Bed Bugs

These are my two little bed bugs getting ready for bed. Aren't they just so cute?

Uh, not much sleeping going on here, but that doggy sure looks like something good to suck on. Right Gwen?

Noah's first train ride

Noah got to go with his Daddy on the Front Runner the week before it opened. He was so excited to go and Jason was happy it was free! While they were on the train Noah had to go potty three or four times. I think he just wanted to go potty on the train.

Ella and Noah. It was Ella's birthday party on the train. Some party!

Tagging is fun, right?

8 Things I'm Passionate About:
1. The Gospel
2. My two beautiful children
3. My husband
4. Exercise - although this week hasn't been the best
5. Family
6. Good Friends
7. Good Movies
8. American Sign Language & Deaf Culture

8 Books I Have Read and Enjoyed (in the past 6 months):
1. The Mermaid Chair (currently reading)
2. Eclipse
3. New Moon
4. Twilight (This one and the two listed above are a series that I couldn't put down)
5. A New Earth (Still working on this one)
6. River Secrets (sequels to Goose Girl & Enna Burning - good juvenile/adult books)
7. All my friends' and Families' blogs!
8. The Book of Mormon

8 Things I Often Say:
1. Ah Man!
2. I love you!
3. Uh oh!
4. Ok, hurry and go potty (all day with an almost 3-year-old)
5. What are you going to do now? (asking Noah, so he can make the right decision to go to bed)
6. Oh Crap!
7. Uh oh, are you going to be good and listen?
8. Hello Little Miss! (to my beautiful Gwen)

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die (not in order of importance):
1. Run a marathon
2. Travel the world
3. Serve a mission with my husband
4. Sit in the temple while each of my children are sealed to their spouses. (dido from Kimberlee)
5. See my grand-babies
6. Be financially sound
7. Live in different places (other than Utah, I love it here but I haven't lived anywhere else. It would be nice to experience that)
8. Visit Gallaudet University - The Deaf University in Washington D.C.

8 Things I Have Learned (or remembered, again) This Past Year:
1. Patience with two children
2. Take time to enjoy my children because they are only this age once.
3. Buying a house is a lot of work, but very rewarding
4. I love my house being clean, but would love for someone else to clean it. =-)
5. The most important holiday for me is Mother's Day - that is what I live for everyday!
6. I am a much happier and pleasant wife and mother when I get my exercise in for the day.
7. Noah hears and sees everything.
8. Noah wants to be treated just like Gwen because she gets more mommy one on one time.

8 People I Want to Tag:
1. Jason
2. Shauna
3. Megan
4. Alisha Bowling
5. Erin Smith
6. Jami Weight
7. Heidi
8. Kathryn

"Mommy, don't be Marie"

So this morning Noah said something he has said quite a few times now, but it just made me laugh today. When I am putting my hair up, it usually means I am going to exercise. So today Noah said to me "Mommy, don't be Marie." I realized that he keeps saying this every time I put my hair up. Maybe it is because I exercise and ignore him during that time and he doesn't like it or something.

Well Jason taught Noah that my name is Marie and sometimes he calls me that now. I usually don't answer because I want him to call me mommy.

Anyway, it is funny how his little mind works. I wonder what he'll say next.

Oh, btw pictures are coming and a video if I can get it to upload. thanks for visiting!

Mother's Day Tribute song

I was preparing to sing a song in church on Mother's Day, but found out that they didn't approve the one I wanted to sing for sacrament meeting. So I decided to sing it as a tribute to my mom and sisters.

I was so happy that I could share this with my mother on Mother's Day. I barely made it through the song and you will see why.

Here are the lyrics: I am trying to download the song, but not working. It may be another posting later.

She
(Cherie Call)

She is not the picture on the magazine
She's the woman just behind you at the checkout stand
She may appear to be common but she mystifies
In all the ways the wisest men and children understand
'Cause she has eyes that sparkle with her love
And she has a smile that's as gentle as a dove
And no woman from a movie or an ad could ever hope to be
As beautiful as she

She is not a highly honored diplomat
Held responsible to lead the world to peace
But what she does is every bit as serious
Amidst the turmoil everywhere that will never cease
'Cause she has hands that wipe the tears away
And she has a voice that makes everything O.K.
And no woman from the papers or T.V. could ever hope to be
As indispensable as she

And it breaks my heart every time I see her wonder
If she means anything in this world that pulls her under
And she doesn't always see the way that Heaven smiles above her
That's the reason I try to always tell her that I love her

'Cause she may not be known for giving millions
To the charities and auctions on the news
But I believe she's given more than anyone
In all the times she's ever had to choose
To give up sleep to rock her children every night
And give her heart to always hold their dreams so tight
And the best that you or I could ever hope to be
Is as wonderful as she
And the best that you or I could ever hope to be
Is as wonderful as she

Oh Snap!

So I don't know where Noah learned this, but this morning he snapped his little fingers and said, with an attitude, "Oh Snap!" I almost fell on the floor laughing. He just kills me. What 2 1/2 year old says something like that? And where did he even hear that? I know I don't say it, and I think I would die laughing if I ever heard Jason say it.

Funny kid. Don't you just love what they come up with. What do your crazy kids say?

The Price of Children

I got this in an email and I couldn't help but share it. And yes, I did cry when I read it. I'll be surprised if you don't get a little teary eyed yourself.

The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely
positive for a change.

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child,
but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way.
It's nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from
birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family.
Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have
children if you want to be 'rich'. Actually, it is just the
opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, etc
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said
or how your stocks performed that day or how the traffic was coming
home from work.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* color Easter eggs
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on stars.

* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator
magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand
prints set in clay on Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters
for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be
a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* holding a hand at the doctor's or dentist's office
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* kissing a boo-boo, making it miraculously better
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team
that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

* first step,
* first smile
* first giggle
* first word,
* first bra
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family
tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary
called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education
in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human
sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have
all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the
bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them
forever, and love them without limits, So . . one day they will like
you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the
price!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!