THE POWERS THAT BE

LAUGH OUT LOUD.....

2011-12-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

My little monster, as I affectionately call her, has some real doozies as of late. She is my precocious 3-year-old. More on why she's a monster later...

Me: Monster, you haven't even touched your dinner!
Monster: Ok, mama (immediately putting her hands on her food and looking at me as if to say, "Alright, I touched it!")

Monster to Carpet Guy: My mom has bras, but we don't. Do you have a bra?
Carpet Guy: Well, maybe I should. (Ha!)

Monster: I like fish in my hand, but not in my mouth. (I couldn't agree more, by the way.)

Me: What should we do tomorrow, Monster?
Monster: Re-decorate the house.

G had a little crush on a girl in his class, Madison K. One day he was so excited when I picked him up.

"Mom, mom!! I have something so awesome to tell you!!" He told me that Madison L. had told him that both she and Madison K. had crushes on him. I said that was really nice and it's because he is so kind and a good friend. He was beaming and then asked, "Mom, what does crush mean?".

About a week later I was helping out in G's class and I complimented Madison K. on her picture she was coloring. She said, "Thanks! G tells me I am the queen of colors because I'm so good at coloring." What a flirt!!

They were celebrating G's un-birthday at school, since he has a summer birthday, and I brought in donuts for the class. His teacher relayed a funny story from the morning.

Apparently, they were making ladybugs, and each child could name their ladybug. When she asked G he said,

"I want to name my ladybug 'whore'".

His teacher asked him to repeat it, because surely she didn't hear it right.
But he repeated, "whore".

She thought it was so funny because she knew, of course, that he had no idea what that word really means.

So, I did some discreet investigating to find out where it came from. He said, "Mom, my ladybug had fangs and was scary, so I named him "Horror" like a scary movie.

When he says it, it sounds like the other word. I still don't know how he knows about horror movies, because he's never seen one. But hilarious, nonetheless.

B: "We're gonna just cook up this dog and eat it!"
G: "No we're not. We don't live in China."

B recently came up to me and said, "Mom, I have to tell you something very important. Remember that time a long time ago when Monster cut my hair? (This was about a year ago). Well, I told you it was Monster who cut my hair, but really it was me. I lied and I'm so sorry."
The funniest part is that Monster admitted to cutting it when she didn't. I suppose she's just used to always doing the bad stuff.

B: "Mom, does Ursula on Little Mermaid wipe her bum when she goes to the bathroom?"
B: (answers her own question), "She probably doesn't because she's mean and bad."

B: "Mom, let's play Papercut, Scissors." (instead of paper, rock, scissors)

A GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-03T21:38:00.001-08:00

I'm cleaning out my computer's hard drive and stumbled across this paragraph I had copied and pasted without a reference. I hate when I do that. But I love its message. There is an immeasurable value on time spent with someone. It is a true gift of love. The possibilities of this gift are endless.

"A loving person has concern for the welfare, progress, and happiness of the loved one. He not only has concern; he does something about it by making his resources available to the loved one. Loving is giving. It is the giving of material things to others, but even more important, it is the giving of one’s time. Among the gifts a father gave to his son for Christmas was a letter that read: “To my dear son: During the coming year my gift to you is one hour of my time each day for you to use as you see fit.” Isn’t this an act of love?"

ABC's OF ME

2011-12-03T21:11:00.001-08:00

I was recently asked to write a short post on the ABC's of me. It's much harder than I first thought. But I decided to go with what FIRST came to mind. So here goes......

A – Almost 30. If we’re counting backwards. Ok, I’m 37.
B – Blessed with amazing family surrounding me. Awesome parents, six siblings, my own version of Mr. Darcy, and four funny kids.
C – Courtney is my older sister by four years. I used to steal her clothes until she grew up and I grew out.
D – Dance. I love to turn up the I-pod and dance and sing. The sillier the better.
E – Elections – I vote in every one, even though I can’t stand politicians. I take my right to vote seriously.
F – Fear of cockroaches - a real fear. If I find one, I can’t kill it but I can’t do anything until it is dead. This requires outside help.
G – G-Cup - as in the cup-size of my bra. Yes, it does exist.
H – Hubby is funny and generous and isn’t afraid to join in on the singing and dancing.
I – “It’s good to do hard things” is my motto and something my kids are surely sick of hearing. But I’m gonna keep telling them anyway.
J – Jump. I can jump freakishly high for being so short.
K – Keeping Up With the Kardashians is a guilty pleasure. (this one isnt' true anymore)
L – Laughter. I love to laugh and I inherited a loud, boisterous laugh from my dad. Think Julia Roberts’ laugh, only less feminine.
M – Mexican food is my go-to meal. I could cook it and eat it for every meal, every day.
N – “No” is not in my vocabulary, but needs to be. It’s something I’m working on.
O – Organized. Being organized makes me oh so happy.
P – Pumped for the new Twilight movie. Team Edward all the way.
Q – Quantas-lay-hay. A made-up word from our childhood made-up language, the Ooban-Dooban Language. Synonym: dork or goober. I still use this.
R – Rarely get jealous. It’s not in my nature, thankfully.
S – Swimming. I have always loved to swim and I’m pretty good at it, despite my non-swimmer’s figure. I used to teach swim lessons and plan to again.
T – The Sound of Music is my all-time favorite movie for so many reasons.
U – Ugly feet. They look like hobbit feet with the same strange, sideways pinky toes that Court has.
V – Volleyball, softball, track, tennis, ping pong. I.LOVE.SPORTS. Love to play them and watch them and I’m pretty decent at them.
W – Won’t break the rules – I am a rule-follower.
X – Xmas is my favorite time of year. I love the spirit of the season, the reminders of what matters, traditions, the lights, playing Secret Santa, the music…all of it.
Y – Yep, I’m a Mormon. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and boy do I love it.
Z – Zero tolerance for whining and complaining.

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY, GAGE

2011-07-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

Prince Gageafus (Gage's name in our storytelling) has turned seven!! Here is a letter I wrote to him:

July 4, 2011

My Precious Gage,

Happy 7th Birthday to you! These seven years have gone by much too fast for my liking. You are growing up and I want to hold on to these years as much as I can. We are living in Snowflake for the summer and I love how much time I get to spend with you. There aren’t any distractions, so I get to have you and your sisters all to myself. I love watching you play with them, discover new things outside, go fishing, catch crawdads, excel in your swim lessons, ride your first quad. The other day you asked me if you could walk all by yourself to Grandma and Papa’s house, and you did. I can feel your pull toward independence. You want to prove to me and yourself that you can do things on your own. And boy, do I know it. You are so responsible and dependable. You are a great help to me and I know that I can always trust you. You follow the rules and choose the right. You are an awesome example to your sisters, who adore you and look up to you.

You are a great example to me and Daddy too. When you get up on Fast Sundays and bear your testimony, I am amazed at your courage. You are so brave and follow the warm feeling you get in your heart. You remind us to laugh, have fun, and be silly. There is nothing better to me than your smile and laugh.

I want you to know that I believe in you. I know that you can do anything and be anything, as long as you work hard and practice. It is good to do hard things. If something is hard, that means you will grow and learn even more. I know you can do it. You are my boy of steel!

I want you to know that I love you all the way up to the galaxy and back. I will always love you no matter what. I love you so much and want you to be happy. The best way to be happy is to obey your parents and our Heavenly Father. I know that you know this already. I want you to know that I am so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He loves all of us. I know that He wants us all to return to live with Him and Heavenly Father again as an eternal family. We can do this by following our prophet, President Monson, who is good and true. Always remember the feeling you had when we were sealed as a family in the temple. Remember what a special day that was. Remember how we held hands and were joined together forever. Remember looking in the mirror at all of us and seeing our images go on forever. Remember to pray always. Pray for every reason. You will find happiness and answers in your prayers.

I hope that you feel special today. I hope that you feel like a king! You are so precious to me. I will always be your Mama.

Always All My Love,

MORE RANDOM PICTURES FOUND

2011-06-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

This is our crew as juniors/seniors at Alhambra High School in 1992. It was a fun group of girls. I'll start from bottom, left to right: Stephanie Hunt, Gabi Pentecost, Kate Malay, Tauna Campbell, Kathleen Ashton, Leslie Ingallina, April Groskopf, Jaki Marksbury, Carrie Boland, Me, Sarah Warner, Marci Cordova, Staci Green. Missing are Julie Rohlfing, Jennie Vargas, Vicki Trumble, Pam Durazo, Rita Hernandez. Most of these girls I went to elementary school with too. I have stayed in touch with my dear childhood friends, Kathleen and Kate. Facebook has helped the rest of us stay in touch.

This was a page that we took out in our senior yearbook dedicated to all of us and our memories together.

This is my 8th grade graduation picture. I am on the bottom row, 2nd from the left. My mom made that dress, just as she made all of my formal dresses, including my wedding dress.

Bella reminds Courtney, my sister, and me a lot of Courtney. Courtney did this side-by-side comparison.

This is my childhood home in Phoenix. It was at the end of a cul-de-sac on a huge lot. We moved there the summer I turned 5, and moved away after I graduated high school, the summer I turned 18. I loved this house - especially all the memories it holds. I bawled the day I drove away in my 1977 Honda Civic and waved goodbye to my parents and younger siblings as they drove off to Snowflake. To prove how much I dislike change, the first home that Rob and I owned was this EXACT model in Tempe.

This was the Haag's house, right next door. They had Matt and Mike, who was my age. We had so much fun with them growing up. I still tell my kids stories about all of us neighborhood kids.

This is Christmas of 2009. My dear sisters-in-law, Lora and Pam.

This is a picture of my brother, Nathan, in action playing football at ASU. He received all kinds of accolades and was even drafted by the Cardinals. He was/is an unbelievable athlete and I was always so proud to be his sister.

Senior year at Alhambra - Spring Fling Dance, Spring 1992. Bottom, left to right: Leslie Ingallina, Jennie Vargas, Gabi Pentecost, April Groskopf, Stephanie Hunt, Julie Rohlfing, Kate Malay, Kathleen Ashton, and me.

High school graduation, May 1992. I was honored to speak at our graduation ceremony.

My senior prom, April 1992. Jerry Hahn, a longtime friend from the ward I grew up in, was my date. Once again, my mom made my dress. I absolutely LOVED it!! Pictured: Tauna Campbell, Kathleen Ashton, Me, Leslie Ingallina, Stephanie Hunt, April Groskopf, Kate Malay, Gabi Pentecost.

RANDOM PICTURES FOUND

2011-06-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

I've stumbled across these random pictures on my laptop and thought I would make little notes about what they are all about. They are completely random and out of order and I will do my best to remember dates.

This one above is in Maui in May of 2005. Gage was not quite one and we took him along with some friends to Hawaii for about a week. We are at the top of a volcano, Mount Haleakala, where they do bike rides at sunrise down the volcano. It was beautiful at the top. Notice how happy and unsuspecting we look in this picture. What we didn't know was we were about to experience one of the most terrifying moments of our lives. We all were in these rainsuits with helmets and placed in line according to size. The guys, of course, were all in the back of the line. Our guide was in front and kept reminding us to maintain a minimum speed of 18mph. The ride was difficult, at best, because it was steep, fast switchbacks all the way down. Zig then zag, then zig and zag again. We shared this small road with all the traffic, including lots of oncoming traffic. On our left was oncoming cars and on our right was pure sky. There were no guard rails - just a death drop off the mountain. My friend, Kim, was just in front of me and I could tell she was struggling. After about 9 or 10 switchbacks, she started to lose control. I yelled to her to put her brake on, but she couldn't stop in time and I watched as she plummeted to what I was sure was her death. I let out a blood-curdling scream that was sort of out-of-body and came from way down inside my guts. It lasted about 30 seconds. All the others heard the scream and knew something terrible had happened, but didn't see it and couldn't tell which of the yellow rainsuits was missing. I threw my bike down and ran to the edge, positive I was going to see her still free-falling. But just at that spot there was a slower graded cliff and she was about 30 feet down, safe and sound. She was beaten up and definitely shaken up, but overall ok. Rob and I were happy to ride in the van with her the rest of the way down. I couldn't stop trembling and was not about to get back on my bike. At the bottom of the volcano, when there was about 4 miles left, Rob and I got back out and finished it out. We were all so grateful that she was ok. I can promise that I will never do that again.

This picture was taken in April 2010 at the Mother/Daughter Enrichment night for Gilbert 2nd Ward. This is Bella with Carlee Johansson.

We went camping at Blue Ridge Reservoir in the summer of 2010 with our friends Chrystie and Kevin Penrod and Amy and Leif Johansson. There was a fire tower close by that is difficult to describe just how high it was. Gage could not even go up the first flight of stairs because of his intense fear of heights. We tried to coax him, but he was literally shaking. Not Bella. Before we even knew it, she was already at the top. There must be at least 20 flights of stairs that are open-faced stairs. She ran back down and right back up again. She is fearless. I must admit that I was intimidated by how high it was too. She is pictured here with Leif and Carlee Johansson.

This picture was taken at a cabin we rented in June of 2010 in Pinetop. It was so beautiful there, especially when it rained. The kids loved to play outside in the rain.

All of this group of pictures are courtesy of our nieces: Chloe, Annaliese and Lily. We all adore them and wish they either lived with us or lived closer. They are so much fun and play with the little ones so well. They are 19, 16, and 11 and that doesn't stop them from being silly with the kids. I love that about them.

This is Gage at about age 3 with his buddy, Lincoln Johnson.

Here he is again with Lincoln and his cousins.

I can't figure out how to move this picture to the top. I'm a blog dummy. Anyway, this is pre-death bike ride. Once again, look at our smiling faces. We have no idea what is about to happen. This is my good friend, Kim Johnson, whom I went to high school with and she just happened to marry one of Rob's friends. Thankfully, she is still alive to this day.

FATHERS

2011-06-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

We are driving down a bumpy dirt road (which, by the way, is not super comfy when you're huge and pregnant) with our three kiddos and the hubby thinks it's hilarious to frighten our unsuspecting children by pretending to see a bear. They give him the exact reaction he wanted confirmed by his satisfied smirk and I asked, "Why do you do that? Do you like to hear them cry and whine?" His answer: "Because that's what Dads do." And you know what? He's right.

It brought back a flood of memories of my own Dad doing just those kind of things. I shared a room with my two sisters, right next to my parents' bedroom. Hours after we had gone to bed, all the lights out, a figure resembling my Dad creeps into our room holding a flashlight shining upwards under his chin. He was making a scary noise that can best be described as, "muuuuwwwwaaaaa". We screamed in terror and he laughed and laughed as he kept inching toward our beds. I knew it was him and yet I was still frightened. This little scare tactic never got old to him and we never got over our fear, even though experience should have taught us better. What is it about dads that make them get such a kick out of torturing their kids in this way? Or maybe it's just my Dad and my husband who do this?? I doubt it.

The thing is, these are my fondest memories of my Dad growing up. The times when he was scaring us, or getting on the floor wrestling with us, or balancing us on one hand while lying on his back, giving us piggy-back rides, or horse rides - this is what I remember most. I think fathers have this keen ability to become childlike and relate to their kids on their own level. It really is a gift. I love to see my Dad continue these traditions with my little ones and it really makes me appreciate how goofy and silly my husband is with the kids.

Because I know they will remember and cherish those goofy moments, just as I have.

Happy Father's Day to all you crazy, torturous, scream-inducing Dads!

ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE......

2011-05-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

.....or more lovingly referred to as "AMA". That's me. I hate that at the age of 36 and expecting my fourth child in August, I am "advanced maternal age". I realize that the risks in pregnancies and deliveries increase after the age of 35. I know that there are all kinds of studies and statistics to prove this fact. But I still HATE this new moniker of mine.

Because I am AMA, I was sent to a specialist to get my routine 20-week ultrasound where they found everything to be perfectly perfect. But, because of my AMA, they could only GUARANTEE me perfection if I agreed to an amniocentesis. "Is there cause for concern that would necessitate an amnio?", I nervously asked. Their response was that they found nothing alarming or noteworthy, but if I wanted a GUARANTEE I would need an amniocentesis. They asked me THREE times!! THREE!! I am so grateful that my husband was with me to assure me, once we were safely outside, that everything is fine and they are just trying to do their job and be thorough.

Is anything a guarantee?? Did I need to worry? Would it serve me better to know that there MIGHT be a problem so that I could prepare myself? Or is it better to live the rest of my pregnancy in ignorant bliss?

I just had a follow-up with my OB who said, "I see you went to get your ultrasound and everything looks great. How'd you like that whole 'AMA' thing?" Bless her.

She proceeded to tell me that she has 10 patients right now over 40 who are having babies. This reminded me that my grandmother gave birth to my mother in 1940 at the age of 40. She must have really been an outcast!

Don't get me wrong....I am fully aware of the increased risk. Really I am. And it IS a valid concern.

I guess the bottom line is, I don't feel advanced - in any sense of the word.

BELLA AND NATALIE

2011-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Bella has a BFF....Natalie Narducci. These two girls LOVE each other. They have so much fun together playing all kinds of games, riding bikes, playing dress up. All of these pictures are courtesy of Karla, Natalie's mom, who is awesome at taking pictures and being so creative with her kids. She is always capturing these great moments, which, thankfully, I benefit from. Bella adores Natalie and asks for her all the time.

PARK DAYS

2011-04-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

When Gage has early release from school, he gets out at 9:45am. This particular day I decided to keep him out and take the kids to Freestone park to play. The weather has been awesome and it's a huge park full of all kinds of things to see and do. We started out rolling down the hills and then racing up the hills (a good trick to get them and me some exercise). They played on the playground for a while and then Gage wanted to follow the train track all the way around the park. So we sang songs and acted goofy while we walked on the track. We stopped to look at the ducks, watch the waterfalls and then on the way back to the car we played "Follow the Leader". We had so much fun! The icing on the cake was there was a track team there doing drills and the coach gave the kids popsicles. It was a perfect morning!

There is this great park by our house that the kids LOVE. It has tons of green grass full of dandelions that they run around and pick to make wishes.

We have to squeeze in as many park days as we can before it gets too HOT!!!!!!

FUNNIES

2011-04-03T10:36:00.001-07:00

APRIL FOOLS

Gage wanted to play a joke on his teacher for April Fools Day. Rob suggested Gage tell her that he just found out that we are moving and today is his last day in class. Gage pulled it off without a hitch and his teacher was so sad. Until he revealed the joke. She sent me an email telling me how convincing he was. Gage loved it!

SMOOTH MOVES

Gage has a little crush on a girl in his class, Madison K. One day he was so excited when I picked him up. He told me that Madison L. had told him that both she and Madison K. had crushes on him. I said that was really nice and it's because he is so kind and a good friend. He was beaming and then asked, "Mom, what does crush mean?".

About a week later I was helping out in Gage's class and I complimented Madison K. on her picture she was coloring. She said, "Thanks! Gage tells me I am the queen of colors because I'm so good at coloring." What a flirt!!

They were celebrating Gage's un-birthday at school, since he has a summer birthday and I brought in donuts for the class. His teacher relayed a funny story from the morning. Apparently they were making ladybugs and each child could name their ladybug. When she asked Gage, he said, "I want to name my ladybug 'whore'". His teacher asked him to repeat it because surely she didn't hear it right. But he repeated, "whore". She thought it was so funny because she knew, of course, that he had no idea what that word really means. So I did some discreet investigating to find out where it came from. He said, "Mom, my ladybug had fangs and was scary so I named him "Horror" like a scary movie. When he says it, it sounds like the other word. I still don't know how he knows about horror movies because he's never seen one. But hilarious, nonetheless.

Bella: "We're gonna just cook up this dog and eat it!"

Gage: "No we're not. We don't live in China."

UNIQUE

Bella has a little friend, Liam, that goes to Joy School with her. She really likes Liam and talks about him a lot. "Mom, I really like Liam. He is so unique!"

Bella is so, so sweet and has a happy heart. She tells everyone how beautiful they are, she sings and dances around, she gives unexpected hugs and kisses and tells you she loves you 50 times a day. She readily obeys with a good attitude and will ask, "Am I a good listener, Mom?" Every day she has a new name she wants us to call her. Today it was "Flower". Yesterday it was "Alexa", and another it was "Brooklyn". She is the first to give up a toy, or her chair, or spot on the couch if someone wants it. (Usually Paisley).

Bella recently came up to me and said, "Mom, I have to tell you something very important. Remember that time a long time ago when Paisley cut my hair? (This was about a year ago when the two of them were in the kitchen and part of Bella's hair was cut.) Well, I told you it was Paisley who cut my hair, but really it was me. I lied and I'm so sorry." The funniest part is that Paisley admitted to cutting it when she didn't. Oh, the power of suggestion.

Bella: "Mom, does Ursula on Little Mermaid wipe her bum when she goes to the bathroom?" (Thankfully, she answered her own question)

"She probably doesn't because she's mean and bad."

Bella: "Mom, let's play Paper, Cut, Scissors." (instead of paper, rock, scissors)

Paisley is growing more and more independent. She wants to do EVERYTHING by herself and for herself. And, boy, does she have a temper. She'll get frustrated trying to do something and start to rage, but she still doesn't want ANY help. I actually think it's a good quality if she can learn to control the temper. She still "leg-locks" her blanket every night. She LOVES the movie "Tangled" and wants to watch it all the time. She'll say, "I want my hair long like Rapunzel" and she'll flip her head over and brush her her hair. She always wants me to do a "down ponytail" which means she wants her ponytail to go down her back as long as possible. But it has to be just right....OR ELSE!! She wakes at the crack of dawn, which now is pretty early and brings me the brush and ponytail holder to do her hair. She is one determined girl. She loves to sing and dance, but also loves to play catch and wrestle.

FIRST SWIM OF 2011

2011-03-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

There were a couple of very hot days in March and it made all of us want to SWIM! I still didn't brave it, but the kids sure did. They had a ball and didn't even care that the water was still freezing. I remember doing that same thing when we were little. We practically swam year-round. They haven't gone back in yet since, but those hot days are right around the corner!

BLUES

2011-03-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

I feel sad today. It seems for me that when something makes me feel really, really sad, then I feel sad about a lot of things in my life.

Today, I learned that a dear family has lost a loved one, much too young. Again. This family is my second family. I grew up with them and lived with them at a time when I needed it. They were my adopted sisters, mother, and grandmother. Over the years we have gotten busy in our lives and haven't maintained as close of contact as we should have or as I would have liked to. But I think about them all the time. Facebook has proven to be a great way to talk to them whenever I want to, which has been fun. Their young cousin died today at the age of 29. He was on life support with ups and downs, and eventually...down. This family is grieving and mourning and all the while so faithful and strong, knowing it is Heavenly Father's plan.

My 2nd Mom had four kids: her oldest was a boy, and three girls to follow. Her husband left the family when the kids were young and she was left a single mother the rest of her life. Her son was my best friend. Her daughters were like my sisters. Especially the oldest. They were so fun. Crazy, rambunctious, fireballs. Never a dull moment. He was kind, respectful, introspective, funny. So funny. He told me all the time about a recurring dream that made him believe he wouldn't live to be 21. He was right. Two days after he turned 20, he was killed in a hit-and-run accident. I was up at Camp LoMia with his mom and three sisters, having a grand old time. Until the sheriff came.

They remained strong and faithful. The oldest sister had a best friend, who was also a friend of mine. A spunky gal who was a friend to everyone. She came off as a little shy, but she was so, so fun. She was at camp with us on that day. Not too many years later, while giving birth to her first baby, she died. My friend/sister took in this grieving husband and newborn baby and endured him going on dates much too soon. Strong and faithful all the while.

I had made plans to meet for lunch with these great women. They had to cancel and we didn't reschedule as of yet. The night I went through the temple for the first time, I came out of the dressing room and who is there? Of course, my 2nd mom and her mother, an equally amazing woman. I had been thinking about all of them so much and wanted to invite them, but in all my weirdness (which only I can understand), I didn't. Well, there she is anyway. She had come with her mother as they did every Thursday night, as it turns out. We embraced and I lost it. Like sobs and blubbers. I was so emotional and felt so embarassed by that. I invited her and her family to come to the sealing on Saturday. She did come and it meant so much to me.

And now they have lost this young man at such a young age. And yet, all the while, knowing that whatever happened it was the Lord's will and they would accept it. Strong and faithful.

It makes me sad for them. It makes me feel sad about all sorts of things. I'm sad that I'm not doing enough in any aspect of my life - particulary motherhood. I'm sad because I'm unsettled in this house, I'm missing park playdates with my friends and their cute kids. I'm sad that I'm losing patience too often. I'm sad that I'm not as strong and faithful.

But, tomorrow is a new day.........................

WINTER FUN

2011-02-10T21:13:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful for all the time the kids got to spend with Grandma and Papa. Paisley and Papa have a special relationship. They tease each other and play a lot. Just look at how she is looking at him in this picture. Priceless!!

Grandma is always cold!!

Papa's still got it! Even after just having a stroke, he still horses around with the kids.

Not sure who is heavier: Paisley or Gage? Ha! Ha!

This hot air balloon came so close to the house - it was so cool to see it up so close.

The kids love their little cousin Mack. They fight over who gets to hold him. Mack wishes none of them would hold him. He just wants to get down and explore.

Gage is so good with him. He keeps a really good eye on him and makes sure he stays away from the stairs.

Love this picture! They are so happy.

Lots of special time with Grandma and Papa.

They love their backyard playground. They always dress up in some sort of costume and go outside and play.

SLEEPING BEAUTY

2011-01-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

I love when they go, go, go and just can't go anymore. Bella has been fighting taking naps anymore and most of the time I let it go. But every now and then it catches up with her.

Love it!!

ROB'S BIRTHDAY!

2011-01-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Rob! You are 41 today, but you don't act a day over 25! Ha! The kids helped me make a cake and we used the candles we had in the cupboard in true LaDuke style.

You are generous, good-hearted, kind, funny, funny, funny. You care so much about others and want to make others happy. That is a good quality that you have taught your children. You make all of us laugh every day - never a dull moment with you. I love most how you play with the kids. You get down on the ground with them and play at their level. We love you!!

BELLA'S 4TH BIRTHDAY!!

2011-01-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

Bella turned 4!!! We spent the day together as a family. Bella really wanted to go to Denny's for breakfast. I think it's so funny that she even knows about Denny's. Then we went to the Aquarium at Arizona Mills mall. It was fun and the kids loved it.

I made this princess castle cake. I am not very good at it, but I love to make the kids their birthday cakes in a theme of whatever they are really into that year. Bella loved it.

It was a great day.

Happy Birthday to my precious Bella. You are so full of joy, happiness, and goodness. You care about people and you are always complimenting others to make them feel special. You easily share things, give up what you want for someone else, and make friends easily. You love to sing and dance, you love gymnastics, especially all the little friends you have made. You love your brother and sister and consider them to be your BEST friends. You always talk about Jesus - how much you love Him and how you can't wait to see Him again. You are truly special and we are so grateful that Heavenly Father sent you to us. We feel so blessed to get to be your parents. We pray that you will always be good and kind and obedient. We hope you will always love Jesus and our Father in Heaven and want to make them happy, the way you do us.

We hope that you will always love your siblings and consider them your best friends. They love you so much.

Happy Birthday, Jelly Belly!!

EMBARASSING

2010-12-31T21:27:00.000-08:00

We have a toucher. A child who knows no boundaries, no awareness of personal space. Bella, also known as Jelly Belly. It's actually one of the things I love about her. But it also is the cause of many embarassing moments. Here's a real doozy:

Phoenix is a large enough city that you'd think we would have had a mass transportation system long ago. But it's only been a few short years since we were introduced to the Light Rail. What excitement this drummed up! Everyone was clammering to take a ride on the Light Rail. We decided to jump on the bandwagon......er, Light Rail. We got on, stroller and all, with friends of ours and decided to ride it all the way to downtown Phoenix to watch the Christmas Light Parade. All of the kids were excited. And I was too. Until I realized that there were 20 stops until our final destination. At each stop a whole slew of people came on and the seats were quickly filling up until there wasn't even standing room. We were all packed in like sardines complete with intermittent strange odors. I was getting more claustrophobic by the minute.

Enter my touchy-feely child, B. She is so affectionate, friendly, fascinated and fearless all at once. A woman with a belly like a bowl full of jelly in a really tight shirt gets on at about stop 4. (No judgment....I, too, have a belly like a bowl full of jelly). Each stop, she got closer and closer to us. Well, Miss B immediately noticed that this woman had some kind of mole that was poking through the fabric of her shirt. It is now like slow motion playback in my mind. I can see the expression change to wonderment on B's face as she notices this mole and reaches her arm out. It's like when you have a dream where you are trying to run and can't move your feet or get anywhere. I am trying to grab her arm, but I just can't do it. She touches the mole but doesn't stop there. She keeps her finger on it, rubbing back and forth trying to determine just what it is. Our friends watched the whole thing and are suffering uncontrollable laughter. The funniest part was that the woman didn't even flinch. It's as if she had no feeling in that area whatsoever. Everyone, but this woman who was being groped by a 3-year-old, watched this go down. Then B says, "Eeeeww....Mama, what is that??" I could feel my face get hot and a pit in my stomach. (Or was it the claustrophobia?) I finally snapped out of my dream-like stupor and distracted her with something else.

We vowed to never ride again.

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!

2010-12-31T20:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas-time is my favorite time of the year. I love the music, the lights and decorations, the Christmas tree decorating, traditions, food, gift-giving.....ALL OF IT!! I especially love the spirit that seems to enter everyone's hearts this time of year. Everyone is more friendly, more patient, more loving, more grateful. The spirit of Christmas, the real meaning of Christmas, is something I wish we could all hang onto all year long. But then I guess Christmas wouldn't feel quite as special.

We alternate each year with our families between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year it was Thanksgiving with the Powers and Christmas with the LaDukes. But the Powers never take a year off in the gift-giving to the kids. They are so sweet and it's so fun to see how excited they and the kids get. Here is Uncle Jim and Auntie Pam giving their gifts to the kids.

They got dress-up clothes for the girls and they LOVE it!!

I traditionally try to get a good photo with the kids in their Christmas outfits in front of the tree.

Aunt Lora, Uncle Mike and Grandpa Powers came over and brought tons of gifts. They are so good to us. Wish I would have gotten a better picture.

Our annual tradition of going to see the temple lights. This year was sooo crowded and busy that it was difficult to really enjoy it and soak it in. We will have to pick a better day to go and keep it secret!!

But it still makes me happy.....making memories with my family. I love these kids!!

Uncle Terry and his girlfriend, Jean, brought over gifts too! And Uncle Larry and his fiance, Lene, sent gifts as well. We are so spoiled by the Powers Family.

We hosted the LaDuke Christmas Eve where we read the nativity story from the scriptures and each child gets to open one present - Christmas PJ's! Surprise!! Picture left to right: Callie, Avery, Bella, Maya, Gage, Paisley, Eden, and Nate holding Will. We missed Billy and Alicia and their kids and the Tucson LaDukes couldn't come until the next day.

Christmas Day we held our traditional Talent Show with everyone. I got so sick starting Christmas Eve (I seem to always get sick on holidays) and tried to suck it up so I could enjoy.

Our little family sang Silent Night along with Alyssa, Trevor, and Mack.

There is always a lot of wrestling, strength competitions, cartwheels, and the like when we all get together.

Papa LaDuke opening his presents Christmas morning. He suffered a stroke just about two weeks prior to Christmas, which is not at all evident in these pictures. In the early morning a couple of weeks ago I got a phone call and the caller ID displayed my mom's number. My heart jumped into my throat as I knew something was wrong. She calmly told me that Dad had a stroke around 3am in bed that woke him up. In trying to get up and get oriented, he fell and hit his head on the bookcase and was bleeding a lot. She described how she loaded him in the truck and drove to the hospital in Show Low. His speech was very slurred and non-communicative. At the hospital, they did a cat scan and determined their ability to help him was limited so they med-evacuated him via helicopter to St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix. My mom was not allowed on the helicopter, so she had to drive back to Snowflake, pack some bags and drive here by herself. I can't imagine what that drive must have felt like. She wanted me to be at the hospital when he arrived so he wouldn't be alone. We took Gage to school, took the girls to my dear friend, Tami Farnsworth, and headed to the hospital. I called Nathan and Cameron and they actually beat us there, thankfully. When we first saw him in his room, it was quite shocking and scared me. His speech was terrible, his whole right side was paralyzed and he didn't know "what those things are that you have in your hand" (cell phones that we were all using to communicate with family). He had an MRI, which I will post about later, that didn't totally help to determine what the cause was. But, in the long run, he made a very quick recovery and gained a lot of use back on his right side. His speech returned to normal and to the naked eye, you wouldn't know he had suffered a stroke. It forced him and Mom to stay with me for a while, which we loved. For once, they couldn't rush home for golf, callings, or other things that pull them away. It was nice to spend all that extra time with them.

Paisley was so excited about everything Santa brought!

It was a wonderful Christmas and we are so grateful to have our family and friends.

LADUKE FAMILY NIGHTS

2010-12-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

For years, my family talked about getting together once a month for family night. We wanted a way to stay connected and for all these cousins to spend time together. Thanks to Addie who stepped up and hosted the first one, we finally got it going. It has been so much fun watching these kids interact and play together. And the grown-ups get to visit with each other too.

This was our Nativity play. Each of the kids played a part. In her creativity, Addie came up with cute costumes for wise men, shepherds, angels. Cameron and the three oldest cousins that come, Gage, Maya, and Callie all took turns narrating.

They were adorable.

We look forward to these each month. We all take turns hosting each month and coming up with the lesson, activity, and treat.

THANKSGIVING TIME

2010-11-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

Rob, the girls, and I got to go to Gage's class for a Thanksgiving play and party. The previous week I had come in to volunteer and Miss Smith asked me to make Indian vests out of paper grocery sacks. She acted like this was an easy task. And it probably was for someone besides me. I am so inept at anything crafty or artsy. I immediately began sweating and somehow fumbled my way through it. I hoped that my feeble attempts wouldn't be noticeable from afar. When the kids marched out on stage, Rob immediately commented on how the Indian vests looked odd. Ha!!

You can't really tell from this blurry picture how bad the vests are. But it didn't matter. The kids were so cute.

Gage loves Miss Smith.

And so does Paisley.

I am reminded of another embarassing day volunteering in his class. Miss Smith asked me to use a yardstick and permanent marker to make even lines on several sheets of posterboard. I started perspiring because I wanted it to be perfectly measured and even. Throughout the time, I was wiping the perspiration off my face with my hands. Unbeknownst to me, the marker from the yardstick had rubbed off on my hands and as I was wiping my face, I was inadvertantly spreading black marker all over my face. None of the kids said anything and neither did Miss Smith, but at the end of class I went to the sink to wash my hands and saw my reflection in the mirror. I was sooooo embarassed!!!

We had the Powers over to our new house for Thanksgiving. It was a great time and always fun to get everyone together. They are all so fun and have such personalities. It's no surprise where Rob gets his humor. For some reason, I only got these pictures with Uncle Larry. My camera battery must have died.

We went on a date night with Melody and Gavin Baugh (a fun couple) and had their daughter, Kyra, babysit. When we returned, this is how we found the kids. She had worn them out! Kyra is pretty much the best babysitter ever. The kids adore her. She always gets them in bed and then cleans the whole house after. We love her and all of the Baughs!!

GRATITUDE

2010-11-21T17:01:00.001-08:00

Today, I am GRATEFUL....grateful, grateful, grateful. If I keep saying it, it will sink in, right? I woke up with an awful headache brought on by an even worse head cold. Rob left the house when it was still dark to go to the airport. I am so grateful that I got to take the kiddos to church by myself. I am so grateful that I had to take Paisley out three times and wrestle with her. She is seriously strong. I am grateful for the stares and glares given to me by wise people wondering why I bothered to come back in with her. What these wise people didn't know was that I left my 6-year-old in charge of my 3-year-old, without really even telling him he was in charge. I am soooo grateful for nursery because it ended this battle of wills (which I totally won, by the way). I'm so grateful that today as I was coming out of nursery I noticed a friend of mine who had obviously just come out of the restroom and her skirt was tucked into her pantyhose above her hiney. Seriously, I'm probably more grateful for that than anything else today because I got the best laugh from that and did throughout the whole day. I am grateful for wonderful teachers who gave uplifting lessons in the second two hours. I'm grateful that I had a visiting teaching appointment with a special lady today and got to load up the whining kids again wondering what on earth I was going to do with them when I got there. I am grateful for a VT companion who said I could drop them off with her unsuspecting husband. I am grateful that he gave me the silent treatment at the door instead of actually verbalizing the words I know he was thinking. I am grateful for Mac & Cheese because that's what we all ate for dinner quickly so that I could load the kids up again to go to a presidency meeting. I am grateful for a generous sister who is willing to watch my kids while at this meeting. I am sincerely grateful for three amazing women in the presidency who are unbelievable examples to me in all kinds of ways.

I am grateful for all of this because it makes going to bed tonight all that more sweet!!!!

And it's true what they say.....if you try to look for things to be thankful for and see the good, it really DOES make you feel better. I feel better already.

FALL FIELD TRIP

2010-11-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

I got to go on Gage's first field trip ever. His kindergarten class loaded up the bus and we all went to Schnepf Farms. The kids got to pull plants that had harvested, go on a hayride, and play their little hearts out.

Skye, Ben, and Gage.

Gage's teacher, Miss Smith, is so great. I love her teaching style, the way she interacts with the kids, her humor. She and I have become good friends. We have a lot of the same philosophies on school, parenting, and life.

I had a great time being with Gage and he loved introducing me to all of his new friends. Gage adjusts really well to new things and new people. He has no trouble at all making friends.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

2010-11-02T10:39:00.001-07:00

So my DVR box recorded an episode of Oprah. I just about deleted because I don't watch Oprah anymore for LOTS of reasons and haven't for a long time. UNTIL....I read in the information box what the episode was about. Are you ready??? The entire cast of The Sound of Music was there for their first interview together since they promoted the movie back in 1965. This movie is my all-time favoritest favorite movie. I just can't describe how much I love this movie. And I know that I'm not alone in this sentiment. I LOVE it so much that Edelweiss is the first lullably I ever sing to my babies. I LOVE it so much that I watch it several times a year and make my hubby and kids watch it with me at least once during the holiday season. I LOVE it so much that I begged Rob to let us name one of our girls Liesl. (I love the name and the actress who played her is a spitting image of my mother at that age. Really. She's so beautiful, isn't she? So I love Liesl even more). I love the music, the message, the love story, the actors, the breathtaking scenery of the hills of Austria. Oh, and the MUSIC!! You simply cannot watch this movie without bursting into your best Julie Andrews voice (which for me is 75% falsetto). Rob and the kids laugh at me but I can't help myself.

But......then....I was reminded of something that I surely blocked out for survival purposes. You know how they say your brain protects you from danger and suffering?? Well, here it is: Julie Andrews can NO LONGER SING!!!! She had been performing for 20 months on Broadway and her vocal chords and muscles really took a beating. So she chose to have this surgery that was supposed to quickly repair and rejuvenate them and the surgery failed. This happened in 1997!! I suppose I already knew this. I guess in all the times I watch The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins (another fav) I never noticed that she doesn't sing anymore. What a tragedy. She was given this amazing gift that has touched so many people and it was literally ripped out of her. She suffered intense feelings of depression (as you can only imagine), but emerged from that with an unbelievably optimistic perspective. She quoted the movie, "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window". She began to write children's books with her daughter and has since built a successful publishing company. Her daughter told her that she lost her voice to sing so that she could find this new voice that writes. If that isn't making sweet lemonade out of sour, rotten, bitter lemons, I don't know what is.

Amazing, amazing example. I suppose I should learn something from this. And I will someday. But today I am BITTER!!!

Oh, and one more thing. On the subject of movies, I am a little embarassed to admit that I watched The Lion King for the very first time today. (I really don't know what took me so long). But that movie has a powerful message in it also. What stood out to me was Mufasa's words to his son, Simba, who would be king. "You will never be alone" and "Remember. Remember who you are." Very profound.

HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES 2010

2010-10-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

All of the LaDuke cousins got together at Mother Nature's Farm in Gilbert to play. Our kids LOVE their cousins and have such a good time with them.

They have animals, hayrides, maze, bouncy-bounce, and pumpkin-decorating.

Paisley and Eden trying to find their way.

At Gage's school, they asked the kids to dress up as a character in a book. So we chose "Thing 2" from Dr. Suess. It was so cute. And I'm impressed that Gage is not too shy to wear it.

We went to a pumpkin lot near our house to pick out our pumpkins to carve and they had these cute ponies to ride.

Thing 2 was such a success for Gage, we thought it would be fun to dress the girls up for the ward party as Thing 1 & 2. They got so many compliments and were definitely the most original. The party also included a haunted house put on by the youth, and let me tell you, it was SCARY!!! Gage is still talking about how I got chased out of the tent by some scary guy with a chainsaw (aka Andrew Johansson).

Gage was Ironman - his favorite superhero at the moment.

REMEMBER, NO GROWING UP!!

2010-10-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

I know I've said it before, but one of my all-time favorite movies is Hook, a twist on the classic, Peter Pan. I love the messages of this fairy tale: Never grow up, have fun, be silly, fantasy, imagination, keep your youthful spirit. This is how I feel about the kids. I don't want them to grow up. I want them to always be silly and use their imaginations to invent fantasy lands, pretend pirates and fairies. Sadly, no matter how hard I try, they are growing up right before my eyes. Sure, it's fun to see them reach milestones and learn new things, to see them do something on their own without your help.

But it is a bittersweet feeling. For every step they take toward independence is one step further away from Never Land.

I take Gage to school every morning and one day we got there early. I wanted him to just wait in the car with me and talk while we waited for the gate to open. But he had other ideas. "Mom, I'm a big boy now. I don't need you to wait here with me. I can do it."

Recently, the kids were watching a movie in the car - can't remember which one. Gage paused the movie and asked the girls, "Do you see how what she just said makes the other people sad? Well, that's what happens when we say mean things to each other. We make each other sad. So, let's try our hardest not to do that anymore, ok?" That is so Gage.

LAST SWIM OF 2010

2010-10-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

We moved to this HUGE, and I mean HUGE house on Higley and Williamsfield to accommodate Rob's internet business/warehouse, which also helped us to save some money. This was difficult, particularly for me, to leave our home, our neighborhood, etc., but we still get to stay in our ward. This is the first swim at this new house, but the LAST swim of 2010. We had a visit from Aaron, Ann (his fabulous new wife), Annaliese and Lily, and Ann's fabulous kids, Kennan and Kai.
The kids were in heaven swimming with their cousins.

Bella with Annaliese.

Gage and Lily.

Uncle Trevor playing with the kids, as usual. He is so fun with the kids.

BELLY BELL, SWEET PEA

2010-10-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

This picture captures Bella perfectly. She is silly, happy, dancing, goofy, and beautiful.

There's a park by our house that is full of dandelions. We love to pick them and make wishes. Each of the kids wishes they could fly.

Bella's wishes: I wish I could be a princess. I wish I could go ice skating. I wish I could have a loose tooth.

Bella is the sweetest, kindest, most affectionate little girl. She'll come up and put her hands on your face and tell you how pretty you look today, or that she loves you, or that she likes what you're wearing. She is always complimenting others. She lights up a room with her smile and laughter. She is such a good listener, usually doing something the FIRST time I ask and doing it with a smile. She is pure, innocent, and good.

Without fail, everytime we're in the car, she'll say:

"Careful not to hit those trees. Careful not to hit that sign!! Careful not to get in a crash!! Put your seatbelt on!!"

I overheard this:

Gage: Bella, stop acting like a 2-year-old.

Bella: I am NOT acting like a 2-year-old. I am 3!!!! I am acting like a 3-year-old!!!

LESSON LEARNED

2010-10-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

We have friends who are going through a very difficult time with one of their kids. They live across the street from us so I grabbed some of their laundry and brought it home to do. Rob was out of town and when he got back, we wanted to just stop over to give them hugs and give them their clean laundry. We put the kids in bed and waited about an hour to make sure they were asleep. We brought the dogs in and locked all the doors.

Well, our stop-by turned into being invited in and we ended up staying about 40 minutes. Several times, Rob got up and opened the front door just to make sure everything was alright. As we were walking home, we talked about how awful it would be if the kids had woken up. As we approached our driveway, the garage door began to open and we saw three sets of bare feet, and then terrified faces accompanied by loud crying. It was the worst feeling, quickly putting together in our minds that they must have woken up and were looking for us, so scared. It went from bad to worse when Gage told us that they had searched all over for us and were walking to the Johansson's house because he had called 9-1-1 and noone answered. I ran in the house and grabbed the nearest phone and hit redial to see how much time we had before they came to take our children away. Huge relief came when I saw 9-9-1-1. They thought someone had taken us and we were never coming back.

Bella was the first to wake up and when she couldn't find us, she woke up Gage and Paisley. I can just imagine how awful they felt going from room to room and calling out for us.

Gage was the real hero. I am so impressed at how he was taking care of his sisters and the situation. He first tried calling for help and when that didn't work he was going to walk himself and his sisters down to the neighbor's house for help. We praised him for all of this and apologized to all of them profusely. We are still paying the price for that. Every night, one or all of them will yell out, "Mom! Dad!" from their beds about 15 minutes after going to bed. When we answer they say, "Just checking!".

Needless to say, we will never do that again.

BEDTIME RITUALS

2010-09-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Like most kids, ours LOVE the bedtime ritual. They usually are the exact same every night, but every once in a while there will be a little change in the song or something. Well, recently we have been getting visits from some pretty funny characters. Sleep Genie, the kids' favorite, has a towel on his head and talks with an Indian accent about how special the kids are and how important it is to go to sleep. Farmer John, who sounds eerily like former President George W. Bush, tells them about how fun it is to live on a farm and do all the hard work and chores. I keep meaning to get pictures of these visits, but they're just to funny to miss a moment.

We begin by having a race up the stairs, then brushing teeth and going to the bathroom. Whoever gets done first, while still doing a good job, gets to pick the first book. We then read three or four books. Then we kneel down in a circle for family prayer, followed by family hug which they all practically knock me over for. Then we do family kiss, which is hilarious.

The girls always want a story about Princess Bellarina, Princess Paisleyanna, and Prince Gage who live in a castle. They don't care what they do in the story as long as I get the names right.

Gage wants me to read to him in his room a few pages from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I don't care for this book at all. The main character is rude, sassy, and lazy. So I change most of what it really reads to something more desirable. Lately, Gage has been on a kick at bedtime. He wants me to rock him like I used to, then tuck him in, and sing him three songs in an exact order: Here Comes The Oxcart, I Am Like A Star, and I Love to See The Temple (both verses). It's so sweet.

Once I was telling him a bedtime story and trying to mix it up a bit. I tried to be mysterious and scary and said "once upon a time" in a scary voice. He laughed and said, "Very clever, Mom. Very clever."

SOMETHING TO PONDER

2010-09-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

A while back, there was an activity at one of our extra church meetings that encouraged us to ask daily, "DID GOD SEND A MESSAGE THAT WAS JUST FOR ME? DID I SEE HIS HAND IN MY LIFE OR THE LIVES OF MY CHILDREN?" and to write down our thoughts. This was an especially difficult challenge for me. I struggle with recognizing the difference between the Spirit telling me something or me making it up in my own mind. However, I jotted down some things and here they are:

I was prompted to stop and play with my children when I had a mile-long list of things to do.

Gage said a prayer asking for help at his first soccer practice to not be nervous and not cry and to try his best – he had confidence and did great.

I prayed to know how to be the mother my children needed, and today was more joyful. I felt more patience and more love.

Paisley is starting to communicate a little better instead of the grunting/whining. She says, “hot”, points to the fridge when she’s hungry or thirsty, etc. Makes the day better. Went to TJ Maxx with three grumpy kids and was very patient and didn’t lose control even once.

While reading a post from one of my favorite blogs, she was talking about how her infertile body became pregnant again. I suddenly got chills and goosebumps that started at my head and moved down to my toes. Why? What does that mean?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDPA POWERS!

2010-09-06T20:56:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Powers turned 82 and we had a party for him! All of the Powers Family and the Rice Family (cousins) came. It was fun to catch up with everyone and see all those cousins that we only see every couple of years. In fact, the last time we saw them was at Grandpa Powers' 80th birthday party.

These kiddos sure love their Grandpa and they mean so much to him.

A rare picture of Rob with his Dad. We need more of these.

Grandpa Powers is a former sergeant in the Army, but you'd never know it. He is so sweet and cuddly. He is very sensitive and wears his heart on his sleeve. He gets so lonely still without Una and longs to be with her. But we are happy to still have this time with him and were glad to celebrate his birthday.

LISTENING AND RESPECT

2010-09-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Gage goes to World Tae Kwon Do Center with Grand Master Hong. The two things he teaches most are listening to and respecting your parents. He has such a way of making all the kids love him, yet respect him fully at the same time. They don't dare disrespect him, and yet he is also very kind and loving. Gage really likes it and I think it's really good for him. Grand Master Won Ki Hong is from Korea and has a very thick accent. It took Gage some time to adjust to it and understand what he was saying. He and his wife (who works the desk) love Gage. They always comment on how he's so smart and "like an old man". Recently, Grand Master has been getting after Gage to not be so serious and to smile more. It's funny because he's not like that anywhere else but there. In this picture is one of Gage's favorite friends, Yi Geon Pak. He is also Korean and has such good form and technique. He's a good friend to Gage, always encouraging him.

On this night, Gage was testing for his green belt. He always gets very nervous on testing nights because it is very formal and serious, even more so than his regular classes, and there are a lot of people there. The first part of his testing is sparring, where they partner up and spar each other. That's what Gage gets most excited about. At the end of the skills test, Grand Master will ask each student various questions, all different. For Gage, he asked him about his family and if he is kind to his sisters, even when they bug him. He also asked him to demonstrate how he responds when his mother calls him. He even asked me to play my role, and then let Gage respond. Gage did it, but it really embarassed him and as soon as Grand Master moved on to the next student, I saw Gage wiping tears away.

Growing up, my brothers went to a wrestling studio under Mu Chang. He was a Korean man who taught my brothers innumerable things. He became a close family friend and I remember once when I was very young that about four or five of his friends/family came from Korea to stay with us for a few days. That was really neat. As it turns out, Grand Master is a very good friend of Mu Chang's and really enjoyed talking with Dad about it when he came to watch Gage once. I am hopeful that Gage will learn the same principles and qualities that my brothers did. Confidence, self-discipline, respect, honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, hard-work and fun.

THE LITTLE MERMAIDS

2010-08-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

Bella and Paisley have the best swim teacher ever. Her name is Miss Allison and she has patience and love like no other. Her voice and demeanor never wavers. NOT EVER. And we are very grateful to her.

Bella has really become a good little swimmer. She has good form on freestyle and on her dives. She has no fear and just dives right off the diving board, then turns 90 degrees and swims to the side. Paisley also has no fear and thinks that she can swim independently. She gets mad when you help her, even though she really needs it. She loves to dive off the diving board and swim down to grab the rings. By the end of their lessons, she made so much progress.

When it's not their turn, the kids are to sit on the step and wait, but this rarely happens. Except for Paisley. It's hilarious. She sits there perfectly still and waits for her turn. Miss Allison would often comment to me about how calm Paisley is. Ha!! Now that's just funny. But I never let on.

Bella is a chatterbox. She does not stop talking the whole lesson. She's talking as she's about to go under the water and picks up where she left off when her head comes up again. It's seriously non-stop. About everything and anything. Even Miss Allison would gently remind her that when it was another kid's turn, she couldn't talk with Bella. But that never phased her one bit. She would talk to all the other moms - telling them all kinds of stuff. She would tell them, "I love you" and it was the first time she'd seen them. They never quite knew what to say in response. I would just cringe and pretend not to notice.

I love my little mermaids!

I NEEDED THIS

2010-08-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled across this poem and I REALLY needed this......

Oh, give me patience when tiny hands
Tug at me with their small demands
And give me gentle and smiling eyes;
Keep my lips from sharp replies.
And let not fatigue, confusion, or noise
Obscure my vision of life's fleeting joys.
So when, years later, my house is still--
No bitter memories its rooms may fill.
ANONYMOUS

I recently visited a woman who, after raising her family, working hard and living right, is suffering tremendous heartache when she should be enjoying the fruits of her labor. She said that even when your children are grown adults with their own families, you still look at them and think, "That's my little boy", no matter what they've done. She longs for the days when her children were little and life was simple and joyous. It was another reminder for me to cherish these few short years, even when....no ESPECIALLY when there is fatigue, confusion and noise.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

2010-08-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

The day I have dreaded since Gage was born inevitably came today, August 11th, 2010. He is off to start a new and exciting adventure and I have mixed feelings. I'm excited for him - all the fun things, learning, the gain of independence are all good things for him and for that I am happy. But I miss him. He's only gone for three hours and I miss him. Is he prepared? Will he make friends? Will he be teased because of his glasses? Have we taught him enough to make good choices? I suppose it's partly because I know that his long school career has begun and there's no turning back. The freedom of doing what we want, when we want is gone. My little boy is growing up. It's a good thing......right? I've tried my darndest to hide these feelings from him, but he feels it too. He's too much of a deep thinker not to. He tells me that he loves school now (it was a little rough the first week). Today's conversation went like this:

Me: Gage, how was school today?
Gage: Oh, it was awesome! I love it! But can I not go tomorrow?
Me: I don't understand. You tell me all the time how much you love it, but then you say you don't want to go. Why?
Gage: I know it doesn't really make sense, Mom. It's hard to explain. I really do like school, but I like being at home more. I like playing with you and Bella and Paisley.

I hope he always prefers home over any other place. (Except maybe when he's 25...because that might be weird.) I was very social growing up and always had lots of friends that I loved to be with. I remember it caused some problems between me and my parents because they wanted me home. I could never understand it then, I thought I was just being normal and they were being odd. But now.....oh, how I understand it. And Gage is only 6!

This picture just makes me laugh. He's always overdoing his poses in pictures.

Walking from the car into his classroom, he was all smiles and really excited. Rob and I both got to take him and he thought that was really cool.

And then the excitement turned to this. He was scared and unsure. The teacher asked them to write their name on this picture and then color it. Gage can write his name and does so all the time. But he wrote it and it didn't even resemble letters. In all my anxiety I worried that the teacher may think he was really behind and told him to erase it and rewrite it. He did and it didn't look any better. He was nervous and I was NOT helping. Poor guy.

And then his face looked like this!! Just look at him! He was killing me!! But I should get the Academy Award because I put on my best face and even laughed (I mean, really, how silly) at the teacher's suggestion to us that we attend the "Boo Hoo Yahoo" where all the sad parents could meet and have questions answered about the goings-on of kindergarten. Secretly, I REALLY wanted to go to that sob-fest.

Before we left, I reminded him that he is our "Boy of Steel" and he faked his best smile. I held it together all the way out to that same sidewalk where Gage was so prematurely excited and then I lost it. Rob just laughed at me and put his arm around me. I had my own little private sob-fest all the way home.

Later that day, when Gage came home he showed me another picture he had colored. The teacher asked them to draw a picture and write a word (if they could) about how they were feeling. Gage wrote: "SAD". Ugh. But at least I could read it.

P.S. A couple of side notes that I forgot. In June, my friend asked Gage if he was getting excited to start school. He said, "Ummm, kinda. I'm worried that all the kids are going to think I'm bald." (He had just gotten his haircut really short for summer).

During the first week of school, he told me that he didn't like going because he felt like he was missing out on things at home. I told him that the only thing he was missing was chores. He said he didn't believe me and that he just knows that I take the girls to Dairy Queen while he's at school. Ha!!

PIONEER DAY

2010-07-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

We took our annual trip to Snowflake for Pioneer Day!

The girls had so much fun at the parade. They danced to the marching band and scrambled to get the candy that all the floats throw out into the street.

Rob and Gage took a camping trip with Rob's brother and brother-in-law and met us at the parade a little late. Alyssa and Mack came too.

It was hotter than I would have liked, although much cooler than the valley. It cools off at night and you can see so many stars.

We had a great visit with Grandma and Papa. I put in my usual bid for them to get a house in the valley, to no avail. Maybe someday! Gage's favorite thing to do in Snowflake is to go hunting for hornytoads. He has actually seen quite a few and caught two. Nathan came up to play in the golf tournament with Dad and he brought Maya and Nate. That was really fun for the kids. Alyssa stayed home with the kids while Mom and I went to see the play that they put on every year. This year it was Beauty and the Beast and it was fabulous. My favorite character was Gaston - he was so good and funny! I kept picturing Rob up there playing that part. Alicia was in town for her nephew's wedding so we got to see her and the kids too. And possibly the BEST part of the whole weekend were the crepes Alicia's sister made for us!! I wish I would have taken more pictures!! When will I learn?

SAGE ADVICE

2010-07-22T18:19:00.001-07:00

When Rob needs to run an errand, we usually all go. I realize it would be much easier, faster, and even more pleasant if he went alone, but he travels so much for work and like us to be together any chance we get. We were all walking into Staples and Paisley was wearing MY flip-flops, inching along awkwardly. A car with an elderly couple in it had to stop and wait for us to finish crossing......slowly. The woman rolled down her window, smiled and said, "You have to choose your battles, don't you?"

So wise. So funny because that's exactly what I was thinking.

SLEEPING BEAUTY....ER BELLA

2010-07-22T18:06:00.001-07:00

Bella is our child that really pushes it when it comes to sleeping. I've stopped giving her naps most days (unless her claws come out extra sharp and then I force her to take a nap for the good of everyone), because if she takes a nap, she will be up until 11:30 or later. She comes into our room or down the stairs (depending on where we are) umpteen times with every reason, excuse and question in the book. Matter of fact, I'm pretty sure Bella is writing a new book on that. "The Grinch is in my room." "I had a bad dream (even though I couldn't possibly have fallen asleep since this is my 30th time out of my bed)." "Mommy, I just wanted to tell you that I love you and you're the best mommy ever." "Daddy, when I wake up can I have a cookie?" And on and on - you get the gist. She's just so sweet and cute that we can't get mad at her no matter how hard we try. Most of the time, we have to hide our giggles at her originality.

And no matter what time she goes to bed, be it 6:00pm or Midnight, she is up and at 'em at 6:00am!!!! Ugh!!!

The other night she kept creeping down the stairs as I was working on the computer and I kept sending her back up. Finally, after about the 7th time, I thought she had given up. I kept hearing these little noises, but chalked it up to the dogs. When I came up the downstairs and went to turn off the kitchen light, there she was on the stair, fast asleep. You can't see in the picture, but she has three toys underneath her face that she had been playing with while spying on me through the stair rail. Hence, the noises I kept hearing. I scooped her up and put her in her bed, where she slept like Sleeping Beauty.

Until 6am.

P.S. One might question if she is going to sleep for the night because she is wearing a dress instead of PJ's. For Bella, she is either wearing a dress or only underwear, no matter what time of day.

HIDE AND SEEK

2010-07-22T17:10:00.001-07:00

I was playing hide-and-seek with the kids - one of their favorite games. Gage was frantically searching for a hiding spot before I got to "10". He cried out in frustration,

"Mom, I need your help climbing into this closet for my hiding place. But when you're done, forget I asked you for help and forget my hiding place. OK?????"

FUN IN THE SUN

2010-07-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Gage invited his friend, Golden, over for some swimming, sprinklers, and slip 'n slide fun. I was amazed at how those boys and Bella just kept going and going and never tired out. Oh, to have that kind of energy!!

It's so fun to watch these kids play together!!

Look at these cute boys!!

The kids get so excited to have friends come over and I'm so grateful for these good kids who come into our home.

SUMMER AT THE CABIN

2010-07-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

We rented a cabin up in Pinetop for the whole month of June. In retrospect, I'm wishing we would have rented it in July because it is H.O.T. Sticky, muggy, sweaty, cut-the-air-with-a-butter-knife H.O.T. I keep waiting for the usual news reports of flooding, trees knocked down, traffic lights out, but we got nothing.

We played and played, mostly outside, which we all loved. We went to the park, went on nature walks, visited Grandma and Papa LaDuke, and drove around Lakeside sight-seeing. (We spent our summers growing up there at my Grandma Schuck's cabin). We watched as the kids excitedly tried to catch blue jays, squirrels, and chipmunks. I swear that Gage thinks he is the animal whisperer. He is so into animals and bugs of all kinds. There were plenty of spiders to see inside the cabin - it's a good thing Grandma LaDuke didn't spend the night there!

Oh, how Paisley loves her Uncle Trevor. This girl does NOT fall asleep on just anyone.

We went to a petting zoo they had on the side of the road.

Gage REALLY wanted to take home this pot-belly pig. Thank goodness for zoning laws!!

Sometimes, Bella is more interested in being a princess or a ballerina!

The weather was perfect and there's just nothing like the smell of the pine trees. It's funny how certain smells can bring back memories in an instant, as if the scent had been etched in your brain alongside a video of a fond memory.

Some things I didn't have my camera for:

The kids put on a talent show for Grandma complete with singing and dancing.

Rob's search for the perfect gliders was finally fruitful and they played with those for a whole afternoon until it rained.

Some fierce games of horseshoes were played with egos and feelings still in tact. I must say that I got pretty decent at horseshoes and finally beat Rob after many intense, close games. I challenged my dad when they were there, but he wouldn't play. Must have been scared!! Tee Hee!!

Tons and tons of fishing and catching craw-dads at various lakes. We brought along a little tank to put the fish that we caught in. The kids would hold them and watch them swim around and then one-by-one put them back in the lake. Some of the craw-dads even made it back to the cabin, mysteriously.

I still can't believe I didn't have my camera for these things. Sometimes, though, when I have my camera, I miss out on fun because I'm focusing too much on capturing the moment.

The kids did get pretty homesick and I must admit I was craving the comforts of home too. But it was a month of what I hope to be lasting family memories.

UNCLE MIKE AND AUNT LORA

2010-07-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Rob whisked me away for an overnight trip for my birthday and Uncle Mike and Aunt Lora stepped up big time. Aunt Lora is so crafty and helped the kids make these cute houses and a picture frame for us.

They took them swimming, which is no simple task. The girls are constantly jumping all over the place with no fear. Paisley thinks she can swim and refuses help, even though she is like a dead fish in the water.

Paisley with her Uncle Mike.

They have this great waterfall that the kids love.

After all that fun they were worn out. This is what it looked like when we walked in the door to pick them up.

Thank you so much for taking care of our kiddos. We know they are in good hands! We love you!

GAGE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

2010-07-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

We had Gage's Birthday party at Bounc U on July 10th. My camera battery died after about 5 minutes so my superfox friend, Erna, came to my rescue and took all these pictures for us. What a great friend to do that. Thank you!

The kids had spent an hour jumping, climbing, running, and bouncing.

Gage was so happy to have his friends there. Reese, Wade, Ryleigh, Ellie, Neil, Luke, Natalie, Lincoln, Jake and cousin Callie came.

These two girls had no trouble at all eating all this cake!!

We all had a great time and especially liked that the party was INDOORS!!

Is there any wonder where Gage's personality comes from??????????

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GAGE!

2010-07-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

You're 6!!! What??? Every memory of you is etched so deeply in my mind, so vividly. How is it that six years have gone by in the blink of an eye? The girls used their money to get you this Buzz Lightyear sprinkler. They couldn't wait for you to open it.

You are always posing and being silly - such a ham. We love that about you!

We were supposed to spend your birthday in Snowflake going to the rodeo and watching the fireworks, but the day before your birthday, you got sick with some sort of flu. We drove home so as not to get baby Mack sick too. You are the toughest kid when you're sick. You are always reassuring me that you're ok, it's ok, it's going to be fine. All of this in the middle of throwing up. It's amazing. You were going to help Grandma make my birthday cake and I, in turn, was going to make your cake, but.....we have this store-bought cake instead. Next year, buddy!!!

You still love exploring indoors and out, catching bugs and lizards, making up games and stories. You still pretend to be a pirate, a jedi master, a superhero, a cowboy, and anything else your imagination comes up with. You get so focused on something or on daydreaming, that sometimes you don't hear your name being called right in front of you. You love your sisters and your friends. You love to make people laugh and you know how to be kind. We have been learning about the Golden Rule and you remind us all of that. You want to make us happy - you get so sad if you think you've disappointed us. You want to make your Father in Heaven happy too. We hope that you will keep your zest for life and your love for others. No matter how many birthdays you have, you will always be our baby boy.

DINOSAURS? P.U.!!!!!

2010-06-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

A conversation between Gage and Bella one of our many summer road trips:

Bella: Hey, Gage? Are there dinosaurs in the forest?

Gage: No, Bella. Dinosaurs don't exist anymore. They're extinct.

Bella: Eeewww.....P.U.!!!! They stink???

SOME THINGS I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT

2010-05-26T20:00:00.001-07:00

Some quotes I've come across recently that really stuck out to me:

"Patriotism is not enough, we must love all men."

I recently came across a talk given by Elder Wirthlin, who is one of my favorites. He said, "No matter how dark our Fridays may be, Sunday will come." I love that message of hope and faith, and the analogy to the Savior's Atonement. When I have felt hopeless for one reason or another, this quote comes to mind and sure enough, it always gets better.

"That they may see His face in ours."(in reference to our children)
I've decided that this is my theme for the year. I want my children to see Him in my face, my eyes, my actions, and my words.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAISLEY

2010-04-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

Paisley is two years old!!! How is it that my baby is two????

We celebrated with gifts and cake and ice cream. Paisley LOVES Barbie. She plays with them, sleeps with them, sings all the Barbie songs.

Paisley also LOVES sports. She will pickup any ball and want to play catch or hit the ball with a bat. She is such a tomboy, but at the same time, a girlie-girl.

Our Darling Paisley,

Oh, how we love you! You love to play jokes (even though you can't talk yet) and make all of us laugh. You get the funniest expressions on your face. Even though you can only say a few words, you understand EVERYTHING and you are very smart and clever. I'll catch you walking around the house with your eyes closed and then giggling because you think it's so funny. You love your brother and sister so much. You can't say the "g" sound, so you call Gage "babe". Bella is "Bewa". Ever since you could say her name, you are always thinking of her. If you are given a glass of milk, you'll say, "Bella?" wondering if she wants some. You do this for everything you are ever given or are doing. I hope you will always think of others. You are very independent and strong-willed. You know EXACTLY what you want and HOW. You can hold your own with Gage and you definitely can take Bella (who is a complete softy and never fights back). You LOVE to sing, especially "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Lullaby". This is particulary cute since you can't really pronounce many of the words, but you definitely sing on tune. You've been giving us quite a run for our money during Sacrament Meeting, but we can see the light at the end of this very dark tunnel. We love you completely for everything you are. May you always want to laugh and love your family.

PRAY ALWAYS

2010-04-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

I looked high and low, behind every door, in every drawer, every hamper dumped upside down....yet I still could not find Gage's cleats, shinguards, and socks for his soccer game. I enlisted the help of Rob and the kids. We frantically searched the house, garage, cars....nothing. I finally said, "I guess we can say a prayer to ask for help in finding them." I felt silly even suggesting it. Surely, He has much better things to be concerned about than a 5-year-old's soccer stuff. It's just not important. So we all kneeled down and I humbly and quickly asked for help. Within two minutes, it came to me. After soccer the previous week, we had gone to the park to play with the Thibaudeaus, with Gage still in his full uniform. I remembered that I brought the girls over in the wagon, and while at the park, Gage asked me to help him take off his shin guards, socks, and cleats, which I then put under the seats of the wagon. Uereka!! I lifted up the seats and there they were!

I learned my lesson in thinking I know what we are supposed to pray about. The answer to that is.....EVERYTHING!

DADDY'S SWEET NOTES

2010-04-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Rob went on a long business trip for the first time in a while and left these notes for each of us:

There are some inside jokes in there. We all loved it!

EXCITING DAY FOR GAGE

2010-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a particulary exciting day for Gage. Rob and I have continued to be frustrated (as I'm sure Gage's soccer coach is) about Gage's overall soccer performance. We don't need or expect him to be the best or to score all kinds of goals. More than anything we just want him to try his best. I just don't even think I can accurately describe Gage during a soccer game. He just stands there, even when the ball is right at his feet, he freezes. It's so bizarre. I decided that he just must not be interested in soccer and doesn't like it, but I have continually asked him if he likes it and wants to keep playing and he excitedly says how he loves soccer. It just doesn't make sense.

Last night, Rob asked him if he wanted to play in his soccer game the next day or if he just wanted to do something else and he again insisted that he loves soccer. Rob asked him again and Gage said, "Dad, it seems like you don't want me to play soccer anymore." He is so insightful. He has no idea how it's pure torture for us to watch his games.

Well, I sat him on my lap in the rocking chair and started talking to him about it and asking questions. I discovered what should have been so obvious. He was afraid of the ball smacking him in the face and afraid of being hurt by one of the other kids. I talked to him about the courage and what that means. I reminded him that he is a boy of steel and even though he's afraid, he can be brave and push through it. I told him one of the best ways of doing that was to pray for courage and strength. We continued to remind him of this on the way to the game the next day and he was fired up.

It paid off. He played a whole different game that day. He still wasn't the best on the field, and that's really ok. More important, he was doing his very best. He was facing his fears and playing the best game of his life. The last play of the game, he broke away from the pack with the ball and scored a GOAL!!!!! We were so excited!! But my pride was not about the goal, it was that he had faced it and overcome it and had done his absolute best. That was a great feeling for all of us.

Gage, you really are a boy of steel. Remember that feeling always, facing down your fears and overcoming them.

Later that afternoon, he lost his first tooth!!!!!! He was so excited and I actually got a little emotional secretly.

So, in one night the tooth fairy AND the Easter Bunny visited. The tooth fairy brought him one dollar and the Easter Bunny brough a basket full of goodies.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

2010-04-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Gage and Bella led Paisley and me on a jungle safari tour this morning. They had put a shark in the pool, crocodiles in the grass, along with a snake and a turtle. Last but not least, Gage was a tiger, but a friendly one. The following pretty much sums up the kids' personalities right now:

Gage: Pretending to be a tiger, licking all of us and growling just enough to scare

Bella. (She actually believes that he's a tiger and screams and cries in the middle of laughing).

Bella: "Oh, tiger, let me put some makeup on you. Here's some lip gloss."

Paisley: "Swing!! Swing!!! SWING!!!!!!" (can you guess what she wanted to do?)

Today's journal question is: What do you enjoy doing today that you enjoyed as a child?

Today was a good example of the answer to this. I always LOVED to be outside playing. Whether it was imagining I lived in a foreign place, digging a hole to get to China, climbing trees while pretending it was a pirate ship and sitting on the crow's nest at the top, catching bugs, lizards, snakes, and frogs, using chalk to draw a city on the sidewalk around the cul-de-sace and rollerskating my way through town, playing cupball in the street, using the large crack in the asphalt as a net to play tennis, riding my bike down to Stop and Go to get a drink. Come to think of it, my kids are more like me in this regard. I loved playing sports, pretty much any sport, but I favored softball, volleyball, and kickball. And I LOVED swimming. We would swim until our hair was green from the chlorine and our toes were rubbed raw from the pool plaster, and we didn't care. I still LOVE being outside and doing all of these things. I am definitely happiest when I am outside doing something....anything.

Only now, I get to do them with my kids.

NEXT QUESTION

2010-03-25T13:18:00.001-07:00

Today's journal questions is: Are you the oldest, youngest, or middle child?

I am none of the above. I am 3rd from the youngest, 5th from the oldest of seven children. However, I am the middle girl.

How have I seen the Lord's hand in my life today? Somedays this is harder to do than others. I'm hopeful that the more I practice this exercise, the easier it will be to recognize His hand in all things. Gage caught a butterfly from its perch on our white flowers in front. He was so excited and felt sure it was the very same butterfly we had in our butterfly garden. Who knows? Maybe. It made me stop for a moment and feel grateful for Springtime and all the beauty that comes with it: flowers blooming, trees greening, butterflies flitting. Ahhhh, how I love Arizona in the Springtime.

OLD GIFT RENEWED

2010-03-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

I am so behind in keeping this journal/blog and intend to do some updating, mostly for our family records. But as I am sitting here at my new little work desk (been working for Rob) in my bedroom, I glanced over to my dresser and saw a Christmas gift my parents had given all of us kids a looooong time ago - possibly before we were married. It is a jar filled with many, many colorful little strips of paper. On each paper is a question, and our answers were to be recorded in our journals. I decided that was a good place to start me up again on this blog. I reached into the jar and pulled out this question:

Did you go on a mission? If so, where and when? What do you most remember about it? Did you learn a foreign language?

Well, this will be a short post. I did not go on a mission and in the interest of complete honesty (it is a journal, after all), I have to say that I don't regret that. I am in total awe of women who go on missions. They are much stronger than I. I have never learned a foreign language (unless you count two years of French in high school, which has proven to be totally worthless). Learning a foreign language is #99 on my bucket list of 100. So, what does all that say about me?

Also, I was inspired by my dear and awesome friend, Spring, to ask myself this question everyday: "'Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?" from a talk by Elder Henry B. Eyring. While the kids were playing, I heard them singing together, "Follow the Prophet". It was so cute and it made me feel grateful for how innocent, yet strong they are. The church, through inspiration and revelation, has done a wonderful job organizing the Primary. These kids in Primary are so knowledgeable and valiant and I'm guessing it's because they really need to be. I'm so glad that my kids get to benefit from outstanding teachers and leaders.

I have also decided that because of my OCD-Perfectionist mind (I said in my mind, it doesn't always manifest), I was going to focus on improving/perfecting one thing each month. As trivial as it sounds, the month of March is LAUNDRY. I am going to keep up with it better, not leave loads in the washer and dryer only to have to re-wash or re-dry, and actually put the clothes away IMMEDIATELY after I fold them. So, there we have it. I'm back, baby.

SO FUNNY

2010-03-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

GAGE: Hey, Mom. Can I ask you a question? How come when the coach is standing right next to me he puts his hands around his mouth and yells my name? (as he demonstrates cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling his own name)

ME: Well, that's because he has been calling your name from across the field and you didn't respond so he keeps walking closer and yelling your name. Evidently, you don't hear him until he is standing right next to you with his hands around his mouth yelling your name.

Note: This is so much more funny when you actually get to see this in action. Coach Jason Hammonds.....the most patient coach EVER!!

TREASURE BOX

2010-01-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

At the end of each month, Gage gets to use his "funny money" that he's earned throughout the month for doing little good deeds at preschool. His teacher lets them buy little trinkets as a reward. Did he get toy cars? Rubber lizards? Candy? Nope. He came home with these beauties.

Papa LaDuke would be so proud.

DETAILS

2010-01-20T20:04:00.000-08:00

I recently read a quote from a mother whose children had long since grown up. She stumbled across a memory of being outside with her children one afternoon and wished she could remember what they talked about, what they did, how they felt. What color was the blanket they sat on? What did they eat? She longed for details.

I want to remember. I want them to remember. So here are the details:

Outside on the green grass in the warm January sun were two of my children playing to their little hearts' content, imaginations running wild. The Tank was taking a much-needed nap. I sat in a chair soaking up the sun, trying to squeeze in a few paragraphs from a gardening book in between my roles in their story. In this story, Gage was a zookeeper. He had lined up four little ceramic crocodiles (that he got from Daddy's pet supply stuff) with a crate over them, obviously their cage. In his best zookeeper voice he convinced me that these were gentle crocodiles that were nice to humans. Did I want to hold one? Bella (who decided her name for this story was Savannah) pranced and danced, applied lip gloss again and again. Did I want to put some on? The zookeeper decided there would be races using the two exercise balls - hers gray, his blue. He and Savannah raced the balls to the sidewalk and back. He let her win over and over, by pretending to fall or running in slow motion. She was none the wiser and very proud of her victories. When the ball went in the street, the protective zookeeper put his hand out to stop her, looked both ways twice, and retrieved it. She hugged him and told him he was her best brother. They both waved hello to every car that drove by.

The afternoon ended when it was time for Gage to get ready for Tae Kwan Do. This time Daddy got to take him - the first time. I knew it was going to be special and wanted those boys to have a night of it. Gage raced in the door to tell me he earned his white belt along with a medal and a ceremonious breaking of a piece of wood with a swift kick. Very cool. Daddy got him a Happy Meal.

I got to spend some time alone with Paisley after the other two went to bed, because of her long, late nap. I decided that time alone with Paisley will cure what ails me anytime. We sang ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, played Pat-A-Cake, Eye-Winker Tom Tinker, fixed each other's hair, wrestled, tickled, and most of all we laughed. I know she felt special getting to stay up later than the other two.

She didn't say it, of course, but I could see it in her eyes.

DADDY TURNS 40!!!!

2010-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow!!! 40!! I remember wondering what Rob would look like when he turned 40, and truthfully, he looks the same. Young and handsome.

Rob didn't want to do anything fancy or crazy. He just wanted a quiet day and evening at home with us.

But I had to make it a little fancy by giving him his presents in a Jonas Brothers gift bag. Just what every 40-year-old wants!!

We love you Daddy! Happy Birthday!! You are generous, funny, kind, helpful, selfless and F.U.N.!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA!

2010-01-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Bella turned 3 on January 7th!! I just can't believe it.

More proof that they really do love each other.

We went to Rainforest Cafe for lunch. This is Bella's favorite place - she loves all the animals and the thunderstorms.

Just love this girl.

This little precious spirit has blessed our lives. We learn pure joy from this girl. She is so happy and cheerful, loving and kind. She has a keen ability to sense when you need cheering up. I'll be in a bit of a frenzy doing something and Bella will call out my name. I will answer in sort of a frustrated tone and she'll say, "I just wanted to tell you I love you." She melts my heart. And I love her heart. She cares about others and is quick to share. She wakes up bright and early, before everyone else and runs in excitedly shouting, "Good Morning!!!!" Hugs and kisses all day long. She talks with the cutest lisp and a raspy voice - the combination just is to die for. She loves to sing and sings with a vibrato. Her favorite now is the soundtrack from The Little Mermaid. She likes performing and dancing. And she LOVES Princesses. Belle is her favorite, but she'll take any of them. Sometimes at night, when she's supposed to be in bed, she sneaks into the bathroom and gives her barbies and dolls baths in the sink. She talks to them as she washes their hair.

We love you, darling Bella! May all your wishes come true!!

FAREWELL, 2009!

2009-12-31T21:38:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve was spent at home with fun, food, games, movies, popcorn, and treats. But, sadly, no fireworks. We all pooped out before midnight. LAME!!!!

Resolutions:

Do better at everything, work harder, play more, laugh more!!! That pretty much sums it up. No really.....

BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT.....LIKE.... EVER!!!

2009-12-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

This picture is of the two missionaries, Elder Lee and Elder Smith, who helped to change our lives. They were amazing. So mature, so wise.

Rob got baptized on Saturday, December 26th. I was in such shock and disbelief that I didn't take any pictures that day. Ugh....I am just sick about that. One of the missionaries did, and I am hoping to get copies. Rob finally realized that he has always had a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and allowed these missionaries to teach to an open heart and open mind. He asked Ben Thibaudeau, an amazing friend and mentor, to sit in on the discussions. Ben contributed so much to the lessons and can relate to Rob on so many levels. I remember Rob saying after playing basketball with Ben at the church quite a bit recently that he wanted to be more like Ben: calm, peaceful, a good husband, a good father, priorities right, selfless, and kind. I am so grateful to Ben for his example then and for his continuing example and friendship.

Rob was baptized by my Dad. My Mom and brother, Cameron gave talks. (Again, such a blur that I don't remember who talked on what.) All of the LaDukes, including grandchildren and my dear friend, Spring Thibaudeau, sang "I Am A Child of God."

The next day at church, he was confirmed by Bishop Rick Davis, who means a lot to Rob.

We celebrated with family back at home with delicious homemade tamales (not made by me, of course - but I did make the salsa.)

I am excited for the future.....................

CHRISTMAS EVE!!

2009-12-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, the kids got to open up one present at home on Christmas Eve. And....SURPRISE!! It's pajamas!!

I hope these two kiddos always love each other as much as they do in this moment.

Then we headed over to Mike and Lora's house for a feast and downpour of presents. I love watching the kids with their Grandpa Powers. He gets such a joy out of them.

I think Gage looks like Grandpa Powers.

These kids get so spoiled by their Powers aunts, uncles and cousins. I love how much they love our children. They get so excited to give them gifts and watch them open with anticipation.

Oh, how Bella loves Tinkerbell. She sleeps with this one.

This accurately captures how excited Gage is the whole time we are there.

We love the Powers family and are blessed to be a part. Uncle Mike and Aunt Lora are, as always, the perfect hosts. Thank you!

MEMORIES

2009-12-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

Life has been especially busy these last few months and I haven't posted here in a while. But, I did manage to jot some things down on paper so I could record them here later. Here we go:

I can't remember where she learned it or why, but Paisley walks around reaching her hand up to pinch everyone's nose, and she wants the person to say, "P...U!" Then she wants you to do it to her. She gets the biggest kick out of it.

Paisley's nickname is "The Tank", for obvious reasons. That girl is so tough. She falls probably 1000 times a day, one way or another, and sometimes they are really bad falls where I'm expecting a scream and cry. But she just pops right back up and keeps on her path.

Everytime I laugh, Paisley mimics me and lets out a big laugh. Even if I'm in another room and laugh, she'll come running in there so she can laugh with me.

Bella is our little princess. She's as girly as they come. She loves lip gloss and fingernail polish (so much that she sleeps with them clutched in her hands). She loves playing dress-up and putting on my shoes. She is so full of joy and lights up a room. Each night we have a little bedtime ritual that includes scriptures, books, storytime, asking them the five questions (that I'll write more about later) and then tucking them in and giving hugs and kisses. Then they'll each tell me how much they love me. "I love you all the way up to the stars and back, etc." The cutest one that Bella says and came up with on her own is, "I love you all the way up to the mountain temples and back."

Bella's hair gets very tangled. We have to use de-tangling spray and be very gentle. Everytime we unknowingly hit one as we're brushing, she lets out a little yelp. We were driving through a parking lot and went over a speed bump. Bella said, "Oh! There was a tangle in the road!"

I was talking to the kids about Christmas and emphasizing what it was really about. I told them that it was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Bella got so excited and asked, "Can I have some of His birthday cake??"

On Christmas Eve, while we were at Uncle Mike and Aunt Lora's house, Bella was talking to Papa Powers. She was having this conversation with him and I realized that she was just speaking the words to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." So, it went like this, "Hey, Papa. You know....you better watch out.........Papa, you better not cry." It was hilarious. Papa was very confused.

Bella loves to sing. She walks around just singing all kinds of songs, real ones, made-up ones. Even when she is just talking, she does it in a sing-songy voice.

Some of Gage's quotes:

"Mom, I had a troublesome night last night." (who says troublesome?)

He used the word "although" the other night and used it correctly. So funny.

Gage: Mom, Gabriel in my class talks funny. He says, "tamily" instead of "family". Mom: Well, sometimes kids say words differently. Just be nice to him.

Gage: Yeah. He must be from Oregon or something.
(??? I guess Gage things if you're from Oregon you talk funny.)

Little white lies seem to always find a way of creeping back up and biting you in the bum. All the Christmas presents were stashed in my closet awaiting being wrapped. Gage and Bella went in there to play a game and Gage spotted something and immediately asked about it. I started to come up with some story to cover, but Rob beat me to the punch. He told the kids that they couldn't go in there because it was infested with flies and until we sprayed, they weren't allowed to play in there because they might get sick. They seemed to buy it and didn't ask any questions. Phew! A few hours later, Gage told me (in his daily-dramatic-incident-style) that his tummy hurt and he thinks it's because he spent too much time in the fly-infested closet. Ha!

The missionaries came over on Christmas Day to share a Christmas message with us. After they finished, Gage ran upstairs and grabbed his pirates book that is small. He said they were his scriptures and he wanted to give us a message. He stood up in front of all of us and pretended to read things from his "scriptures". It was a full-on Christmas devotional and went on for about 3 minutes. It was so cute.

TEMPLE LIGHTS

2009-12-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

We took our traditional trip to the see the Temple lights, which are always amazing. This year was special because we got to share it with the Thibaudeaus, the Pecks, and Scott Shook.

We are completely bundled up - total wimps!!

Bella found her holiday cheer!!

ALMOST A CHRISTMAS CARD

2009-12-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of options of what our Christmas cards would have looked like, had I done Christmas cards. Too bad, because I really liked these outfits. I'm not sure why Bella seems to be missing out on all the Christmas cheer.

There's always next year!!!!

WILDLIFE ANIMAL PARK

2009-11-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

Alicia and her kids stayed a little longer after Mom and Dad's homecoming, which we loved. We decided to make the trek out to the Wildlife Zoo and it was totally worth it.

We all got to go into the parrot cage and feed them apples. The parrots were landing all over heads, arms, shoulders. The kids were fascinated. And I want them to know that I love them so much I was able to set aside my total fear and disdain of birds to go in there with them. They were so sad when the time was up and I was singing hallelujahs.

WELCOME HOME, MOM AND DAD!

2009-11-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad came home from their mission in India on Wednesday, November 25th in the evening. All of us were able to be there to greet them. We all gathered at the top of the terminal anxiously awaiting them to walk up. They were the last ones and I must admit I was starting to wonder if they were on the plane. We were so excited to see them.

The next day was Thanksgiving - just the perfect meal to welcome them home. I hosted it at my house and it was so much fun to have them here again. All the cousins played until they were worn out.

SOCCER

2009-11-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Gage played soccer with his friend, Golden, this fall. These boys are so cute and fun to watch. Just look at these pictures......adorable!

SNAKES, SNAILS, AND PUPPY DOG TAILS

2009-11-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Gage is the epitomy of this saying. This boy can entertain himself all day long outside. Often, he sets up his animals outside and plays some sort of game with them, running back and forth to the walls trying to catch lizards and bugs. He is fascinated with it all. I love it!!

HALLOWEEN

2009-11-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Sadly, we didn't do our normal Halloween traditions because I had the swine flu. It was such a bummer. I missed out on everything, even trick-or-treating. These pictures were taken by Alyssa. The kids were so excited as usual. Gage was a Jedi, Bella was Tinkerbell, and Paisley was a zebra. So cute!!

Thanks to Rob, Aunt Alyssa and Uncle Trevor for filling in for me.

I WANT TO REMEMBER THESE

2009-10-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

Bella and Paisley LOVE to brush their teeth. They are always clamoring over the sink, fighting for their position. I hope this lasts.

Gage remembers EVERYTHING! We were playing the Children's Songbook CD's and "In the Leafy Treetops" came on. Gage said, "Oh! Grandma sang me that song once when I was sad when I was 3."

Gage says a prayer for everything and anything. He'll pray that his mama will say yes to buying the new transformer toy at Target, that his sister will give him her candy, and the other day he actually said a prayer while sitting on the toilet to "please help my bottom to not sting when I push out the poop." This might be too much information for an outside reader, but I am soooo using this one when he's older.

We were watching TV and the character said something kind of mean and Gage said, "Mama, you're right. TV is not good for me."

Today, Bella and Gage were talking about Christmas - the lights, Santa, the reindeer, etc. Gage said excitedly, "Bella! Don't forget the finishing touch is..... PRESENTS!" Who says finishing touch?

A couple of weeks ago on our way to Chik-Fil-A's playroom to meet some friends, Gage decided that he wanted to have a parade. After figuring out that our backyard would not be big enough for the parade of horses, floats, and dancers, he settled on leading a parade through our neighborhood. "Please, Mama? Can you please help me have a parade?" I told him we'd have to have a family meeting (that's my new favorite response to questions I don't know how to answer). At Chik-Fil-A, I heard him inviting all the kids there (all strangers) to his parade. The kids excitedly accepted and ran to tell their moms, who of course, shot them down. Gage just couldn't understand it. After all, he was just trying to cheer them up by inviting them to his big parade.....why would their moms say no?

At Gage's second soccer practice, all the boys were playing on the playground before practice started. Gage ran over and one by one, brought the boys over. "Hey, Austin! This is my mom. Hey, Joey! Come here! I want you to meet my mom." So sweet.

In the car recently, Gage and Bella were talking about a hospital (can't remember why). They were arguing over how to pronounce it. Bella pronounces it, "Hot-sa-bull". Gage kept trying to correct her saying, "No, Bella. Say 'HOS....BA....DULL!'" Hilarious.

Bella tells me everyday, "You are my best mama! I LUB you!!"

MY MOTHER'S FEET

2009-10-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at a cub scout meeting last night and happened to look down at my feet. I sighed in disgust at my dry, cracked heels, my distorted pinky toenails and the overall hobbit shape of my feet. I swear my feet are as wide as they are long. My toenails are unpainted and my feet basically look hideous. And then I chuckled to myself.

I remember when I was in my vain teenage years, I thought to myself that I hoped I never had feet that looked like my mother's. Her toenails were never painted, pinky toenails were oddly misshapen, heels always dry and slightly cracked, and they are wide. I often wondered why she didn't put cream on them or attempt to make them look pretty.

Once I came across a picture of one of my ancestors on my mom's side, maybe my great-great-great grandmother. I commented to my mom about how unattractive she was. Her face was very hard and masculine, she was not smiling for the picture, and it was difficult to find a pleasing feature. My mom spoke of how once someone had said something similar to my great-grandfather, Joseph Peterson, and he quickly chided them. He defended her saying that her face was beautiful because it represented her hard work, perseverance, service and sacrifice.

I no longer have to wonder about the appearance of my mother's feet. Those feet have walked in a home without a father, over school campuses, in classrooms of all kinds. They have lovingly walked beside another's feet for 43 years. They have waddled through eight pregnancies, hurried to serve others, mostly her children. And now, they walk in a foreign land along filthy streets, carrying her to serve and teach about the Savior.

I chuckled last night BECAUSE my feet look JUST like my mom's. I LOVE that!

Now, I just have to earn them.......

BACK TO PRESCHOOL!

2009-09-09T22:40:00.001-07:00

Gage went back to preschool on Tuesday, September 8th. He was so excited and kept shouting, "First day of school!! First day of school!!". He said he made lots of friends, earned funny money (which they use to buy treasures at the end of the month), and tickled the girls. I told him he probably shouldn't do that and he couldn't understand why. He said it made them laugh. Hmmm....I tried not to make too much of it.....yet!

IT'S RAINING!!

2009-09-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

We have been getting some nice rain lately. At the first sign of rain, Gage and Bella raced upstairs to get their rain boots. (Why we even have rain boots, I'm not sure.)

Bella is so fashion-forward. She is always playing dress-up and puts together these crazy outfits. She is usually either in her underwear or in some new dress-up outfit.

Gage is so loving to his sisters (sometimes). He pulled Bella into his lap and starting singing her a lullaby.

Paisley is already a little jokester. She is always coming over to me and blowing raspberries on my leg or my tummy and then laughs. I always cringe for fear that she'll bite me - but she hasn't yet. She will get my attention and then walk around with her eyes closed, which of course makes her fall. And then she just giggles and does it again. I love when I sit in the rocking chair with her. She immediately nuzzles into me, whether she's tired or not.

Some noteable things:

*Gage just gave his first talk in Primary on "The Prophets Teach Me To Strengthen My Family". We printed off some pictures and laminated them and Gage memorized his talk in just a few minutes. He has a really good memory. He would practice it and every time he got to the part where he said, "My favorite song is Follow the Prophet", he'd stop and ask me if the kids were going to laugh at him when he said that. I assured him they wouldn't. He did a great job and was so proud of himself. He told me that as he was sitting up at the front awaiting his turn, he was getting nervous. So he said a little prayer to ask for help and felt much better. He gave his talk just as he did at home, no nerves, and smiling the whole time. The chorister invited him up to lead everyone in "Follow the Prophet" afterwards. He loved it!

*Gage asked how can Aunt Courtney and I be sisters? We don’t live together and we’re grown-ups?

*Gage got on the phone yesterday to call his imaginary friend, Rescuer. As it turns out, Rescuer wants Gage to go on a date with one of his girlfriends, and wonders which one Gage wants.Gage paces the floor (as he always does when he’s on the phone), and can’t decide if it’s going to be Carlee, Eliza, or Allison, or maybe McKenna. He decides that Eliza and McKenna are too young, and it must be one of the older girls. I decided that I need to have a talk with Rescuer the next time he calls to inform him that Gage will not be going on a date until he is 27.

*Bella points to people and characters on TV or in real life that are appealing to her and yells excitedly, "That's me! That's me!"

When Bella gets excited about doing something fun she shouts, "I can’t believe it!!"

GREAT ADVENTURES

2009-09-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

We got this great World Map at Costco, thanks to some friends of mine who told me about this awesome find. I hung it in the hallway at the top of the stairs, which is just at the kids' eye-level. They are always looking at it and asking questions. I decided that each week we would pick a place and learn as much as we can about it. Our first stop was India, of course. We got some books from the library and had so much fun reading about it and looking at all the pictures. It was neat to actually see some of the places and things that my parents have described. Gage kept saying, "Grandma and Papa did that! Grandma and Papa went there!" It was fun. I can't wait to see where our next adventure is!

PRAYER ROCKS

2009-09-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

I had a prayer rock when I was little and decided to make some use of Gage's rock collection. We picked out two rocks and had fun painting them and putting stickers on them. I told Gage and Bella about my prayer rock when I was a little girl and they couldn't wait for the paint to dry so they could use them. I explained that they were to put the rocks under their pillows to remind them to say their prayers before going to bed. Then they place the rocks on the ground so when they wake in the morning and step on them, it reminds them to say their morning prayers. We have been doing this for about three weeks and it works! They are so proud of their rocks.

COUSINS

2009-08-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

We have been lucky to spend some extra time with my nieces, Callie and Avery lately. Their mom, Addie, experienced a major medical emergency involving her pregnancy that nearly took her life. I felt helpless, but was happy to have the girls over. My kids were thrilled! When I asked Callie who it was in the picture she painted, she replied, "It's Michael Jackson!". Hilarious!

VISIT WITH PAPA POWERS

2009-08-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

We went to see Papa Powers on Sunday, our usual visiting time with him. Uncle Terry was there too. Papa loves to see his little grandchildren and indulges them in whatever they want. It's funny to hear Rob talk about how strict he was when he was little, because there is no hint of that now. Rob and his brother, Mike, are taking him to Laughlin for his 81st birthday in a couple of weeks. That used to be his and Grandma Powers' favorite getaway. He is so excited about it! The funny thing is, he told me he can't really remember specifically his trips there with her (his long-term memory is really struggling lately), he just knows that they used to go all the time. For some reason though, he still has quite a good mind for money. Rob teases him good-naturedly that on his deathbed he won't remember who Rob is, but he WILL remember that he owes him ten dollars and fifty-six cents. This gives him quite a laugh.

PLASMA CARS

2009-08-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

These little cars are the best invention. They are self-propelled by turning the steering wheel back and forth, so even Paisley can do it. But she still prefers to be Gage's passenger. They whip around the whole main floor (which is tile) on these things and then crash into the floor pillows that are against the wall. It provides hours of entertainment!

PAISLEY'S NURSERY

2009-08-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is Paisley's new nursery, courtesy of my sister, Courtney. She is so talented. She made the crib fringe, curtains and the rug and then pulled together some of her stuff with mine to complete the look. She decided to branch out from the nursing covers she is already making and selling. I decided she took all of the creative/artsy/crafty genes from my mom, who makes quilts into art. Seriously, they are amazing. Someday, I'll get pictures of all of them and put them here.

THE LIZARD WHISPERER

2009-08-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Gage's lifelong mission is to catch lizards. We have tons of them all over, but they're fast and slippery little suckers. He puts lots of thought and care into catching them. When he is able to catch them, he thinks he is a lizard whisperer. He ALWAYS wants to keep them, but I tell him that their mothers must surely be missing them and to put them back exactly where he finds them. This one is teeny tiny.

(This is pretty much his wardrobe for the better part of every day: underwear and an eye patch)

SAN DIEGO

2009-08-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

We went to San Diego with our friends, the Schmitts, right after our weekend in Pinetop. We stayed in this great rental house that was right on the beach. It was a beautiful view and great weather, but my heart will always be in Arizona.

Gage and Jake spent hours building their fortress in the sand.

Bella and Megan sat on this boogie board, not yet brave enough to try it.

Paisley kept eating the sand, which is why I kept the binky in as much as possible. She also had no fear of the ocean. She kept crawling down there into the water, and I let her, thinking she'd shy away after getting slammed by the waves. But she didn't.

We went to a less-expensive version of Sea World, Scripps Aquarium. The kids got to touch starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, stingrays, and the likes. They were beyond excited!

Rob and I even got to go in a shark cage! It's totally real....I promise.

So is this shark's mouth....REAL!

We also went to the Botanical Gardens. They had this awesome treehouse that Rob now thinks he has to build in the backyard.

FIREWORKS FOR GAGE

2009-08-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July weekend in Pinetop with The LaDuke clan, minus a few. We all stayed together in this big cabin that backed up to the National Forest. It was beautiful and the weather was perfect - even a bit chilly at night!

Sadly, we started the weekend on the 3rd, with my 35th birthday. 35???? Really??? I still think and feel like I'm 26. (I may not LOOK 26, but let's just not talk about that!) It was a great day that was celebrated by yummy hobo stew and delicious chocolaty chocolate cake! We also made s'mores at the fire and danced and sang camp songs with the kids.

Gage's birthday was on the 4th and he turned 5!! We spent the day at Hawley Lake, fishing and catching crawdads. It was the perfect, most beautiful spot that we had to ourselves.

We celebrated Jacob LaDuke turning 1 on July 2nd, Gage turning 5 on the 4th, and Lily LaDuke turning 10 on the 6th with cake and silliness. That night we drove into Show Low for their fireworks. They put on a great show and we had so much fun.

On our way home, we went into Lakeside, a place where we spent a lot of time when we were little. My Grandma Schuck (maternal) lived there in a cabin and owned acres and acres of land, much of which was lakefront on Rainbow Lake. Lakeside was homesteaded in part by her father, Joseph Peterson, and she inherited priceless land. She loved Lakeside and that passed on to my mom and to all of us. Sadly, we no longer own the cabin or any of the land (a painful subject). How I wish I could take my children there to do the things we did there: fishing, catching hornytoads, frogs, snakes, grasshoppers, dragonflies and having a circus with these unsuspecting animals, playing cupball in the cinder rocks, going out in Grandma's aluminum boat, going for walks in the forest, counting between thunder and lightning in the grand storms that once struck a tree right outside the cabin, and so on. Grandma passed away this same time of year 23 years ago, and yet my memories of her are still so vivid. We first drove by the cabin, which looks much the same, however the surroundings are depressing. Where trees once stood as far as you could see down to the lake are now at least 10 cabins. The front forest is gone too, taken over by a large aluminum garage and some more cabins and trailers. We then visited her grave in the old Lakeside cemetary, as well as the graves of some of our ancestors.

It was a great weekend and we're already talking about doing it again next year!

Some things I want to write down that don't have much to do with 4th of July, but if I don't I'll forget: Paisley is growing more and more frustrated not being able to keep up with all the kids. So...I ask her, "Why don't you start walking and you can play and do the things that they are doing???? Hmmmm????" Forget what I said about being ok with her not walking yet. It's not true anymore. I REALLY want her to walk!! She is taking two, maybe three wobbly steps at time if we force her to.

Bella is quite the girly-girly, in spite of my protests and gentle attempts at guiding her to more tom-boyish things. She LOVES princesses, even though she's never even seen a Princess movie. She talks about princesses All.The.Time. She is always carrying around one of her dolls and pretending she's the mommy. She also loves to carry around a purse, which she calls her "person", with an irresistible heavy lisp. Best of all, she LOVES to sing. She is always singing; real songs, made-up songs, nonsense songs (as Gage calls them). And she sings with this vibrato in her voice. I have no idea where she learned that or heard it (certainly not from me), but it is hiliarious. She even sings the Alphabet Song in vibrato.

Gage asked when we were moving to a new house. I curiously asked him why and he said he wanted to move to Montana to live next to his cousin, Braden. The other night at dinner he asked me if he could go swimming after we ate. I said, "Sure!" and he replied, "Wow!! I've never known a mom who listens to her kids!! Moms and Dads don't listen to kids!! Thanks!!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAGE!

2009-07-20T20:59:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy, Gage. I really cannot believe that you are five!! Because you were our first baby, we didn't really know what to expect. We only knew that we couldn't wait to see what you looked like. We certainly did not know, no matter how much we heard other parents say it, how much we would love you and how much you would change our lives forever. I fumbled through your first 3 months, reading countless parenting books, completely unsure of myself. But what I did know was how I loved to hold you and rock you and sing to you. I would talk to you, read to you, dance with you. It was just us - you, me and Daddy. We marveled at your first smile, first laugh, first roll-over, first crawl, and all your other firsts. You taught us that true love means serving, selflessness, and patience, among other things. You talked before you walked. And I mean talked, not just baby talk. Right from the start, you seemed to be sensitive, deep, smart and observant. You were so social and interested in others.

These qualities have grown right along with you. You are today a caring and tender boy. You are sensitive to others and eager to make people happy. You make friends easily. You love to talk and ask questions and push the envelope. You are curious and precocious. You pay attention, especially when you shouldn't. I love how excited you still get each morning to see us. I love how sweet you are to your sisters, who adore you. You are an enormous help to me and you do so willingly. We love your humor and silliness - I know I can always count on you for a laugh. You have an unbelievable memory, still recounting things from when you were two. You love to learn about Jesus and how much He loves you. After Primary the other day, I asked you to go get Bella from Nursery and when you came back with her you told me that you got lost but that the Holy Ghost showed you the way to go. You say things similar to this all the time, which is so precious. Right now, you love to collect rocks. I find rocks behind pillows in the living room, on the shelves in your room, in your pockets....everywhere! You also love to catch lizards, moths, and bugs. With Daddy's encouragement, you actually believe that you have the force (Star Wars) and go around every day using it. (You get this from your Uncle Cameron). You love sword-fighting and dragon-slaying. Your imagination is limitless. You can entertain yourself all day long, and you've always been this way. You still have your imaginary friend, Rescuer, whom you sometimes blame for things. You love to ride your bike (even though you won't let us take the training wheels off), play baseball, and golf. You still lean towards being left-handed, but mostly you're ambidextrous. Your favorite color is blue and your favorite number is whatever age you are, so now it is 5.

We love you so much, our darling boy, Gage. You are special in so many ways and we are so grateful that you are part of our family. We hope you will always know how much we love you and how much our Father in Heaven loves you too. You bring such joy to us. We love you all the way up to the stars and back.

Always,

Mama and Daddy

THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN!

2009-07-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Uncle Mike and Aunt Lora treated all of us to the Circus at US Airways Arena. The kids were so enthralled with all of the stunts and especially the tigers and elephants. Even Paisley was kicking her legs and clapping her hands excitedly. Mike and Lora spoiled the kids with yummy circus food, hats, and toys galore. It was like Christmas for the kids. Mike and Lora are so good to do these special things with our kids. They love to spend time with their nephew and nieces and our kids adore them. Bella calls Mike "Uncle Mike" and Lora is "MikeandLora". It's really funny.

My only regret is that we didn't get any pictures of the kids with their Aunt and Uncle!! Hint: Lora, if you read this, please forward your pictures!

FUNNY MOMENTS

2009-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

GAGE:

Gage wants a baby brother so bad and begs for this weekly. He tells us we need to get married again so we can have a baby brother for him.

Gage has a real thing about getting his hair cut. I have tried countless times to cut it, but he gets so upset and fidgety until it erupts into a full-blown tantrum. So, I take him to this place for kids where he behaves much better. On our last trip to Disneyland, we had the car loaded up and hit the road, but we stopped to get Gage's hair cut on the way out. A couple weeks later, my friend who had Gage over for a playdate with her kids, called to tell me that Gage told them the last time he got his hair cut, he was really good and happy so we took him to Disneyland as his reward! His 4-year-old friend said, "Really??? I don't get anything for getting my hair cut! Mom!!?????"

Quote: "I don't need to take a nap...I'm happy as a clam!"

Mama, I like when your hair is NOT in a ponytail. You look beautiful when your hair is down, not when it's in a ponytail. If he catches me with it down, he'll say, "Oh, Mama, you look so pretty!" On our way into Bootcamp, he asked me why all the girls have their hair in ponytails and I explained. He asked me if I would take my ponytail out as soon as we got done at Bootcamp. He REALLY does not like my hair in a ponytail!

For Father's Day, I made Rob a video montage with pictures of him with all the kids throughout their lives set to music. The girls were taking a nap but Gage sat down with us to watch. He got so emotional and was so touched by it. I found that endearing for a 4-year-old.

We went to Cafe Rio for $1.50 Taco Tuesday, where we all ate for $7.50!! That is going to be our new tradition. Seriously, how can you beat that price for such yummy food! Anway, there was a whole table of policemen next to us and Gage was fascinated. At one point, he said something kind of sassy and then caught himself quickly and said, "Uh oh, are the police going to come arrest me for being sassy?" Before I could answer he said, "Oh, no they are too distracted eating their food." It made me laugh to hear him use "distracted."

BELLA:

She LOVES peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She'll say, "Mama, can I have a peanut jelly and sandwich, please?" She asks for this the moment she wakes up in the morning.

She likes to tickle everyone's necks. She'll tell Gage to look up at that thing on the ceiling and then she'll tickle him while he's vulnerable. Clever!

She is fully potty-trained, even at night and EVEN while swimming!! What kid doesn't pee in the pool? Bella doesn't. She is so proud of herself each time and right before she flushes, she yells excitedly, "Bye Bye Pee!! Bye Bye Poop!!"

She and Gage are sharing a room now, so that Paisley could get a little more sleep without Bella interrupting it. Gage did NOT want to sleep on the top bunk, no matter how much bribery we threw at him, so we split the beds and have them in an "L" shape in his room. They LOVE it!! Except for some nights when Gage is really tired and wants to go to sleep and Bella is still talking and trying to play with him. Sometimes they end up in each other's beds.

She and Gage love to play dress-up and make up games and stories to act out. In this picture they were both cowboys going out to round up the cows.

She will spontaneously say, "I love my brother. I love my sister. Mama, I love you very much." She is such a loving and affectionate child and I hope that continues. During Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, she saw this little girl walking out wearing this pretty purple dress that was kind of flowing. She said, "Look, Mama! Princess!! Look at the Princess! I want to give her a hug!" I told her maybe later. Sure enough, when I picked her up from Nursery she saw this girl again and ran over to her. "Princess! Can I give you a hug?" The little girl just kind of looked at her and Bella gave her the sweetest hug.

PAISLEY:

Wow...this girl has got a set of lungs. She is sooooo LOUD!!! Especially when we are in church and everyone else is quiet. She also is developing quite a little temper. It's sometimes funny. Other times, not so much. I have begun giving her mini timeouts. But she has this killer smile where she crinkles her nose and shows all her teeth and it just makes you laugh. She isn't talking at all. Not even mama or dada, which I think she was saying at some point, so she's regressing. Actually, she will say it if you ask her to, but never on her own. But she does put her head down and squints her eyes if we say we're going to have a prayer. She's not walking yet, but she does kick her feet in the pool and swims some. She does walk around holding onto things, and will push herself up to stand from the floor without holding anything. She gets so excited about her accomplishment and throws her arms up in the air and then faceplants. Hilarious! I'm sure the pediatrician will express concern at her lack of words at her next visit, but I say toddlers talking is way overrated!

This happy picture of her is because she LOVES cameras and instantly smiles when she sees one.

This is because I wouldn't give her the camera. Temper!!

She loves books and brings them to me to read all the time. But she doesn't have enough patience to make it all the way through one. After a couple of pages, she is pushing it away and handing me another.

She is always trying to keep up with Gage and Bella. She wants so desperately to be included. She loves to climb up on their beds and will lie down on their pillows next to them.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, ROB!

2009-06-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

He is so good to his children - playing, laughing and joking with them, and teaching them. He spoils them some by getting to see them throughout the day when he is in town. He could just stay holed up in his office, not coming out until dinner, but he comes out numerous times to check in with us, help out, and have a little fun. He is a great example of selflessness, service and generosity to them and me. He LOVES to have fun and live life to its fullest.

The primary sang to their dads in Sacrament Meeting and Gage was so sweet. The kids made cards for him and I made him a video montage of pictures of him with the kids as babies up until now. We made his favorites: Roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions, rolls and brownies. He loved his special day.

We love you, Daddy!

MY DAD

2009-06-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my Dad! I have such vivid memories of my dad playing with us when we were little. He would give us shoulder rides, piggy-back rides, pick us up by our ears (while we held onto his forearms), wrestle, make us laugh and tease us. He has a great sense of humor, but not everyone knows that about him. He tends to be very quiet and reserved and some think he comes off as gruff. But those who know him and spend time with him know how funny and playful he is.

My dad is NOT affectionate at all and has a very hard time expressing any feelings or emotions. He can BARELY say, "I love you" without cringing. But we know how he feels about us anyway. He grew up with a troubled mother who wasn't too interested in him or his sister and divorced their father when they were young. There wasn't too much involvement from his father from that point. My dad tells stories of his mother tying him to a rope in the backyard because she didn't want him bothering her and didn't want to watch him. She started him in school when he was only four because she didn't want to deal with him. She became an alcoholic and in one drunken stupor started the house on fire and my dad had to carry her and her drunk companions out of the house when he was just a teen. He didn't have the best example of an affectionate, loving mother so he just feels uncomfortable with it.

He was very athletic, but a little on the short and small side, so he worked and practiced very hard to become better. He tells us stories of going out by himself and hitting balls and then running out to shag them and doing it all again and again, past dark. He would run, lift weights, do pushups, etc. so he could get better, stronger and faster. He continues, to this day, to lift weights and run so he can stay in shape. He joined the church when he was 19 (I think?), which we are so grateful for. He was drafted into the Army and was a paratrooper and has entertained us with his Army stories. Thankfully, his duty was served and he was discharged right before they sent his group to Vietnam.

We were all very active in sports growing up and my dad always supported us and would teach and show us things. He would come to my softball games and in between innings would come over to give me some pointers of things he noticed. I don't think they were always well received by me, but they should have been. I loved having him there because I wanted him to be proud of me. I remember one game in particular, I hit an in-the-park homerun and I heard my dad boasting to the man next to him how fast I was. At our Powder Puff football game, my dad was bragging about how quick, agile, and fast I was to some other people at the game. I'm sure he doesn't remember, but it meant the world to me. He taught us to work hard, practice, have confidence and never give up.

I remember my friends, especially in high school, thinking that my dad was scary and mean. This didn't bode well for me having any boyfriends because they were way too afraid of my dad and brothers. My advice to all fathers who have daughters - BE SCARY! Be very, very scary.

I honor my dad for his examples of integrity and honesty. He ALWAYS tells the truth, even if it hurts. He just can't help himself. He is selfless and generous, almost to a fault. He is a realist, but also optimistic. He is a stickler for being prompt. Actually, that's putting it mildly. He is so anxious about getting somewhere on time, that he is ALWAYS early....really early.

Most of all, he has a strong testimony of the gospel. Despite my initial selfish protests, I am so grateful to him and my mom for serving a mission. They have sacrificed so much their whole lives and continue to do so, all to serve the Lord and their children.

I love you, Dad! Your grandchildren adore their Papa! Happy Father's Day!

MY MOTHER

2009-05-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to my knock-out mom! I am so grateful and proud to be her daughter. What's so wonderful about getting older and becoming a mother myself is that I can wholly appreciate the kind of mother she was and is.

My mother, Karen Schuck LaDuke, was born in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, with the thickest, darkest, head of hair. When she was little, instead of going outside to play with the neighborhood kids or cousins, she stuck around the grown-ups hanging on their every word, though not making a peep so as not to disturb them. When she was just two-years-old, she gathered up some magazines lying around the house and headed off to school, unbeknownst to her mother until some neighbors had to bring her back home. When she finally did start school, she was bored out of her little intelligent mind.

When she turned eight-years-old, she announced to her mama that she wasn't quite ready to be baptized. They lived quite a distance from an LDS church and her mother was ill, so she had only been a few times in the months prior to her 8th birthday. She felt she needed to wait until she could attend more regularly and study, learn and prepare to be baptized properly. Her mother did not argue and let her daughter make her own choice, a trait that carried on in Mom.

My mother is a very talented writer, another talent she inherits from her mother who is a published author. She is a wonderful public speaker as she always memorizes her whole talk so that she can continuously engage everyone with her eye contact, expression and intonation.

My mother rarely, if ever, raised her voice to us even though I'm sure I deserved it once or twice. She taught and disciplined us out of love always and exemplified patience. She loves my dad unconditionally and is a great example to me of the kind of wife I aspire to be. She taught us how to work, how to budget and be frugal (though I need extra lessons), how to cook (even more lessons needed), and how to love each other. She would always remind us that when we left the house we represented the LaDukes and to make good choices. She was and is always so obedient and faithful. One of the things I remember most is how she always let us make our own choices, even when they were the wrong ones. She did this from the time we were little and continues to let us find our own way now. How hard it must have been to hold her tongue and set us straight! When I think of what must have been many sleepless, tear-filled nights she spent over us, it breaks my heart. Even now, when one of us calls her for advice on making a decision, she won't tell us what to do. Her advice is always to fast and pray earnestly until we know what to do. Sometimes I just want her to fast-track it and tell me what to do. She is a great example of service, selflessness, and charity. She is always reminding us to love those who may offend or hurt us and forgive without hesitation. Two phrases she said that stand out to me the most are, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" and "Pride goeth before the fall". Maybe they stand out to me because I need them the most - especially the first one.

I found this article with interesting questions to ask your mother and emailed it to my mom for her answers. Here are just a few of them:

1. What's the one thing you would have done differently as a mom? I can't limit it to one. I would have spent more time at bedtime with the youngest five. I would have taught you better about prayer and the Savior and all that He has done for us and how following Him brings the greatest happiness. I would have never lost my cool but would have been only kind and loving and in control when disciplining.

2. Why did you choose to be with my father? He made me laugh. He was strong and handsome and loved me. I liked all those things and thought he stood out in each. I thought he would love me forever. He cared about others and wanted to help them. He wanted to do all the right things where the Church and the Lord were concerned. That was most important.

3. In what ways do you think I'm like you? And not like you? like: You have an intent interest in being a good mother (and are). You want to do what is right. NOT LIKE: You are so much better at being a friend and a nurturer of those you care about (which is almost anyone). When it comes to going so far as enabling, I've decided you are more like your father. But overall, you are just so good at making others feel good. Outstanding trait. You don't seem to have the same kinds of interests that I do except reading and playing the piano. You are much more outgoing, optimistic, loving than I. If I didn't love you so much I could be jealous but I'm just happy for you.

I am so proud that she and my dad stepped out of their unadventurous, non-traveling comfort zones to serve a mission in Hyderabad, India. I am so anxious to see them again, but I know they are where they should be, serving the Lord. Before she left, my mom told me how her friend who had served two missions already told her that it's good to leave your kids because they learn that they don't need you. But I disagree. I will ALWAYS need my mother.

I love you, Mom!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAISLEY!

2009-04-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby Paisley turned one-year-old on April 24th. We had a little family celebration on Saturday, the 25th, complete with yummy food and chocolate cake. Our guests were Papa Powers, Uncle Terry, Uncle Mike and Aunt Lora, Uncle Trevor and Aunt Alyssa, and Cousin Brian. It was a beautiful day and fairly windy so we went across to the park to fly a kite. Even Papa Powers came! It was so fun and we felt so child-like and carefree. Paisley was in heaven getting to explore the whole park without anyone bothering her. It also was Grandma Powers birthday, whom Paisley didn't get to meet here on earth. We asked everyone, in lieu of a gift, to write a special note, thought, or memory about her and Aunt Lora put them in a beautiful scrapbook. We felt it was a great way to honor her and for Paisley to have something to know her Grandmother by. What better gifts could we all have given her? I did wrap a box of Kleenex for her to unwrap.

What I remember most about Grandma Powers is how happy and positive she was all the time. Through all of her medical problems and battle with cancer, I never once heard her complain. She would always downplay everything and do her best to convince us that it would be alright. She was always so complimentary and never criticized anyone except for President and Hillary Clinton. She wanted desperately to be here long enough to meet her precious new granddaughter, Paisley. She couldn't wait to kiss her soft skin and hold her close. Sadly, she didn't make it that long, but we like to think that she smothered Paisley with hugs and kisses in heaven before her birth. She adored her grandchildren and made each one of them feel special. She supported her children in their choices, always allowing them to find their own way.

My precious Paisley,

When I was pregnant with you the doctor called to let me know they found something alarming on the ultrasound and wanted me to get a more detailed and thorough ultrasound. He said that there was only one artery in the umbilical cord giving you the essentials for life, instead of two. He advised me to try not to worry and that we would take it one step at a time. My first thought was that I would rather die than have something happen to you. But after the initial fear subsided, I was overcome with a peaceful feeling that all would be alright, no matter what happened. Sure enough, you arrived without incident (to you anyway) and you were so peaceful and calm right from the start. Your brother couldn't wait to meet you and your sister was happy to have a new doll to play with. Your daddy cried tears of joy when he saw you and his protection over you began immediately. A happier baby there never was. You never cried, partly because of your nature and partly because I did my best to tend to your needs before you needed to cry. You were a good sleeper right from the start and as time went on, so did the amount of hours you slept each night. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep you from growing, learning and trying new things. I knew how important this was for you to do, but I just wanted you to stay that sweet newborn who cuddles and nuzzles into me. Your first smile was so thrilling! Those people who say it's just gas have no idea what they're talking about. Your smile was genuine, I could tell. And it was just as exciting to us as Gage's and Bella's first smile. Somehow I felt that we wouldn't get as silly about your first milestones, being such experienced parents (Ha!), but oh, how I was wrong. You weren't in a huge hurry to crawl and you certainly don't seem to mind not walking, despite the strawberries and raspberries on your knees and tops of your feet. You must sense that I'm not ready to relinquish your baby-hood. Your brother, Gage, can make you laugh just by looking at you. Your sister, Bella, talks to you each morning and night from her crib across from you and the two of you laugh and entertain each other in your own secret sister language. You frequently crawl to them and put your head on their shoulders for hugs. You love to give kissess, albeit open-mouth and extra slobber. You point to things and people in a frenzy, thirsting for knowledge. "Moo (your version of it)" was your first word, when asked what a cow says. This was followed by Dadadadadada. Daddy has you performing all his tricks, like his other two little monkeys did. You love to clap your hands and you get so excited at "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Pat-A-Cake". Especially, the part where I draw the letter on your stomach, which incites such giggles. When we ask you to say "Mama" you take the back of your hand to your mouth while making noise, simulating your best Mamamamama. You just barely this week started to say "Mama" without that. You are so chubby and roly-poly - all the more to smooch and eat up, I say. As I dreaded, you are gaining your independence little by little each day. You want to feed yourself, you want to get from Point A to Point B without being touched, and you want EVERYTHING that anyone else has in their hands. We are so blessed to have you in our family and are already learning from you. May you always remain peaceful, happy, calm and loving. Especially through the toddler and teenage years! May you feel our love for you and our desire for you to make good choices. May you know our Father in Heaven and His shared desire with us for your eternal happiness. May your siblings be your best friends and help to guide and protect you. And may your second year of life go more slowly than the first. We love you and want you to feel the joy that you bring to us each day.

THIS AND THAT

2009-04-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

We went to the Easter Pageant at the temple for the first time ever. I can't believe I've never gone before. It's possible my parents took us when we were little, but I have no memory of it. We took Bella to our friend Karla's house and took her two nephews along with Gage and Paisley. It was so well-done and Gage was mesmerized. We were lucky to have Paisley be happy.

All of the little cousins got together for an Easter Egg Hunt and then devoured all of their candy. They were so wired, but had so much fun and got along really well. So well that we grown-ups were able to visit some for once! Gage was singing Primary songs as he was hunting for eggs. Uncle Trevor got a kick out of that. Bella was so happy to have Maya and Callie here. She loves the girls.

Gage went to play at the Narducci's and they did some Easter crafts. He made me this cute little bird's nest with little eggs and a bird on top. He told me to put it in a special place and to think about him when I saw it. I put it on the window sill right above the kitchen sink, which he approved of. He'll sometimes ask me if I'm thinking about him when I'm standing at the sink.

Aaron and his girls came up the next weekend to play! We went to a birthday party on Saturday at this fun park in Chandler. They have a great playground area and a splash zone. They also had water balloons for a fight that brought lots of screams and some tears too. One of the uncles of the birthday boy brought along this self-made train (out of a golf cart and some wagons tied together) and gave all the kids rides. And, of course, cake!! They had a ball! On the way home, Rob spotted a sign on the street corner that read, "Baby Turtles". He did a fast U-turn and needless to say, we now have two baby turtles. The turtle lady said they like companionship. They are named Myrtle and Crush. Myrtle belongs to my niece, Lily, who wasn't allowed to take hers home. Hmmm....a parent who tells their child no. That's an interesting concept. Actually, Gage didn't even get a chance to ask if he could get a turtle. Before he even knew what was happening, Rob was at the turtle table holding them. Thankfully, Bella was passed out in the car, otherwise we may have come home with 10 turtles!! I must say, they are pretty cute. As it turns out, Myrtle and Crush do NOT like each other and have resisted our forced attempts at companionship.

The kids love to help me in the kitchen with all sorts of things. They like to help stir, get their hands messy, and spill things. They ask me to turn on the music and dance while we make things. It definitely brightens the task of making dinner!

The binky fairy is about to pay a visit to Bella, but she can't decide if she should take Paisley's binkies too. After all, her goal is to take binkies from big girls to provide them for babies. Well, Paisley is a baby and really likes her binky. And we really rely on her binky, especially in church! I know I've said a hundred times that the binkies are going, going gone. Could you take them away from this girl??? Seriously, she walks around like this A LOT!

I took Gage to his eye doctor for his routine checkup. Or should I say routine lecture?? Here's the problem. The doctor wants Gage to wear this eye patch (it HAS to be adhesive and can't be a play Pirate patch) every day for 3-4 hours, emphasis on the 4. I know that this is necessary to make his eye stronger, but it is pure torture for both of us. I resolve every night at bed to be sure to make him wear his patch the next day, but for various reasons (excuses), it doesn't happen very often. After this visit, however, I've decided that the torture of being humiliated or given a scathing lecture by this doctor is much worse. Gage agreed and he's worn it every day since. Yaayyy! By the way, this is what he looks like when he doesn't consistently wear his patch. Sorry, Gage, this is just too funny.

We talked to Grandma and Papa LaDuke on Skype recently with the kids. Grandma asked Gage what he's been doing and he said, "Oh, this and that." Too funny.

Today, as we were driving in the car, Gage was teasing Bella and making her upset. Then out of nowhere he said that he missed Grandma Powers. He asked me if I remembered when she was in the hospital and everyone was crying (that was over a year ago and he was 3). He said that she died for no reason. I asked him what he meant and he said that Jesus died for all of us to take all of our sins away, but Grandma died for no reason. I'm simply not equipped to respond to this, so I didn't. And then he went back to teasing.

SWEET HUSBAND

2009-03-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was feeling a bit down this week and haven't done too good a job of keeping up the house. Toys were strewn about, trash piling up, dishes in the sink AND on the counters, laundry mounds growing and the worse the house looked, the worse I felt. For some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to doing anything about it until last night. I made a small attempt by picking up a few toys and putting away some laundry. This morning I got the kids dressed, fed and out the door for my daily torture at bootcamp. In the car, I was dreading the cleaning I knew I'd finally have to face when we got home.

We walked in the door and I could tell immediately that a magic fairy had visited and cleaned the WHOLE house. The washer and dryer were running, counters sparkling, carpet with vacuum lines, and beds made. That magic fairy was my sweet husband who could see I needed a little hop in my step.

To my hubby: Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have no idea what a gift that was.