Friday, December 13, 2013

New Arrivals

Our beautiful babies are here!

Kathryn and Elizabeth were born on November 22nd.  They were both over 6 pounds each (I had 13 pounds of baby total in me -- yikes!) and are very healthy.  In fact, we took them home from the hospital about 40 hours after they were born.  Dave and I feel so blessed to have our prayers answered -- a healthy pregnancy, an uncomplicated delivery, and two healthy babies.


Saturday, October 19, 2013

What NOT To Do When Nearly 8 Months Pregnant with Twins

Dave and I have been house hunting for almost a whole year now.  We've seen a lot of beautiful houses and a lot of trashed houses, on big lots and small lots, but nothing felt right.

In September we finally found a house that was pretty great.  It was a rambler with 4 bedrooms, the main floor front room and family room that I wanted, a good sized kitchen, huge storage room, etc.  The price was right and the location was perfect!  So we made an offer -- full price with seller paying closing costs.  This house had been on the market for two months already and they recently dropped the price which had brought us looking.  The family countered our offer and basically refused to pay closing costs.  Dave and I prayed and pondered over what to do next and in the end we decided to walk away.  It was kind of sad making that decision but we really needed the closing costs, and besides it would be too hard for me to pack up our house at this stage in my pregnancy.

Last Saturday we took a leisurely drive around the city and found a new development in another perfect location with houses that will suit our family for years to come.  Monday we talked to the builder and put down the earnest money.  It will take six months for our home to be ready which I thought was great.  Plenty of time to get the twins here and our house packed and sold.  But no.  Dave worked with the builder to ready the contract and put in the contingency to sell our home.  And it has to be sold in 60 days!

So, I'm 33 weeks pregnant, really could go into labor at any time, Dave's been working late hours this week, and I have to get our house listed by mid next week -- and don't forget my crazy 17 month old who wants to help but isn't always so helpful.  The timing couldn't be worse.  But, more than any other home we've looked at, we feel like this is the right home for us.  I know it will all work out.  I just hope it doesn't send me to the hospital because I don't have the time right now.

*****

If you or anyone you know are looking for a 3 bedroom/2.5 bath town house please send them my way.  Thanks!






Monday, October 7, 2013

Random Thoughts about Family History

A few weeks ago I was watching an afternoon talk show and the topic was about couples who had made the decision to be childless.  How sad, I thought.  Sure, having kids is the hardest thing I have ever done and there are many days when I feel completely overwhelmed and discouraged -- and I only have one right now.  The thought of having three under the age of 18 months is absolutely terrifying.  But, my children are truly a joy to me and I find comfort in knowing that we are keeping the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth.  I am so grateful that despite our infertility mysteries we have been able to achieve pregnancy and have these beautiful children through the miracles of modern medicine.

There was one couple on the talk show who married in their early to mid-thirties.  They are both only children in their family and will not be having offspring of their own.  They, in particular, have haunted me over the days.  Basically, their family lines will end with them -- they are headed toward extinction.  Seriously tragic.

I had a thought this weekend during general conference that Family History was the answer.  I love the show, "Who do you think you are?" where celebrities research their family story and learn where they come from.  At the end of their journey every one of them is anxious to return to their parents, siblings, and children to tell them what they learned.  It got me thinking that the purpose of family history is not only to link our past but to link our future. (I realize that is totally obvious when you are doing the work to prepare for temple ordinances but maybe not so obvious when you are just looking into it as a casual hobby.)  There is a special spirit about genealogy that helps us understand where we come from and gives us the desire to pass along those stories to our own posterity.  Truly, it is the antidote to thoughts about childlessness and will help us understand the importance and significance of having a family.




Besides, who can resist a little kid as cute as this?

Friday, October 4, 2013

For Hire

He does such a good job on our lawn Dave and I have decided to hire him out. All earnings will go directly to his mission fund. Let us know if you're interested in employing the best mower in town. :)



He will also water your flowers, vacuum, take your kids for a walk, get the mail, mop, sweep, or do laundry.  He's a great helper!






Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Watch out Tiger Woods

We finally made it to Cherry Hill's miniature golf course this summer and took Ben along. He lasted about two holes with the kids club then absolutely insisted he had to use the grown up club for he rest of the game. He caught on to the rules quickly and loved playing the game.  Dave and I sat back and marveled at our amazing little boy.



Saturday, September 14, 2013

Cousins

Ben sure does love his cousins and they are so good and patient with him!




Wednesday, September 11, 2013

State Fair

Just hanging out at the Utah State Fair. With the pigs!






Monday, September 9, 2013

My Little Cook

I had just made gorgeous chocolate zucchini cupcakes for visiting teaching. After pulling them out of the oven I headed to the bathroom to do my hair and makeup. Ben followed me but soon got bored. I could hear him in the kitchen but decided he would be fine for a few more minutes while I finished up.

This is what I found.  In less than five minutes he had pulled a chair over to the stove, destroyed 6 cupcakes, pulled a spatula out of the canister on the counter, emptied one cupcake into a frying pan on the stove, and started stirring his fried cupcake creation. 




Needless to say, I was pretty upset. I cleaned him up and took him right to bed for a nap. Only after he was asleep could I laugh at it. 

Then the next Sunday he moved the chair again. This time I was in the kitchen with him but working at the table. You can imagine how fast I flew to his side when I heard the stove click on. Ben decided he wanted to cook the pot holders. He placed two of them on the burner, grabbed a spatula, and turned on the stove. 

Yes, I've learned my lesson. We have to watch him like a hawk in the kitchen. On the bright side, he is definitely showing promise as a great cook!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Survivor

Dave calls Ben a survivor because he knows how to find food when he's hungry. That should come in handy when I have two brand new babies to take care of.


Thursday, August 22, 2013

My Little Cleaner

I guess I don't keep my house clean enough for Ben. Today he grabbed a wipe and first mopped the front entry. Then used another wipe to get behind the dining table. (I must admit that area is neglected because it's hard to get to.) Next he cleaned up under the bar. Glad Ben is so very willing to help!



Sunday, August 11, 2013

Daddy's Socks

They're hard to see in the shadow but this boy is super proud to be sporting his dad's socks. Love this kid!


Thursday, August 8, 2013

The Botched Escape

After staying at a hotel this last weekend I am grateful that...

A. The door had a chain up high so he couldn't get out.

B.That we don't have lever handles on the doors of our house.  

This kid will do anything to get outside. 

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Ice Cream Buddies

I dished myself up some ice cream just five minutes earlier but Ben only had a couple of spoonfuls and didn't want any more from me. Then Dave served himself a bowl of ice cream and Ben went right up to him begging for the dessert. He sat still in Dave's lap for almost 15 minutes as they shared their chocolate peanut butter treat. The best of ice cream buds!



Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Ultrasound Results

We had our comprehensive ultrasound last week and found out who will be joining our family.  Benjamin does the honors and reveals the gender of our little twins.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Playtime

Who needs a sand box when you've got a wood chip box?


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Faux-Hawk

Benjamin can sport a pretty cool faux-hawk. (And I guess it's time for a haircut.)

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Picnic

Our first backyard picnic of the summer. Tuna fish sandwiches and carrots with dip ... Yummy!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Hawaiian Vacation

We went to Hawaii last month and spent 9 days in the island state visiting Dave's brother who is stationed on the Air Force Base there.  I can't lie -- this was not one of my favorite vacations.  In fact, I didn't have the greatest time when we went there on our honeymoon either.  I guess Hawaii is just not my thing.

I could spend hours telling you about everything that went wrong.  Instead I'll try and accentuate the good memories.  



We received these beautiful real flower leis at the airport from Megan and her boys.  Poor Benjamin was so tired and sad after the flight.  He had been sick for a month before this trip, sick enough that I was really tempted to stay home with him. 




Benjamin LOVED the ocean.  We spent a couple of hours there on day 2 of our trip then went back to the house, changed, and over to the Church where we took part in Daniel's baptism.  Ben, of course, wanted to go back in the water when he saw Daniel and Matt wade into the baptismal font.

Day 3 was a Sunday.  We went to church but left after sacrament meeting with a sick baby and spent the rest of the day just relaxing. 





Day 4 we took in the sights at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie.  I was disappointed when we went on our honeymoon that we didn't get to see and do everything while we were there so I was hoping to make up for it this time.  I must have forgotten that I have an eleven-month old who works on his own schedule.  We were only able to participate in one show, two activities, and the IMax movie.  There is so much we missed out on.  Maybe someday I'll get to see it all (that is, if I want to chance it and try Hawaii a third time).  


We had big plans for Day 5: go to the temple, hang out at the Dole Pineapple Plantation, then head off to Maui.  However, our car was parked on the street that morning and the school bus caught the driver side mirror and broke it off.  It took Dave a couple of hours to get through the police report and to deal with the car rental company.  We decided to bypass the temple and just went to the Pineapple Plantation.  There we ate lunch, took the train ride (just an FYI -- the train ride hasn't changed a bit in four years so if you've been once that is probably enough).  Then I talked Dave into going through the garden maze.  That was probably the highlight of the whole vacation for me.  I loved the challenge of finding our way through the tall hedges.  Back at the Base we all packed up and headed over to Maui on a late flight.


Looks like all the pictures of our first day in Maui are on Dave's phone.  I'll try and get them downloaded later.  Dave left us at the hotel for the morning while he went scuba diving.  Ben and I slept in, went shopping, and took a nap.  It was lovely.  Dave came back and we started driving west. We ended up in Lahaina and took a stroll down historic Front Street for a few blocks.  The sun was about to set so we wandered over to Bubba Gump for dinner.  We told the hostess to give us VIP seating.  She took one look at our cute baby and led us over to the west side of the restaurant.  We sat right in front of a wall of windows and watched the sun set out over the water.  Beautiful!  Definitely VIP seats.




Our second day in Maui (day 7 of our vacation) was spent driving in the car.  I have some choice thoughts about this experience but we're trying to focus on the positive.  We took the Road to Hana all the way around the eastern half of the island.  This road is famous for being narrow and windy as it travels through the mountain and along the coast to the small -- emphasis on small -- town of Hana.  Once we finally reached Hana we stopped for lunch and then continued on our way.  Now, it clearly states on all maps of Maui that to continue past Hana may potentially void your rental car contract.  The prohibited road is even more narrow and winding and has disintegrated to dirt in some areas.  Additionally, the rain started pouring down along our way nearly washing out the road.  But the sights were amazing and definitely worth the risk.  Truly an adventure!




Warning: I'm going to rant again.  Day 8, our last day in Maui.  We had to check out of our hotel at noon but our flight didn't leave until 9pm.  I thought it would be great to just take it easy in the morning.  Sleep in, get breakfast, take Benjamin swimming, check out, then still have a good 7 hours before we had to go to the airport.  I told Dave my plan but Todd had other things in mind.  He insisted that we had to go see some crater about 90 minutes away.  I suggested that we go there in the afternoon but he held firm that we had to see it in the morning.  After spending the whole day in the car the day before I didn't think Benjamin could handle another 3-plus hours so I refused to go with them but Dave went along for the ride.  While they were gone Ben and I went swimming and he took a long nap.  It was a leisurely morning though I wish Dave had been with us.  Later I learned that they got to the crater, hiked the short distance to the lookout, spent ten minutes, then turned around and came back to the hotel.  Apparently there was a visitors center and several other longer hikes they could have gone on but they were time-strapped to get checked out of the hotel.  You can imagine my frustration when I heard this report.  It would have been so much better to have gone later in the day, but no.  So once we all finally checked out, Todd took us to the West side of the island to some high-end shopping mall where we all aimlessly walked around and wasted time until our flight.  Definitely my least favorite day of the entire vacation.

On our way back to Oahu, there was this curious little hen at the rental car shuttle stop.  Benjamin fed her some goldfish and was totally entranced as he watched her peck around.



The last day of our vacation we went back to Laie to attend the Temple.  Maureen was such a sweetheart and stayed with Benjamin for two hours out in the parking lot while the rest of us went to a session.  What a beautiful, serene building.  I loved it!  We spent time at the visitors center and then drove over to BYU Hawaii to have dinner at the student cafeteria.  I had eaten about half of my dinner when I suddenly realized something wasn't quite right with me.  The family watched Ben while Dave and I hunted down a restroom.  You do not want to see what I saw when you're nine weeks pregnant.  Horror.  We called our doctor's emergency number and the nurse asked lots of questions.  She told us that things were probably okay because I wasn't cramping but that I needed to get off my feet right away.  Easier said than done but I cleaned up and Dave immediately took me to the car, gathered the family, and we headed back to the Base to collect our luggage for the flight home.  Unfortunately, I had one more episode at the airport but it wasn't as bad as the first.  It was a frightening experience but at the same time I was calm through it all and I felt that things were going to be okay -- I hoped and prayed that things were okay.

We arrived home Sunday morning.  I have never been so happy to have a vacation over with in my life.  We had some good times but overall it was a very difficult nine days for me.

First thing Monday morning I was in the doctor's office for an ultrasound.  Gratefully, all was well with the babies.  The technician said it looked like the placenta on Baby A hadn't completely grafted into the uterus.  The open blood vessels must have pooled and clotted for weeks and suddenly decided to all descended at once.  So, all was well but I still needed to take it easy.

Well, enough of that.  It was good to get away and we made some good memories but truly there's no place like home!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

We celebrated this week by going to the zoo, eating way too much cake and ice cream, and having a double birthday party with Grandma Hinckley.







Happy 1st Birthday, Benjamin!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

An Announcement

These two little beings will be joining our family just before Thanksgiving. We are excited (but nervous -- three kids 18 months and younger)!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Ben v. Apes

Look how my baby has grown over the last year!





Thursday, May 9, 2013

Some Toy Love

Sometimes it's not enough to just play with the toys.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Mother's Day is Coming

We were at the temple over the weekend and as I walked to the lobby to wait for Dave after the session one of the sweet temple worker sisters said to me, "Happy Mother's Day!"

Her simple well wish caused a happy jolt to go through my heart--the best kind of jolts. I am a mother. And this is my first Mother's Day as a mother. (Benjamin missed it by one day last year.)

I am grateful for my little guy and grateful for the opportunity to mother him and help in the mothering of all my wonderful nieces and nephews.