Keeping Me Honest

So I think I actually think my own thoughts about 20 minutes total in a day....the rest of the day my brain spends its time alternating between the Lego Indiana Jones songs, Dynamite (Ethan heard it somewhere once and now either sings it or asks repeatedly to hear it until I play it on itunes), or wondering how long it has been since Ethan/Hudson/Westen has ate/slept/gone to the bathroom/been in another room not making any sounds/been in timeout....Don't get me wrong- I love our current situation, but that current situation consists of a lot of kid time hence a lot of kid thoughts. That might change when Andrew graduates in August.....maybe.....until then I have a few more kid posts to do and if I don't write about doing them they won't happen.
So I am committing to write (and post pictures) of the first stitches for Haws boys, Andrew and I's trip to Zions, Westen's amazingness, and Ethan's birthday party.

Another Reason Why Haws Baby #4 Is A LONG Way Off

So I was just going through the 20ish pictures we have taken in the past.... I don't know.... 5 months- that alone should be a reason for us not to have a #4 anytime soon. I am pretty sure parents that don't document their childrens' experiences get shunned by the good parent society.....to make matters and our case for shunning even greater I don't know if I even dare to mention the next fact.....I swear on any and every diaper, bottle, book I have ever changed, cleaned, made or read that I love all of my children the same. I completely and totally mean that, but of the 20ish pictures we have, about 10 are of Ethan's birthday party and I don't have a single documenting Hudson's turn to 3! There...I just wrote it... and I can't believe it myself.....shun away....but in that light just pretend from these pictures that his birthday consisted of these other pictures I have of him......then shun a little more....We did have a little party for him I swear-McDonald's for dinner,cake and everything

But at least let me make the case as to how much and what we love about Hudson
- he makes the most lifelike sound effects- ask him to make any random sound and he can make it
- he loves music and to dance- it doesn't matter how loud it is- he always wants it louder
- he hustles me every time at memory- I haven't beat the kid once
- he hustles Andrew every time at wrestling- Andrew hasn't beat the kid once
- he has only one dimple that he uses to its maximum cuteness factor
- as much as Ethan is a Haws, Hudson is a Jones
- he tells me randomly throughout the day that he loves me
- he always, always runs to me when I get home from work with a huge. crooked smile with one dimple
- he is both a fabulous big and little brother- Ethan and Hudson can't brag about that

Family Pictures - Done!

I know lots of moms who juggle like a gazillion things beautifully- kids, husband, church calling, job, cute clothes, combed hair, etc. I am not one of those moms, but I aspire to be one some day.....until then we will conduct our day with spitup on my shirt, marshmallows in mine and the boys' hair, a revolving door time out, and jungle gym sacrament meetings with dirty face dignity. So if it weren't for my awesome friend Becky setting dates and times for pictures I admit wholeheartedly that family pictures would not have happened this year. But we managed to clean up decently and here is the evidence- get ready for photo overload- since there are so many I will save subtitles for another day except to say disregard Hudson's look in the boys' photo that seems to say 'this is absolutely ridiculous'- that's just a look he likes to rock regularly :):

A Pinch Of Candace

I have said (and probably will continue to say) how much Ethan is Andrew reincarnate, looks, acts, breathes, IS Andrew, etc. But tonight I finally found a pinch of me in the little squirt. Here's how it was found......



We were discussing the temple by looking at all the pictures in the temple Ensign this month. We came across a picture of a sealing room and told Ethan that being sealed meant that even if I were to die we could still be together forever.

At this point Ethan seriously gets sad and starts to tear up. Here is how it went down from this point in his own words, "Mommy you can't die...if you died, who would brush my teeth?"

At contemplating the loss of the person he sees the most and I would like to think possibly loves the most- the most important concern on his mind are his teeth....spoken like the true hygienist son he is- a pinch of Candace!!!


these are awesome BTW and I wish I had both

Today I Am ..... Grateful

Yes, simply, generally grateful for so so many things. To be a little less vague and random though, I was thinking while doing the dishes tonight (I actually think I do my best thinking then) about some really great things in my life right about now.

Such as:

- Friends and family who are so much better to me than I am to them. Not that I am a bad friend per se (ok maybe mediocre at best), but they are definitely better friends than I am

- My boys....I think my coolness factor (yes there is one) goes up just by knowing them

= The gospel for providing peace- because heaven knows peaceful is not exactly a talent I have

- My dishwasher - silly?....maybe, but I am awfully grateful for it when I walk in to the kitchen and see just about every dish we own waiting to be washed at 9 pm

- My husband - He is ridiculously positive despite having way more to do than he has time for

- Food - silly?...never, I am not exactly sure how I don't weigh a gajillion pounds just yet considering my deep gratitude for food- better said, my neverending appetite for food

Today for these few and so many more reasons I am just grateful.