Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

What are your Christmas traditions? We tell the story of Jesus's birth and open presents on Christmas eve. The first gifts are jammies and blankets. Here are the kids with theirs...
















For Christmas day we do some sort of service/humantarian aide project. This year we tied a baby quilt for the local domestic violence shelter.

















The finished product...

Rules

I need some advice for dealing with my new stepmom. First I have to say that I really like her and think she is a wonderful companion for my father. She is also a wonderful Grandmother to the kids and I know she always has good intentions. That being said I am struggling with the cohabitation we have going on. Living in my parents house has always been pretty easy and since I was raised here I know what the rules were and what was expected of me. Since we have moved back and Dixie is the new woman of the house it seems that all the rules have changed. This would not really be a problem except that Dixie and my dad do not really want to establish what the rules are and so for the past 2 1/2 months I have been walking around on egg shells trying to meet expectations and abide by rules when I am not really sure what they are. I have tried asking both Dixie and my dad on several different occasions but the reply is always 'everything is fine', or 'just be more sensitive to Dixie's need to be the Queen of the house.' I am not sure really what that means and what I am doing to be unsensitive to that fact and I am really lost about how to fix it. So, I know none of you know her,but do any of you have any general suggestions for how to fix my problem???

A Whale of a Tale

I was asked recently by a friend what I looked like so I decided to post some pregnancy pics. I want it to go on record that I hate these pictures, but for the curiosity of some of you out there this is what I look like at 31 weeks pregnant.

This is what I feel like (the animal not the lady)...



This is actually what I look like...
Notice the cute cardigan (shout out to Diane!!!)

It's Begining to look a lot like Christmas!

This last weekend we woke up to this....



I LOVE the snow! My brother's Jamie and Darren came over and we went sledding in an empty field near our house that had a big dirt hill. It was a lot of fun! The kids had a great time playing together! The snow always makes me feel like Christmas. I suppose it is the years of snowy Christmas's from my childhood,but now I am very excited for Christmas to come!!!!


Uncle Jamie and Jr attempting the hill!


Amaya and cousin Taylor


L to R bottom row - Amaya, Mattie, Josie and Jessica
L to R top row - Aysia, Taylor,Thomas, and Jamie


Plum tuckered out! Jr couldn't walk home so he was carried by dad!

For you...

Recently I have been reflecting on the places I have lived and the places that I have been the happiest. Growing up I lived in the same house, in the same town and aside from a few short stays at other places lived in La Grande until Aqeel and I were married 6 1/2 years ago. Since then I have lived in Asheville, NC, Athens, GA, San Diego, CA, and Greenville, SC. Of all these places none have made me as happy as I was (excluding my formative years) as when I lived in San Diego. I loved the weather, the wards, the activities, the school system, the shopping and eating out options, and even the beach, though I am really a mountain girl at heart. Mostly though I LOVED the people. So, this posting is a tribute to the women of San Diego!

This is for the women, my friends, who made me laugh. For you who in the late night hours drove me to the hospital when I thought I was in labor. For you who celebrated birthdays with me. For you who spent time with me at the park while our children played. For you who bouyed me up when my mother passed away. For you who shared kind words. For you who let me hang out at your home to keep me distracted from the fact that I didn't have a husband in mine. For you who went to spin class with me. For you who helped care for my children. For you who scrubbed my toilets and cleaned my home when I was too sick to do so. For you who brought in meals when I was prego and too sick to provide for my children. You are the women who made me happy. You are the women who let me feel your love for me. You are the women who, through unspoken example taught me to be a better wife, mother, and individual. You are the women I love and will always love. I don't have any pictures of you women, but I managed to borrow one from a friends blog and though all of you are not in there here are a few of those women...

Thankful

Thanksgiving was nice this year. It is so different spending it with my family opposed to Aqeel's family. My three brother's and my sister were here with their families. In total there were 10 adults and 18 grandchildren. It was a bit of a mad house. There was tons of food, card playing, and football to last for a while. On Friday we had our own family version of the Turkey bowl The little kids were so fun to play with and it was so cute seeing my three and four year old neices and nephews catching the ball and running to the opposing teams goal line because they were being chased! I wish I would have taken pictures, but I forgot my camera. So, this year I am thankful for family!

Oh Happy Day!

Today I had my last visit with my orthopedic Dr. He said that my arm was healing well and though it wasn't finished growing new bone it had grown enough that I no longer have to wear my brace or have any more appts!!! I am so grateful for the miracle of the body and its ability to heal itself!!!!!! Freedom at last!

Getting a jump start

I know it's a bit early for christmas,but I am sending this out anyway. I like to get a jump start on the holidays by getting my Christmas letters out the day after Thanksgiving. To do this I need addresses. So, I am asking that everyone who reads this blog comments with their address, or emails it to me at lisarasheed@yahoo.com so that I can add you to my list. Those of your who are nice and make comments on all my postings for the remainder of the year will get a card, those who are naughty, well you will get your due reward :) !!!

Decisions

Being 24 weeks along and with the stress of deciding on a name for the baby the question has arised on whether to find out the sex or not. I really don't want to know this time around, but Aqeel needs to know, or so he says. I feel like with all my babies been planned c-sections there is no element of surprise. It's like going in for a Dr's appt and coming out with a baby. There's no waiting or wondering if my water will break while I am out running errands, or how long labor will last, etc.. So, I want there to be some sort of surprise when I am lying on the operating table. With Amaya we did not find out the sex and when the Dr said "It's a girl" I started crying. Now, this is not a weird occurence for most deliveries, but it never happened with any of my other deliveries. So, I decided not to find out the sex of this baby. Aqeel, on the other hand, knows exactly what we are having and is really good about keeping it from me, not that I am asking. Parts of me wonders, should I be concerned that Aqeel is SOOO good at keeping secrets from me :)!? Anyway, for all of you who cannot stand not knowing what I am having I am giving permision for you to ask Aqeel. The only thing I need from you is a promise you won't tell me, or hint, or refer to any gender until after the baby is born. Here is Aqeel's email address rasheed.aqeel@yahoo.com.

Just Can't Get Enough

Normally durring pregnancy my weakness is...


Seriously I could eat a whole package in one sitting with two big glasses of milk for dipping. This pregnancy however, I can't get enough of these....

I think this one is due to Halloween.


This is seriously the BEST Hot Cocoa EVER!! (Sorry Michelle for making you gag with the idea)

This is Halloween!

Here are some pics from Halloween. The girls had a parade at school in the gym. Aysia was a devil (she decided not to dress up this year :, Amaya was a Chinese Princess and Jr was Frankenstein. It was fun!


Cutest Frankenstein EVER!


Waiting for the parade to start!


I think she looks so pretty in this one!


Leaving the classromm for the parade!


At the parade with her friend Emma!

catching up

Ok,so I have been really bad about posting and I really don't have an excuse for why. So,here are some pics to try and catch up.

You may remember that I broke my arm a while back... Here is the pic of the cast and spacing sling thing. It's a bad pic, but I took it myself so I couldn't get a good angle.



Next, Aqeel has learned a new trade. He is now a carpenter. He helped my Dad build a shed in their back yard from sratch. Here is a pic...


Dad & Dixie


Aqeel hard at work

Protecting the Sanctity of Marriage

This video was sent to me via email and I thought it was important enough to share here. We have heard that "to whom much is given, much is required." I believe this includes standing up for things that may be hard for others to understand. There have been many who have said that voting yes on Prop 8 is voting for hate. I can see how people without the understanding and belief of the gospel would feel or think this way. However, those of us who know understand that voting yes means taking a stand for what is right. This video shows an example of the effects of legalizing homosexual marriages and it is quite interesting....

Debates...

I don't know about the rest of you, but watching the Presidential debate tonight has left nothing but a bad taste in my mouth. The constant finger pointing and unanswered questions were really depressing. I don't know how either politician can expect to gain support by this type of behavior. I am saddened by both men and have no desire to vote for either person. I am so glad there is a place to pencil in a candidate on the ballots because at this point the only answer for me is someone other than Obama or McCain. What do the rest of you think????

So inspiring...

One of the things that I remember most about my mother is seeing her reading. I think she keep desseret book in business buying at least two books every month for years. We have a vast collection of books because of it and I enjoy reading almost all of them. In fact most of the members in our town know of my mother's mini library and used to come over and check out books from her.

So, last night I was looking through the shelves and I came across this book. On the back cover was a picture of the authors with their family. As I looked through the picture I realized that I knew two of them and so I decided to read it. As I read this book each page became more and more personal to me. Each part of the story struck a cord within me and I was amazed at how the story of family a didn't really know could have such a resounding impact on me. Though the story is about the long battle of loosing a loved one to cancer, something I cannot fully relate to, it is also about the joys of adversity. Some of you may think that joy and adversity cannot dwell within the same sphere, but to me it does. I have struggled with much adversity in my life and from it I have learned how much my Heavenly Father really does love and trust me. To quote a passage from the book, "I have a different understanding of adversity now, viewed not with despair or anguish or regret but with confidence that my loving Heavenly Father is earnestly trying to allow me to learn something very important-so important that he is actually willing to let me suffer in order to learn the lesson." These words are so true!


So, if any of you are looking for a great book to read try and find Marathon of Faith, by Rex & Janet Lee. It is such a wonderful book of inspiring faith! I am grateful to the Lee family for sharing their personal experience so that I may be touched and uplifted by it!

For you Diane...

I found this dress on Nordstrom's site. I think it is so cute and it would look great with your body shape. It's called a OC by Oleg Cassini Belted Taffeta Dress. Anyway, just thought I would try to help in your search.

p.s. also found these shoes at simplydresses.com and thought they were so cute.

Wisdom Wednesday - Changing schools

Lat night was Parent's Night at Aysia's school. We had a good time seeing her classroom and meeting her teacher. However, looking over her class work was a different experience. Aysia has done really badly with math concepts here. These are the same math concepts that while in 1st grade in San Diego she had mastered. It occurred to me last night that while in South Carolina she didn't bring home a whole lot of math homework and definitely not a lot that had to do with memorization of addition and subtraction tables. So, now that she is here and the curriculum is centered more around math and reading/writing she is not doing so well. This has made me really regret the fact that we have moved our kids around so much. Aysia has lost so much in the year that we spent in South Carolina and it really makes me question why??? Is it because the curriculum isn't as advanced? Maybe the fact that she had such a young teacher had something to do with it??? Maybe it's just been the crazy summer we have had??? I don't know the real answer but it has certainly posed an issue for us. Also, Amaya has started kindergarten and we have learned that she needs extended day kindergarten to help her catch up to the rest of her class. I know that Amaya has fallen under the curse of the middle child. We did not work with her at home on memorizing the alphabet, beginning to learn to read, or even writing and so she is a bit behind. This whole experience, maybe these are the prego hormones talking, has really made me feel like I have done a true disservice to my children academically. I know I shouldn't really worry because Aysia will remember and catch on quickly. Amaya will catch on also. After all she isn't the only one in her class that is behind and she is only in kindergarten. So, I guess my words of wisdom for today would be to be engaged in your children's learning both in school and before school starts.

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

I like the morph better. This is me and Scarlett Johansson. I think she is beautiful! Maybe I can literally morph into her someday!

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Family tree outline - Family pictures

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

I did three...With, without glasses, and as a kid. Notice there are very few similarities between the collages...

without glasses...

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb

With Glasses....

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb

About 3 yrs old...

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

The miracle of making babies

Here is the first pic of baby #4. Baby is about 18 weeks old and the radiologist wouldn't give us a gender yet so we don't know the sex. I am actually glad of that because I haven't yet decided if I want to know. With Amaya we chose not to find out and it was really a great moment when she arrived and the Doc. said "it's a girl!" I think I want to experience that again. However, Aqeel does want to know, so we'll see. So far this pregnancy has really sucked, which hasn't helped me warm up to the idea of having another baby very well. I had first trimester nausea similar what I experienced during my pregnancy with Jr only I caught it early enough and got on the phenegren quickly. Now I have acid reflux like none other. I cannot eat milk or tomatoes I am assuming because of the lactose and acid. However, the positive side of not being able to eat milk is that I am not downing whole bags of oreos in one sitting, which is a pregnancy norm for me. So, maybe having gas and reflux will actually help me not gain too much weight!! Another positive is that I have recently began to feel the baby move a bit, which is my favorite part of second trimester pregnancy! So, maybe the whole pregnancy won't suck and I can find a way to be excited about having this FINAL (and I really mean it this time) baby.

Pregnancy hormones

We all know that being pregnant brings on plenty of emotional ups and downs and as many times as I have been pregnant you would think that I am well versed in these emotional ebbs and flows. Today however I was overcome with sadness, maybe joy I don't really know while watching The Karate Kid. You heard me correctly I said The Karate Kid!!! I have been in a nostalgic mood lately so I have been renting a lot of 80's flicks and sharing them with the kids. I have not seen that movie since the 80's but when little Danielson won the Karate tourney I was fighting back tears! Crazyness!!!! Sometimes I wish I were a guy and not so emotional!

Just thinking...

A lot of things have been bouncing around in my mind lately and I haven't posted because I don't want to bore anyone, but I feel guilty for not posting so here goes...

1. I have NO idea who to vote for or even which party to subscribe too. I have previously leaned towards Obama, but Democrats are in favor of such things as abortion and legalizing homosexual marriage. Since I know the difference between right and wrong shouldn't I stand up for things that are right? If I vote in favor of a democrat aren't I voting for abortion and gay marriage???

2. What makes someone who has been a member for years, married in the temple, and had both kids baptized fall away from the church??? Recently I found out that my cousin did this and I am in shock. There was no offense that occurred. She merely stopped believing and now is opposed to her boys having the priesthood. I don't understand, but also don't want to offend her by asking. So sad...

3. Is there a right way to tell someone you love that they need marital counseling and a closer relationship with the Savior without sounding "holier than thou"? Another cousin of mine and close friend is having real problems in her marriage and from what I can see the only way to fix it is through therapy and the atonement. How do I tell her that without offending her and is it even my place to say anything? She talks with me a lot about her problems, but is that license to say what I really think even though it may sound harsh???

So, these are just some thoughts and I would LOVE any and all opinions on these. Please feel free to share without judgment.

Tired!

I hate to be a complainer, but I am so going to today! I had an appt today with my orthopedic surgeon. He said that my bone in my arm is not healing correctly. It is bowing out because of my well endowed front section that spills over into my armpit. So, they are giving me a new gadget for my arm. I already HATE the one I have because it leaves me so paralyzed. Even typing on this computer is uncomfortable. Now they are giving me this foam cushion triangular pillow thing that straps around my waist and keeps my arm away from my body. As soon as I get the new gadget I will have Aqeel take a pic so I can post it. I am really not looking forward to this new thing. I am grateful for modern medicine and not having to undergosurgery, but I am starting to think that surgery is a nicer, quicker option. My arm hurts and I am irritated by my upcoming apendage, but I am grateful for modern medicine.

Wisdom Wednesday

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.' Maya Angelou

Lately I have felt a little bit like the one with two catcher's gloves. It seems that there are times in life where we get so focused on what we want that we loose sight of what we are giving. As mother's we are always giving to our children and husband's, but what are we doing beyond that? This is the trap I get caught in. I rely on the fact that serving our family is service enough, but I am affraid that I will be found wanting in the service department wondering why I didn't give more. It does not require much effort; a friendly call to someone in need, a helping hand to a stranger who needs help loading their groceries into their car, a few words of encouragement to someone needing a lift. These things are service too and these things I can do. The question is why don't I? So for this week my goal is to find a way every day that I can give a little extra to those whom I do not always serve.

Manic Monday - 4-Wheelers

Ok, so another low point...

Two days after we arrived in La Grande I decided to take my kids for a ride on Granpa's new 4-wheeler. You must understand that in my lifetime I have driven and riden on many a 4-wheeler, but never an automatic 8-cyl one. So, with all the kids in tow and Aqeel at the college siging up for school, we loaded onto the 4-wheeler and over to the empty field at the end of our block. The first couple trips around the field were fun and pretty uneventful so I decided to let Aysia drive. She got in the front and drove the rest of us around the field about 2x. Then it was Amaya's turn. We were facing a neighbor's horse pasture and Amaya pushed on the throttle and would not let go. I panicked as I saw the barbed wire fence and fence post right in front of us and froze. In my mind I was thinking "take her hand off the throttle" but I just froze. So, we easily porceeded through the fence. Next in our path were two horses. Again panicking I decided to try to turn. This resulted in me flipping the 4-wheeler 1 and 1/2 turns. The children were all ok except a few small bruises and scrapes. I however hit the manure and kept slidding for about 2-3feet. When I finaly came to a stop I tried to get up, but couldn't. For some reason my whole left side was numb and I couldn't breathe easily. Out of nowhere a man and his wife came running to our aide. They called the ambulance and I decided to explore my injuries. My upper right arm was extremely swollen and I was sure it was either broken or I had a dislocated shoulder. My right leg was painfully sore, but I couldn't sit up to look at it. Aysia ran back to Granpa's and fetched my brother Jaime who called Aqeel. The ambulance then arrived and strapped me to the transport bed and Aqeel and Jamie were able to give me a blessing before the ambulance pulled off. I was covered from head to toe in dirt and manure and earned the top award for dirtiest patient to ever enter the ER!!! The doctor cleared me for any neck, head,or back injuries and I went back for x-rays. The x-ray tech was so nice and gentle and found a broken humurous on my right side. For those of you who don't know bones, this is the bone between the shoulder and elbow. The ER doc put my arm in a splint and sent me off with some oxycodine and a referal to the orthopedic Dr for further assesment. The only wound to my leg was a punture wound from the barbed wire for which I was treated with a tetnus shot and bandage.

Four days later I met with Dr. Warren who placed me in a plastic hydrolic arm brace. This brace squeezes the arm to lengthen it and allow the bones to reset and heal naturally. It was pretty painful at first, but now (1 week later) I have no pain and mobility in my hand and forearm. According to the Dr. I will be in this dumb thing for "months" so we will see how this whole recovery thing goes. One benefit is that I no longer have to change diapers as I am unable to do so with only one fully functioning arm!!!!! Poor Aqeel has been so accomodating and has completely taken over as mother & father for our family. I am sooo lucky to have him around!!!

We're back!!!

Ok, so just a quick overview... The drive was great! My cousin came out to help me drive which made it so much fun for me! We bought walkie talkies for the two vehicles and had fun doing our "trucker" talk back and forth on one another!!! There were only two down points to the trip. The first involved a broken down U-Haul which required us to trade out to a different truck and delayed us 5 hrs on our 9hr drive day! Luckily some awesome elders from the O'Fallon, IL ward helped us out! The second hiccup was the best western in Wyoming. Now I know best western's are one the cheep end for hotels, but we were trying to save money and only wanted a clean bed/bath so we weren't very picky. Upon arrival to our room in Wy, we were met with an incredibly overwhelming smell of rosey room deodorizer. This should have been our first clue, but we just figured that since the carpet was a bit amp they must have just cleaned the carpets. Then at about 9:45pm we started getting into bed. When we pulled back the covers to one of the king sized beds we were met with a handful of pubic hair and makeup smeared on the sheets!!!! Then when we opened the sheets to the roll away cot there was dry chewed gum in the sheets! This was sooo grose. So, being the kind restrained person I am I called the front desk to complain. They changed all of our bedding and gave us a discount on our room. This was not enough for me. They offered to change rooms, but if the housekeeping wasn't changing our sheets why would they change any other room's sheets. So, I called around to find another hotel, but every respectable hotel was full. We decided to rough it for the night in our new clean bedding, but in morning I made sure that our room was compted.

So, other than those two low points the trip was great. The kids were wonderful! Portable DVD players are a godsend. Also, I may add that on your next long car trip bring along a child training potty seat. We did and this saved us countless stops to the potty. I even used it which completely boosted my ego cause my booty fit (somewhat) on the seat!!

Sorry...

Since I missed yesterday's posting we will have thoughtful Thursday. It has been a busy week as we have been packing the house and getting it ready for the U-Haul tonight. Tomorrow we leave to drive across country to our new home. We are almost all excited. I am actually not looking forward to being crammed in a car for four days. We are well stocked with snacks and dvd's. I am sure it will go by quickly, but still I am sure there will be fights, cranky kids that are tired of being strapped down by car seats, and plenty of spills. There will also be lots of fun and laughter and the occasional moment where the girls play nicely and are actually loving to each other! Now, on to the thought...

Maya Angelou said this:
'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

I have learned throughout the ups and downs of life that this statement is so true. I have had plenty of downs in my life and am only able to keep an optimistic perspective because of my ability to look beyond the now and realize that life will be better tomorrow!

Manic Monday - computers

I have always been very excited about the advances in technology, but only when they work properly. Last week my dearest little boy decidedto pull almost all of the buttons of the keyboard of my laptop computer. The next morning (Tues)Aqeel called around and found a place that would fix it for $45. So,later that afternoon he took it in to be fixed. When he dropped it off they said it would be done by Wed. afternoon. We were satisfied with that and waited the next day for a call. Around 4:30pm we still hadn't received a call so we called. The comp. people said they hadn't recieved that part and that it would be tomorrow (Thurs). So, again we waited. By Friday we still had not recieved a call so again Aqeel called and there was no answer. On Saturday we called, no answer. This morning Aqeel went down and picked it up still unfixed. When he brought it home I tried to use it and the keyboard, which worked before without the keys would not work. We called these people again and they said that the part had just arrived and if he brought it down they would fix it. So, today around 3:30 Aqeel took the computer back and stayed until they finished it (@20mins).

After all was said and done I was grateful the computer was fixed, but very irritated at the length of time it took. The moral of this story is...It doesn't always pay to go the cheap route!

Fond Memory Friday!

I am so excited to share this story! On Tuesday I took Aqeel to the fanciest hotel we have ever stayed in for our 6th anniversary. It was the Westin in downtown Greenville. We stayed in our room all evening just watching tv and eating room service. I was a lot of fun!! Here are some pics...



Lobby



Our room

Wisdom Wednesday

On the sidewalks in our downtown area are marble spots with writings. I found this bit of wisdom on one that I really liked...

Common sense is genius in working clothes. Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am stealing an idea

My super smart and completely cool friend Diane does themed posts throughout the week on her blog. Since I am having a hard time thinking of interesting things to write frequently I decided that a few themed days may help out my blog. So, this what I came up with...

Manic Mondays - where I write about crazy and chaotic happenings
Wisdom Wednesdays - where I write the smartest sounding thing I heard or came across that day.
Fond Memory Friday - where I will obviously be sharing a fond memory.

I hope these things will be of interest to all my faithful readers and also help satisfy my blog addicted friends!!

Manic Monday - cell phones

I don't know why but I have the hardest time keeping a cell phone. I don't loose them. I wash them or get them wet by some other means and they stop working. In the past two years I have gone through four phones. Three have gone through the washing machine and the other got wet when the girls did the dishes. So, today I should be recieving my phone replacement. I am excited to get a new phone, but I feel like I have lost my whole life since everything was on my other phone.

Amaya being, well Amaya

Today Amaya saw me naked and asked..."Mom, why are your boobs long and hangy?" I don't know what Amaya's boob obsession is, but she sure put me in my place with that one (not that I needed to be put there or anything).

sick of being sick

So, being pregnant sucks for me right now. With everything that is going on in our life I don't have the time to be nauseous, but I am. This means that life is a struggle, but I believe that if it isn't hard than it isn't worth it. Although I believe this it does not always make things easier, but I do try to keep that mentality otherwise I would just loose it. Anyway, I am so surprised at how draining this pregnancy is. It has really made me realize that I am not a young person anymore and that aging is happening to me. This is not something I am affraid of, rather it is something that I didn't think was really happening. I have been living my life secure in the fact that aging was easy and doesn't really have an affect on me. I guess I now see that I was wrong. (it's a good thing that I can admit that to myself, right??!!)

Another infamous quote

Amaya said today, "Fishy candys are a guaranteed treat!!!." She was refering to sweedish fish a new fav of ours.

getting the house ready

In anticipation of our move we have decided to rent our house out. We met with the ReMax prop. manager last week and he told us we needed to paint some of the walls. When we moved in most of the walls were still covered in the cheap construction grade flat white paint. We have learned over the past year that this paint does not wipe clean without removing paint. So, there are hand prints, smudges, and some coloring crayon on the walls that we need to cover. The prop. manager also said that we should get it done quickly so that when people came to see the house there wouldn't be things still left to do. So, since Aqeel is working 60hrs a week selling cars and I am pregnant we decided to hire a painting outfit to get the job done. For $700 we will get the entry way, upstairs hall, staircase, Amaya's room, Jr's room, and the dinning room done all in just 2 days at the most! That only leaves one and a half bathrooms that Aqeel will have to do on his days off. The painter's will come tomorrow. I am glad that we chose to hire someone instead of having the stress of getting it done SLOWLY over the next month.

AAAGGGHHHH, kids!!!!

Today I was informed that there was a pool of water around the freezer in the garage and that everything was "unfrozen". I realized that the children, who were getting popsicles out of the freezer yesterday afternoon, had left the door open! I can't tell you how many times this has happened! I am so annoyed with it I might just get a lock put on it!!!!!

I have funny kids

This is what Amaya said today "Boobs get big from sweating."

clarification

Ok, so I didn't word the pregnancy prompting very well in my other posting. Aqeel and I have had that prompting for about a month it was just reiterated at the temple. For us it does seem to happen quickly. I think it's because we always wait for the Lord to tell us it's time. This way we don't have to wait around for it to happen cause the timing is already right. Or maybe I am just in too much denial to admit that we need to have another child. I have always said that I would never want to leave one of my children up in heaven and miss out on an opportunity to bring that child here to earth to be with his/her family. So, yes I am announcing I am pregnant but I am only about 4 weeks along so we will see if I make it to the second trimester. If my sickness is any indicator I should carry full term. I hope that helps clarify.

p.s. Liz and Jenna that means I will need lots of help getting ready for my move so don't be shocked if I call for something!!!!!

fun trivia!

My sis-in-law sent me this and it was fun to do with Aqeel. So, I tag anyone who wants to have fun!

How long have you been together?
Aqeel - 6 years
Alisa - 7 years (I count our dating and engagement, obviously Aqeel doesn't. Maybe I should wonder about why, but really who cares!)

How long did you date?
Aqeel - 1 year
Alisa - 3 months, engaged for another 8.

Who eats more?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - Me

Who said "I love you" first?
Aqeel - Lisa
Alisa - Me! I knew I could marry Aqeel by the first few instant message session we had.

Who is taller?
Aqeel - me
Alisa - Aqeel, but not by much

Who sings better?
Aqeel - Lisa
Alisa - Definitly me.

Who is smarter?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - Is this a trick question?????

Who does the laundry?
Aqeel - right now i do.
Alisa - Aqeel and soon our house keeper (I know that's sad, but hey I'm prego)

Who does the dishes?
Aqeel - i do.
Alisa - Aqeel or Aysia

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
Aqeel - dido
Alisa - From the lying down perspective Aqeel. If your looking at the bed me.

Who pays the bills?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - Aqeel pays them I just make sure our creditors receive them.

Who mows the lawn?
Aqeel - i do.
Alisa - Aqeel

Who cooks dinner?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - Me when I'm not sick other wise pizza hut or Chin Chin

Who is more stubborn?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - We are both pretty stubborn

Who kissed who first?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - I drove us to the look out and Aqeel got the party started!

Who asked who out first?
Aqeel - i have no idea
Alisa - Me.

Who proposed?
Aqeel - neither
Alisa - Um, there really was no proposal and it's kind a sore subject for me.

Who is more sensitive?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - Me!!!!!!!

Who has more friends?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - ME!!!!!

Who has more siblings?
Aqeel - my wife
Alisa - Me.

Who wears the pants in the relationship?
Aqeel - i do
Alisa - We both do.

I can't believe I forgot

I ran my first race and forgot to post about it. On June 21st I ran a 5k for the first time in my life without any training! I was so proud of myself for just being able to run the whole thing. Before the 5k they had a one mile family fun run/walk so Aysia did it with me. It was a lot of fun and we finished the mile in 11mins. I should say that running/walking the 11 min mile with aysia is my fastest time yet for a mile. So, I finished the 5k in just under 45mins. That's like 14 and some odd mins a mile. Not a good time, but I did it!!! Here's a pic of Aysia and I in line for our run/walk to start...

SOOO Thankful!!!!

Today Aqeel and I went to the Atlanta temple. As many of you know we have been struggling to find Aqeel a "real" job for about five months now. During this time I have felt very in the dark regarding direction from Heavenly Father. It seemed that every time Aqeel and I prayed for an answer we never got anything concrete and no job leads were coming. Over this last weekend we held a family fast, which included all of my siblings and parents to help Aqeel find a job that would we sufficient for our needs. When we were in the temple today we finally received revelation on what path to take. I have never been more excited and overwhelmed! We decided that Aqeel needs to go back to school and get his MBA instead of getting a "real" job. We also received revelation that we needed to move back to La Grande in order to do this!!! This was the exciting part for me cause that is where all my family is. I have never been more thankful for receiving direction in my life. I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple and how close you can feel to the spirit while you are there. So, now the next revelation, this is the overwhelming part....we are to start making a baby. My reply was WHAT????? Honestly never, I mean NEVER tell the Lord you are done having children. I have made that mistake twice in my life and both time Heavenly father's reply was "Oh, yeah. Let's see what you think about this." The first time I said I was done with babies was a few months before I started receiving inspiration telling my to procreate and as a result we had Jr. I have recently made this statement again and now the Lord reveals to me that we are not yet done making babies. So, I guess it's a blessing to be going back to La Grande because I will have my Dad and Stepmom who can take care of me during my first trimester of utter sickness.

Again, I will say how thankful I am to have a relationship with my Father in Heaven and the gift of the Holy Ghost so that I can know what the Lord would have us do.

4th of July

I should write something awesome about our freedoms and independence, but I'm not gonna. 4th of July reminds me of my mom. I think it's because she died the day before. I can still remember the first 4th of July after my mom died. It was so surreal, but I felt her sitting right beside me as I watched the fireworks. I could hear her saying as she always did, "wow, look at that one," or "I like that one the best." For the past two years I can still hear her making comments and it brings a mix of emotions for me. First missing her, but then excitment because I too look at the fireworks with the same awe she did. I look around and see my children staring at the explosions with amazement and wonder on their faces and wonder if my mom ever did the same with me and my siblings. I see her sitting in the church parking lot(where we watched the fireworks every year)in her lawn chair with a blanket on her lap. She made the 4th of July so much fun for us. I miss her, but I know that she is not far.

I've been tagged

Ten years ago I was...
20 years old rebellious and fearless. I lived a crazy young life!

Five things on today's "to do list"
1)go to the pool for the summer calendar activity
2)supervise children
3)take a nap
4)do some homework
5)try to stay sane and level headed without a husband at home.

I enjoy...
hanging out with family and friends, cards games, going on dates with my husband (which I haven't done in months).

I have lived in...
La Grande, Keiser, and Woodburn Oregon, Boise, Idaho, Tri-Cities, Washington, Asheville, North Carolina, Athens, Georgia, San Diego, California, and Greenville, South Carolina.

I tag Diane, Michelle, Tawnya, Camille and Laura!!!!!

Wow, I am impressed

80 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

It gettin hot in here so take off all your...

HAIR!!!!

Before...


and after...

Shoesday Tribute - What NOT to wear

Ok, so my husband comes home from Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago with these brown Dr. Schols loafers for work. They didn't look bad, but I could tell they were cheap. He said they are the most comfortable shoes ever for standing around in. He is a car salesman (temporarily) and dresses in slacks, a dress shirt and tie. So, he mentioned that he needed a pair in black. Dr. Shoals didn't make the loafer in black so he was gonna try another pair. This is what he came home with....



notice the wholes in the leather (like a sneaker)


I could not believe he was serious, but he was. I tried to convice him to let me find another pair that was equally as comfortable. I left at 12 last night in search of a pair and came back with two, one being a Dr. Schols pair. He tried on both this morning and left for work with the "short bus shoes" on. Seriously, sometimes I am just embarrased for him!

Scary!!!

This is sort-of a tribute to Jen's spider story...We hiked around Lake Conestee today for our calendar activity. We saw the lake, which really wasn't one, just a real marshy area. I think we picked a bad time of year for the water, also the drought doesn't help any. We also had the wonderful priviledge of walking right past a copperhead without even being bitten, or really even seeing it! That was really scary for me because I am terrified of snakes. In fact it was so bad that my friend Lindsay that was there had to hold my hand while we walked past the snake! Anyway, we were protected by the Lord I am sure and made it past the snake to enjoy the rest of our hike and the snake was not by the trail when we came back. I was gonna post a picture, but I couldn't handle the sight of one on my page. Sorry for all of you who desperately wanted to see one.

Choo Choo!

Today we went to ride the train at Heritage Park. The kids had a ton of fun! Here are a few pics from our activity!

Aysia, Amaya, JR and our neighbor Chloe at the train!