lagoon trip

Dave's sister Janet invited us to go to Lagoon with her family last Friday. It was a ton of fun.

The first thing Dave wanted to do was take Ana on the Sky Ride. I didn't really care to join so I decided to stay on the ground and take pictures. I guess while I was waiting at the other end with Dave's Bro in law, our nephew Austin insisted on going on one of those spinning rides before the sky ride. Ana was just barely tall enough and Dave said she loved it!

We rode the train twice - once with Janet and her boy Austin. It was so much fun to be there with them!

Ana like the carousel, of course. Jack didn't mind it either. It is just about the only spinning ride I like.


Ana loved all of the rides. This one she wanted to ride twice. The second time she steered. She smiled and smiled.

Jack was pretty tired, so he got to nap. I was so glad he could walk, because I was able to put him down and let him roam a little. He did really well all day.

When I got in this roller coaster with Ana, she said, "but I want to ride it by myself, Mommy." She was quite insistent, and when it was all over, she said again, "But I wanted to ride it by myself." I'm sure she would have done just find by herself.

This little boy was so cute. He was in the boat behind Ana, but he really wanted to ride in the pink one. Dave told his parents that Ana wouldn't mind. So, they rode together and smiled and giggled with each other. There was another ride that Ana rode with a little girl. That was so funny. The other girl was so friendly and showed Ana how to hold on and talked to her the whole time. It was cute.

Dave was such the proud Daddy and loved taking Ana on all the rides.

Dave and I did get a couple of the big roller coasters in. Janet and her other son Justin watched the kids for us while we rode them. I love roller coasters!

At about 7:30, it started pouring. We ended up over at the bumper cars and Ana did those a few times and then we decided to head back to Janet's house. We got back home at 1:00 and both the kids were so beat that they stayed asleep while we moved them into the house and didn't wake up until about 11 the next morning.

Just as a side note, our little girl rocks. She is so excited about everything. Even when it was raining so hard she said, "I can ride that one with a cover, mom." (They wouldn't run it for just one kid, so she couldn't do it.) She makes friends everywhere she goes, and I hope that never changes.

Thanks for such an awesome time Janet. Loved it!

in need of advice

At our old apartment bedtime went as follows: I put Jack to bed, then I laid next to Ana in our bed until she fell asleep, then I carried her to her own bedroom with Jack. For the last 6 weeks at Grandma's house, Jack has slept in a room by himself and Ana has slept on a mattress at the foot of our bed. She has started going to sleep by herself and usually does really well. I turn on music for her and though she usually turns the light on and plays for a while, she goes to sleep eventually. It makes me happy.

We're moving into a two bedroom house this weekend. For all of those parents out there: how do you put two kids to bed in the same room? If I put Jack down first, Ana might wake him up. But Ana sometimes doesn't fall asleep until after 9. I can't keep Jack up that late. What do I do?

happy father's day

Reasons why my husband is the best dad to his kids:


*He always gives them hugs and kisses and tells them how cute they are.
*He lets Ana tag along with him as often as he can.
*He is very good at making sure Ana understands why she got a time out.
*He usually takes Jack during church, even when I could.
*He stays calm even when I'm about to pull my hair out.
*He honors his Priesthood.
*He wrestles and tickles and plays with them.
*He's very consistent. He doesn't give Ana what she wants just because she's throwing a fit. In fact, he's a lot less likely to do it if she throws a fit.

I couldn't have asked for a better Dad for my kids. I love you, Dave!

Things I really love and appreciate about my own Dad:


*He takes every opportunity to bear his testimony to his kids.
*He knows when to be silly (which he does a lot) and when to be serious.
*He's very humble. One time I told him that I wanted to marry someone like him. He told me that I could do better. That made me love him more.
*I really like to talk to him about Spiritual stuff. He knows a lot about the Gospel and makes it make so much sense.
*He has a lot of Faith.
*He gives me hugs and calls me when he's in town, even if he can't stop to see me.

Thanks for everything, Daddy. Happy Father's Day!

me = happy

*Spent yesterday with my sisters.

*I want to write a book.

*Came home to freshly picked roses from a loving husband.

*I'm going camping tonight.

things i learn while i'm being mommy

We've spent a few afternoons, before it got too rainy, walking down to the park since we moved back in with Dave's parents. Ana loves riding her bike over there. We cross the street, then ride on the sidewalk for 3 houses, then go down the curb into the parking lot of the park and over to the shade of a little tree to eat our cookies or picnic lunch and just sit in the summer loveliness. Then we return home, going through the parking lot, back up the curb, on the sidewalk for 3 houses then across the street.

Ana loves this little bit of independence she has riding her bike. She loves to do things all by herself. But, she usually has a little bit of trouble getting back up the curb on her bike. After insisting that she do it by herself, she tries a couple times, unsuccessfully, by standing up and pushing her bike up. Her little self can't quite get the momentum needed for the "mountain." (Her word for this part of the trek: "now we go down the mountain, mom." "now back up the mountain.") I offer help; she refuses. But if I just reach out my hand, she'll take it and it gives her just the leverage she needs to make it up. She then proudly states, "I did it by myself, Mom!"

One of the things that I've learned as a mother is that my Father in Heaven loves and cares for me just as I love and care for my children. When this little episode unfolded for the first time, I saw myself in Ana's place. All too often do I insist on doing things by myself when there is a heavenly helping hand outstretched to me.

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than [a] light and safer than a known way
-M. Louise Haskins (quoted here)

happy birthday Jackey-boy

Wow, the past year just few by. I can't believe my little guy is 1 already. We took some cute photos of him the other day. He is such a smiler!

My crafty self got an urge and I made little cards announcing his birthday. They were all different, but this one I really liked.



We had a lot of fun celebrating his birthday. Family came over for cupcakes, he opened presents and he smiled like he knew something bi was going on.





(Kayla, I totally copied your cupcake idea, though they look a lot different. I loved it!)

Here are a few things about Jack:

*He has a big smile!
*He's walking! He started last weekend and just loves to walk all over the place. He is so much happier.
*He babbles all the time. It sounds like he's carrying on a conversation with you. He even nods when you ask him a question.
*He can say: Mama, Dada, Ana, buh-bye, and uh-oh
*He is a total Mama's boy.
*He likes to be held. A lot.
*He's down to just 1 nap a day. (cry a little for me...) But he goes to bed really early, so that's nice.
*I'm still nursing him first thing in the morning and right before bed.
*He loves soft cuddly toys. We got him a new stuffed doggie today and he could hardly wait to get it out of the wrapper.
*He picks on Ana, and yells, "Ana" when she picks on him.

We love our little guy! Happy Birthday!

It has begun... again

I submitted the AMCAS application to be verified yesterday. Last year I went to Peru in July and decided to wait till I got back to submit my first application so I could include stuff about Peru in it. Bad choice. I submitted it last year on the first of August instead of on the 5th of June, only three days after the first day possible. Also, my personal statement is better this year and really focuses on what it is supposed to. Those were the big changes anyway. We are also applying to more schools this year and 3 DO schools. There is a list of progress on the left side. Erin officially hates me doing application stuff and is glad this part is over.

my next 25 years...

Well, I had a great birthday. I got great stuff, enjoyed visiting with family, went for a nice drive with Dave, and got to eat my favorite cake. (Thanks again, mom!) I know that, at 25, I can hardly consider myself old. But still its a landmark age. I still feel the same as I did at 17 and in many ways I think "How did I get here?" "Am I really a mom?" and "I can't believe that these little people rely on ME to teach them, to feed them and to love them." Sometimes I think, "I'm not old enough for this."

A few months ago I wrote a list of goals to accomplish before my birthday. I didn't quite finish it up. But I'm still proud of what I did accomplish. I really have made an effort, even if I'm not quite there yet. There are so many ways I want to change, so many things I want to be. Today I went visiting teaching to a sweet old lady. She said that even now she feels the same inside as she did when she was young. The other day while she was working at the Temple she saw a group of widows who were in the waiting room. She thought about how wonderful it was that, even at their age, they are still faithful and continued to serve in the Temple. After thinking of this for a while she realized that she was probably older than all of them. Talking to her today, I was amazed at all she does at her "ripe old age." Its really made me think about life and reflect upon what I want to be known for. What will people say about me when I am gone?

*I hope they say I was always happy.

*I hope they say that I was active. I remember attending a funeral of a great aunt when I was young. I didn't know her well, but she died while doing yard work. I remember her son saying something like, "I can just imagine Mom waking up that morning and saying, 'I'm going to pull these weeds if it kills me.'" That's how I want to go.

*I hope they remember me being fun and spontaneous.

*I hope they say I was gracious and always thinking of others. I think that it would be the best compliment in the world for someone to say that of me. I've still got a long way to go.

*I hope they know that I had a testimony of my Savior. Especially, I hope my children have their own testimonies, and have shared it with their own families.

*I hope my family knows that I love them.

These are such simple things, yet it is so easy to lose sight of them. They are the important things. I suppose everything that I do should channel into these 6 legacies. All else is just chaff in the wind.

In my next 25 years, I want to be closer to having these qualities. If the world still blogs then, I'll let you know.

What legacy do YOU want to leave behind?

has it been a week already?

I could also say "its only been a week?" Here's what we've been up to:

*Me and the kids spent a couple days at my parent's house last week. We got to see a few sisters, and it was fun to have a mini-vacation.

*I had a great birthday on Sunday. The big 2-5. Crazy! It was a lot of fun. More on that in another post.

*Jack is WALKING! It is so cute.

*Dave and I have stayed up really late the last few nights working on his med school personal statement. Its almost finished and then he'll be ready to send it off.

*I ventured a trip to twin falls with both kids in tow yesterday. Once we got there, it was fun. But first we had to get through an hour of running around town here and cleaning up Jack after a throw-up episode. I got all of Jack's b-day presents bought, and it turned out to be quite fun.

That's all. Happy Wednesday.