A cut and paste.

From the family website to Elder Keeler.

Dear Adam,
This week was my last week of my surgery rotation. no more cutting people open, playing with their insides and then stitching them back together. I enjoyed it whiled it lasted. It was my last rotation of 3rd year and now on to 4th year. I spoke in church today about priesthood authority. It was a really great talk, probably the best one anyone has ever given. It was mostly a lot of quotes from general authorities that were strategically placed to form a talk. Anyway, enjoy your mission. This may be the only letter you receive from me. Mark only received one letter so I think I have fulfilled my quota.
Mark T.

Dear Adam,
This week I did a lot of packing and very little sleeping. But, Sam no longer nurses at night and sleeps in his own little Sammy bed (until 3am when he toddles down the hallway to climb in bed with me - but trust me that is much better then the way things previously were). Due to said lack of sleep I had a lovely moment of losing my sanity and duct taping Wilson's arms to his body so that he would stop punching his little brother and saying, "What's UP!" It wasn't the most effective form of discipline I've ever used. I am proud to report, however, that Zina IS learning to use her words just as I have been teaching her. Case in point:
One afternoon as I was trying to put Sam down for a nap I overheard Zina telling Wilson the following (picture her fists clenched, face red) "Wilson, grrr, I am so frustrated with you. YOU better run as fast, rrrr, as fast as you can or I'm going to hit you and it's going to hurt really REALLY bad!" I promptly heard Wilson's feet race down the hallway to the safety of his room. Then race back to Zina where he said, "I'm telling Mama!"
At least she used her words before threatening to use her fists. right?
Also after helping Wilson wrestle Papa (because he came running to me for help) I gave Mark a big smack on the lips only to look over and see Wilson with raised eyebrows and an all-knowing look on his face. He then stated, "You guys are maywwied, huh." Yes, Wilson. We are indeed married. :)
So, in a nutshell. This week was just like all the rest. Learning to control our tempers, curb our tongues, love each other and enjoy the ride. :)
Perhaps this week we will find somewhere in Utah to unload all of these boxes I've been packing?
:)
love you lots.
bec

Here is Sam.  His new thing is to bring us all sorts of clothing and want us to put them on him.  He is wearing his socks, robeez shoes, sandals, my socks his shorts and shirt and one of Mark's garment tops.  And he is happy as a clam. :)

And last but not least. On Friday my friends took me out for a goodbye becca party and bought me dinner.  So sweet.  I feel like this move is premature.  I guess because it is.  We really weren't planning on moving for another year and I am going to miss these girls!

We went out for dinner at 7.  The cafe closed at 9 so we just visited outside until 10:30.  You could tell no one wanted to go home quite yet. :)

From left to right: (sorry for the crappy pic)

Kindi, Callie, Brooke, Amanda, Tiff, Me

Funny thing is up until last week before Amanda had her baby I was the only one of these girls not pregnant. Did that make it sound like I'm pregnant? I'm not but I feel like everyone else is. :)

Experiment

The other day Mark got off early in the afternoon.  He was trying to study (in the playroom?) for his surgery shelf exam so I was trying to think of things to keep the kids entertained and not disrupting him.  I decided it was school time. This isn't new.  It happens periodically around here.  This day we hunted around the house for things that started with the letter "F" (I had pre-planted labels here and there).  Wilson pointed out the letters for us and Zina read the words.  We did a few other things and then we started a science experiment on density.  This was really fun.  It was so fun that Mark just could not let us alone.  I sort of figured this would happen :)  We started with colored water and oil.  We learned some new words like density and immiscible.  And Wilson who LOVES to stir things stirred and stirred and stirred and stirred but they just wouldn't mix.  The kids that that was pretty cool.

Then we took it up a notch.   We started with honey - which (talk about GROSS) a big fat fly came out of the honey pot when we poured it into that glass.  Just thinking about it gives me the heeby geebys.  (Promise I threw ALL the rest of the honey away)

And the fly actually made the experiment that much cooler. 

Ok

Honey

dishsoap

water (colored red)

oil

rubbing alcohol (colored green)

actual instructions found HERE

I poured the rubbing alcohol in a little to fast so it did start the mix but it was really cool to see the different liquids all sitting there on top of each other.  And then the fly who started out at the bottom slowly started to float through everything to the top.  The kids were FASCINATED!

 Then Wilson who just couldn't quench the desire to stir gave a big whirl and we set it on top of the hutch to see what would happen.  

It was a fun little experiment that I highly recommend to anyone with kids.  

Then Mark went back to studying and we started making cheesecake for our family home evening treat. (Wilson was in charge of the treat and that is what he picked - Lauri's cheese cake with raspberry's. Yum!)

I just had to take this picture because I had a moment of, "I can't believe I have to pull up 3 chairs because I have 3 helpers!" Where has the time gone!

Surgery

I figured this was proof that Mark is enjoying this rotation.

This was right after he walked in the door.   He didn't sit down to relax, he didn't wait for the kids friends to go home. Nope, he called them all over to "play" with him.

 getting sanitized...

 We had surgeons, first assists, anesthesiologists, nurses and 

of course a patient. :)

 I think Wilson is getting gall bladder surgery.

 He's trying very hard to stay asleep.. :)

 Wilson's turn to operate!

 "I need that one!"

 Ellie Larsen is have knee surgery.  

And this is what Mark will actually be doing during his true surgery's.

Playing on his phone...oh wait, I mean keeping the patient alive....

Let's hope he like's July's Anesthesia rotation as much as he liked May's surgery rotation. :)

Girls Night + Sam

As soon as Mark and Wilson left for their camp out Zina and I got out the girl stuff.  

We painted our nails, got fixed up, (Zina was super excited that I let her put a little makeup on), and hit the town! We went out for some yummy food and then frozen yogurt.  We dropped some yogurt off at Callie's since we knew her 3 boys were out camping too and visited for awhile.  When we got home we put in a chick flic and had popcorn and milkshakes.  Then Zina really wanted to sleep in a fort so we built a fort over my bed and slept underneath it.  

Zina is growing up so fast.  I could tell that she was having fun.  Every time we got in the van she would start singing in a very grown up sort of way the music from our blog.  She is just like Mark in that she remembers lyrics very easily.   It was really cute.  I could tell she felt so big going out with Mom.  Before Wilson and Mark left I was searching all over for the camera and giving Zina a hard time because I couldn't find it and she is always taking pictures with it.  She finally said, "Mom, why don't we say a prayer."  So we did and then we all started searching again.  After a little bit she said, "Mom, we need to look in the stroller."  As soon as she said that I knew that was exactly where it was.  Once we found it we knelt down and Wilson said another prayer of thanks and then we talked a little bit about how much Heavenly Father loves us and answers our prayers.  We talked about how the Holy Ghost  whispered to Zina where we should look.  It was a very sweet moment and I love to see those little testimonies growing.  (I also felt a little sheepish for getting after Zina when it was me who put in the stroller.  I apologized to her and it made her giggle that it wasn't her after all.)

Zina is a very determined and independent person.  She has no problems standing up for herself.  For some reason lately she has been wanting to just be around home.  I had planned for her to go to a little play date at one of her friends and when her friends Mom asked her if she wanted to have a play date she simply said, "No thank you."  Um, ok.

So I asked her why she didn't want to go and she said she just likes to be home.  I am not complaining.  I for one love to have her home.  She was excited for that friend to come to our house and play.  Now if we could just keep things this way when she is 10yrs older. :)

Today Zina, Wilson and Sarah were playing and I was listening to them.  Zina was taking the lead in everything.  She was being very bossy and authoritative.  In fact just listening to them play, I was getting annoyed until I realized that she is exactly like me.  I kept reminding her that other people's ideas are good ones too and that she needed to compromise.  It's not that the other two cared it was just driving me crazy.   I'm sure it was because I was seeing so much of my own tendencies.  Sorry to everyone who had to grow up with me.  :)

I am trying to teach Wilson how to deal with all of that bossiness.  He often gets so frustrated with Zina that he doesn't know what to do but hit or tackle her.  Either that or he just plain out refuses to do it her way and then she can't handle it.  We are working on using words to convey our frustrations.  It works if I am in the room coaching them.  If I'm not there...well we won't go there. ;)

Zina loves to make things.

The other day she declared that she wanted to make snowflakes.  I swear we made snowflakes for 3 days and this is what my kitchen table looked like the entire time.  

Another time she wanted to make a book.  So I helped her fold some paper and we used string as the binding. Then she started writing.  Sometimes I have a very hard time figuring out her phonetically spelled words. But this book was really cute.  

 "The Natorz" by Zina

Defret anumls uv defrent kind of homes 

and defrent nams lik fox or kagro and defrent thes

to et like antedr will et ans

kangros sit in ther moms pawhc whn they are babes

predmuch ol anamls drenk momos melk.

translation?

"The Natures" By Zina

Different Animals have different kinds of homes and different names like fox or kangaroo and different things to eat like anteaters will eat ants.  Kangaroos sit in their moms pouch when they are babies. Pretty much all animals drink mamas milk.

Today when we were driving home from the library she said, "You know what mom?  I really love school."  I asked her how she knew that since she's never been and she replied, "I just really love to learn new things."  

I am starting to get excited for her to learn new things in Kindergarten. 

 She is ready and she will love it.

Zina loves to read and tonight (after I had put both kids to bed) I found Wilson snuggled up in Zina's bed.  She was reading him a book and when I tried to break it up they both protested loudly saying,"But Mom I'm teaching Wilson how to read!"

I assured them we could continue in the morning.

(But I did feel a little bit bad to break up such a sweet moment)

I think we needed our girl's night.  I sure love my Zina.  

I love her energy, her goodness, her dancing, her giggles and even her bossiness :)

This, that & the Father's & Son's!

I always forget to take the pictures off of Mark's phone.  Here are a few cute ones from days past!

Midwestern Easter Party

I had to make this one big so you can tell that Sam is not screaming but in fact super happy!  So excited to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap.

And then he even leans in for some Easter Bunny love! 

I was super surprised.

Our Sam bones May 2011. 

This is such a fun age.  Sam is learning so many things and you can just tell that his comprehension grows every day.  Those synapses are spinning double time.  Every time someone says "good job" Sam starts to clap with a big grin on his face.  When he grins that big he scrunches his whole face up and it's really cute.  He loves to wave bye bye and night night and my favorite of all - he loves to give loves.  He is especially starting to love his daddy and when Mark gets home he will go straight to him and give the best hugs ever.  He is super snuggly and loves to bring me books to read.  Any time he hears music or singing he starts to dance.   Zina loves this because she too loves to dance.

Father's and Son's May 2011

I love that Mark gets just as excited for the Father's and Son's as Wilson does.  I don't think there is ANYTHING that could have stopped Mark from going on this campout.  I seriously think it is the epitome of fatherhood for him.  What could be better than a father's and son's campout?

noth'n. that's what.

I asked Wilson 3 or 4 times what he thought he should pack for his camping trip and everytime he would reply, "Marshmallows."  So Mark took him to the store to buy treats and they came home with a bag of jumbo marshmallows.

Wilson at the top of Mingus Mountain.  

Mark said that after they ate dinner Wilson announced that he was ready for bed.  He didn't want to stay up and play or eat peach cobbler.  He was just so excited to sleep in a tent that he couldn't wait any longer.  So that's what they did.  Went to bed.  Then Mark had to wake Wilson up the next morning before breakfast was all gone because he slept so late.  I guess camping agrees with him. :)

When they got home I asked Wilson what his favorite part of the trip was.  Without hesitation he replied, "Marshmallows." :)  

Then I asked him what his second favorite part of the trip was. 

"The little red twisty things"  (licorice).

Hiking? sort of. :)

A little bit.

of.

Wilson magic. :)

zonked.

Someone is happy they are home!  

Next year you can go too Sam. ;)

Love This.

For anyone with small children.  I LOVE this post.

"And it was so Beautiful"

It just really resonated with me. 

Have I mentioned I love being their mom?

One craft every 6 months?

It doesn't happen very often, but about every 6 months I get a crafting bug.  This time I made Kate an apron.  It was supposed to be for her birthday in March, but then Marilyn said she wanted one and that was supposed to be for Mother's Day and well, Mother's Day has come and gone and they are still sitting on my counter.  One of these days we will just send them as a surprise package in the mail.  Who doesn't  like getting suprise presents in the mail for no reason? :)

 Kate's reversible apron.  Zina picked out the fabric and I think she did a fantastic job!

 Marilyn's apron and a cute Sam bug.

Mother's Day

On mother's day I woke up at 7 because my little family came in calling me softly, "momma it's time for breakfast!"  The day before Zina had sneakily asked me what my favorite breakfast was by saying, "My favorite breakfast is such and such what's yours?"  I honestly thought nothing of it until the next morning when there it all was on the breakfast table!  What a lucky girl I am.  Mark had taken the kids to the grocery store with him the night before and Wilson had insisted on the yellow flowers (my favorite color - smart boy!).  Underneath the sign that Zina had made me was my favorite chocolate bar a cadbury fruit and nut.  Yay! I felt really special.  

Mark just started his surgery rotation and after breakfast had to go make rounds at the hospital.  So I got the kids ready for church and off we went.   It's always fun to go to church by myself because inevitably there is always someone who stops to tell me how amazing I am. "Church with 3 kids all by yourself?  We can't even handle our one and there is 2 of us!"  Well, just to set the record straight it's not me.  It's my kids.  They rock my world. 

Seriously, they did so good at church on Sunday. It always makes me so proud to be their mom.
It also helped to sit by the Bushman's and Brooke came to my rescue quite a bit. Thanks Brooke!  Mark made it to church for the 2nd and 3rd hours and when we got home he single handedly made THE most delicious roast dinner.  So good.  So so so good.

My boys working in the kitchen! (sort of)  I really love Wilson in his super hero cape riding the tricycle around the house. :)

And he did all the dishes all by himself while I took a nap. Pure gold this husband of mine. Pure gold!

It's hard work for the boys on Mother's Day.  They needed a nap too. :)