Patience is a virtue!

Lately my kids have been struggling with listening, being nice, and being violent. Hahah it's actually funny at times how our day goes... I try all day to not get mad, or angry, or well I try my hardest not to just throw in the towel and let my kids do whatever the heck they want. Both kids are professionals at stepping on my feet..... I don't know how they step on my feet under the table... but they do! Or how I can be facing the stove and SMASH right on my foot. Or how I can be sitting on the couch and Smash on my foot again!! I don't get it... But I think they think it's funny. Me??? not so much!

I don't know how many more times I can tell Cash to stop pulling Belle's hair out, I guess until he doesn't pull handfuls out... 

So with the hitting, the sassing, LYING (Belle), the yelling, the tongue sticking outing, the saying "nooo" in my face, we have resorted to charts!!! Anytime they do anything mean they get an X through a piece of candy and if they get all 10 X's they get to go to bed instead of Trick or Treating on Halloween... If they do great and don't get all 10 X's and get a star for the day they are on their way to Candyville! And Belle is really into lying so she gets 5 chances a day and if she gets all smiley faces crossed out she misses out on a friend pj party for her birthday. And just do something simple instead.

We have struggled so far today.... Hahaha Hints the picture of Belle's hair! No one told me how hard it is to help your children not kill each other!

Paige Rae is 4 months....

I love your smile

I love your soft seriously velvet skin

I love how precious you are

I love the way you look at me

I love that you are all princess

I love how we call you Truffles

I love the little sounds you make when I hold you close

I love how completely sweet you are

I love how loud you are

I love how you are so chill

I love how you can melt any heart

I love how you can make anyone smile

I love you laugh, you make me so happy even when I am SOOO mad!

I love how you light up the room

I love that you are part of our family and we ALL love you so very much!

Paige I can't believe I have lived this long without you... You are such a blessing and complete happiness. I love you so much.

Love,
Mom

Tuesday night... October 16th I don't think I will every forget as long as I live... So the last 2 weeks of course my kids had the flu/cough... whatever it is and finally again are doing fine. But this time around I ended up catching what they had. So Monday and Tuesday I was dragging trying to take care of my 3 kids... that consisted of me getting up, getting them food, clothes, books, crayons, whatever they needed and laying back down. Feeding Paige... and laying back down... waiting till finally Monkey could come home to help me. Anyways Tuesday for some reason as I was laying there my hip hurt way more than the usual. I couldn't lay on it or anything... it was so weird. It was kind of worrying me but I decided not to worry about it and tried to get my kids to sleep. I finally got everyone to bed and fell asleep without my husband who was gone for most the night. I suddenly woke up around  1 am....

My lower left side of my stomach was killing. Like pain I have never felt before only in child birth. I tried so hard to be quiet so I wouldn't wake up Monkey. No matter what positioned I laid in it got worse and worse- to the point I almost started screaming out loud. I held it in and woke Monkey up because something was not right. I asked him what side my appendix was on... he said the right and then out of no where the pain went out of control... It knocked the air right out of me. I hardly could breathe. I couldn't lay down or stay up or anything. It was so crazy. I asked Monkey for a blessing. He frantically looked for his oil and blessed me that I would be healed and whatever this was would be gone. Then I just covered my mouth to not make noise so I wouldn't wake the kids up and I started to get soooo light headed. I was about to faint. Monkey said I turned sheet white. I went into the bathroom and started throwing up. Monkey called the doctor and she said go to the ER immediately....

Me and my stubborn self said no because that meant waking a neighbor in the middle of the night. So I sat there for an hour and I don't even know what happened. The hour passed and it got so worse. So Monkey couldn't take it anymore and called my amazing neighbor who rushed over to stay with the kids. I was already in the car, don't ask how I made it there. I don't remember if I got shoes. Monkey grabbed Paige and we went straight to the ER. I could barely walk in there... they were asking all sorts of questions and I could barely answer. I just laid there dizzy and out of it. Trying not to make a seen I just stared at the ceiling telling myself over it was going to be ok. The nurse got my IV in and told me to go give a urine sample. I got myself in the restroom and....

I felt much better.... I looked at the sample and I had a rock lookin thing in there. A STICKIN KIDNEY STONE!!! Hahaha no way! I came out and said..."UMMMMM is this a kidney stone!???!" The nurse and doctor came and their eyes popped out and said, "Holy yes that is!" I looked at it and said, "I AM THE BIGGEST WIMP!" and I just laughed... then I said, "You mean to tell me that that little thing made that much pain... hahaha I am a Wimp!!!!" The doctor and nurse laughed and then the doctor said, "these are the most painful things besides child birth... believe me I have had ten of them and I have seen grown police officers come in here screaming and rolling everywhere in pain!!!!!" I felt a little better after he told me the police officer thing....

So they took me back to my room and for the first time that night I saw the complete worried out of his mind look on Monkey's face. He was terrified that I was going to die. I told him what happened and how I felt so much better. Fright turned to peace. I still felt so sick... It was probably because I still had the flu/cough... But I didn't feel right yet... so come to find out... I was also dehydrated very badly! So they pumped 4 pop cans worth of water in me and boy did I feel better. The nurse told me to give him a high five.... So I did and then he told me, "In all my life I have never seen someone pass a kidney stone that quickly, it's a miracle!" I immediately looked at Monkey and mouthed, "Your blessing!" I know Heavenly Father was with me and healed me so quickly that night. Instead of days of waiting I only did 1am-4:30am.

I got home and was so grateful to see my neighbor who was so willing to help me! I can not thank her enough. I can not thank my husband enough for having faith in the Lord enough to heal me through him, and for missing clinic and classes to watch the kids the next day so I could sleep. I can not thank my Heavenly Father enough for being with me and answering our prayers! I am so hoping I never have a kidney stone again.... no thank you. I thought of my Dad and my sister Natalie who I know have had one and I feel so bad for them and anyone that has to pass one of those monsters!! and mine was only 2mm.... Wimp I know! But grateful to have it gone. Now I just have to work on getting myself Hydrated and better from the flu or whatever I have, I feel much better today though!!! Right in time for Halloween and parties!!! Yay! Oh and Monkey told me this morning, "Man I was so scared... You seriously looked liked that girl from The Ring, it was awful. How pale you were made you look like you had no life in you!!!!"

Hahaha thanks babe!... Happy Halloween!!!

Yes Paige is about as big as Belle!!!

Yes they will be dressed like twins a lot!!

Yes they can never just smile in a pic!!! They are always laughing!

 And yes sick kids or not... I just love all them!!! 

General Conference

 This last weekend was General Conference. I have to say General Conference weekend is one of my absolute favorites. I am re-energized, refocused, refreshed, and ready to do so much better after I hear the Prophet speak and all our leaders. Conference makes me really remember what is important and reminds me of who I really am. Conference makes me want to take on any challenge and then make my faith grow even more strong. Conference has a way of making my weakness that I have plenty of and make them all want to be strengths. Conference makes me so proud to be apart of The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.   Watching my children run into the room and get overly excited as they see the face of our Prophet Thomas S. Monson and giggle that, "That's really him Mom... there is President Monson!!!" makes my heart burn with gratitude. I can't express in words how I feel knowing my children already want to listen to the Prophet. They already love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Belle said this weekend, "Mom I just want Jesus. I want to be with him." I understood how she feels. I can't wait for the day that we will see our Savior again.

This incredible weekend was spent with at my in-laws house. Talk about excitement... my kids love the Mullins home! They also were so excited to see their baby chicks. We drove to The Dalles and Cash asked about 100rd times if we were there yet. We pulled up and seeing my kids run to their grandparents is one of my favorite sites in the whole world. How lucky and blessed my little family is to have the Mullins! Of course the first thing they wanted to do was go see their chicks....

Which were not chicks anymore... they were big ole chickens and Belle couldn't believe her eyes when she saw how they grew. The kids got to help Grandma collect their eggs and Belle ended up naming all 7 chickens.. BellaHawkie (Belle's), Birdie (Cash's), Mermaid (Paige's), Emmy (Mine), Bonk (Monkey's), Roof Top (Grandpa's), and Bucket Beautiful (Grandma's)!!!! Belle seriously has the most hilarious imagination!

 Left to right... Birdie, Mermaid, Emmy, and BellaHawkie!!

 The rest of the first day was watching Conference, eating sandwiches, playing with Grandpa and Grandma, and Belle getting sick. She ended up coughing and not feeling good again which really worries me. But I know she will be okay.

 As the boys went to Priesthood session that evening I got the chance to spend some time with Chloris. Which I love to do. I love to talk to her and just be around her. We ended up making homemade dairy free doughnuts. Cash was a huge helper- my goodness does he love to cook. We put on Rhett's cooking apron and chefs hat... it made me miss Rhett so bad! He has been on his mission almost a year. I can't believe it! I felt bad for Belle she just laid on the couch and went to bed early, but she did get to cuddle with Grandma and read some stories.

Sundays conference Great Grandma Mary got to come and the kids seemed to be fascinated with her. They kept bring her gifts like marbles and pictures and Mary would say in the sweetest voice, "Oh thank you Honey!" Mary was in love with Paige. She kept telling us that she was such a healthy looking baby! I agree... little Paige is quite the healthy, large, beautiful, sweet, baby! I have a problem... I want to just kiss her all day long! Paige doesn't help my problem because she smiles and laughs every time I kiss her ultra soft cheeks and sometimes cries when I stop! So I don't think I will be breaking that habit anytime soon!

After conference Belle felt good enough and she wanted to see her BellaHawkie again. So Grandpa took them out and let them feed the chickens grain. Then I sat in the backyard and watched my kids play with Riley- their most favorite dog on earth... They threw sticks with her over and over and we enjoyed the Mullins beautiful backyard. Heaven!

Every time we go to The Dalles it is always hard to leave. The kids would live their forever if I let them... and I don't blame them.