Owen Karl Hilbig

Owen is here! Well he has actually been here since November 20th, but I am finally getting to the blog to announce the news! He is such a sweet baby and we are so glad he is in our home and that he is healthy. Just like with every child, you can't imagine your life without them! He is only five weeks old now, but he has been with us forever! We love you Owen!

I had to add this so you can feel like you were there in case you missed the excitement of the Idaho State Fair!

THE FAIR! Oh could you have more fun anywhere on earth?! Nope. Face painting, corn dogs, ferris wheels, funnel cakes, bull rides, rollercoasters, blue ribbons, dog shows and so much more! We had a great time on Saturday- for almost 6 hours! My mom loves the fair and I think my kids went for three days straight! Now it's official... they're carnies!

Neonatal Alloimmunethrombocytopenia. What a mouthful. That lovely disease is consuming our days and nights and money and energy and everything else! I have been going to the hospital once a week to get about 150 grams of immunoglobulin through an I.V. (which is made up from about 20,000 donors). I go one Tuesdays and am wiped out by the time I leave, as it takes about 7 hours to transfuse. Wednesdays are spent in bed. Thursdays are spent in bed. Fridays are iffy, but tend to be good by the evening. Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays are awesome. So, let me tell you some great things! My mom and dad have totally sacrificed so much for us. My mom moved in with us a month ago and takes the children Tuesdays through Fridays, cleans, cooks, plays and does every other up-and-above thing you can think of. My dad flies here every other weekend so they can see each other and he can spend time with the kids. We couldn't do this without them. We couldn't do this without the prayers on our behalf, without the people thinking about us and fasting for us. This has been an amazing experience- so humbling... so so humbling. Thank you. I am so grateful for the people who make life worth living and making a life for! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Here is our sweet Koby on his first day of school! Wow! Is it here already?! I got all misty-eyed as he and his class disappeared into the Kindergarten hall, but then I remembered that I will see him in oh, 3 hours! That's barely enough time to get some grocery shopping done! So, surely not enough time to be all down and pouty!

He had such a great time and I can already see him "grow" into his own big self in just one week of Kindergarten. Congrats Koby!

Summer is Here

It is official: Summer is here! We found this beautiful spot along the river... I mean look at these pictures! There were clovers everywhere (non with specks however) and the sun was pouring through the trees, and then...we became a Verizon commercial! Mosquitos everywhere! Paul and I looked at eachother- our faces covered in black dots- then at our children- their faces covered in black dots! Our arms began to flail and we grabbed the kids and ran for the car! Picturesque, yes... but only in a picture taken by someone covered in mosquito nets! I am grateful for the sun shining, long days, and snow cones and if bugs are the price we pay... so be it!

Father & Son Campout

When I married him I knew his idea of camping was just shy of 5 star hotels, but he had a great time and so did the boys! Thanks to the Deatons and their invitation and camper trailer, my men were bug-free, dirt-free, and frost-free! They hiked and played and made new friends and I didn't hear anything but, "And on our campout, we..." for a week! Naomi and I had such a wonderful time too! We went out to dinner and strolled downtown Eagle together! It was so much fun for all, I am thinking every weekend should be a Father/ Son campout?!

Oh Baby!

Yes, the rumors are true! We are expecting numero quatro! It is so fun to be pregnant (I know many of you are rolling your eyes right now... sorry)! It's like having an awesome secret! It's not much of a secret anymore though and I feel like I am already "popping-out," so soon it won't even be a secret to strangers, but there it is! I am having a c-section the week of November 20th, which is a few weeks earlier than my due date. Everything is going so great and I wanted to thank you, family and friends, for your love and kindness and your excitement for our growing family! Yay!

Sunny California

Paul and I had a Tony-the-tiger GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRREAT time in San Diego last week! We had an almost 3 to 1 adult- child ratio here at home, with my mom, grandma and aunt watching Koby, Luke Naomi and Lila (my 3 year old cousin). We relaxed and slept in and ate good food and walked the beach and it was fantastic to be together and have no schedule (which I am paying for now, since I got a little too used to this with a vacation and family in town). It was very romantic and I am looking forward to our next trip already! We loved it so much that I am taking the boys next month for some fun in the sun at the same hotel and beaches! Let the summer begin!

There's nothin' a snow mobile ride can't fix

We went to McCall right before Easter and had a blast! I have never driven a snowmobile before and I have found a new love! I knew I really liked Idaho, but after snowmobiling through the untouched terrain, I fell in love. It is so beautiful with sprawling white fields and hills made of boulders covered in ice waterfalls. It was dreamy to be out there- especially fuzzy going 70 miles an hour! We had such a great time sledding and having snowball fights and the best was late night games and talks with Paul's parents and siblings (I love adult conversations)!

Luke's Invisible Missing Toof

You can kinda see Luke's space between his two front teeth in this picture, it is hard not to see when you are face to face! The more time he sucks his thumb, the larger the space is getting. So, a few nights ago, he said to Paul, "Dad, my tooth fell out. I'm missing a tooth (pronounced "toof")." Paul said, "Oh really. I didn't know that, where?" Luke pointed to the empty spot between his two front teeth! We laughed and laughed and laughed some more!

Lets Study Together

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen!
I have been confined to my couch these past few days taking all the "sick time" a mommy can take without getting fired! Amid the crushed walnuts, the spilt milk, and the piling dishes I had an "ah hah" moment!
The other night, a dear friend suggested that we have a study group to learn scripture stories. I thought it was a great idea and dismissed the thought when I realized meeting together is near impossible with busy evening schedules and even busier days! "Maybe it's not our season," I thought. But that's just something I say to myself to shirk things I need to do and hold onto the time wasting things I don't need to do (without feeling guilty)! This idea kept nagging at me, however. Especially when I thought of the fabulous resource available to me and all of us... hundreds of intelligent, faithful women connected to each other through the blogging world! So, I started a blog that is devoted to study of the scriptures.
The address is:http://studiumaeternus.blogspot.com/. Please visit, write, and spread the word so we can all learn from the doctrine, the experiences, and insight of one another! Here's to learning! And thank you Kim for the great idea!

To Be a Dad One Day

Koby came into my room with Paul's eye glasses on and announced, "I need to learn to wear these because I will be a Dad one day." I chuckled and prodded, "What else will you do when you're a Dad?" "Well, Dads go to work and make money." After a moment he continued, "And Dads golf." My little 5 year old is so observant! I thought he was onto something and asked, "What else do Dads do?" "Dads use Priesthood to bless kids that are sick... and Dads make people laugh." That's about the best list I have ever heard! Thank you Koby! If he can do these 5 things, he'll be a great Dad, just like his Dad!

A laugh from Luke

Last night, Luke was laying on my bed and his eyes began to water. So he said, "Mom, my eyes are sweating." I couldn't stop laughing! To the point where my eyes were sweating! Thanks for the laugh Luke!

Clear Stones

On my mind lately has been this most favorite of all thoughts about the Brother of Jared. The story is lovely and full of lessons for our lives (as most scripture stories are), but it is a personal favorite.
In the Book of Mormon in Ether 2:16, the Lord Jesus Christ tells the Brother of Jared to build barges that will take his family to the promised land, "a land choice above all other lands." This is the same man, who in the previous chapter asked for his family's language not to be confounded and was granted that blessing. He also asked if and where his family should go during this time of confusion and was answered by the Lord to go to the wilderness until they were ready to sail. His faith is amazing and the scriptures tell us that he was "a man highly favored of the Lord."
The lesson for me lately is in the building of the barges. We are told in verses 16 and 17 that the barges are tight, light and small. During the construction, however, a few questions and concerns were brought up by the Brother of Jared:
First, he says to the Lord, "for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish." The Lord gives him the answer, "thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air."
Second, he inquires, "I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?" And the Lord said, "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?"
Why didn't the Lord give him the answer like he had the first question? Why would he require the brother of Jared to come up with an answer after all he had already done?

If we look at the questions and the responses, we learn a great lesson!
The first question was how to breathe, it was a survival question. When we are in need of breath, the Lord is right there with an answer on how to "breathe". The second question was how to see. When we are in need of light and clarity, the Lord asks us what we want Him to do.
I have felt this in my life so many times. He has been beside me when I didn't feel like I could breathe. And when I am struggling in the darkness, he has allowed me to find the light (of which He is the source). Only because He was been there through the surviving, could I have faith that He would be there through the searching and growing!
It is no wonder that the Lord answered these questions in this order and in this way. The brother of Jared (and us) is not expected to answer that question on his own. In verses 23 through 25, the Lord further goes through varying options and more discussion (just as we have leaders, resources, scriptures, and prayer).
The brother of Jared then finds 16 clear stones, 2 for each barge, and asks the Lord to touch them that they may have light (only after the effort to find a real solution, does the Lord stretch forth his hand). And in chapter 3 we read one of the most beautiful and eloquent experiences recorded between God and man- all because of the brother of Jared's faith and obedience.
I am sure Joseph Smith, when translating this portion, could relate to the magnitude and awe of this recorded moment of seeing the face of God. I am so grateful that I can read these experiences and gleen from their insight and faith, knowing that my faith can become knowledge.
I am grateful for my moments of survival and for the amazing experiences I have had because of the effort spent to find sources of light in my life! They are worth the work, the wait, and the wandering! If you are struggling, know that He will give you light! That He wants to bless you! That He loves you and cannot keep Himself from you if you are doing what He has asked of you!

To: Grandma and Grandpa

Yes, we are using our children to make you visit us! You'll be breaking his little heart unless you go skiing with him! Grandmas everywhere will be lining up ready to adopt this little boy if you aren't here soon! I love his "finale" at the end (which forces you to watch the entire 5 seconds), it makes me laugh because it is soooo Luke!

A dollar can still buy a lot!

Koby and Luke took their allowance money ($1.25/week) and bought these adorable wood models at the craft store. They come with the paint and the glue, and we provided the patient Dad and the mound of newspapers! They had an hour of fun and are so proud of their working plane and truck... and so are we! (And Paul's artistic shots are my favorite! Thanks Love!)

I love how they sail under Paul's legs...

Naomi by day, Jungle Princess by night

The call of the wild things! If you were wondering where the wild things are, they are in our living room! Naomi loves jewelry. So, for Christmas I went to Gymboree and bought her these adorable necklaces and bracelets and a little purse. Does she play with the "play" jewelry? No. She wants the real stuff- and who can blame her?!

Ahhhh! She is so stinkin' cute! She dropped the earrings and said, "uh-oh," while her hands went straight to her head (like saying, "oh silly me")! I love this girl!

Koby the Cookie Monster

Ok, really, I am clearly the cookie monster! Koby is just a boy with a cookie next to the sugar beast in this photo! Give me a break... I am still making up for no sugar from January! Koby is our little Chef and he wanted to make ice cream cookie sandwiches (who would contest that request?). So, we did and we stuffed our faces! This is Koby's look after I asked him for another bite! He thought with this face for a moment and then retorted, "No way!" Oh, the love.

Look at those dimples! This adorable, unsharing child is too cute!

Luke; Cold & Happy

Luke skiing! Normally he doesn't last too long because, hello! who likes freezing fingers? not Luke! So, today he lasted a good 30 minutes and thought it was so funny to fall and slide his way down the hill (good thing for us)! I love that you can't even see his big grin beneath the coat! And look at this adorable face- ready for hot chocolate and a cozy spot by the fireplace! We can't believe the snow! Just when you thought it was over, right?! I am sure we'll have many more "skiing" pictures to come!

ENCOURAGE- ING

Ok, I know this story is a bit long, but it is good!
First, I went to Dallas a couple weeks ago and while I was there my brother asked me to watch his children on the last real day of my trip (can you really do anything on a Sunday? No). I was only there for 3 days and Naomi was so clingy we were never separated! On Saturday, my parents, a friend and I were going to the Dallas Arboretum and to luch, etcetera etcetera. But my brother asked everyone to help him move, which took all day, and asked me to watch his 3 children. I agree, but I was offended by their lack of consideration.
The "friend" I mentioned is my mother's friend who was visiting that week from Utah. She has had cancer for the past few years and has undergone kemo a few times (first for breast cancer, other tumors and now a brain tumor). She has lost her breasts, her hair and her health. She obviously could not help move furniture, so she stayed and volunteered to help me with my neice and nephews.
After the "movers" left, I was ranting about my brother being inconsiderate, etcetera. A little while later the kids went outside and so did my mother's friend. I was washing the dishes and watching them from the kitchen window. And then it hit me! I was complaining to her! I was seriously complaining to her! To her! Here she was, on maybe the last vacation of her life, watching kids that have no relation to her without even one word! Instead she was happily pushing them on the swing and playing alongside the kids!
I dropped the dish and ran outside and apologized profusely! And I will never forget the lesson of that day! Even when there is a mountain of negatives, you don't have to focus on the scenery! There is a positive and that is worth praising! I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the day with my neice and nephews and even enjoyed the site of my brother when they returned. I still cannot believe how immature and selfish I was, how out-of-wack my perspective was! I cannot believe I could give so much control of my emotions to other people!
I play that experience over and over in my head and hope it will never leave me because I never want to forget! And I learn that almost everday with my children... if you feed good behavior, it grows and when you do that, the nagtive behavior starves to death!
I had this story sent to me and it reminded me of myexperience in Dallas:
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end.They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind ' s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Let's all be encouragers!

Happy Valentine's Day

I think this Valentine's Day takes the cake, or the candy! It was not elaborate or expensive. It was not the gifts or the place. It was the people!
We put our children to bed and then we cooked together. We cooked while we drank some rasperry sparkling cider and ate some appetizers and flirted. For dinner, we made crepes and filled them with an enchilada type filling and for dessert we filled them with chocolate! We ate on the floor and had great conversation. And at some point in the evening I realized that we had been talking and laughing and taking our sweet ol' time- and almost three hours had passed!
The two people who dined together last night are so different from almost 8 years ago. We are a product of so many marital and life lessons! I know time only has a purpose for this life of ours, but I am so grateful for its ability to heal. Time has allowed me to gage our growth and our personal "timeline" is wonderfully exciting to remember! I can only imagine what 10 more years will bring! And 50!
I love being married to Paul and I am so grateful for our family and our life!

I would love to know what you did to celebrate your love! Thanks to all of you for your examples of hard work and patience and perspective!

This is such a great photo. I have been reupholstering this couch we got for free and I wanted it to look like this! I wanted it to be a spot in our play room for the kids to just relax and daydream and be as close to laying out on the lawn as we can get (without actually having to lay on the frozen, dormant grass). Anyway, due to some budget restraints and "grass-like" fabric being in short supply, my enthusiasm has dropped significantly and it is now, just a couch. Well, less than that- it is a yellowish couch with black and white trim. Can you hear the lack of enthusiasm in my typing?! I love projects, but when I had a "vision" and missed the mark soooo bad...! Oh well! I still love this photo! I will post a picture if I can get enough umpfhh to finish the job!

Synesthesia

Alright. You all know the scene from , "A Beautiful Mind," when Russell Crow is seeing numbers abstractly floating around him and angles, degrees and other mathmatical measurements in every day objects. Well, I can't say it is exactly like that, but I have always assumed everyone saw the world in a similar way, in one form or another- until I had a conversation with a Paul a few years ago or so.

I see words as someone is speaking to me. Yes, as you are talking, I see actual letters with punctuation and all coming from your mouth. People also have a color to me. I haven't figured out what different colors mean (certain personalities aren't necessarily the same color) and not everyone has one. Thanks to all the modern advancements with information and Jenni's interest, I just found out that this is a type of Synesthesia.

Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which activation of one sensory processing system (e.g., numbers or written language) leads to the automatic engagement of a second, distinct sensory processing system (e.g., color) to create a "crossed" sensory perception. It is caused by an increased connectivity between relevant brain regions and 1 out of every 23 people have some form of synesthesia.

Basically I can give Paul a medical explanation for being so sensitive (Hello! Sensory overload!)...

And now I can classify myself, among many things, as a Synesthete. Unlike the "A Beautiful Mind" movie I started with, I do not hear voices, see people that are not really there, and most importantly- I am not a genius or even close. So, what I am saying? Today I say, "Thank you Science for making me normal!"

Well, 1 out of 23 people ain't bad! And maybe- no, probably- after you read this... you will feel normal too!

Gordon B. Hinckley

In light of our sweet prophet's passing, I wanted to share my gratitude and testimony of him. Shortly after I joined the Church, President Benson died. President Hunter became the prophet for only a short 9 month period. The attention of President Hunter's call to be the prophet peaked my awareness of the prophet and was the first time I considered my testimony of him. Soon President Hinckley was sustained as our prophet. For many years I read his words and learned about his life and mantle. During my first year at BYU, I was asked by some roommates if I was going to attend President Hinckley's devotional. Then Paul, who I had begun dating, invited me to go, so I agreed. I didn't know exactly what to expect and I wasn't sure if (among 30,000 people) it would be worth it to see him from the high bleechers, but I was prepared with homework. We went early to get within the first tier of seating. After about 30 minutes of doing some homework and chatting with my group, I faintly heard someone on the floor of the Marriott Center sing, "We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet." More people began singing. I begun singing. Everyone around me was singing. I still could not see anyone... and then I saw his distant figure walk into the auditorium. The Spirit testified that I was in the presence of the Lord's Prophet. How short-mided I had been to think that my faith was restricted by proximity. I cried through the rest of the meeting and when he left, we sang again to him. I consider this the moment I formed a testimony of my prophet. President Hinckley has accomplished so much and gone to great lengths and distances to testify of the Savior. I will always be personally grateful that he traveled to Provo, Utah and gave me a witness that the Church is true and the Lord lives and loves me. I know he sends us prophets to lead and guide us, and to walk beside us in the notion that he is in the same political, social, economic turmoil or peace we are experiencing. I will be eternally grateful for President Hinckley, for his strength and his testimony, which I have trusted so confidently! I am grateful for that "foundation" moment that I have been able to build upon!

There is a wind from the East

Shy of the boufant and a 20" waistline, I was Mary Poppins. Into the garage for some Christmas ribbons for scarves, plastic screws for eyes, ric-rac for mouths, dead Christmas tree branches for limbs, and voila... you have yourselves "snowmen brothers" (Koby and Luke wanted them to be holding hands to stay warm)! They are too cute- both sets of brothers!

Hungry, Hungry Hippo

For some reason that title seemed to fit this thought and this picture was right on! I watched 20/20 tonight (yes, you are jealous of my exciting Friday night) because Paul's back went out and he was snoring by 9:00 (to be honest, he doesn't really snore, but he was asleep)! So, I had nothing to do (another lie... I had nothing I wanted to do more than "veg" in front of the t.v.) and there was 20/20. The show was on Anger. Now, I am the first one to think nasty thoughts when I get cut-off, or wish big ugly warts to fall on the woman who gives me dirty looks for bringing 3 kids to well, anywhere! But I was reminded of a lesson I learned in college. "The Savior", so I was told by a professor, "never acted in anger." The more children I have and the more dry-clean only clothes I buy, the harder it is to wrap my head around that concept. But tonight on 20/20, psychologists, studies, etc. all said that anger is unhealthy for you physically, mentally, spiritually- in every way. They said that you should neither vent, nor bottle it up... you avoid it (which Christ had clearly mastered). Thanks to the Christ-Centered Parenting book I have read and need to re-read, I finally feel I have real tools that keep me from being a hungry, hungry hippo of anger (think of the visual above- we're cousins). Really though, I am grateful for time, because it doesn't always have to be filled (not by action, especially not by reaction). Most of my time these days are spent standing in the middle of a room, weighing the costs of my next action. And by the time I have made a decision, the spaghetti has hardened and is easier to clean up, I have realized the markers are washable, or I find two small arms hugging my leg to say sorry! I am never so grateful for not acting than at that moment and nothing is of more worth than that!

To be or not to be? That is the question.

Well, to be in kidergarten or not to be? They say knowledge is power, but I have not felt anymore powerful lately. The lack of power is really from a lack of options to use that power. Public, private, charter, homeschool... it's enough to make someone dye their hair and cut bangs- oh wait! No, really though, it's making me crazy. Public is a great option, but here in Meridian the class sizes average 33+ kids per class and the plethoric cirriculum across the district is starved for successful programs in any one school. Private is a great option if you can afford the "Gucci" price tag for education. You can find some "knock-off" prices, but they are still a pretty penny and only cost more as we get into the higher grades. Which brings us to charters. They are great, providing smaller class sizes and a competitive cirriculum. When you compare similarly-sized and good-ciriculum public schools, they score just about the same, which just proves that they are not the fairy tale "happily-ever-after" answer to education. The waiting list is long for a first-time kindergartener with no older siblings, but we are in the lottery and still crossing our fingers (which I am convinced is the reason I was asked to my 7th Grade dance)! We cross the social spectrum now to homeschooling. I am not sure why I am entertaining the idea because Paul is not a proponent. He knew a family or two growing up that were a bit "off" and they homeschooled their children, so he's tainted forever. My disclaimer: sorry to anyone reading this who homeschools, sorry to the family who grew up with Paul, and sorry to anyone who is "off." There are a number of benefits; I choose the cirriculum (classical of course), I get to teach him (which I feel is using my true role), and there is flexibility (I would totally be able to drive to Ice World as often as necessary for hockey, which he has requested to play). Ok, I don't know if homeschooling is for me, for Paul, or for Koby, Luke or Naomi, but there it is- on the table.
So, leave your comments and try not to form an opinion of my educational theories, because (as Ally just said to me) their worth to you is what they cost... Nothing! I would love to hear what you have to say!

The Primary Phantom

Thank you Naomi! Naomi had the phone last night. She takes it and dials and pretends to talk every day, so I didn't think anything of it. I have been trying to get her to say, "hello," when she has the phone, so last night, here she is with the phone, and I say, "Say hello." Then for some goofy reason I start to sing the Primary "Hello" song. Here I am belting out, "Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. We welcome you today..." and then Koby and Luke chime in and we're having a jolly ol' time! Naomi needless to say never says the word, but she is smiling at this point. I hang up the phone and we continue with the evening's events. At about 9pm or so, I get a phone call from our babysitter's mom, a friend of ours (who's number is programmed into our phone). She says, "Hey, did you call me?" Since we are one of the last people on the planet with no caller i.d., I naively ask, "No. Did our number come up on your machine or something?" She says, "Ya and your number was the only one, but there was also a strange message on our answering machine. I can't tell who it was, but they kept singing hello." The conclusion to our narrative... if you are serenaded with Primary songs (perfectly on pitch of course), Naomi takes cash and chocolate!

I tried soooo hard to take a picture of my children blowing kisses at the camera. By the end of this experience I was on my back, Naomi was chasing her brothers, Koby had the giggles, and Luke was teasing his sister. This is the best I could get and well, that is what we sent to our grandmas- kisses!

I had to include this photo. This was taken last May during our get away in Seattle. Need I say more... clearly we were happy. But during these winter days I thought it would be warm to remember the guy who has created all of the numerous smile lines on my face! I love you Paul!

Look at this sweet face! She would eat strawberries and raspberries, blueberries- OK, any kinda berry forever, foreva eva. She is so happy all the time and I just love this girl! Mmmwwahhh!

Koby totally thinks he's a rock star and has all these songs... too cute! Luke is on the doorstopper (and you didn't think that was an instrument)!

This is hysterical. It is knee-slapping, doubled-over, can't breath kinda funny to watch Luke drive Naomi around! Her head is bopping all over and he's running over curbs and bushes, maybe even a neighborhood cat or two, but she squeals with enjoyment and gets so mad when we try to take her off! Thanks Luke for your excellent driving skills!

Koby wanted to go skiing for his 5th Birthday- and not just any ol' ski day! He wanted mom and dad to both go, for us to get babysitters for Luke and Naomi, to have lunch at the restaurant on the mountain, topped off with presents and dinner at a nice restaurant. He knows how to celebrate! We love our 5 year old who knows exactly what he wants!

Alright, I just started this whole Blogging thing and already I am changing it up. I failed to notice that I left out the 'i' in my blogspot address. So, here I am with the new and improved Hilbig website!

I cannot believe it! Pretty close to my understanding on ergonomics, quantum physics, and rocket science lies my understanding of and experience with blogging. Yes, I made a blog finally (thank you Jenni for the official welcome), but today I explored. I have spent an entire HOUR looking at people's blogs and then when I looked at mine, I found that people actually commented! Luckily I am sitting down because I, well, I don't know what I would have done, but I am shocked. I am not sure what I thought was going to happen, but it is pretty amazing to send your thoughts and family events out into the vast expanse of socially linked networks of people and have them pause long enough to comment. Thank you for all the time and updates you spend on your blogs, I will try and make ours worth while!

Hey, hey World! Ok, I am feeling a bit ambitious today. I atttempted to run the many errands I had this Monday morning. I enlisted the co-op to watch my children and I set out. I sat in traffic for 20 minutes and I only traveled ONE block! I failed to notice during my preparations for conquering this Monday that there were inches of snow on the ground and inches falling each hour! I made a U-turn, picked up my children, and went home to conquer nap and luch time! So much for errands (they are way over-rated)!

I love stormy days... they put everything into perspective. And thus I say, "Hey, hey World!" Because you gave us snow and we built snowmen, made lemonade snowcones (pink lemonade), and gave ourselves a great reason to snuggle and have hot chocolate! I am always amazed how my expectations and attitude can change the entire day. I am reading a book, Christ-like Parenting. It is slowly changing my expectations and my awareness of my attitude. I have to re-read every chapter two or three times before my brain even understands the concepts I am reading. Thank goodness for the dictionary and great principles!