Bloggity-blog-blog

Kaylee is Nine!

2012-01-11T22:28:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things that I love about my sweet Kaylee. Here are just a few...

Kaylee does everything with gusto. There is no half-way with her; it's all or nothing.

Kaylee is such a princess! Of course, she can be a total tomboy, too. I think she celebrates the best of both worlds. I think Pixar's new film "Brave" is going to be right up her alley.

Kaylee finds joy EVERYWHERE. Her smile is amazing and her laugh is infectious.

Kaylee has a track record of making really great choices.

Kaylee is a spectacular friend!

Kaylee is a wonderful big sister.

Kaylee, we are so lucky to have you as part of our family. I just don't know what we'd do without you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAYLEE!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T16:35:00.000-04:00

Seriously, where is this year going!? It seems like we just moved here but it has already been a year. I know. Crazy.

Last year, the kids were all pumpkins from a family pumpkin patch. This year, they decided to be a little more their own thing.

Jacob as Phineas from "Phineas and Ferb"
Isabelle as Belle

Kaylee channeling her inner Alex Russo from "Wizards of Waverly Place"

Our two Avengers - Matt as Captain America and Josh as Iron Man

Our pumpkins! From top left clockwise: Kaylee's, Jacob's, Matt's, and Josh's

The whole family! Gosh, that's a lot of kids!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

2011-08-18T12:59:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day of school. Actually, it still is seeing as the kids haven't come home yet. I thought I would put the pictures up, anyway.

Enjoy!

I Am Grateful...

2011-08-17T19:59:00.000-04:00

I am grateful for the interwebs because they allow me to vent my frustrations with life out into a relatively harmless void, thereby saving my husband and children from getting an earful.

FYI: I am not frustrated right now, nor have my husband or children done anything wrong. I'm just making an observation and expressing gratitude.

Thank you for your time.

Jacob's Dream

2011-08-17T18:23:00.002-04:00

My eldest son shared with me a dream he had about a month ago, in the midst of all of the ridiculous debt ceiling nonsense. He told me that in his dream, he and his friends managed to earn all of the money needed to pay off the national debt. They took the money to Washington and gave it to the government. But, instead of paying off the debt, Congress decided to spend that money on a monument to themselves.

I laughed like crazy and then died a little inside because that is probably what the government would have done in real life.

The End.

The Day Before the First Day of School

2011-08-17T18:16:00.002-04:00

It is that time of year again when moms all over the country are getting perhaps a teeny bit antsy for their children to go back to school. I remember this time last year, I could not wait for my children to get out of my house and back in the classroom. (In retrospect, that might have had something to do with the fact that it was one of the hottest, and most humid, summers on record in Georgia, and I was eight months pregnant). This year, however, things are a bit different.

I've had a great summer with my kids. We've been to the gym, we've been swimming, we've been to baseball games (both t-ball and professional) and have been on several walks and hikes. I've really enjoyed spending time with the little munchkins.

We've also had fun getting all of their school supplies together, going to before-school assessments and picking up lunch supplies. It seems that about this time of year, every year, I am stressed out of my tree trying to buy last minute erasers and school shoes. I'm so on top of things this year that I am sitting her, at the computer, blogging. I'm trying to invent things that need to be done. It feels good, yet at the same time, I'm starting to panic that I've forgotten something and that I am wasting time. I'm beginning to think that along with all of the great rewards of motherhood, we are burdened with a lot of unnecessary stress. Pft.

Well, I'll let you know how the first day goes. We're way excited, even the kids!

A Challenge

2011-05-03T13:37:00.002-04:00

Jarum has issued me A Challenge: if I complete a 12-14 week exercise and nutrition program with him, he will get me a prize.

I won't tell you what it is, but I will tell you this much:

It starts with an i.

And ends with a Pad.

And looks like this:

Keep me honest People!

Easter

2011-04-29T21:47:00.007-04:00

What a whirlwind Easter weekend we had! First we had a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt on Saturday morning (I know! A Saturday!) where we got to run around in the falling snow, picking up eggs with hundreds of our closest friends. Then we had our own hunt at home. On Sunday we went to Church and I experienced probably one of the most spiritual Easters I've ever had. It was just a great weekend!

Waiting for each age group to be called.

Look! I've got teeth!

Chatting with friends.

The Easter Bunny presiding over the "4 and under" hunt.

Matt waiting to be set loose.

The "8 and over" crowd. The went way out there.

Cheese!

My boys after Church.

And my girls.

Mom, do we have to take more pictures?!

Just give me a nice one.

Izzy Gnawing on a Spoon

2011-04-10T19:02:00.000-04:00

Why Comfort Dental is AWESOME!

2011-04-10T18:29:00.008-04:00

In an effort to thank all of the partners for what they do for the company, Comfort Dental Corporate purchases Box and Suite seats for Rockies games. Jarum snagged four of the tickets for the Rockies/Dodgers game last Tuesdays night. We took Jacob and Kaylee and oh, how fun it was!!

Suite ticket holders have special parking. It made us feel, well, special!

After going through the ticket stiles, we were led to a private elevator that took us up to the Suite Level. When we got off, this is what it looked like. It was like being in a hotel and not in a baseball stadium.

The Comfort Dental Suite. This was the view from the door.

Jacob and Kaylee couldn't believe their eyes when they saw all of the free, catered food!

The Comfort Dental Jersey

The view from our box. If you enlarge the image and look at the backstop just right of center field, you'll see the Comfort Dental logo. That's right. We're awesome. ;)

At the top of the Fifth, the kids could go down the hall and meet Dinger, the mascot for the Rockies.

We ended up beating the Dodgers 3-0 (thank goodness!) and enjoyed every minute of our adventure! I think the best part was that there was a bathroom right across the hall, no waiting! ;)

Thanks, Rick, for your generosity!

And thanks to our dear friends, the Roylances, for watching our younger three children. We really appreciate it!

Conference

2011-04-10T18:19:00.001-04:00

Something that hasn't happened in over ten years happened this last week - we were able to watch General Conference in its entirety! It was a Conference Weekend Miracle! It was spectacular to watch and we all enjoyed it immensely. The Spirit was very strong and I think the kids actually remembered some of the messages. I think we can count that as a success!

We've Had a Few Firsts...

2011-04-10T17:58:00.006-04:00

First Lost Tooth...

First "Solid" Food

First Falling-Asleep-While-Doing-Homework

First Trip to the Denver Zoo

First Place in the Pinewood Derby

First Spring Outfit

First Sitting at the Table

Our First Dinner at our New Dining Table

Women of Destiny

2011-03-19T23:23:00.002-04:00

When my mother came to Florida to help me after I had had my second child Kaylee, she gave me this CD.

I still listen to it. It's a wonderful CD celebrating Womanhood and the joy that is Relief Society, and is based on the Relief Society Declaration. I listen to it most often when the responsibilities of motherhood and life start to become overwhelming. The peace the music brings to my soul is indescribable. I wish that every woman could have a copy. If anyone who lives near me wants to borrow the CD, please ask. I'd be more than willing to share.

Isabelle Just Being Cute

2011-02-25T21:45:00.002-05:00

I put Isabelle in her crib with a toy so I could get a much needed shower. When I got out, this was what I found:

Josh's Birthday

2011-02-25T21:43:00.004-05:00

We recently celebrated Joshua's 4th Birthday. (I would have put pics up sooner, but the flu hit us pretty hard last week.) Anyway, we had more of a birth-weekend then a birthday, because he is part Welton, and that's how we roll.

We opened presents as soon as Jarum got home from work on Saturday and then we went to the gym to go swimming. That would probably explain why Josh is wearing a swimming shirt.

Joshua had asked for a Pillow Pet for his birthday. I think he likes it.

He also started asking for a Lightening McQueen cake since his last birthday. Jarum and I thought we should probably go with that. No, I didn't make it. I'm awesome, but not that awesome.

It's hard to believe that my Joshy-man is already four. It just doesn't seem right, somehow. But then he does stuff like this that helps me to calm down and realize that he hasn't completely grown up. Yet.

I love you, Sweet Boy!

I LOVE HAVING OLDER KIDS!!!!

2011-02-18T20:21:00.001-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love having older kids! They were so helpful with my last pregnancy and now they are helping me out while I am laid up in bed with what I can only assume is a type of the flu. Jacob made dinner for everyone and he and Kaylee are taking turns watching Isabelle. Kaylee even brought me up some cereal and juice so I wouldn't have to come down to the kitchen. She then hooked up the baby monitor in my room so that I could call down to the receiver in the living room if I needed something.

I think I might keep these kids!

A Blast From the Past

2011-02-16T18:08:00.003-05:00

Ever since Isabelle was born people have been commenting on how much she looks like Josh. I would always agree, but most of the time I thought she looked just like Izzy. Then I came across this old blog entry of when Josh started crawling.

Now I see what everyone is talking about.

Keep in mind that Josh is only one month older in those videos than Izzy is now.

Have a nice day.

ETA a recent video of Isabelle from a few weeks ago. Now you can compare.

Silly and a Little Disturbing

2011-02-14T00:02:00.002-05:00

I know, I know.

What the heck?

I can't help it.

I'm a goob, but this pic cracks me up EVERY TIME!

P.S. I was just showing this to Jarum and I couldn't stop being silly. Seriously, the expression on her face is priceless. She is so secure in her femininity that she just looks at us, like, "what?"

Gosh, I love this girl!

Kaylee's Baptism

2011-02-10T19:43:00.006-05:00

Kaylee was baptized this last Saturday. It was a wonderful morning for all that were there. When she came up out of the water and back into the dressing room she told me, "That felt good!" We are so proud of you Kaylee!

Kaylee and Dad before the baptism

All of the family who were in attendance. Thanks so much for coming! And we missed those who were unable to make it.

There were about four different cameras going off at once and we had no idea where to look. Obviously Kaylee got it right. Josh looked like that in all of the pics. Goober.

Robert and Megan. They are awesome. Enough said.

Isabelle: either she's striking a pose or wondering who the heck all of the new people are!

Megan (my sister). She's a pro at the self-pic taking thing.

This picture is a prime example of why my brother rocks. Not only did he make Sunday dinner, but he looked good sporting my new apron!

Chris talking on the phone while Josh snuggles. Priceless.

It was a fantastic weekend. I think the best part (besides family being here and Kaylee's baptism) was that we fit almost all of the family that came in our house and we weren't even crazy squished! Yay for new houses that fit people!

P.S. We got a new camera. I hope this post is just the first of many to come!

Starbucks, Kimmy, and Shenanigans

2011-01-20T17:09:00.003-05:00

Just now I was having a chat with my friend Kimmy online. Kimmy is a great friend and makes me laugh like nobody's business. I was just telling her how I was really hankering for a Trenta Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate* and she replied with how I should start calling Jacob "Trenta".

I, of course, thought this was hysterical, but as there isn't anything smaller than "Josh/Tall" I asked her what I should call Izzy. "Kid's Size," I asked? And at the exact same moment she typed "Sample?"

So there you have it. We are changing our kids' names to Trenta, Venti, Grande, Tall, and Sample.

*I know that they don't offer those, but I REALLY WANTED ONE!

Broken Camera

2010-12-30T17:51:00.001-05:00

I accidentally closed our trunk on our digital camera about six months back, and we've been without a camera ever since. It's just a problem with the lens not opening and zooming. I wonder if it would be cheaper to get the camera repaired, or to just get a new camera.

Thoughts?

Christmas Eve

2010-12-28T00:17:00.001-05:00

As always on Christmas Eve, we have the children act out the Nativity. The following is what happened this year:

New Computer

2010-12-27T15:39:00.001-05:00

I received a new (and much needed) desktop computer for Christmas. This means that I will no longer be fighting Jarum for control of the sole laptop. It is also way more convenient than a laptop, as it is always where I left it, and not hiding under blankets or inside of a couch.

I am so excited to learn all about the workings of my new 'puter, and I'm hoping that once I transfer all of our picture files over from the laptop, and once I figure out how to hook up the video camera, I will be updating on the blog more often. I don't know if you all care or not, but I probably should be writing some of the things down that go on in my life.

Nomes

The Princess Face: Update

2010-12-21T22:22:00.003-05:00

See? SEE?!

The Princess Face

2010-12-19T20:21:00.002-05:00

It is great fun watching Izzy while she sleeps. When she sleeps, she has what can only be described as "the Princess Face". We laugh at this because it is the exact face that Kaylee has in this picture from three years ago.

I so enjoy the Princess Face!

It's a Christmas Miracle!

2010-11-29T13:06:00.001-05:00

Isabelle

2010-10-03T19:50:00.002-04:00

Isabelle Elizabeth was born on September 29, 2010. She came in at a whopping 7lbs 15oz (our smallest baby) and 20 inches long. She is a sweetie, we adore her, and want to gobble her up on a regular basis.

Enjoy.

The day she came home.

A very proud big brother!

I am planning on putting up more pics, eventually, but I think I need to recover from this hard work first. :)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

2010-07-21T22:50:00.003-04:00

One of my all-time, favorite things is to climb into a freshly made bed with freshly laundered sheets while wearing freshly laundered PJs after having taken a shower. It is just the most clean feeling ever, and I wish the stars aligned every night to have that happen.

Alas, I am too lazy to actually launder my sheets and remake my bed every single day.

Once a week will have to suffice.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Where Better to Celebrate the 4th?

2010-07-11T20:04:00.007-04:00

Sorry about the quality of some of these pictures - I accidentally broke our camera right at the beginning of the trip, so we had to rely on a camera phone. :)

Summer Vacation 2010

2010-06-23T12:05:00.003-04:00

*warning* This is a vent post. If you don't want to read whining, I suggest you move on. Thank you.

You know, I think that I am a patient person. I usually allow things to just roll off of my back without fussing or stressing too much. However, I am just about ready to kick my kids to the curb (metaphorically, not in reality). I don't even really blame them for the torment they've been giving me lately. We live in a place where there is literally nothing to do. Not within a 45 mile radius, anyway. We also live in a place that is hotter than hades. Yes, it only gets into the low 90s, but couple that with humidity and it's over 105 outside. The summers in the south are like winters in the north - you just don't go outside until the season changes.

Anyway, we've done a lot of fun things this summer but it seems as if the past few weeks are crawling by because we've been inside so much. The kids are getting tired of one another. I'm getting tired of them. The constant whining and fighting, etc. are just starting to wear thin, you know?

I've tried all sorts of activities to alleviate the boredom. We've gone to the library. We've done art projects. We've learned how to do laundry. We've watched movies. We've played the Wii. We've gone to two different water parks. We've played board games. We've had birthdays. We've made things for Father's Day. I just don't know what else to do! I would so love it if there were a zoo nearby, or a museum, or a freakin' bookstore! I would love to have a craft/hobby store nearby to get ideas. I would love to just have a Target! I would also love to not be pregnant so that I could have more energy to help my kids stave off the summer "blahs". I'm also trying really, really hard to not let them just veg in front of the TV all day. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

For those of you who have never lived in a small, isolated town, you will never understand this. For those of you who have visited us here in Hinesville, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I'm not posting this to beg for sympathy, or even for ideas. I just needed to vent and say that I am now very ready to move away from here and live someplace where the main store is NOT a Wal-mart!

........

That is all.

Joy

2010-06-22T11:03:00.001-04:00

Summer Vacation

2010-06-11T09:52:00.003-04:00

I don't know what it is, but this summer I am not hating summer vacation! We've already been at it three weeks and I still like the children. I think one trick is to have the days packed with stuff, with just a few lazy days in between. Thus far we have had baseball camp, track and field camp (ongoing), Scouts, my parents visiting, helping friends move, church activities, etc. It sure makes the time fly by, and it keeps the kids entertained.

I'm also noticing how helpful all of the kids have been. It might be because they are growing and maturing, or it might be because they want to be helpful because I'm not as capable of doing things as I once was. It might also be because they want to get on my good side so I'll let them be the first one to hold the baby! Regardless, they have been so good. I've only had to raise my voice a few times.

This summer might also be going as well as it is because, as far as being pregnant, I am not in my first, or third trimesters! I went through the first trimester while three of the four kids were in school, and Josh was very patient with me. I'm in my "energy-driven" (relatively speaking) second trimester and so I still can just keep up with the kids. Thankfully, when I hit "beached whale" status, the kids will be back in school, and Joshua will impress me with his patience skills, once again.

I'm grateful for older kids. I never new how much fun and help they could be. Plus, with the older kids acting so responsibly, it helps the younger ones realize how they should act. It is just fantastic!

Of course, I wish it were just slightly cooler outside so I could send them out more. I'm really looking forward to the day when I don't have to worry about the heat index!

Nomes

Pruning

2010-05-12T19:24:00.003-04:00

Sometime we just hit a time in our lives where we have to take a good look at what we're doing and ask ourselves, "Is this really worth my time?" This has happened to me in the last couple of weeks. And baby, it feels good.

I've reduced my time on certain internet sites, I've completely deleted my facebook account (yes, it CAN be done!), and I have whittled down my twitter list.

I have also been clearing out my house, preparing for our move in the fall. I've been getting rid of lots of stuff, and it feels good every time I go to GoodWill or take another bag out to the trash.

Pruning is good!

Oh, Shoot! I Forgot!

2010-05-07T13:35:00.003-04:00

I forgot to update my blog with the ultrasound results!

It's. A. GIRL!

Pink will now explode all throughout my house. :)

And for those of you keeping score, this now makes three boys and two girls.

What TV show makes you laugh the loudest?

2010-05-07T12:37:00.001-04:00

The Big Bang Theory, hands down.

Ask me anything

I'm in the Christmas spirit and would like to know: what is your favorite Christmas movie (and why)?

2010-05-07T12:36:00.001-04:00

LOL I left this late!

My absolute favorite Christmas movie is "Meet Me In St. Louis". I know, I know, not a completely Christmasy movie, but part of it does take place at Christmas and one the the best-loved Christmas songs came from that movie. Plus I just love the story of the family and the humor. Great film!

Ask me anything

Thinking of great girl names... Elle

2010-05-07T12:35:00.001-04:00

That is a really pretty name!

We are considering Abigail, Elizabeth, Hannah, Rachel, Emma, Rose, and probably a few others that I can't think of right now. :)

Ask me anything

Are you doing any sewing projects?

2010-05-07T12:34:00.001-04:00

Right now I am knitting up baby girl things like crazy! I have already completed a pair of booties, I'm almost finished with a pair of Mary Janes, and I am also working on bibs.

I do have a robe that I owe my other daughter from her birthday that I need to put together on the sewing machine. I should probably do that soon!

Ask me anything

What is the best book you have ever read?

2010-05-07T12:33:00.001-04:00

This is a really difficult question, as I have read a lot of really good books. Mostly it depends on what mood I'm in. Right now I would have to say that Pride and Prejudice is probably my favorite at the moment. I can read it again and again and I never tire of it. I glean something new with each read and I always get goosebumps at the end.

Of course, if I'm in a sci-fi mood I would have to say Dune, and if I'm in a fantasy mood I would choose The Lord of the Rings. I also enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird, the Harry Potter series, anything C.S. Lewis, etc.

Ask me anything

I'm Back!

2010-05-04T08:21:00.001-04:00

Yes, I know that it has been a ridiculous amount of time since I have updated. Yes, I know I need to post some pictures of the kids. Yes, I'm going to update more often.

Check back later for ultrasound results!

formspring.me

2009-12-17T15:35:00.001-05:00

Least favorite chore?

That would be a toss-up between laundry and mopping floors. I even prefer cleaning bathrooms to mopping floors!

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2009-12-15T22:38:00.001-05:00

Where is your favorite place you've lived?

That is a really hard question, because I have lived in so many places. I can tell you that I DID NOT like living in Florida, if that helps. But just about everywhere else I've lived, I've loved.

California is just a beautiful state, filled with all sorts of places to go, and things to see. Yosemite, Monterrey Bay, and San Francisco were just a few of the places I loved to visit. I was also married in California, so that's something special there, as well.

I lived in Utah for a time. I loved the fall, winter and spring, but the summers were just a bit hot, and the dorms didn't have a/c, so that was kind of miserable. Summer wasn't too bad once I moved into air-conditioning, though. And the mountains! Oh. My. GOSH! Gorgeous! I miss them.

I absolutely adore Georgia right now. Summertime, not so much, what with the bugs and humidity and bugs and humidity and bugs, but the other three seasons are downright pleasant! Plus the history here is so amazing. And the trees. There are literally trees EVERYWHERE. And just about everyone is polite. "Southern charm" is most definitely not a myth. I really am going to miss the South when we move.

Oh! The only thing Florida has going for it is Orlando. The end.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2009-12-09T13:08:00.001-05:00

Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?

I would have to say ninjas. Pirates aren't exactly known for their stealth. Unless their undead and can walk underwater. Which is cool.

What was the happiest moment in your life?

This would have to be split five ways: The day I was married and the births of each of my four kids. /sap

What are you most excited about right now?

CHRISTMAS!!! Oh my gosh, I can't even stand it! I might as well be a kid, I'm so excited! And it isn't even about the presents. I just love this time of year, what with all of the happiness floating around. *happy sigh*

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2009-12-09T13:04:00.001-05:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/nomes

What We've Been Up to This Past Month

2009-12-02T13:21:00.009-05:00

Just as a prologue: We have had somebody sick in our house since before Halloween. Just sayin'.

As a lot of you know, we went to California to see Jarum's sister get married and to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Boyers. We pretty much had three weeks notice which isn't all that much time to get ready. Needless to say it was a very stressful couple of weeks.

Four weeks before the trip everybody got sick with some kind of fever/cold. Most of us had a cough that went away, but for some reason, Josh just wasn't losing the cough. I took him in three weeks before the trip (BT) and the nurse practitioner's init

ial diagnosis was the croup. Yeah. Whatever. I took him in a few days later (two weeks BT) and a DOCTOR diagnosed him with pneumonia. That's right. Pneumonia! We immediately got him on antibiotics. Took him in a week later (Monday BT) and all was well. Unfortunately Jacob was showing signs of a fever and a cough. The day before the trip I took him in to make sure that he didn't have swine flu and was okay to fly. Turns out he had PNEUMONIA! Yep. Got him on antibiotics and a steroid.

Here we turn to our flight out West. We were supposed to leave at 6:45am EST, get to Houston at 8:45am CST, fly out of Houston at 9:30am CST and get to Sacramento at 11:30am PST. Yeah. That so didn't happen. Due to mechanical problems with o

ur very first flight, we missed our connection in Houston and had to stay there for TWELVE HOURS to catch the next flight to Sacramento. So, instead of getting to California at 11:3oam PST, we got there at 11:30PM PST. We were so tired. Thank goodness for the USO! (For more details on this, see previous post)

We got to California and had a blast staying at Jarum's br

other's house. We laughed so hard just about every night that we think we may have tightened our abs just a little bit. The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins, and we had a very nice time at the wedding, seeing more Aunts and Uncles, and visiting with Jarum's parents. We celebrated three birthdays and Thanksgiving as well. Crazy busy! It was also so beautiful in California. I'd forgotten what a pretty state it is.

While we were in California (five days into the trip) Kaylee started showing signs of a fever and a cough. Yep. We took her into Urgent Care and guess what she had. WRONG! It wasn't pneumonia! It was bronchitis and an ear infection! Antibiotics.

On Thanksgiving (two days after Kaylee went to Urgent

Care) I was back there with Joshua. Ear infection. Antibiotics.

We flew home on Black Friday. The kids did really well on the flight, considering Josh was only 12 hours into his antibiotic treatment. We did have a bit of trouble landing in Dulles, though. There were 50-60 mph winds hitting the airport. Needless to say four of the six of us had to use our barf bags. I won't go into details, but one of the little o

nes didn't really make it into the bag. I am so sorry, airplane cleaners! However, we were not the only ones on the flight to have to use those little bags, so that should just tell you how bumpy that landing was. We had to use up all of our wipes just cleaning up one of the kids, and wouldn't you know it, on our connecting flight back to Savannah, Josh exploded out of his diaper. No problem, I thought. I'll just use the paper towels in the lavatory, and I've got extra clothes for him. Really, no problem. WRONG! When I got to the lavatory, there was a plastic bag over the faucet and packages of moist towelettes in the sink. !!!! I think I used, like, nine of them. Note to self: Bring extra wipes. Way more than you think you m

ight ever need.

We made it home safe and sound, no problems. The house was still here, the pets were glad to see us. It was so nice to be home!

On Saturday we got our Christmas Tree. We had a blast going to the Christmas Tree farm. We found a tree right away and all of the kids helped Jarum cut it down. We then went on a hayride, saw some farm animals, and then came home. By the end of the day we had all of the Christmas decorations up, the tree done, and we watched BYU bea

t Utah.

Then Sunday came.

After church Matthew wasn't looking so well. In fact, he was hot! 101F. (Have you been keeping track of everyone who has gotten sick? Because I don't think I even know anymore!) Since the CDC has been suggesting that those with fevers stay home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours, Matthew didn't go to school on Monday. He was very sad. He was fever-free for most of the morning but then it came back, rearing its ugly head in the afternoon. Seriously! So no school for him on Tuesday, either. He did, however, manage to

stay all better all of Tuesday, which brings us to today.

Matt is back at school.

I'm not feeling so well.

Can I please go on vacation?

Some pictures for your enjoyment:

In the USO

He decided he needed a nap 15 minutes before we had to board for our flight. D'oh!

This isn't the most flattering picture of me (I'm really not that big) but Jarum was hot, so I had to post it. :D

Jarum's brother Chris and his wife Jill. Don't they look like they're taking a prom picture? Classic!

At Grandma and Grandpa Boyer's house

We visited the very first A&W restaurant EVER. Yeah. Be jealous.

The kids playing freeze tag with Jill's younger brothers and sisters.

Kaylee working the Christmas Tree Farm

See the Gnome on top? See it!? I still get the giggles every time I go in there.

Joshy's nursery teacher is absolutely the best. She helped them make these as they were learning about putting on the "Armor of God."

Our can rotation/storage system. We put it together last night. We can't seem to stop taking a can out and watching it roll through. It is pretty cool. And we know the thing on the bottom is upside down. Being the frugal people we are, we bought a floor-model. :)

Houston

2009-11-19T18:47:00.003-05:00

As of right now we have been in the Houston airport for the last seven hours and still have another three hours to go. Why, you ask? Because we were lucky enough to book a flight that had mechanical problems instead of no mechanical problems. It took off from Savannah an hour and a half later than scheduled, thus making us miss our connecting flight in Houston. So, instead of getting to California at 11:21am WST we are now going to get to California at 11:15pm, WST standard time. To put it in perspective, we have been up since 3am EST. We will probably walk through the door of Chris and Jill's house around midnight WST.

Do the math.

However, as hard as this has been, it hasn't been absolutely horrible. Due to Jarum's active duty military status, we did not have to pay for any checked luggage, thereby saving us a tidy sum of money for the whole trip. We have also been able to spend most of the time at a newly remodeled USO. I don't know what we would've done without the USO, that is for sure! The people who have been working here (for the both shifts we have been here) have been absolutely wonderful! They have been so kind, and so helpful with the kids. We almost even had a Bertar, I mean Guitar, Hero tournament! Jarum and I were also even able to get some staggared power naps. THANK YOU, USO!

I also have to give huge kudos to the kids. They have been wonderful, given the circumstances. They have been well-behaved and almost completely whine-free. Although, as of this writing, we have been going for quite some time without naps, so they are starting to lose it just a little bit. But it could be worse. I'm not complaining. THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME, KIDS!

Seriously, though, I can't wait to lie down and go to bed tonight. Really. I just want to sleep. That is all.

I just hope the airline doesn't lose our luggage. :p

(Jarum thinks I just jinxed us.)

Thanksgiving Poem

2009-11-16T12:29:00.001-05:00

I like Thanksgiving a lot,

I like to see the turkey fresh out of the pot.

Carrots and lettuce and pie, oh my!

When I'm stuffed with food,

I feel like I would die.

I'm thankful for clothes,

And my long garden hose.

But when it is cold,

I cannot feel my toes!

We're in November and next is December,

I don't want to name the rest.

I still like Halloween and Christmas,

But I think Thanksgiving's the best!

Jacob Boyer - 4th Grade

Jacob the Writer

2009-11-12T21:17:00.002-05:00

Our Jacob has become quite the writer over the years. I didn't really know it until he started bringing home his writing assignments from school. They often make me laugh, and I have started saving them in his school folder. Here is his latest piece:

(no corrections have been made and all of the spelling and punctuation are typed as written by Jacob)

One day when I came to school there was a big, lumpy sack on the teacher's desk. When the teacher left, the sack started to move. Then it burst open and thick, green blobs shot out. I was covered in it.

Then I saw a brown thing climb out. It was a big turantula! We all screamed and ran out the door. When the teacher came back she said, "Where did the class go?" Then she saw the spider.

"AAAH!" she screamed and ran out the door. Me, Aidan, and Cameron P. are best friends. We didn't know what to do. Then we saw the spider come out of the room. It saw us and ran at us. "Come on," I shouted, "Let's get out of here!" We ran as fast as we could to the doors. We saw the teacher's car speeding away. We hid inside a bush right before the spider came out.

"I've got it," I whispered.

"What?" asked Cameron a little louder then we wanted. The spider looked our way and started walking slowly to us.

"Are there any cliffs around here?" I asked.

"Yeah, there's one down the street," said Aiden.

"Why?" Cameron asked.

"You'll see," I said.

"1, 2, 3 RUN!" I yelled. We ran to the cliff.

"Turn around when you get to the edge," I said. We did. When the spider tried, it fell off. We were safe. When the spider hit the ground it started squealing.

"Aww, cannot get your ship out," I said. We laughed.

Isn't it great? I love it! (says a proud Mom!)

Weather

2009-11-11T22:23:00.000-05:00

I'm just curious: what's the weather like for everyone? We've been experiencing warmer temperatures for the last week, but tomorrow the high will barely break 60F. And it has been raining.

So. Whatca feelin'?

2009-11-10T20:45:00.000-05:00

I could have sworn I'd already posted today, but I suppose I was wrong. Things are going much better, today. No one is puking and the coughing is significantly less frequent. Everyone seems to be in a much better mood. Everyone, that is, except for me. I have a sore throat. :p. Here's hoping that it's just a sympathy sore throat!

Dying

2009-11-09T18:39:00.002-05:00

We are now on our third straight week of at least one of the children being sick. Josh has had a cough for the last three weeks, took him into the Dr.'s last Wednesday and was told it was the croup. Decided to take him in again today due to no improvement and found out that it is, in fact, pneumonia. Yeah. Good times. He's on his way to recovery (THANK YOU, ANTIBIOTICS!) and we are all happy.

This afternoon Jacob complained of a headache and promptly threw up. He has since been asleep (as of this writing) since 3:30pm EST. *sigh*

California, here we come!

I am TIRED!!!

2009-11-08T22:27:00.000-05:00

'nuff said.

A Few Things...

2009-11-07T19:29:00.003-05:00

I forgot to post the pumpkins. Thank goodness for pseudo-potato head decorations! WHEEEEE!

Also, the little green monster/goblin pumpkin is Kaylee's and award-winning for "scariest pumpkin." Congratulations, Kaylee!

And this is for my mother. And everyone else who has been whining about not seeing the dog in a while. This is the best shot we had of her, as she kept trying to give loves to the camera. :)

Whew!

2009-11-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

I almost completely forgot to post today! I was going to post pics of our pumpkins, or perhaps a pic of my dog, but the following will have to do:

I LOVE THE FALL!

The End.

Hinesville Ward Relief Society Super Saturday 2009

2009-11-05T12:26:00.002-05:00

This Blog Entry is for those in the Hinesville Ward Relief Society wishing to sign up for Super Saturday on November 14, 2009

Remember, these are all being provided free of charge, so please select only three and either sign up at the church, or in the form sent out to all Relief Society Sisters via email.

Journal Jar

Do you ever give your journal a blank look and think "I have no idea what to write today!"? Then fret no longer. This Journal Jar is full of ideas designed to aid you in your record keeping. Rest assured that your posterity will love reading about how you became engaged, how you spent your holidays when you were a child, or where you were during key events of past decades!

Felt Gingerbread Man

No, you don't have to run after this one! A few buttons, some stitching, a bit of stuffing and voila! A simple decoration or gift!

Felt Mitten

This very simple project brings the added touch of a Country Christmas to your home. Use it as an ornament, or stuff it with candy and give it as a gift!

Pompom Snowman

This cutie-patootie is made from yarn, colored pipe cleaners, and fluff balls. He's a cheerful addition to anyone's Winter decor!

"Ity Virtues" Embroidery

This simple embroidery project allows you to display your commitment to living a virtuous life. Based on the talk given by Bishop Burton in the October 2009 General Conference. Custom colors available. Choose one from six different flowers, each representing a specific virtue.

(frame NOT included)

Saving Words For Posterity

2009-11-04T21:51:00.004-05:00

For those of you out there who have children this will be old hat to you. For those of you who don't, this might be slightly amusing. Or the complete opposite. I leave that up to you.

My kids have all gone through phases of mispronouncing various words or just saying words that are way beyond their age level. Tonight, for your reading pleasure, here are a few of my favorites:

Periodontology (taught to each kid as soon as they could talk)

Hurnicane

Funder (Thunder)

Pasketti (Spaghetti)

Pinano (Piano)

Actually

Serbannah (Savannah)

Downtown Dis-A-ny

According to my research...

Be-caved (Decayed)

Josh: Silence! I Keel You!

And here are two conversations that I had with my sweet two year old Josh, just this evening

(At the Hospital)

Josh: What is this area for?

Me: For people getting medicine.

Josh: What is this area for?

Me: The cafeteria.

Josh: What is this area for?

(You get the idea)

Me: Joshy, how old are you?

Josh: (pause) I'mmmmmmmmmmmm BIG!

And to end this evening's blog post, I give you some classic Matthew:

Me: Matt, why aren't you in bed?

Matt: I wanted to show Aunt Megan my Bertar.

Me and Megan: *blank stares*

Megan: What?

Matt: My Bertar. You know, for "Bertar Hero". *proceeds to sing "I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night"*

(For video of the above CLICK HERE)

Classic.

Paradigm Shift

2009-11-03T20:23:00.002-05:00

I walked in the door about 30 minutes ago, after having been at a meeting, to find utter chaos. The kids were still awake, the house was a mess, and my husband was asleep in the bed (which was understandable, seeing as he had a MONSTER headache). Anyway, on any other day this would have perturbed me to no end (did you see that, Melissa?? I used "perturbed"!). However, I was not at all upset. I don't know why, seeing as this would usually set me off in a rant about how nobody cares about our house but me, and why am I the only one to clean, yada yada yada. I just calmly asked the older kids to get the younger kids ready, and voila! Kids in bed in ten minutes.

I think the biggest thing is is that I don't really care about the house being messy. I usually hate having the living room messy at bed time, especially. I like to wake up to a clean house. Tonight? Meh. I now decree that I am going to take this opportunity to put on my jammies, curl up on the couch, and catch up on some TV shows I've missed, all whilst eating a tiny cup of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

The mess will still be there in the morning for me. Waiting. I think it just wants me to feel as though I'm needed and have purpose to my life. Yeah, my messes tend to be thoughtful like that.

sigh

2009-11-02T20:02:00.002-05:00

Today was definitely a Monday kind of day. I suppose that is appropriate, seeing as it was a Monday, but it was a Monday kind of Monday. All I know is that I worked hard all day to get things done, and it seems as though I have nothing to show for it. Ever had that happen to you? Yeah, I know. It's kinda depressing.

Maybe I should only post in the mornings when I have the pep and energ.... WAIT A MINUTE! WHEN DID I BECOME A MORNING PERSON!?

Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeen

2009-11-01T14:12:00.004-05:00

And here is Halloween!

This is a picture of Josh right after I finished putting on his face paint. I knew I had to take it then or else I would not get a good pic of him. :D

Three of four. Josh was being cranky and refused to pose.

Jacob as Commander Cody (I think. He's a Clone Trooper)

Kaylee the Kitty

Harry Potter!

Josh finally consented to pose once at the Church's Trunk or Treat, but as you can see, most of his nose and mouth makeup are gone.

Vampire Dad and Harry Potter. If you look closely, you can see Jarum's teeth. He made those himself. Yeah, it's cool being a dentist!

The truck, although Jake is sitting in front of a lot of it. Jarum gave out toothbrushes along with the candy. And, if you look closely in the back, you'll see a sign I found that day that read "Dracula's Dental Care - Free Checkups" TEEHEE I just had to get it!

The jars. I love these jars. I can't wait for Halloween next year, solely to get the jars out again. ;)

I, of course, was a party pooper and just wore my witch hat from last year. Good times.

Oh, and good luck to all of my peeps who are participating in NaNoWriMo! Crank out those novels! I think the name "Naomi" or "Nomes" is awesome for a strong, female character. Just sayin'.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-11-01T13:23:00.004-05:00

We discovered a Pumpking (or Punkin) Patch not too far away from where we live, so we decided to take the kids and go have some fun! There were rides, games, a playground and bounce house, not to mention a hay ride to the actual Patch. I think we'll be going again next year. We had a blast!

My Day Thus Far

2009-08-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

Sent three kids to school
Done three loads of laundry
Folded two loads of laundry
Baked bread (my house smells so GOOD)
Read stories to Josh (and watched as he carried more and more out into the living room)
Put books away :p
Cast-on a new knitting project. Can't say what it is, as it's a Christmas present for someone very very lucky! :)
Checked Leaky mail
Discovered all of the Crafty Witches birthdays, save one.
Chatted with friends

It is now 10:47am and I have been up since 6:30am. How is your day going?

More Knitting

2009-08-13T15:37:00.005-04:00

I've finished a few more projects.

First, I realized that I desperately needed something to corral the bath toys, so:

I also started this Hufflepuff scarf for Matthew months ago, so I figured I'd better complete it. YAY!

My Life and I are Made of Fail Today

2009-08-12T12:43:00.000-04:00

All I want is a clean house. Is this too much to ask? I don't think so.

My internet connection keeps going in and out. I've had a tech guy over three times in the last three weeks, to no avail. It might be time to get a new ISP.

I have about a thousand things on my to-do list, and I can't stop knitting! While knitting is a good thing, I need to keep my priorities straight. First, a clean and organized house, and then i can knit!

I unintentionally hurt a very dear friend's feelings today. I had taken steps to do just the opposite, but it blew up in my face.

To my dear friend, I cannot begin to express how deeply sorry I am. I love you and cherish our friendship. I did not mean to hurt you, and please believe that it was your feelings that I had meant to protect, rather than damage. You were all I thought about. I hope that you can forgive me and be happy again.

I am made of fail.

Inspiration

2009-08-08T21:14:00.004-04:00

As many of you have already seen my Gnome for my DADA class for the House Cup (see a few entries down) I thought it would be nice to show you where I got my inspiration.

CLICK ME!

This was done by a dear friend of mine, Snakey. Well, that's not really her name, but when I first met her online, her screen name was (and still is in a lot of places) Anguinea. She likes snakes. Yeah, I don't get it either. Regardless, she's awesome and I loved her mandrake, so it made me realize that I can in fact knit more than scarves and dishcloths. Thanks, Snakey! *bite*

And, until Christmas, my Grumpy Gnome lives here:

First Day of School Pics 2009!

2009-08-07T21:01:00.000-04:00

Who's ready for school?

WE ARE!

Waiting patiently for the bus.

HERE IT COMES!

And this is how Joshua coped with being the only one at home with Mommy.

And are we all happy that things are back on the school schedule? Yes. Yes we are. :)

For My Mother rolls eyes

2009-07-29T17:19:00.003-04:00

More HP Knitting

2009-07-29T09:47:00.007-04:00

I finally finally finished my Defense Against the Dark Arts knitting project for this month. I had a blast knitting this thing. Of course there were times when I was ready to just chuck it in the bin, but I am happy to say that he is finished.

This month's assignment was:

Make something inspired by a scene from Book 6. Extra points if it’s House colors/premiere wear, inspired by Snape (the HBP himself), or inspired by a scene the prof doesn’t remember (possible, as she hasn’t been able to read HBP again, because of the crying). Or, of course, for making her laugh.

The quote from the book:

Fred, George, Harry, and Ron were the only ones who knew that the angel on top of the tree was actually a garden gnome that had bitten Fred on the ankle as he pulled up carrots for Christmas dinner. Stupefied, painted gold, stuffed into a miniature tutu and with small wings glued to its back, it glowered down at them all, the ugliest angel Harry had ever seen, with a large bald head like a potato and rather hairy feet. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The finished product:

I am so putting this atop my tree!

I Knit. And I Like Potter. So Why Not Combine the Two?

2009-07-23T21:36:00.001-04:00

For those of you who don't know, I am part of an online community of knitters found at ravelry.com. In this community are groups, and of course, I was drawn to some of them having to do with Harry Potter (shock I know!). One group is called the Harry Potter Knitters/Crocheters House Cup. As part of this group we are sorted into our respective houses (GO HUFFLEPUFF!) and are given class assignments every month that are turned in for points. The house with the most points at the end of the term wins. One does not have to do every class. One is sufficient. However, one can do all of the classes if they wish. I completed two assignments in June. They were:

Muggle Studies - June: Make something for an object that a wizard wouldn't normally use (i.e. they use the Floo Network or Owls to communicate, not cell phones).
So here are some pics of my cell phone cozy.

Divination - June: Knit something to do with tea (leaves)/coffee.
I knitted a coffe to-go cup sleeve.

Herbology - July: Knit something to do with the wood from which your wand is made.
Well, like cancer is the sign for July, Holly is the wood. Therefore I conjured up some holly berries.

I am still working on my DADA class assignment (I'm not telling what it is until I'm finished, but I am fairly excited about it) and I will post those pics when I am finished. To be honest, I think with this one project I can knock out two other classes, as well! We'll see. :)

For Rachel - Better Pics of the Food

2009-07-23T21:00:00.003-04:00

My sister Rachel asked to see better pictures of the food from my Harry Potter party, the Cauldron Cakes in particular. Well, here they are, sis!

The Cauldron Cakes, the Cockroach Clusters, and the Pumpkin Pasties

Butterbeer

And that's pretty much it. Sorry I don't have more, but there you have it.

Birthday and Harry Potter. BLISS!

2009-07-16T12:58:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, as a lot of you will already know, was my birthday. It was also the US release day of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. So, as you can see, a perfect storm of Naomi happiness!

Not only did I have a lot of well-wishes from so many of my family and friends (thanks so much, by the way!) I also had the pleasure of hosting a viewing party. Some friends came over and we had a whole bunch of good, HP-themed yummies, took a Sorting Hat quiz (I, of course, got Hufflepuff! Squee!), and then we all went to go and see the movie. It was the second time for me. I found I really enjoyed it after the second viewing. I think I'm too old to go to midnight releases anymore. :D

Anyway, below are a few pics from the party, mainly of the food. Enjoy!

To decorate for the party I decided to go with a potion theme, seeing as potions played such a huge part in this HP installment. I just went to Michael's and bought some bottles. Easy-peasy. It was figuring out what to put in the bottles that proved a little more difficult. Here's is what I came up with:

Felix Felicis (made with Gold metallic acrylic paint)

Pickled Doxy Eggs (capers)

Powdered Horn of Bicorn (sand)

Monkshood (dried basil)

Boomslang Skin
(this one I'm particularly proud of. It's made of tomato peel soaked in boiling water with green food coloring and tea. It turned out so well!)

Ground Mandrake (chili powder)

The spread

My friend Jasmine (aka Prof. Trelawney) baked this cake for me. Hufflepuff! Thanks so much, Jasmine!

I am so tired after all of the merry-making, but in such a good, happy way! Thanks again to everyone!

Happy Thoughts - Day 10

2009-06-13T12:10:00.002-04:00

Today's Happy Thoughts are brought to you be the happy thought that I have not yet had to check myself into an insane asylum due to having children. :)

Water Fights
Istanbul (the song)
Writing long notes/letters/books/novels/series
Happy dancing
Camping with curling irons
Never running out of Happy Thoughts
Flattering dresses
Long shorts
Being able to count
We've already learned the most difficult language
Extra credit
Bean tacos that...... never mind
Bon fires
Roasting marshmallows over a stove
Burning logs on TV when you don't have a fireplace (or, in the case of my dad, the Hi-Def Yule Log)
Sudden bursts of energy
Knowing what day it is
Maps that you can read
Not getting lost on long trips
Family reunions without cheek-pinchers

Happy Thoughts - Day 9

2009-06-04T09:26:00.002-04:00

Today's Happy Thoughts are brought to you by the joy that is watching my toddler rock out to R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It" for the third consecutive listen. Rock on!

Automatic toasters
Candles
Ghost Stories
Lunch
Warm quilts
Well-lit rooms
Telling time
Ice Cream
Tying your shoes
Clean chalk boards
Redundancy
Not getting in trouble for saying, "You Suck!"
You get a lot out of playing country songs backward
Anyone can learn to country dance
Slow dances
Rugrats
Stake dances
Spanish and French are semi-similar
"I Moan" is not so terrible
Jumping on trampolines with boys
Being Evile

Happy Thoughts - Day 8

2009-06-02T14:23:00.002-04:00

Today's Happy Thoughts are brought to you by a total slacker who was completely distracted last week and forgot to post aforementioned Happy Thoughts.

Cheerios with Yogurt
Greasy grimy gopher guts
Birdies with clean feet
Lizard tails grow back after they accidentally get pulled off
When teachers like you
Kissing up
Bad hair days will always suck
BBQs
Redundancy
People who stick their noses up in the air eventually get barbed-wire shoved up them :p
Illumination
"The Phantom of the Opera"
Voice lessons
Good friends are forever friends
When friendly chipmunks are still friendly
Daydreaming
A good night's rest
Naps (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

Happy Thoughts - Day 7

2009-05-20T08:31:00.002-04:00

Brought to you by Wednesday: The Best Hump Day out of the entire week!

Having a positive attitude when things go wrong
Straight hair
Curly hair
When green beans fall in the garbage can
Pearly-white teeth
Being a girl
Brand new hair-do's
New facial cleansers
Feeling clean after bathing
Long, long, long, long, long, long showers
Silky smooth legs
New razors
Getting taller
Art
Musicals
Singing
Grand pianos
Fire-resistant flags
Having a large vocabulary
Thesauruses

Why My Kids Are Awesome

2009-05-19T10:45:00.003-04:00

As we near the end of another school year 'tis the season for awards ceremonies. Yesterday and today I was able to attend Kaylee's kindergarten awards and Jacob's 3rd grade awards, respectively. My children are awesome. Kaylee came away with a "Good Citizenship" award, an "Excellence in Art" award, an "Excellence in Writing" award and a "Reading Achievement" award. Good job, Kaylee! Way to be an excellent kindergartner!

Jacob received a "Certificate of Attendance" award (he would have had perfect attendance but we pulled him out for one day to go to Disney World :D ), an "Honor Roll" award, a "Distinguished Performance in Technology" award, an "Excellence in Reading" award (best reader in his individual class), a "Good Citizenship" award, and a "Reading Achievement" award. What is so exciting about the last reading award is that each child at the beginning of the year set a goal to reach 50 points in Accelerated Reading tests. In other words, the child reads a book then takes a test on the computer and then earns points. Jacob earned his 50 points within the first nine weeks of school. His award was for reaching 262 reading points! He had the most points out of the entire third grade! With his award he received a certificate, a dog tag, and a $50 gift card to Walmart! Holy Hannah! We are so proud of you, Jacob!

And this is why my kids are awesome.

Happy Thoughts - Day 6

2009-05-18T09:38:00.003-04:00

I really need some Happy Thoughts today. *grumbles something about wild little boys*

Beautiful colors on clothes
A simple lifestyle and attitude
Decorated flower pots
Flowers in flower pots
Money
Good friends
Matching clothes with friends without advanced planning
Violence will eventually end
Little ones grow out of Barney
Good tasting lip gloss
Surprise family vacations
Leaving your doors unlocked
Redundancy
Drama club
Horny toads that don't poke you
Lots of pets/boyfriends (just kidding)
Learning
Fully-dressed models
Puppy dogs that lick your face when you come home

Happy Thoughts - Day 5

2009-05-17T13:27:00.002-04:00

I just realized that I missed yesterday's installment of Happy Thoughts. Oh well. Just remembering that I forgot is in and of itself a happy thought.

Dunking people
Good books
Redundancy
Staple guns
No homework
Freedom of religion
One minute until school is out/work is over
Healing wounds
Happy horses
White bicycles
Mirrors with pretty reflections
Good grades
Fuzzy hair on poodles
Good, clear handwriting
Fire extinguishers
Lilly pads with cute frogs on them
Slimy cheese on pizza
Standing for what you believe in
Cuddly stuffed animals
New clothes

Happy Thoughts - Day 4

2009-05-15T11:47:00.002-04:00

The list for today:

Fuzzy carpet that feels good on your bare feet
Frogs that are really Princes
Divine qualities
Family outings
Long letters
Accepting yourself and being proud of who you are
Water slides
Swimming
Amusement parks
Zest fully clean with just regular soap
Long showers
Good books
Cute pigs/boys
Hyperness
Love at first sight
Exciting news
Self-esteem
Silly-heads
Swimming parties

Happy Thoughts - Day 3

2009-05-14T08:31:00.002-04:00

This list of Happy Thoughts is brought to you by scratch paper, a mechanical pencil, a phone conversation with my sister, and ten minutes of nothing else to do:

News Scoops
Indulging in a Mani/Pedi
Frosted Graham Crackers
Harry Potter
Children Smiling
Guacamole
Lilies
Magnolia Trees
Blue Skies
Tulips
A&E's Version of "Pride and Prejudice"
A Baby's Breath
No More Diapers
Art/School/Office Supplies
Pampered Chef Parties
High-speed Internet Connections
Washing Machines and Clothes Driers
Summer Vacation
The First Day of School
Winter Break
Comfortable Beds
Daisies
Pixar Films
Cats
Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes
Catching Up with Old Friends
Hot Chocolate
Ice-cold Lemonade
The Intoxicating Aroma of Freshly-brewed Coffee
Free Samples at the End of Candy Factory Tours
Only Slight Humidity
The First Snow of the Season
Sleds
Fireplaces
Family Photos
Mozilla Firefox (tabs are LOVE!)
Learning Something New
Being Appreciated
Little Kids in Sunglasses

What a Week!

2009-05-13T13:00:00.002-04:00

We have had the most fun week here in our little corner of the world. We started off with Field Days at the kids' elementary school. Kaylee and the kindergarten had theirs on Monday and Jacob and the third graders had theirs on Tuesday. Unfortunately Josh was not feeling very well on Monday so we were unable to stay for all of Kaylee's, but as she and Jacob both observed, "There is always next year!" Kaylee's class, I believe, came in first, and Jacob's class came in second. There was much fun had by all and it was fun to see the kids running back and forth doing crazy relays.

On Thursday we celebrated Matthew's 4th birthday. He's been excited about his special day since, oh, his 3rd birthday. Seriously, he's been asking when his birthday was going to be for the last six months at least. Finally the day came and he had a BLAST! He received all sorts of wonderful presents and just had an all-around good day. I love you, my big boy!

Sunday, of course, was Mother's Day. I think that I am probably the luckiest mom in the whole of creation! I have four wonderful kids who just doted on me the entire day and a loving husband who lovingly supervised. It was a grand day. Plus it is always fun to have your gift wrapped in Christmas paper. Thanks kids!

And then, just for the heck, I give you a Josh pic. Enjoy!

Happy Thoughts - Day 2

2009-05-13T08:23:00.002-04:00

As I was going through the list after my last post, I realized how many of them share just a bit too much personal information (about other people), how many are complete inside jokes, and how nerdy we were in high school! (Of course, I completely embrace my nerdiness now, but it is a bit of a shock to realize that you were a nerd in school when you didn't particularly think you were all that nerdy. But I digress.) As such, I probably won't be posting every single Happy Thought from my list. That being said, there are still hundreds and hundreds of gems.

On to the list!

Friendly Chipmunks
Good Hair Days
Brand New Light Bulbs
Air Conditioners in the Summer
Heaters in the Winter
Radios with Good Reception
Long Talks with Friends
Telephones
Puppies
A Spoonful of Sugar with Bad Tasting Medicine
World Peace
Spelling Words Correctly
Good Luck on Friday the 13th
Kissing Ouchies Better
Star Trek Trivia
Stars and Constellations
Smiles
Walks in the Evening or Early Morning
Swings
Meteorites Missing the Earth

Happy Thoughts

2009-05-12T15:29:00.004-04:00

While I was going through my filing cabinet/cleaning my office I found a file folder marked "Happy Thoughts". Surely they couldn't be, I thought to myself, but indeed they are! These are the Happy thoughts that some friends and I compiled while we were still in high school! There are over a thousand of them!

So, I figured in these tremulous times, we could all do with some Happy Thoughts. For the next however many days it takes me, I am going to post a few Happy Thoughts on my blog. Keep in mind that some of these are quite dated, but most of them are just has happy as they were almost 15 years ago. Enjoy!

Dictionaries
Conversion Tables
Good Grades on Math Tests
Bubblegum
Interesting Teachers
Gold Silverware
Chicken Chimichangas
14-Hour Naps
Sleeping In
Morality on Television
Pretty Fish
Green Eggs and Ham
No More Dinosaurs
America
Good Friends
Gentler Ivory
Good Grades
Stuff to Keep You From Being Bored
Brown Plates

I Think My Husband Might Be a Superhero!

2009-04-24T12:16:00.004-04:00

I've known for quite some time that I'm married to a pretty amazing fellow, but there are things about him that make me think that he might be a superhero with a secret identity. I mean, he's got the build for a superhero. He's smokin' hot! But some things have happened lately to make me wonder...

For instance, when he was training to go to Iraq, Captain I-Couldn't-Hit-the-Broadside-of-a-Barn-With-My-Gun just happened to hit the live grenade in the dummy's pocket and blow the entire thing up. Coincidence? I doubt it.

And just this last week he was almost hit by a car. And when I mean almost, I really mean almost! He was taking his P.T. (physical training) test that the Army gives on a regular basis to make sure that its soldiers aren't fat. The part of the test he was taking requires the soldiers to run three miles in a certain amount of time and they run down closed-off streets on post. As he was running down the street at a full run he happened to notice a Honda Odyssey coming approaching an intersection out of the corner of his eye, but didn't really give it much thought seeing as the road was closed off. As we was going through the intersection he just happened to turn his head and saw that the Odyssey was right on top of him! Having little time to think, and without breaking his stride, he put one hand on top of the car's hood and did a Heisman leap right over the hood of the car and kept on running! Further on down the street he turned back and saw the rear guard just yelling at the driver of the minivan, and realized that everyone thought that he had been hit. When they went to see if he was all right he just said that he was and didn't make too big of a deal out of it. I think he was just trying to hide the fact that he has super reflexes.

Am I reaching? Probably. Is it cool to think you might be married to a superhero? Holy cow, YES!

Pictures!

2009-04-21T15:04:00.000-04:00

Massive photo dump over at Three Monkeys.

It's Spring, Suckers!

2009-03-25T13:55:00.004-04:00

These pictures are for those of you who are still up to your eyeballs in snow. *loves*

This is a rose bud in my front yard. :)

Lilliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies!

THERE IT IS!

2009-03-09T15:20:00.001-04:00

Brownie

2009-03-07T19:27:00.001-05:00

We bought a puppy today.

A puppy?! you say. Why, yes. I, Naomi, now have a dog in the house. Jarum has been wanting one forever and I've been rather resistant. However, he pulled the "you've been wanting to plant a garden since we moved in and we have a rabbit problem" line on me, so that made me cave in. She is such a sweetie. She's all settled into her den and she has even been out and about around the living room, trying to get her bearings. Misty (our cat) isn't quite sure what to make of this new smelly creature living in the house. She's keeping her distance for the time being, but hasn't run away in fear, or conversly, tried to take a swipe at the puppy. The kids are totally in love with her already, though. And Jarum! If ever there was a softie towards dogs, he's the one! It's adorable watching him hold her.

Anyway, a lot of you have been asking for pics, so *throws pics at you*

Twitter

2009-03-06T17:58:00.001-05:00

Do you tweet? If not, you probably should.

What Word Are You?

2009-01-14T07:58:00.001-05:00

Your Word is "Hope"

You see life as an opportunity for learning, growth, and bringing out the best in others.

No matter how bad things get, you always have at least a glimmer of optimism.

You are accepting and forgiving. You encourage those who have wronged you to turn over a new leaf.

And while there is a lot of ugliness in the world, you believe that almost no one is beyond redemption.

What's Your Word?

Grammy and Gramps Visit

2008-12-31T10:20:00.003-05:00

Grammy and Gramps came to visit us at our house right after Christmas. While they were here for only a few short days, we had a blast! It was fun watching the children play with their Grandparents. And I'm not going to lie, it was fun for me as well!

Gramps has always been a big fan of trains, so he and Matthew were right at home with each other.

On their last day we went up to Savannah. We had lunch in Forsythe Park, right across from this fountain. It was a beautiful day.
Grammy and Gramps had so much fun with Josh going down the slide. It was fun for me to watch as well!

I am so glad that they were able to come and visit. I wish it could have been longer, but I'll take what I can get!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T18:56:00.003-05:00

We here at the Boyer house are just pleased as punch that we were able to spend Christmas together this year instead of having Jarum in Iraq. We were also happy (no offense to our family, we love you!) to stay home this year. It has been a while. The day was wonderful with much happiness, laughter and fun to be had. All of the gifts we received were wonderful and much appreciated. Santa also did quite a good job, according to the kids. The laughter mainly came from watching each other try to do the hula hoop game on the Wii fit. We have videos. We'll probably either delete them or hold them for when blackmail might be needed.

And yes, that is our new TV, otherwise known as "The Beast." Just wait until you see it, Mom. You'll do a double-take, I'm sure. :p

Merry Christmas!

Real Simple

2008-12-15T11:44:00.001-05:00

For my birthday last summer, my sister Megan introduced me to the magazine Real Simple. She'd noticed that I had been getting Better Homes and Gardens and thought that I might like this one better. I asked her what was so special about it and she just said that on top of the layout just being fantastic that it has some wonderful ideas for everyday life. MY GOSH, was she right! Every month it is a special treat when I open the mailbox and inside is my new issue! The November issue helped me to have a less stressed and highly entertaining Thanksgiving, and the December issue has been helping me with decoration ideas and such for Christmas.

There are a few items of the magazine that I especially like:

Tried and true beauty ideas: Pretty much they take products and rate them. Almost like a Consumer Reports. They also include tips on things you might be doing wrong. For instance, did you know that you shouldn't apply conditioner to your whole head? They suggest starting from your ears and working the conditioner into the ends of your hair, as ends are what really need the conditioner. This saves you from having oily-looking hair on the top of your head and also keeps you from having to wash as often. I tried this, and it's awesome!

New uses for old things: Did you know that packing peanuts in the bottom of a flower pot makes it so you don't have to use as much potting soil and still allows for proper drainage? And that old rubber bands tied around an egg and then dipped into Easter egg dye make for tie-dyed eggs? They also have suggestions for paper clips, felt circles, etc.

Month-specific Simple lists: Did you know that August is the best time to buy a computer? Did you know that 55% of women in their 60s describe themselves as very happy versus 40% of women in their 20s?

Anyway, the whole reason for this post is that I have been rather stressed of late due to the holidays, kids, etc. You know, the usual. However, when I got my January issue of Real Simple in the mail on Saturday, I just had to smile. The whole issue is about making lists; whether they are to-do lists or not-to-do lists. They have ideas on where to make lists and how to make lists. There is a list on how to return anything. There is a list on 15 ways to get more fit. A list for making your clothes last longer. The best part is that most of this issue, while being informative, is also incredibly funny! There is an article on famous people's (fictional) lists:

Genghis Khan:
Pillage
Plunder.
Have shirt taken in.
Pillage
Pillage
Seven o'clock parent-teacher meeting
Plunder
Pillage

Fred Astaire:
Wash ceiling
Take cravat-tying lessons
Find something new to twirl (am tired of canes and umbrellas)
etc.

If you ever read Real Simple, make sure you read it from cover to cover, as the very last page is often what gets me through the month. The whole page consists of punch-out cards that directly relate to what was in the issue. January has cards that should be punched out and placed in various rooms of the house. The card for the office has important dates to remember. The card for the fridge has six simple recipe substitutions (I am always looking those up!). The card for the laundry room has stain-removal strategies. The card for by the telephone has methods for how to get a human on the line for places such as amazon.com, Walmart.com, Citibank, etc.

So, there you have it. A magazine full of well-written articles, tips, tricks, and ideas. If there is a better magazine out there, I haven't seen it. Try it, you'll like it.

New Page Element.

2008-12-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

If you scroll down to the bottom of my blog, you'll see a cute little pic of my family. I totally stole the idea from my friend Amy. Thanks, Amy!

Halloween!

2008-11-01T18:26:00.003-04:00

We had a very enjoyable Halloween this year. Matt, especially, has been looking forward to this night since, oh, last Halloween. He woke up Halloween morning, quite distressed that we weren't out right then and there getting our candy. Sometimes three year-olds are hard to reason with. :)

We went to the Trunk-or-Treat held at the church. There was a mini carnival, food, and of course the candy. The kids had a fantastic time, especially since their friends, from when we lived here before the deployment, came with us.

Gabriel, Jacob, Vaughn, Josh, Liam, Kaylee and Matt.

The little Clone Trooper is Ty. We had to coax him in, if I am remembering correctly.

And who are those cuties???

We hope the rest of you had a wonderful Halloween. It's so much fun to celebrate with kids, especially when they actually get what is going on!

Why Yes, I Do Still Exist!

2008-10-29T09:01:00.005-04:00

As I've been trying to post this, I've realized why I don't blog as much as I should: every time I sit down to the computer and try to do anything with pictures, Josh comes running and wants to look through our entire collection. Even as I type this, he is trying to crawl up my leg and is very put-out that we aren't looking at his pictures! GAH! Anyway, this is what has been happening to the Boyers lately:

Kaylee played soccer this fall. She has a natural gift of energy that allows her to just run around and around and around. She's a pretty good kicker, as well!

Lining up for the first shot.

Playing Goalie

Jacob also had the chance to play baseball this fall. I know that baseball isn't exactly known for being a fall-ish sport (except for the play-offs and the World Series), but being in the South, it's warmer longer so they just decided to throw in an extra baseball season for the year. YAY! And, as of this posting, his team is undefeated. GO METS!

Jacob playing right field.
At bat.

Every year the elementary school has a Fall Festival. Last year it was held outside and you had to pay to do the carnival attractions. This year it was inside (thank goodness, because it was pouring that day!) and the attractions were free! Another YAY!

Matthew building a bubble.

Kaylee's turn.

And Jacob.

And Josh.

Jarum thought it would be amusing to put a temporary leaf tattoo on Josh. That night we taught Josh how to flex and say "Strong!" He's awesome.

This little attraction was called "Shrink Wrap the Kid." It was highly popular, and even more fun to watch! Kaylee's face is indicitive of every single kids' reaction to this thing. What a great idea!

So, there you have it! We're alive and having oodles of fun doing various things. YAY!

Blah.

2008-09-29T09:44:00.000-04:00

For the past two weeks I have been enjoying boundless amounts of energy and I have been getting much accomplished.

And then this weekend hit. Nothing special happened that would cause me to be tired. I just felt drained beyond belief. It's like my body is rebelling against itself and trying to tell me to SLOW DOWN!

Do you ever just have one of those days where you know you're supposed
to be doing various jobs/chores/randomness, but you are so tired that
you can't get your body to kick it into high gear?

Meh.

The Yard

2008-09-19T15:30:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting here in my newly cleaned/unpacked/organized library/office (my gosh, that's a lot of slashes!) enjoying the quiet of the morning. Southeast Georgia is enjoying a cool week and this morning I have every window in the house thrown wide open! I don't know how long it is supposed to last, but by golly, I'm going to enjoy it while I can! Usually by this time in the morning it's already in the upper 80s, and it is now a cool 71 degrees. I can totally deal with that!

I've been receiving a lot of requests to see what the outside of our house looks like. Jarum has been working very hard on putting in a new automatic sprinkler system and various other front yard-y tasks. So, without further ado....

The Yard!

Rise and Shout!!!

2008-09-01T13:44:00.001-04:00

Saturday was the season opener for BYU football. And, because Jarum and I are both rabid fans, we decided to get the sport package on directtv so that we could watch almost the whole season from the comfort of our living room! We decided that it was important to share this moment with the kids, so we had a fun family party!

Click for pics!

Rah rah rah rah rah, goooooooooooooooooo Cougars! (We won, by the way).

Best part of the evening? Getting Josh to say "Go Cougars." It was awesome.

The Barley House

2008-08-28T08:55:00.001-04:00

For those of you (namely our moms) who have been dying to see our house, we now have pictures! Yay! I did my best as far as getting it presentable, but we have only been in the place for exactly two months, and we're still working on getting pictures and such up on the walls. /caveat. :)

The Things I Have Done in the Last Four Days

2008-08-12T19:44:00.004-04:00

1. Did cartwheels when I checked the bank account and saw that Jarum's bonus from Iraq was finally there.
2. Went to Savannah and bought a new piano with part of said bonus. Went to Savannah by myself.

3. Cursed at the Master Bathroom sink for draining very sloooowwwwlllyyy.
4. Went to church and organized all manner of musical numbers.
5. Took a nap.
6. Made a very nice Sunday dinner.
7. Cursed the Master Bath sink again. Tried Drano. No go.
8. Looked up how to fix a clogged sink.
9. Woke up Monday morning and fixed said sink. That's right. By myself.
10. Took the little kids shopping.
11. Bought the baby new shoes. (baby: shews)
12 Survived Walmart. And while at Walmart, bought a ton of Georgia grown peaches.
13. Came home and froze said peaches.
14. Prepared piano lessons for the kids.
15. Gave piano lessons.
16. Family Home Evening.
17. Woke up Tuesday morning with a mission.
18. Started laundry.
19. Cleaned bathroom.
20. Continued laundry.
21. Finished knitting another dishcloth.
22. Had lunch with Jarum.
23. Made Strawberry freezer jam. First time. It's pretty.

24. More laundry.
25. Swept and mopped all of the floors, and when one has wood all throughout, that's a lot of sweeping and mopping!
26. Got phone hooked up.
27. Helped kids with homework.
28. Made bread.
29. Made another AMAZING dinner. Just from spare stuff in the kitchen. Oh, my gosh, YUM!
30. Spent time with kids.
31. Still more laundry.
32. Got kids ready for bed.
33. Smiled as Kaylee showed me her first lost tooth.

34. Blogged about my last four days. (Still not finished with laundry. That will have to wait until tomorrow.)

So, yes. I have been incredible busy. This list does not include normal day-to-day things such as dressing/feeding/bathing/changing children/myself, talking to friends and family, reading, watching tv, yada-yada. But while they have been incredibly busy days, I am able to sleep the sleep of one who has accomplished much and can enjoy a job well done.

And somewhere along the way, I have enjoyed the cuteness of my kids. Peace.

Bloggity-blog-blog

Kaylee is Nine!

Happy Halloween!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

I Am Grateful...

Jacob's Dream

The Day Before the First Day of School

A Challenge

Easter

Izzy Gnawing on a Spoon

Why Comfort Dental is AWESOME!

Conference

We've Had a Few Firsts...

Women of Destiny

Isabelle Just Being Cute

Josh's Birthday

I LOVE HAVING OLDER KIDS!!!!

A Blast From the Past

Silly and a Little Disturbing

Kaylee's Baptism

Starbucks, Kimmy, and Shenanigans

Broken Camera

Christmas Eve

New Computer

The Princess Face: Update

The Princess Face

It's a Christmas Miracle!

Isabelle

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Where Better to Celebrate the 4th?

Summer Vacation 2010

Joy

Summer Vacation

Pruning

Oh, Shoot! I Forgot!

What TV show makes you laugh the loudest?

I'm in the Christmas spirit and would like to know: what is your favorite Christmas movie (and why)?

Thinking of great girl names... Elle

Are you doing any sewing projects?

What is the best book you have ever read?

I'm Back!

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What We've Been Up to This Past Month

Houston

Thanksgiving Poem

Jacob the Writer

Weather

Dying

I am TIRED!!!

A Few Things...

Whew!

Hinesville Ward Relief Society Super Saturday 2009

Saving Words For Posterity

Paradigm Shift

*sigh*

Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeen

Pumpkin Patch 2009

My Day Thus Far

More Knitting

My Life and I are Made of Fail Today

Inspiration

First Day of School Pics 2009!

For My Mother *rolls eyes*

More HP Knitting

I Knit. And I Like Potter. So Why Not Combine the Two?

For Rachel - Better Pics of the Food

Birthday and Harry Potter. BLISS!

Happy Thoughts - Day 10

Happy Thoughts - Day 9

Happy Thoughts - Day 8

Happy Thoughts - Day 7

Why My Kids Are Awesome

Happy Thoughts - Day 6

Happy Thoughts - Day 5

Happy Thoughts - Day 4

Happy Thoughts - Day 3

What a Week!

sigh

For My Mother rolls eyes