Looking Back

Seeing the pictures of Pierce on his bike today made me miss the days of sitting out on our driveway, watching the boys ride round and round the circle!! I think that if it were a cold day here, I wouldn't miss it so much, but today is a lovely day- just over 60- with beautiful blue skies and just the perfect weather for riding bikes outside. So, here are some pictures from the past of the boys outside riding bikes. Hopefully we will get to be someplace permanent soon so that we can get our things out of storage and be out riding bikes like we love to do!!

We are Jinxed!!

Okay, I think we are jinxed!!!! Everytime that Barth leaves to go out of town, one of our kids gets sick! I am not even kidding. We have enjoyed good health so far this year, but yesterday Barth left for Cincinnati. So, what happened? Weston got sick!! Yesterday afternoon around 3:30 or so, he said that his head was hurting and that his tummy was not feeling good. I took his temp- it was 102!! Pretty good for the child who never runs a fever huh? Anyway, today he is full force sick and complaining that his head and back hurt as well. I took him to the doctor. He didn't think that it was the flu, just more than likely a virus that was going around that usually started with a cough (yep, he got that first) followed by a fever. He said that usually following that was a lot of vomiting. Oh great!! Well, at least Barth will be home tonight to help hold down the fort. We are just praying that Brian doesn't get it, or if he does, that he won't get it so bad that he has to go to the hospital as he usually does!! Oh well. At least I am grateful that I have a doctor, that I have money to pay a doctor and that there are good hospitals close by!! I also consider us very blessed that this is the first bad virus this year!!

Hip, Hip, Hooray

Today was a red letter day for us!! For the first time ever, Aaron ate a half of a PB&J sandwich!!! Hooray!! Aaron just recently starting having these as I was a little leery of the whole peanut butter thing!! For the most part, Aaron would just stick his fingers in the peanut butter and honey and smear it all around and then move on to his apples or bananas. But today, he ate the whole thing!! I was so excited. Mostly before this Aaron would only eat grilled cheese and it is just easier to make a peanut butter sandwich than a grilled cheese. Anyway, I am very happy about the whole thing!!! Yea for Aaron!!

So Polite

Weston has got to be one of the most polite little boys that I know. Last night as we were eating pizza for dinner, he says, "Mommy, I could I have a towel please." He said it very politely I might add. Not seeing a spill or anything, I asked him what in the world he needed a towel for. "Because I just lost my tooth on some pizza, that's why, " he says. He was very calm about the whole thing. Now, if it were any other child, I could see some jumping up and down and excitedly saying, "My tooth just came out on my pizza!!!!" (At least that is how Brian would react!) But Weston, he has the calm and polite genes!! I just thought that it was too funny. He is such a good boy. Polite and thoughtful. I was surprised that he lost the tooth because I didn't even know that it was loose!! He has now lost 7 teeth in all and after some teeth examining last night, we found that the other top tooth is loose as well. I sure love my little Westy Pesty!! I have the best boys!!!!! (Not that I am prejudice or anything!!!)

Our Story

Okay, since we have just passed Valentine's Day and the day after was when we celebrated our 8 and a half year anniversary, and since we are coming up on the time of year when we first started "liking each other" I thought that I would post our story!! Or at least our story "according to Kristie"!! Barth and I go WAY back!!! When I was a little girl, my best friend Shannon and I would play house and pretend and all those things that little girls play together. Well, when we were about 10, our favorite thing to play was to pretend that we were doing things with our "boyfriends" who, at the time, were Ponch and John from our favorite TV show, CHiPs. I was in love with Ponch and Shannon was in love with John. We played this game quite often. Well, around that same time, a new family moved into our ward there in Carrollton. It was the Yorke family and they had 2 VERY cute boys (ages 11 and 12) who were named Barth and LaMonte. Well, Shannon and I, being the boy crazy things that we were, decided that we really liked Barth and LaMonte. Shan liked Barth and I liked LaMonte. So, our pretend boyfriends changed to be Barth and LaMonte. I don't think that the brothers ever really knew that we had crushes on them, but we did. Not too long after they moved into our ward, the ward split and they became part of the new Coppell Ward and we stayed the same.

Well, time passes, as it tends to do, and we got older. I soon forgot about my childhood crushes and moved on to bigger and better things, like flirting with boys and giggling, primping, and all those things that Young Women do. Anyway, it just so happened that one Spring Break, my family went camping at Inks Lake State Park. We had been there several days when we discovered that there were other LDS families camping there too (only they were in the tent part and we camped in the screen shelters). Well, those families turned out to the be Labrums and the Yorkes!!! Since there were several of us that were the same ages, one evening we decided to go hiking up to the favorite spot of Devil's hole. (It was basically a big rock on the lake.) Anyway, being the scaredy cat that I am, I was afraid coming down the big rock in the dark. Barth, being the gentleman that he is, said that he would help me on the hike down. He held my hand and safely guided me down the rock and back down the trail. He even took a cactus to the foot for me!!!!! You see, there was a cactus that we didn't see, and he hit it with his foot (went through the canvus parts of his shoes) and then told me to watch my step and be careful. Well, it was at this time that we started to like each other. I was 15, it was 6 months until my 16th birthday. That was okay though, I still could dance with him at dances and he called me on the phone from time to time.

Well, I finally turned 16!! My birthday was on Sunday and Barth came my ward to be with me on my birthday. He then asked me out on my first date. We doubled with Russ Chatwin and Cammie Hennifer and ate at the Spaghetti Warehouse. We had a lot of fun. Barth and I have had our share of ups and downs, especially while dating. I would never agree to be his girlfriend. I told him that the prophet said that we should date around. We both did, but we still dated each other alot too!! He went on his mission, and I went off to BYU. I wrote him faithfully every week and we had an agreement for a date when he got back. We had our date and within 18 days of him coming home from his mission, we were engaged!! Ironically enough, I never was his "girlfriend." The family joke is that we went from being "just friends" to "just married!" Well, it all worked out and we have now been happily married for 8 and a half years.

Through our marriage we have had some really fun and happy times times. We have struggled and faced many trials. We have cried tears of joy and tears of sorrow together. We have had our disagreements and we have had times when we think so much like each other that it is scary!! I think that a good marriage has to have its share of good and bad (but more good than bad!) so that it will be strong and lasting. I am so glad that Barth came to Texas 19 years ago so that I could meet him. He is truly my better half. I love him dearly. He completes me!! I thank the Lord everyday for the blessing that he has given me in my dear, sweet husband!!


Now, for your viewing enjoyment, here are some pictures of Barth and I. The first 2 are blurry, I know, but they are wallet size and my camera is on the fritz with the whole "zoom thing." Everytime I try to zoom with my camera, it shuts down, so this is the best that I could get!! These first 2 pictures were taken at the same time I got my Senior pictures (highschool) taken. We were so young then!!

We lovingly refer to this one as the "New Era Pose!"

August 15, 1998- our wedding day!! You would never know that it was 100+ outside huh?

This is the most recent one of us!! It was taken in September. We are both older and not nearly as fit as we used to be, but we are still in love and loving life together!!

I am NOT a fan of Change!!!!

Alright, this is just my little vent because I am mad at blogger!! Why in the world did I have to change to this new one?!!!!!!!! I liked things just the way they were!! I am not going to do any of the smancy new things that they have added! I wouldn't have the slightest clue on how to even try!! I was really bugged tonight when I went to sign on to change my template and it would no longer just let me in the OLD way!!!!! Shesh!!! I am sure that I will get over it, but for now I am bugged about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Valentine Cake

Yesterday the Boys and I made a Valentine cake. We ran out of time to frost it before I had to go to mutual, and so Brian and I did it this morning. He had lots of fun with the frosting and sprinkles. He did the sprinkles all by himself!! Aaron loved getting snitches of frosting. Here is Brian with the cake that he helped to decorate. (I can never get a natural picture of him, he always poses, so these were the best of the bunch!)

Then I decided to take a few of Aaron so you could see how he is growing!! He went in for his 18 month check yesterday (even though he is almost 19 months). He is by far my smallest child. He has finally tripled his birth weight (which was 8 lbs, 11 oz) and it just over 26 lbs, which is right at the 50% for his age. He was only 31.5 inches which is between the 10th and 25th precentile for his height!! I guess we have a little guy in our family!! Fine by me!! They are much easier to carry when they are smaller!!! He is really getting so big though. He talks up a storm and loves to be right in the middle of whatever is going on in our home!!

 

My Loving Husband!!

For the last month I have not felt good at all!! It comes with the territory of being pregnant I know, but still doesn't make it any easier. Anyway, through it all, Barth has been very understanding. He has listened to me whine and complain. He has even been understanding about the fact that he didn't get his 14 days of Valentines this year. For those of you that don't know what I am talking about, for the past 13 (yes, 13) years I have given Barth a Valentine a day from Feb 1st til the 14th. I even did it on his mission and sent it to him in time to open them for Valentine's day! Well, this year, I have just been too darn tired and feeling too crummy!! Anyway, he has been great about everything. The other night after the kids had gone to bed, he wanted to know if he could make me some dinner. (since I hadn't been able to eat what I had fixed!) Knowing that breakfast is my all time favorite, he offered to make some french toast! He makes the best french toast ever!! Well, he cooked me up a batch of french toast and then the two of us settled down to watch a movie together. He is so sweet! I couldn't ask for a better husband, friend, and father to my children!!

I thought that I would include a picture of the dinner that Barth made for me!!

 

Fish update

Okay, so nothing really big has been going on here. We all have a bit of a cold and that is no fun, but nothing new.... other than the ongoing fish saga! Our most recent fish didn't make it either. We are currently a one fish family. I think that we will try one more fish (from somewhere else) and if that one doesn't make it, I am calling it quits. Cutie pie is a fine fish and may have to be our only fish if the next one dies too!!!

What do you get......

What do you get when you:

1. Are tired 24/7 and feel like you have been run over by a semi?
2. Feel like trhowing up ALL the time and can't eat anything?
3. Spend the good majority of your day on the couch and your 6 yr old asks how come you are tired ALL the time?

All 3 of these thing describe me!!! Am I....

A. Sick with the flu.
B. Sick with mono.
C. Pregnant with #4. 

Another New Fish

Okay, well I am glad that children are more resilient than fish!! Our little Lightening McQueen lasted a whole 24 hours at our house. Luckily Petco has a 14 day guarantee on their fish. Since we had snow yesterday, we had to wait until today to get a new fish. The new fish is mostly white with some red and Weston has decided to name him Fireball 2. (So creative, I know!!) Hopefully this little fish will last a little bit longer than the last one. :)

A few more snow pictures

Here are a few more pictures from this morning!!

 

No School!!

Okay, I had this whole thing typed up and my sweet little Aaron came over and turned off my computer!!!! Aargh!! Anyway, we thought that there would be school today because at 7:15 school had not been cancelled. We turned off our TV and finished getting ready for school since we had to leave in 15 minutes. Well, we got to school and there were just a few cars in the parking lot. We called Barth and school had been cancelled for the day!! I hate it when they cancel school last minute. Next time I guess that I won't assume that it is too late to have cancelled school and leave my TV on!! Anyway, it snowed here until about 9am and then stopped. We went out then and played until about 10 and came inside and enjoyed some hot chocolate!! Supposedly it is going to be sparse snow until about noon, then it will pick up. The heaviest snow will be around 3 and then the sleet and freezing rain will start around 7 or so. I guess we will see if the weatherman is right!! :) Even if he is wrong, I am glad to have a fun snow day and have Weston at home for the day!!

Look at the snow!!

Weston thought that it was most fun to throw his snowballs at me!!
Brian too!

Aaron says that he can get the snow off the cars just like his brothers!!