may days

I got Tosh's preschool photo back this week. This is a photo of a photo (never awesome), but I think he looks so cute:
Liv is obsessed with water. Her current thing is to climb up on the counters and turn on the kitchen faucet. As always, I feel like much of my day is keeping her off of the counters! At least she has gotten really good at climbing down from things.

The first skinny-dipping of the season on Thursday night:

The weather was amazing this weekend; 80 degrees with a nice breeze. Liv and I went swimming (stood in the shallow area) on Saturday morning at it felt really great. Not quite warm enough for me to jump right in, but felt perfect on our feet and legs. Liv was in heaven.

Rob took about four loads to the dump drop-off on Saturday. All of the cement curbing he pulled out of the backyard and the shattered backboard, etc. Now we just have lots of weeding to do and we'll be ready to fill in the yard with granite gravel.

I've curled Liv's hair a couple of times this week. It has sort of an 80's feathered look because it is so fine.

As I was downloading photos last night, I found a bunch from a couple of weeks ago that I missed and thought were cute. Liv's eyes look so big in this one:

Tosh being silly (and pretending to be a little shy):

No photos of my older boys this week. They aren't around as much, I guess. I can't think of much to report except that they enjoyed "field day" at school. Burke just finished the Harry Potter series for the third time and is already on book two again. I meant to have something new waiting for him that I planned to insist that he start before he got going again, but he was too sneaky and quick about it :).

I can't believe it is already May, and what I refer to as "Birthday Month." Liv is almost two, Burke is almost 9, and Tosh is almost 4. Crazy.

Well, I had some very rough moments this week, if I'm being honest. I want to share some of the high points though:

Rob stopped working sort of abruptly to accompany me to the temple while my mom was in surgery on Thursday morning. We were able to do sealings which was a great reminder to me that I have been sealed for time and all eternity not only to him, but to my wonderful parents. The sealer took a few minutes to talk about the promises of the resurrection and I really felt he was inspired to talk about that just for my benefit. Rob has been very supportive all week and even grabbed dinner out a few different times so I wouldn't have to worry about it.

My mom's surgery went very well. They were able to remove the tumor from her pancreas and she is recuperating and doing a little better each day.

We had Hewitt tested for same gifted program that Burke is in and he did very well and got in. It was also announced that they will be opening a gifted academy in Chandler this coming school year. I'm crossing my fingers that both boys will be able to go there (I think our chances are pretty good, so we'll see).

I mentioned last week that I am now working with the primary kids at church. Our first Sunday in charge was a bit crazy, but went really well overall. It was fun having both Tosh and Hewitt in the younger group, and Burke in the older group. I love that I will be able to teach and watch all of my children in sharing/singing time. I know I am biased, but they are all so cute and sing their little hearts out. It was one of those moments yesterday that makes me feel proud of my good kids, and so happy that I am blessed to be their mom.

an easter anniversary

Rob and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary yesterday. I'm fairly certain that this will be the only time that our anniversary will fall on Easter (in our lifetime, anyway). Another big event of the weekend was the Fathers and Sons Campout that the boys go on every year. It was Tosh's first year going and the kids were so excited. Honestly I can say that Burke gets more excited about going camping than he does about Christmas. The trip didn't disappoint and the boys had a great time. Rob didn't think to take a single photo (boo), so you'll just have to take my word for it.

It sure seemed awfully quiet with just Liv and me home. We went swimming at a friend's house (Liv was great about keeping her ears above water--tubes, remember?), and then we did a little shopping after her nap. Saturday we did some chores, ran a few other errands, and I painted Liv's toenails for the very first time. You can't have a girls' weekend without a little pampering, right? She sat completely still, even when I dried them with the cool blow dryer. She is so girly; it's hilarious.

This little face wins my vote for "Best Photo of the Week," I'd say:

Other funny "Liv" faces:

Livvy the "Dancing Queen"
I'm not sure if I've yet mentioned how much Liv loves dancing. Last weekend we had a movie/popcorn night with the kids. We watched "Tangled" (we hadn't seen it yet) and Liv would stand up and dance throughout each and every song. It was pretty awesome. Any time she hears music now she will start dancing around in circles. It is highly entertaining.

We had a nice and simple Easter. Here are some favorite photos:

My cousin Bob came over for Easter dinner on Sunday, and Burke, Rob, and I enjoyed listening to him tell stories about my Grandpa Hatch. Bob is only about eight years younger than my mom and would spend the summers at our grandparents' home in Provo. My grandpa was a mortician and Bob tells the best stories about the mortuary (they lived upstairs), of going to pick up bodies with my grandpa, the embalming room, etc. Needless to say, Burke certainly learned about a few new things!

Rob and I participated in the choir for our Easter program at church. I did fine during a trio I was in, but then became quite emotional and choked up during my solo in the final piece. It was a little embarrassing to be standing in front of the entire congregation unable to sing with tears streaming down my face. I can't remember ever being so emotional during a performance in my life! I refer to it as a "perfect storm" of several things happening at one time:
1. For the last couple of weeks, I have tried to remain emotionally removed, and to keep myself from feeling much of anything. I'm obviously referring to my mom and my fears concerning her health and the future.
2. Just minutes before Sacrament meeting started, I was released from working with the Young Women in our ward, and was called to be the first counselor in the Primary Presidency. I am happy to get to work with the children (and love the ladies I'll be serving with), but this caught me completely off-guard. The thought of not teaching and working with the young women feels heartbreaking. I love and care about these girls so much!
3. I was wide awake from 1am to 3:30am on Friday night (Sat AM), and again from 1:00am to 5:00am on Saturday night (Sun AM)! I am officially an old lady because I was up by 6:00am both mornings and couldn't get back to sleep after that. Talk about complete physical exhaustion. I had taken some allergy medicine before going to bed both nights and now know that it clearly causes sleeplessness. p.s. I have yet another sinus infection right now.
4. Listening to the music and narration about the Savior and His resurrection, and feeling a witness in my heart about the truthfulness of the message.

I've written and re-written about three different paragraphs right here. I have so much going on in my head and my heart right now, but I don't really have the words to express them, and so much of it seems private (for lack of a better word). I do feel so much gratitude and peace right now, and I'll certainly take that.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. My mom will be having surgery this Thursday. Again, I would appreciate your prayers on her behalf.
Love and thanks, Tams

i love you mom!

My mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Monday. I have started a CaringBridge site for my mom and will be updating there with new information: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maryanadunning

Monday was a pretty rough day, needless to say. I wept quite a bit and didn't get much sleep (it felt extra lonely with Rob out of town). It was a good reminder for me to put more faith in the Lord and turn to Him for comfort. I really have been amazed at how much peace and comfort I have been feeling. It certainly helps matters that my mom is feeling really good right now and sounds so upbeat and energetic on the phone. I am so grateful for the support and love we've received already. It means so much to me to know that others are praying for her (and us).

I'm not feeling too "wordy" right now so I'll leave it at that, but thought I'd share a few photos taken with my phone: Liv's favorite thing is getting into my stuff--shoes, jewelry, and as you can see here my make-up! I love this little guilty look on her cute little dirty face (notice all of the hair elastics and other things she dumped onto the floor). A couple of cute ones the park on Friday night:

My friend Alecia and I did the Pat Tillman Run on Saturday. I did better than I thought I would (4.2 miles in 37:01), especially since it was so crowded (about 30,000 runners). I hadn't been to ASU campus before this week; it was cool to end the race inside Sun Devil Stadium.

(Post run photo=not very cute. I have not one, but three cold sores right now! Can you say stress?)

23 months and other tidbits

I didn't take any photos at all this week, and it doesn't seem like there is much to report. We got all of our trees and bushes planted. I can't believe how much time and work the yard takes. My back and body have felt so tired. It rained all day yesterday so that was good timing.

During dinner on Wednesday night Hewitt said, "My tongue kind of hurts. Do you think maybe I need to eat some cookies?" I thought it was funny at the time, and that he was just trying to get out of eating dinner. I'm feeling some Mommy Guilt now because when he got home from school on Friday afternoon he was really complaining of his tongue and mouth hurting and felt a little warm. I took him to the doctor right away thinking that he might have strep. Well, he doesn't have strep, but the doctor showed me that his mouth and throat have canker sores all over them! She told me it was a virus and to keep him home all weekend. He is finally eating again today.

I haven't left the house at all this weekend. We reorganized and cleaned out our play room on Saturday and it looks 100x better. I woke up on Saturday not feeling very well myself, so I guess it worked out that we were staying home anyway. I signed up to do the "Pat Tillman Run" with a friend this coming Saturday so I'm a little stressed about getting my sinus issues under control so I can get running this week...

Here are some funny things Tosh has said lately:

• "I am packed." (full)


• "If we could be in the same class when Liv's a big girl and I'm a big boy that would rock. That would rock if we could be in a class together."


• When Hewitt came down for breakfast this morning, he announced that he was feeling better. With great enthusiasm Tosh replied, "Oh I am so happy! We can share this cereal box. I'll look at the front and you can look at the back. Did you want to know how many grams it has?"
  
  Made me laugh.

Liv is 23 months old today! She is certainly getting ready to turn two. Just this week she has been putting food in her hair (applesauce, cereal, yogurt). I'm hoping this phase will end soon. She has mastered the words mine, me, and no (often said, nnnnnn-o!) It is actually pretty funny because if she sees me making something that she wants she will say, "Me me me me" in a cute little voice like she thinks we will forget about her. As if! :) OK, so I just took a couple of photos to document 23 months. (And yes, she was already in jammies by 5pm tonight; Rob's been at meetings all day.)

We got an e-mail from Rob's folks telling us that his mom's retina has become detached from her eye and that they would be returning from Armenia immediately for surgery. They weren't due to leave their mission until June, so it was a bit of a shock to everyone. We are praying that the surgery will go well and that her vision will return! We are certainly glad that they are home safe and are excited to see them soon (we hope).

Rob will be in CA for work the next few days... I really hope I am feeling more energetic and motivated by tomorrow. Here's to a good week!

baby

While we were cleaning up after dinner tonight, we looked over to find Liv doing this:

I had a baby doll just like this when I was Liv's age that I absolutely adored (I eventually wore through several of them). I just loved seeing Liv care for her baby tonight. I don't think I'm alone in observing that most people enjoy seeing themselves in their children. At least when it's our good qualities :)

My brother wrote me an e-mail this week to tell me that he ran into an old friend of mine. He wrote the following:

"I told her that you were now in Phoenix and that you had 3 boys and "finally" got your girl. A girl who has all the personality and fire as her Mom... They laughed."

This statement from my brother was somewhat funny to me. I guess I don't think of myself as having much "fire," but I'll take it as a compliment. For Liv too :).

I caught Liv using a baby spoon to drink out of our toilet earlier this week (!). For the record, she must get this from Rob because his older sister tells me that she caught Rob doing this when he was little (only he used the little porcelain cups that cover the toilet's anchor bolts as a cup).

Simply precious.

summer (or april, rather) is here!

The kids headed back to school on Tuesday. I seem to be much more productive with the kids in school and back in our routine. Even though things heated up by the end of the week (high 90's and up to 100 in phx) we spent lots of time outside in the mornings, enjoying the weather before it REALLY heats up here. I can't believe I'm actually enjoying that it is light by 6:30am. It really helps me get up and get going.

I invited a friend over for lunch on Wednesday which was a long time coming. Interesting story: When my next-door-neighbor in Riverton learned where we were moving to, she put me in touch with her friend Lindsey. Lindsey and I became friends on facebook and she has been a great resource for me here. I go to her pediatrician and our kids are actually at the same school this year. I then discovered from reading her blog, that her younger sister Hillary is married to Rob's cousin Trevor. Small world? Yes. Anyway, Lindsey is awesome and even brought over ingredients to make me delicious panini for lunch. Our kids played well together and it was really fun to visit with her. We got the kids to hold still for about 2 seconds so I could take a photo: Are you guessing that Lindsey's little girl is the same age as Tosh? Yes, well would you believe that these two girls are only THREE MONTHS apart in age?

We got such a kick out of the height difference! Of course Lindsey is almost a foot taller than me (6 foot 2, and her hubby is 6 foot 5).

I had grand plans to get all sorts of cleaning and organizing done during Liv's nap on Friday, but ended up having a little "April Fools" fun with Tosh. I have seen this idea several times and finally got around to making them...

We were almost successful at faking out Hewitt and Burke. When Burke asked what was for dinner I told him that we were having leftover spaghetti (we had it on Thursday) and he was groaning about it when he finally looked over and then said, "OK, I want spaghetti AND mashed potatoes AND peas and carrots." Tosh helped me with the entire project including mixing the cupcakes, counting down with the timer, unwrapping candy, etc.

Rob and I were both involved with a Relief Society program on Thursday evening. It ended up being nice, but I'm always glad to have those sort of things behind me. They gave each woman an apron and Liv loved wearing it around and didn't want to take it off:

(She is starting to squint her eyes on purpose for photos.) Our orange blossoms smell wonderful. Makes me wish we had more than one orange tree. Speaking of trees, we bought about 20 trees/bushes for our backyard and spent much of Friday and Saturday digging holes (Rob) and adding heads to our drip line (me). It was fun to figure out how to add and change lines. We still have a lot of prep work to do, but are hoping to get everything planted in the next couple of days. Our painter actually got us a discount through a nursery, delivered our trees to us, and is having his crew help us plant (he is the nicest guy). The paint crew will be also start prepping to paint our pool area this week.

Liv and me taking a break from working to cool our arms off in the pool (still a bit too cool to get all the way in):

I was really thrilled by the announcement yesterday of a new temple to be built in my hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado. I was so shocked and surprised when President Monson announced this that I yelled out, "What!!!" so loudly that I missed hearing wherever the third temple is going. :) I can't wait to be able to visit it in a few years.

I made "Pumpkin Pie" waffles today. I then of course had to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (with whole wheat and applesauce) since I had more pumpkin to use up. They would be awesome with whipped cream, but I didn't have that so we just used a little bit of powdered sugar. Yummy!

Happy April!

time flies (no joke)

Remember this photo?

Cute Tosh.

I can't believe that Liv has reached this same age already!