Thanksgiving

Nana making gum-drop apple Turkeys

For Thanksgiving we had both of my brothers, my mom, and our cousins the Petersons. It was Wonderful!!!! I love Thanksgiving

Halloween Party at Nana's

Kid Table

Adult Table

Vinyl pumpkin decorating vs. carving...so easy!

Halloween (a little late)

Nana, Polamalu from the Steelers and Corinne from Barbie and the Three Muskateers

Master went with Indy to the Ute football game so I just had the two little ones. My mom came out to answer the door and after trick-or-treat I just layed on the couch in my pregnancy miserableness.

"Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies"

We live in this little culture where people greet you and say, "Hi, how are you?" the usual response is; "fine thanks" "good thanks, how are you?" etc. etc. I've struggled with this lately because when people ask me, I want to be honest and say "awful" "I'm about to puke because your gas station smells like old grease" or "I am nauseated and my head is pounding" MyBF Steph said to be honest and yet positive I should say, "I feel pregnant, how are you" and let people figure it out from there. Today Zoe and I were at McDonalds because she had lost her strawberry shortcake stamp from her last happy meal and we needed another one. Forget the food we needed the toy. It's 4:00 and I am about at the end of my nauseated patience. The guy at McDonalds says the usual, "Hi how are you?" I was honest and said, "I am sick to my stomach, I'm not contagious just pregnant." He says, "Really at least you're not really sick, I just had bronchitis and I was so sick I could barely talk, my throat was all swollen with all of this puss and mucus coming out." .....SICK! He continued but at this point I cut him off and ordered the happy meal. He hands me my debit card back and I try valiantly to get it back in my wallet without really touching it. I'm starting to believe debit cards should be sanitized on a regular basis. Not that I don't feel sympathy for the guy but I really didn't need to hear about his puss and mucus. I'm going back to LYING and saying, "fine thanks"....and I'm perfectly good if the people asking, lie in return and tell me they are fine. FINE is sooo much better than puss and mucus at McDonalds....sick..sick...sick..

Eyes on the Prize!

I've been trying to figure out how to stay positive when I feel like UTTER CRAP and today I had a friend respond to a my txt that the end result makes it all worth it. (Thanks Shelly) I may be sick and really hate being pregnant but I have easy deliveries and I do so love those little babies. I love how they smell. I love how soft their little heads are. I love kissing those little open lips. The thought drifted across my mind. "Eyes on the Prize" I should be working but I went to my files to pull out these pictures and I have to admit I do feel a tiny bit better. Master
Sport - ok this is a little stressful to look at but I remember specifically looking at him and thinking, he may have Downs but he is stinkin cute!!!!

Princess Pie

"What the Hell?"

I got a txt the other day from my nanny that my 3yr old Pincess said "What the Hell". And again this morning as I was listening to her play with her dolls I heard another "What the Hell" Indy looked at me and asked what I had to say for myself and all I could answer was that everyone has their favorites and that just happens to be one of mine. Plus it's not my fault, I'm pregnant, grumpy, and hormonal, I seriously get a pass on this.

90 minutes

Me and Tiff

Me and Indy

All DONE!

Cousins

Sara Sargent, Tiff, Me and Indy

Hopefully I'll have more actions shots to follow. This turned out to be an awesome race. 90 minutes is for sure NOT the fastest but for having NEVER done this before and being completely unfamiliar with the course and the transitions, 90 minutes isn't' bad. Note Indy did beat me by 6 minutes. Goal: Next year shave that time by 10 minutes. Oh and I won't be pregnant next year that might help as well :)

Why Why Why?

I have a love/hate relationship with the 'Why' question. When you ask the question 'why?" you want an answer...and sometimes there just isn't one. Why do people do triathlons? Sometimes it's a lifetime goal, or maybe it's to loose weight, or maybe someone challenged them. Why am I doing this triathlon? In this case I can tell you exactly why..... his mom
A year ago Jack's mom Tiff (cute cousin Coby's wife) in the thick of dealing with the grief of loosing Jack decided to do this triathlon and put the question out "I'm dedicating this race to Jack who will do it with me"? At that point I don't own a road bike, pretty much detest running, and have never done any lap swimming in my life. Right then and there I committed and said I would do the race with her. I know this show of support is small, but oh how I admire the strength, character ,and courage Tiff and Cob have shown. In my own life I think about my Sport and how often he has danced with death. When you have watched your son code and literally be only sustained my the life-support machines breathing for him, it changes you. It changes your perspective. With any of these precious little gifts that God sends us, be that perfectly healthy like Jack or not so perfect like Sport there are no guarantees on the amount of time we get with them. Lately I've thought a lot about 'why' I'm a Mormon. That's another question I don't have all the answers for. I will say one of the for sure reasons is the blessings of the Temple. I love the fact that each one of my babies are born under the blessings of the covenant and they are sealed mine forever and ever no matter what happens.
So..long story short....Jackie Ju this race is for you and your mama too!

morning sickness....

Caution this posts keeps it real and will probably read a tad on the negative side:

Morning sickness should not be called 'morning sickness' It should be called "All day freaking AWFUL sickness" I seriously think the 'morning sickness' is a lure to get women pregnant. Some ancient OB probably realized if they called it "all day freaking awful sickness" less women would get pregnant and he would be out some income.

It's my fourth so you would think I would be accustomed to it, but without fail, after each baby amnesia sets in and I forget how really awful it is. Not only do I know this is my last pregnancy in this life. It's my last one EVER and EVER even in the eternities. I told Indy if he wanted to have eternal progression in the next life he would need to hitch his wagon with one of those women who 'love' to be pregnant because I am NOT doing this again.

For those of you who never get sick or or maybe get a little dizzy let me paint a picture for you. The room is spinning my head is splitting and I know if I even open the fridge I will barf. Over the past 3 pregnancies I have learned a couple of tricks that help to avoid the actual throwing up. Typically saltine crackers are not my thing, but I thought I would try them the other day....NOPE they all came up and when I blow it is a total body convulsion over and over again, there are no little urps involved. And the real treat is after that lovely experience I don't feel any better. And to think I get to feel this way for 10 more awesome weeks!!!!

Monday of this week I was done. When you get to the point where you are not functioning as a mom or in your job, and frankly you don't care, because you are so miserable....It's time to call in the drugs. Zofran became my friend with Sport and Indy. It's a drug they give cancer patients to deal with their nausea. It doesn't take it away but it makes it bearable. Its $455 for 21 pills and you can take 2 or 3 a day. Worth every penny. Lucky for me insurance picks up all but $15. It doesn't make you feel wonderful or normal, but it keeps it manageable. Late afternoons and evenings are the still pretty bad. I am slowly without too much anxiety or depression realizing I just can't 'do' or 'get done' what I normally do and that's OK because bless us and save us this is the LAST time I'm doing this.

Pregnant Woman Division

I'm pretty sure this triathlon does not have a prego ladies division but I'm doing it anyway. I have slowed down the intensity of training in the past couple weeks. My OB is not crazy about me doing it. The nurse asked me if I was competing to win or to finish. I just want to finish the thing. I don't want to come in dead last, but I don't need to come in first either. I'm not worried about the swim or the bike. The run is where I'm a little panicked. I pulled a groin muscle last week and running is most uncomfortable. Oh well wish me luck!

Gratitude Nov 1

Today marks the first of November. Tis the Season of Gratitude. I challenged my RS today to write down something simple they are grateful for every day. I told them to FB, Tweet, or Blog it, but did give them old-fashioned note-pads just in case. Today I am grateful I made it through church without puking. I prayed the prego sickness would break just long enough for me to give my lesson and it did. Thank Heavens!

The Witch with a 'B'

I've never used my blog as a confessional but I may need to tonight. This morning started with a pretty intense round of morning sickness but by some small miracle I was able to pull it together by noon to head to the Utah football game. At half time I headed down to get Hot Chocolate with Master and Princess. The line was forever long. I get a little claustrophobic in tight spaces of masses of people and I have little patience for people who butt in line or cheat the system. When in line for about 15 minutes, this guy jumps in front of us and starts talking to the girl that is standing there. They chit chat and then he just stands there. OK we are no where near the front of the line, my kids are being good so I let it slide. Side note, I have never picked a fight in public with a stranger, and even in a public setting, if someone is being obnoxious I keep my mouth shut. Another 15 minutes in line (not kidding). We finally get to the front of the line, we are next to order. Butt in line boy has ordered and left. Girl who let him butt in line is ordering when this other girl appears out of no where says to her, "HI Girl how are you?" The new LINE BUTTER Turns to the chocolate/ coffee lady and orders two coffees and then has to hem and haw about whether she wants cream or sugar and doesn't know if her friend wants cream or sugar. She then proceeds to try and call her friend and can't remember her number. This rude idiot line butter chick is still standing there trying to remember the number when I am asked for my order. I collect my change and turn to the rude line butter chick, who is still hemming and hawing about cream and sugar and I say very loud, "YOU ARE A _ITCH, you butt in line in front of all of these people and it was extremely RUDE!!!!" She just stared at me, I took my hot chocolate and left. I then hear a little voice say, "Mom what did you call that lady?" OH SNAPPER! I completely forgot I had little ears listening. I quickly responded to my son, "A Witch, I called her a Witch because she butt in line in front of a lot of people who were waiting patiently for their turn." I have NEVER called anyone to their face the B word ever.....Let's just blame in on the pregnancy hormones. If I could re-do that scene, I would still call her a rude Witch with a 'w' and I would have ever so politely suggested, she apologize to EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN LINE!

ok I feel better now,
thanks
sleep tight

The 411

Yes I am pregnant. I think it is a trick and a treat. People keep asking me if it's a surprise and I'm not sure how to answer that. We were happy with 3 but kept feeling like there might be one more. We never committed to saying yes for sure we want one more, but when you just keep debating about if we are not having another baby, who is going to get fixed????? ....then you end up pregnant. The pics are from announcing the news to my family. This grand baby will be #12 for mom. I wrapped a dozed roses in a box, each one had the name of one of the grand kids, and the last one was blank. I am due the 13th of June which feels like FOREVER away. I know most people don't announce this early but I get sick way fast and it's pretty obvious. I would prefer people to know I'm pregnant than talk among themselves, "Is she fat or pregnant?" They just don't need to be having that conversation. The Chinese chart says it's a boy. Princess thinks I'm having twins. She asked me the other day if I was going to get as big as BOB the BLOB. I answered probably!

Mamas of the cousins

Jana is due in February with #11

Trick? or Treat?

Wheeler Farm and Farmer Sport

These are two buddies from his functional skills class

The regular 1st grade class.

Big thanks to Dani for taking Sport.

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Searching

Found and CLAIMED as the ONE!

Gotta love Miss Angela

Special Thanks to Dani for taking PrincessPie

NEEDED IMMEDIATELY: Laundry Fairy

I got it all clean today I just can't manage to get it folded and put away. My friend has an actual laundry fairy. Seriously, she shows up every Monday to help her do laundry....and get this it is not her mother, it is her step-mother-in-law! Her laundry not only gets folded and put away it gets ironed as well (we skip that step at this house). Anyway I'm sitting here blogging and wishing when I really should be folding!!!! I'm soOO jealous!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MASTER

Sunday evening we worked on Master's spot-light poster to take to school today. These were some of his favorites...

Dear Master, YOU are a GREAT kid! You are a super big brother as well. Because this is the ONLY scrapbook/journal I keep here are some highlights of this year:

*You played football for the first time this year. You are so big that you were an X-Man and played with kids a full year ahead of your grade. You didn't love the game, but you stuck it out and started to get quite good toward the end of the year.

* You are the goalie for your comp soccer team. We call you MONSTER in the box. You don't always love this either but have decided to stay with it.

*YOU LOVE to play video games on the ps2 and on the computer

*You favorite person to hang out with is Adam (besides me)

*You love to eat at Tempanyaki (which is good because we love it but bad because it is expensive)

*School is NOT your favorite but you work hard and don't complain too much.

*You love to wrestle with your Dad

*You are a great artist

*You have inherited your love of guns from your Dad

*You love to swim

*You just tested for your second degree brown belt

You are a pretty cool kid and I LOVE every single bit of you!!!!!

Big Sexy

Simple things I love for this week - Big Sexy Hair Spray. This will not give you silky strands for your loved one to run his fingers through BUT it will help start and FINISH good hair days.
p.s. If your name is Leslie, do not try to take the entire can through airport security, no matter how much your beg, your Big Sexy isn't going to make the trip.

Heaven or Hell?

I would love to be posting about how wonderful General Conference was and how I feel inspired to do more, be more, love more, be a better being...that's not how the weekend went.
Let's start with expectations. I love General Conference. I think it is divinely inspired to get 2+ Sundays a year (including Stake Conference) that are different. Usually these Sundays involve getting to leave town without having guilt about your Sunday job and watching church on TV with food and family around. Not to mention there are awesome conference talks. So how did this not happen?
It started with good intentions. The plan was the Cabin with my extended family. Then I looked at the calendar. hmm Master had football Thurs, Fri and game on Sat. Soccer on Fri and Sat. Don't these coaches know this is Mother of all weekends UEA and Conference. We stayed home and my family went to the cabin. bummer.
Next we tried to stay home and do 'fun things' by Saturday afternoon I wanted to auction of my kids to the lowest bidder. No one could agree on what to do. Sport kept yelling for Cherry Hill because he doesn't understand it's closed. And my 'stay-cation' seemed to consist of making meals, cleaning them up and doing laundry. Thursday night I took Master and Princess to the movie 'Cloudy with a chance of meatballs' Master and I loved it. Princess kept crying she wanted to leave because there were no Barbies or Princess in the movie. We went up to Snowbasin on Friday and that was pretty but there was lovely arguing in the car about who was watching what show etc. etc.. We tried going bowling Friday afternoon and Sport kept yelling NO to everything, saying he wanted fries from Donalds and picking up other people's balls and throwing them down adjacent lanes while I had my back turned. This tends to screw up their game. Meanwhile Indy was on his cell with stressful business calls. I do have to note I didn't go into the weekend in the best mood. Stress at work is no fun to stress about on the weekends because there isn't a damn (excuse me) thing you can do about it. Saturday began the soccer and football thing and I kept promising the kids we would go swimming but by the time sports took over our Saturday there was no room for General Conference or for swimming. What is up with letting my 8yr old determine all my weekend plans? Lucky me I did get a date night with my hubby and neighbors Sat night (ok some guilt for not having Indy make it to Priesthood) but we had a good time. I woke up this morning in a semi good mood I made German pancakes which my kids decided they didn't like anymore. (They sure as heck liked them last week). Sport kept yelling for Eggs. Note about Sport. The skin of his butt crack has been bleeding for two weeks. This tends to make him even more stubborn and grumpy and he yells a lot. Heck if my bum was bleeding I would be grumpy stubborn and yell too. I made the kids stop and listen to the prophet but that lasted all of 2 seconds with Sport yelling he wanted football (he doesn't love conference) Princess wanting to play and Master telling me he was hungry every 10 seconds. Between sessions I dreamed of having a nap. HAHHAHA ya right. Kids were hungry, there were dishes to do and I made caramels because I needed to start prepping my Halloween treats for my offices. Afternoon session was much like the first. Sport started yelling, Princess wanted to play and Master was hungry. I finally hit the record button on the DVR and figure I'll catch it later. Thank heavens for the Ensign conference issue. After running to Ogden to visit Grandma we came home to my wonderful crock-pot roast and potatoes. My kids hate Sunday dinner, and would barely touch what I fixed. They would be thrilled if I made Top Ramen every Sunday. More dishes, scouting with Master, finding back-packs for Monday and getting kids in bed. Done right?- nope.... My caramels didn't turn out, I spilled dishwashing detergent on my hands as I loaded dishes, and while I took my aroma-therapy bath all I could smell was bleach on my fingers. Indy came in and talked about his stress at work and I tried on my new swim-suit that I bought for swim lessons and it wasn't as flattering as I hoped.
There is a book I love called "Alexander and the terrible horrible no good very bad day." I think I had a weekend like that. Now I do understand it wasn't really that horrible or terrible. I've experienced true horrible and true terrible and this weekend didn't come close. It just didn't turn out as I had hoped. The good news is there is always tomorrow. My work will be fine. Indy's work will be great. Sport's bum already looked better tonight as I put him in bed. I didn't get to partake in Conference as I hoped and I don't fill uplifted and edified, just slightly hormonal.
The truth is I am amazingly blessed. I have been given so much, and I am very grateful.

Cellulite

I'm not sure if there was a language barrier or I just didn't want to face the brutal truth but this is what happened.... About half way through our trip we wound up at a hotel that offered massages for $35. Good deal for our weary backs. Brian went first and said it was different but good. ok. I head in and this lady speaks very little English but seems really nice. She goes to work and about the time she is on my back butt and outer thighs she says:

" you have much too much cellulite for a young woman your age"

Wow ok, nothing like a little brutal honesty, then she says,

"but it's only a little deep." What? and then she says,

"you just take some sugar, olive oil and a little water and massage and it will help this"

Actually lady, less chocolate, less carbs, and giving up diet coke, will help this but hey if all I need is some sugar and olive oil it's worth a try.

Once home out of curiosity I thought I would give it a go. I grabbed the sugar and olive oil from the pantry and headed to the bathroom to concoct me anti-cellulite treatment. Maybe I can market this and make millions.

The results: I don't have a full length mirror in my bathroom so I can not testify of instant reduction in the appearance of cellulite but it was a good exfoliating treatment and my legs felt silky smooth after. I did also apply to the upper arms as a preventative measure. A while later Indy came walking into the bathroom wondering what the container of sugar and olive oil were doing in the bathroom...long story short I told him it was my Swedish Secret. The funny man helped me unload groceries last night and had the nerve to ask as he unpacked the spreadable butter if we were keeping it in the fridge or the bathroom..Funny Indy funny. So maybe you allready know my Swedish secret, but for me it has been an enlightening experience.