It's a new year...

Wow, do I have some catching up to do.  And not much time.  I will be brief now.  I figure that since I did give this blog address out on my Christmas cards, I probably should put something new on here once in a while?!  I am so proud of myself this year--this might be the very first year that I have sent my Christmas cards out (with the exception of a very few awaiting addresses) BEFORE Christmas!  What a concept!  Guess that tells me how crazy my life was when I worked---if I can even do it with new twins and home schooling the other two, then wow.

I think Brody is getting ready to break through O and P!  I think I can see them in there, and all of a sudden he is getting this horrible rash on his bummi!  I feel so bad for him.  And I don't think it is diaper rash, because he almost always goes poop on the potty these days (unless we have one of our bad days and miss one), and we change them like every hour when we take them to the potty.  I finally put it together yesterday about the teething---I don't even know why I looked into his mouth to see, but I did--and then he had his rash!  Mom says I had rashes really bad when I got my teeth, and I remember especially Azbrielle having HORRIBLE rashes (and I think Weston t00) like blisters when they were cutting teeth.  Poor kids.  Other than that, Brody does not seem to be acting too much different--yet.

The babies are getting so big so fast!  They are grabbing everything with their hands and manipulating it and of course trying to shove it in their mouths.  Drooling all the time, as they have been doing for a few months.  Growing out of all of their clothes!  Time to sell the first lot and move into the next tote of sizes!  I can't believe it.  They are going to be HALF A YEAR OLD next month!  Wait, that would be THIS month!  In only 20 days!  NO fair!  It is going TOO fast, and I am even home with them this time.  It seems like we are so busy that life just cruises by, and before I know it the day is over.

I start my first day back at work tomorrow.  I am soooo glad I am only doing it this quarter.  I am not excited to leave my babies.  I feel like I am going to be so behind on everything being gone for the day.  I am so grateful that Lisa is going to home school the kids for me; that takes tons of stress off.  I know everyone will be in good hands, but it still bugs me.  I am looking forward to work, and it will be fun teaching with Fran again--but it just doesn't feel the same.  I never imagined I would not want to work--but that is how I am feeling?!  I just love being home with them.  And seriously I don't know how I ever did anything when I worked, especially 3 and 4 days a week!  No wonder I am so unorganized--I simply didn't have TIME to take care of things and organize, so everything just got shoved away together for another day that never came.  But it is here now---and it is my goal to have everything organized and filed and put into its' place.  If there is no place, then it is going out.  For reals.  I hate all of this clutter.  I want my home and life SIMPLE and CLEAN.

Azbrielle and Weston are still thriving with the home schooling.  We had our first consult with Melissa from MCP in person the other day.  The kids each read to her and showed her some of their work from their books.  She was very impressed and said they are doing phenomenal and that I may want to order the SECOND GRADE curriculum soon!!  At the rate they are going, they will be done with the first grade one before the end of the year--even Weston.  We are so proud of them!  They amaze me with how they learn--Weston reminds me a lot of me when I was young.  He can look at something and just remember what it looks like and spell it back.  So cool.  Hope he keeps that gift.  Azbrielle is such a good reader too.  We have really been blessed with all of our wonderful children.

Speaking of blessings, Chase was home for a week last week.  It was bittersweet.  It was so great to have him home and so sad for him to leave.  But I think he likes it there, and I have a feeling he won't be coming back (permanently).  Scott feels the same way.  I mean, I think he misses us here and is lonely there sometimes, but I also think that he likes it enough there to stay and not "have" to go to church and all of that when he is here.

My keyboard battery is dying so I may have to quit mid sentence.  We got an iMac!  It is the 27" screen, and we LOVE it!  It is our TV too, because we got rid of all the others except the little one in our room.  The computer has SO much clarity.

Then we got our dream vehicle...a 2000 Excursion with the 7.3L diesel!  It is sooo nice for being 10 years old!  White with tan along the bottom and tan leather interior--my favorite colors!  Just how I would have ordered it!  Scott drove all the way to LV to sign at Fibre then back to Ptld in a rental car to pick up the Excursion and then drove back that night last Saturday.  What a fantastic guy.  He was gone like 9 hours.  But we both LOVE it.  Now we get to sell our "junky" cars--the Venture and the '96 Suburban--and also my Navigator (not junky).  Then we will get one more nice commuter and keep these ones!  We are even talking about an older BMW--how sweet!  That was Scott's idea, and I love it!  I never would have mentioned it, because I wouldn't have thought he would go for it--but heck yes if he wants to, that sounds fantastic!  Then we would both have cars that we like to drive, no matter which one we have for the day.   Don't know if we have ever really had that.

I am not too hip on living in the trailer park, mostly because of the neighbors a couple houses down.  Bummer of all is that Weston happens to be friends with the little boy.  Messed up family.  Cops there all the time, so sad.  Other than that we have not really had any problems, but I have to admit it is hard to tell people sometimes that we live here.   Not that it should matter,  because our house is nice inside.  But you know that stigma--not from anyone else but from myself.  Guess when we get to move I will REALLY appreciate it!  We are probably going to build, because house prices are going up and we would be paying out the nose to get what we want already done.  So who knows when---hopefully sooner than later.

For Thanksgiving we went to Joel's new place in Spokane--great place (that I helped him find on CL!:)).  Heidi and her fam were there too.  We couldn't stay long cuz Scott had to work, but it was fun hanging out with them.  Kids had a blast.

We stayed home for Christmas since Scott had to work 25th and 26th and took next two off.  Chase didn't come til night of 26th, so we actually celebrated Christmas on the 27th.  It was weird but nice.  Kind of relaxing not having a bunch of company and stuff, although I like to be around family so much, so that would have been cool too.  Jason and Shannon (no kids) came to stay for a night on the 22nd, which was great.  We played lots of Settlers :).  Jason really liked it, like we thought he might since he loves strategy games.  Nice of them to drive all the way over.  He lost his job a few weeks ago, so he is looking now.  So stressful.

Health seems to be good with everyone--knock on wood.  Scott is liking his mechanic position more I think---some of the guys he works with are not who he would choose to work with, but I guess that is life and you have to make the best of it? What else do you do?  Makes for long 12-hour shifts though.  I am so grateful to him for letting me stay home with our babies---what a huge blessing.  I only wish I would have figured it out sooner with the other kids.  And with Chase I never had the chance--- but so wish I could turn back time.  I know we would be closer.  I miss him so much.  But I want him to be happy so bad--I just wish being HERE made him happy.  Sniff, sniff.

Better go to bed so I am not late for my first day back!  So grateful to Heavenly Father for all of my blessings.  I will try to add pics soon--need to take some recent ones of everyone!  Weston is trying to grow out a "surfer" do--I told him I didn't think it would work since his hair goes straight forward, but he wants to try anyways.  Kind of looks like he just needs a haircut right now!  Scott too--don't know if he is growing his out too or just waiting for me to start cutting it (he really wants me t0).

Mom and Dad are supposed to come visit this month; that should be fun.  Mark and Jeff are coming to visit in March around Scott's bday, so that will be fun too.  Saturday we are headed to Brandon and Heidi's for Madeline's first birthday party; that should be fun.  It will be great to see Brandon again and finally get to hang out with Heidi.  Hope it goes well.  Wow, it's late!!!!