Worth blogging about...

Not that we haven't had blog-worthy things going on in our life. Buying and renovating a house should certainly qualify!! But I have been hindered in my blogging by the fact that my pictures are not on my computer. I have run out of memory so they are stored on an external hard drive and I just never find the time to pull it out, get pictures off my camera, save them to the external, and also blog about them before putting everything away.

Luckily....Noah scanned these photos for me after we went to the doctor this week. We found out we are having a

GIRL!

Making her internet debut is baby girl, due June 2, 2012. Enjoy!!

Enjoying the Brotherhood of Cousinhood

I have mixed feelings about this picture. I mean, it's adorable, and I'm happy that we're understanding the concept of saying "cheese" and smiling for a picture. However, every little thing he does that shows me he's growing up just makes my heart ache. I love my BABY boy!

........................

There aren't enough good things to be said about having Jack and Chelsea living in the same house as us. It's been SO good for both Jack and Rajko to have a playmate to spend the days with. Jack really enjoys being the older, wiser cousin and Rajko is content to copycat everything that Jack does. Older cousins are great for many things...a few of which include:

-Getting Oreos for you anytime you want. Which is a lot.

-Teaching you to jump off the steps. For now I've contained him to just the bottom step.

-Convincing you that wearing hats is cool! Something your mother could not do.

-Making baths twice as fun as usual. And never wanting bath time to end.

Chelsea and Jack have actually rented an apartment in Oakley and are slowly moving things over there. Jack told his mom that he didn't want to live in Oakley because then he wouldn't live with Rajko. Rajko returned the favor when we went to church yesterday and he just kept asking me where Jack was, since it was their first day apart in a week.

What a fun brotherhood cousinhood can be...

And now for some pics of said Oreos and bath time.

My Stabilizer

I finally bought a camera again. Woo hoo! Okay...now I have no more excuses. I promise to blog a little more frequently now.

Life is good these days. We are living at my parents, saving for a down payment on a house and waiting for the right house to pop up. There just aren't hundreds of homes to choose from in Kamas Valley like there are in other places. The right one for the right price is hard to come by. But we are making it work in the meantime, and we are doing great with our savings.

Ask me why we're doing so great... thanks to this guy.Noah has always been interested in having his own company. He is so sickly talented in so many things that it only makes sense. But self-employment isn't the most fun thing when it comes to stability and things like insurance, etc. He's found a happy medium, working for All West, doing something he loves, and doing his own thing on the side. He has a web development and online marketing company called Creative Downpour that is doing absolutely great. He does EVERYTHING web related from building the website to marketing the product or services, and even has contacts for product fulfillment. What a guy, right??

As if that's not enough, he now has a few products of his own, and is doing great with those businesses as well. He sells tripods, tripod attachments, and even steady-cams for the iPhone and lots of other smart phones. I use mine all the time - in the car and at the store, especially, for Rajko with his iPod touch and his movies. If you've got a smart phone with video or like to take pictures, you should seriously check it out! www.istabilizer.com

He has also got a line of Germanium and Titanium infused bracelets coming out soon. We are so excited!! Stay tuned...

Needless to say, I'm so proud of Noah. I've never cared if I was married to some millionaire and lived the life of luxury. I've always wanted stability for myself and my family. He is so committed to doing that, and his hard work and talent is just incredible. Of course, even more importantly, he is the most amazing spiritual leader of this family. It would take an entire additional post to discuss what a spiritual giant he is... I love him and appreciate him so much. It makes me happy to feel my love grow for him every single day.

So this past weekend while in St George for our dance competition, we got to pack Chelsea up and move her home. Wahoo!! Can you say ROOMIES? Haha, she's also at my mom and dad's while she figures out her plan. She got a great job at St. Marks so we finally got to drag her home. :)

Jack and Rajko are the best of buds now. They both have a monkey for a best friend, and they are both CRAZY. They will jump on an old bed upstairs and have a dance party with my ipod for hours at a time! They drop their monkeys off the bridge and go retrieve them. They torment their poor Uncle Rob with a game of "Hi Rob" and giggle endlessly over the silliest things. We're all so glad to have Chelsea and Jack here, but I think Rajko might be the very happiest. He's finally got a little buddy!Spoiled Rajko getting pushed in the Fred Flintstone car
A very long-lasting game of flying "monKEY!"

Silver State Rears its Ugly Head!

House Update


Remember these days? I sure do. Noah was flying everyday and kicking butt! He was loved by all the instructors at Silver State and was without doubt one of the top student pilots. We were preparing for another year of flight school, followed by a couple years of teaching at the school, then we would be off on a big adventure! The Gulf, some remote Search and Rescue facility, maybe a tour site...we didn't know what life would bring, but we knew it would revolve around a career in flying.

Then one day Noah woke up and went to meet his instructor for a flight, and the doors of the school were locked, with a little sign stating that Silver State no longer existed. They filed for bankruptcy without notice and conveniently the day after depositing each and every student's full tuition loan amount. Hundreds of students across the country lost not only their dream, but A LARGE sum of money as well.

Well... we've moved on from this. It's a story in our past, but it doesn't shape who we are or what we plan to do in life. Or so we thought!

Unfortunately, the loan is tied up in a law suit that has no real hope of settling soon. They have decided that they will be pro-rating the amount somehow, but haven't settled on exactly how. So until that unknown and possibly never-arriving settlement date, this enormous private loan rests on our name.

So long USDA mortgages... So long house under contract in Wild Willow...

You might feel like I'm really sad or depressed reading this, but actually, it's for informational purposes only! I figured everyone would want an update on the house. Noah and I feel fine with everything. There's nothing we can do but move on and try to make something happen in the future, so that's what we're doing. There's still a SMALL possibility that we could end up with the house, but it's unlikely, so don't hold your breath.

Going to Mexico June 2011

In WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY exciting news, Noah and I decided to cancel our trip to China in June in favor of going to Guadalajara and Puerta Vallarta with the ENTIRE Rasheta family! Adventure trips are fun, but spending time with family is even better. This is the first time that everyone will have been there together since the Rasheta family is basically "complete" (minus a few future grandchildren).

For those of you who don't know, Tere grew up in Guadalajara, and that's enough to make it special for the family. But when Nik and Noah were about 13 or 14, they decided to move the entire family to Mexico! They lived there until after the boys' missions, when they moved to Utah to go to school. I know how much I love Kamas, and if I only got to visit every few years, it would be even more special than it is. I cannot wait to be there again. So much good food and so many traditions will make this an extremely special trip. Plus, I've never been to Puerta Vallarta! :)

Now...buying Rajko's first plane ticket ever is NOT my favorite part of the trip, haha. Well, I should say using 35,000 flight miles on a 20 lb kid is not my favorite part.

Yes, We're Alive!

I'm pretty sure I've already had a post with that title. Must be a sign that I am a terrible blogger!! Oh well... one day I will have a real camera again and take nice pictures and then maybe I'll be better at blogging. Maybe.

I wanted to upload SOMETHING of Rajko, but I didn't have any special pictures or videos. I tried to upload a video of him playing, but it wouldn't work. I PROMISE to put some pics and videos of that amazing boy soon.

We have been trying to potty train for a couple weeks now. Rajko was doing GREAT after about 6 days and going consistently and holding it until we took him to the bathroom. THEN he decided that wasn't fun anymore, and he will not even sit down anymore, let alone go in the potty. I have decided not to give up, though. Everyday while I'm home, we still do underwear and go on the little potty (bribed to sit still with t.v.), but once we leave the house for the afternoon, it pretty much seems like a waste. I refuse to quit, though...it just might be a different experience for us than the typical week of potty training and then you're done. Oh well. :(

In other big news, we have a contract on a house!! We have been searching for a house in the ward with my Mom's, Billie Jo's, and Olivia's families, and the pickings have been slim!! We have put in a few offers on houses in the valley, but have either been beaten out by an earlier offer, or weren't able to come to an agreement with the seller on price. But finally, a house we had looked at previously had dropped low enough to be up for consideration, and we put in an offer. The bank countered, and we took the counter - not willing to even risk losing this house to someone else. It's a 4/3 rambler in Wild Willow that is going to be a perfect starter home for us. It's not huge, but it's nice and has room for us to grow, has a great layout, and is just begging for some re-styling and small-scale renovation. Here are a few pictures... the MLS pictures are no longer available since the house in under contract, so these are just a few I snapped on my phone. Enjoy!!

Front of the HouseThere is some landscaping already done - trees in the front and some nice big rocks surrounding the yard in the back. There is a small patio off the dining room that is also accessed from the Master bedroom.

Den/OfficeThis is the first room you see when you walk in the house. It basically is shared with the entry way. It could be a nice piano and formal living room, but for now we will have it as an office. :)

Rajko's Playroom!! (And mommy's sewing/craft/office room)
I believe this was designed as a guest bedroom. It is located on the garage side of the house, and there is a 3/4 bath through the laundry room that goes along with it. However, because of it's proximity to the kitchen and living room area, I want to make it the playroom so Rajko can be close to where I am during the day. I think some magnetic primer and chalkboard paint will make this the perfect playroom for our little tyke.

Laundry Room
Who doesn't love a laundry room with storage and counter space?? I love this laundry room! The door you see leads to the 3/4 bath that I mentioned earlier. You can also see the trap door that leads to the 5' crawl space storage. Maybe the counter space will actually motivate me to FOLD the laundry that I wash constantly. :)

Kitchen
Ah, the kitchen. The first place that will be seeing some makeover, and the place that will receive the MOST make-ing over. Cabinets are in good shape, and they're nice, but I cannot wait to change the countertops. I want new appliances, of course, but we'll see what happens with that. First thing that will happen, though, is to swap out those knobs!! Can't wait.

Sorry, no picture of the dining room or living room, but it is an open floor plan w/ the kitchen in the center section of the house. I will put up more pictures soon, and definitely as we get the decorating done. I'm sure you'll be tired of seeing this house soon.

Wish us luck! We should close no later than February 18th if all goes well.

Man of the House

It's no secret that Rajko has both Noah and I wrapped around his finger. He gets what he wants...when he wants it, with few exceptions. Though his words have been limited, he has always been great at grunting or leading me to what he wants, and I somehow have become quite amazing at reading his mind.

However, I feel like life is about to get a little easier. It seems like everyday, Rajko masters new words. Just now, he came and grabbed my hand and said, "please!!!"

He led me to the fridge. I opened it and he said, "Mama? Egg."

I got out a hard-boiled egg, took the shell off, and gave it to him. He responded with his typical, "thanks."

He took his egg over to the coffee table and began eating it. I also washed some grapes and brought them over to them. He saw the grapes and said, "uva." (Spanish for grape.)

After eating a few, he grabbed one in each hand, walked over to the couch and said, "up."

Now he's snuggling with Noah while we watch the Amazing Race. He checks in by saying or "Mama" or "Nani" (my other name) mixed in every few words between his jibberish. This is typical...he does it all day everyday. I love hearing that little boy check in with me over and over...making sure he has my attention and love while he plays and learns and grows.



I am excited for Rajko to be able to express what he wants, but I am so so sad that he continues to grow up so fast. Of course, when I say grow I mean in the intelligence and skills way, not the actual size way. He's still right around 20 lbs and I JUST pulled out the 12-18 month clothes...although they are still drowning him. Oh well. With him being so little, it still allows me to feel like I have a little baby.

We love our boy. :)

St. George Visit and Ring Around the Rosie...

Rajko just started going to nursery. The first time, he started crying but they told me to go ahead and leave him. Chelsea has told me before how annoying it is when parents stick around, so I quickly left and assumed all would be well eventually. I came back between classes (one hour later) and he was still bawling. :( Needless to say, I have stayed with Rajko in nursery the past couple of weeks.

Today I looked down and saw my BABY playing Ring Around the Rosie. It was the cutest, sweetest thing I've ever seen, yet I was heartbroken as well. I can't believe my baby is that grown up. It makes me so sad... I wish I could just freeze time and keep Rajko the way he is now. Here are a few things you should know about 19 mo. old Rajko:

He says the words: Nani (Mommy), Dada, Hi, Bye, Pleeeease, Doggie, Mm-hmm (yes), No, Uh-uh (no), UH OH, Oh no!, Agua, Uva, Mas, Binky, Thank You, Please, Grandpa, Lita (Abuelita), Up, Balloon, Ball, Bubbles, Stuck, Poo-pooh, Shoes, Side (outside) and probably some others I can't think of right now.

He still has a binky. YIKES! I told myself he'd be done at a year. Then at a year and a half. Oh well... he loves it. Maybe at two years. ;)

He absolutely loves being outside. He wants to go outside all the time. This could become difficult as it gets to be winter.

He is obsessed with shoes. He will wear my shoes around the house (he can't usually walk in Noah's) including everything from flip flops to tennis shoes to stilettos. If we aren't wearing shoes, he will bring some to us to wear.

He is kind of a momma's boy. Every sentence starts with "Nani" then a string of jibberish. He is really talkative, and I can't wait to see what happens when he learns enough words to start putting together real sentences.

So yep...little boy is growing up! Here are a few shots from the past few days. We went to Chelsea's to visit for Fall Break and we had a blast. Rajko loved playing outside and with his cousins, and we had fun making lots of crafts!

Rajko took a bath at Billie Jo's tonight and got ready for bed while Noah and I were at Stake Choir practice. This little boy is so handsome that he can even rock pink pajamas with ruffles and bows!

Rajko at Staheli Family Farm. He loved it!

McNeil Cousins at Staheli Family Farm

After a successful mission through the corn maze...

We've been into sewing and crafting quite a bit lately. I made Rajko this "snuggie" so he won't freeze in the car, and he absolutely loves it!

I made these headbands for the girls for fall. I totally love them.

I also made this headband for Olivia. Between these headbands, a bunch of fabric flowers, and the two onsies that I made for my future niece or nephew, my fingers were about bleeding, but I loved it. I will have to post some pictures of the onesies soon.

That's it for now!!

Wisdom at 4 am :)

No, this picture wasnt taken at 4 am. It is just one of my favorites on my phone, so I had easy access. Anyway...

It feels good to know that even mediocre mommies have super human powers.

How else could we comfort a child who is crying for no apparent reason, survive for years on tiny amounts of interrupted sleep, stand over our sick babies' cribs for hours in the middle of the night-just because they feel better with your hand on their back, be thrown up on, pooped on, drooled on, and cried on, and finally be turned on when they're old enough to realize that their dad is cooler than you, and still manage to be absolutely in love with and obsessed with our children?

Now where did I put my tights and cape?

Yes, we're alive!!

Photo Shoot Sneak Peek!

My mom wanted to take pictures while all the grandkids were together, and they turned out SO cute. I will put together a full post of all the best shots, but here is a sneak peek of some of Rajko. Enjoy!

Sad Cowboy :(