Jane's 1st Birthday

Goose told me the older you get, the faster time passes. She said, "Wait until you get to be my age, Christmas comes about every three months." I must be getting older because this year felt like about three months. I am sad to see time pass so quickly, but Jane is a joy and we are really starting to see her little personality develop. She loves animals and music and has such a beautiful smile with 6 Big teeth. We love our baby girl.

Happy Halloween

We had a very fun and busy Halloween. I decided to make Jane a rabbit. She got her two big front teeth first and I thought I should just embrace it! Since she was a rabbit, Claire had to be Alice in Wonderland. I think she was born to wear the costume. I let my boys be whatever they wanted and they chose to be nerds. They think they are just hilarious (probably got that from their parents who think they are funnier than anyone else does) and really got into character. I didn't realize how much they had gotten into it until I got to the school parade. Before the children march around the auditorium, they first line up across the stage. Each class follows their teacher across the stage and then lines up and waves or smiles at their parents. I few really excited kids did a little bow. I almost died when Scott's class lined up and Scott began doing wild and crazy nerd moves. He was pumping his arms and flexing his muscles. I couldn't believe it. Everyone was laughing! I was glad I was in a witch costume with a green face and fake nose. Boy was I shocked when Brock's class came marching in and he started in with the moves. He made Scotty's muscle flexing look mild! He stayed in character through the entire promenade around the cafeteria, waving and hunched over and marching to the beat. I would give anything to have to have a video to post. Even my little Bear was smiling and waving as she floated through the line. I just can't say where they get it from! I was such a shy and reserved child :)!

All in a Days Work

Claire with Grandma and Grandpa Hughes who traveled all the way from Wyoming to visit the kids and see their games. We are sooo lucky!!!!

Brock with "Coach Steve" at his Caveman football game.

Scott's touchdown at the game I missed while traveling from Claire's soccer game to view the first half of Brock's football game!

Janie

I'm married to Dr. Phil

Just had to share this little story because it made me laugh until I cried and because that is why I started a blog. I wanted to write down the funny little things that my kids say that I quickly forget. On Monday we were in the car and Scott was being mean to Brock and Steve started to give Scott one of his very practical lectures. He likes to use football analogies because Scott seems to respond to them and let's face it, he is obsessed with sports. So Steve said, "Scott, our family is like a football team. Would you tackle one of your own team members when they were running for a touchdown? Well you are tackling Brock as he is trying to live is life." At this point, I'm already trying not to crack up, because I know Steve is honestly the best dad in the world, but this lecture is stretching it a little. And Scott pipes up from the back. "Oh, O.K. Thanks Dr. Phil". Steve and I looked at each other and then just died laughing. I don't think Scotty even knew how funny it was. But man it made my day!

These are the Days

Guess how old Claire is? Yep, Jane the genius is telling you! My baby girl is five. She has truly been a joy to me since the day she was born. We celebrated her special day last week by going to IHOP for a funny face (family tradition) and then getting her nails painted. She is such a girl! She is also such a flirt. She has been one since the day she was born. When she was only two months old, the physical therapist made us promise to bring her back when she was five. She said she was the most social baby she had ever met and she wanted to see what she was like when she got older. Well, she is just what the Dr. expected. Making friends and flirting with absolutely everyone. When she was a baby and I would take her places, she would just wait and look around until someone made eye contact and then she would start gooing and smiling and waving and today she does the same. Except now she starts talking to them and gives them her life story! I wonder where she could have picked that up? I started worrying today that her flirting is at a whole new level. She has a little buddy that she rides the bus to Kindergarten with each day and she just loves him. The bus is the highlight of her day and when they see eachother they run together and embrace and then sit on the bus and wave goodbye to their mommies. Well, today when she came home she said, "Mom, what if I accidently kissed Dane". I told her it is hard to kiss by accident. Then she spent about an hour preparing a wedding in her room for Polly Pocket and Diego, who were then kissing. I am scared. I think I am in for it! Here are a couple of pictures of her day and a picture of us waiting at the bus stop.

I Love School

Nothing gives me quite the same thrill as school supplies. I love, love the start of school. Not just for the free babysitting, I mean education.:) I love the whole thing! The class lists, the shopping for school supplies and school clothes, meeting new teachers, and just the excitement that the start of a new year brings. This year I am thrilled because we hit the teacher jackpot! All of my kids have great teachers. After the first day of school, I asked my boys on a scale of 0-10, how they would rate their teachers. 0 being Ms. Trenchbull from Matilda and 10 being their dream teacher and they both said 9 and then quickly changed to 10. I couldn't be happier. Claire just had her Kindergarten assessment and will start on Monday. She is so excited and has already packed her backpack. To quote the movie, "You've Got Mail". "If I could, I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils". That is how much I love the fall and the start of a new school year. I'm not going to cry about the free time either! I am sorry to report that I misplaced my camera, I know shocking. I didn't get any first day of school photos. I guess I'll just have to take them on the first day it cools down and they can wear new school jeans and stand against the front door and we will pretend like its the first day.

NO Apologies to Bakersfield Residents

I regret to post that I can not apologize for the rude remarks I made in an earlier Post about Bakersfield. We really didn't have the best experience. We should have realized we were doomed when while driving to Bakersfield from St. George we checked the time for the first game and realized that it started in four hours and we were six hours away. WHOOPS! Luckily Scotty left with some friends the day before. Can you say, "flaky parents". We arrived at the end of our six hour drive just in time to perfectly miss his first game. It may not have made a difference but Steve's driving did not help the situation. Anyone who has ever driven with Steve or followed Steve in a car, can back me up when I say he drives just a little under the speed limit. People often think he may be just a few years older than he really is. :) The team members were walking out of the baseball park just as we pulled into the parking lot. They lost their first game and everyone was depressed. The next day we played again and lost but it was a close game. 3 to 4 and our boys rallied and almost beat them in the last inning. We were excited to get home and even more excited to learn that the game would be featured on the news that night. I was mortified when the only one on the team that made the news was ME, doing the YMCA no less. I guess I got a little pumped up watching the game! I am just glad it was Bakersfield news! The worst thing that happened was our friends walked out of the game to find that their car had been stolen. It took the police two hours to come after they had been called. It is scary to think what else they were busy doing in that town. I have really enjoyed baseball, but I am relieved it is over for the season. We start football for both of our boys tomorrow. Brock is so excited and Scotty has been teaching him moves all afternoon. They started in the hall in church and I had to quickly move them outside. Steve is helping to coach Brock's team and I am helping to coach Claire's soccer team. We realized we are setting ourselves up for a busy fall but we must thrive on chaos. Ready or not, here we go!

Beaver is Mountains of Fun

O.K. I stand corrected. Beaver really is mountains of fun! My deepest apologies go out to all former, current, and future residents of Beaver. I just spent four days at Scott's baseball tournament there and I must admit, I had a pretty good time. Considering the fact that I was there without Steve and in a hotel room with my four kids, and I still enjoyed myself, I think that Beaver must be a pretty great place. The State tournament was at a beautiful baseball park with covered bleachers, a great concession stand, and a park for the kids. There were three things that made the trip. First the hotel had a fun little pool. Second, Beaver does have a McDonalds and extra large drinks are only 99 cents. Woohoo! Lastly, I LOVE watching my son play baseball! He is on a team with 12 great kids with really fun families. I asked my kids on the way home what the highlight of the trip was and they said it was the tour of Cove Fort. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it. It was "neat" but I was surprised that was their favorite activity. They get it from their dad, he is always up for a good tour of a monument, museum, etc. The good news is that the team won and they are the number one 10 year old team in the state. The bad news is that now we are on to the next tournament in Bakersfield, CA. I just hope that next week I will be writing an apology to all the people in beautiful and 110 degree Bakersfield.

Tea Party

Katie took these beautiful pictures of our girls. The lighting was perfect and we got some some great shots. Unfortunately, Jane was exhausted and we only got one of her. But I just had to show off her "michelin man" arms, I think they are fantastic!

Whirlwind Whitney

My family calls me Whirlwind Whitney because I am always on the go. Now with four kids I still go, go, go but I am a lot slower and I just can't quite pull it all off. I realized this week I may have a problem when one neighbor suggested he thinks I am bipolar and experiencing a "manic phase" and the other neighbor thinks I work full time because I am always gone! I tried to explain that I am just hyper and if they knew my sisters, they might think I was lazy. I think this "manic phase" refers to our activity level this summer. Just a month into it and we have been having a blast. Most of our time is filled with Scott's baseball and then we fill in the extra hours with swimming, hiking, picnicking, bike riding, etc, etc. Judd and Jackie and their boys are here for the summer and so we are spending a lot of time with extended family. We had a wonderful family trip to Bear Lake and we are all going to Pacific Grove the end of July. We get to visit the "lovely" city of Beaver next week for a baseball tournament! That might just be the highlight of the summer :) No offense to anyone from Beaver, but last year it was Panguitch, and I'm just wondering what is wrong with St. George or even Spanish Fork?

Last week I had the opportunity to run with my sisters and my cousin in the Wasatch Back Relay. They were kind enough to allow me to rejoin the Joggin' Broads. They were fast this year and I stressed about keeping up for six months. It was very difficult but we ended up having a blast! I pumped milk in the back of the van and threw up about 30 times and I still thought it was a party. Which leads me back to the assumption from my neighbor that I may indeed be mentally ill!

So here I go and I hope this "manic phase" lasts all summer because I still have a lot of things I want to do before school starts again!

VIVA MEXICO

We had a dream vacation to Akumal, Mexico with our wonderful friends, the Nichols. I had to start thinking of new adjectives when I realized I was saying the words "perfect" and "heaven" a little too frequently. It really was the perfect family vacation. We stayed in a beautiful villa with a pool and then a few steps to the beach. The balcony had two hammocks and I spent the majority of the vacation rocking my baby and drinking "pepsi light". I think this was the first vacation where I actually came home relaxed and refreshed, instead of exhausted. Our kids spent most of the days in and out of the pool, searching for shells, and catching crabs. We visited the ruins, swam and cliff jumped in underground water caves, and ate Italian pizza with live music on the patio. Thank you Nichols family for the vacation of a lifetime!

My Girls

Do you think maybe I was hungry when I was picking out these dresses? Neopolitan anyone?

Before I had my girls, I would always tell people I'm just a "boy mom". I secretly feared having a daughter. I feared that she would hate me from age 13- 23, or at least pretend to hate me and blame me for all life's problems. I feared that she would one day go to therapy and spend the entire session talking about me. I feared eating disorders, body image, hormones, and self-esteem. I told people, "I just want three little boys"! I just want to fill my life with sports, mud, and movement. But everything changed on the day I was pregnant with my third child and we had an ultrasound. The technician said, "It's a girl" and my heart melted. I saw her little heart beat and fell in love with her before she was even born. I had no idea! I just didn't get it and now I do. So bring on the, "you are ruining my life" and "you just don't understand" and "you are so embarrassing". I'll take it all just to have the privilege to raise these beautiful baby girls. I just pray that they will know that they are truly daughter's of God and how lucky I am to be their mom.

I've Got the Golden Ticket

I always flinch a little when someone says, "Hey, you look just like...." It hasn't always been the response for which I'm looking. Shockingly, not Elle McPhereson! I developed a bit of a chin complex when in Jr. High I was told I look like this handsome gentleman... Felt a little better about being compared to this well endowed beauty from the "Little Shop of Horrors"And again when I was told I look like the McDonalds moon! (years of therapy followed)I don't mean to brag or make anyone feel bad, but I personally think I more closely resemble a child star with a famous leading role. You be the judge, but I think I'm a dead ringer.



Top that!!! Who wouldn't want to look like good ole Charlie Bucket? What famous person have you been told that you look like?

My "Chunka Chunka Burnin' Love"

This is what we sing to Jane. She's just a "Chunka chunka burnin' love"! She truly is! We are all just head over heels in love with her. She is going to be four months old tomorrow and I feel like time is just going too fast. Why does it feel like you are pregnant for about 9 years and then you have a newborn for about 4 weeks? I just want to treasure this beautiful time with my baby girl and record every memory. I had to get a snap shot of her in all her rolled and dimpled glory!

Bringing in the Sheaves

Steve downloaded the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on my I-Home so that I could enjoy Sunday sounds. One of the songs on the disc is "Bringing in the Sheaves". As a child and well into my teen years (way too old to not know) I thought this song said, "Bringing in the Cheese". I couldn't figure out why in the world the church would sing a song about cheese, but I figured it must have some sort of symbolic significance. When the song came on, I told my kids what I thought it said and they really got a kick out of it. We have spent a lot of time marching around the house to the beat and singing, "bringing in the cheese". The other day Steve was home with the kids and the song came on and Claire came into the room holding cheese and singing the song. She then continued to bring all the necessary items for a sandwich including a tomato, bread, and ham. Now when the song comes on she first sings "bringing in the cheese" and then follows with "bringing in the ham" and "bringing in the wheat bread". I know it is disrespectful but it just cracks us up and it has now become our sandwich making song!

Young Brides

Tonight Steve and I are going on a date. We go out a lot, but I can't remember the last time we went out with just the two of us. We usually have at least one or two other couples join us. I am actually really excited and I thought about what to wear and what Steve likes and then I remembered the reason I love him so much. He wouldn't notice if I dyed my hair purple and wore a gunny sack. I remember getting ready for dates with Steve 14 years ago with the same anticipation. Unfortunately my outfit probably involved a body suit (adult oensie), some hideous vest, girbaud jeans, and finished off with hot rolled curls brush to their full capacity! The good news is I am still excited to date him and we always have a great time together. The other day Claire asked me how old she would be when she got married and I told her that 25 would be a good age. Steve quickly reminded me how old I was when we got married and I said, "No Way". Did I really? Then I counted back the years and date and confirmed that I was indeed a "child bride". Steve said, "I knew one day you were going to realize how old you were and freak out!"
I am kind of freaking out, I can't believe I was that young! Fortunately, I have NO regrets! I would do it all over again the same way. Steve has truly helped me to become the person I want to be. Like they say in Wyomin, "He raise me right!" :) So here's to "child brides"and a good man who still gives me butterflies!

Lost in the 18th Century

I have been lost this week in an excellent read full of history, adventure, and of course romance! When I am reading a book, I tend to tune out everyone around me including my poor children and husband. I have been banned from bringing books on girl trips with my sisters and road trips with my husband. Not only do I neglect everyone and everything, I stay up hiding in my closet reading until the book is finished or Steve yells, "Whitney, that is irresponsible, come to bed!" I also tend to become overly attached to the characters and think about them throughout the day. I become completely immersed in the time period and I have even caught myself talking like the characters. Last week I was reading about Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn and thinking in my head, "I shall not go to my husband's bed chamber whilst I am reading this book". This week, I am thinking, "Didya ken that I favor a lad in a kilt". I asked Claire at lunch, "Would ye like me to heat yer lunch wee bonny lass?" So please forgive me while I'm lost and in love with a Scottish rougue in 1743

Mini-Van Life

I am having a bumper sticker made for my mini-van, it is going to say,

"These Kids Are Cramping My Style."

Me and Laurie at the state fair in '93

My Last Meal on Death Row

As anyone who has spent more than an hour with me knows, I am really passionate about my food. I always like to ask people what they would choose to have if they were on death row and they had to choose their last meal. Mine has changed a little over the years but always includes very unhealthy, greasy, rich, and just generally really bad for you food. I have my Dad to thank for my unrefined palate and cravings for disgusting things like Kraft Macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, PB&Js on white, and other foods that can be purschased at carnivals and sports arenas. Here is my current last meal wish.

Papa Hayden's hamburger
Tator Tots from Taco Time (also known as Mexi-nuggets)
Chocolate cake from Magleby's (hold the raspberry sauce)
Diet Coke with crushed pellet ice (refillable of course)

Can you tell it's Sunday, church was cancelled and I'm fasting :)

What is your Death Row Meal?

Life is Good

Jane laughed a couple of days ago. It was about the sweetest sound on earth but it went bad in a hurry. As soon as the other kids heard her laughing, they came running over and jumped on me and got in her face and started yelling and waving their arms trying to encourage more laughing. Her eyes got really big and then she of course started sobbing. They mean well, but they get a little too excited, if you know what I mean! Here are a couple of pictures I finally captured of that big smile that lights up Jane's face and lights up our lives!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my Dad's Birthday. Everyone who knows him loves him. I happen to have the best and coolest Dad in the whole world. Really, truly I do! I have no excuses for my poor behavior in life because I had a blessed childhood. My first memory of my Dad is him rocking me in our old blue rocker and singing, "Give said the Little Stream." Still my favorite song. I have wonderful memories of Daddy Daughter dates to the pool, ice skating rink, roller rink, etc. etc. I loved how my Dad was so funny and would always make my friends laugh. He still does. He used to pull up beside us in his car while we were walking to school and say, "Want a ride, hope you get one" and drive off laughing. We loved it! When I tried out for Junior High Cheerleader and didn't make it, my Dad came home with flowers and a note that said, "You are number one in my book"! On Easter, my dad would always give us a card with his testimony. He was always an example and practiced what he preached. Without my Dad's diligence, patience, and love I would not have survived anorexia. I love that he drove an old beat up mini-van long after he could afford a better car and how he anonymously gives to family, friends, and strangers. During our poor college years, we would often find a twenty dollar bill on the nightstand or in the car after he visited. They were heaven sent. I love how he loves my mom and treats her like a queen. I love how is willing to drive for four hours just to spend the evening with her. He has been there for every important event in my life and the best compliment I can give him is that there has never been a time when I needed my Dad and he wasn't there. I know this will embarrass him if he reads it, because that's how he is. But I just wanted to take this opportunity to write down some of the reasons why I feel so blessed to know him and I am so glad he is here to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you Dad.