I was tagged!!

Well Sara tagged me . . . I guess I deserved this one, since I tagged her a while back. I don't know if my answers will be as entertaining as hers were, but here it goes. Oh, Craig said he will participate also, so I am going to do it the same way Sara did!

What was I doing ten years ago?
I was about to graduate from high school! Yes, it has been 10 years . . . crazy!! I was still in high school, finishing up my Junior year, yes I am younger than Trenda (1 year and 4 months younger).

What was I doing one year ago?
I was very uncomfortable and tired because I was 8 months pregnant and chasing around a toddler!
I was finishing up a very stressful year of school and starting to prepare for a the board exams!

Five snacks I enjoy:
1) Odwalla Bars (kind of like protein bars/granola bars)
2) string cheese
3) fruit
4) smoothies
5) hummus and pita chips
1) peanut butter and banana toast
2) hummus and chips/crackers
3) chocolate chip cookies and milk
4) string cheese and apples
5) granola bars

Five songs I know all the words to:
1) She's Everything (Brad Paisley)
2) Any Man of Mine (Shania Twain)
3) Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice . . . in case you didn't know)!
4) I swear (All For One)
5) Free Fallin (Tom Petty)
1) twinkle twinkle little star
2) ABC song
3) Where is Thumbkin
3) The Wheels on the Bus
4) Old Mc Donald had a Farm
5) The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Five things I would do if I were a millionaire?
1) Go back to my mission (Cape Verde Africa) and help make things a little more civilized!
2) Buy a new home/SUV/Boat/Snow board/wave runners
3) Send my parents on a long vacation to Hawaii!
4) Travel
5) Start college funds for the kids, invest, pay off school loans!
1) Buy a Harley Davidson
2) Pay off student loans
3) Invest wisely
4) Buy a home
5) Send my parents on a cruise and go on one myself, with my wife of course!

Five things I like doing:
1) working out
2) shopping at thrift stores!
3) reading a GOOD book!
4) going on dates with my hubby!
5) going on vacation without children!
1) Spending time with my children when they are happy!
2) Spending time with my wife.
3) Making money
4) Watching/Playing Sports
5) Reading News on the computer

Five things I will NEVER wear again:
1) my wedding dress
2) short shorts/skirts/dresses
3) florescent color shoe laces in white high top LA Gears!
4) white high top LA Gears!
5) my high school cheer leading uniform
1) two pairs of socks at the same time
2) a bull cut hair style
3) braces
4) BYU-Idaho cheer uniform
5) Sky Line High School Eagle Costume (I was the mascot for a while)

Five of my bad habits:
1) staying up way too late, which is really not a good thing because Ambree wakes up between 5:30-6:30am!
2) dinking around on the computer way too much!
3) wasting a lot of time when I am shopping, just looking around!
4) eating way too much cereal and bread!
5) leaving bottles of water around the house . . . after all, I never know when I might be thirsty!
1) biting my nails
2) eating too much junk food
3) becoming impatient
4) not working out as often as I would like
5) It's hard for me to tell people no, even when I really don't want to or don't have time to do something they ask of me.

Five of my Favorite toys:
1) the computer
2) my cell phone
3) the TV
4) my sewing machine/ crafts
5) my kids!
1) the computer
2) my palm pilot
3) my power tools
4) my optometry instruments
5) my kids

I'm tagging:
Mortensen Family
Lienemann Family
Mitchell Family
Shaver Family
Underwood Family

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the questions to this survey and then select five people to tag.

Beach Fun!!

Aw . . . isn't this cute of Craig and Cade! I couldn't even get Cade to hold still for a picture. He was so excited to be at the beach!

Ambree seems to have lost her balance and tipped over!

Ambree's first time playing in the sand at the beach! She seemed to really enjoy it!

Ambree is trying really hard to figure out what happened to the other half of Cades body!

Today, we went to go the the beach for the first time this year! It was pretty cold and windy, but it was still fun. . . again, not quite as relaxing gas I remember it being in by pre-children years, but still fun. It was fun to watch the kids having so much fun in the sand! I guess that's how it is once you have kids, you get your enjoyment through watching them have enjoyment! Ambree realized quickly that it's not very good to suck your thumb when it is covered with sand, although, she did put sand in her mouth a few times. Craig and Cade had some father/son bonding out on the rocks and down by the water. It's nice to have Craig with us when we are out playing! He definitely needs the break too!

Did I leave my patience at Chuck-E-Cheese!?

About an hour ago I began the process of putting my kids to bed, and thought, after this, I can have some peace and quiet and work on my blog. Well, as I type, they are both in their beds, in two separate rooms, and they are both crying . . . ugh! Can't I have any PEACE!! I try to be positive when it comes to raising children, but sometimes, I seriously don't know how much longer I can do this! On a good note, we have had some fun family outings . . . not very relaxing, but fun. Since Craig took his last final yesterday (last one in his life, unless he decides to go back to school for some reason in the future, I hope not!), we decided to take the kids to Chuck-E-Cheese to celebrate! Neither one of us had been there since we were kids, and Cade has been asking to go (he has a Chuck-E-Cheese Puzzle). It was actually really nice! They have a pretty decent all you can eat salad bar, and lots of fun games and rides that Cade was able to use. Back to the bed time sagga: OK, so I broke down and went into see what the problem was with Cade. Of course, he wanted more songs, even though i already read him stories and sang him songs! After singing more songs and putting him to bed again, Ambree was still crying 15 minutes later. So, now as I type, I am holding her and typing with one hand. . . at least no one is crying! I know part of Cade's problem is that he isn't taking naps much anymore . . . another ugh! I think he is overly tired now. Any suggestions on how to deal with the growing out of naps phase! And any suggestions on the losing patience with your children phase!? How long does that phase last anyway? Hopefully not too long!

I am NOT guilty!!

Most of my posts so far have had positive advertising for various places and things, well, except for the "bounce burn" I guess. Anyway, this one is bad advertisement for a certain store that I am sure most of you are familiar with. . . Joann's Fabric Store (which I have never had a problem with until the other day)! Here's the story: A few weeks ago, my husband wanted 6 yards of black spandex fabric(which isn't cheep) for something he was thinking about doing for his school talent show. As a dutiful wife, I went to get the fabric at Joann's. They had 4 yards on one spool, and 2 yards (so I thought) on another spool. I thought we could just go ahead and sew the two pieces together, so I went ahead and bought the fabric. The lady assured me that I could return it if I didn't cut it, and she felt bad that they didn't have the full six yards together, so she said I could use my 50% off coupon on the 6 yards combined, since you are only able to use the coupon on one item. Well, my husband didn't end up doing the talent show, and therefor didn't need the fabric. We never even took it out of the bag! So, I went to return it the other day, and the lady said she needed to measure it first. When she took it out of the bag and saw it was cut, she said, "Oh, we can't take it back because you cut it." I explained that that was how I bought it, and she said, "The recite shows that it was one item." I explained all the details about the purchase, and she said she would talk to a manager. So, the manager comes over and measures both pieces to see if they added up to 6 yards, and they didn't! It was 6 inches shorter than 6 yards . . . and as I said earlier, I we never even took it out of the bag. The ladies both kept questioning me and saying that their employees know the rules and they wouldn't do this and that, etc., etc. Anyway, after a lot of explaining on my part, the manager finally agreed to refund the 5 yards and 30 inches that I had with me. In the long run, I didn't lose out on much money, just 1-2 dollars, but I was completely innocent, and I know that when I left, they thought I was a liar and a stealer, and that I was in the wrong, when in actuality, their employee charged me for 6 inches of fabric that I never got, and sold me fabric that was already cut without writing a note and signing the recite, like they are supposed to do. It was just annoying to try to plead not guilty for something that I was really not guilty of doing! Thank goodness, it was only 6 inches of fabric, in a fabric store, and not a murder case, in front of a judge and a jury!

The Great Outdoors!!

My kiddos were in desperate need of "getting out" the other day, so we stepped out our front door and onto the grass next to our appartment. That is the closest thing we have to a yard! After a while of playing with a ball and running around, I decided to take a few pics!

Ambree would eat all the grass and leaves if she could!

Cade loves wrestling with Ambree! Like father, like son!!

Mother's Day Weekend!

Also this weekend, we had Craig's brother Adam with us for a couple days. He is going to be going on a mission in June, so he came to visit a friend of his in San Diego and us! It was fun to have him here. He was very helpful with the kids! On Sat. morning we took him to the Redlands Temple (this was his second time going to the temple). It was very nice! Mother's Day was very nice also, thaks to my thoughtful husband. He told me to sleep in as long as I wanted and he took care of the kids! He also made me breakfast, and had some gifts and cards from the kids and himself. We went to my parents ward for church, which was a surprise, and then we went to my parents home for dinner. My brother Steven also came from Baker's Field to be there, which was a lot of fun. I am so grateful for my mom and all she has done for me throughout my life and continues to do for me still! Your the best Mom!!

Dinner Cruise with "Mr. President"

Wow, this has been a pretty busy weekend, but a lot of fun! Craig had his end of the year banquet on Friday night. It was a dinner cruise at Newport Harbor. We were a little hesitant about going at first, knowing that we would not have an opportunity to leave early, even if we wanted to because we would be out on a ship. We decided to go anyway, since it was the last end of the year banquet before graduation next year, and it did sound like fun getting out and going on a ship to have dinner and visit with friends. The dinner was great and there was a lot of drinking and dancing. We didn't participate too much in either of those, well, not at all in the drinking, and little in the dancing, but it wasn't quite our style! There was also a nice slide show, and a little video that Craig, Weston, and Jeff put together where they broke into teachers offices and were doing funny things. It was quite a hit. They also gave out "gag awards" that the students voted for earlier in the week. Unfortunately, Craig didn't get nominated as "The Most Fertile" like Matt, but he did get nominated as "most likely to become the president of SCCO someday." When they called him up they were playing that song that Marilyn Monroe sang, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" I thought they were going to have some girl sit on his lap or something, but luckily they didn't . . . they knew better, right!!LOL!! Overall, it was a nice evening!

Craig and I in the stair well!

Craig is showing off his flashy jacket!

The Girls! Me, Lindsay, and Jennie!!

My Bright Ideas!!

Splish Splash!!

Wow, two in one day, this blogging thing can get addicting! I just wanted to post two ideas I had that may help others. Who knows, maybe I am so out of the loop and everyone already does this, but I thought I would share it anyway! When Ambree was too big to give a bath in her little plastic bath on the bathroom floor or counter, I would just put it in the real bathtub, so that when she splashed she wouldn't get water all over the floor. After that I would then give my son a bath by himself. Well, to cut the time in half, I now put the plastic tub in the real bathtub with Cade while he is bathing and I can give them both baths at the same time! This is fun for them and easier for me. The second thing that I sometimes do, especially lately with it being so hot, is to give them Popsicles in the bath. That way, they don't get all sticky! Well, they probably do, but it just washes right off. Anyway, it's fun for them and easier for me again! That's all I do is try to figure out ways to make their lives more fun and mine easier!! So, when I figure out a way to do both, it's great! If anyone else has ideas to share, I would love to hear them.

WARNING . . . . . . .

I know I was going on and on the other day about how great "Pump it up" was, but I do have one warning, the inflatable bounce toys may cause bounce burns!! If a burn from a rug is called a rug burn, is a burn from a bounce toy called a bounce burn? Anyway, my last time down the slide, I was holding Cade on my lap, and holding Brooklyn's hand also, so I didn't have a lot of control. I turned sideways a little, and my elbow skidded on the slide! OUCH!! It's one of those little sores that doesn't look too bad, but it still hurts pretty bad. Anyway, just beware! I know you all are thrilled to see a close up of my sore!! LOL! Also, if you do go, take skid proof socks, the bounce things (does anyone know the official name?) are pretty slippery.

I've Been Tagged!!

Well, Jennie tagged me with a survey that has been going around for a while, and since my answers would be almost identical to hers (except for I choose Summer as my favorite season, not Winter, and I am a Substitute Teacher, not a Dental Hygienist), I decided to do a new one that one of my friends sent me a while back. I tag Sara Warren, Leslie Lienemann, and Becky Shaver (Jared, that means that you have to tell Becky to do this), Thanks!

1. If you're male, have you ever shaved your legs? Or if you're female, has your husband/boyfriend ever shaved his legs? Yes, with some roomies in college, before his mission.
2. What's the most annoying kid's show? Blues Clues, but my son loves it!
3. What kids show do you kind of secretly like? Elmo's world
4. Do you look at other people in their cars while you are driving? Sometimes, when there is a lot of traffic. I always feel weird if the person makes eye contact with me and knows I was looking at them.
5. How many rings until you answer your phone? I usually never answer my home phone until I hear the message to see if it's someone I want to talk to. (too many sales calls and SURVEY calls)LOL! With my cell phone, I just answer it as soon as I find it.
6. What are you like around your family? Kind of silly and relaxed as long as we aren't rushing to get ready to go somewhere.
7. What are you like around people you've just met? Usually pretty talkative (to get to know them). I am not to silly though.
8. What were you teased about in elementary? certain boys liking me, and being shy.
9. How did kids make fun of your name? They just said it was weird and different. Now lots of people say, "Trendy Trenda" or they say my last name now is like poultry! I don't take it as making fun, it's just a fact!
10. Who was the meanest kid in school? It was ME! J/K I can't really think of one specific person, but there were a lot of kids that thought they were all that.
11. What food/drink do you hate most? sauerkraut, and horseradish are nasty! I also don't like really greasy food, and really sweet/artificial flavored drinks and soda.
12. If you could be fluent in any foreign language, which would it be? Spanish! It would make life as a Substitute teacher in southern calif. much easier (especially when subbing a kindergarten class where almost 75% of the students don't know English.
13. Which vacation spot does not appeal to you? Alaska definitely wouldn't be my first choice. . . too cold!!
14. How old were you when you took your first airplane ride? I don't ever remember going on an airplane with my family growing up, so it probably wasn't until I was in college! My kids are spoiled. Cade went for the first time when he was 6 weeks old, and Ambree was 3 months old!
15. Who did you tease in school? I remember a little girl who smelled really bad, and a little girl who always picked her nose. I never made fun of them, but i did try to stay away from them. I do remember feeling bad for the little girl who smelled bad because I could tell she was really poor. I remember anonymously giving her a bag of some of my old clothes. . . I think it was more my mom's idea, but I like to take the credit! LOL
16. Who was your first crush? I don't think I had a crush until fourth grade. It was a kid named Stephen. I knew he really liked me, but I said I didn't like him, even though I really did. He was in my class, and my neighbor too.
17. Who was the first person to have a crush on you? I remember boys chasing me in first grade. I would hide on the side of the school during recess because of it, and I remember one who would pinch my butt! I had a boy phobia for a long time after that!
18. If you could get plastic surgery for free, and no one would know, what would you have done? A tummy tuck, but not until I knew I was done having kids.
19. When was the last time you had a really good laugh? What happened? Probably the other day when my husband and I got into a wrestling/ tickling match. He always wins, but I always laugh quite a bit. I never realized how ticklish I was until now!
20. Which forwards make your day? I like the touchy feely ones about family and from family, I also like good coupons and funny videos and pics.
21. Which forwards do you hate? The ones that say, "I am a long lost relative and have a million bucks to give you. All I need is your social security number!!
22. What was the lamest part of this survey? That my baby is very stinky and I keep thinking, oh, I better hurry so I can go change her diaper! Uggg! A great thing is that my son is taking a nap, so it was nice and quiet! He talks so much!

While dad's away, the family will play!!

FUN IN THE SUN!!!!!

Yeah, post number 2! Sometimes I feel guilty that my cute hubby has to go to school and study all day and I get to go do fun things with the kids. I know, I know, it's not all fun and games being a stay at home mom, believe me, I know. But, the last two days, the kids and I have had a lot of fun! Yesterday it was very warm outside, so we went to the pool with some other mommies and their kiddos. It started off rough because Cade got something in his eye. I'm thinking it was sun screen. It was awful! He was screaming and crying for like 10 minutes at the pool while I was trying to clean it out with water, etc., etc. He kept saying, "mommy, just wipe it out!" It's the worse when your child really needs you and you feel like you are doing all you know how to do and nothing is working. It felt like he thought there was more that I could do but I just wasn't doing it or something! Anyway, after like 20 minuted, we finally just walked across the street back to our apartment. I called my mom because she has a natural cure for everything! She told me to mix 10 parts water, 2 parts honey, and 1 part apple cider vinegar and put a few drops in his eye. I was a little skeptical, but figured it was worth a try. Sure enough, minute after I did this, Cade was fine! Amazing! I am a believer! LOL! After the trauma, we went back to the pool and had a great time for another hour or so. We have so many great friends here!!

Jumpin for joy with the Barneys and the Palmers!!

Today we went to the "Bounce House" for the first time! I'm not sure if that's the official name, but it works. It's an indoor place in Santa Ana that has some of those big bounce toys. . . you know, the inflatable ones you can rent for parties and all the kids jump inside of them. Anyway, they had a bunch blown up for the public. It cost $8 for kids over 15 months, and they let us adults go for free to help the kids. It was a lot of fun for the kids and the moms!! I felt like a kid again! Cade had a blast. He is usually a little timid when it comes to climbing and slides, etc. but he wasn't at all when we were there. He even went down the really big slide all by himself! One of my friends took a video clip of Cade and I going down the slide together, but I am not quite sure how to post that. I'll try to figure that out this week and post it soon. Anyway, I definitely recommend this place for something fun and different to do with kids. I definitely plan on going back. . . hopefully with Craig next time, so he can join in on the fun!!

Look at Cade's smile. . .

he's lovin this!!

Make a basket!!

Cade, Blake and Brooklyn climb up, so they can come down the big slide!!

Ambree may be a little one, but she still had a lot of fun!!

Kids on the Move!!

Since I have been having so much fun reading other peoples blogs, I started feeling guilty that I didn't have one for others to read in return! To help with the guilt, and since I know you are all so interested in reading about my life, I decided to try this blog thing out for myself. . . wish me luck! Now that I am done fiddling with my profile and figuring out how to insert pictures and stuff (I'm still working on this!), I think I will write a little more, just to fill you all in on our lives lately. We've been keeping very busy as usual, with Craig finishing up another quarter of school, and the kids learning new skills everyday! Ambree has learned how to crawl! (sigh) I was hoping she would take a little longer to do this, even though she has already taken a lot longer than most kids do. She is now into everything! Can anyone relate?! Cade is active as ever and is really in need of a big yard to play in. This little apartment is just not cutting it for all of his energy. With the weather getting warmer, we will definately be going to the pool, beach, and park much more. I'm sure that will help. The kids love being outside, and so do I!