Merry Christmas (late, I know) and Happy New Year (early, woohoo!)

If you were the lucky few who received our Christmas card, congratulations I sent out like ten cards (how ever many stamps I happened to have in my wallet). I do hope to have more sent out. Unfortunately they will be embarrassingly late--oh well such is life.

Here is a brief recap of our past year.
It was crazy.
It was crazy fun.
It was crazy fun and went by super fast.
Oh yeah and I had morning sickness for the first half of the year (so I don't remember much).
I had a BOY! yipee!
Little Tommy is getting so big, he sits up, plays for hours (well an hour or so) in his little stand up saucer thing, and is laughing at everything. He'll even play peek-a-boo. We love that little guy.

S is growing up so fast, she keeps reminding me she is going to be 10 and in middle school the year after next (yikes!). She is also my number one helper and should get an A for Awesome and also a trophy for most responsible 9 year old in the world. Plus she is a fantastic cook (I'd never admit it to her face, but she kicks my rear when it comes to cooking--she's fabulous!).

L is really becoming quite the prankster/drama-queen/just likes to act like different characters. It's hard to explain. But she likes to act out everything. She even donned a weird bun-styled hair do, to church. Then she whispered in my ear that she had "Anne Shirley" hair. She and S were watching Anne of Green Gables all weekend long and she had "Anne Shirley bun-hair" for pretty much the whole week.

X is sooooo funny. I wish I could some how market that girl for her own cartoon character or TV show. It would be hilarious and everyone would watch it. Lately she runs around the house in her undies opening up doors and "skadooshing" them closed, a la Kung-fu Panda style. Meaning she uses her nice little plump tummy to close doors, whilst she excitedly shouts "Skadoosh!". Pure funny I tell you.

Derek and I are hanging in there. We both agree that when it comes to life we are in the "thick of it". Four kids, a house (which we just purchased-yipee), home repairs (which seem to pop up all the time, boo!), work, school, responsibility on top of responsibility. My days seem to implode on top of each other. But I get to hang out with Derek at the end of the day and that makes it all worth it. Luvs you honey!

Things to watch out for this coming year:
S is going to be a decade old (as she keeps reminding me), yikes!
L will be getting baptized.
X will start Kindergarten in the fall.
Tommy will start walking (that is if his sisters ever put him down--they love him so much).

Oh yeah and maybe we'll get our yard fenced in so Benji, our teeny-weeny Lassa Apso will not be eaten by a fox. Did we mention he almost got attacked by a fox?

Hope everyone's New Year is Grrrreat!
Cheers and kisses!
Love,
The Bucksta Clan :)

Tagged! Six Quirky Things About Me

Adri tagged me to disclose 6 quirky things about me.

Refer to video. Quirky and embarrasing and I'm gonna show the world! I'm sure there is more than 6 examples.
Enjoy it!

Ode To Abel a poem of pictures

Alright so my brother Abel is soon to be Elder Wilkins. Recently I aquired access into his picture files and can I tell you I have learned so much about my little bro by doing so. So as a good deed to the people of California land, the land of where Abel will be spreading the good word, there are a few things you should know about him. Believe me you will thank yourself for checking this out, especially if there are any concerns as to the sanity of the MIGHTY-soon-to-be-Elder Wilkins.

Ode to Abel -Things You may not know, things you may not want to know, but things I will tell you.

He runs like the tree stump from Tekken Tag. Nice form. (Ryan? what?)

He's always been a little different--even at a young age, as evidenced by the above picture. I call that look his "death stare". Thankfully I've only ever had it directed at me once--because I accidentally threw away his action figure collection, which I foolishly guessed he had outgrown. Ooops!

He likes taking self portraits. Abel why spend all that time on photoshop and yet you don't bother taking out the red eye? Just wondering.

He likes to take self portraits doing silly things. Where on earth were you here, huh?

Abel is an arteeest, as shown here, with this toilet paper roll art. I'm not joking he drew that on a toilet paper roll. Also it's like his version of where's waldo, except you have to find his name, and all the things he enjoys, like cars and things like that. He draws other things as well like:

Egg head shooting fire from it's mouth.

Godzilla walking the streets, by McDonalds. I'm guessing it's the McDonald's off of Truman Road by the looks of it.

And of course nothing he does would be complete with out a look at his self portrait. You iz handsome Abel.

Abel loves cars and tries to incorporate himself anyway he can into anything that iz carz. AHW happens to be his initials and his inspiration for a BMW knock off.

He draws blueprints for cars that he imagines will someday make him famous.

I was informed that a Wyvern (for anyone, like myself who did not know) is a winged reptilian creature.

Abel likes to make CD covers of himself. If you can't comprehend keep scrolling down, it'll explain everything.

Abel can do Psychedelic 60's esque designs.
Abel is that Ollie behind you?

a little bit of R&B--Boyz II Men meets OutKast is my take on this one.

and of course his Russian Boy Band cover- Grreat. Do you remember when Denny would sing that song every second of every day? And you would threaten him with all sorts of doom and gloom, to which Denny would squeal with delight and sing even louder--"Natasha-Eh-Eh-Eh," or what ever it was they were singing in Russian?

And of course Abel doing Intellectual Rock, you know like that Adrew Bird fellow. Get it bird he, he,he, okay I know I'm not funny.

Anywho, Abel you are one strange diggidy-dawg. I'm sure you'll make a swell missionary. Just remember--word to the wise, "if you chance to meet a frowny face do not let it stay. Turn that frown upside down and smile your frown away!"

Don't scare anyone out there in Californ-I-A and if anyone starts to creep you out do death stare, it'll work every time. Good lucks for ya!

Babies = Joy

I guess I just forgot how sweet little newborns are. Here is chubby cheeked Tommy chewing on his fist. It doesn't get cuter than this folks (ok so maybe it does, but as far as today goes this is the cutest, definitely!).

Things My Kids Do Whilst I Nurse the Baby

Swinging like maniacs with friends in the backyard. (Note our creativity in creating playground equipment--bat+rope=hours of fun)

S is baking. Without permission most likely. Good thing she's a good chef. Looks like she has a partner in her baking trickery--it's ok girls, just as long as what ever you're making is delicious.

Acting like Leprechauns--aye what are ye doing wee lassie :)

Paying the price for naughty behavior.
Public humiliation always makes you behave better right?

Picking out outfits for school.

Hanging out at the aquarium with Daddio.

And of course S (my "must get homework done NOW" child) doing her homework. What a good kid :)

And when I'm not nursing the baby my kids are up to this.

Do you think he feels smothered, just a tad?

Prayers, Bid, and Auction for Nie

I, like so many others have felt affected by the Nielson Family through Stephanie's blog nieniedialogues. I often think of her and her family as I do what she used to do through out her day--be a Mom. Today her sister cjane posted a link to this fabulously made video of the balloon launch in the Nielson's honor. It's a real tribute to the way they lived their lives, it's awesome.
Check it out here.

Beware, stupid blog question.

Micheal Phelps is Ben Stiller's younger brother.
agree?

I Was Punk'd . . .

Punctured that is. I guess when I received my epidural the anethesiologist pushed the needle too far and punctured the spinal membrane (gross I know). So from the day I came home from the hospital (friday afternoon) to the following Monday I was on my back, because the moment I sat up I had a massive headache (caused from the spinal fluid slowly dripping out of the puncture and causing the pressure to become low and thus causing headaches--double gross). So Monday I went back for another epidural, except this time for them to inject blood around the puncture spot to clot up the puncture so the membrane can heal and my fluid could be balanced once again.
Oh yeah and I was supposed to stay in bedrest for 24 hrs. and not lift anything heavy and not over exert my self, so on and so forth, so the clot doesn't come apart. How is a lady with 4 kids supposed to do that? Hmm... Anyways I was so bored with doing nothing since I came home and being on my back for so long, that since I could walk around without headaches I decided to go grocery shopping, while baby slept. So off I went and I get to Safeway just as this cart is speeding towards a parked car so I don't know what I was thinking, I put the car in park and jumped out of the car and ran and stopped the cart. But ohhhh....what did I do to my body? My mind might think I am part superhero, but my body is like whoa girl I've been put through the ringer....s..l..o..w... down!
So after grocery shopping I was so paranoid I messed up the clot around my spine that I decided to just lay down and be totally lame and bored, cause the LAST thing I want to do is get a THIRD epidural!!! If I have another baby I've decided au natural is for me--no more needles in my spine (I'm a little sad about this cause I LOVED my epidural--oh well).



Ok so back to my cute baby. He is really a joy. All of the craziness is totally worth it. Look at this cute guy. We all adore him. He's our little celebrity. My girls can't get enough of him and they fight over who gets to help change diapers and help grab things while I bathe him, and they fight over who will hold him, and who will sing to him.




And I am usually the scary body guard that growls at them to stand back and let him have his space. Or say things like, "Baby doesn't want you to touch him, move back!" What his universe is going to be like is a little scary for me to think about, hopefully the hype will die out and he'll fit in with out so much fuss.


Also thanks for all the wonderful congrats, it totally makes my day.

Baby Tommy

Here's our newest little one. Derek finally decided on a name. Baby Thomas was born July 16. He is a sweet little one, vey mellow and loves to sleep, which works out well for me because I love a little nap myself. The girls adore him and always wants to hold him. And Derek seems quite content and a little more at ease, with a little boy. I think he knows he'll have a little pal in Tommy. More pictures will come, once I get out of the hospital.

Hot Mommas

This was taken a couple of months ago (along side my awesome friend Janna who is due next month and still looks that small!). I thought I was soo huge then. Last night I was walking around the house with my shirt pulled up above my belly (because it being July this seems to make me soooo much cooler) and X comes and hugs my tummy and says she can't wait fo her brother AND sister to be born. Oh my dear darling girl, although Mom's tummy is protuding to the point of bursting, unfortunately there will be no sister. Just one little bro. This is the effects of not working out and eating too many twinkies. Sigh...I will have so much work to do in a month or so.

Still No Baby, So. . .

I decided to address the new rainforest growing in the front of our house. It looked somthing like....

No kidding. Since it rained last night and this morning was rather cool I spent the morning doing a little gardening out front. I was looking a little like this....

except with a belly the size of Pluto. Allz I can say is I'm feeling a little like this.....

except with the stomach the size of Pluto....like I mentioned before. Add to that I'm walking like Forrest Gump before he got the leg braces off. And still all this and no contractions nothing--come on baby let's get the show started shall we??

A Five Month Catch Up

Whoa... do I have a problem. I think it is some weird psychosis. After not blogging for a month I was too afraid to even look at my blog. What is up with that? Then just now after looking at it for like two seconds, I was like--whatever Bucky get over yourself and write something. So what better day to write than the day I am "supposed" to have my baby. Baby number four that is. Which maybe sounds like a big deal to some, but for some reason it just hasn't been that big of a deal--yet. Oh wait did I announce it's a boy?! That is a big deal actually.

Ok so I don't have the brain power, nor the writing prowess to really blog about everything from birthday parties to houseguests to holidays so I'll content myself (and hopefully anyone who still reluctantly checks my poor, neglected blog) with a list of things that has kept me from writing all the events in my life down in cyber ink.

Here's my list of pathetic excuses.

1. You Tube--When you don't watch TV this thing seems to take over what "computer time" I allow myself. All I have to say is that My computer priorities have been pay bills watch American Idol clips then Hell's Kitchen clips and now most recently So You Think You Can Dance clips (I love this show, why have I never watched it before--you go Mark and Chelsie--gotta love the Hawaii + Utah mix :)

I've been self conscious about a few things which brings me to my next few items on the list.

2. Google Analytics-I signed up for it not realizing all the crazy info you can get. I don't really care who looks at my blog or for how long, but unfortunately my understanding of the info made me realize that I make the analytics go WHACK. Just so people know sometimes I keep your blog open for HOURS while I play your music over and over, or while I read a little, clean a little, then come back and read some more. Oh the embarrassment of being someone who looks like a weirdo stalker. Sorry people.

3. My laziness--I just don't feel like uploading pictures and whatever or taking pictures for that reason. This makes me feel guilty--like I'm a lazy bum (which admittedly I can be).

4. Like I mentioned before once you miss a month of blogging I'm almost afraid to just "look" at my blog.

Ok let me move on....

5. kids get older and their schedules start to get crazy! Activity Girls, Homework Club, Hula Club, Swim Team, Homework and projects. What the?!!! School sucks even for parents sometimes (especially parents who have "lazy bum" tendencies).

6. I'm antisocial--at least during the day. I don't want nor feel like talking to anyone, or do anything but stay at home. When did this happen? Is it the pregnancy?

7. Preschool Co-ops aka my life's nemesis! X's preschool required parents to co-op so many times during the school year (this was for a monetary discount) so I signed up to do it that way. Too bad their were only four kids in her class and I felt like I didn't need to be there and I fell asleep during story time and Hated co-oping. Does that make me a bad Mom?

Hmmmm....that's all I want to write for now. Wish me luck--I hope this baby comes soon. I can't stand the big belly + hot + humidity.

SPT

Finish this sentence....

"The other day, I was in my __mykitchen___, and I noticed this __gross, disguting chocolate fountain__, my only thought was, "why do I still have this hanging around my house?!?"

***Caution this is really more a gross guilty confession than some weird object I just stumbled on in the house. ***
My oldest daughter's birthday was a week ago and we had a chocolate fountain instead of a cake. The fountain was a huge hit, as well as a huge mess (it was all over those girls- we had to put bibs on all of them!). Anyway, it was a sleep over so clean up seemed to happen only when the herd of girls left the upstairs to create havoc in the basement. So while I was trying to clean up the chocolate fountain and other messes wouldn't you know our sink broke! When ever I pulled on the tap water shot out AT MY FACE from the tap and no water came out of the faucet. So I put the big huge mess aside and thought, well I'll deal with it tomorrow.
So fast forward a few days, by Tuesday Derek had fixed the tap using his regular MacGyver/Eagle Scout techniques of a spare part and a tooth pick, so the tap is good for now (until the handy man comes later this week), however the chocolate fountain has been sitting, messy in the corner of our kitchen for a week now. Eww Gross! I know!
Here's the set backs with the clean up:
A-Have I mentioned before that I'm pregnant and get sooo sick and smells are just wacky right now (I know like I've mentioned it a hundred times at least)! So just smelling the chocolate makes my stomach wig out and me run in the opposite direction.
B-Derek, poor guy usually picks up kitchen cleaning duties (refer to A for the reasonings), but bless his soul even his MacGyver/Eagle Scout skills can not handle the complexities of cleaning out a chocolate fountain, which brings me to reason...
C-Chocolate fountains are so DANG hard to clean--what was I thinking when I decided to use it for the party. Oh well, at least this guilty confession makes me want to stick a clothespin on my nose and jump right in on cleaning that sucker down.
Wish me luck!

Things That Make Me Go Ha!

Right now as I am typing I am witnessing the cutest and funniest sight on the face of the planet. S got an American Idol dance game with echo microphone for her birthday. The music sounds like atari meteroids music and your supposed to dance to it. X is doing the running in place dance (flashdance style) while singing, "And you can't get my baby! And you can't get my babeeeey! And you can't get my hearrrrrrrrrrt! You can't kiss the dog on his wwwwwiiiipppps (lips)!!!!!!"

Also last night some of the Relief Society sisters took a break from adulthood and went on a time warp back to the 1980's. As you can see we turned up in many forms. There was:

Jane Fonda
and...

Jane Fonda with her pal "Cindi" the Navajo Madonna
and...





a real athletic 80's chic with big hair and coordinating sweat bands (she's a trouble maker that one is), next to her is our totally gnarly Relief Society president. She brought her red neck husband.......

we all admired his mullet and rad basketball moves.

And looksy at that some how I time warped into a Star Wars Geek circa 1984. Nice, someone please take the light saber away from me before I poke some one's eye out.

After a fun evening of dodge ball and various video taped skits (watch out you tube!), we all time warped back to 2008 and I woke up this morning wondering what on earth did I do last night!

Good times!

Remembering President Hinckley

My testimony of modern day prophets.

I want to express my testimony of modern day prophets as it is close to my heart right now, as President Gordon B. Hinckley has just passed away.

As a teenager I never realized how hard it might of been for those of other faiths to understand the importance of living prophets. As I have gotten older and definitely because of the divine counsel and influence of President Hinckley my testimony of this sacred calling on Earth has become ingrained in my soul.

I know that God has given us many "gifts" to help us learn of the Gospel of Christ and to return to him. Through the scriptures we can receive much individual counsel and strength. Through prayer we receive our personal relationship with God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. But remarkably we have today living prophets who receive divine instructions from God. Those who are called and chosen by God to warn us before we see warning signs, to guides us before we become lost, to encourage us before we know we need to be encouraged. Over and over the Prophets have given us counsel before a storm. The Family: A Proclamation to the World
is one revelation that continues to change and influence my life and reaffirms my faith in living prophets. How could we have foreseen the many challenges families face back in 1995 (I know I really didn't) and now that I have my own family the Proclamation has been an often used guide and teaching tool for my kids.

I once read that the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation to send missionaries to the "islands of the sea" and as a result a few missionaries went to the Pacific Islands, not knowing anything about the native language or what they would find. It was from this revelation that my ancestors not just joined the church but were waiting for the missionaries to arrive in the 1800's. I often reflect and ponder the impact of that revelation on my life. I know that God has not left us alone with out constant direction and influence so that we may all return to his flock and return to him. I am so thankful to these men like President Hinckley who sacrifice their time and energy to God and to all of God's children, I feel privileged to live in this time and to have such a wonderful connection to my Heavenly Father through his servants our prophets.

I just read a tender post about President Hinckley on my cousin Brooke's blog read it here.