100 Things you probably didn't know about Trisha

100 Things you probably didn't know about Trisha

The idea is to write 100 things about yourself. Here goes nothing.... I really hate these tag things, therefore I never do them. I thought that this one could be pretty interesting so here is what I came up with.

1. I was born and raised in Utah. This is the first time that I have ever lived away from home
2. I hate wearing shoes and would prefer to be barefoot at any given time.
3. (even in the Utah winter months with several inches of snow on the ground, you could find me outside, again without SHOES!
4. I have an ice addiction, I chew ice constantly and yes, my iron levels are normal
5. I don't like my teeth. I even went to the extreme and entered a smile makeover contest but was declined because they didn't think my teeth were bad enough I guess.
6.When Kevin graduates from residency we are going to spend our first paycheck on getting porcelain veneers for me. I have always hated my teeth, and can't wait to get a new smile.
6. When I was 16, my dream car was a teal Geo Storm.
(too bad I had to drive around a 78 pea green Buick instead.)
7. I underwent brain surgery for a pituitary tumor 16 months ago
8. I love ear piercings and at one time I had four holes in each ear
9. I am very intuitive
10. Before I found out that I was pregnant, I told Kevin that we were going to have twins.
11. The first time I went to the doctor, I also told them that it was twins.
12. Sure enough, they did an ultrasound and saw two little babies!
13. If I had a lot of money, I would have a fun shoe collection
14.My in-laws have never liked me for some odd reason.
15. I have 3 brothers, and 2 sisters
16. twins don't run in my family but my younger sister was expecting triplets
17. (she was carrying 3 boys but ended up having twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and 2 of the boys did not make it.)
18. I have had over 20 different jobs since the age of 16
19. One of my very favorite jobs was working at Hardee's, (not the Carl's Jr's version of Hardee's but the original Hardee's.)
20. I love my Mom, and talk to her daily on the phone.
21. I miss my Mom terribly, and can't wait for her to come and visit us in a few weeks!
22. I love the feel of walking in sand barefoot
23. I dream of going to Hawaii some day
24. I love being a Mom, it's my true passion
25. I don't know what I would do with boys, my girls are my life!
26. My husband inspires me to be a better person
27. I love that he is so passionate about life
28. Kevin is the love of my life!
29.(even if I can't beat him at Scrabble, so what?)
30. I love the rock music from the 80's
31. I even went to a Def Leppard concert, that was quite the experience
32. Tom Cruise used to be the sexiest man alive until I met Kevin of course
33. My Mom once left me and my brother at a restaurant in Florida while on vacation
32. (she still denies it to this day.)
34. I love the smell of Payless Shoe source
35. I always had short hair as a child, I think secretly my Mom wanted me to be a boy!
36. She claims that I was the one who always cut it, yeah right!
37.I am a beauty school drop out,
38. I didn't have very many hours left to graduate and quit anyway
39. I miss my friends in Utah
40. I love the smell of clean laundry
41. Mornings are not my friend, and I don't like waking up at 5:45 a.m.
42. I recently found out that I am 75% deaf in my right ear
43. (doctor's seem to think that it is a congenital hearing loss)
44. Hopefully I shouldn't need to get a hearing aid
45. Oprah used to be my idol, but now I can't stand her
46. I love the fall weather in Tennessee, it's just the right temperature
47. I love to bake cookies of all kinds
48. Tennessee drivers are the worst drivers I have ever seen
49. I still cry while watching sappy movies
50. My aunt, also named Trish died from breast cancer
51. She was very optimistic and taught me a lot of great life lessons!
52. Tuesday's with Morrie is one of my favorite books
53. I have been craving a shredded pork salad from Cafe Rio
54. The food in Utah is better than the food here
55. I dislike negativity
56. Christmas is my favorite holiday along with Easter
57. I still can't sleep on Christmas Eve
58. I love watching the excitement on my children's faces on Christmas morning
59. I wish that my kids would never grow up and could stay little and innocent forever
60. I haven't spoken with my Dad in over five years
61. I would love to have a Dad but he is not the type of Father I care to have
62. I love thunderstorms
63. I fear death
64. I am not a huge fan of animals
65. Chocolate truly is a girl's best friend
66. I hate cell phones, and rarely carry one with me
67. life before cell phones was perfect
68. I don't know how to send a text message believe it or not
69. I know what I am going to make for dinner every night by about early afternoon
70. It's one of the many things that I stay on top of consistently
71. I recently started wearing high heels and I love them
72. I just don't love trying to stuff my feet into them when my feet are swollen
73. I love when my girls are getting along
74. Sam's club pizza is divine
75. twin pregnancy comments are driving me up the wall
76. I don't give a crap if your mom's, sister's, aunt's, cousins, friends best friend who didn't know she was pregnant or could ever get pregnant had twins.
77. LIFE HAPPENS PEOPLE! and guess what so do TWINS!
78. I love wholesome people, and miss that about Utah
79. I am lining my sister up with Ben Truman, and really hope that it works out
80. I am notorious for sticking my foot in my mouth
81. I miss family potlucks
82. especially, my Mom's rolls, Kevin's families dutch oven food, and my Grandma's potato salad
83. I miss family parties too
84. I love watching my husband succeed
77. He is the best doctor, and goes above and beyond the call of duty.
78. His dedication also inspires me. He has never called in sick to work one day of his life since he started working
79. I believe that life is what you make of it
80. I went deer hunting once and never again
81. I tend to be stubborn
82. It's my Mom's fault, I get it from her!
83. I am not going to miss not having 16 inches or more of snow this year
84. Even after being born and raised in Utah, I don't ski
85. I am scared of heights
86. I wish that I was short
87. I have been 5"10 probably since 5th grade
88. I would love to learn how to play the piano
89. I love Victorian homes
90. I never get tired of playing memory even for the 90th time in a row
91. I just know how excited it makes my little Kelsie
92. One day I will wish that I was back playing Memory with her
instead of chasing off her boyfriends
93. Being frugal is what life is all about
94. I am not a fake person, what you see is what you get
95. I love doing laundry
96. I just don't love putting it away
97. I love the smell of the Abercrombie store
98. I can't wait for my two new little babies to get here
99. That might mean I will be able to walk again free of pain
100. I need a nap now that I have just spent who knows how long trying to think of 100 facts about myself.

I tag Jill, April, Kaylene, Carina, and Kendra

Aren't they cute?

Our babies now officially have names. Twin A is going to be named Leah and twin B is going to be named Audrey. We always knew that if we had another girl that we would name her Leah. I have always loved that name, and it's also the name of my great-grandmother. As for the second name, Kevin and I have been discussing it for quite some time and just could not agree on a name. One night Kevin asked me about the name Audrey and it just seemed to fit. We had a little girl that we taught in nursery named Audrey and she was just the sweetest thing ever. Our families aren't too excited about the name Audrey especially Kevin's Grandma but sorry that's the name folks like it or not.

My doctor's appointment went very well today. I had another ultrasound and both babies are doing well, and are growing rapidly. The girls now weigh almost four pounds each, and I am about 32 weeks along. My doctor seems to think that the babies are going to be large in size when they are born, and things should go as planned for me to have two healthy babies which I am so grateful for. I am hoping to make it to 38 weeks which only gives me about 6 weeks to go. I have so much to do in such a short time so I really need to start getting things ready.

A Mother's worst nightmare

Today I was in a state of panic as Alyssa's school bus pulled up to the driveway at 2:20 p.m. and low and behold there was no Alyssa on that bus. My heart just sank as I thought about all of the things that could have happened to my sweet little girl. I immediately panicked and called her school to find out where she was. They told me that she got on the wrong bus but that she was okay, and that they would get her home shortly. Shortly was an understatement, it was the longest 45 minutes of my life waiting for my blue eyed girl to get off of that bus. I was so unsure of Alyssa riding the bus to school in the first place, and so today's experience sure didn't help any. I trust very few people with my kids, and the school transportation department isn't very high on my list. Okay I'm calm now and things are going to be okay. We will just hope that this doesn't happen again.

Our first visitors

We got some visitors on Friday afternoon who pulled up in our driveway in their RV with Utah license plates. It was Kevin's Grandma and Grandpa Preece. We were so excited to see them, and this weekend was one of the best weekends we have had in a long time. On Friday night we went to eat at the Cracker Barrel, On Saturday Kevin's Grandpa completed my honey-do-list since Kevin isn't around much the list had been getting pretty long. He helped me repair two dressers, and put the banister back on. Talk about a man who can fix anything! We spent Saturday afternoon at Kevin's work party where we enjoyed the best food from Famous Daves, wonderful frozen custard for dessert, and plenty of fun for the kids. It was nice that Kevin's grandparents could also come with us. Later Saturday night we all went to the OpryLand hotel. I didn't want his Grandparents to not be able to see the spectacular hotel. We loved the water show! The weekend ended way too fast and we had to say goodbye this morning as they were headed back to Utah. I already miss them and wish that they could have stayed longer. They are two of the neatest people you could ever meet. His Grandma is like my second Mom. I love them both so much! We can't wait to see them again, and hopefully they will be back soon when the babies are born.

Disney on Ice

We went to Disney on Ice last weekend with our good friends Maya and Chantelle. Maya is Kelsie's best friend. Besides Maya there is only one other little girl at church that is Maya and Kelsie's age. The girls all had a great time watching all of the characters on ice skates. I have always loved Disney on Ice and I think I have been a few dozen times. My favorite part of the whole day was getting a funnel cake. I had never tried one before and it was the tastiest thing I have ever eaten. Maybe I enjoyed it more just because I am pregnant who knows. I went online to see if I could find a recipe for funnel cakes and sure enough I found one. I am going to try to make some so we will see how they turn out. Here is the recipe:
Funnel Cake

Ingredients:

1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

1. Beat egg and milk. Mix all other ingredients and slowly add to the egg mixture, beating until smooth.

2. Using a funnel, drop into hot oil working from center outwards. Remove from the oil when golden brown and crispy.

3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Life is just peachy!

Well I did break the news to Kevin about the car and he wasn't too happy with me but I don't think that he is going to find a new wife. Life has been a little overwhelming at our house this week but things have to start getting better right? Today my cute mom sent me a package and inside were peaches. Not just any peaches but the best peaches that are grown by my cute Grandpa in Perry, Utah.Home of the famous fruitway. My Grandpa is 78 years old and still farms his life away. He is so hard working and you never hear him complain about his work in the orchards. I don't care what anyone says about Georgia peaches being the best, they do not compare at all compared to my Grandpa's peaches. This month in Perry, Utah is peach days because September is the month when the peaches are ripe. I knew that I wouldn't be home to enjoy my peaches with milk so I purchased some peaches at Publix. I couldn't believe that I was actually paying for peaches. Talk about the worst peaches I have ever eaten. Now I get to enjoy a really bowl of peaches with milk. (YUM) I would share some peaches with you but seeing how my mom only sent a few I am going to savor every bite. About a year ago the local paper came and did a cute article about my Grandma and Grandma Valcarce. Here are parts of that article. Thanks Mom for sending me the peaches, you are just PEACHY KEEN!

P.S. The picture is off my Grandpa in his orchard. Notice the glow of those beautiful peaches!

PERRY -- Many people will never have the pleasure of eating a tree-ripened peach so sun-warmed and juicy that it runs down your arm and drips on your shoes, but so sweet that you don't mind the mess.

John Valcarce, a 77-year-old fruit farmer from Brigham City, thinks that's a shame, and he and his wife, Shirley, are doing their best to fix it. By 7 a.m. every day during harvest season, they're out in the orchard picking enough ripened peaches to sell that day at their roadside stand.

"I've been selling here for 45 years," Valcarce said of his tidy red, white and blue fruit stand at 2250 South and U.S. Highway 89. "I guess I ought to put my name on it one of these days."

Even without a sign, loyal customers know where to find him. A woman from Arizona stopped by to pick up 10 boxes on her way back to Scottsdale last Thursday. Valcarce said they've taken orders for people from Alaska, Hawaii and even Georgia, the Peach State.

"We've had some people who have never seen a peach hanging on a tree before" he said. "They like to go in the orchard and pick some."

Most of the time, however, the two septuagenarians do all the picking, pruning, spraying and thinning with some help from their children, grandchildren and a few local teenagers.

"I'll be doing this for as long as I can," Valcarce said, "but that's up to the man above."

Shirley, who is known in the family as the "Peach Queen," remembers that not too long ago, the mountainside above Perry was covered with orchards, and the section of Highway 89 that ran below was lined with mom-and-pop fruit stands just like hers.

This season, only a couple dozen stands are open, subdivisions with names like Cherry Ridge and Orchard Creek have replaced most of the fruit farms, and fewer people than ever will taste a tree-ripened peach.

The Valcarces own 7 acres that they bought about 30 years ago for $21,000. The rest of their orchards are on rented land, but as development continues, landowners are preferring profits over peaches.

"I'll tell you something," Valcarce said. "If someone came in today and offered me $150,000 an acre, I'd sell out."

Valcarce said all his children make more money than he ever did, and while they're happy to help out, none will take the orchards over when he dies.

"It's frustrating, but there's nothing I can do about it," Valcarce said. "I bet in 10 years you won't see any fruit stands here at all."

"There's nothing," he said, "like a fresh, tree-ripened peach."

watch out for that mailbox!

I am so angry with myself right now I could scream! In fact, I am screaming writing this. Today was one of those days when I just needed to stay home and do NOTHING but today was my doctor's appointment so I ventured out. My doctor's appointment went okay. Nothing out of the ordinary except for the fact that I am elephant size and measuring the size of a normal 39 week pregnant woman but no big deal right? That only means that by the time I have these babies I will be two months overdue by the rate I am growing. My whole ride home was just depressing as I was thinking about how large I am, and how I can no longer see my feet or get dressed with out killing myself. I picked up my girls at the babysitters house, loaded them up in the car, and headed down the dreaded driveway where a large metal mailbox stood. I heard a loud crunching sound and knew that my car was badly injured. I immediately got out of the car and stood there in disbelief as I saw the damage. WHY ME? WHY NOW? We are supposed to be selling this car so that we can get something bigger for these babies and now we get to pay to have this car fixed along with all of the other things that we need to buy for these babies. I am so stressed. The worst part is I have no idea how to break the news to Kevin. He has no idea that this happened, and post call days aren't exactly the days to break out the bad news. He might want to find a new wife after this I don't know or at least someone who knows how to drive.

I think I swallowed a watermelon

Okay for the pregnancy record I am HUGE! For fun I measured my belly, and I am 51 inches in diameter. Can you imagine? I really went from looking like I swallowed a basketball to now looking like I swallowed a watermelon. I have never been so round in my life. With my other pregnancies I was more spread out from side to side, and have never had the large round belly sticking out in front. It's getting a little harder to get around, even walking sometimes seems unbearable, but overall things are looking great. I can't believe that I am already 30 weeks along. It seems like yesterday I was just finding out that we were going to be having twins, and now here we are almost at the end.

Random thoughts

So I have had a lot of things weighing heavily on my mind lately, and I can't even begin to imagine myself in either situation. We heard over the weekend that one of the medical students at the University of Utah had a wife who passed away because she chose to take her own life. They have two young children who now will be without a mother. Such a tragedy, I can't even begin to imagine what this young mother was thinking and why she felt that her life was so terrible that she needed to end it. Another situation has to do with my older brother who has chosen to get divorced after nine years of marriage. In this situation, four little children are involved who have no control over what choices their parents have made, and yet they get to be the ones who will suffer the rest of their lives for their parents poor choices. Both of these situations just make me realize the importance of a good marriage, and I have been focusing more on being a better wife to ensure that my marriage will last a lifetime. Kevin went to work yesterday morning at 5:30 a.m. and walked in the door today around 2:00 p.m. He didn't sleep a wink last night so he quickly got something to eat, and went straight upstairs to sleep for a few hours. I couldn't help but sneak in to take a picture of him. For some reason I am obsessed with taking pictures of him while he sleeps, and I have many pictures of him throughout the years. I think the pictures help me to remember how much he sacrifices for our family. What person in his right mind dreams about working 30 hours at a time without sleep just to support his family? I know that Kevin doesn't choose to work his tail off but yet he does it day after day after day. That in itself just makes me love him. To all you ladies out there. LOVE YOUR HUSBANDS! That's the point I am really trying to reiterate here. I am not a relationship expert by any means, but I have learned a lot over the nine years that I have been married. Even if your husband doesn't even love slurpees the way you do that's okay, your marriage can still be excellent. Here are some ways to show your husband that you love him that I thought were really cute ideas.

PLAY A GAME TOGETHER Have fun doing things together such as playing board games, riding bumper boats, or playing miniature golf. Just remember, if he should get the best of you, don't tackle him unless you're laughing!

SHOW APPRECIATION When your husband works hard, or does something for you, let him know you appreciate him.

MAKE YOUR HOME HIS REFUGE Let your home be a haven were your husband can retreat from the stresses of life. Do your best to make it a pleasant environment.

LAUGH AT HIS ANTICS Don't let the little things that your husband does get on your nerves. If you think about it, some of these things may have been what attracted you to him! He just wouldn't be the same if he didn't do these things.

DON'T EXPECT HIM TO READ YOUR MIND If there is something you want your husband to know about you, tell him. Don't expect him to just know what you're thinking or what you need.

PACK HIS FAVORITE TREAT Buy his favorite candy bar or other treat, and pack it in his lunch with a love note.

PUT A SIGN IN YOUR YARD Place a sign in your yard such as, "THE WORLD'S GREATEST HUSBAND LIVES HERE." Let everyone know how special your husband is to you.

BRAG ON HIM IN FRONT OF HIS FRIENDS Men naturally rely on boost in their ego now and then in order to stay confident. Let him hear you tell others about the great things he says and does.

DON'T CRITICIZE HIM IN FRONT OF OTHERS If you feel that your husband needs a bit of constructive criticism, make sure it's just that - constructive. Don't offer it at all unless it's in a loving way, and in private. Being criticized in front of others lowers self esteem and causes hurt feelings.

GREET HIM AT THE DOOR Don't wait for your husband to say, "Honey, I'm home!" Watch for him, and greet him at the door with a hug and kiss.

KEEP YOURSELF ATTRACTIVE It's easy to fall into a "house wife" mode and just walk around in "cleaning clothes" with your hair twisted into a mess. That's OK while your actually cleaning, but try to be more presentable by the time your husband sees you. Bathe, put on clean clothes and a dab of perfume, and set your hair nice.

JUST SAY IT Make it a point to say the words I love you every single day, and mean it.
I am grateful to have such a wonderful husband, and I can't imagine my life without Kevin!!!!

What we did today

Today Kelsie and I went to the Opry Mills mall with some of the girls in our ward. It's a really fun mall, and we found a lot of things that we needed. How can a pregnant woman pass up homemade fudge, and a caramel apple? ( my thoughts exactly) Kelsie loved the fish in the Rainforest Cafe, and she also loved the gigantic catfish in the outdoor shop. It was quite the workout walking around the mall, and it was a good excuse to get out and go shopping.

Backyard fun

Our kids finally have a trampoline, and they are so excited! Even with as hot and humid as it has been here lately, they still spend a majority of their time jumping. It's been nice having something for them to do outside. Our backyard is kind of bare. We are hoping next year to put up a playground or something too but for this year the trampoline will keep them plenty occupied I am sure. Their cute dad spent most of Labor Day putting up the trampoline even after working for part of the day. We still have to add the enclosure part, and level out the trampoline a bit. Trampoline's are a parents worst nightmare aren't they? I remember so many kids getting hurt on our trampoline when we had one growing up. Oh well, it will be worth the memories right?