Best Quote of Dunaway Christmas 2011

While practicing "Mary Did You Know" for his Christmas Choir Concert, Porter turned to me and said. "Mom, I feel love for Jesus in my heart when I sing this song."

Seth is cruising around furniture now, but today his preferred mode of transportation was sliding backwards on his belly while licking the floor. Kids are strange.

Sister's Trip Day 2

Day 2 we were more in touch with our girlie sides. We started the day by shopping, shopping and shopping at the outlets. Then we went to this awesome restaurant for dinner, The Anasazi. Our meat was brought to the table raw. Then we cooked it, just a few pieces at a time, with a variety of sauces and spices, on stones that had been heated to 700 degrees. It was super yummy! Although I thought it was a little ironic that you usually go out because you don't want to cook. After dinner we went to see Grease at the Tuacahn Theatre. It was a fun show that brought back some great memories of watching the movie.

I love my sisters! Already looking forward to next year...

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Sister's Trip Day 1

Every year my sisters and I try to take a trip together. It's an awesome way to reconnect and I look forward to it. We've gone to New York, Las Vegas, Oregon, Park City and St. George. We all try to make it, but it doesn't always work out. This year we missed Aimee, but hopefully she can come in 2012. We went down to St. George again. The first day we rode four wheelers for about an hour, to this fantastic waterfall. The water was the perfect temperature for wading and swimming and the bottom was a huge slab of smooth rock covered in sand. Perfect for bare feet! My nieces came along too. Kati was on the back of my bike on the way out and it was so fun to hear her singing away the whole ride. I'm certainly up to date now with all the tween tunes. Then we went back to my sister's house to cool off before we headed out to Zion's Park. Evenings in Zions are amazing! After hiking we went to a fun ranch house for dinner and then back to bed. We were exhausted, but what a great day!

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SDS - They're At It Again!

I love these Secret Dates that Dave and his friends plan. The date started with roses and chocolates, then we went to Bucca de Bepo, followed by a fun show at the Desert Star Playhouse. The guys have so much fun trying to keep everything secret and the wives love being pampered. I have a pretty amazing sweetheart:)

Sweet Boy!

Just a few cute pictures of my little guy. He is growing so fast.

We Did It!

And what a crazy 1/2 Marathon it was. Originally, Analisa and I had planned to run TOU Half, but we put off signing up because she was having some hip problems on our longer runs. When we got everything worked out and went to sign up, the race was full. We searched for something else local and decided on the Timpanogas Half. It was a month earlier than we had planned to race, but with other vacations and such, it was our best option. My sister lives down that way, so we arranged to stay at her house the night before because we needed to be at AF Highschool by 4:30am to bus up to the starting line. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized that I left my running shoes at home. AHHHHHH!!! I searched through my sister's house, trying not to wake anybody up, praying that I would find something that would work. To my surprise I actually found an old pair of running shoes that were only a half size too big. I got a few more hours of sleep and we headed out.

So how did the race go...Well, I dropped my granola bar in the porta potty at the starting line, Analisa's Achilles started hurting at mile 8 and I ended up with some pretty nasty blisters from my sister's shoes. Lots of bad omens and lessons learned on this one. But we finished and Analisa was thrilled to have run her first Half.

Fly, Fly, FLYYYYYY!

Me and My Lovie.
The Group.

The injury.

Flying high...

Dave's perfect landing.

I surprised Dave for Father's Day with paragliding lessons. It was AWESOME! Caryn, Trevor, Dani and Mark all came too. My whole life I've watched people hang gliding and paragliding at the Point of the Mountain, so this was definitely on the bucket list. Dave absolutely loved it and I was excited to hit the gift giving jackpot! The instructors suited us up and gave us a few lessons on the ground. Then we hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain. Basically, you start running and your shute inflates which lifts you up in the air. You can control your height and direction, but it was a little tricky. The landing was much more technical than I had expected and we got a few bumps and bruises. Dani, unfortunately came in too hard on her first flight and reinjured her knee, so she had to watch the rest of the morning :( Dave had more flights that anyone in our group because he kept wadding up his shute and running back up the mountain as fast as he could. He was so eager, it was like watching a little kid. Thinking about it still makes me smile.

Blessings!

WARNING....Lots of sappiness to follow.


Today I was counting my blessings and I thought about all my wonderful friends, old and new. I am grateful to have fantastic friends. I am grateful for friends I see only once a year, but we pick up right where we left off. I am grateful for friends who move away and I rarely see, but I love sharing emails. I am grateful for friends who are like sisters and treat my kids just like their own, who walk into my house when I'm sick and take my kids for the day, despite my semi-delirious protests. I am grateful for friends who still love me even when I say or do something I shouldn't have. I am grateful for friends who I can stay up half the night with, talking about nothing and everything and then spend all day shopping with, acting like a teenager. I am grateful for friends who run miles and miles with me and swap stories, thoughts and testimonies. I am so grateful for Dave, who is my best friend and loves and accepts me for exactly who and what I am. He cheers for me and cries with me. We chose to share our lives for eternity and we choose to love eachother more each day.

Thank you for making my life so full of joy and happiness. Thank you for teaching me and being part of my journey.

Narcalepto Man!

Caleb continues to amaze us with his super human ability to fall asleep literally anywhere...

The Red Sparkle Cast

The Orthopedic Specialist looked at Porter's x-rays yesterday and said that his ulna was buckled too. So he had to cast it above the elbow. So this is Porter for the next 4-6 weeks:( What a bummer way to spend the rest of the summer. But he his excited to show his cast off when he starts school.

It's Amazing Who You Run In To...

The boys and I went to see the Angel Moroni being placed on the Brigham City Temple. Awesome! I was walking down the street between the temple and tabernacle and I ran in to an old mission companion. SURPRISE! The last time we saw eachother I was pregnant with Caleb, so it's been a while. Her husband is the Construction Manager for Big D on the temple, so their whole family came up to see "Daddy's Temple". It was great to catch up and get some insider info on the construction. It seems like just yesterday we were walking the streets of Varazdin and having all kinds of crazy Croatian experiences. Shelley and I were companions for 8 months and also roommates down in Provo after our missions. We got married within about 6 months of eachother. It's so fun when you see someone and you're able to pick up right where you left off as if no time has passed. Shelley is a wonderful, kind, strong, humble and honest person. I loved being her companion and sharing so much of my mission with her. I learned a great deal from her and it made me a better missionary and person.

We were quite the pair. Both rather petite with naturally curly hair, that was even curlier in the Croatian humidity. People used to ask us if all Americans have curly hair. We also both looked quite young and older ladies were concerned that our parents had sent us so far away, on our own (they often thought we were only 15 or 16 years old). Our Mission President called us The Sunshine Sisters.

If we were standing on your porch, would you let us in?

Volim te Shelley! Nadam se da vidimo se ponovo, uskoro.

Porter's Ouweee!

Sometimes this...

Ends up like this...
Last Thursday, Porter fell off the playground and landed wrong on his arm. He has a buckle fracture on the lower end of his radius, just above the growth plate. Luckily, things weren't more serious. I actually thought his wrist was just sprained and waited until Friday to get it ckecked out. We take him in later today to see about a hard cast. He's pretty bummed that we had to cancel his swimming lessons and he hasn't been able to ride his bike, but he has been very resourceful in finding lots of one armed activities. This is probably just a sign of things to come with three very active, fairly close in age boys, running around our house.

Girl's Camp

Dave and I went up to Girl's Camp for Bishopric Night. This was Dave's first time ever at Girl's Camp and I haven't been for 14 years. Lots of hugging, crying, and sugar! Dave kept leaning over and saying, "this doesn't happen at Scout Camp".

When we arrived the girls were all getting ready for dinner and they started yelling and cheering, "yeah, the Dunaways are here!" Dave looked at me and said, "Wow, I feel like a rockstar!" So fun. We ate dinner and then the Stake had prepared a very spiritual fireside. Unfortunately, Seth was being too loud, so I had to go back down to our Ward camp and missed most of it. I think it was good for both of us to be immersed in estrogen for an evening. We have amazing girls in our ward and they have wonderful leaders. I was amazed at their testimonies, strength and love for eachother. I know I'm 34, but it really does seem like just yesterday that I was in Young Womens. I think Dave gets to do some pretty cool things with his calling and I enjoy tagging along.

Creative Sense of Humor!

Caleb has quite a creative (slightly morbid) sense of humor. Yesterday, Dave and I were in the kitchen and the door from the garage opened. Caleb stuck his head and torso into the house and said, "I don't have any legs, I don't have any legs!"

Hungry?

I just made something super yummy for the boys for lunch and it was super easy.

1 can chicken
ranch dressing
bacon bits (store bought or make your own)
1 can refridgerated crescent roll dough

Combine the first three ingredients. Cut dough into rectangles (about 10). Put a little mixture on the dough and roll it up. Cooks for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Yummy!

A Misunderstanding...

Today I took the boys to the theatre for one of the steeply discounted summer movies, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". Cute show. On the way home Porter started talking about diarrhea and asked me where the diarrhea was in the movie. It finally dawned on me that he had sat through the whole movie waiting for diarrhea because he understood the title to be, "Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid." I can only imagine what he thought he was going to see in the show...

STAR WARS!!!

This is typical of what I see when I look out the window on a warm day. I'm not sure who won, they seemed to all be taking turns dying. Our neighbor, John, joined in and was a really good sport.

The joys of little boys:)

TaVaCi Concert!

Porter is in this fun singing group called TaVaCi. He loves singing and can often be heard singing away while he's playing, cleaning or using the bathroom. His favorite song from the spring concert was the "Chore" song. He and his friend Hallie are in the same class.

One of the highlights was Porter picking his nose and wiping it on the boys sleeve next to him. Hilarious video to follow, if I can figure out how to edit.

Porter's Party!

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Porter wanted a LEGO party. It was AWESOME! The kids built towers and then knocked eachother's over. They made LEGO soup, crushed a pinata, built with candy LEGOS and of course, ate cake and ice cream. Lots of smiles and laughter, made all the work worth it.

Happy Birthday Porter!!!

We love our Porter so much. It is fun to watch him learn and discover new things. He has such a fun personality and sense of humor. He loves playing with friends, STAR WARS, soccer, riding his bike, playing with his brothers, salty food, Math and LEGOS. He's a good reader and a very good helper. Yesterday, he brought in a whole car load of groceries, all by himself and mopped the bathroom floor (I sound like a slave driver). He's a wonderful big brother. He is very patient and kind to Caleb and is always willing to play with or feed the baby, when I need an extra hand. We are so thankful that he came into our family six years ago.

He made me a mother and I love him so much.

Yeah! We FINALLY bought a new laptop! Our old one was a dinosaur and liked to freeze up. It also took forever, when using the Internet. I love our new one!!!

First Race Post-partum

May 7th was my first race since little Sethers joined the fam. It was a 5K at the Ogden Nature Park. I was excited to get back into the game and shot out of the gate. I ended up 2nd place overall for the females with 23 minutes and 53 seconds. Not to shabby. The first place finisher was a 13 year old girl. Awesome! Cheers to the start of another racing season!

The Home Stretch

This is my awesome running partner. We have been running in the evenings after our husbands get home. It's really nice to go without the kids.

2nd Place

Easter Egg Hunt

This was one of those rare Utah spring days when it wasn't raining or snowing. It was also the day before Easter, so it worked out perfect for an egg hunt.

It's All Ours

Hurray! We made the last payment on the land. So this little .49 acre piece of Brigham City is officially ours. Now what to do with it.....who knows, but at least we don't have any more payments. The original plan was to build a beautiful house, but with ATK so unpredictable these days, we've decided to sit tight in our current house. We would love to stay in Brigham City.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Here's a little walk down memory lane. We love you Porter!

This kid really can sleep...Anywhere!

He went outside to shoot some hoops and this is what we found, on the driveway, a few minutes later.

A Calebism

Today while I was changing Seth's diaper:

Caleb: "Mom, can I have some ice cream?"

Me: "Just a minute, I'm busy."

Repeat above 5 or 6 times and then...

Me: "Caleb, if you ask me that question one more time, then the answer is NO."

Long Pause...

Caleb: "Mom, when are you going to get me some ice cream?'

Me: "Caleb, what did I just tell you?"

Caleb: "But I asked a different question."

Seriously, he figured that out, but we're still working on the potty. Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!

Cookie Monster Strikes Again...and Again

Easter morning, all three boys were still in bed and I walked into the kitchen to start breakfast. I found the three Easter baskets that I had set out the night before. They were empty, on the table with wrappers, opened eggs and partially eaten candy all over the kitchen and living room. This had Caleb written all over it. I went in to wake him and asked if he found the Easter baskets last night. "Yes." I then asked if he ate all the candy in them? "Yes." Luckily, Porter doesn't really like candy or there would have been real trouble. I have no idea when or for how long Caleb was up during the night. Porter's birthday presents were also opened and scattered all over, which leads me to believe that this was Caleb's motivation for venturing out of his bedroom. The baskets of treats must have been an added surprise. A hidden camera would have made this incident priceless.

Yesterday, I frosted some cupcakes for Porter to take to school. I had a brief (seriously, it was maybe 10 minutes) phone call, after which, I found Caleb hiding in the kitchen cupboard. After eating the rest of the frosting with a spoon and licking the bowl clean, he was attempting to make his own frosting. His recipe was granulated sugar and food coloring. This should make for some interesting bathroom tales. The last time he got into the food coloring, his behind actually ended up blue from it coming out the other end.

Quote of the Week

Porter: "Caleb, get your fingers out of my ears!!! Your finger nails are too long."

I couldn't think of a good caption for this picture. Both of their expressions just make me smile.

Golden Moment!

WWF at our house last night. Mommy vs. Caleb and Porter. The boys were tickle attacking me on the floor after dinner. I would flip them over my back onto the floor and tickle back. Then I took off my jacket and started tying them up together. I intentionally tied one of their legs to the other's arm or laid them on top of each other cross ways. The untangling was hysterical to watch. They would wriggle, twist and drag each other around the room trying to break free. Then after, they would come running back for more. During all of this, Seth was lying on his blanket, smiling and waving his arms wildly. I think he thought he was playing too. I thought to myself, what a great Golden Moment of Motherhood.

ALL DRESSED UP:)

Amen

I was sitting in Sacrament meeting my first or second week back to church after staying home with the new baby. The opening prayer was offered by a sweet older lady, who is a good friend of mine. In her prayer, she mentioned gratitude for the Bishopric and their families and asked that we be blessed. At that particular moment, this was very powerful. It is not easy to have a husband serving in the Bishopric. He is gone several nights a week and Sunday. On top of his full time job and at times teaching at USU and a home business, life has been very busy. But even with having 3 kids under the age of 6, I have rarely felt overwhelmed. I have often felt strengthened by the Savior. That Sunday, when the congregation echoed Amen, I realized that they have strengthened us also. I felt a sense of community and love. I felt that not only have we been serving our neighbors, but that they have been serving us. As I thought about blessings that we have received over the past two years, I recognized that many were due to others' prayers as well as our own. I am truly grateful to serve and to support my husband in his service to the Lord.

Teeth!!!

Took Caleb to the dentist yesterday for what I knew was a cavity. Turns out he has 7 cavities and one needs a partial root canal. Yikes!!! Kids, let this be a lesson to you...when you sneak candy and hide in whatever nook you can to eat it, so your mom doesn't find you and take the candy away or make you brush, it's not good for your teeth. Of course, with my dental history, he probably comes by it honestly (something about saliva). Although, I'm sure the candy doesn't help. It pains me to spend all the money to fix teeth that are just going to fall out and then the new ones will probably get cavities and then need braces...Aargh!!!

Just the Same

Several of my close friends and family members are adoptive parents and a few of my friends were adopted. I also have a dear friend who gave her baby to another couple and one very sweet friend of mine is adopting another precious little baby in just a few weeks. When I came across this poem, I couldn't help but think of all of them and the love that our Heavenly Father has for each of us.

Just the Same

by Diana Lynn Lacey

(April 2011 Ensign)

Sometimes-

God sends rain

Straight from the sky

To nourish the young flower

and it grows.

Sometimes-

God sends the rain from the sky

To the mountaintops,

Then over the hills and through valleys

until it reaches the flower

and it grows, just the same.

Sometimes-

God sends a child

Straight from his realm

Into a mother's arms

and love grows.

Sometimes-

God sends a child

From heaven to another's arms,

Then over hills and through valleys

Until he reaches the arms of his mother

and love grows, just the same.

Foolishness!

Have you ever bought something, knowing that you were going to return it? Once I actually returned some sweaters for the boys before even leaving the store. During the long walk between the checkout and the customer service counter, I changed my mind. Foolish confessions.

Favorite Movie Quote for the week:

"Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You have to be committed."

- Eat, Pray, Love-

Sacrament Faux pas!

Dave has said and done a lot of interesting, amusing and sometimes embarrassing things over the pulpit, but last Sunday's faux pas takes the cake. Dave is conducting this month and therefore is in charge of scheduling speakers. The first two speakers spoke and neither the Bishop nor Dave saw the third speaker on the program in attendance. She is a new single sister in our ward. The Bishop turned to Dave and said, "You get this one." Dave then got up and gave a fantastic 15 minute talk. After the closing prayer, you can imagine his surprise when he saw the scheduled third speaker walking off the stand. Oops! Apparently, she had arrived early and sat next to the chorister, directly behind the Bishop, but partially blocked by the organ. The half of the congregation, that could see her, were very confused. Dave endured some deserved heckling the rest of the day. The next day we took her some flowers and she was very gracious and understanding.

Uplifting!

I have an amazing friend. We have known each other since highschool. She is a fantastic mother and wife and she inspires me to be a better person. In essence...she is one of my heroes. I want to share her blog about her youngest son. I find it extremely uplifting and inspiring.

breakingthesilence-cam.blogspot.com

Feet!

I personally hate feet. I think they are sweaty and smelly, except for my baby's feet. I don't like my big kid's feet or my husband's feet and I tolerate my feet. This is why I am so grateful for other people who will touch my feet. Not only touch, but soak, scrub, massage, file my callouses and trim and paint my toenails. Pedicures are one of my guilty pleasures. I have had some interesting pedicures over the last few years. Good, bad and entertaining. I'm not sure what category Saturday's falls under, probably ghetto. There was actually a man about ten feet away from me who was getting his hair cut into a mullet. The facility and equipment were old and run down, but everything seemed clean, so a few friends and I sat down and crossed our fingers (the above picture is not at Saturday's appointment). Well, my toes haven't fallen off and it was relaxing. I don't think we'll go back there though. Anyone have any favorite salons that are in the Ogden, Layton or Logan area?