Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween. I got the kids all dressed up and we visited Jesse at work. He loves showing off his cute kids at Halloween. They got lots of candy and I would have been satisfied if we had called it a day. Instead we got dressed up all over again and went to our church sponsored trunk or treat. It was an amazingly nice day. We didn't even need jackets. After about an hour and another large haul we came home and hunkered down in the basement and watched E.T. The kids loved the movie. Porter is still talking about it. The girls decided to have a competition to see who could keep their candy the longest. Anna only has a few pieces left so I think Abi will be the winner this time.

Trip to Manti

The kids and I went to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Liddell while Jesse was in Savannah on business. I was a little nervous taking a trip with Jack being so little but we ended up having a great time. Two days wasn't quite long enough. Grandma had some culinary crafts for the girls to do. They had a blast decorating Frankenstein cookies and donut hole ants in celebration of Halloween. They also spent plenty of time with Grandma's dress ups. We discovered a fun new park in Manti right next to the health clinic on main street. The weather was unseasonably warm and so we stopped at the park and had lunch. It was so fun that we went back the next day. The kids were beyond spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa. I enjoyed the help with diaper changes and having meals prepared for me.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!

We got the Halloween season started with pumpkin decorating. I saw these kits to make pumpkins and thought it was a great idea. I was right! This was the easiest least messy way that we have ever decorated pumpkins. The best part was that the kids loved it. We will be able to display our pumpkins all season because they won't shrivel up like the carved variety. The kids have picked out costumes. Porter is going as Batman and would wear out his costume before Halloween if I would let him. Anna will be the cutest witch you have ever seen and Abi is going to be a sorceress (or Abi the black as she calls herself). We did store bought costumes this year as my time is limited and the kids were getting anxious about having a costumes. Happy haunting everyone!

Time to Breathe!

Well, I never imagined that it would take this long to sit down and write a blog about Jack's birth. I underestimated how busy I was going to be after he arrived. I am not complaining. I would much rather have it this way than to still be pregnant. This may seem like old news two weeks later but I would like to record it anyways. After the doctor checked my cervix and determined that we should go ahead and induce labor on the 24th I started to have some contractions. They slowly got closer and harder as the day went on. Right before bed I started to loose my mucus plug and I was just hoping that I could make it through most of the night before heading to the hospital. I was able to sleep (as well as any pregnant lady sleeps) until about 4:00 am when the contractions just got too hard. When I got up and timed them they were 3 min apart and 1 min long. When I called the doctor she said we should head in to the hospital. It was nice because we were all prepared but I didn't have to be induced. My mom had come to stay with the kids and everything was set for Jesse and I to be gone for a few days. It couldn't have worked out more perfect. When we got to the hospital and settled they checked me and I was at 5 cm. I was a little disappointed because I had been at a 4 the day before and the contractions were very painful. I decided to get the epidural at this point. While the anesthesiologist was administering the epidural I was looking over at Jesse as he slept and decided that next time (if there is one) I want to be the Dad, he can be the mom. (Just kidding, I love being the mom. I could go without all the pain though.) Then we just hung out for a while and watched TV. I wasn't progressing real fast but that was OK because my doctor was in a meeting. Once he was available he came in and broke my water and surprise I was already at a 10. We started to work on getting him out but that was tricky because he was posterior. Dr. Porter had some trouble getting him to turn. At this point I was really glad that I couldn't feel what was going on. At the last second the baby turned and after a few more minutes of pushing he was here. (11:21 am, our fastest by far) The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice and so we were relieved that he was here and healthy. We immediately realized that little Jack was the male version of Anna. Even Jesse agreed and he usually claims that he can't tell who they look like. Jack has lots of dark hair and the exact little face that Anna had when she was an infant. He seems so little but at the same time big as he is a whole pound bigger than any of our other kids were. We stayed in the hospital until Friday. Jesse thought I was crazy for staying that long but I knew it would be easier to rest there than at home. The kids were so excited to see Jack and came as soon as they could. It was a little crazy with them in the little hospital room, however. Porter wouldn't leave the buttons on my bed alone. I kept having to explain to the secretary that my little boy pushed the nurse call light. My mom and Dad spent the weekend with us and were a big help. I didn't have to change Porter's diaper or prepare a meal for a whole week and that was great. I also came home to a clean house and that was the best gift ever. We are still adjusting but I am starting to feel under control. Nursing was a struggle at first. Jack was tongue tied. Once we had his tongue clipped nursing became much less painful. He also had an eye infection over the weekend but we got some antibiotic and it has mostly cleared up. We just feel so blessed and thankful to have this new little spirit in our home. Thanks to all those who called, visited, brought in dinners and gifts. We feel so loved.

The End is in Sight!

Well, I am officially the most pregnant that I have ever been. It isn't going to last much longer though. I went to the doctor today and when he checked me I was 4 cm and 90 % effaced. I had protein in my urine and a blood pressure that was normal but a little high for me. In the end Dr Porter decided we should induce labor tomorrow. We are very excited. I have been feeling very good for someone in her last month of pregnancy but I am still anxious to get the whole show on the road. The best part is that I don't have to find a babysitter for my kids twice a week anymore. I have some great friends and sister in law (Cindy) that have been very patient with me pawning my kids off on them for the past two months. I am very grateful for their help. I am sure that Anna and Porter won't know what to do with themselves when they don't get to have play dates all the time though. Hopefully this induction won't take as long as Porter's since I am already starting to dilate. We are thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers this past nine months. I am sure that they helped us get this far.

Porter, Porter Porter!

Porter has been going with Jesse every Sunday morning to set up chairs with the Young Men. He gets very serious about this job. Our folding chairs were out after Anna's birthday party. I was trying to get myself ready for church and when I came out this is what I found. Apparently he thought we needed a living room full of folding chairs set up. It was very cute. He is quickly turning into a little man.

Finially Preschool!

Anna started preschool last week. The deadline for school in Utah is Aug 31st so Anna only misses kindergarten by 3 days. The funny thing is that preschool started Sept. 4 so she was already 5 when she started. She has been looking forward to preschool for a very long time, even praying for it. Abi attended the same school and we just love it! This is a picture of Anna and her teachers, Teacher (Sandra), and Mrs. Jensen. They take pictures of the kids on special days and print them out all cute for the kids. They really go above and beyond. We just hope they will still be teaching when Jack gets old enough. She has two friends from our ward in her class and that is really fun.

Happy Birthday Anna!

Anna turns 5 years old today. I can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday that she surprised us by joining our family 9 weeks early. You would never know by looking at her now that she started out only 3 lb. 7 oz. We love having her as part of our family. Her beautiful smile just brightens up our home. She is such a good helper for her mom and Dad. Anna loves life and learning and it becomes infectious. We are proud of the young woman that she is turning into. She finally got her very own bike for her birthday and is excited to take rides with her big sister. Anna is also having her first friend birthday party on Saturday and can't wait. She has been "helping" me plan it for weeks. We love you Anna!

Anna's New Bike!

Rain, Rian, Don't Go Away!

We had our first major down pour of the summer on Sunday. (I guess it has been a dry summer for us.) Once or twice a year it rains so hard that the rock pit at the church next to our house starts to over flow and floods our sidewalk. If it wasn't for that rock pit our basement would flood at least once a year, so thanks to whoever decided to put it there. Jesse started daring the kids to run out to the swing set and back. They were hesitant at first but before we knew it they were begging to do it again. We are happy to get the rain and some relief from the hot weather. I am always excited for the change of season. I guess it is a good thing I live in Utah.

Back to School!

Abi started first grade on Monday. This was her first experience with a full day of school. Packing her own cold lunch was particularly exciting. (She started asking if she could pack it Sunday morning and had it done before church.) She likes her teacher, Mrs. Colligan, who is a new teacher at our school. When we ask her what her favorite part of the day is she always says recess and lunch. (Last year her teacher rarely gave her recess and this was a huge source of stress for her.) The biggest problem so far is that she has so many friends that she doesn't know who to play with at recess. If you are going to have a problem that is the kind to have. We are really proud of Abi and how she is growing up.

Wheeler Farm

We went to Wheeler Farm with our play group this past week. Porter was just a few months old the last time we went, so it was a whole new experience for him. He was so excited to see all the different farm animals (chickens, turkeys, pigs, sheep, horses and cows) and ran from pen to pen moving a bit to quick for my pregnant body to keep up with. (The stroller I brought was just too confining for this activity!) And then we saw the tractors! I think all three of the kids could have spent a few more hours pretending to drive the tractors. We fed the ducks and geese around the pond. Porter was so funny trying to get them to eat out of his hand until one of the geese nipped at him. After that incident he wouldn't let me put him down and thought the I was going to be eaten too. It was a beautiful day to be outside and picnic. We will have to make this a summer tradition.

The Fruits of Our Labor

We put a lot of work into planting a garden this year. Jesse built some boxes and we added a lot of compost and manure to our "wonderful Magna soil" . We decided to start small and if we were successful we would build on that next year. The cucumbers we planted just didn't take, but the squash and zucchini plants are huge and producing a lot. They just seem to grow in front of your eyes. We neglected to check the plants for just a few days and ended up with this huge zucchini. We also have our first red tomato on the vine and are excited to start making fresh salsa and pasta sauces in the next few weeks. I can't believe how much I have enjoyed having a garden. I must have some of Grandpa Thornock's jeans in me.

Oh Hannah Montana!

Porter has become obsessed with Hannah Montana (Or "Ontanna" as he calls her). He has always liked her TV show but lately he has taken it to a whole new level. Whenever he is missing I go strait to the girls' room and there he is all propped up on their bookshelf. He has taught himself how to run the CD player. He can find the CD, put it in the machine, and get it to his favorite song , "The Best of Both Worlds". It is even more amazing because the radio has some quirks and is often difficult for me to run. We tried unpluging it and switching it to radio but it only took a day for him to figure out how to plug it back in and switch it back to CD. The girls get frustrated because he tends to destroy their room in the process. He will literally stand there on the bookshelf for an hour signing to the same song over and over. There is never a dull moment with Porter around.

Summer Activities

Abi and Anna have been involved in some fun activities this summer. Anna participated in a soccer skills class through community education once a week for 6 weeks. She really enjoyed the class and is quite the little soccer player. Her legs are short but she was usually the fastest kid out there. I was a proud mom when they played keep away with the soccer ball and the coach had to intervene so that someone besides Anna could have a turn. She isn't competitive like Abi, but that might be a good thing.


Abi has been interested in figure skating, so when Jesse's friend at work told him about a program near our home we decided to give it a go. She is one determined little girl and with some help from Jesse was able to pass off all the skills at the skate 1 level. She likes it so much that she has decided to put off dance classes for a while so she can continue skating.
Together, Abi and Anna, took part in the Cyprus High Mini Cheer Camp. For three days they took class from the high school cheerleaders. At the end they got to preform for the parents. There were quite a few girls from our ward involved and that made it even more fun.
I am sure you will agree that these are about the cutest little cheerleaders you've ever seen.

Our Day at Lagoon

We made a deal with Abi at the first of school that if she would do her homework without complaining that we would take her to Lagoon in the summer. Of course, this was long before we knew we would be pregnant. We took advantage of Carrie and Chavis' stake lagoon day and the pregnant ladies got in free. I never thought I would be able to spend a day at Lagoon and only ride the train and merry-go-round. It wasn't nearly as hard as I expected it to be. Abi is a roller coaster junkie now and Anna and Porter can't wait until they get bigger. They all enjoyed the rides that they were big enough to ride. We expected to get home early, but in the end we stayed until just before closing. Jesse keeps promising me a night out at the Melting Pot for begin such a "saint". However, I think we would spend almost as much on dinner as we did to go to Lagoon, so we will see.

Fun in the Sun!

Our ward has a playgroup that gets together once a week. We planned a bunch of extra fun activities for the summer. I volunteered our backyard for a water party. We had a few little pools, a slip and slide, and sprinklers for the kids enjoyment. My friend brought over her snow cone maker and everyone chipped in to order pizza for lunch. I was wishing we had thought things out a little better and scheduled it further away from the holiday, but we got through it. Everyone had a blast. Somehow we ordered the perfect amount of pizza and I made bread sticks that turned out really good. I hope we can do this every summer!

Swimming at Cabana

Since we can only be in one place at a time, we celebrated the holiday with the Thornock side on July 5th. We got back to our roots and had a BBQ at Cabana Club. We really enjoyed the pool after a morning of yard work. Abi and Porter are little fishes. Anna, on the other hand, is scared to death if her feet can't touch the bottom. So she spent a good amount of time in the baby pool or sitting on the deck. It has been a few years since the weather has cooperated with our plans to go to Cabana. We all had a lot of fun, although we missed the slides!

4th of July Parade - Tooele, Utah

We enjoyed camping out on Great Grandpa Liddell's lawn and watching the 4th of July parade. Our kids look forward to this tradition every year. It is also a great time to get together and celebrate Great Grandpa's birthday. (How old is he now? j/k) After enjoying a celebratory lunch together the Joe Liddell family reconvened at our house. (At least those within 200 miles.) The kids enjoyed running through the sprinklers while the adults relaxed. We also tried out a new tamale recipe and had a Mexican feast. It went over well, although with some adjustments they will be even better next time. We finished off the holiday by watching fireworks with some friends. It was a busy but fun 4th!

Oh Boy!

Porter loves our sandbox. One day the kids had been playing outside. Sarah came to pick up her kids and they went on their way. Pretty soon I noticed that Porter was missing. I asked the girls where he was and they didn't know. So I started to search. This is how I found him.
Porter loves the movie "Cars". He has slowly been acquiring some cars attire. He had some sandals that broke and so we went looking for a new pair. This is what he picked out, much to his mother's dismay. He is definitely the best at getting what he wants. I thought he had gotten over his excitement for the movie. Then we watched it the other day and he was so excited that it was like he was seeing it for the first time. The minute it was over he wanted to watch it again. Luckily we all like the movie and don't mind it once in a while.

Happy Very Late Father's Day

We went to vitist Grandma and Grandpa Thornock for father's day weekend. On saturday we went to the St. George Temple. It was the first time any of us had been there. We had some time to kill while Grandma and Grandpa were in a wedding and we went to the visitor's center and hung out on the temple grounds. It was one of the first warm days of the summer and we sure enjoyed it.

Under Construction

Life has been crazy and I haven't added anything to our blog in quite a while. I am trying to change a few things and it has been a bit frustrating. So, if things look strange that is why.

Tag You're It!

One Word Tag...
1. Where is you cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? Jesse
3. Your hair? ignored
4. Your mother? energy
5. Your father? helpful
6. Your favorite thing? outside
7. Your dream last night? absent
8. Your favorite drink? brisa di mora negra (Los Hermanos)
9. Your dream/goal? Italy
10. The room you're in? Family
11. Your children? monkeys
12. Your fear? pre-term
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Date (I will have a daughter old enough to babysit)
14. Where were you last night? walk
15. What you're not? organized
16. Muffins? poppy seed
17. One of your wish list items? car
18. Where you grew up? Taylorsville
19. What are you wearing? stripes
20. Your TV? Barbie
21. Your pets? kids
22. Your computer? immobile
23. Your life? crazy
24. Your mood? content
25. Missing someone? Brian
26. Your car? empty
27. Something you're not wearing? jewelry
28. Favorite store? Target
29. Your summer? pregnant
30. Like someone? Jesse
31. Your favorite color? yellow
32. Last time you laughed? yesterday
33. Last time you cried? Thursday

I tag Sarah Searle, Adreann Liddell, and Ruth Liddell!

School's Out!

Abi is officially done with Kindergarten. She has really loved school and her teacher. She is especially going to miss seeing her friends every day. Her class put on a program for the last day of school. She played Goldilocks in a little skit and sang "Tiny Tim" all on her own. She has done very well this year and we are so proud of all of her accomplishments. In eight short weeks Abi will get to eat lunch and enjoy three recesses at school as a first grader. She can't wait!!

Little Man at Work

Porter is all boy! He loves to work outside with his Dad. Most of you know about his total obsession with the lawn mower. A few weeks ago the "lawn mow" broke. The wheel fell off and Jesse had to finish the back yard with three wheels. This was disturbing to Porter. Jesse told him that they would fix it together. For the next week he constantly reminded us that the lawn mower needed to be fixed. Porter and Jesse took a special trip to Home Depot to buy a new wheel. When they got home, Porter about had a heart attack when Jesse threw the old one away. To top it off he then discovered he had to wait until the morning to fix it. They went out bright and early the next morning and replaced the wheel. It was very serious business for Porter. He just loves his dads tools and can name most of them right down to the air compressor that we pass daily on our way to get in the car. He has also started to enjoy his Dads new calling and being around the young men in the ward. He helps set up chairs on Sunday morning and takes it very seriously. Just tonight Jesse was having a YM activity here at our house. They had gotten out some of our folding chairs in the process. Porter was having trouble not being in the middle of all the action and I had to keep chasing him down to keep him down stairs. I got busy and lost him. When I went upstairs to retrieve him I found that he had decided he should fold up all the chairs and stack them against the wall. I wouldn't believe he could do this if I hadn't seen it myself. We just love him to death.

Good Eats!

We were watching a cooking show on PBS the other day where they made Tortellini from scratch and I have had a hankering to try it ever since. We have all the necessary tools, thanks to Bert and Adreanne's generous gift of a pasta roller, so Jesse and I gave it a go last night. The pasta dough turned out better than it ever has before and it was a lot of fun to figure out how to make them look edible. It took a lot of time but in the end it was well worth it. Jesse couldn't stop ranting and raving about how good they were. The kids even gobbled it up. Luckily we had enough that we could freeze some and we can have another delicious meal out of our hard work. I thought I would include some mouth watering pictures. I wish you all could have tasted it with us.

Little Stars!

Tiny Dancers

Abi and Anna recently had their first dance recital with Shellie's School of Dance. After nine months of instruction and practice they both did a great job. We were very impressed with this dance school and would recommend it to anyone. The girls actually learned something and remembered their dance when it was time to preform. I was also impressed with how modest all of the costumes were. There was not a single bare midriff in the concert, even among the high school dancers. They got to wear stage makeup and get all beautiful for the recital. After Abi was all ready she looked in the mirror and said with a giant smile on her face "I look like a teenager." The bright red lipstick was the highlight for Anna. She still asks to wear lipstick almost daily.

And Then There Were Four

For those of you who didn't know, we are expecting another baby. It was all a bit of a surprise and took a minute to sink in but five months later we have decided that it really is a good time to add to our family. When we are running around and dragging our three kids with us Jesse and I often look at each other and wonder how we are going to keep four kids corralled on the move. We recently found out that this little spirit is of the male variety. It evens things up for Porter and Jesse, which is nice. However, Porter (our rough and tough little boy) is either going to kill the baby or have a great partner in crime. I am not sure which scenario I prefer. So now we need a name. Jesse came up with this "great idea" a few months ago that if it was a boy we would name it Chuck Liddell, after the ultimate fighting world champion. I have always liked the last name Liddell but now I am not so sure. If you can't tell I (Jeanette) am not crazy about the idea. I decided to leave the issue alone until we found out the gender. After all, if it was a girl the issue would just go away. I wasn't that lucky. So now Jesse brings it up almost daily and even has Anna (daddies little girl) going along with him. I thought it would be good to get input from all those who read our blog. Please weigh in by participating in the poll. Everything is going well with the pregnancy so far. I did one round of prednisone to help with some of the fatigue and aches that my doctor attributed to Lupus. It is better to be safe than sorry. It seems to have helped quite a bit. (I wonder if all pregnant women with three kids at home could benefit from such a treatment.) Abi and Anna are excited to have a baby around. They would have liked it to be a girl but are glad for Porter to have a brother. Porter is oblivious to it all. When he kicks, punches, or pushes me in the stomach I tell him to be careful with the baby. He then lifts up my shirt to look at my belly and points to his own belly and yells "my baby." He who has not been named is due to arrive Oct. 13, 2008. It will be interesting to see how this pregnancy plays out.
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Wake up and smell the blog!

Blogging, what is that? For the past few years I have been living technology ignorant. I have finally woken up and realized what a great tool it could be to keep in touch with our family and friends. Life seems to pass us by at the speed of light. As our little bunch grows we get busier and it is ever harder to connect with those we love. Hopefully, this blog will keep all of you in the loop and help us keep a journal of our changes at the same time.