Two Thousand Twelve

Awesome and Amazing Things I Want To Do This Year:Lose weight
Go on adventures
Make great memories
Be ultra organized
Take more pictures
Keep up on my blog
Finish the Book of Mormon
Spend less money
Save more money

Spring Break/Summer Trip
Sew

These are some of my resolutions this year.

Losing weight is something I want to do for better health and more energy.

I want to do an adventure each month with the kids, either something we have never done or something out of my comfort zone.

I want the children to have amazing memories of time spent as a family. 

I have started small forays into organization, cleaning out a closet or a drawer and even just cleaning off my kitchen window sill, where everything ends up.  This makes me feel more in control and I like to be in control!

I always forget to take pictures and this is something I want to remedy.  Pictures are wonderful things to look back on and relive those special moments.

Blogging to me is a great release.  I can write down my thoughts and feelings and record important events.  It's my journal of sorts and I want to record our lives.

Finishing the Book of Mormon is a goal I have set for me and my family.  Not only will we have read it, but I think it will make it easier to read it again and all of the knowledge we gain is amazing!

Living within our means is a trial sometimes unless you really look at your needs vs. wants.  Being content with things that aren't the latest and greatest is a wonderful lesson in patience.

I would love to say we are going to save so much a month from each paycheck, but that isn't realistic right now, so hopefully I can save any amount and learn to save more later.

I want to have an awesome Spring Break or Summer Trip planned.  Something fun and memory filled.  It may be going to Vegas or it might just be sitting in our little pool everyday, just as long as it is awesome!

I have 7 boxes of material, 1 box of felt, 2 boxes of yarn and 4 craft boxes.  I shouldn't have to start another project for about 25 years, so I will just settle for finishing something!  I love to sew, crochet and embroider, and I obviously have the materials, I just need to make the time!

Hopefully by this time next year I will have accomplished this list or at least one thing!

 

Gratitude Journal 2011

30th - The Boy Scouts of America.  This is the most amazing organization!  My life wouldn't be the same without it.  Our family loves and lives for Scouting!
29th - Piano and Guitar Teachers.  These women must have Patience as their middle names.  Bless you, bless you, bless you!  Thank you for teaching my children!
28th - Entrepreneurs.  Where would we be without new ideas?  Thank you to any and everyone who ever had the courage to try something different!
27th - Small Businesses.  These places make your town, your town.  They bring character and charm that a big, box company cannot.  Please support your local businesses.
26th - Uncle Duane.  As I write this in January, he has passed away.  He was an awesome person!  Funny, so cute, loved to hold hands.  He stepped into a grandpa role for me and my kids.  Miss him so much!
25th - Farmers and Dairymen.  These individuals keep us feed, what else can I say?  Hopefully the government will recognize that and bail them out some time.
24th - Darady.  Love, love, love this girl!  She is such a sweet, cute girl that on top of everything loves my son!  Can't wait for her to be family one day soon!
23rd - Police and Firefighters.  Everyday heroes that go to work expecting to have to face the worst.  Thank you!
22nd - Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching.  We have had so many wonderful home and visiting teachers over the years.  They bring the Gospel, friendship, and caring into our home and we are all blessed.
21st - People Who Totally Get You.  There are a few people in this world that totally understand me, understand what I am trying to say sometimes without even saying anything.  Two of those people are Sharlene and Benn, thank you for being my friend!
20th - High Priest Sunday.  I know some people would love to skip these but these men have been asked to speak to us once a month to teach us the Gospel.  Ands sometimes you are the only one that needs that lesson and thank goodness they are there!
19th - Birthdays.  Aren't these wonderful things???  They mark our time here on earth and hopefully are a measure of the wisdom we take in.  Happy Birthday Everyone!
18th - The Internet.  Imagine and some of us can remember when we didn't have email, Facebook or blogs.  They make it so much easier and quicker to connect with family and friends - Thank Heavens!
17th - Grocery Stores.  The idea of the market is ages old, but the modern grocery store is a wonder!  You can buy 2 weeks worth of food from frozen, fresh, dry and refrigerated items.  I dread going to the store, but am so grateful I don't have to milk a cow everyday, work in the fields and make everything from scratch!

Gratitude Project

November 11th - Veterans.  From the earliest days of this country, I have had family members fighting for freedom.  I am immensely proud of all the veterans in this country.  They have signed up, put their lives on the line, some have lost their lives, some have been maimed physically and/or mentally and did all of this for themselves, others and for a better life.  They deserve our unwavering respect, love and support.
November 12th - Snow.  I do not like driving in the snow but I do  love watching it fall from the sky.  The water we will have or not have next spring/summer depends on how much we get or don't get now.  Heavenly Father's hand is so evident in this it makes me wonder how anyone could ever question His existence.
November 13th - Nursery Ladies - Susan, Cherri and Kaylee.  They are AWESOME!!!!  I have in the past referred to nursery and scouts as the hell of primary.  No more!  Scouting is something I love now and nursery I am gaining respect for, esp. the people who serve there.  They are kind, loving, firm, fun and wonderful!
November 14th - Public Libraries.  Where else can you go (and we don't have a Walden books anymore) and be surrounded by books, movies, puppets, magazines and other fantastic modes of learning?!?!  We LOVE the library!!! 
November 15th - Modern Medicines.  They can wipe out pain from a suffering loved one, help with life- threatening conditions, treat physical and mental maladies.  There is nothing else so wonderful.  Also, I wouldn't be sane without them!
November 16th - Teachers.  They are wonderful people who get an education to teach it to others!  The low pay and long hours are frightening to me, these are the people we trust our children with everyday for a majority of the day.  People our parents trusted us to!  They should be making the money we give to our sports players and celebrities!  They will be blessed in heaven and hopefully a little here on earth!  Thank you for the wonderful teachers I have had, my children have had, have now and will have in the future, you truly are making a difference in our lives!

Gratitude Project

Today I am thankful for blog readers who don't point out my flaws.  I mixed up some dates.
Nov. 1st - Craig
Nov. 2nd - the children
Nov. 3rd - extended family
Nov. 4th - friends
Nov. 5th - the Gospel
Nov. 6th - America
Nov. 7th - Primary
Nov. 8th - a warm house
Nov. 9th - modern appliances
Nov. 10th - the right to vote

November 9th - Modern Appliances.  I would have made a horrible pioneer!  I need my stove, oven, microwave, fridges, freezers, washer and dryer, vacuum (of course if I was a pioneer I probably wouldn't need this!).  I can't imagine my life without these things!
November 10th - The right to vote.  To decide who I want to lead the government with my tax dollars, is a human right.  So thankful for the women who fought for this.  Hope everyone in the world has this one day.

Gratitude Project

Nov. 4th - The Gospel.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true.  End of story.  I know this and I will never not know this.  Amen.
Nov. 5th - Living in America.  No other country on the face of this earth has the freedoms we have and the people to defend those freedoms, not only for us, but for others around the world.  Grateful I was born and raised here. 
Nov. 6th - Primary.  If you want to feel the Spirit, all you have to do is come into Primary.  On any given Sunday, you will find the most sweetest, strongest members of the ward there.  They know what is right and wrong and are not corrupted by others (yet), they know the Gospel is true and nothing can sway them.  They sing with all of their hearts and always touch mine.  I LOVE my Primary kids - they are the best!
Nov. 7th - A Warm House.  I have seen several homeless people this week and can't imagine what it is like not to have somewhere warm to go to call your own.  Thankful for a working furnace and all the warm air it gives me!  Also thankful for the warm feeling I know that I have when all of my family is home and safe and snug.

Graditude Project

November 4th - Friends.  We have amazing, fabulous, awesome, talented, loving friends.  I can never list all of them or the things they have done for us over the years.  They have laughed with us and cried with us, helps us physically, emotionally and spiritually.  We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors and ward members.  It truly takes a village to raise children and I feel like we have an awesome support team.  I appreciate all of their examples to me, Craig and the children.

Gratitude Project

Day 3 - Extended Family.  Craig and I are both blessed with amazing families!  My parents will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary on the 10th of December this year - woo hoo!!!  They are incredible people!  My dad is a a rock and an example to me with his life.  He is the most honest person I know, he doesn't even speed!  He is funny and no one loves their grand kids more than him!  My mother is talented beyond belief - she sews, cooks, bakes, do flowers, make you feel loved and the most important person in the world!  She cherishes each of her grandchildren and is a great example to me in patience.  My sister Jennifer is awesome, she got most of mom's talents passed down to her and is quite the seamstress!  She is a world-traveler, professional business woman, and ultimate party planner!  Kimberly is a manager at work, home and on the field.  She organizes her children's lives so they have experience in a little bit of everything.  My brother Adam loves the country life and the great outdoors!  He is a great friend to others and excells at his job.  My brother Aaron is also a great worker, husband and father.  You can find him coaching baseball or changing a diaper and he is great at both.  My sister in law Julia is a wonderful friend and mother.  She loves her kids and works hard for them.  I have wonderful nieces and nephews - Kierra, Emmett, Shanna Lee, Bryan, Cordell, Jacob, Noa and Nathan.  Craig's dad is great example to us of perseverance and determination.  He is a great grandpa.  Craig's mom likes to have visits from family especially to celebrate the holidays.  His sister Michelle and brothers, Dean, Kevin and Scott are all hard workers and take good care of their families.  His brother in law, Ron and sister in laws Deanna, Sharlene and Julie make family get togethers fun!  He also has wonderful nieces and nephews - Nicole, Kelsey, Megan, Alex, Ashley, Rachelle, Travis, David, Michael, Nathan, Angela, Jacob, Joshua, Samantha, Stephanie, Logan, Brayden, Whitney and Brenner.  Many of them are married and have the cutest kids!  Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of our family are supportive and loving and we try never to miss an opportunity to see them all.  Our heritage is of great people who did amazing things and made our lives all the richer for it.  We are grateful for their hard work and sacrifices for us to have a better life. 

Gratitude Project 2011

I am going to use this month to express my gratitude for everything in my life, big or small. On my Facebook, I am putting what I am grateful for, but on here I will elaborate.

November 1st - Craig. He is a hard worker, funny, helpful, loving, and creative. He is lots of other things too, but these are just the top ones I could think of. He really is a people person, and loves to meet new people. He can build me almost anything I can dream up and loves to be in the kitchen whipping up something new. He loves to garden. even if he is the most impatient person I know. Gardening is supposed to teach you to slow down and enjoy time, but he wants to plant in the morning and harvest in the afternoon! He has lots of talents - drawing, making up songs for the baby, cooking, landscaping. I love him dearly and am glad I get to spend eternity with him.

November 2nd - Ryan, Courtney, Joslyn, Chad and Chloe. Ryan is a good person - funny, kind, handsome, etc. He is also a hard worker and willing to try new experiences. He has already accomplished a lot in 19 years - Eagle scout, high school graduate with a 3.75 GPA, graduated Army Basic Training, graduated from Advanced Individual Training - radar repair. He is getting ready to open the next chapter in his life - college. He has a lovely girlfriend, Darady, who we really like and it seems he is head over heels. He sends her flowers and cards, it's good to see him treat her so well and her him. He's not sure what he wants to be yet, but he doesn't have to know yet! Courtney is a beautiful young woman. She is incredibly smart AND talented! She is very talented with pen and paper, paint and other materials, or the piano. She loves to sing and can! She is interested in science and the human body, her latest career choice is mortician. She has a firm testimony of the Gospel and has had to defend it vehemently. She is a true example to me and others. Joslyn is a great girl, she is going to be beautiful and tall! She does very well in school and loves the social aspect. She has lots of friends, especially Olivia. She also loves to sing and can! She likes art, horses and her guitar. She has a developing testimony of her own and is very inquisitive about everything! Chad is the typical 10 year old, he loves video games and playing with his friends! He is super smart like the rest of them (I don't know where they all got that from, but I will take the credit!) he excells in math and science. He likes to play with Chloe and is a great big brother. He is a great friend, (unless you cross him, and then tomorrow is a whole new day) and is fiercely loyal. Chloe is our baby angel/devil. She is either super sweet or destroying something! She loves to be the center of attention and is such a little performer. she loves to snuggle when it's bedtime and has to hold my left earlobe. I am grateful for my family and the opportunity to raise these little people. I am grateful that we can be together forever and for the time I get to spend with each one of them here on earth.

Autumn Leaves

We are right in the swing of things with autumn showing her colorful face around here. The leaves are all turning red, orange and gold. The mornings are getting nippy and the days are perfect! School is humming along for the children and we are counting down the days to Christmas Break. Ryan is home and looking for a job, he is getting ready to attend ISU in the spring. He and Darady are still going strong, and we just love her. Courtney is loving her anatomy/physiology class and thinking of being a mortician, because as she puts it: no one wants to be one, they make good money and everyone is going to need one - job security! That would be a great job for Court - nobody to talk to her and loads of time by herself - figuratively speaking. She is playing the piano again and was put in as the pianist in Young Women's when they released her as president. She was picked as 1 of 2 kids from our stake to help plan the New Year's Eve party. Joslyn is getting taller everyday! She is still in love with horses, but is liking art class and playing the guitar. She is taking lessons with Olivia from her aunt, Chelsea. She is 2nd counselor in Young Women's and likes to have that responsibility. Chad is also growing like a weed, he just finished soccer with a 6 - 0 record, go mighty monkeys! He has to be dragged away from video games unless it's to play with Mason outside. He just moved up to Webelos in Scouts. He is doing great in math at school and likes to do whatever Ryan is doing. Chloe is getting so big and grown-up! She got her first haircut and now you can see her beautiful blue eyes! She is learning sign language and is so cute when she does it! So far she knows: please, thank you, i love you, more, eat, drink, please, bird, and alligator (this one was just random). She walks all over the place now and is a climber! If she can push, pull or drag something to climb on, she will and we often find her on top of the table! She likes to reach up on the edge of the counter and pull down whatever she can find. She has also discovered pencils, pens, crayons, markers and loves to "color". She keeps us hopping! Craig has been busy at work traveling a lot this month and helping his dad get around to appointments and doing some home repairs. He is also going to finish our shed in time for our annual Halloween party. I am still watching Abigail Monday - Friday, anywhere from 8 - 11 hours a day. It makes me appreciate my mother - it's just like having twins, except Abigail doesn't spend the night! I am still loving Primary - esp. the kids - such sweet little spirits! I so appreciate the teachers we have and the ladies I get to work with. We are very blessed and try to remember how fortunate we are. I am going to try to upload some pictures soon, just don't hold your breath!

Sunny July

The fact that I made it back here in less than a month is nothing short of a miracle!
We have had a busy month - 4th of July and my 39th birthday - it really isn't that old! Turner reunion 8th - 10th in Utah. Great fun - got to see both sides the family and had a ball! Craig went to Portland the 6th - 8th. Then Craig's nephew's wedding on the 16th - Logan and Samantha. Craig had RSP 16th & 17th then Scout Camp the 18th - 23rd. The girls have camp this week, Courtney left today, she is with stake and Joslyn leaves tomorrow for her 1st year. They will be back Friday. Chloe Matilda's 1st birthday is on Thursday the 28th! This year seems to have flown! She is jibber-jabbering all the time and loves to sing. She has a bashful little smile and is pretty sure the world revolves around her! She has taken lots of little steps but crawling is her preferred method of travel. Chad had a tooth pulled earlier this month and has strep throat this week. He has seen the doctor twice so far to have warts frozen. Poor Joe, but he still finds the strength to play video games! Joslyn is very excited to go to girls camp! I will miss her and Courtney this week, esp. with Matilda! Courtney is excited this is her last year - she camps like I do - drive to the hotel, check in, continental breakfast in the morning, housekeeping service, ice machines and air conditioning! She is severely dismayed that our Waldenbooks is closing and wants to take advantage of the savings that they are offering - she is going to need another bookcase! Ryan will be home in 25 days! Need I say more?!?! He turned 19 on the 19th! Only 37 days until school starts! That can be a good thing and a bad thing!

June Days

So I am trying to update this more now and wish I could just copy and paste my Facebook status here, but I feel the need to elaborate on them. I am trying to create memories for the children the way my mother did for us. Some people think I am am too anal or just plain crazy, but I enjoy planning things for my kids to do during the summer and mind you if you dig deeper into my life I have a calendar for each month and activities planned for them also! Especially February - 14 days of Valentine's, March with St. Patrick's Day and April with Easter, October with Halloween and December with Christmas.
We have had a fun month so far - Fabulous Fridays, FHE - The B'S, lunches in the park, seeing family and friends, library trips and just working together in the house and yard. I have had some in depth talks with the children from Chad - "I won't EVER weed my yard" to Joslyn - discussing life lessons to Courtney and hearing her point of view of things. I hope July keeps us busy even though it is getting hotter! Only 55 days until Ryan comes home! Yeah!

Facebook is so much quicker than blogs, but I do like putting more information than 450 letters - we are more complex than that!

I read my OCTOBER post - lots has happened since than! Let's start!

Craig is enjoying his job and the people he works with - namely Shawn! They have too much fun at work! He is a great friend and I am glad Craig has him. I think Craig's next career should be landscaper because our backyard is gorgeous! Our spring flowers are all in bloom right bow - pretty tulips and happy daffodils nod and smile at you when you go outside and our crab apple tree is blooming and it smells heavenly! The pond is the highlight area - rocks carefully placed look like they just tumbled there and have a small waterfall cascading down the side into the pond where orange goldfish and white koi dart around. There are grasses inter dispersed among the rock that you would never know weren't there a year ago. Lilies, painted daisies and black-eyed Susans are either blooming or starting to grow to their full height to bloom later this summer. The bridge has an alyssum water effect under it - like a curling current. We just planted a good-size purple autumn ash tree so that one day, soon hopefully, it will shade the wood and iron bench that sits on pavers that are held in place with pea-gravel. Two small fairies are hidden in the flowers and you really have to look to find them peering out at you! White solar light dot the entire area and give it an ethereal look at night. He also has a Honey crisp apple tree to plant and some other projects - the garden needs to be planted, my boardwalk and awning need to be built on the shed and the fence that will enclose the garden (small picket fence), we are going to tear off the deck and lower it and that's just the backyard! The front yard he has one more flower bed to build and fill in and hook up a small water fountain in the shape of a little girl holding a watering can.

He is still in Scouts and working hard with all of the boys to earn their merit badges and ranks. He has scout camp coming up and trip to Portland, Oregon for work in July.

Jessica is anxious for school to get out on June 1st and have the children home! I have tons of fun things and chores for them to do! I spend my days with Chloe and sometimes lots gets done and sometimes nothing gets done! She is a handful! I watch Abigail sometimes depending on her mother's schedule. They like to play and are good company for each other. I am still 2nd counselor in Primary and loving it (most days!) Scouts, Nursery and sharing times are busy things! I am trying to help the girls with their personal progress by doing it with them - we don't have a lot of time - but we try!

Ryan is in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, right outside Lawton. He doesn't really care for it there, but it seems like he is having a good time! He has his weekends and evenings to himself, so he and his battle buddies spend a lot of time at the mall and movie theater. His visit at Christmas was wonderful and too short! He comes home August 19th, one month after his 19th birthday! We are excited to get him back!

Courtney is 16 now and really blossoming into a young adult - complete with her own ideas and opinions! Her hair is permed and down to her waist now. She is super smart, super talented and has a super testimony of the Gospel. Her favorite classes are seminary and drawing and paint. She is busy on two committees - stake youth conference and young women's camp. She is a fifth-year and goes with stake this year - they have amazing leaders - she is excited! Her Young Women's presidency was just released but were replaced with awesome women, so we can't complain. She is in high demand for babysitting and is known for her "magic bag"! She likes to play with Chloe and read any book she can get her hands on!

Joslyn is 12 and in Beehives! She is doing well in school and likes her teachers. She sings in choir and has a beautiful voice. Joslyn can always be counted on to watch Chloe and take good care of her. She still loves horses and loves to watch them on TV and go to the local horse races. She enjoys going to Mutual and hanging out with friends. She is becoming quite the book worm also and is filling up a small bookcase in her room, maybe one day she will have the small library Courtney has (4 large bookcases).

Chad is Chad! He is still a Lego-maniac and video game connoisseur! He would rather be outside than anywhere else now that the weather is warming up. He has lots of ideas running around his head and the energy to try them all out. He is kind and loyal to his friends and smiles easily. He has made friends with the older generation in our ward and has lots of things to show and tell them - they are a great support! He loves Chloe and making her smile.

Chloe Matilda is a source of light for all of us - she is a happy baby and LOVES to be outside from morning to night! She is crawling and pulls herself up on EVERYTHING!!! She will be walking soon and I'm not sure if that is a good thing! She always has a toothless grin for us and loves attention! She has blond/light brown hair and blue eyes and one dimple! We can't imagine life without her - she keeps us young - we go to bed when she does and get up at night when she does, except now it's because we have to make a bathroom trip. She sees the simple joys in life like water in the baby pool is the most fascinating thing to her and birds flying overhead and seeing the kids after school - she just wiggles with excitement!

We are grateful for the family and friends that love us and for the true happiness they bring into our lives! We are incredibly blessed and know it!

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it is already October! The days are supposed to be getting cooler - hopefully we get fall, not just jump into winter. The leaves are changing and the do mountains look beautiful.

Craig has put in our pond and bridge and did an amazing job, not what we envisioned, but BETTER! He has some more work to do but it depends on his time, money and the weather, but it will be so nice when he gets done, our very own oasis! He is super busy with his job and going to attend a conference in Orlando the last week of the month for some training. He is still working with the 11 and 12 year old Scouts and doing such a good job, they just earned their Citizenship in the Community merit badge.

I am loving staying home, I don't know how I ever worked and got anything else done (of course a lot of things didn't get done or Craig did them!). Still trying to stay up with my church calling - I never thought I would say this but - I LOVE Cub Scouts! Primary is such an amazing place and time, we just had our primary program and to see 3, 4, and 5 year olds sing that they know their Heavenly Father and Jesus love them, touches my heart.

Ryan is in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. He has 10 weeks training there and then 36 weeks in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He likes having more freedom - cell phone, laptop, etc. It is good to hear from him more - he texts, not calls, but he could call is the important thing! He had his wisdom teeth out this week - all 6 of them! I can't wait until he comes home for Christmas - 75 days!!!

Courtney is in her sophomore year at Century High School. She loves most of her classes - not math - and has some wonderful teachers. She was just inducted into the National Honor Society. She is doing a great job at her church calling - president of the Young Women - they don't have very many girls - 8, so they just have one presidency. She is of course still reading up a storm and has a list of books for me to read. She is turning into a beautiful girl. She likes to help out with Chloe, and is enjoying a steady income from babysitting.

Joslyn is in 6th grade at Irving Middle School. She likes school - this is the first year they have to change classrooms. She still loves to play horses and dress up her High School Musical dolls, except now they represent Edward and Bella from Twilight or Damon, Stefan and Alaina from Vampire Diaries - her favorite show! She is a great help with the baby - even dirty diapers!

Chad still tries to play Wii as much as possible, but is also a big help around the house. He is in 3rd grade at Tendoy Elementary and his teacher is Ms. Moore. He is doing great in math and reminds me when he has homework. He celebrated his 9th birthday on September 5th and moved up to Bears in Cub Scouts. He was awarded his Wolf badge and a gold arrow at our last pack meeting. He loves to carve things with his pocketknife still and build Legos.

Chloe is a dream come true! She is a pretty good baby and smiles at us now and tries to talk - so cute!!! Our days revolve around her and what she needs, but we can just throw her into the car and be ready to go too. She was blessed on September 26th by Craig.

We are enjoying a wonderful time in our lives and are truly grateful for the awesome family and friends that we have.

She's Here!!!

Miss Chloe Matilda Ockerman made her way into the world at 11:43 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010. She weighed 8 pounds and 5 ounces and was 21 inches long. She has light brown/blonde hair and pretty, dark blue eyes. She looks like Joslyn to me, but I've heard she looks like Ryan and Courtney too, so she is definitely going to fit right in! She spent 2 1/2 days in NICU, with an IV in her poor little head, her blood glucose was low at first then the had to make sure she could sustain it on her own, but by Friday afternoon, she was delivered to my room - VERY Happy Moment for me! 1st because NICU is on the 2nd floor and I was on the 3rd, long walk and the wheelchair ride made me just nauseous! 2nd because then I could just hold her and not worry about all the wires and lines they had attached to her! She really is just a beautiful baby, very good, likes to sleep during the day and be up every hour at night, but we are getting her turned around, she sleeps 2 1/2 - 3 hours between feedings at night and stays awake a little bit more during the day, she loves to be naked but hates her diaper changed, she likes to have her hair washed under the faucet, we haven't been able to do a whole bath yet, because her belly button hasn't fallen off yet, but I bet she will love it! She smiles in her sleep a lot - so cute! Her sisters absolutely adore her and Chad thinks she is pretty neat. She has us wrapped around her little finger!

We LOVE change at our house!!!

Well only 2 more days until we get this baby here - so exciting!!! I can hardly wait for this pregnancy to end - swollen feet and hands, gestational diabetes, the excess hormones that make me cry at the drop of a hat and that I can't get under control, the feeling that every time I stand up everything is going to fall out, I can't wait for that all to be over!!! And of course we will have a perfect little someone to love, can't wait to cuddle up with her and just stare at her and be amazed!

Craig has been AMAZING!!! He has bent over backwards during this pregnacy for me! He has been so sweet and loving, I just want to bottle him up! He has changed jobs this month from recruiter to being over the Recruit Sustainment Program - R.S.P. He is in charge of drill every month for all of the kids who have joined the Guard, but haven't shipped out to their basic training sites. He does payroll, hotel accomodations, meals, setting up, tearing down, making sure all of the paperwork is done for every kid, etc. Instead of holding one kid's hand through enlistment, he has 20 - 40 kids to get ready for basic training! He has put in some long hours - 90 last week! He still has a few kids to enlist and get them ready for M.E.P.S. His nephew, Logan just joined this last week and seems pretty excited about the whole thing. Plus he is still working on the house and yard and his garden is doing GREAT!!!

Now for my oldest baby - Ryan, we left him in Boise on the 6th of July - SOOOO hard to do! He flew out that next morning, but with all of the bad weather across the country, his flight was delayed, so they missed their connection, then they finally got to Atlanta and had to wait 1 1/2 hours for the bus, then ride another 1 1/2 hours to Fort Benning, get there around midnight and then they keep them up all day!!! We finally got a letter on the 19th - his 18th birthday!!! Short but sweet! The weather is just hot and humid and they are working really hard. I got the company commander's letter today telling me "my son has arrived safely at Basic Training". Well isn't that a relief?!?! But they do have a website with Facebook and Flickr links with updates from other moms and pictures of the boys from the company commander's wife - haven't seen him yet, but it's nice to see what they are doing. The website is www.2-47panthers.org. He is in Alpha Company.

Now onto Courtney, she is getting more and more driving time in since it hurts my feet so bad, which is no skin off of her nose! She now has her own room and I forgot how big that room is - I want to move down there!!! She has been really good about helping out around the house - even laundry! She is super excited about Chloe and also the fact that she gets to miss part of Girl's Camp to be here when the baby is born.

Joslyn has moved into Ryan's old room and we have decked it out in purple!!! Purple comforter, purple sheets, purple lamp, purple and pink rhinestone clock, we have white daisies hung around her closet that we are going to enter twine with you guessed it - purple lights! She has been a great help too!

Chad McKay aka Joe is even a little bit excited for this new sister. Now that he's the only boy at home, him and Craig are palling around. He went with Craig on the 11-year old scout camp over this last weekend and had a great time! He still smells like campfire and he tells me he likes that smell!!! He was so excited to take his pocketknife with him. Last week he cut the palm of his hand with it - just a small slice, but he showed it to me and said "I am grounding myself from my pocketknife for 2 whole days." Well okay then! He's SO funny!

Some of the fun things we've done this summer are Ryan's graduation and party, Ryan's going away party and having Kevin & Sharlene and Stephie come down for fireworks, 4th of July, Airport Appreciation Days, Steel Days in American Fork, Turner Reunion in Pleasant Grove, seeing cousins from back east, lunch at the park, swimming (wading) in the backyard pool, putting puzzles together and then gluing them - they are going on the downstairs family room walls. We've enjoyed this summer!!! The kids don't go back to school until the 2nd of September, so we will still have a month or so to get to know Chloe and just kick back and relax!

We Have A Middle Name and Family Update

Well we have decided on a middle name for Chloe - Matilda. It was Craig's Grandma Ockerman's name - everyone called her Tillie and she was such a sweet woman! He was in Boise this last week and had a dream about the baby and in his dream that was her name and I LOVED it!!! It just flows and it follows my rule of thumb, "can I yell it down the street to get her home?". Plus, it will follow our tradition of middle names starting with "M's", not that we have tried to do that and Ryan didn't fall into that category (his middle name is Craig), but they all have family names and that is what we were shooting for!

Craig has started working on the shed and made a lot of progress, I will be taking pictures as we go along. He is dirty, sweaty and his whole body is throbbing from the work, but it looks good so far and he is very excited about it!

I am doing much better and have only gained 18 pounds so far!!! As long as I remember to take my medication (Lexapro and Benadryl) I am fine. The children are glad to remind me to take my "happy pills" and see me very medicated, they all do lots to help out around the house. I don't know if it's love or if they are scared of me (probably a little of both or so I would like to believe!) but it seems to be working! My advice to anyone out there is to make sure you're done and that God is done with you before you have one graduating from high school and all the stress that puts on you, plus being pregnant, accepting any church calling, working, having other children, trying to sleep more than 6 hours a night and living life!!! But I must say my WONDERFUL husband has been a GREAT source of strength during all of this. He just lets me cry when I need to, nap if I can and hold down the fort while I escape from it!!!

Ryan only has 3 days of school left this week and then graduation on the 27th!!! He can hardly wait (and neither can we!!!) He has 50 days until he ships to Basic Training and I've never seen a kid so happy to be going to Georgia in July!!! He is looking at it like a great adventure - which is what I have always taught him that life is about! He attended prom on the 8th and I have yet to get the pictures developed, but they were so cute! He went with his friend, Clara.

Courtney is excited for the end of school, but not that she won't get to use the school library over the summer. They sometimes have books that the public library doesn't have yet. She is raring to go driving, but that is going to have to wait until I have this baby, that is too much stress for me, even with all the Benadryl in the world! She can't wait for Chloe to be born and be "AWESOME" as she puts it. She is going to be a great help this summer!!!

Joslyn is a little bit scared about going to middle school next year (and so am I!!!) but she will be great! She is asking lots of questions about all of the changes that are going on with her and her body and is proud to say she is a "tween"! She's not so sure that she wants to grow up (and neither am I!!!) but I have assured her life only gets better after "High School Musical" and that there are lots of other things to like in this life. She has been a great help lately and I am loving that! She is very excited about the baby and all the things that go along with it - clothes and ribbons for her hair, etc. She is doing great in soccer and school.

Chad McKay (my little Joe) is so CUTE!!! He needs to grow into all of his little elbows and knees, but he is at such a fun age! He is very independent, "I know what to do Mom", is a phrase I hear alot, but there is nothing better than getting a hug from him or a "my momma rocks!" coming out of his mouth! He is also doing great in soccer and scored his team's only goal this last Saturday. He could ride his scooter back and forth all day and survive on Wii and cartoons, but I have to make him stop and eat sometimes. What would that be like?!?!

Baby GIRL Ockerman

Well we found out yesterday that we are having another girl, so exciting to know! The ultrasound tech took lots of pictures and we got to see that she has everything right where it should be, very comforting! We think we have agreed on the first name of "Chloe", but we can't decide on a middle name and it's starting to turn into a fight, so we are just going to have to wait on that. Chad is still holding out hope that she could turn out to be a boy, we told him not to hold his breath, but I think he is. The girls were of course thrilled and Ryan said, " A girl huh, I guess that's okay." I am excited and have already found a ton of pink material that will be SO cute for blankets and such. Craig is excited and even posted the ultrasound pictures on his facebook page! The due date is now the 29th of July, it seems far away, but I know it will sneak up on me, there is SO SO SO much to do before that!

The Children - all 5 of them!

I don't know if it's because I'm older (is 37 really that old?!?!) that's what everyone keeps on saying, BUT THIS PREGNANCY IS REALLY KICKING ME IN THE BUTT!!! Even with the vitamins, I am exhausted by about 4:00 in the afternoon.

But on a happy note we are in week 16, only 24 more to go. I put it in weeks, because they go by faster than months and it just makes it seem shorter to me anyway! We have had 2 ultrasounds already because of some minor emergencies and seen the baby and heard it's little heartbeat - VERY exciting!

Now on to the other children - Ryan is still wrestling, I almost don't want the season to end, because I LOVE wrestling! He is learning to cook lots of good things in his teen living class (I don't know why they don't still call it Home Ec?!?!) And he is VERY proud of the skull mug that he made in pottery - quite good!

Courtney is driving for the 3rd time today, and she has her PowerPoint presentation in World Geography. Power point presentation?!?! What ever happened to draw some pictures and make a poster?!?!

Joslyn completed her Exploration Notebook - Yeah, lots of coloring pictures and gluing and stapling, that I can keep up with! She is learning fraction and all that they encompass - so that means, I am trying to remember fractions and all that they encompass! Next year, she's on her own in math - I only go up to 5th grade!!!

Chad is learning time - and in a day and age where there are so many digital clocks and the only people who say 35 after the hour or 15 to the hour are over 60, he is struggling to understand why he would need to know that! But today he did tell me - "Okay, I think I am getting that." Well see how his test comes back today!

They really are the lights of my life, I just have to remember to turn the lights on!

Updates and Changes for the New Year

So I am the worst blogger ever! But I have been busy!!! Let's go back in time...November 2009 - Craig turned 41 and thinks he is so old - not true, just getting better!
Thanksgiving with Craig's family - very nice. Had a relaxing weekend at home.
December 2009 - Ward Christmas Party - great fun!
Grandma Anne's Christmas Party - always a favorite - love that family!
Ockerman Family Christmas Party - great food and fun!
Found out we are going to be parents AGAIN! WONDERFUL News! Truthfully - very surprising, shocking, take your breath away news, but we are excited!
Wrestling starts - WOOHOO!
Courtney celebrates her 15th birthday (how could she be that old?!?!)
Christmas Break - 16 days of doing ABSOLUTELY nothing in your pajamas - I hope this is what heaven is like!
January 2010 - Back to work and school. Ryan - more wrestling, Courtney - driver's education, Joslyn's 11th birthday (WOW!!!), Chad is still Chad - that boy lives and breathes video games - I have to make him stop and eat!
We are truly blessed with the amazing families and friends that surround us, hold us up, inspire and teach us what awesomeness really is.

October in a nutshell

Craig and his fellow YM leaders took the young men to the Saturday sessions of General Conference and the Priesthood session. They also participated in the Scouting for Food drive. He has traveled to Boise four times this month also. Jessica enjoyed 2 - 4 day weekends from work and started her Christmas sewing. She is very excited to see her Yankees go to the World Series! Ryan joined the Guard on the 22nd, and went to his first drill on the 24th & 25th. He finished up soccer, the boys took 4th place at State. He has gone on a couple of field trips for school to ISU's Library and the Bannock County Jail. Courtney went to work with Jessica, as she did fulfilled her job shadowing assignment for school. She loves this month as Halloween is her favorite holiday! Joslyn carved a pumpkin and is enjoying Red Ribbon week at school. She was able to spend the night for her friend, Olivia's birthday on the 16th. Her class went on a warm field trip to Lava Hot Springs and she received her glasses as well this month. Chad has earned his Bobcat award in Scouts. He received a certificate and a coupon for Sizzler's for perfect attendance for the first 6 weeks of school. He and Joslyn did a great job in the Primary program. We had a great time at our ward party on the 9th with great food and dancers to fit our Polynesian theme. Tendoy's Fall Carnival was also great fun with games and prizes on the 23rd.