IRELAND, AHOY!

Decade Manifestation

2011-11-11T00:02:00.004-06:00

Turning thirty deserves a blog. Not that I've put any thoughts together before now but it just feels like it won't have happened if I don't acknowledge it.

It has been surprisingly…hard. I never thought I'd be the girl that clings to 29 but it has only been twenty-four hours and I miss it. It was safe back there in the twenties. Life was still mine to play with and unfinished goals were not such a big deal. There was always time to get around to dropping the extra pounds and being the skinny mom you couldn't believe had given birth to two kids. Old people still look like old people and you forget you don't look like the young ones. Youth is flexible and forgiving. Grandpa says, "Nothing feels as good as young."

20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. The twenties prance off your tongue.

Then the weight of 30 is thrown at you. It is this decade in the middle of the dreaded 40's and the nostalgic 20's. Not much attention goes to the thirty something group. This is the span notorious for figuring out you aren't actually who you think you are. Or if you have no idea who you are, you start to get a clue. I liked 20-29 year old Trish. I've been told by many I've joined a club and that this is the decade to enjoy. Meet me back here in 10 years and I'll tell you if they were yanking my chain.

And That's What We Get

2011-02-21T00:06:00.012-06:00

A friend calls you that you haven't talked to in a long time, do you:

A) Let it go to voicemail and contemplate ignoring it completely,

B) Wonder why you haven't heard from them, hold that against them, question the friendship, but decide it is worth an effort,

C) Get excited that they called and see when the next best time is for you to meet up?

As far as having issues go and being scarred from events, I can really only think of one (or two) things in my life that qualifies. I suppose that makes me rather blessed. It is true, seventeen fulfilling years of life went down for me before I faced my first real tribulation. Long story short, my social world changed dramatically and after two years of denial and ultimately hopelessness, I finally let go of the life I once knew and forged ahead. It is only now that I see just how much damage was done. A wall went up. Nobody and no relationship has been able to hurt me since. A nerve that went numb 12 years ago remains absent of feeling. Always prepared, always ready to walk away. No one gets in.

Not healthy. Obviously.

However, always having been a fan of clever words, this poem has long been a favorite of mine. It crossed my mind today as I thought of those I've placed behind the wall. How sad for me.

Face an uncomfortable situation or continue forward? How good can forward be if you're there by yourself?

btw, my answer is C, always C.

ICU

2011-02-08T21:19:00.004-06:00

What a handsome devil you are with the pretty girl at your side. The first person I think of when I need to know something the world hasn't taught me yet. Still the one I long to make proud and and feel I should check in with if I'm going to make big plans or be home late. You prepared me very well for this world.

It saddens me that I didn't have much time with the healthy soul I see in the man above. It is not that I don't understand how hard it is too stay healthy. I am pretty sure my whole body makeup came from you so I feel like I really understand the struggles of our particular flesh (minus the major health issues.) What I don't understand is whether or not you realize how fragile your life is. My big strong leader is sick and you've been sick for so long. Now you are 1500 miles away and my worst fear of losing you while I am out here seems more real then ever. It is not natural for me to have to think about losing you when your own dad is still on the lose.

I am so frustrated. I hate that you have to deal with so many health issues but you are going to get out of there. Will you do what it takes to turn things around? I don't want to live in fear of losing you too soon anymore. Do you view this as the end or do you plan on living out the last third of your life? Things have to change if you want to be here with us. Our family needs your example and guidance. There is nothing I won't do to help you get better. Are you willing to fight as hard as I am because I refuse to live with the fact that you died long before you should have.

Summer Greetings and Dirty Looks

2010-07-26T12:03:00.004-05:00

Wishing you well!

Love,

The Irelands

Back Then

2010-06-27T22:17:00.006-05:00

I hate that my memories are fading. I know there are so many good ones back there. Today I'm asking my brain to remember you. Back when I was carefree and you were the boy across the street that made me feel as if the world revolved around me. I watched Dear John today and I was surprised by the affect it had on me. It was as though I was losing you to this terrible war all over again.

How many other "what ifs" were caused by 9/11? How many other love stories took a different road?

Videos Speak For Themselves

2010-05-16T15:57:00.003-05:00

Amy Update

Lucas Update

I tried

2010-05-12T20:24:00.002-05:00

I know its time. I know I should. I came on here to do it. Nope, not going to happen.

Last Moments of 2009

2009-12-31T23:50:00.007-06:00

Goodbye 2009, Welcome 2010. I sit here watching An Affair to Remember with my mom while my husband tries to light himself with fireworks back in Texas. It will be 2010 for him before I finish this entry. I have another hour and 4 minutes to go. Holidays and work have caused us to ring in the new year separately this year. I miss him dearly. Lucas and Amy almost made it but they have both tuckered out and I find myself longing to join them. Quiet, warm, and loved is a great way to start a new decade.

New Years Resolutions:

1. Move more.

2. Goodbye Mt. Dew.

3. Learn to sew.

4. Learn Spanish.
5. Live Greener and more organically.

However, it feels wrong not to stay up and bang a pot. Funny how beating up an old pan somehow qualifies as "doing something" to bring in the new year. Hmmmm, better go get my kettle ready.

Warm Welcome

2009-12-10T21:45:00.007-06:00

The coats arrived today and now we are offically ready for Utah. See you soon Grandma & Grandpa!

Dancing With Dad

2009-12-07T00:41:00.002-06:00

This is from October but still worth sharing.

Me & Marly & Me

2009-11-20T00:11:00.006-06:00

I have Netflix now. It is great. Even thinking about ditchin' cable. If you use the Instant Streaming feature you'll ask yourself why you didn't sign up sooner. Marley & Me came in the mail today and I thought, "Ha, did I really sign up for this one? Oh well, I liked Beethoven as a kid. Maybe Lucas will enjoy this." I think I wanted to see it because it came out at the same time as the LameO'Case of Benjamin Button and Jennifer said on Oprah that she wanted to beat Brad in the box office...and she did. Can I just tell you, this movie is really good. If you have a family and dreams still waiting in the wings, this movie is for you. These guys made a relavent and realistic movie out of what happens when you get married and start a family. I wonder how many other people like me skipped this movie because we thought it was 2 hours of a dog chewing up pillows. He does, but it's not. I have yet to watch the last 20 minutes because I decided I wanted to make Ben watch it with me. Single people can learn from it and married people might just get a little group style type therapy out of it. I like being pleasantly surprised.

Pants & Pumpkins

2009-10-29T12:38:00.010-05:00

I used to keep the blinds open. I like natural light. Potty training has me in a world of darkness. I told you in my last post that Lucas has taken an interest in potty training. It seems that is all it was. He did really well for awhile, then he stopped, then I made charts, he did better, then he stopped again. It is very hard to stay patient when your cleaning up poop on a daily basis. It is even worse when that poop is on carpet. To top that, the carpet was just cleaned. If I put a trainer on the kid, he goes in it. If I leave him naked he'll (usually) go to the toilet. I often have a naked 2 year old running around my house. Thus, my blinds are closed. I thought I would be original and post the pictures of our trip to the pumpkin garden (we didn't go to a patch.) Alright, so everybody has a picture of their kid with a pumpkin right now but it is about the only place we've gone in a month. Too many sick people everywhere. However, you might find these pictures more interesting because it burned down a few days after we picked out our pumpkins. I am still loving my Web Design class. Here is the latest webpage I put together:
Check Out My Latest Site!
I will be posting the link for my portfolio soon. I wish I had $1000 to spend on Adobe CS4 Master collection.

A few of you have asked how the kitchen is going. Great. We are doing a little at a time. The latest improvements consist of removing the center cupboards and choosing a stain color. We love how open it is now. I have purchased my ticket to go home for Christmas. I will be there with the kids from December 15-January 13th. Ben's vacation will not be quite so long but he is coming too.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!
Oh Utah! How I miss the fun spirit you put into Halloween. I didn't realize how special it was until I was in a place that doesn't have it.

Ireland Updates

2009-09-24T13:28:00.016-05:00

Individual Ireland updates today:

Ben

Ben is doing great. He is a super father, husband, and friend. Thanks to his most important employer; Officeconnect.net, he was hired on by a partner company and has recently been promoted. I sure am proud of him. I asked him to write a little update for himself and he sent me this: I don't care to have people know about me.

Trish

I'm great. Happier then I have been in awhile. I LOVE not working. I have the coolest kids. I am taking 2 classes this semester to get my Web Design certificate and I am LOVING it. I am really excited to start putting my skills to use. It feels like EVERY blog I read has someone saying, "I just ran a 5K," or "I'm training for my 5K." It feels like the whole world is running except for me! I have a goal to start running and biking again. If I say it out loud maybe it will happen. I'm finally starting to redecorate my house. (THANK YOU ANDREA!) I'll blog more about that when I'm further along. I do however need your help finding me any dishes that belong to this set:

I have 11 dishes so far and they look great but I don't have any in the red pattern and only a few of the green so if you are in a DI or Salvation Army or WHEREVER, please keep your eye out for this pattern. It is Sakura Tapas. Any of the color (green, red, orange, yellow) would be great. Thanks

Lucas

This kid is a delight. He is so funny and creative. He can entertain himself for hours which I didn't realize was such a blessing until Andrea came down and told me how a lot of kids are not like that. He is definitely a creative personality like his dad and ONLY does things when he is good and ready. Like potty training for instance. All attempts before he was ready were a waste of time. He is now taking and interest in it and goes to the potty by himself. He's not perfect yet but within a few days he has just decided he's going to start doing it. He loves juice, Ritz & Cheese (ha ha, Ben can't stand that we eat cheese in a can!) and Blue's Clues. He hasn't completely abandoned Spongebob but he is branching out.

Amy

The sponge. She is amazing. My two children have been very different as far as when they did things. I remember Lucas just hanging out on the floor with no desire to move forever. Amy on the other hand has been trying to figure everything out right away. She has been scoot crawling since before she was 6 months and now that she is 7 months today she is a speedy little crawler, climber, and is trying to conquer walking. She LOVES her brother and the sound her diaper makes when she scratches at it. Especially the Velcro things that hold it on. She gets so overjoyed to eat that we can barely get the food in her mouth. She also still loves sucking her toes and has a strange fascination with laptops.

Quick funny story: I took her in for her 6month checkup and I was signing in and the lady looks up at me and says, "Uh uh, no way." I was a little confused and then she says, "She is too cute. (Pretty good for a pediatrician's office.) Oh my gosh, is she always this sweet?" So anyway, I have new insurance with Ben's job so I had to check back at the end of the appointment to see if I had a copay. I headed back over to the desk and there was a few ladies in line with their kids. I got in the back of the line and pretty soon she spots me and shouts over all the other ladies with their babies and says, "Uh uh, NO, no copay. I told them she was too cute." I instantly felt the eyes of everyone around me go to the little bundle of cuteness in my arms. I gave an embarrassed thank you smile and turned to go. Boy, I think kid compliments are more fulfilling then personal compliments.

One last shot of the two newest best friends. I think the moment you actually see your kids start playing together is a whole new level of parenting. It is so heartwarming. We are so blessed.

Whoosh

2009-08-23T12:49:00.004-05:00

is the word to describe how fast Amy has turned 6 months.
Kids and family are the best thing about life. I was so satisfied with Lucas that I thought one kid might be enough. Then this little princess came a long and it just got even better. It makes me wonder if it feels like this every time you add a child to your family or if it just tapers off around 4 or 5.

We love our Amy Dawn! Happy 6 months!

What COLOR!?!?!?!

2009-08-05T17:48:00.004-05:00

Ok Peeps, I am at the point where I have to decide on a stain color. Thank you to everyone that gave me their suggestion. I just keep going back and forth. This is a little diagram I whipped up in paint to help make my final decision. The paint is similar to this green/cream family but it will be textured with the help of my AMAZING cousin Andrea. I think she is thinking about doing it professionally so you should book her while you still can. The cream border represents the back splash. The floor tile is in the center of the 4 cupboard colors I am trying to choose from. (From top, then clockwise,) Cherry, Dark, Medium, Light. A LOT of you said dark. Do you think this will make my kitchen too dark? Something in the middle might just blend with the tile and make a big orangy kitchen. This has been so much fun but deciding is giving me anxiety.

Last chance to give me your opinion! Thanksssssssss!

P.S. I'm not going to pick a countertop until the end so I can make sure it fits everything else. Plus, its really the only think that will cost money so I need to save up.

Be My Designer!

2009-07-24T13:42:00.014-05:00

Hey Ya'll. I say ya'll because I am finally trying to deal with the fact that I live here. Ever since I moved here 5 years ago I have been waiting to go back to Utah. With the economy the way it is and Ben just getting this really good job here I've realized that day is much further back then I would like. Thus, I've decided to put my energy into remodeling my kitchen. I have this really awesome Spanish tile but it does not go with anything else in the house so I am going to accommodate it by using a Tuscan theme. I have been searching and studying all kinds of designs and here is what I have already decided on: (these are pictures from the Internet, not my house)

This is the inspiration picture and color scheme.

This is what the tile in my house looks like already.My walls will be like the ones in this picture above.
The backsplash will be like the one in this picture.

Now the last choices are very important and I want your opinion. Which countertop do you like best?

Royal Casino
Something Lighter perhaps, Vecchio Oro

Tuscan Spice, this would obviously match all the traditional Tuscan colors.

I am currently stripping and sanding my cupboards. I plan on staining them. What color stain do you like best? Cherry, Dark, Medium, or light?

So if you don't mind I'd love your input and favorites on countertop and cabinet color. If you REALLY care and like this kind of stuff you can mix and match them next to each other at this website and let me know what combination you came up with.
http://www.stonemark.com/MixMatch.aspx Very fun and helpful.

Thanks again,
Trish

The Scrappy Lady

2009-06-10T13:58:00.009-05:00

Yah, I know, it has been awhile. Whenever I blog I always feel like I should have used the time to scrapbook the event instead. I have figured out how to solve this issue by just posting my scrapbook pages. So click on the picture and it will (should) become bigger for you. Here are a few pages of what we were up to in May.

If I ever make a page you are in or you just like it and want a copy of it I can email you a pdf really easily. Just leave me a message.

Still Alive

2009-04-03T15:50:00.005-05:00

Just wanted everyone to know I'm still alive and kicking. Lucas gives me a run for my money but we're doing pretty well. Just a quick update photo on my two kiddos.

Lucas won't pose for me anymore so I have to trick him into looking at the camera. I'll take what I can get. He's really just into Spongebob and water lately. Here he is helping dad get the pool ready for summer. The swimsuit was given to him by Gma & Gpa Ireland straight from Australia.

This is a picture of Amy yesterday. We went to a co worker's baby shower so I had to get her dressed to meet all the ladies at work. Thanks for the cute bow Hannah. Nobody questions me if she is a boy or a girl. However, Ben insists she looks like a girl and that bows are for the babies where you can't tell.

My Spawn: Amy Dawn

2009-03-11T20:53:00.014-05:00

Well it only took me 2 weeks to get around to this so hopefully some of you still care. Let me start by saying the second baby is a much more fun experience. It really helps to be a seasoned pro for something like child birth. I remember the nurses coming in the first time and scaring the heck out of me with all the do's and don'ts. I had no idea how I was going to take care of a baby. This time I knew what to expect and I could relax a little. Ben was a lot more fun too. With Lucas he just seemed freaked out and bit surprised by how long it takes before a kid is fun to hang out with. He really likes his little girl and gets teary-eyed on a daily basis by how much he loves our little family. It melts me every time he does it. SO, here are the long awaited pictures of our new precious angel.

Delivery Room

I was called in to the Women's Clinic on February 24, 2009 at 7:00 for an induction. My doctor recommended we go a week early rather then risk me getting sick again. I still do not know what it is like to go into labor. It is weird to know exactly when you are going to have a baby. I'm pretty good at this whole labor thing because Lucas was only seven hours and I had Amy by 11:52 a.m. The actual time from my water breaking was an hour and a half. I got to a 4 pretty quickly so after the epidural I took a little nap. The nurse came in little bit later and I was an 8. She told me to roll over and that did it. I was a 10. They called my Doctor, I pushed a few times, and there she was. Seven pounds fourteen ounces, 21 inches.

First time in Mommy's Arms

This is what a girl who got zero sleep and just gave birth looks like.

I love to tease Ben about this picture. I can't tell who he is more in love with. His new daughter or our doctor that brought her into the world.

Hospital Stay

Our first family photo. I always hesitate to post this photo because I feel like I look terrible. Truth is, I look pretty good considering how terrible I felt. I WAS SO TIRED. I mean really, who looks hot in their 'right after' delivery rooms shots anyway?

My sister Mandy flew in and watched Lucas for us during the delivery. LOVE HER!!

THANK YOU MIMI! I was so blessed to have you here. Aunt Megan and Uncle Michael are getting married this May.
Very Proud ParentsDay Two in the HospitalThis is what Lucas does when we say, "Where is the baby?"
I have two kids. Woah.
Daddy's girl already.

Home At Last

My mom came that Friday. It was so nice.

Lucas could not get his sister to take the Binky so he gave her a demo.Lucas is really in to taking pictures. He walks up to you and says, "Cheese!" before you have a chance to properly react. He is quite the artist and has taken some great shots.Everybody is getting plenty of rest except me.

Grandparents Rule!

First Doctor Visit

Amy was born at 7 pounds 11 ounces but dropped to 7 pounds 4 ounces by the time we left. We took her in for a checkup at one week and she had already met all of her 2 week goals and was 7 pounds 12 ounces. Now, she doesn't have to go back until she is two months. My little over achiever.

Today

Up to date pictures! There you go Dad! He asks for them every time I call home. There they are, taken this morning. I hope they hold you over until I can bring her home and you can hold her yourself.

We sure do love her. Families are cool.

Ready or Not...

2009-02-23T12:35:00.003-06:00

...here she comes.

Tomorrow is the day. My doctor scheduled an induction because I started showing signs of Toxemia again. People keep asking me if I'm nervous or excited but it really hasn't set in yet. All I can think about is how tired I know I'm going to be. I really don't like being tired. Tomorrow...wow...this happened really fast.

So, we'll keep you posted. My sister is coming today. My mom will be here on Friday. My brother is going to be in town on business. After they are gone I'll have my in-laws for a bit so I'm going to be set for awhile.

Lucas kisses my belly and says, "Baby!" I hope he is as nice to her when she is on the outside.

I may be gone for awhile so I will leave you with some random pictures Ben and I took because they cracked us up when we saw them.

aaaaaah, these still make my day. ha haha ha

Happy Birthday Lucas!

2009-02-02T20:23:00.005-06:00

Today is my baby boy's 2nd birthday! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Tonight was great. It was a celebration of his birthday but I couldn't help but be aware that this was probably the last time it would only be the three of us. I know I'm going to love Baby 2 so much but it's hard to imagine being capable of it when you already have so much love for the one you have. I'm starting to cry so I know it is time to put up the pictures and videos and let them show you how much fun we had tonight at Chuck E' Cheese's.

He LOVED it from the minute we walked in. The flashing lights, the pizza, the rides, going where ever he wanted putting tokens in, but more then anything.....

...THE BAND!

I must mention this was Ben's first time at Chuck E' Cheese's too. He was surprised by how much fun he had watching Lucas have enjoy himself. We couldn't leave without him taking this hilarious footage of the Chuck E Robot. As Ben said, "Working every day for twenty years without a holiday has taken its toll on Chuck E."

To Those I Love So Much...

2009-01-19T21:05:00.003-06:00

I have been sick for a long time but besides the exhaustion I am feeling much better finally. I just wanted everyone to know that. Six weeks to go and Amy will be here!

I can't write a blog without posting a great picture so here are a couple of kiddos I miss terribly. I have the greatest nieces and nephews in the world.

To the 4 of you that are not in this picture, I LOVE YOU TOO!

Winter Wonderlands & Disease

2009-01-02T14:31:00.009-06:00

It is hard for me to contemplate the fact that I have lived in Texas for 5 years now. This whole 'adventure' was originally planned for 4 months. During that whole time I had not seen a drop of snow and only heard the Texans talking of the time when it "frosted." I guess tiny flakes flew through the air and it was a highlight for years afterward. Well, this past month of December 2008, Houston had a touch of real snow. It even stuck to the ground for a bit. It was really cute to see all of them flipping out over it. The pole in the picture above is about as serious as it got. It's really cute when you understand that I was going home to a world like this:

Yes, I was back in Salt Lake City. I must say the trip started out perfect. It was a nice calm winter wonderland. We spent the two days before Christmas watching the snow and then grumbling as my super dad grabbed a shovel. However, by the time we suited Lucas up for the job a neighbor had come over with a 4wheeler plow and had done most of the work. Nonetheless, it made for some great pictures. Too bad we only had our 2.0 MP camera phone.

Lucas really got a hang of Christmas this year. His grandma and grandpa picked out really good presents. He sure liked his blocks and coloring markers from his cousin Steve. OH NO! I forgot those! Steven if you find them in the pantry I DID NOT leave them on purpose.

The best part about the vacation is that Lucas got to hang out with the cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents he never sees from my side of the family. I have never seen him have so much fun. My family is awesome. I love you guys. Here he is having a sleep over with Sammy and Ethan.
This last picture makes me laugh. I look awesome! I didn't have real winter clothes but I wanted Ben to see the lights on Temple Square so I put together an outfit made from my mom and dad's closet. I had to walk past all these girls in their strategically put together winter outfits in my dad's giant marshmallow coat.
This is where the happiness ends. Christmas night I came down with the stomach flu, followed up directly afterward with a cold, resulting in a sinus infection that sent me to the hospital. I spent the rest of my vacation in bed feeling sorry for myself. I am so sorry to all the people who were cancelled on because of my diseases. I am so sad I did not get to see most of my loved ones back home. I will try to get back soon. Until then, start planning your trips out to see me. Amy is due in 8 1/2 weeks! We'd love to have you! Who is coming to visit?!?!?!?!?

~HAPPY NEW YEAR~

Burnt Offerings

2008-11-27T08:08:00.011-06:00

Happy Holidays!
From Ben, Lucas, Trish, & Amy in the belly!

(This is a shot from my school carnival two weeks ago.)

Thanksgiving came and went. I cooked my first bird. It wasn't dry so I guess it was a success. Everything worked out and was ready right on time except....

I checked them right before the meal and thought, "Hmmm, I'll give them a few more minutes." You'd think one of the 9 fabulous people eating over would have said, "What about the rolls? Didn't you have rolls on the counter all morning? Mmmm, do I smell rolls?!!!!" No! It wasn't until 2:00 a.m. the next morning that I shook Ben awake and said, "The rolls! I forgot to take out the rolls! I wasted the whole bag! It's my favorite part of Thanksgiving and I left them in the oven!" Ben couldn't really figure out what I was saying or why I was waking him up. I was so sad. It took me forever to get back to sleep. Oh well, what can you do? Thanks for coming over Kerby's! It was an awesome weekend!

Anyway, the next day we went to the Renn Fest and it was really fun. I was kind of sad about missing the Black Friday sales but Carly and I went through the paper and we didn't really find anything we HAD to have. It was a good day. I tell you what though, if you want to go to a Renaissance Festival and actually be able to go 10 feet without someone stopping you for a picture, don't take your wizard grandpa.

Boy, he was a hit and he loved every minute of it. The kids all thought he was a real wizard and wanted him to do magic. I kind of felt like that bodyguard that walks around with Mickey Mouse.

This is my sexy husband. We're not sure what he was dressed up as. His puffy shirt didn't work out so he kind of just turned out looking like a punk bounty hunter. I, of course, had no outfit to fit my expanding belly and it was too hot and humid for Lucas to wear his dragon costume. That's right all you cold snowy states, I said too hot! November 28th and we're still sweating. I can't wait to come freeze with you this Christmas. Until then, take care and spread the holiday cheer.

XOXOXOXOXO

Sweet November

2008-11-16T10:12:00.005-06:00

No big news to share. Just enjoying the month and weather. A few things we have been up to: I turned 27. My belly is getting bigger and bigger (and my face too). I'm trying to figure out how to make my first turkey. I'm excited about having the Kerby's over for Thanksgiving and Renn Fest. I'm going on a road trip to San Antonio next weekend while gas is still reasonable. I will explore the Alamo while Ben hits up About Australia. It has all his favorite Aussie foods. I'm trying to decide if I should spend Christmas in Salt Lake or Kona. There is a lot to think about and do but mostly we just love to spend time watching our baby turn into a little boy.

Just some pictures of what we have been up to lately.

If your child is obsessed with your computer equipment I have a solution. Get him a laptop of his own. This little gadget gives us at least 10 minutes before he wants to get on ours. Top Picture: My boys hard at work. Bottom: Lucas a tad bit excited to be on his laptop.This is not the most recent picture of Amy but it's the only one I have saved on the computer.

Lucas around and in the house.

Our little family going out for my birthday dinner. We went to Joe's Crab Shack. I don't know why. Ever since they raised their prices and gave you less food is has been a disappointment. Oh well, it was nice to be with my family. This picture demonstrates the fat face I was telling you about. I came home from work one day and our nanny at the time told me to go look at what Lucas had done. I walked in the game room and there was my sweet little boy with his friends pretending to play X-Box. It was so cute. I don't know if he is lonely or just has a great imagination.

I Miss Halloween Already!

2008-11-01T12:11:00.004-05:00

If I knew hitting my head on a desk would get me 10 comments in 48 hours I'd do it more often! Wow, thanks everyone for your love, care, and support. I'm doing just fine and trying to take better care of myself. I can already tell Amy is more trouble then Lucas. LOL! Every time I write LOL I think, "Wow, that's cheesy." Do you have to put thoughts in quotation marks? I can't remember. Anyway, I'm good. Halloween was great. I didn't think Lucas would get into it but I was wrong. He totally figured it out. He walked up to those houses and said some version of, "Rik or reat," and held that Frankenstein head up to be filled. People couldn't resist him! How could you in that little dragon suit? Even other kids on the street wanted to give him their candy. I must say I love getting compliments about my son. Even more then getting them for myself. Only problem now is he knows what a sucker is and no place is out of reach for that kid. He finds a way.

I think my new neighbors are either running a brothel house or a place for runaway teens. I swear young girls walk past my window every couple of minutes. I'll bet it says something about that in our deed restrictions. HHHHHMMMMMWEEEEELLLLLLL, I guess if you wanna run away or get a new job you can come live next door to me.

Trish gives her students a lesson in blood sugar.

2008-10-27T14:57:00.006-05:00

I walked through the door of the emergency room, not entirely sure why I was there. The smell of fresh lacquer on the slippery wood floors making my already light head swim. I shifted the weight of my 21 month old on my hip, his precocious weight making my arms shout in pain, but not as loud as the confused questions in my head. "A2" I said to myself again. I turned left and saw a plaque on the wall by a closed door A1. The door next to it was open, another plaque on the wall A2, a nurse walked through in front of me and I followed. She pulled on the curved wall of curtain that was hiding the room from me, hiding something I did not understand.

The room was small, white, and full of people and tubes. The only thing I saw was Trish lying on the bed, center stage, what I did not understand was looking back at me. The entire left side of her face was swollen and red. Her eye pressed closed from the dark purple swelling. She looked like someone had picked up a flat piece of wood and slammed her across the face with it. That wasn't too far from what did happen.

"Holy cow." I said.

She had fallen in class, hitting her face on a student's desk as she fell. She remembers feeling light headed and telling the kids to wait a minute. The students were standing around her screaming when she came to. "Get Mrs Cox." Trish managed to murmur. The ambulance came with sirens blaring. The EMT's fed Trish a tube of glucose before strapping her to a board and putting her into the ambulance. En route they inserted an IV, pumping the equivalent of three tubs of frosting directly into her blood.

She's doing fine today and recuperating. Her body is still a little stiff and sensitive to the foods she eats, but she will make a full recovery. The baby is healthy and safe too, the little one was wiggling more then Trish had ever felt it, enjoying the sugar rush.

In the end, I think the biggest victims of this episode are Trish's eye and my heart.

Couple hours after hitting the desk.

Shiner as it looks today.
The good news is as it turns out, purple looks pretty good on me.

We want to end on a happy note and let you all know that the day ended with this bit of info:

Amy Dawn Ireland

Arriving March 1st 2009

Dragon Lu

2008-10-10T18:22:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is Lucas ready for Trick-Or-Treating. We found this little gem of a costume at Old Navy while we were staying at Ben's parents.

David Swimmer & Naps

2008-10-03T20:29:00.006-05:00

I really try to keep my blogs focused on one topic but I have three stories that need to be shared. So I'll share two and save Lucas' Halloween costume for next time. Believe me, it's worth coming back for.

This week back at work has been killer exhausting so I've barely been able to stay awake when I get home. This is the other night when I crashed during Heros. Mommy was too tired to play with Lucas so he found a way to play with her anyway. Ben thought it was hilarious and took the picture.

The pool was green from the hurricane and Ben and his brother Michael were on their way to bucket it out. Michael yells, "There is a squirrel swimming in the pool!" So Ben pulls out the camera on his phone and films this.

Notice Ben saying, "Actually...." Yeah well, at that point Ben realizes this squirrel is swimming for his life and drops the camera to fish the poor little guy out. This next clip is the conclusion.

That poor thing must have been swimming for hours and he just gave up at that exact moment Ben was filming him. After they fished him out he lay on the grass and slept for an hour! He was SO tired. After his nap he popped up and ran to the tree so we are happy to report he is alive and well. We decided to name him David Swimmer.

So there you have it. Naps for me and David Swimmer. What a crazy week.

A Day of Refuge

2008-09-21T10:43:00.015-05:00

As many of you know our house and family was effected by Hurricane Ike. (See previous post if you missed the details.) It has been 10 days and we still can't go home because half the city still has no power, including our home and my school district. Ben's parents are being very kind and patient with us. Ben and I are used to Lucas terrorizing everything but it's been awhile for them. We have felt very comfortable and well taken care of during this stressful time. Even still, after awhile we were starting to get a bit of cabin fever so Grandpa Ireland had a great idea to go to the zoo! It was a great day for all of us.

The Birds

They really liked Lucas. It started with 1, then 2, then 3, and they kept coming!

Ben is a bird whisperer.

The American Wildlife exhibit

Cute couple

Cheetahs

The Penguins

We finished the day at a cute little cafe with a great view of the elephants.

Refugee or not, it was a great day.

Ben wanted me to add that the scruff on his face is an evacuee beard.

Don't Like Ike

2008-09-15T17:45:00.011-05:00

First of all, thank you everyone for your prayers and support. My little family is safe. We are staying with Ben's parents in Tyler, Texas because our community is unlivable right now. There is no electricity, gas, or food. We left our house Saturday evening as the storm started to let up a little bit. During our 200 mile drive we didn't see power or gas until about 150 miles into it. If we didn't know what we left behind I'd say we're even enjoying ourselves, but the images are constantly in my mind and I know what I am going home to. We have a lot of work to do.

The top picture in this set is the first view I had when I went to my back window. It was foggy so I was like, "Is the pool equipment on the power lines?" I slid open the window and my jaw dropped, "Ben, our tree is down! We lost a tree!" It was crazy. Notice all the pictures of the bird house? That is because I am flabbergasted by the fact that this tree had about a foot width of space between the garage and the bird house and it fell right between them! It landed on the power lines and my neighbors garage, therefore leaving very little damage to my fence. What a place for it to fall! Just try to tell me we weren't blessed. However, once we saw this we knew it was going to be a long time before our house had power again and we decided it was time to leave.
This is the street after the storm had been gone a couple hours. If you look at the lawn you can see the line of debris that shows how much higher it was.

These three pictures show the foot path to my front door and the tree that goes over it. The big black branch is the top half of the tree that has broken in half and is now dangling ready to fall on anybody who comes to my house.

My driveway. Ben had to saw our way out. I didn't even recognize half the tree branches (limbs) blocking our path.

This was a little freaky. When Ben was clearing the driveway he was like, "Uh Trish, come look at this. Our neighbors trees are leaning against their house." When they fall, guess who's house will break their fall? Yep, that'd be mine. I hope the fall as gracefully as my backyard tree.

This is the view down my street. I kept seeing cars turn around on my street and when I saw this I figured out why. I wish I had my camera in hand when we drove out of our neighborhood. It was worse then we could have imagined. Trees were down everywhere. They were on houses, cars, and blocking streets. The traffic lights were swinging a foot above the ground like pendulums. Restaurant signs were blown to smithereens. It felt like an end of the world movie. . .

. . .but don't worry about Lucas. He was having a heck of a time!

Last but not least, if you want to see more of the same stuff here is some footage I took on my camera. If my neigborhood is this bad, you can't begin to imagine how bad it was for the people in Galveston. I'm out of work until Thursday but I'm effected forever. There is nothing like a natural disaster to help you get your priorites straight. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

My Lucas

2008-09-12T08:15:00.003-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted some updated pictures of Lucas. Seeing how I finally have a little time to spare with Hurricane Ike cancelling school today, I thought I'd show you how much he has grown. I swear it's an inch a day. This is usually what Lucas' toy corner looks like by the end of the day.
We went swimming right before lunch and Lucas just couldn't hold on to finish off his corndogs. And he loves his corndogs.

Lucas is really into putting bags on his head. My job is to make sure they are not plastic. I'm thinking of pitching this one to Chilis as a campaign.
This is Lucas' usual pose when he sees mamma with the camera.
Lucas after church. The pants come off immediately just like mom and dad. He loves to climb on EVERYTHING! He's pretty good at it too. Uncle Mike (from my side) just visited us and was impressed by Lucas' ability to climb to the very top of the game shelf and catch himself when he almost tumbled.

My sweet Dr. Lu. This is Lucas doctoring my Velvet Aunt wound. The stuff on my knees was unnecessary but he thought they needed help I guess. I don't know if Ben meant to chop my head off in this picture. I'm sure I probably told him too.

So that is my 19 1/2 month old. He is the highlight of our lives and Ben and I just look at each other all the time and wonder how we got such a cool kid. His personality is awesome and his current interests are dancing, naming body parts, pounding on any instrument nearby, and playing, THE CLAW! He puts up one hand at a time in a claw and goes, "Chook, Chook, RARRRRR!" and of course you are then attacked. Good, good, stuff.

Number 2

2008-08-30T20:19:00.004-05:00

Hmmm, who would write a blog about number 2? All of you that thought I meant fecal matter can relax. I'm actually talking about something beautiful. It's time to announce the coming of another Ireland baby! Yeah! The Doc says it is really in there and the picture proves it. Grandma Ireland says it looks like a girl. I'm about three months along and finally starting to feel normal again as I come out of the first trimester. However, making a baby and starting a school year makes me very tired. Lucas is very sweet to little babies so we are sure he will be a great big brother. They will be 2 years and a month a part when "baby" is born. If he/she is even half as cool as Lucas then I'm the luckiest mother alive. Yay for short school years!

Stinger

2008-08-23T13:24:00.004-05:00

So this little sucker is called a Velvet Ant or "Cow Killer." They are part of the wasp family but do not have wings. They are not supposed to be crawling around your classroom floor when you are trying to organize posters. I was on the carpet and all of the sudden it felt like my foot rolled over a prickly fern. I looked down and saw this one inch creature scurrying away from me. My pain turned from prickly, to tingly, to BURNING! Nobody in the building recognized it so I googled it and read about it because I didn't want to DIE. This guy from work freaked me out cuz he was like, "Those colors mean danger. You might be in trouble." It's nicknamed a Cow Killer because it's sting is so painful it could kill a cow. Luckily, I'm not a cow and I'm going to live. My foot is red and swollen though. Should I go for workers comp? Just in case you didn't feel sorry for me yet here is a picture of it's stinger.

PROMO

2008-08-11T17:48:00.003-05:00

So like, I always get the Kohls mailer cards where you get to peel off the little sticker to see what percent you get to save on your next purchase. (This is as close as I get to playing the lottery.) Anyway, its always really easy for me to throw them away cuz I always get the 15% or occasional 20%. Well, you can imagine how I felt when I pulled off the latest sticker to reveal the big whopper! That's right, 30%. That RULES! Now I feel like I have to go spend all my money. It would help me feel like I was getting the most out of the deal if I could share this joy with the world. The promocode is BTS30 and it is good for August 13-19th on Kohls.com only so, "PEOPLE, GET YOUR SHOP ON!"

I almost must mention that after I peeled it off I realized it was for my neighbor. Now I know there was a more divine hand in all this.

Great Feature

2008-07-30T15:39:00.002-05:00

If you're not using the new blog feature you're missing out! It tells you when people update their profile up to the minute. I don't have to check every blog and be sad when they haven't updated it. You can also choose to see the name of their latest post and/or a snippet of it. It is very easy and I stay up to date on all of your blogs. More of you should be using it. It's in the Layout tab under page elements. It's called Blog List. Punch in my blog address and you'll never miss a fun filled moment of my blog ever again.

3 YEARS!

2008-07-22T13:37:00.008-05:00

Good times here at the Ireland homestead. Ben and I just celebrated our 3 year anniversary. I know this is cliché but I really can't believe how fast it went. We celebrated Saturday with Batman: Dark Knight. We loved it. Heath Ledger was fascinating. Dead or alive he deserves credit for a very awesome/disturbing performance. Sigh...I miss him. It's weird. Him and Steve Irwin, I just can't seem to get over. You'd think I lost a family member. Monday was our actual anniversary. Ben worked all day and I stayed out by the pool. Lucas loves lying in his baby float. He was so relaxed that he zonked out. I was going to let him nap there but we took him inside because he started to get some serious old man feet.

Ben is super sweet; he took me to Red Lobster even though he doesn't care for it. That made me a happy wife for at least another 3 years. We ended the night with Baz's Romeo & Juliet. It was a good weekend. I have the greatest husband in the whole world. It is very cute how he is always concerned with taking better care of us. The best part about our marriage is how much we laugh. We really crack each other up. Although, sometimes Ben just cracks himself up.

I LOVE YOU, BEN!!!!!

Oh..did I also mention I spent the weekend polishing off a 7" Sara Lee Cheesecake? Perfect touch.

We're Gonna Go See Mickey Mouse!

2008-07-07T17:46:00.005-05:00

Well actually we are back from seeing Mickey Mouse but "We're gonna go see Mickey Mouse," is what we chanted with Lucas this entire past month. The Ireland Family went to California for a week and a half of sunny filled fun! My parents took our whole family on our first vacation in years. The whole gang showed up- minus a few exes. That's right twenty-two Stevens' trucking everywhere from Disneyland to SeaWorld. If you have an hour to kill sit there and watch the slideshow. We had four very camera happy photographers.

Don't You Wish You Could Visit....

2008-06-22T16:46:00.004-05:00

Our family went to Austin this week. There were many activities to choose from so unfortunately we didn't have time to Kickapoo.

Baby Scrubs

2008-06-13T15:50:00.004-05:00

Don't you hate it when you realize your kid looks adorable and you don't have the camera? Thank Goodness for backup camera phones! I took LukeyDoo in for his 15-18 month checkup and he is on top of his game. I know those pediatricians see a lot of kids and they have to say your kid is cute but I just have to brag and say they LOVE my kid. They said something about him being THE cutest kid in Texas, and maybe the world. Ok, so I may have imagined that part. Cute story: Dr. Wong was asking me questions about him like, "How much does he eat? What words does he know?" Well, one of the questions was, "Do you have dogs?" and Lucas went, "RUFF RUFF!" So now of course, we make him bark all the time.

On a more serious note: his legs are significantly bowed and we have to watch them. Most kids grow out of it. They are symmetrical and they don't impair his walking so it shouldn't be a problem. I guess we could always attached a string and teach him to shoot arrows at people.

Things I Love!

2008-06-10T13:24:00.001-05:00

1. RITZ, EASY CHEESE, & Mt. DEW

I have decided something about life. My body will never look perfect unless I'm willing to give up things I love. Why is having a perfect body better then snuggling up to a movie with your favorite snacks? Ritz and cheese with a Mt. Dew is definitely a good reason to be alive! This little snack has been music to my taste buds since I was a little girl. So I'm chunky right now! So what! I always eat what I want and I don't exercise unless I want to. That's a pretty good life if you ask me. Don't let the skinny people tell you otherwise.

2. BEING LOVED BY STUDENTS

Sure, I complain A LOT, but it is never because of the kids. Look at these guys! They are a blast when we don't have to worry about tests and walking perfectly in the hallway. They make it easy to remember why I wanted to be a teacher. Everything that makes me crazy about the educational system is a direct cause of the government, the district, the parents, or myself. These kiddos are innocent little bystanders and I wish it was my job to sneak them out to recess and play American Idol with them. Seriously, I've got a couple of kids that do a mean Randy!

3. SCRAPBOOKING

I am in love with my scrapbook program. It's called the Scrapbook Factory and it makes scrapbooking so fun and easy.

4. SWIMMING WITH THE FAM

Doesn't Lucas look so funny here? LOL! I literally have a vacation in my backyard whenever I need it. I always said that my idea of a vacation is a palm tree and water. Even though I want a new pretty house closer to Utah, I know how lucky I am to live in this one. I'll probably never be able to afford a pool anywhere else and we have some pretty good parties and memories with this one.

5. WATCHING LUCAS DO THINGS I LOVE DOING

When I was little I used to sit at the window and just stare. I love this picture.

6. SPENDING THE SUMMER WITH MY INCREDIBLE SON

This is Lucas in his toy corner. He takes very good care of it and he cleans it up everyday. (with Mommy of course) He has everything he needs for hours of fun.

7. FAMILY MOVIE NIGHTS

Nothing beats hanging out with my boys. I have it pretty good.

Revelation! Last night I was pretty down. We all went to Kohls to get some clothes for the summer vacation. I have never had to try on such big sizes in all my life. I came home and my husband tried to tell me how it's not that bad, you have thyroid issues, etc. He was trying to be very helpful but I didn't need the excuses. I'm not blaming anything. I wish I didn't have to care. Writing this blog was so helpful. I do have it pretty good. I still hate dressing my fat body everyday but once that part is out of the way I get to do some pretty cool stuff and hang with some pretty special people.

SCREW SKINNY!

New Member!

2008-06-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

Comments are cool because it gives me ideas for my next blog. Thanks Katy. That first blog was over a year old so our family has changed a bit since then. The newest addition is Kira the Pug. She is CRAZY. Long story short: I found her on Craigslist and the girl said she was abandoned at her hospital with a note that said, "I can't take care of her." It seemed a bit shady, but oh well, a pug for 100 bucks, WHO CARES! So when I brought her home she was so excited to be with me and she has never calmed down since. The vet thinks she had a pretty rough life and I became the first source of relief for her. Now she's attached to me like glue. You like that right eyeball? You should! Its cost me $500 dollars so far! She got an infection and now I have to put medicine in it every day for the rest of her life. But Dude, come on, I got a pug, so it's all good.

This was taken the same day as Kira's photo. You may notice Lucas rarely has clothes on in his pictures. This is because Lucas rarely has clothes on. It's so hot in Houston and he loves playing outside. It's just become easier to only dress him when we know we are leaving the house. Anyway, Lucas loves playing with the hose and beware if you are out there with him because he thinks it is hilarious to soak people.

There! Clothes!

Summer is Here!

2008-06-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

Here walked the 2007-2008 4th grade class of Magrill Elementary. Many a day I stood outside the third door on the left and screamed, "Don't run on the ramp! Don't run on the ramp!" I will remain silent for the next 2 1\2 months as I have sent them on their way to a summer of sweat and humidity. I compare it to getting out of prison. I couldn't wait to be free but now that I'm out I realize I miss some of my inmates. All jokes aside. I had some really cool kids whom I will miss dearly. I wish them the best.

I realized several people care about what I have to say! So I figured I'd try this blog thing out for real. Let's see if I can post more then one blog a year. I'm going to dive right into the present and update you with stories as they come to mind. Currently, Lucas is learning HALO 2 on the XBOX with his dad. This is only because his mom won't let his Dad throw down the $500 it would take for HALO 3. Ben likes his video games. Lucas is destined to follow.

I'm really not used to this blog thing! The picture never goes where I tell it to. So forget it! I'm going to stop worrying about it and just type, upload and let them land where they may! Lucas loves to help his dad clean the pool. My boys are so cute. I looked up and noticed they were wearing the same outfit. One of those few times you actually have a camera on hand when something priceless happens. I think they are turning into one person. Which is cool. They're both pretty awesome.

So... this was fun. Did you have fun?

I've Been Blogged!

2007-04-04T13:20:00.000-05:00

Well my good old friend Susie said, "You should blog." Now, here I am blogging. Blog is a funny word. It's a funny world we live in where blog is a part of our daily vocabulary. Pop Quiz: How many times will I say blog in this blog? Well, this blog represents my little Ireland family of three. Six if you include Thunderclese (the white dog) and cats Roscoe (the grey cat) and Andy Dick (the black cat). I am surrounded by boys! Ben and I have been married a year and nine months since that wonderful day shown in the picture above. I can hardly believe how fast time has flown. I still feel like a youngen but I can't help notice how much older everyone and everything around me is getting. It doesn't help that I just brought a child into this world. Nothing ages you like a kid. All of the sudden you're supposed to know everything. Speaking of the other member of my precious family, let's have a look at his photo above. What a cute kid! This is his 'Callin the ladies, I'll be there in 5," shot. It was taken by our amazingly talented friend Mike. You can view his work at blommerphotography.com We just love the heck out of this little monster boy. His name is Lucas Benjamin Ireland and he was born February 2, 2007. I never knew how much I would love being a mom. He's a lot of fun. We call him monster boy because the only noises he makes so far are grunts and "RARRS." Can't wait to hear what comes out next.
We just wanted everyone to see and meet our little family. This is us! Our happiest time is Saturday morning when nobody has to go to work. We can all be found cuddled up in bed together. Lucas in my arms, Thunderclese shoved up against somebodies back, Andy eating our toes, and Roscoe acting like he's too cool to hang out with us. Yes, we're all quite fond of each other. I hope to keep those of you who care about us updated on this handy little blog site. The answer is seven times!