Birthday and Anniversary

Today is Abby's birthday. Isn't she great? Since we are mostly poor the only thing she really wanted was for me to be around to spend time with her; Sadly I got distracted a few times. We went to see WALL-E with Hyrum; Thank's Big-Mamma for watching Audrey. Then we had lunch at Abby's favorite steak house "Ruby River"; she has now eaten there twice. Thank's Big-daddy for the birthday dinner. All in all it was a fun day and we are most grateful for Abby.

While birthday celebrations are enjoyable today is also the anniversary of Dad's passing. The last week has been rather emotional. I may never know everything my dad means to me. I miss him. Looking back I am grateful for countless hours I spent with him doing projects. At the time I often dreaded it. I remember well a trip I made with him to pick up a car. As we drove I expressed my frustrations about how much of my valuable teenage time his projects took from me. At one point I said, "Isn't our purpose to have joy?" His response was to the effect of, "That's just a matter of where your joy is." I thought of that again recently as I participated in a car venture of my own. I invested in a vehicle that needed an Engine thinking I could make a profit and ended up taking a loss. As I contemplated the experience I wondered wether dad profitted from many of his "Car Projects." My conclusion was probably not and while he may have invested a lot of time rebuilding random things whith his children more important than the project he built a lot of character in his kids. Whenever an employer comments on my work ethic I attribute it to dad. Whenever friends and neighbors say we Hatchs' know how to work it is a tribute to dad. That was what he built all those years working with his children. And although the cars we worked on will end up, and may already be, in scrapyards, and the sidewalks and buildings may one day be replaced, the legacy of his family will endure forever.

Strength in Numbers Experiment

I have an experiment for any and all American Fork Gold's Gym pass holders. At the gym they have ads for different businesses hanging from the TV monitors. Today I noticed one for PC Laptops that advertised "Breathtaking Graphics," with a graphic of a woman with a near bare chest. I think the ad is inappropriate and offensive.
I went to the front desk and said that I had a comment. I said that I really appreciated that Gold's Gym took the initiative to only display modestly dressed men and women in their posters. I expressed concern that this ad did not meet those same standards.
The girl at the front desk apologized and said she would make a note of my comment.
So, if any one else finds the ad offensive, I challenge you to tell the person at the front desk...and I'll be watching to see if they do anything about it. (You could also call or e-mail.)
This is kind of like a fun game for me.

It's going around

4 Things I Did 10 Years Ago (1998)
1- I was taking Algebra II with Mr. Zobel
2- I had a fun halloween party: riding in the back of a box truck, scavenger hunting. We played, "Baby, I Love You but I Just Can't Smile," and Stephanie had been sick and had a REALLY low voice. Good times.
3- I got my braces off
4- This was the only year I was on the track team. I liked the relay race best.


4 Things I Did 5 Years Ago (2003)
1- I finished up my freshman year of college at BYU. I lived at the rat-infested Glenwood with Melissa, Morgan and Tiffany- The original Teen Girl Squad.
2- We rang in the New Year in Disneyland. Melissa and I drove all the way to California. We went Hot Tub hopping somewhere in Nevada.
3- I read The Divine Secrets of Ya Ya Sisterhood for the first time.
4- Ammon came home from his mission in October and we were officially engaged before Thanksgiving.


4 Things I Did Yesterday
1- We went out on the boat!
2- I took Hyrum out on the tube for his first time. We went really slow so we wouldn't fall off, but then I nosed dived the tube while trying to readjust my weight. We had to bail. Hyrum was a little scared. He says it was fun; we'll see if he will try it again!
3- Costco hot dogs for dinner...for $1.50 it can't be beat!
4- I started a sewing project. The goal is to make this "gift" for all the new babies coming. I have at least 10 to make...the list keeps growing!


4 Shows I Love to Watch
(Not much of a show watcher, so I will substitute Movies for this one.)
1- Count of Monte Cristo
2- What a Girl Wants
3- Yours, Mine, and Ours (the old one)
4- (I used to be a Gilmore Girls watcher)


4 Things I Love to Do
1- Watching a movie with Ammon after the kids are asleep
2- Playing Hide and Seek with Hyrum
3- Holding sleeping babies
4- Cruising in the front bow of the boat or on the back of the motorcycle.

Audrey Took One for the Team

Theme Parks with small children:

Quick showers with mom or dad instead of baths.

Hyrum had an eczema outbreak on his belly. He had a big sore that we finally treated a day before we came home. Audrey's neck rolls got chaffed and sore.

She also got a little sunburn on the first day, so the next days we re-applied sunscreen every couple of hours. Kudos to us for actually being able to do that!

Bedtime after 9pm instead of at 7pm...never a full nights sleep. Hyrum was usually on the verge of a melt down.

Disrupted naps when possible in the stroller, forget the usual two hour naps.

Diaper changes here and there. Both babies had diaper rash.

There was a lot of driving, and a lot of crying.

Lots of playing with cousins: fun but dangerous. Hyrum's the little guy, and he got pushed around a bit.

All of this must have worn down their immune systems because Audrey came home with a cold and Hyrum has a cough.

Not to mention that Audrey cut her first two teeth while we were gone.(And started saying Da Da!)

Sometimes we wondered if it was worth it.
At least, The Baby Center in Disneyland was as wonderful as everyone says and was a real lifesaver.

Hyrum loved the shows and parades. It was so fun to see him get so excited when he saw the Incredibles, or Mater and Lightning. He liked the rides too, but I think he would have had just as much fun at a carnival. He loved the animals at Sea World. He really liked the ice cream too. I hope his magical moments outweighed the bad.

I was stressed out a lot of the time, worrying about sleeping, teething, changing, feeding. But I had a few moments that made it all worth it for me. 1) Walking into Disneyland as the gates first open, with the music, and the fun...I started to cry! 2) I'm not even a Star Wars fan, but one of my favorite things was the Jedi Training. It was so much fun! Really magical! Again, I almost started to cry when the Jedi Knights walked out to their famous music. 3) Ammon and I were able to have lunch by ourselves at the Blue Bayou, the restaurant on the Pirates ride. It was very yummy and nice and I had the best company! 4) The Jurassic Park ride can't be beat.

Of course Ammon thought it was worth it.

Audrey's needs were somewhat neglected; and although she liked the Electrical Parade, I think she would have preferred to be at home with an attentive mommy. Thanks Audrey, for taking one for the team. We'll try to make it up to you!

Family Vacation 2008

Here She Is!

Grandpa: "A person only turns 80 once." Ammon: "Actually, Grandpa, a lot of people never turn 80."

The theme of the party was to come dressed as Grandpa at some time in his life.

I think Audrey has a good likeness.

It was a great party!

It was a lot of fun to see all the different things people remembered about Grandpa.

Public School?

We have been feeling like home school may be right for us. Has anyone else thought about it?

Here are a few things we have considered:
1)We don't think public school provides the best education for every child.
2)We like the idea of learning outside of the traditional "classroom" setting, and challenging the standard teaching/learning styles.
3)We question whether we could better use the 6hr block of time that public school requires every day. More time could be spent on developing personal talents.
4)We feel like public school could potentially be detrimental to our children's emotional and spiritual well being.

I loved elementary school as a child. I think there is great benefit to be had in learning from other adults who aren't your parents.

The most common concern is, "What about socializing your child?"
While public school may provide meaningful social experiences, our question is, at what cost? Kids are taught by their peers for good and bad. (Has anyone ever had a good junior high experience?) Public school really isn't the only place that a child can socialize.

Another point of view we have encountered: "You can't protect your kids; they will face bad influences sooner or later and they need to learn how to deal with them." The more we have thought about this idea the more we disagree with it. We say you can protect your kids. There is always enough bad to deal with. Let the bad influences happen as "later" as possible. Are they morally mature enough to face the challenges that arise at school? (I wasn't.) Teach them the good first, help them build a strong foundation while they are young. Help them gain a testimony before it is challenged. No way can you fully shelter your kids, but you can try! :)

Neither of us had a glowing experience in public school. We don't know if home schooling would really be any better. There are pros and cons to each alternitive. But we do have a choice, and we want to honestly consider what would be best for our kids. I'm exploring my options.

6 months old!!

Audrey is already 6 months old!

When Audrey was born she was almost 9lbs and only 18 in. long. At her 6 month check up she was in the 95 percentile for weight (17lbs 12oz) and in the 25th percentile for height (25 in.). Short and chubby!

She has recently become all about "Stranger Danger;" she always keeps mom in veiw.

Whenever I pick Audrey up from her crib she giggles at me and puts her little hands on my face. She likes to pull my face close to hers and give me a big open mouth kiss.

We had her pictures taken today by Allison at Pretty Little Pictures. Stay tuned, to see!

New Discovery

Does anyone actually like cleaning their microwave? For me, it's equal to cleaning the toilet.

I'm all about this $4 microwave cover.

No more egg, spaghetti sauce, and "who knows what" to clean out of the microwave!

CHEESE! or something like it?

I pulled out the camera today and Audrey posed like this:

She did this every time I tried to take a picture of her! Silly girl!

P.S. Hyrum tried dog food today. Yummy. Don't get to close; you can smell it on his breath.

"Mom, Baby cute."

It looks like he's starting to really like her.

Audrey awakened during her nap and I intended to just let her cry herself back to sleep. I was surprised to hear Hyrum calling her name, "Daudrey, Daudrey," as he walked down the hall and into her bedroom. Still calling her name he climbed up on the rocking chair and leaned over her crib and said, "Hi Daudrey, you wake up!"

A couple hours later...

I put Audrey back to sleep and I was cleaning up Hyrum's room. (It's actually one of my favorite things to do... line up the books and toys...stack the blocks...put the puzzles together...) I realized that Hyrum was being very quiet and went to investigate.
I looked down the hall and saw Audrey's door open.
I saw Hyrum in Audrey's crib! In about one second I analyzed the situation: Hyrum was in Audrey's crib; He appeared to be crawling right where Audrey was sleeping; Audrey wasn't making any noise; I pictured him somehow smothering her, sitting on her, blanket over her head... I started to run.
To my astonishment Audrey was sound asleep, with full respiration! Hyrum, as quite as a mouse, just nuzzled down next to her and patted her back. He motioned for me to leave.
I just stood back and watched my cute little babies cuddled together. I was able to bribe him away with the idea of getting a snack. As I carried him out of the nursery, he said, "Mom, baby cute."

Looking Back

Do you think they are related?

My eyes turn into little slits when I smile too. So do my mom's.

$3.00 at Maceys

Hyrum William Hatch **26 months old**

Hyrum was tagged by our cute friend Dawson Jardine.

8 things about our Hybug

1. He loves music. When we have Family Home Evening he likes to stand on something (anything) and lead us in singing. He loves to sing and dance. The other day we had the primary CD playing and I heard him singing along to "I am a Child of God." We started a Music Together class at the Music School that he really enjoys. He can’t wait until it’s time to go to “Class.”

2. Binky and Blankey. Hyrum has always been very attached to his binky. We have tried numerous ways of weaning him from it. We finally decided that we would buy him a Mickey stuffed animal, that we keep on a shelf by his bed. He has to give Mickey his binky when he wakes up, and Mickey keeps it for him until bedtime. When we go to Disneyland we will see Mickey for real and give him our binky for good. Hyrum usually does okay, but isn’t always happy about leaving his binky with Mickey. I’m afraid that when he does see Mickey he will give him a kick in the shins for stealing his bink!
Hyrum has a couple blue blankets that are his. I have to be sneaky to keep them clean. He loses it if he sees any of his blankets in the laundry basket or washer.

3. The Terrible Twos. He turned two and turned a little bit terrible. Tantrums are common. He likes to scream at my face, which I really enjoy! The more I ignore him the louder and higher he gets. Last Sunday he slapped Ammon across the face….the lovely child!
If you ask him what is in his hair, he says, “Bopper Hair.” Referring to the time he spread diaper ointment all over himself.
If you ask him what is in his nose, he says, “Popcorn Nose.” Referring to the time he stuck three popcorn kernels up his nose.
He was playing in his room recently and came out holding his hands out saying, “poop, poop.” He had stuck his fingers in his diaper, which was obviously poopy.

4. “OUTSIDE!” Hyrum LOVES to be outside. I don’t blame him! He loves to go on “balks,” and play at the park. He’s also happy just playing with the gravel in the driveway. I have to keep the door locked or he will let himself out.

(Yes, socks on the hands--and that is the window scraper--he was using it to rake the grass)

5. I think Hyrum’s absolute favorite thing in the world is riding Big Daddy’s motorcycle. He will do anything for a “moto cycle” ride, but all he has to do is bring Big Daddy the keys and say please.

6. “Otch a Show” He loves to watch movies. He and Ammon are always watching shows together. I don’t mind too much because he eats his food a lot better if he’s watching a show.

7. Hyrum is smart. We got a Leap Frog letter toy from my sister and we bought the leapfrog “Letter Factory” movie. (Which we thought was crazy boring, but Hyrum loves it) All of a sudden he can identify at least half his letters! He also knows his colors and shapes and some numbers.
When we took him in for his two year checkup the doctor asked us if he could button a large button. We didn’t really know because we don’t have many large buttons around the house. We thought maybe she should have asked if he could change the DVD and start it…(or if he could start the dish washer, or washing machine). He is a very curious little boy.

8. I could say so much more! He is always smiling. On his blessing day (about 2 months old) he was smiling so much that my brother said,

“You know Hryum, not everything’s a joke!”
I’ll conclude with this: I’ll always love to hear Hyrum’s sweet little voice in prayer. He is an amazing kid, and when I hear him pray I feel a glimpse of the love that Heavenly Father has for him. Priceless.

We tag Morgan and Parker!