Thursday, January 29, 2009

Birthday Party

Well yesterday was Alex's birthday! So to celebrate his day, the girls and I decided to surprise him at work. We started first thing in the morning and started mixing a yummy chocolate cake from scratch! Can you believe the recipe called for Mayo????? Anyway, of course after getting it poured into the cake pan the girls HAD to lick the bowl. I thought it was so dang cute I just had to get pictures. I tried to tie their hair back, but it only worked a little. They still got cake batter everywhere! Oh well, it was really fun. We headed to Alex's work and picked him up a Subway Sandwich and surprised him with Lunch and cake. We even brought candles and sang to him. The cake and frosting turned out great! And Alex was really surprised to see us. Later that evening we (the girls and I) took Alex out to eat at Texas Roadhouse. We all had a good time. I will post his email to the family just below the pictures.




Well,

Anna and the kids and I went out last night for my birthday. Our favorite place to eat as a family is Texas Roadhouse. It has a way layed back atmosphere that allows the kids to enjoy their experience. Our girls eat there better than anywhere else. I always order the same thing- baked potato, 8 oz stake, with a slab of ribs, wonderful roles, peanuts, etc. Anyone who has kids could perhaps feel as happy as I have these last few years raising our kids and spending time with them. My kids are truly unique and energetic. Last night I just spent some quality time appreciating my family and watching my girls interact with each other. The two make me laugh a lot, because they are totally different and complement each other in a really fun way. Well, things are good right now. I am getting my truck painted through BSU's auto body shop. It will take about 3 months to complete and will not cost that much compared to getting it done somewhere else. I am just glad to have it under a roof and not outside in the weather all winter due to the van kicking it out of the garage. Well, that's all from here. Enjoy the rest of the week and your weekend. Thanks for the contribution to dinner last night mom and dad! Later.
Alex

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Happy Birthday Alex!



Happy Birthday to my Honey!!

So today is Alex's 35th Birthday! I can't believe how time flies! We meet when he was 28 and time has just dissappeared. I feel so blessed to have him in my life. He is such a great help to me and one of the hardest workers I know. No matter what his "faults" may be, he always tries to improve, and I am so greatful for that. I decided I would make a list All about Alex and why I love him.

1. Love those Blue Eyes!
2. Gives the BEST back massage EVER!...and I get them almost every night :>
3. Hard Working...with full time work, and School on top of that!
4. Loves his girls
5. So helpful with house chores
6. Always strives to improve himself
7. He is Liked by others, and is nonjudgemental of them
8. Serves others
9. Dedicated, Honest, and Forgiving
10. Loves spending time with us
11. Will put his family First
12. Organized
13. Loves Outdoors!
14. He can stay completely calm when I am an emotional WRECK!
15. Loves to teach
16. Goal oriented
17. Makes breakfast for everyone when he's home
18. Loves the gospel
19. Loves the Lord
20. and Loves his Family


We love you Alex! Happy Birthday!
ps. Also we want to send out a little Happy Birthday to Alex's Twin Brother Lance!


Monday, January 26, 2009

Congrats to My Brother!

So I just wanted to make a shout out to my brother Derek! He Finally got married! I shouldn't really say "finally", because he is not quite 28 years old, BUT....in his eyes I'm sure he was thinking that its about time. Derek and Amanda (Stokes) meet and feel in love. They eloped on December 22 and we celebrated with them last Saturday. I really wanted to take pictures of their reception, but of course keeping the kids in order was my number one...second was enjoying the yummy chocolate fountain with all sorts of fruits! Yum! So here they are.

And Yes! I agree that Derek looks like Ashton Kutcher!
Just throw on some scruffy lighter (un-dyed) hair, they'd be twinners.

Friday, January 23, 2009

What do Ya do on a Friday Night?

Tonight is Friday night. We have two young children and I am BORED! I REALLY want to get out tonight, but cannot seem to come up with anything "fun" to do that is low cost or free. It seems at this point we will be staying home. So here I am blogging while the girls play and Alex does homework. I keep asking Alex, "who could we go bug?", but his thinking is that if you aren't invited...you shouldn't do that. I say, "we don't invite people, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't LOVE for someone to come over and entertain me". Ok so that is my sob story for tonight.


In my previous post I mentioned my embarrassing condition called Labial Vericosis. Although embarrassing, it is way more uncomfortable to live with than to talk about. Some days I am more uncomfortable than others. Well, one of my Sister-in-Laws informed me that she has heard of a "support granny panty" that can relieve my symptoms. I talked to my Dr. about it and he said that I could get some if I needed them. Alot of women just wear tight underwear or just deal with it because it is for a short time. I looked into purchasing these underwear, but they are around $70 a pair. Today I finally called my insurance company to see if they covered any of it and.....They DO! Yay! "As long as it is purchased through someone on my PPO plan". Ok, so I called ALL the medical supply companies in the area, and wouldn't you know it, they've never heard of them!!! ARGHH! They sell support hose for the legs but not "support underwear" for the vulva. The only two I found online is the "V Brace" or a "V2 Prenatal Cradle". So the search is on. I think I will call my insurance company back on Monday and see if they know who I could purchase them from, or if they'll work with me. We'll see.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

20 Weeks Pregnant!

Some of you have been wondering how my Pregnancy is progressing. Well, I am just about 20 Weeks Prego. I have been waiting for the "Best" opportunity for a Photo-op when I am all dressed cute, wearing make-up, and have my hair done....I also decided that 'aint' gonna happen. So you get to see me in my very "raw" form. Basically everyday I wear sweats! If I do decide to shower, my hair usually gets pulled back into a wet bun. Make-up?? Oh ya, that is of the past, and I only wear it on Sundays and special occasions. If you didn't already know, I suffer with a very embarrassing condition called Labial Vericosis, otherwise known as Varicose Veins in the Labia. I also get them in my legs. When I was Pregnant with Mycah I remember feeling them for the first time and didn't know what it was. It started at around 20 weeks and pretty much "put me out" for the rest of my pregnancy. So here I am again. I know what it is. It is VERY painful. Doing any kind of daily task is slow and difficult. If you see me, I probably seem fine to you...trust me though...its just me "dealing". If I could do pregnancy without-out this condition, I'd probably rarely sit down. At this point, I'm kind-of forced to. I have spent most of my day sitting, and I hate it. So now you've heard me complain. Here is my video.

The baby moves now to where I can feel it. I sleep pretty well. My hormone levels are good. I don't feel too emotional. Alex has been a trooper through all of it and such a great help. We are going to the Dr. on Feb 5th to find out what we are having, so stay tuned!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

A Toddler BUNK??? I Need a Vote!

So Alex and I have not been able to agree on a particular decision. So you all know that baby three is on its way. I am almost half way along. I have recently put my girls in the same room, which has definitely had its kinks, but is going fairly ok. This all with the intent to put the crying infant in its own room. Since our rooms are small, and I like to keep the toys in with the kids, toddler beds have seemed to be the practical decision. Dejah has been sleeping in one since she was Mycah's age (2) and is now going on 5. Mycah is still in her crib. This is something we plan to change soon so that she will be all adjusted to a "big girl bed" by the time the baby comes. My choice would be to put a regular size bunk bed in the girls' room. Reason....Dejah is getting bigger, and "eventually" they will need to upgrade.Alex on the other hand thinks it would be more practical to just purchase another toddler bed, therefore saving much needed space in the girls' room.We CANNOT agree, and its driving me NUTS! I see his point. The twin size bunk will take up almost 1/2 the bedroom, but the two toddler beds will still take up 1/2 of each wall. So here we are and a decision needs to be made fairly soon. I decided to google "toddler bunk beds" and wouldn't you know it....they only sell this one in the UK. They don't even ship them to the states. My Dad is very crafty and has all the materials to make one of these. He said it would probably only take him an hour to cut the pieces if I had all the measurements. So the question is...Would a toddler "BUNK" be the best option in our situation??? I would make a few changes to this model, like take away the rope thingy and place the ladder at the "feet end" and probably put a guard rail on the bottom as well. Besides all that, what do you all think??? I'm taking any opinion or option.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Picture Tag!...and you think You're embarrassed!

What is the CURRENT CONDITION of Your HOUSE????
Lets just say....Mitzi....this was good. You have no idea how tempted I was to clean up first. I hate a messy house. I am usually a very "clean" person, but today, I'm a very tired "prego" person that has had ZERO energy! So judge not, you will NEVER see my house in this state again. I decided to just be brave and do it anyway. So here is my very embarrassing tag.
#1. Laundry room (no biggie)
#2. Alex's Closet and My closet (I rarely keep this part of my house clean, and you can tell who the really organized person of the house is)


#3. Self Portrait (Lucky for me the one thing I did today was shower/shave/and do my hair...no makeup though...dang it)
#4. Kitchen Sink (again, no biggie)
#5. Fridge (not too embarrassing)
#6. My Favorite Shoes
(I haven't bought myself new shoes in YEARS (embarrassing), but I bought these last winter so I could tromp around in the snow with my kids. So basically during the "cold season" this is all I wear! Yes, unattractive, but very comfy and warm, which is what I really need.)
#7. What My kids are Currently Doing.
(This is what they were doing during my Shower. Some kind of fort beneath the recliner.)
This is what they were currently doing while I took pictures. Eating Lunch in front of PBS Calliou. They LOVE that show!
#8. My Favorite room in the House.
This would be my Living Room ( NOT when my girls have had Free Rein all morning ).
#9. My Bathrooms.
EMBARRASSING! Mind you I just got finished showering/shaving/and doing my hair. I really hate those icky blue counter tops too!
#10. My Least Favorite Room in the House.
(I added this one)
The Kitchen!!! I hate cooking!...and it always needs cleaned!!! Because cooking is unavoidable when you have a family to feed.
Ok Folks! That's it. Now I DARE you to do this tag....and No Cheating. Must be AS IS. I wasn't so lucky this time.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Real Estate MADNESS!

With the growth of our family approaching quickly, I have been feeling the "squeeze" in our home. When we moved from Laramie Wyoming, back home to the Boise area in the summer of 2006, we looked forward to the "many" options of housing we would find. Of course our budget to purchase was low. We hoped to find a home IN Boise for around $140,000 and below to start in. That hope quickly sank when we began to look. The fact was, there were NO three bedroom homes for sell in that price range...let alone IN Boise. Also, it was a HUGE sellers market, and our options were FEW. We raised our limit to $160,00, and found a little starter home about 1/2 hour from Boise for $159,900. We made an offer and here we are. Our Mortgage isn't bad, but its definitely at our monthly Limit. As you all know, the economy has taken a bit of a nose dive, along with the cost of homes. Lucky for us we aren't in an Interest Loan or an arm. So our Mortgage will stay the same for years to come. Sadly though, this means we won't be able to move to a larger home to accommodate our growing family also for years to come. Hear is a picture of a house ( NOT OURS ) but the exact same model in Kuna for $135,000. This next home is what I was hoping we'd be able to move into priced at $154,000. Closer to town, and perfect for a growing family. This is a typical model you see around here.
Next is a home that I want! It is the same size as the previous home, with a 3 car garage, a bigger lot and more. It is in a developed area that I actually want to live in. This home is priced at $185,000!

The only way Alex and I will ever sell our home is by paying it off. That is it. We owe more than what it is currently worth, so refinancing isn't even an option. Renters would never pay to live in Kuna for the cost of the mortgage. So as we see it, we are here to stay. I must say though, despite my real-estate wo's, I feel hugely blessed to be living in a home at all. I know there are many out there that don't even have that. So with all this said, small is what I have, so small is what I will learn to love.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Washing Cars in January???

Well, we had quite the day yesterday. First thing was grocery shopping. Alex always likes to go with us, and we needed some stuff for his lunches since he's going back to work tomorrow. Anyway, we got home, had lunch, put Mycah down for a nap then decided to take advantage of the FABULOUS warmer weather (despite the cloudiness), and CLEAN OUR CARS! With all the snow and slush we've had....oh ya, and lets not forget the sandy roads, our vehicles have been filthy. We vacuumed and polished the insides. Then hooked up our hose (which we thought would be put away for the winter), filled some buckets with soapy water and scrubbed and scrubbed.
We also swept out the garage since that was full of sand and dirt. Dejah even got the neighbor kid Austin over to help some. Dejah decided to start a water fight with Alex, and Alex got her right back. She thought it was pretty funny.
It took us a while to finish, but the results are so nice! I love cleanliness!...and fun family time!

Friday, January 9, 2009

SPOILED ROTTEN!

All is Well at the Beal home! Dejah's lip and face is healing nicely. Sorry to those of you who may have been offended by Alex's brief profanity, he was really upset about the whole thing. "To redeem himself ", Alex took Dejah sledding the next morning before all the snow melted, only....to a park with no fences at the bottom! She had a great time, and almost wanted to do it herself, then she changed her mind.
We have been having a GREAT Christmas break!! Alex goes back to work next Wednesday, and I am not really excited about it. We've been having so much fun with our girls, we even got rid of them for an evening of fun with friends and family doing bowling and pizza! The events have been great...and Alex has been even greater!!! Spoiled I tell ya! He has done every single dish this house has produced for about a month, and Laundry, and Organizing, and cleaning cleaning cleaning. He takes the girls off my hands when I need a break, and boy do I need it, but what kind of wife gets this royal treatment? Anyway, starting next week it will be back to the daily grind and much less husband help. I'm just really glad that he'll be off for summer break when this baby comes! I love my hubby! He is WONDERFUL! Here is a picture of Alex teaching Dejah how to ride the bike she got for Christmas. It didn't last long, it was pretty cold out.


Monday, January 5, 2009

Wipe Out!

POSTED BY ALEX

So Dejah and I decided to go sledding today. We went to a park with a small hill, but it didn't serve mine and Dejah's thrill. We ended up sledding in by our home down a hill that had a fence at the bottom. This hill was serving our interests a lot better than the one before. We were having a real good time when a few little girls came and started to slide down the hill on by themselves without a big kid like me. Of course, Dejah asked to go by herself. Well, I am a damn fool. I let her go but didn't think about speed and the likelihood that she would travel further than we did together. Sure enough, as soon as she took off I knew that I was in trouble. I chased after her, but it was too late. She ran into the fence at the bottom of the small hill. It made me really nervous as I ran up to see what had happened. Luckily, the brunt of the force was applied to her snow cap, though she did end up with some cuts on her lip and face. Needless to say, her teeth and everything else was OK! I thought that I would for sure be taking her to the hospital for a split skull. She did hit the steel post ya know. Anyway, I am glad that she is OK and that tommorrow she still wants to go with her dumb ass dad to hopefully redeem himself. Sorry if the swear words have offended anyone! I am not very pleased with myself right now. This could have been a lot worse. Thanks for the daily prayers mom!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Beal Happenings

I don't really have much to blog about. You'd think with all the "festivities" there would be tons of stories. Truthfully, we are just enjoying having Alex home. He still has a week and a half off before he goes to the crazy hustle and bustle of school and work. We have been doing a lot of cleaning and "de-cluttering". We've spent many days with family which is way fun for me, but I think Alex is done going to my mom's for a while...which is totally understandable. We got our girls sleeping in the same room now. Mycah cried about it for a 1/2 hour the first night. Ok so she "screamed" about it. She really didn't want Dejah in there, but everything is good now and we have it working pretty good. The next "bump" will be getting Mycah to sleep in a toddler bed. I really like that she can't get out. So we'll see how that goes. My pregnancy seems to be moving along. I'm around 17 weeks (4mo's ish). I feel the baby move every once and a while, but not too much. My baby bump is still a bump...which I'm ok with, but apparently I guess weight gain is "necessary", so we'll see what the Dr. says about that in a few weeks. I don't really have much of an appetite, I'm just NOT hungry the way I think I should be. I eat, but not much more than I ever did before. Who knows? Whatever. I'm really excited to find out what we are having. It should be at my next appointment. Well everyone. I hope your holidays were great. See ya next time.