The HepCats

One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fishy, Four Fishy…

2011-06-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Beautifully Eyed Fish. Perfect Fish. Energetic Fish. Flexible Fish. Friendly Fish. Shy Fish. Happy Fish. Silly Fish. Nervous Fish. Swimming Fish. Drowning Fish. Even a Naughty Fish…Meet the HepCat Fish.

Lucas: our oldest Fish (6 years old)…a.k.a Lu-Lu, Lukie Dukie, Lucas Pucas Poo-Poo Face.

Luke Skywalker, as his swim instructors call him, is quite the handsomely hazel-eyed Fish. In his “school,” there are two instructors and one other female fish. They often remind Luke to “use the FORCE”. Galaxy Fish. He is quite the stud and is very aware of his sole competition…he refuses to be defeated by the Lady Fish…even if it requires a couple of seconds of interrupted swimming to jog through the H2O to insure victory. Stud Fish. According to him, his least favorite thing about swim lessons is the frog kick and the butterfly kick. His favorite thing is doing the backstroke, BUT, it is “really hard.” Challenged Fish. He also enjoys treading water (except when his BIG little sister’s class passed by him…he politely says, “Hi, Lex”. She says “Hi, Luke” and puckers her lips at him). “She messed me up, Mom!” Thus, resulting in the Lady Fish treading longer. Embarrassed Fish.

Alexis: our second-oldest Fish (5 years old)…a.k.a. Lexi-Loo, Lexi-Pexi.

Lexi is quite the beautifully brown-eyed Fish. In her “school,” there are three instructors and five fish. She absolutely loves water…always has and pretty sure she always will. Fearless Fish. Lex is developing into a real swimmer…still needing minimal assistance. She loves to ignore the cue to ice cream scoop and kick…she simply plugs her nose, swimming under water with a variance of the frog kick and regular kick. Unique Fish. According to her, her least favorite thing is when they have to get in and out and sit on the edge of the pool. Cold Fish. She really enjoys playing games and when she gets to be a lifeguard and save her teacher with “the red thing”. Baywatch Fish.

Lyndsey: our second-youngest Fishy (3 years old)…a.k.a. Lynds, Lyn-Lyn.

Lynds is quite the uniquely greenish eyed Fishy. In her “school,“ there are three instructors and three fish. Prior to her lessons, Lynds was VERY timid around the H2O, merely tabbing in it here and there….digging her nails into whoever was holding her or stopping their circulation from her grip. Scared Fishy. She most definitely get the most improved award. Bribery (popsicles) weren’t necessary after Day Two…instead, “I love my teacher, Mommy….I had so much fun in swim lessons today.” Accomplished Fishy. According to her, her least favorite part was “Rowan….he throwed (sic) up” :/ (Swim lessons came to an abrupt stop that day). Smart Fishy. Lynds really enjoys sticking her head all the way in the water to get the rings, bobbing, “burping lots”, and kicking big. Content Fishy.

Tucker: our baby Fishy (10 months)…a.k.a. Tuck Tuck, T-Man, The Tank.

Tucker is quite the perfectly blue-eyed Fishy. In his “school,” there are two instructors, three baby fish, and three Mama Fish. He is the only one out of all the sibling fish mentioned to get Mama Fish in a swimsuit for a class. Spoiled-Rotten Fishy. He is on cloud nine when he is in the water. He loves to impress one of the Lady Fishy by multi-tasking with babble, splashing, and smiles. Flirty Fishy. According to Tuck and Mama Fish, he least likes wearing his hat…he says he wants the aforementioned Lady Fishy to see his baby blues. He has her hook line and sinker. He is about half her age, but double her size. Da’ Man Fishy. His favorite part of class has already been mentioned, but also to include: bubbles, splashing, floating, and motorboat. Glowing Fishy.

Two to Zero in 23 days...Until we meet again

2011-05-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Total of 2300 miles driven + Mom, Dad, 4 kids & dogs + 17 days in a hotel= heaven to the children, and possibly Dad…absolute nightmare for Mom. All of this in just 23 days. To some this scenario might seem like an enticing adventure for others, not so much. Let me tell the story…it is almost unbelievable.

Looking back at the last couple of months, it is all kind of a big blur. On March 22, 2011, I lost the best stepdad a girl could only dream of. David lost the perfect father-in-law/friend…and our dear children lost the coolest Papa in the entire world. Stephen Ray Shields lost his fight with an evil disease. Papa was a fighter…he fought to the VERY end for ALL of us. He loved us, and we loved him. In my opinion, there was nothing better in life to him than to be a Papa. He was overly protective for their safety, i.e. foam swords were dangerous. They uttered the faintest of whimpers and he instantly coddled. He loved to tease and taunt with his zombie walk…or a mere blow on their tummy followed with a contagious giggle made his day…and theirs too. We couldn’t even get the car turned off and Papa was out the door to greet us. He loved us, and we loved him. Papa was scared of our dogs…shhhhh! That’s our little secret. Papa loved to tell us stories…the same stories…over and over…every time we would see him…and they were always about his children. We loved to hear them. Until the bitter end, Papa loved to hold his grandchildren…without saying a single word, they knew he loved them. It was that sparkle in his eye and that gentle smile…both, he had until the day he “closed” his eyes. He loved us and we loved him.

On April 14, 2011 (only 23 days later), I lost a father-in law that always made me feel like a million dollar princess…he was a flirt. Honestly, I liked to flirt back. David lost a father that always wanted him to be the best he could be. Our children lost their grandfather they had always prayed would get better. No matter his role, Sherman Randolph Hepworth was a top-notch, cream of the crop kind of guy. He always wanted to know about you. Unlike Papa Steve, he was sick the majority of daddy's life…so we didn’t know Grandpa when he was “healthy,” but he loved us and we loved him. Grandpa was very creative, we are pretty sure he could have been a famous poet or artist, especially with watercolors…who knows, maybe he will be some day. Grandpa couldn’t get a round, but boy did he love to hold his grandchildren. Whenever he looked at them, you knew that he knew they were start from heaven. He loved us and we loved him. Grandpa loved to talk and was always excited about when our next visit would be…so were we. We wish we lived closer to Grandpa…but, we loved him and he loved us.

Grandpa had that same nasty disease as Papa. That evil thing treated their bodies different…but, it was MEAN to both of them. You see, Papa was mobile to the bitter end, and Grandpa never was…but, Papa couldn’t talk toward the end, and Grandpa could. But, that didn’t matter because they loved us and we loved them...that evil disease couldn't change this...or the fact that...Papa loved Nana. Grandpa loved Grandma. Grandpa and Papa loved their country. Grandpa and Papa both loved their Heavenly Father and their Savior, Jesus Christ, and knew that the gospel was true…they lived it. This was their legacy….for this we are blessed and for this, we will be together forever someday….until we meet again.

Bye, Bye, Baby!

2010-01-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

It doesn't feel right to be taking down a crib. For the past 5 years, we have had a baby in the house. Lyndsey absolutely loves her new bed! Lyndsey loves animals and picked out her bed herself. She was really excited about her sheep! She is such a BIG GIRL now. She has by far been the easiest to transition to a bed. Way to go, Lyndsey!

This is a perfect example of why she is in a bed now...she loves to climb!

Luke and Lex were so excited for Lyndsey!

Lynds' first nap

Lynds' first bedtime

Keep up the good work Lynds!

Nikki's Motto...for this week atleast!

2010-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

Worry about the present, and don't stress about the past...it will make for a better future, right? For the last year, I have wanted to blog; however, I have been overwhelmed with trying to make up all the missed milestone posts! So here goes it for 2010. I am committing myself to make a weekly post...even if it is just a picture! Unfortunately, I am not going to go back and worry about 2009, i.e. Lucas' starting Kindergarten a year early, birthdays, completion of my first year of teaching, Lyndsey turning the big O-N-E, Lexi starting preschool, David and all his flight accomplishments...seriously, the list goes on! Rather, I am going to start now!
We were able to spend a lot of time together as a family for Christmas and the New Year! We spent much of the time at my parent's home in Yuma. Thanks to Nana, we were also able to make a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth! J.C., Lauren, and baby to be were able to be with us too! Shel and Ry were also there! While at Disneyland, we celebrated Aunt Lauren's 30th Birthday! J.C. surprised her with these matching shirts saying "Lauren's 30th Birthday (front)....at Disneyland 1-28-09(back)! Boy, did she feel special with 8 of us wearing these shirts:) Alexis hated wearing her shirt because it was "boy colors, not girl colors." The saddest part, we didn't get a picture with us all wearing these stylish T-shirts! Luke and Lexi went on all the rides with us....Lucas' favorite was "every ride"! Lexi's favorite was Space Mountain and Soaring over California! Lyndsey's favorite ride was It's a Small World and Dumbo! Thanks Nana for such a fun trip!

Priceless....it's a good thing because the wait was 2+ hours!

Princess in training....not if you ask her though!

Trouble...plain and simple...GUARANTEED!

We are in trouble...no, seriously, we are!

Posting this pictures, so they can see how uncooperative they were for pictures when they are older...and to see Aunt Lauren's shirts!

We couldn't have asked for a more memorable New Year's celebration. It was just our little family up here in Prescott. All of us, including the kiddos, managed to ring in the New Year with all our bells and whistles....the best $6.00 I have ever spent! The kids absolutely loved it! For some reason, we didn't get pictures of the poppers, blowers, fireworks, etc. But, we sure got some of the frowns:)

The countdown begins.....don't they looked thrilled?

The after-party.....once again, children looked thrilled!

Well, here's to a Happy New Year to All...May we all find peace and accomplishments in our New Year's Resolutions! Here at the Hepworth house, we are anxious for this New Year and what it will offer! Love to you all!

Especially for Nana......

2008-11-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

I don't think I need to say anything more! ENJOY!!! Thanks for everything! WE LOVE YOU, NANA!

Free Pizza...The Catch.....

2008-10-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Okay....so, you can call me tacky! But, I am EXTREMELY competitive! I am neck and neck with another first grade teacher at Liberty in our school Box Top Competition! I am calling out for HELP right now! A lot of you do not have children in school yet...so, I don't feel guilty asking you to collect these for me. For those of you that don't know about box tops, they come on a lot of food items you buy, i.e. cereal, fruit snacks, baked goods, etc. By collecting them, you are putting money back into my classroom:) I will do quarterly contests with all of you...the family that contributes the most will get pizza on me:) So I will have a winner in December, March, and May! PLEASE HELP! I realize many of you do not live here in Prescott...that's okay! I will reimburse your shipping if you would like. Please email me and I will send you our home address! Porter's, Winterton's, Aston's (if you don't give them to Dan's school), Holmes, Bjorn's, Walker's, Serr's, Click's, Thompson's, Brigette, Melo's, De Souza'a, Sandberg's....anyone, I so want to win this competition...the teacher I am tied with has won for the past four years! I WANT TO WIN.....more importantly, I want to put money back into my classroom.
P.S. You can even ask your siblings, parents, cousins, neighbors...HECK, total strangers:)
Double P.S. There are currently double points, so every box top ($0.10) is doubled ($0.20) until October 22nd....but, you have to get them to me ASAP because I have to send them off by the 20th!

Happy Birthday, Lucas....

2008-10-09T18:05:00.001-07:00

Holy moly....man, I cannot believe our little man is already four years old...then, again I can't believe we have two children younger than him either:) It seems like yesterday it was just David and I! Lucas is such an incredible big brother. He is always looking out for Lexi and Lynds! Lucas is truly an amazing little man who is always trying to please his Heavenly Father! He absolutely loves going to church...he gets so excited every Sunday when he sees the steeple! He loves to say his prayers. It amazes me how much he truly understands about the gospel:) He is such an example to me! He loves to sing songs. Some of his favorites are Book of Mormon stories, I am a Child of God...and a little more intense..Pump It (Turn up the Radio)! It has been so much fun to see him grow up. He loves to learn. Often times, while driving in the car, he will ask me if we can talk about numbers and letters! Lucas loves to go to his preschool cooking class and to play soccer. He loves to help David and I out. Some of his favorite things to do are cook, fold clothes, and do dishes! He loves to help his dad with anything...changing the oil, building things, and playing the flight simulator!

Hepworth Oasis...okay, a little WHITETRASH, too!

2008-09-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

This was a blast...so who cares if it was a smidge white trash. It's called making the best of what you have...and it worked AWESOME! The "whole fam damily" had a BLAST with this! Unfortunately, you will not see visual proof of me. I'm not about to air my big booty all over the internet in a swim suit 2 sizes too small:) As you can see in the video, David continuously brought out boiling water to keep us warm:) AWWWWWWWWWW!!!! Our Little Fish
It's this adorable princess that got Daddy to boil water...our own little spa! border=0>
I was in control of the camera...hence, the sideways video! SORRY!!!!

Diamonds, anyone? Uncle J...PLEASE!!!!

2008-07-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

David and I have been very blessed throughout our marriage to see eye to eye; however, one thing that we haven't agreed upon is ear piercing. Believe it or not, this was a little surprising to me. I say..heck yeah! He says...heck no! David is a firm believer that our children, hopefully just the girls, should be able to consent to have this "permament scarring" done. There was so many times when Alexis was little that I would beg and plead. I even tried to play the traditional hispanic ancestry card...it didn't work! In all honesty, it was soooo tempting everytime the kids and I would go out of town during his final's week...mind you, he was never there.
Well, almost two weeks ago, Alexis started really noticing my earrings...and no, I didn't bring them to her attention, or coach her on the issue. She would say things like, "Mommy's earrings beety (pretty)...Alexis no earrings." After many of these conversations, I realized the "torturing" procedure was right aroung the corner. "Alexis, too...mommy earrings." Yes....
David and I asked Alexis if she wanted to get her ears pierced and she said, "Yes". So, the scarring is done. Alexis did very well. I was afraid that after they did one ear, she wouldn't let them do the other. Needleess to say, with few tears, both ears are pierced. As we walked throughout the rest of the mall, she would make sure that everyone noticed them. She would say, "ooo..beety...ear...hurt...ouch."
So to make an already long story, shorter...Uncle J told Alexis that if and when she got her ears pierced, he would buy her a pair of diamond earrings! So, this post is for you, Uncle J. Here's the proof!

Just for the record, David looked like he was in more pain than she was!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...Baby Lyndsey's Rollin'

2008-07-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

She did it....Lyndsey Loo rolled over this morning. Man, she is growing up way too fast! Luke and Lexi absolutely adore her...and actually, they are starting to grow on her! For a while there, they were a little overbearing, between getting her toes ripped off during "this little piggy" and them grabbing her nose to steal it, and all the lip impressions (dried food) on her head from all of their kisses...YEAH...she truly is the love of their lives! Things aren't as crazy as expected with three children!

Little Miss Blue Eyes

Lynds at work with Daddy...future woman pilot!

Lynds self-soothing...if she's not eating, she is sucking on her fingers!

She VERY much loves her mommy...Lynds is the biggest mommy's girl EVER!!!

Good Times, Mate!

2008-07-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

This summer has been rather busy for Lucas...a key to my sanity! We kicked it off with a session of swim lessons and finished it off with "the best soccer camp ever". Surprisingly, Lucas was a little timid the first week of swim lessons. He has always LOVED the water; however, he was a little apprehensive when it came to getting in the water with complete strangers. His teachers with very patient with Lucas. By the second week, he had adjusted quite nicely and was willing to participate with his class, i.e. blowing bubbles, floating, ice cream scoops, kicking, etc. I am very pleased with Luke's accomplishments during swim lessons! Way to go, Lucas! Alexis also had a total blast watching Lucas and playing in the water! She is a little fish! She loves to wear her "pim-puit" (swim suit). She also loved the slide Soccer camp has been the highlight of Lucas' summer! He absolutely loved ever minute of it! The night before camp started, we got Luke in his soccer shoes, shin-guards...the whole bit...and he went crazy kicking the ball around the house! Luke has taken a real liking to soccer. The soccer camp was put on by members of the British team. The first thing Lucas' coach, Steve, said to him was, "Hi, Mate!" Luke totally dug this. He ran over to me and said, "Mom, he called me his mate." For the most part, Luke was totally engaged throughout the whole camp. Some of his highlights were the animal game, looking for treasures, and chasing the tails. I was very impressed with the Challenger camp, and felt like it was worth every penny. The last day of camp, Luke received a poster with a letter personally to him from his coach, a camp shirt, and a nice soccer ball! Alexis is anxiously awaiting next summer to do the camp with her big brother. It was so hard to keep her off the field. She really wanted to be out there playing too! Good times, Mate!

The Battle Between Alexis and the Watercolors

2008-07-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Need I say more....this is what happens when Lexi is left unattended for maybe a minute. Actually, she wasn't totally unattended. Luke was laughing his head off,I should have known something exciting was happening! He's old enough to supervise his two year old sister while watercoloring, right? At least, I remembered to remove her shirt before:) I am learning...SLOWLY, but surely!

Lucas says and does the darndest things.......

2008-06-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

*Beware....parts of this post may be a little offensive to some...READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
1. The kids and I were finishing up our father's day shopping. As we were walking through the store, we were talking about what to get David...Luke thought maybe flowers to plant, since this is what they did for me on Mother's Day (by the way, awesome gift). As we were finishing up, Lucas asked, "Can we get something for me, too?" I explained to him that we were shopping for Daddy for Father's day. He replies, "When's it going to be kid's day?" My thought...isn't every day kid's day!

2. The other day, Luke and Lexi were playing in the backyard, and Lyndsey was sleeping. I was taking the opportunity to pump because Lyndsey had already eaten with her Daddy (I had spent the morning away from her). I am simply pumping away, when all of a sudden I hear, "Wooooooooooow...that's awesome." I look up and there is Lucas. He had somehow made his way back into the house and I didn't even hear him. His expressions were hilarious! He was truly amazed! I was actually quite embarrassed...I am a very modest nurser:) Do memories stay in a 3 year old's long term memory? I hope not!

3. The other night we had our VERY dear friends over (who are trying to conceive their first child), and the husband was kind of rough housing with Luke...and of course, Luke punches his "goods". David tries to tactfully explain to Luke why we are careful in that department...something along the lines of childbearing. Lucas replies with, "But Daddy's don't have babies in their tummies...only mommies". Perfect way to end the conversation...Oh, the innocence of a child!

Luke with his best buddy, Madison! Her expression is priceless..."I don't know him!" In Luke's defense, this picture is old...hence, the Huggies!

All in 2 days......

2008-06-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

Now, imagine what the last two months have been like! Sorry I haven't posted in a while...our camera was stolen on Alexis' 2nd Birthday, and we just got it back a couple of days ago...and already, I have these exciting pictures to share!

WHERE'S LUCAS?????

While playing tennis with our good friends...we obviously weren't paying attention to Luke. Please note, the nice clubhouse in the picture behind the trees...the person walking by pretending like they don't know Luke...that's our friend:) Can you blame her?

Leave it to Luke to add a touch of masculinity to dressing up...

What's wrong with this picture (besides that it is sideways)?

Wait...is this better?

When our camera was stolen, they threw away our memory card, so all the pictures that we hadn't backed up yet are gone, i.e. Lyndsey's birth and first two months, the Red Bull Air Races in San Diego, David's 30th B-day, Alexis
2nd B-day...the list goes on:(
These last couple of months have sure been a RIDE...full of so much fun and adventure! I really think I could write a best-selling novel!

Hello, Beautiful Lyndsey!

2008-04-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I know I am probably a little biased...but, she is beautiful! We got to preview a couple of Lyndsey's newborn pictures, and we are dying to share them with everyone! I can't wait to see the rest! So here's a shout out to the BEST photographer ever…Megan Holdsworth!

PRICELESS...

Lyndsey and Daddy...what we saw!

What Megan saw...she is magical!

Megan was one of my very, dear childhood friends. We grew up in Yuma together until we graduated from high school. We use to have Miss America pageants, we ran candy stores out of our Caboodles, and we performed as Peter Pan and John in our dance company's production! I will forever cherish these memories! We roomed together for part of our freshman year at NAU...poor Megan...I was a very difficult person to live with...and I believe she still loves me:) We were able to reconnect here in Prescott about 3 years ago! She has the biggest heart of anyone I know! She is always doing things for others! I look up to her very much and appreciate my friendship with her! Thanks, Megan...for being my friend and for capturing some priceless moments in the Hepworth family!
All of our "feeties"....I love little Lynds' bootie:)

To view more of Megan's work, visit www.holdsworthphotography.com

My Miraculous Overnight Weight Loss....

2008-04-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, sorry it has taken me so long to post our perfect, beautiful, little angel...labor and delivery kicked my butt this time. Man, I am getting old! Here is our little miracle....

Lyndsey Elizabeth Hepworth
7 lbs. 1 ounce
21 inches long

Lyndsey has been such a joy to have join our family. She has such a calming spirit about her. She was the oldest gestationally (39+) out of all our children, but the smallest...interesting! She already has such a kind-heart...she sleeps through the night:) I wake her up after about 6.5 hours because I am about ready to POP! We feel so blessed to have her in our lives.

We will post more pictures soon...when I can control these two mischievous children. They absolutely adore their little sister. I have to be honest, I have my hands full. Within five minutes of bringing Lyndsey home, Alexis stole her binkie and her seat. Lucas was giving her a hardcore rocking and a speedy joyride. Man, I have to keep my eyes on these two. I am sure I am going to have some good stories to share over the next couple of weeks:)

Oh...happy day....yesterday!

2008-03-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

Oh no...two posts in one day...Obessed?

Okay, so Alexis won't ever let me do her hair...in fact, it is quite embarrassing! Often times, when some of my girlfriend's babysit for us...we pick up Alexis with her hair all dolled up and done! She will instantly tell me "beety momma beety"(pretty), as she gestures to her hair. I don't get. She acts as if she is some deprived child whose mother won't do her hair!
Here is the usual, everyday Lexi hairdo:

Well, It is amazing what a little bit of bribery does…all for 2 jelly beans (white might I add...I didn't want them all over her dress). Now, I know we definitely have room for improvement...but I was rather impressed with the final do.
*The facial expression on Lex's face...I am pretty sure she gets it from me:)

And finally, at least we made it through church, right? This is how she woke up from her nap:

I Give Up..."Baby Girl" Hepworth It Is

2008-03-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

NO, NO, NO....we have not had the baby yet. For those of you wondering, I am absolutely all right with this! They are much easier to care for inside my belly, rather than outside. With Luke and Lexi, I had to be induced. For some reason, I am set on attempting the whole "natural" thing with this one. We have done everything possible to encourage our labor....no I will not give details...but, I can share we have spent a lot of time 4x4 and walking:) If you have any suggestions, do share. My Dr. is giving me a VERY limited number days before INDUCTION!!! I am convinced that our little one is not ready to make her debut simply because she has no name.
Yesterday, when we got home from church, David was eager to go through some names to try and narrow down or even make a decision...I should have known something was up. After feeding and putting the kids down for a nap, I got our little name papers and a fresh piece of paper. About a quarter of the way through our list...maybe 30 names, I hear "ZZZZZZZZ". I look over and David is totally out. To confirm my observations, I begin reading off various obnoxious names (I will not mention, for fear I might offend someone)....then, boy names....YEP, he was OUT! So, it looks like Lucas will get his way....as of now, his little sister will be called "Baby Girl" Hepworth.
Here is my proof......

So, I guess what I am trying to say is...SUGGGESTIONS are welcomed and appreciated!

The Tale of the Poisonous PB & J

2008-03-12T12:39:00.001-07:00

Okay....so I don't normally make my children peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Unfortunately, they are not my sandwich of choice. To be quite honest with you, I cannot stand them. They are, however, one of David's favorites...and I would have to say Luke and Lexi, too! I just got tired of hearing Luke always asking me why I can't make them like Daddy...therefore, I usually leave this for a Daddy dinner...when I am at stamp class, work, etc. Now I know many of you are thinking...come on Nik, how hard could it possibly be to make a PB & J that your children will eat. It's actually quite difficult. When David makes them, he spreads the peanut butter to be about an inch thick. Then he puts about a half inch of jam....this is no lie! David in no way would deem this an exaggeration. In fact, he would probably argue that my measurements are on the whimpy side! You can't even see the crust of the bread because of all of the insides oozing out all over the place. Now, there a couple of reasons this bothers me....

1. PB is already a choking hazard...and I begin to freak when I see my children struggling because it is all caked on the roof of their mouths.
2. PB is not cheap, and we go through it faster than a loaf of bread...by the way, David will grab a BIG spoon out of the drawer and get a HEAPING...and I mean HEAPING spoonful of PB and just eat it like that. I will get up in the morning and there will be spoons in the study from him the night before.
3. I hate PB breath...not to mention, the use of that much PB makes me physically ill!
4. My children will be covered from head to toe with PB and Jelly after eating one of David's infamous sandwiches.

Okay, so back to the title of my post...man, I didn't realize I needed to vent about my feelings toward PB. Last night, I was extremely exhausted and David was doing a late night flight to Phoenix...so, I thought I am going to attempt to make an "edible" (meaning a David-type) PB & J sandwich for Luke and Lexi. Luke loves to help in the kitchen, so I am having him get all the necessary ingredients out...and of course, the PB isn't in its usual spot (I should have known this because I found a plethora of spoons in the study this past week) and there is no jam in the fridge. So, Luke and I look in the pantry and we find that we have a back-up of both items. FYI...we go through jam weekly too. So, you are pretty much guaranteed not to have a "routine" taste each time we have PB&J sandwiches. Well, last night Luke asks me what flavor the new jam is...I tell him boysenberry. He immediately gasps and says, "oh no mommy, we can't eat 'poison' berry jam...it could kill us." I GIVE UP...Done with PB & J sandwiches...and for those dying to know...NO, he would not eat it...and he wouldn't let his sister either!

Time Flies When We're Having Fun...

2008-03-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a couple of pictures from the past couple of weeks. We have been having too much fun...so much fun that we don't have things ready for our little angel that should be here in the next couple of weeks...GREAT!!!!

The funniest dad in the world...he is such a kid! We love him!
(We can't have a white Christmas, but it will snow the end of February)

The lamest mom in the world...I wasn't about to get down in that stuff...then again, I probably wouldn't have been able to get my big belly up:)

Lucas always has a smile on his face! He was having the time of his life...making snow fall by shaking the trees with daddy, building snow angels, snowball fights...the list goes on!

Alexis was in heaven too! She kepted saying, "BRRRRR..cold." She spent most of the time eating the snow...we spent most of our time trying to get her to keep her gloves on:)

*At this point...I am pretty sure the early stages of hypothermia were setting in!

There are so many cool places to go hiking around Prescott. We usually take our double jogger. This was Lucas' first real hike where he walked. He walked the entire way around Lynx Lake. Mommy and Daddy were quite impressed. We had to "take a break" here and there, but for the most part...he was a real trooper! He was such a big boy...we don't use the word "little" anymore...it tends to often:) We had fun listening to the ice crackle,throwing rocks on the ice, and petting all the dogs along the way!

Lucas loves the hockey games....Alexis, on the other hand, would probably rather be anywhere else. We were given some free tickets a couple of weeks ago. They were awesome seats...almost too close! My anxiety level sky-rocketed when the lady a couple of rows up caught the hockey puck!

Here in Prescott, we have the most adorable zoo. I absolutely love it because you can go through it in an hour and you pay for your annual pass in just a couple of visits. Sorry no pictures of the animals, we came during their naptime...many of them were hiding out...not to mention, it was super busy! Lucas' favorites are the snakes, jaguar, tiger, and bears. Alexis seems to enjoy the wolves, coyotes, and birds...she thinks the wolves and coyotes are "doggies".

The kids are always excited to play on the zoo's playground at the end of our visit. Alexis had a lot of fun...she is getting to be so big! She was so happy following her brother around doing whatever he was doing, i.e. rock wall and the BIG DARK slide.

We can't wait for our new little angel to join in on all the fun!

Did "H-E-double hockey sticks" freeze over?

2008-03-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

After reading my previous post...I just wanted to make it clear...we are very excited about baby #3...we are just happily anticipating a rough adjustment for our dear Lex! Alexis has been such a joy and blessing in the Hepworth family. We know she will be such an amazing big sister!

Now, for the moment you have all been waiting for.......Alexis' most recent earth-shattering change...let me give you some picture clues before I explain.

Yes, if you haven't already figured it out...my 35 year old brother is engaged to be married...and we couldn't be happier for him! If you recall from my previous post, J.C. and Alexis have a very special bond! While she is thrilled for him, she also knows that Lauren is (and should be) his top priority! Alexis absolutely adores Lauren!
J.C. and Alexis aren't the only ones who have a special bond around our family....so do Lauren and Lucas! Lucas loves his girlfriend Lauren Jones! We did not tell Lucas about the big engagement plans until the day of! Lucas talks to Lauren often on the phone. We didn't want him to spill the beans! As I was explaining to Luke that Uncle J.C. was going to give Lauren a ring today and ask her to marry him, like mommy and daddy...he quickly replied with, "No, I need to marry Lauren Jones first, she is my girlfriend." David proceeded to give LJ the you're too young talk:)
Now for the details....
Lauren has always wanted to hike up (yes, a ton of stairs) to the top of the U.S. Capitol building...it is something that neither of them had ever done! J.C. has a very good friend who is the Lead Deputy at the Capitol. Man, it pays to have connections. He was able to arrange a private tour for them. It is at the top that J.C. proposed to Lauren on February 29th! I think he did it on this day so that he only has to celebrate the occasion every 4 years!
My family...extended, blended and all...never thought this day would come; hence, the title of this blog (hope I didn't offend). We are all very excited for J.C. and Lauren. Lauren is a beautiful, well-educated, and talented lady...and to top it all off, she doesn't put up with J.C.'s junk:)
The very first time we met Lauren, J.C. wasn't there...I know this might sound strange! We met Lauren almost a year ago. Our family was all meeting up in San Diego for our step-brother, John's wedding. Lauren and J.C. didn't book their flights at the same time and were unable to get on the same flight. It just so happened that Lauren was due in about 3 hours before J.C. This was probably the biggest mistake J.C. made....telling us. He was going to let her just sit at the airport until his plane came in. Yeah right, how rude! We finally got her flight information out of him....and were able to spend some bonding time with Lauren before he got there. J.C. was sooooo nervous for this:) Lauren jumped right in just like she was a member of our family! Rather than holding up a sign at the airport for Lauren Jones, we got t-shirts made for all the kids to wear with her name on them so that she would know who we were.

Congratulations J.C. and Lauren! We love you!

Bitter-sweet for our Princess Lex…

2008-02-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

Over the next four weeks, Alexis is going to have a couple of life changing, shattering, and exciting moments in her 20 months of life. For those of you that don’t know, Alexis has been the lone daughter, granddaughter, and niece on my side of the family. Let’s just say, she pretty much walks on water…especially with her Nana, Papa, Aunt Shel, and Uncle J.C. Her Uncle J.C. constantly assures her that she is number #1 and has supplied her with a ridiculous wardrobe (shoes and all) most women dream of!

It is one thing to be put on this threshold; however, it is another to know it! Alexis knows it! It didn’t take but a couple of seconds after her arrival into this world for me to realize that there was not a future promotion to queen for me; however, a dethronement.

Now, for the bitter-sweet moments about to take place in Alexis’ life….
#1…As many of you know, Princess #2 is due to arrive sometime in the next month. While we talk about this with Lex often and show her my continually growing belly, she always gives a snobbish “na-uh”…and we can’t forget the rolling of the eyes that follows, the nose in the air and the turning of the head. As you reassure her with an “uh-ha,” she protests with a louder “na-uh.” Lucas usually gets in on it too to tell her…it’s true! He is so excited! This frequent discussion at our house usually ends with Alexis throwing herself against the wall or on the floor with a dramatic tearful tantrum. It is actually quite humorous…for now at least! We will see if I can still find humor in it, when I have three children (age 3 and under). I am preparing myself for a much different transition with this third angel…merely because MY family has created a true monster in my dear Lex…oh yeah, her daddy hasn’t help much either! Okay, so I am just as guilty! She is 20 months going on 20 years...I am afraid to admit it, but I think she is a lot like me! HELP!!!!

#2…The next earth-shattering moment about to take place in Alexis’ life…stay tuned! Come back and visit our blog sometime this weekend…and you will see! For those of you that know the Sandberg family, this is one you won’t want to miss! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Here are some glam shots of Alexis from the past 20 months...ENJOY! *Beware, I went a little overboard! I couldn't help it!
Please note:
*Lack of barrettes or hairdos….first, Alexis has no hair! If anyone has any suggestions on how to make it grow, please let me know! Second, in many of her pictures you will notice her twirling her hair and sucking her bottom lip…she just pulls them right out! I will have to explain this in another blog…

A present from Uncle J.C. from babytoupee.com. They both have a special bond....they're both bald!

Alexis is stubborn like her parents. She wouldn't walk until she was like 15 months old...even though she knew how to...

Alexis with one of her favorites...Nana! *Please note: my family is from Yuma, AZ; thus, the reason Papa is wrapped in a Bob the Builder blanket...Aunt Shel is wearing Lucas' beanie, and they seem to think Alexis needs a hat, too! Crazy, Yumans!!!!

You usually hear like mother, like daughter...in this case, like aunt, like niece:)She gets this from my sister!

Believe it or not, these are her Nana's sunglasses!

Oh, what a sweet little girl!

Lexi chillin' with a couple of loves in her life...Uncle J.C. and her 100 year old Great G-pa!

Alexis protesting her big brother's potty training boot camp (it hadn't been used yet)!

One of her many jackets from Uncle J.C. Her shirt pretty much says it all!

The true Lex...she loves to dress herself!

Lexi being her mischievous self...she was dancing on top of the train table until she heard me coming...than she hurries and sits down like an angel!

Our one moment of peace and quiet each day! Like I said, she takes after me!She is so full of energy!

The one, the only, the SEXY....David Hyrum Hepworth

2008-02-20T11:44:00.001-08:00

I have never been tagged before...so hopefully I am doing this correctly! Thanks, Amanda:)

I always love to talk about my baby...I will have to update later with a photo. GQ currently is reviewing David's portfolio:)

What is his name? David Hyrum Hepworth

How long have you been married? This year will be 7 amazing years spent with the love of my life!

How long did you date? Let's see here. David and I met Fall of 2000 and were married Thanksgiving break.....2001, of course! Way to avoid details, Nik! Our kids don't need to know we broke up for about six months during that year, right?

How old is he? 29...I like them young:)

Who eats more? How rude....you are asking someone that is 8 months pregnant to answer this question? Either way....David can out eat me...unless we are eating Algodones tacos!

Who said "I love you" first? Oh my heavens...we both said it simultaneously:) I really don't like these types of questions. We had a rather interesting friendship at first! I believe it was David as we were hanging out in the tube thing at Smucker's Park...I mean, making out:) He gave me a picture the next day that he drew of us in the tube:) AWWWW! I LOVE HIM!!!! He verbally said it first....however, I would have to say that he knew well before that I was head over heels in love with him!

Who is taller? Ummmmm....duh, David! He is 6'4" and I am a mere 5'4". I am sure I probably got the "/' mixed up while labeling our measurements....don't laugh! I just got done teaching Kindergarten:)

Who sings better? Absolutely, David! He has the most amazing voice! Lucas always asks David to turn on the "badio" and sing. He loves to sing with his Dad. They especially love Jimmy Buffet. I love to hear him sing to our children each night before they go to bed! I remember one time when David wasn't home yet and I was putting them done...Lucas asked me to sing "Daddy's song"...he never asked me again after that night...what a polite little boy. Sometimes, I will ask him if he wants me to sing a song when I put him down...he always replies with, "how about a story?"

Who is smarter? David....he married me:)
On a more serious note...especially since this is more for our children to read someday....I must brag about the Big D! David graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Science...Summa Cum Laude...that's right a 3.9+ (with two little children and a needy wife)! Now, I, on the other hand graduated with a measely 3.7+ from Northern Arizona University....please keep in mind, my degree was merely elementary education:)

Whose temper is worse? OH dear....I can't lie because the people that are reading this know me.....ME!!!!!!!!!!!! I by far have the worst temper! H0wever, I am learning to control it!

Who does the laundry? Are you seriously asking this question? That would be...ME!!!! Not that David is not willing to help....I prefer to do it! He will put five things in the washer and start it! ARGHHHH!!!!!! He does help fold and put away! That was a real eye-opener when we got married....folding of the clothes! "This is how my sister Tammy has always folded our socks." Oh really.....well, this is how I will be folding your socks....if you don't like it.....do it yourself! Did I mention my temper:)

Who does the dishes? I cook....he does dishes! This was "our" deal before we got married! I HATE DISHES! We agreed on this before the David/Nikki Hepworth establishment came to be! It is a good trade! We are a perfect match....I LOVE TO COOK....and he finds dishes to be relaxing:) I am telling you....I am such a lucky girl!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Currently....me! It is closest to the bathroom, and with my current condition...I get up 100 times a night to go!

Who pays the bills? The mister....although, we are both well aware of our finances. David is very OCD when it comes to bills....he has them all done on EXCEL, filed nicely in our cabinet....he even has the stamp that says PAID and the date:) I love my baby!

Who mows the lawn? This is actually quite hilarious! ME!!!!! I love to mow the yard and make designs in it! SERIOUSLY!!!!! I got a lawn mower for my birthday 4 years ago! This is a touchy subject with David...he gets embarrassed...he is afraid of what our neighbors think! I remember when we lived in WA...I was out mowing the yard the morning before I delivered Lucas! ***secret****---my dream job would be to have a lawn mowing company!

Who cooks dinner? Nikki D...apron and all....sometimes all....sometimes, just apron....oops...enough said!

Who drives when you are together? David....he refuses to let me:) SERIOUSLY, there has only been two times in the past 7 years...both of which were this Christmas season. The first was right after he got his new Citizen® Eco-Drive™ Men's Skyhawk Atomic Watch...every pilot's dream! He wanted to read the owner's manual and set all of the things. The other time was about a week later when he was playing Super Mario Brothers on my Nintendo DS. I wanted to go NOW...and he wasn't done playing:)

Who is more stubborn? Oh my, have I mentioned yet that we are both the baby of our families. I don't think I need to say more!

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I would have to say we both are pretty good at this...SURPRISINGLY~ It makes for a much happier home:)

Whose parents do you see the most? I would definitely have to say mine! Poor David....the longer we are married the more I realize how dysfunctional my sweet family is! He is a real trooper! He is the lone in-law!

Who proposed? Oh dear, my hopelessly romantic husband...in a lettuce field in Yuma, AZ with a foil gum wrapper ring...in between college classes...etc.! OH boy, do we have a story to share with our children:)

Who has more friends? I would say our friends are pretty much mutual friends; however, David has alot of very dear friends from when he was in the Marine Corps. I admire the friendships he has with these guys! I wish it was easier to stay in contact with old friends:)

Who has more siblings? David is the youngest of 8 children....I am the baby of 3!

Who wears the pants? UMMMMM....we both do....have you ever seen us in the nude? I didn't think so....this is the key to a happy marriage! Wait....both wearing the pants....or both in the buff? You decide!

AWWWW.....this was actually quite fun....I truly am so blessed to have David in my life! I miss him now....how pathetic...hopefully, he comes home for lunch:)

We're definitely not computer gurus....a.k.a GEEKS!

2008-01-31T15:42:00.001-08:00

So, as you can see the Hepworths aren't all that technology saavy. We are attempting to put together our family blog...wish us luck! We have two baby books sitting in the top of our children's closets. I think we actually filled out the first couple pages in Lucas...he is now 3 years old. I believe Alexis' is still in the plastic wrap...she is 19 months old! Need I say more....I am hoping that by starting this blog, David and I will become better at documenting the "kodak" moments in our family. I must confess, David journals much more often than I. We are pretty good about taking pictures...I think we have 20+ GB of pictures and about 100 hours of video...just not a whole lot in writing. I am embarrassed to say, I believe the last time I journaled...David Hyrum Hepworth wasn't even a part of my life yet! For those of you who don't know much about the establishment of the Hep's...I have known David for almost 8 years...we have been married for 6.5 years! He truly is the love of my life:)
Anyhow,enough mushy stuff....I could talk about how lucky I am forever:) Please stay tuned for more to come...pictures and all!