Things going on!

I haven't posted in a while, and things are going on so I thought I better list some items out, until I get some photos and stories to go with them.

*My sweet little boy napping in his Big Boy Bed with WALL-E sheets
*Shane's new calling in Primary - 11 and 12 year olds
*Hugs and kisses from Oilvia - Nathan LOVES his cousin being so close!
*Story Hour excitment - This will have to become a regular
*A little voice calling from the bathroom "Help Me Please! I'm stuck!" as he forgot to put his little seat on the toilet and had indeed fallen it. (Shane and I couldn't help but laugh and laugh.)
*Getting TWO new helpers with Activity Days!
*Shane making us pancakes at the Fly In - Olivia in the Dirt
*Seeing the horses, goats and kids for the High School Rodeo weekend
*Shane sealing the driveway
*Getting another tub of Nathan's too small clothes filled up
*Shane and Nathan killing flies and hoppers - with sticks and swatters and shoe stomping
*Winning the award for "Hottest Chili" at the ward party
*Decorating the party with Brooke's old clogging outfits
*Spending Labor day weekend in Sheridan with Brooke - IT WAS SO HOT!
*Nathan sharing his toys with his baby brother, who is still in my tummy.
*Holly being okay after her rollover...and her seeing the parents in Chicago (weird)
*Thinking Happy Thoughts
*The fact that Nathan can sing every word to "Over my Head" by The Fray
*Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup - again :o)

more tid bits

Going to put things down before I forget them:

Went for a prenatal check up today. Heart beat was 160. I'll go in for an ultrasound next month!

Nathan climbed the ladder, walked to the edge and jumped off the low board this week, ALL by himself!! His swim teacher was in the water to catch him. Awesome!

Nathan also got in trouble in swim this week because he keeps getting into the water and doing bobs instead of sitting on the edge of the pool waiting for his next turn in the next activity.

We've had SUPER cool, rainy weather. I've loved it. Had the electric blanket going again this week. Love the thunderstorms, love the smell of rain, love not watering my flowers. Think it's a little funny that my tomato plants may have gotten too cold.

We had such a violent storm one day that the lawn was washing away down the street (no kidding) in a torrent of mud. We're hoping our house has a 'firm foundation.' The pool got so full we had to siphon out the water with a hose. Shane struggled with it until I came up with the idea to have the hose filled with running water, then unhook it and let it keep sucking out. It finally worked....Shane gave me ingenuity credit...take it when I can. The windows and downstairs all flooded too, luckily we were here to catch it all in bowls, towels and buckets!! Still need to do that wet laundry....

Shane finished washing the windows by pulling out the scaffolding...this made me much happier. It was better to see him on something solid, rather than a little wimpy aluminum ladder. He is my HERO!

I have decided that it's okay for me to publicly announce that I don't like pioneer days. While our stake was going through the "Willy's Second Rescue" some 16 years ago, and doing work for the pioneers that died in Wyoming (See any LDS publication on this event) I was being surrounded by the actual trials and death of my wonderful mother. So for the years everyone was telling pioneers stories, at meetings, at conferences, at special gatherings, at youth parties, at trek organizational meetings and talking about all of the great things going on with the church and the discoveries, I was pretty much uninterested and/or effected by it. So now when I hear about the second rescue stuff, YEAR after YEAR, all it does it bring me back to the end of my childhood, then end of my family as I knew it (for now) and a whole bunch of loss and sadness. (Yes, Yes, I know I have tremendous blessings and all that good stuff...but it doesn't change how those stories make ME feel.) There...now you know why I don't frequent Rock Creek.

I have discovered that Potty Training is much harder than I anticipated.

I have thrown up only once this whole month!! (this is really good news.)

And over all I'm feeling good, ready to have all the 2nd trimester energy put to good use!

I can't get the lap top to work, or I'd have some pictures to put up! I'll try to put some of my energy into that.

My Marvelous Weekend!

Saturday we went for a family ski day! Shane rented XC skiis, we hooked up the Kinder Shuttle, put NQ inside and went for two hours of lovely weathered skiing. Shane had his very first turn on the XC style ski, needless to say, he's like a pro already. WHY does he get to be so athletic?! I gave him pointers for about 10 minutes...then he was lapping me. So I hooked him up to the Shuttle, stole his newer skiis (I call mine "control" skis, as there is little slide on them) and showed him how it was REALLY done. (I know, in my dreams, right?) We spent two hours up on the mountain. Enough time to really get some ground covered, but not so long that it got to be grueling. Then we had the best lunch ever, breadboard sandwiches.

I spent last Sunday and Monday in Casper, WY with NQ and my sister. I think we both needed the break. For one, Nathan has had the stomach flu. Which means he went to the Dr. got a perscription and put potty training on hold. I haven't dared to return yet. This is VERY frustrating because he WAS doing well. Not any more. Brooke has had work stress too...go figure. So, we decided we should get together. Only I didn't really want to go all the way to Sheridan and she didn't want to come all the way to Lander. We compromised. We met in Casper, we ate Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies, we mall shopped, we Hobby Lobby'd, we dined out, we went swimming, we sat in the hot tub, we watched football...because Nathan wanted to, and generally we had a good time. (However, I don't think everyone slept too well. How do you put a kid in time out in a hotel room?)

Because I didn't have a camera for either event, I'll post a map of where we stayed in Casper. I highly recommend it: brand new, not busy, great facilities, free breakfast, all kid meals free, pool, hot tub, work out room, and glorious Casper Mountain views. (Yes, "glorious mountian views" was sarcastic.)

We stayed at the red dot on the right, out of town. The Holiday Inn, East Casper McMurry Park.

Cedar City Portions of Christmas and return to the Potty

The score is 2 accidents in about 3 days!! WOO HOO! Great score considering I do put on pull-ups at night and during naps. So even with that supposed "confusion" Nathan is taking to the training quite well. I do have to say that it is much easier to just take him to the bathroom every hour or so and let him try...rather than wait for him to contact me about it...that's when the accidents occur.

Our Cedar City portion of Christmas was great. Shane was happy to spend time with his Dad and his Dad and Carri were happy to have Nathan (and Shane and I) too. The only unhappy was courtney, the kid wary weinie dog. We recieved nice gifts and Nathan hasn't put down his "Mack" pez dispenser since Christmas Day. He 'NEEDS' it with him always. Now he has two 'McQueens' and one 'Mack' that he keeps together at all times.

Here's a snow shot of St. George on our way out of town...sorry I didn't get one when EVERYTHING was covered in snow.
Here's a favorite place of any college student or resident of Cedar City...however, I'm not fond of the new PINK color it has recently established.

Here's the three Petty boys playing with trucks.

The boys again, one not sure that sitting on the couch when there's so much cool stuff on the floor is the best idea.

Neither Shane nor I felt like we spent adequate time in Southern Utah. We are hoping to return again in early spring and spend more time in the area and see more people we didn't have time to see!

All sorts of resolute

Happy NEW YEAR 2009!

Because today is the first day of the year...what do I decide to do...yep, something totally overwhelming and partially insane: I began potty training. Not only did I start the potty training...I did it AND sent my husband away on a snowmobiling trip for three days / two nights. I'm not looking for applause or condolences. I'm just pointing out that I, like Charlie Brown, might just be a blockhead.

Besides this potty training ordeal (we are 1 - 12. One for the potty, 11 for the wet / stinky pants department) I have a few more resolutions I'm going to put out there.

This year (as with much of the rest of the world) I'm going resolve to lose some weight. I'd like to mention that I'm working pretty hard on this already and have had 4 successful, sweaty work outs already this week.

I'm also going to do more skiing, more snowmobiling with the husband, more cooking REAL meals that do not come from a card board box (and that are healthy,) more trying to make Nathan eat better, and I resolve to write in my journal more, go to the temple more and read my scriptures with better intent. Now, these things are all going to fizzle without a goal plan...so I'll work on that this week too. Goals, mini goals, end goals...all good things to have in place to succeed.

Meanwhile enjoy some holiday photos....

The crew at the J.S. Memorial Building

Travis (my super brother) and Olivia (the cutest thing EVER!)

Me, Nathan (who is still wary of my attention to Olivia) and Olivia

The crew on Temple Square admiring the lights.

Nathan enjoying Christmas Morning in St. George

DISCLAIMER: I apologize in advance if you think that I should have more pics of this or that...but it would seem that my vain eye won't allow for too goofy a photo of someone be allowed into a public blog. So sorry for those of you that should have more face time. I will be better at making sure I get the camera in my hands for some of our group activities, therefore insuring that I have adequate numbers of quality pics in which to choose from.

Please stay posted, as I have the Cedar City portion of Christmas to expose. Perhaps by then I can also give you a more solid plan for my resolutions...and please pray that the potty score starts to number in my favor.