12 hours later

She could go no further.
(the orange thing is a foot ball)

Sleeping

I don't mean to complain.

Let me just put that out there first thing,
but can I just throw a quandary out into the abyss?
And forgive me if it's a little bit loud, but
WHY DON'T SICK CHILDREN SLEEP?
Huh?
Lilly is sick.
And cutting all her eye teeth at once (aka canines).
So I get it.
She's uncomfortable.
But why does that make the only 'comfortable' place in the whole house my face?
You think I'm being dramatic.

But I'm not.
Last night Cori slept on the guest bed
and I 'slept' with Lilly on my face.
Except she wasn't sleeping.
So Cori (and his 6 hours) took Havah (and her 12 hours) to church this morning and Lilly and I (and our 2 hours) are home.
She is watching Nemo and I am reading this and this.

On the plus side, I don't have to wear Nylons today.

Inspiration

Sorry, no spiritual enlightenment here...
I just thought I would share the inspiration behind Cori and Havah's rendition of Carmen.

If you enjoyed this, go check out the Muppets Studio on YouTube.
Oh and just for good measure,
watch this too:

PAINT!

When Andrea was here a couple weeks ago we transformed the master bathroom,

Now it is a delicious golden twilight sunshine color.
When I walk in there my heart feels happy.
The walls above the chair rail in our Master Bedroom are a hideous color called 'iced celery' why I ever thought I'd like this color I don't know.
I do not like ice (except for ice cream) and I only like celery in soup or salad.
Anyway, Cori gave me money to buy paint for my birthday.
So naturally today, I was mixing test colors.

Lilly came to help me narrow down the selection.

And the winner is.....

Lilly doesn't really like it.
.Can you guess which one she's voting for?

When Havah sees the paint on the walls I'm going to get in big trouble for making a painting mess on my room.

Just Havah (and a Fairy)

We're wearing fairy costumes from Auntie Andrea today.
Well I'm not, but they are.
Yikes, me in a fairy costume, nightmare material right there.
Havah is not a fairy though. She is a girl, in a fairy dress.
So please do not be confused.
(I'd hate for you to suffer the wrath)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (to me)

Lovely.
That's what I have to say.
New Potatoes & Peas for dinner.
Rainbow Chip cake.
Yummy.

Cori gave me the supplies to make a Terrarium.

Martha Stewart has very little effect on me,
but when we watched her make a terrarium,
our interest was more than peaked.
AND we're going to start trying out paint colors for our bedroom.
Because I just can't take "iced celery' anymore.
Oh, and here is this little ditty for you.
This was one of the best parts of my birthday:
Enjoy.

25 miracles

Today I opened a birthday present from my sweet Mother (in-law), every birthday she sends a memory as part of your present. This year I got a letter Cori sent to his dad from the MTC. It was lovely and precious, and when Cori read it he got all choked up. (I love that about him).
Just a few months before Cori wrote his letter, I wrote my self 4 letters. One for my 20th, 30th, 40th & 50th birthdays.

This week I was reading a talk from Henry B. Eyering.
He was talking about a journal he kept for his family. And everyday, he would ask himself,
Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us today?

I was raised to believe in miracles.
My mother taught me that getting a good parking spot at Costco on Saturday morning when you have 4 kids with you is a miracle, a special gift from God to say,
"I know you, you are my child and I've got your back."
I do not remember my last three birthdays.
Life was busy and crazy and everywhere.

But as my family enters this new part of life, this next set of huge and eternal changes,
I want to be able to look back and read and remember all the miracles.
Large and small, because they have brought us through.
This year I'm going to write myself another letter.
I'm going to list 25 miracles.
So that next year, when our life looks entirely different and wonderful
I can look back and remember what this was like.

Because more than remembering cake and ice cream,
I don't ever want to forget the ways He's shown me the last three years, that He knows me, because I am His daughter, and He's always got my back.

words

This is Lilly talking to Andrea about her new baby.

She has things to say.

LOTS of things.
And I love listening to her learn how to express herself for two reasons:
First- it's adorable.
Second- then she doesn't yell at me.

My favorites this week- "Outside wingy" (outside to swing) "Mom, yes do" (let's do) followed by what ever she wants to do. And "take teas" (cake please).

Oh and I almost forgot the most useful thing she's added to her repertoire,

"inky doo" (stinky poo).

Three cheers for communication!

Mommy Vacation

Today I had nine daylight hours with out children.

I don't know if you understand what this represents in my life. The only time I get nine hours with out children is...

Well never.

Not like "sometimes" never. I mean NEVER never. There are more children or less children, children and adults or just children, but always children.

But today I had University of Scouting (aka Pow-Wow).
For those unfamiliar its an all day training and lecture program provided by the Boy Scouts of America for Cub Scout and Boy Scout leadership. I am a Bear Den Leader, so I got to go.

It was AWESOME!
I learned so much. I'm so excited about working with my boys now. I have a sense of direction and purpose now. And I think the first sprouts of passion for the Boy Scout program.

So I was totally jazzed about that, then came home to find Cori printed cute pictures of him and the girls he took today AND made Peach Raspberry Pies (my all time favorite, if you have never had peach raspberry pie... bake, buy, steal...) AND THEN we went over to some friends for a lovely dinner and visiting...

Really, do vacation days get better than that?
Without traveling to an exotic location without children that is...


*all these pictures were taken this week

Humanitarian Services

Humanitarian Services

Safe Haiti Donations

I don't think there is anyone who is not touched/bothered by the needs of the people in Haiti right now.

There have been a lot of requests made by aid workers and disaster specialists in country concerning what is donated and the kind of help they need. And this is what they're saying -

“When people give $1, it translates into $7 in the field. If they spend $5 for bottled water, that’s nice and it makes them feel good, but probably it costs us more than $5 to send it. If they give us $5, we can get $35 worth of water.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by virtually every aid agency.
“I would really say at this point, honestly, right now, money is the best thing to give,” Rothe-Smith said.

(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34958965/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake)

If you are a looking for a way to give- LDS Philanthropies is a reputable charity that is also a 100% volunteer organization.

That means 100% of your donation goes right to people in need.

click the image for more information about what LDS Philanthropies
is doing in Haiti now and how to donate

Right now it's not only important to donate, but to donate in a way that will have the most benefit to the people who are suffering in Haiti.

PS

I almost forgot this, and I need to write it down.

Today Havah made a song up for me. That goes like this:

If you are feeling angry, then you can,
scream in your pillow or use your kind words.
If you are feeling angry, you can
scream in your pillow or use your kinds words.
'Cause when you scream in your pillow or use your kinds words,
it helps to open your happy heart.

We have been working on appropriate 'frustration management techniques' lately. Sometimes God gives you a gift so that you can know they hear what you're saying.

To do lists

I'm not good at them, so lets see how I did today.

2 loads of laundry- I got one done. I made a mistake and rinsed my vinyl table clothes first.
But it's to windy to hang them out side and I don't have a place for their wet selves indoors.
2 walks- I got 2 walks, + girls both times, but quantity not company were the focus.
And they're always good company on a walk.
2 bedrooms cleaned- I guess I'll be doing the second one 2-morrow.
2-welve living beings fed- very successfully! Scott even liked my meatballs, and they had
pineapple in them, and Scott HATES pineapple!
And my 2 visiting teachers came and we had a very nice visit. I like them.

Over all, a productive enough day.
We also had 2 (seemingly unexplainable) potty 'ask-a-dents' today.
Better than the three from yesterday and the day before.
She's having a hard week, any good advice from the parents out there?
She doesn't have a UTI...
Could it be Stress? Laziness? Inattentiveness? She's not feeling well?
Ideas please.
Because my to do list for tomorrow involves a lot of urinated cloth.

Todays to do list

This post is brought to you by the number

Today I am going to do:
2 loads of laundry
go on 2 walks (1+girls & 1-girls)
clean up 2 bedrooms
and make dinner for 2-welve living beings.
(there will be 11 people for dinner, but I have to feed Sadie too...)

Wednesdays are pretty crazy at our house.
We get up and get ready in the morning, and have a little bit of slow time (right now).
Then, pick Tasha up at 11:30.
Lunch.
Nap time (please sleep children!)
Boys & Whitney get home, girls wake up.
Homework.
Making dinner.
Feed S & T before counseling at 5.
(I don't usually start making dinner until 4:30 the rest of the week)
Home at 6:20.
Clean up from dinner.
Goodbyes.
PJ's.
Bed.
*Sigh*...

Okay, I can do that! I'm ready! Let's go 2 work!

Dear [baby] John,

I asked you to come home. I even used my good manners. Do you know how had it is for an 19 month to say 'please'? I can't wait for you any longer. You broke my heart... I'm jaded. No more American babies for me! Auntie Andrea heard about my heart break and brought me a sweet little baby from Timor-Leste to adopt. He loves me and I love him.

I guess what I'm trying to say Baby is goodbye... I'll miss you forever, but I just can't wait for you anymore.

-Lilly

count down....

About this time tomorrow Andrea should be climbing into the Twinkie Bus*.

*that is the name of our 1986 Champagne color Toyota Van
someday I shall grace the blog with a photograph, because
when our children drive flying machines, we'll want to look
back and remember 'the good ol' ol' ol' days. :)

doots

Lilly loves shoes. She loves her fancy church shoes. She loves her converse. She loves my heels (someone has to wear them, I don't). But most of all, in the whole world she loves loves LOVES her 'Doots'.

I'd give you a picture so you can see how thrashed they are (hand-me-downs, it's her fate), but since I don't have a brain, you can just see how cute they were new.

Would it make me a bad parent if I started calling them 'doots' to keep her from ever learn to say it correctly?

Probably, but you should hear her little voice call "DOOTS! AAAW OOO?!"

Count down....

Have you heard the news?

ANDREA IS COMING TO TOWN!

but we're not excited or anything.

Nope... it's not like Havah and I are counting down the days until Friday the 15th and 9pm or something ridiculous like that..
Nope. Not us.
We're cool.
3 days(& 22.5 hours)
Until we see this face.

(Hurry An!)

obsession

Every few months my sweet mother in law sends me a project.
No I don't sew, quilt, scrap, tole paint or cross stitch.
In fact the idea of most of that makes me want to scratch my eyes out.
(no offense to those crafty people out there)
No, this is my fun:


(click to see)

Mom says I should make more....
but I know my weakness.
I have to get it perfect.
I have to make it 5 different ways before I'm done.
It's absorbing.
Suddenly I don't have children or a husband anymore.

Hi, I'm Kari and I have a graphic addiction.

*but Mom, keep them coming.

The Parrot with the Black Beak

Today Havah woke up from her nap rather distraught.
Apparently there is a rather shady parrot jaunting around her dreams scaring the bejeezes out of her. She says he's big with a black beak. I did a little google search and I think I found the guy.

And I was right, we got a positive ID on the bird.
So tonight at bed time, when she started to do her little freak out about the parrot in her room, I had it covered. I'd already returned him to the zoo.
See?
Whew... good thing that zoo was in need of a dangerous imaginary parrot, huh?
Sweet dreams my Havah.

Hope- my personal favorite

I just watched this and loved it. I hope (hahaha) that you love it too.

Good Life

I would just like to put out to the universe today that I like my life.

At breakfast Cori read to us about who our Heavenly Father is and how He asks us to live so that He can bless us.

Today we are learning to sing "Keep the Commandments".

Havah is trying to convince me that elmo underwear are a whole outfit.

Lilly is coloring but keeps asking for a 'soooo' (show).

There is laundry waiting to be folded on the couch, but the dishwasher is running.

The floors are dirty but all the closed doors in my kitchen are hiding perfectly clean and organized shelves (even my freezer!)


The upstairs bathrooms are disgusting, but yesterday Havah learned how to clean a toilet and the kitchen bathroom is sparkling.

My girls are watching Peter Pan again, but the play room is clean (relatively).

There are things I'm not good at and things I'm really good at... and this year I feel ready to move some things from the 'not so good at' pile to the 'good at' pile.

The last few days Cori and I have set some goals for this year, and I feel undaunted by them. They are attainable. Big but doable, and this morning, I'm ready to begin.

Because what better way to thank Heavenly Father for a good life then to be trying to become something better.

Dear Baby

Please hurry home. I miss you.

love, Lilly
(Lissa, could you make a trip to the post office? The replacement baby isn't cutting it.)

Brains for Babies

Once upon a time I had a brain. I resided in my scull between my ears and I kept all kinds of interesting information in it. Then 3 years a go in a shrewd career move I traded half my brain for a really cute baby. There are lots of people who go through life relatively successfully with only half a brain right? What I did not realize was that when I traded half my brain I would only have half of my reasoning capabilities... maybe what that means is that I only had half a brain to begin with.10 months later we hatched a plan to trade the rest of my brain for another cute little one.

Generally I have to admit, I am able to make it through my days with nothing but air between my ears. I only miss it on rare occasions. Like this weekend, when Whitney, Havah and Lilly drove across state to deliver Melissa to her very first dorm appartment. Exciting? YES!

Friday morning we packed up. Could there be a better start to the new year? A bag for Mommy, Havah and Lilly with camera, baby, pig, 'bugs' (aka noise machine), clothes, diapers, toiletries, a bag for Whitney (I don't know what was in it) and a pile of pillows decked out in Nana's awesome pillow cases all crammed in the 15 passenger van full of Lissa's belongings and drove through the snow to Rexburg. It was great! We visited with Uncle Beau and Aunt Jo (thanks guys!), ate pizza, pancakes and way to many twizzlers, checked in, threw snowballs, unpacked, met Libby (her roommate), and Libby's Grandpa (who coincidentally shares a birthday with Havah), changed one of the smelliest diapers ever!, bought books, hugged, shed a few tears, and we were on our way.

Now, in the last paragraph I have given you some key information.

Number One: All of the things important to my girls when falling asleep at night were packed in our bag. Havah doesn't really care about 'special things' but Lilly does. She needs her baby and her bugs. Logically she knows she doesn't, at 7pm when we say, "goodnight" she knows it will be okay with out her baby... but at 3am when her mind reaches out at just touches consciousness, that's when she needs her baby. Think 'weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth'...

Number Two: Smelliest diaper EVER! Diaper which was changed not in the car, but in Lissa's dorm....

How much of your brain do you have left? Can you guess at what point in this vacation I wished I still had my brain? I can give you a geographic location- Blackfoot, ID.

About the time we reached Blackfoot, Lilly was starting to feel tired. Whitney climbed back to the girls and started to get them cozied in so they could rest. She looked in the front, she looked int he back, she looked under the pile of awesome Nana pillow cases... no bag... it was sitting very comfortably on a lounge chair in Melissa's living room.

And who can blame it? Why sit on the floor of a cold van, when you could relax on a lounge chair.

It was so late when we got home that they didn't care, they just went to sleep. But last night... at bed time there was weeping, at 11:30 there was wailing, and this morning when they got up, there was gnashing.

I should have turned around in Blackfoot. If I had a brain, I would have been able to do the math, an hour extra driving now, for hours of happy children later, but I don't have a brain. I have two bundles of joy instead, totally worth one brain.