Thank you to Kendra!

Kendra,

Abigail stared and studied the funny card you sent her, while eating her applesauce.  Look how happy you made her.

Thanks!

It's good to have a big brother

Another sweet picture.  When Luke has a hard time falling to sleep at night he usually goes in to Abby's room and reads her books till they both fall asleep.  It is funny because this is the boy that said he only wanted little brothers and now he absolutely adores his little sister.

A Thirty Thousand Dollar Scorpion Sting!

This is Abigail sleeping peacefully in her new room.

This is Abigail the next day after being stung by a scorpion.

Abigail ended up being in ICU for 2 days, while the poison worked through her body.

I stayed with Abigail but her most favorite visitors were Grandma and Daddy.  Grandma even stayed the second night here with me to take shifts with Abigail.  

Abigail is 100% better and her brothers promise to keep her safe from scorpions.  

That experience is something I hope we never repeat.  

We are so happy to have her back.  

Sharing

This is such a cute picture and yes, Luke does have whiskers in this picture.   This is what happens when the doctor puts your 8 yr old son on bed rest for a week (He is going back to school tomorrow).  Luke and Abigail really get along so well, I love it!

Lego Land and Laguna Beach Slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Goodbye to my sweet foster children

It has started off to be a semi-depressing day.  My foster children go home today after school.  It has been 6 months!  Just the thought of having no more influence on the kids makes me sad.  This morning I got a call from the Mom and first thing she said was, "Are you so excited?".  (Well, no not really, was what I was thinking)  I replied, "I think it will be good for the kids".   

Here is an overview of my day so far...

7:00 am   Wake up and make the baby a bottle.  Takes her forever to suck it down.   Jeremiah and Luke are playing on the wii.  

7:30 am It is time for the kids to turn of the wii, get dressed, clean their rooms and make their beds.  

8:00 Just finished feeding the baby.  (Such a slow eater)   She drinks 6 of the 8 oz.   

I check on the progress in the kids room and there really is none.  I am not sure what they were doing the whole time.

8:45 Time for school, however the kids are now jumping on the trampoline.   I put Luke's lunch in his backpack and notice a project (a blank music record that we were supposed to fill in with pictures, a collage of his life) that was supposed to be completed and turned in today. Luke breaks down in hysterics thinking he will get booted out of G.A.T.E for having a missed assignment.  One that he could not do without my help.  It has been a crazy 2 weeks and I forgot to help him.  I feel bad and think in the back of my mind, "Things will get so much easier once the kids are gone".  While I am calming Luke down, Jeremiah comes in from jumping on the trampoline and cries, "I have a headache and can't go to school today".  

9:09 The school bell rings at 9am.  Needless to say they are all late, again.  We all get in the car, no Jeremiah.  I go back in the house and find him upstairs determined to stay home.  We finally get him in the car and drive to school.  I walk in and check them in, Jeremiah cries that he wants to go home with me.  Mark and Jeremiah walk to class and then I do the paperwork to withdraw Jeremiah from school stating that this is his last day and drive home.

I have to add this.....  A few things I will not miss.... 

-Changing 14 diapers a day, sometimes more sometimes less.

-Cleaning up Zuri messes, on average it would be 5 a day.  I don't know how one child can get into so much, so often.  Today's mess was chucking a glass from the island counter to the floor.  Why?  To watch it shatter?  I don't know.  I, know better than to leave breakables out, I am not sure who did leave it out.  Usually it is things like pouring out the rice container, unraveling toilet paper, dumping out people's cups, bowls etc.  Spitting her food on the floor, Putting her hands in her messy diaper and then putting those same hands on other things.  etc, etc, etc....

-The boys fighting or arguing, the whining and screaming.

-There are a few more but those are the big ones.

I never would of survived the past 6 months without......

My amazing husband

Both of our families giving endless support

My sweet friend, personal assistant, nanny, support system Liz 

Great friends like Laurie and Holly to help out 

I will miss.....

Raising baby Mika

Giving Zuri snuggles and watching her and Abby play.

Seeing how Zuri loves having Chad be her daddy.  

Hearing Zuri yell, "Papa!" when we visit Grandma and Grandpa.

Getting hugs from Jeremiah

Watching the children pray and learn the gospel

Many of you have asked me, "What are you going to do when the kids go home"?

Well, I am not going to be late, more than I'm on time for school.  

I am going to help my kids with their school projects.

I am going to have more time to snuggle my children and have more one on one time with them.

I will keep my house clean for longer periods of time.  

I will finally be able to have some time to read the books on my list.  

I will be able to read my scriptures in peace.

I will be able to fulfill my calling in church.

I will be able to exercise.  (I have taken a 6 month break, that is true sacrifice for me) 

I will be able to shop without getting a babysitter.

Oh, there is plenty that I am very excited to do.  Hopefully, I can focus on those things as I take them home today.  

Cupcakes!

Tonight's family home evening dessert is......chocolate cupcakes!

Here are my fine cupcake helpers, Abigail and Jacob.  

Jacob is one of her most favorite friends.  

(Right now, Abigail is pointing to the 

computer screen and saying, "Jacob, funny"!)

The hardest part was keeping their fingers (and tongues) 

out of the batter.

Picture Time!

What should of taken 20 minutes, took 2  1/2 hrs!  Yikes!  If I had known that, I would of just taken the pictures myself at home.  We just found out our sweet foster kids are going back home next Friday and I wanted to get a nice picture of the 3 foster kids.  

For fun I thought it would be nice to have one group picture of all the kids for a scrap book I am putting together for them.  As soon as Abigail sat down, she burst into tears.  She is just so shy!  I actually never got a picture of the 3 kids because next Zuri burst into tears also.  At least the boys & baby were happy!  I guess 4 out of 6 isn't so bad.

Abigail managed to get through this picture as long as she could sit on the pony!  

Of course I had to get this one too.

My sweet kids

My sweet kids...this past Saturday and Sunday the foster kids were at day visits with their parents and so all I had were my own kids.  It was so nice and relaxing.  It is amazing how much more you appreciate your own family in a situation like this.  Before I had six kids, three seemed like a challenge at times.  Now going from six to three I realize how easy I have it.  

1st day of school

2 kindergartners and a 3rd grader!

The kids were excited to be heading off to school.  What made it even better, was that Chad took them.  I will say, having Chad take them made it easier to let them go.  Less traumatic....for me.

Questions run through the mind of a mother when dropping their child off for their first day of school.  Have I taught them all they need to know this far?  Are they going to be sad?  How are they going to do?  Well I feel the answer is, they are going to be just fine.  

As for the teachers of the world that is another story.  We pray for them.

Hope you are having a great first day Annie and Mom!

Danny Gans

Our good friends Darin and Anita called last minute and had tickets to Danny Gans, one of the best shows in town.  Kudos for Liz ,who watched our kids so we could go.   The show was amazing and so entertaining!  He did some of the best impersonations through comedy and song.  It was such a fun night.  Here is my thankful list.  

I am thankful for 

people with great talent who use that talent well,  

clean entertainment,

date night,

and great friends to share it with.  

Grandpa and Shane's Birthday

Even though the star of this picture is Chad's beautiful sister Annie, WE were celebrating Shane and Grandpa's birthdays.  It was so much fun to visit with Shane (Chad's brother) as he was really only in town for 2 hours as he was passing through for a fishing trip out of California.  He and his wife and their four adorable children live way out in Connecticut and we miss them sooo much!  As for Grandpa he just turned 97!  Wow!  

One of the standing family traditions in this family is when it is your birthday everyone takes a turn saying something that they love about you.  For both Shane and Grandpa there were so many.  Family can really make you feel special.

Bobcat

Ever since Luke turned 8 he has been loving being in scouts.  That was one major reason he was excited about being 8.  Here is Luke receiving his first badge, the Bobcat.  Apparently they give the hardworking Mom some recognition as well, in form of a pin that your child pins on you.  I am impressed!  I had Luke take a picture with Chad because he was the one that helped Luke pass everything off to earn the Bobcat.   

Something happens everyday

Today, I walked upstairs for 2 minutes to put a movie on for one of my five yr olds.  In those 2 minutes the two little girls got into my filing cabinet and ripped apart my 2007 Tax return.  I put both the girls in time outs, one on the stairs the other just around the corner from the stairs...they kept peeking out at each other giggling and softly calling each others names.

To make life easier I had put all the chairs up and put up a blockade to our family room.  It makes life easier with less food and drink messes but now the girls find more things to seek and destroy.  There is no stopping those two...thank goodness they are as sweet as can be.

Sleeping....

Ok, here is yet another example of Mark's funny sleeping habits.  I walked into the boys room this morning to find Mark asleep in his pillow case in Luke's bed.   

Everyday life in our house

Here is  my sweet 2 yr old.  Yes, the same one that while camping decided to rub her dinner in her hair instead of eating it.   She climbed up on the Island and took Mark's milk and poured it  over her head before I could get to her.

Girls weekend!!!

Ok, we as in my Mom, sisters and sister in laws just had our first ever girls weekend.  The kid in all of us came out the whole weekend.  Somehow we all were able to stay up way later than our bodies usually allow us.  I think all of us had serious sleep deprivation but none of us cared it was so fun! 

Highlights- Swimming with the girls, watching everyone experiment how many different ways you can go down the water slide.  

Having a delicious lunch by the pool. 

Girls Weekend!!!