The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Thirteen

It may be hard to believe, but we didn't enter the 'DVR' world until a few months ago. I used to have to figure out what show we wanted to record, if it would actually be on, set the timer on the VCR, and then hope that I remembered to put in a tape so that it would actually record. Then we started downloading them from Mininova. The site was pretty cool. We download most of 'our shows' in a Divx format that we would then burn them onto a disc and watch it on our TV. This worked out pretty well, but the thing that I didn't like about it is the fact that we couldn't really get to watch the show until a day later because it would take a couple of hours to download. Then Shawn decided he wanted to get a new HD TV. That is when Shawn started looking into different options of getting HD reception. After alot of research we ended up getting a Tivo.

I now don't know how we lived with out it. It really rocks! Now that I am nursing...the TV is my friend. It is so nice to have a plethora of shows that I can tune into. Commercials are things of the past, and I don't have to watch another episode of the Doodlebops ever again! I am so thankful to have this wonderful device. It makes things so much easier!

If you would like to visit other peoples 'blessings' just go to Gardenview Cottage for a list of participants!

A Special Thanks

So obviously I have been MIA. For some reason I have been rather pre-occupied. :) I actually had a handful of posts that I have been working on and finally got them finished...so be sure to scroll down.

I just wanted to shout out a special thanks to a few people that I love dearly.

First of all, I wanted to thank my wonderful sisters. Nancy and Cathy are 8 and 6 years older than me. Despite the age difference, we are very close, and I am so thankful to have them in my life. Nancy has been at all 3 of my childrens births, and Cathy has been at the last 2. They are great coaches, photographers, and videographers. :)

I also wanted to thank my bestest friends in the world. Julie & Robbie were kind enough to let us dump our kids off at their house when we went to have Thomas. As you already know, it took a little bit longer for Thomas to come so they ended up spending the night there too. They had a super time playing at your house (as evidence here). I really don't know what I would do without you guys in my life.

Of course I have to thank Shawn. I know I have been an emotional roller coaster during these few weeks post partum. I guess it makes for some fun memories. I know it has been hard trying to juggle work, and our new addition. I am just thankful to share this new spirit with you. I love you, and am grateful to have you as my husband.

Last of all, I touched on this in my 52 Blessings post, but I want to say it again. Thank you so much Mom for coming to my aid this past week. It was the highlight of my week, and so much appreciated. I love you very much.

Anyhoo, things here are going well. Shawn is back to work, and life is starting to get somewhat normal. I have yet to really venture out by myself, but I am sure that day will come soon. Thomas is cute as a button, and the kids are really loving having him as part of our family.

Easter Weekend

I know that I should have taken it easy, and stayed home with little Thomas. I couldn't help but join in all the fun festivities of Easter. The day started out with our Ward Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt. We headed over to the church around 9. We enjoyed yummy pancakes, and then they had the egg hunt. It is always fun to watch my kids as they run around filling their baskets. Sydney wanted to open each egg that she found, and devour it right then and there. Caden was more determined to pack his basket with as much eggs as possible.

Later in the day we went over to a park near my Aunt Sheri's house for BBQ with her family. It was nice to see my cousins and all of their kids. Sheri is my mom's only sister so when I was growing up we spent every holiday with the Whiting's. Now that we are all older, married, with lots of kids...we rarely get together anymore. I really enjoyed catching up with them. The kids had a blast at the park. After a bit we went over to Sheri's house, and they had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard. After the hunt they gathered all the kids for a group photo. I had to laugh so hard because Caden pulled his infamous "I am not going to let you take a picture of me!" He was not happy about this photo opportunity.

After our long day we drove home, and even though it was late we had to give the kids a bath. We are sooo lucky to have 8 am church so it is imperative to get bathed the night before. I then stayed up way too late making Sydney her bows for her Easter dress (yes I am a procrastinator). I was pretty happy at how they turned out.
The next morning came way too fast. Despite my efforts to have everything ready the night before we still ended up being a half hour late to church! I really think that 8 o'clock church should be outlawed! Some people thought I was crazy to bring Thomas to church when he was only two weeks, but I am glad I went. It was so nice to be there for Easter Sunday. I was thankful to be able to feel the spirit, and focus on the real meaning of the holiday.

After church we went over to Nancy's. She hosts Easter every year because Noah's birthday is on April 2nd. She calls it Noah's Easter Birthday party. My sisters house is every kids dream. I love it because once I show up there... my kids are off playing, and I can enjoy socializing with my family, and not have to worry about them. It was great to spend time with my family. After eating we had another egg hunt, and then just hung out some more. My kids played so hard that they passed out within minutes of us leaving Nancy's.

Easter was a great time for us. Thank you for all of your suggestions of what to do to make it more Christ centered. I hope to incorporate more of those ideas next year. I hope that your Easter was wonderful!

Random Facts

So what seems like ages ago I was tagged by Jenifer to do this meme. I started working on it, but then Thomas came...and well, everything took a backseat. Now I finally got around to finishing it! Enjoy!

#1 Link to the person that tagged you.
#2 Post the rules on your blog.
#3 Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
#4 Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
# 5 Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged

1. I don’t like apple juice. I don’t know why, but I don’t. It was kinda funny because the year after I graduated from high school, I ended up with a secret admirer dropping things off at my door for about a week. He would leave a note, and then some sort of Martinelli’s product. I got the sparkling cider, actual apple juice, and some other type of apple juice type stuff. Julie and I had to laugh because this guy obviously didn’t know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t truly appreciate his gesture.

2. I have an open bite. That means that only my back two molars touch. Yeah, it is pretty crazy. No one can really notice unless I show them, but I can literally be biting down with all of my might and still stick a cracker between my teeth. It was fixed at one point (Shawn’s uncle is an orthodontist), but within a year of me getting braces off, my tongue thrust pushed them apart again. Somehow I still manage to chew, but I hate biting into things! It is not an easy task.

3. I have lived in Arizona my entire life, but have never been to the Grand Canyon. I have driven past, but have never actually visited it! I think it is so strange. Hopefully when our kids get a bit older we can take the whole fam there.

4. I have only moved three times. I guess technically you could say 4, but I was only a few weeks old when my parents moved into the house I was raised in. I lived there until I was married. Then moved into our condo, and then moved to the house we live in now. I don’t plan on moving again.

5. I actually look forward to going to the Dentist. There is always that stigma that comes with Dentistry. Most people can’t stand it, but I really like to go. There is nothing better than walking out of that office with freshly cleaned pearly whites (thanks Heather). I do get cavities (those darn genetically bad teeth!), but I figure I am doing my part to keep my teeth as healthy as I can. BTW...I know of a FABULOUS dentist if you are looking for one!

6. I hate passing large vehicles (mainly Semi’s). I don’t know why it is, but it puts me in panic mode. I literally hold my breath every time I pass a Semi. My heart races, and I just plain hate it. My mind goes into a dream sequence (like in Scrubs), and I see the semi coming into my lane to demolish me in my car. I just am waiting for the day that they don’t see me, and it actually happens. I do the same thing with cement trucks… I hate driving behind them. I always picture the thing all of a sudden pouring cement all over me. Yes…send me to the looney bin – I hallucinate when I drive.

7.My hair gets curlier after each pregnancy. Does this happen to you? I used to have stick straight hair, but after each kid it has gotten wavier and wavier. It would be nice if it actually looked good, but it is just a funky wave. Maybe if I have a bunch of kids the natural curl will actually be something I can work with...in the meantime it is just a pain in the behind!

Now consider yourself tagged...let me know when you write a post. I would love to come read it!

52 Blessings Project - Week Twelve

My blessings for Week Ten and Eleven can be found here and here.

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Twelve

Words cannot even begin to express how thankful I am to Jesus Christ. With out the Savior, I know that I would not be here. It is because of the sacrifice that he made for me, and all mankind, that we are even here today. To know that he willinging gave his life for me...he sacrificed so much.

I often wonder what it would have been like to have lived on earth while he was here. I wonder if I would have followed him or if I would have been one of the many that turned away. I like to think that I would have fallen at his feet. How amazing it would have been to hear His sermons to have felt of his spirit. To see Him and know that he truly was the Son of God.

I wasn't born back then, but I am thankful to have been born into a family that instilled a testimony of Christ into my heart. I love him, and hope to someday see him face to face. To be able to thank him for His example, and for selflessly giving His life for me. My life would be lost without this knowledge. We really are blessed to have one that loves us so much.

Meeting Baby Thomas

Watching your children as they meet their sibling for the first time is one of the most precious things to witness. They finally get to see the tiny little baby that has been 'growing' in Mommy's tummy. As time grew closer to my due date, Caden and Sydney were more and more anxious to meet this little bundle. Since Thomas came at night, the kids didn't get to meet him until the following morning.

In walked Caden and Sydney with their "I am the BIG Brother/Sister" shirts that we had made together shortly before Thomas was born. Caden was holding a gift that he had helped pick out for the baby. He was so sure that the "baby was going to LOVE it." My heart melted as they first laid eyes on their brother. Caden was amazed at how tiny the baby was. They both immediately wanted to hold their brother.

Caden was nice enough to open the gift he had chosen for Thomas. He waved the little cow in front of the baby's face, and then exclaimed..."See Mom, he LOVES it!" They got excited when they realized that Thomas had gotten them gifts too. Caden got Chick Hicks & the Dynaco car from the movie Cars. Sydney got some more dollies for her dollhouse. They couldn't be happier about the arrival of their new 'Baby Thomas.'

It really was a sweet moment for me.

52 Blessings Project - Week Eleven

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Eleven

As a child, I don't think I ever fully appreciated my mother. When I was little, I know I adored her. She came to my school once a week and taught music on Fridays. She was alot of fun, and really instilled a love for music in my heart. As I got older, as most children do, I started to pull away. My mom wasn't as 'cool', and of course I was so much wiser than her (wink, wink). One thing was for sure, I didn't really understand how much she really cared for me. Now don't get me wrong, I knew that she loved me, but at the same time I didn't really comprehend how much. It wasn't until I had my own children that I understood the love that she has for me. Having children has given me such a different perspective of the different sacrifices that my mom has made for me, and how deeply I know that she loves me.

She teaches music at a school here in town, and happened to have spring break right after I had Thomas. She had alot of other things going on, but was able to make it over here on Thursday to help out a bit. I can't begin to express how thankful that I was to have her here. She spent the majority of the day picking up my house, doing my laundry, dishes, and taking care of my kids. I know that my mom wished that she could stay longer, and felt bad that she couldn't do more. I have to say that even though she felt that she did so little...it meant alot. More than she will ever be able to understand.

I love my mom so much. She is one of the most christlike persons that I know. She is so good at finding the good in everyone. I know I have said things to her that have hurt her feelings. I can be quite critical at times. I just hope she knows that I love her with all of my heart.

Mothers really are wonderful blessings.

When did it change?

I came across this image sometime last year. At first it made me laugh, but then it really made me think. When did Easter change from being a time of remembering our Savior into celebrating the 'Easter Bunny', candy, and egg hunts?

I can't say that I don't really enjoy all the commercialized things that the world associates with Easter. It is fun to watch my kids as they find the hidden easter eggs, and see how happy they are when they wake up and see their baskets full of goodies. Yet, at the same time...I don't want them to think that is what Easter really is about.

I want them to understand how important this holiday is. That without the sacrifice of our Savior, we would not be here today. Every year I struggle to try and do something to help teach them of this importance.

What are some things that you do with your children to help incorporate the Savior into this holiday?

We are home!

We actually got home on Saturday afternoon. Now I am just trying to catch up on sleep, and adjust to life with 3 kids! I just wanted to thank everyone for your kind words. I still can't believe that we have our little Thomas with us. He gets cuter and cuter every day. The kids absolutely adore him.

Hepefully things can settle down, and we can get into some sort of routinen. :) I have missed visiting all of your blogs, and hope to catch up on some reading soon.

52 Blessings Project - Week Ten

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Ten

After having my third child, I can only be so grateful for modern medicine. I am thankful to be able to have my children in a hospital full of knowledgeable nurses & doctors that can take care of me if something goes wrong. I know there are some women out there who are champions and are able to have children 'naturally.' I am not one of them. Epidurals are my friend, and I am so thankful that there has been medical advancement to make them available for me. After having Thomas, my sister made the comment that I made giving birth look so easy. I laughed. I don't think that I would ever say that it is easy, but it is much easier when I don't have to feel the pain. I figure why should I have to go through all that pain if I don't have to! For me, it is a wonderful thing, and I am so thankful that someone was inspired to make it possible!

Happy Birthday!

Last night when I went to bed, I was pretty sure that I was going to skip the induction. I was really scared about something going wrong, and thought I was going to give it a couple more days to see if I would go into labor on my own. We woke up in the morning, Shawn got ready for work...and I was set to go about my day. My induction was scheduled for 7:30 am, but we didn't go. Shawn left for work, and then the nurse from L & D called around 8. I voiced my concerns about being induced, and after speaking with her. I changed my mind. I called Shawn and had him turn around and come home. We joked that I wanted it to be spontaneous.

We showed up at the hospital, and got set up around 10 or 11ish. Things were slow at first. The baby was in a position that didn't put enough pressure on my cervix to help things along as fast as we would like it. The nurse kept thinking that she would come in and I would be complete. Thank goodness for epidurals because things just went by like a breeze. They checked me around 7 pm and I was only at a 6! I thought this is going to take FOREVER! But I ended up going from the 6 to complete within the hour! The doctor came and our little bundle was born 15 minutes later! It was a wonderful delivery, and we are so happy!

So without further ado...INTRODUCING!

Thomas Dean

7lbs 14oz

19 1/4 inches long

He is perfect in every way! I have to say it was so exciting to have him pop out and have everyone exclaim... "It's a BOY!" I think I actually prefer it this way, but I don't think that Shawn would let us do it again if we have more children. He looks alot like Caden did. Alot more blond features with lots and lots of hair. We also know he as atleast one dimple on his right cheek. One of the funny things is he has a small blister on his hand from sucking on it in the womb! I had never seen something like that before.

I just knew that you all were DYING to hear the news! You can see more pictures by clicking on 'Our Family Pictures' in the sidebar. Thanks so much for all of your encouragment... I truly feel loved!

I am still here

Hey peoples! Yes...I am still here with a big ol' tummy. I am hoping that today might be the day, but we will see. The kids are getting so excited about this babies arrival. Last night at the dinner table Caden turned to Shawn and said, "Daddy, aren't you sooo excited for our baby to come?" It was the cutest thing to come out of his mouth.

This past week he has wanted to look at my blog to see the ticker and how 'big' the baby has gotten. He even wanted to look at pictures of him and Sydney when they were born. So we pulled up the files, and was looking through the pictures. I debated putting these pictures up because the ones from Caden's are hideous...but I was amazed at how different I looked.

My new found blog friend, Cindy of The Reed Clan, recently left me a sweet comment on how she thinks about me every time she forces herself to exercise. It made me feel good to be able to motivate someone. I really have to say that I feel that exercising during my last two pregnancies has been the best thing that I have ever done. Even on the days that I felt like crap...when I made myself go...it really made a difference. I think it really helped me from getting any water retention, and made my recovery so much better. I can't say I really enjoyed exercising everyday, but I feel like it really helped.

So don't laugh, but here are the pictures of me after I had Caden, and then after I had Sydney. Keep in mind that I started at same pre-pregnancy weight with both of them. I didn't exercise at all with Caden, but went to the gym regulary with Sydney. I also wasn't kicking my tail when I exercised either...I went to yoga two days a week, and then the other three I would walk at a leisurly pace on the the elliptical or treadmill. I think the main thing was just keeping my body moving!

Hopefully we can add another picture here soon. I am crossing my fingers that I can go into labor on my own today! Wish me luck!

52 Blessings Project - Week Nine

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Nine

This week will mark the 5 year anniversary of moving into our current home so I only thought it would be appropriate to have it be my blessing this week. As I look back 5 years ago, moving really wasn't something that we were in a rush to do. We had a condo in Tempe, and had always planned on living there until we were having our second child.

My sister is a realtor, and gave me her password to her mls account. I am always fascinated with homes, and from time to time would compile a list of homes that I thought would be nice to look at. I had just found out that I was pregnant with Caden. Yet, like I said we weren't really planning on moving, but one Saturday we thought we would go around and look at the 15 or 20 houses that I had compiled. We thought it would be a good idea to look at alot of different houses so when it came time to actually buy we would know what we really wanted. We looked at so many houses that day, but when we walked into 'our' house, we just knew that this was where we were supposed to be. So even though we weren't planning on it, we made an offer on the house...and it was accepted!

Here we were a single couple only a few months pregnant moving into a 5 bedroom house! I know many people thought we were crazy because it was much larger than what we really needed. In fact, Shawn gave me a hard time because it was at the top of the price range of what we were wanting to spend. Over the years, the housing market has changed so much. We are now so thankful that we bought when we did. It has been such a blessing to have a home in which we can grow, and know that we got it at a much more affordable price. I love our home. It has been such a wonderful blessing, and hopefully we can stay here forever. I really couldn't have asked for anything better (except I still would like to change the kitchen *wink, wink*).

If you would like to visit other peoples 'blessings' just go to Gardenview Cottage for a list of participants.

Still cookin'

Just so you know...the baby is still cookin'. We had a great time at the zoo, and walked up a storm, but still nothin. I am working on posting one of my 52 blessings, but didn't want you thinking that this baby had come yet. Stay tuned!