Open House at Jex's School

Jex has been attending a Pre-K class all year at a Methodist Preschool. We have been so impressed, and have felt like we made the right decision to wait for Kindergarten. He has grown so much, and this school has been just right for him. He goes fours days a week in the afternoon. It has been much like Kindergarten, but on a smaller scale.

This last weekend, was his open house. We got to see everything that he has been working on this past year. He has been working hard, and is really great at art. I can tell how much he has grown over this last year. After we surveyed the classroom, and all their work, we listened to a small concert. On Mondays, they have music class. We got to listen to what they have been learning. I just wanted to share this because I thought it was so adorable.

They also made their T-shirts that they are wearing, and I can hardly pry it off Jex. He is so proud of it. I am sure you are all thinking that I am a little obsessed with my children and their extra-curricular activities. However, you have to remember that this is all new to me. This was a year of firsts. I just think it is so amazing watching your children learn and grow.

Stella's Dance Recital

Stella has been taking dance. It was a four week session, and on Saturday they had their "recital." It was so cute. It is called dancing with Disney. She loved every minute of it. She really enjoyed when they did their final number to "Part of your World" from The Little Mermaid. She is quite the dancer. She listened well, and followed instructions. They did tap and ballet. Her she is doing a few things at the bar in her tap shoes. (Oh, I just have to share, when I do her hair like this, everyone comments, everywhere we go. She loves the attention. We call it the princess crown. What little girl wouldn't want their hair like this?)

A few random thoughts...

Aren't these flowers beautiful? They are all over here, and they just look amazing. It is so fun to drive around and take in God's beauty.


It's official: I am officially a SOCCER MOM!! These are a few precious photos of what we have been doing the last month. Jex has been involved with soccer(and I don't think he loves it), but we are giving it a go. Stella took a 4 week dance class. She had her recital last Saturday, and was so adorable. I just had to share. It is fun to be involved with your kids, and watch them learn and grow. I am grateful that we can offer a few opportunities like this for our children. However, I do think it is so important to keep a balance. Family and being together should always take precedence over the pressure to be involved in every activity out there. I hope and pray that my children can find one, possibly two things that they enjoy. I believe that it is good for them on so many levels. I also feel that it is even better just to be a KID!!

So there are a couple of my random thoughts, all about God's Beauty and letting them be little.

Pure in Heart

Jex is such and amazing boy. He blows Jonathan and I away on most occasions. About a month ago, we put him in charge of the lesson for Family Home Evening. He didn't hesitate, and just grabbed his scripture book. We have the books from the church that have the pictures series. Each picture has a caption underneath. We also have the video, that is the same pictures, and same narrative. He has watched the movie continuously, and loves it. So... when he grabbed the book he said, "I need Chapter 31." We turned to that page, and he began to tell us the story of Captain Moroni defeats Zarahemna. He didn't miss a word. He would point to the pictures, and tell us the story from memorization. He learned it from watching the movie. He knew the names of each character, and places. The land of Jershon, the river Sidon and knew when to use Zarahemna, and Zarahemla. We were astounded. Then to top it off, he repeated the story to his grandparents while in Utah. This time he did it without the book, and pictures to remind him. He did it completely from memory.

I am so grateful for Jex, and his reminder to love the scriptures. He will not let us forget family scripture study, he often looks at the pictures books during the day, and loves to learn more about the scriptures, and where they came from. He has such a pure heart and not only wants to do what it right, but he tries hard to make right choices. He is a wonderful example. I only wish I knew the stories of the Book of Mormon as well as he does. What a blessing to have him in our family, teaching me about the stories from the Book of Mormon.

Beauty and the Beast

After eight months of not going anywhere without Isaac, I finally cut the apron strings.(well sort of) I took the older two to see a theater production of Beauty and the Beast. Jonathan was kind enough to stay home with Isaac. He is finally taking a bottle. He has only had a few, but seems to be doing well. If only he could get over his anxiety. He cried hard for a little bit after I left, but got over it soon enough.
So... I was able to spend some quality time with the older kids. It was such a fun night. We bought lots of treats, and souvenirs to remind us of the fun night. The show was amazing, and the kids did not get bored with it. At one point, Jex grabbed my arm and said, "Mom, thanks for taking me on this date." That made it all worth it. It got even better when it took them an hour to settle down and go to sleep. They had so much to tell Jonathan about, that they just couldn't stop talking.
I enjoyed my night out with them. I had forgotten how much I enjoy them when it is just us. I will certainly be doing that more often. Thanks Jonathan for taking care of Isaac, so I could enjoy a great night with the kids.

100 things you probably didn't know about me...

My sister and my cousin posted 100 things about themselves on their blog. They did it so their posterity would know a little bit more about them. I decided to join the bandwagon. This was fun. It took me a couple of days. I would sit and just add 10-15 a day. So here it is:

1. I love to pluck my eyebrows. I can be so tired at night and still spend 15 minutes plucking my eyebrows. It relieves a little stress.

2. I love teaching my kids about something new. It is fun to watch their face as they comprehend it and it's exciting to know that I help their thought process.

3. I love feeling the Spirit bear witness to me about gospel truths.

4. I hate crumbs. I hate cleaning them up and I cringe at almost every meal with my children.

5. I love the smell of rain.

6. I want to be a country music singer in my next life.

7. I wish I would have played sports when I was younger.

8. I love fresh flowers.

9. I have a hard time turning my brain off. I dream in fabric swatches and scrapbook paper.

10. I hate doing laundry. It will sit in baskets for days.

11. I love to organize.

12. I love to shop on the internet. With three kids it is so much easier.

13. I have enjoyed moving away from home. I miss our family, but I have grown so much. It has been a great learning experience for me.

14. My favorite 'LOST' character is Sawyer. He is so handsome.

15. I read books about vampires.

16. My favorite pastime is body boarding.

17. I really miss the simple Caribbean life.

18. My favorite childhood memory is our fourth of July campouts at KOA!!

19. I wish I had a middle name.

20. You can never have too much produce in your house. I have panic attacks when we start to get low on fresh fruit and vegetables.

21. I recently started to enjoy vegetables.

22. I obsess about weight. It is always on my mind.

23. I love COOKIES!!

24. I love lazy days when Jonathan doesn't have to go to work.

25. I love falling asleep with my children. I get so relaxed.

26. I enjoy nursing my babies. It is one of my favorite parts about motherhood. It is never a burden to me.

27. I hate the mornings that my hair needs to be washed. I love "second day" hair.

28. I wish I was more fearless and tried more exciting things.

29. I love photography and I wish I had a great camera... and was naturally good at taking pictures.

30. I have the gift of gab. I love to talk to people, and get to know them. I feel comfort when I share something in common with someone.

31. Validation is a huge thing for me. I want my feelings to be validated even if whatever I'm upset about is silly.

32. My kids laughter is the best remedy for a bad day.

33. I love making breakfast for my kids.

34. My car is never clean, but my house always is.

35. I feel better about spending money at a consignment shop, thrift store, or a bargain store. I also tend to buy things if they are on sale. I probably spend more money this way just because I think I am getting a good deal, rather then just not buying it at all.

36. I love to go to lunch with Jonathan and the kids on a Saturday afternoon.

37. I go to my Weight Watchers meeting every month to be accountable to someone.

38. I used to do fingernails for a living, but I never paint my own.

39. It was hard for me to start driving a mini-van, but now I love it.

40. I could watch Sweet Home Alabama, Footloose, Girls Just Want to Have fun, and How to Lose a Guy In Ten Days over and over again.

41. I love to exercise.

42. My favorite store is Hobby Lobby.

43. I enjoy having friends over for dinner.

44. I love to bake. I enjoy baking anything and everything. I am getting good at bread.

45. House Hunters on HGTV is one of my favorite shows.

46. I also love the show 'Reba'. Van and Babby J (Barbara Jean) are hilarious. If you haven't seen this, you should tune in. It is good for your soul.

47. I am a control freak when it comes to movies and television that my children want to watch.

48. I don't want my kids to have sleepovers.

49. I won't let my kids have shoes that light up or have characters on the side. I know... I am a MEAN mom.

50. I enjoy buying clothes a season a head for my kids. Then when I pull them out the next season, I just grin when I see how cheap I got them.

51. I get car sick.

52. I want to be a Certified Nurse Midwife. I plan to go back to school when the kids are older.

53. I don't miss my long hair. I like having it short again, and don't know if I will grow it back out EVER.

54. I am very assertive. I rarely wait for Jonathan to help me with something. I usually just do things on my own timetable.

55. I love my memory foam pillow.

56. I enjoy reading about church history. I think that Joseph Smith is such a wonderful and interesting man. I want to know more about him and his life.

57. I don't enjoy being pregnant, but I love the labor and birth part. It is so empowering.

58. I can't leave the house with out making my bed.

59. I enjoy a good weekend with my close friend Krysta. We are special spirit sisters who completely understand one another.

60. I enjoy watching Jonathan play sports. It gives me that "butterflies in the tummy" feeling that I got when we were dating.

61. I am grateful for prescription drugs and vaccinations that help make it possible for people to be whole. I know that this is just one of the great gifts given from God through the hands of man.
62. I am grateful for the medication 'Zofran' that made it possible for me to keep food down during my last pregnancy.

63. I love flip flops.

64. I use a self-tanner, and always use sunscreen. I am afraid of the effects of the sun. I wish I had been a little more cautious in my younger years.

65. I love the smell of astringent, and I will wash my face with it a couple of times a day just to smell it.

66. I hate when my feet are cold.

67. I never use overhead light. I always have lamps on.

68. I want to go on a mission with Jonathan someday. I think it would be fun to go to Nauvoo.

69. I don't really love animals. I am not cruel to them in any way, but I don't really ever care to have any pets.

70. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is open the blinds. I love natural light.

71. I check my email 5-10 times a day.

72. I forget to check the answering machine.

73. I love to bath in the winter, and also when I don't feel well.

74. I wish I would have taken more dance classes, and tried to dance with a company.

75. I am a very scheduled mother, and I think that is why my babies sleep through the night at such a young age.

76. I worry that I am going to mess up my kids somehow and do something wrong.

77. I don't like to run. It just hurts all around.

78. I love to lift wieghts, and enjoy every part of my muscles aching the day after.

79. One of my favorite hobbies is taking things off the wall and finding a new spot for them.

80. I don't like the way my kids smell when they have been playing outside.

81. I enjoy a nice, cold, Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper everyday. (sometimes 2)

82. I love to cook with garlic, it makes everything taste better.

83. I love wrestling and tickling my kids. We do it at least three times a day. I even love to tickle and be crazy with Isaac. This is how I show my love.

84. I love when Jonathan calls me in the middle of the day, just to say Hi.

85. I love the smell of Coffee, but have never tasted it.

86. I don't miss high school at all, but I long to have some of those college days back.

87. A place for everything, and everything in it's place. This describes me well.

88. I love to make things for my house, and I am pretty good at using up things that I have to make something look new again.

89. I love antiques and old used up furniture. The more beat-up the better.

90. I love a good pork salad from Cafe Rio. It will last me three meals, and sometimes I will eat the leftovers for breakfast.

91. I wish I could fiddle, and would even like to play the electric fiddle.

92. Soft cookies! (need I say more?)

93. I want to take lots of family vacations.

94. I would love to have my own store someday. It would be full of items that creative people came up with out of their own house. A sort of "creative boutique."

95. I didn't like teaching preschool to Jex and his friends. It was too stressful for me.

96. I don't miss cutting hair.

97. I love wearing contacts.

98. I hope my children think I am a wonderful mother, and that they will love me despite my faults.

99. I hope Jonathan and I can always have a strong marriage.

100. I can't believe that I had that much to say about myself!! What kind of self-absorbed person am I?

I encourage everyone to try this. It really helps you think about the person that you are. It made me think about things that I do everyday, and never realize. It was really FUN!!

A New Tag

I was Tagged by my friend Calli, and I had to call her to figure out just how to do this. So this is how it works, you google your answer to the questions, and then post the picture that comes up.

Here is what I came up with:


Favorite Food: Pancakes(best from IHOP) I like any kind, but I really love buttermilk syrup.
I can eat pancakes for any meal.




What is your age: I am happy to say that I am 29. I will not be so happy to say 30 in a few more months. AHHH!! This picture came up, and I thought I would love to spend my 30th birthday here.




What is your middle name? I actually don't have one. But Stella says that I can just use hers.



What is your college Major? I majored in Public Relations. It was pretty interesting. I really enjoyed it, but then I decided to go to beauty school.



Favorite Vacation: I have to say that my favorite vacation was the island of St. Kitts. It was such a nice relaxing getaway, and I reflect on it often. This is actually a picture of the hotel that we stayed at.



Bad Habit: I try to do too many things at once, and I get in over my head. I am determined, so I always get them done, but not without a lot of anxiety. This comic describes me so well. I am a master at multi-tasking.




Pets Name: Jonathan and I have never actually had a pet. The last pet that was sort of part of my family was my parents cat named Noah.



Place you would like to visit: I would love to go back to Saba. We have so many wonderful memories there. I want to go back, and just live the simple life.



Place we live now: Because my blog isn't on a private setting, I am not going to post that. I thought this picture was a good "private setting."



Place you would like to live: Our new House. I can't wait, and I am ready to move in. I just wish it was here with all my friends, and that we were closer to our family. I guess you can't have it all.



I tag: Everyone who needs to learn how to add an outside image like I did. I am kind of slow at the computer, but I am getting better with all this digital scrapbooking. Hey, I learned something new tonight.

A better day...

Not that all of my days the last 6 months have been unbearable, but I noticed a change in my attitude today. It was all because of the WEATHER!! I turned the air conditioning on in the car today, and I couldn't help but smile. Warmth makes me HAPPY!! I am so done with this cold weather. Unfortunaltely this weekend is going to be rainy and cold. I guess I will go back to being GRUMPY again. I am glad that summer is right around the corner. I only wish we had a better spring.

Grandparents... these are for you!

The next three posts are video of each one of the children. I thought the grandparents would enjoy seeing the latest and greatest with the kiddos. Anyone else who is interested, feel free to watch. They are really adorable, but I am pretty partial.

Our BIG(I had to put big, because he reminds me every day that he is a big boy) Tumbler

Last summer, we signed the kids up for Gymnastics. It was only a four week session. They loved it so much that we decided to do it again this spring. This time it is for nine weeks. They have already done three weeks. I am so glad we were able to do this again. It really has improved their coordination, and listening skills. After Gymnastics last time, they both started skipping (which I just found out is a kindergarten skill, and is supposed to help with reading) Who knew?

Jex is doing great at gymnastics. He is really good at picking up the new tasks. This last time he told me that sometimes it hurts him to go around the bar. He then said, "I don't care though, I am going to be tough." "I want to practice and get good." It is so fun to watch him in a class setting.

Our little Gymnast

Here is Stella's gymnastics debut. She is so cute, and really quite good. She follows instructions, and listens well. She is getting really good with coordination, and gets better every week. The important part is that she loves it. I am glad we were able to do this.

Our Little Bear

Isaac is learning so many new things everyday. His most recent, he picked up from Jex. Jex is all the time growling at Isaac, and know Isaac can growl back. Just thought you might get a kick out of hearing him. He can also tell me No. He is way to little to be starting that.

Blog Imposter

I woke up this morning to find someone posting on my blog, and the worst part is they are pretending to be me.

The post below... "He's so dreamy" was not posted by me. The suspect is still at large. He is a white male, approximately 30 years of age, with light hair and green eyes. Alias: JB, Johnny Boy, and Sweetie.

Once found, charges will be as follows: one week without a hot meal, laundry duty, and a massage (paid in full to the victim).

The culprit will also be resposible for posting with their own name from now on.

Jonathan... I still tag you!!
I love you. Thanks for making me laugh every day.

He's so dreamy...

It just occurred to me tonight that I spend a lot of time posting about my kids, and an equal amount of time "gettin' my scrap on"... you know... the hip new way of digital scrapbooking. In doing both of those things, I just realized that there is one member of our family that often gets the short end of the stick in the "attention" department... my sweet hubby. So tonight I'm going to compose my "ode to Jonathan" as my attempt to give him some digital attention. I'll start by sharing my top 8 list of things I adore about him: (I know, 8 is a weird number... but I don't think I can come up with 10)

1. I love how he asks me to hold the wheel when we're driving so he can scratch two places at the same time.
2. I love how he tries to sneak out of the shower without me knowing so I won't corner him with the tweezers and start picking at his back.
3. I love how he occasionally buys me a new pair of fitted jeans because he thinks I've got a nice can.
4. I love how he makes me chew my calcium supplement each day because he doesn't want me to break all my bones as an old lady.
5. I love how he chooses to watch HGTV when we're sitting on the couch together. You know that intense look in a deer's eyes when they are staring into the headlights? That's how his eyes are, so I know he's really focused on the show.
6. I love how he frequently does our grocery shopping by himself at night, and how he always buys me a pack of Oreo Double Stuff's because he says it will take double the effort to stuff myself into the new jeans he just bought me.
7. I love how he frequently does our laundry and how he lifts up his shirt and scrubs my clothes on his "washboard abs" because he wants my clothes to get really, really clean.
8. I love how he always lets me know when we are passing a smelly dairy farm. He must have really good eyes because I've never seen no dairy farm!

I love you sweetie!

I Tag...

Jonathan!! It is your turn to post on OUR blog!!
I love you!!
Andrea

Our first home!!

View Album

Get your own

Everyone has been asking to see pictures of our new place. Here they are. We are just finishing with all of the contract signing, and we will close the middle of May. We hope to move soon after. I am just beside myself with excitment. It is such a great home, in a wonderful location.

House Hunt

Jonathan and I took this weekend to make a visit to Arkansas. We have such wonderful friends and neighbors, and we were able to leave the older kids with them. It is so nice to have such amazing friends to rely on. It is hard when we are away from family, and such a comfort to know that our friends are our family in Kansas. We got a lot done this weekend. It feels so good to have those things crossed off the list. We met with two great real estate agents. We couldn't have asked for two cuter women. They treated us like their own children, and helped us make some wonderful decisions. I have decided to call them the agents with "attention to detail." They picked up on things that I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to notice. It really helped.

Jonathan and I spent the first day scouting out neighborhoods and window peeking. On our search we looked at homes that the agents had sent to us to look at through email. We wanted to check out a neighborhood that had many of the listings. When we got there, we knew immediately that we wanted to live there. Jonathan picked right up on this adorable house. We both new that we wanted to look at it.

The next day, while with the agents, we were able to get inside these homes. We fell in love with the home that Jonathan had his sights on. It is amazing. We are hoping that we will be able to secure it. There are so many steps to take. Who new there would be so many I's to dot and T's to cross. I am grateful for agents, their knowledge, and all their hardwork. It is fun for the two of us to be pursuing this next step. I loved how excited Jonathan got about all of the things he wanted to do the yard, and the extra upgrades. What a fun step in our journey. It may or may not work out with this house, but I had an enjoyable day. It was so fun to think about all of our hard work, and all the change we have gone through in the last five years. This is just another change, and we just hope to be spending the next part of our life in this great new home.

What's in my Purse?

My Friend Amber tagged anyone who needed to clean out their purse. I fit that description, and thought this was kind of fun.

From Left to Right:

Lipgloss: I never leave home without it. When I have puke on my clothes from the baby, and ratty hair from running my kids around, I always turn to the lip gloss. It can make anyone feel better.

Sunglasses: Now that I wear contacts, I can't stand the sun. This is my third pair in two months. Stella loves to try them on and then break them.

Hand Sanitizer: Can you say germ freak? I fit in that category.

Cell Phone: which is a miracle it still works. I drop it almost everyday.

Check book: Checks aren't of much use anymore, but I just can't get out of the habit. I need it just in case, and yes it has come in handy.

100 calorie pack, slimfast bar, and goldfish crackers: A treat from me, and a treat for the little ones.

Wallet: Whoever invented the wallet needs some recognition here. I love just how many important things in my life it holds, and protects for me.

Changing Pad: Once again can you say germ freak. The doctor commented that he had never had anyone use a changing pad on the doctor's table before. I said, "that is why I use it."

Baby Spoon: This is something that I always use. With Isaac being number three, he needs to eat on the run.

Wipies, Diapers, Diaper cream, and notice the purse is not some fancy thing: It is a diaper bag. I am in that stage of my life. I need everything to be functional. Need I say more?

Burp Cloth: Isaac spits up more then any child I know.

Dental Floss: There is nothing more annoying then having something stuck in your teeth, and not being able to remove it.

Gum: My favorite, light blue extra. Jonathan doesn't prefer this kind. It stays in my bag, just for me.

The essential ziplock bag: With a new outfit for Isaac, and underwear for the other two. Just in case we have a blowout or an accident. The ziplock bag comes in handy to put the mess in.(does it seem like my bag is full of poop proof, and puke proof items)(what kind of life do I live?)

Water Bottle, and K20 protien water drop in: I love these things. They flavor up the water, and because of the added protien they help me feel full.

Well there is some insight in to my life. This bag goes everywhere I do. It has been wonderful with the three kids, and I have to thank the girls who bought it for me. Thanks girls.

I am excited to start carrying a nice purse again. There is a season for everything.

I tag anyone who fits the description of messy purse.