The best kind of pet-ownership...

is babysitting (or chicken-sitting) for a weekend! The kids loved watching the Peterson's chicken a few weekends ago. Ash washed the cage each day and they all helped feed it and give it water and adored it. I think the Peterson's came home just about when the wonder of it all was wearing off, so I think 4 or so days is just the right amount of time to own a pet around our house! Thanks Peterson's!

Ash getting her nose pecked at!

And just because... this is a cute little mug and Tink is trying so hard to figure out how to be a big sister and loving her baby sis (maybe a little TOO much), and I need a reminder that she is still just as important and needing maybe a LOT more TLC since life is topsy-turvy for her right now. I love this little face!!!

She's Here!

The Sibs

So really, I have awesome brothers and sisters. I totally hit the jackpot with Casey's siblings too. And each time one of these siblings has gotten married, they've scored some really fun, amazing people that I love just like they've always been a part of the fam. So today, I'm doing a shout-out to a few that have accomplished some pretty big things. The others will just need to be a post for another day, because I could dedicate an entire blog to each and every one of them!

It's Ricky, the Brother!

Ricky "playing" with Ash 12/01
So proud of my little bro, Ricky. He survived 4 years of Med School in Wisconsin, and it's impossible to congratulate him without major props to his awesome wife, Katie as well. They did it TOGETHER--moved, supported her parents as mission presidents in Argentina, chose to leave their cush ward to serve in the Inner City Branch as YM President and Primary President, had my darling niece right before finals of 2nd year & Step I of Boards, followed just recently by my adorable nephew less than a month ago (doesn't Katie look so great!!). All while living the med student life!

Ricky & Katie @ graduation dinner 5/08

But I could never have explained to them how this experience would change them. How there's nothing in the world like being in the same boat with people that become FAMILY. How relying so heavily on each other would be "marriage glue". How they'd look back on this crazy rollercoaster-time of life with so much fondness and never wish one moment away from it, no matter how many hours of studying, then board prep, then time spent training (& sometimes being just a shadow of the docs), or how poor they felt. Because the good stuff always beat out the tough stuff, 1000%. I couldn't be more proud or happier for them.

Irion Fam 5/08

I love you Ricky--I could say a million great things about your work ethic, how smart you are and how easy it is to just be around you. But the greatest compliment I can give you is how impressed I am with how tender, nurturing and loving you are towards your wife and kids. Your priorities are spot on and I look up to you in every way. Way to go Doc!

Lindsay & Russell

Russ & Linds 9/06

Doodles & Russcabus are graduating from High School & Seminary. I remember thinking that it really wasn't that big of an accomplishment when I was graduating. I mean, really, you just wake up and go to school every day, get decent grades and next thing you know, your throwing your cap in the air.

Russ snuggling with Ty-guy 10/03

But it's more than that. It's watching them grow up into REALLY great people. People that I admire immensely. People who I used to tend all the time, change diapers for, feed rice cereal to. Who loved me for me--even during the ugly phase of 8th grade;) Suddenly I turn around and they are--gulp--adults. Preparing for a mission this summer and for BYU. That love my kids & my family whole-heartedly which makes me love them even more. Even though they have been best friends from the beginning, I always felt that I had a special bond with each of them, only to find that each of my siblings feel that way about them! We're ALL dreading them leaving the nest like it was our own kids growing up because we'll genuinely MISS them! They are rock solid in the gospel, athletic, kind-hearted, hard-working, selfless, and cute to boot! They are so different from each other but somehow each is the total package.

Tink & Lindsay 4/07

Seriously--could there be any better capstone to our family than the twins?!? Look out world--you won't know what's hit you and you'll never be the same. I for one am changed for good because they bless my life so immensely. Love you guys!!!!

And then I stepped in poop...

"Seriously?!? Did I really just step in poop? FOR THE LOVE!!!"

This was the end to what we'll chalk up as "One of those days." The sad thing was, it wasn't in the backyard where the neighbor's dog occasionally relieves himself. It was in my FRONT ROOM and somehow from my 1 1/2 year-olds diaper. YUCK!!!! This after a lovely late afternoon where I had seriously lost it--Mommy Dearest lost it!

Not sure if it was the fact that I'd gained 3 1/2 pounds since my last doctor's appointment (ummm yes, that was only a week ago, thank you very much! All baby, all baby, all baby--right?), or a 4 1/2 year old son turned destructo-boy that tipped the scales, but I was just GRUMPY! So to get out of the funk, I took the kids to the library. We only stayed 15 minutes because someone did something that apparently was a tragedy in my glass-is-half-empty state. So, I thought "Maybe if we go to the park with the handful of books we managed to grab, I'll be able to sit and peruse through my book (ironically "Piggy-back Rides & Slippery Slides", a book about being a fun mom)." The fun lasted for all of 12.7 minutes. The rest of the evening was spent rather enjoyably by my barking Drill Sargent orders of eat dinner, pajama's, potty and don't you dare get out of bed.

Once everyone was down, I started picking up the remnants of the toys that prove that kids do indeed live here when I stepped in the present that escaped from the sides of my lovely daughters diaper.

Want to know the sad thing? While relaxing in the tub to unwind and obviously clean myself off, the guilt that always rears it's ugly head rushed in--"Wow, what a fun mom you are! This is awesome timing--days before Mother's Day. You're kids will have some LOVELY things to say about their dear, sweet mother! Dear Mom-- You have the loudest voice, and are so good at using it. Love, Ty". I kept having the image of building blocks being gently placed one on top of the other--proudly making them into a tower that grows taller and taller, and me coming in with one fell swoop and undoing in seconds what took months to build.

It's a good thing to have these quiet moments after a storm to realize how childish I was acting. I knew that motherhood would be both the most rewarding and hardest thing all rolled up into one messy, sticky, beautiful ball! Or more appropriately 3 lovely little faces. We just never know HOW hard and HOW wonderful and HOW quickly one emotion could change into the other. Thankfully the next day was 100x's better than the one before, I've apologized (again) for the way I acted and the kids surprisingly still love me with their perfect, forgiving spirits.

Maybe sometimes I need to step in poop every once in a while to appreciate the blessings that the everyday moments bring. My kids are my greatest teachers and I need to work harder & take better notes when I fail the quizzes so that I'll hopefully be stronger, better and wiser. Sounds like the kids are up--time to go pick up some blocks and start re-building!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! Hope you're thoroughly spoiled!

Women's Conference

Don't we girls just need to get away with our girlfriends every once in a while? To buoy each other up, encourage each other on each of our own paths and to take a little time out to assess where we're at and figure out how to be a little bit better?

Women's Conference was just the shot in the arm I needed. Let me get my geeky part of the post out of the way. If you asked Casey who I get the most "star-struck" about, no, it wouldn't be Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, or Oprah Winfrey. I am a little embarrassed to admit, only because I know she's just a regular person like you and me, who just happens to be pretty extraordinary...

Seriously. I love listening to Sheri Dew. I've been fortunate enough to meet her several times as my grandfather married her dear friend, and I'm just as star-struck every time. She has such a gift of telling it like it is, but still convincing me that the task at hand is do-able and I'm so very capable and able to take on anything. She was the opening speaker and gave a great message. I loved it! Oh, but I'm not done.

I got to sit next to her at the next session and we got to just talk about this and that, she even suggested Sheri be thrown into the pot of possible baby names. I haven't told Case that I've added it to the list! I came home and told Casey how I got to sit next to her, and he just sort of shook his head and laughed a little at my groupie-like glow on my face. Seriously--I am a major nerd! Honestly, I just admire her immensely and enjoy how she always makes me want to be a better person after hearing each of her speeches. Moving right along...


Two of my aunts presented WONDERFUL talks on Drawing Nearer to the Savior by focusing on what really matters and the other spoke about how good music can influence our homes in so many positive ways. Aside from being a really proud niece, I went away with so many ideas and ways to tweak my every day life.

My mother came from a home of 9 sisters and 1 brother who all have great musical talents. It seemed there were always events or occasions where we got to hear them all singing together--farewells, wedding breakfasts, each year at our extended family reunion. It seems like those opportunities have been far and few between as the years have gone on, so I was really honored when they asked me to accompany them at each of my aunts presentations.

I realize I'm a full grown adult now, but listening to them sing together brings back great comforting feelings from my childhood--second only to the influences of my mom's or grandmother's (and even grandma's "mock") lullabies. Some people consider homemade macaroni and cheese their comfort food--mine would hands down be listening to them sing. Over and over again as we practiced and then finally got to perform, I was reminded of how blessed I am to have these magnificent women as such great examples, cheerleaders, and anchors.