Yes, I'm still here!

So here is the update on baby time. I have been dilated to 3 for almost 2 weeks now. Every night I have contractions and think that this could be it but then I go to bed and wake up the next morning a little disappointed that nothing happened. So each day I would come up with something to do to pass the time because it couldn't possibly crawl by any slower. I am so ready and the time really seems to be going by slowly. I really have been trying to enjoy every last little bit of this pregnancy but that is becoming more and more difficult. I am truly exhausted and my body aches all the time but I'm trying not to complain too much. So I have really been nesting like crazy to pass the time. I have scrubbed all the baseboards in the house and cleaned under every bed. Organized Most cupboards and closets and now have a huge pile of stuff to take to DI. Painted and hung a shelf in the boys room. Packed my bags. Stocked the shelves full of groceries. Made a receiving blanket. Washed about 10 loads of dirty laundry. Cleaned the bathrooms. Pruned some lilacs and trees out back. Made some cute hair bands and clips for the girls. Attended a Surprise Baby Shower (Thanks to all my in-laws, Danny and kids for planning it). I am feeling a little guilty that I didn't do my visiting teaching this month but I did plan and carry out two Achievement Day activities last week. One of which was the Daddy/Daughter Night. Any way there is so much more but I won't bore you with the rest. So now that I have completely worn my self out I will be going in to the hospital today to be induced and would you believe I'm still thinking of things I could do today while I wait for a room to become available? But I do think I'll rest today and there better be a room for me today because I really don't know what I'll do if I wake up in my bed one more time!!!! And if one more person asks me why I'm still around I just might scream!!!!!!!

Last Time Around

When I found out that I was pregnant this time around I finally felt like we were done having babies and so I vowed to make this pregnancy special. I wanted to try and remember everything about it and enjoy each part. It has been a little hard to enjoy it the last couple of months but we are nearing the end and I realized that I had never taken a picture of my pregnant belly with any of the other pregnancies. So that is why I had Danny take these pictures for me. I felt kind of silly but they really are just for me anyway. I'm sharing them now but don't count on seeing them again. They won't be blown up and hung on my wall anywhere because I realize that I'm not the cutest pregnant lady out there. They are really just for me. To remind of what it was like being pregnant. They aren't professional pictures or anything but I think they turned out quite nice. I'm glad I did it.

Don't Worry Be Happy

Yesterday was our first day of school. It was really exciting and the kids couldn't wait to get out the door in the morning. They are going to a new school this year and I have been worried about them making new friends and liking the choice we made to send them to the charter school but they really seem to be great with it. Audrie was a little nervous to walk in alone so I walked her to her classroom but once she saw her teacher she didn't even look back to see me leave. Her teacher is Mrs. Hatch and our next door neighbor so she really felt comfortable but it was long day for her. Audrie is in the first grade and she looked pretty tired when she got home but said she made some new friends. Reed is in the third grade and has a really nice teacher Mrs. Seeley. He was really excited as well and made some new friends. I really haven't been worried about Reed because his neighbor and best friend Spencer also goes to school there. Paige is in the fifth grade and I have been the most worried about her. She had been at the other school for so long and had lots of good friends that she was leaving behind. Plus she was giving me a really hard time about wearing ugly uniforms. I don't blame her though because I kind of missed shopping for cute outfits too, but in the end she came home happy. She said she made 4 new friends right away. I don't know why I worry because she is so good at making friends and being kind to everyone. So I think I can leave my worries behind and thank goodness I didn't have a kindergartener this year or I probably would have been in tears for sure. Over all it was a good day but a very busy one. The two little girls and I had the whole day to ourselves. I haven't had a day with only two kids in years. Too bad it will only last a few more weeks and then I'll be back to 3 little ones to look after all day. So the little girls had doctors appointments and they each got caught up on their immunizations so it was a little rough because they didn't feel good most of the day but we went to the store (which actually went well as you all know I don't take kids to the store) and bought some play dough and had lunch at the park so I think that made up for it. The kids got off to school this morning without a hitch and it is just the little girls and I again. I'm not sure what to do with the quiet but It sure is nice. I am truly happy that summer is over and we are back to learning and routines. I love going back to school.

200 Haves and Have Nots

A way to journal some things you have done or not done in your life.All you have to do is copy the list and bold what you have done. (Select the list, CTRL-C copies it, CTRL-V pastes it into your blog, select the list and CTRL-B bolds everything, then do CTRL-B again and everything will be un-bolded and ready for you to play.) I added my own info in parentheses. Feel free to delete those on your own list.

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said "I love you" and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow (and a goat)

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don't

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business (but never followed through)

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone (words, not fists)

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped (watched) an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money (do scholarships count?)

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ( helped Danny at church dances)

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone kayaking in the ocean

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Gone deep-sea fishing

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Commented on a stranger's blog

Boys! Who needs them?

When you have little girls like Meridee it really makes you wonder why we thought we even needed another boy around here. With all the mud and torturing of worms that goes on around here one would think that we already had a house full of boys.
There was so much mud on Meridee and Audrie that Danny decided to just spray them down with the hose before letting them in the house. What a mess!


Really we love that we are getting a boy really soon and we just can't wait to meet him but these girls of ours can definitely keep up with the mayhem.

There isn't a whole lot going on around here right now. Accept that I still have a million and one things on my to do list and zero motivation to do anything about it.

Danny left for St George this morning to visit with some of his family and to finally bring Paige home from her 5 week long trip to California with Grandma Nordstrom. We have really missed her and can't wait to see her on Wednesday.

Do you ever do things that you think are good but then in hindsight wish you never did. Well I do it all the time. Yesterday was fast Sunday and for the first time in years I actually bore my testimony. My family members are shocked I'm sure but ever since mom died I have had a really difficult time wanting to do it. It's not that I don't have a testimony because I do but I think that my emotions run so high that I get way too embarrassed about the crying and between the crying and the fact that everyone is looking at me just makes me nervous and then when it is all over I realize that I didn't really say exactly what I wanted to and then realize after the fact that it must have sounded pretty stupid and the worst part for me is afterwards when people come up to you and thank you for sharing but that only makes things worse for me. I really just don't want to be noticed. I wish there was a better way of sharing testimonies. I would much rather write it down and let others read it. Oh well what can I do. It's over and I'm sure nobody will remember it but it sure makes me think twice about doing it again anytime soon.

Well I don't have much else to say right now other than that I noticed I left out a key ingredient on my syrup recipe from a few posts back. So if you tried it and hated it that would be because there is 1 whole cup of sugar missing from the recipe. I have been trying some other breakfast recipes lately as well but most of them have been flops. If you have any ideas for healthy breakfasts I would really love to hear them. Please share.

Summer So Far

It has been way too long since I blogged last. Food storage was big on my priorities in my last post but since then our summer got kinda busy. We have been playing with friends and swimming. At the end of June we went to Idaho with Grandpa Passey for a Lee Reunion. It was a fast overnight trip to Rexburg but we had 24 hrs of fun(Thanks Dad). The next weekend I went on another scrapbooking retreat with friends and then we were off to Taylor, AZ for the Passey Family Reunion. It too was a lot of fun but I can honestly say I am ready to stay home and relax. My huge pregnant body just doesn't want to do anything else. When I was pregnant with Paige I told Danny to let me know if I ever turn into one of those complaining, whinny pregnant women. Well the last couple of pregnancies I have been one of those ladies. It is way too hot even when the air is on, I'm sick of maternity clothes and envy girls with regular jeans on. My back hurts and I have a herniated belly button. I don't feel very beautiful right now at all but Danny reassures me that I am pretty and the big belly is actually not ugly but beautiful. Isn't he sweet? My hair is too long and in my face and I can't wait for Shanda to get up here so I can do something with it(also excited for your company too by the way not just your hair cutting abilities). Well Paige is in California with Grandma Nordstrom for the whole month and so the house is a little quieter but not with out craziness. Would you believe that Audrie super glued her eye shut yesterday? Anyway the summer is nearly over and yet there are so many things I wanted to do but it is quickly going by and it will be time to send kids back to school. Which I am excited about and then this new little baby will be here soon after that and our lives will be turned upside down once again.