The Rogers Family

Happy Halloween Jeff!

2011-10-31T07:16:00.001-04:00

Jeff's favorite holiday of all time is Halloween. He is such a big kid when it comes to all things scary and spooky. He starts begging me to go into the big Halloween stores the second they make their appearance. He makes me watch scary movies and adds scary ring tones to his phone. I have been woken up more than once this month to a loud, dripping with scare voice saying...."Happy Halloween, you have a text message, ha ha ha." He e-mails me links to scary glow in the dark contact lenses and realistic vampire teeth. He takes twice as long to go grocery shopping because he spends forever looking down the Halloween isles at a store. He does not like "corny" Halloween. He would not be caught dead in a matchy, matchy costume like this...

(Although this one makes me giggle like crazy...)

He wishes I would let him go trick or treating looking like this....

(Ewwwwww!)

One of my first up close and in person memories of Jeff is of eating at Denny's with my friend Courtney. She talked me into going to hang out with these crazy friends of her's from the Drama club at NOVA. They had just come from a haunted trail they were helping with for the county. We walked into the restaurant and I almost ran away...it was scary. There were 10 or so guys dressed up in Halloween make up that looked like the picture above. Skeletons, zombies, and monsters...oh my! Their skin was hanging, blood was dripping, eyeballs were hanging from sockets, and rib cages were exposed. Jeff was wearing a trench coat and his face was falling off! I knew at once he would be mine....oh yes!

Happy Halloween Jeff! Someday when our children are a bit older,

and less likely to wake us up all night with nightmare, after nightmare, I promise to let you find your

inner-demon again!

Thank You ENT

2011-09-09T06:59:00.000-04:00

I feel so much better today. Thanks to everyone who recommended that I should go see an ENT. You are so smart! The doctor gave me new drugs and did a probe up my nose that have drastically improved my sinus situation. I woke up today being able to smell. And my headache is gone. It is a MIRACLE!!!!

What's That?? Sorry I Can't Smell You.

2011-09-05T12:12:00.001-04:00

I suspect everyone I know is sick and tired of hearing this but, I am sick. I have been sick forever. No joke. It has been a month. I have been to the doctor 3 times and have been on every medication known to man. I have not been able to hear or smell or taste anything for 4 weeks. So as you can imagine I am tired. I am annoyed. I am depressed. I have no energy and pretty much just lay around the house all day. The sun has forgotten my name. I am not even sure if I remember how to drive. I make Jeff do everything. I think he is sick too. Sick of me.

I am slowly turning into a giant slug (goopy mucus included.) Can you picture it? Yummy. I feel pretty guilty that I am a turning into a slug. Lots and lots of guilt. It is almost impossible to be an effective mother when you cannot smell or hear or taste anything. I cannot tell when Maddie is poopy. I cannot taste the food I am cooking...too spicy, too salty, no flavor?? I keep thinking Elizabeth's voice is Dallin's voice so Dallin keeps getting in trouble when it is really Elizabeth being naughty. I am not sure if my house is clean, because I cannot smell where Dallin left his stinky socks or where Maddie left her sippy cup of milk three days ago. Madeline's snacks have consisted mostly of cheerio's because she can reach them and dump them out and eat them by the handful, no spoon required. And I just let her do it, because I feel so relieved that I don't have to get up and make her something. The thing I feel the most guilt about is that my kids brains are turning mushy because I have let them watch as much TV as they want. Video games? Yep those too.

Yesterday I apologized to the kids for like the millionth time that I was still sick and Elizabeth told me that she "loves" it when I am sick. "We get to do whatever we want."

Great. That is just great. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt.

Too School for Cool

2011-09-03T16:37:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth-4th Grade & Dallin-3rd Grade

Elizabeth was excited!

Dallin was nervous!

They could be twins, no???

Audrey-First Day of Kindergarten!

We love our neighbors!

Audrey is very proud of her "Hello Kitty" back-pack!

Bus Stop Kiddo's

Come on Irene!

2011-08-27T08:20:00.000-04:00

The worst part is the waiting. It seems like it has been coming at us all week.

We are all prepped and have plenty of food and water...

The kids are nervous, we are nervous. But I have to say there is definitely an air of excitement that comes along with a huge crazy storm.

Hopefully the kids will get to start school on Monday, but I am having serious doubts.

Wish us luck!

She's One of My Kind

2011-07-01T13:15:00.000-04:00

My good friend Ethel is coming to visit me this month...in 10 days to be exact. I am so excited! Ethel is a special person to us here in the Rogers' home. She is like that cool, hip aunt that your friend has that you are totally jealous of and wish you had! I credit Ethel for convincing me to watch Dr. Who despite Jeff's years of trying. AND teaching (or at least attempt to teach) me how to knit/sew/crochet/bead/put up wooden shingles/make roman shades/matte pictures/make beads/make jewelry/sculpt....uhhh I know I am forgetting a few. She was the leader of our famous/infamous Craft Lady Club.

It has been almost 2 years since she moved away and she has never met Maddie. I get to pick her up on my birthday and I am looking forward to 10 days of Dr. Who watching, chocolate eating, jewelry making fun! My kids and Jeff are just as excited! They LOVE her too!

I Spy July!

2011-06-30T14:22:00.003-04:00

Summer is rolling right along, isn't it? We have surpassed the solstice and that means days start getting shorter. I had a plan to not let summer sprint past me this year, but it seems I have no control!

Our July birthday extravaganza is upon me and I have not even begun to plan. For 6 months I have told Anna to stop bugging me about birthday planning: "Your birthday is still 6 months away, 4 months away, 2 months away." Uh oh, now time is up. Audrey is going to be FIVE and Anna is going to be THIRTEEN! Those are some big numbers and I want to do some fun parties.

Anna would like to have a Harry Potter party with bunnies? Say What??? And Audrey wants a Hello Kitty party. Easier.

I thought this was a cute idea from Save The Date For Cupcakes. I love the red and white...and grass!

Ummm...anyone have any great Harry Potter/Bunny ideas???

On a different note Anna is at girls camp this week. It is her first year. I just can't believe she is old enough to go. I hope she is having the time of her life. We miss her! She'll be home tomorrow. I think I will have to make her a welcome home banner...maybe made to look something like...this??

(I love the burlap look, and Anna LOVES birds...I think I could recreate this!)

I am excited for the 4th of July this year. It is one of my favorite holidays! It is even more exciting because Anna and I are going to see my niece Elise run in her national's competition for the Junior Olympics down in Hampton, Virginia. Go Elise! She is an amazing runner, we are so proud of her!

We will be home Sunday night and Monday the whole family is headed for a day at the beach with some good friends, followed by fireworks in Ocean City!

I hope everyone has a Happy 4th!!

P.S. I have been eying this gorgeous wreathe for 2 days now that I saw on Polly Want a Crafter...I am in love. I think I might have to try it!

The Final Countdown

2011-06-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

Only 3 half days left of school. Here's hoping for an uneventful, relaxing summer.

HA!!

Super Mom's Nemeses

2011-06-07T14:42:00.000-04:00

These are nondiscriminatory:

Play-dough
Unattended Box of Cereal
LEGO's
Permanent Markers
Toothpaste
Chocolate Ice Cream
Barbie Shoes
Match Box Cars
Nail Polish
Sand
Toilet Paper
Spaghetti
Straws
Lollipops

There are many things that make a mom's life difficult..but these take the cake. Isn't it amazing how quickly pleasure becomes pain?

Warning

2011-06-02T08:34:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I feel like my life needs a "security threat" color code system.

Today I am at LEVEL RED, EXTREME threat:

"Wow, Mom might explode."

"Mom has gone bonkers."

"Mom is on the war path."

"Did you know that mom's eyes could bulge like that?"

Yep, it's going to be one of those days.

Birthdayssss...

2011-03-09T17:13:00.007-05:00

Our crazy birthday month has begun. Jeff's was the 6th, Elizabeth's the 14th and Dallin is the 24th. But first....

Emily turned 3 last month! She was sick, like she always is. But we had fun anyways and had a few friends come over to help celebrate.

She did not want to be born on Valentine's Day, (12:03am on the 15th) but I wanted her to have at least one Valentine Birthday! It was a "love bug" theme!

I love this picture! They were "flinging" bugs, to see whose would stick the longest on the window!

We love Emily for being such an individual. There is nothing you can say to make her change her mind. She is hilarious and smart and LOVES being a big sister Maddie. I think my favorite thing about Emily is her very, very deep voice that crackles when she sings.
(Imagine an old lady who smokes, for real!)

I cannot wait to watch her grow into this personality of hers!!!!

Jeff's Christmas Present

2011-02-21T10:06:00.004-05:00

For a Christmas present, Kym and I sent Jeff and Marshall on a paintball excursion to the Poconos in Pennsylvania. It had a theme..."The Thing." This is how we surprised them with the gift...

I'm sure February seemed a long way off at Christmas but their "man-weekend" finally came! They had a blast!!!

A few more museum pics...

2011-02-21T09:50:00.002-05:00

Natural History

2011-02-21T07:50:00.007-05:00

Last weekend Jeff and I took a day trip to DC with the kids. We wanted to go to the Natural History Museum! It was so much fun...I had not been there in YEARS and the kids loved, loved, loved it!!!

My favorite thing to see at the Natural History Museum has always been the Hope Diamond!!

There was a really cool exhibit of a coral reef that was completely knitted and crocheted. It was AWESOME. It took 800 volunteers two weeks to complete. The volunteers would come and knit or crochet for 8 hour stretches...soooo cool!

Sick and Tired

2011-02-04T09:24:00.002-05:00

The flu has reared it's ugly little head at our house. I definitely understand the saying "like a MAC truck hit me." Poor me.

Winter Blues

2011-01-18T13:25:00.005-05:00

We have lived in Salisbury for almost 8 years now. I find that incredible. These past years have flown by. In the time that we have lived here we have moved 4 times. We have had three more children. I have an almost 13 year old who will be in eighth grade next year. I have a little boy who was five months old when we moved here and who now will be getting baptized in 2 months. Audrey will be in kindergarten next year and Maddie will be in nursery in 2 months. Time is fleeting but my blessings certainly are not. So, so many blessings.

I find it hard to imagine why I ever let myself feel down. Winter blues are for schmucks! January brings with it a sense of eagerness that I look forward to every year. A time to reflect and renew.

A lot of things have changed in the last few months. We moved again. As hard as it is to move it is also very liberating. I love getting a chance to start over, to sort, to throw away and to even find lost treasures!

We are renting again. We left the drug dealers and street walkers behind for nice normal folk! There was definitely a lot of charm living in a 100 year old house, but the scary, scary neighborhood kinda took that charm and threw it right out the window.

We are still in Salisbury. We are in the same ward. My children are in the same schools. (This move brought us back into our home school district, so they can ride the bus again...YAY!!).

The home is bigger and brighter, and not falling apart! There is no mold lurking behind old walls, and no flooded basements. We already feel healthier! In the week that we have lived here my kids have made neighborhood friends and have played outside without fear of witnessing any criminal activity.

We are hoping our other house(s) will sell. But I am not holding my breath. The recession and the down turn of the housing market really bit us in the butt. We are hoping to move forward and say goodbye to our mistakes and housing nightmares. I feel blessed that we were able to find a rental that so perfectly meets our needs and I feel doubly blessed that I am in a home that feels happy and secure.

I am not sure how long we will live here. Forever would be fine. But time will tell. There is a lot of decisions and plans to be made in the not to far away future and I am excited to see what course our lives will take.

Happy New Year!

2011 is going to rock!

Lightbulb!

2011-01-17T16:26:00.004-05:00

I just remembered I have a blog. Cool.

Oh Yeah, I'm a Fan!

2010-11-02T18:13:00.001-04:00

Fifteen more days...I am UBER excited! Can you tell? I pay homage to you Harry Potter through my most excellent blog!

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthedeathlyhallows/mainsite/index.html

Madeline is One!

2010-10-23T17:45:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Maddie! You are the sweetest one-year-old anyone could ever hope to know!!!!

This "Scrapbooking" Room Gives Me A Panic Attack.

2010-10-07T20:57:00.005-04:00

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/photos/scraproom/new/

I will never, ever, ever have anything in my life as together and organized as this blogger's craft room is, does that make me a looser?

A Mystery

2010-10-07T14:04:00.002-04:00

Emily's hair is getting shorter. AND I keep finding little tribbles of silky blond hair under couches and in corners. SOMEONE is cutting it. Emily says it is Audrey, Audrey says it is Emily. Hmmmm...I think I need a "teddy bear cam."

Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam...

2010-10-05T06:11:00.002-04:00

I have had a lot of unwelcome spam lately. YUCK.

FYI, I have changed a few settings to see if that helps prevent random crazies. Future comments will now not show up until I approve them. I am not sure if anyone even reads my blog anymore, maybe because I NEVER post anymore...but for you future commenters I thought I would give you a heads up!

Bring it!

2010-09-21T07:43:00.004-04:00

My legs are sore today. I started running again, finally...slowly. Anna came with me and Kym last night to the track and she was like: "Woah, you guys are slow." (Thanks Anna!)
I also walk at 5am with a friend. Anna was so gung ho and excited last night I told her if she wanted to I would run with her for 1/2 an hour at 6:00am when I finished walking. I did not think she took me seriously. But she was sitting on my back porch waiting for me this morning, the sun just starting to peak over the houses, and I had to run...again.

I am either going to get skinny really fast OR, I am going to die.

The things we do for our children!

Fall Preview

2010-09-13T07:59:00.003-04:00

August flew by for me! Did it for you? There has been a whole lot of crazy around here lately...but things seem to be finally settling down. (Thank you public school system!) I wanted to blog about all my summer fun and adventures and maybe post some pictures, but I don't have the patience or motivation to upload pictures today. So I thought I would just share a funny mom moment that happened this morning.

Are you a bra off or a bra on kinda person while you sleep? Me, I am a bra OFF person. In fact, if I know I do not have to go any where and am POSITIVE the mail man is not planning a surprise delivery I might just leave my bra off all day. Well, apparently I got sick of my bra early last night and took it off before actually changing into pajamas...I don't even remember doing it, but I guess I left it on the couch downstairs. Well, you would not believe the HOOPLA it caused this morning. My little (well, if you know me, not so little..heh, heh) bra caused quite the uproar among my children. Dallin squealed like a little girl..."EWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Elizabeth gave me a very disappointing look, and a comment that went something like this..."Mom, you yell at us about leaving our clothes every where and here you are leaving your bra out...that is just disgusting!" Audrey thought it was hilarious and put it on her head, which of course led to a bra tossing competition...or was it a game of hot potato?

I am not sure if my poor bra will ever get it's rightful shape back. But, I have to say it almost felt like a victory...I mean it made them feel so uncomfortable, and after all it is MY house isn't it?

Number Four

2010-07-17T10:14:00.005-04:00

Number Four is 4 today!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Audrey.

We love you!

Potomac Chocolate

2010-07-03T07:47:00.003-04:00

Last Thanksgiving Ben and Cyndi introduced my family to a new way of living...it is called chocolate snobbery. If you have had the pleasure of one of Ben and Cyndi's chocolate tastings you are a convert as well. And, probably, like us, sworn off Hershey Bars for life. The only way for me to really enjoy chocolate now is by first, having a tiny square of a beautifully designed bar broken off in front of me(it has to snap), inhaling slowly, placing the square on my tongue, and then letting the flavors of an exotic land melt in my mouth. You have to be prepared to name that flavor..."was that a hint of citrus, of tobacco?"

Yup, the only way to truly appreciate chocolate is to have a "bean to bar" experience of your own. If you are a true chocoholic (and I know who your are) then you have got to check out Ben and his friend Justin's new endeavor! They felt so passionately about bean to bar chocolate they are going to make their own! Potomac Chocolate has started brewing, soon to be, Washington DC's best (and first) bean to bar chocolate. And it is going to be fantastic! Check out their blog...here. You can follow them on their journey and like me, wish for a scratch and sniff computer screen!

Mmmmmm....Chocolate.

(If you scroll to the bottom of this page you can find out how to become a part of history and maybe, even receive a taste of chocolate snobbery in your own living room!)

We Made The News!!!!

2010-06-24T18:15:00.004-04:00

Check out this link...
(You need to click on "Extreme Heat" Video from 6/23)
http://www.wmdt.com/
Me and the kids were on the news yesterday.
They were interviewing us about this horrific heat wave we have been having.
Kinda fun, huh?
Thankfully they only used 2 secs of my interview.
(I was looking kinda rough, they need to give a mom of 6 more time to primp, geeeeez.)
But the kids got to see themselves on TV, which probably made their whole summer!

Stink-o-licious

2010-06-22T20:44:00.003-04:00

What a bummer day. My kids have been HORRIBLE all day. Fighting, screaming, hitting, talking back, and of course I pretty much just yelled all day (which is my least favorite attribute). Jeff is at the church late tonight, which always seems to make them extra special grumpy. I swear they just got stinkier as the sun went down. I cannot believe it is only day two of summer break. How do normal mommy's make it through days like this??? I need a Valium (well, not really, but I sure like the IDEA of one).

Chincoteage Lighthouse

2010-05-28T08:19:00.005-04:00

The Lighthouse at Chincoteague, Virginia. Another favorite Eastern Shore destination.

Pemberton Park

2010-05-27T21:41:00.004-04:00

We have this gorgeous park in Salisbury, Pemberton Plantation. It is one of my favorite spots on the Eastern Shore. It has trails, and ponds, and a little island that we call "Fairy Island." In the summer it has lily pads, and frogs, and turtles, and is like a dream. I finally convinced Jeff to come see.

Audrey's Pre-School Graduation

2010-05-27T21:25:00.006-04:00

They gave out "awards" to all the kids and Audrey got "Most Adorable." I have to agree!

Blondies

2010-05-27T21:09:00.004-04:00

How did I get blonds???

Three More Weeks

2010-05-27T09:57:00.004-04:00

Here on the Eastern Shore school goes til' June 18th. I have been thinking, and thinking of how to make this summer a relaxing, rejuvenating, fun-filled two months. I know, the words relaxing and rejuvenating do not really go hand in hand with a family of six, but here is to hoping my summer goes something like this...

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/05/summer-to-do-list/

What are your summer plans? We are having lots of company and pretty much staying put, which sounds good to me!

Day One

2010-04-30T16:47:00.004-04:00

Emily is home and doing so much better. She was almost herself today, despite a cough. Sooo...let's see how long it is before the next hospital trip. Should I be saying that??? Am I jinxing myself? Nope, I think I am just being realistic.

Fingers Crossed

2010-04-28T16:17:00.002-04:00

Sooo...Emily is in the hospital. She has been there since yesterday. Nope, it has nothing to do with her seizure. She has pneumonia. SHOCKING, isn't it? I mean come on, what would the Rogers do without a child in the hospital with some kind of respiratory problem? She is okay. Breathing treatments, IV antibiotics, and steroids seem to be doing the trick. If they can get her breathing to slow down she might be able to come home tonight. It is hard to not be there with her. They won't let me bring the baby. I did get to see her for an hour this morning....so sad. She looks like death warmed over.

The real stinker in all this is she won't be able to have her MRI on Monday that we have had scheduled and have been waiting FOREVER for. She won't be able to be put under general anesthesia for a whole month. Joy, more waiting. (Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice??)

I will keep you all posted.

Things I discovered this Morning...

2010-04-20T07:45:00.006-04:00

5:30am is the BEST time to go grocery shopping at Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart has improved their chocolate selection.
If you eat a piece of chocolate before seven in the morning it makes your morning go better.
I like oatmeal (Organic-flax-cranberry oatmeal to be exact)-I have NEVER liked oatmeal.
Eating oatmeal while driving is surprisingly fun. (Do not try this at home).
Buzzing Dallin's head saves me a lot of time in the morning (his hair is surprisingly high maintenance).
Feeding my kids Organic Pop-Tarts make me feel like a good mom.
Anna DOES NOT like it when I sing "GOOOOD BYYEEE" (imagine vibrato) when dropping her off in front of the middle school.

Peace-Out...

What Kind Of Mom Are You?

2010-04-14T11:06:00.005-04:00

What kind of mom am I? This thought keeps me awake some nights. I often wonder when I am going to magically emerge from my cocoon and be the mom, the person, that I always wanted to be.

I have a mom wish list, do you? I think I may have posted about it before...here. You know the list...the one that states how perfect I wish I was. Perfection as a mother I have painfully discovered, is a myth. So...my wish list has changed. My one and only wish as a mom is that some day my grown children will look back on their childhood as a magical time. AND when they remember me they remember a mom who wanted, more than anything, to give them happiness.

Is it too late for magic? Is it too late for happiness? I hope not. I pray not. Anna is going to be twelve this summer. For me twelve is the age where my memories become real...not just flashes of pictures. I want her to remember more good than bad, more happiness than sad. I want her to remember adventures, and fun. I want her to remember a mom who loved her unconditionally and did everything in her power to bring loveliness into her life.

One of my favorite bloggers "Tolipop" did an awesome blog yesterday about this very subject here...

Things That I'm Okay With Today...

2010-04-09T10:48:00.003-04:00

That Emily's diaper is falling off.
That I let Dallin stay home from school today because his eyes were "too itchy," but really because I did not have the energy to help him finish ALL his homework last night.
That I have 20 loads of laundry sitting there...waiting for me, plus 10 more waiting to be folded.
That there is Easter basket grass covering EVERY inch of my downstairs.
That Audrey is wearing a mini-skirt (mini, because it's Emily's) and a miss-matching crazy shirt.
That I have not had a shower OR put on a bra yet today.
That my kitchen floor has not been mopped in two weeks.
That my wall on the stairs has mysteriously developed ANOTHER crack in it overnight.
That I have not matched socks in over a month and the kids dig in the "sock bucket" EVERY morning to find socks to wear to school and EVERY morning I have to pick up six tons of socks that have been thrown all over my room.
That I have dust bunnies.
That there is ANOTHER stain on my couch...I think it is cranberry applesauce.
That Anna stayed up till 10:30 on a school night yesterday with me and Jeff so we could watch the new Dr. Who episode.
That there are Barbies, My Little Ponies, and Polly Pockets under my kitchen table.
That I am supposed to be dieting but instead had a chocolate for breakfast this morning.
That Emily is walking around eating a frozen waffle.
That I will probably let my kids watch movies all day so I can get something done around the house today.
That I am playing on my computer and blogging instead of getting something done around the house today.

Za Rogers!

2010-04-08T20:14:00.002-04:00

All of Us!
(Taken on Elizabeth's Baptism day, by my bro-in-law, Ben)

Loosing My Mind???

2010-03-29T14:41:00.006-04:00

I think I am going to apply for an early retirement. Is that allowed? My kids don't really need a mommy for 18 more years, do they?

Every once in a while I want to tally up all the craziness that has plagued us since Madeline was born. But really, who is counting? Okay, maybe me, maybe a little. A friend of mine just e-mailed me and said "Life will get better and the medical thing will hopefully only be this years struggle and not next years too." Amen sister! I have not been able to say "At least we have our health" once this year! I suppose I have other "at least's." Like... "At least we have a roof over our heads" and "At least we have food on the table."

Our latest crazy....Emily had a seizure on Saturday. They are not sure why yet. A ct-scan was done and now they want a lot more tests. We are waiting to hear from the pediatric neurologist at John Hopkins. She has been perfectly fine since the seizure and I guess now it is just a matter of waiting. It weirded me out pretty good, you never expect to witness something like that. Life is never what you expect I suppose. We are feeling pretty positive about the whole thing, and know in our hearts she is going to be just fine. It is Emily after all. She is absolutely one of the the most stubborn human beings I have ever met. She will NOT let anything get in her way!!!

What I have learned through all this is something I have always known...family comes first, family is everything. In the midst of our crazy weekend we were able to attend an amazing church conference for the young women, which featured (for a few seconds) my niece Elise....

http://www.lds.org/broadcast/gywm/0,7726,2298,00.html (You have to listen to President Uchtdorf's talk! It might be my favorite General Authority talk of all time! You can see Elise during the video clip parts).

I went with my mom, Cyndi, Elise and Anna. Anna is not 12 yet, but seeing her among other young woman made my heart burst with love and anticipation. It is so exciting to think she will be in Young Women in a matter of months.

The love continued on Sunday when we celebrated with family and dear friends Elizabeth's baptism. It was a beautiful day! The girls sang "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." And Uncle Ben gave a talk on baptism. Our friend's little girl, Camarie Dover was baptized as well, which made it extra special for Elizabeth. Such beautiful girls, such a beautiful decision. I felt very honored to be her mommy and proud of her commitment. It was a perfect ending to a not-so-perfect weekend. So I guess I am not ready for retirement after all....

FYI

2010-03-20T13:25:00.001-04:00

Watching the Food Network while eating hospital food DOES NOT make it taste any better.

Broken Record

2010-03-20T03:34:00.002-04:00

Maddie is in the hospital again. It's not RSV, It's not H1N1. They are not sure what it is????
She is just miserable. A fever over 102 for 6 days now. The IV antibiotics seem to be doing the trick though. Her fever is FINALLY down. Now if we can get her to sleep, she just cries and cries. Hopefully we will know more in the morning and she will not have to stay long.

One positive...the nurses all knew her little face by name. They are all so sweet. There is this one nurse from last time, Christy. She is a blond little thing from Georgia, and calls Madeline, "Maddie Girl" in this perfect southern accent. I love her, and would bring her home with me if I was allowed. She is such a good nurse!

One negative...the glaring, harsh, hospital lights have made me realize that I quite possibly have the ugliest hands EVER. They are uglier than my 90 year old Grandmothers...

Does anyone else try and find things to laugh about when all you really want to do is cry???

Some Like It Hot

2010-03-16T10:28:00.002-04:00

Did I tell you we ALL had a stomach flu last week? Have I mentioned that we are sick AGAIN. Not a stomach flu, something else. Coughing, sneezing, snot, high fevers.
Today Emily has a fever of 102.4. Audrey has a fever of 103.2, and Madeline has a fever of 102.1.
And my body temp is 104. Nope, not a fever, not yet...just roasting while ALL three girls lay on me. Sigh.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth

2010-03-15T13:10:00.005-04:00

Elizabeth turned eight yesterday. Unbelievable! She is being baptized on March 28th and is so excited. We love Elizabeth for so many reasons.

When Elizabeth was born Jeff and I were so...relieved. It was a difficult pregnancy, which resulted in bed rest for me. The hardest part was the waiting, after a late-term miscarriage the year before, we had been on pins and needles the entire 9 months. Elizabeth Kathleen entered the world with a load of hair, big blue eyes and PERFECT eyebrows. Anna was so proud to be a big sister, and was instantly in love.

Elizabeth has never been a patient person, which I suppose she gets from me. But I really blame it on Dallin. When she was four months old she, I am sure, KNEW there would soon be a little brother to keep her company. They had a plan, they did NOT want to be without each other for very long. I can just picture them plotting in Heaven, Dallin promising her he would not be far behind.

Before Elizabeth was born I had always planned on calling her "Beth" but boy was I wrong. She has never been a Beth. She is Elizabeth, through and through. Although, every once in a while we use her Uncle Marshall's nickname for her..."Lizard Bath".

One of my favorite things about Elizabeth is that she says what she thinks no matter what. There is no beating around the bush with her or second guessing her. If she doesn't like something she lets you know. We always know how Elizabeth feels! She loves all things girly, especially clothes. She would wear a dress every second of her life if I let her.

For her birthday Jeff and I took her on a mommy-daddy date to see Alice in 3D and out to dinner. She wanted seafood and got to have her first taste of Lobster!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth! We LOVE you!

Flash Back--Happy New Years

2010-03-04T17:12:00.006-05:00

So I figured I would go backwards with my...
"Rogers' Year In Review"
Gotta start somewhere.

2009 Year in Review

2010-02-22T14:08:00.002-05:00

Now that things seem to be slowing down and routines are getting back to normal I am feeling sad at how much I have neglected my blog. I started this blog as a way to journal the Rogers' life. 2009 was a pretty pathetic blogging year for me. I want to be better. I know that we are headed into March but I thought I would, over the next few postings, play a little catch up.

My Six Children

2010-02-17T18:22:00.001-05:00

Cause heartburn.

On a blustery day...

2010-02-14T09:16:00.013-05:00

Two years ago, Emily Lynn arrived. At 12:09a.m. I wanted a Valentine's Day baby. She said "NO WAY." It was in the cards for this kid to be stubborn. She has not proven us wrong so far! I have never met anyone with more personality. Happy Birthday 'Tator-Tot! We love so much about you!!

Tis the Season

2009-11-26T08:12:00.003-05:00

For Some Turkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!!!!!

I am Grateful for So, so, so many things this year!

Happiness!

2009-11-13T11:20:00.001-05:00

Maddie gets to come home today!

Therapy

2009-11-12T11:52:00.003-05:00

I have not had a moment to post in quite a while. I cannot believe I do not have pictures up of our newest addition. I will get to it, I promise. I even have some summer pictures and Halloween fun I plan on putting up. But for now, I wanted to blog for therapy.

Madeline will be three weeks old tomorrow. We all knew from the beginning of my pregnancy what a special spirit we were being given. No matter how shocked and surprised we were at first, our baby- on- the- way never felt like an "accident." She was definitely meant to be.

Madeline was born on October 23rd at 7:08pm. She weighed 7lbs 2ozs. Her hair was dark and she had a TON of it. My labor was a little longer than I thought it would be, but actual delivery was a piece of cake. She cried immediately and has barely cried since. She is such an angel. Her sisters and brother were instantly in love and have been so sweet to her. Audrey wants to hold her every second of the day and Emily is absolutely positive that it is "her" baby. She laughs EVERY time Madeline so much as squeaks.

Our sweet baby is an angel even when she is in pain. As most of you know we have been in the hospital with Maddie since yesterday when they diagnosed her with the flu (H1N1). Nothing has been harder than to see a brand new baby hooked up to IV's, and machines. Her sad little eyes stayed closed most of the day because the fever made it hurt to open them. But today...she is doing better. Her fever has been under control for almost 12 hours now and she is eating perfectly. She even had a bath! The doctor is very positive she'll be able to go home tomorrow. It is truly a miracle that she is not worse. The nurses here at the hospital are heaven sent! They have taken care of Maddie beautifully! I feel so blessed that I could be here with Maddie, that I could feed her, and hold her, and sleep by her side.

Thanks to everyone, family and friends, who have sent well wishes and prayers our way! They worked!!!! Jeff and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Blogging???

2009-11-04T09:18:00.001-05:00

Yes. I am working on it.

The Final Count Down!

2009-09-30T13:29:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is October and that means it is Baby Month!!!!!! I cannot believe we are down to the final weeks. Panic has taken over as I realize how much I need to do to be ready! Thankfully I do not have a lot of shopping to do. We are soooo good on the whole girl stuff department. I have bought a couple of new girly things, and we need a new baby car seat but other than that I just need to organize and finish rearranging dressers and stock up on diapers. At my doctor's appointment today she told me the baby was already in position, head is giving pressure, and I am dilated to a one! Woo hoo! Can you believe I am here again???? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was blogging about having my last baby. Oi!

Fantastic Day!!!

2009-09-28T12:18:00.005-04:00

Saturday was a wonderful, wonderful, day!!! My parents were sealed for time and all eternity in the Washington D.C. Temple. For those of you who have known our little family for a long time this was a very, very, momentous occasion. I have been waiting for this day since I was nine years old! I am so proud of my parents. It had been a rough year for them, and to think that they have come so far is just a miracle! Being sealed to my parents was truly an overwhelming experience. Beautiful. I am so grateful to have the knowledge that this life is not the end of our families and that we truly will be together forever! So many wonderful people were able to be there..old friends, new friends and family! Thank you for coming and making the day even that more special.

Counter

2009-09-10T11:27:00.001-04:00

Evidently overnight I went from 4000 views on this blog to over 11000 views. Hmmmmmmm. I think there may be a glitch. Orrrr... I suddenly became vewy, vewy, popwulaaarrr.

Emily's Dance

2009-09-03T19:50:00.005-04:00

This is proof of the Emily Dance...we can still get her to do it every once in a while. The best way we can describe it is a cross between the chicken dance and the Elaine (from Seinfeld) dance.

First Day of School

2009-09-01T21:29:00.006-04:00

The first day of school this year was a whirlwind with new schedules, new schools, new teachers, and new clothes.

Dallin, the beaming first grader.
Elizabeth, the proud second grader, who is now at the "BIG" intermediate school.
And Anna, our woman-in-the-making, middle school student.

They were nervous and I have to admit I felt every bit as anxious as they did! Poor Audrey was devastated that they left her behind! (Did you notice her in the picture with Elizabeth, peeking through the , oh my, very hand printed, window...so sad). I tried to appease her broken heart with promises of preschool starting in October, but that did not seem to suffice.

Anna kept telling me that she would be okay if she could just make it through the first hour.
(I think the thought of getting to leave an hour and a half early to sneak off to a Killers concert is what really made the first day okay! And Dallin and Elizabeth were soothed with the idea of having a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's!)

Man, I am a cool mom!

Wanted: Personal Designer

2009-08-28T16:01:00.002-04:00

Is there anyone out there that would come live with me for a month and tell me how to redecorate my house??? I do not pay and all I have to redecorate with is a whole lot of hand-me-down crap. I might be able to swing some paint. I would expect you to do all the work while I put up my feet and watch the Notebook and eat dark chocolate. Thanks.

Really Tired

2009-08-28T03:59:00.002-04:00

It's 4 am. I'm tired. I am in the grips of pregnancy insomnia. There is nothing on T.V. There is no one on Facebook. My e-mail is all checked. My google reader is empty. I am bookless. What's a girl to do???

Anna Wants a Bird

2009-08-24T10:20:00.002-04:00

For a week now Jeff and I have been bombarded with bird facts, bird supply lists, bird pricing, bird pictures, bird e-mails, and bird pleas! Anna has decided she wants a bird. She is obsessed with the idea of little birdies in a cage singing her praises. She has been a bird researching fool. Saturday she came home with a ton of bird books from the library. She wants to use her own money to buy the bird and all the supplies. She has even convinced Elizabeth and Dallin to contribute their allowance money and their share of lemonade stand money. As re-payment she has lovingly promised them a share in the bird responsibilities. I am seriously waiting for lobbiest calls from her friends. She has the world convinced that birds are GRRRREAT!

Does anyone have a bird? Does anyone know anything about birds as pets? Anna really wants a zebra finch? Any advice, tips? Jeff and I told her we would make a decision soon. A bird would be a big pet step for us, we have only ever had fish.

My One Green Thing

2009-08-20T11:55:00.002-04:00

I love the idea of going "green." Actually becoming green is whole 'nother story. My brother-in-law and sister are light years ahead of me. Way to go Cyndi and Ben! I do admire your determination and ingenuity, even if I tease at times. You really are the only people I know who have a worm composter!

I do do one thing Eco friendly...I hang dry most of my clothes. Sadly, for me, it really has nothing to do with saving the environment (side benefit I guess). I do it to save money on electricity (I'm trying to make sure I NEVER have another 900 dollar electric bill) and I like my clothes to last a long time. I am always looking for laundry ideas because it is the bane of my existence. Five children worth of laundry is enough to make one go insane!!! Today, I stumbled upon this nifty contraption.... http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2009/07/diy-laundry-room-drying-rack.html Me likes! Me wants to try!!!!!

Funny

2009-07-25T19:06:00.002-04:00

Jeff sent this to me. Made me laugh!

This will come in handy one day...when I'm not pregnant anymore!

2009-07-25T13:39:00.003-04:00

I stumbled across this blog today, while reading this blog.

I love that they find all the modest clothing styles from all your favorite stores and put it all in one place. So cool!

Happy Birthday Anna!!!!

2009-07-22T08:33:00.005-04:00

We took Anna out to dinner last night (Japanese Steak House) and to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was so fun to have a Mommy-Daddy-Daughter date with just her. She LOVED every second of it. Loved the food, Loved the movie. It is so hard to believe that she is eleven.

She is turning into the loveliest Young Woman!

Happy Birthday Audrey!!!!

2009-07-17T07:39:00.004-04:00

July is another one of our CRAZY birthday months! My birthday was last Saturday, Audrey's birthday is today and Anna's birthday is on Tuesday.

Audrey started the day, by sneaking in my room, climbing into my bed, lifting up my hair and whispering, "Mommy, today is July....it's my birthday, and I'm Three!" It's going to be a fun, fun day. We are planning a picnic at the park with lots of friends and family to celebrate.

It sure does not seem that long ago that I posted this... http://nicole-rogers-family.blogspot.com/2006/07/presentingaudrey-nicole-rogers.html

Happy Birthday Audrey! We love you!

To Change, or Not To Change...

2009-07-15T10:26:00.002-04:00

I am always a little envious of my friend's blog backgrounds that change with the holidays. Just this past week I was admiring everyone's festive Fourth of July backgrounds. I have often thought about changing mine. I know about all the cute sites to go to and how to change my background. But I'm scared. I LOVE my current blog background....LOVE IT. What would I do if I changed my background to fluffy little bunnies and then could not get THIS blog background back? I would be devastated people...just devastated!

Does anyone know if there is a way I can change this one and then get it back, no matter what????

Gone Fishin'

2009-07-09T20:24:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday my dad took Jake and Dallin fishing at Pemberton Park...one of my favorite places on the Eastern Shore! They had a great time and my dad took some great pictures! Dallin caught four fish!!!

Ocean City Boardwalk & Ripley's Believe or Not Museum

2009-07-09T15:26:00.007-04:00

The Gang...

The Pier...

Beach Toys...

"We've got our tickets"...

Anticipation...

For Good Reason...

"Daddy Shark..doo doo doo doo..."

The Cage...

Ten Cow Wife...

"Wait...this is not our daddy..."

After five hours alone with five kids...

Jeff thought they all deserved a little torture...

Sharp Shootin' Cousins...

Bumper Cars...

Elizabeth and Claire brave the dreaded "Caterpillar..."

Jake's First Big Roller Coaster...

Cousin Fun Time!

2009-07-09T09:18:00.008-04:00

Building Castles...

Burying Each Other...

Bathing Beauties...

Cheesy Grins...

Dirty Babies...

Daddy Time...

Horses...

Memories...

Sand Racing...

Fire Building...

Moon Rising...Last Swim...

Weenie Roasting...

Goodnight...

The Fourth

2009-07-09T08:47:00.003-04:00

My sister Cyndi and Ben came with her kids last Thursday to help us celebrate the fourth! We did 2 days in a row at the beach and had a great time...That was until fire works time.

On Saturday we did the beach early and came home to have a bbq in our backyard with all the family and my friend Ethel. We got some fireworks and sparklers and were ready to party! Unfortunately right as the kids were about to start their sparkler fun my sister Cyndi fell and hit her head...hard. What ensued was a lot of blood...A LOT, and an ambulance ride. A firetruck even showed up! It was my first time having to call 911. The kids were a mess. Although, I'm not sure if they were worried about Cyndi or sad that the fireworks had to be put on hold. In the end, Cyndi had staples put in her head, and was sent home around 2 am. Thankfully she did not have a concusion. She is doing much better now, but it was a very scary night.

I am still angry at my habiscus pot for being in the wrong place at the wrong time! I give it a piece of my mind every time I walk past it!

Cyndi decided to stay here to recover, Ben went home with two of their kids (Elise and Lori) on Sunday and left two behind (Jake and Claire). I'm not sure how much actual recovery time she had but I was so happy she was here! It only took me three tries to get over feeling sick when I had to put medicine on the staples in her head.

On Monday Jeff took ALL the kids to Ocean City to the boardwalk by himself...what a great guy. They had a ton of fun at the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, (we had a free family pass) riding a few rides, playing in the sand, and scarffing up some ice cream! My nephew Jake said it was the best day of his life so far!

Last night before Cyndi left, everyone surprised me with an impromptu birthday party...my birthday is Saturday. They all pitched in and got me a new camera wooo hooo! It is water proof, sand proof, shock proof, and it's orange. I love it, we haven't had a camera that actually works in a year, it was very needed. Thanks everyone.

Summer is slipping by so fast.

Ooooppps.

2009-07-01T16:21:00.002-04:00

I just realized that I never posted about my glorious weekend away from my children at the end of May...is it too late???

Well...if I don't get around to blogging my own version you can read Leslie's account here....

http://mingofamily.blogspot.com/2009/06/15-year-reunion.html

Which I find very accurate!

A House Full of Fuddy Duddies!!!

2009-06-29T14:37:00.007-04:00

Yesterday we had an impromptu mini family reunion! My Aunt Donna had come down to my Grandmother's house with my Uncle David, who is visiting from St. George. I have been looking forward to seeing my uncle, who was in a horrible motorcycle accident last summer. My mom and dad were there too! Since my Grandmother is almost 90 and cannot really handle ALL of my kids at once these days I decided to bring over just Audrey to see everyone. (Emily was napping and the older ones would have fought over who could come.)

Poor Audrey. When we walked in the door she almost went into cardiac arrest. This is what she saw...

A room full of old people whom she barely knows .

A VERY old person with tubes coming out of her nose hooked up to a huge oxygen machine.

And....

A man with only one leg.

I'm pretty sure that she thought I was leading her to her death. She immediately started to shake and then ran to me crying...she would not let me put her down for a half an hour.

This is not like Audrey at all...she is usually our little social butterfly. Eventually she did warm up to everyone and was as happy as a clam. My Grandmother convinced her that the tubes were not that big of a deal and before you knew it she was reading Audrey books and they were cuddling together. Pap Pap (My Grandmother's husband) won her love by giving her pizza and her very own can of root beer with a pink straw. And by the end of our visit she was completely convinced my Uncle David had super powers, and wanted to know if she could take off her leg too!!!!

I was so happy to see everyone. I LOVE my aunts and uncles. I could not believe how great my Grandma is doing, she will be 90 this January and seemed healthier than I have seen her in a while. My Uncle David just amazed me!! He is walking so wonderfully for someone with one leg...his prosthetic is so cool!!! I always love seeing my Aunt Donna, and wish we all lived closer!

What Kinda Mom am I?

2009-06-22T19:27:00.002-04:00

Today?

Have you seen the movie Matilda?

I think I am more like Mrs. Trunchbull...

"To the chokey."

Maybe tomorrow I'll be more like Mrs. Honey.

Last Days of School

2009-06-19T13:46:00.006-04:00

I have been slacking when it comes to posting pictures lately! I have a million to share. I cannot promise that they will be in chronological order, but I promise they will be pictures that were worth the wait. Have I ever blogged about how cute my kids are? Hee hee!

Here are some from Dallin's Kindergarten graduation and Elizabeth's 1st grade graduation, and Anna's 5th grade graduation. They made a HUGE deal out of it. They had a Hollywood theme, and the kids had to dress up extra fancy and walk the "red carpet." Anna was awarded the Presidential Academic Achievement Award, which she is still talking about to people. "Obama signed my award!" It's hard to believe Anna will be in middle school next year!

Dallin and his teacher Mrs. Jackson...love her!

Dallin singing the "J" song!

Elizabeth and Mrs. Williams...Awesome teacher!

Anna thought the scarf made her seem more glamours!

And the award goes too.......

Anna and her teacher, Mrs. Boothe.

Anna throwing up peace signs with her good friends!

This last one is my favorite...big brother showing Audrey around the school!

BuuuuSssstEd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-16T11:11:00.004-04:00

Anna has become aware of my blogging hobby. Jeff gave her the web address to this blog and she proceeded to read all my posts.

And then she got to this one...

http://nicole-rogers-family.blogspot.com/2009/05/so-not-ready-for-this.html

Oh she was soooooo mad at me. I tried to explain to her that this is our family journal, a way to keep memories fresh and keep family updated, but she just could not get past the fact that there were comments from people she did not know.

I may have to reconsider my blogging techniques, she has me bookmarked!

Girls....girls, girls.

2009-06-02T07:07:00.005-04:00

It's a girl.
It's a girl...maybe the tech read the ultra sound wrong.
It's a girl...sigh.
It's a girl...it's okay really.
It's a girl...really, I'm just fine with that.
It's a girl...at least I have super cute girls.
It's a girl...Dallin will always be extra special special cuz he's the only boy.
It's a girl...Dallin will always get to have his own room.
It's a girl...Dallin will be super excited about this when sisters start bringing home cute friends.
It's a gril....at least I have tons of girls clothes and won't have to buy any new baby boy clothes.
It's a girl...sister reunions will be tons of fun.
It's a girl...maybe this one will finally have tons of red hair.

The only part I feel truly bad about is that I feel bad. That everyone is patting me on the back telling me it's okay...don't worry, girl's are AWESOME. If it was a boy, we would be getting high fives, and bubble gum cigars, and way to go Jeff's!

I know deep inside how special these little girls are, and I know when I'm holding her in my arms, I will never, ever wish for any other baby then just her. I know that Heavenly Father is sending us this girl for a reason, and I know that I am so very blessed to have the opportunity to raise little mommies in the making.

So no more...."ohhhh, that's to bad, poor Dallin, poor Jeff...all those raging hormones".

I'll just take some "congratulations", please, and a few "you are the luckiest mommy in the world to have so many beautiful girls"!

So NOT ready for this....

2009-05-20T20:03:00.002-04:00

I picked up Anna from school today and asked her how her day went...this is what she told me.

"Well, it was kind of a hard day. This boy Austin asked me to go out with him. But I told him "no" cuz he broke up with my friend Chelsey today, just to go out with me. I would never go out with a boy who just broke up with my friend. Everyone took sides, but I refused to take a side, or get in the middle of it, so I just read my book at recess. A lot of boys have asked me out lately, but everyone knows I don't date...geez!"

Oh my! She is only in FIFTH grade, what will I do when she gets to high school?

What's up Pussy Cat...woooawhoooawhhooo o.

2009-05-19T15:39:00.003-04:00

It's been a bit, I know. May is always a hectic month. School is crazy with the offspring. Field trips, concerts, field days, oh my!
Everyone I know has spring fever. Summer break is less than a month away and my kids are itching to be done with school. Even Audrey and Emily are antsy. I am a little antsy myself!

Our ward split a few weeks ago...which was HUGE news. As you can imagine, church has been a little chaotic. Jeff was called as ward clerk, along with a whole new bishopric. We are apart of the Salisbury 1st Ward now. All I can say is WOW...ward clerk has soooo much more responsibilities than I realized. Jeff is gone quite a bit with meetings and training. And with it being a new ward there is a ton for him to do. It is very exciting though, and we are thrilled that the church is thriving here on the Eastern Shore! I am callingless as of yet. But I know that will not last long.

Next week my roommates from when I was at Ricks College are flying here so we can have a reunion! I'm soooo excited. They get here on Wednesday and we are going to stay in D.C. the first night. Then we are heading up to Ocean City to hang out at my Aunt's condo and enjoy the beach! Jeff took off to watch the kids so I get 5 whole days on my own!
It has been over 15 years since Jannea, Leslie, and I have all been together. They are the coolest people, and I cannot wait to reminicse!

Stay Tuned

2009-05-19T15:35:00.002-04:00

Ultra Sound....June 1st.

Boy?
Girl?

What's your guess?

The Little Things, Part 2

2009-04-29T09:21:00.003-04:00

Same scenario as yesterday, dropping kids off at school. But the weather has changed, there is a breeze, it's cooler.

Elizabeth gets out of the van.
Dalllin gets out of the van.
Elizabeth takes off.
Dallin yells, "Hey Elizabeth wait up."
Elizabeth proceeds to start running and taunting.
Dallin ends up in tears before getting to the school door.

Hmmm...both mornings tears were shed, but I think I may have tooted my own horn a little too soon.

The Little Things

2009-04-28T21:26:00.003-04:00

Today when I dropped Elizabeth and Dallin off at school I had a proud mom moment. As they were walking up the sidewalk Elizabeth was having a very hard time with her backpack. She had a ton of stuff in her hands and dropped a paper. Without being asked, without missing a step, Dallin put down his backpack, picked up the paper Elizabeth dropped and then helped Elizabeth put on her backpack. Ahhhhh. One of the sweetest things I have ever seen! I pulled away with tears streaming down my face.

Maybe we're doing something right, afterall?

Into The Thick of It!

2009-04-17T08:52:00.002-04:00

Had my first doctor's appointment yesterday. I switched to a new doctor....whom I absolutely LOVE! She is great...AND....I only have to see ONE doctor....not seven different doctors. Whoop, whoop!

So, as you know, I have been pregnant...ummmm...a lot. (In fact, if you add it up at the end up this pregnancy I will have been pregnant for a total of FIVE years...HOLLY CROW!!!!!!)
I have to admit, though, no matter how many times I go to my "first" appointment, hearing that babies little heart beat fluttering makes my heart flutter! I can't help but feel excited that this little spirit fought so hard to be a part of this family, over coming the odds, finding a way, even if Mommy and Daddy had different ideas.

I am 12 weeks along now and the doc thinks things are progressing very well! My nausea is on it's way out....energy level is beginning to rise, and my pants are un-button-able!

My doctor did make a comment that the baby's heart beat was fast....indicative of a girl....perhaps? I refrained from slapping her, it's not like I really thought it would be a boy. Although......maybe he was jogging in place doing a little pre-birth workout? Doesn't that raise heart rates????

Homemade Goodness

2009-04-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

I LOVE the idea of gifts from the kitchen. Check this out.....http://tipnut.com/kitchen-gifts/

Ohhh La La!

2009-04-13T14:02:00.003-04:00

I mentioned Tolipop a few blogs ago...LOVE HER! And now she is giving some of her AMAZING work away...FOR FREE if you are her lucky pick!!!
Check it out here.

Writer's Block

2009-03-24T15:04:00.002-04:00

I feel like I have been slacking on my blogging lately. I have nothing witty, punny, or original to share. The world is in a slump...and so am I. Blahhhhh.

So here is some random, non-witty, non-punny, non original thoughts.

Birthday's are over. Dallin turned 6 today. Which really blows me away. I cannot get over how big he is, and how much he is turning into an amazing little person. He says the funniest things.
For example. Yesterday Jeff took Elizabeth and Dallin to school. As he was about to drop them off, Jeff get's a call from me, informing him that Dallin has forgotten his backpack. Dallin's response..."I did not know that." Oh my gosh that cracked me up....you have to picture him saying it in a totally Saturday Night Live kinda way. What was really funny was that if this was Elizabeth who had forgotten her backpack she would have completely freaked out...."OH NO! I'm going to be in so much trouble, I don't have my homework, I don't have my lunch....LIFE IS OVER." Followed by a down pour of tears. Not Dallin. He was like "Whatever." Dallin has really been excelling in school. His memory astounds me, he can look at something once and have it completely memorized.

As I mentioned above Elizabeth is our dramatic child. Every thing that happens is 1,000,000 times worse when it happens to her. She is hilarious. It is hard to believe she is seven years old. And will be getting baptized next year. She has become such a compasionate and caring little girl. She would do anything for her little sister's and she is constantly trying to help me out. She LOVES to put Aurdrey to bed for me, and begs me all the time to let her tuck the babies in!

My mom had a second interview for a job today and it looks very promising! Yay! Maybe we won't loose our Adkin's Road house after all. Another Yay...my dad got approved for his disability!

I was released from Young Women on Sunday....sigh. It was time. I have been in the Young Women for almost six years in this ward. I have had almost every single calling. 1st counselor, 2nd counselor, beehive advisor, miamaid advisor, camp director, stake camp level leader, personal progress leader. Not to mention I have been in Young Women in all my other wards since Jeff and I were married almost 14 years ago. My new calling, Nursery Leader. Woo Hoo! At least I have some experience in this area.

I am really ticked off that we have not had any good spring weather. It has been cold, I want to get out of my house with the kids. I want to work in the yard. I want to turn off my soul sucking HEAT!

Jeff is officially a business owner. He is starting his own little business on the side. "Eastern Shore Computer Repair." It is an after hours computer repair thing. He is really excited. He got his tax id...he got a new phone for it, and there will be an ad in the phone book...exciting!

I started babysitting my niece Dana. It has been really good. Good for me, Good for Kym, Good for Dana, Good for Audrey. And...I get a little money that I am putting towards my college weekend at the end of May that I am totally stoked about! My roommates, Leslie, and Jannea are flying here from out west and we are staying in Ocean City for five days! We have not all been together in over 15 years! I am sooooooooo excited.

I'm almost 10 weeks pregnant now. Ugh. I have had a lot of morning (actually more like evening) sickness. And I am SOOOOOOOO VERY TIRED! Did I tell everyone that my due date is October 26th. That is per my calculations...my first doctor appointment is not until April 16th. I changed doctors, which I am really excited about. I won't have to see 6 different doctors, just one! Yay!

Okay, I'm done. That is all. No more thoughts are left in my head.

Mythbusters

2009-03-10T13:00:00.002-04:00

One of our favorite past times is sitting down with the kiddo's and watching Mythbusters. I love that it is a show we all agree is wicked cool, not to mention educational too!

Well, I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a birthday party theme I could use for both Elizabeth and Dallin. Not to girly, not to boyish. Every once in a while my brain works better than normal and a strike of genius hit me today. How cool would a Mythbuster's party be?????

It should be a blast....hee hee. No pun intended, Jeff has agreed to do the mento's and soda bottle experiment.

Some of my idea's for myth busting so far:
Eating Pop Rock's and soda will make your stomach explode.
Putting a Jaw Breaker in the Microwave will make it explode. (We have an old Microwave in the basement we don't use).
A lemon can run an alarm clock.

I need a few more kid friendly, and cost friendly idea's. I was thinking I could do some basic science experiments too...like making homemade gak...and then sending it home as a party favor. Do you have any idea's???

March Madness

2009-03-02T14:20:00.002-05:00

It is upon us again. The March Birthday season.

Jeff-6th.
Elizabeth-14th.
Aunt Kym-21st.
Nana Clark-23rd.
Dallin-24th.

At least #6 won't be in March.

Oh, did I mention I'm pregnant again??????

Due Date: October 26th-ish.

(And yes, for those of you with good memories...Jeff DID have a vasectomy).

OVERKILL???

2009-02-13T09:56:00.003-05:00

Dallin asked me to make his hair "SPIKY" today....

I obliged!

I Am Expanding (not physically, well at least that's not what I'm talking about here).

2009-02-10T16:32:00.001-05:00

I have two blogs now! Aren't ya jealous????

http://yourmemoriesyourstories.blogspot.com/

My Conundrum

2009-02-10T11:08:00.002-05:00

People who are mean. Why? What is the purpose? Why not be happy? Why not love everybody? Why not forgive?

It seems so simple.

Valentines Day is Saturday!

Let's make Heart Day....a CHANGE OF HEART DAY!

Love... Care... Share... Forgive.

Five Car Pile Up

2009-02-03T09:24:00.003-05:00

I was in a car accident yesterday.

Not to worry....Me, Audrey, and Emily are all perfectly fine. We went to the hospital and we were cleared, no problem. Car is not too bad, bumper is messed up, brakes are iffy, but other than that we made out way better than the other four cars. Our car was the only car that was able to drive away, and me and the two girls were the only ones that were not taken away in an ambulance. The cops did tell me at the hospital that the other people involved were going to be okay...thank goodness!

The whole thing was pretty scary. Sadly, I think I will be scarred for life.

But......

Not scarred from the horrible crashing noises, I heard.
Not scarred from the pieces of metal flying everywhere.
Not scarred from the guy that actually hit me who tried to speed away.
Not scarred from the screams of my kids in the back.

I am scarred because of my zit.

I woke up yesterday with the biggest zit I have ever had in the middle of my forehead. No kidding it was HUGE. It was like I was in middle school all over again. I have not had a zit like this in YEARS.

The scarring began when the paramedics came running up to me after the accident:

Them: "Mam, Mam are you okay??? Did you hit your head hit?" (all eyes on my forehead).
Me: "No, No, I'm fine it's just a ZIT."

Next, police officers...

Them: "Mam, Mam are you okay??? Did you hit your head?" (all eyes on my forehead).
Me: "No, No, it's just a ZIT."

When Jeff got there....

My loving husband: "Honey are you okay...Did you hit your head???" (his eyes on my forehead).
Me: "No, Jeff it's just a ZIT!

Checking in at the hospital....

Nurses: "Mam, were you in the five car pile up?? Oh my, Did you hit your head?"
(all eyes on my forehead).
Me: "No, No, it's just a ZIT."

In the Hospital Room....

Doctor: "Wow, Did you hit your head?" (his eyes on my forehead).
Me: "No, No, it's just a ZIT." ( I think I was crying a little at this point).

Picking up kids from my parents house...

Parents: "We were so worried, oh, Nicole did you hit your head?" (eyes move to my forehead).
Me...."For the love of MONKEYS people....It is a freaking zit, a ZIT!!! AHHHHHHHH"

A zit, how lovely, what a perfect day to revert to early adolescence.

Snow Day

2009-01-29T10:42:00.004-05:00

We actually had a little snow on Tuesday!
(A rare commodity here on the Eastern Shore).
The kids were already on staycation, so we made it part of the day!

Success!

2009-01-29T09:33:00.004-05:00

Staycation
What a magical word!
We had a marvelous time.....simply mar-ve-lous!
The kids were so surprised and all agreed it was one of our best vacations ever!

Mission Complete!

"Stay"cation

2009-01-26T11:33:00.003-05:00

My kids have off school today and tomorrow, and starting this afternoon when Jeff comes home from work we will embark upon our first ever staycation! Shhh...It is a surprise!

Itinerary:

Monday Night:
Fancy dinner at La Chez Rogers
Movie at the Rogers Family Cinema
Camping under the attic stars

Tuesday:
Breakfast a-la Room Service
Trip to Rogers Day Spa (includes Manicures, Pedicures, and Facials)
Walking tour of Downtown Salisbury (hopefully in the snow).
Tour of Salisbury Zoo
Souvenir Shopping
Game Night and Finger Foods

It should be a lot of fun. If you need to reach us.... sorry, we'll be on stay-cation!

Desires of My Heart

2009-01-23T10:30:00.005-05:00

Have I ever told you that I have a really cool house???? It is old and funky and totally unique. It has dark wood everywhere and cool windows, an oddly large front foyer that we never use, a creepy basement, a whimsically angled attic, two stair cases, old doors with original hardware, a front porch, a back porch, and a picket fence.

It could be my dream house. I love it more every day, despite the many quirks...(and believe me there are quirks...like breaking tile, crooked walls, and 900 dollar electric bills).

There is much to be grateful for, but every once in a while I feel sad. Sad inside that I am keeping this house from reaching it's potential. My non-existent budget and my cheap cluttery-stuff makes this diamond in the rough look ordinary, dull and uninspiring.

I have a dream, a dream of decorating.

I want to paint, to create, to have the mula to give this house the makeover it deserves. To transform my house into the home I have always wanted. Ahhhh....Alas, it is but a dream.

Until then, I will continue to plan and plot and collect, and steal ideas from people who know what they are doing.

To start maybe I will begin collecting these cool prints to adorn the angles of my girl's room.

Are they not the epitome of whimsy???

Click on pic to see tollipop's etsy shop.

fLoUnDeRiNg....

2009-01-14T13:38:00.005-05:00

I am feeling a little lost this week. I have 100,000 things to accomplish and no good plan to get them done. I think I need a blog just to list all of my to-do items. I am the type of person that needs things to be perfect, but I do not have the motivation to get it all done...so guess what I end up doing? Nothing. Nothing, at all. I also get side tracked a lot. I'll start one project and then start another one, and then another one. What is the secret to just getting one thing done at a time? I had a conversation with my friend Kelly this past weekend about this very topic. She is able to focus on one thing at a time and calmly get it done. Not me, I panic. I get all frazzled and get grumpy with my kids and Jeff.

I have five kids...I really need to get this down. Seriously, it is my job. I am supposed to be organized and together, with dinner on the table, and all the laudry folded.

Actually, I'm lying. The real problem is that I think I am just not cut out to be the mom of five, maybe the mom of two, I think I could handle two.

Okay, I'm lying again. I think I am just not stay-at-home-mom material at all. I seriously stink at it. We hear all the time that we do not need to be that "Perfect, Molly Mormon, Mom" we just need to be doing the "best that we can" but what if you want to be that perfect mom? I want to be perfect. I want to do it all. If I cannot do it all, I might as well just stop being a mom.

So here it is...this is what I am putting on my next to-do-list:

Crafts, Cleaning, Sewing, Mending, Scrapbooking, Prayers, Scriptures, Family Home Evening, Temple Work, Cooking, Baking, Food Storage Expert, Gardening, Skinny, with a nice butt, sexy arms, and perky boobs, Nice Hair w/ highlights, White Teeth, Perfect Wardrobe, PTA President, Cutest Kids, Community Volunteer, At Home Entrepernuer who contributes to the cash flow, Grind own Wheat and make Jelly from scratch, Can Fruit, Bake Bread, Excercise Every Day, and Go on Walks with Kids Every day, Bike Rides, Hiking, Camping, Library Story Time, Eat only Organic Food, Eat only fresh Vegetables from my OWN Garden, take my kids on VACATIONS to exoctic places, want to WANT to Homeschool, Dust and Sweep everyday, paint all my Walls, garage, front steps, and my fence, Decorate like Candice Olsen from Devine Design, be Taller with bluer eyes, smaller nose, and smaller feet, Visit teach every month by the 5th day of the month, be the YW President, Primary President and Relief Society President all at the same time. Oh and lastly, I want to walk into a room and have people tell me I am the most glorious woman, mother, and wife to ever grace their presence.

What do you think? Am I over zelous?

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T14:42:00.005-05:00

Time has slipped by without me knowing. It has happened before. 2009 is upon us. I hope all of my family and friends had a wonderful Holiday Season. I did! Truly one of the best Christmas's on record. I failed to send out Christmas Cards (forgive me, please), but if I did they would have surely said:
"I hope the true meaning of Christmas fills your heart and home this year."

It filled mine.

Thank you for all of the well-wishes, cards, happy blog posts, and cheery Facebook remarks over the last few weeks. It never ceases to amaze me how technology has brought so many friends, relatives and loved ones back into my life on a daily basis...I love it!

This time of year not only helps me look forward, but I often find myself looking back, feeling gratitude for the abundance of blessings that touch my life, for loved ones, for health, for the joy of the gospel, and for the miraculous love of our Savior.

Happy New Year!

Acknowledgements

2008-12-10T10:26:00.003-05:00

I would like to thank the "ACADEMY" for all of their support and advise during my creative process. Special Thanks goes to my roommate from Ricks: Leslie Mingo who posted a blog in my honor: http://mingofamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/pottery-barn-knock-off.html
Also a special thanks to Natalie who told me to throw some silver or gold into the mix. I'm still not sure about the tall flowers, but that's all I got to work with this year....I'll perfect it next year. Also...stocking are in the works...I'm making new ones.

Better?

2008-12-10T10:21:00.004-05:00

I tried.

Moving On

2008-12-03T14:52:00.003-05:00

Is everyone done there Christmas Decorating? I am just getting going. Decorating is not one of my strong points. I wish I could just open a Pottery Barn Catalog, twitchle my nose, blink my eyes, and POOF my house would look like designer Christmas wonderland.

This is my first year I have a fireplace. I was very excited to have a "Christmas" mantle. I like the rustic-country Christmas look. I do not think I have succeeded...any suggestions? What am I missing? It looks so bare. In person the red in the candles is a deeper, closer to burgundy color. And there is a super cute pine cone garland wrapped around the candles. Are the tall flowers stupid? Help!