Edy's growing up

Eden is two months old today! It is surprising how quickly time passes and at how much a little baby can change. Eden is the best baby we have had. Some of the things that she does to make our life easier are:

• sleeping for 7-8 hours at night!
• self-burping techniques and/or easy release
• being very happy and content
• being predictable when it comes to sleeping, eating, and diaper changes
• loving to smile and talk, being very social

Hannah, Peter, and Joseph can't get enough of her. They are constantly wanting to feed her, hold her, and give her kisses and hugs. It has been so fun to have a new baby around the house! She is so cute, I can't get enough of her either!

Sleepy Times

Tonight we got all bundled up and went to see the lights at the DC Temple. Everyone except Eden has a head cold and has been sniffling all day. As a result, on the way to the temple, both Peter and Joseph fell asleep. Peter was snoring so loudly that no one could hold a conversation. We tried to wake him up but he was out for the count. We tried to keep Joseph awake but he said "I am trying to keep my eyes open but they just keep shutting."
The Temple Visitor Center has a live Nativity Scene going nightly. Joseph kept asking to go see baby Jesus. We finally made it around to see it. He asked if he could hold baby Jesus. We had to tell him that the baby wasn't real, then he ask if he could talk to Mary and Joseph. We had to explain that they were only actors. Hannah said later, I knew it wasn't the real ones because they were wearing tennis shoes."
On the way home, Peter asked to listen to the Snoopy Christmas Song. We told him that we already listened to that song while he was sleeping. He said "I wasn't sleeping, I was just closing my eyes."

My Crazy, Crazy Life

Life has been so hectic with a Christmas that I am not completely ready for and a newborn that has had some issues.
I have had to organize my time by priority and like so many things that I enjoy, blogging has been put on hold for a time. I have never really liked ketchup on anything, let alone playing with it, but that is what I will be doing: playing catch-up.

A very expensive Vacation

Averaging just over $3,000 a day, Eden and I stayed at Children's Hospital down in DC. Eden was admitted in the wee hours of the morning 12:26 on Tuesday, November 27th and was discharged on Wednesday, December 5 around 4:00 p.m.. It was an emotionally draining 10 days. If they would have kept us longer I would have gone utterly mad. I had lost it. I needed to go home.

The ER

From the doctor's office we went to the Emergency Room at Children's in DC knowing full well that they were going to admit us. They let us sit in a room by ourselves so that Eden wasn't exposed to the very full waiting room of sick kids, which I thought was very nice of them. By the time we were brought to triage Eden's oxygen level had dropped to the high 80's, and of course normal is 100%. The nurse that got us started on the paper work and assessed us at the beginning got yelled at because she should have put us on a higher priority because of respiratory distress. Eden was immediately brought to a room where she was given oxygen, and a breathing treatment. We had all of the blood work done that they could possibly need as well as her mucus and urine tested. We then had an EKG and more X-rays. The blood work, urine and the EKG came back perfect. The test for RSV came back positive and the x-rays showed that she could possibly have a viral pneumonia.


While we were there, Alan got the kids fed and in bed after a very long wait at Target for prescriptions for the boys ear infections. He was thinking about who to call to come give Eden a Priesthood blessing. Our home teacher called to let us know that he was not going to be able to come this month, and asked if there was anything he could do for us. Instead of pretending that all was well, Alan asked if he would drive down to the Children's Hospital in DC and assist in giving a priesthood blessing. I truly believe that the Lord inspires people so that we can be watched over and cared for, and so that we can know of his love for us.

Hospital Stay
After being wheeled up to our room we said goodbye to our sick daddy and slept, well tried to. The next day I met Dr. We talked for about 30 minutes about everything that was going on as well as ski slops in Utah! I really felt like he listened to me and took into account my thoughts and feelings, in terms of Eden's weight gain. He asked how long I would give him to figure out her weight problem. I told him 2 days, we both laughed, ironically that is exactly the amount of time I gave him. He told me that he would not hold me in the hospital because of weight gain, The only thing Eden needed to do was keep her oxygen level above a 94 % through the night.

Eden was so good, she charmed all of the respiratory therapists, nurses, lab techs, cardiologists, and the resident doctors. Her Doctor was baffled as to how a baby could be so content and happy when she was so sick and wasn't gaining weight. She would just lay in her tent and look around happy as could be.

She basically ate and slept, they don't treat RSV with medication they only treat the symptoms. It got to a point that she really only needed oxygen when she slept and after her coughing spells. Although according to the monitors she was constantly in distress. The alarms were constantly going off. They said it was because her body was so small that the leads weren't far enough apart to give an accurate reading (so why have them on, I have no idea). By day 8 she was able to go without oxygen but they continued with humidified air in her little tent.

I only left to go get food and would usually get both lunch and dinner at the same time and after 5 days I left in the afternoons for an hour or so just to get out. I would go for walks. I felt weird leaving Eden knowing that the nurses had other things to do and about 4-5 other patients to take care of. But I took comfort in the fact that she was sleeping when I left. Alan brought me the lap top with down loaded Christmas songs, as well as a book, paper, calendar, phone charger, thank you cards, phone directory, and snacks. By the end of our stay I had my own little office set up. Which ended up being a blessing because I was tracking how much she was eating, how much I pumped, if she throw up during feedings and how many wet and dirty diapers she had. There is nothing quite so empowering as the doctor asking for information and being able to pull up a spreadsheet and show them what has been happening over the last 24 hours. Everyone was very surprised that I was a mother of 4. I don't know how many times I answered the question, "Is this your first?" No this is my 4th, as I grin at their very shocked expression. In fact one of the respiratory therapist was giving Eden a breathing treatment and he asked if this was my first child and I told him that it was not that I had 3 other children at home. He didn't believe me, luckily Hannah had drawn me a family portrait. He said, "I don't mean to be fresh with you, but you do know who is the lucky one in this equation?" I was completely lost to what he was talking about so I responded, "Grandma?" "No, your husband, you don't look like you have had 4 children!" Nothing like getting hit on when you feel anything but attractive!! Alan got a kick out of it.

Alan and I arranged a time for Hannah, Peter, and Joseph to come visit us. I told the nurse about it because I was so excited to see them. She told me that they didn't advise it, because they didn't want them to get what Eden had. My sweet husband came anyway with Ledo's pizza. We ate in the cafeteria and then we all went up and hung up pictures that the kids made for Eden and I. It was so good to see them.

Since 2 weeks I have been pumping and giving Eden the breast milk from a bottle so that we could monitor how much she was taking in, how much I was producing to see if both were enough. I continued that in the hospital, we were also trying to increase the amount she was taking so that we wouldn't have to force feed her every 2 hours and she could choose her own schedule. Still no weight gain. We then started fortifying my milk by adding a small amount of powder formula. Making it 22 cal. instead of the usual 20 cal. Still no weight gain. On day 9 we increased the powder to make it 24 cal. with the promise we could go home the following day if she had gained weight. They did their weight checks at 6:00 a.m. and to the shock of everyone she had lost weight. I was devastated, that was the breaking point.

I called Alan after the weight check and cried. I told him that I need to come home, and that he had to switch me places. I couldn't do it anymore. I needed my bed, I was averaging about 2-3 hours of sleep every night on my little chair bed. I missed my kids, I needed to be with them, to hold them and talk with them. I had no idea how long we were going to be here, but I need to leave. It was hard, I felt so torn. How do I leave my baby, but I had left my 3 other babies. Alan tried to come, but of course it was snowing so traffic was terrible he called about 9:30, by then I was doing a little bit better, after drawing strength from one of my best friends and my mom, after having sat in traffic for an hour and not even close to getting to the hospital, I told him to turn around and go home. I had just talked with one of the resident doctor as well as my nurse and they both said that there was still a possibility that we could go home today. When the doctor came in he gave me 2 options. Option #1: We could go home with a Doctors appointment on Monday to check her weight and a possibility of being re-admitted to the hospital for more tests that could end up being a long drawn out process. Option#2: Stay for 2 more days, with her on a feeding tube to see if she would gain weight that way. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and told him I wanted to go home. He nodded. I got nervous and asked if that was the wrong choice and if it would be better for her to stay. He told me that he didn't think anything was seriously wrong with her and that there was no right or wrong answer. He was still puzzled at why she wasn't gaining weight. But he was going to release us. We were free!!

Why me??

Yesterday Joseph couldn't hear and during our Sunday afternoon nap Peter woke up screaming because his ear hurt. I called early Monday morning to schedule a doctors appointment and sure enough, both of them had ear infections. While there I decided to get Eden checked as well because she sounded very similar to Joseph and Peter in terms of the cough and sounding clogged, I thought she might have an ear infection as well. Well, her ears were clear but after a weight check and discovering that she had lost weight, an x-ray, and a possible heart murmur, we got the news that they were going to admit her to the hospital.

Going back a little bit......Since she was two weeks old we have been going to the doctors for weight checks, at least every other day, because she has not wanted to gain weight. This completely boggled my mind because she has been a wonderful baby. She eats every 3-4 hours and is happy and content. Has many pee and poopy diapers, sleeps wonderfully and wakes up when she wants to eat. She was perfectly happy just being little. I have a friend who had a similar problem with her baby who is Joseph's age. She wondered if her breast milk was like Coke this time around, just empty calories. I wonder the same thing.....

Things that are lost

This Thanksgiving will be a day to remember! Peter lost his first tooth on Thanksgiving morning.

Side note: I know that this may sound funny, but I am so grateful that he is not like Hannah when it comes to losing teeth! She has loose teeth for months and months and even then it is a fight to get them out as they are roting away from lack of brushing.......because brushing hurts. I sometimes worry about her tolerance to pain. It is very, very, very low.

2nd side note: I am also very grateful that my children love the dentist. I didn't have a bad dental experience until I moved here to Maryland. We went twice to Dr. Pain (thinking the first time was just a fluke) and then switched. I am just super happy to have a nice, kind, and gentle dentist for me and my kids!

We were all so excited for Peter! The tooth fairy even remembered to come on the first night!! It seems like there is always some excuse for her not coming.

Pie First

Family traditions are one of those things that are hard to rid yourself of. One of these family traditions, though I couldn't tell you when it began, was started by my mom (the pie lady) and has been passed on to me, and as I found out my sister as well! Although my sister is more pure then I am, she makes her own pie crust. I don't, Pilsbury does a fantastic job at making them for me!


My mom loves to bake and has a sweet tooth as well. She would always ask us what our favorite pie was and then would make it for Thanksgiving. As we grew older, because of the size of our family, we often had 10 or more pies for our Thanksgiving feast. We usually had grandparents or other family come, as well as friends and neighbors over to enjoy these scrumptious pies, so it wasn't too far out there to need that many, but then she began to search for different pies, or pies she had never made before, and these pies were not replaced by others but just added to the ever-growing list. Some may say that her pie making has gotten a little out of hand, but all of those who partake would disagree.


For the past several years I have not been home (at mom's house) for Thanksgiving, I have had the pleasure of having it at MY house. Can I tell you how much I love it!! I love tripping over people in the kitchen, everyone snitching food, everyone's smiles and happy laughter, the beautifully set tables, the kids feeling big using the good china that they normally would not get to use. I find so much joy and satisfaction to gather around my table and overeat on yummy foods, especially pies!!


It's interesting how everyone has that certain food that it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without! This year we had a couple of friends over.....The Nichol family, the Perkes family, and Uncle Sly (a.k.a. Scott Livengood). We all pitched in and made our "must haves" or made sure that whomever made them, made that item to code!! But then when we started talking about pies I couldn't let any of them go.....why I ask? For starters Alan wouldn't let me, he wanted all those pies in our fridge to continue to eat for days after Thanksgiving. Secondly I didn't want to, me, myself, and I don't really like even 1/2 of the pies I make, but to give up making them was something that I couldn't do. Don't mess with TRADITION, man. What would I do the night before with only 2 or 3 pies to make? So instead of fighting over who was going to make which pies we agreed to just make whatever pies we wanted and then we would combine them all to devour. We ended up with a variety of 10 pies and multiples of a couple of them.


Pumpkin, Pecan, Cheesecake, Pumpkin Ice Cream, Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream, The "Green" Pie, Dutch Apple, Cherry, Lemon Meringue


We had a wonderful time, as you can imagine! Thanksgiving is such a delicous holiday!!

Fun Quizzes

I love taking these quizzes, especially when they turn out perfect!!

Your Scent is Lemon

Vivacious, tangy, and lively You are one gigantic ball of energy!

What's Your Girl Smell?

You Are a Brownie

Decadent and intense, you aren't for the weakhearted. Those who can deal with your strong flavor find out how sweet you really are.

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

You Are a Golden Blonde

Men see you as flirty and fun, yet deep and thoughtful You've got all the pizzazz of a blonde... With the intensity of a brunette

How Blonde Are You?

Time flies.......

when your sleepy!! Today Eden is 2 weeks old, AMAZING!

I thought in commemoration I should post more pictures and tell her story of coming to live in this crazy house.

Saturday October 27th was quite the day. It started with a wonderful baby shower given by Gwyn Nichol and Debbie Perkes. It was fun to receive such cute things. I have many wonderful friends. At the shower I was telling Becca Tippets, being the sitter for my other three no matter the time, how the evening was going to go. I told her that I was going to pick up a sitter at 6:30 so that I could go to the adult session of Stake Conference. During the conference I would time my contractions and then call her and ask her to pick up the sitter and drop her off and take my children to her house. She jokingly said "Are you serious?" I laughed and told her that it was wishful thinking because the stake center is 1/2 way to the hospital and it would just be convenient. I went home and that afternoon lost my plug. I knew that the time was drawing nigh and was very excited.

I continued to have mild contractions the rest of the afternoon and during the adult session of stake conference. I timed the contractions. Just like with my other kids my contractions were never consistent. But they weren't growing with intensity, so I didn't even tell Alan because I thought maybe it was just my wishful thinking and that it would end up being nothing. But I did mention to a couple people that I was timing contractions throughout the session of conference.
On our way home I had decided that maybe I should go to the hospital because of the contractions and having lost my plug. My reasoning was that if they had already admitted me and my contractions stopped that maybe they would help me out, but I wasn't sure that was what I wanted to do. Alan asked if we had enough time to stop for ice cream. While stopped at Baskin Robbins the contractions got stronger. We decided that Alan would drive the babysitter home and shortly after he left I called Becca to have her come pick up the kids.

We were on our way to the hospital about 11 and I knew that I wouldn't be sent home! We were almost there when Alan told me that wasn't to sure of the name of Miriam Eden Boss that we had already decided on. I couldn't believe it and asked what he had in mind. His response, "I don't know." Stress!!

I was dilated to a 5 and still smiling.....In fact I was laughing so hard they were having a hard time monitoring me. Alan was just being his humorous self and I would laugh and the monitor sounded like a rapper and then I would laugh harder. Anywho, we were having a great time and I wish I could remember half of what Alan said, but one comment almost made me cry. The nurse was asking questions and one of the questions was when was the last time you had intercourse. My response 2 nights ago. A little while later the nurse asked if we were usually like this at home (meaning cracking jokes and laughing). Alan's response was: no we actually don't usually talk to each other or see very much of each other......well except two nights ago... I was dieing! She was looking at us as though we were very strange. But I am sure that it made her night more enjoyable.

I was admitted, contractions got worse. At about 3:00 a.m. I thought for sure that it was time. The doctor checked me I was dilated to a 7.5. I asked her to break my water, she said that she would like to wait at least a 1/2 hour more because they were giving me antibiotic for Strep B. Upon saying "no," my water broke!! (Someone loves me.) They immediately started to prepare for the birth. It was a very painful 16 minutes but it could have been worse I am sure. The Doctor was holding the baby in while she finished getting ready and then with one contraction and 2 pushes she was here!! She was covered in a thick layer of that cheese-like substance, but she was beautiful!

Growing UP

What does "grown up" mean to a 8 year old?

Hannah and I had the opportunity to spend an hour together, just the two of us. We went to the Library!! Thrills a minute, but for two people who love to read it was wonderful. I asked Hannah on the way there "What makes you a grown up?" Her response actually surprised me. She said:

1. When I can leave the kids home with a baby sitter and go to the temple.
I asked, "Who's kids?" Her response, "Mine"

2. Being able to drive.

3. When I can go on a mission.

They grow up too fast!

HaPpY HaLloWEeN

This Halloween was one of blur and hurry up and get things. I got home from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon and still had to make Hannah's costume, carve pumpkins, and get the stuff for class parties the following day. Hannah wanted to be a fairy, Peter wanted to be a bat, Joseph a pumpkin as well as Eden and I. Alan's last minute costume was being dressed like he was just stepping into the shower!

We put Hannah's hair in rags so that in the morning it would be really curly, and after all of the kids were in bed I started on her costume. Unfortunately it didn't get finished, maybe she can be a fairy next year. My sewing machine was giving me fits and at 11:00 p.m. I decided to throw in the towel and admit defeat. She was very sweet about it in the morning. "It's o.k. Mom I can just be a cheerleader again." I of course felt badly, but to see that my children can be understanding and forgiving makes everything o.k.

Peter LOVED his first parade and school party! He seemed like he was on cloud 9 all day! He could not have been happier with his costume.

Joseph asked all day when it was time to go trick-or-treating to get CANDY!!

We decided to show off Eden to all of the neighbors, plus we had a costume to match Joseph and me, (just in case she was here for Halloween!) She was wide eyed the whole time and the neighbors were so excited to meet the newest member of the family!

We also had a special visitor come! Thanks mom!

Grand Appearance of....

Eden Kathryn Boss

Arrive on Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 3:16 a.m.

She weighed in at 7 lbs. 3oz., measuring 19 3/4 " long

Details to follow........

It's Official!!

I am now 36 weeks, and am officially off of bed rest!! No more comments like: sit down......don't do that.......what are you doing.......After 5 weeks of trying to take it easy and not do anything, I am free to do what ever my heart desires.



My biggest fear is that she will now wait, no matter what I do, until 42 weeks. I would not be a happy camper!


I wanted to thank everyone for all of their prayers and services that were rendered in my and my families behalf. Many people have picked up Joe for school, sit-n-chat, or to play. Meals that were dropped off, phone calls, well wishers, gifts, and many more things.



Confession time.......I actually started doing stuff on Tuesday, like cleaning my house, taking the kids to school, driving Joe to school, shooting hoops (I was stationary), etc. I couldn't resist (poor excuse, but true). So my house is cleaner then it has been in a long time and the laundry is done and I am ready to have this baby!



For all of those who don't want to see something LARGE, close your eyes. I am the largest I have ever been and have the possibility of becoming even bigger! Alan couldn't resist taking this picture, I am always asking him if I look big from the side. The answer is "YES" but it usually comes out as laughter.

Moments like this.....

Today we took the afternoon to go down to the Washington DC Temple for a stroll around the beautiful grounds and to go to the Visitor Center there. I have always wanted to sit down and watch the church commercials that they have produced. So I sat in their makeshift living room and began watching. None of my children wanted to watch them with me so they all drifted elsewhere. I didn't worry because we they would have Alan and Grandma and Grandpa to watch to make sure that they didn't get into mischief.

About half way through, Alan came and sat down with me, then Grandpa Boss. I thought, "Well Grandma is still with the kids." I went back to watching the commercials when I heard my little independent Joe say, "Mom" I turned around and there he was with his pants around his ankles. I sent Alan running and as Joseph turned around to go back to the bathroom I noticed that there was poop on his bum. I could have cried but decided to laugh, and I couldn't stop laughing. When Alan emerged from the bathroom with a smiling, "nothing is wrong" Joe, I was still laughing.

Luckily the Visitor Center had only one other family there and all of the Sister Missionaries.

This is my day, my baptism day....

Today Hannah was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I can't believe that this day has come and that my little girl has been baptized and received the Holy Ghost. What an emotionally draining day! Everything went very smoothly and could not have been better from my perspective.

Hannah, our little missionary, invited quite a few people who aren't members. Some of them were able to come. It was a wonderful experience for us, I hope it was for them as well. We also had both Grandma and Grandpa Boss and Grandma Wendy who were able to fly out for it. We are very proud of Hannah and her desire to be a member of the church, and for her desire to follow in the Savior's footsteps.

Hannah looked so beautiful in her dress. She looked so grown up...it is always hard to see your babies that way. She had to be reminded a few times that she needed to act like a lady. It's so hard to not be able to run and play whenever you want.

Side note: I got a little glimpse of myself as a mother of the bride in preparing for this baptism. I went a little overboard with invites, luncheons, pictures, how everything looked, and being just right..........all I have to say is that I will just need to remember this day and how it is not mine but hers.

Heaven can be found on earth....

I had a fabulous morning! For my birthday all of the parentals contrubuted to a day at Robert & Andrew Day Spa.....can I tell you how wonderful it was?! I would highly recommend it, I could see how once you start, you just want to continue going back!

It started with sitting by the fire filling out paper work. Then being issued a robe, sandles, towel, locker, and anything else you could possibly need. Then you go to the transistion area.....where they have lounging couches / chairs in a dimly lit room with soothing music playing. You can sip on hot tea or water with different citruis fruits in them and just relax. Then I was escorted to my massage room. I have never had a maternity massage before, the table that they have you lay on made me laugh. It was fun to lay on my stomach again if only for a moment!

Then I went back to the transition room with a neck soother on to wait to be escorted to lunch. Lunch was served in a dimly lit room with soothing music. The part that just blew me away was that they gave me an hour, a whole hour, to eat lunch, I don't remember the last time that I ate lunch with only my thoughts for an hour. It was fun to remind myself that I could eat slower, that there was no rush!

I then got a manicure and pedicure, which felt fabulous as well. The only thing missing was the 2 hour nap afterward! It was heavenly!

Happy Birthday "B"!

Today my little girl turned 8, amazing! I can't believe that so much time has passed, it makes me feel like I am getting old without me realizing it. I am actually having a hard time with letting her grow up and be her own self.

We had a special treat of Grandma Elaine coming from Colorado to celebrate this special day with us. Grandma went to school and had lunch with Hannah. Hannah could not have been more pleased to show off her Grandma. We also unwrapped Hannah's gifts of many earrings (including a turtle pair), bracelet, scriptures, My Little Pony's, clothes, a baptism memory book, and getting her ears pierced. We went out to eat at Don Pablo's for dinner as well as a quick visit to the DC temple. It was a fun packed day!

One wonderful quality of Hannah's, is her ability to love everyone and everything! From day one she has trusted and loved everyone that she has come in contact with. When she was little she never minded being dropped off at a sitter's house. She would just smile and wave and run off and play. She has a way of working herself into everyone's heart, even with out them knowing it. Once, when she was around 2, we went grocery shopping. She said Hi and smiled at everyone we passed even if we had passed them before. I, of course, was mortified, being one that doesn't usually talk to anyone, a smile maybe, but actually having words come out of my mouth, no. I had this lady come up to me as we were leaving, and she told me that the store should hire Hannah and that it would boost their sales and the amount of people who shopped there. That's my little girl!

It is amazing to walk into school with Hannah. She has to hug every teacher that she passes as well say "Hi" to all the kids she knows. Everyone knows her name and responds well to her. She has been getting into trouble because of her talking to friends and non-friends alike. She is always accepting of other people and welcomes others to freely join in playing.

Probably the biggest impact that this gift has brought into my life, is her ability to love her siblings. She has always been willing to play with and include her brothers in everything that she does, which makes some interesting playing time. With My Little Ponys and Rescue Hero's or when they dress up and who Hannah makes her brothers be. But Peter and Joseph have never minded one bit. They love to play with her and idolize her for being so cool!

I love you, B! You are a wonderful addition to our family. You are always willing to help. You are so gifted and talented in so many ways. Thanks for being you! You are beautiful!

the fashion statement begins....

Hannah got her ears pierced today, with little pink flower (October Birthstone) earrings! They look great! She couldn't be more pleased.

We have talked about it for about a month and set up a date so that Mom and Hannah could go and have dinner together and go and get her ears pierced for her 8th birthday. She asked me if it hurt and I told her it would yet she still wanted it done. That shocked me because Hannah has a very low tolerance to pain. She was very brave! She asked if she could hold my hand and decided that she was going to close her eyes so she couldn't see what was happening. On the way back to the car she would say "ow" about every 30 seconds. I asked her if she was o.k. Her response grinning the whole time, "yeah, it just stings a little bit still." During dinner, at Red Robin, she kept bringing it up with the waitress. She was just so excited to tell everyone and anyone!

Pay It Forward Exchange

This exchange was on a friends blogs. I actually was one of the first 3! It never seems like I win stuff like this! I got a wonderfully put together cookbook (super impressive), I couldn't be more thrilled. I love looking through cookbooks!

Here's the blurb on it: I will send a handmade gift to the first three (3) people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. You may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. (So, you must have a blog to participate.)

The race is on!

Eclipse Book Signing

After reading 3 of the 4 books in the Twilight series. I was talking to my sister-in-law Erin and she told me that she had just gone to a book signing for these books. She told me of her experience of being blown away by the number of teenage girls, young mom's, and older women who were gathered around because of these books! She highly encouraged me to go and experience this if I had the opportunity.


Well that opportunity came and she was right, it was quite the experience. Debi Perkes and Gwyn Nichol and I went. We met some of the Young Women from our ward down in Fairfax, VA (about an hour away) who had picked up our tickets that morning. I couldn't believe the number of girls that were screaming and crowded in this book store. The author, Stephanie Meyers, to me looks like she is a Mormon mom. She wasn't this spectacular, glittery person but a real, down to earth type of person.

The signature was less than impressive, but it is the experience that counts! We had a great time! It was fun to go back to those times in life and remember what is was like to be 15 again!! Did I mention that I was on bed rest?!! I did bring my camping chair so that I could sit instead of stand. What a site!

Relaxing......

Nothing like being on bed rest and having people serve you while lounging at a beach house. Alan and I had planned one more get-away with some friends, the Nichols, before I got put on bed rest but decided that it was probably more relaxing and that it would lift my spirits to still go. I must say it has done wonders!

Couple of highlights:


All of my children were out of character when we were at the beach. Last time we went Joseph and Peter wouldn't go near the water...this year we couldn't keep them out! Alan took each of them out to jump the waves. They ran and played and had so much fun!


Joseph said while out with Alan "This is a very yucky swimming pool." This kid scared me as I sat helpless on the beach watching.....He was fearless and would just run out and then sit down to let the waves wash over him.


Peter, although he was more than willing to go out in the ocean to a certain point, refused to go out further with Alan because "he wasn't big enough to go out that far." He definitely has limits that he won't cross if he is the one who set them. Alan did eventually drag him out in which he responded to me that he was just kidding and that he really had a fun time.


Hannah never skipped a beat. It was hard to keep her out of the water. She was always asking Alan to take her out farther. She had so much fun having her little friend Eve there to play in the sand and to sit in the ocean.


Alan buried all of the kids in the sand up to their necks, which they all though was so fun. They all struggled, while laughing, trying to get out from underneath the heavy sand.


It was a beautiful day! The breeze was blowing, the sky was blue, it wasn't hot but a pleasant 79 degrees and the sand was warm but not scalding hot. I loved it, but I love the ocean. It could not have been more relaxing!

It was so fun having the Jared, Gwyn, Eve, and Eleanor Nichol come! They are wonderful friends, who are fun to hang out with, talk with, and just relax with! Thanks guys for coming!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, I am in my last year of life before I reach the ripe full age of thirty. Hard to believe that so much time has passed since I graced the world with my presence.

I had a wonderful day. I got to talk to almost everyone in the fam who called, having laid around all day without anything to do.

The kids and Alan out did themselves, as always. The funniest thing the kids did was on Sunday they became very secretive and were running in and out of Hannah's room, all of them happy as could be. They had made their own wrapping paper and cards and went "shopping" in the playroom for my gifts. I ended up receiving a red ball and a magnify glass! Later on, Hannah said, "Do you know what the best part of your present was?........they were free!" They were so proud of their wrapping paper that it was hard to throw away the mangled pieces of paper. My sweet children!

From my in-laws and parents I got a trip to the spa! I am so excited and can't wait. I immediately called my nurse to see when the soonest I could go would be and then scheduled it for that day!

It was a wonderful day! It's a wonderful life!

Who knew??

Which Twilight novel character are you?

You're Edward Cullen - You have great taste for the finer things in life, a classic style, and you understand the way people work so you can manipulate easily. You have many talents and a bit of a temper, but you are mostly level-headed and rational.
Take this quiz!








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My twilight buddy, Gwyn Nichol, sent this to me. I was a little surprised. I didn't expect to be most like Edward. I knew there had to be a reason why I didn't ever click with Jacob! And now I know why! Fun times! Great reads!

lifes little Sacrifices

My worst nightmare has come true!! I was put on bed rest and medication yesterday after discovering that I am having contractions and dilating at 30 weeks. I have had 2 of my three kids around 35/36 weeks, but it was always "everything looked great" until I had the baby. This will be a very challenging for me, since I have a hard time not being productive. Even when I am involved in a good book, my mind is feeling guilty for all of the stuff that I need and should be doing. Reading without guilt may not be as fun!

I feel very blessed to have a wonderful family that has responded by emails and phone calls sending their prayers, love, and support. I am also very blessed to be surrounded by wonderful friends and neighbors! Yesterday alone I had 4 people offer to bring us dinner, but for once I was prepared and had dinner in the crock pot. I have had multiple people offer to take Joe for the morning, which is huge. Thanks for being wonderful and so responsive and helpful. It makes me feel loved!

My sweet hubby is really stepping up. He wants to buy me bon-bon's to make the picture complete. He is going to be making the dinners from the menus that I plan, as well as waking up to take the kids to school. I am lucky in the fact that he has always been very helpful with everything else but those two are major and will take lifestyle changes. Thanks Babe, your the best! I am blessed that for the most part Alan is home doing most of his studying, so he won't have to alter his schedule too much. The unfortunate part is that I have tried to get him to go to school to do his studying so that he can network and focus more at the projects at hand. He finally decided this semester that he was going to do that. Now I am saying, well when are you going to be home? Or can you take the kids to this or that? Oh well, it could be worse!

And how could I not mention those that have to sacrifice the most. Hannah, Peter, and Joseph. They were actually thrilled when I told them that Mommy's body was getting ready to have the baby come, until I explained that if the baby came now it wouldn't be able to come home for a long time. The only request that I have asked of them is to obey when mom asks them to do something. We will see how that goes over. (I am secretly enjoying saying "You need to go ask Dad to help you!") Fortunately, my kids can be very helpful and enjoy helping. Hannah did the dishes for me last night, only a glass got broken, but they got done. Joseph is very good at putting things away for you, as long as you are specific in your request.

I was awakened this morning about 6:15 by Joe saying "Mommy, please can I just snuggle with you, because I love you berry much!" How can I not give in to that!? Joseph is an early riser, it's usually about 5:30 / 5:45 when he comes to wake me up, I usually just invite him into bed with me so that I can go back to sleep, but since I have been pregnant, neither of us sleep comfortably together. I told him last night that needed him to stay in his bed so that mommy can get sleep to help the baby. So much for being firm in my convictions!

Proud as can be!

My sweet little girl, Hannah, turns 8 in 3 weeks, And as we all know it's great to be 8! One of Hannah's goals this year was to read The Book of Mormon before she was baptised so that she can know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is found on the earth today. She was able to complete that goal yesterday.

During family home evening last night Joseph had our scripture and chose to read Moroni's promise and in her sweet, simple way Hannah told us that she prayed about it and felt that it was true. We have been so blessed to have such a spiritual giant in our home! What a great example you are to your family, especially your brothers and soon to be sister. I am so proud of you Hannah and know that you are what the world needs, someone who is confident and knows that she is a daughter of God.

There is good in the world......

We just have to be in the right place at the right time.

I went into the school today to drop of the kiddies and to deliver some papers to Peter's teacher. Peter had missed school on Friday because he wasn't feeling well so I stopped by the office to drop off a note. There was a young girl who could barely look over the counter who was in the office because she was wearing an inappropriate tank top to school. The assistant principle took her into another room and then called her parents and told them they needed to bring her a different shirt. After she got off the phone she looked at me and apologized. I promptly told her that there was no apology needed and that I appreciated them doing things like that. At that point she let down and we had a heart to heart about keeping children innocent and why people dress their children like that especially when they are so young. It made my heart glad and made me happy that in this world, that I sometimes fear for my children, that they are in a school that have people who what to preserve that innocence as much as I do. There is only a short while before the innocence fades away and then they can't go back.

Can you tell that I am having a hard time letting my babies grow up?

Wahoo, for Hannah!

She did it! Yesterday for Labor day, Alan labored with Hannah to get her to finally ride her bike! We have been practicing by our house, but thought it would be better going to some flat land that she wouldn't have to turn as much, so we went to the church parking lot. I think it will still take many practice runs before she feels comfortable but she was able to ride around the church in the parking lot by her self as long as Alan was running beside her. (it's all mind games) Part of the problem is she is so fearful of getting hurt and falling. She has the balance down, so now for the confidence.

virtual game of tag....and I am it!

My sweet friend Mendy thought it would be fun to tag me! Now I get to share personal information with you. Shouldn't be too hard!

A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B. Tag seven people to do the same.
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it."

1. I love lunch and dinner dates!
2. I am a hopeless romantic who loves all of those sappy 80's songs.
3. I love to read to the point that my husband wonders where his wife has gone.
4. I have geographic tongue.
5. I am not a morning person, never have been, and I hope I never have to be. 9:00 is a great time to wake up!
6. I love to find deals on anything from food to airline tickets to furniture. It's like the thrill of the hunt. A challenge that I must succeed at.
7. I have my tombstone picked out. It will be very large and the only writing you will see from a distance says "BOSS" in big bold letters.

So let's see, who should I pick on........let's do Libby, Mary, Tammi, Lynette, Lori, Becca, Melinda. Have fun ladies!

CANDY!!

It is so fun when you can see your spouse in your children!! Joseph and Alan are alike in so many ways. And the scene I witnessed today confirmed this fact.

History: When Alan and I had been married for a little over a year. I had the opportunity to help the Easter bunny and had gotten all of our favorites. I could not believe how much candy and goodies we got. I am one that like those Whopper robin eggs and black jelly beans. The rest of the Easter candy I can live without. Alan on the other hand loves it all. It had been probably 2 to 3 weeks since Easter and I still had candy left over (so I thought). I was at school thinking about those robin eggs and was excited to go home and partake. I got home and went to where I had left them. There were none left. I was outraged, I just stood there and could not believe it. I armed myself with my black jelly beans and went to look for the culprit. I found him in our closet (yes, he was hiding) with a huge grin on his face. I just started throwing black jelly beans at him along with a few chosen words.

Fast forward to the present: Alan packing his school bag with me talking to him and Joseph just standing around. Alan gets this look on his face, like he can't believe what he is seeing. He looks at Joseph and pulls out this mangled wrapper of what use to be a role of mints. Joseph just smiles as Alan asked if he ate all of them. I had to run out of the room because I was laughing so hard and Alan was being so serious and I wanted Joseph to take him seriously. I listened to Alan tell him that it's not nice and that he needed to pay him in toys for eating his candy. When Joseph passed me to go get the toys he gave me this ear to ear grin as though it was well worth it! I reminded Alan of the moment in time that he was caught having stolen someone else's candy! Paybacks are always sweet, especially when candy is involved, and it always comes around!!

Scary Thought

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 22 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

I think it is rather scary that there could be so many "Rebecca Boss's" out there. I have always thought one was plenty for the world to handle, but apparently there are other people out there who need a Rebecca Boss in their life! I couldn't help myself and looked up the whole family!

Alan -10, Hannah - 2, Peter - 19, Joseph - 71, Baby - 3

I am a Mom

I am a Mom and my heart will break a hundred times over just because I choose over 8 years ago to be a Mom.

Today is no exception. Alan and I thought maybe we had gotten somewhere and that maybe Peter would be o.k. with school and this change in life. Of course it had only been a week, and we had let our hopes take us to lofty places. This morning Peter decided that he wasn't going to school and that he didn't like it (a short lived education). After we finally got ready and went out the door he burst into tears.

What to do.........I have a 3rd grader who is basically running so that she can go to school and a kindergartner who wants nothing to do with school. I am a Mom.........I have resources and reserves for occasions just like today.

Well, after walking 3 houses down from ours Peter sat down and told me he wasn't going to school. At which point I saw the bus pull up. Frustrated that we still had a ways to walk and the bus was already there, I called Hannah back and drove them to school. We walked onto the school property, with Peter still crying, and then he refused to move again. What could I do? I tried kindness, I tried reason, I tried strictness, I tried guilt, I tried bribing...I was out of ideas. I left him standing by some tree and walked over to where Hannah was standing in line waiting to go into school, I took her hand and she started to cry. Of course that opened my flood gates and I started to cry. I just wanted to take both of them home and go back to bed. How could this day be any good?

I am the Mom........I had to be strong and enforce something that I didn't want to.

I kissed Hannah, sent her inside to class, and went back for Peter. I held him for a long moment, letting him continue to cry as I struggled to contain my emotions. We stood up, walked a little bit more until he stopped again, I picked him up and walked to the school entrance. It was actually funny because Peter was crying on one side of the door and there was a little girl crying on the other side. I thought, "At least he is not the only one!"

We finally made it outside of his classroom door, he was still crying. His teacher came out to greet him to only have him cling more and to have him cry even harder. I unpacked his bag and tried to get him to go in to his class, but he would hear none of it and even tried to escape out the side door. (I thought it was a good idea and was ready to go with him.)

What a scene he was making! I am not one that really likes to draw attention to myself, but I am a Mom....... who has to act like I could care less!

The last bell had rung, Peter was still crying and I was going to cry any second. One of the school counselors came and asked if I needed any help. (She had seen the whole thing) She tried to talk to him and he wasn't exactly thrilled by this third party. She looked at me and said, "Maybe it's best if you leave." I could not have agreed more at that moment. I hugged him, kissed him, told him I loved him and almost ran out of the school as tears were streaming down my face.

What else could I do? What else could I say? All I wanted to do was take him home and read him stories and let him play, but then what would tomorrow be like or the next day. If I gave in once, he would know how weak I am.......I believe that eventually he will learn to work the system, he's a smart kid. Till that day, I will have to think one step ahead of a 5-year-old, but also by then my emotions might be in check so it will be easier to handle.

As a Mom why do I have to enforce the rules? Why do I have to be the strong one? As a Mom why am I expected to make everything better and to make all the hurt go away? As a Mom how come there are things that I have to do everyday that I don't want to? Just another moment in time, just another heart break.

The worst part is that he comes home as happy as can be. It's all just a show for Mom!

To love or not to love....that is the question

Alert: Eclipse Spoiler!

My thoughts and feelings on Eclipse keep going back and forth. Do I love the book or was it just a fun book to read? I have enjoyed the other teenage romance novels in this series, Twilight and New Moon. Twilight was definitely my favorite out of the two. One thing that I have really enjoyed is all of the discussion and readings of what people have said or wrote on the Eclipse.

My favorite part would probably be when Bella hits Jake and breaks her hand! I was proud of her for standing up for herself. I personal don't like how aggressive Jacob is when he is trying to romance her and force himself on her. It makes me want to go talk to him as a mom and tell him if he ever touches my daughter he will have ME to deal with! (The mama bear strikes again!)

There were many times that I wanted to yell at Bella and tell her how stupid she was being. Hello, she has perfection in Edward, why can't she see it? One time was when she asked Jacob to kiss her. I was furious, both at him and her. Him for playing the card of "I'm going to let myself go down as a hero", and then her for being so dumb as to think he wasn't being conniving and searching for something to make him want to live. Grrrrr. One thing that I must say is that I am glad that she tried to take responsibility for this action and not let Edward or Jake convince her that it was their fault. Even though they wouldn't listen, she did try. She seemed very much a selfish 19 year old in this book and does an awful lot of pouting and feels so picked on. With the ending how it was it made me hope that she has seen the light and is actually thinking about what the future holds for her. I personally hope she becomes a vampire, just so Bella and Edward can live happily ever after. (I know many people disagree with me on this one.) Hard decisions ahead for this little lady.

My favorite Character by far is Edward! **Sigh** He is so drop dead gorgeous, patient, understanding, protective, has eyes only for Bella, and wants her to be happy and will go great lengths to make that happen! What more could a women want! One thing is certainly clear in this book. He is not 19. You can plainly see that to him this is not a teenage romance or some summer fling. He has over 100 years of experience and he knows what he wants.

I am glad that the wedding plans are going forward and that they will do things in the right order. (I was worried for a moment) I absolutely love that Alice is this total party planner and I can't wait to see what she does with this wedding! Who knows what the next book will bring, I for one am excited to find out!

Side note: Stephanie Meyers is coming to VA in September, I am almost positive that I am going to go to this book signing. And I like my sister-in-law Erin am wondering to my self if I am crazy! She went to the book signing in Denver, and strongly encouraged me to go. She said it would be educational just to watch all of the people! I am always up to a bit of learning, plus I must confess that I am excited for the Q & A session!

Quote of the day

People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.
-Logan Pearsall Smith

With all of the fabulous books that have come out lately.......Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...........Eclipse........I find myself fully agreeing and truly feel this way! I think Alan is glad that there might be a lull in terms of "must read" books.

First Day of School

I can't believe that all of my worrying and fretting was for nothing! I have been so apprehensive about this day for so long......Peter starting Kindergarten....it sent my heart pounding and my palms sweating. But once again, my children have proven me wrong!

Hannah entered 3rd grade this year at Bond Mill Elementary School. She has Mrs. Vernor, whom, so far, I am impressed with. Hannah is so excited to be back in school and to have her friends back! I am super excited for her class this year. It seems like all of Hannah's friends, as well as the girls that I like, are in the same class together. But more importantly, her "best friend" Sabrina is in her class. I hope that she really enjoys this year!

Peter entered kindergarten this year at Bond Mill Elementary School. He was nervous when we went to his orientation last week and began to shut down, but there were a lot of parents in the class as well as all of the kids. However, he loved his first day! No clinging.......No crying......... No looks of fear.......Nothing! I couldn't believe it. I was so proud of him, and in some silly way it made me sad, because for once he didn't need me, and when you have had someone need you every step of the way, you get a little attached.

Getting ready was a rush as always.......waking up, getting dressed, eating, doing Peter's preventative asthma medicine, brushing hair and teeth, making sure we have everything, taking pictures. We almost missed the bus. I pulled up, the bus was already there, we gave kisses and hugs and goodbyes. Hannah took Peter's hand and they got on the bus. Hannah has been so sweet during this whole process. I don't know that Peter or I could have done it with out her! I followed the bus to school and stood back and just watched from afar, but then they were just waiting so I went and talked to them because I was bursting with pride for Peter. Hannah thought it was the oddest thing to look over and see me, it was funny, she said "Mom, what are you doing here?" It was in one of those voices that sounded like she was completely embarrassed to have me there. I am sure that I will hear that voice many more times over the upcoming years! Peter's comment was, "They don't dump chocolate milk over your head on the school bus!" The innocent minds of children!

My heart swells when I see hints that my children love each other. Peter was carrying a bag of Hannah's supplies, having already brought his to school to help her out. One of Hannah's friends, that is in the same class said, "We need to find our classroom." Hannah said, "Well I am going to take my brother Peter to his class first, but then we can look for our class together!" I walked them to the doors of the school, gave more hugs and kisses and they were gone...

I didn't leave the house until about 10 a.m., waiting for the call that I knew would come.....It never came. We picked them up from the bus stop after running some errands and Peter said, "Why did you drive, I wanted to walk!" So we slowly followed him as he walked home on his first day of school. Precious Moments!

A Great and Noble Man

President James E. Faust

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

passed away on August 10, 2007.

The funeral service held to honor this man was touching, to say the least. It brings me great comfort to know that even people like President Hinckley, the Prophet, struggles with the passing of a friend. Telling of all of the boards that they sat on together and looking for his friend and not finding him.

I love to hear these great men describe each other and use the names they refer to each other as. Like Thomas S. Monson calling James E. Faust, Jimmy! Or Jeffery R. Holland referring to President Faust as Gentlemen Jim or President Faust calling Elder Holland, Jeffery my boy! Normally, after one of their amazing General Conference addresses, you tend to think that they are so far out of my realm, but are they? These moments make them real people just like anyone else. They have the same random thoughts as everyone else, can get fired up about something, can laugh and cry, and can love so deeply.

It was so sweet to hear about him and his sweet wife, Ruth. How they were truly one. It made my heart ache for her. How hard it would be to lose a spouse after so much time together. James E. Faust certainly has made an impact on me as well as many in the church through his words and deeds.

If you didn't get a chance to watch it you can watch it at:

http://www.byu.tv/

Scroll to Tue. August 14, 2007, Education Week 12:00

Love~

LOVE has always been a curious thing to me, the meaning of love is so different for everyone. There is a book called The Five Love Languages that talks about how we all have different needs when it comes to love............quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Being the high maintenance person that I am, I wondering what do I need? (always thinking of myself) Right now I decided that it is cute shoes!!

I have been shopping for school shoes for the kids with the budget that I have and I bought this pair of shoes for my little Joe. I couldn't resist, they are so blasted cute, I love them, I couldn't help myself I had to buy them. It must be true love how else could I describe it?

I had a little pair of saddle shoes when I was a little girl and they were my favorite pair of shoes and I remember loving them then, so how could I not love them now! I am sharing that love with Joseph, only I don't think it will impact him as much as it did me!

Fun survey

81%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

New York Singles from Mingle²

I found myself giggling because it was like they knew what I was thinking!! But I must admit that I was surprised, I thought my % would be a lot less, another addiction that may eventually need to be kicked! What to do?! I predict that Lynette Loveridge will be in the high 90's!

I don't know how they do it......

Alan has been away for 3 days at a conference and it seems that so many things that can go wrong, have gone wrong. It could be that I am just more tired then I normally am, or that I am trying to get more done then I am physically able to do, or it could be that I am just not making par now a days. What ever the case may be, I am so glad that I am not a single mom trying to do it all! I just look at those women who work, take care of their home, grocery shop, make meals, and raise children by themselves. They are amazing!! I am just glad that I don't have to be amazing and I can just be me. I will forever be grateful that I have a partner in crime and that I don't have to work, and that when Alan is home he can help where needed. Were excited for you to come home, Alan!

P.S. I love you Karen!

I was right!!

I love being right, especially when it comes to predicting books!! For all of you who have not read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and don't want the whole story utterly ruined for you, please do not continue.


I had predicted that Harry would end up being the last horcruxe and that he would know that he had to sacrifice himself to save everyone else and would be the ultimate hero by giving of himself. I had also decided that Snape was good all along and that Dumbledore had previously told Snape to kill him. I also had a feeling that he loved Lilly and that is one of the reasons he hated James so much. Another thought that kept running through my mind was that everyone that has ever helped / saved Harry would have to die so that he could ultimately destroy Valdemort by himself.



So after reading the beloved book 7 in the Harry Potter Series I was very pleased and could not have been more happy. In fact after Harry "died" (kind of) I went to bed. I stopped reading and went to sleep perfectly happy. Everything happened according to plan. Alan was beside himself, and could not believe that I would stop there. I honestly just thought the rest of the book was about everyone else and what happened to them. So I was pleasantly surprised when he was the possessor of all of the deathly hallows which made him so that he couldn't die.



Favorite parts:

• Harry's birthday present from Ginny!!! Young love!
• When Ron came back, and the fact that he never went home! Touching.
• Dobby's amazing rescue. I cried, I admit it!
• The scene when Ron and Hermione finally kiss. Hilarious!!
• The last moments with Snape. Including his memories. Touching.
• Kreacher's change of heart. As well as his leadership role with the house elves during the last battle.
• Hagrid carrying Harry back to the castle and remembering everything that has transpired between these two.
• Having all of the horcruxes destroyed by different people.... I especially loved Neville's role in killing the snake or final horcruxe. Way to go Neville!
• Finding out what everyone Patronus's were. I love how they match the people.

Unexpected Surprises:

• Luna's father, Xenophilius, turning on them.
• McGonagall didn't play a bigger role in this book, and you don't know what has been going on at Hogwarts.
• Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, that had the other mirror to watch Harry.
• That Harry ends up saving Malfoy twice.
• That Tonks and Lupin both die.
• Malfoy's mother, Narcissa, checking to see if Harry was dead. (this was probably the biggest surprise to me, I was touched by her response)

I loved the way J.K. Rowling tied everything together and how she made everything play out. What a wonderful ending to a fabulous series.

Confession Time!

For the last month and a half I have been spending quite a bit of time reading books 1-6 of Harry Potter, anticipating the much sought after and talked about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I feel that everything is getting in the way from completing my goal...my kids, my husband, church, vacations, and friends. You know, all the important things in life!!! I started book 6 last Monday thinking I was going to accomplish my goal, but I have not finished it as of yet because we ripped apart 2 of our 3 bathrooms and tiled and upgraded them. I can't be more excited about my bathrooms, but I have had to put off my goals and ambitions. I still went and bought it on Saturday morning. When I got home, Alan said "Can I read it while you are finishing book 6?" Now he is almost done and I have so many questions that I so badly want to know, but on the other hand I won't ask them or read anything on the Internet. I announced first thing in my Sunday School class that I would not have the name Harry Potter spoken or they would be sent away because I want nothing given away. On the other hand, I have always hated surprises. **Sigh** what to do!?! I will soon be done and this will all be just another moment in time.

Funny Peter Moments

Last week Peter came running out of the bathroom yelling, "Mom! Dad! My eyebrows move!" I don't know that I have ever seen him so excited about a discovery!

_____________________________________________________


Yesterday I took Peter to Toys"R"Us to use his birthday money and a $3 off birthday gift card. I told him how much money he had to spend, and we began to walk around gathering things that he might like. We checked prices and he came to the conclusion that he wanted a dragon. But he didn't have enough money for both dragons he had picked, so I gave him different options of what he could get. After thinking about it he sat down on the floor and said, "Maybe I won't get anything because I just can't decide.....sigh..." I, of course, melted. So he and I sat on the floor together deciding which dragon was cooler and which could do more things. A sales associate came by, gave me a bizarre look, and asked if he could help with anything. I just said, "Nope...unless you want to make a decision for a 5-year-old." A look of understanding came across his face and he said to Peter, "That's the hardest part." He ended up pleased as punch with his purchase of an Imaginext dragon and fighting knight...and he looked so big getting out his wallet to pay for it! What a sweetie!

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

Beautiful profile

Alien face shot

Girl!

Here comes the Bride....

It is so funny to me how you can have so many wonderful memories of a place and then you revisit this place after many, many years and you don't remember a thing!!

I was able to go to Seattle, Washington for 5 kid-free days (I think that was probably the best part! Sorry Tracy) to attend a friends wedding. My family lived in Kent, Washington for about 5 years and I would have to say that my best and most fond memories from my childhood are from there. As a family we did many different activities and explored a lot of Seattle and surrounding areas. We would go to the Pacific Science Center, The Seattle Aquarium, Boeing Family Days (my dad worked for Boeing), Seattle Space Needle, Salt Water State Park, Olympic National Forest, The Old Spaghetti Factory, Underground Seattle, etc.

My friend, Tracy Lambert almost Peterson, and I drove around trying to do some last minute wedding stuff and I didn't recognize hardly anything. There was Lake Meridian that I did recognize, and going into Seattle it looked the same, but everything else was lost. It made me sad in a way, but happy that I still had the fun family memories of what we did.

The Beautiful Bride and Me not ready yet!!

Tracy, Rebecca, Sue

Dale and Sue Lambert,
The Bride's parents who I absolutely love!
The Wedding Party

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Father's Day to you .......

Happy 5th Birthday, Peter!!
Happy Father's Day, Alan!!

Peter was so excited to share this day with Alan! For months he has been telling people that his Birthday is on Father's Day! We decided that since we would be away on this special day that we would celebrate it a week early!

Peter got lots of stuff including Spider-Man (his favorite super hero) lunch box, action figure, and hoppity. He got a soccer goal and a rescue Helicopter (which he wants to fly when he grows up), but I think his favorite was the umbrella. We also celebrated with cake and ice cream in Utah on his actual birthday with the extended family!

Alan got a couple of classic musicals, Trans Europa (a new game) and 2 turtles! He wasn't exactly thrilled to get the turtles but had to act excited anyway because they were from the kids. We actually had a friend ask us if we wanted them and since half of our family is obsessed with turtles, how could we not take them! We named one Testudo after Alan's school mascot. Way to be a good Terrapin fan Alan!! "FEAR THE TURTLE" The other one is still unnamed. Although we think it might be Hercules or Franklin, tough decision. We welcome other good turtle name ideas...