Not Gone....

Hello All,

I am not gone, I have just focused my energies into other things.  I will no longer be posting on my blog.  Honestly, it wasn't all that interesting and it isn't much fun to write when no one reads.  I am too busy with other things that interest me to do this anymore. So long!

There's a Snake in My Boot!!

Each student in Dakotah's class at school had to make a 3D animal.  Dakotah chose the anaconda.  So I figured we should go all the way and make it big.  And one of my great idea's actually worked!!!

Here's a pic of quite a handsome guy!  Wow!

Again

Well, here we are again.  Today is Austin's birthday.  He would be 3 years old.

I thought that because more time had passed that today would be easier than previous years.  But I have a swell of emotions churning inside me.  I feel dizzy, tired, sad, anxious, and I could be sick at any moment.  The most curious emotion is nervousness.

Yesterday was not only the day before Austin's birthday, but the day we found that he had died.  Last night when I went to bed I was remembering that 3 years ago I was in the hospital wondering how I could do this.

Today is not only Austin's birthday, but the day he arrived, without breath.  Today is the day that I held my son for the only time in this life.

So please forgive me for not answering my phone today.  Please understand if I cry.  Most of all, please, please, remember my son.

I'm Done

For the two people that still read my blog, you are probably ready to hear my "surprise announcement".  Here it is:

I am no longer teaching piano lessons.

I really struggled this year to find a balance with my kids and teaching and I never really found one.  I kept feeling like I should and can be doing better to help my kids with homework or just being able to talk to them right after school.  Colby would wake from his nap and be taken downstairs by Savannah and he would not be happy that he couldn't see Mom.

So after much inner discussions (and asking Clay if it was okay) I decided to quit.  Now my kids will have me 100% after school and I'm looking forward to the extra time with them.  I'm excited for school to be over so we can have fun this summer!

My Little Boy is TWO!!!

Yesterday was Colby's birthday and we had a fun day.  We went to Red Robin for dinner, then had cake and opened presents at home.  Take a look!

In this video, Clay brings out a basketball hoop.

He loves these tools from my mom.  He slept with the screwdriver last night.

He got a lot of sand box toys from Grandma Hayes.  Now he'll have something to play with outside.

And new clothes from my mom.  He looks very handsome.

Look at this awesome birthday cake!!!  My friend Amy used her great knowledge of cakes and helped me make this cake so I wouldn't have another disaster like last year.  Thanks Amy!

This video is of Colby, ah, not blowing out his candles.  He didn't quite get that part.

Happy birthday to my sweet little boy! 

Project Paint Girls' Rooms--Complete

A couple months ago Clay and I decided to let Savannah have her own room downstairs.  So a big project started.  First of all, the storage room would become Savannah's new room so I had to figure out where all the food and other stuff was going to go.  That took some planning and finagling but we got that figured out.  Then I started painting.  A lot.  As in 5 different colors.  By myself.  Savannah wanted two colors, so Dakotah did too, and I had to peel off a wallpaper border and prime Dakotah's room first.  I got Savannah's painted in 3 days (only painting while Colby napped, of course) and Dakotah's took a week but they are both finished and the girls are happily living in their own rooms.

Here are some before pics of the girls room

Dakotah's room!  We ordered some wall decals that will pretty up the walls a little more.

Savannah's new room! 

So next I am preparing for a yard sale I am having in June.  I'm getting rid of all my baby clothes, our TV and entertainment center since we bought a new one, toys, Clay's tool box for his truck (which hasn't lived in his truck for 8 years) and other various stuff.  Right now my sewing room is a mess with all the stuff I'm collecting.  It'll be good to get rid of it and have my sewing room back to its original cleanliness.

Oh, and stayed tuned for a surprise announcement coming in June!!

TAE KWON DO

We went to my mom's for spring break and the girls' favorite thing to do was to take a class at my brother-in-law's karate studio.  They loved it and I have to admit that he was a great teacher.  It was so fun to watch.  We'll probably do a class every time we visit now.

The goofy teacher is my brother-in-law.

Savannah got her white belt!

Dakotah got her white belt!

Success!!

We have been hard at work over here trying to learn the names of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  Last year during general conference, every time a new speaker started talking Savannah would say, "Who's that guy?"  It really bugged me because "those guys" are important people in our church!  So I bought their pictures and during Family Home Evenings we would concentrate on one at a time, reading the information about them on the back and then I would pin it on the wall in the dining room so we would see them often.

We finished learning them just before General Conference.  During conference was test time and my girls did great!!  Savannah would hardly pause before saying the entire name of the person.  Mission accomplished!!

Wretched Wind!

I really don't like the wind.

It is the thing that I don't like the most about living here in Washington.

It messes up my hair,  blows tumbleweeds everywhere, makes our sliding door hard to close, gets dirt in my eyes, and makes it colder outside.

But the #1 reason why I don't like the wind is because it blows away the things that we leave on Austin's grave.

Usually we find them somewhere nearby, but this time all Austin's presents are gone, save one.  We looked everywhere possible, but the wind has taken them away this time.  Three of his stuffed animals that had been left to keep him company have been blown away.  The remaining one, which fortunately is the most precious, has been stuffed into the flower vase where it can't go anywhere.

I have tried taping them to the headstone before, but it gets wet and then doesn't stick anymore.  So if anyone has any brilliant ideas about how to keep things from blowing away, I would greatly appreciate if you would share them with me.

She'll Laugh About It Someday

I hate it when our morning is going great, only to be disrupted by the dog.  Harsh to blame the dog?  Well, just wait until you read what she did...........

I've gotten into the habit of taking Cuddles with us to drop the kids off at school because it's easier than getting her into her carrier.  (She's not allowed to be free at home alone because of peeing reasons.)  So this morning she ran outside to the car with us.  When we got to school, I pulled up to the sidewalk for Savannah to get out and Cuddles escaped.  Here's where pandemonium broke out.  I didn't want to get out because I was in workout clothes and slippers.  I yelled at Savannah to run across the street and grab Cuddles.  As soon as Cuddles saw Savannah coming she zoomed down the street.  (Remember that a ton of cars are driving down this road to the school.)  Savannah would get close and Cuddles would take off again.   Finally Savannah came back to the car sobbing because she couldn't get Cuddles.  She may have been a little embarrassed at all the kids watching her try to catch this little wiener dog!  So I told her to go on to school and I would try to get Cuddles.  But things had gone too far for Savannah.  She climbed back into the van and cried that she didn't want to go to school.  (All the while, Cuddles is having a free for all on the neighbors lawns.)  So I was trying to keep an eye on Cuddles' location and trying not to lose it with Savannah.  Finally Cuddles nonchalantly came back across the road and I got her in the van.  Then I finally convinced Savannah to get out of the van and try to have a good day.   Rotten dog!


Side note: it is very difficult to exercise using the Wii Fit when Colby is trying to use it too.  I don't do very well with his body in the way.

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Dear Grandmas,

             We had another piano recital the other day!  We did so awesome!  All Mom's students memorized their songs.  Please watch the videos of us.  Savannah's video is at home because the one at the recital was too big to put on here.Oh, and the video of Dakotah is a little wiggly because Dad was trying to film and hold Colby at the same time.

We have also started playing soccer again.  This year we are on different teams so right now Saturdays are called Soccer Days. On each of our first games, Dakotah and Savannah both scored a goal!  It was exciting.  Colby loves soccer, too, and wishes he could play with us.  It makes Dad tired trying to keep Colby off the court.  Here is a video of Colby at our practice.  Mom will put more videos of soccer up when she remembers to take the camera again.  

Something else that happened is Dakotah is now a toothless wonder!!  She thinks it's fun having a lot of missing teeth. 

We love to read books to Colby.  He loves to read with us.  We are becoming really good readers.  Aren't we cute??

Love,  Savannah, Dakotah, and Colby

Double Time

You know how sometimes something so unbelievable happens that you can't help but laugh at the circumstances?

This is not one of those times.  Please look carefully at the photo below.

No, you are not seeing double.  We found my lost watch.  (Read here for the story.)

Crazy!!  We deemed it gone forever, thrown out with the trash, so Clay bought me an identical one for Christmas again.  (The first watch was my Christmas present last year.)  Not a month later, Dakotah found it under our loveseat in the living room.  It's a rocker so we have it set away from the wall a bit.  The kids like to play behind it and when Dakotah went behind it, there on the floor was my watch.  We think that Colby put it in the loveseat and it eventually was jiggled out.  We looked in, under, and around that thing 5 times!

So, what am I going to do with two watches?  Clay said I should keep one as a backup.  Very funny.  Someone said I could wear one watch on each arm.  Not exactly my style.  I keep thinking about how much the dang thing cost.  It's not a Walmart watch, folks.  Not over the top but a little more than should be spent on a watch twice.  The store won't take it back because I wore it.  I'm feeling a little guilty about begging Clay to buy me a new one.

So I guess what I'm asking is, does anybody want to buy my Christmas present?  We'll give you a good deal.  It even comes with a warranty!  Really, any takers?