Holy Cannoli!

Anybody watch "Cake Boss" on TLC, anybody? Nobody? Nope? Okay, I guess you missed out on the giant cannoli he made . . . but that's besides the point.

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (LAST SUNDAY)!!!! I spent it in Springville with my whole family - it was a great time!

Second, Jason started his new job on Monday - I can already tell commuting would not be an option for our family. One week and I'm already going crazy!

Third, Mr. Cole decided he would start walking last week (but still mostly crawls - his balance still isn't great)!

Forth - My house is officially up for rent . . .

Fifth - Alex lost another tooth.

Sixth - I lost my wedding ring :( (somewhere in my house most likely)

Seventh - I finally read blogs for the first time in weeks!

Eighth - My DVR has 1% left and I have MANY-a-shows to watch in my "spare time" - ha!

Ninth - Rachel is asleep under the desk, Alex finally fell asleep in my bed (after going on and on about how a robber was going to break into our house and shoot him in the head, and how we really need to get a security system . . . ), Cole keeps on waking up and thankfully I'm still awake because his room is painfully far down the hall when I'm asleep and have to drudge my way to see what's wrong - and I'm not the least bit tired but should probably go to bed because it's 12:35 . . .

My life is a whirlwind right now so I may not post or check your blog for a while, but just know that I love you all and will be back in touch when my life settles down. Until then . . .

Ah, where to begin?

I don't even know where to begin. My summer has been anything but ordinary. It began with the bad news that Jason lost his job a month ago. Since then we have been on 2 camping trips in our new motorhome - purchased before he lost his job thank you very much! - (we were actually on one when we found out about his job), a trip to Salt Lake, I stayed home with the 3 chillins while Jason took another trip up to Salt Lake, and I've been working like a mad woman. Throw in a boating trip and about 50 loads of laundry and that pretty much sums it up. My head is spinning!!!!!

To add to the whirlwind, Jason accepted a job in Salt Lake this week and will be starting on Monday. Yikes! We have no idea what-in-the-crap we are doing! I REALLY REALLY REALLY don't like the idea of him commuting. I think it would be bad for our marriage and my own personal mental health. I'm not ready to quit my job (especially considering that they aren't hiring in Salt Lake - Labor and Delivery right now) or walk away from my house. And, school starts soon. It's gonna be a mess until we figure things out, no doubt about it!

So, if you or someone you know needs/wants a house in Santa Clara (the best neighborhood in town!) 4 bed 2.5 bath . . . it's for Sale/Rent.

What I've Learned

We went "up north" last weekend as a family and I learned quite a few things during my stay there. I thought I would enlighten you with my new knowledge:


1. My sweet, cute, lovable, squeezable baby has turned from . . .

into . . . He has the most high-pitched, ear piercing, drive you crazy, embarrass you in public - SCREAM that surfaces every few minutes whether he's happy, mad, or otherwise. Jason and I solved this problem by listening to our ipods while in the car but the rest of the time we experienced severe ear damage. Oh, just another thing to correct . . .

2. A shopping trip to the new Harmon's in Draper on a Saturday can be considered "An Event" - as described by one of Jessica's neighbors that I ran into there. Okay, my Albies doesn't sample tomatoes with fresh mozarella cheese and fresh basil . . . EVER! It was DELUXE! I also realized that "normal" people spend a lot of money on groceries. I was shocked and flabbergasted at the amount of money my friends spent on groceries (they need to be schooled in couponing).

3. REAL games are FUN - for real! I've never been to a professional soccer game before so I didn't know what to expect, but it was so fun! "Flag Man" was a few seats away from us and we got to watch is big beer belly dancing around, waving his flags with his mismatched outfit topped off with black socks and house slippers! Okay, so JoRae and I probably looked a little silly too with our matching t-shirts, but what can I say?

4. You can purchase a Gender Prediction Test for $30 at Walgreens (one of my favorite stores!) and know the sex of your baby at around 10 weeks. Not for me of course, for Jessica. I guess we'll just have to see if it was right in about 7 weeks! (I hope for Mallory's sake it was wrong)

5. My BFF's will always be my BFF's no matter what happens in life (okay, this isn't new knowledge but I had to put it).

6. After having a vacation with the family, I need a mommy vacation. No kids, please!

For Sale

Baby stuff for sale! Since we don't have plans for anymore kids and have NO storage in our house, it's for sale. I only know of one person who is pregnant with their first baby so, if you know of anyone pass it along. I haven't really priced things out yet, but if you're interested call me and we can figure out a price.

One last thing, Jason lost his job last week and we will probably be disconnecting our home phone to cut some costs. So, let me know if you need my cell number (I don't really want to post it online).

This bassinet is one of my very favorite baby items. The side flaps down and it attaches to your bed! Hello . . . if you're lazy like me it's the best because you don't have to get out of bed at night!

I kid you not . . .

I got off work this morning at 6 am and decided to hit the local Walgreen's on my way home to get my 6 bottles of

for $2 total, not per bottle (say what? Couponing people.) Okay, I'm getting off track here. I was astonished when I ran into this character:



So, her name wasn't Penelope and she wasn't quite as attractive, but she talked the EXACT same way. It kinda brightened my day (after being awake for 24 hours it doesn't take much). I urge you to visit the 24 hour Walgreen's on the Blvd around 6:15 am and see what I mean.

I guess they really DO mean it!

I can't tell you how many times I've told Jason to buckle up. Come on now, we've got kids, we need to set a good example (plus I kinda like having him alive). Well, this should help my cause. He got pulled over and ticketed on Saturday solely for not having his seat beat on. It kinda irritates me that he's never had a speeding ticket in his life, but he gets weird, random tickets like this (also tint too dark, and too big of tires w/o mudflaps). Oh well . . . just watch out and buckle up or you may be next.

My Baby Cole Turns 1!

Yesterday, May 27th, was Cole's 1st birthday. It was such a bitter-sweet day. I am excited for Cole to grow and learn new things, to interact with his brother and sister, but it also makes me sad. Since he is most likely my last baby, I won't have those afternoons of a newborn sleeping on my chest, little fingers grabbing without control to my face, that newborn smell, sweet innocent gazes, and little squeaks . . .

2 of the worst nights in the history of nights - it seems just like yesterday!

A year later - he is such a joy to have around! He is Mr. Discovery. He gets into anything and everything he can - and thinks he's funny when he knows he's being naughty. His little pointer finger is going constantly. He points to where he wants to go, what he wants to play with, who he wants to go to, what he wants to eat, etc. He absolutely loves his daddy - he lights up when Jason walks into the room (and I can see the joy on Jason's face too). He isn't walking yet, but gets around pretty dang fast. Oh, I just love him!

Of course, I have to post about his party. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not crafty. So, when I do something semi-crafty and it turns out, I just have to brag. I don't know if it was denial that my baby was turning one or just plain laziness, but I didn't start planning this party until the day before. I need to give Target and Dollar Tree credit for a lot of this . . . if only I had an unlimited budget!

Little Baby Monkey Cake - Hand decorated with Love

So, I spend all this time making these and don't even fix them on the tray to look nice. What's up with that? These were a hit with the cousins!

I was lovin' that the party was at a park for the mess factor, but it made it difficult to decorate with the wind blowing around. It was cuter in my head.
Cole's thinking, "Um, what's going on here? Why are people singing to me and staring at me? Weird people!"
Alex and Rachel were more excited about the toys than Cole was!
Thanks Albies for this free cake - gotta have the traditional cake dive!

This whole thing is for me, SERIOUSLY???
Thanks Nana Ann and Papa Joe for the new tub toys, I really needed a bath after diving into that cake!

Happy Birthday Fella! We Love You!!!!!!!!!!!