Pioneer Park

We found a great park to take the kids to so they can rock climb. We went to In and Out with the Bingham's so Grandpa could pay up a bet he owed Jerry. Then we headed to the park. The kids had great time climbing with their Dad. Unfortunately I didn't realize I needed to wear tennis shoes so I wasn't the best hiker. Jerry was a great sport and took the kids while I went on a drive with my parents. They were checking out all the other trailer parks in the area to make sure they are getting the best deal. Grandpa like to explore ALL his options thoroughly.

Update

I can't believe another week is almost through! The big news of the week is that Landon is getting glasses. When I took him to the pediatrician last week he said I should take him to an eye doctor. I took him yesterday and found out he has astigmatism. His vision is a little blurry because of it and the glasses will help to correct that and help him to see clearly. I got him fit for his glasses when we were there and he looks so cute. I am trying to be very positive and excited for him so he will be excited and happy to wear them. Thank goodness we have a flexible spending account with our insurance for medical expenditures. We are sure going to max it out this year. My Mom and Dad got back from another trip on Tuesday. My Dad went to Nashville with Dave and my Mom went up to Idaho to watch Brenn wrestle in the state wrestling tournament. Brenn did really well. The weather is warming up and they kids love being outside. We have had some American Idol watching sessions this week and Jerry has got me caught up on who is in the running. I am always as young women's so I don't usually get to watch. I also went to book club. We read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. I am so glad I am involved in the book club so I have the motivation to read at least one book from start to finish during the month. I am always reading parenting books and church materials but rarely make it to anything else. I am reminded though that I really love to read and someday will have a bit more time to do so.

Landon's Birthday Part Two

We had Landon's friend party today at Slick Rock Park. It was fun but chaotic. The weather was nice but a little windy and me, being a first time mom with friend parties (without parents) had the party last two hours. I learned my lesson but I think everyone had a great time. Thanks to Jerry for taking off of work because I could not have managed without him. We ate, played games, hiked, chased kids, ate again, hiked again and chased kids again. His Dad stayed up until midnight the night before making him an awesome Spiderman cake. It turned out really well. Unfortunately, Landon didn't feel so well due to his shots the day before and I didn't have any Tylenol to give him. Poor first child always has to be the guinea pig. I am sure with my girls the parties will improve dramatically. I can't believe my little boy is five years old already! Time flies by so quickly. We love you Landon!

Landon's Birthday

Landon's birthday celebration lasted almost a week. Grandma and Grandpa were going out of town so we had his birthday dinner on Sunday night. Jerry made meatball subs about six months ago and Landon has been asking for them ever since. He was very excited and so were we. Jerry is a great cook!


Next came the presents. Grandma and Grandpa gave him a fish which he affectionately named Landon! It is a beta fish and Landon is having so much fun taking care of Landon the fish. He feels a lot of responsibility now to feed him twice a day. It is cute to watch him care for and be concerned about his little fish friend. He got a big kid bike with no training wheels from Mom and Dad (thanks to Grandpa's great DI shopping skills) and was super happy. Dad has been taking him out to the grass to practice with a helmet and so far he is doing great.


Today was actually his birthday. His Dad took him to lunch at the place of his choice...Wingers. He also gave him another piece to add to his Geotrax collection. I know he loves his one an done time with Dad. I actually made him go to the Doctor today. Hopefully, he won't hold it against me when he gets older. The problem is we have a wonderful pediatrician but getting appointments for well checks is tough....I made this appointment in October for the day after his birthday. They called and asked to switch, I immediately said yes because I didn't want to reschedule. I need to register him for Kindergarten in March and wanted to have everything I needed to register him complete. Fortunately, I was able to take only him and my list of questions to the appointment. He actually learned about math while we waited and wrote out a few addition problems of his own. He is a smart kid. He weighs 47 pounds (no wonder it is hard to lift him!) and is 44 1/2 inches tall. The doctor does want to have me check his eyesight because of the screen they did so I will take him to an optometrist just to make sure. The doctor asked Landon a series of questions but before he could start, Landon let the doctor know he had few questions for him. Number 1: Why do I have to get shots? Number 2: How many shots do I have to get? Number 3: I forgot. (He remembered on the way home and was sad he had forgotten to ask what do they put in the shots?) Dr Marsden is great with him and patient enough to give him the answers he is satisfied with. This part of the visit with the doctor was the best.

Dr Marsden: "What are your favorite foods?
Landon: "Pears, oranges and bananas."
Dr Marsden: "Do you like apples?"
Landon: "I love apples."
Dr Marsden:"Do you like vegetables like peas, carrots,broccoli?"
Landon:"Yes, I love broccoli." (Doctor looks at me, I nod yes and doctor feels Landon's forehead to see if he is ok.)
Dr Marsden: "What kind of cereal do you like?"
Landon: "I like whole grain cereal." (Doctor looks at me, feels his forehead and we all start laughing. I thought for sure he would say Lucky Charms.)
Dr Marsden:"I have never had a kid say that before. He is the smartest kid in the world."
He was also very impressed that Landon knew his telephone number with the area code and said that was a first time for him as well. Landon did great. He didn't even cry when he got the shots. Dr Marsden was patient enough to answer all the questions on my list and everyone was happy. Landon is a healthy, happy kid.

Provident Living

So that is what we are trying to do.....live providently. In an attempt to follow the Prophet's counsel we are attempting to grow a garden. We are not able to do so at home but we found a community garden close to our house and with the help of Grandma and Grandpa we are attempting. The kids are very excited and happy about this. The best part was putting the steer manure on and mixing it in. I attended a class in the morning about how to use coupons. I decided using coupons alone could be a full time job but I am hoping to start small and get better with time. I am also working on our food storage....in very small doses but hoping we will be blessed for our efforts. Jerry is convinced I can sew the kids clothes now that I have a sewing machine but I am not as convinced. I prefer bargain shopping and sewing for enjoyment. I am having fun doing it but I need to get a few things before I can start my next project. We had Grandma and Grandpa for dinner and then played cards. Jerry taught us to play Ueker...apparently a Michigan thing.....and we are learning. We had fun and that's the most important part.

Valentine's Day

We had a great day today. We woke up and I made breakfast. We had heart shaped waffles with strawberries and whip cream. I have been wanting to do a garden and we found out about a community garden close to our home. We went over and secured a little portion of one of the planter boxes. I have no idea what I am doing but I want to give it a try and see if we can make something grow. The kids are so excited to plant. Jerry took the kids to the park for a while to give Avery a chance to nap and me a chance to get ready. When he got back we made roll out sugar cookies. Jerry insisted on piping the frosting on which is why they turned out so well. He's good that way because he creates culinary masterpieces and he tells me I can take credit for it :> We had fun sharing them with neighbors and friends. After we had baked all the cookies we went to Home Depot to get our gardening supplies. All I will say is we do have a big bag of steer manure on our front porch right now. Just in case you wanted to know. I loved Jerry's explanation to the kids about why and what we were purchasing. One of my favorite moments of the day. That night I went with a friend from the ward who owns a photography business. I go and help with the pictures and earn a little extra money. It is lots of fun. There was a group of teen boys in spandex. I just tried not to look. Jerry and I watched a movie, "Fireproof" when I got home. Jerry accused me of setting him up because I think we have marriage problems. That wasn't the case but it was a clean, Christian based movie. It was a great day.

Fourteen Months Old

Our little girl is becoming a toddler. She is fourteen months old now and getting into EVERYTHING! Nothing is safe when she is around and she makes a path throughout the house that looks like a tornado. Her favorite things to make a mess of are: the shoe rack, the cd's under the television, the drawer with all the sippy cups, mom's drawers in the bathroom and anything else she can open or tear up. She has also discovered the bathroom and can pull out a roll of toilet paper in 10 seconds flat. She is continuing to expand her vocabulary and mimics sounds and words that are said to her. She LOVES to crawl and has discovered stairs. The problem is she is not sure how to get down yet so she requires constant supervision. She is not happy when she sees the gate being put up to prevent her from climbing. She loves playing with her big brother and sister (most of the time). Her sleeping and eating patterns have been somewhat irregular due to teeth coming in. We haven't seen any new ones (she has two on the bottom) but she is drooling and irritable or as Jerry says, "How come she all the sudden has attitude?" She LOVES music and dances anytime she hears it. It is so cute to watch her. She is working on using her jumper when Lauren isn't pushing her like it's a swing or twisting her up and making her spin. It is not used much because it can be a hazard when she has "help." She has issues with going potty in the bathtub. I have never had a baby poo poo in the tub as much as she has. I try to bath her fast but if she stays in longer or I am not looking she does it. I think we are in double digits for the number of times she has done this. She is picky about what she eats more than her brother and sister were and she likes to feed herself most of the time. We got rid of the bottle and she does great with a sippy cup. She is a sweet baby and we love having her in our home.

Gary

Today is the two year anniversary of Gary's death. I still miss him and sometimes I still think he will come back. I finally came up with something I can do that makes me feel like I am honoring him. I decided to make his kids a valentine package and send it to them. I know he must ache to be with them and I thought this would help us as a family to feel connected to them. I talk to the older kids but I miss Sadie and Ellie. I hope we can make this a tradition and do this each year for him. He is still in our thoughts each day and we hope to live worthy to be with him eternally. I don't know how you would survive losing a family member without the reassurance you will be able to see them someday. I am so grateful for Gary, his life and most importantly for the gospel which gives me the strength to live without him.