Watch out bunny slopes, here we come!

Dustin and I are finally taking our long awaited annual trip! We have made arrangements to go to Winter Park, Colorado for 5 days in January. This will be both mine and Dustin's first skiing experience. I am really looking forward to it, Dustin not so much. I really had to sale him on trying something new and breaking away from the mundane trips to the beach (not really mundane, but we've done that every year for the past 5+ years). I hope that we can make it through the trip without any broken bones, for this reason I think we will be frequenting the bunny slopes, probably the whole time, we'll see.

Spoiler!

My children and I have been doing a lot of Christmas shopping together. I thought I was safe shopping with them, of course they would never tell Daddy what I got for him, so I thought! A couple days after we had gotten Dustin a certain gift, Logan saw a sign advertising the particular item and said,"Hey Dad, that's what Mom got you for Christmas!" I tried to play it cool but think there will be no surprise there for Dustin on Christmas morning! Thanks to Mr. Mouth!

Public Announcement

I figure if I write this on my blog, I may feel more accountable, therefore maybe I will stick to the plan here. My friend Kristina asked if I would like to join her in running an upcoming 5K. I am not a runner, last time I ran a mile was in high school. Since finding out that I had a defective heart, I have attributed my inability to run to my heart. Now that I am all fixed up, I think I will tackle the beast. I am such a wanna-be runner! I am following a running schedule that is called something to the effect of, The Couch to 5K schedule, so it is pretty easy for now. I've been walking 3 miles several times a week for a couple of years, so I'm hoping this transition will be smooth. Wish me luck!

It's been a while!

I've been shirking the blog lately and have had camera trouble so I don't have many new pictures to share. We had a blast on Halloween riding on a trailer filled with hay pulled by Papa and his truck. The kids would jump off and go with mom and dad to trick-or-treat at friend's doors. Logan learned a really fun Halloween song form the Little Einsteins and would sing that for several people. Both kids seemed to enjoy the evening tons. The following day was our ward's Fall Festival and the kids donned their costumes again and had a blast horse-back riding and jumping in a hay pit. Ashlynn found a friend with whom neither one could be separated from. At one point Dorothy came up to me to ask, "Where is my princess?" It was very funny. We had lots of fun. The children had their joint birthday celebration at McDonald's and had so much fun running around with everyone. Ashlynn's birthday was the following day and I made her a Dora cake that turned out pretty cute, sorry no pictures, this was about when our camera pooped out on us. I've so enjoyed the past couple of weeks where our lives were not so crazy busy. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving, especially to have Dustin home for a couple of days. He'll be home Thursday and Friday. I look forward to a little R&R and some good sales on Friday! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Accomplishments

As mentioned below, we got our sod laid. We've also finished the kid's playset in the back. I got the living room painted, it's been done for a couple months now. We've started the cleaning out of the garage and the organizing of the pump house. We are preparing to finish out the garage into a super cool multi purpose area. I am also about to decorate the master bedroom to my liking (I've never done anything in there really). So, we will always have something to keep us busy since the kids don't seem to keep us busy enough, HA HA!

CRAZINESS!

This past week has been crazy busy. Dustin had our sod being delivered on Wednesday, we kicked it up a day to Tuesday because of rain in the forecast (never came!) So we have been working like slaves to get the ground prepared, picking (as in swinging the dumb pick like a crazy person!), raking, picking up rocks and weeds, bringing in "super grass dirt," that's really what the company called it. Tuesday the missionaries were kind enough to come help us finish spreading the super grass dirt and laying the sod. We got it done... finally. Now I am the watering queen. It has to be watered once a day for a couple of weeks and then I can start tapering down from there. We also had the Parker's Annual Halloween Spooktacular, Saturday. So I had to get everything around here ready including a crazy Amazing Race event that seemed like a good idea at the time. I think people had fun. We had pumpkin carving, ball searching, relay race thing, candy corn counting, ice water toe dipping, puzzle doing and the such. There was lots of fun food and great costumes! I had a lot of fun but am glad it is OVER! I was supposed to make Dustin's costume but stopped at the pinning together point 2 nights before the big event. I went and bought another costume the day before the event to lessen my growing anxiety.
Last weekend, we took the kids to the Shriner's Circus that was going on in town. This was Ashlynn's first. The kids had a blast, we ended up getting in for free because some nice man gave us tickets as we waited in line so we had some extra play money and Grandma. Grandma bought the kids cool light up toys to play with during the show and at intermission Logan went down an enormous inflatable slide and then Logan, Ashlynn and Bella went on an Elephant ride. My camera died just in time for me to miss out the best part of the circus, seeing my kids smiling from era to ear on an elephant. We had such a great time, great memories.

Logan is 4!!!

Logan's birthday was this last Sunday. He has been so excited about his birthday this year which has been fun. Sunday morning Logan woke up so excited so I let him call Grandma so he can tell her it's his birthday. Well, when grandma answered the phone, she and Papa started singing Happy Birthday. Logan is getting a very irritated look on his face and is groaning a bit. When they finish the song Logan says,"Grandma! I'm trying to tell you something! I'm getting my dino mountain playset today!" It was pretty comical. That morning I was taking a trip across the pasture to take Logan's presents to Grandma's house and Logan saw me and started toward me, I told him to go back in the house, I didn't want him to see any of his presents. He yells, "OK, but be careful with my dino mountain playset!" I laughed! Well when it came down to opening presents, it was like pulling teeth to get him to put the new toy down to open the next. I had hid the dino mountain playset in another room because I didn't want to wrap it, it was big. So after he'd opened everything I asked him if he got everything he wanted and he kept insisting that he did. I asked if there was anything else he wanted and he said no. So finally I just went and grabbed the box and brought it out to him, thankfully, he was ultra excite to get it. He had a great birthday.

What to do about Commercials?!

Over a month ago Logan approached me and said, "Mom, I want a dino-mountain playset." I made him repeat it several times as I had no idea as to what he was talking about. Finally I asked him where he had seen this "dino-mountain playset" thing. He told me he saw it on TV. So I told him his birthday is coming up and we'll see about getting it at that time. So I look around for this stupid thing and it's $50! I could not believe that such a silly little toy with so few special features would be so expensive. So I would ask Logan every once in awhile what he wanted for his birthday, of course, the answer is always the same, a dino-mountain playset. So yesterday, we took a family trip to Toys'r'us and Dustin entertained the kids (bless his heart) while I shopped. I reluctantly grabbed his silly dino-mountian playset and tried to find a couple of other, "cooler" toys. I then loaded the loot into the back of the van and went and collected my poor exhausted husband and my two very excited children and headed for the car. Logan shoulders slumped as we were leaving and he said "I wanted the dino-mountin playset!" So I told him Logan you'll have to wait until your birthday to see if you got it! He seemed OK with that solution. He cracks me up. That boy does not forget what he wants and he is certainly not fickle when it comes to what he wants!

Megan tagged me again!

7 Things I plan to do before I die:
Go on lots of exotic vacations.
Serve a mission/s with Dustin.
Further my education in medicine.
Make a difference in this world.
Decorate my bedroom to my liking.
Move to a place that has beautiful summer weather.
Go to a music concert. (never been)

7 things I do now:
Take care of my children.
Teach the 9 year old kids at church.
Play volleyball.
Workout regularly at the gym, too bad you can't tell!
Watch Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and The Mentalist.
Shop...a lot.
Plan Halloween parties.

7 things I can't do:
Not get overwhelmed with being a stay-at-home mom.
Keep my house clean.
Get my yard landscaped in a timely manner, if at all!
Dance.
Play baseball.
Run.
Play an instrument.

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex: (or love about my husband)
His muscles!
His Cologne.
He loves his children.
He loves me.
He's a hard worker/great provider.
He always builds me up, never puts me down.
He's faithful in every aspect.

7 things that I say most often:
No.
Yummy.
Say Please.
Say Thank you.
Do you need to go potty?
I love you.
What time are you going to be home?

7 celebrities that I like:
Hugh Jackman
Kate Winslett
Matthew McCaunaghey(spelling?)
Kate Hudson
Luke and Owen Wilson
Anne Hathaway
Simon Baker

7 favorite foods:
Lumpia
BLTA from Red Robin
grilled cheese and tomato soup
homemade chicken noodle soup
homemade potato
Mom's Texas sheet cake
Mom Parker's homemade dinner rolls

7 people who I invite to do this:
I only know a couple of people that blog but I'll invite more to do it via email.
Mom Bamrick
Mom Parker
Kristina Stutz
Jamie Bamrick
Dustin Parker
Allison Yanda
Dad Parker

One Word Tag

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? Dustin
3. Your hair? Dyed
4. Your mother? Lifesaver
5. Your father? Handy
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream/goal? Satisfaction
10. The room you’re in? Playroom
11. Your hobby? Decorating
12. Your fear? Dark
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Settled
14. What you’re not? Pregnant
15. Muffins? Yummy
16. One of your wish list items? Maid
17. Where you grew up? Eveywhere
18. The last thing you did? Kiss
19. What are you wearing? Pajamas
20. Favorite gadget? Television
21. Your pets? Two
22. Your computer? Capable
23. Your mood? Changes
24. Missing someone? Yes
25. Your car? Mommymobile
26. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
27. Favorite store? Changes
28. Like someone? Several
29. Your favorite color? Many
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday

I tag Kristina and Mom Parker! (only if you want to).

Another Loganism

The other day Logan was trying to stand on my vanity stool in the bathroom and I told him he needed to get down so he won't fall down and crack his head. He gets down and says, "yeah mom, I don't want to be a crackhead!" I laughed hysterically. I promise we do not call people crackheads in this house, he came up with this on his own. We ere up at the church Wed. evening for a little bit and Conrad was up there, he is about 10 years old. As soon as Logan saw him he was glued to his side. When it was time to leave he said "You're my best friend" to Conrad. It is so funny how children form attachments so quickly.

Potty Party!

Both Logan and Ashlynn have had there potty parties. In order to receive their party the kids had to fill there potty charts with stickers. They would receive one sticker for a pee pee and two for a poo poo. Their party included cake and a special balloon and a toy that they picked out months before and had sitting on top of the fridge for motivation. Since receiving his toy Logan has lost interest and now is back to wearing diapers and loving wallowing in his nastiness. Ashlynn took a lot longer to fill her chart but since she decided to she has done great. She has had on average 1 accident a day if even and is doing pretty well staying dry at night. I'm hoping this will motivate big brother to get with the program. Fun times!

Welcome to the family!

We have a new addition to our family. Diego the kitten. We went to the animal shelter and let the kids pick out which cat they wanted and they picked Diego, the cat and the name. He is 8 weeks old. The plan is to have him be an outside cat. He gets along well with our dog Sammie. We have him set up on the back patio in a box for now. He is using his litter box and loves his friend the Teddy Bear. Ashlynn is completly delighted to have Diego and is very gentle with him. Logan has found a new playmate to torment.

Washington

The four of us went to the Pacific NW for a week for Amy's wedding and to visit family. We had a lot of fun and so enjoyed the sights and weather. Amy's wedding took place in Portland, OR. We enjoyed the beautiful drive from Seattle to Portland and back. It is amazing to see some of God's amazing creations. That whole area is like eye candy, I could not get enough. It was bitter-sweet, I loved what I was seeing and the weather was AMAZING, but I got a little depressed thinking that there are actually such places out there and other people actually get to live there and enjoy and I get to return to the depths of Hell, aka TEXAS. Texas is not all bad but scenery like that is nonexistent in TX. The weather was a breath of fresh air and so needed after suffering 107 degree temps in TX the week of our departure. Our family had a blast in downtown Seattle, such a fun place. We also enjoyed a couple days in Vancouver, BC at Stanley Park. We had so much fun visiting with Dustin's family. Both of my kids enjoyed being with their cousin's. My kids talked about their cousin's for several days after our return. We really had a great time and I am totally keeping my eyes open for an opportunity to move to the Pacific NW.

Mamma Mia!

My good friend Kristina and I went out last night for dinner, at On the Border and a movie, Mamma Mia! What a fun night. Of course dinner was great but the movie was AWESOME. I laughed sooo much and was so completely entertained! I give the movie 2 thumbs way up! Thanks Kristina for the way fun evening! Kristina is one of my old college roommates that now lives here in Fort Worth. She is the one that introduced me to the Twilight books, which I love. This coming weekend the 4th and last book in the series is coming out and there is a coming out party at Barnes and Nobles the night before with fun activities and all that jazz and then at 12 am we can buy the book. So Kristina and I are going to go. Kristina's husband made us these way cool iron-on transfers to put on our t-shirts that say "Bite me Edward" which may sound bad but is pretty funny if you've read the books (it is a vampire series). So we are totally planning on reverting back to out 14 year-old selves for the evening. It will be loads of fun!

More Loganisms

Hopefully no one is too terribly offended. This was a quote from big brother Logan. Ashlynn has been sick the past couple of days and Logan approached me last night to let me know that "Ashlynn's got a beaver." I laughed hysterically and then explained that she has a F-E-V-E-R. Logan went to Grandma's house today so that Ashlynn could get some rest. Grandma called me and told me that Logan was on his way home. Apparently, Logan was playing with Uncle Tommy's guitar and Uncle Tommy told him not to touch it. Grandma said that Tommy wasn't mean about it or anything but Logan took off out the door huffing and puffing and went to the gate, turned around to get Sammie (our dog) and went back through the gate, across the pasture, back home. When I opened the door his little face was scrunched up and he said, "Uncle Tommy is being mean!" I had to laugh at all of the drama. This past Sunday I received a call from one of the little girl's moms in Logan's primary class. She wanted to know if the primary teacher had talked to me after church. I told her she had not. She told me that Logan had taken a pair of scissors to her daughter's dress in class and cut through 2 layers. Of course I was not happy. Logan has had VERY little experience with scissors and the little experience he has had has been helping mama cut something and putting the scissors down. So, I had to have a little talk with Logan about the proper way to use scissors and the proper way to treat girls. Logan called up the little girl and apologized to her. I am going to have to talk to the teacher and let her know that Logan needs very close supervision if she is going to give scissors to him during class. Fun times. Logan keeps us on our toes, that's for sure. He is soo excited about his swing set. It is not quite completed but is looking like a swing set now. If I am out there working he wants to be at my side "helping", the only help that he is doing is helping me to the mental hospital! It is fun to see his enthusiasm. When Grandma was about to leave our house today Logan told her she can't leave yet because she hasn't worked on the swing set yet. Whenever Papa comes over for any reason, Logan gets soo excited and asks "Papa, are you going to work on my swing set?" He's a crack up!

4th of July Fun!

Dustin and I decided to invite some families over at the last minute for a 4th of July party. We set up outside in the backyard so that we could watch the fireworks going off all around us and set off our own fireworks. We had a nice little show. It is fun to live up on a hill and look over the horizon and see several different firework displays. We did a bunch of the little stuff and the kids enjoyed that sparklers and pops. We had 3 tricycles and Logan's jeep, the little tykes car and a giga ball (hamster like ball for kids), along with the play set and playhouse. I think that the kids enjoyed themselves for sure. We had lots of good food and great company.

Dustin's Back!

Talk about lonely! I don't know how people can deal with a traveling spouse. I missed Dustin so badly when he was away at his family reunion. I didn't sleep very well, every little sound I would hear (which is a lot when you live in the country) we wake me with a start. It is so good to have my husband home. Dustin had a terrific time and so enjoyed being with his family. Dustin would have loved more then anything for us to have been there with him but admitted that it was nice to be free as a bird and do the things he wanted to do for as long as he'd like to. He did a lot of fishing which he enjoyed thoroughly. He caught a 22 in. Trout (approx.). I am so glad that he was able to go and spend such quality time with his family. I was very sad to have missed the reunion and seeing all the family. The day I dropped him off at the airport, I cried several times, wishing that we were going with him. Dustin's sister Amy is getting married in August and Dustin and I are planning to go to Portland, OR for that. We will be able to see a lot of the family at that time. Dustin's brother, Clint, just became engaged this past weekend. Congrats to Clint and Shannon! We are so excited because Shannon is a wonderful girl and we can't wait for her to be part of the family along with her adorable son Phoenix, whom Logan absolutely adores. The pictures I've included are of all the Parker Grandchildren, minus my two and of one of the fish, Dustin caught, not the BIG ONE. Well, that is all for now!

Bummer

My family was leaving this Tuesday, the 24th for a family reunion on Montana. Unfortunately, Dustin will be the only family member to represent us at the reunion. I have been quite ill now since the 12th of June. It started out as a seemingly normal migraine and grew into a horrendous monster. Usually I'll get a migraine that is so awful but goes away over night. This time I was not near as lucky. After a couple days of no relief I finally went to the Dr and she gave me a shot and some pain med prescription and sent me on my miserable way. I suffered through the weekend not eating much at all and then vomiting what little I had eaten. After my stomach was empty of any food I just vomited water. It was quite awful. My migraine had intensified at this point and had radiated down my neck, shoulders, back, and hips. I started having horrible muscle spasms that would bring me to tears and kept me from getting any rest at night. I went to the Chiropractor 4 times this week trying to relieve some of the pain and that seemed to help. My muscles were so tensed that he was unable to adjust my neck completely. I went to the Dr. a couple more times trying to work out different medications and having worrisome complications like right arm numbness and tingling, and CRAZY eyes. So I finally went to the ER this past Thursday night and he put me on steroids to help reduce the inflammation. I think that has been my saving grace. I have slowly started the healing process, but in the meantime Dustin and I decided to cancel the reservations for the kids and I (who were on separate flights then Dustin). We are very disappointed that we'll be missing the Parker family reunion. We have been looking forward to showing our adorable kids off and meeting a couple new nephews, and future in-laws that we have not yet been able to meet. I am sure that Dustin will have a blast though and will represent our family wonderfully.

How embarrassing!

It looks like I've made much ado about nothing! My MRI results came back showing that I had a sinus infection. I started feeling the symptoms a couple days after the MRI. Apparently I've been working on the sinus infection for a couple of months. That's how long I've been dizzy. I am on antibiotics and will see if the dizziness dissipates with the infection. If not I'll have to look elsewhere for the culprit! At least I know "It's not a tuma!" I know, I'm a big dork!

Claustrophobia

WOW! I had my first and hopefully last MRI done today. I have been dizzy a lot lately and the Dr. ordered an MRI of my brain. I am a little claustrophobic and was worried as soon as I saw the MRI chamber. I got even worse as I had to lay down on this table and they vice gripped my head to the table. Then they put this helmet thing over my face. When this happened I started to feel like I couldn't breath. The nurse began sliding the table into the chamber and I asked how long the MRI takes. She tells me it will be 20 min. At this point I thought that closing my eyes would be the best thing to do to help keep me from freaking out. I kept my eyes closed the whole time in fear that I would not be able to handle the confined space. I did it, and was so proud that I did not embarrass my self or my family! I will get the result in 3 days, I was told. Glad that is done and over with!

More Loganisms!

Logan has been working hard to get his new Henry train. He has gone potty on the toilet 30 times and finally achieved his goal and got his toy. He was sooo excited when we gave him his toy. When Dustin handed him Henry the train Logan said, "I have a wonderful life!" He then ran from the room to put it on his train track. It was so funny. I don't know how he comes up with some of the things he says. He is certainly a crack up. I also gave him a haircut yesterday, which truly is no fun for no one. When the hair would fall on his shoulders he would cry and say that it hurt. When we finally finished the wrestling match, and we were both exhausted from the struggle, Logan had the decency to say, "Thanks so much Mom for cutting my hair." Again, this was rather funny as you would have thought that I was trying to remove his head by the way he was responding to the haircut. I think it turned out pretty well.

There's a snake in my boot!

Not really! That is a phrase that Woody from Toy Story says, well, at least his action figure that the kids have. Anyway! Logan, Sammie, and I were returning from a quick trip to Grandma's house and Logan had pulled ahead of the dog and I as I had to wait for Sammie to decide to come home and Logan had ridden his jeep back to the house. OK, so I get through the gate and am walking toward the house and I see this ginormous snake on my driveway pretty much right in the path that I am sure Logan had just run through to get to the house. It was very still so I walked past it to get a hold of Logan and show him the snake to see if he had seen it when he ran right past it. He acted way to nonchalant about it when I asked if he had seen it. I think he thought it was fake. We sat there and watched it, it wasn't moving much. So, I thought I'd give us a better show. I rolled some plastic pots toward it and it coiled up and was all scary and stuff! We watched as it slithered away and hid in the rock retaining wall. CREEPY! It was a good 3.5- 4 ft long and about 2 in. in diameter. Twas a bit unsettling. By the way, this is not an actual picture of MY snake, this is a picture off the internet of a snake that looks like MY snake only this snake would be considered MY snakes "mini-me!"

Mother's Day

Hope all you mother's out there felt loved and appreciated on Mother's Day. I had a pretty good day. Dustin got up with the kids and let me sleep in which is always so very appreciated. He also cleaned up the kitchen that was left in a bit of disarray from the day before which was sooo wonderful. He and the kiddoes got me a DVD with three chick flicks on it and some chocolate covered dried cherries and flowers. Dustin had to go to a church meeting before church, so I fed the kids lunch and tried to keep their church clothes clean. I think I was more or less successful in keeping them presentable. At church all the primary children went up front to sing there mother's a couple songs for mother's day. This was Logan's first time to be included. He was in the very front row during the songs. He turned his face to the side and kept a scowl on his little face the entire time he was up there. He did not sing a note. He gave me a good laugh though! As soon as he got back to his seat, Ashlynn says, "Now it's my turn to sing!" She started to sing by herself. I felt bad having to "shush" her. Logan's teacher sent him home with a pretty red rose to give to me which he did. We then joined my family for a dinner prepared by the boys. It was very nice to not have to lift a finger and be served and have the kitchen cleaned for you! I think that Mother's day and my birthday (usually) are the only two times of the year that I receive such royal treatment. Not that I'm complaining! Or am I????? (haha) All in all it was a very nice day and I really appreciated all the special effort.

Never-ending projects!

So, all the projects floating around my head are growing rather numerous. I am really wanting to tackle the back yard and get it finished ASAP. We had built a retaining wall on one side of the backyard and it butts up to the chain link fence. We have had a lot of the dirt wash away through the chain link fence, surprise, surprise. So I have dug out the dirt along the fence in preparation to finish off the wall. I dug two whole along our picket fence for some bushes. Dustin started chipping away at the rock in what is going to be the kids play area, which we are filling with pea gravel and hopefully putting in a wooden play center/swing set thing. We then need to bring in the pea gravel for the play area and the topsoil in preparation for sod. I also want to build myself a wishing well with a built in planter to cover up our actual well. I am contemplating hiring our neighbor to brick one up for us or attempt to build one myself out of wood to match the play ground. It will be quite the project, but the finished project should be nice. I'd also like to simultaneously bring in topsoil and sod for a small part of the lower yard (to ease the mowing of this area which takes a beating from our steep driveway which guides rain water to this area like a raging river.) I had to cut a bunch of limbs off my trees as a mowing precaution, I usually am watching the ground as I go to make sure there is not a rock or stump in my way and about take my eye out on a low limb. I woke this morning with a very sore wrist and arms, so today was all about the legs at the gym! For the inside of the house, I have planned some projects. I have some wallpaper to put up in my bedroom. I plan on painting my living room some shade of yellow, I am currently narrowing down the choices. For some odd reason I find this to do list quite exhilarating and can't wait to see the finished projects. I'll take some before and after photos for all to see!

A Sad Night in Hail!

We had quite the storm come through last night. We got hit hard with Hail. It was pelting our house like crazy. It was so loud we had to shout to one another to communicate. I closed all the blinds and curtains just in case our windows shattered, none did, surprising enough. I had put the children to bed about 45 minutes before the storm hit and went to check on them. Logan's room was filled with the sounds of hail ricocheting off the windows. I looked on his bed, in his closet for him, and finally found him huddled up in his tent with all his pillows surrounding him, he was holding his ears with both hands. Poor little guy. As soon as he was with mom and dad it went from scary to exciting. He was so excited to see all the "snow". Ashlynn was sleeping soundly when I looked in at her. Her window is facing the right direction and was shielded from all the raucous. We let her sleep as she was not in any danger of flying glass. In the pictures, notice the beautiful Amaryllis flowers in the bottom left corner. They are now gone, along with every other plant/bush/tree on our property. Not really gone, but pulverized. It looks like we are in the middle of winter, everything is stripped bare. My yard was looking so nice and filled with the beauty of spring, now it is a vast sea of fallen leaves and flowers. All my solar path lights are busted up, we had 16 on the hill that twinkled like stars, says my neighbor. Oh well, we are OK, our house is all in one piece, my car seems to be OK (we may need to replace the windshield because the seal was pulverized.) Truly we came out pretty well for what we went through. I am just heartbroken by all the damage to my yard as we've devoted so much time and effort into making it beautiful. I know I sound like a baby, but I am heartsick about my poor plants and some of the wildlife we've grown attached to. Between mine and my mom's house there was a mama bird who made her nest on the ground. Her babies just hatched yesterday, just in time for the storm. Hopefully she got them under cover.

I've been tagged!

Kristina tagged me!!! So, here is some tidbits of info about me!

Where was I 10 Years ago...
I would have been married for almost a year and going to school at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. These were the days in which I did not take school at all seriously and reveled in being a newlywed. Dustin and I missed more school then we attended. What a waste of time and money! We enjoyed Logan though. What a beautiful city. We loved hiking in the mountains that surrounded us, and frolicking in the river. We camped a lot and brought our little cocker spaniel, Anya, with us. That is about all I can recall at this point.

5 things on my to do list today...
1. Go workout at the gym.
2. Go grocery shopping.
3. Make a main dish for a friend's friends wife funeral.
4. Pick weeds and burn my stack 'o' sticks and branches.
5. Entertain my wee ones.


My bad Habits...
I am sometimes a bit negative toward myself.
I sabotage all my hard work during the day by treating myself to junk at night. (sometimes)
PROCRASTINATION!!!

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire...
I would not tell anyone except those I really trust. I would try to help out those that are in need as much as possible anonymously, especially my siblings who may be struggling. I would make Dustin retire so that we could spend as much time together as a family that we could stand, and then I'd have him go back to work!! (haha)I would love to help out those families that have had sickness in their family and have accrued a ton of hospital debt by paying it off.

4 places I have lived...
Jacksonville, FL
San Diego, CA
St. Louis, MO
Ft. Worth, TX

5 things people don't know about me...
~I am a klutz.
~I have freckles on me butt, I am nice. (haha)
~I am a wanna be perfectionist.
~Dustin is the only man I have ever kissed.
~I played Basketball, Tennis, and was on the Swim team in high school. I was not good enough to play high school volleyball, surprising to some, because now I can hold my own fairly well.

It's a miracle!

I am so excited! I guess I bugged Dustin enough about wanting to cut my hair that he finally agreed to love me regardless of the length of my hair(ha ha)! I went this morning and got a really great cut, at least in my opinion. I am totally thrilled with it. I think I lost about five pounds from the time I sat down at the hairdressers to the time I walked out! BONUS!! I think Dustin is still in mourning but he was able to put on a happy face and pay me a compliment about the new do!

I Can't Hear!

Dustin and I watched Conference on the Internet today. We at least attempted. We got bits and pieces of the talks between the constant peppering of questions, arguments, crying the kids were giving us. At one point toward the end of the Conference, Logan was saying something to Dustin. Dustin said, "I can't hear!" So Logan repeated his statement, only he said it louder, again, he gets the same response from Daddy. So Logan again gets even louder. At this point Dustin and I just cracked up laughing. Of course Dustin was referring to his inability to listen to the conference talk and Logan was thinking that Daddy was deaf as a doorknob. It was pretty funny, but you might have had to be there to appreciate the humor!

Adventures with Thomas!

Dustin and I took the kids to Grapevine this past Saturday to see Thomas the Train who was in town. We met up with Dustin's cousin Melissa and her hubby Jim, and baby Alex. There were several tents filled with fun play things, lots of train sets the kids could play with. We took a short but super expensive ride on Thomas. It was a first for the whole family to ride on a real train. There was a fun little track with individual trains that the kids could make move by pedalling with their hands. Logan had a blast. He had a huge smile plastered on his face the entire time he was going around the track. I had to remove him from the train when his turn was over. The kids also got temporary tattoos on their hands. Logan wanted Percy on his hand. He had to show everyone his percy tattoo. The only problem came with his pronunciation. He would stick out his hand and say, "Look at my Pussy." Please forgive the language, that's how he say's Percy. It made for a bunch of awkward glances and questions. On our way out we had the kids go on a pony ride. This time it was Ashlynn who had the smile plastered on her face. Logan kept saying he was scared but he stayed on. We had a fun day together as a family.

My Gum Flavor

You Are Fruit Flavored Gum

You are quirky and independent. You don't tend to follow any one style or rule book. You are a mix and match type of person, and you draw inspiration from many sources. While you're definitely a bit unusual, you get along well with other people. You're eager to welcome anyone into your world. You are not judgmental at all. You form close bonds with your friends, and your relationships tend to be very secure. You hold firm to your beliefs and values, and you don't let anyone talk you into compromising them.

What Flavor Gum Are You?

Loganisms

Here are a couple funny Logan stories. 1. Yesterday I was changing Logan's britches and he says, "Ouch! that's spiky, like a bunch of spikes, like a porcupine! Yeah, like a porcupine." You probably guessed what the spiky, porcupine culprit was. Yeah, you got it, my legs! I thought that was very funny! He is very descriptive.
2. I sent him to his room for talking back to me yesterday. When I went in to talk to him, I got down to his level to explain why he was in his room. As I am trying to talk to him he grabs me by both cheeks and says, "Momma, will you please be happy with me." I tried to explain that I am happy with him but that it makes me sad when he talks back to me. He then repeats the same statement and gives me this hopeful smile. He can be very sweet when he wants to be.

Oh, the Bitter, Bitter Disappointment!

Dustin had a meeting with his bosses today. They had told him that the meeting was no big deal. WHATEVER!! Dustin meets with them to find out that our trip to Cancun that we were leaving on in less then three weeks was postponed until October. Talk about disappointment! I have been so excited for the break, the beach, and the alone time with my honey! So, I am now trying to cope with my loss. At least it gives me much more time to attempt to get a beach body!

Celebrity look-a-likes!

What do you think?! I thought this looked like fun! Thanks Megan for the idea!
Just so everyone doesn't think I am the meanest wife around, I did get Dustin's permission to put this picture up of him.

Spooky!

I scare pretty easy. I will admit to that before I get this started. I laid the kids down for a nap today because we are going to be out late tonight. I am bushed after walking 3 miles this morning with my mom and then going to the gym and working out for 1.5 hours. So, I laid down myself. I had only been laying down for 5-10 min. when I heard what sounded like something falling down in my attic followed by footsteps running from the spot. Chills went down my spine and my legs felt somewhat paralyzed as I listened intently to hear if there was any more noise coming from the attic. I heard a little noise here and there. I don't know what is in my attic, it sounded big and I could make out individual footsteps as the "thing" ran. I called my mom and she said it was probably a squirrel. Who knows, it sounded HUGE to me! I went out to make sure the garage doors were locked and they were. I am at a loss, but I will most certainly not be the person to stick my head up in that attic to investigate!

Pretty Toes!

I decided to try painting Ashlynn's toes today for the first time in her life. She did very well, stayed very still. Of course Logan wanted in on the action and I tried to tell him that if I painted his nails, Daddy would not be happy with Mommy. He was adamant so I decided to put some nail art on his big toe. He was rather content with this solution. I noticed that within a 1/2 hour one of the stickers had already fallen off. Fun times in the Parker house, wouldn't you say!

Procrastination!

My Nursing Licence renewal is coming up in a couple of months. Every two years I have to have 20 hours of Continuing Education in order to renew my license. I renew my license so I don't have to ever, ever, ever take the dreaded Nursing Boards ever again. I have procrastinated doing all of my continuing education until now. I have finished 10 of my 20 hours thus far. It is hard to concentrate when I have my kiddoes needing this and that and fighting like cats and dogs. It is kind of interesting to exercise my mind though, after such a long period of inactivity!

Eden is home!

The Doctor decided to send Eden home this past Tuesday while they continue to try to figure out what kind of cancer she has. The two types they thought she had they have ruled out. They also said she does not have cancer in the bone. So, she will be able to spend Easter at home and I guess they will start treatment as soon as they find out what they are dealing with. I really appreciate all the prayers that were said in her behalf!

Back in the Saddle, Again!

Our church schedule is quite late, we start at one pm. So this morning my mom and I decided to take lunch over to my cousin and her family at the hospital. Eden seems to be recuperating well from her surgery and walked outside today and had lunch out on the patio of the hospital. It was good to see her up and about. One of her best friends from school has a baby sister that was also recently diagnosed with cancer and is on the oncology floor with Eden. Her best friend was at the hospital today and was able to come see her. It was sad to me, as I sat in the lobby of the hospital waiting for my Aunt, seeing all these families coming and going, knowing of the heartache that they must be going through. My day to day life goes on as usual and there are people out there that don't know how they can possibly suffer another day longer or watch there loved one's suffer. It was very sobering to me to think of all those people around the world that have such horrific trials, and how I am so oblivious to it all.
Today was the first day in several weeks that we have gone to church as a family. We have all taken our turns being sick and seem to be all good for the time being. I forgot how much of a headache church can be with two small children. Logan and Ashlynn like to fight over things during sacrament meeting. Ashlynn likes to use her "outside" voice and does not understand the concept of whispering. We got through sacrament and the kids were both very excited to go see there friends in their classes. We received positive feedback from their teachers, which is a refreshing change.

Update on "E"

Today "E" had her surgery. The Doctors were unable to remove the tumor as it was stuck to the pelvic wall. They took a biopsy of the pelvic bone and the results have come back positive for cancer in the bone. So, at this point they plan on hitting "E" hard with chemo to try to shrink the tumor and then hopefully they'll be able to remove it, at which point they will do radiation. This coming week "E" will be subjected to a battery of tests to determine if and where else the cancer has matastetized. The family is completly devastated and scared. Please keep them in your prayers.

The Fragility of Life

Today I received some very upsetting news about someone very close to my family. I will withhold names for the time being for this families privacy. Last night, my friend was bathing her daughter who very recently turned six years old. She found a lump on her daughter's belly and took her to the ER. After being there throughout the night, this family found out that there six year old daughter has cancer. The very good sized lump in the child's abdomen was not the starting point of the cancer but the cancer had originated in the child's pelvis. So, tomorrow, this little girl is going to have surgery to remove the tumor and to see what all has been affected and if the cancer has spread to the bone marrow. How devastating this is! Within a 36hour period this family went from business as usual to having there daughter in an operating room to remove a tumor from her body. This is such a sad reminder that life is so precious and that we should not take for granted any healthy moment with our families. Please include "E" and her family in your prayers.

A Child's Prayer

In the past, Logan has prayed by repeating what Dustin or myself was saying, he would sometimes addlib. Friday night Dustin asked Logan to say the prayer at bedtime. Logan just started in on his own and said a sweet little prayer, giving thanks for each member of his family and for the beautifaul day. What a sweet and simple prayer that it was. I was telling my mom about this today and we were discussing the mixed feelings that a parent has in seeing their children grow up. It truly is a bitter-sweet experience. It is so wonderful to see them reach certain milestones in their life but a bit sad to let go of that sweet baby that you will always remember no matter the age of your child.

A Mothers Favorite Words.

Logan is so good at telling Dustin and I that he loves us. Out of the blue, Logan will say,"Mama, I love you so much!" I think these words have some type of warming effect when coming from a child. I always tend to feel a warmth in my chest when Logan speaks them to me. Ashlynn will attempt to say "I love you" when prompted but has not quite mastered the art as of yet. I know I need to cherish the moments in which my children express there affection to me because the days are certainly numbered. I know that the teenage years do a number on your children and their ability to express any kind, loving emotion toward their parents.

Let it Snow

So, it snowed pretty good yesterday. We probably got about 6 inches. So the kids and I went outside to play in the snow. Logan gathered a handful of snow and said, "Snow Fight!" He then started throwing snowballs at me. The snow was perfect for snowballs, it packed really well. Logan would turn his back to me and I would throw snowballs at his back and he would giggle and giggle. I asked Logan and Ashlynnn if they wanted to build a snowman and Logan said, "No, I want to make an igloo." So I made my first attempt to make an igloo. As soon as I would start building a wall the kids would come over and kick it down. They were driving me CRAZY! We eventually got a routine down. Logan would shovel the snow for me and Ashlynn would get a tiny handful of snow and place it on top of the wall of snow as I frantically tried to build the darn thing before the kids became ultra destructive again. I did not finish the thing, I will have to go back out this morning to get it done! We had a lot of fun. Logan's favorite thing to do was run everywhere and make snow prints. By the time he was done, mom's yard was completely covered with little Logan prints.

Reunion 2010.

Dustin and I have been throwing a couple ideas around about the family reunion that we are in charge of planning in 2010 for Dustin's family. Our favorite idea is to go to a dude ranch. They have a couple really fun places around here that offer horseback riding, water park atmosphere, line dancing lessons, cattle roping, and Texas Bar-B-Que. So far this idea seems to be the best. Does anyone have any suggestions? We also are throwing around the idea of going to a new resort that is family oriented in Grapevine called The Great Wolf Lodge, I think. It has the largest indoor water park in the state. It looks like fun but doesn't have too much to do outdoors. Give me your input as to what your expectations are.

Texas Weather

Yesterday was a beautiful day. We were all wearing short sleeves and enjoying the warm sunny day. The high yesterday was in the mid 70's. Today on the other hand is rather cold, for Texas. The high being 41 degrees @ 6 am and falling from there. We went to the gym this morning and when we came out it was raining with some hail mixed in. We stopped at the store on the way home and when I came out it was snowing. What a beautiful sight, the flakes are so huge. I took a couple pictures around our house of our March snow storm. I hope that all of our plants that have recently sprung up don't die. Only time will tell.

No Pain No Gain

Dustin and I, and the kids, joined L.A. Fitness a week and a half ago. We haven't gone to the gym until this week, really, because we've all been sick on and off. So, this week, we've been feeling better and I have gone 3 days in a row. I was told by one of the personal trainers that you need to rotate your emphasis on certain body parts until your muscles are no longer sore. So, that's what I've been doing. I have no clue what I'm going to do tomorrow because my entire body is sore! I am having a blast though. Logan and Ashlynn love going to the gym because they get to go play while Dustin and I are working out. It works out pretty well, we're just trying to figure out the best time to go so that the kids are well taken care of. Tuesday they had at least 20 kids running around with only three girls watching them. So, we tried the morning today and it was a little better. Regardless, my kids have a blast, I just worry about there needs being met to my expectations. I'm hoping that we can keep it up and continue to do this as a family.

My Book

I started writing a book last night! This is not my first attempt at becoming a bestseller, so we'll see how far this goes. I am kind of excited as my storyline seems pretty solid. I will keep everyone updated on the progress of my book on love, loss, and finding love again. I'm a bit disappointed that the whole vampire storyline has been done so well in the Twilight series. Oh well!

Grease Monkey!

Yesterday was another beautiful day here in Texas. The kids and I decided to go play at Grandma and Papa's house. There was a lot going on at Grandma's house. Papa was helping Tarak change the brakes on his car, needless to say Logan took over. He loves to help Papa work on cars. He took off the lug nuts on the tire and started working on something under the car. It was hilarious to see this little boy slide under the car and start fiddling with this and that. He is such a crack up. Both kids took rides on the creeper, going down the ramp. Logan could not get enough of that, he went down over and over. Tarak was making fun of the country kids and how they like to play in the bed of a pick-up truck, work on cars, take creeper rides, and feed the goats. It's pretty funny though. I remember as a little girl going to Papa Jim's house and having the time of my life playing on the hill of sand he had in his yard, climbing on his drilling rigs and tractors, looking for lizards and stink bugs in all of the pipes he had piled up. Those were the days. It's funny how children are entertained by the simple things in life.

Great Movie

Last night, Dustin and I watched Martian Child. I highly recommend this movie to you. It was a great story, very touching. The movie was inspired by actual events, which makes it even better. It is totally worthwhile entertainment.

BYE BYE, Daddy!

Most of the stories I have here are all about my children. Mainly because, they are my life. Well, this morning is no different. Dustin was heading out the door and told the kids goodbye one last time. Logan sprang up off the floor yelling "Wait, wait" with all the desperation he could muster. He runs into the kitchen to give Daddy a hug and says, "Bye, Bye, I love you so much, Thanks for coming to my house." He then pauses and then says "Can you go to work now?!" I thought it was pretty cute. I thought it was funny that Logan thanked Dustin for coming to his house, like he doesn't live here or something. He is a goofy little man! He is so loving and always has to walk us to the door when one of us leaves.

A day at the Zoo!

So, today we had to get out of the house. We are all feeling lots better, just about back to normal. The weather today was unbelievable! So we all hopped in the car and ran a couple of errands on the way to the zoo. We went on the last day of early voting to vote and lucked out with the crowd. We did not have to wait at all, which was super nice. We then headed to the zoo. The kids were both so excited because they've been sequestered in the house for the past few weeks. They enjoyed running around on there own from one animal exhibit to the next. One of my children's favorite exhibits is the meerkat mound. Today the meerkats were very energetic, one in particular. It kept running in a circular pattern around the mound and always coming back to were Ashlynn was standing. Ashlynn ate this up and was laughing and so excited. When the meerkat would start running its path, Ashlynn would run along the wall squealing with delight. It was so adorable. Logan always like to go around the corner were they have this glass bubble thing that he sits in to watch the meerkats do there thing. He always will watch for mommy and daddy and wave at us excitedly when we see him sitting there on his own. Ashlynn really wanted to go on the carousel so we asked Logan if he would also like to. Of course he said "No!" He seems to be just a bit leery of the whole carousel concept. So Dustin bought a ticket for Ashlynn and himself. Needless to say, when Logan saw that they were going without him, he wanted to go to. So, I ran to get him a ticket while the three of them got situated on the carousel. Of course Logan opted out of sitting on one of the horses and found him a wagon to sit on. He looked very unimpressed as he went round and round. Ashlynn was horse hopping, thinking one had to be a bit faster then the next. We then jumped on the train and the tables were turned. Ashlynn was not impressed but Logan was so excited. We had a good time being outside on such a beautiful day and being able to see some of the beautiful creations that God has placed on this earth!

Daddy's Home!

We have been sick for the past 3 weeks or so. One passing to the next and so on. We are now on round two of passing back and forth. Fun times. Yesterday Grandma invited Logan to spend the day with her so Ashlynn and I could get some rest. Ashlynn took a nice long nap and woke up at 5 pm. This is very late for her because my kids are usually in bed by 7 pm every night. So I let her stay up pretty late. She was at the kitchen table coloring and I was in the other room checking on the laundry, when all the sudden I heard an excited yell from the kitchen, "Mommy, Daddy here!" It is very unusual for the children to be awake when Dustin comes home from work. So last night was a treat for the both of them.

Prayer Time!

Tonight Dustin and I got on our knees for family prayer and told Logan and Ashlynn to do the same. Logan knelt down and was waiting patiently for Ashlynn to get on her knees. Again, Daddy told Ashlynn to kneel down for prayer, so Logan lays down on the ground, flat. Dustin tells Logan to kneel up. Logan looks up at Dustin and said, "Daddyyy, you just told me to kneel down!" We got a kick out of this, hope you do too!

I want to be a Cowboy!

So here is my rendition of the children's book If you give a mouse a cookie, by Laura Numeroff. This morning Logan had on 1 cowboy boot. He wanted the other. So, I got him the other boot and he wanted his cowboy hat. When I got him the cowboy hat he wanted his chaps. So, I got him his chaps and he wanted his vest. When I got him his vest he wanted to put them on. When he put them on he wanted to take a picture of the cute little cowboy. So, I took lots of pictures of the cute little cowboy. When I took the pictures of the cute cowboy, he wanted to look at each and every one. He then wanted some more pictures, so I took more. He then stomped around the house for awhile in his loud boots. Then he took them off, along with his outfit. The end!

Beautiful Ocean, here we come!

So Dustin and I finally found out were his company is sending us for being in the top two in Dustin's office. We are going to Cancun, Mexico. I'm excited. The last time we went to Cancun, I got food poisoning something awful, and stayed in the room for 3 days. The time I'd spent outside of the room, I was super impressed. Cancun is a more Americanized city, which I like, it gives me a false sense of security. It also has these amazing ruins. Dustin and I only went to one the last time we were there and it was way cool. There were these HUGE Komodo Dragons all over, 100's of them. I kept watching my back because I felt like they might make a tasty treat of Dustin and I. It was really creeping me out, but cool at the same time. So, I am excited about returning, just need to get my food and drink straight, know what is off limits to the American pansies! We leave on April 17th and return the 21st.

Let's Potty!

I am going to try my hand at the whole blogging bit. So be patient, and if you get bored that's OK. So I am super excited that my children are finally taking a remote interest in the toilet for something other then wasting water. Logan has gone wee-wee in the toilet twice in the last 2 days and Ashlynn has taken me on several trips to the toilet so she can sit there and poot. So yesterday she came and got me and I stripped her down to nothing and sat her on the toilet. We sat there for a while but nothing happened, I got bored. So I told her it's time to get up. She didn't want to so I left her sitting on her throne for a good 5 min. When I came to check on her I smelt something rather offensive and got all excited. She was so proud of herself and of the brown floaties in the toilet. Sorry, I probablly offend some of you, but, it was a very exciting moment and I like to paint very vivid pictures! So it looks like we are finally on the way to being diaper free, finally!