Some relief in site!

I finally figured out why my stinking medicine wasn't working this time- it was the wrong dose! I had saved some of my Z. from when I had been pregnant with Tyli because we fought HARD to get the insurance to cover it (it's very expensive otherwise!!!) and so even though it was expired, I vowed I would still use it when it came down to me being sick or not. So, I pulled it out, and in a moment of stupor, sat daydreaming/staring at the box that last time brought me so much relief. My eye finally caught the mg # and I about cried. My new prescription was for 2mg, and my old one was for 8mg! YEA!!! No wonder it wasn't working- I was only getting 1/4 the dose that after trial and error we know DOES work!

I needed a new post....

I am getting tired of nothing new on my blog- probably like the rest of you so I thought I'd share some good news... We are having a baby!!! Yes, you read it right, I am pregnant. I've been worried out of my mind~ especially since I hit my famous 7 week mark and didn't really get very sick like I normally do. My mom reminded me that all pregnancies are different, which brought a little relief, but not much. I guess I just had to wait until my 8th week for this pregnancy because the past week or so has been a major killer for me! Also since my previous 2 miscarriages, my worry about that happening again has left a lot of doubt that otherwise wouldn't be there. FINALLY, after waiting 3 weeks since my first Dr. appointment, I had an ultrasound which showed us the baby and the baby's heartbeat. I cannot begin to tell you just how comforting it was! I read somewhere that once you see the heartbeat (or hear it), the chance of miscarriage drops to 3%. We even got those un-tellable pictures for proof. (I would post one, but really, all you can see is a little white blob amongst black.) My confirmed due date is May 2nd. We celebrated afterword at the Yogurt Jungle. Like I said, morning sickness has truly hit now, and even though I'm not down major pounds like normal, I'm down 7 since Friday. The hard part is even with knocking myself out with the meds that usually work for me and not being able to take care of my kids, I am still sick! A BIG thank you to my sis-in-laws for the help and food they've brought over!!!

I just loved this. If you haven't seen the new Reflections of Christ Project: Another Testament of Christ, please go here.

Someone's in trouble!

Yes. It happens to us all. I was upstairs working on my new calling (typing out an agenda for my meeting on Monday morning) when McKade yells out "MOM! Come look what Tyli did!" I went downstairs to this scene: cushions off the couch on the floor- relaced on parts of the cushionless couch by half of the preschool crayons (the other half were all over the floor!), an entire box of fruity cheerios (which I got for only 14 cents on my last shopping trip- thank goodness!) she had cut open with preschool scissors strewn all over (why I taught her how to use scissors at 2 years old is beyond me!), books everywhere, and of course the wii remotes which she hauls around the house in the middle. She cried because she got sent straight to her room, skipping the naughty step! More than half the crayons were stepped on, leaving them broken (I can think of great uses for those!). It's a good thing crayons are on sale for 1 cent right now at Office Max! (Limit of 3 people, but you can take them to the car and go back as many times as you want.) I would be a lot more mad except she is so dang cute!!!

My big savings!

Have you ever gone grocery shopping and saved so much money you can't sit still? That's exactly what I did last night! Sara R. and I went to Fry's amongst all the lightning and thunder after we put our kids to bed. Yes, we were gone over 2 hours, but I don't think Cauley minded once he saw all the loot and was told the final bill. (it didn't help us being gone so long that at one point all the power was knocked out in the store leaving us completely in the dark for about a minute!) Anyways, the picture doesn't do it justice- you can't even see the back of the table which was just as full! My grand total before everything started being taken off was $210.53 and once the savings started falling, I ended up with a bill of $31.23!!! Whoot whoot! I had to smile when the cashier next to us started clapping and our cashier just swore. Sara did equally well! My most expensive items were my milk, grapes, and tomatoes, which were all on sale. No, I don't do coupon sense or anything like that, I just am good at shopping the adds, and now I'm printing off coupons from on-line as well as loading electronic coupons on my shoppers card (Fry's /Smith's, Safeway, Basha's, etc.). For any of you who don't where to start, email me and I'll send you a list of electronic coupon sites as well as places to print off coupons- then, just watch the ads! Oh, and for those who are skeptical, I ONLY bought what we use and need. (Yes, we will eat all 12 boxes of cereal and I'm gonna go back today and get more cause we'll eat that too!)

***Thank you, Sara, for showing me how it's done!!!

What? I have a blog?

This past month has been CRAZY for me and my family, but I'll admit, I have forgotten I have a blog. I read all yours, but since I found Facebook, I forgot to post anything here. So be prepared for a very full post- LOTS has gone on this past month!

Dallin started school on August 5. Isn't he the cutest first grader you've ever seen? (I love how he is posed! EVERY picture taken of him he always stands funny and poses for the camera.) I have a love/hate relationship with back to school time. I love getting my routine back, and love that Dallin has somewhere to go, something to do, but I don't like it because it also means Cauley goes back to school. (he's a high school teacher, remember?) Anyways, after Dallin went back, Cauley had a few days before he too went back. Of course, we are well underway with the school year now and also the football season. Cauley's first game is next week. Good luck, Knights! Dallin is loving his new teacher Ms. Mortara, and is starting to make new friends here in this new school. His favorite "subject" is recess where he gets to play tether ball. He has already started the L.E.A.P. program this year too, which he has really enjoyed so far.

Due to a family funeral, my Grandma Ruth and Uncle John (and my Uncle Mel and Aunt Bev, but they weren't there when we visited) came down to AZ. They stayed a few night's at my Uncle Brent's home so we got to spend a Sunday evening over there catching up. It was fun meeting Erin's new husband, Derek's girlfriend, and just chit chatting with my grandma! Take a good look at the picture because I want to point out a few things:

1. McKade's broken foot. Yes, he's my same child that had just barely got his cast off his arm! How he broke it was he was feeding Chim Chim, and was holding the weight we keep on top of the dog food container to keep the beast out when Chimmy ran into him, knocking the weight out of his hands and onto McKade's foot/big toe. (Yes, the same weight Tyli dropped on her hand, breaking/smashing her fingers!) Two days later I took him to urgent care, followed by a referral to the Podiatrist who confirmed McKade had broken his big toe right up to the growth plate and also chipped a good part of the bone on top of his foot. He has to keep that "boot/shoe" on for yet another 2+ weeks (this happened over 3 weeks ago!) and he's not supposed to run, jump, swim, ride bikes, scooter, or anything of the sorts until it is fully healed. (Yah right!) The Dr. said at his last appointment that in 3 weeks we could start taking off the boot for up to an hour a day, but he'd still be wearing it on a full time basis until at least the end of October. There went the rest of our summer spent in the pool!

2. Look at my cousin Erin. (She's on the left standing right beside/behind my grandma.) Isn't she gorgeous? LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE IS! That makes me happy! She and Jason (the man standing beside her) got married this past year, and we just now got to meet him. Both Cauley and I like him. He's really nice and fits well into our family. CONGRATS EN!!!

3. Notice the skirt I'm wearing? I made it! Yes, me who isn't all too crafty- sewed! Thanks to Rachel H., I now know how to make a few cute shirts, dresses, and possibly even a shirt! Thanks, Rach!

McKade discovered a new trick at dinner one night. He saw someone do it on TV and I guess decided to give it a try. You never new my son was so talented, did you?

Master of the spoon on the nose!

This is my beautiful, growing-up-way-too-fast, "do it myself" daughter! I can't remember when we did it, but she is fully potty-trained now! One day we woke up, decided it was the day, and went for it. Girls are a little different than boys, but I wouldn't say one is easier than the other! She has now been accident free for almost 3 straight weeks! (so we must have started the first week of August?) Anyways, Tyli is such a big girl. I have never had a child so insistent on doing EVERYTHING them self! She even insists on pouring her own cereal and milk, which always ends in a power struggle and long morning for me. But she's adorable and I love her to pieces!

Tyli's toes. If you ask, she'll say "Jami painted them!" Remember back in April when I participated in The Relay for Life for my friend Rashelle who had cancer? well, the day before she was "re staged" a group of us friends got together and watched 17 Again, ate pizza, and did pedicures. So fun! Anyways, Rashelle painted my toes a bright turquoise blue and they have white polka dots, so I painted Ty's to go with mine. The best part was the next day when we got the news that Rashelle is now in Remission!!! Yay! We love you Rashelle!

Here is Tyli after she dressed herself for McKade's party. Instead of shorts, she put her little legs through the arm holes of a pj shirt! Also, notice the miss matched shoes- story of her life!

This one, like all of these, deserves a post of it's own, but I am not going to get there, so here we go: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MCKADE!!! My big boy turned 4 last Sunday! It was such a long day for me- McKade's birthday, McKade's first talk in primary (which he did so good on! He spoke very loud and clearly into the microphone and we are so proud of him!), I taught a last-minute lesson in RS, and then McKade's little family party after dinner. Talk about exhausting! Oh yes, I also got a new calling, but you'll have to wait until later for me to talk about that. Back to the party: McKade had his very first b-day party filled with lots of fun presents, yummy cupcakes and smoothies, and great company! I asked what kind of games and he said he didn't want any, so that's what we did. We started off with the healthy stuff (fruit smoothies) as we all chit chatted with each other. Then, we went to the cupcakes, and then presents. The best part was McKade was so excited to have all his cousins who live in AZ there. We even had Vincent, his 2nd cousin, who McKade informed us before he came that he'd better be there because he had "inbited" him. We love you so much, McKade, and I feel so blessed to be the mother of an adorable, sweet little boy!

For those of you who don't know who this handsome young man is, let me introduce you to my little brother-in-law, Jeff. Hands off, ladies, he's taken! "Uncle" Jeff came home for a quick stay on vacation from BYU. His girlfriend, Brittany also was here in the valley for about a week, so we got to meet her. We all got together for a big family dinner one night, and then we invited Jeff and Brittany over for dinner the next night. We think she's beautiful and a great match for Jefferson! We are so excited for them, and hope the future brings much happiness to them. My kids absolutely adore their Uncle Jeff so this is the picture we took when we went to tell him goodbye. (Dallin was at school.)

Preschool starts on the 1st of September for me. YAY! I finally got my preschool room (it's also the toy room) painted and put together. This is the shot from the doorway...

The shot from where you just saw...

The shot standing by my big walk-in storage closet, and I don't know what happened to the picture of the other wall. It is really cute though- it just has the same polka dots all over it. So fun!

Well, that's a real quick recap of this month. hopefully i don't forget about you all again because next month is gonna be just as busy!

To my old man...

I want to wish my hubby a very happy Birthday!!!

Sweet Moments like this...

My kids are driving me crazy. Maybe it's the heat, but I am just about to my wit's end with them lately. Anyways, this afternoon we went on a trip to the A.J. Library. (I LOVE that place!) We were all tired and hot driving home in scorching Arizona afternoon sun, and some of us, namely ME, weren't happy with others, namely the rest of the car's occupants, because of the rowdie and impolite behavior that was exhibited upon leaving the library. (Ok, more like a total meltdown from Ty, McKade running through the parking lot, and Dallin pushing his way through his siblings so he could "click-it" first.) Anyways, we were driving while listening to our Primary songs when the song "Families Can Be Together Forever" came on. My kids all started singing the song and a very sweet Spirit filled the car. All three of them knew both verses, and by the time the song ended, all frustration was gone. I love to hear my kids sing praises to their Heavenly Father! McKade doesn't ever sing on key, Tyli BELTS it out in her little toddler voice, and Dallin is still very shy about singing. This one hymn, however, was one of the most beautifully sung songs I have ever heard my kids sing, and I know it was sung for me at the moment I needed it the most!

It is so HOT here in Arizona...

The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
The potatoes cook underground, and all you have to do to have lunch is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs.
The cows are giving evaporated milk.
The trees are whistling for the dogs.
You no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water.
You can say 113 degrees without fainting.You eat hot chilies to cool your mouth off.
You can make instant sun tea.You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.
The temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.
You've experienced condensation on your behind from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
You would give anything to be able to splash cold water on your face.
The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!
You discover that in July, it takes only 2 fingers to drive your car.
You discover that you can get a sunburn through your car window.
You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
Hot water now comes out of both taps.
It's noon in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one person is out on the streets.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
You break a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m. before work.
No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car or not having air conditioning.
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
A sad Arizonan once prayed, "I wish it would rain - not so much for me, cuz I've seen it -- but for my 7-year-old."

*I stole this from my friend Anne's blog. (I couldn't resist!) Thanks Anne. It summes up our neighborhood quite nicely!

My Dancing Girl

Tyli loves to dance. No, she's not in any dance classes or anything, but all day long, if not asking for something to eat, she's asking me to turn on her dancing music so she can dance. Once I agree, she has to go find a dress or her "dancing outfit" (a leotard) to dance in. Most times she'll settle for a slip that is big enough to wear as an entire dress. Then she spins and twirls until she's so dizzy she can't stand up. Occasionally she's spontaneously put her hands on her hips and shake her booty. I love watching her dance- but only for a few minutes. Then it gets old. (What a boring mom I am!)

Taking a break because she's so dizzy! (in her leotard)

Dallin is 6?

I can't believe my Dallin is 6 already!

Here is Dallin and one of his best friends Cooper. They have been good friends since they were 6 months old! (6 months to 6 years- that sounds like a long time, but it has gone by FAST!)

Here are the cousins, Aunts, and Grandma who were at the party. I'm guessing Grandpa is on the other side taking pictures?

Some of the friends who came. I messed up and didn't get a picture of everyone before people left. Dallin had such a fun birthday and loved every minute of it!

My big boy will be in first grade this year. He has already lost 7 teeth and his height is finally averaging out. (He's still taller than most, but according to the growth chart, he's almost average now.) He loves to play on the computer, play Wii, ride his bike, swim, and play with his friends. His favorite sports are soccer, football, and baseball. He is so mellow it makes me laugh. (TOTAL opposite from his baby years!) Dallin can read, but doesn't like to do any schoolwork outside of school except for what is assigned. He is so excited for the school year to begin. He is a very good example for his brother and sister. I love you, Dallin. Thanks for being such a good boy and adding so much joy and happiness in our home!

A Few more pictures from our Idaho trip

Outside the Mt. Timpanogus Temple after the wedding waiting for the bride and groom. (This first one is one of my favorites!)

Uncle Grant checking McKade's arm after he fell off the bunk bed. I really like these pictures too. Thanks, Steph!

Now taking students...

It's that time of year again...Preschool sign-up time. I know most people have to sign their kids up in March for preschool, but I'm not that type. My sign-ups start as of now, but I only have 3 more spaces left, so hurry and either call or email me. Thanks!

Once again, they keep me laughing!

So McKade has become this really funny kid, who always seems to make me laugh. The other day when I was taking him to get his cast on (see post below) proved to be exception. I had dropped Dallin and Tyli off with Cauley at Higley where he works as the weight room coach for the summer. (I have no idea what his official title is!) I had to trade Cauley cars for the appointment because Ty's car seat is hard to get out and back in and it was just easier to do so. Anyways, I climbed into Cauley's little Chevy Metro and McKade chirps up from the back seat, "Are you sure you know how to drive daddy's car? First you have to roll down the window. Then, you move that stick thing all around and go!" It took me a second to figure out that he was talking about the stick shift!

Then, the other day when we went swimming, McKade looked down at his cast and announced that the Dr must have put a diaper in there because that's what it felt like. His waterproof cast is meant to swell up a little when wet, so I think that's what he meant!

And the color he chose...

Trying to show us what the cast does by standing in the darkness of the bathroom. (My camera works well in night pictures- maybe too well!)

So proud of his new cast!

All splinted up and ready to go!

If you read the post below about our trip to Idaho and Utah, you know that McKade had a rather unfortunate fall the morning of the wedding in Utah. He climbed up to the top bunk and was playing with Jeff when he somehow sat down off the side of the bed, falling all the way to the floor. We are really lucky it was just a buckle fracture and no other injuries! At least that's what the orthopedic surgeon told me- He couldn't believe he didn't have a concussion or hurt something else too. Anyways, I couldn't find a regular pediatrician who would cast it here in the SE Valley, but kept getting referrals to some orthopedic surgeons, so I resorted to that. The appointment went really well. When Dallin broke his arm 2 years ago and we had to go to an orthopedic specialist, I had to drive an extra hour to get there, then pay for all the extra x-rays they took, then wait forever to get it casted. With McKade, we drove literally right next door to his pediatrician's office, waited about 5 minutes, took off the splint, washed and lotioned his arm, and got it casted. The whole thing took 15 minutes- maybe. The only disappointment (for me!) came when he got to chose the color. There was just about every color of the rainbow to chose from, but McKade had his little heart set on "light" green. There were 2 that were light green so we chose the darkest. They both happened to be glow in the dark too. Cool! Or so I thought. Little did we know that meant it only glows light green! So McKade got a white cast that really does glow in the dark! I thought he'd be a little disappointed with the whiteness, but as soon as the Dr. was done, he closed the door and turned off the lights so McKade could see how well it works. My little guy thinks it is the coolest thing ever! It's hard keeping him out of the bathroom where there are no windows and so it glows really well. Being white, (and 2 days later) it's already starting to get dirty. (It's going to be a long 4 weeks!)

THE COOLEST PART ABOUT HIS CAST... It's waterproof! Yes, you read it correctly! McKade even went swimming, fully immersing his cast for about an hour yesterday. I love it! (In fact, we're heading outside to set up the slip&slide here in about 5 minutes! The downfall with the waterproof is, we HAVE to go swimming in a chlorinated pool at least every third day. (Taking 3 young kids who LOVE the water swimming is hard work!) I guess the chlorine helps clean it, as does the weekly washing with soap and water. McKade REALLY wants to go swimming at night time and turn off the lights so his cast can glow under the water like a fish.

Ironwood/Ocotillo, Queen Creek, AZ | Powered by Postlets

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It's good to be home!

I love that we get to go to Idaho and visit my family twice a year! We made our trip early this year so we could also attend Amy's, Cauley's cousin's, wedding. I didn't believe my sister and mom when they kept saying that they were getting so much rain, but even the drive up to Idaho proved me wrong! Everything is so much greener than I remember it ever being! It rained every single day we were there, sometimes never stopping, just letting up every now and then. It was definitely chilly even for a June in Idaho!

This is the real reason I went- to see my new handsome nephew, Weston Scott Foster. Please excuse the nakedness- it made him very happy! He is 3 weeks old in this picture, and such a darling little guy!

Cauley took the boys over to the "dirt hills" during an unusual spot of dry weather. He let them get as muddy as they could before he gave them a bath with my mom's hose. They did an all right job, but I think they could have gotten dirtier.

This is my Grandma Ruth. She just celebrated her 90th birthday almost a month ago. My kids love going to visit her and still talk about her "frozen" cookies!

We had so much fun! Make sure you check out the posts below to see more of our adventures. After the zoo, we did stay in Utah with a bunch of Cauley's family in a house we rented for the weekend. Everyone was there because of Amy's wedding which was BEAUTIFUL! I neglected to take any pictures the night we got there. The next morning was the wedding. I got up early to shower, and just as I was finishing getting ready, I heard my kids wake up. They played around for a while before I heard a LOUD thud and then McKade start to scream. I ran upstairs to find that after waking, he had climbed up to the top bunk to be with "Uncle" Jeff. McKade went to sit down and missed the bed, falling all the way to the floor backward. He had put his arm back to stop himself, so I'm sure you've guessed by now what happened. An hour after his accident, we went to an urgent care where they quickly got everything taken care of. He has a buckle fracture in both his bones a little below his wrist. They put a temporary cast on it for now until the swelling goes down and then he gets his cast on Wednesday. Anyways, we had our camera at the temple, luncheon, and reception, but with me being worried about McKade, I neglected to take any pictures. Sorry!

This is a picture of us almost home from our vacation. We had to go pick up our "puppy", Chim Chim from his "vacation" before we returned home. He loves to sit on Dallin in the car. The kids wouldn't leave him alone. If you look careful, you can see the "splint" on McKade's left arm. I promise pictures of it later.

Best Friends

It is nice having a twin sister. It's even nicer having a twin sister who had a daughter exactly 2 weeks after I had my daughter. I was a little nervous as to if they'd both get along, as they both have very big tempers and think that they, and they alone, are the princess of the family! My worries were for naught. They became best friends as soon as we pulled up. I am very amazed at how two 2 year olds played so well with each other! They would play dress up, babies, doggies, trains, dance to music uncle Scottie made them, and at times, just sit and giggle with one another. I loved just sitting and listening to them play. When the "mines" started, they were easy to negotiate with.

Here they are playing guitar hero (while the boy cousins played Mario Cart). Don't they look good as "rocker chicks?"

This is a picture of Tyli sporting my mom's high heels while taking a break and watching some TV. Brooklynn showed TyTy where to find them and then they'd try every pair on and then walk around the house in their "shoes." Their favorite was walking on the hard kitchen floor because they'd make loud sounds. I think we (they) cleaned up high heels just about every hour each day. Even after we cleaned and went home, my mom found pairs of her heels in my brother's closet that the girls had left there when they were playing on Uncle Scotties bed.

Family Hike

There can be a lot of downtime whenever we go to Idaho, so we are always trying to come up with things to do to occupy our time. Since there's not a lot to do in Pocatello, we have to be creative. This time I decided we should go for a hike up around Cherry Springs. It had been raining for a long time, but it was still fun! Here is our first area we explored. The kids loved being near the running water!

We learned how afraid of worms McKade is earlier in the week. Well, his fear of snakes is parallel. We were hiking and he'd scream and jump every time he saw a worm. We were getting ready to cross this bridge and Dallin was scared because he thought there would be a water moccasin in the stream. Just as we had him convinced that no water moccasins live in Idaho, McKade screamed "SNAKE!" We thought he saw another worm, but we found what he was pointing at just as the back end slithered in between some rocks. We told them what kind of snake it was, and later when they were telling my mom and dad, they told them they found a "gardening snake." You can see how worried Dallin is in this picture after the snake went away.
We ended up seeing another snake a little further down the path. Good thing they were little ones, or I'm sure my kids would have found out how terrified of snakes I am too!

We found these huge leaves a little off the path. It started raining so we used them as umbrellas. We barely made it to the car before the big downpour and hail started.

Hogle Zoo

Sorry but the pictures in this post are crazy out of order. Oh well. This first picture is of Tyli and Brooklynn saying goodbye to each other when we left the zoo. They were too cute together!

Cauley and McKade being themselves! The three amigos on board the train. You can't go to Hogle zoo and not ride the train! (oh yah, you see Jeni and Brooklynn too.)
A daddy/daughter moment waiting for the bird show.
Us feeding all our "animals"

This is the souvenir we chose to get Scott, my brother because he couldn't come. Everyone tried it on and we have a picture of everyone in it, but McKade was so funny thinking he had to put his other hat on top.

I told you all the pictures were messed up. Here's the family walking to the entrance gate, all excited for our zoo adventures!

Carson and McKade showing us the tiger sleeping right next to the fence.

Good thing we ride the train last- McKade looks exhausted!

My kids have been begging us to take them to the zoo since we didn't make our annual Spring Break trip to Tuscon. Being the mean mom that I am, I made them earn their way to go. They have worked so hard the past few months earning money by helping me out around the house, and Dallin also contributed by losing 2 more teeth. (No, we didn't use their money they earned to pay their admission, but they don't know that. It all went into their savings.) Anyways, we decided to make a family trip out of it and invited anyone in our families who wanted to join us to do so. It ended up being just my (entire) family, minus my brother who went. We had so much fun!