Truth

Speaking of pregnancy, I have my big ultrasound one week from today. I can't decide if I'm more exited to learn what we are having or find out if all this bleeding placenta (ick) stuff is over with. I'm pretty sure I know what we are having. I have a "feeling" you could say but I don't want to hint because then I would be embarrassed if I was wrong. It might nullify my motherly instinct, you know? I will be sure to post the results of the big day.

Good Morning!

Crap.
Nothing says good morning like a 6x3 foot pile of laundry to fold.

Valentine's Day Cards

Here are my Valentine's Day cards for my card club exchange. I don't know if they look very Valen-tiny or not.... Oh, well. I suppose that once the person who gets the card reads a lovey dovey message written inside, they'll get it. And I added lots of glitter around the edges and on the big flower. Nothing says V-Day like messy glitter everywhere.

Paper Problem

I have a problem. More like an addiction. My weakness is paper. Scrapbook paper. I guess there's worse addictions in the world. I would guess I have enough to go from one end zone to the other of at least two football fields. AT LEAST that much. And when was the last time I scrapbooked? I can't remember. And when was the last time I bought scrapbook paper? Last Friday. I can't shake it. I guess it's just something about the beautiful designs on the paper that make me think "I'll never see paper this awesome again. I HAVE to have it!" And so I get it (at least two sheets of it) and I put it in my craft closet. And there it stays. My saving grace has been card club. Once a month a few lucky sheets are chosen. But that's about it. But I still buy it. And darn it, it makes me happy. Don't all these pretty papers make you smile?
BTW. Does anybody have or know about cheap 12x12 paper stackers? Or a better way to organize them? Storing them in huge piles isn't doing me any good at all.

Don't "Mess" With The Best

I will start by saying I love my darling Ella. She is funny, happy, cute, and squishy. All of those awesome things. But today was one of those days.... You know the kind. Every time you turn around, a new disaster has been created courtesy of your lovely child.

All children are born with personality traits that make them special from their brothers and sisters. Tabby is very friendly, Rex is very thoughtful. I would have to say what sets Ella apart from the others is her uncanny ability to wreck and destroy anything you hold dear in half a second while you aren't looking. She plans these things ahead of time and knows when to attack.

Let me tell you about the messes I have cleaned up just today. Pineapple juice all over the kitchen floor (mopped 3 times and is still sticky.) Cottage cheese smashed in the carpet. Spaghetti with a particularly runny sauce dumped on the carpet. A box I had full of stuff to go to DI completely emptied and strewn about the room. Toothpaste all over the bathroom. A big trash bag full of paper shred mistaken for confetti and thrown all over the office. And the kicker, I made a darling Valentine's match book craft recently and she got a hold of them (they were on top of the fridge) and ripped one up. BTW, Kim if you are reading this, do you happen to have an extra match box?

You may be thinking "Why don't you just keep an eye on your darn kid, lady?" I do keep an eye on her. I'm able to catch her in the act lots of times. But like I said, the girl knows when to strike. Her best work has happened while I am in the office doing my job that I do from home. I can't be interrupted while I'm on the phone and she takes advantage of that, let me tell you.

I try to keep things picked up, put away and out of reach. But the girl is stealth and I swear she has G0-Go Gadget arms. Many times I have gone into the kitchen to see something that was up high pilfered and destroyed or if it's candy, gone with out a trace. How in the heck does she get up there? She will find a way I tell you. I told you a while back when she ruined my lipstick how I decided to move the kitchen chairs to the carpet so she can't push them over to the counters. That worked for a little while but then Tabby got a vanity for Christmas that has a little stool with it. That stool has become her partner in crime. Now poor Tabby will have to suffer because the stool has been taken away.

I've tried all possible disciplinary options short of letting her go live with the feral raccoons in the forest. She'd probably fit right in there.

I love my darling sweetie. I love her fat cheeks and the funny things she says. I love how she's sleepy and cuddly in the morning and wants to cuddle with her blanky. If she went to live with the raccoons, I'd miss her. I just hope this is a phase.... Please let it be a phase!!!

***Update*** While I was leaving the office, I heard Dale yell "Ella!" Apparently with two adults in the house she still found a moment alone to dump the entire pitcher of Crystal Light that Dale had just made out onto the floor. I think I'll hide in the office and pretend I didn't hear what's going on. I'm over cleaning up messes for today.

Magi's Marathon

The P.F. Chang's Marathon was this past weekend. My sis Magi ran it and did awesome. I wish so bad that I could run but watching her was the next best thing.

My mom and I waited for her at mile 20 with big posters, smiles and water. I was worried about her knee which had been giving her trouble during training but sure enough along she came right on schedule and looking peppy!

Now humour me while I do a little compare/contrast.

Here is myself at mile 20 during my last marathon:
Here is my sister at the same distance:
Need I say more?

She finished with a marathon PR of 3:50:00!

Magi, Mark, and Madeline post race. Their baby Max was sleeping in the stroller so he didn't get in the pic.
Madeline with her sign for Mommy:
Magi and Me (I know, we look nothing alike.)

Forever's Gonna Start Tonight

Last Saturday the Morris Family got down! That's right. We totally partied. All because Dale's brother Ken turned 40.

It was actually a surprise party that his wife Phoebe planned for him. Ken likes to sing in a band and he thought he and the band were singing for somebody else's party. When the curtains opened, there we were, his whole family yelling "SURPRISE!" He totally didn't see it coming.
Here's the birthday boy singing some rad tunes:

When they were done the D.J. took over. Let's just say certain members of the family have some dance moves that can't be replicated nor duplicated.

My favorite part of the night came when Rob and Ken blessed us all with an amazing rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart. A song which should only be attempted by professionals and sung in all seriousness.

I also took video footage of it but it's like 9 minutes long and I can't figure out how to edit it so I will try to convey the essence of the powerful moment through pictures and lyrics.

"Turnaround, every now and then I get a
little bit lonely and you're never coming around "
"And I need you now tonight"
"I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks"
"I really need you tonight!!!"
"Forever's gonna start tonight!!!"

It Has Come To This

I'm tearing up as I'm writing this. Yes, we are moving. To Gilbert. The bank won't renegotiate our loan, we have to leave. We aren't the only ones it's happened to and we won't be the last I guess. We lost A LOT of our income sometime around the middle of last year and that's how we got so behind. It's really weird feeling like you are unwelcome in your own home after you have lived there almost 4 years. Of course it's not our home anymore because we couldn't pay the mortgage but it's still so odd to feel like we are intruders here.

I'm pretty sure we are moving the last Saturday in February. It's so soon, I know. I'm going to miss everyone here so much, I can't even express it. Who the crap am I going to run with? Who am I going to do crafts with? Who am I going to eat potato soup with at Applebees? -You know who you are (WENDY.)

The good news is we were able to find a home that is unbelievably cheap for the area it's in and Dale's work commute will only be 10 minutes! The house itself is nothing to crow at. It's smaller than the 1600 sf house we live in now but I can't seem to keep this one clean so a smaller one is guaranteed to work in my favor, right? And it has a pool! That will make being pregnant in the summer much more enjoyable. We are also going to be living very close to Dale's brothers which we are really excited about.
No I did not get a new Kitchen Aid mixer (I wish.) These are the first of many boxes to be packed up so we can move away from the ward and friends I have come to love so dearly... Waaaaaaa!

2008 In a Nutshell

2008 was a very eventful year for us to say the least. I thought it might be fun to review.

2008
In
A
Nutshell

No particular order here. Just listing things as I remember them which means I'm probably going to forget a lot of stuff.

-I got a job working from home in January. It was a much needed blessing at the time and still is (thanks Kim.) It's been hard managing the job and kids and I always have to tell people I can't go to things because I have to work. But I do enjoy things like paying bills and buying groceries so that's why I've held on to it. Hopefully with Dale's new job, things will change a little...

-I got taken off house arrest. In other words, we bought a minivan! I never thought I'd allow myself to drive one but then I went 2 years without my own transportation. A little humbling, wouldn't you say? I was willing to drive an El Camino by the end. I still don't take for granted the fact that I can just go in my garage, get in my van and leave the house any time I please. I LOVE my van!

-I had a miscarriage in August. It was a sad thing but our faith grew from it and Dale and I grew closer together. Then, two months later we were pregnant again! This was huge for us because it normally takes us a while to conceive. By the way, I just had an OB appt. yesterday and we heard the heartbeat loud and strong (phew!) I have an ultrasound coming up to check on the bleeding. Hopefully it's gone and everything will be normal.

-I got addicted to Twilight. My poor family didn't have a wife and mother every time I read one of the books. What is it about those books that makes it so real? I don't know how they are going to make a movie about the "events" in the last book. Whoa.

-I ran my second marathon in April. Well, if you call walking with a bad limp running. I did fine through most if it. Apparently, around mile 18, a little something happened called DISLOCATED KNEECAP!!!! Oh, it was bad. I still can't believe I finished the race. I was determined not to get in the Shame Van.

-My sister had her cute little baby boy Max a month early. It gave us all a good scare but mom and baby were fine.

-My BF Heather got married. It was a beautiful ceremony in San Diego.

-I had my 10 year reunion in October. It was a lot of fun. Has 10 years really gone by that fast?

-As far as the kids go, Tabby stopped sucking her thumb, learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, and went to kindergarten. Rex went to preschool for the first time and Ella, of course, was naughty. Business as usual for her.

-A bunch of crazy ladies (myself included) ran the Ragnar Relay. Never have I had so much fun being so miserable. I plan to do this again in 2010. Who's with me?

-Dale got a new job in December. Hallelujah! Total miracle.

Pretty fun year, huh? Can't wait to see what 2009 brings!

Snow Tubing

For New Year's Day, we took the kiddos up to Flagstaff for some snow tubing. Jodi and Shephard and Kinley came along too. There was a ton of snow but it was hard pack instead of fresh powder so it made for a pretty painful and icy snowball fight. Just ask Dale who got hit right in a certain place by yours truly (I have terrible aim.) But the tubing was perfect! The kids loved it and were amazed by it all. The only time they had ever been in snow was when Target had their grand opening out here and they dumped a bunch of fake snow in the parking lot for the kids to play in last summer. On the way home, Rex made sure to say "Daddy, I love the snow." as he was falling asleep.

Tabby liked to pick up blocks of snow and just carry them around. I caught her biting chunks out of them a time or two.Dale and the kids giving it a go.
Testing it out the cold snow on her tiny hands.
Rex trying to fit in the igloo somebody made.
Here's what the place looked like. The hills were pretty intense. If you weren't careful, you'd get launched in to the air coming over the humps.
We found some "baby" hills that were a little safer for the little ones. These weren't good enough for Tabby who kept wanting to go over to the big hills.
Little cousin Kinley checkin' out the scene.
Shephard with Tabby and Kinley
Doesn't Ella look so cute and squishy in her snow suit?
Rex had no problem going down the hills by himself but he did have problems getting out of the tube at the bottom. He he!Happy New Year!