The Perkins Family

Jackson the Photographer

2011-04-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

Jackson has recently picked up photography. He takes pictures of all the important things in life. Here is some of his best work.

Daddy.

Mommy.

Paca.

His brother.

And of course R2D2.

Train Park

2011-04-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

On the carousel.

Duke liked the carousel until it started to move. He kept saying, "Weeeeeeee", just like his brother as he was crying.

Here Duke is yelling for Mommy to look at him.

Jackson, "Mommy take my picture by this lady."

Mr Blue Eyes

and his twin...

More train fun.

Chooo chooo.

That was a good day...

Jackson's 4th Birthday

2011-04-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

On Jackson's birthday he got to choose what he wanted for dinner. He choose smiley face chocolate chip pancakes. (That's my boy!) He was soooo happy when I handed this to him. He finished it and then said, "Okay, what is for dessert? I ate all my dinner!"

This year we had a family birthday party at Peter Pipper Pizza. I was so pregnant and tired that making some cupcakes and ordering pizza was the best I could do. The good news is that Jackson didn't care he was just happy to have his family there to sing to him.

Lighting the candles...

Everyone is singing...

Try number one...

Try number two...

Try number three!!!
At this point we were all laughing so hard I am surprised that Ashley managed to get a picture of it!

Christmas Flashback

2011-01-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Here is the Christmas photo from this year. It is a classic! Next to it is a picture of Josh and his brother in 1981. Further proof that the Perkins genes are so strong that these kids look nothing like me! I love it!

Snow Day

2011-01-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of January we drove down to the snow and played for the day. Surprisingly the kids had a better time in the car than in the snow. They were shocked at how cold it was, and after five minutes they were in tears and asked to go back to the car. That is where they sat drinking hot chocolate till we drove home. So much for a snow adventure. If you ask Jackson is he would like to go back to the snow now he says, "No way! It was too cold!" I guess that means that we can never move from Arizona!

Jackson asleep on the way to the snow.

Duke eating crackers in the car.

Jackson before he started crying.

Anyone else see the kid from 'A Christmas Story' here???

Bath Time Together

2010-12-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a little video of the boys in the tub together. Daddy is providing the music for the evening and mommy is doing the cleaning. They looked so cute I had to take a little video to share. Enjoy!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T12:12:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from our Trunk or Treat. The kids had such a good time and go so much candy. Daddy and mommy of course "checked" it to make sure it was all safe. (I used to hate it when my parents did that!)

For some reason in this picture I am really excited?!?

Josh and our little trick or treaters..

The parking lot was completely full, Jackson started to get tired of walking to all the cars.

One word...ADORABLE!!!

Duke was a monster. At least three time while we were trick or treating people told Josh that he had a beautiful little girl. He would reply more than a little irritated, "It is a boy!"

By the end of the evening Jackson was dragging his bucket because it was too heavy for him to carry.

Our little Jedi.

First Day of School

2010-09-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Jackson's first day of school. He was sooooo excited! He has already learned so much! I can't belive how fast he is growing up. We are so proud of our little jedi!

One of the many toys they have at preschool.

He loves to play in the house. The other day I picked him up and he was making daddy cake for his birthday in the house. What a cutie!
Love the blue eyes!

2010-08-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went camping on the beach with a bunch of friends. We had an amazing time! Jackson loved the water and he loved having so many friends to play with. Josh was great at boggie boarding. I caught one good wave and then I was out of the water. It was a pretty chilly weekend. We are so blessed to have such a great group of friends! Here are some photos of the weekend...more to come!
Day One: A little chilly, but Jackson doesn't care he just wants to go in the water.
Jackson feeling how cold the water is!
His teeth were chattering but he didn't care. He loved chasing the waves with mommy and daddy.

Duke stayed on the beach. He was afraid of the waves and would cry when we brought him close to the water.
Day Two: I could barely move I was so sunburnt on my legs. On day one I fell asleep holding Duke the only thing NOT under the umbrella was from my knee down...I didn't know that until later that night. Ouch!
Jackson's spot for most of the trip.
He was soooooo happy!
Awwwwww...My Boys....

Swimming Video

2010-07-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Playing & Swimming

2010-07-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

The boys swimming with daddy.

The boys playing with mommy. Duke has the outfit of choice. It is so hot here we wish we all could walk around like that!
Duke laughing at his brother. He just loves that guy!

Ahhhhhhhh I LOVE my babies blue eyes!
We were looking for things with our "binoculars".

WINNER!!!

2010-07-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the good news, it was posted on facebook a week ago.

"Sorensen Studios Using a random number generator is fun! It has selected my WINNER! And the Winner of the free portrait session is Candace Arnold Perkins !!! Congrats!! She is one lucky girl, I know she wanted this!! Stay tuned for other events and specials....I'll keep you posted! Thanks for entering."

When I found out I started screaming. About a month ago I was telling my sister in law that we really needed some family pictures taken. We have no family portraits, and with my beautiful children that should be a crime. So Ashley knowing everyone showed me some websites of some people she knows that take pictures. I narrowed it down to two people and then saw some family shots that Selena did (Sorensen Studios) and then I was sold. I wanted Selena to take our first family portrait.
It goes without saying that if you know my husband you know how much he likes spending money soooooo, he said that we had to wait. Then Selena did a contest on Facebook. I entered thinking that there was no chance of me wining. But, I DID!!!
In October, we will have our pictures taken. Please go to Selena's website and look at the A-MA-ZING photos that she has taken and give me some ideas for our pictures. www.sorensen-studios.com
Look for our photos soon!!!
Thanks Selena!

Camping

2010-07-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we went camping with Josh's family. We had a great time! The only way to go camping is with a fifth wheel camper. If I have access to a regular toilet I could go camping for weeks. Here are some pictures from our adventure. They are courtesy of Nancy, because I am terrible at remembering to take photos.

What a rugged looking group!
Here we are getting ready to watch the fireworks in Heber. It was great to watch the fireworks where it was so cold.

Hard to see, but here is a picture of us watching the fireworks. Duke was so cute, he kept saying "oooooooo".

Jackson making a "big splash."

Jackson laughing at the dogs.

Duke enjoying Nana's fruit salad. Duke earned quite a reputation on the trip of eating and eating and eating. Uncle TJ really likes having another one in the family with a little belly.

Finally!

2010-06-09T00:39:00.000-07:00

If only potty training was this cute! After my house smelling like a little box for weeks, swarms of flies taking up home in our back yard I have finally done it (well, Jackson has done it but I will take the credit because I was the one who was REALLY suffering). I have to say that I was sure that he would never get it. Don't get me wrong my son is smart, too smart. I am sure that he thought, "why in the WORLD, would I take time out of my busy schedule to use the potty when I can just stand right here and go and my mommy will deal with it later." Yeap he is one smart guy. But my son is just like his father and there is one thing that will get them to do anything...FOOD! I finally told Jackson that he would get an ice cream cone every time he went in the toilet. Yes, every time! I didn't care if Jackson had 3 square meals of ice cream everyday as long as he pooped in the toilet. I have to say that thus far in Jackson's short life of three years this has been THE HARDEST parenting obstacle, but success has never tasted so sweet! One down, one to go...well that is unless we have more kids...........hmmmmmmm

More Disney World Pictures

2010-05-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

Here is the whole gang on day 1. Notice that we are all smiling, that wasn't the case by day 5!

The kids and I at Epcot. If you know me, you know what I think of Epcot...

Here it is...not my proudest moment, but this is exactly what I think of Epcot. I really am asleep here. I swear this ride was 30min of pure boredom, I don't remember which ride this was but I can tell that it wasn't good.
Beautiful Boy #2 and me in "Mexico" in Epcot.
Beautiful boy #1, Mickey, Minne and me.
The water fountain. I don't think I have ever seen Jackson so happy.
Lauren and I doing another plank for the World Plank website. (I LOVE that girl!!!)

McDonalds

2010-05-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

I am not proud of it, but like most kids, Jackson loves McDonalds. Now that they are advertising for the new Shrek movie it has gotten even worse. Every time we drive by a McDonalds Jackson says, "Mom can we go to Ronald McDonald's house." I always answer with the mom classic, "Maybe". (Which always really means no.) The other day I got so frustrated with him constantly asking I finally said, "No we can not go to Ronald McDonald's house. If you eat there all the time you get chubby. Do you want to get chubby?" (Not my proudest mom moment, but it happened.) Oh, I must also tell you that Jackson likes metaphors. When ever he needs to understand something we will use a metaphor and then he gets it. Example: "When you hit your brother like that you are being mean like Chick Hicks." or "That is red like Elmo." So today he made a little metaphor of his own...

Jackson: "Mommy can we go to Ronald McDonald's house?"

Me: "No not today."

Jackson: "Because I will get chubby?"

Me: "Yeap."

Jackson: "Because I will get chubby like daddy?"

Me: Laughter...non stop laughter

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow

2010-05-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

Here it is...I chopped it all off! When I walked in Josh said, "Aaaaa do you like it?" I think that shows what he thinks about it!

Disney World

2010-05-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I took the kids to Disney World. We had fun even though it was the most stressful vacation of my life. My sister Alexis put together a whole plan for each park. It worked great we were able to see everything that we wanted to see and we never had to wait longer than 30 min in any line! Thank you Alexis!!! Here are some pictures from the trip. I will be posting more later because most pictures were taken with other peoples cameras because I had to wrangle my kids.

Here we are meeting Handy Manny. Jackson is just like his daddy, he doesn't like to meet new people. Even though he likes Manny when it comes to meeting him...Jackson will not go near him without Mommy.

Here is my strong boy trying to pull the sword out of the stone. Maybe when he is big and strong like his daddy.

Here the boys are meeting another Disney character. (I have no idea who this is...)

This is Jackson watching the fireworks. As you can tell he LOVED them. He yelled the entire time. He thought it was so cool.

Here I am doing my plank for the World Plank website.

Duke and Katie Bell after a long day of fun.

Jackson on my new favorite ride at Disney World, the Toy Story ride. It was awesome! We rode it 3 times!
Duke laughing...he is so cute.

More pictures to come...

Duke Crawling

2010-05-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

It is so exciting to watch Duke crawl! Jackson never crawled, he went straight to walking. It is like a whole new world has opened up to him. He looks so happy moving around the house and exploring. Here is a little video of Duke crawling. Just so you know he actually learned to crawl the other day but every time we turned on the camera he would stop crawling. Finally we got him on camera. Enjoy!

Milk Attachment

2010-04-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you know for many reasons I was unable to breastfeed Jackson so when Duke came I really wanted to make it work. It took a lot of work but I was able to push through the jaundice and the lack of weight gain and get him to breastfeed. I was so afraid of losing my milk I pumped everyday. Soon I had a freezer full of milk. I thought this was great because I could leave Josh with the kids and he would have plenty of food for Duke. Well, best laid plans... Duke has never really drank from a bottle so...I have a freezer full of milk. It was such a struggle to get him to breastfeed that I am so attached to the milk I can't do anything with it. A few weeks ago I tried to throw it away, because it is 5 months expired, but I just couldn't do it. So it sits in the freezer as my badge of honor, a symbol of all I went through, as literally a part of me. Who knows when I will be able to bring myself to throw it away...maybe when it starts to stink?

Mommy and the Boys

2010-04-05T14:30:00.001-07:00

Easter

2010-04-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

For Easter this year we went out to Grandma Lanpher's house and had an egg hunt. The kids had a great time. Jackson got a ton of eggs and ate way too much candy, and Duke was just happy to be outside with his family. At one point in the evening we had races. Josh and Travis tied. Gage beat Papa. Jackson beat Daddy. It was great. As Grandma would say, "Good food and good company." Happy Easter!

Buckle Up!

2010-03-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Okay so I know that I posted a while ago how great coupon sense was but...I had another absolutely amazing trip! It is so easy to get a years supply of food with coupons! On this trip I spent out of pocket $9.54 and then got a $4.00 back so total all this cost me $5.54!
In case you can't see everything, I got
7 boxes of Fruit Roll Ups
5 boxes of Gushers
3 bags of Nut Clusters
2 boxes of Granola Bars
12 boxes of pasta
6 jars of salad dressing
22 boxes of cereal
I was on a high when I left the store. I had to call my fellow coupons friends and brag about how well I did. Ahhhhhhhhhh! I LOVE COUPONS!!!

Jackson Turns 3!!!

2010-03-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

Here is Jackson blowing out his candles and him opening a present from Nana Jan and Papa Phil.

Duke VS the Bitter Biscuit

2010-03-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of Duke eating his biscuit. AHHHHHHH! He is so cute! That stuff is like spackle, it is impossible to clean off!

Random Things I love

2010-02-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Picture:

This was taken about a year ago when I was pregnant with Duke. I LOVE IT! I feel so much love when I look at it. I love our little family.

Cleaning Product:
Now as most of you know I am not known for my awesome housekeeping skills. I pretty much want everything clean but I don't want to have to work hard to get it that way. (Makes sense, huh?) So a few weeks ago I tried the Mr Clean Magic Eraser. OH MY GOSH!!! A-MA-ZING!!! It takes the hard work out of cleaning, and works on everything. Hard water, no problem, crayons on walls, yeap, stove tops, for-sure! It is just awesome, I now use it everywhere in my house. Get one.

Hair Product:This is a clip less Enzo Milano curling iron. It does for curls what the CHI does for straight hair. I can do my hair with this on a Monday and it still look fabulous on Wednesday. (Yes, I try to go as long as I can without washing my hair or shaving my legs.) What this curling iron does the best is big waves. This puppy will put you back about $100 BUT they have a lifetime warranty and I guarantee that you will never use another curling iron again.

Book:Okay, let me be clear this is not my favorite book of all time, but it was definitely the most entertaining book I have read in a long time. It is a series of three books, and let me tell you it is not for those with a weak stomach. Like the Twilight series I would have never picked it up with out a recommendation from a friend. I don't think I have ever read a book so fast. This book makes you think, makes you a little sick, and makes you uncomfortable, (which sounds horrible), but you CAN NOT put it down. It is supposed to be a juvenile read but I can say I would never let my child read it until they were 16 or 17. Wow, I am not making this book sound very good, but it is. Give it a try and you will get sucked in. Just watch out the third book is not out until August and you will be left waiting like me. AHHH! I just want to know what happens!

Clothing:

Obviously no picture here...
The new garment bottoms. No wedgies, come all the way to the knee-and stay in place. It feels like you are wearing a soft pair of biker shorts. LOVE THEM! Good job Beehive Clothing. Good job.

Baby Product:

This is a tie.

First, I love the Gerber Bitter Biscuits. When I am making dinner I just throw Duke in to the high chair with a biscuit and he is entertained for a hour! The only problem with these is that once they get them all soft with their slobber it gets all over the place. In general this wouldn't be a big deal but this stuff is like cement. I usually have to soak Duke in the tub for 10 minuets before I can even attempt to wipe it off.

Second, this is a Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispenser. All you do is put the baby food in and squeeze the orange part and just a little of the food will flow out on to the spoon. This way the baby stays soooooo much cleaner. (And as mentioned before, I do not like to clean.) Not really a necessity but it is nice to have.

Drink:

Now this one is a little harder to admit. But I am a freak! I am truly addicted. It is hard to go just one day without a can. I like it the best from a fountain. The only thing that is bad about our new house is that we are right down the street from a Quick Trip. Between the crushed ice and the delicious soda...ahhhh. It is a rare day that I can drive by without stopping in.

Music:
What music? I have not listened to music for about a year. All I listen to is KTAR. In the car, in the shower, while I am cooking dinner. I just can not get enough! In the morning Ankarlo, then Gleen Beck in the afternoon, at three Mac & Gaydos (they are my favorite), and then Joe Crumy. I even have called in and gotten on the air. I have really started to love politics. Maybe it is because even me, who was put on a strict budget by my husband for constantly spending, could spend money better than Obama is doing now!

Dinner Time

2010-02-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

We took a few videos the other night at dinner time. Josh and I were having tacos, Jackson was just eating the cheese, and Duke was "eating" peas. Enjoy!

Desperate Housewives

2010-01-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

I know there is many people who give me a hard time about watching Desperate Housewives but I just had to share this clip. As a mom this will bring you to tears. Felicity Huffman is amazing! She is portraying how sometimes you want to help your child, and make things easier for them, but you know that they must figure it out on their own. (Grab the tissues.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJis5bRAWAk

Tuesday

2010-01-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

8:30am-Walked in to the kitchen to find diarrhea all over my son, all over the chair, dripping off, and a 12inch puddle on the floor. (Thought I would spare you the picture)

Monday

2010-01-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

8:00am-Puked on

The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

2010-01-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

As some of you know Josh and I just purchased our first house. I know, I know it is about time right? Well we were just waiting for the perfect house. We found it! I can not say enough fabulous things about our new house. I LOVE IT! What a blessing. We closed on the house on the 29th of December and spent our first night on January 1st. I am having so much fun decorating and making it our home. I now fully feel the weight of making our home a place where the spirit can be felt. I always want my children to feel safe and protected in our home. Here are some of the first photos of our fabulous pad!

This was the night that we got the keys. We went over to have dinner in our new house as a family. It was a very special evening.

Master bedroom. I love the crown molding!

Jackson's room. (Josh wants to paint this one, but I think that it is adorable!)

Pool, with a waterfall!

Kitchen, with granite counter tops!

Outdoor gas fireplace.

Outdoor grill.

Pictures of the other rooms will come soon. They are under paint construction and will be done within the month.

Disneyland

2010-01-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

The family on Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The kids bundled up. It was so cold!
Duke meeting Mickey Mouse.
Jackson on Papa's shoulders, (his favorite place the entire trip).
Jackson and daddy getting ready to watch the 3D show.
The family waiting in line to see Mickey.
AWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

Random Thoughts on Motherhood

2009-12-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Today as I was getting my son dressed and he told me I couldn't put on his socks because they didn't match? Huh? Blue socks do match blue jeans! I guess I have been watching too much Project Runway.

My only saving grace during the day is going to the gym. The best is when I can do kickboxing, it helps me get out all my "mommy aggression". I work even harder during class if my son smacks my butt as I am bending over getting dressed for the gym and says, "you got a big bum mommy." Thanks son. JAB, CROSS, HOOK, UPPERCUT!!!

I have perfected the evil eye. As I am out in public and my children are throwing a fit, I can feel the frustration building. First my children get the evil eye, then I branch out. I look around and just dare anyone to say something, or give me the, "can't that lady control her kids" look. Just do it, do it...I dare you!

The other day at CVS I was paying for my things and sorting through my coupons (ie. ignoring my two year old). Just as I am about to swipe my card I look around and my son had found the largest bag of Skittles (which by the way I did not have a coupon for) and was proceeding to eat the sugary candy by the handful. Ahhhh!!!! Grrrrr!!! I quickly grab him, hand the Skittles to the cashier ( I guess I have to buy them now) and say to Jackson, "I may have to buy them but don't think that you are going to eat them!" Not a moment later the lady next to me says, "yeah-that's how it's done mommy! Way to parent!" Are you kidding me? Thanks that is just what I needed your stamp of approval. Anyway...little does she know that I am sure the Skittles will make another appearance later this week in some kind of bribing moment.

I have realized that my standards for cleanliness and hygiene have reached an all time low. If the average person gets food on their shirt they would probably change it. Not me! I am just happy that it is not spit up or poop, which I would probably just wipe off with a damp cloth anyway.

Last week we went to dinner as a family. As we were sitting at the table Duke started fussing because he was hungry. I put on my UdderCover and proceeded to breastfeed my child. Yes, it was at the table, but I was covered up and hey I wanted to eat too. I started to get a few looks. Are you kidding me? This is going to be my only hot dinner this week, I am not going to the car or to the bathroom I am going to sit right here and eat my glorious hot pizza. I then asked Josh what he would say if they came over and told us that I couldn't breastfeed there. He just said that he would say, "Okay, but I'm not paying", and walk out. For a second I was proud that my husband would stick up for me and then I seriously considered flashing some boob to get a free meal.

The only place in the house that should not have pictures of your kids in it...the bathroom. When you have to lock yourself in there to have a two minute conversation with your girlfriend and you can hear then banging on the door, the last thing you want to see is their face.

Finally, I don't know if old women just lie or are senile but it doesn't "get easier" the medication just gets better!

Letters to the Boys

2009-11-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

The day before I gave birth to Jackson I wrote him a letter. I wanted him to know how much I loved him before I had even seen him. It was a tradition that I wanted to do with all my kids. I was going to write my letter to Duke a week before I was due, but Duke wanted to come early. So, I was unable to write my letter to him then, so I wanted to write it now so he had a letter like his brother. Below is my letter to Jackson that I wrote two years ago and my letter to Duke.

Jackson,
Well, I have been carrying you in my belly for almost 9 months now. What a roller coaster it has been! I remember the day I found out I was going to be a mom. I took a pregnancy test hoping it would tell me what I wanted to know. I had to wait 2 minuets for the results (it felt like forever). Then I saw it, two pink lines! You were inside me. I ran outside to tell your dad, waving the test in the air. Your dad was shocked. He couldn't believe that it happened so fast. To tell you the truth I was surprised myself. We were so excited to tell our family about our little bundle of joy. A few weeks later I started to get sick. Really sick. I was told that this is just what happened when someone is pregnant. I am surprised you grew so well when all I ate was saltines and PowerAde. Luckily three months later I started feeling a lot better and soon I began to grow a little belly. As you grew, I grew, and now I am huge! You are such a big, strong boy. You kick me so hard sometimes that I jump, even when I am sleeping. Your favorite time to kick me is at about 6 o'clock in the morning. It is such a blessing to feel you move and grow inside me. Soon you will be out of my belly and there are a few things that I want you to know.
First, your father and I love you very much. We can't wait to see you grow and become the wonderful man we know you can be. Watch your Dad closely he is an amazing man. He will teach you how to work hard and be honest. He will be an example of how you should love the Lord, and your family, and serve them always. Please know that I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and I hope and pray that you will always stay close to him. I know that life is hard sometimes, but know that Heavenly Father is always there for you, all you have to do is ask. Your father and I are also here, you can tell us anything. We will try our best to be good parents and give you everything that you need. We are not perfect (actually far from it) but we will try our best. Jackson, please follow your dreams. Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't good enough or that you can't achieve something. Follow your heart, trust in the Lord, and always remember I love you.
Mommy

Duke,
My little love bug, you are so special. I think that you were just so excited to come to earth and start your journey that you came three weeks early. What a blessing you have been to our family. You are such a happy baby with so much love! I love to stare at you while you are eating, you are just so beautiful. When you came out and struggled with the jaundice and the weight gain all I could do was hold you close to me and cry. But you were strong, you stood your ground and you were determined to make it. You love to be held and as your daddy says, "You only have eyes for your mommy." You are always looking around exploring all that is around you. Always keep that curiosity, and thirst for knowledge. Follow the example of your daddy and gain all the knowledge that you can. Work hard in school and at work so you can feel productive and successful. I can already tell that you love your brother. You love to watch him play and talk. I hope that you will be close to him, he loves you very much and is always concerned about where you are and if you are okay. If mommy is ever not paying attention Jackson will let mommy know what you need. He will be a good friend to you. Duke, we wanted to give you a strong middle name like your brother. Your dad and I tried to think of someone we loved and wanted you to be like. That is why your middle name is James after your papa T. He is a strong, humble man. He is fun to be around and always shows love for others. (He isn't too good at UNO, but we will just have to hope that you have daddy's skills.) Stay close to your papa and learn all you can from him. He has made you daddy the man he is and I would be honored to have you be just like them. Read your scriptures, and say your prayers and the spirit will be with you when mommy and daddy can't be. I am so glad that you are mine for all eternity.
I love you.
Mommy

The Incredible Family

2009-11-06T11:58:00.001-08:00

Here we are at trunk or treat. Jackson kept saying that he didn't want to go to church as we were pulling up to the church. We thought he would stop saying it once he realized that we were doing something fun. No. The first half of the evening Jackson trick or treated and kept saying, "I don't want to go to church." It really was not my proudest parenting moment. About half way through the evening he finally stopped saying that and got excited about the candy. Jackson also did the cake walk and won a cupcake with a pound of frosting on it. Below is what he looked like after he ate it.
Isn't my Mr. Incredible handsome!?!

It was so nice to dress up as a family. We had a really good time. I love my little family. I have to say that there is nothing better than spending some quality time together.

The Accident

2009-10-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

This morning started just like any other morning. I got the kids dressed and ready to go. Both kids were put in their car seats, one with a Pop Tart the other with a binky and off we went to the gym. I drove down Cactus as I always do to get to the 51 freeway. As I came to 52nd street I see a man with a HUGE dog walking beside the road. I thought to my self, "why isn't that dog on a leash this close to the street". And then it happened...the dog darted out in to the road. I slammed on my breaks and turned the wheel as hard as I could. It didn't work. As I swerved I lost control of the car did a 180 and stopped in the middle of on coming traffic. About a second later I look over my shoulder and see a car coming. It was too late. The car hit us going about 50 mph. Luckily, my door took most of the impact. My head hit the glass and the car spun a little more. At that second all I could think about was my babies. I kept pleading with God to please let them be okay. I looked in to the back seat and Jackson had not even dropped his Pop Tart and Duke was playing with his toys. I sat there holding my head in pain and sobbing. As I looked over to the other side of the street I could see the man whose dog I had hit. I don't think I will ever forget it. He went in to the street and picked up his motionless dog and looked at me and kept saying to me, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He then turned and walked away. Soon the police and the fire department came. We were all checked out and besides the bruises on me, everyone was fine. Josh showed up a few molments after that. I had never been so happy to see him! It is strange how someone can bring so much comfort in a time of so much sadness. He is my knight! As soon as I got home I went to my room to pray and thank God for protecting my little family. It could have been so much worse. The strangest part about all this is that I can't get that man's face out of my head. He looked so sincerely sorry and I had just killed his dog. My head tells me that I should be so mad at him for not putting his dog on a leash, and for almost killing me and my kids and then leaving the accident...but all I feel is sadness for him and his loss. Just thinking about it again makes me cry. What a day, and it started just like any other morning.

Duke Smiling

2009-09-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Reading To The Boys

2009-09-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

New Job

2009-09-09T13:52:00.001-07:00

As if I don't have enough to do already I have decided to take on something else. A month ago I went to interview to teach aerobics at LA Fitness. When I was auditioning I was asked if I have had any management experience. (Some of you may remember my glory days as a manager at The Gap and Aeropostale.) I was then asked if I would consider being the group fitness coordinator for a gym here in Arizona. I thought about it for about a half a second and said, "YES!" Since then I have been going through the interviewing process and teaching classes to prove that I actually knew my stuff...and today it became official. I am the new activities and group fitness coordinator for LA Fitness at the Moon Valley location. I am very excited about this new opportunity. I like to stay busy and always have something to do and I think this will fill my plate. I truly believe that Heavenly Father never closes one door with out opening another. Our family has been so blessed to always have what we need and, more than offten, what we want. This job will open a lot of doors for me in the fitness industry and keep me busy as my kids start school. (Not to mention help me keep off all the baby weight from all these kids!)

Mommy Hours

2009-09-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

Before I had children I would hear my friends and family talk about how they stayed up late because that was the only time they could get stuff done with out the kids around. I always thought that was just crazy and when I was a mother I would be able to get all my stuff done during the day so I could sleep at night. Fast forward to two kids later...and well I have changed my tune.
On Sunday the new coupons for the week came out so Monday I got up and got ready to cut my coupons. There we so many good deals I had a TON of coupons to cut. I sat in the office at the computer and cut all the coupons while Jackson watched TV. Sometime while he was watching Jimmy Neutron (his new favorite show) he got hungry and pulled down a box of cinnamon toast crunch. He "poured" him self a bowl where he poured the entire box in the bowl and all over the floor and then, because he couldn't open the fridge, he took my workout water bottle and poured water on it to make cereal. While all this was happening I was in coupon heaven and did not notice until my son came in covered from head to toe in cinnamon and sugar! Then of course I had to clean it up so I got out the vacuum but Duke wanted to be breast feed. So, here is the picture it is 11:00 we are all in our pajamas, Jackson (and the floor) is covered in sugar, there are coupons everywhere and I have one boob out breast feeding as I am vacuuming with the other arm. So what did I learn from all this? My friends and family really knew what they were talking about. I will now cut my coupons at 11:00pm.

Maybe its not so bad being poor..

2009-08-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

If you remember a few posts ago I said that we are now poor due to me deciding to stay home now. To help out with the budget we decided that I would start clipping coupons through a program called Coupon Sense. My first day on the program I made a killing! Above is a picture of all the things I bought. I got 6 boxes of diapers, 4 pen packs, 4 candy bars, 2 cookie mixes, 2 fruit snack boxes, 2 Glade candles, 2 Air wick automatic sprayers, and 1 razor with refills. The grand total (including tax) was....drum roll please....$5.57! I was so excited the wipes alone would normally be five dollars. My total savings was $82.59! Many of you know my husband and know what a cheap skate...ahhh, I mean "saver" he is and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face for five minute ts. I was glad I could make him so proud. Maybe it is not so bad being poor.

New Bath Photos for Dad

2009-08-06T10:22:00.001-07:00

About a week ago when I finally updated my blog. (The life of a stay at home mom is very busy.) My dad commented on how old the photos of Duke were because he still had his umbilical cord attached. (I had been found out, that I am terrible at taking photos.) I told Josh and he agreed that I need to be better about documenting the events in our children's lives. Soooo, this one is for you dad I took them just the other day. Enjoy!

Camping

2009-08-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went camping up north. Josh's parents brought their fifth wheel, and let me tell you that is the way to camp. It was great to be able to sleep in a bed, take a shower, cook on a stove and go pee in a toilet! We had a great time. Jackson loved playing the dirt and being able to run around and explore the forest.

Here is a picture of him after he finished playing in the dirt one day.
Duke and I after we hiked down to the lake to go fishing. As a little side note, Duke has started pooping just once a week and when he poops it is a landslide. It just so happened that it had been a week since he had pooped. We got to the bottom of the hike by the water and...landslide! All the way up his back and all over his clothes. Nancy helped me clean him up and washed his clothes in the lake. The fish loved their little treat!
The family relaxing by the lake.
Jackson was sooo cute here. He kept walking up the trail and telling us while he waved his hands that he just had to leave because he had somewhere that he needed to be.
Paca playing in the lake.

"A whole new world has been opened up to you now that we are poor."

2009-08-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

!!!WARNING!!!THE FOLLOWING POST MAY BE SHOCKING TO MANY!!!

Yesterday I took the kids to the library. I am embarrassed to say that I have not been to the library in about 8 years. I didn't even have a library card. I was shocked to find out that you can rent movies and Cd's. I spent 2 hours there walking around finding out all the amazing things the library offers. Jackson was in the stroller and I just gave him a few books and pushed him around while Duke was in the baby Bjorn. (I was even breastfeeding in the baby Bjorn with my hands free to keep looking for books.) It was great! In the past I have put quite a dent in our pocket book by buying books and now I can just go to the library. When I got home with a huge bag of loot, I was excited to tell Josh about my adventure. In usual Josh style after I enthusiastically told him about my new revelation he replied, "A whole new world has been opened up to you now that we are poor. Great!"

Just Photos

2009-07-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Here Duke is taking a bath. I love giving him a bath (even though he hates it). I just love little naked babies!
Here are some photos of Jackson at the water park. We try to go there at least once a week. He really likes it, but mommy always has to run through the water first to show him that it is okay.

Jackson "holding" Duke

2009-07-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Father's Day

2009-07-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was worried when Father's day was coming because I had recently had Duke but I wanted to make the day special for Josh. My grandma and I decided that we would take pictures of the boys doing the stuff that daddy likes. Here are some of the photos that we put in a frame for Josh to take to his new job in November. Josh loved them!!!

My Boys

2009-06-16T14:02:00.001-07:00

The Story Continues...

2009-06-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

This morning Duke went back to the hospital to get his jaundice checked after a night on his "billy blanket. Which by the way is as loud as a vacuum and lights up half the room bright blue at night. After an agonizing two hour wait we found out that his count went down to 16.8. The doctor said that the was "guardedly optimistic", and that it was good enough for him to stay home another day. So, tomorrow we will return again to test him. Every time he is tested they have to poke him in the heal and squeeze his heal for drips of blood to fill up a little vial. Poor guy has had this test everyday since he was born and his little heals are so bruised now there is no more clean areas to test him.
Here are some photos of Duke after he was born and some pictures of him on his "billy blanket".

The Story of Duke

2009-06-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

On Monday June 8th I had a doctor's appointment at 10:00 in the morning. At that appointment the doctor told me that I was now dilated to 3 cm and 75% effaced. At that time she "stripped my membranes". She told me that this usually doesn't put women in to labor, it just keeps them from going past their due date. So, after the appointment Jackson and I went home and went on a cleaning spree. I am not sure why because I honestly felt that the baby was not going to come for at least another 2 weeks. I cleaned all day and made dinner while Josh worked in the yard till about 8:30 because the weather was so nice. By bed time we were both so tired! I took a shower with Jackson and then got in bed around 9:00. Josh then took a shower, said his prayers and then reached to turn out the light. Literally the second after he turned out the light (he didn't even get to lay down) I said, "Turn on the light I think my water just broke!". Josh then reached back over to turn on the light as I hoped out of bed. The second I stood up there was a large gush of water. I couldn't believe it! We were both so exhausted and he wasn't supposed to come for another 3 weeks! That was 3 weeks of sleeping that I was going to miss...ahhhhhh. So then we called Nancy and Terry and they came down with Ashley to watch Jackson as we went to the hospital. When we got to the hospital I was still in no pain and my contractions weren't regular yet. They then told Josh and I to walk the halls for an hour to bring on the contractions. (I didn't know people still did that.) So as tired as we were we walked the halls from 11pm-12am. I then informed the nurse that I wasn't going to walk the halls anymore. Then they started the IV and the pitocin. They checked me around 6am and I was 5cm, then at 8am I was still 5cm and they said they thought that a part of the water bag was still around the baby's head keeping it from coming all the way down. They finished rupturing the rest of the bag and at 10:15am I was 10cm. I started to push and at 10:31am Duke James Perkins came in to this world. Oh! I forgot to tell the best part. The epidural worked this time and I pushed COMPLETELY PAIN FREE!!! I actually enjoyed pushing the baby out, it was just so easy this time! Everything went great at the hospital and we came home on Thursday afternoon.
THE NEXT CHAPTER...
When Duke and I were discharged from the hospital they were a little concerned about his weight loss and his jaundice which was at 9.3 (when we left). They let us go home but they said that I needed to make sure that he starts to gain weight and that we keep him in front of windows at much as we can to get rid of the jaundice. We then had to check in with the doctor on Friday.
FRIDAY...
At the doctor's office we found that Duke had lost even more weight and his jaundice had gone up to 14.3. They said I had one night to help him gain weight and we needed to return to have his weight checked on Saturday.
SATURDAY...
I went in exhausted from an all night feeding frenzy to fatten Duke up. It worked, he gained 1oz but that was enough to keep him. They decided to check his jaundice again and this time it went up again and it is now at 17.8. The doctor decided to send us home with a "billy blanket" that Duke has to sit in to get rid on the jaundice. Then we will have to return to the hospital on Sunday to get his levels checked again. If they have gone up then he will have to be admitted, if they have gone down then we will keep putting him on the blanket till he is okay. So we will see...tomarrow we might be separated for a while but we will come back together soon and everyone will be nice and healthy.
Please pray for our little Dukester.

Finally Head Down

2009-06-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I know many of you were praying that the baby would move head down and he finally did! Tuesday I went to the OB and they did an ultrasound. The baby ended up being so far head down that they could barely get a picture of his face. It turns out that I am already 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced! I hope that means that it will be really soon. Josh and I have our last date night on Saturday so I am okay going in to labor any day after that. Next week I am just going to walk on the treadmill to try to push him out. As it turns out the court denied my request to be excused from jury duty. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?! So next Thursday I have to go to jury duty. Josh is hoping that I break my water right in the court room so I can say, "I told you so!" I on the other hand am hoping that doesn't happen because it is downtown and I don't think that I could drive my self all the way back to Scottsdale with out having the baby in the car. Needless to say now it is just a waiting game...

Dear Pregancy

2009-05-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Pregnancy,
Well, it has been nine long months now and I can't decide if I love you or hate you. In the beginning you made me so sick I definitely hated you. Toward the middle I began to like you a little more. I was able to move around and I didn't feel so sick. Then just when I was warming up to you, you hit me with all you had. I have to say that I am sick of not sleeping though the night. I hate that I am constantly sweating because I can not get cool enough to stop. I hate that I can not see (or touch) my toes. My back hurts, I pee every five seconds, the nausea is back, my ankles take the definition of cankels to a whole new level, and I am as big as a whale! Most days I can't wait for you to leave ...but then for seconds, split moments I think that I might miss you. Not all the bad stuff but the few good things. There is something truly amazing about feeling a baby grow inside of you. You bond in a way that I can't put in to words. When the baby kicks me in the morning I usually say, "Good Morning". The kicking can become very annoying at times but if I go an hour or so with no kicks I will start poking my belly to feel him kick just to know that everything is okay. I do like laying in bed at the end of the day and lovingly stroking my belly and thinking about the little boy that is inside. Will he look like his brother? Will he sleep good? (Please yes!) Will he be strong and smart and love his Heavenly Father? So many questions, so much love. So in the end, I guess for the most part I will be happy to feel like my self again soon. But then again, I will miss always having a little friend with me, saying hello every once in a while and the excitement of wondering what is to come.
Till we meet again, (hopefully not too soon),
Candace

Bath Time

2009-05-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Jackson has been having a hard time taking baths so daddy made up a song and now they sing it together in the tub! Sooooo cute! Enjoy!

Josh's Graduation!!!

2009-05-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know if you know this but my husband, well, he is kind of a big deal. Josh has now graduated with his masters in accounting. Many people yesterday asked him how long it has taken him and it has been 7 LONG years (2 years part-time and 5 years full-time). WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF HIM!!! (Me most of all, I have no doubt that I am his biggest fan). Josh had is convocation ceremony yesterday. Commencement was on Wednesday (that is when that President guy spoke, you can imagine that we SOMEHOW found something better to do). I will choose to stop my comments there because this entry is about Josh and not about how much I thought that man's speech was a slap in the face to Josh's hard work. Anyway...we woke up bright and early to get to the stadium by 8:oo am. The ceremony started at 9:00. As I sat in the stadium with Jackson before the ceremony started, I cried. (I hoped that people just thought it was a hormones). I was just overwhelmed by what it had taken Josh and I to get to this day and I was so happy. For just a molment I will really brag about Josh because; I am his biggest fan, and he would never tell you himself; he did awsome in all his classes. Josh didn't just do the master's program he threw it down! Over the past year Josh has gotten amazing grades in addition to working as a plumber and dealing with a two year old and a hormonal pregnant wife. I took video of Josh walking, it is far away and kind of hard to hear but for those who couldn't be there I thought it would be nice to see.

Here are some photos taken in the blazing Arizona sun...why do we live here?
Here is our little family. (I thought I was looking pretty good for being due in 5 weeks, but this picture shows that I am clearly mistaken).
This is the whole family that went to the graduation and endured the two hours of names being called just to hear the one that was the best. Go Joshua Adam Perkins!!!Of course, Josh's parents, they may think they are Josh's biggest fans. They can join Josh's fan club but I still get to be president.

Josh and I are so thankful to all that showed up to show thier support yesturday. Many of you have helped us get through the last 7 years to get where we are now and we thank you all!

Still Transverse

2009-05-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I had another OB visit and yes the baby is still transverse. I am convinced that he just likes where he is. I have to say that I am now starting to get a little nervous. I really don't want to have a c-section. I guess we don't always get what we want though. There are some days that I think, "Oh, my goodness I have soooo much longer" and then other days I think, "I am so scared the baby is going to be here so soon and I still have so much to do." At least I will be busy...really busy. Josh graduates in two weeks! With that comes a lot of busy work. Then we need to get the new nursery ready and Jackson's room put together with his new big boy furniture. So I guess whether I want it or not it will be here soon, or not soon enough.

We Have A Name!!!

2009-05-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have a name! We spent a lot of time last Saturday going though the books again and we finally found one. We are smart this time though no one will hear it till he comes out. Then (hopefully) if people don't like it they are going to have to tell him, and I am thinking that he will be too adorable to say anything negative to. Yea!!!

Think Head Down Thoughts...

2009-04-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

So, if you are keeping track I have about 9 weeks left before this baby (no name yet) will be here. I went to my regular OB visit this week and I have to say that a part of me knew that this was coming... When I was pregnant with Jackson he moved in to the head down position when I was in my second trimester. I knew he was head down not only because I could feel is feet in my ribs but his head felt like it was about ready to pop out. Well, with this baby I knew right where he is. I can feel kicks and punches only on the sides of my stomach and I can actually breathe because he is not crowding my lung space. In the back of my mind I was thinking before I went to my appointment, "I wonder if he should have moved by now?" I went to see my doctor and she looked and around and confirmed that this little gremlin is still lying sideways. She said that we will give him 3 more weeks and if he hasn't moved by then we will try a version.

This explains that:
External cephalic version, or version, is a procedure used to turn a fetus from a breech position or side-lying (transverse) position into a head-down (vertex) position before labor begins. When successful, version makes it possible for you to try a vaginal birth.

Version is done most often before labor begins, generally around 36 to 37 weeks. Version is sometimes used during labor before the amniotic sac has ruptured. This can be a good time to use version, when labor is constantly monitored and a cesarean delivery (C-section) can be done right away if necessary. But the chance to do the version can be lost if labor speeds up or the amniotic sac ruptures.

A scheduled cesarean is used to deliver most breech births if a version doesn't work. 1 But trying a version at 36 or more completed weeks of pregnancy may increase your chances of being able to deliver vaginally. 2

Before the version attempt, you may be given an injection of tocolytic medication to relax the uterus and prevent uterine contractions. The most commonly used tocolytic medication is terbutaline.

While the uterus is relaxed, your doctor will attempt to turn the fetus. With both hands on the surface of your abdomen-one by the fetus's head and the other by the buttocks-the doctor pushes and rolls the fetus to a head-down position. You may feel discomfort during a version procedure, especially if it causes the uterus to contract. The amount of discomfort depends on how sensitive your abdomen is and how hard the doctor presses on your abdomen during the version attempt. If your fetus appears to be in distress, as shown by a sudden drop in heart rate, the procedure is stopped.

So...I will return to the doctor in 2 weeks and we will see where the baby is. I can tell you now that it has been one week since that appointment and he is still sideways. Ahhh, I guess all we can do is think head down thoughts.

The Pen

2009-04-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

The day after we got home from my parents house in North Carolina I was rushing around the house to catch up on things that I had missed while I was gone. I put on Sesame Street for Jackson and I went to the back to put some laundry away. I came back out and sat down on the couch to fold some more laundry and that is when I saw it. Out of the corner of my eye I could see something black, something black on my brown couch. I slowly turned my head to find that Jackson had practiced his circles with a pen on our couch. My eyes went wide, all I could say was, "Time out" and then "Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!". That is when all the pregnancy hormones overflowed and I began to cry. I didn't know what else to do. Jackson walked straight to time out and then started to cry because I was crying and kept saying, "I'm sorry mommy, I'm sorry mommy." I was still in shock and was frozen staring at the couch. Now I know that although this was the first time something in our house was maimed by my child it will not be the last, but the first time is always hard. Luckily, when we bought the couch we bought a fabric protection plan and someone is going to come out and clean it. Needless to say all the pens in the house are very high up now.

The Change...

2009-03-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided that something happens around the age of 2. All of the sudden my sweet, loving, calm child turns in to a gremlin. Yes I said a gremlin. Everything is, "No, I'll do it!", "No mommy!", and anything else that starts with no. Now, I don't want my child to be afraid of me, but I do want him to listen and be a little worried about what would happen if he disobeyed. Today when I put him in time out, he laughed, HE LAUGHED!!! AHHHHHH!!!! I don't think I have ever been so frustrated. So I took the time out mat that is in the nice living room, and put it in his dark bedroom and shut the door. The laughing stopped. He cried for 2 minutes then counted to 10 and then said he was sorry, just like we have been trying to teach him. Maybe this will start to work. It is just so sad I have days where I just love being mother to my sweet little boy and I wish that I never had to go to work. THEN...the next day I swear I am going to pull out all my hair and put him in the outside kennel with Paca, and I can't wait to go to work to get a break. Wow, this parenting thing is pretty hard...why am I pregnant again?

Four nights later...

2009-03-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

All I can say is that I am exhausted! The first night was just too good to be true. It has only gone downhill since then. I keep asking my self why I am subjecting my self to this so soon to pulling all nighters with the new baby. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Last night I finally broke down and cried. I felt like a new mother again and that I had no idea what I was doing. Okay this is what happened.
The second night:
I put Jackson down and he got out of bed five times. On the fifth time we finally decided to lock the door. I sat on the couch crying sure that Jackson was thinking horrible things about his mommy as he cried in his room. As soon as it was quiet I unlocked to door and went in and he had crawled back in bed and was asleep. We left the door unlocked and went to bed and Jackson never got up till the morning. (Which was around 6:10 when he usually sleeps in till about 8:00)
The third night:
I put Jackson down and he got up three times and then I decided to lock the door again. Again I was upset on the couch but he was asleep about 15 min after I locked the door. I went in again and he was in bed and I tucked him in and left the door unlocked. He slept through the night again but got up around 6:15 again.
The fourth night:
Josh took his turn putting Jackson down. (He is much nicer than I am, as most of you know.) He asked Jackson if he would stay in bed if he left the door open. Jackson got out of bed twice but daddy stayed in the hallway and gave him a stern point back to the bed and he went to bed and stayed!?! WHAT!?! (This made me feel like crap-I could have just left the door open instead of locking it and he would have stayed?) Again, daddy wins the parenting award for the week. Or does he?... Josh then went to go play basketball and came in around 11:30 I warned him when he came in that he should be so quiet and pray that he doesn't wake him up. As soon as Josh turns out the light we had a little visitor in our room. The visitor must have really liked us because he made 3 more repeat appearances that night. The final visit was at 5:00 about 20 min before I had to get up for work. Again, I cried. (It turns out that being 6 months pregnant, working 10 hour days at the office and then another hour and half at the gym and then training your toddler to sleep in a bed all at the same time does not really go together.) When I got to work I texted Josh and told him that I thought we needed to lock the door all night tonight to keep him from waking up to a crazy pregnant lady tomorrow. I was glad that he approved. So parents of the year we may not be but at least we a finding ways not to completely lose our minds. Just when you think, yes I have the parenting thing under control they throw another curve ball at you. AHHHHHHHH!!! There should be a warning label that comes with kids....
WARNING: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. AT LOT HARDER THAN IT LOOKS. THEY PROBABLY WON'T LIKE YOU A LOT OF THE TIME. YOU WILL CRY A LOT. SCREW UP A LOT. AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THEM...THEY SURPRISE YOU...YOU CANT. GOOD LUCK!

The First Night...

2009-03-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Jackson got a big boy bed for his 2nd Birthday with an awesome basketball comforter. While we were setting up the bed he kept climbing all over it. As soon as it was all put together he wanted to climb on the top and look at all the basketball things on the quit. He kept jumping up and down saying, "Excited, excited!". We were happy for Jackson but we were both a little nervous. With the baby coming in a few months we know that we are going to be suffering in the sleep area again soon and we thought by putting Jackson in the big boy bed that we were just starting our sleep deprivation early. When it came time for bed we said prayers by the bed (pleading with Heavenly Father to help him stay in bed) and then we tucked him in. Daddy stayed in the room for a few minutes to make sure that Jackson was settled and then he just said goodnight and walked out. We came in our room and waited, and waited, and waited...nothing. So we went to bed. I woke up about 3 in the morning worried that his new pillow had suffocated him and that was why he had not come in yet, but no he was alive and sleeping. Then the morning came, I heard him wake up about 7:3o and talk to him self for a few minutes and then I heard his door open. He was up. He came in to my room and of course said, "Watch Elmo?" I couldn't believe we had made it. The first night was a wonderful success...I will let you know how night #2 goes. ...

Jackson's Family Party

2009-03-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Jackson is having his party on Saturday, but on his real birthday the three of us (not for long!) had just a family birthday party. I made cupcakes for Jackson and daddy and we sang happy birthday and opened presents. He really was excited all day long, he kept saying, "Happy Birthday Jackson?". I let him know it really was a special day because that was the only day that mommy would give him an entire cupcake to himself. (I am always afraid of giving him too much sugar so he always gets half a cookie, or whatever treat he is having...I know I am mean.) All in all I think he had a good day and I think that on Saturday he will have even more fun. He did get an Elmo potty training book which we are hoping really pushes him to learn. I am not looking forward to two in diapers, so Jackson has got to get this down pretty quickly!

2009-02-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

So as it turns out just about everyone hates the name Lucas. I have learned my lesson, next kid we have no one will know the name till it pops out! So I am not saying the Lucas is off the table, but I am saying that we are not sure now. So we are open to suggestions. Just nothing that starts with a P. I don't want his initials to be PP (peepee). In other news...I just got my results from my national certification for aerobics and I passed! Sooooo much studying and a full day of practical and written exams, (while I was 5 months pregnant) payed off. This now means that I can teach at any gym in the country and get paid more because I am certified. Yeah! It is so amazing that fitness has become such a big part of my life when I used to hate working out. It is funny where life takes you. All I know is that I am a whole lot happier in this career than others I have tried (and my husband is happier with a healthier wife and one that is in better shape.) More posts soon...it is almost Jackson's birthday. Two years! Can you believe it?!

Phoenix Children's Museum

2009-02-22T15:27:00.001-08:00

What a day! On Saturday it was free day at Phoenix Children's Museum so we decided to make a day of it and we took Jackson. He had such a great time.

He rode a motorcycle...
He did a little cooking...
He went on lots of slides (which are his favorite)...
Got in a fight with a little girl because she wanted to push it the opposite way Jackson did...
Last but not least he got to meet Elmo. He was so exited to meet Elmo until he got close to him and then all the sudden he was terrified
All in all it was a pretty good/long day.

A week later....

2009-02-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it has been about a week since I found out that I am having another boy. I am starting to get used to the idea and a LOT of people have been giving me their opinion on the situation. My bishop even said how excited he was that we were adding to our basketball team. (Josh is the coach of the young men's team in our ward.) Yesterday as I was putting Jackson down for his nap and I was rubbing his belly singing, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", the baby kicked me and I thought...awwwhh how I love my boys. I actually think that if I went to the doctor next week and they told me that they had made a mistake I would be sad. I like the thought of "MY boys". I am excited now to see if this baby will come out looking like Jackson with blond hair and blue eyes, or look like me and be a brunette with brown eyes. Ahhh, the waiting game, I can't believe that I have 5 more months. Ahhh. I guess this would be a good time to announce that we have decided to name the next boy....drum roll...Lucas ____ Perkins. (Middle name is still under negotiation.) Jackson can already say it too...Baby Lucas?... and he points to mommy's belly. Awwwh, my boys.

Another penis??? Are you kidding me???

2009-02-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, first off please don't think that I am a terrible person. I have spent the last 5 months thinking (and praying) that I was having a girl. My father in law even had a dream that it was a girl, so I have been so excited for today to find out that yes in fact I was having a girl. Well...NO! I am having another BOY. Don't get me wrong, I have a darling boy but I wanted a girl next. Now I am terrified that we will just keep having boys because that is all Josh can make (and wants) and I am going to be stuck in a house full of smelly boys! AHHHHHHH! As we went in to the ultrasound I was feeling hopeful. I asked the ultrasound tech not to just spring it on be but to tell us that she was ready, let me take a breath and then tell us the sex. She just turned the screen towards me and asked me what I thought it was. Of course up close and center there was a penis. I swear I don't want to see another penis for at least a week. (Sorry, Josh that means you too.) Josh was so happy, he said, "All right!", and then he kept tickling me. I HATE TO BE TICKLED! Finally I just looked at him in all my emotional glory and said, "Just Shut up!" So then he went straight to his phone and started texting the world about how happy he was. AHHHHHH! As I laid there while the ultrasound tech went over the rest of the anatomy I kept taking deep breaths willing the tears back.
Okay, now that I got all that out. Let me reassure you that I love my husband and my son (despite their anatomy) and I will love the next one also, but I just need a few days to grieve for the loss of my imaginary daughter.

Some Things I love...

2009-01-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in my car today driving home from work...in silence (ahhhhhh) and I was thinking about some things that I just love and that bring me all the happiness in this life and I thought I would share them (in no particular order).

Silence
A good book
Giving Jackson the beaters from cookie dough for the first time and hearing him say, "mmmmm"
Watching my husband play with my son
Watching my son look at his dad watching basketball and say what ever daddy says, "Oh, nice" (that one is my favorite)
At the end of the day when I am so tired, seeing my son go get daddy's scriptures and bring them to us to read
An Arizona day right as the sun is setting and the sky is full of pink and blue and yellow, wow! it is just beautiful
Seeing how much my son loves his mommy and daddy. He won't ever say a prayer or start playing a game until BOTH daddy and mommy are there
Flannel sheets in the winter
Origins face lotion (I swear they put crack in it, you can't stop it once you start)
Watching Jackson sing Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam and jumping high on the beam part and feeling the spirit so strong every time I choke back tears
How I feel after a really great workout
Going on a date with my husband especially when he wears cologne (that hardly ever happens)
Feeling a baby grow and kick inside me
When I lay Jackson down at night and he puts up one chubby finger and says, "wait mommy, wait one minute." (I fold every time)
On Sunday when Josh is passing the sacrament and Jackson always says, "daddy, daddy, daddy" and follows him with his finger around the room. ( I should tell him to be quiet but I just love that he likes to watch his daddy)
The thought that Jackson knew the baby that is on the way in heaven and that they will get to see each other again soon
CHOCOLATE
BROWNIES!!!!
A really hot shower, so hot that when I get out all my skin is red and all the mirrors are fogged up
Having such an amazing husband that honors his priesthood, works relentlessly for his family, ALWAYS makes me laugh and loves being a dad
Having a blue eyed, blond haired baby that looks just like his daddy
Going on weekly walks with my family
Feeling so much love I feel like my heart will literally explode if I love anymore

I could go on a lot longer but the two people who read my blog might be getting sleepy so I will stop here.

Christmas Day

2008-12-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

Right after Santa came...

The next morning...

What a special day! Christmas Eve daddy stayed up to put Jackson's new scooter together and mommy had to do all the wrapping. (It was a very late night.) The next morning Jackson called us from his crib to come get him. We came in and wished him a Merry Christmas and then told him that Santa came. He slowly walked out to the tree and then his eyes got wide as he saw all the sesame street wrapping paper. He then started to open his gifts. I think his favorites were his Elmo slippers, his sparky sweatshirt and his new scooter. It was so nice to sit together as a family and open gifts. I am so excited for next year with 2 little kids of our own. Families are great! I put some pictures here of us opening gifts and then a video of Jackson on his scooter. (I know that it is sideways and no I don't know how to fix it, just turn your head-you'll get through it.) We love you all and thank you to all that sent gifts, especially to Jackson. It is so nice to know that others love and care about him as much as we do. Merry Christmas!!!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

Oh, what a tree does for a home! Last week we went to pick out our tree. Jackson helped and we came home with a wonderful tree. The first picture is us a Home Depot with the tree on the car. The next day we decorated the tree together in our pjs as we listened to Christmas music. (That day is definitely on my top 10 favorite days.) We had such a good time. If Jackson couldn't put an ornament on the branch he would just throw it at the tree (in hopes that it would stick) so we did have about 3 ornament casualties. When we were all finished Jackson put the star on the top, as you can see it was a little crocked, but we thought it was too cute to fix. Merry Christmas!

Scary Stuff

2008-12-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

On Monday I went for another OB appointment. I get so excited about these appointments because I almost feel closer to the baby when I go. I had no idea how close I would really feel to the baby when I went in last Monday. It started out normal, I went pee in my cup, they weighed me (only 1lb so far, yaaa!), and took my blood pressure and then I waited in the room for my doctor to come in. I had Jackson with me and he was being very good, watching Elmo on a little DVD player and eating some pretzels so I didn't mind about the 20 min wait in the exam room. (Except that I hadn't eaten lunch yet, so my tummy was growling.) The doctor finally came in and asked me some questions, then I asked a few of my own. It is really surprising how much you forget the second time around! Then I laid back so she could put the little monitor that lets you hear the baby's heart rate on my belly. She put the jelly on (which I love that they warm up) and then looked for the baby's heart rate....NOTHING....a few seconds later.....NOTHING....and even a few more seconds......NOTHING. The doctor put down her monitor and told me that she was unable to find the baby's heart beat. I immediately started to cry. She then said that we needed to do an ultrasound to see if we could find it there and to find out if there was something wrong. I sat up and got my stuff together as Jackson and I went to another room. Then I endured the longest wait of my life. I sat in the ultrasound room for another 20 minuets, which felt like days. I just sat and cried the thought that the little parasite that I had grown so attached to would no longer be inside me was just too much to handle. Jackson continued to watch Elmo happily as I cried. ( I have never been so thankful for that little red furry monster as I was at that moment.) The doctor finally came in and had me lay down again. I held my breath, she put the gel on (this time it wasn't warm, I was sure that was a bad sign) and the ultrasound clicked on. There the baby was moving around like a little jumping bean, and the heart beat was strong at 158. The tears began to flow again. I was so thankful, in that moment it was just me and my little baby, my little strong baby. As we left I was then struck by my Heavenly Father's love. I was not alone in that room, he was right there with me and he knew what I needed and he let me feel his love. Here is a picture of out little jumping bean with a strong little heart beat.

Sad Santa

2008-12-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, this year the Santa picture is a little hard to look at. Jackson has perfected the sad face! When I look at this picture it almost brings me to tears. As we stood in line I kept asking Jackson to practice his smile for Santa. I would ask him to show me how he was going to smile and he would say cheeeese and then I would tell him that it was perfect. Well, when we got up to Santa it didn't work out as planned. He started to cry as soon as I handed him over. I then backed up to get out of the picture and tried to bribe him in to smiling by offering him one of my homemade candied pecans. (Which he LOVES!) He then stopped crying but still had the sad face so I asked them to just take the picture. (After waiting in line for 45 min I really didn't care.) I then rushed over to take him from the mean guy in the red suit and looked at the pictures on the screen. At first I thought it was cute and then it just made me sad. I hope I didn't damage him for life. Maybe he will like Santa a little better once he knows that is who brings him the toys.

Fall Photos

2008-11-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

After I had Jackson, and I was still HUGE, I never wanted to be in any pictures with him. I was just so afraid of looking fat in all the pictures. A few months after that I was looking through photos to scrapbook and I realized that I didn't have any pictures of Jackson and me. This made me very sad. I decided then that no matter what I looked like I would always be in pictures with my son. When Jackson and I went to North Carolina my parents wanted some photos of all their grand kids and it was a great opportunity to get in some photos with Jackson before I get HUGE again. Here are some of the photos, the really good ones are being touched up and should be on the site soon. The picture of Jackson all by himself I love because he is saying cheeeese, but there is a pretty bad shadow, just imagine it without that and enjoy that beautiful little boy!

2008-11-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

So this is our next little peanut. We kind of have a love/hate relationship right now with how sick I am feeling. I actually am happy if I can go two straight hours without feeling like I am going to puke. Last Monday I went to the doctor for our first ultrasound of the new baby. I was a little nervous just because I knew how important it was that we heard a heartbeat. (The risk of miscarriage goes from 80% to 3% once there is a heart beat.) I asked Josh to come and keep an eye on Jackson as I talked to the doctor. He was only able to stay for a little while because he had class, I thought it would all work out because I thought that they would do the ultrasound first. It turned out that he had to leave before the ultrasound. Josh was told that with how sick I am that we are either having twins or a girl. Josh said that he didn't want either. (What a guy, he just wants an entire basketball team.) After Josh left I gave Jackson a bunch of cookies and begged him to behave. (My awesome mothering skills in action.) I had the ultrasound and right away the doctor found a strong heartbeat. Then she tried to measure the baby to find the exact due date because we weren't exactly sure what it was. It was funny because she was having such a hard time measuring the baby because it is so long...we are going to have another tall one!
After I left the doctors with my new due date June 28th, 2009, I texted Josh to let him know all the good news. I wrote, "The babies look good, nice strong heart beats". He then wrote back that I better be kidding about the plural form of baby. I then replied that it was all his fault because his grandma is a twin and that I had nothing to do with this. He then said again that I better be kidding. I finally broke down and wrote, "Don't worry Josh you are still a one hit wonder". ( I don't think he has ever been more relived.) So time will tell if the doctor was right that we were have twins or a girl. Ahhhhh. What would I do with a girl?

My Little Kryptonite

2008-11-08T05:18:00.000-08:00

Is it still morning because I am still sick as a dog?!? Okay, so I keep telling my self that I am not going to complain about this pregnancy when there is so many people out there who have a hard time getting pregnant. But... over the last few days I changed my mind. This little parasite is sucking the life out of me not to mention all of my food. I seriously do not remember being this sick with Jackson, although it is possible that I just blocked it out.
The other day I went to Fry's to get some deli meat for Josh before Jackson and I went to North Carolina to visit my family. As I walk in to Fry's I can smell that they are cooking something that the baby doesn't like. I walk to the deli counter using my deep labor breathing to see if that would help and then I just resort to pulling my sleeve over my mouth and nose. I place my order at the deli and as I am standing there I realize that I am not going to make it......I quickly ask the deli man where the nearest trash can was, he slowly pointed to the one behind the counter and asked, "why". He didn't have to wonder long as I came barreling around the counter and grabbed the trash can as I heaved my breakfast in to it. Of course on top the the vomit I was crying out of embarrassment. To top it all off in the middle of all this the man says to me, "mam that is a health code violation." Thank you sir, I thought that this was totally okay...but next time I will do it on your shoes! (I didn't say that but I sure wanted to.) Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! What a terrible day and this kid is just floating around living it up as he/she sucks the life out of me...my little kryptonite...he/she better be cute.

Number 2 is on the way!

2008-11-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard yet...baby number 2 is on they way. We are so excited! I think it is more fun this time because we know what we are getting. We know that it will be hard (labor and delivery, ahhhhh) but it will also be so much fun.
This pregnancy came as a little bit of a surprise. We were trying to get pregnant, but after 4 negative pregnancy tests I told everyone that unfortunately we were not pregnant. About a week after all the negative tests I was feeling very tired and sick to my stomach and didn't want to eat anything. I still figured that I wasn't pregnant so I drank a few Diet Dr Peppers (which are my absolute favorite) and tried to just wait it out. The next day I decided to take one more test at the urging of my doctor, and I was shocked to find that it was positive! (I hope all that Diet Dr Pepper didn't do anything.) Josh was equally shocked but then proud that he "got one past the goalie".
I added the little ticker to the blog so you can keep track of where I am in the pregnancy-as I will again be painfully aware of how long this process is.

Halloween

2008-11-02T14:16:00.001-08:00

Well it came, my favorite day of the year! I just love Halloween. It is so much fun to see everyone dressed up and having a good time. This year we went to Trunk R Treat at the church. As usual Jackson just wanted to do his own thing, but when it came to getting candy he was a little more willing to go where we asked him to go. Jackson got way more candy than he needed especially because mean mommy and daddy don't let him eat very much. (I think he has had 2 pieces so far.) Overall it was a fun day and he was the cutest pumpkin ever in my opinion.

Picture Time!

2008-10-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE this picture. Jackson just started to smile in pictures. He will say CHEEEEEESE and then I take the picture. Here he is at his friend's house and he is just relaxing in his recliner and reading.
The weather in Arizona is just beautiful right now. We are back to our walks at night and every Sunday morning. It is by far the best part of our day is the time we spend together walking to the park and playing. I don't know who is more excited to go when we say we are going Jackson or Paca.
Last week Jackson got his Halloween costume and he is so excited! Just about once a day he says, "pumpkin?" and then we put on his costume. I can't wait to go trick or treating with him this year because he understands that he is getting candy now, so I think he will be much more interested in the whole process.

Playing with the Cousins

2008-09-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

This summer Jackson went to North Carolina to see Nana and Papa and to meet Uncle PJ for the first time. While he was there he spent a lot of time playing with his cousins; Olivia and Isaac. One day it was so hot Papa set up the slip and slide for the kids to play in. They had a blast! As you can see Jackson can "rock the hawk", but no matter how much fun he is having he always takes his serious picture. Jackson has become very selective with his smiles. Half our ward thinks Jackson doesn't like them because he always gives them the stink eye. Oh! Speaking of church, last week was Jackson's official first week in Nursery! Hallelujah!!! I finally get to listen to two meetings in church with out getting up to take my loud child out of the room. The nursery leader said that he did great and he was already ahead of the rest of the kids because he knew "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", and "Popcorn Popping". Luckily I was informed by one of the other moms in the ward that I wouldn't want to be the mom that picks him up last. Apparently, because I am new to this mom thing, kids love to have their mom be first to pick them up. She was right. Jackson smiled ear to ear, yelled "mommy", and then turned to smugly wave goodbye to the other kids (whose mom's were late). Score 1 for Jackson's mom!

The Beach

2008-08-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we drove to California and went camping on the beach. What an adventure! We had such a good time. During the day we played on the beach and at night we enjoyed smores. We could even hear the waves crashing on the beach as we were in our tents. Jackson was a little nervous about the fast water, but by the end of the trip he was comfortable putting his feet in. It was so hard to leave the nice weather and come home. But in the end, it was the perfect vacation to take before Josh starts the Masters program at ASU.

Since Jackson was born we have constantly given him books. I have always hoped that if we started early he would love books as much as I do. Well... the other day as I was checking my email I noticed that it was abnormally quiet. I came around the corner and found him in his bed room sitting on his bean bag chair reading! I was so proud! He was reading, "I'm Not Going to Get Up Today" and "Goodnight Gorilla". As he read "Goodnight Gorilla" he would turn each page and say, "nigh-nigh". It was so adorable I just had to get a picture of it. I just love being a mom. Each day he does something that warms my heart and makes me smile. I am so blessed to be the mother of such an amazing child!

Jackson's First Hair Cut!!!

2008-06-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Jackson's first hair cut. He did so great! As long as he could hold a ball he was going to sit through it. I would like to say that he got a full hair cut, but as you all know Jackson's hair just doesn't grow. They just trimmed over the ears and a little in the back. What a trooper! I am glad I took him here, if I left it up to daddy Jackson would have just gotten a buzz cut! No thanks dad.
We are so proud of our little guy. The pediatrician says that he is the smartest 15 month old he has seen. This week he added to his wide vocabulary; woot snak (fruit snack), pweeze (please), and ashwee (Ashley). Although his favorite word remains to be no. (Of course!) The most exciting news of all is that last week Jackson folded his arms to say prayer for the first time. I have to admit I cried for 10 minuets, I just couldn't believe it. Finally a sign the he is learning about his Heavenly Father, and how to pray. I guess all that hard work is starting to pay off! Great job little dude!!!

Jackson is 1!

2008-02-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little peanut brittle is a year old! What a year it has been. When Jackson was first born I was so scarred to be a mother. I didn't know what to do or when to do it! I guess I did okay because he survived. Everyday I love being this little guy's mother more and more. I is so amazing to see how they grow and learn. I love a lot of things about Jackson but one of the things I love the most is how everything he does, he does with his whole spirit. He loves to play basketball with his daddy. (And he can slam dunk and then rock the rim like no ones business.) Early on Jackson developed a love for books. Jackson will "read" a book in his car seat, in the stroller, in his highchair and anywhere else you let him. Jackson also loves to walk, and walk, and walk, and walk. Although he won't do it on his own yet, he likes to hold one hand and check out the house. Jackson can say some words that are somewhat recognizable like; mom, Dada, Baba (bottle), dog, and all done. Josh and I are just so proud of him and we can't wait to see what he will do this next year. Two or bust!

Santa!

2007-11-25T06:26:00.001-08:00

Jackson went to see Santa for the first time! He was a little nervous when mom handed him over to a fat guy in a red suit with a big hairy beard, but after a few shots we got a great picture. Josh and I were just staring at the picture. We can not believe that our little guy is growing so fast. He looks so big! We are so excited to show Jackson all the glorious things Christmas time has to offer. I think he will just love the lights, and he really likes anything that is shiny. He will most likely enjoy the wrapping paper more the the presents this year but that is okay I am sure we will get lots of great pictures. Merry Christmas!!!

Halloween

2007-11-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

Halloween was such a fun day. I think that it was the best birthday that I have ever had! I got to spend time with family and best of all I got to go tick or treating with the cutest little scarecrow in the world. Jackson had a great time, and so did his daddy because he got to eat all the candy.

At last

2007-10-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to join in with the rest of the world and blog. I really don't have anything particularly fabulous or interesting to say but I have to admit that I do feel a little better getting my thoughts out there.