WOO-HOO!!!

So. I never, ever win things. But last night I took my kids to Jakob's elementary school Family Fun Night, and entered to win a massage package at this place.

And totally WON!

It's called The Best Mom on Earth package. It includes a Chocolate Essence Massage (no way of telling just yet if I will be eating the chocolate or getting it rubbed on me), a facial, a chocolate manicure, and a hair style. Oh, and brunch.

Say it with me: Freaking SWEET!

Seriously, it's better than the lottery. I go in on May 15.

Can't wait!!!

Ultimate Self-Confidence

Tonight, while putting a crying Troy into bed:
Nat: Troy, you're tired.
Troy (through tears): No, I'm not. *sob* I'm just awesome.

Bittersweet

This is the last can of formula I will ever buy. It's kind of a milestone, in a way. And it makes me kind of happy, but kind of nostalgic in a way.
Happy, because I'm leaving the baby phase. Nostalgic, because I'm leaving the baby phase.
I can't wait until Ivy is walking, and talking. No more carriers, no more diapers (some day), no more hungry newborn cries during the night. No more bottles, no more pregnancy. No more high chair soon. I don't have to try and hold a struggling baby on my lap during three hours of church. She'll be able to feed herself, and tell me things, and climb the stairs. Her little personality will keep blooming. And then she'll be a toddler, and then a kid, just like her brothers. I can't wait to see what kind of people my four wonders will become.
But.
There's nothing like feeling that little body wiggle around in your tummy during pregnancy. There's nothing so miraculous as birth. Holding a newborn and smelling their sweet scent at 2 a.m. is irreplaceable. I'll miss cuddling with a baby. And even now, my boys still love to cuddle with me, but someday they'll grow out of that, where kisses from Mom will be oh so gross, and can she be any more embarrassing?
I hope that I'll be able to strike the right kind of balance. That even on the days where my kids are driving me crazy, I can appreciate that the woes come from them eating the entire banana bunch in one day instead of it being over a totaled car. That on the days where my kids are so sweet and good and try their very best, I can appreciate that the joys are from them learning and living and growing instead of from the sweet newborn straight-from-heaven moments. I hope that I can enjoy it all, and then remember the good in every stage of their lives, and cherish every minute, even the crazy minutes. And I hope that time doesn't rush away, or go too slow, but that time becomes the timeless moments.
Moments like these.

The boys watching Mythbusters while all cuddled around Pete.


Me tickling Ivy.


(If you can't tell what I was videotaping, Ivy is growling. She's been our only growler, and it's so funny!)

Stick a Freaking Fork in Me...

...I'm DONE!!

I finished spring cleaning my entire house!

{ much applause and cheering }

About five days ago I didn't want to see my bucket of soapy water ever again. The whole process was like working out to the advanced Taebo tape: how you hate it a lot a lot in the middle of it, but after you're done, and you're sitting on the couch all out of breath and sweaty, you're glad you did it. And seriously, I'm sore today, because it was like I worked out every day for at least an hour for the last two weeks (yesterday was like 7 hours), getting up and down off of counters and stools and chairs, and pulling stuff out and putting it back.

I was surprised by how many cobwebs were in the corners that I couldn't see until I got up near the ceilings.

I was surprised by how much dirt I dumped out in the soapy water, just from wiping my walls.

I was surprised by how much stuff I found to D.I. or to dump, especially since I'm such a minimalist. But when things are all hidden away, you don't have to think about them or face the "do I use it?" questions.

I am not surprised by the calm I feel now, even though I have the hugest pile of laundry to fold since it's been ignored for the better part of a week. But that's kind of part of my routine anyway.

I'm also not surprised by the new list of things that I want to do: the projects (recaulking, repainting, etc.), the other cleaning (like the garage, the storage room, etc.), and the organizational stuff (scanning Pete's mission pics, updating my address book, etc.).

But anyway, here are a few more before and after shots. The difference in some of the areas may not be as obvious by looking at them, but the feeling is so different!

The pantry before (somewhat chaotic), then after (glass jars moved away from Ivy's grasping level, and stuff clumped together a little better):

The "office" before (so dusty and cluttery!):


The "office" after (I breathe better just looking at it!):


My medicine cabinet before (the whole half-used bottles thing):


Medicine cabinet after (so pretty!):


Under my bathroom sink before (not organized):


Under the sink after (so easy to find stuff!):


So if any of you have the desire to spring clean, I guarantee that even if you do just one room, you'll feel so good! Oh, and Mary has extended her deadline to two weeks from today, so if you still want to participate through her blog then join in! She's having giveaways and a girl's night out and all sorts of stuff. And hey, even if I don't win anything, I still have a clean house! YAY!

And now, when I go to do the normal cleaning in my house, it will be so easy peasy lemon squeezy compared to what I've just done.

Thrilled Chills

EEEEEEEE!!!! I can't wait!

But, after watching this, I realized I so need to read the books again!

My Dirty Little Secret

I'm kind of sort of definitely maybe an extreme minimalist. I love things to be simple, and clean, and organized, and I hate having stuff around. That's what I love, but that's so not my reality. So when someone sent me a link to a blog called Organization for Real Life, my heart leaped for joy at having a soul sister out there. This chick, Mary, is having a blog kickoff with spring cleaning, which was desperately needed at my house. I'm in the midst of the cleaning; the start date was April 2 and the finish date is April 22.

Here's the list. I added a few things to it, like projects that I've been putting off. I'm not following her order exactly, which is why I printed it off.


I started with kind of an easy area: my downstairs hallway and linen closet (that doesn't actually hold linens). Yeah, that hallway is all of about 2 feet long. But it was good to start there, because it didn't take me very long, so I felt like I accomplished something and it gave me a good-feeling jump start. It also forced me to face the closet that I just kind of throw random things into, and got me to change my burned-out hall light bulb.

So here's the before shot:


And here's the after shot. I know it doesn't look like much changed, but Mary talks about keeping zones pure, where the same types of things are all bunched together. So now this "linen" closet is my crafty closet.


And since I had some of those crafty things in my laundry room cabinets, I moved them around and all together, and purged a few things that I knew I didn't need or use.

So here is my laundry room cabinets before shot:


And here's the after shot. Again, moved some stuff, condensed others, and I ended up moving the games from the upstairs closet to down in here.


I also did my upstairs coat closet. Here's the before:


And here are the guts. It really surprised me, seeing all the stuff pulled out and into a different area. I couldn't believe that my coat closet contents filled my living room. That's one thing they do on Clean Sweep, is pull everything out onto their lawn. It helps you look at the individual items, and really see and scrutinize each item before putting it back.


And here's the coat closet after shot. It also gave me a chance to put away the snow pants, which I hope doesn't curse us with more snow. One would think that the chances of needing snow pants in April are nil, but this is Idaho, my friends. (I haven't, however, put away the snow coats. Just in case.)


I've also found projects along the way, which is a very good thing. Like changing the belt in my vacuum, which had melted onto the brush part, which will work for now but definitely needs to be replaced. Vacuums work a lot better with new belts, in case you didn't know that, or were confused by that slight rubber burning smell.


Oh, and I totally want to repaint some areas, like the closets that were badly done. Or the stairwell, after I repair all the dings from the toys that get thrown down the stairs by the kids wanting to see some physics. But that will have to wait-I still have a bunch of rooms to clean.

So even though I got started a little late (I didn't start until the 8th), it will still be so nice to get everything deep cleaned and organized. Wish me luck, and good luck to all those that are taking on the challenge as well!

Hurt Feelings

Our ward had a talent show on Tuesday. So, because Pete and I are sooo talented, we signed up to sing a song by Flight of the Conchords, "Hurt Feelings". My amazingly talented sister (but she has actual talent) Lex, and her amazingly talented friend Mark (him too) recorded the song for us, so that it was kind of like us doing karaoke, except fancier. I don't know how it's fancier, but it IS.

In case you didn't get to see it the first time around, it's your lucky day, because my sister recorded it for us. Or if you did get to see it the first time, and are dying to watch it again, here it is, for your viewing pleasure. (Oh, and I totally know I'm a nerd. It just goes without saying, really.)

So without further ado...

Daddy-O

Last Friday we didn't go out of town, but we DID get to celebrate my dad's 55th birthday. We ate out at yummy Smitty's Pancake House, then had cake and ice cream at my parent's house.

He had been fighting a cold for a while, so I got him some cough medicine, just as he was getting over it. I'm thoughtful and timely like that.

The manly MEN also had a blowing-the-candles-out contest, which I think we've made my dad do every year (where you see how far back you can stand and get the candles out). Manly Jake and Dylan tried as well.


It kind of reminds me of this:


Basically, my dad's is the best Dad out there. End of story.

Wishes

We pray that you'll have a good conference weekend...

Troy's prayer face

...we hope it's full of creativity and productivity, especially if you're up for a challenge...

Jake's lego robot and fake smile

...we hope that you're smiles will be long and your tears short...

cute little Ivy

...and that you'll get a little crazy along the way!

Silly Brocky

Have a great weekend!

My Excuse

I totally stole this picture, because I'm too lazy to go take one myself. But this, my friends, is what it looks like outside our house at the moment, with more white glory coming down as I type. *sigh*

It's the stuff that's keeping us from traveling down to Utah this weekend. We were supposed to visit a friend that's moving, a friend getting married today, and lots of family. But alas, we'll have to postpone the trip for later, like when we wouldn't be risking our lives sliding around on the freeway.

I'll miss seeing you, Steph and Linds!