Bullet Points

- Tyson started a new job with Red Wing Shoes in June and our family life has greatly improved, if not our bank account
- I'm now almost 13 weeks pregnant with our 4th child and I'm due in February
- Charlotte started walking at 14 months and now at almost 17 she's become quite the handful, she gets into far more trouble than my boys ever did
- The boys just turned 4, we are praying they get into the Windsor preschool right by our house, and so are they, they want to go to school so badly and there is no way we can afford to pay for it
- Tyson's car finally bit the dust this week, not sure what we are going to do there, when this baby comes we will need to replace mind too, I'm praying the Lord has some plan in the works
- We have enjoyed many vacations this summer, probably more than we've ever done before, Memorial day we went to Vegas, what a story that is, June was St. George for my birthday, July brought Flaming Gorge and then Canada, which was so much fun and I'm so glad my kids and my husband got to meet my grandma and other family member's they've never met.
- We will celebrate our 5th anniversary in 2 weeks, I can't believe all that has happened in 5 years, we definitely aren't where I thought we'd be, but we have been very blessed in many aspects of our lives, though I wouldn't turn down a little more income :)

Well, we've survived

We survived the holidays, pretty much everyone was sick, but not so much we couldn't enjoy our visit to my brother's house. We had a fun vacation, the 49er's won and my food tour was so much fun! For the first time I actually really enjoyed Thai food, I also discovered balsamic vinegar, at least the ones we were eating, goes great with vanilla ice cream. The biggest surprise and plus was that despite our lack of income we were still able to pay for almost all of it with cash and we are still going to make it past this month, after that we'll have a tax refund and I'll feel a little better, though there are so many places I could/need to put that.

Tyson is applying for every job on the planet (or at least in Utah and a few outside of it) we'll see how that goes, I just keep praying we'll find "the job" but as has been our luck it's usually just a job to get us by, but at this point I'll happily take that as well. He has a publisher who wants to publish his book under subsidy, so we are trying to figure out how to do that.

Charlotte is getting bigger and learning more everyday, she's such a happy baby and I'm so lucky to be her mother. She loves to be held, unfortunately she prefers I'm standing while doing so and my back isn't a big fan of that. She has 2 full teeth and has 4 actively coming in right now.

Jackson and Jameson both had surgery last week to correct hernia's and hydrocele's. Jameson's hernia was on the left and Jackson's was on the right. They are recovering really well, I wish I recovered as easily as they do. They are still having a few sleeping issues from our lovely ordeal in November, but for the most part are doing well. They loved our trip to Arizona and spending time with their cousins, they keep asking me, almost daily, when we are going back to Arizona. I wish I knew the answer to that one.

I'm keeping busy with the kids, I learned how to quilt this last fall and made blankets for Charlotte and Tyson for Christmas and finally put together a family cookbook. I joined a book club, so at least I'm getting some reading in again that is fun for me. I'm greatly looking forward to life slowing down a bit after the holiday's and being able to have people over for dinner again, that is one of my favorite things to do.

Really, seriously, I mean come on!

First some unknown person tries to get into my house last week, which led to mass trauma for me and my children, then the same night someone calls the cops on my dog, then we get told Tyson won't be getting the raise he was promised, and today he got his hours cut from 20 a week to "as necessary, and nothing more" at least till after the holiday's and who the heck knows when after that, and that was supposed to be the secure job! That's pretty much losing 800 bucks a month out of the 1600-1800 or so we average. Can I just quit? Really, this same type of thing has happened every holiday season for the last 3 years. We barely make it as it is, most of the holiday hiring has already been done, and now we are screwed. We have very little savings (hard to build up a savings account when you are living on next to nothing) and I was so proud of how little debt we gained this year and pretty sure that just went right out the window. I mean seriously what is the freaking point? When will my husband ever catch a break. Seriously the guy apologizes to me weekly if not more often for his horrible luck, and I don't know what to tell him. My older brother is on an all expenses paid trip basically to Singapore with his wife for her birthday and I haven't a clue how I'm even going to make my house payment next month. I'm getting so freaking sick of this! I don't know what to do.

Having a baby does not mean you have to stay locked up for months!

To preface, I'm in a twin mom group and I swear I do things different than about 90% or more of them and I swear my life is easier and less frustrating for it, that or my kids are unlike any other children, anywhere, ever!

Now, I like church, more than that I NEED church. I thoroughly believe that I would be insane without it and so many of these women seem to believe that having a baby (or 2 babies) means they don't need church for anywhere from 3 months to a year! I call bs! The thing is so many of these women that believe they are, and I quote, "Having the hardest time of my life!" To which I think to myself, gee, maybe it's because you need the support of the Lord! I believe that he makes things easier and if I'm not doing my part by being there, doing as he asks, and renewing my covenants he is no longer obligated to do his part, making my burden light, etc.

Today I was told I was extremely lucky that my kids haven't gotten sick when I've taken them to church as infants, I 100% disagree, I think I've been blessed for being where I'm supposed to be and also for not being a complete idiot. It's very possible to take your kids to church and keep them covered or not allow other people to touch them. I also nurse and that has proven benefits to help with immunity. I know there are guidelines such as not taking them out in a crowd, this I also think is ridiculous request, tell me where you can go that there isn't a crowd please. I still have to go to the store, if my kids are in school, well I've made the baby just as susceptible if I've allowed a sibling to go to school where there is illness. I mean really unless you are going to lock yourself and your entire family up for a year (husband included, he could get sick at work) or however long you deem necessary, you have no excuse to not be at church! Women have been having babies forever, and very few of them ever had the ability to lock themselves up for a year, and yet we are still here.

Addendum: I have a husband who works at least every other Sunday, I have taken 2 or 3 (ages 3 and under) kids, since birth, by myself more often than not, to church, I don't see the lack of help as an excuse for me to skip church (unless sickness is running rampant in my household, which fyi, happens very rarely, I immunize, and I don't have a great fear of germs, I want my kids to build up immunity), so to borrow a phrase that's pissing women off lately, what's your excuse? If you have 8 or more kids you are exempt from explaining yourself, that's a lot to do on your own, and if you do, more power to you!

Addendum 2: If you refuse to immunize your children please keep them away from mine, I will not knowing allow my children to be around yours. This goes along with me not being an idiot.

AHHH I'm a SAHM

Ok, in reality I've been one off and on for 3 years, but this is the first year I've really started to feel about it the way I wanted to. I finally canned my own peaches this year, first time since we've lived her, my mil did them every other year, first year we were in the midst of getting married, then the next year we had brand new baby twins, the next year our house was under major construction, last year I had to go back to work part time and it just didn't happen, this year I did it! I canned all my own peaches and made a bunch of jam, raspberry peach and strawberry peach, it's fabulous. I've even made fresh bread a few times. This week I've done grape juice and I'm dehydrating plums as we speak.

I'm also learning how to quilt, I took a sewing class in 8th grade and I've been capable of some small projects. This year I'm pushing it and making blankets for Christmas for my kids and I'm learning to quilt in the process, for Charlotte's at least, I've always wanted to do it and it's finally happening, I'm so excited.

I'm doing a homeschool preschool for my boys, nothing all that fancy, it's based on a letter of the week, we are having fun and the boys look forward to it. We've made animal letters and projects that have to do with the letter, and usually have some sort of snack with the letter of the week, today's was Eclairs, (that's what happens when mommy's a chef).

Lastly I've recently learned how to index names for newfamilysearch.org. I'm averaging 100 names a day and I've already done over 1000, it's kind of addicting and I figure it's a better use of my time than being on facebook all day.

Now if Tyson could get a full time, good job we'd be fabulous, but I'm good now and I really am loving getting to spend my days with my kids.

So it's been a while...

I was doing so good at updating and then life with a newborn happened. I forgot how fast it all goes, so here's the update.

Tyson- Graduated from UVU with a BS in Communications with an Emphasis in Journalism. He's working part time at UVU in their Career Development Center and as an Assistant Manager at Famous Footwear. We are praying the UVU one turns into something full time, but are still avidly trying to find something fulltime somewhere.

Me-Busy being a stay at home mommy of 3. We almost donated some of my already frozen eggs only to have tests done and find out it's amazing I'm not experiencing symptoms of menopause at 28 years old and I'll probably need those eggs, also we'll probably be trying for #4 a lot sooner than planned.

Jackson-Doing well and is irrationally afraid of splash pads, but every time we leave he tells me he had so much fun, so I guess that is a plus. We have an appointment in July to see his feet specialist and are hoping to be done, Shriner's we love you, but also can't wait to not have to see you anymore.

Jameson- Loves water and loves Charlotte like there is no tomorrow. Is healthy and growing and just loving life. Loves to make messes with his brother and incessantly wants to wash his hand, but won't give up playing in the dirt.

Charlotte- She's huge! at least to me. Nurses great, loves her big brothers and sleeps very well. I just wish she'd take a bottle, I feel far more trapped with my single baby than I ever did with my twins. I wouldn't give it up for anything its just odd to literally have her with me everywhere, except the temple that is.

Apparently, I wrote this one too and forgot about it, so double post, and I'm sure there is some redundancy, but oh well.

So I had a baby, and turned into a slacker

So here is the rundown...
- We blessed Charlotte May 5, it was wonderful and we were so lucky to have so many people come out to support us. We did a waffle bar for the "party" afterwards and it was a big hit.
- My 28th birthday was in June and Tyson got me a patio set, that I'm in love with. We also had a big bbq with lots of friends and family and we did a s'mores bar, I LOVE s'mores and it was fun to have so many different kinds. Tyson also took me to the Drive-in movies, we've been trying to go to one since we started dating and he finally pulled it off, he also arranged for us to stay at my friends house that night and then we got to go to the Bountiful temple the next day, and we went on a tour of Mrs. Cavanaugh's Chocolates. He spoiled me good!
-We visited 7 peaks a few times and several parks and splash pads, Jackson is still terrified of any body of water that isn't his bathtub, but every time we leave he tells me he had so much fun swimming, whatever you say Jack!
- I was asked to be an egg donor (I already had the eggs harvested, they are on ice, so to speak), and we had every intention of doing it (there were a lot of prayers and blessings involved in coming to that decision) until we got some test results back that were pretty crappy, needless to say we didn't do it and we'll probably be trying for another baby as soon as Charlotte is 6-9 months old, I really don't have a lot of time.
- July brought my boys 3rd birthday. It was so fun, we had a carnival, with all the fun foods (Cotton Candy, popcorn, peanuts, corndogs, and funnel cakes), and games for the kids. The boys got tricycles and a sandbox. I took some toy dinosaurs and covered them in a dirt/flour combo so they looked like rocks. The boys had so much fun breaking open their rocks and finding their dinosaurs.
- We have to leave Jackson's shoes on until he's 4, or refuses to wear them anymore, I cried my eyes out, at first they told us it was more like 3, but the recurrence rate for stopping at 3 scares me to much to quit now. If it does come back he's likely have to have surgery and I'd feel like crap if I could have stopped him through going through that and I didn't. It's much more involved that the first one he had.
I think that covers pretty much everything...