Some Pictures & Ramblings

There has been a lot going on in this family the past few weeks, and I wasn't feeling up to blogging during all of it. Although I'm sure getting it out would certainly make me feel better, I'd prefer not to share details. Suffice it so say, there has been a lot of stress, and I just can't wait until everything is settled and we can resume a new normal. Our kids are still little enough to adapt and not be affected by all that has been going on, and I'm beyond grateful for this. I feel like I haven't even really had a chance to just breathe, and it's been tough.

Patrick starts his new job tomorrow, and he couldn't be happier. I'm happy too, but knowing there is a lot we're going to have to adjust to is somewhat disconcerting. I'm not used to doing everything by myself anymore, so I'm sure our home is going to look like a tornado hit for a while, and I'm sure I'll lose my patience with the kids a bit. I'll also have to get used to waking up early again.... Grrr.... I've been suffering from insomnia for quite a while (and this no sleep thing has just gotten worse over during the last few weeks), so Patrick lets me sleep in. Oh well, we'll just figure it out!

I'm grateful to have such an amazing support system consisting of my husband, my brother and sister-in-law, my uncle and aunt, and my grandmother. These people have been invaluable to me during the past few weeks, and it's comforting to know that despite everything going on and the relationships that have imploded, I have them to lean on.

No Longer on Hiatus

It's been a rough couple of weeks. We've been battling the stomach flu (and anyone who's ever had small children understands just how awful it is when they're throwing up), colds, and P Man's most recent case of chicken pox. I don't know what it is about that boy's body, but ever since he got the vaccination when he was 18 months old, he's been getting mild cases of the virus. He suffers from the fever (and possibly the sore throat because his appetite decreases), but only gets a few patches of the tell-tale red bumps. This time around, he had a small patch on his chest, his right shoulder, and a few on his forehead. I'm hoping the pesky virus will either hit him hard enough next time to stop it from coming back, or will at least lay dormant for a while..... Surprisingly enough, Buddy never seems to catch it, and he hasn't been vaccinated.... Oh well, thinking about it will just make my head hurt. Speaking of my head hurting, I've been hit the hardest with this nasty cold. It started out as just a bit of nasal congestion and fatigue, and turned into a full blown attack on my body. My head aches, my eyes burn, my chest hurts, I feel like my body may explode with every sneeze, and my nose just barely stopped running. To top it all off, I now have a very painful and nearly crippling sinus infection that urgest me to just lay on the couch all day feeling like I just might melt into the microfiber cushions.
Last week brought on an interesting and slightly frightening new experience for our little family. We ventured to the northern part of the Wasatch Front to help out a friend with a car problem, and ended up getting snowed in. The tires on our van were nearly bald, and it took us a few hours just to dig our way out of my friend's driveway, and the drive back home the next morning was somewhat challenging. We stopped off at a tire place before heading home (and I was quite embarrassed to be seen in public with my frizzy hair, sleepy eyes, and no make up), and replaced two of our practically useless tires. It seems like we travel in each snowstorm, and now we'll be more prepared for the next one, if we go anywhere, that is....
Miss B's been off track, and I can now officially say I prefer when she's at home. Most parents would say they can't wait to send their kids back to school, but not me. I like it better when she's home. I think we're all still adjusting to having her in school, and having to plan our daily activities around her bus schedule. She loves school, though, so that helps a lot. She is getting good at reading and learning her sight words, and hopefully within the next few weeks, she'll be able to spell a good chunk of those words.
P Man has discovered a new hobby: being the boss. He thinks he gets to tell everyone, including his
Daddy and I, what to do. The way he commands us is so hilarious, so I often have to excuse myself so as not to encourage his behavior with my laughter.
Buddy is going to be thrust into the wonderful, yet frustrating (for me) world of potty training next week. We chose to wait until the holidays passed before trying to start him since we were in and out of the house all the time, and training a child to use foreign toilets is too much of a hassle. Well, the holidays came and went, and then we all started getting sick, so the potty training was put on the back burner for a while. Each of my kids have been a real challenge with this stage, so I'm not going into this with as much enthusiasm as I have in the past. Hopefully, my fake enthusiasm will trick him....
Patrick was offered a job with the post office as an alternate mail carrier, and we couldn't be more excited about this. The paperwork takes a few weeks to be filed, but they hope to start him around the end of the month. After being unemployed for an extended period of time, I know he's happy to be getting back into the swing of things. Me, on the other hand, I've been so used to having him home all the time to help with the kids and housework, so it'll be an adjustment for me. It'll be good, though, and I'm thrilled.
I'll hopefully start posting more now, and plan to post some recent pictures soon!

2012 in Pictures

 

 

 

Goodbye to 2012

January: We started the year by not moving! This was a big deal because we've never stayed in one place for so long. Hopefully, things will pan out jobwise for Patrick, and we can start looking elsewhere soon. As much as we like living out here, the price keeps going up, and it seems almost ridiculous to be paying close to $1,000/mo to live in an income restricted apartment complex.

February: P turned 3 on the 24th. He was so excited to have a day all about him, and we invited some family over for dinner. We also took a trip to the mall to the Build-A-Bear workshop and saw The Muppets at the dollar theater. Patrick and I went out for Valentine's Day, and continued our usual tradition of eating at Olive Garden.

March: My baby turned 2 on St. Patty's Day. We celebrated by dressing up in theme shirts, going to Burger King for green ketchup (and a meal, of course), and then spending some time at the park. The boys also had their joint birthday parties, and the theme was Spongebob. We attended a big birthday bash for Grandpa Lee (as we call him in our house since there are so many grandparents in our family). He turned 80. Patrick and Miss B attended a special Kindergarten orientation at the end of the month at the elementary school. We took the kids to Wheeler Farm one afternoon.

April: My husband turned 27 on the 14th. We attended my husband's twin brother's wedding on the 6th, and we are not only thrilled that he met "The One," but we enjoy spending time with our new sister-in-law/Auntie. We spent Easter at my grandparents' home.

May: My paternal grandmother turned 90 on the 22nd. We went to a birthday party for her at my aunt and uncle's home, and had fun socializing and celebrating such a monumental birthday. My Oma is a very special woman to all of us, and we were glad to spend such a special day with her. Mother's Day was another highlight, and I just love knowing I have 3 amazingly wonderful children who call me Mommy and make it possible for me to be recognized on this day of the year.

June: Father's Day was fun in 2012. The kids and I made a special paper chain for Daddy with all the things the kids love about their father. We took a few trips to different parks around the area and into canyons. We also took the kids to the zoo to see all the animals like we do every year, and to explore the new exhibits.

July: We celebrated Independence Day by going to my parent's house for a BBQ and fireworks. We also celebrated Pioneer Day on the 24th at my parent's home with my mother's family. We took some more little trips, and went to Thanksgiving Point to see the dinosaur museum. I took Miss B to meet her teacher and fill out some papers at the elementary school.

August: Miss B started Kindergarten on the 2nd. She was so excited to go to school, and her favorite part was, and still is, riding the bus to and from. She met the little girl who is now her best friend, and they have playdates all the time. I turned 25 on the 5th.


September: We started making Halloween plans, and were able to find some super cute costumes for the kids to wear. The weather was exceptionally warm, so we played outside a lot, adjusted to Miss B being at school instead of home, and just hung out. We welcomed furry pets into our home. Sweet little guinea pigs!

October: Miss B turned 6, and had her first friend party. She invited some of her little school friends to our house for cupcakes and a princess movie. They all got to put stickers on foam crowns, and be princesses for the day. We also had family over for cake and presents. Later in the month, Miss B lost her very first tooth! She was scared about it all at first, but was so excited once Daddy helped her pull the tooth out. We took the kids to a trick or treat event at the mall near us on Halloween, and they got so much candy. Later that night, we went door to door in a nearby neighborhood. Miss B enjoyed being the leader, and the boys had so much fun since they were finally old enough to figure out what Halloween is all about. Also during this month, our youngest got stitches. This was our first trip to Instacare as well as the first round of stitches.

November: We went to Grandma and Grandpa Morgan's home for Thanksgiving, and had a blast socializing. We also resigned our lease, so looks like we'll be out here in Bluffdale for another year. I continued my gratitude post tradition, and tried to post quotes about being grateful along with my own personal thankful thoughts for each day.

December: I did a 25 Days of Christmas blog post each day, and the kids and hubby and I had so much fun all month. We had family over on the 8th, went to a party on the 15th, and to my parent's home for a dinner and gift exchange on Christmas Eve. We spent Christmas Day at home in pajamas, and it was glorious. New Year's Eve was also spent at home. Both Patrick and I stayed up (which has proven to be the worst idea ever today), and surprisingly, our oldest made it to Midnight without falling asleep. We watched a Disney movie and then some episodes of a comedy we like and have on DVD, drank sparkling cider, ate junk, and were annoyed by the fireworks and crazy antics that carried on for nearly an hour after the clock struck 12.

2012 seemed to fly by so much quicker than previous years. This is crazy to me because we spent much of our time at home. We weren't nearly as busy as we have been in the past, so you'd think the year would have dragged on and on, right? Oh well! We had ups and downs, struggles and stress, smiles and happiness. Here's to a new year full of possibility, and we plan to make it great!

New Year, New Blog

It's a brand new year, and now I have a brand new blog. I've deleted all posts with the exception of my Christmas post from last week to start fresh. I know what happened during the last year and a half (since the last time I deleted posts), and everyone close to our family/everyone who reads my blog on the regular knows everything as well, so why not start with a clean slate? I will be creating a 2012 in review post next, and I feel it's a great way to say farewell to last year and welcome 2013. Happy New Year, everyone!