BUSY BABY

As soon as Valerie started crawling I knew it would not be long before she was into everything and causing trouble. She loves exploring the house. She is getting very fast and can get across the room in a matter of seconds. Then at the beginning of April she decided she needed to get higher and started pulling herself up to a standing position.

Now she no longer likes to be confined to one spot and she is very busy wherever she goes.


She loves to help unload the silverware from the dishwasher. Whenever I start doing the dishes she is right there with me. One time I had finished with all of the dishes in the kitchen and went to go see if there were any cups in the bedrooms. Before I left the kitchen I pushed the dishwasher drawers in, but I did not close the door. I came back and found Valerie sitting on the door trying to pull the drawer back out and crying because it wasn't working.

The boys are not very happy with this new development because, Valerie has found the power button on the TV and thinks it is really fun to turn it off when her brothers are playing Wii. She will turn it back on too, but that is no good because she has already caused them too loose their game.

Valerie is very busy now, but she is also getting enough hair that I can put elastics and bows in it. When Emily was little, she screamed if I even touched her hair. (What am I talking about, she still cries and says it hurts when I try to do her hair) eventually I gave up and decided she had a sensitive scalp and just wrestled her log enough to brush it. No bows for Emily!

On Sunday I decided to try to do Valerie's hair and I was surprised when she just sat there and let me do it. She did not cry at all. When I was done I took her to the mirror and showed her how pretty she was. Then she started to cry. She did not want to be pretty! Emily came to the rescue and then she was happy again. (By the look on thier faces in the last picture I am afraid they are plotting against me.

Valerie at 9 months old is so very busy, and so very fun!

Counting Our Blessings

At the end of 2007 I started to get a strong feeling that we needed to get our food storage in order. Every time I turned around someone was talking about the importance of food storage and I felt like they were talking specifically to me. I had always tried to buy a few extra things at the store when I shopped to add to the storage, but we were still lacking in many things. I figured I would do what we could and hoped that it was enough. Then when we received our tax return I had a feeling of urgency that we needed to use some of that money to get our food storage in order. We purchased a freezer for the garage, and went to the local stores case-lot-sales. After a few weeks I felt like we had gotten our storage to a good place and could go back to adding just a few things each week, and building up our savings.

Around this time two years ago the feeling came to me that it was time to welcome another baby into our home. At the time I knew that this would mean more than dusting off the crib and pulling out some boxes. This would also mean tightening our belts because a Mini Van would also need to be in our near future. There are also all of the other expenses a child adds to your life, and for a few other reasons I was not sure if we were ready for child #4. Ryan and I talked about what it would mean for us, and at first he was not sure about it either. We spent lots of time praying and pondering if having a baby at that time was the right decision. I could not deny the feeling I had that the baby was waiting and with that feeling the Holy Ghost also comforted me that we would have what we needed. A few months after we started talking about it Ryan also felt that it was the right time.

By October I was expecting and by Christmas I was well into my morning sickness phase. Then at the end of January I was in the kitchen getting ready to make lunch and I heard the garage door open. The boys had some friends over so I went to make sure they were not playing in the garage. When I got to the garage I saw Ryan getting out of his car and I knew what it meant. He had been laid off. It is hard to describe how I felt. confused, upset, worried, lost, and I began to cry. We went into the house and talked about the terms of his layoff and what it would mean for us. Then just as quickly as those other feelings had come over me I suddenly felt a huge feeling of peace and calmness. I knew for a certainty that everything was going to be OK and that we would have everything that we needed.

It has been amazing to me as I look back on these past 15 months and realize just how blessed we have been.


Since the day that both Joe and Josh were born I had concerns about things. Joe was tongue tied and I didn't think Josh could breath through his nose very well. I addressed these concerns with the doctor at almost every checkup and was always given the answer of, "We will see what it is like when they are older." It just so happened that that January at the boys well check ups the doctor gave me the go ahead to take both of the boys to specialists to get help. I was so excited because I had been trying for years to get Joseph's tongue clipped and Joshua's adenoids out. So I went right home and made appointments. when Ryan lost his job It made me sick to think we were going to have to postpone helping the boys. It was affecting both of them in speech and Josh was affecting the whole family's sleep patterns when he woke up in the middle of the night with croup.

I talked with our families about weather or not we should still pursue these things. We all agreed that we needed to keep going with it, and our families agreed to help us if we needed it. So the boys were both scheduled for surgery in May. We had kept our health insurance through COBRA and thanks to President Obama we were able to afford it. (this is not a political statement, I am just pointing out that although the stimulus package is not a popular thing it was a huge blessing for our family.)

Ryan went right to work looking for a job. He contacted everyone he could and looked for jobs under every rock. We were spending our money carefully and stretching it pretty far. By March there was still no job on the horizon and I was beginning to feel a little discouraged. The boys would be having surgery soon and the baby would be arriving soon after that. I reminded myself that everything we had chosen to do was done through prayer and careful consideration and that with all of it we had been given a strong prompting from the spirit that everything would be fine, and we would have what we needed. I also kept hoping that that meant Ryan would have a job by the time the baby was born.

One morning I was looking at everything on the calendar and wondering how it was all going to work, and I suddenly knew that Ryan would be working in April and I did not need to worry. The days in March passed and still there was not even a sign of a job. I started to doubt my feeling, but it had been so strong and I had been so sure. Then as the month was coming to an end Ryan received a call for a temporary job working for a law firm, and they wanted him to start the first week of April.

The boys both had successful surgery's and we were able to pay for them. The birth of the baby was fast approaching and we were doing OK. We were still hoping for a more permanent job, but we were grateful for what we had. Every time I would balance the checkbook I was amazed at what we had and how far the money was going. We had enough saved for the baby and to live off of for a few months after that.

At the beginning of July the temp job came to a close, but again we both had a strong feeling that the Lord knew what we needed and we would be taken care of. We gave birth to a healthy beautiful baby girl and were so grateful.

A few months past and I was beginning to worry again. I knew what we had been told in blessings. I knew the feelings of comfort that I had had, but WHERE WAS THE JOB! I know, I know, we will be fine.

Then on Halloween Ryan received a phone call from an old law school friend. He had started his own firm and was getting more business than he could handle and he wanted Ryan to come work for him. They worked out the details and Ryan started working for him immediately. Ryan loved the work and was so happy and I was so grateful that the unemployment trial had finally come to and end. I can not even describe my happiness.

Unfortunately not long after Ryan started working for his friend, he began to see major problems. He knew that he needed to get out as soon as he could. He quit right after Christmas.

January was a very hard month for us. Just when we thought we were through the trial, the trial became bigger. The frustration was huge. WHY? Why can't we just be done with this. Again the feeling of peace came over me and I knew everything was going to be fine, but that almost was not enough for me this time. Fine we will be fine, but how and when I want to know the plan. Can't you just tell me how long I have to make the money last? We were fast approaching the 1 year mark. How could it have gone on this long.

The biggest blessing in January was that because of the circumstances surrounding his job with his friend and why he left, he was able to get his unemployment reinstated.

I was not the only one frustrated at this time. Ryan's mom decided that it was time to get serious and set a date for the Lord. She told us all to fast and pray that Ryan would have a job by March 8th. This plan was put into action. In February there were a couple of interviews and things were looking hopeful, but the month ended without employment and March 8th was fast approaching. Amazingly enough I still felt that Ryan would have a job by March 8th, just like we asked. Then that Friday Ryan got a call to come back and do another temp job for the law firm he had worked for the year before, and the starting date was March 8th.

We were very grateful for this job, but we were not quite sure if we should laugh or cry. Was this some cruel joke the Lord was playing on us for being so demanding? As we thought about it we decided that in the end it worked to set a date, we just needed to be more specific. So we started praying that Ryan would have a PERMANENT job, with health benefits by the time the temp job ended. The interviews started coming more frequently and a few weeks ago the Lord confirmed to me through the spirit that it was almost over. and I knew that Ryan was going to find something soon. The worries that I had would be taken care of.

Last night Ryan was offered a job, and this morning he accepted it. It is only a few blocks from our home, He will make enough to meet our needs, and it is a job he will enjoy.

We have been so blessed these past 15 months and I am so grateful for all that we have been given.

I am grateful for my parents who taught me to Trust in the Lord. To lean on him when times are hard and to trust that he knows what is best. Thank you for teaching me the Gospel when I was young and for teaching me to listen to the spirit and let it guide me through my life, and for teaching me to live righteously so I can receive that guidance.

I am also thankful to my parents for teaching me to budget my money. To be able to make due and be happy with what I have. I am thankful for my parents love and support, and for their love of the Gospel. They have always been great examples to me and I love them.

I am so grateful for Ryan. He is a great husband and father. I am grateful that he is a worthy priesthood holder, who can bring the spirit into our home. I know that there were times when he would get frustrated just like I did, but he was always able to help comfort me when things got tough. I feel as though this experience has only brought us closer together and made me love him even more.

I am so grateful to Ryan's Parents who have been a great support to us both emotionally and financially. I don't think our kids really knew how tight things got at times because Grandma always made sure they could attend their classes and activity's as normal. It is a huge blessing to have them so close and to be able to lean on then so often for emotional support. I am grateful for their testimonies of the Gospel and how they bless our lives. We love them so much.

There were times when we needed help from both of our parents and I am grateful that they were both willing and able to help us. Just knowing we had their support gave me great comfort.

I know that there is still more to come, and having a job does not mean the world is our oyster, but I wanted to pause today to reflect on our blessings and express my gratitude for our many blessings. I know that the Lord knows me personally and loves me. I am so grateful for the peace and comfort I have been blessed with in knowing that he has a plan and that we will have what we need.

I have learned from this to continue to trust in the Lord and listen to and trust the promptings of the spirit. As I look at our food storage today, there is not much to look at, but what a blessing it was to have.

15 months ago Ryan was laid off and we still have a roof over our head, food on the table, money in the bank, family that we know love and support us, and a greater love of our Savior and a better knowledge of the Gospel and how it can bless our lives.

Oh how we have been blessed!

The Meanest Mom

Hello Monday!

It is just before 9:00AM and I am proud to say that I have already earned the meanest mother award for the day, and the whole neighborhood knows it too. If they don't it is because they were already gone for the day. Because anyone who was home would have heard Joe screaming at me as I dragged him up to the school this morning.

The day started out normally and the kids were ready to go by 8:05. They got their backpacks on and were heading out the door when Emily's friend came by to see if she could walk with her. Joe stopped and said he was not walking because he only wanted to walk with Emily and not her friend. I told him that his choices were that he could walk with them or he could walk in front of them. He still did not move. I told Emily to start walking, and I told Joe that if he was late to school that he would not be able to play Wii today and he would also have an extra chore when he got home. Then I said goodbye and closed the door. I was hoping that if he didn't have an audience he would just start walking, but when I peaked out the window he had sat down.

I opened the door and said that he could either catch up with Emily (who was walking slowly) or I was going to walk him to school. He still didn't move, so Josh and I got our shoes on. When I came back out Joe was gone. I was hoping that meant he had started walking but when I looked up the street I saw Emily and her friend at the top and there was no Joe.

That is when the real fun began............................

I found Joe sitting in the car waiting for me to drive him to school. I told him to get out because we were walking, and he locked the door. So I put Valerie in the stroller opened the garage door and then proceeded to drag Joe out of the car. That is when the screaming started.

"I'm not going to walk! I want to drive!"

I know It would have been easier for both of us if I had just put everyone in the car and driven him to school, but this was about making a point. The weather is nice school is three blocks away. He has an older sister to walk with. We are not driving to school. Especially because he is throwing a fit about it.

So there I was pushing the stroller with one hand (not that easy) and dragging my six year old up the hill with the other. While he is kicking and screaming the whole way. Luckily Josh and Valerie were happy to go on a walk. I tried letting go of his wrist a couple of times to see if he would just walk on his own, but he just turned around and tried to run home. So I dragged him for two blocks. Finally on the last block he would walk on his own, but he was still screaming at me.

He was late for school so I had to take him into the school. When we got to the class I hugged him and told him I loved him. Then he went in to class. I stood outside the door for a few minutes just to make sure he was done throwing his fit, and I heard him tell the class and his teacher, in a sad tortured voice, what a horrible mom he has. How she pulled him by the arm to school and held his arm really hard. (Is there any other way to "drag" your kid to school?)

I looked in and could see the sympathy he was getting from his classmates. How some of them were nodding their heads in agreement that Joe had a mean mom. So I was happy when the teacher just said in a sympathetic voice, "Oh it must be Monday."

So for now I am taking this as a win for mom, and wearing my mean mom badge with honor, but I have a feeling it is going to be a rough afternoon. Wish me luck!

A Car Ride, A Bummie, and A Camera

I try to always have a camera with me wherever I go. It does not always happen and I do not always use it, but you never know when you are going to wish you had your camera. Like when a big dog jumps into your car with your child and wont get out. I keep my old Cannon Power shot in the diaper bag for just such occasions. (I have a cell phone camera, but the pictures are not as good.)

The other day I was driving the kids home from all of their activities. Valerie started fussing so I asked Joe to get her a toy out of the diaper bag. While he was pulling out all of the toys he came across my the camera.

Suddenly I heard the camera taking lots of pictures and the Bummies were both laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. When I got home and looked through the camera I found lots of interesting pictures.

There were a lot of blurry ones and a lot of the roof of the car and the back of my head, but he actually got a few good shots of the drive home.

Then as I scrolled farther I found the best shots of all

Joe is the comedian of the family, and these shots are totally him. I love you Joe!

Wild Easter Activities

On Saturday Grandma and Grandpa invited us to a Where The Wild Things Are Easter Party. The invitation requested that everyone come dressed as a wild thing. So we pulled out the Halloween box to see what we had. Joe wanted to be the wolf, and Josh wanted to be whatever Joe was going to be. The problem was, we only had one of each costume. So Josh was left to choose from a horse, a dragon, or a dinosaur. He eventually chose the dragon, but he was not happy about it until we got to the party.


Emily could not find anything she liked in the box, so she decided to make her own costume. I think she did a pretty great job.

Grandma had a couple of games planned and an Easter Egg Hunt. The kids had so much fun, and loved picking prizes out of the prize basket after the games. Emily won a special prize for her costume. After the games we had a yummy dinner. Then, while Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle Kevin went to the Priesthood session of conference,we watched Where The Wild Things Are.

The newest member of our family, cousin Asher, also came to the party. My kids are so excited to have a cousin on this side of the family. We have seen him a couple of times before this, but Valerie has never really paid attention to him. At the party she realized that she had a friend there her size, and started trying to get him to play with her. It was really cute, and she was showing him all of her fun games. At one point it looked like she was showing him "Patty Cake." She kind of shook her hands together, rolled them and then threw them in the air. I think that was what she was doing, but she had never done it before and has not done it since. It looks like Asher and Valerie are going to be good friends.


Easter morning the kids woke up and found their Easter baskets. Once the baskets were found the day easily turned from the commercialism into a day of celebrating Christ. We read the Easter story in the Scriptures and then took the opportunity to talk to our kids about it and how grateful we are for Christ and the Atonement.

I love it when General Conference is on Easter. It seems so much easier to stay focused on Christ throughout the whole day. I am so grateful this Easter season for my family, and for all of the blessings we have been given. We have been very blessed this last year with the Spirit of comfort and peace in our home as we have gone through the trials of unemployment. I know that Christ and our Heavenly Father knows our family and loves us. I have felt his love and seen the many blessings we have received. While we are not at the end of this trial yet, I have come to know that there is a plan and that the Lord is in charge. I am so grateful for the gospel in our lives.

Happy Easter.

Easter Eggs

Dying Easter Eggs is something my kids always look forward to. I always boil more eggs than we can eat, but you can never have too many to color. This year was no different.

As we began our activity I realized just how much my kids have grown over the last year.

Joe told me this Easter that he has decided that I am the Easter Bunny, and maybe even Santa Clause!

Josh has especially grown. I was a little sad to realize that he no longer called this holiday D'ster because he thought it was a holiday to celebrate his Grandpa. Last year Josh would only dye his eggs green, and this year he is exploring other options.

Then I looked at Emily and wondered if in a year or two she would think she was too old to do this. Then I realized that I still like to do it so maybe this will be something she will never out grow.

Valerie was not interested in the coloring (I was not sad about that.) She liked the eggs though and was trying different things with them. She tasted one, but decided she didn't like the taste of the shell, so then she took two and started banging them together. I think her favorite part was when I cracked one open and let her eat the yolk. She thought it was "MMMM GOO."

I love my children, and while I am sad that they have to grow up, I love to watch them do it.

Grandma Saves Spring Break

The first day of Spring break it looked and felt like the middle of January outside. When we watched the weather reports the outlook was not good. I was tempted to write a letter to the school board and demanding a redo, because all of the fun outside activities that are supposed to happen on spring break were suddenly not an option. Even the Easter Egg hunt that is planned for tomorrow will probably have to be done indoors.



At our house we are done being indoors. We want to go on bike rides, have picnics at the park, and just run around outside. We even tentatively planned a zoo trip for Spring Break.

Thursday the kids and I ended up going to see a movie (How to Train Your Dragon). The kids loved it, and it was nice to get out of the house. The kids built a fort in the playroom, and had a sleep over in it, but cabin fever was still running high in the house. We needed to GET OUT.


Friday the sun was kind of out....... at least there was no snow falling from the sky........... but it was still cold and very windy. (Not very fun for a baby) So it looked like another day of indoor activities. Then Grandma called and wanted to take the kids out for some fun. I knew she understood how desperate we were for real entertainment, because she even offered to go to Chuck-E-Cheese. We decided to go try Jungle Jims. I had never been there, but my friends had told me they like it.

The kids had tons of fun. Valerie just loved being there and watching the other kids run around and play. When they road the rides and screamed and laughed, she screamed and laughed.
I tried taking her on the Merry-Go-Round. She was not sure she wanted to sit on the horse, but once it started going she laughed and had fun. As soon as it stopped, she started crying again. After all of that excitement, she took a nap while the other kids continued playing.







The kids liked the rides. This was Emily's favorite one, because it went really fast. It was my favorite ride to watch because the look on Josh's face told you exactly what he thought. When the ride started his eyes got as big as quarters. Then he smiled a little. Then he got a look on his face that I couldn't tell if it meant he was scared, squished, board, or going to throw up. His eyes were still as big as quarters and his little chubby cheeks were shaking.

I also thought it was pretty funny when Emily tried to cram herself in the jeep ride. She was probably a little old for Jungle Jims, but she was a good sport and had fun.

We stayed for about 3 hours and the kids left happy. We even got a "This is the best day ever" out of Joe. Thanks Grandma for spicing up our snowy Spring Break!