The Gate Keeper

Ty is officially mobile now. He scoots and crawls and wiggles his way around the house. He just started pulling himself up and is always looking for something to wrap his fingers around. Really, anything will do. Just make it a challenge and he's in. Funny how their little personalities emerge long before they can talk and walk, isn't it? So we had to put a gate on the toy room door. It's not so much to keep Ty out as it is to keep Ethan and Drew and their thousands of Legos (a small obsession at our house) in. I just wanted there to be a clearly defined line for where Legos should be and shouldn't be. Have I made myself clear? (not always to a four year old) So lately the gate is Ty's favorite place to be. He crawls over, pulls up and just stands there, drooling all over the place and fantasizing what it will be like to put those little pieces of plastic heaven in his mouth. Gotta love this baby!

GREAT Weekend!

So I have to brag about this....my Mom came to visit and we had so much fun! Of course if you know my Mom you know that she can't just come for a FUN ONLY visit. We had to get something done too. So we worked in the yard and got the whole front of my house all fixed up! How lucky am I that my Mom wants to come visit and help me scratch some of the to do's off my list! My Mom is multi-talented and is always my first phone call whenever I have a question about gardening, sewing, music, church callings, child-raising and anything that I need a logical answer to. She is really just the best and the older I get, the more I am in total and complete awe of her! But it wasn't all work this weekend...thanks to Eric and some well-behaved boys we were able to squeeze in a few fun things too... like a movie, shopping, lots of walking, lunch and of course, swimming! Thanks for all your help Mom and for all the fun! Come back again soon!!!

I CONFESS: I have an addiction!

I'm not exactly reaching out for help here. I like my addiction and I have no plans for giving it up, going to rehab or anything drastic. I just need to put it out there and let you all know that after all these years I am acknowledging that yes, I have a problem. Some people have Diet Coke. Some people have shoes. I have an addiction to baskets, folders, pouches, jars and all things "organizational." It is a very useful, albeit sometimes expensive addiction. It's sort of a hobby turned obsession. I definitely don't claim to be the best or most organized but I really do LOVE to do it. Ask Mama Ehorn - she'll tell you that I've always been this way. I secretly like things to get "unorganized" so that I can organize them again (in a new and improved way, of course) with new baskets and stuff. It isn't the organization in my life that makes my family crazy - but the RE-organization that throws everybody off. Things just have a way of finding a new home with a little help from me. Lately, my adoring husband has even resorted to going through the garbage - just to make sure that I haven't thrown away anything he really "needs." He inevitably finds something. (Whoops!) My organizational quest leads to Eric's dumpster diving which leads to me having to reorganize again. This is why Eric and Jenn really do need eachother. My Mom is coming to visit tomorrow (YAY!!!) which has sparked this recent burst of organizational energy. This time it is company coming, but sometimes it is Spring, September, the day after Christmas or sometimes it's just when the sun shines - which could create a problem since I live in the sunniest part of the country. I'll post pictures of my organizational triumphs - before and afters - real soon. Heads up Eric - not even the "important" stuff is off limits today! ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER EHORN!!!

My bro is having a birthday and I wish nothing more than to take him to get a steak dinner at Ruth Chris and give him a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Cake - but he's got more important things to do - like saving souls and stuff. So that Birthday dinner will just have to wait until April '09 (Sorry Joel - did that make you really hungry for the USA?!!!) I am so proud of my brother for serving such an honorable mission in the Cebu Philippines Mission. I know that Joel is doing great things and that what he is learning now will bless his whole life. For those of you who don't know my bro - you're missing out! He is pretty much the funniest person I know. If there is anyone who can cheer me up and remind me not to take myself too seriously, it's my brother. Joel is also smart and athletic and a really loyal person. Oh yea, and I'm sure he'd want me to put a plug in for his good looks too (which may come in handy in about a year) just in case anyone reading this knows some amazing girl to match him up with. (But she's going to have to be pretty amazing because poor Joel has 3 older sisters that are a little protective over their baby brother.) I know that Joel will go on to do great things in his life and I can't wait to be there! Love you Joel! Hope you have a great and memorable day! XXOO Your Favorite Sister (Jenn)

Did I mention he was good with kids too?

I'll be scanning some of the more incriminating photos really soon...too bad Mom threw that one away of you in Val's ballet costume with makeup and everything. But don't worry...I've got a good picture of it in my mind :) Love you bro!

Blah, Blah, Blah Blogpost

I thought about apologizing for the lack of blogness but I decided against it. I think I'll just let everyone think that I went on a month long vacation or that my computer broke or that I was simply having too much fun to blog (close but alas, no.) Truth is, I simply get overwhelmed with holidays. Not the actual holiday but the "reporting" of it via Blog. And then I got behind. So here is the quick update of all things March and then I'm back in the mix....

Easter - egg hunt, Lunch at Grandma Pat's, Easter Bunny, matching shirts and the traditional yummy dinner.

It takes 2.3 seconds to go from the above smile to the complete and total meltdown pictures below. At least we caught in on film, right? A day in the life of a 2 1/2 year old.



My 3 Sons (isn't that an old tv show???) looked so handsome in their matching striped shirts. I won't have this much control for long so I'm taking full advantage! I guess it is just one of the perks to having kids close together. (It might be the only perk...just kidding...sort of.)

My Sister and Her Fam Came to Visit! - Lots of swimming, Easter Pageant, Scrapbook Class, Enrichment Night, Shopping and best of all, talking it up with my sis.

Those Roman Soldiers may look cool but we don't want to get on their bad side.

Ethan loved the pageant and pretty much asked me questions about what was happening throughout the entire thing. I'm so glad he was there to see it. P.S. Doesn't the temple look beautiful? My Sister Val, John and their kids - they are such good girls. I hope they come back again soon. Drew was ready to go back with them.

Everyone loved the POOL!

Lauren floating around and soaking up some sun.


The POOL is D-U-N - Done!

There is a fence now and lots of the landscaping is done but you get the gist of it. We've been swimming nearly every day - seriously lucky :)

OTHER GOOD MARCH THINGS -

We're missing pictures but John and Kelley came to visit from So. Cal and we had a great weekend!

Our niece Carley was born to Dave and Brandy in Iowa! The first girl on that side - poor girl has 3 older boy cousins and 2 brothers!

Joel has been out 1 year now as of March 14th - only 11 months to go now :) We sure miss that guy!

Other Randomness - it's been a good month.

The Dixie Chicks Were Right!

I actually haven't really thought about the Dixie Chicks for quite some time - maybe not since college when Carie Clark and I went to Country Night at Club Omni and I perfected my line dancing skills. But this weekend I had the privilege of attending the Lehi Days Rodeo held in Mesa, AZ and that whole ballad about...

I said I wanna touch the earth
I wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and unruly
Cowboy take me away

I know you just started singing.

...let's just say there is something in me that wants to be "country." (Not the Brittney Spears version though.)

There is something very appealing about a manly cowboy wearing wranglers, boots and hats and swinging rope around. So I guess it makes sense now that I married a man whose family owns a bull ranch in Iowa...so what if he traded his boots for flip flops and his stallion for a Jeep. He did "take me away" ... to Arizona. And I think our house is built on old farm land.

Every time we visit Iowa I swear I could live there. But I don't think the Arizona boy would come with me and it wouldn't be much fun without him. Lucky for me I have three sons who will hopefully spend some time working at the ranch and learning the ropes of cowboy life. For now, I have Drew who loves to wear his cowboy boots - a special gift from "Tractor Grandpa." A little old man told Drew, "Why wear pants when you can show off those boots with shorts?" Gotta love this cowboy.

Press Pause

Why in the world does time go by so quickly??? Could it really have been two weeks since I last blogged? I'd love to press pause on my life for just a few hours - no weeks - and here is what I'd do...

Pedicure
Hold Ty all day long
Try lots and lots of recipes from Picky Palate (see her link under PLACES I LOVE)
Organize my ENTIRE HOUSE
Facial
Scrapbook
Read
Lay out in the SUN
Finish my FHE Packets (that I started before Ethan was born)
Sew myself a new, super cute apron (wierd but I really want one)
Play LEGO Memory with Ethan
Shave my legs
Write my husband a LOVE LETTER
Hike the Wind Caves
Make Play-do for Drew and then dabble all day with it
Take a tennis lesson
Shop without looking at what time it was
Read a giant stack of magazines while eating an entire bag of strawberry twizzlers

What would you do?