Journaling

Whoa, it's been a while!  I forget how little time I have to spend on things like my blog. It's even worse when the computer is being finicky.  To sum things up (I'm sure this will still be long winded :) ), a few months ago as I was closing up my computer, out popped a bunch of smutty pictures!  I was SHOCKED to say the least.  It really bothered me and I couldn't even go to bed that night without trying to fix the problem.  A little while before that, I had had some strange garbage popping up on my facebook page, and I was able to resolve that problem, so I thought maybe I could fix the problem that had cause the recent trash.  So anyway, long story short, I removed flash player somehow, and made my computer unable to download it.  It's ridiculous how many useful websites use flash player and need it in order to work.  Even signing some forms for school (which, don't get me started on how annoying it was to get a small note in the backpacks- along with all the other crap I had to sign- directing me to the school website so that I could "sign" something electronically.  Why on earth could they not just have me sign a piece of paper for it as they have in years past?  it was annoying.)... took too much effort really.  SO anyway.  Luckily I've had my Kindle that worked for some things, and the laptop that Don gave us is FINALLY working normally, but my blog, and a few other areas (like looking at Jack's photoshoot) have been neglected and it's somewhat depressing to me to think of all that I've missed documenting.  But at this point in the hormones, pretty much everything is depressing.  That's just how it is :).  I'm working on it.
SO anyway!!!

Lots of stuff going on here.  I think I will just update on all that I can think of and not try to get it in order.

- I've been loving it when Luke says the prayer lately, because he makes sure to always bless Jack that he will grow up healthy and strong, and that we will be able to have fun with him.  And that he will be happy.  It's THE sweetest thing on the planet.  I LOVE it.  I know I keep saying this, but it's just SO neat to watch the love between my children and for their new little brother.  It's mind-boggling to me how much love you can feel for something so helpless and small.  He can do very little besides his cute little movements, facial expressions, and the occasional toot, and yet everyone has this amazing, unconditional love for him.  Goes to show you that you love who you serve.  That's what we are doing a good 50% of the time, is serving this little guy, and the love just magnifies every time we do.  It's cool that Heavenly Father made us that way.  What better way to create a loving family than through giving them new little members who need constant care.  You have no choice but to love.  I love it.

- We went to Rocket Park Monday night for FHE and the Oaks' showed up shortly after we got there, and "crashed" our family night.  It was SO FUN!  Nate was playing kickball with the kids, and I was sitting on the bleachers feeding Jack, so I got to sit and talk with Suzie.  So fun.  They are the funnest family.  (if funnest was a word... and strangely enough, it's not underlined for spell check??  Strange.)  That was Noah's family night idea, and for some reason, aside from the Oaks' being there, nobody was really getting along and having fun.  I'm not sure why.  Coulda been the mosquitoes, could have been the temperature (it was a little cold), but for whatever reason, things were not real cheerful when we got in the car especially.  I had to have a little talk with the kids while Nate was in the store getting apples for our apples and apple dip treat.  It's tough when FHE doesn't go smoothly.  Makes me feel bad that we missed out on that moment.  But it was a good teaching opportunity and I think some things may have sunk in.  Hopefully things will change a little.

- We stopped doing the whole candy-store-everyday thing and switched to a chart where she has to sleep in her bed for 7 nights and THEN she can go to the candy store.  I think the repetition was necessary in the beginning to get her to sleep in her bed really well, but it was definitely getting a little excessive in the end there :).  She loves her chart and picked out her own stickers, and Nate and I are loving that we don't have to share our bed with her anymore :).  I've ben doing really good with Jack too, with not laying him down next to me like I have with past children.  He's such a good sleeper that he just goes right back to sleep after eating.  It's been really nice to be able to count on good sleep.  Not the all-you-can-eat buffet nursing style.  I'm proud of myself :)

- Jack Jack has been growing so much!  He's getting so big.  It's so crazy to realize how fast they grow!  It's sometimes hard for me when I think about how many kids I have and how these experiences with Jack and his baby-ness could be my last, or at least one of the last.  Makes me sad.  I do love his little sweet cuddly little self. He's so adorable.  And SUCH a good baby.  He's had a little bit of gas, and a little bit of congestion over the last couple weeks here, that have been difficult to remedy, but other than that, I really couldn't complain.  Even those things are fairly normal.  He's a sweetie.  He smiled at me the other night when I was attempting to make him smile, and I am counting it as his first smile, but I haven't been able to duplicate it.  He doesn't really look at YOU when he's looking at you.  I mean, his face is pointed in  your face's direction, but his cute little BLUE eyes are everywhere else.  It's so funny.  We say he's busy.  Busy looking around at everything (probably the angels too :) ).  He does seem kinda "all business" a lot of the time.  And I've been known to say he has an old spirit :).  He seems old.  Older than he should :).  I feel like he knows what's going on for some reason.  Anyway.  He's a sweet little guy and we ALL love him SO MUCH!  I'm really surprised at how much the kids still fight over holding him and want to be around for everything.  Just this morning, Erika was all enthralled in his bath.  She wanted to squirt out the soap, and even helped wash his hair.  It was really adorable if you ask me.  It's been a lot of fun to have a baby in the house again.  Feels like it was meant to be.

- We went up to Sarah's yesterday for a photo shoot for the kids' "school pictures".  Sarah is so awesome to do this for me.  She really saves me a ton.  I think it would be around $80 if I wanted to buy pictures for ALL of my school kids.  It's really nice.  I can't wait to see how they turned out.  She even sacrificed some of her sanity to get a few pictures of all of my kids together.  Those were so fun, the few that we got, I forget how much I love pictures of all my kids together.  I wish they'd been more cooperative and we could have gotten more.  And I also wish I had had better wardrobe selection, but now I'm just getting picky. They will be awesome I'm sure :)

- We had my Dad over for dinner last night.  It was finally our turn to feed him.  We had chopped pizzas, and showed him all our fun tricks, and new wii game.  I think my favorite part though, was watching the kids play the Dance game together.  That was a lot of fun.  They're really cute when they play that.  Especially Lukey :).  Kelly and Charity are really good at it and it's fun to watch their little sister mimic their every move.  She would rather watch them than the game :).  Nate and my Dad talked politics for a while... that's always interesting :).  I just don't fit in those conversations very well.  But it's interesting to hear my Dad's perspective.  I've listened to so many opinions lately, I think the two I respect most would be Lynn's and my Dad's.  It's interesting to think about it all.  I'll be glad when the election is over.  It was fun to have him over though.  I like that we get to spend that time with him.  Whenever we wait a while, Erika has to start over again with getting acquainted.  She's a tough one.

- I know I've taken some pictures lately, but I just don't have the camera here to post them.  I will do that later.

- We went to Heidi's last Saturday.  I needed to give her the cash for the bean bag, and we wanted to show her Jack before he gets any bigger (the last time she saw him was in the hospital!).  She gave him some cute little jammies, and we went to the park for a picnic.  Heidi and John played with the kids, spinning them on the tire swing, and pushing them on the swings.  It was a lot of fun.  I spent most of the time sitting with Jack.  Plus, I think there was something wrong with me that day, when I look back on it, I was kind of out of it.  Maybe it was the long drive and I was just tired.... who knows.  I have had a few really off days, where the pain is unbearable, but I'm so sick of taking Ibuprofen, that I just suffer through it.... kinda stupid, but I'm starting to wonder if I should keep taking the Ibuprofen or if I've had enough.... My body doesn't know my mind is done with it.  But anyway.  We had a lot of fun with Heidi.  Even Erika!  She totally warmed up to Heidi, let her push her on the swing, and held her hand, ran around with her... it was cute.  I was happy to see her being so open.  She isn't usually like that :).  Hopefully we can do it again soon.

- Friday, the 21st we went up to West Jordan for Nate's cousin, Melanie's wedding reception.  This was a really exciting wedding.  She's waited a long time to find her man, so it was especially fun to see her with him and see her so happy.  She deserves it!  It was a lot of fun to sit and chat with Nate's cousins.  He has such awesome family.  I feel just as good with them as I do with my own cousins.  That's saying a lot.  It was fun to show off our cute litte Jack Jack too.  Good times.  After the reception we met up with Nate's family at Leatherby's for Jen's birthday.  that was a lot of fun too.  I was so relieved that Nate was able to get work off and be there.  I don't think I would have made it otherwise.  Me and 6 kids with a newborn and ice cream... don't mix.  It ended up being a really fun evening.

- I've started back up on making dinner.  I know this sounds horrible, but I have to document it.  Nate has made dinner MOST nights for the past... gosh, it's really been so long, I'm not sure I want to admit it... probably at least 6 months.  Something happened to me during the pregnancy and all things responsible, just flew out the window.  I struggled a lot for some reason.  Looking back, I'm not sure what it was, and I wonder how bad it was... already forgotten I guess.  But anyway.  I made a two ween menu, we bought only what we needed for the menu, and it's all homemade meals that we've been depriving ourselves of for the last little while.  It's a very good thing.  And Nate really likes it too :) go figure.  I have the best husband on the planet.  I don't think anyone could even imagine all that Nate does for us.  He really is my hero.  Tangy Meatballs here we come! :)

- We've been on a few walks around the neighborhood, Nate and the littles and I.  It's been good for me, I think, but it still seems to take a lot out of me.  I need to get out though, and if walking is the only kind of exercise I'm allowed, then that's what I need to do!  Glad Nate gets me out there.

- Yesterday, Nate and I were kind of fed up with the kids' rooms and I was just feeling like there isn't enough time in the afternoons/evenings to make them deep clean them.  And Saturdays are kind of out for the time being, with Nate gone and me nursing a newborn.... excuses I'm sure :) but anyway!  We wanted to do something nice for the kids and thought we'd surprise them with clean rooms when they got home from school.  Took us a good 4 hours to deep clean both bedrooms, and the pile of dirty clothes that now fills the laundry room will not be done for weeks, but it was all worth it when they came home!  Big smiles, laughing, cheerfulness with the little siblings, Thank you hugs! Felt like Christmas :).  Who knew they would appreciate it so much.  They really were grateful.  Kelly kept saying, "I was about to go in my room and I was all bummed because I was thinking it was messy, and then I got in there, and I was like, OH YEAH! because I remembered you cleaned it!  Thank you so so so so much!"  Sweet girl.  They all were really sweet.  It was a lot of fun.  We might have to do things like that more often.  I get caught up in rewarding them (or just serving them, in this case) with things that are activities, outings, treats.... I forget that something as simple as a clean room can mean a lot to even little kids.  Felt good.

So that's all I can think of right now, and it's time to go make lunch, so maybe I'll add to it later... we'll see :)