Sweet Awakening

I just wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know that today was a good day! The weird part is, I'm not even sure why. The joys of motherhood really do just come in moments, and I guess today had a lot of those little ones.

It all started with Kellen. He woke me up this morning with a very mystical voice whispering, "Wook, Mom!" Then he held up his copy of the Book of Mormon. I said, "What is it?" to which he replied, "da skishwers!" (the scriptures) He said it as if he had the original plates in his hands!

After I admired the "skishwers" for a minute, he apparently saw that I was that I was still very tired, and he decided I could go back to sleep. He rubbed the back of my hand, kissed it gently and whispered, "Swee dweems, Mommy." He then left the room, and headed downstairs to start his busy day of mess-making and make-believe. Of coarse, since he was awake I had to get up, but it was still a nice gesture! What a cutie pie!

We've been trying to get him excited about reading the scriptures with us for a little while every day. It's been sort of a hit and miss... mostly miss, since he won't sit still for more than 2 minutes. It's good to know that something is sinking in. He knows they are special.

I Will Prevail!

I'm a list person, so here's a list to describe my thoughts today:

diapers
spit-up
drool
toys, toys, toys
mess, mess, mess
toilets
poopy
peepee
crusty plates of untouched food
tantrums
headaches
screaming
crying
whining
stomping
throwing
scratched walls/doors
exhaustion
time-out (for Mommy too!)
sleep (the lack of it)
diaper rash
boogers
milk, milk, and more milk
burp rags everywhere, unless I actually need one
nursing pads
dirt
fingerprints
stretch marks
wrinkles
baby fat (and I'm not talking about the kids!)

and...

CRAZY!!!!

My apologies to those of you who can't stand a Debbie Downer, but I am not one to mask my feelings very well and I just felt like writing. Let me put your mind at ease by saying this:

I love my kids, ALWAYS!

and

I love being a mom... most of the time.

Today I miss being in school. I miss taking classes, lessons, playing the violin, piano, and SINGING! I mean really singing, like I haven't done for a long time, and I don't even think I could right now.

OK! I've vented! Ahh! I feel much better! :)

It's just been one of those days! I know all you moms understand.

If any of you have had a similar day/week/year, here are some thoughts from one of my FAVORITE people, Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echos of gunfire or the sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and neighborhoods? Will what happened in the cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congress?
"When the surf of centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution."

Kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't it? I guess singing can wait!

A Sunday Morning

Fabulous Five

OK! So this is how this works...the first 5 people to respond to this
post will receive something made by me for you.
my choice.
made especially for you.
of course there are some restrictions and limitations:

~
1 I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2 what I create will be just for you.
3 It will be done sometime this year.
4 you have no clue what it will be... it may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure. ;-)
5 I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog
and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!

Oh! And be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Answer the following questions about your sweetheart...

*What is your significant other's name? Taylor Carl Rasmussen

*How long have you been married? 71/2 years

*How long did you date? We dated for about one year before Taylor's mission, and wrote on a regular basis while he was gone. We got engaged shortly after his return (about a month and a half) and were married five months later. SO... if you count the mission (even though I dated other people, had boyfriends, etc. etc. etc. :)) then we dated for about 4 years.

*How old is he? 29... the big 3O in September! He, he! :)

*Who eats more sweets? TAYLOR! And yet, he stays nice and slim! NO FAIR!

*Who said I love you first? Taylor. It was so sweet!

*Who is taller? Definitely Tay. He is a whopping 6'3, and has me by a whole foot! It makes for a good kink in the neck once in a while, but I still love it! He makes me feel small, even when I'm a gigantic pregnant lady!

*Who can sing best? Me, I suppose, but I have had some training, and a lot of practice! ;) Taylor has a beautiful voice, especially when he thinks no one is listening, and he lets loose.

*Who is smarter? I think we are both smart, it totally depends on the subject. I guess if I had to pick one over the other I'd pick... Taylor. Oh, that one hurt! Don't get too big-headed Tay! ;)

*Who does laundry? I do most of it, but Taylor sure does his fair share. He washes a lot of his own stuff, and folds a lot too. He is a big help when it comes to housework.

*Who pays bills? Tay takes care of the online bills, and I do the rest. It's split pretty evenly.

*Who sleeps on the right hand side? I do right now, but it's changed a lot. I always sleep closest to the exit and/0r bathroom. You know, pregnancy, babies, and all that jazz.

*Who mows the lawn? Taylor, and he looks pretty hot doing it!

*Who cooks dinner? I do, which surprises people, since Tay is a food scientist. He claims he has some pretty sweet cooking skills, but is too sick of cooking by the time he gets home. He totally helps out with dinner all of the time by putting together what I've laid out etc., but as for these mysterious skills he has, I'm still waiting to see that! I only pretend to care. :) I like to cook for him, and especially when he takes clean up, which he usually does. He's so great! Maybe he really is an amazing chef, but he doesn't want to show me up and make me feel bad! I've never thought of that before...

*Who drives? We take turns, but usually Tay. He likes it, and I don't, so it works out! He's safer on the road, I totally admit it! I'm a little bit crazy, with quite the led foot...

*Who is first to admit they are wrong? It depends on our moods. We are both quick to apologize when we've done something wrong. I probably do it more often, but that's just because I usually have more to apologize for. I'm a wee bit... fiery sometimes. :)

*Who kissed who first? Tay went in for the kill, and I had no idea he was going for it. He sort of missed at first, but I quickly remedied that situation.

*Who asked who out first? Tay called me to go ice blocking down Old Main Hill. Dan Preece, Liz Ambrose (Granados), Ben Haslem, and Jenn Eck (Craw) were with us, and we all had a blast. I wore some cute jeans that got totally ruined, but it was worth it. I had a stomach ache that night from laughing so hard.

*Who wears the pants? Taylor and I are a team, for sure. We make big and small decisions together. Taylor does preside over our little family, though, and I love it. I rarely have to remind him to take the initiative in family prayer, scripture study, or FHE. If he were to put his foot down on something, I would trust him with whatever that was. He is very selfless.

TAG to anyone that wants to write about their Valentine!!

25 random things about me

I've been getting tagged on facebook, and thought this would be good stuff for the blog as well. It's a little me, me, me... but I guess the point is to get to know some one. I tag anyone who wants to reply! I promise to read it, because I've loved reading about everyone else so far.
Anyway...

1. I loooove babies! I always have. Some people say they are not baby people... WHAT? I'll try not to judge you (wink), but I really don't get it. There is nothing sweeter in all the world to me then a little baby. I love the way they smell, and feel, and sound, and looking into the eyes of a newborn baby is truly a spiritual experience for me. I don't think there is any such thing as an ugly baby. While my babies are the cutest of all :), there is something uniquely sweet about each one.
2. Along those same lines, I love children. I am the primary chorister in my ward, and I love it. There is so much we can learn by watching children. They are slow to judge, quick to forgive, creative, energetic, so teachable, and happy. Being around them makes me happy too.
3. Most people think I'm outgoing, but inside, I usually feel shy at first. However, that is lessening as I get older.
4. I still get scared sometimes-- I mean irrationally scared, like when I was a little girl. I'll finish watching an episode of Lost on TV, for example, and then feel all jumpy when I turn out the lights to go to bed, and I have to swallow the impulse to scream and run. So silly! I know!
5. I love the rain. I think it's romantic, plus it's so nice to cozy up with a good book and something yummy to eat while you listen to the rain. I love thunder and lightning too. I love rainy days so much that I think I could totally live in Seattle.
6. I love all kinds of music, but especially the kind that is so beautiful that it makes me cry.
7. I'm not a dessert person. I would usually rather have more dinner than move on to dessert.
8. As a young child, I was taught to pray with perfect assurance that The Lord would answer my prayers. Since than I have had many answered prayers, and while I know God doesn't always answer us when/or how we want Him to, He DOES always answer. I know he loves us ALL, and for what ever reason, I've never doubted that once.
9. I love to play games. Card games, board games, or even do puzzles. I know, I'm such a nerd! Taylor loves to tease me about it. I just think it beats sitting around watching movies. I like to interact with the people I'm with.
10. I don't know what to call my eye color. They are sort of greenish-bluish-grayish, and one has more green than the other. I can't decide if that is cool, or just psycho!
11. I have a terrible memory when it comes to certain things, like where I'm supposed be, and what time, or the name of the person that I JUST met! However, I have very vivid childhood memories. I can remember the day I first walked-- my first birthday! (If you don't believe me, just ask my Mom. I can describe specific details.) I also remember my Great Grandma Beals, who died when I was three. I can also memorize a song after one or two hearings.
12. I love looking at decorating magazines, like Better Homes and Gardens. I like to decorate my own place too, but never feel like I have enough money to do what I would really love. On the other hand, the hunt is part of the fun. I wouldn't want to decorate all at once, and end up with a matchy, boring room, that looks like it stepped right out of RC Willies. I like to see the room morph slowly into a beautiful place.
13. I took some dancing lessons as a kid. Jazz, tap, and ballet. The ballet was a joke, jazz was OK, but the tap I was actually quite good at. I would love to take some tap lessons now. Celtic dancing would be cool too.
14. Speaking of Celtic, my Grandma Huish is Irish, so St. Patrick's day was always celebrated in my family. Grandma taught us a little Irish jig and lots of Irish tunes. On St. Patrick's day a "leprechaun" always left little green footprints on the ceiling and walls, which we all thought was amazing! We would eat green foods for breakfast and lunch (green food coloring), and for dinner mom would make corned-beef and cabbage. Yummy!
15. I'm a night person-- always have been. I was always the last one asleep at a slumber party. Night time is when my wheels start turning, and I'm often full of energy, no matter how tired I was earlier that day.
16. Surprise! I'm not a morning person, though I try. I do love the smell of the morning when I'm camping, so fresh and clean! Mmmm! I also love the beach in the morning, when the tide is low. I LOVE to collect sea shells!
17. I haven't had the hiccups since I was 10 years old! Weird, I know, but it's true! I keep waiting, but they never come.
18. I have exceptionally good hearing. I kept hearing buzzing in my ears when Taylor and I first got married. My stake president was an ear doctor, and I went to his work office for a temple recommend interview. Since I was already there he said he would check my hearing at no charge! Long story short, I have unusually good hearing. Not only that, but I can hear higher and lower notes than most people, and handle noise at higher volumes before it hurts! The buzzing I was hearing turned out to be the little hairlike structures (cilia) of my inner ear vibrating! Pres. Stevenson said he's rarely found hearing so good in a person over the age of five. Funny, huh? I thought it was cool. I've got super human hearing! :) Now Tay believes me when I say there was a noise, instead of saying I'm "hearing things."
19. I don't have favorites. You know when people ask what your favorite color, food, song, animal, etc. is? I've never been able to answer these questions. It just depends on my mood.
20. My mom and grandma both served missions, and growing up, I always thought I would too. Instead I got married three weeks away from my 20th birthday! (Crazy, I know!) While I've never regretted my choice, I still want the chance to serve some day. I really hope Taylor and I get to do that.
21. I've been to as many countries as I have states! Looks like I need to get out a little more in my own country!
States: Utah, Idaho, Montana, California, Washington, Nevada, Illinois (airport)
Countries: USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy
22. I've always loved bugs, though I hate spiders! Growing up I thought I might study Entomology in college. I'm sure glad I changed my mind, though. What would I be doing now with a degree in Entomology?
23. I sing, play the violin, viola, and piano. I've done a lot of performing, and truly love it, but for the most part, my favorite musical experiences have been in the quiet of a church building, or the home of a sick or elderly person. That's what gives me the most satisfaction.
24. I hate grooming. I love the getting clean part, but I get sooo sick of the blow drying, straightening, curling, makeup, primping, etc. etc. etc. On the other hand, I like to look pretty so I can't give it up. Still, I often wonder how many hours of my life have been spent on this monotonous activity. Maybe if I had Brianna's amazing hair I would enjoy it... perhaps in my next life.
25. I absolutely love being a wife and mother, even though it makes me insane sometimes. Every things else fades in comparison to the love I feel for my family, and the joy they bring into my life.

OK, I'm finally done! Now I'm tagging you! If you don't want to take the time, then don't worry about it, but I thought it was fun to do a little soul-searching. :) Have fun!

Enjoying the Moment

"What can . . . young mother[s] [do] . . . to reduce the pressure [of raising young children] and enjoy [their families] more? . . .

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: 'The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less' (Loud and Clear [1004], 10-11)."

M. Russell Ballard, "Daughters of God," Ensign, May 2008, 109

"Lucky" Mistake

Today I was making chicken enchiladas for dinner, and misreading the recipe, added way too much sauce. To fix this I had to double everything else. It was already a big dish to begin with, so as I cooked I kept trying to think of someone who could use a dinner tonight.

Just as I was pulling the enchiladas out of the oven, the phone rang. My neighbor and good friend was calling to see if Taylor could could hurry over to give her son a blessing for some serious pain he was experiencing. In our quick conversation I learned that she had been to the dentist for a root canal that day, thus, not feeling too hot herself, and what do you know... hadn't had time or energy to cook for her family that night!
Now this may sound silly to some of you, but I thought it was cool! My poor friend had this terrible day, and who knows, maybe said a little prayer for help, and lo and behold, I accidentally have a hot meal just waiting for a taker! Coincidence? I think not.
Truth be told, I hadn't had the hottest day myself, but this simple opportunity to help someone else gave me just the boost I needed.
I am grateful that the Lord loves us so much that He even cares about the little details, like "blah" days and chicken enchiladas.
Just a little testimony booster. I love those! :)

Happy Birthday Kellen!

Some of you might be wondering, "What's up with the trains?" Don't get me wrong, trains are great and all, but they probably wouldn't be my first choice for my blog background. However, today is Kellen's birthday, and I can't think of anything he loves more than trains (the boy is obsessed!), so they are in honor of him.

10 things I love about Kellen:

1. He is so polite, always saying please (pweese), thank you (bank you or banks), you're welcome (ya-wah-come), bless you (bess you), excuse me (es-koose me), and sorry (sa-wee). The best part is how he always puts a cute little, "oh" before it, and the name of the person he's addressing after-- "Oh, banks, Mommy!", "Oh, bess you, Mommy!" He says it all like he actually means it-- Like he really is grateful for his cup of milk! :) Oh, I also love how when I hurt myself or even just cough, he instantly asks, "Yo-kay Mom?", and, "Oooh! Es Okay Mommy! Kisses!" and he kisses it better. He really is so caring!

2. I love his enthusiasm for everything. Even when he was just tiny he always responded to a question with a huge, "Oh, OKAY!" or, "Oh, SURE!"

3. I love how he dances! His signature move is to stick his left leg out, a little to the back, with the toe pointed, and bounce. The best part is his dance face, with his eyes and mouth both wide open. I don't know how he got to be so cheesy... Taylor... :)

4. I love how strong-willed he is. Granted, it can make life hard for me sometimes, but at least he's not a quitter. When he really wants something it is almost impossible to distract him! He wont forget about it. I have always marveled at how such a small person can have such a strong will. Hopefully I can help him to put that in the right direction.

5. I love how affectionate he is. He has always been full of hugs and kisses. And of course, he adds the, "Oh!" to every hug. He's always good for a snuggle, which I so appreciate.

6. I love his sense of humor. He loves to put on a show and make people laugh. Sometimes he even hurts himself in attempt to be a clown. Again, Taylor!

7. His big baby blues, complete with the longest, thickest eyelashes. I'm actually jealous! They look especially amazing when they glisten, all soaked with his crocodile tears.

8. His crazy hair that has a mind of his own. It adds character. :)

9. I love how friendly he is. He has never had a problem with strangers, but instantly excepts others. He'll walk up to a random kid in the park and say, "Hi Kid! I Kewin! Wah pay wif me?", and he has a new friend. The very first time I took him to nursery he said, "Bye Mom!" and didn't look back. I was a little disappointed, to tell you the truth.

10. I love that he's protective of Jane, his "Baby Shane". When a "suspicious looking" stranger approaches us at the store, for example, he says, "Don toch ma Bebee Shane!" When I took Jane to the doctor for her first checkup Kellen watched as the nurse pricked her heel and made her cry. Kellen jumped from his chair, grabbed my umbrella, and gave the nurse a solid whack on the knee. I felt bad about this (luckily the nurse wasn't hurt, and had a fun sense of humor), but it was good to see that Jane's big brother already "has her back".

I am so grateful for this beautiful boy in my life. Even when he was first growing inside of me, I could feel that he was a special spirit. I am truly privileged to be his Mommy. I love you, little Kellbert!

Mother and Daughter

Oh, that is so fun to say!!! I am so exited to have my girl! I just know that she'll always be my best friend, just like me and my Mom! I love you Mom!

Jane Sleeping

Little Miracle

Identity Crisis?

Kellen was having a moody day, and I could not figure out why. Finally, I gave him a hot bath, wrapped him in a fuzzy blanket, gave him a box of graham crackers, and set him on the couch. (Those are things I like when I'm having a bad day.) Jane then needed my attention, so I went upstairs to take care of her. When I returned I found Kellen asleep in her pink car seat. Suddenly it all became clear. He's feeling replaced, poor little guy, and it's no wonder! This new little person is so dependent on Mommy, that it's impossible for me to give Kellen the same amount of attention that he is used to. Since this moment I've decided to let the housework slip a little bit, and make more one on one time for Kellen. Maybe in a little while, I'll be able to balance it all a little better, but for now it can wait. My kids are more important.

SUPER DAD!

I just have to say that I am so blessed to have a husband like Taylor. He is so good to me and the kids. He gets up early every day to drive to work in the cold, dark morning, and comes home tired from a long day. But instead of crashing on the couch, he picks up both kids and gives them his full attention so I can finish dinner preparations, or just have a moment to myself. He puts Kellen to bed every night, putting on his pajamas, brushing his teeth, reading books, saying prayers , and singing songs. To me there is nothing sweeter than listening to Taylor sing sweet hymns and primary songs to our little boy. I always thought I would be the one to sing the lullabies to the kids, and sometimes I even feel a little bit jealous, but I know that this special time with Dad will mean a lot to our kids for years to come. He loves his kids so much, and I'm grateful that he is able to so tenderly express that without any inhibitions.

Little Drummer Boy

We went to the music store to check on some upright bass prices. Tay had a blast in the back room where they let him jam for a while on a sweet electric upright. They let me help Kellen try the cutest little violin. He looked adorable holding it, and he thought it was pretty cool... until he saw THE DRUMS! He loves drumming on my pots and pans at home, so he was pretty excited to see the real thing. He has great rhythm, I must say. He can keep a steady, four count beat with no problem.

Goodbye Mop Top!

We are missing Aunt Taneea's free haircuts for the boys because their hair grows like weeds! I can do it myself, but he's a wiggly worm and with his thick and crazy hair it takes me a while. This took about fifteen minutes and no clean up! Kellen liked being in the big spinning chair, wearing a "batman" cape. I think it was worth the $10.

Kellen's Ginger Bread House

OK, so it looks more like a ginger bread mobile home, but Kellen thought it was great! He came downstairs telling me he wanted to make a cookie house. It took me a minute to figure out what he was talking about. I don't even know where he got the idea! I pulled a can of frosting from the pantry, along with a few graham crackers, and some sprinkles, and ten minutes later this master piece was finished! :)

Baby Jane

Our little Baby girl is here! Jane Marie was born on October 29th, weighing in at 8.2 lbs. Mom went all natural, if you can believe that! It was the hardest, coolest thing I've ever done, so I have to brag about it! ;) Jane is an amazing baby! She is so good natured and hardly ever cries. I actually like it when she does because it's such a sweet cry and she looks so cute with her little frown. She started sleeping through the night at about 6 weeks old. I don't even have to feed her or rock her to sleep. I just lay her in bed while she smiles up at me, and a when I check on her just a few minutes later, she'll be off dreaming sweet baby dreams. Sounds too good to be true, I know, but that's just how it is! Taylor says he's just waiting for it all to "hit the fan". Very pessimistic of him, don't you think?!
Kellen loves her, and has from the start. He calls her "Baby Shane" because he can't make the 'J' sound. Uncle Shane will love that! Jane played her first dramatic role (the first of many I'm sure!) as the Baby Jesus in one of my choir concerts. Kellen saw it, and now he points out all the "Baby Shanes" in each nativity he sees. We've tried to set the record straight, but he won't be swayed. He saw it with his own eyes!

Us

Sorry, no recent family shots! We'll get updated soon.

It's a boy! No, it's a girl!

... Well, it's definitely a baby! The newest member of our family will be arriving in October around Halloween! We have had two ultrasounds to determine the sex, but it looks like this one is a trouble maker because s/he just will not cooperate! We think it's a girl, but we're leaving on all price tags just in case. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and figure it out before the baby is born. Boy or girl, we are thrilled!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Baby Kellen! Can anything be more beautiful than this little face? Be still my heart!

Blogging???

Well, here I am! The most computer illiterate person I know, and I'm starting a blog! I know you all say that it's simple... we'll see. I think it's a great way to let all our friends and family know what is going on, so hopefully I can get the hang of it.