Baxters Blogging

The Book of Emily

2009-07-14T18:35:00.003-06:00

Every day Emily is adding to her own private book of sayings. Today she amazed us with her wisdom and spirituality by announcing to us, at the dinner table "Jesus wants us to wear lip gloss."

Hmmm. . . we are speculating that this is perhaps another one of her marvelous plans of manipulation. After all, if Jesus wants her to do it. . . it must be good and mom and dad will have to agree. Promptly following this statement she once again found my lip gloss. Really, I am going to have to hide it better.

The Land of Crazy

2009-07-12T21:49:00.007-06:00

In the land of crazy children say and do whatever they please. The baby in the family has even learned the fine art of manipulation.

Emily, in the middle of a fight with Ben. "But I'm just a baby. Please!"

When asked to get dressed. "Oh, alright. I will" This was a direct quote Emily took from the book of Benjamin.

And I can't forget the "Mommy, I put on some lip gloss, see." Oh, so pretty.

In the land of crazy, parents build their children huts out of the couches in the family room. . and then, as if that isn't bad enough, they allow their children to sleep inside. Let it be known that the truly crazy parent is not the one who is writing this blog.

In the land of crazy parents don't check on their kids when strange noises start to happen. They are just oh so happy that the strange noises are keeping the children busy.
In the land of crazy, the house is a mess, the parents are sick, and the kids are gleeful all the time. Lucky kids.

Just Keep Swimming!

2009-07-07T19:42:00.004-06:00

We had a great time over the fourth of July. We really wore ourselves out though. We woke up early, as usual, to see the hot air balloons in Provo. Then onto the parade followed by a barbecue at Aaron and Melissa's house. And did it end there? No way! The boys played softball for about 2 hours in the blazing sun. Yes, I thought they were insane. Then we relaxed momentarily at Grandma Baxter before hitting the fireworks in Pleasant Grove to finish everything off.
Three days later I am still exhausted. . .and sick. Maybe it's the swine flu? :)Oh well, it was worth it. The kids had a blast.
In other news, Nate is still hard at work looking for a job. It's a big test of faith for us but we are trying to make it a teaching moment by helping our kids understand that even when we pray for things, the answers don't always come right away. You just keep praying and the blessings will come when it's the right time. Nate is such an amazing person and keeps his head up all the time. He made bread today with the kids. It turned out delicious and he told me that he used to make bread with his mom when he was a kid. Thanks Mary, for raising such a well rounded man.

At the end of the day I just try to keep this great philosophy from Dori in mind.

P - U!!!!!!

2009-07-01T10:15:00.002-06:00

Emily has amazing sense of smell these days. In the morning she comes to our room and climbs in bed with us. Soon after we hear "I smell something." This statement is always followed by gagging noises. Now, I understand that our morning breath may truly be gag provoking, but all day long this goes on. She gags at the smells of lotions, food, and virtually anything that she can smell. In church on Sunday we were sitting behind someone who put on some lotion. . . I thought it smelled nice. Emily pronounced her famous "I smell something." To which I said "It smells good." She looked at me with a disgusted face and exclaimed "No, it smells gross." Followed by the gagging. I don't know how her sense of smell does not help her abandon her smelly diapers for using the toilet. Then it would be useful.

Still Living and Breathing

2009-06-27T08:46:00.006-06:00

Lately we have done a little of everything. We went on a couple more hikes. One of which, Ben got sick about 100 feet into and we turned back. We celebrated Father's Day. We enjoyed the sunshine. Nathan got a gift card from his mom for Father's Day. In the true form of a fabulous Father he went out and bought the kids a slip and slide. It is just like him. All these years that we have been less than wealthy he always put other people first. He has often given me money that he has received as a gift and told me he wanted me to spend it on myself. He knows how good a new item of clothing makes me feel. I know it seems so selfish of me to take the money. . . but it really makes him happy. I love him. Anyway, late Father's Day tribute to my hubby. What a man.

Hmmm, this place is very familiar to me.

2009-06-15T16:16:00.004-06:00

The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

Dr. Seuss Oh the Places You'll Go

We're Going to the Zoo!

2009-06-13T08:24:00.005-06:00

On Monday my parents took us to the zoo along with my brothers children. Did it rain? Yes? Did the kids seem to care? No. Besides, the animals actually moved this time. I always thought they were really just wax figures. So, it was great fun. Thanks mom and dad.

Those Who Can't Camp Roast!

2009-06-13T08:16:00.001-06:00

What's better than going to the mountains for a little relaxation. As Nate and I are under some stress these days, these kind of getaways keep us sane.

Air Show 2009

2009-06-07T22:17:00.004-06:00

I loved the air show. We went 3 years ago and had fun then but this year was even funner. The planes were really cool and the temperature was great. We were there with thousands of other people though and we managed to lose Emily right at the end. I was slightly panic stricken. I went straight to the lost child tent and a couple of seconds later a lovely woman arrived with Emily in her arms. Poor little Emily. She just hugged me and wouldn't let go. It was quite a scary experience for her little mind and mine.

Hike #5 - Snowbasin

2009-06-07T22:15:00.001-06:00

Well, the beautiful weather didn't hold out for us on this one. We only hiked around for about 45 minutes before the rain came pouring down. Luckily we were near the road. :)

Well. . . .

2009-06-04T08:17:00.003-06:00

After my lovely last post about how many great things I can do as a mom my first day back was. . .well. . . maybe not as successful as I had hoped. I didn't get all the laundry done, but I managed to complete half of it. I started potty training Emily. I left her in underwear almost all day. She had zero successes with using the potty and went through 5 changes of clothing. And, to round off her day I asked her at the end if she like wearing panties and she said "Yea, panties are fun to pee in." Thanks for instilling more confidence in me that you will ever want to sit on the potty to do your business my little sweetheart.
I walked around the house something like 100 times wondering what to do next. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to clean house the night before. How did I manage to stay sane the first time I was a stay at home mommy. Anyway, today will be better. The house is a bit messy again and I still have about 5 loads of laundry to do, plus I went to the library and got myself an interesting assortment of books to try.

Return to My Real Job

2009-06-02T20:58:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow marks the first day I return to my real job. Full time stay at home mommy. Funny, but I wonder if I can still hack it. I started by straightening the house up from top to bottom tonight. Why not start good, right? Tomorrow my goal is to do every stitch of laundry. And, I did the dishes tonight. Something I haven't done in months. I know, that's unbelievable. Nate is a super dish washer.
You know, I won't miss a lot of things about that job, but I will miss some. Like being frequently told what a good job I was doing. I know, how self centered. And getting to talk to adults every day. Oh yea, expanding my mind and skills and being challenged in a way I hadn't been for a long time. I wish I could have both. In the end, the one thing I know is that a dedicated mother in the home can work wonders. I was closely acquainted with several students who had been hurt by the lack thereof. So, no matter how much I could learn and be outside of this house, it will never compare to what I can do in this house. To dedicated mothers everywhere, keep it up. It's worth it, even if Twilight is the only reading you've done in years. Your children will thank you one day.

Hike #4 - The Wind Caves

2009-05-31T14:25:00.005-06:00

We completed hike number 4 of our summer and suckered some other people into this one. Thanks Aaron and Melissa. I know the hike turned out a little long. And a special thanks to Tom and Mary who treated us all to Golden Corral after our hike. We were starving and it was delicious.

Hike #3 - Indian Trail

2009-05-24T09:34:00.004-06:00

This was a beautiful hike. . . .but a little bit much for the kids. Nate has been on it before and he remembered it as being "pretty easy". So, off we went, the sun blazing. We started climbing, up and up and up and up and up. The steep kind of up. Rachel stopped and just sat in the dirt about 10 times declaring she just couldn't walk anymore. I encouraged her first by us counting to 100, then by telling stories, and finally we played 20 questions.

Once we made it into the shade things did improve. However, the hike Nate said was about 1 1/2 miles was really longer. Much longer. We never did make it to our destination. When it was almost 8 pm (we started hiking around 5:30) we finally decided we'd better turn back or darkness would fall before we got back down.

As we were walking back the sun started to set behind the mountain. I have to say that this moment made the whole hike worth it. The kids have never seen the sun setting from so high up. They were amazed. So was I. So many things that God created to bring peace and beauty into our every day lives.

It's a Miracle!

2009-05-24T09:30:00.001-06:00

We got a front row parking space at the Walmart.

May. . . The Best Month of the Year!

2009-05-10T21:34:00.010-06:00

Well, May is just a great month. In one week I get to have my birthday and Mother's Day. That means two nights in a row off from bedtime rituals. Two days of being waited on and getting whatever I want and two days of lots of love from my kids. It is really the best. Nate, Ben, Rachel, and Emily make my life so good. Even with Nathan trying to find a job and get us through, I can't imagine how we could be happier. Thanks for a perfect week.

To my beautiful, wonderful wife...

2009-05-06T09:11:00.010-06:00

When I graduated Friday I was sure that Steph was going to make me give a speech. So I came prepared, but somehow I dodged the bullet. Instead, I'll just give it now. Everyone came to the party to celebrate my graduation, but I knew that I was there because of her. Through years of exertion, Steph has been my constant support. So many good things about me came about because of her. I am a very lucky man!

I love you, babe, Happy Birthday!

Hike #2 - Waterfall Canyon

2009-05-04T22:42:00.007-06:00

Wow! This was a beautiful hike. And I am amazed our kids made it all the way. Funny enough, it was the rocks that did it. When we were hiking on a well used trail the kids were getting a little tired. When the trail turned into solid rock climbing for close to a mile the kids just loved it. Even little Emily insisted on climbing the rocks, mostly with no help from us as she refused to even hold hands. The waterfall at the end was worth every minute. Emily collected lots of "special rocks" that she insisted I carry in my pocket. I am too nice of a mom to throw the rocks away. Nathan looked at me funny when he found out I still had them.

Thanks Lance and Ryan

2009-05-04T22:36:00.004-06:00

We have lots of good friends. Lance and Ryan are two terrific guys who have hung out with us and been like extra uncles to our kids. They came up for Nate's graduation and spent the night. They had big plans to take Nate golfing the next day, but it rained so they took our whole family to fat cat's for bowling and pizza. We love you two. Thanks so much.

The Best Day of My Life!

2009-05-02T10:00:00.005-06:00

Nathan graduated with his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology yesterday. We are so happy and thankful. We have had so much support during these years and really can't say thank you enough to all of you. Congrats to Nathan. He is the best husband and father a woman could ask for. I love you! I love you! I love you!

New Crayola Crayon Color

2009-04-27T22:15:00.002-06:00

Why use boring names for crayon colors when you can be really creative. Rachel has a name for these fleshy colors that I think is just fab. Drum roll please. And the new color name is HUMAN ORANGE. We will be sending crayola notice of this new name ASAP.

I Miss this Stuff!

2009-04-27T21:51:00.007-06:00

We went on a hike this afternoon. It was so great. The kids didn't complain and in fact they cruised up the hill. Nate packed Emily. . . so he is complaining a bit tonight, but the whole thing was just fun. Hiking every Monday for our family from now on. We did see a mountain lion track. That worried me a tiny bit. We were headed up to see a waterfall that is only present during the spring run off. It got to rocky at the top so we had to quit, but we did succeed in at least seeing water, unlike three years ago when all we saw was a dry bed.

Robot Boy

2009-04-18T20:50:00.005-06:00

Ben's class has been reading a robot book. They had the assignment to go home and build a robot, so we made it a family affair. I think he turned out pretty good and Ben was really proud to take him to school and show him off. Emily. . . well, she didn't like the robot so much.

Who Knew?

2009-04-18T20:45:00.003-06:00

Who knew we had such an awesome beach right here in Utah. We took the kids to Antelope island today and had a blast. The water was warm. The sand was warm and soft. . . mostly. It was beautiful and peaceful. We are going to go again soon.

I Love SparkPeople!

2009-04-18T08:39:00.003-06:00

So, Nate and I have been trying to lose weight. I have been going about about 8 weeks now and I have lost ten pounds. I haven't been doing any crazy diet. I just use this awesome free website called Sparkpeople. It was created by a couple who were part of ebay in it's infancy and they made big money. They wanted to give back to the community so they came up with Sparkpeople. I joined. They helped me set nutrition and exercise goals that fit my body and would help me lose a slow pound or two a week. I don't starve. I still eat the same things that my family eats. I exercise 3 or 4 times a week. The biggest change is that I don't eat every donut and brownie that I lay eyes on. Yet, I still eat them occasionally. Here are some of the tools that are included on Sparkpeople.

Calorie Counter
Route Maker (want to know how far your walking or jogging?)
Fitness tracker and planner
Lots of articles to keep you motivated
Groups to join, if your in to that
Short exercise videos
Tons of other stuff

And it is all for free. You might get some emails from groups on their website, but that's it. And you can opt out of those. They also have separate websites designed for teens and pregnant women. Anyway, if you want to get healthier check out Sparkpeople. The longer I use it the more I love it.