Pohlman Family

XX

2012-01-09T19:42:00.001-08:00

I have to say it!!!! I knew it!!! This pregnancy has been soooooo different! I just did not want to admit it because I did not want to jinx myself! Today was possibly the big day! I had an appointment with my Dr. He said he would try and look. However, the babe was not cooperating in ANY way!!! Bent over, cord between the legs, and sitting on the uterus. She would not budge! We got some great pics but non of the area we wanted! So.... we had to head to Fetal Foto. The first few minutes were much the same. Naughty Baby! The tech told us she would try as often as we wanted. She suggested we head to lunch and come back. However, my Mom and Susan had places to be. That left me and my sister Megan. We went at lunch at Rubios (I need to throw in a THANK YOU to Heidi Grimshaw for taking M and O most of the morning!). While sitting at lunch, what song came on????? GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN!!! Love it! We headed back to Fetal Foto. Only this time, Chelsea and Eden met us too. I kept my eyes closed and threatened my sisters to not speak, move, or basically breath!!!

The rest of the day was very SLOW!!! We made some cupcakes and decorated them yellow, pink, and blue. Then everyone started to arrive! DYING!!!!!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE PICTURE!!!!!!! It captures it all!!!

And now, we will add a little pink to this house and have a sister and DAUGHTER!!!!

SOOOO EXCITED!

Chrsitmas Week

2012-01-07T20:01:00.001-08:00

We got together will all the Pohlmans' for a fun night of dinner and games the Monday before Christmas. We did a pinata and the kids were so giddy!

We go to my Mom's on the 23rd every year for the "quiet dinner". My Mom makes the most unbelievable food that night. This year it included SUSHI, steak, twice baked potatoes, Cold Duck, salads and much more!!! YUM. One problem. I had the worst stomach ache that day. I could not really eat anything and it was torture. However, we still managed to do the nativity scene with everyone dressing up. My Mom always does a wonderful job!

Christmas Eve started at Pohlmans' where we made pizzas to our liking, did the Nativity scene, sang songs, and ate Susan's HUGE tray of homemade cookies.

We headed home and made Santa's plate of cookies and carrots. The boys were persistent about doing what they did last year, have a sleepover together. Big mistake! They were exhausted the next day after falling asleep around 11 and waking around 6:15!Alan and I were exhausted Christmas morning because Megan and Jigga came over to help wrap presents. We ended up staying up until 1:30. However, it really is one of my favorite traditions!

Christmas MorningThe boys really are at the perfect age for Christmas. They we so giddy and LOVED giving gifts to each other. Alan took them shopping for one another during the week.

The biggest hit..... Power Ranger Costume. OH HE WAS IN HEAVEN!!!!

Christmas on the Sabbath was very special. We attended a WONDERFUL sacrament meeting where we were reminded of the birth of our Savior again.

We soon headed Pohlmans' for omelets and gifts. Then he headed to my parents for a relaxing evening.

It was a wonderful Christmas again. We have so much to be thankful for and love spending time with our families! Most importantly, we are thankful for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Disneyland

2012-01-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

My parents took us to Disneyland December 14th. It was the PERFECT time to go. We did not wait any longer than 25 minutes in line and it was nice to feel some warmth in our blood. The boys loved it and Nana and Papa made it a perfect trip!

Our hotel was across the street from the park so we woke each morning and headed over to the Happiest Place on Earth.
The park was decorated for Christmas which added even more excitement to the season. That place really is amazing!

This is my favorite picture! We did not try to do this! My dad's head just managed to be right in front of the Ferris wheel so it looks like he has Mickey ears.

The boys were troopers(for the most part). The Pilot let them sit in the cockpit for a picture as we arrived back in Salt Lake. OHHH!!! IT WAS COLD!

Before flying home, we made a quick trip to the beach for some crab catching. The boys could have spent three days there for free!

A HUGE thank you to my parents!!!!! We had a blast and created memories we will NEVER forget.

Ready or Not!

2011-12-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

In September, we started talking (and praying) about when we should start thinking about having another baby. O would be three in November and that would make him almost four by the time we had another baby. We both agreed we would still wait a few more months and the thought of Alan's Dad planning a trip for June was exciting. We would maybe start the new year and see if that would be a good time to add to our family. However, those plans quickly changed when I started feeling exhausted in October. I also felt a little sick but I knew it was all mental because I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. A week later and another negative test had me sitting in the Foothill Family Clinic to see if there was something else making me so tired and lethargic. The Dr. drew 5 viles of blood and said she would call in 2 days.

I headed to lunch with my Dad and then he headed home with O to take a nap. Moo and I went downtown to pick up my wedding ring from the cleaners. While driving, my phone rang and I answered it. It was the Dr calling. She said "You are definitely PREGNANT!!!!" I was in SHOCK!!!!! She said a few more things, none of which I heard. I soon looked up to see lights flashing behind me. I was getting pulled over. The Police Officer was very nice. I was a little teary eyed as he told me he pulled me over for distracted driving. NO KIDDING!!!!!! Ya THINK! I apologized. I admitted I should have pulled over when the phone rang but I was in shock. He let me go with a little warning. I pulled out on to the road but then pulled over again to take a breather. Now I needed to tell Alan. I wrote "Prego" on a piece of paper and sent him a text, "The Dr. Called....". He thought I was joking but soon realized he was going to be a Dad again.

We went to our first Dr appt Nov 15. I should have been about 10 1/2 weeks along. The Dr. did an ultrasound and the baby was only about 8 weeks. He said he wanted to do a viability ultrasound in two more weeks. I was soooo confused and a little nervous. The next two weeks were a little nerve racking for me. I just wanted to know what in the world was going on with my body. I am usually in tune with it.

On Monday, we went for the ultrasound and the BABE was sooooooo cute!!!! It has grown the perfect amount in two weeks. It waived at us and Alan said it looks like a GIRL!!!! He kind of planted a little thought that maybe it is possible to make a girl. We will soon find out. As far as an exact due date, the Dr. Said we will go off the ultrasound and that says June 25th. It is crazy to look at this picture and know that baby is inside me!!! Even more crazy.... that is looks like a baby and I was only 12 weeks along! From the looks of the baby, it already looks like it has a headache just thinking of coming into this household! That is the hand on the forhead. This is BAD!!!! I keep typing SHE!!!!

I must admit it has taken a few weeks for this news to sink in but now it is SO EXCITING!!!!!!! We are ready.....or not!!!! CRAZY! At least we have 7 months to prepare. If there is such a thing as preparing to bring another human being into this family. We will try our best and come June, I am sure I will be MORE than ready!!!!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy O Man!!!

2011-11-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

WOW! THREE! And what a big three year old you are! You are hilarious! You make us laugh all the time and always have something to say. You now get yourself dressed, use the potty alone, wash your hands alone, get your own drinks, and still have little interest in riding a tricycle. You try to keep up with your brothers and sometimes get frustrated. We spent your birthday celebrating every moment. The week before, we went with the Rogers Family to Spaghetti Factory to celebrate your birthday with Nana.

When Daddy got home on your birthday, we went to dinner at the Black Bear Diner. We headed home for cake and ice cream. Daddy made you a basketball and soccer ball cake. We opened presents. You really wanted wooden puzzles so that is what you got. You love to hold up three fingers and were not very happy when you were put in time out and I said I would be back in THREE minutes. You have a VERY difficult time staying in time out for one minute and we are still training you on how it all works!!!! Thanks for bringing so much happiness into our lives. We love you and all your nicknames Daddy has created for you!!! Happy Birthday.... O Boy, Zergie, Louie, Zergs, and much more!

We love you bugga!!!! Thanks for making us smile every time we see you!!!!

HaLLoWeeN 2011

2011-11-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

What would October be without pumpkin carving? O spent about two hours carving his pumpkin in the backyard. However, he would not clean it out. I did all the dirty work. We grabbed the last beautiful weekend with a trip up the canyon. I had Sunday dinner in the over, but Alan convinced me to pack it up and take it up the mountains. So glad I listened to him. It was a BEAUTIFUL night!!!

We took a quick drive down to Lindon to ride the mini train. It is free and they have a big Halloween theme. The boys loved it but we were sad to find out they will not be doing the Polar Express this year!!!

Halloween morning was spent with me in C's class while Susan watched M and O. The evening started with us heading into Pohlmans for soup, then to my parents, and finally to John and April's for roasting marsh mellows. Costumes: C man=Swoop. Moo=Tiger. O boy=Blue's Clues dog. However, he called his costume the "Who Let the Dogs Out". M and O found their costumes in our neighbors costume box while C borrowed his from our old neighbors.

I can't believe my Mom still dresses up every year and does the same performance she did for me when I was in Kindergarten!!

Another Halloween come and gone!!! Wow time flies. Now onto Thanksgiving with so much to be thankful for!!!

Falling for Fall

2011-09-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Can fall really be here? It certainly feels beautiful outside!! Fall means a lot of things around our house including Utah games, soccer games, school, and so much more.

Let me just start with a little plug for my boys! I LOVE YOU!!!!! We have had a lot of fun lately and I love playing with them. Our new favorite activity is jumping on our new tramp. They LOVE it and beg for me to join them. My knee is finally feeling up to it and it is a little work out.

This is a picture of O man. He is HILARIOUS!!!!!! He makes us laugh every day! Notice in this picture the items he has in his pull -up. He wears them at night (completely unnecessary!!!) and had to keep them on all day so he could be a "fighter man" this day!! There are about 7 pencils on the other side!!! LOVE HIM!!! AHHH!!! I am lovin some date nights with my honey!!! It felt good to start the Utah season! Really, I am not sure if there is any other stadium with the setting you get at the Rice Eccles Stadium. Only bummer with joining the Pac 12..... no more Don's Donuts! Sorry Jigger!

Moo started his first day of his last year of preschool. Isn't he handsome?

Alan and I made it to Newport for a weekend with no kiddos (thanks to Alan's fam for helping with the boys. We split them up between Alan's parents and siblings. They all had a great time. So a big THANKS goes out to all of them!!!) We arrived and made it to the LA temple where we did a few sealings and then decided to also do a session. That was a great way to start our trip.

Jigger was our tour guide through downtown LA and he did a great job! I really enjoyed the impersonations he provided on our tour. He took us to a Chinese restaurant before the big game and we enjoyed the SLIPPERY SHRIMP.

The game was very exciting and a little difficult to watch at times..... mostly because we could not imagine what we were going to look like the following week against the Cougs.... I won't say much about that. OK.... I will. WAY TO GO UTES!!!!!! Sorry Cougs! That was just ..... I am not sure of a word!!! BAD!

I also need to say CONGRATS!!!!! to my Mom and Dad. They had their 40 year anniversary. Thanks for being such a good example to us!!! We love you!

Finally, C and M's soccer season has started. M's team picked the name, Orange Transformers. C's...the Blue Bulls. C is pretty excited because Jeff is his Coach and his cousins are on his team!

We are still enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather and hope to for a long while. We still love the new neighborhood and enjoy all the kids to play with during the evening. We are falling for fall and hope it is a LONG one!!!

First Day School

2011-08-24T21:10:00.001-07:00

First Day of School! First day of school! I woke the morning C man would start first grade feeling a lot like Nemo. However, I soon felt like Marlin as I watched my guy walk through the school doors. I shed a few tears (unexpected!).

The morning started with a surprise breakfast with Alan at Mc Donalds. We raced home to take pics and get to school with extra time for even more pics. So proud of this guy! He has grown a lot and LOVES school. We are about to start day three and he has done great. It is helpful he LOVES Ms. Gregory. They are a great fit! He enjoys hot lunch and has to check the menu every night before bed. Moo asked what time C was coming home probably about 8 times the first day. We had a little play date today to keep his mind off of his best buddy leaving all day long for a long time! We are carpooling to school with the Grimshaws, Lovelands, and Hinckleys. The kids have walked home together. However, the weather has been unseasonably HOT!!! Thank goodness our school has AC. We love you Buddy!!!! Congrats and good luck as you embark on another year of growth!

Rogers Family Reunion

2011-08-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

We spent the last few days of summer up in Eden with my family. The first day was spent at the beach boating and playing in the sand. The first hour was spent in the car with a lightening storm hitting right above us. We soon hit the boat but all the kids were crying and whining because they were scared!!!!! Well, more time for the adults. We had a great time skiing and tubing. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

We also spent the days swimming, resting, playing golf, pedicures, tennis tournaments, making smores, and a trip up to the buffet at Snow Basin. We love our fam and enjoy our time together. We had a lot of laughs!

Summer Lovin'

2011-07-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe summer is more than half way over. It was not such a great start to an adventureous summer with the passing of my last grandparent, Gramps King. He was a wonderful man and raised an amazing woman. May he rest in peace and maybe even fish.

I had knee surgery the second week of June at the Park City Hospital. That place is amazing!!! The reabilitation was much more than I expected and it put our summer activities on hold for a while until I could walk better. It feels much better now but I still am doing stretches daily in order for the muscle to start working better. I am back at the gym now and appreciate the beautiful mornings as I wake and appreciate the health I have.

We had the Pohlman Family reunion at the cabin this year. Steve and Susan spared no expense as they planned the activities. They really are very thoughtful and think things through. We shot paint guns, had some ladies come and do our toe and fingernails, golfed, geo cached, junior olympics, helicoptor rides, and so much more!!!! The first morning, our agenda said "All hands on deck". We were on the deck at 8:00 and soon heard a helicoptor over head. Then we saw John in the passenger seat. Susan then handed each of us a paper for a ride. It was a blast and the boys loved it!! Thanks Steve and Susan!

Summer would not be complete without a few trips to Eden. The flowers were amazing this year!!!! The weather was chilly at night yet great for swimming during the day. We got my parents up to the Pohlman cabin early on a Saturday morning. THEY LOVED IT!!!! I think they were actually surprised by how much they loved it. The best part was when Steve handed my parents paint guns and sent Robb down to run around like a chicken. My Dad was huddled over laughing. It was hilarious!

Movin' On

2011-04-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

In February we heard about a house that was going to go on the market in an area we had interest in. We had been looking at houses but never seemed to find something that would work. Our requirements included a garage, master bath, quiet street, preferably a rambler, walking distance to school, backyard for playing ball, neighbors with kids, and much more. I managed to have Alan's brother get the number of a guy working on a house. I called and he said he was listing it that night. I asked him if we could go through it before he did. He said if we came right then. I ran out to it with my Mom and knew it was the one within 5 minutes of entering it.

I called Alan at work and he went over to see it also. We wrote an offer that night and they accepted the offer the next day. We closed the middle of March. We made a few changes to the house. There was a formal dining off the kitchen but we put slate in and had lockers built so it is now an office/ mud room. We did new carpet and base boards in the three rooms upstairs. Finally, we had the master bath completely remodeled. Well, we are still having it remodeled. It is taking FOREVER!!!!! It better be done next week.

We started C in the new school before we moved. He cried for three days before. Then, he had a smile on his face as his teacher showed him around the classroom and as I picked him up his first day. HE LOVES IT! Feewwwww! I was very worried about him. But, he surprised me, once again!!!!!!

We moved Saturday April 16th and love it. Our neighbors are so kind. One neighbor brought dinner for the next night and one brought breakfast for the morning. The ward did not wait very long to have us meet the bishop. In fact, I received a calling before we even made it to church the next morning.
I am now Secretary in the Primary Presidency. I am excited to be with the boys and meet all the kids in the ward.

We are still unpacking and will probably be for quite some time. I guess that is how it goes. I really do feel great where we are and enjoy being so close to so many things. I also like the sidewalks!

We will miss our cute house on Monarch. There were sooooo many memories created there. It is a GREAT house and we grew in many ways as a family there. But, we are also excited to create new memories in our new home.

It has been a stressful month and a half but I am ready to get settled and back into a routine in our new home.

Happy Birthday C Man!

2011-02-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

Are you really 6? Another year has passed and you accomplished a lot! Kindergarten, training wheel removal, basketball, wearing jeans, addition, subtraction, reading well, telling time, jumping off the high dive, a little more patience, a lot of questions, holding doors for others, and so much more.

Your birthday was celebrated for a LONG time! We headed to Eden where we went to H and B's. We also sang happy birthday and you received more marbles. Papa took us down to Ogden to FlowRider and you tried a little knee boarding with the whole fam. You were pretty hesitant but soon joined in the fun. The drive home was one of the scariest as we were the first car up the canyon in white out conditions. A moment to never forget.

We came home from Eden to celebrate at Grandpa's and Grandma's. You received a new bike, a camping sleeping bag, and much more!
The actual night before your birthday, Nana and Papa took you to all you can eat sushi. You sure ate a lot! Then they took you to Arctic Circle for an ice cream cone!

On your birthday, your brothers' brought donuts to your class to give to your classmates. We wrote messages on the front window and you felt so special. You got a new haircut. We went to your cousin's basketball game later that night and when we returned home, Daddy took you and Moo for a quick adventure.

The day after, Mimi and Jigger took you to see Jigger's basketball game and then to Leatherby's in order to keep you away from Daddy. We had spent the morning at St. Marks Hospital where Daddy had surgery to fix his hernia.

Hopefully the birthday celebrations are over until next year. You definitely lived this birthday up to it's fullest! Love you C!

HaPpy BirThDaY Moo!

2011-01-16T23:11:00.000-08:00

Another post wishing Bear a happy birthday! This time it is for 4 years! So much to say about Moozers. First, we sure do love you. You can still be sooooo sweet and always willing to share.

The past year, you have learned to tease your little brother (wonder where you learned that from). For some reason, it usually only occurs when your older brother is home. Maybe three is a crowd because you are best buddies with O when C is at school.

You LOVE your Papa, going to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Wii and ice cream, Utah Utes, playing basketball on your Eagle team, playing basketball with our fam at the church, donut shots, CANDY, and coming up every night after being tucked in and saying "Mom, I need to tell you something." Then you whisper something in my ear. It usually includes needing a drink, a tummy ache, an ouie, or being hungry. I guide you back to your bed and soon your are sound asleep. Not quite sure when you will realize it does not get you anything. Maybe it is just that one last hug that you are really searching for.

You learned to ride a bike over the summer. You started preschool with Ms. Mandy as your teacher. You love going to school and playing with friends. You still take a nap daily and like to stay up to watch the Jazz games.

Some of our favorite sayings from you include, "Mom, I need to tell you something." You always make sure you give Daddy a bear hug before leaving for work. You cry A LOT when playing football with C because you have learned he quickly gives you an extra point or the ball back so we will not come intervene. You are a cuddle bug. PLEASE DO NOT EVER STOP! You love to be read to. Last week you memorized a book but were so proud you learned to read! Not sure how many times you read that book called, Dogs. When C has a friend come over, he is your friend too. Your favorite friends include Parker and Will from school and Owen from the neighborhood. You miss Tommy and Mitchel because they moved a few months ago. However, they stop by every once in a while and the sports games are back on! Even when it is FREEZING in the backyard!

You have a few more time outs lately and seem to get frustrated more easily but calm quickly and know when to say sorry. Lately, you have been asking a lot about heaven. Who is there, if we take our stuff with us, what we do there, and when you get to go there. Sometimes, Bear, you bring a little heaven into our home and hearts. Happy fourth birthday. WE LOVE YOU!

You asked for your traditional Snowball from Harley and Bucks.

We had a birthday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's where you were spoiled with gifts!

On the morning of your actual birthday, Jigga and Daddy made you the "BEST BREAKFAST EVER"!!! It included donuts, candy, root beer, sausage, pancakes, and more!!!! Needless to say, church was not fun sitting with your three sugar filled boys!

Soldier Hollow

2011-01-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was so much fun! My Mom, Dad, C, M, and I went up to Soldier Hollow to go tubing. O stayed home with Aunt April (THANKS APES!!!). We had a blast!!! I felt like I was 17 again hanging out with my 20 year old Mom. It was beautiful and the boys loved it. After the first run, C said he hated it (typical!). Soon he was off on his own. He would drag his tube up to the rope, jump on, ride up, get off, walk to the start, place his tube, and jump on. Off he went! Moo wanted to go with his Papa but also managed a few solo rides! That kid has zero fear! People were laughing at him. He did look pretty cute.

Two hours flew by but we were exhausted! We headed for home but the boys were STARVING! We hurried and stopped at Dairy Keen for a few hamburgers and ice cream. As soon as we got in the car, the boys were out cold.

Thanks to Nana and Papa for a wonderful afternoon. We had a great time!

While we were gone...

2010-12-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

Megan and Robb watched the boys while Alan and I went to Chicago last month. Look what we got for Christmas! These are only a few pics but we were very surprised. I can't believe the munchkins kept it a secret!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

AHHHH! I feel like I can breath! It was so nice this morning to not have to wake up and think about what our day was going to look like. We did not have to be ANYWHERE or do ANYTHING!

The week of Christmas seemed a little crazy pulling together all the last minute things. Alan went to Vegas for two days to the Utah game so it made things a little busier.

We went to my Mom's on the 23rd for her candle light dinner, the nativity scene, and gifts. The kids thought they were so great because she insisted on letting them drink from her goblets! Alan and I let them be and waited for glass to shatter. However, they all made it through the meal with no problems. The boys looked so cute in their costumes! I love watching them. My mom gave all my siblings new baby books she had been working on for a long time! Thanks MOM! Looking back, we think Moo might have had a flu bug but that kid is amazing and never complains about anything! However, looking at the pictures, you can tell he did not feel so red hot. He also threw up the next morning.

We went to the Pohlmans' on Christmas Eve where we made our own pizzas and once again did the Nativity Scene. O got to be Joseph there and had no idea what was going on.

We headed home to a few gifts under the tree. Pj's for the boys. Megan and Robb stopped by and gave us their gift! While we were in Chicago last month they dressed the boys in new jerseys and took them to the stadium where they took pictures. LOVED IT!!!!!
Christmas morning we woke and C was super excited. Alan tortured him by telling him we had to wait for O to wake up. He finally told him we could wake O by 8:30. Alan takes the boys shopping for each other every year. This year, C gave M a Nerf gun and M gave C some soccer nets. It has been such a great opportunity for them to give. It also make me happy that the first thing they want to do as they get to the tree is give each other their gifts!

Santa brought a load of marbles because he did not communicate well his elves! Leapsters, Utah apparel, Toy Story items, and more filled stockings and boxes under the tree. Of course, C mentioned he must not have been on the really good list because he did not receive an orange in his stocking! How does that kid remember things?

Omelets and gifts were next on the list at Grandma and Grandpa Pohlmans' home. As we settled into the couch to open gifts, C once again complained he did not feel well. I thought it was just Christmas excitement. However, a few moments later he ran to the bathroom and we soon realized the flu bug was going to join us! We put him in a different room with a new movie Grandma had given him for Christmas. Poor little guy. Alan's parents went way over bored again! They do shopping for every single one of us!

We went home and spent some time picking up Christmas and hanging around home. Soon we were off again to my parents for dinner and some relaxing time by the fire. (As relaxing as it can be with all the grandkiddos around).

Off to bed and then a wonderful sabbath day followed where we once again remembered our Savior, His birth, and what that blessing brings to our lives. Merry Christmas 2010!

HaPpy BirThDaY O!

2010-11-22T21:52:00.001-08:00

I do not remember what our family was like with out you. The past year has been an eventful year for you. Your personality has really started to shine! You are a character! I am not sure who can be a bigger goofball, you or your Dad. You love to make us laugh.

You have grown a lot the past year and there are so many things I always want to remember! The nick name "Louie" has started to stick (I am sorry about that!). You love your lamby blanket and sleep with it every night! One night, we could not find your binky. I told you they were lost and that was that. Nothing more said! Yippee. Good bye binky. You started wearing big boy undies at 22 months. GREAT JOB! If you hurt someone or do something wrong, you immediately say "Oh sorry, sorry, sorry." You love to give kisses but only on the cheek. Daddy only gets them on his forehead because his face is scratchy. Your facial expressions say it all! You are very vocal and tell us like it is. The other day while driving, you said, "Oh, come on mommy!"

We spent your birthday with A LOT of friends. We did a sub for Santa at the Storheims' and made time to sing Happy Birthday among the craziness. You felt very special. Grandma and Grandpa gave you the gift that stole you heart, Buzz Light Year. You love him!

You are a funny, sweet, energetic, sympathetic, sassy, and very loved! Happy Second Birthday Louie!

Windy City

2010-11-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

The game was a bust but the rest of the weekend was great. I learned a lot about Chicago and North Bend Indiana.

We flew into Chicago around 11 on Thursday morning. We met up with Chelsea and Jeff. We got off to a rough start trying to use our phones as maps looking for Giordanos Pizza. We walked most of the city but finally made it there to enjoy some deep dish pizza. It was really good! And we were really hungry. We then headed to the Art Institute of Chicago. That place is huge! We spent a few hours there and saw some classics and some interesting "ART". We headed over to the Magnificent Mile and walked around the shops for a while. We saw Hersheys, Ghiradeli, Apple, H&M, Nike Town, and much more. Next we headed to an Italian Restaurant and ate more food. MMM, gnocchi!

Can you believe this pizza? YUMMMMM

Friday morning we went on an architecture boat tour. It was a great way to see the city and learn about all the buildings. We went to lunch at a Mexican Restaurant and the ceviche was divine. We headed to the Willis Tower next for a few hours and it was one of my favorite parts of Chicago. I did the audio tour and learned even more about the city. They have a glass deck off the side of the building. It was CRAZY stepping out on it. I seriously was shaking! We got some great pictures of it. We headed out to Wrigley Field where we took a few pics outside the stadium and glanced in on the field. They were getting it ready for a football game.

Gibson's steak hosue was the next stop and it really might be some of the best food I have ever had. My kind of food! A lettuce wedge, ribs, asparagus, and a "piece" of banana cake like you have neer seen before! I LOVED IT! We headed back to our hotel (The Palmer House Hilton) because we wanted to get some sleep for the big game the next day.

Saturday morning we headed down to South Bend, Indiana to Notre Dame. We first went to the Football Hall of Fame. I wished we had C with us. He would have loved it there! Next we headed to the campus and stopped at the book store. We bought a shirt for Alan, a Christmas tree ornament (a key chain), and a magnet for our magnet board. We toured the rest of the campus for a while and headed to the stadium. There was a lot of red around.
We watched the band, cheerleaders, and mascot enter the stadium and then went to our seats. We were in the Notre Dame section but met up with Alan's friends so we had some red around us. The game was miserable. Not only did it rain for the first time our entire trip but the Utes were even more disappointing than the week before.

Although the game was a disappointment, it was great to see the campus and worth the trip. We drove back to Chicago and ate some thin crust Pizza at Excheckers. The BBQ pizza was great. We were exhausted so we headed back to our hotel.

Sunday we met up with Jeff and Chelsea again (they were our travel buddies and Jeff planned the whole trip, thanks Jeff!). We went to Navy Pier and I wished it was summer with our kids because it looked like a fun place. The pier was pretty dead so we jumped on a red tour bus and drove around the city. I wish we had done that the first day because we learned a lot and it took you around the whole city. Live and learn!

We decided to go see the temple on our way to the airport. As we got closer we started getting nervous we would be late for out flight so we decided to be safe and go straight to the airport. Chelsea and Jeff dropped us off because their flight was later and at a different airport. I have to mention Jeff was an awesome taxi driver! I am soooooo glad I was not driving there!

We had a lot of extra time in the airport so we went to the Crown Room and sat by the fire to warm up. Alan was able to upgrade us to first class so our flight home was actaully enjoyable.

As we came down the elevator, our three cute boys and their Aunt Mimi were waiting with welcome home signs! We missed the hoodlems! Now, a HUGE thanks to Megan for tending the boys for us! They are a lot of work! She is amazing. We love you Megs and the boys love you even more. Alan's Mom took the boys for one night so Megan could have a break. Thanks Susan! We have the best family.

We are back at it again and looking forward to Thanksgiving next week as we have so very much to be thankful for.

HaPpY HALLOWEEN!

2010-10-31T19:56:00.001-07:00

Last years Halloween was a bust. I was sick and Alan and flown in that morning and was also very ill. He still took the two older boys to the U game (they WANTED to go). O and I never dressed up and I was so sick I did not even pass out candy.

So, this was O's first official Halloween. HE LOVED IT!!!! It really started Wednesday. WE dressed up Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat. However, we did not dress up on Halloween! (Sunday). O was a purple dragon. M, C, and I were Pirates. Alan never dressed up and was super bummed about it. Alan, my dad, and C flew out on Friday morning to go to Colorado for the U game. C had been waiting for this day for months! He was so excited. He, once again, picked the U game over trick or treating. M, O and I went to Alan's parents for soup and to check out all the family costumes. Then we headed to my parents where we did a little trick or treating. The Demings showed up and we spent the rest of the night hanging out with them and watching the game. It was a great night.

I have to mention the first snow storm. The boys were so excited!!!!! Luckily I had gotten out all the snow clothes and checked sizes for the year. Everybody was covered! Needless to say, they all had to dress up for the walk to school. It reminded me of the first winter O was born. Getting ready to take C to school took us 20 minutes just to get bundled up. Only this time, C pretty much did it himself and M did over half of it. I am looking forward to a great winter!!!

Hello Undies!

2010-10-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

I decided to potty train O. He was 22 months, much younger than the older boys, but I thought I would try it. He was showing signs he was ready. I went for it. I kept doubting myself and him but I vowed I would never turn back! Sure enough, he is doing great. I still have him in Pull Ups at night but it is better than changing diapers. We have been changing diapers for 5 and a half years. At two points we had two in diapers. It is strange to not have any diapers around here. I really enjoy it. The only problem so far, finding small enough undies for the little man's bottom. I finally found some 2T undies but they hang on his bottom. I must admit...it is pretty darn cute! Great job O!!! Oh, and maybe a little credit for the Mom too!

My First Garden

2010-10-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

I decided to do a garden this year. It was a great learning experience. It did not turn out to be as productive as I thought but it was a good start. I learned a lot. I will do it again next year with new insight and hopefully better results. We had the following: Peaches, peppers, squash, carrots, basil, jalapenos, two (yes...TWO!) green peas, and tomatoes. We also planted raspberries, onions, and cilantro. Hopefully the raspberries will berry next year. I am going to keep the carrots in ground covered by a bag of leaves and then go out in the middle of winter and pick some carrots for lunch. The boys loved it and they stayed out of it better than I expected. Gardening is just like every other thing in life. You learn as you go and become better as time goes by. I hope!

Preschool Boy

2010-09-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Moo started preschool in September. I just did not make time to post about it! Bad Mom! He LOVES his preschool and his teacher, Mrs. Mandy. She is such a great teacher and M LOVES going to school. He is such a sweet little boy. I co op in his class and he is a good listener, good friend, and tries to learn a lot. O seemed lost and confused the first few weeks with the older boys at school. However, he soon realized he had me all to himself. It has been great spending time with him alone. He is a character.

Even Better

2010-09-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Later that day I received a text from Alan telling me to check my email. It said to pack my bags with a packing list he provided and a few other thoughts. Then it said he would be home in 45 minutes! He soon showed up with his Mom in tow to take the kiddos. He brought a bouquet of gorgeous flowers delivered to me by O! So sweet. We left around 4:15 and started driving up Parleys. We made it to the St. Regis at Deer Creek. We had to ride a funicular to get to our room. HOLY COW!!! That place is AMAZING!!!! Absolutely amazing. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed and I was treated like a queen. The evening included the following,

Chocolate covered strawberries with an unopened bottle of champagne
Sushi nachos
Fire places (indoor and out)
Star lit sky
Water falls
Jacuzzi tub
A charm for my necklace
A charm bracelet
and so much more....

The morning included:

A visit to the gym
Breakfast
Pedicure
Manicure
Steam rooms
Soaking tubs

It was so relaxing and fun!

Alan is so romantic. He can really treat a lady right. Thanks Hun! I had a great time and loved spending time with you. I LOVE YOU! P.S. You are welcome for 10 years of excellent service!

BIG Day!

2010-08-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

HaPpY 10 YeAr AnNiVeRsArY to Alan and I. I am so grateful to be married to my honey. However, I do not like to post all the reasons I love and adore him for all the world to see. I will keep those specials reasons for the two of us to share! We are going out to dinner tonight so I will post pictures later

We also sent our big boy to his first day of Kindergarten today! Ironically, he is attending the same school Alan and I attended! Much to my surprise, the Jersey was not on the list of must wears this year. It slowly disappeared. And....he wore jeans! We have come a long way in the wardrobe category. I am sorry, but I think he is pretty HANDSOME!!!!

I did not think for one minute I would be emotional! I have done this two times before for preschool. For some reason this was different. Maybe it was because he has to go now and I do not have a choice. Or maybe because he is so close and I can hear the bells ringing so I think of him more often. Maybe it is because he told me over lunch when we came home that I embarrassed him when I took too many pictures! I was also there after school with the video camera rolling. However!!!! He did run into my arms as he exited the school and that not only made my day but also made me realize, he will always be my little boy! He then proceeded to tell me he had the best day ever! That made me even happier! I love you "Boyz"! (that is what O calls him now). Welcome to Kindergarten!

Rite of Passage

2010-08-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

I remember over five years ago one of the selling points on our house was the fact that we could teach our kids to ride a bike on our flat, quiet street. Well, tonight was the night. And not only one but two of our kiddos took off the training wheels. We have been trying to convince C to take them off all summer. Tonight M was begging us to take his off. It took a few tries and I had little faith but that kid is dedicated! He never gives up!!!! After he took off, C was still a little hesitant. However, Alan soon convinced him. It took all of three seconds for him to take off. He can do everything including starting himself, riding, turning, and stoping. Of course, we had to head to DQ after for a celebration. The boys had a hard time going to sleep because they were so excited. We still need to practice a lot more but it was fun seeing my boys take on something you remember the rest of your life. Good on ya bubbas.

Forgotten Trip

2010-08-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Of course it was not forgotten! Unforgettable of anything. WE LOVE EDEN! We have spent many weekends up there. I just never blog about it because we are there so often. Here are a few photos of our last few trips to one of our favorite places.

Nana caught this snake and the boys loved playing it with it.

Check out O's face!

We went up the tram and I always knew Utah was beautiful but seriously!!!!! I LOVE UTAH!

The boys could have gone up and down the mountain all day long riding on the tram!

My poor Mom! These two drive her nuts and tease her relentlessly!

I found these two love birds in the garage. Luckily the keys were not in the scooter!

Summer Update

2010-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

This summer has been very busy! We have spent many days at Murray pool, Classic Skating Water park, Cottonwood Heights pool, our backyard, Eden, San Diego, and more!

Let's start with San Diego. We went with Alan's family for eight days. It was soooooo fun. Our flight was delayed leaving so we did not get off to a great start. We had let the boy stay awake so they would sleep on the plane and then ended up waiting an extra two hours. The boys had A LOT of energy because they were over tired. They all fell asleep on the plane as soon as we got in the air. Ahhhh. We could breath.

We rented our car and I ended up having to drive because Alan did not realize his license had expired. It actually turned out to be better for us. He was so proud of himself for getting us every where without any detours. Then I realized....I always had to use a paper map and get directions well before we went anywhere. He had is phone this time so all he had to do was say the place and soon he had a map showing us the directions and alerted us if we took a wrong turn.

We woke on Sunday morning and went to church. We then went down to the beach to walk around. O HATED the sand and would not walk on it! We went to the Mormon Battalion Museum and it was awesome. I highly recommend it. They have done a great job there. At the end we searched for gold and looked over the valley at the look out. We drove to the temple but it was being worked on so the grounds were closed and there was scaffolding all over the building. We were pretty bummed because it is such a beautiful temple. Alan and I went on our honeymoon there. We did a session at the San Diego temple while on our honeymoon so it brought back a lot of memories for me.

We went back to our condo on the beach and ran down to grab a family photo while dinner was cooking. It was very simple. PERFECT! We were all wearing the shirts Susan had made for us and I am not sure I even brushed my hair that day!

After dinner, we had the kids sing a few songs Jessica had written for Steve and Susan's 40th wedding anniversary. Then we watched a video we all put together of the past 40 years. While watching it, I could not help but pray that I will have that kind of posterity and be as happily married at my 40th anniversary.

Monday morning Alan took C and M down to the pier to fish. C was in heaven!!!! We spent the afternoon on the beach, at the pool , hot tubbing, and napping.

Tuesday was Sea World day and probably my favorite day! O was very animated and loved every bit of Sea World. We got there at 9:30 and left at 10:00 that evening. He took a 30 minute nap and was a trooper! C and M went on the Atlantis Roller Coaster and were terrified! They were happy they went but did not want to go again! I am mad I didn't waste $ and buy the picture of them on the ride because it was hysterical!

Wednesday morning we went back out to the beach and O went in the ocean for the first time. The water was freezing but he loved it! He would laugh and laugh. I did not even attempt to take him out in it because it was so cold and I thought he would hate it. Alan's sister, Lisa, took him out and he kept wanting to go back for more.

Later that night we took the boys into town and found a Ghiradelli Chocolate Store. We ordered ice cream and sat on the patio. Next, we rented a little bike taxi and the guide biked us around town while telling us about the city. We really enjoyed that.

Thursday we went to Belmont where the kids rode some rides and played some games. We really had a great time there! We headed to Inn and Out Burger on the way home for lunch (at 3:30)! We were very hungry but we were having too much fun at the park to stop and eat food.

We had Costco pizza for dinner that night on the beach and enjoyed a beautiful sunset while doing so.

The adult played the newly wed game that evening after the kiddos were in bed. Alan was so proud we won!

Friday was another day at the beach and we were sad our trip was coming to an end. However, Alan would not let it end with out a trip to Petco park to see the Padres play. C had waited all summer for this. We had a great time at the game and every Pohlman was there to cheer and dance. (Some even mad it on the Jumbo tron). I left the game early with some of the other ladies and M and O. C stayed with Alan and some of the rest of the fam. They went to Ghiradelli again and got home after midnight!

We woke on Saturday to breakfast and packing to head home. We stopped at Filippa's on the way tot he airport. It is an Italian restaurant my dad and his friend loves. I must admit, it was pretty good and they were fast! We were off the airport and at times we were a little grumpy and we traveled with three little ones requiring carseats and boosters, getting shoes on and off through security, checking items at the gate....yada yada yada. All the traveling things you have to do.

All in all, the trip went very smoothly for us and we will forever have wonderful memories of a great trip spent with a family we adore. Steve and Susan paid for everything and they were very generous to all of us. They did a great job planning it and we are so grateful for the time, money, and energy they spent getting us together as a family! We love you guys!

We came home to a new member of the family on the Rogers' side. Eden Grace Morgan was born while we were gone. I am sad I missed the birth in person but was able to listen over the phone. It was such a miracle and I am happy she is here and safe. She was 5 weeks early but went home from the hospital 5 days later. I hope she is ready for the family she just joined. I know we are certainly ready for her and all the pink, flowers, bows, and toe nail polish I can find!

WeDDiNG DaY!

2010-05-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I need to post about but so little time. This is one post I can't let go by. Mimi and Robb are now officially Mr. and Mrs. Robb Jones. Megan did an amazing job planning the wedding. She pretty much did it herself and asked very little of us.

The day started with me meeting her at the salon to get our hair done and her make up done. I raced back to pick up the boys from Alan's sister's house where we dressed the boys in their adorable outfits. I then drove to the freeway to get O to fall asleep for a minute or two. That did not work. I was so nervous he would be a grumpy and tired baby. We got to Market Street and Alan took the boys while O and I went into see the bride. She looked GORGEOUS!!!!! O sat on the counter and put lipstick on and combed his hair while Megan waited patiently to walk down the aisle.

We had one rehearsal and only one broken vase. All the boys were on best behavior after that. Alan and I walked down the aisle together and all the other siblings did with their spouses. My Mom walked down with the boys and M walked down with my only niece Ash holding a sign that said "Here Comes the Bride". My Dad walked Megan down the aisle and it was perfect. The weather was awesome and the vows were wonderful. I am so happy to have them married!

The luncheon was right after but we sent the boys home with Alan's Mom. I must admit, they were better than I expected!

Alan spoke and did a wonderful job but the best part of the luncheon happened at the end of his toast. Alan said they would cut the cake but one of their friends named "Roe" said "Oh no you don't!" and jumped into the cake! Hah Hah! Jokes on you. They had planned it. Megan and Robb were in on it. (I knew about it too, otherwise I would have tackled him). Roe brought the cake and set it up because he has always wanted to jump in a wedding cake. Megan and Robb let his dreams come true! It was hilarious! Everyone left with cupcakes instead.

The reception was up at The Point. It was classic, basic, and beautiful. We had pictures and the reception started. The dancing was AWESOME! All the little boys broke it down! I think my parents were in heaven!

We decorated their car but that turned into a disaster with the rain, getting lost in the parking garage, and then the elevators were closed down. We missed the bride and groom leaving the reception (but we had the keys). They got lost in the building and we had their keys. Eventually we found them and off they went.
We got home around 11:00 and we were exhausted. The boys hit the sack and so did we.

It was a wonderful day. We loved it. Congrats Robb and Megs. We love you and are happy your day was so wonderful!

Bacheloret Party!

2010-05-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

On May 15th, I went with my sisters and Mom to Sego Lily Day Spa. We got pedicures and relaxed for a while. After, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner where Alicia and Mer (Robb's mom and Sister we waiting and had saved us a table!). After a wonderful dinner, we headed into the mall for some last minute wedding needs. Only to have them shut the doors on us because the Mall was closing. Then we went to Yogurt Stop for some yummy yogurt. Finally we ended at Chelsea's where we talked most of the time but then played Let's Dance on the Wii. It was hilarious and a fabulous workout. I am so happy we took time as girls before the wedding to celebrate Megan getting married! I am so happy for her. Thanks Gals!

Sunshine, Girlfriends, Shopping, Food, and Fun.

2010-05-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in April I went with some of my girlfriends (Bree Strong, Ashli Storheim, Mer Hopkin, and Sara Hopkin) to Scottsdale. It was so fun and VERY needed. I felt rejuvenated when I came home. The weather was perfect and the shopping was ridiculous! I am so grateful for such good friends. They made me laugh soooooooo hard. We were having so much fun that I took a total of five pictures! Two of Sushi. Thanks ladies! I will never forget the MANY things you taught me while on our trip.

13.1 and Very Proud!

2010-04-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

We did it and I feel great! I now have the Salt Lake City Half Marathon under my belt. We have spent the last few weeks working out all the little pains and worries but reached our goal. Last night we went to get our packets. We had them tape our knees and that was probably the best thing I could have done for my knee. After that, we went to Olive Garden for dinner with some of my family and the Jones family. It was so fun 'carbin' up.
Then we headed to get the boys from Alan's parents. Thanks for tending Grandma and Grandpa. We came home and the boys made signs for Mimi. We got the boys down. I got all my gear ready and then fixed my shuffle with some new tunes. We went to bed around 10:45. M woke a few times. (He has had a few breathing problems requiring treatments lately. He is doing much better). I couldn't sleep anyway. I was too excited.

6:10 and we were ready to go. Megan and Kelli met at my house. My Dad came and picked us up. We were so giddy. We dropped by Hopkins and picked them up too. Of coarse, we headed to the potty lines and waited and waited and waited. In fact, we were still in line when the race started. We stretched a little and we were off! We felt great! A HUGE thanks to all that came to cheer us on. Robb's family, Steve and Susan, my parents, Morgans', and more! You will never understand what it means to have people cheering you on until you are out running and you see them! It is such a motivator. It was beautiful weather and I loved every minute of it. We did a run walk method. We ran 10 minutes and walked two. At first it was hard to walk but we knew it would pay off in the end.

Poor Megs. I was so giddy! High on life and feeling great. I kept talking and I think her ipod kept turning louder and louder to drown out my talking. I am so proud of you Megs! You rocked it! What a big accomplishment for you. Thanks for training me and being my running buddy! I love you.

We finished the race but not before Megan took a grand entrance over the finish line. She tripped!!!!!!! I caught her arm so she did not go all the way down. It was just enough for people to gasp. One final laugh for our running adventure.

We headed home but noticed a box of one dozen Banbury Cross doughnuts in the car! We stopped at Hopkins and enjoyed almost every doughnut together. Thanks Dad! (so much for running off all those calories!)

Finally, I have to say thanks to my biggest fans!!!! Alan and my boys. They spent many weeks alone while I trained. Alan woke the boys early, got them ready, packed up the car, and drove around to different stops to cheer me on. I had tears in my eyes every time I saw them. They make me so happy. I complain to Alan what a chore it is getting kiddos in and out of the car. He did it many times during the race and then he had to entertain them while waiting for me to come along. Thanks Hun! I love you and thank you for being my biggest fan and supporter!
Not only for my run but for my life. I adore you.

Easter Bunny Visits

2010-04-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

It is not very often we stay home on Easter Sunday. We were happy to listen to conference and hear our wonderful church leaders teach about being better parents, patience, and love. We enjoyed conference and listened to as much as we could with three little boys playing around. I always look forward to the conference.

But first, we will enjoy the beginning of spring. However, Easter morning looked more like Christmas morning. The boys did enjoy dying eggs a few days before and Alan is so good and patient with the boys. They had fun searching for the eggs and baskets. C was good about letting the little boys find their eggs and baskets without telling them where they were when he found them. After conference we went to my parents for dinner and enjoyed spending time with my family. BOYS, BOYS, BOYS! My parents have one granddaughter but that will soon change! Chelsea and Jeff are having a GIRL!

Then we headed to Pohlmans' where Steve and Susan did their annual egg hunt. They are so thoughtful. Susan gave the boys a large chocolate bunny so we did chocolate dipped strawberries the next week.

I had to post this picture of O. He is getting so big. He is starting to want to do everything himself. He found this hat and thought he was the stuff. Well, what can I say...he did look pretty darn cute!
I am so grateful for the miracle that took place on Easter morning. I love my Savior and know His resurrection took place so many years ago. I hope I can now teach my three little ones the truthfulness of this gospel and pray they will some day have a strong testimony of what Easter Sunday means to them.

Recipe for....

2010-03-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

PerFeCtIoN! The last few weeks had been very disappointing when it came to my running. I have had problems with my knee and then my hip on the other side. There have been a few times where I have been in tears thinking I would not be able to meet my goal of running the half marathon April 17th. After trying to avoid taking Prednisone, I finally decided it was worth a try to get the inflammation out of my knee and hip. Well, Saturday was a GREAT day. We went to Eden for the weekend with my sister and parents. On Saturday morning I took the first round of the crazy medicine, ate a healthy but light breakfast, and stretched while the kiddos ate. My parents dropped us off at our starting point and off we went. The sun was shinning and Megan had put all new songs on my shuffle. We were jammin'.

I had my new shoes on (yet another pair in hopes of fixing my knee problem) and the scenery was gorgeous. We ran and we ran and......NO PAIN! I loved it. Megan did awesome. I am so proud of her. We have kept each other motivated. After an hour my parents came driving past us cheering us on. They parked at the cemetery and started walking towards us. They passed off the keys and we ran the final mile to the car. We stretched in the sun and it felt great knowing I could at least do 8 miles four weeks before the race. For some people, 8 miles is nothing but for people with non running bodies, 8 is a big accomplishment.

We drove and picked up my parents. They had walked a ways and that was almost as exciting! Seeing my Dad out walking and not out of breath was wonderful.

We went home and had a yummy lunch and went hot tubbing with my honey and the boys. We put the boys down for naps and took showers. Then off to a massage my Dad planned for Megan and I! It was FABULOUS! Oh , it felt GREAT!!!!! By body needed that. I can actually remember the date of my last massage! January 15th 2007. The day before M was born. Thanks Dad! I really enjoyed it.

Next, we had dinner at Carlos and Harley's! Great Mexican food. The only disappointment there was when C got a chip caught is his throat and you would have thought the world was coming to an end. That kid can really perform!

All in all, it was a fun weekend. I am excited to know I can run without pain. I hope it continues!

HaPpy 5th BirThDaY C!

2010-02-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

Really? FIVE! You have grown a lot this year. It is a week after your birthday and we are still celebrating. A few days before the big day, Mimi came over. You said "Mimi, do you have anything to say to me?" She was a little baffled. You replied, "How about 'Happy Birthday in three days'."

The Sunday before, we had a little party with all the Pohlman family at Grandma and Grandpa's house. You milked this birthday for all it was worth. The big celebration occurred the evening before your actual birthday. Daddy came home early from work with a gift. You opened it and it was Jazz tickets with sushi for dinner. You were excited.

Mimi came over to go with us and we dropped O off to Grandma and Grandpa's to play for the evening. We went to Happy Sumo for sushi (your favorite food) and then headed to the game. It was fun to see you watch in amazement as we walked through the Energy Solutions Arena. The game ended in a loss and you were VERY disappointed. You are a true sports fan. Sometimes a little too much of a fan. Mimi brought chocolate cakes and a candles. We headed home late and you and Moo hit the sack. You were exhausted.
Yes, this is you pouting because the Jazzers lost.The next morning, we dropped M and O off at Nana's so I could come co op in your classroom. You felt very special with your birthday crown and the cupcakes you brought for your class.

Later that night we went to swim lessons and you practiced you "skills". Next we met Nana and Papa at Lone Star for a birthday dinner.

I am proud of the little boy you are growing into. You love preschool! You love to play in clubs and have followed our guidance in making sure you invite all people into every club. You play basketball in the basement for hours each day. You wear your Jazz jersey and use your Jazz ball. You insist on wearing a jersey for whatever sport you are playing. You tease M A LOT and it drives us nuts. There are many time outs each day for informing M you have more cereal, your apple is bigger, or you have more toothpaste on your toothbrush. We are working on being a little kinder to your brother. You make us laugh every day and amaze us with how smart you are! You are reading words, adding and subtracting numbers, problem solving, and asking many questions. You love swimming, sports, and being with your family. We love being with you too and wish you a wonderful year as a five year old. May you be blessed with health, love, and happiness as you grow into a six year old! Love you C.

Update

2010-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

I am getting horrible at this blogging thing. I really want to keep on top of it because I have started printing it and my kids love reading it. So here is a little update.

Alan and Uncle John took C and M ice fishing two weeks ago while we were in Eden. C was so proud of the only fish they caught.

We moved M into the bunk beds with C and it is WONDERFUL! They love it and take care of each other. M feels like such a big boy and C enjoys being in charge. We also taught C how to turn the T.V. on (only after 7 o'clock) and the biggest miracle of all........O is sleeping in! He slept until 9:00 yesterday and 8:15 this morning. Do you know what this means? We have been sleeping in! I never thought sleeping past 7:30 would be 'sleeping in' but it is delightful!

C has yet to be to school this week. A little cough Monday has turned nasty and so we have been stuck at home. M is now starting to cough this evening. Why can't kids get illnesses at the same time? Seriously! Right as one gets better the next one starts.

The older boys are taking swim lessons at Westminster. I thought I would get an early start on spring. They love being back in the pool. I must admit, swim lessons in the winter are very different. It is a chore to get them dressed and dry to drive home.

My Dad has RSV so he is being watched closely by the Dr. I will say it again....WHAT A TROOPER!

O got his first set of molars the past two weeks and took ten steps yesterday. He only eats with utensils, has a great sense of humor, loves the camera, and likes to tease. He is very smiley and makes us laugh a lot.

I am training for the Salt Lake Half Marathon with my sister Megan. I am so proud of her. It is going to be so much fun. I got new shoes today and can't wait to run in them tomorrow!

Why does it seem like February hits and over night we get spring fever? It was fun but we are itching to get outside more. Being a Mom to three beautiful little boys is heaven on earth. I look back about a year ago and wonder how I did it. It is so much easier with C and M getting themselves ready in the morning. I can't believe I was getting all four of us dressed, shoes on, pottied, teeth brushed, fed, nursed O, and got C to school on time. It is MUCH more manageable now. I am looking forward to a busy and FUN summer! This will be the first summer since 2003 I will be not pregnant or nursing. I am excited to PLAY! Now if we can just get healthy!

Here is to the month of LoVe!

HaPpy 3rd BirThDaY Moo!

2010-01-16T21:29:00.001-08:00

You have made life nothing but bliss! We love you buddy. You easily make us smile every day and we 'love you so much'. Today, you woke to your brother telling you a big "Happy Birthday" to which you responded with a tight hug for him. Then you made your birthday cakes with Daddy and you were VERY excited. You made a Utah cake and a football cake. We went to The Pie for dinner and then to Fat Cats to bowl but it was over an hour wait so you played skeet ball instead. We came home and opened presents and then had cake and ice cream.
You have had a lot of new experiences this past year. You had surgery on your palate, graduated from speech, potty trained easily, started at a preschool three hours a week. You love your teachers, Ms. Mer and Ms. Sarah, and they love you too! You play very well with your big brother but your little brother is more of a nuisance than a play mate these days. I am sure that will change this year.

You love your family and enjoy making us laugh. Our only complaint is when you yell out.....every night! You mostly complain of tummy aches. We are not sure if they really exist. We have tried letting you yell for a while but O ends up waking. Who knows what to do but I can't help but kiss your sweet lips every time I see you, morning or night! HaPpY BiRThDaY Bear!

Holiday Recap!

2010-01-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

Every year I end up posting our holiday adventures the first week of January. I guess we are just having too much fun and then we are trying to get back into the swing of things for me to post in the year it all actually happens. So here it is:

December 23rd we went to my parents where my Mom makes a candle light dinner with steak, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and Cold Duck! I love that stuff. Now it is a little nerve racking watching my four and two year old drink from her goblets she received as wedding gifts but my Mom is adamant they use them! This year, we did not buy gifts and instead brought money. My parents gave the kids $5 bills and then let them make the decision about purchasing some animals for families in other countries. The kids loved it and it was nice not bringing home another toy. We also dressed the kids up and played out the Nativity Scene.

December 24th we went to Alan's parents and made our own pizzas. We also did the Nativity Scene there. We ate Susan's homemade plate of Christmas cookies. That is a tradition we look forward to every year! Alan calls it "Hunt the Wumpus" when he and C sneak around the house weeks before trying to snatch a few. Megan and Robb came over after and hung out for a little. They offered to stay at our house while we went to the organ recital at 11:30. It was nice to do that again. I went seven straight years until I had C and have not been since. I loved it.
Why is it sooooo difficult to get a Christmas Jammies picture? SERIOUSLY!!!!!!! Christmas morning was wonderful. C slept in M's room that night to ensure he would not see the presents in the morning when he came upstairs. They were SOOOOO excited. Santa rocked this year. He managed to not buy a single toy! Gifts included; a new #4 Utah jersey, Jazz jerseys, backpacks, watches, piggy banks, and a BB gun! Yep! A GUN! Apparently Daddy Santa did not see that movie enough to know "You'll shoot your eye out!".
C picked a snow shovel for his gift to M. M picked a fishing pole for C. They were most excited to give the gifts they bought for each other. Alan started that tradition last year and I think it is wonderful. Did I mention, Alan does ALL our shopping! I lucked out in that area!!!!

We headed back to Pohlmans' for omelets and gifts around 10:00 and stayed until 2:00. We came home and put the boys down for naps. Then we headed back to my parents for a little more family time and fun.
But that was not enough so we went to Eden on Saturday morning for six days. I LOVE THAT PLACE! I went snow boarding for the first time and LOVED every minute of it. OK, maybe not the one wipe out where I was VERY lucky to have had Alan's helmet on. Megan was my amazing teacher and we laughed a lot! Especially getting off the lift. O Memories. News Years was much the same. Alan did a firework show for us and then we went to bed. Only to wake to my brother-in-law banging pots and pans.....inside the house and my Dad laughing his guts out about the countdown oops at Time Square. Never a dull moment.

We came home early to see the Fullmers. It was fun to see them and catch up. They we a little sick so we felt bad but we were happy to be with ALL our family at some point over the holidays. I know most people would cringe reading this, but we sincerely enjoy every minute with family and count that as one of our choicest blessings! Here is to 2010!

Family Photos!

2009-12-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

We got some great pics a few weeks ago. I actually dread family pictures but I thought the boys did great. I was very happy with them. Alan was the most difficult. He did not want his hair cut the day before and hated all the clothes I picked for him. The other boys did not complain once but Alan managed to voice his opinion about how we should be wearing Utah apparel. Seriously! I love him.

You can see all our pictures at http://mclark.photobiz.com/cart/event_login.cfm?eventID=303788

HaPpy BirThDaY O!

2009-11-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

Come on bud! It is not THAT scary!
There you go! Takin' after your Mommy!

One year old yesterday! You are a sweet angel. I love the way snuggle and want to be held by someone when ever possible. You love your small doggie blanket and carry it around in your mouth. You still like a binkie and we do not mind. You are finally sleeping past 6 in the morning. It happened a few weeks ago and it happened over night. Lovin it! You can sign "more", "eat", "dog", and "sleepy". You say "Ugh Oh", "DaDa", and "I love you". No "Mama" yet, but "I love you." That seems a little backwards. You are a fabulous eater and do not turn anything away, including brussel sprouts. Two top teeth and three bottom make for a very happy smile which we see all day long. You are a skinny mini. Very long but skinny. It is hard to find clothes long enough for your legs but still stay on your bottom. We love you O. Thanks for bringing joy and happiness to our family and for putting up with your brothers. Happy Birthday Big Baby Boy! We adore you!

BOO!

2009-11-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

This is not a scary boo for Halloween. Nope. This is a BOOOOO to Swine Flu. Yep. Halloween was a bust this year. I dressed up as a victim to the piggy pox. Only, I did not dress up. Alan left for Puerto Vallarta and within 24 hours, it hit. I took the Relenza instead of Tamiflu because our insurance paid for it. Well, minus the $60 co pay. After a few days I was only getting sicker. Back to the Dr. where they took me off it and now I am functioning much better. Alan came home right in time for Halloween but was also sick. However, his was not the piggy pox. He overdosed on the motion patches. He still took the boys to the Utah Game. Yes. They wanted to go there instead of trick or treating. ?????? Whatever. I spent the night home with O and tried to get some rest. O never even dressed up for his first Halloween. Poor kid. I was just too lazy! Sorry buddy. I will make it up to you next year. C and M were the same old costume. The ones they wear every chance they get. It just did not seem like Halloween at all.

Thanks again to fam for taking the boys, making meals and grocery shopping for me.

Viva Las Vegas

2009-10-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Alan and I went to Vegas for the Utah game a few weeks ago. Of course, the kiddos got sick the night before!!!!! We have been healthy for 11 months. Yes! Nobody has been sick since the night before O was born. I even told Alan someone would get sick the night before we left and sure enough....the tummy flu came a knockin'. SO TYPICAL!

We started by flying with "SICKO". Actually, he has been quite healthy but has to wear the mask to keep himself that way. He is a TROOPER!

Alan drove with his friends so we did not meet up until Friday. In the meantime, I went to dinner with my Dad, two sisters and brother-in-law. I ordered a roasted marshmellow shake....DIVINE<> Friday we went to the gym, a Taiwanese restaurant, and the outlets. Later, we met up with my Mom, the Jones Family, and Alan. We went to a place called Kokomos in the Mirage where we stayed. I ordered the biggest crab legs you have ever seen! They also had a lobster bisque that was amazing. Saturday started with the gym again and a little more shopping at the Forums. Needless to say, I spent my birthday money.

We all headed out to the game packed in Jigga's car. That stadium is random. It is nowhere near the school, in the middle of the desert with dirt parking lots. My dad's eyes were killing him. I must say this year's game was much better than two years ago. It was still a little boring but we were happy to cheer our Utes on and not get killed like last time.

We made it home and the kids were recovered. Thanks to Alan's family for taking them. We are so blessed!

Just livin'

2009-10-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Man o man. I need to update this baby. So much to say. I know I will miss many things but I guess I will post pictures and that should be enough. Where did summer go? I keep thinking I will wake and check the weather to find 80's again. Then yesterday, I put away the kiddos shorts. We have a 70 degree rule around here for wearing shorts and so I think they will be gone until spring. This is what we were up to in September. A LOT of playing. Isn't life FABULOUS?

Our last trip to the Alpine Slides. I love that place. The Roller Coaster is my favorite. (Along with the Turkey Burger from Ruby Tuesday)

C's first day of Preschool.
We have two pictures. One with what I chose for him to wear and then this.....what he wore to school. Actually, this is not bad at all! At least it was not the jersey!

I think he will always be on the back row for class pictures. The kid is huge.

We went down to see the elephant walk at Gateway. Sara said it best "This is the poor peoples' circus" I think this will be a tradition. We have done it two years in a row.

We made it to the fair. It seemed a lot cleaner and nicer this year. Or maybe I am getting less worried about that kind of stuff with three boys.

Paul and Jess invited us out to see their horses. It was so much fun. Thanks guys.

We soon discovered.....Moo is allergic to horses. Ya Think?

POOR GUY! He did not even complain once!

Happy Nine Years

2009-08-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Here's to 9 years of excellent service! I LOVE YOU HUN! I could write a long tribute of all the reasons I love you but I will keep those reasons for you and me to enjoy! Thanks for a wonderful evening last night. I am glad we switched it up a little and went to the Metropolitan for dinner. Thank you for humoring me and playing my fun game during dinner. You can ALWAYS make me laugh.

'09 Eden Balloon Fest

2009-08-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Rogers and Whitney families started a tradition a few years ago of attending the Eden Balloon Festival. It has turned into one of our favorite family traditions we look forward to each year. Both families stay at our parents’ place in Eden and we have a blast. Memories include:
Waking early (Oh wait. We are already awake!) to see the hot air balloons
Tennis Tournaments
Late night poker tournaments
Motorcycle riding
Reminiscing about the old days on Aplomado Drive
Swimming
Grasshopper/leprechaun hunting
Bike Riding
After dark balloon lighting
Carnival/booths
Calls the QVC
Napping
Disciplining children
Harley and Bucks for dinner (Snowball!!!!!!)
And so much more.
We are sad to have the weekend over and can’t wait for next year!
We miss the Whitneys already. I am sure they miss us too!

Thanks to our parents for letting us ALL come and play.

Night Lighting

The LadiesThe Boys

This year's favorite balloon

Gotta Document!

2009-08-27T21:19:00.001-07:00

Great job M!!! You are 100% Potty Trained and we are LOVING it! That was easy. What did we expect? Life is sweet with you around.

Girls Weekend

2009-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

I went to Eden with all my girlfriends for a few days. I even left all the kiddos with Alan after he convinced me to do so. Thanks Hun…I needed that. Not only did he survive, but the house was clean and laundry was done when I came home (I think his Mom had something to with the laundry!) I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends. Congrats to Stace on the wedding this week. I love you girlies!

Bring on the Apples

2009-07-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

While most people I know go through the McDonald’s drive thru for a Diet Coke each day, I would go for another reason. If I could, I would order a small Caramel Dip. That is the reason I usually order my kids a Happy Meal. Just so I can sneak the apples and dip. Well, my cute Dad found this out when we were at Mickey D’s one time. (Ya! He would not step foot in that place when we were kids but now he takes my kids all the time). He would always ask for a thing of caramel as we were leaving so I could take it home and indulge later that day during nap time.

Well, look what he showed up with on my door step this morning!!!!!! HE ROCKS! He is so thoughtful and amazing. 200 caramel dippers from McDonald's. He makes me smile! Thanks DAD. I LOVE YOU.

Summer Fun

2009-07-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual Bear Lake trip with the Pohlman Fam. We had a grand old time. Pictures explain it all.Alan's brother, John, put on a REAL firework show on the beach.Watching the fireworks.

WOW…it got hot fast. I must say it was kind of nice having the heat come later this year. We have ventured out of the valley a few times with my parents to Park City to get out of the heat and it was NICE. We found a new favorite, Turkey Burgers at Ruby Tuesday. The first time we went to the Alpine Slides but it had just rained so it was closed so we rode the roller coaster instead. That place has REALLY changed in the past five years. We returned a week later because we had a pass to the slides but of course we had to stop for a turkey burger. As we got to the slide at 8:05, we realized it closed at 8:00. So, I guess we will head up once again. However, before heading home, we had to stop at the Chocolate Factory for a Caramel Apple and the kids picked these nasty sugar suckers with no flavoring. Even they did not like them!

We have also spent a few nights at the Pohlman cabin where it was also much cooler. We love it there. Thanks to Alan’s family, this place is amazing! There is always something to do there. Including…..going on the potty!

Yep M is potty training and after 6 days with no BM….success. I sat on the bathroom floor of the cabin for what seemed like eternity reading a coloring book to the kid. (Hey, you take what is available.) He has taken to the whole thing pretty well but seemed a little baffled by what happened. Let’s hope it lasts! I am so proud of the little trooper. Yippee, only one kid in diapers to change each day.

Back to Life!

2009-06-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

We are glad to have M’s surgery over with. He was such a trooper. I am so proud of him. The doctor said it would take at least three months for the swelling to go down and then we could start speech. We were not expecting any changes in his speech but we have seen great improvement! He can say his name without air coming through his nose. We are so excited. He also sleeps in a big boy bed now. It has only been a good thing. He has slept two strait weeks in it and has not even tried to get out. Also, M used to rise at 6:30 every morning. After we put him in the twin bed he has slept until 8 or 9. LOVIN’ IT! C had a more difficult time with the surgery than his brother that actually had the surgery. I think he was so worried about M that he even got a fever. Once M came home it was even more difficult. We are back into a SCHEDULE for him and he is doing WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!! He started swim lessons and LOVES it. I was blown away. He hates new things and paced the house all morning the first day of lessons. Now he asks when the weekend will be over so he can go to swim lessons. He has been delightful lately! He just needs something to look forward to.
O is adorable and I think he is beautiful. Can I say that about a boy? I call him Kitty Cat (because he cat naps all the day long) or Koala (because he just hangs on my body and forms to whatever position you put him in). He is rolling like crazy and giggling all day. He is sleeping from 9:15 to 5:00 or 6:00. He nurses and then goes back down for a few hours. I do not want to complain but I am wondering if I should try and break him of that early feeding. I never did with M and he is now an early riser. Any advice? He is also sitting for a few seconds and LOVES food. Today he ate broccoli and loved it. We are loving summer (now that it finally came) and looking forward to a few family trips. Alan took the two older boys fishing this morning. They were so excited. As for me, O and I did some serious yard work. It was perfect weather and the ground was moist.

Summer rocks. I love it. Alan HATES the heat (and I do at night) but everything else about it is wonderful. I can’t believe next weekend is Alan's birthday and then July 4th. Great times!

Better Days

2009-06-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Moo is in Primary Childrens Hospital. After a morning of only fluids we came here to have surgery around 11:45 to fix his Submucus Cleft Palate. M was happy as could be. The surgeon was running behind a little so he played for hours with some other kids and his Nana. After a few hours he said "OK Mommy. I am ready to go home." He had no idea what he was in for.

He happily went with the anesthesiologist in a wagon around 2:00. After an hour the nurse called and said everything was going well. She said she loved our little boy. He hopped onto the table and was as cute as could be.

After 2 hours and 45 minutes I started getting anxious. However Dr. Marshall Smith came out to tell us everything went well. He has 40-50 stitches in the roof his mouth and a few under his tongue. When I first saw him my heart broke. He is so sweet. I could tell he was in a lot of pain.

It took a while to get him stable enough to move to another unit where Alan spent the night with him so I could get home to nurse O and get him down.

He is not eating or drinking now and we can't go home until he does so. We will try to be patient and loving as he gets more comfortable.

A HUGE thank you to our family!!!!!!! Alan's Mom took M to buy a special Froggy toy a few days ago. It has turned into his best friend. She also took him yesterday morning while I got the other kids ready for the day. M could not eat ANYTHING!!!!! Even a raisin would not allow for surgery so she kept him by her side all morning long. Aunt April and Uncle John gave M a football to have people sign when they come to visit. My Mom came for support before surgery. I thought I would be fine until Alan got up here but I was happy to have my Mom with me. Aunt Mimi took C for a special day followed by a sleepover. O is back with Alan's parents, C is still with Mimi. How do people do it without family? We are beyond blessed!

I will update more later. We love you Moo!!!! GET WELL SOON.

Good Morning!

2009-04-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Isn't it ironic how you wait for the day your baby will sleep through the night and when he finally does....you are awake because you HAVE to pump, check him every few minutes because something must be wrong, or just can't sleep because your body is so used to being up. Good job O. Now just do it again!

These pics are for Aunt Jana and cousin E. O just wants to show off how awesome his hair is. He has a California wave going in the front. We miss you guys!

1st's

2009-04-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

How can another month go by and I not make time to post a little update. At least I found a little time to write in the baby books. Now I have about 3 minutes before I need to get C and M up from naps. So this one is for O.

He had a lot of firsts this month. Mostly with food. I still can't figure out what it is I eat that makes him have hard nights. I have narrowed it down to one thing for sure.... yogurt. Which I LOVE!!!! I used to eat two a day. He has started sleeping much better but still not like the other boys at this age. The whole cry it out thing is still in the works. Here are a few pictures from the past few weeks.

My Dad will claim this face is because he HATES this frog outfit. I think it is cute. I would have to say O knows what is to come. I heard the boys laughing and came in to find O wearing C's new shoes. First rice cereal. He loved it..... for about three days. First try with a sippy. Hmmmm, not quite ready.

First solid food. Sweet potatoes. YuMMMMM He ate 2 and half jars last night after a full nursing.

O adds a lot of extra mommy work to my day with no extra sleep but I love him to pieces. His smile is so cute and people always comment on how sweet he is. Today is a good day and we are doing well. I seriously pray every day for more patience but then thank the Lord for these sweet spirits that teach me ALL about who I really am.

SPF

2009-03-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

All those years of my Mom telling me to put more suncreen on finally caught up with me. I was not going to post anything but so many people have been calling and they are very concerned. I am hoping this will calm peoples' nerves.

A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with Melanoma In -Situ. The spot is on my upper chest and is about the size of a quarter. Today I had surgery to remove it and it went well. It took most of our day at Huntsman and we will be back again tomorrow for reconstructive surgery. All of the melanoma is gone after two procedures and they did a biopsy on another spot. They also had to take a control sample so I have stitches in three different areas.

Tomorrow will be very telling as far as what my chest will look like in the future. We are praying they will be able to close the wound with just a straight line. If that is not an option, I will have a graft from my thigh. I really hope they can close it.

All is well and a huge thank you goes out to Alan's Mom for taking the boys ALL day, my parents for taking C and O this evening, and Trish and Sara for dinner. I LOVE YOU!

Hopefully this will be the last physical bump in my health for a long time. I do not like not being 100% for myself and family. (P.S Do not look at the rest of this post if you have a queasy stomach)

Good Bye February

2009-02-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

I thought I would quickly put in a few things we did this month.

C went to the Senate Floor and sang the Utah song for a few players and coach Wittingham. I told Louie Sakota about how Alan wanted to name O Louie. He asked what we ended up naming him and he said that was his middle name!

We went to Eden last weekend and C got his snowball from Charley and Bucks. It is ice cream covered in every candy bar you can think of. WE LOVE THAT PLACE! My Dad ordered FOUR desserts for the five adults and two children. We were sick! We also did a little snow play.

C had his first official birthday party. Of course, he wanted a UTAH party. We just went to the church and let the kids run crazy. We also did a pinata, pizza, and cake. He had a blast.

O turned three months old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT???????????? I still pretend he is a newborn. John and April had a new baby and Susan was able to hold all three new grand babies together today. She was ALL smiles!

123*4

2009-02-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

FoUr! How can you be four years old today baby? It is exactly 4:49 the time you were born four years ago today. I must tell you I have learned more in the past four years of being a Mom to you than I have my entire life. True patience, deep love, pride, gratitude, I have a temper at times, forgiveness, and admiration, just to name a few. I have so many wishes for you bubs. I hope you had a happy birthday.

The past year was a growing experience in many ways for you. You tried a soccer team with all the neighbor kids. In the second game you fell and got trampled on. You had cleat marks on your back and chest for a week. Needless to say, soccer games were not your favorite thing after that experience.

You love going to Eden and spending time with family. Your cousins get crazy when we get together but what do you expect with 7 boys and 1 girl?

You went to a variety of Utah games and got the infamous jersey! Today, Papa bought you a new basketball jersey after taking you to Mc Donald's for a birthday breakfast. Now you might actually have two different things to wear every day.

You sang the Utah song on KSL radio and had a new baby brother in a 24 hour period. You also sang on the Senate floor for the players and coach but that is a whole other post.

You and M have become best friends. You love being together and play well. I hope someday O will join you in your fun activities you create. You make me smile every day and cry on others as I try to raise you to be a happy, respectful, adventurous, courageous, loving, and kind little boy.

HaPpy BiRtHDay C! We love you so very much!

Bye Bye Binkie

2009-02-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I decided it was the dreaded time to get rid of the bink for M. I asked Alan what approach we should take. Binky Fairy, balloon fly away, garbage truck drive away, cutting it, etc. Alan suggested we just tell him he can't have it any more. I laughed and told him I was going to dinner with my cousins that night and good luck. It couldn't be that easy. Well, Alan put him to bed that night and told M no more binkies. M said OK and went to bed! And that was that.

He is so easy going! At times he is my saving grace that I am actually doing something right in this thing called parenting. A huge thanks to Alan for showing me I may need to relax a little, not plan EVERY little thing in life and I need to maybe simplify some things I do as far as mommying goes.

I Despise This!

2009-02-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

The word HATE is not allowed in our home but I must admit I have muttered it a few times this week. Had I known the trouble this little jersey shirt...would bring, I would have never bought it! When C came upstairs wearing it for the FOURTH day in a row, I wanted to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give me a break? Is he trying to torture me? Seriously! I ask myself every day, "WHY DOES IT BOTHER YOU?"

I do not know why I cringe every time I see it. Maybe because it HAS to stink, or maybe because he has brand new handsome clothes, or maybe because I get embarrassed. Who knows. I know I need to get over it! Do we go buy three more or just teach/fight him into wearing other clothes? HE LOVES IT! One thing is certain, I may not like the jersey shirt, but I love the little man wearing it! Please help me.

Better Late Than Never

2009-02-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to getting O's birth announcement. Now I just need to send them! Thanks to Bobbie! She is still working on her site but check it out.

http://www.bobbiewhitneyphotography.com/

Bless this Baby

2009-01-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

O was blessed on January 11th by Alan. Of course, I knew Alan would do a good job but is was absolutely beautiful!

We finally got a picture with the three of us but Alan had already changed his clothes. Alan's mom was taking the picture so of course Alan had to act like a goof ball!

Forgotten Christmas

2009-01-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

OK, so it was not forgotten but I just never posted about it. Here are a few pictures for the memory book.

Demings brought us a fresh cut tree! That is what friends are for. We were feeling sad we were not able to do this tradition this year with a new baby.

Every year Aunt Mimi does a Utah tree with the boys.

We got together on the 23rd with my family where my Mom did her tradition dinner. Super yummy! That was followed by the Nativity Scene by the kids. Joseph and Mary.

My sweet Dad with yet another contraption to make life bearable. At least he was somewhat healthy this Christmas! Thank you Lord!
Then we headed to Pohlmans' to do the Nativity scene again. Aren't the holidays wonderful? We love being with family.

Traditional Christmas pose. O was still sleeping.

Christmas jammies.

O's first Christmas.

Santa brought bikes but we forgot to get pictures! Merry Christmas 2008.

HaPpy BirThDaY Moo!

2009-01-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

So you turned two last week and it has been a delightful two years with you around. You are so easy going and fun to be around. People can't help but smile when you enter the room. You are always up for sharing and do almost everything we ask of you. You love the television and would sit in front of it all day. Especially if Tigger and Poo or Higgly Town Heroes are on. Whenever you cry you hold your hands over your mouth. It is a love torture relationship with your brother. Your favorite thing to play is Utah Football with Daddy and C. The birth of your little brother has not impacted your life at all so far. You just go with the flow.

Last week we took you in for a speech evaluation where you qualified for speech articulation. We also have an evaluation at Primary Children's because they think you might have a submucas cleft palate. You have a hard time articulating but that doesn't stop you from trying to talk. You sound very nasally, chew your food for a long time, and seem to gag a lot while eating.

We adore you Moo and can't imagine a day without you. Thank you for bringing the peace we need in our home Chunky Boo. We love you Bear. Happy 2nd Birthday!

Opening your present from Grandma and Grandpa. Notice C is pouting of course!

You thought the Utah Parade was a big Utah party just for you!

Snowmobiling with Aunt Mimi the day after your birthday. We spent the weekend in Eden.

We finally made time for your cupcakes the day after your real birthday. SORRY Bubs! You did not like the candles but..

you loved the cupcakes!

First Photo Shoot with Bobbie

2009-01-23T09:38:00.000-08:00

O had his pictures taken at three weeks old. Bobbie has taken pictures of all my boys and she is AMAZING! Thanks Bobbie. I must admit, I think he is beautiful. Now, if I could just get his announcments out!

O's First Hours

2008-11-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

We started the morning at KSL where C sang the Utah song on air for the Grant and Amanda show. He did a GREAT job! They later played it on the Doug Wright show and throughout the day

My labor coach!

My FAVORITE nurse!

Baby O after one set of contractions and a little push.

Dr. Yamashiro and Nurse Heidi

Big brothers first visit.

GREAT company for the Utah game. Trish and Sara. Notice Sara's cocktail.

His first walk by big brother.

Welcome Baby O

Getting ready to go home.

The BOYS!

Game Day/Birthday!

2008-11-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Yep! I said birthday! The one day I said we could not have the baby.....we had the baby. It is WONDERFUL! We love our little O. He is soo stinking cute!

We got the Two-Fer, as the UTES thrashed the stinkin' zoobies 48-24 to go back to a BCS bowl. Alan snuck out to go to the game and made me proud as I saw him carrying off the goalposts on TV. We'll have more pictures of O soon. Here are a few pictures and information:

November 22, 2008

1:26 a.m

7 lbs 2 oz (little guy and loving it!)

2o 1/2 in long

A Utah Man am I!

2008-11-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

Going Private? Questions!

2008-11-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

OK. So now that I decided to get caught up on blogs, who is NOT going private? I am really avoiding the whole thing but it is nagging at me. Here is my question. Everyone says to put my email address in their comments. However, do you know what happens when you do this? There are companies that scan accounts and pick up your email address and then sell it for spam. I guess what I am getting at is, I want to be invited to view blogs but not have to give them my email over the internet. Any suggestions?

3+ 70% Efaced. Hotel Mama is Closed!

2008-11-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

Do not get excited people! I am always this way. I feel very different with number three. He is fine to stay inside a little while longer. No need to rush this one. As long as I can take Unisom every couple nights so I can get SOME sleep, I will keep cooking this Thanksgiving turkey. My body actually feels great and the boys keep me going. I am sure I will be stuffed right along with the Thanksgiving turkey on turkey day!

It's all in the NAME!

2008-11-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

Alan informed me tonight we needed to get serious about a baby name. OK! We started from scratch AGAIN and have new names. So choose a name you think will last a lifetime and our new baby will be proud to bare. I am not guaranteeing we will go with it but we are interested in what people think.

We are hoping for a baby soon but not too soon. If we get passed next weekend, that would be great. I have the Celine Dion concert with my Mom and sisters and of course, the BYU vs. Utah game. My Doc says after Thanksgiving but I wouldn't mind a little before so I can actually eat some food without feeling full after three bites. We will see. I go to the Dr. tomorrow. Wish me luck. I am guessing December 1, 2008.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

Alan and I really enjoyed this Halloween. C was so scared last year it was a bummer. This year he was wore his usual attire! He had to be "Utah Man". He loved My Mom's witch brew this year and spent the evening on the porch helping her.

M was a purple dragon and it was soooooo cute. He loved his costume! He was so proud in it. He was not afraid of anything! I could not believe it. He jumped out of the car at my Mom's and said "Hi Nana!"

Alan was a, hmmmm, I am not sure what to call him. I dressed up as a witch and wearing tights at eight months prego is not too much fun. Thanks to Sara for letting me borrow the costume.
We started at the Pohlmans' where EVERYONE was dressed up. It was so fun to see the creative ideas. We has soup and waited for the trick or treaters to come. Where are they these days? It sure has changed. Next we went to my parents and spent the evening eating even more food, candy, and cupcakes. Megan and Robb took the kids around the neighborhood and Alan followed behind. He said it was a blast watching the boys.

My Mom and Dad kill me! It was great to see my Dad enjoying Halloween.

Go Utes!

2008-10-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

We took C to the U game along with Jana and Jason. My brother and sister also came with a few of their boys. It was a lot of fun. C loves the Utes and his Dad has seriously brain washed him. He knows the entire Utah song! I HAVE to record him singing it. Here are some photos of the day.

Snow cones in October?

Future Utes!

Making paper airplanes after the game.

Taste of What's to Come

2008-10-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry.... no pictures for this post, by choice! I woke up on Monday morning about 3:00 a.m. with the most painful cramping in my neck. After a few hours of not being able to move, Alan's parents came down while Alan took me to the Emergency Room at St. Marks. They immediately took me to labor and delivery where they set me up to monitors only to see a lot of contractions. I was also dilating. I did not really feel the contractions because the neck pain was so bad. Apparently, the stress of the pain put me into preterm labor.

After a few shots of pain medication, I was able to relax and at least breath for a while. They admitted me to labor and delivery where they monitored the contractions, started physical therapy, and a few other things.

I am finally home now and it has been a little overwhelming as to what is to come. I hate relying on other people so much and having to ask for help. Especially with little one's around. I have felt very guilty about leaving the boys and was hoping to spend every last minute of this pregnancy playing with them and cherishing this beautiful fall weather.

Although I feel bad about having people help with EVERYTHING, this has made me realize how blessed we are to be so close to family. The boys we VERY well taken care of, dinner was made, laundry was done, I had someone with me constantly, and I did not have to worry about a thing.

It is overwhelming to think we will be doing this again in (we hope) 7 weeks. My little C gets thrown off by any little change. He put everyone in my hospital room in tears last night when he told me he liked my pretty shirt (the hospital gown) and how he wanted to write me a letter. I asked what it would say and he responded, "Dear Mommy, I love you. I am so sorry you have to be at the hospital. I like to play Sound Bingo with you. You are my best buddy."
What a sweet heart!

It killed me to not pick M up and kiss, hold, and cuddle him to pieces. He is so stinkin cute. I just pray I can now get back into a routine, stop contracting/dilating, and feel as good as I have felt during this pregnancy for the remainder.

I feel so blessed to have such a healthy body and to have healthy children.

One more HUGE thank you to my Mom, Alan's parents, siblings, and especially my little sister, who should really be a nurse, and those that offered but we never got back to. I had foot massages, food, and someone by my side every minute. I love you all so very much!!!!!

Dear M,

2008-10-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

You are not a baby anymore but will always be my baby. A few days ago I was trying to rock you after you woke from your nap. Carden was still napping and I was getting great cuddle time. It was a little awkward with my belly getting in the way. I kept adjusting you and finally you pushed my belly and said "Move Baby!" Should we be worried?

You are starting to talk a lot more but it is pretty nasally. You wake in the morning and from naps SCREAMING "MaMa". Did I mention you still wake at 6:30 in the morning? You absolutely ADORE your brother and copy EVERYTHING he does. You also get pretty upset with him at times!

Every time you see something red, you sing the tune of the Utah song. Your Dad has brainwashed you!

You still love your binky.....ooops. We will wait until after the baby is born to get rid of that one.

You have to have two blankies. One is never enough.

You give the best kisses in the whole world!

One of my favorite parts of the day is when Daddy leaves for work and comes home. You always say "Bye Bye Daddy, I love you." and "Hi Daddy!" when he comes home. It always makes me smile!

I love you M!

Dear C,

2008-10-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

You have grown up so much in the past few months. You have really become a big brother and LOVE playing with M. It scares me how much he already looks up to you. Here are a few things I love about you!

I love it when you......

ask "What day is it today?"

ask "What time is it?" Why do you need to know?

play Utah football in the basement and I have to cheer for you

get yourself dressed....and your clothes are on backwards or inside out

sing the ENTIRE Utah Utes song word for word

have conversations with M and they are about me

tell me we are buddies

get in the front seat of the car when I drop you off at preschool and give me kisses

get in the car from preschool and hand me all your papers with details about what you did

hear music at a store or somewhere else and tell me how it is on my ipod

tell me you like my shirt

eat all the vegetables on your plate first and then ask for more before you have eaten anything else

you tell me to "ask again" because I did not say please

say prayers for us

tell me I might want to get this baby out of me before it becomes the size of you

and soooo much more!

I love you Car Car!

Stake Conference

2008-10-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

I saw a glimpse of my future a few weeks ago when we went to our Stake Conference at the Conference Center down town. Here are pictures of the boys and it made me think about what is to come in our future around this part of town.

FUNNY HONEY!

2008-10-11T10:19:00.001-07:00

Have I ever told people how funny my husband is? He makes me laugh EVERY day!

Mexico

2008-10-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Now that it is October, I thought I would update with some pictures of our trip to Mexico in August! Yep, just a little behind. I knew I should be nervous when they used a truck,a rope, and a swimming noodle to get this boat from the shore to the water!
We had a great time LOOKING for fish. After many HOURS we did find a few. Right in time for me to finally give into my motion sickness..... yep. Right of the side of the boat. I should have done it three hours earlier.

The next day, Suz and I beached it while the guys went fishing again. Only this time they went on an amazing boat and caught a tuna bigger than Alan!

Am I really posting pictures of myself in a swimsuit? Not to mention at 5 1/2 months prego?

Did I mention how much we love Jer and Suz? We have missed them so much and it was great to catch up. Jer might be one of the funniest guys I know! Quick wit and so real.

GREAT MOMENT! THIS IS THE PLACE.
We finally decided to rent a car and drive around town for a while. Needless to say it was only a matter of time before we were pulled over! Alan tried to talk us out of the ticket(s) we were to recieve but quickly shut up when the officer asked Jer to exit the car. We ended up making them an under the table offer and he let us go. $60 later and I am sure the officer had a great lunch that day. Our tickets.....not slowing for speed bumps and not slowing over bridges. WEIRD>>>> there was not ONE sign stating those laws.

Alan always manages to find activities to do when it seems we should just be relaxing. Here he is trying to feed a bird while we are boating back to shore. The bird actually followed us for quite a while.
Thanks for the fun FISHING trip hun. Next time, Suz and I plan it. Can we say, RESORT!? I am so thankful for all the adventures by Hubby takes me on. I have seen the world since marrying him. He is so adventurous and always up for a good time. I love him!

Montana

2008-09-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend from high school that lives across the street from me was so sweet and took my parents' dog into their home when my Dad could no longer have pets around. My parents were so sad but very happy to have Montana go to such a wonderful home.

Well, Sara has developed a MAJOR allergic reaction to her with this new pregnancy. She even had to sleep at her parents home last night in order to finally get some some sleep. Anyway, here is the email she sent out.

I am looking for a WONDERFUL home for my dog, Montana. She is the greatest dog in the world and we hate to say goodbye but I have developed strong allergies to her and we're out of options. Here is her story:

9 years old (acts like she's 4)
Yellow Lab
Female
She belonged to Abby's parents who loved and adored her for 6 years until her dad came down with cancer and could not be around pets. We took her in 3 years ago and have loved every minute with her. In fact, she has been our child and that is why this is breaking our hearts.
She is completely potty trained (NEVER has accidents) and can sit, lay down, and heel. She likes to go to the bathroom in privacy (bushes) so there is not a lot of clean up with her at all.
She has always been treated like a princess and loves people. Very social dog.
She loves to play catch and fetch and LOVES to go on walks. She is also a great swimmer and can play for hours in the water fetching balls.
She was brought up around children so you can sit on her, pull her tail, teeth, etc. and she will NEVER bite. We've never had a problem and neither have Abby's parents.
She is okay around other dogs once she gets used to them. She likes to declare her dominance by barking at them (if she is bigger than they are) but she has never hurt any one or any animal.

I could go on forever about her but I won't. She has been really well taken care of. She gets groomed regularly and has her yearly check ups at Sugar House Vet Clinic. My doctor said this new allergic reaction may only last during my current pregnancy so I am either looking for someone who wants a trial run owning a dog to see if it's a commitment they want to make for about 9 months or if you fall in love with her because she's so great, she can be yours. We are flexible as long as we find her a wonderful home--temporary or permanent!

Please ask your friends and family if they are willing to take in a great pet and let us know. We hate to see her go but would be so happy if we knew she was going to a wonderful home.

Thanks,
Sara Rogers

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-09-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

I love you. It has been an insanely crazy few years and you have been through so much! I do not think anyone can comprehend the trials you have endured. Thank you for your love encouragement, example, strength, dedication, commitment, sense of humor, testimony, and so much more. I love you!

EIGHT YEARS and counting

2008-08-29T21:02:00.001-07:00

WOW. Thanks hun for eight years filled with new experiences, happiness, growth, challenges, joy, bliss, travel, boys, and so much more. I am grateful for all the memories we have and for our love and friendship. I will never be able to express how much I love you! Happy Anniversary August 30, 2008.

Bloggin' Blues

2008-08-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

I miss blogging. My eyes have been giving me fits whenever I look at my computer or watch television. It is a real bummer. I feel so out of the loop. I miss reading about everybody’s adventures. I hope all is well.

I need to do a few updates so I am typing this in word and I will try and post it tomorrow. I guess little baby steps just to post these days.

First, I have learned to eat my words the past few months. You never know what will happen in life, what turns you may take, and what things soon become practical instead ridiculous. I passed over to the other side last month. I swore I would never be caught dead in a minivan. Even when everyone said, “Once you do it, you will love it”, I just rolled my eyes and said “I will never drive and especially never love a minivan”. Guess what, I LOVE MY MINVAN! Did I just type that?

I found the perfect one and tried not to buy it but it was too perfect. I thought I would drive home in it thinking this is so stupid but whatever. However, the good ol’ Odyssey proved me wrong. I was so happy about it and I wanted to show it off. I know, weird!!!!!!

It is so FUNCTIONAL and I feel proud to be where I am at in my life. Who wouldn’t want two beautiful boys and another sweet spirit on the way? If that means driving the car I swore I never would, it is well worth it. Thanks to Alan for being supportive even though the thought of driving it makes him sick. (No offense, but he thinks he will look like a Cougar). So that is that. I hope I have not offended anybody out there but we just never thought we fit with the minivan. We are more SUV kind of people. Alan may still be, but I have a feeling that will change soon. I am SOLD. For all those people out there thinking I am insane and you will never drive a minivan, be careful what you say! I wasn’t.

It was a CRAZY July. It always is. We went to Bear Lake for 5 days with the Pohlman family. We spent a lot of time on the beach and playing with the fam. Thanks to Alan’s parents for always planning this tradition and to the And
rews for letting us use their cabin.

Next, Alan headed up for his annual Wind rivers trip with the bros and he said it ranked up there as one of the top two trips. What a great year for them. I headed up to Eden with my family with the boys. I love vacations but my sweet Carden has a difficult time with change. He is such a scheduled little man. He likes things to be the same. Max just loves to be with people and could care less where he sleeps or for how long. He still a happy guy.

Alan was leaving for scout camp last Friday and thought he would like to take Carden for his first camping trip. I know, I know! His first camping trip with the camping, hunting, fishing, king his father is! I thought it was a great idea. I was exhausted from having the food poisoning the day before and a little cold for a few days before that. Not to mention two weeks of non stop going.

I sent the boys off for the camping trip and Carden was more than excited. About an hour later, Alan called. He asked me to meet him in Kamas because my sweet little Carden had thrown up all over the Demings’ car…..SORRY Matt and Trish! So much for food poisoning! It was the flu! Alan was able to get him changed into some clothes and bought him some 7-up by the time I got there. Carden looked much better. He did not smell so great for the drive home but at least he did not throw up again. I got Carden home, tubbied, clothes washed, car seat steamed, etc. He was fine! Not another symptom!

I am so thankful for the joys of motherhood. This is what it is about, right? I am also thankful for family and friends. Alan’s mom took the boys during lunch time when I was so sick and my sister took them after naps. Sara and Trisha took Max while I went to get Carden on Friday. They also got take-out for me. I love living by family and by wonderful friends!

True Blue Through and Through!

2008-06-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! THREE boys. I always thought it was a boy but it was confirmed today. When the Dr. said "It is defiantly a boy." Carden replied, "Eh Eh. I win, Carden was right. It's a boy." I must say, three boys seems crazy. I need some back up here! It is even more crazy to think of possible missions! All the boys are 23 months apart. That could mean we could have a missionary out for 6 straight years. That is, if we can keep three boys in line for the next 19 years. Yikes. I keep thinking about the stories Alan tells about the Koch boys,the Hopkin boys, and the Strong boys. We are in for it! I must say, I am excited to start thinking of names and maybe get some tribunks. Just kidding. This will defiantly keep me in line as far as money goes. No need to buy a thing. We are covered.

We are so blessed! What a responsibility to raise three beautiful boys. We thank the Lord for his trust and pray we can be wonderful parents to three energy filled little boys.

Girlfriend Getaway!

2008-05-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

That's what friends are for. Talking until 1:30 in the morning, playing four square and ping pong, going on walks, eating a lot of delicious food, sharing ideas and opinions, laughing, crying, supporting, and so much more. What a wonderful weekend.

I went with some of my girlfriends from high school up to my parents' place in Eden last weekend and had a blast. Trisha Deming, Sara Rogers, Jen Lund, Ashley Kelly, Amy Rossi, Jill Steele, Stacie Stevens, Katy Carter, and I all went for a weekend without kiddos and hubbies. It was so much fun. I am so grateful for such wonderful friends that help me to realize what is really important in life. Thanks ladies for a great time. Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Lounging on the couch.

Jill, making pretend fried ice cream! SUPER YUMMY!

Ping Pong tournament.

Harley and Bucks for dinner.

Family Pictures

2008-05-14T17:07:00.001-07:00

We had our pictures taken a few days after I found out I was pregnant. I figured we needed a few shots of us together. We also gave them to our Moms' for Mother's Day. I love my boys and each day is filled with new, exciting, and sometimes frightening experiences. I am now off for a weekend getaway with 9 of my high school girlfriends. I will miss the boys but I am looking forward to a relaxing few days in sunshine. Thanks Honey for holding down the fort while I am away! I love you. Carden (3 years 2 months)
Maxwell (15 months)

I do not know what to call this post

2008-05-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for the post my Honey put on here. He has officially been banned from my password and is in serious trouble. I think his point was to show me how insane this blogging thing is and he did a great job. Within 15 minutes of posting that our phone started ringing. So, that was the male version of our little surprise. Here is the female version.

Remember the post about Lasik? Especially the last few sentences. “Thanks to my honey for letting me do this! It is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Do not worry people! Everyone keeps asking if we are done having kids. No we are not. You can get Lasik and still get pregnant. Just not for at least 6 months. Sorry honey!”

Hummmmm,Well, the waiting six months part did not really work out. Are you kidding me? In fact, I was most likely pregnant when I had Lasik. This is more than a shock!!!!! We are still not sure how it was possible. Just so everyone knows, certain forms of birth control do not work.

It tall started about a month ago when Alan was out of town. I woke really sick on a Monday morning and I thought I had the flu. I toughed it out and kept going through the day without saying anything to anyone. In the back of my mind I kept thinking I am a little late but there is NO WAY I am pregnant.

I felt better that night but woke the next morning feeling the same. I was baffled. I also had really bad heartburn. I started thinking I was making myself feel sick thinking I was pregnant but how could that even be possible. I decided I did not care and I would pay six bucks for a pregnancy test. Off we went to the store. It was a disaster!

There was a live radio broadcast there and a lot of people were by the pregnancy tests. Max just happened to throw a Vitamin Water out of the cart, the lid popped off, and it spilled all over. Carden yelled “What the world Max,” and took of running. Everybody looked at us and the DJ’s say on air, “Can someone help this poor lady get this mess cleaned up.” I wanted to dive into a whole. I am sure they were looking at me thinking, this lady can’t even handle her two kids and she is holding a pregnancy test?

I left the store telling myself two things. One, I was insane for thinking I was pregnant and two, if for some miracle I was, I was in for it.

I am 10 weeks a long and the baby is due December 9th, 2008. We will have a three year old, a one year old, and a new born. I know people do this! I do not do this. I was thinking about maybe getting pregnant in another year or two. This is insane. I am such a planner!!!!! I just finished lecturing Alan’s brother about how you do not get pregnant in March! That is a December baby.

I used to laugh and roll my eyes when people would say they did not plan the pregnancy. Get real! You use birth control correctly….you do not get pregnant. NOT TRUE!

It has only taken us a few weeks to cope with the fact that this was obviously meant to be. We apologize for not telling people but we have really needed some time to understand ourselves. We are getting more excited every day. (Especially now that I can actually make it through the day without leaning over the toilet.)

Needless to say, Alan is happy as can be. I waited for him to get back in town to tell him. It killed me keeping it from him for 48 hours. I have it video tapped. He was sooooo confused. Yet really PROUD and excited!

We went to the Dr. a few weeks ago and he just laughed when he saw us. He gave Alan a high five and said he was impressed. We heard the heart beat and saw the little bean growing. I am still in shock. I know we are blessed. I am in NO way complaining. We can do this and will do this. I am slowly learning I can not plan EVERYTHING in my life. The Lord has plans for us also. So now we will follow his plan for us and have faith that this is what is best for our, not so little anymore, family.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T19:49:00.001-07:00

Slipped One Past the Goalie!

What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than by sharing the joys and happiness of slipping one past the goalie with our family and friends. We will soon be out of man-to-man, and into zone defense.

Happy Mother's Day Honey, I love you!!

Alan

Happy Running, Walking, and Falling

2008-04-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Alan and I registered for the Salt Lake 5K last weekend. We were planning on running it but then my Dad started feeling better and registered for the race. We decided to walk with him and we are very glad we did. My sister, Megan, and brother, Chad, along with friends, Pat and Derek Jones, joined us. We were ecstatic to see my Dad healthy enough to be with us. Once again, he did not let us down when he thought it would be funny to RUN over the starting line. Well, he tripped and fell. Yes, at the STARTING line. I love that guy! He popped right up and off we went. We finished the race. Most of us in last place for our division. But we finished together! We had a great time talking and laughing all the way. We were happy to take the boys and they were great for waking at 5:45. It is a great tradition we will continue through the years. Here are some photos of our great day!

Alan's sister ,Jana, and my sister-in-law, Kelli, ran the 1/2 Marathon. Great job gals!

This was on the drive home at 10:00 a.m.

From The Mouth of Carden

2008-04-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

We were sitting at lunch and Carden tapped me on the shoulder, "Hey Mom, how are your brackets doing?" Alan almost fell off his chair.

I had to inform him I was in third place but lost big time when UCLA lost. To which he responded, "Hmmm, did the Jazz lose?"

20/20

2008-03-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

So I finally did it! I got Lasik and I am loving it. My Mom watched the kiddos while Alan's Mom took me to my appointment. The whole procedure was a piece of cake and I am very impressed. I spent the rest of the day up at my parents where my Dad and I spent the day resting and doing eye drops together.

I had a little mishap in the night and woke with not so great vision. I went to the Dr. and I had rubbed my left eye in the night and flipped the flap. I had part of the procedure redone and my vision is getting better by the day.

I am so happy to open my eyes in the morning and actually see! Most people think they have bad vision but mine was horrible! -7.00 in one eye and -6.75 in the other, with a stigmatism in both.

So all is better and I just have to continue eye drops every one-two hours for two months. That is a bummer but pretty easy compared to contacts.

Thanks to my honey for letting me do this! It is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Do not worry people! Everyone keeps asking if we are done having kids. No we are not. You can get Lasik and still get pregnant. Just not for at least 6 months. Sorry honey!

Sorry for the boring post, just keeping record!

Easter

2008-03-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

So I am a little late on the Easter post but better late than never, right? Carden was so excited for the Easter Bunny to come and said "Last night, do you know what I heard?" He then jumped up and down to make a jumping noise. He has such an imagination. We did the Eater basket hunt and Max found his first. It was sitting in the middle of the room.

We went to church and enjoyed a sabbath morning dedicated our Savior we love so much. Later, Carden and I were talking about the flowers blooming and he said "They will come back to life, just like Jesus did." My heart melted! I hope to always help him to have a strong testimony of his Savior.

We went to Alan's parents for dinner and the annual Easter hunt. Max got the idea quickly and even devoured some candy when Grandma turned her head for 4 seconds.

Next we headed to my parents where we had Easter outside in the chilly cold but at least we got to see my Dad. My Mom did adorable Easter baskets.

It was a great Easter and I am sooooo excited that Easter USUALLY brings spring.

S.C.U.B.A

2008-03-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

Do you know what SCUBA stands for? If not, take a lesson from a 3 year old...

Carden's teacher said they teach him something once and he gets it. He remembers anything if it is set to music. Alan and I are in ahh many times a day. We love Carden!

BOO!!!!!

2008-03-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

I looked out the window and what did I see, SNOW! Are you kidding me?

Happy Birthday to my sister, Chelsea. Hope you have a great day despite the bummer weather.

Farewell February

2008-03-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

Alan got sushi take out for Valentines evening. Who knew I could spend Valentine's with three boys I love.

Alan and I got away for a night and went to Alaskan Inn. A HUGE thank you to Alan's brother and wife, John and April, for not only giving us the stay for our Christmas gift but also for staying with the boys that evening. I love you Honey!

Max is getting so big and found a new toy.

Carden did his birthday spotlight at school and Max was so excited to not leave the parking lot without his big brother this time. Carden was even more excited to have us in his classroom for a few minutes. Carden did a wonderful job and pulled some funny faces.

We welcome March and maybe a little more sunshine!

Happy Birthday Car Car!

2008-02-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

So it is your birthday and you are finally three. You do a great job at holding up three fingers. It took a lot of practice. Today was an eventful day. You went to breakfast with Nana and got the robot dinosaur you have been asking for. However, it was not the correct color and you were sure to tell Nana so. Then you went with Daddy to the Utah basketball game wearing ALL your Utah apparel. Except for the new sweatshirt he bought for you. Next, Grandma and Grandpa watched Max while we went to Fat Cats with Sara and Will. After eating pizza and playing bowling (skeet ball is your kind of bowling which is great because it is only 25 cents) we went and got ice cream.

You are so funny at times, often very sweet when you tell me you love me out of nowhere, and can be a GRUMPY three year old at times. We have grown so much the past year and I am happy to say many wonderful things about you!

Every morning when you wake up, you say "Is is wake-up time?" You love to cuddle with mommy and sometimes I sneak into your bed when Max gets up VERY early in the morning. If I go into your bed, you usually fall back to sleep and Max does too!

You sometimes hesitate to go to school but always tell me how much you love school when I pick you up. You can say the whole Pledge of Allegiance and can count to twenty. You know your vowels, most of your letter names, and a lot of the letter sounds. I visited your class last week and you are a VERY good listener (for your teachers) I was very impressed. My favorite thing you do lately is tell me words that "start the same". Usually they are rhyming words.

Dora is getting old and you would rather cut with scissors or write. You do like to watch one show before nap time and always try not to go potty before getting in your bed. Your first missed nap was this week and it is not something we will do again anytime soon.

Every time Daddy comes home from work you ask if I am going to the grocery store. You like to "run errands" with me.

You have been the most amazing eater your whole life. You are always up for trying new foods and your favorite food is SUSHI. Yep. It gets expensive when we take you with us! At your three year appointment, you were in the 100%tile for height and 75%tile for weight. You wear a size 5T in most clothes and a 10.5 in shoes.

You can be so sweet to Maxwell but you can also tease him to tears. He loves to chase you around the house and you can make him giggle like nobody else. He cries every time you get out of the car to go to school and seems lost while you are there. He squeals with excitement and kicks his legs when we pick you up!

You are patiently waiting for all the snow to melt so you can play outside more and I am looking forward to it even more. I am excited to see you become even more athletic and try new things this summer.

I love my brown eyed, skinny bean, funny little guy. Happy third birthday. I watched you sleep for a few minutes tonight and want you know you are one of my best friends and I cherish EVERY minute spent with you. I hope you had a happy birthday and have MANY more to come!

Much love,
Mommy

Spring Fever

2008-02-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

I looked at the boys after getting them dressed this morning and realized I am really trying to rush springtime. Who isn't? I am done with ear infections and booger noses. I must admit, I do feel a kiss of spring in the sunshine every day. It will be welcomed. I am sooooooo excited for swimming pools, open back doors in the evening, morning walks, park days, getting in the car without taking 10 minutes to get socks, shoes, coats, and hats. Not to mention getting the carseat around all that.

BriNG it On! I want SUNSHINE!

Surprise, Surprise.

2008-02-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

So I thought I was the one with the great surprise for Valentimes day. My honey surprised me last night. I went to get in bed and found a new laptop with a message typed on the screen. He is so romantic and so good at always waiting to the last minute to bust out the surprise. For those of you that have seen my old laptop, I must say I am VERY excited to have a new one with all the keys. This does not mean my posts will be any better than what they are now but it does mean it will take a lot less time.

Thanks HONEY! What a fun Valentimes day. You are my favorite. I LOVE YOU!!!!

I love my little guys too but yesterday was a bust with the kids. Carden was not himself and I finally realized why. After giving up on delivering all our valentimes and seeing Dr. Witt (ONCE AGIAN!) both kids have ear infections. That explains Carden's behavior and now I do not seem to be as frustrated with him anymore. I guess I am more compassionate when I know why he acts the way he acts. Much love to my little ones and even more to my wonderful hubby.

Happy ValentiMes Day!

2008-02-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

My Dad has always called this day of love Valentime’s Day. It has caught on with our family and so it will stay.

For those of you receiving valentines from Carden, get ready because he is feeling very generous this year. While driving the other day he told me the following, “Mommy, I need to get some valentine CREDIT cards for all my friends. Then I have to run really fast.” He kills me.

We are so happy to have soooo many people to love and who love us. We are very blessed and happy to share this day with all of those we love and adore. Here is Carden’s big list. Sorry for those that did not make the list and congrats to those who did (including the dogs) and some people even made it twice!

Amber
Baby Parker
Libby (Demmings’ Dog)
Justin
Nicole
Owen
Parker
Amber
Nicole
Jonah and Jacob
Marcus and Austin
Montana (Rogers’ dog)
Will
Just everybody mommy!

Finally, a HUGE thank you to everybody involved in Alan’s Valentimes gift. I actually surprised him! He is very giddy and I am happy he had no idea it was coming. Thanks again to Jeff Metcalf, Alan’s parents, his sisters, his brother, Mike and Sara Rogers. NO THANKS GOES OUT TO THE WEATHER THAT REALLY PUT A GLINCH IN THE PLANS!

SO MUCH LOVE

Carden's Birthday wishlist, so far.

2008-02-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

A new robot, dinosaur
A really really big surprise
A new toy train with a track
A new Utah sweatshirt
A frog toy that sweaks
A grape magnet
Red Utah Shoes
Light up shoes (I swore I would never let my kids wear these, Oh well)
A new Spiderman toy (He has no idea who Spiderman is)
A Spiderman lunch box (When I asked him what he would do with it he said "Take it wherever I go." He also looked at me like that was the dumbest question I have ever asked.)
A head lamp

Apparantly he would like most of these things "New", not used.

I LOVE YOU CARDEN!

Welcome Home

2008-01-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

Well, we are home from an AWESOME vacation. We went on an eight day cruise with Alan’s parents and siblings. There were twelve of us in all. We left all the kids home but had the time of our lives. Thanks Steve and Susan.

I am not sure how I can post eight days of nonstop fun in one post but I will try. We left on Saturday morning and my sister came to tend the boys. Thanks to Mimi, my Mom, and Nate and Megan Whitney for helping care for them while we were gone. Carden and Max were up bright and early but I was happy to see them before we left.

We flew to Long Beach and the sun was already feeling wonderful. We went on Norwegian Cruise Line to the Mexican Riviera. The first two days were spent on the ship and plenty of food was devoured. The second day we went to all you can eat sushi! Let’s just say Jana’s husband, Jason, saw a new side of me. He never knew I could eat so much.

Our first stop was Acapulco. We rented a 12 person van with AC. When we got in it was actually for 10 and the AC was on when the window was rolled down and the air was blowing. Gotta love Mexico! We went to a beach and body surfed. Alan actually rented a real surf board and tried surfing with his brothers for a few hours. Next, we went back to the ship, showered and ate dinner. We then went back out to the city to watch some mates climb a huge rock wall and dive into the water. It was crazy! We then shopped and headed back to the ship.

The next day was Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa. We took a small boat to a snorkeling area and beach. Mexico is great! You always have to pay for something. To use the bathroom, sit on a chair, or even a canopy you swear nobody owns. We bought a drink in a pineapple and some guacamole and chips in order to stay on some chairs. We snorkeled and Alan’s sister, Lisa, and I got beat up on some rocks when a large wave towed us over the top. We have some battle wounds to share for a while. We managed to still have energy to break it down on the dance floor that evening after eating more food of course.

I am trying to skip the part about how much food we ate because it was mind boggling. This morning Carden said “Wow Mommy! How did you get so big?” That was when I knew I had eaten too much the past week!

The next day was Puerto Vallarta. This was by far my favorite port. We went on a canopy excursion. It was so much fun. It really rates up there as one of the most exciting things I have done. I hate heights but LOVED this. We rode zip lines from mountain top to mountain top. I think there were about 15 lines total. Some about 500 meters. I highly suggest people try this one even if you are fearful of heights. The last port was Cabo San Lucas. The guys went fishing and enjoyed the day together. Unfortunately they only caught one fish that Alan had the chance to bring in. He felt bad later because no one got another chance. Bummer. All of us girls rented kayaks and rode a small water taxi out to an island and watch some huge waves hit the shore line. We almost got ran over by some VERY large yachts, bigger than our house, and even got honked at. It was super crazy rowing through there. We were a little out of place.

We headed back to the ship and waited for the guys to get back. Needless to say, we all panicked when the last tender was coming in and we had not seen the boat come back from fishing. I was so sick to my stomach! Sure enough, they all slipped out of the tender with all the ship crew and equipment. They still claim “They had plenty of time.”

Once again, we managed to eat our selves’ sick the last two days on the way back to Long Beach. We also danced and did Karaoke. We had beautiful weather the entire trip! We only saw rain the last evening on the ship and in the morning when we arrived in Long Beach. The rain actually turned out to be a blast.

We rented a car and drove through the city searching for the famous Trader Joe’s grocery store. We managed to find one after a long detour and some great rides through pools of rain.

We raced home to see the boys before they went to bed. I must admit, I was almost as excited to see the boys as I was the day we left for the cruise. They are the light of my life. I missed them a lot but it was nice to not worry about them on the cruise. Especially seeing as our ship made the CNN news channel. There was an outbreak of Norwalk Virus I am not sure of the spelling but I am sure I was scared to death of it. SICK!!!! NASTY!!!! Over 200 people got it. No one in our family came down with it but it was probably due to the fact we basically took a bath every chance we had in the hand sanitizing machines they had at every corner of the ship. Seriously, we each probably used at least a gallon of it!

So now we are home to SNOW SNOW and more SNOW. My bones ache again and I am getting spring fever. As we arrived in Salt Lake we received word of President Hinckley’s passing and my heart was torn. I guess I expected it but was not prepared. I love him and he will always hold a VERY special place in my heart. I know he was a real prophet and I am thankful for his wisdom. Although we spent a week in paradise with family, I know it was nothing compared to the paradise we can some day live in with ALL our family and Heavenly Father. Welcome Home.

Happy Birthday Maxie!

2008-01-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

Where did that year go? Can you really be one? We love you so much and enjoy you every minute. You are starting to play with Carden and your face lights up when ever you see him. Especially when we pick him up from school. You kick your legs and squeal with excitement. You are crawling all over the place and pulling up on things. You can point to noses when asked and give great kisses. You often pat my back when I hug you and you love to play ball. You can sign 'milk' and 'more'. You clap your hands every time Daddy gets home from work! You adore him! You still have digestive issues and we are working on it. You HATE to take any medicines and manage to know when anything is hidden in food. You are becoming a picky eater. This is due to us trying to trick you into taking medications.

You have found a new fake cry and use it when Carden is bothering you. I must tell you, it is not very good acting! You might want to work on that one.

I can tell you and Carden are going to be best friends. You have both been so much fun lately. We love to play together and I love peaking in on the two of you together.

We had a little birthday celebration at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Sunday. You dove into your cup cake and devoured it. YUMMY!! Today was a little down day. Daddy had to go to San Francisco for the day, we had our carpets cleaned, and made you another cake. This time it was banana cake with Cool Whip. Car Car and I sang happy birthday with Nana on the phone. We had to do it three times. The first time the video was not recording. The second time the candle would not light. We played 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey'. Carden was so excited. He asked if he was three now because you are one.

Happy Big Day to my baby! I love you.

As one of my favorite songs says "My wish for you and that life becomes all that you want it to. Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, you never have to carry more than you can haul." I just want to add that I hope you can gain a love for your Heavenly Father because he loves you and I do also, Maxwell. Happy First Birthday!

Holiday Recap

2008-01-01T21:45:00.000-08:00

Where to begin? This one is for the journal! I started Christmas Eve with the gift I always dread...my Christmas cough! I get it every year two days before Christmas. What a bummer!

We spent Christmas Eve at my parents where my Mom made an unbelievable dinner. Steak, shrimp, Cold Duck, twice baked potatoes, and more. This was the first year the kids actually made it through a wonderful dinner and it was enjoyable. We headed downstairs where the kids met the gift my parents bought for them. A kitchen set and train table. They started playing and the adults sat upstairs and actually talked! What a treat! Adult conversation with my siblings. We had a pageant and it turned out exactly like I thought it would with seven kids under seven. It was wonderful. We came home that evening and got the boys in Christmas jammies. Carden was so excited for Santa. They both went right to sleep.

Santa worked hard in the basement putting together a Fisher Price plastic house that looks like it should take 2.5 minutes to put together. We managed 2.5 HOURS!!!!!! It was one of the funniest moments of my life and I can't believe the boys did not wake to all the pounding. However, Carden did say "I heard something banging in the basement. It was Santa!" Thanks to Megan and Robb for helping.

Christmas Eve is gaining a new meaning as our kids get older. We will learn!

We had a wonderful time opening our presents on Christmas morning. Carden loved his new Utah jersey and Max had no idea what was going on. Alan did a GREAT job on the stockings. I love that he does all our shopping and plays Santa! Thanks honey! We raced off to Alan's parents for omelets and pull apart cinnamon bun (a great tradition). The omelets were sensational this year! Maybe it was because I was not so full with baby this year. I had someplace to actually put it. THANKS STEVE!

We opened presents and I will post later about the gift Alan's parents gave us. WE LOVE IT!!!! They are amazing! They do major shopping for all five kids, spouses, and grandkids. They are so thoughtful and buy way toooooo much.

We headed home just in time for naps! Yep, both kids down at the same time and we took a nap also. What a great Christmas gift!

We woke the next morning and headed off to Eden. It was a great week spent in a winter wonderland. It snowed the ENTIRE time and we enjoyed being in doors and out. We ate A LOT! In fact, Carden asked why we call it Eden. I gave my explanation and then he told me the real reason. Because we eat there. We tied the sleds behind the car and froze our noses off while wearing swim goggles. We hot tubbed, watched movies, played games, Alan went snow boarding at Wolf Mountain, made crafts, made sugar cookies and danced to Michael Jackson, played Wii, shopped at Dottie Becks, and stayed up late talking after getting the kids down. Alan took Carden for a quick trip over to the Pohlmans' cabin and they LOVED it! They went snow mobiling and snow boarding.
We came home on New Year's Eve evening and fed the kids. Carden now has my cough and I feel terrible. He went to bed early and Alan and I stayed up late spending time together. We then called at midnight to get Carden on a wait list for preschool. Yep, that is where your life goes after kids. Instead of a great kiss with your honey, your lips are to the phone trying to get your kid in preschool! It is all worth it! Well worth it. I love the holidays and can't believe it is over! I am a little sad but happy to get things cleaned out and organized around here.

Here is to a new year! 2008 here we come! May it be as good as the last!

Pohlman Family

XX

Chrsitmas Week

Disneyland

Ready or Not!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy O Man!!!

HaLLoWeeN 2011

Falling for Fall

First Day School

Rogers Family Reunion

Summer Lovin'

Movin' On

Happy Birthday C Man!

HaPpy BirThDaY Moo!

Soldier Hollow

While we were gone...

Merry Christmas

HaPpy BirThDaY O!

Windy City

HaPpY HALLOWEEN!

Hello Undies!

My First Garden

Preschool Boy

Even Better

BIG Day!

Rite of Passage

Forgotten Trip

Summer Update

WeDDiNG DaY!

Bacheloret Party!

Sunshine, Girlfriends, Shopping, Food, and Fun.

13.1 and Very Proud!

Easter Bunny Visits

Recipe for....

HaPpy 5th BirThDaY C!

Update

HaPpy 3rd BirThDaY Moo!

Holiday Recap!

Family Photos!

HaPpy BirThDaY O!

BOO!

Viva Las Vegas

Just livin'

Happy Nine Years

'09 Eden Balloon Fest

Gotta Document!

Girls Weekend

Bring on the Apples

Summer Fun

Back to Life!

Better Days

Good Morning!

1st's

SPF

Good Bye February

1*2*3*4

Bye Bye Binkie

I Despise This!

Better Late Than Never

Bless this Baby

Forgotten Christmas

HaPpy BirThDaY Moo!

First Photo Shoot with Bobbie

O's First Hours

Game Day/Birthday!

A Utah Man am I!

Going Private? Questions!

3+ 70% Efaced. Hotel Mama is Closed!

It's all in the NAME!

Happy Halloween

Go Utes!

Taste of What's to Come

Dear M,

Dear C,

Stake Conference

FUNNY HONEY!

Mexico

Montana

Happy Birthday Dad!

EIGHT YEARS and counting

123*4