Can you see it?

Tonight was a Daddy/Daughter "pumpkin carving" night at the church. They had a great time eating, socializing and carving their pumpkin. (Thanks Michelle for the carving kit!) Aubrie came home all excited for me to see the pumpkin they carved. Ben picked out the design! Can you see what it is?

NO?? How about with the light's off???See it now???

Honestly, I had a hard time seeing it! Finally, after Aubrie pointed it out, it was as clear as day. It kind of reminded me of that whole Old Lady/Young Girl illusion. It's a vampire and a girl....Aubrie said it was Edward and Bella!! Great choice, don't you think? Props to Ben for being so "with it"!! Can't wait for the Movie!!! I'll be one of the few girls with her husband by her side, and I'll be dang proud of it, too!!!!

On another artistic note....here is what Ethan created at his preschool Halloween party, all on his own. It's a pumpkin mouse:) Boston said, when he saw it, "You know Mom, Ethan is going to be an artist when he grows up, because he is always doing creative stuff like that." I didn't realize he was taking notice!

Man Bag, Ties, Twinkles, 875 miles and Rock Band

I know that my titles are a bit much, but that is how I like it. I realize that there are already photos out there and there is no sense in denying it. Ethan has a man bag! I am doing all that I can to persuade him to upgrade to anything else. I must admit that when I reluctantly peered into the aforementioned bag I was mildly impressed with his organizational skills. There was a place for his phone, his chap stick, wallet, etc. I am still doing whatever I can to get that away from him. I believe that a few more public shamings and it will be all good!
The other pain in my life right now is Sophia and her affinity for my ties. She loves to go into our closet and pull my ties off the rack and then parade in them throughout the house. I can rarely find the tie that I want since they are all over the house. It is cute to see her walking around the house saying something to all of us with a tie wrapped around her.
Rachel is slowly ruining our children (most likely for the better). The other day I was making another Wal Mart run and came across an illuminated end cap filled with Twinkies, cupcakes and other of Hostesses greatest hits. I began to reminisce about the fun-filled days that I had with the yellow sponge cake with the cream filling. I almost shed a tear. I decided to buy a box and bring it home to surprised the kids. Aubrie is always watching the pantry because she knows that dad likes to break the rules and bring home various contraband now and again. She spotted the Twinkies and said, "dad, what are twinkles?" Are you freaking kidding me? TWINKLES?! I got the box down and started to hand them to the kids. They looked at me and told me that Twinkies can kill you and that they are not good for you. WHAT!? It took some persuading but I was able to tempt them into a bite. Once they had a bite they were hooked. I am evil! I think the kids now know that when it comes to sweets Dad is the bomb diggity. Rachel does a great job with teaching the kids to eat healthy, but TWINKLES? Come on!
I left Sunday night to go to California to visit Rachel's brother. He was doing some work that I have not yet done and it was to be great training for me so that I can replicate the work here. I left just before 7:00 p.m. Luckily I was able to get a good nap in before I left. I did not want to leave Rachel and the kids, but sometimes we don't get everything that we want. I actually did not mind the trip. I was able to chill for 6 hours as I drove across the desert. It allows me to reflect back on where things currently stand and I things that I can improve upon. I could probably use a cross-country trip to address everything. I rolled into Rachel's brothers house at 1:00 a.m. At 3:00 a.m. Jessie, the beagle that we gave them a couple of years ago, must have found a rabbit in the backyard and started barking like crazy. That did not help me sleep for sure. I got up at 7:00 a.m. and got ready for the day. Danny and I headed up to Thousand Oaks to where the restaurant was located. It was a Japanese sushi restaurant. We needed to upgrade one system and replace another. It was hard, dirty work. It took us a little over 5 hours to get things done. Around 4:30 p.m. I headed back to Phoenix. Unfortunately for me 5:00 p.m. in Los Angeles does not make for fast travel. It took me almost 3 hours to get to palm springs. Luckily there were some fast drivers from Indio all the way back home. I got back home around 11:20 p.m. Rachel was nice enough to wait up for me. She has been feeling really tired lately and also caught some cold that is going around right now. I got her into bed with the intention of getting some work done, but eventually I fell asleep as well.
Tonight for family night we broke out the Rock Band set and went to town. It was great fun. Boston was built for that game. He took over on lead vocals while Rachel jammed on the guitar and Aubrie pounded the drums. I was on the video camera and Ethan did some kind of interpretive dance (it had nothing to do whatsoever with his man bag!). It was a lot of fun for me to watch the family all together. I bought another guitar tonight at Wal Mart so that we could all jam together. I sure love my family a great deal and need to do a better job in showing that by how I act and the things that I say. I am grateful that Rachel and the kids are patient with me. Work continues and I have decided that it is not as bad as I have thought these past 2 and a half years. The money is good and the work is required to be done. That being said, it still requires a lot of work, but I don't mind that. There are a lot of businesses that are not making it right now and a lot of families in trouble. I am very grateful and can see the Lord's hand in helping us get into this profession and stay in it. I am tired. It is past 11:00 p.m. and I still have to watch house. Rachel is tooling around upstairs so I had better head up. Another long day tomorrow.

Party! Party!

Why would three grown men be putting on lipstick? Here's why!

So when the Lorenzana's told us about their cool Halloween parties they had back east, and I told them how much I missed the ones our friends from NC, the Kneelands, threw, a party was soon in the works. They hosted it at their house and did most of the work. I just considered myself party support! It was a great mixer for the new ward!

We started off with a little food. We had soups for the main course. I made my yummy broccoli cheese (thanks Holly for giving me that recipe years ago), and Michelle's Mom made my baked potato soup. Michelle made a yummy chicken tortilla (that was my lunch today) and had made some extra desserts and appetizers, just in case. The guests brought desserts and appetizers, too, according to their last name. We had plenty of food!!!! (Monique, I need that dessert recipe for Thanksgiving by the way!!!) After eating, we took off on a picture scavenger hunt. Can you guess that getting a picture, of the guys putting on lipstick, was one of the items?? We were paired with the Kostenza's (sp?)(another new couple in the ward) and the Jensen's!! We had a fun time driving around, like mad people, trying to knock things off our list. We didn't win, but still had a fun time. We came back and a few played rock band, and then we watched every one's pictures and gave prizes for most original costume and funniest! Everyone did a great job with their costumes! Here are the pics of some of the costumes and few from "the hunt"!! Good times!

Our team members!!

Our team in Arizona paraphernalia

Our team jumping on a trampoline! Our team getting a picture with a Walmart Employee! She was having fun with it!

Our costume!

We were "the Jeff's" polygamist family! It was Ben's idea (surprise)! Marco had fun with it. He was the "Head Matriarch", I was the middle aged wife and Michelle was the young one. We called our selves wife 27, and wife 80-something!! Our name tags all said "Sister Jeff's". Some people dared us (Michelle and I), for money and dinners, to wear our costumes to church. If there wasn't the primary program today, I totally would have done it! We actually won funniest, but we forgot to tell them they couldn't vote for the host! We forfeited and gave the prize to the next winner!

Funniest Costume

Most Original

This was seriously the most original!! If you can't read the sign around their necks, he was Lehman Bros, and she was the Bailout Plan!! Classic!

One's my kids liked! The couldn't wait to see the pics!

Hunchback...if you couldn't figure it out!

This one is for my Dad!! AAADRIIIIAAAN!!

The one I thought was the funniest!

This guy came as his friend, who once upon a time worked at checker auto many years ago, and had a mullet! BTW his friend is the one who came as the Hulk!!

His wife came as a SW Airlines Mechanic! She had on an orginal jumpsuit!

Week in Review

Week in Review (AKA...LONG ENTRY)

So I stuck with it and went Hiking M, W, F! Friday was the hardest. My body didn't want to get out of bed, I was glad I did. The company is great, and I need the exercise. Getting up early is actually rejuvenating, although I'm dead by 2:00pm!!

Tuesday was Aubrie's Honor's Assembly. She was all giddy when she got up to accept her award, because Zachary Montez was there, too, and she always gets that way around him. Wednesday I had some Visiting Teaching to catch up on. Originally, I thought I would take the kids, but as it got closer, I realized that probably wasn't the best idea. Thanks ,Erin, for watching them last minute! It's so great to have good friends! Wednesday night was mutual and a meeting afterwards, so it was a long day!

Thursday Lorraine picked up Ethan for a day out with Grandma. She took him to Pump it Up, McDonalds, and then back to her house. I thought I had a lot to get done that day, but when I realized I was mostly caught up by the time Sophia woke up, I made an impromptu trip, with Michelle, to Hobby Lobby! Can I just say that place it AWESOME!!! First of all, I grew up with a Hobby Lobby close by, when I lived in Oklahoma. They were a dime a dozen out there. For some reason I don't remember them having so much cool stuff. Probably because I was a kid, and had not interest in decorating a house. Anyway, I found some great stuff for a great price and created some more "hanging" projects for Ben. One of his least favorite things!

Somewhere, in my week, I went to Paradise Bakery. I only mention it because Sophia was with me, and out of all things, ate my crumbly blue cheese salad. How weird is that? She wouldn't eat the cookies, but she would eat that! There is no figuring out that girl!

Friday we didn't have date night, because of the Halloween party on Saturday. We took the kids to Red Robin and to Best Buy (see prior post). We had a fun time. They came home and played their new games, and Ben and I relaxed on the couch, preparing for a busy Saturday.

Saturday morning started early with a 8:00 am baseball game. The kids hit really well, and Aubrie played first base and Boston was the catcher. Boston was killing me! He would not move from his spot, when he was catching. If the ball went past him, he would just let the umpire get it! Aubrie was all over first base. She hadsome awesome plays! Once, she got the ball and tagged the base, for an out, and then got knocked over by the boy running there. They still let him stay on base, even though they called him out. Coach pitch is weird that way. She was pretty upset about it, because she got pretty banged up from it. The second time he was up to bat, she got the ball and tagged the base and pointed at the boy, and yelled "YOUR OUT!" She was proud of herself. The rest of the game was entertaining, too. Aubrie's friend, Grace, was the "pitcher" and she was chasing players down with the ball, as they were coming towards home. She was giving us all a good laugh.

After the game, the kids had practice at the Church for the primary program. Ben picked Ethan up early for his 12:00 game. When I went to pick up A & B, all the kids were outside running around in the sprinklers. They were all in their church clothes, because the practice was in the chapel. I wasn't too happy that Boston's leather shoes were soaking wet! The Presidency kept apologizing to me. I guess they are a little intimidated after I got a little upset with them for yanking Boston out of class for NOTHING the other week. Oh well! Anyway, I was over the sprinkler thing fast, (like I get over most things quickly) and spent some time talking with a good friend. Aubrie went home with her daughter for the day, and Boston came home with me. When I got home I put Sophia down, so it was just Boston and I. I got some things cleaned up around the house, and then I made the soup for the Halloween party. It was a busy, but productive day! The Halloween party was a blast. I'll make it it's own post. My was throat was feeling a little sore towards the end, and I knew that wasn't a good sign.

This morning I didn't want to get out of bed because I felt so lousy, but it was the Primary Program. Aubrie and Boston did well. They were singing all the songs and I could hear Aubrie's voice above the others. They also said their parts loud and clear! Aubrie was looking at Zarchary the whole time she said hers (also brought to my attention by someone else LOL) Ethan, on the other hand, just sat there the whole time. He wouldn't do his part, and he only sang bits and pieces of a few songs. He would do random things, like hit his head over and over, or pull himself forward and back on the wall. One of my YW said she was getting a kick out of watching him. Glad he entertained in some fashion. Sophia woke up sick today, too. So she was miserable at church, and she wanted to go up on the stand with the kids. So Ben and my Mom took turns with her in the hall. My Mom took her home after Sacrament.

Ben's lesson was really good today. It is every week. The spirit is always so strong in that room, and most of the women come out crying like babies. Unfortunately I'm not a pretty crier, so those who don't know me very well think there is something wrong. My good friends know I'm just the "spirit barometer!"

Today, I took a good nap and so did Ben. While Ben was napping, the kids decided they wanted to do service and pick up trash on our street. They put on my rubber kitchen gloves (that I never wear and have no idea where they came from) and went up and down the street. Their main objective was cigarette butts. It gave me a chance to talk to them about the Word of Wisdom and serving, too! I was happy they wanted to clean up the street. After our walk, Ben woke up and headed off to California. He is there to watch my brother do a installation, that he needs to learn for his business. The kids were great helpers, getting the house ready for the night. Aubrie bathed and put Sophia down, Ethan cleaned upstairs, and Boston emptied the dishwasher and picked up the downstairs. I need to look back on things like this when they are driving me insane. Now I'm here, typing, and Aubrie is asleep next to me, one thing she gets to look forward to when Ben is gone. It reminds me of when my own Dad would travel and I would sleep with my Mom. Things have come full circle! Red Robin Pics!

Sophia enjoying some cantaloupe. They messed up Boston's order and gave him some....good thing! Ethan getting serious about coloring! Boston and his corn dog! I looked over and found Boston scratching Sophia's back! I don't even think he realized he was doing it. He is just affectionate by nature. I LOVE that about him! He loves Sophia so much, and I know he is going to be a good protective big brother!

Best Buy Give away!

So, Friday, I get a call from Michelle asking me if I knew about the Best Buy Give Away. Apparently, they were giving kids, from our school district, 5 dollars for every A or E on their report card. Since Aubrie and Boston rocked their grades this quarter, they both ended up with 30 dollars, each, to spend. Boston decided on a DS game, and Aubrie wanted the Wii, Outdoor Games. That was 60 dollars, and so she knew the only way to get it was to convince Boston to go in on it with her. She tried all her lawyer persuasion skills, and Boston still would not budge. She started to get upset, and cry a little because she wanted it so bad. Honestly, I wanted it, too! I'm the one who found it, actually, and showed it to her. It has all types of cool activities, like snow boarding, jump roping, and so much more! check it out! Ben was getting a little upset that she was crying after she had just received 30 dollars for free (we'll for all her had work). I told him all it had on it, and I think he wanted it to. He yelled over to Aubrie, "does that have jump roping on it?" She said, "YA!" He told her that he wanted to try that and that he would pay for half if he could use it. SUCKER!!! She has him so wrapped around his little finger. She deserves it, though. She is such a great helper and a good girl, despite her "spiciness!" (is that even a word?) Anyway....THANKS BEST BUY!!!

We prefer to call it a "Manbag"

First of all, I'm sure Ben will not be very happy that I'm blogging this! It's just too funny to keep to ourselves! So I already told you about Ethan's desire to find a purse! Well, I didn't act fast enough in finding him something. The other day he was in Sophia's room and found one of Aubrie's old purses. He came running to me and said, "Look Mom! I found a purse!" Out of all the purses, he picks the bright purple one with "Bratz" type figures on it! I try to tell Ben he picked that one because there are cute girls on it! LOL He now keeps his chap stick, play phone, sunglasses, and cash in it, and keeps it around his bed post! So far he has taken it to Aubrie's Honors Assembly, Walmart (a few times), church this Sunday (but kept it in his church bag), and to Red Robin. That was the funniest to me. We were all walking to our table, and everyone was staring, as they normally do. Come one! It's not that uncommon to have four little kids, but for some reason we always get "the looks"! I like to think it's because they are so cute! Anyway, so picture this. We are following the hostess in this order...Ben holding Sophia, Me, Aubrie, Boston, and then Ethan at the tail end with his purse over his shoulder. That's when people took a second look and then got a huge smile on their face. I'm not the least bit embarrassed. Perhaps if he was a year older, I would be a little concerned. But right now he is just a little boy who wants to keep his things organized. :)

Ethan at Aubrie's school (thanks Michelle for taking the pic:)

Him sporting the "man bag" at Red Robin!

Take Comfort, and be Grateful!

This one goes out to all my friends with strong willed girls.....you know who you are!

As I sat here thinking about how I must have the most strong willed girls of the century, my thoughts are returned to the words I once heard a general authority say. It was something along the lines of how the Lord will save his strongest spirits for the latter-days. They will have to be strong spirits, to be unwavering when temptation constantly swirls around them. Though I have often thought of those words at my times of frustration, and tried to find peace through them, today I take much comfort in them. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, because I like to look forward to the future with hope in knowing that with perilous times, also comes the promise that our Savior's coming is even closer. However, with the deterioration of values that is encompassing our world, I realized how lucky I am to have these strong girls. As I was writing in their journals today (no I don't blog everything), and writing about how "spicey" they were, I felt a calming feeling, and the spirit's sweet whispering saying, "Rachel, take great comfort and be grateful that your Heavenly Father has entrusted you with these strong spirits. He knew you would raise them in righteousness, and that these strong girls will be able to stand strong to the temptations of this world, not cowering to the ways of the world, but staying true to the ways of God, in which they will be taught" (Ok a little pressure there, huh? ) That then brought my mind to a recent quote from a message in the Ensign, that I first read several years ago, from a General YW conference. Margaret D. Nadauld, former Young Women general president: “Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. … We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith”
So next time Sophia unrelentingly persists to get in the bathroom sink, or Aubrie won't give up her plea to something she feels is right, even if she isn't, I will take comfort (as should all of you) that they are the "Army of Heleman" in training. So I better make sure I instruct them well!

Sunday was a great day, even though it didn't start out that way. It started with Ethan having a full blown out tantrum because he didn't want to put his own pants on. (Which is unusual for him) At first it started off that he didn't want me in his room as he was getting dressed, and then it turned into, "PUT MY PANTS ON FOR ME!" He missed a nice breakfast that Ben made, because he sat up in his room screaming and crying. I don't know how HE made it through the three hours of church without food!!
The kids did GREAT through sacrament. Sophia needed constant entertaining, but she made it through the whole thing. The boys sat there reverently drawing pictures. During the passing of the sacrament Boston made one of Jesus up on the cross and people down below. The one with smiles he labeled "bad people" and the ones with sad faces he labeled, "good people". He always surprises me with stuff like that! Aubrie just sat quietly next to me, taking any back scratch or head rubbing she could get out of me! I guess our whole, "if you can't be reverent at church, you'll sit on the couch for that amount of time when we get home" is working! Sophia did make up for her great hour by crying on and off in the Nursery. Terri M. was great enough to sit in there with her, but after an hour of that, I felt guilty and had Ben go and get her. I had to teach this week in YW. The lesson was on Honesty. I geared it a lot toward the fact that by staying silent about something is a form of dishonesty, particularly sitting there and listening to gossip when you know it's not true. The girls had a lot to say this week! I think I hit on something:)

After church, Ben let me catch up on some much needed sleep. Then we started to prepare dinner for company. In the meantime, Boston disappeared and I found him asleep on the living room couch. You know when your kid falls asleep in the living room (the most boring room in the house) that he isn't feeling well. That was around 4:45. When the Lorenzana's showed up we carried Botson up to bed. He slept through the night. He woke me up at 5:15 and said he couldn't sleep anymore. He then asked me if I put his tooth under his pillow (he lost another tooth Sunday afternoon). Shoot!! I had totally forgot about that. Luckily I thought of something quick, and told him I wanted HIM to put it under his pillow and he was cool with that. He then asked why Alex never came over, and I told him he slept right through it all. He then said, "AHH, no wonder I can't sleep anymore!" That meant I wouldn't sleep anymore either. I tried to let him in my bed, but a Queen isn't comfortable with three people. I finally got up at 5:55 and started to get ready to go hiking. I then heard Sophia squawking. I ran her up a bottle before I met up for the hike.


Today Alicia joined us! It's always nice catching up with her. The hike was good. There is a part that is a killer. I look forward to the day that I cruise right up with out being out of breath! I spent the rest of the day grocery shopping, preparing dinner, and making these cute miniature carmel apples, I saw in one of my magazines. I usually am not one to take the time to try cutsie, craft things in magazines, but these were too cute to resist. Especially since I have a hard time committing to a whole carmel apple! You just take a melon baller and "cut" out these miniature balls and dip them in carmel and sprinkles. They are fun to make, but the carmel stuck to the paper cups. So I won't use those again! I originally was making them for Boston's class, until I found out his Fall party is the 31st not the 21st!!! How did I get that mixed up? I thought it was odd they were having it so early. Anyway, I turned them into a FHE treat! They were good! Tonight we played Clue and every time someone showed you one of their cards, you had to thank them by saying something nice about them. The kids love that game, and I loved hearing them say nice things! So it was a Win/Win! (Well I love Clue, too so it was a Win/Win/Win!!!;)


Here is some of Ethan's "art" that he made today. He said it's a goblin holding two pumpkins. I thought it was funny how he made arms and legs for him! (or her? ) I don't know how he can have such a short attention span with some things, but can sit for hours cutting, creating and coloring! Poor boy colored white computer paper FOREVER!!! Time to buy some more colored construction paper. I love it!

Giant Spirits, Little Bodies

This morning started off early, with a 8:00am baseball game. Boston and Aubrie did great! Aubrie was on first base, but apparently thought she was in charge of the whole Right Field! She is a go getter, always trying to be in control of everything. Boston had a good time on third, and tried chasing many people down the baseline towards home. They both had some good hits, and seemed to enjoy themselves. I'm glad they get to be on this team together, and with friends from church.

After the game, we came home while Ethan and Ben headed out to T-ball. The house was messy and I got grumpy. I was upstairs for quite awhile tiding up and getting Sophia dressed. I could tell she was cleaning up downstairs to surprise me. I decided I would play dumb and go downstairs and act shocked. When I went downstairs, I was shocked! She had cleaned the WHOLE downstairs just like I would had. The dishes were done, the counters cleared and clean, the floors swept, the granite floor tile cleaned, the toys organized, and couch pillows and blankets where they should be. Tears quickly came, realizing what an amazing little girl I have. Not that I didn't think she was amazing, but realizing how caring and mature she can be to think of me and do all of that. I told her when I finished cleaning upstairs we would go to Walmart to get some diapers for her new Baby Alive. As I was getting close to being finished she noticed that Ben had taken my car. I told her we would have to wait. About 5 minutes later I find her outside in Ben's car, with Sophia buckled in a car seat (she had gotten out of the garage and put in Ben's car). I was so amazed at how determined she was. Then I realized that she had taken Ben's golf clubs out of the car, by herself, and carried them into the garage! Nothing can stop her! It was today that I realized more than ever how Aubrie is far beyond her years, in so many things, and how I needed to treat her older than I do. She is such a giant spirit in such a little body. I truly believe that about the children of today. Just yesterday, as I was rocking Sophia, the thought came to me on how frustrating it much be for Sophia to be so limited with her little body and lack of language skills. I even said that to her, (weird I know) but saying it out loud got a calming response from her. I think I'm being taught something with these two experiences.

One last semi-related experience of the day. As I was coming back from Walmart, I looked back to find Boston and Sophia holding hands. I quickly went for my camera, devastated to find that I didn't have it in my purse. It was one of the most tender moments of the day, and made my heart melt seeing the sweet connection between them. As I looked closer at them holding hands, I noticed it was the hand where Boston wears his CTR ring. It couldn't be more appropriate!

An "Eventful" Friday

So my pants seemed to be fitting a little tighter lately. I'm not sure if the water setting on the wash was hot, and shrank them? Or......maybe it has something to do with the fact that these are on my counter and they started like this and now look like this!!! This wasn't the first time filling them up, either!!!! The Holiday Junk Food Express has officially started, and the only way to combat it is exercise. I have been so incredibly lazy, when it comes to exercise. Getting up early is not appealing. Working out while Sophia is napping, instead of doing something else, isn't either. Nigh time I just want to lay down and relax. So what to do? I finally decided to sacrifice a little sleep for a little health. Friday Erin, Kari and I met at 6:15 AM for a nice hike around the mountain, by my house. Amazingly it wasn't hard to get up, and it felt GREAT! I look forward to more! Hopefully it stays that way!

After my hike, I rushed home to get the kids ready for school, before I headed out the door for Aubrie's parent/teacher conference. Aubrie did great this quarter, making the Principals list. It is a nice change having her at a school where she feels accomplished. Anyway, my Mom watched the kids for the short time while we were there. In that short time, Ethan threw up all over the couch and down the hallway to the bathroom, and Sophia slipped and fell in it (reminds me of a scene from "Cheaper by the Dozen"). In 15 minutes, all that happened, and my Mom still managed to have the floor and couch cleaned up and Aubrie bathed! Go, Super Grandma! I then sat with Ethan for over an hour, while he continued to be sick. He was being so good about it all, even though it was so pathetic. I told him he was being so brave, like a firefighter, and that we should go get him a costume when he's not sick anymore. Ethan finally fell asleep around 9:30 and once I got Sophia down, I joined them. Guess the early morning got to me!
Around 12:30, Ethan showed up down stairs (he was sleeping that whole time) fully dressed and saying he was ready to get the costume. That kid was probably dreaming about it the whole time. Luckily he was feeling much better; enough to eat 4 scrambled eggs and some toast.
The day ended with a late dinner with the Lorenzana's, a round of goofy golf, and cards!

Getting Creative and a Quest for a Purse!

So I guess today is "Ethan" day on my blog! Lately, Ethan has been putting our computer and construction paper to good use. Originally, he was asking us for all sorts of costumes; Indiana , several times, that he already got his costume for Halloween, Ethan started creating his own costumes. He pulled out the paper, markers, tape and scissors and went to town. The amazing thing is that he doesn't leave out anything! He is sure to make all the accessories, such as the whips, swords and even the shoes. Not only is he thorough, but he also makes them at proper proportions (my tape supply is quickly being depleted!). He now has a stack of paper costumes in his dresser!

Yesterday, when Boston came home, he had a plastic fireman hat and sticker badge. That made something click in Ethan, because all yesterday (and today) he couldn't stop talking about being a fireman. As we were driving home from piano, he said. "You know what Mom? Fireman are better than us because they spray fires with their big hose!" He then started asking me all these questions like, "What color are their shirts ( shoes, etc)?" As soon as we got home he put on a yellow shirt and Boston's hat and went to work making his fireman costume. Here is a picture of him at work! At one point he had his leg up on the table to measure it up to the computer paper (he was making the boots). I tried to get a picture of that, but he did it too fast.

Here is another funny kick he has been on lately....we'll let me walk you through the beginning. The other day he said, "Mom! I need a bag that will hold my phone, wallet and chap stick!" I mistakenly said, "Like a purse?" He replied, "Yes! I need a purse." Since then he has been asking for a purse. Yesterday we were in Marshall's and I walked by the purse aisle and he got all excited and said, "Yes! Purses!" (Ben would be so proud). I explained to him that those purses were for girls and that maybe we could find him something else. Later I found one of those soft lunch boxes, and suggested that. He said, "No, Mom, it needs to have a strap!", as he was motioning over his shoulder! I'm hoping to find him a cool little backpack, for Ben's sake! Who knows? Maybe Ethan will just make his own purse if we wait long enough! LOL

Serioulsy!!

Quite often, I start hearing a particular word (not profanity!), or start seeing a certain expression on my kids face, and wonder, "where did they get that from?" We'll, lately Ethan has been saying , "Seriously", A LOT!! It sure doesn't look as cute written down, but to hear his cute voice inflection when he says it, and how he uses it, is absolutely adorable, coming from a 4 year old! Last night I asked Ben if he knew where he got that word from, and within just a few minutes of inquiring, I caught myself saying "seriously"....just like he says it! Funny how kids pick up on things that you don't even realize you do yourself. Suddenly I'm starting to feel uneasy about the crusty looks Aubrie can give!

Another last milestone!

So, being the fourth kid, you might think that Sophia's milestones wouldn't be that big of deal. Right? It is actually quite the contrary. Yes, I may do things I wouldn't had dreamed of doing with Aubrie. Some examples might include; letting her eat something off the floor, giving her candy before lunch, letting her drink soda, or letting her have a bottle at 18 months! However, the milestones are a completely different category. Because she is my last, and I know she is my last, every time she does something my mind tells me, "Rachel! This is the last time your going to have a child walk for the first time, or roll over for the first time, etc..."
Today was the end of a 18 month countdown to Church Nursery, something we have been anxiously keeping track of since Sophia was about 8 months old! Finally, no more walking in the halls after our little monkey. We finally have earned the right to drop her off into someone else's hands for two hours, while we peacefully enjoy two hours of church. Sounds great, huh? Well, I have to admit that while there were some great perks to that , a part of me was checking on her every 10 to 15 minutes to make sure all was well. I felt so empty handed. It was such a weird feeling to sit there in class, with nothing to occupy me but the lesson. I didn't have a distraction as an excuse for not hearing questions, and no reason to leave if I felt so inclined. I also realized how much socializing, and exercise (lol), I got accomplished in the halls. But, mainly, I just missed her! I also realized, as I was analyzying my sad (crazy) feelings of dropping her off (with the other kids, I was trying to sneak them in early) that I typically was pregnant, or had just had a newborn, when I put our other's in the nursery. ( Was that a long enough sentence?) So I was putting one in, knowing I had another or soon would have one, to be chasing. So I was enjoying the short reprieve! But today was it! No more future kiddos were coming into my life for me to chase! I then realized that today not only marked her milestone, but also permanently ended, yet, another season of my life. ( I guess I have my future grandchildren to chase one day, when I'm the most awesome grandma and watch my grand babies for my children as they are gone away on weekend get aways!) So call me weird or crazy for having a hard time today, but I did! My last is growing fast and I can't do anything about it, except try to enjoy every minute of her and all my other kids.

PS Can you tell my favorite conference talk was about making the most of today, instead of piling up a bunch of tomorrows!:)

Flowers from my "Boys"!

I thought I better post before everyone thinks Ben has taken over my (oh I meant to say "our") blog!:)

The other day I received flowers twice. Flowers from my sweet husband who conveniently "forgot" to tell me he was going golfing, and got caught:) And this flower. Ethan came in with this flower he had picked, and planted in one of his cups. What a cute and thoughtful thing from such a small little guy. It sat on my kitchen counter for over a week. I was sad when it finally died, and I had to throw it away. Every time I did my dishes, his flower always cheered me up.

Ethan has so much personality. Sometimes things come out of his mouth that I would expect to hear from a teenager. Yesterday, I went into his room to wake him up for school and he said. "I want to sleep". I continued to scratch his back and tell him he needed to get up. He then said in a "matter of fact" way, "Mom, can you just let me get some rest?" I decided I would let him rest and left. About 30 minutes later he came downstairs all dressed and ready to go. Guess he is like his mother....not one to hop right out of bed when the alarm goes off!!!

Today was a nice break for me. Ben stayed home so I could go to the temple with some ladies in YW. Everyone ended up cancelling, so Melissa showed up by herself. We still had a great time! We made a little stop at the Scottsdale mall on the way home. Our first stop was Nordstroms. I forgot how much I love that place. It's probably a good thing it's so far away, and I'm too lazy and cheap to drive all the way over there. I wish I had more time and energy to walk more of that mall, but I only made it as far as the Gap and Anthropologie. Melissa and I also made a stop at a little place similar to Cafe Rio. I need to learn how to make it myself. It's so yummy! We ended up getting back around 2:00, giving Ben enough time to get a few jobs done for work.

The afternoon was pretty laid back. Sophia took a nap right before school got out, so I had time to play Memory with Ethan and get a quick 15 minute rest on the couch. Aubrie called from school, wanting to know if she could go to her friends house. Her friends parents have A LOT of money, and own a HUGE house behind our church building. Aubrie kept going on and on about how big the house was. So much for me feeding her the line about how she has it better off than most kids! Ha! Now she'll just talk about all that Grace has. I did decide to nip it in the bud, and had a frank conversation about how money doesn't make someone better or more cool, and how our mansion in Heaven is what is most important. I think she was just amazed more than anything, like a little girl going into a castle.

Since Aubrie was at Gracey's today and Ethan had t-ball practice, it was just Boston, Sophia and I, for over an hour. I used the time to make a nice dinner, and feed Sophia. Boston came in asking if I could play kickball with him. I told him I would as soon as I did the dishes. The next thing I know, he is scrubbing dishes and cleaning the sink. Boston and I got about 30 minutes of kickball in, before everyone got home. Boston informed me that he now divides his time on the playground; part tether ball and part kickball. I'm glad that he is enjoying himself at school.

After dinner tonight, it was my turn to put Sophia to bed. She let let me rock and hold her for more than twenty minutes. I LOVED it!!! I love when my kids let me hold them. I know that it will be too soon when they are all grown and I can't hold them like I do now. Thank goodness for grandchildren. Mine are going to be so smothered!

Right now Ben is at Home Depot getting some latches for our pantry doors. Sophia is always getting in them and dragging food items around the house. I can't wait to have those installed so I don't have that headache anymore. I can't wait to see her reaction tomorrow. Isn't that evil? I remember being so excited when we finally thought of putting a gate in the hallway that led to our open den/office. I felt so liberated!!! Though I love Sophia and this cute little age of hers, it also has been so much work. This should cut down on some of it! Now I just need a solution for keeping her off my bathroom counters. That stinker has figured out how to use the bathtub to get up there!:) She is my little monkey!

The perfect hairdo, truth and consequences, Red Sox Magic

I get home from a long day of work with Aubrie in tow and bring in all the groceries and dinner for tonight. I get all the groceries in the house and begin to start pulling the chicken apart to feed the family. We get settled and begin dinner. Boston looks up at me and tells me that he knows how he can help me. He tells me that I need that "stuff" on tv to rub on my head to give me the perfect hairdo. I look to my loving spouse for support and understanding and Rachel is laughing so hard she cannot control herself. All the kids got a big kick out of Boston's pronouncement. I asked Boston if he likes my current hairdo and he tells me that he does not. I tell him that he is grounded and beat him for ten minutes (just kidding, it was only 4 minutes!). I too got a good laugh out of his statement and then said a silent prayer that neither of my boys will be follicly challenged later in life.

Tonight for Family Home Evening we laid out the new law and established the new rules for the house. The kids were excited to participate and the whole lesson went very well. The rules require that we all work together as a family and that we all pull along together. I know that there are many times when we aren't working together and things don't go smoothly. I also know that Satan is most happy when there is contention and hard feelings. We are working hard to have respect in our family and love at all times. It is not easy, but it all starts with me. I came home today and hugged all the kids and told them that I loved them. It really makes a difference when they feel that and hear that constantly. We are hopeful that these new rules and consequences will help the kids to better understand their roles in the family and make everything run more smoothly. I am so grateful to Rachel and for her diligence with Family Home Evening and for pushing me along toward salvation. I figure if I stay close enough to her I might be able to sneak in the side door!

Tonight the Red Sox beat the Angels and are off to the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays! I was happy and yelling and jumping around. Before they won they gave up the lead in the 8th inning and I got grumpy. I need to not take sports so seriously, but I live and die with the Red Sox. After so many years of anguish and turmoil I am glad that they have started winning consistently. I will be yelling and screaming all the way to the world series hopefully.

play ball, nerd alert, 79!, stop lock and drop (by Ben, not to be confused with something Rachel would post!)

This morning began 8 weeks of tee ball for Ethan and 8 weeks of coach pitch for Aubrie and Boston. Ethan's game was first at 9:00 a.m. They moved the games to Rio Vista Park which is another 10 minutes further than the previous location. We headed out early and got to the park with 5 minutes to spare. I dropped Rachel and the kids off at the field and then proceeded to park. Unfortunately I dropped them off at the wrong fields and did not realize it until I had already parked and returned to them. I grabbed all the stuff and headed to the other fields which were a bit of a hike. Needless to say I was tired and sweaty by the time that I got to the field. I got there in time to get everything out of the bag and organize the boys and then send them out into the field. The game went well and I was still able to recall every boy's name. Ethan seemed to have a great time, but he bores easily. I had to make sure to keep him engaged as much as possible. He likes to bat and run. He is not a big fan of playing in the field watching others hit. Rachel was able to watch about half of the game and then took Sophia to the park that was next to the field. Sophia was being a stink butt and needed to run around. It will be nice when she is older and will not require so much attention. The game wrapped up and I got all the stuff together and then made the hike back to the car and got Rachel and the kids and we were off to get something to eat. We had to make the proverbial stop at Wal Mart first to pick up some of the essentials that were eluding us at home. We then headed over to Cracker Barrel but they were too busy. We then went to Dennys, but they too were too busy. We finally find the 5 & Diner at 75th and Bell and had a great breakfast. The waitress got our food out quickly and it was great. The kids did well, but Sophia was already an hour past her nap and we had to take turns walking around the restaurant with her.

We finished breakfast and then headed over to the fields where Aubrie and Boston were to play. There were a ton of people there and we got everyone unloaded and then headed over to the field where the magic would begin. I am very happy this year to have Aubrie play in coach pitch. She is very athletic and my only hesitation in putting her onto this team with Boston was due to the fact that she is already doing so many other things. It is amazing how many activities kids have today. There almost seems to not be enough hours in the day for homework and activities and family time. We are working hard to keep a good balance. Aubrie and Boston both played very well and both hit well. I have been working with them in the backyard by throwing balls to them and grounders. Aubrie played catcher the whole game and tried her best to stop all the balls that came her way. She liked being the center of attention. I am not even sure who won the game but I was glad that they had a great time and more importantly that they were able to play together.

We headed home and watched what was left of conference for that afternoon. The afternoon session was great and there were some great talks. I still made the mistake of laying down to watch conference. That is never a good idea for me as I have the tendency to drift off. After the last session of conference Rachel and Michelle took off to get their toes done. I was glad that Rachel was able to get away with her good friend Michelle. It is important to me that Rachel makes time for herself and does things that she is interested in doing. I know that guys get out of the house and go to work and get to do lots of things that wives do not get to do. It is only fair that they are given time to do things that peak their interests. Rachel got back and I was already dressed and ready to go to the priesthood session. Rachel wished me luck and I headed out. Rachel was taking the kids to the park while I was gone. The kids love the park and it was fun that they were able to go and have fun with their friends. I got to conference with 5 minutes to spare. My dad was there already saving a row for me and my brothers at the back of the cultural hall. It is really important to me that I am able to meet with up my dad and brothers for the priesthood session every six months. I know that we are far from perfect in this world, but it does make me happy to see that we are where we are supposed to be on that particular night. The session was great and many things seemed to be pointed at me specifically. Especially honoring and appreciating your spouse. I am so fortunate to have Rachel for my eternal sweetheart. I am still perplexed as to why it is that I don't treat her as well as I should as often as I can. I guess that what they say it true. Often times you treat the ones you love the most the worst. I probably butchered that saying, but I know that Rachel is the most important person to me in this world and I do take her for granted and all that she does for our family far too often. I know that she knows that I appreciate her, but actions truly speak louder than words. Some of what transpires is learned behavior, but I am positive that the Lord will not accept that as an excuse for not treating Rachel the way I should at all times. I continue to try to improve and love her at all times and under all circumstances. I will eventually treat her the way that she deserves to be treated always.

After the Priesthood session my dad and brothers and I went across the street from the stake center to El Caminero to have a bite to eat. Marco and Juan Lorenzana along with Taylor Price also went. It was fun to sit there and catch up with everyone. I have really become great friends with Marco. We are kindred spirits and see the world the same way. I hope that we are able to work together in the future and impact the lives of many people for good. After we had filled up on some good grub I headed back home. Rachel and the kids had just put on Iron Man. It was a great time and the kids and Rachel really enjoyed the movie. Rachel had not seen the movie before and really liked the special effects. The kids stayed up until 10:30 p.m. and had a great time. Rachel and I put the kids down and then Rachel crashed. I was able to get a lot of work done in the office. I am still behind. It is hard to be the secretary, AP person, AR person, Sales Manager, etc. It is my own fault that I try to do it all. I will eventually find someone who I can trust and bring them in to run the business. This will really free me up to grow the business and be more effective.

This is not me by the way! Aubrie asked if this was my picture as I was posting this!!!!

I have decided to get Lasik surgery done this coming Friday. Before the surgery can be performed I need to be out of my contacts for a week. I started this Friday night. I forgot how much I do not like glasses. I look like the biggest nerd on the planet. It is very limiting to have the glasses on. I am looking forward to not having to deal with contacts anymore. Every night when I take my contacts out it feels like I am pulling sandpaper out of my eye. It will also be nice to swim with the kids and be able to open my eyes under water. I have not opened my eyes under water for years. It is the simple things that you miss sometimes. Friday morning there will be no more glasses again ever!

On Friday morning I was invited to play golf with Marco, Juan and Gary (Marco's father-in-law). I had another lesson earlier in the week and had gone to the range a couple of times to continue working on my game. Everything came together that morning. I was hitting the ball well. I was not very good off the tees, but my short game was awesome. My chipping and putting were the best ever. At the end of 9 I looked down at the scorecard and realized that I had shot 38 on the front! That is only two shots over par. I could not believe it. I had never shot in the 30's before. We started to play the back. I bogeyed the first 4 holes. I was a little deflated, but then battled back and shot a 41 on the back. 79! That has always been a goal for me. I was glad to do it. My next mark will be to continue to work hard until I can shoot par. That seems a far way off, but I know that with proper instruction and hard work I can get there. I have always wanted to be consistently good at golf and feel that I just may be on the precipice of that goal. The great thing was that I stopped by the range later that afternoon to hit a couple of balls and learned some new things that will help me to play even better. Marco had the people of Olive Garden sing to me to help celebrate the 79 and then later that evening had the waitress at Black Angus bring me out a brownie ice cream concoction to celebrate again. He is great and I am glad that he was happy for me.

Last night Rachel was really wiped out and I wanted to make sure that she got lots of sleep. I grabbed some pillows and a blanket and headed into Sophia's room. I crashed on the floor. I slept fairly well. Sophia stirred a little through the night. She woke up around 6:45 a.m. As soon as I heard her I prayed that she would fall back asleep but she did not. When she spotted me on the floor she chucked her bottle at me and hit me square in the head. She laughed and had a great time at my expense. I got her up and took her downstairs so that she would not wake anyone up. I changed Sophia and we went outside and looked around. I love getting up in the morning now that it is cooler. I open the front and back doors and let the cool air to run through the house. Sophia loves to walk outside and discover whatever she can. We were able to hang out for quite some time. Rachel and the other children to did wake up. I had to wake Rachel up around 8:30 a.m. to get her up and ready for conference. I took Sophia downstairs and went about picking up and getting breakfast ready. I was watching Sophia out of the corner of my eye. She was walking back into the family room and stopped. She then locked up and started grunting and shaking. Then presumably she dropped a loaf into her pants. I always laugh every time I see this. I am so glad that we learn how to use the toilet. It would be awfully uncomfortable to be walking with someone and have them stop then lock up and then emit a terrible odor. Random thoughts from the deepest recesses of my brain. Not very deep!

The weeks are really starting to fly by. It is amazing how every year seems to go by faster and faster. Work is going well. I had to fire a couple of workers who were stealing from me and being dishonest. I really want to smack them around, but realize that I am much better off not having anything to do with them and just put it behind me. Our little family is doing well. Rachel is still very much the spiritual rock of the family. She makes sure that we have family home evening every Monday night and you can really notice the growth in the children. She also makes sure that the kids know that we are not to watch sports on the Sabbath. I need to go hide upstairs to catch highlights or scores. I won't give up the fight! We are making our way through and are grateful for the blessings that we have. We are grateful for great friends and good times.

You cleaned?

Don't you just love when you spend your whole day cleaning, and when your done, your house doesn't look much different than when you started. Well, of course you notice the difference, but any stranger, child, or husband, for that matter, doesn't. Today was one of those days. After dropping Ethan off, I made a quick run to Walmart. The kids passed off the second paragraph of the Family Proclamation, and so I had to go get their reward, a six pack of their favorite soda. ( The first paragraph was their favorite cereal). I know what your thinking..."your bribing them to memorize that?" Well OF COURSE!!! Anyway, I walked out of Walmart at 10:00 am with two 12 packs of soda (they were a better deal) and a cart full of things that I didn't intend to buy. So I decided I better stay home the rest of the day before I spent any more money.

My first agenda was my car. It was getting embarrassing! Ben came home, for a few things, while I was cleaning it out. I was thinking, "see babe, I work hard around here!" LOL After that, I cleaned downstairs, organized the pantry and fridge, and then worked on upstairs. It's amazing how little things add up and all the sudden your house is cluttered. That is one of the things that stresses me out when the kids get home from school. Backpacks, folder, lunchboxes, shoes, socks, etc...suddenly cluttering my house, that I spend all morning picking up. I can't handle the clutter. Weird thing is that I can handle it anywhere else, except in my house. Ok, I'm getting off on a tangent here. Anyway, after all the decluttering today, I felt much better, even though I know no one else noticed. It also felt great to dive my clean car tonight, when I finally left the house for Young Women's.

In other news...the kids are having a great week. Actually, Aubrie had some girl drama at dance on Monday, but I have a feeling that will happen a lot. Those girls spend at least four hours a week together, so fighting is bound to happen. Ethan had his second T-ball practice, and was much more obedient. I told Ethan that Dad would call Mom if he wasn't a good listener and I would come pick him up early (Ben's is the coach). Guess that strategy worked. Tuesday was Aubrie's last Cheerleading class. They did a little presentation for the parents. They did a handful of cheers and then each girl did something with a partner or on her own. Aubrie did a cartwheel. I asked her why she didn't group with another girl (all worried that she couldn't find a partner), and she said, "because I just wanted to do my own thing." That made me feel better. Boston is plugging right along in school, and enjoying himself. He makes me laugh at what makes a day good or bad. On Monday he said he had a bad day because he missed a word on his spelling test. Funny kid. Sophia is getting quite demanding when we get in the car, lately. As soon as I buckle her she points to the DVD screen and says "moov". I have given up on fighting her. I can't really rationalize with a 18 month old. Ethan is definitely not complaining! He has never been a fan of the "we have to be in the car for at least 30 minutes to get a movie" rule.

One last thing. Today while I was cleaning upstairs, I changed Sophia's diaper and threw it downstairs. About 30 minutes later I realized I hadn't heard Sophia in awhile. I looked downstairs and called for her, and then see her with an pudding pack container that was in the trash. She had pudding all over her hands and mouth. Ugh! I quickly cleaned her up (not before she grabbed my pants with her pudding hands) , and rinsed out the container before I threw it away, for the second time! When I went to throw it away I noticed her diaper was in the trash. So she was smart enough to see her diaper on the floor and throw it away, and that's when she saw the container. I was finding pudding around the house the rest of the day. Ugh! We need to get our carpets cleaned anyway!