Feeling Grateful...

My Book Club just finished reading an astonishing book that reminded me how very blessed I am!

Escape, by Carolyn Jessop, recounts the real-life story of a woman born into the 6th generation of a polygamous family in the cult-like culture of the FLDS in Colorado City, Arizona. At age 18, she was forced to marry a 50 year old man she had never met, becoming his 4th wife. She recounts horrid experiences of abuse she both witnessed and was forced to endure , the unending power-struggle amongst sister-wives and the devastating oppression of the community because of their fanatical religious leadership. Seventeen horrible years later, she became the first woman to ever escape the FLDS with all eight of her children. And although she was hunted down like prey and her children treated as pawns in a battle for supremacy, she was eventually granted full-custody in a precedent-setting court case. Ultimately, she escaped and actually won! She now lives in West Jordan, Utah and she and her children are still adjusting to life on the "outside". It is an inspiring journey of one's ability to overcome even the most impossible adversity by choosing freedom over fear.

I was in both shock and horror as I read this amazing, and often disturbing, account. Part of me wanted to believe things like this only happened long ago and far away. And yet, this is just a few hundred miles from where I live and still goes on today!

I am reminded how grateful I am for several things... First, my freedom and opportunities, especially as a woman. So many throughout history and around the world are deprived of their independence and agency.

Second, the principle of constant, continuing, divine guidance as an individual. I am thankful that my faith, not only allows, but encourages me to ask for personal revelation, rather than expecting me to follow blindly.

Finally, I am immensely grateful for a humble and faithful husband who LOVES me, despite my imperfections, recognizes and respects my strengths, and does not engage in physical, psychological or emotional abuse of me or my children. He is a wonderful and dedicated father who is adored by all of our boys... and by his # 1 girl... ME! I love you, Matt, and truly appreciate all you do and all you are to me.

This woman's tragic tale broke my heart and opened my eyes to the blessings all around me, everyday, and I am recommitting myself to seeing them and enjoying them more fully!

New Addition!

Trevan is pleased to announce the addition of a new Build-A-Bear Buddy to his growing crew.

He went to his best friend Hudson's Birthday Party last week at Build-A-Bear and brought home this cute, cuddly guy... Beary the Bear.

Beary wears a Spiderman T-shirt JUST like one of T's Pajama shirts and is rumored to have super-powers.

Trev's first Build-A-Bear, Mo the Monkey, was his favorite Night-time Pal for several years. We got him on vacation in southern California in the Summer of 2004 and T has LOVED him ever since!

Kaden gave Trev Mo's awesome construction outfit for Christmas last year. Now he "matches" in Trev's Transportation-themed Bedroom.

Trevan adopted Froggy the Frog from Alli, our babysitter/psuedo-daughter when she started High School and got too busy to take care of Froggy.

(Alli said Froggy was lonely at her house anyway, so he was happy to have a friend to hang out and play with!)

BJ, short for Baby Jag, just joined us a few months ago when Grandma Peggy & Grandpa Larry took all the Staker Grandkids to Build-A-Bear for Christmas. (Trevan named him "Baby Jag" after the baby jaguar on his favorite TV show, "Go Diego, Go!")

If he were allowed to have a favorite, I don't think it would be hard for him to pick! He LOVES BJ! He didn't leave T's side for almost a solid week and he still sleeps with him! (Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa!)

Trev's Build-A-Bear Crew hangs out on his Window Seat/Spare Sleepover Bed when they aren't playing with him. He told me this morning he doesn't think he can get any more "guys" from Build-A-Bear or else they will "start getting crowded and run out of room." :)

If you haven't taken your kiddies to Build-A-Bear, it is so much fun! They get to choose, stuff and dress their own pal, then give put their love inside for a lifelong friendship. It is a must-do with your little ones! :)

http://www.buildabear.com/

Losing It!

I have heard that it is NORMAL to lose brain cells when you are pregnant, but seriously, THIS is getting ridiculous! I really fear I may be losing my mind, or my short term memory, at least!

In the last 6 weeks, I have lost (as in completely LOST... no where to be found) my Driver's License, my Credit Card, my retainer and my keys (although I did finally find my keys). I DID NOT do this with my other pregnancies. I am, by nature, a detailed person, and because I have such a crazy, uber-busy life, I HAVE to be organized and efficient to just function! And I am just NOT normally a forgetful person! I actually have a great memory... freakish sometimes...

It is not, however, uncommon lately for me to walk into a room and realize I have NO IDEA what I just came in for. Yesterday, I got to the Grocery Store without a list and could NOT, to save my life, remember what I had gone to get. Thank goodness my kids were there to remind me what we needed (and then aimlessly wander the aisles to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything)! I also left the bathtub running for OVER AN HOUR! (Thank goodness the overflow drain kept up or I'd have flooded the whole house and Matt may have divorced me!) I purchased movie tickets for the wrong night the other day (see GNO post below)...dumb! And it is a really good thing Blockbuster stopped charging late fees, because I realized last week that I had movie rentals that were 3 weeks old. I totally forgot to return them! I just realized this morning that I have failed to register my boys for Spring Sports... the deadline was last week... they are NOT going to be happy campers. And the worst so far... I completely FORGOT to pick Trevan (and Hudson) up from Preschool the other day until the Office called to see if everything was okay... they'd been sitting there waiting for me to pick them up for over 20 minutes! So embarrassing!

GNO...

I had a fun Girl's Night Out with a few of my very favorite ladies (namely Jane, Daphne and Caryn) on Saturday evening... (thanks girlies, for making the time!) :)

We went to Carrabba's for dinner. So yum! And I mean YUM with a capital Y-U-M! It is my very favorite food in all the world, I am fairly sure. If I had to choose just one thing to eat from today until the end of time, it would be the Fillet Bryan from Carrabba's. Of course, I may weigh 300 pounds by this time next year, because I always order it with grilled veggies AND garlic mashed potatoes (which are to DIE for!), but seriously... how DO they make that food taste SOOO good? I could eat there every day and NEVER get tired of it! If you haven't eaten there, crawl out of your cave... you HAVE to try it... TONIGHT! It is seriously the BEST food I have ever eaten.

http://www.carrabbas.com/

It has been Matt and I's favorite restaurant for several years now, since it opened here in Orem. It is starting to get more crowded (secret's out!), but you can call ahead! The service is always personable and prompt and the food is perfect EVERY time! Almost everything on the menu is incredible, but I always order the Fillet Bryan. It is the very best steak I have ever tasted and has this amazing lemon-butter-basil sauce with sun-dried tomatoes. This photo (off their website) is of the Chicken Bryan, same dish, just chicken instead of steak. Both de-lish!

Anyway, eating there always makes me happy, so thanks Ladies for indulging in my craving with me! It's always nice to have good company for a FAB-ulous meal!

I wish I could say the same for the movie... SORRY! (It was totally MY pick!)

We went to see Fool's Gold, which I had high hopes for because I LOVED "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and LOVE Matthew McConnaughey and Kate Hudson together in anything, even interviews... such great chemistry. I thought, "sweet, cute Kate", "toned, tanned Matthew" (with his shirt off for 2 hours)... what's not to like?

Well, I'm thinking maybe this was written during the writer's strike? Okay, just kidding, but seriously, it was THAT bad! REALLY corny characters, and totally implausible action scenes, cheesy camera angles, I could go on and on. The worst part is, I actually paid for it TWICE! When I bought the tickets online on Friday afternoon, I accidentally got them for Friday night instead of Saturday night. I realized my mistake as I was leaving Saturday and had to buy them AGAIN! Just my luck that the movie SUCKED!

And I know I am not the only one who was SHOCKED at the "topless flashing"... Since when do they show fully exposed boobs in Movies rated PG-13? I feel like an old-fogey saying it, but really... what is the world coming to these days? Thank goodness my boys (all of them!) were at home watching motor-cross! :)

Westridge Music Festival...

Westridge Elementary had their Annual Spring (although I am not sure this weather qualifies...) Music Festival, titled "Just Believe It!", last week. Kaden is in the 2nd Grade, so he remembered last year and was so excited to have us come and watch him perform. Here he is with his teacher Miss Giles, the BEST teacher EVER! (He just LOVES her!)

Each student made a Paper-Doll to represent themself. Kade and I had a blast making his! Trevan reassurred us when he said, "Oh my heck! It looks just like you, Kade!" (Phew! That was sort of the idea...)

...Note the glitter-glue we used to do the stripes on his shoes... yes... THIS was the project we had just finished before the afore mentioned "Daynen and the Glitter-Glue" Fiasco (see post below!).

Anyway, each Class then made a Poster out of their Paper-Dolls. Here is the one completed by Miss Giles' Class... Cute! Kade was so proud (...but a little annoyed that he was holding hands with a girl)!

Well, before you critique the pics from the Program, I need to give a quick explanation...

Somehow I misunderstood the flier that the School sent home saying that the Classrooms wouldn't be unlocked (for the Students to await their Grade's turn) until 6:45, and thought it meant that the SCHOOL wouldn't be unlocked until 6:45... so we showed up at 6:45... sharp... and the entire Auditorium was PACKED! BLAST! (I HATE having crappy seats!) To make it worse, I was so confident we'd have good seats that I'd only taken my tiny Point-and-shoot camera... soooo, anyway, sorry for the LOUSY pics. (Trust me, the seats were worse! I actually snuck up front next to a friend during the 2nd Grade songs to even get anything THIS decent!)

...Also, understand Kaden was on the far-right of the stage and I was on the far-left corner of the room, so we couldn't have been much farther apart... Darn... I'm camping out for better seats next year for sure! (Either that or I'm packing my BIG camera and my entire arsenal of wide-aperture telephoto lenses!)

Do you think Elelmentary School principals accept bribery... or rather "gifts"... "gifts that assure preferential seating" at all school functions and events? Maybe I'll give that a shot...

I tried to video a bit of the singing, but did a terrible job from where I was and how far zoomed in I had to be. (So if you get motion sick, you may not want to even attempt trying to watch it!)

The 2nd Grade sang "You're a Hero" and "Don't Give Up" and then joined with the whole student body at the end singing the theme song "Just Believe"

Oh, well! We went, we enjoyed, Kaden sang his little heart out and was so excited to have us come watch him, so no harm done! I'll just have to do better on the photos/video next year... I think I'll hire someone... ... anyone know a good professional? :)

The Weakeast Links...

Okay, annoying... for some reason only about half of you can comment and/or use the links on our blog. We can't seem to find any rhyme or reason to why it works fine from some computers and not from others. (Even from here at my own house, we can access everything from my laptop and Matt's I-Mac, but not the boys' computer. Weird!) The links just don't work... nothing highlights when you roll over it, you can't download anything... it's like everything is locked. I've checked, re-checked and checked again all of the settings and profile preferences and can't figure out what the problem is. Even my computer networking guy took a look at the HTML code to see if something there was off. It's a mystery... and it's making me crazy! Anyone have any suggestions? I am still new to this whole blogging thing, so I'm open to ideas! We sent an e-mail to the tech support team at Blogger and asked them to take a look and see what they can determine. Until then, I just want everyone to know we are aware of the problem and doing what we can to fix it. Hang tight... I'll keep you all posted!

Bling, Bling, Baby!

Well, we've always thought Daynen had a SPARKLING personality, but really... he took it to a whole new level yesterday!

I lost track of him for a few minutes (honestly, probably 5... for SURE less than 10!), while I was helping the big boys get ready for school... When I realized he wasn't where I left him, I went searching... Imagine my surprise when I found him UPSTAIRS (this marks the first time he has climbed more than just a stair or two by himself!) in the middle of his very own little floor mural! Ahhhh... our very own pint-sized Picasso! He was simply thrilled with himself... Look at that smile!

Yes... apparently, Kaden (and I! I am also responsible!) had left a few markers and, more importantly, a tube of Glitter-glue out (and within reach!) when we finished a school project the night before. Oh, how sparkly and irresistible it must have been laying there on the otherwise tidy and boring Craft Room floor... one can hardly blame him for what happened next! He had bitten a hole RIGHT through it! Need I say more?

When I found him, he was squealing and slapping the floor, finger-painting to his little heart's delight! And he was COVERED from head to toe... (the pictures do not EVEN do it justice!) He was literally SOLID red sparkles from the tips of his hair to the bottoms of his little feet!

Maybe you can get the gist from this close-up...

Well, THANK GOODNESS I had my sense of humor and a camera handy! (And that I have respect for "artistic expression" and hope to raise children who aren't afraid to show it!) He was having so much fun exercising his new found "creative freedom" that I had to snap a few shots of the little Art-teest before I tossed him into the shower!

(... For the record, I am afraid I may be rinsing red glitter down the drain for weeks!)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

So, today is my Dad's Birthday and I wanted to take this opportunity to express my love, gratitude and appreciation for such a great father...

I LOVE this photo I snapped of him at his Retirement Party a few years ago. We were at his favorite Restaurant, the Cracker Barrel, and we joked how fitting it was that Dad sat down in one of the Rocking Chairs for sale on the porch in front of the restaurant's store. He looks like he's ready to begin taking it easy! Not a bad start to his retirement!

I have always adored my Dad. I can remember being a little girl and waiting for what seemed like FOREVER for Daddy to come home from wherever he was currently stationed with the Navy. There were several times when I was young that he was deployed overseas for months at a time, in non-civilian posts, where our family could not go with him, so it was always so exciting when he finally returned home. I can remember singing that Primary song, "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home, glad as I can be! I clap my hands and shout for joy and climb up on his knee. Put my arms around his neck and hug him tight like this... pat his cheeks and give him what? A great big kiss!"

I have such fond memories of him teaching me to tie my shoes, studying with me for spelling tests and teaching me to ride my bike without training wheels. And I always loved making Peanut Butter Rice Krispies for him, one of his favorite treats, because he always acted so surprised.

Being adopted, I have a special appreciation for my Dad and the role he plays in my life. How grateful I am to have been raised in a home with both a mother and a father, who were ready and so thankful to be parents when I came into their life. I have always felt very loved and I can not express how grateful I am for the blessing of an eternal family, complete and whole. A father who lead our home by his righteous, loving example is a blessing not everyone has the luxury to enjoy and I do not take for granted.

So Dad, thanks for all you do and all you are to me and to our family. I love you for your hard work on our behalf and for your quiet good-natured approach to all you do. I love your sense of humor and your sweet sensitive spirit. You play an irreplaceable role in my life and the life of my children and everyone else in our family. Thank you for all your great advice over the years and for always giving me your unconditional support. But most of all, thanks for always loving me! No matter how old I get (or how old you get!), I will always be your little girl... Hapy Birthday, Dad!Love~ Sara

Trevan

So, as I'm tucking Trevan into bed tonight, he asks (through groggy eyes, barely open eyes), "Mom... are we going to have the baby on the marn-ing?"

"What? In the morning? You mean, like tomorrow? No, Trev. Not until October," I explain.

"But is October a long time? 'Cuz it's taking forever!", he complains.

Hmmmmm.... I have a feeling it is going to be a LONG nine months for all of us! :)

SURPRISE!

No... you are NOT seeing things. And rest assured, you are probably interpreting correctly... That's right! There is a BUN in OUR OVEN! (We know... we can't believe it either!)

But now that we've had a couple of weeks (Sorry, we've been holding out on you!) to get past the initial shock, denial and utter disbelief, we are excited to announce the addition of Baby #4 to our Family, sometime in the middle of October. (Note: The 'time' on the photo of the Oven, above, is the current estimate for the Due Date, although it will still be confirmed by an Ultrasound in March. We will keep you posted!)


And just for anyone who may wonder if this was "planned", let us refer you to Exhibit A:
Daynen McKay Staker, currently 9 Months old
(who, by our best guess-timation, will be
AT MOST 18 Months old when the new baby arrives). That's right! Remember? We still HAVE a baby! (Matt is still freaking out about the whole "Two in Diapers" thing... ) And I promise, we are NOT suicidal... so in short, NO! This was certainly not "planned". It is a bigger surprise to us than it is to you! :)

I might also remind anyone who has forgotten, that it took us 4 years to have our first baby (Kaden, now 7 1/2), another 3 years to have our second (Trevan, now 4 1/2) and nearly another 4 years to finally have Daynen (who, did I mention is just 9 months old?! Aye carumba! 9 months!)

Yes, it is a little (okay, a LOT!) faster than we'd thought, but we really are so excited and are feeling very blessed. You can not convince me that it is not our own little miracle... there is just no other explanation... (you'll have to trust us on that one)!

The boys, of course, immediately began asking/praying for a sister, but we told them we will just be happy to have a healthy baby that we didn't have to wait so long for. They've decided they'll take another wrestling partner if it turns out to be another brother!

And to set your minds at ease, we have even more good news... my first set of my Prenatal Labs, including the initial blood draws, have come back and look great! My baseline Progesterone level, is higher than it has ever been (even when I was taking an oral dose of Prometrium everyday)! My midwife feels optimistic that I was able to get pregnant, for the first time, without any form of infertility treatment, and that everything appears to be healthy thus far. It is strange for me that after over 11 years of marriage, charting cycle after cycle, and taking as many as 7 different prescriptions at a time, I do not appear to need any medical intervention or supplmentation to sustain this pregnancy! We feel truly blessed and hope that prayers will be all we need this time!

Is this thing on?

Ope! I think I see the green light blinking! We must be up and going! :)

So here we are... our little family of 5 living and breathing from day to day in Provo, Utah. We get so busy with our "routine" that we wanted to let you all in on exactly what that includes!

We will get more high tech with our entries as soon as we figure out exactly what we are doing, but for now you'll have to settle for a shot of us all dressed up and ready for Church!