My three sons... plus one!

I still need to take pictures of the inside of my house, but I have to post about our exciting new family member! Mostly I am posting these for Josh, since he is in Texas and hasn't seen her. Isn't she so sweet?

She is barely even one pound. She is so little that Benson thinks she is a cat. He keeps saying "meow, meow." So... one name up for consideration is Kitty.

I don't have any little girls to dress up, so I had to put her in a cute polka dot pink dress and put some bows in her hair with Karyo syrup.

See those cute bows?

The boys will barely put her down for a second. McKay and Kimball keep fighting over who has had more turns. Hopefully you can tell how little she is by the picture of the boys next to her.

So, here are the names up for debate. Let me know what you think:

Kitty

Libby

Sally

Sophie

Chloe

Mazie

Isabella (Bella)

Ginger

Oh, and by the way...

Several of you have asked what I meant about being in "limbo" around Christmas. Well, I'll post about it later... but here are some pics to wet your appetite and leave you coming back for more... hehehe

Benson is TWO!

February 23rd was Benson's second birthday. I can't believe that he is already a two-year-old toddler and not my baby anymore. Well, I take that back. He is a full-blown two-year-old, but I just can't believe the time has gone so quickly. Here is a slideshow of his Elmo birthday...

Benson has been such a joy in our family. He is a sweetheart, and a little cuddler. He is definately more shy than his brothers EVER were, and still tries his best to keep up with them. He had rough go with all his ear infections for that first year, but I am happy to say that he has been a lot more healthy in this second year. He has a habit of playing with his ears when he gets tired. I think it comes from all the miserable nights that he would be tugging and pulling on his ears, but it is funny now. He pulls on them, folds them over, sticks his fingers in them... not to mention the other things he's been known to stick in there! Ah! We love Bensy and know our family wouldn't be complete without him.

Sweet Valentine

I am going to post the slide first, so that if you don't want to read all the details you don't have to...

This year, our Valentine celebration lasted over two weekends. I thought we would be busy this weekend, so last weekend, I surprised Josh with a stay at the local bed and breakfast. We went to dinner, rented a movie and then made our way to the Landmark. When we got there, we found a HUGE jetted tub. However, it had several dead flies in it. We got a good laugh out of it, and Josh made me get in it to take a picture so that we could "use" the tub. Oh, we also had to laugh at the note they left on the bed asking guests to respect their nice bedding. When we couldn't get the DVD player to work, they moved us to another room which was actually nicer and didn't have any dead flies. Poor Josh was super excited about the sparkling cider, but the next thing I knew he was totally out. It was fun to get away for a night, have a few laughs, and get some sleep without little boys interrupting our sleep. We really enjoyed the time we had to spend together, just the two of us.
Well, this weekend ended up not being as busy as I thought it would be and so we went to my mom and dad's stake Valentine dinner and dance. Coincidentally , two other couples from our ward had been invited too! It was way funny because we are in the Ashley Stake and the party was at the Uintah Stake. We made jokes that we were party crashers. To make the day even more special, Josh brought home a dozen red beautiful roses for me. My mom and dad also gave me beautiful pink roses, but my camera ran out of batteries before I got a chance to take a picture of them for this post. My mom planned a cookie decorating party for the boys and so when I post those pictures, I'll post the pretty roses from my parents. What a great Valentines! It lasted for a whole week and we had a great time together and with friends and my parents. It has been good to be able to focus on the relationship that Josh and I share and for me to realize how lucky I am to have such a great husband.  

Let me educate you on...

BOOGERS! Sick, I know. Remember how I have three boys? Well, the other day I was trying to get Kimball to get ready for school and I noticed he needed to clean his nose. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Kimball, your nose is gross. You need to go blow it before we go to school."

Kimball: "I can just wipe it on my sleeve if it runs."

Me: "No, that is gross and it's not polite or clean. You need to take care of your self by making sure you blow your nose and clean it out with tissues."

Kimball: "Well, sometimes it's hard."

Me: "Ok, fine." (I grab a tissue) "Ok, blow your nose."

(He blows his nose, and I know there is a big nasty one up in there. Doing the disgusting things that mothers sometimes have to do, I went after it with the tissue.)

Kimball: "Ouch, Mom. You're hurting my nose."

Me: "Sorry, but if you would take care of it yourself, then maybe it wouldn't hurt."

Kimball: "Mom, I can't help it. There is dirt all over."

Me: "Kimball, that doesn't mean you can't blow your nose."

Kimball: "Mom, don't see the dirt that is all over outside? When I walk around, my shoes suck it up like a vacuum. There is a machine in my body that takes it to the straw right here. (He points to his sinuses under his eyes) Then, the straw empties the boogers into my nose. I can't help it. That's just the way the machine works."

Me:  (Silence. Really. What am I supposed to say to that?)

What does it mean to be a mom?

Ok, I checked my email today and I had this email from my Aunt Wendy. Given my recent feelings of inadequacy and constant headaches, this was HILLARIOUS and I am still chuckling over it. So... I had to post it. Let me know what you think.

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

I just wanted to say...

I don't have a lot to post, I am still struggling with this annoying headache that is coming up to three full weeks. Headache aside, this time of year is hard for me. Cabin fever sets in for me and the kids and it makes life feel chaotic. However, I have to openly admit (yet once again) that I have been blessed with such good friends and family. I appreciate the concern that you have shown to me. Even though these last several weeks have been hard for me, I am so grateful for people who take the time to give advice and words of comfort. Sometimes I struggle having the faith I need to overcome these down times. That is where Heavenly Father has stepped in and blessed me with such a great family and dear, sweet friends. Thank you.