Stephen and Korbi Ashton Family

2012-01-31T19:14:00.001-08:00

I bought myself some TOMS shoes with my Christmas money. So in love with my comfy shoes right now!!

2012-01-31T16:36:00.001-08:00

Paisley and Penelope holding hands on the way to Othello. Maybe Paisley likes Penelope now...

2012-01-31T16:17:00.001-08:00

We are currently driving to Idaho to go visit family and for nephew Branson's baptism while Stephen works in the areas surrounding Burley. We have had the opportunity to visit family a lot in the last few years because
of Stephen doing work there. Its harder to leave now that Beck is in kindergarten, but I make sure to get work and books from his teacher as he is pretty good about doing them whole we are gone. He is doing very well in school and we want to keep up in his school work. Paisley is following in Beck's footsteps and has even learned the first few lines of the National Anthem from listening to Beck sing it. Penelope has been an ok little traveler so far. I am glad that Stephen is driving and I am not by myself because I have been sitting in the middle with her the whole time... and we are only past Baker City. Wish us luck!

2012-01-27T15:02:00.001-08:00

proof that I still have two other children besides Penelope. Even if the picture is blurry and they are running away from the camera...

2012-01-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

A whole month... I don't even like to think about how fast it has gone by. Makes me so sad. I have been working on Penelope's Birth Story book on Shutterfly and looking at those pictures makes me feel like she was born yesterday, but at the same time like it was a lifetime ago. She has already changed so much!Penelope is a great eater in that she is gaining weight rapidly. She is a weird eater in that she eats for a few minutes take a 15-20 min break and then eats again. I am trying to get her to break that habit, but at a month old she kind of dictates she she will and will not do. She sleeps off and on and other than eating a lot at night has figured out what night and day means, thank heavens!

We just LOVE her around here and I get to hold her a lot. We try not to leave the house too much other than school pick up and drop off. I have helped at school a few times and done some tutoring sessions. but other than that it's Penelope and mommy time all day... :) Stephen has been really busy working so I feel bad that he doesn't get to see us much. But then at the end of some days I wouldn't want to see us too much either... :)

But then again even after all the crying and spitting up, so we both smell like sour milk, who can resist that face?!?!

2012-01-25T21:26:00.001-08:00

Penelope's funny baby faces that I love so much!

2012-01-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

Penelope Skye Ashton was blessed and given her name by her daddy today, Sunday, January 22nd, 2012. Grandma Ann made her beautiful dress and blanket. I made her headband and added the ribbons and flower rosettes on her dress. One show fell off before we made it to the church, so she was barefoot.

My parents and brother Justin made to trip from Idaho to share in this special day with us.Grandma Ann and Bobby Boy and the kids, Beck, Paisley, and Penelope.

Cousins Alizah was baptized yesterday, so that got to share in this special weekend together.

All the family in attendance for Penelope's blessing day. Brandon and Kortni Nelson family, Bruce and Dawn Beck family, Ruben and Tiffanni Pruneda family, Todd and Dena Ashton family, Mary Ashton and kids, and Grandma Ann and Bobby Boy.

Stephen and Korbi and Paisley, Beck, and Penelope.

Some of the words from the beautiful blessing that Stephen gave our daughter.

My friend, Jill Lybbert, whom we were sitting by was able to jot down some words that he mentioned as well in her blessing.

It was a beautiful day that we got to spend with family and a few friends. After sacrament meeting we all went down to AIM Gymnastics for a luncheon and the kids ran around and played. She is growing too fast! Tomorrow is 4 weeks since her birth!

2012-01-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

Paisley's picture she drew today in sacrament meeting. She was very adament about where baby Penelope was "below my belly button," she even pulled down her pants a bit to show me where... interesting....

2012-01-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

So today it was sposed to be this major snow storm. I woke up thinking yeah no school! So I lazily laid in bed until later and then I got a message that there was school so now we were running late and I hadn't even gotten the kids up yet. My friend Ivy came and got kids, yeah for IVY! She has been such a help in getting my kids to school, this car pool thing is awesome. Anyways I was again lazily eating breakfast, getting make up on, feeding Penelope and I get a call about 45 min later from AIM. Paisley had stuck a purple bead up her nose. They said she was upset, but they couldn't see the bead, but she was adamant that it was up there. So I buckle up Penelope and we made it out of the snowy driveway and on our way to the school. I get another call 20 minutes later and they said that Kortni took her to the walk in and that I was to meet her there. I had already called the Ear Nose and Throat Specialist and actually gotten us an appt. Apparently some well wishers at the school (Aunt included) had tried to fish out the bead with no luck and now she had a bloody nose. She was upset when I got there but perfectly content with Aunt Kortni holding her. Right before we saw the Dr Paisley informed us that there was actually TWO beads up there, a purple one and an orange one. And well, there was. The Dr had 2 nurses and Kortni to hold her down and she did quite well. She screamed, but I'm pretty sure she understood that they had to get them outta there. Interesting non snow day that we had today.

She's quite different from Beck. Beck made messes and dumped out buckets of flour and Paisley likes to pick her nose and eat her boogers (lately) and twirl stuff around her fingers and legs, like jump ropes, hair, and candy wrappers, pull on her hair, and wrap hair elastics around her digits (cutting off the circulationon of her pinky toe a few weeks ago before I noticed and cut it off) And now she sticks stuff up her nose because "There's holes in there," would you stick something in your belly button? "no, because there isn't a hole in it." Well, um, ok. Are you ever going to stick anything in your nose again? "nope, not even beans!" Awesome.

2012-01-18T12:54:00.001-08:00

Pretty sure that's gas giving her that smile since she was asleep, but just in case, I posted it anyways.. Penelope at 3 weeks... Miss Penelope's first snow. School was not canceled, so the kid's were headed out the door. It really started coming down. At least her first snow was a good one!

2012-01-18T07:12:00.001-08:00

ok- picture this: kids in bed- Penelope awake, but calm. Stephens not home yet, so I decide to take a shower (don't picture the shower part, that would be weird) :) penny starts fussing, I get shampoo rinsed out speedy fast/ condition- bam! I jump out and towel dry quick as lightning and she's scccreeerrammmiinnnngggg!!! as soon as I pick her up and lay her on my shoulder- silence.... and that little sniffle of a sob where she's catching her breath.... may she never grow up!!!

2012-01-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Harley outfit... Beck 2006

Paisley 2008
Penelope 2012

2012-01-10T21:16:00.001-08:00

A picture of my living room. It's the only room in my house that "matches" and is decorated. I love my living room!

2012-01-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken by Alicia Taylor and I will owe her for the rest of my life for the wonderful memories that she captured. :)
Penelope Day 1 with "the bunny." Hopefully I continue to take pictures of her with the bunny to see how she grows. Paisley picked out the "bunny" a few weeks before Penelope was born.

These pictures are out of order, but this is Penelope freshly bathed, only a few hours old.

Footprint time!

She calmed right down where nurse Laska was washing her hair. I made a joke about how we will spend fortunes on Penny getting her hair done.

The first of many of Penelope's high pitched screams....

Beck meeting Penelope for the first time.

Penny and her daddy.

2012-01-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

Beck, Paisley, and new baby sister at 1 week old and 1 day, Penelope. My adorable babies.

This past Sunday, Penny 1 day shy of 2 weeks old, she finally got to wear her "Christmas dress." I make it a big deal, the whole "Christmas dress" "Easter dress" thing, so when Penelope wasn't here by Christmas I must say I was a little sad, and then she wasn't even a week old yet, so her and I skipped a Sunday, but this Sunday we were ready to go back, even if we spent half the time feeding in the Mother's Lounge, but I got the kids all dressed up in their Christmas outfits and they even let me snap a picture. :)My friend, Alicia, is amazing. To say the least. She is a very kind hearted individual with a soft spot for people in general. You should see her with babies, she just lights up. She was going to be at the hospital to take pictures of Penelope's arrival, but I called too late and Penny came too fast! She did catch us later at bath time and when Beck and Paisley saw Penelope for the first time. Pictures to follow... Alicia came over the other day when Penny was 1 week and 1 day old and when Alicia takes pictures she like captures the little babies heart and soul and I relish in it. It makes me wanna freeze Penelope here and just keep her like this. Thank you Alicia.I actually took the following pictures and with my Photoshop which I will never fully understand or conquer can actually make them look kind of good. Not mention Penelope is an angel beautiful baby and makes picture taking of her easy. :) Her Aunt Tiffanni made her these pink ADORABLE leg warmers and cousin Josh gave her this super cute hat for Christmas. I knitted the grey diaper cover and it actually fit her! I was afraid it was going to be way to long after I had finished it weeks ago, but it turned out super cute. So here's Penelope today at 2 weeks old. Not loving being naked or in the bath tub. She has this amazing high pitched scream...

and A-CHOO! Good night.

2012-01-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

The kids went back to school today. Paisley only has today of this week since she normally goes Monday and Wednesday, but winter break was still on Monday. It was sharing day for both of them and they took a toy and also a picture of Penelope. Paisley didn't really mind going back to school, but Beck was another story. He whines all morning. They both whined about getting up, but Beck continued to whine and even burst into tears and was screaming to stay with me when Ivy, the friend I car pool, With picked them up. She just drove away and shooed me into the house. She called later and said he had calmed down a mile or so down the road. He came home fine and his teachers said he was fine, but it sure does break my heart...

2012-01-03T00:10:00.001-08:00

I was texting my niece, Kylee, and nursing Penelope at the same time. Kylee wanted me to text her a picture of baby, so I sent her this picture
And said, "she's under there somewhere." bahahahaha!

2012-01-02T00:00:00.001-08:00

A week ago today I was still pregnant and we had not met Baby Penelope yet. So since Penelope is only 6 days old i decided that her and I were going to stay home. I was sad because today the older kids got new Primary classes at church and it was Paisley's first time in Primary as a Sunbeam. I made sure to snap Some pictures before they took off for church and made sure to make Stephen take a few at church. He says that Paisley marched right to her class like it was nothing, but Beck had a hard time and he actually ended up staying in class with him for a
Bit. They both enjoyed their new classes, Beck in CTR 5 and Paisley as a Sunbeam. Penelope and I folded about 8 loads of laundry.... Think I would have rather been at church.

2012-01-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

I don't think that I ever blogged about this!

My sister Kortni threw me a Surprise Baby Shower at the Restaurant Michaels on the Lake on Dec 12, 2011. I had absolutely no idea! Even when I walked in and the Hostess looked at me and said, "Oh, you must be here for the baby shower?" I was thinking, "man, just because I'm hugely pregnany doesn't mean I always go to Baby Showers!" I thought we were there for Kortni's birthday dinner! Soooo funny how caught off guard that I was! It even took me a minute after everyone yelled SURPRISE! I was like, "I thought Kortni KNEW about her birthday dinner?!?!" Then I saw some gifts with little baby things attached and I was like, "OOOHHH!!! It's for me!!!!" It was super fun and exciting! There were like 20 friends there even though she said it was like so last minute of actually calling a few of the people that very day! Look at my super cute pregnant belly cake! Thanks Kortni!

2012-01-01T00:32:00.000-08:00

Penelope's 1st Dr appt with Dr Bond on Friday Dec 30, 2011. She weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz. Almost back up to her birth weight.

2011-12-31T22:26:00.000-08:00

We stayed in the hospital for 2 days. Due to my Lupus and how it wold affect Penelope, the crap in her stomach that kept spitting up, or the fact that I delivered after 5:00 we are not really sure... :) Stephen stayed with me the first night and the kids were with Kortni. Paisley was very brave and had no trouble what so ever and Beck slept with his Aunt Kortni with his arms tight around her neck wanting his mom. It took me until right before we left to sign the papers for Penelope's birth certificate and her middle name. I had wanted "Sky" for a long time, but then Stephen threw out "K." I wanted her named after me and Sky was a nickname I had when I was little with the S and the K from my name Sara Korbi. And my mom says that she wanted to name me Sky, because I was like a free spirit I guess. :) Stephen said that he liked the initial just K, but that it was up to me. Kalan said to add the "e" because it was cooler, so Penelope Skye Ashton is what I finally filled out the form with and I like it!

Dr Lindberg was gone and Dr Bond was on call, so he saw Penny and I may just decided on him being her Dr. I LOVE Dr Lindberg as well, but there's just something about Dr Bond, he's a great guy! Penny also saw him for her first Dr appt that was on Friday.

The day after she was born Stephen went and got the kids and stayed home with them. He took them to the movies, twice! and they had some Daddy time. I didn't sleep much in the hospital and was pretty wiped out by the time I got home. Penelope burps a lot and eats for a few minutes then gets suoer fussy because she needs to burp and we go thru this for about an hour until she's satified. I held her then entire time unless I was in the bathroom. :)

"Having a sister is like having a best friend that you can't get rid of."

Beck just loves his sister. Always ready with kisses and wanting to hold her.

I was up and ready to go home on Day 3 (Wednesday, she was born on Monday night) by 9 am, but Dr King had a bunch of surgeries and I wasn't able to see him to be released until 1:00. Stephen brought the kids back about 12:30 to get me and we changed Penelope into her "take home outfit," and snapped some more photos.

Penelope in her "take home outfit," on Day 3

Our three little angels, Paisley 3 yrs, Beck, 5 yrs, and Penelope 3 days

And she's finally home!Penny with her Christmas jammies on that she didn't get to wear because she missed her first Christmas by one day, much to my happiness!

Penelope's first bath at home on Day 4 after we had been to the High School to help with AIM Gymnastics' performance at the Boys BBall halftime show. Sbeck performed his break dancing and we had friends Josh and Alicia and their family over for pizza and wii games. But in between all that Penny got to scream thru her bath...

She was not a happy camper until she was cuddled up in her pink kitty towel!

2011-12-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

Contractions started a little before 5 am on the 26th. I was soooo happy that I had made it thru Christmas! I got right up and kept myself busy. I did the dishes, cleaned up the presents, took out all the garbage and separated the recycling from all the Christmas mayhem the day before. I got all the toys organized, started laundry. By the time everyone else was up I convinced them to bring in the Christmas boxes and we had the tree down and Christmas decorations put away. After all was clean and vaccumed we headed to Wal-Mart after lunch to walk around and get my contractions closer together. They had been at 10 min apart all day. We bought some after Christmas clearance things and after 2 hours of walking around and contractions staying the same, but still painful we headed to Kortni's house to hang out. My brother Kalan had decided to hang out and not leave back to Seattle to see if he could be here to meet baby Penelope before he took off. We got to Kortni's after 3:00 and the kids played and decided to go out in the snow. I sat on the couch and took tags off new clothes and separated bows from wrapping paper. Contractions were about 8 min apart, but a lot more painful than I was used to. Stephen kept asking me if I wanted to drive to Spokane. I didn't really want to deliver there anyways because my Dr that I had been seeing was on vacation and I hadn't even met who was to deliver me anyways, so it was no different than delivering in Moses Lake except that I got to be closer to home. After a really big, hard contraction while sitting at Kortni's kitchen table, I decided we better get this show on the road and get to the hospital. Kalan jumped in the van with us and we left the kids at Kortni's playing in the snow. I had some intense contractions on the way to the hospital and I just KNEW that there was no way that they could send me home!
Stephen dropped Kalan and I at the door and while checking in the ER I made a joke about my two baby daddies as I was standing there with Stephen and Kalan. The receptionist wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. I thought I could walk up, but after another intense contraction they practically flew me up in a wheel chair. I got into the room and the nurse threw a gown on the bed and told me to get dressed. Kalan helped me get my boots off and then I threw him out of the room, which he was thankful for. This was at about 5:18 PM. Nurse Kim checked me and I was at a 7 and she told me that I wasn't getting an epidural and I said that I figured. Contractions were really intense and I was shaking when the gal was putting in my IV and I really wanted ice. Dr King who was on call arrived a little bit later and checked me at a 9 and said that I could push pretty soon. I wanted to push now. I refused drugs again and tried to tough it out. Contractions were INSANE! Stephen had been trying to text my friend, Alicia Taylor who was going to take pictures for us since we had gotten to the hosipital but had not heard from her yet and in between contractions I kept asking about her. He texted Kortni and told her that if she wanted to be there then she's better hurry. It was all happening so quickly but at the same time the contractions seemed to last forever! Dr King was quite humorus and non chalant if thats the right word. Stephen said it best when he said that the whole 30 monutes felt like an episode of Seinfeld. When the nurse had checked me the first time she said that she could feel my water ready to pop, but it still hadn't broke, so Dr King did it and he said it was tough to do and after that I was soooo ready to push. But he said that I had to wait and I DID NOT WANT to t wait anymore! Kortni came flying in and 3-4 pushes later with me moaning and screaming and apologizing in between and wanting to keep my legs straight for some reason and kicking my leg out at Nurse Kim, who was very quick and moved before I kicked her and I apologized profusely for the next few hours, but after all that Baby Penelope joined us at 5:53PM. The intensity of it all is what gets me. One minute you have this thought that you are seriously not going to survive this. Like "I am going to die" is a very reasonable thought that the time, and then BAM! She's out and I'm happy and I want ice and I wanna hold her and will "someone please grab a camera?" and I'm back to normal. :) She didn't cry right away but she was looking great! Apgar Score of a 9 out of 9, perfect! 8 lbs 3 oz. I could definitely tell that she was bigger than Paisley when I was pushing.

See? Don't I look so peaceful and happy? When 10 minutes before this I thought I was going to die?!?!

Stephen and daughter #2 Penelope Skye

After her Aunt Kortni got to hold her Hanna and her Uncle Kalan joined us in the delivery room.

And Dr King who delivered Miss Penny. Great guy!

Stephen's photog skills aren't half bad!

Picture of Stephen posting all the happenings on FaceBook!

Brandon brought the kids in and they were pretty excited. Beck more than Paisley.

Paisley just kept asking if she could poke her in the eye.

The family is one of nature's (God's) masterpieces. - George Santayana

and the wonderful Delievery Nurse Kim

Because of my Lupus, Penelope had to have an EKG right after her birth, along with a bunch of labs, but everything checked out clear! About this point everyone got kicked out of the delivery room. There was an angry couple in the room next to us that was mad at all the visitors we had, so Kortnis girls for booted out before they even got to hold Penelope. Kalan left back for Seattle and then our kid's actually had to leave because we hadn't realized that actually no one under 18 was actually sposed to even be in the delivery room. About this point My friend, Alicia, received all my pleading texts to get to the hospital and she arrived and snapped a few quick pictures before she got kicked out as well. She was able to come
Back later and sneak into the nursery with us to watch Penny's first bath.

WE are so excited to have this wonderful little angel with us! A wonderful gift the day after Christmas! and a very Happy New Year to the Stephen Ashton family!

2011-12-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was a slow start which was perfectly fine with Stephen and I. Paisley awoke at about 8:30 and then we went and woke up Beck who after hearing that Santa came bolted straight out of bed...

Stockings were first and they are right outside the kids' door. Even Penelope who had not joined our little family yet got two bath time books from Santa.

She didn't even know that it was a headlamp, but Paisley was pretty excited about it anyway.

She was pretty excited about anything that fell out of her stocking. I made the Christmas stockings over the last year and Beck and Paisley got to pick out the embelishments that went on their stockings.

The tree was next and the kids headed in full sprint!

Santa presents didn't take long and Paisley was ripping into presents, looking for ones with her name as fast as she could. Most of the time her little bum was sticking out from under the tree digging for more gifts to open. Beck took a little more time to examine his gifts as he opened them. They loved all the little animals they got. Below is a tea set from Grandma Ann for Paisley.

Uncle Bubba was finally wide awake after stockings and got to open a few gifts. It was so great to have him here!

And after all the chaos and fun was over a pose in front of the tree before we quickly hopped in the tub and got ready for church.

You can't really see the belly, but this is the day before Baby Penelope joined us. So she didn't get to wear her Christmas church dress.

Paisley 3 years old and Beck 5 years old Christmas morning.

Even Uncle Bubba got bribed to take a picture in front of the tree.

It was nice to go to church Christmas Day and be reminded of our Savior. There was beautiful music and hymns and the Primary kids sang. Beck grabbed the microphone afterwards and said, "hello!" Quite humorous. Stephen pretended that he didn't know it was him. A very Merry Christmas 2011 with great memories!

2011-12-31T19:58:00.000-08:00

Uncle Bubba came and stayed with us over Christmas. We were super excited to have him back safely from Australia! He is there working on designing a building there for a competition and is headed back in January. We love it when Uncle Kalan comes to stay! He helped the kids throw out Reindeer Food with glitter so that Santa could find our house.

We also hung our Santa key on the front door so that he could get inin case he didn't fit down the fire place. Grandma Maimi Dawn sent us the Santa Key. Thanks Grandma!

Christmas jammies to start off our Christmas party that the Prunedas joined us for.

We had our usual pinata and Bingo Games. The kids had a lot of fun, although Bingo didn't last long!

The kids went to bed super late after we watched Elf at about 11:00pm.

2011-12-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Baby Penelope Skye Ashton is here. She was born December 26, 2011 at 5:53PM weighing in at 8 lbs 3 oz and 21" long. She adorable, we love her and I spent 2 hrs late late Monday night typing up her whole birth story from my phone and it didn't save, so it may have to wait a bit until we get settled in.

Oh yeah and Christmas came and went and we loved it... :)

2011-12-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Beck's School Christmas party was Tuesday the 21st. They had a lot of fun activities and Beck loved the sugar cookies he got to decorate and sitting on Santa's lap. He had then decided to ask for a Baby Bunny....

2011-12-22T20:29:00.001-08:00

Above are the AFTER pictures of Beck's big dental appointment that was yesterday. The one that we've tried 3 separate times To get his original dentist to get the work done, but he has such a high fear and goes crazy head butting, biting, screaming, and crying! We finally had to take him to an anesthesiologist to get it done. He was not very excited, but was brave and I'm glad to say we are cleared til free dental day in February! This dental work that he has needed since last February is finally done! I bawled like a baby, a hormonal
Pregnant emotional Baby when Stephen went back to the back with him to be put under. I was so nervous! The work took a little over an hour and he came out of it loopy and minus 3 teeth, a new silver tooth, and a spacer. They have him two of his teeth but one was so "mushy" (gross huh?!?!) they said we didn't want it.

This morning he ran downstairs (because he came up And slept on our floor) so fast to see what they tooth fairy had left him. 6 quarters and a note explaining that he for double for his 3 teeth because he was so brave at the dentist! I am so proud of my baby boy, and I pray one day that this insane fear subsides at least a little bit!
And on another note we spent 7 hrs walking around the mall and Costco in Spokane after another disappointing OB appt. trying to get baby Penelope here before spending Christmas Eve or Christmas Day in the delivery room... But alas, we are headed back to Moses Lake still very much pregnant.

2011-12-19T21:41:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Season is here and we have been busy! And yes, I am quite large in the belly! This is at my Annual Girl's Night Favorite Things dinner with these girls that I have been getting together with for the past 5 years! Me, Amber Jenks, Katie Roylance, Jenica Heslop, and Bethany Jenks.

This year, Kortni's wonderful neighbors, Jerry and Teddy, let us cut a Christmas tree down from their back yard. We love it! Paisley and I went and picked it out and then our friend/neighbor B.J. Raymond, went and picked it up in his truck the next night. Stephen has been super busy working, so we even put it up by ourselves. Didn't send me into labor though!

And yesterday after church we decided to make delicious sugar cookies. The kids made sure to even have some for breakfast.

We crashed a PTA Fundraiser at a local school where my friend, Jenn Olson, was taking Santa pictures and I am so glad that we did! LOVE how they turned out!

Paisley had another ballet performance at a Sr Center here in town and my angel is a performer! She even looked at me right before the music started and said, "I gotta go pee," but she held it until her dance was over and then we jetted to the bathroom...

Paisley and her wonderful ballet and tap teacher, Amy Heuser. She does such a great job with the girls!

Paisley's class party was also today and Beck's is tomorrow.

She wanted NOTHING to do with Santa, but did let me snap a picture in front of their class tree.

And little baby Penelope is not here yet. On Friday after school I did drink a castor oil shake, which is disgusting weird tasting and had some crazy strong contractions start up about 7:00 while at the Ashton Financial Christmas dinner at Todd and Dena's house. We made it back to Moses Lake and after a fight with the bathroom (which the bathroom won) I decided to stay home and wait til the contractions got closer and stronger. I waited until they were about 3-4 minutes apart and then woke Stephen up at about 2:00am and we headed to the ER in Moses Lake. It felt exactly like Paisley, so I was convinced that we were having a baby in the next 30-40 minutes or so.... WRONG! so wrong, the contractions were doing absolutely nothing and they sent me home. Bummer deal AKA "Korbi's worst nightmare EVER!" I have always feared being sent home from the hospital. It's like being told, "hey, your a wimp, it's ok, come back when we can actually do something." I've had two kids before, one where I almost didn't make it to the hospital, so I thought I knew what was going on. WRONG. The contractions continued into Saturday morning while I suffered and whimpered at home and then BAM! They stopped a little bit before noon. Piss. Me. Off. Guess she's not ready. dang it. So after I had already called my Dr in Spokane who told me to come in if the contractions keep up in the next hour or two (which they stopped in that hour) I ended up still pregnant and still big and uncomfortable and going about my daily life. Church, kid's school, ballet performances, and Christmas parties. Oh well. She'll get here when she gets here. :) Wish me luck, so I'll know next time....

2011-12-19T11:48:00.001-08:00

Beck and his very first crush, Azaray. They call her Azzy. They are in tw same Kindergarten class at AIM School. Her grandma was saying that Beck was giving her kisses at school, so I asked him and he said, "no, I don't kiss her, but I am really in love with her." interesting. I told him to remember that we don't have girlfriends til we are older. His reply, "but when we are older and have girlfriends we get to kiss them right?" Oy Vey....

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011-12-11T16:45:00.001-08:00

The Fun Meet at AIM was this past Saturday and I am one of those proud embarrassing "soccer moms" that could watch their kids perform all day. I had to be there early to judge the other "competitors," and Stephen brought the kids in when it was their turn and we went from Paisley's TOT gymnastics, to School singing program for both of them (although neither did much singing) to Beck's break dancing, and onto Paisley's first dance performance. Let me tell ya, I was one proud mama! Beck did some awesome moves break dancing and it's fun to have his friend, Roman in there now. Paisley's ballet performance was to die for. She got right up there and shined away! Looks like I might be a dance mom after all...

2011-12-05T22:02:00.000-08:00

Paisley asked Santa for a "candy cane," but also on her list is a baby unicorn and small baby kitties and a Rapunzel doll with long hair.

Beck asked Santa for "a Bakugan trap." He would also like a baby kitty, a toy one until Penelope turns one year old, Star Wars guys, and wii games.

Paisley, cousin Broxton, and Beck seeing Santa at the Festival of Trees in Burley, Idaho

My kids are pretty good at humoring me and my need for pictures documenting our every move...

Mom sat on her own Santa's lap the next day. Her preschool did a great job on their program and my little brother, Justin also played the violin for his performance at the Festival. My dad does such a great job at the Festival of Trees and has been in charge of it for as long as I can remember. We drove down to Burley for baby Keema's baby blessing. I didn't even get a picture of our family and her. My kids were not so cooperative at this point of the picture taking but it had been an eventful day...

We had to take off after sacrament meeting for the long drive back to Moses Lake.

Maimi Dawn, Justin, Papa Goose and Paisley, Grandma Mimi, and Beck.

2011-12-04T04:51:00.001-08:00

Our Burley trips always go by so fast. We got here Tuesday night and here it is early Sunday morning and we have to take off after baby Keema's blessing.

Paisley convinced Maimi Dawn to read her lots of books on the couch. Her favorite has been Alligator Baby. Mom has had good energy and kept up with the kids and I don't think she wants to kick us out yet! It's been so good to see her.

-And baby Keema is adorable, loved by all. Cutest thing really.

And then there's me; measuring 37 weeks and DONE! I'm still a kicking, running around, acting ginormous. My grandma Mimi looks at me with pity wondering how I'm ever going to make it 3-4 more weeks. I wonder the same thing myself. Lots of pregnancy pains and braxton hicks contractions that stop me in my tracks. Stephen looks over worried, "don't have that baby yet, I'm not ready." oh, I am do ready. I have to pee every Braxton hicks I have, so I visit the bathroom about every 45 min in the night. My belly hangs out the bottom of my shirt. I would secretly like to have baby Penelope before Christmas, but don't want to hope for too much. Beck wants to change her name to Winter like the dolphin movie we just watched at the Burley Theatre. I told him I was going to call her Penelope and he could call her Winter if he wanted :) he seemed satisfied.

2011-12-02T20:44:00.001-08:00

Can't get a good pic but we've had an eventful Night! Took all
The kid's/nephews to the movie Dolphin Tale at the Burley "cheap" theatre and Beck fell and hit his already lose cap tooth about halfway through the movie. There was blood everywhere and it was like hanging by a whim! Stephen got him calmed down and Maimi Dawn let him hold a "Winter" dolphin she picked up at the school all the way home.

2011-11-26T15:29:00.001-08:00

We were lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving at the cabin in Priest Lake this year. We left early on Tuesday for a Baby Dr appt in Spokane. Then a stop at Costco for food and an ice cream treat!

Ruben and Stephen peeling potatoes for our Thanksgiving feast! Tiff and I have been working on painting the cabin table and crafting. I have gotten a lot of projects done and am
Super excited for the holidays.

I am measuring at 35 weeks and can not wait for baby Penelope's arrival. I am not going to lie- I am very uncomfortable and not having any luck in sleeping or walking normal. :) Beck told
Me the other day that he thinks that "Penelope is so fat so it's making my belly button go away."

Making Christmas lists at the cabin and working on school
Work.

We happen to have made it up here during rain rain and more rain, but it hasn't completely stopped Beck from
Trying to play in the snow.

And a very enthusiastic game of Sorry- with our phones... :)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I am so very thankful for my
Family and friends. I am so grateful for a healthy growing baby Penelope who will
Hopefully join us sometime soon!

2011-11-20T20:09:00.001-08:00

The First Snow of the season was November 16th. We were lucky enough to have the girls over after school and when we got home they had to wait foooorrrreeevvvveeerrr (ok, only like an hour) for the snow to pile up. So they went to work finding snowstuff for everyone to wear.

But before that we took some quick pictures.

And then the snow fun began!

All Paisley wanted to do was eat it.We even took some quick sledding turns before it dark and we headed in for hot chocolate!

2011-11-18T08:13:00.001-08:00

Last night at midnight was the first showing of the Twilight movie Breaking Dawn Part 1... I was going to try and take a nap, but helped Stephen put up Christmas lights instead.

Then I met some gals at the show. I got there about 10:45 after picking up some of the girls in my neighborhood, Sabrina and Jinni. Jenny Raymond was kind enough to have saved us seats. They had 8 theaters open and we had all pre bought our tickets.

Top- Jenny Raymond, Bekah Mardis, Sabrina Vail, and Jinni Mackey. Front- Kortni, me, and Jade Taylor.

The show was really good! There were a few super cheesy parts, but that was expected... It was great fun to live it up and stay up late, even if I have to wait another year for the last one! I have the Hunger Games movies coming out to keep me looking forward to something!
After I made it home and in bed by 3 am, we felt an earthquake that was in Omak! It's about an hour and a half away. It shook the bed and lamp at about 5:00am. I felt the bed move, but was kind of out of it, but it really woke Stephen up!

2011-11-07T21:03:00.001-08:00

Apparently this isn't Stephen and my bed anymore...

2011-11-07T20:42:00.001-08:00

Paisley is doing awesome at her tap/ballet dance class with Miss Amy at AIM. And I hate to brag but she does a pretty good job too! And I love dressing her up every week in her leg Warmers and tutus!

This past Saturday after I got back from some Tri cities shopping with some Good friends we decided to take the kids to go see Puss and Boots at the theatre. We don't really go to the movies much, so it was pretty exciting! The kids loved it and it was a lot of fun! We went with some neighbors, the Raymond's.

I'm trying to remember the last movie that Paisley has even been too!

2011-11-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

We LOVE cousins!

The Nelson girls had their Primary Program the Sunday before Halloween. Kortni was just called as the Primary President and is still serving as the Primary Chorister. She did an awesome job and the girls did great as well. Hanna with her duet and all the girls with the speaking parts.

Halloween was super busy this year. With 2 birthday parties during the week, a trip to Spokane to see the baby Dr, Kortni's girls' Primary program, a big Adult Halloween party at a friend's shop that we helped prepare for, and 4 field trips, we really were kept on the run. By the time Halloween arrived I was pooped! We didn't start paingint faces until 5:00 which made us late to the ward Trunk or Treating which was at 5:30. I was trying to skip painting Paisley's face, but she gave me her puppy dog look and even though she was wearing her skeleton costume she insisted on having a butterfly on her face.

Beck was VERY insistent that I do his mae up just how he wanted, 1/2 vampire and the other 1/2 zombie to match his Zombie costume. I have to admit that I did a pretty good job!

Beck with cousins Alizah and Ashton. The Prunedas and the Nelsons joined us for our ward Trunk or Treat and also Trcik or Treating in our neighborhood.

The excitement was really too much. The kids had a great time at the Trunk or Treat at the Stake Center although we did miss out on the hot dogs and hot chocolate...

Paisley/butterfly/skeleton?!?!

Cousins Piper, Alizah, Josh in the back, and Zombie Beck

Some yards and houses had some great decorations!

They were literally RUNNING from house to house. It took everything I had just to keep up. We really had only ever done maybe up to 10 houses before, but we went for about an hour at a full sprint!

Paisley got very tired and said her bag was too heavy and went to sit in the van with dad.

Alizah, Beck, and Ashton at the Byington household.

Beck and Paisley my little Halloween babies!

Beck LOVED his costume.

And Paisley as well. I'm glad that she didn't want to wear the skeleton mask, she'd get all excited and want it on, but then quickly it came right back off. But then I got to take pictures of her cute face!

Happy Halloween 2011!

2011-10-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

New member Tiger, but they call him Baby Kitty
White Cat, formerly named Blue Cat

White Cat as a baby

Big Cat. Formerly known as Patrick, Racer Rex, and T Rex.

On a sad note. Both cats; White Cat and Big Cat are gone. We brought home a kitten from the Silent Auction at the AIM School Fiesta Fundraiser and they wanted nothing to do with him and took off. We sent around flyers the other night and the kids snuck up to all the houses like ninjas and taped a flyer to everyone's front door. Like literal ninjas, sneaking around the corners and Paisley would loudly yell "Ghost is clear!" (Coast is clear) and they'd run to the door, leave the flyer and then sneak back. We haven't heard any response and I'm sadly thinking that the coyotes got them. :( We have had black cat for 4 years and White Cat for 2.... And this baby Kitty drives me crazy, but the kids are in love with him.

2011-10-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited to carve pumpkins and daddy had to miss out because he was helping a friend decorate for a Halloween party that we went to last night. We got dinner cleaned up super fast and the kids went to town.

Beck was actually pretty careful with his little carving tools and we didn't have any spilled blood or mishaps!

Paisley on the other hand was perfectly fine with me carving her pumpkin for her.

Beck wanted his to look like a vampire. I fixed the nose a little bit, but he did the whole thing by himself!

We have a great fun pumpkin patch field trip that AIM takes every year thanks to some very gracias neighbors of AUnt Kortni's. I drive the trailer every year and Paisley just wanted to ride with me and not with her class on the trailer and she pretty much just stuck with me the whole time. Eating her lunch in the car and not to happy to have to try and take a class picture. :)But the leaves were another story... she LOVED them!

This was on about the 3rd trip Paisley and I took down there driving the trailer. She was pretty much done with me taking pictures of her. But she does love her new owl hat!

Beck's field trip was a little bit longer with an apple cider press and popcorn ball making.

My kids are obsessed with all things tiny and "babies," so of course, they pick out the tiniest pumpkins that they can find at the patch.

Paisley was little upset that Beck's was tinier than hers, but she still found a pretty small one.

Beck's K-1 combo Kinder class with teachers Miss Kortni and Miss Candace.

Friends Noah, cousin Piper, Beck, and Bella.

Paisley and her Aunt Kortni on her 3rd hay ride of the day.

On the hay ride we stop at another neighbors house and feed the reindeer Bucky and Reiny. Beck really liked the "mama" reindeer.

On a sad note, Beck's much anticipated (and not in a good way) dental appt was yesterday. The one that we have been back now 3 times to try and get the same work done. We drugged him and Stephen even took him and he would never calm down. It's bad, people and I mean bad. I didn't even go. I just sat at a gas station that was close to the office and bawled. For an hour. This awesome dentist, my friend, Carrie Tatum, referred us to another dentist and he really needs to get his work done. Two teeth need capped, and yes, you can see the hole in them, and she got a glimpse of another tooth that has puss around it. I am not happy. And Stephen is the maddest of all. It's so frustrating. There is no reasoning, nothing. So Stephen has grounded Beck from the AIM Halloween Carnival tonight (which I understand, but don't necessarily agree to the grounding part, I mean he's only 5 and he literally thinks that the dentist is going to kill him! But marriage and raising kids is compromise right?) and Beck is devastated. He's been talking about the "spooky" Carnival for weeks! Hopefully he will be ungrounded by Monday for the warn Trunk or Treat party and Trick or treating in the neighborhood.

2011-10-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Daddy's surprise birthday party for #34 years, Beck started blowing up balloons all by himself!

The kids waited behind the counter for at least 30 minutes convinced he was coming through the door at any moment. They were pretty excited.

We made pumpkin cookies and had Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner.

Stephen got an AWESOME tie Dye shirt that the kids made and a Leatherman.

At Daddy's birthday party we discovered Beck's front tooth was loose. He accidently got kicked in the face at school, so the day after the party I took him to the dentist to get it x-rayed. I was thinking that there was no way that he was already going to be losing his teeth!?!?! I was right. After the cap falls out it will take about 18 months - 2 years for his actualy tooth to grow in. Gosh darn it. Guess we can call him snaggle tooth now. Although he's pretty excited because his cousin, Piper, told him that the tooth fairy brings you $1,000.00. Wonder how close her tooth fairy will be to ours?!?!

2011-10-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Beck's Primary Program was last Sunday and he had his part memorized. He said, "Our prophet today is Thomas S Monson." He did great and I was happy to be his CTR 4 teacher.

Me: "Beck, what do you love about Primary?"

Beck: " Nothing, just the cookie parts."

2011-10-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Halloween 2011!!

2011-10-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is my niece Hanna June Nelson at my wedding reception in Othello 8 years ago. She is now 10 years old. Hard to believe!

This is my baby Princess Paisley today (well, October 8th) in the same dress that Hanna wore for my wedding in the Salt Lake Temple to the man of my dreams, sigh, for time and all eternity! Isn't my offspring adorable?

If anything we make some great looking kids! I may be a tad bit biased... Just sayin'.

On our Anniversary I taught some gymnastic classes until 6 and I REALLY WANTED Dairy Queen because a) I had a gift card and b) their Pepsi tastes great! So Stephen obliged and we met him at DQ after I was done coaching and he pulled into town from Othello.

Then I lost said gift card after I went to the bathroom, so we didn't even get to use it and then I was too full to eat any ice cream, but the kids sure made sure that they had room for their ice cream.

Happy Anniversary, 8 years! Yeah! Not a better way to celebrate. Except maybe to come home to 2 beautiful pieces of art from my loving hubby. One of the Salt Lake Temple and another of a mother and child, both from Deseret Book and both I absolutely adore. All he got was a crummy "Sugar Daddy" T-shirt, but I guess fitting. :) He IS my Sugar Daddy! :)

2011-10-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

7 months along and baby is grrooowing..... I swear that I am much bigger than I ever was before at this stage of the pregnancy. I'll have to go back and check my notes. 41" around and I made my first visit to the chiropractor today and actually scheduled a massage as well. Pain in my tail bone will be the death of me, for that I am certain and that psyatic(sp?) nerve, yeah killer. I feel old, my body feels old. My brain feels slow. I am certain that there is only 1 baby in there, so don't even ask, okay? please? unless you maybe feel like getting karate chopped by a ginormously slow pregnant lady? I am teaching a few gym classes just one night a week and I have great energy at the class and then when I get home I crash and it's really only a few hours of teaching. Between that and running kids around and frantically working on some Christmas gifts, thats about the extent of what I am doing mixed in with random loads of laundry and toilet scrubbing and the occasional 3-4 nights a week of a good dinner cooking. So no, the count down has not begun, we still have quite a ways, but I am planning on the Holidays going fast. :) I can count on that right?

2011-10-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

I buy toys, I always do. I buy them no matter what. So I came up with a point system and then you earn a prize out of the box. I think it was Kortni's idea first, but she does it somewhat differently. Once the kids earn 20 points individually they get to pick a prize. They get 5 points for sleeping in their bed all night, that hardly ever happens, but once in a blue moon it jumps their points up quite quickly. They get points taken away for hitting, screaming, not doing what they are asked the first time. They get points for trying a new food for dinner, buckling their seatbelt the fastest, doing nice things. (Which they also get to put a "warm fuzzy" in the jar for nice things for other people and when the jar is full they get to take a friend to ice cream) When we first started I started it for Beck. He has such a temper, bless his heart. He was at negative points for a very loooong time before he ever first got to 20 points. I used to carry around a chart that stated things with pictures that he could gain or lose points for and I'd write on it with an erase marker and we'd tally up the points at the end of the day. But now I've gotten really good at just remembering how many points they each have. And Beck remembers too and always tried to tell me that he has more points than he actually does. Then they got o being good and always asking "Do I get a point for that?" SO now points are random, you never know when mom is gonna give you points. :) Nothing like making up the rules as I go along right? The 20 point prize box works very well. I get to buy toys that are clearnced and feel some sort of accomplishment as a mother that they are actually earning them. :) So it's a win win.

2011-10-05T11:08:00.001-07:00

Beck Kindergarten September 2011 5 years old

Paisley 3/4 Spanish class September 2011 3 years old

**School pictures by Lisa Dorsing Designs out of Royal City

2011-09-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

We still have 13 weeks, or 3 1/4 months til this baby joins us, but let me tell you, we are ready NOW!!! Well, I'm ready ;) Her baby quilt is all done...

And cute baby outfits that we don't need but must have are bought.

and my skin is stretched to the max! Wish me luck!

2011-09-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

I went and saw The Help movie the night before to the late show and in the show Skeeter asks Adelaide how to cut onions without crying and Adelaide tells her to hold a match between her teeth. Well, it works!!!

Tomatoes generously given to us by GINGER MERRILL!!! Thanks! They were delicious!

Bethany and her steam burn! AND a messy messy kitchen! Bethany and I sure know how to make a mess! We had a pretty good system going with no major mishaps. I think that we did burn up a paper towel...

Oh the mess...

But the yummy salsa that we get at the end is so worth it! I had never canned salsa before, so Bethany was the expert. It turned out deliecious, even Stephen and Jason agree! Until nect year, Canning Buddy Bethany!

2011-09-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

Beck is loving to draw! He loves the steam from the shower and then draws on the door. It's hard to get him to understand that when he's in there for too long, the water gets cold and there's no more steam and his drawings are going to disappear! So we take pictures of them to "keep them forever." I love his little creative side that is coming out. His favorite thing at Kindergarten is Science and he is always asking question after question. He is pointing out words and letters when we drive around and sounding stuff out. My little man is all growed up! It's so exciting and terrifying at the same time!

2011-09-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we took the kids to Seattle for a weekend getaway and to see my brother, Kalan.

We visited the Museum of Flight on Friday and the kids just ran around looking at planes for like 3 hours.

They even had a few that they could sit in and pretend to fly. Beck was convinced he could take off if he wanted too. Guess he's seen the movie Night at the Museum before.

Then we met Kalan for dinner and went to Red Robin on the Pier. We seem to always go there because it is so kid friendly. The food was good and we all ate too much!

The next day we convinced Kalan to drive out to Deception Pass which was an incredibly long time in a car, but we got to take a ferry for a bit. Believe it or not, Kalan has never been on a ferry before, living in Seattle and all I thought that was pretty humourous.

Deception Pass was cloudy and cold, but a huge bridge. The kids skipped rocks for a bit and we had some fun taking pictures. There was a wedding happening on the beach right behind us and the bride had a strapless gown, freezing!!!

The next day we took the kids on a hike to a light house and they were troopers and hiked almost 2.5 miles! Way to go babies!

We didn't get to go in the light house, but the kids got dirty on the beach for a bit. Beck was convinced this was where Nephi built his boat because there was drift wood everywhere.

Visiting Uncle 'Bubba' aka, Kalan, at work to say goodbye. It is always so good to see him. This is his desk where he works as an architect. We love you Kalan!

2011-09-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

Beck redid an experiment that he had done at Kindergarten- Putting Mentos in a 2 liter of Diet Coke.

He was so excited that it had the same reaction as it did at school. He talked about for like 4 days until I finally went and got some Diet Coke to try it oursselves. Luckily Daddy humors us.

Paisley's teacher, Miss Marni is back from Europe in time for her second day of school.

And she had her first Tap/Ballet combo class with Miss Amy. She sat on the wall the whole time, but at least she was in the room right? :)

2011-09-11T18:44:00.001-07:00

My friend Bethany and I can, mostly every year. It started out with applesauce almost 5 years ago when we were very close neighbors- we have added pears and now peaches to our repertoire. We switch houses to switch off the messes that we make and now our 5 kids now add to.

We even have mini fires that I remain calm during and Bethany screams... :) good bye very burnt hot pad!

Another year of canning
Done- and canned peaches have to be just about the absolute best!

2011-09-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

Paisley's 1st day of preschool was today! My baby is all grown up! She was apprehensive and excited. She attends the 3/4 Spanish class down at AIM. Miss Marni is her teacher with Miss Christina as her Spanish aide.

I got to help out in the classroom because her teacher is in Europe for the first 2 weeks of school. Miss Jasmine was her teacher with miss Christina there as well. I got to lead the class in the school scavenger hunt to find all the important places that the kids need to know about and where they are (bathrooms, rules for recess, carpet time for books, etc) It was fun to see Paisley interact with the other kids and be excited about answering questions...

She was very diligent in her work and did not want to go to carpet until she was done!

She also got to bring snack to share on the very first day. Paisley was NOT excited that I brought bananas instead of apples!

Paisley enjoying musica with Miss Tami. It was a great first day and Beck also enjoyed his second day of Kindergarten where if "you are the first person to sit criss cross applesauce you get a candy!"

2011-09-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sniff sniff, tear tear rolling down my cheek... My baby started his first day of Kindergarten today with Miss Candace at AIM School. He HAD to have black Converse before he started and we found some velcro ones in Twin when we were last in Burley visiting family and attending my 10 year class Reunion.

Paisley was convinced that her first day of school was today too and had to have her backpack on. She starts Preschool in Miss Marni's class tomorrow. 2 of my babies in school??? Good thing I'm knocked up!

He just walked right in like he owned the place. Stayed in class the whole time (I know because I hung out at the school all day helping teachers and in the office and such-

Miss Candace gave them carmel apples and they "did everything, like everything mom."

He also had his first Yoga class right after Kindergarten taught by Miss Alicia. He hid under his yoga mat for a bit, but did pretty good. This may just replace hsi anger management classes! :)

And Paisley started gymnastics in Hot Shots. I am her teacher and I taught from 4-5:30 and Paisley lasted about 45 minutes, but I figured that was pretty good. Needless to say, it's 7:00 PM and after a full day at the school and the gym we are plum tuckered out, kids are in bed watching a show and I am headed to bed. Yesterday we sanded and painted the deck all day with the help of my brother and I have not completely recovered from doing all that. Luckily a Pepsi kept me going today...

2011-08-31T12:26:00.001-07:00

As I was in my "office" working on this baby quilt, my kids were in their "office" working on building this Lego house complete with babies, windows, and a door. I think they are way more talented than I am!

2011-08-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

The kids and I drove down to Burley last week for my mother's day day of radiation and also my 10 year high school reunion. It was so great to see family and also friends that I pretty much haven't seen for 10 years! I didn't even get a picture of me and my good friend, Ainslie, but she was there for a bit, I promise! Joe Preston "the Bad A," Jakobi, me, and John Jacob Gochnour. These boys I only have the best of memories with! They both now have gorgeous wives and great jobs and John's even got himself some cute kids.

Me and Anne Blauer Ringle and her son, Eli. Her daughter and my daughter are also about the same age. Anne was a great friend and also my basing partner in cheerleading. What a gal to rely on! She is the best!

And my adorable babies at the park as part of the reunion. It was stinkin hot, but lasted about an hour....

My twin sister, Jake and I at the dinner on Saturday night. We stuck by each other's side so as to remain the most comfortable. :)

And about 80 of my classmates that showed up to the reunion. I was happy to have remembered mostly everyone and pleased that my brain is not failing me completely, well, at least not yet. Everyone I ran into, I made sure that they knew about the reunion and were planning on coming. Because high school was 10 YEARS AGO, so let the past be the past and see fun people who have changed and blah blah blah, it's funny to know that some people have apparently NOT changed... ;)

Two of my greatest friends, Derrick Thornton and Hayley Moyes (now Coussens). Derrick was the mascot one year and Hayley and I cheered together as well. I sat next to Hayley and Jake all night. and yes, I convinced Derrick and Jakobi to help me paint the high school rock. It was humourous to me that Derrick had actually never even painted the rock?!?! I have so many great memories of that silly rock...

We even figured they couldn't stick us in jail for it and left our names on it. :)

Jakobi, me, and Derrick. Great memories and fun times!

Also while down in Burley we had a baby shower for my sister, Britni and yes, I made her wear those silly glasses and lei to break open a pink pig pinata to get to my presents inside for her and her soon to be baby GIRL! Yes, after 3 boys, my sister get herself a girl! I'm still convinced it will come out a boy, so I got her little girl stuff in mostly the color blue... Just to be a booger. ;)

We also had a little cheerleader reunion breakfast at Perkins. Cari Ramsey, Anne Blauer, me, Ainslie Duncan (as stated before bestie friend, but no pic of her and me together) and Derrick. Man, those were some good years!

And one of the main reasons we made the trip was that my mom finished her last radiaiton treatment! Yeah! We all drove down to Twin Falls and surprised her with roses as she was walking out of her appointment.

She really was quite surprised and didn't have her glasses on and thought she had ruined a birthday surprise for the reception gal of something, but nope, it was her rowdy offspring and all their kids!

My kids and I and my brave, hopefully cancer free mother!

the Beck Family August 2011 with Grandma Mimi

Front L-R: Beck, Paisley, Jax, Broxton, Branson, and Bridger. Back L-R: Korbi, Justin, Bruce, Dawn, Jakobi, Lizi, Chad, Kalan, Britni, and Grandma Mimi

Grandma Mimi and I

We had dinner at Applebees after I took Beck to Target to get his new "black Converse" shoes for his first day of Kindergarten.

We also got to take the kids to the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo. Paisley, and her new bestie cousin, Lizi, and Beck riding in the suburban into the fair.

Beck at the rodeo

My kids and I at the Rodeo. Their favorite part was probably the cotton candy and popcorn. I pretty much let them have what they wanted because it was only a $1! I was shocked! Free fair admission, free rodeo admission for kids, cotton candy and popcorn for a $1?!?! We had died and gone to fair heaven!Jax, Paisley, Beck, and Lizi with their cotton candy

Most of the Beck Burley cousins at Maimi Dawn's and Papa Goose's house. L-Right: Broxton, Paisley, Branson, Beck, Abigail, Chloe, Jax, and Justin with mom's dog Zeus

and of course 4-wheeler fun!

Jakobi telling my kids a story before bed, when actually all she did was totally rile them up! Thanks Aunt Jake! (They LOVED it)

Feeding cows and horses with Papa Goose

Paisley being a farm girl

grandkids Beck, Broxton, Paisley, and Branson with great Grandma Mimi

2011-08-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Kortni, Stephen, and I took our kids to the Grant County Fair on Tuesday the 16th. We walked thru the booths and saw the girl's sewing projects that they had entered into the fair... We walked thru the livestock barns and saw the Ashton couins sheep they were showing there.

And Beck, like his mama, fell in LOVE with the goats...

And both Beck and Paisley fell in love with the Elephant ears, and at $5 a piece it was hard to only let them have 1!

2011-08-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome Home Caitlynn Lawson!

So for the last summer months on Wednesday and Thursday nights I have been glued to my TV set watching Caitlynn Lawson on So You Think You Can Dance. She made it into the Top 6! A little history of my brush with fame... I had just moved ot Moses Lake and AIM gym was located at the old buidling over on Marina Drive. I was teaching a tumbling class to a bunch of dances from Todays Generation where Caitlynn was a dances. She had to have been about 9 or 10 years old. I remember how tiny and skinny she was. She reminded me of my cousin, Alexie, who is also an amazing dancer. I watched her perform numerous times and was also in amazement, so it was really no shocker that she made it onto the show!!! But to be dancing with that caliber was so exciting! I had watched the show before, but never with so much enthusiasm and emotion tied to the performances. My sister, Kortni, and I got super excited and went around to over 45 local businesses to get well wishes and "vote for Caitlynn" up on their reader boards and enlisted everyone we knew to watch and vote for her. It was all so fun! We bought Team Caitlynn shirts from the drill team fund raiser and supported her any was we knew how, even by voting hundreds of times via FaceBook and text messages. (I hacked my dad's fb account and Stephen's to be able to vote more, but only got up to about 900 votes due to falling asleep or giving up voting) People pulled together and it was so fun!

My kids LOVED watching the show with me. We had to choose between another favorite show, America's Got Talent. One night while watching AGTalent I was commenting on how good a Latin Dance group's performance was and how much I loved them! and Paisley, my 3 year old, looked at me with sad eyes and said, "even better than Caitlynn?!?!?!" of course not! She did great and made it into the Top 6! Kortni and I got asked by a friend to help plan a Welcome Home Party for her last that was held at the Moses Lake High School yesterday and we had fun planning a dance off, prizes, Caitlynn trivia, and poster, and teaching some of the drill team how to make a balloon arch. We had an awesome time being on TEAM CAITLYNN and helping support a very talented and definitely deserving girl from the little 'ol town of Moses Lake! Way to go Caitlynn! Congrats and don't look back girl, go on and dance your little heart out!

Beck with Caitlynn "I liked her." He also stated that she was "the prettiest girl!"

Paisley and Caitlynn

Me with Caitlynn Lawson

Caitlynn Lawson Fans at her Welcome Home Party

Beck won the break dancing portion of the danceoff at the Welcome Home Caitlynn party. BeThis is Beck and his break dancing instructor, Shanner. This was at the last day of Moovin and Groovin Gym Camp where they did break dancing...

2011-08-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Once again another fun weekend evening/night that the Sand Dunes! Beck swimming in the lake!

The kids loved playing in the sand next to the lake.

Stephen's brother Scott and his family and some friends had camped over night and set up a huge slip and slide. Stephen had both kids go down it, but I think that he had the most fun!

Cousin Alizah LOVES coming with is to the dunes!

Day 2 of New York Road Trip

2011-08-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

I promised Srephen that I would get going on our New York post and since he did Day 1, I will start at Mount Rushmore and the Corn Palace of Day #2 Those penny machines where you can choose an imprint of the place you are visiting. We were pretty consistent with these and hit most of them at the places we got to see. This trip really was the best trip ever...

Beck really liked how they "blew up the faces," or in other words how they blew up the big rocks on the side of the mountainto make the faces.

They had an area in the informational building where you could press down the dynamite press and watch a video and the mountain blows up. It was pretty neat and the kids did it over and over again.

Beck said that the "faces were big, taller than me!" I made Stephen drive 100 miles out of the way, so that we could see Mount Rushmore and it was so worth it! Very neat part of the Good ol U S of A!

After getting pulled over by a cop for trying to make a right hand turn in the wrong lane of traffic he gave us directions to the Corn Palace in North Dakota. Beck remembers that it was "made out of corn and we followed the corn feet. On the inside was a basketball place and I bought a smashed penny of the palace."

This isn't so bad, maybe I will actually finish posting about our New York Road Trip, just one day at a time though ;) SO stay tuned...

2011-08-13T15:32:00.001-07:00

Can I day W.O.W.????? Wow!!!! 5 months and sooooo much longer to go... But I did get a free cup holder out of the deal :)

2011-08-09T23:07:00.001-07:00

We were all downstairs watching Wipeout and Beck really wanted chocolate milk. I told him that he could go get a water bottle to
Drink. He came back down a few
Minutes later and was drinking a mug of chocolate milk. He had even put his spoon he used to stir it in the sink... Next up; teach him to not put an empty milk
Jug back in the fridge. :)

2011-08-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that this was just a short time ago. Stephen says he thought that Grandpa Yorgesen would live forever. I remember thinking the same thing about my Grandpa Beck. Just always so full of life and laughter. Grandpa Yorgesen was known for his goofer stick and his mouse and frog finger. Here is Paisley making Grandpa show her the mouse over and over again... We were walking around Costco on our way to Ashton Family week when we were notified of Grandpa's passing. I knelt down to Paisly and said, "Grandpa Yorgesen passed away."

Pais: "oh man" (super sad face) Me: "He is now in Heaven" Pais: "Oh yeah (huge grin, clasping hands) with JESUS!" She was so excited.

and Beck holding Grandpa's frog finger...

A few days after Grandpa had passed Beck wanted to know where his "frog" was. Stephen was trying to explain and then resorted to telling him that it was boxed up somewhere. Then Beck wished out loud that he could have it...

This picture I took of Ann and her dad a week before he passes away at the Relay for Life in Othello. He looked so great and his passing was quick. Glad he didn't have to suffer.

Aunt Lillie, Ann in the middle, and Aunt Mary Lou (Grandpa's sister) at the cemetary

Stephen and our little familt saying goodbye to a great man

Paisley, Ashton, and Beck

Lillie, Ann, Jack, and Dave; Children of Frans and Verella Yorgesen.

The Bob and Ann Ashton clan

And what a more beautiful legacy could he have left? God Be With You Til We Meet Again Grandpa Yorgesen!

2011-08-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ashton Family Week was another successful family week and fun and spending time together. We got some bad/happy/excited for Grandpa Yorgesen to be with Grandma Verella news in Heaven on our way up to the cabin, but spending time with family was what Grandpa Yorgesen loved best so we continued on with our Family Week and we started it off with watching videos of Grandpa and an interview video with Frans (Grandpa Yorgesen) that Tony had made years back. It was fun to sit around and listen to all the memories. And there were some great ones. He was a great Patriarch of this family and his lovely wife, Verella, is excited to have her hunk back in her arms!

At the cabin of course we had lots of boating and tubing and sun screen applying...

Beck and Ellie on the tube

My handsome man

The hot tub is of course another personal favorite of the Ashton cousins. I am sad that the chlorine ruined Paisley cute suit and turned the white part yellow, but the trade off was her smiles, so I forgive the hot tub ;)

Canoe rides with dad

My adorable babies in the canoe

Lots of "filled to the brim" boat rides

On Wednesday Bob rented the "party boat" aka pontoon boat so that we all could go to Upper Priest together and have a fire with hot dogs and exploring fun. Ashton and Beck at the fire

Also on Wednesday I celebrated my 29th birthday and that night my sis-in-law, Dena came with me down to the Cavanaugh restaurant/bar to watch Caitlynn Lawson (local dancer) on the Fox show So You Think You Can Dance. She had made it into the top 6! It was a fun birthday and I got to watch one of my favorite shows! I cam home to Stephen and the kids watching Ernest Goes to Camp on the projector that Stephen had set up outside.

Stephen took me to a baby Dr appt in Spokane on Thursday and the relatives let us leave the kids at the cabin with them. It was the big anatomy ultrasound and we brought back the kids a pink Princess and red heart balloon to let them know that they would be having a new baby sister! The ultrasound went well and everyone looks good. That was a relief for me because I really have had quite a different pregnancy this time around.

Beck is a lot like his mom in not liking the water too much, but he did get in and swim around with Stephen for quite a while. Paisley never went tubing and only got in once or twice. She prefers to just play in the sand just a little bit in the water on the beach.

And here's me almost 5 months. As mentioned before, I FEEL HUGE. I am definitely a lot bigger this time, but everything looks good. I do have a herniated belly button, but I guess it's quite common, annoying, but common. I don't like to have anything around my neck (camera, heavy necklace) that will touch my belly button... weird....

Me and my hubby. I was looking back at picture of the old cabin when we were dating in 2003 and we look so much older. We don't look like babies anymore! I keep thinking we are only just beginning, but time really has moved so quickly.

Yet, another filled to the brim boating pic. This time on our way to Leonard Paul for ice cream happy hour!

Ice cream Happy Hour is buy one get one free and it sure benefits our large clan! We scare away the ice cream scoopers when they see us coming. :)

Beck and Ashton on our last night at the cabin playing Lego Batman on the Playstation 3

We were the last ones out of there Friday morning, so we had to set up the timer to get a family picture. Stephen 33, Korbi 29, Beck 5, and Paisley 3

Bob and Ann got this bench on memory of cousin Jacksen. We didn't have Scott and Debbie's family up there because they were on the Stake Youth Trek in Tri-cities and Feliz and Stacy and their family are in Florida while Feliz goes to school, Taryn had college work to do and Ann missed a few days preparing for her father's funeral, so we missed them and I think this is the first family week that not everyone has been there.

Excited for next year's Ashton Family Week! Too bad it's over 350 days away :(

2011-08-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

One of our new favorite activities this Spring and Summer is taking my Blazer out to the Sand Dunes. We've had some fun with friends and family alike! Stephen likes to also take just the kids out on an afternoon and drive around in the dunes. They throw their hands up and scream and laugh. They love it and always want to go out there.

Not to mention that we all come home SUPER DIRTY and its usually pretty late at night, so we wake up to sand in all of our beds.

Regular Sand Duners now!

Cousin Taryn came out with the Razor and took the kids for a ride.

And our beloved Blazer! That baby is a keeper! Best Anniversary present ever!

Grandpa Bobby Boy even joined us for this trip out to the dunes and helped Beck roast his hot dog by the super hot fire.

2011-08-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Yorgesen made it out to the festivities to celebrate his lovely wife Verella, who's name we honor with our Team "Victory for Verella!"

The Relay for Life was the weekend of the 22nd of July in Othello. Stephen's family has a team named Victory for Verella in honor of his grandmother who passed from cancer in 2001.
This picture is of Beck dancing with his lite up sticks and glasses.

The kids got their faces painted and got balloon animals from "Mr. Whiskers" the clown. We raised money by selling lite up glasses and having people pay to play Just Dance on the Wii and projector. Once again we had a fun time and a late late night!

2011-07-30T23:50:00.001-07:00

There was one time a long time
Ago, like maybe 8 years ago, I was scared. I was babysitting my then one year old niece, Hanna, over the New Year. She choked on a tootsie roll and I gave her the heimlich and she threw up
And her face turned back to its normal rosie color. I won't ever forget the time, where I was, and how relieved I felt.
There was a second time, I was at Walmart and Beck wandered away. I was frantic. Contacting every employee (who most of them just stood there) picturing my baby boy being sped away in an unidentifiable white van.... Then I heard his screams as a manager tried to pick him up. He was swinging and kicking, determined not to let this stranger get him. I had never before felt so relieved.
Now there have been other times when I have had a moment when I thought I would freak or lose it or lose someone I loved, but today was a kicker....
Stephen was at Lowes, the kids and I were in the kitchen eating lunch. I turned my back to stir some fry sauce and when I turned back around Beck was gasping. Gasping isn't even a good word for it. There was no sound coming from him. Then he fell off the chair and hit the ground. I just thought he needed to spit out a mouth full of food and carried him to the garbage. He looked back at me and the bottom half of his face was blue and the top half a very pale white. I panicked. In the next few instances I weighed him
In my head (thinking he's small, can I lean him over and hit him
In upward motions like a baby? Or actually wrap my arms around him and thrust upward??) So many things ran through mind. I was hitting his back so hard starting to freak out as he hit the floor again and started convulsing. I was terrified. I was trying to think rationally but at the same time was mentally timing how fast it takes me to get to the hospital road to see if an ambulance would make it. I was picturing them not making it. I was yelling at Paisley to "call daddy, get my phone! Beck was clawing at the air and his fingers were down his throat. He wouldn't take his hands out of his mouth and I kept hitting him. He threw up a bit, but kept clawing for air. So then I wrapped my arms around his tiny body and jerked with my fists a few times and he threw up a bit more. He started hazardly to the bathroom. Running wild, still not breathing. My mind would not stop, picturing him still choking and running out of air. Then he made it to the bathroom with me right behind and I pushed him again and he swallowed it!!! He gasped this huge crying wail and never in my whole life had I been more happy to hear him bawling. I have never been more convinced that this was it. That I couldn't stop the choking. I was so relieved for the CPR/First Aid training that I do have, but couldn't wait to take the class again.
This whole time sweet Paisley is yelling "daddy! Daddy!!!"
Trying to "call" her daddy because she couldn't find my phone. About this time Beck and I lost it, bawling our eyes out, and he swears he will never eat a strawberry again. I love my baby boy and I am so happy I still
Have him. He can have as many Ding Dongs as his little
Heart desires!

2011-07-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is Beck at the dentist last February. Although an eventful crying fit throwing experience it was nothing compared to last Friday and today. I called Stephen in for reinforcements last Friday and although screaming she got one cavity filled. This morning I had 6 cavities filled and almost had a root canal, but I wasn't wanting to pay the $2,000, so I opted for her to just yank the whole tooth out for $180. Quite a deal I'd say. It's the tooth at the back of my mouth, so you can't even see it anyways :) So although I feel as though I got punched in the face repeatedly my appointment went rather well I'd say and I applaud my dentist, Dr Carrie Tatum.
Beck on the other hand was like you were pulling his finger nails out one by one. And that was just to get him to sit in the chair. The Tylenol with Codeine I was prescribed to give him an hour before the appointment did nothing. Bribes of any Lego set he wanted, a whole package of Ding Dongs, going bowling tomorrow, a milk shake, and hours of endles play at the gym did not work. We got no work done, just 2 hours of screaming and yelling at some of the nicest ladies you will ever meet. I was quite dissappointed in my son. Not to mention I was in major pain and still had blood gushing from soaked gauze at the back of my mouth.... I hate how he feels "fight or die," it really does pain me, there is no reasoning with him. We are headed back in October to try again. He needs two crowns and I fear by then he will need more work done. :( And yes, he drinks water, the occasional milk and juice, but mostly water. He brushes daily and even flosses ad uses the occasional mouth rinse. No we cannot pay $2,000 just to put him under, but at this point it may be our only option. Stephen has stated that if he were tha dental office that we would not even be allowed in the door with the way Beck's acts..... Being a parent is hard.

2011-07-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to Idaho.... We left Monday night about 8:30 PM and made it to Ontario and stayed the night and Stephen had some appts in a nearby town so the kids and I got to swim in the pool and watch TV til he made it back at 3PM. Then on to Burley! First stop was the Pinewood Derby where Bridger placed 3rd place. It is so fun to see the nephews participate in activities because we really don't get to see them much.

Beck hugging his Papa Goose

Paisley and my adorable mother, "Maimi Dawn"

Paisley and Grandma Mimi

Beck and Maimi Dawn and then Beck and Mimi

I had to eat at my Uncle Al's Pizza after the pinewood Derby.

Me and my mom and her cute turban wrapped bald head. She is currently doing her radiation once a day in Twin Falls. I got to drive her down there Wednesday afternoon.

The grandkids dressing up in Maimi Dawn's wigs. L-R Beck, Bridger, Paisley, Branson, and Broxton

It is always such a quick trip and I hated to leave Thursday morning, but we had to make it back for a very eventful dentist appt fo Beck on Friday morning and then on to the Relay for Life in Othello Friday and Saturday. Let's just say that Beck HATES THE DENTIST. And she is such a nice gal!!!! We have another appt tomorrow afternoon and they hgave me Tylenol with Codeine to try and get him calmed down before we even go in. Kid hates to even open his mouth...

2011-07-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

My Fourth of July post is a little behind, but better late than never!

4th of July pictures in the front yard with the flag

I have such fond memories of the black snakes we would do with the Hunt cousins every year at my Grandma Mimi's house. There still has to be black stains on her cement from them!

We were lucky enough to have Britni and her boys here staying at Kortni's house over the 4th and Brandon broke out the awesome tarp water slide...

Sister, Britni, and I enjoying the great fireworks show that Brandon provided.

Sparklers, sparklers, and more sparklers

L-R Hanna, Broxton and Britni, me and Beck, and Kortni and Piper. This is after Paisley burned Poor Pipes with a sparkler! She turned around sparkler outstretched and BAM Made contact with Piper's arm.

Thanks for the fun! It was great to be with some sisters over the 4th of July Holiday.

2011-07-17T10:13:00.001-07:00

Our baby is a Harry Potter fan!! I begged Stephen to take me to the final movie, movie #7 part 2 on Friday night, the 15th. We both rode our motorcycles and made the 6:30 showing and I thought it was great! Stephen and I really don't go to the movies much, but I really do love going. The movie was amazing! I cried and I laughed and I got spooked. It was wonderful!
About 1/2 way through baby #3 started moving. It was pretty exciting and I've decided that we have a Harry Potter fan joining us at the end of December. :)

This is the infamous baby belly at about month #4. I feel soooo much bigger at this stage then I was with the first two, but apparently that's what the third one does to ya ;)

2011-07-14T21:34:00.001-07:00

We have had a lot of fun at the aquatic center this summer. We didn't get our bums there until
Late late June, but have gone quite faithfully when we are in town!

Beck and his friend, Jackson Mohs. I credit Jackson for any of
Beck's swimming skills. Beck is usually pretty timid around water (I'm guessing he gets it from me!) but Jackson is a fish, so Bdck just follows him in. He has been jumping off the side and trying to swim back and holding his breath under water. Long strides since just barely dumping his face in the water!

And as long as Paisley has her trusty floaty, she's all smiles!

My little water baby, Beck.

Beck, 5 years, Paisley 3 years, and Jackson, 5 years old.

They also have a great sand play area at the Aquatic Center. The kids take turns back and forth, sand, water, sand, water. I have learned to situate myself right between the two and I even get to sit down for a bit and watch them play! And that's good
News for this tired, albeit not very far along (4 months) pregnant lady!

Road Trip

2011-07-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

So Korbi has had a hard time putting our cross country trip on here so I thought I'd help her out.
This was day one - Not sure where all the pictures went, so this is what you get. I'm sure Korbi will add some of the rental car and the many miles we drove. We loaded the impala, picked up Josh, switched cars to the rental in Spokane and were on our way. Day 1 we logged just over 1,000 miles. It was a blur! We ended in Rapid City South Dakota. And yes Josh, we missed the pool:(

2011-07-08T22:41:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Bob's ice cream trips!

Beck's new favorite cousin; McKenna!

We have been up at the cabin in Priest Lake since Tuesday
And are sad to be leaving tomorrow... It's been good weather, boating, tubing, and playing in the sand. And of course the eating! I think I
Have eaten half of one of those large tubs of sour punch licorice. So yummy!
Beck has had fun tubing as making his cousins give him rides on the jet ski. But he only likes to ride on the blue jet ski not the yellow one. :) Both of the kids brought their fishing poles, Spiderman and Dora, we recently bought at Walmart and have played with them constantly. I am surprised that they are still in one piece, they have sure gotten their use out of them!

Bobby Boy and Ann took all of us to a nice dinner and some of us walked home. Although we gotten eaten by Mosquitos they had fun picking flowers along the way back to the cabin.

We were sad that Stephen didn't get to come with us. He was busy getting ready for his Youth Trek that he left for on Thursday. He has been preparing for it for a long time and we haven't gotten to talk to him much since he left and we are all excited to see him tomorrow!
Thanks for another great time at the cabin! And looking forward to more!

2011-07-03T20:30:00.001-07:00

I decided to blog a picture
Of myself to remember what I looked like in my late twenties. Just writing "late twenties" makes
Me feel older. 28 now, 29 in August, and 30 next year! Ahhhh! But when I'm 80 I'm gonna say, "man, I miss my long hair, pimples, and saggy pregnant stomach!"
At 29 I will be attending my 10 year high school reunion. I am about 4 months pregnant with baby #3, I remember always saying I wanted like 6 or 8 babies. But I forget how crappy being pregnant is. I know, I know, "pregnancy is a gift from God..." and this one sure has been but it's hard to remember that when all you want to do is eat, but nothing tastes good when it hits your mouth, or 5 minutes later you are upchucking it back into the toilet bowl...
At 28 I have learned how to knit, garden, quilt, can some great tasting applesauce, finally convinced my husband that I need an expensive camera. Birthed 2 children, one with meds, one without. Visited different countries, swam with sea turtles, reupholstered furniture, paid off a School loan, refrained from breaking any bones since grade school, bought my mom wigs to ease her fight with breast cancer, learned Spanish, gotten a motorcycle endorsement, gained weight, lost weight, started piano lessons. And at 28 I still have yet to learn the Michael Jackson Thriller dance, perfect my Spanish, birth more children, get laser eye surgery, do P90X after birth of said 3rd baby, plant a willow tree, and much much more! Not to
Mention the 8 loads of laundry sitting on my bed that I am procrastinating in folding....

2011-06-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

GREAT NEWS!!! We are expecting Baby #3 right after Christmas!!! We really couldn't be any more excited, really. Well, I am. And I am SICK!!! I hate it. It's been three months of nausea and throwing up. You'd think I wouldn't look like a blown up cow, but I still do. I have the biggest "baby bump" that shouldn't really be there because baby is like millimeters long! Argh! Soooo sick. Constant nausea. I don't remember it being like this with Beck and Paisley. I remember being a little sick, but I can't barely function. I actually take naps every once in a while because I just can't get outta bed. I never like being pregnant before, but I considered myself pretty lucky. Just munching on lemon heads and saltines, but this is different. I can't even get myself to dress cute that often anymore!!! Ahhh! Hopefully the nausea is going away now that I am three months, but as I type this... I think not.... bleh.
and Paisley is potty trained!!!
Potty training has got to be one of the WORST things a mommy/daddy has to do. Everyone warns you about getting babies to sleep thru the night and the terrible twos, but not many people say much about potty training. To tell you the truth I never thought much about it?!?! Potty training Beck was difficult. I started too early (for him) and then I don't remember much about how it actually happened because I think that I tried to block those months from my brain forever! And he still has accidents/pees on my wall... blah blah... and he's still not potty trained thru the night (Exactly what he wants to be reading to his friends from his mom's journals right?) So then it was Paisley's turn. I think I tried a total of 4 separate times after she turned 3- maybe I even tried when she was 2? I don't remember, I think that I did because I heard that girls were easier? Yeah, whatever. She just didn't get it. So I kept giving up. I'd go a few days, if I made it that long and then throw her back in a diaper. So on Sunday I don't know what clicked. I just said, "ok with new baby coming, I gotta get this party started.... again." and she had no accidents even after driving all the way to Othello for nephew Taryn's Eagle Scout Award ceremony and then the next day she only had one accident, Tuesday none, and Wednesday she did (TMI) poop in her pants, but I was finishing up teaching a gymnastic class and she didn't have my full undivided attention, so I forgave her. But I hope and think and pray that this is it?!?!?! Sooo excited! Yeah! Not too mention, her little chonied bum is pretty darn cute.... :)

2011-06-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

I taught an Art class at a local private school called Kimber Academy. IT WAS HEAVEN!!! So much fun teaching the kids how to redo chairs! The kids bought their own chairs and fabric and we took them all apart, sanded, primed, and spray painted! And a staple gun for the fabric and we were finished. It was lots of fun and the kids did a great job!Above is Auri's After and below is her chair BeforeEmily's BeforeAnd AfterHanna's BeforeAnd Piper with Hanna's After.

2011-06-14T10:25:00.001-07:00

A couple of projects I have finished. I have been having a rough time with blogger trying to post our New York pictures and trip itinerary. I have almost given up With the whole Thing. Problem being the amount of pictures I am trying to post and the order that they post in, I can't seem to switch them around if they get in the right order. And then trying to backspace blank space I deleted like 30 pictures by accident that take 2-3 minutes a piece to upload. Thankfully I didn't throw my computer across the room but I was thisclose... So until I calm down and my computer cooperates there will be no New York posts for a while :)

2011-05-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Beck learned to ride his bike on the 20th of last month (May). I had convinced Stephen to buy this glider bike from Costco about a year ago. It doesn't have any pedals and teaches them to balance. Beck just started riding it like maybe over a month ago and then Stephen woke up one Saturday morning and stuck him on his bike and off he went. He's ridden around the block as well, so folks, this ain't no fluke! Beck is a full on bike rider!

2011-04-24T19:19:00.001-07:00

I'm still working on our pictures from our New York road trip, I took over 1600 pictures, so it may take me a while. LOL I wanted to post some Easter pictures because we are heading to Idaho tomorrow and will be gone for another week and I don't want to be that much further behind!
We had a great Easter weekend, finally getting the lawn mowed and the water/sprinkler on. We have had a busy week since we got home from our long two week trip to New York and back. The day we got home Stephen tried to turn on the hose to water some pots and the pipe broke and water started pouring into our storage room. Our friend, Mike, came over and told us what we had to do and we've had guys here cutting down dry wall and pumping away water. Then the next day the fridge broke. :( Once again, Mike to the rescue and fixed a blown fuse. He's not going to want to be our friend anymore! So laundry's done, bags unpacked, only to pack them again, but my little brother, Kalan, came for Easter so that was exciting. Kortni's family and us had an Easter dinner together on Saturday and it was delicious! On Saturday morning there was an Easter party at the church and the kids got to bring home a bunch of candy filled eggs.
After the egg hunt at the church, Kalan and Stephen went on a motorcycle ride with a friend, so the kids and I dyed Easter eggs. We only broke 4 out of 18, so I consider it a success. Paisley really liked to grab the eggs with her hand right outta the dye. Beck wanted to check on the color about every 5 seconds.

Easter dinner with the Nelsons and Uncle Kalan (Bubba). It was also Piper's 5th birthday! Happy Birthday Piper! Paisley asks every day, "we go to Piper's house now? How bout Lizah?"

The Easter bunny came late Saturday night and it was a quick hunt for all the candy and then carted off to Othello for baby Asher's (Tiffanni and Ruben's) baby blessing. There was a lot of family in attendance and we got a group picture together which we haven't done in quite a while. Asher was an angel during her blessing and Ruben did a great job. Well, I think that Beck and Stephen are upstairs shaving Stephen's head, sadly, so I better go... Happy Easter everyone!

New Easter clothes for Sunday...Ashton Family at Asher's baby blessing. We love it when Uncle Bubba comes to visit! and we miss him and talk about him constantly after he leaves!

2011-04-09T06:43:00.001-07:00

Coming back to a parking garage in a shady part of New Jersey from a Train ride into New York this evening, oh ok. It was late, like 11:30. Three exhausted children, shopping bags, and rushing to not be the last ones out, I come across a Broken passenger door window. Gosh dang it. Luckily the idiot left my Taco Del Mar punch card and on a more serious note, my "bucket list" I've had since like the 9th grade!! He just hit the jockey box where I had emptied about half my purse to lighten the load of carrying around a huge bag with everything in it! NOW if the idiot had moved about 1.5 feet to the left then he would've hit the mother load behind the drivers seat of 2 laptops and 2 DVD players! LOL so after Beck stated that he wishes he could have been there to "fight the bad guys" and Paisley fell straight sleep And Josh was worried until the nice police officers got there and gave him fist bumps and I reassured him that the guy was caught and in jail from a few other cars he broke into after ours, we made it back to the hotel where I got to do a fancy garbage bag and tape job! Pretty exciting for the kids' first time in New York if I say so myself!
Stephen is at the rental car place hopefully getting us a new rental this morning and I am down at the pool with the kids waiting for Bob and Anns plane to come in from their quick trip to see Stacy and Feliz in Florida. Then we will all head out today to Kirtland. We have had a good trip so far with me only spilling 64 oz of Mountain Dew in the rental and now a broken window. We have visited some great places including Mount Rushmore, the Sacred Grove, Whitmers farm where the church was organized, and yesterday the American museum of Natural History and Times Square. I am excited to post some great pics when we get home in another week!

2011-04-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to my angel baby Paisley! She likes to say "me no baby, me tiny girl." Can you believe that this dark haired beautiful baby turned into this giggly blue eyed blondie??? Me neither! She is full of spunk and sweetness. Really, Serious. She has giggly fits where she can't stop laughing and she thinks her bootie dance is hilarious.

We are leaving tomorrow for a verrrryyyy long trip and I was excited to be able to celebrate her birthday before we left and on the ACTUAL day of her birthday no less. She got to help me with the baking the cake which we did while listening to General Conference. Mostly she just wanted to lick the batter and the frosting bowl, but who can blame her? She LOVES pink and we dyed the cake and frosting pink, pink table cloths, pink "party shirt" as she call its and pink balloons.

She is really into "pretty princess crowns," so this present was a hit!

She still LOVES Dora and My Littlest Petshops... her favorite a pink kitty she has two of and loves them equally the same.

Like I said, all spunk with the angleness underneath...

Her little friend, Iris, was more than excited to try on the puppy outfit that my mom sent up for it. She loved it! As does Paisley...

Ashton was super excited to try on the tiaras and earring set as well... His dad was not as excited.

I am not much for throwing themed parties and baking wonderful birthday cakes, we stuck with pink and dyed her cake pink to match. There is her favorite pink kitty on top and Beck had to add the Power Ranger.

My little girl, all growed up. Miss Paisley Marion Ashton. You stick close to your mama, ya hear??? None of this "I not gonna listen to you MOM," but you can keep the cute way that you say things. Dragging out certain words, and takin a tiny breath between each one. So cute! You always wear what I pick out for ya ok? Oh, who am I kidding, your my daughter, I ain't got a chance! Love you "little tiny girl," you make me smile and I'm gonna keep ya.

2011-04-03T00:01:00.001-07:00

Aren't I the worst mommy ever?!?! Paisley had to
Put her nose on the wall for the first time ever from me and was NOT happy about it! As you can definitely tell from her face! Not very nice of me to take pictures of her losing it, but funny after all said and done ;)
Probably wondering what she did? See the red marker on her face? It's all over my kitchen bar stools! She doesn't need to know that it was an erasable marker, lol, hahaha!!

2011-04-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Should have been called the Red Devils I think... ;)

Soccer is OVER!!!!! Beck had his last game on Thursday... (The real last game isn't until next week, but we will be out of town) Ups and downs, but Beck had friends on the team and kicked the ball a few times. :) Next up, karate??? Maybe....

2011-03-29T18:56:00.001-07:00

Strep throat... Kill Me now... Seriously, I ain't gonna make
It.

2011-03-27T22:09:00.001-07:00

I haven't had an accident or ticket since my Jr year in high school (it helps that my license was suspended my senior year!) My dad had asked me to go pick up my sister, Jakobi, from work in town during the summer. He told me to take an old farm truck. I argued that it didn't have a license plate and he told me to get going. I safely made it to pick up my sister at the snowcone shack, but then on the way home I got pulled over. No plates, therefore no tabs, no insurance, I had been working in the yard in my swim suit, so I wasn't carrying my license either.... As I was pulling away to "drive straight home" he yelled at me to put my seatbelt on and I calmly informed the police office that the seat belts didn't work.... So with all those thing missing I lost my license for a year. Luckily the wonderful grandpa Beck has some pull in good ol Cassia County and I got it back in 6 months. Anyways....
So yes, I've been pulled over for minor infractions, about once a year actually, knock on wood. The last major accident was my Jr year in high school when I hit a shitzu dog (yes those tiny little things) rolled my car, killed the dog, and took out a fence. So I have been clean forever!!!! Until Friday afternoon...
My sister, Kortni, let me borrow her old car to go pick up some nieces and nephews from Othello who were staying the weekend because my Blazer only fits 3 people. I dropped her off at her car at the car dealership (it was getting worked on) and slowly proceeded to back out. Needless to say, as careful as I was, my kids' car seats and the dry cleaning was lined up just perfectly with the ginormous bright yellow concrete pole that I did not see. Dang it. Perfectly good record ruined. My sister was quite nice about it, bless her heart.

2011-03-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

And we are still doing soccer... Paisley's red little nose and cheeks, cause baby, it's cold outside!

My soccer stud...

Beck and his awesome coach and fun team after yelling their cheer, "Greece Lightning!" Each team is named after a country and they just happen to be Greece.

Can you believe it?!?!?! I can't! and neither could Beck! He was in the right place at the right time. The ball ended up in front of him and he just reached out kicked it. (maybe it ricocheted off his legs?) but it went in and the crowd went wild and mama went crazy!!! (Poor Stephen was in California and missed it, but I got the pic to prove it, even if you can't really tell that he kicked it in!)

2011-03-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

Beck and his soccer coach, Josh, who is his friend Jackson's dad....

Beck at his first soccer game of the season.... freezing.

and he kicked the ball!! A huge improvement from the Fall season!

My beautiful babies. Beck 5 years old and Paisley 2. We had Beck's yearly physical exam last week and he weighed 36.8 lbs and was 40.25 inches tall.

And Paisley turns 3 in a little over 2 weeks!

And here is Beck with his team doing what Beck does best... hanging and jumping all over his team mates. Luckily he's small and they just kind of tolerate him.

Spring soccer is here and it feels like Winter soccer. When we did Fall soccer I swore that I was DONE with soccer, but Stephen said I had to buck it up and try it again... Beck does a lot better, still goofs around a lot, but definitely not as much as in the Fall. For one he stays on his feet more than falling down to make people laugh and for me, that is a major improvement. But we are really just getting started and as much as I love watching my little boy, I really am counting the days until it's over...

2011-03-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

So this is my beautiful/goofy niece Hanna Nelson. She thinks she's super funny... She kind of is ;) I took her with me to Wenatchee with my friend Jade and her daughter as well to a "Momtography" class where we learned how to use our camera and such. It was super informative and a fun day and when I got home I still had a little left in me to play in Photoshop for a minute.

I have always been interested in taking good pictures. I don't need to be a professional, but if I am saving them forever they better look good right? Stephen got me my much coveted AWESOME Canon t2i camera for Christmas and I had a bunch of fun in New York messing around with the settings and trying to figure it all out. Let me tell you, photographers are smart. This stuff is confusing.... Serious. Wish me luck on this new endeavor... well, that and couponing. Geez, now THAT'S time consuming! When I get my new sewing machine I don't think I will still have time for all this, but until then I'm saving money with coupons and laying in the dirt to get the perfect picture!

2011-03-11T21:36:00.001-08:00

This is Big Cat. We have had him for 3 years and he is an almost $1,000 cat. Beck first named him Patrick, then Chancho, then Racer, T Rex, Racer Rex, and it is now Big Cat. And it fits him quite well as he weighs almost 11 lbs. When we got "White Cat" who Beck thinks his name is Blue Man, but he always calls him White Cat, he was just a baby and so small, so next to white cat, big cat looked huge, hence what Beck calls him now. I blogged about how last year Big Cat cost us $400 because as Stephen (bless his heart) was starting the truck at 3 in the morning to go black Friday shopping Big Cats tail was chopped off and it was hanging by a "thread" so after surgery, he has a funny looking tail now. Normally I would just put an animal down, I mean $400?!?! But when you take an animal to the vet, bless their hearts, they are great people, but they give you this look like, "is there really an amount that is too much?" and then Big Cat looks over with these big ol eyes and it's done, credit card is passed over and it's charged.... I believe this is why Stephen never volunteers to take animals to the vet, he knows that he is just as big of a pushover. Anyways back to about a week ago. Big Cat came home and was laying on our bed (yes, I have since washed the bedding) and kept licking at a spot on his leg/rump by his tail. I just thought he was cleaning himself up, then he wouldn't come inside. Just sat on the porch and would run away when I tried to pick him up. Then I noticed a bare patch and blood and after cornering him in the garage I got him in his carrier
(he was pissed to say the least) and to the vet. $300... Sign here... Dang. I've given in again. It was a bite of some sort, snake, other cat, who knows, and he had licked all the hair off and it was super absessed. Just what you wanted to hear right? An over night stay, put under, surgery, a "stint" placed under stitches, pain killers given twice a day, an antibiotic, and I gotta flush the wound/surgery site twice a day too?!?! Yikes. Good thing this stuff is interesting to me and doesn't gross me out!

Big Cats wound before vet...

And after. Close your eyes if you are faint hearted.... I'm
Serious. It ain't pretty.

That's his tail!!! Weird huh! Now posterity will know of my love for animals I guess. :)

2011-03-01T19:52:00.001-08:00

Beck and Paisley wanted me to dance after dinner in the kitchen, but I said I didn't want to because daddy will laugh at me...
Beck said, "he will laugh, but he will not laugh at YOU, only if he points right at you and laughs, then he's laughing at you..."

Such a smart little bugger... ;)

2011-02-25T18:31:00.001-08:00

Today was one of those really awful days. We had dentist appointments at 7 am at Dr. Harders office of Family Dentistry for free dental for kids day. And even at 7 am I am not going to complain about free dental work. My poor children have inherited my teeth. Brush away and cavities will still rear their ugly heads! Beck was first and was quite brave. Through Becks entire time Paisley was whining "me want go home now!" crying, boobing, you name it. She was not happy and did not want to sit in that dental chair. Then it was her turn and she screamed thru the entire thing. All the dentist did was count her teeth and put flouride on them. She has the beginnings of three cavities right in front.... :(

Then it was Becks turn again. Have you ever seen a movie or show where someone is tortured and they are ripping their finger nails out? (24, V?) well, that is what Beck acted like they were doing to him. This is him with some laughing gas, which technically did nothing but make him crazier.

I didn't get a picture after she started digging in his mouth because between the blood flying, feet flailing, and both hands and the full weight of my body needed to control him, I had dropped my phone. So no pics or video of the chaos... He seriously kicked the dentist. Wow. 2 crowns and one cavity. She stopped after the first crown and filling and took a break. She asked if I was game to finish. I must have looked on the verge of a mental break down, but I was like heck if we don't do it now then we will never make it back. So she stabbed him with 3 needles of numbing stuff and away she went drilling right through his tooth. Blood curdling screams and cries heard all the way outside. I felt so bad I went and got a fruit platter and a plant for that poor dentist and the office... I'm surprised any of the kids agreed to go back there after hearing all that.

See how swollen his left cheek still is? And that's 9 hours later. He says he hated the "bridge" thing they stuck in his mouth to keep him from biting the dentist. And I thought maybe it was how she hacked off two teeth and glued crazy things to his mouth or the blood dripping out, but no, he just didn't like the bridge thing. Wow. Poor thing and POOR dentist!!!!!

2011-02-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

Love the old buildings in New York.

The Guggenheim Museum

Inside the Guggenheim.

David and Victoria Beckham with security guard in the back at FAO Swartz. Crazy. We followed them around like love sick puppies for at least 15 minutes!

At the Met. I really enjoyed the Met and especially all the art.

Isn't my little brother handsome? Thanks for coming with us to New York Kalan. It was a fun time!

Stephen and I in front of a Monet at the Met.

Hot dogs after the Museum.Central Park. Grand Central Station. We messed around with our camera settings for at least 30 minutes. It was fun to try and stand perfectly still and get everyone else around you all blurry. It's suck a hustle and bustle place anyway.

This is my favorite pizza place in NY. And of course I ate the whole thing. ;) At the Knicks game On top of the Empire State building. We went after the Knicks game at like 10 at night. They run tours on that thing until 2 AM! It was very beautiful. I think that last time we went it that it was during the day.

It was fun to get pictures of the Subway cars. Coming and going constantly. I think the above one looks pretty creepy...

It's not too often that you see an empty subway car. But after I took the shot I realized that there was one guy all the way in the back to the left. :(At the Burger Joint. Great hamburgers! It's inside this fancy hotel, but hidden all the way in the back and it's such a dive. Love it! At St Paul's Church with the Twin Towers construction going on in the background.And the Bull on Wall Street of course...Brooklyn Bridge. We walked for like what felt like hours! Then when we got there we realized there was a Subway stop like rightthere. haha! We did get to stop and get ice cream while walking though. :)Times Square One night we went to Stephen's old college roommates' apartment to have dinner with him, his wife and then baby girl, Grace. Rich and Stephen attended BYU together.Stephen and I on the Ferry put to see Lady Liberty herself.Isn't it beautiful??? Definitely a high light. Although super freezing, I loved it. It's so interesting and wonderful to look at.Inside the pedestal. Notice the sign to the right "Don't touch or sit on..." Oops...It was absolutely freezing at the Statue of Liberty. The wind was crazy. We only went to the pedestal and you could barely walk in the wind!

Korbi

Stephen showing his skills at the Statue of Liberty.

Ellis Island. Very interesting place.
Kalan and I at Crif Dogs. A hot dog place where you can put practically anything on your hot dog. Mine was wrapped in bacon of course.

Not supposed to take pictures, but I nabbed this one at the Broadway Show Rain which is basically a Beatles concert and super awesome. I loved it. Definitely a high light of the trip.

We had a great time, but really missed the kids. Of course it was GREAT to see Bob and Ann again and we are excited for when their mission in the Big City is complete in April! We got to do lots of fun stuff and eat at some great places. And with all the walking that we do neither Stephen or I gained any weight! Yeah! ;) Overall Awesome trip!