What could be more precious?

Last night I climbed into bed and found a letter tucked under my pillow from Lukey. It was the cutest thing ever:

Mom and Shelly have a blog.

Just wanted to let my friends know that my little sister Michelle has started a blog for herself and my mom now. She has a great sense of humor like my other sister Maddie who also has a funny blog. Her are the links if interested:

www.muglestonpaige.blogspot.com

www.maddiemugleston.blogspot.com

Elder Mugleston - Five months out

I just received these pictures in the mail from my cute brother Drew. He has been serving in Baltimore for three months now, on his mission since February, and has already gained 28 pounds!! Doesn't he look like a hunk of burning love?! Seriously, I think he looks more like my dad than ever now!
The weight gain is a good thing, he was too thin when he left home... he is so happy and healthy out there. His spanish is coming along and he has met so many wonderful people.

Got myself a ticket

My recent luck continued last night when I got myself a ticket for going 55 in a 45... I'm out traffic school and $120 bucks now and hate to think about what I could have done with that money if I was going to be completely irresponsible with it. Half a plane ticket to Seattle... clothes for our upcoming trip.... a pedicure and haircut...who knows. My mom (who has already attended traffic school in many areas) was there by my side during the citation and told me not to think about it that way, "It's too painful" she warned. We were on our way to Baskin-robbins when the cop got me. It was 111 degrees outside and I was almost there. I should have tried to pay him off with a double scoop, my treat. Shoot.

Brave little Ashley

Ashley had her colonoscopy Monday and I am telling you it was horrible. The procedure is really not that big a deal but the prep for it of having to clean one completely out is tough, for an adult, let alone a four year old. Like I mentioned before she hadn't eaten since 5pm Saturday night and her procedure was at 11:15 Monday. I was dying... A mother cannot watch her baby starve!!

All went well and they got a couple biopsies to test whether she has a food allergy or anything else that we need to look into. Basically we are trying to make sure nothing is wrong because she hasn't put on weight in about a year (she has grown taller but not wider!) and she goes potty several times a day. So...The top two terrible moments of the day were 1) waiting to be admitted took forever and every minute seemed torturous with how hungry and weak she was at that point and 2) when she came out of anestegia and was so hungry and thirsty but kept throwing up whenever she drank something. I felt SO bad!

The top one (and only) good moment of the day was 1) while waiting in pre-op I heard all the nurses trying to get their post-op patients to "give me a little gas!".... It was like, "Bob?! You got some air in there for me?! Come on, hold your breath and push push push!" I was dying and hoping so much that I would not hear what came out. It was bad... who would ever want to be a doctor that works with that end of the body??! It seemed everyone there was either a child or OLD!

At this point Ashley is back to her usual self of turning away food and taking little bites of everything. The weekend was probably harder on me that it was on her. We should have some results in a couple weeks.

Father's Day 2008

Father's day was special this year because Tyler's parents were in town. It was very nice of his dad to come, even for the short weekend so that we could celebrate with him in person. We got Ty an out door speaker from Brookstone for the pool when we have our family swims on Saturday and stuff. Tyler is SUCH a great dad (and being a great dad also makes him an even greater husband!)... we are very lucky! The card I got him says it best:

The world needs more daddies who nurture and care,
that families can count on to always be there...
That mommas can love on when living gets stressed,
that babies can cry on when mamas need rest...
That daughters can call on to share tears and laughter,
that sons can fall back on, respect and take after...
The world needs more daddies with hearts good and true.
The world needs more daddies exactly like you!

HAPPY FATHER' DAY!

Liquid Diet Woes

Poor Ashley is on a liquid diet for 48 hours right now. Her gastroenterologist wants to do an upper and lower GI scope tomorrow morning to make sure all is well in the digestion department. So she has been on all clear fluids since last night, plus the laxatives and it is just SAD. She is so hungry this morning, it hasn't felt much like Father's Day. Tyler is more concerned for her than himself...

She is a trooper and will go under general anesthesia at 11 in the morning and be home and eating by dinner time! What a seriously weird week it has been for me, an emotional roller coaster with Tyler's surgery, the dumb kittens and this... I hope next week is more normal.

Movie at the Park

This Saturday, June 21st Tyler and I are in charge of a ward activity, movie at the park. We've got the screen, projector, popcorn and icee machine, etc arranged, but I am having trouble deciding on a movie! I have a list here that I want my mom friends (or not) to vote on for me in the next couple of days. The movie has to be "G"-rated and maybe animated, maybe not.

The Parent Trap (the original version)
Pinocchio (original)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
American Tale
Charlotte's Web

I'm trying to go for one that everyone does not already have embedded into their brains (ie, toy story..) If you have another suggestion, let me know. Thanks!

A Shutter at the Shelter...

So last night as the evening drew on we slowly got closer and closer with the kittens. We watched them play at a distance, then began to pet their backs, and by bedtime we were wrapping their little fuzzy bodies in hand towels, holding them like ice-cream cones and petting them in front of the T.V. With every passing hour they were getting more accustomed to us.

This morning the kids played with them and then we packed them up to go (again) to a shelter. After driving around looking for the place and with gas prices the way they are I pulled into the parking lot saying to Shauna, "this time NO is seriously not an option for me!"

They told me they were accepting kittens but said, when I asked about their fate, "you can do the math... we get 15 adoptions a day and between 50 and 100 cats dropped off everyday..." Ugh. We waited in line to drop them off at the garage there and started getting some serious second thoughts. This was terrible! I asked a staff worker if she thought they were unusually cute and wanted to hear that they would be adopted but she looked at them and said, "Actually, they are probably going to be put down today because they don't weigh enough to be neutered and adopted out. I about died. It's not like I like cats AT ALL, and I just kind-of started liking these kittens, but dropping them off to a certain death?! I may as well have left them on the side of some road.

I marched in to talk to another lady and told her my feelings on the situation... She happened to be in charge of kitten fostering or something and said she would take our kittens home today to be fostered for a couple months, until they get bigger to come back. Maybe she was lying, maybe not, but I will never have to know. So after some tears of joy shed, we watched them be vaccinated and kenneled then off we went to meet Ty for lunch feeling very relieved.

Talk about draining! I guess to appreciate any of these details you have to understand the problem we've been having in this neighborhood with stray cats and too much reproduction. It's sick and it's a serious problem. So let's hope our kitties 'boots', 'smokey', 'little sugar' and 'spookey' (naming them was our first mistake) are still alive and well tonight. Shauna is a saint for doing all this with me.

Kitten Kraziness

Yesterday morning while Shauna was doing some weeding in our garden (she is one amazing woman, all that she is doing for us this week!) a little kitten came out to her from behind our shed. She held it and later told me how cute he was. I couldn't believe it because I have put the fear of death in my children about the wild cats that live around here. I said "you touched it?!"
She quickly convinced me that I could easily catch the little guys and take them to a shelter so that they would be out of my yard and neighborhood for good. So this morning we set out on our task with a can of tuna... and had success. I was totally surprised at how cute and sweet the kittens were, and that the mother was no where to be found.

After spending an hour or so with them we loaded up the car and took them to a near-by animal shelter. I was feeling so great about the process at this point, but was told by the lady at the shelter that they were full and they would not take the kittens. What?! This was not an option for me. 20 minutes later I was driving away with the four kitty's, a new carrier, cat food, and a litter box that they gave me. Totally Unbelievable. I came home about in tears not knowing what to do with them and NOT wanting to let them go outside again (four cats multiply into 20 cats before you know it)... but Shauna got me through it. A little Chipotle for lunch and a sense of humor can go a long way.

At this point I have them in the laundry room and we are going to take them into the Humane Society in Phoenix tomorrow morning... unless any of my readers want a new pet between now and then. I know my friend Jill really wished she could have taken one or two home, she is such a cat lover... Kidding. Tyler is such a great husband. He definately does not like the idea of the cats but he has been supportive to me in my effort to make this happen today and has been fine with having them here.... At a distance that is!

It seems like it's always something new with me... sometimes I feel like Amelia Bedelia.

Today

Luke had another swim meet today and did just what he wanted... received second place in the freestyle and third in the backstroke! His ribbon collection is hanging in his room now with Blue, Red and White! Very good.

Yesterday things were much improved around the house. Shauna has been so helpful with the kids and house, she even let Tyler and I score a two hour nap in the afternoon. Wow. For dinner, my visiting teacher brought us a great dinner of fruit, chicken salad, croissants and warm chocolate chip cookies. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Tyler is still really sore and moving slowly, but recovering well. The kids and I just aren't used to him having to be so hands-off. The boys keep wanting to jump all over him. This week has made me so grateful for our usual good health! Health is everything in life.

This afternoon we went to see "Kung-Fu Panda". It is GREAT! Entertaining for both the kids and us, funny and clean! I do highly recommend it to those with kids like mine.

And lastly, sorry, I had to add it... my favorite David Archuleta song from the AI finale. Hope ya'll don't think I am too dumb. Good night.

Tyler's Appendectomy

Yesterday Tyler was at work when he called saying that he had a horrible pain in his abdomen. I knew something was really wrong because he sounded terrible and was sitting in his car in the parking garage resting during an important training. Within the hour he came home and I took him to the Urgent Care. They suspected Appendicitis there and sent us to the main hospital for a scan.
After about 5 hours of tests and waiting (THANK YOU to my dear friends who managed my kids all that time!) we found out that he did in fact need to go in for surgery! So about 8:30 they took him in for the first surgery of his life! He didn't seem too nervous, just anxious to get the pain to go away.

I waited for a couple hours in the empty waiting room, eating cheez-ITS and wishing I had a family member or friend there with me. I was very thankful to my cousin Chloe who was at my house staying the night so I didn't have to hurry home. About 10:30 they brought him back and he looked good. He was very woosey and sleepy, his voice hoarse from the tube in his throat, but he said he felt better!
I tried to stay the night with him there but that was a joke. Between nurse visits, the blood pressure machine and his snoring... I was making myself nuts. So I left around midnight.
Today he is good! His stomach hurts and it is hard for him to sit up and get around, but I think he will recover in no time. He was supposed to head out for a business trip to Germany on Sunday morning but we've cancelled that... and now his mom Shauna is flying in for the week to lighten the load. The kids and I are thrilled!!

To Eat or not to Eat

Sometimes feeding myself and children every meal every day can get old. At times I've wished for an IV drip that could just feed us at night while we sleep. This of course is because I have a couple picky eaters who take teensy bites... and it can all feel a bit tedious.

My Ashley is in a position now where she could stand to put on a few good pounds. I am working with her doctors to help her reach 30 pounds, but to do that I need to get LOTS of food into her! So I am writing with a request that you help me with some good kid food ideas. I am tired of our 'usuals' and I need healthy ideas that are high in calories, fat, whatever... just going to put the weight on.

I made bean burritos for us last night for dinner which was a no brainer, but I have never done that before and the kids (not Jake) loved them. That's a start. Hard boiled eggs, peanut butter spoons, pasta with LOTS of butter... that's what she's been eating.. and she LOVES fruits and vegetables, but that's not going to do it.

Anyway, Here's to her need to gain weight! - A problem many of us wish we had!

Jake's Morning

Ali told me that she hasn't seen Jake represented very well my blog recently, so I found some pictures on the computer to share of my baby. Here is a typical morning for Jacob.
Spiderman jammies, spiderman pillowcase (he's into spiderman)

A big "good morning!" from mommy and Ash

Pancakes! Yum.

Jakey is always happy to see us when he wakes up and brings lots of joy into our house! We love him so much!

I have a JOKE for you

I was just looking at my friend Jenna's blog and saw this picture on it which reminded me of my best joke, which I haven't told in a long while. I want to share it tonight:

There were two guys on the beach, a Pollock and a ripped guy. All day long the Pollock laid under the sun hoping to look good for the ladies, but the ripped guy was getting all the attention. When approached, the ripped guy surrounded by women said "Buddy, you just need to work out a little more." So the Pollock did.

The next day wasn't any better. "What else can I try?" he asked. "You need to work on your tan a little bit. You're WHITE!" he was told.

After tanning all afternoon the Pollock sat and watched as the ripped man enjoyed all the pretty ladies surrounding him. He was desperate, so he begged for anymore suggestions! In a quiet moment the ripped guy handed the Pollock a potato and whispered, "put this in your speedo!"

The next day the Pollock did just that but instead of women clamoring at him they screamed and ran away!

The ripped guy yelled, "No you idiot! The potato goes in the front, not the BACK!"

We're In

Family- Ty and I are officially registered now for the Freedom Run in Provo on the 4th. Just wanted to give you the heads up that we are already stretching out and looking forward to feeding you our dust. The link is on Chloe's website under her 'upcoming run's' section if you need it. See you there!