Molly's Rule of Life #18

Sometimes, there's just not a good enough reason to erase the side effects of childhood so soon.

"I could never love anyone as much as I love my sisters." - Jo March

Sometimes we get to have Olivia and Aubrey over for a sleepover. It's pretty much the best day of Porter's life when this happens. Since Aubrey was just a year and a half and Olivia only three-years-old when I got married and moved away, this is how I get to grow up with them.

Here's how Friday night went until they couldn't stay up any longer (11:30).

Rule 1. It ain't a party unless you have pizza. Our favorite is Papa Murphy's take and bakes.

We roasted s'mores in the gas fire pit. This is always a huge hit and my personal favorite. Olivia eating in style. My kind of girl.

You gotta have a movie. They chose a "scary one". The Crocodile Hunter.

Plus forts that make a huge mess. The bigger the mess means the bigger the fun.
We don't like to leave out my little brothers, either. Olen usually plans those "sleepovers". He thought that since this is the last year Andrew, 16 (almost 17), qualifies for the youth hunt tags, Olen would take my three brothers out hunting again together, this time for elk. They've gone before for deer and Andrew got a nice little four-point. The application for tags were due in January, and knowing that the hunt was in October, but not expecting to have anything else going on that month, I thought it was a fun idea. The results for tags came in over the weekend, and turns out my three brothers were drawn. Except now something is going on in October...like having a baby. I was telling my dad about the possibility of Olen off on a hunt while I was in the hospital having a baby and he said, "Oh, that's okay. You've done it before!" (Oh, Daddio.) But I don't really want to do it again. I thought we had a rule about this.

To all those lucky ladies who's husbands don't hunt and fish; go give that man a hug. But on the other hand, I have some lucky brothers who will have the time of their life in October, and my dad is way excited to go, too. And I know I am a lucky girl to have a husband who cares enough about my family to make fun plans and loves spending time with my growing siblings. Sure, I'm invited on the hunt (and said, "Hell, no."), I guess I'll just have to hang in there...or come early. Yeah, come early, I like the sound of that.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program of Flashback Friday to do something else. Stay tuned. Maybe we'll call today Frustration Friday (I'm keen on alliterations, ya know).

So it's probably not the best thing when you're at a check-up appointment and your nurse midwife says, "What was your weight before you were pregnant?"

Then you tell her. Then you step on the scale. Then she looks.

Then she says, "Well, it seems like you're not having any trouble keeping the food down, huh?"

Uh...no. I don't. I never have gotten that kind of sick with any of my pregnancies. Just tired and crappy feeling, without the frequent trips to the bathroom. I'm not complaining, really. Just feeling frustrated because despite eating about half the calories I normally consume, the weight is just making itself right at home on my hips. But you have to understand that it's seriously the fight of my life (as a friend once put it) to keep that weight as far from my hips as possible. So this kind of stuff makes me feel bad.

So what brought on this frustration? None of my jeans fit anymore. Today officially marks my two-months mark, but I thought I could at least still wear the old pair and do the rubber-band trick for a while? Nope. Stretchy pants are in my future for as far as the eye can see.

When you're pregnant, food is your worst enemy and then your best friend. It's like Kate said, "Being hungry and wanting to eat are two different things when you're pregnant." So true, Pal. So true.

After the food as your enemy part was over and then became my best friend with Porter's pregnancy I craved grape juice and ice cream. I would take a large container of grape juice with me to work every day and then come home and have a large bowl of ice cream every night. Needless to say, I put on a lot of extra poundage with that one.

With London I craved lemon slices with salt (ooo, my mouth just watered...). Oh it's good. Port, who was just four, would try to pretend like it wasn't the most sour-salty thing he ever ate and keep a straight face. Watching him was almost as good as eating all those salty lemons. Almost.

So geesh, Molly, what are you eating anyways you, colossal, you? Well, I don't have any cravings yet, but there are a few foods that have been good to me. Here's what I pretty much live on:

How 'bout you? Did you have any "safe" foods during these first months? Or any wild cravings once food got good again?

Oh! But you know what?! I have found a new food that I like: Jack In The Box's tacos. I used to hate them, with that mystery meat and spicy sauce and all. But then one day Olen brought me home a couple and I felt daring and then loved it! Come to think of, I could go for one right now...yeah and I wonder why my jeans got small so fast?

But you know what I'm really craving? A nap.

Good Word Wednesday!

Yesterday I got some good news from mi hermana Bethany:

So, why does Beth think that I would want to know, you may ask? No. It's not because I love Yo Gabba Gabba. I just get sucked into that show because it's so out there it messes with your brain and you keep watching to figure out if it's for real or what and then you just can't look away. And London tries to do the Dancey-Dances and I love that she tries. I've been watching a lot of TV lately...
 It's because I have a slight little gigantic humongous crush on Jack Black. I think I may have mentioned it before. But it's cool; Olen knows all about it. See, we have this rule. We can each have one Hollywood crush. Jack Black belongs to me. Selma Hayek is Olen's.

First I admitted my crush on Jack and then he told me "Really? Then I have a crush on Selma Hayek." What the what?! I was surprised. Not because she isn't totally smoking hot (cuz let's face it, she is, plus she's awesome funny on 30Rock), but because I didn't know he had a thing for the Latin Ladies. I thought he'd say Faith Hill or someone more mellow like that. 

Now let's have a fun time. Let's dish about YOUR Hollywood crush!

C'mon who ya jones'n for in Tinsel Town? Before Jack came into my life I loved Johnny Depp, well I still do. How could you not? But still. Jack.

So...who is it?

Molly's Rule of Life #5

Little surprises make big differences.

Porter was so homesick this morning. He did not want to return to the classroom - at all. I didn't want him to go either. I'm beginning to think he's serious when he says that he hates his school. I think next school year we'll have to have a change. He's doing great in all his subjects and has lots of friends, but I feel like he's a square being made to fit through a circle hole, ya know.

I'm actually considering...home school...something I thought I would never say. I was home taught from fifth to eighth grade and loved it. We had regular routines and field trips and outings with other home school families. It was rad, and the transition to high school was no problem. I've just never thought of myself as having enough patience and dedication to be the teacher and the mom. I know home school has come a long way. There are even bigger support groups and more advanced programs. And all the sporting groups Porter participates in have all been outside of school programs, so there is still a lot of socialization to be had. I don't think anything really could stop Porter from being social anyway.

It's still just an idea that I'm throwing around in my head. Olen is supportive of the move, so that helps a lot. Porter begs me to let him be home schooled, so that helps a lot, too. And London would love to have her Poe home with her all day. Well...I think I may have just made up my mind...

I'm surprising Porter by showing up for his lunch today. Although I may not actually eat lunch with him (cafeteria food sounds like too much of a party for me just yet), I know that it's going to make his day. And that will make mine.

This was my favorite of the Break days. We finally, after having the locations empty for two years, have filled in our garden and sand boxes. We hired two of my little brothers, Andrew and Spencer, for their added muscles and speed. Now that we (actually they, I just came out to take pictures and daydream of the sunflowers I'll be planting) filled the garden with five tons of planting soil and the sand box with three tons of sand we can fully enjoy the backyard.

Not a moment too soon.

Katie, when are you coming for a playdate? Give me heads up so I can have plenty of apples on hand.

On this day, Porter's sleepover from Grandma and Grandpa's house turned into a sleepover at Nana and Papa's house when Olen's job in Chandler went late and Nana phoned and asked to extend the playdate till the next morning. Grandparents are so wonderful. I had the house all to myself for the whole day, well, me and my "Kitty" of course, who has now become a puppy (she calls herself "Puppy Girl" if you really want to know). I woke up feeling pretty good, so I decided I would keep busy until I didn't want to be busy anymore. I spent most of the day cleaning places that have been too unpleasant to be in like the laundry room and bathrooms (..."one step for man, one giant leap..."). Then sat down and did a little sewing while Puppy Girl watched Dora. She can say "Arriba!" and two other Spanish words and it is about as cute as it comes.

Like I said, Olen got home late and with only 50% of our kids home, we stayed up even later and watched Seinfeld and drank strawberry milk shakes.

Another day down. Nothing off the list. I don't care.

Today you were either part of the crowd gutting (aka fillet-ing) fish on the back porch. Or not.

Here's how my day added up:

One of these,

Plus one of these,

Divided by some of these,

[I wish I could] Subtract some of this,

Equals a lot of these.

Nothing was checked off my Spring Break To Do List today.

Oh well. I can always put it off again tomorrow. Right?

Picture sent via text after I told them the good news. If you can't tell...she's pretty psyched. I couldn't be happier, either. Only about 90 more days at the in-laws little sis - I'll do my best!

The most productive thing I've done while sitting around the house. London said she hates it and that she's going to "cut it up". She really just doesn't like all the ties, but she'll have to deal with it.

As my boys were unloading their gear last night, Porter said, "Mom, dad and I thought that since you bought us all our food for our trip, we would give you all the fish we caught."

"What will I do with 50 dead fish?", even though I could guess where this was headed.

"We thought you would want to cook it up for us?" said with a smile and those irresistible dimples.

Looks like a fish fry and hush puppies are in my near future.

The day went like this: First I helped pack Porter and Olen up for the only thing on Olen's Spring Break To Do List - Go Fishing with Best Buddy. Olen has solemnly sweared that when he and Porter get back they will be my best helpers to accomplish anything I want off my Spring Break To Do List (which he hasn't seen yet!).

So far I've only checked one thing off my list. The Doctor's appointment. It was a good visit, but I forgot to ask what I can do about my Alaskan-sized headaches. It's only been three years since I was last pregnant, but I've seem to forgotten all the rules. Tylenol? or no Tylenol? Rest? Drink more water? Oh well. I just need to call my mom. So anyways, I was poked, weighed and questioned. It is too early to hear any heart beating and I was a little bummed; but I'm feeling worse every week, so I think all systems are a go and that's good enough for me for now.

Olen did stay long enough to go to the Doctor's with me (actually, I'm seeing a Nurse Midwife and super excited because she's the best) and then he and Port left for their over-night fishing trip to catch the "whoppers" as Porter would say. Hopefully we'll have a fish fry in the near future.

Then London and I came home and pretty much crashed like I've been doing at the end of every day. The end of the day has been coming at seven o'clock. Lately Ellie's decided to be a cat. She crawls around and brings me things in her mouth. I scratch her head and tell her what a good kitty I have and then she meows and purrs and crawls away to get me something else. I love it. The best pet I've ever owned. After I tucked my little kitty into bed I started working on her revamped bed spread (I'm recovering her old comforter to update the look) and watched a movie I got at the Redbox (free movie Monday ya know - I'll give you the code next week, ok).

Well, I never sleep that great when Olen is gone. Last night I dreamt I was walking down the streets of Russia naked. I woke up freezing cold, so I guess my subconscious thinks Russia must be the coldest place on earth? Well, I shut the window and turned off the fan and fell back to sleep in no time. Here come the crazy preggie-dreams again. I guess I haven't forgotten how to do that.

Can you just smell the sleeping in with late breakfasts and lazy afternoons without schedules? I do. It smells like Spring Break. Lovely.

Because I can't let this right of parenthood; that is having kids (well kid) trapped in the house with me all week go to waste, I have devised a few spring cleaning goals. How original, right? Nothing too crazy because that's how I'm rolling these days.

Here's a list of what would be positively blissful to accomplish these next five days without carpools and homework:

*Toy room. Nuf said.

*First Dr.'s appointment. I can do this one on my own. I can't wait to hear that heartbeat!

*Finally pull the ol' running shoes out of hiding. Another one I'll have to do on my own. Unless Port wants to ride along cuz that's always more fun.

*Plant the garden. Maybe after two years we'll finally get this done. Maybe.

*Sleep over with Olivia and Aubrey. Because I really am that awesome of a mom.

*Under Porter's bed. I'm not even looking till I see carpet again.

*London's closet. My Little Pony's have invaded and it has never been the same since.

*The fridge. Gag.

*Weeds. Where did they all come from? For reals, where?! Oh well, they've gotta go.

*Get Katie and Jacob an accepted contract already. My own job again. House Gods, please be in our favor for once?

*Close Escrow on time with Clar and Kristen. Again, House Gods...?

*Dust baseboards. Porter will love this one. Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

*Wash french door windows. Finger print magnets.

*Finish London's bed spread. Another one I'm on my own with, but I enjoy.

It'll be a miracle if anything past the Doctor's appointment (which is scheduled) and the other jobs that can only be done by me get accomplished, but a girl can dream can't she? It's hard to motivate others when laying down and eating frosted Cheerios is the only thing that sounds like fun. We shall see what progresses in my daily recaps to come.

Flashback Friday

Once upon a time...we went on my favorite vacation ever. San Carlos, Mexico.

After a scenic drive south we arrived at our condominiums of choice on the shores of the San Carlos Bay. My Grandparents introduced us to this paradise that they visit annually and it has since become a favorite destination of our family. We traveled with Chris and Katie and their girls and a bachelorette, Darcy. It was a magical week full of fresh sea food, handmade tortillas and sand between my toes.

We want to go back this year, but I think we'll have a baby instead. Until our return I will have to be content to flashback to the sunshine and ocean air in my pictures.

Have a fantastic Friday the 13th. We were going to go to the lake this weekend and get our camping on, but it's raining and way too cold for this thin-blooded girl. That just doesn't sound like a good time even if I were feeling super. Maybe later...it is Spring Break next week after all. Sleeping in - here I come!

Good Word Wednesday!

I'm feeling pretty lousy these days. Yup. That's my good word for the day.

Normally, those might not be such good words. But see, for me they are, because it tells me that this pregnancy is the real deal. With each wave of exhaustion and my impressive ability to sniff out any unpleasant smell, I know that everything is a-ok. And surprisingly this makes feeling pretty lousy feel pretty good.

What's the good word with you?

Let's play a little game. It's a new one. I just invented it today. I was majorly wasting time having too much fun uploading some old high school pictures on my Facebook page this morning and the idea just came to me.

I think I'll call it "You totally didn't just say that?!"

Here's how it works. I post a picture and you leave me a message of what is being said in my picture. How about a test drive? Like in this one I might add a caption that said: "Ah! The Unibomber paparazzi in terminal A9!!" See? Easy stuff. This is a dorky picture and there are all kinds of things I could be saying at this moment. It's gunna be super fun!

Now the real one.

Everyone, it's time to play:

"You totally didn't just say that?!"

WARNING: If you say mean things, serious consequences will occur. Play nice. Especially when adorable pictures of my kids are the subject. For reals.

Yay, let's have fun!

Molly's Rule of Life #24

When it's summer in March,
it's time to eat strawberries.

Flashback Friday!

Three years ago, this very weekend, Porter got a tummy ache. He was only four years old. It started just after lunch time and got worse as the day went on. When Olen got home that evening Porter couldn't move because of the pain. He threw up only once, but still didn't feel better. Then came the fever. The temperature peaked at 100 and I got nervous. So I did what I always do when I'm scared and nervous; said a prayer and called my mom. Mamasita Bonita told me where the appendix was located but it was rare for such a young child to have problems with that. So we continued to pray and watch the thermometer.

We let Port stay up late that night and watch a movie with us. When it was time to move him to bed he panicked when Olen was coming to carry him off the couch. Something just wasn't right. We had been tossing around the idea of taking him to the ER all night, "Should we go and just see? Or should we wait out the night at home?" was what we kept asking ourselves. At this time, I was seven months along with London and waiting all night at the ER didn't sound great, but something in us both said we had to go.

When we were admitted to the hospital Porter's fever had reached 104 degrees. It was midnight and they tucked us in a room and did some tests. Just after 5 in he morning they came in and told us the ambulance was ready to move him to a bigger hospital in Mesa because they didn't have the staff to preform an appendectomy at their hospital. Porter's appendix was about to burst.

Riding next to my heavily sedated baby strapped in that ambulance was pretty much the worst moment of my life. It was a very long ride.

Olen followed along in our car and made phone calls to family. We were met at the hospital by Olen's dad and two of his brothers, ready to administer a Priesthood blessing of health to Porter who was about to go into emergency surgery. I was such a wreck. No sleep that whole night and the thought of my little boy going in for major surgery really took it out of me. After the prayer was said a wave of comfort and peace washed over me and I was confident that Porter would be just fine and reminded that we listened to the promptings of the Spirit to make the right decision to bring him to the ER that night.

Well, Port did great. His scars are almost invisible now. If you ask him, he'll proudly tell you the whole story of how he doesn't have an "Independex because it almost blew up". The doctors told us that in children so young most parents write off the symptoms as the flu and only come to the hospital after the appendix has burst. They said that we were very lucky to have thought to bring Porter in before things got bad. Olen and I know we were blessed with more than luck that night.

Porter only had three small diaganal cuts to remove his swollen appendix. The nurses all fell in love with him and gave him all kinds of trinkets. One was a small chipmunk with one of Porter's hospital bands and a surgery mask on it. Port named him Chippy. We still have him tucked away in a safe spot.

Porter loved all of the visitors that came by to see the brave boy (can you tell, check out that smile!). Here are Porter's Aunties Darcy, Chelsea, Katie and Bethany. Nurse Val is changing Porter's IV, not one of Porter's favorite things, so he is trying not to look. Port loved that the hospital brought him food three times a day - on a tray!

Here's Porter and some of the major score of presents and cards that family and mostly grandparents brought to keep him busy during our four-day recovery stay in the hospital. Porter still remembers this time at the hospital like a big Porter-Celebration vacation. He says it was great. I say, thank goodness he only had one appendix.

P.S. A big huge THANKS for all the well-wishes left about our happy news. I am feeling your good vibes. Oh, and Olen couldn't believe I posted a picture of the "test" on the WWW. But, seriously, who hasn't seen one of those before, right? Anyways, I sure do have the best homies.

If you are joining us for the first time, here on Good Word Wednesday, I'll explain what you're looking at.

I thought up Good Word Wednesday after receiving council to Find Joy in the Journey this past October. I thought, "Gee. We have so much joy that goes unaccounted for, I think I'll dedicate one day a week to document the good stuff we pass up."

And thus my own little concoction of Good Word Wednesday was born.

Well, folks, this is some pretty awesome, amazing and practically a miracle, good word worthy stuff today. What a great day to be alive and blogging.

TAH-DAH!!!

I know, right?! I hardly believed it myself - I took two tests! The other line never really showed up, but that one line that matters is very clear.

We found out the good news last week but were trying to keep it on the D.L. until my Dr.'s appointment in two weeks because of my history with miscarrying (having to tell people "Never mind" is such a drag and I've done it more than I ever want to) but I can't keep it a secret any freaking longer. I'm about to burst, people! I am a very good other-people-secret-keeper, but evidently not a good one for myself. Plus I already had to pull out my bigger jeans from the back of my closet. Do you side with Olen? Is it just in my head, or am I already starting to get that tell-tale baby bump? I swear I am. And I'm not about to try and suck in my tummy for church or any other time that I can't wear my stretchy pants. So if you ever wonder if I look fat, I probably do. But it's not all me, ok.

Also, I wanted to let my clients (Nash's and Reynolds) know why I may have my cell phone off and am taking a nap for the third time today. I'm not avoiding you. I don't feel so bad yet, but I never really do. I'm just tired all day and then can't sleep all night. It's a very nocturnal nine months.

I want to thank you for your prayers or just general good vibes in my direction. Keep sending them, ok. I really don't want to have a post titled "Never mind".

But I'm not worried, I know that prayer works. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father that knows us and wants us to be happy. And a little Clomid doesn't hurt, either.

So yay !

Just kidding. No. Not really. Today is a very good day for compliments.

{Wink!}

Hey ya'all.

I just thought I would let you know that you're gunna want to tune in for tomorrow's edition of Good Word Wednesday.

It's gunna be big.

Drum Roll Please...

Stephanie...after talking with you tonight, I can't wait till tomorrow to write this all out.

I rolled over in bed this morning to escape the sun on my face. I thought as I attempted to move my legs and arms, "Why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck?!"

Oh yeah, Ragnar.

Guys, I'm not gunna lie to you or candy coat anything to make me sound like some super sonic chick. Because I just learned that I ain't. Turns out running fourteen miles up hill, down hill and in high altitudes isn't my strong point. Don't get me wrong - I had a total blast! It's just that I am totally paying for it today.

It all started Thursday night in a Prescott hotel room. After decorating the van and fueling up on some amazing whole wheat pasta we finally crashed just after one in the morning. We had to be at the starting line at seven o'clock, but it wasn't hard to quickly jump out of bed at six with race-day butterflies going bananas inside me.

We had twelve runners on our team, "Mom's Found Therapy". Six in one van and six in the other. When none of our six runners were on the course we went up ahead and tried to get some shut eye or stretch our legs and mingle with the other teams. We ate in the van along the way. Let me just tell you; if I never see another bagel with peanut butter or cheese stick or wheat thin again, I will be A-OK. After the race Olen took me to the Chik-Fil-A drive thru. Fried chicken with extra pickle and mayo heaven.

So, back to the race. Before we left we all said how many "road kills" (aka people we would pass up on our runs) we wanted. I wanted five. My first leg was suppose to be all down hill, so I never bothered training for any up hills. The course map lied to me. Just after the first mile I hit my first hill. Then another one and another. I still feel good about my time and I made four kills right off the bat.

My second leg was at night and I didn't see another runner on the course. It was so quiet and the stars over Wickenburg were like the fourth of July. I felt so small running down the highway and super freaked that a mountain lion was going to jump out at me. I think this made me run faster, though.

We got to all rest and shower after our second legs. We even ordered Pizza Hut. Best pizza I have ever eaten. Hands down. We needed to meet up with van 2 and be there for the exchange to start our third leg at 4 o'clock in the morning. So chalk up another two hours sleep. But, good sleep this time.

My third leg came up about eight in the morning and I couldn't even squat to tie my shoe. I didn't properly stretch after the last run and I was so hurting. Plus I had new muscles that had never been used going up hills before that were hating me right then. I had a lot of issues. My third leg was not my best but I thanked the Lord when it was done.

Mom's Found Therapy finished the first all woman team on Saturday afternoon. There were still teams to come in and all the results haven't come back yet, but gosh darn it, we're winners either way.

I'm beginning to walk normally again, quite a change from the hobble I was rocking this morning. But I will not be lacing up my Nike's for a run tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next. This Mom's got enough Therapy for a while.

Well, if you thought that wasn't long enough; I've got pictures, too!

I owe a few shout outs:

Thanks to all my girls on Mom's Found Therapy for allowing me to be apart of such a wonderful workout; especially to my trash-kicking sister-in-law, Val. Thanks for being my personal camera man and my best cheer leader. I will cherish these memories forever.

Thanks to Wendy Hall for the condo on Friday night (well, technically Saturday morning). I loved my shower and feather duvet more than words.

Thanks to Rocky for his mad driving skills, and Priesthood power. You were a keystone to our success.

To all the girls doing Wasatch Back in June: Go get 'em!