the greene life

...April Fools...

2011-04-01T15:29:00.001-07:00

This is what happened on April Fools 2010...

Hmmm?

Why do I feel like I've been sucker-punched in the face with exhaustion by a cracked-out Mike Tyson and left to lay on my couch until I either die or just pass out?

Three tests later...

April Fools 2011...

Our sweet, sweet Lola...

4 months old.

She's totally worth being punched in the face for!

Oh sweet, sweeeet pavement!

2011-01-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my first post-partum run...with Max.

Let's rewind to 21 months ago to my first post-partum run after having Van. It's one of those runs I'll never forget.

My ipod started playing "The Adventure" by Angels and Demons. I turned it up until I thought my ear drums would be permanently damaged and started running/crying my eyes out! Oh glory be! I. was. alone. No one to nurse, no one to feed, no one to cook for, no bums to wipe...total aloneness except one of my besty's, the pavement. Such a release of emotions and hormones, AHHHH YES, just what I needed. Until I had to make myself stop crying because it was giving me a side stitch.

Tonight's run, 1.5 miles with my buddy. So sweet to watch Max run/skip/sprint/dance. That kid was interval training and he didn't even know it.

When we got closer to our house he put up the ultimate challenge..."last one to the front door is a rotten egg"! I totally creamed him. JK. To be nice, Max, ever the gentleman, told me I didn't smell rotten. Thanks sugar. I love that kid.

I won't forget this "first" post-partum run either.

Whiskey Row half marathon here I come! And here comes Dave...yep Dave I just put it out there, you're committed!

Miss Lola

2010-12-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

And yes, we made it to the hospital this time! Funny thing, Dave was the only one in the room when Lola started crowning (sorry if that's too much info). The nurse walked in as she was coming out. I'm starting to think Dave missed his true calling in life! My midwife missed the birth, again...I think we need to be reimbursed.

Daddy and his girl, 1 hour old.

First time the boys saw Lola, 2 1/2 hours old!

Gramie Dani with her only granddaughter of 6 grandsons! My mom has never been here for the birth of any of my babies, our timing has always been off. It would be nice to be able to predict when the squirts are going to be born. I was so glad she was here this time, loved it!

Uncle Devin and Aunt Liz.

Max and Lo, bonding. First day home.

Our attempt at family pictures on Thanksgiving. 3 days old.

The posterity.

And thanks to Priscilla for taking these adorable pictures of Lo. These were all taken when Lola was 2 weeks old. Check out Pris's photo blog here!

We're in love with this little girl. I can hardly believe she's been with us for a month already! Dave and I are still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that we have 4 kiddo's! So far, so good, but we'll see how it goes once Lola gets out of the sleepy baby stage :)

(sorry it took so long to post, i'm only working on a 1/4 of my brain cells these days)

80's Tour de force

2010-09-19T20:02:00.011-07:00

Calling all children of the 80's. I think you'll appreciate this post.
Dave and I are debating which movie, produced by the acid dropping Dave Henson , scarred our boys for life more.

Exhibit 1:

First of all, I would never rent OR even buy these movies from the "throw away $5 bin" from Walmart. We watched it from Netflix from the Xbox. Just to clarify.

I just wasn't in the mood to hear the sounds of a cartoon. So, I see Dark Crystal and I think,'Hey, why not, I saw it when I was a kid, but I don't really remember anything about it except that it had weird puppets".

All I have to say is Jim Henson was high when he came up with this movie. It's a movie about good vs. evil, blah blah blah. With freaky, yoda-like characters like Aughra with one eye, this movie was good for freaking my boys out and getting really good cat names.
What happened to the Muppets Jim?

Exhibit 2:

Labyrinth...
Ahh, sweet Jennifer Connelly. And Hoggle?
He's her sketchy side-kick, who poisons her and purposely gets her lost in labyrinth. Lessons to be learned kids, pick better side-kicks and don't go into mazes in the first place.

David Bowie.
And David Bowie's not-so-fantastical, crotchitude, spandex pants.
There's enough shots of this to scar anyone for life.
This movie had to be the inspiration for David and Freddy Mercury's duet, "Under Pressure."

I wonder how many drag queens have aspired to get this look?
Another question, I wonder what came first? David Bowie's hair and frosted make-up or Brett Michaels? I would love to see those two duke it out in Celebrity Fight Club. Sans the spandex.

The debate rages on which movie will cost us more in therapy bills, Dark Crystal or Labyrinth?
Thanks Jim, I'd like those 3 hours of my life back. And I'll bill you for the therapy.

The 80' s tour de force wasn't all hallucinogenic, nightmare causing.
We had success with Never Ending Story. Spoiler... it ends.
But when we get a dog, we're totally naming it Falkor.

And p.s.
Invite Dave and I to your Halloween party. This is why.

This will happen.

Jeshie or Pearl?

2010-09-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Girl names. We're looking for something different, but not too crazy. Got any suggestions?
Ryder and Max already have her name picked out. Love the inspiration.

If Ryder has it his way, this little girl will be named Jessie (or Jeshie as Ry says it). As in Jessie from Toy Story. Granted she's a cutie and tough as nails, but we already have a Jessie in the family and she's the same way :)

Max, however, has been inspired by his favorite cartoon, Spongebob Square Pants. (Gasp! Yep, our boys watch Spongebob, turn us into CPS)

Meet the oh so lovely Pearl,
or Pearl Greene if the naming is up to Max.

Well, hello there...if anyone's still there.

2010-09-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been one year since I posted on this lonely blog. Why the abandonment? A number of reasons, but that's a post for another day. Mainly, I thought Jade was tired of having her messed up back as the headliner news on my blog for over a year now. So, here's to you Miss Jade, a new post.

A year later. See, she's doing just fine. Now Ryder, well, he's just being funny man Ry.

I'm coming out. No, I'm not gay. I'm pregnant! And it's a girl! Halle-freaking-lujah, we are so excited! I'm 7 months prego and due around Thanksgiving! Needless to say, Dave will be in charge of Thanksgiving dinner, which is cool because he makes a mean turkey and melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes!

Yep, we are breeders, but hopefully this old mare is done with this stage of life. Did I just compare myself to an old horse? Moving on. It's an odd, but satisfying feeling, knowing that this is my last time to be pregnant.

It's a little like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, not to be confused with the end-of-life-death tunnel. The light being the end of planning life around nap times, packing the entire diaper drawer and pantry with you when you leave the house and six years worth of changing diapers. We're almost done with all things baby. It's a little sad because this time in our life is almost finished, and I do love all things baby. But, at the same time it's nice to move forward with our growing family.

So, I'm trying to appreciate this pregnancy even more. But, a stress fracture in my foot from running and my sciatica are making it tough to relish. UGH. But, thankfully, the funky, alien movements of this little girl keep me excited about her joining our family. "Her," a pronoun we're all excited to use more of around here!
And Jade, I hope this little girl grows up to be just like you! No pressure or anything.

So, wow, I just dropped a bomb (well, it was a bomb for us) and on my first post in a year. I'll try and keep them coming. The posts, not the bombs.

Life's Tough, Wear a Helmet

2009-09-04T12:34:00.010-07:00

This is what happens to a 4-wheeler (or a quad for arizonans) when the breaks go out going down a mountain.

It gains way too much speed in about 2 seconds, hits a boulder, throws off its passengers and then has the audacity to challenge them to a somersault race down the mountain for another 100 yards.
(you bad,

bad 4-wheeler)

This is what happens when Miss Jade, who unfortunately, is one of the passengers along with another friend, is on the said bad, bad 4-wheeler.

(search and rescue and my dad, he's the one with the white hat on, had to tabogen her down the mountain)
Jade lucked out. Big time! Wearing a helmet saved her pretty little face, neck, brain and spine. Pretty much her life. It makes me sick to think of the later.
She did come away with some really awesome souvenirs.

A shredded, super cute F21 shirt.
A concussion, followed by migraine's and some puking-fun.

A fractured thumb-super fun.
Some major, meaty road rash on her back-seriously so much fun.
And last but not least, a broken L2, L3, and L4 in her back-limitless fun.

But there's always a silver lining.
All of her siblings came to rally around their little sis...in our parents bed.

I had to come see for my self that my Jaders was going to be okay. Me and Van hopped on a plane and were there for the weekend.
Mama Jade and her baby boy,
RE-UNITED.

This is pretty much where I hung out for 2 days, my parents bedroom.
It's the quintessential "returning home" for me.
I'm not sure why, but for some reason, hanging out in parents bedroom was always the gathering place.
It still is.

I hope it's the same way for my kids.

Maybe you know what I mean, maybe you don't. You might think this is uber weird, but for our family it was par. And now with my kids, come weekend mornings and our little guys come in to wake us up, we carry on the tradition of hanging out, in bed. It's home, it's us.

Poor Jade, I think the hardest thing about her recovery is the down time. Like most teenagers she'd rather be anywhere else on a Friday night then laying in my parents bed with her fun, broken back. But, we (the fam) tried to make it entertaining for her. Or should I say she made it entertaining for us.

Three words: Jade On Percocet...

**Let's see, she kept petting my dad's face and calling him "cutie pie".
**My mom was now being summoned as "sexy".

**She kept verbally assaulting my brothers. But they were true gentleman in the way they handled it. They dished it right back.
**She kept repeating "I'm on top of the world" and then would pretend she was flying, like the scene in Titanic.

Jade on Percocet, priceless, truly.

It was good to be back home with my girl. Circle the wagons, as Dave would say.
She's doing good and her prognosis is great. She'll be 4-wheeling again in no time. JK. Never again!

Mom-Of-The-Year Award: Tiffany Greene

2009-08-25T14:22:00.007-07:00

It's one of those days.

My flat iron has been plugged in since 10 am and still not used. Ahh, I'll be back, better go unplug it.

I have half my make-up on, so I look like a ten year old with crow's feet.

I talked on the phone with my mom for 2 ahhmazing hours. I love, love, love her!

Ryder watched cartoons the entire two hours. Thanks Disney.

Van pretty much sat on my lap the whole conversation and has been sleeping since then. Holla!

Ryder had a nutritious lunch of cold cereal.

I just ate lunch and it's 2:30. And then changed out of my pajama's.

Just took a look, my first look actually, at my "to do list" for today.

That's why I'm blogging right now.

Looks like it will be left over Pei Wei for dinner. Why stop the trend now?

It's kinda nice to be lazy. Until I have to make-up for it tomorrow.

Hopefully, SOMEBODY can relate.

And just so I don't have a picture-less post (pet-peeve) here's some random photo's.

Van, 5 1/2 months ( big sigh), just goes by too fast!

The boys with their "Sprinkles" cupcakes.
Ry said it looked too cool to eat, but it didn't stop him.

Wanted

2009-08-23T23:25:00.005-07:00

Being wanted/needed. It's a double edge sword.
This is why I say this...

Max had his first day of kindergarten.
He was soooo excited to go and soooo proud that he was a KINDERGARTNER.
Here's my little man showing off his ultra cool, Optimus Prime backpack that he picked out.
He was so pumped to go that he was already awake when I went to get him in the morning.
So, off we went.

Kindergarten here we come, MAYBE.

Who doesn't want to be wanted?
In some weird way it's validating for me to be wanted and needed by Dave and the boys.
I like knowing that they need me.

But, there are times like this when it breaks my heart to be needed.
My little man wanted his mom.
He wanted mom to stay all day.

I know there are other moms who can relate b/c the first day of kindergarten posts are running rapid this time of year. But, when it's your own, it's just different.
For me it was gut-wrenching, put-on-the-sunglasses b/c tears are streaming down my face, punch me in the gut painful.

I was a mess. I had to leave before he saw the dam of tears break.
I knew he'd be great once I left and he was distracted.
The question was, could I be distracted enough?
Well, thankfully being needed by two other little boys will do that.
Yes, it's good to be wanted.

At the end of the day, a happy Max was greeted by four needy people who missed him terribly.
I think he liked being wanted too.

My little SIS

2009-08-10T19:12:00.009-07:00

Usually when I'm at the airport I'm the one doing the people watching. It's always amazing. Well, not today... Today me and Jades' river of snot and tears were the spectacle.

Yes, we had an audience at gate C14. I heard whispers of,
"How cute",
"How sweet",
"Are they mother, daughter or sisters? Probably sisters b/c the older one's got 2 kids I think"
"Are they going to be okay?"

Tender, thanks people. Now I think I'll farmer blow all my snot on you, stop intruding on our moment...anyway. (whoa sorry about that little outburst)

We said our farewell's today and it completely and totally sucked! After spending almost 2 months together; a month in UT and 3 weeks in AZ, I'm definitely going through Jade withdrawals. It's hard seeing my best friend/sister leave knowing I won't see her for another 6 months.

She's a teenager and an AMAZING one at that.

I was a terrible teenager. My mother and father will attest to that. During my teen years they didn't want another girl. BUT, then there's Jade and thank goodness she's re-written the Daniels teen girl story.

MISS JADE she's fun, funny and always up for anything! Also, my mom's favorite child. Don't deny it mom. And Vance don't fight it.

Here are some limited pic's of our time together:
(my camera is still on the outs, ugh!)

We love food and it loves us.

Jade. She's my boys' golf coach...

...and swim coach, wrestling coach, Old Maid card game coach, running through the neighbors sprinklers coach and poker coach.

Okay, so maybe she didn't teach them poker, but tried teaching Max how to shuffle. By the way when Ry saw the Jack of Hearts he called him "Jesus". Sunday school is definitely paying off.

This is the only time Ry and Max will eat peas. Gramie Dani's garden, with Jade.

This girls' got a sense of humor.

Jade and I made a good team. I'd take care of the older two boys and Van was all hers. She loved on him like he was her own. I think Van would sometimes think we were both mom, it was so adorable. His little face would light up every time he saw her.

We had too much fun together! Whether is was watching NYC Prep during the boys' nap time ---(yes I just admitted that. Jade got me addicted, that shows like a car crash, tragic, but you can't stop looking)--- school clothes shopping, going to Wicked or getting pedicures; she had me belly laughing/snorting all day, everyday. (world's longest sentence)

Jade I miss ya tons and so does Van, Ry, Max and Dave!

Until next summer, keep this with you..
Your confidence and comfort in being genuinely authentic is astounding. Stay true to who you are! You're an amazing girl with smarts, beauty, an awesome sense of humor and an ahhmazing sense of style. I love you!

Dave's conspiracy

2009-07-08T20:20:00.003-07:00

I'm here vacationing with the boys. Dave's in Phoenix bringing home the bacon. It's hard being away from him for a whole month!

We were bummed that we wouldn't be spending the 4th of July holiday with him; it marked the halfway point of our separation.

He insisted there was no way for him to come rendezvous with us for the 4th.
Oh that sneaky man!

Summer lovin'

2009-07-01T11:45:00.013-07:00

We've been here for two weeks.

And

Max and Ryder say they want to live here.

I can't figure out why?

Playing in the canal in the backyard of their Gramie Dani's house. Every boys dream, mud. Or possibly cow poop?

My mom just informed me that the canal water is clean water straight from the mountains.

It is not farm water.

I stand corrected.

Scootering with their cousin Ira in the wet stuff.

Ryder actually called it wet stuff.

Swimming at the pool with the Fjeldsted cousins.

Van got in on the action. His first pool time!

Miss Annika, Ry's personal lifeguard.

Ahh, one of my favorite places on the planet, Birch Creek Golf Course (another post on this amazing place to come).

My dad is the manager and superintendent of this golfers paradise. You'd think I'd be a better golfer...anywho. The boys love it as much as I do.

Auntie Jade giving Ry some help.

Papa and Van, sooo cute, had to post.

Hiking the Wellsville Mountains.

Thanks to Paco (my parents wonder dog) he found our friend here just off the side of the trail.

I can see why they want to live here, I loved growing up here.

Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Bare feet all day long, no shirts, summer tans and days that last until 9:30 pm.

All the same reasons I love Logan too. Well except for the no shirts part.

And I get to relax too.

Hello peeps, can't wait to see ya!

2009-06-18T14:04:00.007-07:00

Road trip essentials:

* 1 husband who loves to sing with me in the car.
* Plethora of cd's because we do it old school.
* 1 Five year old.
* 1 Three year old.
* 1 3 month old.
* 1 lifesaver; I mean dvd player.
* Books.
* Toy cars and trucks.
* 1 gallon jug for the boys to pee in. JK. But Vance & Jess swear it saves at least 20 minutes-don't deny it.
* Baby carrots, apples, banana bread.
* Cheese nips and jerky (it can't all be healthy)
* 1 bag of cinnamon-sugar almonds, our favorite.
* 1 bottle of Tylenol. For the adults, not to knock out the kids in case you were wondering.
* 2 pit stops to get gas AND nurse.

*This is where 12 hours in the car will get you.
*Destination: Logan, UtahYes, those are cow pastures. That's what makes Logan so endearing, the combination of wet hay and manure smell. I seriously can't wait. Home sweet home!

Van & I

2009-06-12T13:14:00.011-07:00

Van and I had a photo session with Heather...

My baby.

3 months old.

Please don't ever grow up.

We know what you'll like when your eighty.
My favorite!

Captured moments with my baby boy. I'm so happy to have them.
This is VAN.

Click here to check out more photo's from my amazingly talented friend,
Arizona Lewis Photography.
And click here for her blog. Always a guaranteed good read!

Admissions

2009-06-01T09:42:00.016-07:00

I am 31.

I have no problem admitting that.

I am 31 and have "tween angst" for a fictional character in a book. Maybe you've heard of him, Edward Cullen.

I have no problem admitting that either. (Dave's probably cringing right about now)

I also have no problem admitting that I stayed up last night to watch the MTV Movie Awards just so I could see the debut of the New Moon trailer (click here).
Did I realize that MTV would be airing the awards every hour on the hour and I could see it anytime?

Yes.

Did I also realize that there's a little thing called the internet that would have the trailer plastered everywhere?

Yes.

BUT, superfans like me don't wait until the next day...

Lets just say that there may have been tears shed, a racing pulse, sweaty palms and plenty o'goose bumps during this mouthwatering trailer. Nov. 20th get here already pllleaase! Even Dave stayed up, although he used the excuse of "preparing for court tomorrow". Hmm umm, sure Dave.

So to re-cap...
I am 31.

And yes I have a super-crush on Edward. (Dave knows everything so its not like I'm cheating on him)

And no I'm not too old for this sort of thing, well maybe it's a little weird, but whatev. Go Team Edward.

p.s. Why do I have no problem with these admissions? No pride and I'm not the only one (Heather)

Seriously? I thought you were brushing your teeth!

2009-05-17T15:24:00.012-07:00

No Words Are Needed. Really, they're not...

3 and a half, you don't say?

2009-05-17T14:26:00.011-07:00

There's a not-so-little boy, Ryder, who turned 3 years old, but insists that he is

3 and a half. This is his birthday story....

This not-so-little boy has an ahh-mazing tongue. Wow. It acquired super powers when he almost bit it off. From that point on, it assists him when deep concentration is needed, like opening his Hubba Bubba Bubblegum.
The not-so-little boy could request whatever he wanted to eat for his birthday lunch. What did he want? Taco's with chips and salsa. Lunch of champions.
This not-so-little boy told his mom, "Taco's make me strong". That's why he's posing as Popeye. Spot on!

This not-so-little boy and his 2 favorite fellas celebrating! You turn 3 and a half only once.

The mandatory birthday poses. But, this not-so-little boy loves to do it. Mandatory- ha!He winks about as good as his mom. Better actually.This not-so-little boy loves to cook, even his own banana birthday cake. I think we may have a future Curtis Stone (Take Home Chef) on our hands.
Maybe? Well, if the not-so-little boy decides not to cook, he's got the hair.

This was a big day for the not-so-little boy, he graduated to the water wing level. You can't see it, but the tongue was out. Like I said, it has super powers. He's using water wings isn't he?
Our not-so-little boy, 3 years old, I mean 3 and a half!
Oh Ryder, we love you and your super power tongue!
You make our family laugh every single day!
Your whole face smiles when you smile! We can't help but smile too!
You make our family better!
We LOVE you!
Happy Birthday Lovey!
The End.

one month of VAN deliciousness

2009-04-07T12:54:00.008-07:00

It's a BLUR as I think back on the last 5 weeks that VAN has been WITH us! My days and nights all blend together giving me the most scrumptious dessert of all, life with VAN.

OUR little VAN, I just want to eat him.

I'm not the only one...

2009-03-18T19:43:00.009-07:00

Introducing...Van Arthur Greene

(Named after my younger brother Vance and my great-grandpa, Arthur Golden Willie)

Our little boy is here, 2 weeks actually...wow it's gone by so fast! Van made his entrance into the world in the front seat of our car just off the I-10 freeway, delivered by his dad. Yep, the hospital was still 15 minutes away and I had to push! Let me start at the beginning...

First of all, Van was 10 days early which is not my M.O., with my previous pregnancies I went beyond the due date. So I thought I was having false labor, AGAIN. I was feeling contractions, but not anything major, so I went to sleep listening to my relaxing hypnobirthing cd's. An hour later I woke up from a contraction. I got up and thought I might as well pack my hospital bag- just in case. I ironed a couple of clothes, cleaned up a little; all the while just breathing through contractions. I was still unsure if this was the real deal or not.

At about 1:15am, I woke up Dave b/c the contractions were getting stronger and I needed Dave to start timing them so I could relax and zone out. They were getting a little more intense, but I still wasn't convinced this was true labor, the timing of the contractions were sporadic, every 5 to 8 minutes.

The funny thing, looking back, is that I had started shaking, which is usually what happens when I'm in transition about 7, 8 centimeters dialated, but at the time my feet were freezing and I thought that was why I was shivering/shaking. So I had Dave put socks on my feet. Hello, can there be a bigger sign, I was in transition. But, I still wasn't convinced b/c the contractions weren't that strong or consistent.

So, finally they were coming pretty consistent every 5 minutes. Great! Finally, we're convinced this is the real deal. Dave called my mid-wife, Janice, and told her we were coming to the hospital. Then he called Trish, to come stay with the boys through the night. We're set, lets get to the hospital so I can get checked in and relax through the rest of labor. Well, while Dave is making phone calls, my contractions start coming every 2 or 3 minutes! Oh boy, this kid is coming and quick, but surely not in the next 20 minutes, right??!!!

Dave gets me out to the car so that when Trish comes we're ready to go. I can barely walk to the car, maybe because the baby is practically ready to come out, unbeknownst to me! About 3 minutes into the ride, Dave called Janice and told her we're on our way and that the contractions are coming fast. As he's talking to her, I tell/yell him that I have to push! Janice heard me say I had to push, she thought we were home and told Dave to call the paramedics. Dave told her we were 5 minutes away from the hospital. Dave said he lost all track of time b/c in reality we were 15 minutes away. So, Janice said to keep driving and to call the paramedics if it looked like we were going to make it.

I knew then that we weren't going to make it to the hospital. I had a moment of clarity, I felt a calm come over me and realized I was going to deliver my baby in the car. I remember thinking/feeling "You can do this. Everything is going to be okay. Pay attention to your body it knows what to do."

We drove maybe 3 more minutes and made it onto the freeway and I tell Dave to pull over b/c the baby is coming out! Dave while on the phone with 911 pulls over to the side of the road and with the phone between his ear and shoulder, delivers Van! It took me one push and the little guy was out! Dave took him and started to rub his back and tap his bottom to get him breathing. Van let out a yelp-what a huge relief!!! Dave looked at me and said, "He's breathing. Are you okay?"

I was feeling great! I was so relieved that Van was okay and to be honest, it felt so good to have the little guy out of me! Dave said I looked so happy, I had a huge smile on my face.

I grabbed the pillowcases off the pillows we had brought to position me in the car and wrapped Van in them. We waited for about 5 minutes for the ambulance to come. In those 5 minutes we had to ourselves, I have never felt a stronger bond between Dave and I. We did it! We brought this little boy into the world, just Dave and I. Working totally in sync with one another with one purpose. Dave was amazing! He was so calm, I seriously felt like he was my hero!

When the paramedics came we were all doing well. Van was breathing, I was breathing and so was Dave! They had Dave cut the umbilical cord in the car, which to be honest was funny b/c it was somewhat anti-climatic considering Dave had literally delivered him just 5 minutes ago.

So, here we are 2 weeks later and we're totally goo-goo, gaa-gaa over him! He's such a good baby! Totally mellow, champion nurser, fantastic at pooping and he's already smiling and no it's not gas :)

All things GORGEOUS!

2009-01-31T20:19:00.004-07:00

I. Love. My. Mid-wife!

I know as soon as you hear mid-wife you think, "Is Tiffany having a home birth? Is she not getting an epidural?" After all, you don't get a medal for doing it naturally as one relative told me.

No, I don't do the home-birth, but kudos to those who do, to each their own!

And yes, I do give birth with no meds. I love it! I don't feel any pain and it's by far some of my most empowering, spiritual and bonding experiences of my existence! I would elaborate more, but that's a post for another time...I've digressed.

Yesterday I went for my 34 week check-up, all systems go. As my amazing mid-wife Janice, who by the way is the cutest, hippest mid-wife I've ever met (she wears make-up, does her hair, wears funky Dolce & Gabbana glasses and wears cute scrubs) put the heartbeat monitor to my belly you could instantly hear it.
The heartbeat. I snapped this pic of the boys.

Max said "He's alive, I hear his heartbeat!"

"Yeah, heartbeat, I hear it!" came from little Ry.

Janice said, "Gorgeous, what a gorgeous heartbeat."

I've never thought of a baby's heartbeat or any heartbeat as gorgeous. But, why not? Because in that moment, nothing was more gorgeous to me than hearing the sound of life pulsate so loudly.

It got me thinking of all the "gorgeous" moments or things that I don't take the time to notice. It was a good reminder for me, to live in the moment and just be. What a difference this little heartbeat has made in my life already, I can't wait for him to get here and really put into practice the appreciation of gorgeous moments, especially the middle of the night feedings.

(I'm Eckhart Tolle and I approve this message :)

on the ROAD again!

2009-01-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone has them. Friends that you can never get enough of...hello Thatcher crew! Dave and the Thatcher brothers, Mark and Dave go wayyy back...middle school times. They now live in Indio (sprawl from Palm Springs) and we thought it fine time to make a weekend invasion!

Fav things from our rendezvous in the desert:
1. "Bridge of Thighs" a pedestrian bridge built for the local nudist colony over main street so drivers don't have to see 90- year- old crotches through their sunroof. Ingenious!2. "Tappin' it", thanks Sid & Linda, I think?
3. Girl Time: Mani's and pedi's with Shari & Tara. Three words: Thong or Commando? Not us, but the hot little asian girls who work there.
4. The men left to take care of the kiddies.
5. Babysitters that only speak Spanish, but the kids still survived.
6. Ohh breakfast...Coconut Coffee Creme with steel cut oats, German pancakes, to die for omelets with fresh basil and Jarlsberg cheese!
7. Motocross & Firearms. You can take the boys out of Cache Valley, but you can't the C.V. out of the boys.

Dave & Dave My sentiments exactly, Ryder. Fearful for his dad's life!
Dave & Mark.

Thanks to the entire Thatcher crew for such a classy and crass weekend, just the way we like things! I laughed so much I thought I was going into labor and Dave got some of his ab muscles back! We'll see you at Disneyland ;)

A NECESSARY evil, FAMILY pictures.

2009-01-06T15:32:00.004-07:00

Thanks Trish for using your magic to score us some great family pic's. She didn't give up on us even though I know she would rather be anywhere else on a Saturday afternoon, like oh I don't know, maybe the dentist or ob/gyn! She'd never admit to it, but I know she would.

This is what REALLY happens when we get family PICTURES...

2009-01-06T15:23:00.004-07:00

We knew we were in trouble when 10 minutes in we had to use the bribery strategy, Dum Dum's.

Mother dearest chastising Max for not co-operating. We will get a Christmas card picture come hell or high water. That was a validating mother moment.

Dave and I conferencing. Dave calls it quits, he can't take it and neither can Max, see below. Ah, where did Ryder go? Yep, we're donzo.

Skater Boy

2009-01-06T14:27:00.006-07:00

We had a house full for Christmas, it was pure awesomeness (Kung Fu Panda reference)! The fam came from Antartica, "Logan", so even though Phx was in the 50's and drizzly, it was considered a weather improvement, therefore some outdoor rec was in order. My brother Devin, his wife, Liz and Jade all brought their skateboards and roller blades. They took Max with Razor scooter in tow and Ry with them to the skate park. Max is now a self proclaimed "skater boy". I think we can thank Gramie Dani for the new name!Devin still showing off for his new bride, ahh new love!Jade and Liz were the only girl skateboarders who still looked like a girl; who cared what they looked like. They take showers and do their hair and make-up, pure attractiveness (yet another Kung Fu Panda reference)!I love this pic of my little man in the big skate park with all the big kids. The other skaters were actually quite considerate of the little guy on the scooter.Oh Ryder! Seriously, you bring out my cannblism, I just want to eat you up! Gramie and her burrito wrapped Ryder. If it's less than 60 degree's outside Ryder says he's freezing, our little Arizona boy!
Thanks fam for introducing skater boy to one of his favorite things to do! Do they make skinny jeans for 5 year olds? He's got to look the part now, right?

Slow & Steady

2009-01-06T14:07:00.005-07:00

I'm trying to maintain some sort of physical activity while I'm preggers besides chasing the boys around. Priscilla and I ran the New Times 5k. Our goal: Don't let the male speed walkers pass us (which by the way seems so unnatural, hips aren't meant to move that way, especially coming from men, not pretty-ugh!)

5 1/2 months prego, feelin' the burn!

Just pure hotness, Priscilla 6 months!

No, Fit Pregnancy magazine! For the millionth time,I will not give you this picture to feature in your "what not to do at the end of a race"! I do have some pride. Well, maybe not.

Dunin' in Scottsdale

2008-11-05T14:06:00.007-07:00

Two 5+ month pregnant ladies with 3 kids at home, husbands babysitting for the night....what should we do? Head to Scottsdale via Priscilla's pimped out dune buggy!

Labor was not induced on this ride. However, when our due dates are close, we're hittin' the dunes. Baby or Bust!

Thanks Pris!!

For the LOVE of all things Halloween!

2008-11-05T13:04:00.018-07:00

Finally, I'm not alone in my celebration and excitement for holidays! Max and even Ry, really got into Halloween this year. After I took down our Halloween decorations, Max said he was sad to see it gone, "our house looked really cool."

We started off the festivities by going to a Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze with the Coffman sista's. The boys liked pulling the wagons around, forget pumpkin picking!

The corn maze sounds fun in theory. Not such a good idea to go into a corn maze with 90+ degree temps and 5 hungry/thirsty kids. Trish and I felt like Bear Grylls on "Man vs. Wild". We were rationing our water and digging in our purses for anything to appease the tribe. Gum at the bottom of my purse was all I could come up with.

I thought it only fair to have a party for the boys, since Dave and I had an adult party- that sounds kinda bad- anyway. The boys loved having all their friends over for a party and I was happy to say that there was no candy involved, except the decorating of sucker ghosts.

The Halloween Crew!

A little game of Pass the Pumpkin.

Coloring and making Ghost Suckers.

Some of the fellas!

Batman, aka RyMan!

Me, RyMan and Power Ranger! Halloween was so fun this year! The boys loved Trick-or-Treating with the Coffman girls. They wore themselves out running from house to house. The next morning we separated and organized the boys' candy and ended up with 3 (1) gallon bags full- a little outta control. Now, for the fun job of regulating it! (no pic's from Halloween night b/c my camera battery died- ugh!!)

Spook-ilicious Recipe Night!

2008-10-30T09:53:00.008-07:00

Ahh, Recipe Night, I love it! What is it? My friends (hubbies included) get together every other month for a themed dinner and recipe exchange. The host, which in this case was Dave and I, provide the theme and main entree and then give out give out food assignments- salad, bread, side dishes, desserts, etc... to the other couples (the women, I should say). You bring the recipe of the dish you made along with 2 or more other recipes you want to share. It's great b/c you end up with 15+ new recipes at the end of the night!

Dave and I always look forward to recipe night, it's always great food and provides us with awesomely funny, awkward moments to laugh about until the next recipe night! Thanks gang for being so cool, classy and crass at the same time, a winning combo!

The Girlies-Me, Liz, Molly, Bec, Brooke and Marci!

I made ghosts, like the one the table, for the girls to take home with them.

The theme for this dinner was Spooky dishes, I made Decaying Flesh and Maggots, aka Spanish Chicken and Rice (thanks Mamacita, this is her fabu recipe)!!
A sampling of the other DELISH spooky dishes!

Place settings, guess that one is kind of obvious...
The Men! Where are you Dave? Oh, prepping your awesomely clever and evil "Halloween Jeopardy, 15 Most Evil People" game! Evil doer's included, Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer, Osama Bin Laden, and Walt Disney! Yes, Walt. No surprise if you know Dave!!

Canyon Lake Campout

2008-10-30T09:10:00.014-07:00

A lake 45 minutes away from us and it looks Lake Powellish, WHAT?! Where have we been? Thanks to our church for hosting a camp-out/boat party, we were shown one more reason how Arizona doesn't have to be hell on earth in the summer time, Canyon Lake!

Camping and boating, a perfect combination, a stretch for my Davy, the self-proclaimed "land mammal", but camping was involved so it was a no-brainer for him! The boys went wild! Seriously, you could smell and see the testosterone oozing from these little boys!

What up boyz?!

Our tent was the den for the Lord of the Flies activities!

When I was taking this picture Max told me, "Stay out Mom! Boys can only come in here!" I cried... (Evan, Max, Parker, Colton and Ryder)

My honey's still got it. Cliff jumping, such a turn on!!!

He survived! Max and Ry freaked when he jumped, but started cheering when he popped out of the water. We hope there wasn't too much psychological damage done...

Rock Star, Max.

Little, Ry Ry all tuckered out. So sweet!

3 of a KIND

2008-10-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

The months of August and September were spent in survival mode-hence no blog posts.

Why?

Well, I was busy trying not to throw up at the mere thought of being outside in 105+ temps, eating Top Ramen for breakfast and wallowing in my grief of not having the will to run. That's what happens when you're in the Business of Breeding Greene's! But, it's well worth it. I can say that now b/c I'm feeling pretty darn good these days, almost 20 weeks- hallelujah!

We had our ultrasound and our little bean is doing great! It was really fun this time b/c we had an audience; Max and Ryder came with Dave and I.

Ryder was busy looking at his book the whole time, but Max was enthralled! Max thought it was a girl and said her name was Kyla. (There's a girl in his church class named Kyla, that's where we think the name came from.)

So, as soon as the tech showed us the "between the legs picture", I saw what our little bean was and Dave started laughing hysterically...

No, doubt about it, look at what the arrow is pointing at! We're getting a boy!

3 boys, holy crow! That's a lot of testosterone! But, I think it's pretty endearing (after some processing). Dave is excited b/c he gets another "mini-me". Ryder keeps pointing at his belly saying baby brother and Max talks to my belly and has the cutest conversations with his baby brother.

So now that we're having a boy, Max says we're naming him "Hurley". Got any suggestions?

This pic is for you g-parents!

Seriously, So Funny

2008-10-06T19:26:00.004-07:00

Thanks Trish for telling me about this blog,

"Seriously, so blessed".

It makes me laugh everytime I read it! Be prepared for some heavy mormon satire! My own name is a spoof of the mormon culture. What can I say I'm child of the late 70's and a mormon, Tiffany was just a given!

I'm Back

2008-09-28T20:14:00.035-07:00

Helllooo, hello, anyone there? I won't hold my breath for any responses to this blog since I have been a bad blogger-3 months, is that so bad? Yeah it is, I know. Heather told me she doesn't even click on my name anymore...

Well I'm back and I'm starting with July! Yep, July! I took my yearly sabbatical to the Valley of Cheese, Cache Valley, aka, Logan, UT. I have to post some pic's b/c blogging is my only way of documentation so this is for posterity sake, sort of. So, on with the show! Here are some highlights of our sabbatical! (Warning, this is the lengthiest post I've done to date!)

4th o' July

Max takes issue with loud sounds. He hates the sound of flushing toilets in public restrooms, so fireworks were definitely a stretch for his phobia!

Ryder, we found out also hates loud sounds and seeing bright lights. (Mental note to self: Make sure to take pre-natals with your next pregnancy)

Peak to Peak Half Marathon-Park City, UT

Greene/Daniels family in full effect- Liz, me, Vance, Jess and Jade!

This 1/2 kicked my _ss! But, it was one of those finishes where I felt like if I could run this race, which was hills the entire race, I could easily do Boston. Well, not really, not even close actually, but it felt freakin' fabulous to finish it! I hadn't trained much for hills and the elevation change made it more difficult than I had anticipated. But, I still finished under the 2 hour mark and that's all I was goin' for!

The best part of this race was that it was a family affair! It was so cool to see one another along different parts of the race, I loved being able to run with my bro for part of it. It was a great pick me up, b/c Kanye West wasn't cuttin' it on the i-pod!

110th Utah State Golf Amateur Tournament

Shout out to my brotha, Devin! This is a pic of him as he competed in the Utah State Am! So, I have to do a little bragging, sorry Dev! (Warning, there will be golf lingo in the following text).

There were 800 golfers across Utah who tried qualifying for this tourney, only 200 actually made it to Soldier Hollow G.C. for competition. From there, Devin qualified for the top 32 and broke the course record shooting a 64, (8 under)!

He then went on to play match-play, 36 holes a day for 3 days- that's exhausting just writing it! Dev made it to the championship where he entertained the gallery for 36 holes and 2 sudden death holes! He lost the 2nd hole in sudden death and took 2nd place. But, here's what really matters Dev, you're the better looking golfer with a way hot wife!

Devin (right) at the presentation ceremony and some other golfer.

Trips to Bear Lake

Bear Lake is just an hour away from Logan. It's a summer necessity and tradition to any Cache Valleyian. With the water temp at 75 degree's you definitely don't want to go in past your knee's, but if you don't then you're definitely a full-blown wuss!

I feel like breaking into song, "summer lovin' had me a blast..."

"We don't lay out, borringg!"- Jack & Max. Bathing Beauties- Kate, Annika and Jade.

That's right we park our cars on the beach, it rocks.

I don't know which trip was better. The trip when Max had diarrhea and I had a total mom moment when I said "I never pictured doing this" as I was standing in the port a potty with Max for most of the day.

-OR-

Ryder throwing up 3 times in the car on the way to the lake b/c he was car sick AND being parked next door to the fiesta of all fiesta's. Carne Asada, being grilled with the sounds of mariachi and high-pitched aye, aye, aye's in the background all day. It's all good, I still heart Bear Lake and the famously, fabulous, fresh Raspberry shakes you can only get there!

Hangin' with the cousins

We had a BBQ with the boys' great-grandparents. Great G-Pa Roland is a master carpenter and built the coolest kid cabin for his grandkids.

Grandma Judy's pride & posterity, her 6 grand kiddies!

Campin'

When I was just a youngin' my parents would load us up and take us camping. One of my favorite parts was riding in the back of the truck, they didn't have child safety laws back then. We had a favorite spot and it still exists. So now that I'm a mama, I loaded up my kids in the back of the truck, there were just a couple of falls, and took them camping to the same spot. As Oprah, the omnipotent would say, "it was a full circle moment" for me and my parents.

Catchin' up with Friends

All blondies! The boys with their friends from VA, the Stowers kids!

Max and Ryder's future wives! Arranged marriages have been in the works for some time now, actually since our Cleveland days. Sonali and Ben you better keep making babies, b/c you make em' pretty!

My bff, Tiff adopted her little boy Krew! I was so excited to to be there to see him, it happened just before I left for Phoenix!

An added bonus was seeing"the girls"/roomies from college! It was so fun to see everyone, it had been 7 years since we were all together. We were friends in high school and roomates in college. The best part is that we always pick up right where we left off, even if its been a year since we've seen each other. All I have to say is "Vortex, ladies"!

Girls Night out for the Daniels girls and the lone Greene girl! A fun filled night of great Thai food, pedicures and a movie on the deck! I love these ladies and miss them way too much!

So, there it is...that's what we did all of July! Nothing like 90 degree heat and cool summer nights versus the furnace, my home, Phoenix!

Life of Ry

2008-06-29T22:11:00.011-07:00

Ryder has been a busy boy this week...
Exhit A:This is what happens when I'm in the shower and Max gets yogurt for Ry to eat...

Exhibit B:

Ry and the boys pickin' up on some hotties at the pool. Dream on girls!

Exhibit C:

Meet Raoul Verde, let the salsa eating marathon commence.

No joke, he's on his 2nd bowl, look at the pic, there's the proof. The kid is an animal, wait no he's an 1/8th Mexican (ahh, can't you tell?) . G-pa Villegas will be so proud!

Mmm, yummy, snot and salsa! Dave and I have decided to start entering Raoul in professional salsa eating competitions. If he wants to go to college, he's got to earn his way. We figure if he gets good enough, his winnings will pay for tuition.

Exhibit D:

No product involved here, just sleep for 3 hours, sweat your guts out and this is what you get, some sweet hair!

Ahh, the life of Ry, what would it be like?

How a 4 year-old packs a suitcase

2008-06-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

I got the suitcases out tonight to start packing for our vacay in UT. Max told me he was going to pack his own suitcase...

This was a validating mom moment for me. He packed all the essentials. Truck books, chainsaw, 3 pairs of flip-flops, underwear, pajama's, his blanket and of course cars! Hey, he remembered underwear, like I said I feel completely validated. Who needs a toothbrush or clothes?

Lyrical Hip-Hop!

2008-06-27T09:33:00.006-07:00

"So You Think You Can Dance" is one of my favorite tv shows! They've brought on new choreographers this season, my favorite are a husband/wife duo, Napoleon and Tabitha. Their style has been described as lyrical hip-hop, which is like nothing else I've seen! Sooo, if you want to be amazed and covered with goosebumps, watch my two favorite performances choreographed by this super-cool husband and wife combo!

chelsie & mark- BLEEDING LOVE

(you can skip the intro, it's a couple minutes long)

katee & joshua- NO AIR

p.s. Liz, still can't believe you had to turn down your tickets to SYTYCD for girls camp! Next year, front row, we're there!

Super Fan

2008-06-24T13:58:00.006-07:00

So, maybe when I was at Sam's Club yesterday I saw one of my favorite books, Eclipse, being sold with a preview of the first chapter of Breaking Dawn, the 4th book in the Twilight series. And maybe I sat the boys down on the leather couches that were for sale so they could watch Transformers on the big screen tv while I read the first chapter of Breaking Dawn. And maybe people were giving me grouchy, judgemental, negligent-mother looks as I read and my boys watched things and people being blown-up for about 15 minutes. This of course is all just hypothetical, I'd never really do that, what kind of mother would I be?

Team Edward, 38 days...

4 years of being a DADDY!

2008-06-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Max, why do you love dad?
* Because I do!
* Because he's my best friend.
* All the time I love him, if I don't I'll be real sad.
* I love him all the time and we play hide and seek, he hides and scares me!
* He throws me on the bed all the time (I promise this isn't child abuse, click here for a look-see)
* I love to wrestle him and he tickles me.
* He's silly and watches Sponge Bob Square Pants with me and Ryder.

Ryder, why do you love dad?
* Daddy!
Why I love Dave's daddy ways...
* He's not afraid to wipe bums (the boys' bums).
* He's a built-in jungle gym. The boys are relentless in their quest to be standing on top of Dave's shoulders by days end.
* Dave is the fun one in our parenting duo. During the day the boys are stuck with boring mom, making sure they eat their fruits and veggies, doing chores and refereeing fights. When Dave is around, it's all about tickling, wrestling, body tossing and the recently developed Boys Club, to be a member you have to laugh at farts and burps-gross!
* He comes home from work and will ask if I want to get out of the house for some Tiff time.
* My boys adore their Dad! Everyday, Max asks me,"What should we do till Dad gets home?" Everything revolves around that magical homecoming of their dad and real playtime!

Happy Father's Day, we LOVE you!!

And

Happy Father's Day to my Dad and Papa!

Why my dad ROCKS!

* I love his knee-hitting, body jolting laugh which always makes me laugh even harder!

* I loved that he was my coach in all aspects of my life, he always stuck by me even when I'd bite his head off for critiquing my basketball games-sorry dad!

* I love knowing that I can still turn to him for advice and he'll tell me straight-up, like Paula, what I need to do!

* I appreciate that you taught me the importance of a good work ethic, even though at 15 I wasn't too appreciative of it when I had to work at the golf course snack shop and all the old, creepy men would flirt with me.

* I love that you've taken Dave in as a son!
* I love that you're as obsessed with my boys as I am! They love their Papa!

* Love you Dad, thanks for always being there!

Devin & Liz get hitched!

2008-06-16T21:10:00.015-07:00

I love weddings, nothing like seeing somebody else get married to take me back to my own wedding day, and bring back that newly-wed spark to my marriage. We made the 1600+ mile trip to Logan to see Devin and Liz get married and it was worth every mile! It was a beautiful wedding, they're perfectly matched! We love you guys and welcome to the fam Liz!!!!The newly-weds!

Another reason I love weddings, we're all dressed up, lets get the photo fest started!

My brother Vance in all his glory! (Hey Vance remember when you gave your Primary talk about our family camping tradition and you showed the entire Primary the picture of me with my bed head and I was so embarrased I cried? Well, here's my payback, yes I am still scarred and still that vain!)Oreo Cookie! The hottie in the middle of Jade and I is Jess, our S-I-L, but sista is more like it!

The G-son's! We need some girls! Dev & Liz can you get on that?

Oh, so much love! I love weddings!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for our other extracurricular activities in UT!

Max & Jack trying to get clean after playing trucks in the mud. Trying being the operative word!

Too much fun for one to handle at Grandma Judy's house!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daniels Family Tradition: Sunday cart rides at the golf course!

The boys and Papa! I hear about riding golf carts on a daily basis from Max. He can't wait to do it again! And look at Ry's face-priceless!

Seriously, could life get any better for 3 little boys? A golf cart they get to ride and help drive!

Ira and the boys workin' the tractor. Eat your heart out Bob the Builder this tractor ain't made of no clay!
And last but not least, my oh-so-cute 3 month old nephew who I hadn't met until this trip! Another reason I love weddings, it brings family together!

Pre-School Grad 2008

2008-06-16T20:39:00.003-07:00

Our 2008 Pre-school Grad! One of my favorite pre-school moments was when Max wanted to pick out his own clothes to wear to school. See below picture. I thought it was a rockin' outfit, great use of patterns. I had to capture the moment with a photo, but he wasn't havin' it. What was supposed to be a great outfit day turned into a cry session and we were 20 minutes late for school.

Max says his favorite things about pre-school were playing cars and dinosaurs and his friends. He can write his own name spelling it backwards, which I find absolutely endearing and worrisome and recites The Pledge of Allegiance!

Proud Mama and Max!

9 Years of Wedded Bliss!

2008-05-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

"And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." - Kalil Gibran
14 jobs, 6 moves, 5 cars, 3 car wrecks, 2 kids, 1 million diaper changes, 2 undergrad degree's and 1 law degree later and you've got 9 years of blissful chaos-Happy Anniversary Dave!
There's no one else I'd rather be on this adventure with! I love you, I love you, I love you!

My MaMaCiTa

2008-05-11T21:51:00.020-07:00

This last week was one of barf buckets and reflection. Weird combo, I know, but as I was taking care of my my sick, little Ryder, I kept referring back to what my MOM did for me when I was sick to make me feel better. There was always the sprite and saltine's to settle my stomach, butter and honey toast when I was starting to feel a little better and then her always holding my hair back when I was heaving the honey, buttered toast into the toilet-that's true love!

First things first on this Day of Mother's, I want to pay homage to the phenomenal women in my life, who have influenced me and help mold me from a very young age.

You're looking at 4 generations of very strong and may I add stylish women. The hottie on the right is my MOM, the fabulous woman on the left is my Grami and the woman holding me is my Great-Grandma Fern (I'm considering using her name if we have a girl, Fern Greene, okay maybe not, a little too botany for me). My MOM was very young when she had me. This is what amazes me the most about my MOM, she was wise and maternal way beyond her years!

As I've been reflecting on the amazingness of my MOM, I've come to realize that one of the greatest gifts my MOM gave me was her time! She has an incredible knack for always being in the moment! Time stands still when I'm talking with my MOM, it makes me feel like nothing else matters except what we're talking about or doing right then.

I think of all the millions of hours that my MOM listened to me as I told her all about the events of my day. The drama of being "so and so's" best friend and the next day "so and so" hating me, how I thought Joey was the cutest New Kid On the Block, my new crush just asked me

to "go with him" or telling her about how I've met the man I'm going to marry. Never once did she cut me off, tell me she didn't have time to listen or had something else she had to do. That is amazing!

Now, that I'm a mom I truly recognize this as an amazing gift that my MOM has given me and one that I need to give to my boys. I've learned from my MOM the importance of just being. Nothing else matters in that moment except that I am fully present!

Thank you MOM for literally always being there for me and my family and holding my hair back!

I LOVE YOU, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Roasted or Charred?

2008-04-29T15:00:00.007-07:00

We got in touch with our roots this weekend and headed to Arizona's high country to do some campin'!

Here are a few of the highlights!

Max was our campsite supervisor and as such was involved in everything, including telling Dave how to put the tent up.

Peek-a-boo, never gets old!

What up Greene boys?!

Snow, what is this?

Ryder kept trying to blow out the fire (look at his face). I thing being a pyro is innate in boys, anything they could get their hands on was thrown in the fire.

Nothing like kielbasa over an open fire! I was impressed, Dave had taught Max how to roast his own hot dogs and marshmellows. He wouldn't let anyone touch his stick while he was roasting and got ticked if his mellow started on fire. He's a roaster of the mellow like his dad, I'm a mellow burner, yum-o!

Dirty face=Lots o'fun!

It was really comfy in the tent considering we slept on 2 queen air mattress. It was chilly, it got into the 30's that night, but we stayed toasty warm.

Yep, Arizona has pine trees.

We'll definitely go campin' again. How could we not? Nobody got burned, that's considered a success by anyone's standards!

Sudoku or Blog?

2008-04-28T14:43:00.012-07:00

Sudoku, time waster or brain energizer?
Dr. Oz (my hero), would definitely say brain energizer because its a game of logic, good for keeping those neruons firing. Brain energizer or not, I wonder why I feel like I've aged about 20 years while I'm playing Sudoku? Maybe because I've always pictured older people playing it kicked back in their recliner with "The Golden Girls" theme song playing in the background.

I've never had the desire to play Sudoku, but Dave and I were given a book of Sudoku puzzles as a party gift (thanks Bec) and we've been hooked ever since. Once we figured out that there are patterns and methods to solving these little buggars, it became addictive. But at the end of it all, what's my prize? A grid full of numbers and some satisfaction in knowing I just schooled the "easy" version of the puzzle. Just not worth it, I want a new car or a Dairy Queen Blizzard for my prize.

I have enough addictive activities, the internet, blogs, reading, running, chocolate, gambling...the list goes on and on. So, I've decided to give-up this addictive, brain energizing and time wasting activity and do something more useful with my mind like blog about it!

***********************

Update 5-1-08: Still Sudokuing...

Greene soccer team?

2008-04-25T13:05:00.016-07:00

For the last couple of weeks Max has been honing in on his soccer skills, after all it's in his blood-you'll see why. So, I thought I'd post a couple of pic's of the boys for the Grandparents and a couple of pic's of Dave for everyone else's entertainment. I know Dave's going to love seeing these plastered on the blog, but I couldn't resist! WAIT FOR IT, WAIT FOR IT...

So excited to play, can't you tell?

Every practice Ryder had his own ball and thought he was one of the team, it was so cute! He'll do whatever Max does. That's a good thing and a bad thing...

You know he's concentrating when he's wagin' the tongue. (I think he's aiming for my head b/c he's so sick of me taking pictures and yelling his name so he'll look at the camera)

Why dribble when I can run faster just holding it, duhhh!

Max and the crew, Tyler (L), Colton (R), and their soccer balls that Coach Olivia gave them-HOLLER!

Our little budding soccer player! He did great, but the expectation has been set, he better win or he's walking home! If I'm going to be a "Soccer Mom" I expect it to be worth my while. JK! He had a good time and we think he's going to surpass his father's talent and be the next David Beckham, who's completely over-rated, but soo hot! JK about being over-rated, but not about being soo hot.

Like Father, like sons?

Does Dave look like Johnny from Karate Kid, or is it just me? (junior year in high school, go Mustangs!)

Check out the long hair, furry chops and sexy facial hair, grrr! Can you see why I fell head over feet for this guy! Seriously, I loved the long hair, so sexy! Who needs David Beckham? Dave was the captain for Utah State's soccer team (sorry Dave I had to put it out there)!

Dave, maybe we should have enough kids for an entire soccer team, whatta ya say?

Happy Birthday Ryder!

2008-04-22T20:59:00.013-07:00

Our baby is no longer a baby, but TWO years old! So, cliche' but seriously where does the time go?

A couple days old...

1 year old!

2 years old!

Big Breath!

Way to go little man!

My Not So Little Ry Ry-

You are so easy to love even though you're a terrible sleeper! I wondered what it was like to have a cuddly child until I had you! From the very get go and still today, you're like memory foam. You change shape and mold yourself around the contours of whoever is holding you! I love it, love it, love it!

When you smile it melts me to the core, I can't help but smile, it makes my day! You have the best laugh, it sounds like a machine gun and it always makes your brother laugh! You're so kind to your brother, you make your Dad melt when you give him hugs and kisses and your hybrid language of English/Ryderese is amazing, I'm talking MENSA here ! In your words- "Ahv ew" Ry and Happy Birthday my little sweet one!

Fjeldsted Fun!

2008-04-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

Welcome Fjeldsted's to the Valley of the Sun! Dave's sister, Holly and her fabulous family made the treacherous trek from the top of Utah to our lovely abode! With 5 adults, (Annika you're included in the adult count, thought you'd like that) and 5 kids together for 4 1/2 days it was nothin' but love and some stinky kid feet!
Thanks for making the 850+ mile trek, it will be our turn soon (cringing just thinking about it) we love you guys and miss you tons!

3 Secret Shames

2008-04-15T22:27:00.013-07:00

I've been tagged by Heather who was tagged by Jenna, the creator of this revolutionary tag. The purpose of this tag is to liberate ourselves from blogging our "Best in Show". (sorry Dave if I bring embarrasment to the Greene name)

Secret Shame Numero Uno:I heart Wendy's mayonnaise! Sometimes the only reason I want Wendy's is so I can get my fix with the mayo. For all I know it's just the Hellmanns/Best Foods brand, what I buy at the grocery store, but it tastes So. Freakin'. Good. on their cheeseburgers. I guess I should know what all the hoop-la is about it, I worked at Wendy's for a couple of months in high school (most people may count that as one of their shame's but nay, free frosty's- come on). Clogged arteries and angina pains won't stop me from partaking of the mayo, sorry Dr. Oz!

Secret Shame Numero Dos:

I really identify with the whole primate grooming thing, well because, I am a picker or what I like to think of as a personal groomer not only for myself but others. My family growing up and poor Dave can atest to this annoying habit of mine. Dave now just slaps my hands whenever I make a go for him (not that you need picking honey, never).

To show that picking serves a purpose, I've turned to the experts at Wikipedia, "In primates, grooming is a social activity that strengthens relationships. The amount of grooming taking place between members of a troop is a potent indicator of alliance formation or troop solidarity." THANK YOU Wikipedia for validating what I've known all along, it's for the good of the group!

Secret Shame Numero Tres:

So, maybe I've been known to cry at the endings of MTV Made. You know the episode of the weird girl who has the duct tape obsession (she makes duct tape handbags and wants to wear a duct tape dress to homecoming), shocks the student body by running for homecoming queen? Okay, maybe you're not familiar... I don't want to spoil the ending in case you're lucky enough to see it for yourself, but it was a real tear jerker! I will say that I was pregnant and had first trimester hormones. But, the other times I really have no excuse. I'm bowing my head in shame! Will you still be friends with me?

Alright ladies bring on the shame! I tag: Tiff A., Marci, Jamie, Melissa, Sonali, Shari, Roxanne, Charie, Amber & Emily (for some of you, this is a 2nd tagging from me, but come on how can you resist the embarassment?)

If you haven't seen this yet, go! Go straight to the video store and rent it!

2008-04-15T10:06:00.007-07:00

JUNO

It comes out on dvd today!

A little sampling...

Juno MacGuff: Wow your shorts are like especially gold today.

Paulie Bleeker: My mom uses color safe bleach.

Juno MacGuff: Go Carol.

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Vanessa Loring: Your parents are probably wondering where you are.

Juno MacGuff: Nah... I mean, I'm already pregnant, so what other kind of shenanigans could I get into?

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Juno MacGuff: It started with a chair.

I've been Tagged...

2008-04-01T21:23:00.009-07:00

This is my virgin tagging (sounds like a gang thing, tagging). Anyway, here's a little history on Me and Greene...warning, some parts of this could be a little TMI!

How did you meet your spouse: I was 19 years old working as a dental assistant in college. I had just started this job when my boss, who was a Bishop of singles ward (they're always trying to marry off the youngin's) had some of the guys from his ward come check out the new assistant. So, in walked Dave with one of his friends...I thought Dave was really cute, but we didn't start dating until over a year later.
Where did you go on your first date? We went to eat at a "Flo's Diner" kind of place, LD's, at my request b/c they have the best steak and shrimp, still one of my favorite down home places. Then we went and saw Waterboy, which was funny, but even more funny if you go with Dave b/c he has the greatest laugh around! After the movie, we went to his moms house to meet his mom (this was huge, I later found out b/c Dave never brought home girls) and we went for a drive up the canyon, it was just a drive. No making out, that would happen the next date ; )
How long have you been together? 10 years counting the dating and engagement era. We'll be married 9 years in May- holler!
Who eats more? I give Dave some good competition, but he can out eat anyone I know. Sometimes I wonder if he has a tapeworm b/c he hasn't gained any poundage since he was in college! I affectionately refer to him as the "human disposal"
Who said I love you first? We remember this somewhat differently b/c I suffer from early onset dementia, we go with Dave's version b/c it's probably more reliable. According to Dave he said it first and I left him hangin' for a couple of days before I said it back. I thought I said it back to him much sooner, but either way, here we are 10 years and 2 kids later.
Who is taller? I'm 5' 2", he's 6 foot, just a slight difference. I just hope that I'm the shortest one in our family!
Who sings better? That's a tie, we're both pretty much tone deaf, but it doesn't stop us from beltin' out the tunes!
Who is smarter? Depends on what we're talking about, but he's the one with the law degree. I tried studying for the LSAT b/c I thought I'd give law school a try. Ah, no thanks, that test made me cry...
Who does the laundry? Mostly I do. He does his own ironing.
Who does the dishes? I do. He runs "interference" with the boys at night so I can get them done quick without Max up on the counter trying to "help"
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Dave and it's been that way since we got married, not sure why?
Who pays the bills? I'm the accountant in the family.
Who mows the lawn? Well our grass area isn't big enough for a mower, so we weed whack it- gotta love AZ's desert landscaping. So Dave does the whacking, but I do the weed pulling and branch trimming. I love gettin' my green thumb on!
Who cooks dinner? I do for the most part, b/c of Dave's schedule. We'd be eating too late if we waited for Dave to get home and cook. Dave's a great cook when he does it!
Who drives when you are together? Usually Dave. Quick little story...I was driving and I made a left turn a little quick and Dave said to me "you make me nervous". Well, Max heard him say that and for the next month, while driving, I'd get the "you make me nervous" from Max. Back seat driver in training!
Who is more stubborn? ME, but trying to work on it.
Who is the first to admit when they’re wrong? Dave, but he doesn't have to say it too often.
Who kissed who first? Okay, let me set the stage...We were cuddled on a 1970's mustard yellow, flowered couch in my apartment, hanging out and watching video's on MTV. When Dave went in for the kill, Korn's "Freak on a Leash" was on, romantic, huh?! But, it was a great kiss, sorry if that's too much info!
Who proposed? Dave did. I knew at the time that we were waiting for the ring to be finished, but I didn't know when. We went snow shoeing under a full moon, which was beautiful because the snow sparkled like there were diamonds everywhere, amazing! At the top of the peak, he got down on one knee and said some of the sweetest things I've ever heard a man say. When we got back to the car he had a dozen long stem roses for me. In the car he popped in a mix tape with some of our favorite songs on it! Mix tape- gotta love it!
Who is more sensitive? I am, but not in a high maintenance kind of way (I hope)!
Who has more friends? We both have friends, I'm just better at keeping in touch with them.
Who has more siblings? Dave.
Who wears the pants? We do a pretty good job keeping things in balance, we each take a leg.

If you made it all the way to the end of this lengthy post you get a...pony! Okay, so now I tag: Shari, Heather, Roxanne and Tiff A.! Thanks Marci for the tag!

Dave's brotha from another motha...and fatha

2008-03-31T21:31:00.005-07:00

Don't you love life's surprises? We had a fun one this weekend! One of Dave's bff's (guys have bff's don't they?) was in town for business and we got to hang out, we had so much fun! Dave and Ryan have been buddies since elementary. Obviously, they're good friends when they start to point out the others' bad back and thinning hair, only guys would do that!

Thanks Ryan for treating us to us to artery hardening, chile verde drippin', authentic mexican food, it was delish! We hope to see you and your cute family soon! We miss you guys!

Do they look 33?

2008-03-30T19:42:00.004-07:00

My blog is getting a makeover, hopefully this won't take me long...
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Well, here it is the new blog! It's a little on the busy side, but honestly I'm donzo for tonight! BTW, did you know you can download your former blog onto your computer before you make changes? That way if you don't like what you've done, you can at least have the former as a back up. This would've been nice to know since I lost my entire template and had to start over. That's why the new page will be staying for a while, I need a break!

I'll pass on the Jelly Bean's

2008-03-28T14:16:00.007-07:00

Originally I wasn't going to post anything about Easter, but as I was talking to my friends Trish and Heather about Easter, they both hit on something really profound, it really resonated with me- Easter candy sucks! I will defend the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg as life changing (the chocolate to crumbly peanut butter ratio-incredible, another blog for another day), but other than the egg it's no good. All the candy from the Easter Parade and the Egg Hunts did nothing but bring little skirmishes between me and the boys over when enough candy is enough.

Okay, so I'm done with my soapbox, here a couple of pic's from the Easter Parade -that had really crappy candy!

Ryder lookin' cool!

Max, Dave and the aforementioned bag of crappy candy!

Leotards & spandex at eighty, so the parade wasn't a complete bust!

My Outdoor Stairmaster!

2008-03-25T12:29:00.017-07:00

My friend Trish and I have been conspiring to hike Piestewa Peak (formerly known as Squaw Peak). We wanted to do it before the infamous Phoenix furnace started raging. Every year there are stories on the evening news about hikers who have been life flighted off the trail due to heat exhaustion or dehydration-embarassing,come on where are your girl/boy scout skills? So, in order to thwart our 15 minutes of "shame" on the evening news, we decided to commit with temps in the low 60's at 7am!

Half a million people hike the Summit Trail on Piestewa yearly. It's the 2nd most hiked trail behind the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon. Summit Trail is 1.2 miles to the top with an elevation gain of 1200 feet- ALL STEPS (that picture is the real deal)! Okay, so two things: One, Trish, whois an avid hiker and hikes 3 times a week, led the way with an Olympic timed pace-workin' it! Second, while I was using natures stair climber I soon realized that hiking uses muscles that running doesn't touch, this made for a fierce workout, but I loved it!
Once to the top we were greeted with a spectactular 360-degree view of The Valley of the Sun! With Piestewa in the heart of Phoenix, we got to take in all the "urbaness" of the valley and its surrounding mountains. Different from the hikes I grew up doing where I was only surrounded by the boldness of the mountains- no cityscapes. But this urban hiking thing is growing on me.

Downtown Phoenix

Backside of Camelback Mtn.

Our rest at the top was relaxing and filled with great conversation. But, it was time to head back down. We both wanted to run it, but with the steepness of the trail we really hopped down it all the while crossing our fingers that we wouldn't sprain an ankle, knee or back-can you sprain that?

"SOOO WAY FAR AWAY!"

2008-03-24T15:08:00.011-07:00

Not only was it Spring Break for Max, but it was for Grandma Judy! We were so excited for her to come visit us, Max could hardly contain his excitement. With every airplane he saw he kept asking if that was the one that Grandma Judy was in. In Max's words, Grandma Judy lives "so way far away"- Logan, Utah.

As always, Grandma J. came bearing gifts, books and "Cars" and lots of them! We're big fans of the author, David Shannon. And that's just what Grandma Judy brought, more of our favorite!

The boys were enthralled! I lost count of how many times Grandma J. read to the boys, but they couldn't get enough!

Saturday morning me and Judy took the boys to see "Horton Hears a Who" and the boys loved it! Even Ryder was completely into it. Steve Carell and Jim Carrey did a great job, not surprising!

We had such a great time with Judy! The boys have so much fun with her and Dave and I love that she babysat the boys while we went on a date- oh, la, la! It's always so sad when she leaves us! I couldn't ask for a better mom-in-law or grandma to the boys! So for the next day or two after Grandma Judy left, Max was back to saying with every airplane he saw, "Is that Grandma Judy coming back to visit? She lives so way far away she has to fly an airplane!"

Tiff Time, my "CrAcK"!

2008-03-11T12:50:00.011-07:00

Ahh, my favorite time of day, nap time, 12:30-3:00! Now, I love my boys, but there are certain things I can't do when they're around: Organizing or major cleaning tasks (unless I want to do it slowly b/c they want to help, which is sweet, but sometimes I've just got to get it done), computer stuff, e-mail or things that demand my undivided attention. So, after 4 years of navigating between nap time and getting "my stuff" done, I've worked out a pretty good system. Presenting, Tiff Time: An hour of pure narcissism, feeding the habit!

After I feed the boys their lunch, not mine, I put them down for their nap. I take a minute and take it in. Take what in? Well, the silence of course, sooo nice! I make my lunch and get to enjoy one of the benefits of being a Phoenician; eating outside almost year round on my back porch, where I get to look at my favorite tree in the world, the Palm Tree! Something about a Palm tree that just relaxes me when I look at it. Probably b/c I didn't grow up with them and always associated them with such words as, tropical, vacation, relaxation. I can't describe how nice it is to eat by myself, no feeding of others, no sippy cup refills and I get to eat slow-really enjoy my food! So after the reverence of my lunch it's onto more self-indulgence!

Decision time, there are so many options as to how to spend this time, but my fav way to indulge is to sit on my chaise chair with my legs laying in the sun while I read a good book! It actually makes me feel like I'm on vacay! So simple, but so perfect!

Before I know it, my time is up! I still have about an hour or more of the boys sleeping, but I've got to be somewhat productive with my day. Tiff Time is my hit, I crave it and I need it! I used to feel guilty about this, but then realized there's no need to feel bad about taking the time to take care of myself. Now, I wish I could have Tiff Time everyday, but it doesn't always work out that way. But, I do make sure to get enough to support my habit! I have to disagree with Ms. Whitney Houston when she said, "Crack is whack", it just depends on what your crack is! What's your crack?

One word: FIERCE!

2008-03-08T08:53:00.009-07:00

If you're asking, "Why is Heidi Klum giving this little man a piggy back ride?" Then I have to say, "where have you been?" The little man is Christian Siriano, winner of Project Runway-season 4 and he's got mad skills as a designer and in his own word is "fierce"! This is one of my favorite tv shows and Dave's (he's going to kill me for giving him away, but I know other hubby's who are into the show too, probably due to Dave's recruitment of the "Heidi Klum Fan Club, Phoenix Chapter" of which he's the president!)

The level of talent this season was amazing! It was hard to choose which designer was my favorite, but little man Christian was always a fav of mine. Completely dramatic, but so creative, I loved his line for the runway show! The other 2 finalist, Rami & Jilllian are incredible, you can check out their lines from the finale here!

Here are a couple of looks from the runway!CHRISTIAN'S collection

JILLIAN'S collection

RAMI'S collection

In the words of Victoria Beckham, guest judge on the finale, Christians clothes weren't "fierce" but "MAJOR"! I agree!

Rowdy Boys!

2008-02-27T13:42:00.010-07:00

My boys love it when Dave comes home! It's the same routine every night. My boys are more conditioned to the sound of the garage door opening than Pavlov's dog was to the sound of the bell! They hear the garage door open and it's like Mario Andretti to the garage to see their dad!
Dave is greeted by two boys jumping up and down both yelling for Dad! Ryder, in his baritone voice, yells/screams "Dad, Daddy" over and over again. Max announces to me that "Dad is home" which is followed by dance moves that Chris Brown could learn from! It's quite the spectacle, this welcoming commitee, but pretty endearing.
But, I honestly think their favorite part of the day is what follows the grand welcoming, "Dad Time"! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Disclaimer: The children seen in the following pictures were not harmed during shooting of these pictures. They look like they may be crying, but no they are laughing.

"Waabam"!

No, he doesn't hit the wall, but it was close.

Look at Dave! Who's into this more?

I think Dave's been watching a little too much Ultimate Fighiting Championship!

Now you can see why they're so conditioned, how couldn't this be reinforcing?!

Am I four yet?

2008-02-25T18:31:00.015-07:00

4 years old!

Max had been eagerly anticipating his birthday for a while, well anticipating the presents is more like it. Thanks to the Grandma's for sending Max his birthday packages early. When Max saw those packages, we had to open them! We pulled out the wrapped presents, and Max was dying to ravage those presents right then and there, but (here comes the buzzkill), I told him he had to wait for his birthday, when he turned 4 he could open the presents. So, he didn't say much and went to his room. I thought I was off the hook, that was way to easy, no protest? Well, about 5 minutes later he comes to me and declares, "Mom I just turned 4, I want to open my presents!"

So, for about 5 days, he kept asking, "Am I 4 yet?" And we'd walk over to the calendar, show him the big day and then he'd say, "Yeah, I still like being 3"!

Let the party begin!

We had a jam packed day of festivities. First off, Transportation Day! This was the coolest event! The boys got to go inside of an ambulance, police car, bus, helicopter, fire engine and a tractor!

Usually not a good thing to see your boys in the back of a squad car, but they were right at home!

The ambulance & squad car, good times! Notice the vice grip Max has on the Skittles in every picture, they play a role later on!

Max stood and looked at that engine for at least 5 minutes, he loved it! You can't see it but this car has the car doors like the one in "Back to the Future" (Dave will give me crap for not remembering the name of the car, Back to the Future is one of his favorite flicks)

We saw our friends Priscilla & Colton in line for the helicopter. You'll notice no Max, cue the Skittles drama! We had asked him to leave the skittles in the stroller before getting into the helicopter, but he wasn't havin' it, Skittles or Bust! Ryder & Colton chillin' in the heli!

After nap time, we had a little get together with some of Max's friends. The party was originally set for Chuck E' Cheese because of their gourmet pizza and world-class rides, but when we got there it was crazy busy! So Dave saved the day by deciding to get some real pizza at one of our fav pizza place's, Nellos and eating it at the park so the kids could play. The kids had a blast! Can't you tell by the picture? :)

I love this picture, all the kids are looking at Max as he freaks out! But, he had just skinned his elbow, so bad timing on my part with the picture!

My little thinker! Max, it's been so fun to see you grow-up. There were so many times when you were just a baby that I would hold you and look at you and wonder what you'd be like as you got older. I love watching you grow and seeing your fun personality develop!

Max, I love when you talk to Ryder in your sweetest, highest pitch voice and tell him that you love him and that he's your best friend. I love when you put your little hands on my face and tell me "You're the best mom!" I love how excited you get when your dad gets home from work and every night you yell, "Mom, dad's home, wahoo!" I love all the stories you tell me, your imagination is off the charts. I love that you're my little buddy, I love being a part of your life. I love you Maxer's!

Devin + Liz!

2008-02-18T21:54:00.015-07:00

Congratulations are in order for my younger bro, Devin who just proposed to his now fiance', Liz! Ah, look at the Lovebirds- so sweet!

The Proposal: Dev took Liz snow showing to the top of a mountain over looking Cache Valley where he popped the big question and gave her roses! After sipping the bubbly they were barely able to make it back down the mountain- jk! It was just apple-cider...

I got to hang out with Liz last summer when I was in Logan for my summer sabatical and that's when I got to see why Devin loves her so much! Whether we were hiking, watching scary videos on the deck at night, or eating Thai food, Liz was so much fun to be with! I love her spunk and passion for life! Devin needs someone as passionate about life as he is and he's met his match! You two are great for each other, I'm so excited for you and to have another sista! Can't wait to see you in May! (Liz Daniels, that has a nice ring to it!)

I Heart Baboons!

2008-02-18T20:55:00.013-07:00

Thank you President's Day! We had an extra day with Dave because he had work off! It was such a beautiful day we had to be outside, so we packed up the boys and headed for the Phoenix Zoo! This was Dave's virgin visit, but me and the boys go about once a week with our zoo pass and it never gets old! Today was the perfect day for it, 70 degrees- holler!

This is the one of Max's favorite spots at the zoo, the Giraffe tower. It puts you level with the giraffes as they eat their food !

I heart baboons! Some may think that baboons are nasty, mean little monkeys, but I say nay! I love how they take care of each other, especially the grooming/picking of each other. That's how they show their affection- I can relate! My family knows what I'm talking about :)!

The Phoenix Zoo does a really good job at making you feel like you're in a different climate other than the desert. They have a tropical section where one of the exhibits is a tank of fish found in the Amazon river. The fish are ginormous! So, Dave told Max that those fish were big enough to eat Ry! Max loved that and every animal we encountered, he'd say,

"That's so big it could eat Ry!"

I thought this was funny, Max said that the elephant was so big it could eat a lot of Ryder's.

A little morbid...

And the finale, the Tree House! This is Max's favorite part of the zoo! They have a cool Swiss Family type of tree house with a stream running underneath the house. Same rules are told to Max everytime: To come here again you have to leave when I ask you to and no playing in the water. Sometimes the rules are adhered to and other times not so much!

To Valentine or Not to Valentine?

2008-02-14T14:04:00.016-07:00

Valentine's Day? What do those two little words mean to you? For some it's just a Hallmark holiday, a holiday for consumers to go and spend more of the green stuff. For some it's a fun way to celebrate your love and friendship to the people who mean the most to you. For me, well I've been somewhat ambivalent about this holiday, some years it is celebrated- "It's Valentine's lets go out to eat honey!" and some years it's just another day. But since having children, well since having an almost 4 year-old in the house, my ambivalence for the "Day of Saints" has changed.

I had an epiphany last night...This was the first year that my little Max really took notice of Valentine's. His preschool had a Valentine's Day Party. As Max and I were prepping his Race Car valentine cards last night which donned the following affirmations: "Hope you have a checkered flag Valentine's Day" or "Hope you have a revved up Valentine's Day" with a picture of a race card speeding away on the track, he was so excited to give these to his little friends along with the pack of M&M candies! Now, he is 4 so he kept saying "I love when I get treats from everyone"! I tried explaining that the fun part is giving his Valentine's and treats to his friends, but come on he's still got that 4 year-old, ego-centric thing going on! Cue Epiphany Moment: "Even though Valentine's Day may be a marketing scheme, my little boy is kind of getting that it can be a day of love, I know everyday should be a day of love, but I can't make homemade sugar cookies everyday!"

When I picked Max up from school he was ecstatic /sugar high! I wish my camera battery wasn't wasted so I could have captured the moment, he was so excited to show Ryder his loot! After we got home I asked him if he had fun giving his Valentine's to his friends and he said "Ah, sure! I love Valentine's, Mom can I eat my treats for lunch?"

So, as me and the boys are about to make the classic heart shaped Sugar Cookies to give out to some of our friends, I'm reminded of my epiphany; that some holidays I once was ambivalent about are a thing of the past. Some holidays are now to be celebrated, this is where family traditions and memories come from. Now that my little sweeties are starting to get into it, it makes it much more fun for me to get into it! So, here's my Valentine from me to you:

"Hope you have a Revved up Valentine's Day!"

WeLComE bAby DrAKe!

2008-02-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Wahoo, I'm an aunt again! Vance, my younger brother, his wife, Jessica and their son Ira just grew their family from 3 to 4! We're so excited to welcome the newest member of our family, baby Drake! Way to go Jess, a.k.a. Superwoman! Jess gave birth al naturale (on purpose) using Hypnobirthing and had a fabulous birth! We love you guys and wish we could be there in person to see him! Hmm, this just may get me baby hungry, somebody's got to bring a grandgirl to my side of the family, the pressure is on (but not for a while)!

Get Your Vote On!

2008-02-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

SuPer TueSdaY!

After dropping Max off to preschool, with Ry in tow, we went to the ballot box's to put in my 2 cents! I had no clue that if you're an "Independent" you couldn't vote today...Maybe you're thinking "duh how did she not know about the whole registered party thing?" I don't know, but I really had no idea! So I signed up with a party just so I could vote for my man- sorry Hillary supporters! No political soap boxes here, but give Dave a call if you wanna go the rounds...!

Ahh, the joys of Motherhood...

2008-01-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the dead! Our family was hit hard with the most wicked of wicked colds! Two ear infections, one sinus infection, and one new cool mist humidifier later we're back and on the mends!

Besides the misery of being sick, we've had two phrases that are on repeat in our house, "But why Mama?" and "Excuse me". Let me explain, "But why Mama?" This is what Max asks after I say anything, literally, anything! I never thought such a simple phrase could get my brain crankin' as hard as it does! Seriously, try explaining why the color green is green or why we cough or why there's no moon tonight. Where's Bill Nye the Science Guy when I need him? I wish I could answer Max with the classic "because, that's why", but that won't fly, it would only start the cylce of "but why mama?" all over again. So I have to come up with something the first time around. I love that his curiousity is really coming out, but it's made me reach back into parts of my brain where neurons haven't fired for years! It's nice when Dave is home because I get to tell Max, "go ask your dad"!

The second phrase on repeat, "Excuse me." That's a good thing right? Well in this context it's a double edge sword! So, we've been working on the manners thing with Max, constantly actually, and it's starting to take root! But, like I said it's a double edge sword, in this context it means he's just "tooted" as we call it in our house. Great that I get the warning to move out of the way, but would prefer that it all together just not happen-yeah right! Now why you may ask, am I writing about my child's "tooting" habits? Because this is motherhood, this is life with kids, "toots happen" and I'm all about keeping it real. So, good thing that little Max is using his manners, but not so good that he's gassy-and no it's not genetic!

Running, My Other Husband

2008-01-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Silence, blessed silence! It's just me and the trail, we make a pretty good couple! I just took my first run after taking a week off from running P. F. Chang's Rock n' Roll 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles for you non-runners) and it was great to say hello again!

Running is a newer hobby for me, I have to give a shout out to my friend Heather for calling me out on my bluff last June when I told her I wanted to start running (which I had been saying forever, but really had no intention of doing do it). Next thing I know it's 6:00am the next morning, 95 degrees outside and Heather's waiting for me in my driveway- I had no choice, I was "all in"!

Rock n' Roll was the funnest race I've done! Live music every mile, cheerleaders wearing their daisy duke skirts, cheering their little hearts out and crowds the entire route! It was so entertaining, I used my ipod for only 2 miles! It was one of those magical runs where everything comes together, my pace was fast, my legs strong, my head clear and I finished with my best time yet! The best part of racing is seeing my 3 boys at the finish line, they're why I do it! If I wasn't running, I'd still be dragging myself out of bed in the mornings and taking long naps everyday with my boys-I didn't even have pregnancy as an excuse, yikes!
Taking the time to run has made me a better wife and mom. And like any couple, Running and I have had our ups and downs, but I still keep comin' back for more...

My Virgin Post!

2008-01-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

A blog...who came up with that word anyway? Well, regardless of who or why, I'm doing it, following the masses, blogging the episodes and escapades of my life, sorry Dave, but that includes you! (he's not so keen on this...)

Our little family has made it's stomping grounds in the Valley of the Sun, where we're currently enjoying 65 degree weather-holler! Because we're a 12 hour drive from all of our family, blogging will be a great vehicle for our families and friends to keep tab on us. And lets be honest, reading blogs can be somewhat addictive- "Hello, my name is Tiffany and I'm addicting to blog reading, I read other people's blogs when I have a million other things to do!" But hey, admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?! So, this is another reason why I am blogging, after reading my friends blogs I've been inspired to start my own, the narcissist in me is being let loose, lookout!

My life...I've had 8 1/2 blissful years of marriage to my ever-entertaining, lovable hubby, a mother to 2 boys and one on the way- J/K!

I've slowly come into my own as wife and mom. As a teen, the sage that I was, I never had interest in kids-boorring, I didn't like to cook, I didn't want to learn how to sew, basically, anything "domestic"-no thanks. Shout out to my mom, bless her heart, she tried to bestow on me her endless knowledge of how to do these things and how to do it well! Needless to say, I've called my mom with all kinds of domestic emergencies, "Mom, my mashed potatoes have turned to glue, how'd that happen?" or "Mom, Max's umbilical cord hasn't come off and it's starting to stink-help!" You can see, it's really all about trial and error for me, but it's coming along AND I'm enjoying the ride! I still can't sew, but that's what crafters glue is for, I should own stock in it!