Joys of home ownership

I want to cry. There is so much water in our roof... And in our house. I just want to cry. I noticed yesterday when I went to get the mail that the door was very swollen and would barely open. Then I noticed a little bubble in the paint on the door jam. I popped it and out came a bunch of water. Then I looked some more and realized there was another HUGE bubble above the door. Popped it and tons of water. Chris was gone, but when he got back we did some investigation and the sheet rock was completely water logged and just peeled away very easily. When he opened it up a little, the water was just trickling out and is now being caught with a bucket. He climbed in the attic and there was water running down three of our trusses. ugh. Of course this Saturday night when we realize all this so we have to wait until Monday. I guess we have a serious ice dam on our roof and the water as it melts and freezes ponds on the bottom and has no where to go but in to the shingles. (and into the house) So pray for us. I'm hoping we can get this fixed. Can't really replace a roof with a foot of snow on it.

Quick update

Well I think we might have found our carpet. Its soft, its multicolored, its got a decent rating, and its priced right. The multi-colored samples are not as dense as the solid colored counterparts, but its as close to what we both want as I think we'll ever get. Its PET polyester, which is recycled coke bottles... so thanks to all you recyclers out there... :) We're just waiting for them to send us larger samples so we can decide on a color.
We're also recently the proud? owners of a Wii. Thats right, there are video games in my house. :) Never thought I'd say that. And as I've said many times before, I'm not anti-video games. It just seems like a waste of money because they're outdated so quickly, then its on to buy the latest and greatest. It also seems silly to spend $50 on every new game. That said, I've spent quite a bit of time playing. Darn that Guitar Hero. There is a song that I really like and I want to learn to play it on the Medium level. (which is HARD!) Eli likes to play the tennis and bowling games. And I think we might need to ban Chris from playing tennis. He is going to smash his hand right through our TV. But in his defense, you really do get into it.
As for the next few days, Saturday is Pres Hinckleys funeral, Sunday is the Superbowl (and we're having Chris' sister and her family over), Monday is a BBQ at work and Nathans 4 month check up, Tuesday is an all day seminar for work and SUPER TUESDAY, and Wednesday is Riverdance! YEAH! Should be a fun week!
And just want to remind everyone to get out and vote on Tuesday (except for you Michiganders) I don't care what your position is or isn't... (mine changes daily) but this is what makes our country great. I just wish my state 'mattered' in the voting a little more. Oh well.

Interview with Myself

Sorry Mere, stealing this from you, which I know you said you stole from someone else. The madness continues...

1.If your doctor told you today that you were pregnant, what would you say?
Do you want that answer with or without the expletives....

2.When was the last time you were on a plane? July 2007 when we went to Tennessee

3.What did the last text message you sent say? Not sure if I've ever sent a text message. I don't have a cell phone.

4. What features do you find most attractive in the opposite sex? Eyes

5. What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future? Get my food storage under control

6.Shoe size? 8

7.Been to Mexico? nope. But I keep seeing the Cancun signs at this travel agency I pass everyday, and it sounds heavenly

8. When was the last time you had a massage? When I was pregnant with Eli. WAY too long ago.

9.What was the last TV show you watched? The Presidential Debate (Democrats) last night. I have to say... that was an EXCELLENT debate to watch. Whether you agree with their politics or not, they did a great job.

10. What are your plans for weekend? Watching Pres. Hinckley's funeral on Saturday, cleaning up for Sunday, and having Sara and Kyle over for the Superbowl.

11.If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAy what would you say? Most definitely YES

12.What is in the backseat of your car right now? I'm embarrassed to say... My 2 car seats, a Clinton plan set, orange vest and hard hat, Baby Bjorn, a Transformer that yells 'Autobots... roll out' everytime I hit a bump and random trash that does not need to be there.

13. What were you doing at 8 a.m. this morning? Running around the house grabbing Elis shoes (trying to get them on), getting Nathans bottle and blanket, brushing my teeth... yelling at Eli to turn off Monsters Inc because 'we have to go'... all to get out of the house by 8:10. ugh.

14.If you could marry any celebrity who would it be? Well now that Heath is gone, Brad Pitt seems to be a wise choice. ;)

15. Have you ever been to a strip club? nope

16. What is the best ice cream flavor? Mint chocolate chunk from Ben and Jerrys. Dark chocolate... white mint...

17. What is the last sporting event you watched? does the republican presidential debate count?? LOL! I guess on Sunday, I'll be able to say the Superbowl.

18.Ever go camping? Haven't been since Eli was a year old, and I miss it.

19.Last phone call? a coworker in Kaysville wondering how to write deeds for UDOT.

20. Are you allergic to anything? cats. apples and peaches make my throat really itchy and gives me a stomach ache after, but usually not bad enough to make me stop eating them.

21. What is one thing you have learned about life lately?? That it comes and goes with time, so we need to live our lives in a way that is going to make us the happiest.

22.What do you do at work? at the moment, writing deeds and putting together right of way packages for our design projects, help others with our design program Inroads... lots of fun stuff.

23. What is your mother's name? Margaret or Peggy for short


24.Ever cried for no reason? depends on what you consider no reason. I've been emotional a lot lately when I see a touching commercial, or think too much on how much I love my kids... or being away from my kids... I guess those are reasons though.

25.Can you do the Crank Hat Dance? ???

26. What is your favorite color to wear? I've noticed 90% of my shirts are in the red/pink or light blue/dark blue category. Probably red is my favorite.

27. What is the longest plane ride you have ever been on? DC to Salt Lake. Do long layovers count too?

28.What is the longest road trip you have ever taken? Jacksonville to SLC when I met Chris. Also felt the longest because it was HOT and no A/C through Texas. UGH.

29.What are your turn offs? vulgarity

30.What is your last alcoholic beverage? never had one

31. What are you craving right now? a smoothie and Jasons Deli portabello mushroom wrap. YUM!

Daddys Little Helper

Chris 'trying' to fix the dishwasher. LOL!

Brotherly love

I'm still working on getting a video of Eli and Nathan and how much they love each other. Eli is always the first person to get Nathan to smile in the morning, and Eli just adores everything about his little brother. He wants to kiss and hug and love Nathan every minute of every day. He gets mad when its Nathans nap time - because he can't play with him anymore. We're looking at getting them bunk beds (ones that separate) because they will have so much fun when they get older. ::sigh:: Couldn't have asked for better boys. I hope it lasts as they grow up. ;)

Carpet woes

Why is it so difficult to buy carpet? Or better yet, why can't these companies make carpet that I like?? :) I like that better. Make it the carpet companies fault. We want a frieze multi-colored carpet, preferably nylon, and soft to the touch. oh, and dense so that you can't feel the backing as well. Why is that so hard? I have a couple more stores that I want to check out, but I'm starting to get frustrated. Most of the frieze carpets are not soft, and the ones that are soft are not very dense. ugh.
Good thing I have a large stash of dark chocolate here at work. That'll help take the edge off. ;)

Work update

Well, I've been talking a lot about staying at home vs. working and how hard it has been to come back to work. Today we had our year end reviews and I am feeling much better. I feel like I'm headed somewhere and that I do have a place in my office. They want me to become the resident 'expert' in design and be the go-to person for questions on the programs /special design situations... I'm really excited. Obviously I have a long way to go before I get there, but at least I have direction now. It doesn't make waking my kids up every day any easier, but the time I spend here feels like it is worth it. So for now, I am still going to work and I feel good about that decision.

That was my biggest thing. I wanted to know in no uncertain terms that I was making the right decision. Whether its being home all the time or working. I didn't want to question it everyday. For now, this is where I want to be. I want and need to spend time with my children, but I think this 5 hours a day is the perfect balance. I can do both. I think also that if I were to quit, I would lose (what little) expertise I have and it would be harder to get into my niche later on when I wanted to come back. Not to mention the economy seems to be taking a serious dive and it might be nice to have me working in case (heaven forbid) Chris were to lose his job. Not that I think that will happen... but you know what I mean. Our current leader is still going to be there for another year... and things could (and might) get a lot worse. Sorry, I'll save my politics for another place.

Bumbo Seat

We have recently become the proud owners of a Bumbo Seat. Nathan seems to like it a lot. I know that in my last post I was saying how sad I am that he is rolling and now I am having him "sit"... but I'm just glad to have found something else to put him in while I make dinner or change the laundry loads etc. And for those of you who haven't seen these before, its just a foam seat that kind of sinks them down and allows them to sit before they can sit by themselves. They just have to be able to hold their heads up.

Rolling over

He has been doing it for several weeks now, but I finally tried to get a video of it. Its really dark (I'm wanting him to go to sleep) For some reason I can see this on my computer at home, but not on the computer at work... so it may be too dark for most of you to see. Oh well. In this one, he doesn't quite roll over, but you can tell how he does it. ...ok, so I also just wanted a little video of his sounds. I love baby coos. ::sigh::


The one where he actually rolls is WAY too dark and you can't tell anything. Oh well. I will admit when he first started rolling, I wasn't too thrilled. Mostly because he rolls when trying to go to sleep and then he can't fall asleep on his back and therefore starts screaming. But also, I don't want my tiny little baby to grow up!! He is still a newborn in my eyes and shouldn't be allowed to do such 'grown up' things!!!!!!!!!

I have a date to Riverdance!

I'm so excited!! I've never been to Riverdance, and I am thrilled that I get to go. And thank you Mere for being my date. I'm excited too that I just get to get out of the house for a night. woohoo!!! 2 weeks!!

What wonderful neighbors!

This morning I was walking around with a screaming child in my arms and looking outside watching the snow come down. And I noticed that our driveway had just been shoveled! Huh? So I go outside to look closer and there was only one other driveway shoveled right next door, so I'm assuming it was them. Well, you Utahans know that it snowed ALL day long and when we left for the carpet store you couldn't even tell it had been touched. I just walked back upstairs and its been shoveled AGAIN! By this time all the driveways have been done, so I'm not sure if it was the same neighbor, or someone else. All I know is that someone in our neighborhood deserves to be taken to dinner.

Boring Day

What a late start. It was afternoon before Eli was even dressed, I haven't showered and Nathan won't stop crying. Oh well. I guess one count against staying home. ;) I'd never get anything done! I did go to the grocery store and carpet store. We went to RC Willey this weekend to look for carpet, but we might be able to get a better deal somewhere else. I guess RC Willey (and Home Depot) makes up their own names for the carpet so that you can't call around to different stores and price match. Which sucks. I hate RC Willey. I did see some carpet that I REALLY liked at Ogdens Carpet Outlet, but the color selection wasn't great. It was so soft though.
Oh, and did I mention that we're joining the 'big kid club' now? We've purchased ACTUAL bedroom furniture. We won't put it in our room until we get carpet installed (probably a few more weeks), but its purchased and will be in our garage this evening. YEAH!
...ok, I just walked away and I'm feeling better about my day. Eli and I just made cake cookies (which I forgot how good and EASY they are!) and I have some bread cooking in the bread machine. Sourdough. mmmmmm.... Alright, before you get all impressed - when I went to the grocery store I bought a bread machine box where all you have to do is add water. If it were normal bread, I would have made it from scratch but I was thinking sourdough sounded really good. And I don't know how to make sourdough from scratch.
Well, I'm off to see if I can maybe sneak a shower in before Nathan wakes up. Doubt it, but wish me luck!

Pictures

Still waiting to see my neice, but thats ok... I guess... ;) Here are some pictures from this last week of Nathan.
A little blurry, but I think his little feet are so cute.

I pulled back his pants a little so you could see how bow-legged this poor kid is right now. It'll work itself out, but its cute for now!

The PERFECT picture of Nathan. LOL! A picture is worth 1000 words, and now you know my life.

My cutie

Best Friends (or so says Eli) "He's my best fwend"

Are you a good housewife?

NOPE! I don't think I have ever done a single thing on this list. (sorry Chris) I really have no comment... I'm still trying to pick my jaw off the floor. I would have been an awful 50's housewife. This is an actual Good Housekeeping article from 1955. All I can say is no wonder the women revolted to get equal rights.

Staying at Home vs Working

The debate inside my head continues. Work is not getting easier to come to everyday. I know its only been a few weeks, but it was never an issue with Eli. Now its like everyone is scared to give me work and what they do give me takes all of 30 minutes. Then I come home and look at my kids and all that they are learning and doing and wonder why I'm leaving them just to do remedial tasks at work. But on the other side, I love my job. I like the people I work with, and the things I am able to do... its hard to remain focused at the moment with not much work, but overall its a good job. I also think that the mental break I am able to get helps me come in to the job of parenting with a clearer head.
If I were to quit, money would be tight but not impossible. Our kids college and other savings would either take a hit or be gone altogether. And I would lose learning all the new technology that our field has constantly. I was only gone for 2 months and had a bit of a learning curve. Imagine years...
I know there is no easy answer, and for now at least I am going to continue working. Eli is just killing me with all the things he is learning. He can write his name, and color with a purpose (instead of random scribbles) and he is asking to read the Book of Mormon. And Nathan is right at the beginning. Everything for him is new. He is learning his hands and his feet and how to roll over and all these things that babies do.
Alright, I'm off to my staff meeting. Maybe they'll give me something else to work on. Wish me luck!

Support the country!

I'm not going to have debates on here (although it might be fun) ;) but I want everyone to go out and vote in the primary elections!!! I know its hard to know who you agree with the most, so I am adding this link for you to look at and help you know who you are most compatible with.
http://www.dehp.net/candidate/
Ron Paul is my guy. Its funny, because he was the one that I seemed to like the most in the debates, so to see that he came out on top in this survey was kind of nice. I won't get into the political issues right now... there will be plenty of time for that as the year progresses, but for now I just want everyone to vote. I'm in this book club with some neighbors and our whole purpose is to better understand our country and the people who founded it and the reasons they did the things they did. (hence my political kick)

He has a what??

He had a red styrofoam ball in his ear. This is what I find out at the doctor today. Eli had been complaining about his ear and last night was having trouble sleeping, so I figured it was probably time to go get him some antibiotics. While looking in his ear he asked me to take a look. I look in his little ear scope thing and see all red. Not knowing what I'm looking at, I think its blood and that maybe his eardrum has burst or something. Not so. He said its a little red ball. a what??? So he offers a solution of flushing it out with some water. If that wouldn't have worked we would have been off to a ear, nose and throat doctor. Luckily it worked, but the doctor while waiting for the nurse decided he could get it out with this little stick. My first thought was this was going to end badly (which it did) and Eli spent the next 10 minutes screaming. I'm not sure the water hurt, but he was done with the situation and getting scared out of his mind. Poor kid. So now we are treating a double ear infection.
Oh, and he gave his croupy cough to Nathan. Its so sad to hear a little 3 month old cough with congestion. He is in good spirits though. Eli is still coughing himself, but the doctor said there isn't much we can do for them. Just the humidifier. oh well.

Food Storage... rambling thoughts part 1

I just got an email on food storage from my ward as far as when our dry pack cannery times are. I guess the church has a new form and it has the dates as far as how long each item lasts. All the staples (ie sugar, beans, rice, wheat, oats, noodles, etc) are 30 year lifespans. 30 years!!! Here is the link... Dry Pack Cannery
I keep hearing around everywhere that we're going to need this food storage within my lifetime which in reality is probably no more than 60 years. That means that all I will have to do is over the rest of my lifetime buy this stuff 2 times. That is an absolute CRAZY thought. I thought it was also interesting that at the bottom it says "for longer term storage, avoid teaching eat what you store and store what you eat". I understand that what I store is not long term storage... I realize that all the time when I find something expired in my pantry but it got me thinking I really need to start storing both. The long term and the short term. I know that no one really cares what I am doing on food storage, but it helps me to write it out. So if you read this, I apologize. Its really just me thinking out loud.
Anyway, I think this year I need to keep my 3 month supply going and continually rotating like I have been in canned food and do some more research and purchasing on the long term stuff. Learn how to use it, cook with it, and make meals that our family might actually eat. I also need to learn about sprouting. I can do all that in a year...

If anyone is curious why I am so intent on food storage, my favorite article on it is FOOD STORAGE I get chills everytime I read it which is about twice a year now. I just love it. Well, to be honest, it scares me to death reading it but that is what I need to kickstart myself.

The magic pajamas

I don't know what it is about these pajamas, but the first time Nathan wears them he sleeps through the night. 10 hours!!!!!! 9:30pm to 7:45am. The funny thing is that these are the exact same pair of pajamas Eli wore when he slept through the night the first time. I kid you not. I actually put Nathan in them last night thinking... wouldn't it be nice. But since he has only slept 6 hours before, I figured no way. Basic Editions baby... they are white with a little duck on them. We actually have a few pair that he wears, but the white one is the only one with this *sleep* effect! LOL! The only reason I am sharing is because I know it won't last for 2 nights in a row - so I'm not jinxing anything. In reality I think its kind of funny because I was trying to do the whole cluster feeding and feeding him lots right before bed to "tank him up". Well it backfired and he would get used to eating really often and wake up every few hours. So I went back to feeding him every 3 to 4 hours and he is sleeping! Woohoo! At least now I know that he CAN do it, thats the important part.

And Eli would also like to share that he can do buttons now. He has been doing them for about a week, and it takes him a little while... but he can do it all by himself. Good thing church is at 11am now. It might take him a full hour just to get his shirt on! :) But I'm proud of him, and he feels a sense of accomplishment I think.

Funny for the day

Someone sent this to me, and I laughed out loud. Erin... look out. This is your neck of the woods. ;) One or two may be a little distasteful, but I can't help myself. I needed this today.


For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is.
> They actually have a chili cook-off about the time Halloween
> comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the San
> Antonio city park. The notes are from an inexperienced chili taster
> named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, IL.
>
> Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili
> cooking contest. The original person called in sick at the last moment
> and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for
> directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was
> assured by the other two judges (native Texans) that the chili
> wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me I could have
> free beer during the tasting, so I accepted." Here are the scorecards
> from the advent: (Frank is Judge #3)
>
>
> Chili # 1 Eddie's Maniac Monster Chili...
>
> Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
>
> Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
>
> Judge # 3 -- (Frank) What the heck is this stuff?! You could remove
> dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put out the
> flames. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy!
>
>
> Chili # 2 Austin's Afterburner Chili...
>
> Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
>
> Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor; needs more peppers to be taken
> seriously.
>
> Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what
> I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who
> wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer
> when they saw the look on my face.
>
>
> Chili # 3 Ronny's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili...
>
> Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.
>
> Judge # 2 -- A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers.
>
> Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels
> like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now.
> Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now
> my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting pie-eyed
> from all of the beer...
>
>
> Chili # 4 Dave's Black Magic...
>
> Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
>
> Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish,
> or other mild foods; not much of a chili.
>
> Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was
> unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the
> barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb. woman
> is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is
> chili an aphrodisiac?
>
>
> Chili # 5 Lisa's Legal Lip Remover...
>
> Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground,
> adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
>
> Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must
> admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
>
> Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead,
> and I can no longer focus my eyes. The contestant seemed offended when I told her
> that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from
> bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if
> I'm burning my
> lips off. It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to
> stop screaming. Screw those rednecks.
>
>
> Chili # 6 Pam's Very Vegetarian Variety...
>
> Judge # 1 -- Thin, yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of
> spices and peppers.
>
> Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and
> garlic. Superb.
>
> Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with
> gaseous, sulphuric flames. I pooped on myself when I farted and I'm
> worried it will eat through the chair! No one seems inclined to stand
> behind me anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.
>
>
> Chili # 7 Carla's Screaming Sensation Chili...
>
> Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
>
> Judge # 2 -- Ho-hum; tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of
> chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am
> worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress, as he
> is cursing uncontrollably.
>
> Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I
> wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world
> sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with
> chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. At least during the autopsy,
> they'll know what
> killed me. I've decided to stop breathing; it's too painful.
> I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in
> through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.
>
>
> Chili # 8 Karen's Toenail Curling Chili...
>
> Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too
> bold, but spicy enough to declare its existence.
>
> Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild,
> nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge # 3 farted,
> passed out, fell over, and pulled the chili pot down on top of
> himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how
> he'd have reacted to really hot chili.
>