A Sign a Hope for America

I took this picture at Noah's baseball game last week not even thinking anything other than it was perfect timing to have the rainbow happen just over the American flag, but today as i scrolled through my pictures to find something to blog about I came across this photo again and had such a touching feeling come over me. There has been so much tradgedy in our country and our world for that matter, in the past few weeks. I feel so sorry for all those that are suffering in the mid west because of tornadoes and flooding and all the ruined crops. People are loosing everything they have ever owned in a split second. It just makes me realize how lucky I am to be safe (for now), to have my family safe and to know that we still live in the best country in the world. I don't think this rainbow was just a chance picture anymore. I think it was a sign for us to not loose hope in our country, and even though we are going through rough times now, things will change, we will recover, lives will be put back together and America will always be the greatest country to live in!!!

Day at Lagoon!!

We went to Lagoon over the weekend and I have to say I actually had fun. It isn't always a very high priority on our list to take our kids there- you know the crowds, the scary looking people you try hard not to judge but can't, the expensive food and kids whining. We really did have a fun day. We probably will only make it an anual thing so no need for a season pass or anything like that but all in all-go. It's way cooler than when I was a kid and now I think I have more fun watching my kids enjoy themselves more than my self.

We almost have a basketball team!!

So it's a BOY!!! To tell the truth I was really hoping for a girl. Addison was so sure it was a girl she told me every day that she was going to have a sister. When we found out she dropped to her knees and started sobbing, "I wanted a sister, It has to be a girl. No Mom, No". Well, with that kind of drama you can see that I easily remembered how nice boys are and I was brought back to reality and could see that the Lord was probably blessing me with another boy for my own sanity. Now I just need help with a boy name. I had no less than 15 girl names and not a single boy name so any suggegstions would help, we like unique but very masquline, off beat but not weird. Nate is excited as usual. More riders for the now 4 motorcycles that we own and as he says, "I almost have my own team!!" Well, I started to get excited a few days later (after feeling guilty for not being over joyed when we found out) by shopping for little baby things again. Parks is now over three and I gave a lot of our stuff to D.I. after him because my kids have been hard on all our stuff so looking at cribs and blakets and bedding cured me and got me back on the new baby boy wagon! GO TEAM HARWARD!!

Are You Prepared?

Nate and I finally got all of our food storage (or most of it). We have been researching it and trying to figure out how much and what to get. I realized a couple of things in the process- I don't know how to make things from scatch like bread with wheat, I don't want to rotate my food storage, and I don't want to have to build a new room in my house to store it all. That is when we discovered Daily Bread. My parents bought it and then refered us and we loved the whole idea. They have freeze dried food with a 30+ year shelf life that is actually food we would eat like lasagna, spagetti, teriyaki chicken, and of course mac and cheese. We have now sampled almost all the food and I have to tell you it tastes just like anything you would get from the sotre. My kids liked it. Best of all, you don't have to open 3 or 4 different cans of your storage to prepare one meal. After we got ours we believed in the cause and the company so much that Nate and I are now distibutors of Daily Bread. I know this seems like a shameless plug for our little business idea but I know with how crazy our economy is right now and could be later, (costco and walmart are rationing rice and flour) I really feel like now is the time to prepare. What could be worse than to have your little kids crying at night because they are hungry? If you want to learn more you can call me and I can get you some free samples or you can go online and read more at www.dailybreadus.com

So nothing new is happening to blog about.

We are so boring around here. I have been feeling so gross and sick lately that we haven't been anywhere or done anything in weeks. This pregnancy is definatly taking its toll on my social life. I think there is a reason you have your kids at a younger age. It's easier when you're young. I feel so old, even though I know I'm not, but I swear, I just can't help but think that it wasn't this bad in my early twenties. Plus the weight is just piling on. Im going to be huge!!! I can't wait (just like the rest of Utah) for the warm weather to come and STAY!!! I might actually feel better if I could get out and feel the sun on my face. This winter was long and hard. So we are trying to plan a trip to Disneyland in a few weeks. That will be nice, except for the drive. We are also looking for a new car. Any suggestions? We need a third row seat, obviously but Nate won't even consider a van. He wants an SUV but I don't want to pay for the gas. If you love your car and can convince me to go that route, blog me back and give me adivce. Also, if you want to read a funny blog check out my brothers blog from time to time. He just started one and I know he will put up hilarious stuff (maybe gross and inappropriate at times). It's biggerb75.blogspot.com or just link to it by mine under Brad. Happy reading!!!

Bye Bye Body, Hello BABY!!!

So Yes!!! The rumors are true. We are having baby number 4. This one took a bit longer than I would have liked. (We all know how impatient and obbsessed with order I am). We are due on Nov. 21 2008. Maybe if I'm lucky it will come early and be born on Uncle Brads birthday Nov. 4th. I guess it has been too long because I sort of forgot how crappy you feel in the beginning. Like today for instance it is 1:00 p.m. and I haven't even got up off the couch for longer than it took to blog this. My kids have been eating fruit snacks and popcilces all day and I feel totally fine about that. I only feel good when I'm full so I have been eating like a horse. We all know I get HUGE when I'm pregnant so who cares right. I just keep telling myself it's only a year and I can do anything, even be fat, for a year. My kids are so excited especially Addie, she wrote her teacher a note and told her I was having a baby and then concluded by saying " We hope it is a boy or a girl". This new little one will be quite a change for little Parks. He is what you call "the spoiled baby of the family". I hope he will be ok. He hasn't been exactly nice to our other little cousins that have come since him. So anyway get a good look of the photo of me above because I'm changing rapidly. Next time you see me in person, try not to give me the "fat" look. Just pretend you don't notice and we will get along just fine. These are my instructions to my husband!!!

Happy Easter!!!

We went to a Easter Egg Hunt in my parents neighborhood on Saturday. It was fun. It lasted all of 30 seconds but what do you expect with 50+ kids chasing after eggs that were basically just thrown out on a lawn. The kids love it though. I realized on the way home as I talked with Addison about the reason we celebrate Easter, that I as a parent haven't done my part to help my kids truely understand what Easter is all about. I got the typical "It's about a bunny that brings eggs filled with treats to kids who are good" answer from her. Noah seemed to understand a little bit more than her but still all he said was that "It's about Jesus dying". I took the next few moments to try my best to explain the Resurrection and the Atonement to them in hopes that they would understand that the Easter Bunny is just something the world does and has nothing to do with our religion or beliefs. So then I got the question "Is the Easter Bunny not real?" I told them he wasn't and they seemed to be ok with it. Long story short, I had some angry parents on my hands Sunday after church. My kids took it upon themselves to tell their class that the Easter Bunny wasn't real and that "your mom and dad bring you the eggs". I felt bad for a half a second. I hope that my children continue to learn about how Jesus did die for us and that He was resurrected and lives today. He died so that we can repent of our sins and faults and be forgiven of them. We can use the Atonement in our lives to eventually return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father. I will probably still take my kids to the traditional Egg Hunt every year but I will feel good in knowing that they know why we "really celebrate Easter".