Drive # 21983647 from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake

DELAYED!!!! When it came time for Hester and Hannah to leave, the weather didn't agree. It was a windy, snowy, mess. Coming home from church you could barely see 10 feet when crossing the roads. This meant we got another night full of fun. This morning we said goodbye and they went back to Salt Lake. Thanks again for coming up!

P.S. Usually I complain about Idaho weather but secretly I was happy that they got stuck another day. Sorry, but it's the truth.

Aunt-lovin' fun

Hester and Hannah came and visited us this weekend. My kids have just loved them.Saturday morning, we got the four wheelers out despite the cold and wind.Hannah did get over the fright and she let Cruz lead the way. Hester dominated on the big and powerful fourwheeler.

Kirsten joined us for the first little bit and then went inside with McKay.

We miss Hester and Hannah. This weekend we have played lots of games, eaten lots of peeps, and played more games. We love it when family comes.

TO BE CONTINUED....

City Slicker

This is what happens when you take the city girl to the country.

Loving Idaho even more

(Things that you never think you will hear....in church.)

After sacrament meeting dismissed the Bishop got back up and announced. "We all know the winds are blowing really hard. Hard enough that the steeple is rocking back and forth. Can we have everyone in the north and west side move their cars just in case it decides to fall?"

After church, we decided to check it out. Yes it is a leaning steeple now.

Lost and Found

Somehow this box got pushed to the back and buried. When I opened it, I had a potato garden growing in my pantry. I guess this shows how much I really love Idaho.

Phones + Sunglasses = Vacation and Fun

This weekend was the first Kerksiek girls' weekend. It was also my first trip without any kids....EVER. I have to admit that at first I had a little anxiety. It was something I'm not used to. Now, I think it should be something that every mom gets to enjoy. Our destination place this year was Park City. We enjoyed zip lining, shopping, eating, ice-skating, and playing many games. Did I mention shopping?

Erika and her girls came up on Saturday to join in on the fun. We weren't complete, but it was a lot of fun! The weather was sunshine and beautiful. It was hard to drive home Sunday morning to snow and rain.

What more can I say....

Yesterday was crazy hair day.

(The girls chose their own "do". McKay even slept on tiny rollers so it would be a "poodle do".)

Officially done

We are officially past the stage of diapers. (There is no coming back.) Katanya was a toss up between Kirsten on being the easiest.

We are now DONE....

• with diapers.
• with wipes.
• and dirty bums.

On to the next stage of life.

hit by a freight train....

or two....or three.

The past three weeks we have been battling various sickness. Kirsten's missed three days of school in three different weeks due to three different things. (I guess it came in three.) I've had three kids to the doctors in less than 10 days.

And now, it's finally hit us, the parents. At least it's the weekend and not much is expected from us. Plus, we all know that the "man-cold" will win out. This reminds me back to the time when I first got pregnant with Kirsten and I got a dose of what morning (all-day) sickness really was. Not just for a couple months either, but for over half my pregnancy. Jake had the nerve to tell me (more than once) that it was all in my head. So whenever he gets sick, (and the complaining has already started yesterday,) I bite my tongue but I just want to tell him it's all in his head.

Anyway, back to the sick part. First we battled the chest cold. Then Katanya got it and it always is worse with her because her asthma triggers in. She was into the doctor with croup and an asthma attack. We've also had ear infections (Kirsten never had an ear infection as a baby, but she got her first one at six years old), the stomach flu, and strep throat. So far McKay is the one with a super immune system and hasn't gotten so much as a sniffle. (Knock on wood).

So is it just us or is the rest of the world going thru this flu time as well?

a flood of flashbacks

Today is our anniversary of our first date. There are a lot of memories that have flooded back over the past couple weeks that I have been reminiscing on. Our relationship started over the Internet on LDS singles dot com. We wrote many letters back and forth during a one week period with finally a phone call on Thursday night that lasted into early morning hours. If I remember right, it was just after 4 am that I finally hung up. He had a test the next day and I had work. He sent me flowers at work on Friday, followed by another phone call that night and with him "sort of" asking me out, "if he had time" Saturday night. Our first date included:

• Jake planning a date with my daughter. He specifically told me not to get a sitter.
• Jake going to the wrong house and picking up the wrong Amy. At this house also lived an Amy, with a two year old daughter, that drove the same color and model of Honda that I did. He even went as much to inviting himself in and persisting that he was going out with her while her husband sat on the couch. Her daughter told him that "mommy said we have to teach the boys a lesson." Meanwhile inside his head he was already planning on throwing away his computer for life thinking this "fake" had used a fake picture, fake conversation, fake everything and set him up. If you haven't ever heard this story, you are missing out. It's priceless.
• After realizing he was at the wrong house, because the middle of the street divided the town, he was over a half hour late picking me up.
• He finally made it to my house, and I had a "code" set up with a co-worker in case it wasn't going to work out, and I needed an out.
• Realizing it was for real.
• Going to Chuck E. Cheese with McKay, and McKay ended up getting sick. We went to the movie store and picked out a couple movies to watch that night.
• Staying up late and talking.
• Finally ending the date at 5 am with church being the next day.

(Back to the present) A couple weeks ago, we were giving the lesson in primary (my friend Lindsey and I teach the 4-5 year olds) and the lesson was on the importance of prophets with a story of King Benjamin in the beginning. Lindsey was teaching while I sat with the kids and it took me back to that next Sunday(following our first date).

Jake ended up coming to church with me since we had stayed up so late and I had the afternoon schedule. He came with me to my class and bore his testimony and told the story of King Benjamin. It was fast Sunday and he also bore his testimony in sacrament meeting. It was that night that I asked him where I stood because I hate playing dating games. It was that night he told me we were exclusive. That first week we spend over 80 hours together (we kept track.)

I'm so happy he wrote me back that first letter.

How much and where?

The past couple of days, I've been entering in the check registers, credit card, and everything else that you have to have in Quick Books to figure taxes.
I've realized a couple things:

• Too much money was wasted eating out. This year is going to be MUCH less. You don't think you do it that much, but for me, it was too much. I'd rather have another trip to Texas or California than to waste it on that kind of food.
• I really don't ever want to see gas @ $4 a gallon and diesel @ $5. When you pay over $970 to fill up two dump trucks that will last less than a week, it's too painful.
• I really should do this monthly instead of yearly. It would be so simple.

I think this is also a first. Because we don't owe, Jake usually doesn't get around to doing this until at least half way through the year. It's a good thing for me that I need something to do while it is still too cold outside. We will probably be done and filed by mid march. WOW!