Everyone Needs an Uncle Jeffrey

This past week we had the opportunity to host Richie's younger brother Jeff! I don't know who was more sad that he had to go home, me or Miles. I was amazed at how much stuff I could get done and not even be phased! He helped me can all sorts of things from our garden, made a green drink for us every morning, worked on Gwen's ridiculously complicated stocking (That's right ladies, he cooks and can sew! But you'll have to wait until January till he's on the market :) and kept both kids entertained and happy 24/7. He was even a good enough sport to help Miles go to the potty and deal with Gwen's blow outs.
You can only go to the park so many times, so I fear we had him quite bored the majority of the time, but we had a blast with him. Miles is asking where you are and keeps playing hide and seek by himself, so you'd probably better come back up soon, ok Jeffrey? "C'mon Jeff-ey!"
To sweeten the deal, Richie's parents and younger brother Ross came up on Friday to pick Jeffrey up and brought their dog Cricket. Oh man, Miles was in Heaven. We got to hang out with them over the weekend and as always they left us better than when they found us. :) Thanks again for the corn and all the other yummy food!
At the Splash Park


At our River Spot doing tin foil dinners and mallows. We found a bunch of frogs. Miles was...cautious about them.



playing games together


Making sure Grandpa is comfortable


Feeding the bread fish and going to Mesa Falls


Riding the Carousel


This is how we all felt when we had to get in separate cars and depart. Nothing a little ice cream and play place can't temporarily fix, right? Right.

Check, Check and....Check!

We've got a few more things crossed off our Summer to do list. For your viewing pleasure, may I present:
Mesa Falls and feeding the bread fish



Washing the car outside


More Mallows with friends


Tonight we're going to our river spot again. I have this nagging fear in the back of my mind saying, "Summer is almost over, oooooh winter will be here before you know it! muahahhaa!" It's a very scary voice. I don't want to believe it, but I know it's true. So we're trying to soak it up over here.

Last Thursday

Every Thursday is the same, in fact every day of the week is the same for the most part. Richie, a busy young father, comes home to a somewhat frazzled housewife who he lovingly calls his sweetheart. They hurriedly gulp down dinner sometime between 5 and 6 when Richie switches hats and goes to a different job and Rachel, the previously mentioned housewife, tries to keep some piece of sanity in the last 2 hours before nirvana, otherwise known as bedtime.
She survives another evening of poop on the floor, one million "Wha Doo Mommy??", and relishes in the few hugs, laughs and smiles she receives in payment for her services. The natives are getting restless so she puts them in the tub to occupy their time, then gets jammies on, brushes teeth and starts reading stories when Richie walks through the door at 7:55. Scriptures, stories, songs prayers, lights out. Takes a breather.
"Hey Stranger!" Rachel says as she puts on her running shoes.
"Hello there Sweetheart! Ready to go to the gym?" Rich asks as he gives Rach a little peck on the forehead.
"I'm ready I guess. I'm exhausted. Remind me why I should go again instead of just watching a show with you??" Rach laments.
"Because you love going." Says Richie.
Eventually Rachel gets up enough motivation and makes her way through the door. Meanwhile, Richie spies a small glass of milk left over from dinner on the table. It's no secret Richie has a weak spot for ice cold milk. He grabs the cup, takes it all in in a single swig. Almost sent into convulsions he spews the milk into the sink and dry heaves a few times.
Rachel arrives home from the gym about an hour later and is met at the door by an accusing husband.
"What the heck was in that cup on the table?" He demands.
"What cup?"
"The small green cup."
Rachel thinks for a moment and then breaks into laughter so intense she can hardly breathe. Impatient for answers Richie interrupts her enjoyment and asks again, "What was in that cup?"
Rachel then proceeds to tell Richie how she had pumped a few small bottles for Gwen and put them in the freezer. However the storage containers she had them in broke after they fell out of the freezer so she put them in a small green cup in the fridge to thaw out without spilling everywhere. Earlier that night she noticed they were completely thawed out, so she threw away the little storage containers, leaving only what looked to be a small glass of milk on the table. She had forgotten to put it in a bottle.
Richie is still gagging. Rachel is still laughing.

Proportionately Big

That is how the doctor described Gwen at her 4 month check up. :) She's officially 16lbs 1 oz (90%) 27 inches long (Holy Moly! 98%) and I can't remember her head circumference, but it was in the 93%. This is all happening too quickly! For goodness sakes Gwen, just slow down this whole growing thing a little will ya?? I looked in Miles' baby book to see where he was at at 4 months and he was almost a pound heavier, but about 2 inches shorter. What a chunk. :) Below is a picture of her first taste of rice cereal. Not too big of a fan from what I gathered. She preferred to eat the bib.

From Trash to...Treasure?

We've been creative with our activities lately and have found some fun ways to use things we would otherwise throw away. True, these toys may not last another week, but it's fun for the process.
Juice Box Bowling Pins (And if you look carefully in the background you'll see some old PB jars that work great for storing small pieces)


Tissue Box Monster Shoes, with sponge toes! Miles hasn't gotten into them yet, he prefers the timer we made him out of some old bottles, colored sand and a button.


Juice Box floating boats! (Our favorite so far) We use them outside in our "pool", but Miles found it just as entertaining to put them in a pan and use the straw to push them around.



And just for good measure, here's some Gwen cuteness. Jenn, this is one of the adorable outfits you sent when she was born. I was worried she'd miss wearing it because it was 9 months and she is only 4 months. Guess what, it's a little tight on her already. :)

To Do

It seems like these summer "to-do lists" have been popping up everywhere. I thought it was a fabulous idea, so I copied. In fact, I may take it so far as to do a to-do list for every season. I'm a big fan of to-do lists. They keep me in check and make me feel like I'm accomplishing things.

The rules of our summer to-do list are as follows:
*We must complete everything on this list
*Just because an item is crossed off doesn't mean we can't do it again



Here are a few pictures of things we've been doing so far this summer, on our list or not.

Feeding the ducks at the pond. Always a hit.


Hanging out at the park with friends


Heading to our favorite spot by the river, cloud watching and having tin foil dinners. *Note to self, don't forget the forks next time.



Going on walks and looking really cool.


Loving on siblings


Walking in the rain...without pants.



Cooling off in a plastic bin :)


Watching Movies


Whew! We're tired!

Starting off with a bang!

I read the books/articles/blogs. I debated/hesitated/got cold feet. As a first timer here, I don't think I've come up against a more daunting task, in my humble, inexperienced opinion. But what it came down to is that I'm tired of paying for 2 sets of diapers each month. Even more than that, I'm sick of changing big boy poopy diapers. So last week, I put all my reservations aside, pumped myself up, and got ready for operation potty train. Right about here, you should imagine me pulling surgical gloves on my hands. *snap!
We went shopping and got Miles a Lightning McQueen potty seat in case he preferred that to his little potty chair. We bought special treats, and he is definitely his mamma's boy. He chose the most expensive ones. We also got a bajillion pairs of big boy underwear. All while shopping I kept talking about how much fun it was going to be to be a big boy and go potty on the big boy potty. I was 99% sure everything I was saying was going in one ear and out the other, but I kept going.
Here's where the story gets really interesting. If you have a weak stomach, you probably shouldn't read on. I wake Miles up the next day and find his sheets completely covered in puke! Dried on puke all over the pillow case, his hair, sheets etc etc etc. I'm a little surprised since he's just as happy as ever. Puke? No big deal, clean it up, on our way.
After breakfast I announce "it's time to go potty!! WAHOO!!" And we run to the bathroom. He seems to like it. He seems to especially like the treat afterward. After we put Gwen down for her first nap we put Miles in a swim diaper and head out front to our luxurious swimming pool. I'll post pictures later, but it's really a food storage Tupperware from under our bed that I fill up with water. He totally loves it. About 30 minutes later I notice the water is a funny color... I become more suspicious when Miles asks to go inside after such a short time. I proceed to take the swim diaper off and am attacked by...are you ready? Poo!!! I'll spare you the details, but it was gross. We get him cleaned up, get the front porch cleaned off, get the Tupperware cleaned out and go inside. A little while later Gwen wakes up and we have a snack. Miles leaves the table abruptly and goes into the living room. 5 minutes later he comes in the kitchen and announces, "POOPY!". I say, "Good job Miles for telling me you have to go to the bathroom! Hooray! Let's go!!" We head off to the bathroom and I pull down his shorts to reveal....are you ready?? Poo again!! Astonished, I set him on the toilet while he cries. I clean up the bathroom floor and head to the kitchen for reinforcements and notice a strange trail leading into the living room. Sure enough, it's a poop trail. A poop trail for crying out loud!!! I grab the cleaners and start scrubbing, meanwhile Miles is still crying on the potty and Gwen is crying in the kitchen. Where is Seth Myers, cause I'm thinking "Really???"
Let me spare you any more gruesome details, but just so we're clear, Miles caught some bug and his bum looks like a cranberry field or something, all red and ouchy. Besides the two episodes stated above, I changed, what felt like, a million more poopy diapers and washed a bunch of shorts.
The throw up should have tipped me off. Rookie mistake.

We're all together again!

We spent this past weekend in the beautiful Cascade Idaho at Grandma Linda's cabin with Richie's folks. We were all feeling jipped at the short amount of time we were able to see each other over that weekend Richie's brother Ross came home, so we got together again and it was fantastic to see everyone again. Miles was in heaven with all of those people to pay attention to him and all that "outside" to explore. I think he's thoroughly bored with me this week. Gwen got to meet her great-great grandma Ewing and we took another 5 generation picture! I think that's so incredible. We also celebrated Richie's 26th birthday! We're pretty much 30 now right? Yikes. I never seem to take enough pictures, but here are a few of this weekend.

Growth

Today, Richie and I will celebrate our 4th anniversary! My parents, maternal grandparents and Richie's maternal grandparents will also be celebrating their anniversaries as well! Big day. We plan on making our will (very romantic, yes?) and last night we went out on a real live date and went out to eat at Outback Steakhouse! Woop Woop! (gift card that we've been saving courtesy of Richie's work- thank you very much) I should have taken a picture! If you haven't figured it out already, Richie and I are...frugal. Let's face it, we're pretty cheap. . I couldn't think of anything to make this year surprisingly. So I've opted to write a post for my sweetheart. He usually doesn't read the blog, so this will be something out of the ordinary and hopefully fun.

My dear-
Do you remember that time we were at your sister's wedding reception and a certain ex-girlfriend's mom was subtly trying to claw my eyes out?? (For lack of a better phrase.) She asked if me if I was good enough for you, and while I sat there dumbfounded with my mouth open, you heroically stepped in and told her that in the last year that you had known me, you had grown more than you had in your entire life. Well, I've been reflecting on the past 4 years since we got married and I wanted to share how much I've grown because of YOU, and remind you of how much we've accomplished together. We are a force to be reckoned with!!


Since June 26,2007 we have:
*Gotten sealed for time and all eternity
*Both graduated with our bachelor's degrees
*Had 2 children
*Moved 5 times
*Held 12 jobs between the two of us
*Bought 1 vehicle
*Accumulated ZERO debt
*Been in 4 different wards
*Held 7 different callings
*Traveled through UT, ID, WY, NE, IA, IL and TX

Because of you and the family we've created I have learned:
*How to make bread
*How to can some things
*Basic Gardening
*Minor Sewing skills
*How to effectively budget
*How to SWING DANCE!
*How to get a toddler out of a running car he's locked himself in
*Some pretty creative ways to cut an energy bill
*How to be a DI/thrift store shopping guru and decorator
*How to calm a crying child (mostly, just hand them to you :)
*How to Modge Podge
*Some sushi is de-dang-licious!
*How to paint a room
*my way around Eastern Idaho...kind of
*How to cut guy's hair!
*How to control a room of 25 6 year olds
*How to do a back flip on the tramp
*How to kiss ouchies better
*How to check the tire pressure and fill up the tires with air
*The anatomy of car brakes
*How to shave my legs while 9 months prego (you don't!)
*How to speak several dialects including husband, baby, and toddler
*How to help a migraine
*How to handle croup
*How to do an underdog
*How to play Frisbee golf!
*How to play Canasta
*That some people are downright dishonest and mean-hearted
*Likewise, some people are genuinely sweet and good.
etc etc etc etc etc


Together we have learned the value of:
*A Dollar
*A good ward
*Good friends
*Service going both ways
*A double stroller
*A mild climate
*Staying up late and talking to my best friend
*A hug after a long day
*Wonderful nursery teachers
*Paying your tithing
*A hotel after traveling for hours and hours
*Those who came before us, especially our parents

I wanted to find some of our engagement and wedding day pictures to post on here, but they're not on the computer and the prints are in storage. Nevertheless, enjoy this short walk down memory lane.

Shortly after engagement, visiting SG. Shaka.



Engaged. Right after end of the semester before I left for SG and you stayed in Rexburg. Aka, longest 3 months of our lives.


Coming for a visit in SLC


Just barely married, first camping trip!


First day of school our first semester being married. "I'm just a kid!"



First Christmas


Rach Gradumatated


Our "Hot" Picture.


Here comes Miles


Family of 3!


Richie Gradumatates!


Happy Family


Here comes Gwen!


Ta-Da! We're really good at making beautiful children, in case you haven't noticed.


Even Happier Family!


Most recent family pic



Thank you for helping me to become a better person. To paraphrase you 4.5 years ago, I have grown more in the past 4 years than I have throughout my entire life. I know I've told you this before, but I'm so glad I married my best friend. It makes this whole marriage thing so much better and easier. I'm especially glad that my best friend is a good-lookin, hard-workin man who pushes me to be better, but knows when to stop pushing me when I get annoyed and frustrated, and who loves me despite the extra baby weight hanging on and my hair changing colors mysteriously. :) You're my favorite. I love you (and the first wrinkles on your face full of "character"). Happy 4 years! Can't wait to see where we'll be in the next 4!
-Rach

DI Couture

I was reading a talk from Elder Holland recently about parenting and motherhood and, to paraphrase, he brought up the fact that for the first several years a couple is married, many couples are forced to be extremely frugal and decorate their homes with such styles as DI couture etc. I thought, "this is me". When I look around our apartment, I can find only one piece of furniture that we bought new, a bookshelf for $50 from Staples that we spray painted incorrectly, and now it looks like it was a hand-me-down. Everything else is second hand. So lately, I've been working on more projects to make the most of our...style. It's super fun for me, like a game almost. One day, when we're millionaires, I think I'll still shop at DI and other thrift stores for projects. If you want to read the entire talk by elder Holland, look up "Because she is a Mother". It's one of those talks I should read every day.

In the kids room I....

Hung some stuff on the walls finally. I found this flower/branch/wall hanging thing at DI. It was really gold and cheesy, but I fell in love with it, so I brought it home and painted it. I got the idea to make a mobile from a website, but had to tailor it to what I had on hand, which was string, embroidery hoops, paper and hot glue. :) Fancy right?


On Miles side, I found a small shelf at a garage sale and painted it, stacked some cool DI books and Richie's old pinewood derby car on it. Found a small map of Oahu from Richie's mission. I also found a big map at DI and placed it in the "travel" corner next to his 2 suitcases (also courtesy of the DI) and his horse. The circle things are actually embroidery hoops that I found at the DI. I painted them and used scraps of fabric I had on hand to go in the middle. We didn't want to put lots of holes in the wall hanging them up, so I figured I could use that blue sticky tack. I'm rethinking that choice every time I get Miles out of bed and he has a chunk of it in his hair I have to cut out....any suggestions?




Remember this bookshelf? We didn't want to put huge holes in the wall at this apartment, so we opted to make it a planter on our front steps! I really like it that way! Never mind that half of the flowers are dead, I took this picture after we got back from our trip, so they probably didn't get enough water.


A friend of ours was moving and was getting rid of things. She graciously let us take this entertainment center so we could set our TV on something somewhat substantial instead of it teetering on a little block. I sanded, painted and distressed it.