Balloon Launch: 2009 & 2010

We went to the Balloon Launch this morning. I was so excited that I kept checking the clock to see what time it was. Finally, at 5:30 am, I decided it was time to get up. My plan was to have us at the field by 6:30 am, and we made it. JoJo was especially surprised that I arrived before her. I think her exact words were, "What? Amanda's already there?!"

It was no surprise that Becca & Mary-Gail loved the balloons. I thought they'd enjoy getting closer to the balloons and even being able to touch them (the operator of the "Pig" hot-air balloon let people touch the pig's hooves), but when I approached the balloon, Becca & Mary-Gail clenched their legs around my waist so tightly (plus their pleas to stay back) that we decided to enjoy the balloons from a safer distance.

Balloon Launch July 2009

Sweet little Mary-Gail holds Grandma

Grandma & Mary-Gail, Me, Pappy & Becca...

...with Josh & Ella

Snapped right before the balloons launched - just in time for the sun to part between the mountains. Beautiful

Becca absolutely loved the Pig!

Lots & lots of balloons for the 2009 Balloon launch

All lined up eating donuts and drinking chocolate milk & juice

McKena pulled the girls around w/a little help from Josh

Josh & Abbie took Becca, Mary-Gail, and Ella to see the helicopter

"Beep-beep-beep." Back it on up, Taylor!

Balloon Launch Friday, July 2, 2010

Kemps; Chrismans; Browns
Amy-Cakes joined us for the balloon launch this year. Dad was home helping Carly w/her twiners, and Mom arrived shortly before she had to work - just in time for hugs from her grandchildren.

The Pig was still there


Smokey the Bear. I'm pretty sure I saw a Forest Ranger there too

Mary-Gail belted out her loudest "Cheese!" for the picture-taker


In my brain I'm inserting the word "Diet" above "Coke." Ahhhh, Diet Coke. This is the best hot-air balloon ever!


The balloons couldn't launch this morning - there were strong winds in the higher altitudes that made flying the hot-air balloons too dangerous. But thankfully they were still able to fill the balloons and patrons could get closer to them than last year.

Just like last year Josh & Pam supplied the chocolate milk & juice + cups & napkins, & blanket. JoJo brought yummy patriotic frosted donuts and apple fritters. And me, well I just tag along :)

Becca stuffed the whole powdered donut in her mouth; Mary-Gail opted to lick the powdered sugar off (after which she discarded the donut and got a new one to lick clean)

Ahh, for cute!

Captured Becca air-borne: both feet in the air in her trade-mark gallop crossing the parking lot

Headed to the Life-Flight Helicopter. This year the Life-Flight nursing staff let people inside the gate to see the helicopter up close.

I love all the hand holding w/Uncle Josh and the cousins

And just like last year, Josh has all the kidlets. He's really, really good with kids. So patient and so playful. Becca & Mary-Gail absolutely adore him

This is how I roll

I first saw this video back in May when I was visiting Carly in Phoenix. We both laughed so hard I thought for sure we had six-packs afterwards! The song gets stuck in my head and it's not long until I find myself "mama-rapping" as I go about my day. I used to ask Tony, "Where are the girls?" but after seeing this video I say, "Yo, where my kids at?" Not sure Tony will let me trade the 'Burb for a mini, but...

Thanks to my super-fly friend, Kellie, for posting it on her blog. Love that Knapp family!

Swim lessons started today

...and all I can say is, "He-lar-i-ous!"

Gage & Reese are in the same class - The Stingrays; and the triplets - Becca, Miguel, & Cy - are in the "Dolphin" class. Cy did his own thing, Miguel made sure I saw her every time she did something: "Mommy, I did it! I did it Mommy!" and Becca was, as always (and so typical to her personality), the superstar. And no one drowned, although Mary-Gail was seriously close to it. She was so excited to show me what she was doing, that she left her class and walked over to me (while still in the water), slipped and couldn't get her feet under her to stand back up. She was a little rag doll, upside down in the water, flailing helplessly. I ran to her and in one motion grabbed her arm and lifted her out of the water into my arms. Amidst her coughing Mary-Gail said, "Ma, did I fall in the water?" Yeah, baby girl, you did fall in the water.

I forgot my camera, but in all honesty I couldn't have snapped any pictures today. I was a sweaty, nervous wreck watching these little ones (there were 5 kids in each class) in the gigantic pool with only one teacher. But after they all got comfortable, I was laughing and smiling and waving and encouraging. There was no way I could have managed pictures too. Maybe when it's JoJo's turn to take the kids; we have Swim Lessons for the next two weeks so I'm sure we'll have pictures before it's over. PLUS, we all got a free-pass to come back to the pool during regular hours to swim. And that will be loads of fun.

Strength from Christ

I echo Stephanie, and Nephi in the Book of Mormon, and my father when I say: I am grateful for my trials.

I am plagued by them now, but I know - I believe, I have faith - I will overcome them. And just like Jeffrey R. Holland said in the video clip (taken from this talk), we may, in fact, be closer to our Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ during our trials than any other time in our lives. Pull strength from Jesus Christ and keep moving forward, and listen to Becca & Mary-Gail sing, "Just keep swimming; just keep swimming..." (from Dori from Finding Nemo).

Man, I love my daughters. They are a huge blessing in my life. HUGE.

Phoenix is Heaven

I never thought I'd use those two words - "Phoenix" and "Heaven" in the same sentence - but it is true. I am in Phoenix visiting my baby sister, and I am in Heaven because I am helping my baby sister care for her brand-new, baby twin girls. Who could have ever imagined that my baby sister, Carly, and I would share in the joy of twins...and GIRL twins. Amazing!

Here are the twins!! Twin B: Quincy Joanna (in the pink-striped blanket) &

Twin A: Tenley Magnolia (in the green-striped blanket)

Me and Tenley Magnolia shortly after I arrived Wednesday night - right on the girls' 4th week of life

(Tenley is smiling at me!)

Rows & rows of bottles ready to be heated up

Reminds me of my fridge 3 1/2 years ago. Only my bottles would have been much smaller (Carly's critter's are already up to 5 ounces every 3 hours!), and I would have had several liters of Diet Coke...and no MinuteMaide Limeade

This is one seriously-tired Momma

Me, Becca, & Mary-Gail (on the Boppy)

See Becca & Mary-Gail's bottles - they only held 60 cc (2 oz each)!

Lovey snapped this picture a few days after our girls came home from the hospital.

I kept complaining, "where is the girls' nurse? Who is going to take care to these girls?!"

This is one seriously happy - but still very tired - and more experienced w/feeding & burping two-babies-at-once, Aunt!

Quincy in my arms; Tenley (smiling) in my lap

Motherhood is so jammed packed full of emotions! And it's very difficult to feel like you're doing your best when you're so stinking exhausted. JoJo & I had a plan for when we came to help CarCar: we were on the night shift. Carly needed to sleep; no "if's, and's or but's" about it. My Mom was with Carly for the 1st week, and did her best helping with the girls, but wasn't able to do the night-shift alone. Then JoJo flew in and absolutely insisted that she take the night-shift for the entire week that Jo was here (and if you know JoJo, she not only did the night-shift each night, but she also fixed supper, did laundry, ran errands...). Then Carly was solo for 4 days & nights until Spencer's Mom flew in. Carly said, "Those 4-days/nights were the hardest to get through." But Spencer's Mom, like my Mom, wasn't able to do the night-shift, and so Carly operated on less then 3 hours of sleep each day until I flew in. And I, like JoJo (except for the "fixing dinner, doing laundry, and running errands" part of JoJo) have done the night-shift every night I've been here.

I mention this only because in these last two photos I was on the night-shift in both photos. But the different expression on my face has to do with sleep! I am averaging about 2.5 hours of sleep a night in both pictures, but I know that the mom in the 2nd picture (Carly) is sleeping! The mom in the first picture is not, is seriously sleep deprived, and is not enjoying this "thing" called Motherhood.

So what I know is that Carly will NOT experience the horrid torture of sleep-deprivation while I am here. I love being of service to her, and I love that CarCar trusts me to care for her baby-babes. But mostly I love that Carly knows that to be her best self, she needs to sleep. I wish I could have told that to the 1st-time Momma in the photo above - the one who would wear her eye-mask all day, hoping for one lousy minute to close her eyes and rest. I also know that when I go home, I get to sleep through the night...a full 8 hours...ahhh.

CarCar, you wear your eye mask tonight with style! I love you!!!

Visiting my best friend

I leave for Phoenix tomorrow night. I'm headed to Car's to see her and her babies, and to help where I can. Everyone keeps saying to me, "how did you do it? With Twins?" And I say, "How did you do it with one?"

Twins just seem so 'natural' to me - especially now with Becca & Mary-Gail approaching 3 1/2 years old. They are each other's best friends. Mary-Gail says all the time, "Ma, is Becca my best friend?" "Of course she is!" And Becca said to me the other day (when I was putting her in the corner for time-out), "...but you're my best friend, Mom." I knelt down to her, gave her a hug, and told Becca that she was my best friend too. BUT...she still needed to go to the corner.

Becca & Mary-Gail are so silly together - one of those "looks" to each other and they bust up laughing. Reminds me of me, JoJo, and Car. We can still give each other a "look" and laugh ourselves silly. I've said this before many times, but I can't help saying it again: a girl needs a sister! Girls just need other girls. Last time I went to Phoenix to see Car, I just laughed and laughed - seeing her pregnant was so funny. I mean, this was my baby sister, and she was pregnant with twins. Now, I get to see her holding and loving her twin girls; and I get to help her, just like she helped me. I'm thrilled to be heading back-in-time to newborn baby girls. I hope I can do it right this time, and not make as many mistakes.

They're heere!

OK, so...my newest nieces have left Heavenly Father & Jesus' presence, and have arrived to the best, most hopeful, most energetic and definitely most loving parents possible!!!! Congrats to Carly & Spencer Mortensen - they have 2 (TWO) beautiful baby girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carly & Spencer had their girls tonight at 8:30 pm (-ish). Both girls are doing amazingly well: breathing on their own! Their APGAR scores were 8 & 9 out of 10!!! JoJo jokingly asked me what Becca & Mary-Gail's scores were. (Well, Becca was probably a 1 or 2 at best, and Miguel was basically dead so she was a big zero). Oh CarCar - I am so thrilled for you! We will continue to pray for your swift recovery and for your two beauties that they will continue to be strong and healthy and fight, fight, fight!

barely there

This morning I found myself completely overwhelmed, stressed-out, frustrated, and exhausted. I sat at the computer printing off the measly number of orders we had this morning (this time last year we averaged 30+/day, and today we only had 6), and I just burst into tears. Thoughts flooded my mind, and I just couldn't suppress them anymore. "It was the straw that broke the camel's back." The question "WHY?" popped into my head and I struggled to force it out. I never like thinking about "why?" It just doesn't do any good to think about that.

Becca & Mary-Gail were close by playing in Daddy's "toys" (read: tools & machines), and they surrounded me in their arms. My 3 1/2 year olds all-of-a-sudden turned into 30-year olds consoling their sobbing mother. Becca said, "Momma, it's OK. Don't cry - I love you," and Mary-Gail said, "Ma, don't be sad. Be happy!" I momentarily forgot that they were too young to understand the weight of my sadness and spilled out all of my emotions, rambling on-and-on. All the while Becca's little body sat on my lap while she patted my back, and Mary-Gail's arms were around my neck - her head buried next to mine.

I'm in survival mode right now. Just barely getting by. Oh sure - if you saw me at work, or at church, or at the grocery store - I'd give you my best smile and pull on the facade I've been so good at showing. And most of the time, that's OK. For me I have to "trick" myself into believing. My reserves have been depleted and I'm all done. For month's I've blamed this on my depression coupled with seasonal depression, but, let's be honest - the snow from April 1st snow storm has already melted and the sun is out. And I did get a super-boost charge from Sunday's General Conference. But,...

Yesterday I spontaneously purchased a flight to see my baby sister in Phoenix. I mean, I thought about it around 9am, and by 2pm I had the e-ticket. I fly out tomorrow. Thankfully, family stepped in to care for R&MG while I'm gone, and I couldn't be more blessed to have such wonderful family - Aunt Carol & Travis , YOU ARE THE BEST! I feel like I'm running away in a sense, but don't worry - I made sure to buy a Round-Trip ticket so I would come back.

Lovey and I used to talk and dream about selling everything, buying an RV, and traveling with the dogs and the girls. We'd joke and say things like, "Yeah, and when we run out of money, we'll just work at the local gas station until we get enough for gas, and then we'll move on to the next stop." I'm not joking anymore - I want to do it.

Buy this house!

This fabulous 2,230 sf Twin Home - located in Springville - is for sale by owner!

Knotty Alder kitchen cabinets (plus Knotty Alder trim & casing throughout the home)

plus large dining area to the left of this picture

Such an inviting living room - just off of the kitchen

One of the 3 bedrooms

Master bedroom (with private bath)

Outside the Master bedroom window

This house can be found on CraigsList at this site

"You must have a ticket"

Pappy came on Monday with a surprise! But before the girls could find out the "surprise," they had to create a ticket. "You must have a ticket," Pappy told the girls. He drew a house on Mary-Gail's paper and wrote the word "chic." On Becca's paper Pappy started to draw a duck - but Becca doesn't like anyone to touch her papers - so she banned Pappy from finishing the drawing. "I can do it!" she emphatically told Pappy. And Pappy had Reese draw a bunny on her paper.

"What do you think we're going to do today?" Pappy asked. Let's see...there is a house w/a baby chick in it, a supposed drawing of a duck (from Rebecca), and a baby bunny. Hmmmm. Pappy then announced that he was taking the three girls to Intermountain Farmer's Association (IFA) to see the baby chicks, ducks, and bunnies! The girls quickly handed in their "tickets" so they could go!!

Mary-Gail's ticket; Rebecca's ticket; Reese's ticket

IFA had lots of baby ducks, but the baby chicks were gone and there were only a few baby bunnies left. Pappy said he went to IFA on Saturday, and there were tons! Looks like some families got baby chicks and baby bunnies for Easter presents. (I'm so glad Pappy didn't bring home one for our girls!)

Reese and the baby bunny - she could live with animals!

Becca ever-so-carefully holds the baby bunny

Reese is so good at handling little animals - she's had practice with her little kitty "Peanut"

Becca loves anything soft & fluffy and always rubs whatever it is against her face.

In this case, the "soft & fluffy" is a baby duck

Becca follows up her love-rub with a sweet little kiss for the baby duck

Pure happiness. Nothing lights up a room like this little girl!

The store kept the baby ducks and baby bunnies in separate large feeding troughs. There is such wonder and interest in these little animals

Pappy loaded the girls in the 'Burb and treated them to lunch! He was so thrilled all the girls ate their lunch, and then when they got home, they asked for more - they were still hungry! This is a side of my girls that Pappy's rarely seen - hunger.

Becca & Miguel are checking out the sack to see if there are any fries left

Eating lunch on the lawn downtown

Pappy is full of surprises, and Monday's adventure was a surprise! He showers these three little girls with a tremendous amount of love and affection. I'm thrilled and thankful that Reese, Rebecca, & Mary-Gail are the recipients of Pappy's love and time, and they love their "Pappy-time!" Pappy's been watching these girls since March 15th - he's starting week 3 of Pappy DayCare. He's cooked with them, colored and read books with them, and he's helped glue sticks to an empty can and turn it into a pencil holder.