First Day of School!

So, "What happened to Hubler blog this summer?" you may ask. Why did I drop of the face of the earth? Well, two things happened since my last post early in July. Simon learned to crawl. And we made Simon move to his own room...the computer room. He cannot sleep with big brother (who talks in his sleep!). So, usually late into the night while Simon is sleeping, I would blog. Well, I can't get to the computer now while he is in bed. And when he's awake and crawling (eating everything he can find) I can't turn my attention to the computer. So, that explains my blog absence.

NOW....for the first day of school. I will catch up on 'the rest of summer vacation' later (yeah right!).

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!! HORAY WE MADE IT!

Today Isaac started 2nd Grade. I can't believe he's such a BIG BOY now. He has Mrs. Randol, and is very excited. When asked how his first day was, he sighed and said "In second grade we have to do a lot of handwriting work". Yep, yep you do son.
Leah started half-day Pre-K. She has Mrs. Bright (who was Isaac's teacher) and walked into that classroom very independantly with no hesitation. She would have gone last year if they would have let her. She has been waiting for this day FOREVER if you ask her. She is excited to "make projects". Her only complaint...she wanted to ride the schoolbus. In her mind, the symbolic schoolbus is part of the big-girl school experience. She was upset with me when I showed up in the car to pick them up from school, and pouted the whole way home. Poor girl. She'll just have to wait for Kindergarten to be able to ride the schoolbus. Goodness, do you just love this cheeeeeeezer grin?? Haha! Art! Leah's favorite subject!
So my little Simon and I are at home together alone for 2½ hours. What JOY. Simplified grocery shopping, simplified errand running, simplified housework, and NOT having to referee Isaac and Leah's constant bickering. Yes, I do love my kids. Don't misinterpret my joy. Just because I'm excited for them to be off to school doesn't make me a bad mom or mean I care less for them. It is just so nice to have some mental breathing room again. Thank HEAVENS! I'm excited for me to have some time with just Simon. I haven't had that since he was born.


So, I have TONZ of pictures, tonz of videos, etc. Including Simon first crawling. But Simon is now ready to go to bed (we hope) so my time here is done for now. Here is to a good new school year, and hopefully...some regular blogging.

Simon's New High Chair

Our Simon is growing up so much! He is 8+ months old, and for the past several weeks, we have been feeding him his cereal/fruit/veggies in his bouncy seat. Well, he started getting too strong for his own good, and would lunge forward, trying to sit upright despite his reclined bouncy seat. Look at that boy lean forward!


So we decided it was time to graduate him to a real High Chair! We bought it and put it together that very night. He was so excited!

I just love how little he looks in it!!! So sweet! He sits up by the table with the family during mealtime now. He loves teething crackers and fruit puffs. And he's getting really GOOD at self-feeding! It only took him a few tries to catch on.


And I just had to throw in this last picture of him playing with Daddy. Mikey rubs Simon's feet on his unshaven face. Simon just LAUGHS SO HARD! He just loves his Daddy so much!

I Turned 31!

Happy Birthday to ME!
MMMMM....German Chocolate Cake made by my kids (Isaac read the recipe while Leah did the mixing).
My wonderful Mother sent me FLOWERS!!! lovely!
And my amazing Hubby got me an ipod iTouch!!! It ROCKS! My very first ipod ever! And he took me out to eat at Macaroni Grill where I was seranaded "Happy Birthday" in Italian by a real opera singer! It was cool!
Thanks to Aunt Becky for babysitting (we left Simon for the FIRST TIME EVER) so we could have a night out!
All in all, a GREAT BIRTHDAY!!!

Utah Vacation 2009

The last week in June, we flew to Utah to spend a fun-filled week with my side of the family, and celebrate the homecoming of my sister Mary from the Hungary Budapest Mission. We had a great time! One of the highlights was "Grandpa Dodge's Day" when he took the kids downtown, and for a train ride, up to Ogden to a children's museum, and out for pizza and garlic bread. Yes, he does look like a jolly Amish man in a hat...but he's the most awesome Granpa there is!

I wish we could go visit more often! It was so much fun!

Jump Isaac, JUMP!

It was the last day of swimming lessons today, and Isaac gathered his courage and headed for the HIGH DIVE! My sweet little guy was scared, but DID IT! When asked what made him brave he said "I found it in my brain to be brave, and so I just wasn't scared anymore".
You can see Leah in the background go off the low-dive, just before Isaac. Apparently her brain didn't tell her to be brave quite yet. Haha! (Turn down the volume a bit...sorry I'm so loud! LOL!)

So You Think You Can Dance....Leah?!

Leah loves this show. And tonight she found one song particularly inspiring. She didn't know I was behind her video recording her. It is so funny! So here is Leah busting some sweet moves!

Leah's Garden

Little Leah has been BEGGING to plant some flowers of her very own. How could I deny this precious little request! Anyone who knows me or has visited my home knows that my landscaping and gardening skills are non-existent. I do not know the difference between a good plant and a weed. It's very sad. Well, Leah, who is always so disappointed when her picked-flowers DIE, wanted to be "A real flower-grower" (her words). So, we went to Wal-mart and I let her pick out her OWN flowers. She picked out a little crate of 6 Marigolds. I got her a watering can because she said she can't be a real flower-grower without her very own watering can. We planted her garden and for two days she watered it morning and night vigilantly. Then this last week, daily severe rainstorms came and those poor little flowers just got hammered! They aren't looking very healthy right now, but hopefully they will spring back with some milder weather this week. The cutest thing is that Leah SINGS to them to help them grow! Michael got a video of her doing it on his cell phone. I don't know if I'd be able to post it to the blog. But she is just so sweet. Her song is just so simple "Grow, grow, grow. GROOOOOWWWWW flowers! Grow, grow, grow!" She is just so funny! I told her if she does a good job with these flowers, we will get more. To which she has informed me that next she wants to plant Carrots and peas and green beans. Leah...you are a better woman than I.

A little Mom paranoia.

Okay, so maybe I'm a bit paranoid. But the world (aka society) just scares me more and more everyday. Maybe I just need to stop watching the news altogether and bask in the blissful ignorance whilst the world disintegrates around me.
I've been spending a lot of time snuggling my baby. It's expected, since I nurse around the clock, AND he demands to be held even when not eating. Tonight the house was dark, quiet, and I listened to the rain while I rocked my sweet baby. He is so small. So sweet. He has the most precious little features. When he is curled up sleeping in my arms, I feel so much pure love at that moment. Then I turned on the news, and watched several different stations as I channel surfed. And those sinking feelings return of "someday this sweet baby will be all grown up. How do I protect him?" I know I can't make my children live in a Mormon bubble of purity and righteousness. The violence, vulgarity, sex, drugs, worldliness, crime, and the all-encompassing rage of the Devil deceiving mankind IS THERE. It is so discouraging sometimes. Everyday I feel those who share my same values are becoming more and more of the minority. The opposition is so LOUD, so prideful, and so hateful. I do not question my moral standards/beliefs, but I feel more and more that the world hates me for them. And drives those who share these common beliefs into the closet for fear of persecution. I believe that marriage should be between man and woman only. Does that make me a bigot? I believe that dressing modestly to respect your body is an uncompromising standard. Does that make me a prude? I believe that you should not live together (or have sex) before marriage. Does that make me old fashioned? I believe that individuals and country are best governed by the standards set forth by God in the scriptures. Does that make me a zealot or religion Nazi? I also see that a true and good work-ethic is becoming a lost art, as more and more young adults graduate from school with a sense of entitlement, thinking they deserve a six-digit income, but don't know how to REALLY work for it. And one more thing, I DO NOT believe that the opinions of Hollywood celebrities and TV personalities are of ANY importance whatsoever when we are talking about "prop 8" or politics. I think they abuse their position to push their sick liberal agendas. I see on the same newscast the other night, that our President hosted a dinner at the White house where a popular outspoken Lesbian comedian was given the stand, and made crude and rude jokes about conservatives. While in California, their State pageant winner is being mocked, ridiculed and publicly hated because when asked in the Miss. America pageant what her opinion was about Gay Marriage, she gave it. Because it was in opposition to Homosexual Marriage, what ensued was no less than major character assassination. So, let me get this straight... the crude lesbian is being hosted and applauded at the White House by the President, while the Conservative Christian pageant runner up is suffering a media storm of cruelty and hatred because she believes in conventional marriage? WHAT? Where did the moral compass of this country go?
Forgive me if I seem to be rambling. But I've just been feeling the weight of these thoughts on me lately.
And as I look at the sweet innocent face of my baby in my arms, I wonder how different it will be in 15 years. How much worse will it be? Will I be able to keep my children close to the gospel? To have MORALS? To guide them in the path of the Savior, and help them not be enticed by the ways of a sinful world. It is so easy now to teach them about Heavenly Father, and Jesus. And to teach them to tell the truth, and use clean kind language, to love your family, to choose the right. They LISTEN to me now because they are 0, 3, and 6. Will they still think I'm worth listening to when they are 13, 16, and 19? I'm scared to see what my babies have to grow up in. Maybe it is my own self-doubt creeping in. But I often wonder if I'm up to the challenge of raising these precious children in this harrowing time of secularism and deception. How can I instill in them the correct principles, when the whole world around them will SCREAM that they are wrong, that they are bigots, that they are closed minded, that they are delusional?
I just feel as a Mom, I am up against so much, and it scares me.
Sorry about the rant. Usually my posts are cute stories or pictures of the kids. But sometimes I just have to get things off my chest.

No...NOT THE HAIR!

It is a childhood right of passage I assume. But that brought little comfort to me when we found that Leah and a pair of scissors had found a quiet place on her brother's bed. And that is where the massacre happened. Here is the conversation upon noticing Leah's french braids had been "sawed" into.

Me: "Leah, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR"
Leah: "Well, it just...nothing."
Me: "NO LEAH, THIS IS NOT NOTHING. WHAT DID YOU DO?"
Leah: "Well, it just fell out"
Me: "Leah, YOUR HAIR DOESN'T JUST FALL OUT! YOU CUT IT!"
Leah: (holding up her remaining hair) "Well, there's lots left"
Me: "Leah, WHERE ARE THE SCISSORS? YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE SISTER!"
Leah: "Well, I was just pretending!"
Me: "No, this isn't pretend, you REALLY cut your hair!"
Leah: "Well, I was just pretending to brush it"
Me: "With SCISSORS?"
Leah: "Well, it just fell out."

Daddy discovered the scissors and pile o' hair on Isaac's bed. Isaac, who was in the room when the massacre occurred, had no IDEA because he was mind-melded to his game-boy. But once he saw how much Leah was in trouble, he was more than interested in the event. He also took the moment to mention that he loved us (yes, kiss-up). I took Leah into the bathroom to undo her french braids and assess the damage. As I brushed her hair, MORE came out. I wanted to cry. It isn't so much a choppy butchered look, as it is more of a feathery layered look because she wasn't grabbing chunks and cutting them off....but rather sawing away at the braids. So the cut hair is distributed throughout.
I still wanted to cry. Here are pictures.

All things Leah

I've been thinking a lot about my girl lately. My one girl. I have been so caught up in baby Simon everything, that I have to stop and pay some respect to my lil' princess. She is amazing. She holds her own so well in this family. Sandwiched between two brothers, she refuses to fade into the chaos. She is usually the instigator! She knows how to ruffle Isaac's feathers and come off as looking completely innocent. She knows how to make her baby brother laugh and smile and coo. She loves to snuggle. She loves to have her back tickled. She loves for Mama to lay in bed next to her for "just a little minute" before she goes to bed for the night. She is a big girl and can "do it by myself". And this applies to everything. She dresses up, in ALL of her skirts at once until she can't even walk straight. She's not afraid to go out in public this way. She will turn you into a frog with her magic wand if she is upset with you. And if you make her mad, she will pucker up her lips into a kissy face, put her nose in the air, and march off into her room with a very audible "HUMF!" Leah wants to know the meaning behind everything. "Why do dogs have toenails?" "Why is your shower see-through?" "Why aren't houses built UNDER rocks?" "When you were a baby, why were you in grandma's belly?" She exhausts me, inspires me, challenges me, makes me laugh, makes me love being a mommy, and yes, I'm terrified of her teenage years yet to come. I love you baby girl! You are growing up so fast!

Happy Easter

We had a great Easter. The children had a good time, and looked so nice for church. I had the pleasure of conducting the Ward Choir for our Easter presentation, and I think I faked it quite well! :) The choir did GREAT, but as for myself and having had no formal training, I think I was pretty convincing. I am a flute player, so by nature I know how to read only in treble-cleff, and only one note at a time. I do not think in chords, or in parts, or all of those things that choir directors can mentally hear in their heads. Someday I hope to learn to play the piano. Then at least I can learn chords, and read bass-cleff as well.

This week has been a difficult one for my family (and extended family in Utah), because we had to say goodbye to a dear sweet Aunt. She passed away at the age of 60, after many years of health problems. I love and will miss my Aunt Coleen. But I find such reassurance of a happy reunion, especially with this Easter holiday. Death is an essential part of our Father's plan, and only a temporary part at that. One day we will all taste of the sweet resurrection as provided through our Savior Jesus Christ. Death has no sting, and is overcome by Christ. I am so grateful for my Savior. Thank you Aunt Coleen, for your amazing life, and thank you for a very real reminder of what Easter truly is about.

Blessings

My journey in Primary has come to an end. I don't often open my heart on my blog for all to see. But this last week has been quite a week for me, and I will feel better writing it out. Last Sunday 3/15, I was released from my calling as Primary President and handed over all things pertaining to Primary to the newly called Presidency. I bid a tearful goodbye to the kids I have grown to know and love so well. Off to the adult world I go. It was hard, and it was really sad for me. I was actually surprised that I was so tearful reflecting on it and letting it go. I have known nothing else for so long, the calling became so much of who I was. I have never given so much time and heart into a calling since my mission. True, I served in Primary twice as long as I served my mission, but I felt I gave my very best every step of the way, even when it was so difficult and the woos inside of me wanted to bail out. Near the end was the hardest. The last quarter of 2008 was wrought with changes in Presidency members, key teachers, and BABIES being born (specifically my little colicky wonder-boy). At times I felt I was barely hanging on by a thread. Luckily, I was blessed to work with some INCREDIBLY AMAZING sisters in Primary. Within my presidency, as well as teachers and Nursery workers. I learned so much from these ladies. And I always felt their love for the Lord and the children by how valiantly they served. They inspired me to keep pressing on.
The Sunday I was released I admit I felt very sad. I felt like I had to give up something so precious. I was not resentful or anything, I just felt like I had to mourn over the finality of it all. Nobody said much of anything to me that day other than comments of how relieved I must feel. Yes and no was a fairly accurate answer. And although my church service is meant to be pleasing to my Heavenly Father, and not for the 'glory of man' as it is said....still, I was hoping some parent somewhere would tell me that I did a good job. That I made a difference in the life of their child. That the kids would miss me. Or just a little tiny thank-you. I went home feeling a little lost, and unappreciated. And for that I felt incredibly GUILTY. Because I know I shouldn't be expecting praise! That would make me an unworthy servant. I called my brother Sam, who although he is younger than me, is a spiritual giant in my eyes. Wise beyond his years. I told him how I was feeling and he shared something very insightful. He said "Do you know what one of the hardest things for the Savior must have been, as he was performing the Atonement?"..."The fact that he knew fully well that there would be so many people who would never care. And he did it anyway". That really puts it into perspective for me. And I am now OKAY. And I have no place to complain. At all. So I needed that spiritual reality check. Thanks Sam, message received. My husband told me that the Lord will bless me for the service I gave, in his own way and in his own time. Peace filled my heart, and I have moved on. And this last week has been incredible. The blessings that have followed have humbled me. To share three...
-Our home, which had insufficient attic ventilation due to an oversight in construction 8 years ago, got a FREE REPAIR form the builder Heartland Homes. Even though legally they had no obligation to fix it (how it ever passed inspections I'll never know), they answered my call and installed new vents in my roof anyway simply because it was the right thing to do. Hopefully this year I will not have to pay OG&E $280 in August, like last year. This was an answer to prayers and a blessing.
-Second, our good friend Steve Bittle offered to sell us a new computer (ours was about 8 years old and near to dying) he built himself. It is great, runs so fast, already has all the software installed that we needed, and a 19" flat panel monitor that I LOVE. The price was more than generously reasonable. This gracious offer from Steve came just at the right time, and was an answer to prayers.
-And on Tuesday, I received word that a significant item of litigation that I have been involved with since 2007 had reached a settlement agreement. And I can finally put a very painful and stressful experience behind me forever. This is a huge relief and blessing, as this has burdened me daily for so long. It is finally over.
I've been very humbled that the Lord has been mindful of me specifically. It is as if he was telling me that my offering was sufficient, and in turn he eased some burdens for me that I had been troubled with. I can't help but acknowledge and praise him, for his hand in my life. And the humble reminder that he IS there, and he knows us individually, and his love for us is very real.

Cutest laugh ever!

Isaac discovered that if he makes a strange series of screeching and grunting noises, it absolutely CRACKS SIMON UP!!!

A day at the Park

Today we went to the Park for St. Patrick's Day. Isaac and Leah had a blast, and Simon was fine as long as I carried him. :) We decided to have a picnic lunch and fly kites. The kids took to it like Pro's. Isaac had his kite up in the air for the majority of our time there. When we got home, they asked to do it all over again here in the yard. Wow. We invited some friends to join us, and we had a really good time with everyone. And me, like a fool, forgot my camera! LOL. Oh well, my camera is so crappy it's not worth taking anywhere anymore! Soon I will have a new one. E-mail me if you have a nice one you'd recommend. One that takes small video clips with sound as well as high resolution pictures. Within a $150 price range would be nice. I know I haven't been the best at my blog. But something happened when child #3 came into the picture. I seriously have NO TIME. BUT....I'm hoping I will soon have a little more time to catch up on fun things. I will save that reason for my next post.

Simon is 4 months old!

Our little guy is growing up so fast!!! He is long and lean, and oh SO CUTE!!! He has two teeth now, and has started 'talking' to us. He squeaks and squeals and it's just darling! Simon sucks on everything and is a world class drooler. Nothing has his approval unless he gets to give it a taste test. This includes the faces of people who hold him. He will try to eat your face. :) He is great with his hands, grabbing at everything within his reach. He sleeps 9 hours straight at night (choir of angels here!) for the most part. However, the compensation for that is he does not nap during the day. Unless he is having a nursing nap (snack n snooze as I call it). He insists on being held and carried around all the time, leaving mom to catch a shower, bathroom break, or a bite to eat sporadically at best. Simon eats like a champ, and I love the time I have to snuggle him. He is amazing, and we just love our little guy so much!

First TOOTH?

Surely my little baby boy is not old enough to be teething....but alas, he is. Yesterday Simon got his first tooth. It is just BARELY peeking through his sore little gums. Simon has the BEST BIGGEST GRIN EVER! And soon he will have a mouthful of teeth to show off! He just loves sucking on his fists and his is drooling everywhere. I wonder what will happen the first time he BITES down on his own hand! Well, time to get the little guy a toothbrush!

3½ Months Old

Simon is my little sweetie! My snuggle bug! My happy man! My sweet sweet boy! We just love him. Yes, he cries...a lot. Yes, he still wakes up in the middle of the night (3:30am. grrr.) and decides to stay awake and party. But he is a joy to have in our family! He has been here for 3½ months now and he has changed so much. I have not been very good at keeping the updates on the blog. At birth he was 9lbs 9oz, 21½ inches long. Now he is 13lbs, and 26 inches. He is getting too tall for his basinette! He smiles, laughs, coos and calls out when he wants attention. Which is pretty much always. He nurses like a pro, and obviously is gaining weight well. He has started to grab at his toys and bring them to his mouth. He LOVES to suck on his fists. I suspected that when he wouldn't take the pascifier very well, he would likely discover his hands and never let them go. He has sucked blisters onto his fingers, he works so hard at them. He is a major drooler! If he is like any of my other kids, he will likely have his first tooth within a month. It looks like his hair is coming in blond, which was unexpected. It is very SLOW growing, and very light at the roots. So I may have a handsome little blondie with a dimple. SO SWEET!!!

An immodest moment.

I've fallen behind on my blog. We have facebook to thank for that.
So today I EMBARRASSED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS out of myself!!!
We went to Adams Elementary to have a meeting with the Principal this morning. She is new, and I had never spoken to her before. We get in her office and she invites us to take off our coats and have a seat. I do so. No sooner do we sit down across the table from one another that I notice my lovely blouse is UNBUTTONED COMPLETELY. I had nursed the baby and in the craziness trying to push us all out the door in time, I had failed to button up my own blouse!!!! There I was flashing the Principal! I grabbed my shirt and and started apologizing profusely. I could feel my face turn red and a wave of sweat hit me. I fumbled to do up my buttons. The principal was polite and understanding. Luckily she is a woman. And as my friends tell me, there is little doubt that she will forget this parent. Ever.

As if I didn't have enough to do....

I joined Facebook today. My sisters have told me how they've reconnected with distant cousins and such. So I thought I'd give in and see who I could find. :) Maybe I'll find YOU!

The Tahoe Rant

We own an '02 Chevy Tahoe. I am the primary driver of the family car. So I deal with it's quirks daily. It is equipped with a "jump seat" on the passenger side of the middle row. This is a seat that folds down to provide access to the back row. This rant is dedicated to this jump seat.
I have 3 kids, 2 of which sit in the back. Safely far away from mauling the infant in the middle row. However, to get my kids in and out of the Tahoe, I must walk AROUND the stupid vehicle to the passenger side EVERY TIME. Usually with my arms full of stuff/diaperbag/Simon. WHO ON EARTH WAS THE GENIUS WHO THOUGHT THE JUMP SEAT SHOULD BE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR? I mean...think about it. When in use, the vehicle will ALWAYS have a driver. Always. But it won't always have a front row passenger conveniently there to help kids in and out of that side of the vehicle. THE JUMP SEAT SHOULD BE RIGHT BEHIND THE DRIVER. Thus allowing quick and easy access when Mom is alone carting around kids. Hello...CHEVY company? What genius made this design decision?

Jesus wants Leah for a SUNBEAM!

Today was Leah's first day in Primary. She wanted to wear her pretty princess dress (means one with the poofy-est skirt), we curled her hair in curlers, she wanted to wear one of mommy's sparkly necklaces, AND she had her own Book of Mormon. She is so excited to be a BIG Primary girl now. Today she told me "I'm not a Nursery girl anymore Mama, because Nursery is for the babies." We are so proud of our Sunbeam!

Up.

It is past 3am. And Simon is WIDE AWAKE. And thus so am I. Guess I'll take a shower or something. What I wouldn't give for my baby to have an "off" switch right now!

In other news...

Simon gave up on his New Years Resolution. Yeah, he figured being up every 2 or 3 hours was definitely much more fun. For him.

In other news, I have a new nephew today. My brother Mike and his wife Johanna welcomed Glen Michael Dodge to their family. Born this morning at 9:56am. 7lbs 4oz, 18½in long. I know, hard to believe we're related...what a little baby! (Compared to Simon.) This is my brother's first child, and boy is he in for an experience!!!! Soon he will be no stranger to the "up every 2 or 3 hours" way of life! Here's Glen! I think he looks just like Johanna's son James, but with a Hinckley nose!

Simon's New Years Resolution 2009

On New Year's eve, baby Simon went to sleep at about 11pm. And he slept until 7:30am!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next night, 9:30pm-6:30am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last night, 10pm - 6:30am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This must be Simon's New Year's resolution! And we couldn't be more thrilled. I might just start feeling like a human being again if he keeps this up! Let's hope he is more committed to his resolutions than his parents are to theirs!