I Like and Don't

Nels likes the way I talk. This makes me happy. I'm a stickler (is that really how you spell that??) for making correct sentences, with, in my mind, correct punctuation. However, I am also somewhat of a lazy talker. I don't think before I speak very often. I omit and filter, yes. But once it's decided that I want to say something, there's not a lot of delay. As a result of my obsessiveness + laziness I often make weird and convoluted statements. Like the title above. I decided to write a post about things that I like to today and things that I don't. Only i wrote "I Like" then I remembered that I was going to write things that I don't like too. "and Don't" :) Reading that makes me smile. I think it's funny. And I love that I'm too lazy to have it make more sense. Like the day Nels was teasing me about . . . something. I responded, "Don't tell me what I am, and not." It doesn't make any sense --- but it does. I start down a particular train of thought and instead of revising and starting over, when it's not going as planned, just keep talking. If you add enough commas and parentheses, it will come out on top. :)

And there you have it. Pure unfiltered nothingness that you didn't need to know. From my brain to yours. :)

__________________________________


I like . . . 

the sparse and random snowflakes falling so very slowly outside my window. Like they're too fluffy to fall in a straight line.

that it isn't windy today.

that it snowed most of the day yesterday, covering up all the ugly deadness that is December and January. and February.

sleeping in (till 8:30!!!) snuggled up next to my husband - who is like a heater. I like that he is all mine, and no one else's.

that even though I feel really ugly and fat right now, technically I've only gained about 5 pounds since the beginning of this pregnancy. :) I suppose there is one bright side to puking for 11 weeks straight. :)

that I only have 10 weeks left of this pregnancy. Not that I'm antsy or anything, just excited.



I don't like . . .

that I only have 10 weeks of this pregnancy left. It's going by very quickly, I don't know that I'm ready. I'm not.

that I have a new haircut and no hairdryer. I left it at my parents' house and have had the hardest time justifying the purchase of a new one.

that my iron has finally decided to give up the ghost (probably because I left it on for 23 hours and always unplug it by pulling on the cord). Not a huge problem because I am worried about wrinkly clothes, but because I honestly can't finish sewing until I have one.

puking.

that going to the store requires me to leave my house. And leaving my house requires me to bring my children. Bringing them requires them getting ready. Asking Lilie to do anything usually requires a great deal of patience that is in short supply.

that I still feel irritated with my middle child today. How do you get an obstinate child to obey? How do you stay calm when you have to repeat yourself 9 times, with every request? How do you handle being entirely ignored? I'm not handling it well.

that having clean clothes requires me to WASH them.

that at some point in your pregnancy, you're going to start feeling unattractive. Of course, wrinkled HUGE shirts, unruly hair, no makeup, dirty pants, a messy room, and a list of to-do's don't really help remedy the situation. :)

that I'm sitting here blabbing about what I don't like, instead of just changing it! The end.

She speaks to my heart!

How could you not love someone who writes a recipe like this:

Fancy Macaroni

Seriously one of my favorite places to while-away the day! :)

Icky Sicky

I'd just like to take a moment to apologize to all those who have been trying to contact me for the past week. I have been sick, sick, sick since last Sunday - my children and Nels have been joining in the fun intermittently. I have had no voice, therefore, have felt no inclination to answer my phone or call anyone with Christmas greetings. I love you all and will return your calls soon. I'm just still working on not having my head be overtaken by snot. Sorry.

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas at home. Together and happy. I will post pictures and info soon, but right now, I think I'm going to cuddle up in one of my favorite Christmas presents (a microfleece comforter), eat 4 or 5 oranges, and watch another episode of Man vs. Wild while Nels is out "jamming" with his buddies. :)

Have a fabulous time ringing in the New Year this week!

Negatory

Can you imagine being told that you have gestational diabetes one week before Christmas? I think I'd probably resign myself to dying and just pig out. :) Fat and happy.

Thankfully, that was not the case (the diabetes part, not the fat and happy part). If you have had to do this test before, I feel for you and I'm sure that you feel for me. :) Telling a woman 6 1/2 months pregnant to fast (boo) and then the only thing that you give her is a NASTY sugary drink for the next 3 hours! Are you kidding? The nurse kept asking me how I was feeling. How do you think I'm feeling??? I feel like I'm going to puke this disgustingness all over you and I haven't eaten in 12 hours.

So hooray for me. I am not gestationally diabetic. :) I can now go back to eating "whatever I want." Happy day.

Also, why is it that I only seem to get sick when Nels is very busy? This is a mean trick, Body, you hear me?

Today I am thankful for cheese covered bagels and oranges, a warm home and comfy bed, computer games, and a husband who is (going to be) willing to come home and save the day (if only he can make it before I feel compelled to just get up and save myself). ----- Also thankful for the two arms and two legs that will enable me to go make order out of the basement I have not entered all day, but which my children have been enjoying as I've slept for 4 1/2 hours.

Blogtastic

. . . I don't have much to say . . . but I don't want to go to bed.

Are you ever just so very tired, but you still don't want to go to sleep? For me, all the time. I think I may have a disorder. Nels has been working all the live-long day and he said that he may come home to me soon.

It's a week before Christmas, and instead of finishing one or all of my projects like pajamas and doll clothes, I have spent nearly all of the past three days painting the desk, doors, and trim in my girls' room. I don't know why I do this. Part of it is some absurd sense of nesting, I'm sure. Part of it is . . . umm . . . crazy. Obsessive. Procrastination. something. It's weird. That's what. However, the hardest part is done. I could now leave painting the rest of the bedroom until after Christmas, but I probably won't. And I will probably be up until the wee hours of the morning on Christmas Eve Eve :) finishing pajamas.

(By the way: I HATE trim that is not white. If you like shaded trim, that's fine, but one of the things that has driven me nuts about this house ever since we moved in is that everything was painted -- if not poop green or crazy sponged red, white, and blue -- it was painted dirty, off white, dingy grey nasty. How on earth did someone choose this color??? A color trying so hard to masquerade as white while all the while tricking the unobservant into just feeling icky and oppressed. --- Okay, that's just the way that I personally have felt when I have contemplated my surroundings in my basement for the past two and a half years. --- For heaven's sake people, if you don't prefer "Ultra Bright White" as I do, feel free to tint your white, I've got no problem with it. But DON'T go for "off white". It is NOT your friend. Off White: the worst color ever.)


On an entirely different note, tomorrow morning I get to go into the doctor for a blood glucose test. Fun, huh? I failed my screening. I hope it's nothing. I hope that it's just the hamburger and fries that I ate a mere 45 minutes before I got there --- because I was starving and decided to disregard the nurses advice to eat something "low carb". Low carb is not on my radar. I hardly know what that means. I love carbs. Carbs are my best friend. -- Have been since I was a child. Please don't tell me that I can't keep eating 5 oranges a day and "Death by Chocolate" at 10:30 at night! (not every night - just when Nels works until one in the morning)

Nels is home.
What a boring post. Obviously not meant for entertainment value.
Good night.

Fabulous Thursday Night

I'm not quite sure if I'll get around to doing my Fabulous Friday tomorrow, so I think that I'll just post tonight.

1. As of today, I am officially in my third trimester!
          That is just so weird to me. I can't believe how quickly time goes at times. Maybe that's part of the reason that March is such a perfect time to have a baby. -- You are so busy all through your second trimester with the Holidays, that by the time they're over you're practically there. We're really looking forward to meeting this new little addition to our family.

2. I'm pretty much done Christmas shopping.
          How great is that?! Other than some random things for stockings and whatever Nels finally concludes he would like, I'm D-O-N-E, done. Even better, almost all of my shopping was done from the comfort of my own bedroom, in my pajamas, while my kiddos played happily together. I love online shopping. I can usually find as good, if not significantly better, prices online - AND - every time a package comes in the mail, it's like early Christmas for me! I love it. -- The joys of planning ahead!

3. My tree is not dead.
         Even after a week and a half, my cute little tree is still sucking up water! Hooray! This hasn't happened in years!

4. It's supposed to get warmer this weekend! - And snow!
          If you've ever lived in Eastern Idaho, you will appreciate that it might actually make it above THIRTY degrees this weekend!! The past WEEK has been frigid. Negative numbers nearly every night -- and into the daytime. It was -12 as I drove Hazel to school this morning and is, even now, back down to -4. We've barely gotten into double digits during the day. Not even warm enough to make a snowman.

5. This day is finally over and this week is drawing toward it's end.
          It hasn't been a horrible day. It hasn't been a horrible week. But every single day this week has felt like it should be AT LEAST Thursday to me. It has felt so long. I don't know why. Nels has been sick the past two days. He's had fevers of 103 - 104 ---- and has been all but useless. :) Just kidding. I feel so bad for him. He's got so much to get done, that is getting pushed back as he lies in bed moaning and groaning. Poor man. This evening Lilie was complaining of feeling sick and I'm not positive that Elsie isn't coming down with it as well.
          On top of my little sickies, I ruined a project that I've really been looking forward to completing. I've planned on making a calendar / bulletin board for my bedroom out of an old - and big - frame that I picked up this summer. As I was finishing it up - with several irritating, but fixable mistakes along the way - I pushed the glass to center it better and cracked it. Right through the center. ---- As it is, I'm not going to stress about it at the moment and it will remain with its huge crack until some distant date. But still incredibly . . . frustrating.
          So yeah. It's been a decent week, but I'm ready for it to be over. I'm ready for Christmas break. I'm glad it's getting closer.

6. We have a name for our new baby!
          The girls (Hazel and Lilie) ask Elsie all the time things about having a new baby. Things like, "Are you excited, Elsie?" To which Elsie gives them unrelated answers, because she doesn't really understand what they're talking about. :) She's an incredibly talkative little lady and has recently started making up her own words to things -- or at least her own meanings to words. Words such as "laslards". I have absolutely no idea what this word means to her or what word she is perhaps trying to say, but I laugh every time she says it. She has also been playing a lot with a shapes puzzle we have. I'll tell her the name of the shapes as she puts them in their correct place.
          So as my big girls were asking Elsie all sorts of random questions the other day, they asked, "Elsie! What should we name our new baby?!" To which she promptly replied, "Baby Otadon." So their you have it folks. Our next baby, by sisterly decree, will be named Baby Octagon. One of my all time favorites. So named by her sister, Fish.

(When I was pregnant with Elsie, Hazel insisted that Fish was a very nice name for our new baby.)

7. I have fingernails.
         That's worth posting about, isn't it? Of course it is. I've always been a compulsive nail biter. - Not something I'm proud of, but a habit that has been with me as long as I can remember. I've gone through brief spurts of reform in the past few years, but in the end, I always seem to regress. I've learned, however, through these sporadic periods of self control, that I have kind of thin nails that are prone to chip and break easily. Well, with the help of some serious introspection and the joys of pregnancy hormones, I've been able to achieve something that I have coveted of others (especially my SIL, Melyni) for most of my life. Healthy, long nails. {{{satisfied sigh}}} I don't know if it will last, but I'm relishing it for now.  ((Melyni, I honestly think that you have some of the prettiest nails I've ever seen. I'm not, by nature, a jealous person, but I wish I had nails like yours. Heck, I'd even settle for nails like Nels's. Such perfect nails should never be wasted on a man! :)

8. I have creative children.
          I was just thinking that I couldn't think of anything else for now. That my brain had come up with all the fabulous things it could think of in its sleep deprived stupor. Then, I looked down at the desktop next to my hand and saw the word "MOM" etched there in my sweet Lilie's adorable handwriting. It is also scrawled in the file cabinet drawer to the right of me. I thought of how I could rant about how irritating it is to me that my child feels the need to "leave her mark" wherever she sits. That she has defaced several pieces of furniture here in the basement. But you know, as I looked at it, it brought a smile to my face. Of all the things she chose to write. MOM.

I love my girl.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Each of the past 5 years, I have had serious trouble keeping our Christmas trees alive. Nels claims all sorts of reasons (that all stem back to me) - things like I put too many lights on or always buy our tree too early in the year. Things that irritate me and that I flat out don't believe. I am a firm believer that Christmas trees should go up soon after Thanksgiving. I also love live trees. I ALSO can't seem to help myself when it comes to the number of lights --- it's compulsive.

This year is my last ditch effort. And regardless of what Nels says or my own personal affinity to live trees, if it dies this year - that's it. But I am POSITIVE that a live Christmas tree that is well watered can easily live for one month in the house. I've tried different tree lots. I've tried different varieties of trees. This year, we decided to get our own! I purchased a permit and we headed up to Kelly Canyon to find us a tree!

The girls were so excited! and we had a wonderful afternoon together as a family, tromping through the snow. Mostly.

Hazel was a real trooper and held her own the whole trek, Lilie required occasional piggy back rides (due to snow getting in her boots), and Elsie thought it was fun, at first. But it was a cold evening and she was less than impressed when I would put her down. -- As can be seen on her sad little face in this photo.

Needless to say, between carrying Elsie and occasionally Lilie, hiking up two decently steep hills through the snow, and being nearly six months pregnant ---- by the time we got back home, I could literally barely lift my legs.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat! :) I'm feeling good about our "skinny" little tree. It's unique. The girls and I had a wonderful time stringing cranberries and decorating.

I love this time of year!

Fall Updates

HALLOWEEN: Part II - Pumpkin Carving

Goofy people.

She gets it from her dad.

(Who probably gets it from his mom! :)

The girls drew out their designs for their pumpkins and then Nels and I cut them out. I love the funny things that they come up with every year.

MY GIRLS: Snaggle Tooth, Sloth, and a Tired Turtle

Hazel has lost her teeth faster than any other kid I know. SIX so far. I truly was hoping that this time wouldn't come as soon as it did, but apparently we're in for quite a few years of teeth that look too big for her head.

One morning she looked like this.

By that evening, she looked like this!

With or without them, she's still pretty cute. :)

We're hoping Lilie's eyes don't fall out next! :)

This is what happens to little turtles when their mommies neglect their naps.

They just have to curl up in their shells and fall asleep on their own! :)

My New Old Chair

I have been working on several different projects lately -- most of which have been for my bedroom. It's been lovely. And fun. (And incredibly time consuming. Time mostly spent staring off into space just thinking and stressing.) I'll give a comprehensive post of them when I'm finished with . . . I'd say all, but there's always something on the back burner . . . how about when I finish the next three of them. :) My bulletin board, white shams, and throw pillows. I hope they'll be completed by the beginning of the year, but I've also got nightgowns and doll clothes to sew (as well as a long-ago-promised blanket to bind :) and nearly completed treasure boxes to - well, complete.

This is one project that I finished a month or more ago and actually took pictures of! With the purchase of Nels' new computer, we moved our old one up to our bedroom. I got a new (old) desk from the thrift store and painted it a beautiful turquoise blue, but I needed the right chair. I found this little beauty at another thrift store and knew she'd be the one . . . with a few tweeks.

Can't you just SEE the potential?! :) After fruitlessly searching the local stores for any fabric even remotely attractive, I finally found what I was looking for online. (Oh, how I love online shopping!)

I love colors. I love bold prints. I love new - old things. I love spray paint.

Isn't she gorgeous?! I love my chair so much! It makes me happy every time I see it!

KETCHUP!

If you don't know that joke, you should.

So it's been quite a while since I decided to really update my blog. I'm not quite sure why I've been avoiding it, but I think it's one of several of the following:

A) we've switched computers, my picture folder is on the other computer and hasn't been moved yet.

B) I delay posting until I have my pictures ready -- and I don't always like editing my pictures. It's a procrastination thing.

C) the baby is sucking my brains out.

D) I do have things to say, but don't want to say them until I'm updated.

E) this time of year always seems to get busy with projects and such.

Yeah. Probably all of them. Mostly I'm just a procrastinator. --- Anywho. I'm going to update a little bit. At least the pictures that are already on this computer.

Near the end of October, an old mission buddy of Nels's was in the area doing some work and he and Nels had a good time hanging out while he was here. While his wife was up from AZ for the weekend, we took a day trip up to Mesa Falls, Island Park, and West Yellowstone. Thanks Casey and Tanya for a great day! We wish you lived closer!!

Lower Falls

What a cute family I have!

Got stuck in construction on the way to West Yellowstone.

Elsie is adorable!

Sadly this year marked yet ANOTHER summer without actually making it into Yellowstone. However, I seem to make it closer and closer each time. This time we actually drove up to the front gates! :)

It's slightly difficult to see in this picture, but this is what happens when you wipe your nose with the back of your hand too much. You get a permanent red mustache for a week! :) It spread clear from one cheek bone to the other. She's apparently very thorough and SO funny to me!

HALLOWEEN

I spent the week before Halloween making costumes and dreading the sugar to come. :) Hazel's was very simple, Elsie's only took me about an hour and a half, but Lilie's costume was the real kicker this year. Somehow or another I just can't refuse her funny costume requests! Last year, if you remember, she was a bat (still one of my most favorite costumes of all time!). This year was far more complicated, but lots of fun!

R2D2, Ewok, Leia

They were all oh so cute and fun! They loved their costumes and trick-or-treating. The night before Halloween, Nels got a call from an acquaintance wondering if he'd be interested in working that day in Montana. Never one to turn down work or money :), Nels left us and I hauled the girls to Utah for trick-or-treating with cousins.

Isaac, Eli, and Ali

If You Give A Mom A Project

Let's write a post that is not on Friday, shall we? It's been a while.

Today and yesterday instead of cleaning all the normal things (like dishes and floors and laundry and children etc. -- you know, the things that make your house LOOK clean) I have had Maternal Attention Deficit Disorder. MADD. :) I start a project, cleaning or otherwise, and get completely distracted while right in the middle. Yesterday it was causing me considerable anxiety. Today, I'm just going to embrace it.

I was doing the dishes, then the phone rang. I got it out of my purse and noticed some stray bobby pins in the pocket. Took the pins to put away in the bathroom and noticed that the cupboard is really messy. Start pulling things out of the cupboard. Open the vanity to put some of the clutter in there, but it's even worse. Pull everything out of the vanity. Find a small, old travel case filled with baby supplies that I don't want. Realize it will make an excellent first aid kit for my purse. Spend the next hour picking through all the junk on the bathroom floor and spilling out into the hallway to make a well stocked first aid kit that barely fits in the pocket of my purse. Decide all the first aid supplies should be in the bathroom cupboard. Organize them. Take random medicines to the hall closet. WOW. the hall closet is bad too! Empty the hall closet, adding to the 823 things strewn across the two areas that my children are not allowed to touch. Put Elsie down for a nap and remember that I needed to email a couple of people before 3 o'clock. Zip to the computer to email . . . AND check blogs . . . AND need to post, it's been a while . . .

. . . 45 minutes later.

I am hearing a noise, just now. Looking out the window, noticing my garbage cans trying to blow down the street. And remembering why I was at the computer to begin with ---- I need to set somethings out on the lawn for someone to pick up --- now! RUN! Hurry Rachel! You're neighbor just ran over your garbage can lid!

. . .

. . .

. . .

Hmm. After picking up the garbage cans, straightening the lids, and dragging things to the lawn --- Just proofread through my post . . . before going to think about what to make for dinner tonight ---- which will then require me to finish the dishes . . .

I just realized that my life sounds just about like the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie."

Fab Fri

1 - My favorite thing about Friday? That tomorrow is Saturday. Can I just say that I know a lot of moms that love their kids going to school and being out of the house for the day or even a few hours, but I am not one of those moms. (Other then when I run errands.) I do NOT like getting Hazel out the door to school in the mornings. I don't like having to take her and then pick her up. I like her being home. I like my kids being with me. - So I'm glad there is no school and no work tomorrow!

2 - I cleaned all day and finished several cleaning projects that I've been putting off. I love clean windows. I love windows that don't have water spots on them, or frosting, or milk, or snot, or nose prints. -- Okay, so the nose prints are kind of cute. :)

3 - The weather has been beautiful this week. So thankful for one last beautiful week. - Who knows what the coming weeks will bring, but I'm just thankful that we had this glimpse of Fall.

4 - The girls were "arguing" in the van tonight as we were driving around - arguing about where we were going. They finally got to a point where Hazel just said, "Well, you'll see." Lilie: "Well, YOU'LL see!" Then Elsie piped in: "No! I'm E-sie! I'm wight he-ya!" (I'm right here.) Ah, I love my funny kids! They make me happy. Elsie says "dant tyou" (thank you) a lot and she's been telling me all day, "I'm E-sie Mooie Chit." She's the cutest little Elsie Marie Chick.

5 - I love my husband. He loves me. It's happy.

A Fabulous Friday

1 - Nels took part of the day off of work today and we were able to go with some friends of ours for a beautiful Fall drive. We drove up to Mesa Falls, Island Park, and West Yellowstone. (One of these days we are actually going to make it INSIDE Yellowstone. It seems each time we venture up that direction, we get a little closer. :) We had such a wonderful time, building friendships and seeing the beautiful colors and the CRISP Fall air. I'll have to post pictures in the next couple of days --- we actually got some of all of us together!

2 - We just got home 10 minutes ago and the kids are already in bed sleeping. (((sigh))) Oh happy day.

3 - I am finally starting to feel like I am really getting over this nastiness that I have had for a week. Still a little tired and gunky, but definitely on the down slope. I do wish that the nurse had informed me that the flu shot I got yesterday was going to make my arm all but incapacitated for the next 36 hours. And I think that it made me feel more tired today than I would have otherwise, but I'm still happy to feel like I'm almost back up to full capacity.

4 - Yesterday I had to run to my doctor's office to get blood drawn for . . . for the numerous tests that they deem necessary. Since I was just going to be in and out, the girls all came with me. I know it's a weird thing to put on my list of fabulous things from the past week, but it cracked me up to have them there with me. As the nurse was getting things all ready, Hazel and Lilie were standing behind her, against the wall. Then as the nurse "sticks" me and starts collecting blood, I see Lilie slowly inch around her back, watching with open fascination -- and an open mouth. By the end of filling all four vials (good grief, do they really need that much?), both girls are standing right next to the nurse, agape at the amount of blood and asking all sorts of questions (like if they were going to take ALL my blood and what they were going to do with it). I love to see their inquisitive little minds. I (usually) love their funny questions and the way they seem to NEED to know things. I love watching their brains at work.

5 - I love how wonderful my husband is. I love that he loves me and loves being with me. We have so much fun together. He brings peace to my soul and fills me like no one else. He is so good and kind and happy. I'm so glad that I got to spend the day with him.

Halfway

I am halfway through my pregnancy today.

Wow.

I don't know whether that's exciting or scary. :) I think exciting. I love new babies. Especially mine. :) I'm excited to hold another sweet little angel in my arms. My cousin called yesterday to find out if we'd had our ultrasound. When I gave her the news that we are four for four and having another girl (which is still making me smile at the thought) she was so excited and said, "Good, I was hoping you would. Now you will have all your Little Women." I love you so much, Amber. You are so right.

Earlier this year I read the book Little Women. My mother has been gently "encouraging" me to read this book since I was, oh, about TEN. I'd started it probably two or three times, but never got much past the first 5 pages. Apparently I hadn't grown up enough to enjoy it yet. :) Happily, this year I must have reached some kind of maturity milestone because I picked it up and devoured it. It is now certainly among my favorite books. The lessons taught through its timeless story have changed who I am and the way that I view the world. It will forever be a book that I should reread on - at least - a yearly basis. I recommended it immediately to my cousin and she loved it too. (She has three little ladies as well.)

I am excited to be halfway through this pregnancy. It's been a fairly pleasant four and a half months and I'm looking forward to the next four and half. I like feeling my babies moving and I even like (for the most part) looking pregnant. I like getting things ready. I even like the seemingly habitual feeling that we should MOVE whenever I'm pregnant. (which we will not be doing, even though I've been casually browsing around real estate websites. LOL!)

But more than anything, I'm looking forward to being surrounded by my four little women when this second half is finished. I love my babies. I love being a mom.

A Whole Clutch

"Did you know that here, chick is another word for girl??"

Nels was asked this on a regular basis while serving an LDS mission in Ireland. Ha ha.

Well what could be more fitting for a family with the last name of Chick to have a whole nest full of girls? :) I know that at the very least, my high school buddy, Todd, will send kudos up to the Lord for how very clever he thinks He is. :)

We are so excited to be able to welcome another little lady into our family in about 4 1/2 months! Can you believe it?! FOUR GIRLS!!!??? LOL! That is a lot of ladies!

I could say that I'm not excited for another head of hair to do each morning, but you know, I think that would be preferable to a bald child, don't you? ---- Right? I think so . . . . :)

We're all so excited to get to welcome another little personality into our family! I love being a mom!

Birthdays and Harvesting

Finally getting around to posting the girls birthday pictures! hooray! :)

We has a great week with our birthday girls this year. Grandma Moon was able to come the week before and spoil them with her beautiful presence and presents :) as well as carrot cake. Yum! Good food is always in abundance when Grandma is around! :) It was a gorgeous week (except for Hazel's birthday, on which I believe it snowed) and that weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Chick and Great-Grandma and Grandpa Larson were able to come visit on their way to Utah. It was so wonderful to see them and the girls loved going to out to breakfast with them Saturday morning.

Hazel's cake this year turned out . . . lovely. She told me that she wanted a pink cake with a purple octopus on it. (???) Too bad spiders and octopi have to look so similar! :)

Her special birthday heart hair :) and her fuzzy new robe.

After eating most of two cakes by the time we got to Elsie's birthday, I was just all caked out. So instead we made birthday brownies. :)

If you should try this at YOUR house, please be sure to cool the brownies before you put the was candles into them . . .

October started off beautiful, but then let us know (full force) that she is a FALL month. We picked the remainder of our garden October first and it froze every single night for the next two weeks! :) We got LOTS of pumpkins this year (which was nice after last years sad attempts). I had no idea what to expect from a pumpkin plant . . . just an fyi for future pumpkin growers, pumpkin plants get HUGE!! It took over at least 1/3 of our fairly large garden with its beautiful orange fruit and bright green leaves (not to mention part of our neighbor's backyard), but if nothing else, it made my garden look really full and abundant! :)

Not only did our garden produce --- produce this year, it also turned up baby kitties! :) Which my children have been loving and loving and loving into docility.

They are absolutely adorable and it's been fun to have them around, but truth to tell, I'm really glad that they're not mine. - They're strays. - I'm glad that they've started eating solid food this week and are now ready to find someone else to love them.

Not a fun post, but at least I'm updating!

Let's take a vote.

I propose that if you are already pregnant, you should not have to also get SICK, SICK, SICK on top of that. Pregnancy sick? Not pleasant, I know, but it comes with the territory. But fevers, headaches, chills, coughing, coughing, coughing, and laying in bed desperately wanting to get up and at the same time NEVER wanting to get up again and not being able to sleep . . . ? Coughing so hard that it triggers your puke reflex? And for THREE days? Seriously??

Okay, on the bright side, the Lord has given me three really wonderful little girls who can pretty much entertain themselves at this point. Yesterday Nels was home until about noon before going to a meeting at work and I think the only things I got up for were to occasionally get Elsie a drink of water and to use the bathroom ----- and to order pizza.

Also on the bright side, Nels worked about 6+ hours of overtime almost everyday last week and then left Monday morning at 9:30 and worked until about 5:30 Tuesday evening. As a result of his non-paid-for ridiculous hours of overtime, he did not go into work on Wednesday or Thursday. Now, although being sick in bed is not my favorite way to spend Nels' time off, I am so thankful that he was able to stay home! He wasn't feeling well either, but at least slightly better than me. He has lovingly taken care of nearly every meal for the past 3 1/2 days. What a champ that sweet man is!

Good thing I deep cleaned my house on Monday. And speaking of Monday, we have our ultrasound this coming one. The girls are convinced they are going to get a baby brother. - But have also said that they will really love a baby sister as well.

I'm not going to guess either way, I've learned that I'm a terrible guesser. I just want a healthy baby.

And one less head of hair to do in the morning would be really nice.

Just another reason to love Fall

I love when it starts to get dark early.

Would you like to know why?

Can you guess why??

My children are tired children. They will sleep. If conditions are right.

Dark is an important condition.

When it starts to get dark and then the time changes (not till next month, grrrr) my children believe that it is time for bed. My brain says, "it's time to put the children to sleep."

It is now 8:45 pm and ALL of my children have been in their beds for over an hour and a half.

I love Fall.

The Littlest Pet Shop Kitty Got Buyed

One of the many reasons that my family is RAD!!

Nels and the girls made this sweet movie (written by Hazel) for Hazel's birthday.

I love it!!! It makes me so happy! I love that Lilie says "perstac" instead of perfect. I love the say Hazel says "They went . . . to the JUNGLE!". And I love my little Monkey! I love that Nels wanted to give his big girl such a special birthday present!

Happy Birthday my sweet Baby!

I can't believe that my baby is TWO! We had a wonderful day together . . . it's been a wonderful birthday week! I'll write more on it later, with pictures . . .

Six years ago today, I became a mom. Today is a good day. Today I get to celebrate my sweet, sweet Hazel and the beginning of the most meaningful part of my eternal existence.

Look at that darling child of mine. - The most attentive newborn I've ever seen.

Now, I need to go to bed TODAY so that I can wake up TODAY and make pink and purple pancakes with blueberries on top! :)

Perfect - how many times can I use it?

Don't you love it when your cable for connecting your camera to your computer is all the way downstairs . . . . :) You finally go get it only to realize that you've picked up the firewire cable (raise your hand if you know what firewire is) instead of the USB.

I hope that's not the kind of day today is destined to be,

because in my opinion, today is meant to be a beautiful, relaxing, PERFECT Fall day; filled with cut grass, planted mums, riding my bike to get Hazel from school, and going to the zoo (don't think too hard about whether or not I used that semicolon correctly).

---- Yep. I've made up my mind. It's going to be perfect . . . regardless.

I just read the most perfect post about the first trimester of pregnancy here. What a strange phase that is. Glad it's over.

I love Fall. I have been aching for Fall for months. SO glad that it's here. Idaho Falls has beautiful Falls . . . usually . . . for a few days. :) Yesterday was a perfect day. With a simple dinner of mac 'n' cheese followed by lounging on the trampoline and hammock wrapped up in blankets and pillows, reading books, and eating homegrown (neighbor's) apples with my Hazel and Lilie.

Does it get more perfect?

Apparently not. As Lilie asked in her prayers for her mommy "tomorrow to be happy like today." :S --- I'm going to look in the bright side of that sweet prayer . . . . . . . . . . and do my best to fulfill it.

Do you ever get a late night craving for fresh, perfect tomatoes (straight from your garden) sliced thick and generously sprinkled with salt and pepper, set between two pieces of buttered, homemade focaccia bread?

Mmmmmmm . . . I mean, who would? Seriously. (((sigh)))

Isn't this what all children should do on a 75 degree afternoon? Sit on the trampoline dividing the goods from your friend's candy sack?

And finally, my little butterfly. She needed both sets of wings to fly (skip-bounce) all around the family room singing, "Mommy, I fwying, fwying, fwying!" And calling herself Peent-o-bew.

I'm a lucky mom. I'm so thankful that I can be at home with my girls! --- Even if I just realized that I don't get to go pick up Hazel on my bike because I have carpool today. I guess now I get to take a shower instead! :)

A Picture of Two Adorable Girls

Just thought I'd share this adorable picture from the Farm this summer. I've yet to get caught up on some of our summer pictures (as we've been playing around with our computers) but here's one.

Hazel and her sweet cousin Karlie.

Cousins are so wonderful!

A Fabulous Friday

Wow. Sometimes I think I will never be a blogger again . . . sad. The baby seems to be sucking my brains. However, I did have a fabulous Friday.

1. Nels took the girls and I out to see a movie tonight. We saw "Cloudy with a Side of Meatballs". It was great. I LOVED the movie. No potty humor, not overdone. Just silly with a great style. Even Elsie sat through it, switching quietly from parent to parent. Definitely recommend it.

2. I volunteered in Hazel's classroom this morning and had fun. It was nice to watch Hazel interact with the other kids. She loves school so much! I think at times she gets a little bored --- waiting for everyone else to finish each instruction before she can move on to the next, but she's just really happy to be there. It makes me think I could totally do kindergarten homeschool and be done in about 1/10th of the time, but Hazel would be devastated. It was nice to watch her. She's such a kind and smart little girl. She's so happy. I love her.

3. My wonderful mother came to visit for two days this week! It was so nice to spend time together! She sort of came to celebrate Hazel and Elsie's birthdays early with them and we made the most FABULOUS carrot cake that I've ever tasted. MMmmmm. I've never really liked carrot cake, but like with many things, it just seems to be one of those things that a lot of people don't make correctly. :) :) LOL! It was a good recipe! On Tuesday we went to Bear World -- about 20 minutes from Idaho Falls. It was a lot of fun. -- Spendy, but a lot of fun. The girls really enjoyed seeing the bears and the elk and petting the deer and goats, but they REALLY enjoyed the free rides afterward. We went about 2 hours before they closed and it's late in the season, so we all but had the whole park to ourselves. An ideal way to go. Thank you SO MUCH, Mom, for coming and loving us. Elsie has been asking for you ever since.

4. We've had a stray cat trying to adopt us for the past month. Thankfully, she's really a very pretty calico -- a little skinny -- but a very nice and well kept cat. -- (Apparently only pretty calico cats want to be part of our family! :) Well last week I was preparing to take her down to the Humane Society - as I don't really want to be adopted and she'd have no problem finding a family - when she disappeared for a few days. Wednesday I saw her a little bit and then that night the girls came running in the house saying there were kittens under our neighbor's shed (right next to our dividing chain-link fence). I knew immediately they must be Flower's kittens. (Yep, my kids christened this stray "Flower" when she would come around every once in a while this spring.) They are probably about 3 or 4 weeks old and needless to say, I'm really glad that I didn't haul her off to the Humane Society. The problem is that I'm a bleeding heart for any kind of needy animal (as can be vouched for by my family). :) Anyhow. I'm kind of excited for my kids (okay, and me) to get to play with these baby kitties for the next little while before I take them all to the Humane Society. :)

5. I've got a few new projects completed and coming up for my bedroom that I'll have to share in a week or so. I'm happy to finally have my bedroom really come together as a completed room! Lots of things that I REALLY like. Things like a turquoise desk, a covered closet, and a sweet little chandelier. As soon as I finish painting the mirrors and making the new pillows, I'll post some pictures. ---- Of that AND the recent accomplishments on our yard. ---- OR any curious people could just come VISIT!!! :) Any and all are always welcome! :)

Friday's Fabulous Five

Haven't done Fabulous Friday in a long time. I think tonight I need to think about fabulous things.

1. I think it's fabulous that . . . although I feel overwhelmed by the mess right now, I know that tomorrow morning, it won't take as long to clean up as it currently feels. :)

2. I am finally getting around to a project that has been two years in the making . . . and one of the easiest that I come up with. I am finally going to make a curtain to hang over our doorless closet. When I had thrown out the black, painted, peeling, metal, floor to ceiling closet doors that originally hung on the closets, I had envisioned quickly building a header and getting REAL doors. That was a while ago. I'm ready to settle for just some good clean pieces of white fabric to cover the chaos. Do you know how messy your room looks with all the junk from your closet constantly glaring at you?

3. Nels has a new "work" computer to do all his freelance jobs on. It's great and fast. - And frees up the other computer all for little old me. Since we don't have a lot of space in our house, this computer is finding a new home - in the corner of my bedroom. --- In the corner that will be occupied by a new/old desk with a new coat of turquoise paint on it. The desk that I will be picking up in the morning; because after taking the middle seat out of the van - all by myself (seriously, our neighbors probably think that I am one . . . ambitious lady :) - I played around on the computer so long that the Youth Ranch Thrift Store had "just barely typed in the code to lock up the place for the night." It will be fabulous to get it and paint it . . . in the morning.

4. Nels will be home tomorrow! I don't care if he works all day on video projects; it will just be nice to have him home! He has worked the last three nights running a video camera at the Eastern Idaho State Fair - and informed me this morning that Huey Lewis says "hi". :) The nights previous to that, he's been working late on various video jobs. I love being a wife - as opposed to a single mom.

5. I got lots of good ideas for different decorating projects today. I'm really looking forward to repainting Hazel and Lilie's room and painting my family room. I just need to get in the groove.

Every Party Has a Pooper . . .

I'm nuts.

I think that could probably be the entire post, but I'll elaborate.

I spent all day Monday finagling different options for travel to Phoenix the following day. Willing, but wanting to avoid, having to drive my car the entire way. After a day filled with different options, I was back where I started and still willing to drive.

Nels came home from a rough day at work. Due to my piddling, my list was not yet completed. The girls were cranky. Nels was going to have to work late the next night.

I felt uneasy. Not in the "if I go, we're all going to die" kind of way, but just not at peace. I also felt guilty. Guilty for leaving Nels during a stressful week, with lists of what needed to be maintained and where Hazel was supposed to be. Guilty for yanking Hazel all over for the entire week - on only her second week of school. Guilty, knowing that we'd have a hectic schedule for the next week, which would be hard on the two coming with me. Guilty for spending all the money. Guilty knowing that it would again take another week to pull myself out of the post-vacation coma.

Nels told me to stop worrying and just go and have fun. But as I sat folding the 73rd load of laundry for the day, I just felt stressed.

And as I imagined staying home and just enjoying all the hard work that I'd put in over the past week --- the clean house, the vegetables from my garden, actually being able to SEE my laundry baskets (let alone the BOTTOM! of them) --- I felt better.

And I don't feel bad or disappointed. I'd love to be together with all of my family tomorrow in the temple and enjoy the beautiful outdoor reception and playing late night games with cousins (Jesse, if you read this, I STILL want you to know I'm sorry :) and swimming in the warm pool with my girls.

But you know, as much fun as it would be for ME, my place is here. And that makes me happy. I'm needed. It makes me so happy to realize that I LOVE being needed. I love my place. I love my life. There will be other parties. There will be other times for vacations. There will be other times for a "break". Right now, I'm needed here.

I love the monotony of every day. The predictability. First off, there's ALWAYS something unpredictable, but I just love knowing my job and doing it well. -- Or at least TRYING to do it well. Learning. I'm so glad I stayed home.

Me and My Shadow

My little Elsie loves to be my shadow throughout each day. Not in that "get-out-of-my-face-and-off-my-back" kind of way, but just sweetly following me through the house with her funny little commentary.

She is still such an itty-bitty little thing --- a whopping 22 pounds, on a good day --- and loves to talk, talk, talk. She loves her Daddy with a tenacity that just shows how smart she is. - Having Daddy be your favorite person is about as useful as calling every older woman "Damma" (Grandma). When Nels is gone, even to work, she wanders the house saying over and over, "I miss my daddy."

She loves the "tlampline" and tomatoes and sticking things in her ears. She's very good about cleaning up and going to sleep. She doesn't think having a baby brudda or tis-ers (sister) sounds like a good idea.

Obviously she had been watching closely as I went down the hall wiping down doors and walls earlier in the day. LOL!

Mean Mom

So I just can't help myself. Nels is watching MMA and I'm going to post some more.

Last Monday was not only Hazel's first day of school,

(isn't she crazy adorable!?)

but also our SEVENTH anniversary! :) Hooray us! We decided to spend the day exploring some of the beautiful sights surrounding us, including Mesa Falls and Island Park.

As we rushed through the Upper Falls (because I was sure that I was going to get a ticket for not paying the $5 fee) we stopped at the drinking fountain.

I couldn't help myself. and I laugh SO HARD every time I watch it.

My sweet girls.

I don't know why Nels and I didn't manage to get a picture together on this little anniversary outing, but it's true. :( Oh well, my angel girls more than make up for it!

We had a great time fulfilling Lilie's only wish of the day - to throw rocks in the lake - and looking for camp spots for next year's Chick Reunion.

After finishing up with the water, we headed to Angler's Lodge for a "romantic" dinner by the river - complete with what Lilie was certain were dolphins in Henry's Fork. :)

It was a good day.

Spring Chick

So remember when I wrote . . . well, you probably don't, because I've written practically nothing for months . . . but when I wrote about how when I can't seem to write much of anything if I can't write everything? Yeah well, I'm tired of reading everyone's posts and only having dumb silence from my end. I like my blog. It's been neglected.

So . . .

Nels and I have exciting news! We are expecting our fourth little baby in March! We're excited to open our hearts and home to a new little Chick.

I figure it's time that I told everyone -- because apparently Hazel already is. Also, this may not be breaking news to most of my family anyway, as we aren't prone to keeping exciting secrets. ;)

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In other news, this week I am looking forward to spending some sunny days in the warm pools of Arizona.

Nels and I FINALLY completed the majority of a project that has been waiting a year to be completed. The main body of our yard is now 98% covered with soft sod. -- Goodbye, dirt (read: rock-hard-clay) clods being piled up and smashed by my back door, later to be watered and turned into the most irresistible, gooey goop any Hazel or Lilie could get their little hands on.

Hazel started school last Monday and is LOVING it!

Lilie recently cut her toe open. Narrowly missing the chance for her second set of stitches by having a trained nurse (Grandma) close at hand to make homemade butterfly bandages and calm her skeptical mommy.

Elsie loves our new trampoline. She asks daily to go jump on our tlamline. :) She loves puzzles, helping mommy clean, and pretty much following me around. She has also recently developed an overactive possessiveness that makes me happy that this new baby didn't decide to come 7 months earlier. :)

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That's all for now. I promise, once I get back, to start updating all that's been happening for the past several months! :)

Also, for those of you who haven't yet seen Lilie's "Bee Movie", I thought you might enjoy this. :)

Daddy's Poor Head

I love my life.

Nels has to work late tonight. We took him some dinner - late - and didn't get back home until about 9:30. Elsie, all the way home, was asking for her "blanklie" and her bed.

When we got home I put her pajamas on her and she asked me to rock her with Mimi (her baby doll). As we were rocking, she was jabbering about a few different things. I remembered that we hadn't prayed and asked her if she wanted to. She did and gave a very sweet little prayer. Afterward, she continued jabbering, but I was trying to get her to be still - as her eyes kept doing their slow blinks. Suddenly I realized that she was telling me about her day. She was telling me about "Jumpline an' Lilie an' Rin' a' Rosie." Giggling the whole time. She was talking about Lilie playing Ring Around the Rosie with her on the trampoline this afternoon. Ah! So sweet. I love that adorable kid.

She then started telling me about all the things going to sleep. "Dodoos (doggies) and trees and Lilie." And said, "Yep, but not Daddy. Daddy's at work. Sad Daddy. We love him." To which she responded, "Yeah. Daddy bonk a head." LOL. She so great! I love my quiet time rocking that girl! She is so fun and I love her little voice.

I have the best job in the world.

Blathering About Change

Well now. It seems to be a time for change in my life.

The need for change has presented itself in many different ways recently. Some I'll share, some I won't.

Such as,

I'm ready for this summer to be over. Can you believe that? I almost can't believe that those words have flown from my fingers, but really, I am. It's been another incredibly busy couple of months with traveling CONSTANTLY. Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that need done, but constantly in a state of recovery . . . from the last trip - or whatnot. Just tired.

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The weather the past few days has been perfect for the mood that I've been in. Chilled out. 70s during the day, with that brisk Fall feel. Mmm. I love it. It's energizing to me. I know it won't last long . . . like probably not another day . . . but I love wearing jackets and thin sweaters. I love the change in seasons.

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Hazel will be starting school in just over two weeks. {{sigh}} This is a bit of a trauma for me. I can't believe that she'll be getting so big! That a new chapter of our lives is about to begin. Never to be that same again. As crazy as life can be at times, I love my life. I love my girls being at home with me. Learning from and depending on me --- even though that responsibility is a bit . . . um, large. Ready or not, this is a change that is coming. I'm working on being excited for her.

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Nels was home for an entire weekend without doing a gazillion different projects! It was amazing! We spent an entire Saturday and Sunday together without even leaving Idaho Falls! THAT is a change.

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I have recently started to no longer be in love with my long hair. I've had it long for over three years now, without ever getting tired of the ponytails. Finding them incredibly conducive to the life that I've been living. It's felt sexy and fun and different from the typical "mom hair". I felt pretty.

My hair texture has changed DRASTICALLY over the past 4 years or so. I have curly hair now. Not the gorgeous natural curl that my SIL, Melyni, has, but a strange wavy on top, curly on the sides, and kinky in the back. Long hair has worked well through this transition. I haven't felt tempted every time I need a new trim to chop it off (as has been the case . . . well, throughout the rest of my life).

So. Lately there have been a lot of things going on in my life. Things I can't control. Feeling a new chapter opening up in my life. Life is again at a turning point and I'm ready to turn a page. Time to take control of SOMETHING in my life. Short Hair Rachel is ready to come out again and no longer be Rachel of the Perpetual Ponytail.

Before posting my new 'do, I was going to find a picture from the past few months to show how long my hair was. However, to further illustrate the ponytail point, I can't even find one where my hair is not pulled back. What's the point in long, sexy hair if the only time you wear it down is about once a month!? Okay, so you'll just have to live with the horrible picture that I took on my phone right before leaving to the salon.

Lovely, huh? I know, I know. What can I say? I'm just naturally photogenic . . . as is my camera. (For those of you always wondering how to take me, heavy sarcasm is implied here.)

Another lovely phone picture, of course. Too bad I was too lazy to walk downstairs and get a real camera. Lack of correct products and a working flat iron are going to delay the duplication of this look for a few weeks. - But this is what it looks like straight. I like it!

And curly. Again, too bad that I was too lazy to get the camera out before 10:30 pm, because it looked better before a day of wrestling with kids at church, laying on the bed, jumping on the trampoline, etc. However, I still like it. (Lynsey. I told you that your cut was "inspiring". :)

I LOVE the feeling of a new haircut. - Made all the more fun by a brightened color. :) I love walking past the mirror and still being surprised at how you look. It's addicting enough to grow my hair out, leave it long for so many years that no one remembers (or knows) you with short hair, and then chop 10 inches off over and over and over again. It's fun.

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Wow. This got verbose for just a post about my new haircut! I guess this is for those who are sitting around in front of their computers, trying to remember what you came there for, and secretly trying to avoid the pile of _____ (you insert your own noun here --- ex. laundry, dishes, random papers, children) that seems to multiply overnight. You've checked your email, your facebook, your favorite website, and now you are blog hopping through the web - silently cursing all your friends and family who don't seem to update their blogs more than once a day. :)

However, I can't keep typing forever. Talking on and on - like I'm prone to do when I'm trying to explain myself to Ne . . . someone . . . and they just sit there looking at you without offering any feedback. So you think that you need to further explain yourself when all that you're really doing is boring them to death and not allowing them time to supposedly process any of what you're blathering on about.

Plus, Nels went up to bed over 45 minutes ago. Only recently turning on the fan --- a sure sign that he can't sleep and is begging for someone to come put their freezing cold feet on him.