I'm hopeful

I'm going to try to be better about posting updates on our guppies. It's my new school year resolution.😉

School Pictures

Milloy is in the 1st grade and is doing GREAT! He was chosen as the September Student of the Month. He has a fantastic teacher! Milloy has yet to loose his first tooth. But that's not bothering him. He just loves to read, do math problems, play the piano and have fun!

Alaina is in the 2nd grade and was chosen as the Citizen of the Month for October. Her teacher is Awesome. She is in our ward and we love her to pieces! Alaina is growing up so much and is such a great help to me. Her little Sisters can be a major handful...and she's always my extra set of hands. She is also taking Piano Lessons and plays so beautifully!

Tyler's Perspective

This afternoon, (at 2:00pm), I was feeling a bit tired. Going to bed late and getting up early, with a couple waker-uppers in the night, was killing me. So Tyler was home today and looked at me and said..."Why don't you go lay down in bed. Leona, Sirena & Cash, (and the 4 yr old I watch 2 days a week), are asleep. I'll come get you when I need you." I gave him a few instructions on the routine of bus pick ups, homework, soccer practice, etc.
At 4pm he came in to get me and said..."I have an increased respect for you and what you do each day!" He went into detail which included...All the bus runs, getting the homework done, filling out forms for the school, getting kids to the places they needed to be. It was my norm, but his craziness!
I really appreciate Tyler and his willingness to help me in SO MANY ways! I REALLY appreciate him not being too proud to tell me that sometimes it's just crazy around here and that it was even hard for him to get it all done. But he DID and he did GREAT!
OH! And that nap was AWESOME!!!

Crazy Girl

Sirena was by far my easiest baby. She slept through the night at 2 weeks old, didn't have a bottle (and didn't take one) until I needed to work during the Lock Out and then magically took one the night before I was to start working 9 hour days! She went with the flow of things in the family SO well and with ease.

Then she turned 21 months! We went to Utah for Grandma Roxie's graveside service and when we got home, she became the little rascal! Oh man has she been keeping us on our toes! With Alaina & Milloy being so close in age, (17 months apart), we cruised through it! But this little monkey pants has more to interest her and get her in trouble.

This is her knocked out after sneaking out of bed and keeping her sister up. I think she gave up and passed out on the floor. Since school has started, I sit in the bedroom, nurse Leona to sleep and keep my hawk eye on Sirena Ray!

We love her, she is comical! And we couldn't imagine life with out our "Seena Bear"....as she calls herself!

Leona's Blessing

Leona was blessed on July 3. It was just like all our other baby blessings...HOT! For some reason, no matter what time of the year we have our babies blessed, it's record breaking heat! At least with Leona's it wasn't nasty humid like Sirena's was. Either way, it was nice and wonderful...Esp when you're in an A/C house and church building.

Leona was such a good baby during the blessing. We had a yummy dinner afterwords. It was great to share that day with family and dear friends.

Sirena's 2

Just after all the craziness of having Leona, we had Sirena's 2nd birthday. We don't do big birthday parties and all the hubbub of that, (thank goodness). We do take the kids out for their birthday's (just Mom, Dad and the birthday kid), have cake as a family, and open gift(s).
Sirena was SO excited to get her Dora doll, her magnet ballerina dress up from the Kinnon's, and a super cute talking dog from Dama & Papa (Tyler's parents). The dog even says her name and sings a song about Sirena's favorite things. SO CUTE!

#4's baby story

So this is how it went down. I had my 39 week apt on Thursday, June 2. I was really 39 wks 4 days. My due date was June 5...Sirena's Birthday. My Dr had told me at my apt the previous week that if I had progressed further, then he was going to "help me along", (I was being checked at 2-3 cm and 70% effaced), if I wanted to. I came home from that apt and talked to Tyler about it. He and I both agreed that if that were the case, we would be ok with it.

We scheduled a babysitter and a back up....just in case...and headed in for my apt. When Dr. K checked me I was a full 3-4cm and 80% effaced. The baby was at -2 station. He was worried that with my last labor being so fast...and that each labor was cut by 1/2, I may not make it to the hospital if I waited to "spontaneously go into labor". He did a couple tricks in the office and sent me out walking.

That was at 11am, by 2pm I was having regular contractions and by 3:30 I was contracting at 2 minutes apart. We headed over to the hospital. At my hospital, you are monitored in Triage for 1 hour. If the Dr admits you go to Labor & Delivery. That's what we did. I was in my L & D Room at 5:30pm. The Anesthesiologist was heading in for a C-Section, so I was asked if I wanted an epidural, I'd better do it then or wait. Well, I thought I wanted to go "au-naturale", but I did that 1 1/2 times....I really wanted to enjoy this one....since it's my last. I buckled and said..."Yes, Please!"

When that puppy kicked in I was SO HAPPY and got to eat my salad! MMMMmmmm was it good! PS- I did it on the sly...when the nurse was out of the room. I wasn't about to deliver and end up starving!

At 6:30pm- My Mother and Father-in-law came cruisin' in. I was SO happy. I had Aunt Sarah (my sister-in-law...married to Tyler's brother, Daniel) there to be the photographer. Tyler is a great photographer, but he only takes like 3 pictures of the whole thing! Not that I want a million, but a few more then 3 would be nice.

With the labors of my last 2 babies, I get to a 6 and then ALL OF A SUDDEN I complete and have that baby out in seconds. We told my nurse this and sure enough...it happened again. I started feeling pressure, she checked me and it was time. My Dr was already at the hospital getting ready to go into a C-Section....so it worked out perfectly. He came in delivered and even had time for pictures. It was fantastic!

Recovery has been a little rough because I came home from the hospital with a bad cold. It started with fever, chills, aches and pain. It actually scared me, it was that bad! Tyler got it the next day. I've had a couple other issues, but those were taken care of a week after Leona was born.

That brings me to her name... We name this little girl Leona May because Leona was the only girl name we could agree on. And May is after my Mom's dearest friends, The Maygren's. She met them at BYU and they (my parents and the Maygren's) were in each other's wedding's. We grew up with their kids and they are like cousin's to us. Actually, a little closer then that! Mama Maygren has been there for me in ways that Mom would be if she were here. So, with us naming our two other girls after our Mother's, it was just so perfect to name Leona after the Mother who was my escort in the temple, helped me dress my Mother for final dressing, has been my shoulder to cry on, lets us stay in her home...when ever we come home, treats my children like her own Grandchildren, and has loved me just the same way my Mom does! I'm so grateful and honored that all of our girls are named after such wonderful women!

Welcome to our family Leona May!

Matching!

Our kids LOVE to have matching outfits...all of them! It's so funny!

Princess See-na

Poor Sheba has to put up with Sirena.

Sirena is a major dog lover. She can't get enough of them...and really she loves all animals. We have a family in our ward with live stock and she LOVES Cows now because of them. She sleeps with a stuffed cow I bought her. I got it to keep her from wanting to go over to see the cow's ALL THE DARN TIME!

Sirena can't say her name completely, but she can say is See-na. I'm a little worried about what this new baby girl will do to Sirena's little world. She is the Princess of quite a lot around here! Her Big Sister and Big Brother love her and love to dote on her...all the time!

Sirena playing Doctor with the Mr Potato Head doctor set.

"Push me Nina!" (That's Alaina's name that she made up for herself when she was Sirena's age and couldn't say her own name as well.) They love to see how big of a slide they can get on the wood floor. They love this and Alaina pushes Sirena forever in this Truck of Milloy's.

Sleepers and Snugglers

This is how I found Milloy the other night when I got home from the temple and checked on the kids. He does fun stuff like this from time to time.

Sirena loves to snake Milloy's blanket.

Milloy and his "Big B". He loves this thing.

Sirena is such a good sleeper and is so beautiful when she sleeps.

My kids sure like their sleep and to snuggle. And I love to snuggle and sleep with them. It's so calming and relaxing. With each pregnancy, I worry that the new baby won't be a snuggler like the others, but they ALWAYS Do! When Daddy's home, they get the boot. But when he's working...it's a party in Mom's bed. My favorite part is that they fight over who gets to sleep next to Mom. I really love my kids and try SO Hard each day to enjoy them...they are growing up WAY TOO FAST!!!

Ashes, Ashes...

...We all fall down! We have to remove the ashes from our wood burning stove every couple to few days. Daddy left the ash bucket in a spot where little hands could get into it. Yeah for Mommy! I just mopped the floors and, (of course), a kid comes in the house covered in ash! Thankfully, Daddy swept the patio and moved the bucket while Mommy dressed the Ash Queen.

Disneyland FUN!

We have never seen a kids this excited to see a character...at this age!

Sirena spotted Tigger just as we got on to Main Street. She couldn't stop yelling "Tigger!" We have avoided the standing in line to see a character as long as we could. The funny thing is that she had just thrown up in the car, (from being car sick). We had to clean her up and buy her a new onesie. These pictures were taken about 20 minutes after throwing up....what a trooper!

We are so happy to have our passes again. Don't know if we will be able to do it again next year, but we'll sure try! SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

Pictures of #4

I was SO sure this little one was a Boy. We had a name chosen. We thought we were set!

We decided to find out early because we waited before...and I always knew the gender just by the way my pregnancy would go. This pregnancy has been JUST like Milloy's. The barfs ended at 14 weeks. With the girls it goes 22-25 weeks. The heart beat is just like Milloy's low 150's.

I thought I had it pegged! BUT NOPE!

It's a Girl!

We are so happy and surprised!

At first I was bummed that we didn't just wait like we usually do, but Tyler said...

"I'm glad we found out because it really would have thrown you for a huge loop if we found out when the baby was born."

Milloy was a little bummed, but it wore off fast when we told him that he would be the only one to hold the Priesthood, to go on the Father & Sons, he wouldn't have to share his clothes...and on and on. He was happy after that.

I'm so happy for Sirena to have a sister close in age with her. She will be so happy! I know I was so happy to have Betsy. She was ALWAYS my best friend! I couldn't have gone through school with out her!

Now we need a name for this little girl! Hummmmm......

Christmas 2010

Santa's boot print. Hopefully he will be more careful next year.

Before the kids came in.

The doll house was a huge hit

One of Daddy's Christmas gifts from Mommy.

Mommy's Christmas gift from Dad & the kids

Snow Day!!! January 3, 2011 was supposed to be the day the kids went back to school from break, but as you can see with ALL snow we got, the kids were TOTALLY unable to go to school.

It was fun, but it melted quickly.

Seeing Santa

Each Christmas we go to our local mall, (the closest one is an hour away), and see Santa. Our kids have decided that this Santa is the one and only true Santa....

"all the other ones are Fake!"

We love to go and see him each year, give him our letters and make another memory.

Sirena did really well with him because she saw how her brother and sister love him.

We can't wait for Christmas!

Family Days at Borax

SEE HOW HUGE!?!?! This truck can crush a Ford F-350!

The kids can sit between the teeth and still have room!

Scoop us up Tyler. We are only a fraction of what fits in one scoop!

Sirena Driving Daddy's Loader

Alaina & Milloy playing with the walk-e-talkie. In the cab of a Haul Truck.

A little Rock Climbing FUN!

To give you an idea of how HUGE this equipment is that Tyler drives.

There are two ladders you have to take to get up to the cab. For the day, Borax put up scaffolding to help get everyone up and down...2 flights of stairs.

"Don't crush ME!"

This is the tires on a haul truck.

A haul truck holds 240 tons of dirt

Borax/Rio Tinto has been doing all they can since the Lock Out to make up for what they have done, (basically trying to make themselves look good!) By doing so, they had Family Days....the first in about 15+ years. We decided to go so the kids could see Daddy's work and see the trucks Daddy drives.