Just Say No.....

....To Easter candy! So Sunday is my "day off", if you will, and I indulge in a little eating o' the treats. I was quite pleased to remember Easter falls on a Sunday and really enjoyed indulging in the spoils of the Easter Bunny. That was until about 4 p.m Sunday afternoon. I started feeling a little somethin' somethin' happening in my gut, but thought it was perhaps one too many peanut butter eggs. We sat down to a nice dinner of roast, potatoes, and green bean casserole and I could only manage a bite or two. Well, let's just say the Easter Bunny left a little more than sugar in one of those colorful little plastic eggs because by 9:00 I was spending way too much time with my face in the toilet. Yep folks, the flu. AGAIN, I must add. That is the 3rd time in less than two years! In pleasurable fashion, it eventually went to all of us with the exception of Allie- thank goodness. Fortunately, Kenna's was confined to her diaper and I didn't have to deal with the joy of spontaneous pukage. Jacob was about 12 hours behind me. By Monday night we were thankfully back to normal. However, I completely rid my house of any evidence of Easter. That included baskets, grass, eggs, and ESPECIALLY candy. Even though it was a bug instead of sugar overload, I still can't even look at those once-tempting mini snickers. I have decided though, that it actually is a great side effect. Perhaps Weight Watchers should invent a sick pill to take after you eat treats and then you won't even want them anymore! Ha! Hey..... I'm going to be a millionare.

Can we all give a hooray for my little Allie? She is finally, I repeat, FINALLY able to take soy milk! I never thought the day would come! I am still mixing it with a bit of the old stuff, but she seems to be tolerating it well. Now my budget can breath a little bit. Now I can pay about $12 a can for formula instead of about $35, AND I can get it in a store. Yeehaw! The Lord truly blessed us through this whole expensive formula ordeal. We were always able to find it cheaper. I have to say that we are such an incredibly blessed family. I pray that I will always take the time to recognize the Lord's hand in my life.

Last little bit- I have really been getting into the whole food storage thing lately and am quite enjoying it. But it makes me feel like I'm a little old lady. Ha! Just want to put a little plug-in out there to my fellow domestic goddesses- just a few extra dollars a week will make a big difference in the long run!

It's a Wild World

We've had quite a few new additions to the family lately. Thank goodness, (for right now) I wasn't pregnant with any of them!

The first is the arrival of our baby goats. I am happy to say the mama goats have all kidded out and we have nearly tripled our herd. We now have a total of 10 baby goats, and I just have to say they are the cutest little suckers. This mom instinct can really be tricky and frustrating though, because I get so worried about these silly little goats. Jacob just laughs at me. They are goats for crying out loud! I was so excited to see a few of them when they were delivered. It is amazing how the whole process works. The poor little ladies lay down trying to push those little babies out and I want to yell out- "push hard!" Yes, I know you are laughing at me. I try to not make the darn things human, but I connected with my little lady goats with this whole birthing thing. Then I got a bit frustrated and wanted to tell the dang thing to just push harder. "Harder you dang goat!" I decided against it. The neighbors might think I'm weird. I'm actually starting to think I'm a bit weird. I decided I know how it must be for Jacob when I am in labor. It's a VERY good thing he didn't yell at me to push the darn thing out. He wouldn't have much of a face left if he did. I think Kenna loves the little dudes most of all. "Ooooh, they're so cute!" she says. She loves to sit on the hay and hold them. She pets them then tells us to be quiet because they're sleeping. What a little mom. However, as cute as they are, they will soon get big and then the cuteness quickly wears off. We plan on selling them in a few months. What a cruel world! Ha!

Next is my chickens. Yes, I requested the chickens. I got sick of all the bugs in my backyard last year and figured they would be a great deterrent. Plus, I can get some eggs! Score! Not a bad deal. Kenna also is a big fan of the chickens. She loves to chase them in the yard and of course- hold them. She is very protective of being the one who gets to collect the eggs and put them in the fridge. Many thanks to mom and dad Israelsen who came down to visit last week and brought down our birds. Yes, notice that is plural. We didn't just get chickens, we also got wood ducks. This is Jacob's little project. (Okay, fine- they are all Jacob's little projects. Some I just get a little more involved in than others.) He is in the process of getting a little pond set up for his wood ducks.

Our last addition to the group is the pending arrival of Sydney's puppies. Yep, lucky for me, just another little set of babies to be worried about. They will also be such cute little things. I'll keep you posted. I definitely think that is enough animals for now.

We had such a good time with Jacob's parents last week. It was so fun to have family close, and I was in heaven having extra hands around the house. The girls got spoiled! We got a little homesick for wanting to be back up north. But, our time will come. We love to have people come visit!

Tidbits of the week

Aaaaah. Two girls sleeping, and mom has some time to herself. Where do I start? Do I get in my Pilates? Do I take a nap? Do I attempt to sew some curtains for Kenna's room? Do I indulge in a little Ellen? Na. I'll go catch up on the computer. Drown myself in the world wide web.

Speaking of going to sleep, it is so fun to see how little family rituals start to form. When Kenna goes down for a nap or to go to bed at night, she loves to sing songs. Sometimes it varies, but the beginning song is always "I am a Child of God" and the end one is always "Should've Been a Cowboy." So fun. This afternoon she sang along with me during "I am a Child of God" and it was so sweet. She was so proud and had the biggest smile on her face. What a great little moment. Actually, Kenna loves to sing songs all the time. She is always asking me to sing songs. Lately her favorites have been "Bingo" and "The Farmer in the Dell." The other night she was running around in circles in the front room clapping her hands and singing "b-i-n-g-o." Occasionally we hear just a "n-g-o," it's so funny. Of course Allie has to get involved in singing too, so Kenna will help her do all the hand motions to "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man" and "Once There was a Snowman."

So you can just call me the Karl Malone of the Enoch 4th Ward. Yep, last Saturday I decided to join in on our Relief Society basketball game. Ha! It was actually really quite fun. There is nothing quite like watching a group of mommies run around the court trying to shoot some hoops. Jacob had to laugh, he said there is a lot more giggling and "oh, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" then there is when the Elders play! I do have to brag, however. We only had 4 of us show up and we kicked some serious lady butt! Go us! I kept having flashbacks of my beehive days- you see that was the last time I played a real game of basketball. My body recovered better 15 years ago, I hate to say it.

Also just want to pass on some friendly mommy advice. NEVER let a 2-year-old eat more than 2 prunes in one sitting. Wow. Hello diaper duty.

Frazzled

Jacob and I were talking the other night. He was telling me how grateful he is that he isn't a woman and therefore doesn't have to deal with all the lotions and potions and physiological goodies and toiletries that come with it. I told him I was glad I wasn't a man. If I was a man, I wouldn't be a mommy. Along this theme, I am quite certain men did not engineer the McDonald's PlayPlace. Quite simply because they are not mommies and didn't take into account how their little creation would affect women. Let me back up...

This afternoon all I wanted was to treat myself to a soda and let Kenna play in the PlayPlace. All was going well. I had a good phone chat with a great friend (love ya Ky!) and Allie was napping. Well, the conversation ended and shortly thereafter Allie woke up and was quickly getting very angry. That was my cue to get Kenna off the slide and head on home. Normally Kenna sticks to the perimeter of the play area, so I peeked up the slide expecting to see her. Just my luck, she has gone a little farther up. "Kenna sweetie, time to come down," I so kindly holler up. In response, she starts to cry. Nice. I try to coax her down, but she just keeps crying even more. Allie is her competition with a great little scream back at our table, so at this point I really needed Kenna to hurry down. My options were limited, so against my deepest desire to just be an adult and stay out of the child's toy, I decide to go around the first bend of the twisty slide to pull Kenna down. No luck, she's up farther. I'm pleading, "Please Kenna, Allie isn't happy we need to go get her." Kenna just keeps crying even louder. At this point I find myself stuck in an incredibly difficult spot. Figuratively and literally. As I am trying to keep myself positioned above the bend of the twisty slide without losing my grip, I look down the slide to hear my screaming infant, then look up to hear my wailing 2 year old. Hmm. Why the heck am I not a clone?! Think quick Britt! "Kenna, NOW!" No luck. Anger takes over and up I go, further into the slide. Another bend, no Kenna. Where is my child! AaAAAAH! Who invented this rotten playground? Men! I am imagining all the parents on the outside who could probably look up and see my shadowy figure slowly making its way up the slide. What's wrong with this picture? I haven't even mentioned the fact that I am trying to work my way around little kids who keep coming up and down the slide wondering what in the world I am doing in their domain. I thought, "Trust me my pint-size little friends, I would rather not be in your territory right now!" To make things even better, there is a strangely familiar foul stinky odor coming from up above. Yes, friends, Kenna has not only fixed herself at the top of the slide refusing to come down, but has managed to poop up there. After what seemed like climbing the 4-mile-long intestines of McDonald's, I found Kenna at the top of the slide and over the breezeway trying to go down another slide. From down below Allie is giving me the death scream. My life is going in slow motion. I try not to breathe in the smell as Kenna fortunately works her way over and I grab her leg. I've got her, now go Britt, go! Down we go the 40 million bends of the slide. I just couldn't get down fast enough. Trying to maintain some form of dignity, I pry myself out of the opening of the slide and drag Kenna over to rescue Allie. You are darn right everyone was looking at us. I'm trying to pretend to be a calm, cool mommy as I throw our stuff together to leave and never show my face in public again. BUT- the story does not end. Oh no, I have no such luck. Allie is hysterical, so to try to calm her down I pack us all into the bathroom to get some water to make a bottle. My hands can't move fast enough. The whole time Allie is screaming, Kenna is still crying, the bathroom has a horrible echo, and to top it off there is a ridiculous TV blaring at us above the sink. WHY IS THERE A TV IN THE BATHROOM? Is nothing sacred anymore?! Sweet relief- Allie starts on her bottle and calms down. Next: smelly toddler. I turn Kenna around and look down her diaper to survey the damage, only to find that she was obviously sitting down when she did her business. It has reached the top of her diaper and I have put my finger right in it. Inside I feel like a full moon has come out and I have turned into a ravenous werewolf. Aaarrrrgggh! The TV was still blaring and I wanted to just throw the changing table right at it! Take that, CNN! I just had to stay focused- change the diaper, get out of the store. I repeated it in my mind. Go to your happy spot! Finally, the diaper was changed, the baby was calm, and we exited the store and didn't look back. As I was driving away I had my initial thought: men obviously did not engineer that PlayPlace.

Okay, I admit it. I laughed on the way home as I imagined myself climbing up the slide. I would have never imagined all the adventures I would have being a mom. But I have to say, when I look at the sweet little pictures of my babies, just like this cute one of my little Allie, I think of how incredibly grateful I am to be a woman and a mommy to these beautiful little spirits. Even if it means contorting my body into the twisty slide at McDonalds.

Sister Love

I looked over at the girls the other day to find this last picture. Kenna had so lovingly placed Mr. Potato Head's glasses on Allie. Allie was so content to just hang out with her new accessory! What a great photo op. Very rarely does a day go by that I don't get a good laugh! Kenna is fortunate to have such a tolerant little sister. Poor Allie gets smothered, hugged, kissed, jumped on, rolled on, woken up to high-pitched squeals right in her face, and usually just sits there and smiles at Kenna. It will be fun to see their little relationship develop as they get older. We'll see if Allie's tolerance wanes.

There is a definite benefit to living down South. A short drive gets us to some excellent weather. We went on a hike yesterday near St. George and it was BEAUTIFUL! A gorgeous blue sky, awesome red cliffs, and me sporting a short sleeve shirt in February. How great is that? Last year for Memorial Day (yep, that's May for all you still freezing up North) we went down to Sand Hollow Reservoir and swam. Yes, folks, I'm talking swim suits, sunglasses, sunscreen, and sandcastles. If anyone feels like coming down to defrost, we are always up for company! We had a fun time yesterday and ended up running into some family friends from Young Ward and spent the afternoon with them. Kenna loved it and was Queen of the Trail! Jacob was King until he managed to take a little dive in a pond. We got to a spot where we would have to climb around water, so my little Eagle Scout decided to head on up to see if it was passable. I looked away just as I heard some passersby say, "he fell in!" I expected to look up and see Jacob standing in a little pool of water maybe up to his knees, but instead found him pulling his drenched body up and out of a pond that was up to his shoulders! Ha! It was classic. I am so sad I didn't have the camera recording just then, it would have been too good! Now let me point out that yes, the air temperature was nice, but let me also remind you that these ponds are full of freshly melted snow. Let's just say he was a little chilled. At least he came out unscathed and we all had a really good laugh in his behalf. Don't worry, he was laughing too. We're just hoping the cell phone recovers. It took a little swim too.

Have a great week all!

Still Here!

Yep, we're all still alive and well! It has just been a crazy past couple of weeks. Not one thing in particular necessarily, just a bunch of little things that add up. You'd think with all that busy-ness (um, you get it- forgive the spelling) I would have something better to write about. I really don't have anything exciting. I guess I'll just start rambling and see where it gets me.

I think we are officially experiencing the terrible two's. My goodness! It's like Jekyll and Hyde at our house lately with our sweet little firstborn. Kenna is learning to exert her independence and she will push and push as hard as she can. If she can find one weensy teensy way of getting her way, then she goes to town with it. I'm becoming quite familiar with tantrums. To make it even more enjoyable, she is incredibly tenderhearted. She doesn't get her way, she throws a fit. She gets "redirected" and throws a fit and wants some love at the same time. Go figure. What a child! Jacob is already dreading having teenage girls. But, as Grandma Shelly stated, perhaps she will get it all out of her system now. I'll hold you to it, mom Otte! Our girls have flip-flopped. Now Allie is usually always happy and Kenna is the one usually crying. Perhaps I prayed too hard? A nasty little trick being played on me here? Ha! Just kidding. We're only just beginning....

So last week I realized I had a bunch of tapes from our camcorder that haven't been labeled, so Kenna and I spent the good part of the day reviewing tapes and labeling them. Kenna was absolutely enthralled! She kept calling herself Allie. It was so weird to look back at video of Kenna when she was Allie's age. I can't believe how much I have forgotten. It definitely made me grateful for the footage we have. I have to laugh, we are such typical first-time parents. On our tapes the majority of the labels are something like "Kenna in swing, Kenna in saucer, Kenna in crib, Kenna in jumper, Kenna playing, Kenna cooing" on and on. I sure hope some unsuspecting victim doesn't get stuck at our house when we pull out the old videos for Family Home Evening some night. Boooorrrrriiiinnnggg! At least we as a little family can appreciate it, right?

Well, not too exciting, but at least it's an update. Enjoy your Valentine's with all your smoochy woochy lovey dovey goodness! We just might treat ourselves to a night out at IHOP. Ha! Now THAT, my friends, is true love. What says love more than the rooty tooty fresh and fruity? Ah. Little cupid strikes my wee tender heart every time with that one.

Thoughts

So here I sit somewhat late in the evening. Too many of you mom's out there know just what that is like! I just thought I would share my thoughts of the day.

This morning I was informed about the passing of my Grandmother Davis. Forgive me for sounding a bit odd about the situation, but it truly is a remarkable, beautiful thing. She had lived a very full life, and for over seven years now has wanted nothing more than to return Home to be with my Grandfather. I can only imagine the moment of passing from this life into the next. What an incredible moment it must be. Finally relieved of her aged body and blindness, she once again was able to return to the embrace of her loving husband. I stand in great reverance and awe as I think of that. How grateful I am to know where I came from and where I am going. How remarkable it is that our souls are eternal, and that the relationships which are paramount to our living here on earth can be continued on forever. I often think I have no idea what that truly means. As I look over at my Kenna playing on the floor (she should be in bed, mind you) I can think of no worse fate than believing I wouldn't be able to have my family forever. I get frustrated with myself when I get shy about sharing my truth with other people. With something I believe to be so incredible and hold so dear to me, I would think I would be more willing to let others know. Perhaps when the next opportunity presents itself, I will reach out beyond my comfort zone to share the beautiful gift of knowledge I have. Thank you to those of you out there who are excellent reminders to me of being willing to share.