"Be good. Do good."

Melancholy

2011-10-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

In just a few days we're moving across town. My house is torn apart right now (I do, however, know exactly where every little thing is. You know how that is right?) and I'm in the thick of filling boxes and creating a huge pile that will soon be taken to St. Vinny's. This last month we've been at the new house patching, painting, cleaning, rigging and whole lotta other various things. I sit here at work almost having an anxiety attack thinking of all the things I must do in the next 72 hrs. I keep making all these lists but there is absolutely nothing I can do until tomorrow morning. What is the trick to turning off the anxiousness until then?! So I blog about it and feel the tension sinking in to my shoulders and head again. GAH!

This time next week we will be in another house. I wonder how the kids will do. We've lived in our current place for a little over three years. It's all they've ever known. It's the second longest place I've ever lived in my life. It is a sad thing to leave it. So many life changing things have happened to us there. Jack and Adele were both born. We've made it through unemployment. Jake has had two jobs and we've started three businesses. I started my job. We bought our first car. I've been in YW, Primary and now RS. Jake has been in YM and now EQ. (Serving in the church for my non-church friends :) It is crazy. So much has happened yet it went by really just too fast.

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." --Anatole France.

This quote really speaks to me. We have wanted bigger and better things. Some kind of change. We've wanted to move on and grow up and out of the little house that has been our home for the last few years. Now that we're doing it I'm just sad about leaving. I'm sad because of what I feel like I'm losing and leaving behind. That chapter, era, life, whatever you want to call it is about to die. And although we'll have the memories and the experiences, it will never be again. There is something so incredibly sad about that. I know I will miss this part of our lives dearly. I don't know if it was having Adele, or the maturing/experience of parenthood, or a combination of the two that has made me realize the importance of this precious moment in eternity in our family.

My children will only be little children for a few years. For the rest of forever, they will be adults. This time I have with their impressionable little minds is so short and a good clump of it was in this house. I don't have enough pictures, blog posts, journal entries or notes to encompass the adventures that took place here. My goal is that in this new house, and every other house we live in, I will take the pictures, print them, blog about the seemingly mundane and every day things that occur. Because now that I'm having to walk away from it my heart is broken at the memories that I haven't recorded in a physical way. I don't write this to sound depressing or to beat myself up, only to remind myself of the way it can feel to let the most simple things pass and go unnoticed.

Well there it is. Life lesson #48575937. Glad I learned this one somewhat early on before I turn into a grumply old lady with too much regret ;)

One year ago...

2011-09-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

I found out I was pregnant. I had a feeling. I took the test late morning at my parents house while my dad's parents were in town visiting. I couldn't wait until later that day. I just had a feeling. I did my business, and watched the stick. Only one line appeared so I started getting myself all situated to leave the restroom then I looked at the stick again. Two lines.

I cried and panicked as much as you can in about twenty seconds. I had to pull it together as to not give it away yet. I remember my dad asking me right after if I was ok and I told him I had a headache or something. I called Jake and told him real quick and quietly. I remember his calm voice telling me that this was good and we could do it.

I was so panicked because I felt like I had the plan in my head all set. This wasn't the right time. I wasn't ready for three, not ready for a sleep deprived newborn way of life. We didn't make enough money and on top of that we had to buy a bigger car. I was sad that I had to grow a baby and go through downs and downs (*Notice no "ups") of a first trimester.

A couple of weeks went by and we kept our little secret. Part of my plan was that if nobody knew, well then I just couldn't be sick. Maybe it was all in my head and if I wasn't allowed to be sick because no one knew I was pregnant, then maybe I wouldn't be! It seemed like it worked for a little while. I was still exercising a bunch and had a little burst of energy for a short time. Then all of a sudden it hit me. Right about the same time that I got hired at the hospital. It was like a dark black cloud...a giant engulfing wave of nausea, depression, anxiety and all around ickyness. I cried and cried, threw up all day long for weeks. Begged Heavenly Father to help me want this baby that so many pray for......

Now she is here. Now she is almost 4 months old. How could I have been so sure I didn't want her?! It almost makes me cry right now, just the thought of what a brat I was about it. I would almost expect Heavenly Father to teach me a lesson by giving me a difficult baby because of all the questioning and whining I did at the beginning. But of course he gave me a beautiful, perfect, healthy, sleeps-through-the-night, smiles-at-everything, thick-haired-perfect-for-bows kind of girl. I love her so much. She literally completes our family and is beyond perfect in every single way. Thank you Heavenly Father for knowing me better than I know myself. For trusting me with one of your choicest daughters. I've been stretched probably farther than ever this year and it has been so worth it. Every second of nausea, lean over the toilet, tear down my cheek, extra hour worked, date night missed, extra chores for Jake. I could go on and on. I would like to say that I'll never question again.....I will try my darndest :)

I need a vacation.

2011-08-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Who cares that I'm working 50 hours this week, it will only make next week that much better!!

I cannot wait to leave on Friday.

The week it hit the fan.

2011-08-07T00:37:00.001-07:00

The crap vs. the fan----
-Monday: The Gormans kick off Beach week in VA without us.
-Tuesday: I can't even remember if that day existed for me.
-Wednesday: The kids embarrassed me at the store and I cried in front of a lot of people, Jake closed down Decclo and our house was broken into and robbed by JJ.
-Thursday: Spent all day on the phone trying to protect our bank accounts, credit, email, etc. Also dropped $300 on getting the cars re-keyed.
-Friday: Found out that Harrison Medical Center is re-bidding all Registration Department shifts starting from the top of the seniority list. There are 43 positions, 44 employees in the department and I'm number 42.

Why I still love my life----
-Monday: I got caught up on SYTYCD and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. And I skyped with my family in VA.
-Tuesday: I seriously can't remember that day.
-Wednesday: I wasn't at home when JJ decided to pay a visit, I saw The Zookeeper that night with the Frys and had a sleepover at their house.
-Thursday: Made a lovely dinner for the Frys, comfort food of course, home made mac-n-cheese with salad and juicy grapes.
-Friday: Went to the Zoo and started over with beautiful, new pictures of my kids. Cooper also said to me, "Mom, you know that guy who broke my door?" ...me: yeah.... "Why did he do that?" ....me:He's a bad man Coop.... "Oh, wellllllll, I'm gonna kill that man." This is when the "killing is bad" conversation commenced, right after I laughed at Cooper and his very serious face.

We'll just call him JJ.

2011-08-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I left my house around 11am to run some errands. When I came back up our road sometime between 2:30 and 3:00 I saw our side door wide open and in an instant noticed the door frame was split and broken. I pretended like I wasn't looking and drove straight to our neighbors house (the only other house on our little dirt road). I went to Diane (our neighbor) and told her that I thought someone (who will be referred to as Johnny Jackass or JJ for short so you don't have to read my profanity over and over again) broke into our house and asked if I could use her phone. She told me that not even 15 min. before, her dogs went crazy barking and she could hear other dogs nearby barking. I called Jake first, he left work. Then I called the police. I was too scared to go to the house so I waited at my neighbors. Jake called a couple of minutes later and told me that the night before (I was working and got home at 3:30 am...) he got home around 8pm and when he turned onto our road there was a guy crouching down by some trees with a red frisbee "looking at rocks" and wouldn't look at Jake. He left the kids in the car and checked the house out cause he had a bad feeling in his gut about this guy. (Lesson learned #1: Call the police when you have a bad feeling in your gut) Jake showed up 15 or 20 minutes later and still no police. We waited another 10-20 minutes then Jake called again and basically told them this is ridiculous, where is a patrol car?! About three minutes after that one showed up....

I went down to the house where Jake and the officer already were checking things out. While we were waiting for the officer to show up we were trying to recall what was in the house that might be taken. At the top of the list was the laptop, it's always on our coffee table, $200 in cash that we just got for the bunkbeds we sold, (We never ever have cash any other time) and a few other things. At first glance we could tell that JJ kicked in the door (which is a door that goes into Cooper's bedroom, seriously so P-Oed about that) and basically went straight to our bedroom. All the drawers were pulled out, everything was knocked out of shelves and off of their surfaces. There was a little box on Jake's bookshelf that had his little mission trinkets in it, and $50 he was saving for our trip. They took the whole box. What little items Jake had from his short mission, gone. We have a stand on the dresser that keeps our phones, keys, wallets, camera etc on it. Luckily we both had our wallets and phones and the camera was with me in the car. But the extra civic keys were gone along with the $200 cash from the bunkbeds. (Lesson Learned #2: keep important things such as keys, cash, etc in your tupperware drawer)

**Sidestory: Sunday night Jake left the keys in the van and Monday they were nowhere to be found. We starting to wonder if they swiped them then and have been watching us and scoping us out for a few days now. Seriously nervewracking and ever so creepy.**

The items missing so far are laptop and cord, printer w/o cord and cover (I think JJ tripped on his way out because part of the printer broke off and the cord was on the floor going out the door), the cash and our car keys. (Lesson Learned #3: Renters Insurance, a simple $10/month would have been nice right about now that our total is rounding to somewhere around $2200, which still isn't much, but you know.)

The officer took his notes and asked us about changing the locks. He then gave us a tip that the whole world should know. Bear with me cause I don't know what I'm talking about but you know the piece of hardware on the door frame that catches the door, it's got a hole in it for the thingy on the door knob to go into when you turn it? Well it comes with 1 in. screws that just hold it in. Take those out, predrill 3 in holes and sink some 3 incher screws into the stud. Your door will buckle before it gets kicked in. (Lesson Learned #4: Make it a little harder for JJ instead of allowing him a wimpy a$$ kick to the door.)

Right after the officer left Jake and I tried to catch our bearings. I called the bank and put an alert on our account, change our online passwords and ordered new cards. I think I will actually close the account and open a new one today. We grabbed a couple of things, secured the broken door, locked up and headed to the Frys. Later last night Jake and I went back to the house to clean up. We crossed our fingers hoping that by some miracle we'd find JJ's ID or something like that, no such luck. It was creepy to be there. It felt wrong. We packed up our stuff and slept at the Fry's last night. Today Jake is out fixing the doors and securing windows. I have made phone calls to pawn shops, changed passwords for emails, set appointments to re-key both cars and I plan on visiting every neighbor on our street.

Thank goodness we weren't there when it happened. If it did in fact occur when the dogs were barking, I barely missed it. (Thank you distraction thrift shopping at St. Vincents) It seemed as though maybe (if it happened when the dogs were barking) they panicked and left without some things that I thought for sure they'd take (a PS2, a stereo, laptop speakers, a brand stinkin' new sewing machine, etc etc etc.) Maybe all they're after is our identity and they're trying to get that off of our computer, the cash and keys were simply a bonus. He's pawed my undies and seen pictures of my children. He knows what he left in the house and has keys to both of our cars. Well come on back JJ cause Lesson Learned #5 is to buy a shotgun.

Our Sunday Best

2011-07-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Point no Point. It was a gorgeous and sunny PNW day and we had to take advantage of it. I brought the camera to take lots of pictures for my Dad's side of the family. They're all in VA beach right now for a family reunion that we weren't able to attend this year. So our plan is to take lots of videos and pics and maybe skype a few times so that we're there in spirit. I pulled the camera out yesterday and (not to my surprise, really) it was dead.

So I charged up the camera, took some photos after church and uploaded them to edit. Guess what I found? A twenty-five minute video from Friday morning. The star? Cooper, in the car while I'm running errands. If you can imagine it, it starts with him playing with the camera (picture his upside down face really close up) then hear me coming to the car and watch him throw the camera down on the center console. It just so happened to film him in his car seat for the twenty minutes we ran around town. I'll spare you the actual video...I am glad to know that I'm actually NOT crazy and that I KNEW the battery was full when we went to the beach on Saturday....

Here are some pictures from after church today. As Jake calls them, our little Dapper Dan Men.

Adele Louise

2011-07-30T00:55:00.000-07:00

It was your typical Friday, just another day over my due date and I didn't feel any closer to having this baby than the day before. That night we went to Maggie Coleman's high school graduation BBQ at the Coleman house (which was the house I lived in when I graduated from High School, talk about a wave of nostalgia!) I ate a ton of food (I bet that's what did it right there, pushed that baby right out) and I actually had a coke with hopes of jumpstarting something with a little caffeine. After the bbq we took the kids to the waterfront park and walked around. Then we went home and put them to bed. At about 9pm as we were lounging on the couch watching The First 48 (it's a sweet crime show on A&E) I started having light contractions every 15 minutes. After 45 minutes they started to get closer, down to about 10-12 minutes.

We decided to call Carly to give her a heads up. We all decided that if in an hour I was still having them, I'd go and check in. That way it'd still be early enough for Carly to come to the house and for us to get things going at the hospital. Well, an hour later we were down to about 5-7 minutes. I called the hospital and Carly and Chad came over. As we were getting our stuff ready to go it felt like the contractions were kind of going away. So I actually jogged a couple of laps around our driveway. Yeah right, I didn't want to be the girl checking in and being sent home in front of all my co-workers (I work there, remember?!) We hopped in the car and left. Sure enough when I got to the hospital they were back. (11:45ish PM) My friend Mandi checked me in. The nurse checked where I was at and after talking to Dr. Christen they decided to admit me for delivery. They put us in room 14, the room with the nicest view apparently. My parents called and said they were coming to hang out.

(1:00ish AM)My mom got there and asked me why I didn't order an epidural yet. I told her I was trying to be brave as long as I could. Then she pretty much told me you should just order it, why feel it if you don't have to? Don't you want to enjoy this? So I ordered it and two hours (2:30 or 3:00ish AM) later Dr. Ramirez came to administer the epidural. I got all wimpy and cried, ooooooooh it hurt. But then it was oh so good. SO GOOD that I was numb up to my arm pits. (5:30ish AM)I asked the nurse if that was ok. She said nope, and called Ramirez to find the solution. (Right around this time Kris arrived) He had her come and turn it down/or off, not sure. When she came back to do that I had started to feel a lot of pain in my left hip. Like, LOADS of pain. Every time I had a contraction I thought my hip was going to break. But the funny thing was, my chest was still numb. I had made it to that final 7-10cm stage and Dr. Christen came in right about that time (6:10ish?? I'm starting to forget....) He said I was ready to go and gave me the option to start pushing or to wait til we fixed the hip thing. We gave it a few minutes then went for it.

Dr. Christen told me that once the baby's head was out he'd have me stop so they could pump her stomach, she'd swallowed meconium (also known as poo in the womb). So I pushed once, they had me wait while they sucked poo out of her mouth and tummy. Jake and my mom told me she had A LOT of dark hair. When I was able to push again, it took 1 and a half pushes and she was out. (6:19 AM) She was perfect!!! And not just in a biased way that any mom would say, but she had a perfectly round head. No bumps or humps or bruises or broken blood vessels. Just a perfect girl. I was so clear headed and remember thinking how awesome those two minutes of my life were. I just couldn't stop looking at her. There are a few moments in my life that I remember pure JOY, where time stands still and I am consciously thinking to myself what a wonderful life I have and how much I am blessed, all in .2 milliseconds.... and that was one of them.

There she was. Miss Adele Louise, 8lbs 3oz and 19in long. Long dark hair and beautiful bow lips. The rest of the stay was nice. We ate such good food that day, got lots of naps and let it all set in that our daughter had finally arrived. Jake was a champ and was been and has been a great help ever since. I have felt AMAZING during my recovery. I started exercising two weeks later. Adele sleeps pretty much through the night and nursing is going great. I am loving this stage which has been difficult in the past. We feel so blessed to have her in our home and in our family. The boys have been great with her. Jack was a little difficult for the first couple of weeks, as to be expected, but has since returned back to his normal self.

I am now back at work and missing my baby every second I'm on the clock. I love this girl so much that I just might have another one ;)

Collect call:

2011-07-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

weadababyitzagirl.

More on this soon.

Silly boys

2011-04-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

My ever comedic sons just keep getting funnier somehow. Jack has recently come up with (or adopted from me, regretfully...) the one liner, "Stop bugging me." He pretty much says it a lot. It's real hard not to laugh at, but he means it when he says it. I'll tell him it's time to go potty. "Stop bugging me." I'll tell him he needs to be nice to his brother. "Stop bugging me." Cooper wants to have a drink out of Jack's water bottle. "Stop bugging me." I hope I haven't created a hermit child...

Cooper's cute moment of the day was this afternoon while watching Monsters Inc. After a while he just started to bawl and sob with giant alligator tears and red rosy cheeks, the whole shebang. He was by himself so Jake went to find out what was wrong and it was right at the end of the movie where Sully (the big blue monster) has to take Boo (the little girl) back to her room and say their goodbyes for what you think is forever at that moment in the movie. Cooper was so torn up that this little best buddy duo had to part never to see each other again. I'm sure he was also a little tired, it WAS that time of the day but he just couldn't be consoled on the matter for a good 30 minutes after the incident. Not sure we're gonna bust that movie out any time soon.

I don't need a hermit AND a child with abandonment/relationship issues from a Pixar movie.

I could but I won't...although I probably will.

2011-03-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Has it really been nearly six months? Do you know how much happens in six months in our lives? Well I could tell you but I won't bore you. In a nutshell, the last post was about going to the pyrex museum in Bremerton. I found out that morning that I was growing a human again. We told people a few weeks later, when the sickness set in. I also was hired at Harrison Medical Center right around that time too. I work in registration in the emergency department and labor and delivery. Jake also started a new job (while still running his businesses) working for Dr. Brad Frandsen as a business developer for Sound Medical Research. I guess the only thing that didn't change was our address....although that's probably changing sometime later this year. After three years here, we will be moving into Jake's grandparents house sometime this fall.

That was about as summarized as I could make it.

Currently, I have about 10 weeks or so left of being pregnant. Don't worry, you didn't miss much other than IT'S A GIRL! Is it weird that I haven't bought her one single outfit yet?! I have however been purchasing some fabrics for some fun girly sewing projects. The boys are very excited. Every time Cooper sees anything baby related he asks me if we're getting that for our baby or if we're getting a baby like that, etc. He is a way funny kid these days. Example: The other day I was reading him a Berenstein Bears book and he said to me (stone cold faced), "Mom, I thought bears couldn't get dressed or talk." Welp, you're absolutely right Cooper. He's seriously hilarious. Jack has all of a sudden become a new person it seems. He's talking all the time, I mean ALL the TIME. I wonder if all that time that he never said anything and just played "the observer" he was actually scheming all these one liners he'd spit out his first couple weeks of talking just to freak us all out!

I've had a strong impression to get back to this blog. It got to the point where I felt like a dweeb for even trying to post something since it had been so long. Well here we go again....I'm going to work hard at keeping this the one constant thing in my life :)

The Pyrex Museum

2010-10-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we happened upon the Pyrex Museum downtown in Bremerton. I was in Heaven! I thought it was so adorable. My mom thought I was such a dork but she was cute about it and took a picture of me in all of the Pyrex glory.

Sidenote: When I get ready every day I think my bangs are cute. And then I see a picture of them. Kind of upsetting....oh well.

All a Haze

2010-09-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

That's what this summer has been, just a big '0l haze. This year has been so busy for us and this summer did not slow down one bit. Now it's almost (ok pretty much) over! Where did it go?!! So sad to think about....

We normally head over to my parents house for dinner on Sunday nights. They were gone this weekend camping so Jake and I stayed home with the kids and had dinner and just relaxed. We were trying to think of the last time (let alone Sunday) that the four of us just hung out at the house with NOTHING to do, no place to go, no deadline to meet. We couldn't remember the last time, honest. It felt so great. We have been stretched so thin lately and today was just plain therapeutic :)

Yesterday Jake told me to stop scheduling myself for so many things and to slow down a bit. I think I've been doing so much I kinda forgot how to just stop and think. I'm going to practice it this week and just hang at the house and spend time with the kids. Maybe have a couple of play dates and go into town once or twice but that's it for me! I am so thankful for down time and for Sundays especially. With all that's been going on (and life in general) Sundays are always the best day of the week. I don't know how the rest of the world goes 24/7.

24/6 is hard enough. T.G.I.S!!!!!!

Shizzam

2010-06-29T19:21:00.001-07:00

I try not to brag but shoot, I ran a half marathon last weekend. It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes. For those of you wondering, that's a little on the slow side. BUT I never walked....not once. I ran the whole thing. At one point I was behind two girls doing a speed walk and I wasn't passing them....haha. About two weeks before the race I got a nasty little cold mixed with allergies so I didn't run much. The farthest I had ever run before the race was a little over 8 miles where I'd run a mile and walk a quarter. I went over the night before with my friend Riitta (Who is twenty years older than me and ran it twenty minutes faster....ROCKSTAR!) We went to the expo, checked into our hotel, went out to dinner (to a pasta place of course) then went back to try and get some sleep before the big day. The pictures and videos pretty much speak for themselves. There were 27,000 runners. Around 17,000 were half runners and 12,000 of those were women. Jake came out Saturday morning and surprised me at 5 miles with the boys and a sign that read,"Kids at the finish, enjoy your peace and quiet!" Needless to say he got lots of comments on that one.

At the Health Expo:

Thanks, we're gonna need it:

Walking to the start, cars could only get within about

a mile or two and you had to walk from there:

Standing in the HoneyBucket line:

Hittin' up the buckets before we hopped in the start corals:

Getting closer, Coral #26:

All those people.....By the time we actually hop in line the

first coral has been running for atleast 30 minutes:

Finally crossing the start somewhere around 51 minutes:

(The peeps in front of us think I'm psycho when I yell, haha)

Seward Park, the pretty part of the run:

Potty break: (Took a good 10-12 minutes)

The last stretch

11mi mark:

Hobbling through the finish line:

(Warning--a little shaky, you might get sick watching it)

My shirt said: "I run so I can eat cupcakes"

Apparently the guy using my camera couldn't see the viewfinder...

Proud finishers:

Now that it's been a few days, I just might think about doing another one :)

First time for me making a goal like this and seeing it through! I kinda like the whole goal making/accomplishing idea.

So.....

2010-05-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

.....where did I leave off?

Well my sister, Paige, told me today that I'm not a blogger anymore. Well I guess that's true if the said blogger's hiatus has been since *ahem* March.

Holy crap.

Here are my excuses.....or.....reasons:

-I'm lazy

-I wasn't even fb updating so....give me a break.

-I've been training for a race people!!! (well as a tiny update I didn't run for a month after that 5k, but I'm proud to say that as of today I'm up to 8 miles. So suck it.)

-Jake's screen printing business is in FULL swing and I'm a little involved in that

-the decclo website is seriously almost done (but how many times do you want to hear that....really....)

-I was on the committee for planning a relief society retreat that happened last week. The committee happened to consist of me and two of my closest friends. You can probably guess that the planning meetings typically went a little longer than expected.

-I got a new calling at church, it keeps me kinda busy. (Primary pres.)

-a couple of weeks ago we stayed with some family friends 5 children (and we brought our two along with us) for 4 days. THAT was crazy.

-we've been experimenting with creating a front yard....pics to come

-I've been getting crafty and it has involved lots of time shopping at Goodwill, St Vins and old lady estate sales.....pics to come on that also.

Do I really need to think of more excuses? Please forgive me and continue to read. I will try not to disappoint for at least a couple more months.

Funny story today: You know when you're in a store and someone comes over the intercom and announces in "that tone" that parents need to keep their children with them and you wonder who would let their child run around and cause trouble enough for an employee to make that announcement? That neglectful parent was me. I really didn't think that playing a ginormous horn type of thing would cause so much trouble. He wasn't breaking anything was he? Sheesh.

On your marks....

2010-03-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Post race pic with Jack

I did it. I did the 5k. Now I have to bump up the mileage? Don't know if I'm ready for that but I sure had a lot of fun running in my first ever 5k race this last weekend. I went with friends Tiffani, Angela and Nina. We all did well and felt great for doing it. I was worried about the weather (which turned out to be beautiful) and about running hills (since I train mainly at home on a treadmill). There was no clock for the race but I think I ran it somewhere between 26-29 minutes, probably more like 27-28. Then they announced top finishers in each age division, and would you guess what? I finished third in the 20-24 age division and got a water bottle! My sweet hubbs kept the boys entertained and I had a really good time. It wasn't very far, but it was an accomplishment for me. I need to go get myself signed up for a 8k or 10k now. (Don't know how in the world I'll ever get to 13 miles for the half marathon in June.....)

Running the last 1/4 mile...Is it just me or do I look freakishly long in this pic?

My boys, patiently waiting.

Crux

2010-03-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

We have been really busy lately. And I mean REALLY busy. As most of you know we decided last summer to venture off on our own and start a clothing company (Decclo). In the beginning of August we contracted the company Dogstar to create our website. With hardly any communication from them to us on what the heck was going on, they finally quit on us in October. They had subcontracted a portion of the project to a company in Maryland called Acadia Creative so when Dogstar quit Acadia fulfilled their contracted portion of the project, and chose not to take on the remaining items Dogstar had contracted. Our original goal was to be up and running by the holidays but we had obviously missed that mark by this point. Well, we were stuck and running out of a budget fast. That was a long story short right there, FYI. So as we went developer shopping once again it was suggested to us to go overseas. We found Classic Informatics over in India and they started from where we had left off and have been a dream to work with. This project is bigger than we were/are capable of and the guys over at CI have been awesome to work with. So now, 8 months later, we are planning on launching the site early April.

It's a blessing in disguise that this has been a slower process than we had hoped for many reasons. One thing we hoped to do was to eventually sell our product wholesale to retailers. In order to make this cost effective we thought we'd look into printing our own shirts. Once Jake started researching this option we dove head first and made the decision to print our own stuff and since we'd have all the equipment we might as well open a screen printing shop in Bremerton. This shop will be called Crux Branded Apparel and Screen Printing. We just finalized on a space over in East Bremerton this last week and Jake has started some small renovations while we wait for the mass of equipment we purchased to arrive. Turns out that the time we open doors at Crux will be about the same time we launch the Decclo website. I am also working part-time for Jake's dad and we are managing to make this all work right now. There is no way any of this would be possible without the help from our both sets of parents. They have all made a huge contribution toward our dream, cliche I know but there really is no other way to put it, with their time, energy and financial contribution. Aren't families the greatest? We are so lucky to live by ours.

So I guess this explains to our friends why we haven't been around much, to my readers who haven't had a whole lot to read other than boring running times and to the kids at church why we haven't had a party for them lately :) We are excited for this and it has been the best ride! We are learning so much about business, well Jake already knows a lot. I'm learning a lot more than I ever expected or thought I'd want to learn. Turns out I really like it and I think I have a niche for it. We've got a lot of interested prospects for the screen printing side of all this and our list keeps on growing. This summer will probably be full of late nights at the shop and hot busy days fulfilling orders. Keep your fingers crossed that Jake's efforts of this last year will pay off for him soon!!! We got bills to pay, lol.

TODAY'S TRAINING:

5K 26:51

The Spring it Forward 5k race is only two days away!!

Lesson Learned

2010-02-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

This week we applied for a credit card for the company and couldn't get one. Apparently we had too many lines of credit opened. We were a little perplexed by this and maybe we're just dumb but we found out something we didn't know about credit. Normally I wouldn't be so open about sharing this somewhat private information on the world wide web....but I'm hoping this helps someone else out:

Jake went online to a credit bureau company (Experian or something like that??) and looked up our report for free to figure out what the problem was. What we found out was that most of our credit lines that are open are school loans. No biggie. But there were a few on there that shouldn't have been and stopped us from being approved even though our credit score is well into the 700s (the highest is an 850, they don't typically exceed 825). One example of an open credit line that shouldn't have been there was from Gordon's Jewelers (my engagement ring). When Jake bought it, he paid for it in full that day. This account should have been closed 5 years ago. In fact, all of our open accounts were and are in good standing! These companies like to keep the account open for ten years. What we didn't know was that you must call these companies and close the account yourself. Otherwise they stay open. Since we have closed those accounts everything is all better. Another thing we learned is that you can go to optoutprescreen.com and get yourself off of the lists that send you credit card offers. They send those to after they've checked your score. Get off of those lists!!! They aren't good to be on!! It cuts your score down, no fault of your own and it's a tragic waste of money and paper. Just wanted to share that in case we weren't the only uneducated when it comes to that stuff. Hope it helps someone!!

TODAY'S TRAINING:

5K 29:00

(I'd like to run the Spring it Forward 5k in 25:00 or less.....10 days from now)

Love Notes

2010-02-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Febreze,
How genius were you guys when you hooked up with Bissel to make good smelling vacuum bags? Kuddos to you, thanks for making my house smell ~~good~~ better.

Dear Breyers,
I think you should make your limited edition strawberry cheesecake ice cream a permanent flavor. It would permanently be in my home. It doesn't even have chocolate in it and it is to DIE for. Thank you ice cream scientists for making such a scrumptious flavor.

Those tortillas from Costco that you cook at home,
I'm officially converted and could probably be considered a binge eater after this week.

Dear El Nino,
Thanks for stopping by this month. You are welcome any year you want to stop by. Every 5 years just isn't often enough.

Dear Jillian Michaels,
Although sometimes I think you're uber cheesy, you pump me up. Thanks for kicking my butt the days I'm on the treadmill. That's probably the reason you're rollin' in the benjamins with your job.

2010-02-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

TODAY'S TRAINING

5k 27:48

(taking a four day break was not ideal)

This week in pictures:

2010-02-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

Jake on a hike with friends Scott and Nate

Roasting weenies at G&G Frys

Playing at G&G Frys

Learning the advantages of being a boy at G&G Frys

Sharing Candy

My stamp project

Experimenting with records

My $2 Goodwill shoes!

The end.

Reality Check

2010-02-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

Today I ran outside. And it sucked. And it was freeezing. And I didn't like it.

Looks like I'm gonna have to figure out how to suck it up.

TODAY'S TRAINING:

Couple of miles? Not sure how long?

Ears frozen, Check!

Lucky day

2010-02-05T23:22:00.000-08:00

Today was a great busy day. I was not looking forward to it because Jack had a well baby check up and I knew he'd have to get some shots. I didn't know, however, that there would be 4. I made Jake come with me to be the one who sat with him and held him down because I've always been the one to do it and it just felt like it was time for him to have a go at it. And what happens?!.....Jack takes it like a champ. Typical.

Along with that good news, we went to DQ then ate our icecream at the park (It was a BEAUtiful day!) AND I made a stop by Goodwill and found a cute pair of shoes that looked like they were pretty much new and they were also half off!!! They're the ones that old guys wear on sailboats.... I hope that I can pull them off cause they're not typical shoes. But I like them a lot so who cares :)

TODAY'S TRAINING:

5 MI. 47:21

(and it was haaarrd!)

Hey! I didn't sign up for this part!

2010-02-03T22:27:00.000-08:00

It seems like recently, a good part of my day is spent cleaning up pee or puke. Cooper has relapsed a little on the potty training and has wet the bed and himself multiple times in the last two weeks. Jack has some sort of reflux problem or a possible lactose problem and has been vomiting, more than normal. Tonight Jake and I were on our way to Lowes and heard Jack start gagging in the back. Then he was hurling, and hurling. It seemed endless for a second! We pulled over to help him out and it was just EVERYWHERE! We were right by a fitness club so Jake ran in to ask for some paper towels. We stripped Jack down in the rain and tried to wipe the gobs of goo out of his carseat before the 10 minute ride home with all the windows cracked. Let me be the first to tell you that I have a pretty strong stomach for that kind of thing and I gagged a couple of times.

Oh the joys of being a parent :)

TODAY'S TRAINING:

2 MI. RUN

16:28

My personality test results

2010-02-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Super interesting! My friend Laura did this and I got curious so here's my results:

ESFJ-

Extraverted 78% very expressed extravert

Sensing 12% slightly expressed sensing personality

Feeling 62% distinctively expressed feeling personality

Judging 1% slightly expressed judging personality

Providers take it upon themselves to insure the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the Guardians, and thus are the great nurturers of social institutions such as schools, churches, social clubs, and civic groups. Providers are very likely more than ten percent of the population, and this is fortunate for the rest of us, because friendly social service is a key to their nature. Wherever they go, Providers happily give their time and energy to make sure that the needs of others are met, and that social functions are a success.

Highly cooperative themselves, Providers are skilled in maintaining teamwork among their helpers, and are also tireless in their attention to the details of furnishing goods and services. They make excellent chairpersons in charge of dances, banquets, class reunions, charity fund-raisers, and the like. They are without peer as masters of ceremonies, able to speak publicly with ease and confidence. And they are outstanding hosts or hostesses, knowing everyone by name, and seemingly aware of what everyone's been doing. Providers love to entertain, and are always concerned about the needs of their guests, wanting to make sure that all are involved and provided for.

Friendly, outgoing, neighborly - in a word, Providers are gregarious, so much so that they can become restless when isolated from people. They love to talk with others, and will often strike up a conversation with strangers and chat pleasantly about any topic that comes to mind. Friendships matter a great deal to Providers, and their conversations with friends often touch on good times from years past. Family traditions are also sacred to them, and they carefully observe birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, Providers show a delightful fascination with news of their friends and neighbors. If we wish to know what's been going on in the local community, school, or church, they're happy to fill us in on all the details.

Providers are extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, which makes them perhaps the most sympathetic of all the types, but which also leaves them somewhat self-conscious, that is, highly sensitive to what others think of them. Loving and affectionate themselves, they need to be loved in return. In fact, Providers can be crushed by personal criticism, and are happiest when given ample appreciation both for themselves personally and for the tireless service they give to others.

What's your personality? Go HERE to find out!

No Turning Back

2010-02-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

It's official. I signed up for the race today!! And I'm so darn savvy I found a coupon for $10 off registration. Yay me! I spent a while going through the Seattle Rock n' Roll website and saw lots of cool stuff. It got me even more pumped. Anyone up for a 5k with me? I want to run this one on March 6 (it's a Saturday!) I want to sign up by this weekend and I want a buddy (or buddies!).

TODAY'S TRAINING:

4 MI. RUN

36:41

100

2010-01-28T22:48:00.000-08:00

Well sorry to tell ya but this post is going to be about running.

For the first time in my entire life I ran 4 miles in less than 40 minutes. It's a run like tonight that makes me feel like maybe I'll be able to one day run 13 miles. Tomorrow morning... probably not so much. My hips, knees and ankles are going to need a LOT more strengthening. My joints are so sore the day after I run. I think I might need some new running shoes pretty soon. I don't love the way my current ones feel, plus they're getting kind of old.....

And I might need to do some underwear testing for the big day to eliminate as much "riding up" as I can. No one wants to see me pullin' that out for 13 miles that's for sure.

To sum it up, most days I gripe about having to get a run in. Today I kinda wanted to. (could the addiction be kicking in? That would be nice!) Right now at this moment I'm excited for all of this!!!!

TODAY'S TRAINING:

4 MI. RUN

37:44

(Not bad for a 100th post!!!...Cheers!)

Day Off

2010-01-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today was a day off of work for me and I must say, it's been a long time since I've been HOME all day long! Nothing spectacular happened. I went through all the boys clothes and switched hand-me-down sizes for Jack and put the clothes Cooper has grown out of in the hand-me-down bucket. Sounds simple, but let me be the first to tell you it takes forever. First of all, all the laundry has to be clean! When does that ever happen? Then you sort and empty and fold and fill. So I spent a lot of my morning doing that and found lots of cute clothes I forgot we had! PLUS I found a shoe that went missing basically right after Grandma Fry bought the pair for Cooper a little while back. It must have been tossed in there last time we did the size change....HURRAH! That's always fun right? And because these bins were in a storage closet at our place, of course I had to empty out the whole thing and re-organize. Some visiting teachers came to see me and we had a great time. I baked bread to go with the lasagna I made and I ran.....all before 6 o'clock. OH, And the boys were good and fun and happy all the while. Pretty darn good day.

TODAY'S TRAINING:

4 MI. JOG

41:22

Sickos beware....

2010-01-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have just changed the way a comment is left on MY blog. Recently, there have been weird sick people leaving pornographic links and I'm getting ticked about it. COME ON!!!!!!! Do I look like someone who wants that as a comment?! Do yourself a favor and MOVE ON to somewhere else. You should be ashamed of yourself for putting that on ANY type of FAMILY blog (or anyone's you don't know personally). And by the way, if you're thinking that it is enticing to either me OR my husband, you are very wrong. Do it again and I'll track you down.

GET-A-LIFE.

Tiring Week

2010-01-22T12:47:00.001-08:00

It's been a long week for us! We launched the Vote Decclo blog, I worked a few days, we've been trying to exercise, Jake has had bball games, I helped with youth stake volleyball and we've been house hunting again.

We want to be able to buy a house in time for the tax credit. Our budget is only so much and that gives us TONS of not so great options. It's amazing what little $200,000 will buy these days. We've been looking for a place that is in atleast an OK area, has 3 bedrooms, a good enough yard for little kids, and possibly a shop or garage for the screen-printing stuff. Let me just tell you it's been mad. Not to mention we've had some serious grumpy moments over here at our house. Lots of mixed emotions about everything I guess. So needless to say the weekend is looking good to us right now even though we'll probably be driving around a lot looking at places.

I know that what happens.....happens. I have full trust in the Lord that we'll end up where he wants us to be, whether that be somewhere new or right here in our current setting. I just hope I can keep the patience! (or be better at being patient for that matter)

On a side note, I had the day off today so I wanted to get my run on before tonight since we're having a bunch of youth over tonight. I just ran last night so this morning was hard and there were kids distracting me. Looks like the evening might be the best time after all!

TODAY'S TRAINING:

3 MI. WALK/RUN

32:34

shavin' time

2010-01-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

TODAY'S TRAINING:

4 MI. WALK/RUN

43:54

(That's 5 minutes!)

Mental Note

2010-01-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

Remind me NEVER to break that vow I made last week about not missing more than one day. Today was HARD! But I totally needed it......

TODAY'S TRAINING:

4 MI. WALK & RUN

49:14

Cute story

2010-01-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday was my day off from training, ha. I have vowed to not go two days in a row without a run/walk.

In other news (since there obviously is more to my life than this lofty goal of mine) I have a cute little story from work yesterday. I was sitting at the reception desk and a young family was sitting in the waiting room: Dad, mom and 5ish year old daughter. Mom and Dad were reading magazines and the daughter was rummaging around through the kids books and made her way to the little table with a bible, a book of mormon and some LDS pass along cards. She picked up a card with a picture of Jesus on it and showed it to her parents and said, "Look! It's Jesus!" Her parents had these stunned faces as her mom basically was like, "Yeah, it is! Good job!....I'm surprised you know that!" And her dad was joking about how the daughter found Jesus in a dentist's office.....

I wanted so badly for her parents to talk to her more about it but they went right back to their magazines. It was too bad but my heart was full at that moment watching her stare at the picture for a few more long seconds before she put it back and I left for the day.

I am always amazed at the keen recognition of the Spirit that children have. They are so sensitive to it without even knowing it. It's no wonder we are instructed to become more childlike!

TODAY'S TRAINING:

2 MI. WALK/2 MI. RUN!!!

50:49

Whew!

2010-01-12T22:27:00.000-08:00

Well 3 days down.....and how many to go???

TODAY'S TRAINING:

4 MI. WALK 57:37

Training

2010-01-11T22:47:00.000-08:00

I am still working on a schedule for training for the half. It is six months away and the legit schedule I was given is only about three months total and........drumroll, starts at 3 miles. Cha-right. I can't run 3 miles right now so I will have to work up to that in the next month and a half or so.

That's what I'm ironing out right now.

After a busy day at work and having friends over for dinner, I decided I had to work out at 9:30pm. Glad I did it though.

TODAY'S TRAINING:

4 MI. WALK--58:42

(it can only get better from here!)

Silly Jake

2010-01-10T22:03:00.000-08:00

Jake- I want to go get something.

Rachel- What do you want to get?

Jake- Well it's not in line with this new half marathon thing.

Rachel- What do you want to get?

Jake- Icecream.

Rachel- Jake, being able to run a half marathon and eating icecream have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Let's go.

Let it be known that although my goal is to run this thing in a short 6 months from now, I will be eating icecream all along the way. And anything else my little heart desires for that matter. Quality of life my friend, quality of life.

Ok fine, I'll start.....

2010-01-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

There is this tiny off in the distance goal that I have to run a half-marathon.

That's it. I haven't planned it out. I know of races coming up this year, just like every other year. That's the problem. They come every year so if I miss out this year it's kinda like, Oh well, maybe next time. But this year is an important one because currently I'm not pregnant and I don't plan on it anytime in 2010. My kiddos are getting easier to take care of.....well that's not true but you know what I mean. I have a lot of drive to do a lot of things this year but for some reason exercise and running just isn't kicking in for me. We have an awesome treadmill and we've even taped a picture of Dara Torres on it cause let's face it, she's a total fitness bombshell babe. Jake wouldn't mind looking a little more like her either. I like working out. It just takes time. It's hard for me to wake up before my kids do because, well I'm tired. I'd love to get the workout done in the morning because heaven knows there's no way I will get it done at night when all I want to do is relax. Listen to me, I sound like a lazy bum. I'll admit it, I kinda am but in my defense, I have kids. It's no excuse but it sure is a good reason.

So in order to be held more accountable for this very desirable but hardly attainable goal of mine, you will be hearing about my progress. And I would like to run the Seattle Rock and Roll half marathon on June 26th. If I register before 2/28 it's only $85. So I'll take the next month or so to try and get myself started. Pump me up! I need it! And if anyone else wants to jump on the bandwagon do it with me! It'd be fun......well, once we finish it will be :)

For starters, today Jake and I along with the kiddos took a nice brisk 4 mile walk. Watch out Dara....

Dream Job

2010-01-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Jake asked me what my dream job would be. It could be anything, anywhere, I would be totally qualified, etc. I thought about it for a sec and came up with some hot shot editor or someone like that working at a big magazine in NYC. Is that completely shallow of me? I think I've been watching too many movies and reading too many books with main characters holding these oh so glamorous and dramatic jobs. There's something a bit appealing about the hectic rush, short deadlines, trendy shoes, weekend getaways, workaholism, riding the subway from my penthouse apartment over looking central park, screaming bosses, witchy backstabbing co-workers and a super hott mail guy or something. Ha :)

Jake is reading this over my shoulder and just asked if this was my fantasy. "I can do mail," he says. HA!

Anyway. I'm glad I don't have that option. I love my job. I love being a momma and wifey. I love living in a smallish town close to a biggish city. I love the slow, lazy days that grace us ever so often and the freedom to go out and explore together without being tied down by 'the man'. I'm pretty sure I actually have my dream job right now :)

Sweet Baby Jack

2010-01-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

One year ago my sweetest Jack was born.

Holy fastest year of my life.

Anyways, although it was a super fast year, we sure didn't miss a second watching our little babe grow. Jack has been such a joy in our lives. He cuddles, even when he isn't sick. That boy could be held all day long and he'd be okay. When we first brought him home we had a super cold spell with the weather so I used that as an excuse to have him sleep in my bed with me and crank the heat up in our room. He stayed in our room for about 4 months (I think?) then it was time to put him in with Cooper. That's about how long it took for Cooper to be ok with the idea of having Jack around permanently.

How could you not be okay with a face like that?!

Our plan was to have them close so they'd be buddies. It's finally starting to be that way! They are starting to play together a lot. And even though Cooper picks on Jack non-stop, Jack just follows him everywhere and watches his every move. I love my two boys :)

Jack will eat anything you put in front of him. He is a bottomless pit. He can recognize the clanking of silverware on a plate and will come crawling faster than you can get the first bite in. I don't know that I've gone once without sharing a meal with Jack as long as he's nearby. Because of this, his nickname is "Chancho".

The helmet made his cheeks that much chubbier.

We love our Jack and his cute little face. He's a pleaser and likes to make us laugh. He is a very observant little boy so we must watch ourselves now that he's picking up all sorts of tricks.

Black icing on a first birthday cake: One of the best ideas I've ever had.

We thank our lucky stars and our Father in Heaven everyday for this special boy and hope for more boys like him and Cooper in the future.

2010

2010-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's officially here and I am super duper excited. I have a feeling about twenty-ten. Along with many others I want to make a list. Not all of them are probably super realistic but they are most definitely possible. I feel like I need to bring in the second century of my life with a bang this year and I will do that by living like I've never lived before. I want to do new things, play more games, see new places, meet new people, etc.

My list, which will of course be a continuing work:

1. Go to Mt. Rainier and hike around

2. Go to a sunny warm sandy beach

3. Write atleast every other day on my blog

4. Bake bread more often

5. Take the kids to the Seattle Zoo

6. Take the kids camping

7. Take a road trip...maybe to California?

8. Plan meals

9. Read the Book of Mormon, maybe twice.

10. Learn to play the piano again

11. Be able to watch icky dental procedures without getting knots in my stomach

12. Write letters to my grandparents

13. Go to a Sounders game. I want to see what all the fuss is about :)

14. Take the kayak out a couple times

15. Teach Cooper lots of things like letters, numbers, colors, sounds, shapes, etc.

16. Be more patient and kind

17. Plant flowers

18. Exercise and be in shape

19. Run a half-marathon, or maybe just start out with a 10K (baby steps)

20.

21.

22.

To be continued...

Help needed

2009-12-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

My friend Nicole needs our prayers. She came down with the flu last week and is now in the ICU with double pneumonia. We are fasting for her today and need more prayers. Please tell anyone you know, especially if they could put her on the prayer roll.

CHRRRRISTMAS!

2009-12-27T16:41:00.001-08:00

Pretty much three Christmases in one day. We started out at our house. Went to the Fry's and had a yummy breakfast and got spoiled with all the good gifts for the boys and us. After spending some time relaxin' n stuff we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Fry's and Jeff and Lettie's to wish a Merry Christmas. THEN we went to the Gorman house and opened even MORE gifts. We sure are a spoiled bunch. I didn't take nearly as many photos as I should have. It was a GREAT day. I always eat and eat and eat on Christmas day but never have I felt so horribly stuffed in my life.

Here are some photos from our Christmassy day.

To Cooper. Love Mom and Dad.

Cooper with what everyone calls "Satan's monkey." It senses motion and rolls around laughing. It's actually really cute and funny. The boys love it.

To Cooper and Jack. Love Santa.

To Jake. Love Rachel.

It says, "Someday, when we're both rich and famous, we'll look back on this and laugh."

To Rachel. Love Jake.

Yes it's a snuggie and yes I've been in it ever since I opened it.

Our new piano, Thanks Sharon! And thanks to all the muscle who helped us move it!

Happy Jack

Christmas Eve Nativity

P.S. as part of our Christmas gift for each other, Jake and I will be going to see Michael Buble in Seattle in April!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN.NOT.WAIT!

P.P.S. I've been meaning to post about this for some time but, well we all know how it goes.... My dad was awarded the Manager of the Year award at the Naval Civilian Managers Association Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility. Whoa, that's a lot of words.

He was nominated by loads of people, and if you don't know much about the shipyard, well just let me tell ya, this is a big deal. WAY TO GO DAD!

Here are just a few (of the many) awesome things people said about him:

"Rob spends much of his time being a leader and mentor. He always makes time for his employees as well as others who ask."

"Rob is a manager that has an inspiring personal concern for the well being of his people and he takes a great deal of pride in the development of them."

"Rob embodies the characteristics associated with professionalism and exhibits those traits always. While sometimes his passion overtakes him, he is always respectful."

Shake-it!

2009-12-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was featured on the Gypsy Feet blog with a sa-weet picture we took long ago in Yellowstone. The post is titled "Gone Green" and was published Tuesday Dec. 22, 2009.

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Changing things up a bit.

2009-12-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

I had my first day at work today. I am taking my sister-in-law's spot at my father-in-law's dental practice. She's a good 'lil trainer and my first day was great. There are lots of things to learn at a dental office that's for sure but I think I'll catch on just fine.

It wasn't too bad considering Jake and I were up all night keeping watch over a sick boy named Cooper. He had a huge fever last night all of a sudden and slept for 15 hours with a couple of vomit episodes thrown in the mix. He seems to be on the mend today. Jake was Mr. Mom and did a great job with the boys :)

I am excited for this little change in our lives. I already know I will cherish my two little boys and time with Jake more. I also know that with this making us just a little busier, I'll probably be a more productive person as backwards as that sounds.

I do have to say it might take a little while for me to be comfortable watching some of the procedures. I sat and watched an older man get 4 rotten teeth extracted. When the teeth are full of decay, they tend to break as you're pulling them so you have to go in and cut the rest up and pull it out piece by piece. This is exactly what happened today. I got a little queasy toward the end and had to go distract myself by sterilizing some tools in the other room.

I'll be able to take it like a man in no time.

Maybe.

Wha?

2009-12-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I love being crazy busy, but I just love it. I haven't even had time to READ blogs...it is what I will be doing all night I'm sure.

Here's what we've been up to:

Christmas (in general)--

Found a spot for the teeny tree, thanks mom!

Santa and the boys at Nordys

Matt, Nicole and the girls visit--

ferry rides

Sweet Olivia

Little mischief makers match made in heaven

Ladies night @ Nutcracker. Aubree's quote of the night: "I want to be her."

Decclo....in general

Baking, lots and lots of baking--

which also includes lots of eating.

Crafting--

the curtain I found at value village and turned into pillows for my couch...

my attempt at making my house more "Anthropologie"
Secret crafts for Christmas gifts

making flower hair thingys with Paige

This Christmas season has been so packed full of fun so far. And this week will be the busiest yet. I love this time of year. I'd love it even more on a tropical island :)

My oh so talented friend

2009-12-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

Laura made a submission to the Nikon Festival: Your Day in 140 Seconds or Less. It's a great bunch of mini clips that she put a lot of hours into I'm sure. I just love her. She is so talented and has recently decided to go back to school to learn even more! She has helped us in so many ways with her unique ideas and Sa-Weet creativity.

Go check her out and leave a comment and rate! Good luck Sugargrenade!

House full of teenagers

2009-11-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Last night we threw a little party for the youth from church. There was lots of junk food, rockband, uno, charades and haircuts! It was a great time and Cooper probably had the most fun getting to hang with the big kids and stay up 'til midnight. We will definitely be doing this again :)

We didn't get pictures of everyone who came but there were probably about 20 kids who came over. Jackson wanted to make a spectacle of getting all his hair cut off so he wanted to do it at the party. When we were done with Jackson, Bekah came in the kitchen and said, "I just called my mom and she said you can cut my hair." Ha ha, I was like uhhhhh, I've never cut girls hair. She said, "It's OK, it's just hair! Do it!" So I did. And it must have been beginners luck.

We played long games of Uno, rocked out to rockband and a few rounds of charades at the end. The kids ate donuts, cookies, chips, ice cream and lemonade. Could a Friday night get any better?! I think not.

Bekah's new haircut

Jackson before

Jackson after

Uh...duh!

2009-11-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

Today's post is obviously about Thanksgiving!

Living close to both sides of the family, we are always blessed to eat two thanksgiving meals. Now it's always fun until someone gets hurt right? Well, it was fun. Now we're hurting. But let me tell you, the food was delicious. The company was great and the day all in all was just a great day.

Every Thanksgiving I get a little extra feeling of thanks but today I was simply overwhelmed by gratitude more than once. I just feel so blessed right now in my life.

Here are some things we are SO thankful for:

-our boys
-opportunity
-Andy Bernard (that one is Jake's)
-our car
-good deals
-early bedtimes
-game night
-optimisim
-friends and family who go above and beyond for us
-creativity
-pancakes
-snuggles
-pull-ups
-our health
-drives in the car
-spiritual leaders
-the treadmill
-wet wipes
-the internet
-pictures

This list really could go on and on. I am so thankful for my life. What a wonderful life it is.

Ahhhhhhh.....

2009-11-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

These paper lanterns are some of my favorite things I've purchased recently. They are just so colorful!! I hung them over the new decclo couch in front of the new decclo wall to be used for shooting videos for the new decclo you tube channel :)

New things are so much fun.

These colors make me feel Christmassy

2009-11-24T23:07:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my friend Laura to go in search of 7 red or green things in my house and take pictures and post them. As much as I love red and green, I had a little bit of a hard time finding 7!!

1. Our green decclo wall

2. my brand new make-my-hair-big product

3. an old antique from my grandma which reminds me of my lucky smokin' grandpa

4. a green glass with grandpa's red dice

5. our wedding invitation

6. my most favorite item in the kitchen

7. Jake's prom king hat

It was fun to do, thanks for the tag ;)

I tag--

Paige

Carol

Ali

This one's a keeper

2009-11-23T21:34:00.000-08:00

I made a yum yummy meal tonight. I'm bragging, here's the recipe:

Tomato Basil Tart

1/2 cup milk

6 eggs

2 medium tomatoes

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 handful of bacon bits

1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Heat oven to 375. Bake crust for ten minutes or so until a very light golden brown. combine milk, eggs, cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. beat well. pour mixture into crust and top with sliced tomatoes, a lil' more cheese and bacon bits. bake for 20-30 minutes. should be firm to the touch when done.

Sorry no picture. we ate it too fast :)

Hey Stranger!

2009-11-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I put two different counters on my blog. One that counts every single hit to the blog and one that counts every "unique" hit to the blog. So even though I look at my blog every day, the unique counter recognizes me and only counts me the first time.

At this moment in time I have had 717 unique hits to my blog. I don't think I even know that many people. I know that some people just browse through and read stranger's blogs, because I have done that too. But my curiosity has totally been peaked! I want to know who's reading my blog!!

Now a lot of people will say, "I can't leave a comment because I don't have a google account." There's an easy fix to that: Go to google account, type in your current email address (it doesn't have to be gmail, mine is hotmail) and create a password and, Voila! There's a couple of perks to having this google account. You can subscribe to news feeds and blogs and all sorts of stuff and have the updates all on one list. Check it out!!

After you do that, leave a comment on this post!!!!! It's Sunday and I know that Sundays are big blog reading days....I want to know who's stopping by to read! I've never wanted to make my blog private. I like that strangers come and read, it gives me a chance to somehow share a bit of myself and maybe spark a thought in someone I don't know and that is intriguing to me.

Tell me who you are! I'd love to know!!

My Jack

2009-11-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

Jack has recently started the whole separation anxiety phase and while Cooper never did this and I much appreciated it, I sorta like it with Jack. He is so snuggly and such a love bug. He wants to be held much more than Cooper ever did and he's ok with laying his head on you even if it means missing what's going on in the room. I love that about him.

He's also turned into a genius this week. I was emptying the dishwasher and Cooper was helping me, well Jack wanted in on the fun and came over and picked one piece of silverware at a time and handed it to me. And today he found a plastic bucket and I gave him some chopsticks and he played the drums. Are second children typically quicker at picking up those little things because they have a sibling to watch do everything? It's not like they get as much as #1 did because well, there's two of them. So they have to sit and observe way more than the oldest ever did. So does this make them better learners? I wonder.

Something else that Jack does that makes him Oh-so-cute is that he licks his lips a lot. I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that he would probably eat until he passed out (he's a fatty) or that he likes the feeling, or he has chapped lips or what....But it's adorable.

Conversion

2009-11-20T22:44:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm pretty sure I've been converted to Team Jacob.

How can you not after that movie?

What?

2009-11-19T23:30:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm sitting on my couch. It's 11:30. I was just about to go to bed and I remembered I hadn't posted yet today and I already had my one free pass in my 30 posts in 30 days challenge. I have the tv on and I'm trying to think of something to write about.

I see this commercial for the last episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 airing next week. It's the final episode for them and they're playing little clips of some of the things they say. The last one Kate says is, "It was a good run..."

What?

Did I hear that right?

You thought that was a good run? Aren't you in the middle of a horrible divorce with a husband who is apparently sponsored by Ed Hardy and is dating a wild thang half your age leaving no time for the 8 children you decided to have together?

If that was a good run, then I'm pretty sure I'm doin' awesome. I can't wait for that show to be over.

High Road

2009-11-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

Today something (bad) happened that I still can't find words for. I sat down earlier to write this big post spilling my feelings and it turned into ranting. I tried so carefully to piece my words together to sound "more mature" about the whole thing and although I'm still ticked to no end, I've summer donna'd a little (look it up, funny stuff).... and as I read and reread what I tried to write, I've decided to just not post it.

I would like to say however that there are very few times in my life when I've been so BLOWN away by behavior in adults that I am just beside myself. I always want to be an adult of integrity and strength. One who is honest and selfless. Not only because it is the right way to be but because the Lord has entrusted me with two very choice little boys and I know that they watch my every move. Cooper tries to shave his legs in the shower with a lego for crying out loud. If I am the parent who watches my boys play sports from the sidelines and I holler at the ref and complain to coaches about playing time and scream and yell during games, my kids will be that way too. If I talk behind peoples backs and play nice to their face, my kids will do that too. If I cheat or lie a little here and there, even if it's in good interest for the other person, my kids will think cheating and lying is ok. There is no gray area for kids. There is no sugar coating or watering it down. Give it to them straight, and be a good example.

I'm afraid if I keep going I will say too much and regret it later. I will however close this up with the very well known and oh-so-true quote that, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Not far at all....

**disclaimer-- Hubster just read this and said everyone's gonna think I'm mad at him. It has nothing to do with anyone in my family! fyi.

Wall makeover!

2009-11-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

I've been spending (way too much) time on etsy lately trying to find some art for a cluster on one of the walls in my living room.

This is the kinda style I'm going for but I haven't made any decisions yet...I have about a thousand pages left to browse through.

A good thing? Not so sure...

2009-11-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

So we've been having poo problems around here remember? Cooper refuses to poo in the toilet. So today when we gave him a minute of privacy in the loo he pooped on the floor.

Then played in it.

Not sure if this is a step in the right direction, but maybe it is?

New Moon Partay!!!!

2009-11-15T14:37:00.001-08:00

Some of you have bought tickets for the Friday showing of New Moon at 7pm at Silverdale 4 cinemas.

If you haven't already, go and do it!!!.....Because we're having a party and you're invited.

My house

5:00pm- a little after 6 then we will carpool

Bring a small plate of hors d'oeuvres to share!

Drinks will be provided

*DON'T FORGET TO DRESS UP!!!!!!!!

Leave a comment or message me on fb so I can be sure of a headcount. (Even if you've already told me...)

Valient Effort

2009-11-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had a ward dinner. I planned all day on 7 o'clock, which seemed kinda late to us but by golly we were going to be on time. So on time in fact when we drove into the parking lot at 6:30 and saw ALL the cars there already.... We realized we were a half hour late. Typical :)

On the plus side: It was a Hawaiian luau so there was TONS of really good food. No one went hungry tonight. Good times!

Poo problems

2009-11-13T17:02:00.001-08:00

I'm having a really hard time getting Cooper to poop on the toilet. He's been in pull-ups for about two weeks now peeing like a champ on the potty but I CANNOT, FOR THE LIFE OF ME get him to poop in the toilet.

I've had him sit there for a half hour at a time and practice farting hoping that poop will follow. When I'm fed up I let him down and no more than an hour later he's hiding somewhere pooping under a table or something.

I've tried EXTRA hard to constantly be aware and not give him opportunity to hide and poop but the first moment I slip, he does it AGAIN!

What a smart and tricky little boy!....He used to get candy every time he peed but now he only gets it when he poops, and he hasn't had candy since Halloween. Any tips??

T.O'd.

2009-11-12T22:21:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Dori Monson's show on 97.3 Kiro FM News Talk today and he talked about this: (This is an actual excerpt from his blog)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 @ 12:07am
Only in Seattle

A couple weeks ago, I talked with both the Freedom From Religion Foundation and with Metro Transit about FFRF's anti-religion bus campaign they're running this Christmas season.

As I said on the show, I don't blame FFRF for its campaign. they're athiests - doing what athiests do.

I do, however, blame Metro Transit for allowing this campaign. Now that the busboards have hit the streets, many of my Christian listeners have contacted me about how offensive this campaign is to them.

One listener sent me a photo of a busboard that I have seen all over the streets the last week or so.

I continue to believe that there is no way Metro would ever allow a campaign that is so offensive towards blacks... towards gays... towards hispanics, Asians, transsexuals, or hermaphrodites.

But our government-run transit agency has no problem with a campaign that targets people of faith. The last acceptable targets of government-endorsed bigotry.

Only in Seattle.

This just totally and completely ticks me off. I'm about to go on a rant and I don't care if I sound juvenile. It's just not fair that these people can go and do this. If I wanted to buy space on that bus with a big 'ol Aladdin cartoon and have him saying, "Sorry Muhammad, there is no Allah," or a fluffy Troll Doll saying, "It is YOUR choice to be gay, you weren't BORN that way," there would be riots in the streets of Seattle in no time at all. Why then can they express using an image of ST. NICK that there is no God but last year they stopped others from displaying a nativity at the state capitol? Why do they have every right, but I do not have mine? Where are we going wrong here? I love this beautiful state of WA but more often than not it is tickin' me off. It doesn't come down to whether or not your are liberal or conservative, democrat or republican, male, female, asian, black, christian or not. THIS IS WRONG!

There, I'm done.

Blue Skies

2009-11-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Happy sunshiney Veteran's Day!!! It's a miracle it actually stopped raining and it's a double miracle we all got up and got ready as early as we did considering our last couple of days inside. We were in need of some fresh autumn air and let me tell you, it was indeed refreshing.

Fail

2009-11-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

It only took me less than a week to fail the NaBloPoMo challenge. In my defense we are REALLY sick around here.....and I technically posted twice on cupcake giveaway day. So there.

In these recent days of being locked up in our house, Jake and I have noticed a couple of things about our boys. One of those things is how Cooper talks to Jack. It is kind of funny to watch because as it turns out....and after a huge *light bulb moment*....it is exactly how we talk to Cooper.

Example:

Cooper and Jack have just been put to bed, Jack won't stop crying-

Cooper: (in a fed up and exhausted manner...and well, kinda screaming) "JACK! STOP CRYING!.....THAT'S ENOUGH!!"

Jack continues to cry

Cooper tries another approach in a sweeter more loving tone: "Jaaaack, it's okaaaaaaaaay. Stop cryingggggggg. Go to sleeeeeeeeep."

Example 2:

Cooper tries to get Jack's attention for something-

Cooper (as he grabs Jack's face): "Jack! Look at me! Listen to what I'm saying!" (and he gets right in his face and says whatever it is he NEEDS to say)

This is funny for a second, although it totally ticks Jack off. And I now realize why I need to speak more kindly and softer to Cooper. Because it is EXACTLY how he will speak to Jack. And I need them to be buddies. That's why I went through with this crazy plan of having them 19 months apart.

*NEW GOAL: Speak more kindly to Cooper, be more patient and let it show in my voice....... Hopefully I don't fail within a week with this one :)

Quarantine

2009-11-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

First off...It is amazing what a shower, toothbrush and a little bit of mouthwash can do for you when you're feeling super crummy. Having a house full of sickies is not so fun. Everyone is tired, grumpy, icky and bored. Not a good combination. We won't ever know if we've got the H1N1 but it is most definitely the flu bug. Luckily good 'ol Cooper hasn't shown any symptoms as of late. He is still the little tornado in our house like always (which at moments throughout the day almost makes it harder). Jack has had a fever which has made him extra snugglie and we love that part. Poor Jake has broken a fever 4 times now since Friday. I have had all symptoms but to the least degree which has been fortunate for all of us. We all know that when the family is sick...mom takes care of them. And when mom gets sick too, she's still in charge. I feel lucky to be hangin' in there so well.

Since we didn't go to church today, we watched a bunch of Mormon Messages on you tube. This message titled "Create" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf is the latest and I just love it.

A lot of times (especially this weekend) I feel useless and dull. But then I look at my two babies and realize I AM pretty creative...I grew those babies! And they look a lot like us! And so far, they are turning out to be great little boys and I know that it is with the help and influence of the gospel in our lives and the spirit of the Lord which is in our home, even when people are puking and grumpy. "Create" was a good reminder of that.

I am so thankful for the time we have had to slow down this weekend and just be together and not go anywhere. I am thankful for the power of the priesthood and the blessing Jake and Dad were able to give a restless sick Jack last night. And I will be very thankful when we all get our energy back so we can continue playing together.

What we did for Halloween

2009-11-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

This is a week late but I just couldn't miss posting pictures of what we did last week for Halloween. We kicked off the celebrations on Thursday at music makers and the kids all got to dress up in their costumes. Coop was Harry Potter (wizard coat hand crafted by Grandma Fry and scarf made by Aunt Brittney...in lower pics) and Jack's costume wasn't quite finished yet....well it hadn't even been started.

Cooper and his buddy Paul

For lunch on Halloween day while carving our pumpkins we had

apple dumplings with vanilla icecream. Best lunch ever.

Cooper, R&J, and Jack's commemorative white pumpkin (like his helmet) carved like Tim Burton's Jack Skellington

Trunk or treat at the church. Jack in his ghost costume.

To see us at Halloween one year ago, before Jack arrived, click here.

And the winners are....

2009-11-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

Krista

Doranda and

Claire!!!!!

I'll be by sometime tomorrow morning to drop them off :)

Cupcake Giveaway!!

2009-11-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

It was a rainy rainy day today and I wanted to bake something. All signs pointed to -----> Cupcake. So I googled "beautiful cupcakes" and this is the one I thought I could pull off. (This is a pic of my finished result) It's not perfect in my book, well nothing ever is, but I thought they turned out cute. Not as big and velvety looking as I had imagined but, they are scrumptious. Heaven knows I'll eat all 30 of them before the weekend is up so I wanted to do a giveaway.

The first 3 people to respond to this post will have a couple of cupcakes hand delivered by yours truly. And if you're sitting at home on a Friday night reading my blog....you need a cupcake you poor thing :)

***Disclaimer: Recipients must be within a 30 mile radius of me. If you're far far away, you can take a rain check and just drool for now.

Turnin' it around

2009-11-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

I really miss the warm summer sun already and I've been kind of a mope about it. So I decided that I'd write ten things about it NOT being summertime that I love to make it a more positive time of year :) If you're down in the dumps about rainy Washington fall then this is for you my fellow sun lover.

1. Snuggling in blankets a lot more often
2. Baking baking baking
3. Soup
4. The beautiful fall colors
5. Volleyball season
6. Decorating for the holidays
7. Hot chocolate, hot cider and hot peppermint tea
8. Tons of new movie releases
9. Walking into a warm house
10. The clear clean skies of WA, thanks to the frequent rainfall.

Feeling a little better? Good, now go bake some bread and watch Elf with someone you lovey love. I'll be doing that.

NaBloPoMo!!!!.....what?

2009-11-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my friend's blog and she was my very first ever friend I knew that had a blog. She taught me how to actually work this so called blog that I keep. I've always admired hers and a few other people's blogs and the interesting, emotional, funny and original posts they write. I'd love to be able to reach their level in my own blogging and this is a great way to get some practice. I am starting this late so I'll make sure to post for 30 days straight.

I'm actually pretty pumped! Leave a comment on an idea for a blog post and I'll use it. I PROMISE....it's not like an amateur like me can come up with 30 original ideas 30 days in a row all on my own. Trust me.

Open invite!

2009-11-03T15:14:00.001-08:00

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Friday November 20th 7pm

Regal 4 Cinemas in Silverdale

Tickets @ Fandango.com

Let's make it a party!!!

Let me know if you're going to that one. We're dressing up like hott cullens (basically, we're wearing all black and looking really sleek and pretty for the night). I'd love to make an event out of it but only if there's a few more people than just, well....me.

Pumpkin patch, painting, puking and other events of Oct '09

2009-10-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is your basic update here. At the beginning of the month the kids and I went to Spooner farms with my family while Jake worked and picked out some pumpkins (which we have YET to carve) It was a really fun trip and some good quality time together, not to mention dinner at the new Sonics in Puyallup afterwards! Always a bonus.

Jack finally got his helmet and should be in it for four months or so. He tugged at it for about 5 or 10 minutes the first day and that was that. He now crawls around looking for things to run in to just to make a little noise. It gets stinky so we make sure to keep it clean. Now when I take it off to bathe him or change him, he looks funny without it.

We also started a mini-facelift at our place. Our project was to replace all of the pink blinds with white ones, frame out the exterior of the windows and paint all the trim and doors white instead of the pinkish rose/blue colors that just didn't work well anymore :) Here are some 'before' pics:

We just finished yesterday so the 'after' pics will be posted soon!

Jake's brother John was voted on to homecoming court at Olympic High and he asked Cooper to be his escort for the coronation. Kris, Brittney and I picked out some GQ for Coop and he was perfect. We all thought that if the voting for homecoming King happened after everyone was escorted in, John would have had it in the bag.

Jake was laid off from his job a little over a week ago. We knew it was coming so that makes it ok to deal with and he now gets to focus completely on Decclo. His first week home working was pretty good I think. It will be hard for him to get used to the noisy kids and all three of us walking in on him at random times throughout the day, but for the most part he got lots done already. His mom has been great with helping us out especially with the Quickbooks program. We also painted his office yesterday and have yet to finish putting the room back together but things are coming along well. (To see what we've been working on at Decclo, use the link on the sidebar)

I started playing on a competitive volleyball team this month and we've had so much fun so far. We have only lost one of our games which, I hate it when people say this but, we were truly robbed. It's fun to get back into a little competitiveness though and have a hubby who doesn't mind or complain about staying with the kids.

Today while at church in sunday school class (right after they announced in sacrament for families to stay home if anyone is sick) Jack puked all over the place. Well, all over Jake and a little on the poor lady sitting in front of us. We both put our hands up to catch it but he just kept puking. Thank heavens for all the people around us who went above and beyond and helped Jake in the bathroom, me in the classroom and everywhere in between. It truly is mortifying to have your kid throw up all over the place in a setting such as church but I think we got through it ok. Jack has been throwing up a couple of times this week but we're starting to think maybe it's a food aversion of some sort? He has had NO other signs of any type of illness, and how are we supposed to figure it out with a baby who still spits up/vomits on a regular basis? Oh well, such is the life of a mommy and dad.

For those who were there to witness the spectacular event (and probably smell it too) I don't think you have any worries for a bug of any sort. This has been the norm for a couple of weeks now. It mainly has happened at home though and of course the church puke was by far the biggest puke to date for him.

So, in a nutshell that's October so far. The plans for Halloween are this:

-Cooper has a new obsession which is Harryyy Pottaaaaa (call it Harry Potter and you'll be corrected quick by a smart-alec little two year old.) So, this is his costume for halloween this year. We have a broom stick and a wand but I need to get the actual outfit together.

-Jack has a helmet now so the ideas for a costume have been so cute from everyone. Obvious ones like a football or hockey player, a skydiver, speedracer, the michelin man, etc. Since I'm lame and lazy, I've decided on Casper the friendly ghost. Sounds easy enough right?

Next week is Halloween then the holiday season is here? What? This time last year was the end of my pregnancy which, as we all know, is the not so fun part and I just COULD NOT WAIT to be done. Where did the year go???

"When I Fall In Love"

2009-10-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to an adult prom at our friend's house. We spent all week getting ready for it by seeking out old treasures for our 90s attire. No, it did not say "90s attire" on the invite but we thought for sure we wouldn't be the only ones who made a joke of it.

We thought wrong.

We pulled up the street blasting some BOSTON on my sis' sub woofer in order to set the mood and get into character. Right as we pulled in front of the house, we could see through all the windows all these beautiful people in gowns and tuxedos, corsages, twinkling lights, blue and silver ribbon all over....

The panic set in a little. But what were we gonna do?! Go home?! NO WAY! We stood tall and waltzed right through the door and had the most fun night ever!!!!! Besides another guy in a baby blue dumb and dumber tux, ruffles and all, Jake and I were the only ones who did not look anywhere close to upper class but we still cut loose and boogied all night and ate yummy food and had lots of fun with friends (we even brought some Dew to spike the punch, teehee.)

At the end of the night (probably because everyone felt embarrassed for us....) we were voted Prom King and Prom Queen.

Thanks Kanoe and Brandon and all the guests for an OH-SO-FABULOUS night!!!

And thanks to my sis Paige for watching our boys for a much needed night out to party!

September?

2009-09-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, when and how did September get here? I really can't believe it. This year has FLOWN by and yet I always find myself wishing and waiting for the next best thing. Life couldn't be better right now. Earlier this spring we had put an offer on a house and it's a long story but to make it short, it all fell through. I am so glad that we didn't move! I have really enjoyed the ward we are in right now and it just keeps getting better. I feel like we fit in even though we're on the younger side of the bunch. We are also still nice and close to both of our families which is just a blessing and a joy. Another up to staying right where we're at is that we have the money to go forward with jake's business ventures. If you haven't heard by now, Jake is right in the thick of starting his very own company. It is called Decclo and we've been very busy. Fortunately I don't have to write all about it in this post, you can just click here to learn more if you'd like.

Jack is already 8 months old and barely started sitting on his own a couple weeks ago. He's kind of a lazy baby but I'm SO ok with that right now. He gets a helmet for his head in about 3 weeks. He's a little flat on the back left side of his head so a little helmet treatment for the next couple of months is the plan. He'll look a little funny but hey, better now than later and it will be in perfect timing for halloween season! Plus it will keep his head warm this winter cause he sure doesn't have enough hair right now!

Cooper is one heckuva funny guy. He really likes to push buttons....no not the electronic ones anymore. Mom and Dads buttons. But it's just so dang funny the hard part is trying not to laugh when we really should be teaching him something is wrong.... He is super energetic and loves to dance. He eats a sandwich and apples with peanut butter just about every day for lunch. He wakes up about 2-3 times per night and tries to come in our bed. That my friends, I do not laugh at. It's something we're trying to figure out still. We have bags under our eyes but we sure are happy with these two little boys of ours.

I am currently helping out at Klahowya HS with their volleyball program this fall. I have opted out of coaching club this next year in anticipation of being overloaded with Decclo. We are excited for this venture in our lives and we feel so blessed to be able to take a shot with this.

Well, there's the update. Look again in a month. just kidding, kind of :)

Ghost in the water

2009-08-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

The other day I printed up some photos from a little day trip we took to Mesa Falls, ID back in '07. I had the pic on the table and Jake walked by and freaked out saying Michael Jackson was staring at him. See for yourself.

The chin is at the bottom of the waterfall and the first dark spot on the right side of the fall is his mouth. Work your way up and you'll see it. Pretty nuts huh? So I posted it on Ebay. If people worship MJ like they do the virgin mary, then I think we should be pretty set. Wasn't it the virgin mary in a piece of toasted bread that sold on ebay for bucko bucks?

Four years...The best four years of my life!

2009-08-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

Rachel,

I know I dont blog well...actually I never blog and I hope to heck this will work the way I want it to. As I was thinking about our last four years, the only things I could remember were the REALLY good times we have had. We dont have much money, a beautiful house, fast cars or perfect children (although I could make a strong argument our kids are next to perfect...at least better and cuter than other people's...from my perspective) but we still find happiness in our lives. We arent perfect, yet we find ways to uplift each other. Our jobs, titles, money and hobbies dont define who we are; rather OUR FAMILY is the defining light in our lives. The best part of waking up is knowing that I get to see your face and kiss you goodbye. I watch the clock for work to end because thats when my day really starts...I get to see my family - Thats how you know you have everything you need in life.

Though I havent achieved the GENIUSNESS I have always planned (yet), I have found a GREATER LOVE and PURPOSE then I could have ever imagined.

Thanks for being who you are; beautiful, loving, caring, charismatic, super hott, don't forget Foxy, patient, tolerant, genuine, passionate, supportive and most of all a great wife and mother. I love you. Check out the clip...just a few fun moments we've shared that I REALLY REALLY LOVED.

I love you!

What? Bee stings should actually sting??

2009-08-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Cooper was stung by a bee while we were at G&G Frys playing outside. No one was around him when it happened but he went up to John and Kris and showed them his thumb and said who knows what (they probably remember, I might need to edit this later) and it appeared that he had been stung by a bee on his thumb. No crying, no whimpering, just wonderment (is that a word?) from a little two year old who is constantly trying to catch bees and finally did just that yesterday.

(pictures and stories coming soon from our VA trip)

Countdown

2009-07-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Only 10 days until I am here for a week.

Don't be jealous.....

A little stressed

2009-07-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Shoot me. Jack will just not stop crying. Is this some sort of Karma payback from my childhood?

PEE PEE!

2009-06-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today as we were getting ready, I asked Cooper if he wanted to sit on the potty (just trying to start some interest in the whole toilet thing). He sat as I sat too, TMI for some, sorry :) and when we were done he stood up from his little throne and sure enough there was pee in it! I made a huge deal out of it with all the bells and whistles and gave him candy too.

Tonight after dinner I asked him if he wanted to try again for some more candy. He looked me square in the face and very seriously said, "Nope, I want to go to Grandma and Grandpas." I think it's because he knows he can get candy there without peeing in a potty...

p.S. There are lots of pics from our recent trip to Idaho, that post will be soon!

Hug

2009-06-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

The other day Cooper was being a maniac and really super hyperactive. He got into trouble for something from Jake and I heard Jake ask him, "Do you want timeout or a spanking?" Then I heard Cooper say, "I want a hug."

Jake started laughing, so did Cooper and no one was in trouble anymore.

Blessing in disguise

2009-06-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

All week we've been struggling a little with Cooper and his nap time. Usually he eats lunch around noon and goes down for a nap right after. Every day this week it's taken him a long time to fall asleep and he kept trying to get up and play and all sorts of tricks to keep himself awake. So yesterday I decided that I would go to Costco right after lunch and put him down for a nap when we got home. Of course as soon as we pull in the parking lot he starts to nod off and I keep talking to him and tapping him to keep him awake. When we got into Costco, as I was shopping, this lady walked by laughing at him because his head was bobbing and then WHACK, right into the handle of the cart... I helped show him to lay on his arm and he slept for about 20 minutes.

So, there was his nap for the day. About 1/6 of a normal nap. It was really nice outside and he was a happy lil' fella so we decided to go over to the Fry's house. When we got there we all decided to go see UP! with Cooper, Mike and Kayla. He did great at the movie (a big thanks to Mike for buying him popcorn) and he got to snuggle with his new favorite gal, "almost" Aunt Kayla. When the movie was over we went back to the Fry's and Cooper went outside for a little. When it was time to go Grandpa helped him into the car and we went home to meet up with Jake who was just getting home from work.

When I pulled up and went to get Cooper out of the car (he had been sleeping the whole way home) he was passed out in his seat and he had a giant red rash on his leg. It almost looked like lots of little bites. The weird thing was that it wasn't there when we left twenty minutes earlier. I took a closer look and there were a bunch of little brown bumps. I tried to pull at one and decided to go inside and get some tweezers. When I tried to pull one out it came out fairly easily and I was surprised at how long these things were! They looked like tiny little stakes. Like thorns of some type I guess but very straight, very sharp, and very irritating for his skin. He started to wake up after about the 6th or 7th one that I pulled and he still had a few in him. It was really good he was so tired and sleeping so deeply because when he finally woke up and felt what I was doing it was a freakout fest. He's still a little rashy this morning and we tried to pull a big one out. Hopefully they find themselves out because I don't know that I'll get anywhere even close to that leg any time soon.

Learning words

2009-06-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Cooper never fails to make me laugh. I love it when he says milk!!

My Sweet Little Boy

2009-06-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Cooper turned two last wednesday. Cooper was born on my sister Paige's birthday so they get to share from now on. Last week we had a pool party at my mom's. The party consisted of Cooper, Jack, Paige, me, my mom and a little blow-up pool in the front yard. It was so much fun. It was about 90 degrees outside that day. We put up some streamers and balloons in the house and made a cupcake cake of an alligator. That night the Frys came to join us and we opened presents. By then it had been a very long day for Cooper without a nap so he wasn't so much fun to be around. He was not very excited when I basically had to force him to open presents. We saved "the big one" for last and by then he was flat out ticked at me. The last one was the bball hoop (pronounced "bachetball" by Cooper). He had tears opening it up that day but he hasn't stopped playing! Cooper is so spoiled, he got lots of great gifts. I still don't know why we get him so many toys when we all know he is quite content with some rocks and a stick.

Cooper has a doctor's appointment next week so I don't know his current stats for height and weight but I can tell you lots of other fun things about him.

Cooper:

-loves to help empty the dishwasher

-loves to undo pretty much anything I do and he thinks he's being helpful. For example, when I fold laundry he likes to unfold it.

-talks all the time now. My favorite things he says is bless you (when someone sneezes), i NEED more!, nock (milk), bachetball (basketball), noo-nos (noodles), I wa go owside (i wanna go outside), la doo (love you) plus many many more. I am excited to start a little thing on the side of our blog with funny things he says.

-he knows the way to both grandparents house and lets me know when I'm not going the right way (like when we are going into town and I don't make the turn for mimi's house)

-I can get him to go ANYWHERE if I tell him to march

-loves baths and showers

-favorite thing to eat is apples and peanut butter

-loves to read books

-loves his cars, he usually takes one to bed with him

-has been in a big boy bed since January and is really good with it now

Cooper has got to be one of the most energetic kids I've EVER seen. He is hilarious and keeps us on our toes. I love that he'll try just about anything, it's scary now but that attitude will pay off later :) He is a daddy's boy for sure and him and Jake are two peas in a pod. We love our Cooper and we are so excited for his third year!!!

Rhonda's Funeral

2009-06-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

So last post I mentioned my hopes in getting down to Utah in time to see my aunt before she passed away. Well I didn't and I'm ok with that, it was a selfish thought. She passed away that Thursday night peacefully in my aunt Julie's home with her sisters and mother by her side. When I got there Friday afternoon, I was put to work right away. It was a really great week down there. Lots of preparations and organizing and lots of time with family. Cooper stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Fry the whole week while Jake was at work and then for the weekend when Jake and my dad, brother and sisters drove down for the funeral. To read about Coop and his many adventures at Grandma's click their link on the side.

The funeral was the following weekend on May 30th. It was a very beautiful service with military honors at the cemetery. I know we will miss my aunt Rhonda dearly but we are all so thankful for our Heavenly Father's plan and the knowledge we have of being with her again someday. We know she is busy at work on the other side and probably laughing just as much if not more!!!

These pics are from the morning of the services.

Dad, Chad, Jake and Jack

Heather and Carly

Paige

Brendan

Andrew and Lindsey

My Aunt Rhonda

2009-05-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

My aunt Rhonda was diagnosed with lung cancer last summer. Luckily she lives close to my aunt Julie who has been there for her every step of the way. My mom has also made many trips to help as this has unfolded over that last little while. Paige and I were trying to count the weeks and we think my mom has been gone about two months total since last summer. My grandma ended up moving to Utah a couple of months ago and has been able to spend lots of time with her girls.

Rhonda has been through a couple of different treatments and has had many ups and many more downs. She was such a trooper through all of it as she dealt with the idea of leaving this earth sooner than she had ever planned. Rhonda was never married and has never had children. I had a conversation with her a couple months ago when she expressed to me her fears of leaving no one behind. The sadness that she felt from never having a family of her own really made me hurt for her.

At this point in time Rhonda is receiving hospice care at my Aunt Julies house and the veil is slowly thinning for her. My mom made it down there last night in hopes to ease some of the pain everyone is feeling, or to just simply cry with them. Rhonda is in and out as far as being awake goes and the main priority right now is making sure she is comfortable. My mom gives me quick little updates when she can. The past couple of days Rhonda has been in "another place". She wakes up thinking she is going on her mission again. Thinking about this now makes me a little emotional. What a tender mercy that the Lord is preparing her in a way that no one else could. One of her happier times in life was on her mission 30 years ago. Now, I believe the Lord is preparing her for her next mission.

I know that throughout this illness she has expressed to me and probably my mom and julie and my grandma among others that she is afraid to die. Her questions are why me? why now? I know that she feels like she has so much more to do here before moving on. She's been through a lot in her life and she's come back from it all. I honestly believe that the Lord is satisfied with her progress in this life and wants her to teach others about the realness of the atonement and pure love that Jesus Christ has for us all. She has experienced fully the gift of the atonement and is the perfect tool for those waiting beyond the veil.

I know she'll probably never read this but I want her to know how much I love her. I am still young but I have watched the changes she has made in her life and I can't imagine the strength she must possess in order make those changes. Our family is a small one but she is a big part of it. She has been the tool in bringing her family together as one. I can't think what I'd do if it were one of my sisters (or brother) who was in her position. My world would fall apart. But my mom's family has kept it together and they have grown so much from this experience.

I haven't dealt with much death in my life. My Grandpa died in March '06. His death brought our family closer together too. He was not a member of the church and I've always wondered what it would have been like for him to pass through the veil. I feel very strongly that Rhonda will see Grandpa (who was her step-dad) and I know it will be a very sweet reunion.

I am headed down to Utah on Friday and I hope I make it in time to tell her how much I love her and to bear my testimony to her that I know the Lord loves her and I know he has so much in store for her once this battle with cancer is over.

Rhonda and Grandpa dancing at our wedding

Sunshiny Birthday

2009-05-17T20:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday! The festivities started Friday night when Jake brought home 24 red roses. Saturday morning my mom came over and power-washed my house and deck for the summer. She brought some chocolate chip scones, some earrings, a shirt and a tjmaxx gift card with her. She knows me too well ;) Jake had a temple trip with the youth so he was off after making some french toast for us. We all got ready and headed over to viking fest in Poulsbo to watch carly dance. It was a beautiful sunshiny day to be outside. After the dancing we went back to the Gorman house and waited for Jake to get home. That night we went out to Spiro's and ate outside in the warm sun then had the whole family over for some red velvet cake (made by Jake) and icecream. Matt and Nicole bought me the movie Taken, LOVE IT! and the Fry's gave me a SHOPPING SPREE! Don't know what I'll use the cash for yet but I can't wait, I love shopping at antique stores and stuff so I'll post on what the prize is later!

Today was another beautiful day. After church Jake and I pulled out our giant cot and set it up in our driveway to soak up some sun. I'm sure with the power washer still out and toys strewn all over the driveway we looked a lil' trashy laying in a cot but hey, it was awesome. Now as I sit on my couch with my warm pink skin I really feel as if summer has begun. I can't wait for the sunshine this summer. I can't wait for a summer without being pregnant or having a brand new baby that has to be indoors.

Oh, and I can't wait to use the new speakers for the laptop from Jake. Now I can watch the office while running on the treadmill!!!!!!! A pound a week till "Beach Week". Which is appx. 10 weeks away.

A quarter of a century

2009-05-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

One by one each year flew by,

Since you both said "I do"...

25 years of memories,

Shared by the two of you.

From big events and holidays

To simple daily pleasures,

Some tearful times along life's way,

Some joys that can't be measured...

One by one each year now gone,

But still they're yours forever...

Each and every memory,

Of a quarter Century together!

Happy Silver Anniversary!

(Unknown)

I love you Mom and Dad! Thank you for your wonderful example of what it takes to make it work and enjoy every second along the way!!!!

I'm back! For a day anyways...

2009-05-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

So although I've had a million things to post about, I've just been so busy! I guess I'll go in chronological order.

3/27-3/29 Went to Pacific Northwest Qualifier in Spokane, WA. Took Jack and drove there all by my lonesome. Our team had a bad weekend placement-wise but it was fun none the less. Cooper had fun with Grandparents and lots of time with Dad that weekend. Barely noticed I was gone.

4/1 Jake's brother Dan returned from the New York, New York South Mission. Matt, Nicole and kids and Mike and his girly came for the occasion.

4/3 Mike proposes to Kayla and she says yes! They will be married in the Seattle temple on June 17 with a party to follow over in Rexburg, ID.

4/7-4/9 I watched my boss' (OPVBC Director) kids for a couple days while she and her husband went to Vegas for their 20th. Cooper and Skylar got along pretty well, it was fun to have another chatty kid around.

4/10 Jake's sister Brittney comes home for a couple of days!

4/18 We take a lil' trip out to Port Townsend and Fort Warden.

4/12 Easter Sunday. Dan and Britt sing as beautiful as always in church. Gma and Gpa Fry are there too! Dinner at the Frys and a birthday celebration for Britt.

4/22-4/28 Nana and Papa (my dad's parents) come for a visit. They met Jack for the first time and meet the "real" Cooper. (He was only about 10 months old last time) I only got to see

them for a couple of days because.....--->

4/23-4/27 Far Western Qualifier in Reno, NV. Great fun on that trip. Placed 29 out of 102. Not as sparkly as Vegas but ran into lots of weirdos anyways. Stayed in a really smoky but pretty hotel and ate at lots of cool places.

4/30-5/6 Came home from Reno, turned around and wen

t straight over to the Johnsons to watch their kids for a week while they were in Boston for a Ortho convention thingy. I've been watching their kids since before we were married and now I stay with their kids when they go out of town. Twin 10 yr old girls Allison and Brittany, a 5 yr old Caitlin and twin boys about 2 months younger than Cooper, Dillan and Zach. Crazy Crazy Crazy week.

Needless to say, I am glad to be home.....for a day.

Tomorrow we leave for Corvallis, OR for the Willamette Classic Tourney at OSU through Sunday. This time Jake and Cooper are coming along for the trip! I am very excited that they get to come with me and spend Mother's day all together.

Matt and Nicole are back in town for some work for Matt. Aubree gets to come and play today while Kris and Nicole drive to Idaho Falls for a teaching interview for Nicole!! Cross your fingers for her! In the meantime, we hope that the work keeps coming for Matt here so that they can stay for a while. Cooper sure loves his cousin Aubree and I sure love having Nicole around.

BABY SALE!

2009-03-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

FYI: All baby clothing is $5 at Old Navy starting tomorrow. Any item of clothing that's baby sizing (not toddlers) is just five bucks. The sale goes for a week :) Happy shopping!

5 Senses

2009-03-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the rules: 5 Senses TagList 4 things you love, and one thing you hate, for each category. Then tag 5 people; leave them a note on their blog so they know.Also, let the person who tagged you know when you post yours.

I haven't been tagged with one of these thingies yet and I liked this one.

SMELL:

1. Bread baking at home. You'd think I'd bake bread everyday because I like the smell so much but I'm just lazy.

2. Super clean laundry. Right now my favorite detergent is GAIN.

3. Lacoste, Juicy Viva, and Hugo Red perfume. YUMMY!

4. The oceanside. Not to be confused with the "puget sound side"...The warm sunny sandy oceanside.

5. I HATE the smell of sponge. NASTY! I buy the big packs of sponges at costco and throw them out after a short time of using them in my kitchen if I even use them. I try to just stick to lysol wipes.

TASTE:

1. Anything that is chocolate and peanut butter. The best choc/PB icecream is made by Tillamook. So yummy.

2. Lemon water. Nothing is more refreshing!

3. Cilantro and lime in mexican food. I love mexican food but it's just not complete without some fresh cilantro and lime juice.

4. Slurpees. yum yum yummy.

5. I love milk but I hate the taste of milk after fruit loops or some cereal like that. And I can't drink milk when it's not really cold....gross.

SOUND:

1. Waking up in the morning to quiet...on my own. No alarms, no babies crying, nothing but the birds outside and the breeze through the trees.

2. Cooper saying "La doo!" (Love you)

3. Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Live)....it's moving.

4. Walking into a volleyball tourney and hearing "volleyball chatter" and whistles.

5. Scraping, whether it's nails on a chalkboard, teeth grinding, anything that scrapes on something it shouldn't makes my elbows hurt.

TOUCH:

1. A hot shower/bath. I've wasted many a gallon of hot water in my own self indulgence.

2. Hugging Jake. We seriously fit together so perfectly.

3. The warm sun on my skin. (or hot, that's good too)

4. A super soft massage, awesome.

5. Getting into a cold bed at night. I just can't recover from the shock.

SIGHT:

1. City life. the cityscape, day or night. The people watching, the colors and variety.

2. My smiling babies.

3. The temple. Driving by it on the freeway, stepping inside, sitting in a quiet room. It's all an amazing sight.

4. The ocean at dusk. My favorite time of day in the summer. The way the sky looks over an ocean as the sun goes down whether you're facing east or west.

5. The actual moment of injury. You know when you see a video of a skateboarder eating pavement and their arm snapping and bending the opposite way of which it should bend? Yeah, I feel it, but I can't help but watch....it hurts.

I'm not going to tag anyone for this but it would be cool to see what others responses are. It's fun to think of what makes your senses come alive!

Pacific Science Center

2009-03-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when we woke up we decided on the fly to go to seattle and take Cooper to the Pacific Science Center. Jake's dad wanted to come so we told him to meet us at the ferry so we could take the boat across and then drive back. Well the decision was made at 9:30 and the ferry left at 10:15. We missed it by about 60 seconds exactly. So we all crammed into our lil' honda and drove instead. We got there and had lunch at the seattle center place by the space needle where there were lots of St. Paddy's Day festivities going on including some not so pleasing to the ear gaelic singers. Don't get me wrong, I love irish stuff but that was hard to sit through with out laughing. The people at the table next to us were even complaining that their tax dollars had to pay these people to perform at this thing. It was funny to overhear. By the time we got into the science center, it was just about time for Cooper to take a nap. Needless to say, he was a little grumpy throughout the rest of our adventure but I think he had fun none the less.

Our "wee little" family

Caught him smiling!

Coops 'wow' face.

Sleeping on the way home....who needs botox with lips like that?!

Famous last words

2009-03-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

I told him, "Don't get injured," as he walked out the door headed to a stake basketball game......

That night

One week after

Grandma and Aunt Rhonda's visit

2009-03-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

My mom's mom and sis came to visit a couple of weeks ago for what was supposed to be a week but ended up being two. It was under crummy circumstances but I was really happy to have them here for the extra time. My aunt Rhonda was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer this past summer and has been battling ever since. When they got here she had just had a chemo treatment the week before which makes you feel like crap about a week after the treatment. That's right about the time they got to WA. Rhonda had to go and stay in the hospital for a few days to get up to par for the trip home to Utah. I loved having them here and seeing them again. The last time we saw them was back in October (Rhonda) and in June (G-ma). Jack was just starting to smile here and there around the time they came...but it was always a guaranteed smile when G-ma talked to him in her little goo goo voice. Very cute to watch :) The pictures are from the day they got here and met Jack for the first time.

Quote of the decade

2009-03-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

So last night Jake and I were on our way home from the adult session of stake conference and we just HAD to stop for gas and there HAPPENED to be a Dairy Queen right there. As we were making our way through the drive through we saw the Thompsons inside getting a little treat too. My thought was, hey, she's pregnant, I'm nursing, and our husbands are just really supportive of our extra calorie needs :)

We ordered our blizzards and when the girl handed them out to us, Jake's first words were, "holy crap, these are smaller than the smalls I remember." I think his hungry eyes were playing tricks on him. We went on our way and I ate mine while I was driving so obviously Jake would finish his before me....But boy was I surprised at how fast he ate it. When I made fun of him for scarfing the thing down, his reply was, "Hey back off, I take bigger bites and my mouth is hotter." I laughed the whole way home.

Jake's Response

2009-02-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

We were recently over at the Fry's place watching Glenn Beck on Fox News. He was featuring a story on a girl named Yvette Martinez who went missing a while back in Mexico. She's from CA and was down there and disappeared. He wanted to use his program (formally on CNN) to aid her family in finding her but CNN did not support him in this. Since his recent swap over to Fox News, he has been granted by the network to now help the Martinez family in finding Yvette, and in general, share her story for the sake of shedding light on I guess "underground violence" in Mexico.

While we watched it Jake was reminded of his experience in Cabo back in 2005. He wanted to write Glenn a letter to share his story as a testimony of how dangerous it really can be not just in Mexico but in any country, especially one you're not familiar with. We also recently saw the movie Taken. It was really intense and really scary to think that those things happen in our world today. (The movie is about a couple of young girls who go to Europe, meet a "friendly" local guy who is actually a "scout" for these scary prostitution rings....the girls are taken and sold....One of the girls father is a former CIA agent and goes to find her....I highly recommend...best movie we've seen in a while.) ANYways, these things are scary, and people just don't realize. I really liked the letter Jake wrote so I am adding it to this post. Check out Glenn's show sometime. He's a great guy with really good views. And, he's LDS....for all our LDS friends out there :)

JAKE'S RESPONSE:

Glenn Beck,

I am writing in response to a segment you featured on your show on Fox News. The segment was featuring the story of a missing young lady named Yvette Martinez. This story caught my attention and brought back memories of an experience I had in Mexico just four to five months after Yvette went missing.

My brother and I were chosen as Executive Interns by a corporation in Sandy, Utah to travel to Cabo San Lucas to Manage and boost revenue in a unit of the company. My brother and I had both served as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Central and South America. We had a great understanding of the culture and lifestyle of Mexico and Chile. We had just returned from traveling through both countries just days before we arrived in Cabo to start our internships.

Our specific responsibilities in Cabo were to grow and stabilize marketing promotions and grow sales within our specific region. We were well on our way when our world was turned upside down just months after our arrival.

In Cabo, the majority of the financial stability comes from tourism. One to three cruise ships anchor in port during the day. The local businesses capitalize on this flow of tourism. Our business was a major hotspot for American tourists to stop, speak English, purchase our products and move on. Many Americans felt comfortable with the atmosphere we provided and our sales benefited. In Cabo we were known for our ability to make money, and we did it well. We had many friends who knew us as the American brothers who could speak both English and Spanish and cleaned up financially.

One evening, I was closing out our storefront and working extra late to do so. My brother had returned to our flat (apartment) located on the 3rd floor of our store’s building. Our storefront was all glass including the front doors. The lock for the doors was located at the bottom of the doors. As I began to close and lock my storefront with my back to the street, two shadows closed in behind me. I glanced backward noticing two individuals; each positioned on one side of my body. At that point I thought I was going to be robbed. I figured I could talk my way out of the situation if that was the case. However it was not the case. As I stood and turned around, I found a Hispanic man, standing about 5’-5,”slim, dressed in all black, his hair slicked back. The truth, he looked like a normal Hispanic man from that area. The other individual was a Caucasian man nearing six feet tall. He was clean-cut, wearing a light coat and some shorts. He resembled a typical tourist.

My heart slowed as I realized these were just two guys out and about in search of direction. The Hispanic man lifted his voice toward me. He called me by name. I had never met this man face-to-face nor in any of our business affairs. He mentioned my brother’s name in his rapid-fire Spanish. The Caucasian man spoke and demanded my help. They seemed to fight for my attention. My stomach sank as I slowly noticed the intensity of both persons and the urgency of their messages. Each slowed their speech and started their plea.

The Hispanic man went first. He spoke in a soft tone, as if he was trying to conceal something. He said that the Caucasian man had inquired about some Cocaine, tried the cocaine and gave it back.

When I heard “Cocaine,” I nearly lost it inside. Growing up I had never been involved with any sort of drugs however I knew well the consequences of drugs. I stopped the Hispanic man and told him I didn’t want to dirty my hands with his deal. He said, “Jake, I know you and your brother Matt speak Spanish and English. I know you are successful businessmen. If you do not help me, we will take care of you. If this man doesn’t purchase the Cocaine, we will kill him.” I panicked inside trying to assess my situation. He continued, “If you don’t finalize this transaction, we will take care of you. I know where you live and sleep.” He stretched his hand forward, closed fisted. I could tell a bag was concealed within his grip. He hunched over as he opened his hand to show the deal.

I turned to the Caucasian man and let my words fly. Why was I brought into this mess? I asked the man where he was from. He explained his Coast Guard cutter had pulled into port and he was out enjoying the nightlife. I became more enraged knowing that a military man was ignorant enough to pull me into the deal. I explained to him his situation. He eyes looked empty. It didn’t seem to register that this was a potentially perilous situation. I remained soft spoken and explained his life was in question if he didn’t complete the transaction and return to his boat. I also explained my disgust as to his actions.

I returned to the Hispanic man. I spoke frankly with him. I completed the transaction. He extended his hand and I didn’t return the gesture. Before he left, I asked whom he was working for. He said he worked for a large drug cartel. He rattled off the name of the group. It was to quick for me to comprehend but I did catch the word “Mafia.” This word would stick with me throughout the night and the next week.

I watched as the men disappeared into the darkness walking toward the cutter. As I stood semi-stunned as to what had just happened, I realized it was late; I was tired and should probably head upstairs to the flat.

When I arrived in the flat, I said a quick prayer and tried to digest what had just happened. I mentioned to my brother Matt the situation that had just passed. He seemed confused on why and how the Hispanic man knew our names, where we lived and our reputation. We decided to sleep it off and would figure things out the next day.

The next day arrived too quickly. Without much sleep and a long day ahead, we were intimidated with all we had to accomplish. As we worked that day, we couldn’t shake what had happened the night before. We were more alert and our trust in people seemed to wane. On our heightened alert, we noticed Hispanic men, similar in style and appearance of the dealer the night before, were watching us from afar. This literally freaked us out.

We quickly called a government investigator we knew personally from Seattle. He had served with our father in a bishopric of our church. He gave specific instructions. We were to stay across the road in the hotel that faced our store and flat. We were to change our daily routine and were not to travel outside of the city. Also, we were to request an emergency transfer out of the country.

With the knowledge of what had happened, our heightened sense and our discovery of more suspicious Hispanic men toiling about, we decided to book ourselves into the hotel. Luckily we had a room with a direct view of our store and flat.

That night a group of men, all Hispanic, broke into our flat, turned on the light and were rummaging through our small flat. We watched in amazement, as they didn’t take any of our valuables. It seemed as if they were looking for one thing, us.

Every time we left the hotel, we noticed two men following us. We knew it wasn’t just a coincidence this was happening just days after I was forced to assist in a small but substantial transaction. It wasn’t coincidence that that man knew our names. We couldn’t turn to the police because the police are easily bought off or killed if they don’t participate.

To condense the rest of the story, we caught a plane out of Cabo over a week later. Our Corporate offices re-located us to Cancun where we assisted in an acquisition and revitalization of a damaged franchise.

I am sending you this story because I truly believe had it not been that we were together, in full sobriety, alert and aware, we could have fallen victim to the powerhouse of drug czars that control and operate the country of Mexico.

I find it absolutely astonishing that people believe their rights, safety and stability are intact in foreign countries. It blows my mind to think of the half naked American girls wandering the streets in drunkenness after a long night of partying. It is beyond belief the naiveté young people have as to how this world, both within and outside our borders, works. I am enamored at the ignorance that sailor had as to his own life and ours.

What I am saying is that there is neither coincidence nor accident people like Natalie Holloway and Yvette Martinez go missing. I hope and pray they are found and brought back safely without harm or accident but that’s being incredibly optimistic. I have come face to face with these slum bags and I write this story to send a warning cry to all to be aware. I didn’t do anything wrong but yet even as I was aware, I found myself in a potentially perilous situation.

Glen, there is much more to my story…I wanted to give you a glimpse of my experience and let you know that bad people are real and they are really good at being bad. They don’t have any regard for life, liberty, happiness or what is “fair.”

Please continue sounding the trump and shedding light on these horrible events. As I said before, I hope those girls are found alive and salvageable. Good luck.

Not to sound like a TV junkie but...

2009-02-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Cable guy + new satellite= Directv!!!!

The test now with these new developments is some self-control...

A joyous occasion!

2009-02-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

Qwest guy+modem=Internet at our place!

A lil' photo shoot

2009-01-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today my mom and I set up the works for a little photo shoot for Jack's newbie pics. He's almost a month old and it really feels like the fastest month of my life up to this point. Technically Jake and I aren't outnumbered yet but it sure does feel like it sometimes. Maybe that's why time has flown by so quickly. We took Cooper's newborn photos when he was only three days old. It's ok though, I still think these ones of Jack turned out pretty darn cute. Plus, he behaved better than Cooper did...... I think that might be the norm for the next 15 years or so ;)

JACK!

2009-01-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

Jack was born Sunday January 4th 2009 at 11:08 am weighing in at 9 lbs and measuring 21in.

That Saturday night we went to Eric Vail's wedding reception and it felt like any other night. I was uncomfortably pregnant and ready to pop at a moments notice but nothing was happening. We went home and put Cooper to bed. Jake's brother John was with us and he and I stayed up having a mini-marathon of The Office. By midnight I was ready for bed and was having some regular contractions about 10 minutes apart. I never really fell asleep that night...the contractions kept getting harder and harder but never closer together. So I just laid in bed suffering about every ten minutes until 3 am. By then I was sick and tired of it and was ready to go in. We called my mom who came over to stay with Cooper and went to the hospital.

They checked me when I got there and I was dilated to a 6 and ready for an epidural! It took two tries to get the epi in right but was well worth it. Jake got a little queasy and had to take a seat while the nurses got him a snack to munch on. It was kind of funny. By the next morning we were just waiting for Doc. McMillan to finish up with someone else so that I could start. At about 10 am she came in and checked me out, I was ready at 10 cm but my water was still in tact so she broke it and we started to push. Turns out Jack was face up and not making it very far past a certain point but we just kept trying and out he came at 11:08. The doctor later told me that a 9 lb face up baby is like a 10 lb regular baby! Someone hand over the trophy! (Hence the big bump on Jacks forehead)

I was spent after that, and a little sick. My mom and dad were able to be there for it along with Jake. (Dad was over in the corner....don't worry!) Jack was and still is a beautiful baby. He's been sleeping since we brought him home. His temperment so far is very calm and quiet compared to Cooper....we'll see how that plays out over the next little while.

Cooper has made some serious adjustments to his new brother. He was quite jealous when we brought Jack home. So much in fact that he dove out of his crib that night when we put him to bed and walked out of his room. Since then his crib has converted into a big boy bed, he just started staying in it a couple of days ago. He has learned very quickly that I can't control him when I'm tending to Jack....he's one smart cookie. He all of a sudden is so big to us now and so smart! He's talking so much more and understands everything we say to him (although he is very selective on what he'll actually listen to). He's become very attached to Jake since the whole ordeal which is very sweet to Jake at times but can also be frustrating to us both sometimes...like when Jake leaves for work and Cooper stands at the front door and cries for Daddy every morning :)

We just love our little growing family. Who knew this would be our life together? Who knew it could be this joyful? The Lord knows what he's doing and thank heaven I'm not in charge of my own life....I would have screwed it up big time already! More to come soon!

Silly Cooper

2008-12-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Cooper has been starting the "copycat" stage....how long does that last by the way?...forever? Anyways, he and I were in the shower the other morning and I had my foot up on the edge shaving my legs. He put his foot up on the side and had a toy that he was rubbing on his leg...I laughed all day about it. I just thought it was so funny. I wonder what he was thinking. "Hmmm. Don't know what she's doing exactly, but I guess I'll give it a try.......(with a very focused look on his face)....not bad."

**He also started doing something kind of funny, maybe a little dangerous. He's been trying to throw his toys up at lights and ceiling fans and stuff. He's not even close but he sure does try hard.

**Today I had the dishwasher open, (knives already put away :).... ) Cooper always hands me the silverware and then all the cups, and then whatever else he can manage to pull out for me to put away. This morning I was kinda busy so I just let him do his thing in the kitchen and didn't check on him for a little while. When I finally went in, he had the silverware drawer open which is right next to the dishwasher and he had unloaded all the silverware and piled it in the drawer.....along with a couple of plates and glasses. Whatever he could manage to fit. It's probably a good thing I went in when I did. Oh, you might be wondering how he reached...he stands on the dishwasher door and holds on to the top rack. Probably not good for the dishwasher but if it can hold a whole rack of dishes it can hold a 26 lb. kid right?