Make 'em laugh

Last night was a fun time for us! Our home teachers were over and they got to witness Jaren and his magic touch with Robyn. She showed off her first LAUGH!

This was actually the 2nd time she had done it...the first lasted a bit longer. Jaren has always had the talent of getting all our babies to laugh the first time. And, for a while I'm sure he'll be the only one successful at making Robyn laugh. I can get her to smile...but not laugh. Mommy just doesn't do it right.

The week that we were without electricity was the week that Robyn REALLY started smiling. She was smiling before but not on a regular basis. So, I tried to capture her "chubby cheek smile". Yes, my little girl has those perfect, pinchable cheeks!

Back to School...again

After almost two weeks of no school due to power outtages at the campuses the day has FINALLY come for the boys to head to school. We've been waiting for this day to come since Ike! We were all going stir crazy! The re-opening of school has been postponed so many times. Honestly, I was afraid it would happen again as I know that there are some schools in our district still without electricity (as well as many residences). I know Hunter was VERY anxious to get back to Kindergarten. Though Aidan is still adjusting to 2nd grade, "anything is better than being BORED all the time!" Sorry Aidan, that I couldn't keep you entertained better these past two weeks.

Funny, I was much more organized this morning than I was on the first day of school back in August.

Maybe NOW Robyn and I can get used to being home together. We still haven't gotten used to it because of various disruptions (illnesses and then Hurricane Ike). So, we'll try this again.

We've Weathered the Storm

After almost ten days of living with no power, it came on late this afternoon!! A big "THANK YOU" to all those workers who have been working around the clock to get the power up and running! Gotta tell ya, if the weather wouldn't have gone back up to "HOT" it probably wouldn't have been so bad. I was getting so used to not having power!

So, here I am finally able to give you the 4-1-1 on Hurricane Ike from our neck of the woods. Like always, I do lists--the easiest way for me to organize my thoughts! The top things that caught my attention during and after the hurricane.

1. The Sounds of Hurricane Ike...This is EARLY Saturday morning (at appr. 3:45am) on Sept. 13th. Yeah, we didn't get much sleep with these scary sounds whipping around and echoing in our big living room! It was much louder and scarier standing in that room at the time. Even now I find it hard to listen to this "audio" clip...I just remember how it felt being there. Right off a "Halloween Sounds" album (remember those??).

What you are mostly hearing is the strong winds pelting the rain up against our big window. And to think we were going to sleep together as a family in that room! Power ceased in our home at exactly 1:13am (Fort time). The only sleep we got was when the EYE of the storm passed over us between 4-6am. I hear there were some folks outside dancing in the streets during that time period. Apparently it's a "neat" experience to "feel" the eye of a hurricane!

2. Sat. afternoon...here's what Ike left in "our backyard" or rather our front yard:

Nothing too major, just LOTS of branches with one major one! Our poor tree is just losing branches right and left.

3. On Tuesday we took a walk to conserve gas as it was a precious commodity to many people in the area. We didn't want to get caught in the "I NEED GAS" lines that stretched out for a long time! There were few gas stations open and even they would run out of gas quickly. People would wait in line for the next shipment of gas. We walked over to Wal-Mart as they had finally re-opened once getting power. But, inside was kind of eerie. Here's what we found...or rather didn't find:

The produce section

The cold and frozen foods sectionThere was nothing there that needed to be kept cold (no produce, meats, bakery, frozen goods...no MILK!) Just empty shelves and baskets. I tried to tell ya that sometimes Wal-Mart just isn't stocked!

4. The generators!!! Throughout the ten days of no power we were fortunate to have a generator to power our fridge and chest freezer everyday even if it was for only a few hours. We borrowed four different generators from friends and neighbors. You'll have to ask me about how we came to get those generators...only literal answers to our prayers brought them to us. I'll admit that generators are a "good thing" but I'm sure glad to rid myself of all the NOISE they make (remember our windows were always open)! My ears would be ringing constantly!

5. We finally got to meet our back neighbors! Hey, if losing sections of fence is what it takes to meet them, it was worth it. They are good people. And, we got some D batteries and a few hours of their generator after we met.

6. A nice size branch breaking off the tree makes a great play gym! 7. Clean-up was a whole family experience! That was fun and totally worth it! 8. By Saturday night (Sept. 20th) I asked myself if it was possible for it to be too HOT too sleep at night. But, I shouldn't complain--it was only 86 degrees at the hottest in the house. It could've been hotter (like with hurricane Rita in '05).

9. I never thought I'd be so excited to do chores again when my power came back on.

10. I'm often gave myself a pat on the back for being mostly prepared for this storm. We had what we needed.

11. We had sacrament meeting in the dark yesterday. Yeah, playing piano with only a flashlight for lighting is a rather interesting experience! And, even a hurricane can't stop the Stake Presidency from reorganizing our Bishopric. Life goes on...

12. The boys haven't been to school since Sept. 11th. So, it's been a challenage to keep us all sane as we wait for school to "open" again. They are supposed to return this Thurs. the 25th.

I documented this first hurricane for us in my journal. So, I can relive it whenever I want...why would I ever want to!!

Hurricane Ike Update

To all those out of the area...

Ike has come and gone and we are actually enjoying beautiful weather at the moment. Our home is still "all together". We lost a few big branches out front--yeah, from our one and only tree. And, a few parts of our back fence came down. Other than that, we are just dealing with no power. My sister (who lives 2 min. north of us) does have power has helped out a bit in letting us hang out here, do laundry, check e-mail, update my blog, and give us a nice, hot meal. But, we are still without power.

We've been able to borrow a generator these past two days to keep our fridge and freezer at least cold.

Jaren returned to work today. They are running the minimum with generators so he's taking a few hours to do paperwork.

So, we are surviving just fine down here. Whenever I think that life's just miserable I remember Galveston and other areas and all they are going through--okay, I have need to complain.

I am thankful to have a home and running water. And, we have gas!! So, we can cook on our stove and take hot showers!

When we get power at our home (I'm at my sister's home now) I will post some pictures and the likes!


Thankfully the weather has cooled off and things have become more tolerable. So, we made it through our first hurricane. It has definitely been a new adventure for us!

Our very own meteorologist...

NOTE: This hurricane on the horizon has stirred up a lot of commotion down here in southeast Texas. We as a family are staying put. We do not live in a potential flood area and we do not live in any major evacuation zones. However, any thoughts and prayers on our behalf (and all Texans for that matter) are certainly appreciated. School has been cancelled and Jaren will not be reporting to work tomorrow. The roads, stores and gas stations are crazy as people prepare/evacuate. Some neighbors have boarded up their windows. We're sticking around as everyone in this household (except me) experience their first hurricane! Not that Robyn will remember it. Now, onto the actual post...

Hurricane Ike

Since Hurricane season began in June, this has become a daily ritual...must check The Weather to see the latest disturbances in the Atlantic Ocean. This is an obsession for Aidan. Ever since he followed all the happenings of Hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005, Hurricanes have been his passion!! As he's gotten older, his interest in them has gotten more profound. And, since moving to Houston he's really kept a good eye on hurricanes more than volcanoes or earthquakes because hurricanes happen right in our backyard. It's normal for him to check out a documentary video from the libary about ANY hurricane (or earthquake, tornado, storm, tsunami...basically any natural disaster). Whenever we go anywhere that has cable/satellite we absolutely MUST watch The Weather Channel...all day long!

Since school started, Aidan gets up a few minutes early so that he has time to check the weather on the internet. We don't have TV so the internet is our source for such vital information. With him as my meteorlogist, I don't need to check the weather for the updates. I just ask Aidan. He's usually pretty accurate! Sometimes we have to clarify the technical jargon. But, for the most part he understands what's going on.

Though he loves to learn about them I have to tell you that he's absolutely afraid of them. Whenever we do have a big storm, Aidan prepares by burying himself under some blankets, crying a little bit and promptly going to sleep. So, at least his knowledge of them has not made him complacent. He DOES understand the negative impact that they could have.

With Hurricane Ike knocking on our door, Aidan has made it his duty to make sure we, as a family, are prepared and aware of where it is, how strong it is, when it will "hit us" and how we should deal with it.

This video is only a glimpse at what goes on EVERY morning at 7am. To all our friends and family not in the path of Hurricane Ike, I thought you would find this interesting enough (sorry it's so long). I tried to capture his dramatic moments...of course, there weren't near as many on the morning that I try to video him. Go figure... (NOTE: He's not really talking to anyone specific, even when he does say my name...I'm not there!)

PS It's too funny for Hunter knowing that the plane they use to study Hurricanes is called the Hurricane Hunter. How fitting...

16 going on 29

I was out shopping today with Robyn and I got "the look" again. The look that says, "What in the world are you doing with a baby?" I always get certain comments and looks when I'm out with my babies and it's been going on since I had my first. Sometimes I just get SOOO tired of it...

I appreciate the "grandmas" who compliment me on such a beautiful baby. I can even tolerate the tween who just stares...creepy!! Anyway, the comments I just can't get used to are all the negative ones that have to do with how old "I look." (I get the same looks when I'm pregnant.)

"You're too young to have a baby!"

"It's teens like you who make it look like it's okay to have one!"

"So, do you know who the father is?" (WHAT???!! Do you see the ring on my finger?!)

"Oh, you have such a cute little sister!"

"Where's your mom? Or, are you here with a babysitter!" (again, WHAT???!! Do I honestly look 12??!!)

Sometimes I want to say, "You think this looks bad, I've got two more at home!!" What's wrong with these people?? But, then I think about what day in age we're in. Why am I so surprised...

Seriously people, do I look that young?? Don't answer that...

Some of the comments I get...come on!! I wish I had better comebacks. I should just embrace it and have fun with it, right Andy? Anyone got any good comebacks--please share!

Course, maybe someday I'll share with you ALL the stories Jaren and I have as a married couple. Before we had our own kids we were never seen in public as a married couple--always just siblings or father and daughter...I know, sad. How about the time, two days after we were married, we checked into a hotel and the receipt said "One adult and one child!" Hello??!! For the longest time whenever we'd go into restaurants it was one adult menu and one child menu ...

My favorite, when it was just the four of us...the family was going to dinner with one of Jaren's best friends. We walked into a neighborhood Applebee's with Jaren and his friend Nate leading the way with me and the two boys trailing behind....The hostess just looked at us. Okay, we were in Seattle so who knows what she was thinking!! But, in the end, she tried to hand us two adult menus and three kids' menus. People, just ask--don't assume!

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Hey, we were even featured in our local newspaper back in Kennewick, WA because we looked so "mismatched".

Everyone says I should embrace the fact that I look younger than I am. I try to use it to my advantage but I do try my hardest (usually) to look my age. Thankfully, I do act it...so that helps.

Me, 1997, age 17 at my Jr. Prom

Do I really still look like that (minus "a few" pounds and gray hairs)??

I've fallen, but I did get up...

Okay, why I feel so inclined to write about this on my blog, I don't know. Only that I keep playing the incident in my head. I'm thinking, if I get these feelings off my chest I'll feel better.

For those of you who weren't there (and for those who were) I had a good fall in Relief Society yesterday. Course, I was fully loaded--with Robyn in one arm and my heavy church/diaper bag in the other. Before you ask, Robyn is fine. She was already crying before I fell. Hence why I was trying to leave the room. Okay, I've never seen a bunch of women jump up so fast and come to my aid right in the middle of the RS lesson...and it good one it was.

My first thought when I fell was "This is so embarassing!!" I landed on my other side...the side that I was not carrying Robyn in. My second thought was "Oh my gosh, I almost landed on little Owen Smith (younger than Robyn)!" Again, how embarrassing.

I could not get out of that room fast enough. I made it to the foyer and literally just cried. There were other issues involving feeding and changing Robyn that heightened my frustration, but I won't discuss them here. Needless to say, once I got in the car with the family I pretty much broke down and started telling Jaren about my last 1/2 hour of church. I calmed down and thought, "This day better get better!" And it actually did!! By the time I got to bed I realized that I had pulled a muscle in my thigh and in my lower leg when I fell. It hurts a little, but no big deal.

Now that I think back on the whole "falling" incident I have two thoughts. 1) I hope the sisters in RS aren't thinking, "Wow, she can't even walk! I hope everything's okay at home!" Or 2) I noticed we had a few new sisters in RS...I can just see myself meeting them and introducing myself as "I'm Ashley--you know, the lady who fell in RS a while back." And they'll say, "Oh yeah--I remember you!" How embarrassing!

I've deduced that there was one main culprit that caused my fall. A miss step wearing heels while trying to lug around a bag that really is too heavy. I was very lopsided--Robyn weighs much less than my bag. So, I've come up with plans to lighten my load (ditch the heavy hymnbook after Sacrament meeting) and to make carrying Robyn easier.

Don't know about other moms out there but I HATE those infant carseat carriers as carriers...they're big, bulky and heavy and so uncomfortable to haul around so I just don't carry her in it much anymore. I have recently purchased a Ring Sling and I LOVE IT (thanks Krissy C. for the inspiration). And, I'm still wondering why in the world I didn't use it on Sunday after sacrament meeting....????? What's wrong with me!?? It's not that I chose to make things more complicated....if I would have had her in her sling instead of in my arms, I wouldn't have been so off balance. Oh well. I guess it has been this fall to help me realize that I'm really not getting around too well with my baby and I need to address this issue with myself.

In conclusion, there is nothing major in my life that caused this fall. It was just a fall...nothing more, nothing less. I have to keep telling myself that. Falling really isn't big deal. I need to just get over it. I'm fine...really. I have every intention to solve my "balance" issues and stay on my two feet next week at church.

There, I feel better...thanks for letting me get this off my chest!!

Eenee, meenee, minee, mo...

Today we received Robyn's blessing dress...and a gorgeous one it is. A good friend of mine from Washington State insisted on making it for her. A big hug goes out to her for her hard work!

Anyway, I took some photos of her in it and now I need to pick one to make bigger to display in Robyn's room. So, I need your opinions. Course, she wasn't being very cooperative and I'm not quite the photographer that some of you out there are (...Gayle). Maybe one of these will work--maybe not. Hey, she won't be growing out of it any time soon so I may have to try again. But, tell me what you think:
1.

2.

3.

4.

I also have to add this silly tidbit about this blessing dress: Hunter was asking me about "the package" that came for Robyn. The conversation went like this:

Hunter: "Mommy, what's in the box?"
Me: "It's Robyn's blessing dress."
Hunter: "WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?"
Me (a little taken back by his concern): "No, she'll be wearing it on Sunday."
Hunter: "Her WEDDING DRESS...she's too young to get married mommy!"
Me: "Not her wedding dress, her BLESSING dress."
Hunter: "OOOOHHHH! I thought you said wedding dress..."

Too funny!!

Eventually she had to go home :(

Kay (grandma) Fort with Robyn...her fifth grandchild. I absolutely LOVE this picture!

I haven't been posting regularly as we had a VERY special visitor these last 10 days. Jaren's mother came all the way down from Washington State to visit! She was here to help out as the boys started school. She was here as we continued to fight Hunter's ear infection. He only got to go to three full days of kindergarten last week...poor guy! It's inevitable, someone ALWAYS gets sick when Grandma visits!

Grandma Fort treated us to SOOO many things. Just to name a few:

A trip to Costco. For those of you unfamiliar with this store down here in the Houston area...shame on you! So much better than Sam's Club--usually! The only downside is that there are only two and neither of them are close to us Humble residents. But the drive is worth it!

A trip to Golden Corral for a wonderful dinner!

Trips to Wal-Mart, Lowes, Target, HEB, Hobby Lobby, Best Buy, Game Stop...

And, Jaren and I were able to get out ALONE for a much needed date night.

We got to witness a major branch splitting from our frontyard tree. My poor tree!!My mother-in-law helped remove the branch entirely as I'm somewhat inexperienced in "branch cutting" (we don't currently own a chainsaw). But, it got taken care of. Though the branch is still laying on our front lawn. I'm sure it's not too pretty as a lawn ornament. After careful inspection we noticed the rot that's slowly killing the tree.... but we "rescued" a bird's nest thanks to Hunter. Oh, I forgot to mention that this is the ONLY tree on our property!! Sad day for the tree...

Grandma and Grandkids around the fallen branch

Anyway, we've been busy! Tomorrow is my first day juggling school and home by myself. Hopefully it won't be too dramatic for me. So far our mornings haven't gone too smoothly and that was with help. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon enough.

Thanks for coming Grandma!! We sure LOVE YOU!