we were gone for a while

I only blog when we've done something amazing.  And the past two weeks have been pretty amazing!

 

I took the kids and went to St. George for a week to play with my parents.  I'm selfish like that ;)  Its warm there!  We were shorts and flip flops and got sunburns.  I can't wait for summer!

 

 

 

Then we met James and his family in Hatch.  His parents have land and a cabin there.  We've decided to build a little bunkhouse next to their cabin.  So we're working on that.  I'm lucky to have a strong, talented husband who can build ANYTHING!

 

 

6 in the temple

We were in St. George last week...with my whole family!  That's right - my five siblings and our spouses and our children and my parents were together...for my brother, James's wedding.  He's the best brother in the world.  And it was awesome to be there.  He's the last child in our family to get married.  And he sealed the deal - all 6 of my parents kids were married in the temple.  I'm pretty proud of us :)

It was an awesome weekend. Thursday was the wedding. And it was filled with pictures, matching clothes, tears of joy, lots of laughing, old friends, LOTS of family, and yummy food.   Everyone thought Paige was the cutest thing ever and Porter just talked away.  I absolutely love his wife, ShaeLee and I'm excited she's apart of our family.

 

After the wedding we spent the rest of the weekend partying. Swimming, hiking, playing in the sand dunes. It was amazing. And warm. Why oh why do I live in a place that has winter? 

I'm sad we don't all live closer. One day?
 

 

the greatest sound in the entire world

Wanna know what I think is the best sound ever?  Porter's pee going into the toilet.  Yup.  Pretty sure my son is potty trained.  It happened like this...

The past few months, all of Porter's friends were being potty trained.  Kids younger, kids older - they were all wearing underwear.  I started stressing.  I finally decided we would do it after Christmas.  I waited an extra week and then went to the store for Porter to pick out his potty and underwear.  He chose Thomas underwear and a Cars potty.  We came home and I had this whole "plan" for the next day.  He really really REALLY wanted to wear the underwear that very day.  So I thought "Hey, why not, we'll try it."  I put on his underwear and then had 5 hours of accident.  He didn't go in the potty once and I was really frustrated by bedtime.  I concluded he wasn't ready and I wasn't going to push it.

He was back in diapers the next day and he didn't even question it when I put it on.  However, I started "scheming."  We talked about peeing in the potty a lot over the next couple of weeks.  We checked out books and movies from the library, admired his friends who wore underwear, and the list goes on and on.  I bought this AWESOME train track with a parking garage.  It was going to be the "potty trained award".  Porter watched me buy it and kept asking for it.  I told him that when he went in the potty, he could play with it. 

And then Monday morning we started again.  I'm telling you - it was like magic.

He had 3 accidents in the morning and then was dry the rest of the day.  He even pooped in the toilet!  Everytime he went he got an M&M, a sticker for his chart AND he got to call someone to tell them.  We're all about rewards in this house.  At bedtime, I tried telling him he needed to wear a diaper to bed.  He informed me that he did not wear diapers anymore, just underwear.  So I put him to bed in his Thomas underwear.  Twice in the middle of the night I went in to check him and he was dry.  

About 6:45 Tuesday morning, James was getting ready for school and quickly woke me up, I sat up and looked into the bathroom.  Porter was pulling down his pants, then climbed onto the toilet and peed!!!!!  I'm not even kidding you.  We got out the train track first thing that morning.

Porter is potty trained :)

thoughts from me

Our life is pretty normal right about now.  James is in his last semester of college - yes!  I play with, discipline, clean up after, and take care of our children.  I feel like I have twins.  But I'm sure that's how anyone feels who has more than one child.  Especially when those children team up together.  Porter and Paige go from room to room causing chaos; emptying drawers, cupboards, pulling off cushions and blankets.  It just never ends.  Sometimes its hilarious and other times extremely frustrating!  The house is never all clean at once. 

 

Porter is my first and because of that I experience everything with him first.  I would have never thought he'd be comfortable staying at someone's house without me.  Earlier this week he wanted to stay after our playdate had ended to watch Cars with his friend.  The mom said it was okay and I hesitated.  Leave him at a friends house to play - without me?  I'd never done that. (I know, I'm that overprotective, worrisome mother) He really wanted to stay.  So I let him.  The whole two hours at home I stressed.  When I finally went back to get him I was so excited to see him!  When he saw me he said, "I don't want to go home!"  So obviously playing at a friends house without me is just fine.

 

Paige is a stinkin' doll.  James would do anything for her and she knows it.  When I won't pick her up (because I'm making dinner or helping Porter) she'll run to find James.  It's so cute.  She also can scream like you wouldn't believe.  And she does it all the time.  If she trips, drops something, Porter gets in her way - she screams.  And it's so loud!

 

My friend wants me to run a half marathon with her.  I started training and I really want to do.  Hold me to it okay?  Ask me how my training is going - push me to do it.  Because I really want to do it.

 

And that's it.  Sorry no pictures - I've been really bad at that lately.  I'll try harder. Promise. (Because I know my parents want to see pictures.)

 



kim - i stole your idea

My friend Kim is ready to have a baby anyday now.  And she keeps posting the most clever blog posts.  Maybe she doesn't mean them to be, but they're hilarious and really make me think.  Her post today was about the two books she's read lately.  She joked about how she doesn't read a lot of books.  

And I thought...freak I read a lot of books, I could totally post about the books I've read lately.  So, my awesome friend Kim, I stole your idea.  Hope you don't mind...and hurry and have that baby! :)

(And to my sister Rachelle who is HOPEFULLY in labor now, I can't wait to see pictures!)

What I've read in the last few months:

(Disclaimer - I'm on this really weird YA fiction kick lately.  I don't know if it's my desire to be an irresponsible, play all the time teenager, again or if I just love the clean, cute love stories.)

Divergent:

It's awesome.  I love books about people who take a stand against what they feel is wrong.

Matched and Crossed:

Again...awesome.  Clean, cute love story intertwined with taking a stand

Heaven Is Here:

I'm slightly in love with this Mom blogger who survived a plane crash.  I love reading her thoughts about the gospel and about her accident.  You should read it.

Unbroken:

I love history; especially WWII.  I love even more what helped the main character overcome everything.

The Maze Runner series:

I kept reading it thinking it would get happier...(sorry spoiler alert) but it just didn't.  But I still enjoyed the rush of it all.

And I'm waiting for the 2nd in the Divergent series, the 3rd in the Matched series, and just put on hold Hell Above Earth - another WWII story.  Anymore suggestions?  What are you reading?!  Tell me!

december was awesome

I'm positive all of my blog posts sound the same.  We did this and then this and it was awesome.  Sound familiar?  Sorry my writing is so predictable, cheesy and on the level of a 5th grader.  And on that note...

December was busy.  Several evenings we drove the kids to sleep while looking at lights.  We held a few different "craft nights" where the kids threw paper and string everywhere while James and I pieced together ornaments or decorations. We listened to Christmas music through all the chaos.  Awesome.

 

We spent a weekend in Draper with James's family.  We rode the front runner to Salt Lake and walked around Temple Square.  Luckily it wasn't super cold yet and so it was enjoyable.  Porter had a lot of fun playing with his cousins who he asks about frequently.  No pictures - I forgot the camera!

My parents came for Christmas and okay seriously, it was awesome!  It snowed the whole week of Christmas.  We watched movies, drank hot chocolate, played games, and ate a ton.  I made a huge platter of appetizers for Christmas eve and then a turkey dinner on Christmas day.  On Christmas Eve in the middle of a blizzard we drove to Hardware Ranch - a little farm for the elk in the area.  It was FREEZING!  The second we got out of the car, I started to complain.  And by the time the sleigh ride was over I couldn't feel my legs or toes.

 

we didn't have a sled so James improvised - the kids did not like it.  Can you tell?

Christmas Eve we opened pajamas and a griddle for Christmas morning breakfast!  My parents were surprised they got jammies - if you come to my house for Christmas, you better believe you're getting jammies!

Christmas morning was wonderful.  James and I made a huge breakfast which we had to eat before we opened presents.  It's a tradition from James's family which at first I hated and kept trying to convince him we didn't have to do it.  But I REALLY enjoyed it this Christmas morning so I guess we'll keep it up. :)

And then we opened presents!  James surprised me with a keyboard - which I've been talking about for a few years.  He rocks. 

A few days after Christmas we drove to St. George for New Year's.  It was nice to spend a lot of time with my parents since we see so little of them throughout the year.

  I'm stoked for the new year!  My older brother is getting married in 6 weeks.  And I have a long list of goals that I'm determined to accomplish this year.  Ya know the normal ones - lose weight, exercise more, and a new one - learn how to french braid my own hair!

merry christmas