Surprise!

September is our big birthday month. Anthony, Haylie and Tui all have birthdays within days of each other. This year I decided to combine all 3 together and have a big surprise party. We decided to have it up at the church because of ify weather.

I got to the church early to set up. The kids had to be let in on the surprise because I had to take them with me to set up. Anthony was being diverted by a friend so that he would be surprised.

He was most definitely surprised! While I was setting up, my oldest daughter, Sydney decided to play hide and seek with 2 friends in a darkened church ( since we only needed the gym, we left the lights off in the rest of the church hoping that would deter any kids from playing where they shouldn't be).

All of a sudden someone is screaming my name. One of the girls playing hide and seek grabs my arm and pulls me toward a bathroom on the darkened half of the church. I find Sydney leaning over the bathroom sink, with a bloody face. at first I couldn't tell where all the blood was coming from. I cleaned her up enough to see that it was her nose and upper lip. I tried to control the bleeding while the other girls filled me in on what happened.

Our church has big glass doors. In the dark, you can not tell where they are. Well, my incredibly intelligent daughter ( except when playing hide and seek obviously) ran smack into the door.

I am grateful for the fact that one of my good friends there that night is a nurse. She examined Sydney's nose and told me it was broken. Sydney kept he tough girl act going until we were alone for a minute...then the tears came. She is so brave! I told he I would have to take her to the ER. She started crying more...she said she didn't want to miss the pinata.

Just then who comes walking in the door? Anthony....SURPRISE! So, for his birthday he got to take Sydney to the ER while I entertained the guests. And we saved the pinata for the very end so Sydney could join in.

The best part about all of this is, Sydney inadvertently straightened out her septum and now can breath easier. She has bad allergies and has always had a hard time breathing at night. Not any more.

I have the same problem. Anyone want to go play hide and seek in a dark church?Birthday Girl ( 7 years old)

Broken nose girl

Outdoor Fun

I just had to post this because I am the skinniest I have been in 6 years. Not that it will last!

Anthony did not grow up enjoying the mountains like I did. My family and I would camp and hike all summer long, and I have always wanted to do the same with my kids. But alas, we live in Iowa, a mountain less state. How depressing! We do have a few state parks that Iowans consider mountainous. Backbone park is one of them. It is more like a forested crack in the earths crust. You drive along a flat cornfield and all of a sudden you drive down a HILL ( not a mountain) and you find yourself in a rather beautiful place. There are cliffs you can rock climb and caves to explore, a lake to swim in, although it is quite mossy, and streams to fish and wade through. I guess that is as close to home as I will get here.

Sore Bums, Warm Smiles

We have never taken our kids ice skating. I know, I know...shameful considering I am Canadian. I was skating by the time I was 5. So when the opportunity for a free skating lesson came up, we jumped on it. I wasn't sure how Haylie would like it. She is one that will give up if something is too hard. Sydney likes to try anything, so I knew she would have fun.

Well, Haylie surprised me. She was little miss independent. She didn't want me to help her at all and was happy to go with her instructor onto the ice. She took off! Falling every few seconds...laughing in her giggly little voice...getting back up just to fall down again. But she didn't give up. She had a blast! Sydney was also having a great time learning some more difficult techniques. I love seeing my children have so much fun. I wish I had the time, energy and money to put my kids in everything they want to do!

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Mayor's Fun Run

Sydney never ceases to surprise me! She is a lot like me in the fact that she wants to do, or at least try everything. So when the 4th grade mile run with the Mayor came up, she was begging me to let her do it. I was nervous at first because she has asthma( also takes after me in that way) and she has never done a run like this before. It was downtown and included running over a bridge...one that people have fallen off of before and drowned. But, I never want to be a mother who discourages her children, so despite my own fears, I let her sign up. She had a few friends from her school sign up and we came to find out that friends from other schools were there too. She ran the mile in 10 min 23 seconds. I was very proud of her!

Matteo's story

I am very blessed! I have a wonderful husband, who although worries about how to support us financially, has given into my desire to have more children. It is not just the money. I have a serious health issue that would prevent most people from having children.

(It is called Factor IV Leiden. It is a blood clot disorder. Pretty much it is the opposite of Hemophilia....instead of bleeding when I get a cut or injury, my blood is thicker and forms clots that can move to the lungs, heart or brain resulting in death. I shook hands with death when I was pregnant with my 3rd child, Tui. I was 9 weeks when I started to feel short of breath and a stabbing pain in my right rib cage. I thought it was indigestion or asthma, so I decided to go to bed. I woke up the next morning feeling worse and then I coughed up some blood. A very good friend of mine told me to go to the hospital...I was completely ready to go to church and just put up with the pain. Good thing I listened to her. In the ER, nurses and an intern asked me all the normal questions and thought it was probably a pulled muscle or a chest cold. Then a very smart Dr. actually read my medical history that showed that I had Factor IV...he sent me straight up to intensive care. By the time they had me all hooked up to tubes and oxygen masks, I could not breath...at all. I was scared, but mostly oblivious to how much trouble I was in. Throughout the night I was monitored and given blood thinners to break up the clots. In the morning, the Dr. came in to talk to me. He asked me why I went to bed. He said that 99 percent of all people who go to bed with a blood clot in their lung would be dead within hours...and I had 3 very large ones in my right lung. He could not give me one good reason why I was alive. He also told me that I had gone through so much trauma that I would most definitely miscarry...people with my disorder usually miscarry anyhow. One more painful experience I had to prepare for. Well 4 years later, my son Tui is happy and healthy and I have to be on blood thinner while I am pregnant...unless I get another clot anywhere in my body and then I will be on it for life.

So, when I got pregnant ( we did not know if it was a boy or a girl), I went right to the Dr. who put me on blood thinner ( Heparin). It is not very expensive, but I have to inject myself twice a day for 12 months. My belly was a beautiful blue, green, yellow and purple work of art!( because of the Factor IV, I bruise easily). Other than the blood clot disorder, I have very easy pregnancies! I got sick a few times in the first 3 months, but nothing bad. We actually kept this pregnancy a secret for the first 4 months because there were so many people who were worried about me getting another clot. But after 3 kids already, I was really starting to show by then.

As I previously posted, I was able to go home to my sisters wedding. I drove 2 days there and 2 days back with my 3 kids and me 5 months pregnant.

( side story... It is inevitable that I always forget something when I go on a trip. I made sure we all had our passports since we were going into Canada, phone charger, camera, cloths...everything. I got 4 hours away when I all of a sudden pulled into a gas station...bawling! My kids thought I was loosing it. I did forget something...something that could mean life or death...for me and my baby...my blood thinner. I called Anthony, frantic!( He couldn't be there because he had just started a new job.) He calmed me down and said he would take care of it. He shipped it to my parents house, but customs wouldn't release it to me. Luckily I have a wonderful brother who threatened to sue them if I died.)

After the trip to Canada, things slowed down. Summer was hot and I run a daycare in my home, but I managed to make it through. We had a ward camp out toward the end of my pregnancy. I think I had 4 weeks left. We had so much fun! We camped...I even slept on the ground...That part I would not suggest, but I love to camp. There was also a gigantic inflatable slide ( about 20 feet high or so) that was the hit of the camp out. My kids loved it...and so did I. Yes...I even went down it...I figured all the bumping might speed things up. No luck!

Two weeks before my due date, a friend of mine brought me the mother load of zucchini and cantaloupe. I told Sydney that she could help me chop them and freeze them. and it's a good thing we did. By 11 am, I was starting to feel my contractions at a regular pace ( I had been having them for a couple of weeks, but I have had to be induced with 2 of my children, so I just assumed I would have to be with this one). I called the parents of the daycare kids and asked them to come and get their kids asap. Anthony was off work at 3:30, so I figured I could hold out till then. Sydney and I kept busy chopping and freezing, but I could tell she was worried. Once Anthony got home, we all jumped in the van and we dropped the kids off at a friend's house then continued on to the hospital. I have a high pain tolerance level, so when I come strolling up to the maternity ward at 5:00, nobody thinks I am in real labor. Haha...I fool them all! They got me all dressed and checked me...I was dilated to six. I know from my other deliveries that this one will be just as fast. Sure enough, by the time they get me hooked up to IV's and I refuse and epidural, I am at an eight. My back was hurting a ton...so I layed on my side a bit...pushing in that position is not fun!!!! But it still only took two pushes for our little baby to join us. I was so happy when they told me it was a boy...I actually cried! He was perfect!

We struggled naming him. We have such a diversity of cultural backgrounds...Italian, Tongan, Canadian, Irish...We wanted to incorporate some of them along with family names. After one whole month we named him Matteo ( Italian meaning gift from God) Glen-Carlo ( my grandfather and Anthony's great grand father's names). We nicknamed him Teo ( Tongan meaning gift from God). It was a perfect name for our little gift!

We love our children so much and are eternally grateful to a Heavenly Father who has kept me safe and preserved those little angels so that we could be a family!

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We survived!

One full year without the Internet has proven difficult, but manageable. I can remember a time when we didn't have the Internet, or cell phones, x-boxes or wii's. I know, that makes me ancient, but we can live without them!

Now that I am back, I have a ton to catch up on. I guess I will start where I left off.

Sydney is my softball girl. She loves to play sports, like her mommy, but struggles with the concept of " practice makes perfect". She is naturally very intelligent, but when it comes to sports, things do not always come naturally. She wanted to be a pitcher. I pitched some in my day, so I tried to teach her. She tends to over think things instead of letting her body just go with the flow. Needless to say, she did not pitch. However, she is an excellent catcher. She has good form and strong legs so she can squat for a long time. I think she did really well in this position! She had a couple of great coaches ( Navy boys) who worked them hard ( in 90-100 degree weather) but praised them along the way. and it payed off. They came in first place. Sydney was so happy. I was happy the season was over. I was the book keeper and 8 months pregnant in that weather. I missed one practice and everyone thought I had the baby until I showed up at the tournament still as big as ever. Baby decided to come 2 weeks later. ( story to come)

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I've missed you, dear Blog!

I Know it has been a long time since I have blogged. I find myself completely busy...doing nothing...and everything. I don't know if it is the fact that I am pregnant or that we are adjusting to Anthony's new job, but I just can't seem to get anything done. At least not the things I want to do.

So, here is a run down...there will be pictures at some point.

Anthony's new job...he loves it...we love having him home more. BUT... we have been without insurance for the past 3 months. My medication I am on for my blood clot disorder ( I will explain that one another time) cost about $12 with insurance...without $400. So we have been in a bit of a financial bind these last 3 months.

My sister, Karma, got married in March. I was so blessed to be able to go to the wedding with my kids. Anthony however was not able to go because he just started a new job. Therefore I ended up driving to Canada alone with 3 kids. Needless to say chaos followed, but in the end it was worth it to se my sister married in the temple and happy for once in her life!

The kids, including the 4th one, are well and happy. Sydney will be playing softball again this summer. Haylie didn't want to. Instead she wants to do gymnastics, so I am currently trying to decide how involved I want her to be, that will determine what program I put her in. Tui is just my happy, busy, cuddly boy as always. And baby#4 never stops moving...good sign, or bad?

Well, I will have to expand on some of these things later and add pictures.

" Bad boys, bad boys....whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when Anthony comes for you?"

Well, it is done! After 6 months of physical training and testing...written tests..polygraphs...and psyc evaluations, Anthony is now a deputy for the Blackhawk Sheriffs Office.

I am so proud of him! We have struggled with the thought of changing careers for the past several years. It is always scary in this economy to quit a job, even an unsteady and stressful retail job. But, we prayed about it and worked towards it and we never once got a bad feeling about it. I have even gotten over my fear of him being shot on the job. I know that this change will be good for our family and that Heavenly Father will protect Anthony!

We have already seen a big change at home. We have him home in the evenings, so we are able to have a regular Family Home Evening, diners together ( although I have to do more grocery shopping now that I need to make a meal every night), and Anthony is not as tired or stressed out. He is a much more pleasant Daddy!

We love you and all your hard work Anthony!

Another One Bites The Dust

Well, lat week we lost our toad, Smiley.

Today we lost the other toad, Hoppy.

I think the girls handled this one a bit better. Less weeping and wailing!

So now they are begging for a new pet.

They would like a dog...or a hamster,

but I think we will do fish. We already have all the equipment for them.

They want something that can run around and play with them,

but until they can keep their room clean, that will not happen!

Sad Goodbye's

Last Summer we adopted two toads from our friend's back yard. We named them Smiley and Hoppy.

Smiley was the smaller of the two and more well behaved. If we took her out of the tank, she was content to stay in your hands or climb up your arm...but she never hopped away.

Hoppy is named so because she is always trying to hop out of our hands. We have lost her twice and had to search the house for her.

2 weeks ago, Smiley stopped eating. I would put food in front of her and she would run away or dig a hole and hide. She was getting so thin, but I just couldn't get her to eat. She finally died one afternoon. She just closed her eyes and lay her head on her little hands.

Needless to say, it was a rough couple of days. Lots of crying and trying to figure out funeral arrangements. Sydney would not let us just throw her in the garbage and she is too big to flush down the potty. So for now, until the ground thaws in the spring, we have a Smiley-sicle in the freezer ( tripled Ziploc bags!!!).

Rest in peace Smiley! You were a good first pet!

True Happiness

I often ponder on what brings me true happiness in this life.

Is it success in my job?

Is it monetary gain or the things I can buy?

Is it the number of friends that I have,

or the status that I hold?

I know these things make life enjoyable.

But in my heart I know a few truths.

The times in my life when I have felt true happiness

are the times when I forget about myself

and focus on others.

Serving those in my family, my friends,

even complete strangers.

It helps me to feel close to my Heavenly father.

It helps me to feel His love for me and for others.

That is true Happiness...The love of God and His son Jesus Christ.

They have given me everything in my life that

brings me joy.

So in return, I will give that love back.

I will mourn with those that mourn.

I will bear someone else's burden.

I will comfort those that need comfort.

And I ask that, if you are able and willing,

to do the same.

Please check out the link on the right under my " buddies" list.

"Praying for Ollie."

He is a sweet boy who has been diagnosed

with an inoperable brain tumor.

His family is suffering through emotional,

physical and financial stresses.

If all you can do is pray for him and his family,

then you are serving others and will be blessed with a greater happiness.

Thank you for reading about Ollie!

Name that body part

So, I am not the type of mommy who comes up with nicknames for body parts. I call it as it is, and if my kids are ready to learn the real name for their body parts, I will teach that to them. Well Tui has always been really good at not " touching" himself or being curious about his private parts, so I have never really had to draw attention to it or give it a name.

One day after he finished going potty I asked him if he needed help getting his underwear and pants back on. His response was," Mom, I can't put my underwear on yet because my tail is wet."

His Tail? What the heck is his tail?

Well I asked him that and he pointed it out to me and called it his tail. I guess that is what it looks like to him and since I have never given it any other name, he named it himself.

So, do I correct him? I think it is so cute...and nobody else knows what the heck he is talking about...so?

No More Diapers! Hoo-Ray!!!

Tui is finally potty trained. I gave up about 6 months ago and figured he would go when he wanted to. I was right. I decided one day to just stay at home the whole day...no running errands...just hang out at home with Tui and his Thomas underwear. He didn't like the idea of it at first...but as soon as he went pee-pee that morning, he was hooked. All it took was one time. I told him he was the " Potty King" and we called daddy at work to tell him. Tui was so excited to be so cool!

Now he fights me at night because he doesn't want to wear a diaper to bed.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Animal Rescuers

I have been taking Tui and Addy, the little girl I babysit, with me for walks in a local park. There are lots of lakes and it is a large wooded area. We see a lot of wild life there. we usually see squirrels and birds.Sometimes we see deer, but our most favorite animal to see are turtles. We have come across a couple of different kinds. most of them are pretty big....like it takes both my hands to lift them up. On day we even found a huge soft shell turtle that made funny sounds when we touched his feet.

Today while we were driving to the spot we start our walk at, I noticed something in the road. It was small, and at first it looked like a leaf. I stopped and got out to look. It was a baby snapping turtle that had been run over. It had a big crack in it's shell and there was blood coming from it's mouth. I quickly got in the van. put the turtle in my lap and turned around to go to the forest rangers station to see if they could help it. They were pretty surprised it hadn't tried to bite me. Poor little thing was pretty hurt! They said it might not live. How sad!

So back down the road for our walk again. This time in the road there was another creature. The largest black fuzzy Caterpillar I have ever seen...and then minutes later another one with a red stripe. We moved them off the road so they wouldn't get squashed.
We love our walks in George Wyth Park!

Cuddle Bug
We have all had a virus for the past 2 weeks....nothing major, but enough to make everyone feel grumpy and yucky.
Tui is such a snuggler anyhow, but tonight he just wanted to be held. He came out of bed and climbed up on my lap...pulled my arm around him and fell back asleep. Isn't he the cutest!

One Smart Cookie!
Beginning in 3rd grade, ITBS tests are given to all the students in our school district. These tests determine the amount of retained knowledge and skill from throughout the year in math, reading/writing and science. In order achieve an award, you need to pass with a 90% or above. Sydney got 92%.
We received an invitation in the mail for a dinner and award ceremony for Sydney. One of the retirement communities in our city is a partner in education and so they hosted the dinner. It was such a lovely night. We are so proud of our smart cookie! We have been a bit spoiled! She has never really needed much help with homework or understanding any material. I just hope the next 2 kids are the same way!

Tui's Mind in action

Tonight we had to make a quick run to go get milk. As many of you might know, I treat my van like a race car sometimes. I admit...I like speed. However, when my kids are in the van, I am much more careful. Tonight was rainy and wet and I was in a bit of a rush, and I took a corner a bit too fast.

Mom---" Hold on to your potatoes"

I am always saying stuff like that....hold onto your potatoes...horses...spaghetti...hats...whatever.

Tui---" I can't hold my potatoes....I don't have any in my hands!"

Well, That's a 3 year old for ya.

Happy birthday Haylie! 6 years old, it hardly seems possible. Haylie has gone through so much in the past 6 years, but now she is healthy and happy. Haylie wanted to do a salon party this year. We had the front porch set up for Sydney to do pedicures and I curled hair and glittering hair in the living room. All the girls had so much fun getting beautified. It was a fun party.

Things I love about Haylie

Her laugh..it is so contagious

the way her nose crinkles

Her enthusiasm for learning

her imagination

I love to hear her sing

She can be so loving ( when she wants to ;)

Her determination

Her curly hair

I love that she is my daughter

Her love for the Savior

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

It has been 4 years since we have been to a real Zoo. Living in Iowa, we have to travel 4 hours in any direction to get to a really big zoo. Our favorite so far is the Omaha zoo. This was Tui's first time going to the zoo...he loved it. His favorite was the aquarium with it's underwater tunnel. He was fascinated by the sharks and sea turtles. The girls had fun with the Gorillas. all the animals were very interactive that day, letting us get close up and personal. I had fun using different settings on my camera. Here are some more pictures.