I'm Pregnant!

Yes,
The clonmed obviously worked for us! Yea, I am really excited to be pregnant. Dan and the kids are excited as well. I'm only like 7 weeks weeks along. That's a little early for us to be announcing, but I've been acting so strangely because of my symptoms I figure I'd better give the excuse. I feel like all I ever do is eat and sleep. I swear I don't remember being THIS tired all of the time with my other pregnancies. I'm also a little sick. I have to eat every couple of hours to keep from getting nauseated. I guess these are all good signs because I know I'm definitely pregnant. I'll go into the Doctor next week. I can't wait to see the ultra sound. I've heard that when you are pregnant with twins your symptoms are much more pronounced, and also you feel them earlier. I guess we will just have to wait and see if I'm pregnant with multiples. My mom's a twin, so it runs in our family. Just now I put in a Tony's pizza. You know that dollar one's, I know that's totally disgusting. It just sounded really really good to me. Dan has been really supportive and will allow me to rest as much as I want. He doesn't even complain about the house work I've left undone. He's great! Another update, I made it through girls camp last week. That is a huge burden off of my shoulders! With the earlier description of my lack of energy your probably wondering how I survived it! Well I was really worried about being able to keep up with it all. So the day before I asked Dan to give me a priesthood blessing that I could have energy while I was up there. It was a beautiful blessing. He blessed me to not be sick, and that I would have the energy I need to accomplish my responsibilities. That help so much. I was so amazed at how well I felt up at camp. Granted I totally crashed when I got home. But I know that the Lord was there helping me get through it. I know that with the Lords help nothing is impossible. We can ask him for help in any aspect of your life. Whether it be spiritual, or temporal. I know that I've always received answers to every prayer. I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life! I'm so grateful for the new addition we will be receiving into our family. I hope that the earlier statements didn't sound like I was complaining. I think it's fun to just be able to explain about the way I'm feeling during the pregnancy. I'll let you all know how the doctors appointment goes next week.

Kristen comes for a visit!

The past week has been such a blast. My sister Kristen came with her family for a visit to Utah. They live in Sacramento. I've been so excited to see her, and her darling kids. Kate and Kirk have loved playing with their cousins. Kate always asks if she can go to California to see Caroline. We've done so many fun things , I'll try to list them. Kristen, Dain, Caroline, William and Kimball pulled into town on Friday night. So we saw her on Saturday. Saturday evening she blessed her baby. my nephew Kimall is such an adorable little baby. He is actually six months old. He was born while his daddy (Dain) was serving in Afghanistan. The blessing turned out really well, and it was neat to be able to see my nephew's blessing. Sunday we had dinner at my Parent's house. And afterward Dain did a special family home evening on some of the experiences he had over in Afghanistan. It was so humbling to see pictures of the people. The children have so little, and yet they were always smiling in the photos. I'm so grateful for all of those in the armed forces fighting in the war. They are making tremendous sacrifices for our freedom. Then after the presentation Dain gave out little souvenirs for the kids. You can see in the picture, that they were a big hit. Kate loves her Afghanistan scarf, and loves to dress up in it. Then on Monday we went to the fun zone, and the kids had a blast jumping around in the bounce toys. Then afterwards we sent the kids home and my sisters, my mom, and I all went for a girls night out. We went shopping, ate dinner, and saw a movie. I haven't gotten out in a while so it was a real treat Then Tuesday we went to Lagoon. The kids loved it. Kate loved the Ody sea ride. Kirk also loved the rides. I've never seen him laugh so hard. The next night we went out to visit my Grandma Black. She is 97 years old and still going strong. We've nicked named her the energizer bunny. She just keeps going inspite of health complications. Last thanksgiving she broke her hip. She had it replaced went through rehab and is now back at home, getting around well. She is still independent and lives n her own. Her yard is beautiful. It has enourmous trees, which provides plenty of shade. She also has a big grassy hill. We took a slip'n slide out and the kids had fun running through the water. We ate fried chicken and salad. On the 24th of Juyl we went to breakfast at my mom's. It was the best breakfast ever. I'll have to give ya'll the recipe for her famous pecan blueberry french toast. I swear I had like three helpings. The kids played all morning and finally it was time for Kristen and Dain to hit the road. They drove down to Montecello Ut, that's were Dain's family lives. Later that day we all went to a pool party at Dan's parent's house. The kids swam, ate, and made ice cream. It was alot of fun. Well it's been an incredibly busy week, but so much fun. I just wish Kristen lived closer. Ever time she comes out it's bitter sweet. I love being able to see her, but I also miss her so much when she goes. One thing I do know is that your sisters are always there for you, no matter what!

These are the same steps we used to eat on when we were kids. My sweet grandma holding Kimball 6 mo. old. Kate standing next to her 3 yr. old.

Hanging around at gymnastics

I can't believe how fast this week as flown by! I swear it feels like time is in warp speed. This week has been alot of fun. Monday I took the kids to gymnastics. Like always they had a great time. Kirk is starting to catch on to the class. He is doing all of the obstacles very well, and even took his turn on the trampoline. Of course having Alexandra and Justus there makes is 100% more fun. Tuesday I buckled down and did house work. Wednesday we went to the classic fun center. It's perfect for the kids. They get to burn off some energy, and I get to stay where it's air conditioned. Thursday we went to story time at the library. Kirk's attention span has grown immensely. He sat and listened to most of the stories. Even the Librarian noticed the improvement! Friday we went to a swim party at Dan's parents home. The kids had a blast. Kate really loves the water, and even put her face in to blow bubbles, that's huge for her! Today I spent the morning at a girls camp meeting. I'm getting more excited for it, at first I was alittle nervous about being on a stake committee. I felt like I was so young and inexperienced. Now that I know what in the heck I'm doing, I've become more excited for it. I feel like it's going to give me a real spiritual boost as well. I learn so much from the Young Women, they are such amazing girls. I've missed being in young women's so I think it's going to be fun to jump back into it again. I've also been having fun planning Kate's birthday party. Yes I know it's about two months away, but I get so excited for birthdays. I think one of the perks of being a mom is that you can relive your childhood through your kids. I'll admit I have fun buying princess stickers, and pink glitter, and fairy wands! I guess I'm just a kid at heart. But I also love to see how excited Kate gets about birthdays as well. She's been talking about her birthday for about six months, ever since she went to her cousins party in February.

A Fun-filled Fourth!

The past two days have been so much fun. Dan was able to get off work a little early on Thursday. We headed to the Zoo in the afternoon. The kids loved the Zoo. The first thing Kirk said was "I want to see a tiger". He also loved the crocodiles. Kate just announced that her favorite animals were the peacocks. I've got a great picture of Kirk chasing one! We met up with Shaun and Anoel, and their kids. Our double stroller has a broken wheel, so we rented one. It actually turned into a Quadruple stroller! As you can see, I think we got our money's worth out of that rental. We were able to see all of the animals. Then we headed over to a park across the street for a picnic dinner. I guess I'm still a novice when it comes to packing picnics. I forgot a blanket, and plates! We roughed it by sitting on the grass, and eating on our laps. Kirk ruined the bowel of watermelon by sticking his foot into it. After that none of us dared eat anymore of it. We also had sandwiches, cookies, and chips. It turned out really well. Then we headed home supposing we had missed the rush hour traffic, wrong! It took us about an hour and a half to make it home. It gave me a new appreciation for what my Dad's done for all these years. He as commuted to Salt Lake everyday. I now realize how much he has sacrificed for his family. Yesterday was alot of fun to. We started off the day with a delicious breakfast at Mike, and Shauntel's. The kids were so excited to see Alexandra, and Justus. Kirk wore his new croc's and he got a blister. He then cried for twenty min. Poor kid, the only way I could get him to stop crying, was by telling him we'd get candy at the parade. That seemed to cure him of his pain. We ended up going to the Kaysville parade for a change. We found a really great spot, with no crowds in the shade. The catch was that it was at the very end of the parade. It took awhile for it to start, and then about half way through we decided we had seen enough and left early. The kids were good though, they didn't seem to mind the wait. They got a ton of candy since no one else was around to compete for it. Then we went swimming. Kate was more brave than ever. Now that she can touch the bottom of the shallow end she can venture away from the stairs, and sides of the pool. Then after we got the kids showered, and dressed we went to my grandma's annual fourth of July BBQ. It was fun to see all of my Cousins, and Aunts, and Uncles. As we sat under my Grandma's big walnut tree, I reflected on how many Fourth of July's we had celebrated there. It made me so grateful for traditions. It's nice to know that in a world that's constantly changing, some things never change. Traditions are really the bright moments in life. After the BBQ we went home and lit some fireworks I had gotten at Sam's club. The kids enjoyed them. Then I was planning on laying the kids down, but they weren't tired at all. I think Kirk smuggled a few sips of pepsi at my grandma's. So since they were wide awake, and hyper we decided to go to the Layton fireworks show. It was worth the trip. The fireworks were fantastic. I swear they get better each year. It was a fabulous day, and the kids had a blast. I just love the fourth of July! Kate woke up this morning and said "were are we going today Mommy, is there a parade"? I said no it's just back to normal life again, but there's always another holiday to look forward to. I think that's what life is all about. Those special moments we all look forward to year after year.

Right now I'm sitting on top of my kitchen counter, and every square inch of our kitchen is crammed with our sofa's, and mattresses. We also can't park our cars in the garage because the piano, computer desk, beds, and every other piece of furniture is crammed in there. Can you guess, we are getting new carpet! Yea, I've been waiting for this day since Kate decided bright pink nail polish would look pretty on our master bedroom carpet. And since Kirk squirted dish soap all over the living room carpet. Not to mention all of the countless other mishaps with food, Dan's health drinks, and dirt. I can already tell that the house is going to feel like new by the time it's all done. The kids have been really good about being sequestered to the kitchen, and backyard. I have taken some before pictures which I'll include once it's all installed. You can imagine what we did all weekend. It started with a long lunch break Friday. Dan and his amazing Brothers, and Brother in-law came over and moved all our furniture. I can't believe how much stuff we've accumulated over the last five years. We've put off getting new carpet because we knew what a chore it would be to move everything. Thank goodness for Dan's Brothers, or else it would have been impossible! Saturday I spent all morning painting our base boards. I figured it was a good time to paint, since it didn't matter if I got it on the carpet. This was the first time I've ever let Kate paint, I figured I'd let her get the chance since she could drip and it wouldn't matter. The Kate is a really good helper. She is always eager to pitch in and work. She also helped wash down the moldings, and walls. Dan removed all of the doors, and finished moving the remaining stuff out. We've been sleeping on mattresses which didn't go over well with the kids. And since the doors are off of the bedrooms, there was no way of containing the kids to their rooms. Saturday night the kids played in their rooms with each other, then finally fell asleep on Kate's mattress. I also have some more good news. Kirk didn't have to be taken out of Sacrament meeting a single time for being loud, or crying, or running around the chapel. It was so nice to sit through a whole meeting, and he was really good to. Dan is on the high council, so most Sunday's it's just me and the kids. I hope this is a new trend for Kirk, because usually I'm taking him out several times during one hour. As for the update on our attempts to have a third child, I'm not pregnant. We've been trying for like eight months now, and I getting sick of waiting. But I guess it will happen when it is meant to happen. Here are some pictures of the new carpet. I just love it. It feels like we live in a new home. I am so happy with the way it turned out!

Gigantic Fun!

Today Dan left on another buisness trip. The kids played so well this morning I thought they deserved to get out of the house and have a bit of fun. I decided to tryout our new museum pass, and go to the Dinosaur park in Ogden. The kids were so cute! They held hands and walked all around pointing to new dinosaurs as they spotted them. Kirk was holding onto my fingers pretty tightly. I had to keep reassuring Kate that it was all just pretend, and that the dinosaurs couldn't move. Then very sweetly, Kate would say to Kirk " kirk don't be scared the dinosaurs are pretend." The kids actually enjoyed the museum more this year than when I took them last year. Kirk is really into dinosaur's because he received a few for Christmas last year. Then we went and got dinner at Arby's. Kate said another really cute thing. After she ate all of her sandwich, and fries she said: "thank you mommy for the sandwich and fries I was really hungry." Can you believe that, coming from a three year old! Wow the things your children teach you are amazing. Both of our children have such amazing spirits. We are so blessed to have them! Kirk of course is just his darling little self. He is developing quite a little personality. He enjoys pretending as well. When we were eating dinner, I couldn't get him to finish his sandwich (surprise, surprise). But I told him to be a dinosaur and made some eating noises, he then started to pretend to eat the sandwich like a little dinosaur sound effects and all. I was able to convince him to eat most of his dinner, in between bites of ice cream. I know, I know the super nanny would have a heart attack over that tactic. But as a parent I say if it works do it. As our family knows, we will be coming out with a parenting book called the Do's, Dont's, and Doughnut's of Parenting. Maybe our sequel should be called A spoonfull of Icecream helps the vegtables go down. Just kidding. We just had a lesson on mothering in Relief Society. They talked about how we all wish kids came with a handbook. Boy wouldn't that be nice. If my kids had a handbook, I think Kate's would be titled, Fragile: Handle with care. Kirk's on the other hand would be titled: Explosive: Handle with care. I don't mean to sound like Kirk is bad! Just the opposite, it's always an adventure to have him around. It's also fun to see what mood he's in for the day! The other day I kissed him on the cheek, and he cried like I had pinched him or something. Then he continued to rub it off! But there's nothing quite like getting on his good side. The Grandpa's know that. Kirk absolutely loves his Grandpas! He really knows how to make their day. Well It's late, I hope you enjoy seeing the pictures. Today was alot of fun!

Summer Fun!

I'm loving this summer! Kate and Kirk are such good little pals. Kate is a very helpful big sister, and always looks after her little brother. The other day they were making a pillow fortress in the living room, and Kate said to Kirk "we are having so much fun, huh Kirk, we are just having so much fun! It ended up being a huge mess, but I think it was worth it. I've set a goal to take the kids someplace new and fun every week during the summer. Today we went to the Tracy Aviary with Anoel, her sister, and their kids. I bought a family pass which will also get us into the Zoo, the Dinosaur park, Ogden Nature center, and a discount at the Living aquarium. It seemed like a pretty good deal for only $40.00. Here are some pictures.

The kids enjoyed seeing the birds, and even chased after a peacock. Kirk called every bird there a Peacock. Afterwards we ate our lunch. The Tracy Aviary is at Liberty Park, which also has this awesome little wadding pool area. It has dozens of little streams and wadding pools that the kids played in. It was a real hit! Kirk would hold onto my finger, and pull me along were ever he went. Kate told me that "this place is just right for me mommy, It's not to deep."

Some other things that we've been doing this summer are trips to the library for story time, Gymnastics classes , running through the sprinklers, and trips to the park. We are going to a swim party tomorrow. We also went to a puppet show at the Clearfield Library. Kate and Kirk loved it. It's nice that the two of them can enjoy the same activities together.

Dan and I have been really busy as well. Dan's still traveling quite often, He's in Houston today. He just laid down some red bark in our flower beds. It looks really nice. I've been quite handy to. My Dad came over and helped me paint our front door. It looks 100% better!

As most of you know, we are trying to have another baby. My period is late this month, so keep your fingers crossed for us. I really hope that I'm pregnant this month. It would be perfect! I'm enjoying the independence of not having a baby this summer, but I'm still really, really baby hungry. I'm excited to have our another, but sometimes I worry to. Life right now seems so busy, I'm not sure how I'll manage a baby as well. I guess you just have to adapt the best you can as each one comes along! We really have been blessed. I love being a Mother. I'm so grateful that I can spend my days with such beautiful darling little ones. I'm using this blog as kind of a journal. So that's why I'm sharing some personal thoughts.

Kate Dressed up like Rapunzel at story time.

Kirk was soooo tired, he found his blankets and crashed on the floor! Poor kid, his parents aren't giving him enough sleep!

Kate wearing the dress her Grandma Mower brought home from China! Of course she loved it! She's all girl and loves dresses!

Kate and Kirk running through the sprinklers with their clothes on! It was a hot day, I was tempted to do it!