Overwhelmed

We hadn't heard back from the transportation office about our move date, so yesterday we got up early and went since Matthew had the day off. They weren't thrilled with the short notice but by noon we had a carrier and notice that the packers would begin Thursday, the 13th. ACK!! That one extra day put my stress levels through the roof because it is causing me to cut my house hunting trip short and I am not sure how I'm going to get all the pre-move things done now. I feel like I don't have time to go to Vegas and house hunt unless I don't sleep for the next twenty four hours :p

On a positive note, I have over 125 houses to sort through and to my shock and amazement the house we saw in June that we really liked is still available! The one from our most recent list before this had an application submitted just on the sixth :/ maybe it won't go through but it is likely to be gone. Oh well...

Jared's Pokemon Dive Ball Cake

Jared's birthday is Friday, but one of his friends is only around on Weds, so we decided to celebrate early with a Pokemon Battle Party. This is really Jared's first official party, though it was not pitched as a birthday party at all. Some of his friends brought gifts, but most did not. In our head, the party would consist of a tournament style event. Eight boys were invited and everyone drew a card. Matching cards were meant to battle each other. Unfortunately half the group had no idea how to battle and a good hour or so was spent teaching them so only a couple of boys managed to do more than one battle. As a party favor, everyone received a Pokemon card from a booster pack. At the end we went swimming for about a half hour. I hope everyone had fun.

Like Aaron, Jared chose a Pokemon themed cake. He chose a Pokemon Dive Ball, making it another year of a water theme. I decided a poke cake would be a fun way to prepare it because I could use blue jello and have a water effect all the way through. So although he didn't have the jello pool like in year's past, he did have jello in the cake. I debated a white cake or a lemon cake and ended up with a blend. I added lemon juice to the cake batter and frosting but it really wasn't flavored much. I used the Jolly Rancher Blue Raspberry jello, strawberry cream cheese frosting to layer and stack the cakes, and a cream cheese/whipped topping lemon frosting dyed blue for the design. I think it turned out pretty well.

Jared wanted characters on top and I had originally planned on creating some water characters for it, but it was delusions of grandeur. I ended up making the cake within hours before the party which is a bad thing for a poke cake. It is best to let it soak overnight. I ended up putting it in the freezer to chill and most of the boys didn't eat their slice. Oh well. But I digress.... While I worked on the cake, Jared and Aaron made Pokemon characters from marshmallows: Cleffa, Igglybuff, and Execute. There were just enough that I could put them around the cake.

Recipes Used:

Nathan's Lemon Cake base (subbed whole milk w/ vinegar and 4 TB lemon juice. I dyed 1/4 c sugar blue thinking I'd use it as sprinkles on the top of the cake, but added it to the batter instead. The cake turned a greenish hue as it mixed with the yellow butter, but it looked fine once it was done and the blue jello was absorbed. I also only had one egg, so two of them were THRIVE eggs. Instead of water I added lemon juice.)

Raspberry poke cake (referenced for making and adding the jello)

Lemon Poke Cake (Recipe is basically the same as Nathan's cake but uses sour cream instead of buttermilk. She adds sweetened condensed milk instead of jello. I based my frosting off her cream cheese frosting and the traditional cool whip frosting for poke cakes.)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (Used the leftover frosting from Aaron's cake to layer and dirty frost Jared's cake)

My frosting:

8 oz tub of cool whip
8 oz softened cream cheese
powdered sugar to consistency (at least one cup)
about 1 tsp lemon extract (I didn't measure, just poured)

We want cake! Give me some chocolate cake!

Aaron's birthday was on Wednesday. This was no ordinary one though, this was his 8th birthday! He had the privilege of being baptized that day as well, due to the timing of the move and grandparents being in town still. It was a great experience. Matthew gave a combined talk on baptism and the Holy Ghost. He asked Aaron questions throughout, as he answered each of them with assurity. Afterwards, Sharon said she was very impressed by him because she would have had to whisper the answers to Eliza.

After the baptism everyone came to the apartment and Matthew cooked hamburgers. Only the Blacks and the family attended, but we were prepared for as many as fifty people. We have a lot of hamburgers left :p Mike and Tran left as we pulled out the cake because Gen was getting fussy tired. Aaron chose a Pokemon theme this year, so I made a Master Ball. Simple enough - round cake with purple and white frosting. Unfortunately I ended up having to make his cake twice because my flour tasted too metallic from the #10 can. But it was so much better the second time. I added chocolate chips to the batter and tried the trick of coating them in flour so they don't sink. It worked, but since I forgot to put them in the batter until they were already in the pan, they just sat on top and didn't melt into the cake. I ended up getting the chips off the bottom cake so it would be flat enough to stack. Oops. I left them on the second cake and used it for the top layer. It worked.

I also decided to make the strawberry cream cheese frosting from scratch. I made a strawberry reduction and went the extra mile to sieve the seeds out so Mom could eat it. It was very time consuming but Aaron was happy to do that for me. I'd wanted to make the cream cheese frosting as well but bought one just in case which is good because I used it.

Overall I think it turned out well. It wasn't pretty or very creative, but all the stress and effort are worth it when I hear the words, "I love it!"

For future reference, these are the recipes I used:

The Best Chocolate Cake is a great reference for the 'why' of each ingredient
Chocolate Cake (ended up adding three eggs instead of 2 plus 1 yolk)
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (I used probably two cups of strawberries, half frozen and half fresh. I still have a lot of the reduction left and have used it to flavor yogurt and other things.)

The strawberry cream cheese frosting was still kind of runny after using the sugar amount listed, so I added another cup or so. It hardened up well in the fridge though. Had I realized the implications of that, I would have added more to the middle layer but it was still ok. We ended up with three flavors. Purple was vanilla, white was cream cheese, and pink was strawberry cream cheese.

Here and There

Last weekend the boys and I traveled to Manassa, CO to meet the family and celebrate Gma's 90th birthday. All but one sibling group and Matthew were there. It was so wonderful to be together. We visited the Great Sand Dunes an hour from there, as well as attend the Pioneer Day parade and rodeo. The drive was beautiful and the boys were amazing. Great memories. The girls have grown so much! Peter really took a liking to Hannah which was surprising and delightful. Occasionally he'd go to Sarah, but Hannah was chosen even over me by the end. We only had two whole days together. Much too short, but still so grateful for the time.

Dad traveled back with me because I was having car problems. It was really helpful to have another adult in the car. We only had to turn the car off once, and that was in Price when we stopped for gas. Thankfully Mark took his car battery charger and let me borrow it so we were able to get the car going again after waiting for it to charge a little. Peter did not want anything to do with Gpa until the last hour before he left. Sad, but at least he did finally warm up to him.

Monday Peter decided to try his legs at walking. He is officially a toddler now. He riddled across the living room to where Aaron was playing with his walker. He hung out there for awhile with Jared and his trumpet and then he decided he'd come over to me. He did it and giggled all the way!! We clapped and cheered. He's been walking off and on since!

Friday we finally received our official orders. Let the chaos begin! Matthew reports on the 10th. We were both released from our callings today. It is bittersweet and surreal. We have been in a good place. The Lord knew what he was doing when he directed us here. I trust He will have the best place picked out for us there as well.

Lamps

Began Monday, July 13

"If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish the oil." ~Elder Fallon H. Oaks, April 2004, Gen Conf

I am embarrassed to admit that my spiritual lamp has been getting pretty empty. In fact, I've been feeling kind of hollow and on my own because I'm not doing what it takes to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

I had the privilege of attending a friend's sealing in the Payson, UT temple in Saturday the 11th. The sealing was scheduled for 5:30 pm but we sat waiting for probably twenty minutes before they came in. I took the opportunity to enjoy being in the temple. I had rushed to get there and I allowed myself to take a deep breath and slow down. I prayed and pondered and allowed the spirit of the temple to penetrate my heart. The sealer spoke to the couple and then proceeded with the ordinance. It was beautiful and so special as I thought about their journey to this moment. I was filled with love for my own family. I felt such love and gratitude for Matthew and each of my children. The temple filled that hollow spot.

I gained an appreciation and testimony of the importance of regular temple attendance. Truly there is power in doing this. We become fortified and strengthened. I know I've been pretty hard to live with lately, and I think if I filled my cup with the influence of the Spirit everyone would be happier, but especially me.

Firsts

Peter's birthday was last week. I made carrot cake and banana cupcakes, both with cream cheese frosting. He prefers the banana ones and wasn't sure what to think of the frosting. Mom sent a present we picked up on Thursday. He LOVES it.

He took his first steps on Sunday or Monday night before his birthday in Aaron's room. He was trying to get to the tote to reach for Aaron's triathlon chip. He took two steps in a row. He's done that twice but is still content to get on the floor and crawl.

Peter is an amazing mimic. I've gotten him to say "cock-a-doodle-doo", "cow", "cat" (and actually he said that on his own when he saw Ginger at the Black 's on Thursday), "mama, "dad", and a few other sounds. Sometimes it seems like he is saying Aaron and Jared. He also has a version of "uh-oh". He's been fascinated with the air vents lately and dropping things in them. With the exception of one, thankfully they've been closed so the object isn't actually going down the vent. The other day he was dropping something into the kitchen vent. He turned to me and started going "uh uh". I fished it out for him and a game ensued. He immediately dropped it back in. I didn't get it for him this time. He did the whole "uh uh" again and when I wouldn't get it for him he tried to lift the vent himself. Smartee pants. He is also signing "water" and "more". It isn't precise, but it works.

We also had our first experience with pink eye last week. I think we are done with it, but I am still nervous.

Peter has been experiencing some extreme separation anxiety. We've been doing swim lessons and one of the concepts we've been working on is for him to sit and wait for me. I don't know if there's a connection, but he's started being content on the bed if he wakes up and I'm in the shower. The first time it happened I was really surprised. He'd been crying/screaming, but I talked to him through the closed door and pretty soon he was quiet. When I finally came out, he was laying down facing the door waiting patiently. It was like something had clicked for him and with few exceptions we've not had issues when I'm in the bathroom or after. It's been nice. Around the house is a different story. He is getting picky about going to anyone but me. Although one night he did ask for Jared, which made Jared feel really good. But even Matthew is having issues with him. If I'm holding Peter, he won't even look at Matthew. It's going to be interesting as we get closer to the move and Mom and Dad are around and babysitting.

It's been an interesting first year. It's been quite the adjustment having a little one around again. I feel my age, but I'm grateful he's in our lives and feel life is richer because of it.

Time to Move on

I am not doing well at keeping up with my blog :P Hard to believe last year I was writing almost daily. Life with a baby certainly has changed things around here. Everything seems to take so much more effort :P But I wouldn't change it for anything. There's a lot of love and enjoyment centered around that little boy.

Summer is here, and it looks very different from last year. For one, the pool by our apartment was plowed under and a dog park is replacing it. Poo. Literally....  At the moment there is only one pool open and it is up by the leasing office. It takes so much more effort to get there than it did when we could just step out our side yard and be there. Carting a baby around and all his trappings make it that much more of an ordeal. I did finally get to do free time in the pool the other day b/c he was still asleep in the car seat when we got there. I was honestly a bit grouchy with the boys in an effort to get them to move quicker so I could actually get some swim time. I got a few laps in before Peter started complaining enough I had to get out.

I've been taking a tot and me swim class the last two weeks. Peter loves the water. He has no fear. The class has been good though that little guy is showing his strong will already.  We have a basic routine that is being added to with each class. Last week the child was to sit on the edge of the pool and wait while the parent is a few steps away counting to five. After the five counts, we approach the child, say their name, and tell them it is ok to get in the water. Well, Mr. 11 months old was having a hard time with that concept (of course. ) But he is a smart one and quickly realized that if I wasn't going to let him in the water, he'd just take off the other way. Pretty soon he was crawling away from the pool and giggling the whole way!! I've been trying to apply the principle in other areas too - namely being on the bed. I think (hope) it is starting to work b/c twice now while I've been in the shower he's cried and complained like normal, but then by the time I get out he's just laying on the edge of the bed waiting patiently. This first time he did it I was quite surprised and pleased. Progress, I hope.

The first day of summer I did my walk as usual while the boys rode their bikes. I'm not sure what happened, but it wore me out! Seems every effort I make to exercise this summer has given me the same result. So, I haven't done my routine walk since. We hiked Neff's Canyon Trail with one of Matthew's college room mates a week ago. It was just about the right climb for me, but it wiped me out for days and my calves were so sore!! It was a beautiful place though. I had to descend early to find some facilities, but while I was gone Aaron had a run-in with a coiled snake. Thankfully he was
safe. He'd said that it hissed at him, but my guess is that it was a rattle he heard.

Matthew signed himself and the boys up for a triathlon to be completed this coming weekend. This month has zoomed by, but when he registered them it seemed so far away. And now here we are, the week of the competition. The boys have worked hard running, biking, and some swimming. Aaron really has no swimming skills, so Matthew spent some time teaching him how to float and do the frog stroke. Hopefully that will help some. Thankfully I was able to register them for swim lessons starting this week too. I hope he can make some good progress between now and Friday. Jared is mostly concerned about the run, but everytime they've done a run, he's walked. So, he should be worried. He'll be awesome on the bike though. Aaron gives his whole heart to the process.

Last year for my birthday I was obsessed with getting a bike and that was to be my present. I never really found one. Well, I did this year - at Good Will for $20. I found a bike for Aaron too so everyone would have one for the Triathlon. Aaron's needed a few tweaks, but for $6 it was worth it. Well, Jared took my bike for a ride, played with all the gears and has basically claimed it as his own. It was so funny when he got back on his previously preferred red bike. He claimed someone shrank it. We've been trying to tell him he was getting to big for it, but it wasn't until he rode a bigger bike that he believed us. So, now I am once again without a bike. Oh well. It is a pretty sweet bike.

My birthday also brought dairy back into my life. So far Peter seems to be handling it well. I need to do better about exercising control, but it is good and weird to be free to eat cheese again. I have done pretty well to maintain my weight since the end of the contest. Since my birthday I've fluctuated a few pounds but still done pretty well to maintain - not bad for three months of staying the same.

Our lease was up in April and we debated what to do. Months before that when we were trying to figure things out, the answer I received was "stay." Ultimately that it was we did despite an apartment opening up (right across from THE pool) that we really liked and wanted. At this point I am grateful because we will only need to move once this year now (which was part of the reasoning for not moving). Matthew had applied for the AGR program (full time military position) earlier in the year. He was told that if he could get unflagged for his PT, they would have a position for him. In the meantime, he got hired on as a civilian for a local unit. He was able to pass his PT test recently and his flag was removed, enabling him to be hired on as AGR.  We knew it was coming but had no idea when. We hoped the timing would work out that his year of probation in his civilian job would end before he was given an AGR assignment. We've had these balls in the air wondering when they would land and what the plan would be, but it was all speculation. The balls finally began landing over the last few weeks. At the end of May he found out his civilian position was being dissolved. Boo. However, he was being transferred back to the unit he left, just not as a paralegal. The change is good because he is no longer doing the work of five people, but the work of one. He only has to wear the UA hat. yay! It also helps that he knows all the office staff and they know him. He started his new position on Monday.

Ironically, the Wed before that he got the AGR call. The offer is in Las Vegas doing what he did before becoming a paralegal (you know, the kind of job he'd been hoping to get for the last three years). He accepted the assignment and the ball has not only landed but is rolling steadily that direction. They have told him that he can expect orders about July 10th with a tentative start date of July 31st. So, the rest of this summer is a balance of enjoying the last bits of UT and preparing for our next adventure. It is presumably a three year assignment, so we will be able to have respite from moving for a time. It will be really nice to have the stability and some roots - and a house! At the end of the three years, he should be able to return to UT and pick up his civilian job again. And while he's away, he'll accrue the pay raises and leave as if he'd never left. Best of both worlds - active duty benefits (yay for going back on Tricare!) and civilian benefits.  It has been quite the journey to get to this point, but the Lord promised a pot of gold at the end of the tunnel when he left for NJ and His promises are sure. The blessings are raining down.

Quick Catch-up

Has it really been four months since I last posted?!

Today was Peter's 9 mo check. He weighed in at 17.9 pounds and is 27 in long (5th %). Dr is concerned that he has not gained much in the last three months. Last appt we chalked it up to him being more mobile. Now he's starting to get concerned. Dr checked is iron which was fabulous. We've been dairy free for the last 3 months (great for weight loss, terrible for most of my meal plans.) We'll start trying yogurt in two more months and see if there really is a dairy allergy.

Peter is cruising, clapping, blowing kisses, waving, spitting, standing for a second, and just plain fun :)

I won the most recent Lettuce Eat Cake contest with a grand total of 22 pounds lost over a three month time period. My first weigh-in was 183 something and my final was 160.3. Matthew and I are racing to 150. I've lost a lot of my motivation and will power but we'll see which of or methods yields the quickest results ;)

Besides cutting out dairy (which does wonders for making healthier choices), I've been following Trim Healthy Mama. The basic concept is you separate your fuels (fats and carbs) with three hours between meals and you balance your intake with protein. It's a whole foods, cleaner eating, low glycemic diet. The object is to not spike your blood sugar levels.

We are now doing the 3 positives as a family. The first couple of days was hard, but now more often than not everyone shares more than three things :) One of these days I'm going to start writing them down.

Jared is taking a break from trumpet lessons to participate in Mad Science. In exchange he must practice three times a week for thirty minutes. So far he's done well with the deal. Apparently he has a special part in the end of the year concert.

Aaron was tested for the Gifted and Talented program. We received the results last week. They don't have a GT program in all of the schools but instead has two magnet schools for GT students to apply for. Aaron has decided he wants to try it. We have a mtg on Thurs night about it. We'll go ahead and apply and see what happens.

Matthew passed his PT test this weekend which means the world is open again  :) Changes are coming, but we'll see exactly how and what they are in the next few months or so.

Can you believe that a year ago packers had arrived and we were preparing a cross-country trek to begin or UT experience?! Time has flown.

gratitude 8

I am thankful that I have been doing the gratitude posts. I may not post every day, but I am constantly thinking of things that I would write down even if they never make it beyond my thoughts. Certainly feeling gratitude at the little things make a glad heart.

I am thankful that Peter is a healthy, smart, determined little boy. I foresee a time when we find his determination and high-level thinking is going to turn from a delight to a challenge, but I feel blessed we have been given the opportunity to have him in our home. I am guessing that we needed these last seven years to prepare for him just like we needed those six years to prepare for Jared.

I am thankful for Jared. He too is smart and clever and funny. He turns the radio off when a song comes on that he deems bad. He is always watching out for his younger brothers trying to keep them safe and doing what's right.

I am thankful for Aaron and his affection. Where Jared is compassionate, Aaron is empathetic. Usually he is quick to obey and trustworthy. He is a fast learner and a friend to all.

I am thankful for Matthew. He is a hard worker and full of integrity. He tries to do his part to help with dinners and rallying the boys. He always knows just the story to apply to a discipline issue to help teach a principle. He loves the Lord and strives to serve him.

I am thankful that Peter is getting more and more independent so I can more easily fulfill my responsibilities around the home.

I am thankful for a mild UT winter. My NJ friends are getting slammed with snow and 14" are projected to come today in a blizzard.

I am thankful that I chose to go on my morning walk despite not having my friend to walk with me. I spent the time on the phone with my mom instead.

gratitude 7

I am grateful

1) I have two working arms bc it is really hard when I have to do things with only one while the other is busy with Peter

2) I am grateful for my local friend

3) that despite being up from 1:30-4:00 this morning I have had a lot of good energy today.

4) that Matthew will get paid again before rent is due and it will be just enough to cover the check

5) the area we may move to has a really good band program even though it may not start until seventh grade

6) for the internet that makes being dairy free not too hard, plus I've lost six pounds in the almost two weeks I've been off it

gratitude 6

I am so thankful

1) I feel better than I did yesterday. I spent the morning fighting nausea and by mid-day had aches and chills. Spent the afternoon in bed. This morning I had a little bit of nausea and a stomach-ache this evening but overall feel pretty good and energetic.

2) I had the energy to clean the bathroom and kitchen today. The bathroom REALLY needed it.

3) that a neighbor called this morning asking me to take her grandsons to school. It is the quickest Jared has moved to get ready in a long time. The were actually at school before the bell rang!

gratitude 5

I am thankful today that

1) the skirt I acquisitioned from mom when I was a youth from when she was younger could be buttoned again.

2) when I started to sing the song I have been teaching in primary both boys joined in and knew the words.

3) Peter slept through primary and is now entertaining himself nicely in his bed while I write this. Last night he even fell back asleep when I laid him down without needing to be nursed again for awhile. In fact, he looked up at me, smiled, hammered jabbered something then placed his head on my arm and went to sleep!

gratitude 4

I am so grateful that

1) There are group of good boys for Jared nearby, and
2) they can walk home from school together, and
3) Aaron plays with them too.

I don't want Jared to lose this opportunity. I really hope we can find a way to not have to move from the area anytime soon.

gratitude 3

Today I am thankful for

1) Matthew changing the light bulbs for me.
2) Jared giving Aaron his coat b/c it was cold and raining and Aaron didn't have his.
3) Peter's diaper rash is just about gone after a day of no dairy.
4) The possibility of a new opportunity at Matthew's work to be promoted to the defense side of his job - a promotion and exactly the kind of work he wants.
5) Shelter and warmth
6) food options despite having to eliminate dairy

gratitude 2

Today I am grateful for

1) how helpful Jared is

2) despite how busy he is, Matthew came home from work as quick as he could and made dinner for us since it is trumpet lesson night

3) I have a friend

gratitude

I am way behind on updates, but this will be my offering for now - an attempt at naming three things I am thankful for each day.

 1) being able to have time with Matthew this morning

2) beautiful spring-like weather that feeds my happy endorphins

3) two days in a row I have been able to comfort Peter while driving in the car by holding his hand and singing to him. There is nothing quite like hearing him sigh in contentment from the sound of your voice.

----
Bonus

Jared was chosen as student of the month in his class for December.
The power going out while at the store so I couldn't spend money.
How much the boys love Peter

So Long

(Written Friday, September 18)

I'm not sure where to start.. I guess the sum of it is that we are indeed not returning to New Jersey any time soon, if at all. Matthew's orders end this month but it was his unit's intent to extend his orders for as long as they could. Unfortunately he failed his PT test last month and they had to put them on hold. The good news out of that is he started physical therapy for the shin splints that have plagued him for the last 10 years.

The other side effect was an intense effort to find a new job locally. He applied to several government positions and last week we started hearing back that he qualified but we hadn't actually started the interview process. There was one in particular he decided to go ahead and apply for that had a rather tedious application process, but it turned out to be worth it. Early this morning the phone rang offering him the job. They have requested he takes two days of leave for the dates that would overlap so he could start on the 29th. The position is as a unit administrator for a subordinate group two grades before the command he is currently working for. It is just enough grades down that he will be able to continue drilling with his current unit. Aside from paralegal, this is the job he had been waiting for. It seems we have "arrived."

One of the results of this job change is that we well say goodbye to Tricare. It has been good to us.

Week 2 weigh in

Start - 196.7
Week 1 - 194.2
Week 2 - 193.8

Another loss! It wasn't much, but this was a hard week and better than nothing. I had a lot of cravings besides the fact we had family in town. Amazingly, today I had 67 calories at the end of the day plus the 500 for nursing. We did the 2 mile walk around the neighborhood and then I did a bunch of shopping so I racked up quite the calorie burn. In fact, this was the best I've done with the fitbit and my step count. I was headed for bed and decided to check my steps and I was just 300 shy of 10K, so I decided to walk back and forth through the house until I reached my goal. Yay  me!

I feel ready to start the C25K again. It seems I started quite the trend in NJ when I made LC my running buddy. She's been going full speed since I quit and has even motivated MP. Now RV has decided she wants to do it too. I told her she could be my buddy. She's going to start on Thurs. I'd like to start tomorrow, but I don't have a phone that can run the app or play list. I'm on a mission to find my Dad's. Getting a smartphone has become an obsession almost.

And over the last week I can tell that walking has totally turned my PPD around. I feel so much more like my old self. It's nice. Things that would have been totally overwhelming now seem like no big deal (like opening up a closet door). Amazing what a bit of exercise and friendshipping does for me!

Week 1 weigh in

Start - 196.7
Week 1 - 194.2

2.5 pounds down! Woohoo!

Yesterday we walked 2 miles for about 45 min. It was raining and hailing this morning so we didn't go today though I still have plans to do something. For the moment I am cleaning house in prep for a visit from Matthew's sister and bro in law tomorrow.