Happy 33rd Birthday My Love!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my darling hubby, Ehren!!! I use to get so frustrated when we were dating that I couldn't spend one of your birthday's with you because your family always would go to the Nascar race that always happened to fall on your birthday. Fast forward 16 years later and we have had the chance to spend quite a few of your birthdays together! Many times celebrating it with a Halloween party, or just Halloween decor or a cake. This year of course will be no different...I hope you enjoy the delicious cake that I slaved over for you today!!!

For all of you that don't know. My hubby was actually DUE on Halloween 33 years ago but due to gestational diabetes he decided to come a few days early weighing in at whopping 10 lbs! I wish I had some baby pictures of him to share but sadly I don't and I am sure he loves that fact!

I am so thankful that I always had a crush on him since the 6th grade and finally my dreams came true in 9th grade when he finally asked me out! These sixteen years have been so wonderful! We have had our ups and downs but we have always made it through and share such a strong bond. I truly know that he was created especially for me and I for him. I can't imagine my life without you in it hubby! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and that all the love we have for you can be continuously felt all throughout the year! Happy Birthday!

Donovan has been doing really great in football and having lots of fun. For once he got to play another position other than linebacker, which was wide receiver and he scored a touchdown! His first this season! My feelings about his coach are still the same. I have not seen much improvement and I hope that next year (Ehren might coach)he will get a coach with patience and fairness. Donovan has two games left and though he hasn't tried the positions that he wanted to try out, I know he is enjoying himself and that is all that matters to me!




We spent this weekend visiting family for my sister's birthday, Donovan's game, then did some Halloween costume shopping. We went to Walmart and Target and didn't really see anything the kids liked so we went to the Spirit store and the kids found their costumes. Morgan wanted to be Hannah Montana again this year but I was NOT forking out fifty dollars for a cheaply made costume that I could probably even make better and I don't really sew. So she settled on a Candy Corn Witch....which looks so cute!!! Can't wait to snap some pictures of her in her costume! Donovan wanted to be the Grim Reaper so he found his robe on clearance (thats my boy) and got a few accessories to go with it, a skull sickle, some gloves, and some face paint. I think he did an excellent job staying under his budget! I did not find a costume for Cali to which I am disappointed. I was hoping to find a cute ladybug costume or something like that but could not find one. We are torn between these three costumes(below). I really like the flower costume (as I think it fits her sweet personality and would be prefect with her CHUBBY CHEEKS), also the bunny, but Ehren likes the skunk. I really really like the flower....so I think I am going to go with that one! What do you think? After I posted this I went to order the flower and it is out of stock. I am bummed but the bunny is cute too. So I think I am going to go with the pink bunny instead.







Later Saturday evening we went to Ehren's parents for our ESPN Fantasy Basketball Draft party! It was tons of fun picking our players even though I was a bit confused between the two papers I had of who played what positions, but it worked itself out! I got a really good team going and I look forward to how the season will go especially since this is my first time playing Fantasy anything. Sunday was filled with us catching up on sleep and attending church.

We weren't sure if we were even going to go to this ward that we are in now but we made the decision a few weeks ago to give it a try, so we did, and there were so many people that came up to us and said hello to us, asked us where we were living, where we moved from,invited us to join them for an activity coming up, Morgan was already invited to a birthday party, and Donovan making some new friends. I even recognized a few ladies that I befriended when we briefly attended it three years ago. We are so glad that we went and are amazed at how friendly everyone is here. Felt a great peace while at church and Cali even did very well even though it was during her nap time! Listened to wonderful talks and much needed lessons to renew my Spirit. The talks given in were on the topics of honoring the Sabbath, Not Judging others, and on being spiritually, physically, and financially prepared for anything. Three great topics that I needed to hear. I try really hard to not do things on Sunday and just spend time with family, nap, and so forth, but I could do better. I try very hard to not judge anyone and sometimes I have to remind myself that I do not like to be judged especially since I am quiet, but the talk also reminded me not to judge my children too harshly when they do something wrong. I need to give them room to grow and help guide them in the right direction. The preparedness talk is one thing that I seriously need to heed! I need to get into shape, need to be spiritually prepared, and get a few more things financially and food wise ready. I love how most Sunday's the talks are things I have been thinking that I need to work on but don't do enough, or have to do with something that has happened to me the previous week, or something someone mentions briefly. Definitely feeling refreshed!

My dear friend Christine took our family photos last month and I am so thankful and LOVE the photos she took of my family! Thanks Christine, I greatly appreciate it and appreciate you! I did add the kids names to their photos, not sure if I like the date or if I should just add their age. It was SO hard for me to choose my favorite of each one of the kids or Ehren and I, as all of the photos turned out excellent. Better than I imagined and completely worth the wait!!!!! So without further delay...here they are!

Am I getting sick too or is my head spinning from all that has gone on in the last month?
With the move and my Grandmother Jo in the hospital to unclog her throat arteries, then my father for a bad heart and breathing trouble, the my Grandma Jeanne in for a pace maker problem, then again the next week for catching a terrible virus, then Ehren's mom in for a stroke on the 19th, my darling niece Mimi tearing some ligaments at soccer on Saturday, and today my dad goes in for an Angioplasty, my head is spinning! I am going tonight to keep an eye on my father after his procedure today. All these tugs at my heartstrings really has left me to think about things and puts morality into perspective for me. I go about day to day rushing here or there or sometimes nowhere, taking care of Cali and sometimes getting frustrated because I don't know what she wants or why she is fighting her naps. Then rush to get the kids, pick up Ehren, and then come home to rush dinner, homework, baths, tuck the kids in hastily, and rush to get as many things done around here I can while it is quiet and I have Ehren to help keep me on track. All while forgetting that the most important things are my children, what I am teaching them, doing things with them, making small talk with them as well as the much needed talking as they are approaching pre-teen years, and I wonder what legacy am I leaving with them. Am I leaving them with memories or empty spaces in time where all they are going to remember is us rushing around somewhere and not doing anything worthwhile to them.

Conference talks this weekend really struck home with me. I could not help but feel that these talks all were pointed at me. All the while asking myself if I am being Christ like at all times, if I am forgiving my children after they make repeated mistakes, if I am teaching them all that is right and not just letting them choose for themselves along with the ever deteriorating moral in the world, if I am paying attention to what matters most? I am doing it a little but not enough. I am not taking the time out of our rushing around to talk with them about all the important things I want them to know, they need to know, and I would like them to know. I do talk with them about some of the things but not enough. I need to improve. I love how there is always room for improvement and to raise my bar. I need to focus on this in the next few months!

I am always reminded what I must do everyday and I am glad that I love my kids so much that I was able to break the chain of abuse that I grew up with and make sure that I am giving my kids what I didn't have, again this area can be improved upon but I am happy that I can see joy in their eyes. My heart rejoices that I can see them getting along most of the time and though they bicker here and there, it is not the full on physical fighting that was in my childhood home. I rejoice seeing them giggle together at something I being the adult thinks is not too funny. I love seeing them try their hardest to make Cali laugh and though it frustrates me to constantly tell them when they are sick to leave Cali alone, seeing them talk to her, kiss her, hug her, and smother her makes me happy.

Last year was a really hard time in school for Donovan. I was on him a lot about his homework, projects, lack of enthusiasm, lack of effort, to complete or turn in his work. After constantly getting frustrated at him when I would take his teachers word over his as he had a bad problem with honesty last year. To seeing him this year with a gentler, more compassionate teacher, one that encourages, instead of enforces, has brought much happiness back into Donovan's world. He made Honor Rolls this semester. I have to admit I was a bit concerned because Mr. F (his teacher this year)has not sent him home with homework yet this year. From what he has told me as well as Donovan everything is done in class and hands on. So I tried my best to believe him and not pester him and wait and see. I am so glad I did because a lot and I really mean A LOT of contention has left our home thanks to this year's teacher. I am so pleased with him. I knew he was capable of it as he has always been a A and B student since kindergarten until last year. I am glad to see it was because of the teacher and not my son (well yes he didn't try) but I guess it all fall down to was that teacher the right one for Donovan....no I don't think so. But I am so happy and pleased. He has a very high IQ and I know that he gets bored easily but I can't tell him how happy I am to see he is where I knew he could be!!!!



Most of my house is sick. I am seriously knocking on wood and praying that Cali and I do not get sick. It is not a terrible sickness just a minor cold as Donovan and Morgan still have the energy to want to play during the day. But as usual each one develops different symptoms first. Morgan started with a sore throat for two days with no fever. Then came the cough and then the fever yesterday. Donovan started out with the fever, then got the cough, and now has a sore throat too. Ehren whom rarely gets sick woke up this morning dizzier than ever and sick to his stomach. So I am seriously enforcing the hand washing to my kids dismay, and Clorox wiping everything down and as I said trying to keep them away from Cali. I for one am taking my vitamins as well as Acidophilis just in case Ehren's stomach bug decides to try and attack me. That is one bug I don't want! I don't like to expel at all and so I refuse to or to even catch that bug.

Cali today started eating some baby graham crackers. I did not know they would be so messy! She love the Veggie Dip chee-to puff looking things and now loves these cookie or cracker things. So much that she had already eaten six of them in less than ten minutes! This girl can eat like I have never seen...ok well I can eat pretty good but not as a baby! She eats four tablespoons of baby cereal, two tubs of food (a veggie and fruit), and 4oz of formula at breakfast every morning and then repeats that much for lunch, and then dinner. With 6oz bottles in between those meals and she eats every three hours still. She went to the doctors on Thursday to be weighed and she is a whopping 21 lbs and 1.75 oz!!!!!! I don't even think Donovan or Morgan weighed that much at a year old! Oh...but she is so sweet, loving, cuddly, calm, and happy!!! All rolled into this darling butterball!!! Is she not the cutest?



Well, since my head is still spinning from everything I better go nap while Cali is down and then get ready to doctor my dad through the night!

Happy Belated Birthday Morgan!

Happy Birthday to you!!! So happy that you blessed our family with your presence nine years ago on the 27th of September! I love you so very much! (Sorry no baby pictures, they are all buried in a tub in the garage.)

I remember it like it was yesterday.... being really worried of another baby being pre-term and having to go on bed rest at 26 weeks for the same symptoms that I had when I had complications with Donovan. I was put on Terbutalin and it so far seemed to be working and keeping me from going into labor that I made it to 33 weeks and I was thankful. I was feeling relieved and yet like I said worried. I took my last pill on my 21st birthday which I spent in bed. I was on serious bedrest, I couldn't get out of bed for any reason other than to go to the bathroom. We temporarily loaned our second vehicle to my wonderful sister-in-law Marianne since I wasn't going to be using it, so she could pick up Donovan every morning for us and watch him for us, like she offered. It was very kind of her and yet very lonesome for me even though I wouldn't have been able to keep up with him.

As I was no longer able to take anymore medicine, I was wondering when I would go into labor. Well, two weeks after my birthday, I woke up at 5am with severe back pain. So painful that I couldn't catch my breath and I knew that this would be the day she arrived. I got in the shower to get myself ready as the back pains were not as close as the doctor told me to watch out for. So as I got ready the pains were getting more intense and so we were out the door by 7am. Ehren drove crazy which of course was probably because of me, which was really unusual for him. Every bump and slam on the breaks hurt and at one point he had to slam on the breaks to stop in order to not hit the guy in front of us who had come up to stopped traffic. Needless to say, I thought I was going to have Morgan right there on the freeway and I was scared out of my mind. We had almost an hour drive through rush hour traffic to Good Samaritan Hospital. We made it there by 8:30 which actually took us an hour and a half to get there. I get strapped into the monitors and get checked, I am dilated to a five and so they order the Epidural for me. I get the Epidural @ 9 and have to wait to dilate to a 10. The doctor comes in at noon and tells me that the Epidural slowed my labor down so they are going to give me Petocin to speed it back up. So I get that terrible stuff and start dilating again. All the while only half of my lower body was numbed from the Epidural, just like with Donovan's labor. It hit 1pm and I was physically ready to get the baby out.I was ready to no longer be pregnant, ready to no longer feel any pain shooting through the entire left side of my body at each contraction, and so very ready to meet this little girl that I had spent the previous eight months trying to picture. Trying to see if she will look like her daddy with those beautiful yellow green eyes, the dark brown hair, and olive skin. Easy as pie Morgan arrived at 1:09pm. So fast that none of our family had made it up to the hospital in time. She was the cheesiest baby I have ever seen which I have seen a lot thanks to TLC's Baby Stories. She was a bit jaundiced so had to go under the billiruben light for a few hours. She wasn't at all what I pictured. She had strawberry blonde hair which turned blonde, jaundiced skin which eventually turned fair, and blue eyes which did thankfully turn into almost the same green that her father has, and of course beautiful. So She was a happy and sweet baby. Always loving to cuddle, sleep, and sing.

As she grew she loved all things she was never unhappy, she especially loved her big brother, books, her dress up clothes, My Little Pony, of course sweets, and Care Bears. I still can't remember if dada or pretty was her first word, j/k, it was dada but as a toddler all she would say was "Pretty?" She loved to dress herself in her clothes and then add tons of her dress up stuff and ask, "Pretty?" It was so cute, I think I have a video of it somewhere but don't know where as we have moved. She still to this day asks if she looks pretty when she is going somewhere, likes to sing, dance, do any kind of craft, draw, and color. She still adores her brother though he has gotten to the, ugg your annoying stage. She now instead of making sure he is happy and that they color, play games or puzzles together, she likes to annoy him, pester him, drive him up the wall, and yet still loves to play board games and such with him even if he doesn't.

I am so very thankful for this wonderful girl that joined our family nine years ago. She has such a sweet spirit, is pretty easy going, and yet has just a hint of a temper. She has been a blessing to our family and still continues to do so to this day. She has now hit that point in life where she doesn't want to be a little girl anymore. She is really into fashion and clothes, wants to wear all the cool fashion jewelry though she is allergic to all of it she can only wear gold,is very stubborn when it come to eating(this girl practically eats nothing), and can throw a major fit if she doesn't get what she wants, and loves to try and be mommy to her new baby sister. It is all so worth this precious angel that I love so much! Happy Birthday baby!!!!


This year for her birthday we didn't plan it out too well as we just moved and had Great Grandma, Grandpa T, and Grandma R in the hospital within days from each other, right around her birthday. So at the last minute we threw a small pool party for her girl friends from school. Then as she has been asking for the last two years to have her hair permed, Grandma R made that happen. She was so happy! I kept her home on her birthday(27th) and took her to the salon to have her hair permed. I didn't really like how it turned out because it looked like it either didn't take or wasn't on her hair long enough. Either way she still looked cute. But, we agreed to see how it looked the next day. By the time I picked her up from school she barely had any curl at all to her hair. So I took her back to the salon to have them look at it and find out what they could do. I wanted it re-done but knew it could possibly damage her hair. So we went back Tuesday evening and they decided to go ahead and re-do her hair as it definitely didn't take. So this time since the manager used two bottles instead of one like the hairstylist did. She said Morgan had way to much hair to use one bottle. After an hour and a half Morgan's hair was finally curly like we both pictured. A few strands weren't as curly as the rest, in the back but she was happy and that was all that important to me.

Here she is on her birthday after her hair was permed the first time.


Here she is Tuesday when it was re-done. Such a beauty!!

It's Football Season!!

Donovan started playing Flag Football on the 11th. At his first practice, he got to meet the coach, get his jersey, which he plays for the stinkin' Cowboys (which we do not like), and basically got to sit and do nothing for most of the practice. I guess from what it looked like was some of the kids on the team that did get to practice, were some that the coach had previously. We were hoping that he would have some of the other kids rotate in and try out all the different positions on the team by the end of practice. Did that happen...no. The coach spent a little over a half hour coaching those kids, yelling at some of them to take this seriously, and left the other boys to do nothing but sit and watch. Donovan and a bunch of other boys decided they would go over on to the next field and play with an extra football for fun. Well, they were playing for about fifteen minutes when the coach yelled at them to stop goofing off and get over here and watch some actual football. Then he did do a few plays with the other boys, including Donovan. It seems that these kids are going to be defense. Needless to say we already had the impression that this was not going to be a sport that Donovan was going to enjoy playing especially with the attitude of the coach. We didn't want to be judgmental and base the season and coach on one practice so we are going to give him a chance.

The next morning as we arrived for the first game. Donovan was excited and hoping that he would get to play. Which surprisingly, he did at the game though he didn't at the practice. The game started at 10 and though it seemed to be nice weather it is a bit humid, which Cali didn't seem to like being in for very long. Donovan did get to play some defense for a little while during the game. He mostly stood at the line to block but after some encouragement from the family, started running around trying to get whom ever had the ball. He did sack the quarterback of the opposing team twice, which we were so pleased and definitely cheered for him! After the game the coach told him to not sack the quarterback and to leave it for his other players (the ones that he spent most of his time during practice to coach). We are really liking the way this coach is being. Going to give him one more shot. All in all it was a good game and Donovan definitely seemed to be having fun.







The next game on the 26th, was a huge disappointment and outrageous! Donovan's team, played the Dolphins and to be honest the coach should not even be allowed to come back as coach for the city ever, he should be barred. We thought it was going to be a great game, though all the Dolphin kids were a lot larger than our Cowboys team. So the game just gets started, kids are running after the ball, and something happened which I personally did not see, but the Referee told the Dolphin's coach that he needed to do something, and to either get off the field or the Assistant coach off, as there can only be one coach on the field at a time. For some reason the head coach of that team starts going off on the Ref and a city staff member. Screaming and yelling at him, swearing at him and such. The Ref gives him a flag as well as a warning and the coach kept on him. So that resulted in him getting ejected from the game and suppose to be the property as well, only to which he walked over to his golf cart which was sitting at the end of the field, and sat there still running his mouth. Now the assistant coach is screaming, cursing, and yelling at the Ref too. He gets a penalty and yet is not ejected. All the while the game has stopped.

So the game starts again. A few plays into the game being back on, Donovan has an opportunity to pull the flag on the receiver and yet could not catch up with the Dolphin kid. Our coach starts yelling at Dono really harshly. So much in fact that I am starting to get angry, I know it is football and from what I hear different and more intense then some other sports but I didn't expect this from a coach.

Then again, the Cowboys start chasing a Dolphin kid with the ball, and the assistant coach and a few kids on that team starts tell their teammates on the field to ignore the Ref and not to listen to him. So they don't. Flags are thrown in for some reason, the coach gets another warning, more mouth running ensues, and again the game is stopped. So none of the teams get to finish the game and all of us parents are left standing there listening to his yelling and screaming going on while we are trying to get our kids to leave. My husband and I have put in a complaint with the city on the other coach's conduct and are really upset at the way our coach yelled at Donovan. Donovan was really upset about it. So now we have to talk to our coach this coming Friday and talk to him about yelling at Donovan, not rotating the kids on the team to try out each position, and find out why he insists on coaching a few kids on the team and leaving the others to do nothing. I didn't spend almost fifty dollars for him to not learn the game and to sit out during practice, so the coach can work on his special star or favorite players. If this doesn't get resolved, they are going to have a problem. Fingers crossed though, that talking to the coach will be productive.

Making this home our own.

We have been pretty busy aside from the kids and things that have happened within the month of us being in this home...our home. We had a really hard time trying to decide on paint colors for our home. Ehren and I like bold colors and sometimes depending on the color whether we like it bright or muted. Well, we chose a bright and bold Goldenrod color for the majority of our walls. I have never really been a big fan of yellow but I do like Goldenrod and it was a really nice color as a background for our curtains that we had up in our other house(shown in the picture below).


Yet, as we got all the painting done including an accent wall of Retro Avacado in the great room and a wall in the kitchen a Spiced Wine, we forgot that this house has 10 foot ceilings and so our lovely curtains that we searched high and low for three years ago, don't fit as they are two feet off of the floor. I was and still am greatly disappointed. So now we are on the search for some curtains that would look good with our decor. Anyone have any suggestions?
There is always room for improvement and things to do or find to finish it later. I really do not like the green that Ehren painted in the entry on the pop outs. I am thinking a deeper shade of the goldenrod would be best that way it is still in the same color tone just one or two shades darker. Now, I know that not everyone (heck if there is anyone, anymore) that reads my blog will not like the bold colors that I have on my walls, and that is their choice but I like them so please don't leave any negative comments, please. I am not done with things and yet, when is decorating ever done, you're always going to find something new, somewhere, that you will want to add. Here is some before and after pictures of our house so far.

Entry Before:


Entry After: (the green on the top has to go, I don't like it and niche definitely needs a floral arrangement taller than the one I have)


The kitchen before:


After:


Another view:


The Great room before:


After:



Another view of the great room:


As of now we are on hold with our decorating. Next on our list is Donovan's room, his bathroom, Morgan's room, her bathroom, and Cali's room. Donovan wants blue in his room and bathroom, Morgan wants Brown, Bright Pink, and Aqua (which I found the perfect bed set pictured below).


She got it for her birthday this past weekend. All I need to do is find some chocolate cording trim to sew on the edges of the pillow and comforter, some chocolate bed sheets, and paint her walls. I think I am going to paint her walls with stripes just haven't decided on the colors yet. Then later worry about the accessories. Cali's room will be Lavander and a spring green to match her bedding that will nicely, coordinate later to be decorated in Tinkerbell that I have been collecting for a while. Most of it will hopefully be done by early next year. There is so many ideas and things I would like to do and can do but I have a few items that are higher on my priority list (which will be in another post). For now, it is starting to feel and look like home.

Moved, miserably failing, crawling, and a tooth!!!

We were completely packed for the first time ever out of all the moves in the last eight years. We felt efficient for once. Then as all the big furniture and appliances were out as well as the boxes....we saw all the loose stuff that didn't get into boxes and were shocked. So we threw it to boxes as best as we could. When we moved into the Maui house four years ago it took us three trips in the 26' UHaul. This time it only took us two trips. I still can't believe that we have that much stuff but we do. Amazing how much stuff you accumulate in a few years. While Ehren and some really kind church members, my Uncle Dale, my BIL Dennis, and sis Jenny, were moving the first load of furniture are large boxes, our new carpet was being installed in the bedrooms so everything had to go out in the garage. They were done by the second load over and so we moved everything out of the garage and into the house in order to unload the second truckload. Finished that and tried to get beds situated in the kids room, our room, the couches situated so we could clear off the kitchen table so we had somewhere to feed the kids the next morning. Oh yes, did I mention that our countertops were off and the new ones wouldn't be installed until the 1st? Try going four days without counter tops, five without a sink,and a whole week without lights! It was difficult but we made it work. Definitely made us appreciate the small things in life as well as the blessing of a home of our own.
Fast forward almost two weeks and we still do not have a single room fully unpacked other than the kitchen. Miserably failing in unpacking but we are loving it here! We started painting the main living area Saturday(5th) a goldenrod color called Sahara Shade and one accent wall Retro Avacado and I really love it. I was so tired of the brown shades in the other house, as Ehren and I really like some bright bold colors as well as muted bold colors and we chose to do the golden yellow and green. So far we are loving how it turned out just trying to decide if we rather do a faux finish on the green wall to give it a bit more depth instead of the plain solid color. Here is just a hint of what we have going on so far....




Our entry light, which I thought was flush mount which is how HD described it but more of a chandelier like the dining just smaller, love it!


We will probably start painting the one small kitchen wall a burgundy or Spiced Wine as it is called, tomorrow if not tonight. We haven't really yet enjoyed the pool because within two days of moving in it went dark green. I guess from what a pool technician said, there was no chlorine in the pool. How the guy that maintained the pool while we were in escrow I have no idea. But, after various chemicals and conditioners, it went the right color just a tad cloudy so our pool should be completely clear later today if not tomorrow, just in time for the weekend!


Donovan, Morgan, and Cali seem to be loving this home as much as Ehren and I. The contention and stress that we all have felt has seem to have lifted. Morgan loves her room and is very excited to get her room painted and shares with me daily her ever changing plans for it and her walk in closet. Donovan seems to love finally having his own bathroom(me too) and how his room is nowhere near Morgan's. Cali, is just content everywhere as long as one of us is in the room with her. Though I think right now she is really loving that she can get around finally. I was finally able to catch a shot of her crawling(ok, to be honest, since I found my camera). Such a content and happy baby. She hasn't even been fussy and she is cutting teeth. Very thankful, let me tell ya, thankful indeed! I just put her down for a nap and felt one of her bottom two teeth in! Yeah! She finally cut a tooth! I was sure she was going to have a cuspid tooth as all four of them have come all the way down but hasn't cut through yet. I can't wait to see her with the tooth fully in!





Well, I better get going. I have a list a mile long to do most of it is unpacking room by room and finding my magically disappearing dust pan so I can finish sweeping the floor. Next post will probably be about Donovan's first Flag Football practice which is tomorrow evening. Until then....