Five-Year Old in the House!

Jaren turned five years old a few weeks ago. We had a birthday party for him and he had so much fun. We've never really had a party for him before, so having his friends come over, playing musical chairs, a ring toss game, eating cake and opening presents was heaven to him. His cake is a repeat of last year's, but I was running short on time and creativity. I did however make homemade garland (forgot to get a picture of it), a homemade birthday banner (visible in the upper right picture), party favors and other decorations.

Okay, funny story, if you notice in the cake photo there are some misplaced candies. I didn't notice them until I was posting these photos. I have a feeling those misplaced starburst have something to do with our do-whatever-I-want 2-year old. During Jaren's party, Dallin was sitting at the table eating starbust like there was no tomorrow. I stopped him several times and dragged him away from the table more than once. A few hours after the party, we went out to eat for Jaren's birthday dinner. Dallin didn't touch his food at all. I figured he had had too much candy and maybe his tummy hurt a bit. Boy, was I right! About 11:30 p.m., those starburst decorated his entire bed. Poor kid! I'll have to keep a closer eye on him next time!

Ahh, Flowers!

I meant to post this several weeks back, but life, as usual, has been crazy. I just wanted to show everyone what a wonderful, sweet husband I have. As busy as he is, he still made time to make me feel special. He brought these home on his first day back home from a trip and right before he went on another one. He also left me sticky notes in unusual places to remind me that he loves me while he's gone. It was very fun to find his notes over several days in my scriptures, in the closet, behind my pillow, behind my towel, in my bathroom cabinet and by the computer. My favorite note was this closet sticky.

Hmmph.

I've just made it through five days without a husband and about a week without any grocery shopping. Today was the day to go to the grocery store and not just any store, but Wally World...with all three kids. This is typically a situation I try to avoid but unfortunately it had to be done and a one-stop shopping trip is too tempting to pass up. So when I arrived at the store I was all business. I made a beeline for the produce section. Haydn was hanging out in the sling, Dallin in the grocery cart and Jaren walking beside me. Everything was going great. Then I turned around. A woman was right behind me. She smiled at Haydn and I. I thought she was going to say something like "Oh, he's as a cute as a button." We get that a lot, but then usually it is just the two of us while George watches the other two. Instead she said, "I bet he's in that sling to remind you not to have another one right?" Caught off-guard, I asked her very eloquently "What?". She repeated and when it was confirmed that she said what I thought she said, she continued, "Three's enough right?" I really didn't know what to say, so I answered her honestly, "Nope, I'm having at least one more." She laughed and wished me luck with that.

Okay, so what gives people the right to say things like this to strangers?! I'm okay with the occasional, "Oh, you've got your hands full!" I can agree to that. Some people tell me stories about raising their children, some tell me to enjoy it while I can, and then some people are downright rude! To be honest, this is a first for me. I haven't had it nearly as bad as some. Nobody has told me to try birth control or attempted to educate me about where kids come from. But, I do wish I could say things like this when people have overstepped their bounds. I know no one can influence the way I feel, but I find it difficult not to let things like this get to me. The good thing to do is forgive and forget. So that's what I'll do- right after I finish writing this post.

I Love This Stage

I love it when babies eyes light up when you cheer them on or when they accomplish something new!

Halloween Photos

Jaren and his daddy in their costumes. Unfortunately, George could not trick-or-treat with the kids. Instead, he donned on his costume and attended a regional Arnold Air Society event.

His expression says, "Oh yeahhhh! I love Halloween!"

His says, "Am I done yet? Will you please take this off me?"

The 3 Nephites Story

I have been horrible at keeping up with the blog lately. I just haven't had much of a break or been able to produce intelligent writing lately. Updating my profile on Facebook has been so much easier than writing a blog entry. Sorry about that. A few notable things have happened. But first, let me share this quote by President Henry B. Eyring:

My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done. ”

The other day, I decided that I wanted to get out of the house. The kids have been sick with colds for a while and I had just gotten the "ok" from the Dr. to venture out and be around other people again. There was a playgroup meeting at the church and I also had some obligations to visit teach with some of the gals at the group. It had snowed the day before and had continued through the night and some in the morning. I couldn’t see much outside because of the way the wind blows the snow on all of our windows. That should have been my first clue. When I let Eddie outside to relieve himself, I noticed the snow drifts along our back fence were almost as tall as the fence, and in other parts of the yard I could see grass. That should’ve been my second clue.

So, I dressed the kids, warmed up the car, swept the snow off with a broom, then scraped the ice off, shoveled a path to the car and went back inside the house to get the kids. During this time, my hair had frozen into icicles. By this time, after all the work I had done to get to the playgroup, I was determined to go. I loaded the kids in and pulled out of the driveway. It didn’t look so bad on the roads, though visibility was poor due to the snow blowing everywhere. I made it to the end of the road to turn right, but…I drove the car right into a snowdrift, which wasn’t off to the side of the road but instead was right in my lane. Feeling a bit shocked and foolish at this point, I step out of the car to access the situation. I definitely needed to shovel my way out, but I didn’t want to run back to my house to get the snow shovel with the blowing snow, snow drifts and icy roads, and leave my car with all my kids in it. I went back into the car and decided to say a prayer because I needed help. After I finished praying, I looked in my rearview mirror and something caught my eye. It was a truck. In all my time outside shoveling and stuck in the snow, I hadn’t seen one car at all and then all of the sudden one was there right after my prayer. Out of the truck stepped three large men and they had snow shovels. Coincidence? I think not.

Okay, so it wasn’t the 3 Nephites. They were my neighbors, but I definitely believe that these men were an answer to my prayer. As foolish and stubborn as I was to venture out into very bad driving conditions, Heavenly Father inspired three men to get in their truck to get milk at the grocery store at that very moment. Why did three men have to go to the store to get milk and why did they have snow shovels with them? Well, they must be used to these weather conditions and must have known that they might need to use the shovels. But, they probably didn’t realize that they’d have to use it on some Wyoming weather rookie a few hundred feet away from their homes. I’m just grateful that Heavenly Father answers prayers even when we’re being a little reckless and stubborn.

Picking Pumpkins

The other day, while picking out some baby pumpkins at the store, I turned to Dallin with a pumpkin in my hand and asked if he wanted this baby pumpkin. He said emphatically, "Nooo! I want the 'daddy' pumpkin!", pointing to the larger pumpkins in the bin next to the mini pumpkins. Then Jaren joins the conversation saying, "No Dallin, that's not a 'daddy' pumpkin. It's a 'mommy' pumpkin.", apparently because it was white. Oh, the things kids say!

My Special Boys

Occasionally, I need to remind myself how special my boys are. So, I've made a list for the older boys to help me remember their good qualities and laugh at their uniqueness. (I don't need a reminder for Haydn. Being a newborn automatically qualifies him into the Book of Cuteness!)

Jaren, Jaren! You are one cute kid. You wake up happy every morning and come to my bed with a big smile on your face. You are such a good older brother even though you torment Dallin sometimes. Most of the time, you are very quick to apologize when you've done something wrong (a very good quality to have). You've become a very good helper, letting Eddie out to go potty, helping me cook meals and cleaning up messes when I ask you to. I love how excited you are to go to church and school to learn. I love that you stay in your bed now and eat all of your food at mealtimes. I love how you try to imitate Dallin when he is making mommy and daddy laugh. I love how sweet you can be when I'm having a hard day. You're a special sweet boy! And one day, I will long for the days when you were climbing and jumping off our furniture, throwing Eddie's toys on the roof, kicking soccer balls in the house and dropping toys down the stairs.

Dallin! What can I say? You're cute and you know it. I see you working your mommy with your mischievous, adorable smile. When I catch you eating Eddie's dog food again and again, you smile and squint your eyes while trying to hide the evidence in your tightly closed fists. When you bring me a half-eaten stale cookie that I had just thrown in the garbage, I can't help but laugh that my child will eat food from the floor and garbage and not his own plate. You are so adorable when you sneak out of bed and when I catch you, you exclaim "Mommy!" in the happiest little voice you can muster. I love how you fall asleep at the table if we have missed your nap for the day. I love pretending with you that dinosaurs are going to eat us when I'm putting you down for naps. I love that you get so excited at times that you clench your teeth and fists and your body shakes. I love watching you play and laugh with your brothers. It's music to my ears. You can cause a lot of trouble at times, but you make up for it with your happy demeanor and smiles.

To my boys, I LOVE being your mother!

2nd Generation Soccer Player!

We're pretty excited! Jaren is playing soccer! We've had his soccer shoes and shinguards for 2 years now! He was finally able to put them to good use this last Saturday! Check out his skillz!

Still the One

We were married on a rainy day in Portland, Oregon August 18th, 2000. Yes, it rained on our wedding day! But, it was not an omen to the way things would be. Though life hasn't always been easy, our marriage has been wonderful! George and I make a great team! With 3 kids, a dog, a house and plenty of love to go around, what else do we need? Happy (belated) anniversary honey!

Pikes Peak Ascent

This last weekend, George completed another half-marathon. This half-marathon is not for the feint of heart or physically weak. A few facts about the event:

• Elevation gain (start to summit) is 7,815' (2,382 meters)
• The start is at 6,300' (1,920m) and the summit is 14,115' (4,302m).
  
• The Ascent has very few stretches which are not going uphill with the average percent grade being 11%.
• The elevation thins the oxygen levels and the quantity of O2 drops.
• At the summit, air density is 43% less than at sea level.
• The weather is unpredictable. Chilling rain, snow and sleet showers, high winds and dramatic temperature changes frequently occur in August.
• The possibility of lightning poses the single greatest threat to runners, especially above treeline. Race officials have turned people back due to lightning.

With that being said, George did great! He ran up a mountain and survived to tell the tale!

Near the starting line. You can see Pikes Peak in the background, about 13 miles to the summit.

Before the race and nervously anticipating the most physically challenging run he's ever encountered.

Victory! Man vs. Mountain, George won!

Check out the salt collection he's got going there!

A map of the course.

Look at my artwork

Yeah I know, I've announced his birth already, but I like to show off my handiwork! I love to do this kind of stuff, so if anyone is interested in birth announcements or other cards/invitations, let me know. Did I mention I'd do it for free?

Freaky

This was taken several days ago from the upstairs of our home. Due to the nature of the area we live in, for a moment I thought there might have been a nuclear explosion. Whatever kind of cloud it was, it sure was freaky!

Here He Is, Our 4th of July Baby

Haydn George Chapman was born on the 4th of July at 5:09 am. Even though the fireworks had not yet begun, the day sure started off with a bang. My labor progressed so fast in the end there was no time for drugs and Haydn entered this world like a firecracker; he was a beautiful spectacle of noise accompanied with burning.

At birth, he weighed 6 lbs 3 oz and measured 19.5 inches long. He's smaller but given the chance, he may have weighed more than his brothers at birth. He's been a wonderful baby and his brothers, especially Jaren are very excited to have him join our family. Welcome Haydn, we love you!

Wish us Luck on Independence Day!

Today is my last day as a mother of two. While George is at the store getting last minute stuff done, and my mom is taking care of the kids, I thought I would take just a moment to collect myself. I've got 5 hours before we drive down to the hospital and pull an all-nighter hoping that the baby comes on the 4th of July and not the 3rd. I am a little scared and excited, but mostly just all nerves right now. There's just something about anticipating what is going to be happening to you in so many hours. I think I'd much rather be taken by surprise, but being induced does have it's perks. So, wish us luck and hopefully we'll have a special Independence Day story of our own to share with you all! Happy 4th of July!

FINALLY

We finally closed on our home June 18, which was 2 days later than I hoped for, but just in time for the arrival of our household goods. We spent our first night in the house the next day after we had beds to sleep on. It was great to finally have our things, space, and a home of our own again.

Since then, it has been crazy, crazy, crazy! George had the weekend to help us settle into the home, and trust me, that was not enough time! He basically has been unavailable from last Monday until tomorrow--and our baby is coming either Friday night or hopefully Saturday morning--4th of July or bust! Luckily, my mom is a saint and traveled from Washington state a week earlier than she planned to help me move in, prepare for the baby, and help with the kids. Plus, she brought back our dog Eddie! She has been wonderful and if not for her, I am sure I would be crying every day, all day because this is all a bit much to handle.

Our internet was hooked up today and I am ecstatic to have a connection to the outside world again. It has made me very happy, pathetic I know. But, in my defense, we do not have television, I've read all of our books and magazines, and at the end of the day, I'm too tired to keep working. So, having computer time is how I relax and stay connected. When things settle down some more, I will try and post pictures of the outside of our home, and some pictures of baby boy Chapman (who still does not have a name).

Grrrrr

I'll probably regret admitting I'm stressing big time and on the verge of a breakdown, but I think I'll feel better if I let this all out and also update everyone on what's going on. We are still in the base TLF, we are due to have the baby in 2.5 weeks, and we still don't have any of our stuff, particularly our baby stuff. I've been handling the pressure pretty good so far, but due to the builder not having things finished, even after delaying closing by 8 days, and our lender not having their act together, we have not been able to close on our home. We were supposed to close in about 30 minutes, but because USAA mortgage services have been super lame, we will have to delay closing until tomorrow, assuming USAA is finally ready.

For anyone who banks with USAA, don't let this frighten you. We have loved everything about them except their mortgage services. They have great rates, unfortunately, you can't beat walking into an office and talking to someone directly. Our experience has been stressful, impersonal, and frustrating. An appraisal was supposed to be done on Monday, June 8, then June 10, but it wasn't completed until June 11th (we were supposed to close on the 12th). Now the appraiser, who is local to where we live has still not submitted his appraisal. How long does it take to submit an appraisal? Though the appraiser is not an employee of USAA, the fact that we are the victims of someone not doing their job and that USAA can't do anything about it is extremely frustrating.

Because of this, we have had to call the utility company several times to cancel and set up our utilitites on different days, I've had to cancel and reschedule a Dr. appointment, we've had to extend our stay in the TLF twice, and we've had to cancel and reschedule our shipment of household goods. Since we've had two separate days that we were supposed to close on and haven't been able to, I'm feeling a bit emotional. I really want to get into our home and prepare for this baby. Hopefully tomorrow will work out. If not, I'm going to become a crazy pregnant mama and rip into someone. GRRRR!

Countdown

To put things in perspective, here is a timeline of what our lives have been like and will be in the near distant future.

• 6 months we've been without our dog, Eddie
• 1 month our house was on the market
• 1 month to ready the house, pack our family and find temporary living situations until George could leave MT
• 1 month we were separated (Erin and boys in WA, George in MT)
• 3 months homeless (bouncing around from MT, WA, UT and WY)
• 47 days in temporary living facility on base
• 8 days until we close and move into our new home
• 1 month (more or less) until baby boy Chapman arrives

We are very excited to be nearing the end of this looooong transition. I have been pregnant through it all, and once we move into our home, we will have about 3 weeks to settle into our home before the baby arrives. Hopefully, my nesting instincts will kick into hyperdrive and we'll be ready for the baby, company, and whatever else comes our way! I'm just so glad to have a home of our own again!

Good News, Working for a General, Oh Yeah!

FINALLY, something great has happened for George and his career in the Air Force! After countless opportunities offered to him and then given to someone else because of bad timing or a other circumstances, George has finally been given an opportunity that makes all of his hard work worth it. He interviewed last week to be the aide-de-camp to a 2-star general and he was selected, much to our surprise!

This is really good for his career if he decides to be a lifer. The only downside to this position is the time he will have to spend away from all of us. He is essentially the personal assistant to the general and must go everywhere the general goes. At least it will be about a year-long position and we will have a nice comfy home to live in.

Dallin Turned 2! An Interview with the Incredible Youngster

I sat down recently with this young amazing two-year old and asked him a few questions about turning two, his best memories during his short lifetime, and some of his favorite things.

Me: Dallin, what did you like most about your birthday? Seeing your daddy after a long absence, being with your cousins, opening presents and eating cake, having two birthday parties, or going to Chuck E. Cheese’s?

Dallin: “Daddy!” (He exclaimed this emphatically while jumping up and down!)

Me: That’s wonderful! You’re dad will love that answer! So, what’s it like being two-years old? Is it better than being one?

Dallin: 2!

Me: So, being 2 is twice as much fun as being 1?

Dallin: Yeah!

Me: I hear ya there buddy! But, you must admit you did have a lot of fun as a one-year old? You were able to see all of your extended family, fly on an airplane, learn to crawl, walk, climb and run, swim with your friends at the pool, visit Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, go to the zoo for the first time, really trick-or-treat for the first time, and spend Christmas at your grandparents’ house. Not to mention, you have someone to cater to your every need and push you around in a stroller when you want to go somewhere.

Dallin: Yeah.

Me: So, tell me some of your favorite things. I have it on good word that some of your favorite foods are strawberries, watermelon, apples, cheese, fruit snacks, chocolate, yogurt, pancakes, and doces (candy). Sounds like you have a little bit of sweet tooth, huh?

Dallin: No.

Me: Hmm. Well, I hear you love to read. Is that true?

Dallin: Word World.

Me: Oh, you like to watch Word World? Is that helping you learn to read?

He doesn’t answer. He just looks away and giggles.

Me: Do you want to watch Word World?

Dallin: Yeahhhhhhhh!

Me: Okay, well I suppose my time is up with you! Let’s just sum up a few things, shall we? So basically, you are like many two-year old boys? You like trains, planes, and cars; you love to build blocks; you love to play outside; you love animals; you love your family; you love long walks; you love bath time. What makes you so amazing and unique?

His attention span gone, he just points to his cheek. I suppose he means that he’s amazing and unique because there is only one Dallin in the world who can melt my heart when he says “Mommy”, only one Dallin who is the best cuddler in the world, only one Dallin who makes me laugh when I should be upset, and only one Dallin who amazes me with the things he says and does every day. This next year should be a fun one for all of us!

Sorry, If You're Wondering What Happened...

So, last week we were planning on moving out of the TLF (temporary living facility) on base and move into an unfurnished apartment or condo. The reason for the move was essentially because we're cheap and we were trying to save as much money as possible so that we can finish our backyard and/or our basement after we close on our house. But, the condo we had lined up fell through and all the other rentals I called about want a 6-month lease at a minimum. So, we have decided to remain at the TLF, which is better for us anyway since there is furniture, cookware, etc. Plus, I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant and sleeping on an air mattress can be a little uncomfortable. So, instead of saving hundreds of dollars on our housing allowance, we'll save only about $70.

I haven't been able to post any photos because the laptop does not have a memory stick reader like our other computer, and the internet connection is horrible, so uploading would be a nightmare. I have so many photos of the kids, Dallin's birthday, and our house as it's being built. I wish I could share them, but it will have to wait.

On another note, my sister had a baby girl today. Sadie Sophia is her name and I have yet to see any pictures. She was born with the cord wrapped around her neck so my sister didn't even get to hold her baby until about 4 hours after she was born. She was taken to the NICU right after birth but she is doing good now. I can't wait to see her.

Phew, We Can Finally Catch Our Breath

Well, our family is together again and we are finally not living out of anyone else's basement or a relative's home. To those who helped shelter us, we cannot thank you enough for your kindness and hospitality. We really did enjoy our visits and hoped you didn't mind us crashing for a time while we've been going through the transition from our old home to our new home, which we have yet to live in. We sure miss everyone and Jaren keeps requesting to go back and see his cousins, grandparents, and aunts and uncles.

We are still trying to figure out things, but I believe the hardest part is over and we can finally begin a new life here in Cheyenne even if we aren't able to settle into our home until June. I'm very excited about what the future holds for us here--new home, new baby, new ward, new friends and a fitness center that will accommodate myself and the kids. I had to throw that last one in because I went to the fitness center on base and was finally able to work out while the kids played in a contained area. There were cool toys, a TV and DVD player, a playhouse and the biggest plus, the kids couldn't escape but could see and talk to me the whole time. It was so easy to get in a half hour of elliptical. I'm still giddy about it.

By next week, I should have some photos up from our visit to Utah. We had a lot of fun while we were there and wished we could have stayed longer, but Wyoming was calling us! Oh, and did I mention that we have a 2-year old boy now? I'll need to get caught up with Dallin's birthday and a few other things as well but that will have to wait until the next time I can catch my breath.

A Week of Pictures

I've gotten so behind lately at keeping up with the blog, I think I'd rather just post some photos. So, here they are ranging from Easter highlights to Jaren's first fishing trip today!

Dallin's first real Easter egg hunt!

Having fun on the hunt!

Hanging out at the Columbia River.

Our nicest Easter photo. The boys were too busy looking at a cat.

First catch of the day. Jaren helped reel it in!
Our first catch together. Ahhh.

So Long Montana

Last week, I traveled back to Montana for my last Dr.'s appointment with my OB. I ended up staying there 4 days and I had a lot of fun. When I left the first time, I kind of snuck out without saying goodbye to a lot of people because everything happened so fast and I knew I would be coming back. But this time, it was for real, which was a little sad. While I was there, I ran into several friends on base and visited with a few closer friends to say goodbye. I left on a much better note than I had the first time and I can honestly say that I will miss Great Falls. I will miss my friends and I will miss some of the places our family would frequent over the last 5 years.

Montana really is a beautiful place once you get outside of Great Falls. We didn't do that nearly enough and I regret that we didn't have more time to do fun family outings. So long Montana, maybe we'll see you again later down the road!

Finally Some Fun

Even though Dallin has been feeling under the weather again, we have taken time the last couple of days to go out and do some fun things. Yesterday, my mom , the kids, Eddie and I took a walk to the park where we flew kites, tossed a frisbee around and let the kids play on the outdoor slide (much funner than the indoor ones). It was a lot of fun, even though I wasn't so much a fan of the cold wind. Then today, my dad took us swimming at the gym he belongs to. Dallin clung to me for the first half hour, then I handed him off to my dad in the hot tub where he calmed down and fell asleep very quickly. It was really cute, but I felt kind of bad. He must have been feeling really tired and sick to fall asleep in the hot tub. Either that or my dad has the magic touch.

After Dallin woke up from his nap in the tub, we finally were able to all play in the water and have some fun. I wish I'd taken a picture, but I didn't think to bring my camera into the pool area. Oh well.

Here are some pictures at the park and a video of Jaren having fun with the kite.

Oh, how we've missed Eddie!

A preggo picture for curious eyes.
The boys were having a blast!
Ah, love is in the air!

Just happy to be out!

Our crazy man!

Separation is Hard

I consider myself a pretty strong person, afterall, George has left me plenty enough times (on work assignments of course) for me to manage the kids for long durations of time and everyone is still alive and happy when he returns. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, maybe it's the children being in a different environment and exploring their limits, or probably both, but this time I am really pulling my hair out! Even though I am staying at my parent's home, Team Chapman just doesn't function as well without George. There's just no substitute for a husband or daddy.

I'm sure things will get better, but if anyone has any parenting tips for kids really pushing their limits, especially in front of grandma and grandpa, please let me know. I'm at my wit's end.

Some sound advice from a seasoned mother!

Phase I is over, Phase II begins

Yes, we have survived the week! Phase I of our move is officially over. All the selling, packing and moving part is done with and now we begin transition time, the time where we are homeless for the next three months. The kids and I will be staying in Washington at my parents' house until George is able to move on to his next job, which is in about a month. From there, we'll find a temporary place to live until our home is finished being built. Hopefully, everything goes well with that. We're supposed to close on our home June 8th and the baby is due in early July. We have a long road still ahead of us, but I think the hardest part is over. Woo-hoo!

The Higher Power of Lucky!

I've been pondering a bit over the last several days how lucky we have been lately. And since this month celebrates St. Patrick's day, which is usually associated with luck, I thought I would update our blog to reflect that. I've been guilty lately of only looking at the negative side of things. Instead of complaining about all the stresses of moving and selling our home, I should be content and count my blessings.

On Sunday, I broke the news at church that we sold our house and the kids and I would be moving out of the ward shortly after closing, which is in 9 days. Several people were shocked that we sold our house so quickly. While our house was still on the market, George and I were stressing about how many showings we'd had and wondering if we'd sell our home in time. But we did, and not only did we sell our home faster than average, but we are not losing money on our home. All over the country, responsible people are losing money on their homes. We are fortunate enough to have a sizable down payment on our next home and little to no debt. And even though we will be homeless for almost 3 months, I can still see the hand of the Lord guiding us in our decision making.

I don't know what Wyoming has in store for us. We certainly did not choose to go there, but I do know that the Lord is the one who is ultimately in charge of our lives and if we trust in Him, we can count our blessings instead of our trials.

It's a.....BOY, again!

Yep, it's true. We are having another boy. The ultrasound tech didn't even need to point it out to us. George and I both saw his little manhood at the same time and I said, "Oh, I think I see boy parts" and the lady was like, "Oh, you saw that?" It was pretty definite, you couldn't miss it. I've had a feeling all along that I am having another boy. I haven't even thought of any girl names or of buying girl clothes, although I'd really like to buy some. And speaking of names, we probably won't have one picked out until the day he's born with our track record. So, if anyone has any suggestions of some good "manly" names, let us know. We've got about 18 weeks left to brainstorm!

HOUSE HUNTING

The same model house as ours being built.

Okay we're back from our trip. We left Valentine's Day (some V-day huh?) early in the morning, drove all day with two kids, and arrived in Wyoming about 7 pm. By that time, we were all pooped, cranky and hungry. We stayed in the base hotel, which ended up being not so nice. The hotel here at Malmstrom is really nice, so we were expecting the same deal. Not so. First we couldn't find our room because the check in area is 2-3 blocks away from the actual rooms. Then, as we were standing out in the cold and snow in front of a U-shaped building, there were no signs to point to where to go, so we went in every single door, only to find that our room was hidden behind a white unmarked door in the building that led to two rooms, one of which was ours. The buildings are really old and must have been converted from something else. The kitchen was lame, the high-speed wi-fi internet was non-existant, and the shower was dysfunctional so I never showered while we were there. We checked out after two days, so don't worry, I did get a shower. When we move down there, I really want to avoid staying in that place again.

So, back on track, we started house hunting early Monday morning. We looked at a lot of great homes, but there was always something that was holding us back, i.e., small back yard, carpeted dining, too small of a living room, weird floor plan, location etc. Well, we finally found a house we liked Tuesday and we put out an offer. The house had been on the market since last June, but the owner's would not budge on their price. So, we turned down their counter-offer and we began exploring other options. That led us to a new development being built that included large lots, a greenbelt, park, and elementary school all within walking distance from our new house. Floor plans started cheap, so we figured it would be cheaper to build than to buy an existing home. So, we picked a floor plan and lot, met with the builder and his agent, signed a contract and our home should be completed by the first week of June. We are very excited about building a home and hopefully it will be finished on time so that we can move and settle in before the baby is born.

Now the bad news, we had an inspection on our house Friday while we were out of town. The buyer and the home inspector were the only ones present, so apparently, the inspector scared our buyer into almost backing out of the contract. There were a couple of buckets in the attic to hold tools and other stuff so that they wouldn't get lost in the insulation. The inspector speculated that we had a leaky roof and we were trying to hide it with the buckets. Then he said our roof was shot and we had probable water damage, based upon his assumption with the buckets. So, we came home early to settle everything. George spent his last day of leave having three licensed roofers, an insurance inspector and our realtor come over so that we could get this all taken care and close on our house in about 17 days. The good news is the buyer is willing to negotiate, but we were freaking out for a few days since our home being built is contingent on this one selling. Hopefully, our insurance will cover our roof being replaced since the home inspector, insurance inspector, and all three roofers claimed our roof has hail damage from a storm in 2007. We filed a claim in 2007 for our roof at the time, but no hail damage was found. Somebody wasn't doing their job right and has caused this big headache for us. So, if insurance will indeed cover it this time, we can hopefully keep our buyer from bailing out on us.

Oh, I can't wait for all this to be over.

Yeah! Now What?

So, we sold our house yesterday. YEAH! After all the excitement of yesterday though, today was a bit of a surprise. We were planning on closing at the end of the month and renting to the buyer until we had moved, whenever we moved, which depended upon finding a home in Cheyenne, otherwise we'd move at the end of April. Well, we found out today that the buyer wanted to rent our house to us for $1400/month. That's more than double what are current mortgage is plus our housing allowance does not cover that. So George and I decided (cheapos that we are) to close on March 13 and evacuate immediately. So, if we don't find a home in Cheyenne next week or are able to close in a timely manner, we are going to be homeless! I'm kind of stressing right now. I knew the first few months of this year were going to be tough, but sometimes, I just don't want to deal with any of it anymore. I can't wait for all of this to be done with and be settled in our new home getting ready for our new baby.

SOLD!

Farewell Stratus. You were the first car we purchased together over 8 years ago when we were newlyweds. You've been a pretty dependable car and your heater works great, which is a good thing around these parts. We've had many trips and good memories with you. You haven't seen much these last five years, but you've been across the country and back a few times. You've survived Provo, Utah for three years, L.A. traffic, winters in Montana, hailstorms in Texas, hydroplaning through Louisiana and many other adventures. Remember the good times, we will!

We Love Moments Like These

You can't help but get the giggles!

Dallin and His Shoe Fetish

All kids go through this, right? I remember Jaren having a shoe fetish too, but it stopped at his own shoes. Dallin is constantly putting shoes on. Whatever he sees, it goes on his feet. He has tried on so many shoes, we have finally decided to capture a few of the funny moments.

It's the Little Things

Have you ever noticed that it's the little things that you take advantage of everyday that make a big difference in your life? At the end of last year, we realized we had a slow drain in our kitchen sink. George attempted to fix it and couldn't, so he called a drain cleaner. He came out the next day (New Year's Eve), busted our drain and caused water to leak downstairs and then charged us $120. Furthermore, he told me (George was at work) that it would cost us around $1500 to fix the drain since we'd have to cut into our finished basement to fix the drain and leak problem. So we panicked and called our home insurance company to see if they would cover it. After an inspector came around, we were told that we were on our own.

We were also panicking because we were planning to place our house on the market the first week of January. After meeting with our realtor, we decided to wait to fix our drain problem until after we had photos of our house taken for the virtual tour so that we wouldn't have a big gaping hole in our finished basement. We called around and had some companies give us estimates. The highest bid was around $950 and the lowest was $300. Naturally we went with the lowest bidder and we are so glad we did.

Yesterday, we finally had our drain problem fixed. When the plumber showed up, he inspected the drain and leak a little closer and determined that he wouldn't have to cut into our new kitchen cabinets or our finished room downstairs. That was very good news! All he needed to do was replace one little part and snake our drain--even better news! We were elated! Not only did everything remain intact, but it was a small simple fix and won't cost us a couple hundred dollars. After nearly four weeks, I no longer have to wash the dishes in our bathroom sink, use disposable dishes and I can cook home-cooked meals again! It really is the little things that make a huge difference, isn't it?

Our House 2003-Present

I had too many photos to post, so I created a video presentation of our "Before and After" photos of our home. We have officially put our home on the market. Hopefully it won't sit too long and hopefully it won't sell too fast. It's been a long and arduous process to fix up our home. As first-time homeowners, we learned a lot about fixing up a home. But never again will we buy a foreclosed home and fix it up while living in it and having babies and raising kids. Enjoy the video!

Changes

The new year always brings changes. This year especially will be a big year for change. For starters, we will have a new president running our country very shortly. A lot of changes will follow from that; whether they be good or bad, I don't know. For our family, we will be selling our house and moving to Wyoming by the end of April. It may not be a big change from Montana, but moving is always a big deal.

Also, we finally feel that it is safe to say, "The third time is the charm." After two back-to-back miscarriages, I found out I carry a blood-clotting gene, which is most likely the cause of our previous losses. I have been seeing a high-risk doctor and giving myself shots of blood thinner twice a day and so far, everything is going very well. I am 13 weeks along and we've heard the baby's heartbeat and seen a beautiful baby on ultrasound. Naturally, we did not want to share our good news until we felt we were out of the danger zone. The due date is July 12, but the baby may come sooner than that because I can be induced up to two weeks prior.

Oh, and another big change: I will be trading in my SUV keys for a minivan's. I feel like I am giving up a lot, but perhaps I will be gaining more with a minivan. The good far outweighs the bad, but I can't get over how uncool I will feel driving a minivan. Lame, I know. So, since I am going to drive a minivan, we purchased one of the best, a Honda Odyssey. We bought it this last weekend, so I haven't been able to drive it much. It's a 2006 Odyssey, silver with gray leather interior and a DVD player. What's not to love, right? I'm sure I'll love it.

And since change is the topic of this post, I'd like to make some changes this year.

• Make exercise more important in my life this year
  
• Spend more time teaching and playing with my children
  
• Advance my cooking skills
• Walk Eddie more often
• Do better at reading scriptures daily
• Live more in tune with the Spirit
• Practice charity
  

Now I'm accountable, so hold me to it!

Catch up Time

This is our holiday card. It took me forever to figure out how to get all four of us in this picture since none of it is real. The background is real; it is taken from our trip to Glacier National Park. Gotta love the Montana skies!