McNett Family

Kids Room Sneak Peek

2011-11-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some before pics of the kids room. It wasn't too bad, just not my style. Green walls, cloud ceiling and an awesome space, planet, with an earth globe light kit ceiling fan. Although it will be hard to part with that thing (NOT), I didn't want the kids head chopped off.

We still have to finish painting around the window sills (the one on right is obviously not finished), paint a dresser, find a rug, and find some curtains but it's close to finished.

Here is a pic of my inspiration piece from my most favorite website, Pinterest

http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/175907393_4F19oaqX_c.jpg

I loved the colors, and randomness of the stripes, but thought that stripes on every wall was too much. So instead I decided to keep the stripes on one wall, paint the ceiling orange, and the rest of the walls white. I think that it works for a sister and brother who share a room. Anyway, it is definitely more our style. What do you think?

I remember me

2011-11-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Anyone else ever feel like this? Thanks Heather for the song :)

The New England Nudge

2011-11-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Random thoughts from Kelly:
Recently I have noticed all the people that say the word "literally," literally in every sentence (haha). I think that word is overused. We met this guy at a neighborhood Halloween party and the more he drank, the more he used the word "literally." He was funny, and very interesting. Small world moment, the "literally guy's" sister and bro-in-law live in Salt Lake. She works for the Olympic ski team, and the bro-in-law is the New Zeland helicopter pilot/traffic reporter on KSL. Anyway, today I will be using the word literally, and too many parentheses, and quotations.

Hopefully this makes sense. I have a strange way of telling stories, so I'm told. I LITERALLY almost die every time I get in the car here in Rhode Island. Every new place you move you always hear about the horrible drivers, and I've lived a few places. Never in my life have I experienced driving like I have here (except in Hong Kong and thank goodness I wasn't driving). People think they are being courteous here and will stop either at a green light, or in the middle of traffic to allow people to turn left. That's polite you may think, but NO! The person who slams on their brakes in front of you to allow someone to turn forgets that on most streets there is more than one lane moving in the same direction. The person in the next lane may not be as "courteous," which causes major traffic jams. And if you happen to be the lucky one turning left and someone abruptly brakes for you to turn (when it is clearly not your right of way) be prepared for the finger and honking, but not from me... from the "courteous" one. Remember what he forgets in the lane next to him or her. This is called The New England Nudge. People here are so used to people thinking that EVERYONE sees them (the egos on these people) that they will turn left whenever the hell they please, and most often when it is not their right of way, and even if they block three lanes of traffic. Terrible drivers I tell ya. My kids may have learned a few new phrases and gestures if not from me, from the "courteous" drivers, (let's face it, mostly from me though) all because I'm upset about these idiots endangering the lives of my precious babies. No one messes with a mama bear protecting her babies. Oh, and we won't even talk about my trip to Boston airport and my near death experiences driving there. Those people consider the shoulder a permanent lane, better hope you don't get a flat tire or break down on one of the freeways there.

Oh, for those wanting before and after pics of my new home, hang in there. Literally (hehe) every room in this house needs painted. Our first painting project will be happening in the kids room this weekend. I can see the potential but want everything to be done yesterday. I've been busy taking down old, dusty, cat hair, and clawed curtains, unpacking all 800 boxes of art and pics, while a certain cute, exhausting 3 yr old undoes my cleaning and straightening.

Anyone still there?

2011-10-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

So it's been a wild few months. Our whole family is officially back together again in Rhode Island (well almost, missing a little brown eyed girl) and it is beautiful here. So far we are really liking it. Here are more than a few pics of what we have been up to...

RI welcomed us with an earthquake and a hurricane all in the first week of being there.

Spent much time at the beach. This is at Block Island

NO trip to the beach is a success without a sand mermaid and a frozen lemonade.

Paddle Boats at Roger Williams Park. I worked my bootie off in 80+ heat and 100% humidity in jeans mind you. I think I lost 10lbs that day.

What! Still no house yet, back to Utah we went to save $$ and for Avery to start her first day of kindergarten.

And off she went. I'm pretty sure she could fit in this backpack.

Spent much needed time with this beautiful girl. Pretty sure she could fit in Avery's backpack too. We considered it but didn't want to become the caused of an Amber Alert. Just kidding!!!

Pumpkin patch with Gram and Papa

Getting crazy in the mountains.

Somehow Papa ended up with all the grand kids, and both daughter in laws who have very limited fishing experience and don't really care for more experience.

More Sara time

On our way back to RI. You may wonder what this pic is doing here. For those of you who don't follow me on facebook here is the story...Kason was looking at a Skymall magazine and started screaming, "Mom, mom, it's you! You in a magazine!" I look over to see what he thinks is me and he wasn't pointing at the skinny one. No I don't run around naked, or wrestle like this, and I sure hope I'm a lot perkier in certain areas. Where did he get this from?

Finally we moved into our home! Can't wait to get started painting and decorating.

Wow what a long blog post...

Avery started all day kindergarten and rides the bus. I was not prepared for either one of those things. Lot's of tears from me. She loves it and is doing well.

Kason being Kason. I love this little guy.

We've been lucky to have visitors already. Brian's parent and my mom. Here is my mom and the kids at Newport.

Not the best pic due to the fog, but the halloween activities here rock. This is at the zoo. There were over 5,000 pumpkins carved and painted and all lit up. They even had them wired up to branches in a huge tree, and pumpkins bigger than Kason and Avery combined,.

Overall, we are loving it here. Hopefully it's a fresh start and that 2012 will bring many visitors to stay with us. We miss all of you (the 6 of you who read this blog).

Moving to Rhode Island

2011-07-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Rhode Island became the 13th state on May 29, 1790. It was originally founded by refugees from Connecticut and Massachusetts who thought that having double consonants in a state's name looked snooty and pretentious.

The state motto of Rhode Island is "Size Doesn't Matter"

Rhode Island license plates has black letters on a light blue background and the slogan "Clamtastic!"

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US, measuring a mere 48 by 37 miles.

The largest manufacturer of silverware in the world is in Providence.

Some Rhode Islanders speak with a non-rhotic accent that many compare to a "Brooklyn" or a cross between a New York and Boston accent ("water" becomes "wata"). Many Rhode Islanders distinguish the aw sound [ɔː], as one might hear in New Jersey; e.g., the word coffee is pronounced [ˈkɔːfiː] kaw-fee.^{[76 ]}

Many Rhode Islanders drizzle French fries with white vinegar. This is almost unheard of^{[citation needed]} in any other state.

Several foods and dishes are unique to Rhode Island and some are hard to find outside of the state.

Hot wieners, which are sometimes called gaggers, weenies, or New York System wieners, are smaller than a standard hot dog, served covered in a meat sauce, chopped onions, mustard, and celery salt.

Famous to Rhode Island is Snail Salad, which is served at numerous restaurants throughout the state. The dish is normally prepared "family style" with over five pounds of snails mixed in with other ingredients commonly found in seafood dishes.^[83

(I wonder why these foods are hard to find outside of the state,,,YUCK!)

The Farrelly brothers and Seth MacFarlane depict Rhode Island in popular culture, often making comedic parodies of the state. MacFarlane's television series Family Guy is based in a fictional Rhode Island city named Quahog, and notable local events and celebrities are regularly lampooned.

Here is some Rhode Island Scenery:

Here is a house I fell in love with already that we will hopefully get to see in a few weeks.

I am very excited for our family's next adventure but, I would be lying if I didn't say that I was more nervous and anxious than excited. It's worth giving Rhode Island a shot, what's the worst that can happen, right? If there is anything that I have learned in this last year is that life goes on no matter how hard it is. I'm so proud of Brian and excited about his new job. We are also hoping we'll be visited by lots of friends and family.

Stenciled Drapes and My Funny Inspiration

2011-05-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

So this is the project I'm working on today. Those are my drapes, and yes that's my bra. It was actually the inspiration to this whole idea. You really can find inspiration anywhere :) There will be more turquoise checks in the pattern I will have to go back over my stencil or hand paint them (ugh) but I really do think that it adds interest.

Ah, my inspiration!!! Wish me luck, this is going to take all day. I have 8 panels to paint.

Homemade Sidewalk Paint

2011-05-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe for homemade sidewalk paint on this awesome website called Pinterest (go to pinterest.com and click on invite. If that doesn't work then send me a msg and I'll send you an invite. It really is an awesome site that has everything on it, fashion, decor, gardening, design, food, and many more).

I used one of my muffin tins to mix everything up

1/8 cup cornstarch in each muffin tin

1/8 cup water in each muffin tin

and food coloring of your choice.

The paint was a hit at our house.

I'm excited to show everyone the projects I've been working on. One is a faux capiz chandelier I'll post pics soon, next week is a starburst mirror, and for tonight I am going to stencil my brown curtains to make them look like houndstooth. Hope everything turns out. Thank goodness for craft blogs :)

I saw this quote and it made me feel better

Have a great day everyone :)

No Other Way

2011-05-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you are finally on the upswing of things, and may slightly recover, damn iTunes shuffle has to go and play a song that brings back memories. Although, they are good memories, I'm also trying to overcome and move on without forgetting. Music always gets me, and for some reason iTunes keeps playing this song over and over at the most inconvenient times, "No Other Way" by Jack Johnson. It sent me into tears on a run through the neighborhood (damn iTunes shuffle) so if you heard loud sobbing as I passed your house, please excuse me. I know the song is not about losing a baby, but some of the words remind me of my Sara girl. My cute, cute, cute 17yr old brother used to sing this song to her with his guitar all the time. Here are some of the lyrics:

When your mind is a mess

So is mine

I cant sleep

Cause it hurts when I think

My thoughts aren't at peace

With the plans that we make

Chances we take

They're, not yours and not mine

There's waves that can break

All the words that we say

And the words that we mean

Words can fall short

Can't see the unseen

Cause the world is awake

For somebody's sake now, please close your eyes woman

Please get some sleep

And know that if I knew

All of the answers I would

Not hold them from you'd

Know all the things that i'd know

We told each other, there is no other way

I get to see Sara 2 times a month and am so thankful for that, even though 2x a month isn't possibly enough time to see someone you put your whole heart and soul into for a year, especially when you can see her growing away.

So if you've recently had a baby (there is about a million in my neighborhood) please excuse my stares, me holding them for extra long periods of time, and the crazy way I talk to them. Nothing is more comforting to me than a newborn baby. They just came from heaven after all. Hold your babies often (no matter what age) because they grow so fast and life has a way of taking sharp turns occasionally.

Any Guesses Yet? Ok, so a few of you know, but anybody else?

2011-04-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

I came home from the store and they were all lit up. I'm kind of in LOVE with them :)

Keepin it Real (while having a panic attack about this post)

2011-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, the thing I hate most about "blogland" is that almost everyone looks perfect. Although I strive for perfection, and love for people to think I'm perfect, guess what? I'm not even close! Blogs have made me depressed before thinking, "why can't I be that organized, why can't I be a fun mom, why can't I be creative instead of copying others, why can't I look like that" and the list goes on.....

So I had three craft projects going on, my husband decided to come home early from work (yay), decided to do yard work all afternoon (boo), and then I had young women's that night. I'm a disorganized mess. Like Avery says, "Get a move on it mom!" (wonder where she heard that ;)) This is just a pic of one disastrous room, I didn't show you the pile of clean laundry on my couch waiting to be folded, the sorted dirty laundry on my bedroom floor, and the crap load of "stuff" on the ledge to go downstairs. In fact, this picture doesn't even do it justice about how dirty it really is. You can't really see the overflowing onto the counter pile of dishes in my sink, or last night's pot's and pans on the stove, or all the crumbs on the counter and floor. My kids went and cleaned their rooms without me asking, they must have needed somewhere clean to go relax. Hey, at least my floors are vacuumed and my bathrooms sparkling clean (that's become a daily chore with a pretty much potty trained 3yr old boy).

There is alway time to be perfect tomorrow right?

A sneak peek to a project I'm excited to show off

2011-04-27T13:18:00.001-07:00

Cleaning Products

2011-04-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is a totally random post but I'm going to share my favorite cleaning products.

Bar Keepers Friend (I prefer the liquid) You can buy this at Walmart or other grocery store. This gets rid of all those ugly black scuffs in porcelain sinks that I couldn't get off with anything else. It makes my sink look almost brand new. I also use this to clean my stainless steel. It takes a little practice to avoid streaking but I love it. Also does well at cleaning off hard water and soap scum in the shower and bathtub.

Scour Off by Shaklee- You can only buy this from a Shaklee rep. I'm not a huge fan of buying things you can only buy from reps, but after reading about this on more than one random blog I decided to try it. This is the best at cleaning the ring around the bathtub. This will also remove the black marks from porcelain sinks. I had a hard water stain from where we had a leaky faucet in the bathtub that I had soaked in vinegar, tried CLR and Limeaway, but this took it away the best. It involved a little elbow grease but was worth it.

Basic H2 by Shaklee- You can only buy this from a Shaklee rep. I also like this because you have to use so little to make a big 32 oz spray bottle. It works really well at degreasing, cleaning windows, and floors without leaving any residue. I will have this bottle for at least a few more years. I also love to use this to clean my microfiber couches. It has taken off many murals on my white microfiber couches and carpet. Crayon and Sharpie markers are Kason's favorite medium's to use to do his art.

And who would forget this? I am amazed at how well this takes things off walls and baseboards. This eraser really is magic :)

I wish that I would have found all of these years ago. I ended up getting rid of my huge box of cleaner that was taking over the cabinets under my sinks. Now I only use these, and also a disinfectant from Shaklee for the bathrooms, counters and all the handles and light switches in my house.

Anybody have other favorite products or cleaning tips?

P.S. Just because these are my favorite products does not mean that my house is always clean :) In fact, I should start using these things a little more often.

Fail

2011-03-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

I constantly am worried that I am failing (especially this past month). One thing I always dream of is a clean, organized house including closets and drawers. Although I am not the biggest pig around, I do admit that sometimes I have a panic attack when the door bell rings and I have an unannounced visitor. Luckily there are people like me out there. One of my friends said that she was having friends over and didn't have time to get everything done, so the dirty dishes went in the stove :). I have been reading books about organizing your home and just read a great one called "Get Your Act Together" by Pam Young and Peggy Jones, that was actually laugh out loud funny (Brian made fun of me that an organization book could make me laugh like that, just shows you how crazy I am). Now I just need to get my act together.

Today I just got a book called "The Parenting Breakthrough, A real life plan to teach your kids to work, save money, and be truly independent." I am already failing. It says that my 3yr old should be able to dress self (check), use toilet independently (fail), begin to brush teeth (check), pick up toys (fail, no matter what kind of game you try to play to clean up there is no fooling Kason. He hates to clean), says prayers (check), clean glass table (if we had a glass table, he would have shattered it by now). My 5 yr old should be able to straighten room (check), vacuum (fail, she's so little I'm afraid the vacuum would vacuum her up), empty garbage cans (fail), set table (check), clear table (fail), make own lunch (really?!? big fail), warm up canned food (fail), get allowance (fail, you mean kids actually get allowance?). I also need to put this into action.

So much to do, but we're taking it one day at a time around here lately. I'm sure there will be plenty of time to organize, clean, and make my children independent. For now I'm going to consider getting out of bed and getting dressed a huge accomplishment.

Happy Birthday Bubs!

2011-03-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

My big guy turned 3

They had a blast at Hollywood Connection

He had an airplane party

We love this guy! He is still busy as ever and is a master manipulator, thief, teaser, and charmer (especially with those dimples). He knows just when we are busy and takes random things out of all of our rooms. He has finally started to talk up a storm and these are some of my favorite things he says:

*"Yeah, a do mommy" (yeah, I do mommy)

*He calls McDonalds "E-I-O's"

*Chic-fil-a's is called "The Big Cow, A lays" (he loves when the guy in the cow costume comes out)

*When I say "I love you Kason" he says "and Jase, and Julee, and Gram and Poppie and Nate and Kev, and daddy and Avi" (at least he's aware of all the people that love him)

*I love that he named his fish "Fight" this was all his idea. He is all boy, and he is a fighter.

*He asks everyday to go to Kyler's house (he's spoiled there)

*He also asks everyday to go to Shari's house (she is a good friend of ours who cuts our hair and has 3 boys, so her house is a boys dream. Plenty of guns, swords, trucks, video games, etc. Plus Shari feeds him anything he wants, and however much he can put away. It's pretty embarrassing when he walks in and the first thing he says to her is "I hungry")

* He just started singing and his favorite song is "On the Radio" by Regina Spektor. It's so cute to hear him sing "On the Bradio, Uh Oh"

We love you buddy and are so glad you made it to our family (even though the 5 1/2 week wait was excruciating). You definitely fit the role of the little brother. You are so handsome, I could just eat you up with those big, sleepy eyes, blond, curly hair and huge dimpled smile. Thanks for shaking our family up a little with all your wildness. Hope you had a great day.

Getting to know Kelly a little better...

2011-02-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

I hardly ever blog, and when I do it's about my family. So the three of you that read this I thought I would try to do something a little different today...

I am a smart ass (or smartie pants as my mom would say), and I totally get this from my mom. Love you mom, you're the sweetest person I know, but you know this is true.

I feel like I need to rebel, even if it's totally insignificant. I keep my eyes open during group prayers, I sometimes shop on Sunday, I swear once my kids aren't around, I like music that swears because it always makes me feel better, I like dirty jokes, I like to make people slightly uncomfortable or get a reaction by the comments I make. What is wrong with me? Dang Mormon guilt!

I love blood and guts, and will someday have a more significant job in the medical field than a medical assistant. If I was younger and smarter I would be a surgeon. The coolest thing I've ever seen is brain surgery. Thanks Dr Macfarlane and Rich, awesome neurosurgeons if you ever need one.

I want to be perfect at everything I do, but instead I'm clumsy and slow. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be good at everything. I don't expect people to be perfect, except myself.

I wish I was creative and even a little eccentric, creativity is such a turn on for me. I love people who think outside the box and create, or see things totally different than I do. Instead I'm pretty average and can fit in with most people, even though I don't feel like I fit in. I wish that I was a designer of some sort. Thankfully I was able to marry someone who is very creative and at least have a little bit of creativity in my life.

I am not offended easily, and don't understand people who are. Don't get me wrong, we all have our days and believe me I've had my share of strange things said to me (my fav: "Did you even try to have your own kids or did you just want to adopt?"), but for the most part I think people are trying to help. I'm sure I've offended many (especially if you have crossed me or someone I care about), and if any of you are reading this (unlikely) then I hope you know my intentions were good. Life is too short to be offended and it can bring you down, so just let it go. This being said, even though I'm not offended easily once I'm there I'm very good at holding a grudge. Yes, I know I"m a hypocrite.

I love to laugh but always cover my mouth when I laugh because I've seen pictures of me laughing really hard and it's not pretty. Brian gives me a hard time and says I laugh like an Asian girl. He makes me laugh everyday though, what more could a girl want?

One of my guilty pleasures is Daniel Tosh :) Here is a little example of what makes me laugh.

Daniel Tosh: Cargo Pants Day

Get another Daniel Tosh Joke »

I have a five-gallon jar at my house I like to fill with change. I don't stop 'til I reach tip-top and that little bell goes off, and I know Cargo Pant Day is here at last, and I dance. And I put the cargo pants on with a belt -- extra tight because I don't want to have an embarrassing situation on such a great day -- and I fill up all the pockets with the change. Then I get a car alarm -- not a car alarm with a car, just a car alarm -- and I hold it to my chest really closely. And then I go walk around the streets of Manhattan, and I wait for the first homeless person to come up to me and say, 'Hey, you got any spare change?' Then, I set the car alarm off: 'You hit the jackpot, mofo!'

LOVE HIM!

This is turning into a long post. Anything else you guys want to know about me?

We'll love you forever...

2011-02-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

We'll love you forever,

We'll like you for always,

As long as we're living,

Our baby you'll be...

Thanks for making our hearts grow bigger.

We miss you like crazy baby girl!

Kasonisms

2010-12-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

So my little guy is still roudy as ever. He's a late talker but lately has started talking up a storm. About a month ago Brian, Avery and Kason were playing hide and seek and it was Kason's turn to count. He was covering his eyes saying "e-i-o" (instead of 1, 2, 3). Lately everything is "was dat mama? was dat fo?", and my favorite "no mama". Kason is obsessed with forks, but does not say fork the right way. He substitutes the ork for a uck. He is also a hoarder. He sneaks treats and hides the wrappers in his room. He hides forks in his room too. One time I found the scissors, a battery,and the hammer hidden in his room too. Don't ask me where the lady was who was supposed to be taking care of him. Kase loves to argue and anything you say he says or wants just the opposite. "yeah do mama" (yes I do). I can't keep clothes on him lately. One day he only wanted to wear socks and nothing else, it was a big fight where he was determined to get his way. Another time Brian was taking Avery and Kason to the store and Brian told him to go get dressed. Kason came out of his room with just his snow boots on and said, "ok, I ready to go". So I apologize in advance if you show up at my house and you see streaker Kason running wild. He knows how to keep me busy, push my buttons, and make me laugh. I love him, even though he is a wild thing.

These are a few of my favorite things

2010-12-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

BABY BUMS
I especially love when baby bums are up in the air like this one.

BABY BED HEAD

I also love baby hair. I get excited every time one of my kids gets up for the morning, or from a nap to see what their hair will look like.

I am also loving an app called Hipstamatic on my iPhone. It has different lens, film, and flash options that give you different effects. Well anyway, I've got to go back to being MOM. Have a great day everyone.

Could this be LOVE....?

2010-12-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

So I'm driving through the Wendy's drive through when I hear Kyler and Avery (both 4yrs old) talking about marriage in the back. I didn't catch the conversation because I was ordering but I asked Avery later about it. This is what she told me.

Avery: "Mom, Kyler asked me to marry him."

Me: "What did you say?" (I knew this was coming because Kyler's mom had warned me. He had just been to a wedding and was fascinated with all the gifts at the reception. He wanted to get married so he and Avery could get some presents.)

Avery: "I said yes, but guess what? We tried to kiss on the lips but we were both buckled and couldn't reach. Mom, where are me and Kyler going to live now?"

Come to find out Kyler told the same thing to his mom and said that Avery married them. Gotta love Avery's take charge attitude. I couldn't be happier that she married Kyler. The in-laws are nice and their children will be beautiful :). I guess the kids have talked about getting married before because Avery said she was going to live at Kyler's so she can sleep on his bunk bed and there are no little brothers that live there. Kyler said they will live at his his house too because there are no dogs, and also decided that Avery can sleep on the floor. But really, hopefully the seat belt keeps her from kissing boys on the lips when she's older.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

So grateful for these three and their amazing dad.

Random favorites from 2010

2010-11-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

We always have a good time with good friends when we go to San Diego.

A natural huh? Brian and I said after we applied for adoption that if it didn't happen soon, or at all we would buy motorcycles. We're glad Avery came quickly and that we have her instead of motorcycles.

Cafe Rio always tastes better with a cowboy hat on.


A police officer will leave his food and spend 20 min searching in his police car to find a Jr Deputy badge if you tell him, "thanks for catching the bad guys." He made Avery one happy girl.

More to come, I was just testing out mobile blogging. Had to make a few tweaks, maybe I'll figure it out someday.

I get by with a little help from my friends...

2010-11-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the friends I woke up before 6am to watch Kason and Sara while Brian and I took Avery to the doctor. By the way, Avery is fine we were just scared of the 104 degree fever, and over 30min of screaming of head pain. Also, thanks to the friend who had no idea how hellish my evening, morning, and afternoon had been and brought me a surprise. It's crazy how much better chocolate can make you feel.

Although I'm pretty friendly, it has taken me a while to get to know people in my neighborhood, and let them get to know me. Thank you all for always being so nice to our family and willing to help us out anytime. Please know I would do the same for you, even with my crazy life at the moment. I owe all of you big time.

Why so blue?

2010-11-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today has been a downer for some reason. Maybe it's because all I've had to eat today is a frozen burrito, too much Halloween candy, and caffeine withdrawal (I know, my own fault but nothing healthy sounded good today). I don't know about anyone else, but it seems my emotions build up over a long period of time and decide to explode over a week or so. Why so blue? I think it's mostly because of Sara. I was hoping things would be resolved by now but they are not. Not knowing what is going to happen in the next 3-6 months is really getting to me lately. I love her so much and am so scared that I will have to do the impossible and say goodbye. Hopefully my 4yr old and 2yr old will understand why I did this someday. I've been trying to put all my stress energy into organizing my mess of a house, but me cleaning up certain areas leads to a mess in others. All the above mixed with sleep deprivation, a sick eight month old who is teething and needs to constantly be held, a husband that works a 60+ hr work week, Sara's visitation, and three kids that have way more energy than I do=physical and mental exhaustion. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful I get to stay home, that my hubby has a job, we have food, shelter, and my kids are super cute and fun but today I feel like complaining. All I want to do is curl up with a warm blanket, go to sleep, and have a good dream. Usually I try to focus on the good and the positive but not today. Hopefully this blue mood will be over soon. Tomorrow is a new day, and will be better.

Mothers

2010-05-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am always extra emotional right around Mother's Day. It really makes me think about what a great mom I have and all the other women who have inspired me, both family, friends and strangers. My mom is so beautiful inside and out and it's so obvious to me how much she loves me. She always makes me feel better even just by being in the same room. I am so lucky to have her as a best friend and hope to be the mom she has been to me and my siblings.

My Mom and Sara

My beautiful, strong loving grandma has also inspired me to be better. She has survived three different types of cancer, and lost most of her sight and still has had such a positive attitude throughout it all. I hope to be as strong as her, and as good of a cook :). My grandma has the ability to make each grandchild feel like they are her favorite, even though deep down I know I really am :).

Grandma and Grandpa Reynolds, my dad, and me and Aves,

My wonderful mother-in-law who raised such a caring, loving son. I wouldn't be who I am without him, or her, today. I remember the day she was with me when I found out I had a chance to become a foster parent to Kason. I was shaking sooo bad and was so scared, but she was able to calm me down and made me feel like I was strong enough to do it.

Mother-in-law Karen, Grady and Sara

He seriously makes me laugh everyday

My sister-in-laws have been great examples to me as well and are always there for a laugh, or a cry. My fourteen year old sister Julee inspires me as well, and so does my cute niece Janica. I know they will be excellent moms just by watching how they treat my babies. To my friends I met in California who took me in as there own since I was so far away from my own mom, and had a husband constantly gone on military duties. And my friends now who are there to support me.

Sister-in-laws: Meredith with Kason, and Karla with Sara

Avery, my sister Julee, and Sara

Jani and Sara

Most of all today I am grateful for the stranger who picked me out of a wall of books, that were filled with pages and pages of women wanting to be mothers, to be the mom to the child she knew she couldn't take care of. My happy Avery has brought so much joy to our family.

That same women realized again she wasn't ready to be a mom again, and relinquished her parental rights so that I could adopt my crazy busy, but oh so fun Kason man.

Who couldn't love this sweet mess!

And now for letting me take care of sweet Sara girl, who I feel like I've known forever. She is definitely my girl and I can't imagine life without her. As angry as I've been at our birth mom because of certain situations, I will eternally be grateful that she made me a mother, even if it's just a short time with Sara (but I keep praying I'll get to adopt her too).

Look at those cheeks! I can't kiss them enough.

As much as I love celebrating Mother's Day, I hate it as well. I can remember like it was yesterday the feeling of wanting a baby so bad and not being able to have one. So to all of you who do not, can not, or have lost a baby I think of you on this day and cry every year about it because those feelings are still there for me and always will be. I will never take for granted the opportunity of being a mother. Even on the worst of days, I thank God for my children. So today I celebrate all the women who have inspired me, mothers or not.

Surprise

2010-02-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about being a mom is the surprises you get from your children. Some are good and some are bad. It amazes me what little ones find interesting. Kason especially has shown me all sorts of surprises like when he handed me a piece of dog poop, he brings me all of his boogers (into this one a lot lately), dipping his toothbrush in the toilet with a big smile on his face and then brushing his teeth with it as I'm running toward him screaming NOoooo, and many more gross and funny things. My favorites are: I always have a toy or a piece of dog food in my shoe, dog food in the ball popper, and always something he has left me in a pan in the cupboard. For Valentines day we cut up a bunch of paper hearts and taped them to the kids doors and threw the rest on their bedroom floors. Kason carried a heart around with him all day and when I went to change his diaper I even found one shoved down the back of his diaper. Avery's surprises lately are if she's made her bed, a picture she's made for me, or a new letter of the alphabet she can write. She tells me, "close your eyes mom so you can't see," then she yells "surprise, open your eyes!" Love all of it, both good and bad because even if I can't laugh about it as it is happening, I always laugh about it later.

Pics I had to upload were not working for some reason so I'll try later.

Here's to a start of another unfinished idea...

2010-02-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, so blogging has become another project I start but do not keep up on. You should see my pile (or room) of unfinished crafts/projects. I decided on my birthday this year that I want to try to take a picture of something I am grateful for everyday. You will probably see a bunch of pictures of the family so hopefully it doesn't get too boring. I mean, come on, have you seen my beautiful babies! Anyway, I am already a few days behind so I'll include a few pics. Here's to the start of another unfinished idea...

Avery's sleep study

I am so thankful that the sleep specialist was able to find out that Avery has obstructive sleep apnea. We went to the doctors office and had a sleep over. How Avery slept with all these lead on her I will never know. All I know is I didn't get much sleep that night sleeping next to her. On this night Avery had 39 obstructive breathing events where she sometimes stopped breathing for up to 1 min. Now we know why Avery has been UP FOR THE DAY between 2:00-5:00am. She is now scheduled to get her tonsils and adenoids out next Monday. Hopefully she sleeps in a little longer because she has one tired mama.

What?!?! He decided to do this on his own?

Kason has decided he wants to be just like his sister. He is just starting to potty train. He doesn't tell me when he needs to go, but about half of the time he will go if I sit him on his potty. We have a ways to go but I am so proud of him!

Kason throws the best tantrums!

We have a hard time keeping him dressed and a hard time not laughing when he throws his temper tantrums. Avery's were never quite this big, but he sure does make us laugh (in the other room where he can't see us laughing of course).

My Kase Bub

I am so glad that he has finally stopped the crying all day phase. He is a happy, busy, boy who loves to tease his mom and sister. Don't know what we'd do without him. He is so much fun.

1st day of preschool

2009-11-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Avery was so excited to start preschool this year. She picked out her backpack and what she was going to wear that day. I can't believe that she is old enough to start preschool. I dropped her off, and barely made it back home before I started to cry. I can't believe how fast time has gone by and how big she is. Of course, she is the smallest one in the class, but she has a big personality to make up for being so little. She has made lots of new friends and wakes up everyday asking me if it's preschool day. We love you Miss Katie.

So excited

I'm so surpised that she didn't pick out Dora, or one of the Princess backpacks, but I do love this one.

Top of Utah Marathon- Sept 19, 2009

2009-11-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

I did it! I ran my first marathon and finished (believe me there was a point where I thought it could not be done). I had so much fun running in the Desert News 10K that I wanted to do more. I decided to start training for a half marathon. I had a sister in law that was training for a full marathon and I asked if she would mind if I ran my long runs with her. We started running on Saturday nights and after running two times with her she convinced me to sign up for a marathon with her. Believe it or not we had so much fun running together no matter how hot, how dark, how many mosquito bites, how sunburned, how many blisters we had to pop, or how challenging it was. Our first 20 mile run was one of the worst experiences of my life. We hit record heat that day, ran out of water, ran a difficult course, and at one point a car with two guys pulled over and Meredith says to me, "I don't have enough energy to fight them off if it comes down to that, in fact I might just get in their car for the air conditioning." Thankfully they were just asking for directions but I have never laughed so hard. That 20 mile run made us think that there was no way we could do this marathon, but we didn't give up and tried again. We felt good about our second 20 miler and were excited for the marathon.

The day of the marathon was cold but luckily there were fires to keep up warm until the race started. We ran down Logan canyon. It was beautiful with all of the changing leaves and crisp air. Meredith and I lost each other about mile 5 but I ran into a friend shortly after and we stayed pretty close to each other throughout the race. Thanks for keeping me motivated Juliann!

This is after the marathon. Juliann looks perfect and I look like I'm going to pass out. Really it's not fair she looks so good after running a marathon!

I hit mile 21 and I finally understood what "hitting the wall" meant. At mile 23 it was even harder and at that point I wasn't sure I could do it until I got a call from my mom and she said my family was close by. That gave me the energy I needed to continue running. Shortly after that I saw a runner on the ground with EMT's working on her. I was nervous, in pain and felt really sorry for the runner who was so close to finishing. I was emotional about that and then I saw my mom, dad, brother, and sister and almost completely lost it. I got all choked up and couldn't breath and was worried the EMT's would be working on me next. Right then my brother Kevin ran behind me, grabbed my hand and said that he would finish with me. I love my family, they are so supportive. Shortly after that I saw Brian, Avery, Kason and Brian's family. Avery gave me a princess ring and her and Brian started running with me too. They all crossed the finish line with me (even though they were not supposed to) which made the experience even better.

My cute 17yr old brother, Kevin

Me and Meredith

Avery was so proud that I got a medal

Thank you Meredith, Uncle Steve, Tammy and my family for helping me accomplish my goal. Even more thanks to Brian who watched the kids while Meredith and I ran our long runs, for continually giving me support and encouragement throughout the whole thing, and for staying up with our kids all night before the race but still making it on time to see me cross the finish line. I love you!

McNett Family Reunion 2009

2009-08-30T17:10:00.001-07:00

Westport, WA with most of the family

Portland, OR

Brian's side of the family decided to all get together this year for a reunion. Most of the McNett's live up in Oregon and Washington so the few of us living in Utah decided to head up that way.

First the plane ride to Portland, OR...16 month old + plane = one of the reasons you can not open the windows on a plane. Kason cried almost the entire way there. He did not want to be on our laps or in a seat. He wanted to explore everything and thought it was so funny to ram his head as hard as he could into the seat in front of us. I was back by the flight attendants holding and walking with him to try to get him to settle down. It didn't work! I've never been more excited to get off a plane.

Portland was fun. We got to spend time with Uncle Steve and his family. The kids had a blast swimming in his pool and the adults grazed all day long on the yummy food.

Papa Mac & Cheese, Kase and Aves

I have never seen Kason relax and hold so still for so long. Maybe we need to do a little pool therapy

So when we arrived at Steve's house Brian put Kason down for a nap in one of the bedrooms. I changed into my swimming suit and went out to the pool and swear I saw Kason running around. It wasn't Kason, it was Gavin they look so much alike. Can you tell who is who?

Kason is the one on the left in both pics. Maybe if Kason was as tan as Gavin it would have been a little harder to tell.

Since it was July 4th we did some fireworks later that night.

Notice my cute niece Elise's ears. I'm surprised Avery didn't do the same thing.

After the fireworks we went out for a quick bite to eat for the kids and this is what happened...

Later we took about a 3 hr drive to Elma, WA to see the rest of the McNett's. Cousin Michelle was nice enough to show us the show horses. They were so pretty and Avery fell in love. She is just the right size to be a jockey don't ya think? Avery loved feeding the horses carrots and brushing their mane. She thought it was funny that they liked to eat peppermint candies as a treat. Those horses are spoiled rotten by Michelle and everyone who takes care of them. It was so much fun to visit.

Avery was Michelle's new best friend. Look how pretty!

She was having so much fun brushing Popcorn's mane.

She is so excited to be riding Popcorn

As Avery was playing and riding Popcorn, Kase was playing with this. YUCK!

Kase got to ride Popcorn too. She was such a good horse.

Avery and her cousin Elise had a blast playing together

Look how cute they are in their pink and brown. They are only 4 months apart and best friends when they get together.

Kids and rocks... They are in heaven

For some reason this reminds me of the movie Footloose

Then we drove to Westport, WA where Brian's grandparents used to live and the place he enjoyed visiting so much when he was little. We stayed in a condo on the beach. It was really cold but so pretty. We had a ton of fun with our family this year. Can't wait to do it again soon.

How cute is that little, wet bum

She thought it was so cool that her cousin Janica wrote her name in the sand

Kason + rocks = HAPPY

Run Avery, Run!

My cute boys. Look how cool the reflection looks (thanks to Meredith for the photographer's eye)

I wonder how many stuck it out to the end of this post. That was a TON of pictures.

I remember the day I lost my mind...

2009-08-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

So I think having two kids, sleep deprivation, and turning 30 this year have made me a little crazy. I decided right after my 30th birthday to do something that I have never done before. I have never been athletic and I'm really clumsy, so in my mind those two things do not go together. So what do I decide to do...a 100 mile bike ride with my friend Tammy who is in shape and can do anything. Like I said I'm crazy! I signed up for the Little Red Riding Hood, which is a 100 mile ride (not a race) for only women that starts in Logan, Utah. Tammy assured me that I could do it and there were only two big hills. So began 5 months of training, keep in mind that I do not own a road bike, I'm a mom of two small children, and you could often find me at the gym at 10:00pm. I ended up doing ALL my training on a stationary bike at the gym, and went on vacation when I was supposed to be getting in most of my mileage, crazy!

So, I end up at REI to buy all of the gear needed for this adventure. The guy who helped me thought that I was out of my mind because I knew so little about bikes and that my first real experience with them was going to be a 100 mile bike ride. He wished me luck and I'm sure thought that I would hate the experience and never touch a bike again. Now to pick up my bike rental... I think that I am lucky the guy let me take the bike out of the store. When he was fitting me for the bike and putting my newly purchased seat on that was not broken in at all, he kept asking me if I had ever even been on a bike, if I knew where the brakes were, and was I sure I wanted pedals to clip me in. My face and stomach got a good work out in that store because Tammy and I were laughing sooooo hard. Thank goodness someone was there to laugh with me. He must have felt bad for me because he only charged me for 1 day when I had it for 3. Thanks!

You can tell how thrilled he is to lend me this bike. You can also see in his face how funny he thinks me and Tammy are.

The ride was actually really fun. The scenery was beautiful, and I had great company. Tammy kept things interesting, and made us friends along the way. She had me laughing the whole time. The ride had a place to stop about every 5-7 miles for water, food, Gatorade and bike repairs if needed. They also had people driving around the course to make sure everyone was ok. At about mile 30 I was unclipping at one of the stops and for some reason I put my foot back on the pedal. I didn't hear or feel my foot snap back into the pedal but when I came to a complete stop and went to put my foot down I fell almost knocking Tammy over too because my foot was clipped in. I was so worried about the $1200 bike I was renting that I landed hard on my knee. I was laughing so hard and was so embarrassed that I fell in front of everyone that I didn't get up for a few minutes. Tammy couldn't stop laughing either, and I think she was reaching for her camera when a lady came up to me to make sure I was ok. Thank you stranger! Again, I am so glad I had someone to laugh with. After wiping the blood off and a few band aides later we were on our way again.

Ouch! Only I could be so talented. What can I say, I'm special!

As we were going up the steepest hill it started to get windy, rain, and then hail. I was SO COLD, SO MISERABLE, and SO SCARED that my skinny little tire, wet ground, and my clumsiness would make me fall. Shortly after all the rain and the steep hill we stopped for lunch. I was SO COLD that my hands were shaking trying to get my subway sandwich in my mouth. A lady was watching me eat and kept asking me if I was ok. I really was feeling ok I was just sooo cold. After lunch I had 20 more miles to go. At that point I wished that I had only done the 80 mile ride, but I had already missed my turnoff. I slowed way down the last 20 miles but was determined to finish. On the last big hill my gears got stuck and I wished so bad that I could shift into an easier gear but couldn't. Just like I was determined to finish, I was determined not to get off and walk so I was proud of myself for accomplishing my goal. Tammy was so nice to stick with me and not make me feel like a loser because I know she could have gone a lot faster. It was a great feeling to cross the finish line with one of my best friends and to see our families cheering for us. I had a blast despite the skinned knee, rain, hail, being cold, jammed gear, and being tired. It was definitely an experience to remember, laugh about, and be proud of. I realized that if I can do it, anyone can. I will definitely do it again next year...Anyone want to join me?

Tammy can turn the most miserable time into a fun memory. I couldn't have done this without her (and most of the ride was not miserable...just the rain and hail).

Go ahead, make my day...

2009-08-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

I just have to say how excited I am. My cute niece called me yesterday to tell me she found my camera. Yay! Thanks Janica for making my day. I no longer have that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach about all of the cute pictures I lost. I can also start taking pictures again of my cuties. Stay tuned for Oregon, Washington pics...

Antisocial becomes Social (at least for 1 night)

2009-07-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that I am so proud of my antisocial husband. You all know how much he talks and socializes! We had a party with all of his work and online gaming buddies (yes, I married a nerd...good thing I love nerds) and their families last night. We had a lot of fun and I know the kids did too. Thanks honey for planning a great party! Sorry no pics because I lost my camera at the 10K run and our nice Nikon I dropped and the lens broke (I'm sick about both camera incidents, especially because the camera I lost had our Oregon, Washington pics on the memory card).

Deseret News 10k

2009-07-24T15:14:00.001-07:00

I have to admit I had SO much fun running today. This was my first 10k, it was even my first time running 6.2 miles all at once. I've always hated running, until recently, but this was a really fun race. We ran part of the parade route and I have to admit it was nice to have strangers cheering you on (and I normally hate attention from strangers, especially when I'm sweaty). I ran with my brother-in-law, Grady, sister-in-law, Meredith, and nephew, Zach.

I was actually surprised that I wasn't the last person to cross the finish line. I finished about 10 min behind Grady and Zach, and right next to Meredith (I think she waited for me to give my ego a boost). My time was 1hr 4 min, I was pretty excited. It was fun to run with family and have the rest of our family waiting at the finish line. Now I just need to work harder to hopefully run an 8 minute mile (yeah right).

California 2009

2009-06-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

We had a ton of fun in San Diego. We stayed with friends who spoiled us rotten (Thanks Gomez and Price family). It was funny to be back in San Diego doing touristy stuff, considering we used to live there. The kids had a blast at the beach, Sea World, Wild Animal Park, and Legoland. Here are a few pics of all the fun we had. WARNING: picture overload, and you may want to grab your sunglasses so you don't go blind when you see me in a swimming suit.

Avery on the tram around Wild Animal Park
(she looks thrilled!)

Kase and I on the tram (love this boy)

My handsome boys

Our sandcastle village (love this girl)

California Girl

Sea World

Avery at Sea World

We would wipe the sand off of his face but two seconds later it would be back!
(Still not out of the crying phase)

Best Dad ever! He played with the kids forever in the cold ocean.

So Avery got her heart broken for the first time about her height. We went to Legoland and once we paid and got into the park we realized for most of the rides you have to be at least 34 inches (which Avery is not). She got on one ride that technically she wasn't supposed to so we thought it would be no problem. We waited in line for a lego pirate ship/water ride (if you know Avery at all you know she loves all things pirate and all things water) that she was really excited for. Once it was our turn they checked her height and told her that she was "too little." She went from the happiest face I've ever seen to the saddest face I've ever seen. She ran over to her dad with the perfect frown, grabbed his leg and said "I'm too little :(" It brought tears to my eyes. I knew this day was coming but it still made me cry. Brian got mad and went to talk to the manager, and ask why a sign was not posted in front, before you pay for tickets, that said you must be at least 34 inches tall to ride most rides. So, because Avery was "too little" the manager gave us tickets to the aquarium and 3 tickets to return to Legoland within the year when hopefully Avery is a little taller. I'll take any excuse to return to San Diego. Way to go Ave!

Anyone know what Henoch-Schonlein Purpura is?

2009-06-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

So I didn't know what this was either until this weekend. In fact, it is pretty rare 20 out of 100,000 kids get it every year, but guess who has is...AVERY! I would post a picture but I broke my camera :( If you want to see a picture of what it looks like follow this link (I couldn't upload it without it taking the whole page)
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Purpura2.JPG

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Henoch-Schönlein purpura, also known as allergic purpura or anaphylactoid purpura and commonly abbreviated to HSP, is a systemic vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) characterized by deposition of immune complexes containing the antibody IgA in the skin and kidney. It occurs mainly in young children.
Typical symptoms include palpable purpura (small hemorrhages in the skin), joint pains and abdominal pain. Most cases are self-limiting and require no treatment apart from symptom control, but the disease may relapse in a third of the cases and cause irreversible kidney damage in about one in a hundred cases.^[1] The exact cause of Henoch-Schönlein purpura is unknown, although it may occur after certain viral and bacterial infections, as well as an adverse drug reaction to some medications.

Avery is doing fine. You would never know she had it if it weren't for the rash. She was so brave for the blood test and urine test that they had to do. So now that some of the spots are healing they look like bruises. Too bad DCFS isn't visiting my house on a monthly basis anymore. I wonder what their first impression would have been (for those of you that may have stumbled upon my blog, please read previous posts about DCFS. I promise I'm not a bad mom). Today she is still breaking out in a few new spots but is otherwise fine. So now that it is finally warm and she is wearing shorts and skirts her legs look horribly contagious, or like she has a lot of bug bites, and the spots that are healing look like bruises. We go back to the doctor next week for another blood and urine test. Poor Avery!

Airplanes

2009-05-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

If only it were this easy!

Does anyone have any tips or pointers for keeping kids happy on an airplane? Especially for an adorable, busy, can barley hold still for a story 14 month old. I have a ton of stuff planned for a spunky 3 yr who will love it all, but I'm afraid we may be that family with the crying baby. Don't get me wrong, I totally feel for the parents who have the screaming child but not everyone does. I'll do my best with books, new toys, and snacks but any other suggestions will be great for all the passengers on our flight Thursday. When I used to work for a pediatrician we always suggested Benedryl, but with the new recommendation of children not taking this until they are 5yrs old I don't know if I dare try it.

Never in a million years...

2009-04-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Never in a million years did I think that I would: marry my high school sweetheart, be married at 21, become a military wife, live through Brian being away on deployment, live on both coasts, end back up in Utah (after living in San Diego for 4yrs, I still think about this daily), go sky diving, get through Brian working and going to school full time (and there are plans to return in the future), only have to wait 3mos after we were approved through an adoption agency to get my Avery girl, vacation while Brian worked in Hong Kong, be brave enough to explore a foreign country by myself while Brian was working, become foster parents to Avery's actual biological brother, Kason (thank goodness we were able to adopt him), vacation while Brian worked in Norway, and never in a million years did I think that 9 years of marriage would go by so fast!

Charcoal Drawing of our wedding by Brian

One of our first Marine Corps Balls

Living in San Diego

Hong Kong

Norway

Norway

These 3 are the biggest dream come true. This is a picture of Kason FINALLY making it to our house and Avery meeting him for the first time. They both look so much like Brian it's crazy!

Brian, thanks for making everything above happen. You have made so many of my dreams come true. It's funny to see how your goals and dreams actually play out. I can't wait to see what the future will bring and what I will be able to add to my never in a million years did i think I would...list.

Is this just a phase?!?!

2009-04-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Anyone have any tips, ticks, or books to read about fussy babies. My Kason has always been a crier, especially to me, but doctors said he had colic when he was tiny, teething, acid reflux, more teething, and that he is fine. I keep telling myself this is just a phase, once he has his teeth, or once he can get around on his own, or once he sleeps through the night, he'll be fine. Now he is 13mos old and hasn't grown out of the crying phase. I am getting desperate! Long rides in the car usually are the only thing that keeps him happy for a while, I am running out of ideas on where to drive, and I'm pretty sure my brain is doing flips and seizing inside my head. Avery even says, "turn some music on," or once it's on she says, "turn it up." Any advise would be greatly appreciated. We love the little guy but want to figure out how to make him happy, which will make our family a little happier.

Arrrgh Matey!

2009-03-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

My Avery girl turned 3! She is not your typical girl. Yes, she does love princesses but she would rather pretend to be a pirate or a dragon. Avery decided on a pirate birthday this year. We had all of our family over for pasta salad (pirate shaped, of course) and bread. I also made a pirate ship cake which turned out really cute. Thanks to the Reynolds boys for all the pirate decor. The candles were put on the side of the ship for cannons and when Avery blew them out she said, "Arrrrgh Matey!" We also had a pirate ship pinata (another request from Avery. I don't know how she knows about pinata's), and a pirate lingo quiz. Everyone received tatoos as they walked through the door. Avery was covered in tatoos. I think she had at least 6 pirate tatoos all over her body. Overall I think it was a pretty fun party. Thanks again to wonderful family and friends for celebrating Avery's birthday and for all the loot.

We love our little Peanut, Avi Janey, AJ, Avers, and Azee! We can't believe that she is 3 already. Avery is a 3 yr old who is 23 lbs and in 18 month clothing. She is the sweetest, sassiest little thing. A little girl already came up to Avery at the doctor's office and said "I'm bigger than you!" I loved Avery's reply, she said, "So, I'm little!" proud as can be. I hope that attitude lasts with her throughout her life (at least about being short anyway). Another time on the playground a little boy came up to her and said, "I'm a boy," Avery replied, "I'm a sister!" She's starting to figure out the difference between boys and girls, but in her mind you are either a boy or a sister. Avery is so sweet. After the pinata broke and she got all of her candy collected in her shirt, she came upstairs and shared her candy with all of the adults, even though she didn't have much candy to share. She won't let anyone leave without a hug and a kiss, and she is always looking out for her brother.

Best Buds

Avery is also funny. I alway tell her that I love her bum cheekers, yesterday she said, "Mom, I love your bum cheekers!" Lately she tells me, "You're my best Mommy boy!" and she's been calling her Aunt Meredith, Uncle Meredith. I love her imagination and excitement about everything. I love her big blue eyes, curly blond hair, dimples, and big personality. I also love that she gets the "hip ups" (hiccups) when she laughs her hardest. Avery makes me laugh everyday. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her.

Avery making her cousins laugh by reading them a story

Avery will always have a special place in my heart because she made me a mom. I never knew if my dream of becoming a mom would come true, but Avery made it happen. I will never forget how nervous and excited I was to meet her for the first time when she was 2 days old (it killed me that we had to wait 2 days to see her, but she was worth the wait). Thank you Brian for letting me be the first one to hold her. Again, we think of her birth family on her birthday. We know that they love her so much and always will. We love them too.

Avery, you're one special girl. I hope you always remember how many people love you. Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Kason Buddy

2009-03-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

I finally gave in...So now I have a blog that probably only three people will read. I figure I will use it as a family journal since I don't scrapbook. Here I go...

Kason is one! This past year went by so fast. Kason had a barnyard themed party. We served pulled pork sandwiches, veggie trays and chips. He had a barn birthday cake, made by me, that I thought turned out pretty cute (hopefully it is not worthy to be posted on cake wrecks). Kason dove right into the cake. He grabbed one of the chocolate covered graham crackers and licked off all the icing. Thank you everyone for coming and for all the fun presents.

Kason we love your squishy cheeks, contagious smile and laughter, big blue eyes, and blonde curly hair. We never knew a one year old could have so much energy and curiosity. We love that you try to keep up with Avery, even in size. We love that you say "Oooo, Oooo" over anything that you are excited about. Avery loves her "Kason Buddy," "Kason Bubba," and her "Best Buddy Boy."

Last year was so stressful and we were so unsure as to how everything would turn out. Becoming foster parents was the hardest thing our family has ever done, but worth every piece of paperwork filled out, phone call, home inspection, background check, monthly visit from a social worker, proving to as many people as possible that you are and will continue to be a responsible and loving parent and person, and that you have a happy and healthy marriage, every gut wrenching foster parent class, every hour of sleep lost, and every tear cried by too many people to count, while always wondering if you'll get to keep what you want so bad. Because we went though all of that the little things mean so much more to us. We are all a little stronger, and hopefully better parents. Your smiles, laughs, squeals, happiness and curiosity got us through all of the good and the bad. We can not think about what we would have done, or how much it would have hurt to give this sweet little boy back. Adoption finalization was one of our happiest days.

We were so excited to celebrate his birthday this year, but also feel a little sorrow for his birth mom. We know she loves him and always will. We are also SO thankful to the family who took care of our little man until we received our foster parent license. They had to go through what we can not imagine. Thank you for hugging, kissing, comforting, and loving him until he could come to us. We are also thankful to his birth grandparents who loved and comforted him in the hospital and made sure that he came to us. Thank you for sneaking us into the hospital to peek at the cutest baby boy. We love how much you love our kids and are still involved. Thanks to our family and friends for all of their love and support. We couldn't have made it through this last year with out you. We are so glad that Kason found a way into our family. It wouldn't be complete without him.