Unbe-freakin-lieveable

So there I was... minding my own business thinking of substatial things to update the family blog with, when BLAM!! an unidentifiable obtuse obstruction, [yeah alright, its a stretch and I'll quit it] I have no explanation for my absolute neglect for this cause. Just priorities, you know? Anyway, on to the updates!

Isaac is a funny little monkey. He's always looking for ways to make us laugh. [us meaning Katie...] He and Ellee are starting to drive each other crazy, which in turn drives Katie crazy. [I can usually find humor in the situation, but that's probably because they haven't been testing my patience for the better part of a day.]

Ellee is so smart and cute and well, she's awesome. A few weeks ago [the week after the H1N1 vaccine kept Katie and the kids hostage at home...] she went back to school on a Friday to get 100% on a spelling test that she'd never seen the words to! Awesome I say!

What's that? Oh the H1N1 vaccine, yes. [That was sweet.] Call it crazy, call it what you want, the very day after the kids got that "innoculation" sprayed up their noses, [One slightly further than the other. I think that lady got in to about the wrist with Isaac...], Isaac was delirious with a fever and Ellee followed shortly thereafter. And with the madness that took place with the process of getting that vaccine, I hardly have any reservations about the government healthcare initiative. [if you didn't sense the sarcasm there then, I don't know what to tell you] Enough with the politics, but yeah. Katie kept Ellee home from school and they went and waited in line [outside in a freezing cold parking garage] for 7 hours or something like that. [ludicrous]

Katie is the best [insert role here]. Always so thoughtful and selfless. [refer the previous super-mom story] She is always busy helping in Ellee's class, making food or something crafty, tending kids, etc. She's just wonderful.

I know, I know. Send pictures...

Mother's Day

As I complete my Mother's Day lesson for primary, I have been pondering the circle of love in regards to mother's. I am so blessed to be a mother; to have my incredible mom and the other amazing women in my life. I am grateful for the amazing women that prepared a young boy to be my wonderful husband. ...It takes a village to raise a child... I believe that. There are so many women touching my children and reinforcing the things I am teaching them, or reaching them when I can't. Here are a couple of Mother's Day thoughts for you. Happy Mother's Day!

May each of us treasure this truth: One cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one. –Pres. Monson

A Strong Woman Versus a Woman of Strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape. ....but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything. ....but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her. .... but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future. .... a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure footed. .... but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face. .... but a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey. .... but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

Isaac might get out of diapers yet!

Today he went pee and poop in the potty all by himself. Then he called me to come help. Wahoo!

Dear Blog: I am sorry I have been away. Here is a little update on our family.

Adam had to leave town last week. Ellee snuck the following note in his bag.

"To: Dad
From: Ellee

Dad I will miss you so much. I hope you have a good time. Just remember I Love You!" (It had a heart instead of a dot on the exclamation. There were lots of hearts drawn on the note.)

Other updates: Ellee saw the commercial for "Your Baby Can Read" and has decided this is a must for her little bro. She has been so carefully drawing flash cards and writing the word on each one for Isaac to start learning. She has gotten 100% on all but 2 spelling tests this year. I would like to take credit for being such a great mom, but totally forget to practice them with her at home. There are even different amounts of words for each kid, depending on their grasp of spelling. She is on the hardest level. Isaac is making the funniest faces ever, and now his dad has started to make the same faces. Isaac says things like "Are you kidding me?" "I'd love to." He wants to wear soccer or basketball clothes everyday. He is starting to have some interest in using the potty. He loves Little Einsteins and is always singing.

I had the most Amazing day yesterday! I have been dreading the BIG 3-0, but it is not so bad. I have amazing family and friends to celebrate with me. I am thankful for each one of them. Thanks for thinking of me.

Here is the magic of the day! Adam told me that I needed to be ready at 1 pm. The kids needed overnight bags and I needed to wear something nice and then something casual to change into. We hopped in the car, checked Ellee out of school early (she cried tears of joy because she was checked out to go to Riley's house!) and were on our way. Adam gave me a bag from Deseret Book while we were in the car. It was full. I peeked in and saw an open mp3 looking something. Adam had been traveling, so I assumed it just fell in the bag. Nope! He recorded most of my/our favorite songs, and when I say recorded, I mean him singing! He also told me how much he loves me and how amazing I am. I love his voice! He did this for me once when we were dating, but who has a tape player these days!?! He is the best, right? Well, then I opened the boxes inside the bag. It was the Willow Tree figurines. Our exact family. Everyone has dark hair, except Isaac. His is a bit lighter. So, my day was perfect! I needed nothing more. I was with my cute family, my husband had been so thoughtful and really put his love into my birthday.

We dropped the kids off and headed to the Bountiful Temple. That was fabulous! Then he took me shopping; something I love, him...? not so much! He didn't even complain. There is more! He scheduled a couple's massage for us too! When the massage was done, he took me to Zupas for a panini and then to Red Mango. Mmm. I am so lucky to have such an amazing man! Here is the note that I should have snuck into Adam's bag...

To: Dad
From: Mom

I LOVE YOU! You are the most amazing person I know. You make me better. A better person, wife, mom, servant, and you always push me to grow closer to the Savior. Your voice melts my heart. You make my socks roll up and down! ;) You give hugs that make me feel like a little child, totally protected. I am so lucky to have you.

Lost to Facebook

Sit back in your seat, and have a tissue ready. For I am about to tell you the saddest of stories.

It seems as though the family blog has long since been forgotten. My Darling Wife, [I capitalize, bold, and italicize Darling because she is just that cute.] who has been the primary author and caretaker of theadamlottfamily blog has been SUCKED away into the vast reaches on the dark side of the Internet called Facebook. [booo's and hisses sound out from the crowd] What, pray tell, has the blogspot done to deserve such an act of neglect? It is perhaps what the blogspot does not provide...

Why, what can that be? [Oh believe me, I lay awake at night pondering the same question.] I will tell you what it is. Absolute chaos! I have seen that site, [safley beyond the reach of the keyboard], and I have to tell you it is madness. There is entirely too much on a single screen for me to try and keep up with.

So when you see my wife, tell her that her blog misses her. There are pictures to post, memories to document!

Toothless

So, while I was out of town, Ellee and Isaac were wrestling. During the wrestling, Isaac popped Ellee in the mouth and knocked out her tooth! She was really excited! That was far less traumatic than her mom pulling it. She had another loose tooth. (It won't be long until she has no teeth!) She kept trying to get Isaac to punch her in the mouth... Well, he was running around the other day and she stepped in front of him to catch him and hug him. There went the other loose tooth! Her 2 year old brother knocked 2 of her teeth out in 2 weeks. She is currently planning how she is going to get him to knock her other loose teeth out.

Moral of the story - If your kid has a loose tooth, have Isaac over for a playdate!

Isaac-isms

Mom, Can you eat me for lunch?
I am hungry

You cheese me?
Will you take my picture?

Watch mufa movie
Madagascar 2

Mom, Are ya smokin'?
I can see your breath in the cold

She did what?

So yeah, my Darling wife went on a trip to California this week. [and I'm only a little jealous] She made it back on Friday in just enough time to drop everything and crawl in bed. [pretty sure that she passed out on the way to the pillow] What in the world did she do with the kids, you ask? Well she left them home with me, of course. Yes we were here, even though we didn't answer the phone. I guess that is the first thing that I check off the list if I have too much going on. [Aside from the fact that everyone that calls here wants to talk to Katie anyway...] When Katie and I were engaged my Bishop told us a story about he and his wife that seem to be applicable right now.

His wife had scheduled a night out with some of the girls and had requested that he be available to "take care of the kids." [take note of the verbiage used there] He spent the evening playing with the kids and upon her return that night she was surprised to find that the house was a mess, none of the kids were bathed, and the heap of laundry hadn't diminished in the least. If anything, it appeared to have been involved in some kind of abnormal indoor hurricane. She asked him why he the house looked like this, why the kids were not bathed, "What in the world?" [that was my understanding anyway]

As you might have guessed, there was a slight miscommunication in what his wife had expected and the actual events that transpired that night. She expected that he would do all of the things that she would have done if she had been home that night. (bathing of children, un-heaping of laundry, cleaning of housen, doing of dishen) [little Brian Regan reference for you] In the husband's rebuttal he stated that he'd done as she asked and had taken care of the kids. He'd played with them, watched a movie, made sure that no one needed stitches or a cast of any kind. He stated that when she asked him to take care of the kids, his intrepretation was very literal. "Take care." He'd done the basics and kept the kids out of mortal danger. So in his mind the evening was a success. He'd won the war!

Keeping that story in mind, my wife has come to the understanding that I am a simple creature. If she wants me to do something specific, she will tell me. [As she can attest, this can, but does not necessarily apply to presents or gifts of any kind. I feel like it removes the suprise from the experience.] Every once in a while she starts to believe that I have the ability to know what she is thinking. [Sadly this is not the case] This generally ends with her feeling disappointed and me feeling confused. Thankfully, this week was not one of those times of expectant psychic abilities. She left me a list. [Of which I referenced often]

Needless to say, I have a newfound appreciation for everything that my wife does. I have no idea how she keeps up most of the time.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Isaac comes down the stairs and says "Good Morning Christmas!"

We had so much fun decorating our tree this year.

Dad got a train for Christmas last year, so he was pretty excited to set it up. It blows steam and makes all the train sounds.

Ellee was so excited to put the star on the top of the tree. We figured it was the last year she could do it without having to fight with her brother about it.

Dad and Ellee admiring their work.

Ellee's school has a program this week called "Coins for Christmas." Each day of the week they are supposed to bring a different kind of coin and then dollars on the last day. She came down asking for a bag for the money that she pulled out of her piggy (kitty that she painted herself)bank. Two handfuls of pennies. She left herself three pennies and took one hundred or so. Luckily I was able to wait until she went upstairs for the tears to start flowing. What an example of selflessness. I am the luckiest girl in the whole world!