Are we done yet?

Now that our computer is up and running again and I can access the FEW pictures we have remembered to take over the past few CRAZY months, I am finally doing another post. As I looked at our pics from this spring, I became very nostalgic, wishing I could see my Charlotte friends again. It was really hard to say goodbye, but I'm glad I've had the chance to play a little catch up on the phone.

Moving Day in Charlotte...saying goodbye to the McKinnons, Kerrs and Woodwards

Saying goodbye to Miles Lester and Hunter Rains

So we officially moved in on June 28 and since then we have tried to squeeze in unpacking, organizing, painting, carpentry as well as two family reunions--one to Yellowstone with my family and one to Fishlake with Harland's. Needless to say our house doesn't look like we've been here almost a month--more like a week maybe. The boxes are mostly gone but a disorganized mess of toys, items that need a home, paint cans and ladders serve as decore. You who know me understand that I am the type of person (to my own detriment) that likes to have the dishes done, the toys picked up and the floor swept before I turn in for the night so that I can start the next day fresh. So I am sort of a witchier version of myself because of it. I just have to remind myself that it's OK to pace myself and not stay up working until 1 AM. Yikes, it's hard not to when I three little ones need me every waking minute of the day. I think I spend most of the day helping Henry or Cannon change their clothes for whatever outfit is required for what they want to play next. It's exhausting and the laundry is out of hand, but since we have no schedule (moving meant I didn't have time to think about summer classes or some sort of organized time) I feel I need to let them be imaginitive at home because they'd be bored out of their minds if not. Even our TV isn't hooked up yet. (Although we do have the old VCR/TV in working order!) The other half of my day is feeding Elizabeth while answering Cannon's endless "who would win" questions involving two vicious animals that have never before fought in the wild because they are found on different sides of the planet. For instance:

C:"Mom, who would win: A crocodile or a polar bear?

M: "In or out of the water?"

C: "In the water, but the polar bear has special swimming powers"

M: "Ummmm...Henry, stop jumping on the table.. oh shoot, Elizabeth has a leaky dirty diaper! Huh...what? Oh sorry, um, the crocodile maybe? "

C: Why?

M: "He seems like a better fighter in the water?"

C: "Why?"

etc. etc. etc



By the way, I just have to say that Cannon and Henry almost never give me destructive types of trouble--in other words, they usually don't break or destroy things, it's like they have some inate understanding of it. For that I have been truly blessed....until today...when I went outside my parents cabin to find them amd their cousin throwing rocks at my dad's mercedes. I almost died. It was a painful moment in my personal parenting history that needs no further comment.



Finally, Elizabeth is growing and changing and reminding me I need to get some new pictures posted of her. She is darling and so happy and wonderful. I am enjoying her so much!

Enjoying hanging out with Jodi Lee and kids at her Cabin along the Weber River

Cannon caught a fish at Fishlake! Yay! He said: "Dad, I want to put it on the wall or have it as my little dead pet!"

Rocky Mountain "Hi!"

Wow! We made it! Since the last post we sold our house in Charlotte, came to Salt Lake and bought a house, flew back to Charlotte, packed our stuff, came back to SL (except for Harland, who is still working through June), and now we're living with my mom until our new house closes in June. Needless to say this entire spring has been a blur. With that in mind, here are some things that have weathered the storm and surfaced as "memories" although I have no access to our photos right now to show!
1. Blessing Elizabeth amongst family and friends- Harland gave her a beautiful blessing, it was a special day in Salt Lake
2. Signing the papers at the closing of our dear home on 7812 Surreywood Place in CHarlotte. It was really tough to say goodbye to a house full of so many happy memories.
3. Buying a home where we feel our family can grow and be happy. We love our new house and can't wait to move in. The neighborhood is full of good families and playmates. The streets are tree-lined and beautiful, and the school is 5 houses up. Also, there's a fun neighborhood park a block away. Here is a link to some photos: (please keep in mind that this is an outdated website, but the only one I can find that has pics of our house.So the price listed is TOTALLY wrong--some sort of mistake was made there! (But hilarious!)
http://www.obeo.com/Public/Viewer/Default.aspx?ID=403222&RefURL=http://www.360house.com/agent.cfm?Agent=91940&RefURL=&CFID=28013611&CFTOKEN=58286067
3. Saying goodbye to some of the dearest friends of my life. We will see each other soon, but thank you so much for the kind send-off! Also, saying goodbye to the beautiful, talented and kind Young Women in the Matthews ward. Please come visit when you're visiting colleges! You always have a place to stay when you come to SL!

From Roadside Performances to Bed Shoes...these are the days of our lives

Somehow, I gave the impression (as I looked at the comments) in my last entry that we had sold our house. Not so. We put our house on the market almost two weeks ago, but unfortunately, no buyers yet. That would be nice...

Ayway, time is flying as always. Cannon and Henry are growing like weeds. We watched Newsies this weekend and they were very impressed that I knew the words to all the songs. Sadly, I think I watched that show atleast 2 dozen times between my 12th and 13th birthday--with a secret crush on Jack Kelly.

Cannon has been a little obsessed with money lately. He doesn't quite understand how it works. I remember when I was little and I'd give my dollar bill to the girl at the Tennis Club counter in exchange for some gummy worms. To my amazement, I didn't just get gummy worms in return, but money back! COINS no less! So I'd keep giving her my coins for more worms until she stopped giving me anything back. It was a mesmerizing process!

So Cannon thinks coins are much cooler than paper money as well, which works out nicely for me and my expoiting ways. He gets a nickle for vacuuming the floor or unloading the utensils, etc. etc. A couple weeks ago, he came up to me and said "Mom, you know what's easier than working for money? You get a guitar and a bowl and sit out on the street!" Yep, my son's thinking like a true bum...

Henry is hilarious and unusually high-maintenance. He's at that stage of fighting a still-needed nap. By 4 o'clock he's a raging lunatic! Also, he lives to make people laugh. If he cuts up Cannon, it's the equivalent of winning an Olympic gold. My newest favorite Henry-ism: his "bed shoes" --long socks he puts on right before bed.

Elizabeth is a different person every day. When she opened her eyes this morning, I was staring at her in my bed. Something was definitely different. Her eyes? Or was it that her face was rounder? More hair gone? More spirit in her expression? The more kids I have, the more I realize how fast it goes and so I think I'm noticing more of the little things. By the same token, the more kids I have, the less time I have to notice THEM and look when they want me to look, or pick them up every time they cry. Now there's irony. So here are some recent pictures of Elizabeth, otherwise known as Lizzy (Cannon's name for her) and Sissy (Henry's name for her).

Finally, a few family members and friends have asked me to send a link to the Our State article. There's no online version of it, apparantly. I suppose that's how they can charge $5 a magazine. So I scanned it (see below). There are also two other links also below for Charlotte Parent (another family dining guide, an article on our recent trip to Williamsburg's Great Wolf Lodge)

Here are the online versions of C. Parent:

http://www.charlotteparent.com/Articles/Columns/DepartmentArticle.aspx?cid=830&subid=62

http://www.charlotteparent.com/Articles/Columns/DepartmentArticle.aspx?cid=824&subid=99

Crawling out from under my rock

Well, as a new mother of three with our home now officially on the market (how's that for timing?) I have definitely been MIA. Elizabeth is growing and changing a little every day. I'm already getting nostalgic knowing that the newborn phase will be gone before I know it. I love the cuddling, her cute stretches, how she crouches up like a potato bug on me at night, and all those little squeeks. She is going through a definite crying peak right now! She sleeps well at night (thank goodness) because she wears herself out all day. Sometimes my ears start ringing--and the boys get so frustrated because I can't give them very much attention right now. Sometimes they have to repeat themselves several times because I can't hear them with the howling! Phew--it's defintely a new development. But she's just so dang cute we all want to eat her up at the same time.

Anyway, here's a peak at Elizabeth in her blessing dress. I think we'll wait until we're visiting family in Salt Lake in early May to bless her, but I had to try it on her. Hope it still fits by then! Also, we can't forget to post a picture of our recent missionaries--especially dear old Elder Foster. He's seven foot something or other and Henry talks about him every day. Forget yard sticks--HE is the standard of measurement in our home. Henry: "Mom, is that tree as big as Elder Foster?" etc. etc. Apparantly, he will be returning home (I think he's from California?) right about when we move to Salt Lake. The good news is, he plays b-ball for the Utes. You can count on us to be there when he tears it up on the court. Can't wait for Henry and Cannon to see it!

I love pictures of Harland and Elizabeth. She's daddy's little girl!

We Meet At Last!

SHE'S FINALLY ARRIVED!

Elizabeth Megan Hayes

b. February 18, 2009

w. 6 lbs. 15 oz.

l. 20 inches

Mom was ready... (barefoot and pregnant)


Her room was ready...

First moments ...

Elizabeth was born last Wednesday afternoon just before 5 pm. We arrived at the hospital early that morning for a scheduled induction, which the Dr. felt we should go forward with as she wasn't moving much and was measuring big (??) We were glad to have a chance to make sure grandma Megan could be there with the kids (my mom comes on Wednesday) and prepare ourselves and the kids the night before. We went out for one last dinner and a movie as a family of four, then picked Grandma up from the airport and went to bed.

The day of the induction progressed without incident. I found myself reading and napping to pass the time--pretty crazy what you can do with an epidural! I wasn't progressing much, though, and I began to worry she might never come out! Just then, I felt a mojor "drop" in my abdomen. I called the nurse and was ready to push. Within what seemed like a few minutes, she was in my arms. Harland and I cried harder than the girl in my arms. There are few moments in life as lovely as that. Now we are home and adjusting well. The boys absolutely adore Elizabeth and get really excited when she wakes up. I keep telling them that before long, she will be awake all the time--and she will want to play!

As for now, it is such a unique "honeymoon period" that I always savor. I can't get enough of holding and cuddling with her. She is so beautiful and pure. I'm so grateful to be her mother.

Thinking Red, Green and...Pink

It's funny. I didn't think I sounded too sad about not going to SL for Christmas to be with our families this year, but more than one person has patted my back and said, "Was it as bad as you were thinking it would be on your blog?" I just have to laugh. It was great, and what else is great is that I have supportive friends and fam that actually take time to read this blog.

The holidays came and went! We had Elyse (Harland's sister) and Grant and their family for Thanksgiving...here's me cooking up a feast in my tiny kitchen. You can almost catch a glimpse of the giant stomach covered demurely in a cute apron (made for me by my dear friend Erin). It dawned on me yesterday that I don't have many pregnancy pictures of me to show our little gal someday, so I'll have to get on that. Just five more weeks...

Here's a cute picture of the boys with their darling cousins, Eliza and Audrey Hunter...

As for Christmas, we had a great time. I wanted to make it extra special, so every day, we pulled out a drawer from our wooden advent calendar and read a scripture as well as followed the instructions I had written out: one day it said something bigger, like "make and deliver Christmas treats," "go see Santa" or "go ice skating." Other days, it was something small, like "play a board game and drink hot chocolate" or "make snowflakes". Regardless of what we did, the boys LOVED it, and I cherished having done it. I know they will never forget it, and I plan on doing it every year. Every day was almost like Christmas itself, the way they would run in our room first thing in the morning to find out what we got to do that day. It was a little hard to have Harland gone or sleeping during the day right before and after Christmas, but atleast he was home on Christmas eve and Christmas day, even if he had to work the night in between (harder for him than me!)

Making Gingerbread houses at the Woodwards (Henry and Cannon with Miles Kerr)

You gotta love the program at our Baptist preschool...Happy Birthday Jesus!

We spent Christmas eve ice skating and eating a yummy (if I do say so myself) Christmas eve dinner. Then after we did our family stuff, the boys went to bed in our room and thus began the two hour time crunch to get a bunk bed put together before Harland had to leave for work. It's a wonder the boys stayed asleep. They're still astonished that Santa built an entire bunkbed in one night. I'm astonished myself.

Excited about riding the DC metro

Henry loved Great Wolf Lodge




We took off right before New Year's to play in Washington D.C for a couple days and then head down to Williamsburg, VA, where we stayed at this crazy giant hotel that has a full-on 80,000 sq-ft water park inside. We're talking serious waterslides that meander in and out of the waterpark walls. It was quite a sight. I had to spend part of the first day playing journalist because they're building one of these lodges here in Charlotte and I'm writing a story about it for Charlotte Parent. But the rest of the time, we just played and met up with the Jensen family for our last day. That night we had dinner with them and the McCormicks. Good times!

Now, I'm finally feeling like things are settling back down. This week, I finished the stressed and sweated-over 1,800 word article about a hidden garden for an actual glossy magazine that pays decently well for a change--very exciting--and now it's time to come to terms with the fact that baby #3 is close at hand. I haven't done anything to get ready, except pick out some fabric last September that my mom is sewing into a crib skirt and glider cover for us. She's getting around to it this week, and I can't wait to see it. Here's a swatch of the fabric:

I really can't wait to have another little female in the household! We're 99% sure on the name Elizabeth. I know, I know, big shocker for those of you who know me at all. I practically made Harland sign a pre-nup with only one term on it before we got married: that our first daughter's name would be my middle name and my grandma's name...not to mention the name that I gave every baby doll, Barbie, and myself (whenever my friend and I played "teenagers" --which we did from 4th grade until we practically WERE teenagers. That's kind of embarassing.)

(A recent baby shower with the 3rd year residents...at Erin Geunter's home. Check out that diaper cake--she's amazing!)

Well, I'm guessing the next time I update this blog, there will be some tiny baby pictures plastering it. Wish us luck in the ensuing weeks--as I get BIGGER and BIGGER and less and less mobile, as Harland ventures up and down our attic ladder carrying boxes with baby gear, and finally, that exciting day when we drive to Harland's 2nd home up at Carolina's Medical Center and welcome our first little girl. Yay!

Here's What's Happening

I'm doing a miserable job of keeping this blog updated! With a baby on the way, our recent semi-annual visit to Utah, and a stack of deadlines for magazine articles I've committed to writing before the end of the year, I can barely see straight. Not only that, but as writing used to be my outlet, it's now a job for me again. I still really enjoy it, but it's often the last thing I want to do to unwind.

Where do I start while being sorta brief (mostly for my own sake, but I'm sure no one is dying for the dirty details anyway)? Let's start with Utah, since that was exciting. As usual, it was a great trip. Probably one of my favorite trips out ever.

We packed so much in: a visit to Durango to see Dave and Erin's cute family, (above: Dave w/Jonas in the backpack and Jed holding his hand, our family)

just Harland and I took a trip up to Chicago for a conference Harland was involved in, (while our boys had the time of their lives parent-free at grandma and grandpa Hayes' house); we visited with dear friends and their darling kids whom I haven't seen in a while, enjoyed Halloween parties and sleepovers at the cabin and Mimi's, took in a U game, and took Cannon rock-climbing thanks to Ryan and Preston --a real highlight. It was just a great trip. Best of all, Harland got a job offer from a group he's really excited about it Salt Lake, so we are thrilled about that. It's still seven months away, so I'm trying to stay focused on the here and now. I'm really excited--OF COURSE-- but I don't know what I will do without some of my dear friends here. So I'll just cross that bridge later.

At the Art Institute in Chicago--an Edward Hopper painting

Just to prove that we're really in Chicago!!!, Me in front of Joffrey Ballet studios

Cannon and Henry were Batman and Robin for Halloween. They love the 1960's video we have, so their costumes were less "Dark Night" than the other Batmans running around. For now, you'll have to imagine tights and briefs, tall boots, big belts and masks..I need some better pics so I'll post those later. I thought they looked awesome. The best part: they were thrilled with their costumes and still wear them daily.

What else? Cannon's t-ball season ended. That was a great time, even if half the games were rained out. On the upside of all that rain, my garden is rockin and Charlotte has never been more colorful than this fall. Other good news is that Obama won and my friend Erin had a beautiful baby boy named Ezra--whom I am gaga over and getting excited to have another tiny one of my own. (That's when I'm not having panic attacks about having another tiny one of my own--how does one do it with 3? Yikes.) Ummm, here's something cool: I get to write restaurant reviews for Charlotte Parent! No one could be more excited because no one likes to eat more than me. I think one of my favorite things to do is eat out. For those of you who've seen me eat, you know this job is a match made in heaven. I'm still open to any ideas for places to review if you live here in Charlotte. We tried New Zealand Cafe the other night, but unfortunately, they've already been reviewed by the magazine. Still, if you live in Charlotte and you want yummy Asian food and sushi, it's as good as it gets and a million times cheaper.

As for the boys, Harland is at work right now. He is busy but not as bad as it used to be. Cannon and Henry are getting psyched for their birthdays. We are all getting psyched for Elyse and Grant to visit us at Thanksgiving, and I am trying to keep my cool about staying in Charlotte for Christmas for the first time since we've lived here. I love a white Christmas with family everywhere and festivities piled so high I can barely breathe. But now that we're back from Utah, and exhausted, I'm actually really excited for Christmas at home. I want to make it truly special and meaningful, without feeling the need to spend a lot of money in doing so. Wish me luck on that...because I'll need it.

OK, I'll try to post sooner next time.

Love, Heather