Happy Birthday Meleah!

Well, it's been a while since I've written and my reasons are two-fold.

1. I really enjoy being in a reclined position these days, especially if my kids are being good, and I can rest my eyes a little bit. I have yet to find a way to lay down, close my eyes, and blog at the same time, but when I do, my posts will be much more frequent.

2. I don't want my husband to see that I've written a new post and wonder why I'm too sick to clean the house and make him dinner, but not too sick to play on the computer.

However, I don't want all the people that I talked into blogging with me to think I've given up on it, so here goes.

Although I've been tired, grumpy, pukey, and lazy lately we still managed to celebrate my little Meleah's first Birthday. Now that she's officially one I feel a little less crazy for being pregnant right now, even though this is by far the closest gap I've had between my kids.

I generally do a delicious cake rather than a cute one for their first B-day since they don't remember it anyway. This year's choice...Strawberry yogurt cake. Thanks go out to Jana and Rachel for putting it together for me! As you can see, Meleah loved it.

Ben and Taryn were in town for Memorial Day so we got together with my side on Sunday and celebrated her Birthday a day early. Isn't it odd that Lydia's Birthday was on Easter this year and Meleah's was on Memorial Day? Anyway, the next day was her actual Birthday and we had Randall's parents come over. I even frosted a chocolate Costco muffin for her to blow out the candles again. Aren't I a nice Mom? Unfor

tunately, she reached for the flame this time, so I ended up looking like a crazy woman screaming and running to her on her Birthday video. My spastic behavior did save her from actually burning herself, however. Other than that, her Birthday celebrations went off without a hitch.

I honestly can't believe it's been a year since she was born. She

has been my smallest baby, even though she eats more

than my other two kids combined. She just seems too little to be one to me. I have truly loved getting to know her little energetic squinty nose personality. That probably sounds weird, but she loves to make this cute little squished up smiley face that looks exactly like a face I used to make when I was a baby. I'll have to have my Mom send a picture of me to show you. She's getting very close to walking and once she does I'm going to be in big trouble. She gets around fast enough as it is! I'm so excited to continue to watch her grow and celebrate many more Birthdays with her!

This is for you Holly!

What's the best thing you cooked last week?

I suppose I would have to say stir fry, even though it was not all that impressive. I didn't overcook the broccoli like I usually do, so that was good.

If time, money, and babysitting were no object, where would you go, and with who?

I would go to Hawaii with my husband. He would love to see the Pearl Harbor memorial from WWII, and I would love to hang out on the beach. It would be great to bring my kids with a babysitter because I know if I didn't bring them I'd be thinking the whole time that Carter would love to see that...or Lydia would love to taste that...etc, but I would definitely want some alone time with Randall. Ü I would also love to take my kids to Disneyland.

When was the last time you cried?

I'm kind of embarrassed to say, because I really don't cry that often, but it was just last week. Fortunately, since then I've discovered that I'm pregnant so I can blame my little outbreak on that. Besides, we all need to do what we have to do to get babied every now and then, right?

List 5 things you were doing 10 years ago:

This happened to be my favorite year of High School, Jr. Year, and I didn't write in a journal so my memories are not as detailed as Holly's, but here they are:

1. Preparing to go to Prom with Casey Randall, and being SO excited about it. Or possibly already having gone, and having had a great time other than forgetting to wear Mascara of all things, spilling a huge cup of RED slushee on my cream dress, and having my date's only dance be with some girl that was on Prom court with him because we had to race out and get to our show after the Prom announcements.

2. Hanging out with Ryan, Randy, Travis, Jason, Lindsey, and Leah and doing stupid things.

3. Hanging out with my friends from my grade and making videos (or was that sophomore year?), hiding walkee talkees behind pop machines to try to confuse strangers, hanging out at Lindsey's and eating all of their food (which I have since discovered must have been pretty expensive for Lindsey's poor parents), having sleepovers, four wheeling, and just having lots of fun.

4. Deciding I didn't like Casey anymore, until I heard that someone else did, so I would start liking him again...

5. Not being as involved with my family as I should have been, but still loving them all the same.

List 5 things you were doing 5 years ago:

1. Carter was a little over 2 months old and I was FINALLY feeling like I could possibly do this whole Mom thing (even though he didn't sleep for more than 2 hours at a time).

2. Living in my in-laws basement apartment which was actually really fun.

3. Being super excited that Lindsey and Julia were getting married in a couple of months and hoping they would be having babies soon so that I could talk with them about poop and spit up.

4. LOVING being a wife and Mommy.

5. Going through cookbooks and making things like home-made rolls and calzones for dinner that my husband still requests to this day. Unfortunately for him, they've been replaced by instant rice and rotisserie chicken that I picked up from the store on the way home from some errand.

List 5 things you were doing 1 year ago:

1. Getting so excited to have a new baby in the next couple of weeks.

2. Stressing out about having a new baby in the next couple of weeks.
3. Having our driveway replaced and making plans for our fence.

4. Trying to figure out how we're going to pay for our driveway and fence.
5. Feeling guilty that I couldn't do a lot of Lydia's physical therapy exercises because I was the size of a whale.

6. Loving being a wife and Mommy.

List 7 of your favorite hobbies:
I know they're looking for things like playing tennis, or collecting rocks or something, but I don't like any of those things, so here are my hobbies -
1. Eating

2. Cooking in a clean kitchen, and having someone else clean up the mess I make.

3. Scrapbooking

4. Blogging
5. Reading
6. Doing Variety Puzzle books

7. Playing games that don't require a ton of thought or energy.

Name 5 of your favorite foods:
1. Any fruit excluding all melons but watermelon. All fruits have to be the perfect texture in order to be on my favorite foods list. No mushy warm apples, gritty pears, dry oranges, etc. are allowed. I especially like strawberries, raspberries, and perfectly ripe and cold watermelon.
2. Grandpa Jensen or Bob's mashed potatoes with either Bob's fried chicken or Grandpa's marinated turkey. Grandpa's creamed potatoes and peas are also acceptable.

3. Chicken madiera at the Cheesecake factory.
4. Chicken alfredo at the Olive Garden.

5. Lettuce wraps and almond cashew chicken at PF Changs.

Why didn't they give us 7 Favorites for this one instead of the hobbies category? I could have thought of 7 Favorite foods A LOT easier than hobbies.

Name 5 places that you have been:

This is really sad, but here they are -

1. Southern Nevada

2. Utah

3. Tiajuana

4. Southern California

5. Billings Montana/Yellowstone

List 5 of your favorite memories:

1. My wedding day.

2 My children's births (yes, even Lydia's C-section and Meleah's natural delivery).
3. High School - what I realize now was a very care-free time even though I thought I was stressed.

4. College - after I came home from SUU and was working at Safekey with all my friends, and spending hours and hours in a hot tub at Julia's house.

5. Dating Randall. I still have to bring out his old e-mails occasionally to reminisce about how sweet he was to me. Ü

6. I have to add another one and say that although I complain, I have totally LOVED these last five years watching my children grow and laughing at the things they say and do (which totally overshadow the times when I'm screaming and crying about the things they say and do).

I'm tagging Cari, Laura, Tara, Steve & Jess, Taryn & Ben, Jana, Rachel, Mom & Dad, Mindy, Heather, Erica, and anyone else that hasn't done this yet.

Baby on the way!

Those of you that read my blog should feel so special because you are the first to hear that little Stewart #4 is officially on the way. We are very excited, and frankly a little scared, to be bringing yet another baby into the world. I'm six weeks along so the fun part (morning sickness) has just begun. Week seventeen can't come fast enough for me! We are so blessed to be able to have a large family, and I hope I can remember that in the months and years to come!

Happy Birthday Randall!

I just have to write a quick post to say Happy Birthday to my baby! He's turning 29 tomorrow, which is totally crazy! We're getting so old! We're going to go to Ruth's Chris steakhouse (is that how you spell it?), because according to Glenn Beck...it's the best. It better be good because from what I've heard, it's pretty pricey. It's worth it for my honey, of course. I love you Randall, and I hope you have a fabulous Birthday!