A "Wicked" review...

Really bad, but one and only picture of me and Chauncey. At least my shirt matched the wall!


It was AMAZING! Chauncey and I went to see Wicked for the first time last Saturday in Cleveland's Playhouse. It was the original cast from Chicago. I don't think words can really describe how much we both fell in love with this musical! My only wish is that I could see it again with my college roommates!!
Some of my favorite things.....obvious...I was highly entertained by the scene "Popular", and all of the funniness that came with it! I love Galinda. She was fantastic! Chauncey and I were laughing the entire time!
Another thing I really loved about the musical as a whole was how there was a very real and raw love story intertwined with the bogger story of Elfie's struggle. I loved that Elfie wasn't a "wicked" witch at all, and how Glinda and Elfie always really loved eachother.
This musical is my third favorite I have ever seen, and I have seen so many musicals by now! It is one of my very favorite things I ever get to do in life!

Princess rocker Kate

This is Kate's "cheese" face. If we showed her what it looked like maybe she wouldn't do it anymore!
Here she is with Chauncey's ipod this morning.
She's a rocker princess!

Kate was really funny this morning. I put her in her princess dress and she was "twirling" with Jackson, then she picked up Daddy's ipod, turned it on, and put the earphone in her ear and started rockin'! She is too funny.

Have you ever thought about your identity?

I started thinking about this yesterday when I was on hold with a modbe clothing rep. on the phone, and thier on hold recording really annoyed me! It was some stay at home mom who was talking about how being a modbe clothing consultant gave her her identity outside of the home. I thought to myself, why wouldn't you have an identity outside of the home? How crazy is that? But, I can see how it could happen to women like me(and many of you) who are in thier child bearing years, and planning on having many children, and being in the home for a good portion of thier time everyday. But then I thought, how sad, and I WILL NEVER be that woman.

Growing up I always felt like a very strong person with a very strong identity. Although, my identity was much easier to put into words back then.
Then I have thoughts about what kind of identity do I want to live up to. What kind of legacy do I want to leave for my children?

I refuse to let my identity be swallowed up by my children and be left with no part of me when they are all grown up. I won't do that to myself, and I certainly won't give that kind of example to my daughters.
Some things I really want to cultivate so that they become part of my identity. Others I want to bring back from what my identity used to be, but in the last 8 years have become a bit forgotten. While others I still have and am proud to be.
The number one thing I want to cultivate as part of my identity and legacy for my family is a love of studying the scriptures/church. This is something I have a true passion for and really want this to be a part of who my children would say I am if asked to name thing things to describe thier mothers identity.
The number one thing I want to bring back from my past identity is playing sports. I want my kids to go to my games, as well as I going to thiers. This is a huge part of what made me who I am and I have let it go.

I believe it to be of ultimate importance for us, while on this earth, to have a sense of who we are, and what we want to become, so that our goals will be in our minds and so we are constantly striving to meet them.

Here are the very first Ultrasound pictures...

Yesterday I was just as excited as with my first baby! It was so fun to see her for the first time! She was kicking and waving her arms and was way bigger than I would have ever guessed since I have never seen or felt anything yet! I was measuring 12 and 1/2 weeks yesterday. Chauncey was not able to make it due to overbookings at the clinic. It was really unfortunate because it was so much fun!

The first thing Dr. Reider said(I assume because I take fertility meds. to get pregnant) was, "Well, there's just one!"

Her heartbeat was consistent with a girl for me. The boys heartbeats were always in the high 160's. Kates was always mid 150's, and hers was 154-156. Its a girl!

These scanned in rather small. But here she is nonetheless. I was measuring several days ahead of where I should have been. I believe I am due the last day in August. My original date was september 3rd. Not that any of this matters, since the latest I have ever been is 2.5 weeks early. I just hope I can make it past Jack's birthday, August 16th. Thats my goal anyways.

Now it feels so real! We are thrilled!

Valentine's Day Dinner/Dance

We are still in love, even through all the horribleness of 4 pregnancies!!

We went to a fundraiser the Saturday after Valentine's Day for the scouts. They served us dinner, and we got to dance together, which never happens anymore, unfortunately.

It was a good nite, and here we are in the moment.

What we did this morning...

Chauncey said, "Take a picture of me punching it down."
Kate was aqua doodling during block time.
The proud moment.
Look at goofy in the back!

I am feeling much better. The flu is gone, finally! I am still nauseated, but I am so grateful for my pregnancy sickness not being as bad as I was with the flu on top of it! Its funny how you can be grateful for something bad, when you know how much worse it could be!

Anyways, now that I am mobile again, life is somewhat back to normal. The kids and I actually played together this morning. Here is what we did.

Family Night Goofing around

Mr. Photogenic.
Twirling Kate.
Cartwheels.
Extra Daddy love.

Jackson started spinning around, then Kate saw him and did the same thing. She was hysterical! She was giggling up a storm. Then everyone started doing cartwheels. Fun.

More Mischievious Kate Moments...

I was upstairs in my room sleeping while Kate kept herself busy. I think she had fun, and smelled great too!

My Valentine's DAY

I was still pretty sick on Valentines Day, but it was still a great day, as always. All three boys went and picked out some beautiful pink roses and chocolate for me. My Dad sent me

a dozen red roses.

The boys and Kate each got a fun toy and a box of chocolate. It was a fun and good day.

Check out my Slide Show!

Vision for life

I am in the process of creating a "vision board" for my life. Its where I visually can put things that I want in my life, how I want my life to be, and my desires. I love it. Some things on it I will share in different posts.
I guess I am doing this because right now in my life, the only control I have is this vision board, since I am too sick to make my life anything like what I want. It is a great way for me to keep things/ goals that are important to me right in front of me.

Mischievious Kate...

Well, I typically don't get out of bed until after Noon, so Kate is left to entertain herself when her brothers are playing the Wii. This morning, Kate had been coming in and out of my room all morning "checking in". I finally got up to feed the kids lunch around 11:20 am, and I came downstairs and saw the heat vent in the kitchen had been pulled open. I looked in and Kate had taken both my cell phone and our home phone and chucked them into the vent! Then, after lunch, I took the boys up and made them get dressed, and Kate had taken all of Jack's shirts and pants out and thrown them around the room! I guess she kept herself entertained!

Wii Night

The chocolate spread was fantastic if I do say so myself...and I deserve all the credit!
Chauncey and I playing some Dance Dance Revolution.
Krystal and Liz catching the beat.
Bryce thanked his soccer days for being able to do the DDR.
Josh was very focused on getting all the dance steps right!

Before friends arrived, we let the kids have some of the chocolate fountain goodness.

Life is all lilies...

Well, I am warning you that this post may not be an upbeat one.

I have been really sick for only 2 weeks pls 2 days(but who's counting) when Sunday at church while I was conducting the Relief Society Meeting I almost collapsed. I thought it was just my normal sick. When we got home from chruch at 12:30 I went straight to my room, not even taking off my boots or coat, and fell into the couch for a long winters' nap. I slept the rest of the day except for dinner. I slept through big chauncey's celebrations at 10:30pm due to the Giants Win. I slept all the way until 8 am the next day. Then slept most of that day too.

I called the doctor because I was having body chills/aches. She said I have the flu and to watch my temperature and if it reaches 101, stay on tylenol, and if you can't keepi it down, go to the Hospital. So, 7 pm last nite it was 101.4.

I am so grateful for having such an amazingly strong Priesthood holder in my home . Chauncey's spiritual power amazes me all the time. He has such a strong sense of his Heaven;y Father, and that has blessed our home so many times in the last 7 years.

He gave me a blessing and the meds are working.

Life isn't supposed to be all lillies right? We love you all. I will be fine, in another 10 or so weeks.