Things That Make Me Happy...

Last Christmas, my sister-in-law got me a subscription to "Real Simple" magazine and can I just say that I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Every month, Mark brings in the mail and says "surprise" and then I veg out for awhile and read my magazine. I love to read, but when I sit down to read a book, I just can't stop and then it's after 5, Mark walks in the door, and I hardly even realize that the house is a disaster and Kate is running around with a wet diaper because I am so engrossed in my book... you get the picture. So, magazines are my compromise. There are short stories that inspire me, pictures, small tips, etc. This month the theme was happiness. Studies about what make people happy and how people make it last. I'm pretty simple-minded so happiness is not a complex subject for me. I can think of a lot of things that make me happy. A small list, so that when I read back through my blog, I am grateful for the small things that make me happy...

#1 -- Kate's giggle. She has a raspy little giggle and every time I hear it, it makes me smile and I want to hear more. Both my girls have good little giggles that they've inherited from their Father.

#2 -- Launa gives "squeezy hugs". Another good quality passed down from Mark. I would not say I am a "touchy" or "cuddly" person, but my girls (especially Launa) are. She will lay be me and play with my hair and give "squeezy" hugs and it warms my heart.

#3 -- Laughing. I know it sounds simple, but it makes me happy. Mark is really good about making me laugh. Even when we're fighting, he still makes me laugh. Last week while we were lost in Seattle, he told me I was a terrible wingman (I was trying to navigate) and if I were Goose that he would have ejected me a long time ago. I replied that I would have ejected myself if possible, and then I laughed.

#4 -- Reminiscing. This is a huge reason why I love having so many syblings. We all have life experiences that we can relate to, and that makes being together seem like so much fun.

#5 -- Completing a project. I am constantly making lists because I love to cross them off. I liked school because of the sense of accomplishment at completing assignments. Lately, I've been able to complete a lot of projects. I like being able to say, "hey, look what I learned to do (with a lot of help, but still)!"

#6 -- Seeing my girls play together. When I'm trying to talk on the phone in the car, they both like to start yelling at the same time. It's annoying, I know. But they both love it and they yell and then laugh, and then yell some more. When they play and laugh together, it makes me happy.

#7 -- A clean house. In my next life, I would like to be one of those Type A personalities that cannot go to sleep knowing that there are toys left out of place. For now, I probably stepped on the toy and didn't even notice, but, when I come home and the house feels clean, I love it. It makes me happy.

#8 -- Going to church. I'm not going to lie, I don't wake up happy to get there by 8:30 AM, I'm not really happy when I'm scrambling around with my kids trying to shove cheerios in their mouth so they'll be quiet, or even particularly happy when I'm muddling through a lesson that's a little over my head sometimes, BUT when it's all done and I feel like I did something that God wanted me to do, learned a little something, and just made it, I feel happy.

#9 -- Singing and dancing. To say this is not one of my talents would probably be an understatement. But when no one is looking and my kids and I are hanging out and singing and dancing, it's fun. And when I see them try to mimick what I look like dancing, I think uh-oh, this is bad, but they like it, and it sure makes me happy.

#10 -- Feeling loved and appreciated. Who doesn't like that feeling right? It doesn't matter if it comes from Mark, my kids, my parents, a friend, a sybling, when you feel like someone gets you and loves you, it makes being happy a lot easier.

On that note, I hope you can all recognize the small things that make you happy. Ironically, in the article, money had very little to do with the things that when you think outloud, make you happy. In my case, obviously, it was true. Joy is in small moments! I especially hope during Christmas that you have many small moments of your own joy!

Ready to Move!

Our house is officially getting closer to being done! The (supposed) move in date is December 23rd. It has been quite a rigorous few months and I'm not sure I ever want to do it again. My Dad assures me that it will be like having a baby and once I'm in, I'll be talking about how much I love it and picking out plans and changes for round #2. I'm not convinced. We have done (with obviously some serious help from my patient and kind brother, Brandon) our own excavation, septic (thank you Dad, Brandon, Matt, etc), parts of our 900 sf wrap around porch, hardwood floors, a few extra lighting fixtures (thanks to my brother-in-law Anthony), painting (thank you Walker!), concrete (thank you Richie!) work.... and the list goes on. The good news is that Mark and I are still married. :) We had to rebuild parts of the porch, the septic requires FIVE 70 foot drainfields that have to be level within an inch from start to finish, the heat pump got fired up with the owners' manual in it and broke, our cabinents got back ordered, the line to the well has broke, the roofing was at one time the wrong color, and currently we have a 200 amp electrical box and the load is at 200.7 so now that we are almost done we have to have that upgraded to a 400 amp box. Oh, and Launa is angry because recently her favorite color has changed to orange and her room is pink. Ahhhhhh!!! It has been a learning experience, and almost every member of our family has helped us with something. I don't know where we would be without all the help we received (well, I do, probably at each others throats!:). The good news is that I love it. It's simple, but welcoming and cute -- exactly what I would want in a house. Did I mention that we sold the other half of our lot to my best friend Jande, that I grew up with and lived with in college for two years. Our kids are the same age, and I'm pretty sure that she knows and can tolerate all my quirks so the neighbors are going to be fantastic! Oh, and her husband, Chad, is the local game warden, which will only feed into Mark's hunting obsession I'm sure. Mark is also excited. The house is on Mark's family farm and Launa is excited to live so close to "Papa Rich" (Mark's Dad) because he spoils her and takes her to Bob's Korner and let's her eat as much ice cream as she wants (in her words). What are Grandpa's for, right?

We are so excited for this new little chapter in our lives. I will miss living so close to my parents and being in my old Basin City ward, where I have been once again inspired by so many people who played a role raising me as a kid. On the up side, in Othello, they all blame our kids "feistiness" on Mark-- in Basin City, they tend to lean a little more in my direction. :)

Thank you, thank you to everyone who has helped us so much!! I feel like I'll be owing favors to people for the next ten years of my life, but I am so grateful!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all.

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2498730867652&source=jl999

One of My New Favorites

Kate shares my passion for these Strawberry Limemade Chillers at Sonic. If you haven't tried them yet, you should. This kept her entertained for 45 minutes. Launa had a slumber party with her cousins and was literally talking and then asleep five minutes later.

And It's Only Noon...

Kate loves to get out of the tub and then run while I'm trying to dry her off. So, she ran off naked. While I was getting myself dressed, I smelled something. She ran into the bathroom (and closet) and pooped all over. The sad truth is that it didn't even phase me. I deal in a lot of poop these days.

Launa yelled to my Mom "Grandma, Kutter is going to ruin your trampoline!" We were indoors and there is no exercise trampoline in the house. She was referring to my Mom's brand new dark leather ottoman. Her perception did explain a few things though (like why she is constantly trying to jump off of it from various pieces of furniture)!

It's A Good Thing I Have A Decent Self Esteem

Or else my three year old daughter might really do me in. We were in Walmart and I didn't give Launa something she wanted. She started chanting "you're a loser", "you're a loser" over and over again. I ignored her (which seems to be the only effective way to deal with this type of thing -- if she knows I find it annoying or if she thinks it gets under my skin, she really pulls out the stops when she's mad at me). When that wasn't working, she started yelling (in the same sing song-y pattern) "Ashley Mollotte's a loser, Ashley Mollotte's a loser!" It continued for probably three or four minutes. I had to turn my head not to laugh. Really? She's three!!! I didn't even know she knew my last name. She's inherited her Dad's ability to really know how to drive people CRAZY!! I've always said I didn't want to be bored and Mark is never boring. Well, I have to appreciate that about my Launa, too. She is never boring.

A Few Indicators I Might Be Losing My Mind...

A few weeks ago, my Mom had Rhode's rolls out and asked me to put them in the oven, so I did. No one could figure out what the flakes on top of the rolls were. Um... so I failed to see the plastic wrap on top of the rolls before I put them in, whoops!

I have been missing the hair spray at my house for awhile, but since I don't use it that often, I didn't think much about it. On Sunday, I went to get out Rhode's cinnamon rolls. I was getting them ready, spraying the bottom of the pan and starting to spray the plastic wrap over the top when, wait a second, there was my hairspray! Without thinking, I had put the hairspray up in the cupboard and used it as cooking spray. I really hope that was the first time I had done it. The worst part is, Mark said, yeah, I was wondering why you were spraying the pan with hair spray but forgot to ask!

The moral of the story is, until my house is finished and I get my life under control, you might want to steer clear of any home baked bread (you know, from the bag) from me! :)

Update

I'm too lame and tired to spend time posting pictures. Sorry, I know it makes the blog less interesting. This week we spent a couple days in Spokane for Mark's work. I think he was not thrilled when I told him the kids and I would be accompanying him, but this kids did great and they loved it. We went to the Riverfront Park a couple times, swam in the pool and hot tub, and my Mom came up one day so we could shop!

Our house is officially underway. Yay! The footings and foundation are complete and they are starting framing next week. I'm so excited it's making time move incredibly slow. :)

Kate has started to babble and talk. Thus far, her first word was "uh-oh" and now she says "Dada". She has gone from walking to running (sort-of) and is so darn lovable! She is finally starting to be more cuddly and I love it. I actually look forward to playing with her when she waskes up in the morning. She's figuring out steps and feeding herself. So far, her favorite food seems to be banana bread.

Launa's hair has grown out considerably (thank goodness, it's easier to like her when she's cute:) and she is having more sweet moments all the time. I took her shopping for a couple preschool outfits and have been trying to teach her her letters. Let's just say she doesn't take constructive criticism well, no matter how it's presented. Her favorite things are getting her fingernails painted, four wheeler rides, and playing with her cousins.

Life is good. Wish me luck, I'm taking Kate for a long ride to Rexburg and then Utah this weekend.

You Know You're Old When...

I went to see "Eclipse" and on the way out said "well, I'm going to go ahead and go home and dream about some guy that is 10 years younger than me now!" (the character of Jacob of course, I'm more into muscles) Strange concept but somehow I got old overnight. How does that happen? :)

27 Years Young

Last Thursday I celebrated my 27th birthday!! I suppose I should start by saying a big THANK YOU to my Mom!! I should really be celebrating her seeing as how she is the one who went through all the pain and suffering on this day!

I have always been surrounded by people who have made my birthdays really fun and memorable, and this year was the same. Mark got the backhoe and did the first dig for our new home, Kate took her first official steps, and Launa and I were riding in the car and she said, "Happy Birthday Mommy". It was sweet. Tony and Alli were in town from Utah so we had a fun day swimming and hanging out. The Mollotte's sang to me that day, my family did a get-together at Allred's pond in Royal City (which was SO fun!), and then they sang to me at Red Robin on Saturday. Mark told me "this is like the birthday that would never end!" :)

I was reminiscing through all of my birthdays thinking how great the majority of them had been. My Mom always made amazing cakes. I remember my oldest Sister, Shannon, taking me and four of my friends to see "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and then out for ice cream at Dairy Queen. I felt pretty special. I remember doing a few campouts outside my parents house and meandering up to the orchard in the middle of the night (what were we thinking!! I'd be scared to death to do that now!). I remember Mark taking me out for a nice dinner and sending beautiful roses to my office at work at Basin when were dating and so in love... it's a long list. The moral of the story is that I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family!!

When I was young, I don't remember worrying about almost anything. It was carefree bliss! After 27 years, I worry about a lot more and am frustrated a lot more than I ever remember being when I was younger, but I have a wonderful life. My children test my patience but bring me more small moments of joy like I could never have imagined. My husband does everything in his control to make me happy (except during Hunting season -- just kidding, he does good then too), and I am surrounded by kind, wonderful people who inspire me to be so much better than I am. So thank you to all those people!!!

Two More...

Launa got angry and told me "Jesus doesn't love you!" I told her that he loved everyone and she said "yeah, well, not you!" Sweet.

Also, last week she washed my cell phone through the dishwasher. I surprisingly wasn't even mad. It was like a completely typical day at my house.

Random Stories

For the record, I didn't make the last post so that was a little questionable. Should I be worried? Anywho, I have quite a few classic Launa stories that I would like to record so that when she has a crazy child I can tell her how much I relate...

A few weeks ago, I set my wallet down in a store and couldn't find it. I was in a panick looking for and she told me "I know where it is. I'll show you". She lead me to the wallet and then said "next time, give it to me and I won't lose it."

I was nursing Kate and Launa let the cats in. When I told her to get the cat out NOW she told me "no, I can't -- she has boobs". It's a mommy cat and it is kind-of gross. Evidently, she noticed.

Last weekend, I was cleaning and Launa got mad at me. She locked my bedroom door and shut it and told me "Ha ha, now you can't get in your bedroom." I had no key and had to rifle through my Mom's collection of keys to find one. Mark got one of those phone calls from a crazy wife that day. :)

She told me "I saw you and Daddy in the shower together and it was UGLY!" Really, we werne't doing anything. It was a simple case of being in a hurry and rushing in and out of the shower. Still, you don't sneak anything by her.

Today she snatched a little trinket from Craft Warehouse and sneakily hid it under her silky blanket. We had to take it back and have an embarrassing conversation with the Cashier. I hope she learned her lesson.

Mark was peeing with the door open. Launa saw him peeing standing up and said "hey, how are you doing that?"

I am a sucker for hats. Today, I was trying some on while shopping and Kate was in my Baby Bjorn. I tried on this oversized pink, floppy hat and Kate tilted her head back so she could see me and laughed hysterically. Needless to say, that one went back on the rack. If a 9 month old was laughing, it must have been outlandishy large. :)

Good news on the house front!! We are FINALLY starting this week!! It occupies my thoughts at night because I'm so excited!!

baby girl - outfits - groovy girl | Children's Clothing | Kids Clothes | The Children's Place

baby girl - outfits - groovy girl | Children's Clothing | Kids Clothes | The Children's Place: "-"

More Pictures

See the last post for more information. I couldn't fit all the pictures at once.

Kate's 6 Month Photo Shoot

Kate is actually seven months tomorrow. I can't believe how fast it has gone by! She is an excellent baby with a great little disposition. Her favorite things are eating, pestering Launa, and playing peek-a-boo. Kate is so easy to love and brings so much joy to our lives! My sister-in-law Jen, has a little photography business and took these pictures. She is so talented and I LOVE having her so close!! I loved the pictures so much I can't even decide on just one, so I'm looking for some input. Let me know which ones are your favorite so I can get them printed for my house. Kate's 6 month stats were: 16 pounds 8 ounces and 27 inches long. I think her head was 15 inches?

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Today my Mom celebrates 60 years of a life well lived, so quite an occasion. I wanted to do a little something to show her how grateful I am for what she decided to do with her life. My Mom is amazing in every aspects and sets the bar high in terms of motherhood and life in general. Below are a few of the reasons I feel so lucky to have her be my Mom:
* She is supportive. I am the youngest of seven children and can rarely think of anything (small or big) that she has ever missed in my life.
* The picture above is of her in High School. She was and is obviously beautiful, but I love her smile, which she has the majority of the time. She taught me to be happy.
* She is talented (at pretty much everything) -- in the past year since she moved home she has helped me build porch steps, lay linoleum, sew stockings & diaper bags, helped me plan my future house, given haircuts, cooked countless meals for me and my family, and the list goes on...
* Her life is all about service and always has been. Since I am the youngest, she carted me around delivering so many meals and assisting in so many projects, when I was little, I just assumed that's what all women did.
* She has instilled in me the "I can do it" attitude. We started a basketball group at church and although she never formally played, she came and played with us. While my Dad would like her to do a little less :), I love that she is fearless in terms of trying new things.
* She works constantly. Being around her almost exhausts me because I wonder how she has so much motivation all the time. Mark is hoping it's all rubbing off on me.
* She is fun to be around. Both of my parents have a great sense of humor so I always look forward to be at home.

Happy Birthday Mom! My life is what it is and I am who I am because of you and I am so grateful. You have good reason to be proud of the life you have lived. I love you!

Ear Piercing

For my final attempt to make Launa's new hair look a little more feminine, I took her to town and got her ears pierced. My sister-in-law has been wanting to get her daughters' done for awhile so we took them together. I felt a little brutal when they did it, but Launa is way tougher than me and only cried for about 30 seconds and then wanted to check them out in the mirror. Watching it done made me a little teary-eyed but then we took the kids to the playland and out for a "treat" and they were tickled pink. They had fun doing it together and it is really cute.

I also had Launa's 3 year and Kate's 4 month appointments on Monday. There information is as follows:

Launa Height: 36" Weight: 28 lbs
Kate Height: 25" Weight: 15 lbs 3 ounces I think her height was a little short when I watched them measure but we'll find out at her 6 month appointment if she seems to have grown a crazy amount.

Pictures of Kate to come in a week or so...

It Gets WORSE!!!!

For those of you who need an additional reference, look at my previous blog. After I thought Launa learned her lesson the first time, I walked around the corner tonight and Launa had CHOPPED her hair off AGAIN(see picture for more details)! I was so angry it took all of my restraint not to swear like a sailor!! It's a good thing my Mom was around to do the cutting because I wanted to do a buzz cut to teach her a lesson. I have since simmered down and realize I'll probably laugh about this later. This may have been traumatizing enough it might even be her first memory. It's definitely going in the scrap book. My Mom did some attemps but you'll see how it all turned out. Launa cried when she looked in the mirror so then I had a little sympathy.

Launa's Third Birthday

I've missed a few holidays in between... Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas but this will be a good indication of how most holidays go with Launa. This year she wanted a Princess theme party so my Mom helped me make this awesome cake, I got her Princess dress-up box and before her birthday she seemed excited. The day of her birthday, when she woke up I said "Launa, it's your birthday today" and she yelled at me "No! Uh-uh!" and I knew it was going to be a fun day. :)

While I was working on the cake, Launa chopped her hair off herself. We cut her hair to be somewhat reasonable and then headed to the party. She refused all day to take a nap, then fell asleep in the car on the way to the party. At the party, she yelled at everyone for singing Happy Birthday, yelled at the kids for trying to watch her and help her open gifts, and then yelled at us when we ate her castle cake. What a day... Needless to say, when she wonders why I no longer throw her birthday parties over the next 5 years, this will be my proof of what a joyous occasion it was!

On a side note, we got home that night and she was tickled pink about all of her gifts and wanted everything opened and was sweet as pie. Go figure.

The final picture is of my mother-in-law who shares Launa's birthday so she also got a picture with the cake. :)