Ethan's Baptism

Ethan turned eight a few weeks ago. We believe that this is the age of accountability. Also, it is the age we believe is old enough to choose to be baptized. Ethan chose to be baptized.

Ethan's baptism was very nice. Grandma, Nana, Tara, Chris, Kristy, and their kids were all able to be there. There were some nice talks, a beautiful musical number and then we waited for our turn to have Ethan baptized... There were 9 kids getting baptized the same day! We were the last to get to use the baptismal font- it was a long wait ;)

When it was Ethan's turn, Brian baptized him (twice, because the first time he didn't say the words quite right). Then, since Ethan was the last kid, he got to pull the plug on the font- he was very excited about that. After Brian and Ethan were dried off and changed, they came into the room and he was confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a beautiful blessing. As he was being blessed, in my mind I saw Ethan as a grown boy, wearing a white shirt and tie, out serving the Lord on a mission. He was handsome, brave and strong- and he knew what he believed and was happy. I felt the Spirit so strong. Then, Grandpa Miles played his guitar and sang a song about baptism. It is a song that Miles wrote for Brian when he was baptized. So cool! Then we finished up the rest of the program.

For lunch we went to Golden Corral! Buffet! (Ethan keeps talking about the buff-ette that we went to ;)

It was a lovely day, and I'm so proud of Ethan. He is growing and maturing so quickly. Before I know it the day will be here that he is out serving that mission for the Lord. He'll be a fantastic missionary.

Enjoying Motherhood

There are moments in motherhood that some people call paychecks. Here are some of my "paychecks"...

Seeing what Nora has decided to wear to school.

Making silly faces with Wesley, watching him grow.

When the kids play together nicely.

Family walks on beautiful nights... and when funny stuff happens. "your eye, mommy!"

Ethan taking 12 samples from the Vitamix guy when he says, "take as many as you'd like!"

I love being a mom. When I look for the good stuff about being a mom- I see it everywhere, I hear the sweet things they say, I feel their chubby arms around my neck, and I know how to make them happy.
These kids were meant to be mine, and I was meant to be their mom.

Chicago and a baby!

 

 I'm not one to go on a trip without my kids in tow. I've rarely been away from them more than a night. BUT - my sister Megan was about to give birth to her fourth child... I hadn't seen her in so long, I haven't been able to be there for my sisters at any of their other births, and I we just got our tax return... ;)
So I presented my argument to my husband. And he lovingly said that I could go (after I promised to take care of all the details, told him how important it was to me, and begged a little).
So with kids schedules taken care of, meals planned, and totally AWESOME friends willing to watch the kids until Brian got home from work- I bought my plane tickets.
A little back story- Megan was going to have her baby naturally and I was planning on going to see her two weeks before her due date. But I just knew that she would have the baby while I was there! Everyone kept asking me (even Megan) but what if she doesn't have the baby while you're there??? I assured everyone that even if she didn't, that Megan and I love hanging out together and that we'd finish tons of projects and I give her back rubs- still a total win! Secretly, though, I knew she'd have the baby while I was there.
I caught a late flight out of Dallas. It wasn't until I got to the airport that I realized just how much I was going to miss Brian and the kids. It hit me kind of hard as they dropped me off. I kissed and kissed them and then headed off on my adventure.
The flight was lovely (I was nauseous as usual on the plane). I sat next to a Pastor from Naperville named Dave Ferguson. We chatted about kids, family, religion and politics.  I enjoyed every minute of it! I think I talked his ear off. After landing, and not throwing up, I was delighted to be in Chicago! But I forgot how long each of the terminals are- my legs were burning by the time I got to the front to be picked up. Meg was there waiting for me! She is so pretty pregnant.
We hung out, finished projects- checked them off of her mega-nesting list (yowser that thing was huge!), and talked and talked...And loved on Linky, JJ and Hazel of course.

Thursday night I got to meet up with some of my favorite gals from high school.  I hadn't seen them in years and years. I sure love them. Now we are "grown up" it's amazing how much closer you can be just through gaining similar life experience (husbands, jobs, bills, kids, mortgages) and I wish we could've had a sleep-over so we could've talked all night. I love those girls.

Friday was especially eventful. We went to Home Depot to buy a new toilet- it was cold and rainy, so of course the minivan wouldn't start. Jeff came to save us, but we just couldn't jump the van. We went home and organized, sewed, and cleaned... And Meg started having a lot more regular contractions. So by midnight she packed her bags and we headed off to the hospital.

It was so awesome to be there for the birth. Megan was amazing. Louisa was born on Saturday morning, she was perfect.

I got to spend the next two days with Megan at the hospital. We mostly just stared at Louisa, slept and talked. Seriously the best vacation ever!

Since Megan came home on Sunday, I had an extra hang-out day before I had to head home. Yay! So I packed Linky and JJ into the car and headed out to Sycamore to visit one of my favorite places- Ollies (I love you custard ice cream).

Tuesday I headed home. 
I had the best time.

11 Years...and counting!

Last week Brian and I celebrated our 11th year anniversary.
This is what I posted on his Facebook page, and I'm putting it here because I really think it sums up how I feel:

Happy anniversary stud muffin! It seems like we've always been together and like it was just yesterday that we met and fell in love. It's a good feeling- I love sharing my life with you.

We took Thursday and Friday to ourselves (sorta), and spent the night at a hotel to "get away"...  About 20 miles from home :)
Mostly we shopped for furniture, ate awesome food, and took naps. And mostly we just had a really great time being together, remembering why we love eachother.
Highlights:
Attending a local play staring the 2nd grade (Ethan had a speaking part!)
Attending the temple together
Eating at awesome restaurants and ordering without being worried about the price
Buying a grown-up couch and love seat (I love hand-me-downs, but there is something liberating about choosing it yourself)

Newlyweds

11 years feels great.

Case

My nephew, Case is sick.  I love him so much.  When I see him at the hospital it makes my heart ache.  It's hard to see children sick and in pain- especially when that child holds a special place in your heart.
My husband has put together a blog of Case's journey through this cancer that is in his body right now.  We'll do our best to keep it updated as he goes through treatments and as he heals.
Case's Blog

A few funnies

July 8, 2011
Nora saw some mannequins at the mall, and said, "Ha ha, look at that, fake moms."

July 17, 2011
I was reading a book and Wesley crawled on my lap, put my bookmark onto the page I was reading and said, "AH DUN!

That fabric on the table has to be good for something.

August 20, 2011
Ethan: mom! we haven't been to Sonic in like a month!
Me: I didn't go to Sonic until I was 25 years old, and somehow I'm still alive.
Ethan: Yeah, I guess you're right. I could survive without Sonic...At least for a year.

August 25, 2011
I (Brian) asked Nora if she likes sharks and she said, "No. I like ponies, and butterflies, and princesses, and mermaids, and unicorns, and pegasuses."

Wes likes to explore and investigate his surroundings.

 September 2011
Words Wes loves to say right now: "Eeeeww!" "Oh No!" "Daddy!" "Oh man." "Aah done"(all done) "No, no, no." "bo-pin" (broken) "pee-po" (paper) "ahm one" (I'm one) "Nana!" and "Bampa" (grandpa) - that's right "mommy" didn't make the top 10..

Sept. 22
Ethan made these huge Halloween Party invitations with time, date, location and instructions to wear a costume. I came in and saw them and said, "Uh, Ethan- you need to ask me first. We are NOT having a Halloween party."
Ethan said, "That's why it's a joke mom. Didn't you read the bottom? It says JK."

Tonsils be gone!

Warning:  At the end of this post is a very graphic/nasty picture.  Not intended for children to see.
Last Thursday I got a tonsillectomy.  And right now I hurt, like bad, man.  Ouch.
But I know in the long run it's going to be worth it.  I get sore throats ALL the time and to get strep I just have to be within a mile radius of the infected... Not to mention my chronic halitosis.   That's right, I said it.  I have bad breath.  It's not my fault!  I brush 2+ times a day, I floss, I gargle, I chew gum- I still have bad breath.  It's all because of those nasty little tonsils sitting in the back of my throat.  BUT not anymore!  They are gone, and even though it is the worst continuous pain I've ever experienced in my life- I know it's going to be worth it.  (and yes, I am trying to convince myself at the moment that it was worth it.)

Negativity Averted

Sometimes Sunday is extra hard, I have a child that makes sure of it- almost on a weekly basis.  I've been feeling a little down in the dumps because of some of the things that child said to me as I put said child to bed...  So I went on a little walk to clear my mind.  I didn't want to stay in grouchy/grumpy/sad mode so I prayed on my walked.  That helps a lot.  What mostly came to mind as I prayed was other people in my life who are suffering in some way right now.  So I tried to think of ways to help them and prayed for them in their time of need.  That helps a lot too- cause it makes me realize that it isn't really all about me.  Hopefully my child will forget the awful things they said, and will only remember that their mommy loves them, was patient, and didn't get angry (that was hard).  That being said, I also prayed about things I was thankful for- that helps a ton!
Here are five:
1.  My safe neighborhood - I was on a walk by myself at dusk, and not once did I feel scared or threatened.
2.  My mom - she is the best example of patience and calmness I've ever known
3.  My health - In recent (some very recent!) times I've had major health scares, right now things are really great.
4.  My husband - he made dinner tonight, did the dishes, didn't mind that I needed to leave to go on a walk, works hard for our family, supports my crazy hobbies, loves me despite my weaknesses....etc....
5.  My kids - the more I considered them, the more I thought of loving tender moments I have with them, EVERY day!  When they hold my hand, kiss my cheek for no reason, run by and say "I love you mama!", sit in my lap while I read to them, and today my favorite was when they played pretend Nora wanted to be 'Kendra'.  :)

Life is pretty awesome.  There are ups and downs, but how much would I appreciate all the wonderful moments if I never knew the hard ones?  Someday I have a feeling Sunday is going to be my favorite day of the week!

A new Caribbean instrument?

At 7:00 am...
Me: sleeping peacefully
Nora:  MOM!
Me: (not sleeping)  huh-wha?
Nora:  Ethan won't let me watch TV, he's been playing the Mimtembo all morning!

Beach Vacation

We just got home from a very excellent vacation.  2 days driving, 4 days camping on the beach, 1 day at Disneyland and 2 more days driving home.  We are oh-so tired- but it was worth every minute of driving and preparation.  Hopefully the kids made some memories that will last them a life time.

I make stuff up.

My best friend Mollie wrote an ode to her father for father's day.  One of the points she made rang so true to me that I am copying and pasting it onto my blog (hope you don't mind Mollie)

• He makes stuff up. This one is self-explanatory, and I don’t have a particular memory of it, mostly because I live it every day. Yes, this unfortunate trait was passed right along to me, full force. If I don’t know the answer to a question, I find myself answering anyway, confidently delivering guesses as if reading out of an encyclopedia, even though my brain is telling me the whole time, “Stop, stop, you don’t know what you’re saying. You’re making this up. You know this is all fiction you are saying in a convincing way, with an authority your loose facts and often wrong intuition don’t deserve. Lies, lies!” But alas, I can’t help it. It’s genetic.
 
Ha Ha ha!  That is me and my dad to a T.  Brian is so going to appreciate this post.  And Mollie, you explained it perfectly in a way I never could.  Thanks!  It's good to have a good laugh at your self ever now and then.

Speedy the Frog

Ethan has this way of getting me to do things. 
He owns probably close to 50 stuffed animals.  And he loves them all, individually.  I'm not kidding.  They all have names, likes, dislikes, personalities and they are occasionally referred to as my "other" children (by Ethan- not me!).  So when he asks me to make him a stuffed animal I say no- right?  Wrong.
I've blogged about how Ethan's super power is manipulation before.
Somehow I was duped into making Ethan a stuffed frog- did I mention he already has like 3 stuffed frogs.  I came into his room to help him get ready for school and he was in his closet crying.  I found out that the problem was that he couldn't find one of his stuffed frogs.  This was a problem because he wanted to take this particular stuffed frog to school because he'd earned a "bring a stuffed animal to school" pass.  I of course said he should take one of his other frogs with him.  This was no good.  No good because all his other frogs had already been to school.  Long story short- he convinced me to make him a new one so he could take it to school the next day.  AND he wanted it green, soft, fuzzy and ready by 3pm that very day. 
So, I hugged him, said "OK honey", took him to school, came home and created a pattern, cut, sewed, stuffed, and finished the frog by 3pm.
Geez, I'm such a push-over!

Ethan's Birthday

Ethan turned seven.  Sometimes I can't believe how fast time goes.  It makes me think- Am I teaching him how to be a good person, is he learning how to serve others, do I give him enough responsibility around the house, have I taught him how to know right from wrong and to make his own choices?  I can only hope the smallest part of what I'm trying to teach him is making it into his big intelligent brain. 
Ethan is my first child, so I don't have a point of reference for all of this.  He is my learning curve.  I want him to be a happy child and a successful adult- those two desires can really be hard to achieve together (especially if you ask Ethan). 
Some things I've learned:  Almost everything that is hard about your child at a certain age- they will grow out of it!;  New hard things come with every age; Don't make mountains out of mole hills; Decide ahead of time what is going to be a mountain;  Talk with you child- but more importantly LISTEN! (don't interrupt);  Routine saves you from a lot of headaches;  Lots of sugar and not enough sleep makes kids turn into monsters;  Children are always watching and they learn WAY more from your example then from what you say;  Give them chances to prove themselves;  Praise early- and often;  Be united with your spouse;  AND charity never faileth...
I don't claim to know much about parenting at all.  I get lessons everyday about how inept I am at it.  But I'm determined to be successful at doing my best and loving my kids. 
Geez- guess Ethan's birthday made me a bit introspective.  Enough about me, here is some things about Ethan:
He is super smart, funny, he likes to win, he will rise to the challenge if you let him, he can argue like a lawyer, he is so very handsome :) , he is sensitive, he LOVES to read (especially comics), he and his daddy like to share inside jokes and have similar senses of humor, he understands and applies things most adults would have a hard time getting, he is creative, he never forgets (that sounds ominous, ha ha), he is an early riser, he loves to swim, he loves video games, his favorite color is green and he likes frogs.
I'm grateful I get to be the mother of such an amazing human being.

Ode to a Mom

What is it about a mom that is so profound?
Is it their unspeakable beauty, their voice?
Or perhaps the way they look soft and round-
when they are carrying life inside them, by choice.
My mother is more special than any words could capture.
She loves, unconditionally,
easily,  her love endures
She is strong, wise, and sure-
Without a word she serves me happily,
I am in awe that God let me be hers.

Post Op

I'm so grateful!
The tumor is gone.
My mother is here helping care for my children while I'm away.
My husband's job is being very flexible, letting him work from home and spend time with me at the hospital.
The tumor was benign.
My friends have brought my family dinner while I'm away
I'm not in very much pain.
I got to watch HGTV for 3 days straight. ha ha ha.
My kids have been very well-behaved.
I already met my out of pocket max and my deductible.
My hospital bed is super comfy.
My nurses have been so so nice.
I can have hot chocolate anytime I want.
I was comforted by all the prayers of my loved ones.
And now I need to go to bed...
Love -Kendra

Garden 2011

This is our cute little garden!  I'm so excited about our garden this year, I can just feel that it's going to be a productive garden.
I tried out a new method this year- Square Foot Gardening.
So my 4x4 garden is going to have 16 different plots to plant whatever my heart desires.
So far I've planted tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, onions, spinach, cilantro, parsley, carrots, cucumbers and zucchini.  Yummy.  (and yes, I love to make homemade salsa, why do you ask?)
The smaller 3x3 bed is for the kiddos.  The each have 3 square feet to plant in.  I need to get their plants in the ground by the weekend!  So far they've said they want to plant strawberries and watermelon.  O.K.  We'll see how that goes. ;)
Whatever the result, I'm looking forward to teaching, tending, and learning about gardens this summer- oh yeah, and eating!

My friend is growing a square foot garden too- check it out! 

Decorating a Cranial Orthotic (Baby Helmet)

My niece has torticollis and plagiocephaly (stiff neck muscles and a flat head)...  So for a couple months she is going to wear a helmet made specifically for shaping her head, preventing further flattening and helping to strengthen the correct muscles.

I think she looks absolutely adorable in it.  Her mama wanted to dress it up a bit- give it a little love (and decoration!).  So she called me, because she knows I will try anything.  Even when I have no idea what I'm doing!  So after shooting off my mouth about- "Oh!  We could decoupage some fabric on it, add some crystals!  It would be so cute!"  She went out and bought some fabric and came over.  About an hour before she showed up I realized that I in fact did not know what I was talking about.  So I did what you would've done, I googled it.  NO ONE- at least that I could find- had used fabric to decorate the helmet.  There were plenty of people who used paint, stickers and even decoupaged paper onto the helmets.  But I couldn't find one example of fabric.  So I did what I always do- I did it anyway.

You will need:
Mod Podge
Fabric- 5 coordinating types
a paint brush
a sharp small pair of scissors
Fray Check
(and if you want, some crystals!)

 We cut little squares of each type of fabric about 1" or 2" squares (not exact).  Coated the cleaned outside of the helmet with Mod Podge.  Placed the squares of fabric randomly so the entire outside was covered.  I used sharp little scissors to trim around the edges and then finished the edges of the fabric with Fray check around the outside of the helmet.

They left while it was still drying, so we didn't get to put the crystals on yet.  BUT  I think it turned out great- like a girlie patchwork quilt.  Only time will tell if this will hold up or be a complete disaster- I'm hoping for success!

I promise to add updates.

UPDATE 3/8/2011

Isn't she cute!
Crystals and last layer of Shiny Mod Podge added
(Schwarsky Crystals glued on with Elmer's craft glue)

After a month, it is holding up perfectly.  Her parents only have to touch up the edges occasionally with Mod Podge after a thorough cleaning of the inside with rubbing alcohol.  

Wesley's current Vocab

Jeesuh- Jesus
Da- Dad
Mama- mama ;)
Ah duh- All done
On Gon- All gone
oh!- oops
ma ma ma- more
daahh- dog
noe- nose
tee- teeth
gah- bottle/cup

Wes is One

My baby turned one today.
My Best Friend Mollie wrote this about her son turning one, it is exactly how I feel.  I could never explain it as eloquently as she does....
"It’s so odd how much changes in a year. If you were to look at monthly snapshots of how he’s grown, it would seem like each new thing happens in a flash. Wally smiling. Wally rolling over. Wally pushing up. Wally crawling. But the real life experience of milestones is so much more gradual. It happens like breathing. You breathe in one breath, then you breathe out. Then you are on to the next, without even thinking about the fact that the first breath is passed. Some of the air from the original breath is part of the next, some is new. And by the time a minute has passed, the air is completely different from the original. But it all happened gradually and without notice.
Your baby’s cheeks are turning up a little when he makes eye contact with you. Days later, he’s smiling every hour at least once. A week later he is smiling as long as he’s not sleeping or hungry. And you can’t remember when he went from a sleeping, crying lump to a little person who loves the sight of you.
Your baby turns his head a little when laying on his back. Days later, he squirms until he’s on his side. A week later he’s twisting his whole body, determined to flip. And then, when he is sleeping on his stomach every time within minutes of you putting him down on his back, you don’t remember a day when he couldn’t.
And so on with sitting, standing, crawling, and walking. One Halloween you hold him in the crook of your arm to keep him warm and hold his head up, and the next you are setting him on his feet, fighting him to keep his socks on and laughing at him as he stumbles around the room looking for the next thing to throw.

No wonder babies are so popular. That first year, they spend so much time learning how to be human that they don’t have time to hold grudges, be mean, or think about what’s wrong with the world. They live in a constant state of awe and wonder at what is great about what is around them. They look at a half-empty bottle of pop and see the bubbles, hear the crinkle it makes when you squeeze it, and feel the shift of weight when you tip it. (Yesterday, Wally Ben was fully entertained for 20 minutes in the car by a nearly empty plastic coke bottle. He’d shake it, then look at me, like, did you hear that? Do you see these bubbles? Can you believe it?)

What a great time—your baby’s first year. Every stage is better than the last. Every day is a new chance to get to know who your little guy or gal is going to be. And then 365 days have gone by, and your lump is walking, and you are trying to remember if you lived before you knew him, and you know the answer is yes, but you’re just not quite sure how."

  Wesley joined our family a year ago, and it has been the best year of my life.  He brings so much joy and happiness to our family, it is indescribable.  Here are a few pictures from the last 12 months:

Wes has turned into quite a little ham.  He loves to get a good laugh out of anyone who will look his way, and he ALWAYS has a smile for everyone.
Things about Wes:
He snorts when he laughs
His daddy is his favorite person on the planet, by a wide margin
He is so easygoing and calm
He started throwing tantrums- but he gets over them as quickly as they start (they are hilarious!)
He likes toys that make noises
He says, "uh-oh, oh-no", mama, dada, nana, ah-dun (all done), and ooohhh
He has chewed off all the finish on the edges of his crib
He likes to bite
His mama stopped nursing him at 10 months old
He LOVES Kozy Shack rice pudding
   and oreos
He chucks his bottle as far as he can when the milk is gone
He crawls on carpet, when the carpet ends (tile starts) he does the bear crawl
He loves his glowworm and music seahorse, they help him sleep at night
He didn't sleep through the night until 9 months old!
He'll slap you in the face if he doesn't want you that close to him
He will crawl around doing his own thing for over an hour, totally content
He likes to eat paper
He licks something electrical and shuts his fingers in drawers almost everyday
If you yell something to someone upstairs in the house, he'll yell something too
He doesn't mind water being poured over his head
He is great on road trips, almost zero crying every time
He can take knobs off of drawers
I love him more than words can say...  He is one cool cat.
Happy Birthday Wes, I love you!