LIFE

Well. I don't feel like there's anything to blog about....just our life in limbo. Feels like there's nothing to report although lots of things are going on.

Brandon is still looking for a job.....we are still in our little rental house...although we will have to move out for a week around Thanksgiving because this house is a vacation rental. We planned to pay month to month...but the owners had someone book the house for a week. They were supposed to tell us if they had someone interested so that we could let them know if we'd still be here during that time. But, the people booked online....and didn't want to trade for rooms at the B&B. SO...we are going to move out for a week-ish (let the girls miss 2 days of school) and go.....somewhere. Probably to Mesa since that's where we will be having Thanksgiving this year. When I first found out that we'd have to move out for a week, it was depressing. I have enjoyed this month of not packing and moving.

Last week we had "Fall Break". The girls got Friday off and Monday off. Not long enough of a break if you ask me. They also had half days on Thursday and Friday. I had parent teacher conferences Thursday. I don't know why, but the girls schools ask you to not bring your other kids with you....I bring them anyways and let them play on the play ground. (Sort of annoys me that they say you can't bring your kids. If they'd like to arrange babysitting, I'd be happy to leave them with someone.)

Addie is doing great. She gets a little distracted and doesn't always hear the instructions the first time (that's what her teacher told me)....but she gets 100% on everything so I am not too worried about it. With all the changes that have been going on in our lives this year, I am grateful she is doing so well. Her teacher feels like she will do fine going into another 1st grade class (wherever we move to). She's become a good little reader too!

Kaitlyn made the Super-Intendeds list for the first quarter. That means she has gotten ninety-five percent or above on her report card. (Do I sound like I am bragging?) I took the kids to Dairy Queen after school on Friday to celebrate how well they are doing. (I got a small Blizzard...those things are HUGE! I need to stick to the mini size. FYI....their pumpkin pie blizzard tastes just like pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream. YUM!) Kaitlyn's teacher Mr. Boone says she is doing great. Kaitlyn is a little worried about math...because it's getting harder. In fact, Mr. Boone showed me a math test that they had taken that day....and there was a problem on it that I thought "who cares what the answer is!"  It was complicated number sequencing stuff.

Weston didn't have a PTC. His preschool sent home a progress report and he is doing well too. They wrote a note that he needs to practice the "th" and "l" sounds. Yeah...I know. But I am not going to drive him crazy correcting him all the time. The girls correct him often enough. If he needs speech therapy, I am all for it. I couldn't pronounce the "r" sound when I was his age...I went to speech therapy in kindergarten and thought it was fun!

Connor is a cute little booger. He and Weston keep me on my toes. Connor is 2 and acts like it! He is sweet as can be one minute and then mad about not getting his way the next. He wants to do EVERYTHING the older kids do and gets very sad when he can't tag along. He loves riding his tricycle...and running. A little story and him and Weston. Yesterday morning, they had one of Adelin's baby dolls. You can feed this doll and it talks to you. Connor and Weston were feeding it "bananas" and the doll said, "Thank you momma!" and Connor goes, "I'm not your momma" to it's face. He did that every time the doll said it. I thought it was funny. It always nice when the kids make me laugh. ;)

Little baby boy Flake is still nameless. I'd like to think of a name for him before he is born. Does anyone have any names ideas they are willing to share? I like "Cameron" and "Carter" and Brandon likes "Justin" best so far. We didn't have a name for Weston until he was about 2 days old...so I guess it's okay if we don't have a name for this little guy too. Weston was going to be either Weston", "Connor", or "Dallin". I was leaning toward Dallin....but after trying out the other names on him, Weston is the one that fit the best. Anyhow. This pregnancy seems to be going well. I feel sort of like a ticking time bomb. I really would like to have a new job and be in a new house (that we wont move from for a long time!) by the beginning of the year at the latest. I have been busy and haven't taken many pictures of me pregnant. I know I will regret it later.

We are all healthy and counting our blessing!

The Debate



Brandon and I listened to the first Presidential Debate on the radio last night. We had to switch back and forth between 3 or 4 different stations to hear it all.  We were driving home from Tucson...and there was lots of static. The kids were watching....something on the DVD player...I am not sure what.

We liked the debate. Nothing too spectacular. I feel like the differences in their opinions came through. I am interested to see how the upcoming debates go. I think there are some "hot topics" like foreign policies...and what's happened in Lybia that might make the contrast between the two candidates even greater.

The quote of the night happened at our house! After we got home, we had some news channel on... listening to what they had to say about the debate. After they had showed a clip of President Obama saying something about what happened in 2001-2003 (he never did say what he was talking about)...Adelin goes, "That's mean. Why did they dress President Obama up like a monkey for the debate?" TOTALLY innocently. We are NOT prejudice AT all and NEVER use demeaning terms about our race or others. We assured her that he wasn't dressed up, that's just what he looks like.

SO! Tell me. Who are YOU voting for? I am especially interested in what those of the "Independent" party think.

Personally, I think it is a no brainer. Keep going like we have been for the past 4 years...or try something different? My vote for Mitt Romney has nothing to do with his religion...although I agree with him on that too!

I had an ultrasound today. The tech said that the baby is very wiggly....but I don't feel too much movement. He also told us that we are having another BOY! Brandon was the only one in our family who guessed right! We are excited to have our "Three Amigos" :)

Grandma Flake's House

We have been super busy. That seems to be just the way life is lately!

We aren't completely moved out of our house yet. The buyers asked us to move the closing date back a week...and we agreed to it....but if it doesn't close, they will pay us back for what we will have paid for rent. We have just a few more things to move out of the house.

We've been staying here in our rental house since Monday night. It's kindda fun living in town again. I love the green grass and trees we have here at this house. Kaitlyn loves that she can sit and read in the grass out back and hear the fountain at the Bed and Breakfast.

I imagine that Grandma Flake would be happy to see her grandson and four of her great-grand children living in her old house. :)

Brandon and I felt the baby moving around in my belly for the first time yesterday morning. That's always fun. I haven't really sat still long enough to feel the baby again. Even when I am laying down to sleep, I can't stay still. I my legs and hips ache from laying on my sides so I move around trying to get comfy all night. The lack of sleep is getting me ready for a newborn!

So....this is our last week in this house. I have been packing....but there's still a lot to do. My parents are coming up this weekend and staying through Monday. This is wonderful! My mom and I pack well together. We both like things to be organized so that it is easy to find things once we start to unpack.

Brandon has a professional resume writer re-write his resume. He hasn't had many chances to apply for jobs this past week because he had to take a quick trip to Canada. We're hopeful that the new and improved resume will help with the job hunt.

The kids are all doing great.

Weston turned 5 yesterday. We celebrated the day before by going to Brandon's mom's house and riding horses. Weston invited Trey, Trevin and Travis (aka "Choncy") to come ride horses with him. We had pizza and a pinata, opened presents and ate cake and ice cream. Then yesterday, Weston opened the rest of his presents. He loved being sang to in Primary. He also loved not having to do any chores and getting to choose who'd to them for him. I asked his this morning how it felt to be 5. He told me, "You should know. You were 5 before." (true enough)

It is your

REACTION

to adversity

NOT

the adversity itself,

that determines how

YOUR LIFE'S STORY

will develop.

~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I am just thrilled that I can use blogger again! Not that I have much to say or very much time to say it...it's just BUGGED me that blogger wouldn't work!

I found a place to rent in Snowflake! What a relief to know we have someplace to live in 4 weeks! It is actually Brandon's grandma Flake's old house. It has been remodeled and redecorated. It is rented out by the Bed and Breakfast (which is the house my FIL grew up in) as a vacation rental. They are willing to rent to us month to month. I wonder if we can work out a deal to include breakfasts too.??? (j/k) Jo Anne and her husband are very nice. They donated two nights at the B+B for the fundraiser auction we had for my dad last year. ANYHOW. Back to Brandon's grandmas's house. It is fully furnished. I haven't been inside yet but I have looked at pictures online and it is super cute! Very welcoming. I will have to child proof things a bit though. But, since it is fully furnished, we can put all our stuff in storage and just take some clothes and books and things! The back yard is fenced in...PLUS...it is right across the street from our favorite Mexican food restaurant! I am sort of excited to move again now!