The Harvey House

Tinker-toy Iron-man

2010-02-06T06:02:00.001-07:00

Emily got Tinker Toys for Christmas, but I think Isac has played with them as much as she has. He was especially proud of this creation, and has asked me more than once why he never had Tinker Toys when he was a 'kid'. How was I suppose to know that Legos, blocks, Magnetics, and K-nex weren't enough?

Sew, Ganny, Sew!

2010-02-04T14:10:00.007-07:00

Ever since my uber-talented, seamstress of a ganny, 'retired' from sewing for the western shirt company Mo'Betta last month, she has had TONS of extra time on her hands (right Ganny?). So what does she do to fill it you might ask, why SEW of course! But now rather than her hard work showing up in Garth Brook's closet, my own darlings are the lucky recipients. And boy have they been spoiled! Here is Emily modeling her new "tom-boy" skirt, which received several compliments at church last Sunday.
And here are the rascals with their personalized pillowcases.
And she has even sent each child an heirloom quality quilt.
Sunbonnet Sue for Miss Emily, which I love!
Dinosaurs, perfect for Isac and looks amazing!
And last, but certainly not least, Mack's "Squirmy the Wormy" Quilt!We already treasure these special creations and look forward to more of Ganny's handmade specialties to make it our way soon!

Memory: It's A GIRL...I mean a BOY

2010-01-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

3 years ago today I had an ultrasound to determine the gender of our third.
I was hoping, wishing, expecting it was a girl.
I just KNEW it would be!
I have 2 sisters, one older, one younger.
They are my best friends. So with this baby, who was expected to arrive exactly 2 years after our own darling daughter, I was certain it would be another girl. I fantasized about the future that lay ahead: 2 matching little girls holding hands, giggling together in cute smocked dresses like all best friend sisters do. I dreamed about the tea parties, the teenagers sharing clothes, and the two of them as adults, always there for each other.
BEST FRIENDS.
It was with these dreams swirling around inside my head that I went into the exam room for the ultrasound. As soon as the technician had everything in order I let her know that we were very anxious to know what we were having and could she please check right away. She happily agreed, went right to the spot and got a good look.
"It looks like you're having another GIRL!", she announced.
And there "she" was on the screen, our little girl. Grateful tears ran down my cheeks. My dreams were coming true.
Sisters.
I was on cloud nine as she proceeded to check that all was as it should be with our daughter.
Everything about our tiny baby girl was precious:
"Oh look at her little hands."
"I think she is going to look like me."
"Isn't that nose adorable."

I was gushing with anticipation.

According to the technician, everything was in order, she just needed to capture this last image and then she would print them all and we would be on our way to prepare for our new addition.
"Oh wait a minute....", she said with hesitation, "I think I might have missed something. Yep I did."
And there we were, back between the legs and this time it was as plain as day:
We were actually having a boy.
A BOY.
Not a girl.
A BOY.

My world stopped. This can't be happening.
But wait they were going to share a room, it was already pink, and I expected to reuse all of Emily's adorable girl clothes since the seasons and sizes would line up exactly. What about braiding each others hair, and picking flowers for their mother?
Up there on the screen it was obvious that our precious daughter was actually our precious son. For 25 minutes, the entire ultrasound, Emily had a sister, and I had 2 daughters. My heart was sad. But it didn't last long. Thankfully I am the type that gets over things fairly easy and it didn't take me more than 24 hr. to look forward to a having a third male in the house. A part of me still wishes (and hopes) that Emily had a sister.
But if you asked me today, I honestly wouldn't have it any other way!
Life without my Mack just wouldn't be the same.

And as you can tell from these photos the sibling love is not lacking!

They are BEST FRIENDS.

And the room is still pink.

But I had a coupon!!!

2010-01-21T17:01:00.002-07:00

I knew I should have bought the Ovaltine.
Then, at least he wouldn't have needed to take his daily vitamin.

"MOM, come look what I wrote!"

2010-01-19T15:29:00.007-07:00

She was so proud.
I guess she is learning something at preschool after-all.
Naughty little girl.

*FYI it is a B.

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!

2010-01-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

Little against BIG
BIG vs. little
Little making BIG
Daddy's hit...the end.
And checkout our 1st 2 snowmen of the season...kinda freaky huh.

Here we go again...

2010-01-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ryan starts back to school this week.
It has been so nice having him home over the break!
But now the craziness begins again.
We'll see you in May my darling.

1 semester down, 3 to go.

Sunday Naps

2010-01-03T14:30:00.001-07:00

Can I just say that I love 9-12 church?
OK...
I LOVE 9-12 CHURCH!!!

Snowbird Tram

2009-11-18T21:37:00.005-07:00

5,4,3,2,1 BLASTOFF!!!!!

2009-11-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

The 6th grade Rocket Launch was, according to Isac, OUT OF THIS WORLD AWESOME!!!
Definitely rivaled 4th grade Mountain Man Rendezvous and 5th grade Patriot Day. WOW!

Halloween

2009-11-16T13:14:00.002-07:00

It's not Thanksgiving yet, so we can still talk about Halloween right? This year was fun because Mack can walk and Emily 'got it' so she was super excited about everything involved. We trick-or-treated the grandparents in the A.M. and then headed up to This Is The Place Village for the afternoon. There were lots of activities for the kids and it was a fun way to spend the day. Next came the neighborhood party (thanks Deans) which is a required tradition. After filling up on hot dogs and chili we headed out and got down to the business of begging people for candy. We made it around the block and were satisfied so we came home to take our turn of handing out our own candy. Here we have a Maril Pokemon, a Ute Football player who was suppose to be a CareBear but decided he didn't want to wear a costume after-all so this is what Mother put on him, and FunShine Bear.
Isac ditched us to go with his friends so that he could maximize his Trick-or-Treat time. For some reason he thought his siblings would slow him down (I am not sure what gave him that idea). This group of boys had a plan...don't they look ready with their pillowcases? He definitely accomplished his goal and came home with quite the haul.Oh and two things I don't want to forget so I will write them here:
A full grown adult, who was all alone (as in no children) actually rang the door bell, said Trick-or-Treat, and when I urged her to take more than just one little Butter-finger, she actually did. WEIRD!!!

Among the many adventures Isac had while he was out, he told me about a house with the bowl of candy on the porch with a sign that said "Don't be a piggy...only take 1 please." So, according to him, he took one, and continued on, while the rest of his friends proceeded to load up their bags. While doing so some teenagers ambushed them with water balloons, but since Isac only took one, he escaped unharmed. I thought it was a rather sneaky trick, but I am glad he was honest and stayed dry.

So that was our Halloween!!! We were on a sugar high for day and Emily is already asking how long until we do it again.

Out of the mouth of Emily

2009-11-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

While attempting to get across the grocery store parking lot to our vehicle with both littles walking on their own, I had to remind Emily more than once to do things like:

stay next to me,
watch out for that car backing up,
don't run ahead,
and get back over here!!!

As we were safely climbing into the car, she said in her "Gosh" Voice.

"OKAY Momm, will you stop being a crybaby, I mean a yellbaby".

Ok Emily I will.

Look at ME!!!

2009-10-28T06:59:00.000-06:00

And the ADORABLE dress my Aunt Dawn-Dawn made for me. This is one of 2 dresses that I don't scream blood-murder about wearing. The other one is plain black and I think I look like Batman when I wear it. So thanks Dawn-Dawn for making me a dress that my mom and I both think is cute.

Primary Program 2009

2009-10-27T06:39:00.001-06:00

This year was a success...Emily's 1st and Isac's last. Each executed their parts (which they both wrote themselves) flawlessly. Emily owned the microphone when it was her turn and Isac was slightly more enthusiastic than last year, but he intentionally mumbled the part about his dad "tickling" and "playing" with him after his classmates teased him about it. We of course thought it was cute. He sang parts of all of the songs and smiled whenever he looked at us. Emily sang with her mouth open so wide, and tried her best to stand and sit on cue and even did her own hand motions along with the music leader several times. It was a memorable program and one of my favorite Sundays of the year.

Emily- The temple makes me feel special because Jesus made it.
Isac- My father goes to work to support the family. When I am disobedient he disciplines me because he loves me. My father tickles and plays with me. Sometimes we do projects together and he teaches me how to do many things.

And this one..

2009-10-26T06:13:00.002-06:00

...survived another Scout overnighter! He said it was crazy fun and I guess it probably was to him...I mean really imagine that you are him, up in the mountains, with four other 11 year old boys and leaders who don't mind letting them act like 11 year old boys, surviving on a diet of mainly marshmallows and hot dogs, with no one around to tell him to brush his teeth, or hair or wash his hands, sleeping/staying up all night singing silly songs and telling goofy stories in a tent/tarp rigged up on the branch of a tree because no one thought about bringing a real tent. His idea of a great time.

*I just want to remember that one of his leaders told me afterwards what a funny kid Isac is (as if I didn't already know) and asserted that he was the best thing about the whole trip. I was relieved that they felt that way instead of being annoyed with his phrase of the day which happened to be, "You guys remind me of a song...." followed by a strange song about penguins.

It didn't feel right at the time...

2009-10-22T14:00:00.005-06:00

...but he cried to wear it because it had Hot Air Balloons on it. So I told myself it wasn't hurting anything and put it on him. Doesn't he look pleased. The next morning I think Ryan broke the world record for getting the kids (Mack at least) dressed. He commented that when he first noticed, he didn't think it bothered him, but quickly changed his mind and took it off. Maybe I should put Mack to bed in nightgowns more often so that he is always dressed when I come home from work.

And I thought summer was kicking my butt...

2009-09-09T15:13:00.005-06:00

...now we have HOMEWORK on top of everything else.

School has been in session for over 2 weeks and I am just now coming up for enough air to post these 1st day pictures. Better late than never right, or maybe I should be embarrassed to consider myself a blogger, either way here they are. Around here, when something's gotta give it is usually computer time, and housework, but we won't get into that since you can't see the piles of laundry on every bed in this house.

We seem to be settling into a new routine with our new work and school schedules. Ryan is getting use to his program. We do see him every once in awhile...although most of the time he is studying or trying to help with random household duties.

Isac is excited to be a 6th grader and King of the Campus this year. He said something funny the first week of school about it. He observed, "Last year the 6th graders just seemed so big and grown up. But when I look at Isaac, and Ben (and his other classmates), they just don't look that cool."
I reassured him that they seem big to all the younger kids and that by the end of the year they will be even bigger. Crazy Kid.
So far in 6th grade, we are having fun navigating new social issues, mastering good personal hygiene (a.k.a brushing our teeth & combing our hair EVERY morning), and learning more responsibility in preparation for Jr. High.
He has our wonderful next door neighbor Mrs. Dean again this year so we are hoping, with her mad skills we'll make it through the year intact.

Emily also had her first day of preschool this week. Because our budget is so tight, and because I realize that once you send them to kindergarten, things are never the same, we are doing a home-preschool with her cousin Sam and one other friend. We will be rotating weeks, similar to Joy School, so that is another item added to my "To Do List".

WowWee...education is so much FUN!!!

I am mostly just bummed that Isac isn't around to buckle/unbuckle the kids' carseats whenever we go anywhere in the daytime now...it really slows me down!

HICCUP

2009-08-22T12:50:00.008-06:00

I love it when Mackey gets the hiccups.
He is always confused but thinks it is so funny!

This is how you give yourself a Heart-Attack...

2009-08-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

Spray a fine mist of thisover every piece of living room furniture that you own,
without realizing it when you intended to pickup this instead.Thank goodness the heavens happened to be shining down on me at that moment because for some unknown reason it did not bleach a SINGLE spot on the fabric.

And I sprayed a lot.
Seriously nothing short of a miracle in my book.

And I even manage to survive all of this after barely getting over*The Dry-Erase Marker Incident of '09, in which Darling Mackey, age 2, thought it would be fun to draw on EVERY cushion and pillow (for a total of 16) of the furniture mentioned above with a lovely, blue Dry-Erase marker. I was so horrified he was lucky that he looks like this
I was so applaud at the sight that I did not take the time to document his handy work with the camera, but don't worry the image is still burned into my mind. And all I can say is thank goodness for Magic Erasers. With their help most of it came out.
*This is not to be confused with The Dry-Erase Maker Incident of "07 in which Darling Emily, also age 2 at the time, decided that drawing on the couch with a lovely blue Dry-Erase Marker would be a great way to show off her budding artistic abilities and send some attention her way on the day after her new baby brother came home from the hospital.

Who keeps leaving out the Dry-Erase Markers anyways?

This is how you give your mother a Heart-Attack

2009-08-12T15:54:00.000-06:00

2009-08-10T07:34:00.002-06:00

Today we are headed out to my nieces birthday party. It made me think about her birthday last year, which I never got around to blogging about at the time, but the events of that day definitely deserve a post.So this is Rachel.
She is the middle child.
She is the sweet, creative child.
She is the emotional child.
She has 3 sisters.
I can understand Rachel and the lot she has in life.
This is Rachel's dad.
He is cheap. Very cheap.
He has 4 daughters.
This is Rachel's older sister Coral.
She is the firstborn.
Last year for her birthday she got to have a party at
Hollywood Connection.
She got to invite whoever she wanted.

Rachel didn't make the cut.
And for some reason their parents went along with it.

Rachel was sad.
Rachel was emotional.
Rachel's dad, in an attempt to console his middle daughter told her that when it was her birthday, he would take her to
Wal-Mart and she could choose anything she wanted.

Did I mention above that Rachel is smart?
No?

Rachel had 3 months to make her plan.
And when August 2nd rolled around,
Rachel chose this....

And the only thing her dad could do was buy it for her.
And I laughed.

And now just for kicks...can you believe how young my babies looked just 1 year ago?

GROSS!!!!

2009-08-07T14:16:00.007-06:00

If you were outside weeding the garden and your 4 yr. old, tomboy of a daughter beckoned for your attention, and you turned around to see this:

Would you-
a) gag a little on the contents of your stomach which are now in your throat.
b) laugh to yourself at how your 11 yr. old son looks like he is going to faint before he quickly snaps out of it and launches into a tirade about how disgusted he is and how he would NEVER allow that.
c) go grab your camera and capture the slimy moment before plucking the little nasties off, tossing them over the fence into your bad neighbor's yard, and giving the Snail Queen an antibacterial scrub down while listening to her lament about the loss of her 5 precious friends.
d) All of the above

I chose D.

Another Note to Self

2009-08-07T09:22:00.000-06:00

If your 2 year old brings you a jar of pickles and a popsicle while you are on the computer, don't open the popsicle, give him a pickle and continue checking your email, read several new blog post in Google Reader, or pay a few bills for the next half an hour to 45 min. Instead, it might be a good idea to go upstairs and check the doors to the fridge & freezer because there is a good chance that they are probably standing wide open.

Note to Self

2009-08-02T17:28:00.000-06:00

The next time you get the urge to make lemon bars simply because they sound scrumptious, resist.
Especially if:

a)Ryan is working a double shift,
b)Isac is away at scout camp and
c)Mack & Emily are too young to really appreciate them

Because if you do you will probably end up eating at least half of them, maybe even 3/4 of them, all by yourself.

And then you will regret it.

And you probably won't want to eat lemon bars for a really, really long time.

I don't want Isac to grow up...

2009-07-31T19:35:00.003-06:00

Isac has been at Scout Camp this week and I have to admit it has been kind of nice to only hear Emily whine approximately 5 times a day instead of the usual 20. It is definitely getting to that time of the summer when the thought of the kids going back to school doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Really Isac is more of a help than a hinderance, but those oldest two really know how to push each others buttons. So anyways, tonight is the BIG Overnighter, which means Isac won't be coming home...is he really old enough for this. Sleeping in the mountains without your mother, etc. It just seems so weird to send my child out in the world alone to sleep. Don't get me wrong I am sure he is having a dandy time but letting your kids grow up is hard work! I am afraid that tonight while I am trying to sleep, knowing that he is not in his bed, where he should be, will do something strange to my mothering mind. However, thinking of the leaders who are up there with all of those crazy 11 yr. old boys makes me laugh...maybe I should feel sorry for them.

Mackey's Birthday Recap

2009-06-25T20:42:00.000-06:00

Whenever you turn 2 and your mom is really sick, and no one wants to come to your birthday party because they are afraid that she might have the Swine Flu, just ask your dad to take you to Chuck E. Cheese, because he will probably say yes. Then he will probably buy way more tokens than your mom ever would and you will have tons of fun.

Then tell your mom that since we have such a nice, big cake and not many people to eat it, you would like to stick your fingers in it and eat the icing. She will probably let you since it is your birthday after all. Then invite your sister & brother to join you.

Then look so adorable opening your presents that your parents decide to give you an extra remote control train set that they weren't planning on giving you because your dad built you a super cool sand box,

but they love to see how happy you are when you open fun things they want to keep watching you.
Then go to bed knowing that you are the luckiest 2 year old around.

Joy to my heart.

2009-06-24T08:54:00.000-06:00

I forgot to mention that Emily "graduated" from preschool last month. As part of the "ceremony" her teacher had each child come up individually to get their diploma and then took a minute to kind of spotlight each one. She told about one quality that they each had that stood out this year or that she would remember about them. One boy was a leader and everyone wanted to follow him. One girl did all of her work perfect. One always wanted to be first at everything and so on. Emily was the last to have a turn and I was beginning to wonder what she would say about her. I thought she might be remembered as the loud one. Or the one who wanted to answer all the questions (she's kind of a know it all).
I was thrilled when she was deemed the kind & tenderhearted one. Her teacher told about how she always plays with kids who are sad or need someone to play with. I can't think of a better quality I would like her to have. Kindness will get her far in life. I was quite proud on my tenderhearted girl.

Emily's Birthday was crazy fun...

2009-06-23T13:20:00.015-06:00

I haven't documented Emily's 4th Birthday properly because I am not sure I have recovered from the day. It wasn't as bad as last year, but man it was go,go,go kind of crazy!The birthday girl was so excited about her Rainbow Cake.I was not that excited about it because the bakery messed up the order and it didn't look at all like it was supposed to and it was tiny! I had to make cupcakes at the last minute so there would be enough for everyone.
The tacos were YUMMY.
The cousins had fun.

And helped with the unwrapping.

OH the presents!
This one in particular was a hit but is very annoying. Not a Hannah Montana fan.
And there were lollipops for everyone, as requested by the birthday girl.

End of an Era

2009-06-22T08:13:00.001-06:00

After 4 long years together, we are finally saying goodbye. For awhile at least. It is wonderful having our bedroom back to ourselves again!

Reminders from Emily

2009-06-18T10:04:00.000-06:00

While playing with my jewelry box Emily came across a few of my Young Women's Medallions.
She being the little churchy one that she is thought they were fabulous.
She immediately wanted to put one on and chose this one:
As I placed it around her neck she half whispered in her serious voice,

"This is so I will always remember to PRAY."

Ok.

Then she decided on this one for me: As she put it on me she started,
"This is so you can always remember..."
then she paused, looked at the necklace again, raised an eyebrow, and then continued as serious as before...

"This is so you can always remember, to put your hair on FIRE."

I will remember that.

This is what Mack looked like...

2009-06-15T16:02:00.007-06:00

...before he was born.
...on the day he was born.
...on his 1st Birthday.
...when he turned 2!!!

Doesn't he keep getting cuter?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MACKEY!!!

We can't imagine what life would be like without you!

Reasons that we love Emily...

2009-06-09T00:20:00.000-06:00

She looks like her dad and acts like her mom.
She has her own sense of style.
She is a tomboy.
She has a heart of gold.
She loves her brothers.
She is sharp.
She copies her big brother.
She hoovers over her little brother.
She loves to be held.
She loves to play school.
She always insists it is her turn to say the prayer.
She wants to know everything that she doesn't already know.
She is a helper.
She likes to jam.
She would wear pink Converse shoes to church if we would let her.
She suggested pushing her pacifier deadline to age 5.
She is determined.
She loves super heros & butterflies.
She rejects anything Princess.
She is fearless most of the time.
She has a sweet spirit & loves anything church related.
She doesn't like tuna.
She is adorable.
She is kind.
She is our only daughter, our baby girl.
And today is her birthday.

Snapshots by Emily

2009-05-18T21:39:00.009-06:00

I love it when Emily gets ahold of the camera and I upload random photos like this:

Evidence of how Mack spends his day.
Close-ups of body parts
which are my personal favorites.
and furniture
And profiles of precious little boys

Deseret Industries, I love you. Flart yuck, I don't love you.

2009-05-07T08:45:00.002-06:00

Because last Saturday I found these for $2 and $3 each
All from GAP & Old Navy.

Scored 2 pairs of like-new jeans for Emi.
And snagged these $1 finds.

What a day!
I tried to leave this boy there because he kept trying to touch me with this gooey glob earlier that day, but they said they don't accept donated children. So I had to bring him home and curse the mother who allowed her child to give the yucky stuff as a birthday gift. I thought there was an unspoken pact among parents to not commit such atrocities.

Did Ryan tell you...

2009-05-06T07:54:00.000-06:00

about his favorite birthday present?

Doesn't he look excited about it? Jim & Candice thought it would come in handy this fall and mentioned something about it bringing out the highlights in his hair.
Hilarious I tell you.

Newest Member

2009-05-05T14:21:00.002-06:00

The Pacifier Posse initiated a new member this week. You can check him out here.

The Pacifier Posse

2009-04-28T19:31:00.009-06:00

...was officially organized this afternoon.
It is a new gang for anyone under age 4 who:

a) believes in constant self-soothing through the use of a pacifier.
b) is committed to the success of the MAM company.
c) supports oral surgeons the world over.
d) has the ability to speak or understand the complex language we call
Pacifier Mumble.

As founding members we have:

Mack "BABY-FACE" Harvey

Emily "SISSY Sista-Girl" Harvey and last, but certainly not least...
Stockton "BUG-Z" JEFFS
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the gang please contact "Sista Girl".

You can't tell me that there is not a difference between boys and girls...

2009-04-27T02:11:00.000-06:00

I Have Been Accepted!!!

2009-04-20T22:25:00.004-06:00

Many of you may know that I (Ryan) have been working toward getting into nursing school for the last couple of years. After finally completing all the prerequisites I applied to three schools this last fall, The University of Utah, Weber State and The Davis Applied Technology College (DATC). About a month or so ago I heard from both Weber and the DATC that I was not accepted. The University of Utah is by far the most difficult to get into, so I thought my chances of getting in were nill. Well this evening I found out that I have been accepted to the University of Utah's Nursing Program starting this fall.

Birthdays, Birthdays, More Birthdays...

2009-04-18T00:41:00.002-06:00

Today my firstborn turns 11.

It is hard to believe that eleven years have passed since
we made our earthly introduction
and began this journey of life together.

It is a pleasure to be his mother, most of the time anyways.
Last year I made a tribute post that you can read here if you are interested.
And there are some photos here.
This year I don't want to get into all that...

I just want to say that I adore that boy, always have, always will.

And these are a few things that I want to remember about him at age 11.
I do it on the blog for lack of a better place. So here we go:

The name Isac means HE WHO LAUGHS. I had no idea how appropriate this name would be when I gave it to him.
He is our funny man, always trying to keep things light and make everyone laugh.
Do you think names are inspired to go with specific kids or do you think that kids live up to or become, if you will,
the names they are given?
Just wondering.

Isac is not a studious student. This used to drive me insane.
I am over it, kind of.
I think this is the first year that he "got it" about report cards.
He isn't an outstanding student, but he wants to learn.
Isac loves to read. He might be a little lazy about his school work, but he has a thirst for knowledge that draws him to books. I have recently turned him on to my latest obsession...audiobooks and it is a connection that we are both enjoying.
I love it when I find him in his room reading or listening when it's not a "scheduled" reading time or when I assume he is doing something else.
A pleasure I tell you, pleasure.

He is a sponge. But he has a bad short term memory. I have finally figured out and accepted that he REALLY can't help it, most of the time.

Right now dinos are his thing. He wants to be a palentologist.
I hope that if that is his dream he will chase it.
Still I am leaning toward a career in advertising or marketing.
He has a serious knack for memorizing commercials. It is embrassing to admit how much TV he watches but I am pretty sure he could recite any current or recent commercial.

He has never had any musical training but this kid can keep a beat and make up all kinds of rhythms...this skill might be beneficial in his future line of work...

He is willing to work when he needs money for something specific.
Once he has it it burns a hole in his pocket.
He doesn't get that from me.

Isac wants to be outdoors all the time. He could care less about sports. Not a competitive bone in his body, well maybe a small one.
But seriously give him a few sticks and he is good for hours. Hours people.
And he even gets attached, some sticks even have names.

He doesn't like to wear shoes that tie.

And he tickles everyone. ALOT.

He has a SMILE-SMIRK that makes my HEART melt.

I love this boy more every year.

Happy Birthday Isac.

Ryan is 30...can you believe it!

2009-04-15T00:41:00.002-06:00

Today is Ryan's birthday.

Thirty use to seem SO old but come on, it's nothing!

I had big plans to throw a HUGE BIRTHDAY BASH,
complete with face painting, piniatas, party hats, and a Bounce House, but Ryan, being the Quiet Birthday-Type that he is refused, but luckily Isac's birthday is this weekend so I can put my creative energy into his day.

Anyways, Ryan works ALL day today so leave him a comment wishing him a Happy Birthday so that he will know everyone was thinking about him on his special day!

Happy Birthday Ry!

And now let us FLASHBACK 30 years of Ryan....

Our Easter was sugary sweet...

2009-04-14T07:14:00.012-06:00

A day filled with chocolate bunnies, flowers, egg hunts with cousins, bow ties, yummy food, and numerous reminders of why I am grateful that He lives.

We really are good parents, I promise...

2009-04-03T15:07:00.003-06:00

Last night there was a mix-up at the Harvey House.
You see Isac's fifth grade class had the option to make a catapult for fun and bring it to class today.
Ryan was working late and I was not about to get mixed up with that especially on a Thursday night, post "Sam Day".
So Isac was pleasantly surprised when a friend called at 7:30 p.m. and invited him to come over and help build one.
I willingly took Isac, dropped him off and instructed him to call me when they were finished and I would come to pick him up.
So home I went. I cleaned up dinner, laid out PJ's, and got the kids in the tub.
Once they were sufficiently cleaned, I removed them from the bath and proceeded with the bedtime routine.

Ryan got home around 8:45.
I gave him the run-down on the happenings of the day:
this is what was for dinner if you want some,
please but the towels in the dryer so they don't mildew,
don't lock the door because my dad will be back late,
oh and Isac is at Troy's, I am sure he will call soon for you to go pick him up.

Then I retired to bed myself since I had to work the next morning.
Ryan went about his own business and at 10:00 p.m. decided that being a School Night and all Isac needed to be home.
So he called only to be told by the flabbergasted parents that they had brought Isac home an hour and a half ago!
Yes folks, our child was home and we didn't even know it.

He came in while I was bathing the kids and I guess I didn't hear him because of the running water. He went downstairs to his room to read and then went to bed before we even thought about looking for him.
I think we will just chalk this one up as:

"Our 10 year old is so responsible even though he was actually
suppose to call us"

rather than

"We, the parents, are completely oblivious to
the comings and goings of our children".

Very embarrassing....

You probably won't care about this post unless you are related to me...

2009-04-02T16:36:00.006-06:00

Today was a "Sam Day" (I keep my 2 nephews every other Thursday) and we uncovered an interesting probability:

While discussing "The Wizard of OZ" with Sam and Emily we realized that one day Emily could be called "Auntie Em". That led to an explanation of how when she grows up and Isac or Mackey have kids she will be an Aunt.
Weird to think about but anyways...

Then Sam needed a personalized explanation of what would make him an Uncle and that is when we discovered that he would be an "Uncle Sam"!!!
Random I know, but maybe it would be a good idea for a future
Halloween costume!

Did I ever tell you about that time...

2009-03-30T13:46:00.018-06:00

Last summer when my WHOLE side of the family went camping and floated the Provo River? It was a clear back in August, but looking at the pictures today in iPhoto made me remember and wish we could go back.
We had so much fun!

2009-03-28T04:13:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday MOM!!!
I love you, even if you are getting OLD!!!

Ode to Girl Scout Cookies

2009-03-26T17:45:00.007-06:00

Oh Caramel Delights* how I love you.
I bought $21 worth of you on Saturday,
and this morning I threw away the last empty box.
Our time together was so short.
Why must you come only once a year?

* I know, I know they are called Samoas. But when I was selling Girl Scout cookies in Oklahoma they were called Caramel Delights which in my opinion is a much more appealing, and appropriate name. So that is what I will always call the delicious little morsels. I mean come on wouldn't you rather eat a Caramel Delight over a Samoa any day?

Charming, isn't she...

2009-03-25T07:43:00.003-06:00

Earlier this month, Emily's preschool teacher invited the kids to come to school dressed as a character from one of their favorite books. I thought Emily would be perfectly adorable as Fancy Nancy. However, she had something else in mind...And since apparently I am no match to the will of this 3, soon to be 4 year old, she went happily as Peter Pan.

After reading my last post...

2009-03-24T13:00:00.002-06:00

My mom posted pictures of some of my dresser handiwork on her blog. It's way worse...click here to check it out.

What is up with kids, stickers, & dressers?

2009-03-23T07:29:00.006-06:00

Is it simply an impulse that kids can't resist?
I remember doing it.
At least she only put them on the knobs and I guess it kind of looks cute, maybe.

Sympathy for Mack

2009-03-18T12:20:00.001-06:00

Last week Mack dropped a 5lb. dumbell on his big toe. Emily had been "exercising" at Dawn-Dawn's house and decided when she was finished it would be wise to bring the weight downstairs and place it on a barstool in the kitchen that has tile floors where her baby brother was playing. Awhile later Mack moseyed over to the barstool, attempted to pick it up, decided it was too heavy and dropped it on his barefoot. For the record I am not blaming it Emily or Arin because I was standing right next to him when it happened, but come on Mack, 5lbs., really I thought you could handle that. Anyways it cause some serious emotional distress and also broke his toe, which caused more emotional distress for his parents over the next 2 days. We knew it was probably broken, but didn't think the doctor would do anything if it was, etc. I won't get into specifics but it was looking worse after 2 days and he would periodically throughout the day point to it or touch it and say "OOWW?" Pathetic I know. So we called or neighbor who is a P.A. and specializes in Orthopedics for some advise and before we could do anything he was at our door. He looked it over and decided it was definitely broken but only the first joint so there was nothing to do about it and it would be fine. That was a relief but we still feel so sorry for him, poor baby. Plus anyone could really have felt sorry for him simply because he seriously needed a haircut but thankfully grandma took care of that this weekend. Now he is cute with a broken toe instead of scrounge.

2009-03-17T13:40:00.004-06:00

Our camera has been missing for awhile. I have turned the house upside down looking for it but no luck. I was convinced that my dad must have taken it without permission on his latest trip to the Philippines. The missing camera plus the fact that I have been working more has meant a lot less time spent wasted on the computer. Plus with all the nice weather this week the kids and I have been spending the afternoons outside in the sunshine and so I decided to start on a project I have been putting off for too long. This beauty has been hanging out in our dining room for at least a month now and it is driving me crazy.When we started working on it guess what Ryan found in one of the drawers...

The camera.

Anyways we are glad to have it back but even more excited to work on this 'diamond in the rough'. It is a hideous, FREE desk that I saw tons of potential in. I have sanded it down and hope to slap on a coat of paint today, add some new handles, and then VOILA a lovely new addition for Isac's room.
Wish me luck...you should have seen the muddy mess Mack & Emily created while I attempted to work on it yesterday.

Spring where are you?

2009-03-05T12:33:00.006-07:00

After several lovely spring-like days in a row why did we have to wake up to snow this morning?
We want to be doing this:

Not this:

I am so ready for Mr. Sun to come back so that the kids and I can spend the majority of our days outside again. I have big plans for our yard, our garden and our summertime adventures in general. Plus I had my wisdom teeth out earlier this week (not fun by the way) so I have been shut up in the house eating milkshakes and Jello. I am hungry for real food but every time I try to eat any I have issues with it sticking in my gums and mixing up with flappy pieces of skin and stitches so that's not really working out very well. Sorry to gross you out but I'm living it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!!

2009-02-15T23:01:00.002-07:00

Monday is Amy's Birthday and I wanted to take a minute and wish her a Happy Birthday. She is such a wonderful wife and mother and puts up with a lot of crap that we give her. I really think she could be some type of new super hero because I don't know how she does it all, and so often she has to do it by herself because I am never home to help. Thank you Amy for all that you do and for loving me even though sometimes I am just that 4th child. Happy Birthday!!
Love,
Ryan

Remember that time...

2009-02-04T14:12:00.005-07:00

Remember the time when Isac didn't bring home homework all week so we had to try to print it off of the school website, except remember how there was no ink in the printer. Remember that was the same week that Emily decided to pee her pants at least once a day. Remember that while we were trying to print unfinished homework Emily peed her pants right in front of the potty. Remember how Mack is her shadow and that he slipped in the puddle and slammed his head on the bathroom tile. Remember that while I was trying to comfort Mack and strip down the 2 littles for a shower, Isac jumped up to investigate all the commotion and stepped on a random sewing needle that was loose on the floor. Remember how it jammed itself over halfway (almost 2 inches!) into his barefoot. And remember that while I was dealing with the pee mess Isac came hopping on one foot, hysterical into the bathroom. Remember that when I pulled the needle out, blood squirted all over the carpet, and that when I returned to the bathroom for a washcloth, Mack had copied his sister and was standing in a new puddle of pee on the floor.
And do you remember that all of this happened in about a minute.
That was fun.

And now the moment we have been waiting over 9 months for...

2009-01-21T11:35:00.006-07:00

He's FINALLY here! Our newest nephew Stockton Wyatt Jeffs made his intro this morning at 3:38 a.m. after a LONG day and night of labor. He weighed in at 7lbs. 5oz. He is absolutely adorable with dark eyes and light hair. He seemed to have a very mellow, sweet demeanor and we are looking forward to getting to know him! Arin & Troy did a great job. Welcome to the world baby Stockton, we are so glad you came!

It's like Christmas Eve all over again...

2009-01-16T14:56:00.004-07:00

Isac and Ryan are going to see Walking with Dinosaurs tonight. Isac, being the dino-lover that he is, is SO EXCITED he is practically counting down the minutes until it is time to go. I even suckered him into doing extra jobs around the house to ensure that he could still get to go because you know "We could scalp these tickets if your room isn't spotless...."
The anticipation is pretty intense so I hope the experience is all that he expects it to be and more!

Playing Church

2009-01-13T14:07:00.002-07:00

Emily has always been our Church-y child.
She just started going to Primary (children's church) as a Sunbeam and loves it.
She has gone twice and hasn't stopped talking about it!
She came up with a new game that we must play at least once a day...
she calls it Mom & Dad Church.
She pretends she is in charge and calls on me or Mack or Isac or Ryan
or who ever is home
to come up to the "front" (the couch) and tell our name.
Then we have to repeat some "scriptures" which she makes up.
We also sing songs and look at random pictures and maps in her Bible.
She tells us the stories about them and if she doesn't know it she makes something up.
Her favorite picture/story is Samuel the Lamanite because she thinks that it is her cousin Sam standing on top of the wall.
Mack doesn't really enjoy the game.
Or play it very well.
Emily tries to convince him that Jesus is not pleased with his behavior.
He doesn't seem to care.
I thought it was cute the first few times, but now I am thinking about not going back to Mom & Dad Church.
It's just too demanding.

This is mostly for my mom...

2009-01-11T18:09:00.003-07:00

This morning I came downstairs and found Mack lying on the floor,

sucking on his pacifier,

rubbing a Q-tip on his nose.

I wasn't able to take a picture because our camera died on Christmas.

So here's one of me.
He really is his Mother's Son.

Highlights of 2008

2008-12-19T18:05:00.005-07:00

This year has been crazy at The Harvey House, and I had pretty much decided we would not send out our Annual Christmas Newsletter, but then decided that I would regret it if I didn't document our life in 2008. So here we are at the last minute throwing something together, so if our life in letter seems a little jumbled or hectic then we have done a good job at capturing what it is like around here as of late. Thankfully we have not had any major home projects this year, but Amy's sister Arin & her husband Troy, & their 3 lovely, BIG dogs lived with us for several months over the summer, while their new house was being built. It was fun having them and they actually still love our kids, even after seeing their true, TRUE colors so it's all good. We also took a week long trip back to Oklahoma in October to visit family. It was such a refreshing time for all of us and really made us wish we lived in the country. Maybe someday....but for now:

Ryan is still chugging along in school. We realize that most people who have gone to school as long as he has have Doctorates, but what can we say. He is transferring to the University of Utah this Spring and has applied to several Nursing Programs. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he gets accepted to the U's program but really we will take whatever we get. He is still managing Pearle Vision in West Valley. And serving as a counselor in the Elder's Quorum Presidency. Ryan is holding strong under all of this weight and despite such a busy and demanding schedule, he does his best to make time for our family and tries to do whatever he can to help out when he is home.

Amy is still busy, busy, busy and wishes that just a few more hours could be added to the day. She is still working one day a week at Target and is not looking forward to working more once Ryan starts the Nursing Program. Amy finally got smart and turned her love of bargain shopping into a profitable endeavor thanks to ebay. Now not only does she get the thrill of snagging a good deal, she gets a double thrill when she sells it and makes money! After being released from the Primary Presidency earlier this year, Amy was called to serve as the Home, Family, & Personal Enrichment Co-Chair. It has been a lot of fun being involved with such wonderful activities and women.

Isac is 10 now & in the 5th grade. We are loving this year in school. He has a great teacher & the curriculum has reminded me why 5th grade was my favorite year in school. He is learning a lot and while science is his strong point, he is really enjoying geography and history. Isac is our creative child and we often marvel at the things that his mind comes up with. He loves watching Discovery Channel and his favorite is Survivor Man. He claims that when he is 18 he plans to move to Antelope Island and live off the land. Good luck with that Isac. His most exciting news of the year is that his parents were actually nice for once and gave in to his years of begging for a pet and allowed him to get a hamster. He also ditched the glasses for contacts. He will be grown up before we know it.

Emily is still our little fireball. Always the strong-willed child, at 3 she continues to keep us on our toes. She started preschool this year, & after approximately 3 weeks of screaming bloody murder everyday, she has decided that she absolutely loves it! She is always learning something new & we think she is brilliant. However our sweet little Emily has become such a tomboy that there are times when we worry about how she will turnout. Most days she will only answer to the name Lightning (McQueen), can frequently be seen wearing Spider-man clothes, & she is convinced that when she grows up she is going to be a dad. Emily is a good sister, always willing to cater to & take care of her brothers. She loves her daddy & is her mom's best friend.

Our little baby Mack is getting too big, too fast. When he reaches the 18 month milestone this month, he will go to nursery and opposite of the previous children in this family, he cries because he wants to GO to nursery and he can't yet. He has been such a joy to our family, with his sweet face and charming demeanor. He is a cuddler and gives the yummiest kisses. He LOVES to be outside and is obsessed with shoes because he has learned that they are his ticket to freedom. Mack is fascinated with anything that goes, mostly trains & trucks. We think he might be a long-haul trucker when he grows up and we wonder if we should have given him a different name.

At this time, with so much uncertainty, and so many challenges facing each of us and the world as a whole it is comforting to know where we can always turn for peace. We recognize that we are truly blessed and we acknowledge the love and mercy of a tender God, who has shown us the goodness of His ways and the truth that He is mindful of us all. We rejoice in the coming of His Son, even Christ, whose birth causes us to publish these glad tidings. With love and gratitude for wonderful children, a warm place to live, and food to feed us, we extend our love to you at this wonderful Christmas season.

Love, The Harvey's
Ryan, Amy, Isac, Emily, & Mack

I'm Mack

2008-12-14T19:36:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow I will be 18 months old.

Today I went to nursery.
All by myself.

I loved it so much I didn't even notice my mom when she came to get me.
I think I might do the same thing next week, and the week after that.

Aren't I big?

2008-12-02T11:17:00.003-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMI!!!
I believe you should celebrate yourself today! Maybe you could go get your hair done or something fun like that. I think this perm would look nice, don't you?
However you choose to spend your birthday just remember that you're
Queen For The Day and that we love you!

Who are you?

2008-11-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's days like this that make me wonder if this kid is even related to me.

Hungry?

2008-11-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Don't you just want to gobble this yummy kid up! We love our Mackey!

The Primary Program

2008-11-19T11:45:00.001-07:00

Our ward had the Primary Program a few weeks ago.
Isac only has one more year to go.

Doesn't he look handsome?

He sang more this year than ever before, which isn't that much. However it is always fun to watch what they do sitting on the stand during the whole meeting without parents.
He wrote his own part this year.

"About a year ago my whole family went to the Hawaii temple for my aunt's wedding. I liked all of the gardens & flowers because they were beautiful."

And he even said it with such feeling & enthusiasm.

NOT, it seemed like maybe he was talking about a trip to the dentist or something.

Spaghetti Anyone?

2008-11-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

ENJOY!

What?

2008-11-16T22:38:00.003-07:00

Combing Emily's hair for church this morning I asked her how she wanted it.

"I want it like IRONMAN." was her reply.

How exactly would you do that....

And finally...

2008-11-13T11:06:00.005-07:00

...the real reason we went to Oklahoma was to get some of this:The most delicious BBQ in the WORLD!
I wish I had some right now. I think Mack does too.

Home is where the heart is...

2008-11-09T16:34:00.013-07:00

...and a piece of my heart will always be here. At my Ganny's.

A walk on the farm.

2008-11-09T16:30:00.006-07:00

More of the Maize

2008-11-06T21:00:00.002-07:00

Here is some of Ryan's handiwork to enjoy...

Isn't this adorable...I NEED one!It didn't take us long to see that Mack LOVES tractors.Isac digging in the GIANT sand pile. Do you think we could have one in our back yard?

Emi shooting the Pumpkin Cannon. Loved it.

Oh yeah,

2008-11-05T22:30:00.001-07:00

and Isac took us on a hay ride.
Aren't we having fun wind & all!

I know everyone is probably tired of hearing about it...

2008-11-03T14:20:00.006-07:00

...but I still have a few things to post about our trip! We spent an afternoon playing at that the local park, Shannon Springs. We forgot to bring bread to feed the ducks, but the kids had fun walking around on the bridge, and they even had some of the old school playground equipment from back in the day!
This kid loves life!
The merry-go-round! Always a favorite...hard to believe it is still there. Not exactly the safest thing to have around.
Mack thought it was great that the ducks were so friendly, until they bit him. If you look closely you can see the look of shock & terror on his precious face as he is about to burst into tears.
The End.

Trick or Treat....

2008-10-31T12:34:00.002-06:00

I guess Isac chose TRICK.
He threw up all night.
It was hot dogs.
I HATE throw up and I HATE hot dogs so this made for a pretty pathetic situation.
He didn't make it to the toilet the first time.
I am the mother that runs the opposite direction when the puking starts.
Thank goodness Ryan was home.
He shampooed carpet till midnight.
Not entirely because of the throw up mess.
I think he just was having too much fun.

Isac is feeling much better this morning but what a bummer way to spend Halloween when you're 10.
Let's just hope no one else in the family follows his lead.

Here is a preview of our little monsters' costumes:
We have Indiana Jones,Mack the Train Engineer, and Woody.
Happy Halloween!!!

More visits.

2008-10-27T12:51:00.004-06:00

This is Isac with his first dad, Chris.We saw him twice on our trip.
It was kind of strange, but in a good way.
It was amazing to see how alike they are in random things & ways.
It was interesting to see a spark or connection between them, I don't mean to get too deep or personal, but it really seemed like they have always known each other and have a strong bond, even though we have VERY little contact with him and we haven't seen him in over 5 years.
Isac was only 5 at the time and alot has changed since then.
It was a little overwhelming for me but,
It was also important to me that Isac had the chance to see him.
I was appreciative that Chris took time out of his schedule to make a visit work.

And I don't really mind that Isac looks so much like him, I just hope he turns out acting more like Ryan!
Oh and this is his ME-ME. I am glad we got to spend sometime with her too. She was always good to us.

Helping Gramps

2008-10-23T11:14:00.007-06:00

One morning we headed to Gramps' house to checkout the changes he made for the maze. They have done so much work cleaning up the farm and getting things ready it looked great!
They have a little petting zoo set up and the kids were thrilled to get to help feed the animals breakfast! It was cold so Gramps fixed Emily up with a jacket.They have some goats, sheep, chickens, a cow & a horse.

Mack loved driving the tractor.
I really think these kids were made for life in the country.

Our trip wouldn't be complete without

2008-10-23T10:49:00.003-06:00

going fishing with Aunt Linda. No one caught anything, but they still had fun.Even Emily, until she fell asleep.

Meeting cousins

2008-10-23T10:04:00.000-06:00

My cousin Matt & his wife Kim adopted 3 brothers, age 12, 10, & 9, from the foster care system. They are all three very well behaved and cute. I had never met them, so they came up. After they adopted them, they had Kinsley. Isn't it funny how things workout? She is a cutie...I think she looks alot like her Aunt Dana did.
Isac and the boys warmed up to each other and had a good time playing 3-way Thumb Wars. That was something I have never seen.
This a picture Emily took of my Ganny that night.

Who wants a Late Night when you can have a Sleepover?

2008-10-22T13:00:00.000-06:00

We had dinner with my friend Marci & her new husband Jeff. Marci's son Logan is a year younger than Isac and they have know each other their whole lives. The two of them hit it off right away even though they haven't seen each other for years. So after a late dinner (sorry again guys), and an hour of my 2 toddlers ransacking Marci's non-child proof house while we tried to catch up, we decided to let Isac & Logan have a sleepover. Isac was super excited to have as he called it, his 1st non-relative sleepover. They stayed up until after 2:00 a.m. Sounds fun doesn't it. I think Isac had such a good time late nights just aren't going to cut it anymore.

Tuesday was a busy day and kind of complicated

2008-10-21T10:15:00.012-06:00

There just happened to be a noon basketball game at the elementary school I attended from kindergarten through 8th grade so we had to go. I was exciting to be there and relive all the memories I have at that school. I ran into several of my favorite teachers and got to show off our cute kids. The game was kind of boring...5th & 6th graders are not that fun to watch, but we did get to raid the concession stand. Here is a picture of the kids enjoying their treats.Pickle juice for 10 cents and Laffy Taffy was always a favorite, but I decided to pass this time.

After the game ended and we looked in all the classrooms we headed out to the playground. It has changed in the last 13 years, but the old big toy was there so I couldn't resist taking a picture of the kids on the big slide
We also ran into Isac's Uncle Bronson who is in 5th grade at Pioneer. They are only 6 months apart and had not seen each other for several years. They were both excited and seemed to think they looked a little alike. Maybe a little.
After all that school excitement we came home and changed the nastiest poopy pants ever and had naps. Bronson & his family came over to visit & see Isac. This is Isac's Grandma Kim.This is Isac's Uncle Bo and his cute family, Megan, Malaki, & Cullen. Bo has grown up to be quite the guy, even if he does look like Kid Rock! I was very impressed with his boys too.

For my sisters

2008-10-20T11:28:00.003-06:00

Ryan had never been to Papa's grave, so we went and I thought my sisters might like to see the pics we took. Isac & I enjoyed walking around looking at the gravestones. I always liked to do that when I was little. I think Isac liked it too. There were lots of really old tombstones, some were very simple concrete slabs with dates pressed in with a stick. Isac was quick to find the ones who had died as children, and thought it was neat when he found a whole family section with the last name Isaac.

On Monday

2008-10-20T10:56:00.005-06:00

it started to rain so we had to postpone Isac's fishing trip. I was hoping for a good thunderstorm while we were there, but a drizzling rain was fine. So after a delicious down-home dinner (or lunch as we usually call it here in Utah) of chicken fried steak (I was too hungry & excited to eat it I didn't take a photo) at Vivian's Cafe in Verden we had to go checkout the new Wal-Mart Supercenter in Chickasha. I am Target girl myself, but in small towns Wal-Mart is the happening place so I couldn't miss this chance. Plus we needed to restock our Goldfish & fruit snack reserves. After that exciting outing we headed over to Aunt Linda's house to pet the kitties, pickle okra, and do some crafts.
Linda's house is always a fun place so I am glad the kiddos got to experience that.And I had a private lesson on the proper way to pickle okra so next year I am ready. If anyone is daring enough to try some come on over...I brought home what we didn't eat while we were there! I love it, but it is definitely an acquired taste.

On Day 2...

2008-10-20T10:38:00.007-06:00

Isac caught a frog at Ganny's pond.He was thrilled, and Emily was fascinated also.Special thanks to Aunt Linda & Roger for their participation. Isac was a little hesitant to touch it, so Linda got it in the bag.Once we were back at Ganny's house Emily volunteered to hold it first so then big brother Isac decided to be brave & have a turn too. Good Memories I think.

We're Back...

2008-10-19T14:11:00.002-06:00

We had a fabulous time in Oklahoma, but we are all glad to be home. The kids got so mixed up and out of a routine, they are almost as happy to be back to their own beds as I am! They have gone to bed and down for naps incredibly easy since returning home and that makes life good, especially after a week of car naps and late bedtimes. This trip was exhausting, emotionally and physically, and refreshing at the same time. It was great visiting family and catching up with old friends. Sunday included a trip to the small church branch I attended when I lived there. I needed the reminder of the strength and testimonies of the people I learned so much from. Gramp's corn maize was AWESOME!!! We ate at all of my favorite places, and I loved sharing my past with Ryan and the kids. But the best part was watching my littles play in the same places and ways that I played as a kid. I had a wonderful childhood there, and I hope Isac & Emily made some happy memories there too. I think we need to make this trip an October tradition.

Incredible Pizza with the Cousins

2008-10-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

My cousin Roger picked us up from the airport and we met our other cousin Dana, a.k.a Fibby and her new hubby John-Paul at a really fun pizza place, similar to Chuckie Cheese. It was fun catching up with them, remembering good times together, and great to connect with each other as adults. I am super proud of what they have done with their lives and can't wait to see what the future holds for them.There was really cool foam ball center for little kids that Mack enjoyed. He liked loading the balls into the tunnels.
Isac "won" alot of tickets on this wheel, similar to The Price is Right.
This game was one I had never seen before...you jump up and down and then you get tickets. Interesting. Mack & Emily thought it was cool.
This is Isac with our loot of 1400 tickets. We happened to be there when the employees went around throwing tons of free tickets into the air. With our large group we were able to accumulate quite a few tickets. And for the record I was not psycho-mother, pushing small children out of the way to grab more tickets so Roger quit telling the story that way! I wish I would have taken a picture of all the goodies that our tickets bought...Isac & Emily had their fair share of junk!

Where have I been...

2008-10-02T22:35:00.003-06:00

I am not really sure. Ryan has been in Ohio and now Montana, but I guess I have just been in a blogging rut. We have lots of fun things going on to blog about, but since Emily has started preschool I have been busy working on my ebay stuff, so I think spending time on the computer for that burns me out and I am done before blogging even gets a chance. But I intend to catch up soon, it might just have to wait for the cold weather though. We are trying to soak in as much of this warm sun as we can before it goes away. I am not looking forward to winter!!! Neither is Emily

Happy Birthday to the best mother-in-law I have!!

2008-09-06T08:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Cathy!!! We are sorry that you have to work today and that it doesn't seem like a birthday. We hope you know that we are thinking of you. Thank you for being such a wonderful example, for raising such a fabulous son (and 4 daughters) and for loving our kids. They are lucky to have a grandma like you, and we are thrilled to have you so close and involved in our lives. We love you and hope you have a great day!!!

It's official...I'm going home...

2008-09-03T22:41:00.004-06:00

To Oklahoma, for a visit anyways. I booked our tickets this morning and I am so excited! Isac is equally thrilled, and Emily keeps asking when we get to fly on the airplane. I can't wait to relax at my Ganny's house, eat at all of my favorite down-home, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, drive down the road (not the street) and have people you don't even know wave, and checkout my stepdad's awesome corn maze.Don't you wish you could go too?

A Birthday Shout Out to my Baby Sister...

2008-08-31T18:49:00.008-06:00

Today is my sister Arin's birthday and she is growing up...26, that's an adult age right, close to my 27. Being so close in age and only a grade apart, I think we were about as close as siblings can get to being twins without actually being twins. I am very lucky to have her around...she has always been an exceptional friend, roommate, confidante, & critic. Thank you for helping me be who I am and for showing me how I can grow and be better. I appreciate your encouragement, advise, & example. I am proud of who you are & the life you have made. And even though you are not always as nice to me as you should be, I will never be able to repay you for the things you have done & still do for me. I am so excited for little Stockton to get here so I can attempt to spoil him like you have spoiled my kids. I treasure all of the memories I have of us growing up together and look forward to creating many more. I hope 26 is a great year. Happy Birthday!

It's funny how you're still goofy looking after all these years!

TAGGED!!!

2008-08-26T20:15:00.009-06:00

Actually, not me, just Isac and Emily, so I will be their scribe.

Emily
Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Dishwater Blonde?

Favorite Movie: She says a SCARY one but I am pretty sure it is Toy Story 2

Favorite Book: Going on a Bear Hunt

Place to go: Sam's House

Restaurant: McDonald's

Favorite Food: Cocoa (her term for cereal)

Favorite Candy: Suckers

Favorite Color: green

Favorite Toy: Her Bicycle & Woody doll

Favorite Song: The Bumble Bee Song

Favorite Game: Duck, Duck, Goose

Favorite Cereal: Cocoa

Isac
Eyes: Blue

Hair: Dishwater Blonde too

Favorite Movie: Batman Dark Knight...I know we are horrible parents for letting him go before we heard the reviews.

Favorite Book: Robin Hood (easy answer b/c this is what he currently reading)

Place to go: Isaac B.'s house

Restaurant: Sizzler

Favorite Food: "When it comes to food I pretty much like everything, except onions."

Favorite Candy: Juicy Drop Pop (is this even a REAL candy?)

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Toys: Legos

Favorite Song: Cotton Eyed Joe by Crazy Frog (thanks Mrs. Dean for introducing us to Crazy Frog!)

Favorite Game: Chess

Favorite Cereal: "What kind of question is that?"he asks. Trix with NO Kix!" (I have a habit of mixing healthier cereals in with
the kid's sugary cereal. Somehow it makes it seem a little better.)

Now it is your turn...If you have children that know my children, you are tagged. If I know your children, you are tagged. If you have a picture of your children on your blog, you are tagged.

Ready or not here we go...

2008-08-24T21:15:00.004-06:00

So tonight our fun-filled summer is coming to an end. The clothes are laid out, the backpack is ready, and I think I am even feeling a little Back to School Jitters/excitement. That's odd since I am not even the one going to school. Isn't it funny how those feelings come back...like Christmas Eve or something. I am ready to get back into a routine, but it just doesn't seem like school should already be starting again. I will miss the lazy days of summer and having Isac home all day. However I am not sure which one of us is looking forward to no more daily chore lists more, him or me! It has been a daily battle for him to get his jobs finished! Crazy Kid! I just hope we can make it through 5th grade! So are we ready for tomorrow? Probably not. But it's coming, so bring it on...

Here's the big 5th grader on his first day...

Summer is busy...who has time to blog?

2008-08-13T12:40:00.004-06:00

I have lots to blog about lately, but just can't seem to come up with the time! We have been working hard on finishing up the bathroom. As of last night we now have an operational toilet & sink. Yeah!!! It is going to be the best room in our house I think. So maybe I will get around to posting our fun summer adventures sometime soon. Life slows down when school starts right? Yeah I didn't think so either.

So for now a funny story I want to remember from Emily. She was playing "baby" with her Curious George. She put one of Mack's diaper on him, got him a bottle & blanket, etc. I said "Oh Emily, you are being such a good mommy to George." She looked at me with scrunched up eyebrows & replied with plenty of Emmy Attitude "I'm not being a MOM! I'm being a DAD!"
DUH. I guess I should have known.

Utah Museum of Natural History

2008-08-03T21:25:00.007-06:00

Another fun thing we have done this summer...The Utah Museum of Natural History. I love history so this was an interesting outing for me. Isac is really into dinosaurs so he was excited to see the wealth of dino connections to Utah. They have a large geology exhibit with every kind of rock & gem you could imagine & Emily loved seeing all the "treasures". And as an extra bonus Ryan actually got to come along too.

This was a fun hands-on exhibit.
Emily was very puzzled.

There is also a "digging" area for the kids to search for fossils.

The best part of the trip was this...They have an old school photo booth. You can get these awesome pics for only $1. Ours didn't turn out great but it was fun taking them!!

Admission is free on the 1st Monday of the month (tomorrow). We really enjoyed it and for free it is definitely worth a visit!

The Harvey Siblings

2008-07-29T22:34:00.005-06:00

Ryan snapped this photo of the kiddos a few weeks ago and I recently came across it in iPhoto. It really captures the way things are around our house...Isac "innocently" annoying Emily, Emily "affectionately" retaliating on Isac, and Mack just chillin' & taking it all in. I love these kids but is anyone else ready for school to start back yet? I am getting there. Do you think they might take a 3 yr. old or a 1 yr. old? Just checking.

I HATE hot dogs, but I LOVE Mack!!!

2008-07-24T22:48:00.006-06:00

I don't like people to say they hate things unless they REALLY mean it. I have always been this way. Even when I was little I would never tell my parents or siblings that I hated them because to me that was the ultimate in hurtful things you could say. So I don't use the expression lightly. But one thing I do hate-HOT DOGS. I think they are disgusting. Isac made it through the first 4 years of his life without eating one. Emily two. Mack was offered one this weekend. This was his reaction...

Notice the look of disgust. He wouldn't have anything to do with it. Smart boy.

Mack has never been one to turn down food. This is him 2 seconds later with a strawberry.He really was hungry, but like his mother he knows better than to eat a hot dog. Now I just need to figure out a way to keep Ryan from corrupting him.

Camping at Strawberry Reservoir

2008-07-23T23:01:00.009-06:00

One perk of having Arin & Troy living with us is that they like to go camping & they are nice enough to let us go with them. Plus they have a trailer which makes camping with kids almost appealing if that is possible. Ok maybe not appealing, but at least more convenient. We had a great time. I had never been up there and was very impressed with the surroundings...we were in a forest of Quaking Aspens with lots of wildflowers and butterflies everywhere. It made me feel like a little kid again.

Isac & Emily enjoyed the campfire...I mostly liked the smores.
Isac was even nice enough to chop the wood. Maybe being a lumberjack is in his future.
And he was stoked that Troy let him shoot the 22. I don't like guns.
Emily loved riding the 4-wheeler. There was a large herd of sheep up there that was interesting to watch.
And Mack was just happy and cute as usual.

Zoo Adventures

2008-07-14T22:11:00.005-06:00

Last week we ventured out to the zoo. We got there right as they opened so that we could avoid the heat & the crowd. Our plan kind of worked. It was warm, but bare-able, & it was a free day for Military families so there were alot of people there.

Emily liked touching a big snake. I did not like Emily touching a big snake.

As soon as Emily saw the new carousel, all she could talk about was riding it. Once we got on she freaked out and would not get on an animal so we had to get off. Crazy girl. The boys stayed on & his photo shows a little more excitement than they actually had in real life.
She was happy to just feed fruit snacks to Mack while Isac & Isaac rode.
Has any one else notice what a cute guy Mack is?
Riding the train is so exciting when you're a 1 yr. old obsessed with things that go!
Our favorite part of the zoo...playing with the world.
Isn't this what we all feel like doing after a fun-filled trip to the zoo?

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY WILLIAM!!

2008-07-11T09:30:00.004-06:00

Should you really be turning 1 already? William decided to make an early entrance into the world and give his mother an extension of the baby stage by staying little for so long. So to all of us he still seems like he should just be a little baby for awhile longer, not a big 1 yr. old boy! We are excited to celebrate his big day today and are grateful for the joy that he was brought into our family. I am lucky that I get to tend Will & Sam on Thursdays while Jen cuts hair. It has been fun getting know this little guy so well and I can always relate to & appreciate his mellow, laid back personality. He is usually the Golden Child on Thursdays and his go with the flow attitude makes things easier, my only complaint is that he is always hungry! He is willing to give a big smile to anyone who looks his way and even the smallest amount of attention from someone makes his day.
Happy Birthday Little Willie!! We love you!

Welcome Haleigh Brooke Smith

2008-07-10T09:20:00.003-06:00

The stork made a special delivery to Jackson Hole today. Ryan's sister Tami had her baby girl this morning. I don't know the exact details (they came via Ryan) but I am pretty sure she was 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 17 1/2 in. I will post the pic later, but she is a cutie, she looks like Jackson with a head full of dark hair. We are very excited to have a new girl cousin & niece and we can't wait to meet her...why do you guys have to live so far away anyways? Congratulations Tami, Jared & Jackson and welcome to the world little Haleigh!!!

Fun on the 4th

2008-07-06T22:08:00.010-06:00

We had a very fun & relaxing holiday with our new housemates Arin & Troy and both of our beautiful mothers.
We had yummy food.
Isac could hardly wait to set off fireworks. He's a little pyro.
We played a friendly game of croquet.
Emily is quite a little lady. Now she just needs to learn not to stick her hand in the cup for ice.
Grandma & Katie discovered that Mack is very ticklish on his feet.
We are grateful to live in a land were we can enjoy food, fun, & family...such simple pleasures in life.