Congratulations!

What a lovely night. Steve and I were able to attend and enjoy the wedding of one of our favorite people. Jason! Could not be happier for him!
Our favorite part was after the toast, when Jason chugged down the champagne. Nerves be gone--Let the party begin!

Best wishes!

A friend took a picture of us as well last night. When comparing our picture to the lovely couple, we were smoked, and took the back seat. So it will be saved for another day.

Is it possible?

This morning I had an appointment with my hair stylist. It is always a good day when you can get your hair done. Adrianne, the stylist, is very pregnant. 4 weeks to go. She was telling me about her birthing classes. They will be doing a hypno-birth. Power to ya-not for me! I am told you must have a very high IQ and a long attention span. No wonder it is not for me.

We shared some good laughs about her class. Her teacher has some interesting ideas and beliefs. One being that babies in the womb, hate the sound of a hair dryer. Adrianne's poor baby. Another funny concept was not to wash your baby, at least not its hands for two weeks. They feel more comfortable with the smell they are used to. O.K. that is just gross.

But here is the funniest story of all. Apparently soy milk is horrible for you. It contains too much estrogen. Never drink it while pregnant, or give to kids....especially BOYS. Hmmmm. That made me think. I gave it to one of my kids for 1 and 1/2 years of their life.

Yup. It was Peter. Maybe all that estrogen that was consumed by this kid explains his tendencies. This picture was taken the other day. He had shut the door to Rachel's room, and was extremely quiet. I was nervous since we are potty training. When I peeked, he was playing dress up with girl clothes. He liked this one best.

If it turns out later in life that Peter is indeed gay, I guess it is no ones fault but mine.

The big toilet seat

Potty training Peter. Going much better than anticipated. Whew!

He tells people "I went potty in the big toilet seat." I still think he has his gender identity mixed up--he sits down backwards, straddling the seat. Did I mention he has to be naked? I say whatever works. Steve says, what are you going to do in public? Honestly I am not so worried about that as much as I am about Rachel. Now that he is naked more, she has discovered something new. Peter's family jewels. When Grandpa was tending the other day he heard laughing. When he checked, Peter exclaimed "Rachel is tickling my penis!" TMI?

This kid makes me laugh daily. At the pool the other day, the lifeguard had it out for him. He was jumping for the backstroke flags, and actually grabbed one-which ripped off. Big deal! Those flags never make it through the summer anyhow. The lifeguard came over to Peter and asked his name. Then she explained in a very long winded conversation he needs to stop breaking rules. (This is a 3 year old remember) His response: Did you know I got water up my nose? I kept my distance and pretended he was not mine. Laughing the whole time of course.

Peter also loves to swear. He is our first kid we have had this problem with. He was mad at Luke and told me, "Damn that Lukers." When telling Luke the story his response was--"he got that from Dad."

First Day of School

I woke up this morning-prepared! Prepared to get my kids ready and out the door to school. Last night I put the clothes out for the next day, complete with socks (we can never find matching socks in our house.) I had prepacked the lunches. Confession: they were Lunchables.

After my run this morning, things went very smoothly. We even had time to straighten Maggie's hair with time to spare.

Once on the school grounds we saw Maggie's other mom. We love her. I wanted to talk with her since she had just been injured from sliding down a glacier on Mt. Timp. My mistake. I lost my kids while gabbing. My older kids none-the-less. That is when I realized maybe I wasn't so prepared.

I spent 10 minutes looking for them to no avail. I was really only concerned about Maggie. When the bell rang, I pushed my way through the halls, looking for her. Could she find her way entering a different door, especially in such a crowded corridor? The jury is out on that question. But alas she made it. Look how cute she is. Missing her front tooth.

My darling first grader.

Self confident, still not smiling, ready to start school, 3rd grader.

The kids are so excited about their teachers, and so am I. When I peeked in Luke's room, this is what I saw, and I love it! Luke has been wanting to take guitar lessons, I am sure this will seal the deal.

Beauty and the Beast

Maggie and I finally got our date together. It was to the play of Beauty and the Beast put on by the Draper Arts Council. Today's matinee included a character meet and greet. Belle is played by Maggie's former dance teacher. Miss Ivy. Maggie told me, "Now I know why Belle is called Beauty....she is so beautiful!" I would have to agree.

The performance was amazing. The actors, vocals, stage displays, and costumes were impressive for a local production. We very much enjoyed our time together.

Get a load of this guy.
He made me laugh and bothered me, all at the same time. I mean seriously check out what he calls his "gun show." What is he even flexing? Muscles? It looks more like cellulite to me. "Hey Gaston, next time you get cast as this character (this being the third time) why don't you try hitting the gym, so you can actually impress me."
I will give him this much-he did a great job and was a great actor. Here at the meet and greet, I was completely irritated by his arrogant and conceited personality. And I was only with him for moments. Then I thought, yup, that is pretty much Gaston. So way to go, you fooled me. And because of that, I have graced you with two pictures on my blog.

*side note: Did you know Donny Osmond played Gaston on Broadway. If only.......

THE BEAST.

Maggie was a tad nervous.

How about Maggie in her Jasmine? I think she looks great.

Maggie had a play date with the Bloody Baron today! We love her, and love that she makes us laugh. Here is the story she told us today.

BB:"I don't have any money."

Sarah:"Why not?"

BB:"My mom took it away from me and put it in her room."

Sarah"Is she using it to buy herself new shoes?"

BB:"No, I have some bad habits."

Sarah:"Like, what kind of habits?"

BB:"I tell lies, and don't pick up my toys, or clean my room when I am asked. My mom had just had it!"

Maggie who is right next to us, had the biggest eyes and the look of guilt. Yup, that sounds just like my Maggie as well. I know that story scared her, she is very attached to her money.

This quote is for you Sophie!

Seamus: "How did he get covered in blood?"

Sir Nicholas: "I never asked."

Meanwhile Luke is at my moms who made him a batch of his favorite cookies.

Grandma: "Should we go out and eat these on the patio?"

Luke: "No thanks, I am trying to cut back on my sweets and chocolate."

Grandma:"??????????" "Do you just want me to put a couple on your plate and you can snack on them?"

Luke:" Yeah, sure."

Grandma: "How many?"

Luke: "Oh, just like 10 or so."

Adam

Today is my middle brothers birthday! Happy Birthday Adam!

I love this picture of Adam, it shows how athletic he is. You can't really see it, but there is a *ginormous hole under him. He is awesome at triathlons, and marathons. I believe his best marathon time came in at under 3 hours. Adam is my ultra-conservative brother. How he came out of our household a republican is beyond me.

Talk about an awesome Dad. After coming home from work tired, his kids always get a special outing with him. When he comes to visit, my kids get tickles, back rides, wrestling on the lawn, and a listening ear.

I will always owe a great amount of gratitude to Adam for helping me finish a marathon. I have only done one, and did not know what to expect. I "crunch" trained. Meaning I decided 6 weeks prior I was going to race. Hardly enough time. All my running friends said they would help me in stages, but ended up going out of town. To see my brother waiting for me at mile 20 was just what I needed. All I wanted to do was walk, which I did my fair share of. But I am convinced I would not have finished without him. With the finish line in sight, he told me to go it alone. I remember telling him that I would stop if he did not run me the entire way! I love ya bro!

*

Broken Record

Rachel is becoming more and more vocal. Her new favorite word is "momma." She has been able to say this word for some time , but is just realizing she gets my attention when calling out for me. Cute? Maybe if she said it sweetly. Lets remember she is a Dunham.

(Dunham's are known to be loud. Family get-togethers are the battle of the voices. Whoever is the loudest, wins, and we hear all about their awesome life! If you are wondering--no, I do not consider myself a true Dunham!)

Rachel can be heard throughout the house yelling, very un-ladylike, "MOMMA!" Over and over again. Hour after hour, minute after minute. You get the idea.

Now add 3 more kids in the mix who also want my attention, and calling out my name.

My sweet little girl is growing up. And along with it loosing her sweetness. I hope it is just a stage. If she was older, you might think it was that time of the month.

Speaking of broken records, Peter can not stop singing "Living on a prayer" and the Hannah Montana song "The best of both worlds." He gets them mixed up, and has turned them into one song. Luke's choice of song is "Danger Zone."

Now if you will excuse me I need to take a hand full of Advil and open a Diet Coke!

Saturday Night Fun

Western Roundup

Peter is a robot cowboy. He loved his paper bag vest! Luke was just a tough gun slinger. While Maggie is stylin' in her pink jeans!

Do not ask Steve what he was dressed as! He recieved a comment that would make any man "quiver." In my opinion, you are not a true man unless you can wear pink!

What a fun night of western games, dinner and entertainment.

Things I love....

My brother.

Who was in yesterdays Deseret News. Take a look. It is a great story.

People laughing at my struggles.

I was talking with Steve on the phone about how hard the kids were today. (I even had to pull the car over, and re seat the kids in different positions--something about the car that makes them fight! ) Then during our conversation I interrupt Steve, and ask Peter if he is pooping in his underwear. I just started potty training him.

"No, I am not.......Yeah, mom, I am pooping in my pants!"

Deep sigh, and a million swear words going through my mind. While on the other end, Steve can not stop laughing. I am glad someone thinks my life is amusing.

Honestly this little guy is driving me nuts! I stopped by red box this morning and grabbed some videos. This dude will be sitting in front of the TV today. Very uncharacteristic of mom to let him do so. But, sanity first.

Brotherly Love.

Rachel was stung numerous times by a bee yesterday. It was so sad. :( I could not comfort her. But someone could. Her big brother Luke! It was amazing. If he walked away or lifted his head off of hers, she would fall apart again.

Rachel loves rubbing Luke's buzzed hair.

Most of all, I love,

That school starts soon! The arguing is escalating. While the lack of structure is making the kids bored. Luke has a countdown on our chalkboard, even he is ready!

So bring it on!

Give a little respect

What a sad, sad scenario is playing out in todays society. Some feel it is their constitutional right to speak out and voice their opinion. AND IT IS! But come on people. VOICE your opinion don't scream, yell, and be down right rude. How unattractive, pathetic, and uneducated. Just because you are loud and cause a scene does not mean you are right.

Take for example the town hall meetings being held across the country discussing health care reform. Closer to home, and especially my home, since my husband is employed by them, the Jordan School District controversy. After coming home from many meetings, and listening to BOTH sides, Steve has seen his fair share of disrespect for others.

To me the irony is the fact that people are making such a fuss about paying for education. Isn't that a goal of society--to gain knowledge and better our education. I guess as long as someone else is paying for it. The people who showed up to last weeks meeting, showed their lack of education, by coming uniformed, unprepared, and unwilling to listen or compromise. I feel sorry for their kids, for their parents do not value an education and it shows!

To the angry and rude citizens of JSD: Because of the "scare tactics" used in this case, you essentially won the argument and lowered the tax increase. But no, you are still mad. Pay up and look beyond today. Look at what is to come of your actions: bigger class sizes, less teachers, not too mention loosing qualified, skilled teachers who will not want to work for your district. Your children will loose out on programs no longer deemed as essential but an extra, when we all know Arts/Music/Science are an important part of education.

I wonder if you cry out in a temper-tantrum when you go buy a new flat screen tv, snowmobiles and other toys parked in your extra driveway, when your wife comes home with a load of shopping bags, new hair cut, or an addition somewhere else on her body.

As a Salt Lake City tax payer, I am being asked to help pay for your shortage. Do I like it? Not really. But I will do it for the good of the system. If outsiders are paying for your kids education, the least you can do is the same. It seems as if you are not happy until everyone has lost a job and had a pay cut. How is that going to help your problem?

Do you also practice your constitutional right to vote? If you do, you elected this school board. The school board who spends time learning the facts that will help your students succeed.

Life's tough. Reality stinks. Now lets move forward in a productive, civilized manner.

*And that is my soap box for the day! My views do not necessarily reflect my husbands--just saying.

Funny videos

The first video is at Peter's birthday breakfast. This was the last gift we had for him. We bought it awhile back and put it away. I found it on clearance and they only had one color left. PINK! Isn't that what every 3 year old boy wants? A pink ATV?

Last night Steve had to work late. So for fun and to pass the time the kids got in the hot tub. Peter is such a fish. Do you like his trick?

The final countdown

2 weeks left until school starts for the kids. I will be darned if we spend it sitting around the house. Every year at this time I start to get a little antsy and sad. Summer is winding down, and I wonder if I have done enough for the kids this summer. Have we gone swimming enough (funny that I would even think that), have we had enough outings, reading books together and that sort of thing. Of course we have done enough, but just in case.....these next two weeks will be jam packed with fun!

Today we went hiking. I tried out a new hike called Rocky Mouth. It ends with a waterfall. Although it was a short distance, it was still quite steep and rocky, but the kids were troopers. Peter kept up with no problem. I personally found out that Rachel has gotten a lot heavier. I had her in the backpack, along with another bag with water and a camera. Lets just say my shoulders were very tired. Coming back down the trail with so much weight was a little tricky. I walked away with only a bee sting.

This is what Rachel did the whole time. Afraid of the waterfall.

Then this afternoon we headed out for a family bike ride. The kids favorite spot is the driving range at the high school. Oh that parking lot brings back memories. Memories of my driver ed teacher yelling at me, and banning me from driving. Ha, still got my licence. Although I think my parents had to call the teacher and talk him into it.

I have had hardly any alone time this summer. Someone is always talking, has a story that cannot wait, sitting on my lap, climbing on me, poking my eyes, waiting for me at the bathroom door. So many times I have told the kids, "take a number, I will be with you in a minute."

However, I have to admit, I will miss them when they return to school. I am nervous for them. I wish that I could be with them and protect them, which I feel like I can do in the summer. I am finding out that time passes to quickly. My kids are growing up and so am I (blah). I hope I can enjoy and create many simple memories with them.

Family

What a beautiful Sabbath day. After dinner we headed down to Temple Square. The timing was perfect since their lesson at church today was on temples. The kids were very interested in checking out certain aspects that they had learned about. Peter said "this is the biggest, hugest, temple I have ever seen!"

I love walking around the temple grounds. It is so peaceful and a safe atmosphere for the kids to run around and bask in the glorious creations surrounding the House of the Lord. The flowers were vibrant and worth the trip alone.

I can not believe that after 11 years of marriage I have 4 children. I always wanted a big family but never thought it would happen. (This is big enough for me.) My children bring such joy into my life.

I am grateful to be sealed to my husband in the temple. I am grateful to be a daughter of God, and to be lucky enough to teach and care for his sweet children.

My family is not rich in a worldly sense, nor do we aspire to be. Every member of our household sacrifice something for the good of the family. I know that the only reason we make ends meet is because of the blessings from above.

Instead we are rich with love and faith. Faith that we will live together forever.

**Today a member of the Stake Presidency (our old Bishop) came to release Steve from his calling. Minutes before his arrival Peter was walking around the house swearing. Yeah, we have a lot of work to do!

Terrible two's no more!

Peter is officially 3!

Happy Birthday Handsome!

Recent conversation Peter had with a toddler at the pool,who only spoke gibberish:

"Can I have my toy back?"

"Will it make you sad if I take my toy back?"

"Do you know how to talk?"

"I can't hear you."

Peter's voice is getting louder.

"I don't know what you are saying, can't you talk?.....talk into my ear, it is right here."

And that is why I love Peter so.

Too much love

Today I took the kids to the petting zoo at Gardner Village.

The little goats absolutely loved Peter.

In fact they loved him too much.

"Mom, the goat is hugging me!"

Happy Anniversary

Me and Mags

Maggie has been begging for some one-on-one time with me. "When can we go on a date Mom, just you and me?"

I love hanging out with Maggie. But here are her plans:

"We are going to go bowling at Fat Cats, and then we will take a break and have dinner at Fat Cats too, and then play video games."

(I can not stand Fat Cats, it stinks, draws a sketchy crowd, it is expensive, and I would never let their food touch my lips.)

Does this sound like a girl thing to do? So I mentioned getting a pedicure with her. It seems like that is what a mother-daughter date should be.

"No way, that does not sound fun at all!"

I thought about it, "Yeah it really doesn't."

Like Mother, like daughter.

We will probably end up bowling, but NOT at Fat Cats!