Happy Birthday to Me!

I have had a wonderful birthday. I was having a "rememberie" (my word for happy memory) about my best birthdays. When I turned 5, Mom was expecting Holly and was 8 months pregnant and had all the neighborhood kids in Rexburg up to the house for a costume party. I remember getting a baby cabbage patch doll named Wilma Josephina.

• Next was when I turned 16 and it was my first birthday in AZ. All siblings living in Logan had signed a "birthday gourd" for me. It was a giant butternut squash (my favorite).
  
• When I turned 18 I decided I should live up being a kid and I got cheesy birthday invitations and sent them out to my friends for my dress up costume party pretending I was turning 6 yrs old. We played pin the nose on the pumpkin, had a cake walk, how many marshmallows can fit in your mouth contests, and of course spooky stories. My friend (boyfriend at the time) Rob gave me a Tickle-me-Elmo doll just as they were getting huge. I still have it and my girls are a little freaked out by it.
  
• At 19 I was living in Rexburg again, my first year at Ricks College, missing my family, and it was the first birthday I got a card from every one of my siblings. I don't remember anything else I got, but that was most special to me. It hasn't happened since, and it was just when I really needed it; It was awesome.
• 21 I was married for 2 weeks to the day. Good stuff.
• 24 we had just gotten back from Hawaii and found out we were expecting Emma.
• 25 I was scheduled in clinic in Hygiene school and my case doc patient no-showed his appoiontment. It was a crummy day.
• 29 I was awakened by my awesome sister Allison at 6 am from Minnesota wishing me happy birthday and sharing with me how she remembered when I was born, she was 10 years old and she was so excited to have a new sister. That made my whole day awesome, and so many of my other siblings and friends calling and emailing me their birthday wishes.
• Now here we are today. I don't know if I am just a "Pollyanna optimist" or just don't expect much, but I really am happy just to have happy kiddos and happy husband and anything beyond that is icing on the cake.

Home videos

Kennedy's first bath sitting up by herself. Yeah! out with the bulky baby bath and in with the sisters!!


Baby was quiet, and I checked on her and she was nodding, nodding, off to sleep.




We went to a fall festival last Saturday and here is a glimpse of costumes for Halloween. The 3 faerie princesses, they are cute as buttons! I'm so lucky!

29 on the 29th

I thought I'd post today, it being the last day I'll be 29, and it's the 29th. I love October. It is fall, and even though it doesn't show here in AZ like it does in many other places, I love the nip in the air (okay, 60 degrees is nippy, it's all relative, right?) and the possibility of comfortable family walks, and the kick-off of the best time of year--- the next 3 months! I am an optimist, and I'm okay with that, but even more so is the twitter of excitement in my bosom when I think of Halloween (and Halloween-eve, A.K.A my birthday) and then the month of gratitude with Thanksgiving and then Advent and the Spirit of Christmas. Tim tells me I'm too sentimental and "girly" but I mentioned to him today that I have been asked over the last few weeks what I want for my birthday. I know it is really corny, but I really want what I already posess. I tried one year to want it all, or even just this or that, but in actuality, I am really happy with all that I have, and if I could be given anything, it is the peace of mind to let go the piddly little things that pull me away from the objects of my true happiness:

• My family and friends
• My good health and my healthy kiddos,
• My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  

Nuts and bolts, the things that hold us together, and keep us grounded. I feel like I'm gonna start spouting some odd cliche's because it's late and my eyes are all fuzzy, but for the record, I'm grateful for being here and for each of the people that enrich my life and make it more beautiful.

Isn't this picture beautiful?

Got out the Vote

So, We finally finished filling out our early ballots, and are sending them in before the Oct 24 deadline. I usually do early ballots, but don't get them in the mail on time, so I end up dropping them at the polling place anyway. I feel like it is such a little thing, my vote, but cumulatively I hope it can make a difference. 14 days left for the count, I hope people don't just vote, but get educated and vote wisely. It doesn't take much to screw up big time, but it does take big time to fix it. Good luck, and good night.

Cookin' with Gas.... FINALLY!

So, I'll be the first to admit, we (mostly Tim) are undeniable Craigslist junkies. We are always looking for a great deal/steal/story. So last week Tim saw 3 awesome gas stove/ranges on c-list he thought were good deals, so he quickly posted our stove (GE profile ceramic cooktop oven shown) just to see if he'd get any hits. He priced it high, and we got a call, some guys came and bought it in 3 minutes (I timed it 'cause I was home on my lunch break) and suddenly we were without stove. Tim called one of the ranges he'd been eyeing... no response, 2nd one... no response... 3rd one (you guessed) no response. Yet the ads were still on c-list for 2 days, there was no email or call to say they'd been sold. Bottom line, we were without oven/range. Mostly I find this ironic because there have always been range/stoves on c-list at any given time. This week was famine! Nothing even posted! So we have been really creative with cooking. We have learned how to make Mac-n-cheese in the microwave, we've used our electric frying pan daily, and even broke out our camp stove and hooked it up outside. It wasn't so much that we didn't know how to use alternate forms of cooking, but the irony of the situation. Tim has actually been inspired to be more of a minimalist, he is curious to see what else he can do without (should I be afraid?) or find alternate uses for things, multitaskers, etc. Anywhoo, it has been a funny lesson in well, creativity, patience, fun, food storage/ preparedness, and cooking. I am grateful today for my stove. I am also grateful to know that it isn't the end of the world to not have it (just leaves a gaping hole in the kitchen). Here is a short list off the top of my head of things I am grateful for (and wonder if we could or how we would do without...( in no particular order))
*Microwave
*Toaster
*cable tv (television altogether)
*diapers
*dishwasher
*extra freezer
*sippee cups
*high speed internet
*diapers
*paper plates
*mini-van w/ dvd player
*trampoline
you get the idea.

Here are pics of our new stove, newly installed, actually new in box from previous owner, so never been used before. I haven't cooked on it yet, but I'm excited for eggs in the morning!!

Family Pictures... for real

I am super excited, I saw my friend Aften posted our pics on her photo website, and you can check them out too. She is awesome!! Aften has a talent for seeing personality and capturing it. It is amazing. Thank you so much Aften!!

Happy October!!

I love October. Candy on all the store shelves, orange is everywhere for Halloween, which I have always associated with my birthday. So this will be my month to shine. I am turning 30 on the 30th. Isn't there a name for that birthday? Like ultimate, or something. I have had 30 years to plan what to do, and well, I'm still planning. I will also be celebrating 9 wonderful years of wedded bliss to my Prince Tim. No stress on the gifts, I'm easy to please. ( a high five and a clean floor would make me giddy). I went into costco the other day, meaning in SEPTEMBER and Emma runs like a bullet down the aisle to where she can see.... a CHRISTMAS tree..... in SEPTEMBER! Take it how you may, but I remember growing up and seeing Halloween until by Birthday (or actually Halloween) then THANKSGIVING decor (the long forgotten holiday in retail because it is not a highly shopped for event) then comes BLACK FRIDAY which I don't believe in, but that's probably because I've never been on the ball enough to actually have a gift list before December. Maybe someday. Anyway, I love October because it is at least 6 months before we see raging summer heat again and we trade comfy swim temps for sleep-with-the-window-open temperatures. I'm sad to see the days get short, but I love the cozy feeling of fall. Okay, I'm officially rambling. Here are some of my latest pics of the kiddos. Emma and Audrey wanted to wash the car, so we let them sponge it off, about 30 min before a dust storm blew through. Now it's "speckled" instead of "sparkled." Audrey feels the world is her canvas, literally. She took the markers to the wall, and she had to clean it all off. Down side to that punishment is tonight after dinner she ran up to me with a colored pencil and said with all the gravity she could muster, "Audrey draw on wall" and pointed to the wall. I told her she has to clean it up, and she shouts, "Yeah!! I get clean up!!" while dancing around. I think she missed the point; or maybe I did. Next is lil' Kennedy, not so little anymore. She is sitting up almost fully unassisted. She also won't roll over to save her life, but hey who wants to look at the dirty floor anyway, I'd rather sit up too. That's the latest from this side of the keyboard.