House O' Sullivans

For the past few years, we've had private health insurance. Back in the day when I was teaching school, we had amazing insurance and it cost me nothing . After I had Sophie and quit my day job (in favor of my current 24-7 job), we signed up for a policy through Select Health at a fairly decent price. Every year, however, they'd raise the rate and we'd have to downgrade to a slightly more generic plan to be able to keep it affordable. Somehow in the years of downgrading, we ended up with a policy that had a separate maternity deductible, so although our yearly family deductible is $1,500, we have a $7,500 maternity deductible. Honestly, who came up with that idea? I didn't even realize that we had a separate maternity deductible until this year. Bummer. After paying nearly $7,000 in premiums this year, we paid another $9,000 to have a baby with no complications, no medications, totally natural birth and the shortest possible hospital stay that we could get away with. ...

As a little girl, I learned quickly that Santa wasn't real--that my parents were the ones that loaded all of those presents around the tree every year.  My mom had made a commitment to always tell us the truth so that we would trust her, so when we asked, she told us the truth about old Mr. Claus. Even so, I remember my sister Kristen and I trying hard to stay awake, listening for the bells of those reindeer, landing on the rooftop. I wanted to believe that it was true. Alas, like my mother before me, I made the same promise to my children--that I would always tell them the truth no matter what. Even so, when "Santa" walked into the ward Christmas party last Saturday, Zeke took off running, arms stretched wide open. I have to admit, this guy (and his wife) were legit. This Santa had a real beard and plump rosy cheeks and eyes that twinkle-- just like the stories. He was a total juxtaposition to the one we'd seen at Walmart earlier in the day--a pathetic excuse ...

Here are a few not to be missed pictures from the past couple of weeks:  WARNING: this first one is a bit graphic Somehow Lindy breached her diaper in an explosive act that literally filled the leg of her sleeper and she has the audacity to stick her little tongue out at me. On Thanksgiving morning, Casey had the kids list some things they are thankful for on index cards. Their cards are treasures and have been hanging on the inside of our front door for the past week:   Zeke's drawing of "Dad, Lindy, Mom and Bear Bear (his comfort item of choice)." I'm liking my sweet hair in his rendition. Zeke's drawing of "a present, a worm, a book, a ladybug, and a Christmas tree" Sophie's list Sophie's addendum. (And we don't even have a cat.) Hallee's drawing of our family along with our two bunnies--Snowball and Niblett--and each kid's comfort item (giraffe, tiger, and bear bear) During December last y...

December 7, 2014. It was probably 60 degrees today. The back of our little brick home is south-facing and absorbs the heat of the sun (and then radiates it), creating an even warmer micro-climate. After church, what else was there to do but spread out some blankets in the backyard, break out the games, pop large amounts of popcorn, and enjoy some quality family time in the December sun making vitamin D. 

Little "Lindy Lou," as the kids lovingly call her, is 7 weeks old today.  Although it feels like I have been inside my house for the last 7 weeks doing nothing but nursing my baby, life goes on.  Here are some pictures of the past few weeks' activities: Zeke learned how to write his name. He's been writing random letters for a long time, but finally he mastered the string of letters that forms his very own name and he is so proud of himself! In October Sophie and Hallee had the chance to go to a Liberty Girls retreat in Lehi.  They spent the day learning about the pioneer era and doing pioneer sorts of activities. Several girls from our chapter went and the girls had a fabulous time. I outdid myself.  I sewed Sophie a long skirt and an apron just for the occasion. I made Hallee's skirt out of an old sheet.  She selected that fabric. Not very pioneery, but very Hallee. Zeke with little Lindy.  Looks like he's imitating her pretty well. ...

I started this blog post a while ago, but as I always tell people, when I have a new baby I go underground for a while and so it never got written and posted.  It's a good kind of underground though--the kind of underground where I stay close to the house and figure out how our family will work with one more little person and how I can fit 12 hours (so it seems) of nursing into my daily schedule. Stuff like that.  Newborn babies bring a kind of stillness to a family.  We've slowed down and centered ourselves within the walls of our house, giving us all time to contemplate and love our new little girl, Lindy. The kids, releasing their Painted Lady butterflies, a day or so before we had Lindy. My voluminous self, before the long-awaited arrival of #4.   So on the evening of October 10th (a Friday), Casey employed some acupressure points on my feet and ankles that are fabled for moving pregnant ladies into labor.  My sister Mary told me all about h...