Jennie Bush & Family

Let's Do Something Amazing!

2011-10-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

I love music. I also love Hilary Weeks. She is a singer/song writer and produces uplifting and inspirational music that I love more than I can describe in a blog. She has a new c.d. "Every Step" coming out next Tuesday and is trying to get charted on the Christian Billboard charts. She needs help in order to do this and I am trying to help her. You can help her too! Find out how on facebook. I hope you will consider joining me in this. Also here is a video from her explaining how to help.

Snow in October!

2011-10-06T15:39:00.001-07:00

Only in Idaho does it look like the middle of December on October 6th! I need more sunshine and am not ready for teh snow to be here for teh next 6 - 7 months. However teh kids are having a blast playing in it and Samuel is creating a huge snow wall in our front yard. He should have fun playing his flag football game tonight in the snow.

Back Again!

2011-10-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

So I have not blogged for about 13 months! It has been crazy, busy, hectic. Since last September things have changed for our family. We found out I was pregnant in October of 2010 and welcomed our 4th son, Mack Lincoln Bush, into our family on May 29th 2011 at 10:59 p.m.

He is a great baby and is now 4 months old. His brothers love him and I love having 4 boys!

Samuel will be 8 in January and is loving the 2nd grade and playing flag football. He is so smart and such a great artist. He really enjoys school and reading and is taking piano and doing well at it.

Russell turned 5 in July and is enjoying an extra year of being a kid before he starts Kindergarten next year. He is a funny kid and very sensitve and tender hearted.

James will be 3 on the 18th of this month. He has a bit of a speech delay but that does not stop him from trying to tell you what is on his mind. He is my wild child! We are currently trying to potty train him. He will start pre-school on his birthday.

Mack is my easiest kid at the moment. He smiles all the time and has the cutest little laugh. He sleeps great at night, is not fussy, and a joy to have in our family.

Life is good and we are blessed!

My Parents 1 Year Mark

2010-09-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

August 29th marked my parents 1 year anniversary from getting baptized! They are now taking Temple Prep classes and hoping to be able to go to the Temple in September. They are excited and i am almost in denial that this could really be happening. You never know what the Lord has in store for you.

My Nerdy Kids

2010-08-28T09:44:00.001-07:00

Russell has these funny glasses and thinks it is cool or fun to be a nerd. Then he let James try them on. they were having so much fun with just these 1 pair of glasses.

School Days

2010-08-25T13:09:00.001-07:00

I thought I would be sad and miss Samuel like crazy when he went to 1st grade ALL day long. I have to admit the first morning was a bit rough getting up early and getting him on the bus. I was emotional as the big yellow school bus drove my firstborn off to school. I came home and got ready for the day. I noticed that it was very calm and quite. I had more time to get things done. Could it be that this was a blessing in disguise? Russell and James still have their occasional tiff but they play quite and are good little boys. I just might end up liking Samuel being away at school. Part of me feels like a terrible mother that I would enjoy not having one of my kids around and the other part knows he needs an education and that is why he is gone. Might as well enjoy what life brings.

Where Have I Been?

2010-08-19T18:12:00.001-07:00

You know I thought that I would be good at this blogging thing. I like to write, I like to know what's going on with others. I work online so I thought I could do it. Well I am not so good at it. Things happen and I don't share I just write in my journal with a pen from my personal collection. For all those who may be interested in what has been going on here ya go.

In April I ran the SLC Half Marathon

In May.June I went home to Oregon for a visit

I won a Mary Kay makeover in May but can't figure out how to do the hair do they gave me which I love

In July Will turned 32 and Russell turned 4

Today was Samuel's 1st day of school

So there are a few updates with many more missing in between. I use facebook often so if you would like to keep in touch that way look me. I am under Jennie Lee Mack-Bush.

Looking For Baby Products?

2009-12-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

Most of you know I work for an online company that sells baby products. We sell everything from strollers and car seats to bedding and jewelry. Right now we have a great deal going on on this double stroller, the Combi Twin Sport . You even get 2 free things with it. If you need a new car seat we have some great deals on those as well. Our site offers free shipping on orders over $100 and low shipping on orders under $100. To check out the site and see what else we have going on click here.

Right now we are having a contest to see who can generate the most hits to these links. So if you don't need any baby products but would like to help me win a contest just click on these links once a day for the next 2 weeks and help me out! If you do want to place an order I have a promo code for family and friends I can give you s you save 15% on your entire order. Just let me know and I will e-mail it to you.

I Got a New Do!

2009-12-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

So after I won my Biggest Loser contest I went and got me some new cloths. I went out of what I am normally used to and had the help of my 2 friends Hilary and Welker. Here is one of the outfits I got. It is probably one of my favorites.

Then I decided it was time for a new haircut. I wanted to change things up and be brave and with the help of my friend Kristin I got a whole a new look. I love it! I feel all grown up. It takes me a lot longer to get ready but it is worth it.

We are excited to celebrate Christmas this week and I will try to get back to the world of blogging and post pictures of our Christmas Adventures.

Hilary Weeks Giveaway

2009-11-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Want to win a free c.d. or better yet 2 c.d's and an awesome Christmas book. I will tell you how. Simply post on your facebook page or blog about Hilary's new Christmas c.d. and include one of 2 links to where to get it (links are listed on her blog at hilaryweeks.com/blog) and then e-mail Hilary at hilary@hilaryweeks.com and tell her where you posted if it was on facebook how many friends you have if your blog include a link. Also include your name and address and you will be entered. You can enter more than once so facebook about it once a week and post a blog and you could be a lucky winner. There are 10 prizes that will be given out. 3 people will receive Hilary's 2 Christmas c.d's and her Christmas book and 7 people will receive her new Christmas c.d. Become her fan on facebook to stay updated on the contest. The contest goes until November 29th at midnight. This is a great Christmas c.d. that anyone would enjoy!

My Parent's Baptism

2009-09-03T16:52:00.001-07:00

This last weekend was an experience I never thought I would have. My parents had chosen to be baptized so me and the family headed to Oregon for the weekend. On Saturday we went to the State Fair and then that evening was their baptism. I was surprised at how many people showed up. My friends and members from the ward were there to give their support and love. My friend Andrea was even able to be there from New Mexico and Stephanie came from Rexburg. I still really don't know how to describe my feelings but it was a great day. My Dad was glowing with excitement and Mom seemed very happy. I look forward to what the next year brings and if they will continue to grow and strengthen in the gospel. The Temple is the next step and I look forward to the blessing that ca bring them and myself.

Russell's 1st Day of Preschool

2009-09-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well my little Russell has now started preschool! I can't believe how fast my boys are growing up. Russell has been very excited to be able to go to preschool and his teacher said he did very well for being one of the youngest in his class. Now Samuel and Russell will be gone on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12:30 - 3:00 p.m. and it will just me and baby James at home.

A Great Couple

2009-09-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

So I have been thinking lately about life and the events that happen along the way. For me my life has turned out for the most part how I had hoped it would. I am a wife and mother. I think these were the 2 things I wanted most out of life. Most the women I know want the same things. I have come to learn that life doesn't always allow the same opportunities to everyone. I have a wonderful sister-in-law who is a great friend to me that has not had the opportunity to have children of her own. Mandy and her husband Jake are amazing, loving, kind, caring people. I wanted to share their link with everyone in the hopes that their lives may be blessed.

My sister-in-law Mandy and brother-in-law Jake.

They have been able to adopt one little boy, Luke, who just turned 2 in July. They are currently looking to adopt another baby. Here is their link to the adoption site, https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/23028372/ourMessage.jsf Mandy and Jake live in Idaho and are members of the LDS Church. Mandy is a stay at home mom and Jake drives truck. Mandy is one of the few people I trust leaving my children with. I know they will be trated with love and kindness and my kids love going over to stay there. As I have watch Mandy and Jake raise Luke I have seen the love they have for him and their desire to adopt a sibling for him. They are great parents and wonderful people. Feel free to check out their profile and pass their information along.

Samuel's 1st Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today was Samuel's 1st day of kindergarten. I was more nervous about it than he was. He has been so excited all summer long to go to school and ride the bus and today was the big day. So off he went on his big adventure of starting school.

He loved it! He came home and had some treasures to show me that he found on the play ground. They were rocks and a stick. I gave him a jar that he could put them in and keep his special treasures from the playground in. Then he showed me that he had homework and explained how his folder worked and everything. He is most excited about the fact that I am supposed to read to him for at least 10 minutes a day. This is something I want to do with my kids and now have a motivation to do it on a regular basis. I am glad he likes school and his teacher but it is sad to see my little baby grown up and going to school.

My 7 Year Wedding Anniversary (8/17)

2009-08-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

So it has been 7 years. At times it seems like it has been much longer and at times it seems like it was just yesterday that we were in the Portland Temple being sealed. We have had our good times and our fair share of rough times but through it all we have come together and are trying to develop a strong, loving, and fun marriage. This year Will decided we should have a little get a way so off to the Black Swan Inn we went.

We got the Garden Suite and it was very comfortable and relaxing. We had taken a tour of the place beforehand and this was the largest room and the one we liked the best.

The room featured a huge jetted tub. As a mother of 3 energetic little boys I needed a nice relaxing bubble bath. We decided to go out to eat at Red Lobster which is funny because neither of us like seafood. I do like clam chowder however and we had a gift card. And they have the best virgin strawberry daiquiri I have ever tasted.

It was nice to celebrate our anniversary. I look forward to celebrating many, many more.

Good News To Share

2009-08-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

I received a phone call from my Dad on Friday that I never expected I would ever receive. He was calling me to let me know that him and my Mom had decided to get baptized! In just 2 short weeks I have seen them change and become happier people as they have accepted Christ into their lives. I am so looking forward to the opportunities that await me and my parents as we draw closer as a family and they learn more about the gospel. So we are headed back to Oregon for their baptism that is planned for August 29th.

4th of July

2009-07-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

We had a great time camping with family at Will's dad's pond. The boys did better than I expected them to do which was great because Will was not there the 1st night. The 4th of July is also Will's birthday and he likes that we are always with family. We went to the Rexburg Parade and also had a family reunion on the 4th. I caught a small bass and threw it back. I enjoyed taking Russell on the 4 wheeler and Samuel loved riding it by himself. We are all sunburned and tired but had a blast celebrating.

Biggest Loser Update

2009-07-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

So I know I said I was going to blog about this every 2 weeks when I weigh in...well things are busy and I get lazy. So here is my update.

On April 30th I started and my weight was 191 1/2. At my last weigh in on July 2nd my weight was 171 3/4 so I have lost almost 20 pounds now. I am currently in 1st place and intend to stay there for the duration of the contest which ends November 5th. My next weigh in is on July 16th and my goal is to be at least 168. I am trying to lose 2 pounds a week. The prize pot is now at $1054.00 and continues to grow.

For a Good Cause

2009-06-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hilary Weeks is having an auction (ends Friday, July 3rd @ midnight) toraise money for a young family that just lost their daughter, Sadie thispast week. Sadie <http://sadiehuish.blogspot.com/> was diagnosed with abrain stem tumor in February last year. Their family was nominated forHilary's "Because I Have Today" award<http://hilaryweeks.com/more-message.php?messageID=78> in May and Hilarywas able to visit Sadie this past Wednesday, the day before she passedaway, and wrote the details of her visit on her blog.<http://hilaryweeks.com/blog/?p=152> Hilary asked me to spread theword so here goes. The details of the Auction are below and also onHilary's blog. <http://hilaryweeks.com/blog/?p=152> Spread theword... Auction details: <http://hilaryweeks.com/blog/?p=152>Bidding will start at $1000 you can email your bid to Hilary athilary@hilaryweeks.com and all proceeds, in their entirety, will bedonated to the Huish family to help pay for funeral costs.Auction will end Friday, JULY 3rd at MIDNIGHT!

The winning bid will receive...
* 11 pages of songwriting notes for the 3 Christmas songs she justfinished writing for her new Christmas album. Which will include all thethoughts, scribbles, scratches, ideas and changes that have createdthese three songs.
* An opportunity to attend a session at the studio while sherecords the Christmas CD.
* A private concert to be used any way you would like... familyparty, friends gathering or company party. Let me know if you have questions! Thanks!

Where has the time Gone?

2009-05-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Wow it has been a long time since I blogged. I decided today was the day to get things updated. So since January 24th, the date of my last post, a few things have happened.

February was not really filled with anything to blog about. So on to March. I was kinda dreading March because my birthday was at the end and I was turning 28. That is 2 years away from 30 and that scares me. Will had to work all day and I was at home with just the boys. However my friend Leslie made me a cake and came over to eat some with me. It was the highlight of my day. In her family they have a tradition that the birthday person has to take the first bite...with no hands. So I did it.

So moving onto April. There was Easter. We had a nice family get together with Will's family. The boys enjoyed finding their baskets and I can't believe i forgot to take pictures. I video taped it though. One of these days I will figure out how to upload videos.

Samuel also decided he wanted me to shave off all his hair. So I did it for him and he loves it.

Samuel also lost his 1st and 2nd teeth. The crazy thing is the new ones had already grown in before the baby teeth fell out. He was very happy to be visited by the tooth fairy.

Will's sister was also visiting during the month of April and it was fun to see her and her family. They live in Arizona for the time being and her husband was here doing a medical rotation.

Onto May. Nothing has really happened yet but this moth has a few exciting things going on. I signed up for another "Biggest Loser" competition and fully plan on winning. I am doing well so far and will keep you posted as I weigh in. My first weigh in was on April 30th and I weighed 191 1/2. I know I am brave to post my weight for everyone to read. I am weighing myself at home as I go and my goal is to lose 2 pounds a week for the 6 months of the contest. That would put me at 137 1/2. Today I weighed 184.4. So already I am ahead of my goal. I have taken some before pictures and will make them a bit more modest before I post them. I want to take pictures at the beginning to track my results. My next weigh in is on the 20th. I will let you know how it goes.

Mothers Day is coming up and for my gift I get to go on a girls weekend to a cabin with 11 friends in Island Park. I am very excited for this get a way and leave this Thursday.

Samuel will be done with pre-school on the 20th and we will leave for Oregon on the 21st. My sister is flying into Boise so I can pick her up there and have someone to drive to Oregon with. I am so excited for this. I have not seen her since my wedding 6 1/2 years ago!

James has gotten big and will be 7 months old on the 18th. His 2 bottom teeth broke through this week. He is getting better at sitting up and loves to play with his toys. He is the happiest and smiliest baby. We love him and are completely enjoying the stage he is at right now. I will end this post with some recent pictures of him and the boys.

Samuel Turned 5!!!

2009-01-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my first born is now 5! The time has gone by so fast and he has grown to be quite a mart little boy and so much fun. We love having Samuel as our son and he has taught us many things as he has grown. So this post is to him, not that he can read yet but I thought it would be fun. His birthday was the 17th of January and he wanted a party so I let him plan his own party. He had a bean bag toss, a pinata, and played pin the tail on the donkey. He had a blast.

He wanted me to put Happy Birthday Sasafrats on his cake because I call him sasafrats or sas as a nickname.Here is a picture of the house decorated. He colored a couple hundred pieces of paper green and taped them together to pretend they were grass. He is a crazy kid.

I didn't get any good pictures of the bean bag toss but here he is getting ready to pin the tail on the donkey.

Here he is before with his pinata he picked out.
Here is what was left. I took the final swing to brake open the head after the kids smashed the body.

Samuel with his gifts.

I thought it would be fun to post pictures of the last 5 years of Samuel's life so here they are. Samuel on his 4th birthday.

Samuel on his 3rd birthday.

Samuel on his 2nd birthday.

Samuel on his 1st birthday.

Samuel the night he was born.

Samuel is a great kid and I can't believe how fast he has grown up. We are alot alike so we are good buddies. I am excited to see what he will accomplish in the future.

Baby Blessing For James

2009-01-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

James was blessed on the 28th so my parents could attend. The outfit he is wearing is what Will wore when he was blessed over 30 years ago. All out boys have worn this outfit. After his blessing some family came back to our home for muffins and fruit. It is always fun and special to share these kind of events with family and I was grateful that my parents were able to come. More pics of the special day...

Christmas

2009-01-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas My parents were able to make it which was great and we all loved having them here for a week, especiallay the boys. They got in a 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve after driving 17 hours stright. On Christmas Eve we read "God Bless Your Way". We read Luke 2 for FHE on Moday and I love that book so I read i to the family. We decided to let the boys have a Christmas Eve presrnt this year. The boys all got slippers as their Christmas Eve present. Christmas morning was fun as the boys opened their gifts and got to have their Papa & Gramoo with them. At the request of Will I made cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast. We just kinda hung out and played the Wii throughout the day since Will got me that for Christmas. Samuel is the champion boxer in our house. Hope you all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Snow Storms

2008-12-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

We are getting hit hard by some snow storms here as I am sure a lot of other people are too. The only that sucks is that my parents are coming for Christmas and there are 3 road closures along their route. We are praying the roads open up and they can get through.

The boys however love the snow. Samuel would play outside all day if I let him. I love having a white Christmas and seeing the beauty of the snow. Here are some pics from them playing out there today.

Getting Ready For Christmas

2008-12-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

This is what I have made my Dad for Christmas. I have made a similar thing for Samuel and Russell and my Mom told me this is what he wanted. I am glad I can give him a meaningful gift. Of course I had to make one for myself also.

We have been having fun wrapping gifts and decorating but it has been more fun to teach our children about Christmas and the true meaning of it. During Family Home Evening we have taught Samuel why we celebrate Christmas. We have had opportunities to serve sick people in the ward by taking hem meals and I have taken Samuel with me and tried to make them learning experiences for him. I love this time of year and the Spirit that I feel. I am able to reflect on my Savior and all he has done for me. I am so grateful for the birth, atonement, and resurrection of the Lord and that He has made it possible for me to be with my family for eternity.

Here are a few pictures that I have taken in December.

My parents are coming for Christmas and surprising the boys. I can't think of anything I want more. I have not been able to spend a Thanksgiving or Christmas with my parents for 4 years so it means a lot to me that they are able to come. I will post pictures of our family fun after Christmas.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that the blessing of the Lord will be with you.

Thanksgiving Day & Putting up the Tree

2008-11-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving with Will's Mom & Dad and his sister Elaina and her family. We almost ended up going to Post Falls to see my parents but things did not work out with Will getting work off. Here is a picture of us on Thanksgiving.

We also put up our Christmas Tree this weekend and the boys had a lot of fun helping me decorate the house.

James hung out with dad while we got everything put up. The boys are excited for Christmas and we are looking forward to a fun Christmas with them. My parents might come after Christmas for a week and that would be great. They still have not met James and I can not go home until May so I really hope it works out for them to come. The boys miss them and would love to see them too.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Weekend Trip

2008-11-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

The benefit concert on Friday was great. I was glad to have been able to support a good cause and learn more about the shelter itself. The restaurant was amazingly beautiful and the food was good. A valet even parked my car, that was a first. Hilary was wonderful as she always is and it was fun to hear her perform her Christmas songs and new songs from her new album including my favorite "He Loves Me" My friend Welker went with me on the trip and I was glad to have a friend with me. Hilary was kind enough to let us stay at her house and we were able to go shopping and out to eat with her and her daughter Kenzie on Saturday. We then headed to Tim's Moms' house to watch the big game between BYU & Utah. BYU came out on the losing end due to their quarterback. We headed back to the Weeks' house and watched a movie then headed to bed. It was a great weekend and it helped me get the re-charge I needed to come back home and continue adjusting to our new family. Little James did great teh whole weekend and I took a picture of James with Hilary so I could put it in his baby book as the first famous person he ever met! :)

That is Hilary's daughter Calli with me, Welker, & Hilary.

Monday I went in to see if the filter that was placed in me would come out. It didn't and now I have a huge headache and a very sore neck. If it was Halloween it might look cool to have a blooy bandage on my neck, however right now it is very uncomfortable. It is not a flatering picture but I posted it anyways. I am glad I did not do the proceedure before the concert because I would have had a band-aid on my neck and yellow iodine left which is not a very formal look.

I am starting to feel better this afternoon but they gave me plenty of sedative and a Valium pill so I would not be so nervous. It worked great and I was not able to be left by myself for the rest of the night so my mother-in-law stayed with me. My friend Leslie D. took me to the hospital and watched James while I was there and on top of that made dinner for our family, which I was very grateful for.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending time with our family. Hope you all have a great one!

Hilary Weeks Benefit Dinner and Concert

2008-11-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hilary Weeks is having a Holiday benefit dinner and concert on Friday November 21st from 7-9pm at La Caille restaurant in Sandy Utah.

There will be dinner and concert featuring best-selling LDS music artist Hilary Weeks. The proceeds from this concert will benefit the South Valley Sanctuary which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing shelter and supportive services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to men, women and children who have been victimized by domestic violence.

If you and your family are looking for a way to give back this holiday season, please consider joining us for a fantastic dinner at La Caille followed by a concert by Hilary. Tickets are $100 per person and all proceeds benefit the South Valley Sanctuary.

Tickets can be purchased by going to http://www.southvalleysanctuary.com/ and following the link in the bottom right hand corner.

I wanted to post this on my blog because not only do I love Hilary and her music I feel like this is a good cause. I know most of you don't live in Utah that read my blog but if you have friends that do pass the word along.

(Angela you beat me to this on your blog but I was planning on doing it time just gets away from me.)

Pictures

2008-11-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

I have been obsessed with taking pictures of James. I don't know if it is because I feel like I am done having kids so I don't want to miss out on James growing and changing and I want to document it all or what it is. Poor Russell will be the one without hundreds of pictures. Anyways, thought I'd post some new photos.

My 3 Boys

2008-11-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

Someone told me I should post pictures of the 3 boys when they were babies to compare what they look like. So here you go.

Samuel

Russell

James

Halloween

2008-11-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

We all had a good time on Halloween. We went to Rexburg and had a family party at Will's Sisters' house. It was nice because we did not have to go trick-or-treating because all the in laws made treat bags and we just got to hang out.

We carved pumpkins on the 30th, better late than never. The boys love their pumpkins and they like to go outside and look at them on the porch.

Update & Pictures of James

2008-10-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

Things are going well for us as we are trying to adjust and get used to 3 kids. James is a great baby and puts up with the noise of his brothers very well. He seems to like to sleep on us instead of in his bassinet. I am trying to get him used to his bassinet so he doesn't end up sleeping in our bed for years. He seems to have a laid back personality. The boys are still loving him and wanting to hold him all the time. They both love to help me with things for James which is nice except when they fight over who gets to help with what. For the most part things are great and I am recovering well.

Introducing James Lee Bush

2008-10-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well I figured I better get my blog updated now that James is a week old. The week has flown by and been a pretty rough week. I don't know if anybody cares to hear how the labor and delivery went but I am going to blog about it anyways because it was the best birth out of all 3!

I went to the hospital on the 18th at 7 a.m. After getting changed and set up on the monitors they had to test my blood to make sure it was thick enough to handle an epidural. I told Will if it is not we might as well go home. Thankfully it was fine and I was given my epidural around 9 a.m. Dr. Hall came in a little before 9:30 a.m. and broke my water and the nurse started me on pit. At this point I was feeling nothing. Which I was grateful for. A little time went by and they cranked up the pit a little bit. I decided to listen to some music while I was laying there in bed so Will gave me my ipod and I listened to Hilary Weeks new album then decided to just play all the songs on my ipod starting from a to z. Before I got out of the a's I was feeling some pressure and told Will I needed to talk to the nurse. She came in at 11:45 a.m. and checked me and said oh you are ready let me go tell the doctor. By the way I still was feeling no contractions just a bit of pressure. So the doctor comes in a couple minutes before noon and gets ready. I pushed through 3 contractions which took 11 minutes and our new little guy was born. In case anyone is wondering the song that was playing when he was born and the doctor put him on my belly was The Best I Ever Had by Vertical Horizon. James weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.

Aside from the pressure I felt it was pain free. On a scale from 1 to 10 the worst it ever got was like a 5. It seriously hurts worse when I stub my toe. The little guy came out with a bunch of white stuff all over him and was not wanting to breath on his own. The cord was wrapped around his neck pretty good they said so he had a harder time transitioning from womb to world they said. They had to kinda rub him to get him to let out a cry. It was a little scary for a minute but he started crying. They put him on me skin to skin to see if that would help but it didn't too much so just to be safe they took him to the nursery and put him on oxygen for a little bit. They brought him back to me and he was fine after that.

The boys absolutely love him and Samuel was so excited to see him. He does very well with him and Russell loves to hold him and talk to him. They have been very careful with James and we have had no accidents at this point.

I love being able to hold and cuddle with James. It is quite the adjustment for me but I know with time I will get a good routine down, at least that is what i am hoping for. I am feeling sore and tired and low on energy but I am so grateful for James and that we have been blessed to have him in our family. I look forward to raising 3 energetic boys that I hope will grow up to be best friends. Here are a few more pics of James around the house.

D Day

2008-10-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

So I have an inducement set up for this Saturday the 18th at 7 a.m. I went to the doctor and am dilated to about a 4 and my cervix is "favorable" he said. I have been having contractions off and on the last couple days nothing serious but I definitely feel ready to have this little guy. Still no names picked out but hopefully we can agree on something soon after we see him and get a feel for what we think a good name for him would be. I will post pictures after I get home as soon as I am feeling well enough to make it downstairs and then back up.

Our Trip to Yellowstone National Park

2008-10-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

We took a family vacation to Yellowstone from September 15th to the 19th. Will had been there before as a boy but I had never been and was excited to go. The boys loved seeing the animals and I enjoyed the beauty of the park. We tried to take a bunch of pictures but they really don't do it any justice but I will post them anyways.

I thought this was so cute of Will walking with the boys.
Samuel Liked this big tree that had fallen over so we all took pictures in front of it.
Samuel took this picture, not to bad.

Russell likes to run around after his bath before he gets dressed. This is at the resort we stayed at.
A buffalo. They get on the road and you can see them up close pretty well.
We visited the petrified rock and Samuel really liked it. The hike up to it just about killed me but Samuel help my hand and helped me the whole way.
Samuel then wanted to take my picture.
Samuel in front of a couple buffalo having breakfast.A nice guy offered to take our picture for us in front of the sign. I then took their picture for them.

Well I think this pretty much updates what has been going on. Our house is still for sell and the market is slow. I am hoping everything works out to have the baby on the 19th. The boys are looking forward to Halloween but Samuel can't decide what he wants to be. More to come later.

Pregnancy Update

2008-10-08T12:15:00.001-07:00

So just when I thought I was in the clear and just had to make it to my inducement day along comes another issue. Now my gall bladder is not functioning properly or so they think. It hurts like crazy if you eat fatty foods so I am trying to stay away from fatty food which is not always easy for a pregnant woman with cravings to do. My doctor said it is a possibility that I could now be induced on or close to the 18th or 19th. At my last appointment I was dilated to a 1 and my cervix was softening so that is a good thing. I have another appointment this Friday and hope things continue to look good so I can get this gall bladder issue fixed asap.

Around the House

2008-10-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post some pictures from us just hanging out around the house. Samuel asked me one day to paint his face so I got out some old make up I never use and painted the things he wanted and a little man on his belly. He loved it!

Samuel's 1st Day of Pre-School

2008-10-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Samuel started pre-school again on September 3rd and is loving it. Russell misses him when he is gone and loves to go pick him up. I am enjoying the extra quite time and being able to have one on one time with Russell while Samuel is at school.

Quick Update

2008-09-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

So things with my health are finally getting better now that I only have 7 weeks left to my inducement. They have had to up my blood thinner medicine every time I get my blood checked so I am on a super high dose. I do not like giving myself the injections and to be honest it has not gotten any easier over the past 3 months. I am grateful to be feeling better and able to do a bit more.

We currently have our house for sale. We have had a lot of people come and look and even had an offer made but they did not accept our counter and we could not meet their terms and still afford the other house we want to buy. Someone else came yesterday and wants to buy the house. They are going to the bank on Monday to see if they can get approved for the loan. So we will wait and see what happens Monday. I have posted a pic of our house.

Samuel started pre-school this week and is already loving it. He comes home telling me all about new songs he is learning and all the rules of his pre-school. He is a smart little guy and really loves school.

My Grandpa passed away a couple of weeks ago and I am sad that his service will be too late in my pregnancy for me to go to Oregon to be there. I was named after my Grandpa - I have his middle name Lee and my grandma's first name - Jennie. These are the grandparents I have been closest to and the first death on my side of the family that has really effected me. We are planning on giving our new son the middle name of Lee after me and my Grandpa. I told my Grandpa that before he passed and I think it meant a lot to him. I was one of the last people to talk to my Grandpa before he passed. I called on a Wednesday not really wanting to because I never know what to say and it is hard for me but I had a feeling that I just needed to call. My Grandma let me talk to him for a minute and we exchanged a few sentences and I told him I loved him and he said the same to me. I will be forever grateful I made that call. He never got back out of bed on Thuirs, Fri, or Sat and passed on Sunday. I know that it was the Spirit that helped me to make that call.

We are planning a family trip to West yellowstone and I will try to remember to take pictrues then blog about it.

New Family Pictures

2008-08-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I picked up our pictures from Russell turning 2. He was not very smiley because he fell asleep on the way there so I was a little sad about that but I think they turned out okay.

Me and Will have not gotten a picture taken together since we went to a dance at Ricks College when we were dating so I asked him to take one with me and he did.

Memories of Me

2008-07-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

So I just read Sarah's blog and thought it would be fun to hear what others memories of me would be. So as her rules stated leave a memory in the comment to this blog then go post it on your blog.

Summer Fun

2008-07-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

I know it might be hard to believe but in between everything that has been going on we have managed to get some fun worked into the summer. The boys love snow cones and we make them quite a bit. They also love swimming in their Spiderman pool their grandma in Oregon got them. We blow up water balloons and throw them at each other and they both love that. Also Russell turned 2 on the 13th of this month and is starting to talk much more and be able to communicate what he wants much better.

This is Russell with his cake. It took him a few tries to blow out the candle but he was pretty excited when he got it.
Will bought him this inch and go worm ride on toy that he really likes.

Samuel likes to jump off the tramp into the pool. You can see we filled it with water balloons to play with.

Russell is getting so big. I wished he was interested in getting potty trained!

I am feeling a little better and able to work some now. I am not one who likes to just lay around. I still have to take it easy and not over do it and Will has to do most of the house work but he has been great and so caring through all of this. We went and got pictures of the boys and our family and get them back in 2 weeks. I will try to post them as soon as I get them. Russell wasn't in a very smiley mood because he fell asleep in the car on the way there. But we got a couple good ones.

Craziness

2008-07-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

I know I have not updated my blog for a long time but I have a few good reasons. I will start at the beginning. I had knee surgery June 6th. I was not able to walk for a couple days and I was on crutches for a bit. The Wednesday after my knee surgery my calf was hurting so I called the doctor and they told me to get an ultrasound done on my calf. Turned out I had a blood clot from my ankle to the back of my knee. Not good. Especially where I am pregnant. So I had to be checked into the hospital. It was a short stay i got to go home Thursday night the 12th. Well then on Sunday the 15th i started having chest pains and Will had to take me back to the ER where they did a CAT Scan and found that a piece had broke off and is now in my right lung. Monday the 16th I had a filter put into my abdomen through my right groin to catch any more clots that might break off. Tuesday the 17th I woke up in unbearable pain, worse than having a child natural for those of you that have gone through that. Will came home from work and took me back to the ER where I suffered for 6 hours before they admitted me and put me on a morphine drip. The next week was a rough one. I experienced more pain in the hospital than I ever could have imagined I would face in my life. There were points where I didn't think I could be in so much pain unless I was dying. I had to be put on oxygen so the baby would not be harmed. They determined that I was bleeding out from my groin on the inside and had lost at least a liter of blood. Saturday the 21st was the first day my blood count came up which meant the bleeding had stopped. They started to take me off the morphine and Monday I got to go home. I was barley able to walk around because the pain was still bad but I was grateful to be home. Family and friends kept the boys while Will was at work so that was a huge help. I had a lot of time to think in the hospital and the one thing I will take away from this experience is that I know my Savior had to go through that much pain and more as he took on the sins and afflictions of the world. I have a greater understanding and respect for what He has done for me. I know that it was not easy for him to atone for me but He did it out of love for me. My love for the Savior has grown and so has my testimony.

To end with some good news, we found out that we are having another BOY! At first I was disappointed because this is our last child but after watching the boys I think it will be fun to have 3 boys and I am a good mom for boys. Now me and Will just have to agree on a name. The middle name will be Lee. It is my middle name. I was named after my grandpa and he will most likely die this year so we have decided that it would be nice if the little guy was named after me and my grandpa.

A Quick Update

2008-05-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

So I have totally been slacking with this whole blogging thing. However I have good. After my trip to New Mexico we having been having nothing but bad luck. I got back and my old van broke down so we are down to one car. I did go to Women's Conference which was awesome. Hilary was kind enough to put me and my 2 friends on her guest list so we sat on the front row. Here are some pics. Hilary gave us all fashion advice that was hilarious!

I got back from that and had my MRI on my knee and got the results that I have torn my meniscus and my knee will not last until December so I have to have the surgery. So that will be June 6th after I am done with my travels.
Then I went on a Mother's Day retreat to a cabin in Island Park which was a blast. I played Guitar Hero and Sang some Karaoke. I wish I had taken my camera to show you pictures of that.
Meanwhile Will pinched a nerve in his back and was out of work for a few days and as soon as I got back from my trip he started throwing up. I had to take the boys to church by myself on Mother's Day which went better than expected. Samuel got to go up and sing me a song which he did very well. I spent the rest of the day after my nap taking care of everybody.
Samuel is playing soccer and had his pre-school graduation last week so here are some pictures of those events.

I leave for Oregon on Tuesday and will be there a week. I get back and then 5 days later go to California with Will for 3 days. Then will have my surgery the day after I get back. I will be on crutches for a couple days but should be all healed up after 10 days. I thought I would finish the blog with a few pics from New Mexico and the boys buzz cuts and a picture of when Russell fell asleep in teh window. Hope all is well with all of you.

Getting Old

2008-04-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well I had my 27th birthday on March 31st. I can't say I was happy about being 3 years away from being 30. So I decided to embrace this new age and play in a competitive basketball league. I love basketball and I am very competitive so I was excited for this opportunity. We have lost our first 3 games and realized that teenagers are just plain faster than we are. In my last game something ended up happening to my knee and I am now out for the season and could need surgery after I get an MRI taken. Only thing is I have to wait until I am out of my 1st trimester to get the test taken so I have to wait until May 6th. The part that sucks is that I am in constant pain and it hurts to walk. I can't take anything but Tylenol and that doesn't do much. So on top of the pregnancy issues I have I am also suffering from a bum knee. The good news is that I am going to New Mexico for 10 days to visit a friend. Then I am going to Women's Conference at BYU where I will most likely have to use crouches so I do not injure myself further from all the walk you do.

Also I had my 1st doctor's appointment and everything looks good. My due date is November 6th and we get to find out what it is in 10 weeks!

Easter Fun

2008-03-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had an Easter Egg hunt in our back yard for the boys. They both liked it and it was fun to watch Russell find eggs and put them in his basket. Russell was very excited to find out there were candy in the eggs.

This morning we gathered the boys onto our bed and told them about the Resurrection. We read the account from the scriptures and Samuel seemed to kind of understand. It was a great way to start the day.

After that we let the boys go out and get their baskets. Russell was very excited to see his basket and Samuel was amazed that the Easter Bunny brought him what he wanted.

It was then time to get the boys ready for Church in their matching 2 dollar shirts we found yesterday.

Overall we have had a fun and memorable Easter with the boys. We look forward to the next holiday fun with them.

Exciting News....

2008-03-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for awhile but things have been a bit busy. I have a lot of things coming up this year and we just found out this week that I am pregnant! I am only about 7 weeks so it is still early but we are excited and so are the boys. I think my due date is around November 3rd I haven't been to the doctor yet so I don't know exactly. I will be happy with a healthy baby but I am hoping this one is a girl! Guess I will have to wait and see.

My 10th Year Anniversay

2008-02-24T16:28:00.000-08:00

February 22nd marked my 10th year of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints. The last 10 years of my life have been great and I feel like I have become a better person. 10 years ago I made a choice to get baptized. That single decision changed the outcome of my life. It created new paths for me to take that were never there before. I had friends that helped me all along the way and I continue to make wonderful in my life that I am so grateful for.

This is my friend Andrea and me on my baptism day. She drove me to seminary and gave me my first Book of Mormon.

These are the missionaries that taught me the discussions, Elder Bodenhoffer and Elder McIntire.

This is my family and the Elders, I was happy they came to my baptism.

I am amazed at how one decision can have such an impact on our lives. I remember the day I got baptized very well. It was a Sunday. we were at the Church building on 45th Street. The chapel was full of people, some I had never seen before and had no clue who they were. I wore a fancy white jumpsuit and sat on the front row. My friend gave a talk on being baptized, 2 of my friends sang a song, I went to the room that had the font. The water was warm as I stepped down into the font. I got in position and looked up at my best friends, one was crying like crazy and the other had a huge smile on her face.Elder Bodenhoffer said the prayer and down I went. I can still remember the feeling of coming out of the water. Clean, pure, perfect. I tried as hard as I could to stay perfect. I confess that it was about 2 weeks and I was not feeling so perfect anymore. After I was baptized, I changed and as I walked back into the chapel an overwhelming feeling of love swept over me. I saw all those people and there was just so much love in that room. We finished watching the Mediator and my friend spoke about the Holy Ghost. Then my Bishop said a few words and a closing prayer was said. I was given a few gifts which I still have. the next Sunday was Fast Sunday, March 1st. I was confirmed a member and given the gift of the Holy Ghost by Elder Huff. My parents came to church that Sunday and I wanted to bare my testimony so I did. I remember being scared and nervous because my parents were there and I had never bore my testimony to them. It went fine and when I was done my Stake President who was on the stand stood up and told my ward that I was a poster child for the Church. He said a few other things and then I finally got to go sit back down. It was a great experience for me.

These are some of my friends that came.

As I continue to strive to become better, I know that having the gospel in my life is my greatest tool. It teaches me everything I need to know. I love my Savior and am grateful for sacrifice that He made in my behalf giving me the opportunity to return to live with my Heavenly Father.

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

2008-02-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks we have been hit with storm after storm and it has dumped more snow than I have ever seen in my life. I am so ready for winter to be over. Samuel however loves it and plays in it everyday. Russell likes to get bundle up and go out but he can only last a couple minutes before he is cold and wants back in.

School is canceld today so Samuel did not have pre-school. We are having a movie day and I am trying to get the house clean and some work done. We are going up to a cabin in Island Park tomorrow with some friends so that should be fun. There is even more snow there. I am sure the kids will have a blast playing with all their friends in the snow.

Recent Pictures of The Boys

2008-02-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

So I took the boys in to get their pictrues done since Samuel turned 4 adn Russell is a year and a half. I thought they turned out greats and I definitly have some new favorites.

Russell didn't want to lay on his elbows but I still liked the picture.

I can't believe how old Samuel look in this picture. I can't believe I have a 4 year, it makes me feel old. We practiced posing like this in the bathroom before we went just in case she asked him to pose like this.

This is my favorite of Russell by far. It shows blue eyes and I just ended up loving this picture.

This is one of my favorites of Samuel. I think he looks so good and like a big boy.

Okay I am new at posting pictures but at least they are on there.

So I've Joined The Club

2008-02-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

So I thought is was about time I jumped on the band wagon (is that the saying?) and got me a blog spot! So here I am, an offically blogger. I don't know how well I will do with this but I am sure it will be fun.

So last week was a very hard week for me. When President Hinckley died on Sunday, I was crushed. My prophet had died. I love him and have followed him for almost ten years now. Most of you will know I am a convert and was baptized February 22nd 1998. I cried adn cried and cried some more and still am very emotional if anyone mentions President Hinckley. I had always planned on going to his funeral but my brother and sister-in-law were having their baby sealed to them in the Temple. I knew President Hinckley would want me in the Temple with my family. I miss him more than I think anyone could understand. Yesterday was fast Sunday and I really wanted wanted to bear my testimony but every time I thought about what I was going to say I started bawling and I just creid all through Sacrament. Hopefully next month I can pull it together and get it done.

Quick update on the fam, Samuel turned 4 on January 17th, we enjoyed going to the Rexburg Temple house on the 10th, Russell is 18 months now, work is going well adn life is treating me pretty good right now.