Our "BIG" Snow Day :)

We finally got some snow that stuck to the ground for more than a day, so we decided to go out and enjoy it.  The kids were so excited to put on their snow stuff and go sledding...

However, when we arrived at our destination there wasn't enough snow on the hill, so they were pulled in a small dirt parking lot instead.  Have I mentioned how much I miss real snow?  Ah, well!  The kids still had some fun, especially Jane, who thought being pulled in a sled was simply thrilling, and I got in a little workout, doing a lot of the pulling.  Kellen got to wear a borrowed pair of pink snow pants, but I guess he's comfortable with his manhood, cause he just laughed about it and put them on. :)

PS:  The date on the photos is STILL wrong.  It was not Thanksgiving, but early Dec.

 R to L: Katie, Kellen, Easton, and Jane (in the corner)

Drafts --- Brought To Life

I don't know if any of you do this, but I always have several posts just sitting as drafts because I never get around to finishing them.  Well, these two were practically finished, so I'm just posting them the way they are.  This is mainly for my own personal record, but please enjoy if you wish:

Some time in October:

Today was a hard day. I just feel so pooped all of the time (for lack of a better word). I was a total mess by the time Tay got home. I was too late getting ready to make it to my aerobics class, I was stressed about all the mess, and 100 other dumb, little hings. I sent Tay and the kids to the park without me so I could run some errands and clean. Well, after running an errand I was on my way home, ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work, when the Spirit said, "Marie, go be with your family!" So I drove to the park. Kellen saw me from the top of the slide and excitedly yelled, "Mommy! You're here!" He came down to receive me with a big hug. It is always sweet to see how he wants us all together. Tay and Jane were on the swings and also happy to see me. Kellen and I did the "spider" on a swing (face to face on one swing) while Tay pushed us. It felt good to feel the wind on my face and butterflies in my tummy as we went higher and higher. Kellen squealed and cheered with delight, his face inches away from mine. His eyes are so big and blue and his cheeks were all rosy from the cool autumn air. I'm so glad I didn't miss that sweet moment, all for a little cleaning! My kids are so full of life, and fun, and happiness. I just need to learn to sit back and ENJOY it! My house is still a disaster, but who cares?!

Feb. 26, 2009:

Taylor had a business trip in Pasco, Washington, about four hours away from home. He was taking a rented van all by himself, so we decided the whole family might as well go! The drive up was beautiful, with lots of mountains, rivers, and awesome pine trees! We drove through an adorable little town called Pendelton. The first part of it looked like just a bunch of trailer courts, but at the end it turned in to winding hills with beautiful old houses and churches. We drove to the top part of the city, and looking down at the rooftops, colorful houses, and church steeples, it reminded me a bit of Prague. It was a lot of fun.
Pasco is not all that exciting, but it's still fun to be somewhere new. Simplot is a preferred customer at this Best Western hotel, so our room was beautiful. We all had a blast swimming in the pool last night, especially Kellen, although I don't know if he'll ever trust me in the pool again, because I dunked him. He coughed way longer than he really needed to, just to prove how distraught he was. He is such a drama king! :)
After swimming we took some Panda Express back to our room to just kick it for while. Then the girls slept in one bed, the boys in another. Surprisingly, everyone slept really well, except for mom. (Note to self: travel with your own pillow. Hotel pillows are brutal!)
The next morning Tay headed off to work, while we slept in. The hotel offered a continental breakfast which was amazing! Anything you could possibly fathom to eat for breakfast was available!
                         ... I didn't ever finish writing about the details of this trip.  They probably were pretty bland anyway.  However, I do remember that we had a great time just being together, and somewhere different, even if it was Pasco!  Tay and I actually really enjoy long car rides together.  It gives us the chance really talk, which is more and more rare with kids monopolizing ones every moment!  I love being with him and our cute kiddos, no matter where we are!

Little School Girl

Jane wanted to put on Kellen's backpack.

When I put it on her she walked over to the door and pointed, saying, "Uh!  Uh!"

(Meaning, "Open the door, Mom!  I'm going to school!")

GoBbLe, gObBle, GobBLe... TuR-kEy DAY!!!

Mom, Dad, and Allison decided to come to us for Thanksgiving, and it was such a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.  Kellen was THRILLED to have some of his favorite people visiting, and talked their ears off.  Allie and I got to go on a sister date to the movies, and it was so fun to hang out, just the two of us.  We don't get to do that enough.

As far as the food goes, I intended to do most of the cooking, but with Jane needing to eat, nap, etc., I was pretty tied up, so Mom, Dad, and Tay did most of the work.  

 

The only thing I can really claim is the BeaUtiFul table...

with florescent orange napkins left over from

Halloween, 2005.  Hey, Kellen liked it!  :)

 

 The gourds in the center were a penny each at Walmart, so Kellen and I stocked up.

 

 Kellen looooooves Aunt Allie, and talks about her all the time.

I've even heard him talking about her in his sleep.

I don't blame him.  She is pretty dang awesome! :)

During dinner Tay asked us to go around and share what we are thankful for.  I was especially touched by Dads comments.  He always has a way of putting things just right.  Tay said no crying at the dinner table, but a few of us broke the rules.  It was a special occasion.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  Thanks for coming, family!

PS: The food was AWESOME!

PPS:  We missed you, Rasmussens!  Can't wait to see you!

Happy Birthday Jane

Jane had a birthday on October 29th, and I began writing her birthday list... than forgot about it.  Oops!

I can not believe that it has already been a full year since Baby Jane came into this world. It has definitely been the fastest year of my life, full of so much joy. She is sweetness itself. There are no words to describe what this roly-poly, rosy girl dose to my heart. But it's her turn to get a list of ten, so here is my meager attempt at putting some of those feelings into words.
Ten things I love about Jane:

1. I love her voice. I was amazed at how feminine her little voice was right from day one. Whether she's crying, cooing, babbling, or laughing, it's all in sweet feminine tones. There is no sound more beautiful to me.

2. I love how cuddly she is. She loves hugs and kisses, and they are the sweetest medicine.

3. I love how observant she is. I'm always amazed to see her pick up an object and know just how to use it. The other day while in the bathroom, she picked up my razor (with protective cap) and proceeded to try and shave her own legs! She's seen me do that only once, and I didn't even know she was paying attention!

4. I love her gentle nature. Like all babies, she throws the occasional tantrum, but she is definitely on the soft side most of the time.

5. I love that she's a mama's girl. It is very inconvenient some of the time... OK most of the time. I'd like to be able to leave her at the gym nursery while I work out, or with a sitter while Tay and I go out, and not worry about how she's doing, but it's nice to be so loved.  I am #1 in the life of this angel on earth.  How lucky am I?

6.  I love her eyelashes.  They are AMAZING!

7.  I love her easygoing nature.  She gets knocked about by a rambunctious brother, who forgets how little she is, and yet she rarely gets frustrated.  She just picks herself up and continues on her way.   She's a trooper.

8.  She is so happy.  Even when she was super little, she wouldn't cry in the mornings.  Instead of waking up to a crying baby, I'd wake up to the adorable sound of Jane cooing and gurgling.  Then when she saw me she would kick her chubby feet and her breathing would quicken.  So CUTE!

9.  I love her crazy hair.  She takes after Dad and Brother with hair that has a mind of it's own, and it couldn't be cuter.  I especially love it when she's asleep and she gets little wet wisps around her pink cheeks.  That, with her red lips and black eyelashes is to die for!

10.  I love that she is my daughter.  She is the second born child after one older brother, just like me, so I know better now how my own mother must have felt.  It's amazing how love increases.  Before Jane was born, I thought my heart couldn't hold more love, but I was wrong.  Not only did I gain love for a new little person, but I gained more love for Kellen, more love for Taylor, more love for my parents, grandparents, and siblings, and so on and so forth!   The Lord never stops pouring on the love, and my cup continues to overflow.

I'll love you forever, Baby Janers!
xoxoxoxoxox

Thanks for the $, G-ma and G-pa Huish!

Jane loooves her stroller!

I thought this one was cute of Kellen.

He was more excited about Jane's birthday than she was. :)

This is our adopted family, the Starkeys.
They came to help us celebrate Jane's birthday and even brought her an adorable ladybug dress.  I don't have any pictures of them with us that night, so here is one from my 2008 birthday.
I can't tell you how much I love and admire this family.  Gina and I just clicked from the start.  She has been an amazing friend, and has done so much for me, including helping me during the natural delivery of Jane!  Her girls are the sweetest, and have been like big sisters to Jane and Kellen.  We are so blessed to have this family in our lives!

Evil Twins

This evening while I was getting ready for my workout (kickboxing. Ugh!) I heard hysterical laughter coming from the front entry way. I hustled downstairs to see what was so funny, and found Taylor and Kellen in front of our big mirror. Kellen has been talking to imaginary friends lately, and tonight the imaginary friends were the faces in the mirror -- the evil twins, Tyler and Kevin. Taylor would make a super silly face while looking at Kellen's reflection (Kevin) and make it look like he was hitting him etc. Kellen would then laugh and exclaim, "Hey, Tyler! You be nice to my friend, Kevin!" Taylor's physical humor is so amazing! If Kellen was looking at Tay's reflection he would go into his contorted evil twin face/voice, and would switch back to regular Dad face/voice when Kellen looked up at him. It was like watching Jim Carey -- You know, how he can jump from one character to the next in a split second! Jane and I joined in the fun, and our evil twins were quickly named Jean and Maria. I love having kids around! I used to make faces in the mirror with my brother Dave for hours! (He's a pro!) All the silliness made me late for kickboxing! What nuts! :)

Happy Halloween!

This Halloween has been a really fun one for us. It started with the ward Halloween party and trunk-or-treat. We all dressed up-- Tay was a pirate, I was a bat, Kellen was Spiderman, and Jane was a spider. At the party everyone else was also decked out and ready to have some fun. Everyone brought a crock-pot of soup to share, making over 70 choices! Yum! Then for the entertainment a group of ladies danced to Micheal Jackson's Thriller, me included. It was a lot of fun, and I think a big hit. After that it was time for games, provided by the young men and young women. They had also made haunted house in one of the big rooms. They went all out, but made sure it wasn't gruesome or anything like that. Kellen even went through, and was very proud of himself afterward. We finished off the evening with the grand trunk-or-treat. People get way into it here, decking out their cars with lights, decorations, and sometimes music. Kellen was the most exuberant kid there, always shouting a perfect, "trick-or-treat!", followed by an equally loud, "Thank you!" He also found it necessary to remind everyone that he was Spiderman, in case they couldn't tell from his costume. Then he would show them his muscles or superhero moves. What a nut! :)
Jane, of coarse, just had a great time running around the gym behind the bigger kids. She is so doted on by the members of our ward. People who barely even know us were taking her picture. She was a pretty cute little spider.
On Friday night Tay and I decided to go to a haunted house. We invited a load of people to come, but no one was able to swing it, and it ended up being just the two of us. At first we were bummed that no one else could come, but it was actually nice to be alone for a change. Halloween time is special to us, because that's when we first fell in love, back in the day. We first held hands at the Logan Pumpkin walk, and our first kiss was on Halloween night. So, needless to say, Halloween always takes me back. It was fun to be scared and hold onto Tay for protection, although I probably dislocated one of his limbs or something. (Sorry honey! I was pretty scared, especially when that bungee-jumping-skeleton-guy jumped out of some trees and grabbed my hat! CRAZY!)
On Halloween night we went to the Starkey's annual harvest party, where we enjoyed good food, and even better company. We left at about seven to take the kiddos trick-or-treating in our little subdivision. Kellen loved it, but by the end was pretty tired. He had several more houses to hit, but said with a sigh, "Mommy, I fink I gots a-nuff canny." I agreed. We returned to the Starkey's to enjoy stories and jokes by a campfire. What fun neighbors and friends we have here. I am constantly thanking the Lord for these good people in our lives. They have made life in Idaho so fun, and helped fill the void from missing our extended family.
Anyway, fun times! Now the Holidays are approaching, and I'm so excited! Having kids breathes new life and magic into all of the old festivities. It's fun to try and make things special for them.

Lizard

My good pal Liz came all the way up from Lehi to stay with me for four days while Tay was on a business trip. She has a 2 year old boy and an 8 month old girl, so are kids are around the same age. It was crazy with all the energy our kids have, but also a lot of fun.

We managed to haul the kiddos to McDonalds for hours of play time in the Play Place.
We dragged them all to the gym nursery so we could work it at my Zumba and PiYo (Pilates/Yoga) classes.
We braved outings to Walmart and Costo for shopping and dinner, where I managed to lock us all out of my car. Luckily, Liz is the ultimate super mom, and had her huge bag of tricks at the ready to keep the kids happy while we worked it all out.
On the last night we threw the boys a little unbirthday party just for fun. They each got a cupcake, a balloon, and a dollar store present. After the presents Liz turned on a Latin Dance CD and the kids went to town, even the baby girls.
Mostly, we just hung out at home, enjoying each others company and reminiscing. My favorite part was getting all the kids to bed so we could stay up (practically all night) talking and laughing. I felt sixteen again. It was as if no time had passed, and then we'd wake up to all these kids that belonged to us! Weird! It made me realize how much I've changed since becoming a wife and a mom. My family is my life now, and I love it. But there's a whole other side of me that gets forgotten sometimes because I'm so busy with every day life. Liz brought it all back, and although we were both wasted when the visit was over, it was totally worth it. I can't wait for next time!

Liz, you are such an amazing friend! You have a way of helping me put things into perspective, and reminding me of my potential. We have made so many great memories together, and I know there is more to come! I love that our kids can be friends now too. Kellen still prays for Benjamin every night-- "Bless that Benjamin can stay again, and again, and again... and one more time..." :) Thanks so much for braving the long journey to get here. I know it was hard. I love you so much, and I'm so glad that you have all the blessings of love in your life that you deserve. Your family is beautiful!

I'll love you forever!!!

Unbirthday Cowboys
Hee-Hah!


McDonalds

Bathing Beauties

Such happy girls, until...

"Ooooh, let me poke your head!"

"Who, meeeee?"

Hey, Jude!

Here he is, the long awaited cousin on the Huish side. Up until now, Kellen and Jane were the only grand kids on my side of the family. My sister Jenn and her hubby Jordan are in medical school far away, but I got to fly out with Jane and meet the newest member of our family, Baby Jude. He was born at the end of August. (sorry, I'm still backtracking!) I love him so much already! I can't wait to see him again at Christmas time. He is a sweet little baby, and Jenny and Jordan are so cute with him.

I think there is something really special in seeing your sister become a mother. Jenn and I are so close and have so much in common, so watching her with her sweet baby, was like watching myself through different eyes. It brought back all the feelings I had with my firstborn baby. It's also sort of like watching our Mom, which makes sence -- we learned how to be Moms by watching her.

Jane thought he was pretty neat. Someone smaller than her!

Jane is quite the Mamma's girl, and generally takes a while to warm up to new people, but with Jenny and Jordan it was like she knew they were family. Maybe it's because Jenny and Jordan are so much like me and Tay.

She especially loved Uncle Jordan. I think it had something to do with the lack of Daddy that week. She would light up whenever he was around. He was so cute with her.

Here she is helping him with his studying.

LOOOOOVE IT!!!

Thanks, Jenn and Jordan, for letting us come visit you and share in such a special time. It was so nice to just chill like old times, and Jude is so sweet. I miss you all everyday.
Thanks, also to Grandma's and Grandpa's who gave Kellen such a fun time, he didn't want to come home! You are the greatest!
And, last but not least, thanks to my sweet hubby, for letting us leave for 9 whole days. I know you were lonely, and we missed you too. Next time you'd had better just come with! Who needs a job anyway, right?

Another Summer Evening

Jane loves being outside. Every time she hears a door swing open her eyes open wide and she quickly makes her way there, hoping for an escape. Her efforts are often thwarted, and then follows the whining and a few tears. She also cries when I don't let her eat dirt, or in this case MUD! I know, I'm such a mean Mom! As you can see, she put up a good fight. I'm sure there are some nutrients in there... maybe a few worms... yummy!

Kellen saw that I was taking pictures of Jane, and of coarse wanted to steal the show.
"Take my picture, Mom! Cheeeeese!"

This is a classic Kellen face. Isn't it hilarious?! Notice the eyebrows. What a nut!

A, B, C's and 1, 2, 3's

Kellen has been going to preschool now for a few weeks, and he absolutely loves it. He is the youngest in his class, but the teacher says he is doing great. He is always so excited, I barely have to help him get ready. Then when he comes home, he pulls out his homework right away like a good little student. The best part is, it's only two houses down the street, so Kellen can walk to and from school while I stand watch at the door. He puts on his backpack, gives me a kiss, and waves goodbye. I tried to walk with him once, but he held up his hand and said, "No, Mom! You stay der! I hav-a go to school! Buh doh wurry, Mom! I'll be back soon!" Then as he walked the short distance, he kept turning around to wave, and shout, "Bye, Mom! I'll see ya waiter!" I guess he is loving his new found independence. That's a good thing, right? Time is flying way to fast! I don't think I'll be able to send him off to real school without shedding a few tears. I love this kid!

This is is new favorite picture pose.
I think it's his ninja (minja) superhero look?

Check out the pencil legs! Love' em!

NOTICE

After a computer safety class @ R.S. Enrichment night, and a Blog Safety article in this months Ensign, I've decided I better make the old blog private. SO... if you want to continue to enjoy my extremely poetic, and insightful writing, along with my excellent grammar and spelling skills, you've got to let me know! ;) Did ya catch the sarcasm there? I know my skills are seriously lacking, but I do post pictures of my oh-so-adorable kiddlets from time to time. So if you want in, let me know (SOON) and I'll send you an invite! Mmm-kay? :)

The Big THREE-O

Yup! Taylor's an old man now! :) Ha! Ha! I get to tease him for two more years, until I'm thirty myself! The funny part is, that I think him turning thirty is more weird for me than it is for him. It must be because I met him when he was seventeen, and honestly, he doesn't look much different to me. They say love is blind, and maybe it's true, but seriously my hubby is cuter to me than he ever was!

Now, as is tradition, here are 10 things I love about Tay:

Warning: If you can't handle mushiness, I suggest you stop reading.

1. His contagious happiness. He never passes up the opportunity to make me smile and/or laugh. His physical humor is the best. (If you haven't seen his crazy dance moves, your really missing out!) He has such a friendly, easygoing, and jolly personality, that you can't help but feel happy around him.

2. His determination to keep the commandments with strict obedience. He is an amazing example to me.

3. He is a phenomenal Dad. Practically perfect, and yet always seeking to improve.

4. Same as #3, only change the word "Dad" to "husband".

5. He has unwavering patience. I've never known someone to keep their cool the way Taylor does. I don't think he's ever really "lost it" in his entire life! (it's almost aggravating, actually... ;)j/k) He is slow to anger, quick to forgive, and I am so grateful for that!

6. He appreciates the value of hard work and a job well done. At the same time, he's not one of those people that lives for the job. Tay works hard so he can play hard, which makes for a lot of fun!

7. Taylor supports me in everything. He never misses a concert or performance, and is always the loudest one cheering. He lets me take on all kinds of new endeavors, and doesn't hassle me when half of them don't work out. Whether it's a realistic idea or not, he never tries to "clip my wings."

8. Taylor is totally in love with his family, and expresses that love so freely. As a result we all adore him.

9. Taylor is an amazing athlete. Whether it's mountain/road biking, basketball, tennis, soccer, or pretty much any other kind of sport, Tay excels. Even if the joints are getting a little rusty ( ha ha ha) he can still give those cocky teenagers a run for their money.

10. He's totally... sexy... and I would expand on that, but this is a public blog, after all. :)

I love you, babe! Happy Birthday! You are still, and always will be, the man of my dreams!!!

My Little Hero

Kellen just completed swimming lessons. Unfortunately, I don't have a single picture or video. Such a shame, because he was so cute. Anyone who knows Kellen might expect that he loved the lessons, but it was quite the contrary. He was terrified. While most of the group was having a great time splashing and umping, Kellen was the kid carrying on and clinging to his teachers neck. The lessons were given by my friend Tina, who serves in the Primary with me. She gave the lessons at her parents private pool. She kept the groups nice and small with only four kids. Each group would go for forty minutes, then they were allowed to run and play in the beautiful backyard, complete with trampoline and swing set. I'm so glad we went that route (even though it cost a little more than lessons at the community pool) because without the promise of playing there afterward, I don't think I could have coaxed Kellen into participating. Not only that, but Tina was excellent with Kellen. She let him hang onto her for the whole lesson and made him feel comfortable. At the same time, she remained firm enough that he knew when she counted to three he had better hold his breath, kick his feet, etc. He was so scared, and I wanted to rescue him, but Tina assured me that if I would let her take over he would get it. So I always watched from a distance, behind some trees where he couldn't look to me for help. Each day seemed about the same, with very slight improvement. So many times he would go under and come up crying because the water had gone up his nose.Tina told him to yell, "No no, water! You stay out of my nose!" and then showed him again and again how to blow bubbles. He liked the yelling at the water part, and I think it made him feel brave enough to keep trying. She would stand about five feet away from the wall and make him swim to it. I'll never forget seeing his panicked little hands groping for that wall. I felt soooo bad for him, but trusted Tina. By day three, I was wondering if it was all in vain, and if I had just been torturing him for nothing.
Finally, on day four he swam to the wall without water going up his nose. Yea! That's all it took. Just one success and he was willing to try again and again. I'm not saying he wasn't scared, he totally was, but that's what was so cute. I could see a look of determination come across his face. He would bravely gather all the courage he could muster and try again. I was so proud of him! I don't think I would have been any prouder if he had been the best swimmer in the class. Kellen is a stubborn kid, but I can see that it will be of value to him if he will use to press on, even when he is afraid.
His new favorite game is to give Taylor, Jane, and I swimming lessons... in our living room. The carpet is the water and the couches are the walls of the pool. I think he prefers that kind of swimming, but hey, it's a good start! He definitely knows the basics! Hooray for K!

Summer Evening (Get ready for some pics!)

I love those Cheeks!

Playing with the ants.

"Cheeeeese!"

My Boyz

Jane looooves Kellen, and he is so sweet to her.

Cuteness!

Such a happy girl.

Reaching for bark pieces--- one of her favorite snacks.

She loves the flowers. Here she is smiling at the big, yellow Lilies.

Mommies Rascal