Park/Pool photos

More photos...

Overdue

I know this is way overdue, but I finally got the pictures from our vacation on my computer. Enjoy!

Kenneth, Caitlin & Daniel on the anchor outside the Maritime Museum in Santa Barbara.

Daniel & Kenneth & Caitlin at the table at the house where we stayed.

Both days we were on the pier we bought the kids ice cream....the 2nd day we got it in bowls... :)

Caitlin, Daniel & Kenneth on the curb on the pier.

The pool heater wasn't working so the water was quite chilly. This is Kenneth warming up next to the pool.

Daniel & Kenneth in the pool at the house where we stayed.

Steve took this photo while we were on the pirate cruise. We saw several Great Blue Herons while we were there.

Joy & the kids on the pier.

The "touchy feely" part of the Sea Creatures exhibit...even Caitlin got into it!

Kenneth "Steering" the pirate cruise.

Daniel "steering" the pirate cruise we took.

This is Daniel & Kenneth in front of the Santa Barbara Harbor.

Daniel & Caitlin sitting in Grandma Ackerman's scooter.
Caitlin - modeling for daddy...her consignment store dress w/ matching bow & socks... :)
Caitlin on Easter - isn't she cute?

Official

I am officially the Relief Society President of the Stonegate Ward. I am extremely humbled and overwhelmed. This is a huge job to take on (just when I thought my life was busy enough!). I pray the Lord will give me strength to serve my family, my clients, and the sisters of our ward as He would have me do.

I have LOTS of photos to share - I'll try to get to that in the next day or 2. I got the film developed from our vacation in Santa Barbara! :)

Another great weekend!

Well, we have arrived safely home after a wonderfully eventful weekend. First of all, my little sister, Elise, and her husband, Les, are parents for the second time after the birth of Jacob Darrell on Saturday morning at 6am. Congratulations you two!!! A big "I'm proud of you" goes out to Elise because giving birth is never easy and she did an amazing job...no drugs...you go girl!

We arrived Friday in Utah and spent Friday night with the Jones Family. Shauna and I put beads onto socks for Annie and Sophie and we enjoyed yummy food and great company. Steve joined us at about 3am Saturday morning. Saturday morning the kids played some more and we left around 11am. Thanks to the Joneses for always being willing to let us come! Also - thanks to Mike for being willing to forego a football game so Spencie could play with my kids....they had a great time, thanks!

We visited another of my friends, Shari, and her daughter, Sydney. Sydney and Caitlin are 3 days apart and Shari's dog, Mya, enjoyed playing with the kids, too.

I got to go shopping with my sister, Angela and my sister-in-law, Amanda. We shopped for Danny's birthday gift and Mom's Mother's Day gift. That was fun! Then I got to hold baby Jaxon (David & Jackie's little boy) for a long time in the afternoon/evening. He is a darling baby! Grandma Noble and Heidi were there, too, so that was really fun! We celebrated Danny's birthday with a big fractured taco dinner - YEA! Reed, Karen, and Reedie came over later in the evening to say "hi". I think that's the first time in about 9 1/2 years that I've seen Reedie. He is very grown up and very handsome. It was good to chat and get to know him a little better. And, of course, Uncle Reed made me laugh so hard I cried...he has that talent.

Sunday we helped my mom clean her basement and then we went to the baby blessing for baby Jaxon. Jackie's family dwarfs ours, so there are a lot of people when we get together. It was a lot of fun and after the blessing they had LOTS of YUMMY food to share!

We drove home (to Las Vegas - still wierd to think of that as "home") directly after that and arrived sometime between 8-9pm I think. The kids slept in this morning - I woke them all up at 8:15am. Kenneth had an appointment with an oral surgen at 9am and Daniel had speech at 9am. Since Steve had an unexpected call at work at 9am I was double-booked. Thanks to Angela for helping me out on that one! Kenneth will have to have a funky-named procedure done at some point to cut the skin between his upper lip and his upper gums....but it won't happen until after his other teeth come in and he's had some orthadontial work done (probably 6-9 months).

I think that's just about it....Caitlin is battling a cold (a nasty side-effect of the COLD UTAH WEATHER!). The rest of us are OK.

Kenneth's baseball team plays Johnathan's baseball team in 45 minutes, so I guess I'd better get the troops moving.

Sometimes reality stinks...

Well, we're home. Bummer.

We had a wonderful weekend enjoying NO stresses of daily life. We didn't get cell service at the house where we stayed, so we had uninterrupted bliss. Steve did do some studying each day (good for him!), but I had a work-free weekend. The boys swam (Kenneth got his first sun burn), and we relaxed. Daniel got a little more of the ocean than he bargained for when a wave came particularly high... :) We all had a great time and we hope to go back again someday. We loved the area and the beach. We discovered how important vacations are...well, I did, anyway. We hope to be taking more of those in the future.

Heaven....we're in Heaven

We made it to Montecito safely last night. The drive wasn't too awfully bad....until it was time for the baby to go to sleep....she insisted I hold her hand. My arm went to sleep several times over. Both boys went to sleep without fighting in the slightest....they were so tired. Daniel had a hard time going back to sleep once we got here, so he ended up sleeping with us. Steve & I each enjoyed a bath last night. This area is so lovely! The weather is sunny, but just about 65 - 70 or so. It's so nice! We went to Santa Barbara this morning (10am) and went to the Maritime Museum there. It was a very nice museum - not too large, but very well put together. The baby got tired, so we went to lunch then came back to the house for a nap. The boys have swum through the baby's nap. I slept outside and Steve has been studying. We're about to wake up the baby (it's been 3 hours) and figure out dinner. Thanks for checking on us!

Happy Anniversary to us!

Well, 10 years ago today, Steve & I were married. We're feeling old. We're very happy. It's been a great 10 years. Both of us have received our college degrees, we've had 3 beautiful children, we've made happy memories in Texas, and now we're making happy memories in Las Vegas. I gave Steve a new wedding ring (his original was stolen 2 years ago when our car was broken in to). We're looking forward to a wonderful weekend as a family in Santa Barbara, CA, and many more decades together.

Update

Well, we've avoided being separated this week. Steve has successfully resolved the problems at work without going to New York (Yea!). The Webb children have been a welcome addition around here. Angela's having a great time (as far as I know) in Idaho.

Yesterday we had a tragedy in the family. Steve's sister's husband works for Google. Yesterday he was walking from one building to another and as he was crossing the crosswalk, he was hit by a car going between 35-40 miles/hour. He broke a bone in his back, 3 ribs, his sternum, 2 bones in his right arm (in 3 places), punctured a lung, got some hum-dinger road rash and his head required stitches. He had a 5 hour surgery on his arm today and is on a lot of pain killer. Our prayers and thoughts have been with him and his family all day today. I'm hoping Sami will let me help out in some way with her kids...but we'll be deciding all that when she gets a couple more days into this whole thing.

The doctors are saying he'll make a full recovery but it will be at least 8 weeks. His name is Scott - please keep him in your prayers.

Well, I'm off...

A Stay

Well, it appears for the moment, Steve won't be traveling to New York. They've been hit by their worst storms since 1992 this weekend, and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. He's at work now trying to solve the ongoing problems, and he probably will still go to New York (that's according to me; not him), but it won't be tomorrow. We have a fun family weekend planned not next weekend but the following weekend (that's also our 10 year wedding anniversary), so I'm hoping his trip doesn't intrude on that trip (I'm really looking forward to that trip!). I'll let you know as I learn more.

I forgot to mention in my LONG post yesterday that we're reaping the rewards of gardening. We have eaten (well, I haven't, but the kids have) a few strawberries, and we've got broccoli on each of our 6 broccoli plants, and one tomato on our tomato plant. :) Such are the joys of living in a warm winter area. My bushes that a mom of one of Angela's preschoolers recommended we plant are flowering as well; so our back yard is quite enjoyable these days. Oh - and my rosemary bushes are starting to be fragrant, too!

Rocks, battery acid, and baseball

Well, first off - I shouldn't wait so long in between posts....there's so much to say. I'll start with Monday. Kenneth had his first baseball game (see photos). He did great - although he's not on a great team...what else is new? He doesn't know the difference and he loves the game so much he doesn't really even notice anyone around him I don't think. So - we had a good week - I worked as much as I could. I got my hair cut again (shorter - more layers). Thursday we had a low-key day and I wanted to get out and Steve worked late; so I called Sears. See- I guess I'd better back up a bit. Kenneth has been going through shoes like there's no tomorrow, so my sister told me about the policy Sears has that if your kid wears out the shoe before they grow out of it -they'll replace the shoe for free. So - the last pair of shoes I bought Kenneth I bought at Sears for specifically that reason. I kept the box & receipt - fully anticipating needing them. His shoes were shot. I went to retrieve the box and receipt and couldn't find them....darn the luck. So - I called Sears to see if they'd honor it without the receipt. They said it depended on the shoe. I described the shoe to them and they said bring it in....well, Adam said bring it in. I - knowing full well how this works if you get another person - went RIGHT in. After I loaded the kids in the car the car barely started...and I noticed the clock in my car said 12:03 as I was driving away (it was really like 6:30pm). Well - I'm not stupid. I figured my battery was going out. So - not willing to pass up a chance at free shoes - I called Steve and warned him that we might get stranded at Sears. We got to Sears OK and got new shoes for Kenneth and got out of Sears OK and went straight to Checker. Sure enough, our battery was going out (we knew for sure after they tested it). I purchased a new battery, but getting the old one out was going to be a process; so I took it home hoping Steve would save me the trouble. The next morning Steve so kindly replaced my battery before going to work. He left the old battery in the car for me to return and get my $8 back. I forgot about it and ran several other errands. About 45 minutes before baseball I sent Kenneth out to the car to check on his baseball bag and make sure he had everything he needed. He came back in the house screaming like a wild banchee and grabbing his leg and hand. I handed him a wet rag and ran out to the car to see what the "big black thing leaking oil" was that hurt him. The battery had no doubt shifted as I drove and fell out of the car when he opened the door. He aparently attempted to move it and it leaked battery acid on him. I ran back in; stripped Kenneth; and put him in the bath with the plug open so it would drain in & out. I called poison control (after I called Steve) and moved Kenneth to the shower. After flushing it for 20 minutes and using a mild baby soap, he said only his leg hurt a little. I put silvadine cream on it and wrapped it and we went to baseball. After baseball practice, Daniel decided to bring home a rock (see photo). Once in the car, Caitlin decided SHE wanted the rock. Daniel, in an attempt to prevent his sister from getting his rock, put the rock in his nose....yes, you read right...in his nose. He started screaming like a banchee (I wonder where he'd heard that before?) and I pulled off the road into a parking lot. I got something skinny and tried to wedge it out but I could see pretty quickly this was not something I could do - he was fighting and screaming too much. I called Steve and told him to hurry up and come back to me - then I called Angela (she was closer) and told her where to pull off the road to help me. I gave Angela my skinny object and held Daniel down while she futzed with the rock in his nose. Finally, I suggested we let gravity be our friend, so we sat him up. Angela got the idea to have him blow his nose...so he blew...and blew....and eventually the rock came out - just before Steve got there. Angela didn't see the rock ahead of time, so she was very surprised to see the size of the rock (again - reference the photo). Another crisis past...few! Kenneth had his first piano lesson this afternoon (well, at noon). He did great. I had purchased the incorrect books, so during his lesson we ran to a music store and purchased the correct books. I made him a bag that says "Kenneth's music bag" and we put in a pencil, notebook, and his music books. He came right home from his lesson to practice. I think he's going to enjoy this. It's good. I really like his teacher. She's been teaching for 20 years and she says she's only had one personality conflict. She's a dear woman.....she must be very patient. So - last of all - tonight Steve took me to see REBA!....live, in concert. She was in Primm (27 miles from here). We had a great time - she puts on a wonderful show. Now - it's after midnight and church is at 9 - so I must go...but we've had an eventful week. I guess I should mention that Steve will be going to New York next week (likely Monday) - and Angela is going to Idaho on Tuesday...so I'll be a lonely woman next week....with a lot of kids! :)




This is Steve's wedding ring on the left - and the rock Daniel wedged up his nose on the right.

Easter Update

Kenneth with his Easter Basket

The Laytons on Easter

Kenneth and Nathan holding hands (they're 3 months apart in age and they got along very well).

From left to right: Danny, Darrel, Darin, Steve, Dad, Mom, Joy, Missy, Angela, Amanda

My Dad and Me


Well, I haven't updated for a while; so here's what we've been up to:

Our kids had spring break last week, so Angela & I let our kids pick out of 10 options 4 things they wanted to do during the week. They chose bowling; movie theater movie; boating; and Chuck E Cheese's. We did all that Tues/Wed/Thurs. Thursday evening we had my sister, Missy, her husband and her 3 kids as well as my folks and my brother Ben come. On Friday I took out Missy, Darin, Dad, and Nathan, Benjamin, and Gilbert (Missy's kids) out on the boat. We had a great day out on the lake. The water was COLD (I didn't even wear my suit :) ), but everyone else was very brave and tubed, skiied, knee-boarded, swam, etc. The kids got a kick out of the floating toilet (they have them strategically posted on the lake), and Nathan dubbed our ski dock a "Porch"...who knew our boat was big enough to have a porch? Saturday Steve took out Ben, Darin, Danny & Amanda on the boat. (Danny & Amanda came on Friday afternoon). We had a choir rehearsal from 9-10am -- A run through for the cantata that Angela conducted, I sang in and my dad narrated. We came home and had an easter egg hunt (see photos), then we took all the kids to the Bass Pro Shop to see the 117,000 gallon fish tank where you can watch them feed the sting rays and sharks ( I love that attraction ). That evening we got a babysitter and all the adults went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner before dividing up for shows. Mom, Dad, Joy & Steve went to the Scintas. Danny & Amanda went to Josh Grobin. Angela, Darrel, Darin & Missy went to Gordy Brown. It was lots of fun! Easter Sunday started with church and singing the cantata. Then a huge Easter feast, then Mom, Dad, Ben, Danny & Amanda went home. After they left we dyed Easter eggs with the kids. Missy & Darin left at about Noon on Monday - and now I'm deep into taxes!!! Anyway, that's our weekend in a nut shell....we had lots & lots of fun! I hope you like the photos.

Home at last

Isn't this a great photo? I think it could be a painting! It's Caitlin on the left and Emily on the right (in case you didn't recognize the amazing red hair!) I love this shot.

Well, it was a quick trip - but it was very nice. Angela and I got to spend some quality time with Jaxon, and with our family as well. We watched General Conference with our parents, and we visited with our only living grandmother for a while, too. It was a nice weekend - even if it was a quick trip (Friday night - Sunday afternoon). Here are some other photos Angela got of Caitlin....

Caitlin is holding Angela's lens cap. Isn't this a funny photo?
Caitlin, Grammie, and Emily

The "Boys" went to Outback Friday night. Out on the boat Saturday, to BBQ Saturday night. They also built me a bunch of new shelves in the garage and moved all the boxes out of Caitlin's closet...that was a HUGE project, for which I am most grateful! I think everyone had a good weekend. Steve went in for an X-Ray on his neck (well, 2 vertebre below his neck) this morning. I'll let you know when we get the results of that.

Welcome Baby Jaxon!

YEA!! Our first FELLINGHAM Grandbaby boy!!! David & Jackie had a 7 lb. 7 oz. baby yesterday. 20 inches. March 30, 2007. Isn't he beautiful? Angela took some great photos!

Update

I know I've been delinquent in my updates - but there's not really much to say...other than I'm busy and I'm tired. No one wants to hear that - so I'll give you the better news...my sister-in-law is in the hospital....having a baby boy! Yea! We keep saying quick prayers for her that everything will go smoothly (and quickly!). Angela and I and Caitlin and Zach are heading up there for a quick trip this weekend to welcome the new little guy into the world...the boys (Steve, Kenneth, Daniel, Darrel, Alex, Johnathan) are going boating.

Layton Update

Well, life here is good. As I was telling Elise yesterday, I'm in a "good place" with each of my children right now and we've been having happy times with Kenneth off track. I'm not working as much as I should - but I'm working just about as much as I can. Kenneth started baseball this week and he's VERY HAPPY! He just loves baseball. Daniel is riding his bike better and better (and more and more) and changing into a little man so fast! Caitlin is SO MUCH MORE VERBAL than the boys were at her age (I know that's normal, but still amazing to me!). She says just about anything she wants to and most of the time we understand her. She's getting along with her brothers really well, and Kenneth has been doing great with her, especially. When we go to the park (just about every day) he's been taking turns with her and playing with her, and it means the world to me! She wears dresses or skirts most of the time, and I got her some cute bows (I'll have to take photos - should have taken one today - she was so cute!).

I took Kenneth to a piano concert Saturday night and he really enjoyed it. It was Jon Schmidt. Kenneth asked him to sign his baseball hat after the concert. The concert got long (for me), but Kenneth loved it! He's still talking about it - so that's good. He wants to start learning the piano.....

Funny......really funny

Well, I get a lot of things through email - some funnier than others. However, I thought this bit was really funny, so I thought I'd share it with you.



Words Women Use:
1.) FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in FINE.

4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of NOTHING.)

6.) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.

8.) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying "TO HECK WITH YOU!"

9.) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "what's wrong", for the woman's response refer to # 3.

Weekend Update

I had a great weekend in Santa Barbara. I got a lot of work done, and I read a book! I read "Push Not the River" by James Martin Conroyd. It's about a countess during the time of the Polish uprising. (1790's). It's based on the diaries of the Countess and her cousin. It was an OK book, but it had a kind of a Romeo and Juliet storyline and that drives me crazy.

Steve's weekend is still going....and going....

he left with the kids Saturday morning and got to Fresno to his mom's house at about 3pm to discover that she was at Target. So - he took the kids to Target and told them to go find her. He surprised her and they had a great afternoon/evening together. He left there at about 9 this morning to go surprise his brother in Elk Grove. Then he went on a scenic drive (rather than coming straight home). He just now got back to Fresno (it's after 9pm). I encouraged him to stop and sleep for a while before continuing on, so we'll see them sometime tomorrow. It sounds like they've had a wonderfully adventurous weekend.

I got motion sick on the air plane on the way home. I can't remember the last time I got that nauseated...I came home and took a long nap, and now I'm feeling marginally better. Hopefully by tomorrow morning it'll all be through me and I'll feel much better.

World Travelers (or maybe just state travelers)

Just a quick update on our travels this weekend...I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a weekend with a client in Santa Barbara (yea, I know...it's rough). Steve's taking off Saturday morning with the kids (like 2am he says) to spend 2 days with his mom & sister in Fresno. So - we should have more to report come Monday morning...I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to the Dancing with the Stars opener on Monday! :)

I've been reading "The Work and the Glory" series by Gerald Lund. It's an historical fiction series taking place during the time of the restoration of the Gospel to the Earth. It has opened my eyes to the hardships of the pioneers in general, not just the church members. It has also opened my eyes to the prejudice against the Church in the early days. (I think that's putting it mildly). I'm on book 4. The last 2 days I've read about the massacre at Haun's Mill and the looting and savagry that occurred in Far West shortly thereafter. It saddens my heart to know what those good people endured. I have a greater appreciation for the early leaders of our church....and for their wives. I feel like I did when I was reading Fire of the Covenant (historical fiction, also by Gerald Lund, depicting the Martin and Willey handcart companies traveling to Utah late in the season); I feel like I'm experiencing it with them. I feel better connected to my pioneer forefathers. I guess that's why we're told to do family history work: because the more we learn about people and their lives, the more we appreciate and love them. It's very true.

Fun weekend

Steve took the kids to Mt. Charleston this weekend, and took some fun photos (see below). I've also posted one of my Caitlin with my sister's Emily...aren't they cute? Emily is 3 weeks younger than Caitlin...Elise & I really have fun with those 2! Today was busy with work - then cleaning. Angela saved my bacon by taking Caitlin while I cleaned. She became very clingy and whiny just as I needed to get my rear in gear. I got a lot done, and I feel much better about me and my house now. Tomorrow I'll concentrate on laundry....and I need to bake more bread. I'm still loving my new bosch. It's amazing. I actually use the blender a lot, too! I borrowed my friend's wheat grinder while mine is in for repairs, and it's amazing. If you ever need a wheat grinder - get a Whisper Mill. They're SO quiet (hence the name :) ) and SO fast! It's amazing. I'm learning more and more about wheat. Red wheat is more dense than white wheat. It's fun to try different recipes with the different wheats and discover the differences. I finished Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand tonight. Wow - what a book! It was over 1100 pages - my personal best by far - and it was an amazing book. I really enjoyed it. It's amazing to think that it was published in 1958. Her ideas must have been quite radical at that time. I haven't decided whether or not to read the precurser to that book, The Fountainhead. Not for a while, anyway...I've got to get caught up in other areas of my life, first! :)
I found out tonight that one of our friend's father had a stroke. His name is Ernie Lea. Please say an extra prayer for Ernie tonight. He has surgery tomorrow morning.
This blog is kind of random tonight - but I have HAPPY NEWS!!! Our friends, Debbie & Nancy, from Texas are COMING TO VISIT US!!! We are SO EXCITED!!! They're coming over the Memorial Day weekend and we're already counting down! Yea! We haven't seen them for over a year (well, I saw them last April, but the boys didn't). Anyway, we're very excited to see them SOON!!!
Angela got her back yard graded today - it looks awesome - they took out all the big boulders...what a big difference! I'm sad that they might move, but I'm trying to keep a level head about allowing them to do what they think is best without making it harder on them. I so enjoy having them so close!
Kenneth & I went to the library this evening - I had to renew Atlas Shrugged for my friend to read before book club. Anyway, they're having a program where kids 4-12 can read 5 books from the public library and earn a free burger from In-N-Out. Kenneth read his 5 books before we even got home! He gets to earn up to 3 burgers, so we'll have to go back and get him 10 more books to read. He is a good reader, and I can hardly keep him stocked well enough right now. I ordered $40 of chapter books from his last bookorder and he's almost through all of those already. I go to the library a lot these days.
We got the information in the mail about Steve's commencement at the University of Idaho on May 12th. I'm pretty excited. He's worked very hard for this. I know he's nervous about the class he's taking now, but I'm sure he'll be great - just like always. This is a goal he's had for a long time, and I'm excited to see him accomplish it.
Well, Steve just came up so I guess I'd better be finished with my rambling. We're all doing well, and grateful for our blessings every day.

New hair

Well, I cut my hair. I guess that's the only big news around here. The weather has been lovely and we've been at the park almost every day - I believe it was close to 80 on Wednesday. Tonight I turned on the A/C for the first time this year...it was 77 degrees in our upstairs - and Steve would NEVER sleep in that! :) Here are a few photos (courtesy of Angela, of course) from one of our park visits...

Selective Memory

Well, I guess men aren't the only ones with selective memories today...

It only took me 6 days to forget ear plugs for Caitlin in the bath. Holy cow! It was only her 2nd bath since surgery and I completely forgot ear plugs. Now that's something my friends, Julie & Sean Buckley, would have NEVER done!

Caitlin seemed to survive, but I'll try to be more diligent. The ear plugs are still on my bathroom counter, for crying in the soup! No excuse.

Today it's a little chilly in Vegas. It was only about 50 degrees, and so we changed play group to be at my house, rather than at the park. We had a record turnout and the house was very full! We had a great time, though, and no major damage was done, so it's all good. Steve came home toward the end of it ( a few ladies had already left, but it was still a madhouse ) and he just grabbed what he needed and took off...never even saw the other 15 people in the entertainment room! :)

The big news for me today is that I used my new bosch for the first time. I got a new bosch and I love it! It's got twice the capacity of my old one (which is still running, but dying a slow death). I made 3 loaves of bread in one batch - WOO HOO! I also made strawberry daquiris with the blender part. It's totally cool! The only bummer is that the dough hook is not dishwasher safe, but I guess I can handle that.

Angela was in charge of the blue and gold banquet tonight at church for the cub scouts, so Zachary came to play. Another little boy, Jordan, also came to play while his mom and 4 siblings attended the event. The kids all played together fantastically well, and I was able to get some reading done even! It was a low key evening with Steve at a church activity as well. Catilin is finally getting old enough to play with her brothers and give me a break. It's very nice. She comes over periodically for lovings, but then she goes off and plays again. That's a very welcome change from her constantly being attached.

I'm going crazy with my computer lately. It's all of a sudden EXTREMELY SLOW! It's just about driving me to drink, so I'm spending tonight dumping programs, and trying to get to the bottom of the issue. This is when I wish I didn't live so far away from my IT guy...well, if I can't figure it out I'll give him a call, because I know if I've got IT, he can fix IT! :)

I guess that's just about it for now.

Ear Tubes....done

Well, after sending Kenneth and Daniel to a friend's house last night, and waking up with Caitlin at 5:30am to get her to the hospital, I'm relieved to say we're home and everything is OK. Caitlin's surgery was quick and there appear to be no complications, etc. Her ears were infected, so we'll probably have to extend the ear drops, but that's small potatoes. I guess they're making an ear goo or something now to use in the bath and in the lake, so we'll have to pick up some of that. We got Daniel, and shared the breakfast leftovers at my friend's house, then came home and rode bikes out front adn Daniel wanted to go to the park so we loaded up his bike and both kids and went to the park to wear them out. Caitlin is now sleeping and I hope it's a long nap for her sake.

I have a cute story to share because I don't want to forget it. Last night Steve brought his church kids over (9 boys ages 14-15). I prepared by baking cinnamon rolls, brownies and bread. I spread everything out on the table and was upstairs with Caitlin before they came. I was laying on my bed reading when it was time for them to leave and I heard Steve saying "Let's go". One of the boys said "Where are we going?" and another boy replied "We have to go back to reality now." My heart was touched; I'm glad they feel happy and safe and well-fed in our home. I hope they know they are welcome here any time. :)

Another Update

Well, we're getting back in our groove after Elise & Emily left. We were very sad to see them go, but we're excited that the next time we see them there will be 3 of them! :) Emily taught Caitlin 2 things while she was here (well, Caitlin learned from Emily...I know Emily wasn't trying to teach her)...Caitlin now kisses you on the lips (melt my heart!) and Caitlin says "Mmmmmm" after she eats or drinks something....then she waits for you to say "Mmmmmm" back to her. It's very cute. Emily couldn't have taught more adorable things.

Caitlin is scheduled to get tubes put in her ears on Thursday morning. I am very disappointed that the surgery precludes me from going up to visit Missy again, but I'm very ready for my happy girl back. Caitlin has been pulling on her ear - putting her finger in her ear - and putting warm things next to her ear all weekend and so far this week. I don't think her ears are clear, and I'm sure that contributes to her chronic crabbiness.

Steve is spending a LOT of time on his class this semester, and it's pushing him. It's a lot of heavy duty math and he's having to brush up on a lot of old learning. We got him another book and it seems to be helping a bit, but he's spent a lot of time and is not encouraged. I don't want him to drop it, but I know that thought has crossed his mind.

Daniel hasn't exactly been 100% lately. He's not running a fever, he's not got a runny nose or cough, but he seems to have less energy than usual and is sleeping more than usual. I'm hoping he'll feel better soon.

We got to see my cousin Britta play volleyball over the weekend. I got to watch 2 matches (best 2 of 3 - both sets went to 3). She's amazing. She's a sophomore in High School and plays on a club team with mostly juniors and she's really good....they all are. It was a pleasure to watch her and to see my cousin Brooke and my Aunt Diane and Uncle David. I'm so glad they invited us to come watch.

Well, I guess that's about it for now....

ANOTHER ear infection! Actually, 2!

Well, Caitlin had an ear infection that was diagnosed 2 weeks ago today. She finished her antibiotics last Wednesday. On Thursday she started acting sick & crabby. We struggled through the weekend...she looked miserable. I started using some homeopathic remedies, but I think it was too little too late. She was too far gone. She had 2 raging ear infections today and her cough is something awful. She's got drainage like she's sprung a leak. The doctor gave her a shot of Roceffin (sp?) and sent us home with prescriptions for Zithromax, a numbing ear drop, and a cough medicine. She's sleeping well tonight (so far) for the first night in several. We have an appointment with the ENT on Thursday at 6:30pm....this after they originally told me their first available appointment was on March 7th. That wasn't soon enough. In other news, we're having a great time visiting with Elise & Emily. It's a pleasure to have them both around...I wish I weren't doing so much running around, but tomorrow we're piecing 3 quilts, so we'll get lots of quality time. Here are a couple of photos from last Friday.

She really did feel lousy - as evidenced by our doctor visit today, but I still think this picture is funny.
You can really tell the difference in the girls' phisique in this photo...Emily is lovingly the "Tank" and Caitlin is more petite. Emily has so many entertaining facial expressions...I think Caitlin was taken aback by this one where Emily was "smelling" the rose petal.
This is a classic and made the whole shoot worthwhile! Isn't she a doll? Too bad Caitlin wasn't more cooperative.

Is it Spring?

I know this will surprise you Northerners...but I planted my garden this weekend. 6 strawberries, 6 broccoli and 3 tomatoes. We'll see how it goes. I pulled out our dead lemon tree (didn't make it through the freeze). We are thoroughly enjoying our back yard. I got this really cool bubble machine that makes THOUSANDS of bubbles and the kids love it. Angela gave us this really cool little cube with a slide that is perfect for Caitlin and she loves it. It was 72 degrees here on Sunday - it's supposed to be 64/65 through the rest of the week and this weekend. Elise comes tomorrow (HOORAY!!) with Emily. I've got 3 matching dresses to get the girls' photos in...and my local client is a photographer and said I could borrow a back drop! So, hopefully I'll have some photos to post before too long. Steve & Angela made a bet over whether or not the port-a-crib would fit in our laundry room and Steve lost, so he's making Chicken Enchiladas Verdes for dinner tonight (Yummy!). Well, Steve & I are both fighting colds, Caitlin is still on an antibiotic from her ear infection last week, but the boys are healthy as can be.

News News News

Well, my birthday weekend was wonderful! Steve surprised me with a night at the Aladdin after our dinner & show. Kenneth had a basketball game on Saturday and he did great. I got to go shopping and lunching with my sister for several hours! It was great fun! Then, we went to the baptism of a friend. Baptisms are always wonderful. I dressed up Caitlin like my little doll (literally)...it was so fun. I changed our her ear rings, and now she lets me change them every day. Sunday was church and rest (yea - I love morning church!). Kenneth had an "It's great to be 8 fireside" where they talk about all the programs that start for the kids when they turn 8. He's very excited to start scouts and his "Faith In God" program. The Bishop talked to them about reading their scriptures and praying every day - and Kenneth took that to heart. Sunday night he wouldn't go to bed without reading his scriptures, and yesterday, when he was in timeout (for 22 minutes because he kept talking back!) he came out quoting his new "favorite" scripture (1 Nephi 3:7). Anyway, it was a great day. Yesterday I worked all day (thanks, Ang for watching the kiddos). Then, as soon as I got Caitlin back I took her to the doctor. She had been running a fever and when she came home with me she wouldn't stop moaning. The doctor said she has another ear infection (darn it - that's 7 since last February). She wants us to go back to the ENT. Today Caitlin is dragging and pretty much my little attachment. I just laid her down for a nap, which is how I snuck in to write this. Here's a photo of Caitlin before the baptism:

My 20's.....

Well, after tonight I'm officially in my "30's". It's been a good 3 decades so far...this most recent decade began with a marriage proposal, and ends with a marriage that's still going strong....and a family that's grown by 3! It's good, very good. I'm grateful for the "sheltered" life I've led. I have wonderful parents, great siblings, and a fabulous spouse & kids! What more could a woman ask for? Thanks to all the wonderful people who have befriended me along the way, too. I would be lost without my friends! Here's my life so far "at a glance":

• Jan. 26, 1977 6:34am Utah Valley Hospital (Provo, UT) Joy Kristine Fellingham is born.
• Approximately 6 weeks later I fell extremely ill with viral pneumonia. Doctors didn't give me one chance in 10 of surviving.
• 9 months later our family moved to Sequim, Washington
• Sept. 1989 we moved to Bellevue, Washington
• Sept. 1990 we moved to Provo, Utah, shortly to move to Lindon, Utah
• Jan. 1995 we moved to Lehi, Utah
• May 1995 I graduated from Pleasant Grove High School with a 3.995 GPA. (One A- ...darned Mrs. Giles!)
• Sept. 1995 I started my BYU education
• Oct. 1996 I met my sweetheart, Steve
• April 1997 I was married to Steve for eternity in the Jordan River Temple
• Jan. 4, 1999 I started working at Ernst & Young in Austin, Texas
• July 27, 1999 Kenneth Warren was born
• August 1999 I graduated with my Bachelors and Masters degrees from BYU
• November 1999 I passed the CPA exam (Yea!)
• November 1, 2002 Daniel LaVelle was born
• October 31, 2003 was my last day working at Ernst & Young in Austin
• December 2003 I started my own business as a CPA working from home
• August 3, 2005 Caitlin Joy was born
• August 2005 we moved our family to Las Vegas, Nevada

When Steve asked my dad for my hand in marriage, Dad said "Joy is young, but she has always been well beyond her years." I did life early...that's how I like to say it. My life is good, though, and I wouldn't do it any other way. This year we celebrate my 30th birthday, our 10 year wedding anniversary, and Kenneth will turn 8. It's a big year for us.

Thank you to all of you (anyone reading this) who have touched my life and affected it for the better. You have each played a part in helping me fill my life with happy memories and bright hopes for the future.

Goals I have yet to complete:

• Learn Spanish
• Learn to play each hymn in our hymnbook (on the piano)
• Make myself the kind of person/mom/wife that everyone respects and who touches others in a positive way. I want my kids to remember me as a happy, nice mom - not a mom who yells all the time. I want my husband to think of me as a kind, loving person, not a naggy wife who complains. I want my friends to feel like better people because they were my friend. (Steve says this isn't a real goal because it doesn't have a definite "completion", but it's my biggest goal nonetheless.)

Well, here's to my 30's! Bring it on!

Thawing Out

We're home safely from our trip to Utah, and we're still thawing out. HOLY COLD! Wow....we're glad to get back to above-freezing temperatures. We had a WONDERFUL trip and we're very glad we went, but we were very cold. We got to witness the baptism of my nephew, Johnathan Webb, which was very special. Then we got to hang out with our friends the Joneses...such good times...Kenneth & Daniel even got to play in the snow! Then we saw my brother, David, at Cabella's (where he works) and he gave us a tour of the place. Then we went to dinner and played games with all the adults! It was a very full day packed with good memories. Yesterday Angela & I sang with my mom in 2 different church meetings, then we headed home. All in all we're very glad we went, and we're glad to be home safely.

It's COLD here!

Well, it froze last night. This morning Tasha's water was frozen solid. I found her a dog house on Craig's list and Darrel kindly picked it up for me yesterday. I've put a blanket in it for her. We're going to stay inside as much as we can for the rest of the day. We cleaned a bit this morning, then went to Kenneth's basketball game. He scored 1 basket! Yea! His team has a very hard time scoring...they often shoot 3-4 times without making it before the other team gets it away from them. They seem to have a good time, anyway, though. I'm glad they don't keep score yet. We ran to the grocery store after the game, so now we have no need to venture out.

Steve says he's coming home tomorrow - no word on what time, though. Cross your fingers.

Hum Drum Friday night

Well, Steve has spent this week in New York, battling a cold/flu. He's been detained, and was unable to return home today. :( He is hopefully coming back Sunday night. He's been sorely missed. The boys are playing a new video game I bought them (for my sanity's sake) and Caitlin is already in bed. We've had a good week, and it should be a slow weekend except for Kenneth's basketball game and church. I'm finally starting to get over my cold, and the kids all seem to be healthy. Work is picking up rapidly and that stresses me out, but what can I do? It's what I signed up for....

Nevermind

I guess it wasn't nerves...he's had a relapse, and he's feeling sick again.

Nerves

I believe Kenneth has had his first case of the nerves....

He had his first basketball game this morning and shortly after he woke up he vomited. I told him he couldn't go to his game and get his friends sick and he insisted he wasn't sick and that he felt all better. We loaded up and went. Steve & Kenneth jumped out of the car (we were running a little late) to go down to the bball courts while I parked. Kenneth went running down to the courts and came right back up again....he couldn't quite make it to the bathroom. He vomited in the hall at the multigenerational center. I walked into all of this. I got some rags, cleaned it up, we talked to him again and he insisted he wasn't sick. He played 2 quarters of the game and he did great. They lost, but that's OK. Johnathan made a basket and Johnathan and Kenneth had a great play together - Johnathan rebounded the ball, dribbled it across the court, passed it to Kenneth, and Kenneth shot the ball...and missed. But it was fun. We went to breakfast afterword, and Kenneth ate fine and seems to be OK now. I guess it was just nerves.

Doctor, Doctor!

I cleaned the kitchen yesterday, so this morning I put it to good use. I made 4 loaves of bread (which is 2 batches for me), a double batch of Elise's rolls, Cinnamon rolls, and cookies. Yummy!

I took Daniel for his 4 yr. checkup today - I know it's late, but there were insurance issues. He's 90% for height ( our FIRST child EVER over 50%), and 75% in weight. He got 4 shots, but he was very brave.

Caitlin woke up from her nap worse (she's had a cold), so I took her to the Dr. an hour after I left with Daniel. She has another ear infection, and pink eye. The doctor also gave me some recommendations for her dry skin.

Angela left for Bakersfield for Alex's first gymnastics meet of the season, so I've got 5 little chickens here. The kids are loving the back yard - even though it's cold and windy today. Johnathan didn't even walk into the house - he went straight to the side gate.

We've got a lot to get done this weekend - Steve's hanging crown molding, and I'm working. Steve leaves on Monday for New York....again. They booked him an open-ended ticket this time, so we have no idea when we'll get him back again.

Anyway, hopefully we have a good weekend, and you do, too!

Before and After.....as promised

Aparently it doesn't load my photos in the order I selected them, so it's after, then before, then after - but you get the "picture".... :)

It's AMAZING!!!

Well - big news today! Our back yard is IN!!! Retaining wall, bushes, rocks, edging, sprinklers and even grass! YIPEE!!! It got too dark before I could take "after" photos, but Darrel lent us his camera and Steve went out and took "before" photos...so, I'll take "after" photos tomorrow and share them with you! Prepare to be amazed! We even made Tasha a 10X10 area by the gate where she likes to look out so she won't be on rocks! Eventually we will build her a shade section there, and probably a dog house....someday. Also, eventually, we'd like to put some lattice by the patio and put planters in for flowers and cover the patio and build a deck and.......you know how it goes.....anyway - this is a HUGE step in the right direction and our back yard is no longer an eye sore! YEA! The boys waited until the workers left and then went right out and played tether ball (Kenneth & Johnathan). Then they stayed out there and played a made up game until we made them break for basketball practice. Daniel was in pajamas until 6pm - so it must have been a good day, eh? I also fixed Catilin's hair in a more "grown up" hair do today....she's growing up SO MUCH SO FAST I can hardly believe it. I pulled it into "some up and some down" - that's what my mom always called it. It was darling on her. I just hate that her car seat smashes down all her curls before we get any place! She's repeating words more and more every day - even when I yell for one of her brothers....or even when Daniel yells at me....woops....we'll have to work on that one. She's also getting more words of her own like "treat" and "yesh". She's a pro at "no", but she usually says it very cute. I'm having a wonderful time wearing all the new pants I bought while I was in California. Daniel has his 4 yr check up tomorrow (ouch - lots of shots). I'll share photos as soon as I can!

Settling in......

Well, we're getting settled back into our routines. I have happy news to report tonight. Tomorrow night at this time I should have a finished back yard....of course there will still be things to save for, like a cover over our patio (to save us from the HEAT), and some lattice here and there, but for the most part...it will be done. At least the kids won't get so dusty when they go outside! We're having a retaining wall installed, a drip system, sprinklers, a little grass and lots of river rock. Kenneth and Daniel are loving the tether ball back there - and now it will be so FUN to go out back! Yea! A big thanks to Steve for making this all possible.....

I'll let you know how it all goes....and maybe I can talk Angela into taking some pictures....

We're back!

We had a lovely trip this holiday season, and we've arrived home safely. Here's a quick re-cap:

December 22nd: Left and drove to Bakersfield.

December 23rd: Drove to Fresno - played at Chuck E. Cheese's with Gma Ackerman and Aunt Sara...continued driving to Sacramento. Had a huge wonderful dinner with all the Hansen clan, and finished up with a visit from Santa!

December 24th: Went to church, Steve & Pat visited Artie's grave, had a Christmas Eve "hang out" party with the Riders in Elk Grove.

December 25th: Woke up to presents from Santa...had a lovely turkey & ham dinner with all the fixins with the Hansen clan. Steve played soccer with his family and Kenneth.

December 26th: We were supposed to go to the snow, but we were afraid of bad weather, so we hung out and did laundry, then went to the Davis family home for a beautiful roast dinner and watched the movie "The Da Vinci Code"

December 27th: Packed up the car and headed to Lafayette to the Clay home. Had a lovely dinner of ham and all the fixins.

December 28th: Went to SAN FRANCISCO! This was the highlight of the trip for me. Just 4 adults (no kids) Darin, Missy, Steve & me. We had a great lunch on pier 39 at Boudin Sourdough, shopped a bit, visited a few fantastic jewelry stores - learned a lot about jewelry, had a lovely dinner overlooking the wharf - DUNGENESS CRAB!!! It was a splendid day - thanks to Sami for watching all 11 children!

December 29th: I spent some time working with Darin & Missy on their taxes...then we went to the Miur Woods - and saw the Redwoods! We had a wonderful dinner of homemade Korean food, made by Missy.

December 30th: Steve got to visit with his Grandmother for a few hours. I did some laundry then went shopping with my sister, Missy. I got 7 pants, 2 skirts, and 3 pair of shoes!! I'm a happy woman! We had the BEST Chinese in the WORLD that evening with the Thompson family.

December 31st: We loaded the car and drove home. We opened our remaining presents and played with almost every one of them!

January 1st: My Grandma Noble came over for the day. We got crown molding for our Master Bedroom, Angela & Grandma and I went shopping while Steve & Darrel and the boys installed the tether ball stand that Kenneth & Daniel got from Santa. Steve made a wonderful meal of Beef Strogenoff for us to share and we ended by watching "Invincible" (A great movie).

We're very blessed. Most of us have colds, but now that we're home, I'm sure we'll get better quickly. We still owe the boys one present, but we've told them they'll get it when we can find it to buy...