Strangers

Last night at work we were very busy...like probably a 30-45 minute wait busy. We were all running like crazy and there were lots of people sitting at the door waiting. So apparently...in order to get seated faster, two couples decided to join together and eat. I thought it was so cool that four people who had never met before sat and had dinner. And they didn't rush through it either, after they were finished eating they stayed for a long time visiting. How cool is that? I really think that I would enjoy doing something like that but I am not sure Cameron would. Who knows? Maybe that was the start of a new friendship. So I told myself that I want to be more like that and that I am going to start more conversations with strangers. (Cameron ought to love that seeing as how he says I can't go to the grocery store without talking to everyone I know, turning a five minute shopping trip into a 45 minute one.) 

Have ya missed us?

Lexi

Lexi started 1st grade in August. She is so very smart and in the 3rd and 4th term has not missed one spelling word! She loves to read and loves doing homework...I hope that continues! She is on a company dance team at Dance Central and we have been to a few competitions this spring. We even traveled to St. George to watch her dance. And at every competition so far, her team has won 1st place! She is playing spring soccer and is so excited that she is just on a team with girls now and says that it is so much more fun with out the boys. Not to say that we haven't had a lot of boyfriend drama a lot this year. She had a boyfriend at the beginning of the school year but about a month into it she told me she had to break up with him....here's how the conversation went...

Lexi: "Well I guess I have to break up with Max. But I am a little scared to break up with him because last time I did he squeezed my neck."

Me: " That's not good, but why do you have to break up with him now?"

Lexi: " He told me that he is going to teach dogs how to poop on the toilet and play X-BOX all day, and I just don't want to live like that."

So I am totally prepared to have more of this drama, especially when she's a teenager! Lexi is such a good kid and has a big kind heart. She is the best sister to Quinn and Hudson and always makes sure Quinn is taken care of. She is a big help around the house and is always trying to find things to do to earn money! She will be 7 in June and I can't believe where the time has gone!

Quinn

Wow! What to say about Quinn....in the last nine months she has made so much progress with all of her therapy. She started attending preschool in November and absolutely loves it. She is such a social butterfly and it doesn't matter where we are she makes a friend. She speaks in a cute little accent, which I have no idea where she got it because it's not a hick accent it's more like from New Jersey. Quinn is such a sweet spirit and always reminds me how lucky I am. We travel to Shriner's Hospital every week to have therapy and she loves the people there. They are so nice and helpful and truly care about Quinn. She is a little spit fire and has said some pretty funny stuff at school ranging from " Justin Beiber's a punk!" to " I'm sixty and I know it!" (Instead of "I'm sexy and I know it) to this.... I just have to spell it out because it is too funny!

While playing in the sand box at school, trying to get a horse unstuck...as her little glasses slide to the tip of her nose and she looks over them at the stuck horse and says....

"Come on you bitch"

Like I said, I don't know what I am going to do with her! But she is so fun to have in our family and loves everyone! 

Hudson

Hudson was born on January 13th. Did I mention that was a Friday? Yes...Friday the 13th! I had my C-Section scheduled for January 20th but apparently he had other plans. All day I was having pains and just feeling pretty crappy. But Cameron and I were cleaning the house and getting ready for the little man and for my mom to come stay with us. So I just put it in the back of my mind. We were at Wal-Mart and I had a really bad contraction and tried to hide it from Cameron because he wanted me to go to the hospital, but I just kept telling him I couldn't have a baby that day because it was Friday the 13th. So, I went to work that night and the pain got worse and worse, so I ended up going to the hospital. My contractions were 2 minutes apart at that point and I had a C-Section a couple hours later. He was 7 pounds 1 ounce and 20 inches long. He is such a fun baby and the girls just adore him! I feel like I have taken a lot more time to enjoy him than I did my girls because I am not so focused on doing everything by the book. There are some days where I just sit and hold him all day long! He is 3 months old now and can hold his head up and has started to laugh and smile at us. We don't know what we would do without him!

As for Cameron and I, we are doing great. I tell him all the time that I just can't believe how lucky I am to have such a good husband and wonderful kids. Sometimes my life doesn't seem real. We try to go on date night once a month and just enjoy each other a little bit. Having three kids has definitely been busy so it's nice for the two of us to get away for a couple hours. Cameron is still working for the Jordanelle Special Service District and I am back at Claimjumper. And on a normal night you can find us running kids to dance or tumbling or soccer or Dr. appointments or therapy and finally winding down to watch a little Vampire Diaries at about 11 at night. But it's so worth it!

Happy Birthday and Kidney Stones

Yesterday I celebrated my 25th birthday. Let me tell you how...

Passing Kidney Stones!! Yay! What a great way to spend your birthday. But enough of that...

As I have approached 25, I have been really contemplating my life, what kind of mom I am, what kind of wife I am, and what kind of person I am.

Lately, I have not been that impressed. Since I started working full time everything has kind of gone down the crapper. I get off work and don't feel like doing a damn thing. The laundry doesn't get done, and my house is a filthy pig sty! I have let Lexi sleep on the couch about every night this summer because I am to lazy to go tuck her in. And I have been slacking on Quinn's therapy that I am supposed to do with her every day.

I keep thinking..."Something's got to give." And it has. Last week I gave my notice at work. While expecting our 3rd child, I look at the mess that I am in right now, and get really scared when I think of a new baby in this mess. Plus, how does a mother of 3 work 40 hours a week?

So...yesterday as I was "Celebrating" my 25th. I decided to give myself a make over. I am going to make over the mom and wife I am and try to be better. I am not in my early twenties anymore and can't get away with being flaky. So...now I am going to stay home and not work. Lucky me to get to stay home with such cute kids! I have to sacrifice some stuff. Like my brand new 2011 Jetta that I absolutely love. Because we won't be able to afford it now. But I would drive a 1982 New Yorker if it means I get to stay home with my kids.

Maybe that is the newer, older, wiser version of myself. But I have just gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what I drive, and it doesn't matter what I wear or what toys we have. All that matters is that my family is taken care of. And that I am not on the sidelines like I have felt like for the past 8 months. And is feeling like you are on the sidelines in your own kids lives worth driving a nice car and making good money? I think not.

I tried working full time. I like the job. But I can't say that it is for me. I can't wait to spend my days home with my wonderful kids and hopefully improve myself.

Naughty, Naughty

I have always said that the "Terrible 2's" aren't nearly as bad as people say. I personally think that it is closer to 3 that it gets bad.

Did I mention Quinn will be 3 in November?

It's hard to imagine this sweet little thing being "Terrible"

But believe me, I witness it on a daily basis!

She can go from sweet, innocent little Quinn, to Monster in .02 seconds!

The other night we were sitting upstairs watching "Tangled" with the girls. All was well and everyone was being quiet and enjoying the show, when out of nowhere, Quinn chucks a toy laptop at Lexi's head! Now, this girl can throw. Her right arm is so strong from trying to compensate from not being able to use her left one. Needless to say she left a GIANT goose egg on Lexi's forehead that stayed for days.

I know what you are thinking....that Lexi must have done something to provoke this behavior. That would be a negative! I witnessed the whole thing.

Also, we were at my Grandma Bonnie's and Lexi was lying on the couch and Quinn looked at all of the adults to see who was watching, and didn't know I was, when she tried to hit Lex over the head with a toy vacuum. And then giggled!

I don't know what I am going to do with her!

I woke her up this morning to get her ready to go to the sheep show with my sisters. And she was not thrilled to get woke up.

Me: Quinn, get up. You get to go hang out with Rachel at the sheep show, that will be so fun!

Quinn: No I don't want to.

Me: You have to, mommy has to go to work! Come one, let's get ready.

Quinn: I get ready, but I will be naughty at the sheep show!

All I can say is at least she is honest!

Gone with the Wind

Last winter I read this...

and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!

I love to read, and especially Historical Fiction.

This is by far my favorite book.

Last weekend my Grandma Bonnie invited my sisters, my Aunt Shellie and I to watch it and have a slumber party. It was so much fun! We ate Hawaiin Haystacks, Strawberry Cheesecake and got up in the morning and had crepes. The movie is almost 4 hours long, and I couldn't get enough of it! My Grandma has always loved it and bought the book for me last winter thinking I would never read it. Oh but I did, I read all 1100 pages of it in about 3 weeks. It was fun to sleep at her house again since I haven't since I was a teenager. (Yes, I slept over even though I live a block away)

One of my favorite scenes, after Scarlett and Rhett get back from their honeymoon in New Orleans.

"As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."

I love how Scarlett is so strong. I would like to think that I could be as strong as her. She knew what she had to take care of and she did whatever she had to do to take care of it. I would like to think that her and Rhett do end up together because she always seems to find a way to get what she wants.

Hottest New Accessory of the Season

This just in....

The hottest accessory of the summer is....

Lexi has been sportin' this bad boy for about two weeks.

She has about 3 more to go!

Here is how it all went down.

My sisters and I were in my house watching " Pretty Little Liars", and Cameron was outside working on his derby car, while Lexi and the neighbor boy were playing. I heard a blood curdling scream, so dramatic that I thought they were just playing. When it never let up...I decided to check things out. I went outside to find Cameron holding Lex and her arm was swollen and red. She carefully explained to us that she was trying to go down the slide and went over the side backwards. We took her to the Urgent Care and found out she had fractured her growth plate and her elbow.

Not the best way to start the summer, but she feels pretty important with that awesome cast. When my sister Madi asked if she could sign it, Lexi told her she could but it would cost $1. What a savy little business woman!

Dear...whoever

Another segment to my Dear...whoever....

Dear Negative Nelly,

I know that sometimes it's hard to keep your comments to yourself. But sometimes they hurt. I have recently heard of many of you so called "Negative Nelly's" making the comment that I shouldn't be having another baby because I have one with special needs. What the heck is that about people? Yes, I do have a child with special needs, and I wouldn't have her any other way. Yes, she has lots of doctor appointments and therapy sessions, and I wouldn't do anything different. Yes, having a child with special needs takes up a lot of time and sometimes it is frustrating. But I have so much love for my children that I can't imagine not having another one to love just as much! My kids bring so much happiness to my life that I just couldn't resist adding another one to the mix. So to all of you skeptics, we will be just fine adding another one. Thank you for your concern, but make sure when you make comments that they aren't going to hurt someone's feelings. Until you know what it's like to have a child with special needs, you don't know the joy that comes with it.