Memorial Day

I love this tradition. This year Nick and his dad cleaned around the graves and made them look really nice. Even in the pouring rain. Okay, maybe it was only sprinkling at the time, but it still left an impression with me. 

Memoirs of a Potty Training Two Year Old

Day 1: So this happened. My mom said she wanted to potty train me sooner, but she needed to finish school before she committed to it. I don't know why it's such a big deal for her, I mean, I'm the one doing all the work. I swear all she does is say over and over "it's time to go potty, Shelby". Why is that so hard? While in the mean time I'm the one having to run to the potty, climb on the stool, pull my new panties down (which are super cool by the way), sit on a giant porcelain bowl, make silly faces and pretend like I know what I'm doing. Then I have to stand back up on the stool, pull my panties up, step down, move the stool to the sink, wash my hands WITH SOAP, dry them, and put a sticker on my sticker chart. Sheesh. And my mom was having commitment issues...? I'm exhausted!

Anyway... day one was pretty confusing. All my life I've worn diapers and recently I've really come to understand what diapers are for and when it's time to change them. I love those things. I got really good at getting a new one and bringing it to my mom or dad when I was ready to be changed and I almost always remembered to bring the wipes too. Then mom randomly decided to switch me into these panties, which by the way are NOTHING like diapers. First of all they're really thin. Mom keeps patting my bum and telling me how cute it looks and how big I look in my new "big girl panties" and I'm over here like, "Hello? It's the same bum regardless of what's covering it. At least a diaper is thicker and would soften the blow of her so called "pats" on my bum"! That mom; she's trouble! Another thing that makes panties COMPLETELY different from diapers is that when I pee in them IT RUNS DOWN MY LEGS, STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR! Diapers never did that! It makes no sense why anyone would want to wear these things.

In the meantime, all day long, every 15 minutes or so, mom says "it's time to go potty Shelby". I have no idea what she wants me to do once I sit, but I get a sticker every time so I guess sitting on that giant porcelain bowl is a good thing. Sometimes she even lets me pick a prize, but not every time. I'm still trying to figure out the pattern so I can get prizes more often. By the end of the day I had 24 stickers that I placed very strategically on my chart and I didn't even get a sticker every time. I left little piddle puddles all over the floor, possibly in every single room except the bathroom! Ha! Joke's on mom! Wait a second... every time I got my panties and the floor wet, mom would tell me I need to do that on the potty. I would run to the potty and sit on it and wait for her to bring me new panties, but maybe I'm missing something here. Maybe that's what she wants me to put in the toilet; the wet stuff that comes out of me and lands on the floor. Hmmm... I'm gonna think about that some more.


The coolest part about day one was the fact that my bed was turned into a big girl bed. NO MORE CAGE! Woot Woot! At nap time I really took advantage of my new found freedom. Now I totally understand why my sister, Shasta, gets out of her bed like a hundred times every night. IT'S SO COOL! But eventually I got tired and decided to just lay down and rest. After I woke up, mom went on and on about how proud she was that my panties were still dry, but I didn't get why it was such a big deal. She gave me a sticker though so I just went with it. I don't know what the difference was between nap time and bed time, but when I went to bed that night I sure had a hard time staying in it. I guess I wasn't used to sleeping in the dark with one side of my bed missing so I fell out three times during the night. The third time I didn't even bother to cry about it, I just stayed there and slept.

Day 2: Shasta woke me up at 6:45 because I was asleep on the floor. Usually I sleep until at least 9:00 in the morning, sometimes 9:30, so this was a whole new experience. Who knew there were so many more hours in the day that could be used for playing? Not me, but I do now and I'm gonna make the most of it! The first thing mom said to me was, "let's go sit on the potty Shelby". Maybe this whole potty training thing is a bigger commitment for her than I thought because she sure remembers to say that a lot. When I sat on the potty nothing happened, but mom went on and on about me staying dry all night and she gave me another sticker. Once again, mom told me to sit on the potty every 15 minutes or so and I always do without complaint because I know I get a sticker when I do. After about the tenth time sitting there, some of that wet stuff tinkled out of me and landed in the potty. Dad was the one helping me this time and he got so excited and said, "YOU DID IT"! And then the next thing I knew, mom and Shasta ran up the stairs, came into the bathroom, and were so excited, just like dad. This time I got to put a sticker on my chart, pick a prize, and mom gave me lots of  hugs and kisses. I'm not really sure what I did to make her so proud, but I hope I do it again!

Mom and Shasta went to the store and I had to stay home with dad because of this whole potty training business. I was so sad, but mom came home with a new kind of panties. Well, she called them panties, but they felt an awful lot like diapers. I decided to take her word for it and not test them out though because I didn't want to get my feet wet. Mom put me in those new panties because we had to run errands and told me they would help me stay dry, and you know what? She was right. That mom is one smart cookie. I even took a nap in them after we got home and I stayed dry the whole time then too. When it was time for a nap I was so tired that I didn't even bother to express my freedom. I tried it once, but then decided I would rather just stay in my bed and rest. I woke up pretty cranky and cuddled on mom's lap and she told me we needed to go sit on the potty, but I didn't make it in time. The good news is I learned those pull-up panties work like diapers because this time my feet didn't get wet! I'll have to remember that the next time mom puts one of those things on me. So far it's just been the one time. She put me back in panties after that.

For the most part things went pretty smooth today. I went potty like a big girl all day long until evening came and then I started getting the floor wet again. Mom got lazy about reminding me to go every 15 minutes and I was so busy playing and having fun with my sister that I would just forget about it. It's still new to me so I'm not used to stopping what I'm doing to take a potty break. Mom made sure to tell me I couldn't have a sticker or a prize whenever I got the floor wet. Not even when I hurried and sat on the potty afterwards. She told me I could only have one when I went potty in the toilet and I guess she really meant it because that's the only time I get them now.

Oh, you know that really stinky thing I would leave in my diaper? Mom would call it a "present" when she was talking to daddy, but most of the time she used the word "poopy" whenever I needed to be changed. Anyway, it turns out that's supposed to go in the potty too. I didn't know what to do with it for basically two whole days so I just ignored any urge to push it out. But tonight while I was in the bath I couldn't help myself and started pushing. Mom quickly pulled me out of the tub and plopped me on the toilet and made me sit there while she drained and rinsed the entire bathtub. She said since only one poopy fell in the tub and like 27 landed in the toilet (remember it's been building up for the last two days), she was calling it a success and I got a sticker and prize. It's good because now I know what to do with it, but I'm struggling with sitting to get it out. I keep trying to stand and push, but mom always makes me sit back down. Doesn't she know I would always stand or squat when I used to wear a diaper? Why is this different?

Anyway, at bed time mom decided to have Shasta and me switch beds. She said Shasta's was trapped in between the wall and my bed so it would help me keep from falling out better. At first I wasn't sure about it, but in the end I decided to give it a shot. I also learned a really cool trick tonight. It turns out if I come out of my room and say "potty" I can stay out of bed a little longer. I came out and sat on it like five times in a row, but then the next three times I tried, mom marched me right back to my bed without letting me get more than a few steps down the hall. That last time she put me to bed, I cried really hard and dramatic, but she didn't give in so I just gave up and went to sleep. And guess what? Mom was right. I didn't fall out of my bed once. That mom sure knows a lot of stuff.

Day 3: Shasta woke me up at about 7:30 this morning. I was a little bummed that I slept in so late and missed out on that valuable playing time, but I feel a little more refreshed today. I got up and Shasta took me to the potty. I guess I didn't need to go because nothing came out and Shasta begged mom to let me have a sticker, but she said no. Thanks for trying sis. Today was pretty much like yesterday. A lot of sitting on the potty, a lot of successes, a lot of accidents, another try with those pull up panties while we ate out for mom's and dad's anniversary, yada yada yada. Mom even took Shasta and me to the park for a little bit and I stayed dry the whole time. At bed time I tried my trick again, but I only got away with it three times and the third time was because my panties were a little wet so mom had to change my sheets. I guess we were out of clean panties because she put one of those pull up panties on me and I slept in that.

Day 4: I'm pretty sure I've got this whole potty training thing down. I woke up and went potty in the toilet and my pull up panties were completely dry. I haven't had a single accident all day either except after dinner, but that doesn't really count since it's no longer day time. And in my defense, I tried to make it to the potty by myself, but we were downstairs and I couldn't get up on the toilet without the stool so I didn't make it in time. Mom says I'm a rock star, but I think she has me confused with Shasta. She's the one who's always singing at the top of her lungs and pretending like she's in a band. I like to sing too, but I don't think that makes me a rock star. Silly mom.

Day 5: Today started out a little rough. I slept in until 8:00 and I woke up this time because I wet the bed. Oops. Then not much later, I pooped in my panties and tried to change them all by myself before mom found out, but then Shasta stepped in it and tracked it all over the tile. Thankfully that was the worst of it. The rest of the day was smooth sailing. Mom didn't even have to remind me most of the time. I just went in and did my thing all on my own. I think I'm figuring this whole thing out.

Day 6: I keep having an accident first thing in the morning. Today it wasn't my fault though. Shasta insisted on going potty first so I could learn from her, but I couldn't hold it in long enough to wait for her to be done. But since then I've been accident free. Mom has even stopped saying, "it's time to go potty Shelby" and instead just asks me if I need to go. Sometimes it's helpful when she asks, but for the most part I tell her when I need to go now without being reminded. Also, Shasta didn't think mom was giving me enough prizes so she put together her own buckets and bags for me to pick from. I now get to choose four prizes every time I go like a big girl. One from mom and three from Shasta.

Day 7: I went to church and didn't have a single accident. I'm still not 100% yet, I have an accident about once a day, but mom's calling me potty trained. I'm really good at telling her when I need to go potty. Had I of known it was this easy, I would have suggested it to mom months ago! :)

Curly Hair

I finally got brave and tried the curl formers on the girls. I was only planning on doing Shasta, but there were a few left over so I decided to put them in Shelby's hair too. Unfortunately, there weren't nearly enough so hers didn't turn out very cute. But, get a load of these pictures. Can these girls be any cuter?! I couldn't decide which pictures to include so you get them all!

May The Fourth Be With You

Nick and I hosted our first ever Star Wars party with my good friend Jaime and her family. It was pretty much our last hurrah together because they found a job in Salt Lake and are busting out of Cache Valley. It makes my heart hurt every time I think about it. 

But leave it to Nick to go all out on the cake and decor. His Lego obsession has finally been put to good use... to decorate our Star Wars party...!

It also meant dinner and dessert upstairs in front of the television, picnic style!

Even though I spent most of my time doing my best not watching the movie, it was still a lot of fun. The kids had a lot of fun dressing up and playing together and the parents enjoyed spending time together. I think we just found ourselves a fun, new tradition. Wait a minute... I'm not sure that's a good thing...!

Graduating Class of 2015

Walking in the Procession with my girls. 

My journey through school had a roller coaster of challenges from start to finish. When I graduated high school I moved to Nauvoo, Illinois where I got an apartment with my friend, Britina, and enrolled at Southeastern Community College in Keokuk, Iowa. Right before enrolling in my first semester of college, I met my husband and we had a long distance relationship while I went to school. I only did a semester at SCC before transferring to Mesa Community College in Arizona so I could plan a wedding. And I only did a semester at MCC because we got married in May and I moved to Utah.

After I got married, Nick and I lived in North Salt Lake, where we spent a year and a half figuring things out before I enrolled at Salt Lake Community College. Once again I only did a semester at SLCC before we moved to Logan, Utah where we could both go to school at Utah State University. Nick had already been accepted and attended USU before we got married, but I still had to apply and be admitted. I did everything that I needed to do, and then the waiting began. We moved to Logan after Christmas and Nick enrolled for Spring semester. I waited that entire semester to be accepted, but never heard anything. When Fall semester started approaching and I still hadn't heard anything I just assumed I didn't get in, but my Mother In-Law wouldn't accept silence for an answer. She called the school to find out what was taking so long and why I hadn't received an acceptance letter. Fun fact, out of frustration for both of us, this was also the first and only time I have ever heard her use a single swear word (although she probably wouldn't appreciate me sharing that (even though most people can't say the same)... sorry)!
Come to find out, USU was waiting for a transcript from a school I never attended. As if attending three community colleges didn't make things complicated enough, going to Southeastern had its own hurdles to jump through. Because I lived in Illinois and was attending a school in Iowa, their way of jumping through hoops so I could have in state tuition was to enroll me in Carl Sanburg College in Illinois (something they do for all residents that live right across the border from SCC).The problem about it was it showed on my record as attending their school, but I never had a transcript so they were waiting for something that didn't exist. Once that was straightened out, it wasn't long before I received my letter of acceptance into USU. I suppose the very first thank you I owe in my journey through school is to my mother in-law for seeing to it that I got accepted. If it wasn't for her, I don't know that I would have taken the initiative to find out what the hold up was on my own.

Stew Morrill - USU Basketball coach - retired as of 2015

But the next obstacle came when I enrolled for Fall semester and found out that they were charging me out of state tuition. It was my understanding that marrying a Utah resident automatically allowed me to have in state tuition. And I also had heard that you had to be a resident in the state of Utah for a year to qualify for in state tuition. Both of these I had on my side. But for some reason USU wouldn't waive the out of state tuition for me even though SLCC did. I dropped all of my classes and tried again Spring semester, but found myself in the same predicament. Summer semester of 2009 I was finally able to enroll in and attend my first classes at USU.

Fall semester of 2010 we found out we were pregnant with Shasta (something we planned) and I was NOT ready for the sickness that I faced. I tried to push through it, but it was harder than I could handle and Nick and I decided I needed to take a leave of absence from school. I withdrew from my classes 8 weeks after the semester began. Looking back I wish I would have stuck it out for the remaining 8 weeks, but it was my first semester being enrolled as a full time student and taking all of my classes on campus. Before that I had been going part time and mostly online because I was working full time between two jobs. Spring semester came and I was still miserably sick. I only took 6 online credits to still make progress in my education while trying to survive the rest of my pregnancy. Thankfully I didn't enroll in any campus classes because Shasta was born 8 weeks early and the week before finals so figuring all of that out was complicated, but I survived.

Now I was attending school as a first time mom with a full time nursing baby (for the first 15 months of her life). Although I was no longer working, my attendance slipped back into part time because I didn't know how to make it all work. Nick was also going to school so not only did I have a baby to tend, but my classes had to work around his classes and work schedule so one of us was always available to be with Shasta. Spring Semester 2012, I was able to trade babysitting with my friend Kristi (also a mom going to school), which allowed me to take on a heavier load. She watched Shasta while I was in class and I watched her daughter while she was in class. But to make things complicated, in order to make it work it required Kristi dropping her daughter off at my house, me loading the kids into the car, picking Kristi up from her class, dropping me off at my class, and Kristi bringing the kids back to her house where I would pick up Shasta when my class was done. Challenging, but worth it.

The building in the background is where I spent a lot of my time.

Fall semester 2013 we found out we were pregnant with Shelby (also planned). Even though I knew how miserable pregnancy was for me, I was hopeful this one would be different. It wasn't. I took 9 credits that semester, all campus classes, and pushed through them the best I could. I missed a lot of class and worked with my professors to be patient with me. I Somehow managed to pull off decent grades. Then Spring semester came which was probably my hardest semester physically. I only took 6 credits, but one of my two classes was a preschool lab where I worked with three year olds. I was pregnant with Shelby, spent a lot of time with my head in the toilet, and had hip pain so bad that by the end of the day I cried when I walked. Working with three year olds five days a week was exhausting and then I would come home to an almost two year old. I depended on Nick's sister, Kaleena, to watch Shasta for the first 8 weeks of the semester, my homework load was unbelievable, Shasta started potty training, and to top it off, Shelby was born 8 weeks early and three weeks before the semester was over. I found myself on bed rest for two weeks before she was born, had an emergency c-section, returned to school 7 days later, and shared time as best as I could between a neglected 2 year old with separation anxiety and a baby in the NICU. I'm still not sure how I made it through, but I feel stronger for it.

The rest of my education went relatively smoothly. A few classes got tacked on to my load because my program changed their requirements and it got complicated as my choices in classes narrowed down. I kept putting classes off that were offered at times that interfered with Nick's work schedule because I didn't want to figure out babysitting. My last two semesters I was forced to rely on other people to watch my kids while I was in class. It was hard for me to depend on other people and it was stressful when they cancelled and I had to find a replacement. I struggle with asking people to help me and give them every opportunity to say no because I don't like being an inconvenience to them. I owe a big thank you to EVERYONE who helped watch my kids while I went to school; especially my friend Jamie, who bailed me out every time I was in a bind.

My final semester threw a curve ball at me that made me question if I should graduate or continue my education. I have been going to school to be able to work with Deaf children, but the state of Utah doesn't allow that without a degree in Special Education. USU's Deaf Education major is an amazing program with 100% job placement, but it requires moving out of Utah. I knew I wouldn't get to work with Deaf children if we stayed in Utah, but three months before graduation I found out I could minor in Special Education and that would allow me to work with Deaf Children in Utah. I met all the requirements for the minor except four classes. FOUR! I went back and forth for the next three months trying to decide what to do. For four classes it seemed silly not to complete them and get the certificate I needed to work with Deaf children. But, since everything about my education was complicated, these four classes were only offered in specific semesters; two in the Fall and two in the Spring. It meant another year of school. It meant another year of depending on other people to watch my children. It meant another year of Nick working at his job because he's been waiting for me to finish school before we move on. It meant giving up my last year with Shasta before she starts Kindergarten. After a LOT of prayer, contemplation, and back and forth between what to do, I felt at peace when I finally decided that I needed to graduate and not complete the minor. I still feel sad about it, but it was for the best.

Nothing about my college education came easy for me. I did things the hard way, lost credits from attending so many schools and transferring, and faced my fair share of trials. The whole time I attended school I never really believed I would finish. I thought for sure Intermediate Algebra, Statistics, and Psychological Statistics would be what kept me from graduating, but I got through it and found I even enjoyed statistics. Even during my final semester I didn't believe I would finish because there was still that chance of failing a class and I feared my adviser would come back and tell me there was something else I still needed to take. But somehow I managed to meet all the requirements and graduate with 132 earned credits. And for all the time I spent worrying about passing my classes during my final semester, I managed to pull off a 4.0. Too bad my overall GPA is less desirable! But I contribute my success this semester to committing to not doing any homework on Sundays. I had faith that if I dedicated Sundays to family and worship I would be blessed for it and my grades proved it!

I've thanked a lot of people along the way for their contribution to my education, but the one person who stands out above all the rest is my husband. He put up with a lot while I went to school. Up until 2013, he was a student himself and worked full time. He also took care of his pregnant wife twice during that time, completed two semesters worth of finals sitting by my side in the hospital, and carried the responsibility of being a dad. Once he graduated he became the full time child caretaker all morning long while I was in class and then worked full time in the afternoons. He spent a lot of time tutoring me, looking over my papers, and helping me with my homework assignments. He drove me to and from class when it was snowing, was my personal chauffeur while I was pregnant, and often drove to campus while I was in class to trade me cars so I could pick up the girls from the sitter without having to trade cars with him at his work or have him leave the car seats with the sitter and me install them in the freezing cold. He made his fair share of breakfasts, prepared lunches almost daily, and put up with many cheap, crappy, quick-fix dinners when I claimed I was too tired or had too much to do to make anything else. He's what made it possible for me to go to school and I didn't always show him the appreciation he deserved. I'm thankful that he believed in me and boosted my confidence when I needed it, but mostly I'm thankful for all the support he gave me.

All in all, my college education has taught me that I can do hard things. I'm a lot stronger than I ever thought and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment for persevering through all those challenges. I'm not really sure what my next step will be, but for now I'm excited to be a full time stay at home mom. I've used school as an excuse not to do a lot of things because it ate SO much of my time. Now that I'm done I have a lot of projects to complete, goals to accomplish, and books to read, but most importantly, it's time for me to finally be the mom I've always dreamed of being. I'm so excited to get started!

And as for Pinterest; I made it a rule a few years ago that I couldn't have an account until I completed school. I knew that I would waste a lot of time that I didn't have, spend money purchasing supplies for projects I wouldn't complete, and feel guilty over all the things I wanted to do with my kids, but couldn't because I didn't have enough time. Now I have nothing but time and intend on making the most of it!


For the last ten years I have found myself in
"The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance
Everyone is just waiting.

No!
That's not for [me]
Somehow [I] escaped
all that waiting and staying.
[I've found] the bright place
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banners flip-flapping
once more [I'll] ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because [I'm] that kind of guy!
Oh, the places [I'll] go!"
-Dr. Suess

I now have a Bachelor of Science in Family, Consumer, and Human Development with an emphasis in Deaf Education, in the Ellen Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, from Utah State University. My waiting to finish school is done. And now the fun begins!

Two Cooks in the Kitchen

Shasta got a new doll for her birthday from Grandma and Grandpa Hendricks. They have cute matching aprons and get to cook together in the play kitchen. She also got two new potholders that grandma made and they've been a HUGE hit! Nothing can be taken out of the oven without them. Before we were using mittens so it's nice to actually have the real thing! Yay for birthdays and presents!