SNAKES

I've said it before I'll say it again...Snakes are sneaky slithery, sick creatures....now with such an aversion to these nasty little creatures....WHY oh WHY does my daughter have to be SO obsessed with them???? It all started one day when we were at John's grandparent's house...we were coming up the back path when Carter's great grandpa killed a snake by stomping on it.........To this day...more than 3 months later, she will still talk about "Papa...stomp...sneek" (while pumping her foot on the ground!) I'm SOOOO surprised that this incident didn't traumatize her...but rather piqued her interest in these slithery creatures!!! The next most talked about snake experience was when we watched an animal planet show on snakes with our neices at John's sister's house....she still (a good 5 months later) will tell me about the "Sneeks TV"!!!Most people don't equate snakes as a cuddly creature to nap with, but to my 2 year old...there's no question as to who or rather what's going to sleep in her bed! This is a snake she got as a prized for traveling so well on our way to Iowa, we picked it up at a tourist shop in North Platte.Lucky girl...she got to touch real snakes at the children's museum here in Midland...the staff kept trying to get me to touch it too, but I so quickly declined....I was tempted truly I was...I don't want my kids to witness my fear and disgust over such creatures and feel that they should be afraid too (clearly not Carter's problem!) But good golly lady, don't be shovin that thing all up in my face when i've made it clear I don't want to get any closer to it!You just can't miss the pure delight in Carer's face over meeting this snake in person!!!I know this seems like a silly thing to post about, but it just completely shows the fun and spunky, ironic nature of my "teemomell" (tinker bell), "strawbee cake" (Strawberry Shortcake) and "Sneek" loving daughter daughter!!!

Best Buck Deal!!!

I'm always pleased to find great deals...this is the best one yet that i've come across this summer! Seeing as how it's been over 100 degrees every day since we've been in Texas, it just makes sense that the city has 3 or 4 public pools...the best one we've been to yet is the Washington Aquatic Park...it's on the opposite side of town, but worth the drive considering it only costs one dollar!!! Kids 2 and under are free, I only have to pay one dollar....it's so convenient because I can put a life jacket on Carter with arm floaties and let her loose...there's a separte toddler pool that's only a foot deep, so while she's playing and I keep an eye on her, I can still take care of Owen...thankfully he usually just snuggles in the stroller for a snooze while we play. The life jacket rental is free, there's life guards everywhere, the pools are SOOO clean, there's a few shaded picnic areas and outside food, floaties, toys, blankets and chairs are welcome!!!! We couldn't ask for anything more....I do believe this Sunday we're going to go in the evening for the family swim time!!!

Carter is getting to be such a big girl....she's very hesitant to get in the water and explore at first, but with a little silliness from her mother...and encouragement from her little "boyfriend" Jackson....she'll do just about anything!!! Jackson is such a sweet little boy, his family is from Utah, his dad is selling alarm systems, and his mom Christy is a gem! There's a few other "wives" that we're getting to know...it's a little tricky as they all live in the apartments because they're part of the original Midland group. It's nice thought that at least I still have Katoba and her girls here in the hotel as well, so we get to see a few familiar faces!!! The past two weeks John's cousin Kristy came out to visit her husband who is head tech (John's boss) and i've had fun getting to know her one on one, she comes to chat with me late at night when we're both all alone waiting for our husbands to come home....Carter adores her, and Owen likes to smile and coo at her too!!!

Carter and Olivia sure had fun riding on my back, it's the only way I could get them so play in the water at first! Later they got brave and branched out on their own!!! I have to say it was fun for me too! I know I look a little silly, but I just really didn't care, helping my kid have a fun time is what it's all about! I was so surprised that we got a few pictures together where we're both smiling and looking at the camera....it's SOOOO hard getting a two year old to look AT the camera, I'll cherish these few pictures! My Carter is such a funny girl...just silly to the bone, I SO enjoy the time I get to spend with her each day, laughing and teasing and snuggling...what fun we're having this summer!!!!

John's Birthday

We celebrated John's 29th birthday last Sunday. His birthday was on Tuesday, but these fellas work such odd hours, 6 days a week, so a Sunday celebration it was!!! We had croissant sandwiches, and Reeses Blizzard Cake, the Hotel has a nice lounge down in the lobby, so we gathered with a few friends and family. I meant to take pictures of everyone, but this is all we ended up with! It's been a while since John and I have been captured on camera together, so I really cherish these pictures!!! Thankfully on Tuesday morning we're scheduled to get family picutres done at Portrait Innovations...they're SO cheap, and for the price you get pretty decent pictures...YAY! The only picture we have with both kids is from Owen's blessing, so i'm even more excited to get this done...the best part is that I only bought a few clearnace items to complete our coordinating attire!!! Carter and I will be in sweaters, the boys in polos, we'll all be barefoot in jeans...I can't wait to see how they turn out!!!

Hotel Living...

Ok, so I've had a TON of people ask how it is living in a hotel....I know at first thought it would seem frustrating or annoying, but let me tell you folks, with a little creativity, it can be VERY easy, fun, and rather relaxing!!!

The biggest problem with where we're at now is that we're not in suites, so bye bye to the full fridge, stove, kitchen sink and dishwasher that we had in Iowa, and hello to....uhhhh....well, a teeny tiny fridge (yes we go to the grocery store a lot for fresh food)...a little microwave, and a multi purpose bathroom sink!

Cooking in the microwave is actually quite easy, and I bought a small George Foreman grill to do meats on....so the other night I made a delicious grilled chicken, Mexican rice, and refried beans....might I say it was delicious, and I got a huge kick out of being creative....yes, I have to cook in the bathroom because it's the only safe space (heat resistant counter) to use the grill and our toaster....Unfortunately as my mother so lovingly pointed out...the bathroom is, well....a bathroom so some necessary activities that don't usually go hand in hand with cooking also take place in there as well....AT LEAST not at the same time... right!!!

I just have to laugh at our daily life here....in the morning we brush out teeth, and get ready for the day, then I wash the sink so I can wash dishes and bottles, then I wash it again to give the baby a bath, and then wash the sink again so that it's ready for whatever comes next!!! It's pretty frustrating that we don't have a bathtub (only the handicap rooms have tubs, we have 2 person granite shower) so Owen gets bathed in the sink most of the time, although he's outgrowing it and I shower with Carter...I bet you can guess how well that goes with a two year old who hates getting splashed....I lure her in by drawing snakes on the glass shower wall (with bath foam) for her to "wash wash wash" then I surprise attack her with washing her hair and body...the screaming only lasts a few minutes...then she laughs and tells me all day that she had a "sssower" with "sneeks"!!!!

Thankfully, I have very well behave children...we brought a lot of Carter's toys, so she's pretty well entertained all day...Owen's a good little guy and doesn't fuss too much....my biggest concern in a hotel was being too loud for the hotel guests above, below and next to us, but I have to say we do pretty well, no complaints yet!!! We don't have a separate bedroom, so when Carter needs a time out I have to send her to the bathroom...it's really funny to hear myself say in serious mommy tone "Carter do you want to go to the bathroom".... or "Carter go to the bathroom until you're done crying".....it just sounds so funny especially since she's not potty trained and has no other reason to "go to the bathroom"!!!

Nap time is easy peasy...I just close the curtains, have Carter lay down on Daddy's side of the bed, tell her to close her eyes for a rest...and within minutes...SHE'S OUT!!! AND I can go about my business without her ever waking up, I can visitors, housekeeping can come and go, Owen can cry, I can watch TV, be on the computer....etc....and she stays asleep...yes I know I'm VERY BLESSED!!! Owen is starting to nap about the same time, and goes to bed about an hour or so after Carter...he wakes up to eat once in the middle of the night and then again in the wee hours of the morning, but hey that's pretty good!!!

Riding the elevator up and down, up and down to go from floor five to one to do laundry gets annoying, but Carter loves to have "my's earn" (my turn) to push the buttons, she's learning the numbers 1 and 5 really well!!! Not having to pay to do laundry makes up for it though...they have new whirlpool duets (my dream machines!) and don't charge a cent!!!

The kids and I spend time at the community water park with other wives and kids that are here for the summer as well, we go to museums, walk the air conditioned mall, skype with family, and most days just carry on a normal routine with play time, movie time, quiet time, nap time, food time....etc. We do miss Daddy during the day, if he's working locally he's often in and out all afternoon/evening which can sometimes be really hard on Carter....he doesn't get home until usually around midnight, so we really love our lazy mornings, we all pile in our bed and watch Sponge Bob, Phineas and Ferb, and Mickey Mouse Club House all morning, and then slowly get ourselves moving with breakfast and showers...a couple times a week we get to go out to lunch or dinner with John, my new favorite place is Sam's Club, just across the street, you don't have to be a member to get in, and you can get a Famous Nathan's hot dog, and soda for $1.70...or we can get pizza, soft pretzels, ice cream sundaes...etc....we also LOVE Rosa's Cafe and Tortillaria mmmmm!!! That's one awesome thing about this desert land....there are fresh tortilla's made and sold everywhere!!!

So far we've had great hotel staff taking care of us, I love having housekeeping come every day...it's nice to have everything freshened BUT I do miss caring for house and home (minus the scrubbing the toilet part!!!) We've really enjoyed having the internet again, and cable!!! Oh I'm SO addicted to the food network channel, TLC, Lifetime and BRAVO!!! We also enjoy being able to access Netflix....thanks Nana Pattie!!! The air conditioning is oh so lovely, and the convenience of the pool is nice as well all in all, it's been a really great experience, one I'd be willing to repeat.....well, maybe....there's still a few months to go before the final judgement can be made!!!

A few thoughts and ponderings...

Thinking back on being a little girl and teenager, it seemed that although I was happy- life just hadn't seemed to really start yet, I was always waiting to turn the corner and find some new adventure or experience that was just out of my reach. Well little girl, you've grown up (kind of!) and here's life....you don't have to turn a corner to find it, it will just plop in your lap!!!

This isn't a "woe is me" post, because let's face it, we're all living life and all could go on for hours about the woes of our existence....no this is more of a "gee, I feel like i'm actually getting it, and feel really smart today for living life"! I guess I just felt like I need to share a few things so that someday myself and my kids can go back and maybe learn a little something....the following than I guess should be titled "The Lesson's I've Learned from Life Plopping in My Lap"!

1. Making important decisions should always be made into a spiritual matter, not only does Heavenly Father have a plan of salvation for us, but he also has a specific life plan for us....if we ALWAYS seek to do His will and live worthy to receive inspiration pertaining to His will, then we will be blessed in time, beyond our earthly comprehension.

2. Having faith is an uplifting power. Allowing fear is a debilitating weakness.

3. Life is FULL of options....use your brain, the process of elimination, the advice of SMART friends and family,.....make a choice and get on with it.

4. Getting what you wished for is great, as long as you know what you really want before you make a wish!

5. SELF CONTROL is the key to much happiness!

6. Don't lose your education....USE your education. This includes things you learn from home, school, church, work, play and ALL other experiences you have in life....you're smarter than you think....believe in yourself, and ALWAYS believe in others.

7. We don't have to know the answers to everything.

8. Life will NEVER be "fair".

9. Being a mother is truly a gift, and the second greatest thing i'll ever do.

10. Being a wife, sealed in the temple to my husband is the GREATEST thing I will ever do. The first year of marriage I learned more about myself, the second year I learned more about him, the third year we learned about "us", the fourth and fifth years we learned about being a family as we added Carter and Owen....the rest....is yet to come! I'm so grateful that we have an eternity to continue learning, and growing together....life is so much better when you have a partner to share it with! How great is my love and my joy with him!

All about Owen

My Owen boy is a Momma's Boy!!! I LOVE IT! Carter has ALWAYS been a Daddy's girl, even as an infant she prefered to be snuggled by him, held by him and as a toddler EVERYTHING is about D-A-D!!! OH how I love that this little man at this point in time prefers his Momma!!!

We were so surprised to find out we were having a son, and even more surprised when he came two weeks early!!! He's been a little sweet ever since!

I really love my babies, those first few moments are so special and amazing, I love to hear their first cry so I can take a deep breath and know that I got them here safe and sound.
After that initial "i'm here" cry, Owen was SO quiet while the nurses were working on him...I kept having to ask if he was ok, I knew he had his lungs sucked out, and that he needed a little oxygen (pretty standard stuff) but he was SO quiet, surely there was something wrong I thought, the nurses and my mother in law and sister in law kept reassuring me as they were snapping pictures of the little guy!

At about a week old, Nana Powell whipped out her camera for a photo shoot, unfortunately this little guy is camera shy, and HATED being naked, as soon as we put clothes on him he settled down and let us take a few more pics.

Grandpa's little slugger is right! He looks like my Dad and my grandfather, although this is disputed by those who only know John's side of the family!

Owen on his blessing day. We blessed him in the bishop's office before my parent's left. Owen also goes pale when in a deep sleep so he looks like he's dressed for a funeral rather than his blessing in most of his blessing pictures.

He's usually pretty happy, but he'd just had enough picture taking for the day!

Basking in the sun. Owen was only slightly jaundiced a few days after he was born, but it cleared up quickly with a day in the sun!

At two months old he's alert and happy. He's starting to make baby coo's and smiles when he sees my face....i've been trying to find his funny bone to get his first real laugh (he chuckles in his sleep and has since he was born), but so far he's a tough nut to crack!

Taking a Sunday afternoon snooz

Carter loves Owen, but usually doesn't really involve herself with him much, she's on the go playing in her own imagination world...but lately she's enjoyed sharing her play food with him and last night had fun helping me give him a lotion massage before bed!

Brother and Sister....awwwwww....Owen loves to lay on the floor and listen and watch Carter play around him, i'm hoping they'll get along and play well when he gets a little older! What a joy it's been to have Owen added to our family, he's starting to sleep a little better at night and is a champ during the day. He's healthy and strong and just a little love. I know it sounds silly as he's still so small, but it's so much more different having a son, I never understood what my mom used to sayuntil I had two kids - that you love your children equally,just differently...I guess maybe it's just a mom thing!

I just love these two and can't wait to see what the future has in store for our little family!

All about Carter

I can't hardly believe that my baby girl is already two, and growing faster by the minute! She became a big sister on March 25th, 2011 and then had her birthday on April 6th. My mom was staying with us to help with Owen, and my Dad had just come into town to drive mom back to Oregon, so we had a quiet low key little party. Carter loves "keak", and loves to blow out candles.

She was slow getting started with unwrapping presents, but once she got the hang of it she did pretty good. She got pink Lego's (her fave gift to date), Mrs. Potato Head, books, coloring crayons and books, a princess tutu, purse and jewels, a new movie, play shoes and pink frog jammies.Our Carter is silly through and through. One of her favorite jokes is to pretend to be asleep...at random she'll close her eyes and softly snore, then peek to see if we're watching, this game can go on for hours! She thinks she's so tricky!!!

She also loves to color, even on my antique sewing machine-it's a good thing this was with chalk and wiped clean very easily!

She loves to go "sfimming", in her jumbled two year old speech she tells us about "sfimming" and "kick, kick kicking" Of course she can't really swim yet but we practice getting our face in the water, and stretching our body out and kicking our legs, she thinks it's great fun, and loves ANYTHING water....pools, bathtubs, puddles it's all the same...right???!!!

She likes to move it move it!!! Dancing is another one of Carter's favorite things, anytime there's a good dancing tune on she jumps up and starts to move it...she often will invite us to dance with her, and thinks it's great fun when we all join in!

Another one of Carter's favorites are "fwowers"....While riding in the car she can spot the most minute flower in the distance, and will exclaim "Mommy, a fwower!!!" Sometimes it takes me a minute to see what she does, this little girl has great nature eyes! I fear for my future flower beds....As soon as they bloom, the flowers will all be gone, she loves to pick them and smell them,and gift them to anyone around....what a girl!

I love my daughter, but I HATE snakes, unfortunately for me she LOVES them...so i'm doing some exposure therapy on myself to try to lessen my fear, so that I can help foster her love for slithery slimy things! This is her big stuffed snake she got as a prize on our long journey to Iowa, she also has a small rubber green snake that likes to shopping with us, as well as out to eat at restaurants.This picture pretty well sums up my daughter's personality. She's a silly, goofy, funny, lovable, independent trickster, who knows what she wants when she wants it, but has a heart of gold, and also loves to share. She has such a sweet spirit, we're truly blessed to call her our own and to have her for eternity. What a blessing she is to us, we love you Carter Grace, you bring so much happiness and joy to our lives!!!