It's over. 2008 is gone just about. This may have been the quickest year of my life. So it's time to review some things of note. The problem with blogging is that inspiration usually comes while washing my hair in the shower and is forgotten by the time I'm done. Well I'm still the same old me, yes I did wonder if it was too lewd to mention the shower in my blog. I am thrilled to look out the window and see snow covering the fence and roofs and cars. The extra long Fall was just not right in my opinion. Yeah, it made biking and walking to school a snap but cold and snow are what we are supposed to have and I don't believe in messing with mother nature. What has been accomplished this year? I think it's normal in this culture to try to have a bunch of huge accomplishments to put up on some sort of imaginary scoreboard that will launch you ever closer to your eternal reward or just make you feel good about yourself and all you've done. I can never seem to find many of those things to tack onto the scoreboard. Life's usually a series of small events, some I feel good about, some that wasted too many hours of my time, most that were just living the daily functions of life and taking care of this thing called family. I dare say this is how life is for most of us.
I did finally get recycling down this year. We don't have those convenient blue or green recycling cans that many communities have. But I discovered about a year ago this thing out here called the Blue Bag Recycling Program. If you live out this way I highly recommend you try it out if you haven't yet. You just get those blue recycling trash bags that you can get at the grocery store and separate your recyclables into the bags and put it all in your regular garbage can and they separate it all at the dump. Brent's skeptical that they actually do it but there was a picture on the internet with a big pile of the blue bags that had been removed at the dump. I didn't recycle any cans this year (baby steps) so maybe I'll add those in next year. You have to rinse things out so that's why I've resisted so far.
I started a blog (pretty obvious one here). I found out that I kind of like to write and that occasionally I don't completely suck at it. It's a little surprising that I've stuck with something for so many months. I'm hoping in the coming year that I can be a little more open in my blogging. Dare to say more of what I want to say. It's always been my desire to make this a forum for my thoughts and hear others thoughts too, along with the pictures and the happenings in our lives. I censored myself more than I really wanted to when it came to politics and other issues.
Speaking of politics... We elected Barack Obama as our next president! I still can't believe that in a month we will have a President Obama. I learned a lot from this election about just how difficult it can be for individuals to come together on varying political views. I think I may have even harmed a friendship or two as a result of the election. Not because I wouldn't shut up about my views or I was trying to change another persons mind. More I think because they didn't agree with my guy and when he won (oh the nerve of it all, allowing the other team to win for a change!) they were upset and blamed me in a way for bringing this terrible thing to pass. That part makes me sad. Hopefully time will heal wounds. Let me just say how grateful I am for friends who tolerate me and my contrary political views. :) Let me explain just a little about what Obama's win means to me and others. It's like this time years ago before Brent and I were married and we used to go running together after work in the mornings. We were running and talking at the same time about some issues involving our future together. I know, we should have just stuck with the running. Well the conversation didn't go well and we were having a disagreement about something important to me. Honestly, I can't remember all the details but I was upset and started crying. Crying and running do not go together because the crying makes you unable to breath. So I started gasping for air. I was hyperventilating and could have used a paper bag to breath into at that point. So I stopped running, stopped crying, and took some slow deep breaths and then I was able to breath again. It felt unbelievable to be able to breath normally again. That's how it feels. We've had an administration running our country that has basically told those who don't agree with their policies to sit down and shut up, we know what's best, you don't and we're not going to listen to you. I can breath again. I can have an opinion contrary to my government's once again and not be accused of being unpatriotic. Not be thought of as a bad American. I've always believed that when you disagree with your country's leaders it is your right and even responsibility to stand up and say something. To protest peacefully. That is what I believe our founding fathers intended. We don't need to rehash the reasons I disagree. The war, the Patriot Act, Guantanamo, etc., etc., etc. Those things have been debated ad nauseum. It doesn't mean I don't have great respect for our troops because I surely do. After all, I'm too much of a chicken to do what they do. They and their families sacrifice in the most amazing of ways. But I want to see change. I believe there is more than one way of doing things and if you're hitting your head against a wall hoping it will stop the pain and it's not working, then maybe you should stop hitting your head against the wall and take a new approach.
Another development late in this year is that I think I've got this exercise thing down again. I'm on day 33 of a 90 day workout program, working out six days a week. Finally, I'm remembering again how much I love working out!
Those are just a few notable things that I wanted to mention as this year nears it's end. What about next year? I have this weird, no reason behind it at all, belief that odd years are lucky for me so it could be a great year!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
See we did get a decent Christmas Card picture after all. We're having a great Christmas so far. Last night for Christmas Eve Brent's mom, Cathy, slept over. It's about the fourth time she's done that and it's always great to have her here. We had a nice dinner then did Santa's sugar cookies. Then we sang some Christmas carols and finished reading a Christmas story we'd been working on. None of the kids stayed up way late this year, yay! Everyone was really mellow and NICE to each other! It was great! Today was very relaxing and nice too. We braved the storm on the other side of the mountain to visit my dad and Diane. Returned a couple hours later and kicked back at home. The snow finally hit us around 7 pm after a day of weird, wacky, windy weather. At least it finally made it. You gotta have snow on Christmas. Now the kids are running around playing with the walkie-talkies they got for Christmas. My favorite quote of the day was Noah after getting his football Christmas pajamas last night and a shirt with a football on it today: "I'm really not into football that much." It was just a coincidence he got two football clothing items. I'm not really into football much either, Noah.
I just want to say how blessed I am to spend Christmas with Brent and these kids. I am so lucky to have such great people in my life. I'd also like to let my kids know what a special time of year this is, when we get that extra opportunity to remember our Savior Jesus Christ and his birth and life. Heres hoping everyone out there is having a wonderful Christmas day!
Christmas Eve PJs. Stand in front of the dead Christmas tree and say cheese!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
"Why 'Twilight' isn't for everybody"
Let me just say I did read all of the Twilight books and I liked them all, although the last I didn't love. I was going to see the movie last Saturday. I went out shopping around 9:30 a.m. during that storm and ended up driving down the freeway at 35 mph for the next hour, praying I wouldn't die. And no, I'm not embarrassed to drive 35 on the freeway, with every car passing me, if it's between that and crashing into the car next to me. So by the time I finished my shopping I just wanted to get home before the roads got any worse (avoiding possible death and another heart attack) and skipped going to see Twilight like I had planned, although the weather was much better on the way back thankfully. :)
So Isabella is often talking about this kid and that kid and many other kids reading the books and going to the movie. I am in the camp of thinking 10 or 11 or even a few years beyond that is too young to read the books. Why are people in such a hurry to have their kids grow up? It's something I don't understand. What I do understand is you are only a kid for a very very short time. So why not enjoy it for as long you (acceptably) can? This article from the LA Times sums it up pretty well I think:
Yes, it's about old-fashioned romance, but isn't some of the sexual content inappropriate for pre-teens?
By Sonja Bolle
December 14,2008
When a tide of popularity rises, it erases all boundaries. The first sign that "Twilight" was a pop-culture phenomenon was that teen girls who hadn't talked to their parents in years were dressing up with their mothers in vampire costumes and attending midnight book parties together. By last summer, when the marketing for the fourth and ostensibly final book in the series reached the proportions of hysteria (and that was a mild dress rehearsal for the movie release), it had become de rigueur for any self-respecting female reader of any age to read the books. Not only to read them, but to swoon over them, to be overwhelmed by them; to find, as 10-year-old Lyla Polon of Santa Monica wrote, "It's hard for me to face the fact that [the characters] are not real."
Much as I like the novels -- and I devoured all of them happily -- I'm appalled to find that a sizable number of the 25 million copies now in print are going into the hands of 10-year-olds. Why would parents whose children are not yet obsessed with sex encourage their kids to read books that are one long, bodice-ripping romance?
Most parents don't allow their 10-year-old daughters to dress in sexy outfits. They recognize that there's a gulf between the pre-pubescent kid's desire to be a player in our sex-drenched popular culture and an actual understanding of what the come-hither look means. It's why the images of miniature beauty contestants are so horrifying. Why would you allow, even encourage, your child to play that kind of grown-up game?
I'm using "10 years old" as shorthand for "too young." Of course, 10-year-olds come in all levels of maturity. When is it OK to read "Twilight"? When you can't stop thinking about sex. When the idea of romance produces a physical reaction in your body. When a story of a caress withheld for hundreds of pages leaves you breathless and weak-kneed -- not bored and skimming for the next action scene.
In other words, "Twilight" is an entertaining read for people from puberty to death. But emphatically not before puberty.
So Isabella is often talking about this kid and that kid and many other kids reading the books and going to the movie. I am in the camp of thinking 10 or 11 or even a few years beyond that is too young to read the books. Why are people in such a hurry to have their kids grow up? It's something I don't understand. What I do understand is you are only a kid for a very very short time. So why not enjoy it for as long you (acceptably) can? This article from the LA Times sums it up pretty well I think:
Yes, it's about old-fashioned romance, but isn't some of the sexual content inappropriate for pre-teens?
By Sonja Bolle
December 14,2008
When a tide of popularity rises, it erases all boundaries. The first sign that "Twilight" was a pop-culture phenomenon was that teen girls who hadn't talked to their parents in years were dressing up with their mothers in vampire costumes and attending midnight book parties together. By last summer, when the marketing for the fourth and ostensibly final book in the series reached the proportions of hysteria (and that was a mild dress rehearsal for the movie release), it had become de rigueur for any self-respecting female reader of any age to read the books. Not only to read them, but to swoon over them, to be overwhelmed by them; to find, as 10-year-old Lyla Polon of Santa Monica wrote, "It's hard for me to face the fact that [the characters] are not real."
Much as I like the novels -- and I devoured all of them happily -- I'm appalled to find that a sizable number of the 25 million copies now in print are going into the hands of 10-year-olds. Why would parents whose children are not yet obsessed with sex encourage their kids to read books that are one long, bodice-ripping romance?
Most parents don't allow their 10-year-old daughters to dress in sexy outfits. They recognize that there's a gulf between the pre-pubescent kid's desire to be a player in our sex-drenched popular culture and an actual understanding of what the come-hither look means. It's why the images of miniature beauty contestants are so horrifying. Why would you allow, even encourage, your child to play that kind of grown-up game?
I'm using "10 years old" as shorthand for "too young." Of course, 10-year-olds come in all levels of maturity. When is it OK to read "Twilight"? When you can't stop thinking about sex. When the idea of romance produces a physical reaction in your body. When a story of a caress withheld for hundreds of pages leaves you breathless and weak-kneed -- not bored and skimming for the next action scene.
In other words, "Twilight" is an entertaining read for people from puberty to death. But emphatically not before puberty.
You might argue that kids are very good at ignoring what they're not ready for. When you ask 10-year-olds what they like about the series, they'll generally mention anything but the romance (see comments from kids below). However, you can't pretend that something isn't worming its way in there. I was once driving a carpool with three 7-year-old boys in the back seat, and we pulled up at a light next to an immense billboard showing a woman dressed in skimpy black lace, perched on a red velvet throne and restraining a Doberman pinscher on a choke chain. There was absolute silence in the back seat as three heads leaned over to peer out the window. Then one little voice piped up: "Do you think she sexes the dog?" Whatever actual information the kid was working on, he definitely got the subtext of the advertisement. (I've wrestled with my feelings about the 1st Amendment as it relates to egregious advertising ever since.)
Parents who haven't perused the "Twilight" books may have heard that the series is all about sexual restraint and consider that it conveys "a good message." Even at first glance the books may seem quite perfect for younger readers; the writing style is simple and straightforward, and the type is big. I wrote an enthusiastic review of the first three books last year, pointing out how refreshing it is in this day and age to read a hip romance that is all about old-fashioned waiting and longing. Edward, the courtly vampire, won't make love to his Bella until they're married.
But just because the lovers don't have sex in the first three books doesn't make the story appropriate for younger kids; inherent in the pleasure of restraint is the longing for sex. And that's just the first three books.
In the fourth book, by contrast, the lovers have tons of sex. First, they marry, of course, and produce a fetching baby. But the fourth book answers the burning question about what vampires do with all their free time, since they don't sleep. It turns out that married vampires have a lot of sex. They are immensely strong, so they end up destroying a lot of perfectly lovely beds, and much other furniture to boot. In fact, their lovemaking is so ferocious that one young married vampire couple teases the newlyweds that they can't be truly crazy for each other, because they haven't destroyed enough houses yet.
Of course, there is quite a lot more to the "Twilight" story, like werewolves (and their mating habits) and fast cars, trips to Italy (where the really fierce vampire Mafia lives), and showdowns with other vampires. But you have to ignore a lot of description of the feel of Edward's rock-hard body and his exquisite beauty to focus on the other things.
Scientists have been mystified by the recent epidemic of early-onset puberty in young girls. The long list of proposed causes ranges from the widely publicized suspicion of hormones in milk to more esoteric theories. One idea is that because of the prevalence of divorce, young girls are increasingly living in households with men who are not biological relatives; the pheromones, the theory goes, act on each other, causing girls to mature sexually in response to their proximity with unrelated males. Surely it's not a stretch to think that all the sexual stimulation in our society, through music, advertising, television, film and even books is having some effect on young minds and bodies?
The pre-teen years -- the "age of latency" or "the age of industry" -- used to be when kids did projects, threw themselves into hobbies, deepened their ability to learn things. This is the age when kids start to know more about their areas of interest than their parents do. Nowadays kids study to be teenagers; they rush into popular culture, demanding iPhones and access to R-rated movies. Since parents complain so much about teenagers, why would they facilitate their pre-teenager's headlong rush into this attitude and outlook? Parents seem to enjoy precociousness in kids, then get alarmed when their 13-year-olds want to go to raves.
Putting on the brakes is an essential element in being a parent. It's a cliché of childhood that kids always want to be older; it's up to us, who know what it means to get older, to encourage the enjoyment of innocence as long as possible.
Comments from kids about the "Twilight" series:
"I started reading the series because everyone I knew was reading them: people in the 7th grade, like my sister, but 5th graders, too. I like it because it's completely different from every other book I've read. It looks at vampires in a different way, less make-believe. In my mind, it's not completely implausible -- I know it is, but I just don't look at it that way."
* Noah Slosberg, age 10 (turning 11 any minute)
"I think [the age appropriateness of the series] depends more on maturity and if your parents approve of you reading. The first and second books have nothing bad in them, but once you start a series you want to finish it, and the third and fourth get less appropriate. I like the fantasy meets reality. I also like the lifelike view of a high school and the idea that not everything is what it seems."
* Grace Slansky, age 10
"[The book series is inappropriate for] fourth graders and under because they may or may not be mature. I like it because it has good description and many details. [The film 'Twilight' is ok for everyone] because the worst is kissing."
* Madeline, age 11
"[The series is inappropriate for younger readers] because there is some sexual content in 'Eclipse' and 'Breaking Dawn' (the third and fourth books). I like how Stephenie Meyer could go on forever on this series."
* Benny Gonda, age 11
"I think [the Twilight books] are inappropriate for kids under 10 because there are a ton of kissing parts and some sexual parts, that kids under 10 would think were gross, instead of appreciating the beauty and uniqueness of the love between Bella and Edward. I love everything about the series, but what stands out most to me is the unique personalities of all the characters. It's amazing to me that Stephenie Meyer could start from scratch and create all of these amazing, grasping characters. It's hard for me to face the fact that they are not real."
* Lyla Polon, age 10 (11 in January)
"My older sister read one in about a day! But I'm going to wait until I'm older."
* Aron Kobayashi-Ritch, age 10
Parents who haven't perused the "Twilight" books may have heard that the series is all about sexual restraint and consider that it conveys "a good message." Even at first glance the books may seem quite perfect for younger readers; the writing style is simple and straightforward, and the type is big. I wrote an enthusiastic review of the first three books last year, pointing out how refreshing it is in this day and age to read a hip romance that is all about old-fashioned waiting and longing. Edward, the courtly vampire, won't make love to his Bella until they're married.
But just because the lovers don't have sex in the first three books doesn't make the story appropriate for younger kids; inherent in the pleasure of restraint is the longing for sex. And that's just the first three books.
In the fourth book, by contrast, the lovers have tons of sex. First, they marry, of course, and produce a fetching baby. But the fourth book answers the burning question about what vampires do with all their free time, since they don't sleep. It turns out that married vampires have a lot of sex. They are immensely strong, so they end up destroying a lot of perfectly lovely beds, and much other furniture to boot. In fact, their lovemaking is so ferocious that one young married vampire couple teases the newlyweds that they can't be truly crazy for each other, because they haven't destroyed enough houses yet.
Of course, there is quite a lot more to the "Twilight" story, like werewolves (and their mating habits) and fast cars, trips to Italy (where the really fierce vampire Mafia lives), and showdowns with other vampires. But you have to ignore a lot of description of the feel of Edward's rock-hard body and his exquisite beauty to focus on the other things.
Scientists have been mystified by the recent epidemic of early-onset puberty in young girls. The long list of proposed causes ranges from the widely publicized suspicion of hormones in milk to more esoteric theories. One idea is that because of the prevalence of divorce, young girls are increasingly living in households with men who are not biological relatives; the pheromones, the theory goes, act on each other, causing girls to mature sexually in response to their proximity with unrelated males. Surely it's not a stretch to think that all the sexual stimulation in our society, through music, advertising, television, film and even books is having some effect on young minds and bodies?
The pre-teen years -- the "age of latency" or "the age of industry" -- used to be when kids did projects, threw themselves into hobbies, deepened their ability to learn things. This is the age when kids start to know more about their areas of interest than their parents do. Nowadays kids study to be teenagers; they rush into popular culture, demanding iPhones and access to R-rated movies. Since parents complain so much about teenagers, why would they facilitate their pre-teenager's headlong rush into this attitude and outlook? Parents seem to enjoy precociousness in kids, then get alarmed when their 13-year-olds want to go to raves.
Putting on the brakes is an essential element in being a parent. It's a cliché of childhood that kids always want to be older; it's up to us, who know what it means to get older, to encourage the enjoyment of innocence as long as possible.
Comments from kids about the "Twilight" series:
"I started reading the series because everyone I knew was reading them: people in the 7th grade, like my sister, but 5th graders, too. I like it because it's completely different from every other book I've read. It looks at vampires in a different way, less make-believe. In my mind, it's not completely implausible -- I know it is, but I just don't look at it that way."
* Noah Slosberg, age 10 (turning 11 any minute)
"I think [the age appropriateness of the series] depends more on maturity and if your parents approve of you reading. The first and second books have nothing bad in them, but once you start a series you want to finish it, and the third and fourth get less appropriate. I like the fantasy meets reality. I also like the lifelike view of a high school and the idea that not everything is what it seems."
* Grace Slansky, age 10
"[The book series is inappropriate for] fourth graders and under because they may or may not be mature. I like it because it has good description and many details. [The film 'Twilight' is ok for everyone] because the worst is kissing."
* Madeline, age 11
"[The series is inappropriate for younger readers] because there is some sexual content in 'Eclipse' and 'Breaking Dawn' (the third and fourth books). I like how Stephenie Meyer could go on forever on this series."
* Benny Gonda, age 11
"I think [the Twilight books] are inappropriate for kids under 10 because there are a ton of kissing parts and some sexual parts, that kids under 10 would think were gross, instead of appreciating the beauty and uniqueness of the love between Bella and Edward. I love everything about the series, but what stands out most to me is the unique personalities of all the characters. It's amazing to me that Stephenie Meyer could start from scratch and create all of these amazing, grasping characters. It's hard for me to face the fact that they are not real."
* Lyla Polon, age 10 (11 in January)
"My older sister read one in about a day! But I'm going to wait until I'm older."
* Aron Kobayashi-Ritch, age 10
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Dear Santa!
So last Saturday was the ward Christmas party over at the church. It was a pretty good one I'd say. Noah was happy because we saw a girl eating kid approved macaroni and cheese (at least that's what we thought it was) and he didn't want the bread bowl and soup that was being offered. Nothing beats a warmish bowl of macaroni and cheese that's been sitting around for a while, right? Well when we got up there, there was no macaroni and cheese so it must have been all gone since we waited ten minutes to get in line. So Noah was very upset and didn't like his soup or bread bowl once the soup was in it. So, anyhoo, Noah is all upset and I'm done eating so I take him out to the hall to get some air. We were out there for a minute and he's still crying a little (he must have been tired, he's not usually that over dramatic). Then a door opens and what to our wondering eyes should appear? Santa Claus, of course. Minus the eight, tiny reindeer. So Noah sees Santa and Santa sees Noah and gives him this look that says, you want to meet me? Well come on over! So I ask Noah if he wants to come over and he says no. He wants to go out to the parking lot and see if the reindeer are there. Well I couldn't take him out to see the reindeer of course. We didn't have jackets on! That would be silly! So Santa goes in the cultural hall to see all the kids and after a minute I talk Noah into going in. Then of course, like everyone else we have to go stand in a long, confusing line and I'm smacking my head thinking, he was there! Santa was right there ten feet away from us with no kids in sight besides my own! And now here we are standing in the long line with every kid in the neighborhood! Now, who's being over dramatic? Finally, it's Noah's turn but he couldn't think of what he wanted for Christmas so I whisper transformer in his ear. He tells Santa transformer and then Santa asks, which transformer, Optimus Prime? (Is that the right name?) Some other kind I can't remember? That's me who can't remember, not Santa. Santa's smart and I think he was The Santa Claus because he had a real white beard that looked very authentic and had a very "Santa" vibe about him. So neither of us know which transformer because we know nothing about transformers except that Noah had fun playing with them at his friend Nick's house. Meanwhile, everyone is getting their dessert. Which looked like a lovely selection of cheesecakes and eclairs. We finish up and grab the little goody bags Santa was kind enough to give to all the boys and girls. Isabella and Zoe lucked out and didn't have to work for their goody bag. So we head over to the desserts and guess what? They are all gone! All gone. No dessert for me, darn. But the good thing was Noah had the goody bag and didn't notice the desserts were all gone so we didn't have a repeat of the macaroni and cheese incident. All in all, a highly successful evening!
Doll Adoption
Our ward relief society participated in a doll adoption for the Humanitarian Center at the D.I. You got to pick a ratty old doll and bring it home and make it look new again. The finished dolls will be sent to orphans somewhere. So I grabbed the first ratty, hairy doll I saw and brought it home. It ended up being a really fun project for us. Isabella and Zoe had a great time fixing her up and by the time we were done we were a little attached to the doll and a little sad to see her go. I guess you can get a doll anytime and fix it up so we may have to try it again soon. The doll was quite gross and dirty so we gave her a bath in soapy, bleachy water. Then washed her "mass of tangles and fuzz" hair and used a couple big handfuls of conditioner. It took over an hour to comb the hair out with the conditioner in it before we rinsed her out. I also had to sand and file her toe since the previous owner had a good time chewing on it, apparently. The last and most fun part was getting her new clothes and accessories. Great service project for a family!
After
Before
After
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Silly Pics....
....from trying to get a Christmas card picture. Who knows if we'll actually get around to it since I've got a bad attitude today and our printer sucks! Sometimes it just is what it is. I just said that because I keep seeing it everywhere lately for some reason. Maybe these pictures will put me in a better mood. That's what this blog is for right? Serving my own selfish wants? Ha ha ha! Okay, I need to leave now. Take a nap, eat some ice cream....Or something.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Seven Years
What were you doing seven years ago today? We were moving into our new home! Actually, I don't know the exact date but it was the day after Thanksgiving, 2001. A lot has changed since we moved here. When we moved in it was just me, Brent, and our two little girls. Now we've got three kids in elementary school! Aaaah! How time flies! I remember when we were choosing our house plan we decided to go with this rambler, they called it The Eaton, because we didn't have any plans to move anytime soon and we wanted a house we could live in indefinitely. So this plan gave us a full basement to eventually expand our two bedroom home. The rambler also would work well if we decided to stay here 'til we were old and gray and no longer able to climb stairs. We were thinking waaay ahead. So here it is seven years later and I guess we made a good choice because we are still here and may be here 'til we're old and gray for all we know! We expanded that two bedroom house by finishing the basement and now we have five bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, an art room, family room and the rest of the stuff we had to begin with along with all the other cosmetic changes (flooring, lighting, fence, etc.) Pretty good deal, huh? I think we made a good choice here. What's not to love about our town? You really couldn't pick a better place to raise a family. Right? And I love this house. Every few months I get the moving bug and start looking at houses on the internet. Then I walk through my house, assuming it's clean that day, and I think, this is a great house, I can't leave it! I'm good for a few more months. It's just a passing idea, not anything we ever seriously consider. The kids are happy about that. Who knows, life may take us somewhere else somewhere down the line, but until then we'll be here, happily hanging out in our just right house in our great neighborhood.
Then
Actually this was spring of 2003, the pictures from when we moved in, in 2001, were taken on our old non-digital camera and they haven't been scanned in. But you get the idea.
Look at our cute little plants!
Then
Actually this was spring of 2003, the pictures from when we moved in, in 2001, were taken on our old non-digital camera and they haven't been scanned in. But you get the idea.
Look at our cute little plants!
2008
Now with Monster Plants!
Now with Monster Plants!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
She's A Winner!!
So we went to the reflections thing at school tonight and Isabella won 2nd in the Visual Arts category! Awesome artist girl! I'll have to post a picture of her picture when we get it back. She moves on to council or something like that now.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
I've Been Tagged...Eights
8 Favorite TV Shows~
1 Grey's Anatomy
2 Gilmore Girls reruns
3 The Office
4 Seinfeld (in all time favorites category)
5 Colbert Report
6 HGTV
7 Situation Room
8 Anderson Cooper 360
8 Favorite Restaurants~
(Really don't care much about restaurants these days)
1 Carino's
2 Bajio
3 Panda Express
4 Quizno's
5 Su Casa
6 Olive Garden
7 Archibald's
8 Leukini's (my kid's made up restaurant,
they make a mean cheese sandwich:)
8 things that happened yesterday~
(How about last week instead)
1 Brent was gone for the week (very unusual)
2 Saw High School Musical 3
3 Stayed up past 2 am about four times
4 Supervised LOTS of homework
5 Volunteered in each kid's class
6 Worked out twice- Denise Austin kids DVD with my kids
(it counts!) and walked with a friend in more beautiful fall weather
7 Brent came home (yay!)
8 Fun date while kids slept over at Grandparent's
(dinner, shopping, hotel)
8 things I'm looking forward to~
1 Christmas (finally getting excited about it!)
2 Getting in great shape again
3 Christmas decorating, getting the tree
4 Seeing Twilight (not a FANATIC but it sounds fun)
5 Thanksgiving
6 Getting organized
7 The new Killers album (mp3? What do we
call it these days?)
8 The Inauguration
8 Things on my wish list~
1 A fun family vacation
2 Payed off house
3 Appliances that aren't messed up
4 Payed off car and a good, high gas mileage car
for Brent
5 More peace everywhere
6 Go back to school and graduate
7 All over self improvement
8 Health, success and happiness for my kids
8 People I tag:
Any eight people who feel like it
1 Grey's Anatomy
2 Gilmore Girls reruns
3 The Office
4 Seinfeld (in all time favorites category)
5 Colbert Report
6 HGTV
7 Situation Room
8 Anderson Cooper 360
8 Favorite Restaurants~
(Really don't care much about restaurants these days)
1 Carino's
2 Bajio
3 Panda Express
4 Quizno's
5 Su Casa
6 Olive Garden
7 Archibald's
8 Leukini's (my kid's made up restaurant,
they make a mean cheese sandwich:)
8 things that happened yesterday~
(How about last week instead)
1 Brent was gone for the week (very unusual)
2 Saw High School Musical 3
3 Stayed up past 2 am about four times
4 Supervised LOTS of homework
5 Volunteered in each kid's class
6 Worked out twice- Denise Austin kids DVD with my kids
(it counts!) and walked with a friend in more beautiful fall weather
7 Brent came home (yay!)
8 Fun date while kids slept over at Grandparent's
(dinner, shopping, hotel)
8 things I'm looking forward to~
1 Christmas (finally getting excited about it!)
2 Getting in great shape again
3 Christmas decorating, getting the tree
4 Seeing Twilight (not a FANATIC but it sounds fun)
5 Thanksgiving
6 Getting organized
7 The new Killers album (mp3? What do we
call it these days?)
8 The Inauguration
8 Things on my wish list~
1 A fun family vacation
2 Payed off house
3 Appliances that aren't messed up
4 Payed off car and a good, high gas mileage car
for Brent
5 More peace everywhere
6 Go back to school and graduate
7 All over self improvement
8 Health, success and happiness for my kids
8 People I tag:
Any eight people who feel like it
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Another Quiz
1. Did you date someone from your school? Only friends to dances.
2. What kind of car did you drive? My Stepdad's Mazda truck and a 1977 Chevy Impala.
3. What was the most embarrassing moment of HS? Probably when I asked this guy (major crush) to a dance in an elaborate way and found out he was going with someone else, then avoided seeing him so I didn't have to be humiliated when he turned me down. I was still humiliated.
4. Were you a party animal? Not at all. Not my style and my Stepdad was too scary to even attempt it!
5. Were you considered a flirt? Too shy.
6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? No, no, and no.
7. Were you a nerd? Nerd? Not really. Mostly just blended in.
8. Were you on any varsity teams? Cross Country and Track. Also lettered in drama! Couldn't act at all....
9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nope, wasn't much of a trouble maker.
10. Can you still sing the fight song? I totally can! "Jordan High School student are we...."
11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mrs. Smith, Junior Honors English. She wore the weirdest hippy outfits, was always trying to find the pen that was in her hair, was totally creative and invited us to her cool Harvard/Yale neighborhood home to watch The Great Gatsby.
12. Where did you sit during lunch? Usually hallway or stairwell.
13. School mascot? Beetdiggers (coolest and nerdiest mascot ever!)
14. Did you go to homecoming, and with who? Let's see, Bryan Sorenson, Murray Guy. He hit a car with his Mom's Suburban while we were picking everyone up.
15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Not high school, maybe the twenties.
16. What do you remember most about graduation? Driving downtown to a loser party after at a hotel then leaving and hanging out at Connie Palmer's (Conehead's) house. I remember it was kind of a downer, I was moving to Arizona the next day.
17. Where did you go senior skip day? We didn't have one but I did end up at Murray Park at least once.
18. Were you in any clubs? Archeology Club, Key Club.
19. Have you gained some weight since then? Are you serious? It's been almost twenty years! Cut me some slack here!
20. Who was your prom date? Jr. Prom was Jeff Wilson.
21. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? Probably, but because of Facebook I'm not very excited. It's taken away the element of surprise.
22. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Relax and study hard, don't get so embarrassed by everything!!
2. What kind of car did you drive? My Stepdad's Mazda truck and a 1977 Chevy Impala.
3. What was the most embarrassing moment of HS? Probably when I asked this guy (major crush) to a dance in an elaborate way and found out he was going with someone else, then avoided seeing him so I didn't have to be humiliated when he turned me down. I was still humiliated.
4. Were you a party animal? Not at all. Not my style and my Stepdad was too scary to even attempt it!
5. Were you considered a flirt? Too shy.
6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? No, no, and no.
7. Were you a nerd? Nerd? Not really. Mostly just blended in.
8. Were you on any varsity teams? Cross Country and Track. Also lettered in drama! Couldn't act at all....
9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nope, wasn't much of a trouble maker.
10. Can you still sing the fight song? I totally can! "Jordan High School student are we...."
11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mrs. Smith, Junior Honors English. She wore the weirdest hippy outfits, was always trying to find the pen that was in her hair, was totally creative and invited us to her cool Harvard/Yale neighborhood home to watch The Great Gatsby.
12. Where did you sit during lunch? Usually hallway or stairwell.
13. School mascot? Beetdiggers (coolest and nerdiest mascot ever!)
14. Did you go to homecoming, and with who? Let's see, Bryan Sorenson, Murray Guy. He hit a car with his Mom's Suburban while we were picking everyone up.
15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Not high school, maybe the twenties.
16. What do you remember most about graduation? Driving downtown to a loser party after at a hotel then leaving and hanging out at Connie Palmer's (Conehead's) house. I remember it was kind of a downer, I was moving to Arizona the next day.
17. Where did you go senior skip day? We didn't have one but I did end up at Murray Park at least once.
18. Were you in any clubs? Archeology Club, Key Club.
19. Have you gained some weight since then? Are you serious? It's been almost twenty years! Cut me some slack here!
20. Who was your prom date? Jr. Prom was Jeff Wilson.
21. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? Probably, but because of Facebook I'm not very excited. It's taken away the element of surprise.
22. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Relax and study hard, don't get so embarrassed by everything!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Lefties Rule
I was thinking about how I noticed that John McCain and Barack Obama are both left handed, taking notice because I am left handed. I remembered that Bill Clinton was also left handed. So I was wondering what other presidents were left handed. Lefty presidents include James A. Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. I guess Ronald Reagan wrote with his right hand but was one of those who in the old days was forced to learn to write with his right hand. You know, because being a lefty was a sign of evil (or at least thought to be at one time). There were possibly other left handed presidents but they were probably forced to go "right" as kids too. I find it interesting that four of the last five presidents (counting President-Elect Obama) are left handed. This may suggest it is also interesting that George W. Bush is not left handed (no, in my biased viewpoint he definitely could not be a lefty. LOL). Additionally, John McCain is left handed, as mentioned, as well as former presidential contenders Al Gore and Ross Perot. It's statistically interesting considering only 10% of the population is left handed. Is there something about being left handed that makes one more naturally equipped to become president? That's probably a bit of a stretch. I've always found it to be an interesting quirk for myself. Brent has made fun of my left-handedness in the past. The first time he saw me write anything was when we worked together back in "ye olden days" and I was figuring some numbers for the press we were working on. Writing in the way I was with the typical left handed tight grasp on a pen or pencil, Brent walked up to me and in a caveman voice said, "Me write big numbers". I don't write nearly as much as when I was a kid so I've lost the left hander callous on my left pinky that comes from dragging the hand across the paper, also resulting in pen and pencil all over the side of my hand causing me to reach down from my desk and rub my hand on the carpet at school as a method of removal. I was a little disappointed that none of my kids turned out left handed. Brent was just a little too triumphant over that one I think. So does this all mean that when your left handed kid grows up, assuming you have a left handed kid, that he or she will have a better shot at the oval office? Who knows? But it appears it couldn't hurt.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What's Up This Week
Well it has definitely been kind of a different few days. We had fun watching all the election stuff on Tuesday. The kids were counting the electoral votes and checking out which state went to which candidate. The moment when they announced Obama will be the next president was so exciting and I was really touched seeing the reactions of African Americans around the country when they announced it and when he gave his speech. I can only imagine what it means to African Americans. A person's race is definitely not the reason to vote for them one way or the other but it really is cool in its historical nature. After seeing John McCain being funny on Saturday Night Live and his classy concession speech I remembered that I kind of like this guy.
Zoe was home from school for a couple of days with a neckache. It was weird because Noah stayed home a day last month for the same reason. Neither of them had fevers or any other symptoms (so I could happily rule out meningitis, always the paranoid mom) but I keep wondering, what is up with my kids? Maybe they fall asleep standing on their heads every night.
Today is sad because Brent's Aunt Judy passed away after battling cancer for months. I didn't know her as well as I would have liked to and I'm not as good with situations like this as I wish I could be. I feel like I'm too often a little too socially awkward. But I was grateful for getting to know her a little and for the warm, funny woman she was. I really appreciated it three years ago when she came down to visit Brent's mom and was kind enough to spend a week of her time here staying at our house helping Cathy watch the kids while Brent and I went away for our tenth anniversary. I am very glad to have known her a bit and it was fun to see how much she was getting into everyone's blogs when we all started them a few months back. Whenever someone I know dies, which seems to be too frequently, I feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for the knowledge that he loves all of his children and welcomes them back home.
I had a good conversation with my cool, sweet sister in law today (my brother's wife) who was having a little buyers remorse over the election and possible biblical implications (we've all heard those). I am admittedly not a scriptorian and definitely need to work on that but I did do some praying before the election on whether my choice was a good choice for me to make and I honestly believe everything is going to be okay. Unless it's really time for the second coming, in which case I don't believe our future president is the one bringing it on.
I've been reading the last book in the Twilight series five pages at a time. I haven't gotten into this book like the other books. Maybe because I read all of those one after the other over a couple of weeks last winter and because I have such a short attention span I lost interest. I really didn't care much for the first half. I know I'm in the minority here, that seems to happen a lot to me! But it's finally picking up now that the Nessie part is here, etc. Don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. Is there anyone who hasn't read it yet? Brent still asks when the leprechaun is going to show up. He figures if there are vampires and werewolves then why not leprechaun's too? Maybe I'll finally get it finished this weekend.
Zoe was home from school for a couple of days with a neckache. It was weird because Noah stayed home a day last month for the same reason. Neither of them had fevers or any other symptoms (so I could happily rule out meningitis, always the paranoid mom) but I keep wondering, what is up with my kids? Maybe they fall asleep standing on their heads every night.
Today is sad because Brent's Aunt Judy passed away after battling cancer for months. I didn't know her as well as I would have liked to and I'm not as good with situations like this as I wish I could be. I feel like I'm too often a little too socially awkward. But I was grateful for getting to know her a little and for the warm, funny woman she was. I really appreciated it three years ago when she came down to visit Brent's mom and was kind enough to spend a week of her time here staying at our house helping Cathy watch the kids while Brent and I went away for our tenth anniversary. I am very glad to have known her a bit and it was fun to see how much she was getting into everyone's blogs when we all started them a few months back. Whenever someone I know dies, which seems to be too frequently, I feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for the knowledge that he loves all of his children and welcomes them back home.
I had a good conversation with my cool, sweet sister in law today (my brother's wife) who was having a little buyers remorse over the election and possible biblical implications (we've all heard those). I am admittedly not a scriptorian and definitely need to work on that but I did do some praying before the election on whether my choice was a good choice for me to make and I honestly believe everything is going to be okay. Unless it's really time for the second coming, in which case I don't believe our future president is the one bringing it on.
I've been reading the last book in the Twilight series five pages at a time. I haven't gotten into this book like the other books. Maybe because I read all of those one after the other over a couple of weeks last winter and because I have such a short attention span I lost interest. I really didn't care much for the first half. I know I'm in the minority here, that seems to happen a lot to me! But it's finally picking up now that the Nessie part is here, etc. Don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. Is there anyone who hasn't read it yet? Brent still asks when the leprechaun is going to show up. He figures if there are vampires and werewolves then why not leprechaun's too? Maybe I'll finally get it finished this weekend.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
FHE Halloween Style
The annual carving of the pumpkins and making and eating of the caramel apples. :)Brent even got out the dremel to help Isabella carve hers. As if you really need an excuse to use the dremel!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Is It Time To Rebuild?
So I'm out of shape. Not only am I out of shape, I'm a broken down shadow of my former self. Back in, when was it? 2004? Back in 2004 I was in optimal condition. Well sort of anyway. I weighed 20+++ pounds less than I do now. + equaling + or - 5 lbs. Don't worry, this isn't turning into a story problem. Or is it? It is a problem. Back when I did weigh 20+++ pounds less, I was in good shape. I had muscles, well muscles as far as I'm capable of building muscles. But I was hungry. Soooo hungry. And I hate being hungry. Not only for the obvious reasons but because it makes me loopy and unable to safely drive or operate heavy equipment, if I were to operate heavy equipment. So I slowly, steadily put back on most of the weight I lost when I decided it was time to lose that baby weight after Noah. Which doesn't count the 30lbs of weight you lose just by thinking about losing weight after having a baby. And now I'm out of shape. A broken woman.
I started exercising. Low impact stuff. Enjoyed the afternoon walking in the beautiful autumn weather. I feel like I could go on doing that forever, it's so beautiful with everything all awash in an orangy fall glow. But soon the winter gray will be here and that doesn't inspire. Exercise+Cold=Bad. Additionally, doing the walking and low impact, wimpy, sort of strenth training has apparently brought toxic poison to the surface with no apparent exit strategy in the form of aches and strangely, itchiness too. So what's a girl to do? Can you rebuild your broken down, self abused body to it's former glory? (Using that term very loosely.) Anyone? Bob? Jillian....? So that's the quest. The goal. To rebuild. Start from scratch. Resurface better than before. But without being hungry. Remember? Hungry is bad. I read this book a couple of years ago when I was still in my obsessed with health and nutrition books phase called the Perricone Diet. It explained how to do such a thing with certain exercises and specific healthy food like almonds, fish, berries, organic milk, etc. And of course there was a whole series of vitamins to go along with the diet that were very specific to it. Coincidentally Dr. Perricone was willing to sell these to you for a nominal fee. But the price was completely worth it and justified you know. ;) So should I go on a diet of nothing but say salmon, blueberries and flaxseed? Sounds like something a grizzly bear might enjoy. But I am not a grizzly bear. Bears are scary. So, balance. Is balance the key? Could be....
I started exercising. Low impact stuff. Enjoyed the afternoon walking in the beautiful autumn weather. I feel like I could go on doing that forever, it's so beautiful with everything all awash in an orangy fall glow. But soon the winter gray will be here and that doesn't inspire. Exercise+Cold=Bad. Additionally, doing the walking and low impact, wimpy, sort of strenth training has apparently brought toxic poison to the surface with no apparent exit strategy in the form of aches and strangely, itchiness too. So what's a girl to do? Can you rebuild your broken down, self abused body to it's former glory? (Using that term very loosely.) Anyone? Bob? Jillian....? So that's the quest. The goal. To rebuild. Start from scratch. Resurface better than before. But without being hungry. Remember? Hungry is bad. I read this book a couple of years ago when I was still in my obsessed with health and nutrition books phase called the Perricone Diet. It explained how to do such a thing with certain exercises and specific healthy food like almonds, fish, berries, organic milk, etc. And of course there was a whole series of vitamins to go along with the diet that were very specific to it. Coincidentally Dr. Perricone was willing to sell these to you for a nominal fee. But the price was completely worth it and justified you know. ;) So should I go on a diet of nothing but say salmon, blueberries and flaxseed? Sounds like something a grizzly bear might enjoy. But I am not a grizzly bear. Bears are scary. So, balance. Is balance the key? Could be....
Monday, October 20, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Random Stuff
Why don't the grocery stores sell the plain Malto Meal Scooters anymore? You know, the cereal like cheerios. Scooters were cheaper and tasted better. Now I have to buy cheerios or the store brand which taste weird. Just wondering and it really annoys me.
Why does the brown stuff in the center of salmon taste fishier than the pink part? Yeck!
So today in the car going to the credit union in Magna and one last try to find the scooters at the Smith's out there I told Noah to remind me later and we could get our Halloween decorations out. We are (I am) being very slow this year with that. Noah's reply to me: For my birthday? Noah's birthday isn't until January but he has been talking about it all the time lately and he has decided he wants to have a Halloween birthday party. I guess it's as good a time as any to get a jump start on the decorating, huh? My reply to him: No....for Halloween. Funny kid.
Last week they had Red Ribbon week at school. You know, the drug prevention week where they dress up everyday and have assemblies and such. So kids from the local high school came to talk to the elementary kids. Isabella was telling me about it later and she says something to the effect of: "Mom the kid in the assembly said that when we are grown ups we can do drugs if we want to but now we shouldn't. I don't think he should have said that, kids shouldn't do drugs now or when they are grown ups." Smart girl! I mentioned it to Noah's teacher and she said her son heard the same thing at his school. Something like, when you're an adult you can make your own decisions and do drugs if you choose to but now you shouldn't. I agree with Isabella, you shouldn't do drugs as a kid or adult. I think they need to work on their confusing talking points!
So I teach the ten year olds in primary at church (Isabella's in my class). We've been practicing for the upcoming sacrament meeting primary program. My friend Lisa is the senior primary chorister and she was trying to get the kids to sing louder. She told them in sacrament meeting they want everyone to hear them so sing loud enough so that old lady sitting in the back can hear you (paraphrasing Lisa here). So half the kids turn around and look at me! They take things so literally. So after we went to class and I announced to the class, I am NOT the old lady sitting in the back! They all thought it was very funny of course. :)
Why does the brown stuff in the center of salmon taste fishier than the pink part? Yeck!
So today in the car going to the credit union in Magna and one last try to find the scooters at the Smith's out there I told Noah to remind me later and we could get our Halloween decorations out. We are (I am) being very slow this year with that. Noah's reply to me: For my birthday? Noah's birthday isn't until January but he has been talking about it all the time lately and he has decided he wants to have a Halloween birthday party. I guess it's as good a time as any to get a jump start on the decorating, huh? My reply to him: No....for Halloween. Funny kid.
Last week they had Red Ribbon week at school. You know, the drug prevention week where they dress up everyday and have assemblies and such. So kids from the local high school came to talk to the elementary kids. Isabella was telling me about it later and she says something to the effect of: "Mom the kid in the assembly said that when we are grown ups we can do drugs if we want to but now we shouldn't. I don't think he should have said that, kids shouldn't do drugs now or when they are grown ups." Smart girl! I mentioned it to Noah's teacher and she said her son heard the same thing at his school. Something like, when you're an adult you can make your own decisions and do drugs if you choose to but now you shouldn't. I agree with Isabella, you shouldn't do drugs as a kid or adult. I think they need to work on their confusing talking points!
So I teach the ten year olds in primary at church (Isabella's in my class). We've been practicing for the upcoming sacrament meeting primary program. My friend Lisa is the senior primary chorister and she was trying to get the kids to sing louder. She told them in sacrament meeting they want everyone to hear them so sing loud enough so that old lady sitting in the back can hear you (paraphrasing Lisa here). So half the kids turn around and look at me! They take things so literally. So after we went to class and I announced to the class, I am NOT the old lady sitting in the back! They all thought it was very funny of course. :)
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Enthusiasm Gap Is Showing!
I just got back from a nice walk through a couple of neighborhoods here in my little town. It's a beautiful fall evening. The air is crisp, leaves are turning (sort of anyway). I love Fall, and I was feeling the good exercise vibes! Had the new Ben Folds on my iPod (good stuff). On my walk I finally saw a McCain/Palin yard sign. The first one I've seen here in the T.C. and that was at the home of the most politically active person I know around here. I saw three Obama signs, and one of the houses was extra enthusiastic with car bumper stickers to boot. That makes a total of seven signs I've seen around here so far, if you count my neighbors who took theirs down to put sprinklers in their yard and the house with the printed out piece of paper in their window. It doesn't mean much, it's just making me happy. I could go on about all the reasons I support Obama, and I do have reasons. But I just want to be happy with the enthusiasm gap right now and not worry about the fine details.
I just put this on the wrong blog, oops! I gotta keep these blogs straight.
I just put this on the wrong blog, oops! I gotta keep these blogs straight.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Birthday Party
So the Friday after Zoe's birthday she had her birthday party. We did a scavenger hunt. (Or is it a treasure hunt? Not sure what the difference is.) The kids had a lot of fun searching for the treasure. I had a lot of fun planning it, always like getting crafty! And it was a record planning time for me- five days! It was threatening rain but the weather turned out just right. I made the party a little too long and girls were running around starting to get bored at the end but other than that it went off without a hitch. Brent made the cool treasure map above.
Running in search of clues
Reading a clue at the park
Puting the treasure map together
The treasure chest
The booty!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Happy Birthday Zoe!
Today at 3:35 pm Zoe turns 9! (See sidebar, she told me to be sure to update it!) What can I say about Zoe? When I was pregnant with Zoe and we were considering her name, the name Zoe seemed like something you would have to live up to if it were yours. The name Zoe made me think of someone who was fun, brave, carefree, adventurous, and above all unique. Zoe lives up to that and more. She has truly been an interesting child to have around here. She is one of the most strong willed, stubborn people I have ever met. As a baby she was all smiles and laughs but that soon changed to a very challenging young girl as she got older. I've been really proud of her lately. She had a trying first half of the year (therefore, so did her parents). She was definitely a handful and on top of that seemed to be developing obsessive compulsive disorder. Spending tons of time in the bathroom, washing her hands (you know how Zoe gets the bleeding hands in the winter, well this was about ten times as bad as usual.) I had to set all the clocks forward about 7 minutes so she could get out the door to school on time without me harassing her. This problem even crept into the day she was baptized. She was so excited to get baptized and it was a very special day but afterward she was really upset because she felt so much pressure over having to be good now. She thought she had to be perfect from then on. I had to finally sit down with her and re-explain repentance to her and that no one is perfect after they get baptized and that's the cool thing about repentance, that we get to start anew every time we do it and try to improve ourselves. Finally it all clicked for her and things settled down. It took a long time and the long boring winter didn't help any, but we finally figured out what was wrong with her. She quit sucking her thumb (finally) right before school started last year and that was always a comfort thing for her. She has always been a high strung girl but she could at least go lay down and have that thumb to comfort her. Without it she was terribly distressed and it took months to work through that. She seems like she's matured a lot lately and the thought of her as a teenager in a few years doesn't strike terror in my heart like it once did. She's still a spitfire, of course, but she has always had this really sweet side too. She is so good about playing with Noah most of the time and they really have fun together. All the kids, although they do get on one another's nerves on a regular basis, are really loving toward each other and look out for one another. Once in a while we'll be out at the store or somewhere and I'll look back and Isabella and Zoe will be acting like the best of friends, laughing and holding hands. I love those times! I don't know where they got that because my siblings and I gagged at the thought of ever hugging each other or saying I love you. Anyway, we love having Zoe in our family, she is the queen of silly from time to time, making us all laugh. She amazes me with how smart and curious she is. I think it's cool that she asks for educational toys for her birthday like binoculars and stethoscopes. She has so many natural talents, I guess that is why she has that stubborn personality, to balance things out. I love this girl and I'm so grateful to have her and her brother and sister in our family!
(I'll get some birthday pics up later today!)
(I'll get some birthday pics up later today!)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
FINALLY! A Convincing Reason To Give Up Ice Cream
I like ice cream. It's probably my favorite treat. But after listening to this story on the news I think I'm through with ice cream. Those wacky kids at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have sent Ben & Jerry's a letter requesting they stop getting their milk from cows and start using human breast milk. Apparently some restaurant in Europe is doing it. Sure, the babies will love it but it just about makes me want to lose the ice cream I had for lunch today! I'm not kidding, I had ice cream for lunch.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Halloween Decorating
I have no life lately. Seriously! It's just all mom duty right now. Keeping the schedule clear so I can be helping out at school, or busing the kids to this or that activity, or overseeing homework and other projects. It's plenty exhausting (for my brain anyway) without trying to find a life for myself.
I do have the season premieres of The Office and Grey's Anatomy to look forward to Thursday, and the first Presidential debate Friday. I know, I'm just a little pathetic!
I did venture out to Super Saturday yesterday. You know (or not), the crafting extravaganza the sisters have every fall over at the church. I didn't have any money (or wall space) to do any of the projects so I brought the projects I purchased about a year ago for the family room downstairs. It was fun, always enjoy a good round of painting, and I got four projects wall ready. But when I came home I took everything downstairs, put it all against the wall to see how it looked and discovered that I must be subliminally obsessed with Halloween. My family room walls have white bead board on the bottom half and orange on the top half. Orange (?) you say. It sounds weird but it's actually a nice, soothing shade and the room has a very zen feel to it, great for working out. It's kind of a pumpkin color. I seriously love it. Every room downstairs is a different fun color, making it look like a "Littlest Pet Shop" house, but it works. So you're probably starting to get the picture with the pumpkin orange wall. I painted this shelf black, which is okay because there is already a black clock on one of the walls. The problem comes with my love of the color green. I've got lots of green in my house because it's my favorite color- all sorts of different shades of it I love. So I had this cork board to paint and this letter "H" that will sit against this mosaic tile board thing we made as a family. I painted the cork board and the "H" green to go with the aqua and green throw pillows. When I looked at it all against the wall I realized it is the same shade of green you would paint a pumpkin stem and leaves. So between the black and the orange and the green it looks really weird and like I purposely meant to decorate my family room in some sort of Fall/Halloween theme. So it's back to the crafting drawing board. I'll have to sand it all down and repaint it another, safer color. Maybe periwinkle. That sounds safe.
I do have the season premieres of The Office and Grey's Anatomy to look forward to Thursday, and the first Presidential debate Friday. I know, I'm just a little pathetic!
I did venture out to Super Saturday yesterday. You know (or not), the crafting extravaganza the sisters have every fall over at the church. I didn't have any money (or wall space) to do any of the projects so I brought the projects I purchased about a year ago for the family room downstairs. It was fun, always enjoy a good round of painting, and I got four projects wall ready. But when I came home I took everything downstairs, put it all against the wall to see how it looked and discovered that I must be subliminally obsessed with Halloween. My family room walls have white bead board on the bottom half and orange on the top half. Orange (?) you say. It sounds weird but it's actually a nice, soothing shade and the room has a very zen feel to it, great for working out. It's kind of a pumpkin color. I seriously love it. Every room downstairs is a different fun color, making it look like a "Littlest Pet Shop" house, but it works. So you're probably starting to get the picture with the pumpkin orange wall. I painted this shelf black, which is okay because there is already a black clock on one of the walls. The problem comes with my love of the color green. I've got lots of green in my house because it's my favorite color- all sorts of different shades of it I love. So I had this cork board to paint and this letter "H" that will sit against this mosaic tile board thing we made as a family. I painted the cork board and the "H" green to go with the aqua and green throw pillows. When I looked at it all against the wall I realized it is the same shade of green you would paint a pumpkin stem and leaves. So between the black and the orange and the green it looks really weird and like I purposely meant to decorate my family room in some sort of Fall/Halloween theme. So it's back to the crafting drawing board. I'll have to sand it all down and repaint it another, safer color. Maybe periwinkle. That sounds safe.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator
Sarah Palin's kid's names are Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig. Have you ever wondered what your name would be if Sarah Palin was your mom? Well now you can find out! I ran into this Sarah Palin baby name generator. It's pretty funny.
The names in our family would be:
Brent~ Bowl Antler Palin
Cindy~ Froth Moonshine Palin
Isabella~ Knife Pile Palin
Zoe~ Moose Roadster Palin
Noah~ Mullet Troll Palin
Here is the link if you want to try too....right....Here
What's your name?
The names in our family would be:
Brent~ Bowl Antler Palin
Cindy~ Froth Moonshine Palin
Isabella~ Knife Pile Palin
Zoe~ Moose Roadster Palin
Noah~ Mullet Troll Palin
Here is the link if you want to try too....right....Here
What's your name?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Candidate Quiz
I found this link on my cousins blog to this quiz you can take that shows what presidential candidate you match up with on the issues. It even includes Bob Barr and Ralph Nader. It was kind of interesting although my results were nothing surprising. If you want to try it out and see whose views you match up with click here:
Candidate Quiz
Candidate Quiz
Friday, September 12, 2008
Ugg! Crazy Week!
This week has been crazy! Every fall it takes me a while to get back into the routine and all the craziness that comes with it. It's taken a while, but I don't scream and protest as much as I used to. I love summer because it's just me and the kids and we can go off on little adventures whenever or just kick back at home. When school starts I kind of feel like my kids aren't all mine anymore. But routine and being a functioning part of society are good things too I know. This year on top of all three of my kids doing soccer, Isabella is also doing band (learning the flute) at the Jr. High which is a ten minute drive from here. She gets to do that three mornings a week before school, then ride a school bus from there back to the elementary school. I'm lucky enough to be able to carpool with another mom (I haven't even had my turn yet, next week) but it still means we are getting up at 6 a.m. three times a week and I am not a morning person at all! But I am getting used to it I guess. This week has been extra crazy because we had a couple extra girls here for a couple days. Isabella has a friend from school who's parents were out of town so we took her and her little sister for a couple of nights.
This has been interesting juggling even more kid stuff. I felt like a drill sergeant cracking the whip getting all that homework done every night! I don't envy those parents who have lots of kids close in age, juggling all the activities and homework. On Tuesday, Isabella had soccer practice at the park down the street at 5:30. Then one of our little house guests had practice at 6:00 over at the elementary. Then it was back to pick up Isabella and going straight back to the school where everyone else was waiting. Then I dumped everyone at home, because Brent was finally home, except for Zoe and ran off with her to her 7:00 practice. So it was quite the adventure. But the kids had a lot of fun having friends over for a couple nights. I kind of wished they would have stayed over the weekend so they could stay up late and party tween style, instead of having so many rules and all that structure and that pesky bedtime! On top of all that, I've had a cold all week. So I'm looking forward to kicking back and relaxing this weekend, after tomorrow's soccer games.
This has been interesting juggling even more kid stuff. I felt like a drill sergeant cracking the whip getting all that homework done every night! I don't envy those parents who have lots of kids close in age, juggling all the activities and homework. On Tuesday, Isabella had soccer practice at the park down the street at 5:30. Then one of our little house guests had practice at 6:00 over at the elementary. Then it was back to pick up Isabella and going straight back to the school where everyone else was waiting. Then I dumped everyone at home, because Brent was finally home, except for Zoe and ran off with her to her 7:00 practice. So it was quite the adventure. But the kids had a lot of fun having friends over for a couple nights. I kind of wished they would have stayed over the weekend so they could stay up late and party tween style, instead of having so many rules and all that structure and that pesky bedtime! On top of all that, I've had a cold all week. So I'm looking forward to kicking back and relaxing this weekend, after tomorrow's soccer games.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Quirky?
I stole this from blogging buddy, Mylee. List 6 quirks then tag 6 people.
1. I like to laugh at stupid things. For example, yesterday just before the closing hymn in Sacrament Meeting at church I flipped open the hymn book to find the closing hymn and landed on a hymn called "Lean On My Ample Arm". I'm sure back in the day when this was written, probably a hundred and some years ago, this was a lovely sentiment. But in today's vernacular it simply means lean on my fat arm. It was just kind of funny and silly to me. So I reached past the kids and showed it to Brent who kind of grinned but remained serious. Then I leaned back and giggled quietly (and irreverently) to myself in a very immature manner for the next few seconds. I apologize to any reader who's Great Great Grandfather or Grandmother may have written this hymn. :)
2. I come up with weird, unorthodox, crazy schemes. I always say something like this to Brent, "Why do we have to do things the way society says is acceptable?" When we were first married I suggested to Brent that we move out of our apartment and live in a campground for the summer to save money. I also once suggested when we sold our old townhouse that we get a van and live in it for a while to save money. I would never actually go through with crazy stunts like these but I definitely have this side that rebels from the status quo a bit.
3. I can't stand misspelled words or bad grammar from myself. I don't really have any way of telling if my grammar sucks but I have to immediately check on any misspelled word I type and have to edit any words I find misspelled later when I go back and read old blog posts. I know, this blog is probably full of misspelled words and grammatical errors that I'm not even aware of making me sound like a complete fool for even bringing this up.
4. I like crappy T.V. Who knows how many T.V. shows I've enjoyed watching that I wouldn't ever admit to. I will admit to one. I've probably seen every episode of Beverly Hills 90210 twice. I know, I'm embarrassed for me too! I will say that my love for the crappy T.V. seems to be diminishing as I get older, so there is still hope for me.
5. I have a hard time going out places at night without Brent and the kids. Maybe it's because I'm sort of a homebody. I do try to make my way out into the world to be social once in a while and get myself out of my comfort zone.
6. I'm a political junkie. Only for presidential elections though. I don't think I know anyone personally who enjoys it as much as I do. It isn't just with this years election either. In 2000 I stayed up 'til probably 2 a.m. watching to see who won before I finally gave up and went to bed. Four years ago I was very into it too. This year I think my obsession has peaked with watching too much CNN and reading too many blogs and talking to anyone who is interested. Annoying some, I'm sure. It's probably kind of like how some people are with televised sports. I feel like my interest will probably wane to more normal human levels in coming elections because I'm sure to suffer significant burn out after this year. Which is probably good.
Tag: Anyone who feels like doing this.
1. I like to laugh at stupid things. For example, yesterday just before the closing hymn in Sacrament Meeting at church I flipped open the hymn book to find the closing hymn and landed on a hymn called "Lean On My Ample Arm". I'm sure back in the day when this was written, probably a hundred and some years ago, this was a lovely sentiment. But in today's vernacular it simply means lean on my fat arm. It was just kind of funny and silly to me. So I reached past the kids and showed it to Brent who kind of grinned but remained serious. Then I leaned back and giggled quietly (and irreverently) to myself in a very immature manner for the next few seconds. I apologize to any reader who's Great Great Grandfather or Grandmother may have written this hymn. :)
2. I come up with weird, unorthodox, crazy schemes. I always say something like this to Brent, "Why do we have to do things the way society says is acceptable?" When we were first married I suggested to Brent that we move out of our apartment and live in a campground for the summer to save money. I also once suggested when we sold our old townhouse that we get a van and live in it for a while to save money. I would never actually go through with crazy stunts like these but I definitely have this side that rebels from the status quo a bit.
3. I can't stand misspelled words or bad grammar from myself. I don't really have any way of telling if my grammar sucks but I have to immediately check on any misspelled word I type and have to edit any words I find misspelled later when I go back and read old blog posts. I know, this blog is probably full of misspelled words and grammatical errors that I'm not even aware of making me sound like a complete fool for even bringing this up.
4. I like crappy T.V. Who knows how many T.V. shows I've enjoyed watching that I wouldn't ever admit to. I will admit to one. I've probably seen every episode of Beverly Hills 90210 twice. I know, I'm embarrassed for me too! I will say that my love for the crappy T.V. seems to be diminishing as I get older, so there is still hope for me.
5. I have a hard time going out places at night without Brent and the kids. Maybe it's because I'm sort of a homebody. I do try to make my way out into the world to be social once in a while and get myself out of my comfort zone.
6. I'm a political junkie. Only for presidential elections though. I don't think I know anyone personally who enjoys it as much as I do. It isn't just with this years election either. In 2000 I stayed up 'til probably 2 a.m. watching to see who won before I finally gave up and went to bed. Four years ago I was very into it too. This year I think my obsession has peaked with watching too much CNN and reading too many blogs and talking to anyone who is interested. Annoying some, I'm sure. It's probably kind of like how some people are with televised sports. I feel like my interest will probably wane to more normal human levels in coming elections because I'm sure to suffer significant burn out after this year. Which is probably good.
Tag: Anyone who feels like doing this.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
My little boy is a big kid now!
Noah started Kindergarten this week! He is having a lot of fun. He is still a little nervous, but he's doing great! The first day he was fine until his dumb mom stared him down a little too long while she was trying not to cry, making him start to cry. But Brent talked with him and all was good. That's why I insist he come with me on the first day of school (he likes to too, of course!) Then we watched him on the playground and he ran back and forth between us and the kids and went into the class just fine when the teacher came out. Noah and I have been riding bikes to school everyday. I'm loving that, it was too much of a pain with the girls when they were in kindergarten, with younger siblings in tow, since I never really got along with the bike trailer. We just zip over to the school and back after. It's fun doing that with him. I guess the girls could walk him home from school but I walked them when they were little and I want to enjoy this short time I have left with him before he's too big and rides off with the scooter gang. Yesterday before we left he asked what time he would be home. I told him 3:30, then he went in his room, picked up his big teddy bear and told him when he would be home, giving him a kiss and a hug. It was seriously too cute.
Noah's first day of Kindergarten!
Noah's first day of Kindergarten!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Elementary Meanderings
Kindergarten, 3rd grade and 5th grade. Those are the grades Noah, Zoe and Isabella are in this year, respectively. It took me until Isabella entered 2nd grade to no longer feel nauseous on the first day of school. Maybe it was because she started a new school and there were no lingering ghosts of past downtrodden school children floating around the halls. Or maybe it was because it didn't have that 1970s elementary school smell. Kindergarten is a blur for me. I remember the first day, I threw up the eggs I had for breakfast on the playground and the little overly helpful blond girl helped me to find the teacher. I was always mortified when people tried to assist me when I was sick. I had a kidney infection in 2nd grade and opted to stay home alone rather than go to my Grandma's house and be subjected to her friends pinching my cheeks and and paying too much attention to me (plus the infection made me pee my pants which was a secret I wanted to guard with my life). But I digress. That's all I remember from my first school and I think I became friends with that overly helpful blond girl again in 7th grade in a different town. She said she went to the same school in kindergarten and remembered me throwing up and helping me. But she was prone to lying, too. So I moved about a month in and my new teacher was strict but nice. The day I missed the whistle on the playground announcing the end of recess I stayed outside who knows how much extra time until I finally looked around and saw I was surrounded by the big kids. I finally found my sister and she walked me back to class. My teacher didn't look happy but she didn't yell at me, just gave me my math worksheet with strawberries on it and we carried on with the day. Later, my Mom went to parent teacher conference and came home and related the good laugh she and my teacher had at my expense over the situation. I was humiliated at the time, but now I know they probably just thought it was cute. That's about the extent of my kindergarten memories other than a boy named Skyler telling me I looked ugly on picture day because I had curled hair. He's the only kid in kindergarten who's name I remember. I guess you never forget the first boy who calls you ugly!
In 3rd grade I was on my 3rd school, having moved early in first grade. I loved 3rd grade. As far as elementary school went, this was the time when all the stars aligned. Miss Diston was my teacher. She was one of those popular teachers that every kid hopes they will get. She had long, straight, red hair and wore glasses, like me. Life was just easy that year, I had my friends Karen and Lele across the street and Colette at school. She had a twin sister in Karen's class named Nanette. The only way you could physically tell them apart was that Colette wore brown shoes and Nanette, blue. I was awesome in math that year. We had math groups and had to go to a different class based on the group you were in. I was proud to be in the highest math group. I loved the times tables and made it in the 3 minute club. You had to fill in the times table chart in 3 minutes to get in the club. After a lot of practice, I rocked it. But soon came my downfall when we had to master check writing and it was completely beyond my level of intelligence. Or maybe it was that third graders have no use for writing checks, thus they are not equipped with the capacity to learn such things. I also got to dance the hukelau in the third grade program, which was very cool. At the end of 3rd grade I moved and was sad, but I was accustomed to moving by then.
5th grade was a weird year. My best friends, Julie and Linda, moved over the summer leaving me on my own. That was partly good because my 4th grade crush was Linda's boyfriend and with her gone I could now make my move on Jamie Wright (who I secretly called Mister Right). But that was never to be for a shy girl like me. I had some work to do in 5th grade. While I believed my educating had been excellent in 3rd grade, even I knew my 4th grade teacher sucked and I had come out of 4th grade dumber than when I went in. Things at home were tense. My Mom and Dad were fighting even more than usual and I think we all knew the end was near. We moved just after Christmas after losing another house. I shared a room with my sister Lynn there. Every morning I woke up to that "Take off to the Great White North" song. The one by the Canadian comedians where they keep saying, "Take off, Hoser". It was on the radio every single morning for months, it seemed. I hated that song. I hated my new life at my new school, too. All the classes were full except the one that combined gifted 5th and 6th graders. I'm not an idiot but I wasn't prepared for that class. I was lost and the kids all thought I was a freak. I came home and cried a lot because the work was too hard and the kids hated me. Soon there was a diversion because my parents finally decided to give up and get the divorce we'd all seen coming my whole life. I think I was more relieved than sad. I'd never have to hide my head in my sleeping bag again, pretending to be asleep while I had a friend sleeping over, while my parents were having one of their screaming matches in the middle of the night. That was a good thing, and I got a new bike out of it. Needed that bike. So 5th grade ended on that note and I was off with siblings and my Mom to live in our first apartment ever. The divorced months offered new adventures, followed by the step-parent years. And as usual, they all landed me in a new school at the start of almost every school year.
In 3rd grade I was on my 3rd school, having moved early in first grade. I loved 3rd grade. As far as elementary school went, this was the time when all the stars aligned. Miss Diston was my teacher. She was one of those popular teachers that every kid hopes they will get. She had long, straight, red hair and wore glasses, like me. Life was just easy that year, I had my friends Karen and Lele across the street and Colette at school. She had a twin sister in Karen's class named Nanette. The only way you could physically tell them apart was that Colette wore brown shoes and Nanette, blue. I was awesome in math that year. We had math groups and had to go to a different class based on the group you were in. I was proud to be in the highest math group. I loved the times tables and made it in the 3 minute club. You had to fill in the times table chart in 3 minutes to get in the club. After a lot of practice, I rocked it. But soon came my downfall when we had to master check writing and it was completely beyond my level of intelligence. Or maybe it was that third graders have no use for writing checks, thus they are not equipped with the capacity to learn such things. I also got to dance the hukelau in the third grade program, which was very cool. At the end of 3rd grade I moved and was sad, but I was accustomed to moving by then.
5th grade was a weird year. My best friends, Julie and Linda, moved over the summer leaving me on my own. That was partly good because my 4th grade crush was Linda's boyfriend and with her gone I could now make my move on Jamie Wright (who I secretly called Mister Right). But that was never to be for a shy girl like me. I had some work to do in 5th grade. While I believed my educating had been excellent in 3rd grade, even I knew my 4th grade teacher sucked and I had come out of 4th grade dumber than when I went in. Things at home were tense. My Mom and Dad were fighting even more than usual and I think we all knew the end was near. We moved just after Christmas after losing another house. I shared a room with my sister Lynn there. Every morning I woke up to that "Take off to the Great White North" song. The one by the Canadian comedians where they keep saying, "Take off, Hoser". It was on the radio every single morning for months, it seemed. I hated that song. I hated my new life at my new school, too. All the classes were full except the one that combined gifted 5th and 6th graders. I'm not an idiot but I wasn't prepared for that class. I was lost and the kids all thought I was a freak. I came home and cried a lot because the work was too hard and the kids hated me. Soon there was a diversion because my parents finally decided to give up and get the divorce we'd all seen coming my whole life. I think I was more relieved than sad. I'd never have to hide my head in my sleeping bag again, pretending to be asleep while I had a friend sleeping over, while my parents were having one of their screaming matches in the middle of the night. That was a good thing, and I got a new bike out of it. Needed that bike. So 5th grade ended on that note and I was off with siblings and my Mom to live in our first apartment ever. The divorced months offered new adventures, followed by the step-parent years. And as usual, they all landed me in a new school at the start of almost every school year.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Back to School!
Thursday was the first day of school so I have to (excuse me, I get too) put the required first day pics up. Zoe is sporting her new shorter "do" and Isabella has her new glasses! 4 more days 'til Noah starts!
3rd Grade here I come!
3rd Grade here I come!
5th Grade already?!!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Kids 1k race!
This morning Isabella, Zoe, and Noah ran the 1k Teddy Bear Race for The Children's Justice Center in West Jordan. They did awesome! Isabella and Zoe ran together and came in a little bit before Noah. I ran alongside Noah to keep him going. They had a great time and of course their favorite part was getting a teddy bear at the end.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Camping
We went camping up Big Cottonwood Canyon a few days ago. It was a fun time. It seems to get easier the older the kids get. Noah had a hard time on the hike but we stuck it out and made it to the lake. We had tinfoil dinners, a first for the kids. Isabella and Zoe liked them but Noah, not so much. He was nice enough after he said so to apologize for not liking them. Always the polite boy. We roasted marshmallows after dinner and Isabella created a new treat by putting her marshmallow in the middle of an Oreo cookie, which I then dubbed Smoreos. I know, someone has probably already invented Smoreos but we're claiming it for our own. It was peacefully uneventful in the tent that night. Despite being extra cold and our air mattress going flat from a slow leak. Like I said it was fun but nothing especially crazy happened, which is a good thing. So I thought I'd share some noteworthy events from past camping trips.
Back in 2000, Zoe was about 9 months old and Isabella was 2 1/2. We took the girls camping for the first time. Zoe went to bed before the rest of us since she was a baby. We were getting ready for bed and we went across the street to where the water was, leaving Zoe sleeping in the tent. While we were over there we saw a skunk wander into our campground, taking it's time exploring the area, looking for food, I guess. I was very worried about my baby being asleep with a skunk just feet away from her. Fortunately, the skunk soon left and we went back over to the tent where Zoe peacefully slept.
The next year we ventured out again. Around 2 a.m., while we were asleep in the tent, a loud bird started chirping. It sounded exactly like R2D2 from Star Wars. It woke up me, Brent and Zoe. Zoe starts saying loudly in her almost 2 year old voice, "A biddy Mommy, A biddy Mommy". It was so cute, the way she said it, that I couldn't help but laugh. Well between the bird and Zoe and me laughing we couldn't go back to sleep. Meanwhile, Isabella is peacefully snoozing away. Brent gets impatient when he can't sleep, so he talked me into going home in the middle of the night. We woke up Isabella (she's now 3 1/2), she starts crying and continues to scream and cry the whole time Brent is packing up and the entire two hour drive home. Gee, that was much more fun than laying awake in the tent for the next three hours! We never did that again.
We didn't make it out again until after Noah came along. Two years ago we were up Blacksmith Fork Canyon, above Hyrum. This is the same place we went in the two previously mentioned camp outs. We roasted hot dogs as usual and there was one left over so Brent threw it in the fire pit after the fire was put out. I asked him if it would be okay to just leave it there. He said sure, so we went to bed. Well, I guess this campground has a few too many skunks because around 3 a.m. we hear a scuffle outside the tent. We hear a bunch of growling followed by the strong smell of skunk nearby. It was very smelly and I was extremely freaked out by the growling sound outside of the tent. I'm not too big on growling forest creatures. Somehow we managed to fall back asleep for a couple of hours. Around 5 a.m. we wake up again because it is pouring outside. We lay there for about an hour listening to the rain until I talk Brent into getting up and driving into Logan for breakfast at the IHOP, since none of us can sleep. As we left the rainy campground I noticed the hot dog was gone. I guess the mysterious growling creature and the skunk were fighting over it! It continued to rain the next day off and on and I admit I just wasn't in a camping place at that time, so we packed it up and stayed in a hotel the next night. Which may or may not have been a good thing since Zoe decides to throw up in the hotel. Much easier to deal with in a hotel than in a tent. Although she may not have thrown up in the tent because one or another of my kids seem to throw up almost every time we stay in a hotel.
Last year we decided to try somewhere new since we always end up camping in either Blacksmith Fork Canyon or Big Cottonwood Canyon. So we went up to Albion Basin at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. This time we were sitting in our campground at night, enjoying the fire, the kids are frolicking about with marshmallows on sticks, when a young woman of about 23 comes into our campground. She was from Seattle and was traveling the country seeing the sights. She wanted to meet the locals I suppose, so she decided to join us for a bit. Well she starts asking us if we are LDS. We tell her yes. She tells us she recently visited Temple Square and we were like, that's great! Then she starts asking us about gays and lesbians and how the church feels about them. We then figure she is a lesbian herself so we're trying to be polite. No the Church isn't too big on that.... Meanwhile my kids are keenly observing the nice stranger who is visiting our campsite and I'm looking around from her to them, and I think she gets the picture that maybe this isn't the best conversation tho have around the campfire with the children. So we talk to her for a few more minutes and she heads back to her campsite. Nice girl but kind of a strange conversation. So the next day we leave, no waking up in the middle of the night this time around. We head out and want to do another hike before we go home. We stop at this trail and get out of the car. As we head to the trail Brent quickly turns around as I see a tail take off in the other direction. We get back in the car because we really don't want to go hiking with a mountain lion.
Just a few camping stories I share with you tonight. Take them, share them around the fire at your next camp out! Okay, maybe they weren't that exciting!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Answer the following with only one word
1. Where is your cell phone?....Unimportant
2. Your significant other?....Brent
3. Your hair?....Strawlike
4. Your mother?....Judy
5. Your father?....Fathers
6. Your favorite thing?....Many
7. Your dream last night?....Trouble
8. Your favorite drink....Water
9. Your dream/goal?....Attainable?
10. The room you're in?....Architectural
11. Your children?....Amazing
12. Your fear?....January
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years....Here?
14. Where were you last night?....Nowhere
15. What you're not?....Short
16. Muffins....Occasionally
17. One of your wish list items?....Mortgageless
18. Where you grew up?....Everywhere
19. What you read last....Meyer
20. What are you wearing?....PJs
21. Your TV?....Earlier
22. Your pets?....Childhood
23. Your computer?....Daily
24. Your life?....Blessed
25. Your mood?....Thoughtful
26. Missing someone?....Babies
27. Your car?....Gold
28. Something you're not wearing?....Ring
29. Favorite Store?....Target
30. Your summer?....Shrinking
31. Like someone?....Brent
32. Your favorite color?....Green
33. Last time you laughed....Colbert
34. Last time you cried?....Yesterday
2. Your significant other?....Brent
3. Your hair?....Strawlike
4. Your mother?....Judy
5. Your father?....Fathers
6. Your favorite thing?....Many
7. Your dream last night?....Trouble
8. Your favorite drink....Water
9. Your dream/goal?....Attainable?
10. The room you're in?....Architectural
11. Your children?....Amazing
12. Your fear?....January
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years....Here?
14. Where were you last night?....Nowhere
15. What you're not?....Short
16. Muffins....Occasionally
17. One of your wish list items?....Mortgageless
18. Where you grew up?....Everywhere
19. What you read last....Meyer
20. What are you wearing?....PJs
21. Your TV?....Earlier
22. Your pets?....Childhood
23. Your computer?....Daily
24. Your life?....Blessed
25. Your mood?....Thoughtful
26. Missing someone?....Babies
27. Your car?....Gold
28. Something you're not wearing?....Ring
29. Favorite Store?....Target
30. Your summer?....Shrinking
31. Like someone?....Brent
32. Your favorite color?....Green
33. Last time you laughed....Colbert
34. Last time you cried?....Yesterday
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)