Cheese and Pickles

No Excuses

2012-01-09T23:10:00.001-06:00

It's no secret that I am a loyal fan of The Biggest Loser. I watch every episode, every season. It's so fascinating to see people transform right before your eyes. Who will the contestants pick & why? I always imagine myself getting to choose my trainer. When Jillian was there- she was my first choice every time. No offense to Bob- he was great too. I just knew Jillian had a great track record & her people won the most. I didn't mind the yelling/in-your-face approach either. And, I admit, I like that our names are similar. (For the record, my name is just Jill, not short for Jillian, or Jilleth as my husband & brother-in-law like to call me. Doesn't that remind you of Lilleth from Cheers/Frasier? Not a compliment, is it? Johnny says that's not what he thinks of. Anyway, babbling.)

Now that Jillian is gone, I have to say I really REALLY like Dolvett! And I'm not gonna be one of those gross mom's with an inappropriate crush. Haha! I like his story (abandoned/adopted/successful), his approach & results. He has the right amount of nice and the right amount of push. If I were on the Biggest Loser, I would choose to train with Dolvett. Who would you train with?

Last week we tuned in to the first episode of this season. I was super excited about it and we decided to "participate", which means workout consistently for the duration of the show. I was so bummed though because we both had colds. I felt horrible- chills, aches, pounding head and stuffy nose. It just wasn't possible to workout. The show was super-motivating! Each time they talked about the reasons we all have for not working out made me think about us and reflect on how we spend our time. I definitely wanted to do better. Then... I went to sleep. After about three days/nights of not sleeping well and feeling tired, I wondered if I really "needed" to workout. Maybe it was okay to just be like I am and continue doing what I do. I know I don't have a weight problem and I'm not as likely to have serious health problems, so maybe it's not necessary. I've gone back and forth in my mind as to why working out is a good thing for me, but hadn't had enough motivation to try it.

I've become so complacent and it's really affecting my perspective. I feel myself reverting to postpartum depression and not caring quite as much, feeling blah and getting easily frustrated. Most days I do what has to be done, but not really pushing myself too much. I rarely talk to anyone besides my kids and Johnny. (I know the door swings both ways & I should reach out to people- I'm not complaining, just stating the truth, as unpleasant as it is.) My point is, I haven't been doing as well as I could.

Today, I changed. (It IS Monday after-all!) I turned on the DVR, so I could listen to The Office while I did the dishes. Only, the episode was mislabeled and had recorded an infomercial instead. It was for Chalene Johnson's TurboFire. It looked really fun actually. Before I knew it, I had watched probably 15 minutes of it. It woke me up- I remembered when I consistently did TurboJam for 90 days and how good I felt and how much fun it was! At that time, I admit I did it for the results. But looking back I got so much more out of it- I felt good about myself, not because of how I looked, but because I was accomplishing something and sticking to something. I realized I did something that was hard and pushed myself and got better at it. I wasn't wasting my time or being selfish. Watching that infomercial today was the personal revelation I needed and had been fasting and praying for. To workout, I needed to do it for the right reason for me. "The results" weren't motivating for me. I couldn't make myself get off the couch and away from the movie to workout by telling myself I want to tone and look like whatever. My epiphany came when I realized I need to workout because I need to do something hard. I need to push myself every day. I need to feel good about myself because I'm doing something good for myself. I need the endorphins! My family needs this. Working out every day will give me that sense of accomplishment and hopefully, I'll be better.

I didn't even watch the whole infomercial, but what I watched was enough to trigger my thoughts and change my way of thinking. So, tonight, after I put the kids to bed, I turned on TurboJam Cardio Party Mix 1 and pushed myself for the entire 43 minutes. It felt great.

Tomorrow night, I'll be ready for The Biggest Loser, without any excuses.

Holiday Fun

2011-12-30T20:03:00.001-06:00

Do you remember that Christmas song? I forget who sings it, but it says "If we make it through December, everything's gonna be alright I know..." It's not a very holiday-ish happy song, but I couldn't help but relate to it for a couple of weeks there. Johnny's courses have taken so much of our time and energy that it really was a struggle just to decorate for Christmas, not to mention shop for gifts. But, I am happy to report that his efforts paid off. He earned "A's" in BOTH 8 week courses!! Cue applause- no wait- I think this calls for a standing ovation! Seriously- the hardest earned "A" in one of the classes, which made for the worst 8 weeks ever.

The semester (for Johnny and the kids) ended December 16 and we have been partying ever since. I can't say enough about how nice it is to have this brea.

Here's a little timeline of what we've been up to:

Sunday, December 18- Johnny was scheduled to work, but because of a low census & nice coworkers, he was put on call. After church, his family drove all the way up here & we celebrated Christmas with them. We had such a good time. After the party, Johnny's brother & sister-in-law were gracious (or crazy) enough to drive our car and all of our kids 1 1/2 hours to their house for 2 nights. Oh- and did I mention they have 5 kids of their own? Yeah- you did the math right- that makes 11 kids! (Ages 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, 5, 4, 14 months and 13 months.) Why would they do this? Because Johnny had PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) training in Houston the next 2 days & I was going with him. AND our kids love their cousins! It was a win-win!
Monday, December 19- Wake up at 4:30 AM, get dressed, packed and leave for Houston. We find the location of the class early, so we do a little shopping. Finally its time for Johnny to go to his class, so I drop him off, finish shopping for Christmas and check-in to the hotel (which we booked on Priceline and saved 55%, thank you very much! The hospital will be reimbursing us, but still! Crazy good deal.) Johnny finishes his class, I pick him up, we eat and head back to the hotel to study PALS. Fun.
Tuesday, December 20- Johnny gets to his class and I go by myself (first time) to the temple. It was really nice & I got to see several friends/family members there. I picked Johnny up & after lunch, went back to the temple together. It was a lovely day and we were happy to pick our kids up on our way home. They had a blast!
Friday, December 23- Christmas Eve Eve. We drove down to be with my family. We got there early so we could visit and it was lots of fun. We loved the company, the food and the gifts. In that order.
Saturday, December 24- Christmas Eve! It was cold and rainy but we made the most of every minute. I finished up some shopping, the kids & Johnny had a mini Harry Potter marathon. ?? We cooked 2 chickens (to freeze for meals & to use in our dressing) and smoked a turkey. We enjoyed a Christmas dinner that night- smoked turkey, our favorite dressing (mother-in-law's recipe. Mmm!), and cranberry sauce. Then, the moment the kids waited all day/year for- opening presents! After reading the birth of the Savior in Luke, we sang Christmas songs and, one at a time, opened our gifts. I wanted it to last as long as possible. Then, of course, we read The Night Before Christmas, or rather, Bryn's bear read it to us while I turned the pages. Tucking them in was so sweet. This was our first Christmas in the new house.
Sunday, December 25- Christmas Day and Johnny had to work. (Not that I'm counting, but this was the 3rd year in a row that he had to work on Christmas Day. At least it's a day shift now.) We woke the kids up extra early do they could see what Santa brought before Johnny left for work. Even if you're sleep deprived, that is the most magical moment and really is priceless! The kids got to play a while before we rushed out the door for Sacrament meeting. After church, I dressed back into my pajamas, put Samuel to bed and accidentally slipped into a coma. The kids were oblivious for the most part. Once I came to my senses, Katherine & I made a few pies and reheated our Christmas dinner. It was fun and relaxing. Oh! And Santa was so nice and brought the kids a swingset!!
Monday, December 26- Johnny was put on-call. Yay!
Tuesday, December 27- Johnny on-call AGAIN & HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY to Ella! We celebrated her and worked in the yard. The kids loved playing on the swingset in the beautiful weather. That evening, we had dinner with our friends & watched 17 Miracles. Have you seen it? So amazing!!
Wednesday, December 28- relaxed at home!
Thursday, December 29- Johnny borrowed the neighbors lawn mower - we hasn't mowed since this summer & the grass needed it! Then we took down the tree & put our house back together. It was kind of sad, but it was the only day we had to do it. Then, our friends came over (same ones from Tuesday) and watched The Count of Monte Cristo. Good movie and great company.
Today- We happened to have the same plans as our friends and met up at the zoo. It was so fun to see them and enjoy the amazing animals. We took lots of pictures. Then we had lunch and took the kids to the mall. It was rather boring because everything was so expensive, but we liked looking. We promised to take the kids to Toys R Us, since most of them had never been. They knew they weren't getting anything, unless they had money to spend, but they couldn't wait to see it! Almost immediately, it was a let-down. Yes it's a huge toy store, but they have all of the same toys as Walmart and Target, with a few exceptions. Pretty disappointing.

It's been a great month and we've enjoyed spending time together. Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.

We have so much to look forward to this coming year. Johnny starts classes again January 17- we'll be more prepared this time. We plan on paying off our car, possibly both cars- that's gonna feel so good! I love having solid/productive plans. It gives me a lot to look forward to and makes me feel like I'm on the right track.

Lessons Learned

2011-12-02T09:08:00.001-06:00

Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." I think that's how it goes.

It's no secret that I have struggled with how to teach my kids. Over the last six weeks, it has become especially burdensome. With Johnny working full-time and taking two 8-week online courses, our schedule has been brutal. One of his courses has been particularly difficult to keep up with and I have been helping Johnny complete his reading and assignments. Some of you know the extent of the work we have put into it. And we still have two weeks until it's over. So far, he has an "A" in the less time-consuming course, and a weak "B" (maybe even a "C") in the "this class is your life and it will kill you before you're done, and it doesn't matter that you spend over 20 hours a week on the assignments, your critical thinking skills are not up to par because I will always ask you vague questions because I know everything and you know nothing and by proving your incompetency, I show my strengths and feel better about myself, AND I will not provide any feedback on your grades or give you any help so that you will need to retake my course and I can do this all over again because it's favorite!" Um...sorry. I might've gotten carried away, but probably not, especially considering that I refrained from calling her a Nazi or using less desirable language, that I may or may not have used within the walls of my own home. :/ It seems like this class brings out the worst in me. I asked Johnny the other day if he would rather do these 8 week courses, or go through my postpartum depression again? "Hands down, these courses!" he said. "Really? Hmmm... I don't know. I guess." I answered. These have been the longest 8 weeks of my life- I realize they're not over yet. Seriously though, all of my pregnancies combined- that would be a total of 8 pregnancies, 2 miscarriages and 1 pregnancy with gestational diabetes- were WAY less stressful than these courses.

Anyway, ahem, where was I? Oh yes, the kids. So just before Thanksgiving, I was especially stressed out. In tears, I expressed my concerns for the kids with Johnny. It's been on my mind for...weeks if not months. I worried that I wasted time, made mistakes and failed miserably. It was difficult to know where the kids should be and how to get there effectively. It has never, NEVER, been my desire to have a "full-time job". You may laugh and say, "Then why do you have 6 kids?" For me, having the kids and raising them comes naturally (not that I always know what to do or how to do it). But structured teaching (lessons, curriculum, etc.), NOT my thing. We agreed it would be better for the kids to attend public school.

Yeah. Don't take it as such a shock. This decision was not made lightly. I've beat myself up pretty badly- thoughts of ridicule from friends and family, school faculty and the repercussions my children would face... This is a sensitive subject for me. Should anyone feel the need to say, "I told you so" or "I never thought homeschooling was a good idea" or "I didn't think you would stick with it" or "You should never have homeschooled" or anything similar... that's fine. That's totally ok, I realize people have opinions- just don't say it to me, or let me hear about it from anyone else. On the other hand, if you have words of encouragement or anything positive to say, I'm all ears. ;)

In order for the kids to go to school, Ella had to get immunizations. I was able to take her (and poor Samuel who was way behind on his) and get shots Tuesday morning. She had to have 5 shots and didn't cry once! Samuel needed 7, but got 4, and, of course, cried. By the time we got to the school and I filled out a boat-load of paperwork, there were about 2-2 1/2 hours left of the school day. Oh well. The kids were SO excited about going, which made it infinitely easier on me. As I walked with the school counselor to each of the kid's classrooms and met their teachers and dropped them off, I almost cried. My emotions were on the edge the whole day.

Picking them up from school the first day wasn't great. Poor Katherine did not have as good of a day as she had anticipated. Her tears could have filled a bucket. By getting there so close to the end of the day, it was a bit of a disruption and the kids were distracted, so the teachers were "stern-fully corrective", and to make matters worse, the boys thought Katherine was pretty! She vowed never to go back. I explained to her that it doesn't work that way and that 2 hours of school was not enough to judge what it is like. The next day, Johnny and I walked the kids into the building and talked to the counselor. She was so helpful and offered to take Katherine to class and make sure she got a "buddy" for the day. She even told Katherine she would visit one of her classes. When I picked them up that afternoon (yesterday), she smiled and said it was fun. She, along with some classmates, got to eat lunch with one of their teachers in the classroom. She is making friends, but still has to deal with the pesky boys that say they are her boyfriends. One of them tried to kick a soccer ball at her, but she dodged it. I explained to her that boys that age show girls they like them by hurting them. Haha! Oh- fifth grade...

Travis, Olivia and Ella are loving school. Ella has especially surprised us, since she has never gone to public school. She says everyone in her class is her friend- she is so confident! Next week, the kindergarten class is going to see the Nutcracker. She is so excited! We are blown away at Olivia's progress, after only a couple of days! She is reading better and has a spelling test today. I worked with her a lot last night, and this morning. I hope she does well! Travis couldn't wait to get to school today. His science class is building circuit boards.

My stress level has gone done exponentially! The other day I made cookies with Bryn. When does that ever happen?! And Johnny was home working on college! Knowing my kids are learning, have good teachers and are having fun makes me feel like I'm being a better mom. Did I mention how nice the school and teachers are? Oh my gosh! The building is like brand new and you can tell how much the teachers/faculty really care. The majority of the students are Hispanic, then Black, then White, etc, so everything is written in English and Spanish. I think there must be a lot of parents that don't speak English. Katherine and Travis have spiral planners that use Stephen R. Covey's 7 Habits! They are teaching the kids how to be successful and effective. You can't help but be impressed!

One of the lessons I've learned by moving here and not enrolling my kids, is that it is important to learn things for yourself and not go by what other people tell you. The things I "knew" about the school were not necessarily false, but they weren't based on personal experience. Now that my kids are there and I have seen it for myself, I am able to judge and make decisions.

I know for sure that the Lord isn't disappointed in me and that homeschooling was not a mistake or waste of time. I know for sure that my kids are okay and learning what they need to learn just like I am. I know FOR SURE, these 8 week courses WILL END, and that regardless of the final grades, graduate school will happen.

Sharing time

2011-11-09T11:14:00.002-06:00

Because every post needs a picture.

I know, I know, enough already. Why don't I just admit defeat and stick my kids on the bus? Well, first-of-all, I am NOT (not even in the least bit) a professional educator. BUT I am a MOM and, as such, have the intuition of knowing the needs of my kids and myself. So when I see a need for improvement, I make adjustments.

Have you ever bought a product that worked okay and then someone told of a similar product that worked even better? For example, I used to clean the bathtub with a soap scum spray and washcloth. It did okay, but took a lot of elbow grease and time. Then, a friend told me about Lysol Bathroom cleaner and Magic Erasers. I decided to give them a try. Oh. My. Gosh. Crazy difference! The bathtub was clean in a matter of minutes and my fingers still had feeling left in them! Now, I'll admit, I've made a few adjustments to the product choices- I now buy the Great Value Bathroom Cleaner because it's cheaper and works just as well, and I found a reusable scrub brush with a long handle that does a great job.

You can relate, right?

So goes my choices in home-school curriculum. I honestly can't remember what we were using a month ago, I'm embarrassed to say. The last couple of weeks we used Lesson Pathways. I liked how the lessons were divided up by weeks and subjects, but I didn't like that the links took you all over the web and some didn't work. While it is a good website, I decided to not use it so exclusively.

I researched online public schools and even began the enrollment process. It didn't take long for me to realize that submitting reports to the state about how long my kids were "in school" and taking them to Tyler for testing was going to be more rigorous than I could handle. So I dropped it.

I'm sure you're curious about what has caught my attention... it's called Education Place from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Although we do not have the textbooks, the kids are able to learn concepts based on subjects and units within the subjects, and practice what they learn. The subjects are Reading/English, Spelling/Vocabulary, Math, Science and Social Studies.

The website is interactive and has excellent lessons. We don't have a lot of the books they suggest for reading, but I've found some of them on YouTube. I signed up for the Book It! Program and received the certificates for the kids to go to Pizza Hut after reading so many books. Within the Reading subject, there is a link to Book Adventure. I've created accounts for the kids so they can take quizzes on the books they read. I like that I am able to control the settings for the quizzes. For example, I can adjust the number of chances they get to pass the quiz, how long they have to complete it, and the percentage they must have correct in order to pass. I've set the older ones to get 2 chances and make at least an 80%, but no timer. The younger girls get 3 chances and have to make 80% as well.

This is another website we love: Storyline Online, from the Screen Actors Guild Foundation (SAG). "A Bad Case of the Stripes" is read by Sean Astin and is especially enjoyable! In case you couldn't tell or haven't noticed, we are big fans of Lord of the Rings and both Sean Astin and Elijah Wood read stories on this site and we love them!

October 14, 2011

Johnny's education is a different story altogether. He is enrolled in online classes for his Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, or BSN, at the University of Texas at Arlington. He's taking 2 8-week courses: English and History. So far he is doing excellent! I'm so proud of him. I've been able to help him with the heavy workload of reading and assignments and have seen how articulate he has become! He really is a good writer! He is better at English than I am, and I thought I was pretty good. Haha! It turns out, I'm good at reading and spelling and he is better with grammar and punctuation. So we make a good team.

Oh- that reminds me. I'm supposed to be in the other room helping him right now. We're trying to finish his History assignments today so we can participate in the Veteran's Day festivities this weekend for our ward. Gotta run!

Kid History Ep. 6

2011-10-29T12:59:00.000-05:00

Since it is possible that some of you have not heard of or seen this video, I'll give a brief introduction ~

It's HILARIOUS!

Watch it. Laugh.

Watch it again. Laugh some more.

Once you regain your composure, show it to someone else!

It's our favorite (besides our own Variety Show videos of course).

New sites

2011-10-13T08:30:00.001-05:00

It shouldn't be surprising that I'm changing up our homeschool...again. As much as I like the concept behind FreeWorldU.org, it just wasn't keeping the kids' interest.

Yesterday morning I did a quick search for math websites and found an incredible, new website.

It's called Internet4classrooms.com. It's free! {otherwise I wouldn't be interested}

Anyone can benefit from this- not just teachers/homeschoolers. There is Grade Level Help for Pre-K through 8th grade as well as Links for Pre-K through 12th. Each subject has links for Current Course Standards and Skill Builders. All of the links take you to other websites that provide the kids

activities/games to teach the concepts.

I bookmarked it and this site: AAAmath.com- this site also has links for AAAspell.com, alphabet practice, vocabulary, spelling, states, nations, and even Sudoku. The math is what I'm mostly interested it- since they have links for subtopics, like place value, measurement, patterns, properties, practical math and mental math. Oh! AND it has SAT/ACT Preps!

My kids LOVE. it! Last night as we put the kids to bed, Travis hugged me and said, "Thanks for finding that new website Mom! I can't wait for school tomorrow!"

It's nice to be the hero every once in a while.

11 on the 11th

2011-10-11T19:08:00.001-05:00

Today Katherine is eleven! We're still celebrating. Right now we're headed to Lufkin to take her to the mall & possibly Best Buy. She loves Taylor Swift and we gave her Taylor's Fearless cd. Best Buy has a DVD of Taylor Swift that was released today- she really wants it!

Today we made her birthday cupcakes- gourmet of course! We found the recipe on Picky-palate.com. It has a chocolate chip cookie inside each cupcake. We can't wait to get home & try them.

This Friday night she wants to campout in our yard. And Saturday she's invited some of her friends over for a birthday party. We'll be partying all week!

Katherine is such a joy to have in our family! (That's actually her middle name.) She is beautiful inside & out. We're very blessed to have her in our family and to call her a friend.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

2011-10-03T16:38:00.000-05:00

"I just like smiling. Smiling's my favorite!"

By far, one of the best movie lines- and a great mantra.

Today I'm smiling because of these people:

Quick update: Johnny supposedly has lupus. "Early, mild" to be exact. I say supposedly because he has been working the night-shift for so long that his circadian rhythm is practically non-existent. That messes you up big time. Good news: He's switched jobs and now works in the ICU at Medical Center (same town, different hospital) on the DAY SHIFT! Our lives have changed dramatically. He loves his job. He loves his coworkers. He even loves his boss! Yeah- that's pretty amazing. And now that he has switched, he is becoming a normal person. He's getting used to sleeping through the night (that is, if Samuel does- no I do not make Johnny get up with the baby, but if the baby gets up, it's inevitable that he'll hear him.). He doesn't have the aches/pains anymore and his entire attitude/temperament is positive. He can't wait to start online classes later this month for his RN-BSN. In 2 years, we'll be moving away for CRNA school.- Johnny's ultimate dream job. We hope to come back here after it's all said and done.

Anyway- back to the health concern. Since switching jobs we are without insurance for 30 days. Our hope/plan is for Johnny to live a normal life- sleep 8 hours each night, eat healthy, exercise for a month or so, then go back and have lab work done to check his ANA level. His Dr. told him this morning, in passing, that he thinks Johnny should go back in 6 mos and that stress/sleep deprivation could be what raised his ANA levels to start with. Nice!

It's amazing what a difference it's made in him switching jobs. We have discussed why the timing has been what it's been- remember when we prayed and were told not to switch jobs? For whatever reason, the timing has been good for us now and we feel that it has a lot to do with him starting school. Before, when we prayed about it, it was a job change for money and school wasn't a priority. Now it is and we're making it happen.

It feels good to know that we are where we should be, doing what we should be doing with the people we should be with. That's enough to make anyone smile.

Chew on this!

2011-08-26T20:54:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, it's Friday... the end of the school week- the FIRST school week of the FIRST home-school year. I bet you're anxious to see how it went. I guess I might as well fess up. It turns out, I don't exactly know what I'm doing. Shocking, huh? (As if my last couple of related posts didn't give it away.)

Here's a play by play:

Tuesday morning, I was ready to go! The kids had breakfast and things were on track for starting by 9 a.m. (That's not too late, is it?) Johnny didn't have to go to bed until lunchtime, so he was up working on an application (job related). He needed a little help, so we worked on it together and school started late. No biggie- it's the first day and I don't want to burn out, so I don't stress about it. By late afternoon (3ish I think), the kids' lessons were winding down and I was mentally exhausted. But I did manage to make meatloaf for supper and everyone liked it! (Score!)

Wednesday: School started around 9:30. It was hard to pace the kids lessons- they did too many Language Arts lessons on Tuesday and were now behind on other subjects, so we tried to catch up with those. I told myself, "It's okay, we're just getting started and we have to find our rhythm." Really, I was losing my confidence and motivation, but chocked it up to fatigue. (Are you having trouble going to bed early?)

Thursday: School started late again. (Can't help it- Johnny gets home from work in the mornings, so that's our time to catch up on things.) I sat the kids down and explained how school needed to change and we made a board outlining the lessons for each day:

While Olivia, Travis & Katherine worked on the computers, I folded laundry in the den. (A week's worth at least. *sigh*) I watched them do their lessons and after I finished, I checked to see how they did. Poor Olivia didn't understand and did the best she could, but had to do her lessons all over again- with my help. She was frustrated, I was frustrated and I couldn't help but wonder if it was going to ever come together? I began to mourn the time I would be spending with Bryn and Samuel and worried I was robbing from them somehow. Second guessing everything all over again and finding no answers, I took a nap. A much needed nap. I decided it was too early to quit and too late to change my mind.

After a few hours, I was ready to hit it again. I jumped online and began to reorganize and prepared to print lots more pages of lesson plans- to work as a check-off system. I still felt like we were just checking boxes though and wondered if the kids were "mastering" anything. Anyway, I thought I might find some support through Time4Learning's forum- to see if there were other's in my area using that curriculum. There weren't, but I did find something better! Someone had posted a link to a free online curriculum (there were actually several, but this one far surpasses them all!). I followed the link and was amazed!

The site is called FreeWorldU.org. It's an accredited pre-K through 12 online curriculum. It is free, unless you want to track your child's/student's progress with reports and get a high school diploma, then it's $90/mo. You can change to the pay option at any time and they have support for everyone. They have researched every aspect of education! Did you know that there are approximately 2 million homeschoolers in the K-12 range and that this number is growing at the rate of 30% annually? (direct quote) That's amazing to me! The biggest problem I have with public school is that they are only teaching kids how to pass a test- there's no retention of knowledge. FreeWorldU addresses this, they call it "teach to the test". There are so many aspects that really caught my attention- "Superlearning", the kids can work at their own pace- and different grade levels (like 6th grade Social Studies and 3rd grade math, if needed). There are classes like "Character Development", "Manners", "Study Skills" and "Social Issues" in elementary school! :) Sounds like a winner, huh?

Needless to say, I promptly cancelled my membership with Time4Learning (no offense to them or anyone who uses them) and signed up ALL of my kids (except Samuel of course) with Free World U. It felt right- I don't feel so worried about how I'm going to make sure they're mastering everything and having time for fun. Since we can go at our own pace, I feel like we might do year-round school and take breaks as needed. (A friend at church does that and says it's great for them- there's no "first day of school/last day of school"- they just go with the flow and her kids learn at a good pace.)

This probably makes me sound wishy-washy, but I can't help it. I wasn't "sold" on Time4Learning, but I didn't know where else to start. Hopefully I won't come back and tell you that I changed my mind again. Haha! ;) Keep checking in... you never know!

BUT- that's still not as impressive as Ella losing her first tooth! She announced this morning that it was loose. When I checked, it was VERY loose- I don't know how we missed it all this time (even through the brushing and flossing)? All day she asked questions like, "Mom, can I eat this Ravioli? I don't want it to hurt my loose tooth." & "I can't drink out of a cup, I need a sipper cup or a straw because I have a loose tooth." I explained to her that she had a loose tooth, not a broken arm, and she would be able to do everything like normal. Silly girl!

Katherine offered to pull it for her tonight.

Ella excitedly accepted and said it didn't even hurt!

Katherine is a great photographer.

See the little pearly white in the bag?

She's all ready for the Tooth Fairy! (I hope she doesn't forget.)

VOTE!

2011-08-26T19:25:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard... my UH-MAZING sister,

Sarah, is one of the top 15 Dare to Design finalists at Shabby Apple!

She not only designed, but actually made this beautiful dress:

The winner will be announced September 15th,

so there's still time to vote. She is #4.

Here are a few voting tips I discovered today...

I voted the first day, and my browser wouldn't

let me vote the next day or ever- it seemed.

SO, today I discovered that I can vote multiple times

in one day by using different browsers on

each of my 3 computers!

SO, if you have Internet Explorer,

Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome,

Apple Safari or any other browsers...

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The Night Before Homeschool

2011-08-22T23:06:00.001-05:00

The kids are in bed and I just finished cleaning up the kitchen.

Tomorrow is the first day of home-school.

(*keep reading to find out why we didn't start today.)

The kids are SO excited.

And you know what?

I am too!

I appreciate everyone's vote of confidence.

My sister, Monica, said it best:

"Jill, if it looks stupid, it is!

You don't have to do everything...

that's the beauty of home-school."

She's right.

Poetry about pollution is not a vital lesson for a first grader.

So what if I ~~spent~~ wasted a lot of time and ink

and paper printing pages upon pages of materials

that I'm not going to use?

(I was able to recycle the paper,

don't worry- no polluting going on here.)

We still will use Time4Learning activities, but I will not

be preparing classroom-type lessons. A lot of our time will

be spent together as a group.

Here are a few things we have

to look forward to this school year:

Signing Time (we ♥ sign language!)

Usborne books about World History and World Geography

Scripture study (Illustrated Stories from the Book of Mormon)

Planet Earth, among other great documentaries.

Ella and Olivia will learn to read from

Katherine and Travis and I will read

among other great books.

The younger girls look forward to reading favorites, like

We will have field trips to the zoo and around Nacogdoches.

I hope we can even have Skype School! (Monica? Melissa?)

It's such a relief to realize I can be flexible! (Must be the yoga. Haha!)

Tomorrow is going to be great!

We didn't start school today

because Johnny went to a rheumatologist.

Remember this?

The rheumatologist ordered another set of labs, but

doesn't think Johnny has rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Right now he is asymptomatic.

There is only a small chance he'll

be diagnosed with lupus- his abnormal labs

are probably only a result of some kind

of infection that has since resolved.

So- all in all, good news!

Johnny's sweet parents kept the kids

while Johnny, Samuel and I went to his appointment.

It was so nice to spend time together~

like we were on a date!

AND it rained today!!

I hope I can sleep tonight :-)

Bryn

2011-08-15T21:43:00.000-05:00

Bryn always asks me to help her say her bedtime prayers.

Usually, I only start her off and she says what

she wants/needs to say and ends all by herself.

Tonight she prayed, "...and bless that I can grow up and be like Mom and I can make popcorn..."

I couldn't help but smile. I am pretty good at pushing that button on the microwave.

And I ~~never~~ hardly ever burn it ;).

I'm pretty confident that she will grow up to be like me...and make popcorn. ;)

Smart girl.

Expressions of Love

2011-08-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

This brought tears to my eyes. I am so grateful for my husband. Johnny is my best friend and I'm SO happy to be his wife for eternity. Watch it- it'll change your life.

Can I really do this?

2011-08-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

Over the last several days, I've been planning for the new school year to start. The kids and I have really been looking forward to homeschooling and all of it's perks. We've chosen Time4Learning {see this link} as our curriculum. It really is a great program and has a lot of resources and options for teaching. But I have to say, I think I'm at a disadvantage- maybe this would be a lot easier if I had an Elementary Education degree and teaching certificate. ??? I'm really struggling with lesson planning! Really.

I've created a Homeschool calendar on my google calendars and planned the school year...beginning Monday, August 22nd and ending Friday, May 25th... 36 weeks of school. Holidays include Labor Day, a week off for Thanksgiving, 2 weeks off for Christmas, MLK Jr. Day, 1 week for Spring Break, and Good Friday.

We have 4 kids in school this year. Katherine is in 5th grade with 5 subjects, unless she does Art, then she'll have 6. Travis is in 4th, with 5 subjects; Olivia is in 1st, with 4 subjects and Ella starts kindergarten with only 2 {very in-depth} subjects. Ella's got a lot of classroom instruction it looks like. Is that optional?

For example, Ella's Language Arts has a total of 199 activities (18 chapters). Divide that by 36 weeks, and she has exactly 5.5 activities to complete per week. That sounds easy enough, but there is also classroom instruction for each of those..a lot of letter recognition- difference in uppercase and lowercase letters...blah blah blah. Sorry, do I sound cynical? :/ Imagine for a second, that I did do the lesson parts with her every day and she did the online activities...then I have to teach Olivia about "Pollution" (that really is her first chapter in Language Arts Extensions. And what does poetry have to do with Pollution? In the FIRST GRADE?!?) before she can do her online activities...then help Travis & Katherine with who knows what (Math!)... Somewhere in there Bryn will need at least one snack and Samuel will need a diaper change and a nap and will want to eat. (Back to Olivia- the poetry stuff... here's what part of the instruction says: "Read the poem once and ask students to think about it. Then read the poem again and allow students time to reflect. Ask students what they thought about when they heard the poem. Help students understand that even short poems can convey great emotion and imagery." Great emotion and imagery? We're talking to a first-grader. ?A first-grader that struggles with reading. I'm wondering if she ought to sit in on Ella's lessons??)

This is why I've always been afraid to do this! I'm beyond overwhelmed right now since I've looked at the online activities and classroom-type lessons and worksheets and answer guides. I'm sure it'll be fine once I have a schedule I can stick to- it's the getting started and organized part that is killing me.

Am I biting off more than I can chew? Should I not do the classroom-type instruction for Ella? Will the online activities suffice? How much one-on-one instruction will be necessary? Can I do that and take care of Bryn and Samuel and cook and do laundry and dishes? and not stick them in front of the tv with a bag of dry cereal and a sipper cup and let them pass out on the floor? I mean, seriously. I do not want to become a neglectful parent to my preschoolers or my home or myself. BUT the alternative is worse...sending my kids to a less than mediocre school- only to replace these questions/problems with more problems/stress.

I still think homeschooling my kids is the best answer. I just don't know how to do it.

Okay, give it to me... leave a comment and give me advice (but don't tell me to do public school- it's not an option).

Ready for Church

2011-07-31T17:18:00.003-05:00

Since Samuel is 10 mos now, he has

graduated to 12 month clothes!

He's actually needed to upgrade for a while.

This past week, we finally got his

hand-me-downs out of the attic.

It was so fun dressing him this

morning for church- he got to wear

one of Travis's "suits". I'm sure I bought it

at the resale shop in Vidor

when Travis was a baby- but it is darling!

Even the shoes were Travis's.
I bought them from Baby Gap.

They're leather and still look new.

I couldn't stop smiling ~ Samuel looked so CUTE!

Is that not the most adorable little boy?! Uh-dorable!

I really thought I would have to fight him to

keep the tie on all day.

Nope!

He didn't mind it at all. He's going to make

a great missionary one day.

(He didn't love the shoes, but with a

little encouragement, he wore them.)

Say cheese!

2011-07-26T23:24:00.002-05:00

I love Samuel's smile in this picture.
Did you know he has 6 teeth?

Four on top and two on bottom.

And did you know he just turned 10 months old?

For the longest time he was "army crawling" and dragging his big little belly across the tile floor.

In the last week and a half, he is crawling on all fours! I don't have a picture or video yet- I really ought to learn how to take moving pictures that don't blur. Hmmm...

I love this picture of Johnny with Samuel. Oh- did you notice Johnny shaves his head now? He got tired of my joke. Oh! I didn't tell you yet? Well, here goes... "Do you want to know the 'real' reason Johnny doesn't have any hair? It's because I'm too vain to pull my own hair out!" Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny too. I guess he heard it too many times and decided to shave it all off- maybe he thought it would help me manage stress better. We'll see.

Sweet Travis! He has glasses now. I think he looks so smart- like a little genius. Travis is always so helpful and gives the best hugs and tells me he loves me, several times throughout the day...makes my heart swell. Out of all the kids, he is the most vocal about how he feels about homeschooling this year. He wants it to start yesterday! Maybe he is a genius?

Olivia is growing up so much. She's so helpful with Samuel and is becoming more and more responsible. She's 7 already! That means next year she will be baptized! Yikes. She's super excited to start homeschooling next month. I love her eagerness and excitement about life. She is a good example for me because she is more easy going- a trait I've always admired and tried to emulate.

My Bryn. Look at those beautiful brown eyes! She has so much energy and the cutest little voice. I love the way she communicates and explains things to me. Since she got to be the baby for the longest, she and I have our own way to communicate. For example, I sometimes kiss her cheeks over and over and she'll kiss mine and I'll say, "Hey! Give me back my sugars!" and she'll have to kiss me again. Or I'll say, "Bryn, I need sugars so I can be sweet." and she'll give me kisses.
She is adorable!

Katherine doesn't normally wear makeup. This picture is from our last visit to Vidor. My sister, Rachel, dolled her up- doesn't she look beautiful? She's always beautiful. Being the oldest, Katherine is always willing to do whatever needs to be done and works very hard at getting along with her siblings. I appreciate her so much for being her. She's going into the 5th grade. She is excited about homeschool starting too. She is interested in so many things and can't wait to learn about it all- like all things Australia, crocheting, sewing, music, art, having a book published... amazing things! She's becoming very task-oriented like her mom.

Ella has the best laugh! Her sense of humor is so surprising sometimes. She's also very inquisitive. Some of the questions she asks are surprising. Lately, the questions have had a lot to do with following Jesus Christ or following Satan and the differences between our Church and other churches. For example, she asked me, "Mom, what are people called if they're not called Mormons?" See what I mean? She'll be starting kindergarten this year, which means she may never go to public school. Our first child to do that! I love that Ella is a good friend. She plays well with all of her siblings and is usually willing to share. When we were in Vidor, she was jumping off the diving board more than anyone-wearing floaties of course. Such a brave girl!

Creating delight

2011-07-23T00:48:00.001-05:00

I love hardback books, especially when they have pretty jackets. I love how they look in my bookcase and how they feel in my hands. I love the crisp pages and being able to see how much I have read and how much is left. However, I'm not so great at reading them...yet.

This book has been sitting on my nightstand since we moved in, as a decoration more or less ~ because I hadn't made time to read it. My mom bought it for me from Deseret Book, for Mother's Day I think. Late last night I decided it was time to at least read some of it. I'm so glad I did! {Thanks Mama for the beautiful book!}

I've found a favorite quote already! It's by the co-author, Shawni Eyre Pothier:

"Sometimes success is when we don't get through the to-do list but instead stop long enough to notice the little things. To savor moments. Not only to notice the delight in our children's eyes, but to create that delight."

Doesn't that just hit you? I mean, I am so grateful to be a mother and to be able to stay at home with them and spend time with them everyday. But I admit, I don't have this perspective often enough. I am a task-oriented person, so I struggle with making time to play with my kids. This time of their lives, when they're so small and need so much, will be gone in a blink.

My new goal is to not just glance and listen, but look into their eyes and hear them. At the risk of sounding cliche- I don't want to miss any smiles. Since we are home-schooling this year, I'll have every opportunity to watch them grow and learn and see the little light bulbs above their heads turn on- see their eyes light up and know that these moments aren't passing unnoticed. I want to create delight.

Que sera, sera

2011-07-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

Whoops- I did not intend for that last post to be my latest for so long! Truthfully, the day before I posted that, and the day after- no, several days after- I wasn't doing so well. Things were a bit stressful around here...things I couldn't control and hadn't expected.

Johnny works at a county hospital. The hospital is doing some renovations and additions, without the money to afford it (sound familiar?). Not wanting to raise taxes to pay for it, they decided to cut the wages of the hardest working healthcare providers...the nurses. Johnny works anywhere from 3-5 nights of overtime per month. The new pay cuts reduced the nighttime differential by $1 and completely eliminated the incentive pay. (Incentive pay was what they paid nurses to work when they weren't originally scheduled to work- roughly $130/shift.) Without discussing too many details, we suffered a huge hit to our budget. We considered all our options and thought the best choice was to apply to the other hospital here. They offered him a job working days or nights, whichever he preferred. After much prayer and fasting, we decided for Johnny to take a day-shift and enroll in online classes for his Bachelor's degree. We felt confident that the timing was right and that we would reach our goal- for Johnny to go to graduate school.

I'm sure you can tell by the tone of this post, that things didn't go as planned. Remember a few weeks back when I was sick with mastitis? Well, that week, Johnny had had a fever too. It lasted about a week and was just over 100°F. He felt tired and had chills- nothing very unusual. We thought it was a virus and didn't worry about it. A few days after the fever left, he had red dots on his legs from his knees down. It wasn't really a rash- didn't itch or even blanch when you touched it. ("You have a rash?" Ratatouille. Haha) It was very odd, so he asked one of the doctors about it while he was at work. They were concerned too, so they had him get lab work done. He's actually had lab work done recently- our doctor is watching his cholesterol/triglycerides/glucose levels. On a side-note, Johnny has lost a lot of weight (not Biggest Loser "lot", but still...) and is no longer considered overweight for his height. His glucose levels are normal (no more diabetes) because he is eating healthy everyday! He's a better person- happier, not so many aches/pains. He has more energy and just feels better. Ah-mazing!

Back to my story... the morning Johnny was scheduled to sign the papers to take the new job, his lab results came back. He met with our doctor, who told him he might have lupus. Shocked? Yeah, we were/are too. We knew then that it wasn't the Lord's will for him to take the job at the other hospital. (I forgot to mention that lots of people from both hospitals told him not to take the job. Of course, I thought, "Who are you? Why should we listen to you?") In order for Johnny to be properly diagnosed or whatever, he would need to see a specialist in Tyler, and we would need our insurance. Had Johnny taken the new job, we would have had no insurance for at least 30 days, and could've been considered a "pre-existing condition".

In my heart, I knew he shouldn't take the job. I felt it, but I was so stubborn that I didn't want to admit it. I didn't want that to be the answer. I really wanted Johnny to be on a day schedule and be able to finish his degree and I thought that was the only way for it to happen. Several times Johnny said, "I just don't think I'm going to take that job." which totally bugged me! And even though he said that, he was still going through with it, until the lab results came back.

I should tell you, the lab results came back in 2 parts. The first result said he had a strep infection and was given an antibiotic. Amazingly enough, the antibiotic cleared up the rash! Now we're really confused.

Either Johnny has lupus (if in the mildest form possible) or he has something or nothing. Regardless, we feel certain that the Lord is aware of us and our needs and we have faith that all will be well. Johnny's got an appointment with a specialist Monday, August 22. Until then... we're finishing up the last of the bunk beds.

Our den is our work space...it's big and air conditioned.

It's in pieces, waiting to be stained later today.

This is from our recent trip to Vidor. Katherine had spent the night with my grandma and we were headed to my sister's pool. Grandma made us pancakes that morning. We love her!

Abide With Me

2011-07-06T02:10:00.000-05:00

Okay, I think I'm ready to talk about it. Postpartum depression, I mean. I know we each have our own trials to experience and that we can and should learn from them. I also think we go through them to help others. It is my hope that I will be able to help someone, someday, after this is all over. Get ready, it's a long one...

When Samuel was 2 1/2 weeks old, I knew I needed help. Johnny worked 12+ hour nights and had an hour long commute, one-way. He spent his days sleeping and I spent mine crying. I felt alone, isolated and confused. There weren't enough Kleenexes to dry my tears. The things I loved and cared about- my kids, my newborn baby, my husband, even tv shows- I lost interest in. It's not that I didn't want them (my family) or wanted something else, I just became apathetic, if that's even the right word.

One morning, after we got the kids off to school and I had somewhat planned my day (try to be productive and spend time with the kids and rest), I became uncontrollably emotional. Johnny was supposed to work that night and I was anticipating him going upstairs to sleep and being alone. Again. To be alone with my thoughts was terrifying for me. I never considering hurting my baby or my kids. My thoughts were more self-destructive...convincing myself I was a bad mother, not worthy of life, that my kids deserved better, that Johnny deserved better... Day after day and night after night I battled these thoughts. There were times I even became suicidal. Miraculously, those times I was not alone. The Lord blessed me and made sure Johnny was there. I was able to communicate my thoughts enough that he knew I was sinking and needed help, Heaven's help. The day before, my sister Sarah called to check on me. She knew I had been emotional, but didn't know how bad it was. When she asked how I was doing, I said, "ok" and quickly changed the subject to my kids. I knew that I would break down if she pressed me for details, so I avoided it completely. I did this with everyone that called. Sarah told me about her friend that had PPD and how she got help. We spoke only briefly, but she said, "Jill, you don't have to wait for it to get better. It's okay to get help!" She doesn't know it, but I lost it before she hung up. I knew she was right and that I needed help, but I wasn't sure I could ask for it. Everyday I tried to pull myself together when the kids were around and if I couldn't, I'd "go to the bathroom" or something.

That morning, I could feel the anxiety mounting, my muscles in my arms and legs became tense and I began wringing my hands as I often do when the anxiety is too much. I walked over to Johnny, who was at the computer working on church stuff, and handed him my cell phone. I had it on my contacts list and, crying, I asked him to call my doctor and make an appointment for me. It was then that he called in sick to work. I wasn't able to see my ob/gyn that day, so we made an appointment with a new family doctor. I was a walk-in. Johnny's parents rushed over- even though there was a 40 minute drive- to watch the little ones and pick the kids up from school so we could go. There was a huge sense of relief at that moment. My tears stopped, for the most part and I was able to take deep breaths. Of course, I fell apart in the doctor's office and Johnny had to explain things to him. But it was a start. I got a prescription for Lexapro. He said I was a classic PPD patient and that it would get better. I had my doubts, but hoped he was right.

After I left the doctor's office, I didn't cry for a week. I felt more like myself- and by "more" I mean, I didn't cry, I still wasn't "me". After some adjustments in the dosage I developed a pretty normal routine again. I visited once with a counselor with LDS Family Services that also helped me cope with stresses and taught me how to better communicate and deal with things. The best word I know to describe myself those many months, was "broken". I felt like a shell of a person compared to what I knew to be my "best". At my best, my house was organized and clean, the kids were fed healthy food and often, the laundry was done, I exercised daily and did fun projects and had dates with my husband, watching recorded episodes of Biggest Loser or Survivor or something. I was so far from that person I knew to be me.

Even on medication, I felt broken. It made me emotionally numb- not too sad, but not smiling much either. I was grateful for the medicine though. It got me through a lot of stressful times (moving was the biggest). My last dose was May 26. My doctor supervised my withdrawal- I do NOT recommend quitting anything like that cold turkey. During the withdrawal time, I was on an emotional roller-coaster. For a few days after decreasing my dosage for the first time, I was angry about nothing and I knew it, it was awful. Then everything evened out. The next week I decreased again and felt fine until a few days after that. I became somewhat depressed again and a little emotional, but not too bad. Again, everything evened out. The last dosage change was the kicker. Following the same pattern, a few days later I was an emotional wreck. I felt like I had regressed completely and that all the progress I had made was fake- as if I were a robot and the medicine dictated my feelings and thoughts and actions and without it, I was broken. I thought I would have to get back on my medication and start all over again. I decided to wean off of it was because I was doing so much better and felt like the side effects were hindering my progression. The "numbing" feeling kept me from feeling much at all. It was a different kind of apathy- I couldn't think clearly or gather my thoughts well enough to finish a task. That must be what ADD feels like. I trudged through it. I cried my tears and asked for my family's prayers and you know what? Morning came and with it a new day. I had ambition again. I set small goals for myself- ones that would help me feel accomplished and like a good wife/mother... laundry, for instance.

During some of my darkest times, I sought solace in hymns, scriptures and quotes. Here is a hymn that I would like to share. It's called "Abide with Me!". I like it so much because it fit so well with what I was going through at the time. It's words are comforting. Who else can understand but the Savior?

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea—
Come, Friend of sinners, and thus abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

On October 18, just 5 days after going to the doctor, I made a home video. I knew that things would get better eventually and I wanted to look back at that time in my life. I wanted to see it for what it was because, at the time, I didn't have a real sense of reality. So, here it is, in 4 parts...

It's still difficult for me to watch those videos. At the time, I really thought my house was a big part of the problem. I honestly thought that if the house was cleaner, I would feel/behave better. I'm glad I made them- now I can see it wasn't that bad. When I watch the videos, what I notice the most is the sound of my voice. It was so sad and I can hear the hopelessness in it. Not hopeless that, "Oh no! My house is so messy, how will I ever clean it up the way it used to be?!"- that's how I felt at the time. No, it's the sound of depression- lonely, hopeless and apathetic.

I am grateful to know that I am not alone. I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, a Savior that knows me and cares for me, and a loving family who supports me. I will no longer be broken. I choose life...I choose to live with gratitude and thanksgiving for my family, my covenants and the trials I am given that continue to make me stronger and better able to understand and be more like my Savior. That is, after-all, why we are here.

Motivate ME Monday

2011-07-05T22:20:00.001-05:00

Yikes! It's Tuesday and I just remembered!

{Thanks Sarah!}

First, I have to say how proud I am of Sarah for keeping up with Motivate Me Monday

and for starting it to begin with! She is doing amazing, isn't she?!

As for myself, not so great. I gave myself last week to recuperate completely before putting my body through anything strenuous. And so far, this week is following suit. I'm not very motivated to workout. {boo!} I really don't want to lose ground, but I have continued to lose weight and am happy about that. Mostly, the weight loss is from staying busy and not having much of an appetite. So I can't complain.

On a lighter note, it looks like Samuel is going to officially crawl! He has been doing the "army crawl" for awhile now- using both his forearms and legs. The tile has been good to slide and scoot around. Today he tried his hands and knee(s) and was so proud of himself. He would drag one leg so he could quickly transfer to a seated position, and he didn't go far (hence no picture). Once seated, he would clap and kick his legs as if he knew he had done something wonderful! Of course, we all lit up and clapped with him each time- because he is wonderful. Also, he has learned that pulling himself up and holding onto things is the single most fun activity. ever.

This evening I was reading The Hobbit with Katherine and Travis. Olivia, Ella & Bryn were supposed to be cleaning their room, and Samuel ventured down the hall to my bedroom. He made a noise and Travis went running to check on him. He had pulled himself up to my bathtub and turned on the faucet! Haha! Who knew he was capable or ready!? We're definitely going to have to watch this one- gotta keep the doors closed.

This is from today- he had a great time feeding himself:

Look at that dimple! Oh, how I love this boy!

Enter to win!!

2011-07-04T22:53:00.001-05:00

In case you haven't heard ~ my sister Melissa is doing a give-away on her blog!

Isn't that a beautiful bookmark?! Totally makes me want to read. So it's convenient that she's also giving away this book:

As much as I hope to win, I know it would totally make her day if you entered! So head on over to her blog and leave a comment. Follow this link and tell her I sent you.

The Smiley Intervention

2011-07-01T11:17:00.002-05:00

I am publicly admitting I have a problem. I really like blogging and I like commenting on other people's blogs. You may have noticed that I use these a lot :

LOL : / !!

:( :'( :)

Emoticons. It's become a popular way to express emotion in a written form. These forms of expression are getting out-of-control! (That exclamation mark was necessary.) I'm actually starting to get on my own nerves. I can't even send a text message without some cute smiley face or a giant "!" *sigh*

It's time for an intervention. Cue YouTube:

Really don't want to hoard cats in my old age.

Motivate Me Monday: Losing Weight without the Workout!

2011-06-27T19:53:00.000-05:00

Since I last posted, I have worked out maybe twice. But I'm not apologizing or even asking for more encouragement, because I have lost, like 3-4 lbs!

That's pretty amazing, right?! Last Tuesday morning I had a great workout! I did Turbo Sculpt and was able to push myself more than I had in a long time.

That afternoon I felt sore. I love feeling sore after a workout! But I did think it was odd that I would feel sore so soon.

The next day I knew I had a sinus infection and maybe a virus. My legs and joints ached and my sinuses burned, but no fever. Shoulda known the soreness wasn't from the workout.

*sigh*

On top of that, all week I was running errands and didn't get to nurse Samuel as often as usual. Ella had dental surgery on Friday, so I was away for several hours. (She had some cavities worked on. I'll blog about it soon.)

By Saturday night I had full blown mastitis. 102.3° fever, aches, chills, miserable. My aches and pains from earlier in the week were still there, only worse. So I'm still not sure if I had 1 or 2 sicknesses. ??

Today I still feel weak and sick, but no fever. I've been nursing exclusively. Poor Samuel. He was really liking his baby food. Also, I'm about to start an antibiotic (once I pick it up)- or should I if I'm not running a fever anymore?

Once I'm able to workout again, I'm really going to hit the weights hard! I don't want to lose muscle from being sick. Plus it's my favorite way to workout ;)

I have to say, my kids have been amazing! Not only was I sick, but Johnny has been sick since last Tuesday (or maybe before that) with a low-grade fever, and Travis has had a fever since Sunday. Katherine has been an angel babysitting for me and helping around the house. Olivia and Bryn have been super helpful and Ella too, when she could. Samuel is all smiles all the time. He had a fever last night, but seems okay today.

I couldn't ask for more.

♥

Motivate ME Monday

2011-06-20T22:21:00.002-05:00

As if the time doesn't say it all... I should be doing dishes. I should be finishing up an amazing workout. But here I sit, Monday night 10:16 p.m. CST, mostly because I'm a one-upper ;)

My darling sister, Sarah, has started Motivate Me Monday on her family blog. We have SO much in common these days.

We both recently moved (into amazingly beautiful houses by-the-way) and we both recently (9 mos ago is recent) had babies! Which means we have both fallen into the pit of despair. (any Princess Bride fans out there?)

A few years back, Sarah introduced me to Turbo Jam and I fell in love. Unlike her, I adore working out with weights. For me, the euphoric high I get from working out seems to last longer when I've used weights rather than doing just cardio.

I love the feeling of sore muscles for days after. To me, that means what I'm doing is working! Johnny bought me a road bike and a trainer and I've used it, but I haven't gotten the sore muscles from it like I do when I use a video or iPhone app. (I know I could if I'd up the resistance, but I'm too chicken.)

Like I haven't put enough plugs in for Chalene Johnson ~ but I have to say, I truly LOVE her. She's fun to listen to and easy to follow and, yes, she still reminds me of my sister Melissa! She just gets the job done. I know from experience that if I do her workouts, I'll get the results.

Last week, I was doing great! Worked out most days, ate well, felt great! That is, until Saturday. You see, Saturday was our 12th anniversary!

(Thank you!)

I made the kids brownies- with mint chocolate marshmallows and semi-sweet chocolate chips on top. What was I thinking?! I'm not that strong. Before I knew it, I had eaten at least half of my calorie allotment for the entire day. At least.

*sigh*

Then, that night, we ate at Red Lobster. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we ordered enough food to feed the entire population of Rhode Island. Not kidding. And it wasn't even that impressive. There was lobster on my plate. Honestly, based on that- lobster is totally overrated! And not worth the money.

(I've since spoken with someone who assured me it was not cooked correctly. We'll see. Maybe.)

So of course, we got To-Go boxes and ate the rest on Sunday.

(Did you know you could fry broccoli?! Tasty but SO bad for you.)

Happy Father's Day to us.

My point is, is that once I've "messed up", it's hard to recommit and get back on track. (I don't mean to offend anyone, I don't have a lot of room to complain- my healthy eating/exercise has a lot to do with my mental health and not just losing baby weight- that's for another post.) I'm sure many of you can relate, right?

SO... At the risk of being completely cliché, it IS Monday, and I am newly committed!

(Thanks Sarah for the motivating post on your blog today!)

Today's workout: Turbo Sculpt using my Bowflex dumbbells. Having good equipment is motivating too ;)

Here's one of my favorite episodes of The Office. I often quote it...

It's about time!

2011-06-16T22:24:00.002-05:00

I have a skewed mentality when it comes to blogging. I've convinced myself that I can't blog what's happening now unless I blog everything I've missed!

Obviously, it's not working so well for me. There's no way I'll be able to effectively, let alone cleverly, blog everything that's happened in the last... year?

Here's a quick run-down of what I need to blog about. Maybe you could leave me a comment or two asking for me to expound about some or all or none of these specifics:

THE move- we moved from Hemphill to Nacogdoches and LOVE. IT.
Samuel- the cutest, sweetest, most personable baby. ever. (besides our other 5)
Birthdays (Katherine is 10 1/2, Travis just turned 9, Olivia turned 7 yesterday, Ella is 5, Bryn is 3, Samuel is 8 mos, Johnny is, oops, got carried away)
New friends (we have met some of the nicest people- neighbors, members of our ward)
Fun projects (we are making bunkbeds for our kids, installed a bunch of cabinets/countertop for homeschooling, painted- see pics below, gonna make bookshelves in the hall)
Postpartum depression (yes it's real, yes I had it, yes I'm doing better, no I'm not going to write about it tonight- but maybe soon)
Goals (health, family, personal, routine, future)
Johnny (his job, his health, how wonderful he is)
Jill (might be included in the ppd post, but maybe not. lots of things she wants you to know about her.)

Okay, that's quite a bit. :/ Well, the initial reason for posting tonight is...

drumroll please...

Monica came for a visit- you know that means we did some major home improvements

in a short amount of time! :) We're talking, Extreme Makeover (on a budget of course)!

Her first night here, she and I stayed up talking and laughing and not eating- but wishing, until 2:30 a.m.

During that time, we chose paint colors for our living room/dining/kitchen/hallway. We were SO excited. We went to Lowe's last night at about 8:30 p.m. and bought 2 gallons of Mexican Sand and 1 gallon of Mesa Tumbleweed, both semi-gloss. We put the kids to bed and painted and painted and painted til we dropped! That was about 3:30 a.m. Yikes! We moseyed out of bed and picked back up this morning. From about 9:30 or 10 this morning til 3:30 this afternoon, we toiled and conquered! :)

Before you go to Sherwin Williams website or Lowes website looking for those colors, why don't I just show you what they look like? Huh?

But first, I need to tell you I had Monica bring a few gallons of her leftover paint. I really like her living room/kitchen/foyer color- it's green and FREE for me! :) She was super generous to donate it for our cause.

The yellow had to go!

If you forgot, allow me to refresh your memory:

(notice the 12 tiles above the sink. Yeah, not my favorite, but that's another project for another day.)

The kitchen and part of the hallway. Yellow everywhere!

Excuse the laundry- at least it's clean!

Don't get me wrong. Yellow has it's place- just not in these rooms.

Ahhhhh...the after pictures:

(these pictures were taken today, just to show the amazing difference- we'll take more and post after we decorate.)

Like I said, this was taken during the process. Kitchens a bit messy, sorry. That's what happens when I go into project mode.

The vaulted ceiling was fun to paint. Huh, Monica? She is an expert painter!

Travis wanted to help. I think it says, "Walmart"- not sure why.

After you're finished looking at the beautiful walls, take a glance down at the cute boy headed for the camera ;)

The bay window is Monica's green color- nice accent wall, eh?

Really leaning toward replacing the Roman shades. Maybe I'll make some. Later.

You can see into the den at the cabinets/desk. We decorated with pictures of Olivia because yesterday was her birthday. Just thought I'd add that. ;)

Doesn't it just look like it was always supposed to be like this?!

Thank you Monica- never could have done it without you! You are the BEST!

Don't run off just yet... wouldn't you like to see some super cute kids? I snapped these tonight while the kids watched a DVR of America's Got Talent:

Notice Katherine is crocheting while watching the show.

(Mama, Brenda, Monica, Melissa- you should all be so proud! I know I am!)

Monica and Brenda have taught her so much. I'm glad she's wanted to learn and had such great teachers.

Lia will be staying a week and a half while Monica is at Girls' Camp next week. Our kids are in HEAVEN!

Samuel is already in bed (hopefully for the entire night since I'm going on 8 hours of sleep for the last 2 nights combined. It's worth it.)

Here's a recent pic of this beautiful boy:

♥

Time4Learning Part 2

2011-05-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

It's been a month since my kids first began Time4Learning.

They have LOVED it!

It's so interactive and fun that they don't even mind

learning math :).

I have loved that I am able to review their "backpack",

see their grades, and if need be, have them

re-do an assignment or two.

Since we've joined Time4Learning in the middle of the school year,

we'll probably continue through some of the summer to

insure they will be ready for next year.

While I don't think Time4Learning will be all they'll ever need,

I must say, I am very pleased with what they have to offer.

Olivia is in Kindergarten and is still working on learning to read.

Most days of the week, she does a lot with Language Arts.

Travis is in the 3rd grade, and his favorite subject is science.

He struggles with math, so I've had him working on

memorizing his math facts.

Katherine is in the 4th grade. She also struggles with math facts,

so it's been crucial for her to review and practice with flash cards

and with Time4Learning.

I feel more confident in my ability to homeschool my kids

because I have Time4Learning as a resource. I've been able to

set the kids up on their computers in the morning

and go do dishes or laundry or feed Samuel.

It's a running joke that Time4Learning is like

a Crockpot- I set it up and walk away. I only have
to check on it from time-to-time. ;)

7 Months

2011-05-07T10:30:00.004-05:00

Samuel is THE cutest. baby. ever.

We are having so much fun with him.

His personality is coming out and now that he is

7 months old, he is sitting up with pride.

Samuel is such a happy baby. He's long overdue for

his checkup; he's got an appointment next week.

According to our bathroom scale, he's topped 18 lbs!

For our kids, that's

UNHEARD OF

before reaching 18 months! Haha!

A day for pictures

2011-05-06T17:22:00.000-05:00

The weather lately has been absolutely breathtaking!

We decided to take advantage of it this morning, since Johnny was home.

Lake Nacogdoches is just down the road ~what better place to take family pictures?

There's also a great playground with wonderful shade.

Ahhh, the perks of homeschooling. ;)

We love it here.

Time4Learning

2011-04-11T10:42:00.000-05:00

We've moved in! There is so much we love about living here. We love our neighbors, our ward, and every corner of this house!! So now it's time to end our hiatus from school. This extended "Spring Break" has lasted a bit longer than I had anticipated. We've decided to use an online homeschool curriculum called Time4Learning. I'm excited about using it. In the future I may supplement with other things, but for now this will be a great introduction to homeschooling. My sister, Monica, set me up with it and I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. Time4Learning can be used for homeschool, afterschool and summer skill sharpening. Be sure to come back and read about my experience!

Virtual Tour

2011-02-16T07:12:00.001-06:00

We took the kids to see the house yesterday.

{They skipped school!}

Do you wanna see it? I thought so.

Come on in!

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

*Correction: The boys and girls are switching rooms. Katherine & Olivia will get the upstairs part of the new girls room and Ella & Bryn will be in the downstairs. Wait til you see what their beds will look like!!

Moving Right Along

2011-02-14T12:56:00.001-06:00

Wow! This is my first post this year! Sorry bout that.

Someday I'll bore you with the details as to why my blog has been neglected.

But for now, I'm back with news and pictures!

In 6, very l-o-n-g, weeks from now, we are moving (March 25th)!

We're buying our first (FIRST) home(!!) and are SO excited.

Beyond excited. We're experiencing sheer joy!

It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2200 (almost) sq ft brick home built in 2005

on a (little over) 1/2 acre just outside Nacogdoches Texas. It's perfect for us!

view from road

front of the house

a beautiful front door was on my wish list. :)

window to "clubhouse" in boys room.

back door inside screened porch- leads to den.

garage and utility garage.

our culvert- future circle drive entrance.

neighbors before our house.

all of the houses have street lamps on the mailboxes.

We hope to have lots of visitors!

Samuel Cade Ratcliff

2010-12-13T16:21:00.000-06:00

The pictures you are about to see are real.

They were taken as the events actually happened.

These are not actors.

This is the story of the birth of a baby boy...

{Get comfortable. It's long, but it's good!}

No, it's not a basketball. It's not even a watermelon.

This is me, merely hours before delivery.

Penicillin hurts going in.

Samuel Cade Ratcliff. Born 9-23-10 at 9:23 a.m.

6 lbs 13 oz 19" long.

Funny thing happened. My body stopped regulating my temperature

and my temp got down to 93°. The doctor ordered Benadryl

and a warming blanket. After several hours, it got up to 99°!

I'm all better!

Time to go home. Johnny helped pick out his outfit. Isn't it perfect!?

Time to meet the family for the first time...

Look at that dimple!

Oh! Bath time was not his favorite :(

His first time to go to church.

Halloween 2010

By 2 weeks old, he weighed 8 lbs 10 oz.

This picture was taken at Sears- impromptu. He was 3 weeks old.

Now, Samuel weighs a little over 12 lbs and

will be 3 months December 23rd.

His Blessing Day ~ November 21st, 2010.

My friend, Liberti, made this for him. Isn't it adorable?

I think he looks hilarious! He's almost outgrown it already!

Stay tuned for more... Mr. Personality is growing everyday! ;)

Tis the Season

2010-12-13T13:07:00.000-06:00

Christmas is by far my favorite time of year. You may remember

a little project I was working on this past summer--? Well, I'm

ready to share it in all it's glory!

My advent calendar turned out beautifully!! (Thanks Abby!)

Besides my children, this is what I'm most proud of creating.

I want it to last F-O-R-E-V-E-R!

I didn't want the pockets to become stretched out, so I

put little wallet sized cards in each pocket. Every day we

have an activity to do together that brings the Christmas Spirit.

For example, for this coming Thursday, the card says, "Watch The Polar

Express and drink hot chocolate!" Can't wait!

I think the plug on the end is the cutest thing ever!

Guess what we're doing on the 22nd!

Since we added to our family this year, we needed another stocking.

The cutesy "My First Christmas" stocking was not even going to happen, so naturally

I made all new stockings personalized for each family member!

AND we made stocking holders {another Pottery Barn copycat}!

I got this painting for my birthday in October. I love it so much

I think we'll keep it up all year long.

I covered styrofoam "trees" in the matching fabric from the

calendar and stockings. I love how they turned out.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a matching

treeskirt. I have to say, it was a PAIN to make {I'll admit- I'm not an

expert seamstress.} ~ but it was worth it.

Another advent activity was to make snowflake

ornaments for the tree out of pipe cleaners.

They turned out pretty cute. Johnny and the kids

thought it would be fun to spell Santa. So... here is...

Speaking of Santa, he came early this year {for some of us}. We got

new living room furniture and we LOVE it. Here's a look

at our living room this time of year. It's cozy and festive and

one of my favorite places in the world...

Merry Christmas to all!

Motherhood

2010-07-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine posted this on her blog recently. Jeffrey R. Holland is one of my favorites to hear

and this message was one I have needed...

thought you might too...

365 x 11= ♥

2010-06-20T15:25:00.000-05:00

This year for our ELEVENTH anniversary,

Johnny and I went on a little trip :)

We stayed at an old historic home in Nacogdoches.

They had homemade bread and butter and jam! So good...

We fished Lake Nacogdoches. (Surprise! Our trip included fishing!)

It was really beautiful!

We actually caught about the same number of fish- even though

it looks like I totally beat Johnny. Haha!

Next time we'll be sure to take better pictures.

But we did see lots of wildlife...

Eleven years together and happier than ever!

Olivia Turns Six

2010-06-19T14:58:00.025-05:00

Poor Olivia has never had a "real" birthday party.

So this year we wanted to make up for it and go all out!

Not only did she have a "real" birthday party, but a swimming party!!

We had it the Saturday before her birthday.

Her Aunt Melissa and Uncle Thomas were so nice to let us have

her party at their house and use their pool! (Thanks Moore family!)

She thought it was pretty great! Turning 6 was a big deal

for her- she waited a whole year for it! ;)

On her actual birthday, June 15th, her cousin Bradyn was here.

They all got to play on her brand new slip-n-slide!

Lots of fancy presents- perfect for a fancy girl turning 6!

She asked for a Pineapple Upside Cake, yum!

It was a fun day!

We love you Olivia! You're such a fun girl and we're so happy

to have you in our family!

he's gr8!

2010-05-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

Travis was born Friday, May 17th, 2002 at 2:10 p.m.

He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and was 20 3/4" long.

It's hard to believe it's been 8 years...

For his birthday supper, Johnny grilled chicken shish-kabobs...

Unfortunately, one side got burned,

but we still enjoyed it!

We got him this picture for his bedroom- for the "boys' bedroom" ;).

He wanted a cookie cake, so we made our favorite recipe

from a favorite cookbook:

He LOVES Star Wars and Legos. Apparently, Darth Vader's clothes were lost,

and he had to borrow from one of his Stormtroopers. Oops!

I love how Katherine is helping blow out the candles! So cute!

It's good!

Monica, Lia, Nate and Marcus came and spent Friday night with us.

Saturday morning, the day of his baptism, we had THIS for breakfast ~

His baptism was on Saturday, May 22nd at 11 o'clock.

It was at the Jasper Branch building. We were so thankful for

so many of our family and friends being there!

We had a birthday party for him afterwards, with chili dogs and, his favorite cookie cakes.

We had to have two for all those people, plus it made a cool "#8" ;)

Thanks to everyone that came! We are so proud of Travis and happy

to have him in our family!

Here are 8 things we LOVE about Travis ~

1. He's funny!

2. Travis cares about everyone.

3. He has a vivid imagination.

4. He likes to read.

5. He loves his sisters (and can't wait to have a brother!).

6. He's obedient and helpful.

7. Travis has a testimony.

and last but not least...

8. Travis is gr8!!!

We love you Travis!

The rest of the story

2010-04-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

Last fall, I began to wonder if we should have another baby. I guess you could say that I

was prompted. Each time I approached Johnny with the idea, he became somewhat contentious

and would sternly shun the idea. I asked him to at least pray about it and we planned a trip to the temple.

On our way home from Dallas, I became more convinced that we should have a baby and he became more convinced that we were finished. Very confusing, right? During this time, we never

spoke of any of this with anyone- not our children, parents, siblings or acquaintances.

One morning, Johnny was at work and I had just dropped the kids off at school. As I drove away from the sidewalk and my kids walked to their classrooms, my 4 year old, Ella breaks the silence with ~

"Where is our brother?"

me: "Travis? He is going to his class."

"No, our other brother."

me: (I'm wondering if she is thinking about Jesus Christ or if she knows something I don't know.) "You don't have another brother."

"Yes we do! And he wants to live with us! He's trying to live with us SO BAD!"

me: "Really? What's his name? Where is he right now?"

She couldn't give me an answer, but it certainly made me think and, of course, I thought it was adorable!

That night, I hesitatingly recalled the conversation to Johnny. We both felt the Spirit. After that experience, we were both excited and looked forward to welcoming another family member. I didn't know for sure if there would be a guarantee that we'd have a son, but I was certainly praying and fasting that we could.

Before my first doctor's appointment, I was really nervous and worried that I might have a miscarriage. I've had two before and didn't feel like I could handle it this time. I asked for a priesthood blessing. I had faith that the Lord knew best and that if I were to have a miscarriage that I would be okay. In the blessing I was told that "the time had come for (my) prayers to be answered." A feeling of relief and excitement came over me! I felt like, "He said yes!" meaning, God said Yes, you can have a baby boy! Haha! But I couldn't allow myself to be certain that it would be a boy. Maybe I didn't have enough faith or maybe it was a trial- ?? In my heart, I felt like it had to be a boy, but I continued to dismiss it and say to myself, "Well, that's because you want it to be a boy." (Which I realize happens a lot, to everybody with different situations.) So I tried to prepare myself and my kids for the possibility of Heavenly Father saying, "No." Either way, Johnny and I knew this would be the last baby. (Who wants to drive a 12-15 passenger van everywhere they go? Joy- don't answer that! Hahaha!) My oldest two, Katherine (almost 10) and Travis (almost 8) prayed every night for it to be a boy (even though I told them it was too late, and the baby was already one or the other) and gave me an extra hug before bed as they said, "I hope it's a boy!"

Today finally came! My ultrasound was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. A sweet friend of mine offered to watch Ella and Bryn while Johnny and I went for the appointment- so much appreciated! Johnny and I were both anxious and nervous and excited. The doctor came in and as he prepped me for the ultrasound, I asked him if he was anxious to see the gender! He laughed and said, "Okay, we'll look for the gender first and then at everything else!" Yay! He moved the thing (what is it called?) around and as soon as he got in the right spot, I gasped! There was no doubt and Johnny saw it too! We were all so excited! Even the Dr was excited for us! :) I'm 17 weeks and 5 days today, and he said he'd do another ultrasound sometime later on in the pregnancy and check everything out, but so far it all looks good! I think I smiled so big that my cheeks began to hurt! As we got ready to leave, the Dr congratulated me and gave me a hug and shook Johnny's hand. Finding out that we ARE having a SON makes me so much more relaxed. Just knowing that I can plan and prepare and feel "completely done", I think I can enjoy the rest of this pregnancy so much more.

Of course the kids are super excited and I feel like their sweet little testimonies have been strengthened. (Though we talked a LOT with them about how our prayers are always answered, just not always the way we want them to be. It doesn't mean that Heavenly Father doesn't love us or want us to be happy, He just knows what's best and what we want isn't always what's best.)

As far as names go... we've pretty much decided on Samuel (Sam) Cade. Of course, meeting him might change that. All of our kids are named after someone (first and/or middle names). We have a nephew named Cade ~ before him, I'd never heard the name. He's super sweet and smart and such a good example. Also, a very dear missionary, that was recently transferred from our area, is named Cade. We became very close to him and he means a lot to us. Right now he's serving in another part of the Dallas Texas Mission and doesn't know yet that we are having a son and naming him after him- won't he be surprised!?

Well, now you know the rest of the story!

I mean, who doesn't want another one of these ↓ ??

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

2010-04-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

{Although I didn't write this, I think it applies and should be shared. Plus, it's way funny! Oh- and #11 was added by a friend of mine.}

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn’t mean me – then you should probably read this twice.

1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is ‘Congratulations!’ with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father – not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase ‘my baby’.

3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it…

4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight…ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is ‘You look fabulous!’.

6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.

7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren’t invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won’t be invited to be there when it comes out either.

8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parent’s home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to ‘help out’. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with
cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

11. Unless you're having the baby or will spend a considerable amount of time taking care of it, you do not need a complete nursery in your house.

Sincerely,

All the Pregnant Women in the World

A Sing Along Surprise!

2010-03-30T18:35:00.001-05:00

Can't help falling in love

2010-02-13T13:18:00.000-06:00

This calendar year, 2010 is the same calendar year as 1999. (Being sentimental has its

advantages~ how else would I know this fact?)

Johnny and I officially met January 29, 1998 at a Young Single Adult dance in Beaumont Texas

at the Institute Building on Lamar campus. (I say officially, because I saw him at the Christmas dance the month before, from across the room, but he didn't see me.)

I was standing in front of the counter-top of the kitchen area, that opened up to the cultural hall, alone. Wait, first let me say this. I had recently come home from BYU, I was broke and felt a little unsure of my future. I wanted to get married, but I wanted to live near my family (hence leaving "The Land of Plenty" and coming to "The Land of Desolation"). My older brother, Travis, asked if I wanted to go with him to the YSA dance that night. I quickly got excited! Yes! Something to do, a social life! :) We got ready and headed to Beaumont. Okay, back to standing alone... I had a little bit of an attitude. I was shy, and I didn't know anyone, so I put up the "wall". (Dr. Phil hates that word, doesn't he? lol). K, so I'm standing there, my brother goes off and talks to friends, and I'm alone. (I keep saying that. But seriously, I hated being alone at a social event. HATED.) A couple of girls introduced themselves to me and then went their own way, probably getting food together or something. They were friendly, but I wasn't about to follow them around. (Oh, did I mention I'm 19 years old now?) So I'm standing there and I feel someone looking at me. I look to the left of the room, and there he is, staring. And I think to myself, "What's he looking at?" (Attitude, remember?) Behind him is a group of guys standing in a circle, so he's also standing alone.

He proceeds to come over and extends his hand...

"Hi, Johnny Ratcliff".

"Hi, I'm Jill."

"I don't think I've seen you at any of the Stake things. Did you just get home from a mission?"

(For those that don't know, guys go on missions for our church at 19 yrs old. Girls go at 21. He thinks I'm 21!)

"Uh, I'm only 19. I've been at BYU and just moved back." (Totally insulted.)

"Oh, okay. What's your last name?"

"Sellers."

"Oh, are you related to Sarah Sellers?"
"Yeah, she's my older sister."
"Oh! I remember her. Y'all moved away when she and I were teenagers."

"Yeah, we moved to central Texas, but my parents moved back, so we're here now. She just got married and lives in Utah."

"Oh, okay. Well it was really nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too."

He goes to talk to one of the girls that introduced themselves to me earlier, and I'm now alone, again.

The music is playing, people are mingling and he comes back! He asks me to dance and says, "Consider it a service project." Ooooh- I didn't look too happy or fun that night. I had a crush on a guy, and he got there late and didn't really pay any attention to me. Unfortunately, you can read my face like a book and it seemed like I didn't like Johnny. I tried really hard to change that, quickly. He was a gentleman and walked me back to my "spot". ;) I think I danced with other guys that night, but I don't really remember them.

My brother decided to leave early and arranged for me to get a ride home with another guy. Feelings of insecurity and nervousness made my whole body ache for a second. (Social anxiety?) But before he left, he asked if I was having a good time. I said yes and told him I met a guy named Johnny Ratcliff and danced with him. Travis said, "Be careful of that guy. He's looking." (Meaning he's looking to get married.) I gasped and said, "Really? How do you know?" "I can tell." Well, he can look all he wants, but I'll dance with him anyway. lol It doesn't mean anything. Right?

We danced three times that night. Why do I remember this?

He even offered to take me home, but I already had a ride.

When I got home, everyone was asleep. The next morning my mom asked how the dance was. I told her everything I just wrote... about how he was staring at me and I thought, "What's he looking at?" and how he thought I'd been on a mission already and how we ultimately danced 3 times that night. He turned out to be the highlight of my night :)

Ironically, my little sister (17 yrs old) had a date that afternoon, with his younger brother, Erik (my age). I had seen Erik at the dance the night before- he was in the group of guys near Johnny. Of course, this reminded me of Johnny and the night before even more, but didn't think much of anything would come of it, but it certainly gave me new hope for my future in the Land of Desolation.

The next day, Sunday, I went to nursery with my little sister Rachel, since she didn't like it and I didn't have ~~anything better to do~~ a calling. My older sister, Monica was also in there. (I had been confiding in Monica and her husband Benny with my dating woes- before meeting Johnny.) Benny was in the Stake Young Men's Presidency. From time-to-time, he would travel to outside wards and branches in our stake. Today he happened to go to Jasper. Wait, isn't that where Johnny lives? Oh, yeah, it is. (I'm completely unaware of his calling or where he went that day until...) He walks into the nursery, church is almost over, and he says, "Come here I need to talk to you." So Monica goes over and he says, "No, I mean Jill." OK. Weird.

So he says, "I went to the Jasper Branch today and I talked to Johnny Ratcliff. I told him he should ask you out."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, he's a really nice guy and he's in the Young Men's Presidency there..."

"Yeah, I actually met him the other night at a dance."

"Yeah, he said that. I told him he should ask you out. He said he thought you had a boyfriend (whatever gave him that idea?), but I told him you didn't and that it was a limited time offer. I gave him your number and told him to use my name and you better say yes!"

"Benny! He's not going to call!"

"Yes he is!"

"Well, I'll see what I can do. I'm not promising anything cause he's probably not going to call."

Sunday, no phone call.

Monday, no phone call. Parents go out of town, I'm in charge of little brother and sisters.

Tuesday, no phone call, still in charge.

See I told you so! He probably isn't calling just because you told him to. I should just forget about it.

Wednesday, "Jill, telephone!" as I'm outside playing "Get Off My Father's Apple Tree" with Rachel, who is 2.

I scoop her up and run inside and down the hall. I pick up the phone in the bedroom and my grandma hangs up the other phone. I catch my breath, cause, I was running after-all. That's the only reason, really.

"Hello?"

"Is this Jill?"

"Yes." (Still not sure if it's him, but I like his voice.)

"Hi, this is Johnny Ratcliff. We met at the dance the other night."
"Oh yeah, hi."

Chit-chat. Lots of nervous laughter from him. Weird faces from me. (Still not sure if he is doing Benny a favor.)

"My cousin needs a double date this Saturday. He asked me to double with him, would you like to go?"

(Sounds like he really wants to ask me out! Not.)

(16-17 yr olds double date, or group date, as a general rule in our Church.)

"Sure, that sounds like fun."

"Okay, good. Well, I'll get the details from him and I'll call you back with a time and to get directions to your house."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

Hang up.

He called back later that night. My little sisters and brother were watching a Disney movie and he called for directions. (I remember pointless details.) Rather than give him directions to my grandma's house (where we lived at the time) I gave him directions to my sister, Melissa's house because it was easier to get to and I didn't know the names of all the roads very well. I think we decided on 5:00 p.m. ?? It was daylight still, and it was February, so I think that's right.

I was pretty excited to have a date. I didn't have a huge crush on him yet, which was actually a good thing, because I was relaxed!

OH- this was back in the day of those little Caller ID boxes. My 17 yr old sister was super boy crazy (admit it!) and saw the name RATCLIFF CHAS 4x9-3x4-434x. She can't stand it!

"Did Erik Ratcliff call for me?"

"No."

"Well, why is his number on the caller id?"

"It's none of your business! It wasn't for you." (Such a nice sister.)

(Up until this point I hadn't mentioned my date or phone call to anyone.)

Finally I give in and say, "It was his brother for me!"

"Oh."

My parents got home late Wednesday night or early Thursday. My mom said they had to go back out of town on Friday (we were trying to sell our old house in Central Texas) and asked if I wanted to go. Again- happy to get out of the house, I said yes! BUT I have a date Saturday night. She was excited for me and assured me we could be back in time.

Saturday, February 6th came. It was the day of our date! We got a late start in Davilla and left late. We rushed back to Vidor and I hurried and got ready. He got to my sister's house, with his cousin and visited in the living room til I came out- minutes later. I think my nephews tried to use him as a jungle gym.

Travis was there and I asked him how I looked before going out. He said I looked good. I was kind of nervous, but happy. I walked out and noticed they hadn't picked up Brian's date yet. We got in Johnny's dad's Geo Metro (such a fun car- and it was a manual shift) and headed to Beaumont. He had a CD playing, Diamond Rio's Unbelievable. (He had just bought it that day especially for the date! Awwww.)

We visited a little. He sang along to the songs a little. It was a fun ride. We picked up Brian's date, and went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant, Ninfa's. Our waiter had his eyebrows drawn on, like those old lady's at the grocery store. Very strange. When we sat down, Brian and Johnny looked like they were making faces at each other or talking while we weren't looking. They got caught. The other girl (I think her name was Christina-?) asked what they were saying and they played it off and made hand gestures to each other (like in baseball). Brian pointed at Johnny and used his thumb and pinky to outline his eyebrows or something, so I interpreted the gestures and said that Brian thought Johnny's uni-brow looked good. He did NOT have a uni-brow. Not even close. But it was funny. The food was good, and I was starving. They had to wait for me to finish eating! That NEVER happened to me on a date before. I always lost my appetite from nerves! I suggested that Johnny leave his phone number as a tip for the waiter. He didn't think that was very funny, so he left money instead. LOL

We went to Brian's house and watched an old movie, Some Like It Hot, with Marilyn Monroe. It was actually pretty good. Brian lived in Lumberton. We drove from Lumberton to Beaumont to take Christina home, then Johnny drove back to Lumberton to take Brian home, before taking me to Vidor. At the time I didn't know the geography of the area, so it was easy for me to get turned around and confused. We talked on the way to my house. He walked me inside and met my mom and then he left. We might have one-arm hugged and said goodnight. ? After he left, I told my mom all the details of the date and I said, "Mama! He can sing like George Strait!" He could too.

A few days went by and he called to ask me out for the next Saturday night, February 13. Of course I said yes.

But by Friday afternoon, he called and said,

"Are you going to the Young Single Adult activity tonight?"

"Uh, no. I didn't know there was one." (I'm totally thinking he's trying to "activate me" in the YSA program.)

"Oh, well, I'm going to be going with some YSAs from Jasper, would you like for me to pick you up?"

Awkward. Can I say no? Are we still going out tomorrow? "Um, okay, I guess so."

"Okay, I'll be there in about an hour or so."

Deep breath. "Okay."

Hang up.

Well, if I'm going to be around a bunch of other YSAs (Young Single Adults- people our age.), I'm going to look super cute! So I get ready and he shows up, alone. ??Is this a date? Are we still going out tomorrow morning? I'll have to wait and see. He tells me the other YSAs decided to go in a separate car. (I don't know if they even showed up.)

We get there and people are looking at us like, 'Are they together?' And I'm thinking 'I hope they don't think we're "together" '. (Still have a little attitude and not sure if I want to "date" him.) The activity is a scavenger hunt. They divide us into groups based on our birthdays. (I'm thinking to myself, "I don't care when his birthday is, I'm in his group!") His birthday is in November, mine is in October, so we're in the same group anyway! Yes! We have to go all over campus in the cold weather looking for odd things that had been hidden. I was walking a little ahead of Johnny and another guy asked him if we were together. Johnny said, "I hope so." (I didn't hear them, he told me later.)

We all meet back at the Institute building and have refreshments. Another girl gave Johnny her number, in front of me, and said, "Let's do something sometime." That was enough to make me feel territorial! LOL I laughed to myself and thought, "Really? Cause he brought me here and I'm standing right here. Hmmm.... Do you really think he'll call you?" (Does that sound snobby? I hope not.)

We're headed back to my house and he says he'll pick me up at 9:00 the next morning if that's okay. Oh good- we're still on for tomorrow, I tell myself.

Again, I make sure I look super cute for our date. It's Valentine's Day weekend and also, Mardi Gras. Yay. (We're not into it.) BUT, because of Mardi Gras, Johnny heard of these Navy mine hunters that would be at the port and they were giving free tours. Cool. He picks me up and as I stand there while he opens the car door for me, I see something in the seat. Uh-oh.

"What is that?" Oops I said it out loud.

I get in, nervously glance at it and proceed to put it in the backseat. I'm totally embarrassed and nervous and I knew my entire family would disown me for my behavior. I wasn't thinking, only reacting. He said, "That's for you." AND wasn't even upset that I didn't swoon! He just wanted me to have it and was totally okay with me putting it in the backseat. Whew.

So we head to Port Arthur. The weather was beautiful, cool, bright blue skies, sunny! We didn't know our way around, and this is before GPS. We stopped at a convenient store and bought a map. The one time in my life, I read the map with no problems and got us to the port! A-mazing! We toured the USS Pelican, with a small group of people, and it was really cool. We had to climb the ladder down into the control room and there was a wall of buttons and lights. The guide told us not to touch anything. I turned and looked at Johnny, who was standing dangerously close to the buttons. I grabbed his arm and pulled him into me and said, "He said don't touch anything!" (That was pretty much the first real flirting I did, but it broke the ice.) The rest of the morning and afternoon were fun, we went to a park and out to eat. That weekend was also Stake Conference for us, so he had meetings that night. My parents were out of town again (my mom left while I was on the date), so I didn't go that night. When he dropped me off, I remembered the gift he had for me. I thanked him for it and said goodbye. When I walked into our house, I hurried and put the gift in my bedroom before anyone could see it. It was a basket, covered in cellophane with a bag of potpourri and a candle, and a card. Nice. Sweet. Not terribly romantic. And wasn't a typical cheesy Valentine teddy bear. :)

Later, my sister Charlotte came over and I showed it to her. She loved it and made me so much less nervous about it all! Since my parents were out of town, with the family vehicle, we rode with Benny & Monica to Stake Conference the next day, Valentine's Day. I wore a red dress~ thought it was fitting (pun intended! Ha!). We had just walked in when I saw Johnny. I took Rachel to get a drink at the water fountain and we talked. He asked where we were going to sit. I told him upfront, that Monica was saving us seats. I asked where his family would sit, and he said probably in the back somewhere. It was still early, so I told him that there was probably enough room for them to sit up front by us. He said, "Okay." I think since I had Rachel, there were some interruptions, because I got confused and said, "Okay what?" He said, "Okay, I'll sit with your family." I think my eyes got big and I was like, "Oh, okay." LOL I wasn't sure how my family would take it, but what was I supposed to do? Hopefully we wouldn't be crowded. So he sat next to me. The Stake Choir was looking and pointing at us throughout the meeting. Haha. My family loved him! Jake was 3 or 4 years old (my nephew) and he needed to go to the bathroom or to get a drink and he only wanted Johnny to take him. Johnny was so good about it too! He was so natural at it all. Rachel didn't feel well, so I held her and got her to sleep. Somehow, during the closing prayer, Johnny's arm was around me and his hand was on my shoulder. And neither of us noticed until the prayer was over and he moved it.

We got home and I had to give Rachel some medicine for an ear-ache. My parents would be home that night. We didn't have a phone during all of this, but we lived next door to Monica & Benny, who did. So Johnny would call them and I'd go over to their house to talk. So it's Sunday afternoon and he calls. He knows I don't know my way around southeast Texas, and takes full advantage of that fact. He calls and says that he's going to Kirbyville to visit some friends and wants to know if he can come over? "Okay, sure!" We hurry and clean up and cook supper and I get ready. During all of this, my 17 yr old sister says, "He likes you! You better not hurt him!" I smile so big my cheeks hurt and say, "What are you talking about? I'm not going to hurt him. But I'm not promising anything either." ;)

One hour later, he knocks on the door. (His friends in Kirbyville wanted to take naps, so he couldn't visit them. He was not disappointed.) We're just sitting down to spaghetti, on paper plates. He sits with us, but doesn't eat. We hang out a few minutes and then Monica, Benny and their kids come over. I think Charlotte and her girls came too. We're all sitting around (with my little brother and sisters) and decide to watch Men In Black. (Love that movie.) We're sitting on the couch, Johnny's on my left, when one-by-one, kids start piling on the couch next to us. We scoot and we scoot until our shoulders and hips and legs are so close to each other (and everyone else) that there isn't any place to put our arms/hands. Pity. My hand ends up on his leg and his hand ends up on my hand. (Awww- our first time to hold hands!) So we're watching this movie when we hear my parents drive up. Uh-oh. Sometimes my dad isn't happy to meet people, especially when it's so close to bedtime~ I'm nervous and not sure what he'll say or do. Since my dad is legally blind (doesn't have peripheral vision or night vision) he uses a flashlight to get up the steps. I'm sure my mom's seen Johnny's car and told him who was there, because he comes in and shines the flashlight right in Johnny's face! Whew- he's in a good mood! :) So we make room, some sit on the floor and we all visit. My dad and Johnny exchange stories for an hour or so while the rest of us listen and respond when appropriate. At one point I look at Johnny and stop listening and think, 'Wow, he gets along great with my dad and family! And he tells such great stories! I really like him!' It's late and he has a long drive and has to work the next day. So it's time to say goodnight. Normally I wouldn't walk a guy out, because I'd get in trouble! lol (At least I'd be scared I would.) But my dad said goodnight to Johnny and I think asked if I was going to walk him out. (Like, where are your manners?) Oh- okay, yeah, I'll walk him out. I think we just hugged goodnight and he left. Maybe he said he'd call me or something. But I walked in with a smile on my face and my dad and my little brother and maybe others, said, "We like him!" lol It was a Happy Valentine's Day.

Our first date was February 6, 1999. We spent almost everyday together from February 12 to March 6, when he proposed. And nearly everyday since.

We were married June 18, 1999 for time and all eternity in the Dallas Texas Temple.

Living it up!

2010-01-20T16:36:00.000-06:00

Partying with the Ratcliffs

December 13, 2009

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

2009-12-25T14:31:00.000-06:00

We wish you and yours

the Merriest of Christmases!

With love,

The Ratcliff Family

Our Variety Show commercial!!

2009-12-22T13:47:00.004-06:00

For our annual Sellers Family Variety Show this year,

we made a commercial... enjoy!

{The video quality is terrible. We're working on remedying that for next year. ;) }

Nutcrackers

2009-12-21T21:56:00.000-06:00

Check out what we did today~

We're making the most of every minute this week!

It's going by way too fast :(

Which is the REAL Travis?

2009-12-20T17:37:00.000-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

He's Ba-ack!

2009-12-12T10:54:00.001-06:00

Nate is home!

Nate is our nephew who has spent the last two years serving as a missionary

for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

in the California Ventura Mission.

We're so glad he's back! We love a good excuse to party ; )

He's tall, huh?

This is Rachelle. (Charlotte's beautiful oldest.) And that is an entire

cake ball (vanilla with white chocolate) in Bryn's mouth.

Isn't Khalil adorable?! LOVE. HIM.

Bryn and Aaliyah had their own little Cookie Exchange.

And shared a few drinks. ; )

Charlotte and I took pictures of each other ; )

Paw-paw tickled Bryn...

Kelly can sense a camera on her ~ makes it hard to take candid shots. Haha!

Baby London is precious!

Welcome home Nate! We love you : )

Happy BRYNday!

2009-11-08T17:07:00.000-06:00

Bryn Audrey Ratcliff

November 5, 2007

November 5, 2008

November 4, 2009

November 5, 2009

Paw-paw and Maw-maw came to play : )

She fell down

and got dirty : (

It's party~time!

What a beautiful girl! We've had a wonderful 2 years!

Happy Birthday Bryn.

Why checking your kids candy is important:

2009-11-03T13:00:00.002-06:00

you might find something like this...

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T20:31:00.000-06:00

After seeing a spider costume on the Pottery Barn Kids website,

I was inspired to make the kids homemade spider costumes!

{I know it's after Halloween,

but if you want to know how to make one,

go here.}

Last week, we took the kids to the Lufkin Zoo Boo. The girls were all spiders, and Travis

wanted to be a mummy. We wrapped him in cheesecloth, but it kinda fell apart.

For the second go around, Travis wanted to join the crowd.

I whipped out his costume in about 30 minutes Saturday afternoon. We loaded up

and went to the church where they were serving "Hot Dogs for Hemphill" ;)

The kids ate and played some games. Sister Cantrell {the Primary Prez} had great games and incredible

prizes! Travis won the VHS movie, The Rookie; Katherine won $1.50; Ella and Bryn won

toy cars and Olivia won a stuffed dog. Then we walked to the Hemphill Square for more

fun. They had booths with games and Trunk-or-Treat. Some friends of ours from the Methodist Church

were giving out popcorn and cotton candy! Some of our kids had never had it. Ella was a little afraid

to try it. It looked a lot like cotton balls in the dark ;) I opted out too because I knew I'd regret it.

For some reason, sugar from chocolate isn't as sickening as straight cotton candy.

To celebrate, we made festive Halloween tea cakes,

and spooky punch...

{don't you love the over exposed look- totally adds to the creepiness, huh?!}

30 Flirty and Fabulous!

2009-10-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

Who me? No! Stop! I'm blushing!

LOL

Okay, so I am 30. Sometimes I'm flirty, but mostly just fabulous! haha

I've actually been looking forward to this birthday.

You know the milestone birthdays... and all the reasons why they're milestones. I've thought back to them {and some that aren't so milestone}.

When I turned 7, my birthday was on a Friday! {Milestone.} I was so excited because I was

going to have a slumber party! I remember inviting Leeza Anders {BFF} and my cousin Amberly. {Not sure if anyone else was invited.} That morning, when I woke up, I was burning up with fever. I slept most of the day on the couch. I was in and out of sleep when my siblings left for school The next time I remember waking up, they were home from school and I, sleepily asked my mom to make sure and call Leeza and Amberly

so they'd know they couldn't come cause I was sick. :( Later, I think Leeza even called me because she was sad too. {Do you remember that Leeza?} So disappointing :(

Eight years old = baptism. On my birthday because it was a Saturday :) I remember being nervous about going under the water and not wanting my dress to come up and worrying about who would be there. {? I had a little social anxiety at an early age.}

Of course, it turned out perfectly. My Primary teacher, Sister Wendy Wright, gave me a packet of LifeSavers candies :)

Turning 12 was a big deal. Twelve meant

Young Womens

and mascara! My very first mascara was

Maybelline Great Lash.

Turning 13 was exciting because I became a "teenager."

Fourteen was huge ~ I was wearing full-fledged make-up! Stake Dances {if you don't know- it's a dance for the Youth of my church- and their friends- ages 14-18, held monthly. And I lived for it!}

{Why did my mom let me? Because I am the 6th child. She learned to fight her battles and that wasn't on the list ;)}

When I turned 15, I counted down the days until I turned

16! I couldn't wait to double date! I thought my life depended so much on having a "sweetheart". LOL

Ugh- the time I wasted!

Just before turning 17, my littlest sister, Rachel was born. :) My life was brighter :) That's when I got my driver's license = I drove my brother and sisters to school. I drove to the grocery store, to work and even to church on occasion. Super fun!

I love this picture of us. Neither of us knew we were both making faces! :)

My 17th Birthday. My cake was a dirt cake- soo good!

My 18th birthday was also on a Friday!! {But no slumber party.} It was my school's homecoming. I was the Secretary in Student Council and had the privilege to give the homecoming court the roses during halftime. :) My little sister Cari, had planned a surprise for me the next night, which was a Stake Dance. By then, I felt a little weird going to the dances, because I had matured so much. ;) But I went, because Cari and David wanted to go. Early on in the evening, I turned around to see a good friend of mine {and my older brother's}. He had come to take me on my first single date! This was the surprise Cari planned for me :) I was so surprised and excited because I had a humongous crush on him! lol That was a great birthday!

When I turned 19, I was at BYU. It was a Saturday and all of my roommates went out of town for the weekend. So I was home alone. :( My sweet roommates, Kristin and Janene left me a plate of blueberry muffins for my breakfast :) So yummy! I ate them and sat around for a while. I watched Sleepless in Seattle {on VHS}, because the alternative was football. Then my sister called and said she'd come get me. I don't remember what we did. But later, my BFF Katherine {who is also my sister's sister-in-law- and the girl my Katherine is named after} took me out to eat at a great Mexican restaurant.

When she dropped me off at my apartment that night, the lights were on. I knew I didn't leave them on... It was my sister and her husband! It was my surprise party! And I was surprised! She had a cake for me and one for another friend of our's whose birthday was a couple of days after mine.

19 was also great because that's the year I met Johnny ♥

My 20s were the most exciting for sure.
Those were the years I had my babies and really felt like an adult :)
During these years, I became more social and felt good in my own skin. I learned a lot about myself. I learned what I'm capable of and learned to try new things.
In fact, days before turning 30, I ground wheat into flour for the first time!

Then I used a KitchenAid Mixer for the 1st time. Ever. & made bread, for the first time, ever.
{Hey, it took me awhile to get up enough nerve. Go ahead, laugh it up!}

Turning 30 was a big deal for a lot of reasons...

Just about everyone that I admire and want to be like, is at least 30.
Now I look old enough to be married.
And almost old enough to have 5 kids ;)

Johnny and the kids made my birthday extra special. We drove to a State Park called Boykin Springs. It was beautiful! The weather was so nice and cool. We took tons of pictures and explored the beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails.

Later that night, Johnny's parents came and we had Chicken Salad sandwiches {I know, girl food. But it was my birthday, so I got to pick.} and roasted s'mores outside :)
{You gotta try Toasted Coconut Marshmallows and Strawberry Marshmallows next time you do s'mores! The best!}

A delicious Coconut Supreme frosted with Chocolate Buttercream!

Cleverly spelled out in coconut :)

I blew them all out in 1 breath! {After making a wish of course.}

I think I'm going to like being 30 :)

Ssssss!

2009-10-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

I like to think that I keep my house pretty clean and organized.

In fact, for the most part, I know what toys my kids have and exactly where they go.

I keep my mops/brooms/etc together in the pantry/laundry room, next to the 5 gallon buckets of beans.

In front of the dryer, is a 5 gallon bucket of homemade laundry detergent {not really in the way}.

Yesterday, Bryn was pointing up high for something to eat. I squatted down to her level to see what she

was pointing at. And as I did, I looked down behind the laundry detergent bucket and saw something

sticking out from under the dryer. It looked like a plastic bag. I reached down and grabbed it, and it kept coming and coming. Long and skinny and thin, like paper. Once I pulled it all the way out, I realized what it was, dropped it and SCREAMED, as I ran and jumped up onto the chest freezer.

I yelled: "A snake shed it's skin in our pantry!! That means he was in there for a long time! Eewww!!!"

Johnny ran in and picked it up and took it outside.

I still shutter just thinking about it.

Look how long it is! Scary.

{It must have come in to warm itself by the dryer on one of those cold nights.

Johnny thinks it was a rat snake, which provided some comfort, because they eat mice. Ew.}

But I had to take pictures.

I thought it would be funny to hang with the other Halloween decorations.

Eventually, the wind took it the way of all the earth...

We're happy it's gone!

She's 9!

2009-10-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Katherine's 9th birthday!!

Can you believe it?

On Saturday, the kids and I went to Vidor. Olivia went to Lia's birthday party and Travis played with her brother, Brandon. Katherine, Ella, Bryn and I went to my sister Melissa's house where I learned to make homemade bread with my own wheat! {You'll have to read about that on my other blog...later. I know, suspense!}

Everyone made Katherine feel so special that day... she got lots of presents, including $ {she's a collector ;)}

For breakfast Sunday morning, she requested "Egg in the Middle".

I used a pumpkin cutout...very festive!

We had a busy day, even though it was Katherine's birthday. It was our Branch Conference and

also, her cousin, Hyrum's baptism in Jasper. We didn't make it to the baptism, but we

did go to his house for the party {which he technically shared with Katherine. Sweet.}.

When I asked Katherine what kind of cake she wanted, she said, "I'm not a big cake fan." So we went with the favorite "cookie cake"- homemade of course. {I used the chocolate chip cookie recipe from my new fav cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. And it was ;) }

My free-hand wasn't great, but it is legible. I had some difficulty with the

icing bag- brand new too :(

Hyrum's cake...made by a friend of theirs.

Isn't it cute? I wonder which kid touched the icing? lol

The proud papa.

Such a good picture of the beautiful K'Leigh. She's very photogenic.

"Sweet" Olivia. She's gotten great at posing for pictures ;)

I wish I would've gotten a better picture of Hyrum... I'll preview next time.

Beautiful fall picture of Ella.

Round 1- sack races.

Aunt Amy is taking Bryn to line up for Round 2 of the Sack Race. Don't you love Bryn's face?!

Introducing her to the pillowcase...

She's in and she's holding on tight.

Ready, set...

Go! I love the spectators in the background watching her :)

Handsome boy. I had to stop him to get his picture.
Travis keeps up with the guys and is hard to catch.

Look at all of the kids! Actually, this isn't all of them- ha!

Katherine wanted to open her presents there.

Just about everyone was oblivious...but she liked her presents. I wish we would've waited

to open them at home. I think it would've felt more like her birthday. Oh well, we know now.

Yes, one of her gifts was her very own box of Whales. :) Cheap and it's what she likes!

She also got

Monsters vs. Aliens on DVD,

a Fancy Nancy book,

a Kit Kittredge cookbook,

earrings and a Princess Mulan doll.

It was a cold but fun day.

She is such a beautiful girl and we love her so much.

We're going to celebrate this week too {until my birthday on Saturday!!}.

Here are 9 things we love about Katherine...

1. She is genuine.
2. She is caring.
3. She is generous.
4. She is an excellent artist/poet/crafter... she's very creative.
5. She is extremely honest.
6. She is willing...she'll help with anything and everything
that needs to be done, even if she doesn't really want to.
7. She loves her family.
8. She has a great sense of humor- and a great laugh!
9. She is obedient.

Happy 9th Birthday Katherine... we love you!