Swedish Pancakes and other stuff

One of the many great things about the new home is the kitchen has much more counter space and has an actual area for the kitchen table. Neither of which we had at our previous house. I am not great at cooking and have never exactly enjoyed it but now that I have a more user friendly kitchen I am excited to make it more of a priority to have a few home made family sit down meals during the week. I am going to be realistic, I know I can't do it every night. But I thought maybe I would try doing it at least three times a week. Thats doable right?

On Conference weekend I made Swedish pancakes Saturday morning for breakfast. It was wonderful to have our house smelling of home made food (especially that particular home made food :) Swedish pancakes are a tradition in the Monson family and are absolutely delicious. I made them again Sunday morning because we enjoyed it so much the morning before.

YUM!

So our house is so rad, it has all these little nooks and crannies. I feel like every week I find something new. We knew there was a little storage area beneath the stairs like there is in most homes but little did we know there was a really large fort under there! I had no clue how deep it went, it has a light switch in there and an outlet for a TV and everything. Here you see uncle Chris reading to Conner in there. I know Conner will love having this as his special place as he gets older.

I was trying to give a better look at how big it is but the door is in the way.

Here is another one of those "surprises" we found in our house. There is a room in the basement made to be a toy room and there was this huge cork board on the wall, but it pulls down into a huge desk. We realized the desk opened so we opened it and found this old school match box car race track in it. Jp and Corey get wild about that kind of stuff so they messed with it for a minute and got it working. Conner was in heaven (just as Corey and Jp were!)
Corey's mom Sylvia has been asking for some pictures of the inside of our house. As I said above I haven't had time to take any but I just took this one of our kitchen. I'll try to get more when I remember!

Kunz Family Vacation

I have avoided this post because it takes soooo long to upload pictures when you have a ton. But here we go!
We had a family trip at Priest Lake at the end of the Summer with Corey's family. Here are the pictures at last.

There's nothing better than starting the day off with a water balloon launcher!

Conner luuurvs his uncle Cody.
But he is mostly Papa Kunz boy!

Conner and Nana Sylvia
Conner's first time tubing, of course he loved it.
Together at last, Conner and Kennady.
Um ya so of course Conner couldn't wait to get a hold of Cody's guitar.

The Pro, and the Protege

My baby cakes
Kay so I hate to brag, okay I don't, my husband is the best wake boarder ever. I love watching him.
Corey found this little secret pond on our hike and I'm not embellishing when I say he was ten seconds from jumping in. He spent like 20 minutes analyzing if it was deep enough and then finally Papa Kunz said he better not since he has a wife and child to take care of (you know, like if he died that might be bad...) So ya it didn't happen.

Conner fell and all he wanted was his Papa Kunz

I love this picture, it is just so funny to me. Poor Cody. He looks so sad that he can't get to the other side with his brothers. :)

Isn't this a pretty picture?

Don't mind me, just shootin' stuff.

I think Corey was surprised that I actually braved it and got in the water. But I love tubing and these were the last days of Summer so I found it within myself to get cold for a sec. It was a blast.

Yours truly
Tube wars, Corey vs. Chris.
Ready?
Just my little man doing what he does best.


Would it surprise you if I said I was feeling total bliss at this moment?

Dooood check out Melissa's gnarly bruises from extreme tubing!

Fun times family! Loves ya!

Baylee and Jungle Jims

Conner's bestest friend Baylee came over to see Conner's new house and new room when he was having such a hard time in the new house. What would we do without Baylee and her mom Jilly? They have been the very most special friends to us and we are so sad to have moved out of the ward where we were with them, but we still see them each week to play. It really helped him to have them come over to see his new house so he could realize not all that much had changed, just a new and funner house!

It was Baylee's 3rd birthday the next day and they celebrated at Jungle Jim's playland. I had not been there since I was in 6th grade, it was really fun and the kids had a great time.

Look at where I found my son...I was so embarassed because there were employees right around us, I was about to get mad at him until it hit me how funny it actually was. This kid is so amazing, if he wants something he will surely find a way to get it. I am so glad I took a picture instead of getting mad at him!
So dude, this ride is like NO BUENO. I was even scared, it was wayyyy too fast and jerky. We went around once and then after one kid almost died I said we'd go ahead and get off aswell.

This was Conner's FAVORITE. "Moab Jeeps" as he calls them. He was in heaven.

Thanks Baylee and Jilly for being our best buddies! It was a great party! Love you!

Offended? Moi?

After Corey got home from Priesthood Saturday night he said that my Grandpa said some great things, one of which struck my attention.
Apparently he said that people ought to be slower to be offended when you know that the person had no intention of offending.
This was interesting to me because I admit I do tend to get offended easily.
Have you ever heard this line, "I'm not trying to be rude but..."
I have heard this line hundreds of times, and I have said it hundreds of times.
This has to be one of the most ingenuine phrases in the human language. I guarantee every time your sentence starts with "I'm not trying to be rude but..." the words that follow are likely intended to offend in one way or the other (even if you choose not to acknowledge it, its probably true).

I was born sensitive. Just ask my parents. It was apparent to them very early on and they sometimes remind me of seeing this in me as a child.
This personality trait is a wonderful gift because it allows me to feel what others are feeling and to empathize with them. It helps me to serve others and be a good friend.
BUT...It can also be a burdensome trait as well because it causes me to get offended easily and to take things too seriously, getting my feelings hurt. I have heard the words, "you are too sensitive" maybe... um...a million times?
I work on it, I really do. But it is still a something I battle with.

It seems that people often like to criticize others because it makes them feel better about themselves and forget about their own insecurities for a brief (very brief) moment. When we insult someone it makes us feel/look superior, but the thing is, it also makes us rude. And lets face it, no one likes a rude person.
I mean, seriously, do you want no one to like you?
Because if you are rude, there is a gooood chance not a whole lot of people like you. Sorry!

Truthfully we are all guilty of criticizing someone else in order to make ourselves feel better. Some people just do it much more than others.
I am acquainted with people who seem to enjoy getting under people's skin, making them feel bad, making them question their worth. People who I would describe as "rude."
I have my husband to thank for helping me to realize who my true friends are. He has taught me (and continues to try to teach me) the kind of people who are worth my time and energy. He has said to me on more than one occasion, "Why the heck are you letting this person hurt your feelings they are such a loser for being rude to you, don't be friends with rude people."
Can't argue with that one can I!

There have been times when I have said something 100% not intending to offend, later to find out I hurt someones feelings.
This brings up another point. There are also people out there who are just LOOKING to be offended. No one really likes to be around this kind of person either because you really can't win with this kind of person, you are always going to be feeling bad because you "offended them."

Now hold you horses before you start saying, "I'm not rude, that person is just too easily offended."

Nice try, but there is a biiiiigggg difference. You might say that to yourself to squelch your guilt but everyone knows there is a difference.

What I am trying to get at is I don't want to be either kind of person.

I don't want to be the one who offends, nor do I want to be the easily offended.
Both of which I am ashamed to admit I have been guilty of at one time or another.

So, goal: Be slower to take offense, and really think before I speak so that I am only saying things I mean, and say it in the way in which I intend the person to receive it.

For those of you interested, below is the excerpt from his talk that I am referring to.

There are times when we can become upset at imagined hurts or perceived injustices. President Heber J. Grant, seventh President of the Church, told of a time as a young adult when he did some work for a man who then sent him a check for five hundred dollars with a letter apologizing for not being able to pay him more. Then President Grant did some work for another man—work which he said was ten times more difficult, involving ten times more labor and a great deal more time. This second man sent him a check for a hundred and fifty dollars. Young Heber felt he had been treated most unfairly. He was at first insulted and then incensed.

He recounted the experience to an older friend, who asked, “Did that man intend to insult you?”

President Grant replied, “No. He told my friends he had rewarded me handsomely.”

To this the older friend replied, “A man’s a fool who takes an insult that isn’t intended.”

Swiss Days 2009

The move got me way behind. So I'm catching up on September events.

This year for Swiss Days we brought our dear friends GQ (aka Brittny and Chris) with us. We had tons of fun and mostly devoured scones.

Here we are with our deliciousness. Isn't my friend Brittny so freaking gorgeous, I look like a total ugles standing next to her. (To Brittny: I am not saying this to make you feel good.)

Just me and the man.

Tough love update

Well I am happy (elated, grateful, humbled, joyous) to report that Conner has been doing much better sleeping the past few days. It's difficult to pin point the cause for the turn around because we have been trying so many things to help, but it really doesn't matter what the reason is now does it! All I can do is be grateful because three days with no sleep makes for an unhappy little boy and a VERY UNHAPPY MOMMY.
All I know is that he is doing better, not quite up to where he had been but he is at least sleeping through the night (just a shorter night...) and napping. All of this without crying or climbing out of the crib as of the last three nights.

HOORRRAAAYYYY

I am going to keep you updated on this, and I am going to continue to post a "Tough Love" installment every once in a while because my dealings with "Tough Love" are far from over.

I am now immersed in the "terrible twos" and am struggling every day to figure out how to handle it.

You will be hearing more from me on this one soon!

Day two of tough love...advice invited

Well, Monday was my first night attempting to get Conner to sleep in his own bed all night. As I wrote yesterday it went horrifically (see previous post). Then yesterday he had a total melt down when I tried to put him down for his nap (which in the past was easy as a wink and lasted at least 2.5 hours.) So after ten minutes of crying he seemed to have fallen asleep, only to wake up crying after a twenty minute nap.
I had higher hopes for last nights bed time, we gave him some Benadryl and let him wear himself out and gave him tons to eat before bed so he wasn't hungry at all...and what do you think happened...
HE CRIED ALL NIGHT LONG.
I couldn't believe it. I just feel like I can't win, this is just too much. He never got out of his crib but just bawled all night.
I am now torn between giving in and letting him sleep with us till he gets more comfortable here, or just sticking to my guns now that I have started.
I was awake in my bed all night hearing him BAWLING, "I want my Mommy, I want my Mommy."
How would you feel if this were happening to you? Ya, pretty crappy right?
I just kept going back and fourth in my brain "if you go get him all the effort you made last night will have been a waste."
So I didn't go in. And he cried almost all night. Finally he must have been so worn out he gave up because I eventually fell asleep and when I woke up this morning he was still sleeping.
As I am writing this I just tried to put him down for his nap for today and guess what, yep, total freak out. He screamed the minute I laid him down. He stood up and reached for me and I hurried and left and closed the door. Then of course came the THUMP, and pounding on the door screaming.
So I went back up there and put him back in his bed and tried to force him to lay down. I kept asking him over and over, "What is wrong?" and he just kept saying "I want you, I want you."
What do I do? I tell him that I'm just in the next room but he doesn't care.
I can't believe this. I am at a complete loss as to what to do.
If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

week 1

Well...it has officially been a week since we moved into our new house.
Conner hasn't been doing so hot. Its hard to know what is to blame, 2 year molars, getting over a cold, the move, the terrible twos...
most likely all of the above.
We were in Spokane for a week and while there we were in between Corey's parents house and a cabin, and then back to our house for a couple days, and then at my mom's for a week, and now here at the new home.
So, within all those different places Conner slept poorly and he got in our bed occasionally. This week in the new house we put him to bed in his bed and then every night at like 4 a.m. he would wake up crying out for us and we have been so exhausted we have put him our bed. We aren't fans of our children sleeping with us (not that its bad we just don't like it) but we were trying to be understanding of Conner's confusion as to where he was etc. and wanted to help him not be nervous of his new surroundings.
Anyway...it has been a week and none of us have been sleeping well. He would very rarely wake up in the night at our old house and so now waking up to get him out of bed and then having him rolling around on us in our bed really isn't working.
He appears to be afraid to sleep in his bed. He is doing this for naps as well as night time sleep. He always took fantastic naps at our other house. I have made his room exactly like it was at the other house, I just don't know what else to do.
So...I made an executive decision yesterday and decided no more. He has been here a week and can sleep in his own bed.
I would perhaps have made this decision earlier but I have feared that if I let him cry it out he would climb out of his crib. He is getting big and I knew he was very capable of climbing out.
Well I prepared myself as well as I could and I hoped and prayed he would sleep through the night last night. But, of course he didn't. About 4 a.m. he woke up and I just let him cry for about ten minutes and finally as the wailing got worse I went in and attempted to talk to him (ya right) and I sat down in the rocking chair with him and told him he was a big boy and could sleep in his own bed etc etc etc. He kept saying over and over, "I want my mommy, I want my mommy." I answered by saying "I am in that room right next to you sleeping in my bed and you can sleep right here in your bed." So then of course he says, "I need my Daddy, I need my Daddy." I said "Daddy is asleep." This conversation went on for ten minutes and finally I put him back in bed. He FREAKED. But I closed the door. Low and behold THUMP.
He has never climbed out of his crib before until we moved here. But I knew he would do it so I went back in and attempted to put him back into bed. I talked to him again and said over and over that he is a big boy and can sleep in his own bed.
This scenario happened about five times. THUMP, and then banging on the door and then me putting him back in bed. I finally decided to tell him over and over that the minute the sun comes into his window I will come and get him.
Finally after this torturous hour he gave in out of exhaustion and went to sleep. I went back to my bed and tried to go back to sleep with tears building in my eyes.
I had done it, it had been so hard for me.
Anyways I am assuming this might happen for a couple of nights but I would imagine he will stop waking pretty soon. I hope...? Which would mean more sleep for all three of us.
Note to self: You will thank me later.

New Home!

I have been MIA and terribly eager to get back to blogging. But...I have a good excuse. We have moved! We didn't really announce it was happening because with the real estate market the way it is right now we practically didn't even know if we were moving until the day we moved!
I want to attempt to make this post positive, because things have turned out well!
But... I cannot lie, this has been one of the most trying times of my life. I put it up there with the Top Five hard things I have ever gone through.

1. You have to sell your house, it has to be clean all the time...and then there is the waiting.
2. You have to get the person buying your home to qualify for their financing, not easy to do right now.
3. You have to get your own financing for the home you want to buy.
4. You have to hope that the person who's home you are buying can get THEIR financing for their new home.

-basically what I am trying to say is DON'T EVER BUY A HOUSE. No just kidding, but I am actually sorta serious. It has been so hard.


BUT, we made it.
There were so many obstacles along the way, not to mention some disappointments.
-Dave Matthews cancelled the concert, total devastation right there, we were so looking forward to a break from all the chaos.
-I lost my wedding ring (later to be found in a mysterious place a month later, and after we had already gotten started the process of getting a new one since we had insurance on it.)
-We had to close on the new home THREE TIMES in one day due to a broken printer, then too light of copies, and then an error. Because of being called back into the title company three times in a day we missed our deadline and had to wait several extra days to move in, costing me to live in the same pair of underwear for five days because we couldn't find anything in our Uhaul (I did wash the underwear every day don't worry) not to mention having to pay for the Uhaul for all the extra days.
-Conner is teething again...big surprise. Two year molars this time, I believe after these are in we are done with the teething thing. Man teething seems to haunt my life.
-and so on and so on, I could go on for an hour...
BUT...Like I said. WE MADE IT. WE DID IT. "We did it for ourselves!" as John Mayer says before one of his songs in his live concert album. I know that these trials will have made us stronger and we will appreciate what we have more because it has been hard. The things of most worth in life are always the hardest to achieve/receive. Don't you find that to be true in your life? We sure do.

Anyways for those of you who know Salt Lake, we have moved to Southwood, in Murray, about a mile or two away from where we were living. It's in a fabulous neighborhood across from Wheeler Farm.
The home is a lot like our previous one ironically enough. Just larger, in a better neighborhood, and with a garage...oh a garage...what joy that sentence brings to me.
We are hoping with some TLC this house will be even more amazing in time. But its pretty dang nice as it is!


I need to say a huge thank you to all of you who have been there for me during this rough time and all of you who prayed for us and all of you who helped us move our things.
I can't express how much it has meant to us to have your help.
Now I am just trying to get things unpacked...man what a task. But its kinda fun at the same time. Altho not easy with a toddler.
I'm so mad because none of the doors in the house have round door knobs so I can't put those child proof handle covers on them...I might have to remedy that. But getting all new door knobs sounds really overwhelming. We shall see.



Well...the moment we have all been waiting for...





Old house

New house