FYI

Still here, still alive.

So my kids are great. Lulu is growing like a weed finically! Yay! AND she might be growing out of her lactose intolerance! Yay! It sounds small but it opens a whole new world of possibilities in the realm of food for her. We are pretty excited. Since her allergic reaction to soy is not life threatening and is similar to the lactose I gave it a shot and gave her a dinner containing "2% or less of the following..." Aka a small amount of soy in a meat ball. It didn't go well. On the bright side we have no need for an epi pen in our house. Makes me thankful everyday. Everyday. I am serious. It may be a pain but it could be worse. She has also started talking up a storm and has hit the independent streak of a two year old. I miss her little cuteness already. Recently I have caught Lulu trying to ride Cooper, our chocolate lab, like a horse. She loved the bath and that's an understatement.
Oaks is awesome! The biting has basically almost been gone for seven months! He still has some lapses were he thinks it's a good idea until his teeth are against my skin and a simple "is that nice?" Or something along those lines takes care of it. He's crazy into hunting again because it's hunting season again. He loves art and I think math too. I am working on trying to help him understand as much as I can in the math arena, since basic math is all I am really good at. It has turned kind of chilly here and he is still in disbelief that he might need a pair of pants over shorts or a long sleeve shirt. It's pretty cute really until he is wanting my hoodie in the store, which happen today.

I am lacking recently in the photo taking area. Maybe I'll start a year challenge.

I have a new calling in primary and I'm a little scared. Mainly because I need to be compassionate and caring which some seem to think I'm not. It's hard though because I take after my mother and don't really sweat the small stuff.
We have been doing a preschool co op and I might quit it. I hate green snot. I hate it. Green snot means your body is working overtime to fight something, viral or bacterial, either way I hate it. It's gross. Plus your kid doesn't want to wash hands and then wants to touch everything, which leads me to cleaning all toys that were contacted the hour he was at my house and I feel like a raging lunatic. Raging lunatic. I almost feel like it would be easier to do it at home all by myself.

Still in Montana

I have kind of let myself get a little carried away recently here in Missoula. We've been spending more time with family in Spokane and more time doing activities here.

Oaks has just finished his second round of swim lessons at the YMCA. He still is in the Pike class... So we are going to work on that. He loves going swimming but isn't exactly taking easily to it. It seems to be a little difficult for him to get the coordination of it.

I can not believe that he will four years old in just a few weeks. A FEW WEEKS! That kid is growing like a weed. I grabbed a pair of jeans this week for him and put them on and they were ready for a flood. The kid just looked down and didn't know what exactly was wrong with his pants. He's definitely a stud.

Lulu has grown so much. Well it seems like a lot to me recently. She too has developed a little bit of an attitude. Its kind of funny.

Another post

I want to dedicate this post to my friend Suzie. She was one of the best visiting teachers I've ever had. At the time I knew she cared but I can look back and see how much she loved me as one of her sisters.
Anyhow, it's her that has me opening up about my recent trials.
We moved and its been difficult. I'm developing friendships but I still don't feel like I have any that are super deep. I miss that about living in Moscow or Tacoma. In both places I was really blessed with great friends I could call night or day. And we did. Making new friends kind of blows, and not like the beautiful kite in the wind.
I have been struggling today because Chris is out of town... And we'll my motivation for anything went with him. I have a completely new respect for single moms. My sister did it for many years and I was way harsher on judging her than I thought I was at the time. 20/20 right?
Anyhow, I did not want to do anything. My poopy toddler woke me up this morning with his cabelas pop gun (probably one f his favorite toys we've EVER gotten him and the one I have left in the Car since December, no joke) and I wanted nothing to do with it. Plus it was like 30 minutes before my alarm. He's an early bird and full of energy. Shortly after him it was Lulu and then it was all tantrums and nagging.
I'm so used to having help between five and seven thirty pm. I did the dishes today and made food. No cleaning no nothing major. I was just caving into my pity and definitely was treating my body that way too.
I feel like its so easy to drown in your own misery and self pity. I took the chance on Monday to watch the CES fireside with Brother and Sister Bednar. Elder Bednar narrated the story of this young couple and their trials. The one phrase I got out of all of it was something to this effect "it's more than enduring to the end but not shrinking". At first I didn't get it but as today went on I felt it and I did shrink a little but was able to straighten myself back out. I feel like being a stay at home mom is more difficult than I ever thought it would be but also more rewarding as well. I feel like I'm failing a lot in being a good mom, but I can say that I have been trying and trying to not shrink under the task.

That's all I got right at this point in time. I'd love to be able to have more meaningful posts about something or about my kids but this is where it's at currently.

Wow time flies!

Right now I am laying in my dark bedroom using my iPhone to type this... Somehow trying to fool Oaks into thinking I'm asleep so he should be too. Chris is currently on his was to Missouri for work.
I feel the bountiful blessings that are apon my head right now, as I type this. I've know for a while that Chris would be going out of town, basically six weeks. I think it ends up being five weeks over a six week period or something like that. Anyway, way longer than I like.
We want to go on adage yesterday, my birthday, but then we couldn't fid a sitter and Oaks had a flair up f his stomach issues... We've been sick almost since the end of December.
Anyhow, we got asked to take a calling last week and I just about lost it because of all of this stress. Plus the calling was for both of us. I felt over whelmed and completely in over my head with my family responsibilities and then add a calling with no husband for help.
I have sporadically been crying over the past few weeks just due to the pure stress that being home with the kids out any type of help, seriously scares me. I feel like Oaks was given to me because I was supposed to be pushed to be better and well I don't always enjoy the process of developing to be better and Lulu is a hold me" child. If her life was exactly what she wanted it would be 24/7 cuddles with some chocolate almond milk.
I worried about how I was going to Coe, I still kind of do, but I got blessed with knowing I will be okay.
Anyway sorry I haven't posted lately. Ill try to be better.
The photo of Lulu & Chris is in the middle of the night when we should be sleeping but she was wanting cuddles due to teething. Seriously the best thing in the world to see.

My testimony for a friend

I know the church is true. It's Strange to think back, 7 years, I was so young and didn't have an idea about life yet. Yet by the grace and love of heavenly father I was able to meet a young man that changed my life forever. I already knew that I was a child of God and I already had started that relationship, but I had no idea what would be in store for me by joining the church. Over the years I have had trials and horrible experiences that I probably could have skipped right over if I had not joined the church. However, I would have done the largest disservice to myself that I could have. In the last year I have had the chance to hold a calling or two that have challenged me, but they all seem small compared to what is the larger calling in my life which is to endure to the end. I am a stubborn child, my parents can attest to that, but I feel blessed that Heavenly Father saw a chance to inspire a young man to befriend me. My life would be completely different without the gospel as well as you. Heavenly Father answered my prayers when I met that young man and was invited to join the church.

Every year I remember different parts and build a testimony of something else. Prayer is just about the only thing that had gotten me through life recently on all levels.

My friend, I want you to know that Heavenly Father LOVES you and you are his child. He is always there and always looking for your best interest. He knows exactly what you need and desires to help you always. I believe that as his children we are always on his mind, even if he's working on something else.

I know that Thomas S Monson is the prophet and that he was put here to help guide us home to Heavenly Father. I know that the temple and the covenants made there are te only way to reach our potential as children of God. I know that sometimes God uses "sandpaper" to make us smooth. And I know that the church is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Game night and new friends

So we've been in missoula for about a month, less if you count Christmas and the holidays.
During the time in which we moved here to about Christmas we were all pretty sick. While visiting family we ended up in the Valley ER with both kids having ear infections. We probably would not have taken our kids in if Oaks hadn't of told us his ear was hurting. Most people that know Oaks, know that he doesn't really tell you that something hurts unless it is for real. We got into the ER to find out that Lulu had a temp nearing 105 degrees. It made me feel like a horrible parent for not realizing she was that hot. So se ended up with an IV and I was so thankful that Oaks needed to walk around during that period of time in which she was given that. I don't know if I've ever had such a gut wrenching experience as that. I felt so bad for her and the poor nurses felt horrible too. But everyone is all better now and the antibiotics were great and "tastes good" according to Oaks.
We've only been to our new ward twice. I think we will really like it here though.
We met some friends ad had them over for dinner on Sunday. They have a daughter that is about a year younger than Oaks. They were super cute together and insisted on ending the night by twirling in the office chair. We have been really lucky here so far and have yet to meet a bad person yet.
Chris had his birthday! Big ole 2-9. We had chocolate cake with raspberry filling. Thank you Grammy for the berries (Oaks & Lulu's Grammy). We finically finished off the cake yesterday and were wishing for some today! Funny how easily it is to be trained to eat sweets often.
We had been doing some driving around the area for "adventures".
Oaks is a SUNBEAM! A sunbeam, it almost kills me to know that he's in primary now. It doesn't seem like he's been in our family for that long but, so that's how life goes. He's loving primary and his teacher thinks he's awesome. It's interesting to see how he is with other adults that are not family, or like family.
I will have to say that Lulu & Oaks miss their friends R & E terribly, not to mention how much I miss the play dates.
Chris and I feel really blessed to be here in Montana, it feels like home already, when Tacoma never did. So we are excited and hope that life here will continue to be just as great as it has been.

Plus we love all this white stuff called snow!

The last few months

Our life recently = CRAZY!

So we have been particularly busy as of recently. I have not done any type of blogging to speak of once I was called as a RS President, didn't really have any time. That has all changed since then... I'll explain.
October:
I was called as Relief Society President and got two of the best counselors in my presidency. I will miss them very much and felt so blessed to be able to work with them. Chris applied to a job that he had seen in Montana and we didn't think it'd go anywhere. He also sent a résumé to a job in Colorado, that seemed promising.
November:
Chris sent an email to an engineer in Montana at HDR, the firm he had applied to. He was lucky enough to have had a lunch with him while in graduate school, it didn't take long from the time he sent that email. From the time that the email was sent to the job offer was two weeks or nine business days. That was the day before thanksgiving and we need to be living and functioning in Missoula, Montana before January 2nd. So we will be moving to the Big Sky state. Oaks has fallen in love, with my green sparkly shoes. Or as he calls them, green sparkle shoes.
December:
This month has been no fun! I mean no fun! We have spent it moving. We managed to get all of our stuff packed in a week! A week! I seriously thought that it would have taken longer. The funny thing was watching Oaks & Lulu play during all of this packing.
We also took a trip to Missoula to find a rental for our family and pup. During our trip to Missoula we got stuck on LookOut Pass for like 2 hours completely stopped due to a semi truck crash. There's a picture of the hippie van in front of us, seriously had to be a hippie because we saw him. This picture was taken early on in the waiting game. Today, Chris and his dad went today with a family friend to pickup all of our boxes in Tacoma and being them closer to Missoula.
Lulu also turned 1 on the 5th! She's one, already. I can't hardly believe it. I love that beautiful little girl. She is still the happiest kid on the block. I don't know how we do it, but she is always happy and smiling. I love it and she has brought so much happiness into our home.

Life has been a little crazy and to be honest I'm scared and a little excited about this move. Oaks seems excited for a new home, but he's going to miss R & E terribly. So is Lulu for that matter. They have been our life support for friends and social activities. Hopefully we can start doing vacations or visiting each other now.

I actually almost forgot, that Lulu has learned to walk! So now I have another walker in the family. We love this little cutie!



We had a light dusting of snow in Spokane, Oaks did not enjoy it because it meant that it made his trike hard to ride.

Seven years ago

This post was written in December and i was hoping to post it on January 6th but missed it by a few days.

I love writing and thinking about it every year and might just add a few more details each time I write about it.

Eight years ago I met a young man that changed my life. No it was not my wonderful husband, but a young man that has had an impact in my life, for the rest if my life. Every year in the month of December, I think about this young man. I think about the example he set for me and how his family grew to love me. It always makes me think about the birth of Christ and how special each of us are to be children of a loving Heavenly Father.
While I have not kept in close contact with this family or this young man, I tend to think of them often and hope that ther lives are still gospel centered and full of love and joy. This young man introduced me to the gospel and my new life that started a year after that. I was baptized on Janurary 6th 2006 by my best friend. I wish I could say that we are still best friends here and now, but we aren't. He just passed through my life sending it in a completely new direction.
Before I was a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I knew I was a child if God, but I didn't have all the tools that I needed or answers I was desiring. Not to say I have all those things now, but I'm in the process. I knew that this young man was special, he had blue hair and looked nothing like any of my friends from back home. That young mans appearance was probably one of the reasons he had gotten my attention. I had just moved across state and he was my first friend. I feel so lucky everyday that I wake up that I am a member of the church and know that I am loved, looked after, cared for, and that I have a purpose for being here on the earth.
I recently have felt the love so strongly and the guidance in my life from Heavenly Father. My life feels unbelievably blessed and I am so lucky.

For the future....

Originally I had said I wanted to post on here twice a month.


I would still love to do so, but I've been called as a Relief Society President. Needless to say, I am not sure I will have any or much free time. However, I will still be taking tons of pictures of my kids like always.

We'll see. As of right now, I wish I could put my head in the sand and take a nap or break.

First half of October

October 1st half

We have had some fun recently. Oaks & Lulu are always doing well. To be honest, I have a difficult time remembering what exactly we have been doing since the last post. And obviously I need to post more so that  I have something that remembers for me!

We watched General Conference and we had perfect angles during our sessions for the most part. I do believe it was because it was what we needed and definitely not because of anything we did to help inspire that. I made Oaks some prophet and apostles cards, so that we could try to match them up to who was speaking, when it was appropriate.

We have been doing a few play dates with friends, which is super nice! One of which was to the zoo on a Saturday. Oaks has a love of the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, who can blame him? We LOVE going! Oaks and Lulu are normally perfect little angles but for some reason the zoo makes it that much more apparent. The day we went was a little soggy to say the least. It had crossed our minds to just go to Ikea instead of the zoo because of the rain.

We did in fact also go to Ikea recently, we love that place. They have the best food in their restaurant and food court. Oaks happens to love him some pizza and meatballs in gravy. They are pretty amazing! Oaks was able to get a new stuffed doggy. Chris asked him what his names was while we were still in Ikea and he had named it Jeffery. It was a little surprising to say the least but it fits well. I asked him again last week and he told me it was "No". So I guess only time will tell what his name will be, but Lulu loves it too!

Oaks has been taking like no body's business. His favorite saying as of late "that's my favorite". My response is "oh really?" Its super cute.

Potty training is going awesome! By awesome I mean, he's been willing and its all clicking in that smart brain of his. Every morning I put him into undies and ask him to got potty. We are still having accidents and small things here or there but it is completely improving! It makes me a little giddy to know I will soon have one child out of diapers.

Helpers reward! when making brownies and then building fun with daddy!

 

Potty training

Oaks started potty training himself today. So I made him potty chart. Hopefully this time it actually happens. We had an unsuccessful attempt in July so, we just got normalized to being home after all of that crazy fun. So I will update this with some photos of his new chart after a few days.

The Zoo

The ZOO

And I mean that in the literal and figurative way. We actually went to Point Defiance Zoo this last week and had a blast and my brain has kind of been a zoo.

So the real-live zoo. NOT the dead animal zoo, aka Cabela's.

We frequent the dead animal zoo too often but we love it and the elk, moose, and bird we see there. Any how, Lulu didn't seem to impressed with the zoo except for the monkeys. She seemed to enjoy them. Oaks on the other hand was really interested in the elephants, sharks and fish, as well as the reindeer. I tend to worry about going to places like the zoo with Oaks. Mainly because he is stubborn, strong willed, adventurous, and curious. Which truth be told, he might have inherited those traits from his parentals, but please, please I beg of you, don't ever tell him that!

Every time we have asked Oaks, since being at the zoo, what is favorite part was, we get a very different answer. He has told us, the sharks, the sleeping elephants, the monkeys, the birds, and the show.

In my opinion my guess would have to be the sleeping elephants that were really doing nothing. One had their head against a hill and the other looked like it was passed out tired on it's side. A note about the elephants, Oaks says they have big feet.

Lulu basically slept and babbled her way through the zoo on my back. It was a fun time.

Its kind of crazy, we've been living in Tacoma for about six months already. Honestly, Oaks misses our hikes and camping. I can tell. That little adventurous boy is dying inside the city. He needs some mountainous adventures sometime soon to help cure his lack of them recently. We have done a ton of beach and South Sound adventure days, but it is still not like hiking a mountain to find some huckleberries or going to play in the new lagoon.

I am going to start putting in some older photos into my posts as well. I will make sure to identify them hopefully by location and date-ish.




These two pictures are of Lulu in my best friend's back yard in the end of July.

 

 

And just because I almost forgot, Oaks likes to rock out.
Air guitar in all.
It's too bad these photos don't show him really doing it. He got distracted by the knowledge of someone taking his photo, but cute anyways.

Good morning peaches!

So we are eating peaches... Canned peaches during peach season. Doesn't really make much sense really. Anywho we are eating them because I haven't bought any fresh ones recently.
Last night Oaks would not go to bed because I had put his half eaten icecream cone in the freezer and was freaking out. So I told him if he went to bed he could eat it with peaches for breakfast. He was pretty excited and went to bed. I have a feeling I pulled a trick out of my mom's book. But he went to bed and I went to bed and we all woke up happy.

Plus Lulu eats peaches like they are the best thing on earth. (I wanted to use the word inhale but then I realized it might worry some of you, thinking that she's choking on them. Nope she just LOVES them)

Ps Oaks always is making funny faces when I want a cute smile.

The Nose Book

Last night as I was trying to convince Oaks that bedtime was a good idea, we were reading The Nose Book by Al Perkins. This book is one of his favorites, absolute favorites, only beat by Hop on Pop.
Anyhow, we get I think the second page and there's a moose. Oaks always gets excited about the moose. It can be a drawing, stuffed (as in stuffed animal) or actual stuffed moose (taxidermy). Oaks loves them. He's talking about the moose and the points to the antlers, or what ever they are called. So I tell him that those are antlers and his reply was "yeah hunt moose". He kept saying it and saying it. I was about rolling on the floor in laughter.
I really really didn't want to forget this. Or for that matter how I went to check on Lulu in her crib because she was screaming and found Oaks. Laying next to her in the crib, wearing her sweat pants. But, because I have a tall son, they were shorts on backwards.

I love my kids, even on rough days they always make me smile.

Sorry no pictures today.

Champs!

My beautiful kids are CHAMPS!

I seriously do not know any other way to describe them. We have had a crazy month in August. I'm not even kidding. I will go in order in which we did things with some photos that go with both. I'm also throwing in the first week of September in there while i'm at it!

We went to visit family in Spokane for about a week

We went camping for a week or so with the Grands (or Grammie and Papa as Oaks calls them).

This was SO MUCH FUN! Oaks had a blast. He loves hanging out with all of the family. Especially his awesome Aunties and Uncles that spoil him to death. B&C are always giving him loves and K thinks he's the cutest thing in the world. 

We slept in a tent and had the most luxurious camping experience (as far as bedding goes) as my kids have ever had. Three inch foam with a foam/air pad as well, makes sleeping easy. Lulu had the pleasure of a pack n play that almost didn't fit in the tent, but all is well when we sleep well.

B&C stayed and played 

My kids are so lucky that their aunts and uncles are amazing people. They love them and I love them. So they stayed a few days after camping with us in our small little apartment. We played and hung out and tasted some amazing caked made by one of my best friends. 

We went again to visit family and for a wedding

Its so crazy, weddings make you realize how old your kids are getting. My children don't get to see my extended family as often as we'd like but it is when it works. My sister got married to a wonderful man this last Saturday. She was a beautiful bride with a wonderful party that followed. And Lulu and Oaks looked amazing. We took some family pictures that I am excited to see and Oaks got to play with his only cousin. He will have another by the end of the year though!!! Needless to say, Oaks really really enjoys hanging out with his cousin. Especially when they can look at frogs and run around all over the place. 

This picture to the left is Oaks' favorite part of the wedding... the cupcakes! They were super yummy too. Oaks had two but didn't eat two. Half of the first ended up in the pond when someone sneaked up on him and half of the second landed on a stair.

Lulu is so crazy cute and already a little adventurous like her brother and quick! She's got stairs down pack and we don't even have stairs at our house. I think this was like attempt number 5 ever and she was half way up before any of us knew what happened.




So after all of this we are hoping for a little bit more of a quiet and calmer September, but then again that's almost half over.

Craftaholics Gift Exchange

So I signed up for Linda's crafty gift exchange! AND it was amazing! I loved doing it! I'm seriously going to sign up for the next one. I have been procrastinating like no body's business getting this posted and well creating this blog to be able to post this.

Anyhow, I made this simple artwork for a lovely lady named Ashley. I've been learning to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator again. I learned a long time, like in high school, and have been wanting to get back into it. So I thought making something for Ashley would be perfect. The picture does not give it justice, the heart is has some beautiful sparkles added for fun!

Then I was lucky enough to receive this wonderful gift from Kristanlynn. She hit every little detail perfectly! She is an amazingly talented woman. I am working on the talented part. I have already used my apron to cook and bake in. I'm thinking about making the same apron now for a friend that loves aprons as well.

The second half of July

Wow! That went by super quick. Little Lulu & Oaks have been a little busy recently.

Oaks has been potty training. His urination skills are two fold and his pooping skills have yet to be seen. He is so funny in his reactions to potty training. I was so hoping that this would be an easy transition but its not. He is getting it though and today was an awesome day!

Lulu is amazing. I have awesome kids! She is so chill and laid back all the time. On Sunday we went and visited the blueberry bush maze and she was a champ! I love going to their room in the morning because she gives me the biggest grin that says "good morning mommy! I love you!" it's seriously the best part of my morning almost every morning.

We had some good friends and they have two little boys that Lulu and Oaks regularly play with. E is between Lulu and Oaks in age and then they have R that is older than Oaks and L that is younger than  Lulu. E loves Lulu and they are so cute in their play and so loving. R and Oaks are "best friends" and cause all sorts of little coas together. I am so thankful that we have them as friends because they love each other.

Oaks new words: body, skin, cookie, and an attempt at arboretum (it was super cute)
One more picture for good measure!