Random Stuff

Well, I just spent the last half hour or more just reading emails sent by Alex's family. Crazy. It made me realize that I need to do more blogging about my "day to day" things. So that is what this post will be.

This last weekend was good. It was nice to see Alex's family for a little bit. Dejah really loves her cousins and doesn't get to see them too often. The kids had fun at the BBQ just running around and playing. I was kind of bummed that it was so short. Everyone had somewhere to go that evening. Lucky for Alex, his Dad and Brothers came over to our house to watch the Football game, so that was fun for him.

Sunday was the Baby Blessing. Our church meeting time changed from 9 to 10:50. That SAVED me! There is NO WAY I could have gotten all the kids and myself out the door in time.

Since summer has kind of come to an end...so has our swimming adventures. Dejah has been asking over and over if we could take her swimming. The biggest problem is that all the pools are closed except for the ones in gyms. We don't have one in Kuna or even very close. Monday I decided we needed to do that for the kids. So when Alex got home we quickly packed up the swimming suits and drove about 20mins. away to the YMCA. Oh my goodness you should have seen the grins on the kids faces! They had a BLAST! Of course I sat out as usual. I can't get in pools yet. Soon though, I hope. Then Alex can have more fun. He ends up just preventing Logan from drowning, which isn't too fun. Dejah has become quite the swimmer. She'll do summer-salts under water and jump off the edge and be all over the place. I love it! It would be fun to put her on some kind of swim team, but like I said before, we don't have any pools close by. After swimming we grabbed a bite in the car and went home.

Today I had my 6 week follow up with my Dr. We discussed Birth Control options. I really really want the Marena IUD, but its going to cost me almost $1000 out of pocket, so we need to save up. In the mean time he suggested the mini pill. The hormones are way less, but I am going to have to be EXTREMELY faithful in taking it at the same time EVERY day. I just don't want to go "crazy", so hopefully this works until I have enough money saved.

In other "stuff". I'm going a little stir crazy. I feel like I "define" the term "Stay-At-HOME Mom". That is really what I do. I clean house, feed kids, change diapers and repeat that around the clock. My only outings are for grocery shopping, which isn't too fun with all of my kids. I am extremely due for a day off. I'm almost tempted to hire someone for the day to watch my kids just so that I can get out. And I'm talkin'...the WHOLE day. I want to go shopping. I want a mani-pedi. I want to go to lunch AND dinner!...and if I could wing it...I would also reserve a hotel room and watch a movie and get a long solid night sleep where I could sleep in and order room service. Now that would be nice. For now I will just do what I do, because I love my kids and would rather be here than out in the work force.

Lexi's Blessing

Sunday was Lexi's blessing day.

My Mom has made all the Grandaughters blessing dresses.

We love you Lexi! We are thrilled to have you in our family.

BBQ With The Beals

This weekend was the weekend of Lexi's blessing. Since Alex's family is so big and mine is getting big it just works out better to have dinner with the Beal side the evening before the blessing. So Saturday afternoon we gathered at a park to BBQ. Here are some pictures of the fun.

If it was within Logan's reach...he was into it.


Dejah and her cousin Ruth.

Here is Gabe and Christy's baby Spencer. He has the funniest little laugh ever!

Here are the babies! Spencer, Gabby, and Lexi.

Fun Times!

Transformation

I've been thinking a little about my life. Isn't it amazing the transformation you take when you become a mother?! I was thinking back to High School. I was all about my music! I dreamed of being a professional singer, dancer, and performer. I graduated and got "conned" into becoming a dental assistant...thanks Mom ;) During college I gained some kind of self confidence that I didn't have in High School. I had awesome friends and we were always up to some kind of new adventure. Bon Fires, Ski Trips (snow and water), Camp outs, road trips, tons of dances...some clubbing, all kinds of craziness. I got a taste of what it was like to get "glances" from guys (something I didn't really experience in High School). I had "transformed" into someone trying to impress. It was all about the friends, the clothes, the guys, the fun. A couple years of that and everyone started moving on and getting married. I wasn't finding fulfillment anymore. I made a decision that would change my life forever which was to serve a mission. That year and a half will always be deeply imprinted within me. I came home with no real direction. The friends were gone and I found myself going from place to place. I dated, I made new friends. A couple years of that and I finally meet my Perfect guy Alex. We dated. I dressed up cute and he treated me like gold. When we were hitched we spent our first summer just having a blast! Into the Fall and we got a little surprise. Onto a new transformation. We moved out of the state and life took a huge turn. I never knew what it was like not to work out of the home. I didn't really know what to do with myself, especially while Alex was away at work. This new thing called Motherhood was definitely a challenge. I was no longer free to do as I wanted when I wanted. A couple years of that I learned so much. Transformation. I can't believe how time flies. Here I am, a mother of four. Wife to an Amazing husband who loves and cares for me and the kids. Instead of dressing up cute, most days I spend my days wearing sweats, undone hair kept in a ponytail, and NO Make-up. My sweats are covered in boogers, spit-up, and food from the kids dirty faces. My toes are unpolished, and jewelry is a past tense. But I wouldn't trade being a Mother and being at home with them for ANYTHING!

The Farmstead

Our friends Jim and Hillary Lowe own and operate The Farmstead Corn Maze here in town. With Fall quickly approaching so does "Corn Maze Season". Its been kinda crazy. It was just a month and a half ago all of us Ladies were chillin' by the pool with all our monkey kids. My baby came, school started and all the Moms schedules changed. Analee started babysitting again, and Hillary got busy with the corn maze. It feels like a complete turn around. I've really been missing my girls! Anyway, today we went down to the Farmstead to see how its been coming and provide oodles of children while the media take video and stuff. It was fun for the kids to get out and run around. SPEAKING OF RUNNING AROUND.....the ponies got out!!! AHHH! I guess one of them thinks he's pretty smart and pushed the gate open. They took off running and the excitement began. Have you ever seen anyone try to catch a chicken?? Well it was pretty much like that. Everyone (except me and all the kids) went chasing after the horses. They were everywhere! Finally they got them cornered and one by one got them back in their pin. I'm tellin' ya, there is always some kind of excitement with this group...from poop at Carl's Jr., urine covered slides at Burger King, watching a man's trunk on fire, or chasing horses, it is always a good time! Here are some pictures I took.

The Jumping Pillow...seriously I want one of these!

Analee sporting her new black hair and holding my emotional basket case Mycah! LOVE it!

That building there in the distance is the "Corn Box", kind of like a sand box. Now it was this thing that kept the kids entertained the most. I don't know how long those kids were over there, but afterward they were FILTHY FILTHY FILTHY! Covered in corn dust! It was awesome. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures. Needless to say, we got home and they went straight to the shower.

The Maze opens this Friday. Here is the link to their website. Go on there and get a coupon! http://www.farmsteadfestival.com/

Good Times!

Our Week

I would say that last week was pretty much a typical week. Not too much excitement going on here. It seems like my days just blend into one big blur. Every three hours I stop whatever it is I am doing and feed little Lexi. Between that I am either cleaning my house or feeding kids. I feel like I am in constant Marathon Mode. There is ALWAYS laundry to be done, dishes to wash, stuff to pick up and someone to be fed. I don't know how you "super moms" out there even do it. Its all I can do to keep up with the basics. About once a day I try to get some time in checking emails and reading blogs. That's usually my biggest "break" in the day. Toward dinner time my "marathon" kicks in full speed getting dinner made, kids fed, dishes done, last clean-up of the day, kids in bed, Lexi fed and down...then I pretty much crash around 10. Some days I get out of the house to run errands, but for the most part, that is my day in a nutshell.
Saturday was the BSU vs. Wyoming Football game. We didn't have the channel that was broadcasting it so we bumped up our Dish package for the game, then bumped it back down when it was over. I was looking forward to just kicking back and watching it with Alex. I even made hot dogs, pasta salad, queso dip, brownies and other stuff. What a flop for me. It was WAY too much work. The house was a mess, and all I wanted to do was get it cleaned, get the kids in bed and crash. No game for me. It looks like I need a new evening routine cuz ours is crazy.
Anyone out there have a COLD? Well, its hit our house. Of course, the first ones to get it are my babies. Logan is sporting a disgusting runny nose that needs constant wiping. Lexi can't breathe. Her eyes are all red. She coughs and sneezes and just isn't very happy. What do you do for a baby so young? Fun times. Lets hope we are all done with it by this weekend.

Which Way to Choose

What a difficult decision. I just don't know which way to go. So here is the deal. I have four lovely children. They are a joy in my life. Yes, there are those many times I must complain. I mean, raising kids is no easy task, but regardless, I can't imagine life without them. So last year when Logan was just over four months old we had an "unexpected whoopsie". I was fertile, I was not on birth control, and two weeks later my pregnancy test turned positive. Apparently our little girl didn't want to wait for me to be READY AGAIN. So, here she is and I love her to bits. Well, here I am again. Faced with the decision to choose a form of birth control. Last year, I chose none. Reason: THE PILL MAKES ME CRAZY. Ok, maybe not literally, but I know when I'm on it I feel more depressed, NO sex drive, pretty much a MOODY Queen. Every time I give it a try, the results are the same. I will be honest, I don't want to have more kids. How could I say such a thing??...I love my babies! I sometimes wish time would slow down. It even makes me sad when I see my tiny thing grow so fast. Who wouldn't want just millions of these tiny sweet spirits? So, it has nothing to do with those things. What it does have to do with is this: First, Affordability; We strive to provide the necessities for the ones we have. I don't want to rely on government to do that for me. Alex does his best, he has three jobs, and does a fantastic job being our provider. Second, House; We bought this house as a starter home. We had one child, now we have four. We are caught in the housing crisis, and because we care about our credit and living up to our "obligations", we are here to stay. We are squished, but we will survive. Third, Me; Can I be more selfish? I am 32, Alex is going on 37. I suffer with terrible varicose veins. And pregnancy just does not suit me. I just want to feel physically well so that I can play with and raise my kids. So decision time is here.

What form of Birth Control to use? I can't afford another "whoopsie" (although I'm really glad she is here). The pill? Do I just keep trying different ones till I fine "the best one"? Condoms? (that won't work) I was going to choose the IUD, but our insurance doesn't cover it, so it will cost us $850 out of pocket. So there are the more "permanent" choices. Vasectomy or getting tubes tied. Both covered by our insurance. I don't know why, I just don't want to do anything permanent. (Lets not take this to mean I want more kids). It just makes me nervous. So I want to know from any of my readers what would you do? If you've had the Mirena IUD, did you like it? How did the hormones affect you? Would you pay that much out of pocket?

Lexi Is One Month Old!

I can't believe it! One Month?

Here is a little about our sweet little Lexi.
She is definitely sweet. I don't know what it is, but you just know.
She is not a fussy baby. For the most part, she only gets fussy when she is hungry or tired.
She sleeps really well. We are trying to get on a schedule that works and she seems to adapt well.
Her eyes are a dark baby blue. Not quite sure which color they'll be in the end. She has the cutest fat cheeks and the skinniest little legs and feet. Her toes could seriously pass as fingers too. Her hands are very dainty with long skinny fingers. Her right ear is smashed and she has no eyebrows. Her lips are small and so kissable. We all love her! I wish I could just sit and snuggle with her more, but alas, she has three needy siblings that keep me too busy. I'm pretty sure she prefers being laid down anyway, because she gets squeamish when she's tired and I'm holding her. When she sleeps she searches for something soft to put her face against, so I put a little blanket right up to her face and she nuzzles right in.
Here are some pictures I took of her today.

Throwing Out My Neck

Monday was Labor Day. Alex had the day off. We had plans to finally get out with the kids. I was feeling really good and was really looking forward to having some fun family time. The morning started off good. The kids were in a really good mood. I was sitting down just watching the kids play. Logan came running up to me. I put him on my lap and started to play with him. As I was nuzzling his neck and chin with my nose, my neck suddenly seized up and my muscle in my right shoulder area felt pinched and started spazzing. I couldn't move and quickly made my way to the bed hoping if I relaxed it would let up. It hurt to lay down, It hurt to move. I was "paralyzed" by the pain. I was pretty much in tears. I had Alex get a hot pad under my neck and shoulder. After a while I realized it wasn't going to let up. After talking to my Mom on the phone I decided I'd better try to get ahold of a chiropractor. Now this is something I've never done. In fact I'm kind of a big sceptic of chiropractic care. A long time ago I was seen by a chiropractor for a "free exam". He took xrays and gave an assessment. He suggested "fixing" the curve in my spine and neck by a long series of visits that would happen over a year. I know some people buy that, but I personally believe the best "fix" is to keep your pain down by stretching and exercise. I don't believe there is ANYONE with a perfectly shaped spine. With all that being said, I do believe that Chiropractors have their place and really help a lot of people. So here I was, immobilized by A TON of pain. I was angry because this pretty much screwed up my WHOLE day! I got ahold of Dr. Hold from church and they got me right in. So all this week and next I am going in for adjustments. He got me mobilized, but I am still in pain. Hopefully by the end of next week I can be back to somewhat normal. It is really hurting today, so my goal is ICE, Ibuprofen, and an attempt not to overdo myself. Anyway, its been hard because I'm constantly having to bend over or carry babies which I'm sure isn't helping the problem. I hope this chiropractic stuff works. Here is a picture of the area that HURTS...minus the arm.

My Little Tornado

He is ALL boy!

Can I just say...I LOVE my little boy! I feel so blessed to have him. With that being said, OH MY GOSH...try to keep up. He keeps me running around like a crazy woman. There are not enough locks, doors, or barriers to keep him out of things. If the bathroom door is opened he is for sure into the plunger, the scrubber, the toilet paper, and if the toilet seat is up...he will make a mess with toilet water. If the pantry door is opened he will pull garbage out of the garbage can. If my bedroom is opened he will start pulling books off of book shelves, shoes out of the closet, and underwear out of drawers..then drag them across the house. The other day I had HAD IT when it comes to picking books up in his room! I finally had to put all the kids books in a drawer that he couldn't get into. If he goes outside, I guarantee he will find his way to some dirt. My flower boxes not only get used by the stupid neighbor cats as a litter box, they also get dug into by a very energetic baby boy...YUCK! I'm thinking its time to get rid of those things. They have just become more of a burden than a joy. Oh the list goes on, but I think he is so cute and so fun. He is really at that age that I LOVE. Right before the terrible twos. He has crazy bow-legs and huge fat thighs. Big brown eyes. Blondish Brown hair. Fat hobbit feet. And he squeals like a little bird when he wants food. If it has an engine or wheels he is all over it. He is a joy and lots of fun. I love my boy!

Sick?

It all started last Monday. Dejah went to her first day of school. She came home complaining that her tummy hurt. I told her to lay down and watch a movie. Then she again told me she was going to "spit up". I helped her to the toilet where it all came out. She basically threw up all afternoon and into the night. The next day she was fine. Back to her normal self. I thought that was pretty random.

A couple days later, Logan woke up. Alex went in to get him and he was covered in puke. Sometime in the night he must have thrown up and we didn't know it. We spent all morning cleaning him and his "mess". He didn't have a huge appetite that day, but acted totally normal. I thought that was pretty random.

A couple days later while visiting Alex's parents in Arco, our little baby Lexi started throwing up her bottle. She couldn't keep it down. I was also lucky if I could get her to even eat 2 ounces. Randomly she broke out in some kind of rash on her face too. That went away. All this felt pretty random, but I was wondering if my kids had some kind of stomach flu.

Monday, all my kids were back to normal. I even threw out my neck playing with Logan which sent me straight to the chiropractor. (that is a different story to tell) But in all my kids were good. No fussiness, No puking, No fevers, totally happy and content. Lexi was starting to eat more and hadn't thrown up anything since the night before. We had a great evening watching the game with Alex's brother and Family, kids went to bed great.

Now today, Logan woke up VERY fussy. He didn't want breakfast...NOTHING. Alex put him back to bed. I got him out of bed at 9:30 and he was still very fussy. He drank a bottle of milk then just screamed at me all morning. I gave him a bath then laid him on my bed. He watched Curious George for an hour then fell asleep. Mycah woke him up and he was still fussy. I decided to give him some Tylenol. He went straight back to bed and has been sleeping ever since. Seriously, he has been asleep ALL DAY. He is not puking, he doesn't even seem feverish, but he is definitely sick.

What is going on in my house???

4 Kids=Crazy

Do you know how hard it is to get a good picture off all four of my kids??

Well, I finally got an ok one. It is a little out of focus, but I'll keep it.


Here is what it was like most of the time...

For Labor Day weekend we decided to go visit Alex's home in Arco. The kids always love going to the farm to see Granny and Grandpa. They love the four wheeler, the dogs, all of it. Dejah said the best part for her was playing with Uncle Keaton. Lucky for us he was still there because Keaton and his twin sister Kelsey are both headed off to college and leaving home. Alex's parents will officially be empty-nesters! I hope they survive. They have basically been raising their kids now for 38 years! Wowzers! Thanks Shelley and Seth for having us!

Repeating Kindergarten

School is officially underway, and Dejah is repeating her Kindergarten year.

I'm not a very good mom when it comes to sitting down with the kids to teach them reading and math skills. For some this may come real easily. For me it just isn't. When Dejah was little we worked on those things, but it is something you have to keep up with. As life got busier and we added more kids, things like "schooling" just didn't happen. A lot of kids now-a-days go to preschool which really helps get them on course for Kindergarten, but preschool costs close to $100 or more a month for two or three days of preschool. Not something we could afford. Well anyway, Dejah's FIFTH birthday was on the first day of school last year. She just barely made the cut. I sent her knowing she would be a bit behind. The school was great. They had Dejah in extra little classes to help her along. She learned real quick. I was very impressed. At the end of the year I debated on holding her back. Do I really want my 17 yr old High School Grad. leaving to go to college? It just seemed right to have her repeat Kindergarten. School has started and she is now able to write letters, numbers, small words. I think this will be better for her. So far its going good. I'm not sure I like this MONDAY, WED, every other FRIDAY schedule though. Today Dejah was hungry (she didn't eat her lunch) and she was tired. Anyway, it is what it is. I'm excited to see Dejah learn more this year.

The Lord Knows Your Needs

A while back I had a pretty emotional spell. I was eating myself up with stress. I was pregnant with our fourth kid. Our finances were extremely stretched as it was, then we found out that Alex would be getting a small pay cut. It really wasn't a "big deal" as far as amount, but to me it meant more than just losing a small portion of income. To me it meant that the Master's degree that Alex had just received would do nothing for him as long as he stayed in his current position as teacher. When he started working for Boise State they gave him a "pay schedule". Meaning, as he gained more education and experience, his pay would go up. Well, Boise State turned the entire technical college over to the new community college- College of Western Idaho. The economy was on a sinking downturn and CWI had to cut cut cut. We were lucky that Alex got to keep his job. Not everyone got that luxury. Anyway, I was feeling very distressed. How does someone go year after year making the same income...with NO increase and NO PROMISE of increase?....all the while growing a family into a small home with NO ability to move?? Getting a new job in this economy is near to impossible AND would probably start you at the bottom. Ok so on to my POINT. We decided that Alex should utilize his mechanic skills to do some work on the side. A little extra cash could go a long way. This summer he's had a few jobs and its been really helpful. Plus, people who use Alex get to save some money as well. Today we just got some fabulous news that University of Idaho has hired Alex for a part time job as the Skills USA Idaho Coordinator! This is all work he does on the side of his teaching position with CWI. The pay is good and will hopefully help us out even more. The best part about this whole thing is that Alex still gets his summers off and can work when he wants to. Also he gets more leadership experience added to his education and teaching. I know the Lord has been watching over us. I am so grateful for all my blessings. This came in a very needed time.