the gaoirans

So Bugged...

2010-02-16T00:14:00.014-07:00

Seriously so bugged with Blogger! I have been trying to update my blog for a few weeks. I spent an hour uploading like 50 photos only to find that I can't rearrange them! Then I did a bunch of journaling and everything was underlined. And the cherry on top...all my photos were deleted.

Blogging was my new way of scrapbooking and documenting our life. I love scrapbooking, but it takes so much time. I love blogging because I can turn my blog into a book which is much easier. I also journal much more on my blog than I do in my scrapbooks which I like better. Any ideas??

Here are a few pics...

The kids in November...I took what I could get. They only sat still for 2 photos and I thought this was pretty good. Sophia is not smiling at the camera, but at me :)

My happy Sophia just a few days ago...

She is a big girl. She is literally off the charts. I didn't know what that meant, but now I have a chart to show it. Her dot is completely above the arch for her height.

Tyler loves to help with Sophia. She could watch him all day. As soon as he walks in she is giggling.

He loves to feed her.

Talon loved his Jr. Jazz!

Where has the time gone? It seems like my kids have all grown up so much since Sophia was born. Life got busier and things have moved quicker.

Talon loves to play with Sophia too. Since she was tiny he has always wanted to hold her. But, shhh, don't tell anyone...he doesn't like to admit it.

Another fun thing...their cousin Brendan got baptized! It was so exciting for the boys to see. Tyler keeps talking about when he can get baptized. It is only a few months away for Talon...time is going too quickly!

So, after all my complaining about blogger, things seem to be working better. I'm going to cross my fingers that it will be working so I can keep blogging!

Mostly I haven't updated because I can't find the time. I mean, its 1:30 AM and I really should be sleeping! Since Sophia was born life has been a little crazier. For the first 4 months, Sophia was a complete angel and things were really not much different or more difficult. She started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks and it was fantastic! I got so lucky and I will always cherish those first few months with her. I couldn't believe how easy she was and always so happy. She had quite the appetite too...eating 6 oz every 2 hours. As you can see, it finally caught up to her! She is a good eater.

At 9 weeks of age, she started having random screaming fits and I couldn't figure it out. It was acid reflux and once the medicine started working, she quit having random freak outs and returned to her peaceful self. Then she got a sinus infection at 4 months and was just more needy than usual, but that was bound to happen. Then, she got RSV and that was a bummer, but we were lucky that it was not too bad. No hospitalization or even a second doctor visit. It was about 3 weeks of keeping her mainly home and giving her treatments. She just keeps getting little colds that keep her fussier and sleeping less, but it's wintertime and she is a baby for goodness sake!! What can I expect :)

I am so happy to have my three kids. The house is messier, I'm tired, I can't keep up on blogging or anything really, but its still worth it. We will get into our groove sometime. For now I am just trying to enjoy my little munchkins before they grow up!

Happy 11 years!

2009-08-22T08:00:00.013-06:00

Friends beware...this post is going to be cheesy. You don't have to read why I love my husband. In fact, I guarantee that he would prefer me not to post all the great things about him, but I will do it anyway.

This was on the beach in Carmel, California right after he proposed to me.
Today we celebrate 11 years together. How can I describe them? So many things have changed yet so much has stayed the same. Our life together has had many challenges as well as many good times and I'm lucky to have someone I love to share it with. There have been circumstances in our lives that have made us cry and other things that have made us laugh. And still we are here...together and that means the most to me.
Eric is the kind that loves to see me happy. The kind of husband that doesn't ask for much. The kind of husband that shows me he loves me by doing...no words, but actions.
The kind of husband that does things he doesn't want to do for the good of our family.
The kind that is loyal and loves me no matter what. The kind who makes me laugh especially when I hear his contagious chuckle. The kind who still listens when he has heard the same thing over and over again. The kind that supports me in all that I do.
The kind that makes me smile when I see him. The kind that teaches me how to be better. The kind that still makes me swoon.
The kind I am proud of and believe in.
The kind of husband that is also a good father.
He is the type of dad that sacrifices for his kids. The type of dad that is willing to spend time and then again more time with his kids.
The type of dad that unscrews the plumbing under the sink to find the lost tooth that went down the drain...and finds it.
The type of dad that always has kids in tow because they don't want to leave his side.
The type of dad that learned from his own father how to teach by example...no words, just action.I love you babe! Here's to many more years and memories together!

Sophia comes home

2009-08-02T23:44:00.008-06:00

Her coming home outfit!

Sophia came home on Friday evening after a long and emotional day. Her pediatrician and the nurses in the hospital were unsure if she would come home. We were just waiting around to see what they would say. They still didn't know what was causing her high respiration and wanted to know how I felt about taking her home. Around 3:00 PM, they said she could come home with us. I was so happy and nervous at the same time.

It was stressful to me because there were no answers. They were unsure of what the problems were which makes my mind think crazy, scary things. The anxiety just gets to me and I can't calm down. I didn't know what problems I was looking for and then what to do if I noticed anything unusual. The first night she was home, I had a panic attack because she seemed to be breathing rapidly. I could not fall asleep or take my eyes off her. Then, she woke up with a high-pitched scream and was gagging. Luckily I remembered to use the bulb syringe to suck mucous out of her throat so she could breathe. I was really stressed and anxious so we called the nursery at the hospital. A really sweet and helpful nurse told me what to do and look for. After that I asked Eric to give Sophia and I blessings. It made such a difference and we were all able to sleep after that. What would I do without Eric?! He calmed me down and comforted me.

In the end, all is well. Her pediatrician wanted to see her today to check up on her. It was a great visit and everything looks good. She is 7 lbs. 10 oz, just one ounce shy of her birth weight. Her lungs and heart sound good. The pediatrician said she still doesn't have an answer for what caused Sophia to have problems but I am just grateful that she is healthy!

The boys were so happy to have her home. They have been so sweet, always wanting to hold her. Ty says, "mom, can I 'holdge' her?" They have both been so helpful and sweet. So far they have been getting me diapers, wipes, bottles and wanting to feed her. I never thought they would adore her this much. I hope it stays that way!
It has been more fun than I thought to dress her everyday. And, the bows, oh the bows! That little shop at the mall is going to be seeing a lot more of me.

Grandma Dianne and Sophia.

I love this lady bug outfit from my sisters!

Talon wants one of these cozy blankets for himself. I don't think he cares that its pink with hearts on it because its just too cozy.
She was looking at me this morning and gave me the biggest smile. I know they say it's gas when they smile, but I'm taking it as a personal smile from daughter to mother. When she gave me that grin I noticed that she might have Eric's dimple! You only see it when he laughs and I love it. I can't get enough of this little girl! I don't think the euphoria of having her has worn off yet.

Update on Sophia

2009-07-30T18:57:00.005-06:00

Sophia has been having a little trouble with her respiration. She is breathing too quickly and so we are still at the hospital. They are letting us do a "hotel stay" so we can be close to her. She is not able to leave the Special Care Nursery until she can breath better and eat on her own. She has an IV but no food for the moment. I hope that tomorrow she will be healthy enough to go home, but it all depends on how well she does. It is a waiting game right now and they are trying to figure out why she is breathing so quickly. I feel like she will be healthy soon and we will get to bring her home, but any prayers for her would be appreciated. Thank you to all my sweet friends and family!

Baby Sophia!!!

2009-07-29T19:59:00.017-06:00

Baby Sophia was born on Tuesday, July 28th at 12:48 PM. She weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20.5 inches long.
We named her Sophia and the middle name is still to be decided. We are thinking of maybe Kay, which is my mom's middle name or maybe Olive which is Eric's mom's name. Maybe Olivia...we are not sure yet. It took me a while to decide if the name fit her. I knew it was right when each time I looked at her and called her Sophia, I got choked up. It must be her name.

Everything went so well! Here I am before the induction...one last time with her in my belly!
I had the best nurse, Bobbye! She was amazing and so helpful...loved her!
My awesome doctor, Dr. Russell Smith
For people like me, here are the details...We arrived at 8:15 to be induced at Alta View Hospital. I was dilated to a 4 when I arrived. They got me all set up and started the pitocin at 9:15 AM and then broke my water at 9:30. The contractions didn't get too strong until 10:40 or so. I got the epidural around 11: 30. Shortly after that I was a 5 and I was still feeling intense pain and struggling through the contractions, so I got another dose. I went from a 5 to a 9 in about 40 minutes and we got ready to push. Dr. Russell Smith came down and got ready to deliver. He sat down at 12:45, I pushed 3 times and she was born 3 minutes later at 12:48! I would deliver a baby any day...it is so amazing!!!! They put her on my belly and the euphoria began!
She swallowed a bunch of fluid and so I was a little concerned. I didn't want to have the same experience that I had with Talon (he aspirated fluid into his lungs and it really messed up our initial bonding and we were so worried about him). She was breathing and just coughing up a bunch of fluid whereas Talon was purple and wasn't breathing. So, I thought she would be ok, but I was still on edge.
They had to take her to the nursery and watch her respirations and heart rate for a few hours. I was really hoping that the kids would be able to hold her, but she was still in the nursery and only parents and grandparents were allowed.
They saw her through this glass door that was actually supposed to remain closed, but it was open for some reason and the kids got a good look at her. Tyler asked me, "mommy, who is that? Is she coming our house?"
Around 4 PM the kids were about to leave but we heard a knock at the door and in came baby Sophia! So, they all got to hold her after all and it was so great. Talon and Tyler were so precious with her. They kept asking when they could hold her and when they could hold her again. I loved seeing my boys that way...it melted my heart. She had so many visitors and we loved it!

My sweet boys :)

Cousin Tatum...
Cousin Sage
Cousin Seth
Aunt Rachelle

Grandma Dianne
Grandpa West
Me and my sweet sisters Kristy and Emma
Great grandpa and grandma Drumiler
Grandma has a special way with babies. She adores them and talks and sings so sweetly to them.I just love this little girl. She has already made space in my heart for her.

Here is our new little family!

Can you say Nesting?!!

2009-07-24T18:16:00.006-06:00

For the last several months we have been living in a chaotic mess! I started too many projects all at once and have been a stressed out, manic little birdie. We've been able to get lots of the projects done and now I can finally chill out! Eric is hoping and praying that the insanity will stop.

It all started several months ago with Eric building these nice wood shelves in our 2 closets so that I could have better organization. They are fabulous and make such a difference!
After everything was put away and in a good spot, we decided we were going to make the toy room the baby's room instead of putting her in with the boys. That meant...the closets had to be rearranged again...
We also got some bunk beds from a friend and they are perfect! We put them together and the boys love them. Another project...moving things around, finding new places for toys and making the bedding work.
On to the next project...painting the crib and the glider. My sweet friend gave me a glider that she was done with. We decided to paint both things white to look cute with her bedding. I had another friend make new slip covers for the cushions to match her pink room.

Here is the rocker before...
During...
After...
Next up, food organization...Eric built shelves in the armoire so that we could use it better as a pantry. Another project for me...organize all the food and rearrange all the cupboards.Then, I cleaned and organized my fridge and freezer! I also cleaned underneath the fridge...so disgusting and it was not on purpose. Eric pulled it out and I immediately said, "stop!...you know I will have to clean under there if I see it!" I would have rather remained in the dark on that one. Of course now that its clean, it was worth it.
Now, for the nursery...

This has been really fun because I haven't ever decorated a nursery before. Here is what it looked like before, when it was the toy room...
Here it is in progress...
The best "honey-doer" around...he gets the job done and does it well.
Here is her room still in progress...
And it's finally finished!
Time for the baby to get here!

Now we are both perfectly exhausted just in time for a newborn, he is probably done with projects forever, and we can't actually live in our house or it will all get messed up! But its all worth it. Right honey? He has been so great to do all this for me. I am so excited to have things in order before the baby gets here! Thanks babe...you are the best!

Talon's Projects

2009-07-11T23:04:00.007-06:00

It seems like our family likes doing projects. We have been going crazy with projects around here that we are trying to get done before the baby is born. Talon also loves projects and has been doing some with us and some of his own.

This was back in November when I was making chocolates. He loved helping me until his arms got too tired...
This was a batch of yummy new cookies we were trying...
We had fun, but it became even more fun when Talon thought he was sneaking a taste of powdered sugar and it was cornstarch. He's gonna need a drink after that little blunder.
He loves helping us, but he has his own creations too. He LOVES building all sorts of different Legos. He builds them and then breaks them to make something of his own...
He got this Bionicle for his birthday and it was the largest and longest project for us both. Luckily I like building things, but by the end I was so done with it. But it was worth it to see the smile on his face and it was fun to do together.
Apparently paper plates are perfect project material.
A boat he made and was going to paint but we never did.
Finger paints, crayons, q-tips and a toilet paper roll.
Toilet paper man...
He also loves drawing and coloring...
He colored this for us for Easter and even wrapped it (in Christmas wrap).
He made this welcome home sign for me when I came home from a weekend away. I kept it on the wall forever!
I love that he enjoys doing fun and creative things. It's something I have good memories of when I was little.

Now I have to get on with the rest of our projects! My next post will be chock full of them.

Cozy

2009-06-12T22:33:00.006-06:00

Here is how I usually find my boys in the morning after I drag myself out of bed...being cozy.
Somehow we have picked up saying "let's get cozy" or "cozy me?" My sister Rachelle says the same thing to her kids and I think we stole it from them. Since I've been pregnant and on the couch more often, I like to "cozy" them whenever I have the chance and I love when they are cozy together. Talon is more affectionate than Ty and has some nighttime fears.

Particularly at bedtime Talon has a hard time being far from Tyler. He has a fear about not being able to see him. Tyler is fine in his own bed, but Talon really needs the security. Before we got the bunk beds, we pushed the two twins beds together so that Talon could always see Ty. He would ask me to turn Tyler towards him so that he could see his face. I hope this is just a stage and not that he is fearful all the time. Although it has been good for him to learn a lot about prayer and blessings. He asks Eric for blessings all the time, which is so precious to me. I hope he feels like prayer and blessings are a great source of comfort when he is scared. Just tonight, he thought he was praying silently but we heard a bit of what he said. One thing he said was, "Jesus, will you give me a blessing?" My sweetheart.

Happy

2009-06-09T14:09:00.007-06:00

I had a great Dr. visit today. Last time, our little baby girl was breech and I was a little stressed. I was concerned that she may not turn and I might have to have a c-section, which is not the worst thing of course, but I was hoping things would go as they have before with my other two labors. Today he said she was head down and so I am very happy!! I am sure she could turn again, but I'm hoping she will stay in her ready position.

Whenever we are at the doctor, Tyler asks "we are going to the doctor and then our baby sister is going to come out?" Yeah, I wish...not yet buddy, but sooner than later. My doc asked me today if I was still interested in being induced a week early, to which I replied, "absolutely". So, I am planning to be induced on July 28th (7 weeks from today).

This is good news to me because this pregnancy has been harder than the others. It seems like there is one thing after the next. I start to feel better and then something else hits. For a while I was really feeling depressed and that was probably the hardest thing. If I am happy I can handle life, but if I'm depressed and struggling mentally and emotionally, that's another story.

Physically for the last month I have been battling anemia, bronchitis, a sinus infection and apparently allergies. Who knew you could get allergies when you are pregnant? I've never had allergies and man do I have sympathy for people with them. They are terrible. I felt like I couldn't breathe or ever get clear and I couldn't taste anything, boooo. Luckily, lately they have gotten better and I feel like I can breath better. I still have a remnant of a bad cough. When the cough was bad, I wet my pants straight through twice! I have never had that problem in pregnancy and then here comes the humiliating and uncontrollable cough that makes me wet my pants. "Oops, excuse me, do you have something I could wrap around myself so no one will see that I just wet myself?"

So, now that those things have gotten better, I have sciatica again. It has come and gone during this pregnancy along with my varicose vein throbbing pain. Yesterday I was in tears driving Talon to school. Any time I put weight or pressure on it I wanted to die. I had a visit with a physical therapist that was helpful and now I am just trying to lay down a lot...um sure. And really, the throbbing vein thing comes and goes. When it's bad it's bad, but for the most part it has been OK.

Today is better and I am so happy for that! Pains will come and go, but I am still so happy and excited to be pregnant! I don't even have it that bad compared to some of my friends. I am amazed at what women cope with to get their children here...women are tough. Here is a shout out to all you women who have endured and struggled. I take strength from your strength.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-12T15:58:00.008-06:00

I had a great Mother's Day this year and yes, it's going to get sappy. But at least I'm posting, right?
What mom doesn't want to sleep in? So, of course that was a great beginning to a very pleasant day. I had a yummy breakfast and then relaxed in the tub.
With Eric, there is always gifts. I didn't realize this about Eric right away. He loves giving gifts and he would probably deny that he loves getting them, but I know he does. I don't think I have ever measured up to his gift-giving abilities. I'm working on it. I hope that by Father's Day I will have the perfect gift for him. He picked out this absolutely adorable blanket and burp cloths for our baby girl and these cute flip-flops for me. Loved it!
Talon gave me a smorgasborg of homemade gifts including a "clean the house" coupon along with a priceless story he wrote and illustrated for me.
And a plant that he thought he was keeping a secret about. He kept saying under his breath, "I can't believe you don't know...", then trailing off trying to not really give it away. I think the cutest thing was that he kept saying that he couldn't wait for Mother's Day. Sometimes I'm such a crappy mom and he still wants to be so good to me. Kids have such boundless love.
We went to church and I loved the talks that were given. I was teary-eyed the whole time. I love hearing grown men get weepy about their mothers. They keep apologizing for being so emotional, but it just warms my heart to see the impact their mothers have had on them.

After church, Eric prepared a delicious steak dinner and I even got the "special" plate.
What is Mother's Day without a chocolate dessert?
And of course, one of the best parts of the day is the card that Eric gives me. From day one in our relationship he has said that he doesn't write cards well, but he has always given me such meaningful and sentimental cards that are treasures to me.
After letting me rest and being mom and dad for a day, this is what happened...thank you Eric for my wonderful day!
I can't mention Mother's Day without talking about my own mother. We celebrated with her on Saturday night at Tuscany and we had such a great time. We were missing Daniel and Rachelle which would have made the siblings complete. We laughed and had such a great time just talking and relaxing.

After dinner we went out to the garden and took a few photos which turned out to be very comical. But, after all of it, I got a great picture of my mom. Isn't she beautiful? And she's single. Anyone have an awesome dad looking for a fabulous woman in his life?
Another nice thing about my mom is that she always gets us cute, hand-picked gifts. Thanks mom!!
I'm so grateful to be a mother and to know that this is what I want in my life. I have a tendency to complain, ummm, kind of a lot. But, I would never change my life. I get stressed, crazy, worried, tired, angry, overwhelmed, lonely and everything else in the challenge of motherhood, but I would never want to be anywhere else or doing anything different. That doesn't mean I don't want time to myself for my other interests but I'm happy that I'm not always wondering if I should be doing something different with my life. Thanks to a wonderful mother who I knew found joy in her role as a mother, I wanted to be just like her. Being a mother is what I have always wanted to do. I had absolutely no idea what it entailed, but it's still worth it.

We are having a...

2009-03-05T21:53:00.006-07:00

...GIRL!! We have some of the nicest friends ever! Jeff and Diana took us out to yummy sushi and then said, "let's go find out what you are having...our treat." We were planning on waiting for the ultrasound in my doctors office (1 1/2 weeks away). They said they couldn't wait! We went over to the mall to Fetal Studio and the OB who did the ultrasound stayed open late for us. It was the most fun, spontaneous thing! We are still in shock! I asked him to check and make sure there wasn't anything hiding and he said he was 200% sure, three little white lines. He also said she has big lips. Nice, no botox for her. Can they really tell??
Eric's face was so sweet. We were both teary-eyed. Even before we found out if it was a girl or a boy I was starting to cry. Just seeing her little face, bones, spine and movements is so special and amazing. It reminds me what a miracle it is and really bonds me to her. So, to end the evening right, we bought a few bows for her. I can't believe I just bought bows! :)

A little sunshine amid the rain and clouds...

2009-02-21T18:49:00.008-07:00

Amidst the difficulty of the past several weeks, we were able to get our minds somewhere else the day after the funeral. The Tour of California started in Merced (where Eric is from) the day after the funeral. It had been pouring rain since Sunday and then on Wednesday, it was the most gorgeous day. We went to the start line in Merced and then tried to catch them in another spot. It was so fun! Eric and I were able to get our minds on something that we both love so much.
What is a Tour without Bob Roll...
I got a great picture of Lance. If only we had been there earlier we could have gotten signatures, darn it! We wore our pink "Fat Cyclist" jerseys to show support for Eric's dad and for Susan Nelson.
It was such a fun experience. I love watching races, especially bike races. I just love the energy of it all. We were trying to make it to Mariposa as well so we could see them climb, but the roads were shut down...boo hoo. We ended up watching the rest of the race on TV and it was soooo cool. It was a great escape from the sad reality we've been facing.

Obituary for Tony Gaoiran

2009-02-14T10:47:00.005-07:00

Antonino (Tony) Gaoiran

For those of you who knew Eric's dad, I want to let you know that he passed away on Thursday from pancreatic cancer. It was too fast. He was diagnosed only 2 weeks prior to his passing. It has only been 3 weeks since we found out that things were looking really bad. It has only been 4.5 weeks since we found out that he was sick. It has been a really tough time for Eric and his family.

Eric has visited his dad in California 4 times since we found out Tony was sick. He has come home in between for short periods of time. I am so glad that has been able to spend so much time with his dad. During his first trip, Eric did his paper route with him. Tony was very efficient and Eric said that he had fun doing the route with him. It brought back memories from when he used to do them as a kid. He was very conscientious about his job and his school and so he kept going even though he was in a lot of pain.

He was very concerned about making it to work and finishing his school. He was in school at the University of Phoenix getting his degree. Tony worked in the evenings hanging fliers for businesses and also had several paper routes that he did from midnight until 6 AM.
Since his dad has been sick, Eric has been his caretaker along with Maureen, Tony's wife. I am so grateful for a husband who respects and loves his dad so much. Tony constantly said, "where's Eric". Eric was always there for him. Tony knew he could count on Eric. I know that these last few weeks meant the world to Tony. The last few nights before Tony died, Eric was awake with his dad all night, helping him to get comfortable and moving him around. Eric was with him at his home when he passed away.
These pictures are precious for us. In this picture Eric had just asked his dad how he was feeling and his dad said, "I love you, son". You can see on Tony's face how proud he is of Eric.

We love you and miss you!

Tony's Obituary

July 12, 1948 - February 12, 2009

Tony Gaoiran was born in Merced on July 12, 1948 and peacefully passed away in his Clovis home on Feb. 12, 2009. He was preceded by parents Regino & Magdalena Gaoiran.

Tony is a Merced High graduate, attended Merced Jr. College & until his passing, was enrolled in the University of Phoenix, Psychology Program. Tony was a loyal American Patriot who was in the US Army, who served in Viet Nam with honor & distinction. Tony was devoted to his family and took great pride in his work as an independent contractor with the Fresno Bee. He leaves many, many loved ones: Wife Maureen; sons Eric(Jaynann, Talon, Tyler), Justin(Valerie, Cooper); brothers Mel(Patty), Nick(Tracy); sister Susie(Jim); stepchildren Lisa(Carl, Patrick, Elizabeth, Daniel), Marcus(Nou, Kenji, Scott), Richard(Melissa, Madison, Anthony, Valerie); William(Mai). He also leaves his loyal beloved pets, Guiness, C.C. &Waldo.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, at the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints located at 220 North Peach, Clovis, CA. Visitation is 11:00am to 11:45am with Services at 12 noon. Burial will be at the Clovis Cemetary located at 305 N Villa Ave, Clovis. All his family and friends are welcome and invited to attend.

Tony will truly be missed.

Tough times...

2009-02-01T09:09:00.008-07:00

This is a tough time. Eric's dad, Tony, has been feeling sick since November. We didn't find out he was sick until about 3 weeks ago when Maureen,Tony's wife, e-mailed Eric about how worried she was about him. They didn't know what was wrong and he has been misdiagnosed 4 times by different doctors. They said he had acid reflux and that he was depressed. They never looked any further. The last dr. finally said they would do a cat scan and had it scheduled. In the meantime, he kept getting worse and so Tony finally said he would go to the ER. That is when all the bad news hit. They took a cat scan and told him that he had a lump on his pancreas and that his liver had lesions all over it. The news looked bad, but we decided to wait until we got the biopsy back as well as hear from the oncologist before we decided that his life was short. The oncologist confirmed the horrible news. Tony has pancreatic cancer that has spread to the liver. She told him he has weeks to months left...

Eric has been traveling to and from CA. We came here this time with him. This is his third time driving to CA in 3 weeks. Tony keeps losing weight and won't drink or eat because he can't keep anything down. Currently, Eric is at the ER with his dad and Maureen trying to get him an IV. They are going to keep him at the hospital for the moment.

Yesterday was a good day, in a spiritual sense. He was sealed to Maureen in the Fresno temple. We didn't have anyone in Clovis to watch the kids, so I stayed with the kids while Eric went into the sealing and was his dad's escort. It was a neat experience for Eric. Unfortunatley, Tony was sick most of the time. He threw up after the ceremony and they rushed him outside of the temple for fresh air. It was a long day for him, but I know Tony was happy that he was able to be sealed to Maureen.
It is painful to see him right now. He is so frail and thin. It takes lots of energy to do anything, so he just lays in bed. As you can imagine, it is very painful for Eric. But I am so amazed at his strength. He has been an amazing support for his dad and Maureen, doing anything for them.

He is my parent's age, he is only 60. This is him in May of last year.This is at Thanksgiving. When I look at the picture now, I can see that he is not feeling well. I wish we knew then.

There is not much more to say, but I ask for prayers in his behalf and for Eric and his family. They are all taking it pretty hard. Many of you are already praying for them and we really appreciate that.

Baby ultrasound and a new Doctor!

2009-01-24T17:52:00.008-07:00

An ultrasound on your first visit...how cool is that? I wish I knew the sex of the baby, but it's so great to know all is looking good. As we were looking at the ultrasound the first thing he said was, "Your baby looks awesome".

I love my new doc by the way, Dr. Russell Smith. He is so great. He is so easy to talk to and I never felt rushed or nervous. I used to feel very particular about going to female OBs, but I have since realized it depends on the person, not whether or not they are a woman or a man. My first doc was a woman and she was awful. She was insensitive and cold. She didn't seem to understand compassion or sensitivity in any form. She didn't have children of her own and she seemed to think that all pregnant women were whiners. When I went for my 6 week check-up after having Talon I told her that I thought I might have post-partum depression. She said, "hmm...Are you sure?" It was extremely difficult to bring up in the first place and then she doubted me! It was impossible to hold back the tears at that point. I was having such a hard time and was hoping that there might be an answer and she squashed my hope. I don't know why I put so much trust in her. I should have gone to another doctor because as it turns out, I had major postpartum depression.

As I was sitting there crying, she went to get some pamphlets about post-partum and then started to offer some suggestions, but I was so frustrated that I just left. Can you tell that I didn't like her? Anyone who questions someone's suffering is not on my good side. It's interesting because any time her name comes up, it seems to be the same story.

My second doc was a woman that I really liked. She was very kind and gentle. I could talk to her, but I still felt intimidated. Now I feel like I can say whatever I need to. It's like he actually enjoys talking to his patients. Either he puts on a good show or he is really genuine. I hope it continues to be a positive experience!

Expecting...

2009-01-10T15:08:00.003-07:00

Was that obvious enough? I really have been meaning to update my blog. The sickness and exhaustion from pregnancy kept me from it. I am starting to feel better, just pretty tired. I'm due on August 3rd and my first appointment is next week. We are both really excited to be adding another little one to our family. I try to forget that I'm pregnant so that it goes faster. I get too anxious/excited if I think about it too much.

I knew I was pregnant and Eric was in denial. I kept telling him that I felt pregnant and he said, "you're not pregnant". When I took the test I showed him and said, "you're right" and he glanced at it and said, "yeah, that's what I thought". It took three times of telling him he was "right" while I had the positive pregnancy test in front of him until he got it. It's true, I was tricking him, but he didn't really look at the test. Once he got it, he said with a deep breath, "oh...(another deep deep breath)...oh...I think I need to sit down." And he sat down. I was laughing while he was in deep thought. I had already been prepared because I knew I was pregnant. He really didn't think I was. And yes, he is happy about it. He just didn't think it would happen so fast.

Eric has been both mom and dad for the last month. He has been so helpful! He gets up with the kids every morning so that I can sleep and it has made a huge difference in how I feel. During the holidays when I was sooo sick and had such little energy, Eric did everything. I just looked at him with an "I'm sorry, I wish I felt better and could do more" face. I felt quite pathetic, but Eric has been a champ. The kids are excited and Talon gets it more than Tyler. Tyler has denied it at times. Preparing food has made me feel the worst and most sick, so Eric has prepared it or we've had easy, frozen Costco foods. One night Talon said, "oh, I know what we're having for dinner...freezer stuff." That's right, you lucky duck, mozzarella sticks, pizza, chicken nuggets...whatever you like.

Well then, there it is. Updates to follow.

Why I love boys...

2008-12-06T20:37:00.009-07:00

There is something so fun about a boy's energy. They are funny and I love how creative they are. Talon is the creative mastermind behind most of these projects.

Hmmm...let's see, how can we use the poles and the skateboard to do something fun?
I got it...Now let's use the box, a bungee cord and the skateboard...
Notice the flames he cut out on the back of the box...
This reminds me of all the fun times I had with my brothers on skateboards, rollerblades, bikes and scooters. We had this little bump in the middle of our downhill asphalt driveway that made a sweet jump. I remember trying to be as daring as my brothers and jump off it. So, when I see my kids doing this I can't help but remember how much fun we had and I love to see that they are making memories with each other too.

Talon had another great idea, although this may have been a combined effort. They shoved about 10 rolls of toilet paper in Tyler's jammies and ran around the house. Sleep was over for dad.
Now, forts may not be just a boy thing. We made forts all the time growing up. The best forts are the ones that you can sleep in. We would push our sectional couch in a big rectangle and make a huge bed/fort and it was soooo cozy. So, when my boys want to sleep in forts and make new arrangements with the beds, we get into it.

Sleepovers are the best for forts and of course, jumping on the beds in necessary. We put the mattresses on the floor and squished them together for their sleepover with their cousin. They immediately saw an opportunity. Daddy got a work out throwing them "one more time".
"Ooohhhmmm"
Seriously, where do they come up with these things? So funny.This was almost 3 years ago when another cousin slept over. They had so much fun making and sleeping in this fort.
Boys are fun. I love their energy (except at the grocery store, church, ya know, anywhere we are supposed to be in control). So, here's to my wild, crazy, energetic boys. woo woo!

PS-Talon lost his second tooth a few weeks ago! :)

Photo Tag

2008-11-15T23:25:00.002-07:00

Brendan, Seth and Talon (cousins) all looking at a Gameboy or something. So cute. These little boys are growing up. His chunkier cheeks remind me that he was only about 4 in this picture.

This is the 4th photo in the 4th folder in my pictures. Your turn.

Zipping through October

2008-11-06T22:00:00.002-07:00

We've been busy this October...

We went to Boondocks...the kids seriously scored with so many tickets.
We played at a park with Rick and Rachelle and their kids. This was too funny. Sage and Tyler were attacking Rachelle with the tree branches and laughing hysterically. She just gave up and let the kids attack.
We visited the Witches at Gardener Village.
The boys received a package from Grandpa and Grandma Gaoiran with yummy Godiva chocolate.
I went on my first Night Ride, Halloween style...
Whitney and I rode with about 30 guys, including my brothers-in-law Dug and Rick, in Park City at Glenwild. Eric was supposed to be there, but he was feeling sick. I could feel the stares from them, "ummm, why are you here instead of Sleepy (his biking nickname)? And, do we have to wait for you?" Dug, nicknamed the Shepherd, made sure I was ok. He talked me up the first climb where I thought my lungs were going to burst. "That's the worst of it Jay." Dug...you are the best!

I thought I would be pretty freaked out riding at night, but it was very cool. So, about 2 and some hours after we started, we got to the top of the last climb. The rest was all downhill. I didn't want to slow any boys down, so I waited. Whitney went after them and I should have followed, but Dug was waiting for a few friends he brought with him. So I started chatting with him. I didn't want to slow them down either, so I took off assuming that I would see the other bike lights. Nope. No lights, just me. Alone. Just me and the bears. I was going to stop and wait for Dug but I was too scared. I kept hearing animal noises. And I had just read about a girl that was doing a 24 hour bike race and in the middle of the night she was attacked by a bear...yep a bear.

I was worried that I took a wrong turn. I had no idea where I was and it was pitch black and freezing. Eventually I saw some bike lights. Prayers answered, but then they disappeared again. Finally I saw a street and a car and I hoped I was going the right way. Next time, no chatty chatty. It always gets me in trouble!!

Some of the group dressed up...
Even Skeletor showed up...
We went to the pumpkin patch with Joy School...
Went to Great Grandpa Dan's to get pumpkins from his garden...

we went to Kristy's family Halloween party...
Pass the Pumpkin always tickles everyone...and we can't stop laughing, especially when the adults play.
Hmm...right on the nose. There may have been some peeking..
My cute mom was Esmeralda...
I dressed up too...
Kristy has so many fun games. It was a ward party in her basement.
We had a Joy school Halloween Program...This was so cute. Tyler was doing all the actions for the songs and I just melted.
We made Jack-o-lanterns.
And finally...went trick-or-treating! Tyler kept saying, "gotta get more". I think he's figured it out.
Tyler didn't want anyone in front of him. Can you see the stiff arm he's trying to give Talon? After that he tripped and then got right up and kept running. He is always racing. His constant phrase is "I gonna beat you". I've been using that to my advantage when we are trying to get something done.
All the loot...
Now you have survived the longest post in blogging history!

Talon lost his first tooth!!

2008-11-02T19:21:00.002-07:00

It's true. He was eating an apple and told me it was loose. I didn't think he was serious. It took me by complete surprise that he would already be losing teeth! So, we have been wiggling it for about a week and this morning he said, "Where are those tweezy things". I said, "the tweezers?" Then he let me pull it out! His other front bottom tooth (Dr. Daniel and Rachel can tell me the correct name) is also loose. My baby is growing up.

Happy Birthday Jay!

2008-10-17T23:36:00.002-06:00

WE LOVE YOU. Talon, Tyler and Eric

Jay we hope you have a great day. I asked the kids today what they wanted to say to you for your birthday and Tyler said in a singing voice, "happy birthday to you!" Talon immediately followed with, "I love my mom because she does everything for us."

Where does the time go?

2008-10-08T08:45:00.000-06:00

A few fun events that are somewhat or maybe not very, recent...

We went up Big Cottonwood Canyon one day and the boys loved it. They ran around and played in the stream all day.

My baby Talon is all grown up. He looks so old in this photo! My sweetheart.
My cute love-bug, Ty...always being silly.

Talon's first day of 1st Grade! (yes, I know it's October). Have I mentioned that I am a slow blogger?
Tyler playing on the playground after Talon went inside to his classroom.

Tyler and I were crying. We missed him. We were so sad to have him gone all day. When we passed his school around noon (when we used to pick him up from Kindergarten) Ty said, "get Talon school." It was so sad. He started crying and didn't understand why we weren't going to get him yet. It was a long day.

Here he is, done with the first day! He was cool...no sweat, mom.

Right on time, daddy called to see how Talon's first day was.

I love this photo. The boys missed each other so much. Talon comforted Tyler because he knew that he missed him all day.

Joy School, here we come...

Going to school got a little easier on Tyler because he started joy school. It is the cutest thing! He loves it and always takes his "pack-pack". He was sad the first day when he realized that he was not going to the same school as Talon. But now he says, "I go school, different one" and he loves his "pack-pack wike Tawon".

This is for Renee and anyone else who loves to ride...my new mountain bike. It's a 29er Vassago Bandersnatch. Isn't she pretty?
It took forever to get here so I have only been riding it since August. I am not very into the technical stuff about the bike, I leave that to Eric, but I will say that it's heavier than my Ibis. I am hoping to eventually get a lighter wheel set, but it rides so smooth and I love the disc brakes. It rolls over everything and I have a lock-out on the shock that seemed silly at first, but I am really liking it.

I had hoped to do at least one mountain bike race, but the race season was mostly during the summer when I didn't have my bike. I know, I know...excuses, excuses. The absolute, naked truth is that I am scared to death of mountain bike racing. I have an intense desire to race, but I'm afraid the pre-race panic will kill me first. I have done 100 mile road rides, Hill climbs and triathlons, but I am terrified of mountain bike races. Years ago, I did a race with a good friend of mine, Lizzy, and I got sick half way through. I didn't finish and that has always bugged me. I will make it up one day.

Here's to Ten Years Together

2008-10-04T09:18:00.007-06:00

On August 22, we celebrated 10 years of marriage together.
On our actual anniversary, we ate at Outback and then drove around in my mom's fancy BMW convertible.
A few weeks later, for the real celebration, we went up to Park City. We had high hopes of riding Tour de Suds in Deer Valley all day and got hailed on instead. I mean, we really have bad luck. Every time we try to plan something extra special, there is a kink. I have to learn to roll with the punches...stupid punches.

Here we are, all happy before the rain and hail...Park City, here we come...
More bad luck...Is this the smallest couch you have ever seen? Is there any way we could have both fit on that couch comfortably? Maybe I could have perched myself on the back of the couch.
And look at this tiny tub! However, I did enjoy a nice bubble bath while Eric watched some football.
Oh and did I mention that we couldn't see the TV from the bed. The couch obviously wasn't going to work so we had to figure out another option. Luckily Eric thought to bring the laptop for movie watching. And guess what we watched? Pride and Prejudice! It was such a sweet gesture since I know he's not a big fan or really a fan at all of wordy, accent-y, slow chick flicks. Bonus: he even stayed awake.

So, a few more things on the upside...

We shopped all day at the outlets and Eric was a good sport. Towards the end, he decided to wait outside...
We saw a double rainbow (although you can only see one in the picture) and we could actually see the beginning/end of it! I have never seen the origination point of a rainbow.This was too funny...we were in a soap/lotion shop and we washed our hands using the whole 4 step process. Eric could not get over how soft his hands felt. "Wow...I mean, feel my hands, they are so soft!"
We had a delicious dinner at Prime Steakhouse on Main Street. I think it was the best steak I have ever had...perfectly flavored and cooked. And if you like red onion, I had a salad with red onion and juicy tomato slices with blue cheese smothered on top. Oh, it was delish. To top it off the grilled vegetables were succulent and melted in my mouth.

To finish off the weekend we ate lunch at a French Bistro and walked down Main Street.

What can I say about the one I love the most? I still get butterflies when I see him. I can't go a day without talking to him every few hours. His laugh is contagious. His smile, heartwarming. When it comes down to it, he is a softy.
He is the perfect dad for our boys. He loves to play with them and gives them the love they need.
I love riding with him. He pulls me to the top and scares me to death going down.

The bummer about getting photos of riding is that you don't usually get photos of actual riding. This is a technical stair climb that he missed this time, but its such a cute pic.
Eric has seen me in many circumstances...from my most vulnerable and terrifying moments to my most happy and delighted ones. The best part is that he is still by my side loving me through it all. And for that I am grateful. Here's to forever together. Love you babe.

I'm Alive (don't worry...NO SPOILERS)

2008-09-05T07:22:00.006-06:00

Back from the dead...I finally finished all the books from the Twilight Series. Eric was seriously getting worried that our house might never get clean again and that we would go hungry. Yesterday he specifically asked me if I could get to the grocery store.

So, what did I think?...don't worry, NO SPOILERS HERE. I would never do that...(I'm saving it for the "comments" section.)

Apparently, some people don't mind spoiling it for me...usually people I hardly know. The book is just barely peeking out of my purse and someone asks me, "which one are you on?" Now, I do want to talk about it, but not the parts I haven't read yet! Seriously? Complete strangers decide they can spoil it for me. The cashier at Walmart starts telling me stuff even after I say, "please...don't tell me anything...no, I don't want to know anything...La la la la...I can't hear you." I could barely hold back my karate chop action. BTW-I am never going back to Walmart. Let's just say 35 minutes in line and a cashier who was not "all there" spoiling part of the book for me.

So...am I done with my obsession? Yes, of course. There is no way that I will go to the website to search out more information on my precious characters or to the "Twilight" movie website or to other people's blogs about it...no that is for crazy obsessed fans. In fact, I am headed to the store...right now...for real...I promise, just not Walmart.

NOTE: I am very interested to see what you think about the book(s), so be prepared that in the COMMENTS, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

Flaming Gorge

2008-08-16T08:14:00.020-06:00

So we went to Flaming Gorge a few weeks ago... OK maybe a month ago. We had a great time with my family. It was beautiful, not crowded and clean. We had so much fun on the boat and cliff jumping. We also floated down the Green River and it was so pretty.
The cousins had a blast. My nephew, Brendan told his mom that it was more fun that Disneyland! You never say anything like that to Kristy. She loves Disneyland more than anyone I know! The cousins ran around together all day everyday from condo to condo. They loved being on the boat together too.
Talon got up on waterskiis!! He was so excited. His cousin Brendan did it first and set the bar. I couldn't believe he wanted to do it. My sister-in-law Kristy was so awesome. She got in the water with each kid and got them set up and held them upright. She did this for all the kids. I think I would have been terrified waiting in the water....remember my fear of water? She was so great! She waited in the water while they skied.
Talon was so funny. Once he got up on the water skis, we all started to cheer for him. So he started waving and giving thumbs up letting us know that he was "good". He had this self-confident grin on his face that still cracks me up.
This was fun, oh except for the pounding in my head from jumping. It still makes my head hurt. Of course Eric loved it...no fear. In fact everybody loved it...

Kristy always makes it a party by bringing fun things for the kids. Um, Kristy...need some help?
The boys made it out on a ride...or two. Don't they look cute?
Thanks mom for a great trip!! We loved it!

GIRLS CAMP 2008

2008-08-03T15:33:00.013-06:00

What can I say. Girl's camp is always fun. I think it's even more fun for me because I only attended one year when I was a girl. I still lament over it. I really missed out. I, of course, thought I was too cool for such things. Now I wish I could have a do-over. Lucky for me, I got to have some of the fun experiences I missed out on. We went up to Heber Valley Girls Camp and it was beautiful. The cabins are so nice and we even got to take showers! We were lucky that the weather was a little cooler than usual so that the cabins didn't get too hot.

I LOVE these girls! They are such an inspiration to me. They have simple faith and they are so intelligent. They are always asking great questions about the gospel. They have courage to ask questions about things that they don't understand. I remember feeling confused as a young girl, but too afraid/embarrassed to ask. I love that they have confidence to ask those questions. Most of us leaders have similar questions. Enlightening discussions always follow those questions.

Being with the girls makes me feel like I am 12 all over again. Everything is very well planned and scheduled at Heber Valley. That meant that we had very little responsibility which was great because we were able to hang out with the girls. I found myself acting more goofy than usual. Man, I used to be so goofy and fun. It's a bummer when life gets so serious. The girls brought out the fun and crazy side to me.
The girls had challenges on the 3rd day and we went to watch. We thought we were going to be involved, but we weren't allowed to help them. It was so frustrating. All the girls were trying to figure out how to accomplish challenges like how to get across wires without touching the ground and having everyone get across together. Teamwork, right? It's amazing to see what happens when people don't listen to each other. A few of the girls had great ideas, but no one would listen. They kept trying the same thing over and over. At the last challenge they figured it out. They asked each other for ideas instead of shouting over each other and tried each idea one at a time. Interesting how that still happens in teams/families/groups everywhere.

Climbing, Climb on...The leaders were able to do one of the challenges. We had to climb up a tree and cross a wire to another tree and then repel down. I found out it was more unstable than it looked...and I usually love these things. I was a little uneasy but I had no time to think about it because they said we had to hurry so that all the leaders could get a chance. So, that made me do it without having time to get scared.
Here I am getting suited up for the task in a very flattering harness and helmet that really accentuated all my best areas.

I stayed for 3 days and it was great. It's always hard to work out babysitting for my kids while I'm at camp, but it's worth the effort. Next year I would love to be there for the whole thing. As a bonus, I come home with immediate blessings. Case in point...I usually get really stressed before and during vacations, but as soon as I got home from girls camp at 6 PM, we started packing up for Flaming Gorge. We got everything ready and left the next morning at 9:30. I wasn't stressed and I felt pretty relaxed the whole trip. Blessing.

MS Ride

2008-07-15T07:52:00.012-06:00

Zazoosh failed to snap a fabulous shot of me from this ride...c'mon, there were only thousands of riders...so if you look behind this guy, you can see me in my pink jersey.
This is my brother-in-law Rick (Rachelle's husband). He was nice enough to invite me to ride with his company Omniture.

Drafting rocks.
It's so cool to ride in a group. I ride alone a lot and I couldn't get over how much easier it was to draft off people in front of me. I can see why century rides are so fun.

Chivalry is NOT dead...at least on the bike.
I was the only lady in the group and the guys took care of me, especially Rick. He kept making sure I was OK. At one point I had fallen off the back of the group and he came back and said, "Hey, I'll pull you up there." I didn't expect him to stay with me because he is much speedier than me, and I mean much speedier. But he was taking care of the group and in no hurry. Thanks again Rick for making the ride enjoyable.

Eric rocks
Eric never even hesitates when I ask to do a ride like this. He takes the kids and is excited for me to have a great time. He knows how happy I am when I get home and I am so grateful that he supports and cares about my interests.

Tremonton rocks too, wait, no it doesn't.
Tremonton is not 20 minutes from Logan. It's about 45, going 80 miles an hour. It's a funny little town. We went to the grocery store and I asked the cashier where the protein bars were and she said, "Oh, ummm, I think we are out of those." Really? You only carry one brand of protein bars and you are completely out of them? Wait, where am I?

Is shooting knee pain normal?
The last 20 miles of the ride were pretty bad. I had shooting pain in my knees and toes and my right forefinger was numb. So, I dropped off the back of the group and tried to suffer alone. The pain was unforgiving, it wouldn't quit. And how could I quit? I only had 20 miles left and the rest of me was doing fine. At this point the group had moved on and I rode alone for a while. Then I saw a guy from our group and we rode the last 15 miles together. I just wanted to be out of my misery. At the very end, and I mean the very end, we raced to the finish.

It turns out that the pain was coming from my IT band. Pushing heavy gears and coming back from being sick for 2 weeks were the most likely culprits. It was great to finish another century.

Raising money for Multiple Sclerosis
Of course the most important part of the ride was raising money for MS. Our team alone raised $15,000 for the cause. It was special to me because I was riding in honor of my Aunt Becci who lost her life to this disease. I don't remember her much, but I recently read my grandfathers life history and he wrote of her compassionate, fun personality. I love what she often said to my Aunt Karen, “Just do whatever you think is right, do what feels good to you and do what is in your heart and what comes from your heart.” She was only 32 when she died.

A family friend, Verlan J. Terry, wrote this poem for Becci.

A Morning Leaf
By Verlan J. Terry

Confused. I left my sister's step and started down the walk.
I read again the note she left where I was due to knock.
"Dear brother, Dad called, sorry I couldn't stay.
He said he wants you home too--a little later in the day."

So passing beneath her sycamore tree, I paused in its cool shade.
I found myself bewildered, perplexed, not angered or afraid.
Strange, it was so urgent-- so brief a warning.
Why had he called her so early in the morning?

And there at the foot of the tree where I had stopped to lean,
My down-cast eyes beheld a leaf--a leaf of brilliant green.
How cruel! How sad for a leaf to fall on a warm midsummer day.
Probably caused by a stormy wind, or a child's rough hand at play.

But no-- there's another drifting down--down softly t'wards earth's breast.
Why now? So green-- so long before the rest?

For most leaves wait for frost, then fall with a warm golden hue,
Leaving behind on a barren branch a lonesome, withered few,
Silhouetted against a cold grey sky, bearing deep winter's chill,
Clutching life's limb with miraculous power, abiding the Master's will

Were I the master, I mused, all leaves would together fall,
Or more likely yet, I couldn't bear them leave the tree at all.
And thus the plan would be thwarted, its whole purpose denied.
No, it's best He be the Master, its best that He decide.

And so with mind enlightened, heart content and serene,
I left the home of my sweet sister, Becci Jean.
And stepped into the noonday sun, happy for what I'd seen,
Holding close my note and leaf--my leaf of perfect green.

Mindful now of undone tasks, I hurried along my way,
For she said He wanted me home too, --later in the day.

This poem reminds me to make the best of each day and that my time here is unknown. Recently I’ve read of tragic circumstances in others' lives--mostly of families losing children. It crushes my heart. It makes everything else in life seem so trivial. Each story I have cried over has given me another ounce of perspective and added compassion for those suffering.

California

2008-06-29T16:32:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, we went on a trip to California for a Family Reunion with the Gaoiran side of the family. Eric went out a week early to help his uncle Jim rebuild a barn. The boys and I flew out a few days later. They were pretty good on the plane, but I was still stressed of course.

Before we went to Merced, I stopped in Roseville to visit my brother Daniel, his wife Rachel and their son Luke. Tyler calls him "Wuke".
If I ever left Utah I would want to live in Roseville. It is such a nice area with so much for the kids to do. I have never seen parks like these...
And that's not all...if the park is not enough, there are water play areas too! Talon absolutely loved this...

Tyler wasn't as interested in getting wet...he stayed on the perimeter most of the time.

Luke was loving it too...
We finally get to see daddy after a week without him.

We had lots of fun hanging out with Daniel, Rachel and Luke. Although I think we were a little much for Luke. He is a mellow child and used to a quiet environment. Yeah, that's not my boys. At the end of our stay Luke went up to Rachel and said, "Say good-bye kids". It still makes me laugh. He was ready to have his space back. I think Rachel was too as she was close to her delivery date and still let us stay in her home. So nice.

Growing up, Daniel and I were close. He was my little buddy. He is three years younger than me and we used to talk a lot growing up. Or should I say, I used to talk a lot. I am pretty sure he just listened. He must have been so annoyed at times. He was always so sweet and just listened to whatever I felt like talking about. So, when I wasn't depressed, stressed, anxious or frustrated, we had fun together...no really, we did have fun together. Promise. We laughed a lot and played together. Growing up around my brothers meant that we did things boys do. We played "guns", Nintendo and computer games, rode bikes and skateboards, played outdoor hockey, basketball and went rollerblading. I have such great memories of spending those carefree hours playing with them. On this trip he had some time off work and so we had time to hang out together. We both have been so busy with our own lives that we haven't had time like that in years. I loved having that time with him.

After Roseville, we left for Merced and stayed with Eric's mom and her husband Dave. They are always great hosts and we feel at home in their home. We appreciate them making room for us. They bought a nice airbed for the kids to sleep on. Who knew that an airbed was comfortable? Oh the memories of starting out with it all full and then waking up on the ground because all the puffiness was gone. Destiny and Alyssa, their Crawford cousins, were being cozy on it altogether.

Eric's Aunt Susie and Uncle Jim have an almond tree orchard near Merced and they invited us out for a family reunion. Almost all his family was there. We missed you Val, Cooper and Uncle Nick. We had a blast and everyone enjoyed being together. It was great to see the family. Eric's dad, Tony, is in the black shirt)
Eric hasn't seen his cousins for 9 years! They all look alike, don't you think? His cousins are all boys and there are 2 boys to each family. We have 2 boys and Justin and Valerie have a boy. That's a lot of testosterone.
The little boys loved the "quad" and I have to admit it was fun driving through the beautiful almond trees.
We miss Justin! When he lived here, Talon and he formed a bond. Justin's dog is named Boston. Talon used to ask to visit "Jussin, Bosson" (Justin and Boston). Tyler followed suit and always asked to play with Justin. They both adore him.
Talon couldn't believe that there were other kids with his same last name. He said, "MOM, they have my same last name!" He and Tyler ran around all day with their Gaoiran 2nd cousins loving every minute of it.
What a trip!

Little Red 2008

2008-06-09T16:55:00.015-06:00

On Saturday I completed my first Century Ride (100 miles) called the Little Red Riding Hood. It's an all women's ride and I was excited to ride with my sister Kim and friends Holly and Sonja. We drove to Logan for the ride and let me tell you my friends, the road was angry that day. Before the ride even started, we were having trouble. We passed some guys with a pump and realized that we had forgotten to pump our tires. Ooops. So, these nice gentlemen pumped them up for us and we were off to the start line.

Then we went to get our lunch stickers (that we didn't really need) and our t-shirts (that we picked up later) without realizing that the ride had already started. Not sure how I missed that. There was a loud cow bell they were ringing to communicate the start of the ride. Hmmm, no idea where my head was. It wasn't a race, so we thought it wouldn't really matter when we started. But what we didn't realize was that we were starting with all the people who were planning to ride at a very leisurely pace. (Check out the lady in pink behind me if you don't believe me. Hide-ho there neighbor!)

So, off we went and about a mile in I had to pull over and get my brakes fixed. No problem, they were fixed in a jiffy. No worries right? Not so. At mile 7.5 I had a flat tire that would not be fixed. Holly, Kim and I were on our phones with our husbands asking them what we should do. I seriously needed my man. (I have yet to change my own flat tire. My extra tube is my cell phone. He always rescues me, thanks babe.)

Sonja was my man for the day. As she was changing it, we realized that I had a pop in the actual tire, not just the tube. After I told Eric that, he said, "oh man, you're done". I said, "don't say that!!!@#" Sonja kept working on my tire and after about 15 minutes a bike "sheriff" volunteer came to my aid. He tried 3 more tubes and still couldn't get the air to stay. He said, "I think your done". After 4 tubes and a lot of frustration (See frustrated photo) I was heading into a SAG wagon (Support And Gear vehicle) close to tears.

Kim, Holly and Sonja went ahead and I told them I would call when I knew what was going to happen. I appreciated them waiting for me and commiserating with me. Then Holly yells "Sagger" as I am walking towards the vehicle. Love her.

So, Seriously? I wasn't going to be able to ride? You've got to be kidding me. I was looking for options on how I could still ride. Maybe I could just hurry and go the bike shop and get a tube. Maybe I could borrow a bike. Maybe I could buy a bike, surely Eric wouldn't mind. I think after him telling me that "I was done" it would be justified.

So, I'm sitting in the SAG wagon awaiting the verdict and I say a quick, earnest prayer. Silly to pray for such things you might think, but I really wanted to ride. I even asked Eric to pray. It always works--I lifted my head from my prayer and the Bingham Cyclery Van pulls up. He just happens to have a tire that he will give me for free and he can fix it on the spot. Hallelujah!

So, I'm back on my bike after being on the side of the road for 45-60 minutes and am as happy as could be. I am so blinded by euphoria that I don't even think of the time or realize that I left my water bottles in the SAG wagon.

I meet up with the girls at the next rest stop and I look around for the SAG wagon that had my bottles, but it was already in route to the next location. I am still not thinking of the time. I have no watch and no working bike computer. A fellow-rider tells me the time and I am in shock. She said it was 10:30 and we had to get to the next location by 11:00 in order to ride the 100 mile loop. That's 15 miles in 30 minutes. Bee inserted in bonnet.

Frantic is how I would describe the next 30-45 minutes. You might be wondering why I didn't call it and do the 80 miles instead. Remember, I am an all-or-nothing gal I had no other option in my mind at that point. This is also the first time I have attempted a Century and I wanted to finish it. So, I make it to the cut-off and wait for Sonja at the rest stop. Kim was originally planning on doing the 36 mile route and Holly wasn't sure. A while later I got a text from Kim that said she and Holly were doing the 80 mile loop! I couldn't have been more excited. I knew they had it in them and if I didn't have that mechanical issue in the beginning, we would have made the 100 together.

Kim and Holly had a great experience working with other riders and I should have tried to hook on to a train as well, but I had this constant gnawing anxiety that kept pushing me to get to the end. I couldn't mellow out until the ride was over. When I finished, I was elated.

The best thing about these rides is that the money goes to a great cause. Little Red Riding Hood raises money for the Hunstman Cancer Institute, specifically for breast cancer. I was happy to be supporting those affected by breast cancer and especially happy to be supporting a friend of the family, Susan. We wore our cute pink Fat Cyclist Jerseys to show our support. Her husband Elden, nicknamed the Fat Cyclist, is a long time friend of my brother-in-law, Dug. I started reading Elden's blog, fatcyclist.com, after Eric (aka Sleepy) finished RAWROD in May and now I am hooked. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry.

So, off to the next ride to support something good. I am planning to ride Bike MS at the end of this month on June 28th. My aunt Becci died from MS (Multiple Sclerosis) 14 years ago. She was only 32. I am planning to ride in honor of her. I have to raise $250 to do it. If you feel inclined to contribute a few dollars to the cause here is my official link:

Click here to get to my personal page and make a secure, online donation.

Joys, Fears, Goals, Current Obsessions, and Random Facts

2008-05-15T09:56:00.010-06:00

Sherrie tagged me on this one...

Joys

Besides some of the more obvious joys (children, family, friends, gospel) I thought of a few others...

1. Road/Mountain biking, backcountry skiing, adventure. Of course those who read My Happy Place post know this already.

2. Reading in my house when it's clean and quiet!! It's so rare, but I am so fulfilled when I get these moments. It helps if it's a nice sunny day and I am basking in it.
3. Talking with Eric (Definitely not his favorite thing, he prefers to just be together and not have to talk the whole time. I'll go if I don't have to talk). His mind is much quieter than mine and I wish I could shut mine off at times. He wonders how it's possible to have so much to talk about and why so deep and heavy? Well, he knows that is just a part of me. I love what he said last night to me. I asked him...

"do you hate that I'm an emotional wreck?"
"No, cuz you're my emotional wreck."
"wait..I am an emotional wreck?!@"

Oh, bless his heart.

Fears

1. Sharks and water. Those of you who know this about me know that I'm even scared in pools sometimes! I am terrified of the unknown underneath me. I feel too vulnerable and my imagination gets the better of me. I mean, really, there could be anything down there. Yikes, I just got scared.

2.Failure. I have to be honest here. I know that we all fail and that its a part of life, but I'm still afraid of failing.

3. Anything terrible happening to my kids/family.

Basically I have a lot of fears. I am scared to make mistakes and have regrets. It seems that by now I would be able to deal with this fear because I make mistakes every day, but I still struggle. A really bad day can make me think my world is crumbling. It's not so fun. I can hear Eric and my mom right now praying that goal #3 will take effect immediately.

Goals

1. Be faster on my bike by August

2. Be "in the moment" with my children and enjoy "the doing" of motherhood

3. Be more optimistic

Current Obsessions

1. Mountain/road biking

2. Blogging

3. "Lost". I love that show!

Random Facts About Me

1. I constantly "check" things and the like, thanks to OCD. I check the locks on doors, my kids (especially while they sleep), check if they are breathing, constantly look out the window, count things, check my wedding ring...Are you weirded out yet?
2. I daydream a lot. Sometimes reality just isn't that interesting.

3. I am an all-or-nothing person. Sometimes that works, sometimes not so much. When I've eaten 1 or 2 cookies I have already ruined my healthy day, so why not just have another and another and another...you get the point.

So, no pressure. If you want to do this then I would love to hear about your joys, fears, etc.

I tag (anybody that will do it :) and...

Anika
Diana
Ashley
Amber
Renee
Megan
Tracey
Lizzy
Jessica
Melissa
Mimi
Janae
Rachel
Jacey

Brother Moments

2008-05-03T21:25:00.013-06:00

So, some days motherhood pays it forward. The other morning before Talon was going to school I went into the front room and found Tyler laying on Talon's back. They were watching a show, cozy as could be, neither one complaining.

This morning I was trying to get a little more shut-eye on the couch (thanks to our early risers) and I heard them talking to each other.

Tyler- "Talon?...I wuv you."
Talon- "I love you."

My heart melted.

The other day, Talon was helping Tyler get dressed. Tyler wanted to match Talon, exactly. He wanted shorts and a t-shirt just like Talon's. They even had to be the same color as his. It was all I could do to not tear up right then and there. Watching Talon help Tyler get his little shorts and t-shirt on was so sweet a moment between brothers.

Of course they also wrestle and bug each other all the time. They start laughing and end crying. It makes me laugh. I love watching them play.

I tried to get a good shot of the boys together. No chance. Is it possible to get two little boys to take a nice picture in their matching outfits? I just want ONE! Of course, they have to be perfectly smiling, eyes open, with the perfect background all at the same time . Is it that hard? Am I asking too much?...maybe.

Talon was getting his allergy tests the other day. It can be painful when they use toothpick-like instruments to poke your back. He started to cry a little bit in the doctor's office. Tyler went over to him and said in his compassionate voice, "You okay Talon? Okay?" Then he looked at the nurse and in his low, raspy angry voice, he said "you, don hurr my brudder!" (you, don't hurt my brother!) This is the same voice he uses to tell me and anyone else "you, go corner!" for a time-out. It's a very froggy, Yoda-like voice. He is very protective of his brudder.

(PS-the blue lips are not Talon's new look...just a very potent blue sucker.)

Tyler wants to be just like his big brother, Talon. He says and does everything that Talon does. Talon is good to allow his younger brother to play with him and his friends. He is always making sure that Tyler is OK.

All these moments make motherhood worth it.

My Happy Place

2008-04-24T16:20:00.000-06:00

In light of the fact that it's snowing outside (it's APRIL 24th!!!!), I thought I would write about one of the best mornings I've had this year. About 2 weeks ago, I woke up at 4:45 AM to go backcountry skiing (ski touring) with my sister Kim, her husband Doug and a few of his friends.

Most of you know that as a mother to young children, it's hard to find time for activities of this nature because it takes a lot of time. Nevertheless, I was determined and ready to go! It is one of those experiences where I feel almost euphoric. If you enjoy outdoor sports, you know what I mean. It is just one of the best feelings in the world. I can't describe how it makes me feel when I'm hiking in the mountains and skiing down through some perfectly untouched Utah powder.

It's one of the best ways for me to start a day and one of the only reasons I will ever wake up that early. Too bad the season is over. At least I can get out on my bike, oh wait, it's snowing...forget that. Except that we are in Utah and it could be 80 degrees tomorrow for all I know.

And I lived happily ever after...

Any Ideas??

2008-04-19T21:25:00.004-06:00

So, these are Talon's shirts. The holes you see are from his very own teeth. He has digested numerous cotton fibers and can't seem to quit biting holes in his shirts, sweaters, pants, etc. Everything he wears, he bites! I don't want to make a big fuss about it and stress him out (in fact, I am afraid he is taking after his mother already and exhibiting behaviors related to anxiety. Poor guy...already inheriting my crappy attributes). Anyway, it's probably a nervous or comforting habit and my doctor doesn't seem too worried, but I'm wondering if any of you have dealt with something similar. Will it stop? Will he have to attend Biters Anonymous (BA) in the future? Help! We are losing money with each bite!

Faith...a tribute to Ashley Peterson

2008-03-27T13:36:00.010-06:00

"Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these little ones. Now love them, take care of them...welcome them into your homes and nurture and love them with all your hearts."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

This quote was on the funeral program for Ashley Peterson. She passed away a little over a week ago on March 20, 2008. She was only 5 years old. Her parents, Paul and Emily Peterson, were in our ward when we lived at my parent’s home about 6 years ago. Emily was pregnant with Ashley while I was pregnant with Talon and we were visiting teaching partners. I have always thought highly of her.

The funeral services had a profound impact on me. The funeral was very painful as you can imagine, but uplifting at the same time. I could hardly keep it together, especially when I saw a small piece of her baby blanket that they had on display. It is one of those things no parent ever wants to have to face. So many things were beyond my understanding of pain, but I found myself uplifted and encouraged because of the tremendous faith shown by Paul and Emily and their family. Their trust in God was unwavering. You could not shake their faith.

They both said that they felt a tremendous peace about her passing knowing that it was time for her to go and that she had a great work to do in Heaven. Instead of having this painful experience tear apart their family it has obviously strengthened them. Paul talked about Emily’s positive attitude amidst the difficulty and that when he came home from work, she was always positive. Emily spoke about how Ashley would want all of us to be kinder, more patient, more loving and better people. Ashley is a beautiful, sweet girl with a pure heart.

He said many people asked them how they were getting through it all. He answered that they always try to have an eternal perspective and they look forward with faith. Even though they don’t understand why Ashley had to go through this painful experience they know that God has a plan for her and for them. They are grateful that they will have the opportunity to raise her and be with her again in the future.

They have a journal posted on a website they made for her and I spent a lot of time reading the entries. I found it inspiring and comforting, so here is the link if you would like to read it too.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ashleypeterson

Elder Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was there and he shared a few words that gave me strength. He said that we can only take 3 things with us when we leave this world…

1. Our Character

2. Our Covenants

3. Our Family

He said, “These two (Paul and Emily) would have to be taken out on a stretcher if it weren't for the atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ and for the knowledge of His gospel. We would all be carrying each other out on stretchers. Nobody could handle this pain if it weren't for Jesus Christ.”

My mom and I attended the funeral together and we both came out of that meeting on a spiritual high. We were strengthened and uplifted by Ashley’s life and by her family’s faith. Our experience was not unique. As I read the guestbook on Ashley's website, it seems that everyone has been affected by her and her family for the better. It's amazing how many people have been so uplifted and strengthened by one little girl. My faith has been reaffirmed and my testimony strengthened. I have taken strength from them and hope to endure my trials with more faith in God.

IPOD Boredom

2008-03-13T10:46:00.002-06:00

This happens to me about every other month where I will get bored with whats on my shuffle and need more music to add to keep it interesting. I have a broad range in music I like. It ranges from old school twangy country to some pretty rough rap music. Jay prefers that I download the "clean" version rap but it does not seem right. Anyway, I am bored of the music on my shuffle and I need new stuff. So can anyone introduce me to some good music? Anything at this point. Send me your last five music downloads.

Here are mine:
1. Rage Against the Machine- RENEGADE
2. Gorillaz- CLINT EASTWOOD
3. Lily Allen- SMILE (clean)
4. The Hit Crew- AFTERNOON DELIGHT
5. Gary Alan- WATCHING AIRPLANES

No Way That Just Happened

2008-02-14T18:43:00.003-07:00

Tyler has done some growing up this past week. We are very proud of our Half Pint. It all started with going to the hospital to have some dental work done. He was very brave and silly all at the same time. They gave him some medicine to make him slap happy and he put on a show for all of us, he did not disappoint. The second accomplishment was dropping his afternoon nap. It has been crazy with him falling asleep at 6pm and sleeping until 8 the next morning to going to bed at 10 pm and waking up from 2-5 am ready for the day. We never know what were going to get, but its all part of growing up. Lastly, we lost all 100 of his binkys and he finally went a few days without mentioning a word about it. Many people have tried to take it away from him, especially his Grandma Crawford who probably thought he should have dropped it two years ago, but no one could wrestle it away from his Kung Fu grip. Since Tyler has dropped those three things we thought for sure we were losing our little baby.
Tonight the doorbell rang while we were watching a movie and our neighbor Logan came over to say he found a binky at his house. So I thought no big deal no one heard that, but sure enough I look down and he is holding it out for the world to see. It was very subtle, but in my mind it felt like he was jumping up and down screaming, "I FOUND YOUR BINKY TYLER COME AND GET IT!" I tried to swipe it out of his hands but it was too late. Tyler had seen it and ran across the room yelling BINKYYYYY! As soon as he grabbed it he cradled it in his hands and said, "I wub you binky, I wub you." How can I take it away from him when he does something that cute? I have asked him a few times if I can have it and he just puts it in his pocket without a word. I don't know what to do, but I would be the worlds worst father if I took it away from him after the exchange he had with the bink after reuniting .

Snowed In!

2008-02-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Holy SNOW! I have not seen this much nonstop snow since I was in college at BYU in 96. I remember one week where it snowed for a week straight and school was still not canceled!

So, I was surprised this morning when we got a strange phone call from someone in our ward. He told me that church was canceled because of the Superbowl, well I knew that wasn't true, but then he said church was canceled because of the snow...excuse me? Are you sure? You know that we are in Utah right? And church is across the street from most of us?

Yep, I wasn't hearing things...church was canceled. I guess there are firsts for everything. It was my day to teach in Young Womens and it was fast Sunday. Someone heard my prayer.

Eric and his manly friends have been shoveling all morning for the entire neighborhood. Tyler wanted to be with dad, no matter the cost. I showed him the outfit and he fought it at first, but he'd do anything to be outside with dad.

While we've been snowed in, we have been playing Super Mario Bros. on the Wii. Nothing like that game to bring back memories of 1-ups, fireballs, 100 extra guys, fireworks when you jump on 3 and 6 and warp zones. I played that game with my brothers, John and Daniel, nonstop. We loved it and it's still just as fun. Eric and I were laughing as we realized that Eric's ability is not quite at the same level as it used to be when he was 10. But he still has some mad skills. Check him out...

Look at him getting 100 extra lives! I could never do that, he is my idol.

Family

2007-12-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

One of the few bright spots of 2007 is the new addition to the Gaoiran family. Justin and Valerie welcomed into the world their son Cooper James Gaoiran. It was so special for us to have them here so we could meet him. He is an angel. I know Justin and Valerie could share some horrible stories and long nights with the newborn, but during the trip he slept, cuddled and still found more time to sleep. He is a beautiful baby and we are very proud of Justin and Valerie; they are awesome parents.

Cooper James Gaoiran

November 10, 2007

This year Christmas started early and it does not look like it is going to slow down. Some of my family decided to come visit for Christmas. We really appreciate them coming out because we know how difficult it is to travel. Justin and Val drove from Kansas and grandma, grandpa and Destiny came from California. We celebrated a small family Christmas in Park City where my brother and mom were staying. It was nice to be up there because my mom loves the idea of being surrounded by snow at this time of year.
My kids loved having them in town. Talon absolutely adores Justin and has missed him so much since he left a few years ago. Talon wanted him to bring his dog Boston, but she had to stay home for this trip. We had so much fun that it was hard to see them go. We did not have much of a plan but, we managed to walk the shops on Main Street in Park City, play some games, and of course we watched and laughed at each other playing the Wii. Grandpa Dave was such a trooper, he played with Talon on the Wii for so many hours and I think they became pretty good gaming buddies over the weekend. Tyler had a lot of fun too. Grandpa Dave and Justin were so good to my boys. I know its hard because they just want to play, wrestle, or follow them around every minute of the day. Tyler and Talon both could be heard asking for Grandpa or Justin. We also visited Temple Square the last night that Justin and Valerie were in town. It was cold, but the lights and Christmas theme made for an enjoyable evening.
We had so much fun and we look forward to seeing them again soon. I have learned over the years that you really never know how special your family is until they are gone. It is never fun to part ways not knowing when you will see them again, but memories always last. Talon was especially upset when Justin and Valerie left. As we were walking around Talon kept telling me that he already misses them and wished that they could stay. Tyler still walks around the house asking where Grandpa and Justin are. Thanks for being so good to my kids, they absolutely love you.

7 things I am grateful for

2007-11-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

I got tagged by Anika

So, here it goes...

1. Eric

If there is one thing I knew about Eric when I married him it's that he is a good man. He has a pure heart and he cares about people. I'm grateful that I have a wonderful husband to share my life with. I don't think he knows how much he does for me. I have been blessed to have someone take care of me and hold my hand through hard times and good times. He is my strength when I have none and my support when I am weak. Learning the process of "being there for me emotionally" hasn't been easy or fun, but he has stepped up to the task and done a remarkable job.

He also makes me laugh every day and I love spending time with him. He also gets the job done when it needs to get done. He is just like his mom. They are quick and efficient. He can get the kids out the door, in their car seats, with all their stuff quicker than me...and he's on time. He is the best when it comes to projects because they are done in no time. And he is a pretty awesome dad. All you have to do is spend a little time with our kids and you will see how much they love their daddy. Love you honey!

2. Children

How do I express this? I love these kiddos so much. They make me laugh. They make me cry. They make my heart swell.

Watching them together is one of the best things in the world. Tyler wants to be just like his big brother which means he follows him around and does everything that Talon does. Talon's friends know that Tyler gets to play with them too.

Talon has learned from his daddy that little brothers are always welcome. Eric always included his younger brother Justin and made sure that he was ok. When Justin was in Kindergarten, he cried for the first 3 days. At recess, Eric would go sit on the bench and cry with him. At the time he didn't know why Justin was crying, but he just cried with him. I told him that that was good practice for his future wife (too bad he didn't totally know what he was getting into).

I love to see this with my boys. They laugh and play and they love each other. I love when my boys will let me snuggle with them. I love to tell them that I love them and that I am proud of them. I love when Talon wants me to snuggle in his bed because I am "so cozy". I love hearing Tyler say "mommy, tute!"(mommy, cute) when he thinks I look nice and "wub oo"(love you). I love my boys.

If your boys aren't happy all you have to say is "poop" and then the laughter won't quit.

3. Parents and siblings

Hard to say what I would do without my family. They have always been everything to me. I always knew that I was loved. I loved playing games with my brothers growing up and talking to my sisters. I feel blessed that we all enjoy each other and want to be together. One thing I learned growing up is that family is the most important thing you have in life. I cherish the times that we had together as a family.

4. Grandparents

Aren't they cute?! Gramps carving the turkey and Grandma making gravy. They are great examples to me and I feel blessed to have them in my life. They have been married for 63 years! One of the nicest things my grandpa does for me is that he still calls me "angel". He used to feel my shoulder blades and say, "I think I feel your wings". Thanks gramps!

4. Young Women Calling

I love being with the Young Women. My testimony has grown by watching theirs and teaching them the basics that I often forget. They ask the best questions and help me to think about why I feel like I do. Their spirits are strong and they are so fun. It's fun to be light-hearted and silly with them. Since I was called this past summer I've had to give two talks in church about 6 weeks apart from each other. I had slid under the radar for several years only speaking 2 times in 8 different wards and the 9 years that we have been married. It turned out to be a blessing for me and strengthened my testimony.

5. The "Treehouse Athletic Club"

A little embarrassing to list my gym, I know, but I love the awesome euphoria that comes from exercise. The classes, the safe and fun place for my kids, being able to shower and get ready for the day make it all worth it. I love being able to go to the gym everyday and know that I can exercise my heart out while my kids are safe and having fun. I love to see my sisters and mom there each day as well as my friends. It is a part of my day that gets me going and gives me energy. I don't know what I would do without it. I tell Eric that we can never move because I would die without the Treehouse. Yikes! :)

6. My home

I love my home. It is a townhouse that isn't all that big or decorated, but I love it! I feel so grateful to have a clean, warm, cozy place to call home. I love my friends and neighbors that surround me and make me feel safe. I love having friends so close. There are a lot of us in a small vicinity and I love the comfort that brings me.

7. Baking in my kitchen

I love cooking and baking! I love my kitchen. I love being able to try new recipes and learn new things. I made my first real pie for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I also made a pumpkin cheesecake that was delish.

Ta-da!

Here is the recipe in case you would like to try it...

APPLE PIE-This is an altered recipe from my friend Katherine.

She is an awesome cook and I am always perusing her blog for yummy recipes. This was a huge hit...thanks Kathryn! I made a few changes to my recipe because I like the crumble topping and the pastry crust, so I combined the two. I also added an egg wash and decorative cutouts. She chunked her apples which looked delicious, but I have an apple/peeler/corer/slicer that was just too easy, so I opted for thin slices.

Crust (from the Barefoot Contessa)

1 1/2 sticks very cold unsalted butter
3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1/3 c very cold shortening
6-8 T ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix (You can use a hand mixer if you don’t have a food processor). Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8-12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine or mixer running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured surface and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured surface into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust or make decorative cut-outs using cookie cutters for the top of the pie. You can also freeze the leftover pie crust for later use.

(Recipe Tips: ingredients must be very cold and use a nice pie plate. I used my stoneware pie plate from Pampered Chef and it did a beautiful job. I have read that tin plates and glass plates can cause crust issues.)

Apple Pie Filling

8-9 large McIntosh apples, peeled and sliced thin
1 1/2 cups sugar
lots of cinnamon
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup flour (you may need to add a little more flour to soak up the juice from the apples)

Mix together just until apples are coated with dry mixture.
Pour mixture into pie crust.

Topping

½ c brown sugar
½ c. flour
¼ c. butter, softened

Mix together with hands and sprinkle on top of apples.
Place decorative cut-outs around edges of pie or anywhere you like.

Egg Wash (Martha Stewart’s favorite)

1 egg yolk
1 T. heavy whipping cream

Mix together and brush on top of decorative cut-outs or remaining crust
Sprinkle with sugar

Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. (Put a sheet of foil over the top for the first 40-45 minutes and take off for the remainder, making sure the top is not burning)

Let cool for at least a couple of hours.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Yum!

8. One more thing I am grateful for...my toothbrush!

What would I do without my toothbrush? I always imagine how frustrated I would be if I couldn't clean my teeth very well. Brushing teeth is just so refreshing!

Now it's your turn. I get to hear about the many things that you are grateful for!

You're it...

RULES:
1. List the link to your tagger and also post these following rules.
2. Share 7 things you are grateful for
3. Tag people at the the end of your blog also leaving the links to their blogs

ER Visit

2007-11-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

So, I got an alarming phone call from Eric today at about 12:45 PM. I had just talked to him, literally about 2 minutes before and wondered what he needed so soon after our recent conversation. All I heard was crying and a stressed voice from Eric telling me that we had to go to the hospital and that there was a lot of blood. I had no idea what happened and of course my heart was racing. He hung up, I started for home, called him back and found out that Talon had tripped on his pants and "super-manned" face first into the steps from the garage leading into the house. Eric couldn't tell how bad it was because of all the blood and the tissue under the skin was bulging out.

So, I drove to meet them, left the truck on the side of the road and got in the car with them. Talon was crying and so was Tyler. Eric had calmed down and felt like everything was going to be ok. I was still pretty stressed not being at the scene and wondering how bad it was. It looked quite deep and the swollen tissue worried me. We raced to the ER and got admitted right away.

Eric is a fantastic husband and father! He was alone when all this happened and was able to get Talon and Tyler into the car, with both kids crying and still stay calm himself. As we were getting admitted to the ER, I was holding Talon but I started turning all shades of green and yellow at the sight of Talon in pain and the bloody wound. I told the nurse I felt light-headed but that I wasn't going to pass out. She didn't believe me and told me to lay down. Eric stayed calm the whole time and never once got woozy. He made Talon feel like they were just sitting on the couch at home talking about superheros.

"Talon, in a battle of superheros who do you think would win?"
"Uh, Ben 10 because he has the Omnitrix"

What a great daddy. I think Talon forgot that he was in any pain.

Then it was off to radiology to check for broken bones. He sat so still for the x-ray and did everything that the hospital staff asked of him.

We took this picture especially to show Grandpa Crawford because he works as an x-ray technologist in a hospital. And the good news is...no broken bones!

Talon is one tough kid. The nurse said that we were going to have to brace him when they numbed him but he didn't flinch. Luckily they put some numbing cream on him earlier to make it less painful, but I could hardly watch. Remember my queasy stomach? I'm not tough when it comes to blood, but he did awesome! It looked awful, but he sat really still and the doctor stitched him up quickly and then he was done.

I am amazed at how neatly the skin closed together. It was a gaping wound and it just came together so well. I seriously want to be a nurse, but I am pretty sure I would be a liability with the fainting and all...

When he was done, he was ready to go! He was absolutely ready to go get out of the hospital and get the Bionicle daddy promised him for being so brave. Yea, a smile!

So, Talon is going to be alright. We will take him in for a follow-up visit on Monday and he should get the stitches out in 5 days. He will have a scar that we have to protect for the next 9 months but it should fade with time. Because it was a head wound, we have to keep a close eye on him and wake him tonight to make sure he will rouse easily. He has been feeling good and is now asleep. He is such a champ!

Poor Tyler was so worried about Talon. He was crying and exhausted as well. Luckily my mom was available to take him for us, but he didn't want to go anywhere without mom, dad or Talon. She took him kicking and screaming...thanks mom!!!!

Things like this always make me more grateful for my blessings. Most parents have been in the ER and it's generally a terribly anxious experience. It reminds me of the most important things in life. I love my family and I feel so grateful for my blessings.

Playing Catch Up Through Pictures

2007-11-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

We have not done very much with our blog lately, so we are going to play catch up through pictures of October and November. We are not completely sure where the days and time have gone, but it has slipped by so fast that we can't keep up. We are getting excited for the holidays.

We Also want to congratulate Justin and Valerie on their newborn son Cooper James Gaoiran. We are so excited to meet and hold him in December. He is so cute, we just want to squeeze him!

Cooper James Gaoiran

Happy Birthday

2007-10-17T07:16:00.001-06:00

I have been pretty lucky throughout my life, but I have been blessed to have a wife like Jaynann. Not only does she put up with my weaknesses, she tries to make them stronger. I do not give her enough credit for what she does for me and for our children. She is patient, loving, smart, and beautiful. All she wants to do is the right thing. She has a pure heart that welcomes everyone into our lives and I love her for her everything she stands for.

I asked Talon what his favorite thing about mom was and he said "playing with mommy and helping her make treats." She makes our kids feel loved and important. I hope that our kids can have the many wonderful qualities that Jay has to offer. Late last night we decided that she could go get a nice quiet night and morning at her mom's house. Its kind of a treat to wake up in the morning when you want and to get going when you feel like it because you know kids like to wake up around 6:30 in the morning. This morning Talon came rolling out of his bedroom and he asked, "where is mom?" About 30 minutes later, I hear Tyler yelling from the bedroom "mommy! mommy! mommy!" I went to take him out of his crib and he swiped my hand away because he wanted Jay to come get him. I don't think she realizes how much her kids love and miss her even when she is gone for 1 night.

I am sure Jay will see this and kill me for posting pictures without her permission, but it was worth it. While I was writing this I thought I might not have to write a card for her, but she loves them so much that I will probably have to come up with something for her. Would it be bad if I just copied what I wrote here into a card and called it good? Probably not, so maybe some flowers and a card would be a nice birthday treat. Happy Birthday Jay, we love you.

Eric, Talon, and Tyler.

Jones Soda

2007-09-26T10:48:00.001-06:00

We are very lucky to be in the neighborhood we live in now. We have been all over the map in Utah and probably set a record by moving about 9 times in 9 years. In each place we have lived we have found great friends. All of our neighbors here are great and one of them works at Jones Soda. He is one of Talon's favorite neighbors for a few reasons. 1. He lights fireworks all year. 2. He is the nicest guy in the world. 3. He gives Talon all the Jones Soda a kid would want. It's endless. No I'm serious. Just when we run out, he re-stocks our supply with more four packs of soda. I figure at 5 bucks a four pack, we are indebted to him for more than $500. It just does not end with drinks either, we've received shirts, balls, hats, and sweat-shirts. Now, he is either the nicest guy in the world or a really good salesman because when we are at the store Talon points out every Jones Soda stand.

Jones is one of those retro soda companies that try to do things on a smaller scale which makes them very unique. They do a million cool spiffs and promos for their company. A few weeks ago our neighbor gave me a coupon for a customized Jones Soda bottle. So I went online and filled out the order form and submitted a picture of the kids to have put on the bottle. Little did I know that it would be one of the coolest things in the world. I thought it was going to be one bottle of soda, but they sent us twelve bottles. This will be one of those things that Talon and Tyler can share the rest of their lives, that is, if we can keep them from drinking all of them.

On the back of the bottles it had a spot to add a quote. This is what we put on the back, "all for one and one for all My brother and My friend. What fun we have. The time we share. Brother till the end." We just want to say thanks to Scott for being such a great neighbor and friend to us and especially Talon. As many times as Talon has been over to see what you are doing to you letting him draw on your walls or help wash your car, you've been the coolest dude around. Thanks again for all the hookups.

Ouch!

2007-09-23T21:28:00.000-06:00

CAUTION to Wii players everywhere: a remote when thrown with force may cause pain.

Unfortunately for him, Talon is just as accident prone as I am. He has always run into walls and things...no joke. I played Wii baseball with him the other day, the remote strap was attached as shown and we started pitching and swinging. The excitement must have been too much and oops, there goes the remote flying towards me. So keep arms, hands and feet inside at all times and watch for flying Wii remotes.

PS-I am sure you are wondering why there are no pictures of me and Talon playing the Wii. Well, you have to take that up with Eric. Take pics of Jay, take pics of Jay, take pics of Jay...unless of course they are ugly.

Hotel Pajaro

2007-09-19T20:45:00.000-06:00

Recently Talon has been wanting do build things out of wood. Just about every night just before he is about to fall asleep he will call me into his room to tell me that he wants to build something in the morning after school. Normally he will come up with something clever to build. Some of the ideas he has come up with are: a bumble bee catcher, a bionicle house, or a box for the Gamecube so that Tyler does not turn it off while he is playing. Some of the things he asks to build or put together are the same things I wanted my dad to build. I used to grab my dad's tools out of the garage and I always wanted to know why he would get mad when I did. I finally understand why, it's because when the tools leave the garage there is a very good chance that it does not get returned.

Anyway, Talon wanted to build something and we decided to do a bird house. We probably could have bought one for a few dollars more, but this was excellent father-son time. He helped make some cuts, put in some nails and paint it. He was a very good helper and I could not have finished it with out him. Even though it is late in the season and many of the song birds are gone, we will get the occasional Blue Jay or Robin stop by and get a piece of the buffet. We cannot wait until the spring to see all the little birds come to our house for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Check out a few pictures we took of us building the house.

On Your Marks, Get Set, GO!!!

2007-09-11T14:06:00.001-06:00

On Friday September 7th, Oak Hollow Elementary held their annual "FUN RUN." They hold this event each year for the students to raise money for their school. So Talon went around asking friends and family for small donations. I thought this was just going to be a walk in the park, but it actually turned out to be a big deal. It was very well organized. They had music set up, police and ambulance escorts, and even the eagle mascot showed up for support. The run started from their school and twisted around neighborhoods totaling one mile. Thats right I said one mile. I thought for sure the ambulances and other help were going to have their hands full.
We started walking to the start area, and as soon as we got close Talon takes off running. I am with Tyler pushing the stroller and I thought it would be a breeze, but Talon is running so fast that he gets at least 150 yards on me in the first few minutes. With all the kids around I lose sight of Jay and Talon and I keep thinking I would catch them. The other disadvantage we had is that Utah has very few flat roads, so of course the first 1/2 mile is uphill. Finally at about the 1/2 mile marker they slowed down for me and as soon as Talon sees me, he is ready to start running again. He ran so fast and only walked a few times to the finish line. It was so fun to see all the kids out there enjoying the run. Tyler loved going fast in the stroller and Jay is always up for some sort of exercise. By the end, I was drenched in sweat, Tyler had a smile on his face, Jay and Talon were ready to go another mile!

Just a few pics from the race. Notice Jay is not in any of them? She makes me exclude her from all picture posting.
(Note from Jay: This is not true. Only ugly pictures are not allowed. He took 2 pictures and both were ugly. I deleted the first one as soon as he took it and the other one looks like I have no chin, just a long thick neck from my ears down to my shoulders. Generally that is a good look, but specifically it wasn't working for me)

Treats!Treats!Treats!

2007-09-07T20:52:00.000-06:00

Before I got married, rarely would I scour the cupboards looking for a treat unless it was my mom's almond roca. Jaynann loves to bake and that has become a bad combination for me in the past few years. I will admit that I used to eat a bunch of junk food and my grandmother would always deep fry whatever she was making; whether it was lumpia, hamburgers, or burritos we could count on it being deep fried in oil. So, if you add those bad habits to chocolate chip cookies, cakes, or any other chocolate treat you will get a 200 lb. Eric. Luckily, I have learned to control those habits and the weight has gone down a lot, but I still have a craving for a piece of chocolate after a meal.

As much as I love the baking and try to avoid it, Jay has become quite the baker. In fact, our kids have lucked out because they will always get a special cake for their birthday or a special treat from mom on a special occasion. Below are a few masterpieces Jay has put together. Please be aware that you could gain a few pounds just by looking at the pictures.

Jay made orange cream, vanilla cream and peanut butter cream
eggs for Easter. Everyone got one with their name on it.

Tyler's favorite movie is Monsters Inc and she made this Mike Wasowski look-a-like

Tyler loved his cake!

Talon had a Pirate Birthday Bash and she made this treasure cake

Here is a dump truck filled with goodies, the dirt is cake and the worms are gummy!!

We are so lucky to have a talented chef.

2007-09-02T22:09:00.000-06:00

Talon's first day of Kindergarten!

Talon rode the bus the second day and we
followed him to school.

He got the special job of holding the door for
all his classmates.

Daddy giving Talon some last minute advice,
like remember how to tie your shoes.

I have been helping at his school every other
week and it is so fun to see him in class. He listens
to her much better than he listens to me. I love
looking through his backpack at the end of the day
to see what he has done at school. It's amazing how
proud it makes me. Tyler and I miss him while he
is gone. When we drop Talon at the bus stop, we wait
until the bus comes and Tyler says, "I bus". Today he
ran after it. It was so cute! He wants to be just like
his big brother.

The Herd

2007-08-23T21:22:00.000-06:00

I love watching kids soccer. It reminds me of a pack of wild animals running through the fields. There is very little separation from the ball. The herd moves where the little round white thing goes. If it goes out of bounds all the kids are out of bounds. If it crosses into another playing field you can bet at least 5 of the 8 are chasing it down. You can hold practices or tell them what to do, but as soon as its game time all soccer logic is out the window. There is no passing or shooting, its dribble or kick it towards the goal and hope that it rolls in. We love watching Talon play. He loves running around with his buddies trying to score goals. He gets to play with his cousin Seth and a few other players from a previous team. This is a new team and hopefully they do better than they did in previous years. I think this year his team might be one of the older ones and that is definitely an advantage. We took a few pictures today of them playing, we hope you enjoy.

California August 2007

2007-08-22T00:10:00.001-06:00

We took a very long vacation in California. To save some time and brain cells I am going to give the quick and easy run down of events.

Drove to Vegas, Jaynann went to the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Concert. Drove to Merced, hung out with friends and family, went swimming, went to Great America, went to Snelling to help build a deck, golfed with Ganon and Dave, hung out with friends and family again. Jaynann went to Texas to see Christian, Jaynann came back to Merced, hung out with Daniel and Rachel in Roseville. We went back to Merced and became very lazy and did the same stuff I mentioned before. Great trip, kids were great in the car, and we finally have some responsibility at home since Dave and Mom took care of us so well.

Check the pics...

Jaynann with Diana and her sister at the
Tim & Faith Pre-Show.

Faith up-close at the Pre-Show

Tim at the Pre-Show

Tim and Faith mixin it up

Jaynann says he is the "sexiest man on stage"

I had so much fun at this concert. I love their music!

Talon and his cousin Destiny

Talon at Grandma & Grandpa Crawford's pool

Tyler with Buddy in grandma & grandpa's backyard

Grandma and Talon at Great America

Tyler at Great America

Talon loved the rides

Looks like Jay is scared more than Talon is

Grandpa and Grandma Crawford with the kids at
Great America. Thanks guys!

At the train museum in Old Sacramento

Christian's graduation from the Air Force was so
great! All of us were there to support him. I am
so proud to have a brother serving our country!

My mom and three brothers! We went to
Six Flags and they won those basketballs.

My sister Kim and I outside of one of the rides.
We all had a blast going on all the rides together.
I felt like a little kid running around and hurrying
to the front of the line.

Talon munching on raw almonds at Uncle Jim
and Aunt Susie's Almond Orchard in Snelling, CA

Grandpa and Talon riding the tractor through
the orchard. Eric's dad used to drive this exact
same tractor when he was young on Eric's
grandpa's almond orchard. Eric's aunt and uncle
tracked down this same tractor and fixed it up.
It had been about40 years since he had driven it.

Eric and the boys hopped on with grandpa
and it was pretty cool to see 3 generations on it.

Did I mention that we drove? Thank goodness for
a DVD player in the car!