1 year old already tomorrow!

So this time a year ago I was having labor pains but had been sent home from Loma Linda... they said that I wasn't dialated enough (3cm) and my jog around the local mall didn't do anything so I was sent on the 45 minute drive home. They joked with me though to make sure we had a fast car, this wasn't my first baby and that doctor knew I'd be back. I came home, took a bath, and settled down for the night contracting every few minutes mind you... lol. At midnight tonight I started bleeding badly and by 4:56 am tomorrow morning Camden had arrived. He was so fast they almost didn't get the epidural to me (which I didn't have with Ariana so I knew I could do it, just didn't want to this time). I still can't believe it's a year but then I can... he's grown so much this past year.

So happy 1st birthday to my sweet baby boy who is almost walking. (He's done it, walked by his birthday I might add... has taken a few wobbly steps but I count them!) lol. Yay for our big boy! I'll post photos after his party tomorrow!

Bored... lol.

Amy had this on her blog and since I was bored I thought I'd do this.... by the way if you are reading this ha... you are now tagged! :) (I'm so mean)

8 things I'm passionate about:
1. My husband and children being safe and happy.
2. Digital Scrapbook kit designing.
3. Photography
4. Teaching my children.
5. My beliefs/religion
6. Staying sane (lol)
7. Losing some more weight at the gym
8. Reading

8 books I've read and enjoyed:
1. Book of Mormon/Bible
2. Anything by Lyn Gardner
3. Harry Potters
4. Dr Sears baby care books (love these!)
5. Twilight (well, haven't read them yet but I know I will like them).
6.... hmm... when do I really read anyways? lol


8 Words/Phrases I say often:
1. Stop it or I'll put you in time out.
2. I mean it! Stop it!
3. Okay, you're going to time out for ___ minutes
4. Go tell Alex/Ariana/Camden you are sorry.
5. I knew you could do it (encouragement)... includes "you're my big girl" or "big boy"
6. Alex, shirt out of your mouth
7. Are you stinky?
8. I love you


8 things I want to do before I die:
1. Raise my children in the gospel
2. Travel the world
3. See my grandchildren
4. Celebrate 50 years of happy marriage
5. Serve a mission with my husband
6. Love myself the way I am
7. See my children sealed to their forever love
8. See the prophet in person

8 things I've learned this past year
1. I love epidurals after all!
2. Patience is something I am always learning
3. Toddlers are more stubborn than adults
4. Sometimes it's better to just accept the help people offer than trying to be super-mom at the grocery store...
5. Alex is a fish... and thinks he can swim with no floaties (ps. he can't!)
6. Ariana is a leader, surprised some of us because she usually is quiet but watch out for this girl!
7. Camden is a bossy little one for being the baby
8. I love my kids more every day and didn't think that was possible.

8 places I want to see:
1. Finland
2. Germany
3. England
4. Scotland
5. Sweden
6. Africa
7. Hawaii
8. Italy

8 Things I currently want
1. My scrapkits to start selling
2. My kids to POTTY TRAIN already!
3. A wacom drawing tablet
4. A nice family photo/ photo of my 3 kids together
5. To get pregnant again (giggling)
6. A pool
7. Time to scrapbook with real paper and photos
8. Clean carpet

Boycotting Sears Portrait Studio!

We went to take an anual summer photo of the kids, the ONLY time of year I do this. Now I remember why. lol. They really didn't do so great but oh well. I did order one but am *really* mad at the associates. When I told them I didn't like any and would like to re-do the session at another time (knowing the kids were too antsy at that point) they demanded that I had to pay a fee for them doing the photos or buy a photo. Excuse me, I have a smile saver and certainly wasn't giving them money for a crappy job! I felt forced and did buy the cheapest one I could do and then left. Ugh.

Here is what we bought. It's not awful but there's SO much white space around them! I wanted it cropped closer but was told that would cost MORE money. What??? She also argued that it's not good to cut out their feet... (rolls eyes)... I know my kids have feet. Duh! Stupid girl. I'm trying to get that order canceled and go in again, especially after the way I was treated. Grr...

They did get some cute ones of the kids solo but I wasn't THERE for that.

Just crop it for me!!!

I call this one my "voodoo baby"... Camden looks scary!

This one makes Alex look a little goofy... I was so annoyed that he wasn't smiling (his fault obviously).

This is a cute one of her but we're missing a piece of her head...

Hello from Utah!

Well for those who don't know my sister is moving in with Ray and I for a while. We decided that we'd have to get up here and help her pack (poor thing... lol) so we came up on a last minute trip to pack up Catherine and bring her back to California. Things are going well for her, she's done with school and certified nationally for massage. She simply can't compete with the massage school giving discounts down the street and works part time at that, part time at Lane Bryant. Not a fun thing to do. We told her move back, she misses all of us terribly and maybe she'd find dating experiences that aren't here in the last 7 years she's been here. She's decided it's time so here we are...

We've had fun though. Took the kids to see the Salt Lake temple and that was nice (they were really excited and Alex sure wanted to go inside when we were there... even screamed and jumped up and down that "he can go in" when Aunt Catherine said *someday* thinking it meant now... lol). We saw the Christus statue also ("mommy, Jesus is tall...") So funny. They loved the train ride though (trax). We took them to a dinosaur museum today and that was a lot of fun too. Tomorrow we hope to find a pool to visit between all the stuff that is planned (have to keep them from getting too antsy), visit my grandfather and his wife, and all kinds of other family stuff. We come home early Tuesday... whew.

Had to say hi and miss everyone. Hoped to see a few friends but time will tell.

Oops, got to run!

Randomness

Feeling random again tonight. My sister moves in with us by August 5th and things are ready for her... I've been a mad woman cleaning the spare room for her, making a special cupboard in the kitchen, clearing the kids toys from the bathroom... etc. Not sure why but I feel the need to make sure it's clean (lol).

On another note I have been really frustrated lately and wanted to comment on it. Why do people think it's appropriate in *any way* to make a comment like this to someone they know (or heck, don't know)....

"Your son must be so skinny because of...

a. Your husband

b. Your husband's side of the family"

(choose one, I get either of them a LOT).

First of all, did you just call me FAT??? Hello!!! I had a *friend* do this to me the other night and I was crushed... stupid I know. I grew up skinny as a rail and wishing I could get some meat on my bones... and no I'm not kidding. My mom now admits that I looked anorexic (not something to laugh about but I certainly was not in any way.) I had three children insanely close together and yes, I have kept a few pounds on me.

News flash here though.... I am now considered an *average* size and feel good about my body. I don't love it... wish I could fix a few things for sure. I certainly don't want to get any BIGGER either by the way. I got to a certain weight after Alex that my body wanted to stay at and have gotten back there after Ariana and Camden both. I work out at the gym and I do try... I just get tired of the fat jokes and the comments from people. It really hurts my feelings and besides, if I really was fat would they be making that comment? Ugh.

Here is a photo to make you laugh... this was one of our possible engagement photos (yes, I took a photo of it... too lazy to hook up my scanner and not a clue how to do that). Sorry for the crummy photo but it made me giggle... I was so boney then! I definitely don't want to pass on the self esteem issues to my daughter, there is enough pressure today on our girls.

Another funny story, at my BIL's wedding recently I commented that one of my nieces is so skinny (in an Alex way... made me feel better that he wasn't the only petite one but she's 7...) She heard me and says "yes, I am skinny' quite proudly and then shows me the side view of her tummy! Then the 8 year old sister runs over to show me just how skinny she is too! I was surprised and a little disturbed by that but then their mom did teach them this (she has a right to be proud of her thin body but sheesh!) Then later one of the girls came over, patted my tummy and said "you're pregnant". I certainly am not but was so embarassed. Her sister comes over and says "it's okay, you just had a baby..." (I almost fell over laughing at that one). Shoot, Ariana has to stay 3 dude.... I don't want her to learn this stuff!!!

That's my vent/share/thought for the day... society is crazy...

Family photo!

Okay so I finally got one that I like (for now) and it wasn't too bad. This was done at San Diego's Balboa Park, my dad (awesome photographer when we can get him to do it) did this for us when I begged. lol. Here is a series of shots, at least everyone looks okay here right? We're going to try to do family shots at Sears here soon but we're not holding our breath... Here are some others we got in the process of *trying* to get a nice shot. I have hope to get one we like for our Christmas card this year. :) And by the way, I changed the image a little with my nifty PSP program. If anyone wants me to do this with their photos ever just give me a holler.

Ariana pouted here...

Ray... pssst... look up! lol

oops, where is Alex going?

Crazy few days!

Well first we were slammed by some crazy storm on Saturday. We knew it was coming and I warned Ray we'd better get the kids bathed before the thunder/lightning got any closer. (History here... my grandma was struck by lightning TWICE in her life so I get jittery when it comes near). We got the baby done and dressed but the storm hit before the other two were out... needless to say the power went out and they were in the tub in the dark. Goodness did that scare them! We got them out and poor Alex was so nervous (I was frantic, the lightning and thunder were right outside and I was shaking... that didn't help). We said a prayer with the kids and got them dressed. Right after that the rain... no... monsoon hit. It was a downpour like mad and the windows were of course open. We were frantic to get those closed and Ray and I got them but goodness did that rain come in the house fast. Poor Alex kept saying "I scared" but Ariana said she wasn't at all (big girl!) We eventually cuddled with the kids (after the storm passed) and used flashlights/lantern until bed. The power didn't come on until 5 the next morning... what a pain!

Then on Sunday Ariana was going potty and telling me that her foot hurt from the sandals she wore to church. She was looking at her foot to show me, lost her balance, and used her head to stop her fall... on the tub next to her. She had such a big lump there and today has a nice black eye (which I did *not* do by the way... lol). Poor thing.


Then today Ray was found sleeping in Ariana's bed. This is unusual enough but Alex and Ariana were putting blankets on him and playing around him instead of napping *with* him like he intended. What a riot.