Jungle Mom

The Shower!

2012-01-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

Lots of love and pink ruffles were at the party!

I am touched by how many showed up to give their love and support. Even some of the men dared brave the women's ooos and ahhhs.

Advice on Raising a Princess

2012-01-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

At the baby shower, the guests filled out these cards to give me advice on how to raise a princess. Each person got to decorate their own crown shaped card with little sticker rhinestones and stickers. What fun!

"Never get mad at her. Give her whatever she wants. Princesses need to know how to do chores." ~Katelyn (My cousin)

"Don't put your kids the same room over night for more than a year." ~Chelsea (My cousin)

"Watch lots of princess movies!!" ~Emily Nerdin (My cousin)

"Lots of love & candy! <3" ~No name signed

"Buy lots of SHOES." ~No name signed

"How to raise a princess: 1. Never Scold. 2. Give her everything she wants. 3. Give her a unlimited budget. 4. Give her unlimited hugs and kisses." ~Grandma Nerdin (My grandma)

"Listen to what she has to say." ~No name signed

"Give her lots of love, attention, and take her shopping whenever you can." ~Grandma Aunt Nancy (My great aunt)

"Watch Kung-Fu Panda lots! & Lion King. . . Not all Princesses have to be too girly! :)" ~Aunt Clarissa (my sister)

"Be the kind of woman you hope your daughter will become." ~No name signed

"Rock her a little longer, sing her another song, Tell her another story, your time with her in not long!" ~Aunt Lisa (My aunt)

"Enjoy every small moment! There is magic in every phase of life." ~Aunt Janet (My aunt)

"You can say no even to a princess." ~Grandma Hanson (My grandma)

"Always treat her like a queen. (& teach her how to pull up her tights after she goes to the bathroom)." ~No name signed

"Think Pink!" ~No name signed

Gamer

2012-01-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

Duane is turning into quite the little gamer since he and Avan got a Kindle from their grandma for Christmas. Their favorite thing is to play Angry Birds, although she got it for them to use as a tool to help them learn to read. They do use it to read books out loud, especially the ones that involve cars and trains. Avan loves the books that make truck sounds.

It's so strange that Duane looks so grown up! There is no baby left in him except for the fact that he's MY baby and always will be.

Painting

2012-01-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

The boys love to paint! Not all of these were done today. We have a small art gallery that seems to grow by the week.

By: Duane

By: Avan

By: Duane

By: Avan (With help)

By: Duane

By: Duane

Sledding!

2012-01-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

I have been a lame mommy lately. I barely have the motivation to get out of bed some days in the past week or so. As a result, Duane and Avan have missed out on some fun snow. As a way of making it up to them, we bought a sled last night and took them sledding on the small hill next to our apartment. They were e ecstatic!
We didn't stay out very long because it was getting late, but they had so much fun! Hopefully mommy can be less lame in the near future and we can get out more. Duane really wants to build a snowman! :)

Someone . . .

2012-01-08T08:44:00.001-08:00

. . . is very excited to meet his sister. He lay out all her clothes this morning while talking endlessly of how he wanted to show her:

And has packed his suitcase to stay the night at grandma's:

Christmas

2011-12-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas was great around our place! The only negative thing was the fact that we were sick just before Christmas. We got better just in time to attend family parties and such, but then picked up something horrible and are still sick again. :(

I guess there was one other negative thing. We lost our camera so we don't have any pictures of the boys opening presents on Christmas morning. The only pics I have are from my mom's facebook page and those came from her iphone.

On Christmas Eve we went to the traditional Nerdin party, hosted by my grandma Nerdin. There the boys were able to see their grandpa who lives down in Monticello and they don't see very much of him. They had a blast visiting with their uncles who were excited to play with them.

After that party, we went to my mom's to make Santa's runway and gingerbread houses and to see Santa!!

Here is the construction of Santa's runway. Then we moved on to the gingerbread houses to await the arrival of the jolly old elf.

When Santa came, Duane was so excited! He loves Santa this year, but Avan is opposed to the whole idea of strangers holding him. Then we opened presents:

Let me say that the boys were spoiled by more than one source! They have so many new toys that we're not sure what to do with them all. They have a lot of people that love them. :)

Christmas day was a slower pace. We woke and opened stockings and the presents under our tree. Then we went to church and came home to play with our babies and their new toys.

Santa brought me a jewelry chest. How did he know I needed one?

Reindeer Noses

2011-12-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

I saw this idea and thought it would be perfect for little fingers. I got the idea from this blog.

This is the face Duane would make every time I told him to smile. He's such a ham.

One Happy Day

2011-12-13T09:14:00.001-08:00

It was one happy day that we had on Avan's birthday! He ate the attention up!

Duane helped us decorate while Avan was taking a nap.

Avan spent a great deal of the party in his room, doing what he loves best!

This is how the kids broke the pinata. I was reluctant to bring out the bat indoors.

As you can see, he was VERY excited about his cake.

Duane claimed one of Avan's presents. Avan is a good brother and shared.

I'm so glad we have a sweet little Avan in our home. He's such a wonderful and happy boy.

Ideas

2011-11-15T09:36:00.001-08:00

Last year we decorated our tree with a few of those little feather birds you find at craft stores. Duane really loved them and wanted to hold them all the time. He still finds them and carries them around for a few days. (I'm not very good at hiding things).

This year, I thought it would be a fun idea to decorate our tree with a theme. The theme, of course, being birds. Since the idea came to me, I've been scouring the internet (ahem, pinterest) for ideas to make ornaments. I've already collected some fallen walnuts for the kids to paint with glue and decorate with glitter. I wanted to do the same with some pine cones, but haven't found any.

Owls. I would make them with Christmas colored fabric and I would make them smaller. You know, ornament sized. :D

Stringy Ornaments. I thought they could symbolize nests.

Glittered Birds The link shows glittered deer, but you get the idea. Simply find birds instead of deer. I love that the kids could do this one.

Button Wreath It isn't really a bird thing, but the kids could make them.

Hand Print Ornaments Again, no birds, but something the kids could do.

Butterfly Leaf Lantern Vase

2011-11-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

I made some cute leaf lantern vases! They are really pretty when lit with a proper candle, but I don't have one on hand right now. I will try to add pics if ever I remember when I have a candle that fits nicely.

These are the things I used. I've been collecting leaves every day on our walks and pressed them between the pages of heavy book with more heavy books piled on top. I actually ended up NOT using the ribbon. I thought the vases looked better without it. Here is the finished product:

I just used the mod podge to glue the leavs to the glass. Next time I will probably get a flat vase instead of a rounded one, it was a little tricky getting all the leaves to lay flush against the glass. I also just painted the bottom of the leaves first, then added a layer over the top when the leaves had set.

Turkey Window clings

2011-11-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

I saw this idea for snowflake window clings made from fabric paint and thought it would be way fun to do turkey hands. The snowflake version says to use wax paper. I gave up on the wax paper and used a plastic freezer bag taped over a tracing of the turkey hand instead.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

The boys had so much fun trick-or-treating! Duane was the cutest little pirate and Avan was adorable in his dragon costume. Avan was more or less aware of what was going on. At one point he gave up and got in the stroller, awaiting his candy from his little moving throne. :D Duane was more thrilled by the spookiness than scared. I was a little nervous he would be a little afraid. I love Halloween and hope yours was as much fun as ours!

What I Dream Of

2011-10-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

I think the biggest dream I ever had was to get married and become a mom. I always knew I wanted kids and love living my dream every day.

There are things outside of being a mom and wife that I dream of too. For example, I dream of publishing a book. I want to become a writer and work toward this dream every day. It's actually very difficult for me NOT to work on it because there is always a story churning in my head. It's almost like a disease. If you ever look at me and I seem dazed it's because I'm daydreaming about the next bit of the book I'm working on.

Another example of my dreams is one that very few understand and that is to own a goat farm. I love goats. I love the way they will come up to you and put their head in your stomach so you will scratch their heads. I love the way they nibble your skin. My father owned two dairy goats when I was a Junior in high school. I milked one of them every morning and every night until I left. I miss having goats and wish for a farm of them!

Speaking of farms, that's another thing I dream of. I wouldn't only raise goats, but produce as well. I dream of the day when the only things we need at the grocery store are lightbulbs, batteries and toilet paper. I know I'm exaggerating a tad, but you get the idea. I love to farm and hope we can one day have enough property to do so.

I guess I'm a little old fashioned. I enjoy making pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkins, not the canned kind. I like making my own jam and canning and growing my own food. I dream of sharing this love with my kids.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Fall is so fun with kids! Duane is old enough to know what's going on this year and it's been a blast! We picked out some pumpkins from a local farmer's market and the boys loved them.

Avan is very difficult to capture on camera. He wiggles too much!

Here he is picking out a pumpkin.

Duane has gotten to be a little ham. He was protesting pictures two seconds before this was snapped.

Again, Avan wiggles out of the picture faster than we can put him in it! We usually get his frantic efforts to get away from whatever it is we want him to do.

From left to right: Pastor's pumpkin (that I carved), my pumpkin, Jessica's pumpkin, the boy's pumpkin (that I carved).

Thank goodness my friend Jessica came over to help and to carve her pumpkin. The boys love her so much!

Silly Hat

2011-10-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, Avan wanted to wear an envelope on his head. It was made all the cuter by Duane following him around and saying, "Happy Birthday Avan!" Because he thought it was a birthday hat.

"I Want To Show Daddy!"

2011-10-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Watching Pastor hunt for flies is a great source of entertainment for Duane. This is a result of his own huntings. Pastor was at work and Duane exclaimed, "I want to show daddy!" After he'd collected the thing for disposal. I quickly took a picture and told him to go wash his hands! Ick . . .

Feeling Crafty

2011-10-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

I want to make something. There are so many great ideas out there. I just learned about freezer paper. I've seen a million homemade cute costumes for little boys. I've seen a few wreaths I want to make, but have a favorite. This crafty bug hits me every so often, but MORE often when I'm expecting. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of funds for such things, nor do I have a car to search out good deals in local stores.

So what do I do instead? I make stuff out of construction paper:

I love making stuff with the kids, even if they are a little young. Duane loved these until Avan sat on them. :) They were made from toilet paper rolls and tiny boxes of cereal.

Easel

2011-09-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Pastor got the boys an easel. They LOVE it! Avan will stand in front of the blackboard with his piece of chalk and swipe at it while saying "I, I, I, I . . ." Because he's drawing a bunch of Is.

Bed Upgrades

2011-09-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

BEFORE Avan broke his collar bone, we had a few bed upgrades. Duane is now sleeping in the bottom bunk of a bunk bed. He seems to enjoy the extra space to stretch out during the night.
Avan WAS sleeping in Duane's old bed and was doing so well before he broke his collar bone. I tried to keep him in the habit of staying in his new bed, but he would get up in the middle of the night and come to stand by my bed. It was alarming to wake and find him staring at me! So I put him back in his crib for now. When his break has healed, I'll try the big boy bed again.

Broken

2011-09-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Avan has been our little adventurer. Not only did he swallow terpanoid a few months ago, a feat that resulted in an ambulance ride to the hospital, now he has broken his collar bone. I think he's acquired bad luck after breaking his grandma's mirror in Peru. We only have 6 years and 8 months more of this.

The poor little guy has adapted to his bandages really well, but keeps wiggling out of them. He will be this way for two more weeks until we go to see if the break has healed properly.

It's a Girl!

2011-09-17T13:09:00.001-07:00

Well, the good news is in! I am going to have a girl! The only bad news is that the doctor and the ultrasound tech can't agree on a due date. My original date was Feb. 15, 2012, but the ultrasound tech said her measurements showed the due date would be more around Feb. 3. So, we should be having a baby girl in February sometime.

Sticky Fingers

2011-05-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the truck Duane claimed as his own in Peru. We were at the lumber yard while my mom asked for the wood to make the desks. The wood wasn't ready yet, but Duane did spot this little beauty. It belonged to the son of the guy who owned the lumber yard. When it was time to leave, Duane clutched the rough little toy to his chest and proclaimed it was his. We told him no and made him put it back on the table he'd taken it from, but the kind man said Duane could keep it. He mentioned that there were a few of the same kind of toy lingering around the shop and that he made them from scrap wood. I was grateful that he was so willing to be generous, but it didn't quite enforce the idea to Duane that he can't have whatever he wants when he wants it. I wanted to give them some of Duane's toys, but sadly, the opportunity never arose.

Another instance of Duane's sticky fingerness occurred when we were at the Iquitos zoo. It was hot and my mom had bought everyone popsicles. Duane ate his and we continued on down the path until we came to a beach by the lake. We were deliberating on whether we should have lunch at the zoo or go somewhere else when Duane ran up to a complete stranger and took his popsicle away. The guy, thankfully was nice about it even though a three year old had just jerked the treat away with warning or explanation.

This person was wearing a shirt the exact same colors Pastor was wearing that day and they were both wearing red hats. Duane had taken the popsicle thinking the man was Pastor and didn't stop long enough to notice it wasn't. We were a little horrified and apologized and my mom gave the guy a couple bucks. Hopefully he's all but forgotten the issue by now.

Peru

2011-05-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

I suppose most people would say it's justified to feel a little afraid to meet your in-laws for the first time, but what if this event occurs nearly 4 years after you've married your spouse? Thanks to my mom, this idea became a reality. I have to admit that I was less than thrilled. I was so sure Pastor's family would see all my faults and every reason I'm not good enough to be his wife. I was so stressed that I lived in denial until the night before our flight and I thought it would be nice if we had something to wear when we got to Peru and packed.

The flight wasn't nearly as stressful as I'd heard and assumed. The boys heard the sound of a plane engine and zonked out most of the time. Duane had a hard time with the landings because his ears would hurt. Out of the six flights, he howled for five of the landings while people from neighboring rows would shoosh him and give Pastor and me dreadful looks as if we were beating him.

Pastor's parents were supposed to be waiting for us at the airport in Iquitos. I was relieved when they weren't there. I hadn't showered in nearly 72 hours and the humidity made my dirty clothes hang low and cling in a very unattractive way. I wanted to be fresh when I met his family and perhaps wearing at least a tid bit of eyeliner. My relief was short-lived. I forgot that Pastor's parents knew which hotel we were to stay in. They were there waiting for us and saw me in my unshowered state. Despite my disheveled appearance, Pastor's mom was quick to embrace me and kiss the kids. Pastor translated what she said when she spoke. (Did I mention I don't speak Spanish?) She was near tears and her voice broke as she explained that she'd been waiting for this day for a long time and she thanked my mom for bringing us all together.

Her emotions made me emotional and I promptly forgot how many hours it had been since I'd showered. A few visits to their home revealed that Pastor's mom was just as nervous to meet me as I was to meet her. On one particular visit, she admitted that she was embarrassed by her home and because they are so "poor." There are so many things I wanted to tell her then, but I couldn't get Pastor to translate more than three sentences at a time. (He was kind of popular) In my mind, I was thinking that money was the only thing they lacked. While in their home, I was amazed by their family unity, by their faith and their ability to express what they were thinking.

One the major things that struck me while in Iquitos was how united the families were. Everyday everyone did what it took to make the family survive. I'm sure there were the exceptions to this that I simply didn't see or meet, but it's amazing to me how confusing having a little extra money can really become if you let it. A lot of families had next to nothing and could smile and laugh and enjoy their families. Here in the states, I think sometimes people get confused by trying to get the latest high tech phone, or the coolest tv. It's nice to have nice things, but I remembered what the truly important things are when I saw how happy Pastor's family is without all the nice things.

I never thought I could learn to love anyone in such a short amount of time. Pastor's dad seemed to have a special bond with Duane. He would hold him for extended periods of time, sometimes in the midday heat. Daune would wrap his arms around papapayo's neck and hug his head. :) Pastor's mom spent hours teaching me to cook so I could "take care of her son," and his sisters were loving and accepted me readily. The boys were a bit more stubborn. Duane bit his cousin Alvin. :s They actually behaved pretty badly sometimes. They were travel worn and exhausted and not in the mood to make friends with strangers, but by the end of the trip, they were giving kisses as readily as a Peruvian child. (Kissing cheeks is a well practiced form of greeting)

I have to say that I fell in love with Peru almost equally as much as Pastor's family. The land is beautiful, as are the people. My mom let us tag along one day when she went to a school where she was donating some wood to build new desks for the children there. The kids were so energetic and excited to see her and their round, dark eyes could melt anyone's heart. :)

I was sad that we didn't get to go out on the river. The babies are just too young and there are too many mosquitoes. I so wanted to see a pink dolphin and I had my heart set on going to monkey island. In hindsight, it's probably a good thing we didn't do those things as it would have taken from family time.

There are a few bad habits I've acquired:

1) I now feel it's acceptable to eat off anyone's plate and have caught myself doing so a few times. Luckily I haven't done this to a stranger. haha

2) I relied on the motortaxis to lull my babies to sleep when they were restless. There aren't any motortaxis in Utah.

3) Shopping everyday. :D

I gained some good habits as well. Seeing Pastor in his hometown with his family was awe inspiring. I was amazed by his conduct and his ability to barter. Most street vendors, or any vendor for that matter, saw a white girl and assumed they could get ten times the worth of the item out of me, but Pastor would have none of it. He even threatened a man's livelihood when he tried to pull a fast one on my mom. (A guy who works for the Hope Alliance, the same foundation Pastor worked for before he came to the States and the same organization my mom was working with) You really have to be on your toes in Iquitos, especially if you're white. You stand out as an easy target.

Saying goodbye was painfully hard. I've never seen Pastor in such distress. :( He was reminded of his purpose of coming here to the States, which was to help his family. He is more dedicated to finishing school and I'm more dedicated to learning Espanol. I don't know when we'll be able to go back, finances won't allow for it for some time, but I'm already missing them terribly and counting the days.

Birthday Boy

2011-05-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

We have very low key birthday for Duane because we're planning on celebrating when we go to Peru. We thought it would be nice to have Pastor's family share in this event as they haven't seen the babies before. All we did was take Duane to the dollar store and get him a few sand toys. We took a mini cake to the park and made sand castles with his new toys. He had a lot of fun and I think he actually preferred a small, family party.

I am so proud of my little man. I'm amazed by his ability to learn and grow every day. He's pretty obedient for a 3 year old and does everything he can to make his mommy and daddy happy. He's a wonderful example to his little brother and we couldn't have asked for a better little boy.

Easter Report--Birthday Preview

2011-05-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

Duane went to a total of 2 Easter Egg Hunts. I'm elated that I have a child old enough to understand the entire idea of holidays. It will be even better when they're old enough to fully understand the meaning of the holiday. :)

While at my grandma's for the Easter luncheon and candy hording, we celebrated a little of Duane's b-day for those who wouldn't see him on the actual day. His grandma and gr. grandma gave him a kid's quad! Even better, it looks like McQueen from Cars. Avan also got a little push car so he wouldn't be left out. I'll tell you, these boys are very loved and VERY spoiled.

Love Hate

2011-05-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

Today I have been thinking of the things that I have a love hate relationship with and decided to make a list of the things that crossed my mind today.

I have a love hate relationship with the way Avan constantly clings. He's going through the I love mommy and only mommy stage. It's impossible to get anything done when he insists I hold him all the time. On the same note, I could hold him all day. He's super cuddly and really would let me hold him all day.

I have a love hate relationship with Pastor working two jobs. I love money, but hate when he's gone. :(

I have a love hate relationship with airplanes. I love that they take you places you might not go if they weren't around, but hate the dread.

I have a love hate relationship with chocolate. This is self explanatory as I don't think I'm the only one. LOL

I have a love hate relationship with running. I love to run, it's very relaxing for me. I don't like the time it takes from my family and how sore I feel after a steep hill.

I have a love hate relationship with what comes out of a three year old's mouth. Duane says the cutest things I've ever heard, but I can't believe other things. :s

I have a love hate relationship with the age three in general. Duane can be such an angel!! He's such a handsome little man too and knows how to pull at my heart strings, but he can be such a naughty little dude. I'm still amazed at the trouble he can get into.

I have a love hate relationship with cameras. I love to take pics, but hate to be in them.

Do you have things that you love and hate at the same time?

Down

2011-04-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days that turns into one of those weeks? Which, in turn, evolves into one of those months? Nothing is different. Have Pastor and I been fighting? No, he is as nice as ever. My children are beautiful and the sun is even out today. There is nothing to justify the perpetual sad I feel. Perhaps I need more B vitamins.

So sorry if I don't update like I should. I haven't been facebooking like I usually do either. I'm sure when we're able to enjoy the sunshine more, I will feel better. :)

One of the Best

2011-03-24T19:20:00.001-07:00

I think I might make some people sick by how much I talk about my brother. I'm sorry if this is true and you are one of them. I can't help but be proud, so I was more than proud when we had the chance to greet him at the National Guard Base as he arrived home after serving in Afghanistan. I have never been to welcome a military member home and have to say that it was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. Being in a crowd who were all so proud of their father/mother, brother/sister, uncle/aunt ect. was amazing. The vibe and emotions when the soldiers come from the plane was indescribable and the deafening roar that ensued gave me goosebumps.

Of course seeing this . . .

And doing things like this . . .

Was great fun too!

I am so proud my boys have an example like my brother in their lives and I'm proud to brimming for the service he so selflessly renders. Like any perfect sister, I don't tell him enough. I love you Paulie Wog! :)

Wolves, Boys & Other Things That Might Kill Me

2011-03-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Most people who know me know that I LOVE a good book with magic, mayhem and mounds of love. This novel has zero hocus pocus but is so magically written that you wouldn't miss it. I found it to be very stirring and a joy to read. I started it this morning and finished it just now. That tells you how good it is!

I actually bought the book months ago, but haven't been in the right frame of mind to read. There are usually so many of my own stories spinning in my head that I can't keep another tamed. Luckily I had a brain fart today and needed the inspiration derived from its pages. :)

Carl's Jr.

2011-03-11T15:42:00.001-08:00

Last week we went to Carl's Jr. for lunch. The place we ate had one of those little indoor playgrounds and I was bound not to let Duane play there because of how many older kids were already there. We sat in the main section of the place, but could see the play area through a large glass window. When our food came, Duane began insisting that he wanted to play. We told him to eat his food and we'd think about it. (Let's face it, that always means no).

Duane insisted and, finally, I told him. "You go play, but we're staying here to eat." I fully expected Duane to give in. Never, in a million years, would I have believed that he'd go on his own. He's the kind of kid that needs someone to sit and watch him play.

After I'd said that, he jumped off the booth and went, by himself, to play on the indoor playground. I was torn with pride and nostalgic longing. Here was my baby, deciding he didn't need his mom to go and play where big kids were. He wasn't intimidated and played happily for awhile before coming back and taking bite of his cheeseburger only to run back in.

Pastor and I were nervous parents and watched his every move. My plan backfired completely and I was reminded of how fleeting childhood/babyhood really is.

Perfect To Me

2011-02-27T22:39:00.000-08:00

I know a man who supports me in everything I do. He is handsome and brave and sacrifices so much to make his family happy. He has always loved me for me and never tries to change anything. He understands when I have a bad day and does everything he can to help even though he works TWO jobs. He lets me grow and encourages me to work on my talents. I have grown into someone I'm proud of because he never discouraged me.

I am blessed to be wife to such a man and will be forever grateful of his loving acceptance of who I truly am. He is wonderful and I love him with all my heart and soul!

My Avan

2011-02-27T22:16:00.000-08:00

I haven't been as dedicated to blogging since #2 came along and I feel my little Avan has been left out a little. I blogged every time Duane sneezed when he was a baby! Poor little #2 children . . .

I don't want to admit how fast Avan's growing. He's turned into quite the chunk and eats more than Duane does. He loves cars and books and to watch the credits after a movie is through. He loves pizza, but it makes his tummy hurt. His favorite food is chocolate.

One of the funniest things about him is that he's EXTREMELY jealous. If Pastor or Duane hug me, he comes over and gives them a whopping. It's so funny and I know I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help myself.

Avan ADORES Duane too. He follows him through the place trying to do what his big brother does. He's gotten pretty good at keeping up with him too! He runs on his little chubby legs and it makes me giggle. I love to see them playing and laughing together. I've never heard a better sound than my two boys laughing!

Our Avan is a dancer and boy does he have rhythm! He hears that beat and starts to bounce on his baby legs. It's amazing such a little thing can move that way, but he loves music and will dance to anything we've played for him.

One thing that isn't so . . . fantastic: Avan is a phone destroyer. I've been through two smart phones because of that kid! He puts everything he can in his mouth, including phones if he gets a hold of them. My smart phone(s) got water under the casing and slowly shut down afterward and couldn't be revived. :(

It's a good thing he's so cute . . .

It's probably cliche by now, but I love both of my boys and I will never tire of saying it! My little family is everything to me and I would do anything for them, even go through countless cell phones. :)

Happy Birthday Avan!

2011-02-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

Avan's birthday party, which includes the cake I made! Can you tell I'm proud? I also made his pinata, but didn't get a good shot of it . . .

His birthday was before Christmas.

Christmas

2011-02-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

These are the pics I managed to take over Christmas.

Duane and Avan's friends, Emma and Sammy.

Scary Eyes

2011-02-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

Duane does this scary thing with his eyes. He started doing around Halloween. It's pretty funny but also creepy because it kind of looks like he's possessed or something. He first started doing it when he was embarrassed, but we made such a big deal that he does whenever he wants to make us laugh. It's funny/weird to see his eyes roll in the back of his head that way . . .

Watchin' A Movie

2011-02-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

Duane and Avan love watching movies on cold mornings. They are so cute and usually don't fight for the space they want.

Valentine's

2011-02-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Give me an excuse to glue hearts together and I'm totally there! I love Valentine's day and I love making things that are cute and unique. The boys made some for their Mema too, but I didn't get a pic of them.

This is the lovely rose my sweet hubby bought me. There was chocolate too, but I ate it. =D

And here is the sweetest Valentine ever enjoying the valentine he received from Kiara. :) He's such a ladies man . . . er, boy.

Excitement!

2011-02-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am nervous and excited to say that I will be submitting a manuscript to a publishing company. Not a lot of people know that I like write before I started work on this story. It's an adventure love story sort of novel, but not one of those icky romances.

There is a history behind my love of writing love stories. I am a hopeless romantic and always have been. I love princess stories filled with magic and adventure and mystical beasts. I don't love romance books where the only climax is the kissing stuff. :s I can barely stand seeing people kiss in public. When I was a teenager, I read all the books in this genre I could get my hands on, but there weren't many. That's how I started writing my own. I never thought it would amount to anything, but I liked doing it so I continued.

I'm still not sure it will ever amount to anything, but, like I've told a few friends, I have to try. I'm on pins and needles to find out if a publishing company will accept my manuscript. I know the chances are actually quite slim and expect to be rejected a few times before I get it right, but I will never know unless I try. The worst that will happen is it will be declined and I'll wind up taking a writing course from the community college and trying again.

All the same, wish me luck!! I'll need it. :)

Symbols For Your Blog

2010-08-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

I stumbled accross this website of codes for symbols to add to your blog. Here is the link. I thought it very useful!
♥ ♥ ♥

Simple Shepard's Pie

2010-08-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is comfort meal for me. I don't make it very often, except maybe when I'm having a down day.

What you will need:
1 lb. ground meat. Again, I prefer ground turkey lately.
1 package of frozen green beans
1 can of cream of something soup. We use cream of mushroom, but you can use pretty much any of them.
3-4 potatoes mashed up. Perfect for leftover taters.
Cheese if you like

What to do:
Preheat oven to 375°
Brown meat in a pan. When it's cooked layer the meat on the bottom of a cake pan. Layer beans on top of meat, the cream of something soup on top of the beans and the mashed potatoes on top of the soup. Add cheese on top if you like cheese. I usually leave it out. Put casserole in oven and let bake for 40-50 minutes.

Taco Soup

2010-08-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of my very favorite things to make and eat! I'm sure a lot of people have heard or made this before, but I think it's worth posting.

What you need:
1 lb. ground meat. We have recently discovered the joys of ground turkey and it's great in this recipe!
1 package of taco seasoning
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of Italian diced tomatoes
Corn. This is a tough one to describe how much you will need because I like to use an entire bag of frozen corn. I think this recipe is great with a lot of corn. Most people that I know use 1 can.
1 bottle of salsa. (I use my mom's homemade salsa)

What to do:
Brown meat in a large sauce pan. After meat is thoroughly cooked, drain and wipe pan clean of grease. Put meat back in pan. Add beans (rinsed), tomatoes, taco seasoning and salsa to the pan. Save the corn for later if you are using frozen, if you are using canned add it now. Add some water to the mix. I usually use an empty can and add 1 can full, but you will find how much you'll like to add. Let stand on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Then you can turn off the stove and add the frozen corn. It will cool down the soup so it's ready to eat!

Fruit Leather

2010-08-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking about making some fruit leather for Duane. He really enjoys the kind we get from Smith's and I thought it would be a nice thing to have around the house instead of only as a treat. Here is a link to an easy method and recipe.

Double Stuffed

2010-07-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Someone, who shall remain nameless at this time, has discovered the joys of eating the cream out of the middle of sandwich cookies. While he shall remain nameless, he looks quite a bit like this:

Here is the evidence:

Needless to say, it is no longer safe to leave opened packages of sandwich cookies on the table.

Timpanogos, Mighty Timpanogos!

2010-07-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hiking to the Timp. Cave with family was a lot of fun! My brother Paul, who just came home from training for the Army, volunteered to take Duane in the pack. I thought to myself that I could at least keep up with the one carrying the 40lb baby. That was a huge mistake! Keeping up with him was hard and now my legs hurt like crazy! If I worked out with him once a week I'd be a twig.

Before we went up there was a snake show at the bottom. They were showing which snakes were harmless and what to look out for.

Gary and Avan watching the snakes.

Duane touching a snake. He was a little bit cautious.

Pretty view.

At the top! We made it!

Uncle Paul, full of good spirit. He barely broke a sweat.

Duane and me.

Garret and Paul, chillin'.

Duane, trying to be a mountain goat.

Duane, all bundled up to go in the cave. Thank goodness "meema" thought to bring sweaters.

Inside the cave! It was hard to get good photos. Our camera wasn't very good for the inside and in the dark bit. Clarissa still looks cute, even blurry.

Avan, wondering who turned out the lights.

Cave rock.

Gary, taking pics.

More cave rock.

Duane, being silly.

Cuddling close to daddy.

Avan fell asleep halfway through. He was heavy to carry like that. The rangers didn't allow the metal framed packs to go in.

On the other side of the cave with some of the trail guides.

Uncle Paul again.

Doug and Clarissa.

Getting ready to hike back down.

Mountain.

Pretty view.

The road far, far away.

Mommy.

Taking a breather before heading back down.

Here is one of Duane strapped to Uncle Paul.

The guys, being cool.

After the hike we went to my mom's for fireworks and a BBQ. We were so tired, but it was so worth it.

Uncle Paul likes fire.

The moon.

Cars Cars

2010-07-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is Duane's toy Cars collection started by his great grandma. The only one missing of the ones that we actually have is the Doc Hudson. I hate it when I know the thing is in the house somewhere and I just can't find it for the life of me!

Picking the Pics

2010-07-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Duane and Avan wondering where daddy went.

It almost looks like Avan is standing up on his own without any help! He's leaning against the window sill.

Avan loves to look out the window. I think he likes to look at the cars on the highway.

Avan likes our walks and tries to grab passing cars right of the air.

Going for our walk!

Avan's learning to sleep in his crib. So far it's been alright, but he still wakes up at night and wants me to hold him.

Ragnar Adventure

2010-07-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

My crazy mother, who I am so proud of!, decided to run the Ragnar Relay with her hubby. They are running buddies and have run several marathons and 1/2 marathons together.

Mommy and Duane in the lift.

I think riding the lift was the scariest part for me!

Gary wasn't scared.

Neither was Pastor.

A running team.

A teams decorated vehicle.

Lotsa cars!

We all met up afteward to get together for dinner. Duane is wearing my mom's running shirt.

Sunset!

Birthday Cake

2010-07-19T10:10:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of birthday cake leftover. My mom bought the biggest sheet cake ever and I figured I'd let the boys eat some on their own since there was more than enough to go around.

Duane is getting really hard to photograph. He runs away when he notices the camera.

Avan really seems to LOVE chocolate. He couldn't get enough cake!

Puffy Eyes

2010-07-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

I tried letting Avan cry himself to sleep. He was crying to hard for so long that his eyes got all puffy and swollen. It was the saddest thing I've seen in a while and I don't think I'll be attempting the whole let them cry to sleep again.

Poor sad little baby. He's so stubborn.

Concert in the Park

2010-07-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday Pastor and I thought it would be fun to go to a local concert that was being held in the park. It was a lot of fun for us, but Duane got bored quickly, as you can see. Good thing it was at a park!

Duane has developed a habit of hanging from things and exclaiming: "I'm a monkey!"

We loved the cement tunnels. Duane was scared to go in at first.

This is what Avan thought of the concert.

Despite popular belief, I am not a sofa. Duane was not convinced when I told him such.

Jelly From Juice Concentrate

2010-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Jams and jelly's are soo expensive that it seems a luxury when someone gives you their canned goods. It's so frustrating that the cheapest is made mostly from high fructose corn syrup. I want to make my own jelly from juice concentrate. It would save a ton of money, especially in the long run! Not to mention I'll know what's in the jelly since I'll be the one making it.

Food Storage Info

2010-07-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

I like this link for beginner's food storage.

I also thought this cool food storage calculator was pretty cool too.

Fireworks!

2010-07-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here is our trip to Monticello! We had loads of fun!

Avan

2010-06-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of Avan in his blessing outfit. It was a good thing too because he's Almost too tall for it!

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day we headed to AF cemetery to visit some family that has passed on. First we visited grandpa Hanson and then we visited some great grandparents as well. It was really special for Duane to see his namesake's headstone. I hope I can keep grandpa's memory alive for my kids so they can know what a great man he was.

Grandma came with us early in the morning and we went again later with my mom and Gary.

After visiting grave sights and shopping, my mom and Gary took us the Texas Roadhouse Steak and Grill. Duane was terrified of the armadillo that was wandering around giving kids five and seating people. Every time the armadillo came near Duane would scramble into someone's arms and cry while other kids were getting their picture taken with him. Poor Duane may never look at an armadillo the same again.

Messing with Color in Photoshop

2010-05-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!!

2010-05-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Doctor & Doctor

2010-05-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Avan and Duane both went to the doctor in the past week. Avan went last Tuesday and Duane went this morning.

Avan's Doctor appointment:

Avan was happy and smiley and flirting with the nurses. I, of course, couldn't find his immunization card, so the office had to phone the hospital and have everything faxed over. Other than that, there weren't any bumps in our visit. Avan now weighs 16 pounds, which is in the 50 percentile for kids his age. He was also in the 50 percentile for his height, which I don't remember . . . He got three shots and only cried a little he was so brave. He kept looking at me with his sad face like he was asking, "Why did you let them do that?"

When Dr. Wilcox came in to look at him, Avan was sitting on the table, playing with the paper they lay down for each patient. Dr. Wilcox looked a little surprised to see Avan sitting up on his own and said, "I have to tell you that developmentaly, he's doing great! I don't remember the last time I've seen a five month old sitting up so well!" I was pleased, but I really didn't have anything to do with his sitting up early. He's so determined to catch up with Duane that it makes me sick!

Duane's Doctor appointment:

Our appointment was at 8:45 this morning. It snowed like crazy all the way there. We almost missed the appointment we were so late. Thank you Utah weather. Snow in May, are you serious? Luckily the doctor was nice enough to allow us in even though we were more than 15 minutes late. Duane had been roused early and was being a little bit of a stinker. He LOVES the fishies in the lobby and was reluctant to leave them. Once in the patient room, he cried when I took off his choo-choo sweater and kept yelling, "Jacket mine! Jacket mine!"

Currently, Duane weighs 32 pounds and is 35 inches tall. For weight he is in the 92 percentile and for height he is in the 79 percentile. He is tall and must eat lead for breakfast because it seems like he's always too heavy. He received his last immunizations until he goes to kindergarten, which is a relief. He cried, but was very brave. He was very mad at the nurses and kept saying, "mommy owie! Mommy owie!" while great big tears streamed from his sad eyes. It wasn't hard to distract him from the pain though, we just took him to the fishies in the lobby and he was content once more. After our adventure at the doctor's, we got Duane a frosty at Wendy's for being so brave. Avan had a little too, but he was happy with mama milk for his reward. Haha!

In short, my babies are growing. It is hard to watch them grow so fast but it just makes me that much more determined to enjoy every moment I can with them.

Easy Lemon Bars

2010-05-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

These lemon bars are really simple to make. I think adding lemon juice and/or lemon zest would make that much more lemony!

These lemon bars are really simple to make. I think adding lemon juice and/or lemon zest would make that much more lemony!

BYOB

2010-05-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

Bath

2010-05-12T00:46:00.000-07:00

Hogle Zoo 2010

2010-05-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

This years zoo adventure was so much fun. Thanks to my mom for taking us all and being such an awesome mom and granma!

Dragons

2010-05-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, just as I was getting Avan to bed, Duane started crying from his room. He had been put to bed about a half hour earlier and I thought that he was already asleep. When I heard him crying, I went into his room and asked him what was wrong. He pointed at the window and, with all the fear a two year old could have, said "DRAGONS! DRAGONS!" I was really confused because the only dragons I could think of that he knew were the ones on PBS kids. Then I heard the yowling of cats just outside his window. Anyone who has ever heard a cat fight knows that they can sound really nasty. Duane was scared out of his mind and still yelling, "DRAGONS!" I quickly scooped him up and took him outside to show him that the kitties were making that sound. He seemed to calm down once he saw the cats. One was pitch black and lives in our apartment building and the other was snow white. The white one bolted out from under a car it had been hiding under and the black one took off after it. I told Duane not to be afraid and that kitties sometimes made ugly sounds when they got together.

It took about a half hour of comforting, but Duane did manage to get back to sleep. He felt much better after he discovered that his dragons were really cats in the parking lot.

Hi Feet

2010-05-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Duane, Avan and I all went to the park. Duane was running around and jumping on all the fun things he likes to play with. At random, he stopped at the edge of the sidewalk and the sand. He looked down at his cute little feet and said, "Hi feet!" It was too cute and I couldn't help but laugh at his creative and random spirit.

Homemade Pinata

2010-05-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

This year, for Duane's second birthday, I decided to make him a pinata. Here's what to do if you want to make your own:

First you will need some shredded up newspaper and a punch balloon blown up to a nice size. You know the kind with the rubber band on it so you can punch it over and over again? It's nicer than a regular balloon because it's more of a circle than an oval. I've even heard of people using large soda bottles and things like that.

Next you will need some water and flour and a helper. The flour and the water is for the paste. You can use something like Elmer's glue if you'd rather, but if you are making the flour paste, then you will want to mix equal parts flour and water. I mixed two cups at a time (two water and two flour) because if you make it all at once, it just sits for hours while you wait for layers to dry.

After you've made your paste, start dipping pieces of newspaper into the paste mix and laying them carefully onto the balloon. As you can see, I used a large mixing bowl to hold my punch balloon in place.

After you've finished covering your balloon with one layer, let it dry for a few hours until it's hard. The paste will stiffen up nicely.

For Duane's pinata, I only did three layers. He was turning two and we didn't want to make it too hard to break. If I were making it for someone older, I probably would have done more layers. For the final layer, I used blank children's sketch paper from Duane's sketch pad. If you use blank paper for the final layer, it will be much easier to paint.

Then we invited some of Duane's friends over to paint his pinata.

Here is the finished product!

Cloth Cubes

2010-04-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be making some soft little cloth cubes for Avan and Duane. There is a great tutorial for some here and here. It is the same tutorial, the first link leads to the picture of the cubes and the second leads to directly to the directions.

What I Wish I'd Known Before I Had Kids

2010-04-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

1) Everything you now you might as well forget

I spent a great deal of time babysitting before I got married and I was sure that I was ready for anything a baby of my own could throw my way. It turned out that I was wrong. Nothing can prepare you for the highs and lows of parenting. I learned that sometimes it takes a miracle and a lot of prayer just to accomplish one thing outside of taking care of babies. (Like laundry and dishes). Although babysitting trained me how to handle every day things like owies and fights, having my own baby was so different that there really was no comparison.

2) Schedules are designed to make you cry

While I think it's important to have a set time for things like meals and nap time, there will be days when your child will do nothing but sit and play in their crib during nap time only to fall asleep on the couch when you finally feel bad enough to get them out. In short, be prepared for your child to be your life and if you do go with a schedule, know that it can and will be swindled by your little one at any given moment.

3) It's okay to cry and, if you're anything like me, you will do a lot of it

In my situation, I am a stay-at-home mom. For me, there were times when I hit rock bottom and was sure I wouldn't make it to the next day with out going insane. There were times when I felt so alone that all I could do was cry. You will have bad days, but the second your little one smiles that toothless smile, you will remember the joy and you will find strength.

Play Day

2010-04-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Second Easter!

2010-04-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

Triple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-04-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

I love to watch Dr. Oz. I don't really get to very often, but when I do I learn something new every time. I was watching yesterday and this recipe for chocolate chip cookies came on. Apparently these cookies are made with beans instead of flour and they taste good. I'm willing to try a healthy cookie and thought I'd give it a shot. The link is here.

Added to Recipes on Thu 03/25/2010

Ingredients

Makes 20 cookies

1 serving: 45 calories

1.4 g fat

2 g protein

9 g carbohydrates

0mg cholesterol

2 g fiber

32 mg sodium

½ tsp vanilla extract

¹⁄³ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 cup canned white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp light agave syrup

3 large egg whites

1½ cups granulated artificial sweetner

¼ cup dark chocolate-covered cacao nibs

¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine vanilla, cocoa, cannellini beans, and the agave syrup, and blend the mixture until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl halfway through blending.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the artificial sweetner. Continue to beat the whites until they are creamy and nearly stiff. Add 1/3 of the egg-white mixture to the cocoa bean mixture in the food processor. Blend to combine, for about 30 seconds. In 2 batches, fold the lightened cocoa mixture into the egg whites until they are almost fully combined. Add cacao nibs to the batter. Fold batter until cacao nibs are evenly dispersed and cocoa mixture is completely incorporated.

Drop mounded spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheets. Spread batter out to form cookies about 2½ inches in diameter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookies.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans one turn halfway through baking. Using a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Lil' Shoppers

2010-04-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Early Easter

2010-03-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Pastor!

2010-03-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

Growing Boy

2010-03-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Marshmallow Fondant

2010-03-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

I'm planning on making Pastor's cake for his upcoming birthday. I found a recipe for fondant icing using marshmallows instead of the traditional way of making fondant. Here is the link, I'll post pics later, but from reading the reviews it seems like it will work great!

Baby?

2010-03-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Today, Duane found his baby with it's foot stuck under a chair. He pulled it out and said: "Baby owie!" while showing the doll to me. I said: "Did the baby get an owie? Aww!" Then Duane looked at the doll and said: "Baby's baba?" I tried to keep from laughing at how cute he is and said: "Does the baby need a baba? Okay."

I thought this was so cute and decided I'd better blog about it before I forgot.

Big Boy Bed

2010-03-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

Duane is officially a big boy now! I can't believe how much he's growing and so quickly too. He helped Pastor put the bed together and seemed to like the idea once it was in once piece, but when we put him down for bed that night, he seemed confused. I gave him his bottle and told him it was time to sleep and tucked him in. He looked at me and grinned the biggest grin I've seen on him. It was like he was just realizing his new found freedom.

After we put Duane down, Pastor and I went to watch some TV. Not even five minutes later, little Duane came out of his room in his little footsie PJ's and dragging his blankie behind him. He looked at us and smiled hugely. I put him back in his bed and this happened again and again, but on the fourth try, he stayed in his bed and fell asleep, just like a big boy.

Tonight, Duane put himself to bed. I felt bad to find him all curled up in his blanket and fast asleep. I didn't even get to say goodnight, but this was at seven, so I wasn't really expecting sleep to hit him that early. He's such a smart boy.

Food Storage

2010-02-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

Our family has yet to create a food supply that we could rely on if something went wrong. I've been thinking about this for months and have wondered how to build food storage up when we don't have very much extra money. Now that we have our tax return, Pastor agreed that we should dedicate some to starting our three month supply. I've been thinking about working at the LDS canneries a lot lately too and think it's a good way to get some things that we want. The link for the canneries is here. Hopefully we can be more on the ball with this sort of thing. The last thing I want to hear is my babies crying because they are hungry.

Diet Changes

2010-02-25T00:09:00.000-08:00

I have recently heard that high fructose corn syrup is really bad for people. As a matter of fact, Dr. Oz hates the stuff and treats it like poison. Well, I thought it would be worth it to cut it from our kitchen. Little did I know it is the glue that holds a lot of food together! Ketchup, for example, has high fructose corn syrup, so does BBQ sauce. One thing I was really surprised to learn had high fructose corn syrup was yo plait yogurt. Come people, yogurt? Really? YOGURT?? I thought that was supposed to be good for you! The only jelly I could find with out high fructose corn syrup was this itty bitty bottle that costs almost $3, so I have been eating PB&J a lot less lately. The jelly was a Smuckers brand called "Simply Fruit."

Another thing I have been trying to avoid are foods with names of things that I can't pronounce. You know what I mean, right? Those really long names of scientific chemicals and such that seem like they shouldn't be on a box of cookies? Well, it turns out they probably shouldn't.

The one other thing I've been trying to do lately is eat more veggies, which isn't really hard for me. I like vegetables, but Pastor does not. I'm going to try make him a banana spinach smoothie and see if he notices. The color will be disguised by chocolate powder, so he'll never know. I did tell him that the bag of spinach we got today was for him, but he just laughed and didn't believe me.

Smartie

2010-02-24T00:38:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I took the boys to church. Whenever we tell Duane that we're going to church, he says "Emma? Emma?!" and gets really excited. He loves his friend Emma, but sadly she was sick on Sunday and not at Church. After Sacrament was over, I went to talk to Tim, Emma's daddy. When Duane say Emma's dad, he looked at him, then looked at me and looked at him again and said, "I want to go see Emma." It was the most amazing thing I've heard Duane say! I've never heard him say more than a two word sentence and I was shocked. Tim was a little surprised too and said, "Wow Duane, that was a pretty good sentence."

Avan, being cute.

Duane, being cute.

This is not Duane and Emma, this is Duane and Daphne, another one of his friends.

Rub a dubb dub

2010-02-24T00:33:00.000-08:00

Duane really enjoyes bathtime. Every day, sometimes twice a day he'll ask to be put in the tub. He'll run in the bathroom and point at the shelf where his rubber duckies are kept and say "Ducky? Bath?" He's getting really smart with all his words.

Look out evil doers, it's super D!

Avan actually seems to like bath time as well. He kicks his legs repeatedly to make splashes.

Errand Run

2010-02-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

This is Avan being so super adorable at Office Depot that all the ladies want to steal him as their own. What can I say? We have such cute babies that they draw attention everywhere we go! Pastor and I often joke with each other by saying "What a cute baby!!" in a semi dramatic tone because we can't go out without someone saying so about both of the boys.

My Smiling Avan

2010-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

Avan has taken to smiling, laughing and cooing. He seems to really enjoy talking and says things like "Ma" and "Ga." When Avan smiles it really lifts my day. He's such a snuggly, cute little baby.

:D

2010-02-23T21:00:00.001-08:00

I am soo happy! Pastor came home from Peru after being gone for a little over a week. I know a week ins't that long but it seemed like an eternity at the time! I missed my hunny a LOT and I hope the next time he goes to Peru I can go with him. There is nothing like someone going away for a week to remind you of how much you love and need them.

While Pastor was gone, Duane would ask for him daily. He'd even go to the window and look for him saying "Daddy? Daddy?" as if calling for Pastor. Needless to say, he missed Pastor too and was really happy to see him. For the first few days after his return, Duane wouldn't let Pastor out of his sight. He REALLY loves daddy.

Great Day

2010-02-09T01:09:00.000-08:00

The most amazing thing happened today! Avan smiled at me. It wasn't one of those I'm laughing because I have bubbles in my tummy smiles. No. I cooed at him and he smiled and even giggled a little. He did it again when Pastor came home. Granted this was at one in the morning, but staying up is worth seeing a little baby smile.

To be honest, it's given me a much needed boost. It's funny how the smallest things can keep us going.

On another note, I've been loving the sun coming out, even though I haven't been able to enjoy it. At least not until today. Today was the day that we finally got to go to the park again. We haven't since two days before Avan was born and Duane was so excited when I told him to get his shoes on because we were going outside. He kept saying "OUTSIDE?! OUTSIDE?!" and "Go? Go?" It was really adorable. Avan didn't enjoy the park as much as Duane though, he was more ready for a nap than being in the sun.

Cute Skirt

2010-01-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

While I was looking for a nursing cover pattern I stumbled upon this cute looking skirt pattern/instructions. It would be nice to make my own skirts because I like them longer than the world seems to make them.

Hooter Hider?

2010-01-24T00:31:00.000-08:00

When I had Duane my grandma gave me a stylish and trendy nursing cover. I have since lost it while we were out shopping for couches. It saddened me greatly to lose it because it's been such a wonderful thing to cover up anywhere and still be modest without worrying about a blanket falling down. So I have taken my dilema to google and looked up ways to make my own. It seems simple enough, all I'd need is a large square piece of fabric with a bendy top and a strap to keep it on. I'm hoping to make one of my own and I'm also hoping it will be cuter than ones that can be purchased at the mall or online.

Here is a website to some basic intructions to making your own nursing cover although I already have some ideas of how I'd want mine to be different.

Big Brother

2009-12-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

Duane has been a really great big brother! Aside from a few hair pullings and eye pokings, he's done really well with his new brother Avan. When we picked him up from my mom's on Monday evening, he was REALLY jealous, especially when he saw me nursing Avan. Duane was MAD and cried all the way home, but the next morning, he wanted to hold and hug and kiss the baby like the previous night had never happened.

Now he always wants to hold Avan and says "bum" almost constantly. "Bum" means that he wants to sit on his bum to hold the baby. He still gets a little jealous every now and then, but he's such a wonderful older brother.

Introducing . . .

2009-12-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the newest addition to our family, Avan Jonathan! On Saturday evening, a week from today, my water broke around 11:30 pm. I was reading my scriptures in bed and heard a loud 'pop.' I was a little surprised by the unexpected sound but when nothing more happened I kept reading my scriptures. A few minutes later I had a severe cramp and thought I'd better get up and call Pastor. I stood up and the next thing I knew my legs were all wet! I called Pastor and he hurried home after calling my mom to come and get Duane from the hospital. We woke Duane and packed everything into the van then headed to the hospital. The ride there was excruciating, but I had to keep reminding Pastor not to drive like a mad man while the roads were icy. I think out of the two of us he was more nervous.

Once at the hospital, Pastor took me to the 4th floor then was told he couldn't be up there with Duane due to the H1N1. They didn't allow any visitors under the age of 14, which was really sad for me. I filled out the paperwork while fighting the waves of pain. A nurse took me to a delivery room and Pastor came up a few minutes later.

After my experience when I had Duane, I was bound and determined not to have the epidural. By the time the nurses and doctors believe that I'm in labor, it's too late for any pain medicine and they numb in enough time for me not to feel to push. By the time the nurse got me in a gown and in a bed, it was pushing 3 in the morning. The anaesthesiologist came in a little while later, by this time I was sobbing from the pain. He said if I wanted the epidural, I would have to have it right then. I wavered in my determination and said okay. He moved quickly and I was numb a few minutes after.

A little later, I felt like I needed to push. I still hadn't seen any doctor even after asking multiple times for one. My regular doctor was on vacation so they were going to call the on-call doctor. I told the nurse I felt like I needed to push. She said I wasn't dilated enough to call the doctor and that I would have to wait. All the while I was nauseated and throwing up from the meds. My sister was there and had to hold the bucket for me because even my arms were numb by then.

While I was throwing up, I felt Avan starting to come. I tried to tell my sister to get help, but couldn't say anything from the waves of vomiting. I think she saw how scared I was because she was really trying to understand what I was trying to say. The next thing we knew, we heard Avan crying. My sister ran into the hall and called for help. The nurses and doctor came and scooped Avan up off the bed. It was 4:50 am.

I, of course, was near hysterical by then. They told me that Avan weighed 7 lbs and 1 ounce and that he was 19 inches long. Pastor stayed with Avan when they took him to the nursery and my sister remained with me. I was so numb that I couldn't move my arms or legs. I couldn't even hold Avan, but I was glad that he was alright.

We stayed in the hospital until Monday afternoon. I was so relieved to leave and be home. Being a mommy of two hasn't been as scary as people have led me to believe. I thought it would be like trying to subdue a tornado, but for the most part it's been very peaceful. Everything seems to be right and that makes me feel at peace.

Avan sleeps 4-6 hours at a time and is a really good baby. When he wakes up, he needs to be fed RIGHT away or he'll let me know just what he thinks about it by screaming, but I think that's to be expected.

I'm really happy and grateful for my little family, I have been blessed far more than I deserve.

Practice Run

2009-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I finally was able to send Duane with my mom for a few hours. I've had a hard time with the idea of being away from my baby, but know that I'm going to have to be separated with him when we go to the hospital to have Avan. I didn't want Duane to associate his first time away from his parents with the day that we had Avan and I was really nervous about being away so I asked my mom if she would be willing to take Daune a few times before then just so both he and I could get used to it.

The past two Saturdays Duane has gone with his grandma for a while. The first week I struggled with it so much that my mom just took Duane to the McDonald's next to the Wal-Mart we were shopping at so I could know he was close. When we transferred Duane's car seat to my mom's vehicle and said goodbye, he cried for a few seconds then was fine. It took me a little longer. I was surprised that he didn't cry longer though, I was so sure he needed me THAT much. LOL

This past week, when we put Duane's car seat in my mom's car, he just waved bye to us and we went on our merry way. He was at grandma's house for nearly four hours and did wonderfully. He was spoiled rotten too! When we got there, he kept saying "go, go," which I think he was saying because he'd missed his nap and wanted to go home to his bed. But as we were leaving, he gave his grandparents a kiss, which says a lot about how much he loves them. Duane doesn't give kisses very often.

I was really impressed with how well Duane did and know that some of it has to do with my mom making him feel welcome and loved in her home. Thank you mommy! I think this little exercise was more for me than for Duane. :)

A B C

2009-11-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Duane learned his alphabet this past week. Yep, pretty impressive. He points at the letter A and says "o." Then he points at the letter B and says "o." Then he points at the letter C and says "o" and so on until he loses concentration.

Okay, so maybe it's a work in progress, but I think it's the funniest alphabet song I've ever heard.

Cutest Baby

2009-11-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

This morning Duane woke up in a really good mood, which was odd because he's been sick with a fever. I've been giving him baby meds to bring down the fever, but he acts completely normal! I never would have known he was sick if it weren't for the high temps.

I was still in my own bed and could hear that Duane was awake. This was around 9am. He was in his crib saying, "Baby, baby" over and over again. I usually let him play for a bit before retrieving him from his bed, it usually makes the day go smoother. I think he needs that alone time in the morning because when I get him right out, he's cranky for a while. But today I wanted to check his fever. The last time I'd given him his medicine was 3am or so. When I went into his room, Duane was still saying "Baby! Baby!" and I could see that he was pointing to his baby that he'd left on the floor. Once free of his crib, he ran to the doll and picked it up, hugging it to his chest. A string of gibbber immediately started and Duane was telling me all about life. He went into the hall and said "Daddy." Which began an instant hunt for Pastor, who had gotten up early to finish some homework.

Duane looked for daddy in our bed, which is where he normally is at that time of the morning. When Pastor wasn't there, Duane went through the place yelling "Daddy?" Pastor was located seconds later in the front room. I went and sat on the sofa next to Pastor. Duane was already rifling through Pastor's sheets of homework, gibbergabbering about one thing or another in his own language. When I gave Duane a cookie, he took one for Pastor too.

When daddy was all done with homework, he went to brush his teeth and get ready to leave. Duane was his shadow. Pastor brushed his teeth and Duane asked for his own toothbrush. When Pastor was done in the bathroom, Duane followed him to our room then back to the front room and into the kitchen. Everything Pastor did Duane wanted to do as well.

It was time for Pastor to leave and he came and gave me a kiss goodbye. Duane, hot on his heels, kissed me on the arm at the same time. He gathered up his baby, which had since been discarded on the sofa, and went to the door like he was leaving with daddy to go to school that day. I was impressed when I told Duane he had to stay home and he didn't throw a tantrum. We waved goodbye to Pastor and came back in the apartment.

Duane was such a cute shadow this morning! He really loves his daddy.

Pictures may be awhile in coming. I'm taking them but our computer isn't working. I'm using Pastor's laptop which isn't all that great for uploading pics or video. When we figure out what's wrong with our CPU we'll start uploading pics again.

Crayon Roll

2009-11-19T21:34:00.001-08:00

I think this is such a cute way to store art supplies!

Sew Easy Scarf

2009-11-18T20:57:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this scarf! I hope I get around to making one before Avan comes. :)

Christmas Songs

2009-11-02T07:24:00.001-08:00

I know, I know, I've seen people roll their eyes at how early Christmas decorations are put up in the stores or how early Christmas music is played on the radio. Maybe putting up my Christmas playlist so soon after Halloween is too early for some people, but I LOVE Christmas music. Pastor hates this time of year because I completely take over the radio. I figure two months of radio control out of twelve isn't that bad considering I let him listen to what he wants the rest of the time provided there's no swearing in the songs.

I'm sorry if my playlist is too early for anyone, but you can always press pause. :D

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T23:49:00.000-07:00

Birthday Fun

2009-10-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

Duane's Haircut

2009-10-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is after our first round of cutting hair. Duane was too upset to keep going so I gave him a bath and will have to try again later to cut the trouble spots he refused to let me touch. Pastor will be home soon, I'm wondering if he'll shoot me. What do you think?