Daily life

Had to get this picture of Logan up. How can you not smile at that!



We love Pineapples




Reading books




Family shot (Mindy did this once with her family and we loved it! This is our second family picture like this)



Logan has been the easiest to make laugh out of all our children. It is WONDERFUL. He giggles and full belly laughs all the time. We LOVE it. Here's one we got on video.

"Yes Dear" A Father's Vindication, From Ryan

The wise counsel of my father received apostolic vindication today. For years my father has been wisely teaching his sons that the most important phrase in marriage is not, “I love you.” Oh no, the most important phrase in marriage is, “YES DEAR.” In spite of the rolling eyes of my mother, sisters, and wife. In spite of the laughs and chuckles my father, brother, and I share. In spite of the reactions of “Whatever” and “Yeah right” we receive from the woman in our families upon repeating this phrase; the sagely advice from my father has carried on to the next generation.

In the past, when I have prepared to go into the proverbial dog house, or have tried to get out of it, I too have wisely exclaimed with a smirk on my face, “YES DEAR”, to my own beloved wife. No longer can she react with a role of the eyes and a sarcastic look, for I now have apostolic authority to declare those immortal and eternal words.

Today Elder Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles preached the same advice. Our family attended a regional stake conference broadcast in which Elder Oaks told the sisters in the congregation to write down the following four phrases that he stated their husbands needed to say to their wives more often. He stated that these phrases were sound marital advice. Those phrases were:

1. I love you
2. I’m Sorry
3. ****Yes Dear****
4. We Can’t afford it

So to you dear and wise Father, I and Shawn salute you, honor you, and marvel at your wisdom and foreknowledge before it was preached by an apostle. May the words of “YES DEAR” ever bring peace and humility to the hearts of the men in our homes. May I, as a father in Zion, raise my sons in the correct ways and ensure that they too carry this key of martial bliss with them to their own eternal unions. And, may we always remember that, “IF MAMMA AIN’T HAPPY, AIN’T NOBODY HAPPY.”

Mom, Mindy and Katrina, you now have apostolic permission to accept this kind phrase from your husbands.

Fun, random

After that last post, we need some fun and random pictures!

Logan's first time falling asleep in his high chair. Too cute!




Here we go for random.
I opened up the cheese drawer in the refrigerator and found this from Kaitlyn. She cracks me up! She has been saving her pictures in lots of random places lately, but this one was the best.



And for some mischief (we always have plenty of that!).
I bought a sandwich cutter. The kids thought that was really fun, but it was dinosaurs (boring, apparently) so out came the cookie cutters. The girls are loving their shaped bread. Even if it's just a slice of bread it needs to be a flower, heat, butterfly etc. Well one day the girls were really quiet and playing nicely. It was wonderful and I needed the break so I didn't investigate as quickly as I could have. This is what I found. Half a loaf of bread.






I did some quick math (1/2 of a $ is) .50 cents. That's all the damage. While I hate to see food wasted, I figured this (as a one time thing) was ok. I usually let Kaitlyn get a slice of bread for her and her sister as a snack, they just went a little overboard this time!

Emily

Ugh. I don’t even know how to start this one.
Starting out in November probably, Emily started having issues with balance. She went from walking normally to gradually falling more and more. It got to the point that it was ridiculous, then it got to the point were it was frustrating and annoying. During this time she had her 18 mo check up. This was when the balance was just starting to go, so I thought she had an ear infection. Nope. No ear infection. So I wasn’t sure what to do. There wasn’t anything wrong (i.e. temperature, vomiting, aches and pains) with her, she just kept falling. So it kept getting worse and worse. It got to the point where one morning I counted and in 2 hours she had fallen down 5 or 6 times. That was one of the worst days, but she was constantly falling, at least 3 times a day. I knew it wasn’t an ear infection, but I wasn’t sure if you could take a toddler to the doctor for falling over. I finally gave in and took her. I was SO glad that I did. Our doctor was really great. She listened to my concerns and took me seriously. The main reason I went in was the balance, but there were a few other things I was worried about. She was getting more and more sedate. At first I thought she was just being shy, but then one night we were at home and Em was acting NORMAL. Running around playing and talking with her sister and I COULD NOT remember the last time I’d seen her do either. She was making weird grunting noises, and the weirdest was her spacing out. Sometimes I’d be talking to her, holding her and she would be responding, then all of a sudden she would stop. Nothing. I would have to snap or clap before she would respond again.
So the doctor said she had fluid in her ears, which could cause the balance problems. She prescribed some allergy medicine and she was concerned about the spacing out. So an EEG was ordered. We had to wait a couple of weeks before the EEG. Those were some nerve racking weeks.
My friend Coreina watched Kaitlyn while Ryan and I took Emily (and Logan came with) to get the EEG. I was so glad Ryan was there. He is really good at keeping me calm. So we get there and wait in the waiting room forever. –Oh and I was thinking an EEG was the big tube thing, and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to be in there with her and she would be claustrophobic. So they take us back to a small room and it was MUCH less intimidating than I thought. The tech was very nice and explained everything she was doing. She washed Em’s face with a special soap. Then measured and marked Emily’s head where she was going to put the electrodes. Then she glued all the electrodes to Emily.
Emily did an AMAZING job. Most kids her age get really mad and fight her off. Emily just sat on my lap and hugged me. She didn’t like her touching her, but it didn’t hurt so she let her. The hardest part was the gluing. Em couldn’t sit on my lap anymore, she had to lay down (the wires are only so long). I just kind of leaned over her so she could hold on while the tech worked. Right after the tech glued the last electrode Emily fell asleep! I couldn’t believe she just conked out, which actually was what she needed to do. Here’s Em sleeping during the EEG.




The tech monitored Em for about an hour while she slept and then we woke her up. This was the hardest part. Right after waking up she flashed a bright light in Em’s eyes a few times. Emily didn’t like that. Then she had to get all the electrodes out of Em’s hair. Emily was a trouper though. It was a long process, and uncomfortable, but she did it. Afterwards the tech gave her a sucker and that made it all better!

So a week and a half later we got the results (aren’t you glad you didn’t have to wait!-you get to read the results right away) and she is normal, no seizure activity! Yea!

Also the allergy medicine seems to have worked. It took awhile, but Em can actually walk across the room with out falling down. It’s wonderful! And she’s no longer a zombie. She is talking and playing and much happier. No more space cadet. No more weird grunting. She seems to be back to normal. Although there are some moments I wouldn’t mind the zombie. Em’s going to be 2 soon and is definitely hitting the terrible two’s.

Grumpy Emmy

3 Babies in a tub

How cute is this. I was worried at first, but Logan sits really well and the girls were good with him. HALLELUJAH!! We are past the scary baby bath stage!
They are never all looking at the same time.



We were outside playing and Kaitlyn posed and SHE asked for her picture to be taken. This is what I got. lol.





I had a birthday party the girls were invited to and I decided to try making something new. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. This was my first attempt. I think I will make one each for the girls for their Easter baskets. It was SUPPER easy too.




A princess wand. Mya, a friend of Kaitlyn has a wand that Kaitlyn always likes to play with. I looked at it and thought, I could make that!
The hardest part was getting the star the right size and shape. I Googled star stencils and clicked on images and tried a few until I found the right one and printed it off.
I cut out 2 stars (added a applique to one-not a necessity) and sewed them together (inside out) leaving a small hole. I flipped it right side out, stuffed it, and hot glued the stick in and shut the hole. I added ribbons too. It would look cute with ric-rack sewn around the edges of the star, but that is beyond my talents, just an idea for those of you who can.

Coreina had a twilight DVD release viewing party. This is a pic of Robert (her husband). Her kids and a cousin and husband got kicked out during the party and hung out here. Looks like they had fun too.



More to come on the party and the obtaining of the movie. -That is an entirely different post!

Adventure

Raising children is one adventure after another. These pictures are actually from the SECOND occurrence. Yes, my children did this twice! The first time I did not take pictures because Kaitlyn thinks it's a reward. Plus I was too mad/worried. I thought for sure it would NEVER come off the counters. We, the girls and I had colored hands for a week. Clean up was fun..yeah, not. In fact the first time I spent some time cleaning and scrubbing the counters to no avail. I just knew we were going to be buying new counter tops for our land lord. Luckily Ryan saved the day, and after a google search found a solution. And the pics.

Counters

Cubboards (if you click to enlarge you can see all the spices that are dumped out just in that little space)

The floor

Em's tights (those still haven't recovered, I think I may need to just chuck them)


The first time was just water and food coloring. The second time was water, food coloring, various spices, tums, vanilla, and pretty much anything else they could find. This is what happened after the second time.



PERMANENT time out from the kitchen. Ryan built it. Great job babe! And I kept it up for quite a few weeks. They just barely got it taken down. I THINK this time they learned their lesson. I sure hope so!

Oh and the supper awesome trick, the only thing that worked to get the color off... baking soda. Go figure.

Kaitlyn's Talk, Sunday Feb. 22, 2009

This is big stuff. Kaitlyn's FIRST talk in Primary. I can't believe how big she is! She did such a great job and I am so proud of her. She practiced her talk at home a few times and we video taped it. Then before church started I took her in the Primary room and showed her where she would say her talk, and snuck a picture.




(I LOVE that proud/excited smile)

Just before it was time for her talk I peeked into Primary. They were having opening prayer, but Kaitlyn saw me. She looked so grown up sitting in her chair! (I had not seen her in Primary yet, due to working in the nursery.) Once the prayer was over I snuck quietly in and sat next to her. She was SOOO excited to have mom in there and sitting next to her. When it was her turn we went up to the front and she repeated this sweet testimony:

God's creations bless us.
God gave us beautiful flowers to look at.
He gave us animals
And he gave us food to eat.
I know my heavenly father loves me and blesses me in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

She had 3 corresponding pictures to hold up.

I'm so proud of her and she reminds me daily to do better and be better. She loves to say the prayer and remind us to pray if we forget. She also brings Christ into our daily conversations. One of my favorites was just recent.

We were on a family drive. All the snow on the ground had melted, but it was just starting to snow and we (mostly Kaitlyn) were commenting on the falling snow. Then she says

"Mom. I think Jesus hates the snow."

I just chuckled. Ryan and I probably have taught her that snow is evil. Lol.

Another funny thing said the same day (though not about Jesus).

Ryan was changing Logan and Kaitlyn was sitting nearby.

"Daddy, I don't like that thing."

Ryan (chuckling) to Kaitlyn. "that's ok. You can not like those for the next 20 years."

Kaitlyn- "Daddy, I don't like those things. I just like a bum, ok?"

Too funny.

And while I'm at it, one more Kaitlyn story.
This one was while waiting in the waiting room at the doctors office.

Oh, and I had the only kids in there, so everyone else in there was SILENT.

We were just barely sitting down when Kaitlyn announces (quite loudly) "Mom, I'm not wearing panties!"

"What!!?!! Your not? Come here"

I look and she is in fact not wearing panties, but IS wearing a diaper. Oh, phew.

So what had happened was, just before going to sleep for nap Kaitlyn had wet the bed. We have been having this problem lately and this was a deliberate occasion, not a true accident, so I made her wear a diaper to bed. When I got up she was already up and had put pants on. I didn't think anything of it because she usually changes herself. Well apparently not this time.

So we proceed to wait an eternity (10 minutes) to be called back. All the while a continual back and forth with Kaitlyn pleading her to obey or find something nice and quiet to do. Many suggestions were offered, but none would suffice except for coloring. Then she tried to color on the couches. That no longer being an option was the only thing she wanted. Emily (the sick one) could only sit on my lap. Then Logan starts to cry. He is squished on my lap behind Em. I'm holding them with one arm and trying to keep Kaitlyn entertained with the other. All the while EVERYONE is silent and watching this crazy lady and her 3 babies. lol. I was VERY happy to see the nurse when she came out to get us.