For Sale

So you have figured this out I am pretty sure, but we have decided to sell our first house. How did we come to this conclusion? Well there are many factors and suffice it to say it would be in our best interest to have our house out of the picture. Plus it is getting way too small for our growing family. I like to be close, but when the kids are right on top of you all the time, that is when you need an adjustment. We have not made any definite plans, we just want to sell first.

I have had many sleepless night about this. Tossing and turning. Praying for sleep. That someone will find our house just right and buy it at our asking price. I have not had a very good experience thus far with our realtor. I have had to call several times to change or rearrange things. I am trying to be positive. But I get so anxious when someone else is doing things that I think could be done in a better or more efficient way. So I am the annoying person who keeps calling and complaining. I just want things done right. Now if we can just get some people in to see our little home, maybe we can get some bids. Let us hope that this goes quickly and that we don't have a hard time selling. For my sanity anyways.

Taste of Summer 09

I know this post seems redundant because of so many people blogging about this. But it is one of the most looked forward to days of the summer. How can you beat all you can eat ice cream. I tried to limit myself, and I was slightly careful, but in the end I did eat my share of ice cream. I skipped right over those Popsicles and went straight for the hard stuff. I love ice cream and so do my kids. They have so many things for the kids to do and it seems each year it gets a little bigger. We showed up at 9 am to beat the temperatures and crowds, but it seems everyone had the same idea. It reached 105 that day and it was so hot I thought I was going to die. My kids seemed to fair pretty well, except for Logan who ended up laying down on the ground saying he didn't feel well. Yes overheating was an issue for Logan, but we made sure he kept drinking water and we went back to our AC vehicle after he basically passed out on the ground. But it was great fun and the only down was that Corey had to work and I ended up corralling the kids all by myself. In a huge crowd that is no easy feat. But they stayed close and made it that much easier for mom.

Hailey trying to beat the heat in the stroller. She still broke a sweat.
Logan in the fire truck looking hot and bothered.

Lexie playing her air guitar. There was music and she was getting into the groove.

Gabe on the fire truck messing with stuff that he probably was not supposed to. I have a hard time keeping this on in check.

Aww, the taste of summer Blue Bell jumper.

Hailey is four months old!!

Wow!! Where has the time gone? I can remember so clearly and it seems like just yesterday she was born. She has grown so much and her little personality is just getting brighter and brighter. I love how she will hear my voice and look all over trying to locate me. I also secretly love the fact that Corey can't get her to smile and then all I have to do is talk to her and she will grin at me. I love that I am the only one who can calm her when she gets really mad or upset. I love that I can see she loves me already.

We had her Doctor appointment today and she is growing and looking so great. She is short and fat according to the percentages. She is only in the 25th percentile for height and weighing in at 16 pounds she is in the 75th percentile. But nothing is cuter than fat thighs on a baby. She did real well on her shots, although I know the worst part will be tomorrow after she has kept them still all night. She is rolling over on occasion from her back to her tummy. I love my little girl and every day brings something new.

Look at the pout, right after she was born.
Look at that cute fat face. How could you not love this face.

Classic Summer Fun

I remember growing up and looking forward to summer every year. You get to stay up longer, there is no school and the days last longer. Every day feels like Saturday and you can't seem to get enough of friends and fun. We grew up with a pool in our neighborhood and every year my parents would get us passes. I always thought it was because they loved us so much ( and they do) but as a parent myself I have found it is a simple selfish reason. I go to relax while my lot play and leave me basically alone for hours on end. What could be better than that? Ok, so maybe being able to sleep by the pool would top it, but I am not complaining. So we have spend a lot of days so far lazing by the pool and swimming. As I discussed with my Sister-in-law Sally, we are spending more on sunblock than anything else so far. Here are a few pictures that I took last time we went.

Here is Gabe loading up for another round. He was shooting everyone available and I was just waiting for them to kick us out.

This is Logan's Call of Duty pose. Thanks to Xbox we now do war about 98 percent of the time.

This is my cute blond pool bunny. She hates that she can't venture out of the kiddy area like her brothers, but I just don't trust her yet. She is too sneaky.

And summer would not be complete without the weeds in my flowerbed. I have been trying to rescue some flowers from last year, but I decided just to pull them up and start fresh. I really don't remember there being so many stinkin bugs last year when I planted. They were crawling everywhere and I felt creepy all night long. I really hated that nice ant next I found under one plant. They were crawling all up my arms and legs I was scratching for hours. Corey came out with a blanket and watched from the sidelines with the kids.

Corey took this shot and I have to say I am so grateful for garments. I know that there would be crack involved here.

Logan lounging and reading while Hailey is just kicking back. She loves to hold her feet now and it is so cute.

And the number one on my cute moment list, is when Corey put Hailey in our baby carrier (Thanks Sarah) and totted her while he grilled. Don't worry he was extra careful around the grill. But this just shows what a great dad he is. I was just grateful she didn't spit up on our dinner.

Look at those big old steaks. That was the best Rib-eye I have ever had.

Happy 10th Anniversary Babe

Today Corey and I are celebrating our 10th Anniversary. I really can't believe that we have been married 10 years already. I look back on my wedding pictures and it seems like we were just there yesterday. I have really been blessed with a wonderful husband. He has been such a great help to me and we have always been equal in everything that we do. I love that he is my best friend and that we laugh and play together just as much as we did when dating. I mentioned yesterday that it was going to be our Anniversary and what we should do. Corey was concerned because he has this MBA exam that he is really stressing over and he has to take it by tomorrow. So I could see him trying to see how he could take me out and fit his test in there somewhere. I told him not to worry that we can celebrate another day. I could tell he didn't like that, but we already know that we love and appreciate each other. Whether we do it tonight or next week or not go out at all, he and I are still best friends and he is all I could have ever asked for.

Sorry, I don't have a scanner so I had to take a picture of a picture. Here we are in front of the Logan temple exactly 10 years ago.

This was last year at Cancun....the vacation that we both will remember for the rest of our lives.

Have I Told You Sally?

I am so ashamed of the fact that I have not blogged in a week and during that week not one picture was taken. My brother was here and we did tons of stuff....but no pictures. I am horrible. But I did walk away this week wanting to tell my sister-in-law Sally how much I appreciate and love her.

Getting to know your in-laws can be very hard. New people, new situations and everyone does things in their own way. Since we moved here and Josh has moved here our families have become really close and I LOVE it. Sally is always willing to help me out and although I took her as shy right at first, she is very easy to talk to now. Today we went antiquing with my mom and my other Sister-in-law and I was glad that Sally didn't get too annoyed with me following her around the store. What can I say the girl knows how to shop and she is great about giving opinions. I wish I had a picture of her to post because she is also one hot mama. I tried at first to keep up with her fashionista skills, but I have come to learn I can appreciate her from afar and still wear my 20 year old clothes that I still have from high school. (Ok, maybe not all since she has convinced me to just throw most of them out.)

So thank you Sally for being such a great sister-in-law and I will be really sad to see you guys go when Josh leaves for his residency.

Had High Expectations...Really I did

What is that I hear....I believe it is violin music. Yes this could turn into a pity party for myself, so reader beware. Corey and I are having our 10 year anniversary on the 12th of this month, plus in August I am turning the big 30. So I guess I could chalk all this up to a mid life crisis. I would have assumed that after ten years of all this hard work we would be further along with our lives. But as I sit back and look at our tiny tiny house (trust me it is small) and our four kids sometimes I feel like we are trapped here. Corey is almost done with his MBA and with the economy being so crappy who knows how long it will be before he gets that much deserved raise that will also raise us out of this house. Most of the young couples in our ward have beautiful houses and then I get to come home to my "classic" 1978 stone house that seems to be slowly falling apart. I keep telling myself I should just be happy that Corey still has a job. Which I truly am, but I don't want to get too positive too quick here. I really should have finished my BA, but I keep stopping because I really hate going to school and trying to balance the kids and everything else. So I guess now that I am turning 30, I feel like I have not accomplished hardly anything to look back on.

I did plan on keeping the kids busy this summer. I bought pool passes and I also got a zoo membership so we could keep out of the house. Well you know me and I have my scheduled days all set. Of course today was our zoo day and I look out this morning to find this staring at me...


Oh the rain, which we haven't had in a week or so, but still to rain on my zoo day. How dare you Mother Nature. So how are we spending this gloomy morning...

Lexie is curled up in my unmade bed and watching cartoons. She looks more like a little burrito instead of a little girl...(oh and thank you Lexie for getting lost yesterday and sending me into a fright. I thought I might have to call the police, but thank goodness she finally showed up.)

Hailey is off to a good start with her morning cry/poop. yes they go hand in hand it seems. But after she gets it over with she is happy usually for the rest of the day.

And the good old boys doing what they do best...playing Xbox on dad's big TV. I guess the apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree in this instance.

Ok, now I feel better. Let's hope that on Friday it will be nice so we can go out and do something fun.....or even tomorrow would be nice for a pool day.

Starting the Summer Out Right

Last Friday was a busy fun day for us. Yes I am a little behind on my blogging. We had Logan and Gabe's end of year soccer party. I guess Coweta had so much money left over that they threw a party. We had hot dogs and hamburgers and they rented out the big jumpers. Plus they were playing loud music and it was actually good music. We had fun and the kids just wanted to keep playing with all their friends.

Hailey enjoying the day...no that is not her Dew in there. Dad thought he was being funny.
Spread the blanket out and we had our little picnic

Look how in love we still are...

Dad loving on Hailey...she is just so dang cute.

Earlier in the day I took the kids to the library to pick out some summer reading books and they built a park right next to it. So we sat out on the blanket and relaxed for a little while. I almost wanted to just take a nap, but with four kids it just wouldn't be safe.

Logan reading one of his books...this boy can read anything. He even reads the scriptures as well as Corey and I now. He is amazing.

Logan took this for us. Gotta love the summer.