Need a Good Giggle, Look no Further.....

I love when I am picking up the kitchen and Tessa walks in and says "MOM" and I turn around to see her wearing these ridiculous glasses. She always makes me smile and brigthens everyday of my life. This shows so much of her personality and that she is like her Daddy, I love this girl!

Harry Porter (Potter) Birthday....

Yesterday we celebrated Porter's 6th birthday. His party was originally supposed to be on his b-day on January 30th, but that is when I was in Utah so we re-scheduled. We had a great party here for him. We started out with the sorting ceremony and thanks to my friend Debbie, we had a real sorting hat and I was able to give the kids their own robes, oh and Andy made some awesome wands that everyone got too. Andy rigged the hat with our walkie talkies so when one of the kids put the hat on, it would talk to them and tell them which class they were in! It was a brilliant idea, they had no idea (Porter later in the evening discovered the taped in walkie talkie). After the sorting ceremony we all cut out and made our own Harry Potter glasses, although the template was a little strange so all of the kids had one black eye and one white, it was funny, but classic for memories. Once everyone looked like Harry Potter we went to the living room for a special magic show. Our friend Mark is into magic and agreed to come over and do some things for us, it was great, there was even fire involved!! You can't do a party without a cake so, that was next, followed up with some gift opening. All in all it turned out very well. Everyone that he invited was able to come and it was fun to have more boys his age in our house.

I can't believe that Porter is six already, where does the time go. I still think often of his first birthday party in Maine where we had no family there just great friends (miss you Coombs and Sanders). Porter is such a great kid, we have drug him everywhere, all over the country, and he just goes with the flow, I am so lucky to have him in my life as my son.

Debbie Downer....

So I was on the phone with my mother-in-law complaining about my life and apologized for being a Debbie Downer and realized how perfect that name fit me right now. Things have been hard for me lately. I loved having the opportunity to go to Utah to be with my family for the funeral, it was amazing, and I loved being able to spend some time with Andy's family, but overall I was emotionally overwhelmed. I had a few moments in Utah when I just needed to cry, between one grandpa passing and my other grandma needing to be watched over, it was just a lot to take in in such a short period of time. To top that all off, Tessa got the lovely gift of croup from the not so lovely air of Utah. The night before we left she was barking and I knew. To this day, one week later we are still dealing with her fever, cough, and now a yucky green booger nose. Oh, and I came home and started the throwing up at night thing again thanks to baby number 4.

I feel like I cannot get a break. I am a women of routine and when it gets disrupted I fall apart. I am trying to make the climb back up, but it is hard. I am an adult, mother, and wife, but I feel like I need someone to come in and tell me what to do.

On another note, I miss Andy, he has been working such long hours, leaving at 6 am and not coming home until 7 p.m. everyday. It just gets old. I hate residency and there are times when I would give anything to go back to med school, where he had the summers off and we spent our days on the beach.

For the rest of the week we have a primary activity tonight for the kids (should be fun for them and an hour break for me), Tessa shot appt. in the morning (if her fever goes away), I work in the library at Porter's school tomorrow (may have to cancel that again, Porter misses me there though), Porter's Valentine party at school Friday that I am in charge of, and Porter's Harry Potter b-day party that was supposed to be on his b-day on Janruary 30th but I was gone.

So there you have it, me in a nutshell right now. I guess the only thing I can do is the best I can, which I don't know what my best is right now. And I would like to thank my friends here in Ohio who have called and offered to help, it means a lot to me.

For now, some pictures from the funeral.









*Some thoughts on the funeral. It was hard, I think all funerals are hard. But I feel that the hardest part is seeing the people that you love so much be so sad and knowing the only thing you can do is hug them and let you know you love them. It is amazing to me how everything happens for a reason. My Dad met Julie, they got married, she had an had wonderful family and parents, her father baptized me, eventually I met Andy, got married, had kids, and here I am. There is more to it, but you get what I am saying. I love how life is a story and how all of our stories are different and how we all have our own "that happened for a reason" moments.

At a loss....

Right now I feel just at a total and complete loss for words and feelings, but yet I am able to cry at the drop of a hat.

Last night I lost someone very near and dear to my heart. My Grandpa Bill passed away after suffering from a stroke late Saturday evening. This was the great man who baptized me and was my family witness when I was married to Andy in the Bountiful Temple.

Grandpa Bill gave the best hugs, he would hold me close and tight, and for an extended period of time, I knew after hugging him how much he loved me. I am going to miss those hugs so much and in the past twelve hours I keep trying to remember the feeling of the last one I got from him.

As of right now at this moment I don't know much of what is happening next. I do know that I am thankful for the great blessings of my amazing husband who scooped me the largest bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with home made fudge sauce (thanks to Jill who showed up with dinner last night), for my sister-in-law who is doing everything in her power to get me to Utah for the funeral, for my three amazing children all who gave me hugs and wiped away my tears, for the baby that is growing in my belly who's heartbeat I heard this morning for the first time, and for my Father in Heaven who's amazing love has carried me through so much and I know he will carry me through this.

*As of 9:00 p.m. on Monday night, I am going to Utah for the funeral thanks to a buddy pass, please pray that the buddy system works!

Through the fog....

This morning when I woke up and walked down to the back window to see what the weather had in store for us today I saw this family of cardinals through the fog. I love the cardinals and had never seen one until we moved here. Now I get to see them all of the time and I feel so lucky. The bright red color of the male is shocking at times, and just as shocking is that the female practically has no color at all, whad' up with that? (yes, a total referance to SNL, click to watch, and so you know, the guy in the red jumpsuit is my favorite)

Snow + Sun = Sledding

Saturday was a day of sledding, literally all day. We headed out in the morning, took a break for lunch at Mc Donalds (which made Porter's life), went grocery shopping, and then back to the hill with friends for another round. It was so fun to be outside and to feel the sun on our faces again, it has been so long.

And on another note, you could say it was my first time of really sledding. I have been before but it was different than this. I was afraid the first time I went down the hill on Saturday. I made the run with Porter who was also a little afraid to be sitting in the front of the sled, so I had to be tough. When we got to the bottom of the hill after screaming our heads off I said "see that wasn't so bad." I was facing Porter when the words came out of my mouth, but I knew that I was talking to myself, and not that it is all over I can't wait to go again!












As you can see from the photos that Andy put Tessa on Porter's lap, HELLO! (only my husband) You can see that Tessa is almost off Porter's lap at one point, Andy claims that he had a hold of her the whole time, I still don't know if I believe that or not. When they finally stopped Porter just layed there and would not let go of Tessa, he was so afraid of hurting her, he's the best big brother, and now possibly traumatized from the experience.



On another, another note, when I downloaded these pictures, I found Andy had taken some pictures I didn't know about. Here is Porter and Tessa eating the "Sugar cereal" also know as Cinnamon Toast Crunch one of my personal favorites.


She has the best smile.

Ice, Ice, Baby....

We took the kids ice skating this weekend with some friends and it was so fun. I could not believe how well they did, especially Porter, he was doing it all by himself with the cone. He has never been on the ice before so I was feeling extra proud. The only bummer was that Tessa could not get on the ice, she is too little. So I had to stay out to the side with her and she was wanting Daddy the whole time, no fun. They need a special time to go for little people with big ideas.


I love this picture, because Andy and Dave are talking, who is watching the kids that are all about to fall, although Carlee looks like she is doing a professional move.


Dad and his Car Car.


Porter was doing so good and having so much fun!


Anne and her cute little girl Ellie.

And yes the title has everything to do with Vanilla Ice of course. He was my first concert and very entertaining. I still love his first album and I probably know all of the words. (I need to look for that tape....)