10 YEARS!

My sis-in-law Taryn did a blog post on the past decade and it made me start thinking about all that's happened to us in the year two-thousand...in the year two thou-sand!  (If you watch Conan, I meant for that to be said in the creepy sing-song voice he used to do for that segment.  If you don't watch Conan, you'll have no idea what I'm talking about.)

1999

I graduated from Basic High School and cried my eyes out after my Mom dropped me off at SUU.  Randall was serving his mission in Oregon and cried his eyes out every time his Mom wrote him a letter.  :)

 

 

 

2000

I dropped out of SUU and started working at the Safekey office and attending CCSN and UNLV.  Randall came home from his mission and worked for the family embroidery business while he searched for the woman of his dreams.

2001

I continued to go to college and work for Safekey along with becoming a substitute teacher.  Oh yeah, and I met and fell in love with a super-hot guy and got engaged to him during Thanksgiving weekend.  Randall met the woman of his dreams at a wedding reception for one of his former companions, (even though he didn't remember her because he was on a date with some other chick) and later his companion set them up on a blind date.  He too fell hopelessly in love and became engaged Thanksgiving weekend. 

2002

I moved to Utah and we got married on April 20th.  We discovered that we were expecting our first child on our two month anniversary.  (Go ahead and laugh.)  After that my memories are somewhat blurred, but I have glimpses of me dozing on the couch while holding a puke-bucket and also laying on the bathroom floor enjoying the nice cool feeling of the tile on my cheek.  Fortunately I was laid off the day after I found out I was pregnant, and have been blissfully unemployed ever since.  (I honestly have so much respect for women who work while they're pregnant.  How do you do it?!) We also moved out of our basement apartment in West Jordan and into Randall's parent's basement apartment in Pleasant Grove. 

2003

We welcomed our son Carter to the world on February 25th, and moved into our home in Eagle Mountain at the end of August.

 

2004

Randall was still working for Sew What Embroidery and we found out that we were going to have a little baby girl with spina bifida. Ben, Taryn, and Stryder lived with us for a couple of months, and after they moved out Randall's parents moved in.

 

 

2005

On March 23rd our sweet Lyddies was born.  It was so nice to have my in-laws living with us to help out during a pretty stressful time.  I will never forget how loved we felt throughout this entire experience thanks to all of our amazing family members and friends. 

 

2006

We found out that Carter and Lydia were going to have a sister even though the pregnancy was exactly like Carter's and she was such an active little thing.  We didn't care if it was a boy or girl, I just thought I had a "mother's intuition" or whatever they call it.  Apparently mine's broken along with half the stuff in my house.  

 

2007

Randall's parents moved into their new house, and Meleah Susanne was born on May 26th in our home...without the use of drugs.  (Go ahead and laugh.)  I did a preschool trade-off with some of the ladies in my ward for Carter that was actually pretty fun.  Especially on the weeks that it wasn't my turn to teach.  ;)

2008

Randall and Carter started school on the same day, Randall to Physical Therapy Assisting school at Provo College and Carter to Kindergarten at Eagle Valley Elementary.  Lydia switched from Kids On The Move (an early intervention program that we'd been working with since she was born), to the school district.  This picture is Lydia with one of her KOTM teachers, Aubrey, on her last visit.  We also discovered that we were going to have another boy, a little bit earlier than planned...

2009

Cameron Michael was born on January 7th.  We downsized the business, rented out our house, and moved in with Randall's parents (apparently we just can't stand to live apart from each other).  Randall finished all of his book-learnin' classes and his first clinical.  Who's idea was it to have students work full-time for free (making it nearly impossible for them to have a job) in order to graduate?

So basically, a TON of stuff has happened in the last ten years.  Randall always makes fun of me because when he started talking about marriage I may have mentioned something about still feeling like a little girl and not really feeling old enough to get married.  The crazy thing is...I still feel a little on the immature side and I don't really understand how I can have been through so much and not have grown up yet!  :)  It's been an amazing ten years and I am so incredibly blessed.  Here's to hoping the next ten years are as full of laughter as the last ten, and perhaps a couple fewer pregnancies and a little less stress?!

Happy Holidays!

Time has flown by and somehow the holidays are already over.  We spent Thanksgiving in Las Vegas and had our Christmas party that same weekend while we were all together.  Unfortunately almost all of us got the stomach flu during the week.  Luckily it was a pretty quick recovery and my sisters and I were all able to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving together.  December went by in a flash and before I knew it we were celebrating Christmas Eve over at Laura's house (which I still call Grandpa's house when I'm not thinking).  It was fun to carry on some of the same traditions that we've always done, even though it sometimes seems to accentuate the fact that Grandpa is no longer with us.  On Christmas Day we opened presents, played with our new toys and games, then had the Stewart family gathering.  Everyone was able to come and it was so much fun to see all the cousins playing together.  The Saturday and Sunday after Christmas we went back to Laura's house to hang out with my Mom and Dad while they were here.  Last but not least, we celebrated New Year's at Laura's and once again there was lots of playing, eating, and chatting.  I'm feeling pretty bummed that the holidays are over, but fortunately I had Cameron 8 days late last year so I still have his Birthday to look forward to on the 7th.  After that, let the January blues begin...

Some of the kids hanging out at my Mom's house.  This is actually a picture from September, but since I didn't remember to take any pictures over Thanksgiving (I was too busy puking!), I'm putting this in to represent that time.  We also hung out with Lindsey and her family before we realized that we were exposing them to the plague.  Fortunately I don't think they ever came down with it.  (Right, Linz?)

 

 

 

My kids like this freezing cold weather A LOT more than I do.  I'm a Vegas girl at heart, and I have an especially hard time staying warm during the rare occasions that I'm not pregnant. 

I asked Carter what his favorite gift was and he gave the politically correct answer "Everything."  He has played the most with his Didj, Nerf guns, bakugans, and Hooked on Phonics workbook so far.

Lydia's favorite gift was her Barbie "Pambelina" (Thumbelina).  She also really loves her jewelry box and jewelry and her pink Leapster.

Meleah was the fastest unwrapper of everyone.  She just kept saying "I need nother one."  I don't think she even realized what she'd been given until all her presents were opened and she took the time to actually look at them.  She has really loved her Barbie with a bike, her ABC's baby, and her jewelry/jewelry box.

 

Cameron was really not all that excited about his gifts.  He would just tear off a piece of paper then continue to tear that piece into tiny little pieces, not even bothering to look at what he was unwrapping.  He has since fallen in love with his Mickey mouse music set (especially the drum and the maracas), and his ball popper.  My favorite gift he received was his new booster seat that he can't get out of and is super easy to clean. 

 

Cameron kept stealing the clementines Grandma and Grandpa Stewart gave to everyone and eating them before they were peeled.  I thought he would learn after the first bite, but he just kept going for them.

I didn't take very many pictures at all the gatherings held at Laura's but here's a picture of my Dad and Randall chillin' on the couch.

 

Looks like I got a little carried away when I was wrapping...

Lyddies

This is Lydia's school picture for this year, and I was a little bit annoyed surprised to see that they took off her cute little white sweater that goes with the dress.  While voicing my disappointment to my husband I heard Lydia's little sweet voice behind me say "I told them to take it off Mom...am I still pretty?"  Of course she is!  I sometimes forget how grown up my kids are and how much they understand.  Lydia has been going to preschool Tuesday through Friday this year, and totally LOVES it.  She still loves to ask questions and is constantly asking me what day it is tomorrow, what day is after Saturday, and what she's doing on Thursday.  Most of the time she already knows the answer (since she'd just asked the same question five minutes earlier), but I think she just likes to have a conversation with me and can't think of anything else to say.  She also finds it hilarious to say "huh?" or "what?" after I tell her something even though she totally heard what I said. I generally don't share her amusement in that particular situation.  She's getting much faster with her walker, and just beams with pride when someone pays her a compliment (which is admittedly quite frequent).  She loves to boss around play with Meleah and occasionally even receives the great honor of playing with Carter.  (Only if he's REALLY bored.)  She loves to be a big helper and do things all by herself (although not quite as bull-headed about it as her little sister). 

Favorite Food:  Squiggly Noodles (I know they're nutritionally void, but I ALWAYS put peas in them alright!)

Favorite Movie:  Sleeping Beauty

Favorite Friend:  Everybody 

Favorite Boyfriend:  Carter AND London AND Wyatt

Favorite Color:  pink AND purple

Favorite TV Show:  Max and Ruby

Favorite Book:  Glow in the Dark Firefly 
Favorite Hairstyle:  Sleeping Beauty (down with lots of curls)

Favorite Toy:  Barbies

Favorite Parent: Mom   Just kidding!  I didn't really ask her that...even though I think I know what her answer would be.  :)

What do you want to be when you grow up?   a doctor and a mommy and a teacher

Favorite Phrases

"I'll be waiting, that's what I really want..." sung to the melody of Taylor Swift's Love Story along with a variety of other Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus songs.

"I had a cupcake at school tomorrow."  I could easily correct her confusion about yesterday and tomorrow, but I think it's cute, so I'm not going to.  I know, I know, I'm a bad mom.

"It's really freakin' me out Dad!"  She said this about the water draining out of the tub while she was still in it.  She has since overcome her fear of going down the drain. 

"Hi Dad!  I'm singing REALLY loud!"  This was yelled across the chapel during the Primary program last week.

"You fed a baby chili?!"

Technically it's chili MAC...

Halloween '09

We had TONS of fun this Halloween.  Here are some dark/blurry pictures of all the festivities - (my camera is in great danger of being replaced at the after-Thanksgiving sale if it doesn't get it's act together ASAP!)