The CiRcuS Family

I often think of my family as a circus family, with my children as the three rings of entertainment. Anyone who has sat behind us in church knows that we can be very amusing to watch, and I do try to keep a sense of humor by calling my kids "clowns" whenever I want to call them something worse!
Last night I was tired as usual when bedtime came and was doing the bath and jammies and teeth brush routine with the kids. I finshed Jakey up and went in to dress Ashley when all of a sudden I heard laughter from the bathroom. I knew instantly what had happened. I went for my camera before even looking in the bathtub, because I knew Jake was back in, fully clothed!
And that he was, happy as could be.

Once I started scolding him he looked down and realized what he had forgotten to do and climbed out. I really was frustrated but had to laugh when I skinned off his wet p.j.s and saw the fully loaded diaper. The fun never ends around here!

My Two Daughters (for 30 seconds)

Ashley caught Luke in a RARE and lucky moment willing to play something 'girly' with her! Usually she is the one always having to play boy stuff. And look at her face - she adores him!

My Sweet Boys

I love this picture from the Fathers and Sons campout -
how precious it will be as Luke gets older

Confessions of a Garage Saler

Since the kids were up bright and early this morning (6am) I decided to load them in the car and hit some garage sales. This is not something I do often, but we had a good time doing it! I spent only $27 and got a new wagon ($10 score), a cool toy for Jake ($5) and a doll house for Ashley ($2). My last find was the best, a Dora Talking Kitchen! This is exactly Ashley wants as a reward for not sucking her finger for ten days (we're on day five). They normally cost about $80 which would have been painful to pay since she already has a kitchen and plenty of play food, but we were going to do it in our effort to curb the habit. So I have been thinking about needing to buy that, and when I pulled up there the kitchen was. I did notice the Hispanic couple that was looking at it, seeming like they were going to get it so I got ugly. (and now I feel bad, and this is why I am writing about it...) I quickly saw that the sticker on it said $10, so I hurried to my wallet and right up to the owner and said "This is for the Dora kitchen". As she was getting my change I saw the couple pull a $5 sticker off another toy and switch it with the $10 sticker on the kitchen. I got my change. The transaction was done. Right at that moment the lady came up and said "I'd like the Dora kitchen" ... things unraveled and the lady got mad a me and said her husband had been standing by it and I just said "I didn't know", got it in the car and left.

Have I robbed the poor?? In hindsight I don't know if I would have done the same thing... I'll probably think of that couple every time Ashley plays with the dumb thing. I'm not sure it was worth it. Any thoughts?

Working it.

Yesterday was a beast. Had the kids all in bed by 6:15, no family night and Oprah the rest of the evening... Tyler just laughed.

It was an adjustment mainly for Ashley to get thru the day without dolly and binki... lots of whining from her and Jake all day. BUT Jake did nap perfectly and slept through the night last night great. And Ashley made it without dolly for the first time in her life! So we are headed in the right direction. Let's hope today goes more smoothly.

Happy Monday!

I just got home from taking Luke to school on his bike, it is another beautiful morning. Only supposed to get up to 96 degrees today.... I'm feeling like my Luke needs a new bike. He is still using training wheels but his little bike makes his legs work so hard that biking is not much fun. I'll check out craigs list for that. Also, today was the day I committed myself to taking away Ashley's dolly (which she loves, but when she holds it she sucks her finger more) and Jake's binki's and bottles. Sounds hard core, but when I visited the dentist last week he told me it was definately time. Ugh. Am I really up for this? I am going to attempt to put together a 'package' for baby Gracie with all their 'baby stuff' and send it on it's way, probably addressed to grandma's house (just in case I need it back in a few days...). So hold me accountable to that. I know the orthodontist bills will be less because of it someday!

Not many plans this week. Spring is in the air and I want to post a couple pictures of our garden and the caterpillars we just grew into butterflies!
These pictures were taken a few weeks ago. We've got sunflowers, wildflowers, cantalope, green peppers, tomatoes and strawberries going now. Today the strawberries and tomotoes are just starting to turn red.
These are the gross little caterpillars that we watched grow fat, make a crysallis and turn into a complete butterfly. Ashley got them from her preschool class but I was so intrigued by it that I kept them in my room on my bathroom counter. It was crazy how fast they changed, and then we let the butterflies go.

A Temple in GILBERT!

An artist's rendering of what the Temple will be like

I heard today from a friend that the First Presidency announced this morning that we are going to get a temple here in Gilbert! The exact location hasn't been disclosed, but she heard that it will be on the land SE of Greenfield and Pecos, near the freeway entrance (and Costco) by our house! We are so happy! I got online to find more information and here is an article from the church news.

Location: Gilbert, Arizona, United States.
Announcement: April 2008
In his first temple announcement since becoming president of the Church, President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of two temples in Arizona: one in the Gila Valley and the other in Gilbert—bringing the total number of temples in Arizona to four. "It is my personal priority to make sure members of the Church have access to the blessings of the temple," said President Monson. "It is here where members learn of their divine origin and destiny; where they are strengthened spiritually as individuals and as families. Temples are sanctuaries from the storms of life."1
Located in the southeastern section of the Phoenix metropolitan area—just south of Mesa—Gilbert and its surrounding communities enjoy a high concentration of Church members, who currently attend the Mesa Arizona Temple. A temple in Gilbert will help relieve demands currently placed on the Mesa temple, which serves well over 70 stakes throughout southern Arizona.

HOORAY!

Baby Gracie in her mommy's arms!

Ever since this sweet baby was born I have checked her blog daily and thought so much about their family. This little lady is truly a miracle baby and has defied all the odds in her survival and how well she has done. This morning I got on their blog and saw this BEAUTIFUL picture and wanted to share the great news! After 30 days her mommy got to hold her!!! This is a great occasion. I am so happy for both mom and daughter. Her breathing tube should come out soon so that she can be held more often her mom said. If you want to see the blog yourselves, click on the Gledhill family under my friends links. They are so cool.

Did it

Uploaded a new song today - 'Over It' to the blog. The other morning this song came on my Ipod and something about it made me RUN FAST and I did my mile in 7:36!! It felt SO GOOD and my throat burned afterward like it used to when I ran cross-country. My little sister Shelly informed me that this song is 'soooo old', but I hadn't heard it and found the beat perfect for setting pace. Repeated it three times during the mile... and anyway, wanted to share my triumph!

Our cute friends

This is a post that my mom and sisters have been asking for (I hope it's okay with Greg and Melissa). Our good friends welcomed their third baby into their family this week and we are SO happy for them! The twins are some of Jakey's best friends and we loved taking care of them for a while this weekend. Melissa and I say that we are like family to each other because neither of us have family here in town! We may even have our kids call the other "auntie" to make ourselves feel better! Aren't they a cute family though? They definately have their hands full now! These pictures were taken just before they left for the hospital, while babysitting them and of the new princess whose name I am not sure of (cause I don't know that they are sure yet!)

Luke Loves T-ball

Luke joined his first T-ball team this month. So far in his life, as he puts it, he has tried soccer, flag football and T-ball and T-ball is his favorite! The night he got his first little baseball cap I melted when I saw him in it because he was so happy (and his ears were sticking out on the sides and looked so cute!) He did great in his first game, getting hits and running the bases like an old pro. I just like the fact that he is willing to try lots of new things and have a good attitude about doing his best. He's signed up for swim team and gymnastics this summer! Lots of fun!

WE LOVE SHELLY BELLY!

This week my little but oh-so-grown-up sister Shelly visited us with her friend Jessica! We LOVED having them here!! They enjoyed most of their hours in the sun working on their tans and ordering in pizza but they were also a ton of help with the kids! We all ADORE auntie Shelly and she has always been so good to her niece and nephews. We only wish we lived closer to her so she could spend more of her Friday and Saturday nights with them! Right. Thanks for a fun visit girls! It was fun getting to know you better Jessica, you're welcome back anytime!

Happy Six Months Blake and Al!

I just talked to my sister and was reminded that today is their six month anniversary. So I want to send a shout out to tell them how much we love them!! We are so happy that you are so happy together. And, by the looks of the floral apron, we can see that Blake has been successfully domesticated. I am sure you will enjoy your night in snowy Seattle at a romantic dinner at the KEG!

Nike +

I'd like to write about something else cool that I've gotten into. My cute husband got me new running shoes for my birthday and then got me the ipod attachment Nike+ thing that I can run with. Not because he is hinting at anything, he reassured me, but because I went running a few weekends ago for a church event and remembered how much I used to love it. Anyway, the Nike+ is so cool because I choose what type of workout I'd like (time, distance, pace, etc) and then it tracks it all for me. I love how the lady comes on and tells me how much farther I have to go "300 meters"... and then my music picks back up. My favorite though is how at the end of my workouts I've been hearing this "Hi! This is Lance Armstrong. Congratulations on setting a new personal record for the one mile!" I like to smile and say thanks. Right now I am working on breaking 8 minutes for the one mile and as soon as I do that I will start running two miles. Baby steps, my friends.

RED BOX

I may be a step behind the times (and it wouldn't be the first time) but I discovered RED BOX this weekend at the entrance of my Walmart and Walgreens and it is amazing. Has changed my renting videos life. It is the coolest thing to be able to run in, swipe your card, select your movie and have it pop out at you all for ONLY $1.08!! There's nothing to it. And you get to keep the movie until 9pm the next day, which is just enough time to watch it and get it back before forgetting. I know these things are showing up everywhere - McDonalds, etc. So give it a try!And as a side note, we recommend Alvin and the Chipmunks!

Daddy and Jake

This weekend Tyler took a trip to Utah to see his family and squeeze one more day of skiing in before the season ended. He felt badly leaving me home for a weekend and so we arranged for him to take Jakey as his lap child and little buddy! This is one thing I love SO MUCH about Tyler as a daddy. He is SO competent and hands-on with the kids, even when they are babies! It just hasn't been a question... when Jake was only two days old and had to get in for his inital newborn appointment Tyler took him in all on his own and left me home napping! He is incredible! Anyway though, the two of them headed off on their trip Friday afternoon and say they had a GREAT time!! Here at home Ashley, Luke and I did too... with lots of kid friendly activities and movies and games. The weekend was good for everybody!

Elder Mugleston's MTC pictures

It's hard to believe that Drew's two months in the MTC have already come to a close! This Tuesday he got on a plane to Baltimore to officially begin his mission! His weekly letters home have been incredible. He sounds so happy and like he is learning so much! His spanish is coming along, and it sounds like he is both excited and nervous to begin speaking in the real world! He was able to call home for a few minutes from the airport and gave me a call, too. I told him how proud we are of him and wished him the best. He said he was hoping to find someone during his travels who he could teach, and was well prepared with a couple of Books of Mormon. Wow! I can't believe how much he has changed so quickly! I also happened to get a package this week with his camera card enclosed and want to share a few of his pictures with you all. We love you, Uncle Drew!! Thank you for your great example!
Loving the letters from my kids
With his two companions, pointing to where they are headed

Practicing their door approach

Precious Moments

One of the blessings and challenges of being a mother to three little ones is trying to appreciate and remember the precious moments that I share with them. This week there have been a few conversations that they've had with me that I want to record.

JAKE- Recently Jake was standing in front of the TV and repeating the word "AMO" "AMO" to me with an intense look in his eye. When he looks at me this way I know that he knows what he is trying to say and it kills me that I can't understand. After assuming that he didn't mean "ELMO" because he's never watched Sesame Street, I tried to distract him. This happened for days. Later, Luke turned on the Wii and Jake flew over to the TV! "AMO!", "AMO!", he was thrilled! So they each grabbed a controller and Jake pretended to play while Luke did. Every time they went to hit the ball, or bowl a strike Jake would repeat "AMO!" and exaggerate his body movements. It was then that it dawned on me.. he was saying "ALMOST!", which is what we say to him every time he is playing sports. Think about it, when kids miss catching a ball we say, "almost!" when they miss hitting the ball off a tee we say "almost!", etc, etc. Apparently he thinks sports are called "almost" and has also named the Wii that!

ASHLEY- I took her out to my friend's baby shower at Olive Garden last week and she was the only child there. She felt very special, all dressed up and enjoyed the night completely! When we got in the car to head home I set her in the backseat and she said "Oh! Thank you for putting me in my carriage!" I laughed. In her mind she'd been a princess the whole night!

Ashley has a little grandpa doll that goes with her dollhouse. His hips have cracked so his legs fall out all the time. Yesterday she caught me at a bad time and wanted me to put the legs back in and I said (in one of my less patient moments), "Ashley, the grandpa is dead. He legs keep falling out and he needs to be buried!" She walked off and I got back to my project. Then last night after being in bed for almost a half hour she came out to Tyler and I and timidly said she wanted to go get the grandpa. I said, "where is he?" And she said "outside" and headed to the front door. I thought, he is out in the front yard?! We followed her out and watched as she began to dig through the rocks. "I buried him", she said. I felt so bad! Soon, we had uncovered him, had a brief lesson on resurrection and Tyler got to work on a new pair of duct tape underware.

LUKE- He hasn't felt well for a couple days and had a burning up fever yesterday while we were out at Home Depot. As we stood in line I hugged him and said "I am so sorry that you have been sick, sweetie!" With his arms pulled inside his t-shirt and a sad looking, rosey cheeks face he said "mom.. should we tell Jesus?" I loved it. And of course we did.

Another fun weekend

This weekend Zach, Katie and Andrew came to visit! We were so glad to have them here for conference weekend because it is such a 'chill' time. On Friday night we went up to Scottdale to eat at the Hyatt at Gainey Ranch and ride the Gondola. That has become a tradition for us when the Hillstead family visits because it is so fun to hear the man sing opera in Italian! Saturday the boys went to play tennis and Katie and I, Ashley and Andrew did a little shopping at the new mall. I finally got myself some new red shoes which I have been wanting! A big thanks goes out to Katie for sharing her fashion expertise! It was a treat for Tyler to have his brother in town to go to priesthood with him that night. He misses his family a lot!
Sunday we enjoyed a good meal, a few cat naps and a picnic at the park. We also swung them by some home models, just to peek their interest in maybe living here! Wouldn't that be nice?! We love how easy it is to be around Z and K. They are wonderful parents to sweet Andrew, who was a joy to have in our house! Thanks for coming guys!!


We also had the "Season Opener" in our pool where everyone except the whimpy moms got in! Burrr!

A sweet baby to keep in our prayers

On the right side of my blog at the bottom of my friends links there is a family called the Gledhill family. They are neighbors and friends of my mom's in Utah who recently had a baby girl with a severe heart defect. They knew that she had it from her mid-way ultrasound and have shown SO much courage throughout the pregnancy and the last 10 or so days since she's been born. She is really beautiful, big and hearty looking and their entries touch me so much. Since my mom showed me their blog last week I have had her and them on my mind so much, and even though I don't know them personally, I have been so impressed by their faith and trust in the Lord. I want to invite my few friends who check my blog to see their story if you want to. They are an amazing family and can use many prayers!

ROCKY POINT

Just four or five hours from here we have a great little spot of the earth called Rocky Point, in Mexico. This weekend my mom, Shelly, Maddie, Ali and Blake all flew in and we made the drive down to enjoy the beach and relaxation!
Rocky Pointe is cool because it is easy to get to in the car, but feels very FAR away, with being in another country and no cell phones, etc. It really is a good place to go to get away with family!
We packed all of the food and water we would need for the week, brought it with us and enjoyed just staying at the hotel most of the time. We love how the pools are right on the edge of the beach so we can choose to just walk back and forth all day with the kids. We did venture out a few times for tacos and shops though! Quite the experience driving and eating there sometimes. But always an adventure!
We celebrated Easter there and went to church in town which was very sweet and humbling. Listened to all of sacrament meeting in spanish, and felt their love.
As you can see in the pictures we had tons of fun...
Maddie with her unbrella in the wind The bathing beauties
My stud-muffin
Maddie and Jakey in the condo
The Hillstead Duos Ash on the Pirate ship Luke competing in the pirate dance competition

My three cuties!
Our sand castle
BEACH BUM
Ashley getting her hair braided on the beach
The view from our room at Las Palomas
Riding the Banana Boats!
Enjoying my chips and guac'
My babes