Trick or Treat!

Halloween has come and gone already, and all we have to show for it is bags of candy, and a stomach ache (ok just I have a stomach ache). Seems like October just started and now its already over. Despite that fact that time flies we still took full advantage of the scary/silly/fun holiday called Halloween.

We kicked off Halloween by decorating WAYYYY back in September...like the beginning of September. So the boys were really counting down to when it was really going to be Halloween. Our first major event was the Trunk or Treat at the school. I have no pitures from this event because 1) it was darkish 2) I was flying solo because Jeremy decided he NEEDED to hike 20 miles in the Grand Canyon with his older brother that same day 3)it was just a busy day and I knew I would take plenty before trick or treating. Nevertheless we had lots of fun setting up our booth and giving out candy. I love seeing all the little kids come by and get excited about the free candy. They are all so cute, its a favorite of mine. After the trunk or treat was over, Lynnell noticed her ring was missing. But due to quick Facebook action, and an AlertNow call sent out by the school it was recovered the next day.

I never like spending money on the cheap, poorly made costumes that stores sell. For the past 2 or 3 years I have gotten by just borrowing or reusing old costumes. But this year we really needed some new ones. Grayson didn't really want to dress up because he is getting old, so I talked him into some zombie face paint. He went along with it simply because he wanted the candy. We used some costume blood, and even after a shower and some soap his face is still red. Ooops. I am sad that he is getting too old to want to dress up, and have to be talked into it.

After watching the Avengers 500 times Colby wanted to be Hawk Eye. But where in the world do you find a Hawk Eye costume??? Google it! I just simply put in "homemade hawk eye costume" and bam.....900,000 results. There had to be something I could use in there. There was. A woman had made a very cute costume for her son when the movie came out, and left step by step instructions. So after going on a spending spree in JoAnnes, Colby was good to go. Jayden originally wanted to be the Hulk...not really one I could make. So I talked him into a mummy. He wasn't thrilled, but once I added zombie mummy he was all for it. His costume was easy to make except that it took FOREVER. I spent hours making sure that every part was covered by the wrap...then after five minutes of him running around everything shifted...oh well.

Last year my brother Nathan said that Brinley looked like Cindy-Lou-Who from the Grinch, and she should be that for Halloween. Well she was still too little, and her hair was too short to do anything with. So I waited the whole year to dress her as Cindy-Lou-Who. I looked at tons of pictures and realized that I already had a dress and shoes that worked. So I enlisted my mother in law to make the cape since I was busy with other costumes. She did an excellent job, all I did was add the rope to make it more "Who". She was perfect and it ended up being one of my favorite costumes ever.

Every parent has a different strategy when it comes to the candy. Some let them take two pieces and get rid of the rest. Other parents let kids have a piece or two a day. Others just let them eat to their hearts desire. My theory is let them eat it all right away them I won't have to deal with it. It goes into a gallon ziplock bag and stays on the counter, then they can just eat it whenever. Of course if I see them just eating the whole thing at once I stop them. But really I pick thru it when they are at school and get the good stuff out.

All in all I really like Halloween. Its just the cleanup, and opening piece after piece of candy for Brinley. Then when she doesn't like it, she makes me eat it. But as we got back in the truck after the houses she picked out a piece of candy at a time and had me turn the light on, and show me. It was too cute!

Six Things About Our Favorite Six Year Old

Number 1: You have the MOST energy I have ever seen. Sometimes you remind me of a ping pong ball just bouncing all over the place. You never seen to run out, like ever. It does not really matter if you eat 20 cupcakes, or 20 carrot sticks....you still have more than enough energy. When we try to get to to hold still, you still have to move your hand, or foot or SOMETHING just so that you are still moving.

Number 2: You are the craziest kid on the trampoline. You just get on there with your big brothers and bounce away. Sometimes they bounce you really high, but to you it does not matter. You are not afraid to try new tricks either. You just put your mind to it, and all of a sudden you are doing flips, and hand stands....and other stuff I would never try in a million years.

Number 3: You love being outside. You somehow find endless things to do outside: Dig holes, jump, shot your BB gun, climb the hill, hang ropes in trees then swing, chase the cats, catch bugs, sharpen sticks, play in the sprnkler....you are just an outdoors boy.

Number 4: You are a great brother. You really look up to your older brothers, even though they are not always the nicest to you. What ever it is they are doing, you want to do it to. When it comes to video games you always want to play too. They do not always play fair, saying that after you die its their turn again. But it never matters to you as long as you are right there with them. You are a sweet big brother to Brinley. You go jump with her, and help her with her babies, and steal her snacks from her.

Number 5: You are a sweet boy. There is never a night that you don't give us a hug and kiss goodnight. Number 6: You make our family complete. If we didn't have you in our family we would be lost. You are a special part of us. You are here to bring of love, joy, laughter. And to teach us patience.We love you Jayden!

Work in Progress

As many times as we have tried to use the potty, she has never been successful. We have always heard that girls are "easier" to potty train. With the boys they were close to three before we even attempted. With Brinley being well over two I thought she would catch on. Lets hope she gets the hang of it before she is a big sister.

Crikey!

We were driving home, Jeremy from work, me from picking kids up, when Jeremy spotted this guy. He was crossing the road just before our driveway and Jeremy couldn't resist him. When I pulled up Jeremy was just standing by it, occasionally putting his foot up to stop him from leaving. Grayson ran back to the house so he could get a picture with his new ipod. Then Jeremy wanted me to run and get my fancy new camera. When I left the gila monster was on the ground.....a few minutes later I returned out of breath with my camera and Jeremy was holding it.

I guess it crawled under his foot so he reached down while the kids were yelling "NO!" and just picked it up. Ewwwww! I CAN. NOT. BELIEVE. HE. DID. THAT! I was ready to smack him.....except that he was holding a giant lizard, so I kept my distance. He kept telling us, "Touch it, touch it....you will NEVER get a chance EVER AGAIN" All the boys did, but not Brinley. I even gave in to Jeremy, it was gross. It felt like corn on the cob that dried out. Blech!

Jeremy this whole time was talking like Steve Irwin. He isn't to bad at talking with the accent. He also claimed he has a bucket list, not something I want to see. He said he can cross this off, and next is holding a rattle snake.

All I know is that next time I see this guy crossing the road I will just keep going because I have no intention of stopping and picking it up. ****No Gila Monsters were harmed in making of this blog.

First Day of School x3

Seems like we just started summer, but here we are at August 8th, the first day of school. The boys were all excited, but I was probably the most excited. I am not a mom that misses my kids all day when they are gone. I love the peace, not having to hear them fight over whose turn it is to play a game, or pick a show, or they are hungry AGAIN. I was very much looking forward to being home with just Brinley.

Jayden was especially excited since this was his first year. He had been in preschool for two years. Two years of only two days a week for not even three hours. Needless to say being almost six years old he was more than ready for kindergarten. He got up early and watched me pack his lunch. He said he didn't want the grapes I was packing. I informed him that in order to have the fun food he had to have grapes. And also that his teacher was going to call me to tell me if he didn't eat them....hopefully that worked. Speaking of his teacher, Jayden's teacher is Mrs. Gillette. In preschool there wasn't much structure, so I knew he needed a teacher that was fun, but would lay down the law and keep him in line.

When we pulled up to the school and I shut off the truck Jayden was appalled I was walking him to class. He said he could go himself...thanks alot. So I told him I always walk them to their class on the first day so I can take a picture. He hung up his back pack like he had been doing for years, and just walked into class. I teared up alittle when I asked his teacher for a quick picture. He was just so grown up and not even concerned that I was leaving him all day.

Colby is in the 3rd grade. 3rd grade means a whole new playground, the same one as Grayson. Colby's teacher is really young....so young in fact her parents came to the open house last night. They really did. They were so excited for their daughters first teaching job they came to support her. Her mom was walking around taking pictures. It was funny. I love getting brand new teachers, they are so full of enthusiasm and ready to go! I hope Colby has a great year.

Grayson is nearing middle school, 5th grade this year. Next year he can do school sports....yikes. Grayson has the same teacher as last year. Not because he failed, he had straight A's, just his teacher moved up also. He really enjoyed Mr. Crum last year and got along with him so well I really hoped he would get him again. Grayson has always been a quick learner and never needed help with his homework. I really hope this continues because I have enough of my own homework to do. *****Let these awful pictures serve as proof to my husband I REALLY need a new camera.

When do I sleep?

This past 5 months or so have just flown by. Not really sure where they went. I think I may have an idea why....
In the beginning of the summer our family was spending alot of time in hospitals and at the doctors office. My step-mom Lynnell found out she had breast cancer for a second time. There was lots of surgeries and office visits that we went to. For the most part I had to take her because she wasn't able to drive. Then I would also go over and care for her during the day when my dad wasn't home. This was our whole life this summer. But I didn't mind one bit, they needed the help.
During all of this, whenever we were at the hospital I always felt at home. It was an odd feeling. Some people get creeped out, some people say they smell, some people aviod them all together. For me, it feels like home. I have no idea why this is, but I took it as a hint. I decided it was time I went back to school.
Ever since I took a CNA course when I was a senior I wanted to go to school to become an Registered Nurse. Right after high school it wasn't really an option for me. Then a few years later, I tried going to school. We lived in Kingman. I went for a few months, but Jeremy's job paid really well so I decided that I didn't realy need a career. I quit.
A few years later I tried again. But because of earning too much money and some tax issues, we had to pay. So once again, I didn't last too long.
So when I decided last summer to go back to school I did not want to tell anyone. That way if I quit no one would know. But it eventually got out and the world knows.
I qualified for financial aid (thank goodness) so I don't have any excuses. This time we have alot more riding on me finishing. We need one of us to have a job where we feel like an adult. With perks like health insurance, and retirement, and PTO. We have four kids that are getting kinda expensive, so we need me to be successful.
I didn't test very well on the placement exam. So I was put in low classes, low enough that they weren't offered online. I had to drive into Tucson four days a week. I would leave a few hours before Jeremy got home and get back late in the evening. This made for long days for the both of us. Jeremy was pretty much a single date. He had soccer practice for three kids everyday I was gone. He did an awesome job though. I haven't cooked dinner since August, we eat lots of junk. I often ate jerky from a vending machine. When that machine ran out I had to find another one with until my vending machine was restocked. Jeremy and the boys ate lots of frozen pizza, and cheese crisps.
Life didn't stop just because I was in school, we still had evething else to take care of. During last semester I threw two baby showers, and planned my 10 year reunion.
Life is kinda crazy, and I do not see it getting any better, we are just going to have to learn to live in the choas.

Thanksgiving.....

I was really slacking and didn't take any pictures....I know, it's awful.

This year for Thanksgiving it was Jeremy's family's turn. We all take turns hosting, it goes down thru the line. This time around it was Lanae's turn. Which was a bit tricky since she had just had a baby a week earlier. But it all turned out fine.
We pretty much just ate, and ate and then cleaned up and left.
Jeremy left that same evening to go hunting for the weekend. I on the other hand went home and rested up for some Black Friday shopping.
Then the rest of the weekend was me being mad he wasn't back yet.

Happy Halloween

I never really got a chance to blog about Halloween. So here it is....

We carried on our usual Halloween tradition, we went to the Trunk or Treat held at the football field at the school. For some unknown reason I just can't stand walking around and waiting while the kids get their candy. So I decorated our truck. It started out just carved pumpkins, and somehow Lynnell and I got carried away. I have a feeling next year will just get bigger.

This was Brinley's first real Halloween. She was here last year but she was only three months old. She a a cat, or as she would kind of say "kitty". It was the cutest little costume. Her tail swayed back and forth when she walked.

The boys all used costumes we already had. I just have such a hard time paying so much money for those cheap costumes. I do not have a problem when they are an actual costume, not just thin material with paint. So Grayson was an army guy, Colby was a lost hiker (I will explain) and Jayden was a skeleton.

The same weekend as Halloween was also my Dad's and brother Nathan's hunt. Jeremy had planned to go out with them, and take the two older boys. They were out there two nights and came back saturday morning. Colby is the dirtiest kid ever. He can take a shower for school, and by the time he leaves his face is dirty. So after two days of no shower, and a soccer game, he was pretty dirty. Then being a boy, he did not want to take a shower even when he could. He was running around in an old boy scout shirt we had, and was wearing his backpack. I told him he looked like a lost hiker, and he just went with it.

The actual day of Halloween was on Monday. I was gone at school so Jeremy took the kids out trick or treating alone. What a good dad! They even went and ate dinner at Wendy's first. Grayson was the die-hard and wanted to keep going. The other kids were done after just a block or two.

All in all we got too much candy and ate it all in just a few days.

Some Random-ness

I feel at a loss. I take pictures, not as many as I should, and then never do anything with them. They used to get printed and then scrapbooked. But really that takes time and money I do not have. So I thought I would put a few of my favorites up on my blog.

Every baby needs a picture eating spaghetti. Something about all of those noodles on the tray, on their arms, stuck to their face, it just screams cuteness. You might notice the noodles look weird colored. Well I have kids who do not like veggies, so i have to sneak them in any way I can.

This is one of Brinley's FAVORITE things. She loves this car. It was a gift from my cousin Alissa for her first birthday. When we go places we don't usually take the stroller, we take Brinley's car. Jeremy has to do soccer practice alone with the kids while I am in school and he just keeps it in the truck to use at practice everyday. She LOVES this car. Grayson thinks it fun to try to get air over bumps and jumps at the skate park. I am thankful for the seat belt it has, she definitley needs it.

A good hiding spot. But first they have to take out all my bowls to get in. But otherwise a good place to play.

Brinley is in first place for being our best eater. You hand her something, she will eat it no questions asked. She loves most any fresh fruit or veggie.

Happy Birthday Grayson!

Happy birthday Grayson! Nine years old! We just had a small party with cake and ice cream at our house. He didn't get to have a party with his friends because his mean mom did not have time. So we got him a few extra presents.

He wanted a confetti cake, which he frosted. Then Jayden poured orange sugar sprinkles on the corner in a BIG pile. So I shook the cake to disperse them more evenly. Its a one of a kind cake. No duplicates.

Grayson got lots of presents, including a new bike helmet, 2 air soft guns, LOTS of ammo for his new guns (how did eveyone know!?), some camo, a gun case, a movie, money and a game. Really we are not crazy rednecks, he just happened to get alot of hunting stuff. He loved everything! Me, I am too busy playing 5,000 BB pick up to do anything else.

Grayson is a good kid. He is a joy in our lives. He is always quick to thank us for things we do for him. At his party he gave hugs to everyone and said thank you with out us reminding him. He has many friends, he is a good big brother. I am so thankful we have Grayson in our lives and that we are able to be his parents. I hope that in his future he is kind to those around him. That he can stand strong for the things he believes in. That he can be a good example to his family and those around him. That he can make good choices and continue to make us proud!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

We ALWAYS go to Apple Annie's Pumpkin Patch in Willcox, every single year. We have gone maybe 7 times now? It is most definitely a family tradition. It is so much fun to go pick our own pumpkins (even though Walmarts are WAY cheaper).

This year we didn't get as early of a start as we would of liked. We had soccer starting and of course we couldn't miss that. So finally at 11:30 we left for Willcox. We took our annual family picture and hit the fields. We used to limit our kids to only a pumpkin that they could carry, but they keep getting stronger each year so their pumpkins get bigger. Crap! What are we going to do when they are teenagers? (They may not be as into it then....) So we walked the fields being ever so careful not to step on the vines. It was pretty hot so we did not take too long. We got them picked and headed back.

Next up was the Apples Orchard. That is the only fruit Grayson will eat so he is happy to go. Any other fruit he may not be so willing...
I love going every year and spending the time with the ones I love.
(I do not feel like put these in any sensible order, or even commenting on them, they are purely for viewing purposes only)

Brinley was obsessed with Jayden's glasses, she kept them on the whole time.

Jeremy had just got contacts and was still getting used to them. It was too bright for him so he wanted to wear my glasses. I said he looke dlike WIlly Wonka with a beard.

Looking back, WAYYYY back

Yesterday was Grayson's ninth birthday. Wow, nine years already?! For some reason I kept reflecting back to the day Grayson was born. I realized I never really wrote anything down when I scrapbooked his birth. So although it was quite a while ago I thought I would recap alittle, so then Grayson can know the story of his birth.

I was young when Jeremy and I got pregnant with Grayson. Since I was young, I didn't really know the first thing about being pregnant or what to expect. We only knew what we learned from watching the show "Birth Day" on Discovery Health. We were pretty poor and only got three channels, channel 4, channel 11, and Discovery Health. So we watched alot of Birth Day.....and season one of American Idol. We also attended a class at the hospital. I am thankful I never noticed looks from people, because I am sure we got them.

Grayson was an extremely inactive baby. I don't think he moved around like I have felt my others move around. So for this reason I had to go twice a week for non-stress tests. They always made me drink OJ or soda to get him to move. Finally they realized it was because I was not eating enough. Well in the beginning of my pregnancy I could not hardly eat, so the habit carried over to the rest of my pregnancy. So once they told me to eat more often....I got pretty carried away. In one month I gained thirty pounds. No one told me that my metabolism would change after a baby. That the weight doesn't come off automatically. So I gained close to eighty pounds with Grayson.

He still wasn't a big mover, but I guess that was just his personality. Towards the end of my pregnancy they realized I was getting bigger but Grayson wasn't. I was sent for ultrasounds. He wasn't growing anymore. They estimated him to be just over four pounds. So after a week of no growth, the sent me to the hospital to be induced. I was just over 37 weeks. Looking back now, I think I would of fought to stay pregnant longer. I was young and immature and just wanted to not be pregnant anymore. I was willing to go along with whatever they told me just to get him out.

So over to the hospital I went. This was the first grandchild on both sides, so everyone was excited. I got there about 11:00 in the morning. Some after most of our families followed. My room was pretty crowded. Things moved along slowly. They put a gel on my cervix to soften it. And then a few hours later started me on pitocin. At 7:00 that night everyone crowded into my room to watch the show "Friends". It was the season premiere, even the nurse watched it. After the show was over people FINALLY started to go home for the night. Thats when all the exciting stuff happened.

I was finally starting to really feel contractions, and make some progress. While I was waiting I had my sister french braid my hair....into pigtails. So I had pigtails and braces. I was just laying in bed waiting for my epidural when it felt like a ballon popped. Nope it was just my water. It flowed down the bed and onto the floor. And after that I was really feeling my contractions. The nurse got me all cleaned up, more comfortable, so Jeremy went downstairs to get something to eat before stuff closed. I don't know why he was hungry.....I was the one doing all the work. When he was gone the moniters started going crazy. I guess Grayson was not handling labor very well at all. They told me I needed a c-section right away. Someone ran downstairs to get Jeremy and he made it back just before they were ready to take me.

Once I got back to the OR I don't remember much. I only remember being in recovery. There once the anestesia wore off, I started throwing up. Really that has become my recovery tradition, I almost always throw up on someone. Sometimes the nurse, sometimes family, the only time I was not throwing up after a baby was Brinley. By the timeI got back into my room in was pretty much the middle of the night. Then I just slept. I don't remember getting to see Grayson again until early morning. He was five pounds eleven ounces, and born at 9:59pm.

By the time I saw Grayson again I think they had given him a bottle in the nursery. I had specified he was going to be breastfed but I do not think I was very convincing. When I tried to nurse him he would not have anything to do with it. Honestly, I think I could of tried harder. Only once did he nurse, he was about six weeks old. That was the only time. To feed him I pumped and we gave it to him in a bottle. That lasted for almost three months. While we were still in the hospital and I was pumping milk for him, I noticed it had a yellowish color to it. I thought it was that color because I had eaten a whole bag of candy corn.

In the hospital we had LOTS of visitors, mostly family. Some of Jeremy's friends came to visit. I think it was good birth control for them. Since it was my first c-section I did not know what to expect afterwards. I did not get out of my bed for atleast twenty-four hours. I should of been up awhile after the numbness wore off. I did not walk the halls until a whole day after my surgery. I did not know I was supposed to. This made the recovery time much longer I think.

Once we finally got home we were able to fall into more natural roles. We were young, but we knew what Grayson needed and how to care for him. He is a joy in our lives. He helped us learn to become parents.