Mayhem, Musings, and Misadventures...

Discovering what we're made of: The refiner's fire

2011-01-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

I have a couple of friends who are on my mind a lot lately. They’re battling with some of the hard realities of life and wondering why things must be so difficult for them all the time. I know they are not alone in these thoughts. I have them myself on occasion.

Listening to them voice their concerns and feeling somewhat helpless to lift their burdens, I’ve had cause to reflect on my own feelings about trials and why some people can just never seem to catch a break from them.

For many, the first tendency when things get tough is to question God. If He has the power to remove our burdens from us, why would He not, especially if He loves us? How can He sit back and watch us suffer?

Whenever I try to understand why God, our Heavenly Father, deals with us the way He does, I shift my thinking into parent mode. I have children and I love them. We are Heavenly Father’s children, and He loves us. When I make that connection and recognize that His methods and motives are often similar to mine, I understand more clearly why God has to allow me to struggle at times.

The first and possibly most important reason is a little thing called agency. We are told in the scriptures that we are agents unto ourselves. Some of the suffering we endure in this life happens through no fault of our own. But often, our struggles come as a direct or indirect result of our actions and/or poor choices. Other times, we suffer at the hands of others, again through no fault of our own. There are wicked people in the world who would offend, steal, cheat, lie, and even inflict bodily harm or death. We have no control over their actions but can be very negatively impacted by them nevertheless.

Each of God’s children has the gift and blessing of agency. I have it. You have it. The guy on death row has it. We would think God to be unfair if He allowed others to keep their agency but took ours away. Along those lines, we cannot expect Him to remove others' agency from them while letting us keep ours. That agency is among the greatest of God’s gift to His children. It is part of what makes us all unique and allows us to grow, learn, and progress at our own individual paces. Without it, we would have no power to act, but only to be acted upon.

Another reason He allows us to struggle is to strengthen and refine us. In the book of Isaiah, the Lord speaks to Israel saying:

Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. (Isaiah 48:10)

Shifting again into parent mode, let’s think about how we raise our own children. Do we hand them everything on a silver platter? When Suzie is having trouble with her math homework, do we send a note to the teacher explaining that the work is just too hard and Suzie won’t be doing it? When Johnny is being teased by someone at school, do we show up at school wearing boxing gloves and beat the snot out of his nemesis? Of course not. We love our children and often have to talk ourselves out of “saving” them in these ways, but we know that ultimately when they learn to do the work and struggle through the hard times, doing so makes them stronger and arms them with knowledge and experience to deal with life’s future challenges.

As a mother, there are times that I would do anything to take away the suffering of one of my children. Many times, it would be quite feasible for me to do so. But, for their own good, I have to let them go through the refiner’s fire and come out stronger on the other side. Evading trials is simply not an option for us in this life. We will all have them and they are ours for a reason.

My most favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon is in the book of Ether, chapter 12:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them theirweakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

God is our loving Father. He knows each of us as individuals, just as we know our own children. When we face adversity, we may wonder why He lets us go through the things we do. I submit that it is because He knows that we can handle what He gives us. Would you force your severely asthmatic daughter to climb up the side of a 12,000 foot mountain? Probably not. But what about your healthy teenaged boy who is perfectly capable but lazy and unwilling? He would complain, he would sweat, he would have to stop and rest many times along the trail. He would beg you to relieve him of the burden. But you would likely push him along--suffering and all--until he reached the top, because you know what it would do for his mental and physical health. You would do both—shielding one child from hardship and forcing it on the other—because you love them. To completely shelter our children from difficulty is to do them the worst possible disservice. The Lord knows this and builds us up through trials by allowing us to learn from our suffering. Without this refining process, mankind would be overrun by the Paris Hiltons and Kim Kardashians of the world. Just as we want our children to be people of character rather than pampered brats, our loving Father wants more and has more in store for us. He helps us attain it by giving to us individual weaknesses. He already knows what we can handle and what we can do, but ultimately leaves it to us to discover what we are capable of with His help.

None of us is without weakness. As the scripture states, it is our weakness that creates humility in us and compels us to seek the Lord’s help. When we do that, and ONLY when we do that, He promises to make those weaknesses our strengths. But that strength does not come to us without effort and learning on our parts. He will not take our trials from us, but He WILL help us carry the load if we let Him. That is His promise to us.

Hallie's Big 1-1

2011-01-05T03:27:00.000-08:00

11 years ago today, the doctors cut my tummy open and out popped a wrinkly, slimy, skinny little alien creature who would eventually be known as Hallie Elizabeth Reynolds. It was the day I became a mother for the first time. My little Hallie has been a joy and a source of entertainment to me ever since. I wish I had some baby pics of her to post here, but I don't. I didn't discover the wonder of digital until she got a little older. :( You'll just have to trust me when I say she was the cutest little blonde-headed baby girl ever.

Drama, anyone?

No, she didn't join a cult. She's a Christmas angel.

Such an awesome big sister. Her baby brothers love her.

Baptism day.

REEEALLY excited about her birthday gift.

Before she learned the importance of proper dental hygiene.

Dorothy all hopped up on Halloween candy.

Back off, boys.

A snowflake in The Nutcracker.

Abs courtesy of mac n cheese, graham crackers, and unfortunate genetics.

What can we say? She enjoys turkey.

One of my faves.

Hey, even princesses have to pee now and then.

Happy birthday, my first born. I love you for the kind, fun-loving, outgoing, adventurous, thoughtful, helpful, beautiful little girl you are and have always been. I hope you have a perfect day!

Love, Mom

In the Spirit

2010-10-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Our annual tradition since moving to Utah is visiting the Spirit Halloween store some time in October. We're the annoying family of five who spends an hour-and-a-half in the store going around touching all the displays with the "Please do not touch display" signs, taking pictures of ourselves with all the scary characters, then spending less than $10 when all is said and done.

Yup, the Spirit Halloween employees LOOOOVE us.

It's just not Halloween without two-headed babies, don't you agree?

And...here's what Livvi's been up to. I've got to get this kid a new hobby.

2010-10-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

We had a near perfect day yesterday. For you locals, if you have not been to Wheeler Farm, I highly recommend you get your family there before the weather turns cold. What a beautiful place. Animals, corn maze, pumpkins, wagon rides, duck pond, creek...just a wonderful setting for walking around and enjoying nature and the gorgeous, crisp fall weather. Not sold yet? Check out these happy faces:

There's a reason that bunny was hiding in the corner.

This is my most favoritest chicken EVER. Look at this thing! At first I felt sorry for her because she looks like she's been picked on (literally and figuratively) A LOT. But as I watched, it seemed SHE was the big bully of the coop. Constantly going around and annoying the others and trying to start fights. I'm in love with her and her beautiful pesky featherlessness.

...anybody remember Fire Marshall Bill from the old In Living Color days? That's who I immediately thought of when I saw this chicken. Quite the uncanny resemblance, no?

28,000 words or so

2010-10-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

I've got a lot of words for you today. You know, since pictures are worth, like, a thousand each?

Lunch at Peteetneet. Windy as heck!

...then on to the new splash pad. Did I mention windy as heck?

The newest decorative gargoyle at the temple grounds

Playing with fire WELL after the fourth of July

Emma and Lucas sharing some cousin germs

Onion days in Payson. This ride was as brave as Ben got, but...

...Lucas wanted to ride this. And he did. The kid is about two feet tall, so this was interesting. Looked like he was going to pass out or puke or both the entire time. Luckily, he did neither.

I think this pepper's parents were related.

Scaring...uh...playing with the ducks.

The undead can be so juvenile sometimes

Wouldn't be a white trash hoedown without a tire swing...

...and a girl holding a chicken

Emily came to visit me. I heart her. That is all.

More white trash hoedown fun.

Now THAT's a sunset, baby.

Fall picnic in Payson Canyon. I heart Utah in autumn. That is all.

Have you seen six bluer eyeballs in your LIFE? Me neither.

You may notice I'm missing an inmate...er...child.

She was grounded from all things fun on this particular outing. Poor girl.

He REEEALLY had to go, OK? And I REEEALLY had to take a picture, OK?

Beautiful view of Utah Lake from the temple grounds at sunset.

No, I have NOT lost my ever loving mind. These were loaners. The puppies, not the animals holding them. I admit, they're cute. But they've gone back from whence they came. Nope, not sad.

THIS, however, is NOT a loaner. She's all ours. Yup, sad.

We've Been B-U-S-Y

2010-08-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

I spend six weeks with no kids and have nothing to post about. Suddenly, they're home, and there's PLENTY going on, but NO TIME to blog about it! Sorry for all the sleep I know you've been losing over that. You can read through this post and consider yourself caught up. You're welcome.

Kids came home two weeks ago today.

Livvi's baptism was the very next morning. Craziness! Her uncle Jerry baptized her. I love this picture.

After the baptism, it was time to PAR-TAY! Thanks to the loaner from my sweet friend, we were able to have all the neighborhood kids over to play on this inflatable water slide. They had a blast! Good times.

Yet another picture of Jerry with food in his mouth.

Livvi opens her presents while uncle Jim tries to get out of the way of the camera. Nice try, Uncle Jim.

Only Hallie would feel the need to accessorize for a water party.

I've been in love with the Utah sky lately.

Some cute faces.

Little men in tights.

Bowling night with the fam. Sorry 'bout the blurry pics.

Not sure what kind of face this is.

Pretty much how every Monday evening family night ends up.

Feel the love, people. Feel the love.

SUPER fun day at the Payson Pool. Mommy had fun, too!

On tap tomorrow: School shopping! I can tell you right now there will be NO photos of this little adventure. Four kids, crowded stores, major meltdowns...not something I care to commemorate in pictures. You'll just have to use your imagination.

My baby girl is eight!

2010-07-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago today, a beautiful little girl was born at exactly the right time on exactly the right day (long story). My little Livvi is a most unique little spirit and I'm so thankful for her. In honor of her turning eight, here is my list of the top eight reasons I love my little Livvi:

1. That face...OH, that face!

2. She is smarter than most eight year olds I know (sorry, you other mothers of eight year olds). Actually, she's smarter than a lot of adults I know. Keep in mind that I work with university professors.

3. She makes me laugh on a very regular basis. The kid isn't just funny. She's got wit.

4. She's cuddly. She is always willing to give me hugs and kisses and snuggle with me.

5. She is a great big sister. She has a special bond with her baby brother Lucas.

6. She is loved by everyone who knows her. School teachers, friends, friends' moms, church teachers, aunties, uncles, grandparents...Livvi is just lovable.

7. She has a knack for the booty dance. Baby got back!

8. I love her writing. She writes the most random little poems and stories (complete with pictures) that never cease to bring a smile to my face.

Happy birthday, sweet Livvi! I miss you and can't wait for you to come home so we can party!

BAD blogger! BAD!

2010-07-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

The last month or so leading up to my kids leaving for Washington (sniff, sniff) has been jam packed with...well...I have NO idea. I've been busy, OK?? But now that they're gone, I have more free time than a hot dog vendor at a supermodel convention, so it's time to catch up. As always, here's the pictorial version of what we've been up to:

My little Ben graduated from Kindergarten. Love his cute teacher. She's the best!

Took the back road to aunt Beffie's house one night and ended up in the middle of a cattle drive. Never done THAT before.

Look at the babies!

Grabbed some carrots and stopped to feed the horses.

No idea. Really.

Lucas' 4th birthday. I think everyone in my family has pictures in our files with uncle Jerry in the background like this.

Fun day out for Lucas' bday--Pizza, video games, indoor black light mini golf. Good times!

Off to the Discovery Children's Museum. What a fun place! It was the middle of June and cold and raining. My kids were freezing here!

This was taken about 8 seconds before he fell out of this loft and hurt himself. Typical.

My little future Katie Courics.

These are the happy faces of two boys who got to sit inside a real helicopter.

Simulated sand.

Ok, so as we went through the museum, I was thinking how uncharacteristically stress free and fun this outing had been. It was a great place to take the kids and let them run around and BE KIDS without worrying about them disturbing others or getting into trouble. They are ENCOURAGED to get into trouble at this place. Loved it! BUT...

Ya know the old saying, "I spoke too soon?" Well, apparently it's entirely possible to THINK too soon. As we were making the long trek back to the car, Lucas insisted we go for a gratuitous ride on the escalator--the one we were walking past but did NOT need to ride on. I figured, why not? Why not indeed. On the way up, Ben was dancing around on the steps with his usual Pinocchio-ish grace, when SMACK! Down he went, shin first into those ugly, evil, metal tooth-like...uh...teeth...that stick out at the edge of escalator steps. All I remember is I saw A LOT of blood and a little bone. So I carried a screaming, bleeding boy like a wounded soldier back to the car...in the rain...with three wet, whiny kids trailing behind.

We survived. But it's still Kids-999, Mommy-0 on the record books for stress free outings.

All that bleeding Ben did really wore Lucas out.

Our trip to St. George. We had lots of fun things planned. Swimming, Toy Story 3, family fun center, temple grounds, splash pad and water play area downtown....well...

As you can see, we did manage to get in some swimming (no pics) and the fun center, but halfway through our trip, mommy got sick in a big way. I was down for the count. So these sweet, good little kids just quietly hung out in the hotel room while mommy was either glued to the bed on her back, or crawling to the bathroom. No, REALLY, they WERE good and sweet. No sarcasm there.

I said they were good. Didn't say they didn't get bored enough to do weird things with their body parts.

When you miss going to Toy Story 3 because your mommy is throwing up her lunch...and her breakfast...and possibly a small town...you find other ways to have fun with the 3D glasses you didn't get to use.

Family get together at the park on Flag Day. Cute kids. I sure do miss 'em. Sniff, sniff...

My Baby's Not a Baby

2010-05-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

This darling little creature (the one I plan to call my baby forever and turn into the most obnoxious mama's boy EVER) turns four today. Seems like it was just yesterday that I drove to the hospital, got my epidural, and had the easiest four hours of labor in the history of womankind (and you were expecting a horror story). I do remember that as he was making his entrance, the doctor exclaimed, "Wow! Look at all that dark hair!" I assured the doctor he had his birth canals mixed up because nothing with dark hair has ever exited my womb. But sure enough, he had a head full of dark hair, and he's been different from his siblings in many other ways ever since!

He's grown up and changed so much in the last couple of years. He's gone from a kid who wanted nothing to do with people or eye contact or kissing or hugging or being nice...to a kid who gets tossed off my lap because he won't STOP hugging and kissing me! He's got one heck of a naughty streak, but all in all, he's such a good, happy, precious boy and I love him to bits.

His hair is wet because he was in the bath, not from playing in the toilet.

A friend who's never met Lucas took one look at this pic once and said, "Wow, you're gonna be visiting that kid on the weekends." Yup, he's a thug.

One of my all time favorite pictures. Lucas protesting being forced to play the "baby" Jesus at our family Christmas gathering. Oh, dear.

Happy birthday, Tiny Lucas! Your family loves you and is so glad you joined us! It's been an adventure from day one.

Here Comes the Sun, Little Darlins

2010-05-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely, our weather has been warming up. Today was absolutely perfect, so we took a drive and ended up somewhere we've never been before. We found the most perfect little spot for a picnic on a blanket, right next to the SF River. It was a little piece of heaven on earth.

I don't think she's really asleep, do you?

Right after I took this cute little group shot and we were walking along the river, a snake crossed my flip-flop-footed path. EEEK! I HATE snakes!

Here we have Hal demonstrating the improper usage of playground equipment.

Write your own caption for this one.

This was our family night at the park last week. My kids are always looking for new ways to torment ducks.

Last weekend's trip to Gardner Village. Can't go to GV without doing the pony rides.

I had to take a picture of this. This funny little baby goat was dancing on this sleeping pig. The pig never even flinched. My kids got a huge kick out of this.

Liv doing her impression of a llama. He was glaring at her. Pretty sure he was about to spit.

It was a great day for a trip to GV. We had a marvelous time, until we didn't (referencing kids starting to melt down and throw fits, signalling it was time to go)

Look Who's Turning 34-ish!

2010-05-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

In honor of my dear friend Jonathan, whose birthday is today, and who wants to be turning 34, the following is my list of 34 reasons I love and adore this birthday boy.

1. He likes road trips.
2. He smells really really good.
3. He doesn't put up with my nonsense.
4. Sometimes he puts up with my nonsense.
5. He is one of the kindest people I know.
6. He likes me even though I'm a racist.
7. He is the best daddy to his kids. EVER.
8. The baby browns are to die for.
9. He's one of those sexy geeks.
10. He's helped me fix my computer more times than I can count.
11. He's helped me fix my attitude more times than I can count.
12. He can ride his bike really really far.
13. He can do P90X yoga.
14. His thighs are granite-like.
15. He shares Double Stuf Oreos and an ice cold glass of milk with me whenever I see him.
16. He's done this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YKZKN_Te7M and says I should do it, too.
17. He gives good hugs.
18. and even better forehead kisses.
19. He convinces me I can do things when I've convinced myself I can't
20. He looks divine in a suit
21. He let me drive the hot red Camaro (oh no, wait, that was the Saturn). Dang.
22. He showed me around Chicago (and we had so much fun!)
23. He hiked with me and made me go farther than I wanted to
24. He loves The Office.
25. He watches it with me.
26. He runs on common sense when all I'm running on is hormones and emotion.
27. He is amazingly patient
28. He never yells (at me), but I'm pretty sure he wants to sometimes
29. He wants to be a ski bum some day
30. He's as genuine and straightforward as they come
31. He always does the right thing, even when it sucks big time
32. He's a hard worker
33. He's honest
34. He looks mighty fine with a goatee

Happy 34th-ish to my third favorite man on the planet. I hope your day is whatever you want it to be.
xoxo

April...and a little bit of May

2010-05-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

We had a fun and busy month. The weather has been wild. The warm, sunny days were few and far between in April, but we sure appreciated them when they came!

WARNING: You're going to have to put up with A LOT of pictures for this post. As always, though, they're dang cute.

First of all, we took a really fun trip to St. George early in the month. It was so nice to hang by the pool in the warm weather and just enjoy being outside. Here are some of the highlights:

This was such a classic Lukie moment. Got out of the pool, pulled up a lounge chair next to mine, and pulled a towel over his head and went to sleep. Such a cute boy.

One of my favorite moments of the trip. I love my little ham.

Ben asked me to take a picture of him in front of the Jesus statue. How could I say no?

One of those rare sunny days back at home. Picnic in the park with Nanna. The ice cream man showed up.

...then back to Nanna's house for some wig modeling.

The latest treasure we've found close to home: The paved path all along the river that winds around the sports park where the kids play soccer. This made for a great (but chilly) Sunday evening stroll.

We found a field full of dandelions. Tiny Lucas had never blown on a dandelion before. He was in heaven.

Hallie even talked mommy into posing for a picture. Can anyone say "age-reduction feature in Photoshop, purty please?" Ack!

Ben's kindergarten class did the most adorable little animal play in prep for their trip to the zoo. I bet you've never seen a cuter crocodile in your life.

My girls got to kick and punch and eye-poke the snot out of a "bad guy" in their child safety program graduation. They put the hurt on. Good job, girls!

Easter and other stuff

2010-04-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

When you go over a month without posting on your blog, I guess you end up having to give the potpourri version of recent events. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. More than I'd like. I need to work on that. Later.

We'll start today and move backwards. Easter. We've enjoyed watching General Conference over the last couple of days (the word "enjoyed," in this case, means I yelled at the kids to be quiet so I could hear while they made as much gratuitous noise as they possibly could). We did the big family thing on Saturday--eggs and all--then had a much quieter, more relaxing day today with just me and the kids. Oh yeah, and it snowed like crazy all night. So we woke up to a very white Easter this morning.

Here we have some very anxious kids lined up waiting to get out the door to chase eggs. Uncle Jim is on door duty and not letting them out until the very last possible second.

I took the kids to a rock show. No, not the fun kind...

THIS kind. Actual rocks. Oh well. They liked it.

The first day of spring soccer. 50 mph winds and winter temps. The kids were miserable. Can't wait to play on a warm, sunny day!

Fighting to keep the blanket on their heads against the raging winds!

Ahhh. Spring. We got a tiny taste of it last weekend before Mother Nature went and got all schizo on us.

We played at the park and visited the temple grounds on this gorgeous day. It's hard to tell in this pic, but the grounds happened to be overrun on that day by every missionary from the MTC. It was a sea of dark suits. We could barely move! So many unavailable men in one place. Depressing.

We had so much fun being outside and playing at the park. Can't wait for this weather to come back!

Gentle Ben

2010-02-28T14:47:00.000-08:00

Six years ago today, after many long hours of grueling labor (ok, not really, I had an epidural the entire time--piece o' cake), little Benjamin Walker Reynolds joined our family. He had the biggest Precious Moments eyes and the longest eyelashes I think I've ever seen on a kid. He's always had a smile that could melt the iciest of hearts. His smile is really one of the things I love most about him. Even when he's being a stinker and throwing a fit or screaming in agony because of some bodily harm that Olivia has just inflicted upon him, it takes very little to get him to crack a smile and giggle and forget his woes.

In honor of his special day, here are six reasons I love Ben. Of course, there are more than six, but it's a tradition thing.

1. The smile that lights up any room (I already said that, I know)
2. His sweet, gentle, quiet nature. Everyone who knows Ben knows him as the quiet one (that's starting to change a little, but mostly it's still true).
3. Ben has a great sense of humor for a 6 year old. He sees the humor in things where many kids his age might not.
4. Ben is kind. He's quick to share with his baby brother. That's saying something, considering Lucas wouldn't share with Ben if his life depended on it.
5. Ben is easy going. The kid just goes with the flow.
6. Ben is cute, cute, CUTE! Those big blue eyes are just wicked handsome.

Love you, Ben! I hope you're having a perfect day!

See what I mean about the eyes??

Ben's perpetual goose egg. He's really lucky.

Every time he's had an accident, his forehead has been there to break the fall. Yes, the next three pics are all separate incidents.

We Heart Winter

2010-01-24T07:09:00.000-08:00

Who'da thunk it? Take a bunch of wimpy little desert rats and transplant them to an environment of changing autumn leaves, spring blossoms, and yes, winter snow and ice, and not only do they adapt, THEY LOVE IT! We have truly grown to love winter here. How can you not love waking up in the morning and looking out your front window to find giant snowflakes falling quietly to the ground? And sledding! I think sledding is about the best FREE family activity there ever was and ever will be. I'm sure I'll get some comments from a few of you who disagree with my perspective on the cold weather, but I'm not ashamed to own it: I LOVE WINTER IN UTAH!

So grown up (and beautiful). I can't stand it. Wasn't she just born the other day?

A rare moment: Ben and Livvi touching each other without drawing blood.

Tiny Lucas. Don't ya just wanna take a big bite out of him?

Look closely to the right of Livvi's head.

Gotta love the girl sprawled out flat on her back at the bottom of the hill

I just took this because I loved the view of the mountains and sky.

Did I mention that I really love winter here?

These are sort of random, but I took the kids out for pizza last weekend, and we went to this place that brings you these mahvelous bread sticks...well...on a stick! They're sort of like bread stick skewers. Much to my dismay, however, the kids like to play with the sticks (aka weapons) at the table for the remainder of the meal. They're showing us some of their creative uses for breadstick sticks here:

I refer you to my earlier caption about Livvi, Ben, and drawing blood.

A Decade of Hallie

2010-01-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

10 years ago, on January 5, 2000, I gave birth to a wirey, blonde-headed, bird-legged little angel. She was my first daughter and my first born. I can't believe she's hit the double digits now. I can't believe it's been ten whole years since motherhood landed on me like a piano.

My little Hallie has been a beaming ray of sunshine since the day she was born. In honor of her big one-O, I've put together my list of top ten reasons I love my Hallie Liz:

1. She's my oldest. I get to make all my mistakes on her. And she still loves me.

2. She's the Energizer Bunny. She keeps going...and going...and going...

3. She's kind. She cares about others' feelings and is always making sure everyone's happy...especially mommy.

4. She's a wonderful big sister. Her little brothers love her. She's always good for a piggyback ride or dragging them around on one of their toy cars outside.

5. Hallie is so helpful. She loves to serve and always does so willingly, sometimes without being asked.

6. She's tender-hearted.

7. Hallie has the best sense of humor of any ten year old I know. (translation: she laughs at the same stuff as I do)

8. The girl is smart. She won her 3rd grade spelling bee last year. She's an excellent student and her teachers always give her glowing reviews.

9. Hallie is fun. She's not afraid to get up and dance or sing in front of a group. She's got some pretty dang impressive moves, too.

10. She's so thoughtful. When I'm sad or angry or worn out, I can always count on Hallie to draw a happy little picture or a note and leave it lying around to surprise me. Hallie is Giselle from Enchanted. Never seen it? You need to.

Happy birthday, my little chicken legs! I love you!

Is it January yet?

2009-12-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

Just a few random pics from the past month. I won't go into too much detail. I think our December can probably be summed up in the same way that most everyone else's is.

It may be premature to be doing a summary of the month of December since it technically isn't over yet. But I really WISH it was over. Is that good enough?

Most kidding aside, we really did have a fun month, chaotic as it was. Here are the highlights:

Jerry finished his mission to Boise, Idaho and we were all able to get together with him here in Utah as he made his way back to Arizona. Going to the conference center for the annual Christmas Devotional was a great experience, but maybe one of those things you don't do every year. There's something to be said for watching it at home...by the fire...in your jammies.

Have I mentioned that I love my brother in law, Phil? I do!

at the airport on arrival day. My kids ADORE their uncle Jerry!

It wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to the mall to see Santa. Really, mall people, could we have moved the box fan out of the way for the picture?

Sledding. I love sledding! That tiny tiny dot at the bottom of the hill is Hallie.

Lucas isn't feeling the sledding love, apparently. He went down the hill on my lap and never made a peep. As soon as we came to a stop, this is what happened. No idea why:

A big snowfall means a big snowball fight. I couldn't resist this shot of Livvi in the midst of being pelted with snowballs. What a doll face.

Not sure why Lucas is so happy about being hit with one snowball after another. Did you see the sledding picture? Can't figure this kid out.

This picture has no purpose. Livvi decided to come to dinner dressed in a Supergirl outfit. All that saving the world stuff makes Supergirl thirsty, I guess. Random photo of the month.

My Beeeautiful Babies

2009-11-28T01:14:00.000-08:00

We got family pictures done this week, and you KNOW I have to share them here on the blog. There are so many good ones to choose from, I wanted to put up all 58 of them, but I suspect that would be a little annoying. So I'm giving you the best of the best...except, of course, for the one that will be in the Christmas card. I like to keep you all on the edge of your seats.

My incredibly talented friend Krista took these. If you live in the Salt Lake/Utah County area and have been thinking about getting photos done, Krista is your girl. The proof is in the puddin', people. Just look at these shots. Krista is a gem...and she's fast, too! Click here to visit her blog and see more of her work.

Once we got to the park, it started to get cold. Look at their little shivering faces. :)

Lucas was so DONE at this point. I love these shots of him. Very "Lucas."

Thanks, Krista...you did a fantastic job!

p.s. I had to add this picture of our cute little Charlie Brown tree that we bought and decorated today. My kids love how scrawny and imperfect it is. So do I! When we bought it at the lot, I felt like I was picking the poor, homely little orphan child that no one else wants. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

We Heart Embly

2009-11-26T05:37:00.000-08:00

It's been six months or so since Emily first came into my office at BYU for a job interview. I remember thinking that I didn't know if I'd ever met anyone so instantly likable and genuinely kind. It took me about ninety seconds to know that she was the perfect candidate for the job. What I did NOT know at the time was that this amazing person sitting across from me would ultimately become like a member of my family, and that my kids and I would come to think of her as nothing less than that.

Emily (known to us as "Embly," because that's how tiny Lucas says it) and her super good sport husband Rey--who we also love--came to play at our house just one last time last night. Emily worked her last day for me this week, and is moving on to the next big phase of her life as a reporter and anchor in another state. We are so very happy for her, and never doubted for one second that she'd wow the "real" news world with her talent and personality and pearly white smile.

But gee, we're sad, too.

People come and go in our lives, and I've found that most do little more than that. But then there are those few, just a handful really, who leave a mark with their presence...and a very empty space with their absence.

Embly...the Reynolds family loves and adores you and wishes you the very best. We'll miss you! Thanks for introducing us to your happy little world of roller skating princesses and magic ponies. :)

(I took this with my stupid phone cam and I'm so upset that it turned out so bad. But it's still a great picture so I'm sharing it)

Trickertreat

2009-11-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

What a week. A non-stop party around here. First it was my birthday, which many of you know if you've made it to your thirties and have children, doesn't really matter anymore. Hence, I have no photos. And that's just fine with me--the no pictures AND the not mattering part. This was my last one in my thirties, so for those of you who might want to plan a big bash for me next year, just note that fact somewhere in your 2010 planner. "Jacey's big 4-O." I'll be over here holding my birthday breath.

I let my oldest stage a halloween party for some of her friends in our spooky basement this week. It's spooky because it's unfinished--cement floors, 2x4's for walls, that sorta thing. We did it up right (no pictures of this, either--I'm so lame). Lights hanging from the ceiling, black streamers, yadda yadda yadda. I spent my birthday night doing the decorating. See above note about birthdays not mattering in your thirties.

Last night, of course, was the big night. Trick or treating and buttloads of candy. When I say buttload, I mean BUTT-load, because when I eat it, that's exactly where it ends up. Of course, my kids all looked cute and fab in their costumes, but I'm gonna have to say that my costume really was the bomb. I made quite the wicked Cruella de Vil. I know a few of you will have some commentary on the appropriateness of my costume choice.

It took tiny Lucas a little bit of time to warm up to the whole trick or treating thing, but once he figured out how it worked, he was all over it like hairy warts on a witch. I love how he worked the convenience angle by hanging his bag around his neck. It's like a feedbag. Good boy.

This kid doesn't belong to me, but I'd love to adopt her...for a day or two anyway. This is my niece, Emma, and I dare say she is the dang cutest chicken who ever flew the coop. You can't see the poofy-butt part of the costume here, but it's beyond adorable. Seems appropriate that her mom would be "flipping the bird" to the camera in this shot, no? (bottom left). She swears it was not intentional. She was just holding her purse. Hmmmm.

We also took a trip out to "the Red Barn" where they do hayrides out to their pumpkin patch. Small problem: it was an unexpected 35 degrees and overcast and even snowing a little. I don't do hayrides under those conditions. I still consider myself an Arizona transplant. Baby steps. So I bought the kids ice cream cones instead. That seemed to make up for the whole hayride thing.

I can't forget to mention Crazy Hair Day at school. They both wanted spiders in their hair. Ick.

This one's random, but worth posting. The kids' new favorite thing to do when uncle Jim comes over is to have him hoist them up on top of the arch in our living room. Ben was too chicken, but for some reason, the other three love it. I think Ben's the sane one.

A Day of Thanksgiving

2009-09-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Had a fun day with the little lambs today. We visited Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. Unless they're lying to me, they had a really fun time. Here's the pictorial:

I just love how Lucas picked out the perfect-sized pony for himself. So cute!

I was happy with how these next two turned out. Their little faces look so innocent and sweet.

Are llamas not the stupidest looking creatures ever?

Umm, if you're smart enough to READ this, shouldn't you be smart enough to APPLY it without being told?

All of 'em locked up tight. Oh, if only.

We barely got out of the place without taking home a couple of baby chicks. The powers-that-be at Thanksgiving Point sure are smart. They put the $2 baby chicks right in front of your face as you walk in. Hard to resist the kids' begging, but a traumatic baby-chick-related experience from my childhood helped me to stand my ground. (mom, you know exactly what I'm talkin' bout)

Why does this photo disturb me a little every time I look at it?

We ended the evening with a surprise visit from Uncle Jim and Aunt Beffy and the cousins who stopped by our park to fly a kite. The kids loved it. Thanks Jim and Beffy!

Sweating the Big Stuff

2009-09-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'm coming up on a one year anniversary.  One year since I made a HUGE leap of faith and moved to a new state.  The move came on the heels of a life-changing event: divorce.

Looking back on it now, I wonder sometimes where I found the courage to do it. And I also wonder if I was slightly--well--CRAZY at the time. I came here only knowing where I WANTED to work, but not knowing if I would actually get that job. I did. I came here knowing I was moving into a nice house with even nicer landlords, but I didn't know if I'd like where I live. I do. I came here not knowing how in the world I would ever manage to work nearly full time (after having always been home caring for my kids) and raise four kids mostly on my own and do all that comes under that umbrella. I have.   Have I excelled at it? Probably not. Most nights, when my head hits the pillow, I feel like I've done just barely enough to scrape by and keep my kids out of the foster care system.

Hitting a one year mark like this causes a mom to do a little reflecting. I've been thinking about what this year has taught me. I'm sure I could fill a novel with all the lessons I've learned---some of them very reluctantly and some of them still in progress---in the last twelve months.   But the one thing that seems to stand out is that I've learned to let go of a good many things.   My house is no longer the cleanest on the block. My car gets washed once a year...whether it needs it or not. My clean laundry might sit in the basket for a couple of days before it gets put away (wrinkled) in the drawers. My girls don't always leave the house with perfectly combed hair complete with rubberbands and barrettes. My floors can go unswept for days and days and days and I'm ok with it. Well, sometimes the ants force action on my part, but mostly I'm just ok with it. I even leave dirty dishes in the sink for a whole day and night sometimes!

I've learned that much of the stress in my life was manufactured in my head.   I've found that it can be liberating to let go of those things that simply don't matter. So what DOES matter? Are my kids safe and healthy? Do they leave the house every day knowing mommy loves them? Do they know how happy I am to see them when I pick them up from the sitter or when they get home from school? Am I making time for them, collectively and individually, so that all of these changes that have shaken their little foundations will be easier for them to absorb?    Are we having fun together as a family?   Am I the best teacher they have? Those are the every day things that truly count.

I admit there's a big learning curve here. It's only been one year. Not nearly long enough for me to get this whole parenting thing right. But maybe I can almost put a big fat check mark in the "letting go" box.   There are one or two things I'm still gripping pretty tightly, but I'll get there. I'm still under construction.

So what about you? What are you learning to let go of? Or what would you like to let go of but just can't seem to loosen your grip?

Ssssssssick!

2009-09-01T18:43:00.001-07:00

What my kids were up to in Washington this summer.

Ack!

Spare Time

2009-08-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to let the kids experience a "first" today. Can you guess what we did? These pictures did not turn out well at all. My phone cam usually rocks but I think the lighting was too low in the bowling joint. Oops! I gave it away. Now you know...we went bowling. They loved it. It was a HUGE hit with tiny Lucas. We'll definitely be doing this again.

I just think this picture turned out so cool. All I did was use the flash. It's got a real "disco bowling" feel to it. But it makes me wonder what's going on with the shoes that made the pic turn out so shiny. My first thought: radioactivity. I'll update later if toes start shriveling up and falling off.

We took a drive out to South Jordan and saw the new Oquirrh Mountain temple. No, they don't have play equipment on the temple grounds (but why don't they?). We stopped at a park. The kids were joking, "Mommy! We're trapped in this net and can't get out!" My response to myself: "Now's my chance. The car's just 150 feet away." Wasn't it just about four weeks ago I was eagerly awaiting their return home? I'll shut up now.

Hallie and Livvi's first day of school. Even as I'm typing this, I'm realizing I didn't get any of Ben on HIS FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN. What a pitiful excuse I am. But it's not my fault. It's the dang school district. Whose lame idea was it to start kindergarten a whole week later than everyone else? Don't they know how that messes up my system? 'pparently not.

We hiked last Saturday morning. Once we got to the top, everyone was happy. But there were at least two complainers all the way up. If you know my kids, you know who the culprits were. We still had a fun time. Beautiful view.

A couple of Sundays ago, we jumped in the car and went to the Provo temple grounds. First I made the kids pose for some sweet shots in front of the flowers and fountains, but then it was off to the hills to roll down. Mommy, too. Aside from a few of us experiencing some nausea afterward, we mostly agreed that hill-rolling is a must-do-again.

Gag Me With a Jelly Shoe

2009-08-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

The eighties are back!

Ack! Why are the eighties back? Click here.

...and then there were five.

2009-08-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned to several people lately that it was very easy for me to slip into single girl mode when my kids left at the start of summer. How quickly I forgot how it feels to have to race against the clock from 4am til 11pm day in and day out. It was easy to get used to having no one to care for but me. There was hardly any laundry. Almost NO cooking. I think I only had to take the trash out to the street maybe three times while they were gone. Since their return, incidentally, it's full three days after the garbage truck empties it. (How can these tiny little creatures generate so dang much refuse? It's mind boggling). It took me half as long to get ready in the mornings and I got twice as much sleep.

But none of this is shocking to anyone who has children. It's just life. It's what I signed up for-- what we all signed up for. So, while I'm still adjusting to being a mother of four--again--after a long reprieve, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm tired and overwhelmed and short a few hours every day, but most of all just plain glad that the cubs are back in the den with mamma bear.

Winter is around the corner.

Bears don't eat their young, do they?

There are a lot of pictures here. I've been doing some catching up.

Hallie and Livvi got new haircuts today for school. Look at the cute girls with the stacked bobs! We're in Utah now. We basically have two options: the big tease or the stacked bob. I think you know which way I lean on this one.

Having lunch at the pizza factory after haircuts (and numerous other exhausting errands). This is a classic Livvi face. I just wish the lighting wasn't so horrible. Also, that Hallie's finger wasn't in the foreground. Curse you, cell phone cam!

The fam got together at the park for a family night-slash-belated celebration of Livvi's 7th birthday. I love this picture of Livvi. Look how pretty she is.

My niece, Emma. Doesn't get much cuter than that. Way to work the pigtails, Em.

Uncle Jim bought fishing poles for the kids and taught them to fish (thank you, Uncle Jim!). Ben was reelin' them in!

We went with Auntie Jenna and her boys to a park that's typically a hot-spot for sledding in winter. Can you see why? Hallie looks like a deflated balloon near the bottom of the hill.

LATE-BREAKING ADDITION TO THIS POST:

Livvi's new friend, Randi is here playing for the first time. She just came up behind me and said, "Hey, you're really pretty." Randi will be playing at our house a lot, I think.

If You're Happy and You Know It, Tease Your Hair

2009-08-11T18:11:00.001-07:00

Click here for my take on the whole Utah hair thing.

All That Glitters Is...PURE EEEVIIIILLLL!!!!

2009-08-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

I have a house full of children who are all, apparently, in the "creative" phases of life. They love to generate stuff, and lots of it. If it involves markers, crayons, paintbrushes, beads, fabric, or wood, my children (minus Lucas) are all over it like the mustard to the ham. Oh, and glue, too. Let's not forget the glue.

I'm not gonna lie. I won't be winning any mother-of-the-year awards any time soon. I don't love craft projects so much. When my oldest daughter screeched the words, "Mommy! I found the craft box in the garage!" the other day, I felt the acid churning in my stomach. I thought I had stacked an adequate number of empty boxes on top of it when we moved in 10 months ago. Guess not. Drat.

Our beloved, dreaded craft box contains all of the above mentioned items and then some, plus a bonus: GLITTER. I was going to use an exclamation point there, but that would indicate some excitement or enthusiasm on my part. I don't like glitter. To quote a flair button on a friend's Facebook page, "Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies." I don't feel the need to elaborate on that. It stands on its own.

In a world where I have approximately four to five hours every night at home to cook, do laundry, pick up toys, clean up messes, post to my blog (uh huh, that's a have-to), exercise, do dishes, give baths, help with homework, run errands, cuddle my kids, change diapers, and perform countless other not-so-trivial tasks, the sight of glitter tubes and paint containers emerging from the craft box is enough to send me straight to my room with an Ambien-laced cup of chamomile.

But...

I reeeeeally want that mother-of-the-year award. This is my year. I can feel it.

So I fake the glitter love, for their sakes. I watch them work their sparkly magic, my countertops and floors acting as the unwilling canvas for their masterpieces. Some of it even ends up on the hundreds of sheets of plain white paper that they kipe from my printer.

Ever tried to extract glitter from linoleum? Or a five-year-old's scalp? Don't bother.

They're Baa-aaack!

2009-08-05T18:42:00.001-07:00

After two short, never-ending months...my little babes made it home Sunday night...safe and sound.

I know, I know, I really should try to look happier about it...

Monday morning, bright and early, first order of business was HAIRCUTS! I've never been much into the 'long, cascading locks' look for my little boys. If I wanted to...and if I was a mean mom...I could have put pigtails on their heads. That just ain't right. So off to their respective torture chairs they went.

Look at all that hair falling onto my tiny Lucas' shoulders! Sick! Once the hair was off and the scalp was exposed, a substantial layer of sand and grit was revealed. Not a big shock. Typical Lucas. He likes to throw handfuls of dirt straight up in the air. There's only one place for it to land. And it does. I'm just grateful he hadn't turned into a walking Chia pet by the time I got to him. I expected little green things to start sprouting from his head at any moment.

Gosh how I missed this little Precious Moments face.I hauled the babes with me to BYU campus afterward and we took a walk over to the life sciences building to see some fish tanks. Not the most impressive fish tanks I've ever encountered, but my kids were sufficiently amused.

I loved Loved LOVED fixing their hair Monday morning. Cute little girls.

Welcome home, my little angels. I missed you.

Now, your mommy's off to take a nap.

Yeah, right.

Miss You, Mark.

2009-07-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

This August 2nd will mark three years since the untimely death of a beautiful friend. I can't put into words how bright, unique, talented, kind, and unexpectedly hilarious my friend Mark Higbee was. It's been three years, but there's rarely a day that goes by without his crossing my mind. He is dearly missed and loved by everyone who was fortunate enough to share even a moment with him on this planet.

Moving along, it seems that Mark was quite the fan of one of my all-time best heroes, Mr. Dave Barry. If you frequent my blog, you know that Dave is featured as a regular in the right column. So, as a tribute to my friend Mark Higbee, I'm going to put Dave in the spotlight today...front and center spot on the blog! This little snippet was sent to me by Mark's mother, as a way of remembering him. Thank you, Annette, for sharing this with me.

I'm passing it on to you so you can have a good laugh. If you have any sense of humor at all, you WILL laugh. Oh yes, you WILL laugh.

19 THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME 50 YEARS TO LEARN by Dave Barry

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings".

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. And when God, who created the entire universe with all of its glories, decides to deliver a message to humanity, HE WILL NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

6. You should not confuse your career with your life.

7. No matter what happens . . . somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

8. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that person is crazy.

9. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

10. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

11. Never lick a steak knife.

12. Take out the fortune before you eat the cookie.

13. The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

14. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

15. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

16. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.

17. "The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

18. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

19. Your friends love you anyway.

My Mary Poppins Weekend

2009-07-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just had a Mary Poppins weekend.

Practically perfect in every way.

BYU sent me to Chicago for an alumni event on Friday night and it was a smashing success! I got to meet a lot of really fun and interesting people.

but...

all work and no play makes Jacey stupid for not taking advantage of a free trip to Chicago!
Soooo...

Jon drove from Omaha and we hit the town!

We got lots of great suggestions for things to do while in the city, but when you've only got one day, it's impossible to see and do everything there is to be seen and done in the windy city.

ALSO...I was under very strict instruction to NOT...I repeat...NOT plan anything. I have a tendency to over-plan, according to SOME people from Nebraska, so I swore an oath not to Google anything "Chicago" prior to this trip. I'm happy to report that I kept my promise and held planner Jacey's head under water until our weekend was over. And we still had fun! And I didn't even die!

We took the architectural cruise on the river through the city. VERY cool. Check out these awesome pics that my little phone cam took. Good job, little phone cam!

The Budweiser clydesdales happened to be hanging out at Navy Pier on the day we were there. Massive animals! The pic doesn't do this guy justice.

We walked all the way to the end of Navy Pier out to Lake Michigan. Caught some "interesting" entertainment. But not that interesting. Not that entertaining, either. But who cares? We were in Chicago!

Gosh, the city has some wonderful views, does it not?

We're on the underside of a large fountain near the river. That's water cascading down behind us.

Here's that fountain from the outside. Along with another great view. Did I mention the great views in Chicago?

Would you like fries with those baby browns?

We topped off the evening with a FANTASTIC show--the Blue Man Group show! We loved it! And look, it's a real Blue Man taking a picture with us!

When in Chicago, one must talk about the food. We had some Giordano's pizza, which came highly recommended to us by my little BYU alum buddy Joseph Tateoka (and the lady in the elevator in the Hotel Monaco). Thanks, Joseph...and elevator lady!

Also, we ate Double Stuf Oreos and lots of them...with milk, of course. What's that got to do with Chicago? Absolutely nothing. We just like to eat Double Stuf Oreos. Do we need a reason?

Other than lots and lots of walking, those are the highlights. I had such a great time in Chicago. Thanks, Brad Rawlins for sending me, and thanks, Jonathan Warren for making it a Mary Poppins weekend...and for the free therapy to help me quiet my planning compulsion. You're the best!

Wireless Woes

2009-07-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

I wasn't given a writing assignment, per se, this time around. I just felt inspired by a recent real-life incident that annoyed the snot out of me. So here goes. Feedback welcome, as always.

Wireless Woes

I went to the car wash yesterday. I wasn’t hurting anyone. I was minding my own business. I only wanted my minivan cleaned, nothing more. I sat patiently while the work was done, sipping my diet soda and thumbing happily through the pages of a waiting area magazine, when “she” walked in.

You know who “she” is. You’ve been accosted by her at some point, either in the grocery store aisle, the line at the bank, or maybe even in the hushed lobby of a doctor’s office. She’s the one yammering into the air and making eye contact with, well, no one. You wonder to which of the forty people in the room she might be speaking. Nobody seems to be engaging her. You even wonder if she is talking to you. Then you see it, the tiny bud in her ear and the itty bitty hot pink phone in her hand. She’s chatting away with someone possibly hundreds of miles away. Not only is she not addressing anyone in the vicinity, she is tactlessly unaware that you or any of those other unfortunate people are even in the room. Nor does she care, for that matter. It gets better. When she was born, doctors discovered that she was missing a vital body part. That’s right; she was born without an indoor voice box. She’s loud. She’s boorish. And she “needed” to make a phone call. Right then. It couldn’t wait. The guy on the other end needed to know immediately that she wasn’t really up to much of anything.

I want more laws for people like her. Here in Utah, we already have cell phone laws in place, like the one that prohibits texting while driving. We all know this is a matter of public safety. Likewise, men and women with certain medical conditions-like the absence of an indoor voice box-should have their phone usage closely governed. This, too, is a matter of public safety. Yesterday, for example, as I sat with the other increasingly irked patrons in that small waiting area listening to one side-the LOUD side-of a totally unnecessary conversation, it was all I could do to keep from calmly walking over to her and making that bud a permanent part of her ear canal. My new law idea could prevent such an incident. Purchasing a cell phone shouldn’t be any easier than buying a gun these days, especially if you’re going to use your phone as a weapon for crimes against humanity. I want medical records queried and background checks performed before any store clerk carelessly hands over one more cell phone to a member of the general public.

Where did the manufacturers come up with the Bluetooth® moniker, anyway? Wouldn’t “BlackEye” or “PurpleShins” be a more fitting name for this device, since that is what many of us wish to administer to its users when we encounter them in public places? And speaking of manufacturers, they could do us all a favor by turning back the technological clock a few years. I recall the infancy stages of the cell phone, when they were all hand-held and the size and weight of a cinder block. I say we revisit the good old days of cumbersome phone designs and make it highly inconvenient for this woman and her minions to annoy us in our car washes.

Would it have been too much to ask of her to simply take her conversation-and her outdoor voice-outside? Of course, when I say “outside,” I mean Wyoming…or Canada.

I probably sound bitter…and intolerant…and slightly disposed to violence. Perhaps. But this isn’t about me. I’m not the bad guy here. I just wanted my car washed. After all, texting and driving in a filthy car can be extremely distracting. Safety first. That’s my motto.

Happy Trails

2009-07-12T09:29:00.001-07:00

I just had a maaahvelous weekend with one of my most favorite of all people.

My friend Jon came to visit for a couple of days. He lives in Nebraska. They don't have mountains there. As you may know, Utah does. Serious mountains.

So it only seemed natural that we go on a couple of hikes and enjoy them while he was here.

Before I continue, I'd like to take a moment to point out that, when we weren't trudging over mountain trails, THIS is the sweet ride we used to get around in all weekend. I think Jon would smile if I shared with you the fact that I mistook it for a Mustang at first. We rode around for about an hour before I realized I was in a Camaro. Oopsie. I'm a girl. Sorry.
Ok, back to business. Here's the photo log:

This is our first hike up to Stewart Falls near Sundance. The trail was a bit rough for a novice such as myself. In my defense, he thought so, too. Lots of loose rock and pretty much travelling on the edge of a cliff for a good portion of the hike. But still fun, with a sweet reward at the end.

I happened to like the view in both of these shots. (o:

We made it to the falls!

Day 2 hike: Sunset Peak, from Little Cottonwood Canyon

This was a really pretty hike with a pretty well-maintained trail most of the way. The forecast had been calling for hot and sunny all week. On Saturday morning I woke up to cloudy skies and drizzling. We would NOT be deterred, though! No, NEVAH!!!

When we got to the trailhead in the Alta parking lot, the temp was in the fifties--at the BOTTOM of the trail, mind you-- completely gray, windy, and raining. Still, we forged ahead.

I took this pic at the beginning of the hike. He's a little wet, no? His face here pretty much tells the story. We were wet and cold for most of the trip. Still had fun. Still glad we did it.

A view on the way up:
This is a view from what I THOUGHT was the top of the trail, the END of the hike. Jon had news for me. "Oh, look, there's more trail over here!" growl...

We still had about another .2 miles to go. Doesn't sound like much, does it? SAYS YOU! Try it at an uber-steep incline on a completely sandy trail. Sand good on beach. Bad on hiking trail. Holy calves workout, Batman!

But oh, the reward at the top. Yup. That's snow. Yup, it's July.

I think we spent approximately 3 minutes at this lookout point. Did I mention cold? And wet? And windy?

In summary: between two hikes in 24 hours' time, one comedy club, one Star Trek movie (yeah, that's right, I saw a Star Trek movie. There's only one person on the planet who could get me to do that), two family get togethers, lots of driving around in a SUPER hot car that is definitely NOT a Mustang, a healthy dose of sleep deprivation, and one bout with an energy drink-induced tummy ache from hell, I believe I speak for us both when I say the weekend was a success.

Love you, Jon. Thanks for another great time.

Feelin' the Digital Love

2009-07-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

I snapped these Skype shots tonight of my kiddos on the webcam.

Other than some grooming issues, I'd say they look pretty darn ok. (o:

Don't really feel like writing much tonight, other than to say that I miss those little faces. Can't wait to have them back home.

Oh, and I'm extremely grateful for modern technology.

p.s. My little Livvi has her first loose tooth. What a big girl.

Stairway to Heaven

2009-06-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

I have a friend.

My friend wants to go on a hike.

A long hike.

On a tall mountain.

With me.

I'm not ready to die.

Or go for a helicopter ride.

I need to prepare.

So this morning, bright and early, I drove myself to BYU campus, parked my sexy mom minivan, and climbed what is lovingly referred to by some as "Heart Attack Hill."

Not once, not twice, but six times. This is harder than it sounds because...

There's a steep little RAMP that takes you up heart attack hill, and there are STAIRS (one hundred and one of them, to be exact) that take you up heart attack hill. I climbed BOTH of them SIX marvelous, toilsome times--EACH. For one solid hour, I went down the ramp, then up the ramp. Down the stairs, then up the stairs. Lather, rinse, repeat. Repeat repeat repeat.

So technically, I climbed it twelve times. Six on the ramp and six on the stairs. Go me.

I obviously did not die, but I was purpler and sweatier and breathlesser than I am when dear old Zac is done with me (see yesterday's post). I kicked my own butt and it felt fan-flippin-fastic!

This was taken right before I tripped over my shoelaces and rolled like a frightened potato bug down the remainder of the ramp. (Ok, not really, but it could totally happen because I'm clumsy, and I thought it sounded really funny when I pictured it happening in my head)

I think it's fitting that there's a very bright light at the end of these stairs, don't you? On those last few passes, I could have sworn I heard the faintest of whispers: "Go toward the light. Go toward the light. Go..."

Yes, I said "breathlesser." I call it writer's license.

Devil in Disguise

2009-06-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

Look at this face.

It's the face of an angel, is it not?
Happy, kind, warm, welcoming...
pain-inflicting, sweat-inducing, nightmare-causing...

This is the face of Zac, my personal trainer. He doesn't LOOK like a felon, does he? (Yes, I checked, and in the state of Utah, attempted murder is a felony, and every week he tries to kill me). Actually, I guess you'd say he's more like a paid assassin--and *I* am the one writing the check!

Every Friday morning, when I walk into Zac's house of horror...er...place of business, I look like this (ok, maybe not EXACTLY like this, but something close to it):

I look fresh, clean, polished, like someone with a pulse and a hygiene regimen.

This is what I look like just sixty tiny minutes later, when Zac (a.k.a. the Grim Reaper) is done with me:

'Mild stroke purple' is a good color on me, don't you think?

All kidding aside, and in Zac's defense, it really is more of a love/hate relationship. It's painful and it's hard work and I smell like a locker room when it's all over, but the benefits are slowly but surely showing themselves. I'm down 11 lbs since Zac's abuse started. I'll take that.

Thanks, Zac.

I guess sometimes tough love really is the best kinda lovin'.

Dads I Love

2009-06-21T20:57:00.001-07:00

This post should have gone up a little bit earlier, but I'm still a couple of hours shy of midnight on Father's day, so I'm making the cutoff...barely.

I just spent a fun weekend at a family reunion. Yes, I said "fun" and "family reunion" in the same sentence. I'll admit, I wasn't excited about it, and I wasn't shy about letting anyone within earshot know it. Mostly I just wasn't too giddy about yet another trip to St. George, after taking so many road trips in the last two months. BUT...I can admit when I'm wrong...sometimes...and I'm happy to say I'm eating my words. I had a great weekend and really loved spending time with family I've missed and don't get to see very often.

One thing I loved about this weekend was watching all the dads. Really good dads. To me, watching a man care for his children (and his wife) is like poetry in motion. A beautiful thing, really. I want to thank my cousins and my cousins' husbands for just plain being good dads. The same guys who are laughing at their own farts and playing teen-oriented video games one minute can metamorphose into these loving, caring, doting dads the next minute without even missing a beat.

I want to take a minute and tell you about a few of my favorite dads:

Jim and Phil.

These two were my favorites to watch this weekend. They are my brothers-in-law and I adore them. I don't know many men who are as hard working, generous, kind, and surprisingly funny as these two. They are both the dads of two little ones, and I watched all weekend as they jumped every time one of them needed a drink or a clean diaper or a kiss for a boo-boo. They love their wives and they love their children and it shows in everything they do. I am so glad they are part of our family. My children and I are blessed to have them around.

Uncle Russ.

I know I speak for all of my siblings when I say the following: Uncle Russ rocks! We absolutely love our Uncle Russ. In many ways, he has filled the role of a dad for us over the years. He is thoughtful and loving and giving and is so much fun to be around. I wish we could see him (and Marcia) more than we do. p.s. That actually IS a picture of my uncle Russ, and NOT a picture of Rod Stewart, just so ya know.

My friend, Jon.

If you look up "reliable" in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of this guy. (this one here isn't the best one I have, but I wanted one of him with his kids!). He makes my list of best dads I know for a number of reasons, but the biggest is his never-ending devotion and constancy when it comes to his children. It doesn't matter what's happening in his life, what kind of chaos and turmoil is swirling around him, or how exhausted and overwhelmed he might feel. He is an absolute rock for his kids. He is anchored and focused and loves his kids like few dads I know. They are so lucky to have him in their lives, and I'm grateful to him for the things I've learned about being a good parent just by observing him in action.

My own dad.

I'm sorry to say that I don't have any photos of him on my computer. )o:

Many of you know that neither I nor any of my siblings really had the best relationship with our dad. But there are still lots of good memories. My dad was really good at being my pal when I was little. I remember living out in the country and him taking me out on the tractor with him and always having to dump me off at the house with my mom because I would fall asleep within minutes. I remember what a great sense of humor he had, and how much he always seemed to be laughing. I remember that he was a hard worker. I remember that, at times, he could be very tenderhearted and could feel things very deeply. I remember that he was musically gifted. He died a few years ago, but regardless of whatever difficulties we may have had, I still owe at least part of who I am to his genes and his influence.

There are so many more dads I could list here, but these are the ones at the top of my list.

Thanks, you guys, for being good daddies, but most of all, good men. The world needs more of you.

Oh, and Happy Fathers' Day!

I Heart Tyler!

2009-06-19T07:58:00.001-07:00

Ok, don't get all excited. I do NOT have a new boyfriend. (men...hmmph!) This here is my little virtual friend Tyler. (He'll balk at me calling him little, but I'll do it anyway).

I follow T's blog quite religiously. Some might say obsessively, but what do THEY know? He has lost an astounding 90 pounds in 21 weeks and has made some remarkable changes both inside and out.

HELP TYLER KICK HIS OWN BUTT!

Every so often, T issues himself a workout challenge of sorts. On his blog, he'll let people add to his treadmill time by posting comments or posting his blog link (on Facebook, their own blog, MySpace, whatever). If you post his link on your page, you'll add 3 minutes to his workout time. If you go to his blog and leave a comment, you'll add 30 seconds. If you do both, you'll add 3:30 to his workout time. Get it?

I want to be the reason Tyler has to stay on the treadmill for like 3 hours, so I want all my little blog stalkers to post his link on their blogs/facebook/whatever and then go leave him a comment letting him know you did, so that he will have to tack on another 3 min. 30 secs. to his workout for EACH person who does this.

His blog link is: http://344pounds.com/, and it really is a great read if you've ever struggled with losing weight--whether it be 80 pounds or 8. If you don't leave the comment on his blog, your time won't get added to his workout. So that's important!

Note: The window to do this is a small one. He's taking comments until 6am tomorrow, then this workout pledge is done for now.

Make Tyler work his tushie off---literally!

Yeah, I know, I should be doing this, too. Maybe next week.

Writing Assignment 6

2009-06-07T15:45:00.001-07:00

Two posts in one weekend? What IS going on? You'd think I had no children. Feel free to scroll down if you missed this weekend's post #1.

So, this week's (actually given 3 weeks ago...oops) assignment was mixed veggies (again, thanks A LOT, Jon. I'm practically giddy with anticipation for the next topic).

I was stumped. Beyond stumped, really. So here's what I came up with. It ended up being more of an exercise in brainstorming for ideas than a writing skills practice. Here goes nuthin:

Most of us have them, those five or six or twenty cans of mixed vegetables staring at us each and every time we open the pantry in search of an easy side dish. We buy them because they’re cheap (for a reason), knowing full well that they’ll never see the light of day once we get them home and place them on the shelf. When it’s time to make dinner, we inevitably pass over them like the poor fat kid we’d never pick for our dodge ball team in the third grade.

For those of us finally ready to free up some cupboard space and make room for edible food, the following is a list of the top ten alternative uses for those nasty little bits of jumbled up produce:

1. Who needs ipecac? Use them to induce vomiting in a child who’s ingested a toxic substance.

2. Sprinkle them evenly around the perimeter of your home and you’ve got cheap pest control.

3. Keep nothing but those mixed veggies in your kitchen and you’ll lose those extra pounds in no time, since you’ll completely lose your desire to eat.

4. Give the kids a fun craft project. Find some thread and a needle and transform those mixed gems into some lovely Christmas tree garland.

5. Dry them out and make jewelry.

6. Rice at weddings has been so overdone. Throw the veggies instead.

7. Buy a goat. They’ll eat anything.

8. Forget spanking. Consider the forced consumption of mixed veggies as an effective method of child discipline.

9. Put them in fruitcakes to give away during the holidays. Sure, it’s gross, but let’s get real. It’s fruitcake. Your friends and family will never eat it anyway.

10. Make soup for people you hate.

If none of these seem like viable options, you may need to resort to more extreme measures, such as cooking and eating your mixed veggies. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

A Week of Firsts

2009-06-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Oh what a difference a week makes. Last weekend, I drove my children to Boise, Idaho to meet up with their dad so they could ride back to Washington state and spend two months with him there--a bittersweet adventure for me, to say the least. The mama bear misses her little cubs, but the den is ooooh soooo quiet. The whole exchange of children has made for an interesting week. I've done a lotta things I've never done or haven't done in so long that it FEELS like I've never done them! For example:

1. I just sat on the couch and watched a movie (OF MY CHOOSING) from start to finish, uninterrupted. I watched Australia (awesome!). As a result, I have a new obsession. He goes by the name of Hugh Jackman. Two words: Yum. eee.

2. I put some hiking miles on my Nike's...in Utah! I didn't go quite as far as I'd have liked, just because I was all by my lonesome and the trail got a little too wildernessy for my comfort. It's hard to tell in this pic, but I'm standing in a shallow stream. Water and trees and snow and mountains...eat your heart out, Arizona!

I know what you're thinking: "She kiped this pic from a postcard." Nope. Took it myself from the trail. What a view. Only in Utah, baby. Makes you wanna break into song, right? "The hills are alive..."

3. I went to Boise! Never done that before. The kids were waaay excited about getting to visit with their missionary uncle Jerry, who happens to be serving his church mission there. You look great, Jerry! We love you and miss you!

Livvi partying in the pool in Boise. Please don't ask me about the hat.

4. I took a 5 hour nap the other day, just 'cause I could. Oh yes, people. Moms with little ones...tell me how often that happens for you. I know, you're jealous. HA!

Nap photo NOT available. Sorry.

Looking forward to many more firsts in the coming weeks. The best first of all? My first time getting my children back after having been gone for two months.

By George...

2009-05-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

...SAINT George, to be exact. Yup, we went AGAIN. I wanted a nice weekend with the kids before they leave for two months to go to Dad's. St. George is hot enough for swimming but close enough that I can handle the road trip without driving us all off of the nearest cliff. Having said that, it should be noted that St. George is 3-1/2 hours away, BUT...the trip back today took us 5 hours. Do not adjust your internet. I said 5 hours. I need a nap. Til Saturday, please.

**************************************************************

St. George does boast a nice little "fun center" with mini golf, bumper boats, arcade and go karts. (Why is that always spelled with a "k"?) The kids loved this!

Hallie drove herself and Lucas underneath the big fountain and soaked them both. She's laughing. Him, not so much. His tantrum forced an unplanned trip to the dock to let him exit the craft.

See what I mean? The birthday boy ain't so happy.

I don't know what this face means, but it's too dang "Lucas" not to post on the blog.

I learned two things this weekend:

1. My kids can really stink up a miniature golf course

2. It's hereditary.

Isn't that the prettiest blue water behind them? Thanks to Ben, it's now got two golf balls in it! They put ledges up to prevent that from happening, but hey, Ben's not gonna be outsmarted by no stinking ledges!

Tiny Lucas turned 3 yesterday while we were there. He was a bit apprehensive about the candle at first. Never known him to be askeerd o' fire, but there's a first time for everything, I suppose.

Yes, that's my finger in the top left corner of the shot. I make no apologies. Four kids, me, a road trip, a hotel room, and desert heat. That about covers it. We're lucky any of these pictures are even in focus.

Being in a hotel room and away from home, of course we had to resort to store-bought baked goodies for the birthday treat (she said, as though it would have been different at home). Lucas wanted nuthin to do with the brownies, but as you can see, he found the wax 3 to be quite irresistible. Doesn't say much for the brownies, does it?

This little gem is about the best thing in St. George, as far as I'm concerned (just don't go on Memorial Day!). Main Street's Towne Square has put together this amazing water play area for children. A shooting fountain, a little "river" that runs from one end of the square to the other, rock waterfalls, more. It's hard to describe without seeing it live and in person. But whoever came up with this idea is pure genius. My kids LOVED this!

And now, ladies and gentleman, I'll allow Lucas to sum up the trip in his own unique way. A picture's worth a thousand words, right? I'll let this one do the talking...

Happy Birthday, tiny Lucas! Hope you had a marvelously exhausting birthday!

Writing Assignment 5

2009-05-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

This week's topic: Stowaway child (thanks A LOT, Jon)

As always, feedback optional but welcome. (Luce, bring it on. I can take it)

********************************************

I was in a dark place; the darkest of places, really. I was folded like cheap lawn furniture in the locked trunk of my mother’s Hyundai. With nothing but time--and a little bit of grease from a nearby tire iron--on my hands, I was forced to mull over the events that had brought me to this, the lowest point in my twelve short years on the planet.

I wasn’t exactly born to privilege. While karate lessons and hundred-dollar sneakers seemed to be creature comforts for most other 12 year old boys, for me, they were just part of a long list of luxuries I’d learned to live without. I didn’t mind, mostly. But family vacations, or the lack thereof, were always a real sore spot for me.

Summers were long and boring. Mom and Dad worked the typical ten hour days. They saved money on sitters by leaving me in the care of an older sister who, as far as I could tell, hated my guts. This could have been attributed to the many hours I spent torturing her cat and reading her diary, but who’s to say? Returning to the drudgery of school in the fall might have been a welcome reprieve, were it not for the endless stories of fun-filled family vacations as told by my classmates. It just wasn’t fair. They had their tales of Florida beaches and California roller coasters. I had four days in Las Cruces on Aunt Kathy’s backyard tire swing.

So when my parents announced their upcoming road trip to Las Vegas, the one they’d be taking without us kids, I knew I needed to take action. The usual whining and begging got me nowhere fast. They refused to budge. They left me no choice but to resort to my plan B, my drastic measures.

Their decision to take Mom’s car and not Dad’s pickup fit perfectly into my scheme. Stowing away unnoticed in the back of Dad’s truck would have been darn near impossible. But with a little effort, I could squeeze my skinny little rear-end into the trunk of the Hyundai and no one would be the wiser. Sure, they’d be mad--okay, furious--when they got to Vegas and discovered my complete disregard for their authority, but they’d also be stuck with me. For a weekend in Vegas—half-naked show girls, warm weather, swimming pools, Elvis impersonators--I could live with the possibility of being grounded for eternity. I mean, I only got grounded for a week when I got caught with those matches and lighter fluid behind the school. This was way worse than that. I was gonna get it for sure.

I knew I would need an accomplice to carry out my plan. And though her disdain for me made her a less-than-reliable accessory, I suspected big sis would find it in her heart to help me if it meant a shot at locking me in the trunk of a car. I figured this would be an irresistible offer for her. Sure enough, she was willing.

My parents’ road trips always began at an insanely early hour of the day. I would need to secure my spot in the trunk well before sun-up to be sure I wouldn’t get caught. Big sis set her alarm for 3 a.m. and sneakily escorted me out to the carport where mom’s car was parked with bags in the back seat and ready to go. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy helping me stuff myself and my overnight bag into mom’s trunk, already crowded by the spare tire and toolbox that were permanently housed there. She wished me a half-hearted “good luck” and began to close the door. Her sideways grin and the chomping of her bubble gum were the last things I saw and heard before the heavy door slammed shut over my head.

I probably should have been more worried than I was at this point. Being a one-dimensional twelve year old boy, thoughts of oxygen deprivation and possible rear-end collisions had only briefly occurred to me. After only a few minutes of discomfort in the darkness, I began to feel sleepy. I dozed off quickly and awoke some time later, not sure how long I’d been out or how much distance we’d covered. I was sure of one thing: we weren’t moving. The fog in my head began to clear as I heard the shuffle of footsteps moving toward the back of the car. My heart pounded wildly as I at-once considered the heap of trouble and the fantastic vacation which were both just seconds away from beginning. Perhaps my parents would be generous and apply the “what happens here stays here” rule to my circumstances. That kind of charity was more than I could have or should have hoped for.

The next thing I knew, the key was jiggling in the lock. The trunk slowly opened and the bright mid-morning sunlight filled my eyes, silhouetting the figure standing over me. I was suddenly more afraid of the impending consequences than I had expected I would be. My hand moved over my eyes to shade them from the sun’s blinding light and my vision came into near-perfect focus. What I saw left me puzzled and horrified all at the same time.

“Guess what, dork. They took Dad’s truck after all. They left four hours ago. I meant to tell you before but I kinda got busy.”

With that, big sis once again gave me that wicked sideways grin, then spun around and headed back toward the house, her sinister laugh fading as she walked in the front door and left me lying in the trunk trying to process the events of the past ninety seconds.

Yup, she hated me.

It Takes a Village

2009-05-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, when I was only slightly less insane than I am now, I opened my big mouth. I made the fatal error of telling my children that I thought it would be enjoyable to do a "fun thing" on Saturdays. Some small activity/event/adventure that we could all do together and that everyone would enjoy. Once we had done this for approximately one-and-a-half Saturdays in a row, it became law...apparently.

So now, each Thursday and Friday as the weekend approaches, the questioning begins: "Mommy, what's our fun thing for this Saturday? Have you thought about what our fun thing is going to be this Saturday? When will you decide? You're thinking about it? When will you be done thinking about it?"
It's been at least 2 years, maybe more, since I made this suggestion on that fateful day. We have yet to spend a funthingless Saturday.

One good thing about this? We're in Utah now, baby! Thank goodness, as I was running out of options in the lovely-yet-limited Sierra Vista, Arizona. But here, fun things abound! Here's what we found today. A delightful little place called Gardner Village in West Jordan. It's a charming community of cottage-style shops--candy shops, doll shops, quilted/handcrafted gift shops, even a year-round Christmass shoppe (you have to spell it 'shoppe' when it's a Christmas shoppe. I know there's a written rule about that somewhere). The bonus: a tiny river that runs through with ducks and fish and even big ol' frogs! And let's not forget the petting zoo with pony rides.

(Childrens' wardrobe and accessories courtesy of Auntie Donna. Thank you, auntie Donna! We love it...such cute stuff!)

The boy's just asking for it:

This little goat was so cute. He?she?it? was my favorite. Made the most adorable little crying/bleating noises.

Behind them is a big (actual running) water wheel. Very cool. If I was a better photographer, you'd be able to see that.

This feathered couple cracked me up. I had to take a picture. Aren't they funny?

Look at the mama duck and her itty bitty babies! They were so stinking cute!

Lucas and his shades. He needs to trade the horsey for a Harley.

p.s. I just read over this post and noticed that I used the word "cute" approximately...well...WAY too many times. It's somewhat out of character for me, but I'll own it this time. I mean, look at 'em. They're just so darn c***...ahem...precious. They're precious.

2009-05-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

I don't want to spend too much time on the computer today, but I couldn't let the day go by without a short Mom's day post. Mostly I'm just here to exploit my darling children, but I want all you special mommies and women in general to know how much I love and appreciate you. I don't believe there is one woman reading this who has not impacted me and/or my children in a big and positive way.

Happy Mother's Day, mom. I hope your day (and your facial, eventually) are completely wonderful.

A Mother's day gift worth mentioning (from my 9 year old): she decided to go missing for about a half hour after church today. Was out in the front yard playing, as she often is, then suddenly she wasn't. Called, yelled, screamed her name all over the place, nothing. I was praying crying, calling neighbors, and they were even heading out to look for her, when she was found on one of their doorsteps with one of their children. That's the most panic I've felt in a loooong time. Just glad we found her! Her biggest concern? Worrying that I would post this event on the blog. Who, me?

Now, to continue the tradition I started 3 mom's days ago, here are our annual Mother's Day pics of me and the kids (thank you to Auntie Lyssa for doing the photo shoot and saving me from 10-second-camera-timer hell!)

Family DysFunction

2009-04-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

DO OVER!!!!!!!!! THIS "MASTERPIECE" IS IN THE RE-WRITING STAGES AS OF RIGHT NOW! DARN LEGITIMATE WRITERS WHO VISIT MY SITE AND GIVE ME "CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!" DARN THEM, I SAY!!!

Sorry to have teased you. Trying this one again. More to come...

How 'bout this weather?

2009-04-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday, we were doing this:

Then, just four short days later, we woke up to this:

I know some of you may think that this desert rat would be horrified at this sight, but I'll have you know, I LOVE it! Spring snow is awesome! Everything was blanketed in white and it was gorgeous. Then gone in a day.

So this weekend, since it was the kids' spring break and we'd been rained and snowed on all week, we decided to drive a little south to St. George and do this:

We went to Nielsens frozen custard (cause aunt Beffie told us to) and indulged in a little frozen goodness. I'll have you know *I* didn't. I was good (in case my personal trainer is reading). Isn't this the best picture of Lucas? I think it's my favorite from the trip. It's very "him."

Stopped off at the historic Brigham Young winter home. Very cool to see how they lived back in the day. The kids were way more into it than I thought they'd be. And they were slightly puzzled at the fact that there were no bathrooms in that house! The PERFECT opportunity to remind them how easy their lives are. I love being a mom.
Next stop, St. George Temple. What a beautiful place. The grounds, the building, the surrounding neighborhood. Goooorgeous. And nobody fell in the fountain. Thank goodness for small favors.

All in all, we had a great time. It was a quick trip, but the kids were glad to go on a little mini vacation. I came home with a sunburn, but isn't that the universal sign that you had too much fun? It's all good...

Oops...almost forgot! Last week we also took a little trip to the BYU MOA (that'd be Museum of Art for you lay folk). My kids love BYU. We could go there for dental work and they'd think it was the best day ever ('specially when Auntie Lyssa goes with us and we get to eat lunch outside).

2009-04-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Busy day/week/life, so I'll keep this one brief. It's Easter. We ate too much stuff like steak and potatoes and desserts and jelly beans and chocolate rabbit heads on a stick. The kids had a great time looking for eggs. The best part: actual green stuff (like thick grass and bushes and blooming trees) in which to hide the eggs. I am LOVING all the greenage in this Utah place! It's the besssst!

This is my favoritest picture of all. Look how cute and well-behaved they look right before church (well, 'cept for tiny Lucas):

The Easter bunny brought sunglasses for, uh, Hallie and Livvi. Lucas was pretty fascinated with them.

Livvi-lu got her hairs cut. Mommy's glad. I love this cut on her. She's got the face for it.

Bee Happy

2009-04-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Once again, it's been a while since I've posted. Let me just lovingly and respectfully say: Get used to it. Life is a little hairy these days. I'm not complaining. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But every moment, from 4:30am to 10/11 every night is full. Jam-packed. Scrunched. Nuff adjectives for ya?

To catch up on my blogging slackfulness, here's what you've missed and have probably been losing sleep over:

HALLIE WON HER VERY FIRST EVER SPELLING BEE! She beat out some pretty stiff competition, too. I was a very proud mommy on that day. And who are we kidding? You KNOW the girl's genes came seriously into play here.

Good job, Hallie! Sorry it took me so long to post this. You done a good jaaaerb. (private joke)

Moving on...

Writing assignments.

I like to write. Almost as much as I like to edit OTHER people's writing (usually unsolicited). So a while back, my friend and I (also a writer who loves being edited by me as much as you all do) decided to challenge ourselves weekly by picking random topics and setting a deadline and critiquing one another's finished products. This week's topic: door to door salesmen.

I thought it would be fun, for me at least, to post my finished products on the blog. See what the world thinks of me. "Enough about me...what do YOU think of me??" I'm starting today with my most recent (just finished it about a half hour ago). Whether or not I post more depends on the response I get here. I'm interested in all feedback, nice and not-so-nice, so lay it on me! FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW AND LOVE ME SO WELL YET...IT'S SATIRE! MOSTLY FICTION! And go ahead and read it and tell me you've never fantasized about it!

Anyway, here's the first installment:

Where’s the Beef?

In my little corner of the planet, there’s more to spring than chirping birds, sun-shiny days, and blossoming blossoms. Spring has its drawbacks, too. It is often ushered in by an unwelcome hint of partially-thawed meat and super-strength cleaning products that waft in the cool April breezes. Yes, in my neighborhood at least, the phrase “spring has sprung” can sound more like a grim warning than a joyful declaration.

During one warm, seemingly blissful afternoon in particular, my kids feverishly work on their math homework. I stand staring blankly into my open refrigerator, indecisive about the evening meal. Outside, children romp innocently in the grass of a nearby park. All of us are blissfully unaware of the evil that lurks just around the corner.

The doorbell rings and instantly my kids abandon their studies to run to the door. I, too, feel a twinge of excitement. Is it another friendly neighbor bearing a gift of baked goodies…or perhaps a potential playmate wanting to whisk one or more of my children away for an hour or so? I open the door and my excitement immediately gives way to horror. It’s a salesman—one of those door-to-door kind. The warm weather brings them out like it’s brought a trail of ants to my laundry room. I sprayed the ants with a toxic substance. They went away. Use of that tactic on a human (I use that term loosely here) could have some legal ramifications. I’ve been meaning to check into it.

His opening line to me is an inquiry as to whether or not my family eats meat. Faster than I can sarcastically reply with, “Duh, of course we…,” the man is standing—and perspiring—in my kitchen, with all of his wares laid out in their marbled glory on my counter like a buffet spread at an Atkins convention.

As he works his protein-peddling magic, I come dangerously close to buying more meat than my family could ever consume in a year. In what can only be described as a temporary onset of insanity, I agree to make a purchase; one so hefty that it actually requires me to pay in installments. He excitedly trots out the front door and across the street to gather up the necessary documents from his MeatMobile-slash-office. My heart begins to pound out of my chest. My palms sweat and my knees knock together.

What am I thinking? Who finances meat purchases from a 350-pound guy in a Datsun? How do I get out of this? Am I really about to sign my life away for a few bacon-wrapped filets and a hundred or so pre-made burger patties? My panic swells as he turns from his truck to make his way across the street once again. This is it. I’m trapped. No turning back now.

Then it happens.

As the unwitting peddler takes a few steps into the street, his giddiness over the possibility of a profit seems to distract his mind from the “look both ways” rule. Without warning, like a lead-footed answer to a prayer, a bakery truck driver speedily rounds the corner and makes minced meat out of my salesman. I stare in disbelief for a moment or two, morbidly amused at the irony of being saved from burger bankruptcy by a bun-wielding bread truck. Disaster averted. I return the checkbook to my purse and shut the door.

Now, kids, what shall we have for dinner? I suddenly have a taste for pot roast.

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The End. If you read this far, thanks! Now, be gentle with me.

Three Times the Fun

2009-03-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

I'm playing catch up today. You get three posts for the price of one.
I have a confession to make. I have a new guilty pleasure (yeah, like I really needed anooother one). My girls and I are severely diggin' on a show called America's Best Dance Crew (produced by American Idol's own Randy Jackson and known as ABDC to us really "down" homies). Warning: If you don't like to watch unbelievably amazingly ridiculously cool dancing, do NOT watch this video. This group just won this season's competition, and THIS is the dance that cinched it for them. Pay close attention to the little surprise move at the end. Awesome! I'm excited for Season 4.

Happy (late) Birthday, Benjamin!

2009-03-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

I'm a slacker. Sorry, Ben. His birthday was six days ago. I'm not quite a week late. Does that make me a better mommy? Don't answer that. Anyhooooo, he turned the big #5. He's such a good kid. If you don't know Ben, he's gentle and quiet and easier to get along with than just about anybody I know. He rarely disobeys me and is always quick to do what he's asked to do. Not to mention the cutest little Precious Moments face EVER. Needless to say, I love him to bits. His simple bday request was to go with his family to see "Coraline" at the movie theaters and have some cheesecake. So that's what we did. A few pics from that day:

Putting together the Star Wars spaceship present:

Yes, that's STORE-BOUGHT cheesecake. Have you met me?

Get OUT of the fridge!!!!!!!

2009-03-06T14:45:00.001-08:00

If you have children 18 months or older, you know how many times a day you utter (ok...yell, shout, threaten) those words...GET OUT OF THE FRIDGE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! My tiny Lucas brought new meaning to that utterance recently, and almost gave his mommy a coronary in the process. It went down like this:

I enter the kitchen to retrieve/clean/prepare something. I don't recall what. I notice the fridge door is slightly ajar, but it's not worrisome to me. Lucas is constantly foraging through it and always leaves it open...ALWAYS! I had plans to shut it momentarily. I finish what I'm doing and turn around to get what I need from the fridge...

Ta-Daaaaa!!!! There's a toddler in my refrigerator!!! After I got over the initial fright that caused me to clutch my chest and breathe sporadically (yep, it scared the poo out of me, ok?! I'm not normally greeted by leprechauns when I open my refrigerator door!), I took a few moments to bask in the cuteness that IS tiny Lucas. You can do the same with the next few photos:

Finally, I got over the cuteness and scolded the little devil and gave him specific instructions...once again...TO GET OUT OF THE FRIDGE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! He knew he was in for it and made his escape:
And now for those *other* words so often uttered by us moms : It's a good thing he's cute.

Is it Valentine's Day again? Already????

2009-02-14T10:19:00.001-08:00

Boo hoo. Woe is me. I don't have a Valentine. But...there is one man on the planet who will always have my undying love and devotion. What? You've never heard of Roger Clyne? Just watch the video. What this boy can do with a guitar and a pair of red Converse sneakers...well...it's magical, I tell you. And back off ladies...he's mine. Well, not technically. But the voices in my head are backing me up on this one.

Maybe We Should Fall In Love from roger clyne on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday, Jenna Jakes!

2009-02-06T17:06:00.000-08:00

My little sister Jenna turns the big 2-9 today. No, really. Twenty-nine. Not the fake one, the actual 29. Ok, nuff of that.

I was SUPPOSED to go to lunch with my sisters today in honor of this blessed occasion, but a sick child kept me from it. So.....so as not to make her think I've forgotten her...here are a few pics and a few reasons why I love her and why I hope she has (ok, HAD an awesome day):

*She's a great auntie
*She's a great mommy to two lovable twin boys
*She's a good wife (I have to assume on that one. Check with Phil)
*She's a great sister (I can vouch for that one)
*She likes to put on wigs
*She loves Cadbury eggs
*She laughs really loud
*She organizes every family get together
*She sings real purty
*She Riverdances
*She cans like a freak
*She speaks fluent italian
*She taught my sweet little girls the following important outdoor survival skill: squatting against a tree to pee. Like I said, important. They'll probably never learn it from ME!

I could go on, but I honestly think I peaked with that last one. Now, sit back and enjoy a few pics of the birthday girl.

Happy birthday, sistah!

Back from the Dead

2009-02-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

Not so much dead, I guess, as just plain overwhelmed. But don't cry for me. This, too, shall pass...in about 16 years or so, I'm told. I'm posting these pics in response to all the snooty little remarks being directed at me for my lack of blogging activity of late. So brace yourself for lots of pics, people. We'll start with Christmas.

The Walker girls on Christmas Eve. And little Emmalee. She's soooo cuuuuuuute!

Oh, my living room! I can't bear to look at it.

These are pretty much my favorite pics of the 2008 holiday season. Tiny Lucas being forced to portray the sweet baby Jesus in our rendition of that first Christmas night. I know, it oozes sacrilege. Don't tell ME. Talk to uncle Jim, who escorted him into another room and brought him out wrapped in swaddling clothes. And is it just me, or does our Mary look to be in surprisingly good spirits for having just given birth to THAT?

Hallie turns 9 and has a few girlfriends over.

Quick little trip to Bellevue. I hate this picture--grainy, dark, fuzzy, and I look like I'd just spent 13 hours in airports and on planes with only 8 hours of sleep in 2 days--oh, wait, I HAD!!! But it's the only pic I came back with, so it stays.

To compensate, here's one from my LAST trip there.

I think I look much better in this one, don't you?

I'm sporting my "90% humidity glow."

And I don't know why, I just like this picture. I'm allowed to like pictures of myself, right? Or is that too vain and self-absorbed? Oh well, I can own that. Might say I pulled a Kristi. The pouty lip: It's "The New Kristi."

I know, I know I KNOW!!!

2009-01-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a slacker. I'm waay behind on posting. It's quite the unforgivable sin in the world of blog junkies. But don't get too excited. I'm still slacking. Just a quick post to let everyone know that I'm at least AWARE of my slacker-ness.

Here's a little something to hold you until I can do a for-real post. Check out THESE cuties:

Arent they so precious? They were in the tub the other night and I went in to check on them and this is what I found. They were reluctant to pose because they were afraid of mommy displaying their nakedness on the worldwide web. I had to do a little cropping to avoid some innappropriateness (you're welcome). And let me apologize to all my photog buddies...this was taken with my phone cam. It was handiest at the time. Deal with it.

Much more excitement to come...

We've Been Busy

2008-12-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the biggest news: the head injury. Or, with our record being what it is, perhaps I should specify...the MOST RECENT head injury. This one was darn icky. Pretty much off-the-charts icky. I won't go into details, but basically Ben fell from a standing position on top of the toilet into the bathtub, where his brow bone made contact with the bathtub ledge and ripped his little head open. Fast forward to a big ugly bruise and two layers of stitches. I'm absolutely amazed that he wasn't knocked unconscious. Now for some photos of the big event:

Here it is a few minutes after it happened. I got the bleeding to stop long enough to snap a picture (humorous side note: after reading this post, a friend of mine asked me, "So you made him pose for a picture during his traumatic event?" When I answered in the affirmative, he replied, "And you don't see any problem with that?" This made me LOL) What kind of a mom would I be if I didn't think ahead? He's going to want this for posterity.

Here he is at the hospital, after mom's miserably failed super glue attempt.

Below, we see how a head wound looks when a mommy blatently ignores the "do NOT try this at home" warnings.

Isn't this rag totally gross...and totally COOL? I took it with me as my "get into the ER quicker" ticket. I figured if they saw my nasty, bloody rag, the nurses' sense of urgency would be severely heightened at the sight of all that blood. Hey, you laugh, but my diabolical scheme worked. I was in -n- outta there in 4 hours. So there.

And finally, here's what a gaping head wound looks like AFTER it's been neatly and professionally sutured by a trained physician.

Now, some random stuff...

Look at these cuties enjoying their pizza.

We made a gingerbread house. It's much cuter if you look at it like you'd look at one of those Magic Eye books. Just let it go blurry and you won't even notice the details.

Tiny Lucas gets his very first ever salon cut! No more chop jobs from Mommy!

And another first...a REAL LIVE tree on top of the mini-van. Never done that before. Kids love it.

Just a random shot of my little twin nephews Jack n Henry sitting in my computer chair. I just want to eat them up.

Now, last, but certainly not least, the cutting room floor Christmas card pictures. I'm keeping you in suspense because of course, these are the ones that did NOT make the Christmas card cut. That one is coming soon to a mailbox near you. These are a few of the ones that weren't quite up to snuff, but I still think they're cute 'cause my kids are in them.

My apologies about some of these photos. Some were taken with my phone camera. Thank goodness for phone cameras.

Tiny Turkey Day

2008-11-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

So I moved alllllll the way up here to Utah to be close to my family, and what do they do? They all pack up and leave me for Arizona over Thanksgiving! It's ok, though. I enjoyed the whole low-key-ed-ness of the day, and not having to cook for 30 people for the first time in a long time.

Since it was just me and the kiddos, I went with just a small turkey breast as opposed to a big ol' full-blown Tom. Then why, I ask you, do I feel like a completely overstuffed turkey myself after the meal? Maybe it was the entire-blender-full of homemade salsa I made up this morning and consumed with Hallie's help? Well, technically, *I* was the one helping *HER*, but nevertheless...or maybe it was the stuffing I kept sampling before the turkey ever came out of the oven? At any rate, all I know is that by the time we sat down to eat, I was soooo done eating! Bet you can't guess what I did. That's right, I ATE ANYWAY! What is it about Thanksgiving that makes you consume massive amounts of food when you don't even feel like eating it? I had cooked all day to make this great meal, and there was NO WAY I was not going to...uh...enjoy it. Enjoy is probably a strong word here, considering the fact that I think I ended up force-feeding myself about one-and-a-half bites of everything on my plate. Is bulemia really so bad one day out of 365? I think I feel a purge coming on...

Now, for some pics of the festive occasion. I want to point out that Hallie and/or Livvi shot these. Well, not all of them, just the ones that are really blurry, really dark, or really really really bright. I have nooooo idea what happened there. But they're the only images I've got to show for the day, so do your best to enjoy them.

Skunks, Spaceballs, Sassy Cats and Superheros

2008-11-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Once again, my lack of time and brain cells comes into play...forgot to charge the darn camera, so I could only take pictures while it was plugged into the wall. Hence, I have very few Halloween pictures to share. I know, you're devastated. It'll be ok.

Hallie: Supergirl. Livvi: Some sort of fuzzy trimmed kitty cat thing. Ben: Aniken (before he went bad, he wants you to know).

Lucas was a skunk...

...and here's why:

Does anyone smell a stinky personality?

(Hey wait! there's another blog post for today! Keep reading!)

Stingrays and Lobsters and Pumpkins? OH MY!

2008-11-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I loaded up the kidlets and took them to Sandy (about 45 minutes away for you non-Utahns) to something called "The Living Planet Aquarium." Nice little place. We saw some pretty cool creatures. (sorry for the poor quality on some of these. I forgot to charge my camera so I had to use the phone cam after the batteries died)

They had a touch pool with stingray. I was hoping for dolphins, but did I mention I'm in Sandy, Utah? We'll settle for the stingray.

If you can't tell, this is a giant lobster. By "giant," I mean about the size of a cocker spaniel.

Notice the jack-o-lantern in the tank? Do fish celebrate Halloween?

A Pumpkinless Patch

2008-10-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to day two of the saga known as "WHAT? They're all home for four days?!" I made it halfway! Go me! So here's what we did today. Once again there were lots of animals involved, but nobody got pooed on this time. We call that a good day.

Why does looking at this picture make me feel like I have a LOT of children? Yes, they're all mine.

And no, that's not an abnormally large child in that choo-choo barrel. It's aunt Beffie/BLB.

The girls loved the pony rides. They made them wear special helmets for the actual ride, then put the cute cowgirl hats on for the photo opp. Like I was gonna miss an opportunity to post a photo on my blog of Livvi in a helmet!

The petting "zoo." I use that term loosely. Let's call it a petting pen. You say tomato. Either way, a big hit with the kids.

Hallie catches some serious air...for the bargain price of $5.

Good food and good company. I love my sisters! Looks like Livvi loves her hot dog, too.

This is not an unusual scene around our house. Lucas consumes anything and everything within his reach, including but not limited to actual food and drink. i.e., Last week it was a bottle of Children's liquid Tylenol. Well, not sure how MUCH of the bottle he drank, since I don't know how much was in there to begin with. But that was 5 or 6 days ago, and he's still with us, so...maybe I can still collect my Mother of the Year award after all. I won't hold my breath.

Say No to Ducks

2008-10-16T16:59:00.001-07:00

A summary of the last few days:

Last week was anti-drugs week at Hallie and Livvi's school. (They do that in Utah? 'pparently.) So each day was a fun little theme day. Can you guess by the following hair photos what Wednesday was? Ding ding ding! You guessed it! Crazy hair day! And can you guess by the photos which child was not thrilled about having her picture taken with crazy hair? Right again!

Nuff said.

On to this week: A three-day school week. Why, you ask? Because of some big deer hunt that goes on every year at this time. A big deal in these parts. But why do *I* have to be punished along with the poor unsuspecting deer? Four days in a row with FOUR children home? ALL day long? ...sigh...

So, the plan is to keep them entertained. Occupied. Not an easy task. Off to the park we went. During a moment of insanity, I may have casually mentioned that there MIGHT be a pond at the park where we were going. Side note: Do NOT mention the possibility of ponds to young children when headed to the park. So we packed up the bread and headed for the park with the pond. We get there and fo shizzle, there's a pond! WITH DUCKS!!! We get out of the car and we start breaking off pieces of bread for the hungry little duckies. All fun and games. The ducks were thrilled. The kids were excited. Hallie may have gotten a little TOO excited, however. She couldn't resist the urge to keep picking up ducks. Turns out ducks don't like to be cuddled so much. I kept warning her that something bad was going to happen if she continued her duck-loving ways. But if you know Hallie, you know she can't help herself. I'll let the pictures tell the story. To quote a favorite cable news channel: WE report. YOU decide.

Think the duck was happy about being man-handled? Me neither. Still, the funniest part of my day. Maybe even my week. Hallie's not laughing...yet.

Random Quirkiness

2008-10-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Alyssa to share with my audience/fans/stalkers six quirky things about me that you may or may not know. This was hard. Not because I don't have an abundance of quirks, but because of the time involved TRYING TO NARROW THEM DOWN TO SIX!!! Now, Jenna helped me out by stealing many of mine (yeah, we ARE sisters), but trying to whittle down the list AND come up with six that were safe to share without risking you all thinking I'm completely insane---now THAT was a challenge! Here are the top six:

1. I can NOT stand open closet doors. How can I maintain the illusion of being organized and put-together if you can see into my closets? I can NOT sleep at night if there are closet doors open. Seriously.

2. My little girls do NOT go out in public without their hair fixed. No, not brushed and combed. FIXED. Barrettes, rubberbands, something. I don't like being seen out and about with messy-haired girls who look like their mother doesn't love them.

3. I haven't painted my fingernails in about 8 years, but my toes are ALWAYS painted. Half the time, nobody even sees them, but they always get painted. My fingernails can look like they've been gnawed off by an angry beaver, but the toes have GOT to look guuuuud.

4. I want to tear my hair out when I see signs or any kind of public advertisement/writings with misspelled words or incorrect grammar!!!! Who is letting these people create sentences in public? I ask you! If you can't write good English, ya ain't got no business making signs or writing e-books or designing websites! I feel better now. (Alyssa, I know you do, too)

5. I type words and sentences out in my head. I've had this horribly annoying habit (it's only annoying to me since nobody knows I'm doing it) since I took typing class in 8th grade. If you're saying it to me or I'm saying it to you, I'm picturing it being typed out on a keyboard in my head. However, I'm sorry to say that I think this habit is being replaced by one even worse---texting! I'm starting to text words in my head now. Anyone have a number for a good therapist? (shut up, Jon)

6. I can't stand smelling like food. Blech. I hate it when I cook lunch or dinner, then have to go somewhere like to church or anywhere, really, and I smell like whatever I just cooked. I try to plan cooking around not having to go anywhere or around my showers. Cook first, shower second. Changing my clothes isn't enough. I mean, the smell stays in your hair, too! Yuck! The same goes for eating out and leaving the restaurant smelling like whatever I just ate...or what the people next to me just ate (case in point: Chili's sizzling fajitas. The waiter passes by your table carrying those things and you're done for. You now smell like green peppers and onions.)

I guess I'm supposed to tag a few people now, so....Kristi, Polly, Tami D., Lita, Camille H., and Debbie C. C'mon girls, let's have 'em.

A Place with Trees!

2008-09-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

And water! And fall colors! And grass! Utah rocks!! Just check out this gooooorgeous view from my kitchen window. It's hard to tell, but the mountains are splashed with orange, yellow, red and green. Can't wait to see the view in winter! I know, I know. You're jealous.

For our very first Monday family night together in Utah, auntie Lyssa took us for a jaunt up through Provo Canyon so we could check out the purty autumn colors before they're gone. We couldn't resist stopping when we saw the cute little horsies (worthheees, as Lucas would say) alongside the road. I think my favorite part about these pictures is the way the flash made the horses look like some sort of evil alien creatures ready to attack or swallow my children whole. (look at those yellow eyes! weird!) Wondering about Livvi's hair? She leaned too close to the barbed wire fence and a barb caught the front of her head and pulled the hair out of the bobby pins which had so neatly been placed in her hair. I wonder, why do I bother?

Thanks auntie Lyssa for taking us up there. And thanks auntie Jenna, aunt Beffie, auntie Lyssa (again), uncle Phil, uncle Jim, and mom for sooooo much help with driving and unpacking. I'd be sitting in the corner, sucking my thumb and crying right now if it weren't for all the work you did. And I can't forget Terry. You're all the best...Love you!