Kid Infestation!

Since Friday until today (24 hours a day) we have had at least 8 kids and as many as 18 kids! Dayv's brother, Gareth and Tasha came from Missouri on Thursday night to see Gareth's kids who live here in Salt Lake. The kid's just came here and stayed until Gareth and Tasha had to leave to go back home. Friday night we had a family party with Michael, Christy and family. We had dinner. The kids then took turns singing Christmas solos and we all sang some Christmas songs together. Tasha also made balloon animals for the kids which is always a HUGE hit! On Saturday night we had another family party and added Dayv's sister Toni and family. Then on Sunday night we watched some friend's of ours 4 children. Needless to say it's been a little crazy around here! It has been fun though. And of course our kids have had a blast with all the cousins around!

The Extent of my Creativity

I was trying to think of some creative, low-cost, stocking stuffers that I could make for the kids. An idea came to me for Carson. He has a lot of trouble with aches in his arms and legs and frequently has a "heating sock" at night. So, my idea was to make him one of those that was more than just a sock. As I was trying to come up with some other ideas for Tahirah and Noah I came across these patterns for little "cuddle pillows". They were made out of felt (which I already had tons of) and there were three different patterns. As my creative juices got flowing I came up with the idea to use the three patterns and then intead of just stuffing them, like the instructions say, I decided to make two rice packs to go inside them. One for heat and one to leave in the freezer for owies and put velcro on the bottom of the pillows to keep the rice packs inside. I have THE WORLD'S GREATEST sister in law (and NOT only for this reason) who agreed to help me by sewing them (since I don't sew). I am very happy with how they turned out and am so excited to give them to my kids!
I'm sure you can guess which one is Tahirah's. Carson's is the red one and Noah's is the green one.

An Update! (Finally...)

I know you've all been impatiently waiting for this. My life is just so exciting you can hardly handle my absence for more than a couple of days. So, here it is...an update!

Thanksgiving was yummy as usual. Some of Dayv's family was in town including his parents which was exciting. I've been keeping extremely busy. I'll be so glad when this month is over. Why can't I ever just sit back and enjoy this month?

I had another prenatal appointment today. I gained entirely too much weight again and am feeling rather frustrated by it because I have actually tried really hard this month NOT too. I have even taken up exercising (besides all the exercising I do taking care of three children). I am also still measuring big. So, I may actually be giving birth to an 11-12 pound baby in a few months here. Wish me luck! Oh! And Dayv and I have FINALLY come up with a name. YEA!!! Landon Gary Van Orman (Gary is my Dad's name).

Here are some random pics that I've taken over this past month just for fun and because I just have really cute kids.

This first picture is one of my twins born 4 years apart. I can't believe how much Carson and Noah look alike.

We took the kids to the Aquarium thanks to a friend of mine who gave us VIP tickets that got us all in for FREE. Can't beat that. Ever since we went the kids have been asking to go again. It's pretty expensive so they might have to wait awhile. This next picture is the three kids in front of one of the tanks.
This last picture is one I just love. Noah loves that little bear he is holding and one of his favorite things to do is have you read to him. So, here he is with one of his favorite people in the whole world, his dad, being read to.

Happy Birthday to Me

Here I am another year older. Yesterday was my birthday. Nothing too exciting. It rained or rather poured all day long and my husband left for Vernal (work) for the week at 3 am that morning. He ordered my birthday present online and I got it last friday. It was a big, puffy, soft robe from Bath and Body Works...I LOVE IT! It even has a hood. I have been snuggled up in it every morning and night. My mom came down last week and gave me a picture frame with a violin in it, kind of like a shadow box, very cool! And my sister-in-law, Christy and her family gave me a gift card to Mimi's (one of my favorite restaurants). Dayv and I will defiantly have to use that this Saturday (provided he doesn't have to work again). He ended up working last Saturday so we haven't been able to do anything for my birthday yet. It's been getting harder to be without him monday-friday (sometimes saturday). I cried yesterday morning when he left. The money has been nice to get caught up on things but I miss him. I know I'm not in the worst position, I'm not a widow nor is my husband overseas in the military and for that I am grateful.

I had another prenatal appointment today. Our baby boy was jumping around so much Pete (my CNM) had a hard time getting a read on his heartbeat. He seems to be more active than I remember any of my other ones being so I might be in trouble after he's born! We still don't have a name picked out. Dayv really likes Abram and I like Tanner. We've also talked about Landon. His middle name will be Leon after my Dad and Grandpa. So, what do you guys like?? Any other suggestions?

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

When the kids and I awoke this morning we found it had snowed overnight. The kids were so excited and immediately after breakfast put on their snow gear and headed outside to play in it. Noah kept running to our front window and yelling "SNOW, SNOW!" It continued to snow all day. Carson played in the snow again at school and then came home and went out in it again with Tahirah! They just couldn't get enough of it. Noah wanted to play in it but hated it when it got all over his gloves and then hated it even more when he decided to take off his gloves! Apparently, we got so much snow because of the lake effect.

Happy Halloween!

I know this is a little late but I wanted to post pictures of my kids on Halloween. We actually had a theme going on this year. Carson had told me he wanted to be a knight and Tahirah said she wanted to be a princess (Cinderella to be exact!). So, I decided to keep with the theme that they had already set and made Noah a dragon (it helped that we already had a costume available for him too!). Dayv was, of course, working in Vernal and did not get home until Friday night so the kids and I drove up to my parents and spent Halloween with them. Lewiston, my parents hometown, has a trunk-or-treat in the church parking lot and then everybody heads over for the annual Halloween carnival. You buy dinner and then the kids can play carnival games. My kids were getting a little tired and cranky by that point so Carson and Tahirah each played a couple of games each and then we went to my parents house and spent the night. This was the first year that Noah got to enjoy his candy and he was just mesmerized by all the strange creatures walking around, not getting scared once. Tahirah on the other hand was scared of anyone remotely scary looking and would not even go up to them for candy. I also saw one of the coolest costumes while in Lewiston. There was someone dressed up as the Headless Horseman. He was on a real black horse, dressed in the appropriate attire with no head and a pumpkin in his hand. It was pretty scary looking in the dark. I wish I could of gotten a picture. It was pretty cool.

New Church Calling

Dayv and I recently received new church callings. Dayv was called and set apart last sunday as the ward Athletic Cordinator. I haven't been "officially" set apart yet but I'm suppose to start this Sunday so I figured I could let the cat out of the bag as I do have a couple of readers in my ward. I have been called as the new Primary Chorister! I was a little taken back at first as it was totally unexpected. I was thinking more along the lines of activities committee or something like that. I can't sing worth anything but I have always loved children songs and one of my favorite things to do is sing with my kids. I have become a little overwhelmed with this calling as I have since joined a primary music leader yahoo group, looked at sugardoodle.net and now have a couple of primary chorister blogs on my list since I got the calling. There are SO MANY ideas out there! It's now not a matter of what should I do but WHICH ONE should I do!! I don't want to overwhelm the kids with too many new things at one time either. Anyway, I'm both excited and scared but I know the Lord will guide me through!

Boys

I found this poem in a book a friend of mine got me called 'Chicken Soup for the Soul - A Tribute to Moms'. The poem is titled 'The Mother of Boys' and I thought it went well with my most recent news. Although I do have one girl I can relate all but one of these statements.

THE MOTHER OF BOYS

I am the mother of boys.
I play goalie as I make supper. I can dribble a ball as I answer the phone and can assemble a train as I nurse a baby.
I am the mother of boys.
I measure a good day not by the weather or the company, but by the number of bugs caught, the quality of the sticks found, and the depth of the puddles splashed.
I am the mother of boys.
Fascinated ears listen to me tell tales of alligators, dinosaurs, and fast cars. I do load upon load of blue laundry; the only pink item to be seen is when a red sock makes its way into the white load. I check all laundry for reptiles and rocks.
I am the mother boys.
I most frequently say, "Not so rough," "Get down, please," and "Watch where you're peeing." I get dizzy watching little bodies run around any inanimate object.
I am the mother of boys.
I wipe forever-dirty faces and hands. At night, I am amazed by the many new bruises and scrapes. I join in prayers that thank God for airplanes and pirates and Smarties candies.
I am the luckiest mother on earth. I am the mother of boys.

Beverly A. Suntjens

Picture Tag

I haven't done a tag for a while so here we go. This one is from Amber's blog.

Post a picture from my computer. It has to be the 4th picture in the 4th file. Give a little explanation of what the picture is. Then tag 4 people. (this is actually the 2nd picture because I only had two pictures in the 4th file.)

This picture is Tahirah taken on Dec. 11, 2005 which would make her almost 9 months. I'm not sure why I took the picture except for maybe the simple reason she was just looking cute! I tag everybody that reads this blog who also has a blog.

IT'S A......

I had my ultrasound today early this morning. The baby wasn't shy at all about letting us know what gender we had in there. We are having a BOY! I guess we will have to tease him afterall about his girly heartbeat. I really didn't care if it was a boy or girl but was kind of hoping for a girl because we already had a girl's name. Dayv and I just have the hardest time with boy's names. So, if any of you have any boy name suggestions, bring them on! Here's his proof:

Christian Thomas

This is my new nephew Christian. He was born Monday night at about 10:30 pm. He weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long (I hope I'm getting this right). Mommy and baby are doing great! I went and visited Christian, Christy and Michael in the hospital yesterday. I always forget how small they are (of course the smallest mine ever got was 8 lbs). He is so precious! It has been so much fun having Noah and Abby Jane (Christian's older sister) grow up together and even though Christian and our baby will be a little farther apart I think they will probably be just as good of friends.

Peppered hot chocolate anyone?

My little Tahirah has always been our most mischievous one and frequently comes up with some pretty crazy ideas. Yesterday I made myself a cup of hot chocolate and left the container of mix on the counter. When I returned to make myself another cup later that day I noticed that someone had been messing with the container. The top was off and the spoon I had used was in it. I, of course, knew who that someone was and thought that she just had some fun stiring it around. I made my cup and went downstairs to watch a movie with my hubby. As I was drinking my hot chocolate I noticed my mouth was burning and not from the heat of the liquid inside my cup but more like the kind of burning you get when you eat something hot and spicy. And the stuff just did not taste the same, it was rather revolting. So, I asked Dayv to try a sip and immediately told me how disgusting it was. Slightly confused I went back upstairs to where the container had been and sure enough there was the pepper. Tahirah has this obsession with mixing different things together mostly when she is bored with her food and decides to add whatever liquid she has in her cup to the rest of her food. So, I'm not sure why I wasn't a little more suspicious before but I guess I've now tried something new, peppered hot chocolate! Yum, yum! You should all make yourself a cup right now!

Ultrasound scheduled!

I had my prenatal appointment today at 17 weeks and 2 days along. I'm measuring just perfect and the heatbeat was 166 bpm (still a girly heartbeat...lol) I made my ultrasound appointment on October 27th at 8:30 am. So, be sure to check back in two weeks!

Playing Single Mom

Dayv left last thursday morning to go work in Vernal until this Friday. He has been working everyday since he left, 10 hours a day. I feel bad for him but am so thankful for a husband who works so hard to provide for our family. He takes all the overtime he can get. So, as a result, I have been playing single mom. And actually, it hasn't been that bad. The kids have been rather good (I say that now, just wait, tomorrow I'll be pulling my hair out!). Carson has been such a big help! He has decided that he LOVES rinsing off the dishes and wiping down all the counters for me. Every time he does it he keeps saying over and over again how much he loves doing it and how it is his favorite job. And he actually does a pretty darn good job too!

This past Wednesday Carson went on a field trip to the Landfill. And this is what he had to say about it: "It stinks!" There you have it folks!

I am getting bigger everyday and hope I can hold off long enough for my sister in law, Christy, to deliver her baby so I can have all of her maternity clothes. I was stupid and gave mine all away thinking we were done (not that they were in that great of shape anyway after three kids). So, Christy, HURRY UP! Just kiddin! I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow and HOPEFULLY I well get to schedule my ultrasound for next week!

Calling All Bloggers!

In an effort to make my blog a little more original and "cutsey" I lost my blog list. I could remember some of the addresses but not all. So, if you could please give me your blog address I would greatly appreciate it (even if I didn't have you on my blog list before)!
Thank you!!

All you need is a screwdriver!

Yesterday I took Carson and Drey to school, took them to their classroom, got back into the van, turned the key and.....nothing! It wouldn't even turn a little bit. So, I called Dayv. He left work and drove over and discovered I wasn't just being stupid, it really wouldn't turn. So, after driving me back home, he came back and totally took the dash apart and still couldn't get the dang ignition switch out BUT we could start it with a screwdriver! That was a little interesting..... So, today after work he went down and got it replaced. So, $90 later we are again able to start the van with a regular old boring key! I was kind of getting used the screwdriver. It made the van unique!

Camping Trip!

We went on what will probably be our last camping trip this year with Dayv's Uncle and Aunt (Brian and Marsha). We left last Friday afternoon (the 26th) and came back yesterday. They took us to this place west of Utah lake. It has a lot of great 4-wheeling trails. This was the first time I went4-wheeling. I wasn't that keen on them before but after this trip I've been converted! Carson and Tahirah also loved riding on them, especially Carson (Noah, however, was not a fan). There was one time Tahirah even fell asleep on one! Marsha took Dayv and I up some trails that led to the top of the mountains. On one side you could see the whole lake and on the other you could see the whole Salt Lake Valley. I wish I would of taken my camera up there but had forgotten it. On another trail you run into this huge pile of purple, yellow and red rock and then you go a little further and find this beautiful panoramic scene of all the different colors. It also had some great hills that Dayv and Carson enjoyed jumping with the 4 wheelers. We all had a wonderful time! Thank you Brain and Marsha!!

Prenatal Appointment

I just got back from my prenatal appointment. My CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) just checked the heartbeat and told me it sounded "girlie". I guess if it's a boy we will have to tease him that he had a girlie heartbeat. Tahirah will be ecstatic if it's a girl. She told me if it's boy she will scream and cry and hit the wall. Carson says he wants another brother but I don't think he will really care that much if it is a girl. I think I will have my ultrasound in about 5-6 weeks.

This suprised me a bit....

Apparently Noah isn't Carson's twin.

Was there any question on this one?

I'm just suprised it's only 16%!

The debate is now over....

She's a me...kind of!

Just a Little Update.....

Since it's been a while since I posted last I thought I'd give a little update on everything. We've had family in and out for the past two weeks and the last ones left late last night. It's always fun to have family around and we will defiantly miss them.

Dayv has been working six 10 hr shifts a week at the new soccer stadium and just recently went to a different job and is now back down to the normal five 8 hr shifts. It's been nice having him home a lot more often and I think tomorrow will be our first Saturday together in a long time. Although I will have to say, the overtime pay was very nice and we had just begun to catch us up on our finances. I don't know how we live day to day but somehow we do....

I have been keeping busy driving Carson back and forth to school everyday. It takes almost 2 hrs out of my day to do so. Today my sister in law, Christy, invited me out to lunch at MiMi's (one of my favorites). It was VERY good as usual and thank her for that nice outing. My kids weren't exactly on their best behavior but are they ever at a restaurant. Every time I go I remember why we don't go to restaurants anymore with the kids (besides the money factor). I will have my next prenatal appointment on Monday, Sept. 15th to see how Baby is doing.

Carson is just LOVING school. Every time I ask him what he did at school that day the first thing out of his mouth always has something to do with recess. I guess he has been playing basketball with some of the other boys. He says he doesn't learn much but I think to him a lot of things they do do not seem like the normal "learning" things and he just thinks he's having fun. Which I think is great! Yesterday at school he fell on his face after he got out the car and scratched up his forehead and glasses pretty good. We will have to replace one of the lenses in his glasses. Kids and glasses just don't mix too well and it gets rather expensive.

Tahirah has kind of been enjoying the time Carson is at school. She really loves the extra attention of course. I think I will put her into the same preschool Carson went to next school year.

Noah has just been Noah. A little tease and getting into everything. His language skills are starting to take off and he is just growing faster than ever. He is defiantly not a baby anymore. He has really gotten into the biting thing lately and for most of the time treats it like a game. He goes chasing after Tahirah mouth wide open and of course she runs around screaming. He gave her a pretty bad bruise today from it. I've tried everything to get him to stop and even resorted to biting him back. The biting back totally backfired on me because now he goes up to me, sticks out his arm and says "bite". He WANTS me to bite him. I obviously didn't bite him hard enough but try explaining THAT to the pediatrician.....

Carson's 1st Day of Kindergarten

Well, my first baby is now a kindergartner. Tues, September 2nd was his first day. He didn't have any problems leaving me at all! One of his friends, Drey, is even in his class which he loves! We will be taking and picking him up too. Carson said his favorite part of his first day at school was playing on the playground and eating Popsicles (the snack for the day). I'm loving the school and his teacher. The only real horrible thing about it is I have to drive 62 miles a day to bring him there then come back home and then go back and pick him up and come home. Just crazy, all for my child's education!

The teacher asked that the kids take home a blank paper person and make it look like them. Here are Carson and Drey's:

VEGAS!

Well, our trip to Vegas was a success but not without a little adventure. We set off Thursday morning. Dayv had to work so it was me and the kids along with Dayv's brother Jared, his wife Toni and their baby girl Eden. We were about 7 miles outside of Cedar City when we heard this load pop and knew our tire was flat. Jared was able to safety and quite easily get over to the side of the road (thanks to prayer!). We got out of the van and saw that the front right tire had basically blown up. Jared got out the jack and started jacking it up when the van moved forward. At this point we decided to get everybody out of the van and wait in the blazing sun on the side of the freeway. Jared once again tries to jack up the van and this time the jack bends right over in half! I mention I have some kind of roadside service with Allstate and Jared tells me to give them a call because there is nothing more he can do. They tell me they are sending someone over from Cedar City. He calls me and says he will be about 20 minutes. We wait, and wait and wait. Keep in mind we are all standing on the side of the freeway in the hot sun with four kids and obviously not trying to fix the tire! So we are kind of amazed that nobody has stopped and start joking that everybody will start stopping as soon as it gets close to the time this guy is suppose to show up. Sure enough, two people stop one right after the other to see if we need help and right after that a cop stops. The cop tells us to cancel the roadside service because he has a heavy duty jack in his car. I call and the guy says he is still about 15 minutes away! Well, we get the donut on and decide we don't really want to drive the rest of the way to Vegas on it so we stop in Cedar City and get a used tire from Sinclair put on. The kids were being so good throughout this whole ordeal as you can see from these pictures taken while we were waiting. Maybe they were just happy to be in an air conditioned building! The rest of our vacation was very uneventful, thank goodness! We all had a great time with all the family that came. (my camera's batteries died after we actually arrived in Vegas so no pictures from there, sorry!)

Hangin' with the Fam

Dayv's parents (Ron and Janelle) arrived late Friday night from Canada. It's always fun having them come and stay with us and the kids, of course, love it! Despite not seeing them very often all three of the kids immediately attached themselves to them. We had a huge extended family picnic party yesterday up Cottonwood Canyon. Today we are having a much smaller family dinner with Ron and Janelle and Mike and Christy and kids. It has always been fun for me to get together with Dayv's family. It is a whole different experience then with mine. For one, there are ten kids in his family compared to the three in mine. Also, all of his siblings have kids and I'm the only one in mine. Everybody in Dayv's family is also very friendly. I have been hugged by complete strangers in his family.

The kids and I will probably be making a trip to Vegas this weekend. Dayv's sister Tiffany is flying in from Boston. I thought it would be a good time to go since Dayv's parents are already going down. Dayv unfortunately won't be able to make it because of work.

Carson is more excited then ever to start school on the 2nd of Sept. He has been driving me crazy! He is just bouncing off the walls!!! Tahirah has been getting into quite a bit of mischief lately. She has this thing with washing her hands and lately has been dumping the whole container of soap in the sink. Then yesterday I caught her cutting our dogs hair. And later discovered she also sniped a chunk out of Noah's! Kids......

Just Another Day in Paradise

After updating my "About Me" I tried looking for the song Just Another Day in Paradise by Phil Vassar to add to my play list. Unfortunately, they don't have that one available. So, I decided to add the lyrics here. This is Dayv's and my life story!

The kids screaming, phone ringing
Dog barking at the mailman bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning baby, how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour
My funny face makes you laugh
Twist the top on and I put it back
There goes the washing machine
Baby, don't kick it. I promise I'll fix it
Long about a million other things

Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

Friday, you're late
Guess we'll never make our dinner date
At the restaurant you start to cry
Baby, we'll just improvise
Well, plan B looks like
Dominoes' pizza in the candle light
Then we'll tippy toe to our room
Make a little love that's overdue
But somebody had a bad dream
Mama and daddy
Can me and my teddy
Come in to sleep in between?

Yeah it's ok. It's so nice.
It's just another day in paradise.
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

Well, it's ok. It's so nice.
It's just another day in paradise.
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

For just another day in paradise
Well, it's the kids screaming. The phone ringing
Just another day
Well, it's Friday. You're late
Oh yeah, it's just another day in paradise

BEES.....AHHHHHHH!

Thursday morning my sister in law, Christy called and asked if the kids and I wanted to join them for a trip to Wheeler Farm. I happily obliged and we had a great time until......the bees! There is this very odd shaped tree that they call "the climbing tree" at the farm. The kids love it! Well, as the kids were climbing all over it both Carson and Tahirah came running over to me screaming bloody murder, crying and swinging their arms all over. I finally understood "BEES!" I tried to get them to calm down so I could see if they were still on them and where the stings were. Carson had two still attached to his shirt. Carson ended up getting four stings, three on his arms and one on his nose. Tahirah got one on her finger. Carson was apparently more sensitive to the bee stings then Tahirah because his started swelling up immediately. Christy went and told somebody who worked there about what happened and they told her that they knew about the bees and had just sprayed so they were probably very upset. Because this is a very popular place for kids to play she told them that maybe they should put a sign up warning the parents and kids so nobody else would get stung. We had planned on letting the kids play in the little stream that runs through the farm after we were done looking at the animals. Carson and Tahirah would not even get out of the wagon and just keep saying they wanted to go home. Despite the protests from Christy's kids we kept it short and drove back to Christy's house for some Benedryl and IB profen. We also tried the old antic, baking soda and water paste. Now that we were away from the bees they both calmed down and decided that they would be ok going to McDonald's instead of home like we had also planned. By the time we got to McDonald's Carson and Tahirah were acting like themselves and said their stings no longer hurt. Carson even said to me, "I guess now I know more about bees". It was the first time either one of them had been stung and I think now they will be deathly afraid of them.

What is THAT?

This....is our bean, our 8 week, 4 day old baby! For those of you who have not looked at very many 8 week ultrasounds, it's the oblong thing in the middle at the bottom of the black triangle. No, it's not much to look at but it sure made ME happy! I've been a little apprehensive with this pregnancy because I've had two episodes of bleeding which is something I've never experienced with any of my other three pregnancies. So, my CNM did an ultrasound just to be sure everything looked good. I've been pretty sick for the last 3 weeks and SOOOO TIRED! It's during this stage I ask myself, why did I do this again? My CNM told me some things to try so we'll see if they help. My next appointment is scheduled for the 15th of September.

Some other great news is Carson has been accepted into the charter school Canyon Rim!!! I was so excited when I got the phone call. The school we are zoned for is not a very good school and I had applied to about 8 or so different charter schools around the valley. They are all on a lottery system and we were never called to say he was in. So, I registered him in my nieces and nephew's school which is still a public school but a heck of a lot better then the one over here. Well, this morning I got the call to say Carson's name was picked for the PM kindergarten class. We are going over to check it out a little tomorrow.

Geri's Swim School

We ended up taking Carson somewhere else for swim lessons. We just were not impressed with the West Valley Fitness Center's program or one of the teachers. I am so glad we did! Geri's Swim School is AWESOME! They actually teach them and focus a lot on technique. It is a 45 minute lesson everyday Monday through Friday for two weeks. The first 15 minutes are spent for play time which they bring out different pool toys every day. Carson likes the noodles the best. And then they have their lesson during the last 30 minutes. I'm sad I didn't go check it out sooner. Everybody in my neighborhood kept telling me how wonderful it was but I could never find out who to call or where it was. Luckily I was able to find out just before the last session by my new visiting teaching partner (who just moved in next to me) who happens to be a member of the family who runs it. The unfortunate thing is I will have to wait until next year to enroll him in another session. I guess we will have to try and go swimming a lot between now and then so he doesn't forget what he has learned. Carson has been doing so great! I am very proud of him. He used to be terrified of the water. Now he dives in head first! This Friday will be his last day and I'm sure he's going to miss it. Something else that Dayv and I have noticed since he started was that he has not complained about his legs or arms hurting. I have been suspecting he has something other than just "growing pains". I have a friend with Fibromyalgia and told me there is such a thing as Childhood Fibromyalgia. I read up on it and Carson does have a lot of the symptoms. It will be very difficult to get diagnosed though. I also read that swimming was something that would help it. Whether it's Fibromyalgia or not I was happy to find out that swimming did help him!

New Haircuts!

This last Thursday Tahirah and I went to the salon on got new haircuts! We went to a new place called Le Studio and had it cut by Lanna. I had never been to her before but my sister-in-law has been raving about Lanna for quite some time now. I thought she did a great job and I will defiantly be back. I told her to do whatever she wanted and I was very happy with the outcome. Tahirah also loves her new cut because it means that I don't have to brush out her rat's nest everyday. I think the look is adorable on her.

200 Things

I saw this on Emily's blog. You are suppose to highlight the things you have done out of the 200 items on the list. Mine are in bold print!
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper (defiantly had my share of those!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it (Everyday)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath (it was actually a shower)
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days (not b/c I wanted, I couldn't keep anything down and ended up getting 3 bags of fluid with an IV....not fun!)
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason (My husband is a real sweetie)
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes (no but I've seen the movie, it's a good one!)
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people (not that I know of - I hope not)
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train (does the Trax count?)
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant (My mom reminds me all the time about when I was five and was in line to ride on an elephant with her and chickened out at the last minute and so she had to ride on it with some strangers)
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something (the automatic bed maker in first grade)
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics (no, but I was living in Salt Lake City when they were being hosted here)
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union (kind of, my husband is Union)
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Silver Lake

Since becoming friends with Mark and Bonnie and think I have seen more of what Utah has to offer then I have in my whole life. Who knew that this place, the ONLY place that I have ever lived, was so breathtakingly beautiful. Today they took the kids and I up to Silver Lake to spend the day with Bonnie's parents. First Bonnie's parents, Bonnie, Mark and all the kids fished. They caught 16 fish!! The kids had a lot of fun reeling them in again like they did up at Moon Lake. The only thing that Carson hated was the fact that they didn't put them back in. He got very sad about it at Moon Lake too. One of the fish they caught today was very small and so they did put it back and Carson was so ecstatic and informed everyone that he wished all the fish that they caught were small so that they would put them all back into the lake. He is my little tree hugger. Recently Carson checked out a book from the library about wetlands and was also very excited that he got to see a real live wetland as the lake is located in one. We also got to see lots of little critters up close trying to eat our food. After fishing we drove to Bonnie's parents cabin near the lake. There we got to sit down and relax and eat a delicious meal that Bonnie's parents prepared. The whole day was a lot of fun for everyone. Thanks Mark and Bonnie for inviting us!!

Pioneer Day

In celebration of the pioneers that traveled across the plains to settle my home state of Utah we had a BBQ with Michael, Christy and Family. We have had a sort of tradition celebrating the 4th of July together but this year we were both on separate vacations. So, we decided to celebrate the 24th of July instead. First we stuffed ourselves and then the kids played in the water while the parents chatted for a while. We had decided to do banana splits for dessert so when our tummies were ready we gorged ourselves on those. We then got a little firework show compliments of Dayv. The kids also got to run around with sparklers that Michael & Christy brought which I think the kids enjoy more than the fireworks. Then we got to enjoy an even bigger firework show compliments of our neighbors. We all had a wonderful time! Maybe we will have to carry on a 24th of July tradition too!

Memory Lane

I've just become a bloggin' fool......I saw this on Amber's blog and it looked kind of fun. Maybe I can have some memories brought back to my brain that has severely suffered since having kids!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Two Little Lines

I thought I'd have a little fun and only provide the following information on my blog to see how many of my family and friends actually read it. As you may have already guessed by the title and the picture below: I'M PREGNANT!!! I am due on March 21st. This date happens to be my brother, Ben's, birthday and only 3 days after Carson's birthday and 4 days after Tahirah's. Poor Noah with the lonely January birthday. Or maybe I should say lucky Noah! I'm still kind of in shock. It's no surprise that we got pregnant considering I took out my Mirena the beginning of May but it's still weird to think that we are going to have another one of these rugrats running around. Are we crazy or what?! I've gotten kind of used to not being pregnant or nursing and have already screwed up by using weed killer this morning on my lawn forgetting that it's probably not something you should do while pregnant. Hopefully that won't caused any lasting effects. I'm thinking it's a girl (which probably means it's a boy). I wouldn't really be disappointed either way although it would be kind of fun to see what another girl would be like. Another reason why it would be nice to have a girl is because we already have a name picked out. Dayv and I have THE HARDEST time with boy's names! By the way if anybody has or knows of anybody getting rid of any maternity clothes or baby stuff, let me know! As I mentioned before, I kind of gave away most of my stuff thinking we were done. I know, I know, stupid and I was warned but have a little pity on me!

Another Tag!

I saw this on your blog, Natalie, and it looked fun!
The rules are as follows: List 3 Joys, 3 Fears, 3 Goals, 3 Current Obsessions, and 3 Random Surprising Facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Here goes......

Joys
1. My Hubby
2. My Kids
3. My Animals

Fears
1. Dieing
2. Losing my husband or children
3. And a little bit of both heights and water

Goals
1. To raise wonderful, upstanding children
2. Become an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant)
3. Further my education

Current Obsessions
1. Blogging
2. Educating my children
3. Finding new parenting ideas

Random Surprising Facts
1. Dayv and I got engaged two weeks after we had met each other on a blind date.
2. Dayv and I have decided we want another baby after I have already given away most of our baby stuff and told everybody we were done.
3. I actually think it would be exciting to move to an entirely different place but I'm too comfortable here and am terrified I would hate it and would miss my friends and family that live around here. (Don't tell my husband!)

I tag Bonnie, Victoria, Emily, Amber, Melanie and anybody else that wants to!

Our Crazy Weekend

Grandma's Smith's funeral was on Saturday. We had several family members travel here to attend. Troy (2nd oldest sibling in Dayv's family) along with his wife, Yuko, their daughter Shiori and their two dogs stayed with us. I'm not sure how Troy felt about it but it was really nice having them over. Troy is extremely allergic to cats and didn't realize we had any (we have THREE). I guess he was able to survive with our air purifier plugged into the room he was sleeping in along with three times the recommended dosage of Benedryl! They had been living in Japan and just recently moved to San Diego. I hadn't even met them for several years after Dayv and I got married. But they are no different from the rest of Dayv's family. So, loving, accepting, and generous! Along with the same Van Orman sarcastic sense of humor, of course!

Grandma's funeral was very nice. It was one of the more happier funerals I have been to in a long time. There was a ton of family there that we have not seen in a long time and the kids had a blast playing with all the cousins.

There was a recent baptism in our ward! He is a 15 yr old boy. He had been coming to Young Men activities for quite some time so, while I was serving in the Young Women Presidency I got to know him a little bit better. He also lives just down the street from me and often hangs out with my neighbor's kids too. His family has had some very difficult things happen to them. Peter has been such a huge example to me of how strong a boy of such a young age can be despite his upbringing. No one in his family came to his baptism and now he has gotten his two younger brothers to come to church. Dayv and I bring them to church now and they are such cute boys! They really enjoyed coming and plan on continuing to come. Peter had also brought his 1 yr old niece. I was just in awe. I hope he continues to strengthen his family by his example. They really need that in their lives. I think the gospel is awesome! It can bring so much happiness and light into people's lives where there is none. It is just so exciting to watch!

Hogle Zoo!

Today the kids and I went to Hogle Zoo with Christy (my sis-in-law) and her kids. There was a new baby giraffe but everything was pretty much the same since the last time I went including the rare white alligator exhibit. The kids, as always, had a lot of fun. Here are some pictures I took:

Mildred Jane Smith

Dayv's grandma, Mildred Smith, died last night at the age of 88. We learned a couple of weeks ago that she had cancer all over in her abdomen. We really didn't think she would go so quickly. Dayv's mom had the impression last Friday night that she needed to come down now instead of waiting until this coming weekend, which was their original plan. Her intuitions are usually right and this was no different. She got to spend Grandma's last days with her. Dayv and I with the kids went to see Grandma on Sunday. You could tell it made her very happy to see the kids and just being with her family. My fondest memory of Grandma will always be when she came and stayed with us a couple of days after Tahirah was born to help out. She had always been one to help out anyway she could. Even though she couldn't see very well and her memory wasn't the best she was a wonderful help to me at that time. I was also very grateful for her visit because I along with Carson got to know her a lot better. Carson had so much fun with her. I had never seen an 80 year old lady run around with a 2 year old like that before. Carson would have her chase him and they would both be laughing hysterically. I will greatly miss Grandma Smith but I can't help but imagine the joyous reunion she is having right now with Grandpa, Aunt Tracie and Uncle Damon who preceded her in death. Till we meet again Grandma, Love you!

MOON LAKE

We spent 4th of July weekend at Moon Lake with Mark, Bonnie and Family, Jon, Melanie and Family and two of their friends. We had a blast!! We camped, played at the beach/lake, boated, fished and just had a good time. We will defiantly be back. This is a great place to get away! Carson said his favorite part was going in the boat. Tahirah said she loved swimming in the lake and fishing. Noah just loved getting dirty! Dayv liked seeing how excited the kids got while riding around on the boat and reeling in the fish. I just loved the whole experience. We have needed to get away for quite some time and I'm really glad we were able to go. Noah was throwing up the night before we left so we were really close to not going but he ended up getting better just before we had planned on leaving.

Here are some of the highlights of our retreat:We are planning on going camping again a few more times this year so if anybody is interested in going with us let us know!!