Life As We Know It

Nothing like the present to post.  I have a lot of catching up to do, but instead I'll just start from today.  :)  Things are going great...Lukas is in 2nd grade (Mrs. Goodman), Max is in Kindergarten (Ms. Calhoun) and Zoey gets to stay home with me!  Pat just finished his last day at IMC and will start work at Jordan Valley Hospital next week.  He is still busy with Real Estate, too.  I am busy with Primary (1st counselor) and just finished the Fun Run at school-I was on the PTA committee.

LUKAS-He is really into Angry Birds and he still loves TMNT.  He just had his 8th bday.  We are excited about his baptism coming up in Oct.  He does well in school and has a lot of friends.  He plays flag football and takes piano lessons.  He is really good at drawing and he loves to sit and color/draw.  He moved his room from the basement back in with Max.  It was too dark and lonely down there.  (We are hoping to turn that room into an exercise room...).  He is a great helper and plays so cute with Zoey.  He'll sleep in her room on the floor sometimes and he always helps her.  He gets a long great with Max most of the time...they are either best friends or worst enemies.  He is a good swimmer now and loves going to the pool.  We have all taken up running and he likes to go for a run, usually about a mile.

MAX- He has grown up so much.  I was so worried about him in school, but he has done awesome.  He loves his teacher and classmates and can't wait to do homework.  He is learning how to make friends and has recently become BFF with his next door neighbor, Cambree.  They used to fight a lot, but now they are two peas in a pod.  They are in the same kindergarten class and I think that helps.  Max is a great dancer, he hears the music and just takes off.  I need to sign him up.  He is a runner too and likes to go for a family run at least once a week.  He is learning how to write and has the cutest drawings.  He likes swimming and playing wii.  He is a comedian with some of the things he says.  He is very witty and has a tender heart.  He can be such an awesome helper and has the best attitude.

ZOEY- This little diva is into everything.  She knows what she wants and nothing will stop her.  She has perfected the tantrum and tries to get what she wants by throwing one.  She refuses to let me do her hair most days, which is unfortunate because it is getting so long and pretty.  She used to let me hug and kiss her and now when I try she wipes my kiss off and says, "I wiped it off!"  She loves princesses (Cinderella is her favorite) and she likes riding her scooter around the house.  "I scoot!"  She is not the best sharer and is learning how to play with friends.  Most days she does pretty good, but there are times when she is a bully, hitting and pushing.  She loves to play with her neighbor Hadlie who is a year older and Cody, too.  She has a playgroup once a week that I think is good for her.  She needs to  learn social skills.  She is so fun and talks so much.  She has to do things herself, like open the door, buckle, get dressed, get her own cup.  She is sassy and independent.  But she is also so cute and fun.  She changes her clothes about 10 times a day.  And she LOVES leggings.  I don't know if I will get her into anything else.  She is definitely addicted to sugar and treats.  We recently took down her crib and put her in a big girl bed.  She has done great so far and likes to snuggle with her blankie in her bed.  Sometimes she'll climb up in my bed, but most days she stays in her bed and sleeps all night.

PAT- He has always had a hard time breathing at night, so he finally decided to have surgery to fix it.  It's been about a month since he had it and it has made a huge difference.  He doesn't snore or breathe loud, and that's huge for him.  He has been wanting to make a change at work for awhile and applied at several different place.  Home Health, The VA hospital, Jordan Valley... He had interviews at all three and job offers, too.  He decided to go with Jordan Valley.  It pays the most and is closest to home.  He's a float pool nurse and works 3 nights a week.  Plus doing real estate and keeping his clients happy, he stays busy.  He teaches the Valiant 10 boys in primary. It's fun being in Primary with him.  He also ran his second half marathon, Half Crazy.  He had minimal training, but rocked it.  :)  He wants to be a runner and got some cool shoes to start off right.

JaNECE- Lately I have been busy with the PTA Fun Run.  It's the school's only fund raiser and I was in charge of the silent auction baskets.  It was A LOT of work, but a huge success and the kids had a blast.  Now that it's over I have to move on to the next big thing and that is the Primary Sacrament Program.  I am the first counselor in primary and that is my assignment.  Things are pretty much in order, but it's a lot of work, too.  I love the presidency and feel so blessed to be in primary.  About 3 months ago I started running.  It has been quite the journey, but I have come to love it.  I look forward to the days I get to run and signed up for Running Scared 10K in October.  I look forward to it and hope I can keep it up.  I have to really coordinate schedules with Pat to make it work.  I still go to my Girls' Night every Monday night.  I have great friends and it's a fun time to unwind and recharge.  I do a dinner swap with my friend Becky every other week.  It has helped me to try new things and recipes. She's definitely a better cook than me, but I am learning.  I really want to get more into photography, and have taken some pics of my kids and a friends.  I want to get good, but I think I need to take some classes to really learn.

So life is pretty good and I feel super blessed to have all that I have.  I look at my family, my parents and siblings, and am so glad to have them in my life.  My dad is coming up on 4 years of cancer survival.  He has had major ups and downs (mostly downs), but he has really fought hard and is hanging on.  He is my hero, fighting daily just to live.  My mom is a hero too, being there for him and taking care of him.  I count my blessings daily.  :)

The Three Musketeers

I am just getting back into this blog! I have slacked BIG time and haven't recorded much about my kids. So I have a lot to share. They are all cute and getting so big.

Zoey (23 months) is growing up so much and getting so big. Sheknows exactly what she wants and how to get it. She hates getting her hair done or being told to go somewhere or do something. She wants it to be her idea. She loves dancing, eating and watching TV. Mostly shows the boys watch like Johnny Test or Phineas and Ferb. She just recently started wanting to watch Cinderella (she calls it Ferella). She love baths, even in the kitchen sink. She likes towearher "dresses" which mean her dress up dresses. She is talking a lot and can usually express what she is thinking or wants. Other times she says things like, "I don't believe it!" But it doesn't fit the situation. Which makes us all laugh and she doesn't like that so much.

Max (5) is changing and I has seen such a difference in his behavior. He adores Zoey and would do anything for her. He is always helping her and talking sweet to her. He always asks for a hug from her in the morning, which she usually gives him. They will sit together to watch a show together, or he will help her get a snack or her milk. They are turning out to be pretty good buddies. It makes my heart smile! Max is so smart and recognizes all his letters and numbers. He still fights with his brother, but when they play they get a long great. He is a good friend and so thoughtful and kind (mostly).

Lukas (7) is busy and never quits. He would stay up all night if I let him. He lost his front teeth and the big ones are coming in. He has lots of friends that are always calling and wanting to play. He loves first grade and is doing well. His teacher, Mrs. Foreman loves him and he is so smart. His favorite thing to do is draw and write. And he's quite good. He's read me a couple books that he wrote in school and both were awesome! He loves that Papa calls him an "arteest". He is a good helper and can handle a lot. He likes to complain more than Max, but I think it's his lack of sleep that steps in at this point. He is taking piano lessons and loves it. Hehas started worrying about money and is always asking how much"this" cost and to turn off the water bc the water bill will be expensive. He does NOT like bedtime and will do anything to stay up. he loves Wolfie and always makes sure he is on his bed at night. He is very tender hearted.

They are growing up to be such good kids. Kind, generous, loving, forgiving, fun, happy. I am so blessed to have them in my life! They brighten my world.

The New Addition...

Pat's poor car has been dearly missed. It has been hard to be a one car family, so we called Nana and Papa and asked if we could borrow their Pilot. It was so fun to drive and actually have room to pick up Lukas' friends and carpool. We have been searching diligently for a car and we FINALLY found one and it all worked out. So, we are the proud new owners of a 2011 Gray Chevy Traverse. My dream car! Bucket seats and all!!!!! I feel guilty driving it. I thought I'd have to way a lot longer to have it. Thanks Pat for the awesome car.

Ian, the Leprechaun

We finally got a Leprechaun that visited us this year! It's so fun to see what mischief he might construct! This year the kids got some cool toys and candy from him. Next year, they might not get so lucky.

3 Years

I can't believe it has been 3 years since my dad has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He is a fighter and I'm so blessed to still have him here. This year he chose to celebrate at Classic Skating. It was so much fun. The kids had a blast and I think Pat had about the most fun! It was nice to be together celebrating his 3 years of life beating cancer. We went to get frozen yogurt afterwards. I love my family and am so grateful for the time we have together.

California, Here we come!!

This was a big month for us. Pat was driving to work one morning and I got a phone call from him around 7 a.m. He informed me that he had been in a bad accident and his car was totaled. I called my neighbor to come stay with my kids and I headed over to pick him up. When I got there, he was sitting in his car filling out the report. His poor Honda Accord was smashed in half. Someone was not paying attention and rear-ended him, which caused him to crash into the person in front of him and about 3 other cars behind the guy who hit him. We are so thankful Pat is ok, besides whiplash and a totaled car. I took him home and then to the emergency room to get checked out. Nothing major or too serious. But how sad that his nice car is gone and we have a huge headache to deal with. :( To add to our busy month, we went to Disneyland for a week! We got a great deal on airline tickets, Disneyland passes, rental car and hotel. We had a blast! It was a lot of work getting 5 people packed and on a plane! But we did it and arrived in California safely and with all our stuff. We spent 3 days at Disneyland. I don't recommend it! Three days was a lot! We were exhausted every day! I think if we do it again, we'll space it out and go every other day. It was fun to be with the kids and see their excitement. Zoey was scared of most of the rides, but she had fun and was so cute. The boys couldn't wait to get on each ride and they had a great time. Max went on Splash Mountain 3 times! And Lukas loved Indiana Jones. They both went on Space Mountain and Tower of Terror, too. Brave boys! It was fun for me to see Zoey and the princesses. I am used to Buzz Lightyear, so it was so fun for me to do the girly stuff with Zoey. While we were in California we went to Burbank to visit the Lantz's. It was so fun to see them and they made us an awesome dinner. We have known them for almost 10 years now! How time flies! We also visited my old neighborhood and my old ward. Talk about some serious nostalgia!!! We went to Legoland one day, and had fun there too. However, it rained hard on us, but we had fun anyway. They boys loved building their own race car and racing it. It wasn't crowded so we never had to wait to get on a ride. Our last day there we spent at Huntington Beach and the Newport temple. It is so beautiful there and I just love the ocean. I miss living in Southern California. This trip reminded me of my wonderful childhood and how great my parents have been. I love that I was raised in Placentia and that I had so many great memories there. I hope I can give my kids such a wonderful childhood with great memories.

Jr. Jazz

Lukas has started to like basketball. It was only a matter of time...I mean, look at Pat. He LIVES for ball. So now Lukas is in Jr. Jazz and plays every Saturday. He is learning the basics and is doing great. It's fun to watch them and I can see this is in his future!

Snow in January...Finally!

This has been such a strange winter...50 degrees one day, 32 the next. Rain, sun. But no snow. That is until this weekend. We threw our snow stuff in the car and headed to Solitute to hit the slopes. Not to ski, but with our sleds. We couldn't get up the mountain, so we did the next best thing. We found an awesome park with giant hills and had a blast. The snow was pretty heavy and wet and sloshy, but it was fun anyway! Zoey tried to have fun, but didn't like it much.