The Bradley Bunch

Craziness (Almost) Complete!

2012-01-21T22:04:00.001-05:00

Layne came home last night just before bedtime and we are all ecstatic! Why? Well, let's review our recent schedule...

December 15th - Layne leaves for a work trip.
December 22nd - Layne gets home in the early evening.
December 23rd - We leave for Georgia early in the morning.
December 23rd-December 30th - Super-busy trip to Georgia (People to see! Things to do!)
December 31st- We leave Georgia EARLY and drive home. Unpack and go to BED.
January 2nd - Layne leaves for another trip in the morning.
January 8th - Layne comes home in the afternoon.
January 9th - Layne leaves again in the morning for another trip.
January 15th - Layne gets home in the evening, just in time for dinner.
January 16th - Layne leaves again in the morning.

We are so happy to have him home for more than 18 hours! It was so nice to sit and watch a movie with him last night. It was also really nice to go run a few much-delayed errands by myself this morning and take a nap this afternoon! Layne is so wonderful and I'm sure he just wanted to rest after all of his work (12+ hours each day) but he selflessly let me have the day I wanted and it has been wonderful. He's taken care of the kids and the house and it has been such a nice break for me!

My mom came up for a few days and it was very nice to have her here. To add to all the craziness we've been passing around a cold and Ada has been battling an abominable ear infection. He has a couple of trips over the next few weeks but they are only a few days each so that seems like nothing compared to the last month. It's been rough to have him gone so much but I do have to admit that the overtime he has earned is nice as we gear up for buying a house. I sure do love my hard-working man!

A Beautiful Year

2012-01-19T22:05:00.002-05:00

Christmas in Clayton

2012-01-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

We left for Georgia in the morning on December 23rd about half a day after Layne arrived home from his work trip. We left later than we had planned (we were up until 2am trying to pack) but luckily our drive was fairly uneventful. The only unexpected stop was to clean up Alayna and the back seat after a bout of motion sickness. While I was helping Alayna get changed into her spare clothes (be prepared!) she told me that she didn't throw up because she was sick but rather because her inner ear got confused. She explained to me that it was because she was looking at something stationary (her word) for too long while we were moving. She promised to look up from her book if she started to feel bad again. :) Finally we arrived at my dad's house in Clayton. I didn't take any pictures the first night because we were busy with dinner, visiting and bedtime. I did snap plenty of pictures the next day though.

Jacob and Grandpa

Jacob playing with my favorite nativity. My dad got this in Africa when he was in the Peace Corps.

James was so excited about his bulldozer. I have NEVER seen a toy that was more securely attached to the packaging. I'm not kidding folks, we needed a screwdriver to take out 8 screws! Insanity. He eventually got to play with it though!

Ada was so funny with her presents. She wasn't all that interested in unwrapping them but once she saw each one of the two beautiful dresses she got the sort of lunged towards them and pulled them to her. You would have thought they were teddy bears! She was a very happy little girl.

Enjoying her snowman dress...

I guess I didn't get pictures of Alayna and Jacob opening their presents but now I'm thinking that may have had something to do with Operation Dozer Freedom. Alayna got a wonderful, warm coat which she really needed. (The zipper on her coat had broken a couple of weeks before and it was really too small anyway.) She recently told me that when she is wearing her new coat she "can't even tell if it's cold or not!" Jacob got a Conch shell shaped drawing tool made of graphite and he also got a nice pad of drawing paper for his masterpieces.

The weather was wonderful and we spent a good bit of time outside. I love this picture of Layne and Ada. Do you think they are related???

Grandpa taught Alayna how to climb a tree in the Magnolia tree in his front yard. She was very adventurous and made me a bit nervous but I told myself that she was making memories and resisted the urge to tell her to come down.

So High!

My Big Girl

She is getting so big.

And so pretty.

The necklace she is holding is from Mimi.

Mimi is my dad's special someone.

I would say girlfriend but that doesn't seem sufficient.

Layne and the kids reading about magnets.

I tried to get a picture of the kids under the tree before we left for Athens but this is what I got. This is the first shot and they only get worse.

When we headed out to the van to go to Athens the kids ran to the bench under the tree again. I decided to try pictures one more time. Look at that little cutie!

They were still pretty goofy...

...and we were missing Mimi!

She came and realized that Ada's little chin was trembling.

(We hadn't put jackets on because we thought we were getting in the van which warms up pretty quickly and is equipped with blankets too.)

Mimi is telling us how cold Ada is...

...so we just took one more.

Goofballs.

We went down to Athens for most of the week but before heading back to Maryland we stopped in Clayton for another overnight stay. It was colder the second time around but still wonderful. Jacob worked up the courage to tackle the Magnolia tree with help from Grandpa.

He went up a couple of branches and that was plenty for him! Jacob has always been my careful, cautious child and I'm thankful for it.

Look at me!

Alayna Up Again

All of our adventures really wore Alayna out.

It was a perfect ending to a perfect trip.

Just Now...

2012-01-06T18:55:00.000-05:00

Jacob: Mom, maybe James is too tired.
James: Why you say that Jacob?
Jacob: Because you are so crazy James.

Just for the record, he's been crazy all day. ALL. DAY. LONG.
Bedtime cannot come fast enough.

Big News for January!

2012-01-02T15:23:00.003-05:00

I know it's not Saturday but I have some Scentsy news that just can't wait!

Call me NOW to book your party - my schedule will fill up FAST!

If you are too busy for a home party ask me about a "Party-To-Go" bag!

2011

2012-01-01T22:43:00.000-05:00

This is my 4th year doing this recap. I don't remember where the questions came from originally but here they are again with new answers for 2011.

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Started a business! I became a Scentsy Independent Consultant in September and it has been a great adventure!

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No, I didn't make any so obviouslyI didn't keep them. Of course there are things I would like to do better but I try to improve each day so I don't really do New Year's resolutions. The thing I'd like to focus on the most is losing the 20 pounds I quickly gained back from the 30 pounds I lost right after Ada was born. Post-partum depression always hits me in right in the gut - literally.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
My sweet sister Emily - it is such a joy to see her as a mom.

Did anyone close to you die?
No. Isn't that remarkable?

What countries did you visit?
None, unless you count "Peach Country."

What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More energy!

What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 16th - Ada was born just hours after Layne returned from Afghanistan.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully (I think) transitioning into a family of 6.

What was your biggest failure?
Oh, the same as always. I am toojudgmentaleven though I am trying so hard not to be. I am prone to laziness and ingratitude. I lose my temper. These are just some of the things I will continue to work on, probably my whole life.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
I broke my toe. Yowza.

What was the best thing you bought?
I can't think of anything. Interesting...

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Without a doubt the answer is Layne. I really think he deserves a parade. He works so hard and yet finds ways to have fun. He had infinite patience for me and the kids and he takes care of us so well. I could go on and on about how wonderful he is!

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Too many to mention. I think we are in dire need of good role models today.

Where did most of your money go?
Feeding and sheltering our brood.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I am really excited about next year. This year has been good but I have to admit that I am filled with optimism for 2012 and the adventures it will hold.

What song will always remind you of 2011?
So Small by Carrie Underwood "And when you figure out love is all that matters after all it sure makes everything else seem so small."

Compared to this time last year, are you:
~happier or sadder? Absolutely happier. This time last year I was focused on keeping Ada in my belly until Layne got home. Life was difficult without him even though I had so much support from family and friends. ;It was hard to sit by and watch others do the things I felt I should be doing.
~thinner or fatter? Do I really have to type the word? I'm technically 10 pounds lighter but since I'm not 9 months pregnant I'm going to have to go with the latter. Sheesh.
~richer or poorer? Richer, in more ways than one. Our net worth has gone up, as well as Layne's salary (again!) but all of that pales in comparison to the riches we have here in our home. I feel like each of my kids is worth more than a million bucks and the joy we share is beyond any earthly measure.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Serving and giving. Looking outward. Counting my blessings. Saying thanks.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying.

How did you spend Christmas?
It was wonderful and deserves it's own post which is hopefully coming soon. We spent it surrounded by family.

Did you fall in love in 2011?
Oh yes.

What was your favorite TV program?
Thanks to Hulu I discovered Psych, Grimm, and Once Upon a Time. Psych is hilarious. My dad also tipped me off to Kingdom (also on Hulu) and I'm enjoying that very much.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I think I may just take this question off next year. After all, I won't even let the kids say the word hate. There's no place for it here.

What was the best book you read?
I really enjoyed Agnes Grey and Anne of Green Gables.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't know if you can call this a "discovery" but James likes to sing when we are out shopping and I love it. A couple of weeks ago he was singing Jingle Bells and we were stopped by so many people who were just so happy to hear his cute little voice singing a Christmas song.

What did you want and get?
A healthy baby.

What did you want and not get?
A home of our own.

What was your favorite film of this year?
Of course I loved the final Harry Potter movie!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I went to church, had lunch, took a nap, then had presents, dinner and a cake made by my favorite little chefs. Of course there were other little things but that was the main timeline. I turned 29 for the very first time!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being closer to family.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
If it's clean and it fits, put it on.

What kept you sane?
Prayer, Layne and the occasional nap.

Which celebrity/public figure did you like the most?
I didn't really get caught up in the Royal Wedding but from the little I have seen Princess Kate is so classy and beautiful. I really, truly wish her and Wills the best.

What political issue stirred you the most?
The role of government and entitlement reform.

Who did you miss?
All of my family but particularly my sister. I would have loved to be closer to her this year. Also, my friend Sjauna who is living in Russia and having all sorts of wonderful adventures.

Who was the best new person you met?
Miss Ada Clare!

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Patience pays.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"The view I love the most is my front porch looking in."

Make 3 predictions for 2012:
~James will be fully potty-trained. (He's doing well but not yet 100%)
~We will FINALLY buy a house!
~I will find a way to visit Georgia at least once.

Ada at 11 Months

2011-12-21T21:26:00.002-05:00

I am starting to accept the fact that Ada is growing up. I'm getting excited about her upcoming first birthday and all the adventures that are in store. It is so much fun to watch her grow!

Stats:

Weight: 20 lbs 12 oz (50%)

Things She's Doing:

Crawling up the stairs every chance she gets.
Emptying kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, bags, bins and boxes.
Fake coughing to get attention. It cracks me up!
Blowing lots of raspberries.
Napping less in the morning and more in the afternoon.
Sleeping from about 8pm to 7am.
Eating all 3 meals with the family and lots of snacks too.

Things She Loves:

All of a sudden she is in love with her pacifier again. She is clearly teething!
Eating, eating, eating.
The Christmas tree! She loves the lights and ornaments.
Being tickled by her siblings.
Any toy that makes noise.

Things to Remember:
She had another ear infection. Sigh...

And a Little Alayna Shall Lead Them...

2011-12-17T22:11:00.000-05:00

Last night Alayna said our family prayer at bedtime. In it she said "we thank thee that Ada can climb all the way up the stairs by herself." I thought "we are?!?!?" After the prayer she looked at me and said "Mom, I know you're not grateful for that but I am so I said it anyway."

Also, the other day she asked if the Wise Men could bring her presents instead of Santa.

And tonight she asked if us not shopping on Sunday is like the Israelites not gathering manna on the Sabbath.

Oh my dear goodness, I love that girl.

Remembering

2011-11-29T13:05:00.001-05:00

Sunday was my birthday and I celebrated by taking a nice, long nap. Before I laid down Layne asked me what my tolerance level for surprises was. (It's usually very low.) I told him that as long as it didn't interfere with my nap I was okay with anything. Well, I woke up to find the living room rearranged and the Christmas tree up! Normally I am adamant about waiting until December to do anything remotely Christmassy but for some reason this year I started singing Christmas songs weeks ago! I am really excited about Christmas this year. On Sunday we didn't decorate the tree, we just enjoyed it with it's lights on. (Oh the wonder of a pre-lit tree!!! Thank you after-Christmas clearance two years ago!!!) It was a wonderful birthday treat. I loved watching the gleam in the kids eyes as they stared at the tree.

Monday night we decorated the tree for Family Night and got a few other things out as well. As I dug into my obsessively organized bins I realized something was terribly wrong! Everything was all mixed up! It took me a minute and then I remembered. I remembered that last December I was pregnant with Ada. I was miserable and uncomfortable. Two days before Christmas I spent the night in the hospital getting contractions under control. Then we had Christmas and...Layne left for Afghanistan. I was alone, and uncomfortable and worried about my husband. And then I got sick. And the kids got sick. And my mom came to the rescue. When we got home from the airport James pointed at the filthy floor and said "Grammie, you help clean up?" And she did. She cleaned and cooked and stocked my freezer. She let me rest and kept me company. And even though I had insisted I would eventually get around to it she took put away our Christmas things while I was sleeping one day. I was so very grateful then and as I looked through the bins yesterday trying to find the things the kids were looking for I felt so tremendously grateful yet again. Grateful for a mom who came to a rescue and a mother-in-law who later came to take over. Grateful for friends who helped me through that time. Grateful that Ada decided to hang tight until Layne got home, even if she only gave him a couple of hours to relax before making her appearance. Grateful that she was healthy and still is. I remember being so scared to give birth in the winter. I was terrified of the illnesses she might encounter in her first few months - especially after she spent her first 24 hours in the NICU. I am grateful that we sailed through those months. I'm grateful for what she has added to our family and that we are all healthy and happy as we look forward to Christmas this year. Yes, I have plenty of reasons to sing - and I can't wait for Christmas!

Ada at 10 Months

2011-11-28T21:05:00.000-05:00

Oh my dear goodness. We are just cruising through this year! As usual the facts and figures are from her 10 month day but the actual post is late because of camera/computer issues which will hopefully be resolved soon!

Stats:

Weight: 20 lbs (51%)

Things She's Doing:

Eating like a monster. This girl doesn't eat to live, she lives to EAT! She is having so much fun exploring new foods. It is fun to see her face light up when she tries something new. She much prefers to feed herself but luckily she still lets us handle the yogurt and other messy stuff.

Cruising around furniture a very little bit (just a step or two) and crawling at warp speed. She does stand for just a few moments on her own but then she loses confidence and plops down on her derriere. At this rate she will be our "latest" walker. (Alayna walked at 9 months, Jacob at 10 and James just before 11. Interesting, no?)

Making lots of fun sounds and noises. Her first word was "baba" for bottle and I've heard it a few times since. She's also said "Dada" a few times.

She still has her pacifier in the crib and car but doesn't really use it around the house when she's playing which is fantastic. It's so much better to hear her fun noises!

Playing with toys and dumping them out of their bins. She loves the animal box the best but she's also been known to dig through the car bin. She loves to chase balls around too which the boys love. She likes to be right in the middle of whatever the kids are doing - sometimes they love it and sometimes they don't.

Things She Loves:

Once again I have to say: her siblings. She always wants to be where they are and do what they are doing. I have a feeling this little girl is going to grow up way too fast!

Staying in her jammies as long as she can. She just looks so comfy and happy that I usually don't get her dressed until after her morning nap. She does not like having her clothes changed so it's easier to let her be, especially if we are just hanging out at home.

Splashing in the bath! She is such a splasher that the boys normally don't want to have her in the tub. If you've ever seen the boys and their bathtime antics you'll know that's a big deal!

Things to Remember:
This girls hair is a mess. It seems to have lost the reddish hue but I'm still not sure what color to call it - it's not blonde and it's not brown. Her hair has all sorts of whirls and swirls and now that her hair is getting longer we are getting a sneak peek at what kind of craziness lies in store for us. It's pretty curly right after it's washed but by the next day most of the curl is gone. It does have some waves though.

She wakes up completely happy most of the time. I love hearing her jabbering away in her crib after her nap and going in to see her happily playing with her Pooh bear. I love the big smiles I get as she raises her arms up for me to pick her up. It's one of my favorite moments each day.
She is a creature of habit. She does really well with her schedule and I am so pleased at how well it blends with the family schedule. Sometimes we get off schedule and those days are just never as good as the days when she gets both her naps and her meals on time.

Um, mom? I think I might be done with pictures...

Yep. I'm done.

Busy November

2011-11-27T21:16:00.001-05:00

~Visit from Grammie
~Visit from Grandpa Woody
~Girl Scout Cookies
~Parent-Teacher Conferences
~Scentsy Parties
~Primary Program (and practice and prep - it's fun to be the Music Leader!!!)
~Thanksgiving
~Black Friday (My 1st ever - went to Kohls at midnight!)
~A visit to a new doctor which led to:
An allergic Reaction to a new Medicine which led to:
A visit to Urgent Care which led to:
A week on steriods and a search for a new medicine.
~A few bad asthma episodes for James
~Thanksgiving in DC complete with the Air and Space Museum, the Natural History Museum, a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving picnic and a ride on the Mall Carousel
~Sorting through toys and clothes and giving things away
~My 1st Annual 29th Birthday!
~Worrying about finding a house in a few months
~Wondering when Layne's work trip will be
~Trying to make Christmas plans
~Christmas shopping

And of course just every day life! I have quite a few half-finished blog posts that I am hoping to wrap up soon. We'll see how that goes...

Thankful

2011-11-27T19:20:00.001-05:00

Just Another Small Miracle

2011-10-30T23:21:00.000-04:00

This happened a few weeks ago and it seems like a small thing but I want to record it. There is one week during the school year when siblings can come to lunch. Somehow I missed the memo and had completely forgotten about it. Tuesday of that week I was out running errands with Jacob and Ada while James was at preschool. We were headed to the library when I decided to drop something off at my friends house that I had been carrying around for a couple of weeks. I almost didn't do it but I felt that I should so I changed my route and headed her way. She wasn't home so I walked up to her door to leave it at the door. Next thing I know she is pulling up to her house but didn't pull in the driveway. She told me she was on her way to the school for lunch. (Her son is at school with Alayna - same grade, different class.) I was confused because she had her daughter with her. She told me it was Lunch Week and that siblings could go! I was so happy! I literally had just enough time to pull out and follow her there. We walked in as Alayna was finding a seat. Jacob was SO happy to go to lunch in the cafeteria and meet her buddies. Alayna was so surprised and happy to see us and all her friends just loved Ada. I had some little snacks with me and they had a blast feeding them to Ada. It was like she was a little dog that they were feeding and everyone thought it was so hilarious. Ada was happy, Jacob was happy, Alayna was happy, her friends were happy and I was happy!!! It was such a wonderful time.

I know that seems like a small thing but later my friend told me that she had been on her way to the school earlier but saw leaves on the way out of the neighborhood and decided to stop and pick some up. She then saw me pull in (I didn't see her) and knew I would leave it at the door so she was just going to leave but felt strongly that she should turn around. Then as we were talking she wasn't going to mention lunch because she was sure I was headed there anyway but felt strongly that she should mention it. I am so glad that I listened to the prompting to go to her house and the she listened to the prompting to turn around and tell me about the lunch. It was the only day I could have possibly gone so if either of us hadn't listened I would have completely missed the opportunity. I can go to lunch any time but sharing it with Jacob and Ada was so wonderful. I think this experience is so special to me is because it is yet another example to me that Heavenly Father is aware of me and wants to bless me. It wasn't a huge life-altering experience - just another one of the small, ordinary miracles that are all around me. If it hadn't happened we'd all go on just fine. But it did happen. Because He knows me and He loves me. I know this much is true.

Jacob 5.0

2011-10-28T22:58:00.001-04:00

Jacob is a JOY! I can't believe he is already 5! Because he and Alayna are so close his birthdays and milestones seem to sneak up and surprise me. ("Are you sure you're 5? Alayna just turned 6!") He is SO excited to be 5! He is such a pleasure to have in our home. He is bright and inquisitive. Sometimes all the questions drive me a bit batty but I want to encourage his curiosity and enthusiasm so I keep answering! Sometimes we have to wait until Dad comes home for an explanation because some of his questions make it clear that he is a little physicist in training. He is very curious about how things work and why they do the things they do. He is eager to please and very well behaved. Sometimes he likes to push James's buttons but I think that's part of a big brother's job. He adores Alayna and he is so sweet with Ada. She laughs for him in a way that she does with no other. He is very thoughtful and giving. He is such a treasure!

Stats:
Height 42in (29%)
~He's grown 3 inches and gone up from the 20% last year!~
Weight 40lb (44%)
~He gained just under 5 pounds and went down 1%.~

Interview:
What's your favorite ______ ?

Color: Blue

Book: Dinosaurs

Movie: Toy Story 2

Song: He Sent His Son

Scripture Story: Jonah

Day of the Week: Home Day (Saturday)

Time of the Day: Breakfast Time!

Food: Ramen Noodles

Treat: Marshmallows

Sport: Soccer

Thing to Do: Play Outside

Part of School: Exercises

Toy: Cars

Clothes: Polar Bear Pajamas

Thing to Do with Mom: Make Dinner

Thing to Do with Dad: Play

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A Dad who builds robots.

How many kids will you have?

10 Boys

What will you be like?

I don't know yet!

I don't know if I have shared this story on the blog before so I thought I would include it now. When I was pregnant with Jacob we thought that we would name his James. We knew he was a boy and that we wanted to name a boy James so we assumed THIS boy would be James. After all, we didn't know if we'd ever have another boy so I felt some urgency to use the name as soon as we could. Just after he was born I was holding him and said "this isn't James!" Layne agreed so we were back to square one. We had a long list of names but none of them seemed to fit. Even in those early hours of his life we both felt that we were in the presence of a very special spirit and we felt impressed to look in the Old Testament for inspiration. Just as we were beginning to despair we saw the name Jacob and knew we could stop looking. He is a serious yet joyful soul and I know that he has great potential to do wonderful things in this world. I look forward to watching him grow in mind, body and spirit.

Ada at 9 Months

2011-10-25T22:30:00.001-04:00

ACK! Another month has gone by and I can't believe it! This little lady is 3/4 of the way through her first year. Inconceivable!

Stats:

Weight: 18lb 4oz (52%)

Length: 27.8 in (57%)

Noggin: 45 cm (78%)

Things She's Doing:

She is crawling all over the place - she is definitely a pro and she is VERY fast!

Pulling up on anything and everything, even if it's moving - including the sliding door.

Taking a few steps while holding on to people or things.

Eating, eating, eating all the time. She does a very good job of feeding herself when I give her finger foods.

Drinking from a sippy cup...when she feels like it.

Grabbing at everything - you have to be careful if you have a food, drink, or electronic device anywhere near her!

Consistently sleeping through the night.

Clapping and trying to wave.

Things She Loves:

It seems redundant but once again I have to say - her siblings. She lights up when she sees them. They are so rough and tumble with her and she just rolls with it - literally sometimes.

Daddy - when he comes home she can't wait to be in his arms. She lights up when she sees him.

Naptime - she is usually really good about laying down when she is tired. She just settles down and lets me put a blanket over her.

Being outside.

Things to Remember:
She is much improved since getting ear tubes but still plays with her ears. I think it's just a leftover habit from all the infections.
People always comment on how happy and laid-back she is and it is true, she is a very happy girl.
Her smile is so truly wonderful.
Her hair is still reddish and her eyes are still blue.

She is so wonderful.
It is a blessing to watch her grow and thrive.
I love her so, so much.

Cookie Time

2011-10-23T21:53:00.003-04:00

Things are pretty crazy so I haven't blogged about the fact that Alayna joined Girl Scouts and that she is having a blast! (I wish I could put a really cute picture of her in her little Daisy vest right here but that would require me actually putting the patches on the thing which has not happened yet. I guess I better get cracking!) Instead I'll put up this picture:

That's right, she is selling cookies but since this is a brand new troop that was JUST created we are starting off at the end of cookie season and don't have much time! If you'd like to order any please let me know. Leave a comment or send an email to losbradley at gmail dot com. Or you could call. But don't send a letter. It will take TOO LONG! :) We're supposed to have our first order (but not money) in by Tuesday. YIKES! We will submit our final order on November 23rd.

If you want to support Alayna and her troop (382!) but don't actually want the cookies you can donate a box to their Gift of Caring drive. Alayna's troop is giving their donated boxes to our local Volunteer Fire Department.

The cookies she is selling are:

New!

They are all $4.50 a box.

I can't wait to get ours - yummy, yummy!

If you are in Georgia and you want to place an order we can deliver them in December. Because, well, even though we said we wouldn't we are driving down for Christmas! YIPPEE!

The Best Buddy Around

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's time for a Scentsy Saturday! Am I the only one who has about 20 bajillion pregnant friends? It seems that I have countless baby showers on the horizon not to mention the ones that have already gone by. Of course there are always kids birthdays too. All these showers and birthday parties mean lots of GIFTS! I'm so happy to have the perfect gift for babies and kids - the SCENTSY BUDDY!

Even if they weren't scented (they are!) they would be adorable. They are so soft and cuddly and the legs and arms swing about in such a fun way. Whenever the kids get their hands on my Ollie I have a hard time getting him back - they love him!

Scentsy Buddies have a pocket in the back that zips open. You insert the Scent Pak of your choice, zip it up and cuddle with a soft, wonderfully scented friend. My favorite scents for Buddies are Black Raspberry Vanilla, Satin Sheets and Vanilla Cream. French Lavender is wonderful too. A Scent Pak of your choice is included with your order. I think that the softness and scent of a Buddy will be wonderful for kids as they play, go to sleep, and go off on adventures. They are perfect for kids with sensory or separation issues.

Don't tell the kids but they are each getting a Buddy for Christmas! Also - don't tell my Sister but my niece is getting one too! They make such wonderful gifts and there are so many to choose from!

Lenny the Lamb

Mollie the Monkey

Ollie the Elephant

Ollie is my favorite because his ears are so floppy and fun.

Scratch the Cat

Roarbert the Lion

Ribbert the Frog

Penny the Pig

Patch the Dog

These Buddies will be around for the long haul but there is an extra special Buddy who is available for a limited time only. In each new catalog Scentsy offers a "Charitable Cause" item. It's always been a warmer - until now! The charity for this catalog (the next 6 months) is the Ronald McDonald House! I have a special place in my heart for Ronald McDonald house because my mom works at a childrens hospital and has told me wonderful stories about families who have been able to use their services during their hospital stays. Scentsy decided that a warmer wasn't the right fit for Ronald McDonald house - a Buddy is! So, please meet Sasha, Scentsy's FIRST Charitable Cause Buddy!

Scentsy will donate 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of Sasha to Ronald McDonald House. Can you help out? Do you know someone who has used the Ronald McDonald House? Do you know a nurse or a patient who would love this sweet bear?

Go to my website to order Sasha or any Buddy for that special someone on your list. Remember, it's not too early to be thinking about Christmas! If you are local you can come by to see Mollie, Ollie, Ribbert, Penny and Patch in person. Order today and get your gifts on their way!!!

Campout

2011-10-18T23:11:00.002-04:00

Last weekend on Friday night Alayna had her first friend spend the night with us. It was such a fun night! Arden and Alayna are such good buddies and they are both about as goofy as it gets. Together they are a hoot!

While we waited for Dad to get home the kids played outside. Alayna is up in the ship and she's sending down the lifeboat for Arden. Luckily they didn't actually try to USE the lifeboat.

Once Layne got home and the fire was going Layne and the kids set up the tent. The kids really were helpful - mostly.

The kids of course loved playing in the tent. We didn't put the sleeping bags in yet so they had plenty of room to run around.

Arden is so sweet with Ada. Ada loved to play around in the tent with the big kids. She's such a tough girl!

Once the fire was nice and toasty and we had nice embers we roasted hot dogs. I love hot dogs over the fire - they are so yummy AND there's no dishes!

The girls really enjoyed their hot dogs and looking for stars in the sky.

I love sitting by a nice, warm fire on a clear, cool night.

After dinner and once the kids were in their jammies we set up sleeping bags and left the girls in the tent with a walkie-talkie. They loved calling in and saying goofy things to us. It was so much fun. Layne got the walkie-talkies a while ago as a reward and they made the night so much more fun. Eventually the girls called in and said they were ready for me to come out so they could go to sleep. It happened earlier than I thought it would so I had to hurry and get in my jammies. It was so wonderful to lay there and listen to them be silly and then fall off to sleep. I felt like my heart was bubbling over with joy. In the morning I woke up first and just laid there because I didn't want to wake them up. Jacob woke up and came straight out to the tent instead of heading to the "Mommy-Daddy bed" and woke up the girls. We laid in the tent for a while still being goofy. All evening the girls had been making these weird goose noises - they didn't exactly sound like geese but that was what they were going for. Just after we all woke up some geese flew overhead. They honked and we all looked at each other and cracked up laughing. It was such a wonderful time. We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast then headed off to the girls soccer game.

A Great Quote

2011-10-08T22:22:00.003-04:00

I just read this quote and loved it so much that I decided to put it over a picture. A sunset seemed appropriate. You can click on it to make it bigger. I'm going to put it on a desktop until I get my priorities straightened out. So maybe forever...

October Warmer of the Month

2011-10-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

I am SO excited about the Warmer of the Month for October! It's called Snapshot and it is truly one-of-a-kind. The clever folks at Scentsy have put a picture frame on the front of a warmer! As if that isn't enough the light actually glows through your picture and lights it up! ACK!!! I LOVE it!

Here's what they have to say about it: Let your photos glow as warmly as the memories they capture. When Snapshot is switched on, a picture window set into a square, ivory-and taupe column radiates light from within its ropy, silver frame. All that’s missing is your favorite photo.

What a wonderful addition to a family room or other living space! I think this would make an EXCELLENT Christmas gift. Best of all - it's on sale! Order now before it sells out!!!

The scent of the month is Autumn Stroll. Here's what they say about it: Amble under a bright harvest moon, leaves crunching underfoot, as peppery cinnamon mingles with dusky plum and warm incense to create a spicy and comforting fragrance. I've been using it since it arrived on Wednesday and it smells so good! It's warm and inviting and so lovely for fall.

For the month of October Autumn Stroll is 10% off. It is available in a bar, brick, scent circle and room spray. Order now at sarahbradley.scentsy.us!

HAPPY FALL!

Holy Cannoli!

2011-09-29T22:59:00.002-04:00

I feel like life is moving by at warp speed. I absolutely CANNOT believe it is almost October. OCTOBER! As in, the month that Jacob turns 5. As in, one month before my birthday. As in, the month Ada turns 9 months old. As in, just a few days ago it was summer and now it is most definitely FALL which means soon it will be WINTER which means then it will be SPRING and we will have to find somewhere to LIVE. And I know you're thinking that's a long way off but I'm telling you, time is absolutely FLYING over here. Also, my foot hurts. Because I broke my toe. Falling down the stairs. Because I am GRACEFUL like that. And you know what, it took 6 days for me to realize it wasn't just bruised and finally go get it checked out. And guys...it hurts. Especially when a kid steps on it or just, you know, sits down on my FOOT because my cool new shoe looks like a great place to sit. Seriously? Also, I have about a TRILLION things on my "To-Do" list and they keep getting pushed back and I don't just have a back burner anymore. Oh no, I have a whole second stove and a window sill where some things are cooling. And you know what? I'm pretty sure it's going to be like this from here on out. Just crazy. I keep thinking life will slow down but I ought to know by now that it is not going to happen. And, oh my goodness gracious, one day I am going to wake up and Alayna is going to be 8, then 12 and 16 and oh-my-goodness-I-can't-handle-the-thought but one day she will be 18 and she will spread her wings and fly. And my other little birdies will fly. My soft, downy baby birdies will grow up and FLY out of here. But then they'll come back right? Yes. I am sure of it. But for now they are here in my nest. So I'm crossing some things off my list. I'm giving myself permission to fail at some things at the expense of the things that matter most. I'm trying to find balance. Isn't that what life is, one big balancing act? Sometimes I feel awfully wobbly. And then I look at the clock and think, my GOODNESS, this evening has FLOWN by and perhaps if I went to BED and got some REST I might feel a little less overwhelmed tomorrow. So I stop writing. I stop writing and I hope this still makes sense in the morning.

P.S. - I forgot to mention that Jacob has a loose tooth. Jacob! He's FOUR! Is this allowed? (YES I know he is ALMOST five but I am choosing to IGNORE that fact right now because I'm feeling a BIT overwhelmed by how quickly my children are growing so we will be referring to Jacob as FOUR not "almost 5" for the next few days thankyouverymuch.) Also, Ada has one tooth and is working on another. Things are always changing around here. Always.

P.P.S. - Could someone PLEASE send the laundry fairy this way? I haven't seen her in ages and she is MISSED.

P.P.P.S. - Does anyone else get really BUMMED when looking at your retirement savings? I mean, I know it's a long way off but isn't your total supposed to go UP? Sigh.

Okay, now I'm done writing. Seriously. Nighty-night. (And please don't say anything about a certain type of bug because they gross me out. Ew, I just had an icky shiver. Gross, gross. Why do parents send their kids off to bed with images of BITING bugs in their BEDS? It's almost as bad as saying keep your eyes peeled. Oh my goodness. ICK. People of the world: STOP peeling your eyes!)

Are You Ready for Halloween?

2011-09-24T10:00:00.009-04:00

I have decided to have "Scentsy Saturdays" on the blog to let you know about specials and fun, new products. I won't do it every Saturday but it will limit me to one day and keep me from going overboard with my Scentsy-love. I seriously love this product and company!

This year's Halloween warmer is so much fun! The light glows through the full moon to light up that spooky tree and bat. It's a full size warmer and is available HERE.

There is also a plug-in available in the same spooky pattern. What a great way to light up your bathroom or even your front porch on Halloween night! Check it out HERE!

I really can't believe this but last year's Halloween warmers are still available in the close-out section!!! So, if Fright Night isn't your thing (or isn't in your budget) check out these Close-Out warmers. These warmers also give off a pleasant glow through the face. You can find the full-size warmer HERE and the plug-in HERE.

What a cutie!

FYI - You can rotate plug-ins any way you want. The top rotates as well as the actual plug. The outlet in our bathroom is upside down but that's no problem for my plug-in!

There are some great fall scents to go along with these warmers such as Pumpkin Roll, Autumn Sunset and Honey Pear Cider. I also love the yummy scents like Sugar Cookie, Vanilla Cream, Baked Apple Pie and Hazelnut Latte for fall. I've used Home Sweet Home and Welcome Home every fall for 3 years! Their names truly fit!!! Order yours today and be ready for October! It's going to be here before we know it!

Shooting Star

2011-09-19T20:28:00.000-04:00

I would like to send a big THANKS to everyone who helped get my Scentsy business off to a great start! I was able to earn the "Shooting Star" award for sales in the first 15 days! Wahoo! Now I am on to my next goal! I am hoping to hear the "Scentsational Start" award for sales in the first 70 days. For me that ends on November 9th. I am going to be working hard to meet that goal.

If you would like to host a party please let me know. It is EASY and you'll earn FREE products. Best of all it's FUN! I really do enjoy hearing people's comments as they smell the different scents and are reminded of people, places and memories that are dear to them. If you book a party with me this month I will give you TWO free gifts - in addition to all the rewards you'll earn for your party. For more information about hosting please visit the "Host" section of my website. You can book your party now and hold it anytime before November 1st to get the two free gifts from me.

One of the things I love about Scentsy is the opportunity to do a "Basket Party" where I give you a bag full of testers and goodies and you do the party at your leisure. You can take it to work, soccer games, playgroup, girls night out - wherever you go! Best of all, you still get the same great rewards!

Ada at 8 Months

2011-09-18T22:51:00.001-04:00

Is anyone else seriously alarmed that 8 months have gone by so quickly? It seems that Ada just joined our family days ago and yet she is two-thirds of the way to her first birthday. Yikes. The last two weeks or so have been full of developments. As I look at Ada I realize she is rapidly approaching the toddler phase - and I have a feeling that once she gets going it's going to be full speed ahead!

Stats:

Weight: 19 lbs (63%)
~Two pounds in one month! Wowzers!~
No checkup so no height/noggin.

Things She's Doing:

~Crawling! She has been doing the army crawl for a couple of weeks but in the last two days she's really started moving along with her belly up off the floor. We were thinking she might skip crawling but I guess she decided it was a worthwhile endeavor.

~Today she finally figured out how to get into a sitting position from laying down. This is such a big accomplishment! One of my favorites!

~Feeding herself finger foods.

~Eating absolutely anything we will let her have.

~Pulling up on our hands.

~Trying so hard to pull up on furniture.

~Becoming very dexterous - she is able to pick up and play with toys.

~Moving around a lot in her sleep - so long swaddle! She's starting to talk and laugh in her sleep too. It cracks me up.

~Teething! She finally has one little tooth that has broken through.

~Talking! She is making lots of different noises and it's fun to hear her try things out. I'm sure we'll hear a few real words over the next few months.

Things She Loves:

~Her siblings! I am beginning to think they will always be at the top of this list. She just lights up when she sees them.

~Floor time - she is so happy to scoot around and explore.

~Any toy that makes noise - even if it's a little crinkle. Actually, any toy at all will do in a pinch.

~Touching - it's all about touch right now!
~Putting things in her mouth. Of course.

Things to Remember:

~She had surgery this month to place PE tubes. With 7 infections in a 5 month span it was clear that it needed to be done. She did a great job and was just so wonderful. I was worried she would be so upset about not being able to eat before the surgery but she was great. She woke up crying but after a bottle she was happy as a clam and completely unfazed by the surgery. In fact, that was the day she really started to work on crawling.

~We're still not sure what color her hair will be. It's the same color that Alayna's was as a baby but Alayna's had started to lighten up by this point. It is staring to come in thicker and it's looking darker than any of the other kids at this point.

~Her smile just melts my heart. She is such a bright, sunny girl and I love her so much. What a treasure!

James 3.0

2011-09-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

James is 3! Can you believe it?!? (Okay, it's old news...so sue me.) When you ask James how old he is he will sometimes say "zero." Then if you ask how old Ada is he says "three." Such a goofball. He is a wonderful boy and a joy in our lives. He is a no-holds-barred, full-speed-ahead kind of kid. Sometimes it drives us a little crazy now but we know that his spunk will serve him well in years to come. He is such a bright boy and very observant - there is no pulling the wool over his eyes! I'm excited to see all that he learns over the year to come.

Stats:

Height: 37.5 in (52%)

~3.5 inches in 1 year! Up from 39th percentile.~

Weight: 31 lb 2 oz (45%)

~Gained *almost* 4 pounds - up from 41st percentile.~

Things He's Doing:

~Giving me grey hairs! I wish I were kidding.
~Eating a LOT. He seems to be a bottomless pit.

~Running, running, running. He is always on the go.

~Still taking a nap! WAHOO! He is so good about laying down for a nap each afternoon. Sometimes it's just 1 hour but usually it's 3.

~Saying lots of prayers. Sometimes he gets upset when it's not his turn.

Things He Loves:

~Sweets: this boy has a sweet tooth like none other.

~Balls: if he can kick it, hit it or throw it he will.

~Cooking: he loves to help in the kitchen.

~Cars: anything with wheels is great in his book.

~Water: he drives me crazy with his water obsession! He is always sneaking off to a sink or the faucet outside to play with water.

Things to Remember:
~He wants to go to school so badly.

~He is growing up so much! It seems that he learns something new every day and his vocabulary continues to impress me.

~People often ask if he and Jacob are twins.
~He runs to Alayna and Jacob and gives them big hugs when they get off the bus. He loves to have some time without them but he also loves it when they come home.
~He is very sensitive to his bloodsugar. If he goes too long between snacks he can get pretty fiesty.
~He still needs treatment for asthma on occasion. Usually he only needs his inhalers when he has a cold. Allergies are also a problem. He is very good about taking his medicine.

Favorites Interview:
What's your favorite ______ ?
Color: Green
Book: Cars
Movie: Cars 1 and Cars 2
Song: Sunbeams
Scripture Story: Jesus in the boat.
Day of the Week: Church Day (Sunday)
Time of the Day: Dinner
Food: Macaroni
Treat: Popsicles
Sport: Soccer
Thing to Do: Play cars.
Toy: Cars (Surprise, surprise!)
Clothes: Black shirt! (It has a dinosaur on it.)
Thing to Do with Mom: Stories
Thing to Do with Dad: Hide and Seek

Big Guy Interview:
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Small

How many kids will you have?
Two kids - Alayna and Jacob.
And a puppy.

What will you be like?
Green.

Oh James. I love you so much.

Alayna 6.0

2011-09-13T22:04:00.000-04:00

Back in July (yes, July) Alayna turned 6. Unbelievable! Alayna is such an amazing girl. I love her so much. She is a great reader. She's eager to please and wants to do her best. She is a wonderful sister to Ada and the boys. I love the games and adventures she comes up with. She's very inquisitive and curious about the world around her. She has a very bright future ahead of her and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to watch it unfold.

Stats:

Height 46in (65%)

~She grew 2 inches but ended up down from 77th percentile last year~

Weight 45 lb 13 oz (56%)

~She gained exactly 5 lbs and is the same percentile as last year~

Interview:
What's your favorite ______ ?
Color: Purple
Book: The Water Horse
Movie: Rio
Song: All the songs.
Scripture Story: Jonah
Day of the Week: Saturday because we stay home.
Time of the Day: Lunchtime!
Food: Macaroni
Treat: Candy
Sport: Baseball
Thing to Do: Play with Ada.
Part of School: Recess!
Toy: Dollhouse
Clothes: Dresses
Thing to Do with Mom: Cook
Thing to Do with Dad: Bake

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A mom and a church teacher.
(Mom's note: she has had some fantastic teachers at church and wants to be just like them!)

How many kids will you have?

Seven! (1 boy, 6 girls)

What will you be like?

I'll still be a little silly.

Really?

Silly?

Are you sure?

Be still my heart.

Be goofy my girl.

Be long our love.

I love you Monkey.

Here Comes The Sun...

2011-09-11T22:21:00.002-04:00

...and I say...

...it's all right.

After a couple weeks of feeling down in the dumps I see a rising sun and bright days ahead. I am so tremendously grateful and have so many blessings in my life - four of which are sleeping peacefully at the moment. I am going to go kiss them and then go to bed to get a good nights rest. Because tomorrow is Monday and I LOVE Mondays - a new week, a new start, a new adventure. A chance to be better than I was before. My future's looking bright - I gotta wear shades!

Big News!

2011-09-05T15:59:00.000-04:00

It's time to spill the beans - I have become an Independent Scentsy Consultant!

I have been using Scentsy for years and finally decided to start selling it. It's perfect for me because I can do as much or as little as I want and I can do it on my schedule! I am excited to have my own "thing" and hopefully I'll make a little extra income that we can put towards a house.

To kick things off I am having a launch party and you are invited!

Here are the details:

When:

Saturday, September 10th from 3-6 and Wednesday, September 14th from 6-8.

Where:

My house. Need directions? Email me at losbradley at gmail dot com.

Who:

Anyone! Feel free to bring friends or neighbors along with you. Kids are welcome too.

What:

This will be an "Open House" style party so you can drop in whenever and stay as little or as long as you like. I'll be there to show you how Scentsy works, show you the new fall catalog, and answer any questions you have. I'll also have goodies to munch on.

Don't live nearby? No problem! Visit my website at sarahbradley.scentsy.us to read about Scentsy and place an order if you'd like. Just use the "Launch Party" link to order. Easy-peasy!

Why Scentsy?

~Scentsy is safe! There is no flame and the wax melts at body temperature so it doesn't burn.

~Scentsy doesn't produce smoke or soot. The only thing released into the air is the fragrance, the food grade wax stays in the warmer. Think about it: when you burn a candle, where does all that wax go? The answer: into the air and into your lungs.

~Scentsy has more than 80 wonderful scents to choose from in collections such as Spa, Scentsy Man and Corner Cafe.

~Scentsy has fun holiday scents that create a wonderful atmosphere.

Keep Scentsy in mind as you start shopping for the holidays - it makes a great gift!

For a child, child-at-heart or expectant mom:

Scentsy Buddies are super soft and smell fantastic - you can choose the scent and keep it the same or change it out.

A Little Bit of Romance:

This is the warmer that we keep in our bedroom. It's so classy and simple. I love it!

New for Fall:

This is the new "Jane" warmer and I think it's beautiful!

Hero Collection:
Warmers for your favorite police officer or firefighter.

Campus Collection:

Scentsy has warmers for many collegiate teams and is constantly adding more.

Time Out!

Do you have a sports fan in your home?

Check out the Sports Collection!

Calling All Soldiers!

Scentsy carries warmers for all the branches of the military.

Leave the light on while your loved one is gone or welcome them home with a wonderful gift!

Are you ready for Halloween?

This guy is currently on clearance!

Find him here.

Perfect Plug-Ins!

Plug-in warmers are available and are perfect for bathrooms and kitchens.

Nature's Haven

I really think I could design a whole nursery around this beautiful warmer.

So pretty!

Shhh - don't tell!!!

Alayna is getting this warmer for Christmas!

She has been asking for one for a while now - I can't wait to give it to her!

As you can see there is something for everyone and I've only shown you a small fraction of all that Scentsy has available. Please head over to my website and look around. You'll be so happy that you did! Also, if you buy a warmer from me I'll provide you with free replacement bulbs whenever you need them.

If you'd like to host your own party please let me know - the hostess rewards are fantastic and I'll throw in a little something extra too!

Big News is Coming...

2011-09-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

...and here's your hint:

Stay tuned!

Happy Halfiversary to Us!

2011-08-30T15:00:00.003-04:00

Our 7th anniversary was back in February. Ada had just arrived, I was still struggling with nursing (24 hours in the NICU can really mess things up) and neither of us really felt like having a big anniversary celebration. We decided to wait and celebrate our "Halfiversary" instead. Okay, I made up that word but it worked out really well. The kids and I were already down in Georgia when Layne flew down on the 10th. I told them I was going to see a friend and would be away for the night and they practically pushed me out of the door. Ada stayed with Layne's parents (and probably LOVED having some quiet time) and the big kids stayed with my mom and stepdad.

I left after lunch and headed to Atlanta. I checked into our hotel and took a nice, hot shower then went to get Layne from the airport. We went to dinner at Cracker Barrel because we are wild and crazy like that. We also went to see the final Harry Potter movie which was awesome. We went to the 10:00 showing so it was a late night. (And please don't get me started on the 1 year-old that was there. Sheesh.) We had a leisurely morning and went to Waffle House for breakfast. It was exactly like I remember it - mediocre.

After breakfast we went to the temple. To me this was the highlight of our halfiversary. The Atlanta temple had been closed for remodeling and recently re-opened. It was beautiful. It was kind of weird to go in and have it look different, not to mention the fact that the layout was different. It was so beautiful and so nice to be there with Layne and to think about all that has happened in the 7.5 years since we were married there. I am so grateful for the temple and the knowledge that we will be a family forever. As we were in the temple our thoughts naturally turned to the kids and we were happy to head back to them.

When we got back to Athens we went to my mom's first and I walked in before Layne. James was down for a nap but I asked Alayna and Jacob if they wanted to meet my friend. They didn't seem too excited but when he walked in they ran and jumped into his arms. When the excitement died down Jacob said "Mom, it's your best friend!" James heard the commotion and woke up from his nap. He too ran into Layne's arms and it was so good to be together. There was only one thing missing - Ada! We then headed down to his parents (just around the corner) and Ada had just woken up. She was so happy to see me and really happy to see Layne. It wasn't until I saw Ada that I realized that I had been away too. (If that makes sense.) The older kids weren't phased by me being gone for a day but the smiles I got from Ada reminded me that I was missed too.

It was a wonderful night away and it was also great to come back together. I am so grateful for Layne and for our little family. I am grateful too for family and their willingness to help create such a special time for us.

A Rainy February Day 2004

If you had asked me then if I could ever love him more than I did in that moment I would have said "no."

A Sunny August Day 2011

I would have been wrong.

Tubal Follow-Up

2011-08-30T14:46:00.000-04:00

So, I've gotten a few questions about my tubal ligation ("getting my tubes tied") and I have a few thoughts I want to record. I've debated about this post for a while but I've decided to go ahead and put it out there in case anyone else can benefit from it. Anywho, there are two great questions that I've gotten A LOT. They are:

1. What if you change your mind?
2. What does your religion teach about sterilization?

Answers:
1. I really don't see it as an issue. I still strongly feel that we will not have any more biological children. That being said, I have always felt, and continue to feel, that we will welcome other children into our home at some point through fostering/adoption. In the HIGHLY unlikely event that we decide to have another biological child we do have options. A tubal ligation (or tubal) can be reversed fairly successfully. There is no guarantee but usually it can be done although it is almost never covered by insurance and costs several thousand dollars. That is not what we would probably choose though. Currently our insurance covers 3 IVF attempts per live birth so IF we decided to try we would most likely go that route because it wouldn't involve the reversal surgery and we wouldn't have to redo the tubal later. Even if our insurance changed this is still probably the best route. Our chances of getting pregnant with IVF would be much higher than with a reversal.

2. This one was somewhat surprising because it frequently comes from people of our faith. Many people were surprised when I told them the official position of the church which is: The Church strongly discourages surgical sterilization as an elective form of birth control. Surgical sterilization should be considered only if (1) medical conditions seriously jeopardize life or health or (2) birth defects or serious trauma have rendered a person mentally incompetent and not responsible for his or her actions. Such conditions must be determined by competent medical judgment and in accordance with law. Even then, the persons responsible for this decision should consult with each other and with their bishop and should receive divine confirmation of their decision through prayer.

Many people were surprised that a bishop (Priesthood leader) would be involved. Some were even taken aback or upset. But let's be clear: it does not say that the bishop can forbid them, just that they should consult him. I think (personal opinion!) that this is designed to keep people from making this momentous decision without taking adequate time to think about it and pray about it. We spent a lot of time praying about this decision and knew it was the right decision. We chose the procedure because another pregnancy would jeopardize my health or even my life - this was the opinion of multiple doctors. For me talking to the bishop was a great experience and helped me feel at peace about our decision.

Now that I've answered both questions (I hope!) I wanted to record some of the feelings I've had and a realization I had just this week. Since Ada was born I've felt a very wide range of emotions, some of them very strong. I have felt a lot of sorrow that she is my last baby. I was particularly sad when nursing became difficult and we made the decision to wean her. I was painfully aware that I was done with the biological aspects of motherhood. At first I was confused and wondered how I could be so sad when I knew it was the right choice. I went through feeling angry with how my pregnancies and deliveries have gone and that I even needed to consider this decision. I wondered how things might have turned out if X, Y or Z had been different. Then my periods returned and added insult to injury. Just this week another cycle began and the sorrow came with it. My periods have always reminded me of my ability to bear children, even before I was married. Now they are a reminder that I never will again. This week when the sorrow returned I wondered WHY??? Why should I have all these feelings when we knew this was right? Were we wrong? After praying for comfort I finally realized that we weren't wrong, but that doesn't mean that it is automatically easy. A grief process takes place. It is taking place. I am letting go of a part of myself. To be honest, it's a huge part of myself. I wish I had been prepared somehow so that I could have realized before now that these feelings are natural. I wish I had been prepared to grieve the loss of this power. It is a momentous change. Sure, in some ways it is a relief but in many others it is sad. I've no longer have the power to create life. That is HUGE. It's certainly not a decision to be taken lightly which makes me all the more grateful for the time, thought, and prayers we put into our decision.

Ada at 7 Months

2011-08-27T21:36:00.004-04:00

Note: I did write the post (and take the pictures) back on the 16th but I just now got around to adding the pictures and posting. What can I say? Things are a bit crazy right now.

Stats:

Weight: 17 lbs (42%)
~Down from 54th percentile last month.~
No checkup so no height/noggin.

Things She's Doing:

Really working on feeding herself. She always grabs at her spoon and she loves crackers because she can hold them herself.

She's already losing interest in her bottle except for when she's sleepy - it's a little bit of a concern for me. I can tell she's going to be a snacker.

Working SO hard on becoming mobile. She pushes up and is really trying to get going.
Sitting up really well. She can reach for things without falling over and can sit for such long time.

Outgrowing her 3-6 month clothes and moving into 6-9 month sizes.

Things She Loves:
Eating. She LOVES to eat!

Her favorites are crackers, fruit and (I'm ashamed to say) fries.

Bathtime.

Chewing on things.

Sneaking into Mom and Dad's bed.

Things to Remember:

She's had another ear infection bringing the tally up to 5.

She received her baby blessing on the 14th.

Bathtime is so much easier now that she can sit up without help!

Her thighs are so, SO chubby!
Her hair is still very red in the sunlight.

Her newest trick:
Sitting up!

I am so in love with this sweet girl. She is like a ray of sunshine. She brings such joy into our home. I love to see the kids make her laugh. I am just so, so in love. Part of my heart hurts to see her grow but the rest of it is overjoyed to see her growing and developing. I feel like our family is growing up with her.

Right Now...

2011-08-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

...I'm trying to move from this...

...to this.

I'm sure you'll hear from me again at some point.

Just don't hold your breath.

Blue doesn't look good on you.

And So It Begins...

2011-08-19T09:04:00.000-04:00

Isn't it convenient how you forget about some things as your kids grow? I forgot about this part. Yet here we are again. We have re-entered the "baby-will-only-nap-at-home-and-needs-to-nap-so-we're-stuck-at-home-during-naptime" phase. During the first months I could take Ada out and run errands and she would sleep through it. Not so anymore. So we are here at home. And it's okay. In fact, in some ways it's lovely. But in other ways it complicates things. When, oh when do I schedule appointments and whatnot? When do I grocery shop? When do we go to the park? If only I could remember how I've handled this before!

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity-Jig

2011-08-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful time in Georgia and I have over a thousand pictures to sort through. It was a great trip and I feel like we had a lot of good quality time with all the people we love the most. Our drive home was amazing. In fact, I didn't want to call anyone as we neared home because I was afraid I would jinx our good luck. I could feel faithful prayers pushing us home. It took over 14 hours to drive down to Georgia and we made it home in 12 hours and a few minutes. Amazing! (Especially considering the fact that Ada has yet another ear infection - more on that later.)

Now we are home and settling back into our routine. The kids are happy to see all their toys and play outside without melting. I'm plugging away at unpacking, getting settled and getting ready for school. Even though there is much to be done I am so happy to be home!

Beautiful Nauvoo

2011-08-03T23:48:00.000-04:00

After about 18 long hours of driving we finally arrived in Nauvoo! Our week there was wonderful! At a later date I hope to do a post with more details and travel tips but I wanted to get the pictures up before too much time goes by.

First Stop: Pioneer Pastimes

Playing with the Climbing Bear

Spinning Tops

All Dressed Up

Playing House in the Log Cabin

Pretty Pioneer

Hoop Roll

Stick Pull

Trying So Hard!

Jacob and His Ladder

Jumping Monkey

Monkey with Monkey Watching Jumping Monkey

Catch It!

Pioneer Pals

Alayna Makes Friends Wherever She Goes

Getting the School House Ready

Babysitting Duty

(Thanks Kyle!)

Bear Races

Go Kyle!

Blocks and Animals

Hobby Horse

Heading Down the Trail of Hope

Webb Brothers Blacksmith Descendants

Reading Journal Entries on the Trail

Strolling Sweetie

Pioneer Memorial

Inside the Webb Brothers Blacksmith Shop

(Our kids and their cousins are the 5th great grandkids of one of the brothers.)

Horseshoe Demo

(Lucky Steven got to take it home.)

On Stage at "Just Plain Anna-Amanda"
Alayna was so lucky to get to go on stage! I LOVED this show - it was so much fun for the kids and had a really cute message: be yourself!

Petting the Horses Before the Ride

Back at Pioneer Pastimes

Family Living Center

James is totally paying attention.

Making Rope

Sunset on the Mississippi Show
Aren't they cute?

Goofy Guys

Cutie Pies

My Little Love

Jacob and Uncle Lynn

Isn't Jacob's face priceless???

Last But Definitely Not Least

The Temple

We love to see the temple...

...we're going there some day.

Our Happy Family

All the Bradley Grands

Yes, this is the best shot I got.

I love it anyway because it is REAL!

The BIG Bradley Bunch

(Minus Kevin and Emily - we missed you!)

One More for the Road

Before we knew it our week was over and we were on our way home. I made a little workbook for the kids that I will share later. I also took ingredients for a couple of recipes. We were supposed to have quite a bit of rain so I thought it would be fun to cook a couple of pioneer recipes. Luckily the forecast was wrong and we didn't have any rain at all! That meant that the ingredients came home and we did our cooking for Family Night on Monday after talking about what we had learned and the fun we had. We made Hard Tack which was actually pretty good if it was rolled very thin, baked very well and eaten right away. I was delicious with jam but we made the kids try it without so they could see how it (usually) was for the pioneers.

Rolling the Dough

Golden Brown

Yummy!

We're Here, He's There

2011-07-29T07:35:00.000-04:00

Tuesday afternoon my mom flew into BWI. We had a quick visit, birthday festivities on Wednesday then she and I loaded up the kids and spent yesterday driving down to Georgia. It was a long trip (always is) but went really well until we got held up in stopped traffic in South Carolina. There was a pretty bad wreck and all we could do was wait, be grateful we were safe, and say a prayer for those involved. We got to Grammie and Poppa's house just after 7. We had a wonderful dinner and the kids got to bed at a semi-decent time. We're happy to be here but I am already missing Layne terribly. The kids don't know this but he will be flying down on the 10th to visit for a few days before we head back home as a family.

Ada at 6 Months

2011-07-21T19:42:00.006-04:00

Stats:

Weight: 16 lb 2 oz (54%)
~A gain of 2 pounds over 2 months~
Length: 26.8 in (84%)
~A gain of inches 2.3 inches over 2 months~
Noggin: 43 cm (66%)

Things She's Doing:
Growing! I wasn't surprised by her length at all - she is noticeably taller (longer?) to me lately. Her feet are starting to stick out of her carseat.
Sleeping a lot again. Hmm...maybe this is because of the growth.
Grabbing absolutely anything within reach - including hair. Ouch!
Still sleeping in our room. I'm not ready to let her go.
Holding her arms up to be picked up. I love it!
Sitting for fairly long stretches unassisted.

Things She Loves:
Laughing at the Goof Troop - especially the boys.
Being an airplane in Daddy's strong arms.
Rocking with mom.
Laying on her side - it's her preferred way to sleep.
Chewing on anything she can grab.
FOOD! She LOVES to eat food. She just had yogurt and it was a hit!
Walks in the stroller.
Baths - especially when she gets to share them with a sibling.

Things to Remember:
Her hair is finally starting to come in. I love twirling it around.
She has her 4th ear infection (happy half-birthday!) and will be seeing the ENT soon.
Whenever she grabs something we say "ADA! You can't ________." For example, if she grabbed a book Alayna might say "ADA! You can't read!" Or, when she grabbed a bottle of syrup off the table we said "ADA! You can't eat PANCAKES!" It doesn't sound that funny here but it's funny to us. Pretty soon though she will be able to do many of the things we're telling her she can't do. This girl is growing up too fast!

Her newest trick:
Giving high fives!

Alayna says: Ada is cute!
Jacob says: Ada can talk!
James says: Ada is fun and happy.
Layne says: Ada is growing too fast.
I say: Ada is oh-so-wonderful.

Guess Who Results 6.0

2011-07-21T19:34:00.003-04:00

The results are in!

Results (Out of 12):
Deborah 5
Stephanie 12!
Lesa 10
Grammie 12!
Grandma 12!
Kev and Emily 12!

Special congrats to Stephanie who was the only non-family member to get it 100% correct! Now I get to pick prizes! That's my favorite part! Wait, no it's not. Looking at old pictures is my favorite part. But the prizes are fun too. :) Also, could I possibly have used more exclamation points in this post? Sheesh...

Old Glory

2011-07-21T19:18:00.003-04:00

I finished another thing on my "30 Before 30" list! I started this project on the way to Nauvoo and worked on it while we were on the road. Normally I get carsick very easily but our trip was basically flat and straight once we got over the mountains so I was able to work on it quite a bit. When we got home I had almost finished it - all that was left was the "ory" and the stars. As soon as I could find the 30 minutes I needed I sat down and finished it. It still needs to be pressed and mounted but I'll probably leave it for now even though I already have a frame. I think I may have some fabric left over from my quilt that matches it. If that's the case I may make it into a pillow. Obviously I'm not sure yet!

Your Patience Is Appreciated...

2011-07-21T16:24:00.002-04:00

...while I try to get my act together. I am SO behind on blogging! We have lots of great adventures that I want to record but it's hard to find the time and energy. Additionally I've had some thoughts and experiences that were more pressing to write about but they are in my private journal because they are too tender to share. So, I have been writing, just not where you can see. Sorry! :)

Hopefully over the next couple of weeks I will be able to finally post about:

~Softball (You know, from the spring.)
~End of School Year Stuff (You know, from June.)
~Ada's 6 Month Post (Yikes!)
~Guess Who Winners! (Plural!)
~Nauvoo/Pioneer Week
~Measuring Week
~Alayna's "Summer Enrichment" Program (Or "Science School" as she says.)
~A Condensed Version of My Deep Thoughts (Ha!)

We'll see how this works out. The kids and I are headed down to Georgia next week which should mean some time relaxing on my mom's couch with the laptop fired up but it will also mean lots of new adventures to add to the list. Also, James has his birthday Sunday and Alayna's is next Wednesday so there are a couple more things to write about. Sheesh! Just a few nights I was thinking about my role as "historian" for our family and how important it is. It's a job I want to do well so maybe I need to ease up on the housework. :)

Our Independence Day

2011-07-17T20:48:00.029-04:00

I was going to include this as part of our vacation week but then I realized it needed a post of it's own. We had an interesting 4th! We originally had planned to leave for our trip on Sunday and meet two of Layne's siblings (and their families) in Independence, MO before heading to Nauvoo. We would have gotten there on the 4th and Independence Day in Independence would have been great. However, Layne and I both felt that we needed to stay. There wasn't one particular reason, just a lot of little things put together. Anywho, we decided not to travel on Sunday and to wait until Monday morning and just head straight to Nauvoo.

Our ward has an annual 4th of July breakfast so we decided to go to that before heading out of town. We loaded up everything in the van then Layne followed in the car with their bikes because there was no room in the van. We had a great time at the breakfast. The kids didn't eat much but they spent about 2 hours playing at the park which was fantastic for getting some wiggles out for our long drive. At the end of the picnic we had our traditional bike parade. I wish I had decorated their bikes but I just didn't have time with everything that was going on. I did make hairbows for the girls which you can see in the pictures. They were fun to make and very easy. I'll definitely make more - they are very inexpensive! I did dress the kids up in red, white and blue too. I meant to have someone take a family picture but it didn't happen. Oh well!

After the bike parade we took the car back to the house (just a few minutes out of our way) then we were on our way. We left later than we had hoped but it was worth it. Unfortunately our progress was much slower than we had hoped. Our goal for the first day was to get to Indianapolis. We made it there but it was much later than we had expected. We had more stops than I had counted on and they lasted longer than I had hoped. We had planned to get to Indianapolis around dinnertime so that we could swim at the hotel and catch the fireworks. We pulled into our hotel (thanks for working your Priceline magic Grammie!) at 10:45. Yikes. The kids had quick baths and went to bed. James was wired but eventually everyone settled down.

Indianapolis sets off a big fireworks display downtown that can be seen for miles around. We were hoping to watch it from our hotel but instead we ended up watching from the van. Luckily the land is so flat that we caught most of the show. It was really an awesome experience. Thanks to some research I had done at home I knew what radio station would be playing the music to accompany the show. It was a good show and it was straight in front of us. The neatest part for me, however, was the fact that as we drove down the interstate countless fireworks went off on both sides of the road. I'm sure people were shooting them off all night but it really seemed like every one was just for us because the timing was just perfect. I really don't think we went more than a minute without seeing a firework for the last 30 minutes of our drive. Just when we were getting close to our hotel and thought we wouldn't see anymore there was a big one off to the left. It was so neat to see not only the orchestrated display of the city but also the little bursts of patriotism all along the way.

We are so very grateful to live here in the USA. I have already shared some thoughts and quotes about how I feel about our wonderful country. I'm also grateful to live here at this time and I'm grateful that my kids are living in a time and place where so many options lie before them.

Now, on to the pictures! Our new camera showed up on Saturday just before we left. Unfortunately it took me a while to learn about it's settings and features so some of these pictures aren't that great. We let the kids be in charge of our old camera so we have some great pictures from them. And some interesting ones too!

Before Leaving the House
(James did NOT want to have his picture taken.)

Happy to Be at the Park!

Is it parade time yet?

Swing, Swing, Swing!

Matchy, Matchy

Made in America
My Treasures

My Goofball
(See the hairbow?!?!?)

My Pretty Patriot

Little Miss Chubby Cheeks
(See the hairbow?!?!?)

Alayna and Arden

Adventuring

Taking a Break

Bike Parade!

Emma's Awesome Ride

On the Road!
(We'd actually been on the road a while - the Twizzlers came out AFTER lunch.)

Beautiful Boy

My Turn to Drive

(Picture by Alayna)

Dinner at the Diner!
(We found a Steak and Shake!!! Yippee! I haven't been to one since college.)

Guess Who Version 6.0

2011-07-13T16:29:00.005-04:00

Apparently the first round of "Guess Who" was too easy. We had 5 winners and they all received two magnets made by yours truly. I didn't take any pictures - oops! Anywho, it's time for the next round now that Ada is almost 6 months. YIKES! I tried to make this round harder so I'm really curious to see how everyone does. I'll hold your guesses until the deadline so there's no cheating...but you wouldn't do that anyway now would you?!? You have until next Wednesday at 9:00pm est. I don't know why, I just picked a time. This time there are THREE pictures of each kid and I've cropped out background details as much as possible. They are in black and white again to keep from giving you any pink or blue hints - although Ada does tend to get wrapped up in blue blankets. In the event of another tie everyone will get a prize again. I don't know what it will be yet - it kind of depends on how many winners there are and who they are!

C

D

E

F

G
H

Good luck!!!

Home

2011-07-13T15:53:00.003-04:00

Being gone for a week was nice but so was coming home. I love being at home, wherever it is. Even when it was a tiny one bedroom apartment in a pretty rough neighborhood. (Go outside by myself at night? No way. Called the cops while living there? More than once.) Even when there were 5 of us sharing about 900sf. I just love being home. It is so rewarding to see that my kids have the same feeling too. They had a blast on our trip and loved being with cousins but there is something special about coming home and I could see it in their eyes. They were just so happy to be back. Even Ada sighed and then smiled when I laid her down in her crib. The kids keep running up to me and giving me the biggest hugs. Monday Jacob told me he was "so happy" and I could tell it was just bubbling up inside him. It's good to be home.

Animal Week

2011-07-03T22:05:00.004-04:00

Just checking in to quickly say that animal week was a bust. Okay, it wasn't a total failure but it was pretty rough. Ada was teething and I was trying to get ready for our trip. We did learn about different types of animals. The kids favorite thing was acting like animals. Then again, they do that every week. I guess this time was more exciting because it was for "school." They also really enjoyed making animals with play-doh. James makes a wicked snake. I didn't take any pictures and I returned all the library books without writing down a single title. Sheesh. The kids did LOVE the Bill Nye video I got on reptiles. I was a little concerned it would be too advanced because it said it was for 4th grade and up. The kids wanted to watch it over and over again and did eventually absorb everything he taught. They of course thought he was goofy and want to see more "Bill Nye the Science Guy." I did a different type of animal each day (reptiles, mammals, fish, etc) but if I did it again I would do it by habitat (farm, rainforest, desert, etc) and sort the animals from each habitat into the animal groups. I think it would be neat to keep a chart/graph throughout the week and see how each habitat stacked up. (Which habitat has the most mammals? Where do most of the reptiles live?) Hey, they aren't the only ones who are learning, I am too - that's why I am keeping notes about what works and what doesn't!

Speaking of learning, I cannot wait to start Church History week! I'll have lots of pictures for this one - I promise!

All Packed Up?

2011-07-01T17:05:00.003-04:00

The boys got new backpacks today. They made it in time for our trip - wahoo! Since they have arrived the kids have been packing and unpacking them with anything and everything they can get their sticky little paws on. Alayna even pulled hers out of the closet where it has been sitting since I cleaned it out on the last day of school.

Right now Alayna says she has raspberry creams (cookie cutter), a camera (link-a-doo), a computer (Calvin and Hobbes book) and a computer cord (pencil).

Jacob has a real dog (toy dog), a toy frisbee (teething toy) and a toy truck which is actually a toy truck.

James has a "camera" which is really a harmonica.

Speaking of imagination - I've been thinking about getting rid of about half our toys. Days like today I'm pretty sure that they'd be just fine. Sometimes I wonder if they would even notice.

Patriotic Quotes

2011-06-30T12:10:00.003-04:00

I meant to stagger these out but things got crazy so here they are all at once. We are so grateful to live here. We are grateful for all the many blessings and freedoms we enjoy. Perhaps most importantly we are grateful for the opportunity to politely disagree and peacefully protest without fear and to actively participate in our government. America isn't perfect but there is no other place I'd rather be.

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
John F. Kennedy

The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.
John F. Kennedy

I do not look upon these United States as a finished product. We are still in the making.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

America is a tune. It must be sung together.
~Gerald Stanley Lee

A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.
~George William Curtis

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

If our country is worth dying for in time of war let us resolve that it is truly worth living for in time of peace.
~Hamilton Fish

What we need are critical lovers of America - patriots who express their faith in their country by working to improve it.
~Hubert H. Humphrey

Where liberty dwells, there is my country.
~Benjamin Franklin

This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith.
~Lyndon B. Johnson

My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!
~Thomas Jefferson

Introducing...

2011-06-26T22:25:00.004-04:00

...our new fish! Friday night Layne and I went on a date. We ended up in Westminster (near the store where we got Goldie) and I thought it would be fun to get a new fish. We've had Goldie such a long time and the kids thought she was lonely. Since we knew the kids would be in bed we thought it would be fun to just put it in the tank and see how long it took the kids to notice. To my surprise I woke up to their shouts of delight first thing in the morning. Maybe they pay more attention to the fish tank than I thought! Anywho, here's our new fish.

Dot Zoomy Slow Bradley

Because she's got a dot in front of her tail. And sometimes she's fast. And sometimes she's slow. And she's a Bradley. Luckily the kids decided we could just call her Dot. Goldie seems to like her and they both survived the transition. I'm glad we got her. The tank has plenty of room for two fish and now Goldie isn't so lonely.

Water Week

2011-06-26T15:38:00.007-04:00

A couple of months ago I decided it would be fun to do a little "Summer School" with the kids. I picked a different topic for each week. Some weeks have a lot more planned than others. We started off this past week with water. It was fun!!! The kids love having "home school" and I was surprised by how cooperative and enthusiastic they were. In the morning we had stories and our science time. In the afternoon while James and Ada were napping we did some work on writing and math. There were a few times that I got a little frustrated but it was always when I had failed to plan or had unrealistic expectations. I had to keep reminding myself that this was new for all of us and that it was a learning process. I didn't do a very good job of documenting what we did but I do have some pictures and info.

Water Books:
A Drop of Water by Walter Wick
Water (DK Eyewitness Book)
Magic School Bus: Wet All Over
Water, Water by Eloise Greenfield
Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water by Robert Wells

Water Video:
Magic School Bus: Catches a Wave (This has 3 short episodes.)

We did a few different activities. We got ice cubes and put them in a pan. We observed them then turned the heat on and watched them melt then boil. We then guessed what would happen if they kept boiling. I let the water boil until it all evaporated. (Be careful at the end - the last little bit goes fast!) The kids loved putting their hands over the pan and feeling the moisture in the air. We also made rain in a bag by putting soil in a bag. We spritzed it with a lot of water and sealed the bag. I used a straw to blow up the bag as we sealed it so that there would be plenty of room. We put the bag in a window sill and eventually we got enough of a cycle so that the kids could see "rain" coming down the sides. We also filled balloons with water and froze them. I then poured a super hot bath for the kids. They felt the water (too hot!) and put the "icebergs" in. We noticed that the water level went up. After they melted the kids noticed the water was a bit cooler - and hopped in for a bath! As they were melting I asked why icebergs in the ocean might be dangerous and was pleasantly surprised when Jacob came up with the right answer. I also let them put water color in water to see how it swirled. I think one of the kids favorite activities was our "Sink or Float" experiment. We filled a couple of buckets with water and I let them find things to check. They had to guess what each item would do. I was impressed that they were right about all of them except for one - a wiffle ball! I picked that one because I knew it would be tricky. It was fun to see the little wheels turning in their minds as they figured out why it didn't float. Alayna also had fun experimenting with combining items to see what would happen. For example, a floating leaf wrapped around a rock sank to the bottom. We also colored pictures with marker and left them outside overnight. We got a little bit of rain and the kids loved how it "softened" the lines they had drawn. I think James most enjoyed our "Kool-Aid" art. We sprinkled Kool-aid on paper then spritzed it with a spray bottle. If I was going to do that one again I wouldn't let them use purple because it was so dark and overpowered the other colors. There were some other things I wanted to do but this is what we had time for!

Slowly Sinking Wiffle Ball

Scooping Out Rocks

Kool-Aid Art

Swirly-Whirly

Shrinking Icebergs

Rain in a Bag

It's in the AIR!

On Friday we had our second Friday Fun Day. We went to the Tire Park at Patapsco State Park. It was a really fun play area made out of old tires. Even the ground cover was made out of shredded tires. The kids had a BLAST and I was glad it was so well shaded. I was hoping Ada would sleep the whole time (it fell during her naptime) but she didn't. It made things a little more complicated but it was still a great time.

It was a great week!

Flashback Friday

2011-06-24T23:13:00.003-04:00

I was looking through pictures today and found this one from my pre-blogging days. Can't you just tell how close they were? Jacob would do absolutely everything Alayna did - or at least try his very best. Actually, they are still pretty much that close. And man, oh man, don't they look so young???

A Conversation

2011-06-23T15:05:00.003-04:00

I overheard this conversation a couple of weeks ago but just found the little scrap of paper I had written it on. I'm used to Alayna pretending to be a teacher but the principal thing is brand new.

Alayna: Jacob, will you please come into my office?
Jacob: I'm not hungry. (She was using the kitchen as her office.)
Alayna: It's not an eating office. It's a talking about trouble office.
Jacob: Oh.
Alayna: It is very important to make good choices and be a good example. I want you to be responsible, respectful and ready. (These are the three "R's" at her school.) Now return to your classroom and do not play in the hallway.
Jacob: Okay.

It sounded so accurate I had to ask if she'd BEEN to the principals office but I was sure I would have been notified. She did assure me that she had not been there but was just guessing what he would say. Also, it cracks me up that Jacob is so laid-back and cooperative in these schemes.

Fathers Day

2011-06-20T21:26:00.000-04:00

We had a great day celebrating Layne. It actually started earlier than I had planned. I had asked the kids to describe Dad and tell me things about him. I printed the list out on fun paper and hid it in his Sunday School manual. I was sure he would find it during church but he was the first one up and found it before any of us were even up. He enjoyed reading all the things they said. Here's the list:

MY DAD:

is silly. makes dinner. makes cake and puts frosting on it. plays with me. eats with me. washes me. sings songs. is goofy. says “JAMES!” says prayers. goes to church. plays Super Mario. plays outside. makes me swing higher! makes Ada stop crying. cuts the grass. is the best! is great. pulls the weeds. reads to me. makes Mom smile. is funny. is AWESOME! goes to work to get money. is fun. plays trains with me. helps me put on my jammies. eats breakfast. gives me breakfast. does my hair. cooks with Mom. gives me a hug. plays any game. takes me camping in the back yard. plants the garden. comes to my school. plays catch. makes me laugh.

LOVES ME!

Jacob helped make muffins.

While they were baking James helped make eggs.

We kept breakfast pretty simple so we wouldn't mess up our Sunday morning routine too much. I always have my Mothers Day breakfast on Saturday but I wasn't on the ball and didn't do that for Layne. Oops. After breakfast we went to church. When we got home I sent Layne back out to drop off a treat to a friend. While he was gone I got everything for lunch ready. I had done all that I could ahead of time but I needed a few minutes to get it all together so the errand was perfect.

My Little Look-Outs

Layne came home to an airplane themed meal and gifts. The kids were his "crew" and served lunch. We thought about putting the chairs in rows like a plane but ate at the table instead so we could talk. We had airplane lunches. It cracks me up how the kids think individually wrapped food is such a treat. Hey, they are easy to please! And it was a nice easy after-church lunch!

Then it was time for presents!

This year we started giving the kids presents too. We want them to recognize that they will be parents one day and that it is a great privilege and a joy. For Mothers Day the girls got a book to share. The boys presents (in the bags marked "Pilot Training") were little airplanes which they have had a lot of fun with. I didn't get pictures of the presents being opened but the box marked "Maintenance Crew Only" was an airplane kit for Layne and the kids to work on together. They had a fun time assembling it although Layne did most of the work while the kids "supervised." The white envelope was his big present - a "ticket" for a flight lesson and an hour of flying time. (Thank you Groupon for selling it 75% off!!!) He is excited to go fly a plane and I was so thrilled to give him something that I knew he would enjoy and that was truly for him. He spends so much time working (in the home and out) and I wanted him to have a little fun. We had lasagna for dinner and yummy dessert. The day was full of quality time, swings in the hammock and lots of cuddles. It was a great day!

Friday Fun at the Fire Station

2011-06-17T23:06:00.006-04:00

Each summer my friend Alisa organizes "Friday Fun Days" for the kids. Most of the kids are from church but there are some of our school friends and neighbors that come too. Each week we have a different outing hosted by a different person. Today was our first outing and it was a blast! We went to the fire department for a tour then across the street to Chick-Fil-A to eat and play. The fire station was so much fun!

Our Fire Fighting Friend

Jacob thought the lights were so cool!

Everyone got a turn in the drivers seat.

Alayna was ready to go!

We looked all over the truck and then we learned about their uniforms. All the gear they wear weighs 70 pounds and they have 1 minute to put it on. With everything on none of their skin shows and it is a little intimidating. He reminded the kids that if they see someone dressed like that he may look scary but he is there to help them. I thought that was a very good message!

Everyone got to try the helmet too!

It's a little bit too big!

Most of the group.

We also got to see an ambulance and talk about it.

The kids all got hats to take home and a reminder to learn their address. Alayna knows our street number and city but trips up on the street name. The boys don't know it at all so we'll work on it! I think all the kids knew 911 was the number to call in an emergency. Maybe we should practice just in case.

Alayna and Arden in their hats.

The Three Amigas

The Boys and Ada who was perfect the whole time!

The whole crew minus two.

I can't wait for all our adventures this summer! It's going to be great!
Special thanks to Rebecca for hosting such a fun outing!

Family Night Fun

2011-06-17T21:05:00.001-04:00

We've added two elements to our weekly Family Night which have been very successful. After our song and our prayer we now have "Show and Tell." The kids LOVE having their little moment in the spotlight every week to show something they have done or learned during the previous week. I think it really makes them feel important which is good because they ARE important! The other thing we decided to do was to work on memorizing the Articles of Faith as a family. This month we are working on the 4th Article of Faith and our lessons have gone along with that. I really wasn't too focused on getting James to learn it since he is not even 3 yet but as I was saying it to the kids this last week I noticed that he knew several words. He is so excited about it! I hope to get a video of them saying it. Of course they kind of sing it because a catchy tune makes everything easier to learn! (You can find the songs here. Click on the one you want and a player will open in a new window.) These are two very small things but they have been wonderful additions to our family night. We sure do LOVE Monday nights!!!

Ada at 5 Months

2011-06-16T21:26:00.001-04:00

Stats:

Weight: 15 lb 10 oz (56%)
~That's a gain of almost 3 pounds in one month! ~

No check-up so no length or head circumference.

Things She's Doing:

Standing up if you hold her hands. Sheesh.
Trying SO hard to sit up on her own.
She is capable of rolling over but doesn't do it very often.
"Swimming" - She lays on her back & goes berserk waving her arms & legs.
Smiling all the time and melting our hearts with her laugh.
Making LOTS of fun noises.

Things She Loves:

Her siblings. She could watch them all day long - and usually does!

Mom and Dad too. Especially if they come bearing a bottle.

Being outside unless it is too hot.

Being in the bathtub - especially if a sibling is present!

Pulling her binky out and chewing on the handle instead of sucking on it.

BABY FOOD! She LOVES to eat. She also loves bottles but not as much as FOOD!
Grabbing her feet.
Taggie blankets - it's a good thing we've got a couple!
Laying on Mom and Dad's bed.
The sound of the vacuum cleaner.

Things to Remember:

She still lets us swaddle her.

How I love to hear her little sighs in the crib.
Her hair still has a reddish hue and we have no idea what it's going to do!
Her eyes are still bright blue and clear as can be.
She's a doll!

Her newest trick:
Grabbing her feet!

Alayna says: Ada is a great baby.
Jacob says: Ada likes to talk.
James says: Ada is standing!

What a joy!

Great Sign

2011-06-16T19:11:00.000-04:00

Layne noticed this sign as we were walking into Jacob's school yesterday. I've never really noticed it before, or maybe I just haven't read all the way to the end. Anywho, we both love the last line.

Teacher Gifts

2011-06-16T17:07:00.001-04:00

This year has been amazing! I really can't believe that it's already over. The kids have learned so much and had so much fun. I absolutely LOVE the atmosphere at Alayna's school. Jacob's program is amazing too. I wanted to give the teachers something that conveyed how much they've helped the kids grow. I got potted plants and added tags with a cute message.

Alayna's Gifts

The Tag

Jacob's Gifts

Here are the lovely ladies:

Alayna and Mrs. Tiboni

Alayna and Mrs. Lamdin

Jacob and Ms. Amanda

Jacob and Ms.Theresa

Jacob also has a speech-therapist but we didn't get to see her yesterday. I'll be doing a couple of posts about end-of-year festivities as soon as I get a chance!

My Funny Girl

2011-06-14T21:54:00.000-04:00

The kids and I were talking about Ada yesterday and guessing what she'll be like. I thought this part of the conversation was funny:

Alayna: I know she'll like pizza.
Me: How do you know?
A: Because you ate it when she was still in your belly.
Me: So that means that she'll like it?
A: YES! She was eating it through her belly-button!

Sunday we had another good conversation about being a Mommy. I asked Alayna what she will do when she's a mom and here's her list:
~watch them at the store so they don't run away.
~make sure they don't run into cars.
~make sure they don't eat at restaurants every night. (This is funny to me because she asks to go to a restaurant EVERY day and we only go about twice a month. I was glad to hear that she knows that homemade meals are better!)
~make sure they eat all their veggies...and if they want bread but haven't eaten their veggies I'll say "eat just six more veggies!"
~make sure they do not get into the garden.

Other details about her future life:
~She is going to have 7 kids - 6 girls and 1 boy. Poor guy.
~"I think that my husband could stay home and I can go to work." She actually retracted that later and decided she wanted to be at home to play.
~Baby names are: Isabella and Marabella for two of the girls and Clob for the boy. Also, she said "I think one of my girls will be silly so I'll call that one Monkey."

ONE of your girls is going to be silly? Sweet girl, all of your kids are going to be silly...just like mine!

Another Quote

2011-06-13T12:17:00.000-04:00

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.

I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.

~Abraham Lincoln

Girlie-Girls Night

2011-06-07T15:49:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago Layne and the boys went to the annual fathers and sons camp-out that our church hosts. They had a good time and I think it was a lot more fun this year than last year since the boys are a year older and it didn't rain while they were setting up the tent! At the last minute (a day before) I decided to host a Girls Night at our house. My friend Camie suggested watching Tangled and I decided that would be a fun theme. I'll admit that searching for Tangled party ideas online was probably a bad idea! I wanted to do everything!!! Alayna loves the movie so much so I went a little overboard - once I made sure I could get my hands on the movie for the night! Unfortunately I didn't do a great job of taking pictures and some that I KNOW I took aren't on the camera or the computer which makes me very sad. I think one of my favorite things was a braid I made out of yellow yarn that I draped over the front door. The girls loved it! The rest of my "decorations" were hair and nail supplies that I put out for all the girls - young and ... not so young:

Girlie Goodies!

After the boys took off Alayna could hardly wait!

She waited patiently:

And not so patiently:

Finally our guests arrived and we started off by doing our hair.

I don't have pics of everyone but:

Bina got braids

Ella Got Curls

And Alayna Wanted "The Ella!"

These girls haven't seen each other in ages so it was good to get them together!

Janie didn't have much hair to work with but really enjoyed stealing mom's foot bath!

I think the foot baths were awesome. I had three of these bins with marbles in the bottom to rub your feet on and lovely bath salts. The marbles were Alayna's idea - she read it in a Fancy Nancy book and has been wanting to do it for ages. All of the not-so-young ladies took turns having a nice, long soak. The young ones just stuck their feet in for a minute then ran off, leaving little wet trails. Oh well - I had a stack of towels ready! My friend Bev just started selling Mary Kay so she did Satin Hands for us which was lovely. We had lots of yummy treats to eat and I set up a smoothie station with yogurt, juice and fruit. The girls got so excited when they realized they got to make their OWN smoothie and decide what went in it. Oh, I also had little foam crowns for them to decorate and little goodie bags. A few days later Jacob got an invite to a Tangled party for a classmate so the braid is going to be used again which makes me so happy! It was a great night ladies - thanks for coming! I can't wait to keep this tradition going - hopefully next year I'll start planning earlier!

Never Too Early

2011-06-02T22:42:00.000-04:00

I know you're probably thinking it's a bit early to have a "4th of July" background on the blog but lately I have been feeling so tremendously grateful to live in the United States of America at this time. Are there problems? Sure, but I think they are overshadowed by all the wonderful blessings that come from living here. I could go on and on (and have the freedom to!) but I'm really tired so I'm headed to bed. Suffice it to say that I am very a proud citizen and we are striving to teach the children to be grateful for the freedoms they enjoy. I doubt that I'll do this every day but from now until Independence Day I will post some of my favorite quotes about the USA. To start us off:

There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.

~Bill Clinton

Easter

2011-05-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

This year I treated myself (thanks Layne!) to a new Easter wreath. The first few years of our marriage I bought holiday decor after each holiday on clearance. I never really found any Easter decor that I liked so that's been the one holiday I was missing. This year I saw the decor that Target had and I loved it so I got it. I didn't even try and wait until afterwards. I'm glad I didn't because I went the Monday after Easter to look for more and it was all gone! For some reason (life is busy!) I didn't take a lot of pictures but I do have some.

My New Wreath

My Egg Garland

I think this is the easiest, cheapest Easter decoration ever. You just get plastic eggs (make sure they are the ones with holes in each end) and put them on a string!!!

I guess I put the decorations up too soon because the kids were asking how many days it was until Easter at the beginning of the month. I knew I was going to go crazy if I didn't do something! I decided to make a Bradley candy calendar. Grandma always makes these for all of us for Christmas and the kids love cutting off a section a day. They were so excited to get to make another one for Easter! The best part is that all you need is candy, plastic wrap and some ribbon. Thanks for a great tradition Grandma!

Finally Saturday came and we jumped into our Easter festivities. We decided to do all of the "festive" stuff on Saturday. We dyed eggs and of course I was going crazy. We had planned on doing this outside but i think maybe it was raining (it was so long ago!) so we ended up inside. I'm trying to loosen up, really I am.

We also opened our "Egg Hunt in a Box" from Grandma and Grandpa. I thought it was such a cute idea to fill the box with grass so the kids had to dig for their (labeled) gifts and eggs. They got yummy fruit snacks, some little toys, flashcards and little notebooks which were perfect for something the Easter Bunny had in their baskets.

I had to include this picture because this is the moment when Jacob realized it would be a lot easier to just take all the grass out. Clever boy.

This is the only picture I took before my camera battery died. The silly Easter Bunny hid their baskets in the tub! How goofy! Everyone except Ada got new undies, fun bandaids, a book and a bag for church. I had realized that I no longer needed to be the one toting their books to church so I decided to make them little bags for church. Well, that was the plan. Then I saw a 3 pack of bags at the store for $6 so that's what we did instead. It was perfect because it had a pink one for Alayna and blue and green for the boys. Since Jacob has blue eyes and James has green we spilt them up that way. Since then those have been their designated colors and it has made life so much easier - especially for drinks! Anywho, the notebooks from Grandma got added to the bags. Now each Sunday the kids are in charge of making sure they have their coloring book, notepad, crayons, two books and a copy of the Friend. It has been SO wonderful!!! Ada did get a basket too with a couple of toys that hang on her carseat and some board books.

Sunday morning was a normal morning - just as calm and relaxed as can be. Here are the girls hanging out while the boys finished getting ready.

I had fun poofing Ada's dress out over the Bumbo seat. My Granny sent this dress when Alayna was a baby and it is my all-time favorite. It's a keeper for sure. It will be exciting to see granddaughters in it - years and years from now that is!!!

We were going to meet some friends at the church for dinner but when we realized only 3 families were going to make it we relocated to our house at the last minute. I sure was glad we had cleaned so well the day before!!! All the kids ate outside. I think their favorite thing was the "Jello Beans" that Arielle made with a mold. Her cheesy potatoes were amazing too because she topped them with fried onions. Oh my goodness gracious, it was a wonderful meal!

James, Alayna and the Klingler Girls

These girls are headed to a wonderful 3 year adventure in Germany. We will miss them but they are going to have so much fun! I wish I had gotten a shot of the whole family.

Jacob and the Rhees Boys

After the kids were settled the adults went inside to eat but I took my plate outside with the kids. We had such a wonderful conversation about the Savior. I was amazed at what all these little ones were able to tell me about the Savior and the Resurrection. These are wonderful kids!!!

After dinner our guests left and we headed to the airport to drop off Layne and pick up Grammie. Layne spent the week in Orlando at a conference and Grammie spent the week here with us. Her timing was perfect! I'm not sure the week would have gone so smoothly if I had been by myself! She gave presents to the kids - piggy banks for the boys and an alarm clock for Alayna (she already has a bank). They loved their gifts! The boys were so happy to transfer their chore money from their little baggies into a REAL bank! Anywho, we never got to do our Egg Hunt on Saturday (again, I am blanking on why) so we did it on Monday for Family Night. It was kind of neat because my mom is from England and that's how they did it when she was growing up. So, we had her talk about Easter when she was a little girl then we went on our hunt!

James did really well!

He cleaned out the garden!

Jacob was so sweet. Whenever he found a group of eggs he would take one then call to Alayna and James to come get one too. Maybe he remembered that at our house all the candy goes into one stash anyway. We're all about sharing around here.

Of course one of my favorite parts of Easter is all the decoration outside! We have such a lovely variety of flowers in our yard. The best part is that they just come up on their own!

What a wonderful Easter weekend!

Mom's Superlatives

2011-05-30T13:52:00.001-04:00

Best Nose Blower: James
Most Likely To Wake Dazed and Surrounded By Empty Bottles: Ada
Best Reader: Alayna
Most Likely to Give Me a Flower: Jacob
Best Laugh: Ada
Most Expressive: Alayna
Most Likely to Climb Mount Everest: James
Most Likely to Become a Rocket Scientist: Jacob
Neatest Eater: Jacob
Most Likely to Be Heard a Mile Away: James
Best Storyteller: Alayna
Most Innocent: Ada
Best Peace Maker: Jacob
Most Affectionate: James
Most Likely to Be Buried by Books: Alayna
Earliest Riser: Ada

Six on Sunday

2011-05-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

1. I cleaned our sliding glass door the other day and all of my mobile children walked into it. James walked into it three times. THREE! I guess I should just leave it dirty!

2. I have strep throat again. I've been on antibiotics since Friday so I'm no longer contagious. I'm starting to feel better but I felt better last time. Then, as soon as I stopped the medicine the pain came back. I'm not sure what they'll do if this antibiotic doesn't work.

3. James is FINALLY getting his "two year" molars. He'll be 3 in July. And man, oh man, they are giving him a hard time. At least he is old enough to tell me when they really hurt. He likes to rub his gums and I do give him medicine when it gets really bad.

4. It's almost JUNE. What?!?!?!?

5. Friday was my half-birthday. Happy half-birthday to me!

6. I just had the most wonderful evening. Great friends, sweet treats, happy kids. It was so great!

A Funny for You

2011-05-24T22:39:00.001-04:00

I stole this from my friend Becca's blog. Just in case you needed a laugh.

Are You Happy?

2011-05-23T15:33:00.000-04:00

I just saw this and I love it! Because honestly, it's as simple as that. Fortunately I can answer yes to the first question right now. In my life that hasn't always been the case but it currently is so I will keep doing what I'm doing!

Innovation Challenge

2011-05-22T17:02:00.004-04:00

I know I should write about Layne a lot more than I do! I've been meaning to post this for a while. Every year APL does a contest called Innovation Challenge. Lab members apply and 3 team leaders are chosen. Those team leaders then pick 3 more team members. This year Layne decided to apply since he is done with school and he was selected for a team! They are given a challenge and have until August to create a solution. They will then present their solution and a panel will chose a winning team. I am so excited that he applied, was chosen and is going to do this challenge! I think that this will be a great experience regardless of the outcome.

Unfortunately there isn't any info on the website yet about this years challenge but here is the press release from last year: Aps for Ops. Their challenge this year is kind of similar.

Ada at 4 Months

2011-05-16T19:45:00.001-04:00

I must admit I'm struggling to accept the fact that it is time for another one of these posts and that Ada is a third of the way through her first year. It's amazing to me how quickly it is going by, especially when I compare it to Alayna's first year which at times seemed so slow. At any rate, here we are again at another 16th so here's my report. :)

Stats:
Length: 24.5 in (63%)
Weight: 14 lb 2 oz (65%)
Noggin: 41 cm (54%)

Things She's Doing:
Showing lots of interest in food. Here we go on an adventure!
Sleeping from 9-10pm to 6-7 am. I know, she's awesome.
Falling into a pretty regular schedule naturally.
Taking a morning and afternoon/evening nap.
Trying to sit up in her carseat which she cannot do and gets very frustrated about.
Drooling up a storm. Teeth are definitely on their way.
Making lots of fun noises and enjoying the back-and-forth of "conversations."
Taking 5-6 bottles a day and none at night. Wahoo!
Reaching for things - usually her carseat toys or the boys.
Trying to hold her bottle but sometimes knocking it away instead.

Things She Loves:
Walks in the stroller - unless the sun is in her eyes. That she HATES.
Getting tickles from her siblings.
Rocking out in her bouncy seat and kicking up a storm.
Her pacifier - but only when she's tired. Otherwise, she's not interested.

Things to Remember:
How one minute she can look so much like Jacob then look like Alayna the next.
She had her 3rd ear infection this past month. Sigh.
She’s VERY opinionated.
She is almost always happy but when she isn’t she REALLY isn’t!
Today she woke up from her nap as happy as can be and chatted to herself until I came in.
She really doesn't like to lay down for long, especially on her stomach.

She's got PERSONALITY!

And she's so, so perfect.

New Blog

2011-05-14T00:06:00.003-04:00

I just started a new blog. I know you're probably thinking I need a new blog like I need a hole in my head but oh well!!! The kids bring home lots of art and we do arts and crafts here at home. I'm not the kind of mom who is going to hang on to everything forever so I thought I'd start a blog as an easy way to document their art. Alayna had such fun making packages of art to send off to all her "grands" in Georgia and it made me realize that sharing their creations was a good thing. I'll be posting their art over at the newest Bradley blog. There is a link on the sidebar. This way the people who care can see the things the kids are doing and the people who don't care can read this blog without having to sort through tons of pictures of arts and crafts. :) So far I have only added Jacob's recent art. Hopefully I can add some from Alayna and James this weekend. I think it will be easy to keep up with. After all, all I have to do is take pictures and post them. How hard is that? I'm excited to watch their creations develop and to make books for them in a few (several?) years.

What was THAT???

2011-05-13T20:24:00.004-04:00

Wednesday night after dinner I noticed my throat was a little sore. By bedtime it was very painful but that was my only symptom. I woke up Thursday morning (yesterday) with a throbbing headache. We had opened the windows to get some fresh air in the house and I thought the sore throat and headache were allergy related. A few sneezes later I was sure that was the problem. Then I started getting achy. Very achy. Then I got nauseous. Around noon I called Layne to see if he could come home early. He had meetings and had to stay until 3:30. By the time he got home I was achy all over and had chills. I laid down around 4 and woke up at 8. I felt HORRIBLE. I ate two slices of toast, took a bath and went to bed without even READING! If you know me well then you know that means I felt horrendous. Layne took my temp and it was almost 103. He gave me a blessing and I had a fitful night of chills, sweats and general discomfort. Luckily he had nothing pressing going on at work so he was able to stay home today. My fever finally broke and the aches are gone. My throat is still very sore and I still have a headache but it's nothing compared to how I felt 24 hours ago. Since Layne was home today I was so tempted to try and get some things done but rested instead. I slept until about 11 then napped from 1 to 5. The sad thing is that I could probably go to bed now and fall asleep pretty quickly. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better after such a restful day. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful hubby to take care of me - and for the power of the Priesthood.

Teacher Appreciation Week

2011-05-09T23:16:00.003-04:00

I finished my craft desk just in time for Teacher Appreciation week! I had one gift idea but at the last minute I decided to save it for the end of the year and do small gifts each day instead. I lost track of where these ideas came from but I'm very grateful for the creative ladies of the world. These aren't in order but that doesn't really matter.

"Thanks for making my school year bright."
(Bag of highlighters)

"It's o-fish-al! You're a great catch!"
(Snack bag of goldfish.)

"We need s'more teachers like you!"
(S'mores supplies.)

"When it comes to great teachers you take the cake."
(Cake box full of Dove chocolates.)

Teacher Word Art

Alayna has a LOT of specials teachers and I wanted to do something for each of them without spending a small fortune. I covered the labels on water bottles and added a little pouch with a little tube of Crystal Light. I thought the note was pretty clever. Alayna was so excited to give these out!

See, I told you. She has A LOT of specials teachers!

Alayna loved all the gifts and so did her teachers. (She has 2 - well 1 teacher and 1 assistant.) Jacob has a teacher, an assistant and a speech therapist. He only goes to school 3 days a week so he took in the framed art, cake boxes and s'mores kits. I was thrilled to discover that a pack of graham crackers fit in the bottom of a lunch sack perfectly. The candy bars (2) slid in right behind them then I added a baggie with about 15 marshmallows. Jacob LOVED making the s'mores kits and was really excited that they would have enough to share with their families. He's such a sweetie.

My Space

2011-05-09T22:22:00.003-04:00

We have an awesome computer armoire that we got for $50 off Craigslist about 3 years ago. We got our laptop about a year ago and haven't really used the desktop since then. The armoire became a ghost town and was almost completely unused. Well, I decided to change that. I evicted the desktop (which we bought before Alayna was even born) and claimed the armoire as my own. I took all my craft supplies out of Alayna's closet and put them in the armoire. I added a light and put up some paper to cover the big hole in the back for cords. Ideally I would put pegboard on the back so I could hang up frequently used tools but I'm not going to do that now.

Isn't it lovely?!?!?

The Top Half

The Bottom Half

And yes, you are looking at all of my craft supplies. I honestly don't know how people fill up a whole "craft room!" Then again, I'm not super crafty and my self-imposed craft budget is pretty slim. It's so nice to have my supplies in my room instead of in Alayna's room. I also like that I can close (and lock!!!) the armoire if I need to stop mid-project. I already had the 3 drawer thing on the right, the magazine holders (which have labels and construction paper), the filing trays (white paper, colored paper, white card stock, colored card stock), the yellow box which is full of cards, the jars (colored pencils, pens, glue pens, fine and thick permanent markers, crayons and buttons), metal tins (flowers and ribbons) and the light. The only thing I had to buy was the bins. I LOVE Sterilite's locking bins. I have some in the play room and they are my FAVORITE! I was so glad they fit the space so perfectly. My craft desk makes me very happy!!!

For My Mommy Friends

2011-05-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

Am I The Only One....

2011-05-02T23:01:00.002-04:00

who feels like time is soaring by?

So much to do, so little time. I want to email people. I want to comment on blogs and let me friends know I think they are awesome. I want to write a few posts myself. I want to get rid of about half the stuff in the basement if I could just find some time to GET IN THERE and sort it out. There are SO many other things I could list. Good things. Worthy things. But more than any of this I want to go to bed. So that's what I'm going to do. And maybe someday I'll find some time to tell you what we've been up to...

Guess Who Results

2011-04-27T17:25:00.000-04:00

The results are in and you guys are awesome! I can't believe so many people got it right!!! I wasn't counting on a tie - especially not a 5 way tie. Instead of a tie-breaker I've decided to send something to ALL of you. I don't know when your prizes will arrive...especially considering I started this post on Sunday and now it's Wednesday. Things are taking longer than normal around here...

Here are the answers:
A Ada
B Alayna
C James
D Jacob
E Ada
F James
G Alayna
H Jacob

The contestants and their scores:
Grammie 100%
Krista 100%
Lesa 100%
Grandma 100%
Taylor Family 75%
Kevin and Emily 100%
Stephanie 75%

I will have to pick trickier pictures for the next round. :)

Ada at 3 Months

2011-04-27T15:40:00.004-04:00

Stats:
Weight: 12 lb 15 oz (52%)
~She gained over 2 pounds!~
No check-up so no length or head circumference.

Things She's Doing:
Smiling and laughing!
Making lots of noises.
Possibly teething.
Sleeping from about 9-10pm until 5-6am.
Trying to sit up in the bouncy seat.
Getting ear infections - 2 so far.
Moving her hands around a lot/reaching/grabbing.
Going to sleep on her own - awesome!

Things She Loves:
She still loves to be looking outward instead of in.
Being upright rather than laying down.
Being swaddled for sleep.
Naps with mom.
Getting attention from the 3 Stooges.
Being an airplane up above my head.
Her bouncy seat and hand-me-down Bumbo. (Thanks Bren!)

Things to Remember:
Her first laugh - it was contagious!
That she looks EXACTLY like Alayna when she smiles.
That she looks EXACTLY like Jacob when she's checking things out.
That she sticks her tongue out a lot.
Her few freakishly long wispy hairs up top.
The reddish tint to her hair - just like Alayna had.
How chubby her checks look when she wakes up and stretches.

We sure do love her!!!

Good News & Bad News

2011-04-22T15:21:00.005-04:00

The good news is that James had his tubes put in yesterday and everything went fine. He went down really well but was a grumpy boy when he woke up. (That's an understatement, he was screaming his head off.) We were able to determine pretty quickly that he was not in pain but rather angry about being there so we headed home and he calmed down as soon as we were out of the building. We got doughnuts on the way home which seems to be our tradition with getting tubes. Yes, we have surgery traditions around here...

Speaking of traditions, here's the bad news: Ada has her second ear infection. She just turned 3 months old on Saturday. It's pretty early to be getting into this habit. When I walked up to the pharmacy yesterday the guy recognized me and asked which one was sick. I told him it was Ada and that we apparently make beautiful faces but very bad ears. The ENT called to check on James this morning and I mentioned Ada. He told me to bring her in if/when we get to infection #4. I hope it takes a long time - she is so little!!! Hopefully since we're headed into warmer weather she'll have a nice long stretch with no problems. Hope springs eternal!!!

Alayna's Talk

2011-04-22T15:03:00.003-04:00

Alayna gave a talk in Primary on Sunday. It wasn't her first talk but it was the first one she wrote herself. I did ask some questions to get her to add more information but all the wording is hers. When Primary started she kept hopping out of her seat because she was so excited to give her talk. She went right up, read it by herself and did a great job. Here is the text of her talk:

Once there was a storm in the sea. There were some people in a boat. They were scared because they thought they would drown. They woke Jesus. He made the sky stop and the sea too. Then it was sunny and calm. They were not scared anymore because Jesus had saved them. One time I didn’t listen to my Dad. I went to be by myself. I felt stormy inside. My mom helped me say a prayer. I told my Heavenly Father that I was sorry. I told my Dad that I was sorry. I felt better. I felt calm because I repented. Jesus saves us from our sins. He helps us to repent. He helps us calm our storms. I know Jesus is my Savior.

I love Alayna so much. She is still so young but she just gets it. I'm amazed by how much she has absorbed and by her faith. What a wonderful girl!!!

Guess Who Version 3.0

2011-04-21T21:37:00.008-04:00

I decided to introduce a new game to the blog. I was looking at pictures that I took of Ada at 3 months and comparing her to the 3 Stooges. I decided it would be fun to have a guessing game with pictures of all of the kids taken at the same age. I'm thinking I'll do this every 3 months or so until the answers become really obvious. There are 2 pictures of each kid so you should have 8 answers. The winner will get a surprise package from me. I haven't decided what it will be yet but it will be good. I promise. You have until Sunday evening to answer.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

To add to the suspense I won't publish any comments until the game is over. Actually, it's to prevent cheating but I thought the "suspense" excuse sounded better. Happy guessing!!!

My Cup Runneth Over

2011-04-17T21:11:00.001-04:00

Life is so wonderful right now. Here's a smattering of all things funny, sweet, and down-right heart-warming.

I was changing Ada's diaper and it was...um...magnificent. Jacob happened to wander over and upon seeing the splendor said "whoa, mom...that's a lot of stuff." Indeed.

Occasionally I'm sneaky enough to hear some of Alayna's bedtime prayers. I love hearing her pray. Her most common request? "Please help me not be too excited about __________ so I can go to sleep." She gets so excited about everything!!!

A recent conversation with Alayna went like this:
Me: Should we buy this house? (The one we live in.)
A: No.
Me: Why not?
A: It doesn't have a chimney!
Me: Why do we need a chimney?
A: So our kitty can curl up by the fire on cold nights.
Me: What kitty?
A: The one we are going to get when we have a chimney!

While waiting for the bus one day Jacob picked a daffodil and told me he wanted to give it to his bus driver. What a sweetie!

I love putting James down for his nap. He climbs into my lap with his blanket and we read stories together. Then he lays down in my lap and I sing to him and rock him. We then share a few kisses and "I love you's" before he gets into his bed. It's one of my favorite parts of the day. James is a busy boy, and he's getting so big, but once a day he's still my little baby boy. I love it.

Tonight when Alayna said the prayer before dinner she said "please bless that I'll like this thing I haven't tried before." It was new dish and she knew she would have to try it. I guess she needs divine intervention to enjoy my cooking!

Today Layne wanted to run some cookies over to someone's house. James was napping and
I was laying down with Ada. Layne told Alayna and Jacob to play nicely while he was gone, to get me if they needed anything and that he would back in a few minutes. Alayna said "I can be in charge that long." :) When he got back she told "we didn't have any problems" while he was gone. What a big girl!

Jacob (looking at a worm): "Mom! I'm not allergic to worms anymore. I'm a grown-up."

The other night at dinner as James started eating he said "Thanks for dinner mommy." It wasn't his favorite meal but he thanked me anyway and it really warmed my heart.

Alayna (to Jacob's bus driver in a sing-song voice): This spring day is so totally awesome!

I just noticed that when Jacob says "directions" he leaves off the "d." Don't think that's a big deal? Say it out loud. Now imagine how it sounded when he asked me if "dad had the directions" the other day. Um....right this moment? I don't know. And plural? I hope not!

When Jacob and Alayna get off their buses James runs to them and gives them big, big hugs. And they hug him back! I love that they love each other so much. I also love seeing the kids run to Layne when he gets home from work.

James loves to sing "I Am a Child of God." It's his favorite church song and he likes to sing it loud. He likes to sing it no matter where we are. Of course we get some interesting looks but I sure love my little missionary.

A while ago Alayna said she was glad Ada was here because it was "boring with only 3 kids."

Alayna recently asked if the Easter Bunny shops at Walmart or Target. What a hoot!

There are a million other moments that I wish I could capture with words. Suffice it to say if life had a pause button I would push it and stay in this stage as long as possible. I guess I'll just have to settle for soaking up every minute as it comes.

She's Waiting...

2011-04-14T23:29:00.002-04:00

Alayna has a loose tooth. I'm not going to tell you how OLD this makes me feel. It's funny how some milestones hit me harder than others. Anywho, I've actually been looking forward to this for a while. The tooth fairy is one of those magical parts of childhood and I love being the magic maker. Back in December several of Alayna's school mates lost teeth so I picked up some supplies to make a pillow for her so I'd be ready when the time came. I never got around to making it but that's not a big surprise is it? Not really. Anywho, after school last Monday Alayna told me her tooth hurt and we discovered it's wiggly. Luckily my friend Sheryl had dropped off her sewing machine that morning so I could jump into action. (Thanks Sheryl! You must be psychic...or inspired!) The tooth is still hanging in there but this little lady is just waiting for a tooth:

Alayna loves her "tutu tooth pillow" and I think she's really going to love what the tooth fairy picked up at the credit union today. How long does it take for a loose tooth to fall out???

When The Going Gets Tough...

2011-04-01T15:15:00.002-04:00

...the tough...

...get going.

That's a Good One!

2011-04-01T13:43:00.003-04:00

Sometimes the best April Fools jokes are unintentional. I just got a letter from National American Miss. Apparently Alayna was "referred as a possible candidate."

Yeah, that's gonna happen.

In Which I Talk About Money

2011-03-28T21:04:00.005-04:00

Whoa, that title caught your attention didn't it? Don't worry, I'm not going to cause a ruckus. I'm just going to explain how a month like this month isn't causing me ANY monetary stress. First of all, let me explain why I SHOULD be stressed.

This month we have paid for:
~Ada's delivery (bills FINALLY came!)
~7 co-pays at the pediatrician
~2 co-pays at the ENT
~2 co-pays at Urgent Care
~1 co-pay for my annual physical with my primary care physician
~Jacob's surgery
~Layne's root canal
~1o prescriptions (that I can think of off the top of my head)

This month has made me SO grateful that we take advantage of a Medical Flexible Spending Account through Layne's work. If you don't have one you should!!! Basically, you choose an amount of money to put into the account. That money goes into the account at the beginning of the year but the cost is divided out over all your paychecks. (For example, if you decided to put in $1200 then ALL that money would be there available for you on January 1st. Each month $100 would be deducted from your pay.) The great part is that it is taken out pre-tax so it lowers your taxable income. If you had significantly higher medical costs the tax savings alone could be huge. Tax savings aside I'm so glad that a month like this doesn't wreck our budget. Yes, we've used up a big chunk of it but there will be other months where we use almost no money out of it. We've had the account since Layne started working at the Lab and each year I've been glad we have it.

In Which I Say Count Your Blessings For Pete's Sake

2011-03-28T17:46:00.013-04:00

On Wednesday when I took James to the pediatrician the waiting room was pretty crowded when I got there. And by crowded I mean we weren't the only ones and about half the chairs were full. You see, our pediaticians office normally works like a very well-oiled machine. In the 3.5 years we've been going there I can count the times we've waited more than 10 minutes on one hand. I wondered if something was going on. Sure enough there were 2 patients that were in such bad shape (suspected RSV) that they had called ambulances. It was a little crazy. I thought about offering to come back later but I just KNEW James had an ear infection and I really wanted him to be seen. Another mom who was there for a well visit kindly offered to reschedule so they could get back on track. Meanwhile the ambulances had arrived and we watched two teeny-tinys get wheeled out on stretchers. I was so grateful to only be there for an ear infection! Then one of the other moms starts complaining about her appointment being delayed 20 minutes. She complained to the receptionist. She complained to another mom. She told the room in general about her lunch plans with her friend. Then she made a mistake. She complained to me.

I tried to be polite. Really I did. But I had ZERO sympathy for her lunch date with her gal-pals when two terrified sets of parents were taking two little ones to the hospital. What about THEIR plans for today???

We didn't hear another peep from her after that.