Metler Family

Ian's Walking!

2011-12-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

He hasn't decided to walk exclusively yet, but he has some seriously good balance - and likes to walk when he is not in a hurry. Speaking of not being in a hurry - I am not in a hurry for this kid to grow up. Why is it going so fast???

Arkansas Trip

2011-11-14T14:05:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go see my Grandma and Grandpa Bledsoe (my dad's parents) in Arkansas last week. My parents go out every year to visit, but I hadn't been out to visit since I was 10 years old! Grandma and Grandpa paid for my plane ticket, and Ian was able to sit on my lap on the plane - the girls and Eric stayed behind. I had such a lovely time. Grandma was worried that we would be bored, but it was so relaxing. I learned some new crochet techniques, visited Hobby Lobby for the first time, and discovered the fabulousness of FLEA MARKETS!!! Here are some of my favorite pictures:

The whole crew after church (this is the view from my Grandparents' front porch!)

Four generations

Ian with his Great Grandparents

We went for a nature hike in the woods - looking for critters, enjoying the quiet (their property is 15 acres!).

This was taken in Hot Springs, AR on our way to the airport. It was raining, but the colors in the trees were beautiful!

I found some great deals at the Flea Markets...what fun! We had two thunderstorms unlike anything we get here in California. On two different nights, I was awakened by a VERY loud clap of thunder that just about made me jump out of my PJs! The lightning was nearly constant lighting up the sky. So fun!

This was Ian's first time on a plane, first time meeting his Great Grandparents, and he was such a good boy. I think Grandma and Grandpa really enjoyed having him around...he provided some great entertainment.

Next May, my grandparents will celebrate their 70th (!!) Wedding Anniversary. They are hoping to come out to California to celebrate. I am hoping that I will be able to return to Arkansas again next year. (A HUGE thank-you to all my friends/family who helped by watching the girls while Eric was at work - you guys Rock!!)

For lots more pictures, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/kmetler

Monkey Boy

2011-11-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

I know I've been posting a lot about Ian, but I just really can't help myself. I've put together a bunch of pictures I've captured of him over the last several weeks. He has become quite the talented climber. I thought Anna was good, but Ian is taking it to a new level. He'll be 11 months in a couple days and he is just so adventurous.

Using my purse as a pillow in the shopping cart at Winco.

He pulled himself up onto the ottoman, then climbed up onto the rocking chair!

This is Mr. Snuggly at Haylie's soccer game on Saturday. It was COLD out there!

I brought in a storage container to get winter clothes out for Anna. It got turned over on its side, and little man climbed on up and checked out the goods on the cabinet.

This picture was catching him on his way down...but he had his chin all the way up over the top of the cabinet. Oy.

Usually he's trying to climb OUT of the playpen...here he is trying to get IN!

We call this "Jail Baby".

First Haircut!

He tries to climb out of the high chair now too. Even when I strap him in, he can wiggle his pants off and turn around. SCARY!

We had to put Anna in a big girl bed when she was 14 months old because she was trying to climb out of the crib. Ian has not tried to climb out of the crib yet, but I have a feeling that day is not far off...Love love love my boy!

Ian = Too Big

2011-10-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Ian is 10 1/2 months old already. Time is going by too quickly. I feel like I missed out on the whole newborn thing with him since he was so big at birth (9lbs. 6 oz.). However, I am so enjoying every moment with him. Well, maybe not every moment. He has been teething and not handling it well (I don't blame him). He has gotten 4 teeth within a matter of a couple weeks. He has 2 on top and 2 on the bottom now. Anyway, I thought I'd write down some fun things he does / has been doing because I'm so bad at documenting this stuff! When he is not teething, he is a very happy, smily, content little dude. He's been pulling himself up on everything since about 8 months. Started crawling between 8 and 9 months and is now moving on to climbing. Yesterday he managed to pull himself up, climb up onto our ottoman, then onto the rocking chair. We had to take Anna out of the crib at 14 months and put her in a bed because she was climbing out of it...I have a feeling Ian is headed in that same direction. Over the last couple of days he has been standing next to the couch or whatever he happens to be holding on to - and he lets go and just stands there - perfectly balanced. He's very tall, but his weight gain has actually slowed and he's not in the 90th percentile anymore. Probably because he's so active now. It is certainly not a lack of food. I have never witnessed a baby eat so much! My girls, who have always been tiny, never ate like this! I'm a little scared for my grocery budget as he grows even more. I have been teaching him some baby signs - so far the only ones he knows are "More" and "All Done". When his food is gone, I sign all done and usually he starts crying! "More" is definitely his favorite sign...and I have a feeling that will also be his first word. He signs "More" and says "MMM" "MMM". I have an appointment for his first haircut on Friday. I'm not ready for that ~ every time I've seen a little boy get his first haircut, he instantly looks all grown up. I have never been one to wish my kids would stay little - but for some reason I just want my little man to stay that way. I kind of think he's the cutest thing on the planet and don't want him to grow up to be a smelly boy. ;-)

PS. My friend Erin took these beautiful pictures of Ian.

Wicked

2011-10-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

I learned something today. A 2x4 is not 2 inches by 4 inches. Nope. It's 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches. Apparently this is common knowledge for some. Not me. Not Rachel (my sis-in-law who partnered with me on this project). So, I am rather lucky this project worked out the way it did. I ordered the vinyl lettering (www.milesofvinylforyou.com - FYI, this company is here in Clovis) to fit a 2x4 thinking that it was ACTUALLY going to be 4" wide. Anyway, here is the latest. Total cost = $10

(Click to make the picture larger)

The ribbon on the Letter "I" is just kinda' hanging there because I thought the "I" block was a little boring - still gotta' figure out what to do there...

Here is the inspiration (saw it on Pinterest, for sale on Etsy for $20 + $10 shipping) This one is a little bigger, but I think our copycat version is pretty darn good.

Thanks for doing this with me, Rachel!

Progress

2011-07-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

I figure I'm going to have it all figured out right about the time the kids leave to go start their own families...even then I'm sure I will still be very confused. However, I have made some serious progress this week! I have often referred to Anna as my "Anna-mal" - she's a little bit crazy, a lot sassy, and a lot stubborn. She has personality for miles, and can be a super-sweet girl when she wants to be. I tend to compare Haylie and Anna (as I think most parents tend to compare their children to each other) and they couldn't be more different. Haylie has always been quiet, shy reserved and obedient...in most ways. We've had our struggles, for sure. Anna has always been loud, outgoing, etc. I am not saying she is bad, but it has taken me some time to get used to it after having a quiet one like Haylie.

Since Ian joined our family in December, the family dynamic (obviously) has changed drastically. Anna is now a "middle child" and we are all feeling the effects of that! I am learning a lot about both girls and *thankfully* learning how to manage the new dynamic. After much observation (especially during my C-section recovery and Christmas Break) I realized that Haylie, in her quiet way, was provoking a lot of Anna's outbursts. Duh. I was punishing Anna for hitting, but not realizing that Haylie was also in need of punishment for saying mean things, or otherwise provoking her sister. It felt good to make that realization and stop blaming Anna for everything!

So in spite of my best efforts, Anna has still been having some anger issues: growling, screaming, stomping her foot, etc. I am so grateful for my 6am walks with my friend. I feel so much more clear-headed in the morning and we like to say we solve the world's problems in that 50-minute timespan. We have discussed, at length, some things to I could try at home to help Anna to not feel so displaced. Side note: I can tell she is suffering from the whole middle child syndrome thing, but she only takes it out on Haylie - thankfully, not Ian. So, one of the things we talked about was getting some alone time with Anna. Sure, ok...how am I supposed to do that in the middle of summer when all the children are home and I'm nursing a baby, etc, etc.? So it didn't happen for a while. On Tuesday, Haylie was invited to go play with a friend and Anna really wanted to go to...then the light bulb came on! "Anna, Haylie is going to go play with her friend, do you want to do something special with Mommy and Ian?" Her response? YES! I asked her what she wanted to do and it took her no time at all to decide that she wanted to go to the zoo and feed the giraffes. So I decided that we would do just that. I asked her to keep it a secret from Haylie and would you believe it? She totally kept it secret! I did not know a 3 1/2 year old could do that! So we went to the zoo and I let her be the guide. I let her make all the decisions about where to go and what to do next. We had the. most. lovely. day. It has been sooo long since I have felt that much love and compassion towards Anna and I was so grateful to have that opportunity to feel that way again. She was sweet and kind and happy as could be. Wow, we both really needed that alone time! Not surprisingly, we have had a great week - she still has her typical 3-year-old fits, but I really think that I was able to reassure her and let her know that I haven't forgotten her in all the chaos of family life. I feel like we have really come to a greater understanding of one another. What a blessing! Here are some pictures of the day - she wanted me to take pictures of her all over the zoo, and I was happy to oblige.

Feeding ZuZu (sp?) the giraffe

Hangin' on Nosey the elephant

Sittin' on the boy on the turtle

Tackling a giant lizard (I have no doubt my Anna could win that fight!) ;-)

On our way out...my sweet, wonderful, happy, spunkly little Anna and me. I love her so much and am so grateful that she is part of our family. I can already see that she is going to be a smart, strong, confident woman who will be incredibly successful in life. I love you Anna Banana!

Vacation July 2011

2011-07-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

We decided to keep our vacation simple this year. We went to Fallbrook to visit with family and spent some time at the cabin in Big Bear with just our little family. I forgot my camera so all of these pictures were taken with my phone. Not super high quality but you get the point. We had a great time seeing cousins and grandmas and grandpas, etc...

At the beach - Anna was a little scared of the waves (which was fine with me!!) and stayed ashore most of the time. I taught the girls (and some cousins too) how to catch sand crabs. They thought that was pretty cool. Ian hung out in his playpen and with Grandma Jane in the shade.

You know us...we can't really go anywhere without catching critters along the way. This is a blue-tailed skink...Uncle David and (cousin) Steven found it in Grandma Jane's kitchen! I did not even know these existed in Fallbrook. It was very cool. We admired him for a while then let him go back outside.

At Grandma Jo's house, cousins Shea and Remi came over for a sleepover. All the girlies sleeping...so cute!

At Big Bear lake, the girls were very excited to go fishing. They did not catch anything, but they had a great time!

Ian just chilled in his stroller. See how his feet are sticking out? This is how he rides in the stroller. It's hilarious!

Mommy and Little Man. He loves the backpack!

When we got home, I felt a little bit like I needed a vacation from my vacation, but it was fun.

Prom!

2011-04-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Eric and I met just after we graduated high school. He graduated from high school in Panama, where his dad was stationed in the Marine Corps. In '97, just after graduation, his dad was stationed at Camp Pendleton, near Fallbrook where I grew up. As it turned out, many of the military families were in my ward in Fallbrook. The point is, Eric and I didn't start dating until 2001, therefore, we never attended a dance together. Last weekend, we got a second chance! Eric was called as the Stake Young Mens Secretary and was therefore very involved in the planning of the LDS Prom. He was asked to chaperone, and he asked me to accompany him (via e-mail)! hehe. Anyway, we had a lovely time. It made me feel a little old, and it made me miss "the good

'ol days" - in the sense that I love to dance, and used to go to all the dances as a young adult, then you get married, and BOOM, no more dancing. But, it also made me feel very grateful for where I am in my life. I'm so much more comfortable in my own skin now than I was in high school. I feel happier and more beautiful now than I ever have. So without further ado...here are our Prom pictures!

Family Pictures

2011-04-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

We had our family pictures taken by a sweet girl in our ward, Sarah (Check her out on Facebook, Sarah Leone Photography). She is currently attending college and planning to attend photography school. She gave me the gift of a photography session when Ian was born, so here are a few of the shots she took:

This one is my FAVORITE!

I think I look a little chubbalicious in this one but I suppose that's just the way it goes after having a baby, eh?

She also took the pictures on the right side of the blog, with the exception of Ian. I took that one myself! Anyway, Sarah did a great job and I'm sure she'll do great in photography school.

To see more of the pictures I took of Ian, click https://picasaweb.google.com/kmetler/IanApril2011#

4 Months Old!

2011-04-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

Ian is 4 months old today! I can't believe it! Time is flying by so fast. He is such a big boy - and eats a lot, so I was very excited to start giving him cereal. He was an absolute champ from the first spoonful! He wanted to keep grabbing at the spoon, but soon got the hang of it and kept his hands down. Here are some shots of my sweet boy:

We've been "sleep-training" for the last couple weeks. He is doing a great job sleeping through the night. He sometimes still wakes around 3 a.m., but if I give him his pacifier he goes right back to sleep. Usually I can feed him around 10 or 11 pm and he'll sleep till about 6 am. Hopefully having cereal will contribute to good sleep! Love this little guy!

Welcome, Spring?!

2011-03-21T11:58:00.001-07:00

So why is it that the worst part of the storm always seems to hit just as you have to go out and pick your child up from school? Seriously, my alarm rings to tell me it's time to pick up Haylie, then a flash of lightning and a downpour of hail suddenly falls from the sky (and as soon as I pulled the car into the garage, it stopped). The hail was so loud hitting the roof of my car that I had to yell for Anna to hear me - and she was sitting right behind me! And the wind was blowing so hard that when I got out of the car to get Haylie, my pants got totally soaked. Anyway, I snapped some pictures with my phone as I was driving away from the school.

Hail piling up...

Anna has been asking me to make it snow for the last couple of days (cuz, you know, I'm all-powerful like that) - so I told her this was snow - it sure looks like it!

Yesterday was the first day of Spring and we had record rainfall. It rained steadily all. day. long. Our backyard looks like a pond and there is still hail on our lawn about 45 minutes after the downpour. Brrr. Welcome Spring?!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2011-03-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

I've been growing my hair out for about 3 years now. It's never been this long before, and I love it. Well, I love the way it looks, but not the upkeep! I almost always have it up in a ponytail to keep it away from baby-grabby-hands, and when I have it in a ponytail, it gives me a headache cuz it is so heavy! So anyway, several months ago, I decided I was going to grow it long enough to donate to Locks of Love. It has to be 10 inches in a ponytail. Well, I reached my goal and finally booked my appointment. I've never been attached to my hair, but I gotta admit it was a little painful this time around after spending so long growing it out! But, it had to be done. So, here's the before shot:

And after:

It feels soo unbelievably good to have all that hair gone! I hope some sweet child enjoys my hair. ;-)

Bittersweet

2011-02-27T20:11:00.001-08:00

I suppose that this day is more sweet than bitter, but I just feel like this little dude is growing up way too fast! Here is a picture of Ian in his bassinet at 10 weeks.

He's too big! Granted, he usually sleeps with his legs curled up so technically he still fits, but as soon as he stretches out, he hits his head. Sooo, I figured it was time to put up the crib. We decided to put him in the girls' room and it is a little scrunched in there, but the girls are very happy to have him as a roommate.

He's happy in his new bed

My handsome little man

Finally, the boy actually looks tiny. ;-)

Isn't that bedding adorable? It's from Ikea and I love it. And he did great for his first night in the crib - he only got up once at about 3 a.m. I love this little guy so much, and it is soo nice to have my bedroom back to normal, but I gotta admit I'm gonna miss having him close to me at night...

PS...don't worry, I did not leave the pillow in his bed. I know that is a no-no. I just put it there for the pictures.

Ian's Blessing Day

2011-02-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

We drove down to Fallbrook last Friday to bless Ian. Usually a baby blessing is done in the church meeting, but we have always done ours at Eric's parents' house. It is so much more intimate and special to us. My brother and his family were able to come and the kids got to play with their cousins. Ian is such a good baby, and we are so blessed to have him in our lives.

Here are some pictures from the event.

My brother Jeff, Eric's brother Neal, Eric's Dad, Eric, Ian, my Dad, and the Bishop

Little Man folding his arms reverently

Big smiles...That's Eric's head in the corner...gonna need to photoshop that out...but Eric can always get this boy to smile.

The whole group. Notice my girls are the only ones not smiling?

Life With Three

2011-02-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

If the frequency with which I have been blogging is any indication as to how I am doing with three children, well, you'll notice I haven't blogged since BEFORE the baby was born...things are much busier now. For example, it is about 1:00pm and this is how my day has gone: Haylie came in at 5:00am complaining that her ear hurt. Eric gave her Tylenol and she went back to bed. She came back in at 7am crying - her ear still hurt. I called the nurse line and begged for a phone appointment since I had my own doctors appointment at 9:45am that I could not miss. Then I called my neighbor to see if she could come sit with the girls during my appointment. At about 8:00am I was sorting through the kids medications looking for the kids' Tylenol. Something had spilled in the basket and all the medicines were sticky. As I was washing the sticky bottles, Anna grabbed the basket and took a bite out of an adult Tylenol tablet that had fallen to the bottom of the basket and had been soaked in whatever medication had spilled. I panicked and took her straight to the bathroom and stuck my finger down her throat to get her to throw it up - she wouldn't throw up but then I remembered the poison control number on my refirgerator. Called poison control, was assured that she was going to be just fine. (For the record, a 25 lb child can tolerate 2000mg (!) of adult Tylenol before you have to worry) Why didn't I call the poison control line before sticking my finger down her throat??? Well, she didn't seem to mind, she was actually laughing as I did it. Nice. Moving on...Doctor called at 9 am and thankfully agreed to give Haylie a prescription over the phone. Neighbor arrived at 9:15, I went to my appointment, then waited at the pharmacy for 2 prescriptions - fed Ian in the pharmacy while I waited. Returned home to find two happy girls hanging out with our sweet neighbor. THEN, Anna was playing with her Zhu Zhu Pet (a small hampster toy that rolls around on the hard floor and makes noises) - decided to lay down next to her Zhu Zhu Pet and got her hair caught in the wheels. I had to cut her hair to get it out.

Then, just as I was beginning to write this post, Ian spit up all over me - I had to change my shirt AND my pants, AND scrub the couch. And somehow he only managed to get one little drop on himself. Needless to say, I am staying busy, but loving it. Oh, and I should mention that the little dude is just getting over RSV (Respiratory Syncitial Virus) as well. For a couple of days he was so congested that he could barely eat and couldn't sleep on his back, so I ended up sleeping sitting up with him on my chest. He came out of it pretty quickly and without incident, so I can't complain too much.

My Zoloft is working great - I've had no signs of post-partum so far, thankfully. I'm tired and exhausted, but wouldn't trade it for anything. I am so blessed.

38 Weeks

2010-12-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

It was not my intention to post this picture on my blog. But when I saw Anna in the shot, I just had to share. Originally, I had Eric take the picture to send to my sister-in-law - who was teeny tiny with both her pregnancies and just can't believe how huge my belly is. So anyway, after Eric took the picture I noticed that Anna had jumped in the shot and was sticking her little belly out as far as she could.

So there you have it, my huge belly at 38 weeks - and my little Anna Banana trying to be just like her mommy. :-)

One week from today our little dude will be here!!! :-D

Waiting...

2010-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

...not so patiently. So, this baby is not due until Dec. 15. My c-section is scheduled for Dec. 10. It has become obvious that neither of those dates bear any relevance anymore. On Monday, I was having regular contractions all day - not strong ones, but regular. I had an appointment yesterday and I am already dilated 2 cm (this after being on bedrest for 2 weeks!) and the baby is still engaged at zero station. This morning, I lost my mucous plug. This little dude is ready. However, it is not in the "standard of care" to schedule a c-section before 39 weeks at Kaiser. In order for them to take the baby, I have to be contracting every 4-5 mins and dilated to at least 3 cm. So I basically have to go into labor before they will do anything. Not cool. The best part about scheduling a c-section is that there is no labor, there is no waiting and wondering. You just know. I've been spoiled, I know. So, I guess the good news is, the last two weeks of bedrest worked as far as getting us to 36 weeks safely. But now that we are safely here, I just wanna get it over with! I have no doubt that this baby is STRONG...I have the bruised ribs to prove it. Of course, I want him to be ready and healthy, etc. But the "unknown" is making me crazy! Not to mention that my doctor is going out of town this weekend, so if I do end up going into real labor then, she won't be able to be the one to do the surgery! Grrr. Anyway, this is just me being whiney. Keep is in your prayers, bless me with patience and bless this baby with strength - and let's do this already! ;-)

Enjoying the Silence

2010-11-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, I woke up feeling "funny". I was at exactly 34 weeks pregnant and I was pretty sure I was going into labor. I had the strangest (and excruciatingly painful) feeling in my right leg...like a contraction going from my pelvis through my hip and all the way down the front of my leg. But no contractions in the usual places. I was also feeling a LOT of pressure - like the baby was trying to get out...Anyway, I went to the doctor and had a Non-Stress Test (NST) which is just a monitor placed on the belly to see if there are any contractions. I had one contraction in a 25 minute period, and my cervix was not at all dilated. But we did find that the baby had dropped down to "zero station" - which means that he is ready to come out. Here's a picture to show you what that means...click the picture to make it bigger.

So zero station is like...that baby is knock-knock-knockin' on the door...ready to come out! (+1 means the baby is on the way out!) He was apparently sitting right on a nerve that was causing the pain in my leg. Thankfully, he moved the next day and that pain went away. However, the discmfort of having him so low is still very much present. Anyway, my doctor did not put me on bedrest "officially" but did say that I need to take it easy and stay off my feet as much as possible.

Sooo, I had friends take the girls for me that day while I was at the doctor, came home from the doctor and found two of those friends cleaning my house, making my dinner, doing my laundry, and just basically making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Our church has a lovely program for women called the Relief Society. My friend contacted the relief society and asked for some help for me - watching the girls, bringing dinner, etc. So I have had wonderful women coming and taking Anna for me while Haylie is at school, and even getting Haylie after school and giving me the entire day to myself. I have been able to literally stay in bed all day and do my best to keep this baby happy inside my body! I am sooo grateful for all the help I've been given. It amazes me just how willing people are to help - at a moment's notice.

So we've got to keep this little dude in at least until the 17th of this month - but preferably longer. My doc did say that due to his position at this time, he probably will come early. Our c-section is scheduled December 10th...but we'll see!

Thanks to everyone who has helped me - I am truly blessed - and enjoying the silence!!! And for your viewing pleasure (haha!) here's a shot of me at 34 weeks.

Calling all Mommies

2010-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

I need some help! I've never had a baby swing before...and we are definitely getting one for this baby. I've been doing some research online and found these adorable little portable swings that sit lower to the ground than the traditional swings. I like the idea that they are smaller and take up less space, and that I can also travel with it easily. But I am worried about the Anna-mal having better access to the baby that way. I mean, I can't totally protect the baby from her in a full-size swing either, but it seems that having it lower to the ground would make it even more tempting/accessible to Miss Anna. Has anybody had one of these smaller swings and if so, can you tell me about it? Pros? Cons? Any information would be fabulous. Leave a comment here or on Facebook please!!!

Here are some pictures that show the difference...the first one is full size, the second one is "portable".

Even The Little Prayers Get Answered

2010-10-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at Haylie's soccer game, she lost her tooth. And by "lost", I mean...it fell out of her mouth and into the grass on the field and got lost. She comes running to me in the middle of the game crying (and bloody-mouthed) because she can't find her tooth. So I did my best to comfort her and told her that we'd look for the tooth after the game. I was thinking "How in the world are we going to find a teeny tiny tooth on that big field?" Well, Eric was coaching so he knew the general area where she was when it fell out, so after the game we went out there and started searching. I really wish I had my camera with me because then some of the other kids started helping us look, and their parents too! So there are a big bunch of us canvassing the ground for this tiny tooth. It seemed pretty hopeless - like the proverbial needle in the haystack! Haylie really likes to keep her teeth, as you can see from this post. She was so upset and the only thing I could think was to say a little prayer. I know that prayers are answered, but gotta admit that I was thinking - it's just a tooth - is He really going to help us? So anyway, as we're searching, the next team is getting on the field and getting ready for their game. We had to go. So I told Haylie that she could write a note to the tooth fairy saying she lost her tooth and that the tooth fairy would understand. We start to walk off the field and out of the blue, Haylie looks down and says, "There it is!" Sure enough, it was just sitting right on top of the grass in plain sight just in front of her. The other parents were all shocked - especially that she had been the one to find it. So my friend Lori, whose son is on the team and is in my ward at church, says to Haylie, "Did you say a little prayer?" I looked at her and said, "I did!" And then both of us started to get a little teary-eyed just thinking about how amazing it is that Heavenly Father would answer such a teeny, seemingly insignificant prayer. He knows each of us, and what is important to us. He knows that it was important to this little 5-year-old to have her tooth. And important to this Mommy to make her little girl happy. So say your prayers...He IS listening. ;-)

It's Not Too Late!!

2010-10-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

I love how they send you the preview of what your child's school picture looked like and tell you it's not too late to order. I mean, yes, she's adorable cuz she's my kid and I love her...but I'm not paying $42.75 for this...

I think she was focusing on showing the gap where she lost her tooth - and trying really hard to be brave while some stranger took her picture. So, there's always Spring pictures, right? ;-)

Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-10-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

So last night I had a dream in which I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In my dream I remember feeling helpless and hopeless - feeling like there was no way I could do it, and wanting to give up before it even began.. So instead of posting on Facebook where I keep my purse to "raise breast cancer awareness", I thought I'd share this post instead. While my dream was not real, I felt for an iota of a minute, what many women have felt when receiving a cancer diagnosis. I just want to say that I love and admire those women and wish them many many years of health and happiness. I was planning to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this year, but this pregnancy is going to prevent me from doing so...but I will set my sights on next year.

Oh Boy!

2010-10-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

We have already received boxes and boxes of hand-me-down boy clothing for our baby boy, who will be joining us on December 10! So I finally mustered up the strength to sort through the boxes yesterday and organize all the clothes into sizes. Holy moly, I can't believe how much there is! A big thank you to my sister-in-law Rachel, my friends Erin B. and Monica, and my sweet neighbor Trini who also gave us that cute bassinet!! This is going to be one adorably dressed little dude!

Not sure if you can see but there is also a storage bin under those bags that is also full of clothes! Love it!!

Little Picasso

2010-09-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Anna's latest:

Notice the notebook right there? You know, the notebook I bought for her to color in? Nah - carpet is more fun. The one thing I can say is that I am grateful I bought the Crayola Washable Markers!!! A little bit of carpet spot cleaner and a damp cloth and I was able to get it up pretty easily.

*Crayola did not pay me for this advertisement*

Haylie's First Soccer Game

2010-09-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Eric was really excited to sign Haylie up for soccer this year. She is on a team with a bunch of her friends from kindergarten and they are so cute! Most of the practices have been pretty hilarious - and we wondered if an actual game was even going to be possible...but they really stepped up! Eric is the assistant coach - so he gets to be out there on the field with the kids the whole time.

Haylie throwing the ball in

Nice action shot - Haylie is not shy on the field, that's for sure

She actually scored 3 goals!

Chillin' with the team in the shade (it was HOT out there today!)

Hair Cuts

2010-09-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Haylie asked me the other day if she could get her hair cut - and I had actually been thinking that I wanted to get Anna's hair cut as well. So I called a friend who has a little salon in her home.

Haylie didn't want me to take her picture...doesn't she look sassy??

Anna looks a little sad here, but really she was sooo relaxed from having her hair combed and cut, she actually looked like she might fall asleep right there in the chair! She did sooo well for her very first haircut!

The finished product:

Code Yellow

2010-09-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Code Yellow: The code they announce over the intercom in Target when a child is missing. How do I know this? I had the lovely experience of telling a Target employee that my child was missing this morning. I went in to Target to buy one thing...ONE THING!! Anna wanted to ride in the big ginormous cart and I said no because we were going to go in, buy my iron pills (just found out I'm anemic), and leave. So she put on her best pouty face and walked with me towards the pharmacy. Then stopped. I told her to come with me, counted to 3, then walked towards her to make her come and she took off. Well, I'm not moving so quickly these days - 7 months pregnant and experiencing a lot of pain in my c-section incision site (from previous c-sections). The scar tissue has to stretch as the baby grows and it is very painful. I literally cannot run after her. So I waddle myself in the direction she went - thinking that she would realize Mom is not around, get scared and come back. Nope. She was gone. Now I'm starting to panic. I called Eric and immediately started crying while telling him I can't find Anna. He said to go find an employee and tell them that I can't find her. Hello embarrassing. Well, I found someone right then, she got her walky-talky and announced CODE YELLOW. She told me that when they say that, somebody will immediately block the exits so that nobody can leave the store. I gave her a description and it took probably 1 minute or less for them to find her...guess where? Yup - the toy section. She was carrying a Polly Pocket toy and completely oblivious to the fact that she had scared the snot out of me. Actually I'm not sure I was as scared as I was embarrassed. Here I am hobbling around pregnant with my 3rd child and I can't even seem to control #2. Sheesh. Needless to say, she did not get her Polly Pocket that she so independently shopped for. I got my iron pills and got the heck out of there. I had to be somewhere right then, but as soon as I was finished there, I went straight to Kmart (didn't want to return to the "scene of the crime") and bought a harness/leash for her. She has officially lost any freedom she had previously enjoyed (abused).

She doesn't seem too upset about it yet...but we'll see...

So, if you see me hobbling around with my child attached to a leash, you'll know why. It had to be done. Guess maybe next time I'll say yes to the giant cart...

WWE-G and Floating Heads

2010-09-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment - Girls

Last night I heard lots of giggling outside and went out to find the girls having a wrestling match. They took turns tackling each other to the ground. It was very cute and it didn't even end in tears (as these games often do!) I love it when they find ways to play "nicely" together.
;-)

The girls got to pick out a toy at the dollar store and they picked glow stick glasses...

Here is a shot with no flash...floating heads!!!

I love these girlies.

How To Dispose of A Useless Piano

2010-09-19T09:28:00.001-07:00

Eric went out with a bunch of guys from church and shot the you-know-what out of it. It was a little depressing for me since that was my very first piano, but I was grateful that we didn't have to pay anyone to come and haul it away for us!

Adding to my Resume: Tooth Fairy

2010-09-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Haylie lost her very first tooth today! It has been loose for about 2 weeks now and I have been begging her to let me pull it out, but she refused. It was literally hanging by a thread when she got home from school today. I made her a bagel with cream cheese for lunch and she was eating it outside when all of a sudden she comes running into the house. "Mommy, Mommy, my tooth just fell out all by itself!!!" She was eating her bagel and the tooth got stuck in it - and she felt it crunch!

I have never seen such a look of pure excitement. She immediately wanted to call Eric and tell him to come home so he could see her tooth. She also wanted to write a note to the tooth fairy and ask her if she could keep her tooth (she saw that on one of her cartoons). I am very excited to play Tooth Fairy tonight and leave a little something under her pillow. And by a little something, I mean like, a quarter. I can't believe the amount of money kids get these days! I mean, to each is own, but let's set the bar low for tooth #1, eh? ;-)

It's probably just me, but I swear she aged a few years with that little gap!!

Her note to the tooth fairy - so cute!

And of course, Anna wanted to get in on the toothy action...nice.

I Spy...

2010-09-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

I know I've been posting a lot about Anna lately - but she and I have been spending a lot more time together with Haylie in school. Last night, Anna was apparently not tired at bedtime. So she kept getting up and collecting things around the house to take to bed with her. In this picture, you will notice: a stroller, a flashlight, a baby doll, a stuffed frog, a coin bank full of coins, a pencil, a pad of paper that you cannot see, a band-aid on her ankle because she apparently had an ouchy, and her entire collection of silky blankets. Reminds me of an I Spy book. :-)

And, because she's just too cute...had to post these pics as well:

I found this Jumperoo at a yard sale and have it sitting in the garage waiting for baby. Any chance she gets, Anna climbs on in and makes herself comfortable. She says "I sit baby's" meaning "I sit in baby's toy."

She wanted me to roll her hair in these rollers. She thought that was pretty cool.

Spotlight on Anna

2010-09-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well...I almost had a heart attack today at my friend Sue's house. I was picking Haylie up from her piano lesson and talking to Sue - the girls were playing with Sue's daughter - or so I thought. Out of the blue, Anna comes into the living room and shows me her fingers - all caked with nail polish. I thought for sure we were going to find nail polish spilled all over her carpets and I thought I just might die. THANKFULLY, and I don't know HOW she managed, but there was just one little drop on the computer desk where she was painting. She had 6 or 7 bottles of polish opened and not a single one spilled out. PHEW!

She peeled some of the paint off before I got the picture...but she had it on THICK - all around the tips of her fingers...

Here's my little angel after having put soap in her hair and posing adorably for the camera:

Every once in a while, she surprises me and does something really sweet and cute...she loves to sit on my lap while I sew and "help" me. (Although, I am running out of lap these days...)

She's developed a love for books and I love that she loves them! But she likes to pull them ALL off the shelf, then read...

And here she is - the picture of innocence, right?

I do love my little Anna. She keeps me on my toes and I'm sure she's giving me gray hairs, but I can't help but love that little face.

My Funny Girl

2010-08-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch Haylie was cracking me up. She was eating an "everything bagel" with cream cheese. She pointed at the sesame seeds and asked me what they were. I said, "They're sesame seeds" - and she replied, "Oh, so we can grow more bagels?" Love it!

Then I was telling her that she starts kindergarten in 3 days. She met her teacher, Mrs. Mayfield, earlier in the week. So every once in a while I'll ask her what her teacher's name is so she'll know it on the first day of school. Today I asked what her and she said "Mrs. Gardenfield". Ha! I think she put kindergarten and Mayfield together and came up with Mrs. Gardenfield. SO CUTE! She is beyond excited for school to start, as am I. I think Anna will really benefit from some one-on-one time with me. And Haylie has lots of her little preschool friends in her class and they are going to have so much fun! Hooray!

Rough Week

2010-08-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write a little something today to express my gratitude for awesome friends. I have had an icky week and in the last couple days my friends have really lifted me up and helped me overcome once again.

So the last time I reported anything about my depression, I had gotten off the Cymbalta and was feeling fine (around Jan 2009). Well, about 6 months after I got off the Cymbalta it started to creep back in. Poor Eric took the brunt of it that time. He encouraged me to go to the doctor and get back on the medication. So when I went back, I asked for another anti-depressant that didn't cost so darn much..and my doc put me on Effexor. (This was around July 2009) Loved it! Things were really getting back on track again. So, fast forward to January 2010, I switched to Kaiser due to the ridiculous rates that Blue Cross was trying to charge us. It is Kaiser policy to have a patient meet with a psychiatrist in order to be prescribed anti-depressants. So I met with Dr. Groot and he gave me some interesting statistics. I don't remember the exact stats but he said that once a person has one "episode" of depression, the are X% more likely to have another. And once a person has had two episodes, the likelihood of another is even higher, and so forth. That is when I decided that if I have to be on an anti-depressant for the rest of my life, then so be it. I'd rather be happy than deal with this roller-coaster ride. The problem is strictly hormonal - and if my body has trouble regulating hormones, then I need to do whatever is necessary to get them on track.

Alright, so around the same time we switched to Kaiser, we decided that we wanted to start thinking about having another baby. So Dr. Groot switched me to Zoloft which is on the list of approved meds for pregnancy. I've been on it since January, got pregnant in March and everything's been going great. Well, last weekend I slacked off and forgot to take my pill for about 3 days in a row. On the 3rd day, I was talking to my mom and saying that I kept forgetting to take my pill, but that I was feeling okay - hmm...maybe baby hormones are helping regulate me...haha...nope. Day 4 I remembered to take a pill, but was beginning to feel pretty down. My patience left me, Anna was getting on my very last nerve and I was so very tired and irritable. Trying to keep up with Anna's inquisitiveness (is that a word?) has become a full time job and I'm just. so. tired. Yesterday I called my friend Monica just to say hello and have some adult conversation and totally lost it. Break. Down. She was fabulous and "talked me off the ledge" so to speak. She has 4 kids of her own and had some really great suggestions which I've put into practice today and things are going a lot better! So I had also mentioned on Facebook yesterday that I was having a rough day - and if anyone wanted a 2 1/2 year old, they were welcome to come and get her. Well, my sweet friend Stefanie showed up on my doorstep and whisked the kids away so I could get some rest. Then she invited us to dinner as well! What a treat! So to top it off, I had an appointment this morning and my friend Jennifer D. took my girls to the park for a playgroup while I went to the appt. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but all these things have lifted me so much - and made me (once again) realize just how lucky I am.

I'm so grateful for my faith, for modern medicine (!), for my extremely supportive husband, and the amazing friends I am so lucky to have. *HUGS*

Dr. Dolittle??

2010-06-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Eric and I would like to formally request that from now on you refer to us as Drs. Dolittle. It has come to our attention that animals have a way of finding us when they need help. First, it was the box turtle that was cruising down the street in front of Eric's work. Then it was the chick who appeared in our back yard and started the Metler family chicken craze. Now, well, now it is this:

That, my friends, is a red-eared slider. "Red-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and lay eggs." (Wikipedia) Ummm, I found this guy in our front yard on the cement in front of the gate to our back yard. Nowhere near WATER! He was pretty dried up and his shell looks a little beat up, but I think he's going to be okay. But seriously people, what are the odds that this water turtle would show up in front of our house - you know, the people who love turtles??? I'm tellin' ya...it's the Dr. Dolittle thing. We're not sure yet if we're going to keep this guy - so if you think you might be interested, let me know...

Big News

2010-05-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, Haylie had told her primary teachers that she was going to have a baby brother...I had to publish a blog to squash the rumors. I heard that today she told her teachers once again that she was going to have a baby brother...they weren't sure if they should believe her or not...

We're expecting Metler baby #3 this December. Here's the little peanut...

Haylie is really really hoping it's a boy...as we all are...but we won't know for a couple more months...

Eaglecam

2010-04-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

I posted this link on Facebook already - but if there are any of you who have not seen it yet, you must click here. It is a live webcam with an up-close and personal view of a bald eagle nest located on Hornby Island which is up in Canada (British Columbia). The nest had 2 eggs in it, one of which hatched on Wednesday the 28th. Still waiting for the other to hatch. I am sort of a wildlife fanatic, so I truly cannot get enough of these eagles! You can watch them feed the little eaglet, usually the mama sits on the nest but every once in a while, she squawks and in comes the male to give her a break. He feeds the baby, and does all the same chores as the mama. For me, this is more addicting than a soap opera. ;-) If you want more info about the eagles and the people responsible for putting up the camera, etc, click here.

Enjoy!

Haylie is 5!

2010-04-29T08:30:00.001-07:00

Haylie's birthday this year was a 3-day extravaganza! It's really fun because the Clovis Rodeo parade always falls on the weekend of Haylie's birthday - so it has been a tradition to go to the parade Saturday morning. This year, we rode our bikes along the trail and it was so nice not to have to find a parking spot! We also stopped and got donuts on the way. Yum.

That afternoon, my mom and I took Haylie out to buy some things with the birthday money Grandma Jane gave her. While we were gone, Eric assembled Haylie's new big girl bike. She was soooo excited to get a big girl bike.

Here she is waiting for cake on Sunday (her actual birthday). She looks so big and grown up!

This is a good snapshot of her gifts. She also got a drawing board/easel from Ikea with chalkboard on one side and whiteboard on the other...that has been a big hit.

Monday she got to have a little party at preschool. I made cupcakes and Haylie got to choose 5 friends to sit with her at the birthday table. She chose Anna to be one of her 5...so sweet!

Happy birthday big girl! We love you!

Sequoia Day Trip

2010-04-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we decided to take a little day trip up to Sequoia National Park. It was a beautiful day up there...but we were surprised at how much snow was still on the ground!

That's Eric and Anna walking way up ahead and Haylie walking in front of me

Eric and the girls sitting on a giant stump. Notice Anna hanging on for dear life.

There is a tree that has fallen and the center is hollowed out and you can walk through it...very fun.

This is the same day...after we got home the girls wanted to play in the sprinklers

Silly

Amazing place we live...in the morning we're in the snow, in the afternoon we're playing in the water.

Punky Brewster

2010-04-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Punky Brewster? I just tried to find a picture of her online but couldn't find any to really depict the Punky I remember. She always had mismatched, bright colored clothing. Sometimes she would have tights on and one leg would be yellow and the other purple, etc... So, this morning I told Haylie to put on something warm because it was supposed to rain today. She got dressed and came into the kitchen and my first thought was that she looked like Punky.

Pink tights with plaid shorts, a flowered top and a multicolored striped scarf. Oh, and you know, it's going to rain so let's put on our Crocs!

I have realized that with Haylie I have to pick my battles, and this is a battle I choose not to fight. So she went to school looking like Punky Brewster. The crazy thing is, I think she actually pulled it off...;-)

Spring Break

2010-04-06T08:45:00.001-07:00

We decided that since Haylie is in school now, we would take advantage of Spring Break and go down to visit family in San Diego. Unfortunately, Eric still had to work, so he came down with us, picked up the piano, and headed back to Fresno. But the girls and I had fun visiting Grandpa Garry, Grandma Jo, Grandpa Terry, Grandma Jane, Uncle Gavin, Aunt Launa, Shea, Remi, and even Uncle Jeff, Aunt Jenn, Addison, Morgan, Westley and Sydney.

Haylie's preschool class had a "Spring Celebration" (Translation: Easter Party) where she got to make and wear bunny ears. Her teachers all had pink noses so when she got home she wanted me to give her a pink nose too...

And of course, then Anna wanted in on the bunny action...

We spent a few days in Temecula with Gavin and Launa and their girls. Our girls play so well together, it's so fun to hang out with them!

This picture was the best out of about 10 I took - I could never get them all to look at the camera and smile at the same time!

Grandpa Terry was reading a story to the girls off of his laptop - they loved it!

This is my first Ikea experience. I think it just might be the second happiest place on Earth. ;-)

The girls and I got home just in time for Easter. Eric set up an Easter Egg hunt outside.

Haylie is holding a toy chick that Eric got - it is activated by your skin - so when you put it in your palm, it chirps. Very cute (but also very annoying!)

Happy Easter!

Piano Update

2010-04-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Read this post about my piano if you haven't already.

I was so optimistic. My wonderful piano man called me the next day and told me that the piano was toast. Apparently I misunderstood - I thought he said most of the plastic pieces had been replaced...I think what he said was that a couple of the plastic pieces had been replaced. He replaced the two that were broken, but as he was putting them in, more broke, and it was like a chain reaction. He said they would all need to be replaced...and that would end up costing about $1500. Well, we only paid $200 for the piano...so...really wouldn't be worth it.

He said he knew a guy who knew a guy who was selling a small upright that was in really good condition. So I went to look at it and yes, it was in great condition, with one exception. They were smokers. Unfortunately, wood absorbs that smell and it is impossible to get it out. I just wouldn't be able to have that in my tiny house. So I left there feeling very discouraged, because it was indeed a beautiful piano. I called my mom and told her what was happening. She said "Well, I wish there was some way to get our piano up to you..." I thought, well, that's really nice but I just don't think that piano will go in my house...it is a tall upright. We started doing measurements and she said it was 4'6" tall. I didn't believe her...I remember that piano being much taller than me. Well, apparently I was remembering the piano from my childhood...it's not nearly as huge as I thought it was!

Sooo...one uhaul trailer over 325 miles later...we have a new piano.

What I love about this piano is that my grandmother purchased it for $50, and gave it to my parents. I learned how to play on this piano. My mom refinished it years ago and it is beautiful! Hooray!

Thanks Mom!

Really?

2010-04-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

I got a new hair straightener recently. Here is a shot of the instruction manual. Check out the first bullet point. (Click on the picture to make it bigger)

Really? I can't use this while I'm sleeping? That's my favorite time to do my hair, dangit!

How to Get Your 2-year Old to Eat Dinner...

2010-03-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

DUH!! Why didn't I think of giving it to her in the bathtub before??? Eric brought the plate in and asked if she wanted bites...so I fed her bites while there was still water. Then she pushed the drain and all the water went out - I set the plate down in the tub and she ate every last bite.

I'm gonna' have to remember this...

Welcome Spring!

2010-03-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

March 22 -
Saturday was such a beautiful day - perfectly Springy! Other than the allergies that come with Spring, it is my favorite season! So what else is there to do in the Spring than go buy 2 more chicks??!!

We are pleased to introduce Princess Tiana and Belle.

Here are our two new princess chicks with our own little Princess Haylie

While we were out playing with the chicks, Eric found a little toadie in our {soon to be} pond...of course he had to be rescued...and played with...

And...another sure sign of Spring...

Eric's favorite pastime - catching gophers. Ew.

We've also seen the box turtle out and about - and Sunday we heard a scratch scratch scratching coming from the tortoise's hibernation box in the closet. He came out of hibernation the day after Spring Equinox...kind of amazing how that works!

We're very excited for more beautiful spring weather!

Spring Picture!

2010-03-23T08:44:00.001-07:00

My oh my! How far we have come!! I didn't even bother dressing Haylie up because I didn't think she'd smile!!!

Ever Wonder...

2010-03-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

...what the inside of your piano looks like? I called my piano man this morning because we had a few keys making a terrible noise when we pressed them. He looked at it and said, "Well, I'm going to have to take it apart." And take it apart he did...

Notice what's missing? ...

Here are my piano keys lined up on my floor!

This is the part that has all the little hammers and things...

...and there it goes...

He had to take it back to his shop to see if he can replace a couple parts. Apparently, the piano was built around 1948 when they were just discovering the wonders of plastic...what they didn't know was that in 60 years, the plastic would be rotting and falling apart. So there were two little pieces inside that had broken and that is why it sounded terrible. Luckily, whoever had the piano before us had most of the plastic pieces replaced with wood, so we shouldn't have too many more problems like this.

He said he'll have it done for me by the time I have to teach piano lessons on Wednesday!

Anna Tries to Wink

2010-03-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this for my mom because she always tries to get the little ones to wink around this age and it is sooo funny to watch them try...

Double-Yolker

2010-03-08T22:10:00.001-08:00

Our chicken Ariel lays the largest eggs out of the three chickens we have. For the second time now, she has laid an egg that is HUGE, even for her. The first picture below shows the size difference between what we usually get from her and what we got the other day. It is what we refer to as a "double-yolker" - I suppose it could also be considered twins...apparently if it were fertilized it is possible that you could get twin chicks - but it is very rare. Anyway, just thought I'd share these pictures - it's something new and fun.

A Happy Ending...

2010-03-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

So for the last 3 months, health insurance has been a huge thorn in my side. We found out in December that the Blue Shield plan we were on, which we happened to LOVE, was going to raise their monthly premium by 65%!! It would have ended up costing our family over $700/month.(Eric's coverage doesn't cost us anything - so that would actually be just for me and the girls) That would be $700 we don't have. So, we went on the dreaded hunt for new insurance - the dreaded hunt that we have been on once a year for the last 3 years. Ugh. So, I spent some time on the phone with the insurance representative for Eric's company. She helped us find the most economical plans for what we needed. I would be on an individual Kaiser plan and the girls would be on a Blue Cross plan. Eric would be on the Blue Shield plan provided through his work. So, we submitted the applications for Kaiser and Blue Cross. I was accepted without any problems, Haylie was accepted with no problems, but Anna was denied coverage through Blue Cross because of her iris cyst - a pre-existing condition. This was very upsetting to me because her cyst is sooo nothing. We have been going in for regular checkups since she was diagnosed and everything is fine. The cyst is not impairing her vision, it is not growing, it is just there. I sent in an appeal and got denied again. Anna's ophthalmologist (Dr. Lanier who is amazing) even took time out of her incredibly busy schedule to call Blue Cross directly to tell them that they were ridiculous for denying her and they wouldn't even talk to her. They will only go off what they see on the medical record. Oh, and the people reviewing the medical record AREN'T EVEN MEDICALLY TRAINED!!

So I was so discouraged and worried - how in the world were we going to pay for them to be on Eric's plan?? I was talking to a friend and I said "I just don't understand - maybe they are not meant to be on the Blue Cross plan, but why would the right plan be the sucky expensive plan??" My friend said "If they are not meant to be on that plan, then something else will present itself to you." At the time, I knew she was right, but it didn't seem like we had any other options. So a few days later, still discouraged, I called Eric's insurance lady practically in tears and told her to put the girls on Eric's plan. That is when she asked me if I had looked into the Kaiser Child Health Plan. The what? Well, she proceeded to tell me about a health plan through Kaiser that is much like California's Healthy Families plan for "low income" families. The only requirement is that you fall into their income guidelines. They did not ask for any health history whatsoever, my girls were accepted - no questions asked! And the best part? Are you ready for this? It is going to cost us $16/month for both girls!!!!!!!!!! I am so stinking excited about this - I cannot even put it into words. Is it fun to be considered low income? No, but if it gets us good health coverage for practically nothing? I'll shout from the rooftops that I AM POOR!! Ha! You are probably wondering, like I did, what the catch is...where's the hidden fee? Where are they gonna get me to pay? Well, there is no catch! Doctor visits are $5. Prescriptions are $5. Hospitalization is FREE. Hearing and vision tests are $5. Labs and x-rays are FREE. The list goes on.

The moral of the story is this: Heavenly Father knows each of us. He knows what we need. He is mindful of every struggle we have. I was nervous about going on a Kaiser plan for myself, but I have met my doctors and so far I LOVE IT. I was so stressed out about money, but Heavenly Father knows our situation and He helped us to find a plan that would work for us. He doesn't leave us hangin' - if we're doing everything we can to live righteously - if we do our part, He will bless us. Who would have thought that Anna being denied by Blue Cross could have been such a blessing? Oh, and she still gets to see her same awesome ophthalmologist because she has a relationship with Kaiser - all I need is a referral from the Kaiser doc. :-)

I am just so grateful for my faith and my belief in God. It is so amazing to constantly feel His love and to know that I am being blessed constantly for my efforts.

I'm putting this out there so that if any of you are paying up the yinyang for health insurance - go check out the Child Health Plan and see if you qualify. (No, they are not paying me for this endorsement) hehe.

Daddy Daughter Date

2010-02-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

Eric and Haylie went to the Daddy Daughter dance last night at Haylie's school. It was a 50's theme so I made Haylie a poodle skirt (the last poodle skirt I made for her fits Anna now!)

They went out to eat pizza then went and danced their hearts out. Haylie's concept of dancing consists of spinning around in circles as fast as possible - so needless to say, they didn't last long! Eric got dizzy and Haylie got a tummy ache - apparently she ate too much pizza - so when they got home, she asked to go straight to bed. Umm...yes!

She has been Eric's shadow all day today - she really loved having that extra special time with Daddy.

So here are some pictures:

Miss Grump does not like to waver from her usual fashion. She loved the poodle skirt, but did not like that she had to wear her "church shoes" with it (she wanted to wear her brown boots). She also did not like the headband in her hair. This is why she is wearing such a sour face.

Anna felt left out so I got her dressed in Haylie's old poodle skirt - CUTE!

After Anna joined in, Haylie started to perk up -look..a smile!!

Eric went for the "richie" look rather than the traditional "greaser" look.

Haylie and Eric always take the cutest pictures together! (Notice the headband came out and the flower went in - this is the pink flower she wears every single day to school.)

I'm so glad that Haylie has such a fun daddy to look up to and love.

MONSTERPLEX

2010-02-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

http://zudacomics.com/node/1759

My friend, Brock Heasley, is an incredibly talented artist and writer. He is currently participating in a contest with DC Comics. In Brock's own words:

"Every month DC Comics (publisher of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, etc.) pits 10 comics against each other on their webcomics site, Zuda. For a few weeks, people are invited to rank, vote on and praise or damn the comics until one emerges victorious (read: most popular) and the creators of said comic are offered a one year contract to keep making it.
Yes, that means money. Yes, it’s thousands of dollars (not a ton, but enough to keep doing it). More importantly, it means the little boy inside me doing back flips will have his dreams come true. (He’s making me sick. Who knew the spleen was bouncy?)"

So, since the contest is based solely on popularity, Brock has asked me to pass on the word to my blogosphere. If you have a sec, click on the link above - that will take you straight to his comic. You'll need to register in order to vote but it only takes a minute. He gets extra points if you add him as a favorite and leave a comment as well. Also, they count page views, so go back and visit as often as possible. If you feel so inclined, and you have a blog of your own, you can post this on your blog too to spread the word.

I'm not exactly a huge fan of comics, but (1) this one is very good (2) I really want Brock to succeed in this - he deserves it!

Anyway, go check it out!

Haylie's Preschool Picture

2010-01-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to post this picture forever - but the scanner was broken and I finally got it working! I didn't order any school pictures but I was sooo tempted because it is classic Haylie! She has become so much more outgoing since then - it would be interesting to see what she would do if they took her picture at the end of the year...

The Anna-mal Turns Two!!

2010-01-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

In honor of Anna's 2nd birthday, I decided to do a post in honor of the many hi-jinks this little monster pulls. These photos were all taken within the last couple months. But most of these things will happen in a typical day.

We heard crying coming from the girls' room and found Anna trapped in the hamper...the only way to get into the hamper would be to climb on top of the dresser...

"Help me"

This is Anna on her birthday after having received her "Violet" doggie. It talks to her - and we were even able to program it to say her name. She loves it.

Wearing Haylie's goggles

Standing on the dresser - notice the hamper behind her that she fell into...

The bathroom door is always closed - but if she sees it open for any reason, it takes her about 2.3 seconds to make her way into the sink.

Wearing Grandpa Garry's shoes (you'll notice she has a thing for shoes)

She actually got her head stuck in the railing at my parent's house. I always thought this was not actually possible - and I had flashbacks to that episode of Full House where DJ spreads butter all over the head of the kid she's babysitting to try and get him out...anyone else remember that? Thankfully, the child is skinny enough and we were able to have her crawl all the way through the railing because her head was certainly not going back the way it came. She was not happy about that.

Wearing Haylie's boots

This is after her latest eye appointment - they had to dilate her eyes and gave her these tiny glasses to shield her from the sun. She actually liked them and kept them on all day! BTW, her cyst is fine - it is not growing and does not appear to be affecting her vision at all. However, she does have an astigmatism now that may require glasses in the future. All in all, her eyes are just fine.

Anna had a pretty bad rash for a while and I was using this nasty smelling, pasty diaper cream and she got into it and spread it all over her face! EEEEEW!

In a matter of months, she went from being deathly afraid of the vacuum to wanting to help me every time I pull it out. She LOVES to vacuum now and refuses to let me help her.

She likes sweeping too.

I put the gate up so Anna can't get into the kitchen so here she is trying to crawl under the gate...backwards...she never quite made it.

Sometimes I forget to put the gate up...

...and she gets into the cornstarch. Look at that guilty face!

Computer geek in training

Diva in training. Wearing my heels - she made it all the way down the hall and to the living room without falling - impressive.

Chillin in the rocker listening to music.

I sure do love this kid. She's got enough energy to power the city of Clovis, and she can yell loud enough for the city to hear. She's strong-willed and throws tantrums. But she has personality for miles. She is too smart for her own good and makes us laugh all the time. I can't believe she is already 2! We love you Anna! Happy birthday!

I Wish I Was a Preschooler...

2009-12-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

I volunteered in Haylie's preschool class last Friday. I gotta' tell you...I've always said I'm not a big fan of other people's kids...and I mean that in the sense that - I don't like being responsible for other people's kids. It kinda stresses me out. Over the last 6 months or so, I've been suffering from a bit of anxiety...and being with a bunch of 4-year-olds would seem like the last thing I'd want to do. Well, I've volunteered 3 times now and I think it is quite possibly the best therapy ever. I have come to know all the kids in Haylie's class and I absolutely adore them! On Friday, it was raining outside so the kids didn't get to do their normal outdoor activities to get their wiggles out, so they did some indoor singing and dancing time. I captured this video and I laugh out loud every time I watch it. Can you believe that I actually had the thought that day that it would be fun to teach preschool?? But you know, I had the thought that we are counseled in the scriptures by Jesus Christ to become like little children. Sometimes you just have to get down to the basics and laugh and have fun - I hope this brings a smile to your face. :-D

Christmas Fun, etc.

2009-12-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Now that I have my camera back I just can't stop taking pictures. I've really been wanting to make Gingerbread men so we invited our friends over to help. (Anna slept through it all - that is why she is absent from the pictures)

Haylie, Elora, and Cami looking on while I roll out the dough

Cami is ready to cut out a Christmas tree!

Haylie, Elora and Erin

Watching the little men bake - we can't wait to eat them!!

As I was cleaning yesterday, Anna really wanted to help out...so...

She got to sweep some...

Then...

She found a spider and followed him around the room. At one point she was almost "nose-to-nose" with the spider because she wanted to get a real good look at him. Definitely no arachnophobia here!

Enjoying some spaghetti O's

Haylie has a very unique "style" (if you can call it that). Lately she has been under the impression that tights are actually leggings - to be worn alone...I humor her in the house but have to put my foot down when it is time to leave the house. This is one of her more creative outfits. Notice the princess note pad tucked in to her tights. And her snow hat topped with reindeer antlers that are broken so she has to hold them up with her hands. And the bare midriff is incredibly attractive, is it not? One day she is probably going to be very unhappy with me for posting this...;-)

And here she is eating the gingerbread house she made at preschool. She said "Look, Mommy, I'm eating like a pig!" Yup.

Notice the frosting on her nose? Must have been good!!

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

My camera broke the day before Halloween, so that is one excuse for being such a blog-slacker. We just bought ourselves a new camera for Christmas so I've been snapping away!

First, I have a couple pictures of our FREEZING cold morning this morning. Our outdoor thermometer read 27 degrees!!

I don't think this picture captured the frost real well, but it was WHITE outside. The field at Haylie's school was completely white, it really looked like it had snowed. Brrr!

Last Saturday, I got to go to a Scholastic books warehouse sale and got lots of books for the girls for Christmas. I decided that this year we were going to minimize, so the girls are only getting books and a few little articles of clothing for Christmas. In the afternoon we all decorated the tree together, then that night we went to the Clovis Christmas parade. Here are some pics (in no particular order!!)

Haylie and Mommy at the parade - it was COLD!

Anna and Daddy - Anna is pointing at the horses

Here are the girls playing with their Little People Nativity that Grandma Jo got them last year - it is the BEST gift because they can play with it and they leave my other Nativities alone! The only thing I don't like is that there are a lot of pieces and Joseph is currently missing - it makes me crazy when I can't find all the pieces (yes, I'm a little OCD!)

Haylie decorating

Daddy and Haylie and Anna

Anna LOVES the bells we put on the tree

The finished product

We are all so excited for Christmas. Today we are going to be making Gingerbread dough to roll out and cut out gingerbread men tomorrow. Cookies and treats are some of my favorite things about Christmas! And, of course, celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I do hope I can be a good example to my children and teach them the true meaning of Christmas and help them to know what really matters.

Rumor Control / Miscellaneous

2009-11-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

So a couple weeks ago, Haylie asked me why she doesn't have a baby brother. I told her that maybe she would have a baby brother someday. Then I asked her what she would want her baby brother's name to be (this has been a topic of discussion between Eric and me forever since we don't ever agree on names). So we had a lovely conversation about Haylie's imaginary baby brother. Another time she asked me I told her she should ask Heavenly Father for a baby brother when she says her prayers. So every once in a while she asks for a baby brother when she says her prayers. Well, the other day, we brought her friend Mason home from school with us and when we all got in the car she turned to Mason and said "I'm going to have a baby brother." Uhhh.....Haylie....how many people have you said that to? So, for the record, I am not pregnant - if Haylie has told you she is going to have a baby brother, it is merely a wish and not a statement of fact. I'm quite confident that she has told her teachers at school too - I wonder if they'll start looking at me funny when they don't see my belly expanding...Anyway, I just felt the need to stop my 4-year-old's rumor before it got out of control. :-)

Speaking of Haylie, her teacher pulled me aside yesterday and told me that Haylie has been making other girls in the class cry. (WHAT?) She said that Haylie will say to them "You're not my best friend anymore." - and they get sad and cry. She said that she was not going to say anything to me but it has been happening on a daily basis and she has tried talking to Haylie and it has not stopped. When did my shy little Haylie become the kid that makes other kids cry?? So when we got home I had a talk with her about being nice to her friends. We'll see if that helps. I'm so glad that she has come out of her shell, but I do hope that she learns to keep it under control!

So I've made some changes to the blog - I've been getting spam in my comments so I disabled anonymous comments and did some other things to keep the spammers out - hopefully it doesn't make much difference.

I'm going to try to do better at posting - it's been an interesting couple of months and I have a lot to write about...just haven't been making the time to do it!

Ariel and the Speckled Egg

2009-10-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

So I guess I was right! The peer pressure finally got to Ariel and she laid her first egg yesterday! It was the strangest egg I've ever seen! Brown with white speckles and one super dark brown smudge. The white speckles are sort of raised up too...very strange. From what I have read, the color of the egg comes from the chicken's skin pigment. For example, Cinderella's legs were a yellowish color before she started laying eggs - then the pigment went out of her legs and into her eggshells...so now her legs are almost white. So, Ariel's legs are still very yellow - my guess is that the her body is still working on getting the pigment into the shell. But in the meantime - I think we have to coolest eggs ever!

Here is a sampling of all the eggs. Snow White's blue eggs, Ariel's speckled egg, and Cinderellas light brown eggs.

A close-up of the speckles.

;-)

Welcome Autumn!!

2009-10-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

I posted on Facebook that I had my decorations up for Fall - and a friend asked me to post some pictures so she could get some ideas. I don't have many decorations, and I just realized that most of them are homemade! So anyway, here are some pics:

I bought those fake flowers at the dollar store - a very cheap and very easy way to decorate! The "Pumpkins 25c" sign I made at Enrichment a couple years ago - I painted those pumpkins! The other little pumkins and candle I've received as gifts over the years.

I made this wall hanging 2 years ago I think - I believe I posted it on my blog before - but it was very easy to do - especially if you enjoy embroidery...I have the pattern if anybody is interested.

I like this picture cuz it shows my wall hanging, my Fall quilt, and you can see my other decorations in the mirror! That is pretty much the extent of my decorations...

And lastly, the candy corn on the front door - don't know if you can see that it says "Trick or Treat" on the largest candy corn. This was a gift.

I also bought some window clings at the dollar store yesterday - I'm planning on letting the girls stick them to the front window this afternoon - I'll post a pic of that later.

So there you have it - nothing fancy...but I sure do love this time of year!

Snow White and the Blue Egg

2009-09-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Snow White finally laid her first egg today! We have been anxiously awaiting this day because we were told she would lay blue eggs - and she did! It is a little bit of a gray blue - but I think after a few days it will get more blue. When Cinderella laid her first egg it was a very light brown - and it got a bit darker after a few days - so I imagine the same thing might happen with Snow White. Anyway, now we'll be getting 2 eggs a day and hopefully Ariel will join in soon - nothing like a little peer pressure from the other two, right?

Every day Cinderella lays her egg in a new spot (well, she has about 5 or 6 favorite spots that she alternates between) - it's like an Easter egg hunt every single day! We'll find out soon if Snow White will send us hunting as well!

Haylieisms

2009-09-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

Haylie has been saying a lot of funny stuff lately. I think she is picking up a lot of new things at preschool and it's pretty hilarious.

Every time we go out and collect the egg from our chicken (once a day) she says, "Thank you, Cinderella". One time she said "You're the only one who lays eggs for us!" We have 2 other chickens who have not started laying yet.

One day, we were playing ring around the rosie - and I think it was the first time Anna played with us - and Anna fell down right on cue. We all laughed and Haylie reached over and hugged Anna and said "Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

One of Haylie's teachers called her a silly goose one day, so at least once a day she calls me a silly goose.

Yesterday, I found out that there is a "thinking chair" in preschool. That is another word for a time-out chair. My friend's son always tells her who sat in the thinking chair that day - but Haylie doesn't tell me anything unless I ask her directly. So yesterday I decided to ask her if anybody went to the thinking chair. She calmly replied, "Yes, I did." Like it was no big deal! She said "Me and Crystal were running around and we didn't clean up." So they each took a turn in the chair. She was so completely unphased by this! So I told her that she needed to make sure she listened to her teacher and didn't go back to the thinking chair again. The strange thing is that "time outs" have been the most effective "punishment" we've used with her. She gets very upset and it is usually the best way to get her to behave. I was shocked that she wasn't upset by this at school. Perhaps because they do not call it time out?

A conversation we had just a few minutes ago:

Haylie: If I was a real girl, then I wouldn't be me anymore, and I would be sad.
Me: (???) You'll always be you, no matter what.
Haylie: I knoooow. (in a "DUH, MOM" sorta' voice)

She has such a fun, silly personality:

Yes, those are chicken feathers in her hair. Silly goose.

Extreme Home Makeover

2009-09-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so not that extreme, but I just finished painting my bathroom and the change in color is pretty extreme. When we first moved into this house, I wanted my bathroom yellow. I wanted a nice buttercup yellow, but as I was looking at samples, a lot of the yellows looked like off-white. So I decided on a fairly bold yellow because I wanted to make sure it could not be mistaken for off-white. Well, it turned out much more bold than I had anticipated - pretty, but wow, it was loud. Here's my yellow bathroom (I forgot to do an official "Before" picture, so this is just one I found in my archives):

I think the picture may make it look a little more neon that it actually was, but you get the picture - it was bright. When I first did it, Eric said "Well, it'll definitely wake me up in the morning!" So I've never LOVED the color, but we've lived with it for almost 4 years now...time for a change.

Ahhh...isn't that refreshing? A nice, calm, soothing blue. It's such a different room now!

Thanks for all your help, Erin! We banged this project out in just a few hours - it's so much more fun painting with a friend!

And while we're on the subject - I never posted a picture of our finished living room - I painted one wall of the living room burgundy back in March. But then I (and Erin!) went back and painted the other 3 walls off-white. And then Eric got his dream TV and a new entertainment cabinet with a portion of our tax refund. So here is a shot of our "finished" living room (at least one side of it):

I love having the freedom to paint and do what I want to beautify my home. The only room I haven't painted is the office - hmmm....

National Day of Service and Remembrance

2009-09-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know that that is the official title for 9/11? Kinda' silly, I think, but I've seen a lot of people posting about what they were doing that day and I don't think I've ever written down my experience...so for posterity's sake, here it is:

At the time, I was 22 years old and living at home. I had been working as a civilian contractor on the U.S. Naval Weapons Station in Fallbrook, CA (where I grew up). This is basically a huge storage area for Navy weapons - right next to Camp Pendleton, CA. I was the "Ordnance Secretary" - for those who don't know, ordnance is just another word for ammunition or weapons. On the base, there were probably about 50-60 personnel who were also civilian contractors who took care of the ammunition - that included cleaning out the bunkers where they were stored, moving the ammo if the need arose, etc. It was my job to make sure those personnel were taken care of. They had to have yearly physicals, eye exams, etc. They had to wear protective equipment such as respirators and safety glasses, etc. I made sure they got their physicals on time and kept all their licenses, etc. current.

I had to obtain a security clearance in order to work on the base. They did a huge background check to make sure I was a good person and I obtained a "secret" clearance. That's one step below "top secret". I sometimes felt like a spy. ;-) With that secret clearance, I was responsible for downloading secret navy messages that would come in from the ships out at sea - I would deliver those messages to the head of security on the base. Pretty important stuff, if I do say so myself.

Ok, so each morning to get onto the base, you have to show your badge so they know you are cleared to be on the base. I lived about 5 minutes from the base. A very nice commute!

On 9/11/01, I awoke at my usual time (prob. around 6:45) and turned on my radio and began getting ready for work. I heard something about a plane crashing into a building in NYC and went out to see if my mom had heard. We turned on the TV and saw the footage of that first plane going into the building. Then we witnessed the second plane hit. I watched as much as I could then finished getting ready for work and left the house. Clearly, I was not thinking, because I did not anticipate the line of traffic to get onto the base that awaited me. Duh...this was a terrorist attack - of course the base is going to be on high alert! So, my usual 5 minute commute turned into an almost 2 hour commute. I sat in my car - in line with civilians and military personnel - and listened to the radio. I cried. I'm sure there was not a person in that line that wasn't crying. All those people that were trapped. All those firefighters running towards the rubble instead of away from it. (My dad was a firefighter - he just retired after 35 years of service) Thanking my lucky stars my dad was in CA and not NY.

So when I finally got to the gate, I found out the reason it was taking so long to get onto the base. The Military Police who man the gate had to search every vehicle that drove through for any sign of foul play. They had mirrors attached to poles that would allow them to see under the vehicle, they popped the trunk and searched, they had me get out and proceeded to search the entire inside of the car. Well, I passed and finally got to go to my office.

We were not allowed to park next to the building. Just in case, for some reason, a car got past security with a bomb attached, it would not be within 100 ft. of the building in case there was an explosion. (It was like that for MONTHS after). As you can imagine, the military personnel were very busy. There was really not a whole lot for me to do - so several of us "civilians" sat together and talked about what this could possibly mean. Are we at war now? Is it going to happen again? Could something terrible happen here on our little base? After a couple of hours of accomplishing nothing, all "non-essential" personnel were told to go home. Mostly just the military personnel remained. I went back home and glued myself to the TV. It all felt so surreal...could this really be happening?

I have a hard time remembering now - I don't think I went in to work the next day - and maybe even a couple more after that. But the long line to get onto the base continued for some time.

I'll never forget the amazing patriotism that was shown as a result of the attacks. Seems like one of the only times we all came together and we were just Americans. We were not Republicans or Democrats. We were Americans and we all felt the pain of being attacked. Seems like, politically, we're in a pretty yucky place right now - if only we could feel united like that again (without the devastation, of course).

So on semi-related note, about a month or two after the attacks, I was at work and I was in my "secret room" downloading my secret messages when a man came to the doorway and asked me where Linda Dresser's office was (she was a co-worker of mine). He was a white man wearing jeans and a t-shirt and a baseball cap. (you'll know why that is important in a minute). I gave him directions to Linda's office which was right down the hall. He said "Well, I don't have a lot of time - she left this (points down at a large black briefcase) down at the cafe - can you return it to her?" I was kind of annoyed because her office was literally not that far away, but I said sure, I'd deliver it. The man turned around, and as he began to walk away, he yelled "Long live the Taliban!" and RAN OUT OF THE BUILDING! Then... slow motion...I hear him yell that and I look down at the briefcase and I immediately knew that I was looking at a bomb. I ran out of that room so fast (which, by the way, I'm not supposed to do because I left all the secret messages on the computer screen for anyone to see, but I wasn't exactly thinking about that at the moment!) that I was probably no more than a blur...and ran into someone - he caught me and had to restrain me because I was still trying to run - I wanted nothing more than to get out of that building - and FAST. "Kristie, it's ok...you're ok". I looked up and realized that it was the head of security. Then, instead of restraining me, he was holding me up because I crumbled. I was bawling and he had to tell me repeatedly that it was only a drill. "Kristie, it's not real, it's only a drill - I need you to go tell everyone else in the building that we are having a drill for a bomb threat".

Even though I knew it as not real, I still couldn't pull myself together. The feeling was still too raw - it was too soon after the attacks. So I walked down the hall with the head of security, whose name I am trying desperately to remember...I think it was Kenneth...something along those lines. Anyway, I get to one set of offices and let them know we're having a drill and everybody needs to evacuate. They all look at me like, "If this is a drill, then why are you crying?" - hello embarrassment. Then I had to do the same for the other side of the building. So we all met outside at our rendezvous point where I finally get to tell my coworkers why I am hysterical. We remained outside for some time where we were all questioned. They asked me about the man who brought in the briefcase - I had to give them a description of him. Have you ever thought about that before? Like when you see TV shows where people are asked to describe a person they saw for only a few seconds? I don't think we realize how much we DON'T pay attention to the details a lot of the time. So I did my best. Then not long after that, the man approached me. I must say, my description was fairly accurate. Probably could've been better, but nobody scolded me. (-; He shook my hand and apologized for scaring me. A few days later, he came to my office and handed me a folder with an x-ray image of the "bomb". Now obviously, it was not a real bomb, however - they had it rigged so that if I had picked up the briefcase, it would have triggered a reaction. It may have just shook the briefcase or made a popping noise, I don't know exactly. But if I had picked it up, something would have happened and scared me even doubly bad!

I've kept that x-ray all these years...

This note was attached...

Labor Day Fun

2009-09-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun day today! Eric made pancakes for breakfast then we hit the road and went to the zoo. The weather was fantastic! We had lots of fun seeing the usual; we asked Haylie what her favorite animal at the zoo is, and she responded with a list of just about every animal at the zoo! She loves it.

Thank Heavens she was not 6 ft. at birth!

I thought this was a cool picture - the snake was "crawling" up the glass.

Me and Haylie in front of "Marty" the zebra (that's what Haylie calls them cuz that's the zebra's name on Madagascar)

Anna wanted to help push the stroller. That maternal instinct kicks in early, doesn't it?

Anna Banana

After we got home from the zoo (Anna zonked out in the car and napped for a couple hours), we played outside for most of the afternoon. Haylie and I weeded the garden and caught rollie pollies, Eric made some improvements to the chicken coop, etc. Speaking of chickens, it's been a while since I've posted pictures of them:

Snow White - she is supposed to lay blue eggs, but has not started laying yet. I love her puffy cheeks.

Ariel is on the left and Cinderella is on the right. Cinderella is laying an egg a day! Looove it!

I was playing around with the camera...you get a gold star if you can tell me what insect is in this picture!

We decided to have a nice barbecue at home as a family. Tri-tip, potato salad, and corn on the cob!

I wanted to get a picture of Anna eating her corn on the cob...when I grabbed the camera, she actually posed for me!! That is the first time she has smiled on cue for the camera! She looks so funny, but so cute!!

Pinkies Up! She LOVES corn on the cob!

Well, needless to say, we had a fabulous day. The girls were wonderful, the weather could not have been better, and the food was DELICIOUS!

I'm About to Be Replaced

2009-09-02T09:11:00.001-07:00

Haylie really wanted to take some books to preschool with her today. She wanted her teacher to teach her how to read them. I told her that the teacher had other things to do, but that I would read them to her when she got home. She did not like that idea. She said "Mrs. Garcia is going to be mad at you and she is going to call the police and I'm going to get a new mom."

So, if you don't hear from me for a while - it's because I've been replaced. ;-)

PS...I asked Haylie if she wanted a new mom and she said no. Whew!

Spirit Day

2009-08-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

At Haylie's school, Miramonte, all the kids wear orange every Friday. Someone was kind enough to donate t-shirts to Haylie's class so they all got to wear their school shirts just like the big kids! She posed herself in these pics! So cute!

Anna had to get in the shot too!

On an unrelated note, one of Haylie's teachers stopped me today when I picked her up. Let me back up a bit. In morning preschool, the kids all walk in a line to the cafeteria for breakfast. You can either pay $1 for cafeteria breakfast or bring your own. Well, Haylie always wants to eat cereal in the morning when she gets up - so I have just been sending her to school with a small snack. So today the assistant teacher asked me if a granola bar is all I feed her for breakfast. She said she felt bad cuz all the kids are eating a full-on meal and there's Haylie eating her little granola bar (she even made a small rectangle with her hands to show just how small the granola bar is). I was a little embarrassed and assured her that I do indeed feed my child more than a granola bar for breakfast. I know she was not actually accusing me of starving my kid, and that she truly was just looking out for Haylie. They have discount programs and stuff for kids who really can't afford to pay for breakfast etc. so she probably just wanted to make sure I knew that if I couldn't afford more, that I could get help if I needed it. Then on the way home she told me that one of the other teachers gave her juice in the cafeteria today. So that probably made it look even more like I was starving her because I didn't send her with a juice box - I told her she would have to drink from the drinking fountain. So she probably looked pitiful asking for juice and holding her little granola bar. Oh dearie. Who knows what else she tells them??

Haylie's First Day of Preschool Part II

2009-08-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

So when I went to pick Haylie up from preschool, she was kinda' quiet. I asked her if she had fun and she shook her head "no". Uh oh. I asked her why she did not have fun and she said "Because the boys were naughty and the girl with the braids hit me". Ok. Not so bad. Once we got in the car, she seemed to have gotten over the trauma and told me she had fun. I certainly didn't get a lot of details, but she wants to go back so it couldn't have been that bad, right?

This afternoon, she got on the Wii and created a Mii to look like her teacher. I thought that was cute!

Tonight, we had Family Home Evening and the lesson was on being a good example to others. I geared it a lot towards her behavior at school and being a good example for her new friends. When she said the closing prayer, she asked Heavenly Father to help her to be a good example. *sigh* She is listening to me!

Haylie's First Day of Preschool!

2009-08-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting for this day for so long!

I am so excited for Haylie to begin her "formal education"! I have noticed that, while she is a good listener and has probably learned a lot from me...she listens and learns so much better from others! I cannot wait to see what her teacher does with her!

I also have to admit that I had an emotional moment after I dropped her off. Okay - last Thursday, all of a sudden it dawned on me that I was going to be dropping my little girl off for 3 hours and at that point I would have NO CONTROL! I trust her teachers, I know she is going to be fine, but I had a brief moment of panic that I was not going to be there to witness everything that happened to her! And today, after we left, it was more of a feeling of being so proud of the big girl she has become, and sadness that she is going to be getting more and more independent from now on. Don't get me wrong, I know that is a good thing..I just think it is going to take some time to get used to the idea of my little girl becoming a big girl. She walked right into that classroom with such confidence - and never looked back!

Poor Anna doesn't know what to do with herself. We played for a while together, then I turned on Baby Einstein and she fell asleep! At 9:30am! I guess I'm going to have to come up with some enriching activities for her since she doesn't have big sister to entertain her!

On another note, Haylie has been staying dry through the night for several months now, but she never ever wakes up to go potty in the middle of the night (which does sometimes result in accidents) - last night she got up and went potty! Hooray for my big girl!

I'll post again later to let you know how her first day went!

Medicine Lake 2009

2009-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the lake this year. Medicine Lake is a small lake up near Mt. Shasta - probably about an hour from the Oregon border. Eric's family has been going there for years and years - his mom started going there as a child with her parents. Eric's Grandpa has a cabin right on the lake and it is absolutely a gorgeous place. I took over 200 pictures while we were there (who loves digital cameras???) so I just chose a few of my favorites to post here and you can go to my Picasa web album to see the rest...

Each time we go, the men do a "wood project" - usually involves using that nifty wood splitter to make small logs that will fit into the fireplace. Haylie really wanted to help out so she found a {giant} pair of gloves and was SUCH a good helper. She was picking up the little logs that Eric was tossing down behind him and carrying them into the little shed behind her and stacking it! Grandpa Terry was so impressed that his 4-year old granddaughter was helping with the wood project!

One of our favorite things to do at the lake is hunt for little creatures. This is a Southern long-toed salamander. We found quite a few this year - so fun!

This was our attempt at a family photo with Mt. Shasta in the background but the girls weren't feelin' it.

Eric and I went shooting one day - don't I look like one of Charlie's Angels? hahahahaha! We shot a 9 millimeter, a .38 special, and a .22 rifle. FUN STUFF!!!

Here's Eric waterskiing and Haylie holding on to the pole like she's the one responsible for keeping him up!

Haylie went in the tube all by herself! She had so much fun!

This is an adult Sierran tree frog we caught - it didn't want to leave Haylie's thumb. She kept saying "Jump, froggy, jump!" But he stayed on her thumb for quite a long time.

This is actually a wind-surfing board but they had fun floating around on it like it was a raft.

This is the first time I have ever seen Eric sit down and read a book. He is usually too busy at home to read, so I'm glad he had a chance to relax enough at the lake to enjoy a book.

There are so many more fun pictures - click here to see them!

And a big thanks to Eric's parents for hosting our week up there - they do so much to make the week enjoyable for us.

So Much to Post, So Little Time!

2009-08-17T13:54:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a week-long vacation at Medicine Lake, but I can't post on that yet because we did a bunch of fun stuff before we left that needs to be posted! See, Haylie was occupied for the entire month of July with swimming lessons. Or, I should say, for a full month, every single day, we had somewhere to go. It was fun for the girls to know that they could get out of the house at least once a day! And I realized it helped Anna a lot to not be so restless and whiney at home! So after swimming lessons were done, I thought I'd better plan some fun stuff so that we're not just sitting around at home all day making each other crazy!

One day, we went to the Oakhurst Children's Museum. Oakhurst is a small town about 45 mins up the road towards Yosemite. This little museum was so fun - very hands-on and the girls loved it!

This shot was taken just before Haylie pushed a button that made the car start moving and Anna just about had a little baby heart attack!

This was a cute pirate ship that you could play in - Haylie was too afraid to go into the dark part, so here she is trying to get Anna to go in first!

Here's Haylie at the top of the fireman's pole...a little nervous to go down...

...but she did it - holding on tightly!! Making Grandpa Garry proud, I'm sure!

The #1 sign that the girls had fun. A quiet, peaceful drive home.

Another day, we went to the zoo with some friends. The weather was PERFECT! It was a fabulous day.

My little monkey - hasn't quite reached "gorilla" status yet.

Must...see...flamingos...

Elora, Haylie, Cami and Anna - I love how Haylie is finally learning how to "pose" for the camera!

Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/kmetler to see more pics! And I'll be posting about Medicine Lake shortly!

Haylie Snailey

2009-08-02T19:36:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I did a post about Anna, and figured it's Haylie's turn now. I can't believe I have a 4-year old! She is going to be starting pre-school in 22 days and I'm not sure which of us is more excited. She is sooo ready to get out there and start learning.

Our bedtime routine, for the last couple years, has been to read Haylie some stories then sing some songs (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Popcorn Popping, Wheels on the Bus) then she goes to bed. She has always been very good at bedtime - usually not a lot of fuss. So tonight as Eric was pulling out her books, she declared that she is a big girl now, and big girls don't read stories or sing songs. So I asked her, "So, you don't want stories or songs??" and she said "Nope". And she climbed into bed and went to sleep!! Wow!

She loves to play the Wii now - her favorites are MarioKart and Monkeyball. She especially loves when Mommy or Daddy play with her!

I'm pretty sure she is part fish. We just finished a whole month of swimming lessons and she is doing so well! She loves to go underwater and even "dives" for items in the shallow end (with a little help). She jumped off the diving board on the last day of lessons - she has no fear! We don't have a kiddie pool in the yard this year, so we've had to get creative and use the sprinklers a lot - and she loves that too!

She is such a good big sister. Although, now that Anna is getting bigger and more assertive, Haylie is a little more rough with her - but overall, she is really sweet. There are times that she will volunteer to share a treat with Anna without my asking - like the other day with this popsicle:

And the next shot was when Haylie decided she wanted to have a picnic with Anna. Haylie got the blanket and everything:

Here they are making music together - so sweet! Haylie sometimes sits at the piano and says "Mommy, I need to practice" in a very matter-of-fact tone. (I practice a lot these days with my calling as Relief Society pianist!)

Haylie is very expressive and really talks quite a bit (many of you probably do not know that because she is rather shy around anyone but us!) She has entered the lovely "WHY?" phase of life - and I love that she is constantly learning and curious about the world around her. It makes me a little crazy - but I love it.

She is also discovering her artistic side. I did a post a few weeks ago with her artwork - and she is beginning to branch out. Lately, she has been drawing spaceships and ghosts, and her friend even taught her how to make stick figures so her people actually have bodies now! So cute. Oh, and she also likes to cut her pictures out now and tape them to the walls. So if you come to my house and see random pieces of paper taped everywhere, you'll know why!

She loves to get her hands on my camera and take pictures of random things. Pretty much every time I plug it in to the computer, I find something strange. Like today, I found pictures of flowers outside, and of her little stuffed care bear sitting on the couch.

I'm so grateful for Haylie and the sweet spirit she brings to our family. I'm very excited to see what the future has in store for her - but for now - I'm loving watching her learn and grow.

New Blog

2009-07-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Alright friends, many of you may have already seen that I started a new blog called "Kristie's Cookin'" - but if you haven't - head on over to http://kristiescookin.blogspot.com

I will be posting my menus there (what I plan to cook for the next 2 weeks) along with the recipes for those meals. This is all in an effort to plan ahead and save money! If I can get friends to follow along with me, then I'll feel more inclined to keep it up!

Go check it out!

Mama Bear

2009-07-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

You all know Mama Bear Syndrome. The need to protect your kid at all costs. Even if the thing "endangering" them really isn't that bad at all. Today I took Haylie to her first day of her "Goldfish" swimming lesson. Her "Tadpole" teacher told her she was ready to move up. Let me note that the teachers at the pool are all teenagers and this is their summer job. They are qualified swimmers, and for the most part, great teachers...but they are there for a paycheck, and don't really develop any kind of passion for the kids they're teaching. I think that takes a certain amount of maturity - know what I mean?

So after about 15 minutes, her teacher looks over at the other teacher in the pool and says "Were you her tadpole teacher? Did you pass her?" The other teacher was not her teacher and replied that she did not know who was. They did not know I could hear them, but at that point I approached the pool and told them who her teacher was (not that it mattered). She then proceeded to tell me that Haylie was not ready to be in her class. She said that she would not be able to learn the freestyle stroke and recommended that I put her back into the tadpole class. She said "I'll teach her for today, but I don't think she's ready." Her body language toward Haylie for the rest of the lesson really IRKED me. I could see her looking over at the tadpole class like she wanted to dump her off over there...AND THEN SHE DID!! There was only about 5 minutes left in the class, and she actually took Haylie over to the other teacher. Like it was soooo hard to deal with her.

So I went to talk to the manager, who is also a teenager, and told him that I had no problem putting her back into tadpoles, but wondered if the classes were full. He said to come in the morning and they'd "fit her in". Well, there are rules and regulations and there cannot be more than 6 kids in a class. So when I got home I called the main office to see about getting her into a class. Sure enough, they were all full.

Lady: Sorry, all the classes are full so there is nothing I can do for you.
ME: Then, I would like a refund.
Lady: I'm sorry, but I can't give you a refund since she already went to class today.
ME: That's RIDICULOUS!
Lady: Let me transfer you to my supervisor.

Yeah, that's right - she knew I was TICKED! So the supervisor was much more helpful. I had thought about the situation quite a bit before talking to him and I truly feel that she is ready to move up to the Goldfish class. She had mastered all the skills of a Tadpole - I knew that when she started the Goldfish class, that she would be on the "low end of the totum pole" so to speak. Here is the description for the Goldfish class:

*Improves tadpole skills and introduces buoyancy, body position, propulsion, and coordinated strokes*

INTRODUCES coordinated strokes, such as the freestyle, which her teacher so quickly deemed her unable to learn. Here's the deal: she may not learn to do the freestyle stroke - but it is her teacher's JOB to try and teach it to her. She is not supposed to know how to do it on the first day and she certainly should not be told that she CAN'T!

So, the supervisor asked me questions about Haylie's skills and confidence. I told him that she is small, and perhaps that is why her teacher felt that she was not ready, but that she is very confident, and very eager to learn. So he encouraged me to keep her in the Goldfish class. I expressed to him my concern that her teacher might be annoyed at having her in the class and that Haylie might get treated differently. He assured me that he would talk to the pool manager and have him pass along the message to the teacher that she is to teach my child and be fair!

I think that all of us, as parents, want to see only the best in our children - and it hurts when someone else sees anything less than the beautiful, capable children that we see. I am not a person who views her children only through those "rose-colored" glasses. I know my kid is not perfect - but don't you dare tell me she can't do something when you haven't even given her half a chance.

I'm taking her back to the Goldfish class tomorrow, and if that teacher even so much as looks at Haylie sideways - she's gonna get an earful from this Mama Bear.

PS: that is not the meanie teacher

Anna Banana

2009-07-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have so much I need to post about and have been a blog-slacker! So I'll start out with a little collection of pictures of Anna. She is a funny little girl. My mother-in-law says that she has a confidence about her and I agree. She sorta' walks around like she owns the place - and it doesn't matter where she is! So I've got some cute shots of her in action. I'm also trying to appreciate my children in their current phases of life. Anna happens to be in that stage where she doesn't talk a whole lot, but really wants to get through to me, so I hear a lot of "EH!" throughout the day. It can be very frustrating, so I'm posting some things about her that make me happy.

She loves to wear shoes. As a matter of fact, that is one of the newest words in her limited vocabulary. Here she was carrying my purse and waving bye-bye to me like she was going to leave.

This is what happens when your kid refuses to let you feed her, but hasn't quite mastered the art of using a spoon. Yogurt, anyone?

This is our new entertainment cabinet, it has cubby holes at the sides - just the right size for a mischievous little girl.

Sitting in the computer chair "texting" - then she would close the phone and put it up to her ear and have a conversation. I wonder where she learned that...

She is very much a daddy's girl. Whenever she says his name, she whispers it, like she is saying it with some sort of reverence or something. She runs for the door when he gets home from work and pretty much won't let him out of her sight after that.

She loves her big sister, but at the same time doesn't let Haylie boss her around.

She has recently been attempting to climb out of her crib. It freaks me out. Thankfully, at night and in the morning, Haylie yells for me to come when Anna starts climbing. But right now, for example, she is fighting her nap and I'm afraid that at any moment I will hear a thump. I'd like to think, "Well, if she falls out then she'll learn that she shouldn't to that". And I do think that, but I really don't want her to get hurt!!

She's such a blessing to our family and I just love her to pieces. This was fun, I think I'll post about Haylie in a couple days. ;-)

Haylie's Artwork

2009-06-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Haylie is becoming quite the little artist. My favorite is when she draws our family.

This one is Daddy, Haylie (and Haylie's hair!), Anna, and 3 moons. I am not in this picture because, according to Haylie, I was at the store.

This one she drew at church in her Sunbeam class. In order from left to right: Mommy, Daddy, Haylie, Anna. And at the top she was trying to write her name - she knows how to write her whole name if I tell her what letters to write. But on her own, apparently all she could remember was H and E. Soo cute.

I got her to write all our names on this one. This time me and Eric got the crazy hair!

Part Three from our Trip...

2009-06-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

...this should be the last post from our trip...I took 200+ pictures so I had to break it up! After we spent a week at the cabin, we then spent a week at my parents' house in Fallbrook. We didn't do anything too exciting - mostly hung around the house. My mom, sister, and I went and got facials one day (my aunt does a FABULOUS job) and another day we went to M&L Fabrics - a HUGE fabric store near Knott's Berry Farm. We also had a get-together with extended family - my mom's parents, her 2 sisters, and some of my cousins came. Very fun!

This is one of the tiny frogs we caught in the creek across the street from my parents' house.

This was an attempt to get a picture of ALL the cousins with their great grandma and grandpa - as you can see, getting 13 kids ages 5 weeks - 14 years to cooperate is not easy. But it was super fun to have them all together.

My sister-in-law asked about the snails in a previous post - here they are. You all know that Haylie has a love for animals much like my own - hers may even surpass mine...anyway, she went around the back yard collecting snails and putting them in this container. Then, she let them all run wild! Most of her cousins were freaking out - but she was totally content playing with them.

These are my nieces, Taylor and McKaylynn, drawing on my legs. What can I say? They were having fun.

Cousin Cami and Haylie playing in my parents' fountain. Shortly after this, Haylie slipped and fell in the fountain and hurt her bum. Fun times. ;-)

After 2 weeks of playing, though, I think we were all ready to be home. I love coming home and appreciating my home and my family after being gone for a while. And the best part was - Eric was bored without us so we came home to a spotless, clean house. Ahhh.

As always, click here to see more pictures.

More From our Trip

2009-06-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

After we went to Disneyland, we headed down to Fallbrook. Eric took the train back to Fresno on Sunday and I went to Big Bear with my parents to meet up with my sister and her family. My sister has 4 kids ranging from 14 down to 6 years old. The girls adore them. It was so fun because the kids just ran around together and I didn't have to be so "vigilant" - you know what I mean - I didn't worry about Anna getting into stuff as much - and Haylie was so busy she didn't talk my ear off like usual!

Anna enjoying a waffle LONG after breakfast was over!

That's Anna's little face in the upstairs window (my niece was right there with her). We were out on the deck and McKaylynn called out to us and when we looked up this is what we saw. She looked so cute up there - click on the picture to make it bigger.

Taylor would sit down against the door and Anna would go up to her, turn around and scoot back and sit right next to her.

Haylie and McKaylynn on the rope swing

McKaylynn and Haylie chillin' on the hammock.

On Thursday, my awesome dad drove all 6 kids back to Fallbrook so my mom, my sister and I could have our girl time at the cabin and sew, sew, sew! (We missed you Jenn and Launa)

We had a great time and I finished FOUR projects in 2 days! Here are some pictures:

My mom gave me a "kit" to make this bag - I LOVE IT! It is the perfect size to hold coloring books and snacks for church - oh - and my hymnbook too for playing piano in RS.

I needed some summer pajamas - all I had were flannel PJs and they were just too hot. So I made these. They kinda look like clown pants but they are comfy!

The next 3 pictures are of my friend Erin and her girls. I made matching aprons for all of them for Erin's birthday.

Erin and Cami

Erin

Elora

The fourth project was a "Nursing Nook" (a name that I am going to try and register - for whatever it's worth) for my cousin Tiffany who just had a baby. I don't have a picture of the one I made - but I'm going to be posting some pics soon of some others I've made. I'm going to start selling them (I've already had one customer!) so I'll be "advertising" shortly.

I have one more round of pictures that I'll be blogging about

soon but in the meantime, click here to see more pictures.

Precious

2009-06-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

My niece snapped this shot of Haylie one day when we were at my mom's house. Couldn't resist posting it.

My 30th Birthday at Disneyland!

2009-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, so my birthday was almost a month ago but I am FINALLY getting around to blogging about it. I was gone for 2 weeks, then when I got home, my hard drive crashed so I have not been able to upload any pics or anything!

I had the BEST birthday - quite possibly the best ever. What better way to celebrate the big 3-0 than by going to Disneyland and acting like a kid?? I got in to Disneyland free, of course, they gave me a button that said "Happy Birthday Kristie" and every employee in the park, upon seeing the button would say "Happy Birthday Kristie!" We took the girls and my parents came too. The weather was FABULOUS - could not have been better. It was fairly crowded, but we used RideMax and hardly noticed the crowds - aside from being run over a few times...

Haylie was in awe, of course - it was her first time really experiencing Disneyland - she went once when she was 14 months so that doesn't really count. She was such a good girl all day. I was noticing around 2 pm that she had not thrown a single fit - had not whined - nothing. Just a perfectly content girl enjoying everything around her. At 6 pm she got upset because I wouldn't buy her a balloon. I told her I would buy her one when we left so we didn't have to lug it around with us - so after crying for about 1 minute, she stopped and we continued on our merry way. She was so unbelievably well-behaved - it made the day THAT much better. And, Haylie went on her first real roller-coaster - The Matterhorn!! She was actually tall enough and I asked her if she wanted to go on a really fast train and she said yes!

Sidebar: When I was little and went on the Matterhorn for the first time, the Yetti scared the snot out of me and I did not go on it again until I was 14 years old - and even then I only went on it because I was with friends and didn't want them to think I was a wimp so I let the peer pressure force me into it! So I felt the need to warn Haylie about it so she would not have a similar experience.

So I told her there was a white monster like the one on Monsters Inc., and that he was not real so don't be scared. So she's sitting in front of me and she's belted in and I've got my arms around her. Well, the beginning of the ride is pitch black - so she got pretty tense and was holding on to my arms pretty tightly - but once we got going, she was so giggly! We laughed through the whole ride. So when it was done, she said, "Mommy, that was scary!" and I said "Do you want to do it again?" and she said, "YES!". So it seems we have a thrill-seeker in our midst!

Anna was really good - she loved looking around at everything - but we have discovered that she is probably not going to be a thrill-seeker - at least not anytime soon - despite the fact that she loves to climb on everything. The first ride we went on was Alice in Wonderland and she did not like it. Now, it could have been that it was a little dark, but I think it was the sensation of moving along that she did not like! She got a little better as we went on more rides - she LOVED "It's a Small World" - I got video of that so click the link at the bottom of this post to see it!

This is Anna on "Finding Nemo" - the submarines - she had her face plastered to the window almost the whole time!

Haylie took a little nap while waiting in line for Finding Nemo - we waited 40 minutes to get on it - the longest wait we had all day!

Anna snuggling with Grandpa Garry on Pirates of the Caribbean

Haylie riding the carousel - look at that smile - could she be any happier?

We got one family shot - and right before we took it, Anna spilled water all over herself so that is why she is not happy.

That evening, my parents took the girls to dinner at downtown Disney and Eric and I went over to California Adventure by ourselves! We had never been on California Screamin' so we went straight there and stood in line. Well, right when we got close enough to see people getting on the ride, it broke down - and they made everyone leave! So, I guess we are just not meant to ride that ride. So we went on a couple others and just had a good time being together. Okay - another sidebar: I'm not trying to be rude here, but this is something that MUST be shared. While standing in line for California Screamin', we saw a girl, who I'm sure is a lovely girl, wearing an outfit that was...well...interesting. We couldn't resist. I pretended to pose for the camera while Eric captured this shot:

No, her shirt was not ripped like I had originally thought - it was SUPPOSED to be like that. Poor girl. She must have terrible friends - I mean really - would you let YOUR friend out of the house like that? Again, I'm not trying to be mean here so please don't think I'm horrible. But come on. Seriously.

Ok - moving on...

Me and Eric waiting in line for "Soarin' over California" - an AWESOME ride that makes you feel like you are flying over different CA landscapes.

I found myself, several times during the day, getting choked up - I guess just because it was so fun to see my girls enjoying something so much. I don't know. I have noticed since I stopped taking my Cymbalta that I'm more emotional - but the good kind of emotional - I feel things more deeply now - so maybe it was just that I was enjoying myself so much - there was nothing to do but cry tears of joy!

I took a TON of pictures and they are all so cute - and a couple videos too - so you'll have to go check them out here.

Haylie's TB Test

2009-05-19T14:17:00.001-07:00

Haylie had to get a TB shot for Preschool orientation. She is such a shy girl, and what human being likes getting shots? Well, I am so proud of her - I had to tell everyone. We went to a "clinic" at one of the local elementary schools cuz her pediatrician can't get us in for a very long time. The nurse was so clever! She drew a little cat face on Haylie's arm with a pretty sparkly pen and said "Now the cat needs a nose - I'm going to give him a nose." She asked Haylie to close her eyes, but Haylie just watched the needle go in and didn't even cry! She said "Mommy, that hurt." But she was so calm and didn't shed a single tear. So, I took her to McDonald's afterwards and got her a cheeseburger and an ice cream cone. I love seeing her grow up and turn into a "big girl".

The kitty on her arm is sorta' hard to see - but you get the point.

I think she was just as proud of herself as I was!

Update on Depression

2009-05-15T00:47:00.001-07:00

So I just stumbled on this blog today and I've really enjoyed this woman's thoughts on depression. http://www.confessionsofamoodymommy.com/ She is actually bi-polar, but many of the symptoms of bi-polar are the same as depression. She has a lot of really great information and statistics and advice to help people to better understand depression. Anyway, check it out - if you look on the right side of her page she has listed "topics" that she blogs about - click on the one that says Depression for the bulk of her posts that I have enjoyed. She is on Cymbalta too and it's very interesting to see her day-to-day documentary of how she did on the drug in the beginning - very similar to my experience. I now wish that I had documented the day-to-day improvements. Oh well. A small warning: she does use a bit of language sometimes and her grammar stinks - but her message is great.

For those of you who have not been following my blog for the last several months click here and here to read a little bit about my struggle with post-partum depression.

Anyway, I haven't said much about it in some time - but I am pleased to announce that I (for now) am officially off Cymbalta. I've been slowly weaning myself (under Dr. supervision of course) for the last couple weeks. I started out by halfing the dosage and continuing to take it every day. Then took it every other day - and it has now been 4 days since I have taken anything and I feel great. Now, 3 days from now I may hit a wall - who knows - I'm totally open to going back on it if I need to because wow - it has made such a HUGE difference! Monday I had a really bad day and I was a little scared that it was because I was not taking the usual dose...but I had to remind myself that even people who are not suffering from depression have bad days - it's ok to have bad days!

I just can't imagine where I would be now if I had not made the decision to see a therapist and get help. Our lives (i.e. Eric, me, and our girls) have improved times 1000 over the last 5 months:

I have a newfound passion for my children that I treasure. Again, this does not mean that we are all giggles all the time - but I am able to be patient with them - and play with them. AND, I'm not sure if I said anything about this before...Haylie's attitude and even some of her potty troubles improved steadily as my mood improved. I did not realize how bad I had gotten - but she sure did. Even today, if I get upset with her for something, she will say "Mommy, are you happy?" She is obviously very in tune with my moods - and notices when I am happy. And because I am happier now - so is she. I have to be very careful with her - she obviously has a very sensitive soul. ;-)

Eric and I reached a new level of understanding through this process that I don't think we could have reached any other way. To have him support me 100% - no matter what - to know that he was totally on board with me and my decisions meant the world to me.

I have more energy than I've had in YEARS...yes, YEARS, people. Now, unfortunately that energy has not translated in me wanting to clean my house any more than before - but I don't think that's EVER gonna change! The point is, when I do decide to clean - I have the energy to do so.

When I have a bad day - like Monday - I don't lie in my bed and cry. I get through it. I deal with it. I do what needs to be done. I go to bed and wake up the next day feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle whatever else comes my way. You know - one bad day in several months is pretty dang awesome. I used to have one good day in several months. WOW!

I sleep. That was one of the worst parts of this whole thing. I used to sleep through anything - now, of course that changed after having babies, but I still slept well even after they were born. When my depression hit full force - ugh...tossing and turning and WEIRD dreams that made me toss and turn even more...like...really bizarre dreams...Now...peace. Sleep. Rest. Ahhh.

I feel like such a better person now than I did 6 months ago. I am proud of myself. I am proud of who I have become. I am grateful for my trials because they truly have made me who I am and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Clearly there is still work to be done, but I am so glad that I am mentally and emotionally stable so that I can continue to pay attention to the things that matter - and continue to learn the lessons Heavenly Father is trying to teach me. And because this is my blog - I have to reiterate what I said 5 months ago. Sometimes faith is not enough. Sometimes Heavenly Father asks us to do a little bit more. Sometimes we have to trust our intuition and find a new doctor when the one we have tells us something we don't want to hear. Sometimes we have to put ourselves out there and do something uncomfortable - even if it means that some people might not agree.

I'll keep ya posted. ;-)

Suddenly So Aware

2009-05-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

This is the conversation I had with Haylie today:

Me: Haylie, go get dressed so we can go bye bye.

Haylie: OK, I go in my room and shut the door so you can't see.

Me: So I can't see what?

Haylie: I don't want you to see my boobies.

Me: *Dying laughing*

She's suddenly so aware of these things...kinda freaks me out.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of Haylie, I've been wanting to document another cute thing she says. When her feet fall asleep - like if she's sitting on them funny - she says, "Mommy, I have ants in my toes." What a creative way to describe the prickly sensation you get, huh?

Blast From the Past Part II

2009-05-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

K-got my scanner squared away and wanted to post more pictures from when Eric and I were engaged. These ones were taken at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center, CA. (Near Fallbrook where I grew up). It's a little farm with the usual farm animals that you can feed, and a big store with lots of goodies. I used to love going there as a kid and still love going when we are down south.

This one is kinda' funny - this is a little outhouse they have on the property (obviously not a FUNCTIONING outhouse.) But it's a 2-seater! Who would want...who...why...?????

I think in this one Eric is thinking "Will they just stop taking pictures already?"

The good old fashioned piggy-back choke hold.

Ah...the good 'ol days.

More From the Birthday Weekend

2009-05-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ok - these pictures are sort of a hodge-podge of Haylie's birthday weekend. The pictures aren't cooperating with me right now so they are not in the order I'd like, but you'll get the point.

I was in the bathroom getting ready for church Sunday when Anna came in, climbed up on the toilet, then proceeded to climb onto the counter and right on into the sink. Then she wanted to help me with my makeup. I can't believe her climbing abilities!

This is at the zoo - she's looking up at Grandpa Garry

This is a dress-up dress/shoes that I got for Haylie for her birthday - a little flapper-girl!

Here's Haylie striking a pose in her new summer clothes. I was so excited to find shorts at Wal*Mart with the little elastic things inside - you know - the ones that can tighten the shorts cuz nothing fits this girl's tiny little body.

Ok - this is the big snail race! My parents transported some snails up to us. And right now everybody is thinking "Why in the world do you WANT snails?" Well, I will tell you. Our turtles love them. It is one of their favorite treats. And, our yard has been completely emptied of them since we've had the turtles. Anyway, Haylie loved the snails and pulled them out of the bucket and they had a race on the outside table. I'm not sure who won - it was a slow race so I lost interest. ;-)

Here we are after the bird show at the zoo with a golden eagle. I love the way Anna is pointing right at the eagle. So cute.

Haylie and Anna with Grandma Jo and Grandpa Garry at the zoo

Click here to see more pictures from April

Blast from the Past Part I

2009-05-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just found these pictures in a box and had to scan them in. So fun!

Right after we got engaged - we look so young and carefree...

My parents' house has a lot of tree frogs around - this little guy found his way inside (or maybe I caught him and brought him inside - I don't remember). I was trying to turn him into a prince. I think I was 19 in this pic.

Here's Eric at age 8 with a bullfrog (see, our love for frogs began long before we met each other - it's how we knew we were meant to be...hahaha)

This was also taken while we were dating - at the San Diego County Fair (aka the Del Mar Fair)

I have some more I want to post - but my scanner is acting up...Part II to come later...

Haylie's 4th Birthday

2009-04-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well, first of all, let me just say that Haylie's birthday this year was 1,000 times better than last year. She has been looking forward to turning 4 for some time now. She had told me several months ago that she wanted a Tinkerbell cake. I happened to find a "kit" at Michaels on clearance so I think her cake turned out pretty cute...

It's basically a cardboard stand with Tinkerbell on it - I did the frosting.

Blowing out the candle

This is a card she got from Grandma Jane - she insisted I take a picture of it - and she carried it around all day long.

I think this was one of her favorite gifts - a Sleeping Beauty dress up set - sorta' like a Polly Pocket. My mom saw her playing with Prince Phillip and Sleeping Beauty and making them kiss. hehe...

This is a very cool froggy tent that Aunt Rachel got for her. It was a big hit...

...everybody wanted in!

This is a book by the same author as The Very Hungry Caterpillar - it is called The Grouchy Ladybug - very cute.

Ok - so Anna has recently taken an interest in pushing Haylie's little baby stroller around the house - they have sorta' started to fight over it - so I decided I'd get Haylie a new one and give Anna the old one. Well, I didn't wrap the stroller - so when Anna saw it - she just ran with it. It was like she had no doubt in her mind that the new stroller was hers - she OWNED that thing. So, thinking on my feet, when Haylie noticed it, I told her that I got Anna a new stroller so that she wouldn't steal hers from her anymore. She totally accepted that and they have had no problems since. Anna is definitely a girl who KNOWS what she wants and is going to make sure she gets it no matter what. Ay chihuahua.

She also got this adorable quilt from Grandma Jo...

I'm so proud of Haylie and the big girl she is becoming. I can see her growing and changing right before my eyes. I cannot believe how, just in the last few months, she has come out of her shell and grown so much more confident than I thought possible. She has decided that she does not want to wear pull-ups to bed anymore - it's hit and miss - but I just am so impressed with her recent desires to be "a big girl". And I have been telling her for a while that she can go to school after she's 4 - well, I should have been a little more specific since today she put on her backpack and said "Mommy, I'm 4, can I go to school now?" She was not happy with me when I told her it was still a few months away. Hmph.

I have a ton more pictures to post from the weekend, but will do that in the next few days.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYLIE! WE LOVE YOU.

Who Comes Up With This Stuff??

2009-04-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

I just ordered some makeup online - and with my order, I got to choose 3 perfume samples for free. So I clicked on the perfumes to see what they said - and this is the description for "Versace". Seriously - I'd like to meet the person who can sniff a perfume sample and think this:

"The floral, vibrant, and sensual bouquet of this new scent contains fresh, sparkling floral notes and a soft, velvety sensual finish. A transparent radiance reveals fresh dew drops sweetened by a lush hydroponic guava and hints of blackcurrant, all of which harmonize with touches of wisteria. The sumptuous and floral heart represents the true signature of the perfume, a sensual floral explosion of light and vibrant flowers: orchid, lotus flower, and nymphea delicately emphasized by a gentle marriage of jasmine and azalea. The timeless fragrance is finally enveloped by the silky softness of a veil of musk, wrapped up by the preciousness of warm and delicate kashmirwood and Moroccan cedarwood, revealing their magnificent sensuality."

Needless to say, I'm getting a sample of this stuff!!

Easter

2009-04-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was pretty mellow. We had dinner with friends and got a few treats for the girls. My favorite part of Easter was these:

I know it's a little pitiful to take pictures of candy - but seriously - how cute are they?

The Best Sunday EVER!

2009-04-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Ok - maybe I'm being dramatic. It may not be the best Sunday EVER, but it has been a really good day. It started off with the girls sleeping in - so Eric and I were able to get ready for church and eat breakfast in peace! Then, we got the girls ready with hardly a fuss - usually Haylie fights with us about what she wants to wear, etc, but she just went with the flow today. We got to church early, and just had an all around lovely morning. So at church, Haylie had to give her very first talk in primary. She's pretty shy, but she's really been coming out of her shell lately - so I wasn't real sure if she would do it or not, but we practiced at home and she seemed excited. Well, she did it! She spoke clearly and didn't play with the microphone and didn't have any trouble at all! Her friend gave a talk too and it was very touching - I love when the Spirit is so strong in primary!

So, when we got home, Eric was making lunch and I was relaxing on the couch. Anna had gone down for a nap and I realized Haylie had disappeared. Eric said he heard her go into the bathroom. Ok - so I know I probably talk about Haylie's potty issues way too much on here - but it has been such a hassle for the last 6-9 months that I've been a bit preoccupied with it. Here's the deal: Last summer, she had become constipated - and when she went #2, it hurt, so ever since then she has been scared to do it, so she holds it and holds it 'til she can't hold it any more. For the last several months she has been going about once a week - until the last few weeks where I've been giving her a suppository and now she is going twice a week. I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to get her to understand that if she just goes every day then it won't hurt. Well, she HATES the suppositories, so I think that may have done the trick. So, on to my point. Today, she went to the bathroom, sat down on the toilet and went poop when she felt the need. She did not go hide in the other room and hold it in. She did not tell me she needed to go. She just went in the bathroom and did it herself. I know, sounds simple enough, and certainly doesn't sound like something to get excited about, but let me tell you - I did the happy dance all the way down the hall. I am crossing my fingers and praying that this is the beginning of a new era.

Happy Sunday to you all!

Annazilla

2009-04-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Haylie got a train set for Christmas. We'd get the tracks all set up and play trains, then Anna would come along and tear apart the tracks and knock over the trees. At that time, we started calling her Godzilla, which soon turned into Annazilla, and at times shortened to just Zilla. Anyway, she is proving more and more "monstrous" each and every day. I actually caught her on the kitchen table one day last week - but was too scared to run for the camera. Well, I caught her another day and the camera was close at hand. So here's the little monster - apparently she was thirsty...and the sippy cups just aren't doing it for her anymore...

I have to keep our baby gate up so she does not have access to the kitchen because it takes her about 2.3 seconds to get all the way up on the table. She's definitely keeping me on my toes these days. It's a good thing she's cute. ;-)

Busy Bee

2009-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have had a busy, but fun, couple of weeks! The girls and I went to San Diego to stay with my sister-in-law for a week. We had so much fun! Then, we got to have our nieces (Shea and Remi) here for 5 days with us while my brother and sister-in-law spent some quality time together kid-free! So just thought I'd post some fun pictures from the time they were here.

We went to the zoo one day and saw the bird show. The girls got to have their picture taken with the owl from the show.

Somehow, Shea and Haylie got Anna into the port-a-crib and they were all in there giggling like crazy. How do you like Haylie's dirty dirty feet??

We had such nice weather - the girls played outside for hours.

This picture is turned the wrong way - but you get the idea - the girls totally dog-piled me

My Quilts

2009-03-31T22:33:00.000-07:00

A while back, my sister-in-law Jenn posted a blog about all the quilts and other projects she has done with pictures and all. I thought it would be nice to do something similar. I just finished a quilt that I am so excited about! So, here they are:

I already blogged about my Fall Quilt...

This is the first quilt I ever made. It is called "Turning Twenty"

This one is called "Sunbonnet Sue".

I hand-embroidered all the "Sues"

Had a couple extra "Sues" so my mom pieced together the back for me

My mom calls this one the "Pottery Barn Quilt" because she saw a quilt like this in the Pottery Barn catalog and rather than pay the hundreds of dollars they wanted for it, she copied it. hehe.
So then I copied hers but used very different colors than she did.

This one is called "Bric-a-Brac" - you may recognize it if you have been on Jenn's site ;-)

You may recognize this one too - it's called "Hearts in Bloom" - this is the one I just finished and I am in love with it. It turned out so beautiful! (if I do say so myself!)

I hand embroidered all the flowers/stems and also did a blanket stitch by hand around each heart

Also hand embroidered the vines and blanket stitch around each of the small hearts

When my mom quilted it, she wrote in the border "Made by Kristie Metler 2009 Quilted with love by Mom" Isn't that sweet?

I did a Christmas quilt too but it is packed away somewhere - I'll have to post that one later in the year!

Also, fyi, I can make super cute "Hooter Hiders", aka Nursing Cover Ups - and would be willing to offer my services for a small fee (and I mean small) - if you want to give one at a baby shower or whatever.

Surprises

2009-03-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show some love to Eric today. The girls and I were gone all week visiting my sister-in-law Launa and having super fun girl time while my brother is away at the fire academy. She has two girls, Shea and Remi, who are so stinkin' cute and sweet. Shea and Haylie are about 2 years apart and played so well together it was almost unbelievable. We had such a fun time that it was hard to come home.

Anyway, I had mentioned to Eric that I really wanted to put a security door on our front door so that in the Springtime we can enjoy the nice breezes and pleasant weather, etc. I've been wanting one for a couple years now but it just hasn't been a priority. We sorta' went back and forth about some other things we need/want but never came to an agreement on whether or not we'd get one this year. So, when we got home yesterday, I found a beautiful door already installed with a SHMILY heart attached. SHMILY stands for "See How Much I Love You" - it's a little game we play to try and do special things for each other. And, he had also been working hard on building a chicken coop for our little princesses. It was so nice to come home and see that he had been doing so much to make me happy.

I'm a very lucky girl.

Say Hello...

2009-03-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

...to the new me. A little over a month ago - I started experiencing severe headaches that could not be treated with the usual 400mg of Ibuprofen. Then I began to notice that these headaches were occuring with a certain degree of regularity - i.e., every 2.5 days. It would hit in the evening and the only way I could get it to go away would be to put a hot rice bag over my eyes and go to sleep. By morning I'd be fine, the next day I'd be fine, but on the 3rd day in the afternoon/evening, it would start up again. That is when I realized that there was a good chance I needed my eyes checked. Sure enough, I had an eye exam and was told that my headaches were very likely being caused by eye strain. It was recommended that I wear glasses full time. I can see fine, but my eyes are having to work just a little bit too hard to make out the details. And boy oh boy, when I put the glasses on for the first time it was like switching the TV to the HD channel (as Eric would put it). I didn't realize that my vision had become so blurred. Yikes.

So, I couldn't resist picking some frames that were a bit bold...I figured if I was going to have to wear them full time, I'd make a statement. So, here I am.

And because I can't resist being a little bit silly...

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

2009-03-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

To get to the Metler's, of course! So, remember Clucky? Well, a few months ago, she ran away. There are a lot of stray cats around here who enjoyed sitting in our back yard and taunting her. One afternoon I let her out to roam in the back yard and didn't catch her before the sun went down, so she had already jumped up into her favorite sleeping spot - the mulberry tree. Well, in the morning, she was gone. So either a cat got her (which quite frankly I think would be difficult cuz she was pretty big), or she ran away, or someone got hungry...sorry - that was not nice.

Anyway, we actually kinda miss having a chicken around - she was such a good pet. So, here we are again - but this time, one was not enough...allow me to introduce you:

This is Cinderella

This is Ariel (Haylie's personal favorite)

This is Snow White

This is Haylie after getting pooped on by Ariel. She didn't even cry - what a good sport!

So all three chicks are different breeds, and according to the lady at the feed store, Snow White will lay blue eggs. Cool, huh? They're so cute and so fun.

Allergies...Ugh!

2009-03-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

It is such a beautiful day today, but alas, I am confining myself to the indoors because the moment I stepped outside this morning, I started sneezing, my nose started running, and the roof of my mouth started itching like crazy. ALLERGIES! UGH! I took a Claritin, maybe I'll be able to enjoy some of the afternoon outdoors.

Anyway, I figured while I was in here I'd catch up on a few little things I've been wanting to post lately:

Eric caught another gopher in a trap the other day - see how happy he is? Meanwhile, Anna points at the fuzzball and says "NNNDAT?" (What's that?)

I hesitated to post this but it's just too funny. Haylie was having a little trouble going #2 yesterday and sat on the potty for quite a while. I found her like this...she actually fell asleep on the toilet...she was even snoring. Poor thing. Oh yeah, and notice the pile of toilet paper on the floor? Any time the bathroom door is open, Anna is sure to unroll the entire roll of TP. Fun stuff.

Last Sunday after church, Anna wandered into the girls' bedroom and after a while we figured it was a little too quiet and when we went to check on her, we found her sitting in Haylie's drawer. She is quite the little climber. She pushed the rocking chair over and climbed on in - then proceeded to empty the drawers!

Doesn't she look like she's thinking "what's the big deal?"

Now that Anna is walking she is ALL OVER THE PLACE! I find paper plates from the pantry in the bedroom and stuffed animals in our bedroom. It is like the house gets turned upside down each and every day and I have to put it all back together every night. It's a good thing she's cute. ;-)

Daylight Savings Time

2009-03-10T08:58:00.001-07:00

Last night Haylie wanted a snack just before dinnertime - here's how the conversation went down:

Haylie: Mommy, I'm hungry.

Me: Hi Hungry, I'm Mommy

Haylie: May I have a snack please? (We've been having this conversation for days now - she is slowly learning her manners)

Me: No, you may not have a snack - it's almost dinnertime

Haylie: *looks outside* It's not dinnertime - it's not dark yet!

How do you explain daylight savings time to a 3 year old? Then later, after dinner:

Haylie: Mommy, are we going to go to bed in the morning?

Me: Huh?

Haylie: Are we going to go to bed in the MORNING? (Sounding frustrated with me)

Me: No, we wake up in the morning

Haylie: *looking outside* But it's morning outside - we're going to go to bed in the morning!

Me: Well you see Haylie, somebody once upon a time decided that he wanted more sunlight in the summertime and decided that if he just changed the time on the clock then everything would work out just fine, so every fall and every spring we change the clocks and voila! It's called daylight savings time. Makes sense, right?

Haylie: Can I take a bath?

Our Living Room: A Work In Progress

2009-03-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

We've lived in this house for a little over 3 years now. We've been slowly but surely making it our own. The house had been completely remodeled before we moved in so we had a blank slate: white walls and beige carpet. Our living room has been the slowest room to get done. We replaced the carpeting with laminate 2 years ago and I FINALLY just painted. So, it is still a work in progress as I am still working on getting frames for pictures, etc, but here is the progress we've made:

This is right after we put in the laminate flooring - we have since rearranged the furniture and the piano is now in the spot where the TV was and the TV is now where the couch was.

Getting started with the primer - Eric caught me writing love notes

This is red primer left over from painting our bedroom - I figured it would work just as well as any other primer and I'm cheap so I just used what I had!

This is after I got a bunch of the trim done with the "Deep Garnet" color that is to be the final color: Haylie wanted to help so I gave her a little brush and let her go crazy - she wanted to be naked so she wouldn't get paint on her clothes. Smart girl.

Here's the final color - 2 primer coats and 2 main coats later! I only painted one wall because the color I chose is very dark and the room is not very big.

So this is about the same view as the first picture. Like I said - it's a work in progress - I'm gonna have a few picture frames on the piano, I'd like to get a BIG plant for the corner - and I'm probably going to have a series of framed black and white pictures above the TV. Some day we'll be able to afford a nice flat screen for that wall, but we'll make do for now. ;-)

A huge thank-you to my friend Jennifer for teaching me how to quickly and effectively paint a straight line down my bullnose corners (the rounded corners in the doorway) and along the ceiling, walls, and baseboards. It involves painters tape and caulk! If you do not know about this little trick, ask me or Jennifer and it will change your feelings about painting forever!!! It is especially useful if you have textured walls. I'm thinking about re-painting my bathroom just so I have an excuse to do it again! hahaha!

I am totally open to suggestions for hanging pictures on the walls, etc. I'm interior-design challenged so if you have a good idea, please share! Also tell me what you think about the paint on only one wall - should I do more?

Miracles

2009-03-02T15:34:00.001-08:00

We had the unique opportunity this past weekend to travel to Klamath Falls, Oregon, for a very special event. An event that I have heard several describe as "a miracle". Eric's maternal grandfather, Claude Olson, was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is 96 years old. Eric's grandmother passed away several years ago, but she is the one who brought the gospel to the family and raised their 6 children in the church. Those children (including Eric's mom) all went on to have several of their own children, all raised in the church, and so on. Grandpa was extremely supportive, drove the family to church, donated time and money to the church, etc., but was not interested in becoming a member. We found out recently that the reason he did not want to be baptized was that he was not ready to obey the Word of Wisdom (for those of you who are not Mormon, this entails avoiding things like smoking, drinking alcohol, coffee, tea, etc.) and he did not want to be a hypocrite. He had given up drinking and smoking a few years ago, and really was just drinking coffee each morning. He recently decided that he could do without that as well and asked to have the missionaries come and teach him about the gospel. At this time, Eric's mom, Jane, had the opportunity to stay with Grandpa and care for him while his wife was in the hospital. She was able to have many spiritual discussions with him, to pray with him, and learn that he has always had a testimony of the gospel. The family had all but given up hope that he would accept the gospel in this life, but as she stated at the baptism, miracles do happen. I feel honored and blessed to have been a part of this event.

I had only had the opportunity to meet Grandpa Olson once before this - a few years ago at the lake. But from what I hear, Eric gets a lot of his mechanical talents, or as I like to call it, his "MacGuyver-ness" from his Grandpa.

He has a hard time getting around these days, but as you can see from the pictures, he was positively glowing that day

This is at Grandpa's house, which by the way, is a beautiful old house. Eric's 2 brothers and 1 of his sisters were also able to attend.

Here's our little family with Grandpa. Haylie was too shy to talk to her Great Grandpa, but I hope she will be able to remember this special day.

.
Linda, Maryann, Laura, John, Jane, and Barbara with their father

These are all the family members that were able to make it to the event.

By my count, he has 6 children, 37 grandchildren, and at least 69 great-grandchildren. Wow!

This experience taught me a few things: 1) there is always hope 2) prayers do get answered, even if it is not within the timeline you hoped or anticipated 3) it is NEVER too late to change your mind!