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.
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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.