Living Gifts

4 hours. That's the amount of sleep I got last night. Poor little Liam couldn't breathe through his tiny congested nose. We rocked in the chair. We set up the humidifier. We did saline drops and baby ibuprofen. We even tried letting him sleep with us, which we NEVER do, but to no avail. At 2:30 am, B and I decided to just let him cry it out and he eventually went to sleep. 6:30 rolls around and two babies are up again with poopy diapers. 7:30 comes an hour later and two babies are ready for breakfast. Morning waits for no one, including a tired momma and a very tired and sick daddy. Poor B caught the icky bug that decided to set up house with Liam and Finn and I, in the meantime, am pushing the Zicam like it's chocolate.

Being sick is a total bummer and our house is just not at it's best. But getting a Christmas package in the mail makes things seem a lot brighter, especially when the package is a set of these:

Have you ever heard of living ornaments? I never had until today. They are beautiful! Oh, it made my day to hang these beauties up on the tree! 

Thanks to B's family in Maine for sending these our way! We love and miss you! 

Nothing like some living gifts to bring a little life to this "land of the dead". 

New Snow

This week it snowed. And our furnace stopped working. And our sweet neighbor hiked through the blizzard of a storm to lend us their portable heaters. We wrapped the kids in heavy jackets and started the fireplace up. After we put the children to bed, I baked up some brownies and sat on the couch, staring at the fire and eating my treat. It was quite cozy and, in a way, I was kind of happy to be bundled in blankets next to a warm fire because of a broken furnace.

Actually, the furnace isn't broken. The next morning a nice guy with a pony tail checked it out and came to the conclusion it was just getting over heated because our home's duct work isn't big enough to handle a furnace that size. We also learned our Home Warranty won't pay to fix the duct work...so we are stuck with the bill if we decide to make changes that would allow our furnace to work properly. Nice.

In the meantime, B has pulled out the filter and taken off the covers of the vents to help the furnace "breath" more. It seems to be working for now. But I'm still a bit annoyed and was thinking about it this morning while eating breakfast with the children. And then I looked around me. I have a beautiful home, two beautiful boys happily filling their chubby cheeks with peanut butter toast, a picture of the Salt Lake Temple hanging on the wall next to a picture of our little family, which is a reminder to us of where our family began and the eternal goal we strive for each day.

After breakfast, I put the boys down to play and I opened the curtains to let the light in. The boys quickly crawled to the glass doors and pointed outside at the snow. Even at 1 1/2 years old, it's magical for them. And it was magical for me to watch them enjoy the simple pleasures of the world around them...even with Whit and Joey's puppy's poop still lying in a doggy bag outside the door.

I am grateful for the subtle ways in which the Lord guides and teaches me. It's amazing how a gentle reminder to be thankful, patient, and understanding can be more powerful and effective than a harsh, blaring loudness. And I will consider this an answer to a fervent prayer last night and this morning to help me be a better mama.

Happy Snow Day!

Thankful.

You know that moment when you realize another month has gone by and you wonder "How in the world...where did the time go?" You rewind the past 30+ days and play through events, memories, normal days, abnormal days, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have a brother on a mission and I realize I'm not the best at keeping him updated with well-written letters, so I use this blog as my back-up. I'm keepin' it short and real Elder- here's a summary of November:

1. The kids have been getting their molars and it's a nightmare sometimes and other times it's not so bad. This particular day was pretty awful and we ended up letting them just chill in our big master bath tub with their red bums before laying them down to bed. We introduced them to bubble bath and they LOVED it.

2.  Oh, and the very next day we were sitting together as a family on the couch, watching some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally (we watch this daily- sometimes multiple times a day) and Liam reached out to point/grab something and he tumbled off the couch and landed on his right arm. We knew something was wrong when he wouldn't stop crying and he wouldn't put any pressure on his arm or hold anything with it. It also looked kind of funky. We ended up at the Instacare and within the hour we were informed he had fractured his ulna and radius. It was NOT an awesome mommy moment. 

3. 2 days later, in the middle of the night, Liam woke up crying hard and he wouldn't stop. His hand was 2x bigger than his left hand, so we decided to take the splint off and when we did, this is what we saw: 

Yeah, the splint was put on too tight. 

The poor little guy had to postpone getting a cast for 2 more weeks to let this wound heal.

4. But after two weeks, Liam got his beautiful blue cast and he has since learned this new accessory has some advantages, including an improved way to get bigger brother out of the way.  

5. I had the opportunity to attend Time Out For Women in Salt Lake City this year. B's mom and I carpooled and met my mom and sisters at the event. Friday night we got to hear Ann Romney be interviewed by Sheri Dew and it was AMAZING. My dream of raising 5 handsome boys with an amazing husband may or may not have to do with this woman. I am an Ann Romney fan club member. The rest of the program on Saturday was inspiring and I left feeling spiritually fed and hopeful.

6. THANKSGIVING DAY. I got up at 6:00 am, put my running shoes on, and left B and sleeping babies to run in the Human Race 10K. I was SO nervous! As I waited at the start, I looked around me at all these fit people and I felt incredibly out of place. When we began running I started to feel better, until I realized no one would be waiting for me at the finish line. I started to feel discouraged and I prayed that someone would feel inspired to come watch me finish. As I approached the last stretch to the finish line, I looked to my left and saw a sign "We (heart) Megan!" with a screaming mom and sister. I burst into tears. I felt a burning in my heart as the Spirit testified to me that prayers are heard and answered. 

(Auntie Taylour treating the boys to some post-Thanksgiving fun.)

7. Today is the last day of November. B, being the incredible husband that he is, climbed the roof to put up Christmas lights and helped me set up Christmas decorations inside. We also spent the day "winterizing" the yard. After a long day, my sisters called and we invited them over for dinner and games. Whit and Joey brought their puppy Franklin. He and Finn are little buddies and it's kind of cute. A couple of hours into the evening, we caught Finn doing this:

November is over and December is starting. I have a beautiful home that I get to share with the most important people in my life. I have a family that loves me. I have health. I have a body that can take care of a growing family and help me accomplish my goals. I know I am a Child of God. My prayers are answered. 

I am thankful. 

Another Birthday for our B-man!

B's birthday was today and I wanted to spoil him special. So I had him take the whole day off of work and we spent time eating, eating, shopping, playing, eating, and eating. It was pretty awesome. 

We woke up, got the kids dressed, dressed ourselves and headed down the street to Kneader's Bakery for some endless french toast. That stuff is terribly delicious and so rich! We got one refill and couldn't make it through the entire thing.

(B and mini-B)

After breakfast we came home, laid babies down for morning naps, showered, woke babies up and bathed them, and headed out again. This time, we went to lunch at Brick Oven before getting our shopping on!

Next stop was Scheels for some new tennis shoes for B. And checking out shot guns, fish tanks, and stuffed grizzly bears. Yeah, shopping with husband and kids is a bit different than shopping with sisters. I was just amazed B agreed to any kind of shopping at all. ;)

I surprised B with some time at the shooting range. Earlier this year, B and I got our concealed firearm permits and I'm surprised how much we both enjoy going out and practice shooting. (Okay, I have to give a plug for this amazing man. We aren't much for getting super political, but B wrote down some thoughts about firearms. You can find it here and give it a quick read. Trust me, it's worth your time.)

Wait? More food? Yep. Dinner at Paradise Bakery with B's parents. Then back to our house for some cake, balloon wishes, and highlighting this birthday guy. (So, you would think I learned my lesson with making the boys' birthday cake earlier this year, but I attempted it again. B's favorite candy is candy corn, so I got this "great" idea to make a candy corn cake. I was up until midnight last night finishing it and it did fall apart a bit, but B was pleased. That's all that matters, right? Oh man.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON! 

HERE'S TO ANOTHER YEAR OF LOVE, SUCCESS, AND JOY!

And a reminder that you are loved and adored SO incredibly much.

Love, Megs and your beautiful kids

A BYU Homecoming.

HOMECOMING week for BYU is a big deal. Well, for some. 

Believe it or not, this is the first year I've actually participated in any of the celebration (besides football games). 

On Friday, Lori (mother-in-law)and I hiked Y mountain in the evening. B, the boys, and his dad met us in the parking lot. We told them to be there by 6, because we were sure it would only take us an hour and we could go to dinner afterwards. So...it took us a little longer. :) But totally worth it! The view was AMAZING and by the time we got back to the bottom, the Y was lit.

Saturday morning, our little family headed out the door at 7:30 am so I could pick up my bib number and t shirt for the COUGAR RUN 2013 5K. While we waited for the race to start, we watched all the little kids participate in 200m, 400m, and mile races around the track. By the time the 5K was about to begin, the boys were done! But B, the amazing man that he is, still managed to video tape and take pictures of me starting and finishing the race. By the time we headed back to the car after the race, we had two sleeping babes. 

(The race was fun. Lots of people lined the course, because it's the same route of the Homecoming Parade. 

Fun music, tons of high-fives, and BYU Marching Band make it even more exciting. 

Not to mention blue pancakes at the finish line.)

At 5:00 pm, the BYU football game began and we had some yummy dinner. 

And my legs were feeling it. 

Shout Out to Homecoming Weekend!

and BYU's victory over Georgia Tech

Conference Weekend

What a beautiful Conference Weekend. B and I spent Saturday and Sunday cuddled on the couch in our pajamas listening to our Prophet and Apostles. The boys' naps corresponded with the different sessions, so it was a special time I could enjoy with just my husband. Sunday afternoon, we headed to my parent's house for dinner and some family time. The boys loved the yellow slide in the backyard and playing with all the people they loved.

(Finn, you remind me so much of your Papa. It's good we named you Finn Steven.)

(Liam, you are so incredibly expressive. I can't help myself from nibbling that face 
every hour of every day.)

Something quoted in one of my 
favorite talks from this Conference:

And "Mother/Wife of the Year" goes to...

(My "amazing" secret to getting twins content: feeding them graham crackers on the couch. 

Mother of the Year, right?)

Let's review the week, shall we?

SUNDAY: Liam woke up at 6:00 am screaming. I rushed into his room to see what was wrong and this awful, terrible smell permeated my nose and I about gagged. Yep. Diarrhea. BAD diarrhea. I picked him up and took him to the living room to change his diaper so brother wouldn't wake up. Then I brought him back to our bed because he wasn't going back to sleep. B and I tried to rest, but there is no rest with a toddler in your bed. About 30 min later Finn was up and he also had diarrhea. For almost the rest of the day, both babies had diarrhea about every 20 min. We skipped church, gave them a warm bath, lathered their bums with cream, and prayed it would be over soon. Their little cabooses were so so raw. It was a sad day. :(

MONDAY: Sister Whitney, the boys and I attended our "standing" visit with G & G Shaw. Their bums are doing a bit better. (The boys, not G & G Shaw) Then we both remember that our missionary brother's birthday is this Saturday. Last minute we call the family and plan an "emergency" dinner to put a video together. B is not thrilled about this, because he drove the carpool to work and I "encouraged" him to have his coworker drive him to my parent's house and the car back to our house. Coworker isn't thrilled about this either and I am now "that wife".

TUESDAY: I feel bad about upsetting the husby's coworker, so I prepare a plate of brownies for them. I also realize, while feeding the boys lunch, that those little pieces of "bread" on the floor are not pieces of bread. They're poop. Yep. Poop. Liam's poop. And it's not a little poop. It's a lot of poop. Poop all over the floor, poop on the church book, poop on the sippy cups, poop on the toy basketball hoop, and poop squished between the wheels of the toy car. It was like a scavenger hunt of horror. Each time I would find another chunk of doo-doo, I would yell out "Oh my gosh!!!!" The boys just watched from their highchairs, confusion and fear spread across their little jelly-smeared faces. Also, we ended up having cereal for dinner. Awesome.

WEDNESDAY: Nobody changed out of their pajamas. (Except B) Nobody took a shower or bath. (Except B) Cereal for dinner again.

THURSDAY: No shower. No change of clothes. Boys did NOT nap at all, but screamed the entire time in their cribs. I "encouraged" B to go to the store and take a baby with him...preferably the crying one. I did cook dinner. It was good. And we ended up at Old Navy, all looking like rag-a-muffins, to get B some jeans. Boys did get a bath before bed. Victory!!!!

FRIDAY: Now here we are. It's the BYU-USU game tonight, and you know this is a house divided. I've decided to make a very nice meal for my amazing husband and children. I will also shower myself and put some make up on and maybe something cute to wear. I have unloaded the dishwasher, I have folded the laundry, and I have picked up the foliage of toys from off the floor. The kids are happy in their beds and I am happily writing this post. Take a picture. Take a picture NOW, because it's taken me a week to arrive at this moment and who knows when it will happen again.

One day out of the week? 
It's not Mother of the Year material, 

but I can work with that. ;)

This weekend, my family and I will be doing this: