Deets

A lot of people have asked me about our situation--Kenny's job/moving/etc. I realize I have not been very clear about the whole thing. So here's some details...

Kenny works for URS, and he got hired on in Houston, Texas. That is what we call our "home office". After moving to Houston and him working there for 3 months, we got transfered temporarily out here on a project. They were upgrading a huge refinery in Wood River, IL. Kenny is part of project controls, and mainly did scheduling, and cost stuff. We knew it would be temporary when we moved out here, they told us 18 months. Then as we were here, they said we would be leaving at the end of August. Then it got pushed back to September, then December. For a while I was really stressed that we would be moving the same month that I was having a baby. I wasn't thrilled about it, especially knowing how this company works sooo last minute. Anyway, then they extended us out to May 2011, and then finally pushed it back up to April. And now we are leaving. We have been waiting to hear the next project we could go on. There was one in Idaho Falls that was supposed to happen, and we both got our hearts set on it so much, thrilled at the thought of living by family again. But they postponed that for another year, and they currently don't have anywhere to place him. So on Friday, the 29th, we are headed back to Houston. We are going to stay with my parents for a couple weeks until we have a better idea of how long we will be there. We may quickly get sent out somewhere else, or stay in Houston for a while. We shall see. It is very unpredictable, and causes me a lot of stress. But we are very grateful to have a job, a great job at that.

I need to be clear, it's not the moving around that I mind. In fact I love moving. My whole growing up was spent moving around all over the world, so I think that's why I get a little restless when I'm somewhere for too long. I love the change, and the fresh start. Meeting new people, learning new things, seeing new places and gaining new experiences. It's really fun. It is always sad to say goodbye to friends, but the most important people are coming with me and living under my same roof, so that's all that matters. I just wish we had more of a head's up. SO that's what's going on.

Things from this past week: We are having some insane weather. It will be hailing in the morning, 80's in the afternoon (see pictures below) and then hailing/thunderstorms/massive winds/tornadoes again at night. The other night we went outside to watch the storm roll in, and saw all of our neighbors out doing the same. Seriously those were the greenest clouds I'd ever seen. It was amazing and daunting, and beautiful. Nature will never be in our control, and it's humbling to think about and watch it in action.

I took the kids to the zoo on Thursday. I was feeling very brave. We went first thing when it opened so that we could get in the children's part with a petting zoo, etc. for free, and ride the carousel for free. But it was still really cold, so it wasn't as much fun as it could've been. But we did have a good time. And it didn't cost a cent since I parked down the road and walked up. We got some lunch and tried to have a picnic at Forest Park, but the kids were shivering a lot so we finished our meals in the car and went home.

Friday night we went over to the Ryan's home. The young men in the ward were throwing a little good-bye party for Kenny. They are such cute boys, and Kenny has had such a blast working with them. He'll really miss that calling, and those boys.

This morning I got up early and went running outside. I haven't done that in a loooong time, and it felt so so good. It was warm enough, and sprinkling a little, and I loved it. A lot of times when I run, I don't always have the right attidue about it. I can't stop thinking about the weight I still need to lose, and how my body isn't what I'd like it to be, etc. But this morning I just felt so grateful that I have a healthy body that allows me to get out and run like that, and I just want to take care of it and show respect for that incredible blessing. I want to feel like that more often, it is a much more positive experience.

Kenny went and picked up the U-Haul today. I've been packing for a while and we loaded up a lot, including the couches (I'm so buff) and made some good progress. Moving is just a lot of work and there's no other way around it. Well this has turned into quite the novel so I'll be going to bed now.

Words of Joy

Experience #1:

Last night I was helping Tyler get his shirt right side out so he could put his pajamas on. Out of the blue he says, "I love you cause you're the best Mom ever".

"Oh thanks Ty! I love you too! How come I'm the best mom?"

"Because you give me hugs, and make me good food... you just do all the right things!"

And off he ran to play some more.

A lot of people say that parenting is a thankless job, and usually I agree. But not with my sweet Tyler around. That was a "parent pay day" right there.

Experience #2:

First I need to preface this by saying that every single time I go out in public with the kids I get at least one comment from a stranger. It is getting annoying.

Wow! You sure got your hands full!

I can see they keep you busy!

Looks like you got a lot of little helpers!

And my personal favorite: Are they yours? You look too young to have kids, especially three! (My age is probably my my least favorite and most embarrassing topic ever. I would much rather they asked me how much I weigh, or some other personal info. but please, not my age.)

When you have one, or even two children, folks will comment on the baby itself or maybe even the cute quilt or something. But I have discovered that with three, they no longer see the kids themselves, just the situation, if that makes sense. They notice the number of people and level of busyness, not what color their eyes are or if they have on a cute outfit.

So today we were at super wal-mart and got stuck in a long line (they were all long lines). We had been waiting a while, and the kids were getting really impatient. Candy, magazines, and toys started coming off the shelves faster than I could put them back on. Madi was starting to scream (she has some good lungs when she chooses to use them), and I was anxious to get out of there. There was a lady behind us and she started talking to the little boy in her shopping cart (I assumed it was her grandson because she looked a little old to have a boy so young but I didn't dare ask) and saying, isn't that a cute baby? What do you think she's trying to say? It caught me off guard. She was so calm and sincere, not annoyed in the least at the scene before her. She started talking to Tyler about what a good helper he must be at home, and she could see that in him. Seriously this woman was heaven-sent. Then she says to me, "All of your children have such beautiful faces." I wanted to cry and hug her. She made my day.

It taught me a good lesson. I hope I can look at others better too, when I'm out in public. Really look at people, and see them for who they are, not the disruption they might be causing in the grocery store.

Highlights and Funnies

My 3 little helpers making almond poppy seed bread with me

A few more highlights from this week: Thursday I had my LAST presidency meeting with these wonderful women. We had very little business, but brought a lunch at the park and had fun. It's been a lot of fun working with them and learning from them. That night, Kenny went out to eat (on the company!!) with everyone else in their division. The project is ending here in the next 2 months so they're tapering off the employees pretty quickly. Apparently it was a pretty nice restaurant, and they had a good time. Saturday morning I got to go listen to Stephanie Nielsen (nie nie) speak. Her parents are the mission presidents here for the St. Louis mission so that's why she came here. It was a really neat experience. She's just an amazing woman, and very inspirational. I cried a lot, as did everyone else. After she spoke, they opened it up for a Q and A and it was fun to get to know her better. To just hear her talk as she normally would, not reading from a paper. After 2 hours I left even though they were still going, but it was great. I went shopping at the mall that was right there to take care of some exchanges for kids clothes, and look for an outfit for myself. It is much easeir to shop alone, than with 3 little crazies. But I always miss them when I'm away!! That night we went over to the Borden's in our ward for dinner. I made dinner, and it was supposed to be something I dropped off to them. But he is a very persistent man and insisted that we stay and eat dinner with them. They're an older couple, with his mom living with them, so it was interesting. But fun to get to know them better. Funnies: Tyler made up the term "boom-kick". He got the game Yahtzee Jr. for his birthday, and we honestly play every single day, at least once, but usually between 3-5 times. He LOVES it. This week he came up with a boom-kick, which is when you get a yahtzee in one roll. Bryn's new favorite phrase is "I can't bewieve it mom". It's always over the most random things. For example she's chasing butterflies and when they get away she says, I can't bewieve it mom. Or she'll be wearing a dish towel on her head and come over to me in all seriousness..."I can't bewieve it mom". Kenny has had the opportunity twice now to feed Madi her cereal/baby food. He is always trying to come up with a different way of doing things. He wasn't liking how she spit out 3/4 of the food with each bite. So he fed her with a syringe medicine dropper thingy. I laughed so hard. Good thing I'm here or our kids would never learn how to eat properly from utensils! :)

***Will somebody tell me how to keep my paragraphs when I post?! This is so annoying.

There Was a Little Girl

There was a little girl,

And she had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good

She was very, very good,

And when she was bad she was horrid.

(The beginning of a poem in our book "The Children's Book of Virtues" and couldn't pass up the opportunity to quote it with this cute picture)

There should be a name for this

You know when you're engaged to be married, and you are really happy and everything is blissful and sweet. Then your wedding date starts to approach and as it gets closer and closer, you're still really happy but you start to just get really impatient? It starts to really bother you that you have to say goodnight and leave your significant other at all. You still love being engaged, but you know that your life is about to be like a thousand times better, and it just gets annoying that time won't speed up!! Or when you're in college and you're at the end of the semester and you've loved your classes the whole time, but you are just so anxious for them to end, just because they're about to...(that example's for you Cami and La) I'm in that phase right now, but with my house. We have loved this house and have been so grateful that we found it, and at such a great price. But it's certainly not perfect, and the closer we get to moving, the more impatient I am with it's problems. For example, spring time=the return of spiders and ants. Every time I see one I just think "2 more weeks!!" And it's like that for all the little things that I've just lived with, and would go on accepting, if it weren't for the fact that we're moving. I know (or at least really really hope) that the next house we live in will be that much better, so it's getting hard to wait it out.

Mon. and Tues.

On Monday, Madison had her 4-month check up. This girl is a tank. She weighed 18 pounds 1/2 oz. (99th %) and was 26 1/2 inches long (97th %). Head was 16 3/4in. (90th %). I had started giving her cereal the past week because she was just hungry all the time, but I was afraid to over-feed her because she was already so big, but she was really fussy a lot because she was always hungry! Our doc said to start her on veggies, then fruits, once a day at lunch, then give her cereal for dinner as well. Madi was smiling and "talking" to her a lot. I told her that Madi liked her so much cuz she's giving me permission to feed her like she wants! haha. The ankle rolls and triple chin aren't going to be so cute when she's like 17, but for now it is so adorable! We can't get enough of our big girl. For FHE that night we went to the church and played basketball and soccer. I love playing one-on-one with Kenny. I love basketball so much, and I love him so much, so what could be better than combining the two?! Then we stopped for ice cream on the way home and it was just so fun to be together. Tyler is pretty obsessed with soccer right now, and I love it. He wants to play all the time (although by watching him in his games, you wouldn't suspect it! lol) Yesterday I took the kids to our playgroup we do once a month. It was our last time to go! They enjoyed playing with their friends on the playground, and decorating Easter bags for the Easter egg hunt. It was funny to watch Bryn discover the fact that there's stuff inside the Easter eggs--always an exciting moment. Ty also had another soccer game last night. It's like one hour of pure entertainment for all the parents on the sidelines. I love it. Kenny met us from work there, then we switched cars afterwards. He took the kids home and I went to recipe club, which was fun to eat and chat with other women. I left a little early and went shopping for Easter outfits/family pictures. Of course, I found something for everyone but me. That always happens. I hate shopping for myself, it never works. (Sorry this is all one paragraph. Blogger is being dumb and keeps ruining it.)

Weekend Fun

On Friday night we went over to Jared and Terra Reed's house for a fun get together. There were several other families there (Pearsons, Lindsays, Porter kids, Ryans, and Davis'). We threw hot dogs on the grill, and some roasted them over the fire. The kids ran around and had a crazy-good time, while the adults enjoyed talking. My kind of night. The weather was perfect, too. Here's a cute shot of Tyler with one of his best buddies, Jacob. I looked around at everyone that night and felt a little sad. I'm really going to miss the wonderful friends we've made here. We love them all so much, and have felt so much love from them, too.

We've had some crazy thunderstorms during the nights and Friday and Sat. a.m. I took the kids on walks for the sole purpose of finding puddles to splash in. We have pretty crappy roads in this neighborhood, and no sidewalks, so it made it easy. Saturday I brought my camera, and I'm so glad I did. They had a blast. First there were only little puddles...

Then medium-sized puddles...

Then a very large puddle where Madi and I sat watching them for over 10 minutes in just this one place. They were completely soaked by the end, and they loved every bit of it.

I think I know why these are called galoshes. That's totally the sound they make when they're full of water. It was funny listening to the squishy galosh sound with each step they took on the way home. When they sat down to take them off, it was like in the cartoons when all the water comes pouring out of them haha.

Kenny got to go paintballing with some guys from work that afternoon. Although he came home with welts all over his back, he had the time of his life!

Time Flew

2 years ago this month, we moved here to Illinois. This is a picture of Brynlee, about a month after we moved here.

2 years later, Madi is about her size (plus several pounds...)

And Tyler... he was Brynlee's size

Now look at them.

My how time flies.

As of late

Things are going well around here in the Weston household. Last week Madison got her first two teeth! Naturally, she's been more fussy and cranky than her usual content self, but she has a dang good excuse. Poor babies and teething--no fun for anyone. But they have come up now and are nice and sharp. Conference was fantastic! Seriously one of my most favorite weekends of the year. I am most grateful that we can read and listen to them later though, because I don't get to pay attention nearly as well as I used to during the actual sessions.

I bought myself these tulips to cheer up the cold, cloudy days we were having last week. But the sun is out now, and it is beautiful. The blossoms on our tree are coming out, and we've been spending more and more time outdoors. All my windows are open and it feels SO good!! Oh this has been one long, awful winter. I guess that makes the spring all the sweeter huh?

I love Tyler and Brynlee, and I love the relationship that they have. They are the best of friends, and it makes me so happy. They do everything together, and get along the majority of the time.

(Above: watching bunnies in our yard. Below: sharing a gatorade with straws.)

I've decided that if I had to sum up my day to day life in one word, it would be tricky. It's not impossibly hard, or depressing, or overwhelming, just tricky. Everything I do involves 3 little ones, and that naturally makes things tricky. Keeping the house clean, yard work, preschool, packing, running errands, working out, keeping them all happy, etc. it's all just a little tricky. But I enjoy the challenge and trying to figure it out each day.

We will be gone in 24 days, and still don't know where we're headed...I'm dying here!!

Out with the old, in with the new-er

When we were engaged we started shopping around for a car. We were definitely going to need one, as we were planning on going to install security systems for the summer (thank goodness we didn't end up doing that...). So one night we drove down to Pocatello to look at some cars at a dealership that Kenny's dad had recommended. Kenny had been talking to his dad about it because his dad buys and sells cars like some people go through underwear. So anyway we spent a little while looking around, and there was a salesman showing us around the lot and helping us look in our "price range". Those cars were pretty crappy, to be honest. We were so broke. After a while of this, we were both feeling kind of discouraged and wondering how we were going to get a car that would last us, or even get us where we needed to be. Then as we were about to leave he took us around to the front of the dealership and we were thanking him for his time. He gestured to this gorgeous white car, a '99 Pontiac Grand AM GT and said, "what would you think about this car?" We both laughed and said, oh yeah that would be great! Maybe in the next life! And he said, what if I told you it was yours? And it took us a minute to get that he was totally serious, and he hands Kenny the keys and told us what happened. Kenny's dad had already bought us the car and totally surprised us with it!!! What an incredible gift! We have never forgotten that and were always SO grateful. We were so elated as we drove it around that night, and couldn't believe what had just happened! That car has lasted us the last 5 years, and has been so great.

(These pictures were taken by the dealership for us--isn't that nice?)

Unfortunately, that car was wearing out on us. It was having all sorts of problems, and overheating like crazy. Kenny would have to fill it up with a lot of water before he left, and couldn't go for more than 25 minutes before it overheated again. The front bumper was also ripped off because of an accident back in December when Kenny slid off the icy road and into a field. It was totaled, basically. The cost to fix everything would be way more than what we could get for it, for sure. So Kenny had been looking around for a new car for a while. He found a great deal on ebay and bought that car. Last weekend we took him to the airport at like 4 a.m., he flew out to Phoenix, looked at it in real life and bought it! It only has 40,000 miles on it too! He drove it back home and got back Sunday evening. Yesterday, somebody came and looked at our old Pontiac, and bought it on the spot! I didn't even get a chance to take a picture of it before we said good-bye. So anyway, that's the story of our cars. Pictures of the new car coming soon!