Firsts!

We've had quite the busy last few months. Yes, 2 months almost since I last posted. Welcome to my life. We've been having lots of fun, work, and many "firsts" in life. Here are the highlights.

We are finally in our 1st house! Its so nice! After 6 years of living with Jim's family, and 8 years of marriage, we finally have our first house. The boys are having fun with the neighborhood kids, I'm having fun with a big kitchen (and everything else, for that matter - except cleaning 3 bathrooms), and I hope Jim is having fun. He's been working, so I'm not sure he's having "fun" per-se, but I think he enjoys having his own house.

This is an amazing thing: have you ever seen "movers" move? They put EVERYTHING on their backs, loaded up 2 or 3 high, and walk around with stuff. Nothing was broken (that I know of)!

We were blessed to have my mom come out and help me with the move. She came friday night before we moved, helped me do some wedding flowers and pack and clean all in the same weekend. Our movers came on Monday and after quite the ordeal we were in Fountain at our new house. It was so nice to have mom come - moving is stressful but she took most of the stress out of it for me. Thanks so much mom!

1st trip to the school playground, and maybe the 1st time on a teeter-totter for Michael.

We had our 1st visitors to our new house on Tuesday...the day after we moved. Uncle Doug and Aunt Layne came down to help with our moving, and boy what a day! Jim was able to move out of his stinky apt. in Pueblo with Uncle Doug's help. Aunt Layne and Mom-O worked so fast and hard that by the end of the day the kitchen and bedrooms were completely set up and "functional". What a blessing to have family who is willing and able to help!

Here is a sampling and a few pictures of some of our other firsts:

1st mowing our lawn, with our first lawn mower. Thanks Uncle Doug for fixing it up for us so we can actually mow! I had one of those "this is the american dream I'm living" moments as I saw Jim out there mowing our little front lawn. Yes, I am pregnant...no, I didn't cry over it even though it did hit my heart in that "this is my happy little life" way. I must put in my disclaimer here - the following picture (and any of Jim, for that matter) have NOT been approved by Jim (no pictures will ever be approved by him). But, I like this one a lot...I think its a good one. What a quaint thing -mowing the lawn in front of a lovely blue house that is our own!

1st plunger! This is the "Mike O'Neil Memorial Plunger"given to us by Mom-O to help us be prepared for whatever may come and not properly leave. Thanks Mom-O and Papi!

1st bath in the new tub!

1st fresh peach pie of the summer! YUMMY!

1st pictures with my new camera! For Mother's day Jim "gave me" (well, told me I could get) the camera I've been dreaming of for years. I really like it, I just wish I had more time to use it. Thanks Cristian (Suzanne McNairy's husband) for helping me do my homework, and for getting me a really good deal! And, due to technical difficulties, they will have to be delayed until another post...sorry to disappoint, but its getting late and my computer doesn't want to cooperate to add these last few pictures tonight. (My goal was to actually post something so you all know we're alive at least, so something has to be sacrificed to meet the goal) But, they are really good pictures and I love my new camera!

1st "home disaster" - thanks to Best Buy. We had our washer and dryer delivered (my first set, Samsung, which I am enjoying and also got a deal on). Well, the delivery guys hooked it up and turned it on to make sure it worked, and left. Eric and Michael were watching it run and all of a sudden they run to Jim and say "there is water all over". Problem! They didn't put the drain hose into the drain hole in the wall! Water was all over the floor. Jim cleaned it up and by the time I got home from the store it looked ok. Well, about an hour later there is water dripping from the smoke detector in the TV room (the laundry room is upstairs)! So, that is our 1st home disaster, which I still need to finish getting repaired all the way (buy a new detector, one that will work). As my dad put it "welcome to home ownership!" The good news: we still like Best Buy, who is sending a check for our new smoke detector (one that will work and hasn't been drenched in water) and "our time". Here is a picture with a few drops of water showing.

And - we found out on July 2nd that we will be having our 1st girl! Yes, I said GIRL! Our little Katherine Nicole Vinton, who we are going to call Kate, will join us in October! Its been fun to be able to use a girl name for a change! The name is Kate (after me) and Nicole after my inspiring and amazing sister-in-law. Eric and Michael are very excited to have a sister. Eric wanted a girl "because we don't have one of those yet" and of course Michael says he wants one too. Michael is excited to be a BIG brother, not just a little brother. The boys are really sweet about the baby, wanting to know every time we go to the Dr. if today is the day that the Dr. takes the baby out.

Other events in life since the last post:

We (well, the boys and I - Jim had to work) went on a little vacation to my mom's family reunion. It was a great time, despite my not feeling well and worrying about the baby. We went to a place called Hidden Springs Ranch in Altamont, UT. It was a HUGE lodge with a pool and lots of activities, and cows roaming around the range. There were 60 or so of us in the lodge, it was a good gathering! The boys had fun shooting with Papi - both "real guns" and paint guns. Uncle Merrill brought his horses and let us ride for a few minutes. Michael had a great time on the horse with me, but Eric was very worried and didn't enjoy it as much. Michael has always been a cowboy at heart. Mom-O and Papi took the boys night swimming in the jacuzzi, which they really enjoyed with their glow sticks on their arms. The boys also enjoyed Papi's magical light show every night at bedtime, its quite the show if you haven't seen it you're missing out!

Eric's favorite part was probably playing video games all day - both the Wii and game boy. He is really good at guitar on guitar hero, which transferred over to rock band. Eric also got to "link up" with Chris' DS and play 2 player on their games. At one point he was boxing on the Wii with my cousin Jordan, who is quite tall. Someone looked over at them and commented that it was "David and Goliath" over there fighting.

I'm not sure what Michael's favorite part was. It may have been the horse ride. It could have been all of the attention and spoiling from Papi and Mom-O. Or, it may be discovering that he was tall enough to use the urinals, and that Papi could take him to go standing up (because mom couldn't). Thanks Papi for all of the trips to the restroom! And, I can't believe it, but I don't have very many pictures of the reunion - so, family who does, please send me some! Pretend you see below a picture of Michael holding Papi's finger and pal-ing around. Michael is very attached to his Papi.

My favorite part was being around my family. They are such a good support to me, and give me a source of strength and love that I really need. It is so comforting to me to be able to be around them, and feel of their love and spend time with them. I always look forward to the next time I get to see them....so when is it?

I also need to mention that Erin (Jim's sister) got married in the last 2 months of craziness in our lives. She was married the weekend before my mom came to help with the move. It was a lovely ceremony, and a good and packed reception we all enjoyed. She looked beautiful, and very happy. We like Dan, too, so that helped make it a more joyous event. Annette (my CO "mom") did the amazing reception decorations, I did the wedding flowers, and we had help with the food. It made for a VERY busy week, but all went well in the end. I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa (Jim's parents) are glad they only had one daughter after all of the wedding craziness!

The boys got to be ring bearers durin the ring ceremony. They were so excited, and got to wear new black zip ties. They didn't know that they were going to stand up front the whole time (neither did we) and Michael got a little inpatient and peeked out from between Dan and Erin. It was a cute moment. Eric did very well standing up there during the cermony - very his personality. Here is a picture of Michael dancing with Erin at the reception. He tried to cut in on Dan during their first dance!

I could blog forever about everything that has been going on, but I'm going to have to break it up into little sections. That was the overview and if you're lucky you may get more ramblings and blogs with titles I've already thought of but need to have time to create. So, until next time...which will hopefully be sooner than 2 months...take care, all!

Life Update and Our House

So, its been quite a while since I posted. This is what has happened:

1-I've started to feel better! Life is good! I've been able to cook and clean a little, which has been nice. A really good part is that I've been able to go to church for about 3 weeks now, and actually stay through the meetings! We've had a very busy life lately, and I've been grateful to have a body that was willing to work with me instead of against me. Its been great to go to the grocery store and not feel overwhelmed with smells and feeling like I needed to sit down on every aisle. Its amazing how blessed we are to have bodies that usually function properly. I've been given a new appreciation for life, and being able to live it more!

2-Eric finished Kindergarden. Michael and I went in for field day and had lots of fun with the kids doing various activities. They had a kids vs. parents tug-of-war, which the parents won. I took lots of pictures, which I can't get off the memory card very well, so you may or may not ever see them (its a long story). Eric was very sad on his last day of school (which was also his day 100 party), because he is going to miss Mrs. Gordon. It was cute to see him so attached, and he's written her a letter I need to send to her telling her that he loves her. Cute kid!

3-My camera died. For Mother's day (which we had a week later when Jim was here) Jim told me that I could finally get the camera that I've been dying for! I was so excited (I still am). Then, the next day my camera died. Thank goodness for the Best Buy extended warranty - I should have my camera back and working in just a few days. But, it came at a really bad time with so much going on that I've wanted to take pictures of. Fortunately, my friend Carolyn has let me borrow her Canon 10D SLR camera - which is very nice, and close to what I've been wanting - so I've had a chance to play with it. However, I took pictures in both RAW and JPEG format, and I can only figure out how to show you the JPEG pictures.

4-We've bought a house! After a very long search, we've finally decided that this will be our first home. Here is a picture of it, with the sold sign in the corner!

If you want to learn more about it, go to http://www.journeyhomes.com/ and click on the bottom on the California model. The floor plan is the way our house is, but the little video they show is actually a model that is the flip plan of ours. I like the blue color of our house...and the neighborhood seems really good. It has been hard to decide on "the right house" because we found a house we like, but the neighborhood wasn't as good. So, this house is one we like the neighborhood of more than other areas, and the house will be good too. We're excited to be able to host visitors, so let us know when you're coming to see us in Fountain, CO!

I took the boys down on Thursday (the 29th) to see the house and "choose their room". Eric had looked at the floor plans a week before and was starting to get ideas on where he would put all of his stuff and arrange things. As we were only 10 minutes on the road (it is 2 hours from our house in Longmont to the house in Fountain), Eric said to me "Mom, I want the Master Bedroom!" Aparently he had read the name of it on the plans and wanted it for his room! I told him that was for mom and dad, and he asked why. Then, before I could really respond he said "Is it because it has two closets?" Of course, yes, thats why (despite the size and master bath attached).

The boys had a great time running around the house as I took measurements. I was very happy to discover that the fridge that I bought will fit into the space we have for it! The boys were literally bouncing off the walls, and Michael came out of every closet that we have in the house! Here is a picture I took of them outside the front door - you can see the excitement still on their faces!
After we saw the house we went to the new OBGYN's office. We've switched insurance, and therefore Dr's, and I didn't want to find a Dr. in Longmont for one visit - so we made the drive for that purpose. The boys behaved very well playing the DS in the corner while I visited with the DR. As we left, Michael asked me "Is the Dr. going to take the baby out?" Apparently he thought baby was coming today!

Life has been very busy as I've started to be able to physically face life again just in time! We've had a few really long days of packing, driving from here to Fountain and back, some time with Jim home for a long weekend the weekend after Mother's Day, and trying to enjoy summer for the first week of Eric out of school. Today they were on the slip and slide and had a great time. I've spent the majority of the week on the phone working out details for the house, the loan, the insurance, wedding flowers, using the fax machine like crazy, checking email for the house, working out details for our Enrichment craft night in July, and more. I'm glad some of the details are done, because I've blocked out the next week to do something else:

A week from today is Erin's wedding, so we're gearing up for that. I'll be busy doing the flowers all day Thursday and Friday, with the wedding Saturday. We all go to the temple on Wed. PM - which is when I will see Jim again! He's been gone since Monday, so it will be good to see him after 10 days! Its busy times here at the house, but it will also be some special and happy times too. I think we will all be glad when it is all over - as you always are when a big event is finished. But, it is just a beginning for Erin and Dan!

We close on the house on the 12th (maybe the 9th if all is in place), my mom comes on the 13th (YEAH!), I do more wedding flowers the 13/14th for a friend's wedding, and the movers come the 16th! I'm so glad my mom will be here to help with this all, as Jim is working during all of the moving craziness. She will drive with the boys and I when we go to a family reunion o nthe 20th. After we get back from that life should be able to start to be "normal" as we will be living with Jim again - and getting settled in our new house, city, etc.. We will have our baby ultrasound on July 2nd, which will be exciting for us all to find out what kind of baby we're getting!

So, until next time - have a good summer, and hopefully we can all keep our heads above the flood of stuff coming at us!

Happy Mother's Day!

I've decided that it was a good thing that I didn't have my expectations high for today, being Mother's Day. It was a great day! I could be feeling really sorry for myself, but I'm not. In fact, I found it all quite entertaining to see what happened--having no high hopes for the day. So, here's how my day went.

Jim is in Pueblo. The boys woke me up at 7AM. That is 2 hours before I wanted to be awake (well, the earliest I would normally consent to wake up). Oh well. Eric was very excited about giving me something he had made at school, which he had been hiding in his backpack all weekend. Not being able to open my eyes, let alone make them focus enough to read, I told him to read it to me. It was a cute little book about "I love my mom" and why, and what we do together. It was so sweet, and it was truly a surprise I didn't know was coming to me.

Then, I told the boys to go get a donut, which Grandpa had brought home from the store and promised as breakfast. I told them they could wake me up at 8:30. At 8:10 Eric came in with Michael and breakfast for me! It was so thoughtful of them! Eric got out the "breakfast in bed tray" that we use, put a chocolate glazed donut on it, and 2 tupperware plastic kids cups with ice water in them (in case I got thirsty). How cute is that! I was impressed they had even put ice in my cup--water isn't worth drinking unless its really cold. Later they brought in a container of raspberries that Grandma/pa had given me last night, which had 1/2 of them left. I had to fight the kids to be able to eat any myself, but oh well. I still had a donut to eat, right?

So, the boys climbed into bed with me and Michael brought a donut for himself and ate it in my bed (over the tray please, so I don't have donut in my clean bed!). We talked for a little then decided we'd get up and get ready for church, and hopefully be a little early (but not TOO early, which I don't like) so we could get a soft seat instead of a hard folding chair.

We successfully made it to church in time for a soft chair. Michael turned in our tithing for us, which was really cute to see him shake the bishop's hand and come back all happy that he had given it to the right guy up there. The talks at church were very good-on the priesthood. The songs were no Mothers' day songs, and they didn't even have the primary sing! Just as I was wondering if they remembered if it was Mother's day they asked us 18+ years-old women to stand to get a chocolate bar. The thing was that the whole congregation stood up to go to class, so it got a little confusing because everyone was standing up. Oh well.

The boys hadn't behaved as reverently as I would like, and during the closing prayer they were both very wiggly and even talking. So, as I was telling them that they weren't reverent, and that I wanted them to practice being reverent at church and show me how (like a time-out, but a re-run of how it should be done)...so, as they sat on the bench practicing how to be reverent for a prayer, a single sister who had been sitting behind us during the meeting leaned over and told me how well behaved my boys were, and how they knew how to whisper instead of talk during the meeting. It made me feel good that someone thought they were reverent, despite the fact I told Michael multiple times to use his whisper voice, and the fact that they were (as she told me this) practicing how to be reverent.

I had a sister tell me today that I've lost a lot of weight! I have lost 20 lbs due to the baby, but was I that fat to begin with? Apparently she noticed. My response...thank you. I also had a sister tell me today that I was starting to show (the baby, that is)! My response...thank you. Well, isn't that interesting...2 conflicting messages in one day! I guess I'm not that observant about people and their weight...am I clueless, or is that something that I just don't notice? Oh well. It was kindof funny. I guess it evens out if I'm skinny but getting big?

We came home and I took a nap...and apparently the boys didn't stay downstairs but instead ran around upstairs like wild indians! After I woke up we watered Grandma's garden-which the boys helped her plant on Friday but has since died due to lack of water. I'm hoping some of it will still survive, but chances are looking pretty slim. I did get a nice surprise at the front door when Annette Seaver's 4 youngest kids brought me a box of yummy chocolates! That was such a nice surprise from an unexpected source! Annette has been another mom for me here in Longmont, I am going to truly miss having her so close when we move. Thanks Mom Annette!

We had a wonderful dinner that Grandma made (yes, she cooked on Mother's day). We had Grandpa's roast, Grandma's chicken, Brian's mashed taters, I made a salad for Grandma, a fruit salad, and pulled out some pasta salad leftovers too. We even had a fresh pineapple to eat...YUM! It was a good meal...just not one made by the kids or dads for the women. Oh well. Such is life. Eric helped me mix up a yellow cake mix to have for dessert with strawberries and cream (I had raspberries with mine). I was impressed with his desire and ability to crack eggs!

While we're talking about Eric...he was talking my mom, Mom-O, about the day. She asked him what he had done today to make it a nice day for me, and his reply? "I didn't get in time out!"

Eric was drawing on the white board upstairs and was very proud of this cute little picture he drew. Here he is with the picture:

Take is a closer look at the picture. He drew me, with short girl hair and a smile, and even labeled me as "mom." He drew himself with spikey hair and "Mickl" with boy hair, but a little shorter and smaller than himself. Pretty good! He then wrote next to both of them, as if they were each telling me, "i luv yoo mom." So cute! Its been fun to have Eric being "a reader" and sounding out words. What you don't see in the picture is the part he added later. He drew on the left side of my face, on the cheek, some lip marks to show that he'd given me a kiss! What a cute thing!

So, even though this Mother's Day was kindof a bust as far as the "normal routine" of Mother's Day: having Jim here to help the kids "take care of me" and pamper me, it was a good day. I've had a lot of time lately to reflect on all that my own mom went through with me, and my 5 siblings. What an amazing woman she was to go through pregnancy for each of us! I'm glad my mom didn't stop at 1, cause I wouldn't be here...and then she had 4 more after me! As I've been feeling like maybe this could be the last for me--because of the toll it is taking on my body and on the family as a whole--I've really learned to appreciate all that my mom did for me. Each of us are here because our parents chose life, and were blessed with a child/children. Both of those factors have been on my mind quite a bit lately, and I am grateful for the opportunity I have to make the choice to be a mom-and the blessing of being able to be a mom (even though I really didn't want to be one yesterday after what the kids put me through). Thanks mom for growing me, birthing me, and not killing me afterwards!

To all of you who are moms, to those of you who want to be moms and are doing all you can to be one, and to those of you who are not technically a mom but have a mother's heart--Happy Mother's Day!

The Truth About My Life Since February

I finally have a moment (well, I started this one day and I'm finishing another, but...), I've decided to tell the truth about life since February. No, I haven't been lying, but you'll have to go back and read between the lines on this one. So, what is this truth, you ask?

I'm pregnant! We are very happy about little one #3, due October 20th.

So, why do I feel like I've been lying? That is the rest of the story. For those of you who don't want to hear the truth, skip down a bit or stop reading now.

I've been pretty sick. Very sick. In fact, I've been on the couch for over 3 months. I haven't been able to clean (a sponge and the soap smell are very disgusting-not to mention bathroom cleanser smells!), I couldn't cook--or eat what I smelled being cooked, could barely eat, lost 20 lbs, mastered the throw-up-while-driving (as the driver), got released from my calling (which I was just starting to truly enjoy) because I couldn't make it through an hour let alone 3, haven't been to church on any consistent basis, been on drugs to stop the throwing up-which led to a very serious headache and other unpleasant side effects, couldn't walk very far without sitting down, would huff and puff if I actually felt like going upstairs, my heart has just been racing and pounding inside of me nonstop, and I have been very exhausted to say the least.

That is the short version. I'll spare you the emotional toll that is has taken on me, and the boys, not to mention my dear husband who during all of this was getting and starting a job 2 1/2 hrs away. This left me to come up with some survival tactics to make it through a day (then 4 days, then 2 weeks) without Jim around. I have had a forced "vacation" (not that it was any vacation you would want) from EVERYTHING in life, except for trying to survive with my own body and let everything else go. The boys have been very patient with mommy who just "doesn't feel very good" for a few months now.

So, that's what's been going on. I'm trying to give you the simple, objective, truth about it all. If you want more details you'll have to call me and ask, but I think you can get the general picture without all the gory or emotional details.

But, now I'm 16 weeks along and it feels like I've gone through a magical transformation! Yes, I did throw up this AM, but: I've been able to cook 3 meals this week, do a few dishes (with a new sponge...no previously-used ones allowed to touch my hands yet), and even get the energy to go to Wal-Mart and not feel like I needed Jim to be right by my side "just in case." I attended church for a full 3 hours for the first time in over 3 months, and it was SO GOOD! So, I'm on the up swing, at least for now. I even woke up one morning this week and didn't feel pregnant! That sounds odd, but that meant I was feeling pretty normal and not sick--for 1/2 a day!

I just thought I'd share with you, before I'm done elaborating, kindof the "what I learned" and the "cute moments" we've had, through all of this. So, what I've learned:

1-Have NO expectations. NONE AT ALL. This one was hard for me, and thanks Dad for helping me to see it in a new way. The majority of what we do in our lives is good, and important, but is it really? Yes, it is important to do really well at your calling and it's "not good" to ask to be released, but we still hold ourselves to that as an expectation. Just because I don't normally ask to be released--or whatever it may be--it doesn't mean that there aren't times and seasons in life where there is an expectation I hold myself to that I should still hold onto. I had to let go of it. Was it hard? YES. But, really, it was ok. My bishop was extremely understanding, released me on the spot, and was very supportive (well, thats the report Jim gave me--I couldn't even make it to my appt. so he went for me!)

This goes for how we feel about eating 3 meals of cold cereal a day, or the fact that your children have only eaten apples, string cheese, and crackers for the last 2 days. At least they had something...even though "a good mom" would do otherwise. Hard to let go of, yes. Realistic, yes. Were they "neglected," no. It was ok. There are TONS of expectations we have for ourselves that we don't realize are expectations until they are not being met, or we cannot meet them. It is at the time where our self-imposed expectations are not met that we struggle and, I think especially for women, we get down upon ourselves so much that we need someone to snap us out of it.

The same goes for what we expect-or rather hope-of other people. Ideally, I would have had 3+ people calling me each day to check up on me and provide service to me, as this time in my life was probably my most needy time in my life yet. Realistically, nobody has to at all. If I want someone to bring me dinner (or at least feed the boys if I can't eat it), or whatever it is that I am sitting at home wishing someone would just magically show up and do...I can't get upset and bitter because nobody loves me and can see through the walls of my house and just know what I need. If I let go of that expectation (kindof a wish/desire/need), then I won't be disappointed!

2-Service. Asking for it, and accepting it as well. This is a hard one. First, expressing what you need, and being able to ask for it. This is very humbling--very hard to do. But, its ok. As long as you don't turn into the perpetual-ward-service-project for the rest of your life, its ok. It can be accomplished through giving hints to a friend about what you need, but also through just asking. The hardest part is getting up the guts to express your real need, and ask for help.

The other part of this is accepting the help that is offered. Quite often we are asked "what can I do to help" or told "call me if you need something". You know what? People don't usually say things like that unless they want to. They could say "thats too bad, I feel sorry for you" and leave it at that. But, when they offer and you could really use help, admit to it! Even if they are at your house to drop off a yummy dinner for your family, and ask if there is anything else, you can say something like: "well, since you offer, I am really desperate for someone to wash my 2 1/2 week old dirty dishes that are getting really stinky! Would you mind?" So, when someone offers, and you really want to say "yes", don't you dare say no! Say yes! Be grateful, write a ton of thank you notes, and go on with life. No guilt, just gratitude and knowing that at some point it will be your turn again to offer the service. And, when that time comes you will be better able to sense a need, having been there yourself in the past.

3-Crying. Its ok to cry. Women know this, although we try to resist. Men (from my perspective) seem to have a harder time crying, because that's not cool. But, if you just "need to cry" then let it come. Its ok. You are not a psycho person for having a physical need to cry. In fact, as soon as you let it out (and in my case take a nap or go to bed afterwards), you will start to feel better. Crying is good medicine.

If you need to cry and can't cry yet, find a person to cry to. And, its ok to call the same person twice in one day (even if you've also cried to your husband in between those phone calls). Thanks mom. And, thanks dad for your wanting to be a shoulder to cry on through the phone. I have learned that if there is nothing wrong, you do need to state that at the beginning. I have had quite a few conversations that have gone quite well, all of which started with "can I just cry?" No reasons, just tears coming. Find a person you can cry to, and don't be afraid to do it! For those of you on the receiving end...just listen and don't feel confused. It will come. And, if I happen to call you to cry--let me cry, tell me it will be ok (even if there is no real reason for the cry), and then tell me to go to sleep and I will feel better later!

4-Simplify. It is something that our church leaders have been telling us for a while, but we really do need to simplify. We need to get rid of all the "stuff" in our lives that we do that doesn't really matter. We truly do keep ourselves occupied with things to do and places to go-most of which we could just let go of. We also think we need to do all of these things or we won't be "good" or provide all the opportunities for our families that we think they need. But, in the end, they just need us. Life has been a little boring at moments, mostly cause I didn't get off the couch to take the kids outside to play, but it has been very nice to not have any obligations. The only thing I've done is get Eric to school, karate, and soccer (with the help of Grandma and Grandpa, thanks for helping to get Eric where he was going). Other than that, I've been forced to let everything else go. And, I was relieved when soccer ended so that wasn't part of our schedule anymore. So, the challenge (even to myself, now that I'm starting to feel better) is to not keep ourselves busy and scheduled, but to simplify life. Is what you're doing really that needed and important that you can't let it go?

Ok, the cute moments:

1-Eric was looking for me one day. He was talking to grandma upstairs, asked her where I was, and she told him that she thought I was downstairs. He responded "oh, she is probably throwing up." Yes, it seems normal for him that mom will throw up--no big deal--just life.

2-Yesterday at dinner (which I actually cooked!) we were eating and Michael had asked me if he had eaten enough for a treat. I told him to eat more. He told me "If I eat too much, I will get a baby in my tummy!" We then talked about how he's a boy and babies only go in girl tummies...and then he said "I'm a girl!" HA! Funny kid.

3-This week, coming down the stairs, in a very random moment Michael said to me "When the baby is big in your tummy it will be as big as me!" I sure hope not!

4-Eric was very outwardly excited about having another baby. It was such a special moment for me when I finally confessed to him (instead of trying to deny it and convince him otherwise) that, yes, there was a baby in my tummy. No, I wasn't showing at the time, but he kept asking every couple of weeks in a questioning/asking way. I asked him why he was excited about having another baby and he said he wanted a sister! He had this sweet look in his eye when he told me it would be fun to have a sister. Then, he also told me that having another baby will make life easier for me! HA! I asked him why it would make life easier and he said: cause it will learn to obey! HA! Now, if I could only get him and brother to obey...

So, that's the story, and I'm sticking to it. At this point, 16 weeks, our little one is the size of an avocado! I still fit into my "regular clothes" but it probably won't be much longer before I start wearing the "other clothes" because these are getting a litte bit tight. And, in the last few days, in my quiet moments, I've started to feel the baby move! That is an exciting feeling for me--and prooves the Romanian wives' tale that you start to feel better when the baby starts to move.

Tulips

Last night when I came home from another (the 3rd day, the 3rd weekend in a row) long day of trying to find a house, this box was sitting on the table. It didn't even cross my mind that they would be for me...this is the first time in my life I've gotten flowers by mail!
I was even more surprised to think that Jim would order me flowers! He hasn't been home for over 1 1/2 weeks, and won't be home until Thursday...which means Mother's day without him. I've been kindof bummed about it, even though we decided to have my mother's day next week when he's here. I'm sure it will be ok in the end, but I was feeling sad for myself anyways. But, when I opened the box, I was even more surprised!

My amazing brother and his beautiful wife sent me flowers for Mother's day! How nice of them! I was absolutely amazed and surprised! They are so nice to think of me as I struggle through this part of life, it totally made my day! Thanks guys! It made life enjoyable again, it seemed to be less of something to endure and reminded me that it is to be enjoyed. And, after Michael's all-day tantrum today, I have flowers to help calm me down. I felt so honored that they were even thinking of me, let alone sending me flowers. Thanks for the pick-me-up that really made a difference!

So, here is a very bad picture of the beautiful tulips inside. They had to be in water for 12 hours before I could take the green wrap off. They are wonderful to have around, and totally brighten up my very chaotic and cluttered kitchen table!
Thanks again Chris and Nicole!

The last almost 20 days

So, let's see - what have we been up to? Jim has been working now for about 4 weeks! Life around here has changed as he has commuted between here and Pueblo, coming home on the weekends (until this weekend when his schedule starts to be "normal" and we won't see him at home). Erin has moved home, we have had the plumber/heater guy here multiple times for various problems, and life has continued going on despite all of the crazy changes. Life always continues going on, despite changes and how it feels as it goes.

We did have some fun, and took some pictures to proove it. On Friday the 11th of April we went together for a round of "golfing at the mall", which is what the boys always want to do. Any time I say "guess where we're going" or "we're going to do something fun" they always ask if its golfing at the mall. They were more than excited when we told them that we were going! It is called Safari Golf and it is glow-in-the-dark miniature golfing, so they look pretty cool as their clothes glow as they golf. Here are a few pictures.

Jim taking his turn.

The boys going at it.
Michael.
Eric. I love this picture for the face he is making - I was glad to see I caught it on camera, even though he looks like he's unhappy while golfing at the mall.

We have been getting ready to buy a house, and move. Between the two of us we have been on the phone with the loan guy, the realtor, a few family members, verizon wireless, the comcast internet guy, and a few doctors' offices. I knew moving would be a pain, and I knew it would take a while to get a house and finances figured out, but when you combine that with changing health insurance and a "regular life" going on, its been a TON to deal with.

Yesterday the boys were playing outside and wanted to take their shirts off. So, my boys were running around with just pants on. Such a fun, innocent life they are enjoying in the good weather!

Tonight I am "supposed to be" in Seattle for a weekend visit with Jen Stokes. When we got Jim's schedule, I realized that there was no way I would be able to make it out there, despite Jim's being willing to let me go in the first place. I pouted about it for a while, but what can you do when your husband, 2 1/2 hrs. away, has to work 3 of the 4 days you were going to be gone? So, I'm still a little upset about having to let go of my "Lisa vacation", but with the promise of a raincheck to come, I have my trip to look forward to sometime!

Tonight the boys were quite excited to talk to Daddy on the phone! It is fun to hear their excitement when they know they are going to talk to dad.

And now for your enjoyment, a few funny things about the boys lately (the ones I can remember right now):

1-We were talking about the Holy Ghost, and Michael in a very serious way puts his hands in front of his face and says, while moving his hands down "The Holy Ghost comes and scares you and says BOO!"

2-We had FHE and for the lesson we were talking about obeying. We played "Mother, May I?" They had a fun time, and laughed quite a bit when I said "NO!" But, now when they are not listening to me I say tell them that it's time to play "Mother, May I?" and they seem to obey better (at least the trick works for now).

3-Eric was talking to me about school one day and all of a sudden he was telling me something was oviparous! In his class at school they are hatching baby chicks, and talked about all kinds of animals and things that are oviparous. I asked him if he knows what that means, and he said it comes from an egg. What a big word for him to be saying!

4-We came home the other day, Eric was at school, and Michael said "Where's dad?" It sounded like he was going to go find him in the house, expecting dad to be there. I told him dad was in Pueblo and he said "I miss him." So cute.

5-Michael came back from going with Grandpa to take Eric to the bus stop today, walked over to me (lying on the couch, not ready to be awake for the day), and said "SOS means you're in trouble." Apparently they had listed to some song in the truck that must have said SOS? All day today he kept bringing it up again and again - SOS means you're in trouble! In fact, he told me that when we go on the airplane to Papi's house next time he's going to tell Papi that SOS means you're in trouble!

6-Mrs. Gordon (Eric's teacher) had emailed about something, and when she responded to my email back to her, she told me that Eric had writen a book about how the power went out and I took the fire alarm off the ceiling! So, I explained the story. Our power went off on Sunday (the 20th). This happens occasionally, no big deal. I was glad we were cooking dinner on the grill outside and that the rice had already cooked inside. While we are eating, the fire alarms go off. The boys and I go outside, and send Jim to see if there is a real fire or not. That sounds bad, but occasionally (about twice a year) the fire alarms go off in the house without any fire. Spiders, bugs, or dust get inside and set them off. The only way to turn them off is to find the guilty culprit and diconnect it from the house wires. After a few times, I have come to know which alarm is probably the guilty one and went straight to take it out first, which worked. Normally once its disconnected it stops screaming at us, but this time it kept beeping in my hand as I walked back downstairs with it! Apparently Eric thought it was pretty funny but was shocked that I had taken the fire alarm out-and wrote a book about it!

Jim's 1st Week of Work and Casa Bonita!

March 31st! What a day! Its a day I've been waiting for, for quite some time. It was Jim's first day of work! He left Sunday the 30th after dinner to go down to Pueblo. He had to report to work by 8am, and its a 2 hr 20 min. drive, so it was best for him to go down the night before.

He thoroughly HATES pictures of himself, but he did oblidge as I asked for a picture of him as he left the house. It was the closest thing I could get to the picture I really wanted: Him leaving the door for his first day of his new job. How cute he is!

The boys and I stayed in Longmont. At first we were going to go and spend this first week with Jim, because it was Eric's spring break. In the end it didn't work out for us to all go, so we stayed here. Our new routine for the next 6+ weeks started: talking to dad every night. Here are the boys, just chillin' as they talk to Jim.

Jim worked Mon-Thurs. 4-10 hour shifts. For training they are putting Jim's 4-10's all in a row, due to the fact he is commuting without his family for a while. That is only guaranteed, however, for the first 2 weeks. Then he'll be on a regular schedule, which will be more crazy (something like 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off.) So, he stayed the night Thurs. and came home Friday after he'd slept a night. It was good to see him after a week without him! The boys were pretty excited too.

Friday night we went out to dinner with some of the Vinton side of the family. Uncle Doug and Aunt Layne Vinton, and Uncle Rick Vinton met us at Casa Bonita. Its a fun place to go, with great entertainment and ok food. They have cliff divers, a wild west show, a "gorilla show" that Eric remembered from last time, a mariachi band, a pinata to break, a "spook alley", a puppet show, and waterfalls to walk behind and run around.

Here are the boys, watching the show from our seats. At times they were so entertained they forgot to eat. Oh well. The show did end after a few minutes and they ate between shows. Eric eating a sopapilla. They are pretty good smothered with honey!
Aunt Layne and I. I have to say, this is a MUCH better picture of her than it is me. Am I always that pale and sickly looking? I thought I'd include it because I rarely have pictures of me, or Aunt Layne, so this was my big chance (even though I'd rather not include it). Maybe I could blame the bad picture on the camera, or the person taking it??? ha ha ha Sorry Uncle Doug. :)

The boys with the treats they got from the pinata. They didnt' get a chance to hit it before it broke, but they did get their 3 tootsie rolls, which they were pretty proud of (although you can't tell in this picture they're even happy to have them).

Michael at the wishing well. To the left of his head you can see the light-up necklaces that the boys got as a special gift from Uncle Doug. They are pretty cool, and as we left they were running around with their necklaces on their necks blinking like crazy. We could all imagine them lying in bed, with their lights blinking all night...how fun! Thanks Uncle Doug!

Here are the boys choosing their treasure from the treasure chest! It is by the door out, and each child is allowed to choose one thing. Michael immediately grabbed his tootsie roll, as Eric stood there debating for another minute.

We had a great time! I've decided that we definately need to have more big family gatherings. I remember very well many gatherings with my extended family growing up. We always had some dinner or birthday party with Uncle Jeff's family and Aunt Brenda's family. I look back on those times as good memories, and want to start having them more often with the Vinton/Clark families, who live within 2 hours of us but we rarely see. So, for any of you out there reading this: when is the next gathering?