Mid-November Update

So, I really haven't been in the mood to post anything new since Halloween. I've felt a bit gloomy. I really have! Maybe it's the weather? Maybe it is from the formation of my 8th chin during this long pregnancy? Maybe it is because my children have been making me a bit crazy? Maybe it is the reality of the PG home sinking us? Maybe I am sick of all of the pessimism surrounding the near future of our country? Who knows?



I told Dave, I guess what I should do is focus on the things that are going right!

1. I have 3 healthy children who are happy and love life!

2. The kids constantly say funny things that keep me laughing....like Jaxson asking Dave why he has grass growing on his chest. Then Jaxson wanted to water it so it would grow.

3. Dave's the man. So happily married. Amen.

4. We're expecting a baby girl! Just past the 28 week mark today. 11 more to go!

5. We have great jobs

6. We have the gospel

7. We live in a country with freedoms!

I could go on and on but there is a fight in the other room! AHHHH, these kids!!!!!! :)

Happy Halloween!!!!

Halloween proves to be more and more fun each year! Three years ago, we established a new tradition in our neighborhood of getting together before the trick-or-treating for some chowders, soups, bread sticks and pumpkin pie! This year, the final tally of participants was.....63! Here are some memories of the evening together!Lindsay Kids 2008

Austin as Spiderman, Jaxson as nothing, Taylor as a good witch!

Taylor and Jaxson, ready to go!

Crystal and Jen

Steve and Ella

Yolanda and Landon

Merideth and Carter

Nate, the gorilla and Dave

The Johnstons

Nate Hult

After Austin saw Nate dressed like this, he cried and cried until Nate left to go trick-or-treating!

Taylor and Austin

Some of the 9 different soups and chowders brought to the party!

Girls, Girls, Girls!

Spiderman!

Mykin and Christine

Eat up, kids! Time to go soon!

FANGS!

I wanted to make some kid-friendly treats that were healthy so I found this idea: apples with slivered almonds!

Christie Gunther!

Here are some daddy long-leg cupcakes for the kids! They turned out so cute!

Jaxson and I put these together just a few hours before the party began!

Another Austin "Incident"

If you think we lack in the area of watching our children well, please just keep it to yourselves! This is Austin's 4th "incident" this year. Mind you, he has had a broken arm, stitches in his head, hit by a car in June and now an incident with the pavement. I don't what it is about him! It scares me!

Yesterday, he was riding the big wheel down the grassy slope onto the cement parking area by our garage. I was right there watching him. When the big wheel touched the cement, Austin stuck out his feet to brake a bit. With all of momentum of flying down the hill, he flew over the bars and went right into the cement! His nose is so bruised now and he has many abrasions, one big one on his forehead. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the current baby of our family!

Another Act of Kindness...

You know how when you find something special, you reach out and hold on to it as tightly as possible? That is how Dave and I feel about the neighborhood we live in. We have always enjoyed our neighbors in the other homes we were in, yet having said that, there is really something special about where we are in Cedar Hills.

Last Sunday, as I sat down with the kids at church, our neighbors who were sitting in front of us turned around and informed me they were coming over on Monday night with more of our neighbors to clean our yard for a service project. I exclaimed, "Sister Gleed, you don't need to do that!" Her response was, "We know that; yet we are coming! Your husband works 7 days a week for 7-12 hours and you are pregnant and can hardly walk while trying to chase this young family, teach and try to keep your home up. We see your yard needs some trimming and we're coming over."

Sure enough, on Monday at 5:00, about 7-8 adults and 3 teenagers arrived and worked on our yard for the next 2 1/2 hours! Our rose bushes got pruned, every shrub cut back, flower bushes transplanted, weeds were extracted from the ground, tumble weed and guck pulled from the window wells.....we have a new yard! Ruben and Brother Gleed, cutting down the "weed tree" I have been bugging Dave to cut down for the past 3 years!Sister Gleed and her granddaughter, Samantha

Dana, who apparently came up with the idea to work in our yard!

See the branches go....!

Cute Bailey!

The 1st of three truck loads to the dump!
Steve, giving the bushes a haircut!

The kids favorite part of the evening was getting their tractor rides with Nana (Sister Gleed). She is known for giving rides in the back of the lawn mower to all of the neighborhood kids. They love it! And they love her!

Taylor and Jaxson riding in the cart behind Nana!

Taylor and Jaxson!
Nana and Taylor (with her Easter hat on from when she was 3)

Time to put away the tractor!

I just wanted to conclude my blog with a HUGE thanks from the bottom of my soul to our thoughtful neighbors. This kindness meant the world to us and we feel so blessed to associate with such generous-spirited friends! Love to all of you! Jody and Dave

A BIG Thanks to world's greatest grandmothers....from the world's most appreciative mother!

This past week has been quite a trial for me physically. On Tuesday, I had such a horrible pressure in my lower back, I thought I was going into labor. I was scared and in so much pain. It just happened that my parents showed up from southeastern Idaho for a few appointments they had on Tuesday/Wednesday and so I was put right to bed. I called my doctor who told me to "lay low and call if the pain starts to come and go instead of being steady." Thankfully, by the evening, it had faded a bit and by Thursday, it was practically gone.

Mom and Dad asked on Wednesday, after they had spent 2 hours cleaning my house, if they could take Jaxson up to Idaho until Saturday night for the round-up. He was excited and was out of here! Then, mom #2 (Barbara) took Taylor and Austin overnight on Thursday and all day Friday. I fought the need to do every awaing project for me in my house and just made myself stay in bed. I can't believe how much better I felt physically! Hardly any pain...for the 1st time in months!


Thanks so much to our two moms for the HUGE gift of rest! I feel so blessed!

Response to the "You Are Tagged" posts!

During the recent weeks, I have been "tagged" by my sister-in-law, Charlotte, and my friend, Judy, whom I never see anymore! :) I will quickly give my brief answers to their harassing "tags."

7 Unusual Things About Myself

1. The smell of ketchup creeps me out. Dave thinks this stems from our wedding night when our car was covered in the red, nasty stuff but it started long before....

2. I have a "secret savings." I have always been the girl who likes to save money on the little things in order to have money for the bigger things! My secret savings is in an account- just the money that I save as the CEO of our family! I dig on this big time! Thanks, Mom, for the idea to keep a secret savings from your husband! (Trust me, girls, I know it sounds like you are keeping something from the husband, but the boys are happy about it when there is an emergency....)

3. I really do like teenagers! When people hear that it is by choice that I teach at the junior high level, they can't understand it. But I really do get off on this age group! They are fun, bright thinkers with so much to look forward to in their futures! I love being a part of that!

4. It is out of necessity that I color my hair. This is probably the last time I'll be this dark since the blonder I am, the better (and longer) I can hide it! No fair for being in my 30's!

5. I cannot function in any area of my life when my house is untidy. This is real for me! Maybe the toilets don't have to be spotless or the baseboards around the house don't have to be dust-free, but everything needs to be in its place and orderly for me to feel empowered.

6. I can't stand dogs! This has caused many marital issues in the past few months. I seriously have a physical reaction in distaste for dogs. Now mind you, I would never swerve to hit a dog while driving, but I just don't like them to touch me with their noses nor the smell of them!

7. The "sisters" triple in size when I am pregnant! I am not kidding! It is quite a phenomenon. I actually love having a great chest the months leading up to and after the birth...

Tag Responses from Charlotte's Blog:

5 things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. Playing on the singles ward volleyball team so I could get to know a handsome stud, Dave, a lot better!
2. Planning my next summer's trips
3. Teaching piano lessons after teaching school
4. Thursday night ceramic classes! (Painted a nativity set that I still love today)
5. Simply doing what I wanted, when I wanted

5 things on my to-do list
1. Prepare to teach the Mia Maid lesson on Sunday
2. Practice the choir music for Sunday
3. Clean the bathrooms
4. Plant tulips
5. Find my ugly, black, maternity sweat pants since the weather is getting cold....

5 Snacks I Enjoy
1. Celery with laughing cow cheese
2. Garden tomatoes with cottage cheese and pepper sprinkled on top!
3. Chips and fresh salsa (wow, my mouth just watered thinking about that)
4. pears
5. chocolate in any form!

5 Jobs I Have Had
1. Pipe Mover
2. Employee in the County Assessor's Office (car titles, registration etc)
3. Rick's College Music Teacher for Beginning Students
4. BYU Placement Center including Alumni division
5. MOM and German teacher (I really enjoy teaching, but I LOVE motherhood!)

Another thing I missed last night.....

So, Dave took Jaxson to his soccer game and I missed a very important milestone. Jaxson scored his 1st goal! Dave said Jax was so proud of himself and just cheered.

I responded, "Man, I have been to every practice, every game, practiced with him outside and the ONE TIME I miss him playing, he scores a goal!"

Dave left it with, "Well, Jode, the goal he scored was for the other team....." No joke.

That's our boy!