The Beach

Yep, that's right. We went to the beach today. I know my last post was that we went sledding... weather is a crazy thing. We went to the Jersey Shore to visit an aquarium that is right on the boardwalk. It was awesome. The perfect family fun day! We spent some time in the aquarium looking at fish and taking part in the Dr. Seuss birthday party, and we spent a lot of time outside on the beach. It was a beautiful day! I even got a little too much sun. We still had to avoid little bits of snow here and there. :)

Sledding

We had a great time sledding yesterday. We got one last good snow storm and school was canceled. I called up some friends and we got together for a great day out on the hill. We all went down the hill (even Nate) and it was great. There is something about sledding that brings out the inner child. I felt like a kid again, instead of a frumpy grumpy mom. I've decided I need to get out and do things like this with my boys more often. It keeps me young. Included in these pictures are lot of my wonderful friends here in New Jersey. It was a great day with great people!

Life is good

I've been a big-time whiner lately. I'm sorry. Life really is good. I'm going to count my blessings...

1. Scott. He's such a wonderful husband, friend, daddy, and all that other stuff. He really is great! He's number one, because he's my best blessing. :)

2. Jeff and Nate. They are wonderful boys with so much personality. They teach me how to be more selfless.

3. Family. My first family, and my in-laws are just incredible. They are great people who are supportive and thoughtful. Plus, they're just really cool people. I would have more fun spending an afternoon with my fam than any other group of people.

4. Our New Jersey Family. We have made some incredible friends here who are more than just friends. They really have become like family.

5. Scott's job. In these times of financial struggle, I have a love/hate relationship with Scott's job. Mostly love. Even though I would much rather have Scott home spending all his time with me, I am happy that he can provide for us. While, we're not making millions, it provides the things we need.

6. Health. Aside from the occasional illness, we are all healthy. We can run and walk and play. And today, go sledding.

7. Our faith. Our lives have meaning and direction because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We can go through tough experiences and know that it will all be okay. We know God knows us and loves us. We also know He has a plan for us. And that puts everything else in perspective.

The dumbest thing I've ever done... to this point.

About three weeks ago...
Mike, a friend from church, asked if I would take a computer for him. He had been working on it for another friend in the ward, Blanca, and we live close to them. So it made sense that we take it and save him an hour-long trip to deliver it. I was busy trying to keep my boys from terrorizing the church so I just gave him my car keys and he put the computer in our trunk. I promptly forgot about the whole thing.

About two weeks ago...
I was cleaning out the trunk of our car. Whenever I clean the house, I take all the things we are getting rid of and put it in the trunk so we can deliver it to someone who would like to have it. We don't have DI (a thrift store that I love) here, so I don't have a quick and easy drop off point. I have to find someone who wants my stuff... or throw it away.

Scott was getting a little tired of having things fall out of our trunk whenever he opened it and was begging me to find homes for the stuff. I decided since I hadn't found homes yet, I would just start throwing stuff away. There were some toys (which had already been through at least two families) that I chucked. The bags of clothes I kept, because I knew on Sunday my friend would take them for me. Then I came across our old computer. These were my thoughts: "Huh, I thought we already got rid of this. I guess it must have only made it this far. No worry, I'll just throw it out." At about this point my landlord came out and offered to take it to the dump for me. "Great!" I thought, Scott is going to be so proud of me for finally getting rid of all of this stuff."

About five days ago...
My friend Blanca called me and asked if she could come pick up her computer. I told her I didn't know where it was. I hadn't seen it in the car and wasn't sure what happened to it. I called Mike and asked him where he had put it and what it looked like. He started to describe it (I don't know why I needed a description) and things started clicking in my mind. It took a full hour for me to figure out that I had sent my friend's computer to the dump.

I think I went through all the phases people go through when they lose a loved one. It finally ended with a gnawing stomach ache and a gut wrenching phone call, followed by more stomach pains. As it turns out, this computer had many many family pictures on it. It still hurts me to think about it.

My friend Ruth, who I vented and cried to about this whole episode, helped me to see some good in this. She said, "two good qualities that you have just worked against each other." So I guess its good that I tried to help Balnca and Mike... and I guess its good that I tried to keep my car clean... I just have to make sure that the combination doesn't get me into trouble next time.

And that... is the dumbest thing I have ever done... to this point in my life.

A conversation with the nurse

I called Jeff's orthopedic surgeon (broken arm doctor) this morning and this is the conversation we had.

Me: Hi, my son got his cast wet last night in the tub and I was wondering if we should get it replaced, or something.

Nurse: Well, how wet did it get?

Me: Uhm... so when I lifted his arm up, water poured out of his cast.

Nurse: Uncontrollable laughter, and more laughter... okay, we can see him tomorrow at 9:45.

I have seriously, had the craziest week! I have another story, that I am still hesitant to tell. It's still a little too fresh. Maybe in a few days. It tops all of the dumb things I have done to this point in my life... and that's saying something.

It continues...

So when I wrote my post yesterday, I thought we were done. I thought I had faced my weakness head on, conquered, and was done. I was wrong.

Last night Jeff still had a fever and was pretty cuddly. He just wanted to be held. So, I picked him up and started walking to his room where we have a rocker. Just before I sat down, Jeff threw up all over me, him, the floor and anything else within five feet. I had to seriously focus. There were two things I had to do. First, I had to not puke too. Second, I had to make sure Jeff didn't feel bad for throwing up on me.

I set him down, took off my outer shirt, and then... he stood there and kept throwing up. He would cry between each time. I found myself patting him on the back telling him, "It's okay, you're almost done. Don't worry, we'll clean it up in a minute" As I rubbed his back and encouraged him I realized, I was doing just what Scott does for me when I get sick.

He is such a good man, and last night I realized just how much he does for me. You see, through all of this, Scott has been away. When I talked to him on the phone he felt so bad. He kept saying, "You shouldn't have to do this alone. I'm so sorry I'm not there."

To be honest, I wasn't alone. Since I couldn't leave the house, but I still needed things for Jeff (like soda and pedialyte), my friend Birgit went to the store for me and picked up the items I needed. Later, my other friends Karen and Bruce called to say there were picking up dinner for me. I feel so blessed.

As a side note, if you have a sick two year old he doesn't quite understand the concept of waiting to throw up in the toilet rather than all over his blankets and bed... you can do what I did last night. I made Jeff's bed in the tub. I know, your thinking... this girl is crazy. But seriously, it was perfect. I didn't have to worry about a thing, just the blankets. He didn't end up throwing up, but if he had... I would have been ready.

I promise, no more puke posts.

Puke

I have always had issues with puke. I just can't handle it. When I had great plans to be a nurse, I knew puke would be my kryptonite. I can't even handle my own puke. Once I start, it grosses me out so much I can't stop. I cry. Scott gets me a wash cloth, and I get through it.

Well, last night Jeff threw up all over. I mean, everywhere! It was 5 a.m. and I was really proud of myself. I didn't even get nauseous. I just took all the blankets and started the laundry, changed Jeff's clothes, and put him back to sleep. Three times. I never once got sick.

Then... as Jeff was sitting on the couch this morning, he started wailing. I grabbed a bowl and sprinted into the living room and held the bowl under his chin. He puked. He had great aim, by the way. He get every drop in the bowl. Then he puked again... and I couldn't take it any more. I started dry heaving and doing everything possible to keep my breakfast down. I conquered all. I kept my cool and didn't join my cute son in his misery. But... I still hate puke.

Sunday and Monday

Sunday the boys all played the piano at the same time. It wasn't all that pretty to hear, but it was cute to look at.
Nate wants to show everyone his helmet. He doesn't mind it too much.

Here's the best family picture we could get, if you saw the rest of the options you would think this looks great!

Jeff Broke his arm on Monday. Scott got a picture showing it off. Interesting story. Scott's dad broke the same arm, in the same place, at the same age, doing the same thing. Climbing. I thought this might teach Jeff not to climb as much, but before he even got his cast on at the Doc's office, he was climbing around checking things out.

Nate is starting to learn to crawl. He does a little worm move that is just too cute.

Jeff and Nate show off the cast and the helmet. We are such good parents. :)

Jeff loves to get his picture taken, he wanted another one this morning of his cast. When we talk to people on the phone he says, "A fall a arm a broke."

Jeff and Scott have cutest cheese faces! I love it!

Mother of the year

So, this post is to let you know that I am a candidate for "Mother of the year" and I just wanted to let everyone know as well as give them a taste of the day in the life of me so they can vote with a good conscience.

Today, like any good mother I changed my 2 year old's poopy diaper. He wanted a bath since he was half naked so I continued to be a good mother and went in an started the water and added the bubble making stuff too. Because I'm a good mother like that.

...

Later that day I was sitting in my room when I heard my 7 month old, who was playing on the floor in the living room, whine a little bit. Being a good mother, I resisted the urge to jump up and run in a check on him. Instead, I let him have a few moments, so he will be a well adjusted kid when he grows up. After letting him fuss for just a little bit, I went in to check on him.

I found my baby playing in my 2 year old's poopy diaper that I had left on the floor earlier. It wasn't just left there open and gross, it was all wrapped up tightly, but that baby got curious. He had poop on all of his clothes, all over his face, on his pacifier, on his hands, in his mouth... everywhere. I was completely disgusted, not so much by the fact that there was poop all over my baby, but by the fact that I had let my baby get into a poopy diaper.

I promptly gave him a bath, washed out his mouth with soap (even though he didn't say any bad words), and hoped he didn't ingest anything. And then I blogged about it, becuase that is what good mothers do.

Now that my friends, is why you should vote, for Sadie Goddard, as "Mother of the Year!"

At a loss for words

I have written two posts to put up, then deleted both of them. On purpose. I'm not sure why. I just didn't think they were post-worthy... but that has never stopped me in the past. I am rarely at a loss for words, but here I find myself... with nothing to say.

Just so checking my blog wasn't a complete waste of time, here's an update on the boys:

Jeff- Dresses himself most days, including shoes and socks. He is getting excited for spring. I let him run around in the yard a few days ago because it was so warm and he was in heaven. He is talking better everyday. My favorite thing he has been saying lately... "Mom, baby is cute". He says this after he has been making funny faces to get Nate to laugh. Its great to watch.

Nate- Wakes up at the same time as Jeff, because he has no choice. Jeff crawls in his crib and starts playing with him. Nate wears his helmet still and he is making great progress on getting a round head. He also loves bath time and will splash and kick and giggle so much that Jeff wont take baths with him because he doesn't like to get water in his face.

Scott- Works like crazy. He wakes up at 5:30 a.m. so he can catch the 6 a.m. train so I can have the car to go to the gym, even though he would much rather drive. He stops at the gym on the way to work and gets in his workout and shower. Fitness is one of our big goals. He also has all kinds of fun with the boys when he is home.

25 random things you never cared to know about me...

1. I have a black patch of hair that I have had all my life on the right side of my head.
2. When I was little my brother convinced me that eating ants was cool, and I ate them often.
3. I was a firefighter for two summers to help pay for college.
4. I'm so afraid of the dark and being alone that later this week while Scott is gone to winter Scout camp, I will be having a young woman from the ward over to babysit ME.
5. I ate a live grasshopper once to show my nephew that I was cool. We made a club.
6. I've always wanted my second toe to be longer than my first because I think it is cute. Scott has that feature, but sadly he has only passed it on to one of our sons.
7. I'm picky about how my towels are folded... thanks mom.
8. My brother (same one, I looked up to him) also convinced me that I shouldn't shave my legs till he got home from his mission. I didn't. When he got back he convinced me to still refrain. I was 15 when I first shaved my legs.
9. I used to sit in the front seat of the bus so I could talk to my bus driver all the way to school. Looking back, I'm not sure if she enjoyed it as much as I did.
10. I threw up in my in-laws sink the first time I met them. Then when I tried to clean things up, I broke the sink.
11. I'm extremely ticklish and become violent to the point of hurting loved ones if I can't get away while being tickled.
12. My nostrils are different shapes.
13. I couldn't eat subway for about 10 years of my life because I got sick once after eating it. Even seeing the Subway sign would make me nauseous. We're friends again.
14. I remember when I was 15 years old meeting with my Bishop and crying to him. My concern... that I was never going to get married. He laughed and sent me on my way.
15. When my husband proposed, I thought the ring was fake. It isn't.
16. The thing I cried about most in high school was losing basketball games.
17. When I was little, I used to bite my toenails. I would deny it, but my family has video proof.
18. For the first 12 years of my life, my hair looked like a mushroom.
19. In the 5th grade I got mad at a girl and punched her in the eye. She wouldn't let me play soccer with my other friend, Amie.
20. The only other time I have ever come close to getting into a fist fight was when I worked with at-risk-youth. Scott had to tell me to go to my room and chill out. I'm better with my temper now.
21. I have and on-and-off relationship with chicken and ground beef. At times it grosses me out and I can't eat it. I always love steak, our relationship will last forever.
22. I hate shopping. It probably stems from the time I was shopping with my mom the day before school started. I was swinging on an empty rack, fell over, broke my finger, and had to get stitches. I also missed the first day of school.
23. I always thought holding hands was uncomfortable until I met Scott. Somehow our hands just fit, and I liked it.
24. I could eat cereal for every meal, except Scott made me promise I wouldn't eat it after 10 a.m.
25. I've always thought I was really strong/tough. I've finally come to grips with the fact that I may not be. Now I work out so I can be.

Cleaning house

Okay, let me just preface this post with the acknowledgement that , yes, I am a geek.

So, I read this book from the 50's about how to be a good homemaker. It talks a lot about making sure to be dressed and looking nice with just the right amount of makeup on when your husband leaves for work, and when he returns. I skipped most of that chapter. Poor Scott gets to leave the house kissing goodbye a mattey-haired, sweater-toothed, squinty-eyed wife. He comes home to the same girl who, if all went well that day, is more or less the same except she did get a shower and a tooth desweaterfication. If all went well that day, mind you.

I did like the chapter about housecleaning. Here's what I did. I sat in each room and just looked around and thought up anything and everything I could do to clean that room. I wrote each thing down. Then, I looked at the list and decided how often these things needed to be done. Daily, weekly, or monthly. Then I wrote down each of the chores on a card (orange:daily, green: weekly, blue: monthly) in very specific detail. Then I did a few math calculations to see how many weekly and monthly cards I need to do each day to get them all done. And then, viola, I had the perfect plan in case anything ever happened to me and the Relief Society sister's needed to know how to clean my house.

Okay, I will admit, I did think about that while I was working on this project but I'm also trying to do it myself. Scott wanted in on it so I gave him a daily chore that he graciously accepted. Now, I will never have to worry about taking out the trash again and if I ever have the desire to clean my house, I know where to start.

How do you keep up on all of the house-cleaning duties in your lives? I would love to hear success stories, failures, and words of encouragement.

Picture update

Jeff posing for GQ this morning before church. He loves getting all dressed up.

Nate playing in his jumper. He has a helmet he wears these days to round out his head, but he gets to take it off for an hour a day. This is that hour.

Scott and Jeff playing with Jeff's tractor he got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Goddard.

Still playing with the tractor. You can see Scott is making tractor sounds by the way his mouth is shaped. You can also see that even though I do all I can to convince Scott to get rid of his "grandpa socks" he still loves them and wears them. Scott loves to play. I love to watch him have fun with our boys. He is such a kid at heart.

Crafty?

My friend Amie posted on her blog a project she did to fix up an old dresser for her little girl. It is super cute and if I knew how to make a link for you to check it out... I would. She made it look a little like a scrapbook page with all kinds of different stuff on it. Very girly. Very cute. Very crafty.

I decided I wanted to be crafty too. Before I tell you what I did, let me tell you how hard I tried to digitally document it so you could see it. I got out the camera, batteries were dead. I tried to put in new batteries from the junk drawer. They were dead too. I looked in my portable CD player for batteries. None. I tried to use the batteries out of the remote... not enough juice. I looked to see if there were batteries in Scott's alarm clock. Nope. I checked in one of Scott's calculators. Solar power. I checked in another calculator (he's got three). AAA instead of the needed AA. I tried to think of any batteries that I could use from some of Jeff's toys. However, he was asleep in his room with the toy box and that is where I drew the line. I was willing to sacrifice for you all. I was putting my best foot forward. I still wasn't willing to risk waking up my sleeping child. Sorry.

So, back to the crafty project I did. Our couch has this ruffle on the bottom that used to look nice. Before we moved and before the ruffle got torn in places, it looked good. I decided that I wanted to spice up my life with some craftiness. I got out the pliers and I ripped off the ruffle. Its gone now. I think I like the way it looks.

Does this count?

My new shoes

This past week has been tough for me. I haven't been able to go to the gym because I was sick, then because the boys were sick. (daycares don't like sick kids).

There were a couple of reasons it was hard on me.

1. Each day starts with feeding the boys breakfast, getting them dressed, then packing them into the car so we can head to the gym. If I don't, my morning is shot. I thrive on the feeling that I have big plans. It drives me. The gym is my jump start people, I need it. Not only is my morning a waste if I don't go, but the rest of the day just follows suit and my big motivator becomes getting a shower, rather than all the other worthwhile things I could do. Without the gym I get on hulu.com and watch "Friday Night Lights" all day.

2. I feel like I'm losing my battle with fat. (Ironically, I lost weight this week... can anyone explain that one?)

3. I have to be around people. I don't care who they are. If "they" is the lady at the front desk, so be it. Most days my friend Ruth goes to the gym too and we talk up a storm. I know it's a weakness to be so dependent on social interactions... but I could have worse problems, right?

Okay, okay... I'm getting to the purpose of my post. Scott (in all his infinite wisdom) recognized that I needed to get out. Saturday morning he told me to call up a friend and find something to do and let him take care of the kids (even though he was sick).

I called up Ruth and we decided to meet up that gym, then go get fitted for running shoes. Ruth ran and I walked (but we were on the treadmills so we could still talk, talk, talk). Just so you know, I only walked because I didn't want to start into a coughing fit that evokes gagging and ugliness.

We hung out in the sauna for a bit, then showered and headed out on the town. We went to this great store called "The Road Runner". IT'S AWESOME! To fit you for your shoes they have you take off your shoes and walk across this little pad thing that connects to a computer. It shows you what kind of an arch you have. Then they have you jog on the treadmill for 30 seconds while a video camera catches what your feet do in motion. That goes to the computer too. You look at it and see just what it is that you need.

Then the guy gets down to business and sells you shoes. Rick was our guy. He did a good job. I got a new pair of shoes! I'm really excited about it. So excited in fact, that last night I was running back and forth across our living room asking Scott how many times across it would take to run a mile. The craziness that poor lad has to endure. He sure knows how to pick 'em. :)

So, I know, this is a super long post about nothing more than a pair of shoes, but I'm really excited. Scott said I looked like a newly engaged girl who keeps looking at her new ring. Let me just say that those shoes make my feet look good.

Moral of the story, if you have a down week, get a new pair of shoes. They are much better than pants because they never make you feel fat.

Shred Gnar

shred the gnar

to shred the gnar originated in the early days of skateboarding. gnar shredding has become popular for many 'extreme sports' including skiing and snowboarding.

dude, lets go shred the gnar !
bro, i cant. last gnar session i tweaked my dome.
bummer.

Maybe it's because I worked with teenage boys with drug issues... but when I first read this phrase I thought it was drug related.

Who knows?

When studying for the GRE you have to learn lots of new vocabulary that you will probably never use again in your life, thus being quite useless. While at this time in my life, I am not studying for said test I still feel it important to learn new words/phrases. I came across one today that I have never heard of. Lets see who has. I'll post the answer in a few days. I'll also post what I thought it meant and where I came across it. Do your best, and don't cheat by looking it up. Here it is:

Shred gnar... that's right! What does this mean?

Gratitude

Scott and I have been very sick these past few days. Scott was hit with the stomach flu and I got a sinus infection accompanied by chills, fever, and nausea. To sum it up, we were both confined to our bed (literally, Scott crawled to get me some meds at one point and barely made it back.) Add two little boys to that... and lets just say it was tough.

When we finally hit our breaking point we made some calls. One friend brought us some crackers and ginger ale AND took Jeff from 4 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. the next day. Some other friends brought us soup and more crackers. Additionally other friends took Jeff again... and I haven't seen him yet.

To top it all of, one of the young men that goes to the same church as us called and asked us if we needed anything from the grocery store. We mentioned needing some rice cereal for Nathan. He wasn't quite sure what to get so he got two different kinds for us. He topped it off with a box of donuts for Jeff.

We have really been blessed by the kindness of those around us. I believe we are surrounded by angels. They may not be the same angels that announced Christ's birth, but they are there still. They are found in the people around us. May we all be angels for those around us and be instruments in Christ's hands.

My little pyro

Today I came into the living room to find Jeff with a mischievous smile on his face. He proceeded to show me the match he had in his hand (it was a strike-on-box type, they don't' sell "real" matches in New Jersey for fear all the green wet stuff will catch on fire). He took his match, ran over to the tree and held it to a Christmas light. I think he was a little disappointed when it didn't ignite. I was so proud. He got a little bit of his mom's blood. It took me back to the good 'ol days as a firefighter when we would use drip torches (diesel-gas mix in a can) to start fires that were prescribed. Ah... good memories.

Nathan Klyn

I know these picture are all pretty much the same, but this will give you an idea of what we see whenever Nathan is awake. Smiles. He smiles and smiles and even if he is tired and hungry if you smile at him you will get one in return. I think this last shot of him he is working on his hula dance.

One of my friends mentioned that I don't post enough of Nathan... so here you go. :) Hope you're satisfied Annie!

The Sauna

So, at the gym I go to there is a dry sauna. It is in the ladies dressing room and sometimes after a workout I will go in there and just relax or read a book. I just wear my gym clothes. Since my friend Ruth has been going to the gym with me, we have been having lots of fun trying out new classes, working our abs until we can't stand it, and playing racquetball left-handed (her right hand hurts her). The other day we decided to go into the sauna. So, in my gym clothes, I proceeded to walk into the sauna. Ruth just gave me this look like I was crazy. Later when I was telling my other friend Lisa about it, she said everyone at the gym must think I'm a homophobe. So apparently you don't go into a sauna fully clothed, you're supposed to just wear a towel and nothing else. Who knew? Not this Idaho farmgirl.

Romance

Last night I got a babysitter and met up with Scott at work. We took a quick train ride into the city (NYC) and met up with some friends. We went ice skating, visited the tree at the Rockefeller Center, and looked at the windows at Saks 5th Ave. I have to say, it was the epitome of romance. Oh yeah, we also got dinner and cheesecake. The weather was incredible, and the company was even better. There is nothing I love more than spending time with my guapo!

Gooding

I got my camera back a few weeks ago, but I have been a big slacker getting anything posted. Here is the photo journal from our stay in Gooding Idaho. The wonderful place I grew up.


These are the apples drying that I made.

Using this machine.

Jeff was a pro.

This is the quilt I made (with mom's help).

We used this machine.

And this one too. It quilts it for you so you don't have to. My kind of quilting. :)

We stayed at this farm house (aka, my home in Gooding).

With this farmer (aka my dad). And yes, he has on both a ball cap as well as a cowboy hat. Its the new style in Gooding these days. So if you go visit, make sure you wear both or you just wont fit in.

So we all had to wear this farmer/cowboy hat.

Even Jeff.
Now that we are home and potty training. Jeff likes to wear this hat.

Another gym post

I know, I know... I already wrote about the gym. But this is something I have to get off my chest.

I have this thing when I go to the gym. I like to think of myself as a confident fit girl. But lets be honest... I am anything but fit right now which naturally makes me a little self conscience (as I believe most women are). The thing that makes me even more self conscious is all the skinny women at the gym. People, where are all the not-so-fit-and-attractive looking folks? I think I saw one fat guy at the gym the entire time I was there today. I mean honestly, can't fat people work out too?

The next thing that makes me a little self conscious is that I don't really know what I'm doing. I actually have to read the instructions on a lot of the machines. I try to make it look like I'm not. Sometimes I scope out the room to make sure no one else is watching before I look at the little diagrams and stuff. I don't know why, but I want people to think I am totally knowledgeable on the whole working out thing. I really don't even know what kinds of exercising I should be doing to reach my goals. Heck, I don't even really know what my goals are. All I know is that I love going to the gym everyday (for the past two days). It just feels good, even though I don't fit in.

So, where I don't know so much... anybody want to share the secrets to fitness and skinniness and getting into the "in" crowd at the gym. (Just joking on that last part). Once they see my mad yogalaties skills tomorrow morning, I'm bound to have all kinds of people want to be my friend. By the way, what are yogalaties?

The Gym

So, I have been inspired by my friend Christine who is a gym fanatic. She has gone to the gym almost every day for the past two years. Seriously!

I've decided to try and follow in her footsteps. I got a one week free trial at a gym nearby that has free babysitting. I had to wait until Nathan was six months old to go (he's still only 5 1/2) but he is so big and happy that they cleared him. :)

The first day I had my backpack filled with all my stuff, a diaper bag filled with all the kids stuff, Nathan in a car seat, and Jeff running along side of me. I actually got a pretty good workout just getting into the building. I think I'm going to try and downsize my "stuff". Its just that I shower there and fix my hair because, hey free babysitting. If I were to bring the kids home and try and grab a shower and a fix my hair, forget it!

All in all it is a great thing. I get a break from the kids and I get in some great exercise. The kids get a break from me, and they also get to learn how to interact (read, hold their own) with other kids. I love it. I'm sore, but I love it!

Thanks Christine!

Mess!

As a parent, I always worry if I'm doing things right. Do I give my child enough attention? Do I give him guidance that will help him turn out to be a decent human being? Well folks, here is a success story for you.

Jeff and I were at the store on Wednesday doing a little last minute grocery shopping. I had Nathan with me too so once we got the groceries in, Jeff had no place to sit in the cart. So he had to walk along side the cart and hang on (help me push) the cart. As we were walking out of the store Jeff yells, "Mom! Mess!" "Oh no! Mess!" He proceeded to run over and pick up a dropped receipt and put it in the garbage. A lady coming out of the store saw the whole thing. I'll admit, I couldn't have been more proud.

I was pretty impressed with myself until Scott made the comment later, " You know, with parents like us he might just turn out to be pretty OCD". I decided that wouldn't be too bad, as long as he is OCD about folding laundry, washing dishes, sweeping floors and stuff like that.

So, should I be worried or will he turn out okay?

Robbed

So, you are probably wondering why you haven't been getting any cute pictures to see on this blog. Here is the story to explain it all...

I have lived in New Jersey (thought by many to be one of the most criminal-stricken states in the union) for over a year now. I don't lock my door during the day when I leave (I do now), I don't always lock my car if it is parked in front of the house (I do now), and I am not afraid to go out with my kids by myself for a walk (still not).

But all of that has changed. My car got broken into. The thief stole my portable dvd player, my digital camera, my makeup, and my scriptures. Ouch. When I first realized what happened, I just wanted to cry because I felt so violated. Why would anyone do that?

I had never had anything like this happen in the last year and half that I have lived here. Why now? I'll tell you why... its because I got robbed in the wonderful, peaceful, safe state of Utah!!! That's right. A year and a half in Jersey, not theft. One night in West Jordan, Utah... and I get hammered.

Thankfully, the story doesn't end too badly. The wonderful West Jordan Police saved the day. They caught the guy and got my stuff back. Now I just have to send them a check to cover shipping and they will send it all back to me.

The moral of the story... Lock your doors (even in Utah), don't steal, and always report crimes to the Police because they just might be able to catch the crook!

I'm home

Ever since I "grew up" and moved out of my parents house I have always wondered where home is. If I listen to the the cliche saying "Home is where the heart is" I just get confused. I've been thinking about this and wondering just how I decide what to call home.

Is it the place I spent the majority of my life? Is it the place where I spent my childhood. Is it the place where I became an independent person and started making all of my own decisions? Is it the place I like the best? Is it the place where I live now?

I'm sure most of you have been smart enough to figure out where you belong, but I think I just barely figured it out. I've narrowed it down to two possible solutions. Help me choose which it is.

1. Home is where Scott (insert your spouses name) is...
2. Home is where my bed is...

What's your vote?

In either case... I'm finally home from my vacation!

Great things about my vacation: saw lots of family and friends, showed my kids off to people I care about, spent some good times relaxing with Scott and the boys.

Not so great things: I got robbed of my digital camera, portable DVD player and makeup stuff. I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to.

All in all... a great trip!

Here are a few pictures of the fun we are having.

Jeff was superman for Halloween. It took a long time to convince (read: pin down) Jeff to put his cape on. Here is his version of flexing his muscles.

Trick-or-treating. I love this picture. It shows off the beautiful Idaho sky. You can see my hair cut too.

Jeff watching his new friend eat some lunch.

Jeff fell in love with this cat. He packed him around all day long. The poor kitty didn't even protest, scratch, or run for its life. Sadly... the cat is missing. Perhaps he is too scared to come back while he sees Jeff around.

Still in Idaho

Jeff, Nate, and I are still in Idaho. Scott had to go home on the 25th. It was a sad sad day. The boys and I will be here in Idaho/Utah until November 11th and we have had a great time! We have spent a ton of time with family, some time with friends... and no time on blogging. :)

We are having so much fun we haven't had time to post. But if I remember to take pictures, I'll post them when I get home or if things slow down at all.

If you live in Rexburg, Gooding, or Salt Lake/Provo call me so we can see if see if we can get together to see each other. That's assuming I know who you are. :)

If you don't have my number, email me and I will give it to you. sadie_goddard@yahoo.com

Ode to Idaho... and Utah too!

I love Idaho! There are so many great things about it. Here are a few...

-Lots of my family and friends live there

-BYU-Idaho is located there (the best place to go to college, ever)

-There's lots of wide open spaces and you can see for miles and miles

-You can ride your neighbor's horse because your dad gives him (your neighbor) hay

-There are lots of tractors, trucks, and the sort

-You can see the stars almost every night of the year

-People take life and nice easy pace

-The UPS guy knows you and will give you your package if he sees you in town instead of driving all the way out to your house.

-The mail lady gives you suckers if you meet her at the mailbox (and are six years old or less)

-Dogs are out on the loose and not caged up in a house or in a back yard

-Dogs don't wear clothes

-Everyone waves at you if you drive your dad's beat up pickup

These are just a few of the reasons that came to mind.

I like Utah too. Its nice. I just don't give my heart to it the way I do Idaho. One of the perks of Utah... Cafe' Rio!

We're visiting soon. Oct 15 to Nov 11. I'll try to keep up on my blog... but no promises. :)

Quirky

Here are the rules:
Link the Person who Tagged you.
Mention rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
Leave a comment to let them know.

1. I'm weird about cheese. Here are a few of the travesties that could happen to a block of cheese that would require me to turn up my nose to eating it:
It could get touched by someones fingers and as a result get that yucky satin look to it.
It could be cut into by a knife that was used on something other than cheese.
It could be on a sandwich for more than three minutes.
It could be cut too thin.
It could be cut too think.
It could get too dry.
It could get soggy.
Basically anything could make me turn my nose up, but it is still one of my favorite things to eat.

2. Getting rid of things one of my favorite things to do. I absolutely love it. When I get into one of my moods I have been known to throw out things that we use on a regular basis. Like a toaster that still works just fine. I often go through my closet, the kids toy box, my furniture, and anything else I can pick up and either put on the curb or in my trunk. The only thing that is free from being tossed is something with sentimental value. I still have cards, letters, and movie tickets from when I was in high school. That being said, once I can't remember why I have that sentimental-value-worthy item... it gets tossed too.

3. This one is really embarrassing... but I'll tell you anyway. Just don't judge me too harshly. I like to clean out peoples ears. Not only that, but I get really excited when the q-tip comes out with a big chunk of wax. I also check out peoples ears (without them knowing). I just have this thing about clean ears. I try to clean my husbands... but he hasn't given in to me on that one yet. Thankfully he already has clean ears. Since he wont let me get my fix with his ears, I clean out my boys' ears. I know all about how your not supposed to use q-tips and all that stuff, but I can't help it. I think it stems from when I was little and my mom would clean out all of our ears.

4. I'm a little OCD (self-proclaimed). I have to have everything in my house just right. If Jeff moves his toys into the wrong area of the room. I have to fix it. If The blanket on the bed is too far to one side... it drives me crazy. The books on our bookshelf are in order from tallest to shortest from left to right. They are also all flush with each other. The chairs to our table are all tucked in unless we are sitting in them. The only thing that is in complete disarray (on purpose) is the fridge. Even our junk drawer is organized.

5. I hate crying in front of people. I don't even like crying in front of my husband. Often I wait until I am in bed and he is asleep to let my tears out. If I can't hold back until he is away, I bury my face in his chest while he holds me so he can't see. I don't know why this is. It might be that I hate the way my face looks when I cry. It could be that I like to be thought of as a tough girl who doesn't have any weaknesses. It could be that when people see me cry, it only adds fuel to the fire. I don't know exactly why... but I do know that if you see me cry there is really something wrong. There are only two exceptions. When I am at the movies or in church.

6. (Scott recommended this one) My singing. I sing opera style when I get excited or am really happy. I try to make it sound as bad as possible so there is no mistaking that I am actually trying to sound good. I only really do it around Scott and the boys. Jeff has picked up on it and does it too. We hope that he will be blessed with Scott's musical talents, but if not... he can enjoy is ugly opera singing with me.

I tag... Charis, Amy Johnson, Amie Nelson, Rachel Loser, Rachel Watson, Christine Velasco

A week in pictures

What is he doing? Maybe we should get a closer look...

Ah... one of my favorite views. The one where I can see him doing the dishes. I remember after reading a book called "The Five Love Languages" telling Scott how he could always tell me he loves me by doing the dishes. He hasn't forgotten.

Us being unsuccessful at taking a picture of ourselves. This was one of ten tries and sadly, the best one we got.

Jeff decided he wanted to pose for this picture. I don't know how he got the whole put-your-hands-behind-your-head pose. Nate just goes along with what Jeff says most days.

I tried to catch all three of my boys, but Jeff suddenly decided he was done being a cute model for me and took off to jump on the trampoline.

This is Nate enjoying his new blanket made by Grandma Goddard. He is such a happy little guy and absolutely loves attention. He will giggle and laugh anytime I look at him. He is also super ticklish.

Scott was getting Jeff ready for bed decided to make him a turban. I don't know where he gets his ideas. Every time I turn around he has a new funny thing he is doing with Jeff. He sure is a great daddy.

And of course, he had to take his turn wearing the turban. I love it! Watching Scott be a daddy is one of the coolest things ever.

Three years

Boogy boarding on the Oregon Coast a few weeks before we got engaged

I feel like I have so much to blog about. But, most important things first...

Yesterday Scott and I celebrated our three-year anniversary. My only request for a gift from him was that he write me a love letter. Throughout our courtship we wrote many letters to each other and I grew quite fond of them. I have a little box I keep all of them in. It was through those letters that I finally got over my ENORMOUS (so big I often threw up) fears of getting married. I cherish them. I absolutely love the way my sweetheart writes. It's like poetry.

So yesterday Scott instructed me to drop the boys off at the babysitters house at 6:30 and then drive to the train station to pick him up. When I picked him up he he surprised me with dinner at a restaurant that I have been wanting to go to.

While we were eating our chips and salsa before our meals came, Scott took my hand in his across the table (while I hurriedly ate the chip I was eating and then gave my hand back to him). He looked me in the eyes (and I nervously looked away) and told me he loved me (I smiled awkwardly) and then he pulled the letter out from behind his back. I read my sweet letter and loved it.

Scott can be so romantic and I just kill the moment (not on purpose). The first time he told me he loved me I literally laughed at him. It was a few weeks before I finally told him I loved him. Thankfully, he doesn't hold it against me.

After that we went home, changed our clothes, and went to play tennis. It was so much fun! To finish the night, we went to B&R for some ice cream.

I realize that our celebration for our anniversary may seem pretty lame compared to some things people do. Cruises, going to places with warm weather and nice beaches, or going to a themed hotel. But I have to say, I was perfectly content to spend a nice evening with my best friend and sweetheart without too much fanfare. Maybe I'm simple, but I'm happy.

My birthday

I had the best birthday yesterday! Scott stayed home from work and we spent the day together. We went to a zoo that is close to our house. It is a small zoo and there were hardly any people there since school started and the weather is a little bit cooler. We practically had the whole place to ourselves.

They have a cute train that goes all around the zoo. Jeff was terrified of it until we went for a ride and then he was very upset that we had to leave because he wanted another ride. They have smaller animals that are low maintenance. The coolest animals to see were the spider monkeys and the cougars. The cages are so close that you almost feel like you get to interact with them. THE cougar seemed to think that Jeff and Nate looked like lunch.

Later that night we went to a sports store to get some things with my birthday money (form my in-laws). I got this cool gyro ball that you spin in your hand and it builds up your muscles in your arms. It is really cool and Scott and I spent the rest of the night playing with it. We also got another piece of climbing gear so now all we need is a rope and we are ready to go. I saved some of my money to put toward that purchase. Soon we'll be ready to go climbing outdoor with all our own stuff. I'm way excited about that.

When we got home we ate some homemade ice cream that I made earlier that day with my new machine that Scott got for me. I loved it and the ice cream was great!

All in all, a very happy birthday. Also thanks to all those that called/emailed/texted/etc. to wish me a happy birthday. It made my day!

26

Today is my birthday. The funny part is that I forgot. Thankfully other people reminded me. Is that a sign of old age or what?

Berry picking

Today I went berry picking. In New Jersey berry picking entails driving and hour, getting car sick, paying $10 for two small cartons of raspberries you pick, driving another hour, getting even more car sick, and then being worn out when you get home.

All in all, it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, but it sure isn't like the days when I would pick raspberries with Grandma Cheney. She had a raspberry patch in her back yard and often times I would get recruited to go pick raspberries with her.

First we would get all the garb on. Long sleeve shirt (usually one of my grandpa's old shirts) rubber gloves (the cheap dish washing kind), a big straw hat, and the picking container. The picking container was either a gallon milk jug with the top cut off and a piece of fabric strung through the handle or a juice pitcher with the fabric strung through the handle.

I kind of felt like I was going on a jungle trek or something. Grandma always had a five gallon bucket for a stool and we would pick and pick and pick. When I was young and lazy, I hated it. I would pick for about three minutes and decide I was worn out. Looking back, I am so glad my grandma was insistent that I keep on working.

My Grandma Cheney passed away about a year and a half ago and I still remember the many things she taught me. In everything we did together on thing was a constant. Hard work. My favorite part about berry picking today was remembering those special times with grandma.

Tennis and blah blah blah

So I think my approach to fitness is to spend some time each day doing something. Yesterday it was playing tennis with my landlady. She's not your typical landlady. Her name is Karen. She lives above us with her husband and they don't have any kids of their own. She actually comes down almost every day at about five to take Jeff out to play.... for almost two hours.

Jeff loves it, I love it, and Karen loves it. For her, it is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. For me too.

So, lets get back to the tennis now... I lack tennis skills. Luckily Karen is a crazy athlete (almost went to the Olympics in team handball but the USA didn't go that year for political reasons) and a great teacher. She worked with me on not hitting the ball over the fence at the unsuspecting people walking on the track. I'm happy to report that I almost beat her at one game last night. Out of five, I almost beat her in one. I think we'll try to go once a week so. I'm really excited about it.

So, going back the whole budget thing. I got a cheap racket from K-mart for $13. Add in the three quarters to turn on your lights... I think I just discovered he cheapest date night imaginable. It practically pays for its self in the long run. Sure you have the initial investment for the racket and the balls, but after that you get a $.75 date night.

And, just so ya'll know, I think we will splurge this year for the pumpkins. Oh, and another cool thing. A girl in my ward who live close by (less than 30 minutes unlike everyone else) needs help getting home from volleyball practice. So, (once we get a second car) I will pick her up from practice and she will come watch the boys for an hour while I go run, and then I'll take her home. And this wonderful service is provided by this girl FOR FREE!!! I offered to pay her as per mamabear's insightful comment on my running blog, but she refused. Sheesh, I have all the luck.
I realize I just covered about thirty topics in one post... I'm feeling a little scattered today. :) To add to the randomness, here's a picture of my adorable little brother Brett who gets home from his mission in a month. This was taken on my wedding day... not in my wedding dress.

The Budget

I'm pretty fanatical about our budget. I have a great program that I love (you can read all about it on ynab.com) and I am addicted to keeping it up to date and watching every dime that enters/exits our bank accounts online.

When Scott and I first moved here we knew we would have to be pretty careful with our expenditures because things would be tight for a while. We were so incredibly frugal/cheap that when Scott mentioned getting pumpkins to carve for family night I took one look at the budget and told him it just wasn't going to happen. Scott still wont let me live this one down.

Over the past year we have be blessed to have received a few raises that have made us feel like we didn't' have to worry so much about keeping to our budget as strictly. In short, we got lazy and started spending more and more money.

Well, Saturday morning I started telling Scott about all the fun things I wanted to buy and he promptly said we should go over our budget in our Sunday meeting. Ironically at Church that night (we had Stake Conference) or Stake President challenged us to do a few things, one of which was to set a date to be debt free and if we were already debt free to build up our savings. I knew for sure at this point that I probably wasn't going to get a new wardrobe or a super-nice minivan.

We went over the budget last night and we decided to cinch up our belts and work on living below our means. Our goal: to save up for a down payment on a house. Scott knows how to get me on the bandwagon. There isn't much I am more motivated to save for than a house. Except for perhaps enough land that we can get a horse to go with our house.

So, I'm still not sure if we will be getting pumpkins this year to carve or if we will look at the budget and decide it just isn't worth it to make memories with our family when we could put that $3.75 into our "house savings account".

What ways have you found to cut costs without cutting out the fun.

Something

Scott said that our plain 'ol black background was just not good enough. He said we need to have something a little more something. So, you may not recognize this blog at first, but it is still us. We are still the same people wearing the same clothes eating the same things for dinner. We just decided that something in our lives needed to change and I guess the blog got it. Let me know if you can't read it well with the new colors so I can change anything that needs it.

You know how if you say a word over and over again and look at it and then say it a few more times it doesn't' even seem to be English anymore. I think I just did that with the word something. What a weird word.

Running

I know most of you couldn't care less about my running schedule, but I am just so happy about my small steps of progress that I have to report about it. Plus, I feel like if I am announcing to everyone that I am running, then I will feel a stronger obligation to actually get out and do it.

I also thought, that if any of you out there are trying to start running (either again, or for the first time) you can know that you are not the only one out there that is struggling with it. I am by no means writing this post as a brag about my mad running skills, quite the contrary. I am writing this post to give others hope (an mostly myself motivation).

So, on Saturday I went out and ran for the second time since (I am sad to report) a few months before I found out I was expecting Nathan. So, that would make it well over a year since I have really done any consistent running. One of the biggest struggles to date has been finding a time when I can get out. Having two young children makes this feat a little tough. I run (no pun intended) into the problem that when Scott is home and able to take care of the boys, I want to be spending that time with him. I have decided that I can spare half an hour three or four times a week to get out.

I started my run at about 10 a.m. in 98% humidity. Wow, I was feeling like I had worked really hard because I was sweating so much. I ran a whole mile and a quarter. I ran on the track and that was nice because everything else here is a hill. It was hard. I was tired, and I got discouraged when old people kept passing me. But, I put my pride aside and lumbered around the track 5 times. I kind of wished I could have worn a sign on my back that said, "I just had a baby two and half months ago," just so people would know a little background story to why I was breathing so hard while going so slow.

On Monday, I went out and ran again. It was awesome! I went in the evening. It was a beautiful cool night and just barely dark. I ran a mile and a half. With my ipod turned up and the dark settling in, it seemed like the laps just flew by. I totally recommend running at night (but not too late, cause the Boogy Man will get you).

So, that's my running blog. Sorry if you actually read this whole thing. It really is for me. I hope you will forgive me for the wordy post about my struggle to fitness success. But, just to make things fair, what things have you done when you start up a new regime of exercise to keep it going. Oh, yeah, and tell me your struggles too, just so I know I'm not alone. :)

Temper Tantrum

I didn't really know that when my son turned two we would start experiencing temper tantrums... or rather, that I would be the one mood swings. I always assumed that he would be the one doing all of the screaming and kicking while lying on the floor of a supermarket while onlookers judged my bad parenting skills.

What I have realized is that I have had a few of my own temper tantrums. I don't kick and scream so much as I get frustrated. Frustrated that I am not nearly as good of a parent as I thought I would be before I had kids. Frustrated that I can't keep both boys completely happy all the time. Frustrated that sometimes I want to sleep instead of take care of my boys.

And then the next day comes and my little boys are happy, and they are doing everything right, and I realize that this parenting stuff isn't quite as hard as I thought it was the day before. In fact, I think it can be pretty easy. In fact, I can't imagine my life without them here showing me their beautiful personalities.

It all comes down to this... some days are hard and some days are easy. With parenting comes some of the toughest days I have known, but also some of the greatest joys I have experienced.

Back in Shape

So, I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but Scott and I are doing Weight Watchers. We aren't going to meetings, but rather having our own little meetings on Sunday nights. We weigh in and do measurements. We put all that data into a spreadsheet in the computer and we get to see how well (or not so well) we are doing.

We have been going for four weeks now. Last week wasn't so good for me. In fact, it was pretty much terrible. But this week I have been doing better. I have been keeping track of what I eat more, and have been staying under my Points allotment.

In addition to a change in our "style" of eating, I am trying to exercise more. I saved up my budgeted "play money" for a few months (plus a little extra from the "household" budget because I got impatient) and got an ipod shuffle. I got a few songs off of itunes and tonight I had my first run with my new gear. It felt great! I ran a little over a mile (uphill both ways) and did a round of crunches on my exercise ball.

I am by no means and Olympic athlete, but I have ambitions to be able to run in a race next summer. It is called The Ragnar. You can look it up if you are interested. Scott and I are on a team to run 180 miles. There are 12 team members and we each run three legs of the race. All three legs (of the race that is) combined will be about 13 miles. It usually takes about 24 hours for a team to finish and we go all day and all night. I guess you literally run, sleep, and drive your shift of the team van. We are totally unprepared and excited! So, hence begins the "getting back in shape" adventure.

I don't now why, but I have been using an abundant amount of quotation marks. I think it is out of my system now.

So, what are you all doing to be/get in shape. Any encouraging words? Words of wisdom?