A lot going on lately

Well, I haven't been able to write for a few days. I've had two sick kids, been helping mom & dad go through boxes at Grandma Larson's, and had company come into town today. But I figured that I had better at least do a small post tonight because it will be a week before I am able to post again. We are going to Utah with mom & dad tomorrow to spend the week. We will be attending Malachi's viewing and funeral in the next couple of days.

Malachi's Obituary and Tribute from his daughters

Malachi David Darcey WEST POINT - Our loving son, husband, father, brother, and friend Malachi David Darcey, 30 passed away in the early morning hours of Monday, August 30, 2010 at McKay-Dee Hospital. His life was tragically cut short. Malachi was born Christmas Morning 1979 to Babette (Bambi)and David Darcey. Graduated from Clearfield High School 1998. Employed by Sorenson Construction as a foreman for the past 12 years. Malachi married his high school sweetheart, Casi LaPlant Darcey, June 28, 2002. They were blessed with MaKiya and BrecKlyn, two sweet and beautiful little girls, 4 and 3 years old. They will miss their daddy so very much. Malachi had a love for live, a life that ended much too soon. He enjoyed outdoor activities including camping, fishing, and boating. From the time he was able to hold a screw-driver, he could build or fix just about anything. Malachi was a devoted and caring father. He deeply loved his two daughters and enjoyed spending time with them. Malachi and his two brothers were more than siblings, they were best friends. Malachi was a peacemaker among friends and strangers alike. He wore a contagious smile and had a hug for everyone. Malachi was strong, yet kind, and deeply devoted to his family and numerous friends. Malachi is survived by his two daughters, parents, wife, sisters: Annette Darcey and Cheryl O'Neal (both of West Point); brothers: Isaac (Clearfield) and Micah (Riverdale); four nieces and four nephews. Also surviving are Malachi's extended family members and many friends including his good friend Sarah Whittaker. Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at the West Point Stake Center 550 N. 2300 W., West Point with a viewing prior from 9 - 10:45 am. Also a viewing will be held Monday, September 6, from 6-8 pm at Myers Mortuary 5865 S. 1900 W., Roy. In lieu of flowers and to benefit his daughters, donations will be accepted through the Malachi Darcey Memorial Fund (account # 2291536) at any Goldenwest Credit Union.

Beating Victim Remembered as Loving Dad - Salt Lake Tribune September 1, 2010


ROY -- The last time BreKlyn Darcey saw her father, he gave her a dollar bill on her third birthday and told her to buy something good with it. For BreKlyn, that was the perfect gift because, according to her mother, Casi Darcey, the toddler was always asking her daddy for money.
It was also the last gift that Malachi Darcey would give to either of his little girls.
After spending time on Saturday with BreKlyn and 4-year-old daughter MaKiya, the 30-year-old man went to the Outlaw Saloon in West Haven. Authorities still don't know exactly what happened when Darcey and his group left the saloon early Sunday morning, but a fight broke out with another group and it took the life of a man known as a loving father.
"I just want everyone to realize that they took a wonderful, wonderful dad away from two beautiful girls," said Casi Darcey, who said she and Malachi had been separated for about four months. "He was just an awesome guy who would do anything for anybody."
Casi said Darcey was a father who absolutely cherished his daughters. He spent his free time taking his girls fishing, tubing behind a boat, snowmobiling, four-wheeling and bike riding.
Then there were the special times when he'd take them to parks, often making sacrifices for those outings.
"He'd actually take days off from work when he was missing them, just to spend time with his kids," she said.
The quality time had an effect on the young Darceys.
"I liked sliding," BreKlyn said when her mom asked her what she liked doing with her daddy.
MaKiya also had a quick answer to the question. "I liked coloring."
Darcey had special nicknames for his girls, calling MaKiya his "little monkey" because she climbed on anything she could and BreKlyn his "little snowman" after the two were pictured during the winter with BreKlyn all bundled up in the cold.
While they know their dad is gone, the girls don't really know exactly what has gone on over the past three days, Casi said.
"They're not really understanding, they just tell everyone that their daddy is in heaven and they look up at the clouds, and that's how they know where their daddy is," Casi said.
But one day they'll understand what happened early Sunday morning when their dad was rushed to McKay-Dee Hospital after suffering a severe head injury and then why, on Monday, he died after being taken off life support.
Investigators are still working the case, with no new information released on Tuesday, but Casi hopes that soon there will be closure and those responsible will be held accountable,
"For the kids' sake, it's very important, but that's all I can say on it," Casi said. "I just want there to be justice for my girls."
Donations are being accepted for expenses and the future of Darcey's daughters at any Golden West Credit Union or any major credit union in Utah through an account in Malachi Darcey's name.
Those donations will help the girls later in life, as could what might end up being another gift from Darcey to his girls. As Casi went through pictures the last couple of days to prepare a tribute to Darcey for his funeral, she noticed something special about all the photos she found of her husband.
"Every last one of them, him and his kids," Casi said. "He'd lie in bed with them. He'd wake up with them and put them to sleep. He did everything with his kids."

Yuck!

3:30 in the morning and I bet I have had, maybe, an hour of sleep. Jayson started in with a cold yesterday and has been fighting a runny nose with the sneezes. Well, last night, after waking up numerous times, we decided to give him some motrin and put him in bed with us. Man, that was a mistake! Any time one of us would move, it would make him realize that he couldn't breathe due to being stuffy and he would start crying and kicking. Then, Ava woke up around 3:00 and needed her bum changed and a new bottle, which woke up Jayson. He then decided that it was time to have a bowl of cereal, which his daddy told him he could have because he didn't eat much dinner. But he wasn't the one that had to sit up with him in order for him to have it! I am! So, thanks alot, Kasey!

I found out yesterday that Malachi's funeral will be held on Tuesday, the 7th of September. I was planning on being there to support Bambi and her family. But, unless I can reschedule a WIC appt to re-certify Jayson, I won't be able to. This makes me sad due to the fact that Bambi and her family can use all of the support that they can get right now. I can only imagine the heartache it would bring, not only to lose a son, but to lose him in such a cruel and senseless act! My heart is broken for them and I will continually pray that they will find comfort in this time of need.

Not a very good couple of days!

I found out yesterday that Babette's son, Malachi, was beaten severely by an asian gang in Ogden for trying to protect his new fiance from their harrassment. He was placed in critical condition at McKay Dee hospital. They beat him bad enough that his brain stem was shoved into his spinal column and was brain dead upon arrival. Malachi passed away at 3:30 this morning. I haven't seen my cousin, Babette, for quite some time. And haven't been close to her kids since I was young. But they are great people! And Malachi will surely be missed! The police arrived on the scene very quickly after being alerted to the beating. The gang was still beating him when they arrived. The police were able to arrest 9 and are still looking for at least two others. In my opinion, they need to hand down the maximum punishment allowed for this senseless cruelty...murder! I can't really afford to do so, but I am going to go to Utah for the funeral as soon as the body is released from the investigation. I feel like the family could use all of the support that they can get right now. Bambi, (Babette), is really having a hard time right now. She has not eaten since she found out about the incident. And she has a really bad heart murmer that could cause a lot of problems for her. She not only is mourning the death of one son, but is also worried about Malachi's fiance and her other son that was involved. Micha, the other son, tried to intervene and was beaten as well. They knocked him out cold. His fiance, Sarah, got away long enough that she was able to run into the bar to tell them to call the cops. However, when she returned to the scene, they went after her and knocked her out as well.

My heart is broken for my family today! This shouldn't have happened! What is wrong with the world that an inocent man, trying to avoid confrontation and protect his family at the same time, has to suffer so much pain and end up dead because of it?!

It's amazing...

I knew that I was struggling in the past year or so to be my happy self. I use to be so easy going, such an optimist, usually very happy and spontaneous. But I have struggled with a short temper and irritability. And I hated it! I especially hated being short with my kids. I would get mad over the littlest of things. But I have noticed that, since my surgeries, I have been a much happier person! I laugh about things instead of getting mad. I play with my kids more. And I am much easier to get along with. I think that my body knew it was sick and just was unable to deal with things the way that I would have liked. I could be reading too much into things, but my attitude has completely changed in the last month. I am a happier person and I am loving and enjoying life again! I love it! And I'm sure that those around me are loving it too...I know my kids are!

I am going to make this short and sweet tonight. I have been busy cleaning house today, it's getting late and I am exhausted. I finally just decided that I am tired of the clutter in my house and am starting to do something about it. We just have too much stuff for our little house. So I decluttered one of the counters and the top of the white cabinet in the kitchen. As well as the top of the fridge. I am planning on taking this next week to declutter as much as I can. Along with the day to day things that need to be done...dishes, laundry, picking up toys, etc. I am just to the point that I have to do something. Otherwise, my head is going to explode!

I have also decided that I am going to start doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred again. Starting on monday. I had started to do it a couple of months ago. But, due to the increasing frequency of my gall stone attacks, I was unable to continue. But I had started to lose some weight with the few times that I had done it and I have lost some after my surgeries. So I definitely want to keep that trend going. And I am going to do everything that I can to do so. I am looking forward to feeling even more healthy as I lose the pounds. I know that it will boost my attitude even more as I feel better about myself.

Well, I think that is it for tonight. I am struggling to keep my eyes open. So off to bed, I go.

Not much time lately...

Seems like life is speeding up again. Not necessarily because there are a lot of specific things going on. But just because I am chasing kids non-stop, running errands, cleaning house, and what ever else comes my way on any given day. I haven't had much time to write in the past couple of days. It has been relatively uneventful, but busy.

However, two days ago, we found out that Skip's prostate cancer has returned. He is suppose to go back in a few weeks from now to have it frozen again. But the doctor only gave him a 50% chance of getting it all this time. Which aren't the greatest odds. But we have to keep our hopes high and allow the Lord to take care of this situation in His way. I know that whatever happens, it will be the way that the Lord wants it to be. It doesn't make it any easier, knowing that it could mean a miserable battle for my dear father-in-law. But knowing that Heavenly Father is the one in control eases things a little bit. We just have to remember that He loves us and will take care of us all. And there is always that other 50% that will take this burden from Skip all together.

Mom and Dad should be here again this weekend. I am really looking forward to that. Even though they will be working on going through things at Grandma's again. I just really miss my family. I wish that they were closer so that we could spend more time with them! I know that my kids would benefit from that as well. They love their grandma, grandpa, & Aunt Sarah! And they love all of the time that they get to spend with them! But it would be GREAT if those times came in more of an abundance. For now, we just make the most of the times that we do get.

What a long day!

Well, after I updated the blog late last night, I didn't end up going to sleep until around 1:30 or 2:00 a.m. Ava woke up around 3:30 needing her diaper changed. Jayson woke up shortly after that. And then Kasey was up at 5:00 to go to work. So, needless to say, I didn't get much sleep. I sure hope that I can get out of this insomnia rut soon! It sure makes for a long day!

After the kids woke up this morning, we got ready and went in to Grandma Larson's to help Mom & Dad go through some of their boxes that they have in the garage. Grandma still isn't doing very well. The dimensia is getting worse. She told Aunt Pat that she was trying to remember her name the other day. Therefore, she is still in the home in Bountiful. And she will probably remain there until the day that Grandpa comes to take her home. It saddens me to think of her sitting there day in and day out. Not remembering that Grandpa is really gone and losing more of her grip on reality. I wish we were closer to her so that we could go and visit. Anyway, all of the siblings are coming to Burley sometime next month to go through all of Grandma and Grandpa's things in the garage and the house. Grandma has, in times of more normalcy and recognition, requested that it be done as soon as possible. But that means that Mom and Dad have to move all of their stuff so that they know what is what. We ended up not being any help. But it was nice to be able to spend some time with them.

After that, I took the kids to Taco Bandito for lunch. It was nice. Well, except for all of us being a bit tired. So after that, I brought the kids home to try to take a nap. Ha Ha! They absolutely refused! First time in a long time that they have done that. So we went up to Skip and Lola's, ate dinner and spent some time with them. And now the kids are both in bed asleep. Which is where I am planning on heading very soon.

So it wasn't an eventful day. But with the lack of sleep, it sure made for a long one! Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight so that tomorrow will be better.

Wow...So that didn't work at all!

It has been so long since I have written! I don't know what I am going to have to do to get into the habbit of doing this, but it has to change! This is not only a benefit for me, but for my kids as well. They need to know what they did as little kids and how we spent time as a family. They need to be able to read about their accomplishments and everyday happenings. I have got to do this!

So much has happened since I last wrote. To start off, Ava had her 1st birthday and is now15 mo. old! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! She is now walking all over the place and is into absolutely everything! lol She has a few more teeth, and her hair is starting to grow! It might actually become long enough to put into a couple of pony tails some day! She is in love with books and her brothers leap frog alphabet train that she rides on everyday, all day long. She has also developed and attatchment to her pink and red flower and stripes blanky that Mom made her before she was born.

Jayson is now 2 and 1/2 yrs old! And boy, is he a smart one! He blows my mind with all of the things that he is learning! And I can't even take the credit for most of it! He picks things up from his cartoons, movies, and I don't know where else. He is recently learning about going under, over, up and down. Everytime we go near a bridge, he tells me if me are going under or over it. And anytime we go near a hill of any kind, he tells me if we are going up or down either side. He is still completely addicted to Thomas and Friends. And his collection of trains is growing all of the time. He knows the names of all of the trains and will gladly tell you who is who when we go to the store to pick out a new one.

Kasey is still working hard. He is currently working on a project in Twin Falls. They are re-doing a parking lot and landscape for an LDS ward building. He took me by there to show me last weekend. It sure is a mess! lol He has also been working hard on moving some of our sprinklers and trying to figure out problems with the pump that runs them. All along with the day to day stuff that happens around here. He is a busy boy!

And then there is me. I had to have my gall bladder removed two and a half weeks ago. And they had to go back in two days later to remove more stones. Let me tell you, that was not a fun experience! But I am glad that it is over! I have been dealing with gall stone attacks, without knowing exactly what it was, for 10 mo. now. The first ones occurred last October and they were horrible! I just all of a sudden was writhing in pain and was literally grunting and gasping for air! It hurt SO bad! And it happened twice withing about 20 minutes of each other. With both lasting about 10 minutes each. Kasey insisted on taking me to the hospital. But all they told me was that I was having muscle spasms and offered me muscle relaxers. But since I was still breastfeeding Ava, I told them that it was not an option. So they told me to go home. But the attacks became more frequent in the past couple of months. So I finally went to the doctor. And two days later, I was in surgery. Mom took the kids to Utah for a week so that I could recover. That ended up being bitter sweet. Bitter, due to the fact that it was the first time that I had really been away from the kids! I missed them so much! I ended up calling several times a day just to check on them and hear their voices! But, sweet, due to the fact that I really needed that time to heal. And Kasey and I got to spend some time together. We just spent the evenings together watching some of our favorite shows and enjoying each other. It's been a long time since we were able to just relax and spend some quality time together. It was really nice!

Kasey and I just recently celebrated our 5th anniversary as well. There is another example of how fast the time has flown by! I can remember so many details of that day. Just like it was yesterday! But it just so happened that our anniversary fell on a friday. The day before Mom was going to bring the kids home. So I made a really nice dinner, we watched a movie, and just spent the evening enjoying each other. The next day, Kasey and I went to Twin and just bummed around for a while before Mom and Dad brought the kids back. Of course, we had to get the kids something fun. So we got Jayson a train (of course) and a dinosaur. And we got Ava a book and a little tinkerbelle pail. (She loves to hang them on her arm like a purse and carry them all over the place! lol)

I was SO excited when the kids finally came home! I couldn't stand to wait the last few minutes before they got here! I watched out the window and even sat out on the steps when I finally saw them at the end of the road! lol It was worse than a kid at Christmas waiting for Santa to come on Christmas Eve! And ever since, Ava hasn't let me out of her sight! lol Anytime that we go up to Skip and Lola's, she is afraid that I am leaving her again. (They are the ones that watched the kids during my first surgery.) Jayson is more secure with it though. As long as he has his trains to play with and his blanky, he is just fine. lol

Well, it is getting really late. So I guess I should go and try to get some sleep. I started into some insomnia while the kids were gone. I guess I missed them TOO much! But I am finding it hard to kick it. Some nights I sleep like a baby, and others I can't sleep until midnight or later. It stinks! But, if I want to keep up with the kids tomorrow, I had better at least try to get a couple of hours. So I will continue tomorrow...Goodnight!

Okay, to update on the past few days...

Okay, to start off...Jayson had a fever on monday. It carried over for about an hour on Tuesday and then went away. However, on Wednesday, he started with a bit of a rash. It was just a few red bumps on his lower belly and just under his diaper line. But then on Thursday, it was all over his torso. Front and Back. It also ran up the back of his neck. And instead of being little red bumps, it was red welts. So I called to get him into the doctor and they couldn't get him in until 10 on Friday. So, longer story short...he apparently had a virus that caused the fever and then turned into the rash. Dr. Boettcher prescribed a type of pediatric prednisone for him to clear it up. But it causes wakefulness. Which we experienced last night. We gave it to him at 6 and he didn't end up going to bed until about 10:30 p.m. And he kept Ava up that late right along with him. :(

Ava had been doing really well for the past few days. She is still trying to push 4 teeth out on top. And they still don't seem to be bothering her. Which is a good thing for all of us. But I am really glad that she doesn't have to experience the pain of having that many teeth coming in at the same time. I can't imagine how bad that would have to hurt! In the past couple of days, she has discovered how to wave. And she gets sooooo excited about it too. She gets a really big grin on her face, giggles, wiggles her legs, waves a couple of times, and then does it all over again. It is so cute! She is also getting more and more brave. She has been known to stand all on her own for a few seconds several times over the past couple of weeks. So I don't think it will be long before she will be courageous enough to start taking some small steps. WOW! I can't believe she is old enough to be starting to do those kinds of things! And I definately cannot believe that she is going to be 1 next month! I started planning some of the details for her very first birthday party and have the invitations filled out and ready to mail.

I took the kids on a walk down the road today just to get out of the house and get a little bit of exercise at the same time. I put Ava in the stroller and put Jayson's monkey backpack/leash on him and we started out. Jayson decided that it was his job to push the stroller and everytime that I would try to help him he would push my hand away and say "No! No help you! No!" It made me laugh. He is getting to be so independant in his "old" age! lol His happy mood soon went out the window though when we got to the corner down by the brick house and I turned the stroller back towards home and told him that we needed to go back the way that we came. He immediately started throwing a tantrum; screaming at the top of his lungs and telling me that he wanted to "go oer dehr. Oer dehr," pointing down the road where we hadn't been. So I essentially had to drag him home attatched to his leash kicking and screaming. He even dug in his feet a couple of times and ended up falling down. So I picked him up and carried him in one arm (kicking and screaming, of course!) and trying to push the stroller with the other hand down the dirt road! It was quite the site to see, I'm sure! lol Needless to say, mommy wasn't very happy after that either! I am really hoping that we get some nice weather soon so that I can take them over to the school to play. But Lola told me that we are suppose to be getting a bunch more rain in the next few days. So I guess it will have to wait a little longer.

Grandma Larson is doing better than before. They had her in the hospital for a few days after the second stroke but have since moved her back to the home that she was in for her physical therapy. Mom says that she is moving more but is still having some issues swallowing. She is doing better with it but can only have soft foods.

Brenda was finally able to go in to have her hysterectomy yesterday. Mom called and said that she did very well through the surgery and will probably go home tomorrow. And they are telling her that there is a good possibility that the growth that they were following may not be cancerous after all. But they are going to do a biopsy to be sure. So there could be some great news coming on that front!

Kasey and I are doing great, as always. I am exhausted lately from not getting enough sleep and chasing kids. And Kasey is exhausted from working really hard, as usual. But we are doing good. I don't think that we would change a thing right now. Life is good. We love each other, we love our kids, and we love life.

I have been a bad, bad girl!

I haven't written in 4 days! But I have decided what the problem is and I am going to correct it! I have been writing in the evenings before I go to bed. But I like to go to bed at the same time as Kasey. However, he doesn't usually give me much warning as to when he is planning on going to bed. So I end up hurrying to finish up what I am doing at the time and going to bed to cuddle with my hubby. Which does not leave any time for the blog. So, I am going to start writing in the mornings while the kids are eating their breakfast. And I will be posting about the prior days happenings. That means that tonights post is basically done so that I can post about what happened today, tomorrow...lol. So I hope everyone has a great night and I will talk to you all tomorrow! :)

Well, Jayson is running a fever.

It started yesterday afternoon and it was at 99. Then, this morning, it was at 100.8. Then This afternoon, it was at 101.1. So it is slowly creaping up. I just hope that we can get it under control.
We certainly don't want it turning into a seizure situation! Even knowing why he has them never makes it any easier. They still scare me and I know that they make him uncomfortable...they would have to. It definately has been an interesting day though. Jayson has wanted held much of the day due to not feeling that great. But when he hasn't wanted held, Ava has been snuggly. So I have been dealing with some jealousy from the two of them. Usually when one is being held and the other one sees it, they want up too. So I end up holding both of them. But then they realize that the other one is still on my lap and end up pushing at each other. They aren't usually the jealous type. Either one of them. So I have had to laugh about it a couple of times. But by the end of the day, it started to get old. lol

Also found out that Grandma Larson has been in the hospital since last Thursday. She had that second stroke, had a really bad bladder infection, and the flu. So she has had quite the run of things lately. I feel so bad that we haven't been able to make it down to see her as of yet! But we are making plans to go down as soon as we possibly can!

What a GREAT Sunday!

It is amazing how great the day can be after having two well behaved kids in church!!! And what is even better is that I didn't have anyone helping me...or "trying" to help me! I have been really grateful for those in my ward that have good intentions and try to help me with the kids on Sundays. But good intentions don't always play out into great actions! There have been many Sundays Jayson has been acting up by being loud and climbing up and down and under benches. And while I am trying to take care of Ava, the person "trying" to help with Jayson just sits and stares at me blankly or with a look of "what would you like me to do?" There have also been those that have teased Jayson and made him act up...right in the middle of sacrament meeting! Or those that ask if Jayson can have gum and I tell them no. But they end up giving him some anyway! He's 2! And the thing that gets me the worst about the whole thing is that it is adults that have raised kids of their own who need to use some common sense!

DON'T GET ME WRONG!!!! There are definately those days that I really don't know what I would do without the help that they have provided for me! And I truely am greatful for all of them! But after today, it just makes me wonder if Jayson just gets overloaded with all of the attention? I don't know. But he played with his toys, was relatively quiet, played with his sister at times, and even layed down on the floor or the bench a couple of times. And I know that he was extremely tired! He and Ava both were up at 6:30! Ava didn't act up either! She got a little fussy a couple of times. But nothing major. I was so greatful! I have been in the best mood all day because of it! I have felt like nothing could ruin the day! It has been GREAT!

I love Bonfires!

Every once in a while, Kasey & I have a few friends over for a fire in the pit at our house. It is basically just to relax, shoot the breeze and have fun. But it is also to make a stay-at-home mom feel human again...lol. It is amazing how good it makes you feel to have a grown-up conversation once in awhile! Don't get me wrong! I love every minute I have with my kids! But it is nice to be able to put them to bed and have some fun with friends too. I use to be able to go out and do things with everyone on the weekends. But since the kids have come along, that no longer is an option. But oh well. As long as I can have a bonfire once in a while, I will be just fine.

Kasey went paint balling for the first time today. He got hit four times...once on the arm, twice on the inner thigh, and once dead center in the forhead. Needless to say...he has a really big goose egg on his head! He said that he will definately need to get some better gear for next time. lol But, he said that he had fun.

The kids were pretty worn out when we got them into bed tonight. Ava only had about a 20 minute nap today. And Jayson refused one all together. But even though they were tired, they were really good kids today. I LOVE my kids! They are the best kids I could even imagine. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the blessings that he sent to me when he gave us our kids! They have their moments. But I wouldn't change anything for the world!

Short post tonight...

I am so tired that I am going to make this short and sweet. We had a good day today. No major tantrums and the kids both took a nap, at the same time, AND withouth a fight! How great is that?! I did a couple of loads of laundry today, kept the kids' room pretty well picked up and worked on my coupon binder...one of my other goals. I am going to become a "krazy coupon lady" and save my family lots of money on our groceries and every day needs! I know of a lot of people who are doing it, so it can't be that hard...right? I am in the process of getting all of my coupons cut and organized into my massive 5" binder. But I am really excited about the possibilties! There is alot to learn, but I know I can do it!

Anyway, I am off to bed. Wish me luck on falling asleep without tons of tossing and turning!

Lola's 72nd Birthday Today

Well, today was my mother-in-law's 72nd birthday. That's kinda crazy to say...lol. I guess I never thought that my inlaws would be that age until I was older. But I guess that is what I get for marrying a "surprise" child. lol Anyway, we had cake and ice cream for her this evening. It was nice.

It was in the 70's today! Can you believe that?! And there was only a breeze too! How did we get so lucky? It was such a nice day! I had the kids outside for a little while again. Which is proving to be a little difficult with Jayson. And it's not the part about having him outside that is the problem. It is the bringing him back in when it is time...he throws an absolute fit! Especially when he has been outside riding the trike or his bike. He loves doing those things and wants to be out there 24/7!

I am slowly making progress on the house. Not on my schedule though. So I need to get better at that. But I did get the kids' room cleaned up today. Including washing their bedding. I also did a couple of other batches of laundry, did the dishes, picked up the front room and loaded the DI stuff and stuff for storage into the jeep. So I feel like I did pretty good today. Hopefully I can get more done tomorrow. It will just depend on the kids and how much energy that I have. For some reason lately, I just have not been able to go to sleep very well. And it is affecting my energy level alot! And tonight I have a lot on my mind. Not sure that I am ready to put it into words here. But a lot that I am going to have to think about and force myself to put into the Lord's hands. I know that He has a plan for me and my family. He knows what is best for us and sees the bigger picture. I just have to remember that.

Anyway, I am finally getting tired and feel like I can sleep. So off to bed I go. Goodnight!

Thinking about being adventurous...

I have never learned how to do much canning. And the most that I have done is freezer stuff. But when I was at walmart tonight, I noticed that the strawberries are on sale for .98! That is really cheap compared to what they usually are. So I got to thinking that I might have to be adventurous and learn how to make strawberry jam. It can't be that hard, right? I just have to get someone to tell me how much to buy and how much it will make...cause I have no idea! lol

When the kids and I got home, Jayson was zonked out in his car seat. Enough that when Kasey brought him in and tried to wake him up so that we could feed him, all he did was fall back on the couch like a rag doll! Guess he had had enough for the day. However, Kasey then went to put him in bed and he woke up and was rearing to go! lol And he was on one for the next couple of hours!

I took Jayson up to Skip and Lola's today to play in the sand box with all of the toys. He LOVES being outside doing anything! And while he played, Ava and I sat on the lawn and enjoyed the nice day...while it lasted. Not too long after that, the wind came up again. But Ava had fun playing on the grass and just being outside too. I think this summer is going to be spent outside. The kids love it and it teaches them that they need to be active. Another adventure for the Thornton's. I think I will do some picnics, go to the parks, Declo school grounds, etc. It should be fun! I also want to take them to the zoo in Salt Lake this summer. I think they would have a blast!

On a more somber note...Mom told me that Grandma Larson had a second stroke night before last. She has been in a care facility in Bountiful for that past little while because she had a minor stroke and was having some issues with her strength and swallowing. This past week or so she has had the flu and a bladder infection as well. But she was starting to show some improvement with both of the prior issues. Then the second stroke occurred and affected her left side. I talked to mom again today though and she told me that she is starting to move her had a little bit better. Thank goodness both of these strokes have been mild. But the strokes are what took Grandpa. So who knows what could happen. I just hope that we are able to get down to see Grandma soon. We miss her! I hope that she knows just how much we love her!

Not much to tell today

Well, today was a long day. But it was also uneventful and I didn't get much done...unfortunately. I did go to town to get some groceries. But that was about it. The kids had a pretty good day today. Other than for getting pretty tired due to not having a nap. But they took a bath tonight. And that is something that they always like to do. Jayson and Ava are both getting use to having water on their faces. (Jayson has hated that for the longest time and always threw a fit when it came time to get clean. lol) But Jayson had his little bucket in the tub with them tonight and that was what Kasey was using to rinse Jayson off with. Well, Jayson then decided that it would be fun to use that to rinse sister off with too. So he kept dumping it over Ava's head. It was actually pretty funny. And after the initial shock of the first time or two, Ava decided it was funny too and started giggling. It was cute. After that, with both of them being so tired, it didn't take much to get them off to bed. And now it is mommy's turn. I am pretty worn out.

Short updates on the kids

It's late and I've already been in bed once but couldn't sleep. And then I remembered that I hadn't had a chance to post today. So I decided that I had better get up and do it so that I can force myself into this habbit.

Today was a pretty good day. Other than for the fact that the kids are going through a faze right now where they are waking up between 6 & 7 in the morning and thinking that it is time to be up for the day. But we got up and I was able to get quite a bit done. Along with trying to get into the habbit of journaling, I am also trying to get myself into several other routines as well. One of them being a cleaning routine where I clean a certain room each day of the week. Monday is the front room, Tuesday is the kitchen, Wednesday is the kids' room, Thursday is the bathroom and hall, and Friday is our bedroom. Saturday and Sunday are our days to relax and have fun as a family. So there will only be minimal things done on those days. And only when necessary. But I got the front room pretty well cleaned up today. I just have to get the desk organized. Which is a chore in and of itself right now. But I will get it.

The kids did pretty good today too. We had lots of fun playing and spending time together. And they even took a nap today! And at the same time!! That doesn't always happen. But when it does, it is wonderful! I think that is why I was able to get so much done.

Just a quick summary of the kids' accomplishments lately...

Jayson turned TWO in February and is so completely into trains! It is trains this, and trains that...EVERYTHING is trains! And especially anything that has to do with Thomas the train and his friends. He can tell you all of their names too. lol Kasey built him a track for his trains and that is his most favorite thing to do...all the time!
I am beginning to think that Jayson has a very photographic memory. He remembers everything! You show him something once and he remembers it. But he has a very good memory beyond that as well. It is amazing to me how smart he is! I have been teaching him his colors and some shapes. And he is doing really well with that. However, he is also a big tease and likes to tell me the wrong thing with a twinkle in his eye and a silly grin on his face. lol He is also starting to sing along with things such as tv commercials. It's funny too. He will listen to the song and say the very last word of the phrase only. And then he will listen to the next phrase and do the same thing.

Ava is getting ready to turn ONE next month! I can't believe how the time has flown by! It seems like only yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital to introduce her to her big brother. And now she is walking along the furniture and she stood all by herself for all of about 5 seconds today! She was walking along the couch and let go and just stood there staring at Max. (Max is our newest addition. A 3 Mo. old great pyranees puppy.) Anyway, I had to smile knowing that she is learning sooo much right now. But I am not sure that I am ready for my little girl to be getting so big! She is also trying to cut 4 teeth at the moment. (She already has two on the bottom.) They are all on top and they aren't quite ready to poke through. But I can definately feel each one through her gums. But, luckily, it doesn't seem to bother her at all. She takes after her brother in that respect. Neither one of them seem to feel any pain when getting new teeth.
Ava loves to laugh and giggle. Especially when playing with her brother. And he loves to do anything to make her smile. I am so glad that they love each other the way that they do. There are times of Jayson not wanting to share his toys and wanting to wrestle with her. And jealousy of one being on mom's lap when they want to be. And even when they are both on my lap and don't want the other to be there too...lol. But for the most part, they get along so well. I have a feeling that they are going to the best of friends due to being so close in age.

Anyway, I will update more on the kids as we go. But for now, it is getting really late. And I am actually starting to feel like I can go to bed and actually fall asleep instead of tossing and turning. So goodnight.

Everybody's Doing It...

Well, I guess since everyone else is doing it, I will join the blogging world. Actually it is a great way to journal without actually sitting down and writing everything out. And with two small kids, I NEVER get the chance to journal. And that is something that I have always thought was very important. Especially now that Jayson and Ava are here. They are going to want to know things about their family, when they were growing up, and the adventures that we had as a family. So I am setting myself a goal. I am going to write everyday for a month and go from there. As long as I can get myself into the habbit of taking a few minutes while the kids are taking a nap or after they go to bed, this should be pretty easy. It's just getting into that habbit. So, wish me luck! And welcome to the Thornton Family Adventures! I hope you enjoy the ride!