The Runia Family

Baby Makson

2011-11-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, we did have the baby! (almost 6 weeks ago) He was born Sept. 24th at 5:00 A.M weighing 7 lbs 2 oz.

Makson was # 5 and final child to enter the Runia family for real this time! :)

Makson was also the only child delivered naturally with a midwife and no pain meds. No, I did not go crazy and yes it was a conscious decision. About 2 months before my due date, I looked into a place in St. George called the Birth Sweet. It is an old pioneer home only 4 blocks from the hospital that has been turned into a birthing center. I talked to one of the midwives there, Liz Smith, and couldn't help but feel drawn to trying it all natural. I went to tour the Birth Sweet and met with Liz. She is a certified midwife with tons of birth experience (over 1200) and was highly recommended. Plus, she really put me at ease and made me believe that I was strong enough to do it natural. I really felt at peace with it, and even though I was TERRIFIED of the pain that surely awaited me, I made the decision to just do it!

So of course, 2 weeks before my due date in the middle of the night, contractions started. By the time we called the midwife and Tyler's aunt Linda to babysit, the contractions were coming strong. I got to the Birth Sweet at 3:45. Makson was born 1 hour and 15 min. later. It was a good and bad thing that he came so fast. Good in that I might have demanded an epidural if it had gone on any longer, and bad because when labor goes that fast, you have no time to prepare physically and emotionally. It was definitely painful, but so worth it! Not only did we save at least $5,000 but I got to give birth to the sound of a rooster crowing instead of monitors beeping. I got to go home after less than 4 hours after birth and sleep in my own comfy bed with no nurses waking me up or blood pressure cuff constantly going off. And I got to experience something really amazing. I got to know what birth feels like, and what it was like for the pioneer women...holy moly they were tough chicks!! I got to feel so close to death while bringing in a new life. (no I was NOT close to death, but sure felt like it and sorta wanted to be there at the end!) :)

It was an experience I will never forget nor regret.

Now, life with 5 children is a whole other story.......lets just say the house, my hair, and our schedule is a MESS, we don't do much of anything including grocery shopping, the Wendy's down the street has been benefiting from our lack of groceries, and sometimes I do daydream about the "good old days" when we only had 2 or 3 kids.....But all in all we are extremely happy and Makson has been a delight!

2011-06-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on the last few months----a few highlights would be; Lizzie's big dance recital. She was so cute and danced very well! I was so proud of her! I think we're doomed to a life of dance with her. :) I was lucky enough to be a stage helper. I didn't realize how rowdy 12 little 4-5 year old girls could be!! It was a challenge, but worth it to be able to really see Lizzie perform up close from side stage.

What else, we were internet-less for a few weeks, and it was actually a little nice. The only things that were hard for me were paying bills and checking bank accounts and all that. It's amazing how much more work I got done not having internet! :)

We also spent a week in Phoenix with Tyler's parents. It was wonderful! Despite the long 7.5 hour drive, the trip went so well! Tyler was my hero and let me drive the entire way home so I wouldn't have to bend and twist in the back. (big belly makes it hard and I was driving him nuts with my grunting and groaning on the drive there)

Mother's day was sweet. Tyler hid the kids in Mckenna's room and made these posters. Then he took pictures and framed them. So I woke up to the cutest display! I was completely spoiled for the entire day, too, even though I had been up all night with stomach issues.

Oh, I got to go ALL BY MYSELF to visit my brother Tyler in Cali!!! It was heavenly!! We went to San diego and sea world (I've never been) and went to the Huntington library/museum/gardens. It was AMAZING! I would recommend it to any of you traveling to so. cal.

Lizzie graduated from preschool...whew! :) Her teacher, miss Shayla will be missed! So will the 2.5 hours twice a week of just me and Mckenna! :)

I think that's about it. Hopefully I can keep up better with all our happenings....I wish I was better about taking pictures, too. I guess it would help if I would remember to bring the camera once in a while! :)

Much needed thank yous......

2011-04-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to update on Tyson. After we had a round of the stomach flu, he admitted that his stomach felt different when he is actually sick, and that all the other stomach aches were just anxiety. Poor kid has been worried so much about getting sick, that he won't eat. So we are doing our best to reassure him he will not get sick every time he eats. He tells us now when he's worried, and that he knows that he's really not sick. It's a relief, but we are still hoping he will find that eating isn't so bad! :)

Now that that's cleared up, we have to express our thanks to the many people who helped us with the move. We honestly, especially me, could not have done it without the angels that stepped in and worked. We have the best family, from my parents who took the 3 older kids for 2 days, to my sister and her family who drove down from Cedar City to help, and to the surprise of 4 awesome cousins who showed up and completely cleared out the big stuff in a matter of minutes! Wow! And we have the best friends who took time out of their busy holiday weekend to come help clean, etc. I seriously was in tears when I came back to the house after Mckenna's nap to find that our wonderful neighbor had not only brought some boxes, but packed the remainder of my kitchen stuff and then scrubbed the stove spotless. The feeling of dread I had realizing I still had to go back and finish the cleaning was lightened when I pulled up to the house and found a dear friend waiting for me who then scrubbed both bathtubs and cleaned out bathroom drawers. It was truly amazing!

After feeling at ease about the move, I was then getting stressed about how I was going to find the energy to go grocery shopping to have food for Easter weekend, and another prayer was answered. Our close friends we've had since we lived in Tucson after cleaning my kitchen invited us to dinner on Easter Sunday which was DELICIOUS since we had been eating burgers and fries for about a week. After the feast we were given groceries from their food storage which got us through the next day so I didn't have to do any shopping until Tuesday! Seriously, it was so sweet!!

Then when we thought we had been blessed enough, Tyler's saint of an aunt and uncle brought us dinner. We are so excited to live a little closer to them now!

We are settling in nicely to our cozy little townhome. I am finding it easier to keep clean and the new carpet makes me want to vacuum...I know, it's a miracle! :)

So thanks for all the help, support, and answers to prayers!

A desperate plea for help!!!

2011-03-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

My Tyson is the sweetest boy. He is always thinking of others and how they are feeling. He still loves hugs and kisses from his mom even though he's 8 1/2. Here's where I am desperately searching for help with him

He is a picky eater. Always has been. Since he was a baby, we went through probably 6 different kind of formulas (breastfeeding was not working) before we found one he wouldn't scream about. He was a very chunky baby and toddler. He's very tall, but his growth is definately slowing. He's SO skinny!!! His ribs and hip bones really poke out. his wrists and arms are like pvc pipe. He's got sunken eyes and doesn't have a lot of stamina. The 3 minute run at school just about kills him. He really doesn't like to eat much---cereal, milk, nutella, fruit and some veggies are about it. No meats, eggs, beans, or anything with protein.

On top of this, he gets stomach aches A LOT!! When this happens, he goes for long periods of time without eating anything. He says he feels like he's going to throw up and has to lay in bed for a few hours. It usually happens in the evenings. I have taken him to 2 different doctors and he did make a trip to the E.R. when his stomach was really hurting him. All the doctors say is he will grow out of the pickiness and the stomach aches are probably just his own nerves/personality. Okay, seriously? Is it really normal for a kid to be that stressed and nervous that he makes himself sick and won't eat?

Anyway, I am at my wits' end, and need some real advice. I've been told maybe he's allergic to gluten, but he doesn't get diarrhea or anything, just stomach pain and nausea. He really does get tired easily, and isn't very active. For an 8 year old boy, that is NOT normal!!

Please help if you can or if you have any ideas on what else could be going on in his skeleton of a body!

Downsizing house, upsizing family, are we nuts?!!!

2011-03-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Yup, we are going to move from our nice 4 bedroom house into a small 3 bedroom townhome. Yup, we know we are going to be adding another family member. So are we crazy? NO! We are finally realizing that the things we really really want are only going to be attainable if we drastically change our lifestyle. We have no insurance to help pay for this baby, and therefore we are needing to save up and pre-pay so we can get the huge discounts from the hospital and doctor. We also are obsessed with buying THE house. The house we will SETTLE in. The house our kids will bring their kids to visit us and tell them how awesome their childhood was in this house. The house that will keep my gypsy personality in check. So, we are willing to sacrifice space, a yard, a garage, etc. for a short time so we can make our dreams a reality.

Wish us luck and moving boxes would be nice! :)

And if anyone wants an awesome 4 bedroom house in the best neighborhood and landlords in St. George for only 1250/month let me know!

Failure is not an option

2011-03-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

I have had to do some major soul searching about the kind of mom I want to be. I have been feeling like a complete failure in many ways. I know/hope that many moms feel this way now and then. Motherhood I know is the most important job I will ever have, and it's not something I can quit or search for other employment just because I am disgruntled. There is no way to fire an employee (or child) who is not performing their duties. There is no vacation time, sick days, lunch break, or closing time. I am on the job 24/7 and it is up to me to keep the business from failing. No pressure! ;) So, I am wanting some advice or maybe some comic relief about motherhood. Spanking? Grounding? Taking toys away? Time outs? What works? The biggest issues in my household are homework and taking care of personal property (not destroying, vandalizing, misplacing, and/or leaving for Mckenna to chew up) Any ideas or tried and true plans of attack?

Now that employee #5 is on his/her way it is vital that things get more organized, peaceful, and in general livable! :) Hopefully I can get this business of raising kids in ship shape condition!

Princess Lizzie and her royal silliness turned 5!!!

2011-02-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

I LOVED Lizzie's birthday! Girls are so adorable all dressed up and giggling! I had so much fun with them, I lost track of time and ended up having to hurry the present opening and crown stapling as the parents waited patiently.

I still can't believe my little Lulu is 5!!!! She will be starting kindergarten this year!! Time really does go by fast when you get old! :)

Carson's 7th birthday

2011-02-15T12:43:00.001-08:00

Carson's 7th birthday turned out awesome! He had lots of friends come despite the short 1 day notice I gave them. It was a crazy house, but Carson was in birthday heaven!

Okay, there are no mario party supplies anywhere in St. George, so I ordered online....the only problem is they did not arrive until the day AFTER Carson's birthday, so I had to improvise. The cake took a lot of imagination, patience, and the entire morning to complete, but it was worth Carson's huge smile!

One birthday down, 2 more to go in the next few weeks!!

By the way, I have a bunch of Mario party stuff if anyone wants them!

Expecting to be busy!! 5 kids?!

2011-02-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

Yes it's true, I am pregnant again! I laugh at myself because I have a cute little line on my blog about being "completely complete" because we thought we were done having kids after Mckenna was born. But alas, we did not quite feel complete, and we turned our thoughts to becoming pregnant, and that's all it took! :)

So it is still very true that I have the most fertile fertility in creation. I am grateful for such a blessing, but after number 5 joins our family, I AM DONE! If I make it through the next 8 months, life will get crazy but we can do it!

Truth be told that we are VERY excited for a new addition and we know things will work out. We just happened to drop insurance this year due to the cost doubling, but I've talked to the doctor, hospital, anesthesiologist, and ultrasound tech and we will be paying less than if we would have stayed on insurance. HA take that Obama!!

By the way, aren't these the most beautiful flowers? Tyler brought them home for me the day we found out about the baby...he's so sweet!

Primped in Primm!!!

2011-02-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

YESSS!! I got to go to Primm on a girl's only trip with my good friend, Ramona! We've been once before about 4 or so years ago, and it was so much fun that we vowed to make it an annual thing. Well one year turned into 4, but better 4 years then never!

We stayed in the "nicer" hotel this time and it turned out to be not so nice. The toilet first of all would NOT flush!! We called the desk multiple times, waiting around for someone to come fix it. So about 5 hours later, a guy finally came with a plunger. We had told the lady at least 4 times that it was NOT clogged, but that it would not flush. No water was filling up in the tank at all. (Yes, brave Mona lifted it to check) And his diagnosis was only "emergency" and then left the room. So by this time it was about 10:30 at night, and we were pretty much at the end of our rope. I made yet another call to the desk to request a new room. After some convincing, she finally moved us.

Anyway, the rest of the trip was AWESOME!!! We did lots and lots of shopping---Charlotte Russe is my new favorite store. We ate meals when WE wanted to where WE wanted to. (no Mcdonalds, Pizza, or Wendy's) We even spent time in the spa getting pampered! I adore facials now! I hope we get to do it again sooner than 4 years from now....

The pictures are a little random but I was way to busy to take lots! :) Yes, I did take a picture of Mona taking a picture of our WORKING toilet!!

It's about time I updated this blog!!

2011-01-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

Obviously I have not posted in forever since there is still halloween wallpaper....halloween was great this year. So was Thanksgiving. And it was the best Christmas as an adult so far! We had an awesome time with the Schwendiman's on New Year's Eve. Now that it's a new year, I have made some promises to myself. First, I am completely of soda! Yes, I was addicted to anything diet in a cola flavor. It has been an entire week and I have not had one sip! Yeah! Now the other promise I made has been harder to keep. I am going to get healthy and fit. (I hate to say I'm going to lose weight cuz that's what a million people say for New years) I am not going to focus on the scale (hard to do since I got a new one that actually works for Christmas) but instead I'm going to focus on how I feel.

This stems from lots of things that have happened this last year. I was sick A LOT. I have felt sick to my stomach almost every night. I had gestational diabetes which puts me at risk for type 2 diabetes. And my knee that I have always had issues with has finally quit on me. I even went to an orthopeadic doctor and he diagnosed me with patellofemoral malalignment or something like that. It basically means my knee caps are not in right since birth, so any strain (like an extra 25 lbs) and exersize causes them to freeze and I can't walk for a few weeks. Luckily, I don't need surgery, but the doctor put it nicely that I need to exersize my leg muscles. (it was pretty embarassing seeing all the layers of fat on the x-ray.)

So there you have it. A new year full of eating right, exersizing, and staying positive. Wish me luck!

Life and Death

2010-10-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

This year has been a doozy! There have been multiple incidences that have made me reflect about this life and how fragile it is, and on the other hand, how beautiful and miraculous it is. First off, my brother in law was diagnosed with Leukemia just a few days after Christmas. A friend of my brother's passed away suddenly in January, and also my oldest brother was blessed with a child whom they have been trying to adopt for years.

My family got very sick with everything, and I even got a really bad case of he stomach flu when I was 8 months pregnant, and thought I was going to die. :) Then Mckenna was born, which always proves to me that life is miraculous! Then shortly after, Tyler was hospitalized with heart complications. Luckily it is nothing to worry about, but it sure made me realize how my life would be over if his ended. My grandpa has had ups and downs, but for the most part is bed ridden and it's only a matter of time for him.

A couple of months ago a friend from Tyler's work lost her nephew at a family reunion. He had jumped into the deep end and in a split second was gone. Then just yesterday, I read a friend of mine's blog whose toddler jumped into their spa and she found him floating, unresponsive. She gave him CPR, and through prayers of many people, he survived.

Now, back to my brother in law. He has been battling the disease full force now all year. He was given a bone marrow transplant, which is basically the only cure. That was a few months ago. His body is very weak from all the chemo treatments. He throws up almost every day. He looks like a 14 year old bald anorexic. And now, we just found out the transplant didn't work. He is now looking ahead to more chemo, and who knows what else. All we know is doctors are giving him a 10% chance of survival.

So, with all these events, I can't help to feel that something is preparing me for one big event. One that will shake me to the core. One that if I hadn't been thinking so much about life and death, I might not come out of. I don't know when, how, who. But I feel like something will happen, and I will be ready. I know that our lives and the lives of our families are only borrowed to us for a little while on this earth. Heavenly father blesses us with special people in our lives, but he decides when he needs his children back with him. We really don't have much say in the matter. But he will not take someone we love without giving us peace. We only need to ask and he will bring it. If we are willing to accept that every life belongs to him, we can then focus on making our relationships better. I want to treasure every moment I have with each of my kids, because I know they are special spirits, and I know Heavenly Father must miss them, and could take them back at any time. I know that because we are sealed together here on Earth, we will be together for eternity. If someone I love leaves me in this life, I know it's only for a short time.

So here's to hoping I'm wrong, but preparing for the worst. I will do my best to treasure each special person in my life and forget about miniscule worries and distractions. I will stop being so negative about things that don't really matter. Life is to have joy, and joy cannot be found if we are always looking at what we don't have, who said something that offended us, how big my waistline has become, how messy the house is, etc. I will live life without wishing it were different!

what happens when you let two little boys take pictures....

2010-09-28T20:23:00.001-07:00

So the boys, especially Carson, are obsessed lately with taking pictures. here's a few of their works of art......that would be a hand blocking the camara from seeing the mess that soapy hand did to the mirror.

Did he do a good job, or is he cooked to perfection?

Yup, that'd be Carson on the crapper. It wouldn't be a boy's photo shoot without including a little bathroom humor....

I find this truly moving. There is some subtle deep meaning to it....

As if Tyson's front teeth aren't bucked enough! :)

1/2 year birthday!

2010-09-28T20:17:00.001-07:00

Ah! My little baby girl is a whole half year old!!! She really is such a joy in our family. She keeps me sane! We are so lucky to have her in our lives!

Don't ya just want to pick her up!

Peak-a-boo

Lizzie's 1st day of preschool

2010-08-27T09:21:00.001-07:00

Isn't she such a big girl...sniff sniff. I can't believe she's old enough to go off and leave me for 2 and a half hours! Okay that's really quite nice. But still, when did she grow up?! I was lucky to find an inexpensive preschool that does dance, too. She's really been hounding me about that!

What to make for dinner....

2010-08-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Anyone else tired of this daily battle? In my dream world, I would have someone cook for me so I wouldn't have to decide. Oh, and someone to clean it up after. Throw in a stylist, personal trainer, and make-up artist and that's it. Okay and a beach house and a cabin and a boat and my own jet with a pilot ready to fly me wherever I want to go at any given time.......dream on!

ANYWAY, if anyone has any great easy recipes without seafood or mushrooms please share! I'm desperate!

back 2 school and stuff

2010-08-12T10:34:00.001-07:00

Silly boys!

Mckenna's 1st time on a swing...loved it!

2010-08-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

I would like to take a moment to express my complete and utter joy at the fact that school has started! Oh the bliss of a peaceful house. Oh what rapture fills my heart in the glory of an entire 7 hours completely empty of little boys.......hahahaha

Carson is majorly excited to be a 1st grader! He seriously woke up 2 hours early to get ready for school and kept asking how many minutes! How many minutes?! How MANY MINUTES?!!! Yes, I will miss him, but I won't miss the constant test of my sad math skills!

I got butterflies in my stomach at the sight of the bus.....

Lizzie refuses to miss a chance to get a photo of her wearing a skirt!

I was embarassing Tyson, so he wouldn't do his adorable nerdy smile....He's such a handsome little fella!

Vegas baby!

2010-07-27T08:33:00.001-07:00

We decided on a whim to go no a minnie-trip to Vegas! It was a blast! We stayed in the "castle" (kids were in heaven) This is actually where Tyler and I spent our honeymoon and hadn't been back to this hotel since.....it was a little different this time around! :)

You cannot go to vegas and not walk the strip and see the Bellagio water fountains, right? So we did it! We were tired and sweating like pigs, but we made it! The kids were such troopers!

This was at the children's discovery museum in Vegas...AWESOME! It's like a kid's paradise! Lizzie loved to be a cashier in the grocery store.

I was in charge of the girls and since I had the camara, I didn't get many pics of the boys. They were too busy to pose anyway.

Lizzie in a bubble! So cool! This is where Carson spent most of his time. There were so many neat things the kids could experiment with! We will definately go back!

I HAVE AN 8 YEAR OLD!!!!!

2010-07-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

I never thought this little boy would be 8 years old!! I vividly remember when he was a newborn and thinking to myself..."I wonder what he will look like when he's 8" and so on thinking it wouldn't happen for a long long time. And now here he is. He is growing up, and there's no way of stopping that! He will always be my sweet little boy though, so there! :)

blah

2010-06-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's official, I'm a grown-up. And I'm not very good at it. My life is kids, cleaning, and cooking which encompasses a LOT of different jobs. This maturity sucks! I have been having a bad day/week/month and what used to make everything better didn't work this time.....getting outside and seeing the beauty of our world. It has always worked for me before. This time I thought we'd go check out Snow Canyon, since I haven't ever really been there. Yes, it's pretty, blah blah cliffs, blah sand, blah blah blah. It just didn't do it for me! Instead I was sitting on a bench feeding Mckenna and feeling even worse about life. What is wrong with me? Is it knowing now that I can't just escape this life I've gotten sucked into?

Anyway, I guess the moments I live for are when Mckenna smiles at me or when the kids say something purely and innocently hilarious! When all the kids are asleep, house is quiet and I get to relax and watch a funny show with Tyler. So I might as well say goodbye to the old hippie inside me and embrace adulthood!

summer time....

2010-06-04T13:26:00.001-07:00

This is how the boys have been spending their summer vacation.

This is how the girls do it!

I cannot believe she is 10 weeks!! This is one of my favorite outfits....I had to squeeze her into it! She is smiling (without the gas) and cooing lots now! All Lizzie and I do is stare at her and make her smile and dress her up pretty. What a life!

Carson graduated!

2010-06-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

Again it's a little late. I have to post things as time allows, and lately I haven't had much free time....

Here is Carson with his teacher Mrs. Vance. He LOVED her! He cried all day on the last day of school because he was going to miss her. She was wonderful! I hope he loves his 1st grade teacher this much!

Soccer champ

2010-05-25T10:12:00.001-07:00

Tyson's team (the Boa's) were undefeated! (although we're not supposed to keep score or anything) Honestly, soccer was a bit of a battle. Tyson wanted to play, but gets frustrated so easily! He had many melt-downs and really showed us his dramatic skills. He did really well the last game, and we are very proud of him!

Tyson had a hard time paying attention while being goalie, but here's a good moment where he's really into it.

Don't know why it's black and white, but he sure looks good!

Blessing day

2010-05-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just had to backtrack a bit. She was blessed on May 2nd. It was beautiful! I'm so thankful to have Mckenna, and all the other kids, and especially to have a husband who lives his life as a worthy priesthood holder. There is something so magnificent about watching a daddy bless his baby. I am totally going to break down when Tyson is baptized in July!

This was the same dress lizzie wore from her Grandma Talbot. She looked like an angel!

New van = road trip!

2010-05-18T14:35:00.001-07:00

Yup, we traded our old dodge caravan in for "Apollo 8" (our new dark blue grand caravan). Since our family expanded, we needed a slightly bigger and more reliable vehicle to lug them all in. The new van was just too clean, so we decided to celebrate by going to Bryce Canyon. Tyler has never been, and it's only about a 2-3 hour drive. It is so BEAUTIFUL there! We had so much fun! This waterfall took our breath away and yes that is Carson about to jump in....no Carson, it's not a waterslide!!!

The trail to the waterfall was gorgeous. The kids kept stopping and wanting a picture taken. I loved all the old logs/trees/roots all over the place!

"Stay away from the cliff" was uttered constanly here. Yes Mckenna is in that stroller...don't worry we pointed it away from the edge.. :)

There is such a sacred feeling in the canyon. It really is amazing!

I cannot figure out how to rotate this, darnit! New camara. Anyway we had a wonderful time aside from the occasional melt down and the new van did great!

Anyone who has nursed a baby, please help!!!!

2010-05-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Mckenna is now almost 6 weeks old. I have been told that soreness should completely go away by 6 weeks. I am STILL in TONS of PAIN everytime she latches!!! I have been going back and forth on quitting altogether, and just bottle feed. I have been using nipple sheilds, tried latching her without them and got even MORE sore. What should I do??? I really want to nurse, but the pain is making me crazy! And it makes me dread each feeding which is not good for the whole bonding loving nurturing thing. HELP!!!

Oh, and lactation consultants really don't help! The one I went to was able to latch her on correctly after about 2 hours of trying! I have 4 kids, and don't have that kind of time. They all tell me nursing shouldn't be painful, and I'm doing it wrong. Well, I did not choose the anatomy of my nipples, and no matter what I try, they get sore! I air dry after each feeding, I don't wash them with soap, I am on my 2nd tube of lansinoh---anyone have any good advice on how to make me numb?

Also, I do have a good pump (thanks to my awesome sister in law Becki) and use it when I get scabbed and cracked, but even it is painful, and it takes me 30 min. to pump 2 bottles. So, I have started using formula. She has maybe 3 bottles of formula a day. So this also worries me that I will completely dry up. Arg, why can't such a healthy and natural thing just work for me?!

To tell the truth...funny lizzie

2010-04-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of the sisters.

Okay, on with the funny thing....Lizzie has had a hard time with lying lately. She lies all the time! We don't know how to help her to be honest. A couple days ago, she was lying about who made a particular mess, and I told her that Jesus knows when you lie, and when you lie bad things start to happen to you.

So, a few minutes later, she was lying AGAIN about something, and in the process tripped over a teddy bear and hurt herself. Through her sobbing, she says "mom, Jesus must have put that teddy bear there, huh" It was so cute and innocent and of course HILARIOUS! I think she learned her lesson though. I haven't heard another fib from her since.

Mckenna Kay Runia

2010-04-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a doll! I have to say, she is the littlest and most perfect baby I've had! She has a perfectly round and SMALL head. Her skin is gorgeous with only minor peeling. She's just so perfect! Okay, enough bragging about her, she is very fussy and spits up A LOT!!! She keeps me and Tyler up all night, and does this grunt everytime someone touches her (especially Lizzie) So, she's not perfect, but sure is a beauty!

Oh, and thank you Alecia for spending 2 hours with her (in a 90 degree room) to get the perfect shots! You're amazing!

Our complete family

2010-04-03T17:25:00.001-07:00

Yup, this is it! 4 kids. That's it. Unless some kind of crazy miraculous thing happens, we are done having kids! I mean, how perfect can things be? 2 boys, 2 girls. Who would want to mess with that? And, I was able to escape any trama during labor. No scary near death experiences, not even c-section. I feel so very blessed! 4 beautiful healthy kids is all I could ever ask for! My uterus is retired! My stretch marks can rebound (ya right) my vericose veins can be surgically removed, my diabetes is gone (yay sugar!), and I can move on with life and focus on the kids! We are and forever will be a family of 6!

Oh yeah! big belly big belly big belly....

2010-03-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

My good friend Melanie took these pics of me for a baby gift. I really didn't get any belly shots when I was pregnant with the first 3, and since this is my last, I wanted to have some. Why? Anytime I feel like maybe I could have another, etc. I can look at these pictures and remember how miserable it is to be pregnant, and how puffy it makes me! :) All kidding aside, I'm so glad I swallowed my embarrasment of getting pictures of me, and did it for posterity!

It turns out she might have taken these in the nick of time....I went in to see the doctor yesterday. I had missed the last 2 weeks due to kids being sick, and me sick, so this was my first visit in 3 weeks. The baby sounded great, I am 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced already, and it turns out my feelings of not being big enough are right on....my fluid level is very low, and my uterus is measuring at 33 weeks, not at 37 which I am now. He did a little ultrasound to see what's going on, and noticed the fluid is extremely low. So I get to go in for a 3rd ultrasound on monday to verify the fluid level, and if it is indeed too low, I'll be induced! Exciting! I just hope the baby is not suffocating or anything in there! The doctor said it looks like enough to at least make it through the weekend, but that he wouldn't be surprised if I end up giving birth before Monday....yay!! I can't wait to meet him or her! I can't wait to be a complete family! I can't wait to eat sugar again! :)

In like a freakin' LION!

2010-03-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

So, March has been one of those months so far that just makes you wonder......could things get any harder? I know, they could, but seriously? We have been battling the stomach flu with ALL three kids since last tuesday (this would be round 2 of the vomit bug). During that time, Tyler was sent to the E.R. for his heart. Turns out he has an irregular heartbeat which we still don't know what it is and what needs to be done about it. He'll be going to see a cardiologist on the 29th to get some answers.

Well, just when we thought things were getting better, I got the stomach flu, too! Of all the miserable days of this pregnancy, let's throw in 24 hours of vomiting along with contractions due to the vomiting!!! Anyway, I'm better today, and have been once again, for the billionth time this month, santizing the house with bleach and lysol. I have just had it with this cold and flu season! It's been a doozy for us!

So here's to March going out like a lamb with hopefully the birth of a healthy baby with no complications. I am so excited to meet her/him!! And have I mentioned lately just how wonderful Tyler is? I have been sick so many times this year, and he has lovingly stepped up to the plate! He took yesterday off so I could recover, and took the kids to jumping jacks again, took care of lunch and dinner, kept the house clean, bought me some ginger ale, and is just plain amazing!

4 year old liz

2010-03-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

February is a busy month for birthdays! Lizzie had fun, even without a party, too! She wanted a purple cake this year, not pink surprisingly!

After church, we had her cake. Nobody wanted to wait even to get dressed.

This actually wasn't on her birthday, but I thought this was so cute! This is her friend Ella. Doing what girlie girls do best!

She really wanted a puppy for her birthday "but not a real puppy, because I don't like dogs" She is terrified of any kind of dog...except the pink poodle at the park!

This is what she got from her Nana and Boompa. We let her wear it to the theater to watch the Princess and the Frog. She turned lots of heads, and got lots of "oh, how cute" It was a fun day for little Lizzie!

Carson's birthday

2010-02-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Carson!

I wish we had this at home! :)

Lizzie sitting pretty

Notice the red face, he had such a blast!

Carson got to bring a friend, Hank (aka the Hankster) with him to Jumping Jacks. They are such crazy little boys!

Carson had a really fun birthday this year (despite the fact that he really wanted a party, and I just did not have the energy or time to do one this year) He got to go to soccer, then to in-n-out and on to jumping jacks. After that, he got to go pick out a big gift at Target, then ate at Panda Express (his favortie) Very busy day for a very happy Carson! The sad thing was that I was really sick that day, so my wonderful and just plain awesome husband did ALL this on his own!! What a man!

VERY-GROSS (AKA vericose) veins....

2010-02-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I had to share this agony with everyone so that you all know I'm not a whiner, but dog gonnit, these things HURT! It's hard to see them all that well in the photo, and just imagine that this is ONLY the end of the veins and that they are swollen to the point that my skin is paper thin.....OUCH! Sexy leg, eh? :) (no, that's not hair, that is the vericose vein....jeez you really thought I would post a picture of a hairy leg?) :)

As you can see, this pregnancy has been by far the hardest, most painful one! Thank goodness this is the LAST time I will be doing this!!! Between these dandy beautiful things that cause me daily excruciating pain, not sleeping at night, and oh yea, the gestational diabetes, I'm SO done with being pregnant!!!

With all that out, I can also say it has been wonderful being pregnant! It is such a miraculous thing to be a part of, and I am SO excited to meet this new little Runia baby! Every time I have to prop my leg up on the bathtub to relieve enough pain to brush my teeth, I feel a little kick and it's all worth it!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-11T15:29:00.001-08:00

I was terrible and didn't take ANY pictures this Christmas!! I am blaming this on the fact that our camara has about had it. All the pictures turn out dark and blurry. So, I stole this from my sis-in-law's blog because she is WAY better at taking pictures, and remembers to do it! So thanks, Alecia! Yes, this was a Christmas present from my brother Tyler (Christmas and birthdays combined) He's the sweetest! Anyway, it's the Beatles Rock band game, and we had so much fun playing!! You can't tell how much fun I'm having because of the serious expression, but it was fun! Especially when my mom did the singing....I wanna hold your hand...it was so funny!

To catch up, the kids had a great Christmas! Carson woke up to presents Christmas morning, and said, "Wow, look Mom, Santa brought me presents anyway!" (he didn't think he'd been good this year)

The day after Christmas, however, my sister's hubby Joey had to go to the hospital with "severe pink eye" and a "cold" and ended up being diagnosed with Acute Myelocytic Leukemia. We were all, and are still in shock about it! He started his first round of Chemo just over a week ago up in SLC at Huntsman's. He is doing well so far, but will most likely need a bone marrow transplant soon. My sister, Gina has been like a rock through it all! She has managed to still be a wife by his side, be a mom to their 2 kids, come back from sleeping at the hospital for 2 weeks or so to start working right away, and somehow is holding herself together, too! She is such a strong and amazing person! We have all been praying for Joey to make a full recovery.....that's all Lizzie prays about...."bless uncle Joey to feel better, and that Carson won't fight with me anymore amen" That's it.

So here's to the new year of fighting cancer, having a baby, and staying sane!

Joy to the Blimp!

2009-11-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

I really have been neglecting this blog, but there really hasn't been much excitement since Halloween. We did have a great thanksgiving! We then hiked through the forest to get the perfect christmas tree....after a few hours and some minor injuries, we decided to settle for the next somewhat decent tree. So here is"the blimp" that we finally cut. Hey, at least our house smells like christmas! I was so sick of using those pathetic fake trees that smell like our garage! So, the sad mass that it is, we love our tree!

HALLoWEeN!

2009-10-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have been completely neglecting our blog!! Life has been pretty busy with school, sicknesses (lots and lots) and making these costumes.....yes I did say MAKING these costumes!! I did it all by myself! Okay, they turned out good, but don't look too closely. They are Nightmare Before Christmas costumes. Carson is Jack the Pumpkin King, Lizzie is Sally, and Tyson is a random vampire. Don't they look scary cute! :)

Look Mom, I cut my hair all by myself!

2009-09-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

This is what I get for letting her cut paper all by herself!! Carson decided to help out too, and in minutes, her hair was gone!!! I told her we would have to go to the salon to have them fix it.....she thought they were going to make it long again. Instead they did this----

She looks like a little grown-up!! The back looks so good, but it was hard enough getting this picture from her! At least her hair will be easier to comb now!

Family of 6?!

2009-08-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true, I am PREGNANT! This will be our 4th and last child. We WERE trying for this one, so we are very excited! (the first three were little surprises) It only took 2 months of no birth control, so it's official, I am a baby making machine!!! It's and blessing.....and a curse!

On one hand, I have felt very lucky and blessed for the ease of conception. We are very aware just how lucky we are!

On the other hand, we have not experienced the feelings of wanting a baby and doing all it takes to get one, and being prepared and ready for it all! It's a much different feeling now that this one was planned! We have insurance, a steady income, a big enough home to fit the little angel, and the peace of mind to bring another child into our lives.

The first three were welcomed and loved, but the constant strain of how we would be able to make it was huge! Tyler was still in school, living on student loans and a small part-time income. Having a baby is stressful all on its own, without having to work out the details of -ya know- how will we feed and clothe the baby, along with ourselves and the other children! How grateful I am to not worry about those little details, and focus on the important things---like raising a child in this crazy world!!

Wow that was quite a ramble! We are also just glad that this time when sharing our great news, it was recieved without the usual tone. No mocking about our rabit-like fertility! No remarks on our methods of birth control-or lack thereof. No reactions like "Oh NO! What will you do?!" Just happy wishes this time! That makes a big difference, too!

So, bring on the morning sickness, swelling, and vericose veins, cause we're READY!!

Carson the Kindergartener!

2009-08-15T14:42:00.001-07:00

Carson is growing up! He was SO brave on his first day of school. He's in the P.M. class, so we spent the morning shopping for school supplies, and getting his first REAL haircut at the salon! He sat very still and was such a trooper. Then, he did awesome at school and just amazed me at his maturity! I swear kids grow up overnight sometimes!

On the first day of first grade.......

2009-08-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Tyson LOVED his new class---and school lunch! He wouldn't stop talking about all the things he did on his first day, and how his new teacher did the chicken dance for class! I'm so happy he didn't burn out from going ALL DAY! We'll see how he does later on, but so far so good!

"forks" high school (kalamah, washington)

2009-08-12T10:53:00.001-07:00

I saved the best part of our trip for last...:)! For those of you who are not Twilight fans (I pity you) this is the high school where they filmed a lot of the movie. It was really fun to see it, and I sort of made a fool of myself taking tons of pictures, but well worth it! Doesn't Tyler look like Edward standing by the side stairs where he always parked. (yes, I've seen the movie TOO many times!)

Horseshoe Lake, Washington

2009-08-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

This was our first official day in Washington with the Bergs! It was SO sunny and warm! (very unusual for the Northwest) After taking 2 days of traveling with 16 total hours in the LITTLE civic, we were ready for this beautiful day at the lake! Oregon and Washington are just gorgeous! I would love to live there again someday......sigh.......we are doing too well in St. George to move. Darn. :)

Oaks Park (a.k.a. Free Willy park)

2009-08-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is the amusement park from the Free Willy movie in Portland. We had so much fun here with Justin, Haley, Jenna, and Morgan. What a cute family, huh! The kids got to ride so many fun rides, and Lizzie screamed her head off on the roller coaster with me! I haven't laughed so hard in years! It was especially nice, because it was a kids only day, so adults were free, and kids were only $6, cheap fun!

Multnomah Falls

2009-08-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

On our way home..:( we stopped here to admire the beauty of a real waterfall! This is the place Tyler took me on our 3rd date, I think....how could you not fall in love here, right? :) Tyson was mad that we didn't hike to the old bridge, but footwear and time did not allow for that kind of excursion!

Cannon Beach.....ah....

2009-08-11T09:09:00.001-07:00

This is the beach where Tyler proposed, so of course, it's one of our favorite places on earth! It was quite a blustery day, but we still had fun and the kids got lots of sand time!

Portland in the Morning

2009-08-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we headed down to Salem to visit Tyler's good friend Andrew and his family. Then we drove to Beaverton where my brother Matt and his wife Wendy live to visit for the last half of our trip. Thursday morning, we rode the "MAX" train into portland....such a beautiful city, and fun train ride!

My baby is 7!

2009-07-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Tyson had an awesome birthday! He got to have a few friends over to swim, play with water balloons, and eat lots of cake! What a silly bunch of boys!

So, they're all shirtless because I had to drag them away from the water balloons to come in and have cake!

Tyson and Durban- bestest friends (most of the time) and Carson blowing a balloon, again!

Lizzie doing her best puppy dog look after being told she couldn't open Tyson's presents! She's good at it!

Happy birthday, my silly little Tys!

LOTS and LOTS of Camping!

2009-07-27T06:51:00.001-07:00

Men and their fires! This was our 2nd camping trip back in May at Pine Valley with our good friends the Schwendimans. And of course, I forgot our camara, so these were given to me by Mona-thanks! I did not get pictures from our LeBaron Lake campout we had just this weekend---arg! It's my favorite place to camp!! My family would go there every summer for our big reunion, and I have always loved it! So many wonderful memories from that place!
Anyway, this was such a fun trip, too!

Tyson in the fort we found by the lake eating cheetos, of course! How could life get any better?!

Us girls enjoying the warmth of the fire. Lizzie has fun camping, but it takes her a while to get used to all the dirt and bugs. Please remember I am camping---therefore no make-up plus little sleep equals looking like an old hag!

Tyler tried to save some sodas that were thrown into the stream, but this one had a hole in it. Waste not, right? Something about the mountains and dirt that seems to bring out the kids in us! ;)

lazy days of summer

2009-07-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is VERY unusual for Carson! He had a busy day of swimming and getting hurt (notice the band-aid) and just zonked out! It was a very peaceful afternoon! :)

Good Advice :)

2009-07-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Just in case some might not know or have forgotten, this is exactly how Tyler is now blind in one eye! This was a warning label for Tyson's little baking soday rocket and we just laughed SO hard! Ah, the brain of a 13 year old boy!

Kids say the darndest things!

2009-06-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Tyler was out of town a couple weeks ago (see last post) and the kids were really confused about where he was. They asked if he was at work, and I told them no, he didn't work today, he's in Phoenix with his Daddy. All of a sudden, Carson started bawling his eyes out! I thought he had been bit by a scorpion or something, he was crying so loud! He finally stopped wailing long enough to say, "so, does this mean we don't have any money?" I didn't know where that came from and said,"money for what?" He said, "I don't know, like for toys and food and stuff!" He was SO upset, and I realized we recently had a conversation about how Dad goes to work every day to earn money for food and toys.....Carson thought since Daddy didn't go to work that day, we would have no money to buy toys and food! I had one of those mean mommy moments and just laughed at his sadness. He was just fine when I explained that he would go back to work on Monday and earn more money. At least he knows about earning your keep, right!

Sleepless in St. George.....

2009-06-22T13:09:00.001-07:00

Tyler has been in Phoenix all weekend visiting his dad for father's day and his birthday......I miss him! I have always hated being away from him for more than 8 hours (how long he works). Yes, I have had the bed to myself, and have not had to cook anything fancy--the kids don't care what I make as long as it contains lots of sugar--but I get so paranoid knowing he's not here to protect us! At night when the kids are all sleeping, I hear EVERY single little noise, and think, oh crap, it's a burglar, we're dead! I know it's ridiculous, but I can't help it! I was tempted to go sleep in Lizzie's bed, but I braved it out both nights! He gets home today HURRAY! We are going to celebrate father's day when he gets back. I would be so pathetic as a single mom! Kudos to all you out there that have to tough out each night alone!

Karate kid Carson

2009-06-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Carson earned his yellow belt on Friday! He was so proud! And sad, since it was his last day of Karate!

I wished I could have gotten better pictures of the award ceremony. He got to hit a gong thing and everything!

Hiya!

Good form!

Carson performing the "Star Block"

2009-06-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Pretty cute, huh! He's no chuck norris, but he sure can shout!

Zipadee doo da, graduation!

2009-05-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many songs the kids performed at their little graduation program, and this is the one I was referring to as" Tyson getting a little carried away". What a little Tyler he is!

Hurray for Tyson!

2009-05-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Tyson made it through Kindergarten! He is very excited about 1st grade, and even learned some sign language....so proud of my first born!

They sang a lot of cute songs which Tyson performed very well.....he got a little carried away in a few, but he definately had fun!

3 turds in a bed...

2009-05-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

This is the result of letting them "stay up late" watching a movie in Lizzie's room! Ah, they are so precious when they are sleeping! The funniest thing about it is only 20 min. earlier they were telling us they were not tired, and wanted to stay up all night!

Weekend adventures

2009-04-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

We went to red cliffs again this time to go hike to the little waterfalls since it wasn't freezing. The water was still ice cold, but the kids had fun wading in anyway!

Lizzie doing her "cheeeeeezy" smile. I hope to someday get a genuine grin on camara!

As you can see the boys were in heaven.

We also went to Grafton the "ghost town." It was funny how literal the kids took it!

Tyler's trying to scare the kids in the window like a ghost! hehehe

Camping at Red Cliffs

2009-04-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, we camped on Conference weekend and had so much fun! We FROZE at night, but the days were nice.

Grandpa came to hike with us to the Indian ruins. What a nice Grandpa and Grandsons moment.

Tyson loves camping, especially all the junk food we get to eat!

Lizzie complained a lot about being cold, but still had a great time getting REALLY dirty.

We found lots of neat look-out places. Nice view of the road, huh!

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

The boys doing what boys do best! We had fun at Warner Valley climbing around and riding 4-wheelers.

Lizzie loves being outside and messy chips!

Carson was so excited for Easter this year! He begged me for a week to color eggs, and finally, he got his wish.

Pretty pathetic picture of them in their cute coordinated Easter Sunday clothes, but we have 9:00 church, so this was as good as we could get!

Little Climbers

2009-04-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

Tyson was doing a little victory dance after climbing this wall at the park. These pics were taken from the phone, so they're a little fuzzy.

He was scared at first, but after conquering it, he climbed it again and again!

This was as far as Carson would go....at least he tried it!

Venting time...

2009-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I have made clear how grateful and positive a person I can be, I had to throw a few negatives in to balance out! Here are a few things that drive me completely INSANE!

1. When a "friend" invites me to a "party" which is really just a saying "hey, I need some more make-up, will you come and spend a ridiculous amount of money on something that you really don't need to help me accomplish my career goals!" ARG! You know what I'm talking about, we all get those cute little cards telling us how much fun it will be and that yummy treats will be served, and we end up being one of three that shows up, so we feel we NEED to buy something as not to offend the host, and when the item comes, it ends up collecting dust underneath the bathroom sink. For the love of Pete, stop this insanity!! The people that actually do well in these "careers" have no real friends because of all the sales pitches, and everyone else ends up losing money on stuff they can get at Wal-mart for half the price! The only people that are making real money are the owners of the company! I'm sorry if I am offending some out there that are firm believers in these well rehearsed schemes, but I have had enough! If I need something, I will go find it and buy it! I hate being told what I need!!

2. Feeling guilty for not going to the above referenced events!

3. Endless dishes.

4. Endless laundry

5. Cleaning the kids rooms only to come back 5 min. later to find chocolate milk spilled all over it!

I could go on, but I do like to stay positive. There, that feels better.

6 things that make me happy...

2009-03-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Rules: Link to the person who tagged you.Write down six things that make you happy.Tag six other people and let them know you did it.Post Rules Let the tagger know when you are done.

1. My Husband, Tyler. I really don't think he realizes how great he is, and how perfect we are together. He was my "knight in shining armor" when I was going through the worst time in my life. If he hadn't come when he did, it's just scary to think where or who I would be today. He completes me :)

2. My kids laughter. Evertime I start to feel depressed or worried about things, I hear one of them laugh---a real laugh---I just melt! I feel so at awe everytime I think of the little miracles they are! I always wonder how life would be without them...we'd have more money, more time together, less noise, less mess, I could go on and on....but when they are all sleeping in their beds, quiet and innocent, I just can't help but be forever grateful for them!

3. Going places. I love going someplace that I've never been. It always gives me a new outlook on life. It will always be an ambition of mine to travel the world with Tyler.

4. Camping. I have always been the "nature girl" since I was little. I just love being outside living the simple life for a few days or sometimes weeks! I love getting dirty--real dirt from the ground. It makes me feel more alive.

5. Astronomy. NOT astrology. I love looking at the stars, learning about planets and all the wonders of the universe! I have passed this on to my boys! I would love to live on the top of a mountain with my own observatory and just watch the sky. I know, I'm a nerd!

6. Friends and family. I love talking with friends for hours about everything! I have always wanted to be a counselor, and love to hear other people's life stories and how they have overcome all the crap that goes with life! It helps me deal with things, and makes me grateful for what I have or what I haven't had to deal with! I also love being with my family and just being silly! They always bring out the silliness in me. Hubba hubba puppa puppa! :) You know what it means, poe!

I tag Tyler, Melanie, Mona, Alecia, Emili, and Haley.

Lizzie's 3rd birthday

2009-02-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

After Carson's masculine birthday, it was fun to have a pink party for Lizzie! She had a few friends over to put on make-up, do some cupcake decorating, make princess crowns, and play some princess golf. There was nothing masculine about it! She had so much fun, and is officially a spoiled little diva! :)

Carson's 5th Birthday

2009-02-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

Carson had a blast today, as you can tell by his ear-to-ear smile! He had a party with a few friends, and beat the crap out of a pinata! He was so excited for his birthday, he woke up at 4:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep! Thanks to all the friends that came, and especially to Alecia for helping me!

2009-02-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

Alecia did this for us last night when she babysat for us. It's so cute, thanks Alecia!

2009-02-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

I decided that I complain too much, and therefore am going to start listing things that I am grateful for. We all need a little positiveness these days, right?

1. I feel so blessed in so many ways. I have a loving husband who day after day goes to work to provide for me and the kids. He keeps me sane in this hectic life. He puts up with me and the kids, and just makes me laugh all the time.

2. I am so grateful that I have had this blessing of fertility. I know so many who have struggled to have babies, and here I am struggling to tame the baby machine inside me! I have three beautiful kids who are healthy, and who give me three reasons to be the best person I can.

3. My life would be completely pointless without my faith. I am so thankful to have grown up in a family that pounded and set my foundation in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. without these first three things, I seriously would be either dead or close to it.

4. This might sound weird, but I am grateful for mistakes. I have made many, and have witnessed others, and have come out a stronger, wiser, and better person because of them.

5. I am eternally grateful for modern living----running water, houses with A/C, cars, airplanes, hospitals, pain medication, microwaves, you get the idea!

6. I have always loved this Earth. It is just beautiful! I am grateful for the places I have seen, and the ones I will see in the future.

7. I am grateful for having such wonderful friends. Friends make life so much more bearable and have dug me out of so many depressing times!

8. I also have the greatest Dad, Mom, and siblings! My Dad is responsible for me meeting Tyler, for my love of the outdoors, and for teaching me so many valuable lessons on real life. My Mom is a pillar of strength. She held it together through the mess of raising 7 kids on a teacher's salary, and is the best shopping partner! Matt is also responsible, as well and Wendy, for me meeting Tyler. He is also the biggest little kid, and makes me laugh! Mark is the smartest guy I know! I should have listened when he told us not to buy a house back in 2006....best advice I never took! I have always looked up to Kerra. She was like my idol growing up. Now we are closer friends then we've ever been, and chat about our kids for hours! Gina was my childhood roommate, and college roommate. We've always been close, and had so much fun....you put the lime in the coconut... Tyler is the coolest...I always thought he was so cool! I told everyone that I wanted to find a husband just like my brother Tyler...hum..I married a Tyler...I guess I was pretty serious about that! Andrew was the sweetest of us all! He would tell me "I love you" and I would just laugh at him...poor Po! I have so much fun with his baby, Jaxon. He got Andrew and Alecia's sweetness!

I could go on and on! Life isn't so bad, eh?

"Loose Teef"

2009-01-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

Tyson lost his first tooth! His next tooth is going to be out soon, too. He looks like Nanny Mcfee when he smiles! He was so excited about the tooth fairy coming, and even had a dream she left him a big mound of coins. Sadly, he only got 3 gold dollars, but was still pretty happy about them. He woke everyone up like it was Christmas morning to show us all his loot. My baby is growing up!

2008-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year....and the busiest!! We've got Tyler's birthday, Christmas, and my birthday this month, not to mention all the parties and school stuff to go to. This is the excuse for the lack of posts this month. Once boring January gets here, we'll have more time to blog. To catch up with what we've been doing......Tyler had "the best birthday ever". We went to Vegas with our good friends the Mickelson's OVERNIGHT with NO KIDS!!! It was unusually cold, but we had a blast! Tyler got to go to PF Changs, his favorite restaurant, and we walked the strip and of course did a lot of shopping (my end of the birthday celebration). The only downside was our poor sweet sis. in law Alecia who was kind enough to watch our kids got the stomache flu, and was sick the whole time! My brother Andrew had to babysit them all by himself...good job, PO! It was nice of them, and we owe them big! Anyway, we've had lots going on from a big fondue party with our date night group to another one coming up with family, and then another planned for New Years with our also great friends the Schwendimans! We love the holidays! At least we are done with the shopping now and can soak it all in! Merry Christmas to you all!

Family Photos

2008-11-16T14:30:00.001-08:00

Our awesome sister-in-law took these pictures for us! Didn't she do GREAT!?! It's been so long since we have taken a family photo. We look forward to using some of these for our holiday greeting card. You can see more by clicking on "Andrew & Alecia T." in our Blog Buddies. THANK YOU ALECIA!!! :-)

Air Show

2008-11-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

The Boys got to go to the airshow at Nellis Airforce Base in Vegas with our friends Durban and Greg.....they had a blast! I don't know who had more fun the little boys or the big ones (Tyler and Greg). They got to watch the airplanes fly, and try out some heavy artillary.... a boys dream!

Staheli Farm

2008-10-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

So much to catch up on!

2008-09-20T08:02:00.001-07:00

WE MOVED

July 1st we moved from this home...

...to this home in St. George!

When we first moved to southern Utah, after living in the Tucson Arizona desert for 4 years, we decided we wanted to live in the high desert that had somewhat of seasons. At the time I was willing to commute 50 miles to work everyday. After 2 years, to the day, I was DONE! We were willing to sacrifice seasons for a closer, 2 mile, commute. St. George is our new HOME!

DISNEYLAND

Right after moving we headed to "Sunny California" to visit cousins and, of course, go to Disneyland. Dad forgot the camera so as far as pictures go... This is it.

RUNIA REUNION

We all gathered at a vacation home here in St. George for a "Runia Reunion." We had a BLAST! From swimming, (a lot!) to a treasure hunt the week was filled with tons of fun. Time to plan another one!

A visit from Nana and Boompa

2008-05-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Nana and Boompa drove up from Phoenix to visit us. We had fun bowling and playing at Canyon Park. The kids were way excited to have them here... Who doesn't like to be spoiled?

This will "QUACK" you up!

2008-05-24T07:59:00.001-07:00

Meet Condi and Aflac! They just so happen to be our new pets. Don't worry they're "out door" pets! We live on a half acre and they dwell as far away from the house as I could get them. Carson was way excited to have pets that he's not afraid of. Our neighbors were very kind to give them to us.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!

2008-04-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

I caught Lizzie putting on her Mom's eye shadow. I keep telling her she's too young! She refuses to listen. Is this a sign of things to come? In 14 years, from now, she can wear make up. There! The rule has just been established! :)

New Apostle Song

2008-04-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

I thought this was clever.

Swimming Pool Fun!

2008-04-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last week Monica's brother blessed his son in church. We traveled up to Richfield so we could be there to participate. We stayed in a hotel and had a lot of fun swimming. Having lived in Arizona for almost 4 years, the boys have grown to love the water. Lizzie, on the other hand, took her time to get in. Once she got in she had a blast!

How I Quit Smoking

2008-04-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

Never smoked and never will! However, if I did smoke, this would make me want to quit too! Funny stuff!

Camping at Red Cliffs

2008-04-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Many people go camping during Conference weekend here in Southern Utah. We brought a radio so we could listen and participate in the Solemn Assembly. It was a little windy and chilly at night, however, during the day the temperature was perfect!

We climbed up a lot of rocks and hiked to a waterfall. Tyson is a good little climber! We went with our friends. We had a lot of fun together!

Easter fun...

2008-03-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

The kids were really excited about Easter this year! Monica had fun picking out their clothes. Lizzie's hair is finally long enough to be put up in pigtails. The kids were happy to wake up and see that the Easter Bunny left them lots of candy. After awhile Mom and Dad had to take their baskets away so we could more effectively monitor their sugar intake.

We had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday at Grandma and Grandpa Talbot's house with all their cousins. We had a limit on how many eggs one could get so the little ones could participate as well. Unfortunately no one knew how to count so "Dad" ended up knocking over a few cousins to get a couple of eggs for Lizzie. She ended up with two green eggs as seen in this picture. Both Tyson and Carson did rather well. There's a lot of competition in this family!

Left: Tyson, Lizzie (Searching for 1 of her 2 eggs), cousin Jace, and Carson.

"The Office" is BACK!

2008-03-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Season 4 of "The Office" will finally resume on April 10th. We were devastated when the writers went on strike last year. We defintely need our Thursday night "Office" fix! It's the best show ever!

Happy Birthday Carson and Lizzie!

2008-03-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

Carson turned 4 on February 13th. He had some friends from church and preschool over to celebrate. If you can't tell, his friends are singing happy birthday to him and he seems to be leading the song.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog Carson loves anything that goes vroom, vroom! We thought it was only appropriate to throw him a "Cars" theme birthday party.

Lizzie turned 2 on February 21st. Being the only girl and the Princess of our family she had a "Princess" theme birthday.

Lizzie loves the color pink. In fact she thinks she owns the color. Anything pink she thinks is hers. We are trying to teach her that she's not the only Princess in the world and that other girls, do in fact, like the color pink.

We're "Blogging!"

2008-03-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

We thought it was about time we started our own blog. We've enjoyed reading and looking at so many others that we thought it was our turn to share our family with all of you!

Our kids can be a hand full, however they mean the WORLD to us!

TYSON is 5 years old and is our oldest. He truly is a great example to his younger brother and sister. He leads with lots of love and kindness. He's extremely curious how things work and are built. We call him our "Little Engineer."

CARSON just turned 4. He loves an adventure and anything that goes vroom vroom! Carson loves to be tough and rough but can you say, "Mama's BOY!?!" I don't know what he would do without his mom. If you're looking for a bear hug... Ask Carson!

LIZZIE is our Princess. Being the youngest and only girl you can only imagine how spoiled she is. Now times that by 2! She loves spending time with Mom and Dad alone. Every night when the boys are in bed, Lizzie is awake reading, singing and playing with us. She won't go to bed until she has fulfilled her precious time with us. She sure is a "CUTIE!"