What a guy!

Tay thanked me last night for the fact that whenever he takes a shower, he is able to pull a clean towel out of the linen closet just like that.  I never even considered being thanked for the routine task, but now that he has mentioned it, I think I'll fold the towels and put them away with more joy in my heart, cause I know my man appreciates it.  Thanking me for specific little things like that is a norm for him.  He is always so thoughtful. 
Love ya, Tay!

For Your Listening Pleasure

 Talk about heavenly music!  This is gorgeous!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2aLSat3h0w

Just for Cutness Sake...

Some pictures of Baby Jane. I don't post enough, so her Grandma says.  ;)

With her Daddy.

 

Slippery baby skin and long wet lashes!

Sun Bathing

 

Gotta love the cheeks!

 

Lil' Farm Girl

Jane loooves to wear Mommies "pretty", silky, underclothing. :)
I can't keep them away from her!

I love this girl!

Four years ago today...

Kellen was born!   And I became a mother.  My labor with Kellen was thirty hours of torturous, unbelievable pain and frustration.  Finally, he was in my arms and that all melted away.  I had only to gaze into those big blue eyes, looking up at me in wonderment, and I knew I would go through it all again a million times over if I had to, even just for this one moment.  My love for him was completely unconditional. Kellen simply had to be, and he was my everything.  It gave me a deeper sense of how the Savior must feel about us, and why he was willing to suffer so greatly in our behalf.   Ever since that day I have lived a richer, fuller, happier, (crazier!), and more meaningful life.

I love you Kellen!  Thanks for being such a sweet, good boy, who always tries to do what is right!  You are so special to our family!

I wanted to post some favorite Kellen pictures, but couldn't choose just a few, so you're getting a ton!

Sorry, no baby ones.  These are the only ones I have stored on my camera and/or computer.  Also, the pictures are in chronological order, excpet the bottom two, which were supposed to be closer to the top.  I always have formatting issues!

 Enjoy!

                         

A little Refreshment for Baby Jane

Jane's newest kick is taking big gulps of water and letting out a big, "Ahh!" after she swallows.  As in, "Refreshing!"
Well... today she was nursing.  (Yes, I'm still nursing my 14 month old.  Mostly in the morning and evening.)  When she was finished she sat up, and with a big satisfied grin, gave me a great big, "Ahh!"
  
What a nut!  I love it!

Primary

Kellen, a year ago.  He's grown so much since then!

 

Today was Kellen's first day in Primary.  I was so proud of him.  He was sad to leave Nursery - he has always loved going, but I could tell he found primary more stimulating.  He was so cute, singing the songs and answering questions.  I'm the chorister, so now I'll get to spend two hours of church with Kellen every week.  He's growing so fast!
I just love the new primary song the kids are learning this year -  I Know That My Savior Loves Me.  Have a listen! Isn't it a beautiful little melody?  I really felt the spirit today as I taught it to the kids.  It is such a sweet blessing to have my calling.  I am truly touched each week as I look at their little faces and hear their sweet voices, and my awareness of our Heavenly Father's love for them becomes more real.  This, of coarse, makes my love for them grow.  The amazing part is I can tell they love me too.  I can also tell that each of them is growing their own testimony, and it is such a joy to see.  I think I could be happy in this calling forever!

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?"