Chefs, Park, and Progress

I couldn't think of a catchy title to capture the eclectic post I am writing.  I could have titled it "Last Week", but that was lame.  

Remember the post where I bragged about Makala's many skills?  Here is just a taste of the many things she can do.  She gave Kyra and me (and just sent me one for the new baby!) matching half-aprons that are ADORABLE. 

 

This photo is courtesy of Hayden

 My mom gave Hayden an apron and Taneil's mother-in-law Chris made us this chef's hat a couple of Christmases ago.  We were making pizza together.

 We went to the park just outside the aquatic center this last week with my friend Sarah and her two girls.  Hayden and Addie play SO WELL together.  I love it.  We were at the park for 3 1/2 hours, the kids were having such a good time!  Here are Kyra and Aislie on the swings--made for 2-5 year olds, which is why you can hardly see their heads.

 I had to add this picture because it looks like I did Kyra's hair all cute, but in reality it is morning hair.  I can't get it to look like that when I try.  My baby is getting so big!  Everyone we see keeps telling me how she is losing her cheeks.  Sad day for me. :(

Hayden is WAY into building with Legos right now.  I love it.  He will sit quietly and build for hours.  I'm not kidding.  MY 3 1/2 year old.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the plane he made the other day.  I thought, "You are 3, you shouldn't be able to build that."  It was so cool.  Some recent 'quick' creations:

 And...look how far we've come!!!!!!!! 

The day we moved in

Now

The railroad ties are where the play set will go--when we eventually get one.  The garden will be just past that, the raspberry rows will line the back of the lot, and the fruit trees will line the right fence.  Still haven't decided what to do with the strawberries and blueberries, but we have to decide soon because they come next week!!  Sprinklers go in this weekend.

Time Out for Women

On Friday I left both of my children in the care of their wonderful daddy and went to Spokane for Time Out for Women with the Wells women.  The 5 sisters, Mama Tyra, myself, and Kase's wife Brielle were there...ALL of the current women in the Wells family (there is room for one more when Vard gets married).  My mother, 2 of my 4 sisters, and 2 of 4 sisters-in-law were there as well, but I committed to go with the Wells women first and I didn't want to be the only girl in the family not there!  I had never been to Time Out for Women before, and it was amazing.  It was just the renewal I needed to help me in my responsibilities as a wife and mother.  The theme was "Seek the Good."  I could write a whole book about different things I took from each speaker, but now I don't have the time (or energy).  It just feels good to be rejuvenated to roll up my sleeves and keep doing what I am supposed to be doing. 

We didn't get home until 11 PM Saturday night.  Dax has never been alone with the kids overnight, so I was interested to see how everything would go.  From the sound of it all 3 of them had a great time, and it went more smoothly than it could have gone had I been the one home alone!  Thanks Dax for letting me "take the weekend off" and have a good time with the girls!

L-R:  Me, Makala, Taneil, Laryn, Haley (and baby Britlan), Blaire, Brielle, and Mom

With our Time Out for Women bags

Shopping (someday I'll actually be brave enough to buy a big sun hat)

Out to dinner at Twigs

Heaven is Here

I have a new favorite book.  Well, I can't really say I had one before (unless you count the scriptures, but aside from that), but I have one now.  HEAVEN IS HERE by Stephanie Nielsen.  Her story is incredible; SHE is incredible.  I admire her for so many reasons.  Dax is probably sick of hearing about her.  He asked me the other day what it is that draws me to her.  I told him her example just makes me want to be better at everything important in life.  I admire her relationship with her husband and her children.  I admire her attitude despite all of her adversity, and her desire to share that hope and faith with others.  I think the most unexpected thing that draws me to her after reading her book is how much I can see myself in her.  Obviously I haven't been through any kind of life changing experience that nearly took me from this Earth; I am talking about similarities like:  getting married young, wanting a big family, natural childbirth, an amazing and intimate relationship with my spouse, etc.  When she was afraid of dying when she went in for a surgery and told her husband, "Just so you know, if you get married again I will haunt your 2nd wife" I laughed so hard...because I would say the exact same thing to Dax.  The thing I want to change after reading Stephanie's book is to let myself be comfortable in my own skin.  She has always had her own style and her own way of going about things, regardless of what other people thought.  I am usually too afraid to do some of the things that I want to because I care too much about what people will think. 

Bottom line, if you need a phenomenal book, and a renewal of what is important in life--and to shed more than a few tears--AND to laugh so hard your side hurts, read this book.  Every second is worth it.

THEN and NOW

Painting my toenails for the first time in 4 months made me think of my before-baby life.

Then:  toenails were always painted, except on the rare day I gave them some sunlight.  Feet and hands were pumiced and lotioned and soft.  Now:  toenails are painted once every 5-6 months, and my feet are calloused and dry.

Then:  I showered every day.  Even if I didn't wash my hair everyday, my body got a shower.  Now:  My body and my hair get washed every two days...sometimes three.

Then:  I applied lotion every time I showered.  Now:  My body gets lotion when I finally notice how dry it is because it starts to crack or itch.

Then:  I took the time to do my hair nicely on most days of the week.  Now:  My hair gets done when there is an outing to go to, and sometimes even then it is a ponytail.

Then:  I semi-regularly updated my wardrobe.  Now:  I haven't updated my closet since I can't remember when (unless you count switching out regular clothes for maternity clothes...)

Moral of my life assessment pre-baby and post-baby?  I need to do something with myself!  If for no other reason than for Dax.  Yes, it will never be the same as it was before I had kids...my priorities are different and thus my time is devoted to other things.    However, imagine being a married man and after you have kids your wife stops taking the time to look good for you.  I know how I would feel if Dax gained 50 lbs, never dressed up and occasionally showered and shaved.  JIPPED! 

This is the part where I commit to change.  Even if I don't shower every day, I need to take 10 minutes and get dressed, wash my face, and put some mascara and concealer on.  Maybe it won't happen every day...some days are just crazy.  However, it should happen most days.  There is something to be said for doing something with your appearance.  Even doing a few small things with myself completely changes my confidence and self-esteem.  I know resolutions are normally made in January, but better late than never.  Here's to a Jennifer who looks put together on "regular days."

Easter

Although we were sick the days leading up to Easter we still tried to do a few fun things with the kids.  Hayden and I dyed eggs while Kyra was sleeping in one morning.  He had a good time, and it was fun that he had the coordination to carefully put the eggs in by himself.

Kyra was the sickest of us all on Saturday(woke up with a fever of 102), but we gave her some Tylenol and let the kids have an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.  My Mom did an Easter egg hunt for the grandchildren at her house the same day, but we had to miss it because the kids were sick.  I'm sure my Mom put better candy in her eggs than I did, but luckily the kids are young enough that they haven't developed a taste for more expensive candy.  Half our eggs contained jelly beans and half the eggs contained pennies. 

Granpda Jensen was also over early Saturday morning to thatch and mow our lawn.  If we had borrowed his thatcher and done it all ourselves it would have taken us all day to do what he and Dax did in just a couple of hours.  The yard looks so much better already!

Dax said it was high time Hayden start wearing a button up white shirt and tie to church.  Personally I love the look of a white cotton shirt under a sweater vest on little boys.  Hayden has 3 of them. :)  Nonetheless, the Easter bunny brought Hayden a white shirt and tie, and Kyra a fun spring dress.  Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of them in their new clothes...next time I guess.

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  To know that He lives and has overcome death brings peace and joy to our family's life in such a troubled world.  Want to know more?  Click HERE.

Library "Fun"

Today I had to run errands, so I told Hayden we could return library books and borrow more.  I love the weekly library experience for kids, but with my kids being the ages they are, and as active as they are, I still cringe a little bit when I think about taking them to a place like the library.  Especially our library.  NO carpet anywhere, only linoleum floors.  The first part of our trip seemed successful.  We returned and found new books relatively unscathed.  Then, in the middle of the check out process it dawns on me:  I LOCKED MY KEYS IN MY CAR.

Under normal circumstances this would be a minor set back, as I know enough people that I could call to come and rescue us and take me out to Dax's work to go pick up his key to the car.  The catch:  TODAY I HAVE NO PHONE.  I ran ours through the washer over the weekend, and in fact my other errands had been to go to Wal-mart to get a go-phone and to the AT&T store to get a new sim card(which they don't charge for, luckily).  My new sim card wasn't even activated yet, so I couldn't use it, and it was locked in the car, AND it would have had no numbers in it if it had worked anyway.  But at least I wouldn't have had to ask the library to borrow their phone.

Luckily for me I had Dax's work number memorized, so I called him using the library's phone.  No answer.  I had to leave a message and pray he would get it soon.  An hour is spent between story time(a story on its own), letting Hayden use my 30 allotted minutes on the internet playing on PBS kids, and reading to the kids.  My kids will normally sit and beg me to read to them for 30 minutes or more.  Take away soft chairs (they only have "school style" at our library), and a quiet setting and they didn't even last one book. 

I try Dax again, with no luck.  He can't even call me back to tell me he got my message and is on the way, so I just keep hoping he will walk in any minute.  The next 45 minutes are spent trying to contain my kids and keep myself from crying.  The moment Dax walked in the door all of my pent up emotions surged to the surface.  I managed to hold it in until we were at least outside the library doors.  Dax was so patient and told me not to worry about it, and that it wasn't a big deal. 

When the ordeal was over and I emailed my Mom to activate the new sim card (I am on my parent's plan) she emailed back and said, "Sounds like if you didn't have bad luck you would have no luck at all.  You will look back on this day and laugh."  I love how my Mom just takes things in stride.  I am just glad this happened while I am still pregnant and not when I have a nursing baby who wants to eat all the time. :)

I came home and neglected everything else I wanted to get done in the afternoon.  I took a nap.

Jinxed

We are starting to feel jinxed around here.  The washer went out last week.  The freezer in the garage went out 3 days ago.  The computer is hanging on by a thread (has no sound, and the power cord is getting temperamental).  The computer is 7 1/2 years old, which is forever in laptop years, but it has been good to us, until our kids haven't been good to it.  We are on the hunt for a bed, and with sprinklers and grass being put in within the month Dax is wondering if I think money grows on trees.  :)  When I told my Mom all of this she said, "Welcome to real life."  Only my Mom would give me the "suck it up and deal with it" line.  I love her honesty.

Besides all of that, and Hayden and I being a little sick, we are doing well.  I love that there were so many talks on parenting and raising children during conference.  After conference weekend I feel a renewed strength to be more tender with my children, more sensitive to Dax's needs, and more firm in my resolve to follow the promptings of the Spirit.

We are hoping for some good weather all week so that we can make some major progress in the backyard.  It is finally starting to feel like spring around here!!

Block Party

Hayden is nearly always asking Dax or me to build him something out of paper.  A cape, a spider web, a gun, a dinosaur, a rope swing...the list could go on.  The other day he finally asked me to make him a four-wheeler out of paper.  I told him paper has its limits, but he just couldn't get the idea of having a four-wheeler out of his head.  We were playing with mega blocks when the idea hit him again.

First he wanted a tower so big that he and Kyra could fit inside.  It took every single block we had, but we finally got one big enough.

As soon as we had taken pictures he was ready to knock the tower down to make that four-wheeler that he had been aching for.  We did the best we could, and luckily it was sturdy enough to sit on for a minute or two.  As soon as we took pictures he wanted me to make a trailer for the four-wheeler.  I told him we didn't have enough blocks, so he tried to make one on his own.  Thank goodness, because by this time I had been building with blocks for an hour and a half!