Week in Review

Samuel turned 9 months old on November 23 at 9:46 to be exact. It of course has gone by incredibly to fast.Samuel at 9 months
Weight: 19.8 - 25 %- yes his "Chubby" nicknames seem silly at this point
Height; 28.5 in- 75%
Head- 18.25- 80%

#of teeth- 2
# of dimples- 4 and they are adorable
# of Words-2- Mama (Sam follows me around the house and cries "MAMAMAMAMAMA" when I put him down and am not holding him), sadly he doesn't really say my name in a happy way ever. He is a little too much of a mama's boy. But it is nice to be so loved. He also says "Dada" - but lets take note once more that "Mama" was first.
Things he likes-
moving, crawling, climbing on furniture and people, pulling hair and jewlery off his mother, eating crackers, Cola, Kate, music, dancing, singing, balls, setting new records in how far he can throw his pacifier, sleeping, cuddling, being tickled, chasing Kate around the house, laughing, playing peek-a-boo, letting Mom dress him in trendy clothes his dad won't wear, clapping, taking compliments from strangers about how adorable he is, being the happiest baby weve ever known.
Samuel is such a perfect baby, who is quickly turning into a toddler. It is sad and scary to see him start to pull himself up on the furniture and say words. He has been the most content child who litterally only cries when we he really tired, or wants his mother. He didn't even cry the last two times he got shots- what a tough guy. Those who knew Jake as an infant say Sam is just the peaceful, happy child his father was. He does look quite a bit like Jake as well, although occasionally before say he looks like me. His puppy dog eyes and toothy grin light up for me when I come into the room and it melts my heart.
Here is Samuel doing the motorcycle dance. He rotates his wrists when he hears music like he is riding a motorcycle. It is awesome.
The kids on Thanksgiving. Kate has been talking about her cousins coming over for four days straight by this point and can't wait another minute.
Our Kitchen before- it really was lovely, and our kitchen after- I think it took 6 loads of dishes to undo the disaster.
It was a lovely Thanksgiving though. And my almost completely from scratch holiday feast turned out as good as I had hoped. It was wonderful being home for the holiday. I have no picture of people on Thanksgiving other than the one of the kids at the top. I get to preoccupied in chatting and cooking. But thank you dear family for joining us.

The kids and I decorated for Christmas yesterday. All we need now is a tree. The minute these singing decorations come out the kids play them, and play them, and fight over them, and play them, and they have run out of batteries almost already in less than 24 hours. I don't think they will be replaced. I can hardly stand hearing penguins and snowman singing Christmas tunes for another 24 hours.

Thanksgiving

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving around here. What am I most grateful for? Easiest question ever. These two of course, and the man I am proud to call my husband who I get to share them with.
Tomorrow Jake's three sisters and their families will be joining us for what I hope to be our best Thanksgiving yet. Aside from the Thanksgiving Jake and I had by ourselves our 1st year of marriage- where we cooked a small but complete entire Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves including a entire pumpkin pie a piece-this will be my first real hosted-by-me Thanksgiving.
To bad my entourage is not that much help-I've got lots to do.
I've already been to the store three times for the big event- partially because it took that many stores to find a turkey big enough to fed the crew- and it is not like I waited until today, I guess you have to go more than four days in advance if you want to biggest bird- now I know. I finally found us a 24 pounder who has been defrosting in the fridge ever since. What else does the menu include?

Hors d'oeuvre
Chilled Vegetable Platter
Assorted Crackers and Cheese

Beverage
Assorted Sparkling Cider

Dinner
Slow Roasted Turkey with Lemon
Mashed Red Potatoes with Garlic
Classic Brown Gravy
Slow Cooked Cornbread Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Three layer Jello Salad
Garden Salad
Pepperoni Pasta Salad
Homestyle Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow Carmel Glaze
Homemade White Rolls with Honey Butter and Strawberry Jam

Dessert
All-you-can-eat Assorted Pies
Vanilla Ice Cream

Good thing I've already started the chopping/ baking/ roasting/cooking. I am looking forward to the meal, and even more so the company...and the leftovers. I think a lot of women stress out about cooking Thanksgiving. I think it is mildly stressful- mostly figuring out how to have everything perfectly warm at the same time with one oven. But I will take making Thanksgiving for everyone over traveling for the holidays any day. That really stresses me out- and turns my children into rabid mommy eating monsters. I am looking forward to staying home and remaining thankful for them instead.

Happy Thanksgiving- I hope it is safe, and delicious!

Why there haven't been pictures recently

It has been a while since I posted anything, even just pictures of the kids. Hmm I wonder why. Could it be that my monsters aren't a photographers best friend. This one grabs and eats any part of the camera he can get his hands on, and the other one appears to have an aversion for photos being taken all together.

Oh finally kids, there are your smiling faces.

Blogger Face Lift

Do you like the new look? Jill with the Bird and the Berry made the header for me. The least I can do is plug her blog, which actually doesn't really need my simple props. She is a Utah party planner friend of a friend. I love her Dr. Suess ideas especially here, perhaps I will put a few to use somehow in Samuel's Dr. Suess themed room. Go check her out.

The Good Stuff

The kids have been doing really well with playing nicely with one another. Much better than when Kate used to smack Sam in the head whenever we weren't looking. I occasionally leave them for a minute or two to run laundry upstairs or pack a diaper bag. Sometimes it doesn't work out so well, like when I came back three minutes later to find Kate lathering Sam's face in Diaper Rash Cream. But this day being unsupervised momentarily was more to his advantage. He found the pantry door open, crawled across the entire living room and kitchen, pulled down a bag of generic frosted animal cookies, and started munching down. He cried like the baby he is when I took them away.

Favorite Children's Books

For a friend a few weeks ago as a shower gift I compiled what have been my kids favorite books. It was fun to think about the books they love. Some of the books Kate loves leave me wondering why for sure. While the kids and I were shopping for the gift (aside for trying not to laugh/ cry), I was reminded of my love for the bookstore. Though I usually order our books from Amazon, there is something so perfect about the bookstore on a cold fall evening.
I have always enjoyed books in my adulthood, but since I became a mother my love for books has certainly multiplied. I think my motherly love for books is actually three fold. I have stocked my bookshelves with everything from the "What to Expects" to the -how to sneak broccoli into your children's food -type of books. I have enjoyed reading them, and they have given me some confidence that I might in some way be capable of caring for another human being. Plus they area much better place to go for advice I have found than the "mother's I know" club. You get all kinds of crazy information for people you know.
Secondly, I have always read novels and autobiographies and enjoyed them. But now they are an escape into a world where I have a brain, and give me something more to talk about than the bowel movements of my children. Seriously it is sad how much mom's talk about that.
But third, and the reason that is best above all, is how much I love the magical moments laying in a toddler size bed turning pages for eager eyes. So far my intent to pass on a love for books has been successful.
Here is a list of the top ten Children's Books in our home.
1. Bright Animal Babies Board Book: Priddy
This book is simple, but Kate learned a lot of her first words out of this book.
2. Goodnight Gorrilla: Rathman
Liked much more than Goodnight Moon by our night time crew
3. Hand, Hand, Finger Thumb: Perkins
I think I loved this book when I was young too. Dum Ditty, Dum Ditty!!
4. What Makes a Rainbow:
The most durable pop up book we have ever encountered.
5. Brown Bear, Brown Bear: Carle
Anything by Eric Carle is a winner around here
6. Thumper Counts to Ten: Richards
This book looks like nothing speical, and I don't really get why Kate loves it still, but she has memorized it completely and will recite it when prompted without the book to even help her.
7. A Tree Named Steve: Zweibel
Okay, Kate just thought this book was alright, but it my favorite. It makes me cry- and I hate crying.
8. How do Dinosaurs...: Yolen
This whole series is lyrical, appealing to looks at and teaches manner... yes you heard me.
9. Eight Animales Out on the Town or Say Hola to Spanish; Elya
We love pretending like we are teaching our kids to be bilingual. This is the best Spanish vocab children's book we have found so far.
10. Heaven is Having You: Andreae
This was a bedtime request at our house for six months straight. Kate still loves it, especially when I do the actions I have made up with it.

With the holidays coming up there will be more books added to our children's library with out a doubt. What are some of your families favorite children's books?

Halloween Run Down

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I am not sure why. Maybe it is because its only reason is fun. Which is exactly what we had planned for the weekend... lots of scary fun. What we were most afraid of this Halloween however ended up being the swine flu. Kate woke up Thursday with what we thought was H1N1. Turns out she- and then Jake and I- just had some other seasonal flu (see why I don't believe in flu shots), but enough fevers and snot to warrant canceling most of the partying. I was disappointed, for Kate, and for myself, but our quiet sick weekend in turned out to still be fun.

We carved one pumpkin. The least amount of pumpkins our household has ever had despite the fact we have more actual people in our family than ever before. Samuel just got to chew on carrots and watch. Kate helped draw on the face- refused to touch the goop, and demanded we make him look ANGRY.

My first attempt at a spooky dinner. I think it will be a new tradition in years to follow.
We had blood soup with eyeballs ( tomato soup with cheese and olives), witch fingers (carrots with almond fingernails) slime monsters (jello in a baby food container with googly eyes), mummies in blood (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls with ketchup), magic potion (Dr. Pepper) and ghost cookies (nutter butters in white chocolate)
It was so fun to do. I love making food that looks special. It actually was not the most delicious meal, but that didn't really matter as much to me.
Remember how Jake and I are incredibly into costumes. Well this year we didn't even have one. I meant to take a picture all night of us, sitting in our regular clothes so I could compare it to previous years where we are almost unrecognizable. How pathetic. At least the kids turned out super cute.
Trying to reuse a bear costume we had from Kate, I came up with making it into Cosmo the mascot for BYU and Kate could be a cheerleader. It took a little convincing to get her to not want to just be an elephant from last year, but once I showed her the pom poms she got into it.
We trick or treated at all of three houses. We tried six, but most people weren't home. The kids got the idea, and enjoyed it.


Cuddling one tired Cosmo the Cougar.
Once the kids were off to bed Jake and I watched the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. With our expectations set low, we were pleasantly surprised.
All in all our sick Halloween turned out just fine.

Bowling Alley Storyboard

Friday night for our evening out we went Bowling at the Bowling Alley in Heber. We hurried to get there beofre 6:00 so we didn't have to fight the crowd. As you can see we really didn't need to, it was pretty empty.
Kate loves bowling. We took about a year ago for the first time and she loved it. In fact we have an awsome video of her eating a corn dog at the bowling alley when she is like 15 months old or something. I should dig that up. Anyway, we've been back a handful of times since. She always comments when we pass the Bowling Alley driving that she wants to go. She likes picking out a ball, wearing funny shoes, rolling the ball down the ramp, sitting at the computer, and getting a drink and some food. Actually she likes going anywhere, so just add this to the list. Jake is a pretty big fan of the psuedo sport as well.
Kate doesn't even wait to see if any pins fall down to cheer for herself with a high five to Dad. She thinks rolling the ball is what this sport is all about.
Picking out a ball.
Kate likes the shoes.
Poor Samuel. He is such a good sport, watching us do everything all the time, while he just has to sit and be patient.

Majesty bowls a Turkey. Why does he have to be good at everything, and me... well not so good at everything? Kate even beat me by 5 points.

After our game we ordered some food. Kate said she wanted a soda and some chips (oh what great eating habits I have taught her). I told her they didn't have any chips, hoping she would go for a grilled cheese sandwich- or at least something resembling a meal. She promptly pointed at the wall, where the chips were located and informed me otherwise. It was a funny moment to me, realising that my child may just be too old to fool. Chips and Soda for dinner it was.... at least she ate a piece of my chicken.

Want Ten Bucks!

So you may or may not know my obsession with Emergency Preparedness. Its new- well as of the last year or so. I try to hid my obsession- as it stems from being a worry wart- on my other blog readysetplan.blogspot.com. Today though I posted something, I think everyone wants to read about- free money. Okay well it is only $10, and you have to spend it at Emergency Essentials. Free is free though I say. Go check out this link.
you just have to post a button like this one.

3 Great Things That Made My Day

1. Kate saying "Mommy you are my sunshine"while she was coloring and singing this morning, for no reason at all.

2. That I have eaten 15 sugar cookies in the past two days. My sister told me how to make sugar cookies out of a white cake mix. The kids and I whipped up a batch, decorated them Halloween style, and now finished them off.
350 degrees
1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup veg oil
3/4 cup sugar
cook for ten minutes
cool and frost
I have no pictures because as I have already explained- they are all gone

3. Watching what was surely the most disastrous first date experience play out before me as the kids and I spent the evening at Borders. Knowing Jake was not going to be home until 8:00 tonight I thought the kids and I might enjoy shopping around the book store. Oh how I love a book store in the fall. On a related note I am reading The Wild Things by David Eggers, a grown up novel of the kids classic turned movie... and am loving it.
In the children's section two BYU co-eds sat at a kiddie table having a conversation that left me unsure at first whether this was some sort of tutor/ student interview or truely the most self destructing date ever wittnessed. I have been known to hang out with a date in the book store, but this young eager lad took the idea to a new demention. They had apparently scoured the store searching for books that described them best and where now meeting to discuss. From what I could gather, he spent the next seven minutes excusing his choice for what was either the Kama Sutra or some other work on human sexuality. Jake and I often observe "Daters" as we are out and about with a chuckle but the urge to roll my eyes within their range of vision has never been so strong.

Perfect Pumpkin Evening

To celebrate Columbus Day or really because Jake had off of work slash for Family Night...
We headed to Thanksgiving Point to get us some pumpkins. It was $10 a tickets for each adult and the kids were free. Thinking this was a lot for a pumpkin patch/ corn maze admission fee, we hoped for the best and headed out. After 90 minutes there we concluded it was worth every penny- and a new Fall tradition for the Team.
Kate looks for a pumpkin. Really for the pumpkin choosing she was crying because she was hungry and we told her it was time to leave. She didn't want to leave and didn't want a pumpkin because it was dirty and she didn't like them. Once home though she found pumpkins appealing once again. Plus if Thanksgiving Point doesn't have a real pumpkin patch who does. I mean a field with pumpkins not just bins of them and some haystacks with a few sitting there. Whatever they lacked in actual pumpkin patchness, they made up for in entertainment.


Pumpkin Princess Playland was our first stop.
Kate wonders the corn maze. Will she be lost forever???
Tons of silly faces. I can't hold Kate up and get my face in the hole.
Riding on the Grain Train. Dusty. Bouncy. Still Fun.
Adult size tricycles. It sounds lame but everyone was having a blast on them.
Jake attempts a lasso. Boy I love my farm boy.
Jumping Pillows were one of the best things.
Add in about eighteen other things, like hay slides, make your own snow cones, pumpkin launchers, millions of things to climb. chicken shows, etc. that I didn't take pictures of, or we didn't have time to do and you get one- well four- satisfied customers.
Top it off with some burgers from JCW's (the best burgers we have ever eaten), a compliment from a stranger on what well behaved children I have, singing songs all the way home, and kids so tired they fell asleep promptly at 8:00 pm you get a Perfect Pumpkin Evening.

Mama's Boy

Sweedish Thrones

The kids and I made a quick trip to IKEA today. The more I go there, the more I don't really like it there. Sadly where I was once a huge fan, their recent quality, pricing, and lack of customer service have turned me away. That is not to say we didn't get some perfectly simple seating. This cheap and easy to clean high chair for our little prince, and not pictured, a new potty chair for the princess of the family. Sam looks like such a stud, as always.

Go MIGHTY COUGARS!!

We are so good at taking pictures of our selves.
I'm a crazed fan (not really)
Trying to get the "Y" in the background.

Sometimes as it turns out the universe is not as against me as I think. Jake and I planned a date last minute for this Friday night. With the fall colors out and the cool (okay very COLD) crisp, fall air, what would be better than a football game at our Alma Mater? With two young children dates alone are few and far between, if we get one in every season I think we can call it good. This can be our FALL themes date. I am always complaining that things never turn out for me, thankfully my normal luck didn't follow we this night. Our last minute order of tickets on ebay came it time, and were valid. We were able to leave home a little after 5:00, find parking, make a quick dinner of Panda Express (very college us), and cheer for a not-so-cold after all BYU win. We even managed to not get stuck in traffic and shop for a new printer quickly at Wal-mart after. Our children fared well will out us at home and were sound asleep when we returned. GO MIGHTY COUGARS!

The only thing that did not turn out as well as I might have planned was how it was hard for us to sit for four hours. Not having children to care for for this long and not usuing it to get work, projects and chores done seemed wastful. And I fell asleep on the ride home because I am old and it was late.

Have I mentioned that the brainwashing of our first born has been a success. When ever she sees anything BYU she recognizes it and starts to either sing the fight song, or says "BUY U" close enough for now. She even says "BUY U" to letters that stand alone and are in similar font to the "Y"... like an "L" on some socks she has signifing they are large size. She calls them her Cougar socks. AWESOME

School and Crackers

Sam likes to eat. This is nothing new. I have been letting him have more regular foods. His favorite are Saltines. He loves these things. I think he looks so old sitting in this chair eating a cracker. He is old. He crawls, following me around room to room, he "talks" making sounds that seem to be capable of turning into "Mama" any day now. He is so grown up and it makes me so sad.

This is how Kate feels about going to school.
We joined a co-op so Kate could go to "school" this year. I guess she is growing up too. So far "preschool" is going well. She is one of the youngest in the group so I think it will be good for her. Also it should be a decent co-op seeing as how most of the mom's are former teachers of elementary school or preschool. We are eat taking two weeks to teach and host it in our homes. I had a policy class my senior year of college that I loved. I remember my professor had a formula for what would cure the ails of the nation. The first was to stop teenagers from having children. The second was to have free daycare/ preschool centered in your own community. There were eight points I think, and I believed every word then of his explanation . I am now a happy participant in the second piece of solving the nations ails....well at least theoretically.
Kate's first day of school
Kate has to eat breakfast on the go... going to school is busy.

Weekend Wedding Storyboard

....and its a long story.

We started our drive Wednesday night with one throwing up little two year old. Hoping she would soon recover and feeling like we needed to be at Jake's youngest sisters wedding we kept going. We slept in Primm, NV and found her much better in the morning. Much better although apparently still very contagious. The wedding was beautiful but the weekend was miserable. Over the next two days all twenty something family members staying at the Freeman Farm minus one niece and (thankfully) a bride to be fell ill to the malicious virus. Sick everyone's with little sleep and lots to do to pull of a completely do it yourself garden wedding made for a stresstul and exhausting visit with little actual time for visiting. Below are some of my pictures from the wedding, both those I liked and others needed to tell the story. One highlight from the trip was that although it was exhausting (can you be sore from taking pictures?) I am pleased with the results.The Freeman orchard 7:00 am day of the wedding. Up early to the cries of sick children. Ready for a beautiful early fall wedding with temps of 102 degrees projected for wedding o' clock.
The Fresno Temple is one of the mini temples they built in 2000. Although it is smaller with smaller grounds it is just as beautiful. Plus you know most the people inside. The kids waited in the waiting room. Kate kept telling me "I need to see my Jesus at the temple."
Father of the bride and father-in-law Calvin. This guy has been puking all night but he is still the most photogenic guy I know.
Elisabeth and Cami. My sister-in-law and niece. She let us stay in her daughter's room giving her and Mark little sleep, let me wash our puked clothing in her washing machine, feed us, gave me a quick tutorial on her photo editing software so I could have some ready for their slide show that night and in the end were some of the wedding weekend warrior viruses sickest victims. Thank you Mark, Elisabeth and Cami.
Did I tell you how the Freeman's can throw a do-it-yourself wedding and you would never know they didn't hire help. Here is Dave (Jake's brother if it wasn't obvious) as videographer. I player photographer. Lisa, a sister, did all the amazing food, for 150, while pregnant and sick. Doris (mother of the bride) as if she didn't have enough to do made an amazing wedding cake...picture to come later. Everyone contributed in some way helping with cleaning, decorating, cooking. Good work Big Team Freeman! They had another friend to a slide show and another DJ. It worked out so well.
DeeAnn and Drew Ensslin. Recently pronoucned husband and wife.

All seven siblings looking so good. Especially that first one.
Jacob, Lisa, David, DeeAnn, Joseph, Kirstin & Mark. I am so lucky to have so many great friends as in-laws. Not only are all the siblings people I love and admire, there are amazing and enjoyable spouses to go along with them.
Bride's maid pictures. DeeAnn has a lot of great friends. These four were her bride's maids.



These are two of my favorite shots I got.

Drew's mother had a lovely luncheon, none of which I got to see sadly. She did have these water bottles made. I love customised drinks!
Nothing like a little glamor on the farm.

My amazing mother-in-law and her cake skills. She always does the cakes for wedding and you would never know they weren't ordered.

Thanks to Jake, his job was harder than mine. Because I had a camera in my hand the entire day he had to corral two cranky and tired children. He missed the whole day really. Not to mention that we rarely saw each other the entire time we were there as we tried to divide and conquer two children who hadn't had a good night sleep of nap for days. That goofy grin is hiding an egg roll I believe.
Dee and Calvin at the reception.
Drew and DeeAnn's first dance. Dee had to have dancing at her wedding, so her mother painted the driveway to look like tile and strung lights.

There are so many more pictures I would love to share, but that is long enough. I can't wait for Dee to get back from Mexico so I can show them to her.
We left the next morning as early as we could get out and made it home around 10:00. It was a long drive, but we made it in under 13 hours so we'll consider that good time. Our home never seemed to nice, comfortable and clean, that is until I started cleaning out the car and doing the laundry.
We only regret not being able to stay for a few more days. Not being sick, with nothing to do and eating wedding reception leftovers with those you love sounds like much more fun than work and chores to Jake and I.

Here we go!

We are getting ready to go to Fresno for Jake's sisters wedding this afternoon. I remember in 2004, Jake and I flew to Fresno for Christmas for most of a week, and all we took were backpack carry ons. I have started collecting everything we need for our four day trip and it is getting ridiculous. Clothes, food, pack and plays and other baby equipment, toys, temple clothes, wedding clothes, wedding decorations, bottles, camera stuff, diapers. I hope there is room for us in there.

Sam doesn't mind rainy days one bit. this has nothing to do with the other picture. It was just on my camera and I like it a bit.

Summer Picnic Storyboard

What did Wednesday's this summer look like? Noon time picnics at a psuedo park near Jake's work. We use to try to go on picnics at real parks but Kate would never eat and we had to spend the whole time pushing her on the swings. So we found this grassy area complete with trees and picnic bench behind the county building just a block from Jake's office. Not only was there room for Kate to run around and play, and a table to eat at, nobody seemed to ever be using it and there was plenty of shade.

Kate loves roast beef from Arby's.... even though she calls it turkey. Arby's was often the picnic food of choice because Kate will eat it.
Here the family eats at the table they refinished, we like to think just for us. Jake knows some of the ladies that work at this office. I know they saw us out here each week. The table was old and needed some work, then we came one week and it was gone, then it reappeared the next week sanded and painted like new.
Samuel is there too, a fairly passive participant in the picnic.
Oh and there are sticks there too. She looks like quite the warrior with that blood (BBQ sauce mom failed to clean off her) all over her hands.
Kate loves to climb this tree.
Chatting with this guy mid day makes any day better.
Summer Picnic Wednesday you will be missed.

Motherhood

Normally I would agree with those that say "Being a mother is the hardest job". Sure there are days when I don't get even a lunch break from 20 straight hours of toddler and baby care. But then there are mornings like this morning. Samurai went down for a long nap while the Tatertot and I sat and watched PBS and picked all the M&M's out of the trail mix. Sure it was not my proudest hour as a mother. Sure Jake will get the Trail Mix out of the cupboard tonight to snack on and I will blame the candy thieving solely on little hands. Sure my daughter will be singing the theme song to "Super Readers" for the rest of the day. But sure it is nice to have an easy day....errr half day. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

Labor Day Weekend

Show me your Cougar shirts. Look at MOM!!! you kids are impossible.Really pulling for the Cougars!

Sad to see the summer come to an end- we PACKED our Labor Day weekend (unintentionally) with more than we could almost handle.
Swiss Days with Jake and the kids, Swiss Days Parade with Kate, More Swiss Days shopping with my sisters, Lunch at the Homestead with Grandma and ever aunt and female cousin I have, meeting old high school girl friends for some catching up, BYU first game of the season kickoff party, church, chores, dinner and games with friends from American Fork, errands, yard work, BBQ and games with Jake's sisters and spouses. WHEEW. Maybe we are ready for summer to be over.

Nicknames for Samuel- TOP TEN

You may remember this post where I set out to share with our family and friends the top ten nicknames we had for Kate. Well that post is getting our blog a lot of fame with more than 100 views a month from people google-ing for a nickname for Kate. Really people you are using google to find a nickname for someone you know named Kate..... isn't Kate kind of its own nickname??? don't nicknames just happen??? Apparently not.

I thought seeing as how Samuel is 6 months old now- it could be time for his TOP TEN.


1. Sam- well this is a no brainer. I actually call him Sam more than Samuel despite my best efforts to call him by what I named him
2. Sammy- this is primarily what Kate calls him. Makes sense Mommy, Daddy, Grammy, Sammy. I can remember not liking this originally- but I don't mind it now and use it myself sometimes
3. Chumby- this came from Chumba Wumba- which I called him which apparently means chubby. This is still one of my favorites. I think Kate thought this was Sam's name for a little while because I called him it so often.
4. Chubs- Again because he use to be fat- though he has slimmed down quite a bit. I like to sing this so the tune of "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas- "My Chubs, My Chubs, My lovely little Chubs"
5. Samurai- Another one of our favorites- well, because it sounds like he is a ninja fighter at just 6 months old
6. Samwell- morphage of Samuel with a spanish accent
7. Samson- well his name is Sam and he is my son. Plus he IS Jake's son so we can all guarantee he WILL be hairy.
8.Handsome. I always am saying "hi Handsome" is my high cute baby voice directed to Sam of course and Jake will chim in "Thank you".... and he thinks it is funny every time.
9. (Sad, Sleepy, Silly, Smiley) Sam- you can't go wrong will alliteration right? He use to be always Sad and Sleepy, but now he is all smiles.
10. Son- I know that this is not really a nickname, but we are always saying "HEY SON" in a deep tough voice. Plus we never said" hey daughter" to Kate, so I am going to go ahead and count Son as number ten.


* How could I forget BUDDY. Though we still call him buddy a few times a week at minimum, BUDDY is what he was called for the first two days of his life while we debated on a real name for him. Somehow buddy seemed a perfectly fitting term of endearment for an 8 lbs infant, not that we spent much though coming up with this nickname it just came . I am sure my first words to him almost were "Hi Buddy"
*Update on Kate's nicknames. Of the ten listed in her post we now use none of them.
New nicknames include. Tatie, Tatertot, and Sister.

1st Campout

Jake took Sam to his first father son camp out put on by the ward. At six months I would venture to say he may be the youngest child to ever attend. Okay so they didn't actually camp, they came home before it was time to go to sleep for the night so Sam didn't have to sleep in a tent on the ground. Apparently he loved it and laughed the whole time. Here the boys are ready to head out.

Tart Pops

I saw these "Pie Pops" here this week, and was sure they would be making their way through my kitchen (and into my mouth) by weeks end. I was right. Knowing me that is no surprise. I am a little hung up on creating desserts that look beautiful in addition to be delicious. We shared a few over lunch then some neighbors became the lucky recipients of the rest of my Tart Pops. I like the stick idea, although I think in the end, cookie size pies are pleasant in and of themselves. Wouldn't they make a perfect treat for an end of summer party perhaps piled in a large pie plate....or maybe in individual foil cupcake wrappers to look like a metal pie tin. Nothing says summer like food on a stick!

6 months old

Looking good at 6 months. Here is his report.


Sam will be 6 months old on Sunday. This time caring for a newborn to 6 month old has gone much faster.
Attitude: Samuel is our happy guy, always smiling hardly ever crying. I always say I use to think Kate was a good baby but then I had Sam.... who is much better.
Appearance :He has lost some of his chunk- and looks older for it. He is wearing 12 month clothes for the most part still though and that is because he is so tall. I think he is the handsomest thing ever. He has both Jake and my dimples- just like Kate, tons of muscle and a strange long pinky toe! He does have hair, it is just hard to see because it is sooo blonde. And we are all in love with his sad eyes!
Appetite: He loves to eat. So far is he has had rice cereal and oatmeal, apricots, sweet potatoes, pears, plums, apples and bananas. So far his favorite thing seems to be the banana "milkshakes" Jake makes him- a combo of water, rice cereal, formula and bananas.
Activity: He loves to play. He laughs at anything. Loves watching Kate and loves when she brings him all his toys... and I mean all his toys. He has found his voice. Jake and I always say that we are in trouble because he seems to be "talking" more than Kate did at this age... and we can't get her to be quiet even for 3o seconds. She literally talks from sun up to sun down. If Sam follows suite (and he seems to be so far) we are in for one LOUD house.
He seems to be a slower "mover" than Kate was. He can't sit up for more than a few seconds at this point, and is still a week or more from crawling. He does love to scoot though and no blanket can contain him these days. He has scooted across the entire living room just to get a toy.
At Night: He is a sporadic sleeper. Most nights 4 hours is as long as he will go, but then he will sleep for seven maybe once a week.

Straight A's for Sam. Obviously we think he is an A+


update: Here are his growth stats

Weight: 17.11 50%
Height 27.5 " 75%
Head 18.5 95%

See Kate Play

Everything is so much fun when you are two and your mom lets you go outside without shoes on

Clapping and calling the cat across the street to come and play.
Screaming just because we are outside and can.
Jumping. It took forever for Kate to learn how to jump. She has always had good large motor skills but jumping she just couldn't figure out until about two months ago. Thanks to my new camera :) I can actually catch her mid air.
Taking a minute to talk to Mom about the crane across the street.
Trying to out run her shadow... she did this for about ten minutes, along with calling her shadow a "bunny", because of the pigtails I think.
Looking at airplanes in the sky.
Laying down to look at a grasshopper
and that was all just in 15 minutes. What an adventure.

Sewing things for the Entourage

The kids have been sick the last day or two. Stuck inside I cleaned out my sewing box yesterday. There were tons of treasures and projects awaiting that I had forgotten about. Sam and Kate were the benefactors of my finds.Project 1: Sewing this tag blanket for Samuel. I started this when he was still in utero. I obviously had planned to have it complete more than 6 months ago. I have never made a blanket with silky tags before- seen it done though and gave it a try.
Project 2: Tie onesie. I have seen this idea all over the place lately. So I gave it a shot. I think I should have followed some directions, it doesn't look like the tie will hold up, but doing it gave me some great ideas of how I could make a different one out of one of Jake's old ties. Either way I am sure Sam will look like a stud in it.
Project 3: Kate and Samuel both got PJ pants. I had some nice gender neutral jungle print picked out but Kate didn't like it and wanted this balloon print. I told her we were going to make Pj's. She watched, with more excitement than I expected. Then when it was completed she wasn't too pleased. I think she thought I was going to make a hot air ballon.


Project 4: I made this doll for Kate out of scraps of old decorating material. She is loving it... which makes me hope it lasts a while.
You may ask "Crystal how do you get so much done in just one day's time?"... the answer you see below. Let your kids DESTROY the house. As you can see Kate has been "sewing" as well, meaning taking everything out of the sewing box and spreading it around the kitchen and living room.
I think I should go throug the sewing box more than once a year. Who knows what kind of goodies my kids will get.

Good Mom- Bad Mom

Yesterday we went to Provo to run some errands and then went out to eat. During dinner Kate starts throwing a tantrum refusing to eat and screaming "I want to go to temple" followed with "see Jesus, talk to him" over and over again. The fact that I could not control my two year old in a restaurant would normally indicate poor parenting on my part... but in this case I vote the content of her tantrum proves otherwise.

Worthy of a Laugh

First thing this morning the kids and I headed to the grocery store to pick up a few needed items. In front of us, and following a similar route through the aisles, just a random woman. She is in front of us again as we check out. I laugh to myself. I notice her crisp black slacks and wrinkle free button up shirt. I bet she doesn't even know what Spanx are let alone need them. She carries a matching handbag- no doubt chosen this morning to match her ensemble. The clacking of her pointed heels on the stores tile floor is the soothing oh so familiar sound of confidence. She is likely on her way to work. I bet she views herself as a busy woman. Pleased she fit her errand in before getting to work. She will cross it out of her day planner when she get to the office. In her cart, five or six items, ice cream, fruit, nothing for meal making. She probably eats all her weekend meals out with a significant other and at social get together, but only after she cleans her house Saturday morning -which takes all of thirty minutes.

I look at myself. My hair still wet from the shower. Cut off jeans and a t shirt, and flip flops that don't even match my clothing but were just the closest shoes to the door. I should have chosen shoes that could cover my horribly chipped toenail polish. In my cart (aside from two children) fruit, diapers, baby food, laundry soap, and an ingredient needed for tonight's dinner. I too am pleased that we made it to the store first thing in the morning, although I could easily fit the errand in anytime before two this afternoon. I don't even own a day planner anymore. My weekend plans include trying to get the lawn mowed... and maybe a nap. I am on a constant cycle of cleaning my house. I easily spend 90 minutes a day, but it still just meets my bare minimum standard for an appropriate looking household.

I don't usually compare myself to others- or at least I try not to. And of course I don't actual know this woman, but I think I once did. Standing near her this morning made me almost chuckle.... at myself. It is funny how much has changed in just three years. It seems like I barely left the work world. Now my feminine briefcase I use to pack for court is occasionally filled as a Sunday bag for little ones. No more important papers or case files, just left over fruit snacks and hand sanitizer. No in office ladders to climb, but we are clearly in no shortage of climbing around here.

I could compare the working me to the college me and likely find the same amount of what appear to be vast differences. Is it normal to change to much in so little time? Now that I have the life I always dreamed will the changing stop or at least slow down? In another three years will I run into a twenty something mother of two small children and have another laugh?

Of course there are things about this woman- or the woman I was three years ago, that I envy- but I am happy to accept sleepless nights because children are keeping me up than sleepless nights because I am stressed about work. I realize too that whatever I have lost in appearance or importance I have surely gained in heart. I am so grateful I could give up "Good Job" and getting things done, for " I love you mommy" and bed time stories.

Candid August

We went to a community party where there was face painting. There were 18 or so kids in line and the one lady was taking 25 minutes on each kid (really?) plus kids just kept cutting in front of us. I went up to the lady and asked if I could just use one of her brushes to but a little heart of my daughters face since we had been waiting so long and it would literally take me five seconds. She claimed for liability reasons she could not. I love when people use this one on me. Mostly because perhaps they don't realize I am married to a lawyer/ know a thing or to about the law/and thus realize there would be no liability here. People sure do like to use it as an excuse though..... so Kate did not get her face painted like she wanted. I painted her face for her later that night- like a bear as requested. (well my best attempt at a bear but she was pleased) It took 1 minute with eyeliner and eye shadow.
We decided to take the kids backyard camping last Friday. I am not brave enough to go real camping with little Sam yet. So we had everything planned- but then it was rainy, so we went living room camping instead. Kate loved it and spent most the evening moving all her belongings into the tent.
Amy, Kaylie and Jeff were up for a few days. Here Kate and her cousin read a book, apparently books about rainbows are surprising or scary.
Kate pulled this Winne-the-Pooh movie from a box of old things at my parents weeks ago. Jake lets her watch a movie every morning (well she wakes up at 6:00 every morning) and this has been her consistent choice for the past two weeks. She loves the song and is always going around saying "Tut Tut looks like Rain"

Family Zoo Trip

Lasts weekend we decided to take the kids to the zoo. The weather was suppose to be cool and we had not been for over a year. It is strange how we plan our free time around what we think would make our kids the happiest, I guess that is because there is nothing better than hearing Kate squeal in delight.
We let Kate ride the Merry- Go-Round. She took forever to decide what she wanted to ride and in the end decided on a ladybug.
I had brought some popcorn for Kate to munch on. Although she didn't really eat much of it- she would not let me carry it for her- hence most of our pictures she has it in her hands.
This tiger was one of Kate's favorite things. She sat and watched him for a while. He was sitting right next to the glass and eating. Although I can't understand why someone would devote their lives and career to animals (ie. zookeeping) I would agree that this tiger was beautiful.
I am not sure why Jake always gets stuck posing by the fake animals.
Kate and I check out the giraffe's.
Lisa decided to meet us there and hang out with us a the zoo. It is always nice to have her around- more arms to hold children equals more fun for everyone.
Samuel is always such a good trooper. He remained his content self even though he missed naps and wouldn't eat while at the zoo, and it was a little cold, not to mention he can't really see/ doesn't really care to see/ animals and had to sit in the stroller for half a day.

One of the funniest things about our zoo trip would be Kate talking about it for days before (Reference the post last week) when Kate was asking me to see different animals at the zoo. Through out the week she got stuck on camels- talking about camels, asking about camels, wanting to see camels eating- I have no idea why camels. We spent two hours at the zoo and it looked like it was wrapping up. We hadn't seen any camels. Then we just happened upon them as we were walking out. Kate is still talking about them now. Good think or she may have been disapointed.

So I think they both Can Dance:

Who is this Evan and where did he get my husbands genes/ facial expressions/ personality?
Have you followed SYTYCD this season? I hadn't. I flipped it on on Wednesday for a minute. Did you know Jake's secret twin was one of the front runners? Did anyone else notice this resemblance between Evan from "So You Think You Can Dance?" and Jake, other than me.And why did you not point it out to me sooner? The sad eyes, the way he doesn't move his lips much when he speaks and uses his eyebrows for emphasis when he talks. Their sweetness/ confident shyness. I swear this is what Jake looked like when I met him. He contests this opinion I have formed. I was going to blog about this on Wednesday, then I let it go. But today a friend made the same observation out of the blue. So my opinion was validated. Watch this movie... see what you think... you agree with me don't you?... isn't it ridiculous?



Don't let the goofy dancing moves throw you off. If you just watch the interview part. I wish I could find a picture of this Evan and a picture of Jake at 21 and put them side by side.... or put Jake's long blonde hair of his earlier years on a picture of Evan so I could really see the similarities.

Convo With Kate

These are two conversations Kate has had this morning.

Me: Would you like to go to the zoo on Saturday?
K: They have animals?
Me: Yes
K: They have an Owl?
Me: Yes
K: They have a giraffe?
Me: Yes
K: They have an elephant?
Me: Yes
K: They have a frog?
Me: Yes
K: Grammy has a frog too.
Me: You are right
K: We go to the zoo? Okay

I guess she only wants to see those four animals though

(Kate playing with Cola)
Kate to Cola: Come her pretty, come here sweety. (give her a ball). It is a ball. It is a present for you sister.

Picture Overload!

Our family pictures arrived today. I am so pleased.















I mentioned we had our family pictures taken a few weeks ago. They came in the mail today. I am drooling over my adorable kids. I am so blessed to have such terrific people in my little family. I just couldn't love them more.

My Chubs

For those of you who may be worried.... Samuel is a much BETTER eater than Kate. He is within 5 lbs of her weight already. If only stomach rolls were this cute on a 27 year old woman.

To My Most Loyal Reader

Here is a shout out to my most loyal reader (who also happens to be one of my favorite people too). I was thinking about you Grahms in Los Banos, CA and I thought I would leave a surprise for you here to make you smile since I know you look at our blog often. I hope you are feeling well today. We love and miss you!

Sun Valley

This past week Team Freeman spent in Sun Valley, Idaho for the Utah Bar Association Conference. Jake has to go do continuing education each year for his license. This conference is a great way to get a lot of it done in one chunk, plus his work pays for it. We use it as a free mini vacation. We would also likely never pick Sun Valley as a vacation spot. It is a super resorty town and a lot like Park City- which is 6 hours closer- so it is fun to explore and learn about a place we likely would not go to otherwise. Also since the conference is here every year we are learning what we like to do, where to stay and eat etc. Jake does have to attend classes until noon, but it is hard for the kids to be on the run all day anyway. The day before we left we celebrated my 27th birthday. I feel way to immature to be 27 already. (If you know me well you may be nodding your head at the last comment). For a celebration Jake made me my traditional super chocolate cake, we went out to eat and then shopping for a new Canon Rebel. It is great when you get a gift you have literally been wanting for the past four years! If you notice a massive increase in the amount of pictures posted from now on you will know what to attribute it too I guess. After the celebrating we packed our bags, bikes, and new camera and started the 6 hour drive to Sun Valley.

Kate hanging out at the condo. Jake's office rents us a condo for the conference. It was only one bedroom, but we found that there was plenty of room for us. Other than it being on the third floor, it was perfect. I was surpirsed how well we faired as a family of four in 500 square feet for the week. It was quaint, cozy, clean and had cable. I mention that only because Jake and I put the kids to bed one night, and instead of resting up for an exciting and eventful day, we stayed up way past bed time watching the cable and a show on TLC called "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant". It is hiliarious.
We are on vacation Kate- you don't have to clean! Ha Ha
Sam hanging out in our bed. I thought this was funny one day he just happened to match the bedspread he was sleeping on.
Outside the condo Kate plays in the stream. This was the closest thing I took to a landscape picture. That was silly since I had a new camera to try out and the valley is so beautiful. We had told Kate we were going to Idaho. She obviously doesn't understand what a state is, and thought that is what she should call the condo.
The kids in the bike trailer.
We didn't have the bicycle limo this year, but we had so much fun our first year in Sun Valley biking with Kate in the rented trailer that we purchased one shortly there after for ourselves. This was the most use the trailer has got since we bought it- and Sam's first outing in it. For the most part they did really well in it. It was fun to be able to ride over to the pool, or into town to eat. The entire town is bike friendly with paved trails that connect the resort and town so we biked almost everywhere we went.
We rented a paddle boat to stroll around the lake. We even saw a deer right on the shoreline.
This is what Samuel really thought about the boat ride. I think this picture is hilarious. He and I got dropped off on shore shortly after this. The hot sun and gigantic life vest were a little much for him.
There were horses in a pasture near the resort. We picked up some carrots on a trip to the market just for them. I think it was Kate's favorite part about Idaho. That and the hunting video game she just happened to see at a pizza place we ate at. In the game a Moose got shot. She kept saying over and over "Bambi runs and runs and falls down" It was very traumatic.
Collin in some unfamiliar footwear-
We stopped outside of Pocatello, ID to visit Jake's sister Kir, Roger and their 6 kids, and of course tour the amazing new home. Kate loved having cousins to play with, as well as some chickens and a pony to pet. Jake and I appreciated having a break from the road and the delicious pork chops they made us for dinner.
Exploring the features of my new camera-
Wheww what a long trip. It has taken me all Sunday just to unpack us and get the laundry done. I feel like I need two days just to get things back together after our vacation!

Finally A Family Picture

We had some family picture taken on Sunday by a wonderful old friend who now has a little photography business in addition to her many other skills and endeavors. Sadly she lives in the Boise area, so most of my readers will not be able to benefit for her talent. But we sure did! We haven't really had a family picture taken (and I refuse to count JC Penny's) since Jake and I were married. Ridiculous. I kept intending too, but it was always such a hassle. When Amy said she would be in town this weekend, I couldn't pass up the chance. She made is easy, and made us look great- which is surprising seeing as how Kate was literally the worst most un photogentic child I have ever seen her be- errr. I am so excited about the pictures I have seen so far, and can't wait to share even more with you. I am so pleased so the least I can do is try to push a little business her way. If you live near Boise and are looking for some pictures here is her link http://photographybyamylynn.blogspot.com/.

Side note
I have always loved Jake's smile. Is it because I am vain and we have the exact same smile. In this picture I can't believe how much we look alike- especially in the mouth. HA!

A Comparison

I took these pictures of Samuel this morning. Then some other pictures came to mind. Some I took of Kate that were my favorite from July 2007. In this pictures Sam is about a month older than Kate was when the pictures were taken, and in the smiling and turned picture they look similar but the others they don't.

Brother and Sister.

I am so excited about the bond I hope these two will have. Moments like this make me think it is possible.

4th of July- Celebrate!

Happy 4th. I love July. Love, Love, Love! It is like a month long celebration and vacation starting with the 4th of July. We spent most the day preparing for Scout Camp, but headed to a party at the park. Later it was off to my parents for a BBQ, campfire and fireworks.If you think these are the best looking boys you have ever seen- you are right.

Why is it tradition for everyone to wear patriotic colors on the 4th? I have my family do it too and don't they all look so happy about it.
We took the kids to the old fashioned 4th at the Main Street Park. I am not sure what we expected. Turns out "old fashioned" means "no effort- little fun". Especially since they were charging for everything (really $2 for a balloon?). We spent most the time letting Kate play at the park.

While Kate played on the swings with Dad, I played dress Sam up and take some more fun 4th of July pictures.
Kate and I with sparklers. Kate tried to blow them out and sang Happy Birthday.
Kate hanging out with Ali. I was a little worried about Kate burning herself on the fire or fireworks, so she was always being held.

Kate watching fireworks with Grandpa. Where was Sam during the festivities. He was asleep. I put him down around 7:30 and he slept until 10:00 when we left. Then I put him back to sleep when we got home and he slept until 6:00 am. I hope he keeps that up while I am on my own this week.

To Grandma's House we go.

Kate checks out the frog I caught for her so play withtrying out a tricycle

Samuel's first trip to the farm. He seemed to enjoy it- especially with his handy hand along for sucking on. He seriously can't leave his hands out of his mouth for two minutes.We weren't use to the central valley heat. Sam spent much of the time like this.
Swimming with Cousin Cami, Grandma and Jake


We spent a quick weekend at Jake's parents. We left Friday after work and drove through the night swearing we would never drive through the night again. We were exhausted. Luckily the Freeman Farm has all things entertaining to a 2 year old so it didn't take a lot of energy to keep her happy. Kate couldn't get enough of the cousins, dog, bikes, picking fruit, frogs and , trampoline, swimming, swings, and basement full of toys. It was wonderful as always to see Jake's parents, and two of his brothers and their families, these two families alone have four girls 5 and under and the perfect playmates for Kate. Church here was interesting as always (they have a ward of hardly 50 people). Not only do we pray, play the piano, talk or teach often when we come, Kate was the only kid in the nursery older than 18 months. That is right, they let babies come to nursery since otherwise there would be nobody in there- ha ha . It is such a wonderful ward though really. We headed home Monday afternoon. It was over 100 in Frenso when we left, driving mid desert, mid day with the air conditioner full blast we should have only expected what happened next. The car died, going up a hill. That is right- almost to Death Valley, at 4:00 in the afternoon. Stuck on the side of the road, Jake got out to see what he could do. The car heated up in seconds, and with two small children in the back we were sure dehydration and heat stroke was only minutes away.I did my best to keep them comfortable as I forced them to drink the luke warm water we had brought along. With some hope and a prayer, we were able to get the car started and going (although slowly with the heater on) until we could get to the nearest town about 20 miles away. We decided to let the car rest and hang out at Jack in the box until the sun went down and our car had cooled. Apparently our kids were the cutest things that town had ever seen, as eating our burger they seemed to draw a crowd of fans. When we got back in the car it seemed to have no trouble. We did pass a thermometer as we left around 9:00 at night that read 103 degrees. Putting our guess of what we were stranded in at around 112 or higher. I know there are a lot worse things that could have occured on our trip, and we are almost laughing now, but it was very miserable at the time for sure. We pulled into our house around 6:00 am. The sun was coming up, we were exhausted and seeing that is was already morning made me depressed. Thankfully the kids slept for about two more hours or so and we got a little sleep, especially Jake who had to be at work at 8:00. I am looking forward to cleaning out the car, doing the laundry and other chores so I can nap with the kids this afternoon. It feels good to be home.

Seriously So Blessed

Have you heard of this blog?
Seriously So Blessed.

A spoof on the cultural phenom that is Mormon Mommy Bloggers.
She is making fun of ME
She is making even more fun of YOU
She couldn't be more accurate
And I laughed so hard I cried last night reading her posts.

Cute Pictures of Cute Kids

I finally got this in a picture- this is such a classic Samuel smile.
Playing outside in the water- finally a sunny day!
Wants to do it himself

Samuel tries rice cereal. Mmmmmm- not so good huh?

Summer Time

It has been awhile since I last posted (for me anyway). We haven't really been that busy. We've been painting the downstairs, doing yard work, seeing friends and family, enjoying the kids- the usual stuff. One thing I haven't been doing is laundry. I can't remember a time I had so much laundry to do. Around 12 loads or so. It seems to daunting. Instead of doing laundry- I have been reading a lot again. I am almost done with my third book for the week. With nothing good on the tely in the summer I seem to just consume books. Here is a mini review.
1. Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers. Roach.- A strange informative read. A history of death and burial mostly. Not what I expected- but perfectly dark for the morbid part of my psyche. 3 stars
2. Austenland. Hale.- The closest thing to a romance I have ever read. A successful LDS author always peaks my interest but her storyline failed to do so. 3 stars
3. The Last Lecture. Pausch.- Promises to change your life, and only slightly falls short of its promises. Any book that brings real tears to my eyes repeatedly deserves 5 stars.

Project Prepared Part 3

Disaster Survival Kit and contents

Project 3 is a 72 hour kid- or really a natural disaster survival kit. I used the space for other things instead of putting all the diapers and clothes we would need for 72 hours because I have an emergency diaper bag for the kids in my car at all times with wipes, diapers, socks, clothes, drinks and kid food. I also have blankets, the first aid kit, and flares in my car as well instead of in this kit.

I had made us a 72 hour kit a few years ago when Hurricane Katrina came. At the time I was not working and had all day to watch the news coverage. It prompted me to make the 1st version of this which we kept next to our front door. We wanted to be ready- but mostly because we had no choice- our house was very small after all. I packaged everything in this great soft backpacking backpack I purchase from Out N Back before I went to China. It works perfectly and cost me $25 at one of their super sales. I like the large backpack for storing everything in because although it is heavy- it is the most portable it could be.

I decided to re-evaluate the kit and our needs in my current preparedness obsession. Then we were two healthy hardly twenty year olds who could have likely survived without shelter or food for three days regardless of the kit. Now we have to small children. I had a ton of stuff already- including all the first aid stuff and most the disaster supplies, but I added a few new things- mostly kid stuff, and all new food since the other stuff had all expired. This ended up costing me more than the other projects so far. About $100 and about two hours of time. I think if you had to start from scratch the project would take double the money and time.
All the items barely fit inside the backpack. I just used freezer bags to pack everything and keep it water proof. I talked about adding a survival guide and Jake came back with some comment about how he is a scout. It is true that now we have all the supplies and as long as Scoutmaster Jake is with me I think I will feel very capable of survival.

Resources
http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html
http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,8033-1,00.html

Food and Cooking
One Mess Kit
Plastic spoons
dish soap
1 gal water
dehydrated apples
Large Beef jerky
3 sevings instant pasta
Large Trail Mix
3 pediasure ready made drinks
6 servings dehydrated chili
6 serving dehydrated soup
6 servings instant oatmeal
4 servings hot chocolate
2 cans soup
crystal light packet- for water flavoring
water purification tablets aprox 4 quarts (should get some more)
I would also like to get some high calorie energy bars

Personal Hygiene
sunscreen
bug repellent
contact case and solution
razor
shampoo
hand soap
lotion
chapstick
toothbrushes and paste
hair bands
comb
maxi pads
nursing pads
diapers and wipes for both kids
Lysol spray
toilet paper
Clorox wipes
Germ- x

First Aid
packet distilled water
80 band aids various sizes
8 gauze dressings
large wound dressing
6 butterfly band aids
20 alcohol prep pads
20 antiseptic towelettes
3 iodine prep pads
3 insect relief pads
tape
4 finger splints
splinter removers
neosporin
blistex
4 doses antacid
3 electrolyte tablets
4 non aspirin tablets
instant cold pack
q-tips
10 latex gloves
tweezers
scissors
blessing oil
first aid guide
thermometer
super glue
respirator masks
sting/bite relief stick
Most of this came in a ready made kit I purchased, I am debating whether or not I should take it out and give the space to something else, since I have an even better kit in my car already.
I should probably add some infant fever reducer too

Disaster Supplies
firestart
lighter
6 boxes of matches
leather work gloves
collapsible shovel
compass
magnifying glass
whistle
leatherman
8 glow light sticks
reflective tape
duct tape
citronella candles
two flashlights battery operated
4 D batteries 8 AA batteries
crank flashlight
4 rain ponchos
4 emergency blankets
50 ft poly cord
pocket knife
pen
paper
trash bags
tarp
I haven't been able to find a crank radio so I ordered this one from Amazon today.

Comfort Items
money- bills and quarters
Book of Mormon
Playing Cards
Bubbles
Small stuffed animals
crayons
candies
hot wheels cars
army men
toy whistle

Again if you have any ideas for something you think I left out leave a comment.



Closer Look 72 hour kit contents

Project Prepared Part 2

Being motivated by my church group I have been making great strides in preparing my home and family for anything. Perhaps you remember this post: http://jakeandcrystal.blogspot.com/2009/04/project-prepared.html- then you are familiar with what I am talking about and why it is again midnight while I type this. I have felt a new weight of responsibility in protecting and preparing my family lately. Perhaps it is because my family has grown recently. Tonight the project was first aid. Although I am still anxious to take a refresher CERT class at least having and organizing all the supplies to respond in an emergency makes me feel a bit more ready.

Tonight I made two car first aid kit and a large one for our home. I had most all of this stuff already in my home- just not organized. I did purchase a few things totaling under $30. It took me a total of 1.5 hours- which includes a trip to the store. I am starting to see that it really does not take that much time or money to prepare ever needful thing.

Car Kits
Tupperware container- red of course
infant tylenol- I seem to always buy when we still have 1/3 a bottle left- all the car needs
IBuprofen
Benadryl
tweezers
latex gloves
gauze
tape
bandaids of all sizes
ace bandaid
tums
alcohol wipes
alka seltzer
iodine wipes
germ x wipes
saftey pins
Immodium
vaseline
neosporin wipes
maxi- pads -use to stop bleeding from large cuts as well
Tic Tacs- diabetics or keeping kids quiet in an emergency
Lighter
Fingernail clippers
super glue
Benadryl cream
eye drops
Emergency/ contact phone numbers
Basic first aid fact sheet
Allergy/ medication family information
I am still hoping to get some kinds of sting kit for the car kit as well

For our home first aid kid-
I had this great red cooler that we just don't use that often- perfect. I zips shut- where I could easily put a combo lock through it to make it more child proof. For now I just have it on the top shelf on the linen closet with a child proof handle
I went through our medicine cabinet and threw away everything that was expired- half of what was in there was
What was included
Infant fever reducer
children fever reducer
Ibuprofen
children's bendadryl
rubbing alcohol
hydrogen peroxide
cotton
ear thermometer
traditional thermometer- I had four. I guess I never need to buy another one
Immodium
Children's immodium
Pepto
Children's Pepto
bandaids of all sizes
ace bandaids
gauze
tape
super glue
icy hot
hot pack
surgical masks
latex gloves
eye drops
Tums
Vaseline
milk of magnesia
cold medicine
night time cold medicine
pain antiseptic
cold sore medicine
Tucks
Itch Cream
Cold Compress
Large Neosporin
Emergency/ contact phone numbers
Basic first aid fact sheet
Allergy/ medication family information
I am still also hoping to get an epi pen and/or sting kit

I also went online and ordered some more surgical masks and am going to get some more gloves since I only had a few of each. Knowing me the next time I am at the store I will make a quick sweep of the pharmacy to see what else I am lacking.
If you have an idea of things I should add- based on experience or need leave a comment.

Car First Aid Kit contents picture
Home First Aid Kit Contents

family scrapbook stuff

Hey Little Sister

My youngest sibling Ali graduated this past weekend. We are so proud of her. We had a lot of fun with her this year as she stayed with us off and on while my parents were gone. She is awesome. She seriously rocks. She let me take her graduation pictures which was really fun. I know she will love Utah State next year. Congrats Ali!

I could look at these all day

I am using my blog to upload straight into a scrapbook now. Instead of printing any pictures. So you will likely see more pictures than usual for a while on my blog. I realize that not everyone has the same fascination with my children that I do.

A little media review

I've been reading and watching and listening to a lot lately, and enjoying it a lot. I thought I would leave a review for my readers.

Movies
Doubt- 3 stars. Beautiful with intense actors, but the plot had me expecting a big finish and then it let me down.
Australia- 5 stars. You know me and anything based on fact. I don't even usually like Kidman.
Twilight- 2 stars. Visually pleasing, but darker than expected, The cannibalism really bothered me strangely when Silence of the Lambs it one of my all time favorites.

Books
To kill a Mockingbird. 4 stars. I have read this before, but we listened to it on our AZ drive and I loved it this time. Such a part of our culture.
The Hobbit. 3 stars. Not my cup of tea fantasy.
The Hiding Place. 5 stars. Not just another WWII autobiography.

Just the two of us.

Jake and I don't have a picture of just the two of us since last August- almost one year ago. Funny enough that too is a snapshot we took of ourselves. Yesterday when I was taking picts of the kids all ready for church I had us snap a shot since it has been almost a year. I thought it was nice too because Jake subconsciously matches whatever I am wearing all the time. Looking at this picture I think it is so true that the longer you live with someone the more you look alike.

Chumby

Chumby is pretty sure this muscle tee is going to impress the ladies at church today.

On the Stranger Side of Springville

I have mentioned before how I have a tracker on my blog. It is always interesting to see where my traffic comes from. For instance, I get a lot of traffic for people searching for nicknames for Kate and all variations of the name. I get a lot of traffic from people googling my husband's name. ( He has a stalker as well I guess or someone of his name sake). And I don't care who looks at our lives, who marvels and the lighthearted things I have to say each day. That is what it is there for after all.
Recently I updated my tracker and found that I have a lot more friends in Springville Utah than I thought. Or one very interested one. Every four to six hours it seems on most days some one from Springville or Utah County (Springville could just be where the server is located) logs on. They are direct traffic, meaning they are not hopping to me from their own or another blog. They are usuing a Mac as well. But that is all I can tell. It is a little strange to me to think that I could possibly be that interesting. After all, I don't even post everyday, but they look sometimes up to four times in one day. And they don't hop off most of the time to other blogs either- I mean they are not usuing my blog as a menu for their blog viewing or something like that.
Does this sound like you? Is it you? Maybe you just aren't aquainted with the feed feature blogger provides? Maybe somebody should show you google reader? Maybe you should leave a comment so I am not so weirded out, or a personal email if you prefer to be discret.

AHHHHHH

More coloring

It is amazing how Kate's drawing is coming. She is barely two. This is a picture of her and a picture of Dad. Jake and I laughed at how mean he looks. But she even picks the right colors now for hair and lips.

Phoneix and the Carpenters

Our family had the opportunity to visit Amy and Jeff and Kaylie this long Memorial Day Weekend. We enjoyed so many things about our trip. We left home in the afternoon hoping that with afternoon naps and bedtime that the kids would sleep most the time there and we were right. Except for a 45 stop for running around and dinner we didn't have to stop except for gas one other time. Jake and I really enjoyed the road trip. We stocked the car with treats and drinks, and a few books on tape. Now that we often seem to have to travel 12 or more hours to visit family we try to have the philosphy to make the journey part of the trip as well. It was our first time driving through Kanab/ Page area and we thought it was one of the most beautiful parts of the country we couldn't believe was only a few hours away. We listened to "To Kill a Mocking Bird" and "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families" as books on tape since I don't have a CD player in my car. And it seems we always spend at least a little time while we are on a road trip talking about how things are going for our family and making new goals the make us even stronger as a family unit. In the end road trips always give me time to think and a small sence of renewal. Of course I usually only drive 1/8 of the time so perhaps Jake doesn't fell as positive about the driving as I do.
One thing that was really fun for me, was that even though Amy and I constantly talk to one another, seeing her life and home in Arizona was still different than I had imagined it. They have a beautiful home with a pool in the backyard and Amy is both a wonderful decorator and hostess. She has been in her home for less than 6 months and it still looks more put together than mine that I have lived in for 2.5 years. She also kept us well fed with tons of wonderful meals. Jake enjoyed golfing at the Truen North course with Jeff- his first golfing of the year where what amazed him most were the hundreds of bunnies roaming the course. And we had as many chances as we wanted to get Kate to swim. I had purchased Kate some new water wings before the trip and been talking about a swimming pool for days to get her excited. When we got there however not only did she think that water wings were what a swimming pool is, she screamed when we put her in the water. Three days later she was warmer to the idea, but still did not want to get in. This was strange to us since she has always loved the pool in Kamas. Their one year old however is going to be the next Michael Phelps. We spent time eating out, watching movies, at the awesome children's museum geared for kids under five and just relaxing. Just being away from the house is a vacation. I didn't think about cleaning or yard work or life.
We also had the chance to visit Jake's brother Joe and all four of his kids. He lives about 30 minutes from Amy, and it is always nice to get more than one visiting done on a trip. His children are growing up quickly and it was fun to see them if only for an evening.
We thought the Phoenix area seemed a wonderful place to live except for it was only May and I was melting. In fact I am pretty sure Kate had a mild case of heat stoke on Sunday until we pumped her full of popciles and gatorade. Here are some pictures from the trip.
The had an awesome noodle forest. Kate couldn't get enough of it.
Kate crawling through a play area at the museum
Kate and Kaylie painting the house at the museum
Sam slept most of the time at the museum but was happy when he woke up
Sam ready for swimming though he never got in.
Kate would point at pool toys and shout " a swimming poo"

Our sad Sam. He is actually laughing and smiling a lot now, but his normal face is this sad or a serious one. I think he is happy though his face doesn't show it. If he looks huge in the picture that is because he is. He is already in some 9 month clothing. I think he looks like a rugby player today with that shirt and those cheeks.

Here is a picture of the finished floor. Wheeew. Last night after I finished sealing and cleaning it I asked Jake if he thought it was worth all the money and all the work and all the hours and all the stress. He was quick to answer "no". Regardless of that, it is done now and we can just enjoy the kitchen. We added a few finishing touches too like the new light and handles for the cabinets. I am now looking for some new accessories- I am thinking burnt orange, to spruce up just that much more.

One Saturday Morn

Hanging out with the family, Kate ate spagetti for lunch and loved it. And she wasn't trying to get messy, she just ended up this way.

* I wanted to add that Kate has been eating this left over pasta ever since. Except that Kate has a book about opossums. When ever I say "pasta" she thinks I am saying "opossums". She goes to the fridge and asks for "opossums", then recites a line from the book "friendly opossums hanging in the trees" . I see how she could confuse these words, what disturbs me is that she has no qualms about eating opossums, her fuzzy friends.

Funny Little Things

I was talking to a dear friend on the phone this week and she asked for a funny thing Kate has said or done lately. I know there are several everyday, but I drew a blank and couldn't think of anything. I resolve to write down more of these funny things, and of course share them here.

Today
k: Kate is happy
me: Kate is happy?
k:No Mommy happy, Kate is pretty.

Jake tore up the floor in the entry way to start the tile work there. Kate started to get upset yelling "time out, time out". She normally has time out in the corner of this entry way and she was worried that time out was going away. Then Jake laid down the new sub floor. Kate went over to it, danced on it and said "cute floor"

Bedtime
me: tell me about playing with Cola today
k: play green ball
me: yes and what else
k: and bowling balls (kate has been talking about bowling since we took her a few weeks ago)
me: what about bowling?
k: and sour cream

what her thought process was there I have no idea.

Guess who slept last night from 10:00 pm until 5:59 am. He is a little sick, but here is to hoping that is not a fluke. We can't even get the Katerade to sleep this long sometimes. Go Chumby!
Here is a sneak peek at the nightmare that has eventually turned into a kitchen floor. For those of you who haven't heard me already complain, we decided to re do the kitchen. Coming soon (hopefully) is a full picture before and after. We have been working on this floor for weeks now. And I feel pretty bad about it because when I say "we" decided to re do the kitchen floor, I mean "I". Jake tried to convince me to buy new furniture instead with some of the money we have been saving to put towards the house... and I picked new floor.
I say it was a nightmare because nothing worked out, we had to put in new sub flooring, than when we were almost done with laying the whole tiles our cement didn't adhere and we had to start all over. Me and the kids even went and stayed at my parents for a few days because the stress and dust was making me sick. We were able to finish the dinning room and kitchen.... we still have three more rooms to go, but at least I have appliances in the kitchen and not the living room again. I am sure I will make a great dinner to celebrate the fact that I can make dinner again. We are getting pretty tired of sandwiches and hot pockets.
Also a note, that my husband is not only a handyman genius who can fix or build anything I dream up, but he somehow stayed happy and positive the entire time.

You Must Be the Oldest!

I do have a love for organizing but it is something I did not enjoy until adulthood. My daughter however, is obviously the true oldest child in our family and takes after her Aunt Amy ( I remember some story about pencils lined up in a desk). I often come to an area Kate has been playing to find something like this. Today she was particularly particular about having all of her toys categorized, and lined up. I just hope all this cleaning and organizing sticks around till she is at least ten or so.

Wellness Checks

I took both Kate and Samuel in for Wellness Checks today. Note to self- don't ever schedule both children for appointments at the same time without knowing for sure that Jake can come too. He would have easily been able to come normally, except he goes to trial maybe five times a year, and today just happened to be one of them. Just my luck. I got to wrestle two naked, apprehensive children in a pediatrician's office. (Pediatrician's office is code for germ loaded hot zone). The office we go to is a great practice, but you just know sick kids have been there. No amount of hand sanitizer can keep Kate germ free. Especially when she lays her face on the floor while I am holding Sam for his shots and can do nothing to stop her. The OCD in me is about to vomit just thinking about it. We made it out successfully in the end. It only took 75 minutes. My favorite thing is how the pediatrician gives you all sorts of advice about parenting unsolicited. Not really though. There is part of me that does enjoy taking the kids in however. It is the confirmation that my kids really are as smart and ahead of the game as I think they are. They got a "perfect as can be" from the kid experts minus some weight concerns for Kate (no shocker there). Also the confirmation that my daughter's toenails will someday grow in a manner that is not alien looking. It is also commicle to see my children are night and day difference. In size I mean, not just in that Sam screamed bloody murder when he got his shots and Kate ( at that age) hardly made a peep.

Kate 2 year stats
22 lbs 5%
32.5 in 25% putting her final growth potential at 5ft 3 inches- that sounds about right
19.5 in head - 90% looking more like a Freeman every day

Samuel's 2 month stats
13.6 lb 75% I thought he was a little more "chumby" that this
25 in 95% I am sure this "tallness" will decrease like Kate's did. She was in the 90% forever and now look at her.
16 in head- 50%

H1N1.... it is coming, I told you so

When I was in the 7th grade I saw the movie Outbreak. It became my favorite film. Then I read the Hot Zone around that same time, and I became interested in being an epidemiologist. What 12 year old knows what an epidemiologist is anyways? Somewhere inside of me this interests has remained, only to be rediscovered this week as the media pours out information about the swine flu. I think it is a lot of the worrier in me as well, that has me knowing the latest and most up to date info about the pandemic.

Here is a great link to track it. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147716.php
Here is another interesting map to see what other possible outbreaks are in your area.
http://healthmap.org/en
If you are somehow living in a bubble and don't know what I am talking about. Link here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza

Yesterday I went to Wal-mart to make sure we had everything the CDC recommends you have in your home in case the swine flu comes to your area. Here is that link http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/checklist.html .
I must admit, I am a little wary even though I am most likely more informed and more prepared than anyone else in town.
I am all for a stay-at-home government sponsored week starting Monday to prevent further spreading of the illness... not to mention that would mean Jake wouldn't have to go to work and could finish the kitchen remodel.:)

Kate's Family

Today Kate and I were coloring as we are bound to do each and every single day. She often asks me to draw things and dictates how they should be drawn. She will say what I am to draw, and then something like " and eyes... and nose... and hair" until she is satisfied with the final product. Today she started talking and dictating her family. Here is what she came up with.
"Daddy Jake", "Mommy Crysa", "Kate", "Baby Sam", "Grandpas"," Grammy", "Ali", "Amy", "Kaylie Baby", "Cola" with a "bone", "home", and then "Ariel"... yes the Little Mermaid. She even dictated that she have a green tail. I think the princess obsession has gone too far. She hasn't even watched that movie in a month I think. Whatever.

New Pictures

Sam is not too thrilled with a kiss from sis.

This is My Life.... and I like it.

This is the ultimate in "happy mom" blogging. My life is not always perfect, and I am far from it, but sometimes you just have days that pass and you can't think of anything that would make you happier despite the small upsets. Here is my day

6:45 am: wake up-feed Sam
7:00 am: shower, actually have time to dry hair, dress and make bed before Kate wakes
7:30 am: breakfast for Kate, laundry
8:00 am: bath the kids, feed Sam again
8:30 am: grocery's at Smiths- manage to spend under $100 for the week for the fourth week in a row. Kate has a meltdown in aisle 12 because I want her to sit down in the cart. She refuses so I make her walk, she runs away, I chase her down with cart in tow because Sam is in it still. Take all the groceries out, put Sam in the main part, buckle Kate in the top. Squish groceries around the kids. She cries for five minutes in the diary section. Some older woman tells me she is beautiful. Forgot three things because of all the crying.
9:30 am: feed Sam, 2nd load of laundry, clean kitchen
10:30 am: play date at the park. Visit with two great girls from the ward, notice Kate only plays with boys, sunburn my arms because we stay longer than expected. Kate eats picnic lunch with out argument.
12:00- visit with Jake who is home for lunch- discuss tile for the 8th time
12:30- 3rd load of laundry
1:00- feed Sam, mow lawns while Kate colors with chalk
2:00- put Kate down for nap- goes down without a fight after I sing Pinochio 8 times. Read 1 chapter in The Hobbit for book club. Its all a little "magical" for me.
2:30 pm: shovel dog poop from back yard. Play with dog- she is so neglected
2:50 pm: call Diamond Rental to rent a Jam Saw- chat with Jake on gmail
3:00 pm: Real estate agent calls "Can I show the house in 30 minutes?" - Clean house. Sweep, Mop, Vaccum, Beds, Showers, I am an amazing cleaner. Throw everything on the counters in the dryer to hide the mess
3:30 pm: wake Kate up, put kids in car, drive to Mom's to stall while the house is being shown.
5:00 pm: return home, make quick dinner. Kate throws a fit about coloring crayons. Jake pretends to throw them all away.
6:00 pm- Drop Kate off with Ali- When we took her on Sat. she threw a huge fit and I couldn't think straight.
6:45 pm: Realize I forgot the 10% off coupon. Drop Jake off at Home Depot- go home, get the coupon, return to Park City, feed Sam in car
8:00 pm: Pick out tile for the laundry, bath, entry, dinning and kitchen. Good luck Jake we are going to Phoenix this weekend.
8:30 pm: Realize after all that I forgot coupon in the car
9:00 pm: Have four gallons of paint mixed for the downstairs. Feeling ambitions
9:15 pm: Save $40 with coupon, glad I went all the way home to get it.
9:30 pm: Drive to get Kate. Jake and I have twenty minutes of uninterupted adult conversations on the ride home!
10:00 pm: Pick up Kate, get a summary about American Idol from Ali, come home, put kids to bed
10:30 pm: Clean up after dinner
11:00 pm: Decide to organize media cabinet- Wow we have a lot of music we NEVER listen too
12:15 pm: Finally go to bed.

It is funny that such a simple day could make me so happy. Tired... but Happy.

Hilarious Kate!

Kate makes me laugh everyday lately because of the things she understands and says.
I just pulled some brownies from the oven and she started singing Happy Birthday (no Kate you don't sing for every cake. Other things she has said this week that amaze me include....
"Mom, put more corn on the plate" yes she uses 'the' now, and
" He close his eyes cuz he's tired"... what are you five?
Another one is "he crying I poked his eyes". Well she understands that if you poke the baby in the eyes he cries...unfortunately she doesn't see the problem with this cause and effect.

Project Prepared

The ward that I live in is obsessed with Emergency Preparedness! Not that it is not a worthy cause.... they are just a little overboard, like learning to spin your own wool....ekkk! I think I would cut up my couch cushions to make clothing before learning to make a sweater from a sheep. Anyway each month the enrichment focuses on one piece of being prepared. Yesterday was on gathering and securing important documents. I came home and didn't think much of it. But apparently all the talk of crisis got me thinking, and when I get thinking I can't sleep due to small anxiety attacks. My mind would wander to an almost dream sleep, where my children were being abducted, quarantined, or our home was burning in a fire. So I started this project around 11:00 last night and am almost finished as I write this, except for a few loose ends. It took me about $50 and six hours, but the piece of mind I think it will bring was well worth it.
I am posting this partly for Amy, because she was interested in what I have been doing all day, partly for my Mom who wants to tackle the project with her ward, and anyone else who is interested. Might I suggest you do it for your family members sanity even.... I have been on the not to fortunate end of trying to handle emergencies in my family while my parents are out of the country.... lets just say almost every time they go out of the country, and I have spent hours searching their den trying to find insurance and medical information. In the end this information will be quick and easy for you to find, safe, and helpful to family members who may try to assist you in an emergency.

What you will need to start
2 4-5"" three ring binders
ABout 200- clear sheet protectors
20-30 dividers
CD's, DVD's or flashdrives with lost of space
Access to Copy Machine

What to gather

Contact
A contact list of friends and family, addresses, and phone numbers (copy your cell phone book)
Emergency contacts- a second list labeled as Emergency contact with who should be contacted in an Emergecny and your Doctor's etc.
Don't forget to add and label your bishop and R.S. President

Family ID
Indiviual Family Member info
Current pictures of each family member
Child ID, DNA and fingerprints
Adoption papers
Birth Certificates
Marriage certificate
Drivers License
Military Record
Passport
Social Security Cards

Auto and Rec Vehicles
Auto Policy, Insurance Card, Registration
Auto Loan Documents
Copy of Title or Leases

Church:
Important Church Certificates
Blessing certificate
Marriage certificate
Patriachial Blessing
Baptizm and Priesthood ordination info

Employment/ School
Diplomas
Resume and reference sheet
Employment Info and Contacts
Professional Licenses
Retirement Pension, Profit Sharin Plan
Wage Statement/ paycheck stub
Social Security Annual Statement

Estate Planning
Advanced Directive
Power of Attorney for Health Care
Financial Power of Attorney
Living Trust and Will
Final Instructions
Documentation of prepaid fees fo cemetery and funeral home

Financial
Bank Name, Account Number, deposit slip
Credit Card, Debit card be sure to write the customer service # on the copy
Investments- stock certificates, bonds, CD's IRA's
Mutual Funds, Money Markets
Safe Deposit box # and location and list of contents
Tax Returns for last 3 years
Book of Checks

Housing
Appraisal
Mortgage Statement
Deeds
Home Insurance and Coverage Info
Property Tax Bill
Land survey and Title Polity
Home Inventory (video, photo or list)
Receipts and Warranty of Expensive Items

Insurance
Disability Insurance
Life Insurance Policy
Long Term Care Insurance
Travel Insurance

Medical
Doctors, Hospital, and Vet contacts
Dental Records
Immunization Records
Prescription list including eyeglasses
allergies information
Copy of Health Insurance policy and cards
Pet vaccinations and license

Keepsake
Photo''s and home movies backed up on Disc
Important files from computer backed up on Disc

What to do
The process after the gathering is easy.
Copy everything (some things like credit cards, car registration, things you have to have in a wallet of car make two copies of)
Put all the copies in one binder
Put all the originals plus the copies of things you can't have in a binder in the other.
Put the "originals" binder in a safe deposit box or fire safe combonation lock box
Put the other somewhere in your home and tell key family members or a close neighbor where it is. I made my binder red so it is easy to find.

I can't say that I am great at tackling the food storage projects of emergency preparedness, I do all right I guess. This project was much more manageable for me. Something I could almost completely accomplish in one day. We previously had things in two different places in the house, and in a file cabinet mixed in with other not so important things. It feels good knowing that everything is safe and organized. Oh how I do love thing organized after all. I hope this post is helpful to you.

Is it Spring Yet?

We finally got to go outside today, it was above 50 degrees. Kate enjoyed coloring with chalk on the driveway, watching a cat across the street and just kicking back.


Easter Sunday- obviously- we haven't even put our candy eggs down from the Easter baskets in the morning.

Ilove Sam's reaction to his Easter Basket... well who knows what he was reacting to but the face is great either way. Everyone said he looked cute in his Easter sports coat.... I think he looks like a used car salesman.

More Birthday Girl

To start the day Kate and I made her cake together. I know it may sound mean making someone make their own birthday cake, but Kate loved it- especially when I let her pour on an entire three dollar bottle of chocolate sprinkles. Mmmmm doesn't it look delicious. She was pretty excited about the cake- well the sprinkles. Then we went with Jake to "Choo Choo Lunch" according to Kate. She has only been to Dairy Keen maybe five times in her life, but has caught on that they have trains there. It is a train themed burger joint where an electric train drives around, and there are trains to ride and play with. Then we went to the library, read books and checked out new ones. In my attempt to not have a crying child on her birthday after that I drove around in a well heated car til she fell asleep so we didn't have to fight about a nap.
Kate has been in love with stickers since last Halloween when Amy sent her some in the mail. Since then she has collected a large selection of stickers- literally over a thousand easily. So we let her decorate paper plates and cups for us to eat dinner off of. It was a simple idea, but she thought it was pretty awesome.
Kate opening presents. It has been a constant stream of presents in our house since Sam was born. Gifts for Sam, gifts for Kate so she didn't feel left out, Easter gifts, Jake's birthday. Presents aren't so hard to come by lately so I wondered if Kate even understood that it was something special.
The thing she reacted most excitedly to was some shoes. She was terrified of a automatic Hello Kitty Bubble Blower (and still is this morning).

We let Kate blow the candle out three or four times. She liked to do it and that way I could get more than one picture. We also showed her how to take a bite out of the cake with no hands.
We finished the day playing with some new things, coloring and watching Madagascar- Kate's pick. I guess we wore her out because she coughed all night and has a cold today. It is funny but even though she doesn't really understand what a birthday is at this point, I wanted her to be so happy and have the greatest day. It snowed a little in the morning so anything super fun like the zoo or even the park were out as options. We made other plans and other than the scary Hello Kitty toy, I think it was a pretty good day.

They say its you birthday!

Kate is two today. What? It is hard to believe. It has been birthday city around here. Sam, Jake and Kate all celebrate their birthdays in a 6 week period. I am the only one who has to wait. Here is Kate today. There will be much more posting about the birthday after it is over I am sure.
Kate at her 1st birthday.

Kate on her first day of life!

A little about Kate at two.

She weighs only 23 lbs..... insane that Sam only weighs 9.5 lbs less than her
She still hates eating obviously.
She also hates sleeping and can easily make it on only 8 hours a day of sleep... no nap
She loves to color and would color all day everyday
She loves stickers, the dog, the library, elmo, princesses, lighting McQueen, hello kitty, trains, bubbles, outside, cooking, cookies, pediasure, Little Nemo fruit snacks, swimming, singing, dancing, going to grandma's, hiding from Dad, watching movies, playing the piano, playing with friends, going to church, peeling crayons,reading, cleaning, hats, boots and necklaces.
She can say anything and everything and makes us laugh everyday. She knows her alphabet and the sounds each letter makes, all her colors and can count to ten (Except for the number seven). It is amazing to me what she can figure out.
We love you Kate and couldn't imagine life without you!

There are a few....

of my favorite things as of late.
1. Easter candy.
I could easily refuse candy the rest of the year (well that is a bit of an exaggeration) as long as I could eat Easter candy. More specifically Cadbury creme eggs and mini eggs. It is almost a tradition that Jake buys me my season supply for Valentines Day- when they are usually first out and then hides them in the house so when I am having a bad day later on in the year they exists to bring some cheer. Often times they disappear before Easter arrives and I buy a second supply. I have even attempted to buy these online in the summer. These are single handedly ruining my attemps to loose the baby weight from Sam.... I should just know better than to try before Easter is over.


2. Adam Lambert.
I have been a fan of his from the start despite AI producer's early attemepts for me to prefer the taste of widower Gokey. My unsympathetic palett told me the unexpected and pure tenor voice of Lambert was a sure bet for success. Glad that the judges are more on board now. Even his more dark version of Walk the Line had me singing his praises (and song choice) all week. I don't vote, but if those that do are casting their votes on the college dorm looks of Kris or the never ending eyewear of Gokey, I hope they come around and vote for this theatrical sexually confused genius instead. I can't wait to see what kind of albulm he will put out and hope it is not too loud for my listenting enjoyment.

3. P90 X.
I am sure many of you have heard of this hardcore workout. Tony Horton and his band of merry muscle men are all the rage right now .Jake and I had seen the informercial, and like every infomercial, were sold by "how to orders" end. We looked online and found that it retails for between 90-110 dollars normally. We found it new from some Chinese manufacture for 40. Almost certain we were going to get a pirater pointing his video camera at a television while his girlfriend talks in the background version, we decided it was worth the risk. We were pleasantly suprised when it arrived new, real and not a knockoff in just days. Yesterday we attempted the Core Synergy disc. It was a hardcore workout as promised, one reason we loved it. Reason 2- We found ourselves rolling on the floor in laugher as we attempted some of the unusal push-ups and situps impossible to such out of shapers as ourselves.

What's Up Team?

The Team has been busy lately. The kids were sick and then I have been showing the house a ton. Almost everyday lately and that can be exhausting leaving no time for blogging.... so we are behind a bit. Here is a quick recap of the past two weeks. Kate and Sam are still getting cuter by the day. Love this shot of Samuel above. It looks like he is shooting me a "whaz up" as he relaxes in his chair. Kate will be Two on Thursday (and is learning how to pose for the camera) and I can't think about it or else it makes me cry. I always say to Jake..." That is 1/9 of the time she will live with us" It is going by too fast.
Sam learned to suck his thumb. and no Sam doesn't always sit in this chair like my pictures may depict.
We celebrated my wonderful Husband's birthday. I threw him a suprise party- fiesta theme, complete with Mexican Food, Mexican Soda, a Pinata, and some sombrero's. I can't believe he is 30 now... and never looked better might I add. I have tons of hilarious pictures from this and really should give it its own post.
We went to the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. It was pretty neat, especially for kids of course. Kate enjoyed the dinosaurs but wouldn't go near this shark and is yelling because Jake is taking her near it. How does she know that sharks are scary... just the other day she was in love with them???
I'll try to be more on top of it posting wise, because you all missed out on a ton of fun stuff.
Team -OUT!

Oh the Joy

Number of beds puked on last night by little ones: 2
Number of beds peed on last night by little ones: 1
Number of beds left for sleeping in: 0

I am expecting a thrilling day today.

That was the Fastest Month of My Life

....and the only one of his so far

Happy St. Patrick'S Day from my little Leprechauns

My Handsome Guys!

We blessed Sam on Sunday. It was fun to have so many family and friend over for it. Now that that is over I feel like there is no more slacking for me, my son is three weeks old, so I can't just sit around in my pj's all day because I am too tired to get things done. I sure like this picture of my two favorite guys. Sam always has such a serious face though.... I think it cute.

A Starving Artist in the Making

What does Kate do with her time now that the baby is here. Well she likes to help me still, cook and clean, seen here posing with Dad's hat.
But she mostly likes to color, especially in a coloring book purchased at the grocery store titled "Dreams Come True Forever"- where ever princess gets her prince. All pathetic worthiness- based-on-marriage messages aside, she is enamored with the characters and the truth is she is getting really good at coloring. Yesterday Jake was looking at her coloring book and asked if I had colored something (thanks Jake) no it was Kate. Her are some of her latest works.
How about this beast she drew... from Beauty and the Beast. It has spiky hair just the way I draw him, eyebrows, eyes, and big nose and a mouth. She is not even two yet mind you.
Look at that staying in the lines skill. What an eye for detail.

And a picture to leave with

I had a lot to post... enjoy!

Ten Days

Ten things I didn't expect with two kids under two

1. To fall in love so fast-

With my first it took a while to be as bonded to my child. It was almost instant this time.

2. To have gotten a shower every day-

I may just get showered and return to wearing sweats, but I am pretty impressed just with the showering. Sometimes I even get my hair done and makeup on. I know right?

3. To have recovered so quickly-

This time my body feels almost normal already- it may not look it though seeing as how I inevitably gain 50 lbs or more with my pregnancies.

4. So many people to be so kind-

my mom has been over several days for two to four hours since we came home, not to mention watched Kate while we were at the hospital. My sister amy just came from Arizona- she drove all though the night to arrive at five in the morning, just to start cleaning my house. So many friends and neighbors have made us dinner. We've been home for ten days and only not had dinner two nights from someone- but we had tons of left overs so i still haven't had to break into the frozen dinners I had set. Others have taken Kate for play dates or special little outings..... THANK YOU EVERYONE!

5. To be this sane so far.

Not that I don't break down almost every day at least once, but that is not too bad considering all the changes and hormones. It doesn't hurt that thus far Samuel is a pretty good eater and sleeper. I am a lot less worried this time and I rarely wake my child to make him eat. I followed this advice with Kate and woke her every two or two and a half hours to nurse- making a baby who wasn't hungry- tired and angry and a mommy very sleepy. This time I let him sleep, and have had a few four hour stints at night of sleep.

6. To change so many diapers. Our Sam likes to eat- but that means he has to poop also. His 15 diapers on top of a few of kates and we are up to 20 diapers a day. That is a lot of changing and a lot of diapers. To top it off Sam has a yeast infection from the antibiotics they gave me during labor, so changing him is a five step process of vaseline and ointments. Often we finish just to hear him poop five minutes later. Kate hears him and says- "Baby Sam pooped again".

7. That the schedule in our household would change so much-

Of course I thought we would be waking up earlier, but I also forgot about how newborns don't go to sleep until 11:00 at night. Jake and I were getting quite use to our two hours to ourselves in the evening after Kate went to sleep. It had been easy to spend time together with just one child, but I can see that this may not be as much the case now that we have two.

8. To feel so bad for Kate-

I knew I would worry about her while we left her for a few days while in the hospital and I did. I didn't realize how sad I would feel when she asked Dad instead of Mom to read her a bedtime story, or told me no when I tried to play with her, or how much it would hurt my heart when she goes and sits in the corner to play with a toy by herself when I pick up the baby again to feed him. I also didn't expect the tantrums.

9. For Kate to seem so old-

She was a baby when we went to the hospital, now she is all grown up some how. When I get her dressed I can't believe how huge her arms and legs are, or how heavy she is. I can't believe all the things she can say. She speaks in sentences, counts to ten, helps me around the house. It is amazing how much different I see her now that she is not the baby.

10. How foreign it would feel to have two- Two car seats in my car, two children to bath, two bedrooms with children themed decor. Nowhere to put groceries in my shopping cart because it is all full with kids. With one child, I still felt young, not that far removed from newlyweds with no children. She was my child, but also like my little buddy I brought everywhere. With two, I am a mother. We are a family of four- almost the average size family nation wide, and I feel like a family and that makes me feel a little old.

I knew it was only a matter of time before Kate started "nursing" her babies like me. She is such a Crystal junior.
I saw this on another friendly bloggers site and promptly ordered my own. I had been looking for a "hippie" style sling. I love my Bjorn, but this seems more practical for around the house. It has been helpful even just for holding the new one while feeding Kate. Sam hasn't quite got the hang or love for it yet but it has only been a day. www.sleepywrap.com

Royalties Due!

Did anyone see THE OFFICE last night. A Valentine's episode, but I don't believe it was a re-run. Hilarious- of course as always. Down right thievery-however. Some of you may have heard this story of my husbands. A pre- meeting me romance tale from his BYU days. Donating blood he spots a fair maiden on the gurney aside his with whom he wishes to speak. Plotting his timing to meet her at the post drawing cookies and juice table for some playful banter he decides to pump his fist to fill his blood bag quickly. Calculating his bags completion to be exactly right for this coincidental meeting to occur. Then black. He awakes to find the nurse calling his name. His blood pressure plumeted causing him to faint, when he awoke his blood bank babe had vanished and forever remained a mystery.
Sounds like the writters for the office either know Jake and have heard him tell this tale, or have a bug in our home because this is supsiciously similar to the plot line of the show last night. Don't believe me. You can take a look here.

Sam I Am.

Samuel Jacob Freeman

Ready to head home!
One minute old!


Our little baby boy is here!
After much deliberation he was named Samuel Jacob Freeman
Born Feb 23, 2009 at 9:46 am
8.2 lbs 20 inches long
Perfect as can be!


Meeting our big sister.
First family picture!
He looks a lot like Dad... and Mom... and Kate too.


More details.....
For a couple of weeks I had been having contractions. They usually started up around 7:00 in the evening and would slow down around 10:00 pm. Last Thursday they started around 4:00 pm and continued and got stronger, when they had been about 3-4 minutes apart for about two hours, this was around midnight we headed to the hospital, only to be told to go home that we were not close. I was sure they were wrong since this was not the first time I was going through labor and I thought I knew what to expect. But we headed home and I was able to fall asleep and my contractions eventually went away around 4:00 in the morning. I continued to have contractions all weekend, but not consistent really. Sunday was a slower day in that department. We went to church, dinner at my parents and then came home and went to bed around 11:00. At around 12:30 I woke up, my water had broken. I poked Jake and we hurried to get things ready to go. It really was one of the only days I haven't made sure everything was packed before we headed to bed, mostly because I had not gone to bed having contractions. My mom came over to watch Kate and we left for American Fork. Still only having slow contractions.

We arrived at the hospital around 1:30 or so. My contractions were starting to get stronger by now but still not consistent at all. So far this labor was completely not like Kate's. First of all my water broke which was a whole new experience, and with Kate my contractions were perfectly spaced and measured. I felt like a first time mother. I kept distracted with foot rubs and eating ice until around 4:30 am when I asked for my epidural. Things went a little slowly for some time so they added some pitocin and I got to an 8 quickly, so then the pitocin was stopped. A nurse came back to check me 30 minutes later and said " oh you are having a baby now". She grabbed other nurses and Dr. Ollerton and everyone was rushing around. At my next contraction I pushed for about two or three minutes and he was out. It was amazing how fast it went. Almost too fast to experience it. He cried for a little while, but was happily in my arms soon.

We stayed at the hospital until this afternoon. We were there less time than with Kate, but it was such great time. Maybe because he was born in the morning, or maybe because he is such a good eater, or maybe because I am less anxious and worried, but we were able to rest and the whole time at the hospital seemed leisurely. We were able to nap both days for two hours and got several hours of sleep at night. I felt ready to go home before even 24 hours was up but we had to wait a little while for some tests and things. I am doing really well, up and about, happy to be back home and with Kate. Samuel is a sleepy kid who is great at eating and we couldn't be happier. Kate is excited about the new baby and likes to help with him and hold him for a minute, but she threw a major tantrum this evening when she had to go to bed. It will be interesting to see how things go the next day or so as we adjust.

We feel so blessed so have a beautiful family of four all healthy and happy home together!

Seeking Friend for Help With Hair Identity

My hair is having an identity crisis- Maybe you can help!
As you can see since my first pregnancy when my hair started going brown my hair has had some what of a multiple personality disorder. It has been every combination of short, long, brown, blonde, straight and curly.

The problem: though I would like to have my short very blonde hair all the time, I don't seem to have the time and money it requires to visit the salon for a cut and color every six to eight weeks. My attempt to simlify my hair life by letting it be long and brown has proven unsuccessful- in that I don't feel like myself, look like myself and most my family and friends agree it is just not as good a look for me. Plus in the end I have found it to be just as much work. I have just come to the same conclusion as Rod Stewart- Blondes really do have more fun.
















The solution: I am seeking a new friend. This friend needs to work or have worked in the business of hair, live within a 25 mile radius of me and be willing to cut and color my hair every six to eight weeks free of charge. In exchange they will recieve- well my friendship, appreciation and I would also be willing to watch their children for the day in exchange during which this new said friend of mine would be free to run errands, clean their house or just sip Diet Coke and take a nap on their couch. I know it sounds like I am just posting this for laughs, a little comic relief as I await the arrival or my stubborn son who is yet to make an apperance, but I am serious. Going once, Going Twice.... any takers?

Valentine

Valentine Kate. She will likely be loosing her cover girl position on this blog for a short time with our soon to be exciting arrival so we will leave you with this picture of darling her.

Really Ready!

If there is one thing I have learned about pregnancy and babies is that you can't really plan anything. But it sure would be a nice day to have a baby. I feel prepared and ready today. Everything is in order at our house. My car even has a full tank of gas. I couldn't be more ready. My body doesn't want to grow one more inch, and I am mostly sure that I will stop throwing up once I am not pregnant anymore, although after 38 weeks of throwing up sometimes I think it is a normal part of life. ugggg.


The nursery is all put together. It turned out rather cute if I don't say so myself. Jake says it is too much red for a boys room- because red is a girl color- strange ideas. I had received a few quilts and blankets all blue and red, then I found a bunch of red and blue stripped pillows and baskets on sale at Wal-mart of all places. They even had sheets that matched for super cheap- which I sewed into coordinating curtains. This nursery took a lot less time and money than Kate's- and I think that was a wise choice. I remember staying up until 2:00 am one night anxious to finish sewing all the curtains, pillows and blankets for her room.
We have stocked a closet full of boys clothes. Goodbye to everything pink and purple with flowers and butterflies, hello to reds, blues, yellows, robots, monkeys and dogs. It is a fun change.
The changing table has a months worth of diapers, wipes, lotions, as well as more blue hats, socks and t-shirts.
Our bags are packed- sitting in our room. I actually packed last week when I had some false labor, since we have taken things out, but they could easily be replaced in a moments notice. The bags are still sitting in the corner of our room. Kate's bag even has an hour by hour schedule for whomever ends up watching her. Several friends are on alert awaiting our middle of the night call.
My house has been deep cleaned and at the moment as you can see if rather spotless. There is not even one piece of laundry to be done. I just know when I go into labor, I will not want to leave the house until it is at least reasonably looking. Silly, but it will just make coming home that much easier.

All we need now is to settle on a name and get me walking up a mountain for a spicy food picnic. With my luck, it will happen another day, when I haven't showered yet, my house is a mess, and I have piles of laundry to be done and no bags packed.

She's Mine!

It is amazing to me how much like me Kate is. She looks a lot like me, Jake as well, but her expressions and mannerisms are all learned from me. Jake calls Kate- Junior sometimes, because she is a little jr crystal. Lately two things have made her genetic connection to me even more apparent. The first is her love for ice. Sometimes she calls it gregre and I have no idea why, buy she often asks for it by either name, goes to the fridge and points up. Sometimes she will want some juice with it, sometimes not. She likes to get her cup of ice, sit on the couch and wants me to do the same. The second is her love for cleaning. Today I actually bribed her with it uninentionally. I asked her to "clean up" her color crayons. She got all exctied, nodding saying "okay cleaning". She wasn't excited to clean up the crayons- what she thought I was saying we would do is clean with a spray bottle and rag. So she hurrily cleaned her crayons up and went to the closet where the cleaning supplies are kept. I gave her her spray bottle of "cleaner" which is really water and a rag and away she went spraying and wiping down the fridge, glass sliding door and cupboards. After she was done she asked if she could "seep" with a broom. It is amazing what she has learned the last little while just by watching me.

Kate has it pretty good being an only child right now. She doesn't go to bed until 9 or 10 most nights so she gets to hang out with mom and dad on the couch watching tv some nights eating her new favorite snack- popkey (popcorn). She even knows where to get it in the pantry, tells you to put it in the microwave while she gets a bowl out to put it in.

Its a Shaaaak!

On Saturday we took Kate to the Living Planet Aquarium in West Jordan. The Aquarium was hardly respectable- but Kate still loved it. We had fun just watching her run from tank to tank almost shoving other people out of the way. Her first favorite thing she saw was some little frogs. She went back three times to see them. That was until of course she discovered the shaaaaks! and it has been all sharks at our house every since. Even that night I heard her up in her room talking when she was suppose to be sleeping. A long stream of words she told me " A shaak, a shaak, a frog, ribbit, ribbit, a fish, a jelly, a shaak, ribbit, "kissing sound that a fish makes" etc." when I went to see what she was up to. The next morning even she ran into our room upon awaking and yelled "A Shaak". It is so much fun watching her develop new interests and teaching her about new things.

Bath Tub- My New Best Friend

The number of baths I have taken in my adult life did not exceed 20 until recently. I have good personal hygiene of course, I just never saw the appeal of a bath. Even my morning showers for me were more about efficiency than enjoyment. Well until I became a mother and found that the ten minutes I take in the shower are perhaps the only guilt free moments to myself I may get that day. Then came the home stretch of this pregnancy. With four weeks to go- it feels like the end. I think the only parts of me that are not experiencing discomfort or pain are my elbows. With about 80 weeks of pregnancy under my belt, I still have yet to determine whether I just have really hard pregnancies or are just more of a complainer that others I see and talk to. My shrek feet are back, I can't sleep for more than three hours on one side or it gets bruised, I still throw up five or six times a week, and my sciatica is back making my right leg buckle unexpectedly when I bare any weight on it. Then I tried a bath a few weeks ago to relieve some of my aches and pains. Being a woman I literally had years worth or bath salts, scrubs and creams given to me as gifts or favors that have just been sitting in baskets in my guest baths, or waiting in bathroom cupboards most likely never to fulfill their full potential. Now ever night before attempting to fall asleep, I spend some time in the tub. I am making a dent in that supply of Bath and Body Works products and I don't know that there any more enoyable 20 minutes of my day. For just a moment I feel almost normal.

All in a Hard Day's Work!

It is a pretty rough job being a stay at home mom. While Jake has been hard at work all day what have me and my almost two year old girl done.


We colored....a lot.We watched a movie.

We played with Magnet Princess Dolls.
We played with her littlest pet shop collection.
Of course it is all not fun and games- literally. There is the 30 minute fights over eating lunch, small tantrums when I refuse to draw one more "Beast" and cleaning poop out of the tub when I just didn't get her out in time. But who knew I would grow up and to some degree still do the same things everyday.... except I think Kate has even better toys than I did, especially when I get to pick them out and buy them. And especially when I have a girl who seems to like all things super girly. I wonder if I will enjoy playing with my new son's trucks and boy toys as much? Tomorrow's line up of things to do probably includes more coloring, movies and over and hour of reading picture books. It is hard work, but someone has to do it!

An Almost Perfect 10

Jake and I eat out a lot, well almost always once a week, and have for the last six years for our date night. When we lived in Provo there were so many different places to eat that we made a rule that we couldn't eat at the same place twice. With this rule also came a fun little rating system where we would give restaurants scores based on food, menu selection, customer service, price and value, cleanliness, location, uniqueness, etc. and always a point for something given free with the meal. We didn't hand out good scores too often and nobody really ever got above an 8. But tonight we went out to eat at a restaurant we have frequented since our move here, and I decided they get an almost perfect 10- a 9.5, with a deduction for value as they have raised their prices a bit lately. It is Tarahumara in Midway, Utah. This little locally owned authentic Mexican restaurant serves a combination of food you would expect and also more Indian style Mexican with an adjacent Pasteleria. Some points in their corner include-the owners are so kind and remember us, the place is always super clean, there is a great salsa bar with 20 plus kinds of toppings for your food, there are color crayons and paper on the table for Kate, the food is good and well porportioned, free chips or course, there are often coupons that are even valid on the weekends, and it is usually not to crowded. It is a little different in that there are no waiters- like a Cafe Rio, but it has a much more upscale feel. Yes more points seem to go to things not actually related to the taste of the food. It is not a perfect or properly weighted or completely constructed system. I have mentioned Tarahumara to several people who live around here and are shocked to find that they don't know of it. It is possible that their name throws people off, or people are unsure of more authentic side the resturant offers. Congratulations to Tarahumara for gaining our strange standard unimportant seal or approval.

So it was Christmas

It has been a long time since I have been a-blogging, it was the holidays and I still feel like we are trying to catch up. I don't want to spend to much time trying to catch you up, but here are some of the more noteable things.

Deciding to stay put- Most years we travel to Fresno to see with Jake's family since we don't seem them nearly often enough, but two 15 hour car rides with a teething toddler and being 33 weeks pregnant just didn't seem practical. Making the week super relaxed and comfortable here in our own home.
Seeing tons of friends and family- Because we stayed put we were able to see tons of friends from high school, college, law school, and old wards plus some family who have since left, but returned to the state for the holidays.
Shoveling Surprise- I left the house a day or two before Christmas on a day when it had snowed 8 or nine inches. I came home hours later to see that my driveway had been shoveled. I suspect a kind neighbor who saw me knocking the entrance down so my SUV could clear it.
Christmas Cards and Neighbor gifts- At the start of the month I decided not to do either, it would just add stress and expense to the holiday and as of Dec 7th, I hadn't done a thing towards Christmas so something had to be cut, but as the weeks progressed and we received so many cards and gifts I wanted in on some of those fun things, so did them last minute and had fun doing so.
Scrooge Gifts- In my family we purchase a gift for one person, like a drawing, so Christmas is not so expensive, many people do this. But for the rest of the people we give a Scrooge gift- a gift that costs around a dollar. It is so much fun to see what people come up with, it adds a lot more presents to the gift exchange and only costs 6 or 7 dollars to get everyone. A tradition I am glad we continue.
Our Computer- It seems like with a house and kids, most Christmas and Anniversary gifts are things we need like a new washer or something. This year we bought each other a new computer- Jake even went out on Black Friday to get it. We debated about it for some time, but I am glad we got it. It works so much better than the laptop we have had for six years, it was a great deal, and has some new fun features like a DVD burner.
One trip Shopping- As mentioned before, I got a late start on my holiday projects. About ten days before christmas I got my Mom to watch Kate for two hours, and then left her with Jake for 6 hours. I was able drive to Provo hit ten or more stores- get every single gift I needed, make my neighbor gifts and all without having to stop for diaper changes and snacks. It was so productive and easy, I think I will save errands for when I am alone more often. I saved so much time not making multiple trips, and also not having to buckle and rebuckle a car seat ten plus times.
Kate-Of course nothing was better than watching Kate learn about presents and do her "ohhhhhhhohoh" when she was really excited about something or shout "ChrisChris" It was fun to be around my family, perhaps mostly because they give kate so much attention, and she has so much fun with them. She did get a little bit of a spoiled attitude, not so much because of all the gifts, but because of all the attention. It took a few days to break. She did enjoy all of her new things though we kept Christmas fairly small, she was very pleased and of course loved turning boxes into cars almost as much as the toys anyways.

Now life is almost back to normal, I have managed to take down all the decorations and the tree and we are back to our normal routine. With the holidays out of the way it seems like the baby should be here soon- but we still have six more weeks.

Merry Christmas

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Help! I'm Trapped!

Okay- I don't really need help. But it has been snowing since I woke up this morning. And not just a light dusting- mild blizzard conditions. Actually it has been snowing since I woke up about a week ago, but I guess that is what we get for it still being fall weather as of December 1. Today is certainly the worst of it though. Either way we are trapped in our house for the time being. Not like we are missing a ton, our big plans for the day included going to the grocery store but I don't know that we could make it the whole five miles. Actually I want to go get the mail but I don't want to try to make it the 500 feet to the box, or to the next door neighbors to deliver the last of my neighbor gifts. I even let the dog in the house- thought I don't really like doing that because the snow is merciless. I leave the house almost everyday- for at least a few minutes, when I can't like today I get a bit crazy.

Christmas Pictures

I wanted to take some pictures of Kate in her Christmas outfit, but I knew that it would be a long shot. It was already getting dark, freezing and I was by myself- meaning nobody to make her look and smile. Kate is positively hopeless when it comes to trying to get her to smile and look at the camera. My tricks- give her a candy cane and wait till the neighbor kids are outside, then stand in front of them. She is almost looking at me- because the neighbor kids are behind me. The driveway and the nieghbors house are not the best backdrops- but at least she is cute as always. Jake says she looks like a Russian. It is those blue eyes or the funny hat. Either way- she wishes you all a ( as she would say) Merry "ChrisChras"

Christmas Cheer

I am working on some last minute-simple-late is better than never- Christmas greetings to send out. I have many of your addresses, but if you think I just might not, go ahead and email it to me.
crystal.freeman@gmail.com. But hurry if you want it before Christmas.

Heberite Christmas Party

Every year old Wasatch High School Friends get together around Christmas time, thanks to the hospitality of Cache and Stacie. It is amazing to me that even though it has been nine years I still see my dearest friends from Heber- some from 13 years ago- most holiday seasons. That is half my life you know. I know at lot of Heberites read this blog of mine, so I thought I would help spread the word. December 20- 7:00 pm at the Ferguson's home here in Heber. If you don't know their address you can email me, or them but I wouldn't want to post it to the public. Looking forward to seeing all who attend there!

Smile Please! What a lovely face!
I know everyone is blogging about gas prices, but it was the highlight of my day also- I just got gas for 1.19. Are you kidding me. My car has over 100,000 miles on it and I have never filled up for under 15 dollars until today.