MOTHER OF SEVEN KIDS +1

Zach's Back

2011-09-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Yep, Zachary's mission was cut short by about 22 months. He was given an honorable medical release. It was a very difficult decision for the Brotheren. They do not like to send missionaries home, but they don't make medication changes in the field. And though his meds had been stable for many years, the rigors of mission life made them mostly ineffective. His asthma was flaring up almost daily and it just wasn't safe. Zach wasn't given a choice, which I think was both frustrtating and a relief. What a difficult decision that would have been. He is glad to be home and is moving toward being symptom free.

The Boise Mission welcomes him back as soon as his doctor stabalizes him, but as far as the Brotheren are concerned, he has fulfilled his obligation to the Lord and done what has been asked of him. He truly loves the people of Boise and was sad to have missed his first baptism which happened five days after he returned home. He is grateful for the time he did get to serve and cherishes the friendships and experiences he had in the mission field.

Yum!

2011-09-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

Dan has been traveling a lot more with his new job and the highlight for the kids is the fun stuff he brings home. Often it's just the silly free stuff you get when you travel. The airplane barf bags and the hotel shower caps are always a hit. He likes to bring home tshirts and small toys too. This time he brought home crickets and larvae.

Yep, nothin like Salt and Vinegar crickets for an after dinner snack. A couple of the kids tried them,...then spit them out.

Jackson, however, thought they were pretty tasty!

School's Back in Session

2011-08-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

You might think with two out of the eight gone on missions, life might slow down a little. Not so in the Huston home. The 2011-2012 school year will include one in high school (Mckenzie was not available for 1st day photos as school starts at 6:45am!) One in Jr. High with Zane in the 8th grade. Two in the elementary, Ammon in 4th and Emily in 2nd. And little Rebekkah makes her debut in preschool. To add to the chaos, we will throw in dual enrollment courses for Mckenzie at MCC, Zane's college courses at Rio Salado, and I will be taking a full load again this fall as well. Oh and lets not forget daddy who is now teaching at Rio online in addition to his day job.

Rebekkah is Four Years Old

2011-07-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Our little princess is four!
She's no longer a baby and is sure to make that very clear. She loves the movie Tangled and the colors pink and purple. She enjoys swimming, reading books and playing dress up. We can often find her playing with her toys. She fills back packs full of her favorite things and finds quiet (and somtimes not so quiet) places to empty her pack and sing songs to her toys. Her favorite song currently is Book of Mormon Stories. She is excited to start preschool in the fall and wants a Rapunzel backpack.
There have been times when we weren't sure if we would be able to celebrate this day. Her heart continues to worsen, and yet she amazes her doctors time and again.
I am so grateful for good doctors, medications and a loving Heavenly Father who has given us another year with our beautiful little princess!

Another Elder Huston

2011-06-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

As I stared out the window
the tears still in my eyes,
I saw the vision of those I love
as we said our last goodbyes.

The ride was long and trying
as two questions plagued my mind,
"Do I want the life that's up ahead,
Or the one I left behind?"

Two years is such a long, long time
for going door to door.
In my reflecting I thought to myself,
"There really must be more."

I dragged myself down off the plane
and started smiling at the beach,
When a man turned me the other way
saying,"Elder, go find and teach."

I sit reflecting one again
as this day is my last.
Please Lord, this isn't fair,
the time goes by so fast.

And I stare out the window
the tears still in my eyes,
I see the Elders and friends I love
as we've just said our last goodbyes.

The ride was long and trying
as two questions plagued my mind,
"Do I want the life that's up ahead,
or the one I left behind?"

This one isn't removable!

2011-04-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

It all started last summer. Our house had caught on fire, we were living in another home and were preparing for a trip to a family reunion in Utah. We'd been trying to get out the door all morning. I was frustrated. The luggage shell on the top of the car wouldn't close. We stuffed it too full (9 people's belongings for 5 days). I'd had it, so I climbed on top of the Excursion, slammed the shell closed, and came back down...much too quickly and not at all gracefully. We still went on our trip. But three weeks later I finally had it x-rayed and had broken it in two places. Doctors put me in a boot. Which I wore faithfully...except when it wasn't convenient. And it healed. But it still hurt. I went back. Cortizone shots (more painful than child birth and no I did not have epidurals for all of them, so I know) It worked! For a while. Then back for more shots. Again it worked, but not for quite as long. Decided I needed a second opinion. Got an MRI and found that the tendon had separated and the cortizone only made it worse. So lucky me...one month with a 6 lb piece of (un-removeable)pink plaster to drag around. But my very favorite part....wait for it...Lovenox shots daily to ward off blood clots. Moral of the story...WEAR THE BOOT!

A 3 day break???

2011-03-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

My friend posted this question...What would you do with a three day break. No kids, no hubby, just free time.

I can dream and say I'd shop, paint the bathroom, organize the basement, maybe even have lunch with a friend, or get a manicure.

But I think if I were to be truthful, I'd just go nuts! I'm never without kids, except dates with my sweetheart. I feel anxious and worried when they are not around. The school day is a little long for me, and I still have two at home. Maybe I'm a control freak. I'm sure they would be in capable hands, I wouldn't leave them otherwise. I'm still struggling with Tres beinging gone, and he's in the Lords hands, how more capable is that!! Now Zach's about to leave and I sigh every time I think about it.
So to me, even a day would be weird, but three, nope, not for me.
(I would like to sleep through the night once though, haven't done that in years!)

The Call

2011-03-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

Can you beleive it?! Two missionaries.
Yep, Zachary got his call on Friday. With family and friends gathered at home or via the phone, he opened his letter and read us every word...seriously, even the address. Wish I had a picture of Dan's face when Zach said, "Dear Elder Huston, we regret to inform you..." He has his dad's sence of humor! He reports to the Provo MTC on June 22nd, and will then leave for Boise, Idaho to serve two years for the Lord. Congratulations Zach.

You can watch the video at www.http//youtube.com/watch?v=tBnm4Wymrxo

Merry Christmas

2010-12-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

The year is nearly over, and what a year it’s been!

On January 24th, Tres got his mission call to serve in the Church and Family History Mission in Salt Lake City. He was to report on February 5th.

Twelve days after the call, Elder Huston, Mom, Dad and a very sick baby Jackson all flew to Salt Lake to drop him off.

February 17th Mom and Dad celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.

March came and Jackson’s health continued to worsen. Testing from oncologists, rheumatologists, and immunologists have only revealed more questions than answers.

In April, Zachary performed in the Red Mountain production of Beauty and the Beast as the baker.

May came only to find sweet Emily in the hospital with a MRSA Staph infection that had to be surgically removed. The day after she returned from the hospital Zane and Mom burned the kitchen down. We left our home in the hands of a restoration crew and moved to another home. Two weeks later Zach graduated from high school with honors, Zane was promoted to the 7th grade with a handful of awards, and Emily graduated from kindergarten. Mckenzie was awarded the highest Mathematics and Choir awards for 8th grade and was elected 9th grade class president.

June came and the summer started out with girls camp and for Mckenzie followed by a trip to Utah for a family reunion where the whole family got the flu and spent 7 hours together throwing up in the car. Mom sported a fancy walking cast when she finally had her ankle x-rayed and found that she broke it in two places when she fell off the top of the Excursion. Jack’s health began to improve and we were thrilled when doctors ruled out Leukemia and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

July rolled around and Dad, Zach, and Zane had a wonderful time on Catalina Island for scout camp. Mom and the rest of the kids drove up for a surprise trip to see Grammy in Utah. Meanwhile back in Mesa the very large shade tree in the back yard broke in half and fell out over the wall and into the street blocking traffic. Thanks to our ward family it was nearly all hauled away by the time we arrived home.

August came and we moved back home two days before school started. Zachary started college at MCC and was hired on at an alarm sales company.

September was Bekkah’s cardiology check up. Doctors say the structure of her heart has worsened, but miraculously it is still functioning, which was a great relief to all. We ended the month with Ammon receiveing his Wolf badge.

October came and life seemed to be calming down a little. We spent a much needed break at Sea World and the beach and had a wonderful time together. A few days after break Mcenzie got a Staph infection, but thankfully was able to avoid surgery as we caught it early.

November brought birthday parties and family gatherings.

Here we are in December. Zachary is preparing to turn in his mission papers, and we are all excited to talk to Tres on Christmas (especially mom). We are all healthy and are gearing up to have a very UNEVENTFUL 2011!

October Break 2010

2010-10-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

October break might need to be re-named, as the word "break" didn't describe our vacation at all. We left Friday after work and headed for Yuma where we spent the night in a hotel. Had to get two rooms as we far exceed the number of guests allowed in one. Got a great deal thanks to priceline. The kids loved the breakfast bar and enjoyed swimming in the hot tub and playing pool in the rec area.

We then headed toward San Diego and stayed in a nice little beach house we got for a smokin last minute deal on Craig's List. It was just three houses down from the beach! We played in the water all day and then again that night. The kids found sand dollars on the shore, then Kenzie and I watched SeaWorld Fireworks from the balcony of the beach house.

The next day we went to church with a bunch of people we didn't know and guess what...the church is the same everywhere...just like they say! Grandpa met up with us that afternoon and we spent the rest of the day playing at the beach and collecting sea shells and a lot of stinky seaweed. Zach carved the seewead bulbs like pumpkins and the kids buried Zach in the sand. They boogie boared and built extravagant sand castles. And Emily talked Grandpa into jumping through the waves with her.

Day four was SeaWorld from 10am-6pm. Grandpa got us tickets last year, and they were good for two years so we got in free. We rode every ride and saw the dolphins, sealions, polar bears, and Bekkah's favorite "Moo" (Shamu). We played in the kids zone and got very wet (especially Jackson who had a wonderful time with the water pads!)

Grandpa joined us at SeaWorld for day five of our "break" where we did it all over again, and added the Clyde and Sea more show and ate at the all you can eat pizza and pasta bar! We picked out souveneirs (thanks Grandpa!)

and closed out the park once again. We headed back to the beach house, ate rolled tacos from the taco shop two doors down and took another evening stroll along the beach.

Our final day we played on the beach for a couple hours then packed up the car to head for home but decided to hit SeaWorld one more time to ride some rides and wear out the kids for the long ride home. We rode Atlantis 5 times in a row (no lines!!) then played in the kids zone. I can honestly say that if I NEVER ride the teacups (AKA Abbey's Spinning Stars) again it will be too soon! We closed out the park for the third night in a row and headed for home.

Except for the abscence of Tres, that was a GREAT October "Break"!

Wolf Man Ammon

2010-09-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ammon received his Wolf badge, a gold arrow point and 6 silver arrow points. This is one busy little scouter!

And he refuses to take off his war paint. Luckily we have a couple days before Sunday. Hopin' Crayola Markers wear off after a day or two.

Who's that baby?

2010-09-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

What cute little bald babies we make. Can you tell who is who? (I have to admit, I struggled with a couple)

Bekkah Update

2010-09-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today Rebekkah spent the afternoon at Phoenix Children’s hospital undergoing a battery of tests on her heart. The last few months we have noticed a few problems with her such as excessive sleepiness, and loss of appetitive, things the parents of a three year old without a congenital heart defect would just chalk up to "a phase". So we were apprehensive about her visit today.

Bekkah’s tricuspid valve, (no. 6 on the diagram) hung down 13 mm into her left ventricle (no. 7) at birth. The defect was considered a mild Ebstein’s Anomaly at that time. Today her echocardiogram showed that the valves have dropped 22 more mm and are laying flat against the walls of the ventricle. To give you a better picture, her heart is about the size of a small plum and 35 mm is about an inch and a half. So now her left atrium (no. 5) is very enlarged and her ventricle is less than half it’s normal size. Her condition has now been upgraded to a severe Ebstein’s Anomaly. Blood flows down from the left atrium into the ventricle and the function of the tricuspid valve is to stop blood flow (regurgitation) from going back up. People with a displacement as severe as Bekkah's have large amounts of regurgitation. Her doctor’s words were ”leaks like a sieve.”

For some amazing reason, however, her echocardiogram showed that Bekkah’s leaks very little. If fact your's and mine might leak as much as hers. It was so remarkable that her doctor called in two other doctors from the practice to take a look. None of the three had ever seen anything like it.

If her heart leaked like it should be, she would not be getting enough oxygenated blood and would go into heart failure. There is a surgery to fix the tricuspid valve. This surgery is only performed at the Mayo clinic in Minnesota. It is very difficult and not very successful, especially on a 23 pound little girl who’s heart is the size of a plum.

So today we thank you for all of your prayers for our family and our little girl. And we thank our Heavenly Father once again for another miracle for the Hustons!

A Tree Falls on Dartmouth Street

2010-07-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to a phone call from my neighbor who called to let me know that our huge shade tree in our backyard was now in our front yard blocking part of the street. Dan is away at scout camp in California and I an in Utah visiting Grandma. What's a person to do. Live in the Salt River Ward, that's what.

I'd been trying to figure out what to do all day. Then tonight I got on facebook and saw pictures posted of Salt River Ward angels cutting up and removing that huge tree. What a wonderful blessing to know that our family is watched over by a loving Father in Heaven through amazing people all around us. I am just as grateful that the wind was blowing to the west. If the tree had fallen the other way our brand new kitchen would have been demolished! Just imagine what the insurance adjuster would think!

Happy Birthday Bekkah!

2010-07-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Can you believe she's THREE?! We feel especially grateful to celebrate this special day with our sweet little Rebekkah. A little less than three years ago doctors discovered that our perfect little baby girl had a not so perfect heart. She was born with a very rare condition having to do with a malformed tricuspid valve. Doctors also found that she several accessory pathways which cause her heart to beat incorrectly. And if that wasn't enough for our sweet little princess, she also has to deal with a blood clotting disorder. The news of her challenges was crushing. Doctors couldn't give us the answers to all of our questions and the realization that she may not be ours for as long as we thought tugged at our hearts. But with the faith and prayers of our friends and family, Heavenly Father has given us another year to spend with her. She is stable now, and continues to do well with her current medication. But we are not disillusioned. We know that the medications will not work forever, and she will need to have surgery to seal off the holes in her heart. We know that as she grows her valve could worsen and we will be faced with some very difficult decisions. But for now we will laugh when she dances in her tu tu, and cuddle when she has a bad dream, and pray each night when she drifts off to sleep for many more years with our beautiful Rebekkah.

Father' Day at Bass Pro

2010-06-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

We took grandpa to Bass Pro shop on the Saturday before Father's Day. We tried on hats and fishing vests, fought bears and pet the dead animals. We shot rifles and tried out cross bows, climbed all over the off road vehicles and boats, and we rode the elevator and looked at fish. We even got to have smores. Then we his ChikFil-A for free Father's Day meals and some lively entertainment from the kids in the play land. I think we wore out Grandpa, and had a great time doing it. Love ya dad!

One crazy graduation day (and a little bragging)!

2010-05-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

We had three graduations and an awards assembly (all in one day!)

At 9am Emily graduated from Kindergarten. Her line in the graduation ceremony was "F is for the fun we've had as we have gone along" said to perfection.

At 10am Mckenzie won a trophy for Outstanding Choir Student and the 8th grade Outstanding Math Student Award. And as a side note she was elected the 9th grade class president.

At 11am Zane was promoted from the 6th grade. He also earned an outstanding attendance award, outstanding attendance award for KSDO (O'connor broadcasting channel), Citizenship Award, Scholastic Achievement Award, The Golden Presidential Award, and the Scott Pendalten music award for band (he plays the trumpet). Talk about an over achiever--gotta love this kid!!

At 1pm Quest came to hook up our phone at our new temporary home (thanks Sister Lowther!), and at 2:30pm Rent-A-Center delivered our beds, TV and furniture just in time for our graduation party.

At 7:30 Zachary graduated with Honors and a Service Learning designation from Red Mountain High School. He also graduated the night before from four years of seminary.

We made it home by 10 and enjoyed the good company of family and friends.

What an amazing exhausting day...I'm getting old.

Mother's Day call from Elder Huston

2010-05-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Mother's Day, the day all missionary moms await so they can talk to their little boys. My kitchen had burned the previous Friday and I had no electricity or phone service so I emailed Tres to let him know to call me on my cell phone (his P-day is Saturday), but didn't tell him why so he didn't have to hear about the fire by email. He emailed back saying he'd call at 8am (Dan checked our email at Krispy Kreme). Sunday came and no call. I even took my phone to church, which I never do. I kept checking my home phone messages to see if he'd called there (Qwest kept the service on until it was tranfered the following week). Sure enough about 4 oclock he left a message saying he'd been calling all day and that he couldn't remember my cell number. I took the kids back to our temporary home, then went back to our stinky smokey house and ran 5 extention cords from my neighbors outside electical box to an old phone I found in our closet. Then I waited. I cleaned a little, went through some important papers I needed to take, I even tried calling his mission president who was, of course, out of the office. Finally... finally he called. He asked where we'd been all day. I told him about the fire, and he was shocked, but ok. He told me how great his mission was. He told me about the homeless people he spoke to outside of Temple Square and how he had encourged one young man to return to his family and to church. He told me some of the "legends" of his mission, and what an awesome companion

he had. He told me how amazingly hard it was but that it was the difficulties that made it so great. And he told me he felt our prayers and knew the Lord was blessing him and us. We said our goodbyes so he'd have enough time to talk to dad.

(he was at the family party with all the kids). After I hung up, I sat for a while and pondered on the last three months of our lives. The trials came one after the other first with Bekkah and Jackson's illnesses, then Emily's hospitalization and now the fire. Through it all the Lord has

blessed us. Rebekkah remains stable, Jackson is tolerating the battery of ongoing testing better than any grown up could, we caught Emily's infection before it became life threatening and her surgery went well, and we were all able to escape our little inferno without even a scratch. The adversary will proably continue to work hard as we prepare our next missionary to leave in the coming year, but our faith will not be shaken. Heavenly Father will continue to bless us as long as we are doing are best to keep his commandments and do our part. So bring it on!

Ten things I've learned about house fires:

2010-05-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

1. Don't try making Panda Express Orange Chicken at home.

2. Don't trust your cooking thermometer when testing hot oil.

3. Don't store your fire extinguisher above your stove.

4. If the salt, baking soda and lid fail to control the flames...get out!

5. Smoke spreads quickly throughout your house when the air conditioner is on.

6. Your phone call to 911 only works until the phone burns.

7. When firemen find a hot spot, they make a hole.

8. There is a lot of laundry to wash after a fire when there are 10 people in your home.

9. 2 months is a long time to live in a small condo...it's only been 6 days!

10. Your "stuff" is replaceable, your family is not...we are so blessed we are all safe.

Looks a little bit like a Red Cross commercial doesn't it?! (complete with the little bears they gave the kids)

Unplugged

2010-04-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know this week was National Unplug week? We decided as a family to take the challenge (I didn't say it was unanimous did I?!)

Monday was hard. There was complaining, arguing and general unrest all around.

Tuesday was harder. The little kids needed an entertainer, and the big kids weren't offering to take on the role. And the noise...wow 7 unhappy kids make a lot of noise!

By Wednesday things were settling down. The kids knew we weren't giving in (I can't say I wasn't tempted...especially when it was just me and the babies at home and I had a ton of homework). They all seemed to find their non-electric groove though. Zach read two books, Mckenzie played dress up with the girls, Zane and Ammon discovered a forgotten box of Legos, and Dan and I managed to get to bed on time for a couple of nights. Thursday we kept busy baking cookies and playing games, and going to the ball field to watch a softball game. When Friday fianlly rolled around, and the 5pm plug in drew near, the kids waited impatiently. I made them clean the basement to dull the anticipation (what a great mom I am to help relieve their anxiety). Well the time came and the TV's and video games blinked on...for about 20minutes...then they were all back out with their freinds, reading thier books, or playing in the yard. What a lot of drama for nothin!

Fire!....oh it's a cake.

2010-04-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Now that's a lot of candles! We celebrated Grandpa Ricks birthday last week...and din't even set off the smoke detector! Love ya dad!

Princess party by two princesses for two princesses!

2010-04-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

Emily's birthday was at the end of February, but with life being what it is, her "friend party" kept getting postponed. Then Mckenzie said she'd do it for her and decided to count it as a Personal Progress project for Divine Nature. I told my good friend Trena what she was doing and she proposed a double party for our 6 year olds, with our teenage girls as the hostesses. What a great idea! So Rachel and Mckenzie got to work planning, and budgeting. They made invitations, came up with games, and made the food. They held the festivities in Rachel's beautiful backyard (thanks Trena!) Emily and Annie dressed up in their prettiest princess dresses and spent the afternoon partying with the girls from their church class. Rachel and Mckenzie did a great job! The girls had a wonderful time. And the first party of the year is over...only 7 more to go!

17 year olds!

2010-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Zach at State Competition for FFA (center back)

Say what you will about teenage boys, but I'm sure crazy about mine. Sure he's loud and a little lazy, he teases his brothers, and can't seem to figure out how to get his clothes into the hamper, and honestly, he is the MOST disruptive person on our row in Sacrament Meeting. But other than that, I can't complain.

Zach is an excellent student and has received many awards for his academic performance all his life. This year, his senior year, he has finally discovered the extracurricular side of education. He sang a solo in his first choir concert, won 3rd place in the District Aquaculture Competition for FFA, and last week traveled to Tucson to compete in the State Competition. Individually he came in 9th and as a group their team took 1st! Next week he performs in the Red Mountain High School Musical Beauty and the Beast. All this and straigh A's to boot.

Zachary, you are Awesome!

Peace, Be Still!

2010-03-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Most of us have heard the song, Master the Tempest is Raging. It's Tres' all time favorite hymn. I loved listening to him sing it to Bekkah when she was a baby. It was written in reference to the Savior calming the stormy sea of Galilee when he asked his disciples "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" as written in Mark 4:36-41.

Mary Ann Baker wrote it after the death of her brother. She was now alone, destitute and her faith shaken. “I have always tried to believe on Christ and give the Master a consecrated life,” she said, “but this is more than I can bear. What have I done to deserve this? What have I left undone that God should wreak His vengeance upon me in this way?”

But as the days and weeks passed "the God of life and love began to calm the winds and the waves her heart. Her faith not only returned but it flourished, and like Job of old, she learned new things, things too wonderful to have known before her despair."

Master, the tempest is raging! The billows are tossing high! The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness. No shelter or help is nigh.

Carest thou not that we perish? How canst thou lie asleep When each moment so madly is threatening A grave in the angry deep?

Then this beautiful refrain:

The winds and the waves shall obey my will; Peace, be still! Peace, be still! Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea Or demons or men or whatever it be, No waters can swallow the ship where lies The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey my will. Peace, be still! Peace, be still! They all shall sweetly obey my will. Peace, peace, be still!

And the final concluding verse:

Master, the terror is over. The elements sweetly rest. Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored, And heaven’s within my breast.
Linger, Oh, blessed Redeemer! Leave me alone no more, And with joy I shall make the blest harbor And rest on the blissful shore.

The storms of life are violent and great. Our faith can waver in these times.

As Jackson's recent health issues cause us new worry and the uncertainty of Bekkah's heart condition looms, the Father may say “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”
I can take comfort in knowing that the Master said “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

And if we only have our two babies for a little while, we can be sure that we will one day rest on the blissful shore together as a family forever.

Peace be still.

Listen, Listen

2010-03-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Listen, Listen, when you have to make a choice, He will guide you, always.

Have you heard this from primary? Today I felt the promptings of the spirit and it made me think of this song.

I was on my way to the grocery store and Jackson fell asleep. Rather than wake him, I unbuckled his car seat from the car and placed the whole thing in the cart. Bekkah sat up in front in the child seat. We finished our shopping and headed quickly out to the car. The wind had picked up and it looked as if it were about to pour down rain. The cart was up on the curb in front of the car. I went around and opened Jack's door, then came back to carry my sleeping baby still in his seat, back to the car. As I went to lift him, I stopped and thought, "I'll get Bekkah first." I remember thinking, "that's dumb, I already have Jack's door open" but I went ahead, lifted Bekkah out and headed around to the other side of the car. Just then the wind picked up and a sudden gust threw the cart off the curb into the street where it flipped on it's side. I ran back to a screaming but unharmed baby. The car seat held him tightly in place, away from the pavement. Had I moved Jack first, Bekkah would have been thrown into the street and would have sustained at least some major road rash, if not a concussion and stitches...or worse.

One could argue that I was "just lucky", but there is not a doubt in my mind from this minor little accident, that a loving Heavenly Father watches over us and the Holy Spirit guides. I am grateful for the prompting of the spirit!

Rebekkah

2010-03-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

THE PATIENT:

Bekkah and I spent the afternoon at the hospital for her heart check up. They did the usual battery of tests, the worst is pulling off the "stickers" from the EKG. She squeezed her eyes so tight it almost made me cry. I wonder what she must think in her little mind as she watches me smile and ask her to hold still while doctors and nurses inflict pain on her. She's such a strong little girl.

THE PROGNOSIS:

"There are two schools of thought in medicine," her electrophysiocardiologist explained to me, once he examined her. Old school is "If there are no symptoms or they are under control, don't do anything." The new school is more proactive. They say, "fix it now before problems arise and it's too late to fix." Dr. Andrew Papez is most definitely from the new school. Unfortunately she is still too small. Her accessory pathway (extra path the electrical pulses go through that make her heart beat too fast) are much too close to the AV node (normal pathway) which makes surgery very dangerous as they could accidentally close off the AV node and he thinks there may be more than one extra pathway. Her Ebstein's Anomaly (malformation of the tricuspid valve) will get worse as she grows. If the blood volume that flows backward into her other ventricle continues to increase, she will not get the oxygen she needs. The procedures to correct this valve surgically are not very good and often patients come out of the surgery worse off than when they went in, if they come out at all. With all this he was cautiously optimistic. He is thrilled that she is stable, and amazed at her size, color and the sparkle in her eyes. Most Ebstein's babies are small, frail, and somewhat lethargic. He is taking her off of her current medicine because the side effects can sometimes cause cardiac arrest and it makes her skin blister in the sun. The new medicine is not as effective but safer. We'll try it and pray she remains stable.

THE RESULTS:

There's nothing like a day in the doctors office to give you a reality check. Those little daily problems like quarreling kids, homework struggles and financial obligations that seem insurmountable one day, don't seem quite so bad. Pull your little ones onto your lap today, and hold them tight. Life is so very fragile.

Bekkah's big brother

2010-02-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

Tres has been gone about two weeks now, and Bekkah has started noticing. A few days ago she was wandering around the house calling "Twais". Yesterday I'd made her a bottle for nap time, then went to put her down and couldn't find it. Last night I found it in Tres' room. Today I went to put Jackson down, then got busy getting boys ready for a camp out. After a bit I noticed she wasn't in the living room. I found her cuddled up in Tres' bed. I guess she's missing her big brother. So am I Bekkah!

Happy Birthday Jack

2010-02-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? He's one! Our little caboose grew so fast this first year. We were all sick on his birthday (Tuesday) but managed to pull off a little celebration.

He loves his new toys.

(So did his big brother!)

We topped off the evening with a birthday cake...and a bath!

Tres' Goodbye

2010-02-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Sunday before Tres left for Utah, he spoke in church and then we had a little get together for him to say goodbye. It was a wonderful evening with lots of food, family and friends. Thanks to all who came.

We showed this video at the farewell. (Thanks Sharla!)

The next few days were crazy busy getting last minute packing done.

Wednesday night President Jarvis came to our home and set Tres apart as a Missionary to the Curch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He gave him a beautiful blessing of safety and comfort, of success and of a love for the work he would soon begin.

Thursday afternoon Tres, Dan, Jackson and I all flew up to Salt Lake City. Grammy stayed with the other kids (thanks grammy, you're the best!) We settled in to the hotel then headed over to Market Street Restaurant for dinner. Tres had salmon and crab legs for the first time and loved it! Jack threw up on Dan and we headed back to the hotel. Since he was set apart already we didn't watch any TV but spent the evening talking about our favorite memories.

The next morning we ate breakfast at a little diner around the corner. Tres and Dan went to the store to pick up a few things, and Jackson and I went back to the hotel to get Tres' luggage. We piled into a cab and headed for his new apartment. We were able to help him up to his room and meet his new companion, Elder Squire, and another one of his roommates, Elder Savage.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye. We snapped a few pictures, and hugged one last time.

The rest of the trip we wandered around temple square. This is the view from the front door of his apartment building!

We took some tours and did a little research in the Family History Library. Even found an ordination certificate for my great great great grandpa signed by Joseph Smith. I kept my eye out for a tall skinny man in suit with a missionary tag on, but never saw him. I was sure to mention his name to every other missionary I saw there though! (hey it's a mother's duty isn't it?!)

We look forward to our first letter - although our expectations aren't real high. 19 year old boys tend not to be big writers. We've already sent him two packages though, so we're feeling pretty deserving.
I know Tres is where he is supposed to be and I know he will be blessed for his willingness to serve.
I've known this day would come for 19 years. It's harder than I thought it would be.

The Call

2010-01-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Tres was called yesterday to the Family and Church History Mission in Salt Lake City. He will report on February 5 (11 days from today-no preassure huh?!) to Salt Lake where he will receive two weeks of training before he heads to his first zone. We are thrilled with his decision to serve and know the Lord has found the place where he needs to spend the next two years serving in the kingdom.

California Trip Winter 2009

2010-01-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year we were given the opportunity to go to Sea World (thanks Grandpa Rick!) This was our last chance to have a family vacation before Tres leaves on his mission. We had a wonderful time spending four days together in Oceanside.

We stayed in a beautiful resort:

It was about a five minute walk to the harbor,

And another five minutes to the beach!

We had a blast at Sea World --took us two days to see and do everything! We saw shows,

Pet the sea creatures,

Played on the rides!

Got pretty wet on this one!

On our last day we spent the morning at the beach.

We built sand castles,

climbed on the rocks and relaxed.

The water was cold! Really cold!

Zach and Ammon won the Polar Bear Award for going all the way under!

(prize: king sized candy bar of their choice)

And Bekkah buried Jack in the sand.

We definetly made some memories!

Huston Family at the Mesa Temple

2009-12-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted a family picture at the Temple. I finally got it. What a great Christmas Present! Thanks Dan and Oscar!

French Fry

2009-11-18T19:26:00.000-08:00

Well it happened. We knew it would. They just don't live that long. Zane's hamster, French

Fry, died. Zane found him right before bed. Not good timing. Ammon took it the hardest. We had a long talk about life and the plan of happiness. We talked about the possibility of animals going to heaven. Then Ammon, in his sweet little boy innocence, asked, "When we go to Heaven and see French Fry, will we have to buy him all over again?"

9 months!

2009-11-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our sweet little Jackson is 9 months old today. I've tried so hard to enjoy this last little one. I try to cuddle more, but he just wiggles away. I swore I'd nurse til he was at least a year, but he decided he was done a few weeks ago. I hoped for a 13 month old walker, but at the rate he's going he'll be toddling along by Thanksgiving. He's just not cooperating, and his babyhood is flying by.

He had a rough start with an early, and difficult delivery and heart promlems to boot, but I'm happy to report that he went from a tiny five pounder to a whopping 26 pounds all in 9 months and most of his heart problems have been resolved.

All the kids adore him and his daddy just melts at his welcome home grin. I am so grateful for this final addition to our family. He truly is an angel sent from Heaven.

We did it!

2009-11-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

We haven't always been good about family scripture study, but the last several years we've done it pretty faithfully. Each morning we wake up and gather 8 sleepy kids around our living room and read a couple verses each from the Book of Mormon. It's not always spiritual, it's actually fairly chaotic at times. I'm not sure how many times we've started over, but it's been a few. Well yesterday we finished! I'm sure most families have finished several times, but this first time was so exciting for me. I'm so grateful to have my sweet husband who honors his priesthood and leads his family in scripture study each day.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-11-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Jack-in-the-Box

Princess Bekkah

Princess EmilyAmmon the Dragon Slayer

Chuck Norris (AKA Zane)

Bed Head (wish I looked this cute first thing in the morning)

Zombie Zach

Dr. Gregory House (star of USA channel show called HOUSE)

Graceful Mckenzie

2009-10-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard the whole story yet...here it is. Mckenzie was at a Halloween party Saturday night. She was playing a drama game and she was supposed to pretend to die. If you know Mckenzie at all you know she is very dramatic. She dropped to the ground, missing the carpet and landing on the tile floor. She hit her head pretty hard, but felt ok (except for a headache). The next day her fingers felt numb, and by the evening her whole arm was tingling. Dan took her to urgent care figuring it was probably nothing but wanting to be cautious. Next thing we know they are headed for Banner Children's Hospital to meet up with the neurosurgeon. After several tests it was confirmed that she had a spinal chord injury. Now her other arm had gone numb and it was spreading to her legs. The swelling of her spinal chord was compressing the nerves in her limbs. Over the next four days she was put on steroids, given numerous tests and kept for observation to rule out a brain bleed or any other condition that may have been caused by her 'not so graceful' fall.

Though the next few months will be slow and tedious she is expected to make a full recovery. Thank you to all who visited in the hospital, bearing gifts (loved the helmet Emie!) and cheering her up. I also want to thank everyone who helped with babysitting and brought in meals. You made it so much easier to be at the hospital taking care of my 13 year old baby, knowing my other babies were taken care of at home. We are very blessed to have a wonderful extended family and a wonderful ward family. We feel truly grateful that Mckenzie was able to walk away from this, knowing that some people with this same injury never walk again. It could have been so much worse. And I thank a loving Father in Heaven for watching over and protecting my family once again from life's' little bumps (or hills, or mountains as the case may be)!

Now for the embarrassing pictures: (a mother's prerogative after her kid puts her through this kind of worry)

First day in the hospital and thrilled to be here!

Don't you love the teddy bear hospital gown! Joys of being in the pediatric unit.

Resting comfortably at home with her new Snuggie (thanks Grandpa)!

Emily's First Haircut

2009-10-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Emily had her first haircut this weekend! We went to see Aunt Mindi at her salon (thanks Mindi!) She got the shampoo and everything. She wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love like Mckenzie did a few years ago, so we cut it all off. She was so excited to be able to give her hair to another little girl who needed a wig. And she is especially excited to not have to deal with tangles anymore!

What A Great Weekend!

2009-10-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

Our Family had the amazing opportunity to spend conference weekend at a good friend's beautiful cabin.We enjoyed the fabulous weather.

We played games and watched conference as a family.

We played golf...or attempted to anyway!

This is right before Ammon hit his first ball...into my shin!

There was a playground and family center with video games and computers. Our big kids loved that!

And we threw in our fishing lines at the lake while the little ones collected cat tails and crawdads.

We had a fantastic time just hanging out as a family!

Bekkah's Update

2009-09-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Our little Rebekkah had her cardiologist appointment at Phoenix Childrens' Hospital on Friday. We were excited to hear that her Holter Monitor (a device attached to leads on her chest to record her heart beat for 24 hours) came back negative. Her Doc is planning on taking her off her medication in the spring if everything continues to go well with her WPW (Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome). That's great news because the medication she is on makes her very sensitive to the sun, and she gets blisters when she's out in it for very long. I don't think she could take another summer inside!

We also got the results of her echo cardiogram (ultrasound of her heart). This was not quite as good of news. Her Ebstein's Anomaly has been upgraded from a mild to a moderate abnormality, which basically means the malformation of her tricuspid valve is getting worse as she grows. The good news is that the leaking of the blood from one chamber to another is still not substantial enough for the surgery. He said as long as the leak is minimal, we just "watch it". This means that if she turns blue we need to call him. No pressure huh! But the surgery is very tricky, he called it an 8 1/2 or 9 on the scale of difficulty, 10 being the hardest. So I guess we just watch and wait and do it all over again in March. And in the meantime, enjoy having our sweet little princess!

Tea Party

2009-09-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Bekkah had her favorite BFF over this morning. She and Gracie had a tea party complete with cookies and water. Bonus: Once all the water was wiped up my floor was clean! Thanks girls

College Kid!

2009-08-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I have a kid in college? I can't, I'm not old enough!! Ok, I am and yes Tres started college at MCC today. He's taking Philosophy, Biology, Food and Culture, and Pharmacy Technician Prep. The tuition was free because Dan works at the District. The fees and books are not covered so it cost him most of his savings, but he's excited (and nervous) about going. Dad takes him in the morning on his way to work, and he rides the city bus home in the afternoon. Good luck Tres!

Jury Duty

2009-08-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

I received THE letter in the mail a few weeks ago (amazing because we lost our mail key and only get it when we happen to see the mailman out there). I thought about trying to get out of it. I went through the excuses. I have 8 children. I have no sitter. Jack's still nursing. Bekkah's got a heart problem and I can't leave her too long. The younger kids get out of school first, no one will be home for them. The list goes on and on. But sense of duty won out.

The day before you serve you are told to call a number and listen to see if you are still needed. I made my call at 4:30 pm and the recording said to call back again the next day at 11am to see if I was still needed. Apparently they think I sit around all day by the phone. I called again and the recording told me to be there in an hour. So I left Tres in charge of Jack and Bekkah, along with the phone number of a close friend in case of emergency (like a diaper change! Thanks Trinity!!) and headed off to court.

I've never sat on a jury, never made it past that phone call, so I was very glad I brought a book. There is a lot of waiting involved in the American legal process! I was finally escorted in to meet the judge along with 30 other people. This is where we were all asked a lot of questions to see which lucky nine of us would spend the next few days together deciding a man's fate. Ok it wasn't that dramatic, apparently a guy stole a piece of farm sprinkler equipment. Our tax dollars at work!

Each of us had to stand, tell what we did for a living, what our significant other did, how many children we have and their ages. Most people seemed to work for banks or fast food. Some were full time students, others were retired. I was the only one in the room who was a homemaker (I guess all the other ones got out of it!) When I got to the part where I said I had eight children there was an audible gasp from the other jurors. And when I struggled with the ages (hey, that's a lot to remember off the top of your head) there was a little giggling. Oh well. Apparently the attorneys don't like unemployed housewives with 8 kids, because an hour later I was excused to go home to my family with the assurance that I would get another opportunity in no less that two years. Maybe I'll fulfill my civic duty in 2011!

Utah Vacatation

2009-08-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

We spent a great week in Kanab Utah with Grammy last week. We swam, and took walks. We went to Pipe Springs, and to the movies. We visited an animal sanctuary and drove to Toquerville to visit cousins. It was a nice relaxing week playing games and hanging out. Thanks Grammy and Papa Oscar for the fun time!

Be NICE!

2009-08-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

At the Priest camp out last week Bishop Walker challenged the young men to "be nice" for 24 hours. Being nice was defined as, no rude comments, no yelling, punching, pinching, or teasing, no tantrums, and definitely no sarcasm. President Hinckley said the following: "I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort." So Dan thought it was such a great idea that he challenged our whole family to do the same. Not as easy as it sounds. I've started over many times. I was so close last night. Then a little sarcastic comment slipped out, only a couple hours before bed. So I'm starting again this morning. Wish me luck!

If you want to read the talk by President Hinkley here is the link: http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6055

The Loooong Drive Home

2009-08-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

Question: What possesses a mother and her eight children to drive the 7 hour trip to southern Utah? (Dad had used all his vacation for youth trips) Answer: EFY in Cedar City and a visit with Grammy.
The drive home had it's ups and downs:
Downside - Friday night 5 year old starts vomiting
Upside - Finally settled down about 2am
Downside - Had to wake at 5 to drive to Cedar City (1 1/2 hr drive one way) to pick up 18 year old at EFY by 7am
Upside - Had a great time talking one on one with a young man who had a wonderful time.
Downside - Already getting sleepy
Upside - Kids were nearly ready to go when I got back (thanks Grammy)
Downside - 5 year old still sick
Upside - Thankful she can use a barf bag
Downside - Sometimes she misses
Upside - 2 year old falls asleep within the first hour
Downside - She closes her eyes right before the first rest stop (sorry guys, you'll have to hold it)
Upside - Four month old falls asleep too
Downside - Both babies wake up before second rest stop (and they aren't happy!)
Upside - Everyone agrees on McDonalds
Downside - Costs us a fortune!
Upside - 5 year old eats a little and feels better
Downside - 4 month old throws up in high chair
Upside - Made a new barf bag at McDonalds for the 5 year old - just in case
Downside - She had to use it!
Upside - Smart enough to double bag it - wet french fries are heavy
Downside - Backseat is starting to smell a little funky
Upside - 7 year old spills his chocolate milk - seems to diffuse the odor
Downside - My eyelids are getting heavy
Upside - 11 year old wakes me up with a bloody nose
Downside - He uses the whole box of kleenex - and needs more
Upside - He was traveling in a old shirt
Downside - Blood freaks him out and he throws the tissues out the window
Upside - No police were around - sorry to all the drivers on the I-17
Downside - Missed the turn off to the 202
Upside - Hopped on the 60 just in time
Downside - The two year old is DONE!
Upside - Whole family starts singing Popcorn Popping and other primary songs to distract her
Downside - Construction
Upside - We made the trip in 6 hours and 53 minutes - 7 minutes ahead of schedule!

What if the Book of Mormon was written by Dr. Seuss

2009-07-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Nephi: Of goodly parents I was born

I've never drunk,

I've never sworn

This is Lehi,

he's my dad

Laman, Lemuel,

they are bad

And who is this?

Why this is Sam

Yes, this is Sam;
Sam: Sam I am
Laman: That Sam I am,

that Sam I am

I do not like that Sam I am
Sam: In a tent, my father dwelt
Laman: And it's so hot, I think I'll melt
Lemuel: Our father's brain is out of whack
Laman: Yeah, it's too hot, I'm going back
Lehi: Then go and get the plates my dear
Laman: On second thought, I'm staying here
Nephi: You said you'd leave and go away

Now all you want to do is stay?
Lemuel: That Nephi always gets his way
Laman: Here we are in this damp cave
Sam: We would not be here if you'd behave
Nephi: I will go and I will do

There's the angel, that's my cue

Laban's had too much to drink
Now he'll lose his head, I think
Nephi: Look what I found, a brother from the quorum
Sam: We will take him home, we will call him Zoram
Lemuel: Oh great, another pathetic life form
Laman: Our gold and silver we have spent

I do not like it in this tent
Lemuel: I cannot read the Liahona

I must have drunk too much Corona
Laman: We hate it here, we have no lives
Lehi: Then go back to the city and get some wives
Lehi: A tree, a tree, I see a tree

The fruit is white, the fruit is free

A floating building, could it be?

Why do they laugh and stare at me?
Laman, Lemuel, come and see
Laman: We will not eat your precious fruit
Lemuel: We will not wear a tie and suit
Laman: We will not help you build your boat
Lemuel: We do not think that it will float
Laman: No not this boat, it will not float

Not even in a shallow moat

I do not care what Nephi wrote
Lemuel: We will not eat your fruit I say
Laman: We will not eat it on a tray
Lemuel: And we won't eat it in a tent

Not even if your clothes you rent
Laman: We'd rather have a can of spam

L & L: We will not eat it, Sam I am
Sam: You do not like it, so you say

Try it, try it, and you may

Try it and you may I say
Laman: Sam, if you will let us be,

We will try it, you will see
L&L: Say, we like this fruit of life

Sorry that we caused such strife

You've saved us from an awful jam

Thank you, thank you, Sam I am

What would you do for a free meal?

2009-07-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Chick-fil-a offered free meals to anyone who dressed up like a cow last Friday and came into their restaurant. The little ones were all for it. We found old t-shirts and sharpie markers and went to town making cow costumes. Dad and the big kids weren't quite so eager, but "fast food" prevailed and we mosied our herd on over. We had a great time, some yummy food, and best of all it IT WAS FREE!

Beehives

2009-07-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

I had a great opportunity to sit in on mutual tonight with the beehive class. The activity was a career day. The girls were to dress up and tell about a career they want to have when they grow up. The girls picked things like interior decorator, pastry chef, writer, teacher, lawyer and even a pilot. All of the girls said they wanted to be moms too. I loved listening to them tell how they would juggle being a mom and having a career. One of the girls said she would have her husband watch them while she was out of town, then he would work when she got back-oh and she wanted eight kids! Lots of girls picked careers that they could do while they stayed home with their children, like writer or artist. They would just work when the kids were asleep! I nearly laughed out loud. I remember when I was younger have aspirations of being something wonderful like a designer, or a CSI. I wanted to be famous, to wow people with my expertise. I wanted to be somebody. Now I look around at my disheveled house, dishes in the sink and laundry on the couch, and I haven't a single regret. My eight amazing children are all I need to make me feel successful. There's not much recognition and no fan fare, but boy do i love my job!

Eagle Court of Honor

2009-07-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

They did it! Tres and Zach are officially Eagle Scouts. Sunday night was their court of honor. Mckenzie planned the whole event for one of her value projects. Uncle Doug was the master of ceremonies, and Uncle Mike spoke on the significance of the Eagle. (Thanks guys!) Bishop Walker did a wonderful job giving the Eagle Charge, and Brother Smith gave them Mormon Batallion neckerchief slides. Brother Spier awarded their eagles and it was awesome. Zach chose his dad for his mentor and Tres chose Brother Spier. Mckenzie made the beautiful flag cake and Dawn Thurlow provided the decorations and the drive to get it all done (Thanks a million!) I'm so proud of my boys, and so glad it's over! Two down, three to go!

Buzzed

2009-06-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

Jackson is a GREAT baby. He loves sitting in his brothers' laps while they play video games. He's happy hanging out in his swing. Heck, he's even content laying in his bed with his baby gym to stare at. He never crys unless he's hungry or needs a diaper change. Well today he was rotten! And I mean ROTTEN! He was fine this morning, but by mid day...WOW! I tried nursing, I tried a bottle of juice, I held him, rocked him, even put him in the carseat and took him for a little ride (that worked until I stopped the car). I actully was getting a little worried, maybe he was sick. Daddy came home around 6:30 and picked him up and snuggled for a minute and he was fine. I couldn't figure it out. What's dad got that I don't? It really started bugging me. I could see if he was older, my little kids like daddy way better than me. (I'm the mean one) But he's four months old--I should be the favorite...I provide the nourishment! Then it dawned on me...Dr. Pepper. I bought a drink this morning when I got gas and the lemonade wasn't working at the fountain, so I got Dr. Pepper. I don't drink it much these days. I was once a die hard, (two 44oz per day) Pepper Head. The headaches got really bad though, so since I was off of it during my pregnancy (couldn't keep it down!) I decided "no more addiction, I'm done." After today it seals the deal. I'm never drinking it again!! (okay, never is a strong word... maybe just not while I'm nursing)

Ordination

2009-06-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Last night Tres was ordained to the office of an Elder and given the Melkesidek Priesthood. As I sat across the room and watched my little boy become a man, my heart was filled with gratitude for the blessings of the gospel in my family. I looked over at my sleeping infant. That was Tres only yesterday. How fast it all goes. I am thankful that my children know the purpose of life, that they know where they came from and how to return to Him. My first born, my little baby, the one that taught me how to be a mother in Zion, has grown up, and as sad as it makes me to know he will be leaving soon, I am thrilled to watch him grow both physically and spiritually.(hopefully not much taller though-how do buy a suit for a 6'1'' kid with a 26" waist!) I know he has a testimony. He has a deep love of our Savior. He knows his scriptures, and loves the gospel. What more could this old mom want?!

ASU

2009-06-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today was Zane's first day at ASU. He earned a scholarship to attend a robotics class there. He'll be learning programs like Alice and Mindstorm. His dad drops him off at the bus stop by his work in the morning, and he takes the bus home in the afternoon. I have to admit, sending my 11 year old on a city bus all alone was pretty scary. Visions of crazy people, missed buses, and a lost little boy getting off in south Phoenix filled my mind all morning. But he walked in this afternoon all smiles, official ASU t-shirt in hand! I'm so proud of him. He works so hard at all he does. Way to go Zane!

Midgit Wars

2009-06-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Josh was over for a little while last week. He and Ammon put shoes on thier knees and became "midgits" then got to wrestling. This is now the new game among the 7 year old group, they call it Midgit Wars!

I'M BORED!

2009-06-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

Have you heard it yet? The dreaded words of summer, "I'm Bored!" When a whiny little (or big ) voice utters those words in our home, they are immediately given a chore to do. I figure if they can't find something to do with the thousands of dollars worth of toys in our basement, then they must need to work. So we don't hear it a lot around here. Yesterday my little ones were so bored they got a chunk of ice out of the freezer and took it outside to watch it melt! I think I'd rather fold socks!

Buzzcut

2009-06-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

Mckenzie took grandpa's picture during his haircut. I think he looks great with a mohawk!

Firsr Day of Summer Break

2009-05-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

For our first day off, Grandpa Rick took us to Chuckee Cheese's for dinner. What a treat. The kids had a great time playing games and riding rides. It was especially fun watching Mckenzie and Bekkah dance in front of the blue screen. Thanks for a great time grandpa!

School's Out!

2009-05-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's over! No more driving (4 schools this year!) No more phone calls saying "Mom, I forgot my lunch money." No more homework. No more lost library books. No more "I can't find my shoe," at 7:30 in the morning. No more "I need money for..." I have 83 days with my children. We don't have any great plans this summer. There's youth conference, girls camp, and a canoe trip for the teens, diving and swim lessons for the little ones, and a book that I got for mothers day waiting for me to get past page 2. We will do the library thing of course- and hit QT for thier 59 cent fountain drinks afterward (a summer tradition), we'd like to go camping one weekend, and hit a waterpark in the evening (cheaper at night), the Phoenix Children's museum is free the first Friday of each month, and the Mesa Youth Museum is only a few bucks. There will be lots of swimming, a trip to the mall, and maybe a dollar movie or two. So while we're not going to Disneyland, Hawaii, or Sea World, we're going to have a great summer, full of time to be together-because as all of you with children know, childhood doesn't last forever!

Our Graduate

2009-05-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

What a day! Tres graduated on Friday. It was supposed to be held on the football field, but in the event of rain each student was given two tickets for loved ones to attend the graduation in the auditorium. Well 7pm rolled around and it was raining pretty hard. So we left all the kids and the preparations for the party with grammy and papa while we set out for the auditorium. We arrived to find the football stadium filled with graduates, families, and a lot of water! We sat on the crowded wet bleachers for three hours in the pouring rain, but as I heard them read off my first born son's name, I was filled with pride. I thought about some of the experiences he had as a student. The wonderful elementary years in a Montessori program, the very scary years at a public Jr High, and the challenging academics of High School. I am so grateful for the teachers and students who were there for him, celebrating his accomplishments and consoling him in his trials. Thank you to all of our family who came to celebrate with us! Congratulations Tres you're the best!!

Fathers and Sons

2009-05-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

The guys had a great time at the Father and Sons camping trip! It was a bit farther this year, about 2 1/2 hours, but well worth it. Everyone liked the cave, and shooting the guns was another highlight (I'm glad I didn't know that was one of the activities ahead of time, I would have worried all day!) And the very best part was that they stopped and got thier mom some fudge from the Sweet Shack in Payson. Thanks guys!

Prom 2009

2009-05-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Tres' Senior Prom! My little boy looks so grown up! He took a beutiful young lady names Brenn who he's known since he was a toddler. He had a great time. They played frisbe at a park, had lunch together, went ice skating then went home to change. Then they went over to the Knudsen's home (thanks Marcy and Steve!) for dinner. Then off to the prom. Afterward they hung out at the Cameron's home (thanks Tami and Preston!) to for a movie and snacks. What a night to remember.

I'd rather be sleeping!

2009-05-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Jack fell asleep while I was doing laundry-what a life!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

I had the mistaken idea in my head that Mother's Day was supposed to be a day off. I woke up, to a nice clean kitchen and supervised my Mother's Day breakfast (Thanks Zane!). After a yummy pancake and bacon meal, I cleaned up the grease and batter, then opened all the sweet homemade cards from my children, a book, (that I am determined to make time to read) and a new microwave that grandpa took the children to pick out (thanks Dad!). Then began the Sunday morning preparations. While preparing the Sunday clothes I found a hole in hubby's suit, a stain on two of the white shirts (identical stains in color and placement - how weird), a hem coming out of my dress and only one black size 12 boy shoe. I guess I need to sing "Saturday is a Special Day" more often. Well hubby wore his old suit- the one he hates because it's wool and it's hot, no time for a load of wash, so did the best I could with a wash cloth and some Tide, re-thought my outfit, then dug through my box of hand-me-down church shoes and found a pair of size 1 boy shoes. A primary child "remembered" he had a talk in church, there were little girl tears because her dress felt "funny" and the hair brush got caught in her curls. We left for church five minutes late, but not before spilling an entire pitcher of koolaid on the kitchen floor. We got to church sat down and the fight for who got to sit by mom began. After some tears and harsh whispers, we listened to wonderful talks on some amazing women. I struggled not to compare myself and tried to remember that we all have our own strengths and talents, and that we just need to do the best we can, and Heavenly Father will pick up the slack. Easier said than done! After church I herded eight children out to the hot car and headed home to feed them frozen pizzas and mop the kitchen floor (koolaid mess remember). We changed into play clothes and prepared to visit family members at our Mother's Day gathering. We had lots of fun visiting with parents, siblings and cousins and ate lots of great food (Thanks Mike and Donna!) I missed my mom (it's the first Mother's Day in 38 years we haven't been together) We rounded up the crew and headed home for baths and bedtime stories. After the last one was tucked in, I collapsed on the couch and nursed the baby while watching some TV with hubby. Before crawling into bed, I knelt and thanked my Heavenly Father for all of my beautiful children and for my amazing husband who teaches them to love and respect the women in their lives. I snuggled with my baby and thought back over the day's events. What a GREAT Mother's Day!

I'm BIG!

2009-05-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

Jackson is growing! He turns 3 months this week. We bought his first bag of size one diapers (thank goodness -- newborns size leaks!) And he finally fits into all the cute little 3-6 mo clothes (thank you so much Tami!) It's a bitter sweet feeling to watch your children grow. I love seeing the independence that comes, and ache as I realize I can't keep them little forever.

THE MEANEST MOM!

2009-05-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that the first time one of my children called me "the meanest mom", I was crushed. Now, I've been called mean so many times, it doesn't have that same devastating blow. Take today for instance, my 5 year old asked for a cookie and I said no (she'd already had 3). She told me I was the meanest mom ever and that she was running away. I told her I'd be sad if she left, but if that's what she felt she needed to do, go ahead (but be sure not to go out of the cul-de-sac.) She slammed her door to go pack. A few minutes later she came out in tears with suitcase in hand and said, "Will you come visit me?" After a good laugh, we sat down and shared an only slightly healthier bag of chips.

Bedtime Stories

2009-05-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the movie Bedtime Stories? It's a sweet story about an uncle (Adam Sandler) who comes to take care of his niece and nephew for a week. At night they make up bedtime stories together, and the parts that the kids come up with really happen.

I'm not creative enough to make them up, but I do read to them every night. I didn't get to Emily fast enough. Sorry Em.

Battle of the Books

2009-04-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Zane had the opportunity on Monday to represent O'Connor Elementary, along with his two fellow classmates in the Mesa Public Schools Semi Finals of Battle of the Books.

Battle of the Books is a program for 5th and 6th graders where students make up thier own teams of three, read 12 books of the districts' choosing, then answer questions about those 12 books for points. There were three rounds at O'Connor. Zane's team earned the most points, so they went on to the Semi Finals held at Brimhall Jr. High. Though they didn't win, I was so proud of them for trying. They did a great job and represented our school well.

2009-04-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

I finally got some pictures of Jack smiling. He's been doing it for several days but as soon as I get the camera out, he stops. So stuborn at two months!

Easter...Finally

2009-04-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

I keep saying I'm going to post our Easter pics, but life seems to get in the way. So today the dishes might not get done but you will get to see what a great Easter we had.

I sewed Easter dresses (Missed you mom!)

We dyed eggs

Opened baskets

and Jackson ate his first chocolate marshmallow bunny.

We hunted for eggs with our cousins

Even the teenagers got into (of course there was money in their plastic eggs!)

And we ate lots of great food!

That night after our bedtime story, I asked Emily why we celebrate Easter and this is what she said, "Because Jesus died so we could live with Him again."

I am grateful for the Atonement and that I will be able to live with my beautiful family forever.

2009-04-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

This past week Bekkah and Jackson have both seen thier cardiologists. Jackson is still doing well. His murmur is still there, and he still has some leaks, but they are small. He will have another echocardiogram in September and if all is still well, he will be discharged! Yeah!!
Rebekkah's heart is still very pre-excited (beats too fast). As a result she burns calories quickly and doesn't gain weight like she should. But he said she looks really good and her tests came back ok. He wont take her off her meds, but he didn't put her on a higher dose either. She's still too small for the surgery for her WPW. He wants to check her Ebsteins to see if the valve is growing ok and to check the size of her heart. But to do that she needs to hold still for the Echo and she doesn't do that very well. We had a hard time just getting a reliable EKG. So we are going to wait for a few months then try it. If she is still too wiggly they will sedate her. He also told us that if she were to "grow out" of the WPW, she would have done it by now. So I guess we're in this for the long haul.
Though my hopes of going off meds were not realized, I still felt good about the visit. Her cardiologist is very positive and upbeat and that helps to calm my fears.
I know the Lord is watching over her.

2009-04-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Bekkah was fitted for her heart moniter. We keep telling her it's her purse, but I don't think she's going for it. I spent all day yesterday telling her not to pull on the leads. We made it the 24 hours without her pulling them off. In two weeks we get the results. Sometimes little children with WPW go into a kind of remission. If that is the case, she may go off her meds. This would be good because the medicine she is on can prolong the time between heartbeats and could cause her heart to go tooo slow or even stop. The bad part would be that there will be no medicine to stabalize her heart when it goes too fast, so if she's not really in remission or she comes out of it we wont know. Most babies show symptoms or signs, but she doesn't. Her heart can be beating 250 beats a minute and it doesn't even phase her. I guess I'll just keep checking and try not to worry. It helps to stay busy, so if any of you need anything, please let me know. Serving others keeps things in perspective for me. I know Heavenly Father is watching over her and all will be well if we are faithful.

Ladybugs...or Gentlemanbugs?

2009-03-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Have you been to the green belt lately? Our kids are having a great time there! The draw you might ask...lady bugs... tons of them. Yesterday I witnessed a humorous example of observation among the under 10 crowd. Ammon, Trevan, Ryan, Garon, Jacob, Christian, Charise, Kyle, and Bradley were keeping busy by seeing how many ladybugs they could catch and put in a butterfly net. Ryan called out, "Hey look at these two, they're 'dating'!" All the kids gathered around to spy on these two unsuspecting ladybugs. Then Trevan, in his 6 year old wisdom, corrected his big brother, "They're not 'dating', they're 'mating'!" The rest of the afternoon these 9 bug enthusiasts changed their game to how many 'mating' ladybugs they could catch.

Jack-in-the-...BOWL?

2009-03-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jackson hasn't been gaining weight like he should so Dan bought a scale that showed ounces at Wal-mart to track him better at home. We couldn't figure out how to get his whole body on the little scale. Dan suggested a salad bowl. Here's a pic of our little Jack-in-the-Bowl!

Jackson's Blessing Day

2009-03-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

It is not our usual practice to bless our babies when they are only 13 days old. Jackson was our exception. My mother and her husband are retiring and moving to Utah at the end of the month and we wanted them to be able to be there. I have such mixed emotions about this special day. Of course, I'm so happy to have this little guy. I loved hearing the beautiful words spoken by his Daddy, of the things Heavenly Father has in store for him. I know he was sent to us for some special reason--I know they all were. But I also felt an overwhelming saddness that this was our last baby blessing. From a medical standpoint I know how dangerous and irresponsible it would be to have another. I would never want my children to grow up without a mother. But my heart breaks knowing I will never hold another wiggly newborn in my arms and call him mine. Maybe I'm just selfish. I do have eight children. More than my three sisters-in-law who have been trying for years. But the joy I feel knowing I am entrusted with these sweet little spirits makes me feel so amazingly wonderful. I love holding them. I love playing Barbies or reading books with them. I love helping them with thier problems. I love teaching them to bake bread or plant flowers. And they just grow up so fast. I try to console myself by saying it wont be long before grandkids. Or, just focus on the ones you already have, there's plenty of room for improvement. But it doesn't seem to help. For now I'll hold this new little one lots. I'll let my housework go and cuddle my babies, and pray they will stay small for a little bit longer.

The kids call him "Glow Worm"

2009-02-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

Our little Jackson has jaundice. When some of my older children had jaundice we had to hang out in the hospital. And you all know how much I hate hospitals! Now they send home health out with a Belliblanket. You just hook up the light and lay the baby on it. I LOVE technology!

Do you know your child carseat laws?

2009-02-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

The City of Mesa Justice Court gave me the exciting opportunity to attend the C.A.P.P. (Children Are Priceless Passengers) program which is a child safety class on how to buckle your children in the car properly. I was pulled over because an officer saw my 4 year old leaning forward in her seat. (her sister was pulling her hair) Did you know that the law is now 5 years old...period. (Emily turned 5 on Saturday!) No weight guidelines at all. There is a weight and height recommendation, but it's not a law. Here are some things I learned:
Did you know that children under the age of 5 not in a carseat is a primary offense, meaning you can get pulled over for it, even if you are doing nothing else wrong? Seatbelt offenses for older children and adults are secondary offenses and you can't be pulled over just becasue he sees you're not wearing it.
Did you know that you're teenage children 16 and older will be issued their own ticket if they are not wearing thier seatbelt and it will go against thier record.
Did you know that it is not against the law to have a carseat in the front even with an airbag, unless it is rearfacing.
Did you know that your 20 pound child, going 30 miles an hour will be propelled through your front windshield with 600 pounds of force (weight X speed = force) if not buckled in?
Did you know that your child is only big enough for an adult seatbelt if her legs can bend over the seat when her behind is all the way up against the back of the seat? (not a law)
Did you know that the carrying handle on your infant carseat must be locked in the down position in order to work properly in a crash?

This was actually a very informative class, and if I hadn't been in labor I think I would have gotten even more out of it. (Class was on Sunday evening and Jackson was born early Monday morning) If you are interested in taking the C.A.P.P. class let me know and I will get you the information. The class cost $25 but you get a free carseat out of it.

Jackson Corby Huston has arrived

2009-02-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

After a very long 8 months full of nausea,vomiting, IV lines, infections, medications, and way too many days in the hospital, number eight is finally here. He was born early Monday morning (did I look like I was in labor at church on Sunday?) Good news though-I made it through traffic school Sunday night! He came into the world 3 weeks early and face up--ouch. By the time I got to the hospital I was 8 cm and fully effaced. They quickly got an epidural started but didn't put me on a pump because they thought I'd have him so quickly. When they discovered he was face up and stuck it was too late, the epidural was gone and the vacuum came out--double ouch. The NICU team was there and took him as soon as he was delivered. He has a heart murmur and a septal aneurysm, but no arrhythmia's. His cardiologists is hoping all will heal on their own. He was discharged from NICU late Tuesday night and we both got to come home Wednesday morning. Thank you to all who fed my family and watched my little ones! I have the greatest ward in the world!

I love my sweetheart!

2009-02-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm at the end of my pregnancy, I'm finally eating a little bit. My latest and greatest craving is Jack in the Box egg rolls. Any other time I wouldn't touch the stuff, but right now I can't seem to get enough of them! I even dream about them-crazy huh?! I was throwing up all day Monday so I didn't have much of an appetite come dinner time. But by the time FHE was over and the kids were all down, I was sitting on the couch folding laundry and there on the TV was the Jack in the Box commercial. I made a comment like "Boy that looks good." My hubby must have overheard me, because a few minutes later I heard his truck start up! He snuck out because he knew I'd object. It was pouring down rain, and the closest Jack in the Box is several miles away. Twenty minutes later my sweet, soaking wet husband walked in with my favorite treat. And I even kept them down! I am grateful for my husband. He treats me like a princess. I pray that my children will find spouses who care as much as he does.

2009-02-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

I love my sweet little Ammon, but boy does he make me crazy! His mind goes a million times a minute, and I just can't seem to keep up. I thought it was just me, until I got a call from his teacher. She has the same problem. How do you keep this seven year old busy and content. His psychologist (he has Asperger's Syndrome- a form of Autism) says we need to give him his space and the tools he needs and just let him go. Easy for her to say. He has painted a good part of the rocks in the backyard. Now he wants to build stuff, then paint them. Oh, and he like spray paint the best. He has sewn a pillow and a blanket by hand, but now he wants to use the sewing machine. He used to be content with a hammer, some nails and old pieces of wood. Now he has taken apart all the old bikes in the backyard and is trying to make a go kart! The problem is, his body can't seem to do what his mind wants him to. He doesn't have a lot of coordination, and is definitely not very strong. So when he can't get something, he just falls apart. Sometimes I can help him, but sometimes I just don't know how. Yesterday he asked me how to build a plasma cutter. I don't even know what a plasma cutter is! Today he asked if I knew how to diffuse a bomb! I have come to the realization that I am not smart enough to be his mom. Thank goodness for the Internet. He can navigate the web way better than me and he can usually find some answers there. I'm thankful for filters, though, who know what he could come across! If you see a couple of guys in dark suits and sun glasses at my door step, you'll know he googled "how to build a bomb."

I LOVE LITTLE MIRACLES!

2009-01-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning Dan needed to take the Excursion to work because I had to get his tags renewed and it was the last day (of course). So he left at 7 as usual. At 7:30 I got a call that he had a blow out on the freeway. There was no spare in the car because we were already using it and just hadn't gotten around to replacing the last flat tire. So I took our little Mazda out to him (he had a big meeting at 8:00). He left--very reluctantly (I guess men don't like leaving their pregnant wives on the side of the freeway) and made me promise not to lift the tire myself and that he'd take care of it after his meetings. I sat and waited for a bit for my dad to come get me. A police officer stopped and asked what he could do. I told him my dad was on his way, and that I had to go get the spare fixed and then I'd be back to get my car. He said that once the car was tagged with an orange sticker I only had two hours before it was towed. He was kind enough to not tag it, but warned me that another officer could come by at anytime and put one on. Well I got home, had my dad put the spare in the back of my truck. Then went and headed out to get the emissions done on the truck so I could get the registration done. This was our third try! It passed (miracle #1). I ran back home to do the registration online--thank you technology! A few minutes later my phone rang. It was a sweet member from our ward whose husband happened to see our car on the freeway and wondered if there was anything he could do. (I guess it's pretty easy to spot our big green machine with a line of 7 little kid decals on the back window and a 4EVRFAM licence plate) (Miracle #2) I told her everything was fine and that I was just heading out to get the tire fixed so I could go pop it on. She argued with me, saying a pregnant woman shouldn't be putting a tire on her car on the side of the freeway and made me promise to call her husband so he could put the tire on when it was ready. Oh and an officer had tagged it so he pulled the sticker off to give me a little more time. (Miracle #3) I got to the tire store, told them I needed the tire quickly as I didn't want to get my car towed. They said they'd hurry, but it would be at least an hour wait. So we waited. During that time my brother-in-law called me on my cell. He saw my car on the side of the freeway and wanted to know what he could do to help. (Miracle #4) I told him everything was fine and that I was in the process of getting the tire fixed. He said he'd wait until I got there so he could put it on. I told him it's be at least an hour maybe two and assured him that I knew had to change a tire, no big deal. He's a little (ok a lot) stubborn and said he'd meet me at the tire store in a few minutes. Oh and he tore off the orange tag another police officer put on my car (Miracle #5).
I called my good friend's husband back and told him not to worry about it. I had someone to help me. My brother-in-law showed up. We got our little girls all something to eat while we were waiting. (oh yeah, we had a four, a three, and 2 one year old little girls with us, just to add to the drama) The tire was finally ready, an hour and a half later, and we loaded it up and started to head out. My good friend called me on my cell again and said she and her husband were sitting by my car on the side of the freeway. She said she knew me too well and thought I might try to still put the tire on myself. (Miracle # oh I don't what number anymore, but a lot!) Well I told her I was on my way and that I really did have someone with me to change the tire. They hesitantly left, but not before pulling off yet another orange sticker. We got there fifteen minutes later. The tire went on easily (I could have done it myself, you know) I said goodbye to my brother-in-law and thanked him for his help. Then drove away, but not before pulling off --yes you guessed it, another orange sticker! My day of miracles wasn't earth shaking, but it reminded me what wonderful people I have looking out for this stubborn, independent old pregnant woman and her family. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Fetal Echo

2009-01-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

Friday was our unborn baby's fetal echo cardiogram (try sayng that 5 times fast!) It was recommended we have him tested because of Bekkah's heart problems. I had great hopes of a clean echo, but unfortunately things didn't go my way. We do know he doesn't have an Epstein's Anomaly (one of Bekkah's problems), we won't know until after he is born if he has Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome (another one of hers), as an EKG can't be performed in utero. It does look like he may have a septal aneurysm, or an atrial septal defect. But again, we won't know until after he is born. The doctor said I shouldn't be too concerned (yeah, easy for him to say!) and that many babies are born with ASD's, and have no major problems. He may need surgery when he is older, but again, don't worry. So I'm trying to take his advice. Which is a little hard to do when you google fetal septal aneurysm. I need to stay off the Internet! At least we have a "heads up" this time. His pediatrician and a pediatric cardiologist will be there at his birth so that's reassuring. I guess the bottom line is that I know the Lord will bless us and I know faith and fear can't be present at the same time. So I'll try to enjoy these last few weeks of my pregnancy (I'm not quite so sick anymore) and remember that we are only given what we can handle. I love knowing I have a Heavenly Father who cares about me. How do people go through life without the gospel?!

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission

2009-01-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday was Tres' first Missionary Preparation Class. The parents were invited to attend the first meeting. The first thing I noticed was that in a chapel and two overflows full of young men and women and thier parents, I was the only pregnant mother! Does that mean I'm too old to have babies or too young to have a missionary? I prefer the latter, though my body knows the real truth.

As mothers I think we always feel like we could do better. Our FHE's should be more meaningful, our chore chart should be longer, we should teach more, or lecture less. But what an overwhelming feeling to have your Stake President loving tell you what is expected of your young man, oh and by the way you have 10 months to get him ready!

I think I half expected, half hoped that the 18th birthday would be magical. Somehow he would become responsible, patient, and self-motivated overnight. Since magic didn't work, I guess it's up to us.

I'm not real worried about the spiritual aspect for Tres. He has an amazing testimony. He knows the scriptures better than I, probably better than most. He's read nearly the whole Preach My Gospel Manual. He says his prayers and can talk gospel principals with the best of them. It's the living away from home that gets me. Will he be able to wake up on time, will he remember to wear his retainer (we put a lot of money into those teeth!), how will he deal with the different personalities of his companions, what if he gets lost, or scared, or discouraged.

When I got home I spent some time on my knees. I needed answers to my fears, and what I found was a quiet reassurance that "all will be well, do your best, and I will do the rest."

I know we still have some work to get him ready. He will need to get up close and personal with the iron, among other things, but I know with the Lord's help he will be a wonderful missionary.

IT'S A BOY!

2009-01-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

So I'm finally posting the news. Christmas morning we openned up a cute little blue and gray sweatsuit. We haven't had a boy in 7 years so you know what that means...SHOPPING! (sorry Dan, but it's got to be done) The official due date is March 9th, but we're expecting a February baby as number 8 probably won't hang in there all 40 weeks. We can't agree on a name, but we still have a little time so we'll keep working on it.

The Perfect Christmas

2008-11-29T06:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get so caught up in the holiday festivities that I forget the spirit of Christmas. I read this story and thought I'd share.

The fragrance of gingerbread always makes me think of Suzie and the year I was going to have a perfect Christmas. During past Christmas seasons, I had always been too busy to create the Christmas traditions I felt would build a lifetime of memories for my family. But that Christmas was going to be different. That year my time was my own, and I meant to make every minute of the holiday season count. I would make handpainted ornaments, home-sewn gifts, beautiful decorations, artistically wrapped packages, and baked goods to fill a freezer. I was baking gingerbread men for the tree the day my nine-year-old daughter brought Suzie home from school.
“Mama, this is my new friend, Suzie,” Debbie announced, presenting a rather chubby, cheerful-looking little girl. Suzie reminded me of a California poppy, with her red-gold mop of curly hair and a freckled nose that twitched eagerly as she breathed in the spicy fragrance.
I took two warm gingerbread men from a pan and gave them to Suzie and Debbie. Soon the two girls were helping my seven-year-old son, Mark, hang gingerbread men on the tree. (Of course, the cookies never stayed long on the tree. The children and their friends ate all of them every few days, and we replenished the supply weekly. As a result, our house smelled gingery from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.)
Later, Suzie’s mother telephoned, and in a tired-sounding voice, she asked me to send Suzie home.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving, I was still working on my perfect Christmas. I had decided to mail my Christmas cards early, and so I had spread the dining-room table with Christmas cards, address books, stamps, and green- and red-ink pens with which to address the envelopes. I was all set to start when Mark came in.
“Mama, we talked in Primary today about helping other people,” he told me. “Our Primary teacher said a lonely lady in our ward needs help.”
“Oh? What’s the lady’s name?” I asked, wondering if I had met her.
“I can’t remember . . . something long and hard to say,” Mark said, “but Sister Jones wrote it on the blackboard, and I’d remember it if I saw it.”
He went to the desk drawer and pulled out the ward list. After a moment he gave a shout of triumph. “Here it is!” he cried. He thrust the page under my nose, and I glanced at the name by his finger before turning back to address my Christmas cards. The name was difficult to pronounce.
Mark borrowed my pen and drew a green circle around the name in the ward list before putting it back in the drawer.
“I want to go visit that lonely lady and take something to her. Can we make something for her now?” Mark wanted to know.
“Not today, Mark. It’s Sunday, and I don’t bake on Sundays. Besides, this lady doesn’t even know us. Surely she wouldn’t want a visit from strangers,” I explained. “Today we are going to start addressing our Christmas cards. For once I’m going to get our cards mailed before December twenty-third. If you want to help someone, you can help me.”
In the days that followed, Mark persisted in reminding me about the lonely lady. Twice he asked to make something for the woman, but both times I was involved in other projects.
One Tuesday afternoon Suzie again came home with Debbie. That day I was putting together my specialty: a gingerbread train. Each car carried tempting cargo such as breadsticks, candy canes, and cinnamon bears. Suzie’s eyes sparkled when I gave her a few chocolate-chip cookie wheels to “glue” into place with frosting. She ate one of them.
“I wish my Mom made gingerbread trains,” she said. “Last year she made a neat gingerbread house, but this year she said it was too much work.”
“It is a lot of work,” I agreed, remembering the year I had been too busy with church and community duties to make my gingerbread train. The children had been very disappointed that year, but not this year. This year everything would be perfect.
A week later Debbie came home from school just as I was taking a fresh batch of gingerbread men from the oven.
“Too bad Suzie isn’t here,” she said, biting off one cookie foot. “Suzie loves our gingerbread men. She wasn’t in school today, though.”
Debbie set down her cookie, suddenly serious. “They said Suzie’s mama took too many pills, and she’s in the hospital. She might die.”
“Oh, Debbie, are you sure?” I asked in dismay.
Debbie nodded. “Sally Miller told me Sister Miller was at the hospital with Suzie’s mama all night,” she said. Sister Miller was our Relief Society president.
“I didn’t know Suzie was a member of the Church,” I said, surprised. “I’ve never seen her at meetings.”
“Suzie said they used to come all the time before her dad died,” Debbie said. “He got killed in a car accident this summer.”
“Poor Suzie!” I said. “Her poor mother! And I don’t even know her name.”
I called Sister Miller to see if I could be of any help in caring for Suzie during the crisis. I also asked for Suzie’s mother’s name. When she told me, it sounded vaguely familiar. I hung up the phone repeating the name when a devastating thought struck me. With a sinking feeling, I took the ward list from the desk drawer and turned some pages. Yes, there it was, circled in green ink — the name of Suzie’s mother, the name of Mark’s lonely lady whom I had never found time to help.
Suzie was with us that night when we received word that her mother had died.
I asked myself over and over: What if we had gone to visit her when Mark first wanted to? Would it have mattered that we were strangers? Would she have been a little less lonely, a little less desperate? I thought of the tired voice on the telephone, asking me to send Suzie home that first day we made gingerbread.
When Suzie went away a week later to live with her grandparents, we gave her our gingerbread train. The bright eyes that had sparkled as she helped make the train had lost some of their glow, but Suzie managed a little smile and a thank-you.
A gingerbread train. A very small gift. Too little. Too late. As Suzie took a halfhearted nibble from a breadstick, I saw more than a saddened little girl holding a cookie train. I saw myself with painful clarity: a woman so involved with the things of Christmas that I had lost touch with the very spirit of Christmas, without which there can never be a “perfect Christmas.” I would never again forget.
Every holiday season since then, the fragrance of gingerbread reminds me of Suzie . . . and I cry.
(Linda Rire Gundry, Jay A. Parry, Jack M. Lyon, Best-Loved Christmas Stories of the LDS People, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 413-16.)

A LITTLE REMINDER

2008-11-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

I took my two little girls to the mall yesterday. Emily doesn't have school on Wednesday, and I thought we'd do a little window shopping. We looked at dresses, ate lunch, rode the carousel and Bekkah just sat in the stoller enjoying the sights and sounds. We decided to spend a few minutes in the play area-mostly because I needed to rest. I get so tired of laying around, so when I have a good day and I'm feeling half normal, I tend to over do it. I sat on one of the benches and watched my girls play with all the other children. A lady next to me asked me when I was due, and we got to talking. She asked if this was my third. I laughed (that was so long ago!) "No, it's my eighth" I replied. I heard an audible gasp from a few of the other ladies around me--guess they were listning in. She asked if we wanted a boy or a girl. I told her my one year old had a heart problem and that really we're just hoping for a healthy one. She said, "you know, having a sick baby makes that statement so true." She told me about her last baby and how she had lost her in childbirth a little over a year ago, also because of a heart problem. It turned out her baby had the same thing Bekkah does which is amazing, because I have yet to meet anyone who's ever even heard of it. Most doctors only read about it in thier textbooks. We chatted a little more, mostly about our babies. She was amazed at how well Bekkah looked. Most Ebstein's babies are frail and underdeveloped. My heart broke for her as I watched my pudgy little girl go down the slide over and over. I told her how sorry I was and that I knew a little of her hurt, as we had lost Bekkah's twin. "Maybe they're up there playing together" she said. Well her 3 year old had to go to the bathroom, so we said a quick goodby, and that was it. I sat and thought about Heavenly Father's plan for us. Why did I get my baby and this sweet lady didn't? Why will Bekkah grow up without her twin? Why do I get to have so many of Heavenly Father's children to raise, when I have a sister-in-law who doesn't get any? Though I don't know the reasons we are given the specific trials we are given, I do know they are there for us to learn and to grow. I know my trials make me a stronger person. I watch other people and their struggles and wouldn't trade in a million years. Heavenly Father knows us, and he knows what we can handle, and what will make our faith stronger. I don't know if this kind lady was LDS, but she reminded me of how grateful I am to know the gospel is true and of the great plan of happiness. And as I drove to my nice home, in my big car, with my beautiful children I gave a silent prayer of thanks to my Father in Heaven for all my many blessings.

EAGLE--IN THE NICK OF TIME

2008-11-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Tres has finally finished his eagle project. He's been a life scout for over 4 years! He might have beat the Salt River Ward Record previously held by Michael Piercy. He chose to work with a park ranger up in Cave Creek to establish a nature trail. He built and stained the signs and posted them last Saturday. Thanks to Brother Green, Brother Brinkerhoff, Brother Gibson, Sister Thurlow, and all the young men who helped out on Saturday (and their parents who gave up their boys for the day-Cave Creek is a long ways away!) He spent all the week working on his write up and getting signatures. We dropped off his packet at Sister Thurlow's yesterday, exactly one week before his 18th birthday. Way to wait til the last minute Tres! But we're proud of him for sticking it out and getting it done. He's changed his project so many times, I'm glad he stuck with this one. He really enjoys building and nature, so I think it made it easier to get excited about (maybe tolerate is a better word, Tres would just as soon sit in his room with a good book as do anything) Anyway, from the "mom" point of view, I'm glad it's over and I get at least a few years break before the next project. Only two more projects to go--unless the new baby is a boy, cross your fingers for a girl!

FISH

2008-11-15T06:27:00.000-08:00

Well it finally happened. I knew it was only a matter of time, but secretly hoped it would never come. Ammon and Emily both got a goldfish from the Halloween Carnival at church. We brought them home and put them in an old vase. The next morning I bought some fish food and the "fun" began. There was the constant argument of who's fish was who's (they were identical!), and who got to feed them. Luckily this only lasted about a week. They lost interest of course, and it was all up to mom to keep them alive. Now, I'm expecting, and still very nauseous, so the stench of the fish food, the foul looking water (that needed changing every two days), and those creepy little pulsating gills sent me running to the commode all too often. So a few days later my sweet husband informed me of fish number one's passing (thanks for flushing it dear!) Too my great surprise, and relief neither Emily or Ammon even realized it! Two days pass and so did fishy number 2. This time, Dan wasn't around, so I paid my 16 year old to dispose of the body and the bowl (a buck well spent!) Last night, a week later, we sat at the dinner table and Ammon remembered his fish! I hope that the care for my senior years doesn't fall on him! 15 minutes of tears and a sensitive lecture on the care of our pets pacified the children and off they went to play. I'm really glad they didn't want to have a fish funeral!

2008-10-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had our ultrasound for baby number 8. I could hardly sleep the night before. We've had so many problems and so much medication, I had crazy dreams of a baby with three eyes and no legs. The likelihood of heart problems is far greater as well, and thoughts of Bekkah's first months of life kept seeping into my fitful night. The ultasound was a level 2 which means a doctor is present and it's much longer, about two hours. (I'm glad they didn't need me to drink a gallon of water beforehand--not that I would've kept it down anyway) Well I'm thrilled to say that the baby only has two eyes and both legs were accounted for! His/her heart looks good so far, although more tests will be performed throughout the rest of the pregnancy as fetal heart development is ongoing. My placenta ruptured with Bekkah, so they also checked for early warning signs of that and none were detected. I'm feeling a lot better now, though I know the next 4 months will still be a little tense. The fun part of the ultrasound came when the tech asked if we wanted to know the sex. I handed her an envelope with a card in it that had the words "boy" and "girl" with a box next to it she could check. We closed out eyes while she looked (we've had quite a few of these so I'm pretty sure we'd have figured it out). After the ultrasound Dan went to work and I went shopping! Mervyns has gift wrap so I found two identical outfits, one blue and one pink, and took them to customer service with my envelope. I instructed the clerk to open the envelope, wrap up the appropriate outfit along with the envelope and wrap it up in yellow paper. I told her to make sure she hid the other one under the counter so I wouldn't see it when I went up to pay and she just tossed the receipt. She was so excited, on my way out I heard her telling all the other clerks about it. We'll open the present Christmas morning, I can hardly wait! I really have no feeling on what it is. It would be convenient to have another girl, as we have all the clothes, and a she could share a room with the other two. Plus we'd have four of each. But I haven't had a boy in a long time, and I just love the cute little shoes they make. Truly though, it makes no differnce to me, I just want a healthy baby and uneventful pregnancy-well the rest of it anyway! Not too much to ask, right?!

FHE

2008-10-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have a family home evening that was just great?

Let me give you some insight to our normal home evenings. We're always running behind schedule, dinner gets started late, dishes take to long, hubby's home late, whatever the reason, we NEVER start at 7:00. Then there's the fight as to what song to sing. The older children don't know the primary songs, and the younger ones don't know the hymns. The prayer fight follows, of course. (I really need a chart!) The lesson, often done by a not so enthusiastic teenager, drags a little, Bekkah throws things, Emily starts giggling, Ammon can't sit still to save his life and Zach is poking someone. If the spirit was felt at all, it is now gone. Then the fighting starts up again, what song and who's turn for prayer. 8:00 hits, there's no time for a game, and the crying begins.
Ok, maybe it's not always that bad, but it's not often that it's "great".

Last night was great! I didn't spend hours preparing like I should, and we still didn't start on time, but we felt the spirit. The object lesson, and talk on individual worth were fun and interesting (Thank you lds living! The lesson is automatically emailed to me on Monday mornings) Everyone, even Zach, was well behaved and took part when called upon. We had time to play Fruit Basket (a form of musical chairs) and everyone loved it. Even the songs were easily chosen (Popcorn Popping and Sunbeam, cause they love to watch Bekkah try and do it)
I'm grateful for the wise counsel given to us to hold FHE every week and for a family that supports me in following this counsel. And even though they are not always "great", I know that my family is closer because we take the time to make it happen.

6 year olds and politics

2008-10-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ammon had his 6 year old cousin Brandon over for a little while. They were playing in the front yard when Brandon noticed a stake sticking up out of the ground. He asked if he could pull it out, and Ammon said "no, it's for our prop 102 sign. Someone stole the poster that was attached to it!" Brandon asked what the sign was for. This is where my sweet little boy explained in detail to his cousin how we don't think boys should marry boys and girls should marry girls. He told him that Heavenly Father didn't want it that way and now we have to vote to make sure they don't make it a law. I couldn't decide if I was proud of him for his simple yet accurate description, or sad that a little boy lived in a world where he knew about these things.

Zachary Caleb Huston & Daniel Ray Huston III

2008-10-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

I'm putting Tres and Zach together because they're really close and when I finish them I get my own blog!! So I'll start with Tres.

He LOVES to read and play video games! He's super smart and can tell you just about anything! I go to him with just about any homework question! He loves to fish, then eat the fish. His favorite show it Bizarre Foods, I have no clue why cause when I watch it it makes want to vomit!

Tres is an amazing person!

Zach likes video games and is always playing them! He also loves to do puzzles and is really smart! He has his Eagle rank in boy scouts. Zach is one of my favorite big brothers, what he doesn't know is that I really look up to him, and not because he's tall, because he is really fun and kind. I look up to both of these people a lot!

Zane Alexander Huston

2008-10-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

Zane is a smart kid but sometimes he gets a big head about it. He is really funny and great with kids. He's an awesome scout and big brother. I personally think he's the lucky one in the family because he has it easy. The rest of us have 6 teachers a day!! Sure Ammon and Emily have only one too but they're in the easy grades! Zane is a great friend to all and fun to be with!

He loves to read and is doing it constantly! After he finishes a book he makes a game out if it and plays it with Ammon & Emily. He also has a great imagination, he loves to make up games and play them with siblings, friends, and sibling's friends.

Overall Zane is an awesome dude!

Half way there!!

2008-10-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'm 20 weeks today!! How come it feels like I've been pregnant forever? I added up all of my pregnancies and realized I've been throwing up for over 5 and a half years of my life. That's a lot of time at the porcelain throne! Well they're worth every minute of it. I can hardly wait for number 8!

Ammon John Huston -by Mckenzie

2008-10-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

OK well thus is the third of 7 1/2 kids. Ammon is one of the smartest 6-year-olds I know!!! He's in first grade at O'Connor Elemantry, and he is the only kid (so far) that hasn't been to our old school, Montessori! He would be doing really great there because they let you do work from other grades, and he could use that!! He's really smart. And when I say smart, he was doing 2nd grade math in kindergarten, and complained it was too easy!

I don't remember too much about first grade, but I do remember I learning to read, and THAT was a challenge! But not for this kid! In kindergarten he was reading at a 2nd grade level! He loves to read to his younger siblings and it's so cute watching him do it!

My mom and he went to meet the teacher this year and were looking at the work books. They skipped to the last page and had him do it, easy peasy! He was done in 5 minutes!!

He has a lot of friends, more than I have! If Ammon isn't inside playing video games he's outside making enough noise to wake up a bear! I have no clue what they play but it must be exciting! He is so caring! When they are playing outside if someone gets hurt or is thirsty, he runs in the house to get them what they need!! I love this kid. He is an awesome little dude. He is no ordinary six year old, he's Ammon John Huston!

Getting There

2008-10-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today I got my PICC line removed, Hurray! It was kind of a forced removal, as my cellulitis was getting increasingly worse, and I was afraid I'd get another infection and end up back in the "H" word. I'm so tired of the hospital I'm seriously considering home birth. (Dan's not going for it though) It's amazing I didn't pull it out myself the way I was always getting tangled up in the tubing. But the end is in sight--almost to the halfway point. OK so I really have a long way to go, but it's important to think positive, right? Another few weeks and I ought to be functioning normally again. Does that mean I have to start cleaning again?!

RELEASES ARE HARD

2008-10-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well it's finally happened, my counselors, secretary and I were all released on Sunday. I knew it was coming, but I just wasn't ready. Maybe you're never ready to leave a calling you love. I've loved serving in every calling I've had, but have never felt so sad and empty as I have this time. Maybe it's hormones. Being old and pregnant I'm sure doesn't help matters any.

I thought I'd go through and delete all the "stuff" that accumulated on my computer over the last three years. Maybe a little bit of closure will help. As I dragged and dropped files to the trash can, a flood of memories washed over me. With tears streaming down my face, I remembered the activity day when the children flicked chocolate covered marshmallows at the bishopric and the sunny Thanksgiving morning when they released 100 balloons into the air. There were several primary programs, and sharing time ideas. The template I used to make up the baptism program for 27 children. And pictures, so many pictures of softall and kickball, of activities and Halloweens, of Christmas programs and cubscouts. I have to admit, I couldn't delete the pictures, it was just too much!

Then I got to my email. Emails from Tami, Jodee and Michale about upcomming events and concerns with scouts or baptisms. I relied so heavily on their input, ideas and hard work. These three women are the reason primary ran so smoothly. Words can not express how grateful I am to them and how much I will always cherish the time we spent together seving in the Lord's Kingdom. There were years worth of emails to Brother Penrod, Brother Bogle and Brother Allen about callings and meetings. How grateful I am to them for their support. I'm sure I drove them crazy! There were reminders and invitations to special meetings from both Citrus Heights and Alta Mesa Stakes. Memories of day camps and Scouting for Food came rushing back. There were emails from Bishop Walker and Bishop Jarvis counseling me on how to work with struggling children, reminding me of the tender moments when these little ones would come to me with their fears and frustrations. Nearly 800 emails later my heart was aching as I hit the delete button over and over.

I need to stay busy and not think about it I decided. So yesterday I cleaned my kitchen top to bottom - even the baseboards. I sorted a stack of papers that had been piling up on the counter for a while - more primary stuff to throw out. I organized my little girls' room and bagged up outgrown clothes. There I found Emily's sunbeam packet, more primary stuff. I spot cleaned the carpet (Bekkah has decided her sippy cup can also double as an exciting drawing instument and has created quite a mural on my gray carpet-no more grape juice Bekkah!) and near the piano I found a misshapen CTR ring, another primary reminder. By noon I was tired and decided to lay down with the baby, after all I am still sick and I haven't slept well since the Bishop's visit last week. Sleep never came, just more tears. I got up and cleaned the garage while searching for the Halloween decorations. There were leftover water guns and plastic swimming pools from a summer primary activity day. Then when the kids came home from school we finished up homework and baked a couple pies. I spent some more time on our family home evening lesson and while on the computer ran across a few more things to delete. Everywhere I turn are reminders of a calling that was so much a part of my life. It was then I realized, blocking out the memories is not the answer. It can't be done, it was what I was for nearly three years.

Time will lesson the hurt and new callings will take away the empty feeling. Projects around the house and activities with my family will fill my time. But I will never forget these wonderful innocent children who filled my time, my prayers and my heart!

Emily Anne Huston-by Mckenzie

2008-09-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

OK well this is the second of my tribute to my family members. It's taken a little longer for the second because I've had to do a little more investigating for Emily. Well Emily is super cute!! She started pre-school and absolutely loves it!!! I mean who doesn't love pre-school? You get snacks, play time, and the all important nap!! I wish I got even one of those things! (Unless you count the 4 minutes I have in between classes!) She only has half days but she sure wishes it was full day!!!
Emily loves to play dress up. So you can expect her to come out four or five times a day with a new mis-matched outfit. Some are unbelievably ugly just because she didn't match something right. She might be trying to start a new trend or something but it's not working!! I love her anyway.
During the summer she's constantly out side without sun screen! This summer my mom tried to keep it on her but didn't so well and she ended up with a really bad sun burn! But she LOVES to play out side in our circle with her friends. They get out a little pool we have and set it up in the front yard. It's really funny because sometimes I come home from some where and there's like 8 kids in our front yard. We might as well be the neighborhood hang out! Even in the winter they play in the backyard! On a normal day there's 5-6 kids running around in the front yard and/or backyard. I don't know half of them!
Emily has imaginary friends. She loves to play with them! They have sleepovers, tea party's, play dates etc. The weird part is just when you want one to be around, their all sick! But if they're not sick, they've moved to China, CHINA! This 4-year-old has a very active imaginary.
Now as I'm typing this Emily is playing ballerina. She spins around with her arms in the air. It's really funny when Bekkah starts doing it too. She just sort of puts her arms in the air and spins in circles! It's pretty funny.
I hope by now you realize I love my little sister and love to play with her! She may be annoying and in the way at times but most of the time I couldn't love her more!

THANK YOU --for listening to the spirit

2008-08-28T20:55:00.001-07:00

I got a phone call from a treasured friend today telling me that she was already in the car and asking if my Emily could come over to play for the afternoon. She was on my doorstep a few minutes later to pick her up. I can only imagine what I looked like, half asleep on my couch with an IV pole attached to me. There just wasn't time to put on my "I'm feeling great!" face. A few hours later she returned with my very happy four year old, and dinner for my family. What my dear friend didn't know, was how I hadn't even begun to think about dinner, truthfully just the thought of grocery shopping, sends me to the porcelain throne. What this sweet sister didn't know, was that my husband had a dentist appointment after work and wouldn't be home to help me feed my seven hungry, and sometimes not so helpful, children. What my treasured friend didn't know was that her simple gesture turned my bored and whiny preschooler into a happy little princess again.Sometimes thoughts come to our minds, and we might think, "oh that just doesn't fit into my schedule" or "next week would be much better for me", but when we listen to the spirit lives are changed and burdens are lightened. I'm grateful to the people in our ward who listen. I'm grateful for the service given to my family. I'm grateful to my presidency for making my calling easy. I'm grateful for my treasured friends.Thank you Christy!

Rebekkah Abigail Huston-by Mckenzie

2008-08-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Ok this is a new feature every week or so I (McKenzie,) will add a spotlight on one of my family members. This week its the youngest Rebekkah, the smallest child (so far.)
Rebekkah is VERY funny. She has a weird obsession with cheese. One time we were at the movies and i was holding her. Bekkah was fine until my dad asked if I wanted some nachos and cheese. She all the sudden sat up and started looking for the cheese!! It was pretty funny.
Another story about cheese happened last night. I was playing with her in her room and i saw a slice of plastic cheese and thought it would be funny if i gave it to her. She took it tied to eat it then when she couldn't eat it she threw it! So i gave it back to her. She took it then tried to eat for like, 5 minutes!!! It was pretty funny.
Bekkah is a couch potato. She loves to watch TV. She sits down in front of it and just watches! Sometimes she even takes a pillow to sit on or just stands in front of it.
Rebekkah can dance too. If theres music on and she's not already dancing you just say "Dance Bekkah!" And she'll shake her head and move her feet.
Bekkah is also mischievous. Yesterday was her first day being home with out any brothers and sisters so she ,of course, made a mess. She took and open water bottle with a spout and squirted all over the carpet! So when you walked around every few steps *squish* you stepped in water.
Even when she makes a mess no matter how big, she can cute her way out of it. All she does is smile and giggle. Works every time.
No matter what Bekkah does she's always cute and cuddly. The way she giggles in the bath, when your sick and she gives you a hug, the way she screams when she doesnt get her way, when she does her little dance, when she does her little pout and sticks her lip out, when she talks her language while looking at you real seriously, the way she screams when she's happy, even when she cries you cant help but laugh. These are the things that make Rebekkah Abigail Huston fun to live with.

Number eight is on the way!

2008-07-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, apparently the Huston clan is not yet complete. We will be bringing in a new little one to our home. He or she will arrive the early part of March. This news came a little (ok, A LOT) unexpected, but we are all thrilled! Since I was still nursing, we really had no idea of a due date, so we got an early picture of our baby. Looks just like daddy!!