Team Chilton

Anniversary

2012-01-07T01:16:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing we have pictures of our wedding day. I was probably a bit too giddy to really remember everything and everyone that day. Sometimes JD and I think back on the "single days," hanging out with friends till all hours of the night, going bowling, dancing, eating out, doing whatever with all of our friends, and having lots of fun. Sometimes we miss it. Sometimes.

But, we traded it all in. The fun, the freedom, all of it. And we don't regret it at all. I am grateful for the promises that we have made to each other, and I know that we have a family that can be together forever because of the blessings we receive in the Temple. We are not perfect, we have flaws, and life brings us trials, but I know the God's promises are real.

Happy Anniversary!

photo by Draper Photography

October wrap up

2011-11-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

So it is now the end of November. I don't know where the month went. I've been laying on my couch a lot, and my mom taking care of us. Morning sickness is kicking my butt this time around. Seriously, it's no joke. I am at about 9 1/2 weeks right now. Somewhere in between 12-14 is when I (hope) should feel "normal" again. This is why we don't talk about future pregnancies while I am in the first trimester. It is so not fair. At all. I used to want 6 kids, but while I am pregnant, I just focus on the one growing inside of me. It's a tough job, folks. Motherhood is not for sissies.

In October, we did all sorts of fun things. We went to another pumpkin patch, as a family, and 3 of JD's sisters came all the way here to go with us. We had so much fun.

I love this one of me with the boys on the top of the hay bale pyramid.

We went to a few Halloween parties, as well as the Trunk-or-treat at our church. I am pretty proud of myself because I made Asher's Batman costume (from a tutorial), and my Mother Nature costume. I bought a sheet at the thrift store because I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, then I followed this tutorial (only made the dress long and added rouching to the sleeves), and had it done in the afternoon. Ahhh, those ambitious last few weeks before I started feeling the way I do now. I really can't believe that I accomplished that. And my mom made Silas' Harry Potter robe (not pictured, but I will get a picture soon). She did an amazing job. And she threw together the Dobby costume for Silas (Dobby is a house elf from Harry Potter for those not in the know). And JD just threw his costume together, which was perfect.

We also had fun with our homeschool group on Halloween and had a little party and parade at the park. The kids got to do lots of crafts and play games.

Sadly, I don't have as many pictures of recent events. The camera, and I, are a bit broken right now. So so sad. hopefully we'll be up and running soon.

What I have Learned The Past Few Weeks

2011-11-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

While everyone is writing away on blogs and facebook about everything they are thankful for, I must say I am thankful for the things I am learning because it is covering a heck of a lot in my life right now. My life is slightly busy and chaotic right now.

* The Savior of the World overcame life and death, and through Him, we can overcome our greatest trials. Through Him, our weaknesses can be made into strengths. I knew this already, or at least, I thought I did, but I am really knowing it now.

* No matter how old you are, you will always need your mother. And boy do I need her. My mom has been at my house a LOT lately helping, in every possible way. She's pretty much at my house every day.

* Sometimes you need to just suck it up and allow other people to serve you. I have been the beneficiary of a lot of service lately, and I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the sacrifices of others.

* Coconut water is great if you are dehydrated. Skip the gatorade.

and last but not least,

* There is a new life growing inside of me. Yes, baby #4. It is exciting, but I am taking things just one day at a time, and my excitement is shadowed by my morning sickness at the moment. I have little desire to eat, which makes things worse. I haven't experience morning sickness with such intensity before (hence all of the help I am currently receiving). I pretty much lay on the couch all day so I don't aggravate my nausea. And I am more than a little bit stressed out with future plans (saving money, buying a house, etc....preferably before this baby makes an appearance).

But I am grateful. So very, very grateful.

They Say Funny Things

2011-11-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

Pretty much all the time, our kids are doing or saying something funny. Though they are each talented in their own ways, somehow they all got the funny gene (and the genius gene, if you ask either of us). I am only putting a few of their funnies. We could seriously write a book.

A few days before Halloween, JD asked Silas what he was going to be. (important to note is that my mom was very busy making a special Harry Potter robe for him to wear as he loves Harry Potter).

JD: Silas, are you going to be Harry Potter for Halloween?
Silas: No.
JD: Then what are you going to be?
Silas: A giant punching glove.

Last night, Asher was being cuddly, and I told him I love him, which in some way is probably said about 100 times in our house every day. And in his sweetest voice, this is what he said back...

Asher: I'll love you forever, Mommy, because my love doesn't stop. Except for sometimes. Like when I go outside, my love goes out the door."
He didn't realize how funny that was until JD and I started laughing.

Halloween pictures coming soon. There's a lot going on this week and I haven't had the chance to upload anything yet.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, I will just say it. I am a snob. And I am saying this not so you can rub it in my face or make me feel like a terrible person. I don't mean I am that kind of snob (though some might argue with me there). I just have certain things that I am very picky about. You know, for instance if we are going on a real date, I want to go to a restaurant without high-chairs. It indicated classiness, well, at least sometimes.

Another thing I am picky about would be pumpkin patches.

If I want to go to a carnival, I will go to a carnival. When I go to a pumpkin patch, I want the pumpkin patch. No flashing lights, no bounce houses, no rides. Pumpkins, nature, fun. Anyone else feel this way? I am ok with Halloween-ish things, but I want the main attraction to be nature. There is definitely something to be said with simplicity in my opinion.

So last week we went with one of our home school groups to a nearby farm, and we loved it. for $7 each kid (adults were free), we got to go on a hayride around their corn maze, go to the "corn classroom" (a cut out spot in the corn field with hay benches where we learned about how things grow for about 15 minutes), play in the corn box, hay bale maze, see the animals, check out the spooky Halloween decor inside, and pick an ear of Indian corn and a medium sized pumpkin from the patch. Not too shabby in my opinion because it would have been about that much for the pumpkin alone at a pumpkin patch.

Really glad someone in the group took a picture of us because sometimes I wonder if my kids will remember that I was there with them.

Fun in the maze tunnels and in the hay bale maze. And Jude nabbing someone's wagon.

clockwise from top left: checking out the spooky decorations, looking at farm animals, corn box, more hay bale maze.

I bet someone was wondering what the corn box was. Well, you've heard of a sand box, imagine that only full of corn kernels. It was pretty awesome and we were there for about an hour. Silas enjoyed jumping in (and there wasn't a sign that said "no jumping" so he had a blast).

Fun at the pumpkin patch and evidence that I should not take self portraits. Unfortunately, no one was around when we snapped this, and I look like I am in a slight bit of pain.

It was a fabulous exertion, and I am grateful that there are still places that are entertaining without being super flashy.

Pumpkin Painting and Puddle Jumping

2011-10-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

I really love traditions, especially easy ones that don't require a lot of effort and money, but are still fun. Somehow, this tradition started two years ago, I suppose because Asher wasn't really old enough to carve pumpkins yet. So we painted mini pumpkins. Now, at the beginning of October, I always buy a few mini pumpkins (they are about 50 cents each), squirt some paints, and let the kids have fun.

I love how focused they are.

The pumpkins usually end up like they were dipped in mud, but the boys love it, and I love watching them enjoy art and mixing colors.

These pictures below were from the day we visited my grandma on her birthday. It was raining a lot (which is weird now, because it feels like summer is here), and what do kids like to do in the rain? Splash in the puddles, of course!

FYI, if your kids like to play in the rain as much as my kids do, this is as useful tip for wet shoes. Stuff the shoes full of wadded-up newspaper and set them close to a heater (be careful not to let the paper catch fire...I will not be held responsible for that). The newspaper wicks away the moisture. It's a pretty helpful tip and has saved some shoes that would have otherwise become moldy.

Time Out

2011-10-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Life is a bit hectic. Yes, I know, everyone is very "busy," and life is not easy for anyone. But there is always hope. Lately, my favorite song to have stuck in my head is "The Wise Man and The Foolish Man." It's a song that the children sing at church in Nursery and Primary. For those who don't belong to the same church that I do, I am going to copy the words for you.

 
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
       The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.

The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood still.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.

 The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand washed away.

Life is hard, and I am really grateful for friends and family who are understanding and uplifting. However, even when life is hard, if you build upon the solid foundation, you will not be washed away when the rain falls. Also important to remember, is that just because you have a solid foundation does not excuse you from the rain. Learn to dance in the rain. (unless of course it is a hurricane. Don't do it).

Last weekend I was able to attend Time Out For Women in Reno with some friends. It has become our annual tradition, and I know it sounds cheesy, but I really feel like I can't live without this. Especially right now, I was in need some some girl time with my friends (I really wish we could do fun things like this more often). I have been blessed with the most wonderful friends ever. They uplift me, teach me, and help me to become someone better. They're not just chit chat friends; their friendship has truly strengthened me.

The talks were amazing. Diversity, friendship, overcoming adversity (and allowing it to refine us), the example of mothers in our lives, the power of faith, the justice of God (even when life seems unfair), and developing good habits and traditions were the topics that the speakers addressed. We all need a boost sometimes. Sometimes that boost needs to be a bit bigger, and I am grateful for this boost in my life.

90th Birthday

2011-10-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, my boys and I got to go with my mom (and met my aunt there) to visit my grandma at the care home. I haven't visited her in a while, it might have been a year, and I feel terrible about that. I know I can't beat myself up about it because I have 3 little people that require my constant attention, but I was pretty close to my grandma while I was growing up. Now she doesn't remember who I am.

JD and I always say that growing old is not for sissies. My grandma turned 90 on the day we visited her, so my mom brought some cake and we sang to her. I didn't cry while I was there, and I really haven't cried about it, but inside it makes me ache for elderly people. She no longer has her dentures or her glasses, and her once wavy perm is gone. She's not the same and it makes me sad. I am sure she is fine because she has happy pills.

To me she will always be the sweet grandma that would make crafty things with me in the summer time and would buy mango sorbet just because she knew that I liked it. She'll always be the lady with the cool knick-knacks and cupboards without locks for me to explore.

Happy Birthday Gram!

Farm Fun

2011-10-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we went with our homeschooling group to a farm. I was prepared, and dressed them all in orange.

Why orange?

So I can find them 100 yards away. (FYI, the crowd was much bigger than pictured)

Lucky, one of them was stuck with me, so I only had to hunt down two other brothers.

We went to a wonderful story time followed by learning about pigs, then feeding some sheep.

Asher even got in on the action.

Feeling at home checking out the turkeys.

And it's pretty important to get the obligatory macho-guy photo. Looking tough, and wielding pretend weapons. Awesome.

Changing Lanes and Shifting Gears

2011-09-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that my recent post on homeschooling, was a bit premature. My stress level lately has been pretty intense to say the least. I have never had a job which requires more of me than when I became a mother. When we started k12, it was like motherhood times 10, and it was quite overwhelming because we didn't have a teacher to direct me until a few weeks into the program. (once we got the teacher though, she was wonderful). I had a couple of friends, one who is a learning coach (that's what they call the parents), and one who is a teacher. They helped me a lot to understand the program, but even after all of their help, many phone calls and emails, I still didn't feel quite right. For me, when I am given a responsibility, I really want to give it my best. With this, more things kept being added to an already busy schedule, and a couple weeks ago, another thing was added. It felt rigid. I felt like I was drowning. Maybe it isn't meant to be as difficult as I felt it was becoming. I just kept thinking, this is only kindergarten, he's learning what he is supposed to learn, and this extra fluff doesn't matter.

I wanted to like it as much as my friends who are involved in it, but at the end of the day, I felt sick. I had become a monster. I wasn't spending enough time with the younger two, and the time that I was spending with Asher wasn't even quality time. I felt like I was rushing him through these lessons, only to check them off the assignment sheet. The funny thing is, he's excelling. Our teacher said he has one of the highest percentages of completed work.

5 hours a day was just too much for all of us. If a classroom full of kids receives instruction from their teacher for about 4-5 hours (or less...this IS only kindergarten), in my opinion, it'd make sense that when the teacher student ratio is only 1:1, that class time would also be reduced, right?

Other thoughts: while I am dumping my brain, I thought I'd mention this as well. A few weeks ago I went to a social/park day organized by some of the teachers of the program. As we pulled up to the park, I instantly felt anxiety. I am not one to have social anxiety. I really like talking to people, especially when we have something in common. I felt sick to my stomach. When we walked over to where all of the families were chatting, I didn't have the desire to talk to anyone. I forced myself to talk to a woman who had a child that looked about kindergarten age, and I asked her how she was managing the schedule and if she thought some of the stuff we were teaching was important. "Well, it IS really advanced." Oh is it? I see. I got the impression from this woman and a few others that they were using this program to give their children a competitive edge. That didn't sit well with me. I am sure some people are using it for other purposes as well, but in this group, I just got this sense of competition. Though, yes, there are many instances in life where we will be forced to compete, whether it be in sports or in the work force, education, in my opinion is not about competition. It's about growing.

Last Tuesday, I went to a park day with some new friends who homeschool their children. What a contrast. The mothers in this group were calm and enjoyed their children. They are happy. I felt no pressure in this group at all. I asked everyone how they do it. Most of them said that they follow what the child is interested in and go from there. Read to your child. Teach the child to read. Interest-driven homeschooling, or "Unschooling" probably sounds like a cop-out to most people who are used to the educational system and traditional schooling. Honestly, it sounded weird to me at first too. Now I understand. I see it in action, and these kids are smart, social kids. There is evidence that when a child is learning the things that interest them, they retain more knowledge. This doesn't mean the child is the boss, mind you. As a parent, you do have the power to guide their interests. And FYI, they are not socially awkward, as many people would have you believe.

So that began the plan to withdraw from k12, withdraw from rigidity, enroll in freedom. Like I've said before, my answers are not everybody's answers. We're going to continue with my plan to teach phonics and reading skills. Asher is really excelling in Math, and he loves it, so that is also in our plan, and from there, whatever he asks questions about, and wherever he expresses interest, be it dinosaurs or skeletons, we will continue to learn, at our own pace, and in our own special way.

Awesome Park

2011-09-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, JD had a Friday off, and we decided we needed to do something fun that didn't cost a lot of money. We decided on Costco hotdogs for lunch (what a splurge huh?), then over to visit a new park. Well, new to us at least. We went to Magic Mountain playground in San Mateo, and the kids LOVED it. When I did a search for parks a while back, I found this one and I have been wanting to go for a while. I suggested this place to a friend a long time ago, but I guess people got too busy, so our church park day group never went. This probably isn't the type of park I would take the kids to for a park day with a big group of friends anyway unless all of the kids were staying together and watching out for each other (and that rarely happens). I really enjoyed all of us going there as a family. The park is pretty big, and there was a huge field across from it, and an area full of picnic tables.

I forgot to mention, there was a castle. That was pretty much the winning point right there. Silas said it looked like a Quidditch tower. Everyone was happy.

And there were two dragons. I didn't get a picture of the cool slides they had, but there were some slides side-by-side, just in case you want to race your friend. (The also had a bunch of swings).

They also had this cool arch to climb on. I think Silas climbed this 100 times.

There he goes. I absolutely LOVE this picture. JD took over the camera for a while, I wish I could take credit for this one. The point of view, Silas and his funny expression. I love it!

The park had stuff for all ages, babies on up to about 12 or 13 year olds.

Inside the dragon's egg. Pretty fun place to chill since it was a pretty hot day.

When we were done at the playground, we walked across a parking lot and watched some folks para-surfing in the bay. It was pretty amazing to see the tricks that they were doing.

It was such a wonderful, relaxing day. I love spending time with my family.

Oh Silas

2011-09-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget how chatty Silas really is, and how articulate he is until I am around other kids his age (and even some who are older). Silas talks a lot. I know he's learned this from all of us. We are all pretty chatty, so it was bound to happen.

It seems like it has just been about a week since his prayers have evolved from "Heavenly Father, we thank Thee, in...the...name...of...Jesus Christ, amen," to novels. For example, the other day, he was saying a prayer over breakfast, and he said "we're thankful for the curtains, and our pictures, and our cups with milk, and our toast, and bless that it will give our bodies strength..." That might not seem too strange, but Asher pointed out, quite emphatically, that "Mommy! Silas blessed the toast and we're not even eating toast today!" Or, last night, when he offered the prayer at bedtime, and said, among many other random things, that he was thankful for my earrings. I am grateful that he is grateful for so many things.

Silas also likes to keep me informed. Yesterday we had a park day with our playgroup, and as we were leaving the park, Silas said "Hey, there's a man going potty." Oh great! I must mention that several years ago, this park was dubbed the "Homeless Hangout" by one of our friends, and we rarely go there. It has since been cleaned up. So I looked around in the direction where he was pointing and didn't see anyone doing that. I saw a man sitting on a bench in the distance, but no one was doing anything questionable. I asked Silas, "where?"
"Over there mommy!"
"I don't see anyone going potty Silas."
"There's another one, and another one, and another one..."
"What are you looking at?"
"Those guys right there, with the blue."

So, it turns out that handicapped parking signs look more like people going potty to my three-year-old.

100 Hours

2011-09-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Wondering what 100 hours could means? Well, it is roughly the amount of time I have spent over the last month educating my kindergartener.

I've been asked by several people how the homeschooling is going, probably because I have yet to post anything about it. We're on our 5th week of homeschool, and the fact that I am still alive is a good sign. My blood pressure is probably better today than it was 5 weeks ago, but there is definitely room for improvement. I have realized, though, that what is causing me the most stress is trying to find a balance with each of my boys, and giving each of them attention. This is something that parents should figure out whether they are homeschooling or not.

First, I have to explain that I am not doing this totally on my own. I guess I am taking the "easy" way, which actually is not easy at all, let me tell you. Yes, there is the opportunity to create a schedule in a program online (ie. I can designate which days we will cover things like Science and History, while Math and Phonics are daily), yes the curriculum is given to me (yes, I said given, as in free, as in I did not pay for any of our books or materials except for some paper and crayons...I think public-schoolers have to pay more than I did---if you saw all of the books and supplies I was given, you'd fully appreciate that statement, or maybe you wouldn't appreciate it so much). So, in that regard, going the online-public-school route is easy. However, the commitment is where the challenge comes in. I am accountable to someone. Though I wish I had the luxury, yes I consider it a luxury, to run my homeschool the way I want to, I am not currently doing things that way.

Why?

This is dang hard. So why am I doing it this way? Well, to be honest I have no idea what the heck I am doing. I don't know where to start, what to teach. To some people, it might be one of those "duh, this is how you do it" type of things, and sometimes I get the impression that I am the only one who doesn't get it. And so I have my handy little program k12.

I go back and forth, seriously almost daily, on whether or not I like the program and if it is the right fit for us. Some parts I absolutely love. Mainly the Phonics and Math sections. Asher is excelling in those sections because they fit his level, and I feel that they are the most important thing he needs to learn right now. The Art...hmmm. When I saw "Fauvism" in one of the lessons, uh, yeah, um this is Kindergarten. I didn't learn about Fauvism until college Humanities. Science, we like for the most part. We learned about the 5 senses for the first few weeks, and this week we learned about bones an muscles--basics, thank goodness, he's not ready to learn about his gastrocnemius or his talus. We'll save that for first grade). We also have Language Arts, History, Social Studies, and Music. Like I said, this is Kindergarten. I am kind of having my inner dilemma with this because I don't believe in dumping too much on a child at such a young age. Challenge them, yes. Help them reach their potential, of course. Overwhelm them, absolutely not! In my opinion, education is not the act of filling their bucket for them. It is taking them to the well and allowing them to fill as they are ready and capable.

A couple weeks ago, we were finally able to meet our teacher. I could go on about the stress of not knowing right off the bat what was going on when we started a few weeks ago, but I am so grateful now to know that we have some guidance. After meeting our teacher, everything was put into perspective. Emphasis on Math, Phonics, and Language Arts. Everything else, basically do it, but don't stress about it. Teach the objectives for understanding and make it fun for the child. It doesn't necessarily have to follow the lesson plan exactly in order to get the point across. Our teacher has also reassured me that we're doing really well. Whew!

I am beyond grateful to my friend Katie who has given me so much support through all of this. She is amazing. She has 4 boys (newborn- 2nd grade), and she is homeschooling 2 of them right now. Our phone conversations are hilarious. And she is so calm. Yeah, she's my hero. Katie, you're incredible. Thank you for giving me hope to keep going even though others might be wanting me to quit.

Above all, the most important thing here is Asher. Does he love it, is he progressing, and luckily, the answer to both of those is YES! This is difficult, but if he is learning and loving learning, and gaining confidence in his own abilities, then I am going to stick with it. At least for this school year. Who knows what may happen next year.

Explanations

2011-09-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

I have a post that I am still polishing and editing...and editing some more. It is my update of how homeschooling is going so far. The short answer is that it is going well, but I want to rip my hair out sometimes. The longer answer is the post I just mentioned. Ah. I apologize in advance for the lengthy read that awaits whoever feels ambitious enough to understand what I am experiencing right now.

I wanted to share some of the funny things Asher has said during this whole process, and this has reminded me that I not only need to be better at keeping a journal, but that I should carry a notebook and pen with me at all times. Sometimes he is pretty profound, and sometimes, if it weren't for the fact that he is only 4 (almost 5), I would really be apt to say that he is getting smart with me. I don't think kids that young can knowingly do that though.

Today, one of the lessons is on England. This is pretty exciting for Silas, as our homeschooling side-liner, because that is the country where his favorite character (Harry Potter) resides. Not only does this country have castles and double-decker buses, but the wizard who defeats Lord Voldemort also lives there. Wow!

Along with teaching some minor facts about England, some geography was involved. In particular, teaching about what makes a piece of land an island.

When reviewing this concept, I felt Asher had a good grasp on what an island is, so we went ahead and did the assessment.
me: "Asher, how can you tell that England is a part of an island?"
Asher: "Because it just is. Heavenly Father and Jesus made it that way....and it is surrounded by water."

Silas has also had his moments of saying amusing things.
"Hey mom, how about if instead of 'Muppets from Space' we call it 'Muppets from Spain.'" (Did I mention we learned about Spain last week?) If there are any Muppet masters out there, we've got a new movie idea for you, and I think it would be a hit. Imagine Animal as a matador. Yep, see what I mean. Instant blockbuster.

Why, Yes, I am a Pig

2011-09-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago, our ward (church congregation) had our end of summer BBQ. This was one of our best ward dinners, EVER, in my opinion. Our friend Joe was in charge and decided to make it outside. I've never been to a church dinner outside, but I hope we do it this way every year because it made it more of a BBQ-feel.

So, I didn't really eat dinner that night. I made myself an awesome burger, set it down at the table, but I was preparing for the pie-eating contest. I have won two pie-eating contests, and even though I am not very competitive, this brings it out in me. I even came prepared this year and wore an apron (I had to make the pies, so that was part of the reason for the apron).

There were several heats, and then all of the winners were put against each other. I think there were 5 heats total (so final round, 5 winners, 1 champion).

In the first round that I did, I was up against 2 other girls and a man (he's a big guy too). Eating competitions are not meant to be pretty, and I've never really been one to care about getting embarrassed over things, at least since I've had children. I don't know what it is about having kids, but they have given me courage to not be afraid of looking completely ridiculous.

So I beat this guy, and the other girls.

Then for the final competition. Seriously, I don't know what it is, I am not a performer. Get me in front of a crowd to sing and my voice with crack and waver, playing a musical instrument, my hands will freeze, but make me eat really fast.....I'm in. Hearing people cheering makes it fun too.

Yep, I won. The only girl up against young men and a bishopric member (who really thought he had won...I heard his face was priceless).

So there's my talent. Maybe I am a pig, oh well. It was all worth it to hear one of the most elegant older ladies at church come up to me the next day and say how impressive I was. And ask if I earned a trophy or something. I didn't. Just the satisfaction alone is enough.

Tutu's Forest

2011-08-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

I think it's cute that my kids always refer to the grandparents' homes as their grandma's house. As in, Namma's house or Tutu's house (as if the Boppa's don't exist...no offense Boppas, I just think it's funny).

So about a month ago, before JD had to go back to work, we spent a few days in "Tutu's Forest," ya know, because she owns all the trees. Well, I guess technically they (Tutu & Boppa) do, because the trees are on their property. Instead of having to rent a campsite every year, they decided to by a "little" plot of land several years ago, which is by no means little at all, so that the family could make wonderful memories. Aren't they awesome? Though they've gone up every year since, this was the first time we took our little brood up there. Every year I was either pregnant or had a small baby, and so things just didn't work out. No more excuses.

Hanging out in the outdoors

Tutu's forest

Escaping technology and playing cards with the family.

Ok, so we didn't fully escape technology. But dancing made it ok. We also listened to Cake's "The Distance" every time we got into the car, at least 5 times. And we have not listened to it since.

Swimming down at the river was one of the highlights of our trip. It really felt like it was our private river (only there were a handful of other campers there, so it wasn't totally "ours," but almost). There were 13 of us though, so it might as well have been ours. We swam at the river every day that we were there, and the water was pretty cold. It was such clean, beautiful water, and the boys loved it.

Worst picture ever, but this amazing little bug landed on my scriptures while I was reading. It is one of the prettiest bugs I have ever seen (and I absolutely detest insects, so that is saying something). It was iridescent green, yellow, and orange.

Leah, Asher, Tutu, and Boppa in the river.

Leah, Sam, Tate, and JD playing cards.

Everyone went for a ride on Boppa's scooter (except me because I am a big chicken). Oh, and Jude. He's not old enough yet. Here's JD after his ride, letting Jude play with the handles.

I didn't get any pictures of when we went into town, and that was another highlight of the trip. We went wanted to go to Tommy Knows Pizza (say it out loud...funny huh?), but there was a sign that said he wouldn't be open, bummer. So instead, we went to a Mexican place that was pretty good, and then we went out for ice cream.

We had a really fun time and can't wait to go again next year. Hopefully it will work out for us to stay a little longer.

Collage Time

2011-08-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

Since we've done so much lately, I thought I would condense all of the activities into collages. Here it goes...

In July we did a lot of things.

County Fair

We had a late start in the day, but it worked out because the boys might not have lasted much longer. I was excited that there was a cute section for kids to do some FREE things. Makes sense to me, county fairs are pretty pricey, so we steer clear of the rides, and try not to eat too much (we went to a nice BBQ place for lunch before we went to the fair, and they had free soft serve ice cream!). Of the free activities, we saw an awesome model train exhibit, the 4-H animals, some country activities (the boys even got to do the kids' tractor pull).

Train Museum

Namma and Boppa took us to the Train Museum in Sacramento. Lots of fun for the boys. Some of the exhibits let you walk through some old passenger trains. Lots of interesting artifacts as well, and one man's very extensive collection of model trains. WOW! At the end, the boys were able to play with some Thomas sets they had set up.

Silas' Birthday

Silas' birthday fell close to the opening of the last Harry Potter movie, which was pretty fitting because Silas wanted a Harry Potter birthday party. It has become our tradition to give our boys a train party when they turn 3, so we had to make it a Harry Potter Train party...hmmm. So we road the Hogwart's express, decorated wands, ate Bertie Bott's every Flavor Beans (taste testing game), and had lots of fun. The highlights for Silas were the Quidditch cake (I am going the simple route now, yummy cake with toys on top), and the special wand made by Boppa.

Fruit Picking

We asked some friends if they would let us know what places near their home had good fruit-picking. Pretty sneaky way to get friends to invite you to their house, but it worked. We love our friends and we had lots of fun picking apricots and peaches. I have never seen apricots so big before, and all of the fruit was so sweet. I wish we could go there more often.

Dress-up

Who says dressing up is just for girls? My boys like to dress up on a daily basis, always keeping things exciting.

Our Next Adventure

2011-08-08T00:48:00.000-07:00

In one week, we will be venturing into a very controversial phase of our lives. Yep, that's right, we will begin home schooling. Asher is starting Kindergarten. Many friends and family seem to have an opinion about this, so I figured I would just put it all out there.

People choose to home school their children for a variety of reasons, and we are no different. Well, maybe we are different because our approach encompasses not just one single reason, but several. Hopefully this explanation will shed some light for friends and other readers, and by the end we might not seem like total weirdos. Just slightly different.

First, I have to say, homeschooling my children is not intended to be a slap in the face to the public school system. There are plenty of wonderful teachers out there, even in our humble little school district, and I do get kind of defensive when people speak ill of the area where we live, that they need to move away to find "better" schools. I was raised here, I can't help but find that a little bit offensive. There are amazing teachers here, and there are some not-so-amazing teachers here. I am sure it is a good cross-section of the country, and no matter where you go, if you are looking for good or bad, you will find it (that goes for pretty much any aspect of life, but in this case I am talking about public schools). That being said, I enjoyed going to school, for the most part. I liked most of my teachers and I felt like they did a decent job. However, I believe that whether a child attends public school or not, the primary teaching responsibility lies upon the parents. We cannot rely upon another entity to raise our children. You can still be responsible for your child's education even if he/she is not schooled at home, but schooling them at home does give you a little more freedom in how and when you teach your children. Public schools are great, and we do plan on having our children attend them, eventually. But for now, during their formative years, we have chosen to keep our children completely under our care as far as educational instruction goes.

Sometimes, I get jealous of my friends. They get a break during the day if their kids are in school, and then I realize that when their children come home, there's homework. Ugh. I hated it then, and I hate it now. Kids need to play, they need to explore, they need to love learning. That is my major beef with "the system" is that children are not allowed to be children as much anymore. A great book reference would be "The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon," by David Elkind, PhD. There's some interesting research in it about a correlation between piling too many responsibilities upon children and increase in depression, suicide, etc. Not to say that your child is going to jump off a bridge because they have homework in kindergarten, but dang, kids don't need as many pressures as our society is giving them. I want my children to enjoy learning, and gain confidence, not pressure, through their responsibilities, and I feel that happens best in a loving environment of trust.

Homeschooling does not have to be rigid. Studies have proven that rigidity and over-structuring the lives of children limits their creativity. A friend of mine who teaches 3rd grade told me recently that she hates all of the standardized tests that she has to give her students. It takes away from the fun things that she likes to do with her class, and she feels that there is too much pressure among teachers, and from the teachers to their students to teach to the test, and perform better. I think it is wonderful when teachers want to work harder to help children succeed, but is it really helping the kids advance? I am a terrible test-taker, but something I learned from a college professor was that if you truly learn what you are studying, it will be in your heart and your mind. You will not just be memorizing facts to spit them back out. That will not stay with you. You will be recording feelings and thoughts connected to those facts. That is real learning and wisdom. Again, I want my children to learn for the sake of learning and apply the knowledge they obtain, not just be able to spit back facts.

The homeschooling plan we chose for this year seemed to be the best fit for our situation, and I have heard great things from several friends who have used it. It is called K12, and it is online, public schooling. My child is not going to be sitting at a computer all day, but that is how we get access to lessons and assessments and record attendance. There will be mentor teachers helping me as I guide my child's learning. I'm really looking forward to it because I don't consider myself a very rigid and structured person, but having the lessons already there sounds great. They sent us all of his books and materials (free!) and when we are done, we send them back at the end of the year, or save them for our next student (and some supplies, I hear, we get to keep).

Some friends have asked how I will be able to give my child enough attention to teach them when I have other kids at home. Hmm...well, how do I get anything done in a house with kids at home? Little by little, that's all I can say. People learn to be more independent. It is much less challenging than the teacher-student ratio in schools. 1 teacher to 30 kids (if you're lucky), and maybe an aide or two. That's why kids have homework, or at least that's the only reason I can think of; if the work doesn't get done, send them home with it to reinforce it. Our "school" will only be about 4 hours a day, and it can be split up however we want.

So then socialization becomes an issue in the conversation. I've read responses to this on many homeschooling blogs, but this is my response: My children interact with other children their age on a regular basis at church and in playgroups (I am also trying to meet other home schoolers in the area). I want them to have a social life, and I feel that they will. It might not be the same as a child who is in a classroom with 30 other pupils, but they will definitely have to learn how to interact with other people. The program we will be doing has many opportunities for interact with other families in the program, and I also have field trip opportunities with home school play groups. Basically, my kids will not be in a bubble.

I could go on, but people have probably already stopped reading. So for now, this is our plan. We will most likely home school our children up until 4th grade, but then again, maybe we'll try it, and change our minds. My husband and his siblings were homeschooled until middle school (and FYI, they do not fit the stereotype that I had always had that homeschooled kids are odd). We don't think people who send their kids to school are uncaring, just so ya know. This is just what we feel is right for our family. I am really excited to be an active part of my child's learning. I know all parents should have that level of involvement with their children in academics, but I will be INVOLVED involved in it. I am excited.

Please feel free to comment or ask questions. I've heard it all, and I am really not offended by the concerns anymore.

Because Speeding is Against the Law

2011-07-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have felt the need to do something crazy. Not illegal crazy, or immoral crazy, but maybe just slightly, hmmmm, "what-was-she-thinking" kind of crazy.

So to fulfill my need to be slightly irrational, I decided to cut my hair.

Shorter than I have ever had it. Well, since 5th grade. We don't talk about that haircut very often. I looked like a boy. A very goofy, sissy-looking boy. Maybe someday I will post a picture.

So step one. The cut.

It's definitely different than what I am used to (see header for a decent "before"), but I like it. My new stylist did a great job going by the picture I gave to her. Asher loved it, Silas ran away from me (then hugged me), and Jude didn't notice a difference. Oh, and JD LOVES it. I know not many husbands are that encouraging of their wives to chop off their hair.

Then 2 days later, (umm, yesterday) I decided to color it. A very wild color combination, yet still in the "natural" realm. I probably should have done a darker color, but I am getting used to it. And today, I kinda like it more.

I look like a redhead with blond highlights.

So, yeah, feeling an urge to do something crazy? Go get a haircut, and change the color while you're at it. It is much better than breaking the law.

Whirlwind Vacation

2011-07-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, we went on a vacation as a family. This will be the third "vacation" for JD and me...#1 being our honeymoon, and #2 when we went back for our 4th anniversary. We don't get out much, I guess because this is the first time we've ever done anything big with our kids, but we're grateful that they are content with living the simple life. Over the course of our 9 day trip, we did more fun things than we did in the last 9 months...maybe.

I took about 250 pictures, which for some people is probably a day's worth, and it was hard to narrow down favorites, but here is a summary of the trip. WARNING: if you don't like looking at pictures, stop now. You will get sucked-in to the vortex. But don't worry, I didn't use all 250.

Leaving at midnight to drive for 12 or so hours means you get to see the sun rise. And when you are driving east, that sunrise is right in your face. Fun.

When we arrived at the Salt flats

Hanging out with Courtney and her adorable kids. Wish we could have hung out more.

Atop the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, with Temple Square in the background. The older two weren't feeling so photogenic at this point (we had just gone on a tour of the Conference Center)

While we were at Temple Square, it rained. A LOT. And we walked through it.

Jude blowing kisses.

At the Church History Museum, they have a new Children's Exhibit. We pretty much stayed there forever. The boys loved it.

Asher built a temple and a king's castle.

We visited the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point. It has the largest collection of mounted dinosaurs. A whole lot of fossils folks. I don't think I had ever seen fossils up close in my life, let alone this many. It was pretty amazing.

When we walked into this room, Silas screamed at Asher not to go near the shark. Kinda scary, but Silas quickly realized it wasn't real, and felt better.

Visiting JD's aunt and uncle, we had so much fun on their little farm. This little goat was louder than it looks. (they have about 40 goats that they raise)

Aunt Connie was nice enough to read several stories to the boys before bedtime.

Just because we rarely get a picture of the two of us.

Uncle Ed let the boys ride the tractor.

In the bucket too!

Their beautiful garden full of veggies and berries. Aunt Connie said it wasn't much, and I laughed.

We only spent a day there, and we had so much fun. We can't wait to visit again sometime (and maybe stay longer...I am bad at planning vacations, having never really gone on one prior to this).

Off to BYU and the Berretts. Silas and Dalton ("Dolphin" as Silas calls him) ran around everywhere. Even the Bean Life Science Museum.

The boys were instant best friends. It was like Dalton and "Cookers" (baby Collin) were like their brothers. They even fought with Dalton a few times.

Our awesome host and hostess who gave us some awesome accomodations, including, but not limited to gourmet meals, special smoothies, fancy bedroom with a mint on the pillow, and a night of laughs.

Fun at Bridal Veil falls.

The boys threw rocks. A lot of rocks. This is where being easily entertained comes in handy.

Yay a family picture, and it isn't even Christmas yet!

Fireworks show. I got the kids glownecklaces (which really helped since my flash is dead)

The kids ate most of their meals in an empty swimming pool. Really smart idea.

Cupcake decorating with Auntie Laurene.

I love how his cupcake has the same colors as his shirt.

Jude looking patriotic on the 4th.

At the Freedom Festival, there were lots of free activities for the kids, including this truck filled with sand and digging toys. If the kids found treasure (big play coins hidden in the same), they could cash it in for prizes.

The boys found treasure! (I may have helped them a little)

Another family picture. This is truly amazing!

Another family picture (actually the same one, only expanded to show everyone). We love these people and have chosen them as family, and we can't wait for them to move back to California. We miss them a LOT).

Watching our little fireworks show.

everyone enjoying the pyrotechnics.

Last lap of the whirlwind took us to Reno, NV where we got to see the Perrys, and be blessed to eat their food and spend time lounging and doing fun, relaxing things with them (and sleep on the best bed ever).

Really fun playground in their neighborhood with a climbing rock.

The "splash park" with all sorts of water-spraying structures. Asher was hesitant at first, then ran out there and wouldn't stop.

Silas just walked around

Fun times at In-n-Out

Now that vacation is over, we have to go back to being regular people again. I hope this is the start of a new tradition of family vacations, at least every other year. We had tons of fun and we're grateful to all of the family and friends who gave up space for us, fed us, and otherwise entertained us. We love you and thank you for your generosity.

Success

2011-06-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

Just as one man's trash is another man's treasure, so goes the fact that oftentimes one person's success is another person's ~~failure~~ opportunity for patience. My kids have been pretty successful lately.

Take Jude for example. He can successfully reach things, pull them down and begin devouring in a matter of seconds. He doesn't even need to plot out his attack; it's instinctual. Kind of scary. He can also climb. It's a great skill to have, but creates a variety of challenges. If anyone knows how to successfully thwart this, let me know.

This guy successfully manages a dual personality. The sweet, sensitive type and the macho dominator. You have probably been fooled by that gleamy smile and sparkly blue eyes, but be warned. Do not let your guard down. He can smell fear.

A friend of ours put it best recently when he described Asher and Silas as "Frienemies." So true. They have successfully learned how to wrestle, box, chase, and sword fight with no coaching. Here's to hoping these talents will last and they will be loyal to each other more often than not.

This final success has me pretty excited. I've been working on letters with Asher and not just writing and recognition, but learning how to read and write words. We'll be starting kindergarten in the fall (yes, I say "we" because I will be homeschooling Asher...yep, I am one of those crazies. I know a bunch of people have an opinion about it, and that's totally fine. Fire away). We tried to start this reading program before, and stopped, but now Asher is pretty interested, so hopefully we'll complete it before we start kindergarten in a few months. ANYHOW, he wrote this get well card to our friend when I helped him sound out the words (without having him copy anything).

Here's to success!

A Lesson in Common Courtesy

2011-06-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

So, let's say you take your mom out to lunch on her birthday, and you have your three small, very hungry, children with you. And let's just say these children are ages 4 1/2, almost 3, and just barely 1. And, let's say they select their meals, and wait not so patiently for said meals to arrive, while making some noise and trying to climb out from under the table. Then there is about two minutes of calm before someone is set off again about something, and noise ensues. And this continues several times.

At last the food arrives, and child number two realizes he didn't really want what he ordered, so he tries to take child number one's chicken. (child number one is a pretty slow eater and it isn't all that hard to snatch food from him). You can see where this is going...

"I DO NOT WANT......ANYONE...TO...TAKE....MY....FOOD...EVER ...AGAIN!" Food is recovered and once everyone is finally consuming their food, the tension is eased and you and your mom have a little chuckle, because that is what moms do when their kids are behaving poorly in public. We laugh at them (well, actually, you can do one of three things: laugh, cry, or beat them. I am against the physical abuse thing, I have witnessed it several times and I think it is flat out wrong. Crying...been there, done that. Laughing is definitely the best option. The kids are just being unreasonable, it doesn't matter what you do, they just need to eat and relax, and the best thing for a parent to do is basically the same).

Then....
An older man decides to give his two cents as he's walking to the restroom. He stops at your table and says something, but only the last phrase stands out in your mind.
"blah blah blah ...I think 'Thank God they're not mine!'"

What?! Yes, you hear of these incidents where random strangers give you parenting advice, but until it actually happens to you, you really don't know how to react. But somehow you pull off a smile until the stranger is out of sight (but hopefully not out of ear shot) and you sigh that yet another person has lost what is known as common courtesy, ie don't be a jerk. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Maybe he heard.

So, yeah, that was my experience yesterday, and now I know what my comeback would be:

"Why yes sir. I thank God they're not yours too. It'd be a shame to waste such energetic, creative little boys on a grouch like you. Have an awesome day."

New Favorite

2011-05-25T23:33:00.000-07:00

I have this goal, actually we have the goal to take more pictures and home video footage of our kids, whether it be an actual event, or just the every day stuff. We don't own a fancy pants camera, and I feel like we're among the few, and so my pictures aren't always the best and I get discouraged with taking dull pictures.

But...

It doesn't matter the camera. Beauty and joy can still be captured in our simple little point-and-shoot.

like this:

Jude's vocabulary is expanding, and it is always cute to see what is really important to the babies. With Asher, aside from "mama" and "dada," his next word was "ball." Seriously, what could be more important?
With Silas, I think his next word was "jump." He is a very active little guy.
Jude, he's been saying (haha "saying" is a pretty loose term) "thank you" for a couple weeks. It's more like "deet doooo" but we understand and so do most other people. He's also starting to say "brubah" or brother, and the first thing he does every morning is ask for his brothers. So sweet.

This is my new favorite picture, showing the love he has for Silas.
Even though I spend half my day yelling for the fighting to stop, somewhere in the back of my mind is the hope that they will all grow to be best friends. When we have moments like this, it makes me realize that they are already.

The Four Fs

2011-05-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

The four Fs are our recipe for an enjoyable get-together. Food, family, friends, and fun! We've been experiencing this a lot lately.

Mother's Day we went to JD's family's place and ate yummy food. I almost even got to take a nap.
I got this wonderful shot of Boppa and the boys. Love it!

Like that mark on the middle child's forehead? This poor kid is going to be so covered in scars, it's sad. That one was from a burn from a waffle iron, right after I told him not to put his face near it. It's totally healed now and he is constantly amazed, as am I, that his body has the power to fix the silly things that he inflicts upon himself.

JD had a birthday...the big 3-0, and to celebrate we crammed 30 people into our tiny place. I don't know the exact square footage of where we live, but I am guessing about 900 sq ft. Maybe? We now know that we can fit 15 kids and 15 adults, roughly, and we will probably never do it again (sorry folks).

The highlight of the evening, besides the food I slaved over (pulled pork burritos and a special trifle), was when JD's best friend showed up after the masses had cleared out, wrapped in Tinkerbell wrapping paper. The surprise was priceless. JD didn't expect it at all. His best friend, and wife and kids came into town for a wedding the next day, and it worked out perfectly for us to spend some time with them and surprise JD. Oooh, and they gave us some exceptional homemade tikka masala. mmm

Yep, the Four Fs definitely make us happy!

Dear Shawni...

2011-05-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Shawni Eyre Pothier,

You have absolutely no idea who I am, and the chances of you actually stumbling upon my blog are slim to none, but I just wanted to make a public apology. My previous post might have come across as a jab at "The Mother of the Year," or, in this case, um, you. Yikes, totally not my intention, though some might have read it that way and felt a little defensive about it. When I mentioned finding a Mother of the Year's bio, it actually wasn't yours, I promise. I won't say who it did belong to, and actually, I am pretty sure it was someone from a previous year. Please accept my sincerest apologies for coming across rude in any way, in the event that you accidentally discovered me, even though we have no connection at all (actually...I discovered I have some friends who are friends with one of your sisters-in-law). I promise I am really not a jerk in real life (well, at least not all the time).

My intent was to express gratitude to mothers who never receive any recognition, except maybe they got a "Happy Mother's Day." Moms who are more behind the scenes, and "in the trenches" as you mention in interviews and on your blog. After reading many of your blog posts (after I made my post), I realized this is not something you personally aspired to receive, though it is obvious that happiness in motherhood is one of your goals. I hope to become more like that, and reading your words, and the words of your mother truly do inspire me (and lead me to make a purchase or two...and I got a little frustrated that "A Mother's Book of Secrets" is not currently available on Deseret Book because I could sure use some help right now). I am actually a Joy School mom and your family has truly blessed me already. I want to congratulate you on the recognition that you received, and I think it is wonderful that such a woman is representing our country as the Young Mother of the Year. Thank you for your inspiration and dedication to motherhood.

with deepest respect,
Sarah Chilton

Mother of the Year

2011-05-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

By the title, you must have thought I was going to talk about myself, didn't you? Ha! You must not know me that well.

Before I enter into the sentimental blend of my opinion and my feelings (yes, they are two different things), I'd like to share a humorous photo that gives you a rough idea of what my life is like. It actually isn't entirely accurate because the older two boys are not climbing on each other.

Recently, I was looking through some sites, and somehow came across a bio of a "Mother-of-the-Year." I wanted to know what makes such a woman. Don't get me wrong, I am sure this woman is a wonderful human being who contributes to her family and community, but it made me think about such an award. How to people get this award anyway? Is there a competition, a write-in nomination that has to impress some judges or what? What a slap in the face to know if you were ever nominated for such an award, and you were merely the runner-up. I know so many mothers who deserve more, and I wanted to acknowledge their efforts.

We all need to face the fact that the ideal woman/mother just does not exist. Everyone has flaws, everyone is at their own level of progression towards their ultimate goal. Maybe this is a bold statement, but the Mother-of-the-Year is progressing, not perfection.

The mother-of-the-year is not necessarily the mom with the most kids, the busiest schedule, or the most obstacles to over come...but maybe she is.

She is someone who gives of herself and serves those around her, but also understands her role as a mother means that there are times when she has to turn down a service project.

She is always striving to be better.

I know women who have children with special needs, in varying degrees of severity. The ones who do not give up, who treasure their children regardless of their challenges, they are mothers-of-the-year. Some of them have pretty frustrating days, and they rarely get breaks. Some of them don't even have family vacations whether it be for financial reasons or because of the fear it might produce in their children to do something out of the routine. Yet they are cheerful and optimistic, when others would act burdened.

I know women who have suffered through family hardships, whether financial or medical, and they are still there to lift the burdens of others. The award goes to you for your selflessness.

I know women who experience emotional prisons, but they fight, they ask for help, they pull themselves out and keep going. There needs to be an award to them as well.

I have so much to learn from these women. Mothers with busy lives and challenges who are honestly and truly happy. I love them because that is what motherhood should be. Raising children is a challenge, probably the greatest challenge most of us will ever face, but it is also fun. An awesome church leader once told me "if you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong." He was speaking in regards to church responsibilities, but I think the same can go for family responsibilities as well.

The Mother-of-the-Year might not be the soccer mom who also happens to be the PTA president, WAHM (work at home mom), scratch-dinner-maker, all-around-party-planner, community service volunteer, and so on. Nope, in my opinion The Mother-of-the-Year doesn't call attention herself, she just lives and loves. In fact, The Mother-of-the-Year may not even be a "mother" at all.

She teaches, she nurtures, she loves.

Clipped the Curls

2011-05-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

Every time I do this, I know someone is bound to get mad at me. Another baby, another first haircut. I've learned though. For instance, a #2 attachment takes off quite a bit more than you think, so start with a #4 instead, and if you want a little more off, go down. So that's what I did. And, just so ya know, a #4 also takes quite a bit off. But it was intentional this time. The poor guy sweats like a beast, and the temperature has been going up around here, and one of our neighbors recently called him a "she." No sir, that beautiful child is, in fact, a boy, as in "he." Thanks.

The before shot was actually taken about 2 or 3 weeks ago, and so the hair was actually longer than that. It was a painful decision, I must admit. The curls were adorable, and he can even pull off the Farrah Fawcett fluff on the sides. But I also love me a buzzed baby, and he is still pretty dang adorable to me. And now we know, under all that light brown hair is another little toe-head.

The Reasons

2011-04-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

why I wake up in the morning

sometimes I'd rather stay in bed and hide

Why I laugh

and cry

but mostly laugh.

One

2011-04-20T02:10:00.000-07:00

Why yes, that is my one-year-old eating his first birthday cake like a hamburger. No wonder he's 30 lbs...eh? For the record, he didn't eat the whole thing.

(just so ya know, not that it matters or anything, but it was a "wholesome" baby cake with mashed bananas and applesauce, and no added sugar...well, except for the frosting ...)

One Year Ago Today...

2011-04-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Our littlest team member joined us. He is a fun baby. He can be crabby at times. And loud. But we love him so much.

Last year:

And now:

I love his curly hair...I don't want to cut it, but I do...

Not much has changed really. He is still insanely cute and loves to cuddle. Except now he gives kisses, laughs, has teeth, walks...oh, and he weighs 30 LBS! (I had to weigh him to find out because I seriously thought he felt heavier than a friend's 3 1/2 year old...I thought no way, couldn't be. Weighed him, and lo and behold, he's got her by a few pounds). He doesn't say many words besides mama and dadda, but he definitely knows how to communicate and has some sounds that he is good at expressing. "Bru" (brothers) "ba" (ball), and "haaaa" (hat), as well as the sign for milk/nurse (he mastered that one after one little lesson).

I am constantly amazed how my kids all have blond hair and blue eyes and look related (still not exactly alike), but they are so completely different from each other in their personalities. Asher is the intense one, Silas is pretty physical, and Jude, I am realizing, is turning in to quite the entertainer. He is the people-person who will not only go to almost anyone (within reason), but he will probably give them a smooch while he's at it.

We love our baby Jude. He's the one that will make me want to have more.

The Usual

2011-03-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

The more I look at other people's blogs, the more I realize how mundane my life really is. We don't go on vacations, we don't do many exciting outings or go to many events. We're just here. Playing, watching movies, eating, sleeping, and fighting (the boys at least). It could be because of all the rain we received the past few weeks. Or it could just be we aren't that exciting, in which case, I am going to have to change that. Today we planted seeds (yay! exciting), until I made a whole bunch of ants mad, and now they are completely covering everything in our garden. Seriously, it almost gave me anxiety.

Jude got a bath in the sink last night because we had a friend's daughter over, JD took Silas to bed, and I wanted to still be "watching" the kids. I was grateful that he sat down because in the bath tub, he never sits. It gets pretty tricky.

Yesterday Silas picked up a Star Wars action figure and said "Hey fat guy!" I have no idea what the character's name is, but he is rather rotund and has a bare chest. I don't want my kids saying that to every larger person they meet though. That's not so nice. So I asked him "Silas, what does 'fat' mean?" Silas said "Happy!...and chubby naked buns." Ok, now I understand where the fat reference came from: Jude. He is the fatso around here. Don't ask me what he weighs, I have no clue. It's been a while since he's been weighed, but dang, it's a lot (let's just say more than most 2 year olds). Oh, and he just started walking the other day, and he is pretty confident already and has climbed on some furniture as well. Next week he will be 1! I can't believe it. The crazy thing is that when Asher turned one, I was pregnant with Silas. When Silas turned one, I was pregnant with Jude....and Jude is about to turn one. And I am not pregnant, or ready to be. It's unthinkable to have four children living in 900 sq. ft. with no backyard and a mom going crazy.

It's nice to have a camera around in your purse, just in case your child starts doing funny things in front of a mirror in a store. I love listening to Asher playing pretend with action figures, especially when he doesn't know I am listening. "And Silver Samurai has twenty eighty-nine sixty-five thirty eighty-nine powers and Wolverine only has two." or this one (sorry kinda gruesome....I don't know where he came up with this one) "And the dad came along and said 'hey son, let's go beat the bad guys,' but the bad guys hit the dad and his head broke, so the good guys fixed him back together with tape, and they beat the bad guys, and won." I can't remember if I've said it before, but a friend's mom said once (as she walked by our place, our boys play "shooting" everyone who walks by) "it's amazing how boys come that way with that need to be protectors."

Today, Asher and Silas helped me to plant flower seeds (and some veggie seeds) in the front yard. Asher said we needed to plant more flowers so he can pick them for me. Isn't that sweet? Right now he just picks weeds disguised as flowers.

How can you look at this face and see anything but sweetness? Ahhhh Silas. There is something to be said about two-year-olds (actually, he's coming closer and closer to being three). I know there are some children who don't go through the "terrible twos," or maybe it is just that the parents forget about the difficulties and remember the joys (much the way mothers forget about the extreme pains of labor). He is pretty territorial lately. He has his "spot" at the kitchen table, and on the couch. If anyone is even an inch in his spot, he's a little upset.

You might be wondering what this is. Instead of a picture of me, I took a picture of these (the colors made me happy). It is a stack of cloth diapers. I love them. Some people warned me, "oooh, that'd be so gross to do cloth diapers. The poop, aggggh," but I was not convinced. It is not that gross. These cloth diapers are awesome. I am so glad I switched. I am still trying to find more ways to save money though, so any ideas, please send them my way.

Some Days

2011-03-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of ups and downs lately. Stress. You learn about patience through having experiences that force you to stretch. Our backs do not become stronger without some sort of force or opposition. Blissful, trial-free lives are for sissies. A friend of ours recently wrote an amazing post about overcoming discouragement. I have read it several times.

I keep trying to remind myself that life is good, because it is. I just get frustrated and overwhelmed very easily, especially with my little people. I have also been dealing with the stress of them coughing. A cough that won't go away. It is not life-threatening at all, and I don't feel guilty allowing them to go to their church classes. The cough is mainly at night, and it is more annoyance (for all involved) than illness.

The day the boys inherited my brother's old stash of Star Wars, Star Trek, and other random action figures. (almost 30 year old toys)

My stress doesn't seem to hurt the boys; they do a good job of that themselves. Asher and Silas, ahhh. They are the best of friends, they are the worst of friends. They defend each other when the other is in trouble. "Don't be mad at my brother!" But, lately, they've been fighting more. Perhaps it is because we've been cooped up due to the weather. They need fresh air, they need space to run (and a backyard would be nice). Usually, Silas (#2) is the one to instigate the fighting. He's a pusher, puncher, hitter (used to bite...thank goodness that phase passed), kicker...we're thinking maybe in a year, it would be good to get him involved in soccer. Well, Asher has learned to fight back. In one week, he clawed Silas on the face, and gave him a bloody nose. Bloody nose was while we were with friends. They have one child. I think this experience scared them a bit.

Silas is in the potty-training process. I say that somewhat loosely. He does it sometimes, we're not forcing it (not our style), but we get really excited when he does what he is supposed to do. You can tell by the look on his face that he is quite the rascal. He keeps us on our toes, and we never know what he's going to do. Sometimes I find him upstairs, perched on the top bunk, totally stuck because he doesn't know how to get back down (we don't have a ladder on it, but he finds some way up there).

Really hot water & honey mixed with peanut butter makes for really tasty and easy to spread stuff

Asher is having fun with Joy School. Knives and scissors in one day. WOW! The amazing things that make this guy happy. Last night we had Chinese take-out (ha! On St. Patrick's day), and his fortune said "you will take a chance in the near future, and WIN!" Everything is about winning right now, which is odd because we are not very competitive people. Needless to say, he was pretty excited about his fortune.

Jude---this guy is the sweetest and loudest of our kids. When he is happy, he is such a jolly little fat man, and he is starting to realize he is entertaining and funny. But when he is sad, watch out. In fact, when he cries, it gets him coughing, and once he starts coughing...well, 9 times out of 10, something quite disgusting happens, and 9 times out of 10, it's all over me. Funny thing, last week this actually happened during church (usually, he only does it once and it's at night). I was glad he did it near the end of church, and instead of being on my shirt, it was in it. Nice. (not really) So, Jude has thrown up almost every day for the last few weeks, poor guy....but, he's not "sick." I've also started using cloth diapers on him. I'm becoming more and more of a hippie every day. I mainly wanted to try it to save money and to help with a rash he's had (which has improved). I was pretty depressed when I filled this out, and realized just how much money it will cost us to diaper our kids. JD always says "well, how much is your time worth?" My time is not worth $10,000 in diapers. It's different and I am still getting used to it, but I like it more than I thought I would. It's not as time consuming and gross as people think. I don't like that he screams and moves around every time I try to change him or his screaming whenever I leave the room, but I think he's do that regardless of the type of diaper we use. I am pleasantly surprised though that he doesn't leak at night.

About 80% of Jude's day is spent exploring. Isn't that what babies should be doing? He prefers this corner of the kitchen where he can pull out every mason jar and platter. Sometimes he bangs on pots and pans.

JD does stuff too. We had him here for 5 weeks while he waited for a new job. It was rough, but we survived, and we're grateful that he is working once again. While he was off, he was able to do a lot of service for others, paint a table, fix a door, and a ton of other things.

And me...I'd say I'm going crazy, but I think I've been there for a while. Like I've said before, motherhood is NOT for sissies. Overcoming post partum depression is rough, and doesn't just disappear. And, sometimes it lasts longer than just a few months. I am really grateful for my calling at church, and for other opportunities to teach and substitute and serve when I am needed. It really brings balance to the chaos when I have a specific thing to prepare and when I know I am needed.

Too Cute Not to Share

2011-03-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

Today is a day of pictures and a few words. Let's go...

my mom with Silas and Leafy

A few weeks ago, JD's mom and aunt visited us, just because. I love when people do that. They brought along JD's youngest cousins (auntie's youngest 2...she has 6. Women with 6 or more kids are my heroes). Silas fell in love with baby Leafy. He held her for 15 minutes straight without moving. Amazing.

Asher was pretty smitten too, and who wouldn't be. She's a doll.

The other cousin brought along was this little guy. Silas' partner in crime. There aren't words adequate to describe the type of boys they are, so we'll just say "energetic." I was worried that in our tiny place, on a rainy day, these guys would be bored out of their minds and knocking every thing over. No so. Not only did they play well together, they also fought well together. How do you fight well together? You beat each other up, no one gets hurt and no one cries. I was pleasantly surprised. I love these two boys and I know they will be best friends growing up.

And, recently we went to a friend's baseball game, and this picture of Jude is just too dang cute.

Just in Case....

2011-02-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

...You're like me, and you happened to forget to take a picture or two of your kids in their Christmas jammies.

It's not too late.

The joy of Christmas morning can be captured any day of the year, in fact.

They might not like it, but it's not too late.

In fact it is never too late.

There are still 303 days left until next Christmas you know.

What Does Love Look Like?

2011-02-17T01:58:00.000-08:00

I am trying...really trying to be better at being a "fun" mom. I know, some friends will say "oh, don't be so hard on yourself. You are fun." Thanks.

But that isn't what I mean. I mean, I want to be fun-NER. Yes, I realize that is not a word. I want to increase my fun capacity (how about that?). I want my kids to look back on their childhood and think, dang, Mom was the funnest mom EV-ER! And I am sooooo falling short of that, so I need to reset myself on that goal.

That is what I mean by fun. I want to make holidays more memorable, create more traditions, do silly fun things during ordinary days. I don't want to be remembered as the mom who vacuumed everyday (HA!..no worries there folks) or who was always nagging kids to put things away. I love the sign in my kitchen:

a spotless house is a sign of a wasted life

(note that it does not say a "clean" house. It is fine and great and important to have a clean house....but spotless? No). Though certain things need to be done, I have better things to do. I better stop before I offend people who have spotless homes.

what sweet cheeks

Anyhow, what was I saying? Oh, love. I want the most important people in my life to feel loved, not just for Valentine's day, but all the time. We didn't have any huge celebrations, but I did make something special for my family, and we started a new tradition.

This is the third year that I made these sticky buns. It is a Valentine's Day tradition for us now, and it only occurs on Valentine's Day because, quite frankly, I don't have that much time to make something like this on a regular basis. And, that amount of butter will do some interesting things to you, I'm sure. So my present to my family, was some gooey, sticky buns. And I am pretty sure they felt loved.

They knew I had been making these treats since we got home from church the day before, but they didn't get to have them until they woke up from their nap on Valentine's day. Hence the blank stares.

seriously, there is nothing better than watching a kid eat.

Also, now, I don't know if I entirely came up with this on my own, if I saw it somewhere, or if I was inspired by my friend's Thankful tree that her family does during November, but I came up with the idea to have a Valentine's heart where we put love notes to our family members for the 2 weeks before Valentine's Day, then we open them and read them all on the 14th. We wrote them for the boys, and gave them some ideas because "I love you because we share toys" could only be repeated so many times. It worked out really well, but next year I think we will just do it for one week because it took a long time to read all of the notes. The boys both got so excited when I would open and read a note for them, then they would run to whoever wrote the note and hug them. Next year, I also want to change what we put the notes into. Below is what I made, but I think I want to make this one next year.

I wanted to put a strap on, but didn't get around to it (even though it would have taken 5 minutes!)

So, if you haven't noticed, we're not really into buying stuff for Valentine's Day. To us, love looks like a family, eating yummy treats, and writing sweet notes.

Who Am I?

2011-02-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

Hello there...my name is Princess Peach. No wait...no, today I am Hermoine Granger. I live with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hagrid, and Dobby.

What do I do all day? Magic. Wanna see?

I let my superhero sons cast spells on the neighborhood. We're all about safety around here.

And this guy is a superhero in training. He likes books. He studies them all day long. Someday he will learn how to put them back on the shelves. All in good time. We don't believe in growing up too fast around here.

And what about magic, you ask?

My family family gets excited over broccoli. I'd say that's pretty magical.

Having happy people all around you is pretty magical too.

Life is awesome when you're a princess...wait, I mean witch...or..mom. Yep. I have too many names.

Friend

2011-01-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

It seems that recently, I actually have things to post to our blog. I feel that there is either nothing to say, or too much to post, and so...I put it off.

A few weeks ago, one of my best friends moved away.

And when I say "best friend," I mean one of the most awesome, caring, talented, practically-a-sister, I-could-talk-to-about-anything-and-nothing kind of friend.

This awesome friend and her husband and kids were about to move the very next morning when we took them out for their very last dinner here.

We love a good reason to dress up and feel fancy. I think JD looks more like a "Pierre" in this picture.

It was fun to go out on a date with friends, and feel classy for a couple of hours.

We miss you Perrys!

Christmas & New Year's Festivities

2011-01-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

I know, I know....a little late, but that's how we roll around here.

So, the rundown of Christmas went like this, Christmas Eve we went to JD's family's house and had fun for several days (while I was recovering from strep...fun times despite being sick). We even played Just Dance 2 several times. I probably shouldn't do that when I am sick, but it was fun. I never get pictures of Christmas Eve, and I really should. There are always a ton of people there, a gang of small children, and a handful of babies. We were missing some people this year though because they were sick, so hopefully we will get to see them soon.

Christmas morning. I might have written about this last year, but my mom started this tradition, whether intentional or not, to take pictures of my brother and I, asleep in our beds on Christmas morning. Unlike normal children, our sleep matters a bit more to us than whatever is under the tree, and so we are not really early risers. My kids seem to be the same.

Can you see Silas here?

What about here?

Yeah, here he is, under a chair about an inch or so away from the closet track. He moved pretty far in his sleep.

Asher climbed into bed with us.

And there's Jude.

Everyone got lots of fun and exciting presents, but I am only going to show off a few.
JD's little brother made this for mom in his pottery class. Pretty awesome. It is to store all of her garden seeds.

Silas and Asher had so much fun at Christmas.

LEGOS!

Then Asher got a Mario backpack. He calls him "Buddy Mario."

I made capes for the boys, and it has been like Halloween every day since.

And here's me and Jude to prove that we were there (out of every 300 pictures, I might be in one).

Originally, We were going to have brunch with my family on Christmas Eve morning, but since I was still a bit sick, my parents and brother came over here and brought gifts, and we bumped the brunch to New Year's Eve morning, When I was growing up, we always has Christmas brunch at my mom's parent's house. When we walked in on New Year's Eve morning, the smell reminded me of Christmas brunch. Every breakfast food you could imagine. We had everything except for Gram's ambrosia (but we'll have it next year).

New Year's Eve was lots of fun. Our group of friends had a party at one family's house and we played Rock Band and Just Dance 2. Everyone had lots of fun, and then we toasted the New Year at 9pm because it was already 2011 in New York, and when you have 12 little people at the party, it's only fair to them to get some sleep and party through the night. We were all home close to 10pm and didn't feel cheated one bit. Actually, I was a bit grateful. We didn't miss out on anything because everyone has kids and wanted to get them to bed at a reasonable hour.

Here are the guys dancing to "It's Raining Men," which was probably the highlight of the evening.

Next time, I want to see Joe dance!

These are the best friends anyone could ask for. I like to think that I have always been blessed with good friends throughout my life. I am grateful for people who reach out whenever they see that someone needs them. These women are the friends that are more like family. If I had my own sisters, I would hope they'd be like them. One of them recently moved away, and I am pretty sad about that, but someday our firstborns will marry each other...right? Seriously though, I am grateful for friends. True friends listen, and uplift. They make you want to be a better person. I only wish I could do more for my friends. I feel like a wimp sometimes. They are MY examples and always know the right thing to do to help others. I am glad I have their examples so I can learn to be more like that. Thanks ladies. You are AWESOME!

I think that wraps up 2010. It was a great year surround by great people and experiences.

Back with Updates

2011-01-20T00:27:00.000-08:00

I did not realize that I hadn't uploaded any pictures from my camera since November. Wow. big oops. Had to delete a bunch of stuff because somehow my camera and computer were not communicating with each other very well. I really hate when that happens. Personal issues...geeze. I got it all worked out though. I guess the computer didn't like JD's rendition of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," (sorry JD...I personally loved it).

So, at the risk of making this an incredibly long post, I will post little snippets of what we did in December, even though now we are almost entirely through January.

Without further adieu...December, Team Chilton style (minus Christmas...that will be next post)

Our boys went to another 3D movie (I think I have seen only 2 in my entire life)

I made a TON of aprons (and haven't touched the sewing machine since)

The boys got to sit with Santa. Asher even gave Santa a drawing "Me as Link" by Asher. Poor Jude...hopefully next year he will like the big guy.

Joy School Nativity. Asher did a perfect job as the Innkeeper and a Wise Man.

Jude has teeth! Ahh yes, And it is not even as pleasant as when Silas got his. Our sweetest baby is also our loudest. For more on my feelings about teeth, read this post from two years ago.

I turned 30!!! My best friend and I got pedicures (I think I can count on one hand all of the times I've ever had one...made me feel special) and moseyed around tasting gourmet chocolates, and having treats, while her husband watched our kids. We arrived home to find my mother-in-law parked outside of my house to help me for the day. And my awesome friends gave me a party, and my BFF made me the best birthday cake ever (Nat, if you're reading this, I expect you to post the recipe soon because I want to make it). It was pretty much the best birthday ever. (oh yeah, and JD gave me red shoes....I have been wanting red shoes for 5 years!)

And, after Christmas, we had some special friends visit us for a couple few hours. I know they would have stayed longer, but we were all sick/getting over being sick, and I could tell we were probably making them nervous that they might catch the fun stuff we had.

Looking at it like this, it was a pretty eventful and fun month. I had been dwelling on how I wish we could have done this or that during the Christmas season, but really, we did SO much. No matter what we do, when we act excited about life, our kids are excited as well and all of our happy occasions in December had family and friends.

Sitting on the Fence

2011-01-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

Ok folks,

So I thought I really wanted to make this blog private, just for people who know us (and friends I have made through swaps), but I keep going back and forth. How about, instead of blocking all of you from viewing this blog, just introduce yourselves ok? I see some followers I do not know, at all. Maybe you think you know me, but I don't know you. Please, leave a comment, tell me why you like to read about us (just curious). I don't really want to go private with this blog because sometimes random people might benefit from some random comment that I might make. Who knows. But, let's clear the air, and everyone please leave a comment, even if it is just "hi, my name is Bob and I am in Bangladesh" (even though I don't think there are many Bobs in Bangladesh).

Thanks,
Team Chilton

Merry Christmas to All!

2010-12-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! In lieu of a real Christmas card, we tend to opt for the more economical, ummm lazy option. I love getting Christmas cards, letters, and friends' family pictures in the mail, and someday (I hope) I fully intend to write a real Christmas letter. Maybe 2011 will be my year.

Most of our year's events have already been well documented here on the family blog. Even though most of this may sound familiar, here is just a small recap.

Anyone remember our drooping ceiling? I almost forgot. The damage of this adventure lasted a good majority of the year for us. But enough about that...

JD is still blessed with employment after a short break in the beginning of the year. He continues to love his job and schooling and he excels at everything. I think he finished the year at the top of his class again. I pray our children get his test-taking skills. I am not stupid or anything, but I am not a test-taker, at all. He is the best husband ever. No joke. He is still the first counselor in our ward's Elder's Quorum Presidency and he loves the friends he gets to work with in that calling. Cold Planet has had a few gigs this year, and JD loves rocking out on the bass. The skateboard is collecting dust for the time being, and he's pretty bummed about that, but as soon as there is more daylight after work, less rain, and less insanity at the house he'll be grinding those rails and ollying again.

Sarah is trying to stay sane. The beginning of the year, she was big and pregnant, and was really excited to have a weekend away with just JD. Ok...enough of this third person stuff. JD and I had so much fun re-visiting beautiful Monterey, and just relaxing. This year was the year of the apron for me. Can you guess how many I made this year? Neither can I. Let me think a minute...Well, I can't remember exactly, but it's over 30, well over 30, maybe close to 40. After Jude was born, I was released from my calling at church (Primary President), and a few months ago I was called to be the Faith in God leader for the girls.

Asher has become a big kid this year. Potty-training, was a major milestone the beginning of this year (which feels like soooooo long ago). He is in his second year of Joy School (home school pre-school co-op with some friends) and is growing up so fast. We're still deciding whether to home school or go the public school route next year -- depends on what he's ready for and what we all want. For our Joy School Nativity play this year, he was the inn-keeper and the wise man (when there are only 5 kids, you need to do thing like that). He did an awesome job with his lines "no room!" (3 times) and "but you can stay in my stable." He's getting excited about letters and reading, and he's really smart (I know, we're biased around here, but it's true).

Silas is no longer a baby, but being 2 years old can be frustrating at times. He's only a few inches shorter than Asher, but he's catching up. We constantly have to remind ourselves that though he's big, says a TON and holds good conversations, he's still 2 and has his emotional moments. He's very physical and loves to play, throw, jump, and run, oftentimes throwing caution to the wind. He's also our sweet sensitive guy -- opposition in all things, right?

Jude was born in April and we're so excited to have him in our family. It's fun to see how different all three of our boys are and how they each have their own personality to bring to our family. Jude is probably the easiest baby (he slept through the night after about a month), but he has the most heart-wrenching cry when he is sad. He's usually pretty chipper though and has a fairly outgoing personality.

We are grateful for all of our blessings this year, and we are especially grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We know that when our lives are centered on Him, we see more of the good, we recognize how much we are blessed, and we are happier.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Team Chilton.

on a side note, Team Chilton will no longer be a publicly viewed blog. Those friends and family wishing access to view our future posts will need to email me/leave a comment with your email address. And if you're not a friend or family member, but have a real legitimate reason why you like reading this blog, maybe we'll consider your application as well.

Thank You For Making My Day Better

2010-12-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

To say the least, it's been a frustrating week....then I gashed (I like using graphic words sometimes) my finger on a raw edge in the shower, which meant a trip to the ER. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I wanted to spend more time with my husband. I kind of meant going on a date. But I got glued back together.

Then 2 different people failed to inform me until the last minute that our appointments (completely unrelated) weren't going to happen. Ummm yeah, unprofessional, kind of inconvenient. Bummed? A bit, but it's all been fixed. All in the past.

One thing that needed to be fixed was doing family pictures. It almost didn't happen (and I was kind of upset about it), but my awesome best friend, and her trusty (not-so) little camera make a great team. Asher wasn't too thrilled in the beginning, but he warmed-up and we got some good pictures. And that was today, and she already gave me some pictures. Even more awesome. Did I mention she and her husband watched Asher and Silas the other night when we went to the ER? I think she and her husband deserve a date, don't you?

I feel so bad for being mopey. Is that a word? Must be. The spell check squiggly didn't appear. When I get down, I try to write motivational things, uplifting things, but it is pretty obvious that I am frustrated, sad, depressed, etc. I'm working on it. For everyone who has made my day, week, or life better: Thank you! You are awesome. Happy people make me happy. Uplifting people make me want to be more uplifting.

And pictures like this definitely make me more excited about life. Remember, laughter is great stress relief.

What HAVE I Accomplished?

2010-12-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

As I sit here, in my pajamas, almost 2 in the afternoon...eating ice cream, I wonder, what the heck is going on here?!

It's December already. I am praying for it to slow down, but I don't think that's going to happen. Luckily, almost all of my Christmas shopping has been done for a while. The bummer is that in a little less than 2 weeks, I will be....dun dun dunnnnnnnnn 30 {gasp}!

I am not so much depressed about growing old as I am about my limited knowledge. I actually think getting old is fun and exciting. Gray hairs, not so cool, becoming old is fine though. What bums me about it though is that I thought by the time I turned 30, maybe I'd actually know what I was doing, maybe just a little. Maybe I'd figure out how to keep my kids from beating each other on a daily basis, or a way to keep my house clean for more than 20 minutes. Maybe I'd figure out how to balance the different facets of my life. Maybe I'd figure out that complaining about everything is annoying, obnoxious, and tiring.

But instead, here I am. Almost 30, and still out of the loop, so to speak. You know in high school and early college years, a lot of kids (yes, kids...because, see I am almost 30 and anyone younger than me is still a kid) make lists of things they'd like to accomplish in their lives. Am I right? I don't know if I ever wrote any of it down, but I can think of some of the things I have NOT accomplished.

I have never won any sort of award
I have never been published (that I know of) but I do have my name in a published book as a research assistant, and I did have an opinion snippet printed in The Deseret News while I was in college.
I have never learned to play a musical instrument (or my voice) with proficiency
I haven't been to Europe
I don't own a house

ok....this is getting depressing.

So what have I accomplished?
I have created 3 very energetic little boys. Who have their own personalities, their own opinions, their own talents.

If I do nothing else in my life than teach them right from wrong, and help them to become good people (hopefully), my life will be complete.

"No other success can compensate for failure in the home" ---David O. McKay

So it doesn't matter if I write a novel, if I become a certified aerobics instructor, or if can build my own furniture. If I fail as a parent, it wouldn't matter all of the other wonderful things with which I filled my life.

I guess I better start working on that.......no more posts until further notice.

Recent Funnies

2010-11-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

In my attempts to be a little more positive lately, I've been trying to find more humor in the day, laugh a little more, scream a little less, ya know. Bit by bit, it's working. I think laughter is my stress release. For some people it is chocolate, for some it is shopping, and for others it is a pedicure. I am so glad that my release is free and won't make me fatter. Whew!

So I've been trying to laugh more at the ridiculous things my kids do. Like whenever Silas starts crying, and I mean intense screaming type crying, and you ask him why he's crying, he whimpers "don't know." Yeah, that's pretty funny. Maybe I shouldn't laugh at a crying child, so then I hug him until he stops.

Or like when Asher insists his name is Mario (of course I am Princess Peach). He corrected a friend at the park the other day when she said "hi Asher" he said "My name is Mario, mister!"

So I told a friend today about how funny it is to watch the boys dancing. Hilarious! We have Just Dance, and the boys love it. I have a video, but either my computer is slow, or it's me...it's taking way too long to upload. I don't do video uploading very well. Oh well.

I always forget the funnies things they do. Laughing is helping me a lot though. Here's another cute, funny thing they did the other day. We were in the kitchen and Asher looked up at the window, and completely serious, asked "MOM! Is that Jesus?" And he put his hand up near his face to block the light.

Like this (look familiar?)

When I saw how the light was coming through the window, I understood why he asked if Jesus was there. It's really neat when your children grasp and remember the things that you teach them, especially when they are spiritual things. In my opinion it is the spiritual things that matter the most.

Mini Birthday

2010-11-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

With a birthday near a major holiday, things get tricky sometimes. (have I mentioned that all of us have birthdays near some holiday? yeah, it's fun).

So for Asher this year, no huge bash, but he doesn't care. He got just what he wanted. Some of his favorite people (grandparents, aunts, and uncles, plus mom, dad, and the brothers), plus his favorite character in the form of a chocolate cake, throw in a handful of presents (too many presents + no space to contain them = crazy mom)......Asher is a happy kid.

homemade shirts by my mom

Harry Potter Legos (this is a very excited little boy, can you see the intensity?)

We got him a sword and shield (clearance! whoohoo!)

Please don't judge my mediocre cake decorating skills. Mario looks a little tispy, but considering this is the first cake I have ever decorated...not too shabby, right?

We always have so much fun with our family. Happy Birthday (almost) little buddy!

Thankful

2010-11-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

I have to confess. Lately, I am struggling. I am happy, deep down in there. I am thankful. But I am challenged. In case I haven't made it clear, YES, having 3 children in 3 1/2 years is hard. DANG hard. Without the help of others, in this regard as well as in other aspects of life, I would most certainly fail. Life is not meant to be faced alone, in any aspect. It is odd to me, that we try to push independence on people, from day one, expecting babies to calm themselves.

I am almost 30 years old. I still need to be calmed. I am not saying we need to be completely dependent (though there are higher powers on this earth that would want you to depend on them for every thing). My life has been blessed by so many people, whether they are aware or not. If they thought me independent, I would have missed out.

I've been working on this list for about a week. Beyond your circle of friends, can you think of 100 specific people for whom you are thankful, and the specific reason you are thankful for them?

During this season, where our minds are turned to the things we are thankful for, let us not forget the people. The people who have shaped my life are the true reason for my gratitude.

I am thankful for a man, who lived a perfect life, and died that I might be able to overcome the problems of this world.
I am thankful for a young boy who prayed, with all the faith he had, and saw God and Christ, setting into motion events that would change the world.
I am thankful for inventors.
I am thankful for all of the teachers I've had growing up...even the annoying and boring ones.
I am thankful for a mother who taught me love, tolerance, and honesty.
I am thankful for an aunt and uncle who chose the right path.
I am thankful for friends who introduced me to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am thankful for a family who "adopted" me when I became a member of the Church.
I am thankful for a Sunday School teacher who always gave us a paper each Sunday so we could write our goals.
I am thankful for a high school teacher who allowed me to stand up for what I believe.
I am thankful for a Young Women leader who helped me to reach my goals by meeting with me every Sunday night.
I am thankful for the friend who taught me that driving during rush hour traffic can be fun.
I am thankful for college administrators who felt inspired to accept me.
I am thankful for roommates who had "family" prayer each night.
I am thankful for the boy who didn't want to be around me after his mission.
I am thankful for roommates who laughed and cried with me.
I am thankful for a roommate who helped me prepare for higher commitments.
I am thankful for the roommates that attended the temple with me.
I am thankful for an Anatomy Professor who said to me "look in the mirror. Failure is not written across your forehead."
I am thankful for a Religion Professor who taught me that if I want to succeed, I should write the scriptures upon my heart.
I am thankful for the boy who just wanted "to be friends"

I am thankful for a woman I didn't even know who was inspired to say some things to me.
I am thankful for visiting teachers who were my friends (I could repeat this many times)
I am thankful for home teachers who came, taught, and blessed.
I am thankful for a friend who thought I would be a good leader, and gave me a responsibility.
I am thankful for a boss who allowed me to have spiritual learning while working, and who (anonymously) funded my mission.
I am thankful for a bishop who told me "what a great way to become a better mother" when I said I wanted to serve a mission.
I am thankful for the past Stake Pres. who taught me, as he would his own daughters, things to know as I left on my mission.
I am thankful for the companion and district I had while in the Missionary Training Center.
I am thankful for the teachers I had in the missionary Training Center.
I am thankful for the mission President who was like a father.
I am thankful for the mission President's wife who was a mom away from home, and who taught me the garlic remedy.
I am thankful for the first sisters I met on my mission, who were excited for me to be there.
I am thankful for the companions on my mission who taught me love, service, patience, and hard work.
I am thankful for the companion I was able to train...thanks CBS
I am thankful for a little girl I met while on my mission, who made me realize it doesn't matter if you live in a shack or a mansion...if there is no love, it isn't a home.
I am thankful for the friends I made when I came home from my mission, because I felt alone, and "homesick" for another place
I am thankful for many temple workers who adopted me like a daughter/granddaughter
I am thankful for friends who are always uplifting.
I am thankful for a Bishop who treated all of us like his kids.
I am thankful for a young man who followed the spirit.
I am thankful that he is the guy I married.
I am thankful for a friend who knew when I was sad and helped (this could be repeated MANY times)
I am thankful for a friend who taught me how to cook.
I am thankful for my in-laws who made me feel like family the first time I met them (and who make people wish they had in-laws like mine)
I am thankful for the friends I have been able to serve with in church. I have learned love, service, organization....
I am thankful for my boys. They are three completely different spirits who need different things from me...and they help me learn.
I am thankful for my "aunties" who invited us into their family while I was pregnant with #1, and have been spoiling us ever since.
I am thankful for friends who love and care and listen.
I am thankful for a husband who compliments me and says he loves me every.single.day.
I am thankful that this husband says "the house looks great" even if I had a crappy day. (I could write a list just as long about all the reasons why I am thankful for him)
I am thankful for friends (adopted "aunties" and "uncles") who like to borrow my children.
I am thankful for the elderly man next door who pulls in everyone's garbage cans.
I am thankful for the elderly lady across the street who talks to us just because.
I am thankful for current neighbors who spoil us with treats (and forgive for our lack of volume control).
I am thankful for old neighbors who were like family, when we were first married.
I am thankful for a Bishop who serves with love and humor.
I am thankful for friends who teach me the power of positive thinking.

I am thankful

Halloween Festivities

2010-11-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

Since Halloween was on a Sunday this year, we opted out on traditional trick-or-treating. (We gave talks in church a couple months ago about Sabbath Day activities...). I have a real good, punch-in-the-gut quote about Sabbath observance...if-n-ya-want-it.

But....

We did get to participate in Trunk-or-Treat. For those who might not know what that is, it's an activity at church around Halloween where the kids go car-to-car (instead of door-to-door) and receive their candy. We had a ton of fun because it was a big carnival/party as well.

Action shot of Mario & Luigi...experiencing dejavu? Yes, we lack creativity in our family.

Gypsy, Mexican (it's ok, he's 1/4), Superman, Mario, and Luigi

This is where we were on Halloween. We were at Stake Conference, where our local church leaders and other members speak to us on Gospel topics. It was an awesome conference. Even better was the adult session the night before (where we were only chaperoned by the baby and we were actually able to hear all of the talks). I will never forget our Stake President's words, "Brothers and sisters, I am dead serious. You will be hearing this again." For those who missed it (or need the reminder), we (ALL of the adults) were challenged to begin NOW to prepare for full time missions. Not just the retired folks, but all of us, even if we have children. Obviously, we aren't going any time soon, and some people may come up with excuses for why they "can't" serve, but why should that stop us from preparing? The talks were amazing. My attempt to summarize wouldn't even do them justice.

Pumpkin Patch, Take 2

2010-10-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch again a few days ago. This time, it was me, my bubbas, and my mom (and we met with some friends for a minute too). I have nothing to prove...I canNOT do outtings alone. Not fun for anyone involved (thanks Mom for coming with us and helping me. Carrying a baby and chasing two little boys through a field of pumpkins wouldn't have been the best way to spend a day).

I can't really tell what's going on here. I know they were happy...

We basically hung out for 2 hours and let the boys run from one thing to the next. I don't know what I was thinking dressing them in orange and brown. Pumpkins and dirt. Camoflauge. Duh mommy! Note to self, next time, bright blue and green.

"Cheese" faces turn out like this. I think I will have them say "happy" or something next time.

I love this picture. I'd love it even more if Silas was in it. I told the boys to sit on the pumpkins for a picture. Silas Picked a pumpkin no where near us, then got up and walked away. Awesome.

This time, since it was daylight, we got to ride on their tractor-pulled hayride, a nice tour of their farm with explanations of the things they grow. It was great, and the boys loved it.

This was before the ride even started. I love their expressions. Silas has this new thing where he likes to play with Jude's ear, I really don't understand why. Luckily, Jude is pretty mellow and patient.

So we survived the pumpkin patch, and we can't wait to go back again next year.

Fall Traditions

2010-10-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

A friend recently posted on her blog the importance of traditions in family (especially when they are unique). I had a pretty cool idea (if I do say so myself) yesterday while we were driving to church. I'll get back to that though.

This weekend we repeated some of our (new-ish) traditions. First was going to the pumpkin patch. Most people who know me know that I can have a strong opinion about certain things. I won't go into all of them, but one of the farmers at the pumpkin patch put it best: "my grandpa always said, 'if you want to go to the carnival, go to the carnival. This is a pumpkin patch. Give the kids a farm experience.'" Thank you! We went to a pumpkin patch two years ago that was awesome; small, on a farm. There were even sheep and goats. The pumpkins were a little pricey though. Went back there last year and they had little cars, a ferris wheel, and some other ~~stupid~~ stuff that took away from the fun experience. Thanks to some friends who recommended this farm, we had a fun time. And thankfully, this place won't be adding a carnival to their farm. A bit of advice though. First of all, I don't recommend taking a stroller into the pumpkin patch (bumpy ride...lots of rocks). Second, night time, not the best time to go to the pumpkin patch. I think we'll be going back on another day when it is still light out. The boys still had fun though, despite not staying for very long.

Awww...sleeping baby

Looks like snow or rain, I don't know why.

Daddy and the boys on top of the pyramid (LOVED IT!)

The boys had lots of fun running around and posing in the cut-out signs.

And after the pumpkin patch, you've got to go get a treat. And since it's still been hot around here (finally cooled off), we went for gelato (at one of our favorite places...I highly recommend it if you're out in Fremont. It is kind of one of our special occasion places...most places are).

This is our second year going to visit Boppa Richard's trains at Tilden Park. What little boy doesn't like trains? These are grown men loving trains, and we are grateful for their generosity in sharing the trains with us. I won't even go into how much money these things must cost (it is not just a financial investment, but an investment of time as well). A LOT is all I need to know. Boppa builds his trains from scratch! Can you imagine that?

This year we actually got yo meet the man who built this Thomas train. (Last year another man was a little over-protective of Thomas and all he said was "no" and "don't" to the kids. The owner/creator of this train was so nice). He told us about how he built it. He carved that face from a chunk of wood, painted and glazed it, and the eyes are made from cue balls. He even has a remote control to make the eyes move around and to toot the whistle/blow steam. The train doesn't actually run yet. He's still working on the engine.

All Aboard! Here we are on Boppa's train ready to go. It really is amazing that these men BUILT these trains (and laid the tracks to run the trains). And the kids really do appreciate it too, and will be talking about it for months to come (maybe even until we go again next year).

Another awesome engineer was calling anyone over to look at his train, and let any child sit in the driver's seat and play with the controls. Asher reached for some knobs, and I said "this isn't ours, you probably shouldn't touch that," and the engineer said "he can touch anything he wants on this one." Nice, nice man. I love it when people are so into their talents, whatever they may be, and that they find joy in sharing them with others, especially children. The man, probably a grandpa himself, just stoof there beaming as he watched the boys and their fascination with trains. Asher and Silas learned all about what each knob did, where the coal goes, the location of the boiler, and the bell (of course).

We had a great weekend, and I really do realize the importance of traditions. They give something to our children that enhances the value of our family, and tells them that we value our time together. We don't have to be spending money in order to do something special together. (Actually, aside from the food we ate, and our pumpkins, these events were free). When I was thinking about starting a new tradition, I thought about our cool pumpkins.

Last year, we bought some pumpkins. We didn't carve them so we left them on our porch, for a very long time. (probably after New Year's...I think the year before, our pumpkins were out until Easter). A white pumpkin started rotting, so we threw it in the garden waste bin. In the spring (I think before Jude was born), we got ambitious and planted a garden (translation: we removed the weeds from the planter box around the side of our house and planted a few flowers and ice plant). Little did we know when we began, 2 pumpkin seeds planted themselves in this dirt and began to grow. We discovered the pumpkin vines while trying to remove all of the weeds. At that time, the pumpkins hadn't grown too much yet. We watered our plants regularly enough, and things started to grow. Luckily, the boys didn't notice the little white pumpkins growing, and about a month ago, the vine died, so I pulled the pumpkins off. They're small, but we grew them. So my idea for a cool tradition is that we will plant the seeds every year from the pumpkins we grew, and hopefully many generations of pumpkins will grow (we will create a pumpkin legacy). I am sure other people have done this before. I am really hoping it works. I think if we make it a tradition, it can teach our family something about caring for the legacy (sounds cheesy, I know), that we need to nourish the pumpkins the way we help each other in the family. It doesn't matter how big the pumpkins become, as long as we are able to keep growing them (and hopefully they will have seeds).

No Way!

2010-10-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is not allowed.

I do not, by any means, support this decision.

Dang it. Too late now. It's all downhill from here.

Next thing ya know, he'll be off to college.

Whirlwind

2010-10-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Whirlwind of insanity, that is. It has been a crazy and fun week. Including visiting with friends I haven't seen in a while (some months, some years), record high temperatures, and the kindness of others. I guess I really shouldn't be amazed, but I really am constantly amazed at the kindness of others. Random kindnesses. Not necessarily from strangers, but anyone, especially friends, family and neighbors, just doing and giving and serving. It motivates me to be more aware of opportunities to serve and give.

Gê came to visit me! Well, I know she didn't just come to visit me. She also wanted to go visit SLC (she served her mission on temple square) and go to General Conference (and see a million other people), but I was honored that she took time out of her schedule (and Marissa too) to meet up with the boys and me for lunch. Oh, what an adventure that was. Let's just say a lot of uptown yuppies were probably cheering when the boys and I left. I haven't seen Gerusa for 3 1/2 years, since the last time she came to CA. I served the last 6 months of my mission in her ward in Brazil, only months after she, her mom, and sister were baptized into the church. They are amazing women of faith and to say that I miss them would be an understatement.

Who is this large child, and where is my baby? He's not exactly crawling yet, but somehow he manages to travel across the living room while I am doing dishes. He can also do yoga planks with a vengeance. He does what JD refers to as "the race car." He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks forward and back like he's about to break a world record. He's also insanely big. He wears 12-18 month size clothes. Yeah. At this rate, when Asher turns 7, I will probably be asked if I have triplets because I am pretty sure he will catch up to the other two by then.

On moderately hot days, lunch is outside. On severely hot days, the curtains are closed, the fans are maxed-out, and I am spraying everyone with water.

This is what having 5 boys would look like. Oh wow. This could be my future. The boys are: 4 yrs (+3 months), almost 4, 2 yrs (+2 1/2 months), 18 months, and 5 months. So, I guess there is no possible way that this could be my future, per se, but 5 boys could be. My friend Amanda (also visiting from out of town) came and taught me the fine art of applesauce and canning, while we let our boys become best friends. It was quite the pleasant play date. My boys love their friends, but this was probably the best experience we've had in our own home with people playing here. AND, I made applesauce! And it was cheap and easy. Why did I not know this before? I will be making more next week.

The first time Asher wrote his name all.by.himself! (and it looks pretty darn good if you ask me!)

This picture represents one of the highlights of my week. I am in the process of teaching Asher to read and write, but goodness, he is not even 4 yet. I won't push him to do anything. I believe that learning must be encouraged, but never forced. Kids need to play and explore as much as possible before they get trapped into the classroom setting in my opinion (call me crazy, I don't mind). There's plenty of time to learn. On days when he is actually interested and excited, we pull out our special book and go to work for about 15-20 minutes. After our reading session, I asked if he wanted to learn how to write his name (since he finally mastered writing "S" after getting discouraged the first few times). This took a while (because he erased some when he didn't like the letters), but it was worth it. I'd write a letter,, then pass him the pencil and he'd do it himself below on the page. It was a rewarding teaching experience. The best part was seeing the expression on his face each time I got excited after he'd finish a letter.

From my last post, I mentioned a special class that our friend taught us: "Think Well." I can't say enough good things about positive thinking. I need to work on so much, but just trying to focus my thoughts on what makes me grateful has really helped me to put things into perspective. And, inevitably, by recognizing gratitude, gratitude increases. This week I've noticed so many ways that the kindness of other has blessed me, leaving me to pass it on. In the last few days, I've visited with friends (or had friends visit me), I received a package in the mail from a friend I have never met (we know each other through swaps), a neighbors gave us a nice fan and some sweaters (kind of funny...the hottest day she gave me the fan, then 2 days later is cooled-off and she gave me some sweaters), a friend took one of my boys for a few hours, and another friend is babysitting for us again tonight.
I wrote on Facebook recently "sometimes when you pray for the heat to go away, you receive a fan instead." Not only literally, like our sweet grandma neighbor I call "Miss Betty," but spiritually as well. Praying for the trial to leave is not the way we progress, but sometimes we are given the tools (or the people) we need to overcome those trials. Just like a muscle doesn't grow when we just lay around on the couch, we don't progress spiritually without some work.

Where to start?

2010-09-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have an assortment of random pictures (and an assortment of random thoughts) that I'd really like to share. So maybe I will share pictures interspersed with thoughts. Sure! This might be wordy. Perhaps it will be cohesive, perhaps it will leave friends scratching their heads.

Well, in the recent months, I have been a mixture of depressed and just plain overwhelmed (to put it mildly). Some days were a piece of cake, other days I just wanted to stay in bed (but with three kids, that is not an option...so, sorry to the friends who have seen me in my homely state of pajamas and glasses at 4 in the afternoon...I promise I am not usually like that). To put a long story short, my husband, friends, and family have been taking care of me. I am grateful for friends, and a mother-in-law who noticed something was wrong with me, and that it was (post-partum) depression, and not only noticing, but actually helping me through it. I am continuing to learn a lot from this.


Joy School has started again. Happy First day (with new Mario backpack)

I keep reminding myself, the conflicts won't last forever. Just another 14 years or so...

A little over a week ago, some friends and I attended a wonderful conference called Time Out For Women. We only went to half of the conference, but it was wonderful. This woman's story really touched me, so I looked it up when I got home. She is amazing. It made me realize that I have no right to complain about anything. I learned so much from being there, and it was nice to have a full day out of the house. I am rarely gone from the house, and when I am, it's usually not for anything really exciting.

Asher excited to learn about cutting with a real knife (in adult presence only)

Last week, a good friend of ours, taught a "Think Well" class to JD and me, and another friend from church. I can't even really summarize everything that I learned. Gratitude is key to healing. Positive thoughts influence our actions, and our health (mental, physical, and spiritual). We need to start and end our day with gratitude if we want to see a change. In addition to our daily prayers, he told us that we need to have gratitude moments first thing when we wake up and last thing before bed. Just think about everything you are grateful for, and let those thoughts engross your mind. There was a lot more to the class, but you can check out his blog for some inspiring words.

"Link" by Asher

Then Saturday morning, I turned on the tv to exercise (oh, that's another thing to help depression, yay!), and this show popped on with this man speaking in front of an audience. He was completely scarred from burns. In place of hands were what looked like knobs at the ends of his arms. Only one "hand" had a thumb, the other was just a lump. I was interested in what he was going to say, so I watched for just a few minutes. He said something about a friend told him once "you have every reason to complain about life," and he said he told his friend, "why would I complain about a gift?"

with a pinch of crayon shavings in his hand, Silas (and Asher) helped me make the pretty leaves below

Why would I complain about a gift?

my little boyfriend

3am feedings, screaming children, flying toys, bills, and the hole in my kitchen ceiling (getting patched up this week!) will not consume my life forever. One thing is for sure...I am never bored.

So those are most of my thoughts. Gratitude for the gifts I have been given. For the wonderful people in my life. Opportunities to learn and grow. For the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why would I complain about a gift?

Answers

2010-09-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks everybody who took the test. HA! All 2 of you :) I know, it's not exciting, and I feel bad for complaining about it so much, but it made my day that two of my best friends took the test. Earrings for both of you ladies. Any color preferences? I am still a beginner at this, but I promise not to make you something that I would be embarrassed to wear.

Without further adieu...

1. How old was Jude when the ceiling started to drip? (as close as you can)

approx 5-6 weeks. (the ceiling started to DIP about a month or so before that)

2. How many times has the ceiling been ripped out while we have been living here (2 answers are acceptable because I may have messed up the count)?

3 or 4 (i don't know if I made up an extra, JD thought it was only 3 times)

3. What did a (non-neighbor, non-visiting teacher) friend do for me that was uniquely special and an embarrassing task for me to request? (the day I was told to clear out my entire kitchen in 1/2 hour)

My friend Veronica took my sink (plus) full of dishes and washed them at her house. I asked if she would just take them away, but she was super nice and washed everything (she did my laundry when Jude was born). When Jude was born, she felt bad for not bringing us dinner, so she took away our laundry, and said anytime I needed something, I could call her..I was really embarrassed, but called her anyway, crying, and she was over in 5 minutes. I am blessed to have so many awesome friends like that, and I really want to be more like that.

4. What made me break down and cry near the beginning of this whole fiasco?

The owner (NOT manager/landlord) called me and yelled at me because I didn't report this sooner (I had reported it a month or so earlier without any repairs being made. (when you're already a bit emotional, being yelled at does nothing to help the situation, and I'm a baby anyway).

5. What did my manager give to me when he returned from his retreat?
A pretty rose from his garden.

6. What has been replaced in our unit during this annoying ordeal?

bathtub liner, bathroom floor, various pipe pieces (but not actual pipe replacement...hmmm), and the ceiling multiple times.

7. How many times have we had to be "out of the house"? (rough estimate as to TOTAL number of days)
about 10 (some were consecutive where we actually went away for a few days, others were just days where we had to spend 4 + hours outside of our house).

8. How many different people have done work of some form or another in this place from May until now?

9 ( kind of a guess, could have been more.)-- "fix-it guy," fix-it's cousin, manager, roto-rooter guy, 2 floor guys, 2 rebath guys, and last, a retired plumber

9. Which (2) rooms of the house are involved?
kitchen and bathroom

10. Near the beginning, things were "fixed." What happened next door a few days later?

Their ceiling looked like a "pregnant belly" (manager's words) and started to leak.

11. When I told the first "fix-it guy" that his repairs were leaking the following day, what did he tell me about the water I was seeing?
he said that was normal to see a few cups of water come down, it's "just condensation," but to call him back if buckets of water came down. yeah.

12. Name 2 things that this whole experience has forced me to do or learn. (lots more than just 2)

* organize my kitchen

* stuff is just stuff. if you don't need it, get rid of it.

* the state of my home deeply affects my sanity.

* my husband and other true friends are AWESOME and help me when I need it, love me despite my complaints about the house, and have helped (and continue to help) me regain my sanity.

* develop a plan (and pray with sincerity) in order to save up to buy a house.

*follow inspiration when you feel like you should help someone out (I have been incredibly blessed by the generosity of others and their service...even if it is just to say hi to me while I am going crazy).

*...and so many other things

So Natalie and Sarah, you both win (actually, I win, because you're my friends)....tell me some colors you like (hopefully I have the stuff to make colors you like) and if you prefer silver or gold.

Quiz!

2010-09-04T01:42:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to re-cap the exciting experience we've been through. AKA "The giant hole in my kitchen ceiling." So I am having a quiz for the friends and family who think they know all the answers. Maybe the person who answers the most questions correctly will win some sort of prize (maybe I will make you a pair of earrings or something). Sound fun? Sure...let's relive the past few months, shall we?

1. How old was Jude when the ceiling started to drip? (as close as you can)

2. How many times has the ceiling been ripped out while we have been living here (2 answers are acceptable because I may have messed up the count)?

4. What made me break down and cry near the beginning of this whole fiasco?

5. What did my manager give to me when he returned from his retreat?

6. What has been replaced in our unit during this annoying ordeal?

7. How many times have we had to be "out of the house"? (rough estimate as to TOTAL number of days)

8. How many different people have done work of some form or another in this place from May until now?

9. Which (2) rooms of the house are involved?

10. Near the beginning, things were "fixed." What happened next door a few days later?

11. When I told the first "fix-it guy" that his repairs were leaking the following day, what did he tell me about the water I was seeing?

12. Name 2 things that this whole experience has forced me to do or learn.

Ok Friends, if you actually take this quiz, thank you. To those who have helped me throughout this trial (and post partum depression, and every other stress), I am seriously grateful. I hope you realize that. Friends who drop by, friends who let me come over when there is no where to go, who talk to me and help me out. I love you. Thank you. Now take the quiz.... (comments will be hidden for a few days...no cheating)

The Boys

2010-09-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

It seems there is never any "news," or at least nothing worthy to print (and make accessible to anyone).
So here are the boys

Jude is pretty much the cutest little guy ever...right now. Have to have the qualifier. All of my guys are the cutest babies ever (to me). I am praying that this little guy's temperament is lasting. He calms me and I calm him, and I love it.

I love that the boys are interested in doing chores. I must not be working so grudgingly or something (or at least not when they are looking), because they are under the impression that housework is fun. I am totally ok with that. They like "washing" the dishes and throwing laundry in the washer and dryer. I'm pretty sure they're just excited because they get to use their step stools to do it all (and the snazzy sponges). All supervised of course. They're not that independent yet.

We also try to encourage physical activity around here. This was just last week (wearing a jacket). Now it is practically 100 degrees around here. Come on Autumn...we're ready!

A really awesome friend of ours has kind of adopted our boys from time to time on his off days. He likes living on the edge, so he takes my kids to the movies. They've seen more movies in the theater this year than JD & I have. Actually, I don't think we've been to the movies at all this year, and hardly any last year. It is probably safe to say the boys have seen more movies in the last 5 months than I have in the last 2 years.

This is Silas after the friend dropped them off at home. kinda sad to see his buddy go (but so happy to get to go to the movies).

Awww. Much better. This is after a nap. (He loved those 3D glasses)

Doesn't he look like a mini Buddy Holly here?

Asher wanted one more picture too.

he was so proud of me that I found his orange car while cleaning. Now if only I knew where the other 30 hot wheels went.

Last Few Weeks

2010-08-24T00:57:00.000-07:00

"Time flies when you're having fun" is so true. We've been having a lot of fun the last few weeks. It's been exhausting and I feel like there is little rest, if any. I feel like writing (blog or journal) tends to go by the wayside, but thanks to the inspiration of many friends, I'm getting a little bit better at taking pictures (and videos) of my kids.
So here's what we've been up to.

There's been a lot more of this lately. And thank heavens! Sometimes I feel like the referee around here, having to pull them off of each other ALL THE TIME. It's definitely nice to have more hugs.

Another one. It is the best feeling, and it really brings me so much joy in the morning when they first see each other and say "good morning" in sweet, pleasant, soft voices, then give each other a big hug. 5 minutes later, they are usually fighting over a car, or a bucket, or some random kitchen utensil moonlighting as "the sword," but hey, at least they start the day off right.

Yes, I do exist, even though I usually get in only one picture, maybe every other month. My awesome sister-in-law (all of my sisters-in-law are awesome actally...and intimidatingly beautiful) cut my hair for me, and since I filled her gas tank, she said I get a lifetime of free haircuts. Horray! No, I did not dye my hair, it just keeps getting darker, and I haven't chemically treated it in any way since a month before JD and I got married. WOW! That is 4 1/2 + years au natural.

My BFF turned 30. Yay, I guess I am next. Not that I am afraid of turning 30, but, whoa, weird. Thirty. I already have gray hairs (yuck...no I will not embrace it. I will yank those suckers every time I find them, unless it is causing some serious baldness, then I will make some silly claim that I am actually turning blond, just like my uncle always says about his own ~~gray~~ blond hair.)

Our bathroom/kitchen saga continues, and at this point, aside from the fact we now have a tub that doesn't drain and everyone is stinky and in desperate need of bathing, I am trying really hard to just let it go and not care. :::::deep cleansing breaths::::: The boys and I left for a few days, leaving JD behind to play video games and lounge about without interruption (which he said was cool for about an hour, when he missed all of us), while a new tub was installed in our bathroom (so the tally: ceiling ripped out of kitchen 3 times, pipes fiddled with--who knows if they were replaced or fixed, floor in bathroom replaced, tub replaced). And the kitchen ceiling is leaking even worse than it was before. Ahhh. It is a mystery to everyone involved. We keep praying for home ownership to become a reality so that we will be responsible for home repairs instead of always waiting on someone else. The boys had fun riding in Tutu's shopping cart at Winco, oh how I wish we had that store nearby.

One of the highlights of the trip was the boys hanging out with Boppa at the pool. First of all, this almost didn't happen. The boys were pretty crabby, it was around noon or so, and Boppa thought we should just wait until after a nap, and I said maybe we shouldn't take them to the pool at all. (Asher was freaking out and crying when we said we were going to take him to the pool)...but, then we gave the boys some food, and they were happy. Asher was mellowed out a bit, still not wanting to go to the pool, but not screaming either. So Tutu brought out the pool toys to entice him. He was becoming more interested, but I was nervous and skeptical so I kept suggesting we not go swimming (or basically go now or never), and I guess it worked, he decided to go to the pool.

Check out the progress they (mainly Asher) made.

First was standing around the pool, throwing toys at Boppa.

I love seeing those little legs)

Then, sitting on the stairs.

Then holding on to Boppa a little bit (still close to the stairs).

Then moving further into the water where feet couldn't reach the gound and arms were no where near anything else but Boppa. (Asher even got a little confidence and tried to swim away from Boppa, about a foot, back to the stairs.) That was the last thing I was expecting to see, but Boppa is a miracle worker when it comes to kids and swimming. He taught JD and all of JD's siblings how to swim, and he will probably teach all of our kids too.

I love Asher's face here. He was having so much fun. JD's dad and I were in shock that he was the one with more courage to swim, when it is usually Silas that is the daredevil. I have to point out, in case no one noticed, Asher refused to put on swim trunks or a swimmer diaper before we left the house, thus he is wearing his clothes.

We did a million things today as well, and now I must take a hint from Silas.

I can't believe that this month is almost over and I haven't taken a picture of Jude! I am such a bad mom!

Laundry Day

2010-08-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

In my efforts to become more organized, I have designated certain days to accomplish certain tasks. I don't really have OCD, but to maintain my own sanity (and actually accomplish things), I need to have goals. And deadlines. Mondays and Thursdays are laundry days. Sometimes we have to get groceries on Monday too. Work is so boring sometimes, and one of my big goals is to make life more fun for my kids. I don't want to over indulge them and give them everything, or have to plan a huge outting all the time (I barely survived going alone with the three of them to the zoo last week....bad idea...another story*). So, how can I make things fun for my kids while getting stuff done on "work" days (even though every day is a work day)?
here's a hint:

still wondering. how about this one:

How about this:

I should probably write a disclaimer "do not try this at home," but we did. I am fully aware of safety issues, but I think my kids get more hurt when they play at the park, and I supervised this whole activity...which lasted over an hour. It was awesome. I got the idea when I was going to bed the night before. Since we have to wash the sheets anyway, why not? The laundry had to get done, I had to vaccum under their beds, might as well turn the stairway into a giant slide. I even went down a few times. I put the mattresses end to end, and they got to land on blankets. There was about a foot along the side of the stairs that wasn't covered, so that's where they were walking up.
The boys were giggling the entire time. That was the best day we've had in a long time (I've had lots of bad days lately, but things are looking up). I definitely won't be doing it all the time (I think things kind of lose the magic when you do special stuff too often), but it will definitely be happening again.

* about the zoo...so, I don't know why I said "yes," but a week ago when Asher asked if we could go to the zoo, we went (we have an annual pass, so it wasn't like we had to pay extra). I don't know what I was thinking. I went alone, with three small children to the zoo. The ZOO! It seemed that everyone else in the county had the same idea, and there were hundreds of people everywhere we went. Silas wanted to go one way right into a large crowd, Asher wanted to go the other way. I think my brain isn't fully functioning or something. Who in their right mind would do something like that? Hmm maybe a woman with cabin fever and a slight bit of post-partum depression who's main contact with friends during the week is through emails & Facebook because she is too overwhelmed to go to regular park days...that's what I blame it on. We left the zoo less than an hour after we got into the parking lot. So I am trying to think of fun things to do without leaving the house right now in an effort to not cause my own anxiety problems (unless people want to invite our little circus to their house), or make any silly decisions like going to the zoo on a whim. Seriously, why would anyone do that?

Needless to say, we on't be going to the zoo again anytime soon unless I have another set of arms (and by that I mean I mean another adult because my go-go-gadget arms are on back-order...dang it)

Recent Events

2010-08-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

Seriously, for over a month, we have had something going on every single weekend. And it isn't over. I think that is a part of my exhaustion. I can't wait for a break. Just a recap of recent events.

This is my favorite picture from Silas' birthday party. He was overjoyed with us singing "Happy Birthday to you." It was adorable the way he lit up when everyone sang to him. A few days ago, when I gave him a muffin, he requested that I sing "Happy Birthday" to him again.

my mom made Lego cakes this year

Pioneer Day celebration at the church was a success once again. We had so much fun, and despite the fact that I wish I could say our kids never eat junk food, they did. Oh well. I don't know how much cotton candy was consumed by Asher and Silas, but alas, life goes on, and we don't eat cotton candy (or any candy) every day.

Speaking of eating well, I participated in the pie eating contest. Luckily, it was just for speed, and not quanitity. WHoohoo! I won! (I think there were several of these contests throughout the day. It would have been fun to have all the winners go head-to-head, but maybe next time).

SO we've been a bit busy.

Why Babies are Like Little Old Men

2010-07-31T00:10:00.000-07:00

To be quite honest, I was never really a baby person. I don't know why. I just wasn't. I've always liked babies, but I never oodled over them and gushed about how insanely cute they were. I rarely, if ever, asked to hold someone else's baby.

Then I became a mom. I understand why older women say "I could just eat those cheeks." Now I know what love feels like. Inexplicable love. For someone who is completely dependent on you. A non-verbal, toothless, pants-pooper.

And I love it.

Sleeping

2010-07-29T00:50:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I woke up to this.

It was pretty much Heaven. I love that our kids climb into our bed. I guess some people are weirded out by that. I like that our boys know that we can comfort them. I consider it a compliment when my kids want to be close to me. So they climbed into bed with me, and I had all three for a little while (Jude had to nurse, got some cuddles, then I put him back in the crib when I got up).

Then again:

Don't look at the clock (dang it!). Yes we are terrible parents, but in our defense, the clock is 20 minutes fast, and they had already been sleeping for at least 20 minutes (so it was probably more like 10:20 when they fell asleep). We're really trying though.

When I rub Asher's hair, he falls asleep, just like he would when he was a baby. Silas can fall asleep anywhere. Lucky me, I started and ended my day with my sleeping boys. During Scripture time, they fell asleep on me. It's moments like these that I want to remember.

Today...

2010-07-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

I will hope more and worry less

I will make something new just because

I will not stress out when the house gets messy...even if it was only clean for 5 minutes

I will not blame my children (or anyone else) if I have a bad day; though they may influence my mood, I choose how I react.

I will not feel guilty if I let my kids watch a little bit of tv

I will read multiple stories to my children (unless they pick "Miss Spider's Wedding," again, then all bets are off, that book is long)

I will banish negativity

I will not get angry, not because I have perfect children who always do what they are told, but because someone needs to be the calm one around here (at least until my husband gets home, then he can be the calm one)

I will not sigh when my children wake up from their naps (even if the nap is only 30 minutes)

I will remember the purity & perfection of my children and treat them like gold

I will feed my children every 2 hours (full tummies = happy bubbas)

I will dance

I will do my part to make sure the noises in my house are happy noises (growling, grunting, screaming, and the occassional "GIVE IT BACK, That's MINE!!!" will be avoided).

I will not compare myself to anyone skinnier, prettier, or smarter than me (or is awesome at time management and organization, can cook/bake, keep a tidy house, takes nice pictures, and never gets angry)

I will follow the advice from 2 of the best leaders I have ever had; "If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong." & "If it doesn't stretch you, you're not progressing."

I will be better

2 Years Old!

2010-07-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe he is 2 already! Si (like "sigh") is the sweetest, cuddliest, feistiest little 2 year old ever. One minute he's cuddling, the next crying, the next screaming, the next sharing. I know it's just because he's 2, and not because he's bi-polar or anything like that.

Silas, thank you for making life interesting and keeping me on my toes. You are such a sweetheart (and sometimes a stinker). It's hard to get mad at you when you have the sweetest little face, but you can definitely be a little brute sometimes. I wonder if you'll be the tough guy of the family. Then I remember how sensitive you are, and I realize there is definitely opposition in all things. Thank you for giving me cuddles every day and for telling everyone that you love them.

Random thoughts

2010-07-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

I wish I took more pictures. I know people who probably take at least 50 pics a day of their kids, the day-to-day life, etc. I wish I had an extra set of arms, so I could fold all the laundry, play with the kids, AND take pictures of it all. Alas, we must not run faster than we have strength.

I need to be grateful for everything that I have been given, even the challenges. I am grateful for the garbage we've dealt with recently with "home construction" (aka the repair that never ends). We've had out kitchen ceiling ripped out 3 times in the last 2 months, and it is about to be ripped out again because the problem has never been fixed. We've been booted out of our house for several hours at a time, multiple times. Once was even for several days (conveniently during a time we were planning on being gone anyway). And it's not done. There's still a leak. Somewhere. Who knows. But I am grateful. Grateful we have a roof, walls, ceiling, windows, and beds. A lot of people don't have any of those. I am grateful that because of this challenge, I have been forced to keep my kitchen clean(er). I have learned how to clean it up fast, and not only be cleaned, but be emptied. I am grateful that I have had to reorganize most of the house, thus purging the house of all the junk that we don't really need/want. I am grateful we had a garage sale last weekend and earned about $40 for our junk stuff, and donated the rest of it to charity (I am sure they could easily make $500 off of all of the stuff that was donated between my neighbors and me). It feels like a weight has been lifted. And so the lesson. Trials are a blessing. It's all about perspective,

Asher has been combining two songs lately, that have a similar line. The Barney song and "Happy Family" (from church..is that the right name?) He sings it to Jude, then hugs and kisses him. We don't even watch Barney more than once a week, but the song is stuck.

And because no blog post is complete without a picture.

awww. It's only 8:45am and I am ready for a nap

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really wish we were the type of family that woke up early and went to parades and things like that, but then again, I am really grateful that my children are satisfied with just spending time with family, and the simple things that make them happy. (I wish we went to the pancake breakfast though...ah well, there's next year).
We had lots of fun on the weekend of 4th of July. I hope that when we all pass on that we will get to view all of those happy moments in our lives. (Especially since I am bad at photo documentation. I am too busy and involved with the moments that my camera isn't stuck to my face enough...though I really wish I'd remember it more often). I do have a few photos though.

would you believe this is our FIRST picture with all of us!

so dang cute!

watching the fireworks

Asher experiencing his first sparkler. I am so grateful that ~~he's afraid of~~ he has respect for fire

Loved

2010-06-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

I need to frame this picture and carry it with me everywhere. I don't always feel the love. (From my husband, absolutely yes, he tells me everyday, but from my children, sometimes). With 3 little people, at any given moment of the day, someone is upset for some reason. Oftentimes, it is my fault. I want them to share things, I don't want them to eat junk foods, someone is tired, hungry, or otherwise disagreeable (for whatever reason). Moments where everyone is simultaneously joyful seem few and far between (and I am not pessimistic...it is true). But this made my day.

Asher and Silas actually wanted to sit with me and climbed in my lap (Jude had no choice)

I want to always remember that on June 29, 2010 at 6:50pm, not only was everyone happy, but everyone wanted to sit with me. Not just with me, but on me. Thanks guys, I've been needing this (and hoping it will happen more frequently).

Delight in Fatness

2010-06-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time visiting family for Father's Day and hearing JD's little brother speak in church. I am really grateful to have such an amazing husband as the father in our house. He's the best father I've ever known, and I know he will just get better and better as we grow old.

Jude is a fatty. I mean, really really rotund. I think it hurts him to sit on people's laps he is that fat. Look.

He's wearing a diaper there. Can you even tell? Barely. His fat rolls cover it. I love it!

My awesome BFF took some pictures of me and the little man a few weeks ago, and I LOVE them! She did an awesome job (especially when you factor in the fact that she did these in less than 20 minutes).

And I have to brag about my BFF a little...she just got featured here for her amazing recipes.

Things I've Learned/Re-learned Recently

2010-06-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

This past week was an interesting one. Not bad. Just interesting. I remember a friend telling me that is a good way to say that things weren't as great as could be without really sounding negative. Interesting. Nonetheless, I learned a lot from this week. Hopefully I retain these useful tidbits in my memory.

Wearing an apron isn't just a good idea, it's necessary
I don't even remember what I was making the day I took this picture, but when I looked down, I noticed this:

Why would I do that? I have a pretty good selection of aprons now, but instead I used my pants to dust off my hands. It's even worse when I do this on the back, without realizing, and go out in public. How embarrassing.

It is beyond my control to break up every fight
Yes. My children fight. Well, the older two do at least. They fight quite frequently, in fact, and it's been adding to my stress that I feel like instead of being a fun mom, I am a referree, constantly pulling them off of each other(more so Silas than Asher), or explaining that we need to share and not tease, and don't bite your brother, don't kick your brother, don't hit your brother, don't push your brother, don't throw pretend food at your brother. Then JD said "just relax. When someone gets hurt, they'll stop." So I am trying to choose my battles, as in choose which of their battles seem the most destructive, and try to end those ones. Oh, and I bought them some cheap pool noodles (2 for $2.50, not bad) and told them that they are swords, so they ca go at it outside.

Don't place value in material things.
Cell phones, computers, TVs...etc. We (Chiltons) are really low maintenance people. We don't have the latest in high tech gear. In fact, we don't even have the stuff that people consider to be older, or outdated. Nope. Our stuff would probably fall into the category of ancient. One friend lovingly told me once that we live in a cave, and I am ok with that (and wasn't offended). Our TV is a hand-me-down we got when we were first married 4 years ago. That TV has served us well, even though I dropped it when we moved. Never gave us a channel, but we're ok with that (though I would mind having a show now and again, it's probably better this way). Poor TV though must be laid to rest. Asher sprayed it with water last week, in those little input/output jacks (whatever you call those things) in the front. I am sure he thought he was doing us a favor, but then the screen started scrolling through "channels" (various degrees of fuzz). In an effort to teach him a lesson, we're making him earn a new tv for us. No need to contact child labor officials, he's "working" by being kind. Every act of kindness earns him a warm fuzzy to put in a jar. When the jar is full, in theory, we'll have enough money to buy a new tv (or we will have arranged some form of replacement tv from someone giving one away). We don't want him to have the indulgence of instant gratification. Ahhhh, break a TV, just buy a new one the next day. No. We want him to really know there's always work involved. So maybe in a week or so, we can get a new one (I hope). It hasn't really effected us that much though since we only watch movies, and have once a week video game day.

Sometimes what is seen as a burden is truly a blessing
Last week, JD had the unique opportunity to work overtime to rebuild something with several other electricians after something exploded at a research facility. They needed all the help they could get, and since overtime is double pay, he doesn't usually pass it up. Plus, it's a good learning experience during his training. It made for an "interesting" weekend for me though because usually the weekend is my little bit of relief. I am not by myself taking care of the children, usually, and I feel a little more human. He worked from 7pm Saturday night to 11:30am Sunday, so he had to sleep while the rest of us (me and 3 kids) went to church. Interesting does not begin to describe us during Sacrament meeting. I just have to say that if it weren't for dear friends, I probably would have left after that meeting. I was crying, frustrated, exhausted. My respect to single parents, and parents going to church solo. With active children, or children desperately in need of naps, it is nearly impossible. But, because of that work, JD made the same amount in one day as he did the whole previous week. Not too shabby.

Having all boys is not the end of the world. It's awesome!
I always wished that I had more siblings, especially now that I am an adult and I am realizing I will never be an aunt (at least not a real aunt). My kids will only have cousins on JD's side, and that makes me sad sometimes. That has nothing to do with what I was going to say, but I wanted to write it down.

It bothers me when people act like having all boys is a downer. I take my boys to a store, and someone shopping or working there always says something like "oh, all boys. You poor thing." Amazingly enough, 9 times out of 10, they are pretty well behaved in the store. They save their shows for our house or our friends' houses when we need to leave. Children in general are not easy, it's not just boys. I love these boys though, and whenever people say things like that to me, I tell them that if I have 3 more boys, I wouldn't mind. It'd be nice to have a girl someday, but if all we have are future priesthood holders, so be it. Children are a blessing and it's an honor no matter what we are blessed with.

I shouldn't compare myself to others so much
I know a bunch of amazing people. Really really amazing people. Some have talents in music, other in creative arts--painting, drawing, photography, cooking/baking, time management, organizing, others are good at planning special events or outtings for their families. I get intimidated sometimes, and overwhelmed pretty much all of the time. How do people do it all? I want to be something I am not. Then I remember that it doesn't matter if my family goes on fun vacations or day trips all the time, or if I can start my kids potty-training when they're only a few months old (sorry Lora, had to throw that in there...you amaze me. You're incredible), or if I have every detail of my life organized (even though I really want that). What really matters is that I am helping my family to progress, that I am teaching my children the gospel of Jesus Christ, that my children know we love them and they can trust us. A joyful life is the by-product of following Christ. Though the things we do in this world definitely make life more fun, in and of themselves, they are not the source of our happiness.

I made JD help me remove a bnch of staples from an ottoman I got at a garage sale so I could recover it

I learned so many other things this last week, too many things to list. Mostly, I've learned about being grateful for our simple life.

So Dang Cute

2010-06-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Cankles anyone?

Sometimes, I think it's Baby Silas again. I even call him that every now and then.

then I see him like this, and I think he looks just like Asher.

But I know he's himself. His own brand of cuteness.

Asher my Teacher

2010-06-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

Asher is known for many things. He has a pretty distinctive way of running. He doesn't mind being a loner (and I am starting to accept it too). If we're at the park and he wants to play with his friends, he will. He likes to push Silas, a lot. And kick, and hit, and grab (pretty much all of the "we never..." in our Joy School rules). Around his teachers, he is pretty cooperative. I've learned that he has selective hearing though; if he doesn't want to listen to you, he won't.

He is also really enthusiastic about "winning." He likes video games, mainly anything with Super Mario Bros. (yes, I am one of those parents who lets their kids play video games...we only have game day on Saturday morning before breakfast. And I have learned video games are actually kind of educational. Asher knows how to read "Game Over" now. That's talent, I tell ya).

The last few weeks of Joy School, all he could talk about was Mario. "Asher, what do you like to do with your grandma?"
"I like to play Mario with my grandmas." (I don't even think either of his grandmas know how to turn on the system, let alone play the games. Hence, they have never played these games with Asher).

Also, when asked what he likes about Jude, or any time he is even talking about Jude, he gets really excited and says, "When Jude gets bigger then we can play THREE players on Mario Kart with me, Silas, and Jude! Yeah, that'll be SO much fun!" Whenever he says Mario Kart, it sounds more like "Mario Goat." (I think if I were ever to write out everything Asher says in a day, there would be a LOT of exclamation points.) He might seem mellow sometimes, but he definitely has his own kind of intensity too."

The obsession with Mario continues. Yesterday, Asher wanted to draw, and I am really impressed at how he's progressing in his artistic skills. I think by next year he will pass me up. His people aren't just heads and legs anymore. They have arms, smiles, eyes, AND accessories (well, hats).

Asher & Daddy as "Mario" holding hands, "because we're buddies"

He asked for my help in putting the "M's" on the hats, but he started that one on the left on his own. He also wanted me to write the explanations of what is in the picture.

Asher can be a real stinker sometimes. FYI-I like being honest on my blog. I won't sugar coat my life. It is not always bliss, it is not always perfect. I like to focus on the good things (or try, at least), but I am also pretty realistic. My house is a mess. I don't think we've "caught up" on laundry since Jude was born. I love my life, but there are days I need a break. I realize it's all normal, but sometimes I get intimidated when I think other people have got it all together. Then I realize that we can't do it all on our own. This talk has helped me recently. (and this one too...well, pretty much this whole General Conference).

I love Asher, but he's definitely the child who has broken us in as parents. I am grateful for that. He teaches me a lot. Sometimes it's patience, other times it's love. I need praise, he needs praise. He's pretty sensitive. Like yesterday when his new toy blew into the street, and he screamed the most torturous scream. He reminds me how we all need to be comforted (don't worry, I rescued that toy). When we had out kitchen disaster a few weeks ago and I was stressed and crying, he was pretty concerned (he rarely sees me cry) and he comforted me. He is very observant as to people's names and what they enjoy (he brings me flowers every day when we play in the yard).

Man, I've got an amazing kid (3 amazing kids, actually). I complain about him being a stinker, but all I can think about right now is how much I love him. About a week ago, he said the sweetest prayer before bedtime. Most of the time his prayers contain the same phrases (even though we don't have recitable prayers, and we just say what we are feeling in the moment, he often says certain things every time, like naming each family member, saying he's thanful for them, and the pretty day, etc). This prayer though pretty much got me, and sums up why we love our family so much.

"Heavenly Father....I am thankful for mommy and daddy and asher and silas, and jude. I am thankful for my family because I will never have to be alone all by myself..."

me too, Asher!

Memorial Weekend

2010-06-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's already been a week, but that's ok. I love visiting family. Absence makes the heart grow fonder ya know, so when we visit JD's family, it's always a party, even if it isn't intended. I think that is because his family is so big. I love it. It was a very chill weekend even though it was super hot. No BBQ, no huge events. Just the fam. That's the way we like it.

The dashing Chilton men, still in their jammies

I think my favorite part of the weekend was dancing. Considering that physical activity has been pretty limited for me for the last little bit, getting back into the groove was definitely needed. The fam bought a new game for the Wii, and we all had fun testing it out. Even Asher and Silas had a go at it (Silas actually scored really well one while he was playing against Sam. He didn't win, but came close).

You can tell Silas was shakin his buns here.

Don't tell Tutu I put this picture up, but I love her face in this one (I have a similar candid picture of my own mom dancing at our wedding with a very similar facial expression.) I love it!

Thank you for letting us invade your house again.

Baby Shower

2010-06-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

For some reason, my friends like having baby showers. This was my 3rd boy. I really don't expect anything, and I am sure most people are thinking "psshh, like you NEED anything." I am really blessed to have so many wonderful friends though who give so freely, and love a good reason to celebrate. And isn't life one of the greatest reasons to celebrate?

I felt really pretty that day, and that doesn't always happen. I think it was because the day before JD let me "get out" (no kids, run errands...just ME! for like 2 hours). I say that as if JD is in charge of me, but that's not what I mean. It is hard for me to let myself get out. I feel guilty sometimes, but this excursion was much needed. Thank you JD for helping me feel prettier).

I love my friends

And these friends too (and other friends who weren't there)

Yay! I love having awesome people in my life. Thank you ladies. Thank you for loving me and loving my family, for making wonderful treats, for showering me with gifts (diapers! we won't be buying any for a loooooong time), and for wonderful conversation (hehe..if you weren't there, ya missed out).

You made me feel really special.

I love you!

Sleepy and Sassy

2010-05-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Being almost 2, isn't quite terrible. It can be trying though. Being Silas is not only entertaining, it is also exhausting. Look at this kid. He is sleeping, in the middle of our living room. He falls asleep on his own several times a week. This nap was the result of a day without sleep. A day of construction in our house. A day where it was impossible to go into the bedroom and relax. But the living room floor looked good for some reason.

Silas has been quite, shall we say, moody lately. We're not sure why, but we can also blame it on his age. I haven't really been aware of his teething situation for a while. That is the other excuse we like to use (and it is good for about the first 2 years or so). At the same time that he can be really moody, a few minutes later, he will be lovey and cuddly. Who is this kid?! Silas' first sentence, which he says several times a day, was "I love YOU!" (pointing to whoever he is speaking to). We love it. His new sentence, just as critical for survival in this house as the first, is "Give it back!" Today was the first time I heard him say it, and I couldn't stop laughing.

Ugh, Aggggh, Awwwwwww

2010-05-19T01:13:00.000-07:00

Pardon my language, but today was a really crappy day. (I have been pretty good about refraining from the use of that word...that's about as vulgar as I get). But dang...I am glad today is over.

Why is that you ask...well, the ceiling in our kitchen started looking droopy recently. (honestly, it could have been that way for a loooong time, and I wouldn't have noticed except it was pretty obvious recently, that and the wall beneath started to look zitty). I recently told the housing manager about all of this, and since he's been out of town a bunch and is busy with lots of stuff, nothing happened. Then, thankfully I was up late last night, kind of like right now (and technically "today" is now tomorrow...oh well), and when I went to get a drink of water, I noticed water on some things on the kitchen counter. I looked up. Aggggh! A hole. Not. Cool. At. All.

To make a long story short, maintenance dude came and assessed the damage, got the green light from the owner, and went to town ripping down a huge chunk of our kitchen ceiling.

Oh, did I mention that after the maintenance guy got off the phone with the owner (on his cell phone), the owner called me, on my cell phone, and basically yelled at me for waiting so long and prolonging the damage. If you think I'm stupid sir, I am not. I reported this as quickly as I could. I do not delight in having my kitchen taken-over, and losing the use of my shower for several days. I don't need to be spoken to or treated in such a way that makes me cry for several hours afterward (I guess I still have those dang post-partum hormones going through me). Next time you feel like discussing things with me, my personal secretary will be handling it.

So, no shower, no kitchen, for...? Don't know how many days yet because they still need to make sure they've found all the leaks. That is what will be fixed tomorrow, and hopefully we will be sheet-rocked tomorrow night ::::crossing fingers::::::

The other crappy events would involve too much potty talk than I'd like to share on the blog. Let's just say Jude is fully functioning once more (after a 5 day break), and Asher had an....accident. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

So to end this day on a positive note, here are some recent pleasant pictures.

Me and my boys. I love these guys

Boppa Jeff loves babies

Two of the gorgeous aunties (there are 4 total, and all gorgeous) I love that they adore my boys

4 generations (notice Asher is pointing a water gun at me and Silas is crying)

The highlight of my week. Jude's been smiling a TON and getting more interactive.

How To Conquer Your Fears

2010-05-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

Look them straight in the eye, and give them a kiss!

Force others to do the same

Why it's Worth It

2010-05-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, there are days when I am burned out. I need a nap, a maid, and a Jamba juice. I want to be able to enjoy my children, but they aren't being enjoyable. I need to have a reminder of why it is all worth it, because really, it is.

Just a few things I love about my boys (because I could go on an on).

Asher---his enthusiasm for everything (the reason why he has no volume control in most situations), he ALWAYS gives me flowers whenever he spends time outside, the way he rests his hand on my knee whenever he is sitting next to me, he loves reading the scriptures.

Silas---his playful nature/always giggling, when he is the first to wake up in the morning he crawls into bed with me and cuddles (and sometimes falls back to sleep), whenever someone asks him to do something he said "ok" and he actually does it.

Jude---he can't do much yet, but he loves being held and getting his milk. It's amazing the love that radiates from a newborn child. They have no responsibility, can't speak, they are small, but being around a newborn there's a sense of the sacred, a reminder of who we really are as God's children. We're reminded of God's love for us when around babies. I also love that noise doesn't disturb Jude too much (he was definitely meant for our family).

I love being a mom. Aside from being a missionary, this is the most challenging responsibility I have ever been given. I can't remember what it was like before I had little people who consumed my thoughts and worries, when the only person I really had to worry about was me. I used to look at JD and say "I can't believe we're married" (sometimes I am still in shock about that). Now, I look at our family....wow. I can't remember what it was like before "Team Chilton." That was before I really knew love.

Getting Chubby

2010-05-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jude's blessing day. I had his blessing outfit all laid out, and JD picked it up and said "there's no way that is going to fit him." So I had to find something else, mostly white, for him to wear. Luckily I found something (but didn't take a picture of him in it, or a family picture, or any pictures yesterday for that matter). It was a whirlwind kind of day, and I think my children will forgive me for not having a gazillion pictures of everything. I do want to remember stories though, and the words of the blessing will be recorded (just not here).

Jude is definitely filling out. For not even being 1 month old, as JD's mom says "this kid is a moose." And, he is starting to smile. They're faint smiles, but smiles nonetheless, and I know gas doesn't result in a smile.

And so far, this is the only picture I have of all three of my boys. A bit disappointing, but true to life. I'd love a happy, cute picture, but I will settle for this right now. I love how Asher and Silas just adore their new little brother. I can't wait for him to be old enough to run crazy with them.

Love and Growing

2010-04-21T12:58:00.001-07:00

How can you tell if your big brothers really love you?

They let you have their favorite toys

They want to spend every waking minute with you, even when you're busy

They want to hold you (at least 10 times a day)

It's safe to say this guy is loved.

Today was his 2-week check. He's 11 pounds now! Whoa.
Guess I shouldn't have invested in so many size 1 diapers.

Kisses....almost forgot about those

JD's Transformation

2010-04-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

For the past few months, well, 1/3 of a year, JD has been growing out a beard. I was ok with it, because I knew that at some point, he'd shave it off. Neighbors and friends who see him on a regular basis have been able to see the whole process. From the "The artist" ("arteest") to "the cowboy," JD has gone through quite a transformation.

I think he stopped shaving some time around Christmas. January looked pretty nice, even February was alright, but then it took over his face. As JD puts it, "it was like having another person with me wherever I went." Nice. But, we agreed that Jude's birth would be a great time to shave. So a few days later, he did. (see pic above--April 10th). He went to church and work like that (for a whole week). This style is referred to as "the cowboy," and I could definitely picture him in an Old Western with a face like that. Thankfully, on Saturday, the full process was complete and the beard was fully removed. I can now kiss my husband without fear of a mild abrasion.

So glad you're back. I missed you!

April 7---Day of Surprises!

2010-04-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2010 was a wonderful day for our family when we welcomed a new little person to our team. But this day was not without many surprises.

I was already almost a week overdue, and getting kind of desperate. Not because I was uncomfortable,though that was a motivating factor, but because of medical personnel making me feel like I was "at risk." Anyhow, I didn't want to be induced, so I was doing everything I could to get labor started. On April 6th, I went on a walk with my mom and the boys, and then at night our friend James helped JD to do pressure points on my feet, ankles, hands, and back that supposedly would help to start labor. I was skeptical, but willing to try anything, especially since this technique seemed to work on James' wife, Monica, a few months ago.

(this is a little play-by-play of the day....if you don't care, scroll down. This is more my record than anything, but pretty miraculous if you ask me).

April 7----5:30am. I was feeling "something"...contractions...but it didn't seem like a big deal, especially considering my previous labor experiences (contractions for a few hours, fade to nothing, then come back the next day, intense labor, delivery). JD was getting ready for work, and I always kind of wake up a bit to say goodbye to him. He left the house around 6:30am, and I told him I was having contractions so he better keep his phone with him at work.

7:30am...I called my mom. There was no way I would last the day with the boys while having contractions. She was already coming over around 9:30 so I could go to my scheduled appointment, but I was going to need her much earlier. My awesome friend Natalie agreed to take me to my appointment because I didn't feel like driving the way I was feeling (even though the contractions were far enough apart). When my mom got to the house, it relieved a little of my stress.

9:30am---Natalie picked me up and off we went to my appointment.

10:15---Non stess test. (hooked me up to monitor baby's movement and contraction rate, and whatever else they do). The appointment with the doctor. I told her that I was having contractions but I wasn't sure if I was REALLY in labor because of my other experiences. She said she could check me if I wanted, and I said that I doubt if anything is happening yet, but let's check anyway. SURPRISE! Dr's eyes got really big and she said , "wow, you'll be surprised to know you're about a 5." Wow. "I'll give the hospital a call for you and let them know you'll be there this afternoon."

11:15am---Natalie drove me home, I called JD, and JD's dad to let them know they needed to get to the house quickly.

Exact times are kind of a blur from here on out. Got home, JD got there, grabbed some stuff, called the hospital, and left. The whole was to the hospital, contractions got worse (yay!)

around 1:30pm we got to the hospital, and were immediately given a room (after checking in...usually you have to go to triage first, but we got to skip that)

Not sure what time it was when I had a contraction where I felt like pushing, but I let the nurse and the midwife know. Things sped up from there. Tons of people in the room (there had been a concern the last few months about excessive bleeding). JD's mom and my mom got there just in time (and JD's dad waited in the waiting room). I got checked again, and I was an 8.5, almost ready. Once things were in place, the midwife student said that next time I felt like pushing I could just go for it.

I don't know exactly how long it took, but it was fast, and much more painful than the others (though none of my deliveries were a piece of cake). Rightly so because this baby was a whopping 10 lbs., 9 ounces!!! (Not that I do it to be a hero or anything, but once again, I didn't have drugs. I wouldn't have had a choice even if I wanted them because of the bleeding issue. Thank goodness I didn't know the weight ahead of time....might have been a little discouraging).

Dang it! Our hospital didn't have a salon!

Here's our boy! SURPRISE! We didn't want to know what we were having, but everyone expected a girl this time (old wives tales have officially been proven wrong....slow growing leg hair doesn't mean you will have a girl, whether you carry to the front and up high or low and all over you could be having a boy....also, babies with hair don't always give their moms heartburn during pregnancy).

Jude Jeffrey Chilton made his entrance at 3:12pm, less than 2 hours after we got to the hospital. He weighed 10 lbs, 9oz and was 22 inches long (with a massive 15 inch head....yes, I am still hurting...uh a lot!). We're both doing well, and the boys just love him. When we brought him home, the both wanted to hug and kiss him (and give him their favorite toys...a true sign of love).

Hey Jude! We're so glad you're here