All about Jaed!

It's been a while since I've talked about each of my kids individually so I thought I would start with Jaedon. He will be eight in three months!! I can't believe he is so old. Jaed will always be very special to Thayne and I because we tried so long to have a baby and after three long years of tears, heartache and frustration, we finally found out that Jaed was on his way! My mom said that his personality is just like mine, such as:

• Jaedon hates to be alone. He told me that he'd rather share a room with his sisters then have his own.
• He is determined and a bit bullheaded (I can't believe I was ever like that....wait...am I still?)
• He likes to be charge and lead the group
• He likes to to know the schedule and you better stick to it
• Jaedon is a pleaser. He doesn't like others to mad at him.
• He makes friends very easily
• He is very loyal to his family and friends

I felt like I was describing myself! That's probably why we hit heads a lot, but I make it a goal almost everyday to try and love these characteristics rather than fight them. He is a wonderful helper and loves to learn. He is constantly asking questions and often repeats the answers so that he really understands.
His best friend is his dad! He loves everything that Thayne loves and he can't wait until he can do everything Thayne does. Thayne always makes sure that he and Jaed have some "guy" time since they are both surrounded by emotional girls. Jaed really looks forward to this time with Thayne. Even though the girls cry and beg to be apart of it, Thayne stands his ground and tries to help them understand that he and Jaed needs this time together, just the two of them. I can tell that this makes Jaed feel very special!
Jaed is doing GREAT at school. He's like a sponge and just soaks up everything that is taught to him. His worst subject P.E.. He failed it in kindergarten and pretty much did the same in first grade. He's not into physical activity that is forced on him. If he chooses to do it then he'll do it for a long time but not if he's told to. Funny kid! I can't imagine having a problem with authority figures.....he must take after his dad in that area!

Big girl!

Zofiya turned 8 months old a couple of days ago. She is so dang cute!!! She is constantly smiling which just warms your heart every time you see her. Here's an update on some things she can do:

-Roll over
-Sit up

um....yeah that's about it! Once you put her down in a spot she'll sit there forever or fall over and lay there forever. She's not interested in crawling moving around..yet. She's very chunky so that could be the problem...hehehe..! She wears 24 month old clothes (same size as Kaia) and still has a muffin top when wearing pants. I pretty sure she's my chunkiest baby. Here's some photos of our chunky monkey:

Stitches AGAIN

I think we'll change Josie's name to Jo-Stitch! She fell on our back deck and ripped her knee up so I ran her to the hospital where they had to DIG a bunch of wood out of her knee and then give her 5 stitches. She was brave but wanted them to hurry up and be done.

During the LONG wait at the hospital she wanted me to tell her a story so I decided to recite "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". Well, you should know ahead of time that Thayne is the story teller in our family and likes to throw in his own made up parts in whatever story he tells to the kids. I'm the singer and sing exactly how the songs goes! Anyways, as I was telling the story and Goldilocks was heading up the stairs to try out the beds, Josie stopped me and said, "Momma, Daddy says that Goldilocks stops at the bathroom, poops in the toilet, doesn't wipe her butt, doesn't flush the toilet and doesn't wash her hands before she goes and lays down". My eyes are rolling and I'm trying not to laugh hysterically. Of course, everything that Thayne added into the story is everything our kids do in the bathroom. I told Josie that Daddy tells his version of the story and I tell mine and then I started to continue with MY version, but Josie wasn't having it. She tells me that Daddy tells the story how it really goes not me. I seriously couldn't hold it back, I just started laughing so hard I was crying. I can just see her stopping a future teacher that tries to tell this story and explain the REAL version.

I gave up on telling stories because I was afraid to see what other stories Thayne ruined and want to plead ignorance if the added parts come up in the near future at school!

One of those days...

Today is one of those days that you wonder "What the hell am I doing!" (excuse the language). I don't want to be called "Mommy", I don't want to clean, I don't want to make any decisions, don't want to be a referee, disciplinarian, or a negotiator. I want to run away, read a book all day and think of nothing else but myself. But, unfortunately, that can't happen so I guess I'll get my act together and act like a responsible mom (but I don't have to like it!). How come cloud nine can't last more than a day?

Jaed woke up teasing his sisters from the time he got out of bed. Josie woke up deciding that she didn't want to play nice with anyone and if anyone got near her they were going to get a shove and yelled at to stay away. Indiya woke up with a whine...I think I even heard her whine in her sleep last night when I checked on them. She has that whine that just rakes your nerves. I don't think I've heard her real voice yet, today. Kaia woke up deciding she was going to cry about everything, be miserable and make sure everyone else was too. I think the only sunshine of the day is my little Zofiya. When I look at her I think, "Oh alright, I'll stick around and hope the day gets better!". Her siblings should be thanking her because if it wasn't for her I think I'd lock myself in my room and not answer if they came pounding on the door. How can I have such bad stinkers all at once? It's as if they feed off each other....ahhhhh......take me away CALGON!!!

Whirl wind

The last couple of days have been a whirl wind. We have painted, organized, shopped, and spent time as a family which has been great! We played soccer with Indi and Jaed in our fenced backyard while Josie and Kaia dug in the dirt. Zoey loves to be outside! We put a blanket on our deck and sit her on it so she can see us all and she is thrilled. We love the weather here. It’s windy most of the time but still warm so the breeze is welcomed. Since we live on the east side of Washington we don’t get tons of rain which is nice as well.

Since Thayne has put us on a budget (budgets suck!) we only have a certain amount of money to spend on food a month so I made a menu for a whole month and then made a grocery list from the menu. We have to travel 30 minutes to get to the closest Costco and Walmart so we plan on doing that only once a month and do our major grocery shopping then. It’s nice to not have to wonder or stress about what’s for dinner every day Like I use to do. I can just look at my menu, decide what I want to cook that day, mark it off my menu and I know I have all the stuff in the house to make it!! One less thing to stress about now!

We met our neighbors across the street. Wow, I never knew there were real neighbors like the nosy ones on the T.V. show “Bewitched”. If you don’t know or remember that show…….I feel old! Our neighbors across the street are a retired couple and the woman spends most of her time peering out her window to spy on everyone while her husband sits in his recliner and watches sports. I’m sure our family will be a real scene of entertainment for her. She has already come over to tell us about the leash law because the day we arrived we let our dog out of the car and he started running everywhere to check out the surroundings. Every time I go outside I make sure to wave towards her house just in case she’s hiding behind the curtain. Maybe I’ll feel dangerously adventurous and moon her one time …hehehe…..ok, I probably won’t but it made me laugh to think about it!

Settled!!

Most of you know that Thayne got a job in Washington and he came early to start work while the kids and I stayed behind for about 5 weeks because the house we got wasn't quite ready. Well the kids and I drove to Washington yesterday and we are together as a family again, and on our own!

I love Washington!! It's beautiful, the weather is mild, trees everywhere and the camping, hiking and water activities are endless!! We live in a small college town which is great! The firm Thayne works for is small but he is getting tons of experience. He has already been to court on his own and he won his first motion! His boss is a bit different but Thayne said he'll deal with it since he is getting so much experience and learning so many things.

Our house is four bedrooms and has a huge family room that we are turning into a playroom. Less toy clutter in the kids room and it's a place they can all spread out and play but be in the same room. I have my OWN craft room which I am most excited about. I may have to give it up when the kids get older but for right now it's ALL mine!!

The kids love the back yard which is completely fenced in and has a nice be deck they can play on as well. We're planning on getting a swing set soon so that will keep them busy and active. It's nice to let them out of the back door and know that they will be safe in the backyard.

If you can't tell, I'm feeling like I'm on cloud nine! I have an awesome husband who works so that I can stay home and raise our kids, I have five wonderful children who challenge me to be a better Mom everyday (I don't always succeed, though), I have a nice home that is a blank palette for me decorate and organize myself (which I love to d0), and did I mention that I have a GREAT husband?!!!

The next month will be bit crazy as I organize my home, get the kids and myself on a routine and get settled in the community but I'm ready for it. I plan on blogging frequently again so keep checking back!!!

Past Away

I found out, today, that my Dad passed away. His girlfriend couldn't get a hold of him and called my sister in a panic. My sister had the sheriff go over to his house and there he found my dad in his recliner, covered up in a blanket, no longer alive. My dad had diabetes and we knew that he probably wouldn't be around for very much longer but we all thought that he would get sick, go into the hospital, and we would all be around his bed when he passed on. I never thought that he would be alone when died. It's just so sad! I had so much I wanted to say to him....especially to tell him that I loved him. Most of you know that he and I didn't get along all the time but he was my father and I loved him. He loved my children so much! He use to call Indi his girlfriend. She always wanted to sit by him and hug him when he was around. She always brought out the tender side of my Dad.

My heart is so full and my mind is swimming in memories but I just don't have the words to express it all. I know that he is in a better place and he is with his mom who passed away when he was 13 years old, but it doesn't seem enough to comfort the pain.

I thought my heart was going to break when I saw the expression on my childrens face after we told them that Grandpa had passed away. Indi said, "Jesus will turn him back to life, right Mom?" and Josie said, "Why did he have to die, Mom?". Jaed just curled up on our laps and cried. I tried to tell them that Grandpa wouldn't want us to be sad, that he would want us to be happy for him that he's with his Mom and doing great but how can you make them believe that when you're crying the whole time while trying to explain that.

I'm so exhausted!

My DAD! Can I take back every negative thing I said about him?

Super Model

My friend, Laura, is soooooooo talented and has her own etsy shop. She needed some models to show off her beautiful (and very reasonably priced) hats she makes so I volunteered Kaia for the job. She was so dang cute and did great! I brought tons of different things in my purse to bribe her so she would do well but to my surprise I didn't even have to pull them out.

Here's the link to the beautiful pictures of Kai. Feel free to browse around Laura's shop too!

Super Model Kai

More Poses

And even MORE poses

Me, a photographer???

One of my life desires has been to be a photographer. Ok, maybe not a big professional one, but one that can take pictures of her kids (and friends and families, as well) and feel very proud of myself when I see the final pictures developed (or downloaded :> ). Well, I'm getting my chance to learn the basics!! A good friend and mission companion is a SUPERB photographer and is offering photography workshops! I, of course, begged Thayne to let me do this and he agreed (after I shed a few tears!!). I am so dang excited. I have so many kids of my own to take pictures of and have been so frustrated with the idea because they can't sit still for more than two seconds and the pictures turn out horribly! Well, things are going to change.

So, if any of you are in the Salt Lake area and want to learn a bit more about photography, give Jen a call or email her! She said that more workshops are coming soon as long as there is interest!

Her professional website is:
www.jennifereliason.com

Swearing In

Last month we drove to Washington so that Thayne could be sworn in as an attorney. It was a great experience and one I hope the kids will remember (but probably not). My sister, her husband, and my dad all came with us to support Thayne. The judge invited us to sit in the jury box while Thayne was being sworn in. It didn't take very long at all but it was moment of pride for me! I am so dang proud of Thayne. He has accomplished so much and more than most people would with five kids!

Here's Thayne taking the oath to be an honest attorney!



Here we are as a family so proud of our man! (aren't the dresses cute!!)



My dad with the kids

.Finally...an update

I'm back at blogging!!! I have missed recording my family adventures and am going to start it again. Here's a little update on our family:


Thayne: He is working hard for the firm in D.C. and still sending out resumes to jobs in Washington state. So, no, he hasn't found a permanent job yet. We feel truly blessed that he has a job in D.C. and frankly, it's nice to have him around the house (he works from home). We're not sure how long the job in D.C. will last but every time we get a paycheck we're thrilled!

Ally: I'm recovering from childbirth and postpartum (I think). I've joined a gym and even hired a personal trainer!! I'd like to say I'm crafting up a storm but, unfortunately, my craft stuff is still packed with the rest of our things so I've been trying to busy myself with good books when I find time away from my kids. Right now, I'm reading the Harry Potter series, which I never read before, and I'm enjoying it.

Jaed: He is doing excellent in school. His teacher adores him and praises him all the time!! He's still quite the story teller, though. Last week, he came home and told us some kid got hit by a car right outside the school and died. He proceeded to tell us about all the blood that was everywhere. I called the school to see if the story was true and of course, it wasn't. What a stinker! When we confronted him he said someone told him that it happened so we had a little lesson about gossiping and lying. He told us that he will tell the truth more often, hehehe! I guess we'll accept "more often" than not at all. Jaed got a Nintendo DS for Christmas and loves to play it all the time. He thinks his life has come to an end when he loses the priviledge to play it, though. When I pick the him and Josie up from school, Jaed is suppose to get Josie from class and bring her to the car. Well one day they both came to the car crying and Jaed told me that Josie ran from him and he couldn't see her and he thought he had lost her, so when he found her he yelled at her which made her cry. I told Josie that she is to stay right by Jaed, because he is there to protect her and watch over her until I get there. She turned to Jaed, on her own, and said "Sorry Jaed, I'll stay by you next time.". He is such a good brother....when he wants to be!

Josie: She's not so sure how she feels about school. Somedays she loves it other days she doesn't want to go because Indi will play barbies without her! We are pleased with all the things she is learning, though. She loves to teach Indi new stuff when she comse home from school. Thanks to Josie, indi knows her colors, numbers and the whole alphabet by sight. Josie loves to play barbies with her sisters but also likes to play by herself sometimes which crushes Indi. Josie got a Leapster for her birthday and likes to call it her Nintendo DS. Jaed reminders her that it's not a DS but Josie ignores him! We like it because the games are educational and prompts her to use the things she is learning in Kindergarten to win the games. She got to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday this year and was in heaven. It as the best day of her life, in her opinion. We went to visit my sister and while we were there we went over to my sister's friends house. They had an unfriendly dog that bit Josie on the nose and lip. She had to get stitches on both her nose and lip. It was so sad! Josie kept asking why that dog bit her. I think it hurt her feelings as well. The scar on her lip is very minimal but the scar on her nose is quite noticable. We hope with time it will fade.

Indi: She is truly our princess. She wants her hair done everyday (while Josie runs when I say it's time to do hair), and when she gets dressed and wants to know how she looks you better go overboard in your response. The other day she asked Thayne how she looked and he, of course, went on and on about how pretty she was so when she was leaving the room she was swaying her hips from left to right and swinging her hair back and forth, with her head in the air! She's not in preschool anymore and we never gave her a reason for pulling her out, but when someone asks her why she's not in preschool she responds, "Because I need to spend more time with my family!". Indi loves taking care of anyone who is crying. She is really a mini mom! When Kaia crys (after being disciplined) she goes to Indi for hugs! I'm sure the same thing will happen with Zoey. Indi loves to dance and sing with an audience. She makes up her own songs and dance moves :>. She preforms several times a week and if I try and her performance off she is very upset. She is also my exercise buddy. When I do Wii Fit she is right there with me and when I want to go for a walk she puts on her shoes to go with me. She reminds me what foods are healthy and what foods are not and how important exercise is. She even got emotional when she realized that Thayne was not exercising. She was afraid he wasn't going to be healthy!

Kaia: Wow, what can I say about this girl.......she is our little spit fire. She hates to mind and can throw quite a fit when she doesn't get her way, but she loves to cuddle at night and is so dang cute! She has her dad wrapped around her little finger. Thayne gives in more than I do! She is very attached her pacifier, which she calls her "Power". Thayne has started to keep all her "powers" in his pocket so now she knows that if she kind find one to go ask dad for a "power" in his pocket. She talks all the time and even tells me that I'm bugging her! She tattles on her siblings and steals their toys and runs and then cries when they get the toy back saying, "I had it first!". She loves SpongeBob and Dora!! She will not move from in front of the t.v. if either of those shows are on.....so that's when I get some peace :>. Kai really wants to play barbies and other things with her older sisters but it never lasts very long without someone crying about how Kai hit them with the barbie, or took all thebarbies, or something else like that. When Josie and Indi want to play "house" Kai does make a great baby. I think it's because they pamper her and give her so much attention that she's in heaven.

Zoey: She is three months now!! She is a beautiful chunky baby. She's a pretty serious baby, like Josie was. She loves to sit up and if she's not eating or sleeping, you better have her sitting up or she's crying. It's hilarious to see her cry with these HUGE tears but once you sit her up she stops crying immediately and content. She's starting to smile at the kids more. Jaed can get her to smile the most. Josie and Kai pretty much ignore her but Indi and Jaed love to play with her and make her happy. She has huge chipmunk cheeks and loves her food! We adore her!

Things that make me go...AHHHHHHHHHHH!

I really think my kids were out to get me today! I found so many things in the wrong places today and I know it was done by my demon children (does that make me a demon? Hmm...they probably thought I was one today!). Here's my list:

A sock in the kitchen sink
Regurgitated banana in the bathtub
Poopy toilet paper in the bathroom garbage (half of it hanging out)
Toothbrushes in the toilet
Dog food in Zoey swing (I am almost scared to think that someone was trying to feed it to her!)
Shaving cream all over the lego blocks
String cheese stuffed in a car

And to top it all of, Kai decided to use her pudding as body paint! I really think she is to blame (with the help of her sisters) for the list above, minus the poopy toilet paper. I hope tomorrow is better day!

Nose picking 101

I was driving in the car with the kids the other day and Josie said "Mommy, my nose is bleeding!". I told her to quit picking it so it wouldn't bleed and Jaed spoke right up:

(Jaed): "Josie, you have to pick it just right so it doesn't bleed."
(Josie): "How do you pick it so it won't bleed?"
(Jaed): "You can't pick it in the back. You have to pick the sides, not way in the back!"
(Josie): "Oh!"

A few seconds later.

(Jaed): "See, I just picked the sides and my nose isn't bleeding!"
(Josie): "Ok, let me try it."

After trying it the "NEW" way.......

(Josie): "I did it! Thanks Jaed."

Christmas Eve

Christmas eve is full of traditions in our family. We always act out the birth of Christ and this year was no different. My brother, his wife and two kids came over to join the fun and participate in our traditions.

Thayne was the token donkey that carries Mary to the Inn. My niece, Kassi, played Mary.



My nephew, Brayden, played Joseph and the other girls played the three wise "Queens" instead of the three wisemen. Jaed was the Inn keeper and then played the Angel later on. They all had a great time and enjoyed their acting debut.



Little Zoey played the baby Jesus and did a great job!




After the play we had cheese fondue (another tradition) and then had the kids open one gift. I don't think they have caught on that the one gift they open up every Christmas eve is pajamas.


My niece and nephew also got pajamas that night.



It was a great night and it was so much fun to spend it with my brother and his family as well as my Mom!

Visit with Santa

I was really hoping that Kai would warm up to Santa this year but it was a no go. The minute we got close to Santa she started to cry. We hurry and put her on Santa's lap, pushed the other kids around Santa, and took a picture. I hope we didn't scar her for life!




Jaed was WAY TOO cool to sit on Santa's lap, so he agreed to sit next to him and tell him what he wanted for Christmas. Unfortunately he wouldn't talk loud enough for Santa to hear him so poor Santa had to strain to catch every word that Jaed said.

More pics of Zoey

We've been home for two days and all is well! All the kids want to hold her but have learned the rules about not t0uching her face or pushing on her head. They are so excited to have her home. If they don't see her right away they start asking where she is. Most of the time the answer is, "She's sleeping.". Here's the pics we took of her in the hospital with her siblings:


Thayne was holding Zoey when all the kids came in the room. They all circled around to see Zoey for the first time.



Jaed has not focused on the fact that Zoey is a girl. Right now he is excited to have a little baby in the family.



Josie is constantly asking questions like: "Why is she so little?", "How come we can't touch her face and head?", etc.. We try and tell her that she was as small as Zoey when she was born but she can't quite picture that.



Ok, first let me say that before Indi came up to the hospital she was decorating her face with make-up so that's why her face is blotchy. Anyways, Indi is in love with Zoey. She wants to hold her, read to her and talk to her all the time. She's darling with her!



Kai seemed interested in Zoey at the hospital but since we've been home she pretty much ignores her (phew!!!). We've tried to keep Kai on her normal routine so that Zoey doesn't seem like a threat to her and so far no eye poking has accured!




My mom was there from the beginning again and shared in the birth of our last child. It was great to have her there to experience it with us. She's always a comfort in the room and is a great assistant to Thayne.



Zoey is so precious and calm. She's a perfect ending to our little family!

New Arrival

It has been a long two months since I last posted. This pregnancy has been hard but it ended yesterday! Zofiya "Zoey" Colleen Warner was born yesterday at 4:30 p.m.. She weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was 20 inches long. She has lots dark brown hair and is ADORABLE!!

During a painful labor I realized that this was our last. It was a clear revelation and one that I am ok with. I am a very tired mom who needs to adore her children she was gifted with. I feel so blessed to have had healthy beautiful children and now is the time to enjoy them completely. Zoey is a great ending to our little family. She his adored by excited siblings as well as proud parents.

We're Alive!!

It's been a bit since I've blogged so I thought I'd catch everyone up on how things are going. First thing first, THAYNE PASSED THE BAR!!!!! We just found out yesterday. We are so excited to be done with that part of life. Law school was tough but I think the worst part of all of it was waiting two and a half months to see if he passed the bar. The state bar that he took only has a 72% pass rate which is quite low in comparison to other states so Thayne was constantly worried that he didn't pass. Those of us that know how dang smart he is knew that he did! A law firm even called him last week and told him they have a attorney position opening up and wanted him to apply so we're hoping that this is the job for him. Right now, he's still working for his boss in Washington D.C. (but from home) so we've been blessed with some income while we waited for the bar results. He's heading out next week to meet with the law firm so we'll see how it goes.

I'm surviving this pregnancy but am thinking that it may be my last. I just feel to old and worn out to do it again, I think. Thayne and I decided not to make any final decisions until after the baby is born which is in 9 weeks! I'm hoping we will be settled in our new house! I've been grateful that Thayne has been able to work from home because I can sneak in a nap or two everyday which helps me keep going.

Jaed is getting so big and BOSSY! I think I say to him, at least five times a day, "You are not the boss, Jaed!", but it doesn't seem to phase him. He tries to play house with the girls but he always wants to be the zombie brother which is not okay with the girls. Then he says agrees to be a regular brother but tells the girls that their parents are dead which doesn't go over well with Indi because she usually wants to be the Mom. Most of the time they work something out, though. Jaed is enjoying first grade and is excelling in everything, which doesn't surprise us. His teacher has sent home extra work for him so that she is challenging him with new stuff. If I'm not right there to pick him up from school he walks over to the Kindergarten door and gets Josie they both walk (holding hands) to the curb and wait for me. He is a very good big brother (most of the time!) .

Josie is enjoying life right now. She loves having Thayne home all the time and has become quite affectionate since he has returned from Washington D.C.. She is enjoying Kindergarten and seems to really like her teacher. We met with her teacher a bit ago and her teacher said that Josie is doing fine and that we shouldn't worry about her catching on to acedemic things so we've taken her advice and relaxed. Josie loves playing with Indi and gets quite sad when Indi doesn't want to play with her. As for her relationship with Kaia, well......she pretty much ignores her. Josie has never been very good with toddlers. They bug her and she doesn't know how to react very well. When Josie is playing with her Barbies and Kai sits down next to her to play, Josie gathers her Barbies and moves to another room. Kaia follows her for a bit and then finds something else to do. I've asked Josie to let Kaia play with her but her response is always a flat "No". I know things will change when Kaia gets older, so for now we don't try and force anything.

Indi is still our socialite. Everywhere we go she finds a friend. We had her in preschool for a couple of months but pulled her out. The school was a bit far and expensive and we didn't feel like she was learning a lot of acedemic stuff. She didn't seem to upset about it which made it easier. She loves playing with Kai as well as teasing her, too. Indi misses Josie when she's at school and looks forward to playing with her when she returns. Indi is obsessed with combing her hair these days. She could stand in front of the mirror forever, combing her hair, if we let her. It's so funny to us how girly she is one time and then how tom-boyish she is the next. We put her in soccer again this fall and she is the star of her team. She makes goals all the time and is always at the head of the mob kicking the ball.

Kaia is a motor-mouth!! She is talking in complete sentences and is only 20 months old. She tells on her siblings all the time. For example, we gave her a granola bar the other day and a soon after she came back to us and said, "Jaed took it!". We called Jaed over and asked him how he got the granola bar and he said, "Kai gave it to me.". We told him that she said he took it from her and finally fessed up to it. They don't get away with anything like that when Kai is around. Jaed does adore Kai and is often found helping her do things, which is a nice thing to see. She has decided that she is done with naps during the day so now she joins the other kids for "Quiet time". She does make up for it by going to bed at 7:00 p.m. which is GREAT!! Her favorite thing to ask when we're leaving the house is, "Where we going?".

The new baby is a fireball already. She is moving CONSTANTLY. We have decided on a name for her: Zofiya "Zoey" Colleen Warner. The kids are already refering to the baby as "Zoey". It took us forever to find a name we both liked so I finally told Thayne that I wanted her to have the nickname "Zoey" and it was his job to find a full name to go with it. We always get mixed responses whenever we've announce the name we've chosen. It's actually quite humorous to see how people will react when we say it.

First time soccer MOM

While Thayne was gone this summer the kids played soccer for the first time. I put Indi and Josie on the same team and Jaed joined a team with his cousin, Kassi. It was so much fun to watch them and laugh and shout "Good Job!" every week. I would call Thayne on the phone every time one of them make a great play or did something funny so that he could be apart of it as much as possible.

Indi was the best little soccer player ever. She was so much shorter than the rest of the team but her little legs were running the whole time. She kept up with the group surrounding the ball and even got her foot on the ball several times. By the time the game was over, her face was as red as a tomato. Indi did a move I called the "swim" while she played soccer. She would get close to the mob of kids surrounding the ball and then she would start doing the breast stroke with her arms until she got right on the ball. She even managed to push a few kids down when they got in the way of her "swim". I laughed so hard during her games, I think I even cried a couple of times. Sometime she was run to fast that she'd fall but she never cried! She just got back up and started running again. The only time she did cry was when she had to substitute out to give someone else a turn. No explanation was good enough for her! Indi loved her coach. Almost every game she would stop at least one time in the middle of the field and run over to coach and give him a quick hug and then run back to the ball. It was so dang cute!

Josie....well..soccer wasn't her thing. She got so excited to get her uniform on and seemed excited to play while we were driving to the soccer game but once we got there she lost all interest. I tried to tell her that her team needed her and she would attempt to play but after about 30 seconds she would fall down on the field and look like she was dying. When I'd yell at her to get up she always said "I can't my legs are tired!". The coach tried her as the goalie but she was entertaining herself by wrapping herself up in the net, picking grass with her back to the game, and I even saw a few dance steps. It reminded me of basketball last fall and how she just didn't show much interest to that sport either. Thayne and I had to finally come to grips that our Josie probably would never be a team sport player. On the last game Josie came and said "Mommy, don't make me play soccer anymore, ok?". I promised her I wouldn't and asked her if she would rather do dance which made her day.

Jaed had a great time playing. I don't think I have ever seen that kid run like he ran during the games. In his first game he made a goal. I was so excited......except for the attitude that followed. He started acting like he was the big man on the team as well as the coach. One time I heard his coach said, "Hmm, I miss counted we need another player on the field.", and as the coach was looking around at the team on the side lines Jaed said, "Kassi, it's your turn to play. Come on in!". That obviously wasn't who the coach was going to pick because he said, "Jaed are you the coach or am I?". I was so embarrassed! I have called him "Mr. Bossy Boots" since he was a toddler cuz he's so dang bossy. The kid is doomed. Thayne and I are pretty bossy people and Jaed obviously got that gene twice. I hope his wife can put him in his place :)> . Anyways, even with his "Big Man on Campus" attitude he seemed to enjoy the games. He even asked to play again.


MR. BOSSY BOOTS!



This is Jaed and his cousin Kassi. I think they both enjoyed being on the same team.



Indi's uniform was more like a dress then a shirt. I had to buy her new black shorts because the ones they gave her came down to her ankles.

Back together!

Thayne's been home for three weeks and we are soooo dang happy. Two day after he got home we drove to Washington State to visit my sister for two in a half weeks and then came back to my Mom's house. I had a lot of fun with my sister and the kids had a blast with their cousins. Unfortunately, Thayne was having too many allergy problems to really enjoy himself completely but he stuck it out and tried to have a good time! His boss in D.C., asked him to work from home for him through the next month or so which is a huge blessing since we had no other income. He also gave Thayne a ton of contacts in the Seattle area sent his own personal recommendations to all of them. Meanwhile, we're trying to be patient and get into some kind of routine here at my Mom's house until we know exactly where we will be headed.

So the day after Thayne came home we went and had an ultrasound to find out the sex of our fifth child. It's another GIRL!!! Thayne was a bit disappointed but pulled himself together quickly. I was thrilled!! I can't believe I'm going to have four girls now. When we told the kids, the girls were really excited but Jaed was sad. He almost cried. I felt so bad for him. Thayne pulled him into his arms and talked to him about it. By the end of the discussion he seemed to be tolerating the idea of having another sister. Whenever he tells people that I"m having a baby and it's a girl he always has a frown on his face, though. I hope that when the baby comes he'll forget that it's a girl and just be excited that's we have a baby.

Here were a few of Thayne's responses when the nurse said it was a girl:

"WHAT??!"
"Are you sure?"
"Four girls? This is getting stupid!"
"Someone is out to get me!"
"It's a conspiracy!"
"I guess it's a good thing we make cute girls!"

I couldn't stop laughing after she told us it was a girl. I was laughing so much I couldn't even comfort Thayne. I felt bad.....well.....a little. I can remember being a young teenager and hoping that when I became a mom I could have all girls. I didn't think it was possible since my husband comes from a family of a lot of boys, but the girl power came through!

Anyways, now the name game starts. We have a couple of names we're throwing around but we're still looking.