Jacob & Heather Lee

Big News!!

2011-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Jacob got a job in Las Vegas!!! We can't wait to start this next phase of life. Employment!!

Washington DC

2011-03-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

While Jacob was in Washington DC for his Jessup moot court competition, I was able to fly over for the end of the week and see the sights. It was so amazing. It was a first for both of us and since neither of had ever been there and we didn't have our kids we really tried to see as much as we could.
The cherry blossoms were blooming everywhere. Words can not describe the beauty. It really has to seen because pictures just don't do them justice.
I am really glad that the school was paying for the Jessup team to be there. They stayed in the Capitol Hilton, just a few blocks from the white house. Seriously nice hotel. I caught a glimpse of the bill for just the room that Jacob was in and it was over $2,500. He was there for 8 nights, and it was even a special rate. They also paid for all his travel and eating expenses. GLORIOUS! I figured I should go since it was over our anniversary. I had such a great time.

Who knew Brigham Young was in the Capitol building?

All of the pictures are on FB

October, November, December

2011-01-06T17:51:00.001-08:00

I know it is the worst part of the year to slack off on the blog posts.
Halloween happened. It was fun, but I really think it is a stupid holiday. I can't stand all of the candy that comes home and most of it ends up in the trash. I know, I'm terrible. The ward did a trunk or treat and it was just perfect for the kids.
I made Katie's entire costume. Without a pattern I might add. She was Cleopatra. Did I get a picture? No. My bad. Zach was batman. My sister had a cape, he wore all black, and we bought him a mask, gloves, and a belt. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. Marshall was a cowboy. It was darling. To small, but darling just the same.

The beginning of November seems like such a long time ago. Jakes little brother Jordan got married!!! HOORAY! We all love Rachel. She is simply wonderful. Such a great addition to the family.

Thanksgiving was great as always. It is Jake's favorite holiday and he really looks forward to it every year. Again, I took zero pictures. Everyone ate a lot except me. I was not feeling very well that day. Everyone thought I was pregnant. That is the first thing anyone thinks when I say I don't feel very well. Why is that?

From Thanksgiving to Christmas I was very busy. I was sewing like a mad woman. I made.....

*Giant checkers game for nephew Porter (quilted blanket to look like a checkers board, and thank you Layne for the superb wooden pieces. They were awesome)
*The cutest apron ever for niece Jessica
*Fabric hair flowers and bracelets for niece Megan
*2 crayon bags for nieces Aubrie and Ashlie
*a quilt for my Mom and
*15 quilted stockings for my mother-in-law Tina. These were especially lovely after she took them to get names embroidered on the cuffs. I do have pictures of these but they are still on my camera.

I must say that everything turned out super duper!!!! Everyone loved the things I made. I also made tamales, cheesecake, and all the rest of the baking you do during the holidays.

Besides the holidays, nothing really happened. The kids are still going to school and loving it. Marshall is a giant, and Jake is still in law school. He has finally started his last semester. Just it time too, because he is ready to be done.

My Brother-in-law

2010-08-23T08:54:00.001-07:00

My brother-in-law will occasionally write an update on his current situation. This is his most recent letter that he put on FB.

Hello Everyone,

This letter is to update everyone on my current situationand how I am doing. There have been a lot of people who have asked us what they can do to help us. There are a few things that you could do if you wanted to help. What we need help with is making meals, cleaning the house, taking care of the yards and helping keep an eye on the kids. I'd also like you to visit me and talk to me since I am losing the ability to speak. I am usually out of bed and in my wheelchair before 12pm. Anyone who wants to come visit, talk or help out could come at that time. Liz is my full-time caregiver and so she will be taking care of any of my needs. We would just like you to come visit and have a good time. My fellow officers could come visit me anytime on or off duty. If you are in the area and want to drop by for a random visit that would be fine as long as it is after 12pm.

Now to talk about my current physical condition. I can no longer move my body or limbs. I can only move my head to look around and control my wheelchair. My wheelchair is controlled by a special head rest that lets me drive around the house. My hands have curled up and are stiff and sensitive. In a sitting position I am having pain in my tailbone, since I am sitting 24/7. I sleep sitting up because I have a hard time breathing on my own on my back and side. I am using a bi-pap machine 12 hours a day to help give me the oxygen I need and to expel carbon dioxide. I can only talk in a whisper without my bi-pap machine. So when you come over and I need to talk I will be wearing a facial mask that attaches to my nose. This forces air down my nose, fills up my lungs with air and gives me the lung capacity to talk louder. So don't be alarmed if I look like Darth Vader or a storm trooper. My ankles swell up and my feet go numb frequently. My mother, sisters and a massage therapist comes over weekly to massage me to keep my blood flowing and to reduce pain. It is getting harder to chew and swallow and sometimes I will choke on food or water. So that is what's going on with my physically. The next step in the process will include a feeding tube and a ventilator, but that is not for awhile.

I am no longer working full-time for the City of Mesa as a Police Officer because I can no longer perform a service to the city. Since I am unable to talk clearly, my voice recognition software no longer works on my patrol laptop. So I can no longer work. I have about five months of donated time, so I will be collecting a paycheck for the next five months to support my family. The City of Mesa has done a great job looking after us and taking care of us. I have so many great friends who work for the Mesa Police Department and I am proud to call myself one of them. After my donated time runs out, we have not yet figured out what we will be doing for income. So naturally I am concerned about how I will be supporting my family and it constantly weighs on my mind. Since we are living in a rental house, we don't know how we will make the payment or where we will be living if we can't afford to live here anymore.

The kids just started school and have adjusted well to a new school, new ward and new house. They are making new friends every day. Bryce also just started pop warner football and plays offensive and defensive line, because he is 105 lbs. Bryce just started 4th grade and is starting to develop a strong type-A personality where he wants to be in charge of everything. Hyrum just started 2nd grade and has a unique personality and is very creative. He is a peacemaker and easily makes friends. Harley is 4 years old and we have a hard time keeping him quiet. He asks a hundred questions every day and is constantly on the move and teasing Bryan. Bryan is 2 years old and needs constant attention all the time because he does so well in getting into everything, making messes and causing problems. Mary is a very good baby. She sleeps through the night, is easy to take care of. Which is a great blessing because Liz has to put her down to help me and she is content to wait for her turn. She is very beautiful. She looks at me, smiles and coos at me all the time. Liz puts a pillow on my lap and I hold her in my arms this way. She has beautiful blue eyes which I believe will turn green as she gets older like her daddy. She has long strawberry blonde hair which stands up on the top of her head. The boys have adjusted to her very well and love to hold her. We have to keep an eye on Bryan because he loves to lay on her and kiss her face and point at her eyes and nose. Which is cute, but also scary because he doesn't understand that he is smashing her. She doesn't cry though. Maybe she doesn't mind. Liz's mom, Barbara, has been living with us on and off and comes to help when we need her. The kids love her and she keeps everybody in line and taken care of when we can't. We are so grateful for her. Our dogs are not as happy about the move because they were used to running around on 1.25 acres. They bark at everything that moves and it's driving me crazy.

That's pretty much the update on everything and now I'd just like to thank my family, relatives and friends who come over all the time to help us. We are very grateful for all of your thoughts and prayers on our behalf. We really appreciate everything that you do for us and we cherish your friendships. It is my goal to fight this disease and with the Lord's help, beat it. I want to be around as long as I can to be there for my wife, kids and family. It is my wish and dream just to be healthy and normal again. Never take that for granted. I hope to see you all soon and talk with you before my voice goes. God be with you till we meet again. And as my brother Mitchell would say, "God is my tower of strength." Take care.

Respectfully,
Mark D. Kelly

First Day of School

2010-08-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Katie And Zach started school last week. They were so excited. Katie was super pumped to see all her friends and Zach was just happy to start going to school. We love Mrs. Abbott. She was such a great kindergarden teacher for Katie last year. Zach was very much looking forward to being in her class.
Katie has such a wonderful 1st grade teacher. She came home from school the other day and told me that the stem of plants is like a straw that takes water up to the leaves where there is a kitchen. Apparently in the "kitchen" is where the plant makes use of the water. She then compared a plant to the human body. I was telling her that when you donate blood your body can make more so that you will always have enough. she said "How does it make more? Is there a little kitchen in there?" She makes me laugh.
Zach is learning letters and numbers. He didn't know them all like Katie did but he seems to be picking them up pretty quickly. His handwriting is a lot better than I expected.
With both of them gone, it is just me and Marshall at home. I thought this would be cake to only have one kid at home but I have come to realize it is still hard. Marshall doesn't have anyone to play with. Nap time is great because I am all be my self, but when he is awake I have to watch him like a hawk. He can be very destructive when he is alone and a little bored. It will be nice when the weather cools off and we can walk Sabino Canyon again. I am also going to kid swap with a friend starting the end of this month so that will be good as well.

Tucson Children's Museum

2010-07-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is how Marshall was the whole time, plus really loud yelling. He loved it.

Gila Valley Temple

2010-07-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

There is now a Temple in the Gila Valley. It makes me really happy when I think about it.

Every Boy Likes Toy Story

2010-07-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

Marshall really likes Toy Story. He sat and watched Toy Story 3 through the whole movie. I didn't have to leave with him once.

Zach is 5

2010-07-15T13:28:00.001-07:00

Zach turned 5 on June 10th. (I know I'm late with posting about it) He is so happy to be 5. He starts kindergarten in August and I think he will do well. He had a good birthday with a few presents. We got him this Lightsaber duels game, he likes it but he like Super Mario Bros. better and is getting pretty good. He is such a sweet boy and is I love having him around. He will be missed at home when he goes to school.

Camping

2010-07-15T13:15:00.001-07:00

I remember camping not being such a hard thing. It has since changed from a time of play to a time of preparation and work. Still a lot of fun, just more work. The kids got so dirty but Marshall won the overall award for being to most dirty. He had dirt boogers for days after we got home and I was finding it in his ears for a while. Katie has a lot of fun with all the cousins from Jakes side of the family. (this is Avery) Zach found this stick and was quick to turn it into a first class weapon. He shot pretend arrows with it for a log time.

Good Times!!!

Summer Fun!!

2010-07-15T13:04:00.001-07:00

We have had a lot of time to do whatever we want this summer. Here is what we have done so far:
Lots of swimming
Making Ice Cream with tin cans (Which by the way is to much work, just buy ice cream)
Movies at the Theater, Toy Story 3
Camping
Playing UNO, a lot
Tucson Zoo
Finger painting
Cleaning the Church building followed by a Jamba Juice
Lunch with Daddy
Made Playdough
Air Museum
Ordered Pizza
Made smores
Splash pad
Super Mario Bros. on the Wii
Spent some time on Mt. Lemmon
Made our own circle crayons out of old crayon bits

It has been a fun summer so far, But we still have a few things to do.

Grins and giggles

2010-06-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Katie has had a very exciting couple of weeks. She is just getting so smart and really developing her personality. She is also losing teeth pretty quickly. This makes a total of 6 teeth. I really like her smile with that big hole. It makes me smile almost every time.

This is Katie's Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Abbott. We absolutely love her, and she absolutely loves Katie. She has had nothing but good things to say about our Katiebug. She asked Katie if she could clone her so that she could have a class full of Katie's and Katie said "I don't know what that means". Haha. This is a picture of Katie with her "Student of the Year" award. What can I say, she's the best.

Katie is by far the tallest in her class. She is taller than most of the second graders. She takes after me, I guess. I was taller than most of the people in my class till about my sophomore year. I hope she enjoys being tall.

Kindergarten graduations are a little silly, but to Katie is was a really important day. She was excited to be able to wear whatever she wanted (she wears a uniform to school). She asked me if I would make her a dress for her promotion. So I did, and she loved it.

Happy Birthday Marshall

2010-05-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Marshall's 1st birthday was a few weeks ago on April 22nd. Yes, Earth Day is his Birthday. He woke up really happy and was in a good mood for most of the day. He even decided that he was going to start walking and has since mastered that skill.
I did make the shirt that he is wearing.

By the end of the day his happiness had left and he really just needed to go to bed. He was so tired I couldn't even get him to taste any birthday cake. He didn't even open any presents until the next morning. We took the kids to see " How to Train Your Dragon" which ended up being a bad idea for Marshall. Jake was out in the hall with him for most of it. Totally my fault that he was to tired for cake. oops. Good thing he didn't even know it was his birthday.

Without a doubt he is my most challenging baby. He has a very strong personality and is constantly doing things he shouldn't. He won't hold still for anything, ever. He grunts and growls at everything but, it is usually followed by a smile. He loves Zachary and Katie. They can always get him to laugh. He likes taking rides in the wagon and loves to be in the pool. You wouldn't know that he is a picky eater because he is pretty big, 98th percentile. We love our little head strong boy.

A Girl for Liz!!!!

2010-04-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is me with all of my sisters. I am on the end because I am the youngest, then it is Elizabeth, Amy, Melissa, Becky and Kim. We were all there because Elizabeth was having a baby shower. This is her 5th pregnancy but it is going to be her 1st girl and we are all so happy for her. She deserves some sweetness after having 4 boys.

Interview in San Diego

2010-04-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

We went to San DIego last week so that Jake could interview with Navy JAG. We should hear back in about 7 weeks if he was recommended or not, so I'll post again when we hear.
It was not a spectacular trip by any means. We ended up driving over because one plane ticket for Jake would have been around $700. We did only take Marshall and we were able to drive his Dads diesel jetta so it wasn't to bad. Marshall did pretty good considering we were in the car most of the time. His interview was on Coronado Island in their public library. What a beautiful place. I think I could stand to live there.
We did go to the beach for an hour before we headed back to Tucson. Please ignore the weird face that I am making here.

Marshall really liked the sand even though it was pretty cold.

Jake is not a fan of the beach at all. He doesn't like sand.

Boys love their toys!

2010-04-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

This boy really loves his swords! I don't even know how many he has. If he wears carpenter style pants then he just puts the sword in the loop that is on the pant leg. However, he just can't wear those everyday, so I made him this sheath out of leather scraps. Most of the things I make I just copy other people ideas. But this one is all mine.

Sweet Kids!!

2010-04-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is how we want to be viewed.

This is how it really is.

Katie is 6!!!

2010-04-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Katie turned 6 on March 5th. It was a fun day and the first time that I gave her a party.

She had a fancy tea party with a few friends. I didn't get very many pictures because that is just how I am. I am really bad at taking pictures of special things that I want to remember.

It was outside and the weather was really beautiful that day. I made that banner out of fabric scraps.

Why I stay up late.

2010-04-05T13:00:00.001-07:00

I made this elephant for Liz's baby girl that will join the family this June. However I ended up giving it to Katie because Zach touched it while he was eating something with ketchup.

I made these for her baby too and kept them off the table once they were finished then I made an elephant to match. I don't have a pic of that one because I still don't have all my pics on my computer. Oh well.

This is an old picture form before Christmas. I made Katie a roll up kitchen and some felt food for Christmas. I think she would have liked it a lot more last year. I still like it though.

Check out those eyes!

2010-04-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

I thought this leaf was AWESOME! Jake thinks I'm weird that I can get so pumped about plants and produce.
I tried to get him to smile but he just would not. Funny boy. I can't believe how blue those eyes are.

7 yrs.

2010-03-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Our 7th anniversary was yesterday. Yeah for us!!!!!
A few days ago we went to Mesa to go to the Temple and spend some much needed time together without our kids. (Thanks Tina for watching our people) When the 21st finally came around neither one of us remembered that it was our anniversary. We were sitting in sunday school and I leaned over to Jake and said: "Did you remember that it's our anniversary? I just remembered." He said to me "Yea, I remembered like an hour ago but then I forgot again." We both just started laughing. Happy 7 years to us!!!!

No pics

2010-02-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

My computer has been weird for a few weeks and so I have no pics right now. Jacob took them all off and now they are just on the some other hard drive. Soon he will get everything fixed and I will post again.

It's going to be okay!

2010-01-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

I directed the choir at church today for the first time and it went much better than expected. I think a lot of people were just as surprised as I was. I received quite a few compliments like....

"You cut us off and brought us in at all the right spots, good job"

"You looked nervous at first but then you got the hang of it"

"You've come a long way in just 3 weeks, your musical abilities are starting to come out"

It is really nice to have that first experience done. I can honestly say that I am feeling better about this calling. I was not sure at first, in fact I really did not want to do it. But know I know that I can. This will be a learning experience.

funny pic!

2010-01-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

Jacob emailed this pic to me the other day. It is kind of an old one, but it makes me laugh every time.

My new calling

2010-01-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

I received a new calling in our ward. I have been called to be the ward choir director. I was asked if I would do it before Thanksgiving but I wasn't sustained until just last week. So, I have had a lot of time to think about it. We had our first practice today and now I have realized that I should have spent that time learning how to conduct a choir. I know a whole lot less than I thought. I almost got emotional a few times but I was able to keep it together. I really need to learn how to do this. Maybe that is why I have this calling, so that I can learn a new skill. I was humbled today. I am, however, very grateful for the people that are in the choir. Everyone was (at least I think) very nice and understanding. Overall, I think that for the first time, having no experience leading a choir, it went pretty well.
When I got home I had to do something to take my mind off it so I just started to cook things. I made bread, applesauce, and chicken soup, but it didn't make anything better. I'm still stressed out. Oh, well, I guess studying and time is the only thing that will make this less stressful.

Oh, the bread did work this time, and that did make me feel a little better.

Bread

2010-01-02T15:24:00.001-08:00

Damn the stupid bread that falls in the oven!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my hair!!!

2010-01-02T15:21:00.000-08:00

I think this is a lot of hair for only being 8 months old. He is so cute.

Our tree

2010-01-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

We left to go be with out families on Christmas day but we didn't want to leave out tree in the house for 5 days getting dry and ready to go ablaze. So we took everything off of it and got rid of it on Christmas day.

We were the first ones to drop off our tree. I think we will carry on this tradition.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

Katie had a great Christmas if you ask her. She was so excited to open her violin. I has since regretted getting it for her because now she wants me to teach her. I play the cello, it's a little different. I guess now I need to find a teacher who is willing to teach for pennies. I also made her a few things that I will have to put into another post.

Zachary was hard to shop for this year. He isn't quite old enough for legos and he has so many swords, I just didn't know what to get him. He had been talking about how Uncle Jordan plays the guitar and he thought that was cool so I found him a cheap one that is a toy but looks real. He loves it. Again I'll have to post separately the things that I made this year.

We got Marshal 2 presents this year. Smartest thing we ever did. He did really like this wooden stacker toy but he really liked the paper, but only after it was off the presents.I can't get over how blue is eyes are. WOW! Poor kid got that huge bottom lip from his mama.

Christmas was really nice this year. We were able to have Christmas eve and Christmas morning at our own house. We had never done that before so it was really nice. Although I did have a lot more cooking that way. It's okay, I loved having it at home.

We did the Nativity story from the book of Luke on Christmas eve and the kids thought it was funny that Jake was the donkey. A fun tradition that Jake grew up with that we will continue. I made tamales and green chili that turned out just great but I don't have a picture. oops.

Officer Kelly

2009-12-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

This is my sister Liz with her husband Mark, their kids and his family. My brother-in-law is a police officer for Mesa and was diagnosed with ALS this past year. This is a great article about them. http://mesampa.com/blog/?p=477

We love you guys!!!!

Wipes are so fun!!

2009-12-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

I love watching the babies do this. I think they find it so fascinating to pull them out one at a time and they seem to never end. I don't ever let them do it for very long. He did get really mad at me when I took them all away.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

I didn't take any pictures Thanksgiving weekend until Friday night and then I only took 3. I know, so lame. Thanksgiving this year was really great. We were able to stay at Adam and Amanda's house (Jake's cousins) because they were in South Dakota for the holiday. Thank you so much guys for your house, it was SO nice. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

We spent thursday with the Lee's and then spent friday with my family, and went home on saturday. It was a good weekend and I'm glad we got to see everyone that was there. All of Jake's family was there so we got to see everyone on his side. Not everyone from my family could make it, we missed you guys, I guess there is always next year.

This picture was friday night at my sister Kim's house. Happy Birthday Cody. Wow I can't believe he is already 15. Glad we could be there for that. This is about half of the cousins on my side of the family. It gets a little loud when we are all together and I know that some faces are covered, it was the best I could do.

Always into everything!!!

2009-11-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

Marshall is constantly getting into things. This is not uncommon to find him in the middle of something. Although usually it is not toys. Usually it is paper, or books or something he really has no business being into.

2009-11-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

I made Jacob and the boys Star Trek shirts. They were a hit at the party for the law students. I think this is one of the few time were Jacob was not only willing to dress up but was a little excited to do it.

Captain Kirk was so tired by the end of the day.

Bath time

2009-11-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

Marshall really loves to take a bath in the sink. He usually gets the floor in front of the sink and the counters, and me all wet. He loves the water and loves to splash.

Marshall is 6 months old

2009-11-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

Marshall was 6 months old on the 22nd of October. I know I'm posting this late but with all he has been doing it is a miracle that I'm posting at all. He has started to crawl, sit, pull up on things and pull things down on top of himself. I had forgotten how it is to have a roaming baby in the house. Nothing is safe anymore and I'm constantly saying "no Marshall", "no no baby" and so on. I wish that I was better at taking pics.

I've changed my mind.

2009-10-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been using this stuff for almost two months. At first I did really like it and thought that it worked really well. Now, not so much. I don't think it gets all of the smells that a baby can leave behind, like vomit. I know it's gross. If I washed things twice then it works better but who wants to do that? Not me.

Ta Da!!!!

2009-10-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

While I was at my sisters house last week I found some awesome bibs in her kitchen towel drawer. It is simply a dish towel with a hole in it. I ended up using the neck and arm pieces off some of Jakes old ringer T-shirts to make the neck hole on the bib nice and stretchy. I used the rest of the shirt to make sleep shorts for my bigger kids. What a great way to use up some old shirts.

Why workouts are few and far between.

2009-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to use my mat very much during my workout today. Oh well, Marshall was happy at least. I just had to do without.

Easy trip

2009-10-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Marshall fell asleep in the shopping cart like this the other day while I was at the store. It ended up being a very productive trip.

drama

2009-10-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Katie has been talking about a 2nd grader that goes to her school and how pretty this girl is. Apparently this other girl has curly hair. I told Katie that she was pretty just the way she was and that she had really nice strait hair but she wanted it curly for just one day. We tried the sponge rollers. It didn't turn out well. I meant to get a picture after I took them out but I didn't have the chance. She did not like it at all and insisted that if she went to school with hair like that then everyone would laugh at her. I ended up brushing it out with a wet brush so that it was just wavy. It was also a half day that day so she was able to wear her own clothes instead of her uniform. It was a stressful morning to say the least. I can't wait for her to be a teenager. NOT!

BIG BOY!!

2009-09-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

Do you think it might be time to put the swing away? I have never liked using the buckles so this is what I found. Luckily I came in when I did. I don't think that tile would have felt very good.

He is just getting so big. He had a doctors appointment last friday and being 5 months old weighed in at 20lbs 2oz. and is 29 inches long.

BIG BOY!

Katie and I had the following conversation the other day.

Katie: Mom, you have been using your noodles.

Me: Huh? What do you mean?

Katie: I mean your brain.

It really made me laugh.

Cute!

2009-09-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

I went into the boys room the other night and found Marshall like this.

Sweet. I think they are the cutest when they are sleeping.

Why? Because.

2009-09-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been making my own laundry detergent. I have been using it for over a month and I have to say that I much prefer this to anything I have ever bought. I like it because I like my clothes to smell like nothing. This combination achieves just that. It costing next to nothing is a nice bonus. All it is 1/2 a cup of the borax, washing soda, and baking soda, then 5 oz. of either the fels-naptha or the ZOTE soap grated. Just combine it in a container and shake it. YOu only have to use 1 table spoon. Walmart had everything except washing soda, I found that at Bashas.

Things I love

2009-09-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

I really love fresh eggs

beautiful produce, Jake just doesn't understand this

new fabric, and old fabric

dishes

gardens, and yard work

fruit trees

the desert, I know it's weird

salsa

good salt, regular table salt is no good

my sewing machine

going out to eat

A good purse

finishing a project

canning

Your probably wondering why I haven't mentioned family. Well I think that goes with out saying and I am listing things, not people.

Time with some of the cousins

2009-09-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Jake and I went to the Gila Valley to see some family. My family is rarely ever all together at once and since living in Tucson I don't get to see my sisters that still live in the Gilbert area very often. Well Liz was there with 3 of her boys and my sister Kim lives in Pima. It was fun to see them and I know Katie and Zach had fun with their cousins.

This is not the first time this has happened to one of my parents trampolines. In fact I think they are more fun when they have obstacles.

This is Katie with two of her cousins, Aubrie and Ashlie. I think Katie is only 3 weeks older. Katie can't tell them part until they tell her who is who. It is funny to hear her say, "which one are you?" They are nice about it but sometimes they get tired of reminding her.
I think Zach was really glad that Liz and her boys were there because usually he is the only boy in his age group. Hyrum and Harley are so fun to have around and Zach loved it. Usually it is his cousins on the Lee side that he plays with but they were not there this last time. So I'm glad the Kelly boys were around.

The tall one is Jessica and she is so good at keeping the little one entertained. They absolutely love her.

This is just a few of my parents grandkids. They currently have 30 grandkids and at the end of October they will have 31. Hurray!!! I think a new family picture will be in order.

Prickly Pears

2009-09-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

I really love putting food in jars and then putting it on my shelf and using through the year. It is very satisfying.

A few weeks ago I finally made prickly pear jelly. Ever since we moved to Tucson I have wanted to make it and last week I finally did. It was not easy. Those things are covered in small fur like stickers that you can't really see. I did already know this so I picked them with metal tongs and then dropped them into a small plastic bucket. I'm glad that I didn't use one of Katie's baskets because my bucket was lined with stickers and thorns when I dumped them into my pot. The bucket just washed right out, but I think I would have had to throw away a basket.

I thought that if I soaked them for a bit in some warmish water then they might peel a little easier. I don't know if it worked because with all the stickers they were not easy to peel at all. I had to hold them firmly with the tongs, slice down with a small knife then cut the whole thing off. I had my pot full of pears, a bowl for skins and then a bowl for fruit. I think I had 40 to 50 of those nasty things.
Apparently if you cut them in half you can scoop out the seeds and throw them away. I didn't know this until I had mashed them all up and realized there were too many seeds to let them just stay in the jam. They are not like a strawberry seed. Wish I took a picture of all the seeds. Oh well. I ended up having to put all of it through a fine wire strainer and I was left with this beautiful juice. The color was so lovely.
It did take a few days to set and then it didn't totally set until I stuck a jar of it in the fridge. It is a very different tasting fruit. It does not taste like a berry at all or anything that I am familiar with. I read that some people think they taste like kiwi but I didn't think so. I doubt I'll make it again. Glad I did it, but it was too much work for something that I don't think anyone else will really eat. I have to give it away.

Pretend Play

2009-08-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Zach has been so bored since Katie went to school. I miss being close to my sisters and Zach being able to play with his cousins.

Since he's had nothing to do except follow me around I made him an eye patch and a super hero mask. He was really excited and they have kept him playing for a good amount of time. I am glad he likes them. It is so funny how differently girls and boys play. I just Don't think Katie would care about an eye patch.

I had him sit in this chair for both pictures because it is about the only clean place in the house right now. I guess I need to quite making things and start doing some house work. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would rather work on a project then clean.

Am I mean?

2009-08-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

I set Marshall down on the couch the other day and Next thing I knew he was screaming. When I went to see what the problem was I found him like this. I had to take a picture before I rescued him because I couldn't stop laughing.

School starts

2009-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Katie started school last Monday and she absolutely loves it. On the first day Jacob and I took her to school with the boys, so the whole family was there. On the second day she asked if only one of us could take her. On the third day we get to school and walk in the doors and she says to me "ok mom, you can go now". She didn't even want me to walk her into her class room like all the rest of the parents. She really has not had a problem leaving me. And she loves to wear he uniform.

Zach has not been so excited that she is in school. He is having a hard time with it. I think it was Wed. when he asked if Katie had to go to school again. He gets really bored. I think it is going to be a long year for him. He will start kindergarten next year so at least it is only one year. Yes, my kids are that close in age. What?

Happy Baby

2009-08-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

Marshall has gotten to be so much fun in the last week or so. He is so happy most of the time and smiles a lot. He has started to make a slobbery spitting noise with his tongue and it makes all of us laugh every time. He is also fascinated with his toes and is always grabbing them.

I usually just take him in the shower with me because that is a lot easier but he does like to sit in the water in the sink for a bath. It always starts a giggle fit.

Blessing

2009-08-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Jacob gave Marshall his baby blessing today at church. It was really nice to have friends and family come. I should have taken at least one picture but it was so hot the whole time that I completely forgot. The A/C was out in the Chapel, then we all got together at the nearest park for lunch. It wasn't so bad in the shade, and we had plenty of cold water bottles. It is still the beginning of August in Tucson, AZ so I guess the extreme heat was to be expected. I knew it wasn't the best idea, but it was the only idea, seeing as our apartment is to small to accommodate for our super large family. It was a good time and I'm glad we got together even though it was really hot.

My domestic skills

2009-08-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up at 5:30 to go pick peaches in a "pick your own" orchard just north of Tucson. This place was so pretty. I think it was only two acres and this guy had a ton of trees. I wish I had taken a picture of it. I loved the way he planted his tomatoes on a fence line. If anyone knows me well then they know that I really like tomato plants. Well, I just like gardens in-general. Anyhow, when we got home I got right to work on the peaches and canned 14 pints. I still have a bunch of peaches left and so I will make jam on Monday. Hopefully it will set right and not just be thick syrup. Wish me luck.

I have also canned beans, chicken, zucchini relish, and grape jelly. It has been a productive summer. There is something about canning that is so satisfying.

Camping on Mt. Lemmon

2009-07-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we loaded up the car to the breaking point to spend the weekend with some friends of ours on Mt. Lemmon. Jacob packed the car and between the camp stove, ice chest, chairs, and sleeping bags, there was no room to spare. Jacob and Marshall were the only ones that didn't have something surrounding their feet. I told Jacob that I wanted to drive on the way home and he just laughed at me.

I think we got there around 5:00 pm and right after we got the kids tent and the canopy that we put over the table up, it started to hail like crazy. Our friends took some pictures of the road on their way up and it looked like it had snowed. This is a piece of it in Jacob's ring just so you can see the size of the hail that was coming down hard on us in the middle of July. Crazy.

Soon after it stopped coming down, this fog showed up. Almost all the hail had melted by the time I got around to taking this picture.

The second day our kids were so tired and cranky. We told them to go lay in the tent and talk to each other and within 5 min the were out. I think they slept for about 2 hours and It gave us a good chunk of time to play cards with our friends.

They were much happier when they woke up and played really well together until it was time to eat. Cooking was nice and easy because we used Jacob's two burner camp stove. One of those big ones that uses a full size propane tank. It was really nice and was so glad that we had it. I highly recommend one.

The last night we had smores and the kids were SO happy to finally get one. We all only had one because they were way to sweet.

We had a fun time and I think we will make camping a yearly event. We were there two nights and we got super dirty and the laundry was ridiculous when we got back. I think it took me like 5 days to finally get the last load all folded and put away.

11 weeks

2009-07-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

Marshall is now 11 weeks old and is finally starting to be fun and have some personality. He smiles a lot and doesn't really know what to do when I tickle him. I think it stresses him out. He just gets really grunty. I took him to his 2 month appointment about two weeks ago and he weighed in at 16 lbs and 26 inches. I like his fat roles and all of his creases.

He still isn't sleeping very well and I can't help but think that it is something I am doing wrong. He falls asleep for Jacob no problem, and then he stays asleep too. It takes me much longer to get him to stop being so squirmy. I hope his sleeping habits change for the better because I am so tired. Oh well, thats just how my life is right now I guess.

A normal day

2009-07-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

I find myself sitting on the couch nursing a LOT. Then I usually get the laundry started but then it take two or three days to get it folded and pt away. The kitchen is rarely clean and there is always a dirty dish in the sink. We eat a lot of ham and cheese and pb&j for lunch. And quite often Zach is the only one that gets dressed before 2 pm.

On the flip side, Katie and Zach are best friends ( they still fight and get on each others nerves) and play so well together. They are so happy to see Jacob when he comes home from school or work and they are so happy with the simplest of things. My baby Marshall is not the best sleeper but he is starting to smile at me every time I talk to him.

Even though I get a little cranky and emotional about dumb things pretty frequently, my life is happy and good and very blessed.

Big Baby

2009-07-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends were not able to see me at this point in my pregnancy. And those that did have told me a number of times that I need to put this pic on my blog. So for the sake of documenting here it is.

I was 2 days away from having Marshall in this picture. When I had him 2 days later he weighed 9 lbs 7 oz. and was 21 inches long. I know it's not like I was having twins but for a single baby my belly was pretty big. I love not being pregnant!

Sweet things children say

2009-07-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

A sweet little conversation between Katie and her Daddy.

Katie: Hi Dad, how was work?

Jacob: Good, how was home?

Katie: Good, it's always wonderful.

It made me feel good that she would say that.

Jordan is home form Hungary

2009-07-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Jacob's brother Jordan came home from his mission a few weeks ago. The kids made a sign and we all went to the airport to welcome him back to the USA. He said it was a little weird to hear everyone around him speaking english. I thought that was funny. The kids had been looking forward to his homecoming for months and were so excited to see him.

First thing we did was go eat at IN and OUT Burger. We are so glad he is back.
(nice Jamie :)

We have big kids!

2009-06-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Jake and I are really tall measuring at 6,3" and 6,0". So I guess it is only natural that our children are super tall as well. After all, tall is beautiful and makes for great ball players.

Katie is almost 5 and 1/2 years and is 49 inches tall. That is the same as the average 7 year old.

Zach turned 4 last month and is 43 inches tall.

Marshall went to his 2 month appointment today and measured 26 inches and 16 lbs.

Marshall is getting fun!

2009-06-15T08:34:00.001-07:00

Jake has always like to tease our kids. He really likes to see if he can get them to make this face. It is his favorite thing to do while they are babies. I'm just as bad because I don't keep him form doing it. It has always been some sound that Jake makes that will make the kids do this.

This is Katie.

Here is Zachary.
And here is Marshall. Don't judge us.
They smile a lot too. This is his first smile that we got a pic of.

ZACHARY

2009-06-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

Zach is now 4 years old. He had his birthday last week and it was a very busy day. We have a membership the Reid Park Zoo here in Tucson so that is what we did first. It is a really great Zoo that isn't too big like the Phoenix Zoo. You can see the whole Zoo in about an hour and half. This pic is Katie and Zach playing in the little splash pad in the zoo.

After the zoo we went home to eat lunch and get Jake and then we went "real" bowling. Our kids have been bowling a lot on the wii and so Jake thought that they would really like to go real bowling and he was right. They had a lot of fun as you can see. It took Zach a little while to get his ball down the lane but he did alright. We had the bumpers up and He was still lucky to get two pins down, but that was good enough for him. He really had a blast.
Jake tried to show Katie how to bowl with one hand but she got frustrated with that pretty quickly and just stuck to two hands. She had quite a few grannie's that looked like this.
We asked Zach what he wanted for dinner and he told us that he wanted to go to the chop stick place. That would be Pei Wei. So that is where we went and then we came home to have cake and open presents. I did make the cake because I don't like buying them with weird colors and characters on them. And they just aren't good at all. Zach was very happy with his chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, it was delicious. Most of it is in the freezer now because there was a lot left over and I know I would eat it if it was left on the counter. It was a fun day and Zach was very happy with our family party.

Zach is a really sweet kid. Sometimes he can be a really big whiner and it really gets on our nerves but we love him anyway. He likes to do things himself and will keep trying until he gets it done. He really likes Star Wars, Star Trek, and Xmen and likes to pretend play with Katie. We sure do love our 4 year old. Happy Birthday Zach.

Summer

2009-06-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

I know it has really been to long since I posted and I know I need to do it more often because I forget things if I don't.

This is Marshall at 1 month old. I think he was about 12 lbs then and almost wearing 6 month clothes. I keep waiting for Katie and Zach to get bored with him but is hasn't happened yet. They like to get really close to his face to talk to him. It's really annoying. However, in their defense, they have been very helpful when I ask them to get me things or put things away.
This is Katie and Zach's Joy School graduation. They had a lot of fun at joy school and had some great teachers. Thanks to all my friends involved with that. We will really miss Janelle and Carlie. Amy didn't do Joy School but we'll miss her too.

Jake as started his unpaid internship with customs and border protection and is also working part time for an attorney here in Tucson just doing some office work.

I really like having three kids, even though I am sleeping a lot less than I used to. I try to stay patient and understanding. Sometimes I surprise myself and I handle things very calmly and other times I lose it and start slamming cabinets and doors. I have yet to break something but I'm sure that time will come.

Katie is super excited to start kindergarten in August. I think we got her into a really good school. It is a charter school that puts a lot of focus on science, math and computers. I hope she enjoys it and does well.

It is getting really hot here in Tucson and so I have been trying to get down to the pool as often as I can with a new born. I really need to get the kids into swimming lessons. I think it is going to be a long and boring summer.

Marshall has arrived!!

2009-04-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

Well it has been about a week and so I guess it is time to post. His name is James Marshall but we are going to call him Marshall.

This pregnancy and my labor and delivery was very frustrating for me. For some reason unknown to me, this kid would not get into the proper position for exiting the womb. He was breech for a good 3 months at least, maybe more. That is something I never want to experience again. I had an external version done at 37 weeks and it was so terrible. It did work and he did get his head down but he was posterior until he was born. I was in labor having contraction with pitocin for 24 hours and not dilating past a 4 when they finally broke my water. I ended up having an epidural because I was so tired and the contractions were worse than they were with Zach. (Liz I don't know how you had Harley) I have mixed feelings about the epidural. It was really nice not having to feel the contractions but it was hard to know when to push and then I really didn't like the way I felt afterwards. I don't think I will get another one, but I'm glad I had it for this last one.

This was right after he was born. He immediately found his fingers. He was 9 lbs 7 oz and was 21 inches long. Zach weighed the same but was 2 inches shorter. Once his hair dried it was brown and his skin isn't as dark as Zachary's.
A few days old here. We caught him with his eyes open which hardly ever happens. He is such a sleepy baby. I don't know if it's just the way he is or if it's from having the epidural. My other kids were not sleepy like him. For being so sleepy, he does keep me awake for a good part of the night. Another thing I forgot about having a new born, I am seriously sleep deprived.
Jake has always like to tease the kids. Even when they are only a few days old. He did this with the other kids too. They really get suckin on his nose when they are hungry and Jake thinks it's so funny. Soon Jake will start growling at him and he'll cry and that will be funny too.

I like to to make things

2009-04-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

This was really fun to make. It is a bag or clutch for a few diapers and one of those portable wipe containers. It took me about 40 minutes to make and I think I could really make it cute more buttons or ribbons to tie closed.

Our home

2009-04-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the outside of our apartment. We live in a 2 story condo and our complex is very nice. our kids especially like the balcony that is off of Katie's room.

These are pictures of Sabino Canyon that is really just 2 minutes from our house. It is really beautiful and these pics don't do it justice. I really think that the desert is beautiful and the area of Tucson that we live in is so nice.

Booties!

2009-04-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a picture of these booties that I just finished. I made these by hand and it really didn't take me that long. The next pair will have some embellishment.

Vertex!! woo hoo!!

2009-04-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

I am feeling a lot better since this baby has been turned head down. I had an External Version done at the Tucson Medical Center last week and it was so awful. The Dr. that did was really nice but he pushed down so hard to get the baby around. He was holding him in his hands, pushing and turning while I lay an my back screaming. I don't even make noise while I'm in labor ( I have never had an epidural either) and I just couldn't keep it in. I felt so much better afterwards though. My belly wasn't as sore and my hips felt better. It was worth doing but if he turns himself back around I'm just going to have a C-section. I don't think I could go through that again.

Jake is almost done with his first year of law school. His finals start 3 days after my due date and they last for 2 weeks. I might go to Pima and stay with my mom for a few days during the 2nd week.

Katie keeps telling me that she wants to hold the baby and he needs to come already. I do agree with her. I need to put a picture up of this pregnancy. I really am sticking strait out in front. I have a hard time getting through the halls in church and through the relief society room with out being stopped and commented on.

Two weeks ago my dad was in a terrible car accident. He was the only one involved and he was very lucky to have survived it. He over corrected and rolled his truck off the road and down a hill. It was about mid night and someone was driving behind him and saw it happen. He was taken to Tucson in a helicopter and ended up staying there for a week. He broke his neck (C6 and C7) had surgery that lasted for 5 or 6 hours and now has a halo on that he will have to live with for the next 2 to 3 months. He has kept a surprisingly good mood despite his condition. We have had lots of family and friends visit and call and help out in his garden. I now he really appreciates it.

6 happy years

2009-03-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

Jake and I had our 6th anniversary last saturday. It was a lame day. I was sick and pathetic all day. I slept a lot then threw up.... it was bad. However, while we were in Thatcher that weekend we did see a movie and go to lunch without having to pay for it. Thank you Mark and Liz for the movie and thank you Tina for lunch. It just worked out nice for us. On the way home from Thatcher I asked Jake if it felt like we had been married for longer than 6 years and he just smiled at me. Then we both started laughing. It was a special moment.

Disneyland

2009-03-25T22:04:00.001-07:00

It is time to post some pictures of our trip. We had a lot of fun and were totally wiped out by the end of it. I think a trip to Disneyland every 5 years should do it for us. Maybe longer would be okay.

Jake doesn't like the beach. He was such a good sport to take us there. The kids loved it and really enjoyed looking for shells and getting wet in the freezing ocean water.

Zach didn't like waiting in line.

This is when she found out we were going to Disneyland. She didn't know until that morning when we were driving in front of the park and she saw everything disney.
Waiting in line is hard sometimes. This line was for the princess. It was worth the 2 hour wait.
I do have a lot more pics and you can see them here. http://gallery.me.com/jacobbradylee#100055

2009-03-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

So my computer broke and I can no longer use it. It won't charge, and a new battery didn't fix it. I can't even get it to turn on. I will be using Jake's computer whenever he is home until we can get a new one. We decided to get a new one but not until August. I won't be posting very often, not that I post very much anyway.

I went to see my midwife today and it was confirmed with an ultrasound that this baby is definitely breech. Not a good thing for me. My chiropractor visits are going well and I am really feeling some relief in my hips and other bones. Hopefully after I'm done with that the baby will turn over and all will be well.

Another day

2009-03-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have ben to the chiropractor twice now and my hips and pelvis are definitely less sore. My baby is still breech but I am optimistic that he will turn. At the very least I am in less pain. I really do like my chiropractor, she is very nice and has mostly the same ideas that I do. Yesterday at my appointment she was going over some of the tests and scans that we had done two days before. These are just to let you now what muscles are tense and some other mumbo jumbo that I'm not totally sold on. Anyhow, she started to tell me how stressed I was according to this scan. Not just stresses in the muscles but emotional stress, and how much energy I use to get through the day. (which I guess is higher than it should be, leaving me fatigued) I started crying. I was stressing me out to hear her tell me how stressed I was. Then she started asking me personal questions about home and family. I didn't appreciate that and thought she should mind her own business. I felt a little better after I was adjusted. Thank you Christy for watching my kids and then having us all over for dinner. That was very nice and just what I needed.

I'm still annoyed with my kids. I love them, but they bother me. I have been trying to play games with them so they don't think I'm always a monster who like to yell and take away their toys. Yesterday I told them to clean their room 3 times and they would not get it done. I finally went in their and cleaned it myself. That means I took everything that was on the floor, which was about half of their stuff. They both sobbed for a good 30 minutes and Zach kept saying "we were just saying knock knock jokes". That didn't help the situation.

I canned a batch of pinto beans yesterday that turned out very nicely and improved my mood a bit and then I made bread that did not turn out all and is very hard and very heavy. I don't know what happened. Usually my bread works and is really good but this time it was just terrible. What a waste. I was so upset.

I am looking forward to this baby coming and I keep telling my kids that things will get better when he comes. I won't be so grouchy.

Katie

2009-03-06T10:07:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Katie's 5th birthday. I can't believe she is already 5 years old. I just wanted to make a list of some things about her.

She loves to "art" and is pretty good for her age. I think so anyway.
She is so excited for this baby to come and keeps asking when I am going to go to the hospital.
She loves her brother and can be very helpful when she puts her mind to it.
She hates cleaning her room and washing her hair.
She likes to eat spaghetti, salad, red bell peppers, and apples.
She really likes fairies and thinks they are real.
She likes anything small and pretty.
She is very easily pleased and gets very excited over simple things.

We just love her personality. She adds so much to our family and I think I just want boys from now on. She can be very emotional and moody. She is so much fun.

Breech baby

2009-03-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

We had a really fun vacation 2 weekends ago. I do plan to post about that, but I still have to put the pics on my computer. So for now I just have other news.

Last week I went to my O.B. appointment with my midwife and told her of this terrible pain I have been having at the top of my belly. I have also been having a lot of pain in my hips and other bones in that area. She felt around on my belly and then told me that my baby is breech. Apparently his head is getting boxed into a spot up there that is causing this sharp pain. This pain makes it hard to get up from sitting and... well any movement hurts really. It almost feels like a HARD contraction in a very specific spot that doesn't really go away. His feet keep kicking me down on the other end making it sore most of the time. It also makes sleeping difficult. I have decided to see a chiropractor that is registered in the Webster's Breech Technique. I hope it works. I have heard that it works pretty much most of the time. I called to make an appointment and I talked with the chiropractor for about 25 min. and she told me that the sooner the better. At 32 weeks everything should work out.

Katie and Zach have been driving my crazy most days. I know it's not their fault. I have been extra cranky, emotional, and crazy these days. I just can't stand the noise. I have a hard time with loud noise anyway, it just seems like lately if they start playing to loudly I...... well no one should know what I would really like to do. I think it's hard for them not being able to go outside as well. Since we are in a complex they have to ask, and I don't let them unless the weather is nice enough to leave the doors open. I don't know any of the neighbors either and my kids will talk to anyone. Everywhere else we have lived it hasn't been a problem and they could go outside whenever.

They really like their pre-school. The other moms and I take turns teaching and this week is my turn. Last time my kids did okay. This time having it at our house was not so good. Katie and Zach both cried for the first 40 min. They didn't want to share their things with everyone at the same time. I don't know why. It was a little stressful. Oh well. I just need to finish this week and then I have one more turn. I can do it. Even with swollen ankles.

On a happier note, Jake has been really great to me. He made Valentines day and my birthday really great. He cleaned the house and did the laundry on my birthday. I really could not have asked for anything better. I HATE doing laundry. We had breakfast at Mimi's Cafe which I have been wanting for months. It was great.

Update

2009-02-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

Today I am getting ready for our trip to Disneyland. I think is has been two years since Katie started talking about a trip to the happiest place on earth. She has cousins who have been and she has wanted to go for a while. We haven't told our kids that we are going and I don't think we are going to say anything. They will figure it out when we get there. We thought it was a good time to go before we have another baby. Having 3 kids is starting to make me very nervous. I will be posting pics when we get home. Until then our life is pretty uneventful.

I have been walking in Sabino Canyon twice a week and I really enjoy it. Walking is about the only thing I can do at this point without feeling to awkward. I need to take some pictures of the canyon and post them. I really do live in a beautiful area. The Mountains are just magnificent. I have always thought that the desert is pretty but this desert is really exceptional. I think so anyways.

Katie lost another tooth. She turns 5 in two and a half weeks and has already lost two teeth. I think Zach is a little jealous. I have noticed him checking his teeth to see if any are loose. Oh well, his time will come.

2009-02-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

Every week we have a play group that gets together on Wednesdays. This week we went to a park called Agua Caliente. This park has a ton of ducks and lots of trees everywhere. My kids love coming to this park to feed the ducks. This time while we were there one of the park staff came over and told us we weren't supposed to feed the ducks anymore. My kids were a little miffed. They got over it more quickly than I had expected and started playing hide and seek with our friends that were there with us. It doesn't get any better than hide and seek. It is one of their favorite things to do. I did take my camera with me but of course I didn't take any pics. I am so bad about taking pictures, and I always feel guilty about it. I need to do better.

Katie and Zach are both really excited for this baby to come. Last Monday morning I had an appointment with my midwife and I was telling Katie that I was going to leave her at home home with Daddy so I could go to my appointment. She asked me if the I was going to have them pull the baby out. I started laughing and told her it was just a check up and she was a little disappointed.

Cows and Chickens

2009-01-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

We spent this last weekend in Pima and had lots of fun while we were there. I wanted to go because my sisters milk cow was about calf and I didn't want my kids to miss it. We were lucky enough to be there when it happened. I do have some pictures of my brother-in-law pulling out the calf in his church clothes but they are kind of gross so i decided to leave them out.

This right after he was born.

This was the next morning after he was all cute and dry.

This little guy came from one of the steers. My sister has a pretty good idea which one but I don't think they know for sure who the mother is. He is really really small. The mama cow kind of adopted him. He follows her around and even lets him nurse from her. He is very cute.

My kids always love to go check the chicken coop for eggs and there is usually a few in the nest. I grew up with chickens and I really like that my kids enjoy them so much.

These are just a few pics of my kids being silly. They really like to dress up in costumes and sometimes Katie can get really creative. This is her Christmas Rockette costume.

Joy School

2009-01-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day of our little Joy School. Katie and Zach really loved it. I asked them what they learned and neither one could give me an answer but they went on and on about how much fun they had. Zach sang "where is thumbkin"the whole time we were in Fry's. The best part for me was I had 2.5 hours to do what ever I wanted. I just went to the work out group that I would have gone to anyways. I just didn't have to turn around every time someone's kid started to cry. It was great.

This pregnancy is different from the others. Everything hurts more. I just remember it being uncomfortable but this one....ugh. I'm just ready for it to be over and I still have 15 weeks left. Oh, here is the kicker, my midwife told me I've already gained to much weight. That was not a good day. I went to the store and bought a whole bunch of produce. Which I am proud to say has not been wasted.

These are just some random pics.

Katie lost her first tooth

2009-01-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

I got to play tooth fairy tonight for the first time. She has been waiting for it to come out on its own for almost 3 weeks. She was so excited when it finally came lose and fell into her hand. She had a hard time going to sleep until we told her that the tooth fairy wasn't going to come unless she was asleep.

Jacob starts school again on Tuesday and is looking forward to going back and getting busy again. It has been nice having him home for the past 3 weeks. He has been so helpful.

Some of my friends and I are starting a Joy School for our little kids this next week and Katie and Zach can't wait to get started. We have really nice friends here in Tucson that we get together with very regularly.

My pregnancy is coming along very nicely. I don't feel this baby moving very much because the placenta is front of the baby. My midwife didn't seem real concerned about this. I guess as long as it isn't under the baby all is well. For those of you wondering, I am not having my baby at home or in a birthing center. I am having my baby at TMC (Tucson Medical Center). Some times when I mention a midwife people assume I'm delivering at home. I'm not, I just wanted to try something different and so far I am very happy.