On a normal day.........

So there are days that I feel completely worn out and am sick of being mommy. These two days were a little like that, however, now that those days are over I look at these pictures I took and I can see how these are the moments I will remember fondly and wish for when my kids are grown! 

The first picture was on a Sunday night, church, of course was an all day affair, with Jon being gone for most of it, choir and youth meetings etc. The kids were running around crazy, as they usually do on Sundays, we'd already had 2 or 3 spills at dinner and I was really tired and burnt out! I had made cream puffs for dessert, filled with chocolate pudding and when Brennan bit into his, "POOF" it exploded all over his face. So, that was BIG time comic relief and we laughed and laughed!!! 

The second was on a very busy morning, I was trying to get out the door, had a million and three errands to run, had just made my bed and then ran to get something from downstairs and came up to see my two babies and Sophie (the dog) with all my pillows off, M&M's smeared on and vitamin water spilled on them for a "tea party" Playing "boat" in my room.

If this had been my first two kids, I know I would've gotten way upset. But, I hope I've chilled a little and instead I sat down with them, ate a few mushy m&m's, drank some "tea" and took a picture!

These truly are the moments that are the spice of life!

I get tired sometimes, and would love a little peace and quiet on occasion (well ok, every night about 5:30 pm!) but I enjoy this time of life, it is hectic, busy, crazy, CRAZY!!!!!!! And I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!!

Ty-Bug's baptism

I am so happy for my little Ty-bug, he was baptized at the beginning of January and although this is a big step in his life, I feel like a lot of things are big things in his life!

Tyler was not your run of the mill, easy child to bring into this world, in fact, his whole existence is pretty cool! There is a reason we call him Ty-BUG!!!

I had lots of problems (to say the least) when I was pregnant with him. Long story short, I had an abruption (when the placenta breaks away from the uterine wall) at 12 weeks, and was on bed-rest for 6 weeks at home. Then at 23 weeks, my water broke and I got to spend the next 71/2 weeks in a luxurious hotel called, the HOSPITAL!!!! in the pre-natal unit. And I'll tell you what, I HATE hospital food!!!!!! HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!!!!!!! I also learned to HATE the nursing schedule! However, I learned more in those 2 months about love, faith, compassion, sacrifice, service, patience, humility and unselfishness, than I have or probably ever will learn again. I LOVED that! Also, sponge baths are not all they're cracked up to be, let me tell ya!!!

Anyway, Ty was born at 30 weeks, when he was a minute old, I got to touch his little teeeny blue foot before they whisked him away to the NICU to bag, intubate and try to keep him alive. He was the size of a big m&m bag and when I mean he was blue, I mean BLUE. Absoloutely the scariest moment of our lives. 

I got to go see him about 2 hours after he was born and even though I had toured the NICU and read and talked to so many Dr's a lot about what to expect nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. There were about 20 chords coming in and out of his tiny little body, there were monitors everywhere, little tiny glasses to cover his little eyes, an oscillating respirator to breathe for him and he was shaking violently from the ventilator that was helping his lungs. It was extremely overwhelming and I couldn't even hold him!!!! I will never forget the Dr's giving the grim, but hopeful prognosis and my dad and Jon giving him a name and a blessing right there, because there was a very, very good chance he wouldn't make it. I am literally shaking thinking about it now!!! He is our little miracle.

However, in the days and weeks that followed, Tyler was amazing! He was and always has been quite  a little fighter!! He was only in the NICU for a month and came home at 4 lbs on oxygen and a heart monitor. He was on those for 2 months and I remember the day we got to take off his oxygen mask, it was a party!!!! Since then, we have had numerous tests and "preemie" Dr appointments. Lots of kids that were that early and had "intra-uterine" challenges, have major handicaps. Many have cerebral palsy, deafness, autism, allergies blindness, ADD, and reading dis-orders. Miraculously, Tyler has none of those. He has struggled a little with some learning things, but this year especially, he has really done so well!

I tell you all this not because I want your sympathy. I tell you because I firmly believe we are given challenges for a reason. We learn from our trials and we learn from our kids!!!

Tyler is a fighter, he is a happy, strong, go getter kid! He works hard, is feisty and always, always thinks of his mom-we're pretty tight!!!! (I guess that's to be expected!)

I am so proud of my Ty-Bug. I'm proud of his decision to be baptized, I'm proud of his life and I'm proud and so very thankful to be his mom and the lessons he has taught me. They are the best lessons I have ever learned!!!

Love you Bug!

Salem Hills SkyHawks #24

Well, if any of you know Josh, the first thing that should come to your mind is, BASKETBALL.

It has been his one true love since his very first hoop that he got when he turned 2.

It's always come pretty easy to him, he's played on numerous teams and watched enough of it to know the game inside out and backwards.

When he was really little he would cry and cry when the Jazz lost and idolized "John Stopton" and  "Ka-Marl Lamone" (I think you can figure out who they are!)

Well, now he's a big high school kid all grown up and playing Sophomore ball for the brand new Salem High SkyHawks. Things are not as easy as back in the day when he was in Jr Jazz!! 

He has had to work REALLY hard this year, and is realizing to be good, you've got to play HARD and TOUGH!! 

Life's lessons are hard sometimes, but I'm really glad he's learning good ones from being on this team, like nothing in life is worth anything unless you work hard at it and that things that are good, don't always come easy!!!!

I'm proud of my biggest boy, he is working so hard at a passion that is so real to him.

I hope he keeps it going, I think he's got so much potential and know that he can accomplish awesome things in his life! 

You are always number 1 to us bud!

GO SKYHAWKS!!!!!!! WHOO HOO!!!

Christmas highlights!

We had so much fun this year! It's amazing how fast it all went!!!! Some of our favorite things to do at Christmas are:

Going to temple square to see the lights and the Nativity scenes, we try to do this early in the season so we start out right!

Going on the Polar Express with our good friends, the Jolleys. We especially love seeing Santa, Mrs Clause and the Elves!!! (Brick Oven afterwards is always a treat too!)

Santa came to our Chisholm family Christmas! We thought Jaemon would pee his pants, he was so excited! We had fun wearing fun jammies, opening gifts, sledding and eating in our new dining room with all 30 of us!

We always get Sunday best Christmas clothes, and enjoy the church the Sunday before Christmas.

The making of gingerbread houses is always something that is a gooey, ooey, yummy, messy treat!

Sleeping under the tree (or at least in the same room as our main tree) on Christmas Eve-Eve and reading Christmas stories is something the kids love! (while mom and dad wrap presents and watch Christmas vacation!!!)

We always go fishing on Christmas Eve with the Bennett's. We fish for ornaments from Grandma and Grandpa.  The paper bags they are in are tied with red ribbons and we always tie them in Josh's hair!!! That's a lot of ribbons dude!! 

After Grandma's we come home and open one present! It is always jammies and a Christmas book especially for each person! This year I made all the jammies. (finished them at 4:30 that day! :) They were fun, ( a little low waisted, but oh well)!! Then we set out cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer!! The kids all sleep in Josh's room and we watch the original Christmas Carol. (God Bless Us Everyone!!!!)

Christmas morning is so magical, I hope we never totally grow up!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!!

A day with Grandma

My grandma Dyer is the sweetest, most amazing woman I know or have ever known. She is the finest example of service, charity, kindness, unconditional love and devotion. I fall short compared to her in a zillion different ways, but I absoloutely love being near her. The kids and I went to visit her last week and spent the afternoon listening to her play the piano (she has two grand piano's in her living room, she loves to play but has a hard time now because of her eyes and fingers). Jaemon played on the big white couch like I did as a child, it is the coolest couch EVER!!! You just sink into it like you're on a cloud!!! We talked, had lunch, looked at pictures, sang at the piano together and had cookies, (her famous chocolate chip ones that she seems to ALWAYS have on hand!) I have many incredible memories of Grandma, but mostly I just love how I feel when I'm around her. I want my kids to know and remember the feeling too. It's love, acceptance and just sweet goodness. I love her with all my heart!!!! I'm so glad to have had a great day with her!

Well, it was my birthday this week. I turned 28 again!!!

Ha!Ha! Birthdays are funny things I've decided, I really don't like them very much because I don't want to get old. But, this year I tried really hard to be happy!! In fact, this year was a different birthday altogether. I went to a funeral of one of my best friend's mom's. It was a beautiful service, and full of amazing tributes to a truly angelic lady. I felt a lot of things during the meeting, but most of all I felt gratitude. Gratitude for my life, my health, my family and friends. For freedom and so many tangible blessings. I am so very, very thankful to have a relatively easy, cushy life, which I of course, take for granted. I am thankful, so thankful for a husband who is a good provider and such a wonderful husband and father, for children who are healthy and I think, really good kids!!! For good, loving, kind parents who created a magical, happy, strong childhood and a stable home. I remember lots of fun birthdays growing up, but mostly I remember that my mom and dad loved me. When we came out of the funeral, there was a message on my phone from my dad. He said, that even though they are very busy, (which they are this week!!!) they didn't forget me and he told me how much he and my mom loved me and how proud they are of me. Even as a 28 (sort of :) ) year old, I still need to hear that!!!! I am thankful today that they are still alive and well, and that I can call and talk to them, and I hope I will not take them for granted, because someday they will be gone!!! I have beautiful sisters, cousins, and friends, who I hope know, how much I love them. They help me daily try to be a better person.

One of the final remarks at my friend's funeral was that she lived her life to the fullest. She accomplished the things on her "list" and she died with no regrets. I hope I can be like that, I hope I can touch people's lives in such a way that when I die, people remember that I did my best, that I was grateful and helped others and loved as much as I could. 

Lesson learned on this, my 36th b-day, live like today is my last!!!!! Live so that I can say, "I have no regrets", I did my best!!!!

 Our Halloween party was tonnes of fun! We have awesome friends who really get into the spirit like we do!!!
I had fun dressing up with the kids for the parties at the school!
Dad and his look-a-like!


Let the trick-or-treating begin!!! 


Josh was a basketball playerJen, a zombie thing...Brennan a mummy, Ty, a vampire, Jaemon, Frankenstein and Gracie Ruth, a beautiful butterfly! It was so much fun! Halloween is the best!!!