27 December, 2006

Christmas post #2



December 25
At Home
It was well into the wee hours of Christmas morning by the time that I finished wrapping the presents and arranging them under the tree. Kacen woke up first I guess you could say (He had woke up atleast four other times between one a.m. and 8:30, which it now was). I went and peeked in the girls room and they were awake. I then got Paul's attention, he actually wasn't too hard to wake up. He went out and got the camcorder ready and I went and helped Abbi out of bed. Alona had fun guessing which stocking was hers and we just gave Abbi's to her. Abbi found the crayons! They were just laying out in front of the tree and she wanted them, "Open!" She wanted to color right then and didn't care about the stocking or other presents. We got her to take things out of her stocking, Abbi was so careful about pulling each thing out that we just dumped out the contents of her stocking right in front of her. Alona was a bit more quick about it. And the present opening began!

Alona would ask when touching each present if it was hers. And when opening the presents that the church had dropped off for her(though she thinks that it was Santa) she replied, I didn't want this! Oh child of mine! Abbi was so excited for each present and had a hard time moving on to the next one. They got more than any child could hope for. We were so blessed, with Paul's bonus check that we were not expecting we were able to get Kacen two presents! So Santa came even for the two month old baby! I was able to get Paul the laptop hard drive that he wanted and I got a book, a cd and a pedometer and one other gift!

And Alona's slippers came later. So she put on her boots that she got from Santa right when she woke up!

And Jared's present to the girls, WoW! I had heard that there was a new Elmo, but I never imagined the possibilities. The TMX Elmo knows when it has fallen up and gets up by itself. If Alona throws him down, he picks himself up! He slaps his knee and falls down with hysterical laughter and turns to all sides of his body laughing and giggling vibrations! It was mouth dropping to watch this all for the first time!
Marta's gifts that I bought with the money that she gave were a great hit! Alona wanted to open some of the musical instruments for herself. Alona got a cute piggy bank, which she was so convincde that Santa got for her, and a Toss Across game. After it got all put together, Alona now goes over to it and makes them all X's or O's and says, " look I win!" Abbi got a band in a box kind of thing with a drum, tambourine, bells on a stick, egg shakers, maracas, etc. When it was shipped they didn't treat it very nice, it got here and almost all of the instruments were floating freely in the box. They should have all been fastened to one piece of cardboard. That's why Alona wanted to open some of Abbi's, they were all wrapped separately so it looked like she had a lot of presents. Kacen got a toy bar to go on his car seat! Some day he will understand the concept!

We well we tried to hurry and get ready to go to relatives houses. But it seems that I take the longest with feeding a baby and getting myself dressed. And the van needed air in its tires. So we were a half an hour late to my grandmothers house. We were able to listen to the CD that Paul got me all the way down to Roy! Though I had to hold the portable CD Player in my hand so that it didn't skip.

Heather's Grandparent's House
And the comment right when we walked in, Look Heather's here! I guess they were all waiting on me. Lunch was great, she had about the same stuff as when Kacen was blessed. Abbi ate all of her olives and wouldn't touch the rest of her food. Alona ate her roll and not much else. My silly, silly children. My aunt Tiffany and my grandmother had bought the children presents and handed them out to the children. They waited until all of them had a gift and then they got to open them. Alona got her guitar! She looked happy, though the response that came from her mouth moments later shocked me, "I want more presents." I told her just to be thankful! Abbi got a keyboard fronm them and a singing Dora Doll and they both got bath things. Kacen got an Eeyore and some pajamas. Tiff and Mike gave us a gift card to Wal-Mart and my grandmother had previously given me and Paul $20 each and I used all of that money to put fillings in my teeth.
My aunt Taunya helped the girls and played with them. She did at the christmas party too. She is so sweet. I asked my grandfather if he was having a good christmas. He replied that it was good because I was there! Paul didn't eat anything, he still wasn't feeling good from having the stomache flu for four days!

On the Road
We were off to follow my sister to Cherry Lane to pick up presents from my old foster parents. While driving the cell phone rang and I reached back and grabbed it. I am so glad that I did. A guy on the other end just starts talking to me and then he asks, do you know who you're talking to? I was dumbfounded was I supposed to know who this was? He then says, "It's Elder Bagley!" Okay I feel retarded even after he said that it took me a minute to catch that it was Andy!! Either his voice had changed or over the past seven months the way his voice sounded just left me. Both me and Paul had great conversations with him and the girls got to say hello.

I went in and gave my foster mother a hug and told her thanks for the presents. She was all teary eyed that we were there. She was recently diagnosed with Lukemia and doesn't like kids coming in her house because of her low white blood cell count. So we went to my sister's house to open the presents. How fun both girls got a dora doll and puzzles! And Alona is getting good at them!

Val and Ruth's

We didn't spend too much time at my sister's house, we were already running late for our next stop!
First was presents at their house. Alona got "backpack" from Dora, socks and a gift certificate. Abbi got a Winnie the pooh water baby, socks and a gift certificate. Kacen got clothes and socks and for all of us was a snowman cookie jar and napkin holder. Paul got a gift certificate to Best Buy, which he has used quite well already. MI3, some headphones and a card reader for the computer. I got a gift certificate to Wal-Mart to develop my pictures!!! It is spent! Grant and Dee came over and gave us popcorn and two gift certificates to Wal-Mart and gave the girls little baby dolls and Kacen a homemade blanket.

Val got a nerf basketball hoop for him and the girls and they had fun playing with that and all of the games that came in "Backpack". She has dominoes, checkers, a lot of different card games and many more games in there. We were able to make homemade pizza and Alona was so funny, she put pineapple on her pizza. Then after it was cooked and she was eating it her little comment of, I don't like this on there came. She was the one that put it on there!They had fun playing hide and seek with the girls!

Paul let me spend all of our Wal-mart gift cards! Which was a lot, I am so grateful and delighted. I was able to get quite a few things that I needed and a good portion of pictures developed!

All said and done we had an awesome Christmas!

26 December, 2006

Christmas post #1


DECEMBER 23:
We went to Caren and Dell's to celebrate Christmas with them on the 23rd. That turned out good, it was great that Jared and Tammi were there since we wouldn't be seeing them any other time. They gave Kacen a really soft and warm green blanket. Tammi was daring and patient, she took on a big puzzle with Alona. It was either 50 or 100 pieces, I don't remember.But wow and she helped her figure out all of the edges and some of the middle and then Alona was finished!
They of course loved playing on Grandma Caren's piano! Then there were white elephants to open. Alona opened a box of chocolates and then Caren opened a bag of happy meal toys. I said to Alona, "Don't you want to trade her?", "Nope!". She preferred the chocolate. Caren made both of them Dora blankets and gave them coloring books and neat twistable crayons!

DECEMBER 24:
Christmas Eve was a little stressful at church. We were actually there on time! Church was only supposed to last for an hour! Kacen lasted half way through. So we were able to take the sacrament and then he started to get fussy. And so I decided that it was time to go! Way too difficult to drag the all three of the children to the mother's lounge and for only thirty minutes and then we would be going home anyways! I got the stuff ready and had Kacen in one hand Abbi in the other, then Alona throws herself down and starts screaming horrendously. Luckily there was a man sitting in the back that came and picked her up and took her out with me. And then he asked if I needed any more help. He didn't wait for my response, he took the carseat and other things and put them in the van. Still he chimed in and asked if there was anything else that he could do. I was so grateful.
At home I was able to feed Kacen and wake up Paul to take care of the girls. While Abbi was sleeping we watched The Wicker Man, I thought that it was a movie about a man that was trying to find his daughter. But that is so not the case, the end a little girl burns her father alive. We had a not to pleasant happening with the end of this movie.
After we had Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner. Which was okay, though their sauce I surely didn't care much for.We made a gingerbread house. Paul was too sick to help, so while feeding a baby I attempted to help the girls put it together. We covered the roof with icing and then I let them decorate the roof. I put the sides together and after failing horribly I asked Paul to please put on the roof and he did! Alona was very disappointed that she didn't get to finish decorating the rest of the house.
Right before bed we all sat down to read the Book of Mormon. We have been redaing it for about fifteen months! I started to read the last five pages that we had left, and on page three Abbi was distracting Alona and playing, giggling and running around! I'm going to have to stop I told Alona. "But I'm listening Mommy", she said. She was trying so hard to listen, though Abbi was distracting and we didn't get to finish so now we have two pages left of the Book of Mormon to read. It was going to be our present to Jesus for his birthday. I guess that it will just be a late present.

22 December, 2006

Pictures

Now everyone can see that I am a picture freak! I have posted my pictures with yahoo! The link is on the right side of my blog!

CHRISTMAS PICTURES ARE POSTED AND READY ON YAHOO PICTURES! FEEL FREE TO COMMENT! AND IF YOU DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PICTURES ONCE YOU ARE VIEWING THEM YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE COMMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED WITH MOST OF THEM!

19 December, 2006

Precious Gifts


Alona made a baby Jesus and a manger in her primary class. Yesterday she was so wrapped up in the whole thing. She filled up a sock with "precious gifts" those were her words. to her it was gold!(though they were really Chuck E. Cheese tokens) And she brought them to baby Jesus' house. She says that she loves baby Jesus. She told me that Mary and Joseph were still paying their taxes thats why there was no one home when she brought her precious gifts. And only one wise man came cause the other two were still getting their presents, their precious gifts to bring to Jesus. Baby Jesus had hay and a pillow for his bed (one of those silica pouches that says "do not eat".)

It is so fun to hear her to know that she understands, and she is also able to make her own additions to the story!

15 December, 2006

Most Wonderful Christmas Spirit

It makes me all mushy to think of yesterday and how kind, generous and giving that people are this season. Kara and Staci came to visit, I was playing outside with Abbi which was long overdue. She needed her own mommy time. We were taking her little bike into the front yard to ride it on the side walk while Kacen and Alona were sleeping (Alona was sleeping!). And lo and behold Staci and Kara were in the driveway! And much to my surprise out of their car they were pulling a real live tree! Turns out it was for us! What a beautiful, wonderful thoughtful thing. And then to top it off they left to go get a tree stand for the tree that they brought us and they put it in! It smells so wonderful, is so sturdy and just makes me all happy when I look at it. I took down our broken fake tree today and put the lights on the real tree. Abbi couldn't help circling the tree, touching each one and saying "light, light, light". She spurted out different colors purple, yellow, green while touching blue and other various lights. Alona helped put back on the ornaments. Both girls have been able to reach the candy canes and have managed to eat all but three out of the couple dozen that I began with. It sounds cute, but makes me worry a little...I save candy canes, some that they ate were years older than Alona. Hee, Hee I don't think I will be saving candy canes any more!

It was hard to believe, it had been atleast five or more years since I saw Kara and I still felt just as much at ease with her as when we were in Junior High/High School. She is so easy to talk to, and so fun. She has this happy glow about her.

While Kara and Staci were gone getting the tree stand I talked to Ruth. I had mentioned in an earlier conversation that my family would be having a christmas party on Saturday and that I wouldn't be able to go. While on the phone with her, she said that she had sent gas money for me to be able to go visit my family for the party!

It seems that somehow everything always works out. People are so loving and kind and I deeply care for everyone and wish that I could do more. I am so grateful and indebted to all those who care for and help me and my family along the way! I hope that I can share a portion of the wonderful Christmas Spirit just as these amazing people have shown to me. Love to All, Happy Holidays!

14 December, 2006

Never a DULL Moment


Sunday morning at about one a.m. Abbi woke up out of sleep almost on cue like every other morning. But Sunday morning she had thrown up all over herself. I had given her the sickness that I had a few days earlier. She went to bed at 5 a.m. and when she woke up she was fine-n-dandy! No more bein sick, she ran around like she was hyped up on caffeine. Her first time throwing up went quite well. She got over it rather quickly.

Today Alona wakes up at 5a.m. with the same scenario. Except Alona has been sick, oh three times before. I gave Alona bath and cleaned her up just as Paul had done with Abbi a few days before. But Iwas too tired to clean her bed and sheets like with Abbi. Kacen had just gone too bed a half an hour before Alona woke up. I made her a make shift bed on the living room floor and was able to go to bed for another hour. It is so much better with Alona, she understands how to take care of herself and what she needs to do. She doesn't throw up all over everything. I really hope that she gets better soon and is able to keep something down. She is usually our motion sickness girl and not our flu bug girl!

Abbi actually took a good nap today, more than an hour! While Abbu was sleeping Alona and Kacen were awake. Kacen was screaming the whole time. And right before Kacen went to sleep Alona got sick again and then took a nap. It was funny I went in to see if she was asleep, I even asked her if she was asleep, and she says "Yes." Then Abbi woke up five minutes later and she was happy with her cake while I typed! I really wish that I was able to rest.

I wrote this just to show that rarely is it quiet around here. Hardly ever are the two younger ones asleep or doscile at once. I get so exhausted. And now I get to go play outside with Abbi before Kacen wakes up. Abbi refuses to play outside even with Alona unless her mommy is there. So here's pictures sleeping and cake eating children!

10 December, 2006

Head Held High

Pictures of Kacen holding his head up when he is put on his tummy. He is so strong, he is developing those muscles so well. And he is so cute while doing it. He is growin fast!

07 December, 2006

Can I CRY?!

Our fake Christmas tree that we got two years ago as a nice surprise from friends has given out. After changing my mind for the second time and deciding that I wanted the tree in the living room because I couldn't see the lights and I wanted to be reminded that Christmas was coming. I picked the tree up with both hands and attempted to move it. Before even getting it two feet the leg broke. Then in the living room I tried to reattach the leg and another leg broke while in the process. I originally wanted it in the baby's room so that the girls wouldn't mess with it, but they had been pretty good so far. So now the only way we get to have a Christmas tree is with this one leaning against a corner, how unsafe is that for three children! I really wish that I was able to go and get a real tree!

Blessed

This past Sunday Kacen was blessed at church. He was blessed by his daddy! The first one of our children to have this done. I could tell that Paul was quite nervous. His dad, Kelly and my uncle Kerry stood in the circle with him. It sounded like one of his dads were whispering and helping him with the parts that he had to get right! It was neat to be there. We had so much support from our family! I was amazed and so happy to see them all there.

It was a great fast and testimony meeting filled with much of our family going up and bearing their testimonies, including me. I found this very hard, not very often do I share my testimony with my extended family. I am sort of afraid to, religion is not something that is talked about much. And being that most of them are not religious I get a little scared of what they will think or say. I shouldn't be so scared, I should voice what I believe in. I am glad that I had the courage to go up there. And I took Kacen with me, I held onto him tight and he seemed to absorb my fear!

We had lunch at our home afterwards and I was in awe at how much help that I got from family. I wasn't able to financially provide for lunch for everyone and so I had asked each of them for help. And each of them showed up with something to share and most brought more than one thing! The lunch was great! There was sandwiches with rolls and deli meat, cheeses and a million condiments and vegetables, salads galore, chips, eclairs, brownies and rice krispie treats, soda and juices! It was amazing. Thanks Everyone for your help!

Alona went outside because she was "crowded" and pretended to build a fire. She wanted a marshmallow to roast, but we didn't have any, so she roasted a roll! So cute. Though I have no idea why she decided to make her fire by that baby doll head. It was in the back yard when we moved in and I haven't picked it up. I am weird I don't know where it has been, I feel that I need gloves to pick it up. She also loved the christmas tree box that was emptied, it was her snow white bed. She told me as she layed down in the box with a blanket on top of her, "I am snow white."

Kelly and Marta stayed afterwards and helped us asemble our christmas tree. So glad that I asked them, we would have never gotten it put together. We don't seem to be able to do things with Paul very often, he is usually doing homework. Paul put on the garland and the lights after they left and Alona went in and put on the ornaments. I went in and looked, I just had to get a picture of her decorating skills!








ABBI'S FIRSTS


Abbi used watercolors for the first time yesterday. The first time that I dared to get them out with her. It went better than expected. She didn't grasp the concept of the paintbrush going into the paint after the water. She kept dipping the paintbrush in the water and then tried to color the paper with water. And today she ate a sandwich! This is not a normal thing for Abbi to do. When I make her a peanut butter sandwich, she usually opens the sandwich and eats out the peanut butter without eating the bread. She ate it and normally too!











And today is my first day really feeling better, yipee! Thanks everyone for caring!

04 December, 2006

The amazing human body

This morning I would have thought that I was deathly ill. I could not keep anything down, not even sprite. After five hours of being awake I was feeding Kacen and I was so amazed and surprised that he was still able to eat, being that I hadn't kept any food or liquid in my body for quite some time. The human body really is amazing!

I wasn't able to eat until one in the afternoon, and kept it down(lipton noodle soup, no chicken:))! And then water was my next feat! Every time that I would move I would have sharp pains in my abdomen and even when I wouldn't move I was in pain. I was so thankful, I called this lady that I had met at church and she found someone to watch Abbi and Alona! they were gone for three and a half hours! She only brought them back because I called her saying that I could probably handle them now. It was wonderful to just be able to sit on the couch with Kacen nd not have to run around with Abbi and Alona entertaining them and taking care of them. I was able to be sick! Not very often to I get that opportunity as a mother. Weird isn't it, I think of that as an opportunity!

02 December, 2006

Fry Dippers



Bobble head baby kisses!

I was so tired on Thursday even though I had gotten the typical amount of sleep the night before. Kacen would fall asleep eating. He would take a good 30-40 minutes eating and then he would fall asleep, I then would lay him down and less than ten minutes later he would wake up screaming. And when he woke up he wanted to eat again! He did this all day long from ten a.m. to 8 p.m. I was so tired and irritated towards the end of the day. I read the directions for dinner, and don't ask me how I missed this part of the directions... it said "ground beef browned and drained." I missed the browned and drained part. I put raw meat into the casserole that I attempted to make. The timer went off, I pulled out the food and lets just say that it didn't look right. The beef wasn't quite raw anymore but I could not stand the thought of eating it while it looked all stringy. I felt so bad for the girls I was jumping at them for things that didn't matter. So mommy went to her room and I told them that mommy needed a time out. Alona asked why, Abbi kept opening the door but eventually left me alone for a minute.

I ended up throwing dinner out and then I remembered that I had got twenty dollars in the mail from Ruth for doing some postcards for an hour. An overpayment, but I was so grateful. I could use this money on so many things that we needed, but right then I needed to use it for sanity. I asked Alona to pick up while I was feeding her brother and then we would go to McDonalds! I used the first five dollars to stop and get gas so that we could go to McDonalds, and silly silly me I went to pre-pay before I pulled up to a pump. So I pre-payed for a pump that was available and then I went to go drive to it and someone pulled up and was getting ready to get out. I walked up to their window and asked them if they would use the pump behind them because I had just pre-payed for this one, she was so understanding.

It shows how long that it had been since we had been McDonalds, the last time that we went they didn't have "choices". I asked Alona if she wanted fries or apples, "Apples!" So they both got a hamburger happy meal with chocolate milk. And the toy that was in them was a rat. We have been reading a book lately called "Pizza Pat", where the mice steal Pat's pizza. So Abbi was so excited "mouse, mouse" she said about her rat. Alona ate ALL of her food. Abbi saw my ketchup and wanted to dip her fries in it. So I let put a little on a wrapper for her, and then she saw Alona's caramel sauce for her apples. Alona says "I don't want that". So I handed it to Abbi, she starts dipping her fries in it. Not the apple that Alona had given her, but the fries! Abbi really enjoyed the caramel fries she used it for all of her fries!

When the girls were finished they were able to go and play on the toys. Alona went through the tunnels and down the slide four times. Abbi started going up it once with Alona leading her, and then a man went through the tunnels to get his daughter and Abbi came down to get out of his way and she did not go back up. All of the rest of the times Alona was too fast.

Friday night while giving Kacen a bath, I was thinking hey I haven't taken pictures of him taking a bath yet. So I figured that I needed to. And boy does he hate the water, just as much as Alona did as a baby. He screams and gasps then brings his arms close and tries to find something to cling to. Alona still is not real particular about the water. Abbi loved the water as a baby, at six months old she would kneel up by the faucet and play in the water, even stick her head under the water. She still loves the water, but now she doesn't like it in her eyes.


Widows peak..where did this come from??
Sad, sad baby face.