"Dog with a bone"

Ever hear the phrase "dog with a bone?" I often refer to my grandma and mother as a dog with a bone. They get an idea and don't rest until they reach their goal.

I was that dog with a bone yesterday. My mission started at noon when I opened the oven and a screw from the handle flew out at me...and then vanished. I searched and searched and then thought, maybe it fell between the glass and the door. So I took out the screw on the other side to look between the panels.....and that screw flew out at me and the whole door and glass fell off and apart. And the second screw went missing. What the heck??? And this is hapenning while Chad is two hours away and fishing.

I look EVERYWHERE for these two screws. Under everything....the oven, the fridge, everywhere. They are gone. No kidding.

Online it shows me I can order two screws for this oven for $5 plus $7 shipping.....are you kidding me? I figure: Chad built this house...there must be two screws in his garage that will work.

I am on a mission! I try a dozen. And I find two that will work, until I get the correct ones ordered.

By 7pm, the job is done.....yes, 7pm.....that's what two kids will do......stretch your day wayyyyy out.

I was proud of myself.....Chad was ticked......he is sure I stripped the threads....we'll see.

The best part.......I woke up this morning to find Natalie working on her oven. LOL LOL LOL She told us her door is broken and she needs to fix it. LOL LOL This made it all worth it.

All the while, Baby Brett is happy as a clam.....he is sitting up now and it's a whole new world to him.

Spring is in the air

Spring is just around the corner, although I have to remind myself that March can be one of the coldest months in Flagstaff. It is no secret that I am SOOOO over this winter. Last week was just GORGEOUS. It got cold again today, but before it did, we had a picnic yesterday. All Nat's idea. And a great one at that.

Brett loved being outdoors.....although I doubt he will ever be the Sun Baby Natalie is.....he definitely has his Daddy's fair skin.

He found his feet....loves them.

"Open Wide" Nat's First Visit to the Dentist

Natalie had her first dentist appointment on Friday. She was so excited about it and talked about it for weeks. She has been reading two books at home for weeks....one being The Berenstein Bears Visit the Dentist. She couldn't wait to see all the tools, just like in the book! LOL

Waiting Her Turn

She knew all about the "bib." Miss Donna was so nice and sweet.

She was thrilled to have "Baby Sister" with her the whole time.


Miss Donna searching for "sugar bugs".

She thought the suction tube was hysterical....she even got to use it on Baby Sister.

Getting "sparkly" teeth with her new Princess toothbrush.


"I like going to the Dentist Mamma."

It was a great visit for Natalie...not so much for Mommy! read: start flossing!

Anyhow, she cannot wait to go back. And she asks to use her Princess toothbrush at least four times a day. LOL The coolest part was when she got to watch a movie while Mommy had her teeth cleaned!

The rest of our weekend was a little crazy. The kids ended up getting sick. Baby Brett got his 6month shots and a flu shot Thursday and has been miserable since. Although, he is such a sweet kid, he is still smiling in between tears! LOL Natalie had a terrible cough and runny nose for days! Not fun....no one got much sleep this weekend.

I know he does not look sick.....but he was. LOL

About three minutes before I took this photo he threw up his entire dinner.....his second vomit session of the day (breakfast too).

Told you so....he really is sick. He has never fallen asleep in his high chair before.


Looking forward to a healthier week!

V is for Valentine

Chad and I are celebrating our Valentine's Day next weekend in Vegas....headed there for a wedding. So today was all about Valentine's Day as a family.....not so romantic I know!!

Baby Brett got a FABULOUS gift for his first Valentine's Day.....his first tooth! He woke up this morning playing with his tongue and blowing bubbles! Sure enough......it had broken through! And he has been blowing bubbles all day!

He is six months old tomorrow and he is still just the best little baby ever. I am so in love with him.....the kid never cries.... he is always sooo happy. God is sending us a message for sure: Have more babies!

Nat is such a good big sister.....she still likes him. She welcomes him so warmly every morning and after each nap. "Good morning baby boy. I love you. How's my Bubbas?" she says. Melts your heart!

We got alot of snow this week, so Chad and Nat had some fun this afternoon. They made a huge snowman and a few snow angels.

We used pieces from our Mr Potato Head and he turned out great.

The snow was pretty deep for the snow angels....Chad and Nat had their own system of getting her into fresh snow!!

She was so proud! Daddy too.

"I'm a Princess Mama....look at me, I'm a Princess."

So Natalie has been asked to be the flower girl in two weddings this next year.....Chad's cousin Nicole is getting married this June and my cousin Adrienne is getting married next January. We have tried to explain to Nat what this means.....and it all came together for her the day we took her to the bridal shop to be fitted for her dress.

She was thrilled....and it was ALL ABOUT the dress. She looked darling and danced around the place like a little Cinderella. Well, not quite as graceful......if she wasn't careful, she could have easily danced a tear right thru the hem! She was sad to take it off and didn't understand that she had to wait for hers to come in the mail.

I cried of course! My little girl is not so little anymore. Ok, help me, how do I convince Chad to have more babies?

Happy New Year! Yes, I am a month late! And much later on getting this blog updated. I have no great excuse!

Christmas was wonderful. We travelled to Colorado the week before to spend it with the Aukers. We had a wonderful time....and the kids did incredible on the 12 (supposed to be 8) hour drive....we hit lots of weather! But they were troopers!

Baby Brett got a Bumbo....quite a cool/funny thing. He likes it.

Grandma and Grandpa with the kiddos

Family Pic

Nat enjoyed her cousins so much this trip. She is at just the perfect age. She had a hay day with the whoopie cushion (my sweet little girl...not anymore) It was hysterical. She got asked to be in her first wedding....she will be in Nicole and Blake's wedding this June as the flower girl. We can't wait.

Brett got in some special time with everyone too. He started teething that week....but didn't let it get him down too much! He got to meet the rest of his family in Colorado!

Great Grandma with the kiddos!

Our 2008 Christmas card pic......seriously, I am pretty sure I bought my kids on EBAY as they look nothing like me.

We headed to Phx for the rest of the week. It was a lovely time. Santa brought Nat her first kitchen! She loves it. She and Nana played "Restaurant" for days.

Baby Brett got a quad....too funny!

We stopped by John's firehouse on Christmas Eve.....I got to out on a call....I am a sucker for them! We missed JJ at Gram's but he was with us the rest of the week!





I apologize.....not too many fun details with this blog....I cannot let a month go by without updating. I forget all the fun details. It was a great week and a half....snow storms and all. And we are a month into the new year! More fun blogs to follow!

25 Random Facts about Me!

So, there is this list going around FB. I got sucked in. It was very fun to read them from friends/family. I finally took ten minutes to do mine. I got a bit of heat from some friends/family on a few items........and truly, it is not meant to offend/upset anyone. It is what it is: my list of 25 facts about me!

Share Rules:Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app), then click publish.)

1. I NEVER thought I would still be living in Flagstaff AZ after college, but I do and I LOVE it. The summers make it ALL worth it. And really....it is still so close to Phx.

2. If you had asked me three months ago, I would have told you I was done having babies....and now I am trying desperately to convince Chad to have TWO more with me.

3. I often think about what life would have been like for me if I had followed my dream of being a broadcast news reporter. But at the same time, I have no regrets!

4. It bugs me when perople tell me that my children are so well behaved/good/mild mannered because they were born that way!

5. When I am in a fight with my husband I sit back and think that if it were not for him I would not be the mother to the two most precious little people in my life. My mom was not kidding when she told me that once you have kids, you cannot imagine life without them. And it makes me love my husband more no matter how mad I am at him.

6. I did not enjoy being pregnant....and it was pretty textbook!

7. I broke my arm as a kid when I tried doing a cartwheel off the top bunk of my bunk bed.

8. I lead a Bible study weekly out of our home, a huge challenge to me, but I have grown soooo much. And learned ALOT.

9. My four years at NAU were the most FUN years I have lived....however, I am so glad they are behind me and I cherish my life today! It only gets better each day!

10. I am a people-pleaser...to a fault sometimes.

11. My mom and sis are the greatest travel buddies ever: New York City (2x) Hollywood, Chicago, San Antonio, Boston, San Diego and coming this May the Western Carribbean.

12. I am absolutely in love with my son...I could eat him right up...and my daughter.....I can't even tell you....I hate to see her grow up so fast....they are my joys in life.

13. My very first sale as a liscenced investment banker was for $1,000.000.00....really, it was. I was on cloud nine.

14. This last holiday was the first time in ten years that I actually thought I could live in Montrose Colorado...it has come a long ways.

15. I am ALWAYS striving to be less judgemental.

16. I am Pro Life.

17. I am a conservative.

18. I have a love for junk food (particularly Fast Food joints, JIB being my favorite.)

19. And I wonder why I cannot lose all of this baby weight!

20. I belong to Jazzercise...it is not just for old ladies....but I do need to go more often.

21. It grieves me to hear people say "I don't believe in Christ." I am a Christian and it makes me sad to think of not having some friends and family members with me in Heaven.

22. I need to devote more of my time to God, prayer, Scripture.

23. I don't know how to drive stick

24. I am a scrapbooker...but I am very behind!

25. My "to do list" is wayyyy too long to have actually completed this survery thing!