A Long Awaited Visit

My younger sister, Mindy, told me just last week that she and her entire family are planning on coming down here for Halloween since they found a killer deal on airline tickets for all of them. I am so excited to see her as it has been over a year now that I last saw her. I haven't seen my b-i-l and her 3 older kids since last July 4th. I saw Mindy and Mylie last August when my niece got baptized. Since then, nothing! We talk on the phone weekly, sometimes daily, but it's just not the same. She hasn't met Howie and I need to see Mylie again. I can hardly wait for Halloween to roll around. I promise we'll get back up to Idaho next year - this year was complicated with the arrival of Howie. A year's hiatus and we'll be back. Until then, Halloween this year will be highly anticipated.

California or Bust

This past weekend Adam and I took the kids to California to visit with my parents. We left Wednesday night to drive over. The kids did really well in the car - thanks, in part, to me not letting them take a nap before we left. We left about 3:30 and by 4:30, or just on the outskirts of town, they fell asleep in the car - ALL OF THEM! They woke up about 35 minutes before stopping in Blythe. They ate their dinner in the car (I refuse to buy them anything to eat because all they want to do is play when we stop. I'll pack their dinner and they can eat in car.) and then played and slid down the slide at Carl's Jr.

We arrived at my parents' house about 10:15. We got their beds ready and off to dreamland they went. We didn't do much on Thursday because my parents had a brand spanking new a/c and furnace put in. Their a/c went out about 2 years ago and 10 years ago they were told they should look into getting a new furnace. The furnace has worked all of these years and they finally were able to get a new a/c unit. I was in heaven - it was soooo hot and humid while we were there. While Adam ran around town with 1 kid or the other, I managed to clean out my mom's kitchen pantry. I was in serious and desperate need of a cleaning and organization.

Friday, Adam took Caroline and Owen down to the beach. I relaxed in the cool a/c with Howie. We had planned for all of us to go to the beach but when we couldn't find a beach umbrella and I didn't want to put sunscreen on Howie's skin yet, the better option was just for us to remain at home. The kids and Adam had a great time.

Saturday was met with even more relaxation. My dad treated all of us to breakfast and then my mom treated me to a pedicure. I was so in heaven. I'm pretty sure after I got home from my pedicure I even took a nap. Now that's how to spend a Saturday! My brother and his family came over for dinner that night. We caught up with them (hope Kristen is feeling better) and the kids ran and played outside and ate their popsicles.

We drove back yesterday and all of the kids did fabulously in the car- again. Howie slept for the first 3 1/2 hours in the car. He got a little fussy towards the end of the drive, but even I was getting antsy to get out of the car. The other 2 just sat and watched movies the whole way home. They were quite, didn't ask for much except to have their movie changed out. It was an easy shmeasy drive.

I am so grateful that I have parents who want us to come visit them. I am even more grateful for a husband and kids who WANT to go visit my parents. We always have such a great time when we are together. My mom and Adam tease one another and it's fun to see them banter back and forth and watch as one tries to out do the other. I miss them when I'm not around my parents but always, always, always look forward to the next visit.

(As soon as I get the pictures off the camera I'll post them of the kids at the beach).

Potty Talk

About 5 weeks ago I had had it with changing Owen's diaper and decided right then that he was going to start potty training. He's 3 1/2 and totally understands the concept of needing to go when he has the urge. So, over the 4th of July weekend we started this adventure of potty training. There were several accidents and wet pairs of diapers for the first 3 days. Then, I decided that I was done cleaning wet underwear and he was going naked from the waist down. He knew that he wasn't allowed to pee on the carpet or floor. After several false alarms of running to the toilet, he finally had a successful moment. That was it! From that point on he has been using the toilet and I couldn't be happier. I am happy to say that he is 90% of the way there. Now we just need to keep him on the right track with pooping on the potty after his more than successful day yesterday of popping on the potty.

Caroline is very interested in the potty too. In fact, she will go almost on command but is still attached to her diaper - for the moment. I will work on her once we get back from our trip in October. I can hardly wait to go from 3 in diapers to just my baby in diapers. That will be a day I will celebrate with glee!

It's a Dash For the Finish

This year I am trying something I have never done before, nor did I think I would ever do. I am doing a sprint triathlon in the city of Casa Grande. This sprint triathlon consists of a 400m swim, 10 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. I'm terrified of the swim portion - having been a self-taught swimmer. I've never been on a bike for 10 miles and am starting to wonder if my bum is going to be able to handle that distance on a teeny tiny seat. The one leg I'm not worried about one bit is the run. I love to run. Running for me is like escaping to a different world. I get in my own breathing pattern and my thoughts just wander to a place that is all my own. It's so freeing for me. I figure I have nothing to lose but a few more pounds and inches right?! What can this hurt - NOTHING!

Adam is more than supportive of me and thinks I could do it now if I wanted to. I don't think he realizes just how out of shape I am, especially being 3 months post partum and having to lose all of that weight on top of getting back into shape. But, I love how he thinks I can do it. I've got 11 weeks of training to do and it feels so good to be extremely physically active again. I must admit that my inner competitor is coming back out and I love it!

I'll keep the blog up to date on my training (maybe and hopefully) which will also help me track my progress. I've been doing double workouts (a.m. and then p.m. in the same day) and then doing them back-to-back (double workouts several days in a row). I did my first "brick" (2 or 3 of the events in the same workout) on Monday night. Right now, my rest days are Sunday and Tuesday.

Off to the gym to do more running! Yippeeeeee!

I Need Some Privacy Please!

So I've decided to go ahead and make the blog private. If you would like to have access to this and be able to continue to read and see the pictures, please leave me your e-mail address in a comment and I'll add you to the list.

Comparing the Two

Adam and I recently moved the kids around to their respective bedrooms. Owen is now up in the front bedroom (which will continue to serve as the guest bedroom), Caroline is now is what use to be Owen's bedroom and Howie is FINALLY in his crib. The best part about doing all this work is it's done. We don't ever have to move kids around again. Howie will move into Owen's room when he's out of the crib. No big deal. Owen can hardly wait for that day.

Anywho. As I was cleaning out the guest room to make way for all of Owen's stuff, I found a journal I started for Owen. In there were his 2 month stats. At two months, Owen weighed 12 lbs. 11 oz and 23 1/2" long. I took Howie to the doctor about 10 days ago for his two month appointment. Howie's stats at 2 months are 13 lbs. 6 oz and 24" long. I thought Owen was a big boy and he certainly is a big kid for 3 1/2 years old. But if Howie continues down this pace, I won't be able to keep pants on either one of them. Hahahaha - they'll both be the only deacons wearing shorts passing the sacrament because I can't keep up with buying pants for them. Good thing we live in a climate for shorts huh?!

Howie - 6 weeks

Howie has changed so much in the mere 6 weeks he has been in our family. He has always been a really good combination of Owen and Caroline. In the past few weeks, when I've been feeding, bathing, changing, feeding, or just staring at Howie, I've noticed how much he is looking more like Owen. I've compared pictures of when Owen was this age, and Howie and they look very similar. It'll be interesting to see Howie evolve over the next little while to see if he'll change and look more like Owen, or more like Caroline.

My Chocate!

We all know just how much Caroline loves, loves, loves her chocolate. This gene was inherited from my dad who all he ever asked his dad for was a "chocate shake". (Caroline has inherited so many other qualities from my dad that it's scary.) This love of chocate became really apparent the other night when we were eating Drumstick cones for dessert (thanks Becky!). As she was chomping on her cone, Adam got up to check on Owen, who was outside. Caroline quickly moved her cone into the opposite hand and said, "No, no, Daddy! My chocate!" Adam and I laughed as this girl says the funniest things, without trying to be funny or even knowing what she is saying. She's hilarious. Caroline enjoyed every morsel of goodness from this cone. I'm sure Caroline wishes there was an endless supply of chocolate or that it was running through her veins. She lives and dies by chocolate.

Stink Bug and The Keeper

One of my very favorite posses of any baby, but especially my own (hehehehe), is when they are in the "stink bug" position when you pick them up or when they are asleep on their tummies. (Yes, I sleep my kiddos on their tummies during the day, and as soon as they can roll over. They sleep 1000 times better and they don't get flat spots in their perfectly round c-section heads). So, with this being our final baby, I finally grabbed the camera and snapped a few pictures of Howie in the "stink bug position". I'm just sorry I didn't get pictures of all the kids sleeping like this.



Caroline has decided that Howie is a keeper and can stay in the family. Once she shared her toys, especially her coveted fairies, I guess that meant Howie was a-okay. I hope she still feels that way once he becomes mobile and is into everything of hers.

It's a Boy!

Howard ("Howie") Adam Grimsley
d.o.b. May 21, 2009 @ 9:08 a.m.
Weight: 8 lbs. 6 oz.
Length: 20 1/2"

Owen and Caroline (and their parents, too) are so happy to tell everyone that Howie has arrived with no complications. We are so pleased to have our little one in our home. He is ever so adorable and looks just like his siblings.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

8 Great Years!

Well, 8 years ago Adam and I tied the knot. I can't believe 8 years has flown by so quickly. We've had our ups and our downs. We've had our disagreements and our moments when we were crying because we were laughing either at ourselves or each other so hard. We've had our tender moments, joyous moments, moments when we didn't want to be around one another because we were so angry with each other. We've moved to a different state, bought and closed on houses, had a graduation, traveled abroad, and, what else, but 3 kids. I can't believe all that we have done and all that there is going to be.

Thanks, Adam, for 8 great years. You are truly the best husband I could ask for and are absolutely perfect for me. I am blessed beyond reason and comprehension. (Cheese moment coming): I truly fall in love with you more each day. Happy Anniversary!

This kind of a present doesn't hurt either (wink, wink, wink):

These are "huggy" diamond earrings. There are diamonds on one side and plain white gold on the other. I love them and never imagined I get them for our anniversary this year - and all he asked for was a new iron!

Just A Trim Please

As many of you know, I have let Owen's hair grow and grow and grow throughout the entire winter and got so many compliments on it. (I think each winter I'm going to let his hair grown long) In fact, it was only about 4 weeks ago that I agreed to even have Adam trim Owen's hair out of his eyes. I hadn't cut it since about September, maybe October. I have enjoyed watching him change the longer his hair got. But, let's face it. Long hair, regardless of being a boy or girl, in 100+ degree weather is not fun. So, today Adam buzzed Owen's hair. Never have I seen a boy transform right before my eyes with his look. Adam, at one point during the process, was reliving his teenage years when Owen's hair was cut into a mullet (Adam did not actually have a mullet, just long hair). It was kind of funny because right at that point Owen wanted to be done. Adam agreed, I did not. In the end, his hair is cut and he looks like a totally different boy. The longer his hair was, the more he looked like me. The shorter his hair got, the more he looked like Adam. To get all of the hair off of him and for sitting relatively still while daddy cut his hair, he was rewarded with a jump into the pool.