In Seventh Heaven

Eden today (3 months old)

2012-01-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

I am smitten with this sweet little girl! Eden is growing up. She has started trying to talk to us and loves to coo and smile. She has gone from being pretty fussy to being fairly content. She amazed us by starting to sleep through the night two weeks ago with only a few relapses. I'm still in shock that she is my baby. None of the others have managed to figure out sleeping through the night this early, especially not all on their own. Eden is also getting faster at nursing. Originally, I had to plan an hour for each feeding, but she has only taken about 20 minutes per feeding over the past few weeks. She has reflux, so a lot of the food comes back up, but she doesn't seem to suffer because of it. She still has the characteristic Calder baby cheeks and weighs just under fourteen pounds. She is also very tall like her sister.
Eden is adored at our house. Each of her siblings love to talk to her and get her to smile at them. They even argue over who gets to hold her.
We love you, Eden, and are so glad you belong to us!

Our Eden at 5 weeks

2011-11-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

A sweet friend in our ward is a talented photographer. As a baby gift, she gave me a photo shoot with Eden. What a perfect gift! Last week we went to her house and spent the morning for the photo shoot. These are some of my favorite photos that she captured:

Eden cracked a smile, something that is happening more and more often lately. I love her cute smiles while I talk to her and kiss her soft, increasingly chubby cheeks.

Isn't she darling!? None of us can get enough of little Eden. She is such a blessing to our family! She takes up a lot of my time right now and I'm enjoying that, even though I've hardly gotten out of my comfy clothes/p.j.s in the last six weeks;). I'm sure I'll come out of my newborn coma soon, but for now I'm loving my time with Eden.

She is Here!

2011-11-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Eden Elizabeth Calder
Born September 29, 2011 @ 1:23 am
Weight: 7 lbs. 7 oz. Length: 20 1/2 inches
This picture was taken shortly after her birth.

She was tired after 22 hours of labor! My water broke at 3:30 AM on September 28th and contractions started shortly thereafter. I couldn't have been more excited! Mark and I were sure she would be here within hours, so we headed to the hospital at 6 am. I was given an ultrasound while I was being admitted and they discovered that Eden was posterior, which explains all of the back pain I've been having. I was warned that this could slow down my labor and ultimately make it difficult to push Eden out. Once I was admitted and given my room, contractions slowed down. Mark and I paced the hospital trying to get my contractions to strengthen. The contractions never did get into a regular rhythm, so at about 4 PM I was given pitocin (this was my very first time getting pitocin). They slowly turned up the pitocin drip throughout the evening, but Eden was stubborn and chose not to come until early the next morning. She was born at 1:23 AM on the 29th, 22 hours after my water broke. They laid her straight on my chest and it was love at first sight (really before first sight). It was an unbelievably sweet moment. I got to hold her for awhile but I had some complications after she was born and she was taken to the other side of the room to be weighed etc. while we spent some tense moments as the doctor had to go in and remove the placenta. Luckily, it all turned out well, but I lost a lot of blood.

I loved my room at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital! The food was delicious and the care excellent. Eden never even left the room for the entirety of our stay. Her siblings were able to come to meet her for the first time after school on her birthday. I was happy to see them. They were so sweet with Eden. Here they are sitting on Mark's lovely couch/bed. Poor Mark had to sleep on that short, uncomfortable bed for two nights but he did it because I wanted him there with me. Thank goodness for good friends and Grandma and Grandpa Calder who drove all of the way here from Utah when they heard we were headed to the hospital!

Here are a few pictures I took of Eden the day after she was born while she had her eyes open.

She truly is a delight, which is what her name means.

First Day of School

2011-09-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Summer seems to have ended abruptly here in Michigan. Saturday, we had 95 degree weather and as the kids started school today (after the long weekend) the weather dipped down into the 60s. It is always hard to see the summer end and watch the kids go back to school, but I am excited for them as well. They have been feeling ready to see their friends again.

Carston is now in third grade. He has several friends in his new class which should be fun.

Jackson and Peyton started second grade today. They are in the same class again, which makes me feel better and should make life easier for all of us.

Grant and Benjamin both started school on Thursday. Benjamin started preschool and Grant is now an official Kindergartner!

We Have Some Exciting news!

2011-05-20T16:10:00.001-07:00

We couldn't wait to tell you!Today, after Shannon's 19 week ultrasound,
we announced to our kids

The gender of Calder Baby number 7
All of the kids have been praying for a little sister and are so thrilled that...

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Due October 12, 2011

Labor Day Weekend---Saying Goodbye to Summer

2010-09-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Mark got Labor Day weekend off from work so we could explore Michigan a little bit. We really enjoyed the time together!

We started off the weekend visiting Spicer Orchards to do some raspberry and apple picking.

The weather was perfect with a nice cool breeze. The kids did most of the raspberry picking. They really got the hang of it and did a great job. It was calming to be out in the middle of the field with all of them occupied and content. Raspberry picking is going to become our new tradition!

We took a hayride to the apple orchard.

Picking apples was more difficult for the kids, but we enjoyed eating them straight off of the tree.

Especially, this little guy!

Port Huron's lighthouse was next on our list.

We finished off our long weekend with our favorite place in Michigan: Greenfield Village.

Riding in Model T Fords

and the train pulled around the village by the Edison Steam engine.

It was a fabulous weekend!

Spirit Week at School

2010-03-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hat Day

Luke had some spirit as well.

Crazy Hair Day was messier, but fun.

It took awhile to wash all of the gel out of the boys' hair. Peyton just had an upside-down do.
We've got spirit!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

We started our day off with a visit from our own friendly Leprechaun. He hid little green buckets full of candy for the kids around the living/dining room. The buckets contained chocolates in green wrappers and green jelly beans etc. We left him some "gold" in exchange.

We love spinach smoothies at our house. So, it was only natural that we drink one for St. Patrick's Day. This smoothie is delicious and only contains spinach, pineapple, banana, ice and water. We started off our dinner by earning smoothie mustaches.

Dinner was green shepherd's pie, eaten on green plates.
We love to go all green for St. Patrick's Day!

We were even lucky enough (thank goodness I have an Irish name:)) to get Mark home in time for dinner, which is a rare treat around here! He not only got some green dinner, he also was able to go play basketball at the church after the kids went to bed.

Oh how I love the green smoothie mustache, it goes so well with everything.
We hope you had a very green St. Patrick's Day as well!!

Celebrating 3 Years with Benjamin

2010-03-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

Benjamin turned three years old today.

We had our celebratory birthday breakfast of pancakes with pudding, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
Then we went out to play. It was chilly, but we were excited about the sunshine.

What would a birthday be without a stop at Toys R Us?

Benjamin chose a Sheriff Woody plush toy and was a happy camper.

Daddy snuck out of work and met us at Chuck E Cheese's for Benjamin's birthday dinner and some play time.

After dinner we went home to enjoy birthday cake. Benjamin really loves Sheriff Woody, so it was only fitting that he have a Sheriff Woody cake.

He liked it, so it was worth all of the time that went into creating it.

Luke really enjoyed the cake and ice cream!

Everyone was excited for presents.

Benjamin loved his new Thomas track!

All in all, we wore him all with all the fun.
Happy Birthday, sweet Benjamin! I'm so glad you are mine.

Our Six Little Valentines

2010-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

Carston, Jackson and Peyton all had Valentine parties at school today and parents were invited to attend. It isn't easy to juggle three classroom parties, especially while dragging three little boys between each party, but we had fun trying! Peyton enjoyed playing with one of her best friends, Lily, at the party. It was a good thing, because I wasn't able to help her much.

Peyton had a healthy snack and made some really cute crafts. One of which was the picture frame she is working on in this picture.

Jackson's class played a lot of games. Jackson was excited to show off his little brothers and went around telling Grant about everything in the room. He was the first to leave his classroom, armed with all of his goods, to check out his siblings parties with the rest of us.

After Carston's class exchanged Valentines, they watched a Franklin Valentine's Day special and ate snacks. Carston was proud of his Valentine bag.
I was ready to bring everyone home by the time the parties were winding down!

Once we got home, the real celebration began. We started our Valentine weekend by making sugar cookies for a treat.
We {heart} Valentine's treats.

We ended up eating them before dinner! (That's why Benjamin is smiling so big.)
Then we had heart-shaped slices of home-made pizza for dinner.

It has been a full, but fun day that reminded me of how grateful I am for our six!
They are a gift.

I had to include this darling picture of Peyton and Jackson. I love how Peyton is getting her cues from Jackson and trying to match her smile to his. I am enamored with their closeness. It brings me joy. (That does not mean that they always get along, mind you.)
Peyton has declared several times today that Jackson is her Valentine. I hope it will stay that way for a long time to come!

I am grateful for all of my Valentines!

Snow Day

2010-02-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

We had a snow day today! It was a thoroughly enjoyable day. The kids didn't have school because we got about 8 inches of snow. I know, it isn't that much snow, but they were worried about getting a lot more today (which didn't happen). Mark was on call last night so he got off around four o'clock this afternoon, which made our snow day even better. He was exhausted but wanted to play in the snow with the kids before dinner. I dragged out a stroller so Luke could be part of the fun while I took a few pictures.

Mark's ski clothes are still in Utah, so he wore his rain coat.

All of the boys followed their dad and dove into the snow.

Sledding down our round drive in front of our house is becoming a favorite wintertime activity.

Yes, we sled directly into the street........because we are crazy like that.
Our street isn't at all busy, so as long as I am out in the street standing guard, we are golden.

Benjamin went sledding a few times but got cold and tired and wanted to sit in the stroller with Luke. There must be something familiar and comforting about sitting in the stroller.

It sure made Benjamin happy, but the added weight made it impossible for me to push the stroller through the snow at all (although it was fairly impossible before he got in).

Grant did throw this snow ball at me.

Grant thought it was hilarious to threaten all of us with gigantic snow balls. He threw them at every one of us, except for Peyton. It was simply more fun to threaten her....keep her guessing.

Carston buried his dad in the snow after the rest of the kids and I had scrambled into the house to take off wet snow clothes and seek warmth from a cup of hot chocolate.

I came back out to take a picture of Carston buried in the snow.

It was very important to Carston that I get this pictures of him breaking out of the snow as a snow monster. I think he is pretty convincing with that face full of snow. Carston can brave the cold longer than the other kids because he simply loves the snow. He takes after his dad.

This was our first Snow Day and we loved it! Back to school tomorrow.....unless we get more snow tonight.

Luke's First Birthday

2010-01-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

Our birthday boy all ready to celebrate!

Mark has been on a very busy vascular surgery rotation this month and has rarely been seen around our house. The kids and I really miss him! Miraculously, he ended up not having clinic until this afternoon and was able to stay home this morning (tender mercies). To celebrate Luke's birthday and having Daddy home for the morning, I kept the older kids home from school. I couldn't help myself! It was a family holiday after all.

Luke enjoyed our traditional birthday breakfast of whole wheat pancakes with pudding, cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. He was excited until I scared him by pulling his little hand away from the burning candle on his food. You can tell from the look on his face that he wasn't sure what to make of my panic when he had tried to touch the flame.

We took all of the kids swimming and ate lunch at Chili's, which was really a treat for the older kids who have begged us to take them to eat there since we moved here.

Luke colored his kid's menu.
We had fun with Daddy.

After naps and a busy afternoon at home, we ate dinner and had Luke's cake. Luke was scared of the candle on his cake because of the incident this morning.

It didn't take him long to get over it and dig into his own piece.

Once he finished as much as he wanted to eat, he threw the rest on the floor.

Luke opened his presents just before bedtime.

Since it was his birthday and he didn't get much time with his presents, I put the other kids to bed and spent some time just playing with Luke. We lost track of time, so Luke was still up when Mark got home from work.

So, I got one more picture with Daddy.

Happy Birthday, precious boy!

Carston's First Snowman

2010-01-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

It is frigid here in Michigan and although the cold is plentiful, we don't seem to get plenty of snow. Granted, this is compared to Utah. Regardless, Carston has been dying to make his own snowman since it first snowed here during Christmas time, but the snow has been too dry to form. It snowed again last night. Luckily, the snow wasn't as dry today and Carston was anxious to make his first snowman without any adult supervision after school. Our cute neighbor, Will, agreed to help him with it.

Here he is, the snowman of the hour with his creators.

He isn't very big, but took the boys quite awhile to pack together. Carston was very proud of "Snowflake" the snowman and he has now acquired an orange safari hat as well. I think he'll be around for a long while. From what I've heard, we won't start seeing the sun until March.

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

2010-01-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

The lyrics to this Louis Armstrong song keep playing through my mind tonight:

"Do you know what it means
to miss New Orleans,
to miss it both night and day
I know it’s not wrong
this feelin's gettin' stronger
the longer I stay away

Miss the moss covered vines,
the tall sugar pines
where mockin' birds used to sing
And I'd like to see
that lazy Mississippi
a’hurryin' into spring

Oh, The moonlight on the bayou,
a Creole tune that fills the air
I dream of Oleander in bloom
and find I'm wishin' that I was there

Do you know what it means
to miss New Orleans?
'cause that's where I left my heart..."

.......Just feeling homesick for our little house in Metairie, our neighbors (especially our sweet neighbor Caroline) and our friends there as well as those who have also moved on and are scattered about, some working unbelievably long hours as residents in hospitals around the country.

I miss the Big Easy! I miss trips to the Audubon Zoo, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the Children's Museum, riding the Crescent City Connection back and forth just for fun, walking along the River Walk, eating beignets at the Cafe Du Monde, the flowers in Jackson Square, seeing alligators in the wild at Jean Lafitte, safari rides at Global Wildlife Center, crawfish boils, Southern hospitality, warm weather, REAL rainstorms that drench the kids in seconds but are warm enough to play in, City Park, snoballs from Sal's, the French Market in the French Quarter, the street cars, old Southern plantations, the Mississippi River, flying kites and riding bikes along Lake Pontchartrain, feeding the ducks at Lafreniere Park, good music found everywhere, the FOOD, Mardi Gras parades and King Cake, Al Copeland's house at Christmas time complete with fake snow, did I mention the warm weather:)? and on and on. Mark says he doesn't miss the crack heads or the hos, since Detroit has plenty of those:).

Our experience with Katrina somehow cemented my love for the city that never gives up (although I admit living above sea level is a plus for us now). Making it through an ordeal brings people closer and we feel a kinship with those, most of whom had situations that were MUCH more dire than ours, who went through Katrina. We got to watch as everyone worked together to rebuild the city that we came to love.

The Super Dome has a new roof and the city a new hope.
Geaux Saints!
Count this as my love letter, New Orleans.
Here's to hoping for another hurricane free season next year.
Thanks for the memories.

Grant's Fourth Birthday

2009-12-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

Grant was born four years ago this morning (at 5:36 am). I went into labor while Mark was with his dad in Houston, TX moving our things into an apartment near the Baylor College of Medicine, where he would be resuming his first true year of Tulane Medical School (we had already been at Tulane for the previous year as Mark worked on his MPH and was part of the ACP). Grant was a "Hurricane Katrina baby", born while we were displaced after the hurricane. Luckily, we were staying with my parents in Utah so my mom was with me for his birth and he was born at the same hospital where his father and eldest brother were born. Although it was difficult not having Mark there, Grant was born within an hour of arriving at the hospital and all went well. Mark was on the phone with me when Grant came into the world and was able to meet his newborn son late on the night of his birth.

I can hardly imagine what I would do without my Grant! He brings excitement and happiness to my life with his zest for living. He never slows down, unless he is asleep. I can hardly even tell when he is sick -- true story -- a high fever barely slows him down. He is also incredibly sweet and thoughtful. It is a privilege to be his mother. I am so grateful he was sent to me!

Today we celebrated Grant and his grand arrival into our family. His uncle Robb flew in for the occasion. Grant loves "Wobby", so having him with us to celebrate was extra special.

Grant's special birthday breakfast

Grant really wanted this new Buzz Lightyear. He was so excited that when we got it out of the box and handed it to him, he ran to let Buzz "fly" and accidentally dropped him on the floor and broke his arm off.....darn.

Grant has wanted these Lightning slippers for a long while.
He was pretty excited to get them on his feet.

A Grant birthday would not be complete without a visit to Chuck E. Cheese. Because Carston, Jackson and Peyton had to go to school, Robb and I only had three boys to chase after. Here is Uncle Robb with Luke (who is dying to get his food already).

We drove to Dearborn to go to the Chuck E. Cheese nearest Oakwood Hospital because Mark thought he might be able to slip away from the hospital to join us for lunch. He wasn't able to make it until we had already been there for over an hour and a half, so Robb and I were pretty ready to leave by the time Mark arrived, but of course, Grant was far from finished.

Grant is pretty good at air hockey, but he prefers if you play by his rules. If he wasn't able to score, he would scold me for blocking my goal. His rules specify that his opponent may not protect their goal so that he can have free shots.

Benjamin enjoyed all of the rides.

Robb played with Mr. Luke and kept him content....

while I chased Grant and Benjamin, who ran from one thing to the next, since we were the only people there!

Finally, Daddy arrived and the real fun started.
Mark gave Grant some pointers on how to race.

Luke even tried out a ride or two.

I love the smile on Grant's face in this picture!
He is so full of life.

We stopped at Toys R Us before returning home
so Grant could get his birthday balloon and crown.

We had Grant's favorite spaghetti for dinner (as shown around his mouth). For his birthday cake, we had homemade triple chocolate torte with chocolate cream filling and chocolate glaze over the top. I need to perfect how it looks, it looks like it is melting, but this cake is delicious!

Happy Birthday Grant! We love you!

Grant's Lightning McQueen Birthday Party

2009-12-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

Grant was so excited to have a Lightning McQueen birthday party this year!
We invited all of the boys in his Primary class at church
and Grant also decided to invite his siblings.

The boys danced to the songs from Cars, raced, played with cars on a race track and then sat down for some cupcakes with either a Lightning or a Mater ring on top and drank juice boxes.

You've got to love the blue icing on the cupcakes!

Mark read to all of the kids about how Mater saved Christmas before it was time for them to go home. It ended up being a crazy party, but Grant had fun and that was all I wanted so it was okay that the boys had just wanted to play rather than doing many organized games.

All in all, the party was a success! We were so glad to have Grant's friends over to celebrate.

Three Cedars Farm Santa

2009-12-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

Not a particularly good picture of any of us, but we can't be too picky since it is the only picture in months which contains all of our family.
This picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus was unexpected. We stumbled upon the chance to get our picture taken together and we took it.
We piled into the car to hand deliver Grant's birthday invitations and just to get out of the house for a moment on Saturday. While delivering the invitations we accidentally missed a street and ended up on an unknown road in the middle of Plymouth, MI. We happened upon a darling farm all decked out for Christmas and had to take a look inside. They had a talking Christmas tree that was enjoyed by all and then a store selling everything Christmas as well as a loft where Santa was seated waiting to have his picture taken with visitors (for a small fee of course). The picture was poor quality, the kids weren't sure what to make of this Santa and Benjamin was in one of his moods, but I was grateful for a picture of our family and the money went to charity. It would have been a perk if it had been better quality and we had dressed up a little, but the kids all got candy canes and the picture works.

I love the Christmas season! We finally managed to put up our Christmas tree last night and I find myself stopping to admire it whenever I can. I have been painting the mouldings in the Christmas room (our living room) and loved watching Luke's amazement as he stared at the lights on the tree today. He grabbed ornaments off of the bottom of the tree, but I put bells and unbreakable ornaments there so I didn't mind too much.

Tonight, Grant dropped our snow globe with the scene of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. It shattered on the kitchen floor and water and glass flew all through the kitchen and family room. The globe was filled with glitter. Have you ever cleaned up wet glitter? It was an adventure, one which I invited all of the kids to join in. We mopped as a family, mostly I cleaned the floor while the kids wiped the glitter around on it. Still, it was nice to be working together.

Benjamin undecorated the small Christmas tree upstairs near the kids bedrooms yesterday during nap time. (I managed to put that little tree up a few days ago to help tide the kids over until we could pull out our real tree.) He broke several of the ornament hangers so they are now perched dangerously on the branches without any security. He ran for his life when I came up to investigate the sounds I was hearing. I wanted to laugh when I saw him taking the corner into his room. That tree is living dangerously being so close to the kids' bedrooms.

Peyton keeps taking all of the Christmas stuffed animals she can find throughout the house to decorate her bedroom. The only problem is that she insists that they all belong to her and she refuses to allow anyone who has had their stuffed animal stolen to retrieve it from her
Christmas display. Her intensity makes me smile.

Jackson insists on wearing a bell around his neck at all times. I can keep track of him that way and I'm not sure he realizes how much it helps me identify what he's doing.
He loves everything Christmas, just like I do. (Okay, I can do without Christmas sweaters, but that is just personal preference.)

Carston keeps fixing the Fisher Price nativity scene because the others kids mess it up when they play with it. He reminds me of myself sometimes! The whole point in buying the Little People nativity is so that the kids can play with it. I guess they'll have to play with it when
Carston is distracted.

We have been drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows almost every day after school. The kids walk home from the bus stop and by the time they get to the front door, their little faces are icy cold. I'm a sucker for their pleading for warmth. I keep thinking hot cocoa is a fun Christmas treat, especially if you stir it with a candy cane, but it might just treat us to sugar overload if we keep it up.

My phone is our stereo of choice since we don't have our stereo set up yet. It is constantly playing Christmas music, but I miss the speakers. The phone can't put out enough sound for a few rooms, only one. If only we could just pull this house together and finish moving in......

It is cold here, but the kids are dying for snow. No snow yet. I admit, I don't wish for it. I adapted to Louisiana weather and miss it something fierce. Michigan keeps me in warm socks and sweatshirts in the house. I love warmth. I am a big fan of the sun. That being said, I do hope for a white Christmas for my little bunch. They are dying to put on their new snow pants and boots to trek out into our forest of a backyard to build a snowman. I think their dad is anxious for snow as well. It reminds him (and me) of home.
Christmas snow is magical.

I need to rush off and work on one of our many projects around the house. I should also fold the laundry piled high in the clean laundry basket.

I am so grateful for this time of year and the reminder it is for me of what is really important.
I really needed the reminder.
It helps me when snow globes shatter, tree ornaments are broken and scattered, tires are flat, washers break, water heaters don't work, furnaces need to be replaced and the munchkins are bickering over to whom the singing stuffed animal dog belongs.

I'm grateful for the gifts in my life. I have so many.
I am truly blessed.

I hope you are enjoying this Christmas season.

Decking the Halls

2009-12-07T21:37:00.000-08:00

We decked the halls a little later than usual this year. Before we could put up our Christmas tree, Mark and I had to finish installing the hardwood floor in our living room/dining room. It was quite a project. I still haven't finished painting the crown or the base mouldings, but I was anxious to get the tree up. So, with only a small set of shelves and a rug in the room, we put up our tree as the lone decoration. The kids were anxious to help. Benjamin began offering ornaments before the tree was even put together. Peyton had the important job of watching Luke.

[To make up for the tree's absence over the past week, I put limited decorations around the rest of the house and even set up the little tree, we bought last year in Phoenix, upstairs near the kids bedrooms so they could enjoy Christmas lights as they fall asleep. The little tree is making itself useful as a nightlight and a toy. I keep having to redecorate it because it magically loses all of its ornaments and scatters them across the hallway.]

Jackson was full of Christmas cheer but wasn't particularly interested in the tree until it was ready to be decorated.

Carston helped his dad fit the pieces of the tree together and then I "fluffed" the branches out. Mark and I bought this tree while we were at BYU and weren't allowed to have a real tree in our apartment because it was considered a fire hazard. It is probably safer since I put Austrian candles on our tree every year.

Benjamin recognized he wouldn't be able to help until the tree was ready for ornaments so he retired to the ladder I've been using to paint, but he watched our moves carefully (and believe me I watched him with that ladder).

Grant put himself in charge of all of the Christmas stuffed animals we have acquired. Once the tree was ready, he spread them out on the tree skirt beneath its branches.

I finished up the tree after the kids went to bed. Here it is the next morning. Mark always makes fun of me for moving all of the decorations everyone else puts on the tree. I can't help myself. I want to give them the opportunity to help but then also want it to look right. I'm sure the ornaments will be rearranged several times over the next few weeks and it will be my struggle to let the tree take on a new, more scattered look. I'm trying to let go of these things.
BESIDES, "it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas" around here and I love Christmas!!

Luke is already enjoying the tree.

With that face, he gets away with an awful lot. I am smitten with him.

Merry Christmas!

My Brood decked out in their Sunday best

2009-12-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

My boys

My Sweet Six

My Baby

My Girl

Sankt Nikolaus Tag

2009-12-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

I love this Austrian tradition that we have adopted as one of our favorite family Christmas traditions. The kids have learned to put their biggest boots out for Sankt Nikolaus to fill on the night of December 5th. I look forward to filling their boots with an orange, chocolate and candies every year. We've added a small toy and a Christmas book to the mix which makes it even more fun but a bit more expensive. I filled the boots this year while Mark worked on our new wooden floor in the Study. I could hardly believe there were so many boots to fill.
Our family has really expanded. It is so great! I can't imagine life without them.

Grant and Benjamin were pleased with their gifts. They pulled out the small toy Lightning McQueens placed in one of their boots and played with them immediately.

Carston got a Christmas movie that he can hardly wait to watch tonight.

Jackson loved his Christmas book and his candy.

Mark and I were exhausted after having worked late into the night on our floor, but Mark found some treats Sankt Nikolaus had picked out just for him. Luke was happy playing with his strawberry banana puffs since he had already had his breakfast.

Peyton quickly gulped down all of her candy before she even ate breakfast. What a healthy way to start off a day! You've heard that candy each day keeps the doctor away, right?

Our House

2009-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

We moved into our house knowing that the front pillars were rotted out underneath their aluminum covers. After hours were spent (by Mark and his dad) repairing the pillar on the east side of the house where the house is drooping, the center pillar decided it was no longer needed for structural support and began dangling in place. Needless to say, it was necessary to remove it before it fell on an unsuspecting passerby. So, we had to call a contractor to have the porch lifted and new pillars put in. The siding had to come off in order for the contractor to check for rot in the wood of the pediment as well. So, we got to pay for some new siding as well.

We opted for round, fluted pillars and our porch no longer droops. Mark even installed recessed lighting so we could get rid of the big black hanging lantern over the front door.
The lights are so bright, they seem like flood lights.
We have also had some trees removed and branches trimmed
so that we have full use of our backyard.
I'll have to list all of the improvements to the interior of the house later. It makes me bone-tired thinking about it now, especially since we are far from finished and the holidays are nearly upon us. I've spent a portion of almost every day (and night) working on this house. I feel worn out. I'll suffice myself to say that we have new carpet upstairs and in the family room and I have painted the family room, the living room, the study and most of the upstairs bedrooms, walls and ceilings. (Some of the rooms have required removing wallpaper etc. What a pain!) Mark has replaced all of the electrical outlets and switches and patched walls and fixed a lot of random things that needed fixing in this house. We found hard wood under the carpet on our stairs, so I stained it and painted. We also had a carpet runner put down the middle. We are putting in hardwood floors in the study and living/dining rooms and have boxes full of wood planks filling our entryway as we speak. The house is in total disarray with furniture placed in the garage, blocking the front door and filling the entry etc.
I feel as flustered as the house looks.

On the outside of the house I would love to figure out how to remove the shutters without breaking them so that I can paint them black. I am also planning on painting the front door. I might have to wait until the spring. It has been hard to have so much work to do on the house, but it is starting to pay off. First of all, it doesn't smell like smoke around here anymore.
I am also really pleased by the colors in the rooms I have painted.
I am discovering how much I like color! Things will come together eventually.
I hope we'll fully move in at some point as well.

Interior before and after pictures later.

Calder's Dairy Farm

2009-11-07T22:53:00.000-08:00

This past summer while hunting for houses in Dearborn, we found a metal cooler on the porch of a house we looked at that had the logo for Calder's Dairy Farm. We were excited to try Calder's ice cream because our inquiries resulted in praises of that cold and creamy dessert. We waited until today, one of the coldest days we've experienced in the last five years, when Mark was home and we were so tired of home improvement projects that we could allow ourselves a break.

So, we packed into the car with blankets over our laps and headed out over bumpy dirt roads and tiny paved roads, past many other picturesque farms not too far from where we live toward Calder's Dairy Farm.

Once we had arrived and opened the doors to let all of the little Calders out of the car, a goat climbed right in to greet us. He honestly tried to get his back legs up and in as well. When his investigation of the interior of our car turned up nothing worth eating, he stood dumbfounded for a moment before Grant put a stop to it and gently pulled him out of the car. The goat recognized a kindred spirit, stubborn and willful, in Grant and they played together until the goat realized he might never receive any sustenance and thought better of hanging around any longer.

We found an old milk truck made just for us and the kids climbed in for a moment but the cold soon drove us inside for.....ice cream?!

The kids each chose their flavors and then sat at antique school desks to enjoy their treat. We were only 100 yards away from where the very cows who provided this delicacy were being milked in their stalls in the barn.

I think they all liked the ice cream, but sadly, Mark and I aren't big fans. I thought each flavor tasted of eggnog and artificial additives. That was a blow. I was hoping for a new favorite haunt. We'll keep looking. One thing is for certain, no other place could have such a great name.

The farmhouse was charming and the yard vast and well laid out.

This black cat greeted and enchanted us with its mysterious eyes. It fit perfectly into this setting with its' wooden picket fences marking off the farmhouse yard and the lake near the house. We took muddy paths to view the animals as well. I had to wash off all of our shoes once we returned home.

Not sure who chose to put the cow statue here, but apparently you should keep off of it.
All in all, we really enjoyed the trip to the convenient country (only 5 or 6 miles off of the main roads). I would have preferred warmer weather conditions so we could have explored without running for cover whenever the wind picked up and it would have been nice to have fallen in love with the ice cream. I guess I should put my order in now to find a place that serves delicious Italian Gelato somewhere in the Detroit area. Hope springs eternal.

We haven't had any outings lately because of Mark's work schedule and all of the work we're doing on our house, so this was a much needed and enjoyed excursion!

Stylin' During Tubby Time

2009-10-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Benjamin didn't even complain when I put this lovely thing over his forehead so he could bathe! Mark insisted that I not allow Benjamin's stitches to get wet, so this has been my solution.
Last night's bath included a lot of splashing from Luke, so I was glad Benjamin was covered.
The stitches come out tonight.

Accident Prone

2009-10-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

The mouth bleeds a lot! I knew this before having kids, but I REALLY know it now.
My kids have all tried to outdo each other to prove this fact. Among these experiences, this one stands out at the moment:

About four weeks ago, Benjamin fell out of the car straight onto his face. I watched helplessly, knowing I couldn't possibly get there before his face met the black top. As I darted around the back of the car and lunged forward to catch him, he fell head-first from our Suburban door. In the back of my mind I really thought he wouldn't escape major damage and knocking out a few teeth. I was amazed to find, after I stopped the bleeding and cleaned him up enough to assess the damage, no broken bones and no damage to his teeth. His nose was scraped underneath and bleeding and his gums were bleeding. Also, his teeth had gone into his bottom lip (but not all of the way through luckily) so his lips were also bleeding. Benjamin's poor lips blew up to triple their size, they were so swollen. Sadly it took awhile for his mouth to heal because he hit it two more times which brought on a lot more bleeding and discomfort.

So, like I said, the mouth bleeds a lot...............

BUT from what I can tell, slamming into a table with your forehead and slicing your head open to the skull bleeds a lot more. Thank you, Benjamin, for introducing me to the phenomenon of squirting blood. Last night, at seven pm, our house looked like the setting of a slasher Halloween movie.

All of the kids were chasing each other around our family room when Benjamin tripped (or was pushed) and fell headlong into our kid's craft table. I had just gotten everyone into their pajamas, herded them into the family room for scripture study, gathered up their dirty clothes and headed toward the laundry room to drop the clothes into the washing machine. I heard a thud, but that isn't unusual at our house. Benjamin's screaming (which, sadly, is also not unusual) mixed with the quiet from the rest of the kids (which is VERY unusual) made me quicken my pace back to the family room. When I rounded the corner into our kitchen, I saw Benjamin lying on the ground with his face covered in blood. I could see blood squirting and dripping from his forehead onto the carpet. He was trying to get up from the floor and as he sat up I saw that the blood was all over his clothes and around him on the floor. I was surprised his wound had been able to bleed that much so fast. I immediately wished I had RUN in to gather him in my arms as soon as I heard him scream. Guilt washed over me as I ran and scooped him up and took him into the kitchen toward the sink looking for a cloth. I needed to wipe the blood out of his eyes, nose and mouth first of all. I hugged him to me, telling him he would be fine. While I was approaching the sink, I recognized that a clean rag would be better and turned back around only to find a major blood trail. I ended up lying him on the table and using a rag to put pressure on the bleeding. For a split second, I was trepidatious to look at the split in his forehead underneath the growing blood spot on my rag because blood makes me sick and weak--something I dislike about myself. Mark, my quick thinking calm doctor-husband, was not at home and before I could even fully form any thought the reality that I had to exude CALM sunk into my mind. I didn't think about it, I just uncovered his forehead and carefully examined Benjamin's head. I looked at the split in his forehead and could see fat, tissue and some skull. I knew it would need to be stitched. I got the bleeding to slow way down and then called Mark to come home (luckily he wasn't in surgery but had left clinic a few minutes early to head to the church for cub scouts since he is the wolf den leader). I tried to calm the other kids who were still staring and mumbling about all the blood, then cuddled Benjamin, still putting pressure on his head, as I carried him to our neighbor's house and asked my kind neighbor if she could come over while I went to the hospital. She needed a minute to pull herself together but came over shortly after Mark hustled in through the door about 15 minutes later.

As soon as Mark took over with Benjamin, I just had to deal with our new carpet. I started cleaning the carpet which just seemed to spread the blood around, but I worked until it didn't seem to be spreading it any more. I moved quickly wiping blood from the kitchen floor and cupboards so that the kids could walk through the kitchen again. It was taking longer than I had hoped. Those of you who know me well, can probably just picture the frantic cleaning that went on. Mark told me a few times to forget about it and get in the car. I just needed a minute to clear a path. My neighbor, shortly after she arrived, urged me out the door with Mark and Benjamin by promising to attend to the carpet and when we left she was reading bedtime stories to the rest of the kids (she is a first grade teacher). I owe her not only for putting the kids to bed, but also for cleaning the remainder of the blood from the carpet.
Mark and I drove to Dearborn so Mark could sew up Benjamin's head on his own at Oakwood Heritage Hospital where he works. Benjamin sat calmly in his car seat (he was in shock). Every once in a while, I would turn to wipe blood from his forehead, but he took it in stride. The drive felt long to me and I couldn't stop thinking about how Mark had to drive that every day. It was my first chance to see the hospital. Isn't that sad!? Mark had just finished his ER rotation and knew the staff there, so they let us in the back door, gave us a room and a nurse even came in to help. Benjamin didn't really need to be held down. He was so brave. I was proud of my Mark as he stitched up the cut. It was the first time I had seen him stitch. I admit, I asked Mark a few times on the way to the ER if he thought maybe a plastic surgeon should sew up Benjamin's head. It was a real confidence booster for my sweetheart, so I made myself stop and put my full confidence in his abilities (after his almost four months of internship:)) and wiped the thought from my mind. Mark did a good job! Benjamin will have a nice size scar in the middle of his forehead because it was a good size cut, but he is a boy and it will just make him look tough. I am taking good care of it and hope that will help.

I am still finding blood spatter in the kitchen (under the cupboards on the mouldings etc.). I am so grateful that Benjamin is okay (something much more serious could have happened). How cool is it that Mark has the ability to stitch up his own kids?
That is really going to come in handy!

Oh, how I love this little accident prone child!

Birthday Wishes

2009-07-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

I got to spend my birthday with my family in Utah. It was a real treat! Both of my grandmothers came to my birthday celebration. I was honored and thrilled to see them.

Great Grandma Hill and Great Grandma Seal

The kids spent the evening eating good food and playing with their cousins and their aunts and uncles. We don't get a chance to be together very often, so it was an extra special event.

I had to capture a picture of my two youngest sitting happily together. Look at those sweet faces. I can't get enough of them!

Some of the Seal cousins in front of Grandma and Grandpa Seal's house.

Uncle Michael was bouncing the grandkids on the trampoline. He has a real way with them and they were in heaven, giggling and smiling.

Peyton played ball. I've got to get that girl into sports. She has a natural ability.

Benjamin loved the wagon. He got rides with different cousins around the circle. I am not sure why we don't own a wagon. They are lots of fun.

Happy Birthday to me! It was a lovely day. It was fitting to celebrate the day with family, especially with my mom who brought me into the world 34 years ago.
Thanks, Mom, for more things than I can mention here! I owe you my life.

Moving to Michigan!

2009-07-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Here we come!

Yes, it almost was just yesterday that we moved to Phoenix, so it comes as a big surprise that we are picking up and moving again after two short months. We have loved Phoenix and may return someday. Mark traded in his job as a preliminary general surgery intern for a categorical orthopedic surgery position at Wayne State University in Dearborn, MI. He will begin his residency on August 1st. We are thrilled about his new position and can't wait to discover the beauty of Michigan. I guess it is time to return to the snow. Carston couldn't be more excited about that!

If I can survive repacking all of the things that we just recently unpacked, I'll be blogging again in no time. This will be our tenth move in ten years of marriage! I believe we fit the definition of transient. It will be nice to put down some roots in Michigan for the next five years (far away from menacing hurricanes). So, now we just need to find an address to move our things to, talk our families into helping us yet AGAIN and we'll get busy doing what we are getting pretty good at doing -- moving!

Here are some facts about Michigan for those of you, like me, who have never visited before:

US State of Michigan

The name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa Indian word meicigama, meaning "great water."

Bounded by four of the Great Lakes, Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the continental United States.

Michigan, upper Midwestern state of the United States. It consists of two peninsulas thrusting into the Great Lakes and has borders with Ohio, Indiana (S), Wisconsin (W) and the Canadian province of Ontario (N, E).

The Lower Peninsula, shaped like a mitten, is separated from Ontario, Canada, on the east by Lake Erie, Lake Huron and by the Detroit River and the St. Clair River, which together link these two Great Lakes. It is bordered by Lake Michigan on the west, across which lies Wisconsin. The Upper Peninsula lies northeast of Wisconsin between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and is separated from Ontario by the narrow St. Mary's River.

Celebrating America!

2009-07-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

This evening, we went to Steele Indian School Park near the VA Hospital in Phoenix to attend the Fabulous Phoenix 4th Independence Day Celebration. It was hot, but not the muggy kind of heat we endured in Louisiana so it seemed easily bearable. I like the dry Arizona heat.

There were all kinds of blow ups in the park and a firetruck with fireman spraying all of the kids with water. The mess left after the firetruck stopped sharing its wet wealth was what we got to walk through on our way back to the car after the celebration. It seems like fun gets messy!

There were small stands set up with various items either for sale or for free. One gave out free small garbage cans for recycling if you lived in the city, which I was excited about and the boys were gifted these D-Back hats at another one, which they loved!

You can tell the kids were nice and warm,
but not pouring sweat like they would have been in Louisiana.
As the desert sun was setting, we found a place to view the fireworks not far from the stage where live music was being played. I set up our picnic blanket and some chairs while Mark took the kids down the Cars blow-up slide.

I got there in time to witness the action.

Once it got dark, we danced to the live music and listened to the presentation before the fireworks. Jackson was in his element. He loves to bust a move! My favorite part is the look he gets on his face while he is dancing. He knows he is a rock star.

Peyton ran around with the boys in circles until they were all so sweaty and tired
they actually stopped for a moment to eat a treat.

We loved watching the fireworks! They were impressive and the songs inspiring.
We love our country!

We got caught in the traffic leaving the park, so we were exhausted and thirsty by the time we finally reached home. Next year we will take a whole cooler full of drinks instead of our camelback and water bottles for each person. Hydration is important around here.

Happy Fourth of July!

Fourth of July Swimming

2009-07-04T23:39:00.000-07:00

We got to swim in our own pool for the fourth of July! I guess, for the kids, it wasn't that different from any other day we've had since we moved here. We swim everyday.
The difference was that Mark was home for the day! Swimming with Mark is so much more fun probably because he enjoys it so much. Besides, swimming on the fourth of July is a Calder family tradition.

We started the morning by going to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale
to ride the train. It was Mark's first time there with us. We were SO hot by the time we came back home we didn't even stop in the house but went straight out into the backyard and jumped into the pool. We swam all of the rest of the day. Mark barbecued some great food while we swam and then we ate dripping wet by the side of the pool, in keeping with family tradition.

When we first moved here, Grant didn't really like to put his face in the water. He also had to wear a life jacket. He now swims underwater everywhere he goes in the pool. I still have to closely monitor him, but he is pretty good at staying in the shallow end. Mark and I are so proud of his progress. He is becoming a great little swimmer!

The scary thing is that he has no fear! The danger is that he prefers jumping into the pool to swimming around so he spends all of his time testing out crazy new jumps that crack me up.
I'm afraid he is going to hit the side and split his head open one of these days.

I taught the kids how to dive earlier this summer and they are all great divers. Carston prefers the kneeling dive off of the diving board (shown above) . Once he gets into the water, he is fearless and fast!

Jackson does tricks off of the diving board like his dad! He is also our best diver and is getting to be a fast little racer. He practices racing by swimming the length of the pool with Peyton. They race a dozen times each day and it is funny to watch Jackson swimming for his life while Peyton glides along, gets distracted and sometimes heads another direction in the middle of a race. BUT she can also be very competitive as well. You're never quite sure what you are going to get with Peyton!

Benjamin has just started swimming by himself with his life jacket on. He used to make me hold him the entire time or he wouldn't get in the water, but he has now figured out how to propel himself in any given direction and kicks his little legs furiously to get around. His arms are merely for steering and holding toys. He still doesn't like putting his face in the water, but will allow for it when he jumps into the pool to me.

Carston is taking off as a swimmer and I am so excited to get him onto a swim team so he can refine his abilities. He isn't anxious to have to swim laps since he loves to just swim freely.

Peyton is our champion at holding her breath! She makes me nervous staying under the water so long. She loves to swim right up against the bottom of the pool and won't let herself take a breath until she has successfully navigated the entire length of the pool swimming down a wall and only back up on the completely opposite end.

We have contests doing pull ups on the diving board (probably not great for the board, but fun for us). Peyton and Jackson prefer pulling themselves completely out of the water.

Here Peyton is successful at the diving board pull up game! She gets so brown in the summer. Sunscreen doesn't stop her from tanning. She'll love that someday.

What a fun day of swimming! We have absolutely LOVED having a pool, although it is a bit scary at times. We are grateful for the net that fits over the top as well. Because of the pool, I have spent a lot of my summer outside with the kids and I am learning all about pool care. I actually have a tan (now that I am trying to protect my skin:)). That hasn't happened in years.

I love Arizona.
This is my kind of place.

Our New Home in the Desert

2009-07-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Southwestern charm,

Nice landscaping (there are even green grapes on the vine by our front gate),

A refreshing pool,

and even some Green to remind us where we came from:
What more could we ask for?

We love Phoenix!!

SOLD!

2009-05-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

It is hard to say goodbye......so many memories, three sweet baby boys born, great neighbors and friends, fun culture, good food and a hurricane that did not break us. This is HOME. It feels strange to leave our house, like we are abandoning part of ourselves. Goodbye, house, Metairie, Louisiana and all of our friends.
A part of our hearts will always remain in the Big Easy!

Double Five!

2009-05-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe my twins are five years old! They will be starting Kindergarten this year. Their birthday got caught up in our move to Phoenix. In fact, I had to drop them off at a friend's house in the evening for a couple of hours so that we could pack one of our TWO moving trucks.

We partied all day though, and celebrated the fact that Jackson and Peyton (in that order) joined our family five years ago on this very day.

I was so excited to finally give Peyton the bitty baby twins I purchased for her LAST SUMMER from the American Girl store in New York City while I was visiting Kimberly. They let you pick the twins that best fit your own physical characteristics, so I got the twin boy with brown hair because I knew Peyton would notice and we just pretend his eyes are as green as Jackson's.
Peyton was excited about the twins, but it seems that I was even more excited about them. I think she hardly dares play with them for fear they will be ruined. She quickly made blanket beds for them next to her mattress on the floor and covered them tenderly with her blanket and then she went on to her next gift and hardly looked at them again.

Jackson's present was quickly usurped by his dino-loving big brother. They were all excited to have a toy to play with for awhile, since we had packed all of their toys days before and they had been basically playing in the water and dirt in the backyard for entertainment ever since.

The winning gifts were the Leapsters we bought them. We got a great deal on them and knew that they would love them since they all fight over Carston's Leapster.

The games are educational as well, so it was a winning present for all.

We then headed to Chuck E. Cheese to play and then eat lunch. Although I am not the biggest fan of the food, the kids love Chuck E. Cheese and request that we celebrate almost every birthday there. As our family gets bigger it seems we go there more often.

We spent the afternoon watching the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian at the theater. We really enjoyed it. The kids even sat in their places for the most part. Benjamin stayed because we had popcorn, otherwise he would have quickly wandered off to investigate the theater.

I got the most delicious chocolate cake I could find for their birthday cake since I wasn't able to make it myself (considering the fact that our kitchen was all packed away in boxes). Their only request was that it be chocolate. After packing up the truck and then picking the kids up from a friend's house and Mark picking up his parents from the airport while I bathed the kids, we each enjoyed a piece of birthday cake on paper plates sitting at the lone kitchen table situated in our family room. The fridge and the table with chairs were the last pieces of furniture left in our house amidst the remaining boxes and outdoor items left for another truck the next morning. The twins didn't seem to mind the confusion and I was grateful, both for their happy acceptance of the situation for what it was and for their birth five years earlier.

I couldn't be more in love with both of them.
They were hand-picked to be mine and to come together.

Peyton endears herself to others by her loyalty and her tenderness. She wants to be helpful and tries her best to do what is right. She has her hands full dealing with five brothers, but she manages it well and is even able to match their intensity with her own feminine version. She is particularly possessive of Jackson and will defend him to death.
When it comes to boys, if you can't beat them, you join them. She intuitively knows this.
She is my little friend. I love you, Peyton! Thanks for being my sidekick.

Jackson has a way of making everyone fall in love with him. He is sweet and sensitive. He is a thoughtful brother and a kind son. He is developing his sense of humor and makes us laugh often. He likes to be silly and is full of life. He is a good friend and treats others well.

I love you, Jackson! Thanks for being you!

Celebrating Birthdays (and Last Days) at School

2009-05-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Jackson and Peyton are turning 5 in 5 days! Since today was the last real day of school, it worked perfectly to celebrate their birthday with their friends at Harold Keller
as close to their birthday as possible before the school year ends.
Jackson took Spiderman cupcakes and Peyton took princess cupcakes for their classes. Both Pre-k classes got together to celebrate our twins. Everyone loved the rings on the cupcakes and they were delicious too!

Peyton is a girl after my own heart. She wanted pink cupcakes, but didn't want to give up chocolate frosting altogether.

We talked Jackson into the same thing. He had half blue frosting and half chocolate.
He also wore Mardi Gras beads since it was a special occasion.
Partying means beads around here!

Happy, frosting covered faces.

Good Friends

Miss Jaime has been a perfect fit for Jackson this year. He loves her and I could always tell the feeling was mutual. Miss Nancy is missing in this photo, but she is wonderful as well. She welcomed the kids to school from carpool every morning and brightened our day. Thank goodness for excellent teachers who care! We'll miss Harold Keller Elementary School.

Peyton's teachers Miss Tina and Miss Bonnie worked well with Peyton. She loved going to school and even missed it over weekends! What does that say about how much she loves being home?......I'm not sure.

Happy Upcoming 5th Birthday Jackson and Peyton!! I'm so glad we got to celebrate with your friends and teachers at school.

So Blessed!

2009-05-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today was Luke's blessing day. Mark gave him a wonderful father's blessing. It was sweet to share it with some family members and our ward family.
Luke looked adorable in his blessing outfit that nearly all of his brothers have worn as well (with the exception of Carston). My mom did a wonderful job designing and sewing it. It is one of our treasures. The outfit was at full capacity since Luke is already four months old. We wanted to wait to bless him until some of our family would be in town. Luckily, it still fit.

Luke is the real blessing! Heaven radiates from him. He gives me knowing looks as if he understands and appreciates what I do for him. He smiles, a lot! Luke is refreshingly and deeply happy and kind.

Congratulations Dr. Calder!!

2009-05-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

The kids and I have been excited for Mark to graduate from medical school and receive his Masters of Public Heath! Today was the big day.

This morning, before Mark left for Tulane's unified commencement sporting his regalia, the boys thought he looked like a witch. I thought he looked handsome and felt so proud of him that tears welled up in my eyes. Way to go Mark!! You are a great example to me. You have gone for your dreams and never given up, regardless of setbacks! Congratulations on this wonderful accomplishment. Congratulations to me too, I landed myself a doctor....... wink, wink!

We were so glad to have some of our family come to celebrate Mark's graduation day with us!!

Mark and I are so grateful for their support. We couldn't have made it through the past five years without our families. We love you!

Congratulations to John, Alex and Ben (Dr. Bush, Dr. Newsome and Dr. Thompson) as well!
They are good friends and we will miss them.

Today has been one of those pay off days.
I love you, Dr. Calder!

Playing Catch Up!

2009-03-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

Just a warning to everyone: I am playing major catch up with events that happened during November and December. So, you may see a lot of old posts over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, I will get all caught up quickly.

Innsbruck

2009-02-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Innsbruck is cold this time of year, really cold and really beautiful. Here is Mark standing in the city square in downtown Innsbruck below the Goldenes Dachl, the most characteristic landmark in the city. Tirol is so picturesque all year round and it felt like coming home to spend an afternoon wandering its familiar streets. It was so cold, we had to duck into every tourist trap imaginable but it was fun to look at the trinkets there too. We ate a hearty meal at the Goldenes Dachl Cafe (sounds pretty Austrian doesn't it, wink, wink). There aren't many traditional Austrian restaurants open on a Sunday evening.

When we were nearly frozen, we decided to make our way back to the quiet town of Absam where we stayed overnight at the Landgasthof Bogner. We stayed at the same hotel when we visited Austria a few years ago, so it was fun to be back. The views from the gasthof are spectacular and the town is quaint, situated up in the alps.
We enjoyed every moment in Absam and were sorry to have to leave the next morning, but were excited to head back to Vienna.

On our way out of town, we recognized a familiar set of headlights and, star stricken, had to follow Herbie to get a picture so we could prove that we had seen him to our boys. Apparently, the Love Bug has officially retired to Absam in Tirol, not a bad choice if I do say so myself.

Sweet baby Luke loved the Alps! He thought the air was fresher, the milk tasted better (thanks to delicious Austrian food) and the sleeping was more peaceful snuggled against his dad's chest for warmth. He looked out the window as we drove back through Germany to reach Vienna.

Valentine's Day in Salzburg

2009-02-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

I dream of Salzburg! I can close my eyes and see the clear water of the Salzach river as it rushes underneath bridges and reflects the picturesque beauty of the Festung on the rocky hilltop of hohe Salzburg and the majesty of cathedral spires reaching upward from below. Salzburg is the the city where "the hills are alive with the sound of music", a city full of romance and history, the city where I fell in love with Austria,......the city where I spent Valentine's Day with my sweetheart this year.

It snowed almost all day and dressed Salzburg's loveliness in thick white. Mark spent most of the day with little Luke tucked underneath his coat to keep him toasty warm.

I bundled up and remembered the cold that inevitably froze me to painful partial numbness as a missionary.

We sought refuge from the frosty cold in one of my favorite places in Salzburg.

Demel offers all kinds of chocolates, confections and cakes.
This cake is an example of their expertise.

If you ever want to taste sweet perfection, order the susser genuss.

Mark and I have established that he always orders better than I do. It was also true this time, although my Sacher Torte was delicious as well.

MMMMMMMMM! Satisfaction....

After enjoying Demel on Mozartplatz, we window shopped on Getreidegasse.

We investigated several charming alcoves and hidden courtyards.

This small courtyard was my favorite.

How lucky are we to be walking the streets of romantic Salzburg on Valentine's Day!?

Get your fresh Krapfen here! (Signs like this used to make young missionaries laugh.)

Mozart is all over the souvenirs in the shops on Getreidegasse. Mozart was kind enough to pose with Mark and then allowed us to buy some of his delicious Mozart Kugeln, delicious balls of chocolate filled with hazelnut and marzipan.

Mozart's Geburthaus

We stayed in Schloss Arenberg, a former palace, owned by the American Austria Foundation and the Salzburg Stiftung. It is the home of Salzburg Medical Seminars International and is found on the right bank of the Salzach river across from hohe Salzburg. They were kind enough to allow us to rent a room for the weekend since Mark is a Max Kade Fellow.

The grounds were also impressive, although we didn't explore too much because it was covered in deep snow.

The snowfall was impressive that night.

Luckily, our little monkey was snug in his warm coat and covered in blankets for the evening. He slept all during our Valentine's dinner.

We lucked out in our choice of restaurant. The "Pitter Keller" was down in the basement of a building on a remote street near Mozart's Wohnhaus. It was decorated like a traditional beer garden, filled with charm, and we even sat in non-smoking. (Austria is really growing up.)

After enjoying wurst, sauerkraut, Wiener schnitzel and petersilerdapfeln, we had apfelstrudel mit vanillesauce for dessert. The waitress brought me a rose after dinner.

The schloss was filled with tulips for Valentine's Day. Tulips are my favorite flower. It was a perfect day. Thank you, Mark, for being my Valentine and making the day extraordinary. The best part about Valentine's Day was spending it with you. I love you!

Little Luke (3 weeks and a half weeks old)!

2009-02-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

I promised Mark that I would try to update our blog while he is away this month on another rotation. This time he is taking in the sights of beloved Vienna, Austria (where we both served our missions) and working at a hospital there in his "spare" time. He has now been gone for just over a week and I haven't taken any pictures documenting Luke's growth since he left, because I am too busy surviving. I decided this needed to be remedied immediately, so here are the most recent pictures of our beautiful baby boy.

Calder Babies

2009-02-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

Can you tell which one is which?

I'm a BIG kid now!

2009-02-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Now that Luke has joined our family, "baby" Benjamin seems to have grown up overnight. He seems so big and solid all of the sudden. (I'm sure his love of food has contributed to that.) He has easily assumed the role of big brother and walks around saying: "Baby Luke's crying" (whether Luke is crying or not). He comes to get me if he thinks Luke needs something or to notify me when he has found him asleep (he bursts into our room where Luke sleeps to check on his baby brother, much to my dismay). He loves to "hold" Luke and will ask at least once a day for me to place Luke on his lap so he can look at him.

Even though Benjamin adores Luke, he seems to feel the most displaced since Luke was born. It is hard to share Mom's attention with so many others! So, I dedicate this post to my baby Benjamin, who will always be one of my babies (whether he likes it or not).

Benjamin loves wearing hats (the way he catches his ears on baseball caps is endearing). His favorite toys to play with are Lightning McQueen, Buzz Lightyear and Woody, tools and dinosaurs. He still sucks his thumb and loves his blanket. He wants to sit on my lap or right next to me while I nurse Luke, just trying to be a part of things. He is a mama's boy and has taken a new interest in baby dolls because he watches me take care of Luke and wants to do the same. He usually ends up throwing the dolls around like they are balls rather than babies,
so Mark doesn't have to worry too much about his interest in dolls but might need to worry a little bit about Luke's safety. You can see that he actually grabbed a Barbie doll on this particular occasion and after carrying it to the family room, he dropped it on the floor and moved on to Buzz Lightyear.

When I ask him to smile, he squints his eyes and turns his lips up slightly.
He thinks he is one of the big kids and will take on any of his siblings, even his biggest brother Carston, when an injustice occurs. I guess you have to be scrappy when you come fifth in line.
He copies his brother Grant and follows him around (luckily, they play rather well together).
He loves to brush his teeth, because his toothbrush plays the Thomas the Tank Engine song, and wants to wear his Lightning McQueen crocs every day.
He loves to play pass and can throw a ball really well. He is particular, like his mom, and will put things away in their proper places and throw things in the garbage for me.
I love the way his baby blues sparkle when he smiles and am amused by the plethora of "dirty looks" he can give, even though he isn't mad. He just has an expressive face.
I am in love with my sweet Benjamin and his cute personality.

Valentines for Daddy

2009-02-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

We made valentines for Daddy tonight and ate chocolate chip cookies in his honor:)

We love you and miss you, "Dr. Mark"!

We are learning to be Reverent

2009-02-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

Moments like these are scarce at our house and deserve to be documented. This proves that our six little ones can hold still every once in a blue moon and that family home evening lessons aren't always a complete free for all.

Oh, how I love the fact that they are holding still!

I wish I could count on this happening again! We'll keep working on it.

Luke sat quietly, observing his reverent brothers and sister, in shock and amazement!

Luke's First Official Photo Shoot

2009-01-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

My friend Becky Thalgott is a very talented photographer. Thanks to other friends in my ward, who paid for the photo shoot for Luke as a baby gift, I now have these adorable pictures to enjoy. Here are some of my favorites:

10 Days old

2009-01-21T23:07:00.000-08:00

Luke is 10 days old today!
He is growing fast, regaining his birth weight within a week, and is continuing to fill out nicely.
We can't get enough of him.

Yes, this picture was taken on top of our dryer.
I was doing one of my hobbies---laundry.
I know how to party!

Our New Arrival

2009-01-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to announce that
Luke Christian Calder
was born Sunday, January 11, 2009
@ 10:19 p.m.
He weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long.

This picture was taken shortly after his arrival. I was so relieved to have Luke here safe and sound (and not to be in labor anymore).
His birth story will have to come in a later post. This mommy is going on no sleep!

Luke with his proud dad just before they left for the nursery for Luke to be cleaned up and weighed.

This sweet baby boy is an unbelievable blessing to our family.
He has dazzling blue eyes, a beautiful complexion and dark brown hair.

Luke couldn't be more perfect.

He was ready to leave Tulane-Lakeside Hospital and all of the poking and prodding he received when taken to the nursery. Little did he know that he would come home to face four excited big brothers and an increasingly motherly big sister who can't get enough of him!

Thank goodness for Grandma Calder, who came to help just in the nick of time!
(In fact, her plane arrived Sunday while I was laboring in the hospital.)
We'll never be ready for her to leave us to return home.

Welcome to our family little Luke!

Projects

2008-12-30T23:06:00.000-08:00

After spending a little over a month in Phoenix, a weekend in Utah for Thanksgiving and a week in Tulsa for Christmas, we are ready to be at home. Mark and I both feel anxious to finish last minute projects and get things all set before the baby is born and before Mark's Christmas break is over. It isn't easy to complete projects with the kids running around, so we have been working at night after the kids go to bed. Unfortunately, they can hardly sleep with all of the pounding and sawing going on.

Last night Mark put our new linen closet door frame in while I "assisted" and then I painted the door along with a few other closet doors outside. Carston wanted to help so much that he couldn't stay in bed. He watched Mark work and with all of the sawdust flying around, he found his own safety glasses. He really did help with anything we could find for him to do, picking up old nails and handing screws to his dad. He is shaping up to be a little handyman like his Daddy. We are so proud of him! I had to get a picture of Carston with his hero.
Once I finally talked Carston into going to bed, since he was nearly falling over with fatigue, Mark and I painted the door frame and the moldings together. It was a lot of work. We have also scraped off and replaced some caulking in the bathroom. Mark fixed our toilet and the kid's bathtub drain. There is still more to do. So much to do and so little time (I hope)!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Grant!!

2008-12-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

Today is Grant's 3rd birthday. Since his birthday fell on a Sunday this year, we celebrated all weekend. He had his Chuck E. Cheese birthday party yesterday, on Saturday, and today he opened his presents and we enjoyed his train ice cream cake. It was a beauty!

He was really excited about this cake. He helped me order it at Baskin Robbins and after we picked it up, he kept peeking at it in the box and giggling.

After he made a wish and blew out the three candles on top of the smoke stack, we devoured nearly the entire cake, yum. May all of your dreams come true, sweet boy! I hope you had a wonderful birthday, Grant! We feel blessed to have you in our family. You have a smile that lights up the room and you are loud, adventurous and fun. You do everything with excitement and zest. We all love being around you and just wait with baited breath to see what you'll think up next! We love you and can't imagine life without you.

Grant's Chuck E. Cheese Birthday Party

2008-12-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

If you cross Grant these days, he'll tell you that you're not invited to his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. This means you are in hot water with him! His siblings were glad once we had already had the party so that they could tell him they had been there and done that. Since we weren't home near friends or with extended family for Grant's 3rd birthday, his party just included his siblings (luckily, they are his best friends anyway). It was fun to experience the Chuck E. Cheese birthday party package and Grant was so excited about everything (although shy about having anyone outside the family speak to or sing to him).

Carston took this picture of Mom and Dad with our little birthday boy! Happy 3rd Birthday, Grant! You are a bright ray of sunshine at our house.

This table was our party headquarters! We had balloons and a table cloth all ready for us. Luckily, it wasn't too busy so the kids ran a lot more freely than they would have been able to otherwise. The kids enjoyed pizza, drinks, cake and were in close proximity to the dance floor and the TV screens.

Chuck E. Cheese actually came out and sang to Grant and let the kids love him to death! Grant was shy and didn't want to get too close. He didn't dare take his eyes off of Chuck E. long enough for me to take his picture.

We let the kids carry around their own tokens, which was funny and disastrous at the same time. Jackson played the same game nearly the entire time and couldn't tell the difference between when he had put a token in it and was actually controlling things and when it was a demonstration of the game. All of them walked around putting their tokens in games and walking away. Needless to say, a little crowd formed and followed them around. We had to gather up the tokens and give them out one at a time after that. There weren't many rides, but the kids all enjoyed going around the clock.

I wasn't in the position to make Grant a birthday cake since we weren't at home, so he didn't get the homemade cake of his choice this year, but he did get two cakes. (Does that make up for it?) This was his first birthday cake purchased from Chuck E. Cheese and it was better than anticipated. In fact, Carston snapped a picture of me with a big chocolate cake crumb stuck in my teeth after our party helper cut the cake and divvied it all out. (Oh, how nice it was to have someone else taking care of things at the party. I could get used to that.) I couldn't move quickly enough to snap the picture of Grant blowing out his candles while everyone sang to him (since I was singing and clapping to encourage him out of his shyness), but I managed to capture the aftermath of licking the frosting off of the candles.

Amidst the eating, playing games and running around, everyone took a minute to dance in front of the blue screen.

That's right, shake it!

The party was a great success and we all had fun. I was glad it worked out so well.

Christmas on the Mesa Temple Grounds

2008-12-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Mesa Temple Christmas display is nearly as impressive as Temple Square's light display. The lights twist around every tree and gate and twinkle in the reflection pool. The nativity scene was beautiful and reminded us of our Savior and the reason we celebrate this season. We loved visiting the temple grounds and watching the Nativity movie at the visitor's center.

The kids were so excited to see the lights and thought the temple was beautiful. I am conspicuously absent from this photo. That is the benefit of being the one taking the pictures. Being eight months pregnant makes me want to hide from any form of camera.

All of the kids were impressed by the nativity scene and pushed and pulled to get a better view (as you can see). I loved the discussions we had as we gazed at the baby Jesus in his manger.

Brothers! There is a special kind of bond between our boys. I love to see it. All of the kids noticed the special spirit on the temple grounds.
The funniest part of the evening happened while we were in the visitor's center watching The Nativity. Once the show was over, the two sister missionaries in charge stood up and bore their testimonies, one in English and one in Spanish. When the sister speaking Spanish began bearing her testimony, Peyton started making imitative gibberish noises and then turned to Mark, giggled and said: "Daddy, she's not speaking in words or making any sense.".
We were just glad Peyton was listening.

St. Nikolaus Tag

2008-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

The sixth of December is St. Nikolaus Tag. On the night of the fifth, children put out their boots (or their biggest shoes if they are lacking in the boot department) and St. Nikolaus fills them during the night, either with candy and goodies if they've been good or with coal or a switch if they've been slightly less than good. This tradition is a little part of central European culture that we like to celebrate. The kids enjoy it as well.

St. Nikolaus left candy, a book and a matchbox car for each child.
We have been away from home for the past few weeks, living in Arizona while Mark does a rotation in orthopedics here. So, it was fun to stick with our usual tradition amidst our travels.

The candy was eaten almost immediately. What can I say? They take after their mother.

We decided to get a little Christmas tree in Arizona since we didn't bring any of our usual Christmas decorations. It was nice to have it as a visual reminder of the season. We love reading Christmas stories and singing Christmas carols by the light of the tree before bedtime.

All Carston wants for Christmas is his two front teeth!

Jackson is still wearing his badge from the Fire Engine Museum we visited. He was so excited about the things he got in his shoes.

It is always fun to watch the kids discovering the things hidden in their shoes.

Peyton was the only one with actual boots. St. Nikolaus is not dumb though, he knew to give everyone exactly the same amount, no matter the size of their shoes.

The best part of the morning was having Daddy read aloud the Christmas books that St. Nikolaus brought the kids. We treasure just being able to be together. Thank goodness Daddy didn't have to work.

More Monday Night Madness

2008-10-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

Our F.H.E. treat this week was pumpkin gingerbread. It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe, Lexi!

I made one loaf with chocolate chunks in it. Chocolate made it even more irresistable. Grant could hardly wait to sink his teeth into it.

Grant and Benjamin helped me make the pumpkin gingerbread, so it seems only fitting to acknowledge their efforts. They were proud of their work once they saw the finished product. As it baked, the bread filled the house with a sweet pumpkin spice aroma that was tempting and delicious.

After enjoying our dinner and treat, a lesson and Halloween stories, Benjamin was ready for bed and the older kids colored pictures of witches while I took them individually to make their own witch out of construction paper.

Here is Grant with both of his witches. He wanted to color his construction paper witch once she was glued as well.

Carston made his own face on the back side of his construction paper witch.

Jackson is really starting to enjoy coloring. It seems that it takes little boys a bit longer to enjoy coloring than it does little girls.

Peyton had to finish every last inch of this picture before she would allow me to hang it up. I wasn't sure if she was avoiding bed time or if she is just dedicated to her art. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

Here are my artists with their construction paper witches up on the wall behind them. Our entry way is now officially full of Halloween artwork. Next week we will be carving our pumpkins. We have learned by experience that the humidity here kills jack-o-lanterns quickly. So, we don't want to have them out for more than a week. Besides, Daddy will be home to join in the pumpkin carving. Only five days left until Daddy comes home!

We Love Stella!

2008-10-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

This morning, Grant and Benjamin were the first out of bed and, as usual, they headed straight to their pumpkins to see what Stella left them last night. Here they are enjoying the candy bars that Stella left last night.
It is impossible for any of the kids to wait to eat their treats until later in the day, so this has become the first order of business each morning.
Stella, our friendly ghost, has been leaving treats each night all month and the kids love her! Every night they discuss with each other what they think she will bring and first thing in the morning they come together to enjoy the treat she has left.
I love seeing these happy faces every morning. Stella has brought stickers, trick-or-treating flashlights, cookies, crackers and different kinds of candy.
We love Stella!

First Field Trip

2008-10-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Jackson and Peyton went on their first field trip today. I signed up to go with them as a chaperon. We went putt-putt golfing at Grace King High School, which was an adventure, and then to a pumpkin patch where the kids got to pick out a small pumpkin to decorate and take home. Grant and Benjamin went on the field trip with me as well. Although it was a little crazy, I was happy to be with the twins and meet their friends.

We met the buses at Harold Keller and then followed the bus full of Pre-K students and teachers to the two field trip locations. Both of the twins were excited to ride the bus for the first time. Peyton waved to me as she stepped onto the bus.

Jackson happily crowded onto the bus with his friends, although he was a little concerned that I wasn't getting on the bus with him.

When we got to Grace King High School, they had a few short performances prepared for the preschoolers. They performed some short stories like the three billy goats gruff. Grant and Benjamin were bored and couldn't hold still especially because it was hard to hear, so I spent my time at the back of the group with them. We mostly fought our way through high school students switching classes.

After the performances, the kids got their equipment and played miniature golf on the course that is situated in the middle of high school courtyard. Jackson and Peyton focused mainly on getting the ball into the hole in any way possible, rather than on their form or following any type of rules. It was funny to watch.

The kids all had fun. I had a group of about five with varying degrees of interest in playing. One little girl just stood there looking at me when I tried to get her to hit the ball with her golf club.

Peyton really got into it, but wouldn't hold her club like I taught her. She found a way that was more comfortable for her and stuck with it. That is my Peyton!

After playing putt-putt, we ate the lunches I had packed in the school cafeteria. The tables and chairs were a little bit too big for the kids, but they enjoyed it anyway. Grant and Benjamin had melt downs because it was nearing nap time for them, but we still made our way to the pumpkin patch behind the school bus after eating lunch. Both Jackson's and Peyton's class took class pictures and chose pumpkins. Here is Jackson with his perfect little pumpkin.

Peyton chose one that was slightly bigger.

Grant and Benjamin enjoyed the pumpkins as well. Benjamin thinks of them as "balls" that he can play with and try to throw. He had to test them all out to see if he could lift them. Grant liked investigating pumpkins that looked different than the others, especially if they were white.

Right before I left to take Grant and Benjamin home for naps, I got this picture of my sweet twins at the end of their field trip.
After they loaded onto the bus to go back to school for a treat and to decorate their pumpkins, I dragged two terribly tired little boys back to our car and we went home. Jackson wanted to come home with us, but it is against school policy. So, he somewhat reluctantly stayed with his class. Peyton was happy to stay with her friends.
Field trips are exhausting!

Chalk Art

2008-10-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Carston loves to get messy when he is creating. I love that he tells me he wants to be an artist when he grows up, although he usually adds that he also wants to be a paleontologist.
He is my renaissance boy!
Today after school, we pulled out the sidewalk chalk and the kids went outside to play. It was a gorgeous day and it seemed a shame not to enjoy it. While I was making dinner, Carston quickly got to work with the chalk and drew pictures all over the basketball court (they were large because they were dinosaurs) and the back patio. Then, he started coloring the play house, the shed, the trampoline, the cars and the bicycles. I think he had some help once he started covering everything. I was surprised to see how much creative kids can accomplish in a short time when they really put their minds to it. It reminded me of the time Carston and Jackson found a sharpie in Mark's desk and created artwork all over their room, although that was a traumatic experience for me and this was a quick fix.

Here is Carston with his pink brontosaurus.

"Herbie" also received the royal treatment. Carston attempted to paint him white, his authentic color in the movies. Grant got in on the action this time and both were pleased with their work.

I'm not sure how Benjamin helped, but he certainly got covered in chalk. I wonder if he was one of Carston's subjects. Jackson and Peyton used the chalk as well, but didn't get as covered in it as the others. We ended up eating dinner outside, spraying all of the chalk off of our backyard surfaces and having fun in the water before coming in for baths.
Luckily, the chalk washed right off.
We love the Louisiana weather in October!

Spiders, Ghosts and craft paint everywhere!

2008-10-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

In keeping with our October Family Home Evening tradition, we had a fun Halloween meal tonight. These scary mummy pizzas were GOOD! I think the cheese strips I made were a bit too thick, but you get the idea. The kids all took the eyes (green olives) off immediately and refused to try them. We had delicious Halloween sugar cookies for dessert.

After a bath, a lesson and reading some fun Halloween books about ghosts and spiders, we pulled out the craft paint and got to work on some crafts. First, I helped the kids make spiders using their hand prints. They turned out really cute. Here is Benjamin displaying his with pride.

I thought all of them did a great job with their spiders, which are now hanging on the entry wall.

Benjamin couldn't stop looking at his picture long enough to give me a smile. I think the googly eyes were his favorite part.

Then we used the same black paint to paint black egg carton spiders. The kids loved painting the spider body but we had to wait a long time for them to dry so that we could put the legs and eyes on them. The kids had a hard time getting the legs through the holes I had made in the sides. We also painted large sections of the kid's table black with the craft paint and some chairs as well, but that was not on purpose. I had some major clean up afterwards.

We finished with a quick ghost craft. These ghosts aren't the most attractive, but they were easy and fun for the kids to make. All they had to do was fold their paper in half, open it back up, pour white craft paint along the crease and then fold it back down the middle to spread the paint. They all got their own patterns. After the paint dried, which took some time since the kids all got a little carried away with their pouring, they drew faces on their ghosts and we hung them up. I think I'll steer clear of paint next Monday and stick with crayons.
We now have a gallery of Halloween art in our entryway and family room.
It has been a fun way to decorate for Halloween....only 18 days left.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

2008-10-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

For our family movie night tonight, we watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
I hadn't seen it for a few years, so it was fun to sit down and watch it with the kids. I wasn't sure if they would enjoy it, but they did. In fact, we watched it twice in a row. It is a classic.

One of the best parts of movie night is that everyone gets to lay out their blankets and eat popcorn and treats in the family room.

That was some good popcorn!

Peyton has always loved to curl up on the couch wrapped in a blanket. So, when she saw Carston there all snug in his blanket, she couldn't resist. Sadly, Carston is sick with a high fever, stomach pains and a head ache. His skin was hot and flushed, but he insisted he was freezing. All he wanted to do tonight was lay down, poor guy. He didn't enjoy popcorn or treats.
I hope he gets over this quickly.

Red Bluff Farm's Pumpkin Festival

2008-10-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

We couldn't resist making a trip to Folsom, LA today to visit Red Bluff Farm. Every year they have a pumpkin festival on the Saturdays leading up to Halloween. I thought the very first Saturday might be less crowded, so we headed across the causeway this morning feeling optimistic. Upon arrival, we found that we couldn't even park in the designated parking lot (which is a field might I add) because everyone else had the same idea. We ended up parking in a church parking lot next door. Needless to say, it was very crowded!

There were pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. It was a beautiful day and we took full advantage.

The first thing we did was look around at the pumpkins lining the dirt roads leading around the farm. Benjamin wasn't quite sure what to think, but chose a pumpkin that was perfect for sitting.

All five of my little pumpkins!

Carston and Jackson enjoying the sunshine.

The kids sat on bales of hay in the shade to enjoy a drink. They were really thirsty during the hour long drive to the farm and I promised them a juice box upon arrival.

It took them no time at all to down their juice. Luckily, I brought water bottles as well. You might notice that Jackson sucked a bottle to his lips yesterday that left him a lovely purplish mark above his lip. Oh well, he is cute even with his purple mustache.

After our beverage break, we watched the farmer milk some cows and then got a chance to bottle feed the calves. Each of the kids got a quick turn.

Then we got to see some baby animals. Here the kids are petting a baby chick.

Carston wanted to take one home........maybe someday.

This baby piglet was adorable.

After petting the baby goat, Benjamin stood and looked at him for a long time.

Once we had seen all of the baby animals, I asked the kids to pose for a picture in the barn. They all pretended to look at me as I snapped a few pictures. They totally had me fooled:)!

We found this tractor outside the barn and the kids couldn't resist trying it out. They loved climbing up to the seat (with my help) and pretending to drive.

Benjamin was impressed by the size of the wheels.

Peyton was thrilled to have this seat to herself.

Carston kept shifting gears and was sure he could actually drive this baby.

Jackson couldn't stop smiling during his turn.
They all looked so small perched atop this mammoth tractor.

Then we headed down the dirt road to visit the rest of the animals. Here are the cows being visited by some of the roosters from next door.

Apparently the chickens like the food given to the cows. Go figure! I think Benjamin would have tried it out as well if the chickens hadn't scared him away a few times.

Jackson spent the next ten minutes chasing any chicken he could find. He loves chasing animals just for fun, he doesn't actually try to catch them.

The pigs were our next stop. The kids petted them through the fence. They named one of the pigs Wilbur. Wilbur even had his own Charlotte! You can see the boys pointing up at the gigantic spider in its web above the pigs. It was a beautiful spider, although I had no desire to get any closer to it. I am not a big fan of spiders in general.

Next to the chicken coop, there was a smaller area for young chickens. They were a funny bunch, rushing around together in a group.

Benjamin loved looking at all the animals. He crouched down for a better look.

We couldn't get the horses to come near the fence, but Grant quickly discovered that he easily fit through the fence and could walk to the horses on his own if he wanted. I was a little alarmed at how easily he got through and quickly got him back out. He gives me plenty of opportunities for adventure!

After visiting all of the animals, Jackson and Peyton worked together to scrape the corn kernels off of the cob.

We finished our visit by relaxing on a shaded bench to eat a snack near where they had a live band playing. Everyone was a little tired by the time we reached this customary picture spot. A kind lady took a picture of me with the kids, but I didn't like how it turned out so we'll have to settle for this picture taken of the kids while they tell me they are looking at the camera!

We bought a pumpkin on our way out. Benjamin investigated thoroughly before we made our final decision! I loved the wooden booths they had set up selling herbs, homemade jams and jellies, candles and soaps etc. Nothing beats a day on the farm at harvest time!
We missed having Daddy with us for our farm adventure (I especially missed him as I chased the kids around). I didn't dare attempt the hay ride by myself, so we skipped it. Only two more weeks until he comes home. We are half way there!

Cole Bros. Circus

2008-10-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

When the kids came home from school last week with free circus tickets, I got excited to take them to the Cole Bros. Circus that came to town this weekend. I knew it wouldn't be anything spectacular, but the trained animals and the people who work hard at their acrobatic acts always impress. So, after school today, we headed off to the early show starting at 4:30pm at Zephyr Field. Our sweet neighbor, Caroline, agreed to accompany me to help with the kids.
When we arrived, they were offering elephant rides in front of the big top. Carston and Peyton were so excited that I couldn't resist letting them ride even though the price was outrageous.
Here they are enjoying a ride on one of the circus elephants:

Their ride consisted of one turn about this small enclosure set up in the parking lot, but....

they couldn't have been happier with the ride.

You can see it was a beautiful day to be outside.

Jackson was nervous to ride until Carston and Peyton were done. Then he decided he would like a ride as well. By that point the circus was starting, so he never got that ride....maybe next time.

Benjamin gravitated to the area where the elephants were enclosed. He kept pointing and saying "elephant" with his sweet little toddler accent. The circus held his attention just as well as these elephants did at the entrance.

I had the kids line up against the tent as we headed inside. Wow, was it dirty! The stands had the same level of cleanliness which made me feel like I should have brought blankets to sit on.

Just my boys!
(minus the littlest one due in three months who is kicking me in the ribs right now)

Grant was clapping with excitement and Benjamin was not enjoying being held back from getting to the show.

I have a lot of fun with my best friends! We were excited for the show to begin.

I brought our dinner with us (sandwiches, juice boxes and fruit). We ate while we watched. Grant could hardly eat because he was so enthralled by most of the acts we saw.

The twins enjoyed their meal.

Afterwards, Peyton favored all of us in the stands with her own acrobatic act. It was so cute. She honestly worked up a sweat twisting around the railing in the middle of the stairs. You can see in some of the pictures that she is watching the act and trying to follow what they are doing. I have got to get her into dance and gymnastics. She loved that part of the circus!

My little acrobat!

Carston's favorite act was the elephants. The last circus we attended had tigers, so we were hoping this one would too. We were sad to find out that this circus didn't have anything more dangerous than camels. Luckily, Carston has loved elephants since he was really little and before the more ferocious animals took his attention, elephants were his favorite.

The elephants were my favorite as well.

This cannon was extremely loud as the man exploded out of it, but it wasn't anything spectacular. I kept wondering what made the man shot from this cannon choose this job. What kind of child sits around when they are little and thinks that they would like to be shot out of a cannon at the circus when they grow up. There must be a serious thrill attached or a love of deafeningly loud noises and landing in safety nets.

Jackson was enjoying the trained camels (you can't see them very well in the background). One might not guess that he was having fun by the pained look on his face. I think I take too many pictures and he can hardly make himself smile for them sometimes.

Benjamin was mesmerized for most of the circus. I was surprised by how much attention he was paying to everything going on. If you're wondering what on earth he is eating in this picture, it is an apple slice.

On our way out of the circus, I had to get a picture of Caroline with the kids (all of whom were begging for a treat from the concessions stands, which I didn't want to buy). So, we went out for ice cream afterwards and came home exhausted and sticky.
We had a great time at the circus!

Pre-K Pajama Day

2008-10-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Peyton and Jackson got to wear their pajamas to school today. They were really excited about pajama day. All week, we talked about what pajamas they would wear. Jackson was certain he would "freak" a few people out with his skeleton pajamas. Peyton let me choose. I didn't want to send her in her favorite nightgown because she is still working on sitting like a lady. Right now her favorite position, when sitting on the couch for scripture study at night, is on her head with her nightgown around her neck. So, her silky strawberry pajamas were the perfect answer and she looks darling in them. She even got to wear her slippers. Jackson doesn't have slippers, so he took this chance to wear his crocs. This picture was taken right after they got home from school, none the worse for wear. I am so glad they love going to school!

Welcome to Albuquerque

2008-10-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

I drove the 1161 miles from Metairie, LA to Albuquerque, NM last Sunday in just over 16 hours. It was a long trip, but I made it one piece. Now the countdown begins to head back home. In the meantime things have been really great here. This is a picture of the place I am staying. I was able to sublet a furnished room for the month and it seems to be working out pretty well. I really like the Ortho program here. The residents are all hard-working and good people. I feel like I am learning a lot. Things have been pretty busy for me over the last week and a half.
My schedule has been the following:

Monday: 8:00a-7:30p
Tuesday: 6:30a-8:30p
Wednesday:6:30a-8:00p
Thursday: 6:30a-12:00a (Call)
Friday: 12:00a-7:30p (Post Call)
Saturday: 7:00a-12:00a (Call)
Sunday: 12:00a-11:00a
Monday: 6:30a-12:00a (Call)
Tuesday: 12:00a-4:00p (Post Call)
Wednesday: 6:30a-8:00p
Thursday: 6:30a-4:00p

I have gotten a total of about 30 mins of sleep while I have been on call (unless you count the times that I dozed off at the operating table) , so it was nice to have most of the afternoon off today to catch up on some rest. It was weird to come home and not have Shannon and the kids around...I really wouldn't know what to do with myself if things were always like this. I miss them a lot! My life would be so empty with out them. Anyway, after sitting around for a few minutes I realized that I was wasting a beautiful, sunny fall day so I went for a bike ride.

I am sure I looked funny riding around Albuquerque on a tiny woman's bicycle. It has a 15 inch frame. When I was in 6th grade I bought a bike with a 21 inch frame. It was fun to get out though. I am on call again tomorrow night so here we go again...

Sunshine after the Rain

2008-10-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

We had a dark rainy day yesterday. In vivid contrast, we woke up this morning to bright sunshine and a cloudless blue sky. This reappearance by the sun was a happy invitation to come out of hiding and enjoy the gorgeous weather. Grant, Benjamin and I spent the morning playing outside and we were anxious for the older kids to get home to play with us. As soon as Carston, Jackson and Peyton got home from school, we pulled the bikes and cars out into the front yard. It was hot enough outside that everyone requested drinks early on. I brought out juice boxes, which are a special treat at our house.

When I came out to give the kids their drinks, they had already pushed all of their bikes into the shade and were waiting on the grass. They were a pretty happy crew sitting there sipping apple juice with the promise of more time outside to enjoy their bikes and the sunshine.

This was the only picture I took all afternoon in which Benjamin is looking toward the camera. I had to trick him to get him to look at me.

Jackson made me smile. His bike is too small for him now, so he doesn't ride it often. He kept sneaking back over to the shade to enjoy another sip of his juice. He is able to ration food in a way that most of us are incapable of doing.

Peyton is serious when she rides her bike! She was pushing herself to go as fast as possible. For added excitement, she cut corners and quickly shot through tight spaces in our neighbor's carport. She got frustrated with herself when her performance was less than she anticipated.

The kids quickly discovered that our neighbor, Henry, has a sloping driveway. They kept pushing their cars or riding their bikes up into his carport so that they could turn around and cruise down his driveway. Grant enjoyed this the very most and only put his feet down to stop himself right when he reached the edge of the curb, only inches from entering the street. He knows how to push limits! When I wasn't pushing Benjamin in the police car, he pushed it around himself following his older siblings. He thinks he is one of the "big kids". ( Notice Peyton in the backyard zipping through an opening in the brick of the carport.)

Here comes Grant, rounding the corner to make his assent back up Henry's driveway in order to enjoy another effortless ride down the driveway. I love that carefree smile.

Oops, I got in Peyton's way! This was her look to tell me to move it or lose it.

Jackson figured out it was more fun to cruise down the driveway with his feet up.

Carston caught on and enjoyed this method a few times.

Benjamin kept up the serious work of pushing this car around for a good hour, without taking a break. That is determination!

I took this last picture of Carston as we were reluctantly heading back indoors to eat dinner. The shadows were starting to cover the driveway lessening the heat and making it even more enjoyable to be outside. The kids weren't ready to go inside, but the night time ritual dictates that we eat dinner at a decent time or I have all kinds of difficulty getting everyone to bed.
Goodbye, Mr. Sun. We hope to see you again tomorrow.

All for Nothing?

2008-10-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

It has been pouring rain all day, putting our newly raised backyard to the test. It appears that our pond has simply moved closer to the house. We'll see how long it takes for it to disappear. That will be the real test, but for now I am slightly trepidatious and hope that paying for all of that dirt wasn't a waste. At least I won't have to water the dirt tonight....watering is done, dude.

Grant doesn't seem to mind having the water closer to the house.
Who doesn't love a good rain puddle to jump in?

Eating a Ghostly Dinner and Going Batty

2008-10-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

We had witch fingers and ghosts for dinner tonight. The garlic mashed potato ghosts were a hit, but Carston insisted that I should have used something besides raisins for eyes. I was supposed to use black beans, but didn't feel like opening a whole can. The witch fingers are actually Frankfurters. I found them at Whole Foods this morning and they made me nostalgic for my mission, so I bought them for dinner. They just happened to look like fingers if you cut them in half, so I did. The spaghetti and eyeballs and the brains (mac-n-cheese) we ate last week didn't go over as well as one might think. Carston said that thinking of his food as eyeballs or brains made him sick. I have to agree. Actually, he didn't want these Frankfurters to be fingers either. He decided they were worms. He then proceeded to ask me if eating worms is what makes witches' faces green. I love his questions!

Dessert was pumpkin cheesecake.

The kids loved it, except for the crust. They scraped the filling from the graham cracker crust and left the crust sitting practically perfect on their plates. I like to make pumpkin pudding rather than pumpkin pie myself. I think we'll have that next Monday.

Benjamin insists on eating everything by himself and he makes a total mess doing it. He has ketchup all over his face from his frankfurter. He then mixed that loveliness with pie which got all over the floor, his shirt, hands, chest and face.

After dinner we had a regular family home evening lesson and then went totally batty! We read stories about bats and made a few. I worked for awhile this afternoon to get ready for the bat crafts. I liked how the bats on the clothes pins turned out. They are hanging on the drapes behind the kids. The kids also colored their own bats and we cut them out and glued them together. They are now hanging on the wall with our jack-o-lanterns from last week. It was a fun way to decorate our house for Halloween. I think we'll have a ghostly encounter next week. Isn't Halloween fun!?

General Conference Weekend

2008-10-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

We have been looking forward to General Conference for months. The kids love the idea that you get to watch "church" on television. We also have some fun conference traditions.
The only hard part about this conference weekend was that we were missing Mark!

At the beginning of the Saturday afternoon session, Grant automatically went over and sat down to watch. It really touched me that he was interested.

At that same moment, the other kids were enjoying a conference snack at the kid's table. We buy all kinds of treats that we don't normally get for conference snacks. The kids get to choose treats they want to try that I have never bought before and they choose treats I won't buy when they ask. That sweetens the deal for them and for me too! It is our semi-annual splurge.

This picture was taken during one of my favorite moments of conference. It was during the Saturday afternoon session while the children's choir was singing. Every time the choir sang, all of my kids would burst into song as well. It was so sweet to watch them enjoying primary songs. They were also interested in watching the children singing. It was the only time they all paid attention. You can see that Benjamin was also attempting to join in the song. He ran straight for the television and was fully belting the song, but not exactly using words.

The kids had a fort built bright and early Sunday morning, one of our favorite conference traditions. They were ready for conference hours before it started. When Daddy is home, the forts are a little more majestic but this is one they made all by themselves. I spent the rest of the day fixing and completely rebuilding this fort. We also had quite a few arguments over who was ruining it and who wasn't allowed in it anymore.
We had conference breakfast and enjoyed the fort until conference started. I didn't include pictures of my rubber eggs, because they didn't look quite as nice as the ones Mark makes. He is usually our conference breakfast chef and he cooks everything to perfection and arranges the food on our plates like artwork, visually delightful. It always tastes great!
We really missed him.

Aren't they all so cute! I loved these pictures. This last one was taken at the end of the Sunday afternoon session. Everyone was getting tired and they actually laid down for the last few minutes. Peyton and Grant were very particular that their blankets be perfectly positioned. I was worn out as well. I think we all felt a bit cooped up, but we enjoyed listening to the words of our prophet, apostles and other church leaders. I was grateful for so many talks that touched my heart and seemed directed right at me. I know Heavenly Father is so mindful of us.

Watering the Backdirt

2008-10-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

A week ago yesterday, we had two loads of "river sand" dumped in our front yard. It took four men five hours to carry it by wheelbarrow into the backyard and spread it. Our backyard has been sinking into oblivion over the past two and a half years. That is what you get when you move onto a massive delta. We live in a sinking city!
Every time we had a Louisiana downpour, which is often, our backyard would become swampland, complete with local insects and birds. It was fun for the kids to "swim" in
but it has gotten more muddy and out of control, so we decided to take action.

After the dirt was spread, we had seeds for grass spread over the top. Thus, I spend at least thirty minutes each evening watering our backdirt (it isn't really a yard right now). I used a sprinkler at first, which I moved every ten minutes, but it wasn't getting all of the dirt and I felt like I was spending more time moving it around than it would take to spray everything myself. There have been a few nights when I have been exhausted after getting the kids in bed and still had to go out to water, but for the most part it has been nice to be out and enjoy the evening weather. The kids play while I water and then we go inside for our bath and bedtime routine. Here are some pictures of our lovely muddy but level backyard.

I know it looks like I missed the dirt and hit only the fence. After I have watered an area, the fence is covered in dirt that has splashed up from watering. If you know me well you can understand that this bothers me. So, I clean the fence quickly after I finish an area.

I like that our back lawn is also enjoying the watering. Some spots that were drying out have become lush and green again. The kids call my watering "gardening" so that I feel good about my efforts. Hopefully, I'll be posting pictures with beautiful green grass in a few weeks.

Lil Quincy & Pig's Bouncing Castles

2008-10-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

We went to the Esplanade Mall this afternoon after I picked up the kids from school. I had an errand to run and hadn't had time to get it done earlier in the day because of my doctor's appointment and Peyton's therapy appointments. So, I decided that we would make an afternoon of it and play at Lil' Quincy & Pig's Bouncing Castles as well. Every time we walk into the mall, the kids ask if we can play there. We have done it a few times now and have enjoyed it every time. It is always the best when it isn't busy. For most of the evening, we were the only ones in there. I took around ninety pictures. All of my kids love action shots so they call me over any time they are taking a crazy dive so that I can capture it on camera. They make me nervous with some of their stunts, but the only injury of the evening was Jackson falling off the side of one of the bouncers onto the tile. He landed on his head, so I almost had a heart attack. Luckily, he managed to escape with only a slight headache, no blood or goose eggs, which was miraculous!

Benjamin represented the safety patrol in the toddler section. He carried this sign around a few different times.

This car was a favorite throughout the evening.

I am starting to wonder if we should have purchased a larger trampoline for our backyard. We have a six foot trampoline and the kids like it, but every time they get the opportunity to jump on a larger trampoline they have a great time. They spent a lot of time jumping on this trampoline. They were jumping high, diving and trying new tricks.

Benjamin liked this slide but it was slippery enough that he ended up on his back when he reached the ground every time. He only went down a few times before deciding he didn't like to be that out of control.

Carston didn't stop running, jumping, diving, sliding and bouncing the entire two and half hours we spent at "the bouncing place" (that is what the kids call it).

I loved watching Jackson laugh and smile as he tumbled around.

Peyton has a knack of finding places she isn't meant to bounce and then spending all of her time there. Her favorite place was the basketball hoop. She jumped on the bouncer and hung on the hoops to her heart's content.

Grant has no fear and takes giant leaps rather than bouncing. He doesn't just jump, he uses as much force as he can muster and throws himself headlong. I was grateful for the bouncers! He always pulled off a great landing. He was all red and sweaty when we headed home. He takes after his mom (I get red in the face while I exercise) and his dad (anyone who knows Mark knows that he can sweat with the best of them).

I spent most of my time following this little guy around. Benjamin loves to think that he is a big boy and can do whatever Grant can do. He spent some of his time on the trampoline falling around while Grant jumped. I had to add the pictures of his basketball skills. You can't tell but he made almost every shot. I guess that isn't too hard when you stand just below the basket and muscle it in without even jumping. He loves to play ball! He didn't spend too much time on the bouncers, but I pushed him around in each of the cars and he ran around chasing whatever ball he was playing with for the moment.

We were exhausted when we left right at bedtime. I knew we were staying too long, but didn't want to make the kids leave when they were having such a fun time. I finally decided we had to go because Carston, Jackson and Peyton have school tomorrow and I was afraid we would have some meltdowns before I could get everyone in bed. There were some tears and unhappiness from the kids, but I had more of a meltdown than anyone! I didn't realize how worn out I was until I had to drag five tired kids, who were unhappy to be leaving their beloved "bouncy place", out to the car. Then I had to get all five dirty children bathed and finally into bed by myself. Now that everyone is asleep (they were asleep almost before their heads hit the pillows), I am feeling calm although I am so tired I can hardly think straight. Oh well, it was worth it.

P.S. Our ghost, Stella, brought individually packaged Halloween Circus Animal cookies to everyone tonight. She is a gem :)!

Our Ghost

2008-10-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

We have a ghost visiting our house each night in October. She is helping us count down the days until Halloween. Not only is she a friendly ghost, but she loves to make children happy by leaving them treats. The kids decided to name her Stella. The original name was to be Casper, but I insisted that this ghost is a girl. Last year some of my friends had a friendly ghost visiting their home to leave treats each night and I loved the idea and decided to start this tradition at our house as well. Thank goodness for creative friends!

Stella will be leaving her treats in the kid's Halloween pumpkins every night until Halloween. Tonight they carefully placed their pumpkins on top of their dressers, wondering what she would bring them once they were asleep. Their excitement was tangible and made me feel as happy about Stella's ghostly visits as they were feeling. Carston and Jackson insisted that they leave their door open to make it easier for her to get into their room. They were concerned that the squeak of their door opening would awaken them and cause her to vanish without leaving her treat for the night. I assured them that she could open their door without waking them up.

After leaving her treats, Stella goes to our Halloween countdown calendar and removes the piece of candy in the pocket for that day, our gift to her for her visits. She gets one candy each night and on Halloween we'll leave her a special treat for working so hard all month. This simple solution to our candy countdown will help us avoid any fights that might have occurred over the one piece of candy available each day and the kids can look at how much candy is left to see how much longer it will be until Halloween. Besides, Stella might just be a round pregnant ghost who loves treats.

Once the kids were fast asleep, Stella quietly slipped through each of their doors and left them some chocolate treats in their pumpkins. Stella KNOWS chocolate and left some of her favorites. The door to Carston's and Jackson's room squeaked open when she entered but they didn't move a muscle. They looked so peaceful in their sleep.

Even taking pictures didn't awaken them. I love the peace written in their features as they sleep. They are so innocent and pure, my little angels.

I can hardly wait for them to find their treats in the morning and come running to show me!
Yes, I even like them when they are awake! After all, they are some of my very best friends.

Halloween Family Home Evening

2008-09-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

To kick off the Halloween season, we had a special dinner and family home evening. Carston has been begging me to decorate for Halloween for the past week, so I promised we would do it together on Monday night. It was a lot of fun for me and for the kids. They were so excited to help pull out our Halloween decorations and to work on some crafts.

We had "mummy dogs" for our main course. A friend of mine started this tradition for our family. I quickly learned not to take all of my time making my own dough since the kids just peel off the bread and eat the hot dog. My favorite part is the bread, so it works out for everyone. We also had natural Cheetohs (worms) and peach Jello (it is orange so it works) that I covered in whipped cream. I scraped a jack-o-lantern into the cream to make it extra festive.

For dessert, we ate orange jack-o-lantern sugar cookies. I was planning on making pumpkin cheesecake but ran out of time, so we'll have that another night.

Carston asked what the ketchup was supposed to be in our meal, so we decided it was blood (as distasteful as that sounds). He asked for spaghetti with eye balls for dinner tomorrow night. Apparently, I am going to have to work on my repertoire of Halloween meals.

I love this picture of Jackson. He has this way of holding his mouth lately that you can see in this picture. He even does it when he smiles.

This is the beginning of a real Peyton smile. We don't see these very often on camera, so enjoy! One might note that Carston, Jackson and Peyton are still wearing their school uniforms. We went to a back to school night party last week with them still wearing their uniforms and found that they were the only kids there that hadn't changed. They don't seem to care, so I don't take the time to lay out different outfits. I'm sure that will change eventually.

Grant has kind of a sheepish look on his face because this picture was taken before the prayer. Carston was in the process of telling me that Grant had already started eating before we had the prayer. Carston is very conscientious about remembering to say a prayer before eating. It is really cute.

Benjamin started dipping everything he could think of into his ketchup. Here he is taste testing Cheetohs dipped in ketchup and gives it a thumbs up.

After baths, our family home evening lesson and a Halloween book, we worked on creating jack-o-lanterns from construction paper outlines I drew. Jackson valiantly attempted to cut his out, but finally gave up. I need to buy the poor boy some left-handed scissors! Last year at John Calvin Playschool, they told me Jackson had a lot of trouble cutting with scissors. I asked them if they were trying to get him to cut right-handed and when they answered that they were, I mentioned that he is a resolutely left-handed boy ( a fact I seem to have to reiterate over and over for people). Peyton had some trouble cutting as well, and she is definitely right-handed.

Grant, with his usual tenacity, insisted on cutting his own, but was only able to create patterns on the edges of the paper. He finally willingly gave his jack-o-lantern to me so that I could finish cutting it out. He glued the face on by himself and did a good job. He was pretty proud of it in the end, as you can see.

It was way past bedtime by the time we finished our family home evening Halloween festivities. I am not quite as quick at bedtime rituals without Mark. Oh, how we miss him! We had a fun night, though, and the kids were proud of their jack-o-lanterns. We were going to put together a skeleton as well, but will have to do it tomorrow night. We love projects at our house and there are so many good Halloween crafts to make that we might just busy ourselves each evening with one of them.
Happy Halloween season!

Welcome to Autumn in New Orleans

2008-09-29T20:11:00.001-07:00

Welcoming Autumn has taken on a slightly different meaning since we've lived in the deep south. The cool, crisp air and the smell of smoke from controlled fires burning in fields is not part of a New Orleans autumn. I'm not complaining, it is my favorite time of year here. The heat and humidity of summer lessen to a comfortable level and so does the amount of rain. The breeze seems to reappear after hiding away from the heat of the summer. It also means that we are nearing the end of hurricane season. Today was a perfect Louisiana autumn day, sunny and warm with a pure blue sky and a slight breeze. We had to get out for a short walk after school.

Benjamin saw his older siblings looking for sunglasses before our excursion out of doors and managed to procure a pair of his own. He walked to the door adjusting his shades and I had to snap a picture.
Once we got outside, we became leaf hunters. We looked for interesting leaves on the trees around the neighborhood to collect.

Jackson and Peyton are talking about leaves in school this week and were assigned to bring a variety of leaves into school tomorrow. Here are Carston, Jackson, Peyton and Grant with their leaves. It was funny to pick the leaves off of the beautiful green trees around the neighborhood. I remember using leaves for art projects in the fall when I was little and they were always found on the ground, crispy and brown, yellow or red.

"Ball"

2008-09-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of little boys, one of Benjamin's first words was "ball". He loves to throw around a ball and often catches me off guard with a particularly good throw. I love playing catch with him. He gets the funniest expressions on his face as he chucks the ball at me. My favorite is when he raises the ball above his head to give it a little extra umph and then accidentally drops it on the ground behind him. He was running around kicking his soccer ball today and once I started taking pictures he began walking and posing with the ball.

This is one of Benjamin's many expressions! Mark and I have noticed that he has a particularly expressive face and can't get enough of his different looks.

Poser!

I can't help it, I have fallen under his charms! Benjamin can brighten up my day with that smile.

Benjamin is getting into his throwing stance when I took this picture. He was ready to let me and my camera have a close up of the ball.

He is really growing up fast. I have especially noticed it over the past few weeks. He can communicate in a few short sentences and is making the sound of words when he asks for things. He has never had trouble saying the word ball, although one of his other favorite words is book and they still sound startlingly similar. What a big boy! I think he'll need all of this growing up before his baby brother arrives in January. He already thinks he is all grown up and fusses when I treat him at all like a baby. He insists on doing the things Grant does and wants me to let him walk when we are in the store etc. This can sometimes cause problems when he wants to wander the other direction, but we are working it out. The more kids we have the more I notice that the younger ones really find ways to let their will be known. There is no blending in with the crowd or allowing themselves to be forgotten. I am actually grateful for this and have to say that Benjamin lets me know when he needs something.

I love you, my sweet little ball player!

Happy Anniversary, Love!

2008-09-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

Before Mark and I got married, I had this romantic notion that love was all about the glamorous things you see in movies or read about in books, the fireworks and dozens upon dozens of fresh flowers. Through the ten years Mark and I have been together, nine of them as a married couple, I have learned quite a bit more about love, fireworks and all.

Here we are on our way out on a date to celebrate our anniversary. I wanted to put a picture of us on our wedding day to compare to these, but all of those pictures are safely packed away from the hurricane in a box in our car. I'll save the comparisons for another day.

I treasure any alone time I get with Mark and LOVE going out on dates. It makes me feel giddy. It was pouring rain as we made our way out to the car in Tulsa, where we have evacuated as Hurricane Gustav made its way across the gulf, so we took a quick picture of each other in the car to remember the night and then put the camera away. We tried taking a few of ourselves together, but none of them worked out, so we'll have to settle for the across the car shots. Before we left, we fed the kids and got them bathed and ready for bed. My little brother, Brendan, agreed to put them to bed half an hour later for us (thanks again, Brendan!) and we were off.

Mark has been madly studying for the USMLE Step 2 and has had an especially difficult time getting anything done with the evacuation and the worry about the hurricane. Even though he needed to study, he took a short break this morning to go out and buy me flowers. We don't know Tulsa's flower shops well, so he stuck with the always beautiful and classic red roses.

I wanted to write something to express, in some small measure, how I feel about him on our anniversary:

Permit me to thank YOU (somewhat publicly), Mark, for all that you teach me and for loving me in just the right way....Thank you for all of the flowers you have given me, even though they quickly die (thus becoming a waste of money). Thank you for trying your hardest to stay awake and respond to the verbal barrage that somehow always escapes from me in the quiet darkness that accompanies bedtime. Thank you for pushing me to try new things and develop my talents. Thank you for caring about my opinion and taking time to ask me what I think and how I feel. Thank you for listening to me without judgment and not believing that I really mean it when I complain or show a lack of faith. Thank you for giving me and others around you the benefit of the doubt. Thank you for helping me laugh at myself when I get stressed or too serious. Thank you for kissing me first when you walk in the door and last before you leave. Thank you for being as excited to see me as I am to see you when you get home. Thank you for playing with our kids and taking interest in everything they wait to tell you. Thank you for singing lullabies, rocking kids to sleep and working on projects with our five little ones. Thank you for being a great dad! Thank you for always having enough faith to look past the moment to see the bigger picture. Thank you for believing in my mothering skills, even when you watch me fail. Thank you for sweeping me off of my feet, over and over again. Thank you for all of the "small things" you do everyday to bless my life like: sitting down to fold laundry with me when I get behind, taking the heavy trash bag out to the curb, calling me whenever you get a chance or cleaning the house while I am away. Thank you for giving me breaks when I am overwhelmed. Thank you for balancing your busy schedule and always putting me and our kids first. Thank you for making my life better! Thank you for choosing me.

For all of these things and many others,Thank you! It just keeps getting better. I liebe Dich fuer immer und ewig! Happy Anniversary to you.

Gustav

2008-09-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Shannon and I were kind of in denial over this whole evacution thing and so we spent Friday night just talking over our options. We finally came to the conclusion that, even though we didn't want to go to the trouble of packing everything up, the consequences of not leaving would have been too big. We spent all day Saturday packing up the house, putting the irreplacble things in the cars and putting everything else up above the water line from Katrina. Finally at six o'clock we pulled on to the freeway and came to a stop. This was expected. We knew we would spend hours sitting on the freeway as we have in past evacuations, so we were somewhat prepared for it and pleasantly surprised when the traffic started moving slowly.

Things slowly got better and by the time some of the traffic started peeling off on I-59, we were feeling pretty good about things. We left the Accord at the temple in Baton Rouge and converted the Van into "sleep mode" at about 8 o'clock. Everything went really smoothly until we got off of I-10 on to I-49. The traffic was awful! It took us until about 3 o'clock in the morning to make it to Marshall Texas (just over the Texas/Louisiana border) and by then the hotel had given away our room...we were not happy. There were no other rooms available anywhere (literally) so we had no choice but to push through to Tulsa. After three 40-45 min naps on the side of the road in empty parking lots and a break at a McDonalds with a playplace once the kids woke up, we pulled into the Tulsa Mission Home by noon on Sunday to stay with Shannon's parents to ride out the storm 700 miles away.

It seems that we sort of dodged a bullet with this storm. According to news reports, it came and is the final stages of leaving and the levees are still holding... We feel really blessed! We had another "moment" on Saturday like we had as we left our house before Katrina wondering if it would be there when we returned. Before Katrina, Shannon swept the floor to perfection and then stowed the broom in the closet before we walked out the door to evacuate. This time was different in that after looking around at the kitchen floor, she figured that the water might just wash the crumbs out the back door. So, instead of wasting valuable time doing minor cleaning, we lifted everything we could at least one foot above the floor and then locked the doors and left. It sounds like she will be sweeping the floor once we reach home, something she'll be more than happy to do!

School has been cancelled until next Monday so we are planning on staying here until Saturday (trying to avoid some of that re-entry traffic) and I will try to catch up on my studying. Once we get home, we will post about how the house held up.

After five hurricane seasons involving three evacuations (Ivan, Katrina and Gustav), two bullets dodged (Ivan and, hopefully, Gustav) and one flooding disaster (thanks to Katrina), we are looking forward to the END of this, OUR LAST, hurricane season!

Bullseye

2008-08-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

To leave or not to leave...
This is not helping my step 2 studying!

Announcing Number Six!

2008-08-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting a baby BOY this January! It seems totally appropriate to welcome another little one to our basketball team/boy's club. Five boys and one girl is a little lopsided, but Peyton and I will continue to hold down the fort as the only female members of our family. (I was going to add the ultrasound pictures but the only pictures that are recognizable are those that identify that he's a boy....hmmm, we'll have to wait to post his picture until he makes his arrival.)
Now, any suggestions on a name for our little guy? Let me know.

School Days

2008-08-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that the summer is over and school days are here again! It hasn't been easy for me to let three of my little ones leave me all day to attend school, in fact it has been sort of traumatic to have them all start going to school all day long at once. I am suffering some serious withdrawals. I put on a happy face before school started and told Carston, Jackson and Peyton about all the fun things they will be doing in school. Then I cried on the way home after dropping them off for the first two days. I didn't want them to see that it is so hard for me to let them go.

They are all attending Harold Keller Elementary school, which is only about half a mile from our house. Don't they look cute in their school uniforms? I am realizing that while I totally approve of wearing uniforms to school, it sure is easier to put my boys in their uniforms than it is to make Peyton wear a purple shirt every day. Maybe it is because she is my only girl and it is fun for me to dress her in outfits that don't exactly go with the parish's purple pre-k uniform shirt.
Carston is in Ms. Blanque's Kindergarten class. Jackson is in Ms. Jaime's Pre-K class and Peyton is in Ms. Tina's Pre-K class. The Pre-K teachers asked me before school started if it would be okay to separate my sweet twins and I thought it would probably be good for them to be in their own class, but now I am wishing they could be together because they always have been and because I like them having each other.

This is our traditional first day of school picture place, in front of the carport door. It seems to take me forever to get everyone lined up at this door ready for school with lunches packed, homework checked and tummies filled with a hearty breakfast. Hopefully I'll get into a good routine soon that will help me get the kids to school with more than a few minutes to spare before the tardy bell.

Carston, my fearless Kindergartner!

Watch out Pre-K, here come the Calder twins!
Jackson is in the ninetieth percentile for height and, as you see here, Peyton takes after me and is off the charts with her height. Jackson is a tiny bit sensitive about it sometimes, he doesn't like thinking of Peyton as bigger than he is. He has even started calling her his "little sister" since she is technically two minutes younger. I try to explain to him that he'll catch up someday (although it will probably be a few years before that happens).

I hope the kids will learn to love school and learning! Jackson is already the sweetheart of his class, bringing home treasures each day for being good and telling me about all of his new friends. Carston has informed me that I needn't make the flash cards the rest of the class needs, because he already knows all of them. Peyton tells me she likes school so far, but hasn't clearly identified what she likes about it. We'll work on that. Now I just need to talk Grant into staying home with me for another year, instead of begging me to take him to his school each morning after we drop off the other kids.

Happy School Days to my three sweet friends!

Broken Benjamin

2008-08-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

The official name for this little crack is a Buckle fracture of the distal left tibia with possible fibula involvement. Benjamin threw himself out of Shannon's arms today at about 4:30 as she was walking in the house after a trip to the grocery store once she'd picked everyone up from school. She was able to catch him and slide him down to the floor, but he landed a little funny on his left leg and fell down. She was worried because he wouldn't put any weight on his leg and couldn't be comforted, so she called me. When I got home, we decided to wait a little while before rushing off to the ER.

By six o'clock he was still not bearing any weight on it, so I talked to Carey Sanders (an orthopedic surgery resident in our ward) whose opinion was that it was probably broken and at least needed an x-ray. Our neighbor Caroline, from across the street, came over to sit with the other kids after we put them down at seven thirty and then Shannon, Benjamin and I were off to Children's Hospital to get a few x-rays of his leg. We must have looked pretty pathetic to the ER doctor as he came into the room because his first comment to us was that it is hard to go through this with your first child (he explained that he was an experienced father of four), but that we would get used to broken bones and visits to the hospital just like he had.

Of course he about fell on the floor when he asked if Benjamin was our first and we calmly met his gaze and reported that Benjamin is the fifth of five and half kids, that this is our third broken bone and that I plan on orthopedics as a career. All things considered, Benjamin has been a real trooper. Although he will have to wear a splint and then a cast for the next 4-6 weeks, he should have a full recovery with no longterm sequelae. He is still uncomfortable and cries if his leg is bumped in any way, but I am sure it is just a matter of time before he learns to wield this temporary handicap as a weapon like the others have done.

Mr Mom

2008-08-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend Shannon was out of town trying to get some much needed R&R. Since Carston was born six years ago she has only had a handful of nights off, so the kids and I sent her to visit Kimberly in NYC for the weekend to recharge her battery before the new baby comes. This video is a prime example of why I am not supposed to be in charge around here.

Notice their glassy eyes and expressionless faces; This was judicious use of the electronic pacifier. When mom is around this thing hardly gets any use and when I am in charge I make a strict rule not to use it more than nineteen or twenty hours a day.
We missed Mom a lot while she was gone, but had a good time playing in the pool and messing around at home as well. I tried to make sure that they ate their veggies, brushed their teeth and made their beds but things were different without mom. It definitely made me realize how much lifting, twisting and bending Shannon does every day!The Lakes were kind enough to document that I was a least able to get the kids to church on Sunday. If you look closely you can even tell that they have their hair combed. I would have been a fool not to go to church...even though sacrament meeting is tough, it has free babysitting for the next two hours. We really missed Shannon and are glad to have her back.

Six Years Old Today!

2008-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today is Carston's golden birthday, his sixth birthday on August 6th. Happy Birthday to my sweet Carston, who made me a mom and has filled my life with joy since he first entered it six years ago. I always tell our kids their birth story on their birthday, a tradition passed to me from Mark's mom. While I told Carston his birth story this morning, I teared up thinking about the feelings I had on the day he was born. There is something unique and magical about holding your firstborn child for the first time (this doesn't take away from the experiences I have had with each of our newborns).

Here is a celebration of Carston's growth over the past six years, one picture for each year:

NEWBORN

ONE YEAR OLD

TWO YEARS OLD

THREE YEARS OLD

FOUR YEARS OLD

FIVE YEARS OLD

JUST BEFORE SIXTH BIRTHDAY

Here is to another wonderful year and a Happy Sixth Birthday to Carston!

This morning, Carston enjoyed our favorite birthday breakfast of whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes with pudding, cream and a touch of chocolate syrup.
After breakfast, he opened a few presents and played with them all morning. He has been asking for T-Rex Mountain for over a year, so that was his big surprise birthday present.
Luckily, Mark had enough foresight to put it all together last night.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese's for lunch and the kids ate pizza and played until it was time to come home for Carston's dinosaur birthday party that started at 2:00 p.m.

The first to arrive to the party was Carston's good friend from school, Joshua. We had dinosaur masks for each child that came to the party. Sadly, due to vacations and other circumstances, only two of Carston's friends actually came to the party. Luckily, Carston has enough siblings who attended the party that it didn't seem empty at all. His other friend, Abbott, came a little later and we kicked off the party with prehistoric fishing in our backyard.

Everyone caught a few fish and traded them in for a prize (a toy dinosaur). It was so hot outside, I didn't know whether or not they would want to do the dinosaur fossil dig out in the sand box.

Carston called this our "dino dig" and it was the hit of the party. The poor boys were sweating profusely as they sifted through the sand with their hands and brushes to find buried dinosaur bones. It was fun to watch them cheer each other on as they found different bones. They were covered in sand that stuck to their damp faces and limbs by the time they found all of the bones they needed to put the fossil together. They worked feverishly with Mark to put all of the bones in the right places and discovered that they had put together the king of all dinosaurs: a T-Rex. Abbott was a bit scared of the T-Rex at first, but then became its biggest fan.

The kids brought the T-Rex under our back porch for some treats and fun with the pinata. We had an edible dinosaur dig in chocolate pudding with crushed oreos and washed it down with apple juice. Then we got the pinata hung properly and everyone gave it their best shot with one of our plastic bats.

Carston chose this pinata a couple of months ago, so he was excited to see it again. The pinata was pretty stubborn and didn't want to crack open enough to allow the treats to spill out, so Mark had to give it the final whack. There was far too much candy in the pinata for the number of children present, so everyone stocked up.

After bearing the extreme heat, we came inside to play a few indoor games. We learned some dinosaur facts and then the kids went on an egg hunt to find their baby dinosaurs. Some of the eggs had puzzles in them and others had dinosaurs in slime (just what little boys love).

Finally, we sang to Carston and ate his birthday cake. While we were singing, Carston's friend Joshua insisted on posing with him in this picture. It was kind of funny.

I love Carston's flushed face in this picture. He was hot and sweaty from being outside earlier, but was having such a good time he hardly said anything about it. Even though not many of his friends were able to come, the party was a success. (Now, what to do with all of the extra party favors etc.?) It is hard to tell by looking at the cake, although it is a masterpiece of my engineering, but there is an active volcano on top created by a doughnut I covered in frosting. The volcano is covered in volcanic rock (oreos) and spewing hot lava from deep within. The candles are dinosaurs and there were six of them although I can only see five of them in this picture. I tried to make it look like the lava had flowed out into the words: "Happy B-Day Carston", but it didn't work as well as I would have liked. All in all, I figured I couldn't go wrong with moist chocolate cake infused with melted chocolate chips and covered with tons of frosting. It tasted better than it looked.

I've already decided that next year's party will have to be held at a fun party place where almost everything is included. That was a lot of work! Carston will probably change my mind though.

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-07-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

I love celebrating birthdays! Today was my turn and I am now thirty-three years old. That used to sound so OLD to me but, if you haven't heard, let me inform you that thirty is the new twenty (whatever that means)! I have decided that I love being in my thirties. I feel like I am coming into my own. I feel very blessed. Mark laughed when I told him, after I turned thirty, that I finally felt like I knew who I was. Call me a late bloomer!

I've had a wonderful day, thanks to my sweet husband and my mom! They cooked my favorite meals and made chocolate sauce cake (my favorite choice for birthday cake since I was a little girl). We also relaxed at home, played with the kids and went out to lunch.

Mark surprised me with a birthday trip to New York City
next month to visit his sister, Kimberly, while he stays home to watch the kids.
This is my first trip all by myself since we got married almost nine years ago.
I can hardly believe I'll have a weekend off to do whatever I want.
I may even break all of the rules and sleep in or stay out during nap time,
who knows what will happen!