waiting with tess...

eyes

2011-08-01T12:38:00.000-06:00

The Blue-eyed club:

Arin

Tuesday

Asa

Stevie

The hazel-eyed crazies:

Ian

A very cousin summer.

2011-07-15T17:55:00.000-06:00

Asa & his new suit :)

2011-07-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

My 10 year class reunion!! (?!)

2011-07-10T19:44:00.000-06:00

My friends did such a fantastic job planning our 10 year reunion.

I still can not believe it's been that long.

This weekend was a blast. It was so nice getting to see everyone together again.

We were always a tight knit bunch and a great big group of crazies...and I love it!

The first night, we had a meet and greet at 3 Rivers Pizzeria. Teva and Stevie were my dates.

The next day we had a picnic in Kirtland and I took all the kids except for Ian. Not many people showed for that, but it was fun anyway :)

I love this family! such good friends. So good to catch up.

And for the grand finale, we had a dinner and dance..stevie was the only baby crashing the party...

and she was a bit of a brat... lucky for me, I have awesome friends and they all pitched in and helped take care of a naughty baby who refused to sleep.

my pretty BFFs

Jessica and Rachel, I love you girls

good babysitting Tarren :) thanks for finally getting her to sleep!

The planning is OVER!! the reunion was GREAT! :)

then:

NOW:

I LOVE THESE GIRLS!

(missed you Jade and Becca!)

Splash Park w/ cousins

2011-07-08T20:53:00.000-06:00

Baby you're a FIREWORK

2011-07-03T23:52:00.000-06:00

We loaded up the kids and went to the top of Crystal Mountain to watch the firework show in town.

We danced and sang and lived it up.

Happy Independence Day!!

Navajo Lake Trip :)

2011-07-02T20:29:00.000-06:00

B.Y.O. WaterPark!

2011-07-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

Joanna made one heck of a waterpark at her house so we went and played the afternoon away. The kids had fun.Then, we found the older cousins playing in the north pond and went to join them and their surf boards. ahhh.... life on the ranch. these summer days are good :)

Stevie: 5 months

2011-06-28T14:24:00.000-06:00

June Vallecito Trip

2011-06-23T16:18:00.000-06:00

Meeting baby Carter!

2011-06-22T15:52:00.000-06:00

My BBTBBCF&E*, Becca had a baby boy!

..and I needed to meet him.

Arin had a contractors test he needed to go to Albuquerque for, so I decided me and the kids would join him a day later...

luckily, Teva followed the prompting that it would be terrible without her and she joined me:)

(why do I ever think I can go anywhere without mega help? I have four high maintenance kids! they out number me 3x! The drive wasn't too bad.

We went straight to a park to play and catch up w/ Becca and her cute girls, and meet Carter.

We got a hotel room, so we wouldn't keep everyone at Becca's house up, plus Arin was there for business, so I didn't actually have to pay for it...

Becca & the girls came over to swim and we had a blast.

Arin and Ian went to stay at his uncle Skip's and the rest of us stayed in the hotel. Asa does not like sleeping in hotel rooms... for future reference...

The next day we hit the aquarium, Chuck E Cheese and hung out at Beccas house. Then gunned it home..which is always a fun ride with my brood...

It was a great visit.

We love that family, just wish they lived closer...

(notice how NONE of my kids look at the camera anymore? jerks)

Welcome to the world baby Carter! Stevie will be your BFF, or frenemy, whichever you want, glad you're here :)

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T21:21:00.000-06:00

To my dear husband, I hunted out a new hammock for you. Please go set it up at the shack and make it a retreat for yourself.

Or set it up on the side of the bobcat and play with the kids, that's even better.

These four kids could not have a better father and I couldn't ask for a better husband to be by my side in raising our awesome kids.

I love you Arin, Happy Fathers' Day!

Stevie can stand!!

2011-06-15T15:20:00.000-06:00

This is Ian's favorite trick.

He puts Stevie against the back of the corner of the couch and she straightens her legs so that she looks like she is standing up like a big girl.

The kids laugh so hard at this, and they are so proud of how "big" she is. :)

She has no idea what is going on...

Such a big, sweet, baby!

Bloomfield swimming

2011-06-10T15:12:00.000-06:00

We loaded up and met my Mom and Teva for some swim/sun fun at the Bloomfield Aquatic Center.

The kids were in Heaven.

So was Teva. :)

Stevie was a nice baby girl and just hung out for all but the last 10 minutes when I let her get in :)

This dude only got into a few shoving matches for this froggy slide which he loves and stuck by the entire time.

Tuesday was kind of M.I.A. most of the time, she thinks she is a mermaid who doesn't need supervision...by what I see spying, she's almost right! She is a great little "swimmer"

This kid must have gone down the slide 20 times. He's such a big boy now that he can go by himself! *sniff*

all of these milestones...

Auntie Heather's Happy Birthday Bash

2011-06-09T14:35:00.000-06:00

Rachey brought a cotton candy machine and we had quite the party for Heather's bday :)

Things got CRAZY...

"Haaaappppppy Birthday tooo yooooouuuuuuu"

Girlies

2011-06-08T22:24:00.000-06:00

Oh hi! Remember me?!

2011-06-05T18:36:00.000-06:00

Wowser.

Life is crazy.

Not the normal,

"have four kids under 6, listen to constant whining, chase the runaway, fold laundry, clean the poo"

- kind of crazy either.

Like CRAZY.

It seems like walls are caving in on all levels, everywhere.

A decade-long lifestyle/profession/etc. is coming to a close.

and bringing down the world around it it seems.

A house that wont sell.

Businesses struggling all around me and nothing I can do but watch. ..

but everyone's lives seem to be in turmoil right now...

Tornados wrecking lives, fires consuming counties...

So Who am I to complain?

I have been blessed with a roll with the punches attitude and I usually do exactly that.

But some days, I don't.

I wish things were easier.

Sometimes I wish I could push pause on all of the stress and enjoy playing with the children.

But most days I don't get to.

I do most of the necessary and urgent to-do's and let the rest slide,

until another day.

I just hope that day comes sooner rather than later, b/c in 3 months, I lose Ian to the public school system and all the others will follow suit.

Oh but I do wish I could control Asa a little more.

I worry about him so much.

He eats things, often.

The latest most dangerous thing was a few prescriptions he found in Arin's truck.

That was a lovely evening in the ER...

If he sees an open door he sprints for it and runs away.

In his mind he is an adolescent capable of anything.

He doesn't answer when called. He simply runs faster and further away.

(which is serious in this vast wilderness we call home)

I can't count the times he's taken off his diaper and gotten poo all over his bed.

It is quite possible he will be the end of me.

But in the moments in between,

when he climbs on my lap and gives me a big snuggle.

or looks at me with those big blue eyes,

I melt even more and I can't stay mad.

He is the cutest big brother to Stevie.

He wants to hold her often and is very concerned about her well-being. :)

Ian has the ability to completely tune out anything I say.

My voice doesn't work with his ears, the frequency is all screwed up or something apparently.

I have no idea how he will survive school and having someone actually instructing him.

It should be interesting.

But at the same time- He is the sweetest most empathic and sensitive boy.

He is such an example to me.

My patience fuse with Ian is much smaller for some reason,

and when I snap (which is far too often)

that special boy will forgive me before i even ask for it and love me just the same.

Very rarely is there a grudge held.

He loves that he can pick Stevie up now, he is quite the macho big brother...though he needs a reminder at times that she is actually a human being and not a toy..

Tuesday is the silliest most helpful big sister.

I can't believe her vocabulary!

The other day she asked me what a word meant, and by the time she got into bed that night, she had used it correctly twice.

She understands so much and what she doesn't, she asks.

She asks at least five million questions a day and expects each one to be answered.

Silence is not where Tuesday is.

It's a good thing her voice is so dang sweet and her imagination is so amazingly funny,

she keeps everyone entertained.

She is so good at being independent and learning to do things for herself.

Stevie has stopped her incessant screaming for the most part,

now it is only a few times a day,

instead of ALL day long.

She has the sweetest little personality shining through.

She smiles at everyone and is starting to laugh.

Her older siblings are always nearby and she loves to coo at them.

She makes most everyone's day brighter.

Arin is staying busy with AMF Clean-Up.

He is currently on his way to Illinois for a convention.

It is very stressful that we cant sell our last house in Farmington,

but we keep praying and know it will happen eventually.

It's Summertime, so the fields are ready for work and he enjoys taking the kids down to help him do that.

He loves the summer:)

We all do! The kids are enjoying having their cousins be out of school-it's officially party time!

I'm enjoying the fact that Teva is DONE with school and Graduated ;) She is quite the BFF.

So I guess, though times are stressful

and it seems like we are always waiting for the other shoe to drop,

life actually isn't all that bad.

Keeping the eternal perspective makes it all the better.

I've got my hands full, but that just means my heart is also full.

I LOVE MY CRAZY FAMILY.

Random May Pictures

2011-05-31T14:33:00.004-06:00

Memorial Day weekend

2011-05-28T19:52:00.000-06:00

For Memorial Day weekend the Duncans stayed at an RV Park near Dolores, CO.

On the way up, on Friday, me, Teva and the kids met Dallin, Jake and Carson at the Cortez swimming pool.

It's an awesome pool and we had a lot of fun.

Ian and Tuesday stayed at camp with my parents.

Me, Asa and Stevie went home for the night.

The next day, Arin came back with us so we had the whole fam.

It was a nice Duncan hangout.

The kids had fun and the scenery was beautiful.

Happy Memorial Day!

Stevie: 4 months

2011-05-28T09:21:00.000-06:00

Big Shoes to Fill..

2011-05-27T09:07:00.000-06:00

Silly Kids

Bittersweet

2011-05-25T19:43:00.001-06:00

This picture makes me smile and get a lump in my throat all at the same time.

This is Teva carrying Stevie on her back, while we started to clear out Animas Plumbing, because after a decade in business, and a wretched, gigantic job gone awry, we had to close shop.

There were times when business was great, when we had 20+ employees, and the office was hopping.

Now the shop is like a morgue.

It's as if someone died.

Something did.

It was a ball of stress and an out of control mess, but it was a way of life. It was part of who we were. Now its gone, though there is plenty of aftermath to be sure that it's never forgotten, and we will be cleaning up the mess for years to come.

When I graduated High School, it was my family's livelihood.

After HS graduation, during my summer of living in AZ, I returned to Farmington abruptly, as soon as I heard my dad needed help at Animas, after nearly ripping his thumb off with a sewer machine. It was then I learned how to set a toilet, and prime & glue pipe together.

When I was going to community college, I was keeping the books in my parents living room.

When I got married, I had a steady job, working by my father's side, running a business. Him & 2-5 employees did the skilled labor. I did the scheduling and office work.

While my colleagues were learning things in business school. I was running a business.

I had my first baby, and he worked with me everyday from 7:30-5, sleeping on me, in his sling. Or playing in his swing.

Animas continued to grow rapidly.

Animas was restructured due to growth and need to change the way it was taxed, so my dad gave me a percentage of ownership in his booming business, and we became official partners.

I had my 2nd baby, I hired a few people for the front office, and I had an office built for me that looked more like a nursery, and all three of us went to work daily.

I hired employees. I trained employees. I fought with employees. I fired employees.

I dealt with problems in business. I learned so much. I stayed incredibly busy.

I benefited immensely from these years of hard work.

I had my 3rd baby and my dad told me I was "fired" and that I needed to be home with my kids. So I worked from home, and I went to the office once a week.

I continued to be in contact with the office staff. I continued to check the bookkeeping from home.

I continued to benefit from Animas.

Things took a turn for the worst, we hoped we'd pull out of it.

I had my 4th baby.

Things continued to go downward.

Animas died.

I am grateful for all of the experience and knowledge I gained from my 10 years of work/ownership/management at Animas Plumbing.

I am grateful for my dad trusting me enough to let me run the show at times.

I am grateful for the means Animas provided me with for so many years.

I am sad it's over.

But I also am a bit relieved, because it was so stressful and time consuming to run that monster, and I'm glad my dad no longer has to do it.

It's going to be a weird, long, hard road to the next venture, but we'll all do just fine.

One door closes, several more open, right?

Goodbye Animas Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. thanks for the memories.

Great Grandma McGee

2011-05-23T09:29:00.000-06:00

We spend a lot of time at "Grammagee's" house.

She does so much for us.

She never slows down, even at 90+ yrs.

Amazing woman.

Amazing (endless) meals. :)

Teva Graduates.

2011-05-17T20:54:00.001-06:00

FINALLY!!

CON"GRADUATION"S Teva Bayley Duncan! :)

She let me off the hook and told me not to go. (Thanks Tev)

I went to Seminary Graduation which was much better, I heard.

I'm so glad she's finally free!!

Time to PLAY!

Working in the Fields

2011-05-17T20:06:00.000-06:00

Grandma Brooke's Birthday

2011-05-16T17:32:00.000-06:00

My mom had to work on her birthday.

So, obviously, we had a "show up and surprise" party at her work.

The kids loved it.

Then, we went to play at Civitan Park, b/c Ian asks every time we drive by.

The kids played hard.

Me and Stevie just hung out on the grass.

That evening we had dinner and cake at my Grandma Melba's.

The kids helped blow out the candles...

Nose plugged and all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA BROOKE!

Tuesday's Dance Rehearsal/Recital

2011-05-12T20:45:00.002-06:00

Tuesday's dance rehearsal was 3 hours long!

..and her's was one of the last classes to perform..

so, yeah, I'm the mom who let my kid be the ringleader and encouraged the wild "sideshow" during rehearsal.

I left Asa, and only took Ian & Stevie to the rehearsal with us, and luckily, my mom and Teva joined us.

Bella and Stevie were my dates the night of the actual recital, which was also 3+ hours long.

And she didn't go on stage to dance, until 8:30pm, an hour past her bedtime.

(why the 3 yr olds couldn't go first is beyond me..)

And then we decided she was done with dance class for a few years.

But despite my aggravation, Bella loved it and Tuesday was freaking adorable..

(even though, I later found that she was afraid, and trying not to cry,

in a room full of strangers, while being detained- for 3 hours...?!?)

Ian's eye view

2011-05-10T12:18:00.000-06:00

Ian took over my camera one day...

Its nice to see life from his perspective :)

L-O-V-E

2011-05-03T06:05:00.001-06:00

(we put these all on a page and framed it, for mothers day presents )

FHE=Riding bikes at Paul's House

2011-05-02T19:06:00.000-06:00

April Random Photos

2011-04-30T16:28:00.000-06:00

Stevie: 3 months

2011-04-28T16:49:00.001-06:00

Spring Swim Lessons

2011-04-27T06:49:00.001-06:00

Ian & Tuesday had swim lessons.

Asa isn't old enough to take a class yet, except for the Mommy/Me class.

So after wrestling him and making him suffer for one lesson, I decided I'd sign us up for the Mommy/Me class (that happened to be at the same time as their lessons, luckily).

And of course, I wanted to be in a swimsuit with my fat gut 2 1/2 months post-partum. but I did it anyway and I'm really glad that I did.

My poor, neglected, #3 got to swim and he LOVED it.

The first day he was a bit thrown off b/c he had ALL of my attention and I was ASKING him to jump off the wall and splash and get in the pool instead of telling him NOT TO, like I usually am.

But he got the hang of it and soaked up every minute of it.

It was a lot of fun to have that one-on-one time with him.

Ian & Tuesday did really well in their class, and because it was a small class they were able to be together.

A Bonus for doing it before summer.

Stevie was a good girl to sleep through nearly every class. :)

My mom was kind enough to come take pictures the last day of class.

Easter Morning

2011-04-24T18:22:00.000-06:00

The Easter Bunny came and left presents, and hid eggs :)

The kids thoroughly enjoyed it.

Easter Photoshoot

2011-04-24T16:41:00.000-06:00

Coloring Easter Eggs

2011-04-22T18:11:00.000-06:00

Yes, Asa tried drinking it.

Tuesday dyed all of hers pink,

and Ian dyed all of his blue.

it was kinda funny how they both had a carton full of one color.

I love my kids!

FHE=Learning to Ride Bikes at Rachey's

2011-04-18T21:13:00.002-06:00

Bounce House

2011-04-15T15:39:00.000-06:00

SideSpike!

2011-04-14T15:36:00.002-06:00

...oh yes I did!!

"When you're the best of friends...

2011-04-13T20:11:00.000-06:00

"When you're the best of friends...

...doo doo doo, having so much fun together!"

(Fox & the Hound Song)

Today was a great day.

Asa's 2nd Birthday

2011-04-10T22:36:00.000-06:00

He woke up to a lot of balloons in the living room :)

and a few little presents..

Then, after church we had a little cupcake party at Grandma McGee's with all the cousins and Grandparents :)

And later that evening, Grandma Brooke and Grandpa Brad came over and brought him his present, which was a new hat :)

It was a low-key, awesome day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASA!

WE SURE DO LOVE YOU.

Rights as a Ranch boy...

2011-04-07T20:25:00.000-06:00

Apparently, it is every man's right to pee outside on the ranch...

I don't make the rules,

I just have to live by them...

Here is Asa's first attempt, haha.

...And then, when I went inside to put the camera down and came back out,

he had also taken a crap and stepped in it.

I don't think that's anyone's right...ranch or not.

...THAT KID!

Oh no. It's begun.

2011-04-04T06:23:00.000-06:00

Ian has claimed my old GameBoy Advance SP...

The beginning of a new era-

a not so good new era...

Sheila's birthday

2011-04-03T14:25:00.000-06:00

An Ode to MY baby sister..

2011-04-02T16:02:00.009-06:00

During the past 18 years, I've bossed one person more than anyone else.

And for some reason she still comes around me and gets bossed some more

and now, she even gets to be bossed by my demanding kids.

She is amazing.

The one and only-Teva Bayley.

I wouldn't survive without all of her help.

She is my right hand most days and I appreciate her very much.

Someday, when she has kids of her own, I hope to be able to help her as much as she has helped me.

Then, and only then, will she realize what she does for me.

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY TEV!

I love you more than you know!

You are a great example to me and my kids.

Thanks for being the person you are.

Thanks for dealing with the person I am.

You are one of my best friends.

I love you.

The 10 year gap is strange, but I wouldn't change it.

Weird that you are graduating the year Ian starts Kindergarten. . .

and the year I'm having my 10 year class reunion.

The gap closes more each year though and soon we will both be wives and mothers and you'll see how detrimental you are to me, hope I can be that to you.

(Better live close)

Love you!

Blog Party!

2011-04-02T07:34:00.000-06:00

Hi!

I'm Tess. My better half is Arin, we've been married for almost 7 years.

We have a 5 yr old boy, a 4 yr old girl, a (almost) 2 yr old boy, and a 2 month old girl.

(hoping to add three more kids to the mix someday-not incredibly soon)

We also have several businesses thrown into the mix.

Obviously, I am a bit on the crazy side...

I'm always looking for ways to make things easier and life better.

JOIN ME!

and please tip me off to your favorite things that help improve your life ;)

(only pic I have of all 6 of us...)

kids askew, headbands falling off, eyes closed-looks about normal for us ;)

march random

2011-03-30T16:19:00.000-06:00

Stevie: 2 months!

2011-03-29T14:20:00.000-06:00

:(

2011-03-28T16:07:00.000-06:00

I just found this.

It's the picture they took of Asa when he was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia.

Isn't it the saddest boy you've ever seen??

Stevie's Blessing Day

2011-03-27T11:27:00.000-06:00

Ian goes skiing w/ 2 grandpas and a grandma!

2011-03-26T22:33:00.000-06:00

These are three HANDSOME men!

Grandfather Scot, Ian and Grandpa Brad

He's an excellent little skier and he had a blast with his grandparents..and wore himself out.

Tuesday's idea of motherhood

2011-03-25T17:08:00.000-06:00

"Whenever I turn into a mom,

I'm going to have a million kids,

and I'm going to let them watch SpongeBob.

and let them go wherever they want to go.

because I'm going to be a nice mommy.

and I will never let them clean up,

b/c I will just clean up by myself

and I will never let them get in trouble for not cleaning."

We'll see Tuesday,

We'll see.

Thanks Asa

2011-03-24T12:56:00.000-06:00

*graphic images, proceed with a strong stomach* ;)

Look at this dude!

He is one bad A.

Just ask him.

Sometimes he can be so sweet...

Sometimes, I think he belongs in a nudist colony...

And sometimes I think he belongs in a zoo...

...because he throws his poo.

But regardless of where i think he belongs on any given day,

He is a special boy and my heart belongs to him :)

I love you Asa!

Going on a Cave Hunt...

2011-03-23T22:36:00.000-06:00

We loaded up the kids and went to find a cave that Arin knew of located far back on the property.

It was a lot of fun. The hike was a bit too intense for our kids, but the cousins loved it.

Tuesday Turns 4! Pt. 2: Birthday Party

2011-03-23T21:27:00.000-06:00

After the tea party, I had to take Stevie to the Doctor, so Teva made cupcakes with Ian & Tuesday and Asa took a nap. It was a nice party break...

The nwe picked it up again with a party at the house that evening.

Patty Smith made a professional, humongous cake for the event :)

It was an awesome cake and a fun party :)

It's so nice to have so much family around to celebrate birthdays with.

I was extra appreciative of my Grandma Betty for knowing my stress of the recent weeks, and deciding to help me by making a full meal to bring to the party to feed everyone. It was amazing. :)

Tuesday Turns 4! Pt. 1: Max & Ruby's House

2011-03-23T09:19:00.000-06:00

Tuesday thinks that Something Special looks like Max & Ruby's House (which is a cartoon she loves)

So we decided to have dessert there for a little "Girl Tea Party" the morning of her birthday.

It was "awesome"

Sisterly BFFs

2011-03-20T20:40:00.001-06:00

A few weeks in pictures

2011-03-20T08:23:00.000-06:00

a baptism

gloves

Duncan Farm ;)

2011-03-17T06:14:00.000-06:00

I took the kids to see all of Grandma Betty and Grandpa Paul's farm animals.

While we were driving there, a goat was having triplets.

weird.

They have an extremely large collection of chicks in their garage.

Tuesday found one that looked like hers, so she was thrilled to know it just relocated to Great Grandmas house. ha.

(remember last spring how we bought some?... and let them get eaten by the coyotes or something. who really knows what happened to them... one by one... every night...)

then we visited with the pigs and checked for new eggs in the coop and had quite the adventure.

I love my grandparents.

and the kids loved it too.

Stevie chats with her grandpa Brad :)

2011-03-15T11:28:00.000-06:00

My dad came to visit the kids the other night and Stevie was thrilled about it! :)

and an ugly picture to show i really am around here.

in pjs.

with no makeup and my hair ugly.

survival mode.

Living the good life

2011-03-14T15:02:00.000-06:00

It seems a while since I've just sat and written about the day to day.

Here it is:

I can't believe the wild ride we've had over the last six weeks. It is very evident that there were a lot of prayers sent up in our behalf. The kids finally got over their illnesses, and not once did I completely lose my mind. It was a miracle in itself.

It is definitely different to have four kids.

Stevie is so sweet. She seems to have held off her reflux pains until after the crazy month. I appreciate that. Poor girl has tummy aches often though. She is beautiful. Dark hair and Blue eyes. She is finally growing and I'm enjoying her double chin. I love my babies fat, and she is working on it. She is a bit spoiled, however, and loves to sleep on me or while being held. Nowhere else. But I got a fancy new swing today, and so far she has slept in it for 2+ hours! yay! I may have a new bed for her that doesn't require my arms. She has brought a new dynamic and a new level of joy to our household. We all are concerned for her and love her so much. Her older siblings want to chose her clothes and have her bathe with them and hold her and check on her constantly.

Asa is so funny and such a handful, that it seems more difficult than it should be. He is so entertaining though. Last night, as he was throwing a fit and launching things, Arin was trying to discipline him and he just back "talked" him. It was so dang funny I couldn't contain my laughs. Oops. He's just such a jerk. But we love him that way I suppose. Life wouldn't be as funny without his insanity. Without the stories of him pooping on the floor and dancing in it, or in his bed and smearing it, or throwing it all over the closet, life might be dull. ;) He loves his baby, even if he shows it by sitting on her and shoving the pacifier down her throat. He seems to be learning new words daily, not that most people could understand him, but we do. Hopefully he will catch up soon and we can discuss the potty training. So far, it isn't going very well. I wouldn't be pushing it if he'd just keep his dang diaper on. He can get out of taped up diapers and backwards diapers, etc. Overalls is my next step, we'll see if it helps.

Tuesday is an angel. Really. She quickly obeys when asked to help. She sings to baby. Dances for fun. Dresses up. Changes her outfit 5x day. and has just the right amount of sass. She speaks like a 2nd grader, rather than a 3 year old. She goes to dance class, and is by far the cutest one in leotards :). We love that little princess w/ spice. She is so helpful and though she puts on a show she is sensitive, dramatic, and worried about other people's feelings. She is a good girl. And smart. and beautiful.

Ian can read! He and Tuesday have been going to Joy School at Sheila's house. She is teaching him to read. He is so dang book smart. He is a good boy. He deeply cares for everyone and is very empathetic. He constantly says "the baby is TOO cute for me!" He certainly loves his baby sister. He has been playing well with his other two siblings too. It is going to be sad when he goes to Kindergarten this fall. He's such an introvert I worry about him in groups. He went skiing last weekend with my parents and Teva. He did a fantastic job. He wouldn't give up until it was closing time. Apparently he is awesome. (especially for it being his third time ever.)

Arin is doing well, we sold another house. So that is two this year so far, and we only have one more on the market. Hoping it sells soon. Then I think we are taking a break from house flipping until the market picks up. AMF, his clean-up company is doing well and he is excited about that I think. I enjoy having him around working on the bookwork during the days sometimes. He has been a tremendous help within the last few months. I love that man. Seems we get closer with every child and every trial. And it's a huge blessing.

I am sane. As far as my type of sane goes. And for that I am grateful. I always get a little bit worried about losing my mind after having a baby. It's happened before. After I had Tuesday, I lost it. But not this time. I'm serious about the crazy calm I've had over the past few months. It can only be attributed to blessing and prayers offered for me. There is no way I'd have made it to this otherside otherwise. Thank you to all who worried and prayed that we'd get through it ok. We most definitely did. I love my life. Sounds dumb. like a fake sentence. But it is true. I wouldn't change a thing. My life is good. Even when I'm scrubbing poo from my monkey/puppy/monster toddler's hair and toenails, I know my life is good and this is exactly where I need and want to be. I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for the gospel. I'm thankful for the strength I get every day from my Father in Heaven. I'm grateful for the many blessings that I take for granted everyday. I'm grateful for the blessing it is to live so close to family and have good relationships with them and for all of the help and service they provide me with. I am blessed to have the extended family that I have.

LIFE IS GOOD.

FOR REAL.

A heavy heart

2011-03-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

...And all of the sudden-Asa pooping on the floor everyday doesn't seem so bad.

My prayers go out to all the people in Japan dealing with this horrific tragedy.

Dear Asa:

2011-03-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Asa,

my number three,

my neglected middle child,

my MONSTER OF A TODDLER:

Right this second I do not like you.

Not even a smidge.

I do love you-always and forever-but my like for you is waning.

I am not impressed with your ability to take off your diaper and poo in the middle of the floor.

I am a bit impressed by the fact that you don't get any on your bum.

But I am not the least bit impressed by the smearing, embedding, and footprinting of the poo all over my bedroom floor.

I feel as if I've been calm up to this point, I've figured a way around the stripping in the crib and urinating or smearing poo in there...

But what on earth can I do?!

-when you run to my room, take off your jeans, and your diaper and do your business like a puppy dog in the middle of my floor then play in it-all while I nurse a tiny baby?!

I am losing my mind.

I am not impressed with:

your lack of communication skills.

Your lack of speech and your lack of bargaining tools, so it is impossible to potty train you.

Your lack of interest in the tiny potty sitting next to our big potty.

Where do I go from here?!

...to Walmart to buy a case of duct tape?! I guess it's worth a try.

I love you always-but you are on my last nerve and my bottle of "like" is almost empty kid!

enough is enough.

Truce??

My new endeavor

2011-03-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

First off, I need to preface this by saying: I am not selling out. I am keeping this blog going strong and possibly/hopefully, even stronger. :)

With that being said, I will explain my new endeavor.

I am starting a review/giveaway blog.

Mainly, because I think it will be fun.

I am excited about it, and I'm liking having something extra to be excited about!

Especially if it doesn't require loading up four young kids or wasting valuable babysitting time to do it :)

Obviously, I am starting a different blog, so as not to sell out on this one, but I need followers in order to get products to review and giveaway... this is where I made it difficult on myself because I'm starting from scratch.

So, my friends, I am asking you to please follow my "busy mommy likes" blog. and if you are feeling extra kind, please vote for me here or by clicking my "on the fence" button/link.

THANK YOU!

PS if any of you want to design my new blog and get free advertising for doing so, let me know.

wink,wink.

REVIEW: Sight Words Chart/Card Set & Building Words Phonics Center Kit

2011-03-05T15:59:00.003-07:00

Remember way back here in December, when I mentioned that I was going to review something of my choice from CSN Stores?

...Then life got crazy and that got set on the back burner, but finally, here it is :).

Ian is really interseted in spelling & reading lately, so I decided to spend my gift code on this

Sight Words Wall Pocket Chart Card Set

with a Midsize Wall Pocket Chart

& a Building Words Phonics Center Kit

He really has enjoyed "playing" with the Building Words set. The letters are a fun rubbery material that makes all of the kids want to play with them. The cards are really big & easy to work with. He likes to work on it alone, when I'm not bugging him. Which works out great for me! He is learning and keeping himself occupied and only calls on me when he needs help. ...and after a while, he decides the letters are better for stacking or rolling like wheels. He's experimented a lot with the different shapes and what they can or can't do. I'd say this is awesome in all areas of development.

(Though sight words are a bit more useful than phonics I hear...) Good thing I got something in that area too, to cover all of my bases! :)

I have the wall chart hung on my office wall, and I put up to 15 words on it at a time and he sounds them out and reads them to us whenever his little heart desires. I'm really impressed with how well he is doing in his reading! He is so smart. I bet he'll be reading really well by the time he goes to Kindergarten in the fall.

This product wrap-up (all of them):

Busy Mom... Likes!

Recommended.

*I was given a gift code to use on the website to purchase anything of my choice.

I chose this product on my own.

My opinions are my own and I was not given compensation for my review.*

I'm starting a new Review blog. I'm hoping I can get a few giveaways going and some fun reviews for you all.
I posted this same review on there for starts. It is called "busy mom likes!" Please check it outHoping to get it really going within the next month or two, the more followers the better :)
Thanks!
and follow it on Google Friend Connect.
http://mommylikes.blogspot.com/

The first river trip of the year

2011-03-03T20:23:00.003-07:00

her first river trip ever, she slept in the sling the entire time :)

And the winner is...

2011-03-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 22

Result: 2

New BFFs?

2011-02-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

One of my friends had a baby four days after I had Stevie.
They had their first playdate the other day ;)

Stevie, meet Ollie.

Ollie, meet Stevie.

My BFF is four days younger than me, so who knows-they could be new friends forever.

-Right Beck? remember our first playdate when we were seven & three days old?

j/k, i dont remember it all that well...

Good thing I got pics of Stevie and Ollie so they can remember it vividly :)

photoshoot

2011-02-23T10:46:00.005-07:00

BEAUTIFUL GIRLS

SISTERS

My first Giveaway -$40 CSN gift code

2011-02-23T07:13:00.005-07:00

Summer has got to come eventually right? Well it warmed up yesterday, kind of, and my kids had friends over to play on our swing set- at two different times throughout the day. It was wonderful. I LOVE sending them outside and watching them play together as I take care of tiny girl inside.

Did you know that CSN Stores not only covers the awesome learning materials I got for the (upcoming) review, they also have wooden swing sets, like ours? :) Check em out!

This is the exact one we have and the kids love it.

and because it is so awesome, we also have an identical one in a box -waiting to get added to it, for when we have seven kids and need more swings ;)

After you are done admiring the sets, then leave a comment and I'll give someone a $40 gift code to use at any CSN store.

Howdya like them apples?

My giveaway rules are this:

Leave one comment with no F words in it. ha. (It can totally just be your name)

Oh and an email address I can contact you at.

Good luck.
*for a second entry, check out my brother's band, Problem of Time on facebook and like them :)* leave a seperate comment telling me you did so.

Oh yeah, then I might just ask Ian his favorite number of the day & the comment closest to it will win.

Or maybe I'll try to figure out the random generator thing...

We'll see- but I promise it'll be fair :)

PS-If by chance there is someone who reads my blog who doesn't live in the US or Canada, they wont ship to you, so don't try to win. Sorry!

Giveaway ends: 11:59pm 2/28/11

(CSN Stores have provided the $40 gift code.)

Stevie and Baby Crystal

2011-02-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Stevie and Baby Crystal

2nd cousins

(Cara's baby)

5 days apart

future BFFs

extra cute!

a few weeks locked away from the world...

2011-02-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

i won this castle oon a giveaway, glad i saved it, it came in handy while we were all quarantined.

...and then he dropped her..

Happy freakin birthday!

2011-02-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

So Arin's birthday is February 9th,

which just so happened to be the day Asa was admitted to the hospital.

We spent the day there, and Arin spent all night there partying it up.

My mom & Teva had the other three kids during most of the day and they assisted the older two in their request to make their daddy a birthday cake :) then they picture texted it to arin.

Several days later, when we were all home again, we sang the song and ate it.

It was the best birthday ever!

So good in fact, Arin decided it never happened and that we shall never speak of it again ;) ha.

A horrific week. In pictures...

2011-02-14T18:16:00.001-07:00

My two babies sick in the hospital.

Asa with pneumonia and double ear infections, in for three days.

Stevie, with RSV and jaundice, in for two days.

(admitted on her two-week-bday)

It was a heck of a week -to say the least.

2011 thus far

2011-02-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Dear 2011, it is Feb 11th, and I already hate your guts.

So far this year, you have presented me with several inconveniences, including- but not limited too:

-the ninth month of pregnancy, always fun- but especially while changing a 40lb, 20-month-old's diaper.

-a 5 year old and a 3 year old w/ strep, simultaneously, in my 38th week of pregnancy.

-a 20 month old w/ an ear infection during my 39th week of pregnancy.

-a midwife who was a wench and didn't get me an epidural like i asked.

-A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL (the only thing you're good for, 2011...)

-a 5 year old with a bad virus, sick on the couch for several days, during the first week postpartum.

-a 20 month old with pneumonia, and double ear infections, dehydrated, low on oxygen and admitted to the pediatric ward (on his daddy's birthday) for three days, two nights, during the second week postpartum.

-a two week old admitted to the hospital (on her 2 week birthday) with RSV and jaundice. (she did get to share a room with her big brother for most of the day before he was discharged...)

I'm TIRED! and ready for the cold weather to disappear and for healthy children again.

I have shuffled children and pawned them off non-stop, i only get to visit with my husband through passing kids or trading shifts at the hospital. and the only thing we talk about is an update with direct doctors' orders and information. i had a baby two weeks ago today. i've had to abandon her for a quarter of her life already, b/c her big brother needed me. i've had kids in the hospital for days...i'm tired of this hospital. i want all of my kids to be home at the same time. i want to get into a routine and get used to having four kids. i want normalcy, which is non-existent in my world, but i want MY normalcy, a little bit of crazy...not this much.

i would not have survived the past month without all of the help and support of my awesome extended family! my sister, arin's sisters, both of our moms, our dads, life would have been impossible without them. not to mention all of the support of good friends, and prayers sent up in our behalf. life could definitely be worse.... and it's trying. but so far we've been able to handle every curve ball thrown our way...that doesn't mean i'm going to sit back and not complain about it though.

yours "un"truly,

Tess

* on the business front:

-we did sell a house this year!! but that also means that among all of this our favorite downstairs tenants moved out, because we sold it to them. Mixed emotions... no more early morning hang outs w/ rachel and her kids. but they live close now and permanently, so they don't have to go away anymore:)

we are blessed.

though we have a lot of bad luck.

here's to hoping little Stevie gets released from the hospital soon...

Stevie's first week home-tons of pics

2011-02-05T07:17:00.001-07:00

Stevie makes a visit

2011-02-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

On the way home from the hospital,

we stopped by the Fishburn's to pick up the older kids

and introduce Stevie to her Grandparents, Auntie, and some cousins:)

She was a hit.

I think we'll keep her :)

Hospital Pictures-Stevie's here!

2011-02-01T17:41:00.002-07:00

There is an abundance of pictures here... consider yourself warned :)

Once Upon a 4th time...

2011-02-01T06:36:00.001-07:00

I was nine months pregnant and miserable..

I was struggling to change a 40 pound, 22 month old's diaper with my humongous belly in between us.

I was exhuasted and READY to have this baby.

I convinced the midwife to induce at exactly 39 weeks. (through shedding tears-twice-and pleading insanity).

On January 28th, 2011, Arin and I were at the hospital at 5:30am ready to bring a baby into this world. An hour later, the IV was set and the pitocin was going. (Sometime within that hour I mentioned, under no uncertain terms, that I wanted an epidural when the opportunity presented itself-and that I DID NOT want to miss that opportunity.) Hours later and nothing is happening, me and Arin start pacing the halls, bored.

I bounce on the yoga ball. I play cards with my mom and sister. Nothing was happening.

Then, finally, after being at the hospital for 11 hours...I start to feel them. The REAL contractions, (it was about time!) The midwife came in and broke my water, I told her I wanted the epidural. She left, did NOT order an epidural, came back half an hour later to me being mad as hell that she didn't get me any drugs, knowing I was now going to have a third drug-free delivery. I told her it was time to push, she didn't believe me, but checked anyway when I yelled at her to look. Two contractions later and Arin was catching a slippery baby who surfed out with a splash.

It was a beautiful baby girl with a head full of dark curly hair and bright blue eyes.

Stevie Breen Fishburn

Born at 5:25 pm.

8 pounds 4 ounces.

21.5 inches long.

Perfect.

And the world was right again :)

(extra details:

-Rachel was living in our basement, so she stayed with the older three kids while we left for the hospital.

-Sheila and Heather had them the rest of the day.

-My mom and Teva joined us at the hospital.

-I told Teva that if I had to do it drugfree she had to leave. Though I ordered her out of the room during the horrible ordeal, she hid in the corner and still got to see Stevie be born, and didn't freak out like I'd anticipated.

-Arin is the world's best birthing coach/husband/father in EVER..

-I would never attempt the labor/delivery/raising of all of these children/blessings without his eternal companionship and unwaivering support. )

I am very blessed.

Obviously ;)