It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Most people think Christmas/ Winter. Not so much. It's actually Summer. I love Summer. We have had a great one so far too.

FEATS:

Eric's transition from Long's to CVS ( RIte Aide needs to take down their lame banners already)
Jack swimming. No floating devices attached
Audrey asking every few days when the baby is going to be born instead of hourly
Me, finally deciding on a direction for our guest bedroom. (Sounds ridiculous I know, but ridiculous is painting 3x before I liked it)
Jack and I talking Eric into buying a Wii ; )
J & A learning to play Go Fish and Uno.
Jack's 5th Birthday
Audrey talking Jack into riding a Small World and other rides because he was so scared! (Due to the La earthquakes they had to do a ride checks " to make sure it hadn't been damaged in the earthquake.") Thanks for mentioning that to my 5yr safety patrol.
Our garden has been plentiful
Growing out Audrey's bangs
Equipment for the park across the street has been ordered.
Our shy little Audrey agreeing to participate in dance. Before when we would ask about dance, gymnastics etc. She'd say " No thanks, I'd rather stay home. " ; )
Reading Breaking Dawn, finally



GOALS:

Find an IKEA Gulliver crib in white, in stock!
Coming up with some solid name options for this baby
Trying to get caught up on my photo albums before I am one more child behind.

It's a girl!

So we found out today we are having a girl! OR so the technician "thought". She couldn't/wouldn't give me an absolute because she doesn't want to be accountable in case she is wrong. BUT she was pretty darn sure it's a girl. My sweet boy who wanted a brother was thrown off when they said it's a girl. He leaned over and asked Eric " when are they going to tell us what we are really having?" ;) All Audrey wanted to know was "is it coming out today?!" So there were a couple of disappointments but overall great news. I am excited have a girl and Augs to have a little friend when Jack goes to school. Jack has been praying for months and months for a brother, pre-pregnancy even. The other night after prayers he said "Mom, I just saw our baby and it's not a boy, it's a girl." I guess he was right, and some one upstairs knew he might need some extra convincing. It's been a few hours since the news has settled in and he is as excited as ever. He gets to be the big brave brother and take care of 2 little sisters and he still gets Dad all to himself for baseball trips. Eric and I are thrilled to have a healthy baby girl on the way!

Baby #3

So we are having a baby! The due date is Sept. 18th. We are all quite excited for our new little family member to arrive. Jack keeps checking my stomach to see if it's grown since the last time he checked... and he only found out yesterday. Audrey has kept a doll and or stuffed animal up her shirt and has given birth multiple times in the last 24 hrs as well. Jack and Audrey were both born while Eric was in Pharmacy school. We moved apartments when I was 8 months pregnant with Jack & Eric and I were both in school. Eric graduated when Auggie was 2 months and we moved again when she was 3 months. It was challenging although we wouldn't have had it any other way. This time around I am excited to have a home and be settled when this baby arrives. I've always wanted to do the fancy nursery thing but I shared a room from the time I was born and wouldn't change those talks and memories for anything either. So pretty soon Jack or Audrey will have a roommate. Guess which sex they are each pulling for??? ;) Well that is our big news! Artwork by Jack

February

So we had the busiest month! We visited Christy up in Sacramento and we were able to see some more CA state parks to cross off our map. Woohooo! (An E.Healy family goal) I got my purse stolen from my car. Initially my keys were stolen first right from under me at Eric's Basketball game. Then they found my car. Oh dear if I ever meet that nasty lady that we think stole them.... Of course the following days included re-keying our house, trips to the DMV, dozens of phone calls canceling cards switching accounts. It was just one big mess. As we were driving home I called my cousin/ neighbor Kelly to make sure nobody was at our house!! Since they could have had the time to get there with my keys and address from my license. So of course Jack was quite disturbed by that and is still cautious about going upstairs or downstairs by himself. The ripple effect to say the least.
We flew to SLC to see Eric's b.f. get married! yay! It was a beautiful wedding and reception although it was quite a chilly day. Eric was able to spend some time with old friends from High School. Always a good idea.

Audrey turned 3 on our short trip to UT. We spent the day at Discovery Zone Gateway and Build A Bear. Fun! Of course when we got to the airport there was chaos about us getting on our flight. It wouldn't be a flight at all if things went smoothly for us. Although, it still beats I-80. Eric might beg to differ. ;)

We came back and Eric had to work Valentine's Day having taken off days for the wedding. So it was just another day until I got flowers! They were beautiful. When Eric got home we ordered Chinese and had a lovely dinner with the 4 of us.

The next day we had Audreys P-p-party! We had her favorite dinner... Mac n cheese and salad. I had to add some pulled pork sandwiches to the menu for the adults in case Kraft mac and cheese didn't suit their fancy. She is just the sweetest thing. She and her little friends "Kenzie", "Jilly" and "Reecer" had fun playing with her new kitchen and doll bunk bed. She is such a love bug and I can not believe she is 3!


Last but not least to make a long story short. Jack and Audrey have had colds/coughs since the trip. So I finally took them in just to be checked, expecting the "it'll take it's course bit" we have antibiotics for 2 eye infections, 3 ear infections, an inhaler and mild phnemonia. Things seem to be slowing down. We have no other option!
;) Here's to March!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Audrey turns 3 on Friday February 13th! She is our Little Miss Sunshine. She loves to nurture anything/anyone, she has theee greatest facial expressions, she would rather be on the tea-cups at Disneyland than anywhere else in the world, she adores her Daddy, loves to snuggle with her Mommy and Jack her very best friend & her favorite thing to eat is macaroni and cheese and salad. We love you Auggie! Happy Birthday!

Bummer.

So tonight we were at Eric's basketball game at the church stake center in Modesto. I decided to keep my purse under my car seat knowing I would basically be chasing kids and didn't want to bother with it. I set my keys down by my chair next to the rest of the random clothes, jerseys and garb that hangs out on the stage during the basketball game. There were several families there watching too and a whole slew of kids.

When it came time to leave my keys were no where to be found. Eric drove separately coming straight from work so luckily he had a spare key. I can not stand losing things, like most everyone I know. I went back into the building twice to check. I asked Eric to go back and check one more time while I waited in the car with the kiddos. I reached under my chair to grab my purse anxious for the In n Out Burger run that was about to take place..... and GONESVILLE. Some person had taken my keys, found my car and stole my purse. At first I was just sick to my stomach...why didn't I put my keys in my pocket? why didn't i take my purse in?... who in the world had the audacity?

Another player had his keys stolen too. Only he doesn't have a spare key at all. He had to tow his car home before he could even see if anything was stolen. The burglar/loser was kind enough to lock it back for him. So first I was sick, then scared when I realized they could stroll on into our house. Then I was so angry. AND for the fact that they probably chucked my purse when they realized I didn't have any cash.

As I was driving home we saw a really bad wreck and then I realized I'd much rather be in my shoes than those shoes. When we called to make the report the Modesto police dept was at a code yellow. I guess there had been a multiple homicide so they weren't too concerned with car break ins. I think I would opt out of that situation too. Maybe a stolen purse isn't so bad? Jack was quite worried over hearing all the conversations that went on. But later said "Who ever did this did NOT choose the right. When the police catch him, he is going to jail for weeks!" Thank you CTR 5 class!

BAD NEWS
We spent 4ever on the phone canceling cards
In-N-Out was a candle in the wind.
I need my i.d. since we are flying to UT next week for a wedding!
My new flat iron was in my purse. Random. Don't ask.
Eric's spare key that cost $100 was on my key ring
That warm fuzzy feeling of helplessness.
It took quite a bit of consoling to undo Jack's worries
We need to redo our door locks

Good News
They didn't realize Eric's car was right next to mine
I happened to take out Jacks star wars guys before we left
Nobody had tried to use the cards
My Dad was willing to go back over with flashlights to look for my stuff in case they dumped it. Very sweet.
Jack and I had a good discussion about why it's important to CTR.
This encouraged Eric to buy a baseball bat.
a. I can cross it off his birthday/christmas list
b. It works on baseball, home invasions and aliens ( Have you seen the movie Signs? )
My fanny pack from 6th grade might be making a comeback.

Be careful out there. These are tuff times for people that do and do not CTR.

Respect the classics

So we happened to be flipping through the channels and the movie Across the Universe was on. (Musical w. all Beatles music) Not appropriate for kids BUT it was the finale & I stopped for a minute to watch the last scene of the movie where the guy is singing 'hey jude.' So i have loved the beatles for as long as I can remember. I wore the t shirts long before they turned into the cute Target vintage tee version. - Which looking back at my high school pics I'm not so sure if it was a good idea. Anyway! When the song was over Jack said "Mom. I hope you were recording that! That is my new favorite song!" We have since been listening to it repeatedly on my ipod. He's got a good handle on it and I will be glad when he has another song to perform besides the Weird Al version of "The Saga Begins." - Which he voluntarily performed at every Christmas party we attended singing/air guitar. Other favorites of Jack include, Another One Bites the Dust, Somebody to Love-Queen, I Can't Help Myself- the Four Tops. Love this boy's taste. ; )

Getting to know you. *Christmas style*

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both
2. Real tree or Artificial?? Artificial. It's definitely the most cost effective and less mess, doesn't die... need i go on?
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after black Friday
4. When do you take down the tree? Around New Years
5. Do you like eggnog?? I think I did when I was a kid, but not anymore. I think I just liked the decorated Christmas carton. Eric does. He loves the egg nog shake. Ew.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My bike, my Middleton doll, our Nintendo & my desk that I sill have!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes - thanks Mom!
8. Hardest person to buy for? brother & sister in laws.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Jack or Eric
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Attempt to mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?? I don't really remember a bad one.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation( I wouldn't doubt that the my family could quote 90% of this movie!) and The Grinch! (Jim Carrey version)
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so.
14. Favorite thing to eat during the holiday season? The Valk Christmas Eve grazing table. Mmmmmm
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both
16. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World!! Mine and Jack's fave.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Oh dear yes. Every year switch-a-roo for the actual Holiday then visit the other side of the family sometime during the month. This requires much work and promptness for Santa.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Of course
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning after we go out to breakfast at the crack of dawn.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People that storm the gates at WalMart and don't realize they are trampling someone??? What gives? Don't get me started.
21. Favorite ornament theme or color? We each get an ornament every year for something significant that happened during the year. I like the variety.
22. Favorite food for Christmas dinner?? Potatoes & gravy & Mom's pork roast....Mmmmmm
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I have everything I want, including my dream job since I was in kindergarten. Mrs. Claus.

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This is Halloween, this is halloween...

DURING

Our backyard will be completed this week! Yay!! Our grass was put in today. When we got home the kids ran through the house straight to the lawn and ran circles and rolled on the grass and got back up to run some more. One might have mistaken them for puppies.

BEFORE

So here is our backyard. Yes, some of those weeds are taller than the fence. Pathetic yet we had no need to cut them down until now!

My neighbor

Today when we were driving home from my parents (the house I grew up in) our old neighbor was out sweeping her walk. We grew up raking her leaves, riding our bikes up her driveway and declining the tea she offered us. ; ) Sweet lady. Her husband died probably 10 yrs ago. My Dad mowed their lawn, swept leaves off their roof and other misc. jobs since I can remember. We visited every once and a while and always sang to them every Christmas. She would invite us into their immaculate home. White carpet, porcelain elephants, fancy paintings. I'm sure my Mom was quite nervous. ; ) Shortly after her husband passed away she talked to my parents about the church and was baptized at 83 yrs. of age. - To sum up an amazing story in 1 sentence.

Well today we stopped and said Hi. My Mom had a birthday present to give her. When I pulled up she couldn't believe I was old enough to drive let alone 2 kids in the backseat. She is losing her memory a little bit & her daughter wants to put her in a assisted living home but she adamantly refuses. She said to me "I just love keeping house, I can't do that anymore if they put me in a home." Of all things I think housework would be the first thing I would like to scratch off my list! She must be close to 90, she's lonely, losing her memory and all she wants is to keep house.

Our little conversation made me quite grateful for all the housework I do and all the housework that is staring me in the face. I do it everyday and yet there will always be more tomorrow, while discouraging it is nice to know that I have so many other things that fill my life besides housework. Making a home is a wonderful thing. And someday if I am lonely and old and housework is the only link to my memory and meaning in my life then bring on the dishes!! I'm sure my gratefulness for cleaning will wear off shortly but just for today...

Facebook

So I have recently started a page on facebook. Quite exciting news, huh? Just when I start feeling comfortable blogging I start something else. anyway. I am amazed how social facebook is & how eager they are to find other facebook friends for you. But I guess that's cool and maybe a little weird too. Instant messenger was just starting to come around my senior year of high school. But not very many people had it at that point. The AOL dial-up sounds are still engraved in my brain. Holy cow what a bad student I would have been back in the day if I had all these websites to keep up with while trying to study Biology!

Gympoopstics

I love watching gymnastics but this time around I have been a little disappointed. I understand why the US got silver in the the team gymnastics BUT the individual vault and bars situations are beyond me. I don't see how the girl from China got a bronze and landed on her knees! over someone who landed both vaults - Alicia. Sure her vault was ranked more difficult but she couldn't pull it off! Doesn't that have anything to do with it? Her hands were in the wrong place and she landed on her knees. Knees being different than feet. So I guess the judging is based more on intentions than actual performance. Just when I was moving on with my life.
Nastia gets silver in a tie? They go shift it into some back-up micro scoring within the scoring the first time around came out as a tie????? I am not too gymnastic savvy, maybe that is the reason I am so disgusted.

AND as far as the age-limit thing goes, apparently the young Chinese girls can compete with older girls so maybe they should reevaluate the age range. Because when you lose to someone with poor judging, the same person who shouldn't even be there in the first place you might as well just hand them the salt to poor in your gaping wound.

Sounds like a broken system.

oh what do you do in the summer time?

Well I feel like we are just getting back to reality. We took a trip to UT and had a great time with the Healys in July. We got back just in time for a Valk retreat in Pinecrest. Then, Uncle Brett, Eric's brother came to visit and my mom and I celebrated our birthdays together! It has been a fun and busy summer. Needless to say we don't have any travel plans for the rest of the year. The slideshow is a bit lengthy but in case you are up late, bored or really interested in another one of my amaaaaazing slideshows than kick back and enjoy. ; )

1957

You Belong in 1957

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Surely I thought my love of Rock would put me in the 60's. But I guess there is nothing wrong with the 50's. With pearls and that hair maybe I should be inviting people over for cocktails & meatloaf more often. ; )

Gas Guzzlers

So as a resident of Bridal Ridge we pay PG&E for our gas and MID for our electric. Simple enough? Not so fast. PG&E can now legally charge residents in this area the for NOT USING their "electric". Apparently PG& E had dibs on gas AND electric & only got gas. Not my problem, you would think...

I got to pay my first check - retro active of when we moved in- for services to PG&E --not used. They call it "nobypassable charges" which by the way does not happen to be a real word.

We have only lived here a short time so we only had to pay $5. Not a big deal since I have $5. But from now on there will be a monthly fee from PG&E for not using their electric.

Lame company award this week goes to ..........drum roll......

Pacific Gas & Electric! You win nonbypassable charges from hundreds of people.

Disneyland + Newport Beach= 1 Great Vacation

So we went to Disneyland!!! WooHoo. The last time I was there I was 8 months pregnant with Audrey. It was a bit ruff but so fun to watch Jack experience it for the first time. Even at a year and a half he loved it! I am so not against kids being "to young" for Disneyland. We surprised the kids, we didn't tell them until we were walking up to the gates and Jack whipped around..."Are we going to DISNEYLAND?!!!" Audrey loved the Merry-go-round! That's why there are so many pictures of us on it. Jack and I went on Star Tours while Audrey and her Daddy rode the "horsies" over & over. It just so happens that they have a Jedi training show going on at Disneyland. Go figure! Jack loved it. Darth Vader, Darth Maul and storm troopers showed up. We were only there a day but fit in enough rides, parades, food, for at least 3 days. The kids got to meet Mickey. Audrey was completely star struck while Jack was asking us.." Why isn't Mickey saying anything?! I'm trying to talk to him, but he won't answer me!" We all had a great time. When we were on the Tea Cups for the 3rd time the kids were just laughing & laughing and Eric said " who knew the tea cups would ever be this fun." It's so fun to play with your kids all day and get away from the "I've got to go to work and I need to get the dishes done."etc.

THEN we went to visit Eric's sister and husband and new baby that just moved from the East coast to the West Coast! Yay! We had a great visit with them. We spent some quality time at the beach, ate tons of good food and loved watching the kids melt over their new baby cousin. This is the first of many trips to come!

It's that time again...

So I think potty training is the hardest thing I've had to do as a parent so far... hands down. If you are appalled by this statement then please let me know your secret. Our sweet little Auggie is 2 yrs. & 4 months & I am more than excited to be done with diapers. Wish me luck! It's going to be a long and messy road. I will have to consult my favorite parenting expert again - Jo Frost aka " The Nanny" ( besides my Mom.) Supernanny - How to Get the Best From Your Children is the best, most realistic parenting book I've ever seen. Just wanted to share with you my Sunday night reading material. ; ) Here we go little Miss!

Check it out----->
Supernanny - How to Get the Best From Your Children

"Shot through the heart...and you're to blame..."

So I think getting shots is just one of the saddest things. Your kids trust you with their lives and you hand them over to someone with rubber gloves & a long needle. Of course I would never trade the benefits of immunizations I just wish the kiddies could somehow comprehend it a little better. TODAY - we went for a well child check to meet our new Doctor. Thought it would be good in case we get sick that he will have seen us before. I don't know how long I had spent reassuring Jack that no shots were due this visit. Much to my dismay he had 4 due plus a tb test & Audrey had 2 plus a tb test. Apparently CA gives certain immunizations earlier in case all the friends that arrive here - wanted or unwanted have Hep. or other nasty infectious diseases. anyway So ON TOP OF SHOTS - he requested lab work too. All to be done today. ARE YOU SERIOUSLY JOKING ME? I felt so bad. I could have croaked. Jack and Audrey had done so well during their check-up. And Jack hears the word "SHOT" and he looks straight at me and said "Mom, he said Shot. We're not getting shots today." Shots are bad enough and then you have to watch your sibling go first. Jack was yelling at the nurses. "That's my baby sister!" We were a sight.

So after I carried them both out of the Injection Dept. at the Pediatrics facility- all of us crying mind you, we drove over to the hospital for blood work. Jack in his prayers always blesses our hearts, our skeletons and our blood. He is very aware that these things are IN our body. So what does the nurse say to us when we arrive,
"We're just going to take your blood." AHHH! -- As Jack and I shift it into panic mode. He thinks she's a vampire and I think she needs to brush up on her pediatric vocabulary! We survived, barely. I don't know when to break the news that we have to go back in 2 days for them to clear his TB test.....