The Roe's

Edifying and Uplifting

2011-10-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

I had one of the most edifying and uplifting days that I've had in a very long time. I had the opportunity to attend a 'training' by the General Primary President (Sis. Wixom) and then attend a fireside where she spoke along with the General Relief Society 2nd Counselor (Sis. Thompson) and a member of the Area 70 (Elder Reall). I had debated whether or not I should go for a number of reasons. I ended up going (and my mom got to go with me too!) and am so thankful that I did. I'm having a hard time putting into words my thoughts and feelings of the afternoon/evening. Words like "fantastic," "wonderful," and "peace" come to mind. However, I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling to someone who is not of my faith. I've had some trials to deal with lately and started to feel 'lost' but the words shared today lifted my spirit and I know that everything will be just fine. My testimony of the Gospel was strengthened so much today. I know the Lord puts us in place to learn from people at just the right time. I know the Gospel is true, I know that we have a living prophet today to help guide us back to our Heavenly Father. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and wants to help us.

Quoting Haydn

2011-09-13T10:58:00.000-05:00

My youngest brother came and stayed with us for a week. We loved having him here. I don't know who loved having him here the most though. Haydn had someone new to play with (and usually only asked Jake to play with him), Adam enjoyed having a fresh dinner every night (because I told Jake that I needed to make him a few things), and I got to spend a whole week with my baby brother before he leaves and serves the Lord for 2 whole years! With that much excitement in our home, Haydn comes out with some funny phrases (and sweet ones too)!
While playing trains with Adam and Jake, Adam picked up some of the tracks to build with and Haydn says "Hey Man, what you doing with my tracks?!?"
While not feeling the greatest and desperately needing a drink of water I asked Haydn if he'd get me a glass of water. Haydn responded "I sure will!"
When we eat anything that Haydn deems as 'good' he says "Yum-yum-yum-yum, doe-soe." (It's supposed to be delicioso)
Every night Haydn gives us kisses and hugs good night. he just started giving my belly hugs and kisses too. He talks to the baby and tells me what the baby needs. He's very concerned that everything I eat goes onto the baby's head and gets in his hair. He then tells me that I need to drink lots of water to get all the food out of the baby's hair.
I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting at this time, but he sure does say a lot of funny things. I love him so much and could not imagine my life without him in it. I am truly blessed to be his mother.

Just this One time

2011-08-15T12:52:00.000-05:00

I am only going to complain this ONE time about pregnancy. My body aches and I hardly sleep at night. I am so tired. My back hurts, my stomach hurts, my legs hurt, even my sides hurt! It hurts to walk, it hurts to sit, it hurts to lay down. My legs feel like they weigh one hundred pounds each and the act of getting out of bed is painful. OH! and the random braxton hicks are nothing to pass off lightly. Nothing sounds good to eat and making meals is out of the question. If I have to come up with the idea for dinner, I don't have the energy to make it. I have lots of things to get done around the house before this little man gets here, but I have zero energy to do that. I am barely getting the things finished that are normal tasks. I can't get down and play on the floor with Haydn. Knowing that there are only 5 weeks left of this is bittersweet. I know it isn't very long, but it seems forever at the same time.
On the other side of things, I am so happy that we have this little guy coming to us. We are all so excited to see him and can hardly wait to hold him and kiss him. We know we'll be tired, but seeing his little face will be so wonderful. There were many prayers asking for him and many more asking for his health and well being. I know I'll miss feeling him move. He'll grow so fast and there will be a lot of "remember when" or "I can't believe" conversations. As uncomfortable as I am now, I am very thankful to be pregnant. I know it could be a lot worse and I have been very blessed through this whole pregnancy.

Ranting

2011-08-02T22:57:00.000-05:00

I know I have had a few posts where I ranted. I have no problem expressing my feelings about different subjects, so after much thought and a number of topics I can't wait to write about, I've started a new blog just for that purpose. I know...I will probably make some enemies or hurt some feelings, but I should be able to write out my opinion on subjects too. So, to keep this blog more about my family, the other will be my pet peeves and other 'controversial' topics. Feel free to check it out RantingwRachel.blogspot.com
If you don't want to hear my ranting, don't check it out. Either way, I won't be offended.

To Georgia and Back

2011-07-20T09:53:00.001-05:00

I have been home for a few days now from Georgia. It was so great getting to visit my sister and her family. It's been two and a half years since I saw them last! It was also great getting to road trip with my youngest two siblings. Yes, I had talking points and they believe there were cross references. My mind works that way though...everything can be related. =) It's not often that I get to sit down and talk with these two so it was great to have hours upon hours to talk. It also helped to see funny things on the road, like a mattress tied to the back of a semi moving truck.
I guess there was too much fun being had, because I didn't pull my camera out much. I didn't even get pictures with my sister or of her family. Kind of bittersweet I guess. It was so fun getting to see where my sister lives and the people she hangs out with. After we arrived EARLY in the morning Sunday, we all went to bed. However, Haydn had slept in the car for hours already and was ready to play. Sure enough, he played with his two cousins. He hadn't ever really been able to play with them before. They were instant friends and he calls them his cousin friends now. How we miss our cousin friends though.
One evening we went out to my sister and her husband's favorite Mexican restaurant. Haydn had fallen asleep in the car on the way to the restaurant so he was LOTS of fun once we got there. He is very much like his father, very cranky when he is just one of the following three: hot, sleepy, hungry. This fantastic evening, Haydn was all three! The waitress was taking our drink orders after putting chips and salsa on the table. Haydn thought the little carafe of salsa was a beverage. I asked him what he wanted to drink and he insisted that he just wanted "this." After I explained to him several times that he really didn't want it to drink and that it was not a beverage, he insisted. The whole time he was unwrapping a straw. Finally he put the straw in the salsa and took a BIG GULP! I knew what he was going to do, so I announced to everyone to watch. Sure enough, the salsa burned his mouth and he was in desperate need of a drink. However, we had just placed our orders. The only thing I could give him to calm the heat was a chip. This is not the first time I have seen someone do this. When Liz was younger, she did the same thing. The difference, Liz didn't know she was drinking salsa. She thought she had picked up her cup of juice which happened to be red.
We were able to go see several historical buildings in the downtown area. It was actually pretty cool the history of the town. I think we chose the hottest day to go and do that because it was 103 degrees. Whew...it had been hot before we left, but not quite in the 100s yet! We had heat advisories and heat index over 100, and the whole time I had been driving around town with the windows down. (I love fresh air!) But there is definitely a difference when you are walking around in 100 degree heat and riding around in 100 degree heat index.
We also got to go the to aviation museum. Apparently there was a 2 star general at the air force base close to the museum and he had a goal of getting a museum set up. There were lots of airplanes and WWII items. Going through a WWII section was kind of difficult for me. I am currently reading a book series that follows a family through the trials of WWII. Some things are a little more graphic than I can handle and I have a much better understanding of the war. Adam loves history and I really wish he could have gone.
We spent most of our evenings playing board games. I LOVE playing games. We were able to have great conversations during this time too. There's a few games I'd like to add to our family game collection. The worst part of the trip was that Adam wasn't with us. We missed him so much and hope that next time, he can go. He was just too busy with work to be able to take that much time off.

Sitting in a Doctor's Office

2011-07-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

After sitting in the doctor's office for 3 hours for a glucose test, I saw a LOT of things I don't think I should have. I have some advise for pregnant women.
1. It doesn't matter how bad you feel, but wear clothes that match...mismatched clothes scream fat, not pregnant.
2. Don't wear pants that are too tight where everyone and their dog can see that you are wearing panties that are too small. Wedgies are never cute, and especially not on an oversized, pregnant butt!
3. Wear shorts that are long enough. Yes, most women get stretch marks, but we don't want to see them running down your legs.
4. Adding to the stretch marks, nobody wants to see the stretch marks on your belly, or your arms. Please cover them up.
5. Please do not discuss the conception of the baby. I don't care if you are a teen, 20s, or older. Trust me, nobody wants to hear that!

On the other hand, it was cute seeing so many couples getting to 'see' their baby for the first time or finding out the gender. I even saw one soon to be grandmother bring in balloons. So sweet.

Good news for the Roe's though, no gestational diabetes. I previously thought that gestational diabetes is no big deal, but there are so many complications caused by it. I am so glad that we are both healthy!

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

I know, I'm a day early. If I don't say anything now, I'll miss it. Soooo...Happy Birthday America! I am so thankful for the freedoms we enjoy and the men and women who made and are still making that possible. I don't want to forget the families of those men and women. I know it's a huge sacrifice for the families to send their loved one off to war and wonder if they will return. I always get teary-eyed when I see soldiers. They will never know how much their job means to me personally.

Adam and I have been watching a show with a heavy military presence. The characters are either in the military or married to a soldier. I am also reading a book series that takes place during WWII. With those two current influences of military in my life, I feel like I need to show my thanks that much more. I just don't know how to show it. Sure, I've seen the youtube videos about signing "thank you" to soldiers, but do they really appreciate that? I don't know.

I know, this is a holiday about our Freedom and not to thank the military. However, our freedom wouldn't exist without the military.

Happy 4th of July everyone! Enjoy it, be safe, and remember those who made/make it possible.

Girls Camp

2011-06-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

About three years ago I had asked to go to Girls Camp. It's a camp for just the young women (ages 12-18) in our ward (along with the other wards in our stake) to go to a camp and be spiritually enlightened and learn camping/first aid skills. I went the few years I lived in Washington but never went as a youth in Missouri. I was asked to be a leader one year when my little sister was going and that was pretty fun. Anyhow, I asked about 3 years ago to go to camp but they had enough leaders then. This year, our ward was short on leaders or leaders could only make it for a couple of the nights. I only went one night but made a lifetime of memories. I got to know several of the girls that I otherwise wouldn't have. It was interesting to me to see the different styles in running the camp. When I went as a youth, we camped with other girls who had been to camp the same number of years as us. This time around, we camped as a ward. Either way, friendships and bonds can be made. I missed all the silly camp songs though. That's the problem with having it at a Boy Scouts camp. There were several fun activities the girls could do at this camp that they probably wouldn't have been able to do elsewhere. Anyhow, I had so much fun with the girls and the other leader from our ward, I hope I can go next year.

Mac and Cheese

2011-06-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

I feel like the only thing Haydn will ever eat each time I make it, is Mac and Cheese. He loves that stuff! He seriously will ask for it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! When we go out to eat, Mac and Cheese is what he orders. (I have no idea why in the world someone would ever order mac and cheese when they go out to eat...on that note, I don't know why anyone would ever order MEATLOAF either!!! Blech!) The smell of noodles cooking kind of make me nauseous. I could explain, but then you might be disgusted at the smell of noodles too. Anyhow, I often give in to the mac and cheese. We even had to make a rule that we will not make mac and cheese every day. So far, we've been good. My biggest concern about the mac and cheese is that it really doesn't have a lot of nutritional value. He doesn't like a lot of fresh fruit. He'll eat bananas (only about half of it though), grapefruit, and grapes. He claims to like blueberries and requests them all the time, but I've never seen him actually eat one. I can get him to eat canned mandarin oranges, peaches and pears. He'll eat just about ANY fruit as long as it is dehydrated. Seriously...raisins (what kid doesn't like raisins), apples, bananas, even mangos! So how do I get him to eat something other than mac and cheese? I've tried telling him that he needs to eat all his food so he can grow big and strong (which he has interpreted as really tall like my dad). I explained that Thomas the Tank Engine gets his energy from coal and water otherwise he wouldn't be able to go anywhere and Haydn needs to eat food and drink plenty of water so he can get his energy too. I shouldn't complain...I'm pretty sure I was a pickier eater than he is!

Keeping up with the Jones's

2011-06-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

I have pondered over this topic for a few days. I wondered if I should even say anything considering it 'might' offend someone. I do a lot of things, or rather, I don't do a lot of things to avoid offending someone. It is not my intention to offend. If it was, you'd know.

Everyone has had a "keeping up with the Jones's" moment in their life. (I know you have!) Someone always has something better: a bigger/cleaner/nicer/better located/etc house, newer cars, better kids, better spouse, better finances, better job, better weather, better vacations, better life, etc. You get the point.

This weekend I attended a wedding for one of my friends from high school. During the reception Adam said "when I get married...blah blah blah" and continued to express things he would do the same or differently. Funny...ha.ha.ha. Adam is NOT getting remarried unless I am dead. =) But really, we laughed and joked. There were a few things said in the wedding and then, not talking about marriage but were again said, in our lessons at church the following day. I remember back when Adam and I were getting married we were asked to think about what marriage is to each of us. I remember saying "marriage is learning to love an imperfect person, perfectly." I know I heard that somewhere, but it stuck with me. I think we can apply that to all people though, we can love all imperfect people, perfectly. If we are capable of doing so, we are loving people the way God loves each one of us.

We have had our trials. We have had our ups and our downs. Some of our imperfections have come out at different times and we have had to learn how to love through those imperfections. I know our trials are not over, and we will have many many more. I know that several of our trials have brought us closer to each other and we have learned to rely on each other more than we did before. That is life.

Anyhow, after this weekend I felt like the Jones's. I felt happy with my life. Not just happy, but so thankful for my life. I really cannot think of a word to describe how I truly feel. It's like I understand my life better now. I have never been in love with my house, but I do like it. I love my husband so much. He really is the best husband (for me). I love my son and am so happy to be his mother. I feel like I learn just as much from him if not more than what he learns from me. I have good friends. I live in a good, safe town. I get to be a SAHM and I LOVE IT. There are tons of things we can do and relatively close...for free! My little family is close and often express our love to each other. I love hearing the 20 times a day "Mommy, I love you too much." I love that my husband kisses me bye each morning and hello each evening. I love that we sit at the table for dinner together and most of the time we even have breakfast together. I love that I don't feel like I have to hide things from my husband and vice versa. I love that we can truly talk about anything. I love that my family shares spiritual experiences and feelings with me. I love that my husband and I are on the same page about parenting and religion. There are so many other things that I love and wouldn't change for the world. I know that I have this peace and love because it is give to me by our Father in Heaven.

On our way to the town where the wedding was, we saw the Kansas City Temple. It's still under construction, but absolutely beautiful. I have had wonderful experiences at the temple and know the importance of them on this earth. I also know of the trials the early Saints had to go through living in the area where the temple is located now. When we saw the temple, I had overwhelming and conflicting feelings. Not good versus bad, but extreme happiness and sadness. My breath was taken away from me. To me, the temple is so much more than a building. I am so happy for us today to have that temple, and so sad the early Saints did not have it. Maybe that is why I feel the way I do. I am so thankful for the many blessings in my life and feel like the 'richest' person in the world.

Chores, chores, All I do is Chores

2011-05-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

That's going to be the song Haydn is singing before too long. He always wants to help with everything and to help him develop those skills, we've given him chores. One thing he has to do is gather all the little trashcans in our house and dump them into the bigger one. It's actually quite cute watching a little 3 year old 'taking out the trash.' I'm so thankful he wants to help, most children do.

I have had a hard time staying on top of my chores. Our schedules have changed so much and my energy level is so low these days. There are a few things that I must stay on top of or else we all will suffer. Since we are rearranging our house, I have a couple rooms that need a little work and one that needs a lot of work. When rearranging things, I need Adam's help. He's been so busy between work and his calling at church. So, little by little right?

What are your feelings?

2011-05-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine posted on her blog about Osama bin Laden's death that "the threat of terrorism has not been defused whatsoever." I think that point has been over looked by so many people. Rejoicing at Osama's death is not something I am doing. I don't feel happy or sad, I don't feel relieved or scared. I honestly feel...the same. What is this going to do to our futures? Who knows...we've been 'at war' for so long now that it's probably just another surge in military services much like the ebb and flow of our stock market. At times we need more men and women to serve this country, and others less. We are proving time and time again that history repeats itself. I have seen this happen for the second time in my adulthood and that hasn't been very many years. I remember when Saddam Hussein was captured and then tried and then put to death. However, nothing changed. We were still plagued with 'terrorism' even though this horrible man was gone. Does this really bring closure? I don't think so. This one man can no longer cause fear, threat, etc. to humankind, however his successor can. And his successor and so forth.

I guess in a time like this, I feel that it is important to be thankful to those men, women, and families who serve this country to allow me to feel this way.

I do feel safe. However, I don't feel the world is any safer with Osama dead.

Easter

2011-04-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter. We're not big into fictional characters or anything like that, however we had a wonderful feast for our little family. Our day was not rushed. We played together and helped each other, it was a perfect day. We also learned that we really enjoy just staying home and not worrying about getting from point A to point B and back to point A in just a few hours. We had wonderful talks at church and everyone really did focus on the purpose of Easter.

I am in the presidency of our primary (children aged 3-11). Since I'm in the presidency, I get to teach all the children once every 3 weeks. I was really nervous about this when I was fist called, but now I look forward to it and enjoy every moment of it. Teaching the children helps me build my testimony too. Sometimes it is hard to think of ways to help get the lesson or point across to the children. However, yesterday I didn't want to tarnish the message at all by playing games. I have a very strong testimony of the atonement and know that My Savior lives. So, the lesson is easy enough to teach when you know it to be true. I pulled up a chair and sat down in front of all the children. I'm not superior to them and I didn't want that teacher/student atmosphere. I had everyone open their scriptures to John chapter 20. We read versus and then we discussed. I had a few pictures to help depict the scenes. A lot of the time when teaching the children, you just talk and they listen...or not listen. This time was very different. All the children and teachers were listening. The children asked questions and the teachers would give their input. There were a few questions the children asked that I wasn't sure I'd be able to answer properly. I KNOW that I would not be able to, so the Spirit took over. I know that through the Holy Ghost I was able to teach those children the lesson they should have been taught. I know all those children left primary thinking about the resurrection and what it means to them and how it applies to them. I know that at least the seed of a testimony of the atonement and resurrection has been placed in their hearts. I am so thankful that I was able to be the tool I needed to be for God. I will cherish that lesson and experience forever. If you haven't had a chance yet this Easter season, read or even re-read the chapters on Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. Try to place yourself at the time and think about how you would have responded to the events. Not how you today would respond with the knowledge you have, but how you would respond to this as if it was your first encounter with Jesus.

Again, I know that Jesus is my Savior and Redeemer. I know that he rose that 3rd day and lives now. There truly is comfort in knowing that Jesus, our Redeemer, lives.

Friends for a Reason, Season, or Lifetime

2011-04-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

If you have an email address and a friend who likes to send forwards (which we all do), you have received that email about how you and your friends can be friends for a reason, season, or a lifetime. Everyone hopes they are friends for a lifetime, but it takes the lifetime to figure that one out.

This last week has been one of the most difficult weeks for me in a very long time. My friend who has been a friend for a reason and a season (Shut up Danny!) is moving tomorrow. Today they are getting packed up, tomorrow they are leaving. I am very excited for them and can't wait to go visit them at their new home. However, in the mean time I'm losing my great example, gospel teacher, sounding board, motivator, exercise partner, and much more.

She helped me learn how to be the best mom and wife I can be. From our conversations, I learned ways how to deal with different parenting struggles as she had gone through them already, or talked out different punishments. My testimony of the gospel grew to new heights. Instead of struggling every day to get everything in the in house cleaned, I learned that you can be just as effective if you have different things you do on different days. We talked about modesty, when it's appropriate to have chores for your children, the first vision, children, husbands, church, hot topics of the day, and best exercises for our bodies to lose weight or burn fat. Whenever I needed someone to watch Haydn, she was always willing. Whenever we needed our dog watched, she did it! She helped us make time for the more important things in life. When I needed to talk, she listened. When I needed some advice, she gave it.We swapped recipes. I learned how to make some new family favorite meals.

The list can go on and on, but as you can see I am not losing my friend because I do believe we will always be friends. However, I'm losing her daily influence. I have come to rely on her for so much and it is going to take me awhile to learn to be the strong, confident, yet peaceful woman she has taught me to be, and do it all on my own.

I am sad to see my best friend go, but she wasn't just MY best friend. Our kids are best friends, in fact sometime you would wonder which ones were siblings and which one was the friend. Our husbands were friends too! How often do you find a family where EVERYONE is a friend with someone in the other family?

Apparently I don't have many pictures of Laura and I together since I'm always the photographer.

Danny, Laura, Alyssa, and Ashley~
We are going to miss you so much! We are not going to forget our game nights, dinners, and number of other get togethers. Going to the zoo or park will not be quite as fun. New Year's Eve and the 4th of July will never be the same. We wish you luck on this new chapter and hope to see you guys again soon! Thank you for being you.

Peace

2011-04-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been sitting quietly and felt peace? I have, a number of times. I have had moments where there didn't seem to be anything that could take that wonderful feeling away. Today during church Haydn was sitting between Adam and me. Haydn was sitting reverently and doing what we asked. Adam and I were both happy and I had that overwhelming feeling of peace come over me again. I am so glad I have a family and more importantly an eternal family.

I can't believe that tomorrow marks our 2 year anniversary of becoming an eternal family. In Matthew 18:18 it states "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." I am very thankful to all those who made righteous choices and followed through on their questions to find answers that I might have the opportunities that were not there not too long ago. I love my family and could not and do not wish to think about eternity without them. I know there is power to seal or 'bind' things on this earth and the family is one of them. This knowledge is another way peace is given to me.

I know it is two years later, but I wanted to thank all those who supported us in making this decision and also for participating in the process. It was absolutely wonderful to have the love and support of family and friends. I will never forget that day and will cherish it forever.

I want to Go to School

2011-04-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to get Haydn as much time as I can with his friends who are moving hundreds of miles away in a couple weeks. We are so incredibly sad at this move but so happy for them. I invited the younger of the two girls over for a play date while older sister was at preschool. Haydn asked where this older sister was and I explained that she had to go to school. His response..."I WANT to go to school!" He has been working on the alphabet for a long time now and he will NOT learn the letters in order. Nor will he learn how to count correctly (I will NEVER miss count something again to play with a child as this is what he does to us, EVERY TIME!). So, I told him that he needs to learn the order of the alphabet, count correctly and learn how to write his letters before he can go to school (he won't be ready for kindergarten for 2 years!). He said ok and has been working on it ever since. He'll tell me the first letter of something and draw it in the air with his finger, he is counting better and is even trying to learn the alphabet song. His favorite part of the song is "x, y, and double z, next time won't you sing the a, b, c's." I try to correct him, but also find this so adorable. I love to hear him sing songs too. LOVE HIM! I also hope he is still this anxious to go to school when school comes around.

Slacking...Again

2011-03-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

I have been slacking yet again. It seems that a minor change can totally throw me off my routine. Things are settling down and we are getting back into a routine. Thank goodness!

A couple funny things...we were watching a show the other night and a guy is talking to his wife (who might be having a baby from another father..I know, a little trashy) and says something along the lines of he knows of a guy who gladly raised a boy who wasn't his. Haydn says "I know! Jesus Christ!" Who says those kinds of things go over a child's head. It wasn't even like Haydn was watching...he just heard it. However, I'm glad he knew who the guy was talking about.

He has also been talking about his best friend and his very best friend. He told us that his very best friend in the whole wide world is Ashley. But Mommy and Daddy are his best friends too. We were looking at pictures of me when I was a little girl and he grabbed the picture and said "That's my best friend!". I explained to him that it was Mommy when she was little like him.

Other fun things...Haydn is spelling 3 letter words. They are words he can sound out and it's all part of a game to him. He is also really picking up on the alphabet (he knows all the letters and sounds, just not the order) and counting. Who said learning can't be fun.

Squirrels and Surprises

2011-02-25T18:32:00.000-06:00

Attack of a Squirrel

Okay, so it wasn't really a squirrel but it would add to my complete disgust with the furry creatures people find so 'cute'. BLECH! Haydn was jumping on my lap and I tried to hold him closer to me to avoid him bumping into a pregnant lady in the play area today. I'm not sure how, but I managed to scratch myself with my ring. At first I thought it was just the top layer, but then it started bleeding and now it is actually quite painful. It hurts to use my pinky. I showed it to Haydn, which he looked very concerned about. I asked if he wanted to kiss it and he looked at me like I was gross. He said "Yuck! No way!" I'll remember that when he wants me to kiss something gross. =)

Later today we had a play date at a friend's home. I was a little late and Haydn actually fell asleep on the way. He has been so tired and not feeling the greatest this past week (he fell asleep yesterday about 5pm and slept until 7am today) that I considered taking him home so he could nap. I'm VERY glad I decided to stay because it was a play date plus a SURPRISE birthday party. Those tricky ladies! I had no idea. Laura ~ you sure can keep a secret! I told Adam about it and that I had contemplated coming home and he told me he wouldn't have let me. HE KNEW TOO! The funny thing about all this planning is: I have been working extra days these past two weeks and was possibly going to miss the play date. Apparently Adam had called my boss to see if he needed me for today and told him what was going on. Yesterday afternoon my boss called me and told me that he didn't need me for today which I was super excited about. I was going to ask if I could take a couple hours off to go, but this made it so much easier! Haydn had a great time, I had a great time, and I am so thankful for such wonderful friends. Quite a bit of planning had to go into this and makes me feel all the more loved. Thank you my dear sweet friends. What a wonderful birthday you have made this one!

Old School or New School

2011-02-23T10:17:00.000-06:00

I am not shy about my disgust in technology. I think it has alienated people and caused us to be rather rude. You disagree? Let me ask you this...Have you ever been in a get together (dinner, friends over just hanging out, etc) and someone is either sitting in the corner texting or excuses themselves from the group to take that 'oh so important' phone call that probably could have waited until tomorrow to be handled? I have been in both situations. I have to admit, I am guilty of both of those too. There is a wonderful convenience of cell phones and being able to get a hold of someone who you might not have been able to if it were 20 years ago when nobody had a cell phone. However, I find it awfully disgusting seeing how many people use their cell phones DURING church...not just mine, but others I have visited. There really aren't that many people out there that are THAT important. Maybe if you are a doctor and are on call, a police officer/detective and need to rush to that emergency. But does a lawyer really need to take his cell phone to church...maybe for that criminal that took the detective/police officer from church? Does the guy who works in a Monday-Friday business office need his (or hers)? I hate going out to dinner with people and there is usually that one person who's cell phone is constantly dinging because they received yet ANOTHER text. Am I really that boring that you can't sit with me and talk to me for an hour without talking to someone else...upgrading your company to someone more interesting? Don't answer that! =) I remember a family get together a few months ago and there were about 8 people sitting around the table playing a game. At one point in the game, 6 cell phones came out. Seriously!?! Someone else pointed it out and everyone laughed. But do you see my point?

I'm not saying that there are not benefits to technology. I do benefit from unlimited long distance on my house phone and I can talk to any one of my family members for however long I choose at no extra cost. But is it really no extra cost? No...if I were to talk to say, my sister for hours on end (which is VERY possible) is it really free? I sacrifice time with my son, time I will not be able to ever get back. I can use the internet whenever I please and for whatever I please. I love that I can get ideas for my lessons I teach on Sundays from complete strangers. However, I often find myself on the dreaded facebook. It's great to get in touch with people from my past, but I haven't really been keeping up with ALL of them, just a handful.

This brings me to my real point...paper and bound books or electronic books. Which do you prefer? I personally LOVE paper. I have discussed this with my sister numerous times. She pointed out that there is something 'romantic' about holding a book and turning the pages. I feel the same way. I find this same feeling when I write in my journal. I can type much faster than I can handwrite, but there is something 'romantic' or as another friend put it 'Victorian' about handwriting. I handwrite my journal so that my children, grandchildren, and so on will have those books to hold in their hands and to see my handwriting. Handwriting can tell you so much about a person and their mood when they were writing it. I randomly receive cards from my grandmother. I save every single one of them as I LOVE to see her handwriting. It's so...magical. When I see it, it takes me back in time. My grandmother is one of those who will never use a computer. I respect her for that. I want my descendants to KNOW who I was. To have a feel for the pain I went through or the joys I was blessed with. Technology is so black and white to me. My journals are full of color.

I'm very curious to your thoughts on technology. I have heard from my mother-in-law that she prefers the paper phone book over the internet. She says she can't live without her cell phone, but I think she could. She doesn't use it to the extent that so many people do today. I think she's more 'Victorian' than she thinks.

Reading

2011-02-22T09:04:00.000-06:00

I love days when Haydn wants to read. He's always been really good about sitting in my lap or next to me and letting me read to him. His imagination is taking him away lately. This morning he was laying on the floor with a book (Little Drummer Boy) and he is making up the story to go along with the pictures. He knows the story as it is one of his favorite books and Christmas songs. However, he doesn't let the story follow what he already knows. He had a parent telling the little drummer boy to "put those drum sticks down!" and the little boy complained that he didn't want to. Then he had Mary talking to baby Jesus in a sweet voice saying "I love you my sweet baby boy" (something I KNOW I have said to Haydn). It cracks me up to hear some of the things he has in the story line and then others I know he listens to everything I say. Ahhh...the joys of being a mother.

To Do or Not To Do

2011-02-16T09:21:00.000-06:00

I have contemplated canning this blog. I find it more difficult to keep up with it now that Haydn is older and wants to do everything I do. I've looked at it in numerous ways...it's a journal, it's an easy way to update everyone (who cares) about what is going on in our lives, it's really easy to do, it's a missionary tool, etc. As those are good reasons to continue writing it, I have also found some negative things about it, which I won't list. So, I decided that I will continue to write this blog as it helps me to maintain my writing skills and all the above mentioned. I do have one question though...Is anyone out there reading? =)

Today, We Vote

2010-11-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

I posted about 3 months ago about voting. It is ALWAYS important to vote, whether it is the primaries or the actual election. I strive to teach Haydn by my personal example. Children are influenced the most by their parents, and that is why I find it so important to be a good example in all possible ways (good citizen, good Christian, good parent/spouse/etc, good habits, etc). I am so glad that I have been able to take Haydn with me when I vote, so he can see that I take pride in my country and that I really do care about what direction it is going.
Today at our polling location, Kurt Bahr (running for State Representative) was there. It was kind of cool getting to see a candidate in person. Haydn loves stickers and was talking about his "I Voted" sticker all the way out the door. Kurt heard him and asked if he wanted another one. Haydn was excited about getting another sticker, and actually LET Kurt put the sticker on his shirt. Haydn doesn't even let the lady in Wal-mart or the cashier at Target put the sticker on him.

Train Tracks, Bridges, and Tunnels

2010-10-22T16:45:00.001-05:00

You obviously know how much Haydn loves trains and train tracks. Recently my best friend and I have been going on walks on some trails through the park system around here. (We found that several parks hook up via paved trails, perfect for walking with children.) The trails go across rivers/creeks/water drainage areas, so the trails have bridges, or as Haydn calls them 'bridgeys'. It's pretty neat because we can get to so many different parks and avoid having to cross roads (in most cases). Anyhow, today we parked at one park and walked back to a park we've been to before and back. (Make sense? haha) There is huge tunnel that goes under the stairs at the park. Haydn loved it and I was able to snag this picture!

It's not very clear, but I think that adds to the 'artsy' part of it. He's very good at 'posing' and always looks like he is in the moment. Love it! I have such a cute little boy. (Unbiased comment there of course!)

Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Baker's Haydn

2010-09-22T14:59:00.001-05:00

We have had a few cooking catastrophes. One is from these little personal pizzas using Pillsbury biscuits (or the like) and flattening them to be the crust of the pizza. We then add all our favorite pizza toppings to them. They're quite fun and easy to make. It is one of Adam's favorite dinners to make. He went to open a can of biscuits and it popped really loud and scared us all. He went to open a second can and it exploded all over our kitchen and dining room. As you can see, there are no salvageable biscuits left. It was very annoying at the time, but funny now that we think back about it. Adam called Pillsbury and complained about it too. He said his hand hurt where the first can hit. We thought we found all the biscuits and parts and kept finding pieces days later on the walls, behind doors and on the cabinets.

Haydn has been helping a lot in the kitchen lately. I mentioned this before, but his interest in the kitchen started when we first watched Cake Boss. He loves to help stir and pour the ingredients into the bowl or pan. I have enjoyed his help too. He likes to eat the final product and is excited to see how all the ingredients turn into so many different yummy things. I need to get him his own apron too. He always wants to wear mine. Obviously you can see that mine is too big for him. Maybe he'll be a chef someday!

Today I was in the mood to bake and make things...while just about everyone I know is announcing their pregnancies, I'll just bake cakes and pies. This is the first pie (other than pumpkin) that I have made. I tried to do a lattice crust, but didn't turn out so well. I think I needed to do a little more planning for it. In the food world, odd numbers are magic numbers, as you can tell, I didn't quite use odd numbers. Yes, some of the crust is burnt so next time I will cover it with aluminum foil to protect the crust from 'browning' too fast. We are also making homemade bread today to go with our homemade chicken noodle soup. I love the fall because you don't look or sound so crazy baking and making soups. Happy First Day of Fall Everyone!

We're going to enjoy this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Cellphones Vs. Scriptures

2010-09-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

I saw this on the internet today...just thought I'd share. Something to think about!

THE CELLPHONE VS THE SCRIPTURES

I wonder what would happen if we treated our scriptures like we treat our cell phones? What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?
What if we used it to receive messages?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to other kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled? What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go...."Hmmm..Dude.. where is my scriptures?"

Unlike our cell phones:
One Plan does fit all.
Unlimited usage. No roaming charges.
You always have reception.
You can use it in the mountains and in a tunnel.
It's free with no hidden costs,
AND you don't ever have to worry your scriptures being disconnected because CHRIST has already paid the bill!

Future Photographer

2010-09-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

I wish I had a picture of this, but I couldn't. Haydn had found my camera, put the strap behind his neck and came up to me and said "Mommy, take picture". He was holding the camera up, ready to take a picture. I asked him if he wanted to be a photographer and he said Yes. Just another example of how much Haydn mimics me and takes in all that we do.

Train Rides and Horses

2010-09-01T11:47:00.000-05:00

Haydn outside the Train museum in Jefferson City. I LOVE this picture or him.

Jonathan and Haydn inside the same train museum.

Waiting for the train to come pick us up.

Having fun looking out the window and playing between seats.

Haydn's BIG step off the train. Glad to see Daddy here too!

The Roe family after our train ride. We wished Daddy could have joined us!

Last Friday my MIL came and picked up Haydn and me to go back down to her house. We stayed the night and the next morning we rode the train to Kirkwood. We had a lovely picnic close to the train station and then went on to the Magic House. The train ride was definitely worth it and I know Haydn had fun. This morning he came into my room and was playing around. We heard a train blow it's horn. Haydn looked at me quickly and asked "What that?" to which I replied, "I don't know, do you?" He yells "a TRAIN!" I then asked him about our train ride from Saturday and asked him if the train blew it's horn as it was coming up to a road and he said "no, passing road." A few moments later he says "Choo-choo" and I asked him what it was. He said "Nother train!" He loves his trains!

Adam had to run up to Hannibal for a 30 second visit to one of his sites for work. I thought it'd be fun for Haydn and I to tag along, since it is kind of a long drive and he was only going to be doing something for 30 seconds...literally, that short. So we went into Hannibal and walked around the Historic District. While we were there, a horse was pulling a trolley. The driver stopped and offered Haydn to feed the horse an apple and told him his name. Haydn LOVED feeding Barney, the horse, and pointed him out every time we saw him. We also walked down to the river. We saw a barge and a few boats. Walking to the river, we had to cross a couple train tracks too. Haydn thought it was cool to get to STAND on the train tracks.

Early Morning Running

2010-08-07T14:38:00.002-05:00

I have fallen in love with running. I love the way I feel when I'm finished, love the way I can enjoy a dessert and not feel guilty, and love the compliments I get from people as I get in better shape. I try to go running four days a week. I go with a couple friends in the mornings before our families get up. The problem with this setup is 3 families and 3 different schedules. We try to plan our runs to work where all three of us can be there and accommodate one if a day doesn't work. Unfortunately Adam found out he could go work with his brother-in-law this weekend too late for us to make those accommodations for me. All is well, I just made Haydn get up early with me this morning and took him on the run with me. He was quite the trooper. It was a little bit chilly (really chilly compared to lately) this morning. I believe it was somewhere close to 20 degrees cooler than what it has been. He sat quietly in his stroller and ate some dry cereal. I can't tell you how happy I was that he was so well behaved. It's moments like this that make me feel like I am doing SOMETHING right as a mother. =)

The Many Sides of Haydn: Sleeping

2010-08-06T15:43:00.003-05:00

Haydn has been falling asleep every where lately. I have been able to catch quite a few wonderful 'poses'. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Haydn falling asleep watching 'Letters' in my bed one night when Adam was out of town.

He couldn't stay awake through the afternoon and fell asleep like this watching G Force. Apparently that movie wasn't very interesting, as Haydn will stay awake to watch any new movie from start to finish.

All tuckered out after a day at the Splash Park. Yes, he really did fall asleep like that. I don't normally let him ride in the car without a shirt on, I think it's a little trashy. There was no way I could get a shirt on him after making him leave the splash park. He would have been happy to be there all day.

Lately Haydn has been waking up really early in the morning and climbing into bed with Adam and me. He usually falls back to sleep and will sleep for a couple more hours. This is how I found Haydn after I got back from a morning run. Notice how Haydn has the majority of the bed and MUST share a pillow with someone?

I Voted, Did you?

2010-08-03T08:36:00.003-05:00

This morning Adam and I went and voted. Since Haydn has been born, we have always taken him with us. Eventually we will need to stop taking him, but it's a great way to show him our American duty of voting. I asked Haydn today while I was voting if he was going to vote when he got older. He answered with a firm "Yes." He has seen us vote and knows that it is something we should do. I hope we have set a good example for Haydn to vote when he is old enough. I remember once hearing that you only have the right to complain about government when you have voted. I have been a critic about several things that have happened and I'm sure I'm not about to stop. So, here is my passport to critic-ville. Go vote!

Firecracker Run

2010-07-25T07:45:00.004-05:00

Most everyone knows that I ran in the annual O'Fallon Firecracker Run. This is my second year of running it (only my 2nd 5K to run ever). I had an awesome running buddy. When I wanted to quit, she kept me going; and if I did quit, she didn't put me down. We had our struggles through training since we started running at the end of March. The weather was always fun to plan around. We ran in the pouring rain, strong wind, and there was only one thing that would keep us from running...lightning. The longer timed segments of our run seemed so much harder since they were perfectly planned when the temperatures went up along with the humidity. We also learned that we are morning runners. Anything after 8am is too late (There was a day we tried to run in the afternoon and we both almost threw up)! Since time was an issue, we had to plan out every week and make sure we could run before school during the school year and before the children woke up. After school was out, we tried to run before the blistering heat. Perfect conditions would be somewhere in the 60s - 70s with low humidity if anyone cares. =)

The beginning of the race.

Near the end of the race.

Me finishing the race.

My running buddy, Laura, and me after the race.

Our first goal was to complete the race running (no walking allowed). The other goal was to finish under 32 minutes and we DID!!! We plan to keep running and hopefully improve times. It has been so fun to do something good for myself and to enjoy some adult/no child interrupted time.

Thanks to Laura for being such an awesome running partner! Thanks for keeping me motivated when I was ready to quit and making sure I got all my runs in. Hopefully we'll have many more races we can do together.

Cake Boss

2010-07-24T13:38:00.002-05:00

We have enjoyed many shows via Netflix. One of those being Cake Boss. It's a silly reality show about a guy who makes and decorates beautiful cakes. I must admit, I would LOVE to try some cake and eat the modeling chocolate. =) Haydn enjoys watching this with us and it is clean enough for him. He has proven that he is picking up on all things we do, say, and see. Since watching the show, Haydn has shown interest in helping in the kitchen. He's always enjoyed helping load or empty the dishwasher. Like everyone else when working in the food industry, he started out a dishwasher. Now he likes to crack the eggs, shake seasonings into sauces and stir. It's a little frustrating sometimes, there are days when I just don't feel like cleaning up any extra messes. However, I try not to discourage his interest in cooking/baking and helping in the kitchen. (I think it's great when a guy knows how to cook!) Haydn has asked a number of times for me to make some cookies. I said I would make them and then every single day, something would come up to keep me from making them. Last night Haydn pulled out a cookie sheet and handed it to me. I asked him what he wanted me to put on the pan and he said "Oh NO! No cookies! Mommy, cookies please." How can you say no to that? Then he gets into a drawer and pulls out the cookie scoop. He proceeded to hand it to me and said "Here Mommy. Cookies!" So, I made cookies. Haydn did help stir the dough though!

So much Catching Up to Do

2010-07-24T13:28:00.002-05:00

I have not been too busy lately, but I just don't seem to have the time to blog lately. It doesn't help that every time I try to get on the computer to do something, Haydn wants his turn on the computer. Since Haydn doesn't take naps anymore (every now and again he does) I can't use that time either. We have done quite a bit, accomplished goals, enjoyed fun days at parks and pools, and even just staying home. I have plenty to post about, if I can I will get as much done as possible. Stick with me, I'm still here and still filling you in on the happenings of the Roe family!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T23:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers today. Most importantly to me, Happy Father's Day: Adam, Dad, and Roy. I'm so thankful for these fathers for so many reasons.

We enjoyed a barbecue at some good friends' home tonight. It's always fun getting to spend time with friends. As seems to be the tradition with Haydn, he got injured in a not so serious but kind of serious way at their house. He was playing around with their kids and one of them bumped heads with Haydn. Haydn actually smashed his teeth into the other boy. He has knocked his front two top teeth loose. He knocked one of them loose before. It bled, but not too much. I wished it had gushed because now his gums are bruised. We'll continue to watch for swelling. I'll probably call the doctor tomorrow anyway. I really hope he doesn't lose a tooth over this. I don't know how well I will be able to handle him without a tooth for a couple years. If I can get pictures, I'll add them to this post. What is it people say... Oh yea, Boys will be Boys!

Dora the Explorer

2010-06-05T06:30:00.003-05:00

Haydn has really enjoyed Dora the Explorer lately. I'm not sure why he likes her so much, but I know it is definitely influenced by his best friends, Ashley and Alyssa. One of the malls around here had Dora there and I thought it would be fun for Haydn to get to see a "Life sized" Dora (and I missed taking him to see Curious George at our library). That was a BIG mistake.
First of all, I do not enjoy long lines...I guess I like to be VIP and cannot stand to wait in a line.
Second, when a character is coming to VISIT the mall for just a few hours, do not show up late if you plan to go. At 11:15 (15 minutes after Dora was scheduled to show up), the line was already winding down one of the longest wings of the mall.
Third, if there is another activity planned with the character visiting, expect the location to be that much more crowded.
Forth, know what the character is going to look like. I was expecting someone dressed up in a Dora Costume...the big head and all. Not some girl in miss matched clothes, a purple back pack and a horrible wig.
Haydn and I walked by the Dora and he didn't even recognize her. So, we didn't wait in line to visit Dora. On a side note, I think Haydn would have really liked Dora's Side kick, Boots, if he were there.

T is for Tiger....ROAR!

2010-06-02T22:18:00.003-05:00

Haydn has been playing a computer game lately with the letters and their sounds. I have been quite amazed at his hand eye coordination and ability to play the game by himself. He has his favorite letters (Q being his absolute favorite) and graphics that go along with them. Anyhow, the other day he pulled up T and there is a tiger on one of the pages. Haydn came running into the living room and said "Mommy! Mommy! T is Tiger! Tiger...ROAR!" I couldn't help but laugh and tell him he was correct.This is the only picture I had of a tiger that was somewhat close.

Graduation

2010-05-23T14:22:00.002-05:00

Friday night we had the privilege of visiting my parents and getting to be part of my baby brother's, Jake, graduation. I am still in denial that he is old enough to be graduating from high school...Graduated from high school. Jake has grown up to be a fine young man. He is a gentleman and respects our parents. He always helps when asked and is quick to help out when not asked. He has a good head on his shoulders. He is very talented in multiple areas, and knows when he should go after something and when to let it go. I am very impressed with him and am thankful he is my brother.

Every year the school has a mural on the wall for the graduating class. (I know, you can't see him very well.)

All the Lasley's who were able to attend. We are missing quite a few!

Jake and his very awesome basketball coach, Coach T. (Jake and Coach T have a relationship I have never seen before. They both respect each other and I imagine will be good friends for a long time.)

The next day we went to Sectionals for Missouri Track. Jake does the high jump. His personal record was 6'2" and had only done it once before. At this track meet, he easily cleared 6'2" but missed the 6'4" mark. He is going to State and took 2nd in this meet. I am very amazed at his ability to do this, he just kind of sails over the bar and doesn't think anything about it. The track coaches don't know much about high jump, so he has kind of been on his own on how to do it all. Mind you, he is 5'11" and lost to a 6'6" guy. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures but I DEFINITELY will for State!

Congratulations Jake, I am so impressed and happy for you! Love you!

Friends and Family

2010-05-19T09:23:00.003-05:00

About a week ago we had a horrible storm come through and it ripped a quarter of our tree off. There was a big mess in our front yard to clean up. Some of the branches were so thick, we would need a chainsaw to get through them quickly. Adam called a good friend of ours to see if he knew anyone who had a chainsaw. This friend had one and said we were more than welcome to it (anytime we need to use something, he has it and always offers it to us). Another really good friend offered to help Adam cut up the branches and dispose of them. I am so thankful for these friends and the service they always provide. I hope they feel like we give back too. haha

Anyhow, because of the storm I called my mom to see if we could borrow their chainsaw (before Adam called our friend). While I was talking to her, I heard a familiar laughter in the background but couldn't figure out who it could be. So, I asked and she told me that it was my Great Aunt Laura and Great Uncle Ray. The last time I saw my Great Uncle was when I was still in high school and he stopped by on his way up to Iowa to visit some family. The last time I saw my Great Aunt was when we had a family reunion when my family still lived in Washington (even longer since Uncle Ray). So I was very surprised to hear their voices. I was able to talk to my Great Aunt and loved it!

A couple nights ago my dad called to ask what my address was (who remembers addresses when you know where you're going). That's all he wanted and then my Great Uncle got on the phone and asked for a good time to stop by on their way home. I was so excited that they were coming to MY house. I told them that if I had known they were going to my parents' home, I would have been there in a heartbeat! Anyhow, they came by yesterday and we got to visit for about an hour. I loved every single minute of it and will always cherish that time. We were talking about our family (Uncle Ray is a Genealogist) and the fun stories that he had found about our ancestors. They also cooed over Haydn and loved his personality. He was shy to begin with because I had to wake him up. After he woke up, he was very outgoing and showed off a bit.

The only bad things about that visit...I forgot to take pictures and Adam wasn't here to meet some of my extended family!!!! ARG! Oh well, I remember it and will tell Haydn as he grows up. Uncle Ray and Aunt Laura said they will try to stop by again sometime and tell one of their daughters and her husband who travel through the area often to stop by. I love my family very much. We have our crazy moments, but without those crazy moments we wouldn't be THIS family.

A couple years ago on Adam's Mom's side of the family, a womens reunion was started. All the female descendants of Adam's Great Grandmother, biological or by-marriage, are invited. We had one a few weeks ago and it was so wonderful getting to see all the relatives. I took Haydn and showed him off a bit too. They aren't my biological family, but I still love them and love to hear their history. I was very close to Adam's grandmother who passed away a few months before we got married. I know she would be thrilled to know that we have these reunions and that we attempt at getting together. I also love getting to hear stories about Adam's grandmother specifically. She was quite a woman!

I love my family very much (biological and in-laws). I am so thankful that I have them and that we get to be together. I hope that everyone in my family knows how much I love them.

Early the Bed, Early to Rise

2010-04-30T05:56:00.003-05:00

There is wisdom in the saying "Early to bed, early to rise." I used to love to stay up late at night. I was sure the party began when I went to bed. Often times I stayed up too late and made my life very difficult. When I was in college, everyone seemed to stay up until at least 1am. So of course I stayed up too...except I had to get up at 5am for rowing practice. Just a few months ago I found it difficult to get out of bed before 8am. Last summer I would go walking in the park with one of my really good friends and her kids. We would be AT the park by 7 to beat the heat. It didn't seem like that was going to happen this year.

Well, we decided to start running (which I'm so very excited about). My really good friend and I decided to run in the mornings instead of evenings. We both knew how hard it would be to get all our runs in during a week and how often we would be 'too tired' to go. So, we have to get up earlier enough so our husbands are home with our sleeping children.

Ever since we started running, I have been ready to go to sleep around 8:30. When you go to bed earlier, you get up earlier. So I'm still getting my 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Anyhow, my point is that when you get up earlier there are so many things you can enjoy. Since my family is still sleeping when I get up, I have time to enjoy the peace and quiet. I have time to enjoy the fresh new day I have been blessed with. I have time to meditate and ponder my personal needs. I also feel like I am better prepared to be a mother and wife each day. I know the sun being up and the length of the sun during the day also helps these good endorphins. But I truly do feel more spiritual and see Heavenly Father's hand in everything at this time of day.

I just hope I continue to feel great when I am "early to bed, early to rise."

Candy

2010-04-29T19:45:00.003-05:00

Growing up, I remember my mother talking about how my oldest brother could smell sugar. She said she could buy candy when he wasn't home, hide it, and the moment he walked in the door he could find it. That skill must be hereditary because Haydn can do the same thing. The first time I went to work, Haydn found candy. My boss has since purchased candy so Haydn can have some when he's there. When we go to my parents' home, Haydn walks in and right to any candy they may have...and not just any candy, but all the candy.

Today at work, Haydn found some Lindt Chocolate Truffles (which I happen to enjoy myself) and wanted to eat them. I had to put them on top of the refrigerator to keep them out of Haydn's reach. I came back to the kitchen a little while later and Haydn had a kitchen chair pushed up to the refrigerator and was crying because he couldn't reach the candy.

This evening at home, Haydn grabbed one of his folding chairs (it goes to a kid's card table) and pulled it into the kitchen. He opened the pantry door and pushed his chair up to the shelves. He climbed onto his chair and got himself a dum dum.

I love that he can help himself, but there is very little that I can keep out of his reach. Ahh...the joys of candy and what it can teach children. By the way, every time Haydn eats candy he says to me "mmm, 's goooood mommy".

Surprise!

2010-04-02T07:21:00.002-05:00

Haydn has been really slow to talk (compared to a number of kids we know his age). He has been quick to learn anything physical and masters it quickly too. The language department was not a top priority for him. In the last month or so, he has really started to talk. Not just chatter, but actual words. When he is saying something really important and looks us straight in the eye and says "jabi zha, beba" (you get the point...he just makes sounds that sound like words). He is quickly going from saying stuff like "uh-huh" to "yea" or "yesh." His favorite word right now is "LOOK" and you better acknowledge it or he'll keep telling you to look.

Last night we were hanging out in our basement (that's where the majority of Haydn's toys are and the house is much cooler) and Haydn kept saying "Gay". We were a little shocked that he kept saying that because it's not like we say it often...if ever. I mean, sure we say the word, but not enough for Haydn to say it. Adam looks at Haydn and sees that he's pointing at something. On the floor was the letter "K" and he was saying "K" instead of gay...thankfully. So Adam started picking up letters and Haydn would announce what letter it was. There are some he knows very well, and others he still needs some work. We were just surprised that he knew letters already. When he decides he wants to learn something, he works hard on it until he can master it!

Great News!

2010-03-26T14:29:00.002-05:00

I called all the veterinarians in O'Fallon, Animal Control, and the shelter our animal control takes the animals today. I left messages for them all to let me know if anyone called or brought in a black and white husky. We went on numerous walks and drives between 8pm and now. We couldn't find him, nobody had turned him in. Finally this afternoon I thought to call St. Peter's Animal Control. They told me to come in anytime today or tomorrow when they're open. So we hopped into the car and headed over to St. Peter's Animal Control. I had grabbed some pictures and was scanning through them just in case we needed it. I found a cute one of Drake and Haydn when Haydn was about 5 months old. I said "There's Drake" and at the same moment a white truck drove by with Drake in it! Adam quickly made a (legal) U-turn and we rushed after the truck. We honked at him so that he would pull over. We pulled up next to him and he looked at us and said "I hope you're looking for a dog". Drake was excited to see us and we were so excited to see him. We immediately went back home and I called all the places that I left messages and informed them that Drake was found. The St. Peter's Animal Control informed me that we could micro-chip Drake for $10 (which is much less than what we remember it being a couple years ago). So, for $10 Drake is micro-chipped and we will be waiting for a call if (or when) he escapes.

Sad News

2010-03-25T23:44:00.002-05:00

Somehow the gate to our back yard opened this evening and Drake escaped. We've been looking for him for about 2 hours and cannot find him. I'm sure someone called animal control and that's where he is. He grumbles a lot to strangers and people mistake it as growling. We were driving around for a little bit and Haydn kept calling for Drake. So sad. I don't know what I'm going to tell that boy in the morning. I just hope that he is safe and that we can find him. It's going to be a rough few days for Haydn to forget that he's gone. The hard part is that when we get in the car Haydn asks if Drake can come with us or when we are gone for a long time he wants to get home and see Drake. =(

Summertime Barbeque

2010-03-10T12:07:00.004-06:00

I guess I enjoy bringing on the new seasons. I absolutely love the fall and spring. I love the drastic change in weather. The spring goes from bitterly cold to pleasantly warm and autumn goes from pleasantly warm to bitterly cold. For some reason though, the autumn's bitterly cold seems romantic to me so it doesn't seem bitter in any way or form. The summer and winter months are kind of boring to me. The meal ideas get worn out during those months too. Anyhow, I can always think of a meal that is perfect for autumn or spring. Obviously I wrote about my perfect autumn dinner a few months ago. A couple nights ago I made the perfect spring dinner. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. I served homemade (mom style) mashed potato potato salad, BBQ beans (a little different than baked beans), hard cooked eggs, corn, and fruit. It was fabulous! I think I would have added cucumbers and onions (mom style of course) too if I had the cucumbers. It was so good and now I am ready to BBQ more frequently. The perfect dessert to go with that would have been lemon bars, but I kind of ran out of time.

I will cherish each day I get to spend outdoors and have the windows open. Quoting Haydn "Fresh air, nice." I hope there are many more pleasantly warm days ahead.

Here's to a few months of BBQ and good eating! Looking forward to watermelon!

Housewife Gets a Job

2010-03-08T14:39:00.005-06:00

I never thought that I would be a housewife. I always thought that I was going to work. Up until Haydn was 5 days old, I thought I was going to be a career mom. I remember going to sleep that night and crying that I had to go back to work and that I really wanted to stay home with this precious little boy. A few weeks later I found out that I was in fact going to get to be a stay at home mom, I just didn't know the date this was going to happen. I have really fallen into the stay at home mom gig and wouldn't trade it for the world. My heart goes out to those mothers out there who do work. You are much stronger women than I am. I could not leave Haydn every day to go to work.

I have a guilty pleasure watching "The Real Housewives of *name city or state*". After this last week I really felt like the above "House wife gets a job".

Ok, so not entirely true to what you would think of a job. I helped out Adam's old boss, Steve, for a little over a week while he was out of the country. I answered phones and booked jobs (it's a service type company). Steve called it a "glorified tv watching job", and that isn't far from the truth. I was able to take Haydn with me (which is the only reason I was willing to do it) and he was such a trooper. I think it was after the first day of taking calls, I decided that I really do enjoy getting to be a stay at home mom and housewife. I've gotten used to my routine this way. I also decided that the only benefit of working is the pay. I do enjoy getting paid, but not at the expense of quality time with my family. I also wasn't able to do the things I needed to at home and meals were harder to prepare when you have less than an hour to get something made by the normal time you have dinner. Anyhow, I kept Steve up to speed while he was gone and he said a few things that made me think that he was going to offer me a job. I was correct! This morning I went over there and went over the stuff while he was gone and he asked if I'd be willing to work. Initially, no...but it's just one day a week and I can handle that! So, one day a week this housewife will work and be on someone else's schedule. It'll be nice to have that extra income!

Birt-day

2010-03-06T15:49:00.003-06:00

Haydn is obsessed with birthdays, or in his words...birt-day. He thinks that whenever there is a cake, there should always be candles on it and someone should blow them out. He doesn't even call it cake, he calls it 'birt-day'. Last night I made a chocolate chip, chocolate bunt cake like my grandma used to make. I was going to do it complete with the drizzled chocolate on top too. I never got to the drizzled chocolate because we were out of the house before I could. When we got home Adam and I decided to watch a show we missed this week in the computer room. We should have known better when the house was silent except for our show. Haydn came walking in with something in his hand and eating it. We walked into the dining room to see this....

The evidence

In action

More evidence.

Haydn really thought he was cute for what he did. I hope this isn't something he keeps doing.

Conversations with Haydn

2010-03-03T18:57:00.003-06:00

Situation: Haydn shooting baskets in the basement and making them over and over from the same spot.
Haydn: "All day, All day"

Haydn: Basketball
Me: You want to play basketball
Haydn: Uh huh
Me: You like basketball
Haydn: Uh huh
Me: Why?
Haydn: You funny

Situation: A box of like 6 chicken tenders for lunch. Haydn looks into the box and says in a whisper "wow"

Situation: Adam, Jared, Haydn and me sitting at the table for dinner. Jared put a piece of garlic bread on Haydn's plate. Haydn tossed it back at Jared (he didn't want it). Jared put it back on Haydn's plate, Haydn tossed it back. Adam and I scold him for tossing his food. Haydn says "Ah man!"

Happy Birthday

2010-02-27T23:24:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to me!

I had a wonderful birthday. My fabulous mother-in-law and step-father-in-law brought lunch and my favorite, Lemon Meringue Pie. It was wonderful to visit with the both of them and we got to enjoy them for most of the day.

I also received a few birthday cards in the mail and a few phone calls. Thanks to you all. I'm so thankful I have such a great family (immediate and extended) and friends.

A Lasley family tradition is to call the birthday person and sing "Happy Birthday" in the worst, off key tune you can imagine. I think this year's winner for my birthday goes to Liz and Susan...I think all the dogs in the neighborhood were crying. =)

Again, thank you everyone who made this day so great.

Adorable

2010-02-25T18:00:00.003-06:00

Ok, I know I have been going on about how cute Haydn has been, but he really is! Adam has been gone since Sunday afternoon, and we've really been missing him. Today when Haydn woke up and came into my room, I said "Guess what! Daddy comes home tonight!" Haydn got so excited he started running to the door and said "See, Daddy! See, See, See!" So I explained to him that we needed to go walking, play, eat lunch, take a nap, play some more and then Daddy will be home. Haydn easily got ready to go walking, he played for a little while, willingly left the mall to go home and ate lunch. He ate a huge lunch and put himself down for a nap. He just woke up and is anxious for his daddy to come home. Hopefully he will be here within the hour. That would be fabulous! We have a special dinner planned just for Daddy coming home too! We miss you Adam!

Too Cute

2010-02-19T22:42:00.002-06:00

Adam is gone over night with the Boy Scouts, camping in the freezing cold. I'm not sure what Haydn thinks of Adam being gone over night. It seems like every time Haydn cries for Adam. So tonight when I was getting Haydn ready for bed, he folded his arms, bowed his head and asked to "pray daddy". So we said a little prayer asking that Daddy is safe. I am so thankful that Adam does get to come home and that this isn't an awkward situation. My mother-in-law pointed out how difficult it would be to explain to a child that their parent is gone (for whatever reason it may be divorce, death, etc). I'm also thankful that Haydn does recognize when Adam is gone and wants him back home. Anyhow, I thought it was the cutest thing that he wanted to pray for Daddy.

Presents, presents and MORE Presents!

2010-02-10T09:42:00.003-06:00

The month of December is a present month for Haydn. With three sets of grandparents, this would be expected because of Christmas. But Haydn is one of those lucky kids who has his birthday that month as well. Haydn opened presents just about every weekend in December and the first weekend in January. Sunday I prepared a game for my class at church (they are all 3 years old). I took a gift bag with different items in it for them to guess what they were. Haydn thought it was a present for him. Even after I emptied the bag and showed him it was empty, he still went and grabbed the empty bag and asked where his present was. That boy cracks me up!

Little Gentleman

2010-02-05T12:09:00.002-06:00

Haydn has recently doing things like a little gentleman. He loves to open doors and hold them open for me. It's really cute. The other day he held the storm door from our house to our garage open for me and I stepped out the door pulling the other door around behind me. The garage door was down, so it was pretty dark in there. I bent over to pick Haydn up so he could "push button" to open the garage door. When I bent over to pick him up, the storm door met my forehead perfectly to hit me in the middle of the head. My head has been super sensitive since!

He's been doing other cute things too. He will take my glass and put it on the counter or we had scones last night and he took my plate to the kitchen! He's a great little helper, it just takes so much longer to do anything when he is helping. I guess I should keep encouraging him to help out so maybe he'll help when he's older. =)

Vroom

2010-01-03T17:25:00.002-06:00

It's obvious for me to say that Haydn loves the movie Cars. It's probably just as obvious for me to point out that he is absorbing EVERYTHING he sees and hears. However, knowing the obvious two statements didn't change how amazed and funny Haydn really is.

Last night we were watching a movie and Haydn kept going "MMMmm" (instead of Vroom) but sounded somewhat like a cow. We kept asking him to be quiet as we are trying to hear the movie (and closed captioning was not available), but Haydn kept doing it. I noticed he had several cars he was playing with. He was playing with Doc and Lightning and was making some cars that all looked similar and had the same box-like shape go "MMMmm" and then as they were making that noise, Haydn would tip them on their backs. It took me a few minutes to realize what he was doing. I couldn't control my laughter when I figured out that he was recreating the scene from Cars where Lightning and Mater are out in the field "tractor tipping". He is so funny! I wished I had a chance to record it.

Happy New Years!

2010-01-01T13:49:00.002-06:00

Happy New Years everyone! I hope this year is healthy and prosperous for all. We didn't do much for New Years. Adam spent the holiday working with his brother-in-law (thanks!) and Haydn and I stayed home. Haydn fell asleep while I was making dinner and then woke up a couple hours later to ring in the new year! He's a rock star, we brought it in like any 2 year old boy would want to... watching Thomas the Train movies (at least it wasn't Cars). =) We had fun.

On another note... New Years day is going off with a bang. We slept in pretty late (that's what happens when little boys stay up too late) and I noticed that Haydn has bumps...EVERYWHERE on his back. All morning I noticed he had a spot that looked like a pimple on his face. I kept thinking to myself "Man, I know kids grow up so fast, but... He's too young to be getting pimples!" As I was getting him dressed for the day, I noticed the same kind of bumps are on his back. =( Poor kid. It really looks like he has chicken pox. He had the vaccination when he was 12 months old and we really haven't been around any kids in the last two weeks. I don't know what else it could be, but he has all the 'side effects' of it minus the fever. He's been sleeping more than usual and eating next to nothing. This will be a fun week. Man, talking about it is making me itch!

Happy New Years everyone!

Happy Birthday Little Man!

2009-12-21T09:41:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was Haydn's birthday. I can't believe my little man is two years old! Like every other parent-child relationship, we've already had our ups and downs. Haydn's a great kid! He loves to make us happy and is usually quick to respond to anything.

We had a little family birthday party yesterday for Haydn. All of his grandparents came along with Aunt Susan, and Uncle Jake. We had homemade pizza (with PLENTY left over) and Neanie's garden salad (with all the vegetables!). Haydn ate his pizza his customary way, with ranch dressing. That boy loves his ranch. He eats it on just about everything: from waffles to pineapple, there is nothing he doesn't like ranch on. He also loved opening presents. What kid doesn't, right? =) His birthday cake was a homemade Boston Cream Pie.

Here's a few pictures!

Looking to Daddy for help to read the card.

Opening presents!Make a Wish birthday Boy!

Insomnia

2009-12-15T01:24:00.003-06:00

What do you do in the middle of the night when you can't sleep?

I am literally bored out of my mind. I woke up about an hour ago desperately needing to take some allergy medicine. I have one huge problem with taking allergy medicine... it gives me heart burn/acid reflux. So, when I lay back down the burning starts and then I start coughing and then I can't stop coughing. I don't technically have insomnia, just can't go to sleep for a little while.

AHHH!

Baby Bump

2009-12-14T09:43:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to let you all know... There is NO Baby Bump. I've noticed that some eyes have wandered and end on my stomach. There is no baby and probably won't be a baby for some time. As much as we would love to have another baby, it just is not the time for us.

Tis the Season

2009-12-08T17:25:00.002-06:00

The Christmas season is meant to be a time when we are giving and share what we have with others. It may be money, service, or just some time. Today I had the opportunity to give a stranger some time and service. I'm so thankful for the opportunity and the strength to go forward with it. I hope everyone has the opportunity to help someone and to take advantage of the opportunity. I hope you can bless someone's life with a "Christmas Story".

Merry Christmas!

Go Fish!

2009-11-19T21:12:00.002-06:00

Today we decided to take Haydn to Bass Pro to see some fish. The weather has been too wet and dreary to do anything outdoors and most of the parks have been closed until spring. So, there really is not much to do. Haydn has always loved to watch fish and we have been trying to think of an aquarium around here. I had heard someone say they took their kids to Bass Pro to see the fish and thought we could do the same. I was a little sad when Haydn fell asleep in the car on the way there, but pleasantly surprised when he woke up and was very intrigued by the fish. We walked around the store a little bit and looked at the other animals (stuffed) but Haydn found his way back to the fish. (I might add that being that close to so much water that went over my head made me a little claustrophobic.)

Haydn also has a love for all things Christmas like me! There were a few Christmas trees set up and decorated, and Haydn couldn't bring himself to leave them.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:46:00.002-05:00

I took Haydn Trick or treating with my parents this evening. We were in the car on our way into the nearest town so we could just walk from door to door and Haydn fell asleep. I took Haydn out of the car and a lady at the house we were parked in front of came running out so excited that her first Trick or Treater was there. Of course she was happy to see such a CUTE trick or treater too! Anyhow, she noticed that he was sleepy and wished him luck in waking up. My dad asked him if he wanted to go knock on some other doors and get some candy. At the mention of candy, Haydn was ready for this game! A couple houses later, Haydn knocked on the door and a man opened the door and Haydn ran on in. He didn't quite understand that you just stand outside and people will bring you candy! We went up and down the street and when we got back to the car to head onto another neighborhood, the first lady came out and wanted to know how Haydn was doing with trick or treating.

We decided to go down the street Adam lived on when we started dating. It was fun to see the changes there and see the people who live in his old house. One of the houses had two teenage girls handing out candy and Haydn was very bashful around them. But for all the other houses, he was very excited and energetic going up to the houses and knocking on the doors. We ended up being out longer that I had planned, but I know he enjoyed it and was so happy to share this Halloween with his Mema and Papa. I think Halloween is his new favorite holiday too!

Some of the funny things Haydn did while out: picking up acorns, picking up sticks, walking through the leaves, jumping in the runoff water and puddles, growling back to Papa, and staring a dog down at it's own home.

I'll post some pictures when I get back home, so be ready!

Latter Day Prophet

2009-10-26T11:25:00.003-05:00

I have grown up in my church and have heard numerous 'myths' about it, while Adam has been a member for just over 18 months he is getting to hear some of the ridiculous stories. Hearing that "Mormons are weird" is nothing new to me, but Adam shares some of the stories he hears. Some of them are new to me, but the one that kills me the most is that there is no such thing as a "Latter Day Prophet."

I want to preface this with: I am not trying to convert you, just inform you of what I believe. I personally have prayed to God about doctrine and have received an answer that these things are true. So, if you question what I am about to share, feel free to do what I have done (and literally millions of people have done also) and pray for yourself.

St Matthew 7:7-8 states "7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

God has promised to answer these prayers.

I want to explain where these thoughts have come from (as I've been told that I can come from left field sometimes). Sunday in Sacrament Meeting the children ages 3 - 11 did a program and taught our congregation what they have been learning in Primary. They bore testimony and sang songs that Jesus is our Savior and that it is through him that we will return to our Father in Heaven. Not only will we return to Him, but we have the opportunity to go and be with our loved ones, family.

Something I have decided I'm going to do around my home is play music that teaches the stories from the scriptures. The song that started playing as I was folding laundry and Haydn started dancing to was "Follow the Prophet."

"Follow the Prophet" goes through 7 or 8 different prophets throughout history (as viewed by Christians) with the first being Adam (as in Adam and Eve). The song has a catchy tune and has a little information for each prophet mentioned in the song (these are not all the prophets). Anyhow, Noah is mentioned and it made me think about how wicked the world must have been. We think about how bad times are today, and in Noah's time the earth was flooded. EVERYONE drowned except those who believed what Noah told them (not many people I might add). I do believe in a Prophet, someone who communes with God. I want to be on that "ark" when what is going on in this world is so horrible that God has to take action again. It makes me wonder why people think it's weird that I believe in a Prophet. It makes me want to question them and ask them if they would have "Followed the Prophet" had they lived in the times of the prophets in the Bible. I also want to ask, if God is so loving and generous, why would he let us wander aimlessly without any direction? I then want to point out that everyone who belongs to any kind of religious establishment, believes in a 'prophet' of sorts. You may not have someone who communes with God, but you do have a pastor or preacher who went to a seminary or theology college to learn how to be a minister, pastor, preacher. So...what it comes down to...am I really all that weird for believing in a Latter Day Prophet? Well... you are still entitled to your opinion. =)

As always, just some food for thought. Sorry to those who are offended by theological statements.

Such a Gentleman

2009-10-26T07:20:00.002-05:00

Last night we had our Home Teachers over. (Home Teachers are young men and older, who hold the priesthood, in our church who are assigned families to go and visit. They bring a spiritual thought to the family and offer assistance if any is required.) We LOVE our Home Teachers. It helps that one has been our friend since before we started going to this ward and the other is the Bishop's son. They're great! Anyhow, as they were leaving and shaking hands to go, Haydn stuck his hand out to shake our good friend Jesse's hand. He went around and shook everybody's hand. It was too cute and made my heart melt. Is this a hint of what he'll be like in about 17 years? =) I'm so thankful we have Home Teachers who set another good example for Haydn. Sure, Adam does his, but Haydn doesn't SEE Adam doing his Home Teaching.

Bye-Bye

2009-10-09T10:38:00.002-05:00

Adam's best friend and his family were on their way through town and decided to stop by and stay the night on their trip. It was so wonderful to see these good friends again as we don't get to see them very often. They have two little boys just older and younger than Haydn. Haydn LOVED them. This morning when they left, Haydn cried "MINE!" He was so sad that our friends took their little boy with them because he is Haydn's friend and therefore is "his". Too cute!

Perfectly Miserable

2009-10-08T08:42:00.003-05:00

It is a perfectly miserable day. Not so much as miserable as makes one in a poor mood, but miserable weather that makes for a perfect day to be indoors. Maybe I'd have a different opinion if I were out in the wet mess we can only call rain. Calling it rain is not accurate either. We have a number of ways to describe lighter rain: sprinkle, drizzle, shower, spray, etc. But think about what rain describes. I can say it's raining and every person who is not here, has a different idea of the volume of water coming from the sky. People who live in the Pacific Northwest might think that the rain is just a drizzle, something that won't stop a game from being played but can ruin a day. People in Florida might think that it is a torrential downpour that requires one to lock up the windows and prepare for the worst. I assure you it is neither. Raining could mean anything from a gentle, steady rain, a downpour or somewhere in between. The reader gets to decide what that is, unless I specify what it is. What makes today a perfectly miserable day is that it is a downpour. There is no doubt in my mind that it is going to rain the majority of the day. I have no plans of being able to enjoy the outdoors. I also enjoy these kinds of days because they allow me to ponder what is going on in my life and seek the solutions. I love these days because they can be so enchanting in so many ways. When we are all indoors we spend our time together and enjoy each others' company. There are no thoughts of mowing lawns, picking fruits or vegetables from the garden, or raking the fall leaves. Maybe the misery allows someone to become more philosophical.

Today I am thinking about the meaning of words. Obviously from using the word miserable to describe this day that I already enjoy. I've been reading more lately and have enjoyed seeing and reading words for how they were meant to be used instead of how vulgar we use them today. How you can say a word and it means two completely different things amazes me. I was just watching an older movie last night and one of the main characters mentioned that if you knew your language very well, it would open doors for you that are closed to others. That is so true. Not only knowing your language, but being able to pronounce the words properly helps as well.

Babysitting

2009-10-06T21:02:00.002-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to babysit a friend's children while she went out of state to help her sister with a baby. Her husband was still here, but since he was working I was able to do the afternoon motherly things. She has four children and also babysits a little girl who is in kindergarten. My days started off picking the youngest up from pre-school, picking the other girl up from kindergarten and then waiting for the other children to ride the bus home or ride their bikes home (depending on if they are still in elementary or middle school). The day was pleasantly broken up by children coming home from school. I'm not kidding, this was the best babysitting experience EVER. I loved watching these kids. The two younger girls played very well together and even invited Haydn to play with them. The oldest basically took care of herself and then the other two got home not long before the kindergartener was picked up. There was only one boy in the family and he would do whatever chore and homework immediately and then go off and play with his friends. The oldest would help the younger sister with any homework she had. If I can raise my kids to behave as well as those kids do, I will consider myself a very blessed mother. I look forward to having more children and getting to be a parent to older children. Don't get me wrong, I love having my little Haydn, but I do look forward to him having siblings and helping him (and other children) with homework. Aww...if only we can be blessed enough to have more children. If not, I will continue to cherish the one I have!

Roe Is Defeated

2009-10-01T22:47:00.007-05:00

I don't believe any mother looks forward to her son (or daughter) being an MMA fighter in training. Haydn started off his MMA career with a defeat. His opponent was "The" Sofa Table. Table has been fighting for a little longer than Roe and his record shows it. He's been in one fight prior to the Table-Roe fight and won! Roe proved to be an amateur in this fight. The fight lasted approximately 20 seconds. Roe's fight was decided after 15 seconds when he tried to climb Table. Table literally fell on top of Roe and smashed his head into the ground. Thankfully for Roe, he will require no stitches and only has a goose egg - black eye to show for the injuries. Roe was down for the count after Table landed on him and the fight was immediately ended.

"The" Sofa Table

Roe after the fight.

Roe shows the face of a champ!

Never Again

2009-09-28T08:17:00.002-05:00

Never Again will I try to cut my own hair. I used to cut it all the time. I must have been in high school when I started. My sister and I would cut each others' hair all the time. I started going to a salon to get it cut after I got married. Oh how I got out of practice. We did a budget about a year ago and I was horrified at how much money I was spending on my HAIR! Thankfully my brother's girlfriend cuts hair, for fun, and has been willing to cut my hair since. She always does a superb job too! Anyhow, I hadn't seen her in a while (she's back in school and I don't visit my parents when she's there) and really needed a hair cut. SO....I got the great idea that if Adam could do the one part that is hardest to see, I could do the rest. WRONG! We totally cut it too short and had to have an 'emergency' hair cut. Thankfully my brother's girlfriend doesn't live TOO far away from me. Anyhow, my hair is much shorter than I would have ever asked for (not her fault). Thankfully it grows fast and will be about where I would have wanted it cut by the time our family pictures roll around (in two weeks)! Good thing I did it this weekend instead of next!

The Essence of Autumn

2009-09-24T20:14:00.001-05:00

I love what Autumn brings: the cooler weather, the rainy days that make you want to curl up next to a fire and read a book, the change of color in the world outside, the earlier evenings, people wearing sweaters, and the sweet aroma of dinners cooking. There is something enchanting to me about the earlier, darker evenings. I must have always loved it because I get butterflies in my stomach when I’m out and about in the evening during the sun’s last rays of light. I love to see the dreary clouds and people walking briskly with sweaters and coats on. What mesmerizes me the most are the cars and their headlights. I love to see a line of lights, they make me think of two strands of Christmas lights winding perfectly spaced on a Christmas tree. Always two sets of lights though, one of white and the other of red. Every now and again you get the blinking yellow light as a car signals to turn left or right.

Autumn must be working her way into my blood. Tonight I thought a perfect autumn dinner would be appropriate. Thank goodness for food storage because I had everything on hand for this perfect dinner. I made a spiced ham complete with pineapple, mashed potatoes, green beans, and baked apples. One of my favorite memories while dating Adam was that his mom used to light candles for dinner when they had chili. So, I thought I’d bring that tradition on into our family. Our dinner was complete with candle light. I’m always a little nervous making something new, but Adam and I were both very pleased with how dinner turned out. Too bad it’s not about 50 degrees outside! However, we did get to enjoy fresh air.

Officially and Finally

2009-09-23T10:53:00.002-05:00

I have officially and finally lost my 'baby' weight. Every last ounce I gained during my pregnancy is finally off. I think it would have taken me less time had I started working harder a whole lot sooner. Sure, there were pounds I gained after I went back to work after Haydn was born, but all those are gone now! Now I have to lose my 'stress' weight from three surgeries and moving. After that weight is gone I will need to work on my 'marriage' and 'college' weight. More exciting than losing the weight is seeing the numbers of inches lost going up and up and clothing sizes going down and down. =) And yes, I do blame my different life events for why I gained weight and I plan on losing them all (not the life events, just the weight)! Now to celebrate...without food!

Innocent Injuries

2009-09-18T06:43:00.003-05:00

A couple nights ago I decided I would try to go running with Haydn (in a stroller of course). I've taken a few weeks off due to injuries and illness so now I have to start over to prevent injuries again. I digress... Haydn had been running around in just a diaper and shirt, so I really needed him to get some pants on before we left. He was in a really great mood and was jumping around. I asked him to step into his pants and he came over, put his hands on my shoulders and attempted to hop into his shorts. And that is when it happened. When Haydn jumped up, he smashed the top of his head into the bottom of my chin. I proceeded to bit the entire inside of my mouth until it bled. My tongue got it on both sides and bled. I thought that was the extent of my 'injury' but I learned last night that it was not the case. I have a bruise on one side of my tongue and another one on my the inside of my cheek on the opposite side of my mouth! I know he didn't do it on purpose, but it hurt none the less.

Yet Again...

2009-09-14T20:12:00.002-05:00

Adam is in Columbia again helping his brother-in-law. I really do not like those trips. I get very lonely even though I have Haydn here. I feel like a single parent when Adam is on these overnight trips. I start to feel sorry for myself that my husband is gone and that I have to do everything by myself, including taking the trash out. I'm not afraid of cleaning and taking care of my home, or raising Haydn mostly by myself. I know that it is a sacrifice Adam makes for our family. He works a lot of hours and is always willing to help when needed.

To get myself out of the 'poor me' attitude, I think of single mothers. It makes me thankful that I am not a single parent and that I do have Adam to help me the majority of the time. Adam is a great father and a wonderful husband. I have to remind myself that at least he's only gone two nights instead of forever.

Even with those thoughts, I still feel lonely.

Serving Others

2009-09-12T07:40:00.003-05:00

The Boy Scouts of America have been sponsored by our church for a very long time. A large portion of the young men in our church also participate in Boy Scouts. This weekend they had a camp out and needed an additional leader just for today. Adam got up bright and early, on his day off, and went to help. Adam is always volunteering to help when he can. He does not have a lot of spare time to do much, but is always willing to help. This is an attribute I love very much of my husband. I'm so thankful for his example and his willingness to always serve others. I'm also very thankful that Haydn has a good example to follow.

Finally...

2009-09-11T07:10:00.005-05:00

After three days of being sick, waking up sick in the morning and going to bed sick at night followed by sleepless nights, I am finally on my way to getting better! The last three days have been pretty rough. I have no idea what it was I had, nor do I wish it on anyone. I have not been down this long since I had the flu just a few weeks after Haydn was born. By no means was it as severe, but debilitating none the less.

Haydn was the best through it all! We had our rough moments, but overall he let me relax when I really needed it. (After all, a mother must go on even when she's sick.) One of the evenings while Adam was working, I let Haydn play outside. My head had been pounding so hard, and no relief in sight, that I could not longer stand the sound of his voice ricocheting off the walls any longer. Not that it was bad, but anything sounded 10 times louder than what it probably was. Anyhow, after letting him play outside this is what I found....

Okay, so it's not really what I found. I was a little too slow to getting or thinking about getting the camera to get a picture of Haydn. Just as an image you can think of, he looked like one of those little boys who worked in the coal mines sorting coal. But, this is what his clothes and the bath tub looked like after his bath. He really is 100% boy!

Adam was a trooper too. I think I felt the worst last night. After a very long day at work, Adam came home and made dinner for us all, let me go to bed and took care of Haydn the whole evening! My two guys are the BEST!

I'm still not back to 100%, but at least I can read something and comprehend it as well.

Now, to get the house back in order from my little 'vacation.' Wish me luck!

Life Vest Sleeping

2009-09-10T09:05:00.005-05:00

I should have known that he was going to fall asleep any minute by the look on his face in this picture. That squinting look is not flash induced either. (Look how brown his arms and legs are! He definitely does not get that from me!)

Here's that photo I mentioned a few days ago of Haydn in his life vest. He watched the water themed Baby Einstein that day, so maybe he was afraid of a great flood.

Haydn's Too Cute

2009-09-06T19:19:00.003-05:00

Today I was dressing Haydn for church and he's not complete until his hair is combed. He has to use "Daddy's comb" for him to be willing to comb his hair, which isn't that bad since it's just a comb. Anyhow, when I comb his hair I have to wet it down with water. It started sticking to his head and looked like what my brother-in-law calls "Poindexter". So I put the comb under the hair that was plastered to his head to lessen the Poindexter look and this is what resulted.

Doesn't he look happy here?

Don't worry, he didn't go to church with his hair like that!

Comedian

2009-09-05T06:04:00.002-05:00

Haydn has discovered that if he does something we find funny, we'll laugh. He'll then proceed to do what he thinks we laughed at over and over again. Last weekend we went to visit one of my best friends and her husband. Haydn quickly became the husband's shadow. He warmed up to him because the husband asked for a 'five'. By the end of the weekend, Haydn was giving everyone a 'five' anytime someone asked for it. Again, it's probably because we laughed at it he first time. Anyhow, last night he did something to make us laugh again. I will warn you, it's not as funny describing it as seeing it. Adam asked Haydn for a 'five' again. Haydn just looked at him and then looked at me. So I asked him for a 'five'. Haydn proceeded to look back and forth at Adam's hand to my hand. What was so funny was the jerking movement of his head. He was exaggerating his head movement. We both started laughing and Haydn continued to do it the rest of the evening. He'd be sure to stand where moving his head back and forth could be exaggerated. Funny kid!

Today we are getting together with Adam's mom, step-dad, sister and her family along with a cousin and a few other people. His mom and step-dad are staying the night up here but opted to get a hotel with a pool so the kids could swim. The guys are going to a football game (they do this every year...I hear it's the last time this game is going to be played up here) and the women are staying back with the kids so they can swim.

Haydn LOVES to swim. We told him that he gets to go swimming with Grandma Nene. So yesterday he found his infant life vest and wanted me to put it on him. He waddled around the house for a while in it and once he fell over. The life vest did it's job, he couldn't flip over and be face down! Of course he couldn't get up at all either. When I got him back on his feet, he took me to the door to get to the car. He was whining "Nene...Nene, now....Nene!" Haydn doesn't say his grandparents' names that often so I thought my mother-in-law would love to hear him saying her name. So we called her and I told her about what Haydn had done. The phone call wasn't that long and by the time I hung up, Haydn was asleep in my arms, with his life vest still on! I laid him down so he could take a nap. I guess he's afraid of a big flood or something. =) He only slept for 40 minutes. When he woke up I took the life vest off and his shirt was soaked! Sadly, he didn't go back to sleep until we put him down for the night.

Another sad note, I didn't get to take a picture of him sleeping with the vest on with my camera. My camera died from the time I took pictures of him standing in his life vest to when he fell asleep. However, I did get it on a cell phone and a video. I'll post the pictures I have as soon as I figure out how to get the pictures from the cell phone to the computer.

Chivalry is Not Gone

2009-08-31T17:03:00.002-05:00

I go walking about 5 days a week with a good friend of mine. We love to walk outdoors and try to find parks that allow us to walk around them and get some good mileage and also good play equipment for the kids to play on afterwords. When the weather does not cooperate, we go to the mall and walk there. I had taken a week off from walking because of shinsplints and wanted to give them the proper amount of rest they needed to heal. So, today we walked indoors. While the kids were playing I received a call from my mother-in-law saying that she and my sister-in-law and nephew were driving by Lake Saint Louis (very close to us) and wanted to know if we wanted to meet them for lunch. Sure! We don't get to hang out that often and Haydn is awfully shy around them, so we'll make the effort especially since they were here. On our way to meet them, Haydn fell asleep. The poor kid. I ordered my lunch and was waiting for it before I went and sat down. While I was filling up my drink and holding on to a sleeping child, a man walked up to fill his drink and asked if I needed any help. I thought I could do it, but when I went to pick up the tray I almost dropped it. So he carried it to the table where my family was already sitting. Chivalry is not gone! I am surprised every now and again by how kind people really are and was amazed that a stranger was willing to help me when my hands were already full.

Thank you kind sir!

Always be Suspicious when they're Quiet

2009-08-27T07:04:00.005-05:00

The other day I was doing a little reading and enjoying the peace and quiet of the day. Haydn was happy and was playing with his bikes and trucks. He likes to drive them all over the house and pick up toys and put them in whatever toy he's playing with. He drives them around to different destinations. More often than not, Haydn finds one of his zillion balls and takes it to a basketball hoop his Grandma Nene got him. He had been 'gone' for a long time and the house was quiet...too quiet! So I went around the house looking for him. He wasn't in his normal places. I started to see if he was hiding or something like that (we sometimes play hide-n-seek when Adam gets home from work). I couldn't find him! I noticed that the bathroom door was closed (Haydn LOVES to close doors, it makes him feel like a big kid. If I'm on the computer, he'll close the door to the computer room and wave as he walks backwards out the room.) I open the door and sure enough...there is Haydn, in a pile of toilet paper! He was standing so innocently in the corner. I wish I had thought to grab the camera before I went in.

A few days later, I was doing something on the computer and Haydn laid on the floor behind me. He was singing and I didn't think anything of it. Then it got quiet...again. I don't really know how long he was quiet, but long enough to express his artistic side...again. This time he colored on his legs! Earlier that morning I was making breakfast and he started coloring on our refrigerator right in front of me! I made a sad pouty face and he tried to wipe it off. I hope he won't do that again, but who knows about the skin.

Haydn has discovered his artistic side. He makes sculptures out of...

toilet paper.

Proud sculptor here.

Haydn was very proud of his masterpiece. (I think he looks a little like Jeremy here.)

Haydn's next medium was...

Flesh.

Every mother needs to have pictures of their child's 'flesh art'. I'm pretty sure my mom has a picture like this of everyone in my family.

Again...the happy artist.

The day Haydn discovered that pens write on flesh was the same day that he discovered you can see orange crayon on a black refrigerator. I talked to my mother-in-law that night and she told me to tell Haydn to put his artwork on paper so Grandma Nene could see it. She's very good at giving ideas like that to help stop potential disasters. I hope it works! Those faces he made make me a little nervous for what's to come next.

Fund raising

2009-08-24T16:19:00.003-05:00

I am not a fan of fund raising. I actually look forward to the kids in the neighborhood going back to school so that the evenings are quiet and I don't have to fret that they will wake Haydn. I know...I sound much older than my actual years. I digress...when the kids go back to school, EVERY SCHOOL in the area starts fund raising. I think they don't stagger it because the fund raising in the middle of the year will be pointless and everyone will have already emptied their pocketbooks on the kids who were fortunate enough to do their fund raising at the beginning of the school year. So, we get every kid in the neighborhood stopping by our house asking us to buy something. Sometimes it might actually be worthwhile, but more often than not I do not want to spend the extra dollars on some fancy wrapping paper, over priced food or even magazines "at an all time low price that can't be beat". What stinks even more is that I know that I'll have to help Haydn out with his fund raising when he gets to school age. So word to the wise...CLOSE YOUR GARAGE DOORS! If the garage door is open, they know you're home.

Mimicking Habits, Appendicitis, Meals on Wheels

2009-08-24T09:38:00.002-05:00

Haydn is really good at mimicking us lately. Of course he has done this his whole life, but he does it more so and more exactly like us as of late. When we leave the house, I usually take a water bottle with me. I am very particular in the flavor of water (yes, water has a flavor!) Last night I wanted to show Adam a neighborhood and it required us to get into the car. So we were getting our shoes on and Haydn grabbed his water bottle and was ready to go. "Just like your mother" Adam said. At least it's a good habit right? Now, to get him to go potty on the toilet.

Thursday morning we received a call from my brother. Let me restate that...in the middle of the night on the Thursday date side, we received a call from my brother. He was in a lot of pain and was asking me to come pick him up and take him to the hospital. I'm not kidding, the phone rings supersonic loud in the middle of the night and you get an adrenaline so everything seems soap opera-ish dramatic. I tried to keep my cool with my brother and let him know that I'm always here for him. On my way to pick him up, I lose my cool and panic call my parents. If my brother is in enough pain to warrant a call in the middle of the night, my parents probably need to know as well. After going to the ER and being released, we went home and tried to get some rest. Not too much longer later, Jared comes over and rings my door bell. I thought this was a little weird because I KNEW how much pain he was in. I couldn't believe he drove to my house! Anyhow, his doctor called him and told him that he really wanted to see him that day and was concerned about him. To make a long story short, his doc call him in because he thought that Jared's pain was more associated with his appendix than anything else. So, he requested a room at a hospital and called a surgeon to talk to him and see what he thought. He ended up having his appendix taken out and all is well now.

Since Jared is down for the count, I have turned in to his personal Meals on Wheels program. I try to cater to his needs and wants, but it's hard to do so when he doesn't request anything! I had my gall bladder removed a few years ago (almost exactly 4 years) and recently passed a kidney stone. I can sympathize the pain and know the need for help. I'm quickly realizing how many 'sick' dishes we make for people that have noodles or some kind of pasta in them. I'm planning on making hamburgers and meatballs for him in the next couple days. So, if you have any ideas about meals to take to someone who is healing, let me know!

Good Night Kisses

2009-08-17T15:37:00.003-05:00

Haydn has been giving kisses for a long time. You just had to be prepared to kiss an open mouth! Adam and I have been really exaggerating how to kiss with your mouth closed ("nobody wants to kiss a cookie" hahaha). So recently Haydn has learned to purse his lips and give kisses this way, which we love! Now he'll even kiss us on the cheek and head. It's really quite cute. Anyhow, Adam is gone again over night working (which I really hate...we really miss him when he's gone). Adam is really good at getting Haydn to go to sleep with little to no fight. I used to be the one who could get Haydn down for bed, but now it is Adam. So, being a defeatist I decided that I'd let Haydn go to bed with me. He laid down on a pillow, pulled the sheet up and over him and curled up like he was going to go to sleep. Excellent! This was going to be the easiest night ever! A little while later I felt Haydn move... and then he was leaning over my head and kissed me on the cheek. He mumbled something which I'm assuming was either "Good night Mommy" or "I love you Mommy". He crawled back to where he was before and nestled in for the night again. A few more minutes and he did the same thing. Only this time he had to kiss me on the lips! Again, he repeats back to getting all situated to go to sleep. He did this a few more times and I finally decided that I was going to have to try to get him to go to sleep in his own bed. As annoying as Haydn was being, I sure did love those Good Night Kisses. I'll cherish them now because I know some day he'll stop giving me kisses.

Worth Repeating

2009-08-10T08:45:00.002-05:00

I appologize in advance, this is long, but please read all the way through! Be informed.

My sister wrote this on her blog and I don't know how many people go and check her's out. So, I'm going to post something she wrote a few days ago.

First, a few of my thoughts. I do not agree with the National Healthcare Reform. I think it's more or less a crock! I've heard time and time again about how it will provide health care to the "unemployed and underemployed". This really bugs me and has bugged me for several years. There is already a national "health care" plan in force and has been for many years. You might have heard of it...Medicare/Medicaid? WIC? Food Stamps? Those all provide necessities to those who are "unemployed and underemployed." I first started getting frustrated with these 'national' plans when I worked at a grocery store one summer. There would be people who would come in on food stamps and they would eat better than many people who were not on food stamps. Sometimes you'd find a person who was ashamed to be on the food stamps, but more often than not they were so proud to be on it. The WIC program works like this...the mother and her children are 'interviewed' and checked out. The program has come up with what things those people need in order to grow appropriately and have the appropriate nutrition. The mother is then given vouchers or 'checks' which she has to sign upon using. The vouchers have a list of foods and beverages that are 'acceptable' to this plan. Depending on the age of the children, the vouchers have things from formula, baby cereal, juice, milk, eggs, beans, peanut butter, cheese and regular cereal. When a family is on WIC, the mother (assuming she is pregnant or nursing) and children are also covered on Medicaid. To be on these programs, you have to have a certian level of income or less. The income each family must not exceed is based on the number of people in the family.

There are currently problems with these programs, so why are we going to go and throw another problem into the mix? I firmly believe that a national health care system is not something we need or WANT. Just ask any person over the age of 65 how much they like their medicare. There are so many loop holes and decisions to make with that! Please, if you are reading this...think about the best interest of you, your parents, your children AND your grandchildren. A national health care program for the "unemployed and underemployed" is already in place!

Here's what my sister said:
I know this is a public forum. I know someone is not going to see this the way I do. Scary. Perhaps tomorrow I will wake up with FBI agents on my doorstep...it wouldn't be the first time (although, it would be more threatening this go-round)!
When I first read this, I was shocked, and, to be honest, scared. This might be the single most frightening thing I have heard or read about the health care reform. Seriously, if someone wanted to be intimidating, they accomplished it. If not, well, someone went about this in an incredibly wrong way. And, by the way, I HAVE sent inquiries to Obama's Whitehouse in regards to this issue and have not been answered, not even the cordial "we've received your email but due to the amount of inquiries we've received, it may take awhile before we can get back to you."
What, you ask, am I talking about? The latest briefing on The Whitehouse blog. Now, I can guess that they didn't really want this to come across as being a new twist on McCarthyism, but that is what it did. Tell Big Brother about your friends, family, and neighbors who are anti-HCR so they can investigate and document those involved in the proliferation of these sentiments and alleged evidences hedged against the passage of this bill.
What happened to the First Amendment to the US Constitution? This infringes upon those rights. We are allowed to disagree with bills and proposals. We are allowed to congregate and discuss our pleasure or displeasure with current affairs and ideas. We are allowed to publish (paid or unpaid) our thoughts and feelings. All of these are permissible through the First Amendment of the Constitution. Do not restrict us, or you are disregarding the reason for the establishment of this country in the first place. Things taken out of context happen on both sides. Perhaps there are things that have been misconstrued on one end, but they can be held up legally in court due to interpretation of those same words. Yes, Pres. Obama makes promises (verbal are the only ones advertised) that we can keep our private insurance/private doctor and all, but, assuming this is true, what is the cost? How much MORE does the average John Q. Public have taken from his paycheck to cover the cost of this program? We've already been paying into one that apparently hasn't fulfilled the need. There is more to this issue than a quick full-court press.
Those I have encountered in my life who have insisted upon a "now or never" deal were people who knew that what they were trying to push or sell was not worthwhile in the long run, and, given the chance to research, ponder, and pray about it, I would discover the whited sepulchre it truly was. I can only feel that this is much the same way. Don't force it. If it is all it is cracked up to be (or not to be) it will become apparent in the long run. So, my advice to Pres. Obama and his Whitehouse, relax. Enjoy the "game". Don't pressure sale the public. Don't intimidate. Don't make YOUR public feel as if they are under the Nazi regime unless that is where you want this country to be.
And, if making a statement like this qualifies me to be imprisoned, I hope someone will claim my children while I spend time emulating some heroes of mine.

Grandpa Tacos

2009-08-04T23:15:00.002-05:00

My grandfather made the best tacos, hands down. In fact, after my friends tried them once they always asked if they could come over the next time my grandpa made tacos. I am not kidding, they were the most delicious tacos one could make. I was sure there was a secret to making them and I couldn't figure it out. They weren't your ordinary run of the mill ground beef tacos...they were shredded beef tacos. The kind with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and you HAD to have this one type of taco sauce. (No special ordering...you had to have it all, that's what made them so delicious) The flavors worked together like nothing you can imagine! They quickly became a family favorite and we would ask my mom to make them. She made them very similarly to what Grandpa did, but they never were quite the same, something was missing. I decided that there must have been a 'secret' ingredient he used in the process. A few years ago my grandfather passed away and I never did get the chance to ask him what the 'secret' ingredient was. I was also sad that Adam was never going to get to have authentic "Grandpa tacos." I'm sure I could ask my grandmother, but there was something about those tacos that my grandpa made. I decided I'd try my hand at "Grandpa Tacos" this evening for dinner. (I wasn't running tonight, so it was probably the best night to try making them) I was prompted to make the tacos by a couple ingredients my mother gave me...1) the roast (most important) and 2) the special taco sauce. They turned out exactly how I remember Grandpa's tacos. They are still making my mouth water! MMMM so good. I think I figured out the secret ingredient...you cook a roast, you need corn tortillas (the kind you fry yourself), cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, the special sauce...it's very difficult to find around here, so I won't even bother with what kind....and the secret ingredient I'm convinced my grandfather used was... LOVE. He absolutely LOVED to make them for us. Grandpa didn't cook much, and this was one meal he could make from start to finish. I remember him asking me how many tacos I wanted and I always had like 8-12 (I was much skinnier then and could handle eating that many). He always laughed and was so delighted to make those tacos. He would cook until our hearts AND stomachs were content. I must say, tonight I made my tacos with the same kind of love. Adam was very hungry when he got home from work and I wanted him to be completely satisfied with dinner. (Adam did special order his tacos...I'm working on him with his vegetables) I think it was the attitude of making dinner tonight though...I didn't see it as something I had to do, it was something that I was ABLE to do. I hope I can keep this attitude towards meals, and if not all the time at least most the time. We are so blessed to have an abundance of food and the fact that we get to choose what we are going to eat every day instead of wondering IF we get to eat makes cooking seem like a luxury. If there is one thing I am to learn from my grandfather...Love is it. I still feel his love today and know without a doubt that he watches over me. I miss you Grandpa and I love you very much! Thank you for the life lesson.

High Jumper in Training

2009-08-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

Two of my younger brothers have done the high jump on the high school track teams. My youngest brother is still in high school and still doing high jump. I've gone and watched him a time or two and it's pretty interesting to see that you can jump over a bar backwards and jump literally over my head! Haydn has gone with me to watch my youngest brother and I didn't think he was watching at all. I also have to let you know that Haydn has loved climbing into our pack-n-play. He can climb in, but can't climb out. I think he can, but haven't witnessed it yet. Anyhow, he was just trying to "high jump" out of it. He had his back arched over the side and was crying because he couldn't get out. Maybe he'll be a high jumper...I think just about anyone who knows him will testify that he will definitely be an athlete. He is very coordinated and can balance. What do you think...a high jumper in training?

Haydn Counts

2009-07-16T12:32:00.006-05:00

I've been a bit worried that Haydn doesn't really talk that much. He has a very small vocabulary (compared to other kids his age we hang out with). I know I shouldn't compare him to other children, but it is very difficult. I look at his motor skills and am always amazed at how advanced he is. I'm quickly learning that he does pick up a lot from our environment. Before we let Haydn get into the bath tub or pool, we count to three and then tell him it's okay to get in. We also count to three when we bounce him off his bed, and before he jumps from anything to us. So, I shouldn't have been too surprised when he was sitting at the foot of his bed, feet and hands on the foot board and saying "Un, oo, EE!" and then jumping backwards as if he were diving into the water to do the backstroke (where he learned to do this, I have no idea...we haven't watched any swimming competitions since the 2008 Olympics). He was doing this over and over. I'd say he definitely was doing it for about 20 minutes one afternoon. Adam called that day and was asking for directions. So, I went to the computer to figure out where he was and how to get him to the next destination. While I was talking to Adam, I could hear Haydn in his room counting "Un, oo, EE!" I was a little surprised to see Haydn like this after I hung up the phone.

I was on the phone for maybe 5 minutes, but apparently he was tired! I moved the blanket and he slept for 3 hours. Apparently pretend backstroking is very exhausting...and counting!

Food on the Run

2009-07-10T05:59:00.003-05:00

Every Day toy truck-bike

Haydn's "Stash"Haydn Enjoying his "Stash"

Haydn used to be the greatest eater in the world until recently. He would always eat what we put in front of him and would be happy about it. Now, he shakes his head "no" all the time to us and decides he doesn't want to eat anything we give him. So, I quit trying to please him and make him eat what I've prepared. We had some chips with our lunch earlier in the day (again, he didn't eat them) and I found the bag....empty. At this point, I was actually relieved that he ate something. I was starting to get a little worried about him. I decided I wanted the living room to be spotless before we went to bed. So, we picked up the toys, moved his rocking chair and vacuumed. I went to go move his truck bike (above) and found all those chips in the truck! So, I decided to get a picture of it...as I was doing so, he grabbed a handful of chips and shoved them in his mouth right as I went to go snap this picture. I guess he doesn't want to stop and eat, he needs to eat on the run!

Expensive Taste

2009-07-02T11:13:00.003-05:00

Adam has always 'accused' me of having expensive taste. What can I say, I like the finer things in life. I picked him didn't I? hahaha I have apparently passed the "expensive taste" gene on to Haydn. We have moved Haydn to a 'real' bed now and we were looking for the railings you can put up so the child doesn't fall out of bed, as it would be a BIG drop. We thought we'd check out Bed Bath and Beyond. So, while we were walking around Haydn and I stopped at the sheets and bedding section. Haydn walked down an isle with his finger on his lip and every now and again he'd tap it. Since Haydn's room is a "Nautical" theme, I'd like to get some navy blue bedding with maybe some red, yellow, and white pin stripes in it. Anyhow, Haydn found some "bedding in a bag" and grabbed it. It would have been PERFECT for his room. I told him to go show it to Adam. So, Haydn immediately turned and started running for his daddy! When he got to Adam, he shoved the bag at him. Adam asked if he wanted it and he kind of made a noise that sounded like "Yea". I think Adam might have purchased it for Haydn if I hadn't warned him to check the price. When I saw the price I just about died laughing. The set was like $140 and we'd still need sheets! I guess we're in for it!

Talking While Asleep

2009-06-27T13:46:00.003-05:00

Some of my favorite childhood memories and stories include Liz and I talking or fighting in our sleep. My mother would wake me up in the mornings and I would tell her that I would get up, 30 minutes later I'd still be asleep. This frustrated everyone in my family through the years. Well, it didn't stop there. I continued to have conversations with Adam in my sleep. Apparently Haydn has inherited this amazing skill. The other day I was on my way home from my daily walk and play-date for Haydn. He had fallen asleep on the ride home. I picked him up out of his car seat as a motorcycle drove by. Haydn popped his head up and said "Vrooom", and laid his head down. I was a little disappointed that this motorcycle had awakened Haydn, but much to my surprise, he was still asleep and slept his usual length of time. I started giggling thinking about it.

A couple nights ago, Adam was snoring....really LOUD. I shook him to get him to move so he'd stop. Nothing. I shook him again...NOTHING. This time I really shook him hard and said "ADAM, you're snoring!" He popped his head up and said "That can't be, I wasn't snoring, my eyes weren't asleep." I started laughing at the statement and then he started to get angry...in his sleep. He asked me why I was laughing. I told him that he denied snoring. Again, he said "I wasn't snoring, my eyes were not asleep yet!" I had to roll over and try to control my laughter so he'd quit talking. Too funny.

Since I'm telling stories about everyone else...I have to share one about myself. As of lately, I've been dreaming I was different people. I don't know why, but I'm in different people's bodies and their thoughts are mine. It's weird. Anyhow...last night I had a dream that I was Pam from The Office. (Scary...I know) Anyhow, Jim (Adam) and I were talking and making jokes. They often giggle together on the show. Well, we were laughing and having a good time. I woke myself up laughing...literally laughing out loud! I won't share the jokes because they were actually lame, but I laugh now thinking about laughing in my sleep and then really laughing. It really must have been a good joke!

Pictures of Haydn on Memorial Day

2009-06-25T11:34:00.003-05:00

These are some pictures of Haydn on Memorial Day. We went to a picnic for lunch and then we came home and had our own BBQ. Can you tell Haydn loved his hot dog...or is it ketchup?

Haydn's First Day of School?

2009-06-24T20:04:00.003-05:00

Does this look like Haydn's first day of school or what? Haydn has this backpack that we use to carry his necessities while we are out and about. He loves this backpack, mostly because he can carry it himself. While we were getting ready for church a couple weeks ago, this is how he looked. He was so excited to have that bag on his back!

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T17:15:00.002-05:00

This is probably the first time since Adam and I have known each other,we stayed home. We have always tried to visit everyone during the 'long' weekend. When you go to visit so many people in such a short time, it starts to wear down on you. Now that we have a little one, we opted to stay home and enjoy the time as a family (especially now since Adam is working 2 jobs for the time being). We had the opportunity to go to the lake and spend the weekend there, but we had some responsibilities here with our church which also required us to stay close to home. (One of the things I love so much about our church is that we are taught the principle of Service, one of those ways we are allowed to serve is by cleaning the church building twice a year.) Since cleaning the church only takes an hour or so, we didn't think much of it. However, we had several other things we needed to do that were church related. Before we went to the Temple, we took some Temple Prep classes. There was a follow-up class that we needed to do after going through the Temple. It was very interesting. (Temple work is also another way to provide service.) Adam had also requested to receive his Patriarchal Blessing. (Patriarchal blessings are given to worthy members of the Church by ordained patriarchs. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person's lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection.) It was very exciting to hear his blessing. It's exciting to know that we are promised wonderful things from the Lord as long as we do what is asked of us. Since we are not perfect, it makes the Atonement that much more meaningful. (I could go on and on about the Atonement.) After hearing Adam's blessing, I am excited to go through this life and the next with him. I know it will be bumpy as all lives are, but it will DEFINITELY be worth it.

Since we were home, we also decided to join our ward in the Memorial Day Picnic. (our church is divided up in branches and wards. Branches are the equivalent of wards, just smaller and the president of branches does not have all the authority a bishop does over a ward. A bishop is the president over a ward. The groups are decided by physical boundaries. A branch has fewer members who attend church on a regular basis. Once the branch reaches a certain number on a regular basis, it is then called a ward and the president is then ordained a bishop and given the authority of other bishops. Several branches and wards belong to a Stake. A stake also has a presidency and presides over all the wards and branches.) Anyhow, it was very fun to spend time with our Church Family and enjoy in the festivities the ward had planned. It was a great social event and I was very surprised to see how many people showed up on a day predicted to be stormy. The rain did come, but we were able to get the games in before it came.

Good people + good food + good conversations = a fun day!

Backyard Shenanigans

2009-05-20T17:37:00.003-05:00

Adam was able to spend some time at home with us before he went into the office this afternoon. Since the weather is so beautiful, we decided to fill Haydn's wading pool. We set it up on the deck so we didn't have to move too much stuff around and wouldn't kill the grass. Anyhow, we're hanging out and Haydn's having a ton of fun. Our next door neighbors had a run of the mill teenage daughter and mother spat. Haydn stood up in his pool facing their yard and started yelling...JUST LIKE THEM! It was too funny. We both started laughing. I wonder what it was he was telling them.

A few weeks ago we gave Haydn a plastic golf club set. He's really enjoyed them. The only problem with them is that the heads of the clubs have fallen off. Haydn developed a new game with them. He takes his bag of giant legos and stabs them with the stick portion of the club and flings them down the steps. He's really enjoyed this game as all the legos are on the steps.

Sleeping

2009-05-19T08:15:00.002-05:00

We've been having a tough time with Haydn going to bed. He would like to quit taking naps, and I'm not quite ready for that. Since he wants to stop taking naps, he needs to go to bed earlier. Well, that's the tough part, especially with the sun going down later and later. He's also waking up in the night. I'm not sure if he's uncomfortable in his room or what? So, this morning I get up around 6:30 and I see that Haydn is already up...at least out of his bed. He was/is sleeping in the hall on the floor. I felt bad for him, so I went and got a blanket and covered him up. It's about 2 hours later and he's still asleep on the floor. Maybe he's going through a growth spurt, but I do like that he wants to sleep!

Kisses

2009-05-15T09:26:00.002-05:00

This will be short, but a very funny moment for me today. I asked Haydn if he would give me a kiss. He usually does, but his kisses consist of him opening his mouth like he is singing "ah". He then leans in and gives me a kiss, being sure he touches my lips. It's very sweet. Anyhow, today he gave me a kiss and then I kissed him again on his cheek. He looked at me as if I stole the last cookie from the cookie jar, pinched his finger and thumb together and touched my lips. I was a little confused and then he put his pinched fingers back to his lips and did a backwards kiss. He took his kiss back! Too funny. I love that boy. I'm so amazed at his personality and skills he has already developed.

Summer Time

2009-05-05T08:21:00.002-05:00

I'm afraid I will be getting nothing accomplished this summer. Yesterday, I took Haydn outside to play and get some fresh air. He didn't really want to play much so I took him back inside after only about 20 minutes. Mind you, he can play with something for over an hour and not get bored. When Adam came home from work, he decided to mow the lawn...it definitely needed it. Anyhow, Haydn was fascinated with what he was doing and wanted to be out there with him. So, I stood on the deck holding Haydn and watching Adam mow. Anytime I needed to go back inside Haydn would scream. Not just scream, but "bloody murder" scream. (FYI - Lasley family...that's a horrible description, but I digress) We also grilled some burgers last night for dinner, and again Haydn was angry when we would make him come inside. He really is a funny kid! But...I think I'll be spending my days outdoors this summer to enjoy the summer in the eyes of a toddler! Maybe I'll get a tan too!

And Then They were Gone

2009-04-26T22:55:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything, but for a very good reason...or few. A week ago I had the privilege of having all my siblings and their spouses and children (minus one sibling and her family), my brother's girlfriend, and my parents at my home. It was so nice for us all to get together. Today the last ones left. It was bittersweet. It's nice to be able to get everything and everyone back into a routine, but it's so sad to see my family gone. I'll miss you guys until next time!

While everyone was here, we were able to enjoy a few things together as a family. The most important was that we had the privilege of going to the Temple together. It was most exciting, because it was the first time for Adam and myself to go. We believe the power of Sealing has been restored on earth, and so Adam and I were sealed together and then Haydn was sealed to the both of us (Matthew 16: 18 - 19 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Marriage is usually stated as "until Death do us Part", thus being "loose on earth" and "loosed in heaven". Being Sealed to each other allows us to be married after death or "[bound] in heaven".) It was a very exciting and spiritual time for all involved.

We also had the opportunity to go and visit one of the houses we lived in when we were young. The owner of the house allowed us to walk through and let us reminisce about our past in the home. The house was very different from what we remember (besides the fact that they are remodeling it and attempting to make it look more like it did originally). However, it was very neat to walk though and have an adult perspective of the house.

Another event we were able to do was to go to Nauvoo, IL. For those who don't know, Nauvoo was a very large city in late 1830s to early 1840s. There is quite a bit of LDS church history there and sites to see. We learned a few new things about the city and were able to take the horse and wagon ride through the city. It's about a 50 minute ride in a Constenoga wagon, pulled by two horses. Riding in the wagon gives you an idea of what it was like to travel by wagon. Of course we rode on paved streets and not dirt roads. The ride allowed us to go through Old Nauvoo and hear some information about the houses and shops/businesses that have been restored or reconstructed and about the people who lived in the houses or ran the businesses. This was very inspirational to me as we rode down Parley Street. Parley Street is the road that the early Saints had to take to get to the ferry dock to leave Nauvoo in 1846 and later to leave their beloved city. There is a walking trail parallel to Parley street (Trail of Hope) with plackards that have excerpts from a few citizens of Nauvoo about leaving. I was touched when thinking about how the early Saints must have felt sitting in or standing by their wagons waiting for the ferry to take them across the river. There had to be feelings of excitement and sadness. I was literally sitting in a wagon in the same place they had been sitting 163 years ago. I do think it's a great place to visit and think all should take the opportunity to visit whether you are a member of the LDS church or not. Nauvoo is special to me because of the history of my "church family" but it is also everyone's' American History.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I thought I'd try to catch everyone up on where I've been and what I've been up to.

Rise and Shine

2009-04-09T06:41:00.002-05:00

I am SO excited that my sister will be getting here really late tonight/really early tomorrow. I'm so excited, I had a hard time sleeping. I woke up before Adam did! Let me explain a little as to why I am so excited. It's not just because she's coming...She has a new baby! I have not had the opportunity to meet this niece yet, and can hardly wait to meet her. Another reason is that the last time I saw her and her family was when Haydn was just a few weeks old and Haydn cried all the time. (I promise Liz and Eric, he doesn't cry like that anymore!) Another is that Adam and I have done a few things to our house and I get to share them with her. The weather is warming up, so this time we can take our children outdoors and play. The most important reason for my excitement is...We all get to go to the Temple together! To say I'm excited about going to the Temple is a major understatement. I am thrilled to be able to go with my sister and two of my older brothers along with their spouses and my parents! We will greatly miss my oldest sister and her family, but we will definitely be thinking of them. What a perfect time of year to be going to the Temple...Easter Season!

Cartoons

2009-03-25T04:08:00.002-05:00

Did you know there are no cartoons on Nickelodeon at 4am? Neither did I. Haydn has decided that he's hungry and would like to be up for the day now that it's 4am. It's not like he went to bed early last night either. Thankfully we have TiVo and have started recording some shows for him. He loves Backyardigans and watches them ALL the time. So, in my time of despair, TiVo has come to the rescue. I thought I would never purchase cartoons just so my child could watch them...WRONG! I will be looking for some cartoons on DVD now, just for this situation.

I hope you all are enjoying your wonderful sleep at this moment! I'm a bit envious of you. Don't worry, I'm not upset. I get to read my book for that much longer this morning. Hmm, at least I didn't stay up late last night to read! Glass half full, right?

Sunburned?

2009-03-06T22:27:00.003-06:00

So today we went to the park again to walk and let the kids play. I never thought that it would be sunny enough for us to get sunburned (I know the sun doesn't have to be out to get sunburned). As you can figure, my face has is sporting the hue of summer red. =)

When we got home from our walk, I noticed my daffodils had started coming out. A few hours later I was looking out the window and notice that some of them started to bloom! I couldn't believe it, so I've included a picture! It literally changed in just a few hours.

Typical flower picture.

Feels Like Spring

2009-03-05T19:48:00.004-06:00

I started walking with a friend from church and our children (she has two and my one). After the kids are so good and let us walk for about an hour, we let them play. Sometimes we walk at the mall...mainly when it's too cold to be outside, but we'd prefer to walk outdoors. So, she told me about a park that would be perfect for walking and for giving the kids a place to play. She wasn't kidding! This park has the coolest material around the play area. It's kind of like rubber, but solid, but cushy. I'm not sure if I can describe it any other way. The best thing about it is...it's NOT muddy. So it's great for a toddler who falls over still and her little one who isn't walking quite yet. Haydn likes to keep up with her older girl and he doesn't understand that she has more skills. He also doesn't understand that if he walks off something, he's going to fall and get hurt! Anyhow, the funniest thing happened today at the park. Haydn has decided he LOVES slides. (He's not too fond of swings, but loves the slides.) So he's ready to go down a slide, but is acting a little scared. So, I run around to the other side to get up there and slide down with him. As I was running, my friend's little girl decided to 'help' Haydn go down the slide...face first. I actually saw the whole thing, and she really was just helping him. He also flew off the end and landed face first on the ground. Naturally Haydn cried, but he was perfectly okay since the ground is cushy! I'm sure it hurt, but mostly he we scared. I wished we could have recorded it! That would have been funny. A few more visits to the park and he'll learn the laws of gravity a little better.