David, Rachelle, Benjamin, William and Andrew

Finally...a girls trip!

2011-08-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

So, yay...we finally did it. Got away from the chaos of our busy, but blessed, lives and went away for a few days. We stayed in Palm Springs, which is about a half hour from where my friends live but it was so nice to stay in a great hotel, lay by the pool, eat amazing food and visit with my great friends. We will definitely keep up this tradition!

P.S. I've been a bit overwhelmed this last year with moving, etc... and haven't been great about taking pictures. I think I've been vain too because I've gained quite a bit of weight and haven't wanted to document my evolving physique and so haven't posted any family pictures. I do still have a family, and they are growing like crazy and hopefully sometime soon I will get some of our last year in photos posted.

Girls Trip Countdown...20 days to go!

2011-07-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

So, I posted earlier about the need for a girls trip...and then was pacified by the trip to Hawaii that we were SUPPOSED to take but, never happened. Things were way too crazy for David to leave work for a week and so we "postponed" it...which probably means it will never happen.
So, back to the girls trip idea. It's all planned and we are ready to go in 20 days. Yay! I can't wait to see my besty's but also to just sit by a pool, relax and eat yummy food with ladies that I can't ever get enough of! Oh, and it's also Brooke and my birthdays this month (same day) and so that was a factor in getting this all going. We're staying local (to them...nursing mommy) but at a very cool resort in Palm Springs. Soooo excited!

Some fun in my last photo class...

2011-06-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is just a collage of some of my last assignments pictures. I ended up being out of town, so I couldn't turn them in...which was a bummer because it happened to be my favorite assignment- "reflections". It was fun to be able to do something creative for myself. I definitely want to have more adventures with my camera and to push myself outside of the "box".

Forget a girls trip...we're going to Hawaii!

2011-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

So excited...we just found out that David's facility in Palm Springs hit all their goals last year and because he was there for most of it, we get to go on the annual trip. It's Oahu this time and I'm so excited because the one time I went there was when I was a poor student and my roommate and I had to bring top ramen and make it in the coffee pot because the food was so expensive. This time, we'll be living it up!

I need a "girls trip"!!!

2011-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is a fun picture that I just found of a fun girls trip that we took when Lizzie (left) and I were first pregnant, and now Lillie (right) just had a baby herself so who knows when this will hapen again? Hopefully not too long, because I could already use one now!

Drew's 1st birthday and 1st steps...

2011-01-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

He was so excited with all the celebrating that he decided to perform for us by taking his first real steps. He took 3 in a row and was sooo proud of himself. It's crazy how quickly they get "so big"!

2010 in a few paragraphs...

2011-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

This year has been a combination of so many events, emotions and experiences! Here's a list of some of the things that have happened to us in 2010...

Our third baby boy, Andrew Glover, was born in January. He then spent the next 10 days in the hospital where he was intubated and had all sorts of tests run. He had a tear (tare?) in one of his lungs that took a while to heal, but now all is well. He is sunshine in our home! He is forever smiling and laughing even in between throwing up when he's sick. I call him my little "glove" inspired by his middle name but mostly because he's such an intimate part of who I am.

William was on his first little league team with Benjamin, and David got to be their coach. It really was one of the sweetest things to see him out there with all the kids teaching them how to play and cheering them on. ALL of the moms had crushes on David and were constantly telling me how lucky I am to have such a kind, patient husband. I remember one game in particular where a little boy was too tired to run the bases so David scooped him up in his arms and ran to each base with him in his arms. It was so sweet, everyone cheered!

William started saying his t's and ch's which has made it so much easier for him to communicate. It has been amazing to see how hard he works on a daily basis and, almost, never complains.
He also started kindergarten in a "normal" school. He is doing well but we are very blessed to have an amazing aide there to help him.

Benjamin has blossomed so much because of becoming a big brother again. He LOVES Drew and always wants to carry him around and show him cool things. He can make the baby laugh like no one else.

I have started to learn to like exercising. I go hiking 3 times a week with some friends from church, and now I just started a boot camp class...but I'm not so sure how much I love that one. I could barely get out of bed this morning.

At the end of the summer we moved from Indio, CA to Glendale, AZ. This was a huge deal because up until this offer (for David's work) there was nooooo way that I was willing to move. The idea of uprooting Will from all of his therapists and moving away from friends who felt like family...not to mention that David had built up his facility and was doing really well, was not even an option to me. Then he got this email about a facility in AZ and for some crazy reason we both felt like we needed to check it out. The whole time I kept hoping that something would stop it from happening. That we'd stop feeling pulled here, but it never went away and so about 1 month after getting the email...we were here.
Life has been a bit upside down, but it's starting to feel more like home and it has been soooo nice to be by David's family. The boys love their cousins and so it's great to be able to see them more often!

I have to say that this last year has been both wonderful and a bit scary! We added one of the sweetest spirits to our home and have been so blessed as a family for that, but there have definitely been there share of struggles.

Such is life, right!

Here's to enjoying the good more fully, and handling the bad more gracefully in 2011!

Love to you all!

Christmas at g-ma/g-pa Woolf's- 2010

2011-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

11 years of "happy chaos"!

2010-12-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

I know these aren't great quality pictures but I wanted to share a few pics from the early years. It's been a crazy ride but I've always been grateful to know that the person by my side is just as committed to "us" as I am. Love you soooo much Daveed!

Me and some of my BFF'S- I miss them!

2010-12-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a few of my great friends from Palm Springs...where we recently moved from. This was at Lillie's birthday dinner a few years ago and I just found this saved on my computer. I've been missing them a lot since we left and have realized how lucky I was to have such great girl friends. They are not that easy to come by and these ones are definitely irreplacable! I love you Brooke, Lizzie, Lillie and Shelaine.

Halloween- 2010

2010-11-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at grandma Woolf's halloween party and then trick or' treating in a nearby neighborhood. Fun was had by all!

"Photo-shoot" by Lillie B.

2010-10-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

The reason why photo shoot is in parenthesis is because Lillie was sweet enough to take a few shots of our family the night before we moved to AZ, but then gave them directly to me on a disc and so I did the editing...not so great. The pictures are fun though...so thanks Lill!

Lake of the pines 4th of July- 2010

2010-10-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

These are some of the many pictures I took at our family's 4th of July celebration at my parent's lake. We ate a ton and relaxed the whole time. Everyone had a great time! I really love the ones of my sisters and especially the little guys sitting on the beach staring off into the water...it was sooo cute! Going to the lake is always one of our favorite things to do and we look forward to it every year!

Summer Days...

2010-10-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Long past, I realize, but with the move and all this is the first chance I've had to start posting again...and it goes all the way back to the beginning of summer.

Drew and Mommy

2010-10-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

These are just some fun pictures that my photographer sister took of the baby and me at the lake this summer. I love the lake in the back round, it's one of our favorite places, and I love how intimate these pictures feel to me. Thanks, Janelle!!!

Thanks Mamma!

2010-09-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

My mom has spent a lot of time at my house in the last year. First when I was 7 months pregnant and broke my ankle stepping off the curb...I came up with all sorts of stories to make that one sound more exciting but my big belly gave me away every time.
Then After I had the baby and he gave us a huge scare by having to stay in the NICU for 10 days with a tear in one of his lungs. And, finally, when we decided to move to AZ with only a couple weeks to do it, she came to help with the kiddos while I sulked about having to leave my home and friends and attempted getting organized.
She has been such a nice companion and helper and I miss her so much!

Best Buddies!!!

2010-09-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

This is Tanner and Kate and they are Ben and Will's best buddies. I could go to Lizzie's house and these kiddos would have fun and cause mischief from breakfast until dinner time. We already miss our marathon play dates!!!

More of the shower...

2010-06-02T00:38:00.000-07:00

Anne Terry Brown's Baby Girl Shower

2010-06-02T00:35:00.000-07:00

It was intimate and every one was very candid, funny and maybe a bit too honest for feeling good about some of the conversation the next day...j/j. We had a blast. Thanks to all the ladies who came and ate, and laughed hard and conversated long and hard. We'll have to do it again soon, just maybe for Lilly next time. Love you guys!

Me and Pam out on the town...

2010-06-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

Girls nights out are a necessary thing and we had a good time out and about. This picture is mostly here to make up for the one I'm about to post of me at the baby shower on Brooke's lap...so not cute, but I can be once in a long while.

My cute boys are getting sooo big!

2010-05-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Some fun I've been having...I love Craigslist!

2010-05-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby boy!

2010-05-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

This baby is so "sun-shiny"! Every time you look at him he gets a big smile on his face that makes his eyes sparkle. He's so sweet and very obviously loves his big brothers and his daddy sooo much!

"Knock-knock"

2010-04-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

My sweet little (actually off the charts, tall) William! Sometimes he comes up with the funniest, silliest, and even sassiest things to share. Here are a couple from just recently that I needed to document so as to never forget them.

I thought this was one of the profoundest things he's ever said especially considering his autism and the way I, sometimes, see him as a bit "trapped in his own head.
"Mamma, did you know that imagination can set you free?"
We spent a while today seeing shapes in the, rare in PS, clouds. He saw 3 Humpback Whales and said it was daddy, me and him before Benny was born. Even though he's the younger brother...I just let him have it. Everyone deserves a little alone time with their parents, even if it's only in his head right. I think we need to start our daddy/mommy taking turns with the boys date nights again.

The funniest thing was a knock-knock joke he told me recently, turned vulgar because of his speech delay. It went exactly like this:

"Knock knock",
"Who's there?"
"Shitand" (chicken)
"Chicken who?"
"Shitand poop"...followed by hysterical laughter by both of us. Good thing laughter was an appropriate response, this time.

Gotta love little boys!

I found her...and our favorite song. Yay!

2010-04-26T06:33:00.001-07:00

She's the super cute one on the left. A little blondy thru and thru. I remember this Stevie Wonder song very well because we used to dance around the house to it because it made us so happy. As we got older we loved to use a wooden spoon and dance around to, yes, Whitney Houston's "I wanna dance with somebody". Good memories!

My love to Onica Kelly Wright...8/28/74- 4/24/1998

2010-04-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

As her family we are all aware at this time of year, that it's been 22 years since we lost our sweet sister Onica. Sometimes I still find it hard to talk about her or even remember my childhood, because all of those memories include her being right beside me. She was my partner in crime (literally), my best friend, roomate, and some days my worst enemy. We were yin and yang...and I like to think that over the years I have become more like her. She was forever bubbly, full of energy and very social. She was sun-shiny but could pout like no one else when she wanted to get her way. She was feisty but very loving and kind. She was always ahead/part of fashion trends and was a boy magnet at way too young an age.
Part of me is very sad that I wasn't with her when she left this world...that I didn't get to help her and comfort her, to tell her that I loved her and to say goodbye. But I want all of you to know that I still feel her with me. A lot of that is because of all of you. I see little bits of her in each one of you and and am reminded of how blessed I am to have sisters. Sisters that I love, admire, and hope to become more like as I progress in this life. Sisters that have been there for me through all of it and still love and hopefully, at times, can admire me for my strengths and look past my blaring weaknesses. I love you all, so dearly. I love our parents who's loss of a sweet daughter I could never imagine living through. You've struggled with it, tremendously, but ultimately I hope you feel stronger and closer to Heavenly Father because of it. We can be with her again someday. I know it's true. We can honor her life by making the best choices we can, and by forgiving ourselves of the bad ones. I know we are God's children and that he loves each of us, unconditionally. I believe that Onica is with him helping him on the other side.
You really are my sister-soul mates, my examples and my best friends.
Here's to Becca, Heather, Ariana, Janelle, Onica, Amy, Jessica and Kimbriana and of course our lovely parents Jerry and Christine.
Love to you all!
Rachelle
PS...someday I will find a picture of Onica and put it up here too. So sad, cried all morning when I couldn't find one.

My latest post-pregnancy nesting project...

2010-04-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

So this is my overstimulating baby's room that I'm still working on, and he's 3 mo. old now. Better late than never, right! I'm not quite sure about the layout yet...am still playing around with it, but this is the general idea. Bummer that I'm just now noticing that the blue/red striped one is kinda crooked because I already hot glued the fabric to the back. Oh well.
I'm also soooo excited because my sister-in-law, Anne, is making me the cutest fabric bird mobile out of fun coordinating, and also a bit overstimulating, colors/patterns. If you're interested...she might start selling them. They are amazing. I will definitely put up a picture when she's done but for now you can go to her blog to check them out.

More of my silly boys!

2010-04-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

T-ball pics with Ben and daddy...isn't he the cutest coach ever!!!

2010-04-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

It has been so fun/cute/tender to have David be the coach of the boys t-ball team. It's Will's first year and so it's worked out so nicely to have his daddy be the one teaching him "the ropes", while being able to understand some of his challenges and help him develop his strengths. It has also been so much fun to see what an evolved player Ben is from last year to now. He's so much more coordinated and sure of himself and as you can see above and takes the game very seriously. My favorite is to watch him practice swinging his bat when he's up and then to see him run like the wind and ultimately do his dramatic slide into home base. They are all so cute out there, I could just eat them up!!!

Will got to be on the team this year too...so fun!!!

2010-04-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

More fun family pics at g-ma's house...with a smiley baby

2010-04-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's so much fun to see this sweet new baby so naturally become a part of our family. The older boys love having a baby in the house and have been surprisingly helpful...but definitely more loving and nurturing than I would have expected. They are both amazing big brothers.

Playing at grandma Woolf's

2010-04-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

A fun change to our front room...

2010-04-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

As you can see below, these are some of the pics I took on our Kauai trip at a botanical garden and it's been so much fun to blow these up and decorate my house with them. They definitely add great color and it'll be nice to have the reminder of one of the highlights of our trip...for me.

The epitomy of our wonderfully relaxing trip...

2010-04-04T13:32:00.001-07:00

Kauai is BEAUTIFUL...

2010-04-04T13:00:00.001-07:00

Just some fun with my camera in Kauai!!!

2010-04-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of my prego photo shoot...

2010-03-13T03:03:00.000-08:00

more...

2010-03-13T02:59:00.000-08:00

Again, taken by my good friend Lillie. I'm so glad I have this pregnancy documented because I didn't with the other and I really regret it. So exciting to be able to look back and have these fun photos!

Baby Andrew's 1st Photo Shoot...by Lillie Biesinger

2010-03-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned her many times before, because she has taken so many great pictures for us, and here are some more gorgeous pictures of our beautiful baby boy, Andrew Glover Terry, taken by my great friend Lillie Biesinger of lilliebphotography.com
Thanks again for the wonderfully documented memories of our sweet sweet new boy!!!

For My Girls...because you all live so far!

2010-03-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

I wanted you to see some of the fun things I've done in my post pregnancy "nesting" phase. I think these are my "final" choices on how to arrange my new/fun things. I say that and then realize that I don't completely love the set up on the shelves, but I wanted to get them up and situated. I also just realized that in the first picture I duplicated my prego pics which I moved to the wood shelves and replaced the other ones with some of the boys. Now I just have to print some cute pics of the baby and some of David and the boys and we'll be set! I love all the new (I've had orange in every room for like 2 years) colors that really brighten up the grey walls!

Baby Boy...Andrew Glover Terry

2010-02-03T03:12:00.000-08:00

I just borrowed this picture from my great friend Lillie's photo blog. She was so nice to take some beautiful pictures of our new little guy and I wanted to share one as soon as I could. We sure love this sweet boy!

Christmas morning...Oh what fun!

2010-01-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year spent with family and friends, eating good food, and opening lots of presents. On Christmas Eve, Will came to me and told me he'd changed his mind and that now he wanted a bike from Santa. He was so concerned that by changing his mind Santa would be confused and maybe not bring him anything. I assured him that Santa could hear him and would do his best to bring a bike, but he'd just have to wait and see. I was soooo excited because all along we'd had these bikes waiting but neither of them had shown interest in anything but Transformers and Power Rangers in their Santa wishing. The look on his face the next morning was so priceless...If there was ever any doubt (thanks to many Christmas shows with kids questioning it) there is none now. He's a true believer! And it was magical to see them so excited and even very grateful for what they were given.

Happy 10th Daveed...10 reasons I love you!

2009-12-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

1. He's an incredibly "TALL drink of water" (6'8")
2. He's a huge human jungle gym to all children and a "baby whisperer" to the little ones.
3. He likes almost anyone and is perfectly suited for his job of working with the elderly and their sometimes less than happy families, because he has a huge heart!
4. He can handle our two rowdy boys after I've had a crazy day and doesn't mind giving me a break.
5. He calls me things like "hot cakes" and "sweet lips" even when he's aggravated, to diffuse situations.
6. He's an eternal optimist.
7. He's very hard working and is always focused when completing tasks.
8. He's open minded, non-judgmental, and doesn't hold prejudices.
9. He's very loyal.
10. He never stays mad/sad for very long...always quick to forgive me of my endless weaknesses!

Happy 6th Birthday...Ben-jamin!!!

2009-12-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

Seriously people!!!

2009-11-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

What happened to the days when you're candy was cleaned out before the kiddies stopped knocking? I guess with all the forclosures, this catastrophe was bound to happen! What to do-what to do???

Halloween...2009

2009-10-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to the elementary school where they throw the annual "boo-bash" and the kids got all hopped up on sugar and had a blast, and it's not even Halloween yet!

It's Autumn time, it's Autumn time!

2009-10-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, there are no leaves falling down where we live! We did, however, spend last Saturday in an area called Oak Glen where there were beautiful Fall leaves around and fresh apple cider, yumm! The boys bounced in the bounce houses, I ate mine and another persons share of apple and pumpkin pie and the boys had a blast picking out pumpkins. Oh...we also went in this very cool corn maze and actually got pretty lost. We all had a great time and the boys are already talking about next Halloween when we get to go back.

The boys first day of school...

2009-09-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, right?
They were so excited to start their new school. Ben started Kindergarten and Will started a special preschool that just happens to be at the same elementary school that Ben goes to. It's been so much fun to see them talking about doing homework and all the fun they get to do there. In fact, the first time Ben brought homework home he was super dissapointed when he'd finished it all so quickly. We might have a super achiever on our hands.
I especially love this last picture. It's each of their interpretation of acting cool for the camera. Very cute!!!

More fun at Lake of the Pines

2009-09-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

My parents are sooo lucky to live on this beautiful lake. It really is one of our favorite places to visit and we would love to live there one day. The boys have so much fun splashing in the water and digging in the sand. We're always there from morning till night going between the lake, the pool and the park that's right on the water. We barbecue there every night and are often some of the last people leaving.

The boys in mom's old stomping ground!

2009-09-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

This summer we had some fun adventures! We went up to the lake a few times, went camping with my parents, and got to visit old town Columbia, CA which is a state park that is this cute little town, on the way to Yosemite, that is for tourists to be able to relive the gold mining days. It has a couple of real Saloons where we indulged in yummy Sasparilla, a blacksmith shop where the boys got horse shoes with their names stamped on them, and my favorite...Nelson's Candy Kitchen, which was my favorite place to go when I was a kid. It's candy heaven. We also went on an old wagon ride complete with bandits that tried to rob us of our gold and candy. The boys loved it!
We also visited and old shop that my grandparents used to own which used to be an arts n' craft gallery and is now a cute little tea house. My grandma was a really talented artist and my grandpa framed all of her work by hand.
I have many many memories of this sweet little town because my grandparents lived there, above the gallery, for years. We spent every fourth of July there competing in pie and watermelon eating contests, which I of course dominated, and three legged races. They also had a needle in the hay contest, horse shoe throwing, etc... They had this great parade that people would dress up in old fashioned clothes for. I think we might have even won one year thanks to my mom's killer seamstress skills.
Besides fourth of July, I have so many fun memories of panning for gold there and just exploring the town and the fun hills behind it.
Thanks mom and dad for taking us there so that my boys could enjoy some of the fun!!!

No SURPRISE... It's a(nother) boy!

2009-08-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

As my good friend Stephenie would say, I'm "boy trapped". Aaaagh! Yes, we were hoping for a little pink around here to, hopefully, mellow things out a bit...but it looks like no such luck! Wild banchee boys for us, all around. It's a good thing we like boys around here!

Salem, OR with the Keck family

2009-07-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hangin out with cousins Avery and Auria in beautiful Salem.

Hangin out at "Lake of the Pines"

2009-07-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Our favorite place to spend the 4th of July and one of our favorite places, ever! They have a fun carnival with games for the kids and lots of good food to eat right down by the lake and then at night they have a great fireworks display that they shoot off over the lake. We love it! And, of course, we love to spend time with the Wright's and the rest of my side of the family.

Ben's preschool graduation... Kindergarten here we come!

2009-07-26T16:32:00.001-07:00

Surprise, It's a...BABY!

2009-07-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

So, we were starting to talk about talking about trying to get pregnant at the end of the summer when...SURPRISE, our minds were made up for us. I'm officially 3 months pregnant, due at the end of January. I haven't been feeling very well lately, but we're very excited for the upcoming addition to our family.

More fun on our trip to the beach

2009-05-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

Fun at the beach with friends...

2009-05-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at the beach on Saturday (over Memorial Day weekend) with our good friends Tanner, Kate, Lizzie and Shad. We played in the sand, swam in the warm water and ate yummy food. They used to live right across the street from us, so the boys (and Kate) have pretty much "grown up" together and are very close little buddies. Thanks for letting us tag along guys!

My big boys as babies... A (belated) Mother's Day retrospective- It's a long one!

2009-05-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

I realize it's cliche but the many mother's that warn you how time flies by when watching your children grow, do nothing to prepare you for the actual experience of seeing it happen so quickly. I really do feel like it was just yesterday that I had two babies tugging at my ankles, crying for their turn to be picked up...having to learn that mommy could only (safely) hold one of them at a time. So much of their little years were spent with me in "survival mode" always feeling a bit harried and wondering if I was ruining my children because I couldn't always provide for both sets of needs at the same time. To be totally honest, we all spent a lot of time crying. Them because they didn't yet understand their lot in life was to have to share, almost, everything. And me because, like I said, I struggled trying to feel like I could provide for both of their needs without going crazy. You'd think I had a zillion kids, but no there are just the two of them, though I have said many times that I count each one of them as two...because they both have very intense personalities, lol, each in their own way.

How it all started... We struggled for years to get pregnant. Four years to be exact, and that was with many attempts at fertility treatments. Never an explanation, we just never got pregnant. Then one day we just decided that it was time that we look into adoption, and from there it all happened pretty quickly. It took a while to get all the paperwork filled out but after we had everything submitted, the wait began. We both say that it felt like forever, but really it was only four short months later that we got "the call" from our social worker telling us that a mother had chosen us. As I listened to the details I was in shock that it was really happening, but as he told me that she was having a boy and that he was half Caucasian and half Cambodian... I was a little surprised. Surprised first because we had never talked about the possibility of our son being Asian, although we expected the probability of a baby of combined ethnicity, we had never considered that combination. The reason why I'm even explaining any of this, is that the main reason for my surprise was at how natural and right everything felt from the moment he started telling us about OUR baby boy. We had known for a long time that we wanted to name our first son Benjamin... and here he was, FINALLY coming to us. Our Benjamin! Or Benji-Dave as we would soon come to know him by.

So there we were just enjoying being parents to this BEAUTIFUL baby boy when all of a sudden I started noticing that I was having quite a bit of lower back pain and I was taking a lot of Ibuprofen with none of the typical "results" that would usually follow "that" lower back pain, so after a few days of this it occurred to me that maybe I should take a pregnancy test. So I picked one up at the grocery store and casually took it, sure that it would be negative...like all the many others, and to my huge surprise it was positive. Off to a barbecue to meet David with this big secret that I had to keep until later when we could be alone. The funniest part about telling him was that he didn't believe me. He had the same reaction that I'd had earlier when I saw the positive test results... dugh, I didn't know you could get a false-positive? We had waited for so long and taken countless pregnancy tests, all coming back negative and all of a sudden and out-of-the-blue it was positive. We were in a bit of shock, to say the least! And very excited! Me for the short term, sadly, because I got very sick very quickly and there's nothing fun about feeling like you have the flu for nine months. Let's just say I was excited about the baby, but not the pregnancy, which was difficult emotionally because all I'd ever wanted was to be pregnant and, at times, I worried I was being a bit ungrateful for the great blessing that was coming our way. Hormones can be tricky things, especially for the women in my family!! Luckily, Ben was an exceptionally easy baby and was, mostly, content to just lay on the ground next to me playing with toys and talking and singing with me. We had a lot of nice bonding time laying there on the carpet or in my bed suggling and coohing at eachother.

As the time got closer to Will's birth I remember feeling very protective of our family time and my one on one time with Ben because I knew that it was going to be short lived and I wanted to enjoy it to it's fullest. In fact the night Will was born, we were sitting on the couch snuggling as a family and I remember thinking that it might be one of the last times we spent together just the three of us and I really soaked it up. I had no idea how right on those thoughts were because soon after putting Ben to bed, my water broke and Will was born 3 weeks early, to the day. I hate to admit this, but I called my little sister crying because I wasn't ready to have him... I still had projects that I hadn't finished anticipating that I would at least go full term, if not over since this was my first pregnancy. I got over the sadness quickly and was just excited that Our William Evan was coming. The excitement was farely short lived because the contractions came on quickly and strongly and were every 3 minutes for the next 12 hours and I wasn't even dilating...aaagh!!! They wanted to give me pitosin but wouldn't give me an epidural, because I wasn't dilating, so I said "no thanks"! Then finally in the last hour I dilated from a 2 to a ten and he was born very quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I was yelling for them to get the doctor because I felt like I couldn't keep him in...tmi? (I was born with NO ONE, but my mother, there because of the same scenerio. My dad left to get the nurse, who'd gone to get the Dr. and they all came back to my mom snuggling me on her chest...what a woman!) Anyway, I do have to say that I was shocked to see this beautiful baby boy with the most RED/COPPER hair I'd ever seen. He was soooo cute, and still is to this day!!!

It was amazing to see Ben's sweet reaction to his new brother when his auntie brought him to the hospital for the first time. He was so curious and tender, and while the tenderness wore off pretty quickly, to be replaced by more normal brotherly affection, he has always been Will's ultimate protector. Just like any older sibling, Will is pretty much his possession to do with what he wants and Will is, almost always, game. As Will has grown, they have become equals in many ways and are buddies, wrestling partners, boxing mates, trouble maker companions, and best friends. I try very hard to let them be boys (sometimes contrary to David's opinion) but I also want to always instill in them a kindness and respect towards the other person so that they grow up being true friends, not just the other persons punching bag. I also don't want there to be a "bully/victim" relationship which I'm finding could easily happen if we're not very careful.

Being a mother is both INCREDIBLY rewarding and INCREDIBLY challenging! You never anticipate something like one of your children being diagnosed with autism or for other's having a sick child...or worse yet, losing a child. But I have learned, and continue to learn, that with Heavenly Father as my companion in this whole process, everything is possible...not easy, just possible. And a lot more fun! I love being a mother! It's very different than what I'd always anticipated. All the "typical" things that worked with all my nanny kids, don't seem to work with my kids...but that's OK, because I do have the guidance of the Spirit, and trial and error. I'm also learning to be more forgiving of myself. That's been one of the biggest lessons that I never knew I'd have to learn as a mother...to forgive myself for not being more of the "ideal" mother that I'd envisioned myself being, and I continue to learn it everyday. I know that sounds a little pathetic. (To be completely honest... with all those years as a nanny, I kinda thought I had it down) I'm just so grateful to know that my Savior will make up for my weaknesses and that Heavenly Father will multiply my efforts and help my kids to not end up being total "whack jobs" because of me! LOL! I'm also so grateful to the many amazing mother's that I have as examples! I couldn't do it without you!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my two boys! And look forward to all the crazy (FUN) years to come!!!

(Too much) fun in the tub!

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Left the room for 30 seconds, to get clean underwear for them, and the jets went on and the bubbles, and trouble, started flowing!!!

We love hanging out in gradma and gradpa's backyard!

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Between all the wrestling, tickling, simon-says, frisbee throwing and other fun activities...we had a great time visiting with grandma and grandpa!!!

Having fun with dad!

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We love our Grandma!!!

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Having fun with mom!

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We love our Grandpa!!!

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I know this is kind of silly, but I was mesmorized...

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This bird sat there for so long that I had time to get my camera out of my bag, change the lens and then take this picture. Like I said, silly, but it was super cool to watch!

Over 100 degrees and it's not even May!

2009-04-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

I know I do too many of these collages, but I can't help myself because I think they're so cute!

It's a miracle...a picture of all of us, together!

2009-04-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

David's sister Natalie and her husband Brian were on vacation Utah and so we had them and Anne and Paul (another one of David's sisters) and baby Cohen over for Easter dinner. Natalie was waxing nostalgic, since we don't get to see her very often, and took pictures of the families.

Some dang cute pictures of Benjamin...taken by Lillie

2009-04-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

I love these pictures! I've always thought he was super cute, you should see baby pictures, but he's seeming so much older lately and it was fun to see these great photos, taken by my friend Lillie... who happens to be an amazing photographer, because they really capture his "big-boyness"! BTW, if you happen to live anywhere near us and are interested in having family or kid photos taken, you should check out the link to her photo website on my blog list. lilliebphotography.com

Ben's turn for a silly photo-shoot...

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Will's silly photo shoot...

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I had my camera out for a little while this morning and my usually uncooperative subject, Will, was eager and even demanding to have his picture taken. He wouldn't let up, so I have many more, but here are some cute ones. Where he looks relaxed, he was actually yelling at me to take a picture of him... as I must have taken my focus off of him for a moment. Shame on me!

Happy Easter to all!

2009-04-12T17:02:00.001-07:00

Easter morning... 2009
First time boys are wearing "daddy-clothes", white shirt/ties. They were actually pretty excited, to my surprise!

2009-04-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

So..."the boys" are all out running errands and just being gone so that I could clean and get a head start on Easter dinner preparations, and I sat down to upload some fun pics from today's egg hunt and to just sit for a moment. This is so silly, but I'm feeling really good right now! This is the first time, in I don't know how long, that I've cooked by myself and I'm reminded that I actually really enjoy it. That it's sort of nurturing to my soul in a way that I can't really explain. I'm sure there's a variety of obvious reasons why being able to take my time doing something that I enjoy, and used to be fairly good at, and not having little people demanding my attention at the same time... causing me to rush through "the process" that have made this afternoon fulfilling in a way that I rarely experience anymore.
BTW- I am very grateful for those little, demanding hands... I just feel like writing about these rare moments that I get to myself.
For posterity's sake, I need to be better at not just documenting with pictures but with words... our lives together. Lots of craziness, but lots of love and happiness too!

A few pics at the plethora of Easter egg hunts this year!

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There's also one of Will at our in-home preschool's little Easter party. No...there was no egg hunt there, but they did get to take home a goody bag full of stuffed eggs and look how dang cute he is (they all were) in Easter bunny ears!!!

A few more of our family day at the beach...

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A beautiful spring day at the beach...

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It was made even better because we were with family! David's sister, Liza, and her family were staying at the beach for her husband's, Justin, triathlon so we decided (last minute) to join them for the day. It was so much fun to see Ben and Will hanging out with their cousins especially because these are the cousins that can easily rival them in rowdiness and so they are a great match in energy, which makes for lots of wrestling and me realizing that maybe my boys really are just being typical boys, most of the time, instead of the wild banchees that I so frequently see them as. David's other sister, Anne and her husband Paul (and handsome baby Cohen) were also there, so it was some fun family time which we don't get a lot of being several hours from most everyone. Good times were definitely had, even if it was just for a few hours!

Ben's 1st t-ball game- 3/14/09

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A few more of "the big game"!

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He was such a big boy out there...being so independent and very confident as you can see in some of these pictures. He's always had a competitive side and it's been good for him to have this outlet, and fun to see him begin to learn the concept of being a "team player" somewhere besides home. It's so cliche, I know, but I can't believe how quickly they grow!

Last birthday picture of a pooped out boy!

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More celebrating Will turning the big FOUR!

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Nothing better than a yummy cupcake...

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with lots of food coloring and sugar to get your kids all "hopped" up!

My kind of afternoon without "the boys"!

2009-03-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

David got off early this afternoon, and knowing that I've been a little "over-stimulated" lately with not getting much of a break between preschool and just taking care of our own kids, offered to take the boys out for some "daddy-son" time. I seem to write about that a lot... yes he is fantastic at giving me sanity time, but I also get so excited that I feel the need to share my joy and maybe wanted to brag a little about this yummy treat that I'm going to eat as I sit here in my work-out clothes. Maybe when I'm done with my treat I'll get around to the work-out, maybe not.

I know... last big picture, for a while, at least.

2009-03-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

But, since it was his birthday and all, I thought I'd post one of my favorite "baby-Will" pictures of all time. And yes, he is a little sun-burned because we'd just gone for a hike and he was THAT pale so even with sun-block, he still got too much color.

More Happy Birthday to Will...

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And me practicing my new found "skill" of making photos big. Gotta find excitement in the little things, right! You'd think I'd "largify" one where my kids hair is brushed, but hey it was his b-day and brushes are one of his least favorite things!

My niece Talullah, or "baby Lu-Lu"... (she's sun-shiny)

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in gigantor size, which I'm so excited to finally learn how to do (thanks Lillie), plus we had a wonderful visit with my sister and her husband Tim, little Mr. Henry and baby girl Tallulah so I'm just beginning to post some of the evidence of their stay.

Happy 4th Birthday William!!! (apparently this is the "right way" to smile for pictures?)

2009-02-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Since Will's "Super-Hero" themed birthday party isn't happening until next week, we had a nice day of hanging out as a family mostly doing normal Saturday things... t-ball practice, changing a battery on the car, sort of cleaning the house, so much fun! So this afternoon we made sure to take advantage of this great weather and went for a nice hike at a nature preserve that turns out to be less than ten miles away from our house, so we were very excited to discover that. The boys love love love any chance to be outdoors running around especially when there's lots of dirt and rocks involved and I'm always looking for creative outlets for all of their energy.
Happy Happy Birthday to my little William Evan, Will, Willem, Willemy, Schnook, Schnookety, Schnookington, Sugar, Sugardy, Sugar-bumm, Tush, or Tushington (my three favorites... he has a cute bumm!

Ben's field trip to the local Fire Station... he had a blast, no pun intended!

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More playing around with my new camera...

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This time with my friend Shea's super-cute kids as the subjected, subjects. Sorry the lighting ended up being sucky, Shea! Practice makes better... right?

More of "my" Super Hero kids...

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one more of "baby Cohen" because he's just so dang cute!

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by Lillie

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2009-02-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Anne and Paul's baby Cohen taken by Lillie Biesinger, the arteeest!

2009-02-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

So this is baby Cohen, my brand new nephew. Anne is David's sister and she and her husband Paul moved just a few miles away from us a few months ago. It's been a lot of fun having them so close, as we've been far away from family for so long. This is a "photo shoot" taken by my great friend, and fantastic photographer, Lillie. Thanks again for letting me tag along and watch the, kind of stressful, but fun process. They turned out great!

A little therapy time... having fun with my camera!

2009-02-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

It rarely rains here in the desert, so when it does everything seems so much more beautiful and alive. I had to steal away a few minutes this afternoon and walk to the near by park to enjoy, and try to capture, some of the desert beauty that I hardly ever take the time to notice let alone appreciate. It was very nice and even, dare I say, nurturing to the soul. But Lillie and Lizzie, please more tutoring! I know I'm such a pest but I really want to learn!

Look at my knock out sister-in-law!!!

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Sorry Melissa, but I had to put this picture up when I saw how gorgeous you look in it. Besides, you happen to be one of my favorite people so why not have you looking like a bomb-shell, plastered on my blog. FYI, she's doing a photo-shoot for a friend that specializes in wedding photography in TX. Super cool Melis! You look stunning!

Benji-Dave and daddy...

2009-02-04T13:47:00.000-08:00

I have to say that this is one of my favorite pics maybe of all time! It captures "them" so perfectly. The way David is such a great daddy and is always willing to be a "giant" playground for his (and others) kids, and Ben with this huge smile on his face. I always say his moods are intense and infectious (the good and the bad ones) and I love how happy he looks here. He also happens to be dang cute and I can brag all I want since I don't, genetically, have anything to do with that.

"My" little SUPER HEROES!

2009-02-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't read my post about the preschool... I started an in home preschool back in September so that Will could have more socialization as part of his therapy. It's been amazing to see how much he's come out of his "shell". He's always been very social for being autistic just no where near "normal", and to see him talk so much about his own friends has made it well worth all the effort.
One of the most shocking and exciting things that has come from all of this is that he has essentially started to potty train himself. For those of you who know anything about autism, or for those who don't, you know that even for the highest functioning (which he is- not asphbergers, just very high functioning) autistic child the average age to potty train is around 6 years old. Anyway- it has been sad but cute and very useful to see him so affected by peer pressure when he says things like, "are they going to like me mommy" when talking about going "peeps" on the potty and wondering if the kids will be proud of him for it. All of the kids in the preschool are either potty trained or very close, so he's seeing them and feeling the pressure which has put a crazy fire under him to do it himself. These are the kinds of things that bring a mom serious happiness! There's nothing like seeing the smile of success on your own child's face, especially this little guy who works so hard to keep up with his rambunctious older brother. He definitely deserves to feel like a big boy, super hero!

Our good friend Kate's 4th birthday party...

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baby Cohen... he's definitely a keeper!

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Congratulations again Anne and Paul!

My beautiful sister, Janelle, and her adorable baby girl, Talulah...

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Just a day "in the life"...

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