They grow so fast...

I was trying to get a picture of Laine's healing scar. She pulled this face. It made me laugh because it is just about the same face as a picture I took of her when she was about 5 months old. They really do grow to fast. The saying "The days are long but the years are fast" is so true. Kids do just grow up to fast. Bode is almost 6 and Laine is almost 3. But in my head they are both little rollie babies. 

Here is Laine's updated look at the cut on her head. It is healing really quite well. It is still quite purple but I don't think it will be too bad. With Bode' scar we used mederma and it really worked. We are using it on her's as well hoping we get the same results. My biggest concern is that no hair will grow on the scar and leave her with a bald spot. At least it is to the side and should be hidden by a good part.

Then there is this kid. What to do with him? I had always thought Laine was so difficult and full of mischief. I was wrong. She is the sweetest little thing... only when Bode is not around. I drop Bode off and she is an angel. Bode comes home and they are constantly egging each other on. Whining and fighting with each other. But at the same time he is such a good big brother. One day last week we were picking Bode up from school  and Bode saw Laine first. He yelled her name and was jumping up and down so excited to see her. He ran out of the gate, picked her up and gave her the biggest hug. I guess through all the fighting they really do like each other. 

I have been pondering on marriage and my relationship with my spouse the last few weeks. Certain events going on around us have made me really appreciate my marriage and the strength and comfort my husband gives me. It is so easy to get into a routine and think everything is fine and not work on the things that matter most. I have said this over and over but I get caught up on taking care of kids, the house, cooking cleaning and more recently being preoccupied with pregnancy that my relationship with my spouse gets pushed to the side. Although those thing matter and I can't ignore them completely, it is more important to remember that I am working on an eternal relationship with Jeremiah. The house will always be in one way or another messy, I will always need to clean, the kids will grow up and move on and the only thing that will be left is Jeremiah and I. I read these articles today Building My Eternal Marriage and Repentance and Forgiveness in Marriage.. They were both really good and had some great points to think about.

I am just about 36 week. I will go in on Wednesday and see if there has been any progress on the "getting the baby out" front. Yesterday Lee, my Mom and I went Goodwill shopping. I got some very strange looks though. A few times I ended up pushing the cart with Daisy in her cart seat and Laine sitting in the seat and being "great' with child I think people thought I was nuts. At one point Laine threw a huge fit. I am talking one of those that echo through the whole store. I had the cart with the babies in it while Lee tried on a pair of jeans. Well trying to get Laine to calm down while pushing the cart through the crowd of people trying to get to Lee was funny. People where looking at me with pure pity in their eyes. I finally got Daisy to Lee and Laine outside to have a time out. It was pretty funny and I am glad I didn't melt down in the store right along with her.

I also think my days at church are numbered... not for forever :) My Sunday wardrobe is getting pretty slim. I also must be a sight because I cannot walk through the halls with out a belly rub or big belly comment. I am really not complaining though. It is nice to not be anonymous in our ward and have people notice that we are preparing to welcome another member into our family. My tail bone and hips are also making it very hard to make it through the whole 3 hours. I can make it through sacrament meeting just fine. The Sunday school chairs are a killer and it has been months since I have been able to sit through that class. I can normally make it through Relief Society. But man, ouch is all I can say after sitting through church these days. 3-4 weeks left...

Not what I had in mind...

Ever get up on the morning with an idea of how the day will go, then it all falls apart. Well that was today. Don't worry, it wasn't a horrible day, just not the day I had in mind. 

The plan was to:

shower, get ready, make breakfast, pack lunches, get kids ready for the day, scriptures and prayers, get,  Bode off to school, last minute prep work for preschool, teach preschool, get Jer off to work and then have the afternoon to pick up the house, go to an OB appointment and play with Laine before I needed to pick up Bode from school, then to spend the evening with the kids until bed time.

Instead...

I was up every hour on the hour either taking care of Laine, who was crying, moaning or whining because she didn't feel good, or I was peeing. Well because you know this little girl inside me loves kicking my bladder all night long. I ended up getting up on time, got all dress, got Bode fed and ready for school then I went to check on Laine because she had woken up and was crying. Poor girl had been feeling yucky all night long and finally she decided to loose her stomach all over her bed. So instead of my smooth morning I cleaned up puke and had to call all my preschool mom's to rearrange things. I hate doing that! I had to do it twice this month because of Laine and her bad luck. I am lucky to have understanding moms, but it doesn't change the fact that I hate having to cancel preschool. I was lucky enough to be able to switch my OB appointment to the morning so I didn't have to take Laine. I think Laine's puke was a fluke. She was looking and feeling much better when I came home. Then I watched Daisy for the afternoon while Lee had an eye appointment. Laine was feeling better but she was really tired. She fell asleep on me and took a nearly 2 hour nap. I picked up Bode for school, tired to put up some fall decor, Lee scrubbed my table and chairs, but over all it was a very unproductive day. I was glad to have a little snuggle time with Laine. The only time my kids snuggle is when they are sick. So now here I sit, my house is a mess, there are bits of falls decor around and all I want to do is go up stairs and go to sleep. And you know what I think I will :) Some days are just like this I guess. On to tomorrow and a more productive day.

On a different note, I am 35 weeks today. I have graduated from appointments every 2 weeks to appointments every week until I deliver.  Next week I'll get check to see if there is any progress. Its getting close and I think we are all ready to have her here. I looked back on my 35 week with Laine and had her 24 days later. Oh wouldn't that be nice. If that where going to be the same case with this pregnancy that would put me delivering like the second week in October. I know just writing this down will jinx me and now I will probably have to be induced at like 41 weeks because I am overdue. Either way in about a month we will have our new baby here. I am so excited to hold and snuggle a non-wiggly kid. Now if we could only find a name for her...

Jeremiah had a good week. We sold our little white Alero a few weeks ago and have been driving my brother in laws car until we found a car or decided if we would buy a new truck. Every weekend had been searching craigslist for something, driving around town looking at vehicles. Then coming home and having discussions about just buy a new truck. Ultimately we decided that we do not want to take on a car payment. A nice new truck would be fun but it would be stressful to add a new payment when we are getting so close to where we need and want to be after foreclosing on our house almost 3 years ago.  So Jer found a 1998 Jeep Cherokee. It was basically a swap from car to Cherokee. No payment and Jer finally has a car that he can go hunting, fishing, camping in. And one that he can play with and go "jeeping" in. It looks good and I am glad he has something he wants to drive and can have a little fun in. It may not be fancy and new but it works and no payment. I like that.

The children...

So this is a picture of Bode's school picture from my phone. 

I need to scan in the real one, I just don't want to make the effort at the moment.

Bode has been in school for about a month. Has has been doing so well. Jer and I are very proud of him. In his class they do a green, yellow and red behavior system. They get a color everyday depending on how well they did each day. Green means they had a good day. If he gets 5 greens all week he get to pick out of the treasure box. He has gotten greens everyday except one, that day he brought home a yellow. That day he told me that he would work hard the next day to get a green because he was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to pick out of the treasure box. True to his little word he has worked hard to get greens everyday since. I know that it won't last forever but we are glad he is working hard at following directions and listening to his teacher. He says his favorite thing to do at school is play on the playground and go to the library. I am glad he is enjoying school.

Laine got her stitches out on Friday. That was not fun for anyone. She was scared. I had to try and soak it with water for the Dr to be able to get the stitches out. She was not happy. She ended up under a chair trying to hide from everybody. It took me the Dr and a med student to hold her down to get them out. The 2 Dr's were trying to get her calm before they took them out but I knew that wasn't happening. I told them it was best to just let her scream and get them out fast then prolong it by trying to calm her down in between each one. Once they were all out I decided she deserved a little treat. We stopped by the store and she picked out a little tea party set and a little lego set for Bode (for his month of greens at school). It still looks pretty gruesome and we are getting a lot of weird looks where ever we go. The scab is pretty big but it looks alright underneath there. Fingers crossed that is will heal without to much damage.

I am sure I am not the only one who is ready to scream these days, right? It is September and it is still H-O-T outside. I am well aware of the fact that I live in the valley of the sun but I am ready for some change in the weather. Just when I thought I couldn't take it any longer the clouds rolled in, the wind started to blow and the lightning and thunder brought in the rain. Granted it was at night and has only been around for 2 days. It was much welcomed by me. I read somewhere the other day that the valley was close to 50 days of 100+ degree weather. This week it is slowly creeping down the charts. I am glad that the evenings are starting to cool down. Last night the kids and I played outside for about an hour. They rode bikes and scooters while I chatted with a neighbor. It was nice. I am looking forward to cool evenings, playing outside and taking my kids to the park again.

With the (slow) change in the seasons, you know, from hot to less hot. It makes me excited for fall. My favorite season. I love the colors, smells and tastes of fall. Cinnamon candles, orange and carmels come to mind.  I think I will wait just a bit longer to pull out all my fall decorations, not that long though.

I am not sure if it is the heat, my age or the fact that this is my third pregnancy but it has been a doozey.  I am pretty sure is has been a combination of the 3. Everyday for the last month and a half I get up thinking two things; Can it please be October? and When can I take a nap? I am grateful that I am able to carry our  children. That we have never really had a problem conceiving our children and that my pregnancies thus far have had no complications and have resulted in 2 healthy babies. It doesn't however change the fact that pregnancy is hard. Hard on me, my husband, my kids and my house. My body is screaming. My back, hips and pelvic bones have been giving me my biggest complains. It is so not fun to feel your bones pop and click all day pretty painful too. I have had a few days that have put me close to a break down. Like an "I want to give up, lay on a heating pad and not get up until October 26th" kind of days. BUT I can't do that. So I decided that it makes no sense for me to feel that way. It helps no one and puts us all in a bad mood. I think an attitude change was what I needed to do for myself. Granted me attitude can not change the aches and pains but it sure can make me deal with them better. Now rather than me keeping on wishing it was October and my due date, I think about just making it through the day. Each day brings me one day closer to holding my newborn in my arms and one day closer to me having my body back.  I just go about my day, taking care of kids, my husband, doing laundry cooking and keeping up on the house, taking breaks when needed. I think that this last week has been much better since my attitude adjustment. I guess this is all from my point of view. Talk to my husband, he might have a different story...

I sat in the last hour with the sunbeam class in my ward today. Three different kids commented on my belly. One said "It looks like it is going to pop!" the next asked me "Why do you have a balloon up your dress?" and "Is that a ball under there?". Leave if to innocent 3 and 4 year olds to tell it how it is. Yes, my belly is so very round, hard and sticks straight out. Most women will delicately dance around that fact. They say things like "wow you are all belly" or "you have really popped out". Makes me laugh to look at myself in the mirror.
It is quite the belly and still has a few weeks to go.

9/11 destruction allowed us to spiritually rebuild

By Thomas S. Monson

The calamity of September 11th, 2001 has cast a long shadow. Ten years later, many of us are still haunted by its terrible tragedy of lost lives and broken hearts. It is an episode of anguish that has become a defining moment in the history of the American nation and the world. This week, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, along with Tom Brokaw, will pay its own homage to the unforgettable events of September 11, 2001.

There was, as many have noted, a remarkable surge of faith following the tragedy. People across the United States rediscovered the need for God and turned to Him for solace and understanding. Comfortable times were shattered. We felt the great unsteadiness of life and reached for the great steadiness of our Father in Heaven. And, as ever, we found it. Americans of all faiths came together in a remarkable way.

Sadly, it seems that much of that renewal of faith has waned in the years that have followed. Healing has come with time, but so has indifference. We forget how vulnerable and sorrowful we felt. Our sorrow moved us to remember the deep purposes of our lives. The darkness of our despair brought us a moment of enlightenment. But we are forgetful. When the depth of grief has passed, its lessons often pass from our minds and hearts as well.

Our Father’s commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers. Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us. He has promised us that this will never change.

But we are less faithful than He is. By nature we are vain, frail, and foolish. We sometimes neglect God. Sometimes we fail to keep the commandments that He gives us to make us happy. Sometimes we fail to commune with Him in prayer. Sometimes we forget to succor the poor and the downtrodden who are also His children. And our forgetfulness is very much to our detriment.

If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember Him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving Him our faith and trust. We too should be with Him in every season.

The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near Him every week and each day. We truly “need Him every hour,” not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to Him, listen to Him, and serve Him. If we wish to serve Him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed.

It is constancy that God would have from us. Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were. We can make Him the center of our thoughts and His Son, Jesus Christ, the pattern for our behavior. We may not only find faith in God in our sorrow. We may also become faithful to Him in times of calm.

Taken from the Washington Post

Is the weekend over yet...

I think that is the question Jeremiah kept asking himself all weekend long. Maybe not so much me though, at least at first anyway. Every year over Labor Day weekend the Brooks's go up to the Flemming Family Reunion.  Jeremiah has been going for years to camp with the Brooks and Davis's and this year was no exception. The original plans were for Jer to just take Bode but the day before he decided to take Laine too. I know it isn't all that fun camping with kids but Jer seemed up for it and I was definitely up to a kid free weekend.

Let me tell you Saturday was nice. I cleaned, slept, and shopped. And all day long I kept getting picture texts of how much fun and how dirty my kids were getting. The camping spot is incredibly miserably dusty. The kind of dust that leaves a layer of dirt with every movement. The kind that never fully washes off until you get a shower. And the kind that you are cleaning up for weeks afterwards. 

I got so many cute pictures of this little girl. She was having a blast swimming in the dust.

(thanks for all the pictures Jessica)

One of my personal favorites, sitting on a chair with no pants, blowing bubbles.

I didn't get to many cute Bode pictures. He was way to busy running around with all the kids, playing in the dirt and making forts. Why would you slow down to take a picture when you could be running free?

I did however in one of my brief conversations with him found out they caught a horny-toad. He was pretty proud of it. I remember catching lizards, frogs and tadpoles. Now I don't think I would lay a finger on one now.

A face only a mother could love.

One of the highlights of this camping trip is the horseshoe tournament. Jeremiah has quite a competitive side and loves it. The weekend didn't go as well has Jer hoped, I don't even know how well he did. However he did, he does look good doing it though.

All the dust covered kids.

Then comes the not so fun part of the weekend. The part that makes you wish the weekend was over. It was Sunday afternoon, Jer and Laine were sitting on some benches that were kind of close to the horseshoe pit. Laine was sitting on Jer's lap face to face. Then a girl came over to the horseshoe pit and was going to play. But, well lets just say she wasn't so great at the game, she threw the horseshoe and it flew crazy in the wrong direction and before Jer could even move it hit Laine right in the head. Poor girl. They hopped in the car and were off to the ER to get her checked out and all stitched up.

 Jer called me right before they went into the hospital. I hate those type of calls. Made my heart drop. I was very glad it was Jer there and not me. Only because I would have been a mess, Jeremiah can stay very calm and collected in those type of situations. He called me a few hours later to update me on her. She told everybody her name and that a "hos-shoo hit my head". She had a CT scan to check out the insides and 6 stitches to put her back together. That was rough. Jer said it was really hard to have to see his little daughter all pinned down screaming getting those stitches put in. At one point she told everybody that "Bode did it". After the stitches were in the nurses brought her in a stuffed cow.  thought it was a little tiny one but no, it is huge. She named her cow "Horsey" because a "hos-shoo hit my head". It took 3 long hours to get everything worked out. Then Jer had to drive home from Payson after that long day. It wouldn't have been so bad except.....

The horrible dust had not only settled on every visible surface but in Jeremiah's eye. He had been trying to get the grit out of his eye all day. But it was no use. By the time he was done at the ER with Laine his eye was all red and swollen shut. He said he drove home the whole way with one eye shut because it hurt so bad. I could tell, he called me and I could just hear the stress and strain from the day in his voice. Not a great day for anybody. Well maybe Bode had a great day. He got to stay longer camping and come home with the Davis's that night. Thanks Davis Family.

So this morning Jer got up and his eye was feeling worst. Thankfully there was an urgent care open today and he got seen. They numbed up his eye to relive the strain and then put some dye in it to see what the deal was. Basically the whole rim of where his contact hit the eye was all scratched up. Thankfully it wasn't his cornea but still very painful just the same. He has to wear a patch for 24 hours, use antibiotic drops and wear his glasses for 5 days. If you know Jer you know that he has horrible vision, he is legally blind without his contacts in. So he isn't going to be able to go into work for a few days while his eye heals.

I am glad they came home in one piece, just wish the weekend had gone better. Now we are just trying to get things back to normal. Laine is feeling much better. She keeps telling me her head hurts but it hasn't slowed her down to much. She did take it easy all day and I hope she does tomorrow too. Would hate to bust those stitches open. I am grateful that everybody is under the same roof and that Jer and Laine made it home from Payson. I am also grateful that we have good friends who are willing to help us out when we need it.