Minty Fresh

I know it's been forever since I last posted and I've got no excuse. So, I guess just get over it already, lol.



Anyway, we've been busy having a horribly hot summer which means we're basically stuck inside all day since it's too hot outside for the kids to play. Oh and not to mention it's Attack of the Gazillion Ants in our backyard and yes we've sprayed for bugs, didn't work. So because of our voluntary confinement inside our wonderful air conditioned, ant free bubble, I'm sure you can all imagine how stir crazy it gets and how little sanity I'm left with at the end of the day. So really y'all (going Britney again for a moment) are lucky I'm even coherent enough to even use the computer right now. I guess I'll just share a few stories from the past few weeks that have given me a chuckle.



We are still in the midst of potty-training. It isn't going too bad, some days are better than others, I'm sure you can imagine. The other day I finally got Lexi to poop on the toilet by promising to give her a sucker if she did, so she did and she got her sucker and we were both happy. Well, CJ saw it and wanted one too but I told him what he had to do to get one. Bless his little heart he sat on the toilet for almost an hour trying to poop, or at least making it seem like he was trying. I kept asking him if he was done and if he wanted to get down and he kept telling me "No, I want sucker." He was determined I tell ya. At one point he was grunting and pushing and then he stopped and said "Mommy, I can't, it stuck." Which had me giggling. Long story short, he never pooped but did pee a few times on the toilet. Did I give him a sucker? NO!! I'm a mean mommy I guess but suckers are for poop and jellybeans are for pee so he did get a few jellybeans. Broke my heart though to deny him that sucker. I really did want to give it to him but you've got to stand your ground right? Wow, funny how much I can post about pee and poop.



Moving on...So Carlos did the shopping last week and picked up some more shower wash since we were almost out. He picked up Dove Refresh liquid body wash which we haven't tried before.

Great, I love Dove. I usually get the one in the green bottle that is I think cucumber melon but this'll do. So I hop in the shower and took the new bottle with me since we were now officially out of body wash. I squirt some of the body wash on my loofah and start washing my body, being very thorough if you catch my drift. Oh and one thing that may be important to know is that our shower is possessed and likes to randomly spew out lava temperature water every couple of minutes.



Well, I finish soaping up and just as I'm about to rinse off the lava water comes forth out of the faucet. I hurry and turn the shower head away from my body so as to not get burned when I start noticing a rather peculiar feeling down in my girly region. It is like this tingling burning sensation. You know like what it feels like when you put Ben-Gay on sore muscles, only maybe a titch milder. I grab the bottle to see what exactly is in this soap and it says "clean scent of waterlily and fresh mint." MINT!! So that's why my down under is on fire!! And to to make it worse I can't rinse the soap off because the water is still the temperature of the sun's surface. The water finally returns to normal temp. and I rinse off. By then the rest of my body is all tingly and slightly burning. Wow, must be powerful stuff and my girly bits just must be more sensitive than the rest of my skin. Oh and I just went on their website and this is what the description says: "Leaves your skin with a gentle tingly, refreshing feel." Gentle my butt.

To the Best Daddy in the World Part 2

Okay, okay, I know that in the last post I said that my dad was the best dad in the world but I hope he'll be okay with sharing that title with Carlos. Babe, this post is for you. I know you'll probably be annoyed that I'm posting about you because I know you don't like this kind of attention but you'll just have to deal with it. I wanted to thank you for being such a great dad to our kids. And for also being the best husband I could ever want. I truly don't deserve you. Okay, some days I come pretty close but overall you spoil me way too much. Not that I'm saying you can stop, because that wouldn't be good. So don't stop, m'kay? I'll just have to do better at deserving it ;)

The kids and I love you so much. I love the way they wait for you to come home from work and then rush you at the door before you can even get it closed.

I love how Lexi is such a daddy's girl.

I love the way you can be so gentle with them sometimes and then play and rough house with them the next moment.

I love how you can be so much more patient with them than me at times. Usually the times when I am at my limit.

I'm grateful that you are a worthy priesthood holder and that you can give my children the blessings they need. I'm grateful for the example you are to me and the children, how you try to improve every single day. I'm thankful that you are a good example to CJ of how to be a good man.

I love how you can be silly with me and the kids.

I'm grateful that you provide for us so well and take care of things around the house, things that I could never do.

I love how you kiss and play with Elli in the morning before work. I really think she looks forward to that time as much as you do.

These are just some of the many things I love and cherish about you as the father to my children but if I were to list them all my fingers would start to bleed from all the typing. You are a great father and I'm thankful everyday that I get to navigate these wonderful, scary parenting waters with you at the helm next to me. Thank you babe and Happy Father's Day!!!

To the Best Daddy in the World

Hey Dad, since we couldn't be with you on Father's Day I thought I'd write a post for you. Everyone else, feel free to ignore this but you'll miss out on me bragging about the best dad a girl could ask for, and that would be tragic.

I was thinking today on how I could make up for not sending you a gift or being there with you today. I wanted to do more than just a phone call. It seemed insufficient to express my love and gratitude for you. And in thinking I started reminiscing on my childhood. I started to think of how you would tickle me and hold me down until I was so mad I was crying, but it's so funny to think back to it now. I remember you swinging me around by my feet and hands and how much fun it was for me but how Whitney was scared to death of it.

I remember moving to Roswell in the summer before 1st grade and how you told us of the nice tan house we were going to live in, and well, it was really pink but you thought it was tan because of your color blindness.

I think of the family trips we took, to Disney Land in the RV where we stayed at the Disney Campground. And the trip to Idaho where we camped out for two weeks and had a blast with the wave runners. Oh and do you remember seeing the moose and you got out of the truck and I totally thought you were going to get chased by the moose but you didn't, thank goodness!

I remember when I was a teenager and gave you more headaches than you or I care to remember you still supported me in my endeavors and went to nearly all my basketball games and how you came to my practices and helped me work on my shot. You know people always told me I had a shot better than most of the boys and I know it's because of your help. You gave me my love for basketball.

I remember my first car that you got me after I graduated, that teeny tiny Geo Metro. Man I loved that car and I'd sure like it now with the gas mileage it got! I remember you teaching me how to drive a stick shift in the mail truck and how easy the Geo seemed compared to that truck. I remember your advice about driving and how I need to "drive for everyone else on the road-be a defensive driver!"

I remember all the love and support you gave and continue to give me. I'm so thankful you are my daddy and even more thankful that you are the grandpa to my kids. You've changed from a loving, somewhat stern dad to a loving, complete teddybear of a grandpa and my kids love you so much. I couldn't ask for anything more. So thank you Dad and know that I love you and miss you everyday and thank Heavenly Father everyday for sending me to you. I love you Dad and Happy Father's Day!!!

Oh and I'm thoroughly annoyed that I couldn't get anymore pictures on here. I tried messing with my scanner for over an hour and a half and couldn't ever get it to work otherwise there would've been a bigger variety of pics, sorry :( I was really bummed. Love you Dad!

A Garden Hose'll Do, Right?

I'm seriously contemplating never bathing my kids again and just hosing them off in the backyard. I think it would work. Spray em til they're soaked. Rub em down with soap and spray them off again. And since we live approximately 50 feet from the earth's center (being as it is sooo HOT here) they could air dry in like 1.3 seconds so no towels needed. Perfect plan I say.

Why am I contemplating this you ask? Well, you see I cleaned poo out of the bath water again tonight and that makes it about 3 times (and that's 3 times too many) in the last several months that I've had to clean POO out of the BATH WATER that my darling little crapheads (and I say that with all the loving affection in the world) were supposed to be innocently playing in with their bath toys, not relieving themselves of their digested lunch. Ick, I know too many details in that last sentence, sorry.

Oh and let's not forget the time last week when they decided it would be a fantastic idea to get every towel I owned out of the bathroom closet and stick it in the bath with them. Oh but they weren't finished yet, they then threw each and every towel back out of the bath onto the floor. You know those towels soaked up all the water except maybe an inch which was now covering my bathroom floor. Oh well, it needed to be mopped anyway. Just trying to see the bright side here.

So, I've decided no more baths...

Two Quick Things

Okay first off, I'd like to sadly accept the award for Bad Mom of the Day for the state of Arizona. This morning my sweet little baby Elli fell off my bed. Yep, it finally happened. And mom, I can hear you in my head saying "I told you so, you should've been more careful." But I was careful!! I placed the impenetrable Wall o' Pillows around her! Come on we know that 7 month olds can't scale a wall of pillows stacked two high all around her, don't we? Well, apparently that doesn't apply to my 7 month old, she just burrows underneath them or bulldozes her way through them. Which this morning resulted in a lovely THUMP and then crying while I was trying to have my morning constitutional. When I got out to her, her little face was red either from the crying or because that's where she landed, I couldn't tell. As Carlos said, it's a good thing she doesn't have very much cartilage in her nose right now. Ouch!! Sorry honey, mommy will no longer leave you on the bed unsupervised because you've proven your craftiness as getting through walls of fluff and your trusty little stuffed bunny isn't even enough to distract/talk you down from jumping anymore.

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Second, I mention this with some trepidation because I fear that this post will end up jinxing me and I'll have a day filled with pee pee accidents but I'm pretty confident and proudly announce that Lexi is for the most part POTTY TRAINED!! That's right folks, she's in her big girl panties! For the past week or so she has been using the potty independently and as I type this I can hear her singing "Lexi pee pee toilet, Lexi pee pee toilet" to the tune of "Happy Birthday." Now, I say mostly trained because we have yet to conquer the act of the bowel movement but I'm sure that will come soon. At least I hope because it is no fun cleaning poo out of big girl panties. She gets a sticker and one jellybean each times she uses the potty successfully and I'm running out of butterfly stickers and purple jellybeans because that is all this girl wants! Now, all we have to get is the boy to cooperate and my life will be peaches considering I'll be going from having three in diapers to one. And it will be awesome. And I'll have to brag about it. And I'm sure everyone is tired of me blogging about poo and pee because I still think it's sad that someone found my blog by googling "diaper pull-up." Anyway, that is all :)

What in the World is Going On?!?

Seriously what is going on with the weather? My mom just text me saying that it snowed about an inch last night. In New Mexico. In JUNE for crying out loud! And that's not the only place with severe weather, Washington DC was just hit yesterday with a pretty bad storm that left one dead and may go down in history for severe weather for that area. And they aren't the only place that's been having funky weather lately. Is Mother Earth going through menopause or something? She certainly seems to be having hot flashes around these parts. Anyway, and next up traffic reports....

Graduations and Business Awards

Sorry I've been away y'all. Since when did I start saying y'all? I guess I'm channeling my inner Britney. We've all got a little white trash in us you know. Don't deny it, you do. Anyway, some busy happenings have been going on the last couple of weeks. CJ and Lexi's preschool graduation, which really wasn't their graduation because they'll be back next year but anyway, they're three, they don't care, and they look so cute.

(CJ and Lexi with their teachers)

(They look absolutely thrilled don't they)


(Wrestling on the grass outside of the school)


(CJ trying to give Lexi a kiss)


(Elli's mobile now dang it. She's better backwards than forward but mobile nonetheless and she got herself wedged between the tv and the entertainment center. And no this isn't an ad placement for AT&T but it should be. Where's my money AT&T?!?)


(And a close up just because she's so dang cute!)



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My sis-in-law Becky also graduated this month, from highschool though, not preschool ha ha. CONGRATULATIONS BECKY!!! And in the fall she's going to be attending ASU's Pre-medical program. We are so proud of her!! I'm excited because she's going to be living with us so I have a built in babysitter. LOL, just kidding Becky! You know I don't mean that (crosses fingers behind back). But like I said we are super proud of her and can't wait for her to get her degree so she can support all our lazy butts :)







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Last Thursday night Carlos and I had the opportunity to go to a fancy smancy awards ceremony at the *ahem* Ritz Carlton because the company that he works for was being honored by Arizona Business Magazine with one of the Arizona FAST 15 Awards. It was a lot of fun and the food was mostly good, they had some sort of thinly sliced steak that still had horns and mooed occasionally (meaning rare, yuck). We totally felt out of place with all those rich folk but had a good time anyway. I'm so proud of Carlos and the other people at Guthrie Mainstream Services because they truly deserved that award for all their hard work and dedication. Way to go guys!!!


(Andrew, Carlos, and Terrence. What a hot group of guys!! With the hottest being Carlos of course!! Oh and that is Terry on the left side of the pic, I didn't mean to cut her halfway out of the pic, she should have either been completely in or out of the pic, sorry, but I was a little woozy after my $5 Coca-cola. At least I like to think there was a little something extra there because I mean, jeez, it was $5 for 8oz of Coke.)




(Terry, the owner of GMS, holding the plaque she was awarded with.)



(Carlos and I holding the plaque)



(And here we are at home afterwards, he was dead tired and glad to be home)



(And here I am eating a Sonic grilled cheese because you know I didn't eat any of that steak, lol. And I'm channeling Miley Cyrus in this pic, like I said we all have a little white trash in us, apparently today, I have a lot.)

S.T.O.M.P.

Sisters Trying Out Moroni's Promise

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."
(Moroni 10:4)

Our Relief Society did this reading schedule last year and well, I didn't finish. They are starting it again TODAY and I AM going to finish it this year. Who's with me? Here's the reading schedule for June...

June 2nd - 1 Nephi 1-3
3rd - 1 Nephi 4-9
4th - 1 Nephi 1-12
5th - 1 Nephi 13-15
6th - 1 Nephi 16-17
7th - 1 Nephi 10-12
8th - 1 Nephi 21-2 Nephi 1
9th - 2 Nephi 2-4
10th - 2 Nephi 5-8
11th - 2 Nephi 9-11
12th - 2 Nephi 12-18
13th - 2 Nephi 19-24
14th - 2 Nephi 25-26
15th - Catch Up!!
16th - 2 Nephi 27-30
17th - 2 Nephi 31-Jacob 2
18th - Jacob 3-5
19th - Jacob 6-7 (1/4 done!!)
20th - Enos-Words of Mormon
21st - Mosiah 1-2
22nd - Catch Up!!!
23rd - Mosiah 3-6
24th - Mosiah 7-11
25th - Mosiah 12-15
26th - Mosiah 16-19
27th - Mosiah 20-23
28th - Mosiah 24-26
29th - Catch Up!!
30th - Mosiah 27-29