Attention Mothers!

Please take note!
If you are a current mother or future mother this is the big thing I am running into difficultly with now. I have done a lot of research and found that I am not the only one experiencing this problem and it all stems from one thing.

DO NOT TEACH OR LET ANYONE ELSE TEACH YOUR CHILD TO HIGH FIVE!!!!
They learn that hitting is fun and ok. This turns into agressive behavior when the child is tired of bored. Which makes them hit when they are taken away from a situation or not let into a situation.

I'm seriously sick of bloody noises and bruises from Emry. I'm at my wits end on getting him to stop. I've done everything suggested from holding down his hands and firmly and calmly telling him no. Then time out for a minute. It hasn't worked. He just gets more mad and throws a tantrum. And it's not when he's tired. He seems to do it when he knows he's doing something wrong.

We don't hit our kids so the only place he's ever learned or even seen hitting is with high fives.

If anyone has any advice to rectify his anger/hitting problem I am all ears. Please!

Independence Day In Washington

Over Fourth of July my father was awesome and had us come out to visit. Every year he does a huge firework show at their friends house. It's right on the lake. It was very fun and very very good. I forgot to take any pictures that day so I'm sorry. I think my family has some pictures so there might be more later. We flew into Washington on Saturday morning and then spend the rest of the day exploring the State. Our first stop was downstown Seattle on Alaskan Way. There's a few funny shops and cool things to look at on the walk. The kids got some special candy that I used to eat when I was a kid. I love memories. Then we went to the arcade and the kids got to ride the Merry go Round and play some games. Emry LOVED the go round. In the picture he kind of looks like he's crying but really he's laughing uncontrollably.

We then drove North and showed Devin the big Boeing plant where all the planes have their final put together and painted. Then we took a ferry over to Whidbey Island to go to my dad's favorite park and ocean point. While we were waiting to get on the ferry I had to take this picture. It's of a honey bucket. Now this may mean nothing to most people but it's something big for me and Devin. Since we've been married I have always called outhouses Honey Buckets. Devin and his family looked at me like I was crazy every time. I explained that it was the brand in washington but I was still looked at weird. Well here's the picture and a big fat I told you so lol.

This is us driving onto the ferry. I HATE the part where you cross from road to ramp to boat. I have a deathly fear that the ramp will collapse and we'll drive into the ocean.

Papa Brian and Emry on the front of the ferry

Papa Brian and Sammie and Avery

Add Emry and Diana

So this is the Captians part of the ferry. I took this picture because this is my favorite part of the Ferry. Whenever we have a newbie that has never been on a ferry, we take them to the front of the boat right under the quarters. Then we distract them and point out into the distance while another person toots that arm to make the captains blow their horn. Well we did this to Devin and scared him to death! It was hilarious. Though we scared the pee out of all the kids especially emry.

Goofy Husband like always

Emry and Sammie walking around Deception Pass. Sammie loved to 'Help" Emry. Though it usually ended up knocking him over. He had a very tough time walking in the sand.

Emry lunging to touch the ocean for his first time

Admiring the view. This was Devin's favorite part of the trip. He said this view made it worth it.

Emry and Sammie playing and eating at Melissa's house

Devin headed home on Monday and I stayed until Thursday. My plane didn't leave until 7:30 PM but ended up being delayed about an hour and half so we didn't get into Salt Lake til Midnight. Emry was insane on the plane. For the first 30 minutes he screamed and cried and hit me. Then I gave up trying to get him to go to sleep and let him play. He discovered that he could climb up the seat so that's where he spent most of him time playing and flirting with the girls behind us. It was a very long night


But we made it back to my moms that night and then made it home to Wyoming on Friday. I was definately exhausted after the plane ride. We're saving up now so that My sister and baby Ryan can come visit us out here.

Fun Around Town

We've been very buys the last few weeks. During this time we've been working on the house and yard and had a little bit of fun in between. This blog is a little of the fun times. The next two blogs if they ever get done are about Independence Day and our House of course.

Emry desperately needed a haircut and this is the before picture. He had just eaten spaghetti for the first time. He's a messy boy.

His after haircut. Grandpa Brian likes to call him Butch.

I got Emry a cheap pool and he loved playing in it. It was very hard to get a picture of him looking at me and smiling because he was all over the place splashing. This boy loves water! The best part is he didn't try to get out and run around the yard.

One night for Family Home Evening we ventured out into the town. We have a favorite restaurant we go to and everytime we drive past this park and I see this caboose and have wanted to take Emry there. So it was the perfect opportunity. It was a memorial to all the people who have died in the mines out here from the beginning which was back in the 1800's. Crazy! It was fun to read all the stories and let Emry play outside. He liked to say choo choo. But I haven't gotten him to say it since that day.

We're headed to a family reunion for Devin this weekend and Emry gets to go to his friend's birthday party next weekend. We're excited.

I don't have any pictures but last weekend our friends invited us over for a pool party and dinner. It was fun to hand out and watch Emry and Daddy swim. I think that's THEE only thing we miss about our old apartment.

Yesterday while I was working on our yard it hit me! I actually have to shovel my own driveway and walks now!!! :(

House Pictures

Living room and Dining room. I found this table awhile ago but still need to refinish it.


New Couch. Sorry for Emry's Mess

Kitchen. We just had a party so I haven't gotten it cleaned up yet.

The fire pit I built. Devin did the metal part. We need to fix it but it's good for now. I'm happy we have a date night activity whenever we want. Just need to get the yard it. HAH that'll we next year

Daddy and Emry Having fun!

Master bath. This picture isn't current anymore but I need to clean the bathroomn and finish it so I can take another picture.

My bed that I found and redid. Devin loves it. The picture is also outdated and I again need to clean so i can take a current picture.

Front Entrance.

Emry and his toy chest that I redid. He got this from his Great-Grandparents

Back Yard

So I have done tons of projects but I haven't put the pictures on the computer just yet. My old computer used to have an SD slot that fit my card but the new computer only takes the bigger cards so now I have to hook the camera up to the computer. When I finally decided I'm going to blog the cord is always very far away and I just can't bring myself to go get it. Currently it's upstairs and I'm outside working on the yard so I just can't go get it. Anyway, I thought I'd write a little about what we've been up to.

We celebrated Memorial Day over in Logan with Devin's family. It was really cold but they all went water skiing. It really just didn't sound fun to me so I didn't go. I wasn't feeling that great and hadn't slept at all. Emry didn't like the tent. He's used to his crib where he can move around anywhere he wants so sleeping with mom and dad didn't work. He cried until midnight. He'd fall asleep then we'd move and he'd start screaming again. So at 12 I had had it and took Emry to the car and drove to Devin's parents house. I was about a mile from the house and decided I was too scared to stay there alone. His parents NEVER lock there house so that just freaked me out. So I turned around and went back to the lake and we sort of slept in the car. Well Emry slept. He'd wake up when I turned the car on or off for heat but at least he got a few hours of sleep. Worst night ever. So that's pretty much why I had absolutely no motivation to play or do anything but take a nap. Which we did til we got woken up by screams about who's gonna ski next. But Devin had fun.
Then I spent the next week cleaning my Grandparents house. It was very weird going there and having it be completely empty. But let me tell you, if you don't clean your house at least once a year it adds up. They lived there for about seven years and that place NEVER got cleaned. It took forever to clean and I literally had my hand freeze in the trigger squeeze position from squeezing cleaning bottle spray stuff all day long. It hurt. The last day I was cleaning I walked between two cars and there was a spider web between them. So of course natural reaction is to FREAK out and wave your arms to get the spider off you where ever it might be. Remember I was standing between two cars? Ya I hit the back of my arm on the mirrow and it left a bump about the size of an orange on my elbow. It hurt very very bad and I couldn't bend my arm anymore. So there went the rest of the cleaning. I finished up everything I could do with one arm and called it quits. Devin came back to Utah that weekend to pick up our couch and the rest of the stuff we had at my moms. We finally made it back to Wyoming on Sunday. It was a long two weeks to be gone from home.
We also had a garage sale the weekend before Memorial day. We made out pretty dang good. Devin decided he wanted to use the money to buy a TV for downstairs so he did that last night. I've been stocking up on my decorations and trying to figure out where and what I want to hang. Hopefully that will be done this weekend. I have finished my bed, Emry's dressor, and his toy chest. I still have his 2 end tables, console table, coffee table and 3 end tables to re-do before our next garage sale so we can get rid of the rest of what didn't sell last time. But that's going to have to wait because I decided to start on the yard. Well we really should be working on the front yard but we don't really get to enjoy that so I'm starting in the backyard. I'm currently building a fire pit. I hope it turns out how I want it. Then a sand box for Emry, then I'll start on the front yard. We'll see how much Devin helps out haha.
Until next time......

The Anderson Home

We moved into the house last week and have been in love. We can't believe how much space we have. Emry has a favorite cupboard that he climbs inside and closes the door and plays peek-boo with us. He likes to check out every single one to find out what's inside. He's never been allowed in the kitchen before so it's a new adventure for him. I love how much counter space I have to cook with and prep with. However it's very weird to have to take about 8 steps to get across my kitchen where before I took one and turned and I was there.
We've also had to get used to stairs. My legs are a little sore from going up and down all day long. I try to minimize it as much as possible. In the last blog I was frustrated about missing items and I finally found them. The remotes fell out of the door I hid them in and were underneath the drawer. Thank goodness. I left on Wednesday to head to Utah price match and find the best deals on items that we needed right away in the house like blinds. It was a good thing too since at home depot here it would have been about 570 for blinds and I spent 380 at Lowes in Utah. BIG DIFFERENCE! I also found a kitchen table and chairs, a dresser and nightstands for Emry's room when he needs them, a sofa table, some end tables and a 4 poster bed for my room. They are all projects for me so It'll be some time before they show up on here. We also ended up getting a new couch because it was cheaper then buying a love seat to match the couch we had. So now our couch is for sell if anyone needs one please let me know. It was 700 new and it's a year old and selling it for 300. We're also selling a Samsung, stainless steal side by side with water and ice Refridgerator. We haven't decided on a price yet but somewhere around 600.

Our first project we did this weekend was tackle the downstairs blinds and we tried out the paint design we chose on the half bath. Though we have to redo it because we didn't use a primer on the counters it's a good start. It needs touched up and we hadn't decided if we were going to do doors so that's why the jamb isn't painted yet. But we loved out it turned out so we can't wait to do the rest of the house. Once I go get the primer for the cupboards of course.


Before


After

Before


After

Another angle. I love the window in this bathroom.

Future Project: 4 poster bed!

Yes we did...

We closed on friday morning. It took forever and we signed our name more in that two hours than we have in our entire lives. What fun!. Anyway we moved that day and we're officially dead! We are very sore and and have a good portion of our house done. So far we're missing one bag which had emry's bedding and other things in it and of course our REMOTES!!! not kidding but EVERY single time we have moved which is about five times since we've been married we have lost a remote. This time we lost 2! I am so frustrated! I have looked in every single box over and over again and they are no where to be found. We only have about five boxes not unpacked so there aren't a lot of places they could be. I just done understand the remote black hole we have looming around us. Insane.
Devin has already fixed the bookcase that was broken a year ago. Just needed a house to convince him to fix it. He's painted my pantry to see if we like what we picked for colors. So far it loolks good. We got Emry's bed rigged up so it will no longer leave guages in the wall when Emry shakes the heck out of the crib. He's funny. We go curtians up last night in our rooms so we could attempt to sleep past the sunrise. It worked a little better. Other than that I cooked our favorite breakfast(Hovik Family Tradition) this morning and Emry loved it but didn't eat too much. He was still tired even though he just woke up.
I'll keep you updated on the development of our house but for now I have a test to study for so another week......