World's WORST Blogger

Brithday Paigey!

Paige all dressed up in streamers from Grandma Jo Blander's birthday party.

Family love!

Paige is FOUR!

Porter refusing to eat spinach.

In the waiting room at the hospital after new cousin Keira was born. Kaylie likes to suck her thumb and play with someone's ear. Sarah's worked this time.

Sweet Sarah asleep in her swing.

Soooo Paige.

Adam made Porter a miniature roping dummy. He and Uncle Jerob are practicing together.

Porter and his dinosaur birthday cake.

Porter opening presents in Paige's Cindrella dress-up. (Definitely Adam's proudest moment!)


I think if there was an award for world's worst blogger right now, I just might win. I have been a perpetual procrastinator lately. Every time I think about updating I say to myself "Nah, I'll just do it later!" We have been busy! March is the craziest month for birthdays in my family. My mom turned 50 on March 12th and we threw her a surprise party. She had no idea I was coming to Billings at all and so she was doubly surprised to see me and the kids there! We had the fun opportunity to spend a night with my sister Nicole and her cute girls and we got to attend the singles ward to listen to my brother Ryan speak. It is a very interesting experience to attend a singles ward with three little kids, just so you know!



Our house is now red. They got all the siding done in about one week, which I think is amazing considering that they were stripping the old and applying the new! We now have carpet in the new family room downstairs and in the master bedroom. I transferred all the kids toys down to the family room and it has been amazing. They had so little room to really play in Paige's room that they and the toys would always migrate out into the living room, leaving me with a huge mess! At the end of the day now, I might have a handful of toys to pick up but nothing big. It has been a huge stress reliever for me. I don't feel quite so much like the family maid!



The kids are growing like weeds! Sarah now has her first tooth and is 15 lbs. and 27 inches long! I thought my other kids got big fast but she's got them both beat for height! Paige turned 4 on March 25th. She is getting so grown up and she loves it. Every time I tell her that she needs to stop growing, she gets mad at me and tells me that she needs to get big like me! Porter is such a boy and learns to speak more clearly every day. The other day I was loading the kids back into the van at Sam's Club and Porter informed me that he didn't want to ride in the van, that he wanted to take the truck that was parked next to us! He was very disappointed when I told him that the truck wasn't ours so we had to take the van anyway! Miss Paige is also going to play t-ball. She is so excited! It's going to be so cute to watch her play, although I secretly think that she's more likely to be the kid in the outfield watching the butterflies or picking the grass!




We start remodeling our kitchen this week. We will start demo on Monday as soon as I can get a bunch of the stuff packed up so we can tear down walls. We'll hopefully get all the sheetrocking, re-wiring, and painting done before Friday because my parents are coming up next weekend to help. My dad is going to help me tile and my mom will hopefully be the entertainment committee for my kids! Once it's tiled, we should really just have to hang cabinets, set countertop, and put everything back into the kitchen. I'm very excited to see the end result and very hopeful that we'll be able to get it done in about 1 1/2 weeks. I'll have to keep you posted!

Let the craziness begin.....

We are in for a crazy spring. We finally have the cash to do a bunch of projects we've been holding off on! The basement family room is done except for flooring. The two bedrooms down there still need sheetrocking, etc. but hopefully that won't take terribly long. We start re-siding next week. We are going from boring gray to glorious "country red." No longer will I have to describe my house as the "bigger gray one with all the trees." After that, we start remodeling the kitchen. It is most likely going to be crazy but I am excited anyway! We found big 16" x 16" tiles at Home Depot this week for 77 cents a square foot! It's just boring beige but since it's just for the resale value, boring beige works great for me! Neither one of us knows how to tile, in fact Adam said it sounds like his own personal hell, but I bought the book and I'll figure out! I'll keep you posted but it should be crazy and great all at the same time!

Professional Pics of the kids..... finally!

Sarah

Paige and Sarah


Porter and Sarah

Miss Paige (she's getting so grown up...)

Porter-man

We finally made it to Sears to have pictures of the kids taken. Sarah is experiencing major 3rd child syndrome. The other two had their first professional portraits on the day they turned one month old but Sarah was two months. I think that actually worked out to my advantage because she could smile! So cute!

Time flies.....

I find that Valentine's Day make me nostalgic. Not in a romantic, mushy kind of way though. I happened to enter the MTC on Valentine's Day so as of tomorrow it will officially have been 8 (yes EIGHT) years. I can't believe it's been that long already even though in my head that makes sense because I know I've been married 5 going on 6 years and my oldest child is almost 4! My subconcious must be homesick for Germany right now too because I am seriously craving German food of all kinds and am dreaming almost every night about my mission, people I knew or places I went. I find myself echoing Elder Holland in that my mission formed me into who I am today and I am quite certain that there has never been a day where I have not thought about it. I get a little teary just thinking about it right now. I could never put into words how I feel but I am so grateful that I served where I did, with all those wonderful people; companions, DLs, ZLs, members and investigators included. Hooray for missions! The Lord absolutely knows what He's doing!

The Year in Review

Year in Review (Borrowed from Rachel's blog... thanks for the idea)

January
1. How did you bring in the New Years? We played games at Judd and Amy Brooks' house.

2. Was there a lot of snow? I don't think so!

3. What is the geekiest part of your music collection?Hmmm... I would probably have to go with my collection of 1940's swing. I think other people would classify it as geeky but I love it!

February
1. How did you spend Valentine's Day?We just went to Judd and Amy's to let all the kids exchange Valentine's with each other. Nothing very exciting since I had foot surgery the next day.

2. Did you get any gifts for Valentine's Day?I'm sure I got something. My husband is so good at that but I can't remember what exactly.

3. Did you see the a Groundhog?Nope. I get too busy to pay attention to things like that!

4. What do you eat when you raid the fridge late at night?I usually want sweets but their not usually in the fridge... I'm more of a cookies, brownies, chocolate kind of girl!

5. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie?Hmm... I would probably have to go with the Notebook.

March

1. How was your St. Patty's day?Good question. I'm sure I remembered to wear green because I'm pretty good about that.

2. Any roadtrips this year so far?No, I'm quite certain there weren't!

3. If you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done?Breast lift/reduction surgery.

4. Do you have a completely irrational fear?I am terrified to heights, snakes, and mice. My husband classes all those as irrational.

April
1. Favorite thing that happened this month.Jerob came home from his mission and I got to go to Billings for my Grandpa's 75th birthday.

2. What are your feelings on the rain?I love it. I miss the crazy rainstorms from my mission.

3. What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecuremoment? I think I bite my lip and have problems making eye contact.

4. Are you a pyromaniac?Not even close.

May
1. Did anyone send you flowers this month?No.

2. Do you have too many love interests?Nope. Adam is enough for me!

3. Do you know anyone famous? No way!

4. Most eventful thing that happened. My birthday and Mother's Day. I got a Wii!

June
1. Have you seen any concerts yet this year?Nope - Adam is the concert goer in our family, unless the youth symphony counts, then yes.

2. About how many movies would you say you've seen so far this year? A lot. We love Netflix.

3. Describe your bed:Amazingly comfortable, a blue and white quilt & shams, and now a beautiful log headboard/footboard.

4. Spontaneous or planned? Such a planner!

5. Favorite item to snack on from a gas station.White cheddar popcorn.

July

1. How was your 4th of July?So fun! We went to Choteau like always. The entire Hatch clan was together for the first time in forever. Adam, Carson and Jerob entered the wild cow milking at the rodeo. It was absolutely hilarious. They got the rankest cow in the bunch. She even bloodied the nose of the guy trying to help them get the halter on her!

2. Would you say July was the hottest month?No.

3. What is a weekly ritual that you kept all year long so far?Going to my mother-in-law's house every Sunday. I can't remember last time we missed!

4. Who should play you in a movie about your life?I have no idea... Nothing in my life would be that exciting to make a movie about!

August
1. Have you gone swimming yet this year?Oh yes! Although not as much as the year before due to the cooler weather and my beached whaleness (pregnancy).

2. Any near death experiences?No.... I think that's why I'm married to the man who's had far too many...

3. Any traumatic events so far?My sweet little boy's birth and all the hullbaloo that went with it!

4. What do you carry with you at all times? A diaper bag.

5. What do you miss most about being little?The absolute magic of Christmas. It's just not as fun to be the adult!

6. Are you happy with your given name?Yes, I like Melissa, even though those who know me best don't call me that!

September
1. Have you won any prizes so far?No.

2. Did you get any injuries this month?Nothing other than the usual bumps and bruises!

3. How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet. I would say a lot but I don't know. I don't use it all that much except for blogging, emailing, finding recipes, and now Facebook.

4. What color is your bedroom?Oh so white.

5. What was the last song you were listening to? Jonah was a prophet - from the Veggie Tales movie that my kids are watching!

October
1. What were you for Halloween?A big fat mama. If I'd been more daring, I'd have painted a Jack O' Lantern on my big belly but I was far too miserable by that point!

2. Did you eat any candy?Absolutely!

3. Most expensive purchase this month.Do groceries count?

4. Have you ever been in a play?Only when I was little in a roadshow at church!

November
1. Has it snowed yet?I'm sure.

2. What did you do for Thanksgiving?We hung out at Adam's mom's house so he and Skinny could work on the remodeling while she was in Arizona.

3. Did you gain any weight?Probably!

4. Any regrets this month?Nope.

5. Favorite highlight of November.Sarah being born!!!

6. Do you talk a lot?I've been known to!

December
1. How was the snow?Tons and tons of it in a very short time!

2. How many Christmases did you attend?Technically two.... one a few days before in Billings with my fam and then the big day with Adam's fam in Fairfield.

3. Favorite Christmas gift.My new log bed that my amazing husband made!!

4. Did you sing Christmas Carols?Not as many as I'd have liked!

5. Did you see any old friends who were home for the holiday?No... but I saw some before the holidays!

6. How many Christmas parties did you attend?The one at church... we are so boring sometimes....

7. Do you like yourself and believe in yourself?I do, amazingly enough!

8. Do you consider yourself to be a nice person?I think so!

9. Do you spend more time with your girlfriend/boyfriend or yourbest friend? My husband is all of the above... I'm so lucky!

10. What is your ideal marriage location?Billings Montana Temple.

11. Which musical instrument do you wish you could play?Someday I want to learn to play acoustic guitar.

12. Something you love and hate?I LOVE to cook but hate to do dishes. How's that for a paradox?!

13. What are some things people would never know about you?That is such a good question... I don't know.... Anybody have any ideas?

14. Do you drive stick? or drive at all?I can drive stick... Though I'm sure there are those who wondered if I'd ever learn!

15. What's one trait you hate in a person?I have a difficult time with snobby people.

16. What are your current hobbies that you tend to obsess over?Quilting!!!

17. Who are your top 5 favorite family members, and why?My kids, husband, and probably a tie between my mom and sister Nicole.

18. Do you have any weird habits?I tend to count things when I'm bored.... why, I don't know, I just do!

19. Who are your top 5 favorite buddies and why? I don't really have a lot of "buddies" at this point in my life although I do enjoy spending time with LaNeige, Teri N., Crystal, Carrie and my mom in law.

20. Who will write back to this?It doesn't matter... but let me know if you do this too!

Life...

So life around the Hatch house has not been incredibly exciting lately. Porter has managed to be sick almost constantly since before Christmas. First he had flu-like symptoms off and on for about 2 1/2 weeks now he has a croupy cough and spiking fever. I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I just wonder about all the old ladies at church who admire my children and tell me to enjoy every minute. Did they really enjoy the sick days and cleaning up the mess that comes with them, including all the laundry?! I doubt it but maybe they're further along the path to perfection than I am. =o) In spite of everything, I have managed to stay enough on top of things that I found time to start working on a quilt a few afternoons. It is a denim/flannel rag quilt. It's the first one I'm actually making just for myself. It will be so fun when it's done! Oh it makes my heart so happy to create!

Funny Paige

Paige is funny. My sis-in-law Carrie says that every family needs a three year old just because of the funny things they say and do. Here are a couple of gems from the last few weeks:

Just after Christmas I was wrapping two more Christmas presents for our nephews that would be coming to visit over New Year's/be here for the baby blessing. Paige is in the "why?" stage. (You know, the one where they ask "why?" after EVERYTHING you say!! By the way, I asked Adam the other day if he thought it was possible for someone to go crazy by being asked "why?" all the time and he said it must be because he'd seen it happen to his wife!) Okay, so back to my story.... I was wrapping Tanner and Connor's presents and Paige wanted to know who they were for so I explained that they were for her cousins, Tanner and Connor. She wanted to know where they live so I explained that they live with Uncle Mike and Aunt Jodie in Washington. She said "Oh, yeah..." then continued helping me with the presents. A little later in the day she was looking at the family picture of Uncle Mike and Aunt Jodie and boys and she asked me who all those people were so I explained again. She wanted to know where JC, Jordan, Tanner and Connor live AGAIN, so I said "With Uncle Mike and Aunt Jodie!!" She sighed and said "Oh yeah.... in Washing Machine...."

A few days ago I was doing something with baby Sarah. She has been slightly congested so the bulb syringe (booger sucker) has been getting a fair amount of use at our house. Paige saw me with it and asked "Mom, what are you doing with Sarah's booginator??"