Hiatus

Do you ever just feel like you're hanging by a thread and one more push will send you flying somewhere that you don't want to be? I'm having one of those periods of my life. And I so badly need a break but can't get one. I feel like I'm on the verge of something not good... I may need a hiatus from blogging until I get a grip on my situation. I don't want to bog anyone else down.

One Week Cleanse Diet

Well, I am thinking of doing this cleanse diet. It doesn't seem too hard or too weird.
I feel like it may do some good spring cleaning of my body.
Take a look here and let me know what you think? Any one want to do it with me?

Linnea Interview A-Z

Age: 10 years, almost 11
Bed: twin, top bunk
Chore you dislike: taking out the trash (she told me earlier that it was a boy's job)
Dinner dislike: anything with tomatos
Essential start to your day: watch Franklin with Micah
Favorite colors: white and turquoise
Greatest vacation you'd like to go on: to ride dolphins
Height: 53 inches
Instruments: piano and cello
jelly bean flavor: doesn't like them
kids (how many to have someday): no more then 3
lucky number: 2 and 5
month: April because it's Spring and July because it's my birthday month
Nicknames: Naya, Nay Nay, Miss America, teacher calls her Linneakins
Overnight Hospital stays: 2 nights when I was born
Pet Peeves: brothers, brothers, dogs, teachers, 5th grade boys, any kind of boys, neighbors...
Quote from me: "I love to wear black sweatpants!"
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Siblings: 3 brothers, would love a sister
Time you Wake up: 7-7:10
Underwear?: Yes, of course
Vegetables you don't like: all but corn
What makes you sad: fighting
X rays: teeth x rays
Yummy foods: chocolate mostly, strawberries dipped in chocolate, apples
Zoo animal favorites: Lions, giraffes, elephants, monkeys

All About Me from A to Z

A. Age: 32
B. Bed Size: Recently upgraded from a Full to a California King. BIG difference! At first I felt like I needed a walkie talkie to same good night to my husband.
C. Chore you dislike: cleaning the bath tub and shower
D. Dogs: one black lab and one yellow lab and currently ten puppies.
E. Essential start to your day: run, shower, check email, muesli for breakfast
F. Favorite colors: This is so hard. I love them all. Favorites.... white, navy, black, sky blue, for my house.... red and yellow
G. Gold or Silver jewelry: gold
H. Height: 5'4.5"
I. Instruments: piano, flute, used to play clarinet in high school but I can't really play well anymore.
J. Jelly bean flavor: I don't like jelly beans at all.
K. Kids: 3 boys, 1 girl, I would have lots more if I had the time/money/energy
L. Live: California
M. Month: October because the air turns cool (except where I live now where it gets hot finally), February
N. Nicknames: when I was in 5th grade the boys would tease me and call me "Ant Bite" or "It's a Small Jaime After All". When I was little my brother called me James Monraya. My husband calls me "Hun"
O. Overnight hospital stays: With each of my children's births...7 nights total, and when I had a tubal pregnancy surgery...one night.
P. Pet peeves: I don't get annoyed much. Maybe at my husband when he leaves his stuff everywhere.
Q. quote from movie or book: "Do or Do not, there is no try." --Yoda
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: 2 sisters, 3 brothers
T. Time you Wake Up: Usually 5:30 a.m.
U. Underwear?: of course except sometimes when I go running, but y running clothes kind of have them built in. weird I know.
V. Vegetables: I like all of them.
W. What makes you run late?: My kids
X. X rays you've had: dental, I don't know what else.
Yummy foods: fresh pasta with pesto, bananas dipped in chocolate fondue
Z. Zoo animals: monkeys, giraffe, lion or tiger, elephant

Tag You're It!

I may come back and interview some of my kids with these same questions.

Our Early Morning

Darby's water broke last night so we knew she would begin labor soon. All night she was pacing and rearranging her blankets. She was trying to make a little nest in our closet. Finally Albert moved her into the kitchen at 3 a.m. At 5:30 a.m. I heard puppy squeals. So far, ten have been born. I think she's done but we'll see...

Our Saint Patricks Day

I always like St. Patrick's day for some reason. I'm not Irish but its a fun holiday for me. No pressure for me, whatever I do is appreciated, an easy Irish dinner that everyone likes. Way different than Christmas. I enjoyed playing Celtic music on my flute in Gavin's class and making fun green treats for the kids in his class.

Cute picture of Albert and Micah...too bad Micah's shirt is a mess.

Irish soda bread, corned beef and steamed cabbage. Clover shaped, green cookies made with my cookie press and Swedish (ahem) cookie recipe.

Happy Birthday Gavin!

Gavin is 7!!
The day started with Rainforest Monkey Cupcakes.
Gavin is studying the rainforest in school so we made these cupcakes.
Inside each one is a little rainforest fact on a rolled up piece of paper.
Here, Linnea is helping put on the chocolate monkeys.

That night we went out to dinner with Great Grampa
and Tera and Jared and their family.
Lala Grill was Gavin's choice restaurant.
Here, Gavin and Maila are reading the card sent by Grama and Grampa Sirman.

Gavin ready to blow out his candles of his Oreo cake. Seriously, Layers in Monterey make the best cake. I ate more then I should have and subsequently went on a 6 mile run to try to repair the damage. But it was worth it.

Carter and Gavin

The next day Gavin had another party with a few friends from church and school.
One of the boys' Mom made and brought this awesome lightsaber cake!

Micah was a little too interested in the cake...

"Look Mom!"

The boys played musical present while listening to Star Wars music.
I'll never forget Gavin being just two years old and every Sunday he'd sing the Darth Vader theme song during church, and most noticeably during the sacrament. He has liked Star Wars for a while!

My sweet boy on his 7th birthday!
I am so grateful to have Gavin in our family. He's a joy to be around. He's full of energy and joy!

Gavin and Jacen playing around. Scary of Jacen, huh?!

Gavin's Basketball

Gavin played basketball this year for the first time on a team. He was such a great basketball player! Every game he scored several baskets. He's so fast! This is a picture of him just making a basket. (That's him in the turquoise shirt below the basket.)

We're Expecting...

PUPPIES!

Did I fool ya?

From my calculations, I think her due date is March 28th. I'm not very experienced with dogs and gestational periods though. I wonder how many she'll have? We're excited and it'll be fun but a lot of work for me I'm afraid. Albert has several sold already. I think it'll be hard, when the time comes, taking the puppies away from her and selling them. I'm glad I'm not a dog.

These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago. She's pretty big now.

Seriously, 15 Jacen?!

Is my bouncing baby boy really 15?!
I sure don't feel any older.
Jacen chose to celebrate Japanese style at Sapporo's.
Loved sharing his celebration with Tera and her children and Grampa.

Sang Happy Birthday accompanied by drums. Cool.

Cupcakes made by me and a huge fruit salad in a pineapple shell from the restaurant.

Maila catching her food mid air!

Fire entertainment. The little pyro children loved it. So did I.