Our People Make the Difference

Tuesday we had a mishap at our local Walmart.

Mishap is too weak of a word.. but disaster isn't either.
We were headed to the spray park with Dianne and Jen and all of our kids. Seven kids between the 3 of us. Things are going fine, and Dianne and I headed into the bathroom. So we park our carts and have James (age 7) watch the carts and the rest of the kids~ Baby B (1month)sleeping in his carseat, Conner (age 2) sitting in the seat and K(age 3) standing beside the cart. So Dianne and I go in, do our busisness and are in the process of washing our hands (we are 4 steps away from the cart) and I hear someone SHOUTING at James and K.

"Get out of the way. MOVE the CART. MOVE I SIAD MOVE." James is saying "My mom is right there in the bathroom" and I am saying "I'm right here Im coming." The shouting continues..

So I walk 4 steps... seriously 4 blinking steps..... and a WALMART EMPLOYEE is YELLING at them, and shaking the cart!
Poor K is sobbing and holding on the cart for dear life, Conner is watching wide eyed, Baby fast asleep and James is holding on to the cart handle tugging at the cart as well.

This is when I almost came right up to a old man and wanted so badly to give him a piece of my mind. Instead I said "Don't you shout at my children, I will take it from here." and that horrid old man had the nerve to say "I was was not shouting ma'am" To which I reply "Yes you were I heard you"

So I bend down and pick up sobbing K who was cowering in this little nook against wall crying "He tried to take Baby B, he was going to take Baby B." she was just beside herself, I took the cart and walked away while Dianne is consoling James who is explaining what happened-This older man was trying to force the cleaning cart into the bathroom but the cart was in his way.... so he figured shouting was the best way to go about his business.

I was so mad I was shaking. Little K was traumatized it took her a full 10 mins of sobbing and clinging to me to relax enough to breath simi-normal. Dianne was just as upset and James was still explaining that he tried to tell him!
Dianne headed to the front to talk to a manager and Jen and I finished the shop and headed to the front. Apparently the manager Dianne talked to was furious... and said "Well thats his last straw, I will take care of it RIGHT now." and he marched away.

What a ordeal.. I tell you what- I am still mad about it, from now on I will take the cart into the blinking bathroom and into the stall with me... EVEN if the stupid sign says not too!

What Looks like half a Loaf of Bread?

The other half...

phaha... snort....


Does every women have that Kitchen "mountain"?
You know, the one thing that you long to be good at or to even try to make it, but it scares the socks off you.. Speaking of.. K's favorite thing to do is take off the babys socks and check his toes for lint, she is so delighted when she finds some.... oh sorry got distracted.
Some people are scared to make pies or pastries, a good quiche or even homemade marshmallows ( i know, sounds odd to me too).
My mountain- BREAD.


And until a couple weeks ago, that never bothered me. I don't like bread. It sits in my stomach like a load of bricks... until Tina Hall.

Oh. my. glory.


A couple weeks ago she brought me a meal over and in this meal-  7 Grain Brown Bread. It was FAB. Like blow me over with a toothpick fab.


So I got her recipe. Took a look up at my "mountain", climbed and Concurred.


My first time making bread they turned out fantastic. Yes they were a little HIGH. But oh they were good. First loaf gone in 1 hour.... I put the second loaf away, and have been discreetly eating it behind my children's back.


It was so good... here's the recipe from Tina... I don't know where she got it- but Tina you are now a Bread Goddess in my eyes!


7 Grain Brown Bread

1 1/2 c boiling water
1 cup 7 grain cereal (Red River)

1/2 c warm water
1/2 c honey or sugar (I used sugar)
2 pks dry yeast or 2 level TBSP

2 eggs beaten
6 TBSP Canola oil
2 tsp sea salt (optional) I used it
5 1/2 c whole wheat flour

In a bowl pour boiling water over cereal until softened (10 mins). In Mixer bowl dissolve honey or sugar in warm water with yeast, let rise (10 mins). Combine cereal to yeast mixture and add eggs, oil, salt and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Knead in mixer for 2 mins, work in remaining flour. Knead for another 5 minutes. Divide dough in 1/2 and spread (mine was quite solid so I rolled it into a loaf shape) in the bottom of 2 oiled loaf pans. Cover lightly and let rise until doubled (1 hour maybe) and bake @ 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Meal Ideas~ Part Pork and Other

I was going to do a Pork post and a Other post but we only eat pork a few different ways... mostly Pork Chops on the BBQ..... Justin is a master at cooking Pork Chops on the BBQ. This is cause he learned from my dad, but for his sake I will say it is ALL him! Love you Justin.

Pork
BBQ Pork Chops
Zippy Pork Chops (made similar to Annies Chicken)
Ham
Bacon Potato Soup

Creepy Heather BBQ-ing dinner

Pork Chops and Mushroom Soup
Cola Pork Chops

Other
Stir Fry
Breakfast- Hash browns, Bacon and Eggs mixed
Crepes
Baked Potato Bar
Grilled Cheese and Tomatoe Soup
Jambalya
Waffles
Pancakes
Perogie Casserole
Rice Mix- Rice, mixed veggies and Bacon mixed
Tinfoil Fish
Salmon Cakes


So there you have it.. My meal ideas. These Lists to do not include my Crock pot recipes, but most of those I use are from Cookbooks.. so if theres a demand- I will put a few up.

Priorities.

Yesterday Justin and I were graced with the priviallage of speaking in church.
In fact it was due in part by my good friend Amelia.... with Lisa egging her on.

We both spoke on priorities and it went really good. For the beginning of my talk I read the lyrics from this song- and then talked about being busy is not a bad thing, but we need to be doing the right things... the "more excellent way".

So here is the video for those who just heard the lyrics and want to hear the song!!

The alarm clock goes off.I feel like I’m dead.I push snooze three timesThen I roll out of bedThe house is so quietThe kids still asleepI have time to myselfSo I brush my teethThen I read my scripturesAnd say my prayersHeaven knows I’ll need helpNot to pull out my hairI wish my whole day could be calm like thisBut alas let the rat race beginThe kids all wake upI help them get dressedI do their hair then I make them breakfastA healthy well balanced mealI serve captain crunch and fruit loopsI pack them a lunchI find shoes and socksJust in time for the busI kiss them as they walk out the doorYou might think I’d be lonely but there are two moreI plop them in front of morning T.V.It’s a small price to pay for my sanityThen I exercise for 20 minutes[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/todo-list-lyrics-hilary-weeks.html ]Shower, dress and do the dishesThrow in a few loads of laundryVacuum the floorSweep the kitchen, dust the shelvesI really ought to hire helpChange a diaper, find my keysThen head out the doorTo Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, ShopKo,Walgreens just to get a few thingsBack in time for visit teachingBut that’s not allPlan the budget pay the bills,Clean up at least a dozen spillsCheck my e-mail, write a blog,Then call my best friendHelp with homework, drive to soccerMake an appointment with the doctorPlan a birthday, feed the dog,Piano lessonsSend the friends homePick the kids upTime for the dinnerI’ll order pizzaAnd when tomorrow comes I’ll do this all againThen my husband comes home, and pulls something out of my hairIt’s a smushed cheerio; I didn’t know it was thereHe gives me a hug in his sweet gentle wayAnd then he asks, “So, what did you do today?”

Meal Ideas~ Part Mexican/Italian

I enjoy cooking, but I have a issue with some of these ideas.

So you tell me. If you really dislike something do you still cook it for your family??
For example I am not a fan of flour. At least not until recently. I think my taste buds are maturing (thanks for the saying Mike). Last week Tina brought us some homemade bread and it was FAB.

But Pasta~ I'm just not there yet. I do not make my family Pasta. At all.
So Justin makes it.

Mexican/Italian

Mmm.. A summer super. Burgers and Watermelon!

Taco Bake
Taco Soup
Tacos
Navajo Tacos
Chimichangas
Chicken Enchiladas
Black Bean Enchiladas
Lazy Man Enchiladas
Cafe Rio
Quesadillas
Mexican Lasagna
Lasagna
Pasta with Alfredo Sauce
Cheesy Broccoli Pasta Bake
Pitta Pizza

I still have 3 more categories if your thinking I am missing some ideas!
Oh and if your thinking you need a recipe... just ask!

Self you know how easy you had it??

If I could go back to last summer and have a few words with myself I would say:

"Self do you know how easy you have it? I know you don't like going anywhere by yourself- you think it is too much to take 2 little girls to the spray park and lake by yourself. But guess what- 2 little girls is WAY simpler then 2 little girls AND a 3 week old, fussy butt ! The time is coming when you wont always have someone to hang with- peoples get busy with other peoples and your children still need entertainment... so COUNT your LUCKY stars- you have it rather easy right now!"

Yup- I would have a chat like that with my past summer self.

The misqutioes are ridiculous in Raymond. Like GROSS. On our 20 min bike ride last night I got bit 8 times... and that was while I was riding! Our poor little A is covered- I soaked her and K in off every so often all day Monday and Tuesday but A is still covered in bites... K looks fine.

So I talked to the Mr and asked what they were like in Lethbridge and apparently they are not bad at all! Wednesday morning came- and I had talked myself into taking the kids to the spray park.

It actually went rather well- we managed to get a simi-shaded spot and the girls were super helpful and ran off to play... then this happened

Like the middle picture face plant? Ha Ha. I was snickering that I caught it on camera- until she got to me, and I saw she did hurt herself. Ya- great mothering moment. Any who after the tears dried the girls hung rather close to me after that.

We did have a great time- although next time we go out into the sun I need to get us one of these- I was worried the whole time about burning the baby. The shade kept moving and under a tree you get patchy sunlight- and all I could think about was how I would feel if I sunburnt the baby. He did have a good time though- he was awake for most of it, just sitting in the car seat looking around... enjoying the day.

We took a picnic and Daddy even came over on his lunch break to eat with us!! All in all good day- it made it even better cause the girls took a LONG nap when we got home!

Boo-ya for mommy and my first day out ALONE with 3!!

Meal Idea's~ Part Beef

Thanks to those who "talked back" and facebooked me some more Chicken Recipes to try. I am thinking we are going to try one tonight.


So after my post on Monday I was in the mood to try something new- so I made a potato lettuce salad concoction... no I am not going to link to it.. cause it was really not very good. And you all KNOW how much I love potatoes- but that salad was just W.R.O.N.G.

I just like this picture.

Beef

Beef Dips

Roast 

Chili

Sweet and Sour Hamburger

Green Bean Casserole

Hamburgers

Meatloaf

BBQ Beef on a Bun

Mormon Gravy 

Shepherds Pie

Spaghetti

Steak and Potatoes

Stew

Pizza

Wow I just now realized my beef selection is pathetic. 

BUT I still have more categories (Mexican/Italian), and some of those dishes include beef..

Ok peeps please share with me your family favorite beef dish!

These bags-

After

I think I have made over 30 of these bags... they are just so cute and handy!

Thank you Skip to my Lou and Noodlehead for your fantastic tutorials!

Before

Or am I the only one with children who LOVE Ziplock bags.

I can tell they are my girls- organization at this age! I love it.

Meal Idea's~Part Chicken

4:00 rolls around and panic sets in.
I really need to get back into my Monthly Meal Planning.
Sheesh.

I am sure there are some of you out there~ in this same meal-panic-boat.

So in the front of my recipe/kitchen binder I have a Meal Idea's list. The list has all the meals my family will eat. I thought I would share my list, and in turn-you the reader- will help me add to it. I have it categorized- cause I'm a type A freak like that.

Chicken-

• BBQ Chicken with Black bean salsa
• Beans,Rice & Chicken (one dish)
• Butter Chicken
• Cheesy Chicken Soup
• Chicken and Corn Chili
• Chicken Fiesta Soup
• Chicken and Rice
• Harvest Chicken
• Annie's Chicken
• Chicken Curry
• Cornflake Mustard Chicken
• Chicken Wings and Fries
• Chicken Broccoli Pie
• Sweet and Tangy Chicken
• Terry Chicken Wings
• Hay Stacks
• Parmigiana Chicken
• Chimichanga's 
• Philippines Chicken
• Shake and Bake Chicken
• Ranch Style Chicken
• Scalloped Potatoes and Chicken
• Whole Chicken

Ok peoples what fab Chicken recipe am I missing?

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to my Husband and Father! I wish I was gonna tell you all fabulous things I did for them, but this year the celebration was low key.

We did have my dad and brother down for Church and dinner, and we took a family picture that turned out good.. but other then that we had a normal day.

So minus the fanfare- I am so grateful for my fantastic husband and the amazing father he is too our children. For the attention he gives them, how he is their favorite playmate, and loving/teasing he shows on a daily bases. I love you Justin!
I am also lucky to have been raised by a father like non-other. Thank you dad for teaching me how to be a faithful person, a strong individual and loving parent.

Next Door

We are so lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa Martin live next door. 

My girls love to run over and say hi! Even better when they are looking for a snack- cause Grandma never says no!!

 Grandpa is a really fun to "help"- he is so patient with them. 

To make it even better Aunt Dianne and Uncle Ron moved in Next Door last night... lets just hope the girls don't get too spoiled!

ages and stages

K- age 3, 33 lbs, 1 green 1 brown eyes, brown hair.

A- age 2, 28.5 lbs, blue eyes, white blond hair.

B- age 2 weeks, 8lbs 5 oz, 21 inches, blue eyes, brown hair.

Baby B's Baby Shower

The ladies in Raymond made a executive decision. Well at least the ladies I assosiate with.... when one of us has a baby of a new sex- we have for them another baby shower.

So your first 2 are girls and then you get a boy... Shower time!








Now this seems a little silly but- I always tend to give my friends a gift when they have a new baby anyways and why not have a evening where you can hang with friends, enjoy snacks and hold the new baby?!?!

So my cousions Jen threw a shower for me on Saturday night at Lisa's House! I had lots of friends attend and we had a great time laughing and eating the amazing cupcakes Amelia made! Baby B was great, he slept the whole time and only needed to eat once. He got some fantastic cute adorable clothing and great toys!








We also played the diaper game- you know melt the chocolate bar in the diaper then they get to guess what bar?! Ya gross... but fun and hilarious...











So Thank you to Jen who threw it, Lisa who hosted it, Amelia who made the cup cakes and Dianne who helped with all! It was grand.


Thanks to all who attended and for the beautiful gifts we have received!


P.S. I thought in the post My Story I explained where we got our babies name, but I forgot. Justin's Grandpa Selman's name was William Barker Selman and he was a fantastic man. Justin looked up to him and he has always had a special relationship with him. And Andrew is my dad's name and I think my dad was the best dad I could ever ask for. Justin and I named our son after 2 very special men.

Snacks

Mmm...
Snacks.
This house likes snacks.
3 years ago our snacks were mostly sugar and chips and ice cream. Then we had kids... don't get me wrong- Daddy still likes all those things but Mommy tries really hard not to feed the girls pure sugar.


Lately our snack area of the kitchen has grown... really grown. Whenever I am nursing I find I want to eat every 3 hours or so, and having chips or pop or ice cream that often might turn me into a blimp- so these days we enjoy:

• Open Nuts (Almonds)
• Closed Nuts (Pistachios)
• Apples, Bananas, and Kiwi
• Chocolate Chip Cookies and
• Mini Banana Muffins ( A polished off the last 8 this morning)

I'm always on the look out for new healthy snacks, cause I tend to be picky, any suggestions?

Roach Studio Presents

Singing Class has come to a end.
Last Friday night was the production of
Happy Birthday Hans!

The Studio did a muscial celebration of the life and stories of Hans Christan Anderson.
It was really cute. K participated in three songs  "Duck Among the Swans", "Emperor's Underpants" and "Happy Birthday Hans".

Here is a video of her little class.... now please excuse the horrible filmer- that was me (Sorry butI had a baby 2 days before!)

Did you love the fact that she picked her nose and ate it the whole time??
Ya gross.
You should have seen our row- all 4 of us (Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Chipman) all trying to signal her to STOP picking!!

Fan-picking-tastic.

Oh well at the Rehearsal the day before when she got to the microphone to say her "No, No, No" instead she said "Just a minute my panties are twisted."

But other then the whole nose thing, she was pretty great if you ask me.

Overdue

I was teased on Monday by Miss Lisa.
Here I was explaining how eventually I would like to do the whole Blog to Book thing... and she had the nerve to state that I would need a whole room for my blog books.


Ouch.


This is the reason I have only done 4 posts this month. My feelings are extremely hurt... the lack of posts has NOTHING to do with the fact that I get hold my newborn 24/7. And nothing to do with the fact that A has become clingy, or that I was in High River for 4 days of shopping, visiting sisters and having a grand ol' time. Or that I am scrambling trying to get me feet back under me from 3 weeks of no deep house work.
Nope none of these other reasons are behind the Blog being ignored..

Now- on to our regular programming.

Baby B is already 10 days old. He now weighs 8 lb and is eating like a chomp champ. He goes to bed about 10 and sleeps till 2:30 then up at 6:45 am. Its actually not too bad of a sleep cycle but I would sure love to be able to go back to sleep after the last feeding!

He has a blocked tear duct just like both girls had. He really dislikes having his bum changed... he screams the whole time and has peed all over me 3 times and had a massive diaper explosion that ruined a shirt of mine. He is staying awake for longer periods of time now, and will only fall back asleep if he's swaddled. He is great in his car seat- Oh and he takes a soother!!! YES. First child of ours, its really nice.

K and A are great "helps" and they sure do love their brother.... but they are going through a adjustment. They are horrible at listening to me, but have no problem listening to Dad or Grandma... as long as its not Mom. Sure it takes awhile for them to adjust but I am sure getting tired of being ignored.

♩♬ Who are you? Who Who- Who Who♩♬

B

When B was born we said he looked like K. Then yesterday Sherliyn sent us a photo of Justin and we see exactly where Baby B gets his looks!!

But- everyone has their own opinion- what do you think?

K

A

Daddy (the baby)

Mommy

"The" Story

First I have to say, I dread writing long posts- I find my writing style childish. But to be honest I quite enjoy reading other peoples "stories" so regardless of my horrible communication skills, I will give it a go.

Last Thursday I went in for my 38 week check up, and Dr Malach swiped my membranes (I think thats such a funny saying)- so Thursday night at 6:00 when I started having strong contractions I was HAPPY!

Until they stopped at 2:30 am- whatever. Friday we decided to go walking, considering the contractions were so strong last night I MUST be close.... so we kept busy and walking all day Friday. So I was happy again when the contractions came back Friday night, strong again but stopped at about midnight. Saturday I wake up exhausted and the contractions come back, getting worse and worse all day Saturday and continued all night and all Sunday. By Monday morning I was a Zombie, tired and still in pain contracting. So I called up Dr. Malach explained what had been happening and he said come in on Tuesday and we will help things along.

Tuesday Morning 6:30- after being awake half the night contracting... I go in get settled and checked... 

1 cm and 20% effaced. WHAT??!?

Lets just say I was LESS then happy with those findings. 

So we started with the gel at 8:30 and right away the contractions come back. Strong in strength but only 2 mins apart. After 3 hours of thisI look at Justin and declare "I don't WANT to do this any more." To be honest the whole positive birthing attitude was destroyed- I was a unhappy camper. All week I was figured it would be fast like A's birth and progress really well and be done by noon- especially considering the week I had had. This is when my mom showed up, Justin went out to talk to her- explaining I was mad and grumpy and didn't want to see anyone.. as soon as he walked out the door I said to my nurse "I want some morphine- now." So they check me- NO IMPROVEMENT. Heather= MAD. 

So mom took the girls home for naps and lunch.They give me the shot and I spent the next couple hours napping in between contractions and ignoring the world. 

At 2:30 they came in and check I was completely soft but still only 1 cm- the Dr decides more gel will do the trick. This is when I kinda got a little excited. When they induced me with A- I was soft and everything went super fast.

More gel. More pain. Then 2:48 my water breaks... at first- being in that "positive place I was" I thought I wet myself and ALMOST cussed out loud. Then realizing what it was, got a little panicked- knowing that PAIN was about to hit me.

By 3:20 I was having HARD contractions and was 7 cm... (can I stop here and explain how much it hurts to go from 1 to 10 in 1.5 hours?!?) this is when my mom showed up.. at 3:45 I told the nurse I was gonna need to push soon. She checked me and I was still only 7 cm. So I thought fine... if you don't believe me - I'm gonna push anyways. She checks me again at 4:00- and decides maybe she does need help. She calls the doctors and instructs Justin to HOLD MY LEGS TOGETHER. Excuse me?!?!

I pushed anyways, even as she's and everyone else is practically yelling at me NOT to push. The resident Dr walks in at 4:05 and the baby is crowning. Every one in the room is still yelling at me to stop pushing and to put my legs in the straps, as I was struggling against all of them with my legs (LOL)... I was completely ignoring them all and just pushing. Dr Malach comes and the resident is sitting/straddling my bed trying to deliver the baby. I got his head out, at this point they are all saying again- stop pushing I need to check the cord.. I let up for 10 seconds and got him out. 

4:10 Baby Barker Andrew Moxley arrived and he was perfect. 7 lbs 14 oz and 20.5 inches long. His head and features are perfect- after spending no time in the canal and just shooting out.

So this is when I apologize to everyone for being snappy and pushing the nurse away from me.. but this time I did much better- I kept MOST of my negative thoughts and comments during the hard labor to myself.

So far he is a great baby. Already with his only little thoughts:

• he does NOT like having his butt changed. Every time the cold hits him, he starts a yelling.
• he wants to be held all the time... especially in the middle of the night. We have already started that horrible habit of him sleeping with us- something we have NEVER done.
• he eats really well, but only on his time.
• he LOVES skin to skin time way more so then our other 2 ever did.

Hello Baby BROTHER

Welcome to the family

Barker Andrew Moxley

Born May 31, 2011

 @ 4:15 p.m. 

7 lbs 14 oz 

 20.5 inches long.

The lovely birthing story to come!