Mikey's First Day

Preschool is here!!
FINALLY!!

Mikey has been asking every day if he can go to school. Finally today we were able to say YES buddy, you get to go to school today!! The night before he picked out Buzz and Woody shoes that light and flash. He was so excited about them and couldn't wait to show his sisters. A few weeks previous we found him a shirt and a pair of pants. Mike found him a Transformers backpack that he thought was really cool! He wore it around for days. He had a great first day of school. We adore his two preschool teachers and I love how all three kids have had them. I still can remember my preschool teacher! Anyway, a very happy day for him!

My next post will be about something that Mikey has really gotton into lately. He is infatuated with STAR WARS!! Mike is so proud! Mikey rarely goes by his given name now..he responds and referres to himself as Luke Skywalker. More adventures from "Luke" to come!!!

Kaitlynn's 8th Birthday

Kaitlynn's 8th Birthday! I can hardly believe it! She made the choice to not have friends over this year and instead get one gift from us. She really wanted a DS system...so instead of a friend birthday party, going out to dinner as a family, or lots of little gifts, we combined all that and got her a DS...which she LOVED!!!

Gifts from Papa and Grandma. Her own scriptures, and Willow Tree figurine, and necklace!

Gifts from Ammie--new books, new movie, and a special lamp craft.

Kaitlynn loves to get cards from her grandparents...this card came all the way from California...she had to go put the chain on her backpack! Thank you G&G Amandus!!!!

School Begins!!

School time is here again!! I have butterflies and really hope that both of the girls like their teachers and will do well. School started the 15th of August this year. I think both of the girls are ready and look forward to seeing their friends and start to do something different.
I sure love to show for school. Its like a fresh beginning. New pencils, paper, notebooks, backpack, shoes, etc....I have such fond memories of back to school shopping. I remember a lot of our trips to Utah growing up where we would buy some things for school there. What fun! I always hated having to stare at those white shoes, new socks and clothes and backpack and couldn't wait to get into them. Having them sit in my closet for even a day was torture!!


Hailey is looking forward to 1st grade, however she has had her reservations...She is rather upset that her kindergarten teacher whom she adored will not be her teacher this year. When she met her new teacher on walk to school night, she was rather excited and thought she could still have both. Our social butterfly is ready though!! Practically all summer she kept asking if it was time for school yet. I sometimes wish for year round! :) I'm sure with all 6 of us, my Mom thought the same thing!

Kaitlynn starts the 2nd grade and she is really looking forward to this year. We met her teacher a few nights before and the whole way home she kept talking all about her teacher, how nice she is, how pretty she is, how nice her room looks, and how excited she was to see friends she hasn't seen all summer.

Busy Bee's

I think if I had to stare at my fat prego face one more day I would scream!! Oh my! So things have been very busy in the Amandus household. We have been very busy bee's trying to get our house put back together after quite a few projects have been started. We are getting closer to our goal...which primarily would be to get rid of all the nasty grossness (not a real word but I'm using it!!) from the people that lived here before us. The only part that we wont be able to touch would be the venting system, however since being here we have installed brand new high efficient Heating and super quiet A/C unit which I would be going mad without since it has been a whopping 115 degrees with a million percent humidity. Have I ever mentioned how much I loath the humidity?!? The only time it is acceptable is sitting by a pool, which happens very little.

Okay, so we are getting new smelly good carpet installed on Tuesday!! I can hardly wait. However, the prep work has been rather demanding. Mike, bless his soul, got all the carpet downstairs bundled and ready to be removed and discovered that what we thought was un-leveled concrete was actually a huge mound of crap that felt like moon dust making the carpet hard and lumpy. Oh yes I was so grossed out!! What kind of people lived here for that to happen...and how long have I been living among that sort of filth!!! SOOOOO GROSSSSS!!!! I should have taken some pictures! I just don't know if I will be able to stomach the rest of the discoveries as we go room to room pulling up carpet. We should have just bull-dozed the house down and started over. When we are done with it though, it will be very nice and I wont be embarrassed to have people over anymore!! And when we sell this money pit...the people that buy this place are going to be getting a steal for how much we have soaked into it!!

Mike is drawing closer to graduating from one school and starting at Bellevue University for the accelerated program which should last about 15 months starting in September! I can make it one more year right??? I am no longer full time in the ER, but am working full time at an Eye Clinic. I have learned a lot so far, but really really miss the pace and the people I worked with in the ER. I hope it will pay off for the kids since I am home nights and weekends. I have been able to focus a lot more on photography which has been wonderful. I welcome cooler weather and look forward to those beautiful fall colors. I wish fall well spring for that matter too lasted a bit longer around here.

We took an amazing trip to California to visit Mike's Grandparents. We had a great time visiting them and his Uncle, Aunt, Cousin's and meeting their kids. We had a magical time at Disney Land and we relaxed on the beach...we took walks and laughed and went to Midevil Times where both girls were given a flower from the Green Knight! It seemed that something special happened each day and we have wonderful memories of California and being with each other. I didn't even mind driving there! I'm glad that we went when we did since I just heard on the news that they have shut down the 405 to fix the freeway. At least they do it right! Around here they start a project and never finish it! They start other road projects and leave equipment and cones and construction speed signs up for months on end! LAAAMMMMEEEEE!!!!! Anyway, we had a wonderful time there and I miss the WEST so much! Mike and I went into a major slump missing home and all the things we love to do...one day...we will be back soon!!! Sigh...

School starts the 15th of August!! The girls are getting excited. I know that Mikey asks almost every day if it's a school day.

California Vacation 2011

Some of our highlights from our California Trip! We had a wonderful time and we look forward to the day when we can go back! It seemed that every day that we were there there was something special that happened.
Disney Land!!!!!

Visiting and enjoying many moments with Grandma and Grandpa Amandus
We were able to stay with them and had a wonderful time enjoying their company.

Mid-evil Times

Mike and Loralee at Santa Monica Beach

Kids posing at Santa Monica Beach...can't help but smile when I look at this picture!

Family Picture right by Santa Monica Pier

Our feet on the beach...2011 We loved our time there!!

Mikey is 4....WHAT????

Oh Dear!! Yes that is me...the so VERY HUGE prego woman!! I hated at the end where you get so bloated. So here is the quick version! Mikey was a tough one to get out. I was in labor forever it seemed! I was hoping to go in and have my 3rd natural birth, but he wouldn't have it that way. I sat on a ball bouncing and bouncing, walking the halls, trying to get that boy to turn. He wouldn't finish his turn. So they tried to give me an epidural. I was so mad! I didn't want one! But they thought it would relax me so he could maybe turn. He still wouldn't. By this time it was way too long from when my water broke, so they took us to emergency C-section. I was mortified and so scared! Dr. Elliot (Trent) and Mike gave me a blessing and off we went. I'm so grateful for Trent and for Mike giving me a blessing. It was such an emotional time and without it, I don't know if I could have gone through with it without more stress. In the end, it worked out! Mikey was grunting (literally) at the nurses and Dr.'s as they were pulling him out and cleaning him off! It was so funny! A healthy 7lb 7oz baby boy.
Now you are 4 my boy! I can hardly believe it!





Here he is at about 1 month old!! He was such a good sleeper!!

4 months old


8 months old

about 2 years old.
I will post his most recent picture in a few days when we have his birthday party. He wanted to go to the Amazing Pizza Machine here in town with a couple of his buddies, Reece and T.J. He is so very excited!
Here a are a few things that he loves:
-He loves to play puppy pals and is learning a lot with Leapster first computer. (great gift Mom and Dad)
-Buzz and Woody are still his best friends
-Every yellow car is Bumble Bee from Transformers
-We have been watching Little House on the Prairie and he LOVES it! All three of the kids do. When he wants to watch it he says "Can we watch Pa?" (Thanks Ammie)
-He loves to ride on his scooter and he has started to learn to ride a bike. It will be nice when the weather stays warm so we can get more practice time in.
-He is all boy. He loves tools, helping Dad with tools, lifting tools, and working with tools. If we let him, he would have the whole house taken apart one screw at a time!!
-Going to Preschool on Tuesday's and Thursday's is one of his favorite things to do. He will talk your ear off about it!
-He is still such a snuggle bug and a bit of a Mammas boy! I don't mind one bit! He is such tender heart, but when faced with his sisters, he is learning to hold his own.
We love our little man so much! He adores his Dad and tries so hard to be just like him! He has a great imagination. He makes up some of the cutest things!
Happy Birthday son!