Thankful for...

I think since it's close to Thanksgiving I would like to publicly (to the very very few who might read this) proclaim everything I am so thankful for right now.
1. I am thankful for my husband. He is so kind in general, very forgiving of my neverending forgetfulness, fun to be around, does a fantastic job at his calling (and basically everything he does). He has almost no temper, which is a HUGE deal for me. He compliments me in all the best ways. He finishes everything that I start and get in too far over my head because I am too much of a perfectionist. He works hard every time I need help because I am feeling lazy or unmotivated or just exhausted from the kids. He's perfect for me.
2. I am so so thankful for my kids. Lately it has been such a joy for me to see them growing and learning. Cameron is in the beginning stages of learning how to read. I love love love that look of recognition on his face when he realizes what a word says. Aurora makes me laugh every day and I love seeing how her personality is turning out. She has in the last couple of weeks turned into a major complimenter, almost to the point of it being ridiculous. Every day, multiple times a day she says things like, "Mom, your hair is sooo pretty. I love that thing you are making, it is soo pretty. Thanks for dinner Mom, it was delicious (or scrumptious, or yummy, or my personal favorite: "scrummy"!) Mom you look so beautiful today. Mom I love your shirt." It really is so hilarious. I quite often have to hide the fact that I am going to bust up laughing from her complimenting me so much! And Oliver. I don't even know where to start on him. He is the sweetest best baby ever. He sleeps so well, doesn't cry too often, and he is such a Mama's boy. I love holding him and just cuddling. Seriously, what is better than that?
3. I am so grateful for the rest of my family. I love that my parents and Emily are so much closer so that we can see them more often. My kids love to go see their Grandma and Grandpa with Callie Kitty (as opposed to Grandma and Grandpa with Jon Jon... not sure what they'll be called when Jon ends up moving out eventually??) I am so so happy for Brianna and that I get to go to her wedding and meet her fantastic (so I've heard) fiance, and that the wedding gives me an excuse to see Jacob and Kiley, and lots more family and friends. And I am so happy that Brianna is happy and going to be able to go to the temple.
4. I am thankful for Eagle Mountain and all the fantastic people that live here. I absolutely love all my neighbors and friends.
5. I am thankful for good books, and hot baths, and ice cream, and especially combining those things.
6. I am thankful that Jayme invited me to go to the midnight showing of New Moon last night. It was so much fun!! They really could use better actors, but it was so fun to get out and goof around.
7. And on that note, I can't even adequately express how thankful I am for my husband's family. It makes me sad when I hear of people that don't get along with their in-laws, and I am so thankful that is not the case with me. They are all so great and loving and giving, and have become some of my closest friends. And I feel like my mother-in-law could be my own mom, I love her so much. And... who knew that when James and I were so young and I thought that his dad was scary, that really he is just a teddy bear. He is such a softie, especially when it comes to his grandkids. I love you guys!
8. I am thankful for good food in general, and I am thankful that a secret love for cooking awakened in me after I got married. I am thankful that my husband stuck with me through the first year of our marriage eating the most ridiculous meals because I had no idea how to cook! And I am so thankful that he is so easy to please. He loves everything I make, or at least says he does, and it makes me happy.
9. I am thankful for temples. I am thankful for the love and peace I feel there, being able to escape and spend time with James, and for the quiet. I am thankful that it always seems there is something new to learn, and I love sharing insights with James while we are there.
10. I am thankful for this time of year. I know it sounds cheesy, but I love it. I love seeing family more and playing games and eating too much.
11. I am thankful that James gets time off for holidays, since this wasn't always something we used to get. It would be REALLY cool if it was paid time off, but I guess you can't have everything. I am thankful he has a good job, and gets a paycheck every time he is supposed to get a paycheck. I am thankful that his work isn't trying to scam us or steal our money or get James to work for free. This is also something we haven't always been able to say.
12. I am thankful for personal time, hobbies and all that. And I am thankful for the talents the Lord has blessed me with. I really do enjoy all those little things. Painting, drawing, random crafty things....
13. I am thankful for my calling in church (cub scout secretary). I know it sounds weird, but I enjoy being a secretary. It's kind of fun to be the one in charge of keeping everything organized. I am strange, I know.
14. I'll end with.... I am just thankful for my life in general. I am thankful that I can look at everything and think, "I love this. I love my family. We are all healthy for now. I am actually having fun most days, and on my bad days James comes home and rescues me. Everything really is good."
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Aurora

When I laid Aurora down for bed last night she told me, "Mom, I love you. I want a hug, and never never stop hugging. And a kiss." I wish all nights were like that.

This is how good I am at updating things...

Well, of course a lot has happened. Most of it hasn't been too exciting, but I am bored, so you get to listen to me ramble. Most days have been a variation of cooking, cleaning, sleeping, cleaning, reading to kids, helping with homework, cooking, more cleaning.... you get the idea. Here are the other things that have happened:
We were told by Oliver's pediatrician that (in addition to all of the other issues like acid reflux and a cough that won't go away) Oliver is pretty delayed with his motor skills and perhaps in other ways. He was only a month early, but you wouldn't know it from all the issues he has had. So on September 4th, we started doing physical therapy. This is really not too bad, it's just basically having him do a lot of tummy time, and trying to prevent him from always looking to the right, which he likes to do.

So we are doing that a lot, just another thing to try to remember to do each day. Does that list ever get shorter??

Then on September 19th, we had a really fun day, which is funny because we basically spent it doing just about nothing. James wasn't working (miracle!!), but he had to do a lot of homework. So most of the day James sat at the table doing homework, I worked on a painting (also a miracle!), the kids also painted, and then went outside to play. It had rained earlier, the day before, I think.... This is how I found them:



These kids are nuts. The good news is we got revenge by hosing them off. The bad news is they liked that too. I am pretty sure this was Aurora's idea. It's always her idea....

We have also really been enjoying the trampoline I bought a while back.

How did I afford that, you ask?? Well I found it on KSL classifieds for $20. No joke. We had to sew some of the ring things back on, but other than that, it's perfect. At least it was until my kids tried to see if garden tools work on trampolines like they do on dirt. Ugh. We just can't have nice things. It's still pretty much ok.

I love the picture of James because our neighbors behind us also have a tramp and it looks like he jumped from way back there. :)

We also gave Oliver his first taste of solid foods. I think he liked it.


Then one sunday (I can't remember which) we had my sisters over for dinner after church. When we were looking for something to do after we ate, and ended up playing good ol' Pictionary. James doesn't usually look forward to this game. No one ever lets my sister Emily and I be on the same team because we rock. I draw a line and she says "space shuttle".... "RIGHT!" This happens more often than you might think. It's pretty funny. I guess we have the same brainwaves or something. Anyway, since Pictionary produces a lot of paper trash, we ended up turning our living room into forts and having a paper war. I am guessing this is what everyone will remember about that day.

And yes, my sister Brianna was stockpiling amunition in her shirt, and Aurora kept sticking her hand down Brianna's shirt so she could throw more. It was pretty hilarious! Then Brianna came over again because I asked her to watch the kids so James and I could go to the temple at 6am!! So she spent the night this past Thursday and Friday nights. I really enjoyed having time with her. She is getting married in the Sacramento LDS temple on January 2, 2010 (01/02/2010.... it's a palindrome, get it??) and I am going to be her maid of honor. Yes, maid of honor, not matron. You sticklers can just deal with it. It has been great helping her plan things and brainstorm, I feel like she is planning the wedding I wish I had. When I was getting married I got so fed up with planning I just chose the simplest cheapest things, and of course now I am regretting it. Especially since a good portion of our pictures didn't turn out. Anyway, I am so excited to see her making great choices and going to the temple. Plus, we'll get a trip to California.

We decorated some pumpkins when Brianna came over last. Kids make the funniest things!

Well, I hope everyone is doing great, love you guys!

Now!

By the way (Brianna), this means that you have to come over (or I guess if I go over to your house that would work too) and make this thing pretty. I need you!

This is us!

Okay. I am finally giving in and doing a blog. People pressured me. As a disclaimer, I really have no idea what I am doing. I figure first, I will pretend that nobody knows us, at least not very well, and do some introductions.

First in our little family is James. James was born in Utah, and his family moved to California when he was 12 (thank goodness, that's where we met!). We met when my family moved into his ward when I was 14. James loved me from the moment he saw me! At least that's how I like to think of it. Anyway, we were married in 2003. James is the best husband and father, and a very hard worker. Basically he never holds still or he'll fall asleep. In fact, he even asked me the other day to just make a list of projects and put it on the fridge, so that he would have something to do if he found free time. What husband actually asks for jobs to do??? :) I will brag for him a little. Here are some examples of things he has done, or made, or whatever:

He (and his friend) hand-made a banister for a staircase, not with parts to put together, but actually cutting all the wood the exact right size.... crazy. They also did everything in this bathroom, putting it all together, and all the tile. You probably can't tell, but it's really intricate tiling in the shower. He's really fantastic at.... well basically everything.

Next would be me, Esche. I lived in California most of my life. I still sometimes like to think of myself as a California girl. James just says I am a fish, because I could stay at a pool or the beach or a lake ALL day and be perfectly happy. I like to draw and paint, but rarely ever do it, partly because I am really busy with 3 crazy kids (ok, 2 crazy kids and a super cute baby), and partly because I have some seriously perfectionist tendencies. If I start a drawing or painting, it's very hard for me to be satisfied with it, or ever think that I am done. Plus, sometimes I am just lazy.

In July 2004, we had Cameron, our first baby. He was named after my little brother who died when he was 5. My Cameron is now 5, and so excited to go to Kindergarten this year. He is what James and I have dubbed a "self-entertainer". :) He is perfectly happy to have just one toy and will lay on the ground playing and talking to himself. It actually makes it hard for timeouts to work because he will sit in the corner playing with his hands like they are toys and it's not a punishment. Also, he is very curious how a doctor actually got his baby brother out of my stomach... :)

January 2006 is when Aurora was born. I was so incredibly happy to have a sweet little girl. I am starting to have second thoughts. Ok, not really, but she is definitely a spunky fiesty little girl. Almost all trouble caused by our kids was started by her. She likes to whisper ideas in Cameron's ear, like, "let's go get candy!" She keeps me very busy. Also, anyone that has been around her for more than 5 minutes has probably noticed how she is physically incapable of holding still for more than half a second. Watching her pray is very funny. She folds her arms and squeezes her eyes shut, says a beautiful thought-provoking prayer, while rolling her body all over the floor.

Then, after a nice gap, on May 7 (my husband's birthday), we had our second boy, Oliver. He gave us a good scare by needing to go back to the hospital a week after he was born. He was so early and little that he couldn't find enough energy to eat enough to have enough energy. It was a vicious cycle that required a blessing from a great neighbor, an IV (in the head!! :( ), tube feedings with a tube down his throat, a bunch of great nurses, and a fat stack of hospital bills. I officially hate insurance companies. Anyway, now he is great and eats probably more than he should. He smiles, and James even got him to laugh once a couple days ago.