Mothers in my life

Being a mom makes you appreciate so much more the mothers in your own life. I've thought about the qualities of the mothers in my life, and I truly hope that even a portion of them have rubbed off on me. Here's a few that came to mind (though of course this list is nowhere complete).

My Mom

-Creativity: My mom is basically the MacGyver of all moms. She can rig up a TV/VCR combo in a minivan with bungee cords and a trash can that will withstand the journey from Salt Lake to New York and back. She can do wonders with fishing line and Christmas tree branches, and how can one forget the amazing, creative poems that awaited me, my sisters, and our unsuspecting dates at the doorstep. Seriously, that woman can rhyme!

-Planning: While it does drive some of us crazy when she sends out plans for our summer family reunion in January, this quality is an important one and I'm so glad my mom passed it on to me (although maybe not in as potent of quantity)

-Humility: My mom is amazing at taking any criticism and asks for it on a regular basis. She apologizes when she's wrong and isn't one for taking credit. She also is a VERY cute, hip grandma, but isn't vain about it. I hope to do better at learning from her on this characteristic.

-Outgoing: My mom has always had a gift with reaching out to others. She can really talk to anyone about just about anything. I used to hate this growing up. She could sit and gab with the store clerk that she just met about whatever. She organized a temple group when I was in middle school and high school and she took us to the temple every Tuesday. She has been & continues to be a part of many groups and organizations. She truly has a way with people to make them feel loved & at ease. I need to watch her more closely & try to emulate this.

-Energetic: TV? Not my mom! I really never remember her ever watching much TV. I am my mom now on this one - I could just as well do without ANY TVs in our home and be just as happy. The thing is that she would always have better ideas for us to do - and she was an active mom - and now she is an active grandma.

-Optimistic: My mom has problems with neck pain and headache pain to name just a couple, but even if she's in pain, when I call & ask how she is, she says something like "Well, I'm just getting over this migraine, but I will feel fantastic soon! Thanks for asking!" She is so optimistic and is great at seeing the bright side.

-Unselfish: This is true in many senses, but right now the specific example that comes to mind is her pregnancies. Four times she went through the nightmare of basically living by the toilet - throwing up all the time and being miserable. Then, later on in pregnancy, she had problems with leg clots, so she had to wear special nylons and she couldn't do much. Really, she sacrificed so much to bring children into this world. This year, ESPECIALLY, my love goes out to her for this unselfish act of love on my behalf.

-Engaged: I read somewhere that once a girl reaches 13, only like 40% of them go to their moms with their concerns, questions, and issues. Kids rely more on their friends, and parents basically give up on communication. Not my mom! Even through those years when I would barely respond to any of her questions about my life, SHE KEPT ASKING! And she asked (lovingly and caringly) until she got answers. Through notes in my school lunch, 1-on-1 talks, and dates she showed me that she cared about me & wasn't about to give up. And it never changed! All through high school, college, marriage, kids, etc, she never disengaged. She has always shown me that she cares about me and my life. This is one quality I hope I hold on to - even when my kids get older.

Christ-like Love: I never questioned if my mom loved me - even when I did or said horrible things - like throwing fits when she'd fix my hair, vandalizing our home and car, sneaking out at night... she wasn't always happy with me, but she LOVED me. And she loved all my siblings. And she loved the people in our ward. And she loved strangers. She just loved, unconditionally. Her testimony of the church and of our Savior isn't something she just shares in a fast & testimony meeting once in a while, she LIVES IT.

Grandma Tew

-Technically Savvy: While other people her age (she turns 80 this year!) shy away from anything technology, she embraces it! That woman has more technical gadgets than I do! She is a scanning, cropping, scrapbooking queen. Seriously. While other people's journals and life stories may have one or two pictures, hers is filled (electronically) with scans of photos, memorabilia, awards, and other great stuff. It makes reading so much more fun. She is amazing!

-Craftiness: This is one area that I REALLY need to work on taking from her. Maybe she'll teach me a 1-on-1 crocheting class. She makes the most beautiful blankets, quilts, afghans, cross-stitch, etc. She keeps saying her hands are getting worse & she'll have to stop, but she keeps going & it is such a sacrifice of love that each of my children have something hand-made from their GG Tew (not to mention countless other grandchildren & great-grandchildren that have benefited from her handiwork).

-Genealogical pursuits: She has such a love (and a gift) for genealogy. She has a HUGE chart - like it would fill your entire wall - with generations & generations of ancestors. For Christmas last year, she spent so much time and effort to make amazing, professional-looking, personalized packets for each family with all the documentation of how we are related to John & Prisciilla from the Mayflower.

-Strength through trial: My grandma lost her son in a terrible accident when he was 5 years old. 2 of her daughters had brain tumors. Both survived (one of them being my mom), but my aunt (having more hardships of her own) hasn't done well and my grandma has taken care of her - even now that she's in her 50s. She has kept the faith, though, and is a great example to me. She went on a mission with my grandpa and serves diligently in the church. She has a great testimony of the plan of salvation & I know she'll be worthy to live with her son again one day.

-Generosity: It would fill this entire blog to list all the generous things she has done & given, but to name a few - she let us stay in her basement apartment free of charge (we helped her around her house) for the first 3 years of our marriage. That one act of love gave us enough money for a large down-payment on our Park City home & enough to be debt-free in this home! She also has let each one of my sisters stay in her basement apartment at different times in our lives. She will never know the full blessing of that basement apartment. And then little things - like giving us money to spend in Phoenix and a wonderful meal - and sending Easter cards. She has so many grandchildren & great-grandchildren, but she makes sure we each feel special. Love you grandma!

Grandma Potts (passed away when I was 16, but still very much shaped my life)

-Determination: Some would unknowingly call this Irish stubbornness, but I would prefer to look at the benefits. She knew what she wanted & she worked hard to get it. I love my grandma for that.

-Good food: She made yummy breakfasts, memorable and delicious Thanksgiving dinners, and always had grapes, 7-up, and a candy jar that never emptied :)

-Cleanliness: She was to the extreme, but this is definitely not a quality I automatically inherited. She always had an orderly house. Always. Even after all 4 or 5 of us had been there for hours, it was as clean as when we came. She picked up constantly. Everything was clean and tidy.

-Love: We always felt loved at Grandma Potts' home. The never-ending treats, smiles, hugs, laughter, reading of books, watching the Disney channel, and cuddles left us knowing that we were never a burden - she always loved having us over.

Grandma Devenish (Jason's mom)

-Optimism: Even when faced with cancer, she was optimistic and amazing. She had & still has such a great attitude.

-Craftiness: She has made the most beautiful blankets for my girls. The pink quilt she made for McKinley is her very favorite blanket & it's the only one she sleeps with most nights. They are truly gifts of love and sacrifice.

-Good food: Her spaghetti & meat sauce is the yummiest! I didn't even like frog-eye salad till I tried hers. Even while camping, she comes up with the best stuff. No doubt about it, she is a great cook!

-Cleanliness: Another gift of hers that I hope to one day emulate. Her house is so clean all the time - and yet, she is so generous to let the grand kids play with all the toys and doesn't get stressed out when we kind of take over the place.

-Strength: Even through 3 divorces, she was always the kind of mom that Jason could look to and find strength, love, and wisdom. And that was while working full-time and raising 2 other siblings. She is a great mom & a great grandma! (she also produced an amazing, handsome, wonderful son!)

April Newsletter & Slideshow

Hey, I'm on time this month. Hooray for me! Here's our story from April:

McKinley: Here’s what our bundle of energy has been up to this month:

-We were in line at Ross & all the sudden McKinley says (rather loudly) “Mom – look at that boy! He has earrings!” Mom tried to shush her & tell her it was OK, but she said “But mom – only GIRLS are supposed to have earrings!” After that we had a little talk about using our quiet voices if she has questions about the way others look.
-We were on the freeway & drove past a huge mound of dirt. McKinley got excited, pointed & said “Look dad – it’s a volcano!”
-We were listening to “This little light of mine” on our stereo and McKinley said “But mom, I can’t let my light shine. It’s too bright!”
-McKinley’s prayer “…and please bless mommy. She has heartburn a lot and is puking a lot because she has a baby in her tummy.”
-Mom asked McKinley one day why she was so beautiful. She said “Because I’m a lady.”
-McKinley was pretty disappointed that we weren’t able to catch the Easter Bunny on Easter morning. She said “maybe if we blow bubbles, he’ll come back!”
-While we were eating dinner one night, McKinley came over to mom, put her hand on her shoulder and said “Mom – I hope you don’t puke that up.”
-For FHE we were singing Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam & putting our hands in the air. McKinley stopped the song & said “Mom – the baby in your tummy has to do the actions, too!”
-McKinley was saying the prayer one morning & was taking a while, so mom helped with “Thank you for the snow.” McKinley repeated “thank you for the snow…(and added) to melt”
-McKinley’s latest thing is telling “secrets.” She doesn’t like to say things out loud, but wants to whisper them (loudly) in your ear.
-McKinley still LOVES to read - probably her favorite book for the past few months has been her pink princess books with all of the classic Disney stories in it. We read it almost every night for bedtime. She LOVES the “Rescue Mice” story.
-McKinley still says “I love you” a lot. One day she said I love you & mom said I love you back. McKinley asked “Always & forever?”

Ireland: Our little girl never ceases to amaze us! Here’s what Ireland has been up to:
-After you give her something, she will often say “Thank you!” And before you can respond she says “welcome!”
-Ireland has been really picky with what she eats this past month. She has pushed most plates away with a “I don’t want it!” and we have to let her pick her cereal each morning or she won’t eat it.
-Ireland still loves ring around the rosies and when she’s in the mood, she’ll just take your hands, start spinning & saying “ashes, ashes!”
-Ireland has been big into assigning everything to everyone lately. She’ll point to something & say “Mommy’s cup” or “Daddy’s hat” or “Kinley’s shoes”
-Ireland is still a shoe maniac. On any given afternoon, you will find approximately 7-10 pairs of various kinds and sizes of shoes strewn throughout the house. She doesn’t stay in one pair for more than a few minutes before she’s looking for another pair to try on.
-Ireland has figured out how to get a cup, get the stool, and get water from the fridge. The problem is that she doesn’t stop there. She likes to get LOTS of water & dump it into other cups – usually on the carpet – and we have lots of big, wet messes. We’ve been locking the water more, but it’s hard for McKinley to unlock.
-Ireland is just like her sister & can’t wait to go somewhere & she get’s REALLY upset if someone leaves without her (especially her daddy). The other day, she brought daddy his shoes, mommy her shoes, and said “let’s go!”
-Ireland has amazed & surprised us with what she knows. She brings us letters from our Word Whammer on the fridge and actually knows probably 5 or 6 of the letters without us helping her. She also loves to point at the letters on our keyboard.
-Ireland is starting to learn colors and can sing most of the alphabet and still loves to count to 3.
-Ireland has been really whiney lately & we’re not sure why – especially in the afternoons. She’s been going to bed pretty early because she just won’t calm down, but then she’s been getting up at 6:30am!

Alaskan Inn

Jason & I celebrated our anniversary this week (it's really May 12, but this was the only week Jason had off school,). We debated on where to go - even talked about Cancun (glad we didn't go down there), but we both really liked the Alaskan Inn (up Ogden Canyon) when we went on our 1st anniversary & they had a great deal in April, so off we went for 4 days & 3 nights of wonderful togetherness. We enjoyed watching movies, eating at YUMMY restaurants, attending the Ogden temple (neither of us had been there), hiking, going to the Hill Aerospace Museum, and, of course, sleeping in and taking lots of naps. It was really heavenly. I so much enjoyed spending 1-on-1, uninterrupted time with my sweetheart and best friend. As much as I miss my girls, we really feel this time every year (or twice a year if we can get it) is so important for our marriage. We feel so blessed to have had wonderful anniversaries every year. We were feeling a bit old when we had a hard time remembering where we went for all our anniversaries, but we finally came up with them:

1st Anniversary: The Alaskan Inn
2nd: Cruise to the Caribbean
3rd: Forest Service Cabin on Boise NF with our new puppies
4th: B&B hopping from Emigration Canyon to Payson to Manti to Capitol Reef
5th: Canary Islands, Spain
6th: Anniversary Inn
7th: Jackson Hole
8th: Hawaii
9th: Alaskan Inn

Each one has such fond memories and I am SO thankful that we've been able to take time out to celebrate and gain perspective and closeness each year. THANK YOU Cindy, Mom & Trisha for watching our girls. We love you!

Here's some pics from our trip:

The Glacier Cabin

Mmmm - one of our favorite Restaurants - Boccia D'Italia

Another amazing restaurant - Gray Cliff Restaurant. This place had like 7 courses.

Middle Fork Trail (do not ask my why Jason brought a football)

Indian Trail (so so beautiful)

Jason & the B-52 @ the Aerospace Museum

F-16. Jason Looooved seeing all these planes. We were here for 3 hours.

Fun (??) Day Friday

Most every Friday for the past few months we've had Family Fun Day Friday. McKinley loves it. She gets so excited. We've gone swimming, to the Aquarium, sometimes to the park, sometimes out to eat, and a couple weeks ago we went to Jumpin' Jacks in West Jordan. It was really great when we went - hardly anyone there & tons of stuff for them to jump around on. McKinley had SO much fun & was always asking to go back.

Yesterday rolled around & we had a coupon for Jumpin' Jacks so we thought we'd go back, but this time we went later in the day. I don't know if there were a hundred birthday parties going on or they had some kind of radio event going on, but it was CRAZY crowded. Like a million kids. So... scratch that. Poor McKinley was absolutely broken-hearted. I could hardly get her back in the car. We explained to her the problem - and that she'd probably only get to go on 1 or 2 slides. So - we suggested that we go to McDonald's & play and eat ice cream. At first, she didn't want to, but the idea sounded better & off we went.

Isn't it funny how McDonald's playlands seem to be everywhere you look until you're actually wanting to find one? Well, we drove around & finally ended up about 15 minutes away - at the 5400 S. & Redwood Rd one. Whew! We're here! Good thing... Ireland is getting fussy. Wait a minute! Their playland is all torn down. What the?? Ok... deep breath. More explaining to McKinley. We'll find another one. We head over to 4500 S. (and around a car accident), pull in the parking lot - no play place!! OK - are you serious? Now, Ireland is really getting mad & McKinley keeps asking where the play place is. Grrrr. So - keep going, McDonald's on State Street - no play place.

So - after about an hour of driving around, we finally get to the Arctic Circle at 7200 S. & State Street. It has a PlayZone. By this time, I'm thinking that this Friday isn't such a fun day anymore.

At least the kids finally ended up having fun (although, apparently McKinley was under the impression that we were going BACK to the jumping place after the ice cream).
Oh - and did I mention that Jason & I were in separate vehicles because he had to go to school afterward? It added just that much more fun to our Friday!!

Ice cream - finally!

Ireland had so much fun once we got there


I have no idea why she's making this face

Home Birth

After much prayer & meeting with several midwives, we have decided to have a home birth with this baby.
Before you think I must have lost one too many brain cells with my last 2 pregnancies, let me explain our reasons:

1. I have to admit, the first thing that caught my attention was the price. With Jason being "self-employed," our co-pay for this next baby would be $7,500. Shea...HOLY COW! The cost of a home birth midwife, everything included, is typically $1,500-$2,500. But we would pay that $7,500 in a heartbeat if we thought there was danger with this home birth or if we didn't feel right about it.

2. If you wonder about the safety of home births, go here: http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/
even better, watch the entire movie. Bottomline - home births with experienced midwives have the same infant mortality rate as hospital births and the U.S. stands alone with almost all our births in hospitals. Every other country (including our "civilized" counterparts) have mostly midwives delivering babies and many of those at home.

3. I am actually really looking forward to our home birth experience. McKinley's birth was so opposite of what I wanted. I guess no one told me (or I didn't understand) that this doctor we'd developed a relationship with over 9+ months, who I'd seen every time, who knew me and my baby DID NOT run the show. This random (crazy, pitocin-cranking, "we do things my way") nurse was in charge and I felt totally helpless. I ended up getting my water broken, pitocin, and an epidural right before I gave birth. Yes, I got my beautiful healthy baby girl, but it was NOT the way I wanted it. Ireland was much better. I had a CNM there & she ran the show, but she didn't have to do much since I was already at an 8 when I went in. I kind of wish I would have had a home birth with that one, since I just got to the hospital & she was born and hour or two later. So - there you go. I know who is going to be here. I know who is running the show. I don't have to have needles and poking and questions. I can just focus on bringing my baby into this world and working through the pain.

4. My sister had her last 2 at home and had a great experience. There is also someone in our ward I've talked to quite a bit that had 5 of her 7 children at home. I also went to a forum for home births and was pleased to find that they were all women like me - not hippies or poor people or whatever. Most of them were just looking for better birth experiences.

My midwife is pretty holistic. So - I'm working on opening my mind to tea with all kinds of herbs in it, drinking chlorophyll (yeah..we'll see about that one), and eating better overall - including more veggies. It will be good for me to have her "on my shoulder" reminding me to take better care of my body. Maybe if I strive to eat better, it will make me start to feel a whole lot better. The nausea is better, but the heartburn and indigestion still have plagued me.

She's in Pleasant Grove, but it's a quick 30 minute drive and the girls love to come & see her & today we got to hear the heartbeat again. There are very few sounds in this world that touch a woman's heart like the sound of your baby's heartbeat. It makes me feel so worthwhile - even if I've seemingly done nothing but incubate this life in the past 3 months. It also makes me feel incredibly blessed. We passed a billboard with a number to call to help with infertility. I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving that we have been so blessed.

Easter Fun

Yup, finally getting around to posting Easter pics. It was a fun week for the most part. I taught preschool that week and the first day we talked about fun things like bunnies and eggs. The next preschool day we talked about the true meaning of Easter. The kids were really good for the most part & loved learning about Jesus.
On Saturday, Grandma & Grandpa Potts sponsored an Easter egg-stravagansa. It started at Wheeler Farm in the morning (along with at least 1/2 of Salt Lake. Wow - it was crazy!). The kids had a great time on the bouncy slides and McKinley had her first cotton candy. They also loved to see the animals. After that, we headed to the Potts for lunch (fried chicken w/ all the fixins!) and an Easter Egg Hunt. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!
Sunday was great & they got their baskets and looked for eggs downstairs. Then they got in their new Easter dresses. We also had a great time at church. Happy belated Easter!


Wheeler Farm - RAINY! but fun!

McKinley on the bouncy slide

Grandma w/ the little ones after their egg hunt

Dyeing eggs

Bubbles in their baskets!

Don't know why this picture is sideways, but Ireland was excited to find eggs this year.

McKinley in her Easter dress

Ireland's CHEESE!

I tried SO HARD to get a good picture of both of them, but this was the best I got.

Ready for church!

March Newsletter & Slideshow

Better late than never, right? Sorry. Anyway, here they are. I wasn't as good at taking pics or capturing stuff from the girls this month, but ya got what ya got! Below is the slideshow & funny stuff from the kids. To the right is the link to the newsletter.

McKinley: McKinley is our never-ending ray of sunshine and questions. Here’s what she’s been doing:
-After going to the Draper Temple open house, we asked her what her favorite part was. Her answer, without hesitation, was “cookies!” (they had cookies in the church afterwards)
-We were at grandma’s house & Aunt Cindy was asking grandma “Is this your primary printer mom?” McKinley piped up “Hey, I went to primary today!”
-McKinley continues to be our backseat driver letting us know about red lights & stop signs, telling us to slow down, and to be careful when we change lanes.
-McKinley wasn’t feeling good after preschool. She was sitting on the couch and said “Mom, I don’t feel good. I forgot to not go to preschool!”
-McKinley has had a few really neat prayers including one that said “Thank you for my family. They’re nice. They’re not mean. They’re wonderful. They’re so so special.”
-McKinley has started to learn the art of buttering up. Mom gave her 2 choices (like do this or go to your room). McKinley said “I choose…to love you!”
-Mommy had told McKinley she couldn’t watch a movie. McKinley waited a minute and then said “But mommy, Jesus said I could!”
- We were doing our family council & asked McKinley what was something that made her happy. She said “My face. I like my face! I can make silly faces, sad faces, happy faces…” We love her face, too!
-Ireland had dropped Jason’s phone in a cup of water & it looked completely ruined. Daddy was frustrated, but McKinley walked over to him, put her hand on his shoulder and said “Daddy, you got to pray to Jesus.” So, they said a prayer, waited for it to dry, and the next day it worked. Thank you, McKinley, for your faith!!
-McKinley has been playing the game “Guess what?...I love you!” a lot. We get to hear “I love you” so much from our little girl & we LOVE it!
-McKinley overheard us trying to decide on a Chinese restaurant. We were getting ready to go & McKinley excitedly yelled to Ireland “We’re going to China Ireland! Hooray!”
-She was staring at mommy’s face one day and said “Mom, you have a crack in your eyes” We had a talk about blood vessels after that :)
-One day during naptime/quiet time, McKinley took all the clothes off her bottom hangers. We walked in to see what was going on. She had made a pile of white hangers, and a pile of colored hangers. We asked her to put all the clothes back on the hangers. She cried for help again later, and when mom went in, she was so upset because she had used all the colored hangers for the colored clothes & thought she couldn’t use the white hangers to hang the colored clothes with.
-McKinley has been dressing in lots of layers lately. She always wants to put a long sleeved shirt under a t-shirt. Mom has given her much liberty lately with her clothing, and some outfits have been interesting.
-McKinley was downstairs when mom had to throw up. She went in there & stood by the toilet, put her hand on mom’s shoulder and said “I’m right here, mom” (and kept saying that). And then she said “Mom, all the time you are puking – all the time!”

IRELAND: Ireland has been a little mischief-maker this month and seems to always be getting into something. She is so fun, though, and we LOVE her!
-Ireland has been on a “Moma, Dada” kick lately. If one of us isn’t there, she wants the other one. She always wants us both in the same room at the same time.
-Mom was sitting on the bed, telling daddy “I feel crappy” Ireland piped up “Happy? Feel Happy?”
-One of the most frustrating, mischievous things Ireland has done this month is taking the keyboard keys off the laptop. It’s happened 3 times now, and the first time was the worst – she had about ¾ of the keys off.
-Every time the TV is turned on, Ireland gets SO excited and says “Signing Time, Signing Time!” And she begs for it all day and gets so upset when it’s turned off.
-Ireland has started to get a bit bossy toward her sister and will say “Stop it Kinley!” or “Don’t Kinley!”
-Mom & Dad hear this from the backseat of the car: Ireland: “Panties!” Mc: Ireland – NO! You DON’T wear panties!” (this went on for about 10 minutes – each time Ireland’s “panties!” getting more giddy and McKinley’s NO’s getting more frustrated – almost to tears)
-Mom always thought Ireland was saying “Oh no, Oh no”, but realized one day while wiping Ireland’s ouchie (rash) bum, that Ireland was saying “I know, I know” because that’s what mom always says when she’s wiping her bum (as in I know this hurts, I’m sorry)
-Another frustrating thing we’ve dealt with this month is coloring on the walls. One time, she colored on the same wall 3 times in a row. We’ve done time-outs and taken all writing utensils away, but she somehow finds them. Hopefully this is a fast phase – and thankfully WD-40 has taken it off.
-We’re thinking Ireland is going to be left-handed. Not certain, but she always uses her left hand to write with and eat with.
-Ireland is still taking her pants and diaper off constantly.
-Ireland has been saying cute prayers & if you help her a little bit “Thank Thee For…” she’ll fill in the blank with lots of things. It’s so cute to listen to her pray. We’re just working on being a bit more reverent during the prayer.
-Ireland really doesn’t walk anymore. She runs all over the place – even if it’s just down the hall. She’s always in a hurry to get someplace.