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Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Our Grocery Store Fieldtrip
As most of my readers know by now, Ashley has a passion for "kitchen food". When she got wind of the fact that her preschool class would be touring a grocery store she was elated and we have been counting down since. Today was the big day!
We got a babysitter for Jakey and Luke out of school for the trip, and it was well worth it! We got the see the cool man in the deli make pizza, the kind lady in the bakery decorate a cake, we froze in the dairy and freezers, almost gagged in the stinky meat place, and enjoyed fresh produce, pizza and cookies at the end!
Must say all that time in the store brought me back to the days of my first job as a bagger at Safeway. Can't say that was a highlight in my life, but it was memorable! A big thanks to Bashas for the great time and good food. Morning well spent.
We got a babysitter for Jakey and Luke out of school for the trip, and it was well worth it! We got the see the cool man in the deli make pizza, the kind lady in the bakery decorate a cake, we froze in the dairy and freezers, almost gagged in the stinky meat place, and enjoyed fresh produce, pizza and cookies at the end!
Must say all that time in the store brought me back to the days of my first job as a bagger at Safeway. Can't say that was a highlight in my life, but it was memorable! A big thanks to Bashas for the great time and good food. Morning well spent.
Hi.
I received a phone message from my loving friend DeeDee today and she pointed out that I hadn't updated on here recently. She wants something other than "the birth order of children", which she can't relate to.
Sorry Dee. Thanks for the call. I love hearing your voice.
As for an update, we've been busy and I haven't been carrying my camera with me much.
Things I have been doing are my special secret project which will de-bue itself in a few weeks on here, and stuff around the house and with my kiddies.
Things that I am looking forward to on the horizon are:
1- Flying to Utah next week with Tyler and Jake to see my brother off to the MTC. He leaves for two years in Baltimore, spanish speaking, on the 6th!
2- My HOT DATE trip with Ty for our anniversary coming up next month. We just booked our hotel in CA and plan to be away for three days, relaxing and playing somewhere like KnottsBerry Farm... the beach... my mom will be here with the kids. Hurray!
3- Having friends and family visit this beautiful spring. Todd and Nat are planning to come, my friend Megan, Ali and Blake... January thru March are really the months to visit AZ. The weather is heavenly.
4- Believe it or not I am actually getting ready for the summer to return...slowly.
The pool has been tempting the kids recently, I've ordered Jakey's floating swimsuit and feel exicited to get Ash and him (hopefully) swimming this summer. Luke is already a fish.
That is all I have to offer tonight. I guess I have to talk about what is to come because I have nothing much to say about what currently is! I will add a few pics though. BYE!
Sorry Dee. Thanks for the call. I love hearing your voice.
As for an update, we've been busy and I haven't been carrying my camera with me much.
Things I have been doing are my special secret project which will de-bue itself in a few weeks on here, and stuff around the house and with my kiddies.
Things that I am looking forward to on the horizon are:
1- Flying to Utah next week with Tyler and Jake to see my brother off to the MTC. He leaves for two years in Baltimore, spanish speaking, on the 6th!
2- My HOT DATE trip with Ty for our anniversary coming up next month. We just booked our hotel in CA and plan to be away for three days, relaxing and playing somewhere like KnottsBerry Farm... the beach... my mom will be here with the kids. Hurray!
3- Having friends and family visit this beautiful spring. Todd and Nat are planning to come, my friend Megan, Ali and Blake... January thru March are really the months to visit AZ. The weather is heavenly.
4- Believe it or not I am actually getting ready for the summer to return...slowly.
The pool has been tempting the kids recently, I've ordered Jakey's floating swimsuit and feel exicited to get Ash and him (hopefully) swimming this summer. Luke is already a fish.
That is all I have to offer tonight. I guess I have to talk about what is to come because I have nothing much to say about what currently is! I will add a few pics though. BYE!
Monday, January 21, 2008
I can't deny it
THE BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN
Your Clothes:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your
OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time,
breathing didn't do a thing.
3rdbaby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth
month.
The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold
them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only
the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you
pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake
your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical
swing.
Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it
away
until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it
off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether
they need it or not
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if
needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to
complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knee
Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing,
and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby
Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry
cleaner.
Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you
call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to
leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if
she sees blood.
At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the
baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your
older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from
the
children.
Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child
to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully
watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from
his allowance!
Your Clothes:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your
OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time,
breathing didn't do a thing.
3rdbaby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth
month.
The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold
them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only
the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you
pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake
your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical
swing.
Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it
away
until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it
off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether
they need it or not
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if
needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to
complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knee
Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing,
and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby
Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry
cleaner.
Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you
call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to
leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if
she sees blood.
At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the
baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your
older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from
the
children.
Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child
to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully
watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from
his allowance!
Friday, January 18, 2008
I wish for a dead dog.
It is now 11:41pm on Friday night. At about 9:40pm Tyler and I turned on the TV and soon realized that our neighbors dog was barking CONSTANTLY and it was very annoying. It has never done this before...but they are new neighbors as of two months ago. I listened to the dog, Tyler soon fell asleep and we ultimately decided to head to bed. Amazingly Tyler konked right out and I laid there getting more and more annoyed, irritated, angry and appalled (can't their hear their stupid dog?!) by the minute! And of course the more I've obsessed over it the more I can't hear anything BUT the dog - even with all the doors shut and the bathroom fan on- but I am too scared to go over there, what if they shoot me (we were watching a murder mystery on court TV - feeling a little spooked) so I just got up and called the cops! I seriously did. They said they'd come out soon. So now I am patiently waiting for the barking to stop (or to hear any action in the front yard) so I can retire to my bed in peace. Can you believe it.
Monday, January 14, 2008
This one's for Ali.
One thing that I have become infamous for is rearranging and changing my house around frequently. When Ali lived close she used to love watching Tyler walk through the door at night to find big changes.. the look on his face is usually the same- "Ooooohh. Anne's been busy". It is a classic, which I love! He rarely minds what I do, and usually ends up liking it. And has come to understand that this is just part of what I like to do.
Most recently I redecorated our bedroom and Ali wanted to see it. So I took photos of all the rooms I have changed a bit since she left six months ago... I miss you sis, and look forward to seeing you in March! XO XO
Most recently I redecorated our bedroom and Ali wanted to see it. So I took photos of all the rooms I have changed a bit since she left six months ago... I miss you sis, and look forward to seeing you in March! XO XO
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
It's been three years...
I've been thinking a lot about my sweet dad today since tonight, about now, marks three years since he passed away. In some ways it feels like it happened yesterday because I can remember that week so vividly, but when I think about all that has happened in the time since it feels like forever.
For my friends who don't know much about what happened I want to share a little bit about this major trial/lesson/experience in my life.
On June 4th 2004 my dad went into surgery because he had been suffering from a mysterious illness with his lungs. For months prior doctors had seen "masses" on his lungs through x-rays but had done biopsies which always came back negative for cancer, so he had been treated for valley fever, was given an asthma inhaler, etc. And had only gotten worse.
So the plan was to go in, remove the irritating masses from his left lung and be done. I happened to be in town visiting my parents that day and when my mom didn't call or come home from the hospital after several hours Tyler and I felt something was wrong. Much later that evening my mom finally returned from the hospital looking like she had seen a ghost. She brought with her the worst news possible. My dad had stage 4 Lung Cancer, his left lung was covered and had been completely removed and the cancer had already spread to his lymphnodes--a bad sign. At the age of 47 he was given only 6-9 months to live. We were shocked and horrified!
Within a week Tyler had asked PwC for an immediate transfer from Denver to Arizona and I was back to spent as much time as possible with my dad. Pregnant with Ashley at the time, I chose to lay with him to talk...watch family feud...and rest with him throughout the hot summer while he suffered through chemotherapy and radiation. He was miserable, but kept his sense of humor. In fact one day while in the pool he discovered that now, with only one lung, his body tipped to the side when he floated! He liked showing that trick off.
So the 6 months mark came with Christmas and we enjoyed a wonderful family vacation to Acupulco, Mexico on Christmas day, happy to still be together and now not knowing how much longer things would last. He was doing so well... we were beginning to hope this all could possibly go away.
But the cancer progressed and he fought, and it progressed and he fought and we lived and we loved and we journaled and we video-taped, we cherished every moment for the next 19 months.
Until December 23th 2004 when I received a call from my mom while in Utah for Christmas that something was wrong. Dad was going. I caught the soonest flight I could, ran through the door at 4am and spent the next week with all of my family loving him. It was a Christmas like no other. A Christmas that no one could ever imagine. A Christmas that, in looking back, was what Christmas is all about, which is family and faith and love. But it wasn't easy.
He passed away surrounded by my mom and all of his children around 9pm on Sunday night January 2, 2005. It was the sweetest moment shared between my mom and him as they connected so tenderly just before he went. I'll never forget that.
I love my dad so much, I miss him and have found that writing this tonight was much, much more for me than for anyone else. I wanted to share the things on my mind and express my love on this meaningful night. Thanks for listening.
For my friends who don't know much about what happened I want to share a little bit about this major trial/lesson/experience in my life.
On June 4th 2004 my dad went into surgery because he had been suffering from a mysterious illness with his lungs. For months prior doctors had seen "masses" on his lungs through x-rays but had done biopsies which always came back negative for cancer, so he had been treated for valley fever, was given an asthma inhaler, etc. And had only gotten worse.
So the plan was to go in, remove the irritating masses from his left lung and be done. I happened to be in town visiting my parents that day and when my mom didn't call or come home from the hospital after several hours Tyler and I felt something was wrong. Much later that evening my mom finally returned from the hospital looking like she had seen a ghost. She brought with her the worst news possible. My dad had stage 4 Lung Cancer, his left lung was covered and had been completely removed and the cancer had already spread to his lymphnodes--a bad sign. At the age of 47 he was given only 6-9 months to live. We were shocked and horrified!
Within a week Tyler had asked PwC for an immediate transfer from Denver to Arizona and I was back to spent as much time as possible with my dad. Pregnant with Ashley at the time, I chose to lay with him to talk...watch family feud...and rest with him throughout the hot summer while he suffered through chemotherapy and radiation. He was miserable, but kept his sense of humor. In fact one day while in the pool he discovered that now, with only one lung, his body tipped to the side when he floated! He liked showing that trick off.
So the 6 months mark came with Christmas and we enjoyed a wonderful family vacation to Acupulco, Mexico on Christmas day, happy to still be together and now not knowing how much longer things would last. He was doing so well... we were beginning to hope this all could possibly go away.
But the cancer progressed and he fought, and it progressed and he fought and we lived and we loved and we journaled and we video-taped, we cherished every moment for the next 19 months.
Until December 23th 2004 when I received a call from my mom while in Utah for Christmas that something was wrong. Dad was going. I caught the soonest flight I could, ran through the door at 4am and spent the next week with all of my family loving him. It was a Christmas like no other. A Christmas that no one could ever imagine. A Christmas that, in looking back, was what Christmas is all about, which is family and faith and love. But it wasn't easy.
He passed away surrounded by my mom and all of his children around 9pm on Sunday night January 2, 2005. It was the sweetest moment shared between my mom and him as they connected so tenderly just before he went. I'll never forget that.
I love my dad so much, I miss him and have found that writing this tonight was much, much more for me than for anyone else. I wanted to share the things on my mind and express my love on this meaningful night. Thanks for listening.
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