Another busy month!

December isn't over yet but we have already had a very busy month. Last Christmas the boys got new bikes but just a few weeks ago they learned to ride without training wheels. I couldn't believe how fast they picked it up once they decided they wanted to do it. I think the fact that they saw all the other kids in the 'hood doing it made them a little jealous and envious. They are extremely competitive (especially Tanner) so I think that helped too. Taylor is still riding with training wheels and she doesn't seem all that interested in losing them. We don't want to push her into it and know that when she is ready, she will just take off like the boys did.
The boys had their kindergarten Christmas program before winter break started and they did great. Tanner actually sang instead of just staring straight ahead like a deer in headlights. Before the program he told us we would cry. We laughed and asked why he thought we would cry and he said it was because his singing would be so beautiful that we would cry. How cute!!
Brad turned the big 35 on the 1st. He is now my old man for the next 7 months until I hit that milestone. He has been going to physical therapy for his knee and is beginning to regain his strength and muscle in his leg. I know he can't wait to get everything back to normal and hit the gym again.
We went to the annual Go Daddy Christmas party and had a good time even though we didn't win anything this year. It was held at Chase Field again and Bob went all out as usual. He believes in rewarding his employees and knows his company wouldn't be where it is without them. I wish other companies would adopt his philosophy.
I have spent the past 16 weeks taking my final pre-req class for the nursing program and finished the class with a B. I took microbiology and not only was it hard, but really boring too so I was surprised I did as well as I did. I am now on the waiting list for nursing school along with 1800 other people. They generally take about 500 people per semester so it could take up to 2 years just to get started. It will then take 18 months to 2 years to finish the program. So, I should be working as a nurse in about 4 years. Kind of a bummer but as long as I get my RN before the kids graduate high school, I'm good.:)

Family photos

A few weeks back we had family pictures taken and we love them. The girl we used is AMAZING. I wish had just a little bit of her talent. The kids did great and they all really enjoy having their pictures taken. I think we have a new photographer for life!

What is the deal?

Okay, so anyone who know us is aware that our kids are totally accident-prone. I am really clumsy but thankfully have never been seriously injured. I wish I could say the same for my crazy kids. Yesterday morning Taylor and Ty were crawling on the floor pretending to be dogs and Taylor smacked her face into the back of Ty's head. Taylor had blood gushing from her mouth because her front teeth took the brunt of the impact. They were still intact but very loose. I called Brad and he rushed home from work so I could take Taylor to the dentist to make sure everything was alright. They took x-rays and saw her permanent teeth were ready to come in so all she did was loosen already loose baby teeth. What a relief! He told her once the bruising and swelling goes down to just wiggle, wiggle, wiggle those front teeth and they should be out by Thanksgiving. Luckily we had family pics done last weekend!! I'm thinking for Christmas we should get the kids full face helmets and padded body suits to wear all the time.

Happy Halloween

Halloween this year turned out to be very eventful and memorable. Taylor was a cheerleader, Tanner was a Home Depot race car driver, and Ty was Darth Vader. Tanner got some sort of stomach bug and threw up at school Friday morning so we had to go pick him up. He was really upset because he didn't want to miss the class Halloween party that afternoon. We told him that if he rested and felt better, we would take him back for the party because Brad and I were scheduled to help out in each class. After resting a few hours he told us he felt good enough to go back so off we went. Brad went to Taylor's class and I stayed with the boys in their class. Within 30 minutes of being back, Tanner projectile vomited in the classroom. Needless to say we had to leave. Ty stayed for the party and made sure he brought Tanner home all the goodies. He is such a thoughtful brother. Tanner slept most of the afternoon because there was no way he was going to miss out on trick-or-treating. He made it about 2/3 the way around the neighborhood before he felt like he needed to go home and lay down. Despite his sickness all the kids had a great time and got LOTS of candy.

M.I.A.

Sorry I haven't posted in while but things have been crazy and I just haven't had the desire or motivation to even get on the blog. Oops! So here's a quick rundown of the happenings in our family over the last month.

The kids are still loving school and I have been volunteering at least one afternoon a week in the boys' class. I have gained such a huge amount of respect for teachers because there is NO way I could handle a room full of 25 to 30 crazy little kids all day. I am completely wiped out after my volunteering sessions and that's only a few hours! Based on the behavior of some of these kids, I think they should bring back spanking in school. They obviously don't receive any type of discipline at home. I am amazed at how well behaved our boys are in class. It makes me feel like we are doing a good job raising them. Now if only they behaved that well at home....

A few weeks back Taylor came to me and said she wanted to get her hair cut short - not too short, just above her shoulders. I usually trim her hair but I didn't feel comfortable doing anything drastic so I took her to my friend Heather (who does my hair) to get a new 'do. She thought it was way cool to get her hair done like mommy does. The whole way home she kept telling me how cute she looked with her new cut and she wants Heather to cut it from now on. So, I guess I'm fired. :)

Brad had knee surgery a few weeks ago and is starting his physical therapy. The doctor removed his plical band and cleaned up some damage he found. Brad said his knee aches a little right now but it feels great compared to the constant stabbing pain he had before the surgery. Phoenix Fire has paid for everything and has promised to get him back in the same physical condition he was in before he was hurt. After all, it was their fault (mainly his RTO's fault) his knee ended up in such bad condition. Speaking of the fire department, this whole thing has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Even if Brad had made it through the academy, Phoenix has cut out all overtime which is what we would have depended on to pay our bills. He would have had to get a second job and I would have to find something as well just to survive. Instead he is back at Go Daddy where he is safe, happy, and we can live comfortably again. We are firm believers that everything happens for a reason even if that reason does come to you at first. Brad has said he might try for the fire department again in a few years but will limit it to just Gilbert. I feel a lot better about that because he would be close to home and our friends who work for Gilbert have nothing but positive things to say about the department.

Well, I think that's about it for now and I will TRY to keep up on this.

It's done!!

Well, almost done. There are a few minor things that need to be finished in order for it to be fully finished and operational but the kids don't mind - they are already swimming. The water is too cold for me and our heater won't be working until the end of the month because Southwest Gas has to come out and put a new gas meter on the house. The one we currently have isn't powerful enough to run the pool heater. We absolutely love, love, love our new pool! Thanks Matt!!!

Whew!!

Things around the Ehly house have been crazy as usual the past few weeks. Our new pool is almost finished and we should be swimming by this coming weekend. Tanner (of course) is the only one to suffer an injury during this process. He lost his footing and fell backwards into the jacuzzi - the EMPTY jacuzzi. He scraped up his arm, knee, ankle, and forehead in the fall. He was so scared and hurting while I was cleaning him up that he kept saying he didn't want to die. I told him it was just some scratches, he will be fine, and definitely will not die. He then told me something that just brought me tears. He said, "Please grab my foot if I start to go to heaven because I don't want to go yet." He is such a sweet, accident-prone little boy.
I started back to school last week taking the last online class I need to get into nursing school. Although I enjoy staying home and being a mom, before I know it my kids will be grown and I will need to go back to work. I have been on the fence about this for a long time but Brad helped me decide and is here for support whenever I need it.
I will post pics of the pool once it's finished and filled!

That's a big hole!

We (Brad) have decided to have a pool built. Now that the kids are older and can swim we felt it was safe to do it. A good friend of ours owns a pool company so we are having it built through them. The company name is Gold Canyon Pools (formerly Majestic Pools) and they are doing an awesome job! They have far exceeded our expectations and it's really exciting to watch everything take shape. It should be ready for swimming in 2 weeks but the yard will take much longer. At least we will have a pool to jump into and cool off while repairing the yard!

Back to School

The kids all headed back to school last week and now I am FREE!!!!! It is such a weird feeling to have them gone and the house is so quiet. The boys started kindergarten and they are in class together with Taylor's teacher from last year, Miss Gora. I was relieved and Tanner was excited when we found out he was in her class because he has a major crush on her. Tanner will do anything for a pretty girl so having him in her class should ensure he will learn and pay attention. Ty is happy wherever he is and seems to enjoy being with his brother. My biggest fear was that the boys wouldn't like "big" school and wouldn't want to go, but every morning they ask if they get to go to school and when I say yes they get totally excited.

Taylor started first grade and is loving every minute of it. She would go to school every day if she could. Her "boyfriend" James from last year is in her class again and she sits directly across from him. I guess this way they can stare into each other's eyes all day. Yuck!! At the end of kindergarten Taylor was tested to see if she would qualify for advanced placement and she did. Twice a week she leaves her regular class for a few hours and goes to ALP. Yesterday was her first day and she said it was a lot of fun. I think she enjoys being around other kids who are at her same level of learning. We are so proud to have such a smart (and beautiful) little girl!

Together Forever

My grandma passed away on July 1st at the age of 91. It was very sad but also comforting to know she went home to Lord and to be with grandpa for eternity. Her and grandpa were married for 71 years and only had to spend one month and 5 days apart. They had promised each other that whoever went first, the other would follow as soon as possible. They fulfilled that promise. Although they will be greatly missed here on earth, they are where they want to be and surely having a wonderful time.

Happy Birthday Boys!

The boys turned 5 on July 3rd - yes, 5!! It's so hard to believe it has already been 5 years. It still seems like yesterday that we were bringing them home from the hospital and now they will be starting kindergarten next month. They had a firetruck themed birthday party on Saturday and we broke out the waterslide for them. The firetruck cake was Tanner's idea and was actually pretty easy to make. They had a great time and received a lot of fun gifts. My favorites were all the cute clothes!

JUNE

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Well, practically another month has gone by without a post. Oops. We have been super busy and with Brad working midnights I haven't been able to use the computer much during the day since our computer is in our bedroom. I have been hinting about getting a laptop though.... So, here is our month in a nutshell:

The kids have been in swim lessons all month and they absolutely love it. Taylor has improved the most and is now practicing her diving techniques. She is a perfectionist and you can see the concentration on her face while she is swimming. The boys on the other hand are just boys. They have a lot of fun but don't pay much attention. It's frustrating for me but they are having fun.

We bought the Harkins summer movie passes so every Friday morning we go see a movie. With the passes we get to see 10 movies for $7. We've already seen most of the movies but it is a cheap, fun way to get out of the heat and the kids like seeing everything on the big screen.

Brad has been enjoying being back at Go Daddy and with all the stress gone, he is back to his old self. My stress levels have gone way down as well. It was so hard for me to see him come home from the academy everyday beat up physically and mentally. Whatever they were doing to him was turning him into a different person than the one I have known and loved for the past 18 years. He still gets a little sad sometimes about not being a firefighter but he has said that he will take time to heal his knee and then maybe just try to get on with Gilbert. It would be nice to be close to home and work for the city we live in.

The 25th marked the 2 year anniversary of my dad passing. It was a crappy day for all of us and we miss him so much. Taylor still has moments where she just cries her heart out because she misses him. It breaks my heart to see her still hurting. They had such a special bond. She also made sure we took him new flowers at the cemetery.

My grandmother has been in hospice for the past week and she is not expected to recover. It is so hard to watch her linger on when we know she wants to go and be with grandpa in heaven. This past month has really taken a toll my mom and I worry about her. Losing a parent is a horrible thing but I know that once grandma joins grandpa, mom can start taking care of herself again. Both of her parents have lived such long, wonderful lives that it will be nice to know they will be together again for eternity with God.

MAY

May has been a very hectic and stressful month so I will try to sum it all up.

The boys graduated from preschool and had the cutest graduation ceremony. They wore caps and gowns, received fancy diplomas, and sang songs. Leaving Mrs. Cox and Christ's Greenfield was very emotional for me. The kids have learned so much academically and spiritually there and Mrs. Cox has been a huge part of our lives for the past 2 years. She is an amazing teacher and woman who treats each child as if they were her own. We may have to attend services at the church every once in while just so we can see her. The boys were a little sad to leave too but they are looking forward to kindergarten at Taylor's big school in the fall. All 3 kids will be in school ALL DAY next year and I can't wait. I will finally have some freedom!

Brad left the Phoenix Fire Academy and went back to Go Daddy. There were many events that lead to this decision but everything happens for a reason and we feel it wasn't in God's plan for Brad to stay. Go Daddy welcomed him back with open arms and he seems much happier and back to himself now-only 20 pounds lighter.

My grandfather passed away on the 25th while in hospice care. He was surrounded by family and went in his sleep. He lived a good long life (90 years) and will be greatly missed. My mom is now caring for my grandmother which is a big job but she can't bear to put her in a home.

Welcome Shiloh!

Well, as if we didn't have enough chaos in our lives, we got another dog on Sunday. Brad and I have been talking about getting another dog for a while now but we weren't ready to deal with everything that comes with a new puppy. Brad knew he wanted another beagle so I had been checking the websites for the newspaper, pound, and AZ beagle rescue. Sunday afternoon I saw an ad for someone who was giving away a 1-year old spayed female beagle. Brad told to me to call and the family we contacted said they wanted to come over to meet us and see our house. Of course we said yes and were glad they were actually taking the time to find her a good home. They fell in love with Zoey, the kids, and the yard and said if we wanted her she was ours. The kids are so excited to have a new dog and a friend for Zoey and Brad and I are happy we don't have to deal with housebreaking, chewing, etc. Shiloh's previous family didn't want to get rid of her but had to for personal reasons and we offered to let them come visit her anytime they would like. They even called Monday morning to see how she did through the night. I thought that was so sweet! Welcome to our family Shiloh!

Academy update

Things around here have been hectic to say the least. I haven't had much free time so things (like our blog) have taken a backseat. Brad hurt his knee the first week of the academy and we were afraid he was down and out. He was put on light duty until he could get an MRI last week. The results came back showing he has a bruised femur which will take months to completely heal. He has a lot of constant pain but the doctor told him to just load up on Tylenol and push through it. The training officers are really working with him to make sure he doesn't cause any more damage which means he won't have to do any unnecessary running. The worst thing that will happen if his knee hurts too much to perform his duties is that he will be recycled and have to start the academy over again in September. We hope this doesn't happen because he is finishing up his 4th week now and he doesn't want to have to do it all over again. Also, the sooner he graduates, the sooner he can work overtime. We need this because when he received his first paycheck we had to laugh to keep from crying.

Family orientation at Phoenix Fire

Last night was family orientation at the fire academy. We were able to tour the academy and see what Brad will be trained on while he is there. They also explained to us what we should expect from Brad at home while he is training - NOTHING. For the next 12 weeks he will be tired, possibly cranky, and need to spend all his weekends resting and studying. So, looks like I will be a single parent around here for a while. There is a light at the end of the tunnel because once he graduates, he will work 24 hours on with 48 hours off. I'm sure I can find plenty of things to keep him busy on those days off. Although with the huge pay cut we are taking, he will need to pick up some overtime shifts. We are all very excited for him because this is his dream and we know he will make an awesome firefighter!

Bad dog!

Yesterday morning the kids and I took our weekly Sunday morning trip to the gym but we didn't quite make it in. Outside the entrance of the gym there was a yellow lab/golden retriever type dog tied up and laying down just chilling out. The kids love dogs and asked me if they could go pet it. The dog looked friendly and I have always known them to be friendly and good with kids so I said they could pet it but be gentle and don't run up to it. Taylor and Ty were petting it and everything seemed fine, so shy little Tanner slowly approached it and bent down to check it out. The stinkin' dog lunged out without any warning and bit Tanner on the nose. I was absolutely horrified and Tanner was screaming like you wouldn't believe. I ran into the gym with him and used their first aid kit to stop the bleeding and bandage him up. Luckily it didn't puncture the skin - just a really good scratch. When I told Brad what happened he of course wanted to blame the owner of the dog but I felt as if it was both our faults. I told the kids from now on, do not touch or approach a dog they don't know. Tanner told me that it's only beagles (the kind of dog we have) for him now. I feel horribly guilty and like such a bad parent. I also feel sorry for Tanner because it seems like everything bad happens to him and he is my sweet and shy little boy. Sorry buddy!

Happy Easter!

Our Easter was pretty low-key this year which is fine with me because we could use a break from the craziness. The kids got their baskets when they woke up and they were excited about what was inside. Each of them got a new book, candy, the boys got their first Webkinz, and Taylor got a necklace that I made her. We stayed in our pajamas until around lunch time when Brad got home from his pre-academy and we had to get ready to go to his sister's house for lunch and an egg hunt. The kids had a great time and it was nice to catch up with family. We didn't make it to church this year but the kids know why we celebrate Easter and what it stands for, so that is what really matters.

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

My dad started a tradition in our family that every St. Patrick's Day morning we would have a green breakfast. EVERYTHING had to be green. Last year we skipped the breakfast because it was just too hard for us. This year Taylor asked if we could do it again because it was papa's favorite and she was really excited until she saw the food. I told her to close her eyes and not think about it but she just couldn't get past the color. So the kids ended up eating donuts with green and white sprinkles and drank green milk instead. Us adults (minus Brad because he had to work) ate green quiche, green biscuits, green cookies, and drank green milk. Yum. Needless to say, after eating all this green stuff, we will all have green shadoobies later. It's the breakfast that just keeps on giving! Happy St. Patty's Day dad and I hope we did it right for you!

Easter in the Park

Today the boys' preschool had Easter in the park instead of their normal class. They got to play, eat hot dogs, have chapel, and go on an Easter egg hunt. The boys seemed to have a great time and the weather was perfect. Tanner and Ty's favorite thing to do was dig a hole in the sand and then fill it back up. What is the deal with boys and getting so dirty? I included a photo of Ty with a little girl named Emily. Ty told us when he grows up he thinks he is going to marry her. I don't think he has told her this yet.

Busy Saturday

Saturday was another busy day around here for us. The boys' preschool had their Spring Festival and the kids had a great time. They played games, made sand art, ate pizza, and went wild on all the inflatable jumpies. There was an inflatable obstacle course that Tanner loved. He is like a little machine running, jumping and sliding. It's hard to believe he had lung problems as baby when you see how active he is now. Brad said Tanner is an inspiration to him with regards to the fire academy. He just keeps going and smiling and won't stop until you tell him to stop.

After the festival, I had to take Taylor to the Princess Palace for a birthday party. She had fun but I wouldn't recommend the place to anyone. It's basically a knock-off of Girly Girlz but the people that run it don't seem to have a clue what they are doing. All the girls showed up dressed like princesses and they looked so beautiful until the Princess Palace ladies got a hold of them. They put glittery "hair mascara" in their hair which looked trashy (they plastered Taylor's bangs to her head) and then they swiped some glittery makeup on their faces to make it look even worse. The girls thought it was "cool" to get their hair and makeup done but I was mortified at the way they all looked. I couldn't get Taylor in the shower fast enough when we got home!

Hellloooo Ladies!!

This photo is a version of "the look" that Tanner gives pretty girls. He has been doing this since he was itty bitty so it's not as if he learned it somewhere. We also found at an early age that he is a "boob man". As a baby he would always want my sister Stacey to hold him and he would nuzzle into her breasts. It was cute back then but now we have to stop him from doing it to anyone with large breasts. We can't have him going to kindergarten next year and trying this with his teacher.

One early morning we were sitting on the couch together and he reached over and cupped by boob. I pulled his hand away and asked what he was doing. Here is our conversation:

Tanner: "Mommy why do only girls have big boobies?"

Me: "Because that is how God made us. Girls have boobies and boys don't."

Tanner: "Well, I like 'em!"

Tanner: "Why do you wear that booby holder thing?"

Me: "So my boobs aren't all flippity floppity."

Tanner: "But I like when they are flippity floppity."

Oh dear! We are going to have to keep an eye on this kid.

And....it's OFF!!

Taylor got her cast removed today! She was really excited to get it off, but now her elbow is stiff so she can't fully extend her arm. She will have to do exercises every day to get her range of motion back. The doc said she still needs to be careful for the next 4 weeks so she won't re-injure it. This means no P.E. or playground yet. Those are some hard things for a kid to give up. It will be nice to longer have to accessorize around a cast and sling. Yippee!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The boys' preschool class had a short concert at the end of class for Valentine's Day. They both actually participated this time which was wonderful. Tanner sang but wouldn't do any of the hand motions and Ty was all out there I also had an opportunity to help with Taylor's class party but of course I forgot my camera so I don't have any pics. I had a great time and it made me realize that my kids aren't too misbehaved. There are some boys in Taylor's class that really take the cake. I have soooo much respect for kindergarten teachers. There is NO WAY I could put up with all those crazy kids all day. After Taylor got out of school, I took her to Build-a-Bear to get her valentine present. She had been asking to make the "hearts for you puppy" , so we told her she could get it for Valentine's Day. She was so excited and she named her new puppy Valentina.

Taylor update

This morning I took Taylor to the doctor so he could do more x-rays and see how her bone is healing. When the images showed up on his screen he couldn't believe how well it has healed in only 10 days. He then told us she could get her cast off on the 18th. This means she will only have to wear the cast for 3 weeks instead of the original 8 weeks. We truely believe there was some divine intervention.
This leads me to a story about something that occured one night last week. Taylor was sitting at the kitchen table working with some beads when she looked down at her hand (the one with the cast) that was sitting in her lap. Her entire hand was covered in what looked like glitter. She looked up at me and said, "Mommy I was just sitting here with my hand in my lap, not touching anything, and LOOK!" I immediately searched around to try and find where the glitter came from, but there wasn't any anywhere except on her hand. I told her, "That's weird, I wonder where it came from." She looked at me with a big smile and said, "Papa gave it to me." I just smiled back and told her she was probably right and then didn't think much about it again. Until the next morning. When I was getting her dressed for school I noticed that all of her swelling in her arm was completely gone and she told me she didn't feel any more pain in her elbow. I choked back my tears and told her that Papa was her angel and he was taking care of her. So... now that her bone has healed so rapidly, I have say, "Thank you Dad for taking care of our little girl."

Cast time!

Taylor went to the doctor Tuesday and had her cast put on. The doc said her humerus bone is broken but not so badly that it would require surgery (hopefully). She will have to wear the cast for up to 8 weeks with frequent doctor visits for x-rays to make sure it is healing properly. She is doing great with it and was excited to be able to pick the color - pink of course! Now she wants aunt Patty to come over with her crystals and add some "bling" to it. I think she is enjoying all the attention she gets from everyone. The doctor said she could stay out of school all week if she wants but could go back as early as today. So, she went back today because she was "totally bored, totally" staying at home.

Taylor's 1st ER visit

Last night Taylor went to her friend Alyssa's birthday party at Bounce-U. After only 30 minutes of bouncing fun, Taylor got bounced off the big slide and landed on her elbow on the floor. Someone standing near her said they heard a loud crack when she hit the floor and she was grabbing her arm crying. We took her to the emergency room for x-rays and they said she fractured her elbow. She has a splint right now until we can get her in to an orthopedist. The ER doctor said he thinks she shouldn't need to have surgery, just wear a cast for 4-6 weeks. Hopefully he is right. They gave her Tylenol with codeine for pain and said she would be really drowsy and sleep a lot. Well, it had the reverse effect on her. As soon as it kicked in she perked right up and talked nonstop until we made her go to bed. We have all decided that Bounce-U is now off limits!

A New Hairdresser? NOT!!!

Ty decided to give himself a haircut but it didn't quite turn out too well. That sneaky little kid is always getting into something. He didn't say anything after he did it because he probably thought we wouldn't notice. Luckily he left a little hair right in front so if we spike it up it isn't too noticeable. I guess we should just be thankful he cut his own hair and not someone else's.

Finally!!!

After 3 long years of trying, Brad has been offered a job as a firefighter with the Phoenix Fire Department. He won't start his academy until April so he will continue working at Go Daddy until then. It will be hard to leave Go Daddy because he loves his job there but his dream is to be a firefighter. Phoenix has always been his first choice because they are the biggest and the best so this is even more exciting for him. Needless to say, we will be poor for a while but we will get through it. God has a plan for everyone and He doesn't give you anything you can't handle. After all, we have survived the twins so far. We are so proud of you daddy!!

Oh Tanner....

Tanner had yet another accident today. He was running through the house (which I constantly tell the kids not to do) and he tripped and fell face first into an old computer monitor that was sitting on the floor in our bedroom. I was within arm's length of him and I heard a loud snap and then saw blood pouring from his mouth. His front tooth was still attached but pushed back and he was screaming. I rushed him to the dentist, who is only 1 mile away, and after x-rays we found that the root was too badly damaged so they would have to pull the tooth. Once again he was soooo brave throughout the entire process. Even the dentist couldn't believe how well he did. As soon as he saw Brad the first thing he said was "tooth fairy". He's pretty excited that the tooth fairy will come tonight and give him something for his tooth. He doesn't seem too upset by the loss of his tooth but Brad and I are heartbroken. He had such an amazing smile before this. Now he will just have to look like a little white trash kid until his permanent tooth comes in. Oh well, this too shall pass....I love you buddy!