SHHHH! We have a secret!

So when ever I write that I  feel I must follow up with "no I am not pregnant".

This secret is going to be made known in another blog as soon as I can think of a good name.

Keep reading to find out!



Ok so I started a new blog--and that blog tells the big surprise!


http://luckylarsonslostinkorea.blogspot.com/

Children

I have noticed lately that Pepper has been different.  She is a little more quiet and a little more angry.

I feel there are a few reasons for that, but I wanted to think/write on comparing kids or putting one child above another.


She took this picture of herself!  LOVE this girl!

I hate to say it, but it is really easy to brag on Sedona.  She is able to figure stuff out quickly, she remembers stuff amazingly well, she excels at most stuff she does. She is doing school work a grade above her own.
Her talents are out there for all the world to see.

Pepper is different than that.  Her talents are not so easily seen.  She is a "normal" student.  She does well in school, but has to work to figure stuff out.  She is funny, but she has to be comfortable with you to show that side of herself.  She doesn't have a need to show off, but wants to do her best and wants to share when she is proud of something. She is a little spunky and not so quick to help when asked all the time, but is an amazing worker when you find what she is interested in doing.

I found that I would say stuff about Sedona to people and not brag on Pepper as much.  So we, as a family, have decided to make sure Pepper gets her cup full.  I complement her more often.  I make a point to tell people what a great kid she is where she can hear me.  I let her know of any improvements she has made and not so quick to point out mistakes.


A few years ago!

Her smiles the past few weeks have been so beautiful.  She has the CUTEST little smile when she is proud of herself and I am so happy to see it more often.

 Sometimes I forget how smart Pepper is because of the differences in age between the two. I expect Pepper to do the stuff (chores, attention span) that Sedona does.  I need to remember they are very different! I am working on it.

I hope I can continue to be a good mom and not have one child feel they are better or more loved than the other, but that is a tricky and fine line some times.

Anyone have any suggestions for me?

PS: it is easy for me not compare Wheeler because he is so much younger and so different!

cleaning house

Another Post on the dang cleaning of my house!

But this one is actually a little more productive.  I am actually making a difference in my home.

I am doing a two box method and leave on the shelf.

So that is my own term if you didn't guess.

Starting with the bookshelves I used this technique.

I have two boxes.
1. Give Away/Sell
2. One Year

In each box I put the books.  The books that are a YES KEEP stay on the shelf.  The One year box will be taped closed, labeled One Year Books, and put in the silo.  After the one year mark if I can't remember which books are in each box I give it away with out opening it.

I have done my back room bookshelves, parts of my middle room, and parts of my kitchen.  I am loving this!  The house feels more open, I am finding more time to clean it, and finding that it takes less time to clean!

The items that are left on the shelf will be gone over again---really do I need 12 books on green house gardening when I don't even have a greenhouse?

Like I said in my last post I have gotten ride of about 4 trash bags of stuff--and boxes of 1 year give away items.  Honestly I have almost already forgotten what is in most of those boxes!  My Giveaway/Sell boxes will be kept until a later date--IF I have not had a yard sale--then by a certain date they are all going to the local thrift store.  I am so excited to do this in my scary room.

A few things I have learned--I have a really hard time with certain items--bathroom stuff, crafts, picture frames, and other small things.  I have a hard time letting them go.  I will have to have a buddy when I go through that stuff.

Something I have learned about myself. When I get in the mood to get rid of stuff I have to box it and seal it so I don't go back and pull it out.  I have also learned that my need to have STUFF isn't as great.  Before I could go into the dollar store and buy 50 things, only to have them end up in the scary room in a box forgotten about.  Now I can pass up pretty much everything unless I know I have a need for it within the next  month.

I am reading minimal living blogs and they are helping a lot.  I also love how the Amish "Decorate" with useful items.  They have their platters hang on the wall ~ So pretty.

Well I have typed enough on this--next time I am hoping to do some before/after pictures of my purge!

Funerals

In the month I have attended a lot of funerals.
I am not sure what is happening, but I have been involved (attending/helping) with at least five funerals.

I like funerals, but I HATE that they happen after the person has passed away.
What a wonderful celebration of life.  Does the person who has passed on know how many people they touched?  Do they know all the small stories that are told on how they effected someone they might not have even known about?

The SMART way to do a funeral is when someone is still alive and able to enjoy it.  I understand this is tricky, because who really knows when we will die, but honestly if I know I am going to pass away I want my funeral when I can still attend it.

I always ask Lucas who he wants to speak at his funeral if he were to die.  He never answers me.  I just get a "I don't want to think about it."

After every funeral I attend I think  "Who would I want to speak at mine, and what would I want people to say?"
I didn't really think about it yesterday after attending a funeral, but that is because I was totally enthralled with an experience I have never had before.


I was able to sit and eat with a couple of Amish couples.  I have been reading about the Amish in both romaticised writing and about their way of thinking and life.  I know they are books and can't honestly grasp the true life of daily living, but I am LOVING learning about them.

I am inspired by their way of thinking about the individual and how being modest (not in dress, but in all of lifes aspects) is most important.

There was about 6 Amish couples attending the funeral since the man who passed away was a driver for them.  Since they don't drive, but so much of their work and grocery shopping is far away, they hire drivers to take them places.  Lucas drove the Amish for a while when he was working construction with them.

They all sat boy/girl/boy/girl at the table, but you could tell they were all married (Amish men stop shaving when they get married).  I sat in front of the couple on the end and asked if I could sit with them.  The couple right in front of me were very talkative and friendly, the couple next to them-not so much.  Mary Ann and Luis talked and answered my questions and I volunteered information about myself since it seems they are not ones to openly ask questions.  The man sitting next to Mary Ann was her brother and he was very quiet. His wife, though I didn't get her name, seemed like she wanted to engage in the conversation,  but she was pretty shy so I mostly talked with Mary Ann and Luis.

We talked about where they were from, where I was from, how many kids they have (a 1 year old and a 2 year old), talked a little religion--discussed "wards/communities/congregations".  We talked about their families and traveling (since they both were from other states).  It was amazing.  I just want to be a fly on the wall for about a week and see how life works for them.  They all were very kind, nice, and open.

One thing I have been trying to achieve since I started reading these books is to live more simply.  It is amazing to me how calm life is when I don't have 1 million things to choose, decide, all within the hour I wake up.  I have a long way to go, but I have removed about 4 bags of trash, and about 20 boxes of stuff from my house in the past few weeks---and I am just getting started!

Goals

I have a list of goals---Same list I have made every year since I have been married.
A few things might not be the same, but mostly they are, and I have only added more.

Last year I only wanted to post really interesting things and not any of my house or to do projects, which means I didn't post hardly at all.

So this year I am just going to post when and about what I want--
This year this blog is for me.

Hope you enjoy it too, but if you don't I am not going to feel guilty about it.
I do find that it is easier to write to a pretend audience  so I will be addressing YOU, but when I write a blog the YOU changes--

For example, I wrote the last blog to my sister in law
previous ones have been written to the general public, backpacking friends, church friends, old school friends, my Biggest loser friends, and so on.

Also I gotta say the one thing that I really feel good about tonight is I went back and looked at my first face paintings and had to laugh!  They are bad--I will see if I can post some newer ones sometime soon--and HOPEFULLY next week when I look back at the year I will laugh when I look at them because my talent will have grown so much.

I feel this will also be a year of self reflection for me.  I have some things I need to figure out (not anything major, things like--Do I choose a scripture verse or just a one word theme for the new year)--OK maybe a little more deep then that--but anyway--hopefully you all can come along for the ride.

PS: My sister in law Jane has less then a week till her little peanut is officially due!  YEAH!

Warning to New Moms (Jane)

If you are like me the fuzzy baby brain takes you at least a year

So this is for my sister in law Jane--What people don't warn you about becoming a new mom

Some more warnings--

1.  Your belly still looks WAY prego when you leave, but now instead of being hard, it is like Jello (legs may do the same thing too)

2.  When your baby sleeps you want them awake, when your baby is awake you want them to sleep--meaning You spend a lot of time getting them to sleep, only to miss them when they are sleeping and hope they will wake up!

3.  You are NOT nor do you NEED TO BE a SUPER HUMAN.  Your body is still working CRAZY hard after the baby is born---You need naps, time to sleep (even if is the same crazy hours your baby sleeps), good food, comfy pj's, a silence on the phone and doorbell, a strong ability to say NO! For some reason woman feel we need to be stronger then we are.  Just learn to let things go and know you don't have to perfect while traveling this bumpy part of the road (or even the smooth parts either) You will be given about 3 months (maybe less) before people ask you to do stuff again...which leads to

4. When you go back to church people think you are FINE.  If you are not FINE, do not go back to church--maybe for just sacrament--and LEAVE as fast as possible.

5.  Your baby will most likely NOT wear all the cute clothes, so make sure to dress her in EVERYTHING you LOVE first and don't save it for a special trip out--Take lots of pictures (But know you need to take as many pictures of your second one as your first one)

6.  Speaking of pictures..take a picture of her every month with a specific toy to see how she great--make sure they are labeled because some months are hard to tell apart--Poor Pepper's are all mixed up!

7.  Going back to clothes--Shoes are totally annoying!  They are super cute, but they fall off and then old ladies stop you every 5 feet to tell you that your baby is missing a shoe--take the other one off if one falls off.

8. No matter how much PINK you have the little peanut in, someone (most likely an elderly man) will tell you what a handsome boy you have, or will ask you  -- Boy or girl?

9.  Make sure you cover the babies hands with those little hand covers--they are hard to keep on, but baby nails are like razors and will tear up her own little face if not kept covered

10.  Baby nails grow fast--it is hard to keep them cut--PS: much to lucas's horror I bit my baby's nails and not used a clipper--I was scared of the clippers once I cut Sedona's nail to short and she bled--never had that problem with bitting them--I brushed my teeth and washed her hands really well after.

11. You will smell like poop or throw up for the next few years.  So will your house.  I am sorry.  You have been warned.

12. Breastfeeding hurts--bad!  I pray that it won't for you!!

13.  Depression for new moms is real and it is hard, and it can be hard to see or mostly to admit.  It is ok--get the help you need--lucky to be living with a soon to be DR--or I should say DO!

14.  You are scared to go poop for the first time--gross, but true--you will be OK--I am sure Jon has filled you in on more details :)

15.  If you get stitches-they will itch, which is really hard when walking down the street and you have to itch-just a warning--

16.  OK IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND THINK THE LAST TWO WAS WAY TO MUCH INFO SKIP THIS NEXT PART--Down there---you will never look the same again--I won't give anymore details other then to say--everything gets stretched out and is bigger--even when most inner parts go back to mostly normal, the outer is still different--MOVING ON....

17.  OK Keep Reading now--Even if Jon is a different type of parent then you are, his ways are not Wrong. Lucas had to teach me this---No Lucas you hold her like this--No Lucas you smile at her THIS way--Ok I wasn't that bad, but kids have a mom and a dad for a reason--they are different.

18.  It is NOT called Babysitting when Jon watches the baby--Do you call it Babysitting when YOU watch the baby?  NO!  He is the other parent--he NEEDS to have one and one time with the baby, even it is her screaming for two hours while you go see a movie.  (PS: Taking a long bath doesn't count you can still hear if she is happy or not and will get out of the tub if you think she needs you)

19.  Your milk will come in at wrong times and you will leak (sometimes even with a milk pad on), and it will be embarrassing--ALWAYS carry a sweater, extra shirt, vest like thing, Just in case! (Ps: Your bra will be wet so even if you change your shirt, you still might have wet spots)

20.  Not sure if this is normal (heck maybe NONE OF these are normal), but I hear babies crying, my kids talking, laughing, crying, all the time.  Most of my showers I have to turn of the water at least once to see if I am hearing things or not.  Same with vacuuming    I have to ask Lucas--Do you hear a baby crying?  I think he is use to it, and I would say 98% of the time a baby is not crying!

21.  You love EVERYTHING your baby does, but really most people (other than aunts, and grandparents)  don't really care if your baby did the cutest yawn, or the stranger doesn't want to see your baby have the cutest hiccup--and your non baby friends still love you, but they aren't interested in coming over to "watch" the baby for 3 hours as the main source of entertainment--maybe 20-30 minutes at the tops!  BUT you are now in the "how I gave birth club" which gives you an instant bond/competition with other moms.  I LOVE being able to say "I have had all three types of birth" (c-section, Epidural at 8 CM, and no epidural after 8 cm!  Top that overly competitive moms! :)

Alright--I will stop there --I am sure i have scared you enough to wish that baby won't come for another month (ha ha ha--I know!), but really  this is AN Amazing time!  Enjoy it

We are SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS LITTLE PEANUT!!

kids sayings and lots more with pictures!

It is that time of year again--Hot Chocolate time!

 

I am SO cold today.  It is suppost to freeze tomorrow night (I would be suprised if it didn't freeze tonight), so that means the start of winter chores.

 

Collection fire wood, keeping the fire hot--I am not too worried about keeping Wheeler away from the stove--he stays away from anything that is hot.

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Don't tell anyone, but Sedona has her first big crush.  She thought a few boys last year were cute, but this year she likes one boy more than the rest.  I am not tell who....

(though I doubt anyone who reads this would even know him). 

 

And I posted on facebook, but I am going to post here--the other day Pepper said

"I wish this little boy (wheeler) wasn't part of our family."

Me--a little shocked "WHY?!"

Pepper: "Because then I could find him and marry him."

 

 

I am really going to try hard to post more cute sayings from the kids.

 

 Right now all I can get out of Wheeler is gibberish, unless he is looking for me---then he calls me "Amy"--that is most often my wake up alarm--Wheeler in his crib saying "Amy? Amy?"   

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Wheeler is such a ham!  He gives this big cheesy grin when ever I point the camera at him!  He is SO funny.

 Another thing I discovered today is that he is afraid of bubble gum bubbles.  Every time I blew one he would get this terrified look on his face and if I walked towards him he would try to get away from me in almost a paralyizing panic!  I video taped it I thought it was so funny.  Wish I knew how to upload those!

Wheeler has also gotten a hair cut since this picure--I will try to post it soon.

Pepper's face is painted in this picture-that is why she looks strange.  This was at our Early Iron Car Show. It is just about the only (and for sure) the largest car show our area puts on.  Pepper was SO excited to go and see the cars. That shirt she is wearing is her favorite and wears it whenever she can---She also loves her Pink cowgirl boots.  She has been wearing them since we got them even though they are too big for her and I have put them away more than once.  I love this spunky girl!

Anyone recognize this man?  He has been missing for a while, about 4 years I think, but he is back! Lucas got his hair cut and he looks good.  He had over 7 people tell him how good looking he was since he got his hair cut (and I Agree)!  This is his favorite car at the car show.

This is my picture, bucause while they were looking at cars I was painting kids.  I have a pathetic little set up, but I have a ton of fun and I made some money!  I was sad we didn't get any pictures other then this, but since it is the big car show Lucas had the camera the whole time.