6-6 & 6 Tag

One of my students tagged me, so here it is!

1. Go to the documents/settings/my pictures on your computer.
2. Pick the 6th file
3. Pick the 6th picture.
4. Blog about it.
5. Tag 6 people.




Ok, so I have a bunch of random pix on my computer because I unloaded my mom's card on my computer last summer to help her with some editing stuff. This picture was taken at "The Ranch." For those that know me very well, you know that "The Ranch" is where Zack (my brother) went to rehab. My parents went down when he graduated from high school & took a bunch of pix. This picture is outside when they were waiting for Zack to come out in his cap & gown so they could take his picture.

I tag: Tannie, Angela, Ashlee, Natalee, Cass, & Missy

I'm in Denial!

Today is Samantha's 6th (SIXTH!) birthday! Wow!! I can't believe she's 6 already. I swear she was just born yesterday! I am happy to say though that the weather today is not repeating itself from six years ago (thank goodness - no more snow!).

Sam loves kindergarten & seems to be cruising right along. She is now bringing home the little phonic reader books & is doing an awesome job with them. I'm half tempted to ask if she can bring home 2 books at a time. (Over zealous mother syndrome??) She has a great time at After School Club and has done some super fun stuff (tin foil boats, soap carving (go 3rd grade simple machines curriculum), made musical instruments & their own music video, etc.

Sam is so friendly that sometimes it scares me. That kid can make a friend wherever she goes in a matter of minutes. She is getting rather bossy though so I guess it's a good thing the kids she makes friends with are willing to let her boss them around!

I am hoping we are over the hump with all the ear infection/tube problems but somehow I doubt it. She has graciously passed those issues onto both her brothers as well.

She is quite the language monster these days as well. She is forever asking me how to say something in Spanish or to give her definitions for words. It always amazes me that after hearing a word only once she can use it in context correctly.

Despite being built like her mother, she loves dance class and can always be found singing and/or dancing around the room. She has recently started asking me about taking gymnastics so we may add to our repetoire of lessons in the near future.

She loves her brothers & can make Caleb smile like no one else can. In fact, the other night she got him to eat more than my mom could! She is slowly learning to play with "boy toys" but is usually cunning enough that she can get her brothers to play with her toys.

She is a girlie-girl through and through (thanks Aunt Jamie & Grandma Kris), but we love her any way!!

Dagnabit those winter storms!

Well, I've been doing good all winter as far as driving conditions are concerned. Just missed the one day due to weather. Well, today was a NIGHTMARE in the driving world! They closed Sardine at 7:30 am, which was only about 20 min. after I TRIED to go through it. Luckily for me, I got to the park & ride & decided forget it b/c I'm going 20 mph & I'll never make it through.
Well, at 11 am I decided to have the brilliant idea to try & go through the canyon again! Duh - still semi white out conditions with vehicles off the road in spots. Luckily I made it through that time.
Let it be noted the only reason I even attempted to go to school today is because they were having an open house parent question and answer from 6:30-7:30.
Well, I made it to school in about an hour and a half.
I was able to get a few things done after school - mostly copying pages & pages & pages of missing assignments (GRRRRRR). And then, a whopping 4 parents came to the open house! Yeah, whoo hoo!!
Just before 7:30 one of the second grade teachers printed out the current road conditions for me. (Thanks Teri) I was then informed that Sardine was restricted to 4 wheel drive &/or chains! Go Saturn!! So, I called my Dad & asked him if he remembered earlier today when he told me he'd come rescue me if I got stuck. He kindly assumed I was already stuck. Much to his dismay (but he did it anyway) he came through the canyon and met me in Brigham City & then followed me all the way back through the canyon. (Thanks Dad!)
So, I made it back home after nearly 2 hours on the road. It was fairly decent weather on the freeway until you hit the rest stop just before Brigham & then the snow started again. The streets in Brigham looked like they had (and I'm not exaggerating) 10 inches of snow in them!
Good thing tomorrow is another day (hopefully a less snowy day too). Oh, & I got to come home to find that my driveway did not in fact have 5 inches of heavy, wet snow in it. There was only 2 inches in it - superdad plowed me out earlier!
Hope you're having a sunnier day wherever you are!

We are...

We are: happy, HEALTHY, & ready to take on the chilly winter weather - even if we're doing it without our dad!

Winter Blues

Well, it finally happened. I thought I was going to get in a wreck & die on my way to work! I hit the canyon at about 6:40. Normally it takes me about 20 minutes to get through Sardine. Not today. I could only go 20-25 mph & I was sliding all over the road. I called to get a sub & was going to turn around at Sherwood. Well, Sherwood had like 3 feet of snow in their driveway so I couldn't turn around there. I was hoping I'd make it up the hill on the south side of Dry Lake! I was going to turn around at the state sheds but their driveway was full too. I finally hit Brigham (the bridge where you can get off) & was able to turn around. It took me an hour to get to Brigham & back! I'm just glad I made it back in one piece. I'm also glad that this is the first time all winter that the roads have been that bad. What's sad is they said the plows had been out all night & you couldn't even tell! You've gotta love Utah in the winter!

First Born Tag

Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself! Don't forget to tag me back! =) Let's see how much you remember!


1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yep.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yep.

3. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?
Soooo excited! It took 6 months!!

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
Never would do such a thing.

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
22

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
Since we were planning & it had taken so long, I was doing pregnancy tests on the first day I thought I might be pregnant (went through a lot of tests!).

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
My husband

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
Absolutely!

9. DUE DATE?
Feb. 27th

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
No but I got acid reflux at 5 months

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Potatoes!

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
Trav said I was more pleasant when I was pregnant than when I wasn't!! I couldn't stand the sight of eggs or the smell of coffee though.

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Female

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
At first. I really thought we'd have a boy first & had prepped myself for that.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
52!

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yep. My sister threw me one.

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew she was going to give me a shower because she had asked me about doing one for me.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
I had the reflux which was super bad when it started because once it hit I couldn't eat for like 5 days because I totally felt like I was dying!

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Logan UT

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
28! I stalled at an 8 and had to have a pit drip started. Sam still runs on her dad's time table!

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
Travis did. I think he was more anxious to get there than me & I was the one having contractions from 6 am - 5:30 pm!

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Travis, my mom, Cassidy

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
YES! The epidural is your friend! The epidural wore off though & it took an hour (and another round of blood draws) to figure out what was wrong! Finally the guy came & gave me a different kind of medicine through my epidural line.

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
8 lbs 11 oz (and she was 8 days early!)

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
Feb. 19th, 2003

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Samantha Kristine Bown (She was going to be Phebe Elizabeth Bown but my sister started calling her "Dweebie Phebe" when I was 7 or 8 months pregnant and it just went downhill from there!)

31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
She'll be 6 in a week & a half

Halliburton

Travis got the job with Halliburton. He is leaving tonight (Sunday) for Rock Springs. He has about 5-6 weeks of training and then he will be working 2 weeks on and 1 week off. We are hoping that while he is training he will be able to come home on the weekends. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. He will be driving a truck on the oil field. My girlfriend that keeps the boys, her husband works there and he's putting in 100+ hours a week right now. Hope that will help us get caught up on everything we've managed to fall behind on! We just keep telling ourselves we can do it because we know it is for the short term and not for ever!

Travis took Samantha up to Beaver Mtn. today and gave her her first skiing lesson. I understand she did quite well. He said that by the end of the day they were playing follow the leader and she was the leader! She even went on the lift without any massive trauma! My children never cease to amaze me! I totally thought she'd wuss out!!

My sister, cousin & I are putting together a Relay for Life team in memory of our grandma. If you're a Maughan, email Melissa, Cass or I if you're interested in participating with us. Relay for Life will be held July 10th & 11th up on USU's Quad. I am really looking forward to this event.

I think that about covers all the "Big" news that has happened since my last blog. Well, I take that back. Nash's RSV is cleared up & he sounds really good. Caleb still has quite the rattle in his chest & I keep debating about whether or not to take him back into the dr. I think I keep putting it off b/c he's acting MUCH better and it doesn't seem to bother him too bad. Not to mention I'm terrified we'll end up back in the hospital!!

Have a great week!