The Maires Family

Christmas Time 2011

2011-12-28T16:15:00.000-08:00

A view from the top of the Church Office Building

Temple Square

Making Gingerbread houses

Sugar Cookies!

Mikail had a little trouble!

Christmas Eve Nativity

Leo playing the baby

Christmas Eve Jammies!

Exhausted parents

Santa came!

A visit to Papa at the Care Center

Christmas present chaos!

Breakfast!

Christmas dinner

The Newest Alta Las Scelles

2011-04-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Mikail for all your hard work and dedication! You did it! You were excited to try out for the Alta Las Scelles. I wasn't so sure on this because I thought it was all military drill and you are such a beautiful ballerina! After watching you practice the 2 tryout dances I was put in my place! You girls have to be GREAT dancers with backgrounds in many areas of dance. I could see the determination in your eyes that this was something you really wanted. The discouragement came when I found out they only had 10 new spots with a lot of girls trying out!
I found myself worrying as you continued to practice until 11:00 p.m. and woke up with a stomach ache! Perhaps this was too much stress! But you are awesome and put your head, heart, and soul and you made it!
The tryouts were so intense with a lot of stressed out girls and some very crazy moms! I liked the way you stayed focused and up-beat, and ever so DRIVEN!
I hope you have a really fun experience and year as a Las Scelle...ette?? I will even try hard to be positive about your 5:30 a.m. practices!
Your dad and I are your biggest fans!

Ellie the Super Swimmer!

2011-04-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

We spent 3 days driving Ellie back and forth to BYU to swim in the State Jr. Olympic swim meet. It was great to watch Ellie swim like an awesome fish! She qualified in 3 events this year (50 Breast, 100 Breast and 100 IM) as well as swimming in 3 relays. Ellie made it to the finals in each event and ended up taking !13th and 14th in her events. These are the top swimmers in the State of Utah. Way to go Ellie!!

Ahhh, to have a swimmer's body!

Happy Birthday Mikail

2011-02-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Happy 15th Birthday Mikail! I can not believe I have a child this old! Where has time gone to?
It seems like just last month I was finding all those Binkies you had lost and desperately needed!
How is it that in one short year you will be driving a car and dating boys and needed your parents less and less?
I love you very much and am so proud of how you are choosing to live your life.
You are working really hard at school even though some subjects are challenging for you!
I love your passion for ballet and dance. You are so dedicated and love what you are accomplishing.
I love your vintage/modern fashion style, your hair, and your beautiful blue eyes!
I love your dedication to your friends and family.
I love that you tell us every night at the dinner table why you are eating your vegetables first, and that you are a huge "Foodie" like dad and I am.
I love that you love the color purple and country music.
I even love that you hate swim team!
I sometimes even love when you do dance moves when I am trying to talk to you!
I hope your year is amazing as you start high school this fall. I can't believe that we only have 3 more years before you leave to college and really start your life on your own! Always know that dad and I love you incredibly and want the very best for you!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

President's Day 2011

2011-02-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

Eli: Mom, happy President's Day!

Me: What does President's Day mean?

Eli: It's when you celebrate George Washington and that guy with the tall hat..

Me: You mean Abraham Lincoln?

Eli: Did you know he took his wife to a movie and a bad guy shot him and her in the balcony?

Me: Really? That's terrible!

Eli: I know, and they did not even have a Testimony!!

Love that gap between his front teeth!

Christmas 2010

2011-02-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas is always so HECTIC! Why...why do I let it get so out of control each year. There is so much to do and buy and go to! I love it! My kids are starting to get older and I am pretty sure Eli (and Mike) is the only one who still believes there is a Santa. It makes me slightly sad...
When the kids were little, we use to track back and forth to both grandparent's home. It was stressful and taxing. Mike and I usually ended up arguing Christmas Eve because we had ALWAYS offended one or anothers mother. It's just how it is at Christmas when you are trying to spend time with everyone! After Jane passed away, we started having Christmas at home, just our family. I like it this way so much better. I think the kids love to stay home and enjoy their goodies. Everything is low-key and much less stressful. I hope I can remember this as a grandma. I'm trying to do this as a mom! Cutting back this year and enjoying the moment. Taking things slow when I can. Taking days off to do nothing.

Baking neighbor gifts!

Pat and Ardy stopped by to join in!

Kelly and Natalie from Kentucky.

I can't wait to put all 860 pieces of that together!

the Nativity

The Shepard

A Wise-woman

Mary

Joseph

Yes, our dog Leo played baby Jesus, sacrilegious I know...don't judge!

Tired parents!

My favorite part of the day when everything is quiet, lights are low, kids are asleep waiting for Santa to come!

Anxious kids waiting Christmas morning!

Grandpa Dick is thinking of starting up a Band...

Thanksgiving Family Cruise

2011-02-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

I know..I KNOW! I do this every year! I re-commit to blogging more... I am a LAME blogger. So I am starting over, AGAIN.

We took a trip to California with my parents over Thanksgiving. We went on a cruise for 3 days to Ensenada Mexico, then spent 3 days in Disneyland. This was Eli's first cruise and trip to visit Mickey and he was pretty excited! It was also my parent's first cruise, I am not sure my mom was too excited....
We had a great time on the cruise and Disneyland is always fun.

Ellie had braces put on a couple days before we left!

What's Mexico without the popular hair braiding!

Don't be fooled, it was about 40 degrees, we missed the SUN!

Mike and Gabe mastering the Art of Animal Towel folding

We decided to stay an extra day, which was Thanksgiving. We spent the day at the beach. Eli went crazy! By the end of the day he completely had his pants off and was drenched! Later that evening we tried to find a place to eat a Thanksgiving dinner in Long Beach. We ended up eating the WORST food of our lives at Hometown Buffet! The place was filled with homeless people which I did not mind but it freaked the kids out. This older lady kept talking to Gabe and bringing him desserts. She was fond of him because he reminded her of her brother. Gabe handled it so well! Mike and I were laughing at the whole episode and I know the kids will never forget this Thanksgiving!

Gabzilla, Alta little league football

2010-11-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

We ended Alta little league football this weekend. It lasted a little over 3 months of driving, driving, and driving! Plus, we pretty much spent each Saturday at Gabe's games. I love it! I have mixed emotions each year when it is over. I'll be glad to drive less miles on the car. I look forward to having Gabe eat dinner with us. I will not miss the water jug on the counter top 24/7. Oh, and the stinky, sweaty boy smell in my car and laundry room! I will miss watching Gabe play! He is awesome and truly loves the sport. He is so incredibly focused at 9 years old! He even scored 6 touchdowns! It is time though, the weather is cold, my house needs some attention, and the holidays are upon me. Until next year buddy!

GAME ON!

Gabe drew this for me one day so I would "understand" football

What to Wear for Family Photos

2010-11-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

What to Wear for Family Photos

Here is our family debut, minus 1 husband, on Good Things Utah! Everyone had fun participating even though I look like a single mom! I threatened Eli to just stand there and smile. He was trying so hard but ended up making hilarious faces!

Just click on the title here and you can see our stardom moment!

My Gabe

2010-10-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

This is Gabe. He is awesome! He is such a thoughtful, sweet guy. Whoever marries him is one lucky chick!
He plays football like an animal, yet he is always thinking of others' feelings and NEVER forgets to say THANK YOU. Let's not forget how CUTE he is too!

(P.S. His wife has to be an incredible cook, this guy is a serious FOODIE!)

Coats for the Entire Family

2010-10-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Coats for the Entire Family

The girlies were modeling on Good Things Utah again! I have to say, they were super cute!

Check it out by clicking on the title and view them on the video!

Fall Snow

2010-10-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

(While driving Eli to school today during a hail storm)

"Mom?"

"What Eli?"

"Why is it snowing fertilizer?

Fall Break Part 2

2010-10-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

After Gabe's game Saturday, we headed to Capitol Reef...a seriously GORGEOUS place! While we were there WE.....

came across a real live cowboy round-up......

stayed in a cabin.....

saw a lot of goats and sheep.....

witnessed beautiful sunsets.....

hiked everywhere.....

saw some petroglyphs.....

visited an old Pioneer Cemetery

cried at all the dead babies.....

jumped off lots of rocks.....

hiked in slot canyons.....

found a dead (thankfully) tarantula....

found creeping things....

were fascinated with how these were made.....

spent many minutes catching....

this guy......

had a lot of skies like this....

and this....

spent time taking Eli to do this....

played in a lot of sand....

building masterpieces like this....

and had the best family time EVER!

October Fall Break

2010-10-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

The kids had 5 days off of school this week (thank you "furlough" days). Thursday, we went and picked out our Halloween pumpkins at our favorite pumpkin patch. That night we went to the cottage to stay. We have a tradition of riding the Heber Railroad and participating in their "Haunted Train Ride". The kids love this! Friday, we drove and hiked around the Alpine Loop. The leaves were so beautiful, hence my thousands of pictures! Saturday Gabe had a football game. Stay tuned to see what we did after the game...it is awesome!

Ellie was by far the most scared!

I love this picture because it looks like the guy is grabbing Ellie's foot!

We made homemade caramel apples for a post train ride treat.

If you look closely, there is an alien standing in the middle of the falls!

It was a perfect day!

Back to School 2010

2010-09-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

It is that time again! The kids were quite excited to start a new year. Summer has passed us and the kids are hitting their alarm snoozes! Poor Mikail and Ellie have to get up with their dad at 5:45 a.m.
I am already missing the lazy days of summer now that I spend hours driving kids around in the car from 3:00 on!

Gabe is in 4th

Ellie is in 7th (middle school)

Mikail is in 9th

My wish for the kids is to have a fantastic year. Work hard and play even harder!

Back to School For Teens

2010-08-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

Back to School For Teens

Here is Ellie's big moment on Good Things Utah! Just click on the title of the blog and it will direct you to the Good Things Utah page, then click on the video to watch her big performance!

Denim Drive at South Towne Center

2010-08-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Denim Drive at South Towne Center

Here is Mikail on Good Things Utah today! She was a star! Be sure to watch the video on the right to see her big stardom! I was quietly sitting in the audience and we received a free cookbook! Stay tuned for Ellie's appearance next week...such back-to-school fashion experts!

How To Turn 5!

2010-06-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my BABY! How did you get to be 5 so soon I ask? You tell me because you eat sooooo manyyyyy SALADS! Your "Super Mario" party was a blast with all your friends. I had a great time making all the "junk" that went for it! Stay 5 longer then you did 4...okay? Mom loves you!!!

Eli's party was great! He had 12 friends come for the WILD time. I made "Mario" hats for the boys to wear with stick-on mustaches. The girls wore crowns, representing "Princess Peach" of course. The big project was "King Boo" the pinata....oh the drying time between layers!! The kids love pinatas! We also had a "Yoshi" egg hunt in the yard and pin the mustache on Mario. Whew! Keeping these kids entertained was a feat! Thank you Ellie for all your help!

Gathering the Ladies

2010-05-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

It has been one week having the "Ladies" (aka chickens) living amongst us. I was slightly worried about the whole ordeal but it has been awesome! The kids have really taken to their responsibilities and treat them like pets. We have named them all! Mike's chicken is named "Chicken Little", mine is "Rock Star", which is very appropriate because she is the teenager chicken and gets a lot of attention from humans and the hens pick on her like crazy. Rock Star loves Mike and hangs out on his shoulder! "Aye Aye Matey!" I think she know he will protect her from the others! She will peck at his whisker stubble which hurts. We just think she is giving him kisses! Mikail's chicken is named "Giselle" and Gabe's is "Red Rider". Their chickens are Rhode Island reds. Ellie's is named "Sandy", and Eli's is named "DOUG"? Yes, Doug...she is a Black Star and pretty much does her own thing...just like our Eli!
All has been great. It is like an Easter egg hunt everyday to the kids. The Ladies lay anywhere between 3-5 eggs a day. I love the green eggs! We did have 1 neighbor call Draper City and Animal control on us. They came out and made sure we were in compliance with the city. We had to vote 1 chicken off the island because we had 7 and we are only allowed 6. We had to also move the coop 1 foot away from a neighbor's property line. WHATEVER CRABBY NEIGHBOR!

It really has been a great time for all of us EXCEPT Leo the dog. I think he is jealous of the kids spending time with the Ladies. He will chase them if he gets the chance!

Chickoopy Part 2

2010-05-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Chickoopy

2010-05-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

It's TRUE! We have lost our minds! We are now proud owners of 7 CHICKENS! Things are pretty exciting around here and we are just thankful that the chickens made it through the night. We purchased the chickens and the coop from a family company in our ward. WHY you ask? Well, we as a family go through 4 dozen or more eggs a week. We want the grass-fed-free-range-type eggs, so here we go......yes, the more I think about it, we are CRAZY!

Girlfriend Troubles

2010-05-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Eli: "Mom, is okay to have a girlfriend?"

Me: "Not really, you are too young, just stick to friends that are boys."

Eli: "Well, I have a girlfriend already."

Me: "You do? Who???"

Eli: "You know mom, it's Mimi (a neighbor gal)."

Me: "Oh Eli, girls are mean. Just play with your other friends and not girls. You are too young to have a girlfriend!"

Eli: "It's okay mom! Geeezzz! We already got a DIVORCE!"

Chapstick Police

2010-05-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

I have a grandfather who my children hardly know. I think he is close to 90. He called one day and asked if he and his wife could came over and give us a Family Home Evening lesson. Sure. I think? Eli did not recognize him at all. My grandpa began by reading a really long family history about some "cowboy" ancestors. It was really interesting, but not to a 4 year old. Eli was sitting on mike's lap next to my grandpa. Suddenly he said loudly, "that guy has a very chappy upper lip." I was thankful my grandpa is hard of hearing because we were all laughing hysterically under our breath!

Neglect In Cyberspace

2010-05-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog,

I have to admit, I have been a huge slacker....I have neglected you greatly....I am

so very sorry! I want our relationship back again. I miss you and I know you

miss me. I miss sharing all the things in my life with you. Please forgive me?

Sincerely,

P.S. I have a new boyfriend I want to tell you about!

Reincarnation

2009-11-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

"Mom???"

"What Eli?"

"When I die and come back to life again, will you name me DARTH....VADER...."

"Why???"

"Because I just LOVE him!"

(a small conversation with the Star Wars obsessed)

Gabe's Guide To Getting Tough

2009-10-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were playing soccer as a family. I discovered the FACT that I am truly scared of Gabe plowing me over!

You see, he has been playing GREMLIN FOOTBALL since July.

He is TOUGH!

He is BIG!

He has MUSCLES!

He loves to TACKLE HARD!

If it were not for his RED HAIR, cute FRECKLES, and HANDSOME SMILE, I might give him away to the DENVER BRONCOS!!

How We Get The Job Done

2009-10-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

I love home Depot....really. I love looking around and thinking up new projects for my house...and for Mike to do!

I took a trip there the other day with Eli.

He loves Home Depot as much as me...I think??

While I was preoccupied on what size of wood piece I needed, he looked up at me and asked "Mom, how come Home Depot has everything you need to get the job done?"

I laughed so hard...apparently he DOES listen to the TV while building those Lego towers!

I did not even know how to answer that!

Making Choices, 4 yr. Old Style

2009-10-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

I was vacuuming my bedroom today and I thought I would be real amazing and vacuum behind the door. So, I come across this badge stuck in my wall by its' pin. I'm thinking "WHAT IS THIS???" because I have never seen this item, EVER....then I read the badge and started to laugh! Eli must of received this at school. Of course his ideal "CHOICE" would be to poke it into the wall, leaving a nice hole I might add...I'm thinking though, he was a little UNCLEAR on the CONSEQUENCES part!

2009-10-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 4 months since I have posted....I am a slacker, I know! Summer was fabulously crazy busy and I will try to catch up on all the great things we did. I have to wait until the weather gets so terrible though, I love being outside when it is sunny!

I am disappointed in myself for not writing down the funnyisms of Eli, there were so many during the summer, I truly thought I would remember them and of course I did not!!! Ugh!

Anyhow, we spent the weekend watching General Conference. I did my best to have the kids watch in between Gremlin football games and dance classes. I was excited to have all of us together to watch during the Sunday morning session. We sat at a great breakfast, made by Mike I might add, listening and watching our prophet give his address. I thought this would be a great teaching moment with Eli. I asked, "who is that on the TV Eli?' He replied, "the United States?" "No, who is the man speaking on the TV?" I asked again. He replied, "the United States!" The rest of the kids started laughing. He got angry and replied, "the LIAR, you know the liar!"

I thought we were all going to choke to death in laughter! His little 4 year old brain knew that the person on the TV was very important. He knew he had seen him numerous times before and he was the President of something....he just happened to get President Monson and President Obama mixed up! Hey, understandably, stuff like this happens! I'm just glad that President Monson is not a liar!

A Sunbeam, A Sunbeam...

2009-06-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Mikail, Eli and I decided to have lunch at the Blue Lemon in Highland. To get there, we like to go over the mountain via Suncrest. It has been raining all week...maybe 2 weeks, it seems like FOREVER! We miss the summer sun badly. We reached the top of Suncrest and the sun was actually shinning! I said to the kids, WOW, the sun is shinning up here. Eli confidently replied, "it's because Jesus is up here!" I guess being up closer to the clouds means we are closer to Christ... (I wish).

Oh Teenagers!

2009-06-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

So, my daughter Mikail came home from her last day of 7th grade looking like THIS.

What is a mother to say?

What is this school teaching these young minds?

I tried hard to act like I didn't NOTICE the obvious.

Then, she got right in my face and announced that she was the VIKING OF THE QUARTER!

OH.

This is a MAJOR award.

I had misjudged the poor girl.

We are so proud of how well she did in school this year.

She worked hard and was very dedicated.

It's so hard to have teenagers like this....JUST KIDDING Mikail.

WE LOVE YOU!

My Ellie

2009-06-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is Ellie...she is 10, almost 11...she is wonderful at everything...school work, dance, art, family & friends, soccer, babysitting, swimming...we think she is pretty special and we all LOVE her A LOT...we are very LUCKY to have her in our family!

Eli's "Final Four"

2009-06-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

It's official...Eli turned 4 on June 1st. He has waited, patiently, every day asking "when am I going to be 4?" I mean EVERY DAY for a year! This all happened because his best friend and next door neighbor, Jaden, turned 4 a year ago...can't a kid be the same age as his best friend? The only problem is...Jaden turned 5 this past February. You've guessed it! Eli is now asking when will he turn 5? We might have to possibly move!

Eli had his first "real" birthday party. He invited Jaden and Thomas. We went to see the movie "UP" and then ate McDonald's for lunch at home. It was a RAGER I tell ya!

Later that night we had grandparents over for dinner, cake, and presents. I think he had a good day with lots of spoiling! I hope he has a good year finally turning 4...and I can't wait for the question of when will he turn 5!

Memorial Day 101

2009-05-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend with the kids! We visited "Grammy's" grave and talked about the memories we have about her. I can't believe it has been 3 years since her passing. Eli was only 5 months old and it makes me sad that he will not know her on this earth. He asked a ton of questions about her "body and bones". It made the moment quite lighthearted! I realize how smart these little ones are when they ask questions about death and what happens to their body? How does their spirit live with Heavenly Father and not their body? We spent many moments explaining to him...I'm not sure our answers were the ones he wanted! On the way out of the cemetery Eli was singing his made up version of the "Grave Song", I thought my other kids would die laughing.

We also went to the Cottage for a night with Papa and Fran. The kids love being there. We decided to go to the Provo Cemetery. Mike's grandparents and "Great" everyone are buried there, including Benjamin Bullock who donated the land for the cemetery. I love the old section of the cemetery where the Pioneer's have been buried. They have ancient looking head stones with amazing poetry about their loved ones carved into them.

So many children and babies are laid to rest there. Mike and I always get emotional reading them. One of my favorites is on a stone were a newborn baby had died, it says; "Budded On Earth To Bloom In Heaven". How sweetly said. It makes me think of my friend Michele who lost her baby (Gracie Gledhill) 2 months ago to a heart defect.

My kids were saddened by how many children died at that time. I think it in some small way, taught them to be thankful for the life and time we are living in, and to be thankful for each other.

Of course, we could not end the moment without one of Eli's funnyisms! We had told him several times not to directly step on the graves. It was way too tempting to jump from grave to grave. At one moment I saw him sitting on top of a small head stone! His eyes caught mine and before I could speak at him he said, "Don't worry mom, there is nobody in this one!"

**Just a side note on the first picture, we were all fascinated by the bottle of beer in lieu of flowers...I don't know whose grave this was, but we thought it was funny!

Dreamland

2009-05-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Maybe...if I was able to sleep in this position all my..........dreams would come TRUE!

Springtime Schedule

2009-05-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

8:00 a.m. Run to KMART to pick up a 6 pack of flowers for Eli's preschool project
8:20 Drop off Gabe and Ellie at school
8:30 Drop Eli off at preschool
8:45 Head to Target to buy Teacher Appreciation gifts that I forgot about
9:45 Classic Skating chaperon for Ellie's Student Council and Safety patrol party
12:15p.m. Leave Classic Skating, grab a salad at Cafe Rio to eat in my car in the parking lot of Alta View hospital
12:45 Register for Kidney Ultrasound
1:00 Kidney ultrasound, reminds me of pregnancy ultrasound...makes me a little sad
1:25 Pick up Eli from Mom's house
1:50 Pick up Gabe from an early day due to Testing?
2:00 Check emails
3:00 Have a lengthy conversation with Mikail about her "CRAZY" day at school
3:45 Pick Ellie up from school
4:10 Take kids to swim team practice
WATCH...WAIT...WATCH...RESCUE Eli from falling fully clothed into swimming pool
6:00 Leave practice, drive to Wendy's for kids dinner (excited children to have JUNK)
6:25 Get ready for Mike's boss' daughter's wedding reception
6:40 Leave for Wedding
7:00 Mix and Mingle with people from Mike's work
9:15 Leave reception, get a call from Ellie saying her teacher's favorite flowers are tulips...can I pick some up?
9:30 Pick up flowers from Harmons...pathetic selection this late at night...no tulips
9:45 Arrive home, assess house damage from unattended children, pick up, clean
10:00 SIT DOWN...BREATHE...PASS OUT!

Mother's Guilt Day

2009-05-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of celebrating Mother's Day...but who really is? Generations of mothers in my family have shunned the SPECIAL day. It's not a day to celebrate you as a mother, rather a day to feel guilty for the terrible mother you are. Oh the GUILT. Who wants to be reminded of that?

This year the husband reminded me to just enjoy the day, celebrate it for the kids sake. I decided to take this to heart, I know I can do this. I got together with some cousins of mine and we planned a breakfast and pedicure date with our mothers to honor them (and ourselves of course..oh there's the guilt in doing that). We went to the Grand America for brunch and then we all soaked our footies for awhile and had them painted so cute!

Mother's day was also awesome, thanks to the kiddies! They had a "Mother's Day Spa" all set up for me! I got a foot soak, nails painted, and a leg rub from Ellie and Mikail. Gabe and Eli rubbed my back and arms. They had candles and perfume sprayed into the air. I even received chocolate, nuts, fruit, and lime water! After that ROYAL treatment, I was instructed to lie on the bed while all 4 KIDDOS gave me a massage..it was wonderful, but a touch hard to breathe! How could I possibly feel guilty for raising them wrong after treatment like this? They, and Mike, topped the morning off by making me a "wheat/gluten free" breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and strawberries! I think I am breaking the "shunning" chain! Bring on MOTHERHOOD again!

Oh, SERIOUSLY!

2009-05-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

I'm serious on this one! Child Protective Services should be knocking sometime this afternoon, around dinner time I should have all my children taken away due to NEGLECT! So we had the Gabe accident last month...then Eli hit his head on some rocks in our backyard last week. He came in crying, I set him on the couch with his blanket. Five minutes later he violently throws-up. Ten minutes later he is DEAD ASLEEP, at the point where I could not wake him up! He slept for an hour and a half, threw-up more. A half an hour later he was hungry, thirsty, and wanted to play outside! Ah...that would be a CONCUSSION! And then there was the incident TODAY! I had a doctor's appointment with the Urologist,(another story for another post) we were in the parking lot, walking in. Eli was walking on the curb like all kids do. I had just told him (perhaps jinxing him) not to walk on the curb because he would fall and get hurt. My children don't listen to me so, two seconds later, I see him hit the ground CHIN first! I rush back to pick him up and he has a gaping hole in his chin. Blood was everywhere! I looked like a horror film victim! I rushed him inside, (heels and a very heavy 3 year old do not make for graceful running) to find a bathroom. There was a lady far down a hall that I asked for help from. She took me into a dental office backroom where we put paper towels under his chin. Have I mentioned that I don't do well with stuff like this...due to great anxiety and not having a medical degree? I was pretty sure he would bleed to death! I got a hold of Mike, my "go-to-man" when I am in a state of panic, and I met him at our pediatrician's office. Dr. Lindgren was kind enough to quickly fit us in, I'm pretty sure they usually don't do stitches often. They would rather you go to the emergency room. So, 2 hours later and 5 stitches we are home! It is not even officially SUMMER and I know I can not handle the stress of more ACCIDENTS! Oh...wait...I won't have to...my children should be under the state's protection by 6:00 p.m.!
P.S. Did I happen to mention that Eli fell on the neighbor's stairs last fall...he hit his CHIN in the same place! That time it was only "glue stitches"...we are progressing!

The Tulip Festival That Made Us Famous

2009-05-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Every Spring we enjoy a vist to Thanksgiving Gardens to see the fabulous display of Tulip flowers. It is acrage after acrage of color that is to die for! My kids usually complain about going at first and end up loving it once we are there. Most of the time we go with my mom, my brother, Spencer, and his family. This year we happened to be there when KUTV 2 news was broadcasting a live noon show from there. Kids are quite intrigued when there are TV cameras in their midst. The broadcast guy, "Kasey", asked the kids if they wanted to be on TV...DUH, but of COURSE! So, they all had their 1 minute of STARDOM...I'm so proud to be their mother!

The Sneaky Leprechaun

2009-05-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

I am a little delayed on this post! I forgot about our St. Patrick's Day adventure until I downloaded some new photos. In our home, the Leprechaun comes at night when we are all in bed and leaves GREEN FOOTPRINTS all over our house! He also turns over furniture, messes up rooms and turns the OJ and milk green! He truly is a STINKER! Ellie, Gabe and Eli tried really hard to catch him, (Mikail has become too COOL for this) making ingenious TRAPS with FAKE gold to entice the little man. But to no avail did they catch the Leprechaun! He just left them a mean letter. I think he felt guilty for his rudeness because he left the kids shamrock sugar cookies on the front porch that night! We did enjoy our usual St. Patty's dinner of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. Oh, and of course the Irish beer bread...thanks Budweiser, I now know where you are located! (Do I need to confess to the bishop about buying a can of beer?) As for me, I am left cleaning off the green footprints all the next day....better luck next year kids, work on those traps!

Eli Is Sooo Full of It!

2009-04-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have a word that I use to describe funny, cute, and crazy things my kids say..."FUNNYISMS". (Yes, it's a made up word, check the dictionary) I wanted to post some recent funnyisms from Eli, so I will always remember just how CRAZY he is!

One evening, Mike was getting Eli ready for bed...the usual PJ scenerio. I don't know if being half naked or what reminded him, but he turned to mike, pointing at his chest area, "Daddy, Carlos' Mom has a BUM right here." Mike said he about DIED laughing...I could not believe he was observing clevage at such a young age...or could I? The next time I took him to preschool I scoped out Carlos' MOM. Sure enough when she got out of the car, she had a low-cut shirt on (she was also quite heavy) with a BUM...I mean, clevage hanging out all over!

For those who know me, you know I am a HUGE health fanatic. We eat Organic. I prepare all our meals homemade. Lots of veggies, whole grains, foods in their whole. Anyhow, I usually make 5-6 loaves of whole wheat and grain bread a week. It is hearty stuff. For Easter, I made a breakfast casserole that requires store-bought white bread as an ingredient. The casserole won't turn out right if you don't. There was some left-over bread that the kids were making toast out of one morning. Eli saw this and he said, "I want some of that FAKE bread for toast!" We all laughed hard at this outburst! That's my boy!

My final (but not last, I'm sure) funnyism happened today on the way to preschool. He had to wear his "church socks" because the other socks were dirty. He hates them and we are lucky to get them on for Sundays. He sat in the car grunting and complaining at the way his shoes felt. Suddenly he screamed out, "these socks are ruinning my life!" I think I know how he feels....

He's Still Got It At 78!

2009-04-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

April 9th was a new chapter in our family life. Mike's dad married his new sweetheart, Francis Monson. Dick has been alone for 3 years since Jane passed away. He was so sad and lonely, we all could hardly bare it. He met Fran a couple years ago. I'm pretty sure she was made from the female mold of him! They have so much in common and have been having a great time together traveling. We love her and are so thankful she has brought LIGHT and LIFE to Dick. They had a great wedding at The Tuscany restaurant. The ceremony and vows were performed by Fran's bishop. She has 5 children and Dick has 4. All were able to attend including many grandchildren. It was a pleasure to meet them all and we enjoyed getting to know each other. I left Eli home with my Aunti Ardy (thanks Ardy!) because I wanted to enjoy the night without chasing after him. I was able to take pictures but Dick wanted them done with a 35mm camera. He does not own a computer...he wants the tangible negatives! I did snap a few, mostly of the kids. I hope to get the other ones on a CD to transfer. Although it is ALWAYS hard to see a parent re-marry, we are grateful for the happiness Fran has brought to Dick's life. We are a little saddened that we don't get to feed him every Sunday. The kids miss him when he does not come! We are also grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his plan for Eternal Families. We know that Dick will be reunited with Jane in the Eternities to live "ever after" as well as Fran and her sweet husband, Bob. I am so grateful for the constant love and support my darling husband gives me! He has been a true "ROCK" and "TROOPER" for his dad...I admire him greatly!

What Boys Do during Spring Break

2009-04-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

Every year the children get 4 days off for "Spring Break". It usually precedes Easter. The weather almost NEVER cooperates, I think the break should be in May. Friday was somewhat okay weather wise so the kids played outside. It had been a crazy day. I had taken the kids and some friends to a movie. Ellie was at a birthday party and needed to be picked up about the time the movie let out. I felt like I was a running around fool on a time schedule!
After getting everyone safely home and securing a house full of kids, I decided to sit and watch a little OPRAH. I quickly got a phone call from Gabe: "Mom, I'm over at Nickolaus' house". I asked him the usual, what are you doing, what time are you coming home, be careful, etc. etc. Not 15 minutes later I get a phone call from Nickolaus's sister telling me that Gabe has been hurt and has a bloody nose. Truthfully, I did not panic like I usually would. I got in my car and drove to the scene where I came upon Nickolaus' mom holding Gabe's nose with a rag. THERE WAS BLOOD ALL OVER THE PAVEMENT! Now I was panicking! Gabe was also labouring to BREATHE. Apparently the boys were trying to CATCH AIR on their bikes by going quickly downhill and over a skateboard ramp. Why...WHY...WHY do they inherently have the DAREDEVIL gene???? Needless to say, Gabe flew over his bike, doing a flip, landing into his handle bars and on to his HEAD. This was not a pretty scene. I assessed his ability to stand, walked him to the car, and took him home. He was not breathing normal in the car. I asked him 100 questions about how he crashed, much of which he could not answer because he could not BREATHE and could not remember....he just knew he got about "6 feet of air". (Later the numbers changed to 10 feet) I called Mike because his BREATHING was not normal, he told me to wait for him to get home. I called him again, Gabe was really labouring to BREATHE. He was scarring me to death. I could not wait for the "Dad assessment", so I took him to the ER. This is where we spent the rest of the night! They did a CAT scan to see if there was any INTERNAL damage. They gave him and IV and did blood work. He had a regular X-ray. We waited and waited. Gabe was still in pain and labouring to BREATHE.
I really hate things like this that test my faith and how strong I am as a person. I decided I am a -10...a WIMP...a CONTROL FREAK...a MOTHER. Thankfully, I have a son that requested that we have a prayer. This truly helped the pain (along with some morphine). The ER doctor decided that the CAT showed some bruising on his lung. They would have to send us up to Primary's overnight for some observations. I guess things can progress with time. So, we took a ride in the AMBULANCE up to Primary Children's hospital. Once there, they handled him like he was a trauma patient (way over done). We had to wait out in the hall behind this sliding glass door while they worked on him AGAIN...more x-rays, blood work, etc. etc. It was finally decided that he was going to be OKAY, but very sore for the next few days. We could go home. I can't wait for the bill.
We arrived home that night around 12:30 p.m. It was a very stressful night, I think I am still recovery emotionally. Mike was a trooper with great faith that everything was fine, and it is. Gabe will need a new helmet and I am so grateful that he had it on!

Why I love 3 year olds!

2009-03-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

For those who are close to me, you know from my endless complaining how HARD it is to take Eli to any type of store. He has man-roots in him, especially his dad's. He HATES to go shopping and his actions at stores are a form of punishment towards me. He and Mikail have had terrible coughs this week so I decided to keep him home from preschool today. Tuesdays are my ERRAND day while he is a school, so having him home put a slight damper on my schedule. I decided to attempt Target anyway. Ellie has apparently needed some sort of SPECIAL marker for school...she left me a very threatening note in BIG letters on the kitchen counter today. Besides, isn't Target large enough for him to cough every 5 seconds and possibly NOT infect everyone there? While we were browsing the aisles, we encountered a giant mechanical ladder (of some sort) right in front of us. The male employee was apparently riding around the store checking all the lights in the ceiling. Eli was fascinated by this! He asked with a confused face, "mommy, what is that guy doing up there?" I replied, "he is going around the store screwing the light bulbs in because they have burned out". He would not let me move forward with my shopping until he watched the man for about 15 minutes. It did not help that there was this loud BEEPING sound every time the man moved forward or backward...we had to follow! After the man was almost out of sight (and my refusal to follow him anymore), Eli turned to me with a very "thought-provoking face" and said, "mommy, when I grow big like daddy, I want to be a SCREWER!" Oh My! I laughed until I almost passed out!

Snow Depression

2009-03-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest here...I HATE winter. There was a great BLIZZARD last night. I hesitantly opened my shutters this morning to find a blanket of SNOW. It's the end of March...how I hate the tricks of spring. I feel sad for those Daffodils peeking out of the snow, bright yellow and green with their heads bowed down as if to say, "I am so sorry I came". Michael LOVES snow. He tries to be sympathetic with comments like, "in a couple of weeks it will be nice", or "April has some really warm days". The truth be known here is, he loves snowstorms because it means he gets to SKI a couple more weekends. I think he is avoiding household duties. Maybe that is why I hate winter...because being stuck inside means I have to TACKLE those household duties! Oh well, at least Eli will embrace the snow...his first comment to me today was, "I'm ready for my snow clothes!"

Walking

2009-03-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Due to the nature of Eli's personality, I often find myself taking his hand. He is one of those free-spirits...darting out of the car to see what adventure awaits him. He is never concerned by cars, strangers, or the Boogie Man lurking. I find myself jealous of this innocense...because I worry about everything...all the time. My husband reminds me of that often. I love to hold his hand and be that protector, the mother hen. Someday, he won't want to hold my hand, he will cringe at the actual thought of it. So...for now, I will relish in the tiny moments. Besides, holding his hand is like being attatched to a GIANT, SUPER BOUNCY BALL! Just trying to keep a hold of him, I might look like a display of public intoxication!

Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine and Eli

2008-10-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Eli was sooo excited to ride Thomas! It was a Mommy and Me experience! Just the 2 of us stayed over night at the Cottage up Provo Canyon. The day brought lots of RAIN but Eli was prepared with his TRUSTY Thomas umbrella! He played lots of trains and tried really hard to share. He also loved the Petting Zoo. If you ask him what was the best part of the day? He would say "eating Cheetos on Thomas the train with Mom"!

2008-10-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

More photos from the great actress!

A Midsummer's Night Acting Career

2008-10-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Mikail tried out for the main (female) part in her school play. To our astonishment she made it! We had no idea what an actress she was until we saw her play. The teacher needed a small boy to play the Changling Boy...viola Gabe. I put together the scenery (which I should have taken a picture) along with two other fabulous ladies. The whole exprience was so fun for the 3 of us!