU vs. CSU game. GO BYU!! They pulled off a win even though we didn't think they would. :) We're looking forward to going to Jen's house for Thanksgiving in a few weeks.

Hope ya'll had a fantastic weekend!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T13:36:00.001-06:00

Hope ya'll are having a great Halloween! We sure are. Myelle and I went to my work and a couple other stores and then to see Uncle Brett and show off her costume. She was too cute in her Dorothy costume. And she's figuring out that people will give her candy if she's dressed up. LOL My only problem is I can't find my camera to take pictures. I'll have to hunt a little more.

Happy Halloween!!!

Baby Checkup....and more

2008-10-29T22:46:00.001-06:00

I had my monthly checkup today. Had a good chat with my new doctor. I LOVE this new clinic btw. Everyone was so pleasant and nice and even though I had to wait quite awhile it didn't seem like that long.

After discussing the option and risks of a VBAC it was time to listen to the heartbeat. I don't know about you, but I hold my breath until I can hear it pumping away. Then I can relax. They're lucky I'm not in there every few days going "Can we just check the heartbeat?" But all is well.

*******

One more day of work (after a 9 day marathon) and then I have 4 whole days off! Woohoo! We'll be traveling to Boise Friday night with Brett and Brianna to watch Keeley run in the state XC meet on Saturday. Good Luck Kee!!

I'm really sad that I don't get to take Myelle T-O-T, but she's going with Cousin Cassie and her 2 favorite little aunts Jay and Nicole and she's so excited to get to have a sleepover at their house. :D I'll post pics of her costume. Thanks Carley for those. She's going to be either Dorothy from Wizard of Oz or Raggedy Ann. Both are super cute!

Our New Favorite Movie

2008-10-21T22:40:00.000-06:00

Or should I say Myelle's new favorite movie. I think we've watched this 3 times in the last 2 days. LOL She's got a cold and doesn't want to run around much so we've been spending some quality cuddling time on the couch watching........Finding Nemo! She can even say "Nemo" now.

Only problem is that now I have Dori's voice in my head singing "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming." Ah well maybe I can get her to sing "Just keep working..." so that I can keep up with my housework. LOL

Victoria's Secret Deal!!

2008-10-20T11:08:00.001-06:00

Victoria's Secret has a promo going on right now where you can get a free Beauty Rush Lip Gloss set when you order a sweater. Just enter offer code RUSH08 at checkout. They even have some way cute sweaters on sale for only $19! Offer is good through Nov 19, 2008.

A Lighter Load

2008-10-17T21:46:00.000-06:00

Have you ever experienced the joy and the lightened burden that comes after working your budget over and over and finding ways to find more money in it? I just finished scouring our expenses and our budget and seeing where we could cut to free up more money each month. I found enough money this month to pay off one of our many medical bills freeing up a little money each month and easing and lightening our burden.

I can't even thank our Heavenly Father enough. He has blessed us so much and we find answers to our prayers come in many different ways.

Announcement!!

2008-10-12T22:10:00.000-06:00

Did I get your attention? Hahaha. So I decided it's finally time to make the official announcement. Some of you already know this, but we would like to officially announce that:

BABY WOOD #2 is on its way and will be here around April 13

We will be finding out what the sex is sometime in December. I thought about waiting for the surprise, but Erick won't stand for that. :) Erick is hoping for a boy and I don't really care about anything other than the morning sickness going away. LOL Mom also thinks it's a boy since I've been so sick this time.

Other than me being sick a lot things are just plugging along same old.

Lil' Cheddar Meatloaves

2008-10-08T19:32:00.000-06:00

I got this recipe off of a frugal community I belong to called Frugal Families. I made it for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Although there were a few changes I would make.(noted in the recipe) Oh and it actually didn't take all that long.

Lil' Cheddar Meatloaves Recipe #59056

We have given up all other meat loaf recipes for this one. I love the individual servings and every bite has the yummy catsup sauce where in "regular" meat loaf it's just a small strip on top! With the smaller loaves it also makes the cooking time a bit quicker. This recipe came from '99 TOH magazine but I added the rubbed sage for some extra flavor. Enjoy! by DDW
1 hour 15 min prep SERVES 8

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4oz)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage (optional) (I used thyme I was out of sage still just as good)
1 lb lean ground beef
2/3 cup catsup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar ( I wouldn't use so much it was waayy too sweet for me, Erick liked it though)
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion, salt and rubbed sage. Add beef and mix well. (It will seem runny at first but will thicken up as you mix.) Shape into 8 equal sized loaves (oval/egg shaped) and place in a greased 9X13X2" baking dish.

Sauce: Combine catsup, brown sugar and mustard. Spoon over each loaf so they are all covered in the sauce. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

We have some left over that I'm going to freeze into homemade TV dinners for lunches and when I have to work late.

Fun Fall Day

2008-10-08T14:58:00.000-06:00

After a very long night of no one sleeping I was dog-tired and would have loved to just lay around the house on my only day off this week. However, I made myself a promise after listening to General Conference that I wasn't going to be idle that way anymore.

So Myelle and I went to Tautphas Park and played on the playground equipment, played in the leaves, and chased each other around until we were breathless (which isn't very long for me, but I tried to keep up with her).

It was so nice to run and play without having to worry about a thing. Hopefully next week we'll be able to do the same thing and roll around in the leaves a little more.

My Frugal Way of Drying Laundry

2008-10-01T10:53:00.000-06:00

Okay so it's not my first choice, but right now we don't have a dryer. How do we get our clothes dry you might ask? A drying rack. It takes longer and the clothes are a little stiffer, but it saves on electricity and gets our clothes dry.

Now we finally have our washer and Erick will hook it up tonight so I can start getting caught up on laundry. Thanks again Mom and Dad for bringing it up and helping us pick up our new (to us) furniture.

I'll post pics once I get our camera charged. I have to find the charger first. :D

Happy Wednesday!

My Little Bro's Wedding

2008-09-30T18:02:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that my little brother Brett got married. :D Okay yes I can, but it feels just like yesterday when we were fighting at home over stupid stuff and pushing each other over open dishwasher doors. LOL Congratulations! I have a few (oh so very few. Why don't I ever remember to charge my camera battery before things like this?) pics to share.

Brett and his beautiful new bride Brianna. Aren't they adorable?

We almost forgot to get stuff to decorate their car. :D But a quick run to Stop and Shop and they're set. They even came out and caught us and then finished helping. LOL Too Funny!

Congratulations you two!!

Many Thanks

2008-09-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

...Go to my awesome Mom who came today and helped me get our new apartment in shape. Without her it would have taken me a ton more time to get it done.

And to our new ward. We felt so welcome in just the first 5 minutes from when we stepped in the door. It really made it lots easier not to feel homesick for our old Kimball ward.

New Address

2008-09-18T22:51:00.000-06:00

We have our new address now. If you want it email me at eawood05@msn.com and I'll send it to you.

Moving is going pretty good. Erick is doing most of it and I'll do all the unpacking. I can't wait to decorate it all cute for fall and especially Christmas! Life is going to be crazy for the next week or two. My brother Brett is getting married a week from Saturday so I have to work Monday through Thursday and then I'll be trying to help Mom with whatever I can for the wedding and that. Oh yeah it's also homecoming for my alma mater(aka Firth High School) and I believe we'll be going to the game right after the open house. So if any of you are going to be there I'll see you there!

Moving!.....Again

2008-09-16T12:17:00.000-06:00

LOL Yes we are moving again. Just to Idaho Falls. We're going to miss getting to hang out with our friends here all the time, but we won't be that far away and hopefully we can get together at least once a month.

We got our apartment yesterday and I LOVE it! It has a fireplace and a huge living room and is just so cozy. I'll post pictures as soon as we get moved in. I'm taking the first load down today and possibly even one or two more loads later tonight.

Wish us luck!

Fair Time!

2008-09-06T09:01:00.000-06:00

Okay so it's actually the last day of the fair today, but it's been a fun week. Monday both Erick and I worked in my dad's booth selling grills and fireplaces. I almost sold an instant hot water heater too. Wednesday night just I worked for Dad. Good times hanging with my daddy. :D We got ice cream that day, but the chocolate just didn't taste the same as it used to. :(

Today both Erick and I are both going in to work for Dad. Then we'll wander around the fair on the very last day. Take in some of the sights. :D

~~~~~~~~~

On an update for us....We're all finally feeling a bit better after our colds and being sick. Myelle had strep throat and I ended up with a cold. It's busy, busy at Erick's work right now and he has been getting tons of overtime hours. Yay for that because I wasn't quite so sure how things were going to be financially this month with all of our surprises.

This last week I quit my job at Winger's and started back at Sportsman's Warehouse on Friday. It was good to be back there. I missed a lot of my coworkers. Of course many things have changed in a year, but there are still some familiar faces. So now even though we like Rexburg we are needing to move to Idaho Falls since it will be closer to both Erick and my work and will save us a ton on gas. It just makes more sense that way. :D In order to move we need to sell our contract so if you know of any one needing an apartment in Rexburg send them our way.

That's all for today.

Happy Saturday!

My hubby is so awesome!

2008-08-28T23:34:00.001-06:00

So even though I asked him to finish a "Honey Do List" tonight and he didn't get it done, I still have to give praises to my hard-working, freakin' awesome husband! Lately I've been taking him for granted and shame on me for doing so because he works so hard to support this family. Tonight I got home tired and a little cranky from work to find that Erick hadn't done any of the things on the list (except eat cake which was the last thing on the list), he hadn't cleaned up from dinner, and he was already in bed. :( I was sulking on the couch for a few minutes when he got up, came into the living room and rubbed my shoulders and told me about his day even though he was exhausted! I wanted to cry it was so sweet and meant a lot to me. So here is my tribute.

My Hubby

....gets up for work by 5am everyday. I don't even budge until 7!
....makes the 1/2 hour commute one way without complaining even when there's construction
....tries to be in to work by 6am, 6:30 at the latest.
....works a minimum of 10 hours a day, often more, and only gets 45 min lunch and one other break. His work....woodworking so he's always lifting heavy things, stressing about precise measurements, he's constantly moving and only gets to sit down at lunch.
....never complains about how much he works or how long the hours are. I complain I'm tired after a 5 hour shift of serving.
....only occasionally complains about me talking to him into the late hours.
....will stay up late with me even though he's got a long and early day ahead of him.
....is the best father to my little girl.
....stays worthy of his priesthood.
....keeps me humble.
....does all he can to provide for our family.
....motivates me to go to church when I just don't feel like it.
....spoils me rotten.
....listens to me complain without saying a word.
....gives me really great massages. I love to be pampered.
....always has what's best for me in mind.
....loves me for who I am even with all my flaws and ramblings and misgivings and no matter what kind of mood I'm in.

Erick you are the best husband in the whole wide world. I love you so much. ~ Aud