Peanut Butter

THE PEANUT SAT ON A RAILROAD TRACK,

HIS HEART WAS ALL A-FLUTTER.
ALONG CAME THE CHOO-CHOO TRAIN,
AHHHHHHHHHH!
PEA-NUT BUTTER!

A Mommies Song

"A Whole New Woooorld, A thrilling place, lalalalalala, Now That I'm In A Whole New World With Youuuuuuu!"

Sings I, as I change a diaper of all things!!
"Boy, she's lost it", your thinking. But you don't understand. About the time Timmy was 3 months old I couldn't afford disposable diapers anymore.

Now any parent will understand, diapers are a MUST have! The butts must be covered!

I was in a state of panic, My dear sweet mother had covered MY rear at least twice by buying us diapers and I didn't want to ask again.
To those not in the know, a package of diapers right now is about 20.00, and you could use one of those a week, sometimes make it stretch a week and a half.

I had looked into cloth diapering online before Timmy was born and decided the start up cost was WAY too high, so that was out, or so I thought!

My visiting teacher just happened to come by one day while Timmy was wrapped in a dish towel. I had two diapers left and I was saving them for outings.
She sprang into action!

She had cloth diapered her last baby and wasn't planning on having any more, so along came my way a huge bag filled to the brim with diapers, inserts, and covers!
I sat down and cried and thanked God for her kindness.

Crazily enough I was a little apprehensive about Tim's support. I knew I wouldn't stick with C.D.ing unless Daddy would change them too.
But unknowingly to me Tim had a friend (another Dad) who C.D.ed and Tim was all for it, even with ideas I hadn't heard of!




Now your wondering why would anyone get so excited about what they put on there babies bottom?


Let me give you another little history now, around this same time I was discouraged because of nursing and trying to amuse three other kids at the same time.
My mother suggested I look into the La Leche League. I had NO idea what that was! So I went online to find out, Ohhhhh! A group of women who get together to talk about nursing? BOOORRRRIING!!

But curiosity had crept in, so I found out that they had meetings at MY library and I just happened to take the kids that day,....

There were two other women from my ward there!!!!! They were just as surprised to see me as I was to see them!

LLL turned out to be a class of information I just soaked up! I love learning more about nutrition, development, bonding, techniques, so many things I couldn't tell you all of it.
These women also Cloth Diapered. dum dum dum.




They opened up a whole new world to me of all these cool things I could do to make being a mommy the most enjoyable, rewarding experience there is.

My life at the time was leading towards depression, four kids at home all, day all under the age of six, a husband who was in school and at work full time, no money for essentials, struggling to keep my spirits up.

The only thing that kept me out of a slump was my testimony in the Lord, and the thing that gave me the boost I needed to be a cheerful Mommy was making valuable friendships at these classes.

Now back to the a whole new world scenario.

My eyes had been opened to a whole new world where I discovered Baby wearing, Baltic amber teething necklaces, natural birthing stories where mommies didn't get together to talk about the horror stories of their children's entrances to this life, but good happy sweet stories.

Too many times had I heard upsetting things about birth, doctors, and prenatal care. Here I only hear positive outlooks, there is a better way to do things!

I'm not saying Tim and I were total dummies with our first two kids, but we sure have a new positive outlook on how we want to do things with the next few.

And anything like cloth diapering where we can save money and help the environment, Tim is all for it!



*Just a note; I have now tried quite a few brands of diapers, and I have lots that I really prefer. Here are a few if you'd like to investigate this whole new world. :)
Motherease,
Bumgenius ,
G Diapers

Not to Brag

Tim did really well in my eyes this semester. He was the project manager for all three of his projects. His time was well spent and I could tell he was happy with his work. Of course being Tim, he says there was a lot that he would have improved upon. If it were up to him he'd keep working on things until they absolutely perfect, ahem, work-a-hol-ic, ahem.

Here's a picture of the geo-dome that he welded together. It may not look like much to the uneducated eye, but the math and skill that went into it are amazing!

Angel's Graduation

It's taken her eight years, lots of laughter, determination, tears, and love but she did it! My Mom-in-Law has graduated from college! Her received her B.S. in G.I.S. this January, and Tim and I were extremely privileged to be there!

Here she is with here very proud parents, Tim's Grandma & Pop-Pop.

Here we are with both Tim's parents. Being the spouse of a student is really hard, I know from experience. So this was a proud great day for Tim's dad as well!

Yes it was a HUGE pile of leaves!

We have such great missionaries! They work so hard and still have time to come and do a service project for our family. The two of them raked up a TON of leaves then had a blast with the kids jumping in. I wasn't quite sure why they were having so much fun until I asked if they hadn't ever jumped in leaves as kids? Turns out they are both from a state with out big trees and leaves were never plentiful enough to jump in. I'm glad they got to fulfill a childhood dream!

(Yes in one of the pictures my brothers had dropped by and decided to pitch in!)

Timmy's First Birthday

After being tired out by other way too large birthdays, Tim and I decided that Timmy's birthday would be just a family affair. Unfortunately more than half the family couldn't come, so feeling a little down that his first birthday would be a little first flop, I was ecstatic to see the missionaries at the front door! (Conveniently in time for dinner lol!)


They were more than welcome and added life and a wonderful spirit to our little party. I hope its something Timmy always treasures, and I hope that someday when he's a missionary he'll bring a wonderful spirit into others homes.










I love my first born son, he has the best spirit of service I've ever seen in a baby. He's always wanting to help everyone he sees.
He loves to help me load the dishwasher by taking clean dishes out of drawers and loading them with the dirty.


He loves to get the little broom and sweep the pile of dirt that I was just about to sweep into the dust pan.

He loves to root around in Daddy's toolbox and bring them to Daddy.

He loves to push the button on the phone base that makes the phone beep, go find the phone, push a chair over to the counter, climb up and get the phone and dial China for me.

When I'm helping give his sisters a shower he sticks his head in and throws them things to play with, sippy cups with milk in them, toys, toothbrushes, the phone, etc.

When Daddy is home he follows him around, talking to him and helping in any way he can.


Whenever he's in the car he yells out, "BABY"! and claps his hands, it means we all have to stop what were doing and sing patty-cake with him.

He knows the colors Blue (Boo) and Yellow (yeyow). And knows several animal sounds in which he makes Mommy rehearse regularly.

His growling and truck/car noises are notorious.

I Love being a mommy to this one year old boy!!!

I laughed so hard my side hurt!

The 11 Step Program For Those Who Want To Have Kids!!

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!

Tom Sawyer, Luke Skywalker, and Timmy Stark

The three would get along fabulously. I knew I was in for some real differences of parenting when I had a baby boy. But nothing really could prepare me for this. One minute he's gutting his Daddies PDA, erasing all memory, then onto TAKING APART Mommies earrings right off her ear, then onto sister's toy, but because she cries about it he puts it right BACK TOGETHER and hands it to her! When were finished looking into all the technological devices in the house, we move onto how best to climb the bookshelves. Followed by going outside and becoming EXTREMELY dirty, because lets face it, if your gonna do something, do it thoroughly! The entire time he does these things he makes his own background noises, cars, choo-choo's, ruff-ruff's, everything. Now any naive person would say, "Well? Where were you when he was doing all this?" And any mother of more than two children would understand the insanity of cleaning up 2 1/2 mess's, while making lunch, kissing a boo-boo, tying a shoe, helping with math, answering the phone, and wiping a snotty nose all at the same time. Timmy will go full steam ahead until he drops. Then its the sweetest time of the day. He knows a bit of sign language, and he'll say what he wants and sign it at the same time. So when I hear, "Ma-Ma, Dog-Dog, Boo-Boo" I know its time to stop sit down and read his favorite Doggie Book. Which leads to the best snuggling ever. Nursing, then a nice nap. I love him so differently but not any more or less than his sisters. The Lord sent him to me at the perfect time, I love having a little boy! I know his Daddy feels the same way. So he's in danger of being a tad spoiled. So in that case were going to someday try for a little brother for him. People think I'm crazy for wanting so many kids, but when they are this much fun, I think they are the crazy ones for not wanting to join the fun!! BTW, what got me thinking all this is he's going to be one this week, crazy huh? Is it just me or did this year go by fast? ;)

Nonnies Birthday!

I think its a pretty big one for her,....the big 05, oh excuse me that's 50. hehe. Tim the kids and I all took her some flowers and chocolate cake and sang to her, I personally think she looks amazing for her age!!! Love you Mom!

When I went to the store for flowers I thought I could get her ones for a vase but those would die quickly, so we got her ones for the garden instead. Of course first thing she said when she saw that was, "yea, flowers I can kill myself!" lol!



Grandpa is my name spoiling is my game.



Uncle Daniel left his cake too close to Timmy, hehehe.

This look just says, "You gonna eat all that?"


Benefits to being 50;

You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.

You sing along with elevator music.

Your eyes won't get much worse.

Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

No one expects you to run anywhere.

People call at 9:00 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?"

People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

Things you buy now won't wear out.

You can eat dinner at 4:00 PM.

You can almost live without sex but not your glasses.

You enjoy hearing about other people's operations.

You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

You can't remember who told you about this list.

You notice these are all in big print for your convenience.

Old stuff

Here's an journal entry I did a few months ago, I thought I would share it on here, just because I like to share what my life is like during the school months. Summer is a little different with going to play-dates and Story time @ the library. Since I cant come up with any thing juicy to share here's something from my Homeschool Mommy journal. :)





Yes it is a job, the pay stinks and the hours are intense, but its the most rewarding job there is!

You see I wake up at about 3:am to nurse a crying four month old and kiss a hubby who has just come home from working third shift,
after unattractively falling back asleep with baby still attached, I wake up again at 7:am to welcome babysitting children sing "Good Morning Beautiful girls" to the messy headed grumpy faced teenager wanna be’s, they actually are five and three yr old beauties who "love" to be awoken!

As Dear Hubby rushes off to his 9:am class we get started on a day full of craft paint, glue, scissors, crayons, rocks, bubbles, string, flour, eggs, goldfish crackers, and anything else mommies crazy imagination can cook up! Mommy gets much inspiration from wonderful places like Five in a Row, Jumbo Alphabet book, the Iron Rod, and other noteworthy sources.

By noon were all crafted "funned" out, and sit down either outside or in to a lesiurley lunch of pb&j or what ever mommy has created!

We then take turns doing workbooks and one on one reading while the others build cities of blocks and use stickers to decor the walls.

Playing outside is fundemental in mommies sanity control! Needless to say on rainy days Mommy has to hide in the bathroom for a few minutes.

Nap time is loved, ah , I mean accomplished by those in need of it, Mommy exempted.
After which to earn a little computer time all kiddos do their chores!
Little do they realize that the computer time they love they are just doing more school work!
Muahahahaha, evil Mommy laugh!

By this time Dear Hubby has rejoined us only to go get some much needed sleep, and babysitting kids go home.

Dinner together is a must other wise, our world will fall down!
After cleaning up and playing with Daddy for a bit we pray together, kiss Daddy goodbye for the night, and ride off to dream land, where Mommy gets foot massages and the kitchen is always clean.

Sure there are days when our little world is turned upside down but that’s what makes this job exciting.

Did I say the pay stank? Well scratch that, the four month baby boy just learned to give kisses, the three year old just learned to write her name, and the five year old just told everyone at dance class that her Mommy was the best teacher ever.

The pay is awesome.