I missed the class on parenting....

This week has been a rough one. I have been sick as well as every stinkin person in our house! Seriously it is enough to make me crazy!! I have gone through 2 cans of Lysol and bought a huge 3 pack of Clorox wipes, I have washed all our bedding, walls, bathrooms trying to kill our germs!

While I have had pneumonia I clean alittle then lay down, and every time I get up from laying down the house is a mess. How come my kids don't know already the you don't throw couch pillows everywhere, you don't eat popcorn and leave it down to get all the kernels dumped out, you also don't eat otter pops in the house!!! You don't eat only half you banana and leave the other half on the bing bags. I could go on and on. I feel very frustrated because every time I turn around my house looks like it exploded!!

I don't know what to do, I have tried yelling , making charts, warning them before I go lay down, you name it and it still happens. Do I have the naughtiest kids, or am I the worst mom. Every night I pray for answers and wake up in the morning with kids that haven't' changed :)

Where has January gone?

Mitchial's 9th birthday!

Cool cobra cake made by Uncle Troy!

Our train ride to SLC!!

Our dreaded dead washer!

Our happy new washer!

What a month!! How time flies when your having fun...right. Whatever!

Our washer had been giving us grief but nothing big. I had noticed a small amount of wet concrete by the washer but wasn't too worried. I just thought that because our washer had been off balance some water leaked out. I won't forget that awful Friday night when I went downstairs to switch laundry out, I stepped off the last step and my foot was covered in water. AAGGGGGHHHH! I grew up with a flooding basement and hated it every time. I immediately hollered for Guy and together we started the cleanup. I do have to say that we were very blessed, the water did not get any of our food and missed the water heater and furnace by a foot. Heavenly Father was watching over us. It seems weird to say that when it was such a mess, but our disaster could have been much worse.

Guy studied up on the internet and thought he knew how to fix the washer. He went to SLC and bought a 70 dollar part (which can't be returned) and proceeded to fix the washer. He put a small load of clothes in and started the cycle only to watch the washer continue to fill and start flooding again. Not good. After further investigation, he found that our drum was cracked and by time we got it fixed ( and hoping nothing else went wrong) it would be cheaper or the same price as to get a new one! I have always wanted a front loader, but when you are forced to buy, it is not as much fun! Oh well. Now I have my washer:)

The 24th... Mitchial and Ian's birthday!

Ian never made it out to our house for the day, so Mitch celebrated by himself. Uncle Troy made a cool cobra cake that made all the boys happy! We are so thankful for Ian and Mitchial. They are wonderful boys and we couldn't live without them!! love you boys

The kids and I were able to ride the train to SLC with Aunt Nikki and family. What a great day. I defiantly would not have been able to do that without help. The kids were crazy with energy, and I was always afraid of one running off or getting stuck on the train without me! All went well and we had a great time!!

Happy holiday's!!

Timothy and Dad playing with the new race track!!

Family at Temple square for a cousins wedding reception.

Tired Santa baby!!

The official reading of the night before Christmas!!

Christmas jammies!!

This year was a wonderful Christmas!! The kids weren't angels but they were still good enough that Santa came!! Samuel was of course the first one up at 6 am. Nothing can keep that kid in bed, no matter what time he goes to sleep he always wakes up early!! The rest of the family got up about 7. Bella was pretty grumpy until she got to finally open up gifts!! She got 6 teeth this past month and has not been happy. We were able to see most of Guys family on Christmas which was fun. We sure do miss the rest of the family!!

do believe everyone got what they wanted, except me. I wanted my throat better, it is 3 weeks since I got my tonsills out and I still have a sore throat. Oh well. I am thankful for all the blessings we have received this year. We have great neighbors, family and a wonderful ward. We have so much to be thankful for. Now on to a new a better year!!

Happy...mmmmmmm maybe!

Is it me or do the holidays get a bit overwhelming? It seemed the week of thanksgiving started the "busy" season. I try to remind myself that it is a "happy" time of year and I shouldn't be stressed so much. I worry that the kids won't have enough presents, then when I buy something I worry about money. I worry about getting the right gifts for family and getting them to their destinations on time. Now to put a kink in the process I am getting my tonsil's out on the 9th. Oh well, what is a little more drama.

This thanksgiving was wonderful. My brother and his wonderful wife put up with my family for a couple days. It is nice to get away and be with family. I am thankful to have family close and will make more of an effort to get together because it is so much fun. I am thankful that my husband has a job and I can stay home with the kids. (I know I actually said it, I am happy to stay at home:) I am thankful that the kids are well, that our cars run, and that we have a warm home. I guess when I get stressed I should just blog because already I fell calmer.

Just a funny note to end on, yesterday we had lunch with our insurance lady. I had to bring Tim and Bella and thought things were going to be fine, I told Tim he had to be very quiet and color so Guy and I could go through paperwork. He was doing great until he stood up in the booth and states that his pee pee sure itches. He then starts itching. We tried to ignore it but when the booth next to you is laughing it gets hard. Next time he is going to his cousins house!!! Happy holidays!!!

Bella's surgery!!

Bella after surgery, finally fresh air!!

The talking french Dora toy, and her favorite...kleenex's!

Bella after surgery. Those are no no's or arm splints so she doesn't' pull our her tubes:(

As you all know, Bella has had tummy issues since Jan 09. Finally this past Oct. a feeding therapist suggested to her pediatric GI Dr. that Bella had something physically wrong and it was preventing her from getting enough volume when she ate. So after me crying to the GI doctor that something was really wrong with my daughter, they finally ordered a MRI which showed possible malrotation because they could see a artery in the wrong spot. So the next day Bella had her 3rd upper GI and confirmed malrotation of the gut, meaning her bowels were not in the right place. Same thing Mitchial had when he was 2 1/2. We were scheduled for surgery on the 27th of Oct. No one could believe that there was 2 in the same family with this problem.

I had mixed feelings for the surgery, I wanted her fixed badly but didn't want to see her suffer and recover from surgery.

The surgery went well. Bella came out with not only a 2 1/2 inch incision on her tummy, but with two tubes in her nose, one for draining her gut and another placed through the bowels to hold it in place till scar tissue could form. They put arm splints on before we even got to see her because she immediately started pulling at the tubes(I can't blame her). Well we tried giving her arms a break from the restraints and she did great for 3 1/2 days. Early morning on the 4th day I woke up to her NJ tube half way out. Aaaggghhh All the nurse could say was "oh this isn't good". Not only was that tube in place for holding her insides where they should be, but it was going to be used to feed her. Hopefully scar tissue formed enough that her insides don't move out of position again.

Anyway after they placed a picc line(a "iv" that runs from her arm vein to the top of her heart)
they started giving her "liquid" nutrition. After many many long days we were finally able to feed her and she did great. So the end to a all too long story, sorry, we are home and she is eating like crazy. It is amazing what unkinking your bowels does. So far she has had a night where she slept for 6 hours, that has never happened in all her 13 months:) Thanks for all your prayers.

Scaredy pants and Happy 39th Birthday Guy!

Trying to look happy at this age is hard:)
Doing what Grandma's do best, Grandma Debbie spoiling Bella with cake!
Dad celebrating 70 years with his brother, Happy day Uncle Terry!
And last but not least our little princess showing off her piano skills (can you say child genius:)

I hate when I go too long without posting; things get a bit overwhelming trying to catch up on all that has been going on. But here I am going to give it a go:) We will start picture #1 Guys birthday! What a great day. He had a few days off so we spent the long weekend going on bike rides and refinishing the swing set from Guy's childhood. Our bike ride started with Timothy teasing Bella in the bike trailer and Samuel crying that he was dying of thirst. I would have believed him but we hadn't even made it to the end of the block! I should have known if the trip starts with whining the trip will be filled with each child taking his or her turn to cry. Seriously the whole bike ride. I tried to make the most of it so I put in my headphones and cranked the Neil Diamond:) As I was trying to play catch up, peddling in my one gear that works, up a huge hill ;) I triumphantly make it to the top and start my descent only to find my brakes barely work. I immediately start yelling for the small children to get out of my way only to find Samuel swerving hogging up both lanes of the trail. I also find, after hitting Samuel's pedal with the trailer tire, that some idiot put a small dip at the bottom of the hill. Here I am going way over the speed limit allowed for bikes, especially ones with trailers attached, and am trying with all my might to slow down (I even tried putting a foot down and dragging it) nothing slows me down in time and I hit the dip just in time to look back and see the trailer take flight. Guy says it came at least a foot off the ground. I had just got the kids to stop crying only for them to start again upon landing. What a bike ride. On the ride home Guy hooked the trailer up to his bike (for safety purposes:)
Guy had a great birthday with the family. I am so thankful for him. I still can't believe he is almost 40! I love him so much!! I remember my Dad turning 40! Speaking of Dad, we were able to caravan with Dad and Debbie to my Uncle Terry's 70th birthday party. It was great to spend time with them and see some of my cousins and their families.
Now I am sure all of you know how I hate snakes, I dread them. I look forward to winter for the sole purpose of saying goooood bye to snake season. I thought it was already too cold for the stinkin things to be out, but last Thursday cousin Terrin made the worst mistake of his life......he let a snake go in my house! I should have known that trouble was brewing when Nikki and I were leaving to go to my first ever craft night at the church, and Mitchial and Terrin stopped us to surprise us with what they had in their pockets....snakes. I hollered at Mitchial and thought I scared Terrin enough he would never touch a snake again....but no!!! When I came home Mitch was still up and tried to hide and scare me but I saw him and foiled his plan. To get even he tells me "well if that didn't scare you I know what will" He then proceeds to tell me that Terrin came in to play and somehow his snake got out of his hoodie pocket. WHAT!!!! @#^$^&%&%&%^ I quickly look to Guy and see it in his eyes.....right away he starts telling me they have looked everywhere and think that maybe it might be outside. After I stop yelling I start to cry. I hate snakes that much. I had visions of stepping on a snake in the middle of the night or find one in my room. I prayed that night that I we would find it if it was in our house and prayed even more that it was not in our house. Well after 2 fearful days Mitchial yells to Guy that he found the dang thing curled up on his shoe by the front door. I don't know what is worse seeing the snake or wondering were it has been for 2 days. I am thankful that my prayer was answered, but it is going to be a long time before Terrin is welcome in my house:)

Happy 1st birthday Isabella!!

My first time holding her in the NICU!!
Forcing her to eat her cake!!
Daddy made the little "lady" birthday cake!!
Wow! It is hard to believe my baby girl is one!! Somedays I never thought it would come, now I have that post Christmas feeling, let down because my baby is no longer a baby.
She is truley the joy of our lives. I will never forget the day we found out IT'S A GIRL!! Guy and I both were crying and asking to please make sure it's really a girl. Our boys were so happy. I remember calling to tell my mom, talking all about the blessing dress we would get and so on. I also remember in the OR seeing my mom walk out after they took Bella to the NICU. Joy filled my heart knowing Grandma was seeing over my baby when I couldn't:) We are so thankful for this first year with Bella June bug and can't wait for the years to come! Love you Bella June!!