Sometimes you have to take a sick day

Yesterday was rotten. I woke up with my stomach in knots and a dull aching throughout my body. I spent the first half of the morning being sick in the bathroom and the rest of the day camped out on the playroom floor in my pajamas while the TV supervised my children with nonstop cartoons. They occasionally prodded my listless body to move when they were hungry or needed a diaper change. But for most of day things were pretty much Lord of Flies over here.

I'm lucky to be blessed with good health almost all the time. So when I get sick, even just a little stomach bug, it throws me for a loop. I feel so alien in my body when it's not working the way I want it to. Every little thing was so hard to do, it was just a really lame and frustrating day.

Thank goodness for good friends and an amazing husband. My friend Becca stopped by with Saltines, Ginger Ale and Gatorade to help with my stomach. Then Taber came home and completely saved me . After a long day at work he only had a short 2 hour window before he had to go back for a meeting on 3rd shift. He used that 2 hours not to unwind or take a break, but to relieve me from the pathetic attempt I was making to take care of our kids. I was able to take a hot shower and get in a little nap while he oversaw dinner and bath time. Once the kids were bathed and in a fresh pair of pajamas he kissed them goodnight and went back to work. I'm sure he was exhausted, but all he cared about was making sure I got a break. I know I've said this before but I really, really love that man.

Thankfully my sickness was only a 24 hour bug. Today I woke up and my stomach and body felt great! I took Teya to a birthday party, ran errands, took Brinley to the park, we jumped on the tramp, I got a nice run in, and all is well in Rigg land. Hopefully my girls won't be too damaged from their day of endless cartoons but sometimes even Moms have to take a sick day!

The Long Awaited Trampoline

Ever since I can remember I have wanted a trampoline. It seemed like ALL my friends and neighbors had one but me. Amy Eager, Vanessa Welch, Nicki Hawkins, Justin Olson, Emma Gordon, I could go on and on. They were all my neighbors, and they all had trampolines. For whatever reason my parents never gave into my constant begging for one. I guess it was a good thing my neighbors had them though because I still got quite a bit of jumping in on theirs : )

Still, I've always dreamed of having one and after we bought our first house in Tennessee I started asking for one again, this time it was Taber, not my parents I had to soften up. In TN he felt like Teya was still too young to enjoy one and we knew we were going to be there pretty short term so that was a no. Then in Minnesota we didn't have a yard so that squashed the idea entirely. But once we moved here and I saw the perfect spot in our backyard for a trampoline I started putting on the hard sell!

While I only had happy memories on trampolines; sleepovers, sprinkler jumps, crack the egg and other classics, Taber had a different view. He grew up with two trampolines and recalls broken bones, injuries, and dare devil stunts that he didn't want our kids exposed to. So after weeks of discussing pros and cons, promising to have strict rules and be super careful, talking to the family lawyer (Taber's brother ; ) researching liability insurance and taking all the necessary safety precautions, my trampoline dream has FINALLY COME TRUE!!!

We put it up on Saturday and Teya wanted to be part of every little step.

She sorted poles, brought us screws, and carried around springs and handed them to Taber when he needed them

Once the frame was together and we started attaching springs she didn't leave his side.

Taber did all the muscle work getting the springs on. Good thing he was wearing leather gloves because at one point he pinched his finger so bad that it ripped through the leather!

Teya then helped us tie on the mat

The last step was putting up the safety enclosure. One of the crucial components to making the tramp safer and therefore permissible in our backyard : )

Finally after 2 1/2 hours in the sun, it was finished! The last 10 minutes Teya was really getting ansy. She started whining to get on and said, "Mom I just can't be patient anymore!" Poor thing. Once she started jumping though she was a happy little clam.

Taber showed her some of his sweet moves. And I was just beaming the whole time. I've waited a long time for this so I just wanted to savor the moment : )

On Monday evening we went out for some jumping after our FHE lesson. It was Brinley's first time on it and she LOVED it! Once the kids got off I hopped back on for some solo jumping time. Since I didn't have to be careful without the kids there I really let loose! Oh man it was AWESOME!! Pretty good workout too. Thank you Taber for giving in to my begging. I'm sure we're going to make a lot of fun memories on that thing : )

Here's a cute, short 1 minute video of Teya and Brinley's first time jumping together.

Trampoline Fun from Rigg Family on Vimeo.

Birthday Celebrations!

Here are some picture highlights from Taber's Birthday Weekend : )

The girls came storming into our room at 6:30am, shouting "Happy birthday Daddy!" and demanding to open presents.

They helped Daddy open some that Grandma Karen had sent out. Grandma was thoughtful enough to include some that Taber could use to play with the girls : )

After Taber came home from work we had a special birthday dinner for him (Salmon and potatoes, his favorite) and then we had some yummy cake!

Teya couldn't resist taking a little dip before we lit the candles : )

After cake it was present time again!

Taber got some great books and DVD's as well as some new grilling goodies. The highlight though was the Garmin GPS watch his mom got for him. He took it for a 6 mile test run on Saturday and LOVED it! Thanks Mama Rigg!

On Saturday we got a babysitter and went to dinner at Outback. After dinner we got together with friends to watch Avatar in the Hann's awesome theater room. Now that I've watched a movie sitting in those amazingly comfy couches, I don't know if I can ever go back!

The movie got over around 11:30pm, but we were still feeling the party bug, so we called our babysitter to see if she could stay a little longer and then headed over to Chili's for desserts! Molten chocolate cake and Paradise pie. Mmmm....two of the many reasons I love Birthdays!!

Top Picture: Us at Outback: Bottom picture: Desserts at Chili's

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TABER!!!!

Today is Taber's birthday and I'm so happy I can dedicate a post to him to let him know how happy I am that he was born! I think I will follow his lead from my birthday and do a list of the top 10 reasons I love my birthday boy!

1) He makes me feel safe. I'm definitely one of those girls who likes the "protective-take care of your woman type "and that is Taber! He's always looking out for me, making sure I'm warm if it's cold out, safe when I'm running, comfortable when I'm sick and rested if I'm tired.

2) He is an awesome cheerleader! Whether I'm running a race, giving birth, or just trying to overcome a daily challenge he is right there cheering me on and supporting me all the way.

3) He is a such a hard worker! He works so hard to support our family and it means the world to me that I can stay home with our kids thanks to him. Yesterday I was sitting on the grass in the warm sun, watching the girls play and enjoying the beautiful afternoon. In that lovely moment I thought of Taber, who was at work, missing out on that moment so I didn't have to. His sacrifice for our family does not go unnoticed and I'm so grateful for all he does to support us.

4) He is calm and patient, a great quality for a guy who lives with three emotional girls!

5) He is such a good Dad. I love that he jumps right in when he gets home and really plays with them. Watching him read them stories, give them piggy back rides and play chase around the house makes me happier than anything :)

6) He is smart with money and good at budgeting. Thank goodness because I'm terrible at it! I'm so glad he's helped me in that area so we can make wise financial decisions for our family.

7) He laughs at my jokes. Even if I'm not that funny, he makes me feel like I've still got it : )

8) He never questions how I spend my time, even on the days I'm not as productive as I should be. : )

9)He has a strong testimony and leads our family with faith.

10) He is generous with his compliments and is so good at making me feel beautiful and appreciated!

Happy birthday my love!

This is your 9th birthday we've celebrated together since we've been married. In honor of your special day I thought it would be fun to find pics from the 8 previous celebrations. It was tricky since our computer blew up back in 2007 and we lost a lot of old pictures. I was able scan a few in though so here's what I came up with, minus your 25th birthday which I could not find evidence of anywhere! (sorry babe!)

24th: Provo, Utah. 4 months after we got married.

25th: Provo, Utah. A week before we graduated from BYU

26th: Moorpark, California. Got you a boogie board and wet suit. Too bad we haven't been able to use those in a LONG time!

27th: Moorpark, California, getting ready to go back to Utah for Grad school (hence the BYU sweatshirt present)

28th: Orem UT. 7 weeks after you became a Dad!

29th: Orem, UT. Same week you graduated from Business School

30th: Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The one and only time I was able to convince you to let me throw you a big bash! Brinley was still just a bun in the oven.

31st: Maple Grove, Minnesota. Cozy family party followed by a hot date at Granite City Restaurant.

32nd!!: Nashua, New Hampshire. Today and the rest of the weekend are dedicated to you! Happy birthday! Love you babe!

Friday Foto: It's hard being the little sister

Poor Brinley is getting to that age where she wants to do EVERYTHING her big sister is doing but she's still a little too young.

Last week when Teya and I were getting ready to go on our Mommy/Daughter date she was trying to get into the pictures but mean old mom scooted her out.

She gave me a look that went something like this:

Don't worry Brinley, someday you'll get to do big girl things too : )

If you like Samoa Girl Scout Cookies...

Then I bet you'll like this!

(click to enlarge)

Very EASY toasted coconut ice cream Sundae recipe which tastes to me, like a cold and creamy Samoa girl scout cookie.

Just pour about a cup (or however much you want) of shredded coconut (the baking kind) on a cookie sheet and toast it in the oven at about 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, stirring it up occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. You want it to be a tan color.

Meanwhile stick your ice cream on the counter so it can soften up. When the coconut is toasted, dump it onto a plate and let it cool down for a minute. Then make a ball with the ice cream and roll it in the coconut till it's covered. Top with hot fudge, caramel and whipped cream. Heaven in a bowl!!!

American Girl Doll Fashion Show

On Saturday Teya and I got to go on a special Mommy/Daugther date to an American Girl Doll Fashion show. I was originally thinking it would be a nice way to introduce her to the dolls and get her excited about someday getting her own. At the last minute though I realized the show was for girls and their dolls.

I should've just grabbed one of her dolls and called it good, but an irrational part of my brain panicked and thought, "Oh no! If she doesn't have a real American Girl doll she'll feel like a deprived outcast!" (Yeah right, the kid is 4, like she would've known the difference!)

But I wasn't thinking about how a 4 year old would handle the situation. I was thinking about growing up in a family where money was tight and I was one of 5 girls who shared everything. I remember seeing an American Girl doll in one of my mom's magazines and wishing she could be mine. But I didn't even ask. I was smart enough to know that even if my mom could afford one for me, she had 5 daughters, and 5 of those dolls would break the bank!

So, in that moment of emotion I got online, found the perfect American Girl doll for Teya, and ordered it to come by next day shipping. I know my 4 year old daughter who has never seen nor desired an American Girl Doll did not need me to splurge on such a purchase. But I guess I just got caught up in some of those old emotions of my own childhood and thought that somehow buying that for her would make up for me not having one as a kid.

Thankfully Taber was very understanding when I explained why I spent so much money on a doll that Teya didn't even ask for, and Teya was genuinely excited about her new look-a-like friend. She named her "little Teya" and spoke to her like a real person.

The Fashion show ended up being a lot of fun. Not because I bought that doll, but because I got to spend some one on one time with my sweet little girl.

Me, Teya, and little Teya getting ready to go in

The girls posing outside with their dollies

Emerson, Teya, Ali and Ave all fancied up with their dolls

The fashion show featured the main character American Dolls and explained the way clothes have changed for women through out the decades. I love that all the clothes were modest and the stories of the girls were really sweet.

The Mommies: Pam, Becca, Jenn and me

Our table was right near the end of the runway so we had a pretty good view

After the show I asked Teya what her favorite part was. She said, "The cookie with the sprinkles." Glad she was paying attention ; )

At the end of our fun day together I thought back on my silly emotional purchase and realized that there was nothing "deprived" about my childhood.

I didn't always have the nicest things as a kid, but I did have the nicest parents!

Next time I'll remember that my kids don't need me to spend a lot of money on them,

It's the time I spend with them that makes all the difference.

The awesomeness of having a backyard!

After 18 months of living without a backyard, we are taking full advantage of having one now! Last week we had a super sunny and warm day, so we dug out the tent and made ourselves a little hang out in the backyard. The girls dragged blankets, dolls and toys out there to make it comfy, and then we played house and make-believe "go to work."

We also brought out the new bubble wand set that Teya got for her birthday.

Here is another iMovie attempt to capture how much fun they were having back there. My favorite is the little clip at the end where Brinley is bent over the bubble dish screaming with excitement, "BUBBLES! BUBBLES!" I love being able to see little glimpses of the world through their eyes, it really is full of wonder : )

Backyard Bubbles from Rigg Family on Vimeo.

Easter with our East Coast Family

We were so happy to be able to spend Easter with Taber's cousins who live in New Jersey. The timing of my race worked out perfectly with the celebration of our cousin Nancy's 60th birthday. Everyone was getting together at Hal and Betsy's house, so we came too and were able to spend the rest of Saturday with them and enjoy a fun Easter egg hunt and delicious Easter dinner before we left on Sunday.

Taber with his cousins, Nancy Rigg on the left and Betsy Maxwell on the right.

They are his Dad's brother's children.

We were welcomed with loving arms and were made to feel at home right away. Even though we hadn't seen them in over 6 years and they'd never met the kids, it just felt like home. Teya completely accepted them as family and was right at home snuggling up to Nancy and playing like best friends with her second cousin Evan.

We ate lots of great food from Nancy's birthday party and then we got to go color eggs with the kids.

Teya and Evan were peas in a pod, She was especially excited when she found out they have the same last name : )

We tried helping Brinley dye her eggs but she kept saying, " I muhself!! muhself!"

So we let her do it herself.

And shortly after this picture was taken there was green dye everywhere. : )

I loved seeing how at home Teya felt there. At one point she decided to entertain everyone with some original song compositions and interpretive dance. Everyone gave her lots of applause and she ate it up!

Another highlight was the pool that Betsy and Hal recently put in. It wasn't heated yet and the water was cold, but the next day the kids found it pretty hard to resist.

They started by just lounging in front of it.

Soon though their shoes were off and little feet were dipping in.

Then they were actually standing inside it.

And before long everyone was in their swimsuits splashing around, cold water and all : )

Luckily they were able to dry off quickly in the warm sun.

We couldn't have asked for better weather that weekend.

After they were all dry they set out for an Easter egg hunt in the front yard.

Family shot after the egg hunt

We ended with an amazing Easter dinner and then we got on the road for the drive back to New Hampshire.

It's so wonderful to know we have family out here. Even if they are 5 hours away, when the rest of our family lives across the entire country, 5 hours feel pretty close : ) Thank you Betsy and Hal for having us!

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!