I think the main problem with me is lack of sleep.  I am a firm believer that one can handle just about anything if one is getting a proper nights sleep at least 5 nights a week.  Since the first week in August Rosie has been teething.  There has been no break since then.  She has cut four in so many weeks and still has two that look promising.  She has trouble settling down at night (usually by 11 or 12) and then wakes up every night about 3 hours after I put her down.  When she falls back asleep usually only after nursing for comfort (a bad habit but I am too tired to do anything else) she is too restless to go back to her own bed.  She will only sleep next to me.  I then am half awake the rest of the night because I there is a restless baby next to me.  Tylenol helps a bit and so does Humphreys 3 sometimes.  I look forward to a night when she will sleep all night by herself again. 

In the mean time I am part of an overachieving Relief Society Presidency.  We already meet once a week for 2 hours and then do visits as well the same morning and evening.  All the activities and extra-curricular things that keep getting added seem a bit much, but what do I know?  One good thing we are doing is a 5K run the first Saturday in Oct.  We have a few ladies that are heading up some training for it and so I decided to participate.  It is easier to do something like this if someone is pushing me.  The training is either at 5:30am or 8:30pm.  5:30 is out of the question because of the lack of sleep I am already getting.  So 8:30pm is it.  I am pretty tired by then but it’s do-able.  I thought the first session was going to kill me, but I was pretty proud of myself for keeping up (sort-of).  Even when I was in the best shape of my life I have never been a runner. I never thought I would do anything even close to this.  I know it’s only 5K but I can’t even run a mile without dying so this should be good for me. 

It seems that when I decided to do this that a ton of other things started creeping into my schedule making it difficult to keep up with all the training.  That is one of the reasons I was so bummed yesterday.  After sitting down with a calendar I started to eliminate things.  I talked to Mom for a while and she told me to just tell people I am NOT available.  So it looks like now I will only miss one practice and I can actually go to the 5:30 session that morning so I don’t miss it.

We had been planning on going to Disneyland with the cousins in Sept. but we decided with everything else and with Brian so busy with work it would be easier next time.  We are putting it in stone.  The week after Thanksgiving we will spend 2-3 days there with the said cousins.  This way we get to experience the Magic Kingdom in all its holiday glory.  Something to look forward to. 

Rosie had her 9 month check-up last week and she has slowed down just a bit.  She is still slightly off the charts in height, but is a chartable 90th percentile for weight.  All this cruising and crawling has thinned her down a bit.  She is quite the mover.  She is everywhere and into everything.  She has managed to climb the stairs and I need to remind Brian to move the gate down so we don’t get a bruised baby. 

Serra is excitedly anticipating the start of pre-school next week.  She doesn’t take instruction well from me when it comes to school stuff so I thought it would be good to put her with some other teachers.  It will be good for her to be able to interact with some other kids her age as well.  She asks me every day if today is the day she gets to go.  We visited the school this week and it is in a lady’s home from our ward.  It looks like it will be a lot of fun for her and she just may learn something too.

Today along with laundry I am rotating out the grown out of clothes and getting out a few new things for the girls.  They are growing so fast I can hardly keep up. 

I told Mom I wasn’t going to share this story because if anyone is searching certain words on the Internet this site may crop up.  But it’s pretty funny so I’m going to take the chance.  Yesterday, I was playing with the girls and Serra tripped and hit her face on a small table.  It was a stunt scene right out of a movie.  The way her face looked when she was going down was classic.  She hit her eye pretty good and got a welt.  I told her about it and to go look at it in the mirror.  She did and told me she had a bump on her eye and “it looks like a nipple.”  Funny little boogus.

Back to laundry:  pictures later/maybe

I know I need to update but I am feeling a little overwhelmed right now.  So later. 

Brian totaly thought he was in the clear when he was called as the 12-13 year old Sunday school teacher last month.  Sweet calling with no meetings.  I guess it was just a holding pattern calling until they found just the right fit for him.  He was asked to meet with the Stake High Council yesterday morning and is the new Executive Secretary.  He now goes to as many meetings as the bishop….and he has to be really organized.  Lucky boy. 

While the teether sleeps I will take the opportunity to update on the past week. 

We left Las Vegas on Friday the 11th (mid-morning) and spent the majority of the day traveling northward.  The girls traveled well.  Serra broke her DVD player a few months ago and so mom and dad have to tell stories the whole way.  It gets a little old for us.  We arrived at the cabin in the early evening just in time for dinner.  There was already quite a houseful and by Saturday the cabin was packed.  Grandma Gee, Mom Anderson, and Aunt Caroline made sure noone went hungary.  In fact, it got a little painful by the end of the day to sqeeze another mouthful in.  They definitely over prepared which is much better than under preparing. 

Who was there:

Grandpa and Grandma Gee

Robisons: Steve and Caroline, Elise and 4 kids, Caleb and Joan and 1 kid, Danny and Monica and 2 kids. (+ 1 dog)

Andersons :  Mom and Dad, Eric and Tracey and 4 kids, Us 4, Holly, Adriane and Vito, Amy Jo and Tucker.  (+4 dogs) 

Gees: Joe, Joanna and Leah, Miristi, Gabes (+ 2 dogs)

Friends:  Mason and Bonnie Haycock and 2 kids.

That in total is 42 people plus 7 dogs.  It was fun chaos.  Dwaine rented 2  4-wheelers and when one was free we took a few rides.  That was good times.  It was a little tricky finding one free especially with Caleb around.  He usually had one out.  But Brian and I were able to take 2 rides and he took Serra out two time as well. 

Sleeping accomodations seemed to go remarkably smooth.  I think everyone had either a couch bed, blowup mattress, or tent, and in our case a real bed.  I’m not quite sure how that always happens.  Maybe it’s the fear of another broken couch bed.  he he….whoops.

Sunday morning we packed up and everyone trickled out.  I headed out seperating from Brian who headed back to Las Vegas, only to realize that he had no key to get into our house.  Adriane and Vito rendezvoused with me  in Salt Lake to pick it up for him.  I had arranged a few days prior with an old friend (Heather Hadlock) to meet at Temple Square at 11:00.  We waited for an hour with no sign of her.  I thought maybe we misunderstood times or place or something, but as it turns out she just dogged me.  She didn’t answer her cell phone and then left me a message late that night that she forgot.  I find it a little wierd that one would forget one was meeting a friend they hadn’t seen in 4 years or so.  (Are you reading this Heather?)  I guess she is too preoccupied with the drama in her life right now. 

The girls and I headed to Logan and spent and few hours visiting with Serra and Rich.  Then off to Bear Lake.  Grandma Arnell looks good.  She always says she has slowed down alot.  I don’t really see it.  She seems pretty spry to me.  We made tuna fish sandwiches and watched a movie.  Then Sophia who has cut two teeth at this time and is still working on 4 cried and cried and cried for about 1 and 1/2 hours.  I was super tired by this time (past midnight) and collapsed when she would finally stay down.  Serra cried herself to sleep as well because I was too preoccupied with the baby to read her a bed time story.  I promised her it wouldn’t happen again.  Brian and I usaully pair off with the kids at night and he reads Serra her story.  I wasn’t quite prepared I guess to do it alone at this point. 

Julie showed up at around 9am the next morning and we spent the day with her and her girls and grandma.  It was a pretty relaxing day and Serra and Olivia were getting along remarkably well.  Usually they fight constantly.  Grandma declares she no longer cooks and so took us to the local drive in for burgers, hot dogs, onion rings, and fries.  We made malts back at her house and then we needed to head back to Logan before it got dark.  The girls mercifully all slept the whole way.  Logan Canyon is a mess.  They are overhauling a great deal of it. We waited a few times. 

We stayed with Julie and Jared in Logan Monday and Tuesday night.  We saw a bit of Serra and Rich both nights.  Tuesday – Julie had doc appointments and some errands to run so I took off with my girls for a few hours.  We went to Willow Park Zoo and park and played for a few hours.  Got a cone for McD’s and then went and fed the ducks at first dam.  It was a little to sunny for Rosie so we didn’t stay long.  Back at Julies we broke out the kiddie pool and washable paints and let the kids get naked and make a major mess.  Serra had blue in her hair even.  The breakdown of getting along was well underway at this time.  For the rest of the trip the girls played and fought, laughed and cried.  Yet Serra declared I could go back to Vegas without her.  She wanted to stay where there was someone to play with.

Serra~W~ and I headed to USU to redeem my icecream tokens.  We brought back a plethera of half-pint icecreams that we all shared. 

Wer stayed up late in the night chatting together.  We were off by 9am Vegas time the next morning.  Thanks Julie and Jared for letting us add just a tad more chaos into your lives for a few days. 

Traveling with a 9 month and 4 year old by ones self is an adventure.  It took us a full hour to go to the bathroom and eat a simple lunch in Nephi.  We decided to take another break in Cedar City and how lucky that there are more cousins to play with there.  We hung out and had dinner with the crew there  and then reluctantly got back on the road.  That is just when it got fun.  I kept thinking that she would fall asleep at any moment….no Sophia wailed the great majority of the way…kicked a sleeping Serra in the head in her rage and started her weeping bitter injured tears.  We were glad to be home around 8pm.  Brian jumped right in and helped us get unloaded and kids bathed and to bed.  We are not meant to do this job alone.  I will post many pictures later but here is a teaser.

I have pictures and everything but I don’t think I will have time to post them before we leave tomorrow.  It was a fun birthday.  Brian took us out for breakfast.  When we got home I started laundry and packing for our trip and then Sophia needed love so I took a break with the girls.  Wouldn’t you know it…I fell asleep.  We all took a little nap together and then I had to move a little swifter upon awaking to get the laundry and packing finished. 

Brian came home and presented me with a gift card to Home Goods (awesome store) and 3 tickets to the “Tournament of Kings” at Excalibur.  Off we went to an evening of fun filled live family entertainment.  We had a great time.  There was even a midget in the show.  Many of you know that that alone makes it a good time for us.  Serra was a bit concerned when the knights would get “killed”.  Her eyes got big and she covered her mouth with her hand, “is he DEAD”.  But she was yelling HAZZAH with the best of them.  Sophia was dancing and bouncing and clapping through the whole thing.  They have a slew of carnival type games outside the arena a we played 4 games and won 3 of them.  It pays to have a former Lagoon lackey in your midst.  It is pretty cute to see a little girl leaving the party with 3 stuffed animals that she won.  Anyway…good day.  Thanks for the calls and cards all. 

This past week Rosie has been a real treat.  I finally figured it out when the little sharp protrusion made itself know on her bottom gum.  Now 5 more teeth are making their move, one more on the bottom and 4 on top.  Poor kid.  She just cries and cries, even with tylenol, until she falls asleep for a little while. 

We did have a fun weekend with the Arnell cousins in Ceder City.  It was great to spend time with them and check out where they will be spending the next few years.  Fishing was so much fun.  It was great watching the kids haul in a fish every few minutes.  That is my kind of fishing.  Gary did a good job frying them up too.  Lizzy J looked adorable in her blessing gown and matching hat and booties.  Liesl made the comment that she almost hated to undress her after church.  I know how that feels. 

Brian landed his first big contract today and we are really glad about that.  It is a rather extensive remodel.  We are excited about that.  We plan on heading to Park City on Friday for the Gee family reunion, and then we are headed to Bear Lake on Sunday to visit with Grandma for a day or so.  A day in Logan is in the works as well.  How long depends upon Brian’s schedule. 

Baby sad: gotta go. 

Very cool link I received from a friend.

Put your mouse curser over the guys nose leave it there.  Very cool.

http://fun.from.berdyczow.org/2004-05-26/posmeraj-goscia-w-nos.swf