FOR THE KIDS!

Ira had a continuing education seminar in SLC this weekend, so I decided to make a trip out of it for the kids, ("for the kids" is the key part of that sentence). I knew it would be a bit crazy for this pregnant mom to be trying to keep up with 3 kids alone, walking around the zoo in 90 degree temperatures. I mean, doesn't an elephant look the same on a TV screen (especially the big screen), from an air conditioned house, with my feet up eating an icecream sunday as it would look in real life? I think so...but as I said...for the kids! I called our friend Irene in SLC, and asked her if we could hang out at her house when we were done at the zoo, so that I could prop up my elephant -sized ankles (direct result of the days events) for a couple more hours while we waited for Ira to be done. Now that I'm home with a good nights sleep behind me, I am glad that I brought the kids. They used words like "awesome, fun, cool" etc. Isn't that really why we parents do some of the crazy things we do?...FOR THE KIDS!

This picture made me laugh. After I looked at it enlarged on the computer, I noticed the sign behind Braydens head. It says, "Please don't feed us," and you can't even see the giraffe in the background, just the kids and that sign. We really got a good laugh from that one.
Jarin was so amazed to see all these animals in real life, that he had only seen in books, or on TV before. His favorite was the "tall, tall giraffe".
Brayden and Jarin watching the giraffe.

Gotta Luv The Weekends!

We had a busy and fun weekend. Brayden and Emilie have been working hard with practices every night for two weeks to be in the Smithfield all-childrens melodrama. The performances were Saturday, and again Monday. They sang and danced, and had a great time on stage. From their moms point of view, they looked SO cute (handsome) in their costumes. Brayden didn't like the idea of having to wear makeup (even stage makeup), and of course Emilie reveled in it!

Saturday morning we were in the Smithfield parade for our Chiropractic business. It is fun to get to ride along and see lots of friends along the way. Our kids think it's great that they suddenly become the most popular children in the school since they have candy to throw!

Sunday of course was Mothers Day (and it happened to be my birthday). Lucky Ira gets to kill two birds with one stone! Actually, he made it a special day for me, and tried to separate the two parties. He helped the kids make cards, and put candles in our breakfast muffins. The best part for me was that he cancelled as many of his church meetings as possible, and was able to spend more time with us. He did buy gifts, but the best gifts of all is the love he gives to me every day, and for being a wonderful father and provider.

My mom also made the day special by providing a mothers day dinner for all of us and our families. It was fun to visit with our extended family for the day.

I can't let Mothers day go by without making a tribute to my mom. She is a wonderful woman, and has sacrificed so much for us. As an adult, I now realize how much she went without to provide more for her children. She steps back and lets us be our own selves, and make our own decisions. She doesn't "interfere" with us or our families, but she is the first one there to offer a listening ear and support when we need it. She loves her grandkids like they are her own, and they all love her. I also thought a lot of my Grandma Wright who was with us last Mothers Day, and has left a void this year, with her passing away earlier this year. I missed her a lot.

Last, but not least - I AM IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ON MY PREGNANCY COUNTDOWN! NINE weeks to go - I know it still is forever away, but the single digits makes me feel so much closer - it's a psychological thing. :)

This picture is with my two other pregnant sisters. Unfortunatly for me, I am the biggest, but not due the soonest! Left to right is me (due in July), Kelli (due in September), and Yuri (due in 2 weeks).

I DID IT! (my deep thought for the month)

Brayden's piano recital

This may seem like a strange thing to write, but I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and just wanted to write my thoughts down about it, so here goes...

I have an interesting opportunity at this stage of our families lives to witness the different stages of growing up. There's Ira and I, who as adults, do what adults do best. We work hard, worry about our futures and our childrens futures, have a great big dream list for "someday", we laugh sometimes, and tire easily, with a sigh at the end of each day, and usually a comment that goes something like this, "there just isn't enough time in a day to get everything done", or "I feel so old!".

Then there's Brayden who is starting to discover the many opportunities there are available. He has been working so hard for a long time to earn money for a guitar, and he finally reached his goal. He is beginning to understand the value of hard work, and patiently saving gives great rewards. He realizes that if he wants something bad enough, he can achieve it. He is really insecure when it comes to participating in sports and his reading skills, and feels that he's not good enough for those things. He has picked up the terrible words, "It's impossible", and repeats them way too often. I fear he really believes that some things are impossible.

Emilie still feels like she can do about anything (as long as she wants to). She plays soccer, and doesn't worry or even notice if she is the best or the worst on the team (from a parents point of view, she really is pretty good). It doesn't matter to her if her team wins or loses - it's just all fun. However, when it comes to some things, mostly things she just doesn't WANT to do, then she gives the "I don't get it" or the "I don't know how" statement.

Then there's Jarin who doesn't have as many of lifes experiences under his belt yet. He doesn't think that there is anything in this big world of his that he can't do. He laughs and smiles and keeps the rest of us laughing too. Almost everything he says begins with, "I do it," and ends with "I DID IT!"

So this has had me thinking...when is it in life that we stop feeling like we can do absolutely anything, and we start feeling like things are "impossible", or that we're "too old"? I wish I could fast forward that stage of my childrens lives so that they never feel like they can't do whatever they set their hearts on. Ira was telling me that a 55 year old man that he knows just started figure skating lessons. He told me about someone else he knows who is parapalegic, and goes snow skiing. One day he had a skiing accident and came off the hill carrying his prosthetic leg and bleeding. When he saw all the people staring, he laughed and said, "Be careful on that hill!". Those two people managed to skip that part of growing up where they learned that their "too old", or that somethings "impossible". Where do we sign up for that knowledge?

Life really is a wonderful ride, when I see it through the eyes of our littlest one. Hopefully at the end of each day, instead of wearily thinking of all the tasks we didn't accomplish, we can all exclaim "I DID IT!".

YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

Happy May ... yah, right! This is what Cache Valley woke up to AGAIN this morning. Growing up on a farm, I have tried to be very optimistic about all the snow, we really do need the water after all. However, when can optimism turn to realism and I can (without guilt) say "Enough is enough?"

Well, today is that day!

However, last weekend we had sun and warmth, and this weekend will be fabulous too - so as the hymn goes, "Count your many blessings." I am grateful that we are having more nice, warm days than cold. It won't be long until I'm posting a comment about how hot it is!

TAGGED

I've been tagged AGAIN. I probably would ignore these tags for any readers sake (it's not like we're the most interesting family out there) - but I plan to use this blog as a family journal - and I think some of these questions could be interesting to our family in the future. So...

1. What were you doing ten years ago:
Ira was close to graduating from Chiropractic school, so we were enjoying our last couple of months in the beautiful state of Oregon, with our whole futures ahead of us, planning how we would spend all the money we would make when Ira actually had a job (that's pretty funny now that we look back on it - life happens, who has money?!). I can't believe that was TEN years ago - it seems like forever ago, so many things change in ten years.

2. Five things on your to do list today:
teach a lesson at church (this I can check off now for both Ira & I - woohoo!) , blog this tag, finish making dinner, spend time with my family - even Ira will be home this afternoon - that's quite rare!, eat strawberry pie (Yum, can't wait!)

3. Snacks I enjoy:
My faves are anything baked (cookies, donuts, cakes, brownies, desserts). However, you should see the snack tray Ira puts together when we are going to watch a movie as a family. He gets out the crackers, cheese & salami; pickles; vegies & dip; apples & popcorn. It is yummy too - but too healthy for my taste - for me, bring on the chocolate and sugar!

4. What would I do if suddenly I were a billionaire?
Oh the dreams this could fulfill! First and foremost, Ira would retire so he could spend more time with our family. Then we would invest a bunch so Ira could STAY retired. We would help family get out of debt. We would travel LOTS. And of course we would donate to as much as we could, especially various church programs

5. 3 bad habits:
We plead the fifth!

6. Five places I've lived:
Preston, ID; Logan, UT; Vancouver, WA; Portland, OR; Smithfield, UT

Five places Ira's lived:
Fairbanks, AK; Medford, OR; Rexburg, ID; Vancouver, WA; Smithfield, UT; etc. etc. etc.......

7. 5 jobs I've had:
Big J's, Del Monte (canning green beans), LDS Family Services, Accounting office, Mommy

5 jobs Ira's had:
landscaping, UW Freight Line, UPS, Chiropractor, Daddy

8. 5 things people don't know about me:

*I can't stand to start a project that I can't finish the same day. Something left un-done makes me CRAZY!
*Some of you already know this - but I have become a germ freak. We'll leave it at that, cuz I could go on for a very long time about all the germy things that give me major anxiety. (side note - I wish I weren't like this, and the older I get, the worse I get - SOMEBODY HELP ME GET OVER IT!)
*I really don't like to cook at all. Therefore, I try to encourage my kids to love it - with the hopes that they will want to take over that job for me (great thinking ey?). So far, it is one of Braydens favorite things to do.
*I love, love, love sitting in the warm sun, and feeling it on my face - especially when we are on vacation, and Utah is still covered in snow, or on a early summer morning when everyone is still sleeping, and the neighborhood is still quiet. I also love lightning storms (as long as I'm in a safe place). Our family will get blankets and sit bundled up together under the covered porch and watch the show.
*I was a sprinter and hurdler in track in junior high and high school, and broke several school records (that was as my kids would say "way back when I was a kid...")

5 things people don't know about Ira:

*He went to 22 different schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade (his parents didn't stay put for very long)
*He had applied to and been accepted to go to BYU in Jerusalem, but had the feeling he needed to go to Rexburg instead (we're sure glad he did, since that's where we met).
*He graduated Suma Cum Lauda from Chiropractic College (2nd highest grades, by like half a percent, in his graduating class).
*His family lived in a tent in Oregon for about 2 years when he was a kid (yes, it's true! - ask him about it someday)
*He loves being a "travel agent", and someday when he retires, he would like to be a travel guide to various church sites (come on billion dollars, so he can retire!!!)

That's it for this tag. I won't personally tag anyone, but if you want to answer these questions on your own post for the same reasons I did - then I will love reading about you!

Moab Memories!

Moser Men in Moab

This weekend, Ira and "the boys" from my side of the family went to Moab and played on the 4-wheelers. It looks like they had a blast. In fact, they are planning a trip for next year already. I was afraid of that - cuz you see, this Moab trip is usually MY trip. I am the 4-wheeling fanatic of the family, and this is a trip I have looked forward to every spring for a few years now. However, this year I gave up my machine and told Ira "take the big boys". Before you think I was just being really kind - I wasn't! I am just too far pregnant to go 4-wheeling in Moab for 3 days! So next year, I'm not sure I'll be so "kind"! "The boys" can go still, but I'm not staying home - so I hope they will be able to keep up with me next year after this years practice run!!!! (just kidding).


Ira has affectionatly been nicknamed "Agent Crawford" due to his love for, and ability of planning the family trips. (Agent meaning travel agent). He loves to look at maps and plan and coordinate every detail of the trips he goes on, and I think the family likes him to do it - they just have to show up and Agent Crawford has everything ready to go. This trip wasn't any different, and it sounds like it was smooth sailing.

NOT SO KUTE KOMMENTS & KIND KOMMENTS

The last month or so, I have really...what's the right word?...BLOSSOMED! With that being said, people have willingly shared their opinions about my pregnant belly.

Here are the ones I treasure the most:

"You look SO uncomfortable"

"How much longer do you have? OOOHHHH...you still have a l-o-n-g time, and you already look so miserable."

"Are you sure there's not twins in there?"

"You're gonna pop when you get closer to the end."

Who really says these things to a hormonal pregnant woman? (answer: other well-meaning women!)

The comments that have cheered me up:

"You look so great."

"You are beautiful, especially when your pregnant."

"You glow."

"You make pregnancy look GOOD!" (You could probably guess that my husband said this one).

Moral of the story: If you don't have anything nice to say...don't say anything at all! Also...Be careful what you say to me cuz it just might get blogged for all to see!

For fear of sounding like I'm really bugged about the whole thing (which I'm not), continue on with my story:

Once Upon A Time... As I was getting ready for church this morning, and I was feeling very self conscious about my size, (hmmm...wonder why?) :) Anyways, I remembered all those heart breaking, tear filled years when I would do anything to look this way - and here I am! I remember seeing other pregnant women, and I would have feelings of depression for the rest of the day, or days, because I wasn't pregnant, and didn't know if I ever would be. So instead of letting some comments make me mad, frustrated, depressed, discouraged etc...., I am chosing to embrase it. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to look this big - (if it means there is a baby that comes with the package deal). So...bring it on! ...

And we'll live happily Ever After

The End :)

*Notice...I talk tough, but I'm still not so confident in myself that I would post a great big picture of myself, but the smallest one I can! lol

Just FYI, I am 28 weeks, and still have 12 weeks to go.