Sweet faces.

Have you had enough of my boys? Well, too bad! hahaha... :) I love these images because it really shows their little personalities!!

Drinking from the hose

Oh summertime!  These pictures say it all!

 

I love this kid.

Movie Reviews...

Watched a bunch of movies I haven't seen yet. Mind you, these are not particularly new releases, but I'm curious what you all thought of these as well!

The Other Boleyn Girl

Interesting, but it got really weird at the end. I didn't read the book, but I can only imagine it was a lot better than the movie.

Vanity Fair

Over all, I liked the lightheartedness of it. I am a fan of Reese, which is really the only reason I watched it, and thought she did alright. I thought it was very sad though. I didn't really "get the message" but the costumes were stunning. I generally enjoy movies from this era.

Bedtime Stories


This movies is probably my favorite Adam Sandler performance. I love Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison.... but I particularly enjoy that I can now watch his goofiness with my children and not have to cover ears or skip scenes. It's Brilliant and well done! Thank you, Disney!

Confessions of a Shopaholic
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I really couldn't get into it! Even with Hugh Dancy! I KNOW! And Isla is darling. But yah, maybe it's because I could relate...?! I've never owned anything Prada in my life. Nor do I have intentions to.

Happily N'ever After 2

I have to tell you, my son is next to me, watching me blog and when he saw this picture he pointed at it and told me "Mommy, I hate that one." Really. He said that. And that pretty much sums it up. It was painful. PAINFUL! Eventually I just left the room to make dinner and had a hard time LISTENING to it! It was cheap. So very, very cheap.

There is something to be said for only watching the blockbuster hits. If it did well in the theater it's probably alright. If it didn't even make it to the theater, it might not be worth my 2 hours. I'd rather watch The Bachelorette or So You Think You Can Dance - because thats real life, yo!

Seen any good movies lately?!

Meet the Family...

You probably feel "like this" with my boys. You probably know them as well as anyone! Monkey, Turtle and DH are my life.

But before that life, I was (/am) part of another family. My parents and sibling are some of my favorite people in the world! BUT I don't get to see them often because they all still live in HAWAII! So it's not like I can meet them half way or drive 12 hours to see them. It kinds sucks. But my dad has a facebook account now, and so do my brothers and they update their pictures fairly often - and I love it even though it makes me miss them! Anyway, I stole some to share with you!

May I introduce you to the people who raised me, and my (younger) siblings that I  wish I were a bigger part of their lives!  They're a lot more like me than they know!

Meet: My DAD. He's an easy-going guy who swims with fish for a living. Island life suits him well. Visit his company's website, Snuba Tours of Kauai.

Meet: My Mom! She's spunky and wise. She's so much cooler now than she was when I was a kid (and I mean that with all the love of my heart!) I look forward to the time that I am where she is now (basically, not changing diapers anymore and back in school! YES!)

Meet: Princess Megan (and friend). Yes, I am using her real name because I can't find myself changing it. That's who she is! She's a freaking doll. It's been a rough road for us as sisters, being 4 years apart and her always taking my stuff... (you know!)... but now she's one of my favorite people to be around! And she can't move out here soon enough!!

Meet: Surfer Boy. Haha... he might laugh when he reads that because it's such a small wave, but look at him!  He's a stud. I'm so very proud of this one. He's like the male me. I feel this kid and know that he will be successful.

Meet:  Haole Boy. The very friendly social bug. Don't be fooled by the nickname, this kid's pidgin is thicker than teriyaki sauce!  An island boy with ambition (is that an oxymoron?) and talent!He's, like, the coolest 14 year old I know!

Meet: Baby Girl. The youngest of the group, she's had to thicken her skin a little to survive. She's a trooper and is up for pretty much any adventure! She loves the outdoors and being around her family! She doesn't know it yet, but she needs me! We'll be best friends one day... :D

That's my (first) Family!

Can you see why I miss them all so much?!

Let's just put this out there...

So here is some randomness from my brain...

We went to the pool last week and I got toasted. I was very excited about the color I was going to have after the red healed up - now my right shoulder is peeling, which defeats the purpose. Guess we need to go again! (I had a low SPF block on, and we were in the sun for a looong time. The boys were fine. smothered in spf 50.)

I need to go through the boys clothes and organize them all by size.

I have recently discovered "YoVille" on Facebook... it's like a way simplified version of Sims.

I really like Sims. I haven't played it since Turtle was born.

I am 3/4 ways done with Harry Potter, and the Half-Blood Prince. I wanted to read it again to refresh my memory before watching the movie. Plus it's my way of savoring the anticipation of the movie.

DH has been working out every morning for the last 2 weeks. It's been good for him. And I think he's hott.

Today, I have resolved not to yell at or spank Monkey. I'm curious how he will respond. He's been a little rebel lately.

It's a beautiful day. Right now the weather is perfect, but it's going to get mighty hot later on.

I had a dream that I was swimming in the ocean. It was heavenly!

I watched a few episodes of "In the Motherhood" and was very, very disappointed. It was really stupid, and was borderline offensive for me. Some funny parts, yes. But they could have done a lot more with it.

I'm (always)  trying to balance out my life. Currently, I'm working/focusing on: time spent on the computer, spending quality time with my boys, having a "real" social life, trying new things and pushing myself to do things that are hard and usually out of my comfort zone, being a better friend.

I really want to visit my family and friends back home.

I am grateful to finally be settled in our home.

Vacuum my brains out...

okay, so that's a little bit of an exaggeration... but can I just say that

I Am Sick Of Cleaning!

It wouldn't be bad if I were just cleaning up after myself, but of course not. I have two sweet, active, curious, messy, easily distracted boys... well, make that three. DH is almost as bad, except that he doesn't spill his breakfast all over and then splash in the milk - I'll give him that much. But seriously! Am I the only who really sees all the messes that are made and left..?! Why, yes. I am.  (As I yell to Monkey to pick up his cars before he gets out all of the balls... who am I kidding?!)

Someone, anyone! Tell me I'm not the only one. (Because if everyone else's two year old don't make messes and actually cleans up after themselves, I might sink into the abyss of depression... okay, not really, but I'd think about it!)

It's so bad that I see a big ol' mess of cereal under the table and don't want to sweep it up, because after the next meal I'll just have to do it again. I usually wait for the days worth of messes and clean up after the last meal... to do it all over again tomorrow.

You know what I'm talking about?

It doesn't help that our dryer is out of commission until DH figures out which bolt/screw/THING he needs to fix it... (he's tried a few different sizes and none are the right one so far), so the laundry is piling up and I have to do a few over-flowing loads at my in-laws. Don't even get me started on LAUNDRY!

Anywho. I pick my battles. I'm not going to vacuum right now, because I might scream.

You know, it's all about balance. Gatta have it.

It'll still be there later!

Standing in the Rain...

Today it started raining... so Monkey and I stood out in the droplets falling on our arms and face... but it never really came down. Which was a disappointment because I was absolutely ready to be drenched and wanted to play in the rain with my son. It would have been a great memory.

Maybe next time.

Summer Time

I love summer time. Even though it's ridiculously hot. I especially love that there is a City Rec center with a pool not too far from us. And my mother in law has ALL the kids (and in-law kids) on her family pass... SCORE!

We should be hitting said pool later today.

Hopefully I can even out these funky tan lines I got a few days ago...

It's going to be a great day!

Delirious is an understatement.

Today I had another migraine. I'm guessing my 25 minute work out triggered it. Which really sucks because now I'm a little hesitant to work out. This one was bad. Not the pain part, the delirium part. Seriously, for about an hour I felt like I was on an acid trip and I was losing my mind. Does anyone else experience this "phase" in a migraine. Nothing makes sense. My brother in law came over to drop the boys off, and told me something, and all I could say was "nothing you just said makes any sense". Nothing DH was telling me sounded right, so I asked him if he was okay... I thought for a little while maybe everyone was going crazy...

You guys. It really really sucks. All I can do is pray and keep telling myself everything is going to be alright. And of course, once it's passed and I'm thinking straight, I know I was overreacting and that everything was fine except me.

This is particularly disturbing for me because I have always been sharp, very logical and exceptionally in control of my thoughts. I have never taken any sort of mind-altering substance because I fear losing control of my mind. And yet, when these migraines hit, which seems to be happening often as of late, I go through a phase of completely delirium. I even feel embarrassed when I think about it and how nutty I must sound and act.

I am going to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor and hopefully that will help. There has got to be something I can do to fix the problem! I went for 9 years without a migraine... and I don't know what has triggered them again. I'm pretty sure it's my spinal alignment or something of the like. So I guess that's a first step...

Wish me Luck!

If you CANNOT handle poop. Don't have kids.

Because you will undoubtedly have to deal with it - no exceptions. And I'm not gonna lie, it's gross. I have been tried and tested and know that I can, indeed, deal with the my children's feces. Today was one of those days. Quick(not too graphic, but gross) story:

While Turtle and Monkey Man eat breakfast, I read my scriptures. It's the only time, first thing in the morning, that I have any quiet. Turtle sits in his booster seat, so I usually leave him in there as long as he's happy. Monkey can just get down himself when he's completely finished. While I was reading, DH came down stairs and we chatted for a bit. My back is facing the dining table, when DH asks me "what's all over [Turtle]?".

"Food." I assume. As I glance back, I say out loud... "What the...? I didn't give him anything brown..." As I take steps closer my heart starts racing as I imagine the worst...

It. Is. The. Worst.

And. Its. EVERYWHERE.

I didn't even want to touch him! DH was chuckling at this point and I look at him with pleading eyes, "Don't make me deal with this!" I'm thinking.

"What do you want me to do?!" He asks.

"I dunno. ANYTHING!" But I can't think of any other request than do it all!"

He's had a long night, I know. And I really can't imagine him handling this better than me (call it what you will, but, ultimately, I don't mind dealing with my children). I buck up, unbuckle the human disgustoid, and put him, shirt, diaper and all- right into the tub.

And I deal with it.

Good morning - TO ME!

I sit here with a heavy heart...

I just learned that Stacey Wolfley, also known as "The Thrifty Chick" suddenly passed away yesterday due to a stroke. Stacey was featured here and a supporter of Imma Momma. Two weeks ago, she had her beautiful baby boy. My heart is aching and although, I never met Stacey "in real life", I was instantly touched by her friendship. I regularly follow her blogs and anxiously awaited the arrival of her son.

I don't have much to say as I process all of this. Please keep her beautiful family in your thoughts and prayers.

Things I've learned...

It's been a... unique week... out of the normal, if you will. Not bad, not particularly good... just odd. I think it's me. I think my perception on my life, myself, my family, my surroundings has been altered or something. Because I feel like a different person, and I like it.

But here are random things I've learned this week, (mostly about myself):

• Infant Tylenol is for reducing fevers and will do nothing for inflammation.  Use Infant Advil (or Ibuprofen) to reduce inflammation, like in a dislocated shoulder that has been reset and is still... inflamed and tender.
• You can still find Scriptures that clip shut.  We found one at Seagull Books and thought it was a rare find, and when my husband asked if they had any other colors, she told us that the Distribution Center has a really great selection. In fact, that's where they get theirs from.
• I hate it when my children are in pain, whether physical and emotional. I thought I would handle those situations better (because I knew they would come!)... but I don't. I bawl.
• Dr. Campbell, of Campbell Chiropractics in American Fork is GREAT. I give you my recommendation.
• I really like The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. So do my kids. My favorite was the HUGE Octopus. I mean, HUGE!
• When I get out-of-the-house "ME" time, I am a happier wife and mom. I actually look forward to coming home and seeing their precious faces. I seriously recommend it to all my mommy friends.
• I need balance in my life. Now that I know how much I need it, I am setting goals to achieve it.
• I like my Gazelle. But I don't like that my boys seem to like it as much as I do. Those stinkers have no fear and probably wont learn until it bonks 'em in the head. (If even then!)
• I'm not very good with money. Taking steps to change this.
• I love downloading free applications onto my iPhone. Our favorites are Bug Squash, Paper Toss, BubbleWrap, and Blowfish.
• I'm still a procrastinator.
• I'm in no hurry to potty train my 2 year old.
• I am enjoying doing things I haven't done before and welcome the challenges they bring.

To name a few.  What have you learned this week?

Hello Again, and Independence Day Fun

Hi everyone! I've been really taking a break from blogging. Not because there isn't anything to blog about - but because I'm trying to get out and do more in the Real Word, which leaves me with just enough energy to straighten up the house, and prepare some sort of dinner. So blogging has been put on the back burner.

My birthday was fabulous except that Turtle's arm popped out of his socket while attempting family pictures (the whole experience was traumatizing... I am never going to attempt family portraits on my own again!). I'll report on my birthday in another post.

Lets back up to the 4th...

We really didn't do much for Independence Day. We missed the balloon launch and parade, but that's alright. We had a fun afternoon at Grandma's for a Bar-B-Q.  Monkey loves it there because there's so much for the kids to do, and not mention all the other kids he gets to play with! His favorite was playing the pool. You can tell by his expressions he was having a blast! He was laughing so hard. It was precious.

 

Turtle was like a magnet to the pool. He would have gone right in if he wasn't under such tight surveillance! It was just a little too deep for him.  But that didn't stop him from having fun, no siree! He discovered the slide and swing! Fun times!

 

The trampoline is always a big hit, but it makes me ridiculously nervous. DH had a blast flipped around and playing with the boys! Monkey was really trying to be like his daddy and flip, but flopped. I'm sure he'll keep working on it!

It was a nice day. I didn't end up doing any fireworks because DH had to work that evening and Turtle was D.O.N.E by the time the fun started. Oh well, we have the 24th to do them. (It's Pioneer Day here in Utah, which is an official "firework" holiday). No (long term) harm done.

I have a bunch of crazy pictures to share... and I'll get to them eventually!

Happy Independence Day

How I love this country. I am grateful for the many freedoms I enjoy. I am proud of our country's history. I pray for today's leaders and hope that they will continue to preserve the freedoms our Founding Fathers sacrificed so much for. I am grateful for the Troops that continue to serve our country and its people. I have so much to be grateful for today.

Happy Independence Day!

Where the heck did July come from?!?!

Seriously, you guys! I was all psyched to do some giveaways and fun stuff... but HELLO! I'm so not even prepared - even though I wanted to be! It's just been crazy. So I regret to inform you that there will be no giveaways right now...

SORRY!

Wordless Wednesday

*sigh*....