Judd Family

Baptism Day!

2011-11-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

Can you believe my Aislyn Francis is eight years old?! I certainly can't. She has been more than excited for this day to come. Baptism Day! She's been telling everyone she meets all about it for weeks. It was extra special because she was able to be baptized on Thanksgiving Day. Here she is with her very most favorite person in the whole world, her dad! She is wearing the dress my mom made for me to be baptized in and her sister Marley wore it too. She thought that was pretty special.

She asked Townsend to give the talk on baptism because he is "a very good talker". He did a great job. I was so proud. I know I would never have gotten up to speak in front of people at the age of 11.

Aislyn, you are so very loved. Our family is so blessed to have you be a part of it. We learn so much from you, especially how to just love everyone. I am always amazed at your capacity to give and show love. Thank you, my beautiful girl! Happy Baptism Day!

He's Six!

2011-10-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

OK, so the photo quality is not the greatest this time around. But can you even believe that my sweet little guy is six? I certainly can't. Jairus has always been my special boy. He loves me SOOOO much and always tells me he loves me and that I'm pretty. I hope he keeps that up forever! I don't like him growing up. Time is just flying by.

He requested carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. A fantastic choice if I do say so myself. And I didn't even have to make it. It's great having a Marley around who loves to bake!

Happy birthday Jairus James! We love you.

The Big Four!

2011-10-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ephraim Isaac....oh how I adore this beautiful boy! Can it really be that four years have flown by since he was born? For his birthday he requested a HUGE chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Marley and I made this bad boy all from scratch. It was delicious although very, very rich. And I think three layers might be a bit excessive. As you can see Ephraim attacked his cake with fervor and determination but in the end could only eat about half his slice.

Townsend might have filled up on frosting before it was even cake time.

Happy birthday sweet Ephraim boy! I could not imagine the world without you.

It Was Bound To Happen Sometime....

2011-09-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ephraim, my sweet little guy!(I promise he is wearing underwear in this photo) With this many kids running around it was inevitable and so it was Ephraim who managed to be the first Judd kid to break a bone. And all because of a trampoline and as he tells it one GIGANTIC SUPER BOUNCE! The super bouncers shall remain nameless, although I'm sure you probably have a good guess as to who they were. It has been a fun adventure full of x-rays and Spider Man stickers. Ask Ephraim and he will tell you how cool an x-ray is, you get stickers AND you get to see your bones! The first few days were a little rough. But now my little invalid can get around with the rest of them unless of course he's in the mood to milk it for all it's worth, at which he's become quite skilled. One week down and three to go until the cast comes off!

Oh How Happy

2011-09-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

I heard this song today while driving home. I have to admit it brought a little tear to my eye. Way back almost sixteen years ago Thomas and I had just started dating. He came over one night to pick me up, I was getting ready in the bathroom and didn't know he was there. He caught me singing this song at the top of my lungs. Kind of embarrassing for me, but he know that the song just described how I was feeling. Sixteen years, and almost seven kids later the words couldn't be any truer! And it's got a pretty catchy tune to boot.

MINE!

2011-05-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ada LOVES her some chickens! She gets giddy with excitement every time she sees them. She is also quite fearless. She has no problem chasing 'em down, picking 'em up and transporting them to wherever she sees fit. It's really the funniest thing to see. She is also very possessive. Don't even think about taking her chicken from her. "MINE!" is a new word she's picked up that seems to be pretty helpful in protecting her new found property.

2011-05-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

It's Mother's Day! Here I am with all the beautiful people that made me a mother. Marley, Townsend, Aislyn, Jairus, Ephraim, and Ada. Seems like a lot. And yet, it doesn't. It's probably time to add another to the bunch.

I've been shown quite a bit of love the last couple of days. Yesterday we got the garden all beautiful and ready to go. Townsend and my sweet husband worked their booties off all to make me happy. This morning I woke to a lovely breakfast of cold toast with hard clumps of butter and little blobs of honey, a beautiful card and and some watered down grape juice. It was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had!

I'm such a lucky girl. I was the mom with the most flower hair pin presents in church today. Having four kids in Primary really has it's perks sometimes.

It's funny how life happens. I have six kids. Weird/Wonderful.

Art&Fashion

2011-03-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

You may not know this about me...but almost every night as I lay down to do to sleep I "see" things in my mind. It's really not as creepy as it sounds, I promise. I see clothing. And not just your everyday jeans and T-shirts. I see the most beautiful, colorful, indescribable designs of perfection. Sadly I am severely lacking in the ability to translate what I see in my head to paper. And I always tell myself I'll remember in the morning and try to sketch it then. Somehow I never do remember. I love sewing and learning everything I can about it. It's hard to squeeze it in with everything else I should be doing. But whenever I do, I feel so happy. OK, I'm weird. Although you wouldn't know from looking at me I have the heart of a fashion designer. So, you can only imagine the delight I took in finding these two creating "dress designs" the other day! They were so cute concocting ideas on how they were going to sell their paper dresses and where they should hang them up for people to see. Children after my own heart!

Uh....Ya, It's Been Awhile

2011-03-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Can it really be?! Christmas was my last post? Life of course continues to march forward. Ada turned one. Marley turned thirteen. We wrestled a bit, snuggled Ada a lot. I feel like I've spent an eternity in the car driving to and from various classes, sports, activities. Aislyn started going to school at Hidden Creek Elementary. Marley won the part of Hermia in her Shakespeare class' production of A Midsummer's Night Dream. Townsend gets to play Egeus(aka Hermia's father). They both think that's pretty funny. Jairus is learning to read. Ephraim is officially potty trained.YAY! Thomas had surgery for a spot of skin cancer on his nose that ended up being a much bigger than we first thought. Aislyn started Occupational Therapy. And so much more.

It's funny how my definition of "busy" has evolved over the years. It's funny how I have evolved over the years.

It's Christmas

2010-12-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

Aislyn loves her new doll house. And Jairus loves playing with the miniature furniture inside. Marley bought the cutest little wood peg people off of Etsy and painted them for Aisy. She hasn't put them down all day.

Marley and Townsend playing some Pokemon game together. They are revelling in their unlimited DS time today. They know they won't be this lucky tomorrow.

These two were in need of a bath ten times over! Ada has mastered scavenging the floor for abandoned candy.

The kids first woke up at 5:30 this morning but I mumbled something incoherent to their pleas and promptly fell back asleep. At 6:30 I finally succumbed to all the cheerful chatter and giggles. It was a sweet morning. It's wonderful to feel the excited energy, to hear Aislyn say,"This is the best Christmas ever!" To hear all the "thank yous" and "awesomes". I remember being a kid, and how I loved the night time with the beautiful Christmas lights on the tree. I remember the smell of the tree and how everything just felt happier.I hope that each one of my kids are creating their own special memories. I hope that they feel happier. I hope that they recognize the love of their Savior and how it feels.
I feel strange today. My emotions are very close to the surface. I find myself crying randomly. I find myself missing my brother Brent so much it hurts. He is so steady and sure, so dependable and so amazingly loving. I miss knowing that he is close by, because he would always drop everything and do everything he could to help if I needed it. I love my family. I am so thankful to be a Judd and to have that love and support. I am so thankful for my Carroll family. My mother is a saint on earth. I am amazed at all she does for others. I am thankful for my dad and I 'm thankful to know him and understand what are wonderful man he is more each passing year. I am thankful to know my Steve Done dad and have him be a part of our lives. He is so generous and kind.
The past couple of months I have been led to discover some things about my sweet Aisy J.Her unusual and unruly behavior has been increasing by an alarming amount the last few months. She has recently been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. I still have a ton of researching to do. But it is a disorder in the spectrum of autism. And it explains SO much about Aislyn. It explains every strange thing she has ever done. It's interesting to see the phases of coping with difficult news.At first I felt relieved to know that there was a reason. Then I felt fear, for her future, for her capabilities. Now I feel hope, but unbelievably overwhelmed. I don't know where to go, what to do. All the occupational therapists within 50 miles of us are booked out for 6-8 months. But the hardest thing for me is letting Thomas go through his own phases of dealing.

I don't know that I've ever had so much "stuff" to deal with at one time in my life before. But in it I can see amazing blessings, and the sweet love of my Savior. Today I was reading the conference Ensign, a talk by Henry B. Eyring, who I love SO much. He is such a sweet and tender man.The message struck me very deeply. Peace and happiness come from trusting my heavenly Father. Simple and of course makes sense. But it's a concept that doesn't distill on my soul without the help of the Holy Ghost. Just trust Him, it is all for my good, for Aislyn's good, for Thomas' good. It is, so that we might be compelled to turn to our Savior and feel his love and healing. And what I realized is that He trusts me. He trusted me with this beautiful little girl, to raise her and love her and teach her the truth. And so, I resolve yet again to never give my Father in heaven reason to loose his trust in me. I will do my best.

Point Huskies!

2010-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Being a family of eight tends to put definite limits on our entertainment budget. But Thomas found an awesome deal and way to spend time with his girls. UW has a "Daddy, Daughter" package. For $25 a person you get a T-shirt, a volleyball game ticket, 2 basketball game tickets and a gymnastics meet ticket to see the lady huskies. It's so very fun and let me tell you those lady volleyball players are tough! Here's Marley and her dad just before taking off for their date. Oh, how I love these two!

Townsend

2010-11-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

The first thing I noticed about Townsend as they laid him on my chest after he was born was his bright blue eyes. He was wide awake and ready to take everything in. He was also very hungry and was ready to eat the minute he was born. I loved him instantly. When he was about two he started giving THE best hugs in the whole world. He would put his little chubby arms your neck and squeeze with all his might and love. Those hugs....well they were beyond words. When he was four he learned to read and has never been without a book since. He is bright. Townsend's middle name is Justice and it is very representative of who he is and what's important to him. I have watched him grow in mind, body, and spirit and I am proud of who he is now and what he is becoming. He's not perfect,by any stretch of the imagination. There are days when I feel I am being driven over the edge of insanity by my sweet little guy. But I love him, he is funny, he is smart, he is tender, and he is thoughtful. And it breaks my heart when others don't see what I see. He is just trying to figure out his place in the world. But really isn't that what we're all trying to do?

I thought this one was so sweet. If I'm not careful it might bring a few tears to my eyes.

Best Friends!

2010-09-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite things about home schooling is how much time I get to spend with my kids. Of course if you catch me on a bad day I might also say it's one of the things I don't like about home schooling. But those days are rare. I have come to believe that as far as being a mother goes it's mostly about "quantity". Don't get me wrong "quality time" is very important. But we are all busy with so many important and worthy activities that sometimes, at least for me I don't have time for quality. But, my kids are with me in almost everything I do. I am able to teach them and gain their trust just by the sheer number of hours they have to spend with me every day. I am so thankful for my relationship with each one of my kids. They are each so different, so interesting, and have so much to share with me.
They not only spend an awful lot of time with me but also with each other. Some days it seems like all I hear is bickering. But somehow along the way all this "quantity time" has had an added benefit. They really love each other. Lately I have been noticing more and more my Marley and Townsend having real and meaningful conversations. They talk about books, they talk about qualities in other people that they admire or want to avoid, they tell me how much they miss the other one when they are away. They both say that even though they fight, the other is their best friend. And as a mother there is absolutely nothing more rewarding than my children truly loving each other. It makes all the mundane, gross, and tedious jobs worth every second I spend on them. I love you Marley and Townsie. You make our home a happy place to be!

Family Picture Time

2010-09-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

My hat goes off to wonderful Amberlyn who was brave/crazy enough to take on my brood. Family pictures this year was an adventure full of surprise,Thomas' funny "WHOOP"ing, and a lot of bribery. Here are a few of the previews. I'm not sure we'll ever manage to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time, let alone with a half way normal expression. But I love how each photo captures the pure essence of each one of the kids.

Yes, I made matching dresses for the girls. I don't know what overcame me. I haven't always been the matchy, matchy sort of girl but it just seemed cute to me this time around. I even attempted to make myself coordinating dress but that didn't turn out so well. But my summer sewing adventures are a whole other story.(I'm saving up for a fancy dress form.)

OK. So...Townsend was "on a roll" this day. How I love that kid and all his boyish antics. Ephraim is pretending to shoot something in this one, which is pretty his new favorite pastime. Ada is trying to escape which her new favorite pastime. Marley thinks we're all a just a little weird, which is her new favorite thing. Jairus, well he was just plain happy for a minute which is not generally his favorite thing to be. And Aislyn, I think she was dreaming of the chicken nuggets we had to promise in order to get her to agree to this whole thing.

I have not been much in the mood to blog as of late. I have to admit I have been struggling a bit with a case of the "bad attitudes". I don't know what's wrong with me, but I have been uncharacteristically negative and grumpy for awhile now. My poor family. Also I don't really get any comments anymore so I don't feel motivated to write. It's all about the comments, people! I'm talking to you brother Brent.

Life is good though. Ever changing, busy, and chaotic. But I am so thankful for it all.

Aislyn+Scissors

2010-08-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

So today we had a little excitement. As you can see Aislyn did some experimental work with my sewing scissors late last night. This is what I was greeted with this morning as I came out of my bedroom. Pure awesomeness! It was one those moments when you can't decide if you want to laugh or cry. I mean, I was really excited to get some family pictures taken in a couple of weeks. I had happy dreams of everyone looking pretty, clean, and sweet. And now....uh, this.

Luckily we have a new friend in the ward, Cristy who was so very helpful. She saved us from a buzz cut! On the bright side, she looks a little like Haily Mills in Parent Trap.

Paddle Boat Racing

2010-07-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Day two in Boise Thomas didn't have to work much. So we found a riverfront park to spend the day in. Did you know that Boise is called the City of Trees? Indeed it is, and it really is quite beautiful. I am not much of a desert loving person. The desolate hills and mountains all along the drive to Utah have in my estimation always been UGLY. So needless to say I wasn't too excited about a family vacation to Boise. I pictured it just being more dry, dusty, wasteland. I stand corrected. Such a beautiful river and trees and grass everywhere. It was hot and sunny the whole time, but not too hot.

There was a place you could rent paddle boats and since none of us had ever been on a paddle boat we thought we'd give it a try. It took three boats to accommodate all of us and once we figured out who should ride with who we were on our way.

Townsend, me, and Ada rode together. Townsend felt pretty cool being able to drive the boat. And of course as no ten year old boy would be, he was not content with mere liesurely paddling. And so a paddle boat race ensued! Turns out though, no matter how hard you peddle you really can't go very fast.

So, leave it to my sweet husband to up the ante and turn the paddle boat race into paddle boat bumper cars. Not to worry though, paddle aren't very good at bumping either. And in the end we all just paddled slowly side by side and had a lovely afternoon.

Boise-Day One

2010-07-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks now since we left for Boise. I'm not behind or anything! Thomas was going for a week to help set some new scanners up at the Boise airport. Since the hotel and mileage were paid for we thought we might as well all go. As we were getting off the freeway to get to our hotel we saw of all things the Boise LDS Temple. So for our first adventure that's were we went. The boys had a lovely time discovering hidden doors all around the building, Aislyn spent her time fighting the urge to pick the flowers, and Ada was just trying to decide which she liked least, the sun in her eyes or the sun bonnet on her head. We met a lovely family who actually lives just 20 miles from us. The mother was from Brazil and she had all her family visiting with her. I just love listening to people speak in different languages.I can't wait for Thomas and I to be able to go on missions together. It motivated me to get back on track with my Spanish lessons on Rosetta Stone.
Our first day there was Sunday and temples are closed on Sundays. But the gate to parking lot was open so I just drove in. As we headed back to the car, much to my surprise I saw that the gate was now locked. I stood there for a moment with my mouth literally gaping open. And then I noticed a man across the lot with an amused expression on his face. Luckily he was kind enough to let us out.
It is a beautiful and unique building- how cool that we just happened upon it?

Home

2010-07-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here's my pretty girl. Camp can wear a girl out. She was away from us for a whole week! I just can not believe that my baby girl is old enough to go to Girls Camp. She had "THE BEST TIME EVER". She got so tan while she was away I almost didn't recognize her. Now she's home, well sort of. We had a fun time surprising her with an improptu family vacation to Boise. Poor thing didn't even get to go home and shower, we left straight from the church.

What have we been up to?

2010-06-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Rolling down grassy hills.

Playing with chickens.

Picnicking with our much missed, unofficially adopted daughter Felicity who is back in Washington for the summer.

Snuggling with the cutest, sweetest, fat baby around.

We've been in Port Orchard for almost two months now and all I can say is I LOVE IT HERE! It is true that our house here is much smaller but somehow it's actually made life a little easier. I like that no one can hide from me. I love how beautiful it is everywhere. I love that the kids are practically always outside. Even my little TVaholic, Aislyn has all but forgotten about the lures of that creativity sucking television. They play "explorer" every day. I love my chickens. I love all the different birds that I've never seen before. I love how much more friendly people are here. Even the Costco sample ladies who in Tacoma are notoriously cranky are pleasant and sweet out here. I love our ward at church, I've never felt so welcomed. I love our neighbors/landlord.
Things I don't love: missing my friends and having to drive back over the bridge to visit them. Have I ever mentioned my irrational fear of deep, dark water? And I don't so much love the crazy big hills here everywhere you turn. Ok, I do love them just not when I'm trying to run. They're killing me.
We do still plan on ending up in Utah someday but for now I will just hope that's way off in the future. Port Orchard rocks!

NEW YORK!(a month ago)

2010-06-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

The last week in April Thomas, Ada, and I got to take a little trip to New Jersey to visit my beloved brother in law Brent and his lovely wife Sheree. We have missed them terribly since they left us for the Garden State. Thomas and I celebrate both our birthdays and our anniversary within a three week time period, so this little trip commemorated 14 happy years together. Man we're getting old! We ate REAL Italian food, saw a few historic sites, drove around looking at old beautiful houses, saw the Manhatten temple/stake center, went to NY City for a day, but mostly just spent time with people we dearly love.

She Sucks Her Thumb!

2010-05-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

I have never had a thumb-sucking baby before. It's something I didn't ever hope for in my children. You know, horror stories of bad teeth and orthodontist bills and memories of that poor girl who was teased for still indulging in the comfort in the fourth grade. But it turns out that it is sooooo very cute when this little chubster finds her thumb and starts to sucking. A plus for me is that because of this new found skill she sleeps for longer stretches at night. Yay! Bad teeth be damned, I love sleep.

We want a pitcher-not a belly itcher!

2010-04-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

OK, so Townsend isn't really a belly-itcher, at least when it comes to baseball. He and his dad have been working and practicing and working some more on his pitching. The coach was so impressed with his form that he got to pitch the season opener. He did quite well, even striking a few guys out.

Baseball has never been my favorite sport to watch, but there's something about this particular cute boy in uniform that manages to hold my interest. I'm so proud of my Townsie. He rocks!

In the Buff(Orpington)

2010-04-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

My dream of raising chickens has become a reality! Although not at the most ideal time, as we are moving in two weeks and right now the chickens reside on my back porch. My sweet friend Ida ordered 25 layers from the awesome McMurray hatchery and we split them. I ended up with 10 hens and 2 roosters. I'm not even positive what breed they are, but I think they are Buff Orpintons which is quite a lovely name, don't you think? Not sure what I'll do with the roosters, but I have become rather attached one rooster in particular. He has such an attitude and I love him. In case you didn't know chickens grow quite quickly. They are only seven weeks old and starting to get their combs and feather out nicely. They aren't so very cute at this stage in the game, I lovingly refer to them as my akward teenage chickens right now.

Ephraim and Marley seem to be most excited about them. We took them all outside today as it is sunny and beautiful. They were all so awesome scratching and pecking and eating bugs. Ephraim likes to show who's boss. He's quite adept and picking them up gently, although it did take a number of lessons to get the "gentle" part down.

Here's my rooster! Can't you just see the attitude oozing out of him?

9 Days-7 Books

2010-04-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Here's my almost ten year old guy. Townsend has many talents. Baseball, basketball, swimming, piano playing, giving beautiful prayers, reading, tormenting his siblings, and debating the pants off of anyone who dares try, just to name of few. But the one we're talking about today is reading. I've had to threaten to take away his books a number of times this week. It seems almost wrong as I catch myself saying it. I mean doesn't every mother want their son to spend his spare time reading? But really the kid is obsessed. I actually caught him hiding in a closet with his book so I couldn't pester him with requests to do his chores. Oh, how I love my Townsend!

New Skirt

2010-03-17T23:50:00.000-07:00

I have been in the mood for sewing a lot lately. Ada's blessing dress took me a few weeks to get done. But I was able to get this made in just a couple of days. Have I ever mentioned how very much I love to sew? If I haven't I will say it now. I absoloutely love to sew. I wish I had way more time. There is so much more I want to learn about the fascinating world of clothing construction. I love fabric. All the amazing textures and colors and patterns. I am happy in room full of fabric. OK, I'll stop now. This skirt is I think only the second thing I have made for myself that actually turned out. It's a lot harder to get things to fit an adult properly. I've got little girls' dresses down pat though. Next up...I think Marley wants me to help her make ruffle skirt out of some pink eyelet we have laying around. She's becoming a rather talented little seamstress herself these days.

Don't Forget Your Hat And Boots!

2010-03-15T00:53:00.000-07:00

We had a few nice sunny and fairly warm days a week or two ago, but for the most part it's still pretty wintery here in the Great Northwest. Luckily Ephraim has two posessions he doesn't ever like to be without. The first being the hood to his puffy red coat. He doesn't care too much about the coat itself, just the hood. The second, his rain boots.(In this photo he brought along his sisters' pink backpack for good measure.)

From time to time he may forget the nonessentials(like pants) but rest assured he will always remember to wear his hat and boots.

Month One

2010-02-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

Ada made it successfully through her first month in the Judd family. She is such a sweet and happy baby. She loves to eat and has managed to gain a whopping 3 1/2 pounds in her first month! Her cheeks are just so smooshable. I love fat babies and she is certainly well on her way to being fat.

Birth Story

2010-01-21T23:28:00.000-08:00

I remember making fun of my mom and women in general when I was teenager. It seemed that whenever you got a group of women together they inevitably ended up sharing their birth stories. That of course was something I was NOT interested in at the time. Times have changed, as they often do. Having done it a few times now(given birth that is) I understand what a life altering experience it is. It's probably impossible not to talk about from time to time. So at the risk of being mocked by those teenage girls out there I'm going to share my most recent experience.

This time around I decided to have my baby at home. Kind of crazy in some peoples' view. But it made sense to me. I have been lucky enough to have all my kids naturally and the last two I had water births, which by the way I highly recommend. Plus I really hate the hospital and all the poking and prodding and waking up they do there.

I had the most wonderful midwife in the world, Dawn Wadleigh. I love her. She is extremely knowledgeable, kind, compassionate, and seemed genuinely interested in me as a person. I loved every visit.

Pregnancy seems to get a little harder each time. I would be lying if I said I enjoyed it. My back and hips hurt all the time, acid reflux is the death of me, and of course my vain side doesn't really enjoy watching my butt get wider. It's all worth it though.

Ada's due date was January 7th. I was hoping she would come just a week early so we could claim on our taxes. But that was not to be. I had a few sleepless nights thinking perhaps I was in labor and then much to my chagrin fell asleep and woke up babyless. But on Sunday the 10th sometime in the night I started having pretty painful contractions about 8-10 minutes apart. They stayed that way all night and through the morning. Even after five kids I wasn't really sure if it was the real thing. I called Dawn and my lovely friend Sarah who was going to be my doula. I asked Sarah to come and hang out with me for moral support and told Dawn we'd keep her updated. Sarah got to my house and within just a few minutes the contractions moved to only two minutes apart. Someone called Dawn, not sure who. And then in only a few more minutes they were right on top of each other. I got into the birth tub and could tell it would be only minutes until our little girl would be with us. The only hitch of course was that the midwife wasn't there yet. Everything progressed so quickly.

Sarah is going to school to become a midwife and has been a doula for quite a few people. I am very thankful for this because it was her who ended up delivering sweet little Ada Leigh. She was awesome. So calm under pressure. She even knew exactly what to do when the cord was wrapped around her neck. The whole experience was strangely peaceful and calm. I just knew that everything was as it should be and was perfect.

Dawn arrived just a few minutes later as all the kids were meeting their new little sister. She took care of all the post birth stuff while Sarah fully realized what she had just been able to do and freaked out just a little bit.

Although everything didn't go exactly as I had planned I would do it all again. It really was the best birth experience I've had. To top it all off she was born on my mom's birthday. My brother and his wife also had a baby just two hours before me. All in all a pretty exciting birthday for her.

Ada Leigh Judd

2010-01-15T23:44:00.000-08:00

She is finally here! Ada Leigh joined the family on Sunday January 10th. We're not absolutely sure of the time but Marley says it was 4:47 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long.

I'll post all about her exciting arrival soon. I feel accomplished just getting a couple pictures put on here. But suffice it to say she is very loved by everyone. She is a sweet and perfect little baby.

This Month

2009-11-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

I haven't gotten around to blogging (or doing much of anything) this month. I have those end of pregnancy blahs. I don't feel like doing much of anything but cleaning and organizing. Yes, I'm nesting. So here are a couple pictures I managed to take.

Thanksgiving with my family. My parents have fourteen grandchildren and two more on the way. My sister Melanie went to Spokane this year so we only had eleven of the fourteen running around shrieking with joyful mischievous delight. Here are the ones lucky enough to sit at the kids' table.

My sweet Jairus with his future wife. He loves Molly Beecher. And I'm pretty sure she loves him too.

Me and my belly. Only six more weeks to go. Crazy.

Ephraim in his bunny suit with a chocolate covered face. Halloween was a good day for this little guy.

1953

2009-10-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a little treasure from 1953. My wonderful friend Marianne let look through her collection of vintage patterns. This beauty was just meant to be. The measurements fit Marley perfectly right now. (Marley was quite concerned that I wouldn't finish before she grew) We had just enough of this fabric in my fabric stash. And it goes perfectly with the coat I made her last winter.

I love all things vintage. How wonderful that my powers of persuasion are rubbing off on my girl. She too loves all things old fashioned. A girl after my own heart. Aislyn still just loves all things pink. I'm working on her though.

Look at this beauty! I can't believe she will be twelve in just a few months. She is a girl of many talents and a kind heart. I can't imagine life without her and all she does. If you haven't already, you should check out her blog. It often makes me giggle and is very sweet. It's on my list of blogs- upside down and right side up.

I finally broke down

2009-10-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I finally broke down and turned on the furnace yesterday. Most people think I'm crazy to have waited so long. I probably am. But really, who wants to pay that extra bill through the winter months? Anyway, in preparation for a nice toasty warm house I replaced the furnace filters and decided to vacuum out the vents downstairs. Who knew I would be in for such a surprise.
Let me list the treasures I found in just one vent:
-A rock measuring about 4 inches in diameter.
-5-6 smaller rocks.
-2 jolly ranchers.
-A plastic muscle man action figure.
-3 pens.
-2 pencils.
-A rubber band.
-And a very stale dinner roll.

Apparently this has been someone's special summer time hiding spot although no one has any idea who would do such a thing:)

It's Been Awhile

2009-10-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

What has happened the past few weeks? Well, not picture taking that's for sure. So here's a list.

-Jairus celebrated his fourth birthday with cookies and a Hot Wheels car ramp complete with a skull that you drive your cars into. Strange that my sensitive, tender boy is all about skeletons right now, or "skimitoos" as he pronounces it.
-Thomas and I got to go to the temple with his cousin Holly and her husband Joe for their first time. Very sweet experience.
-Our computer crashed, then miraculously started again, then died again, and is now hopefully really and truly fixed, thanks to John. What a roller coaster.
-I started a hornet's nest so to speak of political debate, kind of a weird position for me to be in.
-Ephraim wrote on the wall with red pencil and then cracked the plaster and started picking at it and now we have a three inch hole in our hallway. Awesome.
-We set up the crib for the baby, always fun for me. I can't wait for her to get here. Only ten more weeks to go.
-Marley turned into a teenager overnight and is now very concerned about privacy and all the injustices of having brothers and sisters.
-Townsend went to Grandma Carroll's house for a week and had a lovely time. We're glad to have him back though.

Up next....Halloween which I have not prepared for at all and then Aislyn's sixth birthday party which she has been inviting people to for the last six months.

Happy Birthday Ephraim!

2009-10-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our little guy is now a big two years old. A little something about Ephraim. He likes to eat. He holds the family record for eating pancakes. Seven! He prefers to communicate by answering all questions with a nod or shake of his head. He's very tough and has no trouble holding his own with all these big kids around him. He loves to hug his brother Jairus and play horsey with his sister Marley. He is an escape artist and has given his mother a near heart attack a few times now. Most of all he is the most lovable two year old I know.

Westport and Grandpa!

2009-09-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last Monday was just about as perfect as a day can be. We all piled into the Pilot and headed for the beach. School started for everyone else last week so we had the beach to ourselves. We were all happy to have Grandpa Done here for a visit. Grandpa=Fun. We made sand castles, found jellyfish and shells, buried our legs in the sand, thought we were being killed by a wave that knocked us down(OK that one was Jairus but he recovered quickly), threw a lot of sand, drove on the beach and scared innocent seagulls, saw cranberry bogs, ate at a wonderful little restaraunt called Bennett's, broke a glass, ate an "adult meal" and had generally had a beautiful day. Thank you grandpa!

Canning Week!

2009-09-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Canning week. In a strange and twisted way I look forward to it all year long. I never work quite so hard, or stay up quite so late as I do this week. I'm never quite so tired or frazzled as I am this week. But I never feel quite the sense of fulfillment as I do this week. And even though the kids complain here and there I think they feel the same way. Hard work makes you feel good, it gives you confidence. Both Marley and Townsend made comments about how fun it was and how they loved it. Even Ephraim got in on the green snapping and corn husking action.
This year Sarah and I drove to Yakima on Monday, loaded up her van with probably 1,000 pounds of produce and then got to work on Tuesday. Thanks to Sister Moore we got 400 pounds of corn for free from the WSU fields in Puyallup. This year our family did 40 quarts of peaches, 15 quarts of pears, 65 quarts of green beans, 85 quarts of tomatoes and we froze 25 quarts of fresh corn. It all tastes so much better than the store bought stuff.

Here's our pile of corn husks.

Pretty tomatoes.

Corn huskin' tickle fight.

Fruits of our labors.

Utah

2009-08-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time in Utah. Sadly I almost always forgot to bring the camera with me so we're lacking in photographic evidence. Thanks to Lucinda for welcoming our brood into her home and being so cool about the extra messes in her house. Thomas and I went to Education Week Tuesday through Friday. I LOVE Education Week. It's so uplifting, motivating, and spirit filled. In the evening we did fun things with the kids. We got to go on a walk at Silver Lake with Thomas' mission buddy Mark and his beautiful family. We took the kids and walked around the BYU campus. We thought we'd start brainwashing them early as to what school they want to attend. We went to a little water park on Monday where I got the sunburn of the century. I'm still peeling. So gross. The kids had a blast and even Jairus summed up the courage to go down water slides with his dad and loved it. We also took an afternoon and walked around Temple Square. I hadn't been there since I was very little. Such an amazing place. Utah was sunny and wonderful. We always feel so loved there. Everyone was sad to leave, especially Aislyn and Jairus who were spoiled rotten by their sweet cousins Jenica and Elise. Thank you girls!

It was a wonderful time but I was glad to be home in my own bed.

Eight Things

2009-08-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

My ultra creative and talented friend Helena Jole tagged me and so here it is.

8 Things I Did Yesterday

-Husked corn
-Blanched corn
-Cut corn off the cob
-Put corn into freezer bags
-Canned tomatoes
-Canned pears
-Mopped kitchen floor multiple times
-Washed jars of freshly canned produce and looked lovingly at their beauty sitting in my cupboards
Can you tell it's canning week at my house?

8 Favorite Shows

-The Cosby Show
-The Office
-Friends
-
-
-
-
-I'm not really up my TV shows. We haven't had TV in 5 years. But we do watch( a few too many) movies.

8 Favorite Restaraunts

-East West Cafe
-Flipping Out (cheeseburgers are delicioso)
-Sarah's House for soup(not really a restaraunt but the soup is always wonderful)
-Moctezuma's
-Cafe Rio
-The Teryaki place by the Seattle temple, they serve brown rice and I love it. Plus I always go there with my husband and I love my husband.
-I can't think of eight.
-All I can think about is Sarah's potato leek soup. Hint hint.

8 Things I Look Forward To

-Ada Leigh being born
-Time alone with Thomas
-Time alone with each of my kids, they are all so different and interesting.
-Sewing Ada's blessing gown
-Trip to Vegas with my Best Loved Baby girls
-My Steve Done dad coming to visit this weekend
-Being a grandma

I tag Marianne, Sarah, Ida, Kristen, Marley and anyone else who happens to read this.

It's a.......

2009-08-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

GIRL! Which is very good news since Aislyn already told everyone months ago that her mom was having a baby girl. I can't wait to get started on her blessing gown. Just need to save up enough to get my sewing machine fixed, darn it.

Our Neighbor Totoro

2009-08-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last week we checked out "Our Neighbor Totoro" from the library. Japanese anime at it's finest. Aislyn being the movie lover that she is especially appreciated it. Now Totoros are her favorite drawing subject. I particularly like the teeth.

Aislyn's New Do

2009-07-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

Really it's been a long time coming. Aislyn was lucky(or not so lucky) enough to inherent her hair from me. Granted hers is generally curlier than mine and has those beautiful natural highlights. The problem with super thick and curly hair is that it tangles in an instant. This propensity for messy hair combined with Aislyn's natural fiery dispostion makes for a fun time when brushing, washing, what have you. I'm crossing my fingers that shorter hair will equal shorter temper tantrums. We shall see.

She was especially excited about the "heart braid". I'm not so sure it's worth the extra four bucks they stick to the price tag, but she LOVES it.

Pretty Aislyn.

The Hike That Was Not

2009-07-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I drove up to Goldbar again for a couple of reasons. I had to retrieve Marley and Aislyn from their getaway at grandma's and we all wanted to hike to Wallace Falls. Turns out if you want to hike on a beautiful sunny Saturday you'd better get there early. And as some of you may know getting up early is not exactly my forte'. There was absolutely no where to park within a mile to the trail entrance. Plan B.....find yet another cute little mountain stream and get wet.

It is now apparent that I am indeed pregnant. Four months. Just one more to go and we'll know if I get to start smocking sweet little girl dresses. Can you tell that I just might be hoping for a girl? I do adore little boys though too.

Jairus inside a tree. He thought that was pretty great.

Pretty browned-eyed Marley. I might also be hoping for another set of brown eyes on this baby. They're so warm and beautiful.

Funny Aisy getting her bum wet. She had forgotten her swim suit. Can you believe my mom threw this one together in just 20 minutes with stuff she had laying around?!

Beautiful

2009-07-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

A little blurry but still beautiful.

Our fourth

2009-07-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

The fourth of July was our last day in Goldbar. It was hot and sunny and oh so beautiful at the Skykomish river. I love the blue/green color of the river. Townsend went inner tubing with grandma again. I stayed on the sandy shore with Ephraim and Jairus and got some sun. A little too much on my shoulders.

Aislyn was pretty much her loner self, content to cover herself in sand, rinse, and repeat.

OK, is it just me or do his arms look freakishly long here? It's crazy to watch my little Townsie grow up. He's getting so tall and strong.

Jairus and Ephraim spent their time throwing sand. I guess some things never loose their appeal. I had to wash about a pound of sand out of my hair later that night.

It was a wonderful, laid back day. We didn't even bother trying to go to a fire works show. Everyone was too tired by then.

Up The Creek

2009-07-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

We're spending a couple of days in the lovely town of Goldbar WA with my parents. The kids view time at grandma's as the ultimate vacation. Time with cousins, in the kiddie pool, sleeping in tents, and best of all swimming in creeks and rivers with the funnest grandma ever.

The creek isn't too deep right now, but Aislyn was still not too sure of how fun the inner tube was.

Townsend on the other hand knows there is nothing better than a cool creek on a hot day.

Granola...It's what's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

2009-06-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

So far this pregnancy I've had a love affair with fruit smoothies, Trader Joe's frozen macaroni and cheese, and now home made granola. I got this recipe from Sarah's mother Fran. Fran is a do-it-your-selfer in every possible way. She is a wealth of the kind of knowledge I'd like to have. So whenever she is in town I try to learn something new from her.

I find this granola to be delectable. It's crunchy, golden goodness has no equal. I find myself eating at least two bowls a day lately. The original recipe didn't call for flax or pumkin seeds but I think they add that little something extra plus they're very good for you.

The recipe is as follows:
6 cups rolled oats
2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups chopped nuts( I use half almonds and half pecans)
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 to 1 cup honey(to taste)
3/4 to 1 cup melted butter(to taste)
1 T cinnamon
1 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oats, coconut, nuts, and seeds in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine melted butter, honey, cinnamon, and salt. Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Spread onto cookie trays and place on top rack of oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes.

This recipe makes a lot so if you're not feeding an army you could cut in half.
Enjoy!

The Obsession Continues

2009-06-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

So you might recall from earlier posts Ephraim's love of jam. I guess after a hard day of playing in the dirt there's nothing quite as comforting as a jar of jam to snuggle with while napping.

Dash Point!

2009-06-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was a beautiful, warm, sunshiny day and Thomas was home from work. It was just one of those perfect family fun days. First, we all ventured to the mall and everyone got their own new pair of flip flops from Old Navy. You can't beat 2 for $5 when buying shoes.

Then we headed to Dash Point. We were especially lucky because the tide was WAY out. So many cool things to discover. Among our finds were a sea snail, a geoduck, sand dollars,clam shells, a sea cucumber, jellyfish, and a bunch of crabs(unfortunately the crabs were all dead). Marley and Townsend were so excited about all their discoveries. Aislyn was content to just dig in the sand the whole time. Ephraim LOVED throwing the sand but didn't love having to get cleaned up when he was done. Jairus was happy to be by my side most of the time. But even he ventured off for a little while and threw some sand with his little brother.

Happy Ephraim.

Digging Aislyn.

Marley and Townsend whilst finding a jellyfish.

Update

2009-05-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

So yesterday when we realized the thief had my phone Thomas decided to send them a funny little text saying"Hey, would you mind returning my ID when you're done with it?" Turns out the thief had a little heart. After he/she was done trying to spend some money all over town they drove back to our neighborhood and threw the wallet(ID crumpled but inside) on the sidewalk about a block from our house. Some kids found it and returned it that afternoon. Thanks be to a criminal who isn't completely evil!

A Break In?

2009-05-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Indeed. The day started at 4:50am with a huge dose of adrenaline. I was laying in bed dosing in and out of consciousness, feeling kindof nauseous, and wishing that the sun weren't shining in my bedroom window...just yet. I heard footsteps just outside by bedroom door at the top of the stairs. This in and of itself isn't unusual, Aislyn comes in to sleep the last couple of hours with me quite often. So I said,"Hello". And then a set of foot steps took off running down the stairs. Thomas then rolled over and said,"That was weird." And then fell right back to sleep. I still wasn't scared. I hoped maybe Felicity had gotten up extra early for seminary or something. So I go downstairs and look around. I start to feel "that feeling" when I got to the back pantry and find the door left open. So brave girl that I am I book as fast as I can go back up the stairs and tell Thomas to go check it out further. They got our laptop, my cell phone, and Thomas' wallet. The police came and dusted for fingerprints. But of course there is really not much chance of catching this brazen, bold, and horrible person.

It's so cliche but I really do feel so violated. The worst part is that whoever it was was upstairs just feet away from where my children were sleeping. So creepy! It was light outside and they were so brave as to venture upstairs, not satisfied with what they found downstairs. My only consolation is that they must have been sorely disappointed with what they got. The computer they took was missing the shift key since Ephraim thinks it fun to pop the keys off. They tried getting cash from our accounts but luckily we're so broke right now nothing worked out for them. The computer did have all my pictures from the last six months or so which is very sad to me. And just yesterday I thought to myself that I needed to back them up on disk. You should always listen to that voice in the back of your mind.

It's been a day to remember. Some good news though, Thomas got a promotion at work today and will never again have to wear the TSA uniform, which makes him very happy. We are extremely blessed though. How thankful I am that we were all safe and protected and no real harm came from it.

Calvin Heath Simmons

2009-05-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Just after 9:00 am on Tuesday morning Calvin Heath Simmons was born. It was the most amazing experience! Sarah was able to have a water birth at home. It was peaceful and calm and beautiful. I had never experienced a birth from an outside perspective before. I am thankful Sarah asked me to be there. I worried that I wouldn't know what to do to comfort her or that I might irritate her. But it just kind of all came naturally. It was just such an amazing,beautiful day. Sarah was awesome. Everything went quickly and smoothly. The baby is perfect and healthy. I just love the difference being at home made. I have always hated the hospital. But I didn't realize there were any other options. They never leave you alone, never let you get any sleep, make you worry about everything. It is all so clinical, cold, and emotionless. I am so excited to do my next birth at home. Dawn Wadleigh is her midwife and now mine. She was so perfect. She is extremely knowledgeable, calming, and nurturing. Sarah and baby are doing great. My kids are happy because the Simmons boys are getting to spend a lot of time over at our house. I love new babies!

My Birthday!

2009-05-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

OK, so usually on my birthday I tend to get a little grumpy. Today was different. Today was perfect. Sure, I'm another year older. I'm getting little wrinkles all around my eyes, and my stomach will never be as flat as it once was. But today I was showered with love and affection. And I see what a blessed life I have been given.
It started with my beautiful Marley Mae giving me a menu with my options for breakfast, which she then lovingly prepared. I had delicious scrambled eggs and orange juice. She then told me I should get dressed because my surprise was coming over. She had secretly called my best friend since I was seventeen, Jessica to come over. Jessica and Molly(her daughter, who is also Jairus' future wife) brought me lilacs, a pine cone, a princess crown, and took me out to hot chocolate at Starbucks. When I got back my sweet husband went running with me. That is one of my favorite things. Then my wonderful mother drove all the way down from Goldbar with my grandma and brought me lunch. Then my beautiful friend Sarah brought a huge basket of fresh fruit and some chicken salad(because she knew I was craving them). Then my lovely friends Trissa and Tallie called and sang me happy birthday. All three of my sisters called. And then just when I thought nothing else cool could happen my friend Bonnie dropped by with cupcakes and a beautiful boquet of flowers. I have never felt so dang popular in all my life!
To top it all off, the week of depressing, cold, drizzly, rain ended and the sun was warm and bright all day long.

I am so grateful for all that I have been given. I do not need anything more than the love of such wonderful people.
Thank you everyone!

Mothers I Love

2009-05-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is my mamma and I when I was I think nine months old. Oh, how I love my mother. I have learned many things from this sweet lady throughout my life. She instilled in me the value of had work. She taught me how to sew. When I was struggling to learn how to read she made flash cards and spent hours working with me until I was one of the best readers in my class. She has shown me how to follow my interests. More important than these, my mother is totally and completely selfless. I know of no one who sacrifices more of themselves for others. I only pray that I may one day love and serve others the way she always has. She has shown me that gospel of Jesus Christ is worth sacrificing everything for. She loves people unconditionally and sees the good in everyone. Really, she is the most Christ like person I know. I am so blessed to call her mother.

This is my grandma and grandpa O'Neil. My grandma has always been very special to me. She taught me to always park as far away from wherever you're going because,"If you walk now, you'll be walking when you're ninety." She is now ninety two and is indeed still walking. She is fun and adventurous. She and my grandpa packed up their young family got on a boat and moved to Australia when my mom was eight. My grandma traveled all over the country in her brown and white pick up truck. Twice I got to spend the summer with her just driving and seeing cool places. She showed me the ocean for the first time. She taught me to value knowledge and literally knows at least a little bit about everything. I love my grandma.

This is Bethalmae my mother-in-law when she was a little girl. She is a wonderfully sweet woman who loves everyone. I have also learned much from her. I am amazed at her ability to forgive. Her home was always open to anyone and she treats everyone like family. Everywhere she goes she is showered with hugs from all the people she has shown love to through the years. She is also a wonderful grandma. She is thoughtful and kind and always concerned for others feelings. I am so thankful to be a part of such a loving family.

The Husband

2009-05-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've been looking through all the old pictures lately. Time truly does fly by. I've realized that we already have a "history" together as a family. I still feel like I'm twenty. But seeing picture proof that my kids are growing up makes me see just how far we've come. I thought it might be fun to show some oldies. So I'm starting with Thomas. He is the oldest you know. (Just turned thirty-seven!)

He must be about ten here. He was so freakin' cute. Townsend said his hair looks like a girls'. But I love it.

Mission pic. The back of the photo said, "In front of the temple. Didn't bother to change my socks. Big deal!" What a goof ball.

Here we are in Los Cabos Mexico. This is where we were stuck for over two weeks when 9/11 happened. No flights home. It wasn't too bad a place to be stuck but we really missed Marley and Townsend.

Thomas with one of our very favorite people in the world. Trissa Mae. We were in Alaska, hence the pink scarf. I need to find the shot where he has it wrapped around his head like a turban. It's classic.

I love this guy! He makes life interesting and fun. I love his sparkly mischievous eyes. I love how he likes to make me mad just to see the fire in my eyes. How I still fall for it after all these years I don't know. I love how he loves our kids. I love how he tries to do what is right. I love that he is sensitive. I love how he loves me.

Number Six.....

2009-05-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

....officially on the way!(The pink line is faint but definitely there)

Aislyn-Three Years Ago

2009-04-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

I was just looking through photos taken before my digital camera days and found this beauty. Look at that amazing curly hair! And those sparkly eyes. How I love this wonderful, mischeivous girl!

Soapy Science

2009-04-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

My new favorite thing to do is make cold process soap. I have a number of motivations for learning this new skill. I like knowing how to do everything the old fashioned way. I don't like using body care products with harsh, dangerous, or toxic chemicals in them. It's the perfect homeschool science experiment. Step one: Carefully and precisely measure the lye and combine with water. Once combined the mixture reaches temperatures of up to 185 degrees. Crazy!

We all especially love the safety goggles. Their awesome!

While the lye/water is cooling we combine whatever mix of oils we're going to use and get them to a nice liquid state.

After the lye/water has cooled to somewhere around 100 degrees it's time to combine the fat with the lye.

Hand blenders are an amazing invention for this job. It used to take hours of stirring to get the oils saponified but with the blender it takes only minutes. I would never have the patience to do this otherwise. It looks a lot like pudding.

Once it's nice and blended we pour it into our mold. We haven't gotten a real soap mold yet. So an empty milk carton works nicely.

Here's a sampling of the different kinds of soap we have tried. We've made an avacado oil bar, a sweet almond oil bar, a coconut/palm oil with goat's milk and honey, and a shampoo bar with herb infused olive oil and jojoba oil.

I have also made some wonderful lip gloss that I love and just the other day I made a facial cream that turned out thick and luxurious and feels very nice on my dry skin.

There are so many fun things to learn and do!

Undies And A Pink Cake

2009-04-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago when we had those three wonderful days of sunshine this is how I found Jairus. Just doin' a little yard work in his boots and undies.

Aislyn is in L-O-V-E with her recently released primary teacher Bonnie. Bonnie is beautiful and stylish and seems to appreciate the wonder of Aislyn's temperment. When Aislyn sees her at church she'll say, "Just a minute mom, I have to go say hi to my friend". Just the other day Bonnie surprised us by stopping by with a stunning masterpiece of girly perfection. A pink frosted cake with a tiara on top....just for Aislyn. Pink+Sugar= Aislyn's undying love and affection.

For Felicity!

2009-04-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

Dad's Back and It's Sunny...What could be better?

2009-04-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Thomas got back Sunday afternoon from his week in Denver. It was sunny and even kindof warm! Perfect day to go for a walk.

Ephraim happy to be free and ready to throw some rocks.

Aislyn happy to have her beloved dad back. Here's my guy trying to please me by "smiling" for the camera. Thanks for trying, love.

Action shot...Townsend couldn't really hold still. If there were walls he would have been bouncing off them. (Very appropriate as we were walking the trails of the old Western State Mental Hospital)

Jairus James and stolen daffodils. Cute. But don't ever call him that to his face.

Ephraim...

2009-03-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

A small sampling of the mischief our sweet little monster can get into in a single day.

The kid fights sleep with all he's got. I have never actually seen a person fall asleep standing up. He's extremely talented.

Yes...again with the jam. It's just so good you have to drink it.

From the books to the laundry soap to the dirty dishes in the sink to the brown sugar, he is never wanting for fun things to do!

The Happy Day At Last Has Come!

2009-03-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

Felicity has been living with us for over two months now. She is a delight. All the kids love her. Marley and Aislyn especially love having an older sister. I love how she comes home and tells me of all her shenanigans and misadventures. Life is fun and entertaining. I mean life with Thomas is always entertaining but now doubly so!

Sunday was Felicity's 18th birthday. It was also the day she was finally able to be baptized! She has been coming without fail to every church function, even seminary for the past two and a half years. She and Marley looked through the hymnal for the perfect songs and chose the The Happy Day At Last Has Come as the opening hymn. The title fit perfectly but no one had ever really heard the song before and it was pretty funny hearing the whole congregation flounder through it.
It was such a special day. She was so beautiful and happy. It is wonderful to see a person recognize those things in life that will really bring happiness and hang on to them. She has persevered through trial, been patient, and exercised faith. I am so proud of her and so excited for what the future holds.

Marley's New Coat

2009-02-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

I bought the fabric for this almost ten years ago. It is a heavy weight silk and I LOVE the color. It has been sitting in my fabric drawer just waiting for me to decide what to do with it. Marley needed a coat and we didn't have any extra cash laying around so inspiration struck and I decided to give it a shot. I had never before sewn anything so heavy and bulky. It's not perfect but I am pleasantly surprised at well it turned out.

On a side note....can you believe how grown up my little Marley Mae is getting? Her eleventh birthday is right around the corner. That doesn't make me old, does it?

"I Just Wanted to Look Like A Cat" and other achievements

2009-02-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Here we have Ephraim demonstrating how he has learned to get a stool and turn lights on and off. This new found skill of climbing has proven very beneficial for him when he is hungry...there is no food out of his reach.

Just yesterday he discovered the great joy of throwing rocks.

The great joy of eating dirt.

And yes this is really very easily explained....she just wanted to look like a cat today.

School time. Aislyn and Jairus still think sitting down with pencils and paper is super fun. If only Marley and Townsend felt the same way.

The story of us moving, somewhat condensed:

I realize that I haven't really talked much of the hows and whys of our putting the house on the market. I think I got a little tired of negative responses. Anyway we have been impressed for a couple of years now that we would move to Utah and that we should continue living and working hard here but be prepared. We just feel that now is the time to take this gigantic leap of faith. And believe me it is proving to be quite the test of faith, patience, hope and the like. As of yet we haven't had much interest in the house. But we do witness little miracles everyday. Thomas' work is going extremely well. Many opportunities on the horizon. I just have to believe that everything is working the way heavenly Father intends and I will just trust. I know that Utah is where I am supposed to raise my family so I will just be patient.

Where Have I Been?

2009-01-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile, I know. I have been working my arse off painting and cleaning and organizing and decluttering my beautiful home. It goes on the market tomorrow!

We got ourselves a teenager!

2008-12-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

Since Terrill moved out(we miss you Terrill) we had an empty room just sitting there waiting to be filled. Felicity was so kind as to fill the vacancy. She moved in over two weeks ago and turns out she's an excellent roomie. Here she is with Johanna. Thomas had left some of his work clothes in her closet and told her if she ever needed to borrow some to just help herself. How we love these girls!

It turns out...

2008-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

he wasn't buckled into the high chair. (No that isn't blood)

Quirks-Yep I've Got A Few

2008-12-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

My wonderful friend Sarah Simmons tagged me and now I must share six of my quirks.

1) It is extremely difficult for me to sit through an entire movie. I don't know what it is...if there is anything left undone in the house I find myself getting up and say sweeping the floor. A little weird and certainly something Thomas will probably never understand. He loves a good movie or two or three.
2)Instead of just wiping my kids hands and face after they eat I send them up to take a shower. It may waste water but it's so much easier. My kids learn to love the shower at a very young age.
3)I'm a hugger. I hug pretty much everyone I know, sometimes even people I don't. I fear some people think me a bit odd but I am what I am.
4)I can spot a spider from 100 yards away. OK maybe not quite that far but I am constantly scanning the room, ceiling and floor for unwanted guests and I can spot the smallest intruder in seconds flat!
5)I brush my teeth a lot! I'm a big fan of good oral hygiene.
6)I really do kind of like pain. I LOVE that sore feeling you get the day after a hard workout. I've had all my babies naturally...very painful. It's kind of like proof to myself that I can accomplish difficult things. It makes me feel good. I'm weird I know.

I was having a hard time thinking of my quirks. I began to feel a little sad thinking that perhaps I was not quirky after all. I turned to my sweet Thomas and he had no trouble listing at least four without a moments hesitation. Thanks honey for affirming my quirkyness.

A Regency Recital

2008-12-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

We have a friend named Genne Allen. She is Marley and Townsend's piano teacher. She also teaches some fantastic home school classes. The kids take a writing class and a history class from her once a week. She does so many fun and creative things with the kids.

Just after Thanksgiving she hosted a Regency Period Recital. All the kids dressed up in Jane Austin style dresses(and in Townsend's case breeches). It was so cool. I had so much fun making Marley's dress. And thanks go to my mom who threw Townsend's costume together on Thanksgiving day. They drank (herbal) tea and ate scones. It was all so very cute. I LOVE old fashioned clothing. I wish we could all dress up all the time.

Marley played "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing". I love this hymn so very much. She did beautifully.

Townsend played "Sextet Allegro" by Beethoven. He also played exceptionally well. He was the only boy in attendance. He of course didn't want to admit it but he thought it was a pretty fun time. He let it slip that he thought it was the best recital ever!

I am so thankful for Genne and the wonderful teacher she is. I love the personal interest she takes in each child. My kids consider her a friend. I think it is wonderful. They can learn so much from her.

Just yesterday their history class put on a play based on the Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris. Townsend played a scribe and Marley was the goddess Isis. Pure AWESOMENESS! That's the only way to describe it. Unfortunately we don't have a video camera.

Thank you Genne for being you. You're the best.

Here's More

2008-11-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

I forgot how incredibly difficult it is to get five kids and a husband to cooperate and take some family pictures. I didn't hold out much hope for many good shots because the kids......well were being kids. But turns out Amberlyn is the awesomest miracle worker around. There were so many cool pictures, it's hard to pick my favorites!

Aislyn LOVES her daddy. He just might LOVE her a little bit too!

Bronwyn loves her man! Seriously I have really been loving this guy lately. I mean I always love him but lately I just love everything about him.

Townsend=silly face. I think 99% of the pictures of him had some rendition of his "cross-eyed, monster teeth" expression. So this one looks real nice.

"Oh man, she's smothering me....again!"

Real Smile

2008-11-24T12:54:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I mentioned my quest to capture Thomas' real smile in a picture. I have still not been able to achieve this goal, but his super-awesome neice Amberlyn was. She offered to come and take some pics of our family. There were so many great ones that I'll have to post later. I just wanted show the world before I forgot. I especially love that you can see right up my nose in this one.

I love this guy. I love his smile. I love that he makes me laugh every day. I love that our kids call him "silly daddy."

Homeless

2008-11-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

I promise we provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, and even blankets. But somehow swaddling herslelf in newspaper makes naptime a little more appealing. Oh how we love our Aisy J.

I'm Back!

2008-11-13T17:41:00.000-08:00

Late Sunday night I began feeling the tell-tale signs of yet another trecherous breast infection coming on. Sure enough within just a few hours I lay shivering in my bed with a 103 fever and every inch of my body aching like....well something agonizingly painful. And of course just to give you some really great imagery my breast was redder than......well the reddest thing you can think of. I kept having strange half awake/half asleep dreams of my death and being so mad that I knew Thomas would have to get married again because let's face it, who could take care of five kids all by themselves. And of course to top it all off Thomas is out of town for two weeks in Washington DC. So it was just me and the kids.
Anyway as I lay there shivering/crying/fitfully sleeping for three days I realized how many wonderful people I have in my life. And I was filled with gratitude. First my sweet Marley Mae was ever attentive to me and the four younger kids. She did an amazing job of keeping everything going. Then wonderful Sarah went and got my prescription filled, without which I'd probably still be in bed. Then Barry and Tim came and gave me a blessing, again without which I'd probably still be in bed. Glorious Jessica brought the most delicious tomato soup, the only thing I could even begin to think of eating. Marianne came and took Aislyn to play with her girls and even took Marley and Townsend to make a little movie, so they didn't go stir crazy. And then my angel mama came all the way down from Gold Bar to help me for a day. She's a miracle worker. I swear within 15 minutes of being in the house she had everyone happy, the house clean, laundry going, and the kids fed. I am so thankful for all the kindness. I hope to be better at chosing the better part and helping whenever and wherever I'm needed. Thank you so much everyone who showed me so much love. I am very blessed.

Halloween AKA Silver Spray Paint on Everything

2008-11-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

No, he's not dancing the robot he's just trying to retrieve his funnel!

Here we have our bunny, our angel, our tin man/robot, and our fifties girl.

Handsome the Spider

2008-10-28T22:14:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me at all will be EXTREMELY surprised to see photos of spiders on my blog. You see spiders are the single most frightening, disgusting thing on the planet(in my humble opinion). However over the last couple of weeks my kids have grown rather attached to one particular spider. He took up residence outside the window on our staircase about two weeks ago. The fact that he chose to keep double paned glass between he and I is the reason he is still alive. A very wise spider indeed.

We've been able to witness nature at it's finest. We've seen artful web building. We've been awed by the capture of japanese beetles, watching them become wrapped in a cocoon of death and then having their guts sucked out.
Just a few days ago Aislyn asked me what his name was. I said he didn't have one and that she could name him. She said," I think his name is Handsome because he is a such a nice spider." So Handsome it is. Not a word I've ever associated with a spider, but I'm growing.

So today this punk kid spider comes and tries to kick Handsome out of his prime real estate. We were all huddled on the stairs for almost 45 minutes watching the drama unfold as this little spider keeps trying to attack our guy. He kept biting Handsome and hitting him with his icky spider legs. It was crazy. Marley and Townsend went outside and tried to throw rocks at the attacker but to no avail. I think she was almost crying......over a spider!

Finally "Killer"(as we called him) gave up and left. We were scared that Handsome was done for, he was all curled up like a dead spider does. But much to my children's joy Handsome is now spread out in his web eating some dinner.

Just looking at these pictures still make me a little nauseus.

Popsicles and Cupcakes

2008-10-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Jairus James turned a whopping three years old while we were gone. As requested he got popsicles and cupcakes and a big number three candle to go on top.What would we do without Jairus? He is my snuggly, lovey little guy. So very tender and easily heartbroken. There's nothing better than his little voice saying,"I wuv you mom". Just recently he become an amazing prayer. He would literally pray for ten minutes if you let him. He'll go through an entire days' worth of events, thanking heavenly Father for everything imaginable and then proceed to ask for a few necessities like keeping the monkeys away so they won't bite him while he's sleeping. I don't know where it came from but he has an crippling fear of monkeys. Slightly unusual, kindof amusing, and very serious stuff for a three year old.

Jairus is my wonderful big boy. I am so grateful for each one of my children and all their unique traits. They make life interesting, entertaining, and never, ever dull.

Stehekin

2008-10-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we all took the four hour ferry ride all the way to the end of Lake Chelan. A little town unreachable by any roads lies nestled in the trees. It was so very beautiful and made me want to be more appreciative of the beauty all around me.

Ephraim loved being on the top deck and looking over the edge at the water. I swear he learned to do a chin up trying to get a better view. He would have jumped right in if I had let him. I know it might be a smidge gross letting my little guy suck on a railing. But it was just so cute and I just tell myself he is merely developing a strong immune system.
Marley Mae....I caught her staring gloomily into the distance. Oh my sweet preteen girl. She is growing up. She is wonderful.
The end of the lake! I LOVED Lake Chelan. Normally I am terrified of deep water. My heart pounds and I sweat whenever I have to cross the Narrows Bridge. But this lake is clear and beautiful. I fell in love with it all. Oh the heavenly apple orchards with their cheerful red fruit hanging bountifully. I really want fruit trees. You don't even know how I longed to become an orchardist. OK so I'm a little weird. But really I kindof want to move to the country and have fruit trees, a garden, chickens, and bees.
Aislyn my girl loves to fall asleep in the most unlikely of places. I wonder what she thinks to herself."This hard table top looks oh so comfortable, I think I'll lie down and rest awhile."
At any given time Townsend could be found playing a game of UNO or Phase Ten. I only like to play games when I win. I hate loosing but I'm a pretty loud winner. Probably not attractive qualities. It might be why I don't get asked to play games very often.
Vacation was wonderful.
More to tell.

Lake Chelan-Day 1

2008-10-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we got all packed up in the Pilot and drove to Goldbar to pick up grandma, grandpa, and gg(great grandma). It was finally time for our long awaited Lake Chelan vacation!

Day one we got unpacked and spent time dogpiling grandpa. We caught Ephraim gazing longingly out the window at the lake.
Jairus spent his time wrestling GG. He made sure she needed a nap every day.
And then it was on to the lake. Never mind that it is October, Marley got right into her suit and ventured momentarily into the lake. Grandma had promised she would go in no matter how cold it was. I, however am not so daring. No freezing lake swimming for me.
Aislyn's favorite part is the TV since at home ours isn't hooked up. She's a movieaholic.

Vacation is the best! We should do this more often.

2008-10-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

"Yum, cake, it looks delicious!" I just can't seem to avert my gaze.
"But I'm really not sure I actually want to touch the thing myself. How would you feel about just holding it for me while I test it out?"
He finally gave in and decided it was best to hold his own cupcake.

For some reason I decided that I didn't want to use a crappy boxed cake mix and I made the whole thing(including frosting) from scratch. Turns out it's a huge, long process to make a white cake from scratch. I had to beat egg whites to make meringue and then gently fold them into the rest of the batter. I don't think I have accurately grasped the concept of "gently folding" but they still tasted pretty good. I made yummy orange flavored frosting. Marley and I thought it was delicious but Thomas, not so much.
Jairus' birthday is this Friday. I think this time I'll just use the crappy mix.

I keep asking him what he wants for his birthday and every time he says,"I want cake and orange popcycles." Not too hard to please.

NUMERO UNO!

2008-09-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ephraim is one year old tomorrow! He is the most wonderful little guy. I love everything about him. He is easy going and doesn't mind being alone but he's always up for some snuggling with mama. He loves to wrestle with his big brother Jairus, actually he loves to wrestle with anyone and everyone. He's got the longest reach and the quickest grab of any baby I've ever met. I think he managed to dump the sacrament water tray in my lap three Sundays in a row.

He loves to eat....tomatoes, grass, dirt, rocks, you name it.

I don't know why but I just never want to be away from him. It makes me so dang meloncholy to think of him growing up and leaving me. I know it will happen someday so I cherish all of his slobbery baby hugs and kisses right now.

He loves his big sister Marley. She was there when he was born and got to be the first person to hold him. They seem to have a very special bond. It is so sweet to see.
We are so blessed to have Ephraim Isaac Judd in our family. We love him so very much.

Husband Tag

2008-09-25T14:56:00.001-07:00

I was tagged by my darling friend Sarah. It has really forced me to strain in recalling all the little details. I remember our early days more as a exultant blur of utter of joy, not so much specific details.

What is his name? Thomas Francis Judd II

How long have you been married? Twelve and a half years! Weird.

How long did you date? From first date to wedding date was just shy of four months. When you know, you know.

How old is he? 36. He is five years older than me which works out great. Whenever I start to feel old I just think "He's almost 40" and I feel a little better.

Who eats more sweets? If we're talking about pop, he does. If we're talking about chocolate, there's no question it's me.

Who said I love you first? I'm sure he did. I like to play coy. But really it was kindof just understood that we loved each other from the very beginning.

Who is taller? He is 6'5". I am 5'7". When we hug my nose conveniently reaches his armpit.

Who can sing better? Him. He is actually quite skilled at modeling his voice after professional musicians. Most recently he was singing The Police and sounded exactly like Sting.

Who does the laundry? Until recently I did. Now sweet Marley Mae has taken over at least half of the time. It's wonderful! Laundry is the bain of my existence.

Who pays the bills? I do.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do. It's closest to the baby's room.

Who mows the lawn? He does. Somehow when I was pregnant with Jairus I developed horrible seasonal allergies. I can not mow the lawn without my eyes swelling shut. Nice picture.

Who drives?He does. I'm not really a fan of driving, especially long distances.

Who is more stubborn? Him, or wait....me. It probably depends on the situation.

Who kissed who first? He kissed me. Again, I like to play coy.

Who asked who out first? We met at a Christmas church dance and were together pretty much every day thereafter. I don't really know that either one of us asked we both just knew we'd be together a lot.

Who proposed? He did, with a box of bordeauxs and an engagement ring inside.

Who has more siblings?I do with 3 sisters and 2 brothers. He has 3 brothers and 1 sister. In the very beginning he said "A family just isn't a family without at least 5 kids in it."

Who wears the pants? At first glance one might say that he does. But secretly I'm really the pants wearer. Although I do enjoy wearing skirts and dresses from time to time.

And now I will ask to hear from Marrianne and Helena. I am very interested to hear your dating stories.

Retro

2008-09-23T20:54:00.001-07:00

My mom has a whole bunch of cool old patterns. This is one of the many that I have stolen from her. I think it is from 1952. The pattern peices were so old they were just falling apart in my hands. I had to trace them onto something sturdier.

The dress went together pretty quickly. Since we are on a budget I used some pink gingham that I already had on hand. Luckily Aislyn adores everything pink. I usually like to make my own bias but this dress needed something like eight yards so I decided to just use the premade stuff.
Here she is enjoying the superb spinability of this full cirlce skirt. She has been a very dizzy girl lately.
It turned out to be an excellent bribing tool. I actually got her to willingly brush her hair two days in a row!

Eragon

2008-09-11T17:49:00.001-07:00

Townsend just finished reading Eragon which is a 730 page book. I am thoroughly impressed. To top it off, it only took him a week to do it. He wasted no time in picking up the sequel Eldest which he is already half through. These books are especially cool because they were written by a 17 year old homeschooled boy. Homeschooling rocks!

450

2008-09-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

That's how many quarts of green beans, tomatoes, and peaches I canned this last week! It has to be some kind of record. Many thanks to Fran Peterson and Ida Simmons. Together we were able to do 205 of those in just one day! Marley and Townsend were excellent peelers and green bean snappers.Thomas even learned to use the pressure canner. I promise there's nothing sexier than a man operating a pressure canner!
Here's the cooling table.
We couldn't keep Ephraim away from the tomatoes. What baby can resist a bright, beautiful, red ball? They tasted good too.
Here's what happens when two little boys are left to play outside all day long. They had so much fun getting absolutely filthy.
A long day of canning wears a girl out. We finally ended up making some dinner at 11pm. Aislyn was so tired she fell asleep in the 30 seconds it took for me to dish up her plate. We woke her up and asked if she wanted to eat. She said yes but she needed a pillow first.

Here's some of our pretty green beans just before they were cut and put into jars. All in all it was a good week. It was a TON of work, but it's the kind that just makes you feel really good when you're all done and looking at what you've accomplished. We definitely have a year supply of at least a few things.

Up next.....make more time for sewing.

Canning Season Is Upon Us!

2008-08-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Last night Sarah and I were so fortunate as to acquire 280 canning jars from the sweetest old woman named Opal. Her son had listed them on craigslist for her. She was just one of those people that somehow you'll never forget. Her face was worn and weathered from years of hard work. Her hands....her hands even more so, but they were some of the most beautiful hands I've ever seen. They were hands spent working and serving, ever industrious. She had apple trees, raspberry bushes, a grape arbor and blueberry bushes all of which were meticulously cared for. We talked with her for probably an hour. What a wonderful woman!

I am so excited to have so many used jars. That will save a ton. Sarah and I are feeling ambitious this year. We've got some major canning plans ahead. We'd each like to do 100 quarts of tomatoes, 50 each of green beans, 30 each of peaches and pears. It's hard work but so very worth it to me. I love the feeling of accomplishment. I love how delicious home canned food tastes. I love having a skill that is useful. I love knowing exactly what I'm eating. I guess I should stop rambling, lest people catch on to what a weirdo I really am.

Tuesday I finished up 35 pints of raspberry jam. So yummy! Aislyn thinks so too. I caught her several times eating spoon fulls of jam. So much for limiting her sugar intake.

Marley's New Haircut

2008-08-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's my beautiful girl! We got a gift certificate for a free haircut at the UP Festival a couple weeks ago and Marley decided that she wanted new look. I think she is such a cool girl. She made the appointment herself, went right in and told the lady what she wanted, chatted her up the whole time, and gave her the tip all on her own. My girl is growing up!

Marley has also started her very own blog. You should check it out at www.upsidedownandrightsideup.blogspot.com I know you will find it well worth the visit.

It's hard to believe my little girl is ten. It is a joy to watch my children learn and grow. I am often amazed at all they are capable of. I am proud to be the mother of each one. They have taught me so much about the purpose of life and what makes us truly happy. Mothering is ever a struggle and endless hard work but there is no doubt that it is the most rewarding of all endeavors.

Thank you Marley Mae for being the sweet, hard working girl you are. I love how gentle, kind, and patient you are. I am thankful for how very much you help me every day and your genuine concern for my happiness. I love you. You're awesome!

Nate & Krista

2008-08-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

My little brother got married today! The location couldn't have been more beautiful. Krista's grandma has a wonderful backyard over looking the Skykomish river and the mountains high overhead. It was a sweet day. We are all so happy to have Krista be an official member of the family. She is very loved.

Here's my mama and her boy. I just loved this picture. It's her "I'm so proud I could cry"expression. The other picture is of Nate and Krista's daughter Katlyn. She has the most beautiful, thick, long, and wavy hair for a two year old. She is a fireball and we love her!

Pick Quick Park

2008-07-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we hopped in the car and went to Thomas' very favorite place to eat! Pick Quick is a lovely little hamburger place in Fife that is only open in the summer. Thomas loves the huge walla walla sweet onions they put on the burgers, I love the hot fudge shakes and the kids love the climbing tree.

Ephraim can't quite climb a tree but he sure is good at eating dirt.
Marley and Townsend spent most of their time climbing the beautiful old tree. Jairus spent his time eating a hot dog that was bigger than him. And Aislyn spent her time being grumpy(never,ever wake Aislyn up from a nap!)

I learned a few things on our family outing:
1.I can still do a cartwheel.
2.I can also climb a tree(kindof).
3.Thomas doesn't like to smile in pictures because he thinks his smile looks "fake". I am now on a mission to capture his "real" smile.
4. Never ever wake Aislyn up from a nap. OK so I already knew that one, but it is knowledge reaffirmed.

The Week In Pictures

2008-07-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ephraim LOVES his big sister. This was one of those priceless picture opportunities. I may be biased, but this picture is so sweet!
Last Wednesday we drove up to my mom's house to get a bunch of strawberries. We then drove all the way back and spent the rest of the day making strawberry jam. It's a lot of work, but absolutely worth it. I can't bring myself to eat store bought jam anymore. Nothing beats home made. Just a couple more weeks and then raspberry season. My favorite.
Friday we got the keys to our new shop. We've definately got some cleaning and remodeling ahead of us. Marley was so excited about this awesome wallpaper mural from the seventies. Unfortunately I was not. She and Thomas got the super fun job of scraping it off the wall.
Saturday was the Elder's Quorum picnic/softball game at Jefferson Park. Here's Townsend(and Marley)with one of his very best friends, Jesse Beecher. He was so very happy to have a "playdate". I'm sure Jessica will also be happy to have at least a days resprite from Townsend's calls requesting playdates.
Sunday morning! It may be a little blurry but I'm sure you get the idea.

Guess What!

2008-07-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

It's official! Best Loved Baby will now have two locations and neither one is in my living room!

We just got the keys to our new Tacoma store. A whopping 1,200 sq feet of retail space. It's in the same building as the 12th Street Diner right across the street from Mandolin Cafe. It's in need of a little TLC but we're so excited. It's so close to my house and I get my living room back. Woohoo!
Our second store will be in Port Orchard. There is a new birthing center, Poplar Heights opening up this summer. We will have a small store in the birthing inn.

Needless to say I am a little more than overwhelmed. But I'm sure everything will work out,it has so far.

Pictures will be forthcoming. Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures of the remodeling progress.

Let's Get Out Of The House!

2008-06-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

It was one of "those" days! There seemed to be nothing but crying, whining, and fighting all day long. Nothing really got done and nothing seemed to go right. I felt like I wanted to scream. So......I told everyone to get in the car because we were going for a little hike. After a few minor setbacks(i.e. poopy diapers and lost shoes) we made it to Pt. Defiance.

Marley carried Ephraim in the Ergo and I carried Jairus in a Mei Tai. We hiked through trails and then down to the beach. It's so cool when you can just stop a bad day in it's tracks and turn things around. The day had felt oh so horrific and then all of a sudden everyone was smiling,laughing,running and happy. It made me glad that I didn't give in to the urge to lock everyone in their bedrooms for the night:) We found interesting rocks and shells. Jairus spent a good five minutes popping those air bubble things in the seaweed. Marley and Townsend spent their time trying to pry barnacles off the wall.
We found a curvy tree. They were all in awe of it and wondered what could have made it grow that way. We explored hidden trails and found interesting flowers.

It was one of those nights that reminded me how fortunate I am to be a mother. I love my kids beyond expression. I love watching them learn and seeing their faces full of wonder. I love their weird quirky personalities. I am thankful to be able to spend so much time with them.

Birthday Baptism!

2008-06-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my little guy turned eight and I realized he's not so little anymore. As I'm sure every mother does, I began to wonder where the time has gone. It really was just yesterday that I was snuggling a chubby wonderful little baby Townsend. He was the best baby ever, he never cried and was just always good natured and mellow. He may not be quite so mellow now but he is good natured. I am proud to be his mother. He is so smart but also has kind heart. There's nothing better than one of Townsend's hugs.

Just like Marley, Townsend was able to get baptised on his birthday. It was a special day. It was cool to see him feel so important. Here are some pictures of baptism day.

Townsend is gigantic but he still looks small next to his dad.

This one's my favorite! He cracks me up.

The Simmees

2008-06-12T15:23:00.001-07:00

I was just using Sarah's computer to type something up for the shop and I found these pictures from I think three years ago. I was pregnant with Jairus and just starting to show. It was the first of many little vacations with our awesome friends the Simmons(or as Aislyn calls them, the Simmees).

We went to Victoria and it was so very beautiful! We went to high tea and ate delicious(although way overpriced) scones and sandwhiches. We went to Buchart Gardens....breathtakingly beautiful. But best of all we were hanging out with the coolest friends in the history of the universe! You may be wondering if "coolest friends in the history of the universe" might be a bit of an exaggeration. But I tell you it's not. They are the most thoughtful and generous people around and awesome business partners to boot. Our family has so many wonderful blessings and the Simmons family are certainly one of them.
We love you Barry, Sarah, Johanna, Aldus, Payson, Kohl, and Finn!

Where's Aislyn? / Sleeping Beauty

2008-06-02T22:03:00.001-07:00

It was quiet....too quiet. Thomas and I embarked on a housewide search for our darling Aisyln Francis. We found her peacefully sleeping in the grass next to her masterfully dug dirt hole. As always she was filthy as can be and yet there is nothing quite so sweet as our Aisy J.

Woodland Faerie Crowns and Other Wonderful Creations

2008-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Marley is just about the most creative person I know. She is always making some new craft with whatever she might find around the house or in the yard. So yesterday when I saw with some wire and a pair of pliers I wondered what she could possibly be making this time. A half hour later and everyone had a beautiful ivy crown to enjoy.

I wish the picture turned out better, but here is a mobile that she made for her little brother Ephraim. He loves it and is often seen staring at it with a smile full of wonderment.

This is another of Marley's creations. Last week was Thomas' birthday. Marley and Townsend wanted to surprise him with the perfect gift. They chose the best pieces from the wood pile and found nails and a hammer in the garage. They wanted to make him little book shelves for his nightstand. They did everything all by themselves and the bookshelves turned out beautifully. Thomas even cried when they proudly presented him with their gifts. Of course if you know Thomas that isn't too surprising.

Aside from her creativity Marley is sweet and kind and thoughtful. I am so thankful for how much she helps me and is concerned for my feelings. She is a beautiful girl and I love her so much.

Is It Spring Or What?

2008-05-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

On the whole I'd have to say it's been a pretty crappy spring here in the NW. But every once in awhile we'll get a beautiful day. All the kids will play outside for hours and hours. When they finally do come back in they'll have sweet little grass stains on their knees as reminder of their adventures. The house somehow stays a little cleaner. And the marshmallows hidden behind the spices on the top shelf are forgotten by Aislyn, if only for a day.

We were so fortunate to have one such day this last Sunday. I got out the camera and took some pictures in celebration of the discovery that my camera was in fact not broken as I had previously thought after Thomas had put it "away" so high that no person measuring less than 6' 5"could ever reach it, and when I did finally catch hold of it to pull it down it fell and hit me on the head and then crashed to the floor. But I guess that's another story entirely.

These ones of Jairus and Aislyn crack me up. I have come to love that despite my best efforts to the contrary they always find a way to look dishevelled. They have style all their own!

There is always so much going on. It is so easy for me to take this time of my life for granted. But when I stop for just a moment I remember to just love those dirty little faces. Even now I hear Marley and Townsend upstairs dancing with the younger kids to some Spanish flamenco guitar music and it makes me smile. If only we could all just remember to smile a little more often.

I'm Sick

2008-04-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

and I don't like it one bit. I've been so cranky and impatient all day. I hate feeling like a crappy mother.

Do You Know What Today Is? It's Our Anniversary!

2008-04-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Anyone else know this awesome Tony, Tone, Toni song? At some point Thomas started singing it to me on our anniversary every year and somehow it just stuck and is our anniversary theme song. We were both randomly breaking out in song all day Sunday.

This last Sunday, April 20th Thomas and I celebrated our 12th anniversary. As anniversaries always seem to do it made me reflect. I am so grateful for the life we've built together and the opportunity to learn and grow together. This first picture is the work of sweet Aisy J. Then Townsend took over and managed to get our heads in the shot.

Since this is MY blog I wanted to take just a minute and tell you a few of the reasons why I am still so in love with my Thomas after twelve years together.
-He's a builder...his words to me are always so kind and make me feel like I'm the greatest person alive.
-He is the least judgemental person I have ever known. He always looks at things from other peoples perspectives. Once I was pretty upset with a person who had said some unkind things about Thomas and instead of being hurt by it he actually defended this person and was sad that I would be mad at them.
-He loves his kids and can't stand to see them sad or hurt. He is a very fun, attentive, and loving father.
-I LOVE that he is sensitive. He just might have a reputation for crying and I love it.
-He listens when I have something to say and does everything he can to support me.
-He tells me I'm beautiful and that he loves me at least once every day.
-He loves people in general and wants them to be happy. He's not afraid to share the gospel with others.
-I find him to be extremely amusing.

I also love that he makes macaroni and cheese for lunch every Sunday. It's a sweet tradition, one of the many "little things" that make up our family. I remember when we only had to make one box, then two, and now we're up to three. It's so exciting to think of the future, all the possibilities, all that we can become. How many boxes of macaroni and cheese will the future hold?

Thank you Thomas.

p.s. Can you find the Oxford comma?

P-I-G

2008-04-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a perfectly beautiful, sunny, and almost warm day. The kids talkedThomas into playing a game of PIG with them while I made dinner. A soon as dinner was over Townsend was begging to go finish "beating dad." I couldn't resist going out with them. I generally tell everyone that I'm just not a game-playing, sport-playing kind of girl. But the truth is I really just don't like to lose. Unfortunately I'm an even worse winner. I just might be a bit of a trash talker.

I started out getting my trash kicked. As you can see my family has got some skills. Is this not the funniest action shot ever?!

But then I caught fire. I was unstoppable! I won the first round. Aaah ya. Here's one of my many victory dances.
Round two I was still going strong. It was down to just Thomas and I. My poor kids will probably never let me play with them again. I guess i kinda took over their game.

The battle raged on though and turns out I'm a heck of a clutch shooter. But in the end Thomas went away victorious and the kids were playing in the dirt. It's a good thing I love him so much, I even managed to swallow my pride and give him high five.

I'm It!

2008-04-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

I'm always the one taking the pictures and consequently am never in them. Here's a rare shot of me taken by my budding photographer Townsend.

I was just tagged by Kjrsten so here's a little something about me.

Ten years ago:

I was living in Provo with a one month old little Marley Mae. She was so tiny and wrinkley and had the delightful talent of projectile vomiting. But I was so very in love with my new little baby.

5 things on my to do list today

1. fold and bundle 3o dozen prefold diapers.

2. cut out a sun dress for Aislyn and her friend Myka.

3. vacuum the stairs.

4. attack the never ending laundry.

5. learn about photosynthesis with Marley and Townsend.

things I would do if I became a billionaire

I would buy a big farm house with lots of land and have chickens and cows and a huge vegetable garden and fruit trees and of course buy a full years supply of food. And maybe start some sort of non-profit that helped women in underdeveloped countries have healthier and safer pregnancies and births. And of course buy houses for all my family. I'm sure it would go quick, money always does.

5 of my secret bad habits

1.I always bring food to church under the guise that it's for the kids, but really I eat most of it. It drives Thomas crazy. It's probably the reason I'll keep having kids, just so I can have an excuse to eat string cheese whenever I want.

2.I hate matching socks. I mostly just put them in a huge pile and search through when we need a pair. It's probably why everyone in the family is always barefoot.

3.When I eat I always save the best part for last. I hate it when my kids ask for a bite when I'm almost finished. I have to admit I'm pretty selfish and don't often let them have it. I think I might be obsessed with food.

4. I've been known to say a swear word here and there.

5.I stay up way too late and I let my kids stay up late so they'll sleep in, I'm just a night person. But I figure since we home school there's no rush getting up in the morning.

5 places I have lived

1.Pasco WA

2.Ashtabula OH

3.Sunizona AZ

4.Tacoma WA

5.Provo UT

5 jobs I have had

1.Dairy Queen

2.Albertson's bagger

3.mother

4.Lynn Funeral Home receptionist(and six years of free rent, it was awesome).

5.Part owner of the best natural children's boutique ever!

5 things people don't know about me

1.I'm electronically challenged. I don't know how to do much of anything on a computer. I don't even know how I figured out how to create a blog. It was a miracle.

2.I have a tattoo.

3.I am more thankful for my testimony of the gospel than anything else(although some people might already know that).

4.I am really grossed out by hair, not so much if it's still attached to your head, but once it's fallen off it's icky. There's nothing grosser than that ball of hair in the corner of a bathroom.

5.I love to exercise and I especially love that sore feeling you get the day after a really good workout. It's just a reminder that you worked really hard. And there's nothing better in life than working hard.

And now I tag Marrianne, and Jessica(you should just give in and start your own blog).