Tagged

I was tagged by my good friend Jen. So here it goes!

3 Joys...

1. Hugs from Rich and my kids. There is nothing better than hugs. I'm not too touchy/feely except with my immediate family. I'm constantly trying to hug them. Sometimes my hugs are even returned!

2. Date night. We have had date nights on and off, but have been on lately. I especially love eating out and trying new restaurants. When we get home, I feel recharged and reconnected.

3. Summer. I love summer! I love the kids playing outside. I love the sun and being tan. I love getting out of my car at night and having it warm. I love chatting with the neighbors on summer walks. I love waking up early when it's light. I love barbecues and family parties. I love the flowers outside. Summer is the best!

3 Fears...

1. Rejection. I always fear that people have stopped liking me, even if it appeared that they liked me the last time I saw them. I know it's weird!

2. I fear my kids will rebel. I have been blessed with some feisty little spirits. I'm afraid they're going to ditch everything I've taught them and make really bad choices. I guess I should just take it day by day and create an environment of love and open communication.

3. Lately I've been fearing I'll become disabled. I wonder how my family would function if I was missing a limb or had a debilitating disease. I know this is not likely. Just get it out of my head!

3 Current obsessions/collections...

I'm not really obsessive by nature and I don't collect anything (just adds to the clutter), but let me think...

1. American Idol. I know it's over, but I did record every episode and voted almost every time. I have watched every season and love listening to the judges' comments and critiques (except Paula who acts stoned half the time).

2. Blogging. I have to admit I was a little obsessed when I started blogging, checking it constantly, but my interest has died down a little. Now I only check once or twice a day!

3. Ice cream. Every night at about 8:00, I have a major ice cream craving. Most of the time I give in! My all time favorites are mint chocolate chip and cookie dough.

3 Random/surprising facts about myself...

1. I can roll my stomach like a wave. I obtained this talent as a young girl in ballet class. Our teacher taught us how and I was the only one in the class that mastered it! Too bad my abs are completely out of shape. I used to be proud to demonstrate my ability.

2. I am scuba certified. Rich and I went on a diving trip to Grand Cayman with his sister Karen and her husband Jeff when we'd been married about a year. We also went diving in Mexico a few years ago. The older I get and the more kids I have, the scarier it gets. I'm not sure if I'll try it on our cruise this November.

3. I love to waterski. We grew up with a boat and I learned to ski at a young age. My abilities plateaued years ago, but I still love to go any chance I can get!

I tag Emily, Crystal, Terrie, Mom, and Nicole. Have fun!

Happy Birthday Cameron! (and other good news)

This picture is supposed to be down below but I can't figure out how to move it!

Holy crap! I can't believe our baby is one (as of the 14th). When people told me the third baby was the hardest, I got scared. It turns out, they were right! I was in a definite funk for the first 3 months or longer. After about six months, I was feeling some sense of control, but there are still days when I feel overwhelmed.

The important thing is, we were sent a beautiful baby boy. And boy is he feisty! He is an active, moody, let-me know-how-he-feels-at-all-times baby. And I wouldn't have him any other way! He is so cute I just want to eat him! He can melt my heart just by breathing! I love the smell of his breath and the creases around his wrists. And don't get me started about his curly hair. He is what I would call "spicy". I suppose strong boys are a good thing. We are so blessed and grateful to have this amazing little man join our family. Happy birthday Cameron David Clegg!!!!!

Change of subject...besides being an amazingly fantastic husband and father, Rich can add one thing to his resume.....he is now a CPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You may not realize what a feat this is. Rich started studying for this in DECEMBER 2006. He initially passed the first test. But then proceeded to fail 4 tests in a row over a period of a year. I was ready to throw in the towel. But, in his wisdom, Rich knew it would be best in the long run to perservere. So he kept studying, and studying, and studying. He never gave up. He missed many a family party or weekend activity to study, but he kept his eye on the goal. His determination and drive to succeed are amazing. And, in the long run, it paid off! I am so proud of Rich for achieving this goal!!! Rich, you are the BEST. Now let's go celebrate!!!!

Goblin Valley!

Sophie and Carson riding the "camel"

Carson thought this looked like a bed

You can see that Carson is really enjoying himself

I have decided we are brave souls. Last weekend, we set off for the desert landscape with our good friends, the Larsens. With six kids ages five and under, we camped in the dirt among the beautiful scenery in Goblin Valley. If you have never been there, it looks like giant mushroom land. The kids had a blast climbing on the rocks and creating "secret hideouts". We have not been tent camping for awhile (and we may not attempt it again for a long time), but we're so glad we went. I have to admit that we experienced a lot of whining, tears, and crying, but the good definitely outweighed the bad. I'm sure in a few weeks we'll only remember the family bonding that occurred. Thanks for inviting us Nate and Rachel! You rock!

Good Times, Great Friends

Carson as the water dinosaur

I actually applied sunscreen this day

The pioneer schoolhouse in the Treehouse museum

We spent last weekend doing what we do best: vacationing! Our great friends the Carlsons invited us to their condo up Ogden Canyon at a lovely resort called Wolf Creek. Although we had 6 kids ages 5 and under, we managed to have a fabulous time! If you have never visited the Children's Treehouse Museum in Ogden, it is worth the drive. It is so cute and less crowded and less expensive than the one in Gateway. Our kids had a blast there. We also soaked and relaxed in the hot tub, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, took a trip to Pineview's beach, and ate candy like there was no tomorrow.

The Carlsons are definitely true friends. We have been hanging out since we were both dating. They have witnessed us at our best and worst (I won't elaborate on the whole throwing the snowboard incident). And they still keep calling us! Through it all, we've laughed and grown up together. We're so glad they decided to settle in Utah. Here's to lifelong friends and more good times!

Sun Worshipping

Digging for worms and/or treasures with the Carlsons
Cameron is generally a fussy baby, except when we're outside!

Sliding with our buddy Caleb

Brand new Barbie and Spiderman bikes!

We have loved spending time outside lately when it's sunny! There is something so invigorating about a suntan. Everyone seems to be happier when we're outdoors. I may be a bad mom but I think I've only put sunscreen on the kids once so far this year. At least they'll have plenty of vitamin D! Is it a sin to worship the sun? If so, I'm in trouble!

Good news moment

I just had to share our good news - Carson just graduated from speech therapy! When he turned one, we were a little concerned that he didn't have any words yet. We were assured by our Dr. that they'd be coming soon. At 18 months, and then again at 2 years, he still had 0 words but was signing a lot. He began speech therapy at 18 months and has been fighting an uphill battle ever since. The first time he said his name in speech class when he was about 2 1/2, his teacher burst into tears because she was so surprised and excited. At age 3, he was speaking a lot but was pretty unclear so he was put in an articulation class. Now, after retesting, he is testing fine and doesn't qualify for speech anymore! This may seem weird, but I was never really worried. I always just thought he would catch up. Call it mother's intuition or just stupidity. We are so grateful for the many therapists and teachers that have been so helpful in this process. We are so blessed to live in a time and area where help is easily accessible and cheap!

Sophie's other side...

Sophie as the stagehand in her program
Sophie getting her groove on at home

For those of you who know Sophie, she comes across as a quiet, reserved introvert. For those of you who know her a little better, she has another side. Last week, her kindergarten class had a program where the kids danced and sang their little hearts out. Of course Sophie had a major case of stage fright and performed as her teacher's "stagehand". Part of my heart was breaking as each kid danced around the room and Sophie quietly stood in the back holding props. But I'm learning to accept her for who she is. So you can understand my surprise when, that night at home, she posted signs around the house saying, "The Sophie Show, 7:00". As I took my seat on the basement couch promptly at 7, she got into position and turned the CD player on. The show: a dance number to Madonna's song, 'Holiday'. She shook her booty with a smile on her face for a good 4 minutes. She wasn't going to be outshown by her classmates. She just needed a smaller audience.

Sophie's personality reminds me of a lot of people I know: complex. You think you have them figured out and then they surprise you. I think I'm still discovering different sides of myself. I've found that if you give most people time, even if they make a bad first impression, you usually find many good things about them that you never would have guessed. I guess it keeps life interesting. One of my goals this year is to be less judgmental and give people the benefit of the doubt. I hope people will do this for me and for Sophie, as there's always some other side to that person lurking in them somewhere.