Sometimes he really does surprise me...

Last week Ammon and I watched the movie 'Fireproof.' It was incredible. It made us really look at our marriage and it gave us more of a drive to try harder. So for Valentine's Day, I got a package. It was flowers delivered with a vase. In my crochet box, there was a large heart shaped box of chocolate and a pearl necklace, bracelet and earring set that I had been wanting for quite some time but would never buy.
I was at a loss however, because I couldn't think of anything to get Ammon that would mean as much to him as doing all that did to me. So, I talked to a friend, and she suggested a candlelight dinner with all his favorite foods. I rushed out to the store, kids in tow, and bought what I needed. While we were there, Aidan asked if he would be at the candlelight dinner too and I told him yes, since he would be at the house. After a while, he came to me and said, "How about Ryan and I just eat a regular dinner in the other room." Alright, any particular reason? "Well, I don't want to ruin your dinner, with Ryan crying and stuff, so we'll leave you too alone." I was shocked. Ryan does cry every night at dinner because he hates dinner and doesn't see why he should have to eat meals rather than graze on snacks and chocolate milk. But the fact that Aidan wanted us to have a nice dinner without the chaos that typically accompanies mealtime in our home was very touching.
And for the kicker. During the dinner, I found out that Ammon bought everything for me over two weeks ago. The movie had nothing to do with it. I felt very loved and special. I'm incredibly blessed.

Eight Years and Counting...

As of February 2nd, Ammon and I have been married for eight years. On one hand that seems like a very long time and on the other I can't believe it's been that long. In that time we have moved 3 times, had 3 children and had 3 jobs, plus part time National Guard. We bought our first house and have seen our oldest child start school. In that time we've also learned that kids change how you view the entire world, including your spouse. We've learned that housework is not all the wife's responsibility. Ammon is a speed demon at folding and putting away laundry...except socks. He won't ever sort socks, so I do that and he does the rest. And just as we've learned that sometimes men do housework, sometimes women have to take the boys fishing. Yes, I fish. Ammon does not. He did agree to take the kids one day with some friends of ours and when one of them caught a fish, he said, "O.K. honey." It took me a minute to realize that he needed me to take the fish off the hook because it just feels too gross. Yes, he'll stick his hand down a toilet, but won't touch a fish. And so I fish, he does laundry. Yet another lesson learned is that no one person should ever be in charge of the family finances. That's a team effort. We started out with me doing it all, then I handed it off to Ammon after Ryan was born. This year we learned that budgeting together is not only sensible from a financial standpoint, but it is good for the relationship. It keeps us on the same page and no one has to wonder if an impromptu purchase is going to cause a crisis or a fight. We both know ahead of time how much we are working with. We also talk about things we'd like to save up for and that opens the door for many surprising and wonderful conversations. Last, but certainly not least, our roles as parents have drawn us closer as a couple and made us put life into a much larger perspective. We are always changing and growing alongside our kids as they go through each new phase of life. That creates a very strong bond between a couple, one that we plan to keep intact eternally.

Christmas Day...

Well, Christmas Day is here! Ammon and I stayed up until past 4am so I could finish putting the edging on Mara's blanket. It turned out very well if I do say so myself, but morning sure came early. Last night, Santa made his traditional visit and gave each kid a treat. The boys were precious with it as they stayed completely still and never made a peep. They wanted Santa to think they were asleep. Mara wasn't so sure about the whole deal, but as long as Mommy was holding her, she was fine. As soon as Santa left, Mommy turned on the lights and Ryan said, "See Mommy, I told you there was a Santa!" He couldn't have smiled any bigger if he tried. Aidan ran downstairs to find Daddy....just to be sure it wasn't him. When he found Daddy downstairs, he seemed totally convinced that Santa had in fact visited him. This morning, they got up and opened their gifts. Ryan got a Wall-E outfit, a Wall-E toy and the Wall-E DVD as well as an MP3 player so he will leave Daddy's alone. Aidan got an MP3 player, a Scooby Doo Board game and a collection of old cartoons on DVD. Mara got a little drum that plays music and lights up as well as a little elephant that makes noise and vibrates all over the floor. Grandma woke up very sick this morning, so Christmas dinner has been rescheduled for Saturday. We've never been home for a Christmas dinner before, but seeing as how it wasn't planned, we will probably just have leftovers. But this way we still get to stretch out the Christmas season a little. Maybe we'll even get snow between now and Saturday. That would be nice. The season always go by too quickly for me.

2008 Year in Review...

Dear Family and Friends,
We hope this letter finds you safe and well. Things at our house run much the same from day to day but since many of you are far away, here's an update on our family. We had a lot of "firsts" and sweet memories this year. Mara Noelle joined our family in December, 2007. Every day since has been filled with more joy and love than we ever thought possible. In June, she learned to crawl and began cutting teeth. She said her first word in August, which was, "hi." She has since added, "Aidan, mama, dada, kitty, dog, yes and this." She points at what she wants and says,"this?" She is a big head nodder. When you ask her questions, she typically nods her head and says, "yes." If the answer is no, she simply turns away or throws whatever you offer her on the floor. She is small for her age at only seventeen pounds and 25 inches. That's alright with us though as we love having a cuddly little baby around. She does not walk yet, so her petite size makes Mommy's life a little easier. What Mara lacks in size, she makes up in personality. We frequently find her chasing the cat around. She adores Pizza Kitty. She also loves our dog, Toast, though he is sometimes too rough for her. Nothing really gets Mara down for long. She is relatively quiet and content almost all of the time...as long as Mommy is around. She is Mommy's baby for sure.

Aidan is moving right along in school. He's now in the first grade and is doing very well. We cannot spell things out in front of him anymore as he can read and spell now. He likes school and is very social. This year Aidan also started Cub Scouts. He is a Tiger Cub and Daddy is the Den Leader. They have a great time going to Scouts every week. He will be getting his Bobcat badge at pack meeting this month. Aidan typically stays with his Uncle Tom after family get togethers in Indiana. After Thanksgiving, he learned that he loves ginger ale...so he drank an entire pack of it. Yes, uncles are much more fun than parents. He is going back over Spring Break and can hardly wait. Aidan absolutely adores his baby sister. He always wants her to come in to his school so he can show her to his classmates. When we went in for the Harvest Party, Mommy was passing out juice boxes and noticed the stroller was empty. As she looked around, she saw Aidan sitting at his desk with Mara on his lap, feeding her cookies. The look of pride on his face was unmistakable. They have a very special bond. Aidan's goal in life is now to be a daddy.

Ryan is much more introverted, but is coming out of his shell a lot more lately. He likes to help Mommy cook, especially if it's macaroni and cheese, eggs or grilled cheese. Those items and chocolate milk are the staples of Ryan's diet. He loves to make speeches to himself in the mirror. He also loves to play with his shadow. He puts on little shows for himself with a mirror or with his shadow on the dining room wall. His imagination is precious. He loves to play the Wii with the family and is also pretty good at UNO when he feels like playing by the rules. He also absolutely loves going to Scouts with Aidan and Daddy every week. He's not old enough to be an official member of the den, but that doesn't stop him. He currently wants to be a fire fighter and a world traveler when he grows up. This year, he had a part in the Primary Program at church. He was supposed to say what he liked to do with his family. We practiced at home and he said that he liked to go on a hike with his family. Well, when the day of the program came, he stood up at the microphone and said, "Well, I like to have grilled cheese and a snack with my family." The funny part was that he was not shy in the slightest.

Ammon is still working for Bonbright but is now delivering in the Oxford area. It's a lot of driving but it's certainly a better neighborhood than he was in before. He seems to really enjoy being Aidan's den leader for Cub Scouts. They went caroling last week at the VA nursing home and next week they will be going to Brookhaven nursing home to carol and hand out cards before the Pack Meeting/Christmas party. For the last couple of years, he's been doing odd jobs on the side, particularly plumbing jobs. He's got quite the customer base these days and word of mouth is the best advertising. He loves to play the XBox 360 online with his friends. They're currently into Call of Duty World at War, so if any of you play, look up dragonfaris.

I am enjoying staying at home with the kids, though it can sometimes be overwhelming. The school levy passed this year so bussing will be reinstated on December 23...just in time for Christmas break. That will be a big relief since Aidan has had to be dropped off and picked up every day for the last 2 years. It will be nice to let Ryan and Mara sleep and just get Aidan out the door to the bus stop. This winter or spring, I plan to go back to school. I plan to finish my teaching degree. It may take awhile to finish as I'm not able to go full time, but the end result will be worth the effort. I'm also starting back to cello lessons with my old teacher, Linda Katz. This is very exciting for me as I miss playing. My goal is to get back into musical shape and then audition for the Miami Valley Orchestra. We'll see how that goes. I'm still incredibly nervous when it comes to things like auditions, but after having kids I am confident that I have endured greater public humiliation than a missed note.

In October, we welcomed a new member to our family. His name is Toast. We adopted him from the animal shelter and he is quite a charmer. Of course, he chews up anything he can get his mouth on and can be a bit of a pest, but he livens things up a lot. He insists that Pizza the cat should play with him. Pizza is not amused. Toast has an aversion to climbing more than 4 steps, however, so if Pizza can just make it past the landing and onto the staircase, he's safe. At the end of the day Pizza does get his revenge. Toast is put in his cage for the night and Pizza gets to go upstairs and sleep in the bed with Mommy. You can see the expression on his face change from aprehension to smugness as he sees Toast go into the cage at night.

Now that you're up to speed on things around here, tell us about yourselves. We hope that your Holidays are peaceful and memorable. We wish you joy and happiness in the new year.

Love always,
Ammon, Michelle, Aidan, Ryan, Mara, Pizza and Toast

Just an update...

Well, the summer flew by and Aidan has once again started school. He is in the first grade this year and he really enjoys it. This year he is allowed to buy extras in the lunch line and is allowed to check out 3 library books per week. Yes, he's moving up in the world. When we went for Open House, it was quite interesting to see him walking down the crowded hallways and stopping to talk with practically every kid there. He is quite popular, we only hope it is for good things. Over the summer Aidan took a pencil box and put a picture from one of his school parties, two of Mara's newborn baby shoes, a picture of Mara when he brought her in to "share" with his class, and a feather he found somewhere. He told me that he put those things in there so he would always remember. He is very attached to his baby sister, which is a bit surprising for a nearly seven year-old boy. She definately loves and admires him too. Tomorrow night Aidan will be going to his first cub scout meeting. He is very excited. Daddy seems pretty excited as well.


Ryan spent the summer perfecting his potty training. His timing and accuracy have greatly improved, although Mommy knows better than to sit down without checking the seat. He is very interested in dinosaurs. He is also trying to tell jokes. The latest is, "Why did the chicken cross the playground?" "To get to the other SLIDE!" Ryan also is pretty smitten with his baby sister, although he tends to be less than gentle with her. His prayers are also quite interesting. Today he prayed that he would be cool. He's a nut but we love him.



Mara is nine months old. I can hardly believe it. She is the ultimate "Mommy's girl." It is so wonderful to be adored by someone! LOL. She's relatively small for her age, which is kind of nice. She still fits perfectly in my arms and that does my heart good. She is 17lbs and she is 26 inches long. She may be small, but she eats well. She is all about the food. If anyone gets anything to eat, she will try to steal it. She gives the phrase "biting off more than you can chew" a literal meaning sometimes. She has two bottom teeth, crawls like a speed racer, pulls up on things and has said her first word. Was it 'mama'? No. Was it 'dada'? Guess again. It was, "Hi." And she waves when she says it. All the time now we hear that high pitched cute little baby voice saying "hi" while waving with one or both hands. She is definitely a Tolman baby with her daddy's blue eyes, no doubt about it. I can't believe how much she's blessed our family.



Ammon had a slow summer since he is now delivering in a college town. However, things picked up at the end of August so things are looking nice. He's recently been called to be the Branch Clerk which has him going in early to church and staying after, but it's going well. Recently, his XBox 360 had an issue and had to be sent back for repair. That was a sad day indeed, but now that it's back, safe and sound, he is able to rest peacefully. Ammon had the idea of going out to the State and Metro parks on the weekends as a family. We've had so much fun enjoying nature and have some really great pictures. It's so nice to spend time as a family outside, away from the tv.

As for me, still living the life of a SAHM. Still 1st counselor in the RS presidency. I've been canning tomatoes for a week now. I am sure that when I go out tomorrow, I will get enough tomatoes for another batch. It is not unusual for me to pick about 45lbs of roma tomatoes in one day. We did not plant all these tomatoes, most of them were volunteers but I felt bad about pulling them up, so I let them grow. Now, I feel bad about letting so many tomatoes go to waste, so I am canning. I hope to be able to get a bushel of apples and make some more apple butter and applesauce. I may be getting ahead of myself though, so we'll see what happens. A few weeks ago I completed my hunter education classes and passed my test with a 100% I am now able to purchase my first hunting license. I haven't decided if I'm actually going out this fall/winter as there are a lot of things I need to get and don't want to break the bank but we'll see. One of my instructors sent me the information about the Ohio chapter of Women in the Outdoors. I plan to subscribe to the magazine and attend some workshops to build my proficiency. Ammon is very supportive of all this and has even offered to take time off and keep the kids while I go to workshops. He's a good husband, though I probably don't tell him that enough. All in all, I'm a very blessed woman.

He's cool...

So yesterday Ryan decided that the blue shorts and purple shirt wouldn't be complete without a backward Mickey Mouse hat and a pair of water shoes. I asked him, "Are you being cool?" He responded, "Yeah, I cool, and the girls gonna love me." So it begins I guess.

Cool photo montage

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Today's random topic: Describe a typical day in your teen years

A typical day in high school would have began around 5:15am. I hated that alarm clock. My brother, Justin, and I had 30 minutes to get ready and out the door. Now, back in my teenage years, my hair took at least 30 minutes to do, and so I would make sure it was the way I wanted it and then grab my make-up bag and bring it with me. At around 5:45, we left the house and my father drove us 30 minutes north to Greenville where we would attend early morning seminary. Now remember the make-up? I would put it on in the car on the way to the church using the headlights of oncoming cars to see what I was doing. It's a wonder I didn't go to school looking like a clown, but it actually turned out quite well. Of course, at the time I didn't think so, but I digress. Once we arrived at seminary Dad dropped Justin and me off and drove on to West Milton to go to work. We began seminary with a hymn and a prayer, followed by about an hour lesson, then a closing prayer. From there, our teacher -Jim Bailey- drove the Greenville kids about a half-mile to their school and then drove Justin and me back down to Arcanum on his way back home to Phillipsburg. Yes, lots of driving. But there was a special perk to coming from farther away. Brother Bailey took Justin and me out to breakfast every morning before school. The rest of the class got to go every Friday, but just Justin and me went throughout the week. I tried to leave money in his car once since he insisted on paying for us, but he found it and gave it back to me. We got to know him and his views on lots of different things and we always knew that we could come to him with any gospel question or really anything and he would always know exactly what to say.

Once we arrived at school, we went our separate ways. We had seven class periods and of course, lunch. My favorite subjects were English and Spanish. I loathed algebra. After school, I would ride the bus home. Kindergarten through 12th grade all rode the same bus, so it was kind of a long ride with lots of backroad stops, but truthfully, I didn't really mind it. I liked to relax and look out the window as well as visit with my friend, Sherry.

When we got home, Mom was typically there to ask about our days and usually had some cookies or brownies made for us to eat. Our dog, Patches, would greet us and insist we pet her profusely. We'd sit down and eat whatever goodies Mom had made with big glasses of cold milk and sometimes watch a little television, all while Patches begged. One ear up and one ear down, her standard begging pose. Then it was on to homework if we had any. Around 6pm was dinner which was almost always meat and potatoes with some kind of vegetable side dish and milk. Lots of milk. We also always had bread, butter and jelly on the table. After dinner was chore time. We rotated the chores. There were 3 of us that were old enough for chores so we rotated between doing the dishes, taking out the trash, and feeding the dog. No one liked the dishes job, especially if there was a cast-iron skillet or the broiler pan to be washed, but we all had to do it. After the chores were done, we had time for television, reading or in my case, hiding away in my room with the radio turned up, dancing around in my own world. Then it was time for family scripture reading and family prayer and we went off for showers/baths and off to bed. We were all supposed to be in bed around 9:30pm but that didn't always happen. And then it would start all over again at 5:15am the next day...did I mention I hated that alarm?

This schedule may seem extreme to some, and my homelife may seem old-fashioned. I didn't always enjoy the early mornings or the "boring" family stuff but in hindsight I see where it has benefited me in my adult life and made me who I am today. So there it is. A day in the life of teenage Michelle. Feel free to comment and share how things were for you as a teen.

Until next time...