Memorial Day

I proudly have many family members who have either served in the military in one way or another or are currently serving in the military. I also have many friends who serve our country. If I was ever called to serve our country I would do it as I love what it was founded on and I want to protect it's freedoms and ideas. There is an observed moment of silence all over the United States at 330pm anywhere you are. I hope you will join me in that moment to thank those fallen soldiers, their families and the current soldiers fighting to protect our freedoms and liberties. God bless everyone on this Memorial Day.

- Michael, Lila and Evan

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93711?fp=1

television

i have a love, love, hate relationship with my television. to be more clear, with television watching. lol. I have always enjoyed t.v. because i've always enjoyed a vivid imagination, i quite enjoy the imagination of others. it all started with the cartoon, The Jetson's. I was excited to get off the bus after school ( i was THE very LAST stop! rrr. though helpful to my mom i'm sure to have less children to tend to for as long as possible. lol) and run up our VERY long driveway in hopes that I could catch the cartoon. It was soooo worth it. Next i was excited to watch soap operas. my very favorite was "Guiding Light" (may it r.i.p. he he) and then "As the World Turns" cause it had a character named "Lila". My mom used to call that one, 'As the Stomach Turns" even though she watched it too. ha ha ha. From there i moved on to different strokes, silver spoons, small wonder, punky bruster, 227, and a flurry of others. As an adult, I loved ER for the first 5 or so years then got disgusted by the story line. i liked friends a lot too. then reality t.v. started... ahh.. survivor! amazing race, biggest loser, big brother and then... my very favorite thing to waste my hours of life, HGTV! so, now the real issue. i need advice. no, i'm not asking if i need to watch less t.v. - i can figure that out on my own but i do have a dilemma. we have 2 dvrs, one in 'my' room (living room) and one in 'michael's room' (master BR), never the 2 shall meet until... we got an HD tv in the living room now, michael records soooo many shows on 'my' t.v.! how dare he! :) so now, of 16 shows: 0 are mine, 2 are evans and the rest are michael's. i like to keep my 'list' clear of shows so i dont pile them up but michael keeps these on forever, like a pack rat! granted there is still 70% of recording space available but i so do want my dvr back. my shows will soon start again. please leave a comment to plead in my behalf that michael leave my dvr alone. i keep coming to it thinking all the recordings are mine. only to see that i actually watched all mine and deleted them when i was done. again, i implore you, for my ocd, please leave a comment to tell michael to either watch and delete or no recordings. thank you. ;) xoxo

Adoption Thoughts

As adoption progress moves forward to be 'Approved' to be in the running again (for lack of a better explanation), I've had a lot of feelings and even some experiences that are good and frustrating. I'm not in a 'rush' for another child at this exact moment but would love to hear of a potential situation before the year is out if I'm being honest.

Here I go with some deep thoughts. Good thing this is my opinions and thoughts blog. lol. :)

As with Evan's Adoption, we prayed about what we wanted out of our experience, including preferences for a child. We knew, we wanted to be parents. We came to terms that it was highly likely we would not be able to get pregnant. We made sure before we pursued adoption that we wouldn't 'sign up' before we exhausted our fertility resources so not to hinder a needier family's chances. Once we realized fertility wasn't working for us, we were excited and a little scared to move forward. After all, we now had to deal with the reality that we could really have a child after all this dreaming and praying. :) We talked about, prayed about and thought about what we really wanted to provide for our child so if our child's birth parents wanted to know, we could have a clear answer (biological parents don't necessarily have to think of 'reporting' everything they do and think to another human before procreating... you're really missing out. riiiight... lol). First of all whomever our child is, or what ever child we ever come in contact with, however casual, we want to treat them as a Child of God. We desire to teach our children that they have a loving father in heaven that created us all and that they have a divine worth an purpose on this earth. We want them to know we love them unconditionally so will encourage them in all their righteous desires. We want them to know that we love each other as husband and wife. We want to develop a close relationship with them with open communication. We want them to face adversity in it's many forms with confidence that they can they can overcome it with joy.

We also decided in this process that we do not prefer a boy or girl or any particular race because we know Heavenly Father knows who we need and who needs us. Birth parents don't get to choose the sex and with the subject of race, adoption offers many children needing a loving home. I don't want you to think I am a charity case adopter, I am a parent for selfish reasons, I wanted to be a Mom. I think if anything, Courtney chose us and saved US from misery. It is documented that the overwhelming majority of Adoptive parents are Caucasian, so if Caucasian family's adopted 'like' children only, what then of the rest of the races available in the U.S.? This may not be coming across right but the point is really, why wouldn't I let the birth mother choose if she thinks I'm worthy of her child. I can always tell Evan and any future children that (in our agency at least), his birth mother/parents had many choices but she chose us to be your parents cause she saw a light in us that resembled her own. That 'light' in each of us knows no color so I will have to fortify my thick skin for not only the innocent yet ignorant comments about my adopted child. ie: 'Where did you get him from'? But if in the future our children are from another race, we will have to prepare ourselves and our children for stares, questions, comments, reality and ignorance. I have questioned if it is worth it to be sure I can provide any and all of my children the first mentioned goals and the answer is yes, I will do my best to be the best mother I can be. I'm so excited for what is ahead for us. I can't wait to see and feel who is being sent to our family. Evan get to have siblings and learn to share his stuff. :)

FRIDAY FIVE

FRIDAY FIVE

Five Random Questions

1. Are you a MAC or a PC??? PC, I wouldn't know how to handle a MAC. :)

2. If you could go anywhere on vacation this summer where would you go???
I WOULD GO ON A CRUISE to the carribean!!! It would be even better if it was with a bunch of girlfriends or my sisters/sisters in law or nieces, that just want to walk around, snorkel and lay out in the sun... oh, and eat. Mike, you can go with me next time.

3. Which is your most cherished childhood memory? Just being with my parents and siblings: Heart to Heart talks with my Mom as often as I needed/need still (lol), cuddling with my dad while watching t.v., Playing house in the Avacado trees with the younger siblings and puppy, superman and 'pluto' or just jumping on the trampoline, beach trips and game or movie nights.

4. What were you doing the last time that you had a good laugh?
Putting Evan in time out for climbing YET AGAIN on his Lego table (dangerous) but when I sat him down (multiple times) he was making like 'flirt'/testing faces at me. Mike and I were really trying to keep our composture so not to mess up his punishment but were losing it quickly.

5. What is your favorite book or magazine? I really do love the Book of Mormon. I love it's history and adventure, lessons, rules and predictions. As for recreational reading, I like a good series. H.P. and Fablehaven are my most favorite recent series because of the refreshing imagination in them, but I also liked Twilight series. Magazines, I love Women's Day! It's cheap and gives great recipes, craft ideas and short articles. I also like real simple for similar reasons, though their quality and photography is superior.

torture

Two things torture me in life (that I can think of right now). Ads for IKEA http://www.ikea.com/

(since the closest is 4+ hours away in another state!) AND ads for See's Candies. And now, See's has done this to me:

http://www.sees.com/index.cfm/about_us/recipes/scotchmallow_rolls

Can you believe it?! I want to make this recipe soo bad! It looks super easy and did I mention, the closest See's store.... about 2000 miles away. :( So for those of you close to a store and can buy some Scotchmallows, please make these and send me a picture so I can live vicariously. Thank you. ;) xoxo

Sunday School Lesson

My friend Meghan taught a great lesson in Relief Society today that was based off this recent talk:
http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1207-23,00.html
I was very moved by many aspects of the talk and these parts in particular that I'd like to share with you:

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency
As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn.
A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.
Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”

and this:

Our Hands Can Serve
An old Jewish legend tells of two brothers, Abram and Zimri, who owned a field and worked it together. They agreed to divide both the labor and the harvest equally. One night as the harvest came to a close, Zimri could not sleep, for it didn’t seem right that Abram, who had a wife and seven sons to feed, should receive only half of the harvest, while he, with only himself to support, had so much.
So Zimri dressed and quietly went into the field, where he took a third of his harvest and put it in his brother’s pile. He then returned to his bed, satisfied that he had done the right thing.
Meanwhile, Abram could not sleep either. He thought of his poor brother, Zimri, who was all alone and had no sons to help him with the work. It did not seem right that Zimri, who worked so hard by himself, should get only half of the harvest. Surely this was not pleasing to God. And so Abram quietly went to the fields, where he took a third of his harvest and placed it in the pile of his beloved brother.
The next morning, the brothers went to the field and were both astonished that the piles still looked to be the same size. That night both brothers slipped out of their houses to repeat their efforts of the previous night. But this time they discovered each other, and when they did, they wept and embraced. Neither could speak, for their hearts were overcome with love and gratitude.8
This is the spirit of compassion: that we love others as ourselves,9 seek their happiness, and do unto them as we hope they would do unto us.10

This is a great lesson on compassion in it's entirety but I really liked these quoted stories. As you read these, or the entire article, and whether you have a christian belief or not, I really hope it touches you as it did me about the blessings of knowing and showing compassion. It is my constant inner battle, to be more loving, more compassionate. Wouldn't we all like to be able to serve all the time when you think about it? If you have ever served someone in anyway, the feeling of reward after is better than any good feeling I've ever had before. I am grateful for the blessing of it.

Letting some things go

I just deleted my facebook account. I was not enjoying it for the most part. I love the time spent getting to know some friends better and making old friendships new but I felt like I was loosing a real relationship with my friends and although I only check it once a day or every other day, I could sometimes be on there for a couple hours (while watching t.v. or also blogging etc, but still) and realize I had gotten nothing else done. So to 'control' my time, I realized... what do I need it for? The answer was nothing. I am looking forward to a facebook free life but when I have more time, once I get my home in order, I may go back and sign up again. Until then, I look forward to blogging and getting some things done around the house. :)

Lila's Senior Year

ok, so I've been on facebook for a year or so and really enjoyed it. the problem is, i don't love the time i want to spend on it. i have things piling up all over my house and something has to give. facebook it is. in an effort to delete it, i have deleted all pictures, notes, videos, info that i could find. as preparing such, i came across some silly posts in notes and decided to re-post one of them on here for everyone's entertainment....

I don't have a good memory and don't remember much about High School so here are my answers. Please don't be mad if I forgot something about you.
1. Did you date someone from your school? no, I was "the mormon" so I'm pretty sure that didn't happen. i did not feel attractive so the vibe wasn't there either.
2. Did you marry someone from high school? Nope, not even from my state! Tennessee.
3. Did you carpool? I brought my brother Bennett to school, blaring Depeche Mode with the top down at 7am. lol.
4. What kind of car did you drive? banana colored 73' Buick Centurion Convertible with a 455 engine ( i used to peel out a lot, shhh don't tell my dad) http://www.tedvernon.com/itemimages/73_Buick_Centurion-02.jpg (similar to this but brown interior)
5. What kind of car do you drive now? Honda CRV and proud of it! It could only be better if it was a mini van- my dream car.
6. It's Friday night...where were you then? school bball or football games maybe or just hanging with my family watching movies or just fooling around. never a dull moment there. ;)
7. It's Friday night...where are you now? TOTALLY at home. i am a home body and love it (it also saves on cash.)
8. What kind of job did you have in high school? Dominoes Pizza in T.O. & I worked full serve/cashier at my brothers Chevron Gas station.
9. What kind of job do you have now? mom, wife and salon owner (in that order).
10. Were you a party animal? yeah right. ah, no. I went to my ONLY party after graduation and was in WAYYYY over my head. I came and left.
11. Were you considered a flirt? not at school maybe at church.
12. Were you in band, orchestra or choir? no i thought was way to 'cool' for that plus... i had no talent for instruments. i have a new appreciation for band kids now.
13. Were you a nerd? no
14. Did you get suspended or expelled? no
15. Can you sing the fight song? of course! i was cheerleader. get me started with the tune and i'm sure i can finish it with pride! ;)
16. Who was your favorite teacher? i can't remember their names... OH, Mr. Collins because i had no clue in math but he made an effort with me anyway (he was a mail carrier before teaching, lol) and Mr McNary for English. he had his radio set to K-Hay the local country music station and threatened us if we turned it down or off there would be consequences. lol. he liked me cause i was mormon and he said he was "jack-mormon". that's someone who is mormon but doesn't go to church or follow all the rules but still believes in the teachings. to kiss up myself and another kid did an amazing oral report on gene autry. he was VERY impressed and for ONCE i was VERY proud of myself in school. wow, that was a LONG answer! lol
17. Where did you sit during lunch? usually by the teachers patio with lisa and anne powers, tanning our legs but sometimes in the cafeteria with misty and jen, arlene etc, also with my brother & friends (sophomores), the juniors, occasionally with the mormon picnic table outside or if i was feeling cool, the cinder block wall with the 'popular' kids lol. once in awhile i went to the stoner patio to say hi or to the surfers to chill with childhood friends. i was a nomad, i liked socializing and seeing everyone. well, except band geeks and class officers i didn't hang with them, too cool. lol.
18. What was your school's full name? ACHS (vague for internet purposes)
19. When did you graduate? 1992
20. What was your school mascot? Scorpion!
21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Well, I'd do it better but have no desire to go back. i am a HORRIBLE academic.
22. Did you have fun at Prom? it was ok. i asked a friend from another school (who had a girlfriend. he was sweet for coming with me). for the record i was never asked to any dance by anyone and the one person i asked from my school, said no. :(
23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? Sometimes, he's the best.
24. Are you planning to go to your next reunion? I would love to! 2012 will be fun!
25. Do you still talk to people from high school? only a few in any regular fashion. i am still besties with heather s. and i alllllllways keep in touch with my favorite guy, Eric S. even if a couple years go by, we just pick up where we left off. i did love facebook cause i reconnected with people i knew and loved. ;) (after i remember i was friends with them! i forget i was friends with some that i hung out with every day! isn't that insane!??)

Friday Fives

This week - Five things to change in your life to make you a tad healthier.





1 - Go to bed at a resonable hour and sleep for 8 hours
2 - Eat breakfast for goodness sakes!
3 - Exercise.
4 - Only eat food I bought at the store (meaning: DON'T EAT FAST FOOD!).
5 - Continue reading The Book of Mormon. It's been making me feel spiritually better already!

Swim Lessons

Lessons are hard work but fun also, we got to play after and as many of you know. The kid LOVES water!!! *a special thanks to desiree, our photographer.

Evan's Instructor, Brad was a good sport trying to document a photo with a very squirmy 19month old.

Yeah, eeeeeeeeeeven though he was a total pill today, he passed! (whatever that means. lol) Evan's first 'graduation', ha ha ha.

.

He gave some of his friends in the class with us, a good bye gift of these shark sink toys so they can practice at home or later at the pool. At first our class was all boys which made us mom's wonder if they did that on purpose but a cute little baby girl joined us last week and another joined us today. I think Evan tried to flirt but he won no points today with any of the ladies. :)

Flat Stanley & Caseworker Interview

FLAT STANLEY

First of all, can we all "LOL" that Mike and I are taking a buddy picture with a paper guy? ;) So my nephew Jace in California had read the story of "Flat Stanley" in school (I am vaguely familiar but never read, I don't think) and we're asked to send their own "F.S." to someone and have them report back with a photo and story about where FS has been. So, first of all, he sent it to Michael and not me!? (What the heck? he he) Now, please forgive my break in this story but Michael is THE biggest 'stick in the mud'! He rarely does anything without written notice of 2 months of preparation. But when we received the envelope in the mail on Monday, I barely finished reading the letter to him and he was practically jumping out of his shorts to do it! What the heck?! Anyway, I was very happy that his instant reaction was so great but it gets better. He was devouring the instructions, mumbling plans to himself and outloud, counting off the places he wanted to take Stanley and what he will say in the 'essay' portion. Last night he was so excited to show me that he made a paper Titans jersey for Stanley! Can there be more exclaimation points in this post!?!! Hilarious. So, today, before meeting our caseworker Dave, we stopped in Nashville to hopefully take pictures of landmarks (worried some would be ruined from the recent flood disaster) and F.S. I do not want to spoil Michael full report to sweet Jace but there will be more than 1 picture and hopefully Michael can contain his essay about his new b.f.f.'s adventures in Tennessee to half a page. LOL. So, thank you Jace for unknowingly getting your Uncle to show who he's been hiding from us. I hope you get to see how much we love our state, especially Michael. It's his pride and joy and he was a perfect match for this assignment. We hope you get a good grade or a pat on the back, whatever they are passing out. We love you Jace (and Flat Stanley).

CASEWORKER INTERVIEW

For those of you that have missed it, we are trying to get approved so we can adopt again. No there is no baby waiting (that we know of), we are just taking the steps to complete the paperwork to be approved to adopt. With Evan, we took almost a year to get the paperwork finished. It was exciting and important to us but we were so distracted. 2 years later we were blessed with Evan. This time we are even more motivated cause we have the gift of Evan to remind us, every moment, what is waiting for us at the end of that rainbow. We are surprisingly patient yet very motivated. We know this is the right time for our family and cannot wait to see who is joining us next. No matter how short or long of a wait it is this time, we feel great about our progress and can't wait to move forward! :) So along with paperwork, we have sets of interviews with Dave our new and AWESOME caseworker. We already had a Home visit interview so this time, since he comes from Indiana, we met him in Madison. I have never been there so thankfully we made it ok. Dave is great. He is friendly, professional and hard working. We had a couples interview then individual interviews and he said, "well, you passed"! lol I didn't think there was a possibility not to 'pass' but was kinda nervous after he said that to be honest. he he. Well, Mike "passed" too and now all we need is verification of our health and a FBI background check completed (fingers crossed. lol) then we will be approved and get to be on the http://www.itsaboutlove.org/ website for birth mothers to start viewing us. It has also been recommended to us to list ourselves on http://www.parentprofiles.com/ (it's sort of an adoptive parents advertiser but will cost us money every month. boo but yay for the exposure).

I just cannot tell you in a blog how excited I am that my children come to our family this way. Before Evan, I was so excited for my friend Jeff the whole time his wife was pregnant, not knowing that right before his son was born, I would finally be a parent too. It's just like not knowing whether you are pregnant but from the time I found out we were 'pregnant' to his birth was shorter (and slightly less physically painful). Children are a gift, I personally hope I can wear Michael down and get him to let me have as many children as I want (3-4) but if Evan is our only child, it will be wonderful. I will let you know how you can help once we are "Approved" so look forward to that post to see what you can do to help us find our next family member. Thank you for all your love and interest in our struggle with fertility - success with Adoption. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride! :) xoxo

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

there is JOY in sadness...

In the past year, our family has been humbled by the story of Ryan Hess and his fight against cancer. Ryan is the brother of my brother Bennett's wife, Jennifer. When he was 19 he was diagnosed with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohn%27s_disease Crohn's disease which is directly linked with the type of cancer he was diagnosed with, one year ago. Hepatoslpenic T-cell Lymphoma(HSTCL). His family and friends have fought a tough fight with many wins but yesterday he returned to his Heavenly Family, there to watch over his beautiful wife and 2 young children. I am truly inspired by his wife Margie. She exudes a peace, joy and confidence in her faith in God that is unique to many of us. She bears testimony every day as a trusting daughter of God, even in times of sorrow. Please take a moment to read about their journey.

http://www.teamryanhess.blogspot.com/

If you are interested in what we believe about death in our faith as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You can find out more at: http://www.mormon.org/

Interested in donation? The family seeks no help but I do know they have spent every dime on Ryan's care. If you are reading this and feel compelled, there is a way to help them with any dollar you want to help them with. You can donate at any Wells Fargo Bank to the Ryan Hess Donation Fund.

being thankful

for everyday life and the privilege of being a parent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDvxPjsm8E

and above all the gospel of Jesus Christ to help you through each step of the process.

Poor baby

We would like to thank 'josiah spann' for the contribution to michaels 'beautification' project. We like to call this 'eye see you'. :)

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

I'm gonna get you!

One year ago today...

...I took my first full breath of air since the adoption process began. Evan's adoption was finalized one year ago today. My friend Mari got a babysitter to help document the day in pictures and took one of my favorite pictures of Evan EVER. I was nervous, having never been to a courtroom or done an adoption before and though there was no reason to be nervous, I could feel the emotions at the surface. It was on a Monday so only Michael's mom and step dad could come, my friend Mari, friends Cammie & Brian and of course our Attorney, friend Christopher Westmoreland. It was small group compared to the support we recieved over the years of 'wating' for our babies and bittersweet since my family couldn't be there. The important part was that our adoption was finalized so I focused on that. http://michaelandlila.blogspot.com/2009/05/meet-official-stuteville-family.html and http://michaelandlila.blogspot.com/2009/05/official-stutevilles-part-2.html

Since that day, we have felt even more blessed every day that we are finally parents. We always plan to be open with Evan about his adoption but honestly, it is hard to remember that he is! The day his adoption was final was like he was born to me and there is no way to describe that feeling. Adoption is so special, I do not wish to forget it or ignore it but I do not define my son as "Adopted", just as my son. He is all me and all Michael and as with every child, he will also be different than us in his likes and dislikes, his goals, hobbies etc. I cannot wait to see who he will be and what he will feel inclined to do. It's like a Christmas gift to unwrap every morning when you see what new thing your child will do for you that day. I'm so excited to see who will join us next too and how our children will interact with each other. I love big families and the time they spend together.

Cuteness

(mother's day photo)

Yesterday I was sitting on my bed and couldn't see or hear where Evan went in the house. I didn't want to get up so I called out, "Where is Evan??" He comes running around the corner from the kitchen towards me and says, "There he is!" proudly and in 3rd person. Love this life. :)

Pure evil

Oh my gosh these are pure delicous evil! Will someone buy these for my mom? :) mmmmm yummy!

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

Mini Marshmallow Catching

This video is from almost 2 months ago but I don't think I posted it. I don't know why we did it but I started throwing mini marshmallows in Evans mouth. As you can see, we both loved it and so did the garbage disposal, aka Smokey. lol.

Happy Mother's Day? lol

really? :( he was exhausted after church today and really didn't want to have a photo op. can you tell? hmmmm....

This video is a classic already.

p.s. i back posted so be sure to check out "friday's 5" and do it yourself! <>

For me

A blueberry tart from 'Ganache' in Murfreesboro behind Demos'. It's yummy go check out their other yummy treats! While you're there peek in the soon to open boutique going in next door. I'm gonna have to stop bringing my wallet to work! :)

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

FRIDAY FIVE

Today's Friday 5 subject: Favorite Snacks....

1. POPCORN: air popped only with real (salted) butter, sprinkled with 'Vegit' seasoning.

I do not like microwave popcorn, though I will eat it, if I must. It is entirely too salty, it literally stings my tongue so that tells my brain, it isn't good for me. My parents used to have this snack almost every night and my mom would practically if not literally melt a whole stick of butter on one bowl of popcorn! They cut down on the butter eventually and are now total sell outs, eating microwave popcorn. :p yuck! (he he he)

2. OVALTINE: Don't care the flavor, original or rich chocolate. I drink it with popcorn, almost exclusively but will also drink it with the next answer (salty/sweet?).

3. SUNFLOWER Seeds: or even Pistachio nuts. I always ate S.S. as a kid with my family. Maybe cause my brothers played so much baseball and that was the baseball players snack? I don't know but, come to my parents house on an particular day and you'll see us all surrounding a bucket to put our shells in while we all have a hand full of seeds to crack open. David's are our seed of choice. My mom cracks it with her teeth but opens them with her fingers, leaving a huge mess of S.S. debre all over herself. The rest of us do all the work in our mouths. lol. ;) Another tid-bit: I can no longer drive long distances very well without feeling sleepy so IF I have to drive, I eat S.S. to keep me awake.

4. CEREAL: Lucky Charms, Trix (thank you for finally going back to circles!!!!), Pops, Honey Combs, Captain Crunch with Crunch Berry's (Kroger brand is WAY better than the original, p.s.)and maybe Fruity Pebbles sometimes. I love a bowl of junk cereal for a snack. I really can't enjoy it for breakfast anymore (but used to love any cereal for every meal if I could) so it's usually a dessert or snack. Mmmmm.

5. TWIX: or Reese's' Peanut Butter cups or Peppermint Patty. I like my Twix and P.P. refrigerated the best. :) I like to eat my Twix by cleanly biting the caramel off first then eat the cookie.

Can't wait to see Shannon's snack favorites. :)

Here are a few other notables: I LOVE sliced red apples with mild cheddar cheese slices, Nutty Buddy's?, Edy's Rocky Road Ice Cream, green grapes with whipped cream (like ready whip).

Swim Lessons

Evan started his first swim lessons this week and is already awesome. ;) lol. There are all boys in his class and he is significantly older than them. The oldest might be a year but those 6 months makes a difference. It's also very funny that they are all boys in the class. I wonder if they did that on purpose cause it seems like the other class after us is all girls. hmmm. I'll ask on Monday. Anyway Evan's loving being in the pool and is responding to all the rules he's been learning. And just so you know, I'm less than thrilled that you all have to see me all pasty white in my bathing suit but, I'm willing to put it all out there so please, ignore the pasty 'husky' girl in the pictures with Evan. :) Thanks. By the way, Michael is the photographer.

Evan's supposed to grab the sea horse from the water, not eat it. He was taking a snack break. :)

Victorious!

Jumping in exercise.

Our hottie, instructor Brad (he's sort of Jacob-esq from Twilight)

"Kicking" forward

"Kicking" backwards and splashing mommy.

Ball passing. (not easy for an 18mo old to 'share' a toy)

And the rest of these pictures are 'after' the lesson. Here is where I have dunked Evan and he's just come up. he he he. I count to three and dip him under the water quickly, then he says 'again'. lol so I did, about 2 more times. I love his face in this picture. And how about mine?

weeeeee!

Ta Daa!

last dunking.

Just a short video of Evan's skills. :)

18 months +

My name is Evan

I am a crazy kid! As you can see by my forehead, I bump into stuff a lot but don't care. I run everywhere and fall down but get right back up (only to fall again). My favorite thing is when my mommy lets me loose on the back yard. I love to run and pick up sticks, acorns, rocks and dirt. Sometimes I eat these things sometimes too! Mom doesn't like that part. I love to run around the side of the house and hide by the air conditioner, then giggle when mommy comes to find me, calling "Gotcha! I found you!" Another thing I love is catching my dog Smokey's tail. I really enjoy dancing to music, doing a crouched walk, running from the living room to the kitchen while playing chase from mommy, having mommy and daddy read me as many books as I want until I get tired. I still sleep really well, going to bed between 730 and 8pm, only to wake up around 9 or 930am! I'd tell you how tall I was and how much I weighed at my last drs appointment a couple weeks ago but my mom doesn't know where the paper is. Still, Dr. Coleman said I'm in the 50th -75th percentile and super healthy. My shots went well, I only cried for a minute. When I am tired I suck on my index finger and run my fingers through my hair. I love to stomp on the ground and jump. I LOVE yo gabba gabba t.v. show. I love all food pretty much but favorites are: spaghetti, mac n cheese, corn dogs from sonic, yogurt, puffs/dry cereal, fruit and juice. I have been saying so many words when mom and dad ask me but just today in the car when we went for a ride together, mom was talking to dad about cows and I said "Mooo"! I am getting soooooo smart! At least that's what my shocked mom and dad said to me. Some of my sentences don't mean anything to them yet but any day now I will bust out something that does. :) I finally give hugs which melts mommy's heart and dad can't get enough either. I love my baths and laying down in the water to splash my legs as hard as I can kick!

Tomorrow (as long as all the weather is good, we've had lots of rain and flooding here but our house is totally fine thankfully) I start swimming lessons! Mom is going to be with me in the water to help me learn to be a good swimmer one day. Hopefully dad will come and take pictures of us so you can see my awesomeness! ;)

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

from my sista

This is a post from my youngest sister, Ashley. She wrote what I consider a nice post about our family on her personal blog. I would also like to thank my parents for making me the way I am and encouraging all their children to be individuals that LIVE the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are trying every day mom and dad. Thank you, we love you. xoxo
http://stashtus.blogspot.com/2010/04/ashley-is-wutkee-and-wutkees-are.html