Nudity

*****WARNING-- This post may contain some mild nudity.***********

So we are trying to potty-train the Bennie-boo. I hate potty training. I like the end result, but hate the process of getting to it. So we bought him his underwear and have made the switch. He has yet to make it to the potty. He knows when he has to go- he tells me- and we run to the bathroom- and he sits, for a minute- then tells me he is done and not 3 minutes later I am cleaning up after him- and not in the bathroom.  I think he is afraid to  actually do it where he is suppose to do it. If we are outside playing, then he has no problem peeing on the rocks, but since we cant being outside for longer than 30 minutes without melting, that doesnt really help much.
Yesterday Ben decided he doesnt like his underwear now, and after I put it on him, he takes it right off. Along with his shirt. I try wrestling him back into his underwear and his shirt but it has become exhausting cuz he takes it right off again and again and again and again. So I gave up.  now he has been running around like this:

"He's out there Jerry. And lovin every minute of it!"

Round 2

Last year Daniel and I went to Maui to celebrate our anniversary. It was FABULOUS! While we were there we discussed the future and decided that for our 9 year anniversary we would do something low key cuz we would have our newborn, and then for our 10 year, we would go back to Hawaii.  Obviously my plan hasnt really gone according to plan. So we adjusted. Since we dont have a baby, I figured this year we better take advantage while we can, and hopefully by our 10 year I will have my baby girl.

So we headed off to Maui last week. HEAVEN! We stayed at the same resort we did last year. Its one of my all time favorite places. It is just beautiful and peaceful and the view is AMAZING! I cant get enough of falling asleep to and waking up to the magnificent sound of the ocean. Tranquility- I need more of that in my life I think.

Last year we did several of the "must-do-s" and this time we wanted to get in a few more. So we went para sailing. I admit we were both kinda freaked out beforehand, not knowing what to expect exactly, but it was really fun. I was expecting to be whipped about to get up in the air, but the launch is really smooth and then the whole ride is so calm and breathtaking. They take you up 800 ft, so you get to see miles and miles and miles around. Then they bring you back in just as smoothly as they launched off. They dont let you bring cameras with you unless they are waterproof-which mine is not, and we didnt want to pay the 40 bucks to have the guy take a picture for us, so the only pictures we have are the ones that are sure to fade in our aging brains. But it was awesome.

We also went on a dinner cruise and that was cool. We met a couple from Oahu that were island hopping for the weekend and they gave us all sorts of good info. The wife has raised 4 sons, so it was fun to get her take on surviving the wildness of it all. Perhaps I wont completely loose my mind with my 3 boys after all. And if we ever go to Oahu and get into trouble, we now have a friend in the police department.

We went to a luau and the hostess for the evening taught us how to flirt in Hawaiian. Daniel and I will never say "Aloha" quite the same way again. And apparently the bigger the flower you wear in your hair, the more desperate you are for a guy- i thought that was funny, and spent the rest of our time noticing the size of flowers people had in their hair.

We did the road to Hana again, but according to some of the locals, there hasnt been much of a rainy season this past winter and spring, so the waterfalls werent quite as spectacular as before. I thought it was still beautiful and enjoyed it.

We tried some new places to eat, and that proved interesting. We also went back to some favorites from last time. And we thoroughly enjoyed the Hawaiian shaved ice almost daily. We got in some shopping for little gifts for the kiddies, and Daniel got offered some "Maui wowie" at least 5 or 6 times. I didnt realize what Maui wowie was- honestly thought it was just an expression cuz Maui is just so wonderful and who can help but say "Maui wowie!"- but apparently my little innocent mind was wrong- its what the hippies call their weed, herb, drug, marijuana. Or so Daniel says. Maybe he is pulling my leg, sometimes I cant tell if he is kidding or not.

Ultimately as wonderful as Maui is, the best thing about it was getting to spend that time with Daniel. We usually get to hang out in the evenings after he is done with work and the kids are in bed, but by then we are mentally and physically exhausted; comes with the territory of parenthood. But to get a little break without work and kids- just that time to be us- well it was wonderful.

Daniels mom watched the kids for us. I felt horrible leaving her here in 115+ degrees with our 4 wild rascals, but they had a good time with grandma and spent lots of time creating and crafting and getting spoiled. How does one thank someone for taking on that burden of taking care of your most priceless gifts? I dont know, but the gratitude we feel is tremendous. They were loved in our absence, and we werent worried about them at all.

So we had a marvelous time, and cant wait to go back. If I still dont have my baby girl by next year then I think we might try Kauai. But if next year we take it low key cuz I have another sweet baby girl to call my daughter, I certainly wont be complaining. So we are looking forward to the future- whatever is in store for us, we are excited. 

"Did I hear a niner?"

On this day 9 years ago, it was the most wonderful day of my life up to that point. I was slightly sleep deprived-(OK really sleep deprived) excited, nervous, giddy, twidderpated, in love, and very happy. My mom drove me to the Timpanogos temple, where we met up with my dearest darling Daniel, filled out some paperwork, got the low down on where to go and what to do, then my mother and I went into the brides room in the temple, where she helped me get into my dress, gave me a teary hug before we again met up with my Daniel. She was taken into the sealing room, and Daniel and I were taken to the celestial room.

We sat there all excited and slightly anxious, talking quietly and holding hands. (we actually got to sit for quite a while as Daniels sister, her husband, and Daniels brother had gone through to do a session in the temple earlier- and weren't quite finished by the time we were ready to go) Then the sweet temple matron came and escorted us into the sealing room which was filled with several of the people we love most.

A friend of my parents was officiating, and he started out by telling a story of a young couple that had come in to be married, but for some reason the bride ended up rushing out of the room before she and her not-to-be husband were to be married. I think he must have been telling us this story to make sure we werent planning on a similar scenario. But I knew without a doubt Daniel was the man I wanted to be with forever.

I hadnt known Daniel for very long, but I had observed him in several situations and got a glimpse of his heart. I had fasted, prayed, pondered, meditated, and counseled with my parents and with my Father in Heaven before this day and knew with all my heart Daniel was the one for me. So after I told the officiator that I wasnt gonna go running out of the room, Daniel and I knelt across the alter and were married for eternity.

After hugs from family and friends, and after changing from our temple clothes, we had lots of squinty eye pictures -gotta love the August noon-day sunlight.

Then we headed over to the church for a little luncheon. Since I am the 6th of 7 kids in my family, I had been to a lot of wedding receptions in my youth. I decided I didnt want to spend my wedding night standing in a line.(not that there is anything wrong with that; I love being able to visit with relatives, and friends and neighbors- but I just didnt want to do so on the night of my wedding.) And Daniel didnt care about that either, so we invited several of our closest friends and loved ones to a luncheon instead.

 

Then we went back to my parents house, changed out of our wedding clothes, finished packing up the rest of my belongings, and drove to the airport with my mom and dad. This was a month before 9/11 so my parents were able to walk with us to the gate. Then I hugged my parents goodbye. It was kind of a symbolic moment- even though I will always be their daughter I was now my own family with my husband, and that hug goodbye was like the end of that life- my childhood, the teenage years and the claim of being their dependant. I was now an adult- even though I didnt feel like one- and this was a new beginning in my life.

Daniel and I were flying southwest airlines, so we didnt have assigned seats. And since we were the last ones on the flight, we didnt get to sit together. I was really bummed as all I wanted to do was hold onto my husband as my heart was aching from the sudden unexpected feeling of loss from saying goodbye to my parents. Thankfully it was a short flight from SLC to Las Vegas.

We loaded up in Daniels old 4-runner (to this day he still misses that car of his) and headed to the Venetian.(significant to us as that is where Daniel officially proposed) We somehow got lucky and they upgraded us to a sweet suite. We oooohhhhhed and aaaahhhhed over the luxury of the room, and then we knelt down together and said our first official family prayer, thanking our Father in Heaven for the incredible blessing of being sealed to each other for eternity.

9 years later- I look back to the day we became husband and wife with deepest gratitude. I am thankful I get to spend my life with my Daniel. In the 9 years we have shared, we have seen lots of good, some bad, and Daniel wakes up looking at the ugly!  :)  

I really dont know how I got so lucky to have Daniel. He is amazing. He is an incredible father to our children, he is a man of faith, of integrity, he is kind, and patient and quick to forgive, He is loving, and supportive, helpful and understanding. He is a great listener. He is dedicated, he works hard, and he can always be counted on. He is an awesome friend, and just a super awesome all around nice guy. Add to that his sense of humor, and his cooking skillz- well I am a lucky girl indeed.

SO to you my dearest darling Daniel- thank you for making these past 9 years what they were. Thank you for loving me so unconditionally- especially when you know my shortcomings better than anyone. Thanks for being the greatest friend I've ever had, and for being the incredible husband that you are. Oh how I love you with all my heart!

And they're off..

These 2 were so excited, they were up and ready at 5:30 am. (School starts at 8:50.) And while I was happy that they were so excited to go, my heart kinda aches. Mostly cuz I'm worried about Toast. He is such a good kid, but he has a hard time socially. I'm anxiously looking at the clock hoping the time goes by fast so I can hear how his first day went. (please be ok, please be ok, please be ok)

Nose Trick

This is it. The final weekend before the kids head back to school. Sad to say gooodbye to summer vacation especially when we'll still be way above 100 degrees for at least another month and a half.

We've been trying to survive the heat for the length of the summer. Our city built a new pool last year, and luckily for us its just a hop skip and jump away, not to mention totally cool for the kiddies, and major good people watching for me. When we dont do pool days we've been doing the rain-o-leen. This is where my kids take out the hose and go crazy on the trampoline. Kinda dangerous, but oh so fun. My Bennie-boo loves water balloons, which he calls "pop-ay-boons" and we have now added that to the rainoleen of fun.

And when the kids are worn out from that, they are crazy for crafts. Kylie loves beads. She makes bracelets, necklaces and a bunch of other little projects with her collection of beads. Her little brothers love to get into her beads and our 2 year old loves sticking beads up his nose. When Kylie was 3 she also liked to stick beads up her nose. One night as she was lying in bed she stuck one way up there and couldnt get it out.  Daniel and I both tried to get it, but we were only pushing it further up her nasal cavity. So Daniel took her to the urgent care before we did some major damage. The dr described to Daniel a little object out of the nose trick and walah- the bead came out. I have used this trick a few more times in our years of toddlers discovering those holes in  their noses. All one has to do is hold the opposite nostril closed with one finger and blow as hard as you can into their mouth with your own and walah- you get the object and a few boogers flying your way.

How does a mother survive the grossness factor of it all?

addiction

Hi, my name is Kimmy, and I'm a pretzel m&m-aholic. Seriously. I am an addict. The first time I tried them I thought they were kinda gross. But after eating a few I couldnt stop myself, and before I knew it the bag was empty. The next time I went to the store I bought a bigger bag. It was gone before the day was through.(this time I had to share with my dearest darling Daniel and my little munchkins, but I admit- I still ate most of them.) This past weekend we bought the really big bag and it didnt last through the weekend. Now I find myself making excuses to go to the store just to get more-(which is craziness with 4 kids in tow- my crazy, hyper, rambunctious, energetic, wild kids. I do not like having to go to the store with all 4 kids, and do everything in my power to take any shopping trips when the kids are in bed, or on the weekend when Daniel can stay home with them. But I'm so addicted to those stinking pretzel m&ms that I load all 4 kids up just to go get more of those darn things. I cant help myself. This needs to stop! But I cant stop now, I'm ADDICTED!

Our summer vacation is starting to wind down. I am having mixed emotions about this. The kids start back to school in a week and a half, so we will have to get back to a routine. Get back to waking up at a certain time, getting to bed at a certain time, homework, yada yada yada. On the one hand- I think it will be great for Kylie and Tyler to spend a good chunk of the day apart. They have taken sibling rivalry to a new extreme. You would think someone sticking their tongue at you was like a bullet to the heart with the amount of screaming and crying that it causes. But I really like being on our own schedule. I have enjoyed the pool days, the movie days, the "pop-a-boon" days, the craft days, the cookie days. I have enjoyed making breakfast together without a rush to get somewhere. I am gonna miss the freedom of our own schedule. And I am really worried about how my Toast is gonna do for a new teacher and new class. He is a smart kid, but his little personality is a tricky one and he can be soooo frustrating when he gets upset and shuts down. I have been praying that whomever his teacher will be, she will be patient and understanding with this kid. Otherwise, he is gonna be miserable, his teacher is gonna be miserable and I am gonna be miserable.

Random change of subject. Daniel is a good guy. Some of the things I love most about him are just how loving and kind and giving and generous he is. He has such a good heart. But sometimes I get a little irritated with how good and kind he is. This probably makes me a terrible person- but we are having to deal with a frustrating situation, kinda because Daniel is such a good guy.
So Daniel home teaches this guy, whom is not active and probably wont ever be, but Daniel encourages and tries to be a friend to him. This guy has had a sting of bad luck, and literally didnt have a dime to his name. So a few months ago Daniel hired him to come mow our lawn. Daniel, being the good guy that he is, paid him generously(to help him out), and since then, this guy has been coming once a week, expecting the same payment. We dont need someone to mow our grass, especially not every flippin week. IF it was a priority we would do it- but its not. But Daniel wanted to help this guy out, so he gave him a job. But now the guy doesnt do a very good job, and still wants to get paid that "generous" amount, and has been treating the situation as if we are his own piggy bank. This guy comes during the day, when Daniel is at work and cant come home; This guy doesnt have a phone of any kind, so the only way Daniel can communicate with him is if Daniel drives over to his house, but as Daniel works 12-14 hour days, he hasnt gotten a chance to talk with him about this arrangement. As we were getting ready to head out of town for my familys reunion a few weeks back, this guy came by as we were heading out, so Daniel was finally able to talk to him. He told him we just needed a once a month mow. I was thinking we wouldnt see him until August, but he showed up today. It hasnt been a month yet and although I feel bad for him, times are tough right now in Daniels line of work and they have had several slow months, so our own finances are more strained. And as the kids are gonna need school supplies and clothes and backpacks and shoes I'm thinking to myself-- I cant afford to pay this guy especially when it hasnt even been a month from his last visit. So he mows the yard and then knocks on the door to let me know he is done- meaning its time to pay him.  As I wasnt planning on him coming over for 2 more weeks, I didnt have the cash to pay him. I texted Daniel earlier and asked him what to do- and he said to tell the guy that he would swing by his place later to pay him. So I tell the guy this, and he gets kinda upset and tells me he needs the money now cuz he has to go pay his insurance on his truck. So I dont know what to do, cuz like I said I dont have the cash- and this guy is getting upset. So again- I text Daniel- who tells me to tell him he can come over to Daniels office and Daniel will pay him. So the guy gets the directions and goes.
I'm not liking this situation. And I'm trying not to be judgemental- but the guy has been a gang member and has been to prison before and I'm slightly afraid for my safety when he is here and Daniel is at work. And if I cant pay him and he gets upset- I kinda worry that he is gonna beat me up or something. Now maybe I'm being a bit dramatic- but I dont really know this guy. I feel bad for him, and I recognize he is a child of God- and I know we are suppose to help and serve one another, but I dont like that it has gotten to this point. So then I think of my sweet Daniel and I think- dear Daniel, perhaps you shouldnt always be so nice. It might get me killed. And your kids will have to go to school without new shoes, clothes, backpacks and supplies. Love Kimmy-the selfish, dramatic, and fearful pretzel M&M addict.

The Fam

Last week we headed up to my familys annual reunion. We were planning on having this blessed event in San Diego, but had a quick change of plans. Luckily my sister-in-law managed to find a last minute super awesome house big enough for our family just outside of Cedar City. It was GREAT! The kids were able to run wild, hike, four-wheel, and grandpa even set up a totally awesome slip n slide. It was low key, low stress, and very fun. I have to admit, one of my favorite things was holding my beautiful niece Olivia. I just wanted to take her home with us, but Toast told me that would be stealing, so that plan didnt pan out.
Each year we have a little spotlight on one member of the family, and this year it was on my dad. My sister-in-law Kristy had the siblings each write down a favorite memory of my dad, and then after each one was read by another sibling my dad had to guess who wrote each one. I gotta say I am slightly irritated that my siblings dont think I can qualify for saying I know what slave labor is-(particularly the kind that was required when one went to work with my dad.) Granted when all my big brothers were around before heading off for missions and college and starting their own fams- I didnt have to be one of my dads slaves. They got the brunt of it, but once they were all out of the picture and my dad needed a hand- or wanted to teach me a lesson, then I had to suffer like the rest of them. OK, maybe he took it a little easier on my cuz I am a girl, but i think that only means that he didnt cuss around me like he did with the boys. But the evening was a special one with my family as we shared things about my dad, and I think we all got chocked up a time or 2, especially when my brother Jeremy shed a few tears after almost wetting his pants from a particular comical memory. Laughter through tears baby!
We tried getting a decent group shot before we all headed our separate ways, but alas- these were what we ended up with.

Oh how I love family. I look forward to seeing ya'll next year!