The Deming Family

"Invisible Potion"

2011-03-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't blogged in forever, but I had to write this down somewhere so I don't forget! Today after school Gabe sat quietly at the table creating something as I did the dishes. Next thing I know he's got the hand soap and he's mixing it into a bowl. Then I hear him say to Haleigh, "It take 10 seconds." So, he put the timer on and stuck his finger in to test it. He was so excited that I almost cried when I saw his disappointed face, all because his finger came out NOT as invisible as he had hoped it would. He is such a cute kid and so creative. I love his imagination and his innocence! Tyler came over and tried to encourage him by telling him maybe he just "needs to believe." I love kids! So, he decided to try putting more soap into the mixture and counted to 10 once again. They were so excited to realize that when they put their finger in the mixture this time it would "disappear?!" **But, it was because the water was so murky from the soap and glue and they could no longer see through the water clearly and their finger wasn't visible as a result!** I tried so hard not to laugh when Gabe exclaimed, "It works! My invention works." I just smiled and gave him the thumbs up. I hope he never grows out of this innocent stage, but I know the day will come and I will still look back on these memories and smile. :) I included a scan of the potion paper he wrote because it was too cute for words.

DisneyLand 1st and 2nd Days - Take 2

2010-08-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

YEE HAW! We love Toy Story and Max was especially excited, can you tell?

Princess Haleigh and Gabe on the Merry Go Round in Cali Adventure

Daddy and Max waiting in line for Bug's life train.

For Some reason Max kept showing his belly to all the characters we took picures with. Mickey thought it was funny. For some reasonTy still wouldn't get a picture with any of the characters???

Just hanging out having a good time!

Haleigh with Donald in California

This is one of my favorite picutres because it is so Roger. I basically forced him to get a wheel chair the second day so he could give his foot a "break." (I'm so punny)

Tyler and my brother Uncle Spencer

The Merry-Go-Round in DisneyLand at night is always a good idea. ;) The lights are awesome!

Haleigh and Mommy on the fake dumbo ride

My Dad taking his turn in the wheelchair with Max

Roger and the boys getting ready to go on Peter Pan's Flight. So typical of him to have his eyes closed in a picture.

The rest of us squished on a boat for the Peter Pan ride

Minnie Mouse is always fun to get a picture with!

Family Photo by the Mickey Flowers - it's tradition!

Tyler's favorite ride in Cali Adventure was Grizzly Rapids.

Haleigh wearing Tyler's Mickey gloves

Gabe and Chris on the Toy Story Mania Ride

Photo opp in Bug's Land

Heimlich's train ride - mostly for Max. ;)

This one was crazier than the tea cups. Our kids were flying EVERYWHERE. Not sure if they had fun or not?! It's a memory though.

Max on Flick's ride. He liked it.

Nice Roger, really nice! Haleigh LOVED this ride too!

Tyler posing by the big sun in Cali

Miss Haleigh all dressed for her lunch date with Mommy and Grandma to Ariel's Grotto. I will be posting that next time since it is only about Haleigh. :) (She needed her very own posting)

Peace out!

Max was asleep for this first time on Buzz

Here are pictures that my dad took of the first and second days at DisneyLand. So, for your enjoyment I won't say anything else. ;) Just sit back and enjoy the pictures with commentary.

DisneyLand - Day 1

2010-08-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Starting out at the castle. Max was just happy we actually let him out of the stroller!

This is Haleigh, pre-Snow White ride. (she was horrified by it)

Haleigh standing in line for Snow White. We forced her to ride and I wish we hadn't!

Max and Haleigh and Tyler (And some guy in a blue shirt) on the carousel. (One of the favorite rides)

-Tea Cups-
Haleigh wouldn't ride anything for a long time after Snow White and Pinnochio, so we posed on the fake tea cup!

Roger and I on the

poseable tea cup.

Boys on the actual ride!

Gabe had the most fun! ;)

My Dad (grandpa Martell) and Max on the tea cups. Notice the expression is the same!

Max is having a good time, even if sister isn't!

Waiting in line for the "Nemo" ride.

Haleigh was happy to try this one out, especially since grandma and grandpa Martell were there to keep her safe!

Inside the Nemo submarine. Everyone LOVED this ride!

Posing with Pooh! (had to say it that way, haha)

Max and Haleigh loved the characters! Tigger is always a favorite!

Haleigh with her new Minnie Mouse ears. They lasted a whole hour before she took them off and lost them. Lucky for her Mom is a softy and bought a second pair for her.

She is just too cute not to add all these pictures!

What a poser! (But still, oh so cute!)

Didn't even tell her to do this one, she posed all on her own.

Haleigh and Me at Sleeping Beauty's castle. So much FUN!

Waiting to enter the park

I think I'm excited for this? (He did have a great time and was very brave on all the rides.)

Tyler was excited!!! He loves life.

Honestly folks, I have WAY TOO MANY pictures to do our DisneyLand trip in one posting. We did a 3 day hopper, so I have like 300 (or many more) pictures to choose from! This doesn't even count my dad's that I am including some of in the next posting! My parents (grandma and grandpa Martell) and brother Spencer joined us on our vacation which was fun and helpful too! So, our first day was spent all at DisneyLand and we didn't do California Adventure until day 2. Here is our kids (mostly Haleigh) enjoying themselves at this most wonderful place in the WORLD. ;) Again, I will let the pictures do the talking since they will take up all of my time loading instead of being able to write about it. HOWEVER, I will say as hectic as it got at times, DisneyLand is just... MAGICAL!!!

Legoland 2010

2010-07-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Picture 1 - boys gunny sacking down a slide

Pic 2 - Daddy and Max on the planes

Pic 3-5 Panning for "Gold"

Haleigh and Daddy went to get ice cream at "Sir ScoopsALot." Can you get any cheesier?

Roger sacked out! (Walking on a broken foot isn't easy)

Driving the boats was super fun!!!

-Legos are cool-

Lego cities, built entirely out of, you guessed it, LEGOS!

Loved this one!

Mmm. Mmm. Good!

I am a mother who forces her children to pose in front of pictures that my children have no say over! (haha)

Daddy and Grandpa won us prizes!

Playing in the water!!! (Had to get dry clothes at the store after)

...Helicopters and Cars...

Yes. I am blogging. a.m.a.z.i.n.g. I was inspired by a friend to FINALLY start up again. If nothing else, this is for me and my creative juices, since scrapbooking is pretty much non-existant right now. (not by choice though) We went to Legoland and DisneyLand clear back in March of this year, if you can even remember back that far. So, I am now getting to said vacation. I take LOTS and LOTS of pictures. I hope you don't mind that there will be like, 30??? We'll see how much patience I have downloading, haha! I wish I would've done this the 4 months ago when we went since the excitement was fresh, but I am so looking forward to going again, so it must've been fun! ;) I will do Legoland tonight and DisneyLand next time. (hopefully not 4 months from now) I will basically let my pictures tell the story.

Happy Easter Everyone

2010-04-05T13:07:00.001-07:00

Hope all of you had a very peaceful and pleasant Easter weekend. May we all love our families more and be better people and be more like our Savior. I know that my Redeemer lives! I find great joy and peace in this knowledge and simple phrase. May you find the same! Love you all! This is mostly for the pictures. :)

Birthday Cake Bragging Rights?

2010-02-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is Gabe's Mario and Luigi cake.

Gabe taking a bite out of the Luigi Cupcake that took me forever to make! LOL

Tyler was showered with Mario stuff, of course!

Who needs presents when the bags they come in make me this happy?

My Mario boy! Uncle Adam told him to wear his costume for the party and he thought it was a good idea!

The final product of many hours of work. This is made out of fondant, rolled and molded. I know, I know... I MUST be nuts!

Ok, so I don't proclaim to be a professional by any means and I really don't like braggers, but these cakes/cupcakes took A LOT of time and effort and I have to feel pretty pleased with how they turned out. It seems kind of fruitless as you watch them become devoured 5 minutes after you put the finishing touches on, but I guess I do it for the challenge AND I love to see the excitement on my children's faces. I don't know if I will ever do it again, so I took plenty of pictures to prove that I was a cool Mom for at least one birthday!!! (The boys, Tyler and Gabe, both wanted Mario Brother's parties - so they got two different Mario cakes) Can't believe, as of today, I officially have a 7 and 9 year old!!! That makes me older. Happy Belated Birthday to Gabriel (his was January 31st). He got a new bike! Happy 9th Birthday Tyler!!! He thinks it is pretty cool that he is born the same day as George Washington. I don't blame him. :) I have some pretty great kids - even if they make me crazy some days! P.S. The next time I post I will be bragging about DisneyLand, in a non-bragging way!

Do You Believe?

2010-02-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

So, my life has had its ups and downs. Let's face it, who's hasn't right? But I'd like to think I still believed that God has had his hand in it, no matter what. The tragedy that my family suffered by losing my sister Mandy was something I would NEVER wish on anyone. God carried us, FOR SURE, all the way through that week and into the next so we could get through the funeral. Oh sure, there were times when I was angry. I wondered why He didn't "save her," but moreso our family, from this hard thing. I was listening to a song one day, it is on the Women at the Well CD if you know it. It's called "If He Had Been There." It talks of Lazarus who was dead, and his sister's agony as she cries, "If He(meaning Christ) had been there, if He had only been there, my brother would not have died."(that is the rough version of it) As I listened and felt her pain, then her joy as Jesus came and saved him from death I felt hurt, and pain and wondered again WHY He "wasn't there." Why didn't he save MY sister? Then, very powerfully, one day I realized He WAS there. He "had been there." He suffered our loss with us. AND more importantly, because of HIM we will see her again. How quickly I forgot that it could only be Him that had carried us in that dark hour. That made it possible to get through. That, even when I ache to have her here with us, I KNOW we will meet again and that takes the tragedy out of the loss. He allowed Elder Jeffery R. Holland to feel things from her obituary that prompted a call and eventually a personal meeting with our family to help us understand that she is in a beautiful place and that she is happy and it WAS her time to go(no matter how untimely we felt it was), because He knew that would be what it took to help us cope with the loss. He also knew, despite my previous feelings for another, to send Roger in that moment (possibly as a distraction ;) and because of that he was able to experience first hand my loss, so that he would understand what I went through for when he would become my spouse. Wow. I meant to get on here and write something totally different - about tithing and money, something that feels totally worldly now. But, this is what came out. Maybe my spirit needed this. So, I hope you will believe as I do. That HE LIVES. As Easter quickly approaches may you know in your hearts that very principle. The Gospel is our only way to true happiness in this world. My sister lived that! So Christlike in all she did, not perfect, but so close.

"Chippewa Ball"

2010-01-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight my cute husband and I, plus three other couples on our street (hence the "Chippewa" Ball) got together for a trip down memory lane. The guys had all us wives dress up all pretty and they took us to the Lion House for a private, catered dinner - YUM!!! They bought us wrist corsages and we took group and individual pictures. It was creative and fun. Then we had were able to go to the Governor's mansion for a tour then some dancin' and a couple of games. (Shh, that is our secret) It was awesome!!! We all had so much fun, and even though I wasn't brave enough to bust into crazy dance moves I still had a good time. Thanks hunny, you're the best! (even if you couldn't keep it a surprise!)

Little Turd, At It Again!

2009-12-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday I was baking neighbor gifts and I took a little time out to do some other things. In the mean time Max got into the flour and was eating it! (yuck) It was all over the front of his shirt before Haleigh gave me the heads up! He has also been into my tree from day 1 of having it up. I kind of gave up on keeping it nice, but last Friday I had this desire to make it look better so I tore it apart and actually took time to WIRE almost every ornament to it in hopes of it lasting longer. Max didn't bother it at all over the weekend, and I thought I was in the clear - UNTIL yesterday. He must've been on one because he totally tore off all the bottom ornaments. ARGH... Oh well. this last picture illustrating my point is just to show you the misheivious look on his face and his little personality "shining" through. It's almost like his eyes are saying, "Watch out Mom there's plenty more where that came from." Little Turd!

Mommy, WOW! -I'm a big girl now-

2009-11-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

SOOOOOO excited to announce that Haleigh is 100% potty trained! Remember that Pull-ups commercial? It is what inspired my title. I did get pull-ups but only had to use them for a week and now just for nights, just in case. It has been a week and 2 days of bliss! Only one left in diapers, HOORAY! (Sorry Gentrey) I don't even have to help her anymore with potty, she just goes upstairs and goes, although I insist on wiping when it is - to be less crass - #2. Just in time for Christmas and DisneyLand and now I can send her to dance and preschool. Ahhh. My hard work paid off. It was 2 weeks of wanting to give up, but pushing through. So, for you that are having struggles, keep going. It is SO worth it! (I actually almost gave up the Sunday before it all clicked and I am so grateful I kept going) Yeah! Go Haleigh!!! What a big girl you are.

SCORE!

2009-11-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, I feel like I am the awesomest Christmas shopper/Mom in the world today after my fabulous find - so I have to share. :) But I do have to tell you about all my other deals too!

#1 find - A few weeks ago Toys R Us had a buy 2 get one free Barbie sale. I stocked up on the 3 Musketeer Barbies and got 3 of them for approx. $45 (including tax)... Not too bad ... THEN a couple of weeks later I noticed they were giving a $15 gift card for spending $40 on Barbies with the "pink tag" which mine had. SO, I took my Barbies back and she let me "return" and then re-buy them and I got the $15 back!!! - Which leads us to our next find.

#2 find - Leapster 2 games. There were a few select games on sale at Target and one of them happened to be the one Gabe asked for so I went on over. (Keep in mind these games usually range between $19.99 (for older games) and $25.99 (for new releases). So, I found the Star Wars one on sale for $15 (which was a new release!) and a Dinosaur one on sale for $19.99, so pretty good. THEN, I scored two $4 off coupons found on Hip2Sav and tada! TWO leapster games for only $27!!!

#3 find - This one is the coolest in my opinion. (my find of the day) Out of the blue my son Tyler has become enthralled with Buzz Lightyear. We were at Toys R Us and he found THE Buzz that he wants - comes with the box that looks just like the one from the original movie - talks, moves, lights up, the works. He is regularly $50! OUCH. SOOOO, I worked my magic today! I went into Toys R Us and I got THE Buzz Lightyear, which is on sale for $40, THEN I used my $15 card (from the Barbie deal) and it was only $25 - which doesn't hurt nearly as much. AND I scored a free backpack which they are giving away for any Toy Story purchase of $30 or more. :) I feel so cool!

#4 find - Snow White on DVD for $10! (For family gifts) *thanks to Hip2Sav again*

#5 find - This one isn't THE coolest, but I got 2 Hungry Hippos travel games for $.99 each! Good gift, OR good use for our DisneyLand trip coming up in February! (regular $4.99 had 2 $4.00 off coupons)

#6 find - TinkerBell on Blueray for Haleigh for Christmas $11.99! (plus taxes)

I am feeling good! Tyler only needs one more gift and he is set. Gabe needs a couple more, but the things he is getting aren't expensive. Haleigh won't care once she gets her Barbies and Max is going to be the hardest because I have NO ideas what to get him - and again he doesn't care! Ahh, I can do this holiday shopping thing. Just get all the deals you can in October/November and then you have ALL December to focus on what the holidays are all about!!! That is my kind of holiday. Oh and if you happen to be a recipient of these happy deals this holiday, please don't think me cheap! (LOL) Happy deal hunting!

Maybe I got this

2009-10-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

So, blogger is still freaking out on me. BUT I did manage to post that picture of Max, so I will just have to ignore all the promptings to log in when I am already on line. So, mostly I just want to post pictures now that I have figured out how to trick the system. Here are the pictures I meant to post of Max's bday... At least some of them. Enjoy. P.S. I decorated the cake all by myself and I feel kind of proud. (Not perfect, but pretty good:)

Pictures?!

2009-10-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Max's First Birthday (it was Mickey Mouse)

To Blog or Not to Blog? That is the question...

2009-09-24T13:36:00.001-07:00

It has been a while... A long while. I have no excuses really. I waste time on other things that could be used on bloggging. I know you are all dying to know what I have been up to and to hear the latest Deming stories. However, I am not a very organized person right now. Things go in one ear and out the other and my brain is never in one place for very long. Am I the only one doing this? Going out of their minds with thoughts of things to get done, then fighting myself to do them, while changing diapers, while making lunch, while getting kids down for naps, while reading my scriptures, or jogging, or visiting teaching, or figuring out this cub scout calling, while couponing, while budgeting to save money, while worrying, wondering, praying, pondering... I think you get where I am going with this. LIFE IS BUSY! However, I have decided to take a moment and post my baby's 1 year pictures, hopefully to your enjoyment. ;) So, here he is, Turd Furgeson...in all his glory. Love you little guy. Even if you are clingy and whiney at times, you sure are cute and funny to watch. Max has just started walking and Roger calls him our "drunken sailor!" I love the baby stage from about 6 months to 18 months. They learn and grow sooo much, then they become terrors and they are just darn lucky that they are cute! I AM HAVING MAJOR PROBLEMS POSTING PICTURES. IT KICKS ME OFF LINE EVERY TIME! I have tried and tried, does anyone know how to help me?! Please!!!! I will post the birthday pictures as soon as I can.

"corn cobbers"

2009-08-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight for dinner we had some corn on the cob. It was super yummy and I wanted to share these delicious pictures with you. (hope you don't gag like we almost did listening to our children devour the corn) Tyler ended up with the biggest mess ALL over him AND his chair - AND the surrounding area... Gabe didn't want any until we all said how good it was. (He is our anti corn kid) However, he has a loose tooth so he was eating it only on the right side of his mouth and it looked super funny. (not sure any of the pictures captured that part though) And Haleigh was very dainty and girly about it, so she remained the cleanest. I had to take a picture of Tyler after he finished and so I thought I would take a couple more - for future scrapbooking reasons - and I thought these pics turned out pretty cute so I decided to share. :) Hope you enjoy them. Not tons to blog, not tons of time to do it either. So, take what you can from me for now. **HOWEVER, school starts in 5 days and I hope to find more spare time to get to things like blogging** HAHA! Love you all! Enjoy.

Turd Ferguson

2009-08-04T19:04:00.001-07:00

Ok, the title isn't the best... Let me explain! There is this Saturday Night Live Jeopardy skit. I would've posted it but it isn't the most wholesome, however there is a scene where the guy playing "Burt Reynolds" changes his name to Turd Ferguson and it is hilarious! I had never actually seen this until I married my husband...so I can't take all the credit - wink* wink*- Now here is where I may start to make sense as to the reason I am mentioning all of this. My son, my baby, Max, has earned the nickname "Turd Ferguson." I love him, but it SOOOO fits. He is a hard little kid and sometimes he is just a "turd," hence the nickname. So, to my little TURD this is my loving blog to you! The pictures say it all!!!!!!!

My baby girl is 3!!!

2009-07-23T09:25:00.001-07:00

My Haleigh Ann turned three on the 14th, I just haven't had much bloggin' time... So, here are the pictures from her friend birthday party and that night we had my parent's over to celebrate as well. :) She is my princess forever and she has been such a joy in our family. I love the element of girly softness she brings amongst all the male hormones raging. I love my boys, but sometimes I could do without the tackling and fighting sounds their little guys make! LOL Anyways, here are a few Haleigh-isms for you to enjoy, being as this blog is for her!

*One day I was in the "flower beds" pulling weeds and Haleigh came out to "help" me... She got bored after just a few minutes and wanted me to play barbies instead, so she says to me, "Mom, give it a rest." (where does she get these things?)

*I had to do her hair for church one Sunday morning and she is usually tolerant of it, but this particular Sunday she had this melt down and she leaned her arm up against the mirror, layed her head on her arm and dramatically declared, "Mom, I just can't take it anymore!" (Still makes me chuckle)

*Just yesterday my boys wanted to take a shortcut and I told them no, but Haleigh said that I should, "Be brave and take the shortcut anyways."

I am actually diappointed at the fact that I haven't written down the funny things she says EVERY Day, because she always says things that crack me up, since they are something my boys, and/or, a teenager would say!

*I love you little Haleigh Ann*

Cub Scouts... "meow"

2009-06-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have a new calling. As of a month ago, I am the Wolf Den 2 Leader. (We had to split the den cause it was getting too big) I have never been into scouts, obviously... I have never been one before. Having an 8 year old has thrown me into the opportunity to "get into it." So, I wanted to share some pictures from our most recent Pack meeting, where Tyler earned his Bobcat. Roger got to paint his face and afterwords they all put up a hand in a claw shape and say, "meow" since he is just a new cubby. ;) Wish me lots of luck and patience with this new experience!

Pony Express Days Parade?

2009-06-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tyler liked the army guys and the guns.

Gabe just got some candy - Max just liked being outside.

Characters are always fun - Haleigh liked the bagpipers.

Tyler, "are we done yet?" - Hooray I got candy!

Cosmo showed up :) - Just hanging around

Max, just happy to be alive - Haleigh and Cadence spotting the parade coming our way, finally!

The question I am still asking myself... was it really worth the wait? For the kids, probably. For all the rest of us - nope. We waited for about 1 1/2 hours for the parade to reach us, then we watched for another 1 1/2, and it wasn't all that great. :( Maybe if we hadn't waited before it started it would've felt more worth it. I think I should put in a complaint. My kids were actually really good - considering. They did get candy, which is essentially what made it worth it for them. We had a couple of cool floats, and some characters, but nothing to get too excited about. However, when it was over Haleigh exclaimed, in her not so quiet voice, "Mom, that was the best parade ever!" This was her first parade, but she still thought it was the best. The boys weren't so exuberant. They were just happy they got something out of it. (candy, toothbrush, candy...) We sat by the Cannon and the Reyes families, so that totally made Haleigh's day, since she adores Cadence and Isabela. They were passing the time "whistling" and stepping into the street to see if it was coming yet - which you will see from the pictures. There was also a helicopter giving rides and the girls would all look up and point and my boys got annoyed by this after the third time of Haleigh saying, "There's another helicopter!" (she wouldn't listen to their pleas about the fact that is was indeed the SAME helicopter) Later that night we let the kids, "stay up" to watch fireworks. Unfortunately they didn't even start until after 11:00 and Haleigh was the only one half awake to see them. Even I dozed on and off. Ah well. If someone from the Pony Express Days committee is reading this, you may want to do some things differently next year. At least the kids don't mind the lameness, for now. :) At least I have my pictures and my memories. (even if some are of us all waiting, and waiting, and waiting)

A Rainy Memorial Weekend

2009-06-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Roger setting up the tent.

Shucking the corn for dinner. :)

Cutest baby ever!!!
The kids did their version of "Narnia" to pass the time. :)

So, I'm not going to pretend that I am not behind. I am just going to plow forward with May's events and hope to not get too behind in June's events during this process. I have some pics from Memorial weekend and our "attempted" camping trip... See, we went camping with my parent's and our friends (& family;) the Becksteads at my parent's stake property in Indianola... SOOO fabulous! Greatest campsite/facility ever and I was stoked since we were the only ones that were going to be there! We got there Friday night, set up camp and started some dinner. That was the night the rain started. It rained off and on through the next morning, then it pretty much never stopped after lunch on Saturday. At least it was endurable until the downpour. It rained, and rained and rained... ok so you get the picture. If you ask my husband he'll say that I am famous for being over-prepared. This time I was over-prepared for a summer camp - not a mid-fallish with rain camp. It got cold and wet and my kids were full of mud and everything was damp. Don't get me wrong, they were sad to leave even when they couldn't feel their fingers! :) It was a memory and we will probably try it again some time since the campsite had a sweet pavillion, a firepit and the best part - FLUSHING toilets!!! My parent's got some great "muddy pics" but my camera died in the morning.(Haleigh full on plowed into the mud - she has my grace you see) :( The saddest thing is that we had put tons of preparation into this camp. My mom had brought loads of great activities and fun things for the kids and we had sat down and planned out these yummy meals - which we were able to have a couple of at least. We were going to stay Friday through Monday and by Saturday night we knew we had to leave. (no dry clothes being the #1) One plus is that we did get to do s'mores on Friday night - YUMMY! That is the best part of camp. ;)

Slacker

2009-05-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided blogging is just not what I do these days. My life is devoted to house and children and once in a while I get to the computer to check email and facebook. Rarely get to blogger. It is not that I don't want to... I just have too much to say and feel so behind that I get overwhelmed getting on. So, what I am saying is that I am not sure how much I will continue to blog, but I was never deep or intellectual about it anyways. It has always been for the benefit of posting and showing off pictures of my kids. So, maybe I'll get here once in a while. I just need to be more attentive to other things in my life right now. Here are some recent pics of the kids never before posted. Love you all!!!

Super cute Easter pics

2009-04-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Cutie pie Max looking like a big boy on his first Easter!

Haleigh running away from me as I am trying to get her wearing her gorgeous peach dress

Our family, looking all "peachy" - I know, what a sickening punn.

Our attempt at an outside photo - this isn't the best one, I actually meant to put the other one on, but oh well. It is a memory I suppose...

hope you had a happy Easter!

Absent

2009-04-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

So, I have been gone from blogging for a month now. Time is valuable and I don't get to the blogging world like I used to. So, as you can imagine a lot goes on in a month, but I will do the "big mac recap" as best I can without getting too wordy. ;) I have chosen to blog about 2 things: Pre-Easter festivities and Easter Egg Hunt. Easter Sunday, and Max(FINALLY!) will have to wait. Mostly I will have pictures to view and little captions explaining them. So, hope you enjoy the things you've missed. :)

1) - We took a pre-Easter trip to Roger's parent's in St. George. It was nice and relaxing to do over conference weekend. Here are some picutres of the weekend we spent there.

First picture: Max playing with a slinky, he actually quite enjoyed it.

Haleigh eating a sucker next to the pinata Roger's Mom and I made for the kids :)

Gabe making gross noises into the walkietalkie that he and Tyler played with while we were there.

Tyler with the dogs, Abby and Martha. They loved each other! :)

Next, Easter Egg hunt... The Easter bunny comes on Saturday for our family;) We went to my parent's house in South Jordan, where the bunny left the kids' Easter "spoils." I say spoils because boy were they spoiled!!! (as you will see in the pictures) It was a little chilly but still fun!

Tyler got hooked up with the "blue" stuff this year!

Haleigh looked super cute in her dress and she got all the pink she could possibly want! :)

Max was happy just chewing on a toy still wrapped in a bag!

Gabe looking a little "green" after pounding down some candy right away.

I have decided the rest of the Easter pics will have to wait. I am out of time for today. So, the WAY cute ones are on the way, just gotta be patient with me. Happy belated Easter everyone!

Gag Reflex

2009-03-15T15:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, I don't know what it is with my kids and their gag reflex but I swear it is stronger than most! I think Gabe is the only one who hasn't truly dry heaved in his entire life. Even our baby has shown early "easily gagged" signs! Tyler is our CLASSIC and most EASILY gagged child. If you even put a piece of pork on his plate look out! We can't decide if he really has a choice or if it just comes naturally to him to be able to dry heave when there is something in front of him that he would rather not eat. However, I am getting off the subject of this particualr entry. Haleigh had NEVER shown signs of being easily grossed out enough to dry heave/gag... until she decided to be a big helper and feed max his rice cereal mixed with formula and applesauce. Holy Cow! That girl can GAG! It was quite comical at the time. She took the spoon and started to feed him, then out of no where she dry heaves! NO IDEA where they get it from, but it is just crazy to me. And all she says is, "Yuk, I don't like baby sauce!" Then, she would CONTINUE feeding him, just to be GAGGED again! Silly girl. It was a noble effort, but she didn't last too long so I finished the feeding while she stood to the side, looking like she was holding back a gag. SIGH. Hopefully her stomach gets stronger as time goes on. But only time will tell. Hopefully these pictures give you some of the effect of the event as it occured. (Of course I had to get my camera out for it)

BEAUTIFUL

2009-03-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Tyler and Daddy in their baptismal jumpsuits, very stylish! :) Isn't he just glowing?

Grandpa Doug Deming, Tyler and Grandma Pat Deming

Aunt Peggy Deming and Grandma Heidi Martell - the two who made my stress level a lot less!Mommy, Tyler and Daddy after he was baptized and confirmed - we are so proud of him!

Yesterday afternoon my first child, my little Tyler, was baptized. I knew it was an important day. I tried to make everything just right and perfect. I wish I had stopped to think for more than a second that he would officially be a member of the church. I was busy running around getting him ready and getting things ready for the luncheon that was to follow the baptism. I let myself get so wrapped up in these aspects that the spiritual nature of the event was being drowned out. (good practice for the other 3) Once we got into the chapel and I looked up and saw my wonderful husband and my precious boy all in white it hit me. We had to share the program with 2 other children which made it a little bigger and louder, unfortunately. But, you do what you can. We had to take turns at the font. When we went in I helped all the children to the front and then Tyler and Roger walked down into the water and he beamed. It was BEAUTIFUL!There is no possible words to describe the beauty of it. Roger said the words for the baptism and then immersed Tyler in the water and I cannot explain how strong the spirit was when he came back up. AMAZING! I was brought immediately to tears without any warning. I will never forget the spirit of that moment. My son had chosen to be a member of Heavenly Father's church and I was so pleased with him and his good choice. All the morning's preparation was not important at that moment. My son and his decision and our family being together forever were, in that moment, all there was... and it was BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT. I love you Tyler! I am so happy that you and your AMAZING spirt are part of our eternal family. **A special thanks to my mother, who makes everything she touches AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL! I could not have done it without her. And thanks to Amy Jo for the AWESOME video she put together of the kids! And to Peggy for her willingness to help with all the kids and run errands and pick up last minute items - you are the BEST. And last but definately not least, thank you to ALL my family and friends who helped and participated in several different ways - you ROCK! :) Right at this moment, life seems BEAUTIFUL to me...

My baby is 8!!!

2009-02-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

My parents went in on the didj for Tyler, he was really excited! This is my whole family, miraculously MOST of us are looking at the camera!

Tyler blowing out his candles, my brother Spencer with his Clone mask and party blower!

Sunday morning we let him open a couple of presents early... So handsome! ;)

So, Tyler turned 8 yesterday! He will be getting baptized in a couple of weeks too - I just can't believe it!!! He is such a sweet kid with a lot of love to share. He does have tons of energy and imagination that it is hard to keep up with, but that just adds to who he is. He loves life and playing make believe. This year we did the Clone Wars theme - which he is totally into. So, for my BIG grown up 1st baby, we love you and we are very proud of the person you have become. We are also very excited to have you make the next step of joining the Church on March 7th! Love you bud!

Happy 5 months Max!

2009-02-17T10:40:00.001-08:00

Me and my big brother Gabe, whom I resemble grately!!!

Messy, happy Max! Loves his cereal...

Sleepy Max with his Doggy friend - so cute!

Aren't they so serene when they are sleeping?! (fell asleep on Daddy's lap)

So our baby is officially 5 months old, as of the 12th actually. I just thought I would post these funny pictures of him. He has kind of been a roller coaster baby. First, he's a boy, not a girl - nuff said! Then, angel baby the first week, fussy ever since. However, he is getting better at nights and starting to self entertain - FINALLY! My other kids all had about the same routine from birth to 12 months. This boy has thrown me! He HATES baby food! LOVES the rice cereal and I can put applesauce in it no problem. So, yesterday I thought I would give him some sweet potatoes just to see what he'd do. HATED IT! Well, since I put applesauce in his cereal I thought I'd give him that instead right? WRONG! Frieked out... I can't explain him. He baffles me. He is SO DANG CUTE though!!! When he is happy, he is EXTREMELY happy and when he is mad, you can guess - EXTREME the opposite way. I guess that is what he will be for us. Our extreme kid. We love you EXTREME MAX! You are getting to be such a big boy! :)

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

2009-02-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

Tyler's Valentine Lion - they got to wear pajamas to school too!

Gabe's Valentine heart vest with a message for me, and Haleigh eating a sucker and posing for the camera!

This is Roger setting up our romantic dinner :)This is the kids interupting our romantic dinner - knew it was too good to last too long!

So, did I mention I had a great Valentine's Day? My husband pulled out all the stops this year. Instead of going out and waiting in huge lines and spending lots of money on dinner he decided he wanted to put the kids to bed early (haha) and make me an good old fashioned romantic dinner at home. So, he got out the new tablecloth, bought some new votives and candles, already had the roses and made some steak, potatoes and all the yummy sides to go with it, including hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries! One of our favorites. Mind you he did all this on his own and he even let me pick the movie to watch afterwards (I chose Emma) and he even offered to paint my toenails... I considered it for a second, then thought I had better just do it myself. (I probably should have let him attempt it for romatic purposes) So, for the love of my life, thank you for making my Valentine's day special! You make me smile - lots!!! My kids didn't make off too bad either! (these are pictures of them after their parties at school)

Go back in time - to January 31st, 2009

2009-02-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

A new Sonic Hedgehog game for his Leapster!

A Wall E pillow and blanket for my snuggly boy!

Money is always a good gift, just look at the glow in his eyes! :)

Wall E masks to make the party complete!

So, I haven't gotten to my blog this week and I want to take a minute to wish my Gabe a belated Happy 6th birthday! We did the whole Wall E theme this year. He is my snuggly boy. He is so much fun, with the funniest and best sense of humore. If you met my brother Aaron you would say they are two peas in a pod. :) He is such a loving kid. Loves to hold Max and snuggle him - sometimes a little too much. He has been a great helper to me and has a kind and loving heart and spirit. He likes to write me notes now that he can read and spell. They usually say, "I love you Mom, from Gabe." What a cutie. He loves being a kid! And he doesn't try to grow up too fast; still loves things he did two years ago. He is good at sharing! He is constantly asking if I want some of his treats or whatever it is he has. (sharing with Ty sometimes it is a different story, wink* wink*) What a treasure he is to our family. Happy birthday buddy! You ROCK!

Make it PINK, Make it BLUE!

2009-01-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is my solution to our boy/girl room dilema - have both! Just ignore what I look like...

Max's side of the nursery

Haleigh's pink princess side of the room

Max seemed Happy with the finished product!

So, I finally did it. I painted Max's side of the nursery. I think part of me still wanted to be in denial, and most of me knows that I needed to just do it and get it over with. See, I was sooo excited to have a girl when Haleigh came along that everything was pink and feminine... So, for me to have to paint over that longed for wall color was the last thing I wanted to do. But, I found a solution that works for me for now. Since they have to share a room I thought Haleigh should still get her pink girly room and Max definately needed something different and more boyish. So, my amazing mother went about making a BLUE crib set to match the pink bedding she made for Haleigh. (Their bedding is really cute together) And in order to get the full effect of the "boyness" we painted the wall BLUE where Max's crib is. Not ideal, but cute nonetheless. So, here is to little girls and to little boys and also to Sleeping Beauty, who inspired my choice of blog title! ;) And here are the pictures for the full effect.

stitches, carrots and sweetness= My BOYS!

2009-01-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

I know none of these items really follow each other but this is how my life is. Out of order... Stitches: Yesterday morning I forgot my phone and the school tried to call me to let me know Tyler split his head open before school even started! He was climbing up the stairs to the slide and must've been going to fast, so he fell and bonked right below the eyebrow on the bone. I went to kickboxing and in the mean time Roger went to the school and picked up Tyler. So, he came and got me from the church and I went out to look at Tyler's cut and about passed out. It wasn't just deep it was split wide open! My kids sure know how to do it right. So, I took him to our pediatrician's office and they numbed him with some gell and stitiched it up. I thought for sure it would take tons of stitches, but it only took 7. I was SO super proud of Tyler because he is such a nervous kid around dentists/doctors, but he was so brave! Didn't move a muscle during the procedure - however he did want to know if we were done every 5 seconds. :) I couldn't really watch. Things like that don't usually bother me when it is my kids, but this made me kind of queezy. So, we both made it through and he got to get a kids meal and ice cream after we were finished. Once we got home he was regular, energetic Tyler within a half hour. I had to keep asking him to settle down in fear of breaking something else. I am just grateful things turned out ok. So, that was our fun morning yesterday. Hope you don't mind the graphic pics. Skip over them if you get sick like me.

Carrots: Max turned 4 months on Monday, so I decided I would try some baby food today. Needless to say it was a disaster! My other kids made the funny faces when I gave it to them for the first time, but Max flat out refused to chew and swallow! He just spit it out and kept putting his hands in his mouth so I couldn't even get the spoon in! I am not giving up, but it does look like I am in for a challenge with this babe. He's already too smart for his own little good. Really cute though, even with carrots smeared ALL over his face.

Sweetness: And as for a sweet little boy, my Gabe has been helping me put Haleigh down for her afternoon nap. Our routine goes, pick up Gabe from school, feed Haleigh and Gabe and by then Max is screaming to be fed and put down himself. So, lately I have been feeding Max and Gabe takes Haleigh up and gets her into bed with her sip and "gick" - blanket - and he reads her a book or two and she is happy and goes to sleep. Then I usually give him a treat, which is also sweet. For me it helps so much, that it is worth giving in on goodies and he is such a cutie to do it too! I have great kids. :)

A Happy Working Song!

2009-01-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

(here she is all "worked" out and she sat down for her "sip" and blanket)

If you've seen the movie Enchanted I don't really have to explain the title, and you probably sung the little tune in your head as you read it too! :) Now I need to back up a little bit... The weekend before Christmas (told you I was behind in my blog!) I took a trip down to St. George with my fun sister in law while my hubby went to the Vegas bowl with my Dad and brothers. While in St. George we watched Enchanted SEVERAL times, because both my Mother in law and Haleigh love it! (which I think is adorable) Haleigh would dance and sing with the movie every time a song would come on and she would force my sister in law Peggy to do the same - she is Peggy jr. I swear. To make a lomg story short when we got home I went to clean the bathrooms and Haleigh wanted to help. So, I gave her a rag and off she went singing and dancing in her "Barbie" dress up. I have never had so much fun cleaning the bathroom, and I seriously doubt it will ever be fun again! Thanks my little "Giselle"!

Made in China

2009-01-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

So, I know I have been gone for a month, but believe me there has been PLENTY going on! The first of many entries I have to catch up on is this one... A couple of weeks ago I was laying in bed feeding Max in the morning while Tyler and Gabriel were in the bath. Because of the close proximity - and the thin walls of our home - I could make out most of the words in their conversation. I REALLY wish I had recorded it, but there was no time, so I tried to remember what I could and write it down when I had the chance because I thought it was so hilarious. I hope you feel the same. It goes as follows:

(Just as a little preface, my mom had bought them some Christmas bath fizzies that they happened to be opening at the time this conversation took place)

TY: This bath fizzie was made in China. (said matter of factly said)

GABE: It is?! (amazed)

TY: Yep. (I am so smart to have noticed)

GABE: No way. (unknowingly in a state of complete shock)

TY: Yeah. Look, it says "made in China."

GABE: China made water? How did they make water? (my turn "Oh Gabe, what have I NOT be teaching you?" goes through my head)

TY: No. The BATH FIZZIE was made in China. See look, C-H-I-N-A.

- a small pause then took place as Gabe tried to process this information -

GABE: It starts with a "C" (said in a kind of put out way, because to him c says "K")

TY: Yeah.

Then, the I can sound words out better than you arguement began, and unfortunately I can't recall exactly what was said after that because the phone rang, but what a riot! I thought to myself, do EITHER of them even know where or WHAT China is? They seemed pretty in awe about the whole thing. It was CLASSIC to me and I hope it provides some kind of a chuckle from you. AGAIN, one of those moments you wish you could replay and capture on film for future use. :)

For anyone still reading my blog - in hopes that I might have SOMETHING new and interesting to add soon - I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a merry Christmas. Here's to the year 2009. I hope it is the BEST yet for ALL of us.

O Christmas Tree!

2008-12-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

Haleigh helping with the tree branches (it is one of those piece by piece - ahh!)
The boys were getting impatient while I strung all the lights so they decorated Tyler instead!

Haleigh was shocked! :)

The final product...

So I did it. I got my tree up. Usually I start the day after Thanksgiving, but we had our carpets cleaned on Friday morning instead. I told Roger that if we didn't get it cleaned I would rip it up myself because they were bad. Unfortunately we can't afford to replace it all at the moment, so we opted for the cleaning. The family room looks great! The carpet Sundance homes put in in the front and up the stairs and hallway that we also had cleaned looks unspotted at least.:)(it is already matting back down) I am just grateful to have it done and it is amazing how much cleaner the house feels. So, my point is that my tree is up but it took 3 days instead of just one. We went shopping on Friday and Saturday and so I really didn't get started until Saturday night. Then I didn't really want to do a lot on Sunday and so Monday was the day. The kids wanted to help and I grew up in a home with an immaculate tree and we just always let mom do her thing and then we got to add our traditional ornaments afterwards. I really should do this, but instead I let them decorate the part of the tree that faces the window/wall. So, it doesn't really get seen, and the kids still felt like they got to help with the tree. Everyone is happy. I wish I wasn't such a perfectionist. Honestly, I am kind of getting bored with my tree. I will admit it is pretty, but maybe too maticulously put together. So, I am already planning to shop for new stuff the day after Christmas cause you can get killer deals. (It might not happen though) I hope you all have your trees up. We didn't get lights up this year and it makes me feel all hum bug. This season has come way too fast this year. I finally got my greenery up outside on Wednesday - also odd for me. Roger says he can stil put the lights up but it seems kind of late. I might let him string the bottom half of the house though. We were going for red, green and white this year and we couldn't find the green or clear anywhere. This is part of our failed attempt at lights. If anyone knows where to get strands of clear or green let me know:) Hope you are all feeling the holiday spirit - I'm trying to finish up my shopping this weekend and hoping that will help me to focus on the real reason we celebrate in the first place, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas season everyone!

Y can't we all just get along?!

2008-11-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

This is what we came home from church on Sunday to find in our yard. It was in jest, but my boys were horrified! Even angry. They just don't understand why people would do that to us when we are in love with the cougars. It was funny. However, I did help them rip the streamers to shreds!!! Sorry for all the work that was put in, but I still bleed blue. GO COUGARS!!!

Funny...but not

2008-11-19T15:30:00.001-08:00

My parents bought Kung Fu Panda and let my kids borrow it until they get sick of it. We watched it as a family a couple of nights ago and I forgot how funny that movie is - we saw it in the theater when it came out. So, there is a line in the movie that my kids just happened to pick up on and it isn't something I neccessarily want my kids to understand - but they did. Let's just say it has something to do with the "unmentionables" and goes a little something like this... "Oh, my tenders!" So, just now we were all sitting in the family room and Haleigh purposely falls down on the couch and - yep, you guessed it - yells out, "Oh, my tenders." I was right ready to sternly tell her not to say/do that anymore and instead I had to cover my mouth and turn my head so she couldn't see me laughing... however, my boys could tell I was so they started in and then she thought she was even funnier! I finally got myself under control enough to make her stop... mostly I just had to ignore her and she got it. So there you have it, funny...but not?

Gobble till you wobble

2008-11-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

Just got some cute pics of Max and this time he is actually smiling! His shirt was given to him from my auntie Sara and it says "gobble till you wobble," hence the title of this blog!

Thirty Shmirty

2008-11-16T13:03:00.001-08:00

So, I did it. I made it through Thursday without trauma or tears. I turned the big three zero... that is to say I turned 30 years old on the 13th. It is funny how much I was dreading being out of my 20's, but now that it is here I really don't feel any different. (that might be subject to change when I get asked my age and I realize I have to say thirty, but hopefully it won't matter at that point) So, I started off the day with some fabulous friends, you know who you are, at the deli for a yummy bagel sandwhich for breakfast. (Thanks!) Then I came home to my lovely mother redecorating my bedroom for me. I actually requested it, since I never know when I will have the money to do it. So, I have blogged my "new room" for you all. She never ceases to amaze me. I only told her the colors I wanted and she did all the rest, on a budget mind you. She is a bargain hunter and she finds the best deals ALL the time. (wish I had that knack) When she was finished she wisked my kids away to her house for the night so Roger and I could go out to dinner. We ended up at the Olive Garden, and there was only a ten minute wait - score! So we had yummy food and boxed up a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake to eat at home once our stomachs didn't feel so full! (salad and breadsticks baby!!!) Roger bought me some flowers, a cheesy card, and a pretty necklace - all in all I'd say thirty isn't too bad after all. :) (the pics are for you Sue)

Grattitude, LOVE, and Respect

2008-11-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

My very own Indiana Jones!

My "Sister" Peggy and I

AmyJo (the recipient) and Peggy (the donor) I love these girls!

My husband, striking his usual "Hurry and get this over with" picture pose!

I have been trying to get my kids into the "Thanksgiving spirit" with everyone else telling them to skip ahead to Christmas. I will totally admit to the fact that it has been difficult not to fall into the same trap! I LOVE Christmas. However, I want my kids to learn grattitude just as much as I want them to enjoy the Christmas holiday season - it is MAGICAL. With that said I want to express my GRATTITUDE to my husband who singlehandedly (if that is a word) took care of our family for two days while we were sick. (which is a lot of work - I know! - and more difficult when we all have the flu so we can't help at all) He did all the grocery shopping, and put all the groceries away, and made himself dinner - he actually doesn't mind doing that stuff normally anyways, but he was also taking care of us in the mean time. He even sacraficed leaving the last BYU home game at half time because I was starting to feel crummy. What a good husband! :) I am grateful for his hard work ethic and his willingness to go to work when he isn't feeling 100% himself. Here is where the "LOVE" portion of this blogging comes in: He loves me for me and lets me know it. He love our family. I love him for all he is and for making me laugh when he does goofy things. I love that we can have fun together. I love how he tries hard to be a better person and do his best at all he does. I love that he has passions like football and blue ray DVD's - even though they can get expensive. I LOVE YOU BABE. Now on to another type of love. Today my sisters - in - law are in surgery. One, Peggy, to give a kidney... The other, Amy Jo (the original Amy Deming), to get a new kidney that should last her the rest of her life. A perfect example of love and selflessness. My prayers are with them both for a successful transplant. I have TONS of LOVE and RESPECT for these girls. They are my sisters, while mine is in Heaven. I am so blessed with FIVE lovely sisters in law! I know this truly is a blessing from above. Heavenly Father knew that I would need them. Last night we got together for an early "Deming Thanksgiving", since we aren't sure if the girls will be up to turkey this year after the surgery. I love family. Heavenly Father sure knew what he was doing when he sent us loved ones to be with us in this mortality. I will take it, quirks and all!!! This season is truly a time to be grateful!

Blessed

2008-11-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

The Proud Grandmothers

Are we done yet? (YAWN!)
Sleeping peacefully - belly full!

The proud parents

On Sunday, November 2nd, Maxwell James Deming was blessed by Roger - his daddy of course! It was so wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends on this occasion. I also got the biggest smiles and coos from Max so far! He is getting to be funner every day. I can see him sitting up and playing, my older kids will just have a blast with him. I can't believe he is almost 2 months. Time flies. I just wish we could pause it occasionally - especially when things are going fabulously! :)

My Halloween Sweethearts

2008-11-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

So, we took our usual Halloween route, just up and down Apache since we go to Grandma and Grandpa's for pizza and MORE trick or treating after we are done here. My kids got totally hooked up and they kept complaining that they're buckets were getting too heavy! The only complaint that I have is that I am trying to eat "right" and so I have to endure them pounding down candy around me for the next 2 weeks! Oh well. I got some darling pics of them in their costumes. Even Max got dressed up. Enjoy.

No GUTS No Glory!

2008-10-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

So, for our family night activity we "gutted" our pumpkins to carve them. The kids were super excited, especially Haleigh. THEN I actually cut off the tops to do the gutting and Haleigh did NOT think it was very cool anymore. In fact she wouldn't go near her pumpkin after that. She went around the house the whole night saying "gross" and "disgusting!" So, I got to do the honors. Even the boys weren't too hip on it - and they are my boys who love to get all gross and dirty/muddy in the summer! Unfortunately, it took us so long just to clean them out that we didn't have time to carve them and the boys were super disappointed! So here are some pictures of the gutting - the finished products are to come...

Bats in my bellfry

2008-10-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

So the other day Gabe got out the Batman cape and mask. Haleigh, being the "tag-a-long" that she is with her brother, now that baby occupies my time, wanted to be Batman too. (but she is still very girly which I love) She really is getting to be quite the little shadow to "the brothers" which she lovingly calls them. She mimics almost everything they say and do - good AND bad. I mostly have to laugh, she is growing up too fast!!! Such a personality! In fact, as you will notice in the pictures she wouldn"t let me adjust the mask and it was totally smashing into her eye! She is the funnest thing about my day a lot of times because she is such a whip. She is always going to be my little girl and she is such a crack up - she reminds me to laugh cause I don't do it often enough these days... I am sure when Max is her age it will be the same, I'm just enjoying her while it lasts. Before we know it she'll be an emotional teenager - then I'll be grateful for 3 boys, so I've heard. :) P.S. I just typed this whole thing one - handed while holding Max! I feel pretty proud I got it done without typos, I think!

A smile

2008-10-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, Max is finally starting to smile for us. He is so close to cooing and making those cute little baby noises too - instead of just crying or fussing when wet or hungry. It is amazing how much that makes the newborn stage worth all the struggles. I swear I have been through it with this postpartum nonsense. I started with a rash from the tape they used for my epidural. Unfortunately I got an anethesiologist with a notion for A LOT of tape, so it was all over my back. I then proceeded into some sort of allergic reaction to it. It lasted at least 3 weeks. Finally after days of lotions, benedryl and 2 rounds of steriods my back cleared, then I got hives. Not just a few. A LOT! All over my body. When those cleared it spread to my hands. It was sooo itchy that I would wake in the night and want to cry because they would be on fire. So, again I got some cortizone with a kick called in from the doc. It finally has gone away and let an aweful dryness all over my hands. I don't know quite what to do now except A LOT of lotion. It seems to help, but not enough. In the middle of this somewhere I also got a bladder infection - NOT fun. Now, I have strep throat! Yep, it doesn't end. I went into the instacare last night with a sore throat and a fever and I just knew since I felt so crummy yesterday. I am sure I got it due to my immune system going crazy and just DONE popping pills, since no one else in my family got it (and I hope they don't). The point of my complaint is that I don't think of it much now that it has mostly subsided, especially when Max smiles at me. Or when he is just laying in his bouncy chair being content. Amazing what a smile can do... We have yet to catch the cute little smile on camera, but here is a darling picture I took of him anyways.

Family Night Sleepover

2008-10-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

So, I digress. I didn't prepare a "real" family night. So, I let the kids pull out their sleeping bags that Grandma Martell made for them and just chill and snuggle in them while I read a story from the children's friend. I have to say it was one of the better lessons I could've given, so all in all a success. Just thought I'd share some pictures of my FOUR rugrats! Happy family night to all and to all a good night.

MAXWELL JAMES

2008-10-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Can you say Cheeks!
Our sleeping "Cougar cub" on game day
Bath time!
Almost a smile :)

Since I blogged/bragged about my princess I decided I better take turns and do a little blogging about Max, since he is the newest addition to our family. He is getting into a pretty good routine these days. Nights are still tough for me, but I am someone who needs my sleep and I hate to get up in the morning - a bad combination I admit. But he only wakes up a couple of times a night and I have the feeding routine down to the hour, so we are getting there. He is a pretty content little guy, but I think he is starting to want to be held and have a little more attention these days - which is normal. He is getting bigger, which is kind of sad in a way. I love to hold little babies against me with their little feet tucked up under them and just snuggle. That is my favorite part of the newborn stage. He is one month old (yesterday)! Time truly flies. I am so looking forward to him starting to coo and respond and smile at us. It makes baby time so much fun! So, here are just a few of my most recent pics of Max to make you smile. I have been so out of it for a month that my blogging is very sparatic and I have tons of different pics to share, so I will try to catch up this month. Note that I said TRY. :)

Our Princess

2008-10-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

So, I love girly stuff! Haleigh has totally gotten into princesses and such over the past couple of months and I love to listen to her sing her princess songs all over the house ALL the time. She is such a girly girl and I love it. Today my mom and I took her to Costco to pick out a Christmas dress before they are all picked over. We tried a couple of them on her and she would twirl and twirl with a huge grin on her face, therefore winning over all the people watching(especially Grandma and mom!) I thought I would post just a few fun pictures of our Haleigh Ann, our Princess forever!

My helpers and such...

2008-09-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share some pics of the kids "helping" with the baby. I haven't been too up on blogging lately, but I am sure you all understand with having a new baby in the house. He was quite easy the first week of his life. Ate, slept, ate slept. Now he is having some tummy issues, I think. So, sleep is becoming something of an effort. He sleeps plenty during the afternoon, just night is a challenge. I'm sure we will make it through...we always do. It is my fault for bragging to everyone after the first week that he was such a good baby, which is still true for the most part. I think I am finally adjusting to and facing the fact that we were meant to have this little boy join our family instead of the girl we thought. I have to admit I have had moments of mourning for our "loss." It does get easier every day. Max is such a cutie that we are all in love with him. My mom and I are slowly making changes to the nursery. I have been hunting for paint and my mom is making efforts towards a new blue and brown quilt for his crib. Change is hard for me, but I am trying to remember that this is Heavenly Father's plan for us. I just wish I had known 6 months ago! Everything happens for a reason. I have faith in that. Just not always sure exactly what that is. Roger and I still feel like four kids is a good number for us... but sometimes I really wonder if there is that girl waiting for us? We actually ventured to the mall today because I desperately wanted some shirts that fit me now and I think we both went away thinking how we could add any more kids when we can't even handle two of the four we have! But, I also know that if we were told/prompted to have another we could do it. That is crazy talk coming from someone on half a nights sleep and two weeks post partum!!! (and I am sure my husband would freak out if I did recieve any sort of feelings) Any ways, I am not sure exactly where I am going with this so I won't go on too much more. Just wanted to share some things going through my mind these last few days...More pics to come I am sure - because, hey its me!

Our GINORMOUS surprise!!!

2008-09-14T15:45:00.001-07:00

Well, we had our baby on September 12th at 2:34 pm. To our complete shock, "Isabella Evalen" came out a BOY! So, for those who haven't heard, we had our 3rd boy and HIS name is Maxwell "Max" James Deming. When he was born the doctor put him on my lap and turned him over and the first thing Roger said was "That's not a girl!" I couldn't quite believe it. You always hear funny stories like this, but it wasn't happening to us. Then I looked down and sure enough, he had boy plumbing. I think we were both in shock for about 30 minutes at least. I couldn't even talk in fear of crying. I hope that doesn't sound too bad. But when you have a pink nursery and car seat and you have been planning for a girl for 6 months it is really trippy. I am ok for the most part, but sometimes I have to remind myself that this baby we took home is actually ours. Since this pregnancy wasn't planned he will always be our double surprise! He is a cutie and of course we will love him just as much as we would had he been a girl, but it is still so crazy! Some advice to all of you moms, don't always believe the ultrasound tech! :) We will be repainting part of the room, since he is sharing with Haleigh and the room is most definately pink. And, yes, I had to take my son home in a pink car seat! Luckily I had plenty of family that raced out to the store and bought me a bunch of boy things so I didn't have to bring him home in a pink and brown heart outfit! That would have been good blackmail for later in life I suppose. Anyways, he is here and he is healthy! For that I am truly grateful. Love you all and thanks for your love and support. We only got a couple of good pics so far, so I will post more when I got them.

I have to brag!

2008-09-11T20:52:00.001-07:00

So, my mom is amazing!!! She made my girls the cutest, most amazing quilts and bedroom stuff ever!!! She made the pattern up herself, and she is so talented I just had to share. Haleigh loves it too, as you can see. Of course it is in pink and brown - my favorite right now. We also had our last family picture with just 5, tomorrow some time we will be forever 6! Crazy, but also amazing. We look forward to welcoming our 4th child into the world. I can't wait to see what she looks like. Life is amazing. (I know I keep using that word, but I can't help it) My final blog as a mother of 3...

A Pirate Adventure

2008-09-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I got to play pirates with Gabe. He was the captain and I was his guard. (Some guard huh? A nine month pregnant mom) I usually don't like this sort of play, I am more into tea and princesses lately. But, I decided it is time to start making more time for my boys and their likes. (wish I was more energetic and motivated, but he didn't seem to notice) So, I scrubbed the floor and put the chairs in a row in the front room and that was our "ship." Gabe made us a map and I found a souvineer key from Nauvoo that we used when it was convenient to have a key. He would hide goodies for us to find and we would get in the ship, get to land and sleep. Then wake up and take our "adventure" to find our treasure. There was always something like a forcefield or giant crabs in our way, but we defeated them with our broom and brush and the key, of course. We did this about 3 times before I told him we needed to get some homework done - I know, party crasher huh? He wasn't too happy to stop. But, Haleigh woke up and played with him for a little bit too, so I didn't feel as guilty for getting my own chores done. I guess I was kind of proud of myself. Usually I have so much to do that I don't put time into things like this, which is just too sad! Life will always be busy. Life will always have a mess in the house somewhere. But, life doesn't always get to have a pirate adventure - for a day, I took time and I did! Hope you all have your own little unexpected adventures! (I thought about taking pictures, but didn't - so you'll have to use your imagination) P.S. FRIDAY IS BABY DAY!!! I will blog baby pics and stuff when I get a chance.

The Midnight Sun Tragedy!

2008-09-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

So, in case some of you Twilight fans hand't heard, Stephenie Meyer has put Midnight Sun on hold indefinately! A copy of the manuscript got out on the internet and she is really upset - so if you go to her official website @ stepheniemeyer.com you can read her feelings and still get a rough draft of the book that will never published, but with her consent. So, to all of my fellow Twilightians, a moment of silence....

I thought it was a good idea, but...

2008-08-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

So, my boys went to school this morning and I decided to do their laundry while they were gone. In my efforts to be a "good mom" I decided it was definately time to wash their blankets, since they looked/smelled pretty dirty. After I picked up Gabe from Kindergarten I decided to throw in the 2nd load and this was the one with the favorite blanket included in it... I think you can all see where I am going with this. I put Haleigh down for a nap and we had some lunch. Then Gabe happily played with some legos while I was cleaning the kitchen. 5 minutes later he comes and asks where his blanket is. Great! I just had a feeling as soon as I thought of putting it in the wash that he would want it. Should've listened to myself - or was that a prompting? So, I proceed to tell him that I am washing it and that it should be almost done. He had a melt down. (must've been worn out from school) I thought he might be a little upset, but I wasn't prepared for what followed. He ran down to the washer and I came to see how much time was left. Of course it was still about 25 minutes! So, I told him to come up and snuggle on my bed in my blanket until his was done. This usually works, not today. He sat down by the washer for the next 10 minutes crying and pleading for it to be finished. Me, being the sensitive mom that I am, got my camera out and had to snap a pic to capture the moment - it was priceless! He literally was talking/sobbing about how he didn't care if his blanket was dirty and that he still wanted it anyway. It tore at my heart strings. So, I went down and he has a pair of pj's clutched in his hands, that I was also planning to wash, and I ask if he wants to wear them. He sadly looks up a shakes his head yes, so I let him put them on. Then I held his hand and coaxed him to my room to watch TV until the drama of the wash ended. So, now he is up there eating marshmellows, in his pj's at 2:30 in the afternoon, waiting for his "gick" - it what he calls his favorite blanket - to finish drying... and I am at my computer blogging of his misery. It is only because it was precious that I had to add this. I did the black and white photo for effect! :) So, ladies/moms - wash favorites at night when they are sleeping! Or make it your first load, not your second. I'm sure you all have enough common sense for me to be telling you this though!

Happy first day of Kindergarten Gabe!!!

2008-08-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let my Gabey know how proud I am of him! He went to his first day of "big boy" school today. He is fairly shy until you get him warmed up to you. So, I was a little worried for him when he looked out of place dropping him off. However, when I picked him up he was happy and said he loved school. So, success!!! You go boy. It is amazing how fast they grow up. It will just me and Haleigh for 2 weeks, then we will add our 4th child into the world! I'm sure she will grow super fast too. I will enjoy it while it lasts.

A good weekend

2008-08-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend my sisters - in - law and my mom gave me a "neccessity" shower, and I can't tell you how this has helped! I forgot everything you need for a new baby, it is crazy! I got loaded with diapers and wipes and just all the essentials! Plus I got a monitor, which I have never had before and I know I will love it! I am grateful for good friends and family that love and support me and are so generous! After the shower Roger took me to get some new jammies for after the baby. Then we got the boys some new BYU jerseys, which they look super cute in. On Sunday after church they put them right on! We wanted to take a Sunday drive to get out of the house before heading to my parent's for dinner and we ended up taking the kids to see the new Draper Temple, which is nearly complete. So, these are just a couple of pics from this weekend. I have one more post to add, but wanted to get this one in first.

$2 Chaos!

2008-08-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I would be a "fun" mom and take Gabe and Haleigh to the dinosaur museum for $2 Tuesday, since I was invited in a group from our ward. I made the mistake of walking before we went, but I made it. It was chaotic, but Gabe was excited to go. Ah the sacrafices we make. Haleigh loved it too, until we got to the end and she saw the big shark head! She loves anything that gets her out of the confinement of the house though. Since we don't have a fence I don't let her out much, especially since I am 9 months pregnant and it is still super warm! Anyways, she loved the freedom to play. So, even though it was wall to wall kids/parents I think the kids still had a good time. You can't beat $2 right?! P.S. I went to my doctor's today and we have an official enduction date of September 12th! Three weeks from Friday, hooray!!! Any girl name suggestions might be helpful...

School is in... We are a Happy Family!

2008-08-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

So, Tyler started his first day of second grade today, hooray! I love my kids, but by the end of the summer they are bored and therefore tend to get into more trouble than usual. I am looking forward to this year for them. Ty's teacher seems really nice and like she will be a good fit for him. Tyler and I tend to butt heads more than we should, so this is wonderful because he comes home and we are ready to love each other and I am not all over his case all day and he isn't feeling picked on all day... It is a win/win situation! Thank you public school system! :) So, today felt smooth and I wasn't stressed hardly at all. I still got everything done that I needed to around the house without feeling overwhelmed chasing kids and picking up after them all day. Part of this has to do with Gabe when Ty's not around. It must be that there is no competition because he was pretty chill all day. Even though he destroyed his room he actually cleaned up after himself without much prodding. Again, a win/win situation. Gabe is actually starting kindergarten next week, and I am super excited for him too. Then it will be Haleigh and I for 2 weeks, and then a newborn - goodbye routine! I am trying to stay mentally tough and plan for the best. Things will work out, even if it takes a little time getting into the swing of things again. But as for tonight I wasn't exhausted from the day and I even let the kids make cookies for family night - when I usually don't feel up to the mess. So, all in all we are a happy family, again!

Just some extra pics from the 24th

2008-07-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

I couldn't download all I wanted in one shot, so just a few extra pics to enjoy:)

Our 24th of July weekend

2008-07-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

I love holidays! My husband is home and we get to do fun family things. This year we had some of Roger's family over on the 24th and did some fireworks for the kids that night. Haleigh wouldn't stop talking about the fireworks once we bought them, because she had seen some up in the sky from outside of Thanksgiving point and she loved it. Then, when we started shooting them off the ground just feet in front of her she was a little more reluctant. However when the others kids would cheer and clap she would join them, then promptly put her hands back into her mouth and look a little worried! By the time we were finishing up I think she felt pretty comfortable though. Kids really make holidays what they are huh? On Friday we joined my parents and some of my relatives up in the Uintahs to camp overnight. The kids all had such a blast with my cousins kids and there was hiking, exploring and dirt a plenty! (which you will see in the pics I took) I enjoyed the evenings and mornings, but the afternoon was roasting hot!Haleigh had a few spills on our hike to the river and her legs are pretty beat up, but she is a tough little girl. I think my boys' fingernails will eventually look clean again, but they had tons of fun with the "snake hole" they think they found, the Batman masks my mom made and the scavenger hunt my cousin did for them. As for me, I have showered twice and I think the smokey smell is gone! All part of the fun though. I love camping and I am so glad my husband and kids have fallen in love with it as well. After all it is tradition!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Haleigh!

2008-07-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's my baby's birthday! She is no longer a baby, she is a 2 year old! She had sooo much fun opening presents too! I must admit that I love having a girl - we did a princess party which was just as much fun for me as for her. Here are just a few of the millions of pics I took of her. She has already played "tea time" several times today, as well as tried on and walked around in her many pairs of "slippers" that my parent's bought for her. So fun to watch. She has started tantrums as of late, which is not quite like her, but the cuteness takes over most of the time. Enjoy!

just some pics

2008-07-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

Just some fun pics of my kids. Still haven't gotten the ones from the beach, so I thought I'd share these for now. Enjoy.

Exhausting Fun

2008-07-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, over the 4th we went with my parents to Bear Lake. I was nervous cause I am so afraid of the water, espcially when it comes to my kids. I have been afraid since I was little, probably because my dad used to stay at the bottom of the pool for as long as he could to "tease" us... Instead I now have a severe phobia of drowning! Anyways, it was tons better than I expected and I was pleasantly surprised. We got there on Thursday evening and my dad rented wave runners for the following day at the beach. The beach was very clean and the water was really nice. The kids hadn't been to a real beach for a while, and Haleigh never, so they were super excited and loved every minute of being able to create muddy sand all over without getting in trouble and then going into the lake to wash up. I swore to not go on a wave runner because of my water phobia, plus being 7 months pregnant. But Roger convinced me to give it a try since they were two seaters and I went out with him and Haleigh riding in the front and me in the back. I was instantly freaked out and my 2 year old is in the front saying, "Wheee!" However, I made him take me back after just a minute of being out. I sat on the beach taking pictures with my dad's camera and video recorder - since amazingly enough - I forgot my own. So, when I get those pics I will post them. There are some good ones of the kids in the sand. Anyways, right before we were getting ready to head back to camp Roger convinced me to go out one more time and drive myself. I finally agreed, knowing I would be in control. It was so cute because my son Tyler hadn't dared to go out, completely ran away anyone tried to make him go on one. Then he saw me getting on and he instantly wanted to go with me. It made me feel good knowing he trusted me and that we were conquering our fears together. I took it pretty easy at first and then once I got the hang of it we took off a little. By the end of it Tyler was saying go faster and he wanted to try with dad since he was taking his turns sharp and it looked like fun. I was very proud of us both. I dropped Tyler off and decided to try on my own before getting off myself. Roger came with me again and he said, " you go and I will follow." As soon as he said that I knew I was safe and that he was by my side encouraging me and there to protect me. I was out in the middle of the lake thinking wow, cause my fear was almost non existant. I am grateful for a loving husband and for his willingness to "follow me" when I am afraid to go myself. (May sound cheezy, but it is the truth) So, the rest of our weekend we spent sunburned and exhausted! All in all it was a nice trip and the kids had a really good time too. Thanks to my dad who made it all happen! Hope your 4th was great too!!!

Trouble

2008-07-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know how or why but Haleigh has been able to get into things in a minutes time! Yesterday it was a ball point pen, which she broke open and got everywhere. Then today she went upstairs and I followed her up a minute later and she had found a marker and drew on her face and all down my sheet on my bed! I don't get it... she wasn't interested in doing that for a while. I guess she was just bored? So, here is a picture of our drama for the day. Enjoy!

BALANCE?

2008-06-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

So, I have been thinking a lot today about balance. You know moderation in ALL things... Is there such a thing? Does it exist? Has it ever? Here are my gripes about balance... Tips are much appreciated if you have any.
#1 - The house: Last week we had an appraiser coming out and I think my house looked the most amazing it ever has since we moved in, minus a couple of closets. I spent days cleaning, painting, organizing and vaccuming over and over. So, unfortunately, after he came I felt a need to take a break and now it shows. Why can't I have the adrenelin rush every day? I could try to fool myself into thinking an appraiser is coming, but I just don't think it would work. I just finished mentally pushing myself into cleaning the kitchen, doing dishes and scrubbing the floor. Now, all I want to do is waste the day blogging. :) Alas, the vaccuming and laundry is calling my name. Not to mention the shower that still hasn't been taken today!

#2 - The kids: I thought I was doing pretty good this morning. I have recomitted myself to not using my irritated voice every time they don't listen, which is more frequent every day. I went to scrub their toilet and they wanted to help. So, by all means, I let them! Then they wanted to do my bathroom and so I let them, even though they were supposed to be cleaning their own room. Next thing I know they are downstairs with my bucket of cleaning supplies wanting to scrub the garage floor - it was actually quite amusing! Exit funny, enter drama. We went outside to eat lunch and I explained that when we were done we would do summer homework and reading. Well, I may as well have told Ty there was no Christmas this year. I got him to read, but if he can't pronounce a word it is over! I try to encourage, but I guess I'm not that good? Next, I moved on to homework. Gabe is entering kindergarten and so I have been drilling him on letters and sounds and phone number, address, all the stuff they should know. I was super excited at how well he did today so I gave him his "props" and Tyler was instantly the martyr. He spilled out how stupid he is cause he doesn't know his address and he can't work the t.v. and XBox like Gabe! I sent Gabe to start cleaning their room while I worked with Ty, since I could see the competition building. I asked Ty if he thought his teacher would care more about his ability to read and do math or to work the XBox? I explained that he was able to do things Gabe can't and I worked him through it. In the mean time I went upstairs and Gabe was happily cleaning his room making it into a game. All because of a little praise. Kids are amazing! I guess as an adult I like my "props" too - especially when I have my house in order - not just clean. So, I have at least succeeded with one child today. But, where is the balance? How do I succeed with all three in one day?

#3- Food: So, because I am pregnant I kind of don't care what I eat lately. I thought it gave me the right to free reign, because I know once I have the baby I will be on a seriously different diet for the next year trying to loose all this weight. I have gained more than I usually do in the 2nd trimester, but I had only gained two at my last appointment so I was feeling pretty good. Then I get the phone call today from the doctor's office telling me my glucose levels came back a little elevated and they want me to come in for the 3 hour test in a couple of weeks. YUK! So, I have been terrified to go near sweets today and that is what our pantry is stocked with the most of. I called Rog and we decided we need to make some serious eating habbit changes, but it still stinks. Where is the pay off for having the right to be fat right now? Hopefully the next test is just fine. However, it will make me think twice before having that ice cream before I go to bed!

#4- The spouse: So, Roger and I really do try to date. Sometimes I am stingy cause we don't have the money for both a babysitter and dinner, so we take the kids with us to dinner. The main problem with our relationship is it is very there or so very not there. Let me explain. He gets home from work random hours daily. I never know if it will be 4:00 (Hurray!) or 8:00. He only has meetings once a week for about an hour and he will be going on visits now, being the ward mission leader. So, not a big deal. But, he comes home exhausted most days and just needs time to veg. Being a boss and running the business himself makes him mentally tired more than not I think. So, we sometimes go the whole evening without much conversation at all. This is why I enjoy the weekends I think. Cause I actually feel like I have a husband and he is with me. Don't get me wrong. I very much appreciate all we have been blessed with, but I wish I could take away some of the stress it puts on his brain. Dating is the key to our marriage for now. Once we add the baby in September I am sure our time will be even more valuable.

#5 - Spirituality: Sometimes super lacking! I am trying to not be a doer just to do it. But for now this is how I am surviving some things. I know reading and praying and attending the temple are super important! I do have a testimony of those things. But, do you ever feel like you are floating along and doing these things without actually getting anything from them? Like my brain is so melted down with the things I need to do I forget the things that are most important and that I fell in love with doing before I had a family and a home and a calling. I still love feeling the spirit and there is no denying the truthfulness of it all, but right now I have been feeling lost in my desire to do it. Just one more thing? My heart knows it is true and this is what I am leaning on at the moment. I guess priorites need to be evaluated and more emphasis on the things that will bring me true happiness need to be a must, then all things will fall into place right? Sometimes that is a whole lot easier said than done! Here's to effort.

So, balance... any tips are appreciated!

Hiii-yah!!!

2008-06-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Just some goofy pictures of my kids this morning doing their "kung fu" moves. We went to see Kung Fu Panda last weekend and now my boys like to wear their church ties around their forheads. Haleigh saw "the brothers" (as she lovingly calls them) with these ties and she had to have one too. I don't know how they got her to do a move for the pic but it is pretty funny! My kids have great imaginations.

7 going on 16

2008-06-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

So, okay, my son Tyler who is only 7 is so acting like a teenager in every way these days! Last week he was out playing with a friend and all of the sudden he's not in the backyard. So, I being the "responsible" mom that I am decided he must've just gone to Ben's house which is right behind our house and to the left. So, I didn't call to check up on that, but all the sudden he's back and so are 5 other kids (and a couple) of mom's. These kids were all dressed in costumes because Tyler and Ben ran invitations around - yes they even made invites - saying we were having a costume party. So, I have to humbly explain to these moms that I had no idea that he had done this - again really responsible huh? One mom thought it was very creative, which I thought was the last word I would use. Needless to say he was grounded the next day - mostly for going down the street without asking. Now I can look back and kind of chuckle, but it was a stressful moment in my parenting life. So, then today, one week from the costume incident, Ty and Gabe were in the back yard playing and I got a phone call. So, after hanging up I notice it is pouring rain and I needed to call them in. But, they weren't there. I went all around the yard calling for them and finally I hear them in the back again and this time they inform me they went to a neighbors house were they were having a yard sale. They took the change from a piggy bank and bought a couple of toys. Now I wasn't too happy at first, again because they left the yard and because they spent their money without asking. I told them firmly that they are not adults and they still need to check in with me before leaving the yard and spending their money - which I am sure really impacted them? So, now they are sitting on the couch, grounded once again. I don't think Gabe would ever attempt something like this on his own, and I am sure Tyler is the mastermind behind most of these things, which makes me so worried for when he actually is a teenager! I can kind of laugh at it at this moment in time, so I even took a picture of their "spoils"... As for Haleigh, she has taken to hiding when she poops, and when I ask if she did she always says no. So I took a picture of the crusty look she gave me after finding her in the corner "not pooping." I hope you all enjoy my drama more than I do these days! I'm sure you will all get a laugh at my expense, either because you've gone through it or because kids do the darndest things!

Happy Father's Day!!!

2008-06-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Just a little tribute to my husband, the father of my children, who puts up with the fact that I take pictures of everything! He doesn't always smile, but I wanted to share the "many faces" of Roger! Happy Father's day to all the Dad's (and future father's)! Here's to the men who work hard and put up with the emotions of us women (especially when we are pregnant)! Love you babe.

Water!!!

2008-06-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

I don't know what it is with kids and water, but if you have kids you know it is a magnet. I bought the kids a small slip and slide for summer and the boys wanted to play with it. So, we got it out and within a matter of minutes Haleigh decided she would join the boys fully clothed while I was distracted talking to our neighbor. I got some pretty good pics to share. Later in the day we pulled out the big water slide, you know the one that attracts all the neighbor kids! The boys love it, but Haleigh hated this one. Last year she screemed and this year she bore it more willingly, but I had to torture her and make her go down twice, once for a video and once for a picture! I know, I am a cruel mother. (What can I say? Love my cameras!) Hopefully I get some more fun summer pics soon to share with you all, but for now enjoy!

Welcome Summer! (I think)

2008-05-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

So, school is officially out in two and a half days and summer is peeking around the corner. I am ready for the laid back schedule and lazy days of the season, but not the heat! (being 6 months pregnant going into June is not ideal) Roger and I are tossing around the idea of a deck to hopefully help pass the days in the shade. Anyways, here are just a few pictures of what the kids have been up to in the past week. Gabe graduated from preschool and he will be a big kindergarten boy in the fall! (pic #1 - he and his teacher Nisha) Tyler being goofy in the water ring we got out on a warmer day. (pic #2) Haleigh actually falling over, but looking like she is striking a pose! (pic #3 - It may be a little bright, but it was super funny to me) Also of note is that we finally took the step and moved Haleigh to her toddler bed, which we fondly call her "new bed" because that sounded cooler. She is so cute in it! It makes her seem like such a grown up big girl. She has done amazing! I was really worried she would figure out she can get out, but she has only snuck out a couple of times in the two weeks since she has been in it. She actually fell asleep standing up next to it last night. So, when I went to check on her I had to take a picture and this is pic #4. (That can't be comfortable) We also took a video of her because I thought it was so funny. So, maybe I am just asuming she is sleeping well in her bed? I usually check on her before I go to bed since she has fallen asleep half off the bed before. I just hope she is so used to the bed by the time the baby gets here that it wont be an issue and she won't wake up her sister since they will be sharing a room. I am sure time will go super fast but I feel like I have been saying only 4 months left for a year! Well, one last picture posted is a pic of Roger with his "Father's Day" present - his new mountain bike. (pic #5) Love you all and hope this posting makes you smile.

My Kids

2008-05-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

My kids are great for entertainment, and messes of course! Here are just a couple of fun photos I wanted to share...Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Think Pink

2008-04-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Well, we went in for our ultra sound today and everything looks good, which is a huge relief! And we are happy to announce that we are having another little girl. I am super excited. Every girl needs a sister right? That and I can officially keep the room pink, as they will share for a while. The kids were so cute about the whole thing. We bought some pink gum and told them to close their eyes and we would give them a treat the "color" that our next baby would be. So when they opened their eyes and figured out it was a girl they all three jumped up and down and screamed yeah! It was precious, I only wish I had gotten it on film. (I think Haleigh was only excited about the gum, but she will love the baby) We are looking for some good names if any of you have some fun ideas.:) Love you all and thanks for the "girl vibes."

APRIL

2008-04-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

This may be the only post for April that you will see, but once a month will have to do until my life slows down... Maybe in the summer? Well, my Tyler lost his two front teeth! (now I know what to get him for Christmas and it won't cost a dime!) He is going on his first grade field trip today at the Hogle Zoo. Unfortunately I am not going so I won't have any pics to show for it. Oh well. Gabe is doing well in preschool and I am excited to get him into Kindergarten this fall. He has quite the sense of humore and he is learning to be a good big brother. Haleigh is just growing right up. She is so fun and once in a while can be such a little stinker! She has started throwing fits when she doesn't get her way - I guess I could be grateful it took this long huh? She will have to be really grown up coming September when #4 baby joins our family. I am anxious to say the least. We do get to find out what we are having hopefully next week, so I may blog that after all. Roger and I are doing quite well and we look forward to celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary on April 14th!!! I never thought we'd have 4 kids within eight years of marriage though. I think it is our magic number. :) Well, enjoy these pics for now. I will try to be more diligent, but no promises! Love you all...

Forget January, On to February... Or March?!

2008-02-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

So, I have digressed in blogging. Life is busy and time is short. Plus once I get started I don't want to stop and all sorts of neglect take place in my life, ie. my kids, my house, my laundry, food! Hey, you are all worth it today. Hope you like the new pics. Hope to send more soon.

Happy Monday/New Years!

2007-12-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hey Family and Friends, hope your holidays have been fabulous! We got spoiled this year, holy cow. Roger got his Xbox 360 and I-Pod and I got my camera and Roger bought me a new personal computer! And that is just us! The kids were very well taken care of and they are having fun with their new toys. Haleigh got pricness and dolly stuff, Ty and Gabe got Transformer helmets and then Star Wars legos and a train. So, we feel very blessed and totally taken care of for a very long time. I am grateful for all of our family members who do so much for us year round. We love you all and wish you a very wonderful new year. Here are just a few pics to share with you. More to come soon I am sure!

Wordless Thursday?

2007-12-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I missed doing "Wordless Wednesday"... So, I'll do wordless Thursday this week. Enjoy!

DECEMBERRR!

2007-12-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been absent from my blog long enough and I am here to redeem myself. (wink, wink, Jesse) I have no real excuse except for three kids, a husband, and house work that never ends.... But here I am taking a break from laundry on Monday of all days to send out some long over due pictures. It was cold enough for snow a couple of weeks ago and it hasn't gotten any warmer, so enjoy the snow pics. I am also sending a couple of just for fun pictures because I have been playing around with my "Christmas" present I got early from Roger - a Nikon 40DX. I haven't unleashed all the power it contains, but I plan to learn to soon. It will be my camera for a very long time! I took one pretty cool picture of the temple when we went to see the lights. So, enjoy the pics, I am sure there will be plenty more to come after Christmas. A friend also gave me an idea about doing just pics on Wednesday - and call it "wordless Wednesday." So, hopefully in a couple of days that will happen. Love you all. Merry week before Christmas.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd send a couple pics of Halloween. The kids got loaded with candy this year! Haleigh was absolutely enthralled - it did not take her long to figure out how it worked. She is one smart cookie. She would laugh every time someone gave her candy and be right ready for the next house. She was such a trooper! The boys also had a good time - of course. We love you all and hope your Halloween was safe and spooky!!!

In Memory

2007-10-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

8 years on October 4th 1999 my amazing sister, Mandy Leigh Martell, passed away. It seems so long ago, yet not so far into the past that her memory is gone. Her absense is felt daily, but I am so grateful for my Savior and His sacrafice who made it possible that we all have the opportunity to see her again. I love the fall, and so did Mandy. Halloween and Christmas were her very favorites. She loved Tigger and DisneyLand. She had a childlike heart and soul! Her example of faith, love and Christ-like charity will forever be felt and remembered. I am grateful for a wonderful family, extended family included. I am grateful for my husband and for the timing of our friendship and eventual marriage. His love and companionship saved me in many ways. Heavenly Father knew I would need him to help fill the void and my loss. He is my strength when I am weak. I am grateful also to Peggy, who is now my sister for life! She had a hand in bringing Roger and I together. She also was there as a friend when I needed her most. My most precious memory of Mandy in her final moments here on earth was that of singing at her bedside, holding her hand in mine with my friends Peggy and Cassidy there to help me stay strong as we sang her hymn after him quietly into the night. Mandy, I love you - you are forever in my heart. (Please forgive the fact that I have no pictures - I hope you will remember her beautiful smile and face - just picture an angel)

A smorgasboard?!

2007-09-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am not even sure if I spelled that correctly, but I have a jumble of pics to put on since it has been a while that I last blogged. The first picture is of Gabe after his first week at preschool. He loves it! I am so grateful because last year he wasn't so sure about the whole mommy leaving him for 2 hours at a time thing. But, he has grown up and is doing well. He is one of two boys among 10 girls! His teacher informs me that he seems to enjoy the fact that the girls surround him. (He's a charmer!) Haleigh's newest favorite spot to sit is in the laundry basket. I put her in there to keep her out of trouble one time and she seems to have liked it enough to want more. Just yesterday she wanted to sit in the basket with her ghost bag which she likes to collect things she shouldn't have - this time it was the infant's tylenol. She also snagged my body spray and a sippy cup. She is developing quite the personality and she is a cruiser now! (which means lots of bumps and bruises in the future) Tyler found the spider webs we're hanging up for Halloween. He thought it would look nice as a wig, and I thought it would be a funny picture! Gabe liked the movie "Ratatouille" and so he wanted to bake cookies like "little chef" - the name of the main rat in the movie (if you have seen the movie you know what I am talking about). He loves to help in the kitchen, so I call him my little chef when he helps me. Kids are great, even if they bend me out of shape at times. They make me smile daily with their quirks and imaginations! May you all smile today at something quirky!!! Lots of love.

Goooo Cougars!

2007-09-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is that time of year again for our family! The sweet smells of the stadium food and the sound of excitement in the stands. It is BYU football season. We were a "little" nervous (Roger got up at 6 am with his nerves in a knot!) to see where the Cougars were this year considering the senior graduate losses they experienced at the end of the last season. Needless to say we were pleasantly surprised at the outcome of the game, with BYU winning 20 - 7. There is just something about being at the game. It is magical in a sense; maybe they put something in the water? But for all you who don't go and are not sure what I am talking about, "Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah! Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah! Gooooo Cougars!!!!!"

School Days...

2007-08-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

It begins. A full day of school for me, I mean Tyler! He was so excited to start and meet new friends and not a care in the world he didn't quite get the concept of being there all day - which I tried to explain before he began. So, at the end of the first day I drove over to pick him up and he asks me if I was worried about him being gone for so long? I giggled and explained that I knew he would be gone that long and he says matter of factly, "Oh, I thought you would be afraid and wonder where I was or if I was lost or something." It was cute. He is now in his second week and seems to be enjoying it. ***P.S. Haleigh has started walking! It is so funny to watch and she thinks she is such a big girl.

The Cookie Monster

2007-08-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon Roger decided to give Haleigh a whole chocolate chip cookie to herself. As you can see the results are messy! She devoured it and then gave a triumphant "ahhh", which I just happened to get on camera. She hasn't been given many sweets and now you can see why. She turns into a messy monster, but boy is she cute!

Our "Pioneer Day" Week

2007-07-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a good 24th of July! On Saturday there was a pioneer primary party for the kids so we took them and they did a little mini trek from our Stake center to the school. Then they played some pioneer games and seemed to have a good time. (Just thought I'd share a pic from that) Then we went camping up to Soap Stone (in the Uintahs). We had a really good time. The boys had some great adventures and unfortunately Haleigh was forced to stay in her play pen or being held because she isn't walking quite yet. (Can you imagine how black she would be if she was crawling all over?!) Since the 24th fell on a Tuesday Roger worked Monday and then we took the kids to the Zoo on Tuesday for fun. We haven't been for a couple of years and I was impressed by all of the improvements made. They seemed to have a really good time and we were all exhausted by the end of it. We had a little BBQ in the light rain that evening and all in all I think it was a success. Hope you enjoy all the pics.

Yo - Ho! (A pirate's life for me!)

2007-07-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love kids? They are so creative and have the best imaginations ever. My boys decided our picnic table was their pirate ship and they've had a blast out there every day since we got it. As you can see they go all out with the pirate garb and Tyler has even filled the wagon with water for the use of walking the plank - really just the bench. The other day I caught them playing under the umbrella and went out to ask them not to. Tyler replied matter of factly, "But mom, we need to raise the sails." This year for Ty's birthday Susan and Don's family gave Ty a Pirates of the Carribean card that plays a song from the movie when you open it. I am surprised that it is still working, but they love to open it up and sword fights to the music! Ah kids... They have the good life eh? Or should I say "Arr me mateys!" We love all you scurvy dogs!

Peak aboo, guess who's 1!

2007-07-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

Haleigh Ann Deming entered this world one year ago today! I can't believe how the time has flown by. She is getting so big and doing toddler stuff now. She says multiple things that are fairly clear like "uh oh," (my favorite because of the dramatic pause she adds in between them), mama and dada - of course! - she even says "Ty." I can also make out a "thank you" and "hi." I laugh every time the phone rings because she will inevitably utter a mildly distinguishable "heyo"... which is to die for. She has brought so much love and funness into our home this year I am just excited to be her mom. Not to mention the fun girly gifts and Strawberry Shortcake party that we are having for her today! Those of you not with us, (Peggy, John, Cole, Dad, etc.) I will post some pictures just as soon as I can. We love you all!!!! Have a wonderful July 14th. I know Haleigh will be spoiled, so thank you all in advance.

A Day of Swimming

2007-07-11T15:05:00.001-07:00

Today the boys and Haleigh and I went over to Uncle John and Cole's house and had a little swimming party. The kids had a blast! The pink elephant pool isn't the only pool they had, but for some reason I only took pictures of them in the baby pool? Haleigh doen't like the water, except when she's bathing, so she just hung out with mommy and got over to the garden to eat some rocks. Amy Jo and Mom showed up with Maddy, since Whitney is still in the hospital recovering from delivering Isaac. Thanks to John and Cole for letting the kids come over, they had a fabulous time!!!

Fun Family Photos!

2007-07-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

I am planning to explode this page with photos, so get ready... In the mean time here are a couple photos from Nauvoo and the family after we got home. Enjoy!!!

The Lemonade Stand

2007-07-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it is that time of year again. When children want to do some serious business and they put out the stand. You have all seen it, "$.25 for lemonade." Tyler saw two little girls doing just such business and went to investigate. We ended up buying the worst tasting tang in the world, but two little girls were fifty cents richer. As we were leaving Tyler asked them what they were going to do with "all that money?" One girl replied, (kind of snooty), "Go to the dollar store." Tyler was sold! Two days later we did our own lemonade stand. It was hard to sit in that heat - his little face was bright red within minutes. As a mother my heart ached as car after car passed and nothing. I wanted an aunt Peggy there very badly! I knew she would pay for some decent lemonade. He ended up with a grand total of $.95! He wasn't as disappointed as I was, for which I am grateful. Maybe we will attempt it again some time. But for now, I am glad he has learned that not eveything in life comes easily and that sometimes business is slow, but you can still find joy in the little things. (like the dollar store!) Hope you all stop and buy lemonade the next time you see a stand. I know I will...

Happy 4th Everyone!

2007-07-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Family and friends! I hope your 4th was a great one. We enjoyed ourselves by just taking it easy all day! What do you do on the 4th besides be lazy, BBQ with family and light fireworks at the end of the day? I guess we need to start establishing a family tradition. For now I am content with having my husband home and just spending the day with our family. We went to my parent's to celebrate since we planned to hang out with the Sivill fam and Doug and we figured it would be easier on Whitney to get to the bathroom ( luv ya Whit).It was a pretty nice evening as a family - just really layed back. We over did on the fireworks a little, but the guys sure had fun lighting them and blowing them up, including Spencer's leg - actually it was just a little burn, but he may have learned a lesson about making homemade bombs. The kids enjoyed the pop rocks the best! Probably because they could actually do that themselves. But all in all it was a success. We love you all and hope you all the best of days! Mostly I wanted to share our love and some pictures we took, that is my forte'! ( I am not elequent of speech like some)

2007-07-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is our first attempt at a blog, so forgive the delay as we get it up and running. I hope to have tons of fun pics for everyone to view soon! We love you all.

Amy Ann