Just a Little Thought

hi

2012-01-18T12:33:00.001-07:00

hi there

I am still here...

2012-01-09T11:46:00.001-07:00

I am still here...

2012-01-09T11:43:00.001-07:00

Life Now...

2010-08-29T21:57:00.004-06:00

I never blog. I would love to think that I am wonderful with words and I like to blog, but mostly I'm just a talker, not a blogger. I do love watching all of the fun things my friends do and keeping up with them since most of us live so far away from each other. So thanks everyone who does blog.

So, it's been a year since I've said much. Most of our life, as far as pics go, are at our website, jamesandshauna.com. James is amazing at keeping that up to date with our pictures. But I would be sad if I didn't write a little something every once in awhile to remind myself of what is going on in my life now.

Now...Abby is so grown it makes me sad and proud at the same time. I love that I can talk to her, and reason with her, and some days, her idea of a good time is hanging out with me learning to sew or cook. This week we will pass yet another milestone as we send our oldest baby to kindergarten. I thought it was an eternity away. I thought that my long days with 3 kids home at once, all day, would never come to an end. And, it is ending. I was so excited until I realized that at this point, they will all go to school in the next few years and this part of my life will be over. I'll be the soccer mom, the chauffeur, the pta mom. But, just home all the time mom...well maybe, just without the kids. How lonely. I think I appreciate the home crazy a little more all of the sudden. Now it will be the running around crazy. Does that mean life will go even faster?...

Off track, Now... William suddenly made a huge 180 degree turn in his interests. It used to be cars and now it is ships. Except, with his speech it comes out like chip. His opening conversation line with the lady in the checkout store, the librarian, the lady at church, and the neighbors is: "My Nana gave me a pirate ship". But when you hear it, it sounds like: my nana nave me a pire chip". It's adorable. His speech has improved a lot. We will be going into a new class in a few weeks. He has problems with the letters that use the back of the mouth, g, c, k, and some others like sh, s. We just keep at it. He's incredibly smart, it's just translating all that he is trying to tell me. He likes to snuggle, be read to, run, jump, and even help me pick up. So grown...

Now...Alex is a really big boy. He has always been a really big boy. He reminds me of the really nice, HUGE, linebacker that everyone wants to be friends with just to make sure no one bothers them. He is really nice, and he really likes wrestling and tackling. I think that it is because so far he wins. Lets see, he's only 1 and he can take down his almost 6 year old sister...hmm. I'm just trying to make sure he doesn't accidentally become the neighborhood bully. He has the best belly laugh and is always cheerful. I love happy babies.

Now... James just went to Glacier Lake with my Dad on their BMW motorcycles. They had a great time, went 1760 miles in 4 days. And I think they would have gone again the next week if they could have. Mom and I went to the quilt stores. I found the materials for our family stockings. I can't wait to get them done. I think it's kinda lame on my part that we've been married 8 years and have 3 kids and are still functioning on hand me down, or old worn out stockings. Enough! I'm a mom with a family. My own family! Let's get with the program! I also found a skirt to make for Abby and actually got it done. I should post it. It's the cutest thing I ever saw. And the best part, she loves it too. It is so discouraging to put that kind of time into things and then the kid hates it. So, warm happy...I was a good mom at least once this week.

Now... We love our house, our neighborhood, we have new friends and still see the old ones. Family is good, fun, fulfilling. I got a part time job for some of the nights. I love getting a little bit of a break. I want to take a class again. I miss learning. I might try a religion class this semester. Just to do something new. James is an amazing dad. He has jumped into our new routine with me working and he is awesome. He's always cheerful when I come home. Dinner was made (hot dogs one night, eggs and bacon and toast one night, grilled cheese one night...at least it's not cold cereal), they are all in bed when I get home and he is usually cleaning the kitchen. Go James. Even I hate cleaning the kitchen after dinner because I have usually been in the kitchen for several hours and refuse to stay there any longer. He is so good to me. Life is good...

Bonzai!

2010-06-23T20:30:00.000-06:00

The boys woke up before Abby this morning. Abby had a nightmare in the middle of the night, so she slept on the couch. I got up with the boys and told them to go downstairs for breakfast. They beat me down, and when I found them, William was yelling in Abby's face, saying good morning and telling her it was time to eat. Alex had climbed up on her back and was pretending she was a pony. The first thing that came to mind: Bonzai! This one is for you Tiff! What a good memory!

Life is Crazy

2009-08-06T14:14:00.000-06:00

So, in April I thought, you know I'm so excited for summer. We don't have very many plans, we can chill at home, maybe go camping a few times, and just enjoy the warm weather. Well, all of that has happened plus a ton more. So here's a little catch-up. Alex has been learning how to crawl. He does a push-up (I can't do them like this kid does. I think only my Marine brother Jared and his wife can do them with expertise this kid shows), drops his knees and then rocks. When he gets frustrated that he isn't going anywhere, then he makes this little leap to get what he wants. He's growing so fast. It doesn't help that at 7 months old he is the size of a average sized 15 month old. He is the happiest kid though, and I'm really thankful for that.

William is so active. He runs everywhere, jumps on everything, and is constantly in my fridge. Typical boy. He loves his cars still and has developed a love for water. That includes the bathroom sink, the kitchen sink, the pool, the bathtub, and dumping his drinks out on the table. Bless his heart :D.

Abby has turned into such a good helper. It's so much easier when they can dress themselves and are out of diapers. And for better or worse, her vocabulary is huge. The other night James and I were laughing about something in the car and she told us to "settle down guys". She's awesome with the boys too. She plays with them and helps me help them. And at night when she is done and William is trying to turn on the lights she yells at us under the door to "turn off the breaker please!". How many 4 year olds know what a breaker is? She does because it disables William so he can't play all night long.

Well, enough blabbering, here are some pictures of some of our adventures.

Our cute family pic courtesy of Jes Myrick.

Daniel's high school graduation. The question is where are Abby and Tavner in this picture? Deriously no one knows. So much for a family pic at this event!

Charity and her kids came to visit in June! Yay! It had been almost two years and it was great to see them.

We went camping with Melissa, Brandon, and Maxwell.

Alex asleep in the car top carrier.

Maxwell and William playing in the tent.

Abby's family of inch worms.

Abby

Alex always has his tongue out.

William's birthday. Poor kid was sick but he got his bike!

Hiding in the box is fun too.

Putting stuff together is always fun.

James 10 year reunion

4th of July Parade in Kaysville.

Old car in the parade.

William thought that old car was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He was so excited since that is his favorite show right now.

James and his brother Daniel and their synchronized diving

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And last but not least, the house we have under contract that is also under construction. It looks more finished now. They are painting this week. Maybe one more month or so and we can move in. About the time that we are going to sign and move in, my brother should be going to CO on leave before he leaves for Afghanistan for 7 months. My friends are having a reunion at the same time. And, James is doing the photography for a wedding. We're just hoping the timing all works out perfectly on this one! To see the video tour of our very unfinished house clicke here:

http://www.jamesandshauna.com/photos/photo.php?photo=9858&album=186. That's about it for now. Thanks for being patient with my inability to post more regularly.

Alex Baby Blessing

2009-03-27T10:28:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy month. My little sister got married, which made me feel old since she is the youngest and last to get married. It was fun though, and I don't think I've ever seen her more beautiful and confident. It was a fabulous day. And, since the whole family was in town, we did Alex's baby blessing. He is the fattest little thing. Yesterday he cried for an hour before I pulled off his pants and he stopped crying. They were too tight. At this point jammies and one piece outfits are tons easier. Even his new church cords are 6-9 mos pants, and I have to unbutton them. He just turned 3 months this week. He's a big kid, and a very happy one. Adjusting to 3 has actually been good since he is a happy baby. Additionally, William is learning to talk which makes life easier. And lastly, Abby is amazing. She has grown up so much and she is such a good helper. She's smart and funny and I think she is beautiful. I feel bad sometimes because I don't usually do her hair with curls or put it up much. But, she is finally getting enough hair to do it, so we need to start practicing. Anyway, here are some pics from the blessing.

James, Alex, and I

My mom holding Alex

Grandma and Grandpa Slaydon

James, Jared, and his wife Basia

Abby with her cousin Tavner (his mom was here, she was the one taking the pics, thank you Christy!)

Nana and Papa

My parents

Jessica and Dave (sorry Jessica, it was the only pic we had)

Caitlin and Will

Daniel

It was fun to have everyone together. Even Crystal and her now husband Zachary came. He left quickly though since he was late for his own Bachelor Party. Thanks everyone! We appreciate your support and love!

As a 1930's Wife, I am Superior!

2009-03-27T08:56:00.000-06:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

Abby and deductive reasoning

2009-03-06T00:09:00.002-07:00

So last week, Abby and I were talking about fingers and what the names of all the fingers were. Pinky and thumb were easy, but she was getting the other three mixed up. No worries though. The next day, I was getting ready and was cleaning my ears out with Q-tips. Abby came in and wanted to clean her ears too.

Mom - If you want to clean your ears, then I need to help you. We have to be careful with the Q-tips so that they don't go into your ear too far and break your ear drum.

Abby - Oh, we don't want to break my ear drum, cuz that would hurt huh mom.

Mom - Yup

Abby - That's ok mom, that's what this finger is for (holding up right pointer finger). This is my ear finger so that I don't break my ear drum.

It's amazing how much they really retain when you don't think they are really paying attention.

Alexander Zethan

2009-03-05T12:13:00.002-07:00

It's been forever, but obviously the biggest event is that Alexander Zethan was born on Christmas Eve. I had been having timing contractions for a couple of nights previous. So when I went into labor at 2am I wasn't sure if it was for real. I called the hospital and woke James at 3am, and decided to leave for the hospital at 4am. The contractions were 10 minutes apart at 2am, and 5 minutes apart at 4am. We woke up our neighbors upstairs and gave them the baby monitor to listen for Abby and Will, scraped the ice off of the car and left. At 5am in the hospital, I was already at 7cm, and since I had tested positive for Strep B, the nurses were scrambling to get my IV in with the antibiotics. I started pushing a little after 6am. It took awhile for me to figure out how to push. I've always had an epidural before, and this time I didn't have that. The other issue was that my leg and feet muscles were cramping so badly I couldn't concentrate on pushing. I finally made up my mind that my misery wasn't going to end unless the baby came out, an epidural wasn't an option, which left it to me. It only took two more pushes and he was born at 6:58 am, weighing 8lbs 6oz, and 21 inches long.

I had been hoping I could do it without an epidural this time around. I'm so glad that I did. The other two recoveries were very difficult. This recovery was a lot easier, which was good since there are three of these little people now. The biggest blessing was that for William's birth I was so numb I couldn't push, so the doctor had to use foreceps. They broke my tailbone doing it, and it healed wrong so that it's been very painful to sit for the last 18 months. Alex rebroke it and it healed correctly so that I don't have that injury anymore. The other blessing was the fact that this time I went with a midwife and I was so pleased with that change. They were willing to let me have an epidural if I wanted it, and there was a doctor there in the hospital if something went wrong. It was awesome when she got to the hospital, she knew a lot of pressure points to relieve pain which is how I made it. All in all, it was a great experience for a change. And it was only 5 hours long which was awesome. Here's a pic of newborn Alex

We actually let Alex pick his name. So, for all of those that participated in our name vote, we had the most votes for Logan Alexander, and that was my personal favorite. James liked Alexander and Zethan, and we agreed that we couldn't decide. So, three days before Alex was born James and I conducted a kick test. The baby was moving fairly regularly, and so we asked him if he liked Logan (pause, no kick). If he liked Alexander (pause, 1 kick). If he liked Zethan (pause 2 kicks). At this point we didn't know if he wanted Alexander Zethan or Zethan Alexander. So we asked him which one and he kicked for Alexander Zethan. It's probably totally bogus, and we were laughing really hard. Mostly because a kick test had worked at all, and then because we seriously considered the results and decided that name was it. So, I think that means that Karen, Kristina, and Jess won the vote. Mostly because the baby voted :D.

Here's me and James too.

One more funny

2008-11-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

We're trying to teach WIlliam to sleep on the lower bunk bed since number 3 is almost here. It works out anyway since he can climb out of his crib anyway. But, he usually rolls out of bed between 3 and 4 am. Then I go rock him and put him in his crib to finish the night. I really have every intention of getting a bed-rail thing that keeps him from falling out. But, last night when I was rocking William, the pregnant belly starting punching William with a vengence. Apparantly number 3 didn't like being woken up and squished. I hadn't really noticed because he's the busiest little bundle of pregnant belly I've had yet and I'm used to it. But last night, William got tired of it and suddenly sat up and glared at my stomach. I totally had to laugh. Sibling rivalry or something like that starts young.

Sploring

2008-11-22T08:41:00.001-07:00

We were running errands yesterday and we were near our old neighborhood, so I told the kids we were going to stop by and see a friend and see if she was home. It turned out she wasn't, so we went sploring as Abby said it. We looked at the new houses that were up, and looked around the neighborhood and then I was done, but she wanted to do more sploring. So we went up and down every little side street getting out of the neighborhood. Finally, from the back I hear, ok mommy, when I say 'let's get out of here, then we need to go to the store.' Ok. So another street or two and she was having so much fun until she pointed one way and said it was time to get to the store soon. I told her the store was the other way and she was convinced we were lost. So, then the magic words came, "Ok mommy, let's get out of here." OK. So, I started towards the store and she was still lost and told me I was going the wrong way. Who's driving anyway. I told her no, and started pointing out landmarks we see on a weekly basis, and then she felt better.

William has learned to unzip his pajama's. He doesn't know how to zip them up though. He unzips to his waist and then runs around like that. It reminds me of those men who have a button or two undone, and there's chest hair peeking out.Then to top it off, he likes to put toys in and out of the pajamas which always get stuck in his feet and he has to dig them out. The other night he dropped a globe from Abby's doll house in and searching for it. James laughing started singing, "He's got the whole world in his pants, he's got the whole wide world, in his pants..." Oh the funnies when trying to get ready for bed.

Oh the things children say...

2008-11-20T11:58:00.001-07:00

I love how kids keep you hopping (most of the time). Sometimes I will take a shower while William is sleeping and Abby is watching cartoon or playing on the computer. Today she knocked and asked if she could shower too. Who is going to turn that down? I had an opportunity when I didn't have to fight her to take a bath. I said yes. So she hopped in, I finished shaving and got her cleaned up. While I'm turned around,

Abby pops up and says, "Mom, you have a big botttom!"

Thinking to myself, Thanks a lot!. Out loud, "I know honey, I hope it disappears when the baby is born."

Then I turn around and almost smack her with my pregnant belly.

"Mom, You have a big belly too!"

Thinking to myself, Ya think! Out loud "I know honey, that should disappear when the baby is born too."

I hop out of the tub to go get dressed while Abby finishes soaking in the shower. From my room I can hear...

In a sing-song voice "Big butt, big belly, big butt, big belly..."

In a child that would be a few years older, they would be teasing me. But she was just singing in the shower. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I hope she doesn't bring it up again. And on second thought, I think I'll make sure to shower on my own for awhile. It might be worth the fight to clean her up later. :D

Naked Bum Run

2008-11-19T18:36:00.001-07:00

Abby has just turned 4, and it's amazing the difference in attitude between 3 and 4. Most of the temper tantrums have ceased and I can explain things to her and she helps me all the time. But, every once in awhile we have a day where I swear she's reverted back. The last two days have been major temper tantrum days. Due mostly to her little brother who turns on the light at night and keeps her up. She needs a lot more sleep at night than he does and she hasn't been getting it. It shows. Which reminded me of my favorite temper tantrum about 5 weeks ago. She was out playing with the neighbors and I warned her that she had about 15 minutes before we had to go change for dance. It's been cooler with the fall weather and the kids weren't used to the change yet. They all wanted to set up the slip-n-slide. I told her she could, but that she didn't have time to change into her swimsuit. I told her to just get her clothes wet and then we would change into dance clothes. Well, that didn't fly apparantly. She asked 2-3 more times to change and I kept saying no, not only because of the time restraint but because William was taking a nap in that room, and he had been out of control. Finally, while I'm talking to a the neighbor kids mommy, Abby disappeared. I noticed after a few minutes and yelled for her and she didn't appear. I yelled again, no show. So I went to investigate. To my surprise (I know, you all aren't surprised) she was butt-naked and hiding behind a playhouse so I couldn't see her. I asked her to put her clothes on and go inside. It was time to change anyway. But it was two major blows. She didn't want her clothes on and she didn't want to go inside. She lost it, big time. So, I started to put her clothes on for her. I managed to get her underwear most of the way up, but I couldn't bend all the way down to her, and she was hysterical. She suddenly jumped up and started running (there's no way I was even going to try to catch her at 6 months pregnant). But the funniest part was that Abby never stopped to finish pulling up her underwear. She just made a mad naked dash around the house. I was laughing so hard I just let her run, I figured she would come back. And she did emerge on the other side of the house and had somehow magically managed to pull her underwear all the way up. So, I don't know how much of the neighborhood she flashed before she ended up on the swingset, still hysterical. But, it took me a few minutes to stop laughing so that I could finish disciplining. Hence the name, the naked bum run. Must have felt nice in that nice cool fall air!

HELP Name Poll

2008-11-11T22:02:00.002-07:00

Ok, there is one more thing for the day. I mentioned that I only have 6-7 weeks left of pregnancy and we can't decide what to name this kid. There are names we like, but nothing that is like za-zing. So, we're taking a poll. Here are the names we like, please tell us which ones you like and what order we should use them. There are no guarantee that we will use any given suggestion, but it would be fun to have some feedback. The only name that I feel like I should preface is Zethan. We found it in the Old Testament, he's one of Benjamin's grandsons and we like that it is different and similar from Ethan, but we're not sure about it as a first name.

First name options:

1) Alexander

2) Logan

3) Adam

Middle Name Options:

1) Alexander

2) Zethan

3) Adam

4) Jason

Or, If you have any other recommendations, we're taking suggestions. Thanks Everyone!!!!!

X-Flies

2008-11-11T21:45:00.003-07:00

So, I spent part of August, and all of September and October canning. That is where I disappeared to. I didn't clean house, I didn't cook, I just took care of kids (kinda) and did a ton of canning. We have Apricot Pie filling, whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, pears, peaches, apple pie filling, a TON of jelly and jam, a Ton of Applesause, and salsa. I made it that whole time without fruit flies. It was amazing and I was counting myself lucky until the very last week of October. Every day since then there are 4-6 flies around my house and they are driving me crazy!!! Mostly because every single day I kill 4-6 and the very next day there are 4-6 more. So I came up with a hypothesis. I think they are X-Flies. Just like certain X-Men who have regenerating powers, I'm totally convinced that these little stinkers can survive any kind of death and come back to haunt me. I'm going to find their weakness, one of these days.

In other news, here are the rest of the pregnancy pics that a few have requested.

6 Months

Ok, starting to feel crappy. Can anyone tell? This is desperate mommy at the end of the day with no makeup. This is a good day because I got a shower and I got dressed. I think church is the only place I wear makeup at this point. I just don't care. I want to sleep. This is 7 months and I feel like a freight liner. Now I'm down to 6-7 weeks or so. I can't wait for this to end. I'd rather be sleep deprived with a newborn everytime. At least I can breathe and bend over. Although, I do have to admit it's cool to feel the baby move.

I usually make something for each kid. This little boy is getting my first attempt at a quilt. This is the top, though my mom picked up the finished product from the quilters last week and says it is amazing. So, when I get it back I'll post that pic, but for now, here is the topper.

Alright, I think I got most of my thoughts out. It's time to sleep.

Horsing Around

2008-10-27T22:10:00.002-06:00

My cute family!

Shauna's version of July

2008-10-24T10:16:00.001-06:00

So, in James blog, he already posted about his trip to Gillette, Wy. He and my dad both have BMW motorcycles and they went to a BMW motorcycle rally and had their boy fun. The kids and I went to Cheyenne and spent time with my grandparents and my mom and sister. My highlight was being able to go to Cheyenne Frontier Days...Finally. I always used to go as a child, but I haven't been in 10 years or more. So, i took my kids.

James, Mark (my dads friend), and my dad.They were in 4 states in 4 days. They would go on a different ride everyday. They drove into WY, then visited the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Custers Last Stand, and a few other places. I'm glad they had fun.

Their campsite in Gillette. My dad's bike is on the left, and James on the right.

The kids and I saw a lot of horses...and cowboys....and more horses

A lot of grandparents, Abby is just starting to figure out which grandmas are which.

And we did a lot of driving! But we made it and it was fun. The only pictures I don't have are from the Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts concert my sister and I went to. That was my fun!

And last but not least, a pregnant picture. This is 4 months.

An Update...Finally

2008-10-24T09:23:00.002-06:00

Update from Shauna

So, I really just don't get around to keeping my blog updated. James is awesome at it. It's a kind of stress relief for him. My kind of stress relief is either talking to someone on the phone or scrapbooking or sewing or something. So, sorry to all those who even check to see if I've updated anything. It's not because I don't ever log in, it's because I find it so much more entertaining to chec k everyone elses blog, and by the time I'm done the house is in shambles and I have to go separate the kids before a serious injury occurs. So, here are a few pictures from the last couple of months.

In June we went to see Grandma and Grandpa Rucker in Colorado. That's where we cut William's hair and had his first birthday party (one of 3).

One of my favorite things to do at home is watch the sky, it's always amazing!

William learned how to get into the tub by himself. It was nice of him to make sure his clothes and shoes got washed.

Will got 250 of those Chuck-E-Cheese ball pen balls for his birthday. The kids both loved it.

Abby at the Denver Zoo.

So, there's our excitement in June. I'm just going to do brief updates for the next couple of months worth of stuff.

Cont. William's first hair cut

2008-07-02T14:22:00.006-06:00

This was my cute little baby boy...

Then Mommy decided that the curls were starting to be too girly, and Daddy gave William a big boy buzz cut...

And somehow he grew up in a half an hour.

But he's still cute ! Just little boy cute instead of baby cute!

Charity, I can sympathize with you, just 9 months later!

I'm so not talented...

2008-07-02T09:36:00.002-06:00

Ok Tiff, I really tried to put pictures in. And I so haven't figured it out. I'll keep working on it though because you are all going to love William's hair cut! To be continued...

Open Mouth, Insert Foot...

2008-07-02T09:25:00.002-06:00

Ok, so Sunday night there was this activity for young marrieds in the ward. An homemade ice cream social. What pregnant lady is going to pass that up? And as far as young marrieds go, I don't feel like we're that young when we're at church and looking around we have more kids than most people have anniversaries. Nonetheless, as far as age goes, we still qualify. So, we packed the kids up and headed over to the neighbors house. It was a ton of fun, we got to see and talk to a lot of people. However, I had this one brilliant moment when a cute girl and her husband walked into the room and just looking at her you thought "Honey, for your sake I hope your due date is tomorrow!" Conveniently, at that moment, another cute pregnant girl asked the one who had walked in what her due date was. She answered that she had 4 weeks left. And darling me blurted, "Oh, you poor thing. Good Luck!" I regretted that outburst almost immediately. Let's review the situation. She's pregnant for the first time. She doesn't know my name except that I have kids. She has no idea what to expect in the coming weeks. She's brand new in the ward. She must feel even bigger than she is. Hmmmm. Go Shauna! Way to make her feel at home. I did manage to go find her again and introduce myself properly and then let her know that I wasn't trying to scare her. It was just in my experience that the last 4 weeks were the most uncomfortable. She took it really well and was super nice. Lucky me. Oh well. I guess I'll learn to be nicer. Sorry cute girl!

Catching up, Again.

2008-06-06T09:43:00.002-06:00

So life got busy again. Since the last post, we've been to Jackson Hole, Wy. for a week. That was awesome just to get away, be with family, have a dishwasher, you know...Vacation. That was the same week that Leita was getting married and we had decided last fall that we couldn't go to Mexico with her. I've since heard that the wedding went awesome except some people got a little sick. So, it's probably a good thing that we didn't because we were supposed to fly out 5/6 and that was the morning that we had a surprise. We found out that I was pregnant with number 3!!!! Dum Da Da Dum!!! Ok, so even I was just a little surprised. James and I have known for a long time that we were going to have 3 kids at least. But, William and this one will be 18 months apart. I never thought I would have kids that close, but I know this one is supposed to be here. So, I've since seen the doctor and had an ultrasound. We didn't even know what my due date was. Go ultrasounds. So, ready...I'm 11 weeks along and due December 27. Yeah, we thought we would keep the Christmas baby tradition in the family. The doctor has already assured me that I can be induced a week early since I have 8 lb babies (when they are a week early). So, if I don't write again for another month (not that that wouldn't be a surprise anyway), it's because I feel like I'm going to throw up while I chase down two running toddlers, and I'm going home to Colorado for a week starting tomorrow. Thank heavens for home. I can't wait. James will be available, my mom has the week off, I'll see my high school pals, and I get to sleep. Oh to sleep, Yes! So, hi to everyone out there. And I will try to post another update as soon as I can. Have a great week!!!

Loves!

2008-04-17T23:00:00.003-06:00

Usually I have a ton to tell about Abby, but this is for William. He just doesn't talk as often. But, we've made a break-through in communication in the last 2 weeks or so. One day I gave Will a hug and he kissed me back. A day or two later I was telling James about it and he looked at William and said I love you. William promptly planted a cute baby kiss on his cheek! You know the kind, the infant, open-mouthed, gooey, slobbery kinds of kisses! So Cute! So it's nice to know that he understands what we're saying to him.
For all intents and purposes Abby is now potty trained and I'm looking into dance classes for her. I'm trying to find a combo class where they go once a week and learn a little bit of ballet, jazz, tap, and gymnastics. Over time, they naturally figure out which ones of those that they prefer. I think it would be awesome.
On other fronts, James got a camera for graduation last year. It's a Nikon Digital SLR and it's awesome. So, for his birthday he got the flash and some people at his work asked if he would do their engagement pictures. They liked it so much they paid him. It's official, he's a professional. And they were cute pics.
As for me, I was talking to a friend back home (ok, maybe griping just a little), and she says "why don't you do a home-based business?" And that's when I told her that in all theory I did, I just didn't do my Mary Kay stuff on a large scale. So, I decided to go to a conference, and I got all motivated again and I started working again. I actually have classes booked, and I'm making money this time around. My goal, to 1) provide some funds for myself to have some fun just because (jewelry, being able to go on vacations, etc), 2) get a few things we need around the house (furniture, carpet cleaner...), 3) someday earn a car, 4) but most importantly to get our school debt paid off so that we can get a house. Realistically, I think this will take 3-4 years considering a starter house in this area is ridiculously expensive. My parents custom built their dream house 8 years ago with 1/2 acre of land for a WHOLE lot LESS than what we are looking at. Oh well. But, it's do-able if I can finish paying of the school loans. So here's to
being busy, having fun, and reaching goals. Thanks to Hales, James, and those who have been so supportive of my dreams. Sometimes I forget to dream, and it's been nice to do that again.

You're the best!

2008-03-25T08:17:00.002-06:00

So I don't know where Abby got this from. But this morning we were all up for a change before James left for work. Just before he left Abby suddenly piped up and said
"Daddy, you're the BEST!"
I don't know how she knew he needed that or where it came from. But it totally melted his heart. Such cute kids!!!!! William wouldn't let him go out the door without about 12 hugs. So, in case he didn't know, James is the BEST and we love him!

Burps

2008-03-18T08:32:00.002-06:00

So, we're sitting at dinner. And from Abby's side of the table, James and I hear a toot. We ignore it and keep eating. Abby looks up with a shocked face and says, "mommy, there's a burp in my bum bum!"
Trying not to laugh, James explains that it is a toot. And Abby looks at him and says
"No Daddy, it was a burp!"

Cute sayings

2008-03-09T22:11:00.004-06:00

So we've been pretty busy, still working on that potty training thing and getting caught up with dentist and eye doctor appointments. It's that time. I have to admit that I get into my ' go get it done' mode and I must be a tyrant of a mommy when I get into that mode because my kids are always trying to figure out a way to bring me back to real life. So, Abby had a couple of 'accidents' and William has been crying a lot. I swear they are trying to call to me and tell me they need me, but I just get frustrated and need to have my own time and escape it all. So I tried to escape a few times, and it didn't work. We ended up having nachos for dinner and watching Enchanted as a family (it pays to have a sister working at Blockbuster. You can see all the movies before they come out to determine whether or not it's worth buying them the first week they are out and $5 cheaper at Wal-Mart). I finally started to relax and Abby was so cute at the end of the movie, she leaned over and said "Mommy, that was a coooool movie!" I have to admit I was shocked because the dragon lady had scared her. But, apparantly she liked it enough to race down the hall pretending to be the dragon lady. 10 minutes later she had another accident. I have to say I'm thankful for the cute, good, funny moments day to day, because otherwise this mommy job would be a lot harder. Oh well, back to real life. :D

A busy week

2008-02-27T08:02:00.001-07:00

So I've never posted to our own website. Never felt the urge to, but I thought we would try it today. And in all theory this should post to my blog too. So we'll see if I break it :D (PS- I broke it and had to copy and paste :D)

It's been a busy busy week. Monday the girls in James family got together to scrapbook and have fondue. Cheese and chocolate. Yummmm. Here are some recipes that don't call for alcohol that we tried.

Chocolate Fondue

8 oz Semi sweet chocolate pieces
8 oz Milk chocolate pieces
2/3 C + 2 Tbsp Heavy cream (we used heavy whipping cream)
2 tsp vanilla

Chop chocolate up into small pieces if it isn't already. Melt chocolate over low heat (in a double boiler if you have to cook it before you serve it in a fondue pot). Add cream. Stir until chocolate melts and the cream is blended. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Enjoy

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

4 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
3 shakes Dry Mustard
1 shake minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 C Milk
6 C Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Melt butter in saucepan, whisk in flour, mustard and garlic. Gradually add mild, stirring constantly until thickened. Add Worcestershire sauce and blend. Add cheese and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

The other part of our busy week was potty training. This has been very difficult for us. When Abby was showing us a year ago that she was ready to potty train, I was in my last trimester of pregnancy with William. I wasn't ready to start. Then Crystal was living with us and that was hectic, and then she moved out. So, I figured that now we are getting into our own little routine finally we had better get on it. Especially since Abby now has such a negative attitude about it. So, we had a party. A potty party. The book said you could potty train your child in one day, and I almost hoped. Now I've come to realize that Abby is not that child and we will just keep working on it. But we did take some very important steps on Wednesday. She will sit on the potty. She likes the stickers, and she wants to ice skate and dance. I told her she could have dance lessons if she would learn to use the potty. It actually costs less than the diapers and wipes. So, now we are learning. And she's doing well. I'm glad she's so smart, and I told James the other night after she was fighting us, that I'm glad she's a fighter. I just hope and pray that we teach her good principles and that she learns to fight for good causes as she grows older. She's my cute girl :D

It has been sooooooo long...

2008-02-14T12:10:00.001-07:00

Since I last did any kind of post. Yes, it's been years as a matter of a fact. Since then I've graduated college, supported James as he graduated and had another baby. So here I am with two beautiful kids, still living in Orem, and lo and behold, some wonderful friends inspired me to open my account back up and write a little. So, here's to you Charity, Tiff, and Melanie, for making sure that we can all keep in touch. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, as for funny stories lately. I have to say that Abby is the one with which I have the most hysterical conversations with. After talking to my dad this morning and relating some of her funnies, here's my favorite. As for back up information, you need to know that I painted her room a year ago because of some black crayon that went along 3 walls, 2 closet doors, and the main door. I am not a fan of crayons or anything in her room like that, but sometimes, things just happen!

Shauna: Abby, come on, we need to change your diaper!
Abby: NO!
Shauna: Come on, hurry!
Abby: NO!
*After a tussle, and just beginning to change her diaper...I shut her bedroom door a little and saw crazy eight and candyland game cards stuck to her door...Horrified!...
Shauna: Abby, did you do that?
Abby: (excitedly) Yes!
Shauna: What did you do?
Abby: I glued it mom!
Shauna: Glued it with what?
Abby: Diaper Rash Cream!!! (Totally proud of herself)

And to quote a friend, what does that say about the diaper rash cream that we can glue things with it? Well, at least it works for a lot of things!!!

And lastly, I really didn't forget... HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!

School has begun...

2005-09-11T22:09:00.000-06:00

and it is very busy around here. But, we are finally getting into a routine and everything is working out just fine. James works and goes to school during the day and then I go to class in the evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Some of those times we have a babysitter for Abby when James needs to do homework, but otherwise he and Abby are getting some great one-on-one time. They are so cute together. They wrestle and walk around together and it's adorable. If you didn't catch that, Abby is learning how to walk right now. She does about 3-4 steps at a time, and she is learning fast. She loves exploring and finding new things. Tonight she opened up the kitchen cupboards and when I came looking for her to see what she was up to she quickly slammed the one cupboard shut as if she hadn't been in there! Yes, I know, it's going to be a fun, but long road if she is already doing that! But, it is really cute. She also loves the "I'm going to get you" game and laughs and goes running when she hears that phrase. This is definitely a fun stage for all of us. She is also learning to mind us when we say no. She is actually very good at doing as she is told. She's a good girl and we love her.

I've been doing Mary Kay now for a couple of months and it's getting easier and I'm starting to earn a little money at it. It's good for me to be able to go and visit with other women and to spend that time helping them and socializing. I love the women I work with and it's a lot of fun.

As for school, I have 2 classes. One is a capstone class for Political Science. Basically I do a lot of reading and on the side I'm writing a major research paper. This last week I had an idea for the paper and the teacher approved it while I was in class and helped me plan out how to do it. If I do it right, I might even be published which is a great resume builder. What for, I don't know! But the topic is interesting. Basically, there was an author that made the comment that those churches that require a lot of time and effort from their members takes time from those members from participating politically. My hypothesis is to prove that statement wrong among the LDS faith. I want to see if Mormons are able to contribute religiously and politically effectively and I will probably compare them to Protestants since I'm doing another project on Protestants for the same class. It will be interesting. And if you're wondering by now why I'm studying religion in my political science class (It is BYU, but we usually don't study religion intently in the same class as another subject. The professor might make a few comments on what the church teaches compared to that topic, but it isn't an everyday comparison if you will. Usually religion and say, political science would be two different classes), the topic of this capstone class is how religion affects political behavior. I'm excited to see what we find out.

My other class is an elective, Environmental Biology, and I love the teacher and the fact that compared to the classes I've been taking for the last couple of years, it's easy. It's nice to have one that I don't have to work as hard for when my capstone class will take so much time. And it's an interesting topic.

I think that is most of what has been going on. We go to work, do homework, play with Abby, and try to keep up on the housework. We have better days than others, but it's working. We're just thankful that James has such a good job and we don't have to worry about health insurance and things like that as much. It's a little more stable which is nice. So, we're all doing well, and we're healthy, and the plan is to come home for Christmas and see everyone. Hopefully that will work out because I'm excited to see my family and for everyone to meet Abby again. So on that note, I hope everyone has a good week, and I'm off to bed to start mine. Loves from all of us!

Hi There...

2005-08-04T22:01:00.000-06:00

It's a new post, and a new month, and a new day. Thankfully things have been calming down around here. James got the full time job at BYU and will go to school part time. So, we will be here for awhile now. I will finish by December, and I'm so glad. Something I didn't mention before is that in June I started a Mary Kay business. I'm definitely learning a lot, but it's been a great thing for me to do. I'm learning how to talk to people and not be so shy, and I have fun with other women. It's wonderful.

Abby is as cute as ever. She crawls everywhere, and she just got weaned. So, she's a little more clingy and cuddly than before, which is fun for us. She loves to wave at people and point to what she wants, and is quickly learning the word "no-no" and responds to it, thankfully!

Other than that, things are finally calming down, which is ironic since school starts in 3 weeks already. But, it's nice to have a routine for now. I've had some time to scrapbook and sew a little every day and that has been fun too. I get my creative bit in and it feels nice to have a well rounded day. I've also been baking a lot. 2 batches of cookies this week. Boy am I sounding like a housewife! Who'd a thought it? It's fun though, and I enjoy it.

Well folks, I need to go to bed, but I thought I would catch up a little. Take care.

2005-07-18T22:47:00.000-06:00

Just a Little Thought

hi

I am still here...

I am still here...

Life Now...

Bonzai!

Life is Crazy

Alex Baby Blessing

As a 1930's Wife, I am Superior!

Abby and deductive reasoning

Alexander Zethan

One more funny

Sploring

Oh the things children say...

Naked Bum Run

**HELP** Name Poll

X-Flies

Horsing Around

Shauna's version of July

An Update...Finally

Update from Shauna

Cont. William's first hair cut

I'm so not talented...

Open Mouth, Insert Foot...

Catching up, Again.

Loves!

You're the best!

Burps

Cute sayings

A busy week

It has been sooooooo long...

School has begun...

Hi There...

HELP Name Poll