My two Dancing STARS

Eliana Loves to dance! She grabbed Tristan and said "Dance with me!" She pulled him close and then said "This is how you do it...you hold my hand out like this...and put your other arm on my back like this." It was extremely funny to see these two siblings dance like they were professionals on a show. I just know they will hate these pics when they get older.

Barrett rolled over and has a tooth!

We have been wondering who was going to roll over first. Both babies have been doing so well with moving side to side and throwing the leg over and getting SO close to rolling over but it just hadn't happened yet. This morning I was holding Soren and Barrett was hanging out on the floor watching baby Einstein. I looked over at Little Bear and he was on his tummy. I said "grandma, wasn't Barrett on his back just a second ago?" My prediction is that Barrett will be first to crawl and Soren will be first to walk. We will see how close I am.

Last Friday Barrett got his first tooth. His bottom two teeth have been swollen for several days and his bottom left broke through the gums first. Soren has been drooling for weeks but there is no sign of teeth yet. I have a good friend whose little girl didn't get her first tooth till she was 18 months old!! All I need to say about teeth is...Man, am I glad I'm not nursing anymore! :)

Jekyll Island

We had a great time today at Jekyll Island. When we got there we drove around the little island to see the sights. Then we went to lunch at a restaurant on the Pier. Tristan was behaving oddly. He didn't want to sit with us and he was going to the other side of the room and hiding under the tables on the floor. I must have tried getting him to come sit down and behave for 15 mins before I just gave up and said Whatever! No one else was sitting in the up stairs area we were in so he wasn't bothering anyone but ME. He eventually got over what ever he was feeling. Strange kid. Then we went to the Sea Turtle Center. I was surprised at how interested the kids were in the exhibits. They stayed in the small room for 30-45 mins just looking at all the turtle stuff. Then we went outside to the hospital part. It was sad to see so many turtles that had been severely injured. most by boat propellers. Jekyll Island is a habitat for sea turtles and they are everywhere. I was SO hoping to see one out on the beach but no such luck.


We finally went to the beach. We picked a perfect spot right next to the sand bar. We could walk out forever and the water was till at our ankles. Which made it perfect for the kids to play in. Eliana has reached the age where she constantly BUGS me with " Are we there YET?" The whole way down, and the whole time before we got to the beach. The beach was beautiful and hot! I went over Tristan twice with sunscreen but forgot to do Eli a second time and she got burned pretty good. Their favorite part was picking up shells and sand dollars. We must have brought home 10 sand dollars. Call us killers but they were all alive. Eliana was holding a sand dollar like it was a trophy and when Grandpa said it was alive she jumped, squealed and dropped it in the water. So funny to see. Then we were walking in shallow water when the tide was out and there were little tube like sea life sticking out of the sand. When Eli looked down and saw that she was standing on them and they looked like aliens coming out of the sand she FREAKED out and hoped up and down like a monkey. She was very scared. I pulled a few out of the sand and showed her and they are only an inch long and look like a miniature straw. She was still creped out about walking on them. Tristan LOVED playing in the water. He sat down and that was that. He laid and kicked, crawled and splashed. He and Zach had a blast playing in the mini waves. But poor Tristan got stung by something. There were jelly fish everywhere. I stepped on one and nothing happened to me but I think he may have grazed one while sitting in the water. He had a red mark on his back about an inch by 2 inches.


When we were all packed up and headed back to the truck I couldn't find me keys. I looked in all the bags, pockets of the stroller and all over the sand. I said a quick prayer. Tristan looked at me and said "mom, why are you praying?" I said sometimes it is good to pray when you need help. And I need help finding my keys so we aren't stuck here at the beach. So I was off backtracking and soon after I left mom felt prompted to look in the stroller again and found them in my short pocket. But the good part was I experienced a magical moment all to myself on the beach. The wind picked up very strong and the beach was empty of people. The wind was coming from my back and the sand was blowing so fast and strong across the beach that it looked like a soft cloud was racing by my feet. It was awesome! I wish I had my camera for the picture but I would have hated to get all that sand in my new camera.

I for sure thought the kids were going to sleep on the way home but they played I spy and other games to keep them occupied. When we got home Eliana was the one to act out from tiredness. Poor thing was mad because Tristan got the pink washcloth and she wanted it. She was crying in her bed and said " I never get pink! I've never gotten pink!" I looked at her like she was crazy and then teased her saying what color is your bed? your pj's? your blanket? etc...she started laughing and smirking because she got my point. As soon as I kissed them goodnight they were out. I am hoping for a long nights sleep.

The Silliest Soren you have ever SEEN!

I have been capturing more video to send to Chris in Iraq and I just had to share this with all my friends. I hope you laugh as hard as I did! You'll have to tell me if Soren wins the funniest baby award!

Today we celebrated Tristan's BIG BOY party. He has successfully been potty trained!! YEAH! I was still a little nervous about BM's but right before dinner tonight he went on the toilet. He was still a little hesitant and nervous but I told him my arm had magic powers and if he held onto it he wouldn't be afraid and it wouldn't hurt. It seemed to help because he later said " I pooped and mommy's magic arm helped me" kids are so funny.

The babies are practicing sitting up. Barrett has a better center of gravity but Soren has more of a desire to be sitting up. I am thinking they will be sitting on their own within a couple weeks. Probably about the same time they really get the hang of rolling over.


The dogs are doing great. Thankfully not shedding as much. Bella is going to be Tristan's best friend. She lets him climb on her, lay on her, wrestle her and more. We are fortunate to have two very well tempered dogs.

We had the missionaries over for dinner and afterwards we sat out on the patio and played with the kids on the trampoline. Tristan got a hold of the hose and wouldn't listen the million times I told him to turn off the water. I told him to take the hose out of the patio into the back yard. He kept spraying through the screen so I went out to take it away and what did he DO??? He soaked his mother! Yes, the war was on...I chased him all over the yard and took the hose and soaked his little behind. Eliana wanted to get in on the action. We were putting on a fun little show for the missionaries and the grandparents. Ahhh, fun in the summer.

Momma's boy's

I just love these guys! I know every mom thinks their little ones are the cutest ever. I just happen to think that my children got blessed with cuteness. I have no idea where they got it from! Not mom and dad for sure!

Fantistic 4

Yes, I am referring to my children. I feel like I am already falling behind on documenting all the fun happenings with my kiddos. Life has been very busy with my parents here. However, the chaos levels have greatly decreased. I have a nanny (grandma) who had stolen my babies. I am actually missing the boys because she hoards them all day. No really, she has been wonderful to take such great care of my little ones so I can spend precious time with Eliana and Tristan. My older two have been feeling neglected and were acting out. I can tell a huge difference in there attitudes with all the individual attention I have been giving them.

Eliana constantly loves on the babies. She will be thrilled when they can sit up on their own so she can be more interactive with them. Tristan is finally starting to notice the babies and be sweet to them. But his interest is very limited. He still can not tell the babies apart. He just doesn't look at there faces to identify them.

The babies are growing in size, personality and dexterity. At their 4 month check up they weren't even on the charts. In the 0%. I stopped nursing and now at 6 months they are in the 50%. They are only a couple weeks behind on rolling over. They are SO close but only spinning around and scooting on their backs. Soren desperately wants to be sitting and it kills him that he is limited. He will be running before I know it. Barrett is my happy go lucky chillin' child. I will post more about these babies later.


I have to say...my kids are great at silly faces!

Check out this blog!

I just love to read my friend Charlene's blog. She is Witty, intelligent, funny, and always has topics of great interest on her blog. I especially like her latest and EXTREMELY long post titled Pistachios and female scorpions. Trust me, you will love this read.

Busy, busy, busy!

My parents came into town on July 3rd to stay for the whole month. I had an extremely long list of projects that I wanted to do while they are here. So not only have my poor parents been slaving around the house my mom has gotten a good dose of being full time grandma to these babies. She will hardly let me hold my own babies!! Not really, she is just helping to the fullest. My dad has helped with all the yard work and landscaping. Which is not easy on a half acre lot. We ripped out two trees and took a full load to the dump in the poring rain.


Reasons why I have been too tired to post:
-painted Eli and Tristan's room
-moved ALL toys upstairs to the new playroom
-cleaned out office, kids room and babies room to have carpets cleaned
-moved kids beds downstairs
-pressure washed patio, play set and play house then reassembled upstairs in the new playroom
-spent 3-4 hours organizing toys and getting the playroom just right

Tomorrow is a play day. I think i will take Eliana and Tristan to the movies. Tomorrow night we are expecting some good friends to come visit for the weekend. Lana Taylor, hubby Tommy and two girls, Jocelynne and Kaylie are our friends from Arizona. Jocelynne is Eli's very first best friend. Eliana is SO excited. Oh and did I mention that Eli is beside herself with EXCITEMENT!

Well, my list for the morning is to find out why our water bill tripled this month, call the IRS to clarify a tax amendment, make some (other)important phone calls and balance the checkbook. I guess the fun can't begin until the dirty work is done.

My next post (hopefully tomorrow) will have all kinds of fun news about the babies and how fast they are growing. Oh...and pics of our new dog Bella.

A day for the BOOKS

Today flowed smoothly until evening came. This morning I was a little sad because I had to take Lanie to the vet to be groomed and her new owner was going to pick her up. So I gathered her things and the kids and headed out the door. After sending Lanie on her way I dropped Eliana off at her friend Laurens house. They were headed to the HUGE water park at HAAF (Hunter Army Airfield). Tristan the babies and I hung out today playing on the trampoline and running around with toys. Our neighbor Christy invited Tristan to go to our local pool here in Buckhead. So I showered and got things ready for tonight. I was invited to a Pampered Chef party and my friend Kayleen offered to watch Eli and Tristan for me. Without all the silly details I was back and forth between picking up pizza, kayleens house, picking up Eliana, back to Kayleens house. Feeding babies then finally on my way to the party...30 minutes late! I get to Kayleens house around 8:30 to pick up the kids and she has a story to tell me!

Tristan was in underwear instead of his pull-up. He and Zachery were jumping on the trampoline and Tristan pooped! It ran down his leg and into his sandal. He must have thought it felt good because he proceeded to jump and squish poop all over the trampoline. You know...all the little crevasses! My heart sank as she told me about bathing them and cleaning up. I was pleased with how she handled Tristan. I hope he felt really bad. She said he kept apologizing over and over. What am I going to do with this boy! As usual it was a battle getting the kids to leave their friends house. Finally at 9:30 and on our way home when my truck starts to act funny. As I let off the break to turn into our neighborhood my computer chip starts to go on the fritz. The engine light came on and the truck was coasting. I managed to get into the neighborhood and pulled off into the grass on the side of the road.

The tears started to surface as I listen to two crying, hungry babies, grumpy kids saying "mommy why are we stopped?" and wondering if I was going to have to walk home. I try calling Robyn and went straight to voice mail. I called Bro. Sparks and got a machine. Called Muthu Alletto and she was coming to my rescue. Just as soon as I get Soren out and hold him I realize that I am being watched over! Bro. Sparks drives by and stops. 30 seconds later the Christensen's (my home and V.T) drive by and stop. What are they doing out at 9:30 at night! Then Muthu and her hubby (bishop) show up. I then had 4 cars to my rescue all at once. How amazing! I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is very aware of me and my little family. He has provided so many mini miracles and this was one of them. Muthu, bless her heart, stayed to help feed babies and get kids to bed. Then she helped me clean my kitchen and wash bottles. I can't express how grateful I am for wonderful friends who are always there to help.

It is almost midnight and I just got done paying the bills and posting this blog. I think it is time for me to crash and hope tomorrow brings better fortune.

Dust storm

My DH emailed this morning with pictures of this massive sand storm. When he took the pics the visibility was poor but he said today it was well below that. I'm glad I don't live in Iraq! I have a hard enough time dusting my own house. That dust covers everything and every crevasse. Even through the dust and squinting eyes, it is GREAT to see pics of Chris. The kids just light up whenever dad sends anything our way. Thanks DAD...keep them coming. We miss you like crazy!

Four Things You May Not Know About Me....


Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Darkroom tech.
2. Waitress
3. Art Gallery sales and framer
4. Substitute Teacher

Four movies I have watched over and over:
1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Ever After
3. Youv'e got mail
4. Barbie The Island Princess (thanks to Eliana)


Four places I have lived: (These are my favorites, since I have lived way more than four places)
1. Sicily, Italy
2. Sacramento, CA
3. Norman, OK
4. Palmer, Alaska

I love to watch: (Had to narrow it down again - I guess I watch too much TV)
1. Lost
2. American Idol
3. Dancing with the Stars
4. The Oreiley Factor

Four Places I have been on vacation:
1. Switzerland (as a kid with my Parents)
2. Korea (to visit Chris)
3. All the ski resorts in the Sierra's!!!
4. Disney World in Florida

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Brownies, brownies and more brownies
2. cheese
3. Italian food
4. homemade chicken noodle soup

Four web sites I visit regularly:
1. Freinds blogs
2. shutterfly
3. craigslist.com
4. ebay.com

Four Places I would rather be right now:
1. ANYWHERE(other than Iraq) with my husband
2. Back in the california mountains
3. On our Italy 10 year anniversary vacation (soon to come May of 09)
4. In an all day Spa retreat!

Jen is in her PRIME! Happy 30th to me!

My first instinct is to say "I feel so old" but that is just the side of me that is influenced by a world that thinks we need to look 20 forever. I actually feel great for 30 years old. I am where I want to be at 30. I have a beautiful family, healthy lifestyle and a strong circle of friends that bring me joy and happiness.


My mom sent some money for me to get a babysitter and go out for the day. I rounded up my two friends Kayleen Olsen and Lisa Sparks for a great lunch on River Street and after we went on a Dolphin tour. We had a blast! The lunch was deeeelish! and I loved the wind in my hair as we cruised the river. We were lucky enough to find a number of dolphins playing around. After we watched them swim around the boat a while they had everyone go to the back of the boat so we could put out a massive wake for the dolphins to play in. The trick worked! It was SO much fun watching the dolphins jump and fly through the air so gracefully. They are beautiful creatures. By the way...(i LOVE my new camera). I was able to get some great shots while other people around me only got shots as they were diving back into the water. On our way home we got ice cream to cool us off from the 100 degree weather.


Shortly after I got home I was delivered beautiful flowers from Chris. So unexpected and they warmed my heart that he went to the effort to send me flowers when he has already done so much for me. He is truly great and an awesome hubby too!! thanks babe


The kids were eager to get out of the house and do something fun when I got home. So we packed up and went to the pool. Thankfully there are always friendly people at the pool who are eager to help me with the babies. They LOVE chillin' out in their floaties. This picture is of Eliana trying to drown her brother. She didn't realize she was pulling him down and I kept telling her to stop. She wasn't listening so everyone at the pool heard me yell at Eli as I was jumping in to lift him up. And of course he gagged and threw up. No surprise there. She got a little talking to after that. I am just glad my camera made it safely onto the stroller before I jumped in.

The kids are in bed and all is well. Except for the bottles I have to wash before bed...fun for me.:-) Thanks to all who made my birthday wonderful. A special thanks to Sister Sasser for watching my little ones for me. I am blessed to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family. My life would be complete if Chris were here with me. I keep reminding myself it is but a short span of time in the scheme of things.

Spinning Princess

Eliana has this beautiful dress that Grandma Elaine made for her last birthday and haloween. I finally sewed the flowers that had been ripped off and now she wants to wear it every day. I had to take pictures to show Grandma just how much Eli still enjoys her dress. Thank you Grandma!! (Do you think the background is TOO much, hard on the eyes? OR does it compliment the picture?) Post and tell me what you think.

Sweet loving Tristan

I forgot to mention how loving my little boy is. When Tristan saw me crying he got this sweet tone to his voice and said "I'm sorry mommy. Don't be sad. I will listen, promise." He loved on me and gave my lots of hugs. His sweetness lasted for about 10 minutes then he was difficult as I was trying to leave the house. It was hard to be as frustrated with his cute blue eyes staring at me.

Brought to TEARS

Today has been awful! The morning started out the same as most mornings. After I talked to Chris on the phone I went to the bathroom and as I was pulling up my shorts my phone that was in my back pocket fell right into the toilet. I immediately reached in and pulled it out, took it apart and blow dried it. With NO luck it wouldn't turn on and was making awful beeping noises. The screen was fogging over and I knew it was toast. The strange thing is that my mom dropped her phone in the toilet a few months back.

From then the day went down hill. Eli and Tristan were pushing all my buttons. I held on with as much patience as I possibly could. They were both being defiant, disrespectful and down right rotten. I was trying to leave the house so we could run some errands. When I would ask Eliana to put her shoes on she would flubber her tongue at me and laugh maliciously. Tristan and her were fighting all morning long and nothing I said or did encouraged them to stop or make correct choices. They simply wouldn't listen or obey me. When I told them not to do something they would do it anyway and laugh. If this is a sign of what the teenage years are going to be like then I am in serious trouble. I started to feel like a terrible mother. It must be my fault, some way of parenting that I am falling short. I feel so defeated and I am at a loss as to how I can turn things around. I am probably making things sound worse than they are. I do have descent kids and I have seen much worse. It is just hard to see things the way they are when I want something totally different. I am always trying to teach the kids to communicate better instead of acting out in the moment. I tell them optional things to say to each other that might get them what they want instead of screaming or being spiteful. When things are chaotic and the kids can't work things out on their own I ask them to both come to me so we can work it out. All I get out of them is a turned up nose and an uninterested audience that just can't see past their own needs and desires. I was sitting on the couch feeding a baby and just started to cry.

I guess I am allowed to cry every once and awhile. And MOM don't freak out! Remember I am Survivor house mom. Not all my days are so overwhelming. I am open for advice on how to turn my kids behavior around. When I have time I read my Dr Sears book but lately I have been in a dilemma about priorities. OK, I can't make this post too long or no one will read it.


So we finally got out of the house and I had to stop at my friends house to pick up Tristans shoes. I ended up leaving Eli and Tristan there to play while I went to get a new phone. Thankfully they just put in a new AT&T store just up the road. The lady working there was great! She was a manager who started the store and knew all the loops. She ended up getting me a technology upgrade with no fees. All I had to do was pay for the phone. It was $100 with a $50 rebate. I got the new Sony Ericson walkman in pink. My mother-in-law has the same phone and she loves it. I was excited about my new phone. When I got home I was trying to take the cover off the back and the battery came flying out. I put it back in and the phone wouldn't turn on!!! Without further details. The lady might come in to the store tomorrow when it is closed to trade it out or I might have to wait until Monday. As if my day couldn't get any worse.

I am alive and well. All my kids are in bed asleep. I am going to wash bottles and crawl into bed.

Play Dates

Yesterday we played at our friend Jill's house with her kids Evan, Lauren and Rylan. They have a massive blow up slide in their back yard. IT has two slides, a pool and water guns to squirt people as they slide down and play. Eli loved all of it. Tristan only played in the pool. I am waiting for the day he breaks out of his shell and becomes more brave. We stayed for spaghetti then headed home.

Today we played around the house in our jammies and the kids pestered me all morning. They really know how to get under my skin. I was trying to get out of the house after lunch but only succeeded around 2:30. We were off to walmart then picked up Lanie from the Vet. Then we picked up Lauren to come and play at our house. We got home, chowed on pizza and raced outside to play in our kiddie pool and sprinkler. The neighbor Christie and her kids Reed and Stephen joined the fun. Thankfully Christie was willing to help with the babies because when she came over I had two crying babies in my arms that were hungry while I was trying to get the kids swim suits on and setting up the sprinkler. After juggling babies and kids we sat down and watched the kids run wild. Meanwhile Diesel (dog) helped himself to the kids pizza on their little table. That dog...he just drives me crazy! With two milk cups spilling, food all over the floor, wet kids, sleepy babies and kids running a muck, I managed to round everyone up, give baths, put babies to bed and send friends home. Whew! life is fun around here. Now it is almost midnight and my bed is calling. I just know as soon as I fall fast asleep a baby will wake up to feed. :-)

Dog dilema...woried...what to do???

Lanie has been on my mind lately. Ever since she got into that dog fight and lost her eye I have been concerned about how she fits into our family now. I am always frustrated that she digs out of the back yard. She has attacked that poor dog Scout twice now. Thankfully the second incident didn't yield any damage. Tristan is always leaving doors open for her to escape out of. We have put massive amounts of money into her vet care over her 9 years of life and today I had to take her to see the Vet because she can't breathe. She has an upper respiratory infection.

My parents are driving out a new dog that my friend Trina is giving us. She is a beautiful yellow lab. I was planning on finding a new home for Lanie but is has proven to be difficult. My parents said they would take her but I don't know if that would work out. I have also thrown around the idea of putting her down but that just makes me sad. She was my first puppy that Chris gave me our first Christmas after we got married. She was the baby for 5 years before we started having kids. I feel guilty because she hardly gets any attention and Tristan taunts her all day. She has gotten pretty good at eluding him. Ahhh...I guess I will have to see how well she recovers from this infection to decide what to do.

So you think you can DANCE!

OK, most of you know that I am an American Idol fan. Can i just say that I think "So you think you can Dance" is SO much more entertaining. I personally think it takes much more training and skill to dance than to sing. Sometimes I find myself shakin' my thing on the couch. If there was a hidden camera I would probably be a great candidate for America's funniest videos.

Brief Update

The babies are getting BIG and fun. Barrett's whole face lights up when he smiles. It is simply contagious. Soren loves to laugh and is extremely ticklish.

Eliana and Tristan are missing their daddy. Honestly I thought the kids were going to act out more than they are. Don't get me wrong...Tristan is more of a handful than ever, but I find that if I keep a smile on my face then they feed off of me and somewhat behave themselves.

As challenging as it is to get out of the house with 4 little ones under 4 years, I make a valiant effort to get out and let the kids have fun. In these pics Eli is having a great time at the water park on HAAF, Tristan is being silly while eating watermelon, Eliana is flying like a butterfly on the trampoline and Tristan took a 4 hour nap today in my office closet with all the blankets.

Loving Arms

Spitty Sunday

I really wanted to get to church on time today. We have always shown up a couple minutes after things have gotten started and it is hard to sneak in with two kids and two car seats. This morning I had a plan to get out of the door on time and I failed miserably. Instead of being frustrated with my lateness and fussing at the kids I just accepted it for what it was...late again. To top it off I get down the street and realize I forgot to pack the babies bottles! Ahhh. Then I get to church and realize I have the jogging stroller in the back not the tandem. So I had to herd the kids and carry the babies in to church...late!

The babies decided to be difficult today. I think it is because I have changed their schedule. They were on opposite schedules and the benefit of that is not dealing with two babies at the same time. The drawback is not being able to go anywhere without having to feed a baby while I am out. SO I synced them up and now I am learning it is hard feeding, burping, comforting and putting to sleep at the same time.

Thankfully now that I am bottle feeding I handed Barrett off to Sis Jenkins to feed while I fed Soren. Barrett decided it was a good time to be EXTRA spitty. Just when I thought he couldn't spit any more he slimmed me. My dress was covered from shoulder to knee and he went through two outfits. I had Sisters cleaning up the chairs and floors when his aim missed me. So at 15 mins. till church was out I packed up the babies who were crying and extremely tired and put them in the truck. While the truck was cooling off I picked up Eli and Tristan and headed home.

I came home to find Diesel (dog) had gotten into all the dirty diapers and made a mess all over my newly mopped floors. So, the kids are eating popcorn while I catch my breath at the computer. Babies are still sound asleep in their seats. I hope for a while.

Still Surviving

Well, we have survived the first week! Tristan is acting just as I though he would. He is sad and always asking for daddy. He is being more defiant and rebellious. Eliana is acting out in smaller ways, yet more dramatic because she is my drama queen! We were reading a book and she was answering all the questions before Tristan could even open his mouth so I asked her to let Tristan do it and not to say anything. She got So upset and said "That's it" and stormed upstairs to her room. Lately both my kids have been having a difficult time expressing themselves and when they get angry or upset they act out by hitting, yelling or crying. I have been trying to tell them that using their words and communicating with each other is better. But explaining that to a 3 and 4 year old doesn't really sink in. I really have to watch how I behave and what I say to them. I have also been quick to anger and they imitate many of my actions. It isn't easy always keeping my cool under stress. Over all we are working through this transition period. I am hoping to slip into a rhythm with balancing the kids, babies, house and managing life.

The good news is that I am being watched out for and blessed in so many ways. Heavenly Father knows that I need help at times and he has come through with flying colors. Wednesday I packed up the kids to go swimming at our community pool. Thankfully my neighbor Christie and her kids were there. We had a great time swimming and splashing. The chaos started when we got home and I had two screaming babies and kids in the bathtub while trying to figure out dinner. Just then Bro. and Sis. Sparks showed up at my door. They offered there help any time. I said thanks and how kind of them and sent them on there way. After I closed the door I thought to myself..."what am I doing? I could really use the help NOW." I ran outside to catch them and they graciously stayed to help. What great and inspired timing. Then yesterday I went shopping at walmart with the twins while Eli and Tristan played at a friends house. I had two car seats in the cart and managed to stuff $160 worth of groceries in as well. Soren started to fuss so I managed to feed him a bottle and push the heavy cart with one hand. By the time he was done I was about to check out. He spit a fountain of formula all over himself and the seat. Just then Bro. Blackwell came up behind me and offered to help. He helped all the way out to the truck. I am grateful for these moments of service that have been a pleasant surprise. I will have to remember them on the hard days when I am telling myself over and over to keep my cool.

Thank you for being great friends and checking in on me. It is comforting to know that I am thought of and loved. I will try to keep posting but time is limited these days.

Bad Timing

Chris is deploying Saturday. Yes, in two days! I don't know why we try to fit in a million things before he leaves. We do it every time. We feel like we have to get everything done and we wait until the last possible moment. I don't have much time to sit here so I will list the crazy things going on right now.

-We leveled out the back yard with a massive load of dirt then purchased 4 pallets of sod. Thankfully the missionaries and Jess helped with all the back breaking work. It looks great.

-Chris is tackling the never ending chore of cleaning the garage. He is storing his truck in Jess's garage and all the motorcycles will be in our garage.

-ALL 4 of my kids are sick. We thought something was seriously wrong with Barrett because he was vomiting after every feed and had a loss of appetite, but then realized it was just a bug when Soren came down with a fever. Tristan followed with the symptoms today and Eliana is acting extra whiny so she is probably feeling bad too. I really hope Chris or I don't get it!

-Chris has a long list of things to do and I am hoping we can squeeze in some family fun before Sat night.

-I must be tired when I can't even remember what else is going on.

All I know is I just want to crawl in bed and sleep for many, many hours. But with 4 sick ones I know I will be up all night long. I hate that this sickness has struck right before Chris is leaving. It is such terrible timing.

Disney Vacation (WOW you have your hands full!)

We got home from our Disney vacation and took a long, deep breath and crawled into bed. We had a good time watching the kids enjoy the wonder and awe of the Magic Kingdom. Eliana's favorite ride was Dumbo the flying Elephant. She is getting to be vary brave and eager to try new things. Tristan's favorite ride was the speedway. He is a pretty good driver. Together they enjoyed "It's a small world" It is a boat ride through a world of diversity, singing dolls in all the countries of the world. It was very stimulating to the eye and a laid back boat ride. Our favorite in the MK is Splash mountain! Eliana loved seeing all the singing puppets tell the story of the Briar Rabbit who left the briar patch and was chased by the bad wolf and bear. Then the exhilarating drop down splash mountain left us soaking wet and refreshed.

We spent two days at Disney and the third day at Sea World. I think the highlight for the kids was the monorail. They would have been happy to ride the monorail half the day. So on to explaining my title...we bought a new B.O.B. jogging stroller in Orlando and it made life SO much easier. It moves like it is on air. The babies laid in the seats while the kids sat on the front. So it held all 4 kids easily. We must have been stopped every 20 minutes by people saying "Awe, they must be twins...wow, you have your hands full." I swear it sounded the exact same out of every ones mouth. I don't know how my friends with triplets handle all the public attention they must get because having 4 kids age 4 and under is hard enough! Then I had to handle the stares from strangers as Tristan threw several ALL OUT Tantrums. I mean kicking and screaming on the filthy ground. At one point I think I was the insane mom that was yelling at her child in public. I was at my breaking point with this boy! I had tried being patient and used every method of coercion I could think of to get him to cooperate. So in my haste I grabbed him by the shoulders and used my firm mean voice and told him to knock it off. Poor kid had a bitter sweet vacation. He loved the excitement of being there, the rides he could go on and the bunk bed he slept in. But it was hard on him not being able to go on the rides Eli could because he was just a few inches too short. He was left behind too many times with me and the babies while Eli got to go have fun. We have decided not to go back to Disney until all our kids are 4 and up.

Sea World was a little more laid back. The kids loved the pets ahoy show and enjoyed watching shamu. Tristan especially loved eating at shark encounter where we sat right next to the huge shark tank and watched the fish swim while we ate. The best part of Sea World for the kids was the water park. We practically had to rip them away.

All in all, glad to have the memories together as a family before Chris deploys. I wish I had the time to elaborate more and share all the fun details of our adventure but It is already way past my bedtime and I don't know if what I have typed so far has made any sense. Gotta love what sleep deprivation does to ya.

OK, it is the next morning and I am adding pictures to my post. After looking at the pictures I realized that I left out some things. Eli and Tristan were still afraid of most the Disney characters. After riding the really fun Buzz Lightyear ride where they had guns to shoot the aliens we came running out with excitement to do it again. But wait...Buzz himself was out in front greeting all the little ones. Eli said she wanted to meet him but as the line got shorter and shorter she grew weary. She approached him slowly then after getting 3 feet away she bolted away as fast as she could! SO funny.

After all the kiddie rides Dad and I wanted to go on Space Mountain. Eliana tried to stand on her tippie toes to make the height requirement but she was just too short for that ride. It took a good 10 minutes just for Chris to get into line because Eli was crying so hard. She wouldn't let go of his hand and kept trying to sneak in with him. It was a LONG wait while daddy was on that ride. I got the parent swap pass and we did a different ride before I went back for my turn.

The babies behaved very well. If they were any older it might have been more of a challenge. Whenever I had to feed a baby I would strap them to my front and serve a bottle while walking. They really enjoyed our new stroller. Here are a few pics of mom and babies.
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As I said before the kids FAV. part of Sea world was the water park. The pics show how much fun they had. Eli was running around in her shirt and panties so I could save her dry pants for when she was done. Tristan laughed so much running around that he did his typical gag and throw up. He came over to tell me so I had the joy of cleaning it up so the other kids wouldn't step in the nastiness. I wonder if this kid will ever grow out of his gag reflex?? You will notice Tristan is RUNNING in most of the pictures. He's a wild one.

Great to be a MOM

Being a mother has made me appreciate my Mother and Mother-in-law a great deal. Being a mother is a never ending job...even after the kids have left the nest, mothers are still needed. I want to send out a HUGE thanks and I love you to the two moms in my life that have never failed me. You are always there to answer my questions and hear my concerns. You always lift my spirits and give me words of encouragement. Your never ending support and affection does not go without recognition. I truly am blessed to have a mother who accepts me for my strengths and overlooks my faults. A mother-in-law who loves me and treats me as her own. I couldn't have married into a better family. I know I am always calling on you for advice on my many adventures in motherhood. Without fail you are both always there to help save the day.

I hope on this mothers day there will be no doubt in your mind as to your success in being a mother. You are the BEST! Thank you Mom and Elaine. I am sending all my love in virtual hugs and kisses.:)

NOW....The best part of my life is being a MOTHER to my incredible 4 children and my over sized 5th child (Chris). I wouldn't want to live my life any other way. I have had many ups and downs and I realize that all of my experiences are necessary for growth, to be a better wife, mother, teacher and companion. Wish me luck in my pursuit in being the best mom there ever was!!

Catching Up

This has been a busy week! The easiest way for me to share life's happenings is to list them. Since I am not the greatest writer.

1. Barrett laughed for the first time this week. He is a very smiley baby and he has a great little cackle to go along with it. I was able to run and grab the video camera so I caught the tail end of it.

2. Weaning is HORRIBLE! I am completely miserable. I have had mastitis and have been living with cabbage leaves on my breasts. (it is supposed to help dry me up) I am hoping life becomes barable before tomorrow when we leave for Disney or I might consider nursing again just to relieve myself and wean more gradually after the trip.

3. Tristan has mastered the art of Temper Tantrums. Thankfully he hasn't pulled one in public...yet. Maybe he is sensing that his daddy is leaving soon so he is acting out but he has regressed back to his defiant stage where he acts like he doesn't hear me and most of the time doesn't seem to care about the consequence. He is just rotten. (But still adorable)

4. Poor Soren had to battle constipation for several days due to the formula he was on. Little guy tried pushing for 3 days then finally relieved himself yesterday. I guess mommy's milk is best.

5. We have been running around the house trying to get everything ready for our trip and for Chris' departure. He has to be all packed by today so they can send over his stuff.

6. I go through the large tin of formula in 3 days! Thankfully I buy walmart brand which is $15 instead of $25 for name brand. Whew, these babies are expensive!

7. Eliana's dance recital is the 16th, the day after we get back. I video recorded the teacher during rehearsal so Eli could practice at home. She just LOVES to dance. I can't stop laughing every time Tristan stand right next to her and joins in. He would make a great ballet dancer but I think he is more built for football! Right DAD?

Well, I guess there wasn't as much going on as it felt like around here. My life just seems to be non-stop. Especially now that I wash bottles 3 times a day. Some days i fell like all I do is hold babies, feed babies, run after Tristan, Tell Eliana to stop screaming. (I swear that child has the loudest voice box I have ever heard!) and let the dogs in and out all day. Nothing seems to get done. I certainly need to learn how to manage my time better.

Weaning

Yes, I am weaning the babies. It has been an emotional few days. After the babies Dr visit I tried feeding Soren On-Demand instead of the 3 hour schedule they have been on. It really messed things up. Now I know why all moms of multiples say you have to be on a schedule. I had crying babies every hour acting hungry. I don't know if timing was coincidental but it seemed that I wasn't producing enough milk to meet their growing appetite. It has been a sad yet exciting feeling. I am sad that I can't nurse them as long as I hoped but I am SO looking forward to the freedoms of bottle feeding. Trust me when I say I know and believe in ALL the benefits of breast feeding. However, I feel a huge relief to not be tied down. Not to be the only one who can fill that need.

I feel like a brand new mother. I have never bottle fed before. It may seem silly to say that I am a little nervous to get it right. Which formula is the best? What bottles are the best. What nipples (flow) do my babies need? How many ounces should they be taking in? IT is all new to me. Breastfeeding was easy in the sense that I didn't have to think that much about it.

I am hoping that I can have them completely weaned before next Monday the 12th when we leave for Disney World. This is my idea: Today I have been alternating breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Tomorrow and Tuesday I am going to nurse every third feeding. Then on Wed. every 4th feeding. I am really hoping I don't get any clogged ducts or mastitis. If you have any advice on a better way to wean please post and let me know.

Wish me luck as I welcome stinkier diapers, smellier spit-ups and bottles out the wazoo to clean. As if I don't clean a million sippy cups every day!!

SURPRISE happy early birthday Mommy!!

Have I ever mentioned that I have the greatest hubby ever?! Last night he walked in the door with a birthday cake and the kids singing happy birthday. What a great surprise. My birthday isn't until June 24th! He wanted to give me my present before he deployed in a few weeks. So the kids helped me cover my eyes while he brought in my present.

WOW!!! Just what I've always wanted!! Chris is always the one in our family buying high priced things. He blames it on his passion for great things and having the best. He was excited to hear me mention several weeks ago that I would love to have this camera. I never gave it a second thought after I mentioned it but he ran with the idea...and not a moment too soon. I have a couple weeks to learn how to use it before we head off to Disney World. Thankfully I have a good friend Lisa who has a similar camera and will give me the low down.

Last night the kids refused to eat the rest of their dinner and only wanted cake. I can't blame them. I got a jump start on reading about mt camera then decided I had to go to bed since my babies were sleeping.

Thank You babe, I LOVE you!

Well baby check-up

The little guys are almost 4 months old and I finally got them in for their 2 month check up and shots. They are doing great other than their size. The Dr. was a little concerned for Soren. He is almost a lb. smaller than Barret. Barret-10lbs. 15 oz. 23 inches long. Soren 10 lbs. 1 oz. 23 inches long. He talked about supplementing Soren and I said I didn't want to start supplementing him because I would be able to stop after starting. So I am changing my feeding style. I had them on a pretty strict 3 hour schedule. Moms with multiples have to schedule to be able to go anywhere outside the house. I am going to keep Barret on that schedule and start feeding Soren on demand to fatten him up a bit. I hope it works. These babies are still not even on the growth chart. Yep, not even in the 1 percentile. They are SO small for being 4 months since Tristan was 9 lbs at birth. I am perfectly fine with it. Holding little babies just warms my heart.

Survivng Walmart

OK, I have been SO spoiled by my friend Kayleen who almost always offers to watch my kids while I go to walmart. Today I drudged all 4 little ones and myself to walmart for some pre-Disney World shopping. Yes, that's right...we are going to Disney May 12-15. Wahoooo!! The kids needed new shoes and goodies for the trip. I am incredible lucky that the babies are still sleeping most of the time. Eli and Tristan get the famous pep talk while we are walking into walmart...stay close to mom, don't touch anything, no screaming, you can't have everything that you see and don't put things in the cart without asking mom. Just covering the bases. So I am a sight pushing a double stroller and pulling a cart with the kids (helping). I only get as far as the toothpaste before I start threatening Tristan. He runs down an isle, grabs Diego band aids and Diego toothpaste. "Mom, I NEED this!" So up they go into the cart for better damage control. Then came the begging. "Mommy, I will be GOOD. Please let me down, PLEASE!" OK, I gave in. We were looking at sunglasses for the kids and they saw kids watches. They were RELENTLESS! Oh mom! I really want this watch." "No kids, you are getting other goodies today." "But MOOOOM" you know how it goes from there. I didn't want to fight that battle so it was worth giving in so we could make it out of walmart that same day. After yelling at Tristan to stop pushing the cart like it was a race car we were ready to check out. Now, I draw the line when it comes to begging for candy. They know who is the boss and I don't give in every time. I was so proud that I held my own and conquered the begging toddler while keeping my cool. Then we ran into a church friend who offered to push my FULL cart out to the truck for me. What an angel! I managed to get home just in time to feed my crying babies. Whew, I survived another trip to walmart. As the twins get bigger I will only get to go to the stores while Eli and Tristan are in school. How do my friends with Triplets do it!!

Livin' Large in the Lotus

Our good friend lets us barrow her Lotus a couple times a month. It is SO small, fast and fun. Chris took the kids on a little ride around the neighborhood yesterday. I think it suits them well, dont you!

CRASH!!

OK I knew this time had to come sooner or later. When my whole world seems to cave in on me and I can no longer put on a strong face. Today is that day. Being me just isn't peachie right now. Maybe the lack of sleep is catching up to me or it could be that I have had NO time to myself in who knows how long. OR it could be all the stress I am facing in my life right now. How about a combination of all the above! I can't go into details of why my life is so burdened right now...other than the obvious...hubby deploying to Iraq in a matter of weeks, twins and kids constantly needing me, keeping home and family in order and other rigors of life. I can say that my crying only lasted an hour or so and now is the process of putting back on my smiley face. Thank goodness for a loving husband who offers blessings whenever I am in need. Who picks up the screaming baby when I am at my whits end and puts his loving arms around me and tells me I am the best. After I have moments like today I just have to pick myself up and remind myself of all the great and wonderful blessings in my life. It is the only way I can survive! I am sure everyone on this earth at one point in their lives has asked the question "Why ME?" I quickly reply to myself "Because I am still learning, growing and molding into the individual that I am aspiring to become and without the burdens of 'why me' I could not achieve my fullest potential." So...I am putting back on my smiley face and braving another day of my life, a step at a time.

Thank you to all my friends that light up my life. My biggest thanks goes to my forever guiding light, my Savior Jesus Christ. A close and equal second is my forever companion, Chris. I love you babe!

My kids are my life and my joy! It amazes me how quickly they learn and grow. Despite my faults and shortcomings as a parent, my children prove to be sweet, polite, loving and considerate children. What more could a mom ask for?

REFLECTIONS

If you visit the following website, you'll be able to watch a breathtakingly beautiful photographic exhibit about Christ entitled "Reflections of Christ." The main website for the exhibit is actually here - but the previous link was for the slide show.

The creators of the exhibit are traveling around the country showing a live exhibit, but if you have a soldier who is currently serving in Iraq they have a special message and offer for you (well, us). Just follow this link. I know there are several of you that have loved ones in Iraq. let's inundate them with requests!

I absolutely love these images that were captured. Seeing them ignited a spark in my heart to help renew my testimony of our Living Christ. What a blessing it is to have this faith that guides me everyday. I love the peace and comfort I receive from having this personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope that you too will feel the love Christ has for you. Never doubt your self-worth.

I am SPEED!

Tristan had his #3 birthday party today. He wanted to do Lightening McQueen AGAIN! I had fun making the cake. It was actually a lot easier than Eliana's princess castle. We played it low key this year. He invited two friends over plus the new missionaries in our ward. Oh, how could I forget Jess and Robyn were in attendance too. WE chowed on meatballs and dips. Tristan loved his presents and went to bed a happy little boy.

Chris and I are wiped out. We picked up Chris and Jess at the airport this morning from their red-eye flight. They had been in WA state for the week. Then we worked all day getting things done. We got a new patio door that has a dogie door in it. WE also got a skeeter-vac set up in the backyard. I am hoping it holds to its claim of eliminating the bugs. The sand gnats are killer out here. Well, I am off to bed...hopefully.

The "I LOVE YOU" finger suck

Soren prefers to suck on his fingers than the pacifier. I keep trying to pull them out and stick the passy back in but he is going to win this battle. Isn't he cute!!

Animal Frenzie

Monday we met up with CPOM (Coastal Parents of Multiples) at the petting farm out in Midway GA. A local church runs the farm and what sweet suthern ladies they are! Everyone had a great time. There was play equipment, swings and a huge sand box. I am glad they recommended to bring a change of clothes and shoes with us!! After a group photo we were off to meet the animals. Just that morning a miniature horse was born. They named him C-POM after our group. The cutest little horse ever...he looked like a stuffed animal. SOOO small for a horse. The kids were able to play with llamas, ostriches, pigs, a variety of horses and ponies, goats, lambs, birds, camels, buffalo, guinie pigs, emu's, and Eliana's favorite...Bunnies! Aside from stepping in poop everywhere we went and the muddy ground from the previous rain, it was great fun had by all. We followed with a picnic lunch and social fun. I am sure the kids and i will plan a trip back sometime soon. Oh....how could I forget the tractor train ride and the horse back ride. What a fun place.