Vegas/Reno

After Disney we headed to Vegas to meet up with Missy and her two girls. Missy's husband Mike (Bill's brother) is deployed and I thought it was great she drove up to meet us and then traveled with us all the way to Reno. In Vegas we took the kids to a childrens museum which was a lot of fun. They had a dress up area which I was not happy about (being a germ freak) but the kids were already grabbing costumes pulling them on before I had much of a chance to say no. Greydon of course was a ninja batman doing his cool moves and Dylan well Mickey was the obvious choice.
In Reno we met up with Bill's parents and it was great to lounge around the hotel for a few days and just swim and visit and not rush anywhere. All the kids had sunglasses so we could not resist getting a group shot.

Another Disney Pic

We don't have lots of fabulous pics to really share of our trip. Most of the time we were just too busy and I didn't think about it and then we started the trip with a dead camera battery. You'd think that would be something I checked before we left but apparently NO.... I felt like the biggest idiot and was so mad but luckily Kara and Peter offered their camera along with their babysitting and child assist skills :) Thanks again guys !!
One of the reasons I love this pictures is that it was the end of day one and Dylan was done. They were hot and tired, tired of walking, etc. and he had just started to cry and we turned a corner and saw Lightning who is one of his very favorites and suddenly he was happy again and the day ended on smiles which I love.

Disneyland

Alright it has been a really long time since I updated this blog. I keep intending to get it done & then life interupts all my good intentions and plans :) So we went to Disneyland a few months ago and had an amazing time. The boys had such looks of joy the whole time we were there it was great. I was nervous about how it would be with Benjamin who was a mere 3 1/2 months old at the time but he was great. To help us out we had my neice and her husband go with us and it made the trip much easier and we had a lot of fun with them. I loved seeing the kids excited about the rides and the characters. It was a great time and I highly recommend going if you can.

A dinner time miracle

Well I had a mini miracle occur at dinner time the other night and just had to brag about it ... I know no one likes a boastful buddy (I tell that to my kids all the time) but I had to share my joy. My kids ate and actually asked for more pork chops at dinner the other night!! I was stunned and ecstastic. Getting them to eat even grilled chicken is such work and I throw porkchops at them all the time and they will never eat them and yet... TA DAH clean plates. The children that I had been convinced would live only on chicken nuggets. ham sandwiches, hot dogs and oatmeal. So I have high hopes for getting them to eat (willingly being the key) even more real dinner food. :)

Thank goodness for miltary haircut regulations

So my husband gave the boys haircuts yesterday which they were in desperate need of and I was glad to have him do it and not pay someone at the BX for a haircut I would ultimately end up despising.
Dylan wanted a regular hair cut so he got buzzed. I was busy and not paying attention when he got to Greydon who now has ANOTHER MOHAWK !!!!!!!! Yes I realize he is four and it is just hair so who cares. In order for a mohawk hair cut to look decent it has to be styled every day which is difficult on school days... these are the days that if I actually shower before dropping of the boys I am impressed (as are the kids teachers ...lol) But now I have an extra step... style Greydons hair and he is VERY peticular about how it looks. YAY thank you Bill.
I have decided that Bill is secretly obsessed with mohawks and wants one so I guess I should be thankful he is in the military and has regulations as to how he wears his hair otherwise he would have one too. That might be the first thing he does when he retires.

The Longest Day

One day last week Greydon had the longest day ever. (His words) He went to school and it was a beautiful day out so they played outside and did not take naps, they I picked them up, ran some errands and came home to get ready for soccer. He had fallen asleep in the car but I woke him up, got him in the house and told him to sit on the steps while I grabbed his soccer stuff and I would get him dressed. When I came back into the room he was passed out and I had to take a picture it was hilarious. So I woke him up again and he was so upset... "mom I had the longest day I just want to sleep" to which I replied, "sorry buddy you have soccer it is the last practice we are going." So I got him dressed got all three kids there and we were half hour early. Luckily I had juice and scooby bones so I distracted them with that and got him sugared up so he would have energy to do something at soccer. By the end of soccer he was so tired he wasn't even running after the ball he would just stand by the goal with his arms up yelling, "I am open guys" He was wiped out !!! And at the end of practice we found out surprise you have another full week of soccer. Joy.

Another family photo

This photo is of my dad, his wife (Karen), her daughter Annette and her husband Robert and there two kids Anna and John

Family Pictures

When we took this group picture there were four people taking the picture so we were all looking different ways at different times and the kids were so tired and hungry. Still cute though.

Easter Weekend

We had a busy but fun Easter Weekend. The entire family came up so we could spend Easter, my birthday and bless Benjamin in church. Family started to arrive Friday night, the rest Saturday morning/afternoon. Sunday morning was crazy because we had to feed everyone, get ready and get to church by 11am which is a struggle just when it is us let alone twenty of us. So we woke the boys up and sent them out to do a quick egg hunt right away because they were so excited and we didn't want them to have to wait until later. Later there would have been no time really since right when we got home from church we made dinner, we all ate, visited for a few and everyone headed back home. Everyone else's easter egg hunt pics show their kids dressed up really cute. The boys had seriously JUST woken up and they are in pajamas (non matching oh well) but again I am trying to be more of a relaxed mother who worries less about the details and just focus on the fact that they had a great time hunting eggs.

Motorcycles

So one day several months ago my brother calls. This is our conversation. "how old are the boys again?" "Four and two...why?" "Huh -- maybe I should have waited a few years to buy them one then" "Buy them what?" "The motorcycle I picked up today" "You bought WHAT for my kids?!!"
Now of course I did not want to offend him so after my "you bought what" explosion I told him how cool I thought it was and how much I appreciate it. (Which I truly do appreciate his extreme generosity) but the overprotective side of me is thinking are you out of your mind? But he has always rode motorcycles, my dad always did and Bill wants one so it almost seems natural that the boys would get one.
He brought it up over Easter and they boys were not too sure at first, then they loved it and then we turned it on. Once they heard the engine both were not too excited but we talked Greydon into getting onto it and he went for a quick ride just down the street and back and he loved it. Dylan (much to my surprise) wanted nothing to do with it. I was really glad that atleast one of them showed interest since he hauled it here from Texas. Now Aunt Karyn wants to get them a bunch of motorcycle gear. She has a great connection with work though so my kids will likely be all decked out very soon. Again I appreciate it so much but people they are FOUR and TWO !! Can't they just play with blocks still ? lol

Mohawks

I believe I have already ranted about the whole mohawk episode enough so I will try not to say too much now :) The boys were not cooperating when I attempted to get a shot of both of them with it so this is what I have. Of course I realized Easter morning that I really wanted to shave their heads before we left for church because their mohawks have grown out so they actually look worse than originally but there was no time... (big sigh) so my kids are looking less then stellar in all the Easter photos but oh well. You only live once and they are still adorable even if their hair is a little funky

I should really be cleaning my house, etc preparing for Easter Weekend. It will be a big weekend here. The entire family is coming so we can bless Benjamin, it is Easter and apparently I will be 33. It will be the first time my neices and nephews have been to my new house and the first time my step sister and her family will be at my house so I am of course wanting everything to be perfect which is nuts.
I am having a hard time figuring out what to put into Easter baskets as the boys are getting older and realize hey there is candy out there I could be eating so why am I not getting any.
And the big dreaded thing.... 33... I realize it is not old but I thought I was only going to be 31... lol... I know how could I lose a couple years there and be so clueless I don't know but I did. And it really seemed like once I knew the number was bigger I saw more wrinkles. So I am trying to decided if I should be 33 forever now, age gracefully and not reveal my true age or work backwards and say I am 31 for the next ten years. The silly things that get us worked up are amazing when there is so much more going on in the world. But this week these are the big things in my world :)
Hopefully I can get pictures of the boys mohawks on here soon. There Dad took them to get haircuts and they both ended with mohawks that the lady didn't even do right. Needless to say I was not happy. She is not allowed to cut the boys hair and Bill is not allowed to take them by himself for a bit. I realize it is just hair and all that but seriously...I was not prepared for that.
Happy Easter to all !

And Baby Makes Five - Welcome Benjamin Makai

Well baby Benjamin has arrived and I am finally starting to feel normal again and wanted to post a few pictures. We checked in on a Sunday night to be induced and by Monday afternoon he was here. It was a quick easy labor so that should have been my clue that something else was bound to happen. (Greydon and Dylan both seemed like crazy births so this was seeming almost too easy at this point)
That afternoon I was not feeling so good and as the evening progressed I was getting worse and worse. I had got up out of bed and then collapsed because I almost passed out right when two very close friends came to visit. Melissa and Gary checked out Benjamin and I was growing increasingly out of it. I asked Bill to call my dad back up to the hospital to give me another blessing because I was just not feeling right. At about 2 am they called the doctor in and they ended up rushing me into emergency surgery due to a blood clot. I don't remember much after the blessing my dad gave me around 8 that night due to everything happening and all the pain meds they were pumping into me. Nor do I remember much of the next day when I was in and out of it and getting a blood transfusion. But by Wednesday night I could atleast get out of bed which I hadn't done since Monday night and I could hold Benjamin and
was at least conscious and holding conversations which was a relief because things had gotten a little scary. We ended up being in the hospital for about 5 days and we were so ready to come home when we did! Benjamin is doing great and I am recovering slowly but surely.
Why this big ramble you ask about everything that happened? Because I am so so grateful for everyone that helped in the chaos and what I learned.
One I am grateful for Heavenly Father and the blessings he gives us... I have no doubt that while things got a little crazy we made it through with his help.
Two I am extremely grateful for my husband who stayed by my side the entire time and who took care of Benjamin for the first few days of his life because I was unable to.
Third my dad and step mom who came up and stayed with Greydon and Dylan and then after we came home took care of all of us... they watched the boys, came to the hospital, cooked, grocery shopped, cleaned the house and more.
Fourth amazing friends who came to visit, who called and asked what they could do.
Fifth wonderful doctors and nurses who took amazing care of me while we were there. I know many people hear horror stories about military doctors but I was impressed with how the doctors and nurses handled everything. I truly am blessed to have such an amazing family and friends in my life! And I am grateful for the gospel and the strength and grace it gives to my life.

Waiting for Baby

Well it is the 2ND of February and I am impatiently waiting for this baby to arrive. I am due on Thursday and so I am thinking by this weekend I have to have a baby right? At least I am hoping because at this point I feel so pregnant that I don't even waddle I just shuffle more like a penguin.

Also, every time in the last two weeks I go to the commissary or the BX I get comments like, "wow you are still pregnant?" "you are huge" " you should just go home and lay down you shouldn't be out and about"
Well thank you so much. I realize that I have a rather large belly it is to be expected at 9 months and as much as I would love to lay on my couch for the last month of pregnancy life does go on and you have to be an active participant in it. There are clothes to wash, groceries to buy, kids to take care of, etc.

Anyway, enough ranting :) I am not doing great at keeping up at this but I will try and will post pictures of the new baby if he ever shows up :)

Attempting to Blog

Well I should probably be sleeping but I was sitting here anxious about when this baby will appear & thought hey now is a great time to start a blog. It is after 10pm and really not a great time but oh well :) This is all new so be forgiving of all the errors I am sure I will make.

I am hopeful I will maintain this. I always have the best intentions of staying in touch, writing in my journal, etc. but I have a hard time being consistent with these types of things which I find hilarious because I LOVE to write but wanting to do it and getting it done seem to be two very different things.

Well I think I will try and add pictures etc. Wish me luck !!