Lovin' Life

A Card Lover

2012-01-30T17:49:00.001-08:00

Not the Arizona Cards, but rather birthday cards. This one was from her Grandma Susie (who her middle name was given for). She also got one from her Aunt Brandi. You'd think being a little baby she wouldn't care for a card, but she loves them. Here she is carrying the remnants of one all around the house.

The Week of the Olive

2012-01-30T17:41:00.001-08:00

I declare this the week of the Olive. I thought after having twins I might not be able to adore our next little baby. But this little girl brought a whole new level of preciousness.

Kid Humor

2012-01-30T05:57:00.001-08:00

One afternoon last week Heber and Hannah were putting there feet on their "fish puzzle," saying "Mommy look, feet on fish! Mommy look, feet on fish!"
They giggled and laughed about it for a while and kept trying to tell me how funny it was. They got a big kick out of it.
It is interesting how when they're young, we think kids' humor is strange. And someday when they're older, they'll be rolling their eyes as I'm laughing up a storm. I better soak it up while I can.

Virginia Tech

2012-01-27T15:17:00.001-08:00

This is the building that I work/study in 5 days a week as well as the bus that I ride to commute there. The campus landscape and buildings at Virginia Tech are quite a contrast from those at Arizona State University.

Lovely Bones and Chicken Bones

2012-01-26T19:02:00.001-08:00

Home-Style Southern Cooking

2012-01-25T16:17:00.001-08:00

Last week Rachel and I went to this highly recommended bbq restaurant. It's called Due South. The food alone was authentic and there was an array of different bbq sauces. The spicy one is their award winning sauce and ws indeed my favorite. However, the live bluegrass, baptist band gave it it's signature touch. I soaked it all in knowing that these fun experiences won't last forever.

2012 Goal Schedule

2012-01-22T16:06:00.000-08:00

2012 is almost a month underway which means that New Year's resolutions are just starting to fizzle out. My sister Jana recently posted on her 2012 goals and I thought I'd follow suit.

I am a goal setter. My father is a goal setter. His father was a goal setter. If I had a dog, it wouldn't be an english or irish setter, but a goal setter. On top of that, I grew up playing sports that instilled a competitive drive to achieve hard things. I served a mission for my church in which everything you do seems to revolve around a a little planner with monthly, weekly and daily goals.

Sometimes I enjoy planning more than carrying out my plans. I imagine all that can be, and then casually go about my way. In the past I have carefully categorized the different areas of my life—family, personal, physical, professional, spiritual, etc.—and then set ambitious goals for each one. However, this has often led to conflicts between goals and misuse of my time for those things that are most important.

I have often been critical of how one goes about setting goals, insisting that they must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based goals. I would draw from motivational self-help books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and How to Win Friends and Influence People and use vision and mission statements and other success principles to guide my goal setting.

While I have found these to be valuable, I took a different approach this year. I still thought about the new year and all the possibilities it holds, but I went with my gut and took an approach that was foreign to even me. I only set goals for my daily and weekly routine. I'm still not sure if it is a valid method, but it's done. Here it is:

Monday - Fridays
6-7am: Gospel Study. A combination of scripture study, prayer, reading gospel books, taking notes and writing.

7-8am: Exercise. Right now I do about a half an hour of P90X, go for a run, or ride the stationary bike.

9am-6pm: School, work and whatever else related to my professional life.

6:30-8:30pm: Family Time. I try to leave the day behind me at this point and turn my focus on my wife and kids, including helping out around the house, playing with and reading to kids, etc.

9-10pm: Wind down. This is where I acknowledge that the day is over and if it hasn't gotten done by now then it can wait until tomorrow. I use this time to journal and do light reading.

Saturdays are flexible

Sundays are focused on activities that help "keep [my]self unspotted from the world...rest from [my] labors...pay [my] devotions" to God.

Three weeks into the new year I am glad that I have chosen to do it this way. It has really helped me to avoid making goals that push me too hard and end up taking time from more important things, especially time with my family.

However, this only works, I believe, because I already have a general idea of what my long and short term goals are. Additionally, as I go along I am setting goals that are appropriate, instead of doing them all at the beginning of the year. This is definitely not a recommendation for how everyone should go about goal setting, but it is working well for me.

Birthday Girl

2012-01-19T18:13:00.001-08:00

Today Ollie-pop turned 1. Here is a picture of her after waking up and just before going to bed (Although they both look like she is waking up).

Morning

Night

Little Ones

2012-01-17T18:01:00.001-08:00

This picture captures our kids personalities well.
Hebes: Hyperactive and Over-aggressive
Hans: Preoccupied and Mischievous
OlliePop: Sweet and Oblivious

Thoughts on Motherhood

2012-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

I have read and thought a lot about motherhood. Makes sense, since it is my chosen career. I have been reading to see how I can be a better mom and if I am going in the right direction.

A mother is a nurturer. However, that seems to encompass so much. How do I know if I am nurturing? How do I know what are the most critical aspects of nurturing?

Then I found an old pamphlet called To the Mother's in Zion. I found a section at the end of the pamphlet called "Ten Ways to Spend Time with Children". The pamphlet expounds more on each of them but here they are just listed:
1. Be at the crossroads
2. Be a real friend
3. Read to your children
4. Pray with your children
5. Have weekly family home evening
6. Be together at mealtimes
7. Read scriptures daily as a family
8. Do things as a family
9. Teach your children (moral principles, how to work, etc.)
10. Truly love your children

It seems like simple stuff but I just love having the list. It's nice knowing what I can work on and what I already am doing. Now as I am doing the things on that list, I feel a reassurance of how important each of these things are and that makes me enjoy them even more.

Potty Training

2012-01-14T07:21:00.001-08:00

Today is dedicated to potty training, something that you can only appreciate if you've had to deal with it. Hannah seems to be taking to it more enthusiastically. Any suggestions for us rookies?

Our Quirky Little Hannah

2012-01-12T18:12:00.001-08:00

Military Spouse

2012-01-09T15:40:00.001-08:00

These posters are displayed in the entrance of my Air Force Squadron. Even though my wife, Rachel, has not yet had to endure a deployment, she still deserves credit for her sacrifice every time I have to leave for another week or two for duty. Thank you, sweetheart.

Voter and Candidate Trends

2012-01-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

The GOP Primary elections are underway now with the Iowa caucuses last week, New Hampshire voting this week and South Carolina and Florida finishing up the month of January. It is an understatement to say that it interests me. The truth is it consumes too much of my time. In fact, I have earned the "Ultimate Badge" on Google News.

That's right. Not a bronze, silver, gold or even platinum. An ULTIMATE! And, of course, along the way I have developed my preferences in candidates. But I don't want to campaign (too much) for anyone here. I just want to point out some things that I have learned from the rise and fall of the candidates in the polls.

You hear about a new poll everyday on the radio, the TV, internet, etc. I am naturally skeptical of each poll, e.g. Who was polled? How many? How was the question worded? But recently I ran across this chart below. I like it because it averages many, many polls (eliminating error) and gives us a real picture of what is going on in this election.

Real Clear Politics

So here is my analysis. Based on this graph I think you can divide the candidates into 3 categories:

The High Roller This category belongs to Mitt Romney alone. Not only is he a high roller in money, but in support. He has sailed rather steadily above his opponents ranging from 20-30%. What does this tell us? He is the candidate that the most people can agree on. But at the same time the people are search frantically for somebody—ANYbody— else. Enter group 2.
Humpers Now this one requires a closer look at the graph but is interesting in what it reveals. The candidates in this group are Michelle Bachmann (dropped out), Rick Perry, Herman Cain (dropped out), Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum. All of them have stayed at about 10% or lower since June with the exception of 1, short-lived rise. Back in August it was Bachmann (small black hump on the left). Then Perry (large blue hump) who seemed to have dethroned Romney before he even said a word (unfortunately, for him, he kept talking). When he fell, right away Cain (red hump) got his rise and fall as a result of the additional media attention. But before he could even completely come down, another rose to replace him, i.e. Gingrich (large green hump). It does not take a genius to know what is going to happen. His fifteen minutes of fame are already ending (see the green line sloping down to the right) and another is feeling his shoes, i.e. Rick Santorum (the brown line sloping up).
Tortoises Only two can claim this group and that is Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman. They seem to have not fluctuated at all until recently. I'm sure there are a host of reasons for this. These happen to be the two that I support the most. If I had it my way, I'd go with a Huntsman/Paul ticket, in that order.

But eventually a candidate will emerge. Based on the trends, I think it comes down to 3 at this point.

The Constant High Rollin' Romney
The Fortuitous-ly Peaking Santorum
The Tortoise, Ron Paul (I'm assuming a miracle won't happen for Huntsman.)

Additionally, I think it is pretty safe to say that we the voters fall in one of these three categories as well.

Do we go with the familiar, safe bet?
Are we swayed with the flavor of the month?
Or do we stick to our guns, our "weird old guns" (skip to 9:45 on this video)?

These are just my ill-thought out opinions. Any thoughts of your own?

Horsie Ride

2012-01-07T12:29:00.001-08:00

This was at the Whittier's house on Thanksgiving. They were kind enough to invite us over for an amazing dinner out in the country.

Plane ride with Hebes

2012-01-06T12:53:00.001-08:00

Heber was very excited to fly on the plane. He was a little impatient at the slow start demanding that we go "up". When the plane finally took off his response was, "the plane's being funny".

The Virginia I've been waiting for

2012-01-03T16:23:00.001-08:00

It snowed yesterday evening and last night, leaving us with this white blanket of snow. Undaunted, I bundled up and went outside at 7 am to do a morning run. I got to the end of the street and turned around to finish up on the exercise bike inside. Now I know what it means to be bone-chilling cold.

Heber's latest interest--Puzzles

2012-01-01T15:26:00.001-08:00

Francesinha, or A Little French Woman

2011-12-31T20:02:00.001-08:00

Unwrapping Presents, A simple yet good Christmas this year

2011-12-25T14:18:00.001-08:00

Halloween

2011-11-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

The kids were thing 1, 2, and 3 for Halloween. I just bought nighties for H and H and sewed the cirlce and words on the front. The hair is tempory hair coloring spray and their face whitening is diaper rash ointment.

When Hannah saw herself in the mirror her eyes got all big and watery and her bottom lip came out. Heber on the other hand smiled and said "Ooooh!"

They were pretty happy and content with their first piece of candy and opened it right away and ate it. When they found out that they could get a lot more it blew their minds.

PS Olive's hair reminds me of Elvis.

10 Things That I Like About Virginia

2011-10-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

It is so stinking green and beautiful. Plus the whole town is cute and I love just admiring the cute shutters and architecture.
The air is so crisp and delicious (not that I eat it or anything) and the tap really water tastes like bottled water.
There are a lot more younger women in my ward here and most of their families live far away also so it seems easy to make friends.
One of my new friends is from Brazil and I am learning a little about their culture and how to cook their yummy food.
I feel like there are more things for the kids to do here such as the duck pond, parks, playgroups, libraries, etc.
Everything is a lot closer proximity such as stores, Talmage's school, etc. (Well everything but the temple which brings me to my next point.)
We got to go to DC and do a little bit of site seeing and see the Washington DC temple, the Washington Monument, the Capital Building and the White House.
We went to a VT football game and the energy of the crowd was fun.
Most importantly I love that I'm with Talmage and our kids wherever we go. And that extended family is just a phone call or a Skype away.
I feel like I am becoming a better person and learning a lot from others.

Chapter 3 Ends

2011-07-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

As Rachel and I were driving tonight the feelings of one chapter of our lives closing and another one beginning caused us to think back on our marriage and divide it into actual chapters (just in case anyone ever wants to write a book about us and needs some help organizing it). So far it would go like this:

Chapter 1: Newly Weds in Tempe
Chapter 2: New House, Twins and ASU
Chapter 3: Olive and Austin
Chapter 4: Virginia and Grad School

We are just beginning the fourth chapter and can barely contain ourselves. Today was my last day of work and tomorrow we will begin the two day trek to Arizona. After a couple of weeks there we will go across the country to Virginia for at least (and probably) a year.We have painstakingly managed to sell all of our furniture, store somethings at our peeps in Globe and downsize much of our possessions to be able to make the move in one Kia Sedona.

We will be leaving Kimball behind to finish up our 6 month lease. I am still amazed that he is here in Austin, essentially doing the job I did here, and making just as much if not more (He gets overtime at 1.5 rate while I stay at my normal rate for overtime. I think it's weird. If we both work 40, I make more. If we both work 50, he makes more.). Four months ago neither of us knew Austin and now he occupies the same desk as me. We are both learners of GIS (Geographic Information Science), he from the geography discipline and I from the engineering. It is so wonderful to have family around. I think he feels a little overwhelmed by the expectations they have for him but I am sure that he will get a lot out of these next 5 months here.

Lately, I have become a devoted supporter of Google. It came by no one's persuasion. It simply started as a realization that I can do so much with simply a Google account. For instance, I get online and begin to Google something (typical). I'm already here so I sign in. What do I want to do? Check my email? Read the latest news customized to my interests and past history (who better then Google to draw from a variety of legitimate sources?). Okay, not a whole lot new going on. Federal budget talks continue to get closer to finding bipartisan solutions (I hope) and tablets and smartphones continue to permeate the market.

How about I check out the news going on among family and friends? I could use Google+ (Google's version of Facebook, but with a format that I find more appealing) for some fun, harmless chat. But I've already talked with the same 5 people on there and there isn't much else going on (It has a long way to go to even compete with fb.).

No, I'm feeling like using Google Reader. Here I can quickly see which blogs or news feeds have new items that I haven't read without going to each sight and checking them (You have to try it to appreciate it). Depending on my objective I am a click away from my calendar (which syncs with my phone, but only one way. I need to look into that), YouTube, maps, books, etc. Now if only Google would manage my money.... Is there such a thing as Google Bank? That'd be nice.

Anyway it sounds like a way to waste even more time online than we already do; but, despite my attempts to convince, it has actually made my Internet time more purposeful and effective. I feel like I am in the driver's seat of my computer seat.

And if you stuck around here is a photo of our kids, each with their blanket from Granny Goose (i.e. their Great-Grandma, being their dad's dad's mom).

2011-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

2011-06-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

2011-06-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while so I thought I'd just copy and paste today's journal entry for you.

This weekend we went to Fort Worth for Talmage's Air Force Reserve weekend. Saturday they had a picnic put on for the Reserve's families. The food was amazing, probably the best BBQ hamburgs I've had or at least near the top. The kids played in the bouncy gym thing and I got a chance to rest and relax and nurse Olive. We went and watched the engineer softball squad play another squad. It was a relaxing comfortable day. We went back to the hotel and watched the Office. I took Heber and Hannah with me to the work out room and did some cycling before dinner. After dinner Talmage went and worked on homework. He has been doing his Masters of Business online. He had a month break, which was nice but is now back to the books. Hopefully he doesn't get too burnt out before school starts in the Fall. Hopefully I don't get burnt out from the extra duties I take on when he is busy with his school work.

Sunday I took the children to church. It was an uplifting experience. Much of all the meetings where centered around being prepared, even sacrament. They talked being prepared for calamities that preceded the Second Coming. Most importantly being ready for when a tornado come. A place in Missouri was hit by a tornado and the bishop spoke on going there and the peoples experience with the tornado. Our activity tonight for Family Home Evening will be getting our seventy-two hour kit together. We went to the park area by the lake on base and ate lunch and waited an hour or two for Talmage. Beautiful lake there on base. Heber and Hannah particularly liked the geese, ducks and birds.

Today is Monday and there is nothing too out of the ordinary. Exercise and scripture reading with Talmage. Making his lunch. Feeding kids. Signing and sending our lease for our apartment in Blacksburg, VA, where Virginia Tech is. Cleaning couch cushions and disciplining Heber for coloring on them. An now writing in my journal. Maybe I'll take the kids to the park later today.

Second Week in Austin

2011-05-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the church, Fugro and some creativity on our part we had something to do everyday during our second week in this new place. By the way, I had no idea how difficult it is to post pictures and handle fonts in "blogger." This really makes it a task to blog.

Monday April 11^th, 2011

While busily working in my new office, the wonderful Jerry said that Fugro had a suite at the Texas Express (a Triple A baseball team) stadium and some tickets for the game that night. I decided to make it our family home evening activity and off we went to the ball game. I wouldn’t go to a ball game any other way with the kids.

1. The seats are fenced in so they can run around instead of sitting down the whole time.

2. It’s triple A so the stadium is smaller and you feel a lot closer to the action. Also for the same reason you have a lot better chance of catching a foul ball.

3. After the 5th inning when the not-so-zealous sports fans are getting bored (i.e. Rachel and my coworker’s mom), you can go inside and watch TV on a comfortable couch.

Tuesday April 12^th, 2011

Would you believe it, our moving van came. I’m not going to rehash all of the details or the reasons why I will NEVER use a moving company (especially All American Trusted Vanlines) again. Like Pumba says “sometimes you got to put your behind in your past.” Prior to moving we had downsized our possessions to about 1/3. Now that we have that third we are trying to downsize even more. My sister Jana said that she heard downsizing can get addictive and I would have to agree.

Luckily we had two Saints (literally) come and help us. Adam Brooks and Vince Methot from our ward offered some much needed help as the two moving guys could barely hand us the stuff fast enough for us to put it in the house. Adam’s wife, Vicky, even came by the next day and spent hours helping Rachel get the house in order. They live close by and have turned out to be great friends (more on that another time).

Wednesday April 13^th, 2011

In response to the Earthquake in Japan, our Stake is putting together some hygiene kits to send over there. They divided up the labor and our ward was responsible for 1000 tubes of toothpaste. Wednesday night the youth put on an event where people could go and “buy” baked goods and services with tubes of toothpaste. We left with a couple of plates of goodies, one 3-4 hour babysitting certificate, and an oil change. After that I went and played basketball, just like at my old ward. Is it church policy to have basketball on Wednesdays at 9pm or what? Ya know. No? Whatever.

Thursday April 14^th, 2011

Rachel went to a Relief Society, women only activity and I watched the chillins (as my SIL Brandi would say). She enjoyed the break from the kids and the time with the sisters.

Friday April 15^th, 2011

A family in our ward, the Carden’s, invited everyone out to their house on the outskirts of town. We had a turnout of over a hundred people and enjoyed the good food. One guy there was some kind of professional whistler and made a little set up and whistled better than a flute. It was quite the entertainment. The kids had a blast riding on their horses. They were a little timid at first, but soon could not get enough of it.

Saturday April 16^th, 2011

I wanted to do something fun this day and so I used a phone app, Goby, to find some family fun. We ended up finding a children’s museum in downtown Austin. Being downtown it was tough to find parking, but we eventually did. Here is the toll booth to park.

It explained exactly how to fold the bill, make sure you insert in the right hole, and then use your keys (or the “bill stuffer”) to push your bills into the box.

The children had a blast at the children’s museum. In fact we decided to buy a membership since it would cost about the same after 3 visits. It’s nice to let the kids run loose and play with everything that they want to without having to tell them “no” so much.

When Hannah plays she gets in this zone and it's as if the world around her slows down. Or at least this picture suggests that.

Finally here is my office. Since we moved here I have been spending 40+ hours here during the week (except of course when I’m traveling) and a good portion of my Saturdays (finishing up homework online while we still didn’t have internet at home). Heber comes with me sometimes. It is so funny how he acts. He just kept drinking from my cup and then putting it down like he had business to do. Notice the progression of these pictures.

And finally a scandalous glamour shot of Olive for your enjoyment.

2011-05-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

Per Jana’s request, we are moving on to what we’ve been up to in Austin, Texas. The following is an attempt by be to document our time while in Austin. I am breaking it up right now into days just so that I can go through it all in my head.

1^st Week in Austin Texas

Sunday April 3^rd, 2011 – Arizona to Texas

This was the day that we have awaited and prepared for since finding out that Austin, TX would become our new home. I had to miss General Conference due to Air Force duties. At 7:10pm that evening we boarded an airplane with a way one ticket to Texas for the whole family.

The airline was very accommodating to us having our whole family fly. They shipped our car seats (3!) for free, gave us priority check-in, priority boarding, the first row in the airplane (2 seats on the left, 2 on the right and a lot of leg space), and more.

I broke the No-electronics-On-During-Takeoff/Landing rule to get this video of Heber bidding farewell to the Phoenix city lights.

Heber Bidding Farewell to Phoenix

Just in case you couldn’t guess, it is pretty tough trying to move around an airport with an infant and 2 curious toddlers. At one point Heber escaped and the more we called to him the faster he ran. He made it all the way to the top off this luggage ramp (in the upper right where it enter the wall) just enough to peep his head inside before I ran up there and swiped him up.

Monday April 4^th, 2011

We got in after midnight on our flight, so by the time we got out of the airport and into our rental it was early Monday morning.

This would be our ride for the next four days, a 2011 Mazda6. I had fun using the tip-tronics option which allows you to put it an easy manual mode.

We got to our Hotel, The Red Roof Inn, and it was pretty ghetto. We didn’t feel very safe and were happy to only be there one night.

We went straight to our new apartment after getting a late breakfast. Once again, it was pretty ghetto, too. I guess I should’ve taken my coworkers advice when they said to stay away from anywhere near the office. Oh well how bad could it be...

Tuesday April 5^th, 2011

The next several days would be full of trying to survive in an empty house with a broken AC. You don’t realize how much little things you need to function normally until you try to get by with everything that you brought in one bag.

Here are some pictures of the apartment, as well as kids air-drying in the front room (WARNING EXPLICIT CONTENT), and easy meals using plastic-ware.

I like to tell people that we live in the ghetto, that over 90% of the people speak Spanish (according to our repair guy), and our neighbors play mariachi music that you can hear out our windows and feel through our floors. However, we really like the place, for several reasons:

I love being close to work and being able to ride their in my work clothes. It’s actually just as fast by bike if not faster because of the all traffic I can bypass and shortcuts I can take.
I think Rachel would agree that it is nice to live in a smaller place. It’s plenty big enough for our family (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) and is so much less to deal with. Now our house works for us instead of us for our house. Or something like that…
There is a nice little play area (photo), pool, workout room, and mariachi music.

4. It’s also very close to church. It takes about 5 minutes to drive there.

5. Mariachi Music!!

6. It’s a great opportunity to learn Spanish, even all of the cusswords!!

Okay I’m done. We are looking for the positive. We only signed a 6 month lease. So whether we go to graduate school in Virginia or keep working at Fugro it will go by like that.

Heber and Hannah looking over their 'hood.

Wednesday April 6^th, 2011

Finally, we get to the reason why we uprooted and came to this foreign land. Today I started my job. It is nothing like I’ve ever done. For instance they expect me to work 40 hours a week!! Actually, I wish it was just that. I can already tell that they are going to take advantage of my salary status to get me to work more without paying me for it. Am I complaining? No. They are very generous in other ways.

The Oasis

My kind and friendly boss, Jerry, told me of a nice place to take the family out to (and to make sure to put it on our reimbursable moving bill as “Meal during move”). He didn’t lie. The restaurant sits and the edge of a cliff that sits over a big lake.

You get to enjoy the sunset and eat fancy food with all the rich Texans. I had shrimp (of course) wrapped in bacon (incredible) and stuffed with jalapenos (amazing!!).

Thursday April 7^th – Saturday April 9^th, 2011

By Thursday our moving truck still hadn’t arrived but we did receive our van and some familiar faces. Rachel’s parents, Claudia and Gary, kindly drove our van to Texas for us. Gary went to Texas on his mission and has the Texas look and attitude down. Some would even argue that he was born a century too late. Anyway, he has wanted to take his wife on a trip to Texas ever since his mission and now almost 40 years later he did. They stayed until Monday morning and were very helpful and enjoyable the whole time. In fact, we enjoyed them so much that we didn’t have time (or at least the awareness) to take a single picture the whole time.

Sunday April 10^th, 2011

We managed to get together enough of our clothes to look decent for church on Sunday. We left Arizona feeling adventurous and special and got to our ward just to be another typical move-in. I’m pretty sure some people rolled their eyes as I explained with excitement how we moved for a new job and left our families in Arizona and blah blah. It seemed like everyone was from Utah, had graduated from BYU as an Engineer (or Lawyer) and is now working (or going to school) in Austin. I even tried to add how both Rachel and I graduated from ASU together with degrees in Engineering, just to be shut down by some couple who both had PhD’s.

Okay, I might be exaggerating. While it is true that many people seem to be in the same situation, it is not true to say that we weren’t well received. We have made some good friends already.

2011-05-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Since we found out that we were moving from Arizona we've been like fish out of water, birds without nest, bats without a cave, hobbits without a...well you get it.
We stayed in a hotel for two weeks while I had NCOLDC (Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Development Course--the military loves acronyms). We did a lot of team building activities.After that we had the honor, nay, the privilege of spending two weeks at Brandi and Mckay's. They housed and fed us happily. In return we watched netflix and march madness on their humongous HD flat screen. The kids loved playing with their cousins. It was fun to see Heber and his white head among all of the dark heads.

Before I knew that I had a permanent job I was considering all of my options so that if things didn't work out I'd have a way to support my family. One of these options was inspired by my football coach from high school, Coach Schenks. He coaches at San Tan Foothills High School which is just a few miles from our house. He suggested I get my substitute teaching certification which I did. After getting certified I received no calls to substitute until our last week in Arizona. Ms Schenks gave birth to their fourth child (congratulations!) Which meant that Coach Schenks would need a substitute. He specifically requested me and I got to be PE teacher/football coach for 3 days.

Since high school I've contemplated teaching/coaching at that level. It was a blast! I really enjoy working with kids that age. The football program is doing great and the kids are all so respectful. They only had 3 wins last year and have high hopes for the coming year. It reminds me of a team I once played on.

Back to substituting, it was hard to get the non-football weights class motivated to do anything. I fought it the first 2 days and had all the students doing the Air Force PT test. However, the last day I gave in and like Coach Jonovich just let them play basketball all period.
My favorite class, though, was the special needs class. It consisted of Christa, Miles, Adriana, and Tory.

Next post I'll get to our new life in Austin.

Decisions and Hannah Montana

2011-03-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Since I (This Talmage writing now) graduated from ASU this past December, our life has been in somewhat of a limbo. There were always a lot of potential opportunities, but nothing that was reaching fruition. This past week all of those options dwindled down to a decision between two very desirable options.

The first option is a job offer from Fugro Consultants. I previously worked for them as field/lab technician and now they are offering me a position as a Graduate Engineer. The pay would be good, the work is very close to my undergraduate studies (Civil Engineering/GIS), and we would get to move to Austin, Texas (which I hear is a pretty cool city). "In this economy" it would be crazy not to take a job offer with a reputable company doing what I want to, right?

However, option two is not bad either. I applied to four graduate schools back in December (Virginia Tech, George Mason, Purdue, and North Carolina State. In order of preference). Not only did my top choice accept me, but they have offered me a Graduate Research Assistantship that will pay for my tuition (which would have been out-of-state rates), will pay me at about the same rate as Fugro would (only I would only work 20 hours/week instead of 40) and I could research anything a topic of my choice (as opposed to doing a specific project that they have for me.)

Since I highly value the opinion of my family members I discussed with a few of them my dilemma. I got responses for both. "Take the job. The economy's only gonna get worse." "You'll have the rest of your life to work." "Take the job you have a family to support." "You can never get too much education." I could see the value in each and Rachel and I were not sure which one to do. Like many things, we try to think about it logically and systematically and weigh all the pros and cons. Additionally, we decided to fast and prayer about it over the weekend.

Ladies and Gents, we have made our decision. We have decided to take Hannah Montana's advice and "get the best of both worlds." We will be moving to Texas in early April and 5 months later going to Virginia. I ran it by my boss and he said it was fine. We are very excited to close one chapter of our life and open another.

2011-02-23T10:56:00.000-08:00

So Talmage just finished his two week Air Force tour this last Sunday. He was in Georgia for a week and then Florida for a week. The second week was much like being deployed. They lived in tents and ate MREs.I went up to Prescott that last week with mom. The week before Talmage's mom had the kids. They both have been a really big help since I still am healing from the C-section and can't lift that much weight.
We were suppose to move to Austin in about a week and a half but they pushed the date back. We don't have a definite date but will soon. Right now my guess is probably late March or early April. But for now we still need to get a renter and I am sure the Lord will provide. I am sure things will fall into place.Olive, Heber and Hannah are all growing like weeds. Heber and Hannah are getting better at talking. Hannah is a little further along with it. She is getting sentences out. Short sentences. Olive is getting chubbier and cuter.All and all life is good and we are doing great.

Moving

2011-02-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

Just in case you didn't get the news, we are moving to Texas for Talmage's new job.

Welcome Olive Susan, All 9lbs 4oz

2011-01-25T05:20:00.000-08:00

2011-01-18T12:37:00.001-08:00

Nope not a mom of three yet. She is still in me. I thought a couple times that she might come but still nothing. Worse news is that she is now breech, meaning her head is up and her feet are down. Because of her size and such they want to do a C section. I am scheduled to go into the hospital tomorrow at 6 am. I have been hoping and praying that she turns but either way I will have a sweet baby in my arms by tomorrow morning.

(I am really trying not to be disappointed about not having an all natural birth. I have been hoping to go into labor naturally before Friday which was my original induction date.)

Still Prego

2011-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

Our First Suns Game

2011-01-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

And Yet Another Prego Update

2011-01-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am still pregnant. So I got to go to my sister's wedding. It was a beautiful experience and I am so happy that I got to witness it. That night at the wedding dinner I started having mild contractions. We went home and went to sleep. I woke up around 2:00 am with mild, steady contractions that were 3 minutes apart. I went for a walk with Talmage and then we went to the hospital. Walked some more and then checked in. My sister and brother were at home watching the Heber and Hannah

My contractions where long enough but grew farther apart and less consistent, 4 to 7 minutes apart. . They didn't grow stronger. They sent us home. That was good because I was getting so tired and really wanted to go to sleep

I had a couple strong contractions after getting home. I had mild contractions all day long about 7 to 15 minutes apart. After sitting around all day I was getting so mentally exhausted from just waiting and doing nothing. I decided to go to my sister's reception. While there, I swing danced, walked, skipped, hopped around the church building and climbed a small hill or two.

On the way home, I had a few strong contractions and was hopeful that I would be having the baby that night.

When I woke up the next morning I felt so good and rested. I had no contractions. Decided to go to church. After church we went and visited a couple of different friends in our neighborhood. Talmage rubbed my feet in the pressure point spots that induce labor. I had some contractions but then nothing.

I was so mentally exhausted from so much anticipation. I am so anxious to have my little girl and can't wait to see her.

This morning we went to the doctors office and they stripped my membranes. (Talmage and I both hate how that sounds). I've had cramps, but no contractions. Now I am just cleaning and waiting but feel calm and hopeful, not as antsy as I was feeling yesterday and the day before.

Another Prego Update

2011-01-07T01:56:00.000-08:00

So, it is about three o'clock in the morning and I can't sleep. Maybe it is my body practicing for the sleepless nights to come. This happened two nights ago. I was up from 2 until 6.

Anyways, now you get to hear all about my day. I went to the doctors and had an ultrasound. This little girl is BIG. She is about eight and a half pounds. I also have a lot of fluid in me. The huge belly is making more sense. The best news of all is that she is head down!!! Yay!

I have been thinking to Olive trying to tell her to turn. I have also been praying to Heavenly Father that she would turn. I had a similar experience with Hannah and both times a miracle has occurred. I am so thankful.

If I don't go into labor this weekend or sometime early next week they want to induce me because of her size and also because so much amniotic fluid might cause the umbilical cord to come out before the baby if my water breaks unexpectedly. The baby pressing up against the umbilical cord could cut of blood circulation. Then she went on to explain what to do in that situation.

Talmage has Air Force this weekend and we were planning on me going with him but we just found out that he is sharing a room and I will not be able to come. It would have been nice because I would have been on base and he could be there at a moment's notice. We still haven't come up with a solid plan B yet. I feel a little anxious about all of this but I'm sure we'll figure out something.

Also, my sister is getting married this weekend. Part of the reason they are waiting to induce me. The wedding is tomorrow and the reception is Saturday. I spent all of today decorating for the reception. "You might as well do something while you're doing nothing." ~ Uncle Rico

I thought I would be exhausted, I was for awhile until I woke up around one thirty.

Prego Update

2011-01-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

Still no baby. Amanda, my sister, is getting married this weekend. Talmage also has Air Force this weekend. So if I can hold out until Monday... either way I am going to have a baby sometime in the near future. How near though?

Ultrasound tomorrow, we'll see if she is transverse or not.

I'll be 39 weeks Friday. The twins came so quickly. It is nice to really be waiting and anticipating longer for this little one.

Prego

2010-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

So I have two weeks and five days to go. In a way I like going through the last stretch over the Holidays. It is a great distraction and time has been flying quickly.

Four Sundays ago, Dec. 12th, I went into false labor. My contractions where growing closer together. They where about 2 and a half minutes apart at one point. We started to do last minute preparations to go to the hospital. Then they started to grow further and further apart. They kept happening about fifteen minutes apart the day after. I asked my doctor about it and she said that it was common for someone who had premies their first pregnancy. Their body goes into labor around the same time they went into labor before and then their body corrects itself. She said it might happen once or twice again.

I experience something similar about a week ago. Nothing since, just regular good ol' fashion Braxton Hicks.

My doctor thinks that she might be sitting side to side. She says that is likely that she'll turn head down. I have been praying that she will. I have an ultrasound this week.

I feel pretty calm and good about whatever happens.

Christmas

2010-12-26T12:05:00.000-08:00

So I made it through Christmas without going into labor. Yay! We spent Christmas with Talmage's family in Globe. It was fun chatting with the family, going to the park, quadding (safe and slow of course), taking care of the kiddos, opening presents, reading a book, eating delicious food, and just relaxing. I felt like I relaxed and snacked the whole time. Pregnant woman interpretation: Wonderful.

How to Write a Children's Book

2010-12-22T17:35:00.000-08:00

Step One: Think of a Child and occasion to write it for: Heber and Hannah's Christmas present.

Step Two: Have an amazing spouse who can think up the idea with you and write all the words.

Step Three: Order some blank baby books

Step Four: Take about ten hours or so and draw some pictures to put in the book.

Step Five: Scan them into the computer, add words, graphics, etc.

Step Six:Have someone with a good eye for words edit. Thank you Jana.

Step Seven: Print on sticky paper that comes with blank books. Stick into book.

Step Eight: Bask in the joy of finishing

Step Nine: Wrap and hope that they will like it

Step Ten: Give one to them to read and keep the other one on the tallest shelf in the house as a keep sake. Save a digital version, just in case.

Christmas Card

2010-12-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

When Heber and Hannah where born I had this great idea of combining our Christmas card with their baby announcements.

What! You don't remember that?!? Well, that is because I dropped the ball. I went through all the effort of making them but fell flat on my face when it came to printing them out and sending them. Blame it on sleep deprivation and taking care of new born baby's.

Last year I didn't even attempt a Christmas card.

I am proud to say that I did one this year though. I just sent it out to our siblings, parents and grandparents. Start off small.

We hope you are having a Merry Christmas this year!

From the Hansen Family

Graduations

2010-12-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

Talmage and I graduated together this last Friday with our degrees in General Engineering.

My primary emphasis was in Electrical Engineering and a secondary focus in Art.

Talmage's primary emphasis was in Civil Engineering and certificate in GIS (Geographic Information Science).

I thought it was going to be anticlamatic because I finished my last class this summer. In the end it was an amazing experience to graduate together. We went through it all together and it felt so good to be rewarded together.

Thank you to all those who came to support us and who have encourage and supported us through the years.

Yesterday's Adventure

2010-12-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as I was getting things ready for a bridal shower that I was throwing for my sister, Amanda, I had to run to the grocery store to get some things for it. I strapped Heber in his car seat and Hannah crawled to the back row of seats. I thought "No biggy, I'll run inside and get what ever it was and then come back and strap her in." I came back and tried to open the door, but it was locked. They where all locked. Hannah had locked the doors and the keys were in the car!

I panicked, horror stories of children locked in cars probably were in the back of my mind. I called Talmage and told him what was going on. I tried to coax Hannah into unlocking the door. She would put her finger on the button but not push it. I told her to open the door and she pulled on the handle, but not hard enough. When I would point to something she would just point to my finger on the window. All the while she wasn't too terrible interested.

After 15 minutes or so of trying to work with her I said a prayer. A lecture Talmage had in school on dealing with stress came to my mind. Basically if someone is under stressed or over stress their productivity weakens. I just knew that I had to wait for the right time where she was a little worried but not overwhelmed. I went back inside and started deep cleaning, something I needed to do for that night anyways.

I went and checked on them a couple times, trying to see if she would cooperate. She was more interested in

a permanent marker (how does she always find those!)
gum, she ate one and a half packets of gum
crackers, which she also feed to Heber
dumping my purse and wallet and stringing the contents all over the van

Heber was a good sport about all of it. I could tell he didn't want to be in his car seat and he whined when he saw me, but he handled it well.

Finally, after an hour and a half I got her to push the unlock button! I opened the door so fast and caught her as she was falling out of the van. I hugged her and told her that she did a good job.

Moral of the story, patience goes a long ways with kids. Or just have a spare key around, it will come in handy.

One Year Older...

2010-12-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hannah and Heber turned 2! We took them to one of their favorite places, the park.

They ate cake. Yeah, a lot of cake.They didn't really understand the whole openning presents concept but they loved banging on them.

We thought Heber would love his big truck for sure but were hesitant if Hannah would love her doll. Hannah ended up liking her doll and Heber ended up liking her doll too.

We took them to a live Nativity Pageant. They loved the animals there but once the opening prayer was started they started screaming and crying like no other. We took them home, needless to say lots of cake does not make for calm toddlers.

Hannah, Too Sweet For Her Own Good

2010-11-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

Today Heber refused to throw away his diaper and so I put him in time out. When he was done, I went to have him throw away his diaper but Hannah had sweetly and quietly already done it for him.

Another time Heber was in time out, he was pretty upset and beside himself. Hannah brought him a soft blanket and a sippy cup. Kinda defeating the purpose of time out.

He continuously tries to take things from Hannah. She gets upset and as I start to scold him. She sweetly hands what ever it is to him. Too sweet for her own good.

Question: Where are the pictures of you looking so big?

2010-11-23T11:10:00.001-08:00

So this wasn't one of those All Ears questions. Carrie asked me it in the comment room. I had Talmage take them of me last night. I probably should have fixed my hair or something, oh well that is the real me. The little appendage is Hannah.

Question: How come the "baby meter" below sometimes shows the baby right-side up and other times up-side down? Is that what really happens?

2010-11-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

I don't think she turns that much from up to down as the "baby meter" shows. I think she was hanging out side to side on my last ultra sound. The baby meter shows how developed she is, she doesn't look like an alien as much anymore and is looking more baby like. And it tells me how far along I am, which is good because I don't really keep track and if I forget I just check it out.

Question: Do you actually want to have another baby?

2010-11-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, I do. I know it is a little crazy especially considering that I already have two babies (ok, toddlers) running around that I would want another one but I do. This pregnancy was planned and it felt and still feels so right to have this new addition coming.

I'll admit that at times it seems daunting to be pregnant and have two other young ones. I expected it to be an easier pregnancy because I am having one instead of two. I guess I didn't consider having to chase around two and the fact that I would be this big. It also seems daunting at times looking forward to having a new born with two other littles ones.

Often when I am out in public I think of how ridiculous my situation must look to people as I am handling Heber and Hannah while being so big and pregnant.

All and all I am happy about it. When we have more I think it will be after a good four or five year span. But that is what I thought after having Heber and Hannah, we'll see.

What have I been up to these days?

2010-11-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

Window painting. Something I have been wanting to do for years. A friend of my family has done it during the holidays for years. She takes her earnings and splurges on Christmas. So I decided to try it too. So far I have painted my window, a neighbor's, two McDonald's, a Fry's and I have a couple more lined up. For a couple pictures see the link at the top called Window Painting.
I have been working on a painting for a Christmas present for my Grandmother. I have her name this year. She has wanted an oil painting from me for a while now. Her style is something southwestern with pastel colors. Both really different from me. So it has been a challenge to figure out a picture that I would like to do and that she would like to have.
Talmage and I have been wanting to write a children book for Heber and Hannah for a while. So we decided to make it for Christmas for them. It is called "A Day in the Life of Mighty and Magnificent". I have one page illustrated and Talmage has a couple of the pages written out. I took a lot of searching to find a toddler proof book that we could have our story printed in but I found a website that sends you blank books. Then you print out your story on clear film and stick them in the book.
I have been getting stuff ready for Olive, two more months to go, although I keep getting the "any day now?" comment. All our spare dressers are being used by Angel and Seth so I have been on the prowl for a new dresser for Olive. My Aunt Lois came across a dresser at a yard sale. She's a beauty. It is my favorite dresser in the whole house. I would show you pictures but my camera is MIA and my placenta head can't remember where it went.
I made this car seat for Olive. I had a hard time deciding on the material but once I found some material that I liked and it just came together with some material that I had laying around.
I already put up the Christmas tree before Halloween. Crazy I know. I figured the sooner the better because I am only going to get bigger. So I'll just do a little at a time and it will be fun, pressure free holiday decorating.

That is all I got for now.

2010-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit last week. A pleasant, unexpected surprise. So blogging was pushed to the back burner. And I am going to push it to the back burner some more. Just a few notes of what is going on in my life though.
Heber's arm was hurt yesterday, we went to urgent care this morning. I was trying to lead him to the backyard. He was having a tantrum and through himself on the floor. I heard and felt something pop. They found nothing on the x ray but think it might be a fracture. He looks so cute with his hospital gown, which they gave him, and caste.
I had an ultrasound of Olive and she is doing wonderfully. But I lost 3 lbs because I have been feeling nauseous and food sounds unappetizing generally. Generally, not always, sometimes I have something that really hits the spot. My stomach has been hurting, which is why I am up now, the Dr. said that I have a hernia. It hurts when I bend over and when I pick up Heber and Hannah. I remember similar pain with Heber and Hannah, but just thought it was part of being pregnant.
Talmage has the Fundamentals of Engineering test tomorrow, all day. He has been a little stressed in anticipation of it. He has been studying hard for months now and I really think he will do well.

Dishes

2010-10-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

One trick we have around here to keep the dishes down is assigned cups. Mine are any of the clear, beveled glasses. Seth's is the bigger ASU. The kids have ASU and sippy cups. Angel has the smooth glass. Talmage has the UofA cup. We all have 3 to 7 of our kind of cups, except for Seth. He only has one and seems content with it.

2010-10-20T12:40:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I wasn't able to get on the computer yesterday at all. Between Talmage studying for school and my sister writing a paper. I was only on it to edit her paper. I was full of big promises and high hopes. A post a day, what was I thinking! Idiot!

Laundry

2010-10-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

I know you are thrilled to know how laundry is done around here.
Firstly, Talmage brings the dirty laundry down from our bedroom (because he is wonderful). I try to wash one or two batches a day and put it away before I get started on another batch. I used to wash a whole bunch of loads at once. The problem with that is that they get piled up in my bedroom and left until who knows when.I hang the tots clothes and I throw the clothes in their dressers. Shirts, pants and others all in different drawers. Yes, you heard me right, I do not fold their clothes.
For Talmage and me I hang all of our nice shirts, pants and for me, skirts. I color code all our hanging up clothes. I think that it makes it easier to find clothes and it just looks cleaner.
Call me crazy but I hang my clothes on white hangers and Talmage has all the blue and dark hangers. Hannah's hanger's are pink, clear and white and Hebs has all the blue and dark hangers.

About every couple weeks I reorganize our non hanging clothes. What are some of your tricks that make laundry run smoother or that make it worth you while?

2010-10-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

I love processes, charts or anything to organize how something is done. So naturally I like figuring out what make things run easier and more efficient around the house. Like how are chores done, laundry, meals, etc. I just eat up other peoples blog post on these topics. Next week, Monday through Friday you'll get a post a day finding how it is all done here at the Hansen's. My treat to you.

Question: Who's smarter, Talmage or Rachel?

2010-10-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

I thought that this blog post would be a quick and easy. I'd just say that I personally think that Talmage takes the cake on this one because he is so methodical, scholarly, and continue to list all the other reasons why. When I showed him the post though he said that I didn't give myself enough credit.So I found this table online talking about six different areas of smarts and categories within those areas. Then Talmage and I rated ourselves on scale of zero to five in each area. Zero being "dumber then a box off rocks" and five being "pretty good or excellent".

The grand total came out to be the same. So we perceive ourselves as equally smart. The fun thing was to see where we each held our smartness strength.

What category of smartness do you think you do best in? Visual-Spatial, Verbal- Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical-Rhythmic, Interpersonal or Intrapersonal?

Question: Ok I looked where you told me, but still couldn't find how to get my own question thingy!

2010-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Go to Wufoo.com
Make a Log In account
Go to the bottom left side of the page and click on Gallery
Click on Forms on top of page

Click on Contact Form

Click on the green Customize button

Click on Form Settings to change the title and to add a description. The title I chose was "All Ears"

Click on Email Address on the right side and delete it by pushing the red minus button. (If you do this people won't have to put their email in just to make a comment.)
Click on Forms on the top of the page
Click on Code in the middle of the page.
Click on Embedded Form Code
Copy the Java Script Version
Go to your blog Design
Add a Gadget to the side panel of your blog
Pick the HTML/JavaScript gadget
Paste in the code that you copied from the wufoo website
Save the gadget
Make sure to save the changes you made to your blog design too.
Your all done!!!

Lovin' Rainy Days

2010-10-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

I love rain. Heber and Hannah do too. We were in luck yesterday because it rained and hailed here.
While I was cooking dinner the kids playing in the mud puddle out back.. They came into the house covered from head to toe in mud. Heber only had one shoe on and there was a cute right shoe print every two feet or so.

If you could choose to have triplets rather than twins would you go back and do that?

2010-10-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

If I had to cast final judgment on all mankind, I would automatically send people who have triplets to heaven. That must take so much patience, diligence, perseverance, etc.

That being said I don't think that I would go back and choose triplets instead of twins. Twins were hard enough. I could carry both at the same time if needs be but I couldn't do that if I had triplets.

When Heber and Hannah were newborns, it took about an hour for feeding time, diaper changes, etc. and then two hours later I had to start everything again. If I had had triplets, the "assembly line" would have taken longer and I would have been more sleep deprived.

Plus, I hear that it is hard going out in public with triplets because of all the people that are interested in them. It was that way somewhat with twin babies especially with old ladies at the grocery store.

Maybe I can't see past the end of my nose. I need your help getting a more positive perspective. What are some pluses for being a parents of triplets?

Why did you marry Talmage?

2010-10-03T12:58:00.001-07:00

Talmage has so many amazing qualities that I like and that I think compliment me. I could go on and on about how wonderful he is. But they are icing on the cake to why I married him. The real meat of why I chose to marry him is because I have always seen something in Talmage and knew that he has so much potential and amazingness. I just knew that he was the one for me. Plus I feel like Heavenly Father was letting me know that Talmage was the guy for me.

It has been the best decision of my life. I am so blessed to have him as my husband!

Walmart Employee

2010-10-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

No, I am not working for Walmart. But I was there long enough yesterday to be an employee.

We had a flat on the way home from the Family History Center yesterday (we went to go to the temple but it was closed). We were on the 60 going full speed. So we stuck the spare on. We got home and put the kids down for a nap and I went to Walmart to get my the demolished tire replaced and an oil change. I got there a little after 2:00 and left at 7:30!!!

Why?

Firstly they were understaffed, ironically overstaffed the day before
I told them I need a tire replace and they thought it needed repaired. Took a little while to change that around.
My order form said oil change then tire repair. They repaired the tire first and then parked it in the parking lot. So my paperwork didn't come through because it wasn't done. I pointed it out to them and then they brought it back into the shop.
My engine cap had somehow come off and black oil was sprayed all under my hood.
They could not change my oil or do anything to my car unless it had an engine cap because it was a liability.
They went over security video to make sure it wasn't them that misplaced the cap. It wasn't.
They felt bad that I had been there for hours now and told me that the oil change was free.
A good Samaritan drove me to an auto part store to get me a new engine cap.
I brought it back and they changed my oil but took two hours longer because they couldn't find some tool to take off air filter or something. Talmage later told me that they did it by hand.
An assistant manager (not the manager that I talked to earlier) rung up my bill. It was 140.00. After reexplaining my situation and showing my tire warranty for the hundredth time that day, I came out with a total of 0.00.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't mad at them at all. I just wanted to go home ...in a car that worked. The people waiting with me were so nice and felt so bad that I was sitting for so long. Talmage was so upset but couldn't do come and trade me spots because he didn't have our other car at the time and couldn't leave the kids at home. When all was said and done I was so exhausted and was so glad to be home!

The cherry-on-top was that I was sick all night, throwing up and still am today. I just have been pushing my body too hard for the last week or too and just need to rest. Even if I don't want to, I'd rather organize my garage.

Would you rather spend a day with Steve Jobs or Joseph Smith?

2010-10-01T09:53:00.001-07:00

I saw a speech by Steve Jobs that I really liked and I think he has a good perspective and humor about life. He would be interesting to meet. I think he would have a lot of good wisdom. But to tell you the truth I don't know what I would even say to him, I would probably just listen. Which is what I can already do by finding videos online of him talking.
Joseph Smith has a great eternal perspective. I listened to a lecture series by Truman G. Madsen on Joseph Smith. There are so many aspects of him that are praiseworthy in my opinion. His joyfulness and humility would make me feel comfortable in his presents. Hanging out with him would be a life changing experience and I think that I'll pick him.

Which would you chose?

Which Brother In Law is Your Favorite?

2010-09-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

After careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that I don't have a favorite BIL. But after thinking about each one I have found that they all have similar attributes that I admire.

They all work hard to be good providers for their family.
Good humor and lightheartedness
They all seem to be good with kids. They make or will make good dads and uncles.
They all seem to be fairly wise/stable with their money.
They have an optimistic look on life.
Mostly, I like the example and friend they are to Talmage.

Randomness - Blame it on being pregnant

2010-09-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

Olive (That is what we decided to name our baby girl) has been moving a lot tonight. Normally doesn't bother me but tonight it is just enough to cause me not to sleep. So here I am typing away instead of sleeping.
The house is quiet. Heber and Hannah are fast asleep and have been that way since eight, there new bedtime as of about two weeks ago, it used to be seven-thirty.
My younger sister and brother who are now living with us, are still out with friends playing glow-in-the-dark ultimate Frisbee. Seth transferred down here from Dixie College in St. George after getting his associates there. Angel decided to come with him and go to CGCC Williams Campus, where Seth and Talmage are. She moved here because my Mom is taking care of my grandma in Prescott and my dad is traveling all over the place for business, so staying with us seemed like a good option to her. They are 18 and 16. They are very good and we like having them here.
Talmage is out doing data collections tonight. He has been spending many late nights lately with his capstone team measuring lights in Phoenix. They take all the data they get and put it into a GIS program to help airplanes fly at night.
Earlier tonight I got to watch my niece and nephews, only for about an hour and a half. I love living so close to family. It is nice. I love their personalities. They are so stinking cute!!! I especially love Brook's chubby baby legs! I can't believe that he is almost as tall as Heber and he is almost a year younger than him.
I am bigger then I thought I would be by now. It's hard to judge because I can't really compare to last pregnancy. All and all this pregnancy has been a lot easier then the last one. I think one key factor is that I am not stressing over school. Nice. I am still so happy to finish school. Don't get me wrong it is still tiring sometimes to keep up with Heber and Hannah but not too bad. I forget that I am pregnant until I see my belly is sticking out.
I am excited for fall to come and to feel that little chill in the air. I hope the rest of my household will be able to handle not having the heat on. That is what happened last pregnancy. I will just have to make sure Heber and Hannah are dressed and bundled well, which shouldn't be too hard.
Talmage is done with school in December. We are both amazed how everything aligned so well for him to graduate a semester early. Heavenly Father had a hand in it for sure. The internship he was hesitant about taking this summer because he was already going full time for school, ended up working towards one of his classes this semester and he got to drop a class. So instead of taking 16 credits he is taking 13. Nice. We are happy he is getting done early. Future details past that still are not set in stone.
We have been looking at a new vehicle off and on for a while now. We have been saving up for the last two years or so. We'll probably get one around when Olive is born. As of now we do not own a car that will fit all three car seats. Plus they are tricky to get kids in because the Bug is a two door car and the Accent has only one back door that works. We are thinking mini van, probably the Odyssey or the Sienna. We'll see. Spencer has been helpful and Talmage got to tag along when he went and bought their new Odyssey the other day.
Um, my mind finally went blank. So, that's all I have for now. Sorry no pictures this time and no editing, not that I really do that anyways. (Talmage later went and edited).

Constitution Day

2010-09-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

On September 17, 1787 the Constitution of the United States was signed. This short video was made by the Heritage Foundation. They are a think tank of valuable research and support for the founding principles of our country. Visit heritage.org if you want to see for yourself and learn more about what they are about. Just between you and me, I'd like to do an internship in Washington D.C. in summer 2011. I figure if we go to school on the east coast we'll be over there anyway. Well if you didn't know today is Constitution Day, now you do.

Question: How is it that you're not getting eaten alive by the world?

2010-09-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

At church, the men in elder's quorum where telling each other their jobs titles. One man mention that his wife thought Talmage was an FBI agent, maybe because they didn't know what he does. He told them that he was a full time student. Still doesn't explain income though. So how are we not getting eaten alive?
1. Tithing

First and foremost, I know that without The Lord we could not afford to make it.

2. Income

Talmage's Work: Talmage worked for Renaissance Sciences Corporation this summer for an internship, he also has worked as an engineering technician elsewhere. Sometimes he works while going to school, sometimes he has too much on his plate to do that.
Air Force Reserve: He also is in the Air Force Reserve, where he works one weekend a month and two weeks a year (normally sometime during the summer).
School Funding: The GI Bill or Tuition Assistance (both through the Air Force), Scholarships, Student Loans and Grants pay for his tuition, books, etc.

3. Spending Wisely

Budget: I think we both are pretty good about not overspending and our budget helps us even more. Talmage normally puts everything into the budget form our online statements.We keep track of everything we earn, save and spend here.

Just a bird's eye view of our monthly budget

Google Docs: We keep track of our budget on Google docs, it makes it so both of us can see the most updated form of our budget at any given time.\
Food and More Budget: This include groceries, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. Although we keep track of Food and More in our monthly budget, I keep track of a more detailed budget of it.

Bird's eye view of monthly our Food and More budget.

Disclaimer:
I am not sure if this is what the person meant by getting eaten alive by the world. I assumed they meant how do we make it by finacially. Although, I know people who are financially wealthy and could be considered being eaten alive by the world in other aspects of there life. If I didn't quite answer your question please let me know.

Extra Treat

2010-08-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

I've kept my word this week, a post a day. I did an extra post for you today. Enjoy!

Q: Are you having another baby!!!!

2010-08-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am pregnant! I didn't really put forth any effort to tell anyone, sorry if you haven't heard yet. I am seventeen weeks along. I am due January 14th.

I have an ultrasound this Thursday. I'll find out if our baby is a boy or a girl. I've been thinking it was a boy from the git-go but will see how wacked my instincts are.

I am happy and excited for our next little one!

Sleeping Babies

2010-08-13T08:11:00.001-07:00

Heber and Hannah fell asleep on the way to Globe monday. I just thought these pictures where too cute to keep to myself.

Bottomless

2010-08-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hannah is bottomles because:

If it wasn't for a diaper, you won't be able to see her back side. Just her precious chicken legs

She can eat a lot. She is a bottomless pit. She can even eat more then me! Where does she put it?

All Ears

2010-08-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

I got two similar questions:

Q: How did you add this all ears thing?

Q: How do you make a question/comment box? Is it a poll type Gadget?

I got my All Ears question box by googling Wufoo and searching around their site. I asked my SIL, Jana, how she got hers and she told me just that, google Wufoo. It took a little bit of looking and then I found it. The questions come to my email.

Thank you to everyone that has given me questions!!! It's made blogging more fun and I am sure you like it more too! Keep up the good work!

Yeah!

2010-08-12T19:32:00.001-07:00

I got a phone call from ASU today. They asked me why I wasn't enrolled in any classes. It felt SO good to tell them why. Because I have no more classes to take!!!! Yeah!!!

I could have graduated this summer but I already applied for graduation in December. I get to graduate with Talmage and my sister, Amanda. So we are thinking about all walking together or at least having a party. Then our family and friends won't have to be bored out of there mind watching 3 graduations.

Did I tell you I am excited? Relieved? We'll I am! It feels nice not to have another homework/test/project deadline or look forward to another semester full of them. I am a free woman!

Disclaimer:
Um, don't get me wrong, I learned a lot and would do it again if I had to but it is nice to be done. I am not trying to convince anyone from going to college. Best eight years of my life, JK, no but really did take me eight years,

Summer Days at Grandpa and Gammaray's

2010-08-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

Wrestling

2010-08-11T12:33:00.001-07:00

Heber loves wrestiling, mostly with Talmage. But when he is not around, it's Hannah's turn. Hannah likes it for a little while until she is pinned. Poor thing.

Q: Crusts, crusts....where are the crusts????

2010-08-10T12:29:00.002-07:00

A: Crusts is one of Talmage's many nick-names. Think family bicycle trip from Globe, Arizona to Canada, dry lips, maybe a bit crusty. Hence the name Crusts.

Where is crusts? He is at Luke Airforce base this week, last Friday to this coming Friday. He will be there the following Monday-Wednesday too. He is there for his annual tour.

What does he do with his free time? This week has been full of studying for him. He is getting ready for the GRE, Graduate Record Examination. It is a four hour test that he is going to take this Saturday. It is supposed to help him get into grad school. I hear tales that it is one tough cookie.

He is also trying to narrow do his search for grad schools. Any advise is helpful and wanted. Here is some that come to mind. Go out-of-state. Stay. Move somewhere where you want to work and live to get to know the region. Etc.

Do you have any advise on grad school or taking the GRE?

So if you all go out of state, what will happen with the castle? and when are you thinking about ditching the san tan folks, if at all??

2010-08-10T12:29:00.001-07:00

If we move out-of-state for Talmage's grad school next August, we will probably rent our house and then move back here after our adventure is over. But selling the house is not completely out of the question. To tell you the truth we aren't 100% sure where we are going and if we will leave at all.

For me it is a little inner battle:

If we stay then we won't have to go through moving, finding a renter or possibly selling our house. If we stayed we would still have family around, big plus. I have moved to about 7 different areas (and moved more inside of those areas), I am a little tired of remaking friends. I would like to stick to the familiar.

But, I also think it would be nice to go. We are young, the kids aren't in school. So it shouldn't be that big of a deal right? It would be a new experience and fun to look back on. Plus it would be better then going on vacation somewhere (maybe), cause you go through all the hassle to get there and you get to stay a little longer. We would get to know the area better. It would be an adventure!

What do you think?

Special Treat

2010-08-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

So because I posted so late in the day, I decided to through in a treat. An extra post! On top of the two I promised of course. Enjoy!

Pleeeeeease,Let Me In

2010-08-09T21:18:00.001-07:00

So I changed my email, which changed my blog ID and now I can't get into all the privatized blogs I was a member of. Pretty, pretty please let me in.

Two Peas in a Pod

2010-08-09T21:17:00.001-07:00

For the last three nights they have been sleeping in Hannah's bed. We love peaking in on them and watching them sleep. It is even cuter to see them end up in the same bed. It's moments like this that make life so wonderful.

Daily Happenings

2010-08-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

Cleaned up the house that I let get REALLY dirty because I took the day off Sunday
Watched Design Star, my favorite show lately. My two favorite designers are in the bottom three and I really hope Emily wins. The winner gets their own show on HGTV and I would love to watch Emily's show, if she gets it.
Help my younger brother Seth make his first resume, though he has had three jobs already. Go figure. He is applying to be a tutor at ASU Polytechnic Campus and CGCC. Yes, that is what I did when I went there. Yes, he got into the same engineering program I was in. The same program my hubby, Talmage and other little brother, Jacob went in. Some people have no originality, jk. But for the record, I was first. They should pay me for all the people that came in because of me.
I also helped my little sister enroll at CGCC.
Packed for my trip to globe
Put away laundry
Went up to globe with Mom Hansen, my MIL.
Went walking/runnig with Mom Hansen and her friend Eddie. Well, more walking then running for me because my ankle is still a little tweeked from twisting it last Monday. While at a time share in Pheonix, I was trying to play tag with Paxie and Caden while holding Hannah. Not a brilliant idea. I twisted it coming off of the play ground equipment. Spencer and Lisa were HUGE helps and took care of Heber and Hannah for most of the rest of the day. Yeah, even with their four kids and Lisa all pregnant. Can you say saint?

And of course I fed, played, held, etc. Heber and Hannah today too. Don't just think I could go a whole day ignoring them. They are way too cute!

Coming Soon!!!

2010-08-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

So this Friday is my last day of school. Then no more classes for my bachelors degree!!! I am SO excited!!!So to celebrate, I decided to treat yall with two posts a day, starting this coming Monday and ending Friday. I know your just bursting with excitement

Evening Routine

2010-07-29T07:59:00.002-07:00

Q: I'd like you to describe your typical day.

4:00-6:30

Make dinner
Play/entertain kids anything to distract them from wanting to eat and dirtying the house.
Coloring time, puppets, tea time, their baby reading movie, etc.

6:00- Til End of Day

Talmage comes home, the highlight of our day!
Eat dinner
Clean up
Hang out as a family if nothing else is going on.
Occasionally exercise
Swimming
Mondays - FHE
Tuesday & Wednesday - These are the days Talmage does ward missionary stuff, which means I stay home and do homework, browse internet or clean.
Thursday - Baseball, but not all the time
Fridays - Date night - which normally consist of watching a movie at home on our computer

Midday Routine

2010-07-29T07:59:00.001-07:00

Q: I'd like you to describe your typical day.

11:30 to 1:30

Kids sleep.

Homework, homework, homework

Browse the computer

Paint, best time to paint. It is hard to stop what I am doing, clean my hands and tend to their needs, plus they will get to anything I put down.

1:30 to 3:30

If I wasn't smart enough to run errands in the morning, I do it during this time, which is normally what happens. I almost always do the grocery shopping, etc. when Talmage is gone, I would rather spend time with Talmage then go when he is home, even if it means dealing with whinny kids.

Clean and listen to conference or Book of Mormon, if I didn't get to earlier.

Visit friends

Work on projects.

Occasionally exercise. When it was cooler I use to walk/ride bike to do majority of errands, I still do but not near as often. I also did clogging on Tuesdays but they stopped for summer too. I try to yoga and stuff like that at home but not consistent

Morning Routine

2010-07-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Q: I'd like you to describe your typical day.
A: I broke this question into three posts to make it short and sweet and to the point. So here is my morning routine for ya.

7:00 wake up with the kids

Kids eat breakfast.
I sit at the table and drink something cold (normally water but on occasion OJ or cranberry juice). Unless Talmage is home then I eat breakfast with all of them. But during the week days I don't see him until he comes home in the evening.
If they aren't grumpy when they wake up, I'll get dressed while they are playing.
Clean something that they can't undo (dishes, laundry, etc.)
Or I'll sit on the couch, read something or watch the Morning Show.
When they are done eating, I generally let them play in their little kiddy pool on the back porch. It is my lazy way of getting them all clean from breakfast and they like it.
Sometimes I'll put on Animal Atlas, a kids TV show. I feel like we both can learn from it, it has real animals which they love and it doesn't seem like one those cartoons that melt their brains.

8:30 to 10:00

I'll grab something light to eat, I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day but I haven't been digging it lately, especially in my first trimester (which I am now out of, no more bad morning sickness!!! Wishful thinking, I still have morning sickness.)
Clean and listen to conference or Book of Mormon. The kids generally play during this time.
Read, if they will let me, they normally want to take my book.
Maybe get on the computer, big maybe. (I try not to get on it with the kids around because first they sit on my lap, then they want to touch the keyboard/mouse, then they want to crawl on the desk... basically if you give a mouse a cookie...).
Do homework.
Take kids to park if it is cool enough
If I am smart I run errands because it is cooler than outside and I love how friendly and welcoming stores are during this time

10:30 to 11:30

Feed kids lunch and eat something more substantial.
Put the kids down for their nap

Grad School

2010-07-23T13:20:00.002-07:00

Grad school has been on our minds for months.If you click on the image you will be able to see the little flags representing the grad schools Talmage is interested in. He made this map especially for me, aren't I a lucky girl!

Here is his list, it may change, but for now it is what it is:

Top Ten Schools and Degrees in Order of Preference (more or less)

George Mason University - M.S. in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering
Virginia Tech - M.S. in Civil Infrastructure Engineering
University of North Carolina - Public Works Engineering & Administration
Arizona State University - M.S. in CE or Sustainability
University of Texas at Arlington - MS or M.Engr in CE with an infrastructure systems research focus.
Stanford - M.S. in CEE: Sustainable Design and Construction (SDC)
University of Maryland - M.S. in CE in Civil systems
St. Louis University - Masters of Engineering in Sustainable Infrastructure Design
Notre Dame University - M.S. in Civil Engineering
University of Wisconsin - Masters of CE with a focus in Engineering & City Planning

Any Others????

Let me in, pleeeeeeeease.

2010-07-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

So I changed my email, which changed my blog ID and now I can't get into all the privatized blogs I was a member of. Pretty, pretty please let me in.

Two Peas in a Pod

2010-07-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

And the Little One Said "Roll Over"

2010-07-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

My niece Dana said...

Do they ever roll off the bed??? Those are rich beds!!!!!!!

The answer is yes. Doesn't both the beds side by side look so cute and twin-like? But it didn't work for Hebs. His bed is the far one and is easy to roll off of. I had to either spend twenty bucks on a rail for him or move his bed against the wall.

In the end moving it was the most practical to me. So here ya go. I like it and it seems to open their room up.

Is toilet water drinkable?

2010-07-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

This is the first question I got in our All Ears Comment Area.

See side bar

I am so giddy with excitement! Comment person, probably Kimball, you just made my day!
OK, on to answering the question. I found a little info on bacteria and toilets:
Bacteria such as E. Coli that reside inside the toilet pose a greater risk than bacteria found on the surface of a toilet seat. Bacteria from the inside of the toilet pose the greatest risk when the toilet is flushed as they are present in the water that sprays out, and can be easily inhaled. Bacteria is also found underneath the toilet seat.

Toilet water is drinkable. Hans and Hebs have proven this. Should you drink it, I'm going to say NO.
Now lets play a game, who can spot one of Hebs favorite "toys". I'll give you a hint, I always have to keep my bathroom door shut because of it and the thought that he likes getting it any chance he can should gross you out.

If you want to make a comment or have a question, and make my day too, I'm All Ears.

Twin's Twin Beds

2010-07-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Heber and Hannah have moved from cribs to twin beds. I like it because we can read to them easier before they go to be. I also like it because they wake up in the morning and go to playing and don't need me to get them out of bed. That means I get to sleep in almost everyday til seven or so.The white head boards actually where one bed that had I when I was single. The foot boards came from a bed I found on craigslist for $20 cold, hard cash. The rails on each are a mix-match combination of the two beds.

Ultrasound

2010-07-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

I had an ultra sound, once again they're absolutely sure that there is just one baby. I am about 14 weeks along now and my official due date is January 14. My next ultrasound is in 6 weeks and that's when we are going to find out the gender if we haven't already (see pic below).The ultrasound made me more baby hungry. Watching the little one in me was truly amazing.

Painting

2010-07-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

I finished a painting I did for a friend of the family, Andy. This is the second custom painting he has paid me to do for him. It is a painting of the Nauvoo Temple. It is a fairly good size painting, about 3 x 4 ft. It took a few months, I think I started it back in March. When I first started it all the lines where clean and formal, I changed it up a bit to give it a more whimsical feel. This isn't the greatest camera but it gives you the idea. I am happy with how it turned out.
I am going to take a break fro painting for a while. It requires a level of paint supplies that I can't constantly keep up with. My painting craving might be back in time to do a painting for a Christmas present. We'll see.

Little Sickling

2010-07-05T13:25:00.001-07:00

Heber has been a sick little guy for the past three days. I think he might be getting better, but I have thought that a couple times though. The croup is no easy stroll in the park. If your kid is thinking about the croup I recommend the following:

Humidifier by his crib with Vicks night and day during naps
Vicks on stomach and feet
Cough medicine
Wet towel around neck
Breathing machine with saline
Electrolyte baby drink
Dr. Appointment
Prescriptions with hormones
Sleepless nights
Patience
Lots of Prayers

I have to admit that he is so cute when he is sick. He is so cuddly. And his harsh sick voice and droopy eyes just tugs at my heart strings.

Update

2010-07-02T08:36:00.001-07:00

I went to the doctor yesterday. She said that I didn't feel big enough to be having twins again. (sigh of relief) She said I am around 9 to 10 weeks along. I have my first ultrasound next Thursday and I will find out when my exact due date is, etc.

Now I need to go back to taking care of Heber, he has the croup. He was barking like a little baby seal all night last night. We, mostly Talmage, was up with him all last night. Dad of the year award.

2010-06-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

So I don't mean to leave you hanging but I haven't found out that I am or am not possibly having twins. Funny story. So Hannah decided to rearrange my wallet for me. I haven't been able to find two of the most important things yet, my driver's license and debit card. Oh and my military ID is missing and I am guessing that is going to be a pain to replace. Ironically, the unimportant stuff like my Bashas card. . . I'm a Fry's girl.
Anyways, I searched everywhere for them. Yeah, even garbage cans full of poopy diapers. I wasn't able to find any of them. I had five days to find my cards before my appointment, but nothing. I canceled my appointment and ordered new cards. I have been house bound for a week now because I have no driver's license. I haven't bought anything because I don't have a debit card and I would need proof of ID if I use a check.

Summer School

2010-06-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have two more classes and then I will be officially done! I am taking both classes this summer. The first one is called Southwest Gardening and I love it so much! I really am learning a lot and hopefully my backyard will have more to it than a pile of dust. Actual picture of my backyard below:The second class I am taking and starts in July when my gardening class is done is called History of Technology. I might be taking this with Talmage. It sounds interesting and I have already started to read the book for it. I like the book so far it is called from Leonardo to the Internet and talks about how culture, economics and society affected what happened technology wise. Which is opposite of most history books that say technology drives culture or economics.
I don't consider history of technology a technical class (ex: math, science or hard core engineering), I finished my last technical class this spring and it is such a huge relief to have those done!

Anyways, these are my last two classes. I am glad I got to save some of the best for last.

Fraud

2010-06-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Talmage and I were originally going to move into Tempe for the summer and rent out our house. It seemed like Talmage would have a lot on his plate and taking two hours or more out of driving to Tempe each day for school and work seemed like a pretty good idea.

We had a few different people wanting to rent our house this summer, who found us at ldshousing. We had a renter lined up and place to rent but for some reason it didn't feel right. We told our renter and offered her to stay in our guest room, which she excepted gladly. She was supposedly going to come the 15th of June and she is a graduate student and currently in England... supposedly. She said that her dad would send the check for the deposit and first month's rent. He sent me over $3000 and asked me to take the deposit and first months rent out and then send the rest to his daughters travel agent to arrange her flight. I went to cash the check and it was a FRAUD! Can you believe it. Weird. Needless to say, we ended up not moving. The banker lady told me that if someone wants you to send money elsewhere for them, it is most likely a scam. If we would have moved we would have already said no to other real renters and had no one renting our house and we would be paying for both. It goes to show that if you prayerfully consider something the Lord will look out for you. The good thing out of this all is that my guest bedroom is completely clean! ... my garage, not so much.

Anyways, this semester is not as bad as we thought it was going to be for Talmage. He is taking a programming class and a geographic information systems class, GIS, and he says they are fairly easy especially because he has experience with GIS. He is also working on his capstone project and working part time. He has only had to stay in town at Lindsay's house two times.

2010-06-13T09:45:00.001-07:00

So I have a doctors appointment Tuesday and I hope that I get to find out how many babies or lack of babies I am having. That probably sounds weird to you. Some explanation? Well, after having fraternal twins once my chances of having twins again goes from 1 out of 90 to 1 out of 12. My odds are good that I'll have a single baby but the thought of twins does keep resurfacing and has made me lose a tiny bit of sleep at night. And as cool as two sets of twins may sound to everyone that gets to see pictures of them and dote over them and then send them home, another set of twins to me sounds very daunting.
I know that all mothers with new babies are sleep deprived and it is not a walk in the park, but I just think it would somehow be easier with one instead of two.Now just to clear things up, I am glad that I have Heber and Hannah and I love them and couldn't give either of them away. I wouldn't want to go back and have one born years later either, if I had the ability. I am glad they are twins because they make each other and us so happy. I am grateful to be able to have them in my life. And I don't mean to sound like I don't want to have a baby. This pregnancy was planned and the timing feels right.I bet if I do end up having twins again I will change my attitude to fit the situation but the thought of another set of twins is wearying... and triplets, I don't even think I can go there, the thought will drive me insane.
I am sure God will always give me enough so that I will always turn for him for help. Just how much that is, time will tell. When it comes down to it, it is not about how much I can handle or think I can't handle, it is about something much bigger then me.

Little Miss, Little Miss Hannah - 18 months

2010-06-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

She really gets into whatever she is doing. She gets very focused when she is doing something like taking the wipes out and then puts them back into the container. She can spend so much time in the toy basket just playing by herself.
Hannah acts like a little mom. When Heber is throwing away his diaper, Hannah is right behind him to make sure he does. Often, I will hear her talking to Heber, in gibberish of course, telling him sweetly now this is how this is done and that is how that is done.
Lately, she has been getting this strong brow thing going on and we found out that she is trying to mimic us when we discipline her. It makes you want to discipline her for no reason, but I resist the urge. I didn't get a picture, I didn't want to wake her up.
Hannah can be as sweet as a lamb, but if crossed is a little sassy thing.Her smile and laugh definitely brighten my day!