Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Ode to Allie

2010-09-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ode to Allie

I once knew a girl
whose name was Allie.
Her life was a whirl,
always so silly.

With a smile and a hug
I got the Allie bug
and now I can't live without her.

Oh my Allie,
just saying howdy
is never enough.

My sissy you are,
My love is not barred,
You'll always have a place
With your lovely face,
in my heart and my family.

First Day of School

2010-09-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

The school year is FINALLY here! Kids were so excited. Justis was not appreciative of Nia and I waking him up this morning though. He told us that if we wake him up, he might be grumpy. Cute kid.

Anyway, here are some pictures of them before we headed out the door this morning.

(Imagine the Hallelujah chorus being sung here)

Can't say that at my Funeral...

2010-03-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I had been thinking recently that when I die, I might have a list of things that I wanted to be said at my funeral that were basically things that didn't matter much except that I could say them at my funeral.

Today, I had to cross one of those things off. Ok, it was the only concrete one I had thought of, but now I have to think of something else because I can't say this one anymore...

I can no longer say that I have never been pulled over and never gotten a speeding ticket.

That's right. You read me. Apparently the officer read me too and that's the whole problem. He read me doing 79 mph in a 65 mph zone. Yes, that is fast. But it was IN THE MIDDLE OF NO-WHERE! Plus, I had already passed the sign that says "Speed patrolled by Aircraft." I'll tell you, that officer was not in an aircraft. No sirree. He was in a real car. Yup. The one with the lights on top that you pass by and think "Bummer for him (the car just in front of the one I'm speaking of). He must have been going fast." Only it was me this time in front of that cop car (note that it was NOT an aircraft).

To my credit, I was very dignified about the whole matter. I didn't cry. I didn't beg for mercy. And, I was completely honest. When the officer asked why I was going as fast as I was I simply explained that I was on a long road trip and was not trying to go overly fast nor overly slow. Plain and simple. I didn't lie and tell him I had a deadline or was trying to reach my dying grandmother before she passed away. Nor did I say "I know why you pulled me over - you wanted to sell me tickets to the officer's ball, in hopes that he would answer 'No, officer's don't have balls.'" No, I was quite honest. I wonder if I should have been more honest (at least more forthcoming) about the fact that I had never been pulled over before in hopes that that may sway his quota of mercy. In this scenario, the status was Not Quo (if you know what I mean).

I had visions after the fact of what I might do if I could do it over again. Aside from the whole "not speeding in the first place thing," I could picture myself reaching my hand to shake his, congratulating him on being the first officer to pull me over, or maybe I would cut that out and just ask his name so we could be on more friendly terms. It's harder to give a friend a ticket, right?

One might ask how fair is it that on my first time ever (and I'm 32!) of being pulled over, I get a ticket when my dear brother-in-law whose name shall not be named... Let's call him Brad B. No. Let's call him B. Brockbank. So how fair is it that B. Brockbank can get pulled over like 20 times and only come away with 2 tickets (B. Brockbank, you can thank your wife for those statistics) when I get pulled over for the first time at my age and come away with one on the very first time?

But alas, I did the crime (so to speak - apparently it is not a crime, it is only a violation, thank heavens) so I'll pay the fine.

To the officer's credit, he was very respectful. Not too strict, not to easy going. He is what I would consider "A credit to the Law Enforcement of America." And today, he had to enforce the law on me.

Also to my credit is the fact that for the remainder of the trip, which was another four hours or so, I drove 5 miles over the speed limit. No more speeding for me.

To my husband's credit, he did not get upset at me for the $192 that we will pay to the community of Arlington, Oregon. This was wise on his part so as to avoid 1) tears, 2) guilt, and 3) a warning to lay off considering his number of tickets. He had just the right amount of sympathy mixed with the right amount of tongue holding so as to win points today. Honey, I really appreciate how you handled that today and I love you even more for that. :)

Well, I suppose if I never get pulled over and given a ticket again, they could always say at my funeral "She wanted it known that she was only pulled over once in her life for speeding for which she willingly accepted the consequence and learned her lesson. We should all strive to be more like her."

And after that one, they could say that "She had an amazing ability to Burp louder than most grown men." Hmmm... I'm going to have to think some more about that one. Dang it. I really needed the no ticket one.

:)

Snuggles

2010-02-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

Each night when I put my kids to bed, they each want to snuggle with me. I had an important revelation about this a couple of weeks ago...

Justis likes me to lay down with him and for the most part, we are just quiet. I snuggle him and give him kisses and caress his face. I tell him how he is my favorite buddy and we listen to his music playing. It only takes a minute of that snuggle and then he's ready to go to sleep.

After Justis, I go in to Nia's room. Nia wants to talk. She asks for stories or sometimes will tell me a story. Most of the stories are true - things about my childhood, her younger years, or something going on recently. For a while I was low on patience with her during this process because I was tired and just wanted to quietly hold her, like I do with Justis. After all, it is bed time, not time to talk.

Then, it dawned on me. Justis needs the physical "snuggle" while Nia needs an "intellectual" (or emotional) snuggle. When I realized this, I also realized that Nia and I are very similar in this way. Before I can truly enjoy a physical snuggle, I need an intellectual or emotional snuggle - a connection on a different level. After I have that kind of snuggle then I can enjoy a physical snuggle.

Since this realization, I have had considerably more patience with the process because I feel like I am better able to provide for my children the connection they need. We all want to have a connection but our connections come in different forms. Connections or "Snuggles" are a critical part of a relationship, but recognizing the type of snuggle the recipient needs is key.

What kind of snuggle are you?

To my Mommy

2010-02-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Dearest Mommy,

You told me I should update my blog so here I am, updating my blog. Yes, I'm doing it while I am on a call. That's simply because I am ALWAYS on a call. One would think that I was born with a phone to my ear.

Your birthday is right around the corner. It's hard to believe that you're going to be 29 again. Wow, you are the same age as your youngest child! Does that mean you start aging with her so as to avoid the papparazi who want to take pictures of the woman who gave birth before her birth? I can see the headlines now (picture it in your mind - get creative!).

Remember that time when I was sick and I asked you to make some jello and you said that if I was well enough to eat jello then I could make it myself and while I'm up I should clean my room? Yup. I remember that too. The good news about this? I have one of those things that family will never forget either. Remember that time I told you that I opened one of my Christmas presents before Christmas because I was dying to know which movie it was? Yup. Me too. And apparently so does everyone else in the family. That appears to be my "jello" story.

For your birthday, I considered giving you the gift of NEVER bringing up that story again but honestly, I just don't know if I can do it so I went to Target instead. hehehe

Actually, the point of this whole blog is this...

Remember when I had cramps really bad and you let me stay home? Remember when I was really upset about not getting into BYU and you didn't say "I told you so" and you let me stay home? Remember that time I forgot my homework and you made an extra trip to school just to drop it off? (that's ok, I don't remember that one either but I'm sure it happened) Remember that time when we were at a Baby shower and I couldn't take it anymore and you stepped outside to cry with me? Remember that time you drove 1.5 hours to my house to hang out with Nia and I and to help me organize? Remember that time that you let us come over to eat at your house because I couldn't think of something interesting to make for dinner? (ok, there's been more than one of those times) Remember that time you went shopping and bought me clothes just because you found something you thought would be cute on me? Remember that time you folded my laundry for me because I had huge piles that had been there for a week? (yes, that was more than once too.) Remember that time you packed me a nice sack lunch for school and wrote a note on the napkin? (nope. I don't remember it either but there's a possibility that happened.) Remember that time that you babysat the kids for me and got strep throat from them? Remember that time you went shopping with me because I didn't really want to drive all the way out to WA Square? Remember that time that you dropped me off at college and didn't cry in front of me so I wouldn't cry when you were saying goodbye? Remember that time you trusted me to... (oops. can't say that one out loud) Remember that time you cried with me when I told you I was finally pregnant after years of trying? Remember that time you cleaned up my house because I was too busy? (oh yeah. That was today... and yesterday... and pretty much every day this week so far... and...) Remember that time you let the kids and I sleep at your house because we didn't want to be alone at ours? Remember that time you let me have all my friends over and eat all your food? Remember that time you got "stuck" at my house when it was snowing for a couple of days? Remember that time you picked up my kids with no notice so I could... go to a movie, stay at the warehouse, have a call, go shopping, or a myriad of other reasons? Remember that time you called and offered to take my kids to school just because you were in the area and thought it would save me some time? Remember that time...

Mom, I remember those times. (Most of them at least.) And do you know what I learned from those? I learned to serve.

I learned to pick up a friend's kids at the drop of a hat. I learned to cry with a sibling or a friend when they were sad. I learned to make jello. I learned to take dinner to a friend a need. I learned to be there for friends and family, day or night, rain or snow (especially snow)... for whatever, whenever.

Mom, you taught me to serve. I think you are one of the best examples of selfless and consistent service I have ever seen. I bet you spend at least 3/4 of your day serving others when frankly, you're at a point now where you could do anything you wanted to with your time.

I love you and thank you for your example. I am who I am today in large measure because of you. You continually amaze me at how much you give of yourself to me, my family, to our family, friends, church, community, and even people you don't know.

Happy Birthday, Mommy. I hope it's one you remember.

Love you,

Me :)

Obsessed

2009-10-05T21:34:00.001-07:00

So, I feel somewhat lame. I have become obsessed with the acquisition of an American Girl Doll for Nia.

When I was young, I really wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll. It was the huge rage at the time. I felt so special when I got one for Christmas. It was a big deal. I feel like the American Girl Doll is that way for our girls.

Now I spend considerable time scouring eBay and Craig's List looking for an acceptable American Girl that I can feel good about without making the full dip in the wallet and shelling out for a brand new one.

By the way, I did buy Nia a cabbage patch doll a couple of years ago. She could care less about it. :) She has a doll similar to the American Girl Doll though and she absolutely loves it. She dresses her, takes her with us when we go places, and puts me on babysitting duty when she goes to school. Ahhh... the life of mom. If it's not watching the kids, it's watching their toys.

:)

Wiggle It. Just a little bit.

2009-08-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

This was too cute not to post. Enjoy!

:)

Balance

2009-07-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

I recently finished 7 Habits for Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. It is probably one of my all-time favorite books. There are so many things in there that can make such an impact on my life. In some ways, it's hard to know where to start. :)

In any case, one thing that it has helped me to do is really center myself on my guiding principles. I am working on my personal mission statement which, ironically, I have centered around Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (no, not my blog, silly - the unalienable rights identified in the Declaration of Independence).

Part of this process for me is finding balance in my life. Through this exploration, I have come to realize that I need to truly identify what Balance means to me.

I used to think that Balance meant stopping work when the kids got home so I could really focus on them. What I have come to realize is that my definition is skewed. You may say, "Duh, I could have told you that" and yes, writing it down like that I realize it's pretty obvious, but it didn't feel that way. :)

I am working on re-defining what balance means to me. So far, I think the biggest thing that it means is not focusing so narrowly on one thing that everything else falls by the way side.

When I work, I have a tendency to focus on one thing at a time and I have a great ability to shut out everything else. Unfortunately, that everything else may be my kids, dinnertime, a phone call I've received (no more multi-tasking while I'm on the phone), etc. I think that achieving better balance means not wearing my blinders except when really appropriate (i.e. conference calls - again, no more multi-tasking on these either) and changing the focus of my attention for some of those interruptions. It may result in some of my work taking longer in some cases, but I think I will feel better about the results.

What does balance mean to you?

On a different but related note, I think multi-tasking is overrated. It seems to me that it results in doing neither task very well. Have you tried multi-tasking while on the phone (other than dishes)? I don't recommend it. To you whom I have spoken with while multi-tasking, I am very sorry. I am trying to change. :)

I would love to hear what balance means to you and any thoughts you have on multi-tasking.

:)

Separation

2009-06-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

In continuing my thought process about the changes I've been going through, I wanted to discuss the separation between body and spirit.

In testimony meeting on Sunday, one of the more colorful personalities (in a good way) bore her testimony. Some of what she said really struck me - she talked about turning 60 and how her body is wearing out, getting plumper, etc, but her spirit is millions of years old and is still strong.

This led me to the thought process of this: Our bodies are really just "houses," albeit special ones (thus the word "temples"), for our spirits. But they are not our spirits. The increased weight on my body doesn't necessarily reflect an "increased weight" on my spirit. Yes, we have a responsibility to take care of our bodies and I'm trying to do that. But my body is temporary (for now) while my spirit is not.

Growing up, I gained a lot of self-confidence in my appearance. Obviously that is not particularly healthy and has now added to difficulty in self-acceptance when my body is not what it used to be.

What I (and hopefully you, now) need to realize is that there is a separation between body and spirit. The old adage "Don't judge a book by the cover" is true. My body may, or may not, be a reflection of my spirit. Certainly in some cases I would say that it can be, but we don't always know and therefore should really try to see past the outer shell.

With that said, that doesn't mean I should let my body go and not worry about it at all because it's the spirit that counts. That is not true. I have a responsibility to care for what God has given me, which includes my body. But there are some things beyond my control and I have to accept that and do the best with what I've got.

Again, I think the key here is mentally recognizing and accepting the separation between body and spirit. My body is not who I am - my spirit is. I should be most concerned about the "health and appearance" of my spirit. My body, while important, is second to that.

With that said, I think I have a beautiful spirit. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I am a nice person and I love being obedient. I try my best to do my best and that makes my spirit pretty. :)

:)

In the eye of the beholder

2009-05-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Don't know who said it (and am too tired to google it) but it is true. Just like reality is in the eye of the beholder. My reality is not your reality. It's all based on perception.

So, as the beholder (for the purpose of this blog), what is beauty to me?

Beauty is confidence, optimism, taking care of your body and your spirit. Beauty is not in a size. In fact, I think we would agree that we have seen examples were a size 0 (or less) is not beautiful.

I think beauty is also in acceptance. I can accept my body for what it is and take good care of it. I feel beautiful when I take the extra time to put a little bit of makeup on and look nice. I may not be able to be a size 6 again, but putting on makeup and dressing nicely is something that I can do and feel good about.

I know this is a work in progress. This week was more challenging in this regard in some respects. But, I tried to keep positive and remember to focus on eating for health rather than eating for size.

I am also trying to encourage my family to be healthier. We are teaching the kids how to ride bikes this summer and Jason and I are buying bikes (it's been 13 years since I owned one!). I have also been more insistent that my son eat healthy foods. He doesn't like ANY fruits or vegetables except applesauce and bananas. Thus far, I have been somewhat lenient on him not eating those so long as he is eating some other healthy things (his favorite is string cheese). I am determined to change this though. I would be interested in any thoughts, comments, or advice that you have in this regard.

If (and for some it is just a matter of when) you find yourself in this same place I am in, struggling with weight or size, remember that half the battle is in your perception and focusing on being healthy rather than a particular size or weight.

:)

Dealing with "The Change"

2009-05-19T09:27:00.001-07:00

No, not that change, silly! I'm talking about the change that occurs at or near 30.

I really thought that being 30 wasn't going to be that big of a deal. There are many things that I enjoy - I feel like a "real" adult (whatever that means) and am confident in my knowledge, abilities, etc.

But what I didn't realize was the change my body would go through. Gone is my metabolism, gone is my ability to eat that Cinnabon without immediately adding 2 pounds to my body which takes 2 months to take off.

The most frustrating thing? I am more healthy today than I have been since my 1st year in college. But I am also heavier today (by a long shot) than I have ever been in my life.

I've gone to the doctor seeking help and there is a legitimate health issue I have. However, even resolving that has not stopped some of the "changes" I have been going through.

I have spent a lot of thought, anxiety, and time trying to reverse what is going on. The last time I went to the doctor though, changed my perspective.

It is my doctor that helped me realize that my eating habits are healthier today then ever in my life and I exercise more today than I have since my first year in college. It is rather odd to think that I am quite healthy, despite not feeling like it when I look at my body in the mirror.

So how do I deal with "the change?" I change my perspective.

As I have contemplated this, I was reminded of one of my best friends. She was never a size 4, but I have ALWAYS thought she was one of the most beautiful people I knew. Why? Because she took care of her body and her spirit. Her size has nothing to do with it. She has always dressed in a way that would be flattering to her size and shape, always taken care with her skin, hair, and makeup. But more than that, she is one of the most kind people I have ever known and truly taught me what it meant to be a friend. She is someone I love dearly and I have always respected. She is a beautiful daughter of God, not just on the inside, but also on the outside.

Rather than focusing on numbers (such as those seen on the tags of my clothes and the scale in my bathroom), I am focusing on being healthy. True, I don't look like I did when I got married. I will never be a size 4 again. But I can be beautiful at the size I am. Size and weight are not the determining factors of beauty.

I'd like to hear from you - what makes someone beautiful? I'll tell you what I think in a subsequent post.

:)

We Love Music

2009-05-14T17:41:00.001-07:00

We love music at our house. We sing, we play the piano, we even play Rockband on the Xbox (I'm a killer drummer). I took these videos of the kids on Mother's Day with my Mother's Day Flip Video camera.

:)

I Won! I Won!

2009-05-08T12:12:00.001-07:00

I Won, I Won! Check this out...

Mother of the Year Award

:)

On the Road Again

2009-04-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

This has been a whirlwind of a week. Sunday through Tuesday I was in SLC and Thursday through Saturday I'll be in Meridian, ID.

Is it just me or does life seem to continue to speed up at an exponential rate? It feels like it just keeps getting faster and faster and frankly, it's tiring me out!

Is life spinning faster for you?

Tulips

2009-04-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

Tulips are my most favorite flower. They seem so peaceful to me.

We went to a Tulip farm yesterday and I got some amazing shots. I hope you enjoy them. :)

Dreams

2009-04-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

I received this link through an email yesterday and it has just blown me away. I have watched it more than once.

This is truly a testament to many things:

1) You can fulfill dreams no matter what age
2) "Never judge a book by it's cover"
3) Share your talents - you can inspire others

Watch Susan Boyle amaze the world. (And notice that this has gotten nearly 6 million hits!)

:)

Dear Mr. Bug/Virus distributor

2009-04-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Bug/Virus distributor (no, not you computer bugs/viruses - I'm talking about illness),

I don't know how my family's name got on your list, but I would like it removed. Since the end of December, we have received much more than our fair share of bugs and viruses and frankly, I don't think it's funny.

I'm sure someone thought it would be a funny prank to play on us: putting our name on this list. But it's not. Not even a little. Do you know how much money we have spent on Kleenex, Doctor's Visits, Medication, and electricity required to run the TV 24/7 for sick children? Plus, add in the time I haven't been able to work either due to one of my children staying home (because of course they wouldn't both be sick at the same time and therefore believe that I am their playmate), myself being sick, or naps required during the day because of loss of sleep due to one of the aforementioned scenarios. You are costing me a fortune! Not to mention the space in the landfills now filled with my (or my children's) used kleenex. You are definitely not helping global warming or the spotted owl issues.

Sure, a cold now and then is ok, it happens to everyone. But one right after another, interspersed with vomiting flu (and occasionally projectile vomiting) is way past the norm.

I call on you to immediately cease and desist your distribution of bugs and viruses at my home. If you fail to heed my call, I will be forced to take serious action including (but not limited to) flu shots every year hereafter, sole supporter of the Vitamin C industry, and obsessive like behavior in use of Lysol wipes and spray.

Best regards (as in you best regard my warning),

Andi :)

I'm Back

2009-04-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm changing my approach with my blogs and "personal brand." My other blog is going to be reserved for my professional life and this blog will be for my personal life.

If you are on twitter, you can also follow me there (which I am more active on). My twitter name is: andisherwood

:)

A Blog for Christmas

2008-12-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

What did I get for Christmas? A Blog! My husband, super creative hero that he is, created me my own blog with my own url! My blog will now appear here so please change your bookmark for my blog. :)

We have had a great Christmas. We had both of our families come to our house. It was so nice of them to come, especially since we had SNOW!!! and to be with us.

Merry Christmas!

:)

Lessons learned from the Book of Ether

2008-12-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

I teach Gospel Doctrine (I absolutely love it!) and today I combined the two lessons in Ether (because we have more lessons than we do weeks left in the year). Here is something I put together for my lesson:

Lessons Learned from the Book of Ether

1. Do more than pray - “Pray” is used only once in the book of Ether, by Moroni (Ether 12:36). Rather, the brother of Jared converses with the Lord. He “cries” unto the Lord and the Lord “has compassion” on him and his family. (Ether 1)
2. The Lord gives us the answer/solution sometimes and other times he expects to come up with it ourselves, and then present it to him for His approval. (Ether 2)
3. Do all that we can do - Ether didn’t just grab a handful of rocks - he moltened them and got them as close to perfect as possible (white and clear, even as transparent glass). (Ether 3:1)
4. By Faith all things are possible. (Ether 3, 12)
5. Men are created in the image of God. (Ether 3:15)
6. Whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of our Savior and Heavenly Father. (Ether 4:12)
7. If we come unto Christ, He will show us the greater things and give us knowledge. (Ether 4:13)
8. Faith is things hoped for and not seen. (Ether 12:6)
9. It is only after we exercise faith that we will receive a witness. (Ether 12:7)
10. It is only through Faith that miracles are wrought. (Ether 12:12)
11. We are given weaknesses that we may be humble and to ask for help. (Ether 12:27)
12. We must have both Faith and Hope (Ether 12)
13. Even though we are not perfect, we can still be a tool in God’s hands. (Ether 12:23-27)
14. It is Faith, Hope, and Charity that bringeth unto Him, the fountain of all righteousness. (Ether 12:28)
15. Only the righteous will be preserved upon this land. (the book of Ether)

There are some really great things, and some really sad things, contained within the book of Ether. I love Moroni's commentary throughout.

FYI, I found a really great site this weekend that had some cool posters about Book of Mormon heros... The site is www.realheroposters.com. Check them out - I ended up ordering like 7 of them. :)

My Quest

2008-12-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Every year at Christmas time, my quest is the same: Make the perfect Christmas. This year, my quest centers around a few things:

1) Updating my son's room (done last year for Christmas) from a train theme (didn't last as long as I thought) to a Captain America theme (and superheros in general).

2) Updating my daughter's room to accommodate the new desk (on which we will also set up my old laptop for her) and her budding artistic ventures.

3) Not buying toys that 6 months from now still haven't really been played with and were really too big or awkward to fit well somewhere in their room.

I actually feel like I am doing well with number 3. However, #1 is my biggest challenge with #2 coming in second.

I have spent several hours online trying to find Captain America paraphenilia and apparently it only exists in great limits. There is no bedding to be found, no fabric to make bedding, and almost no toys. There are figurines but they are "to look at, not to touch" which I'm afraid just doesn't suit my son's needs.

I have been struggling with this but today found something that I feel is a reasonable solution to the bedding issue - I found a quilt w/ blue on one side and red on the other side. On the blue side, it has red circles stitched in and on the red side, it had blue circles (i.e. they stitched it with a red top thread and blue bottom thread or vice versa). This is a great alternative to what I was planning last night - creating my own quilt with Captain America's shield in the middle. The circles go very well with the "shield" theme and I am going to not sew a shield on to the quilt - I'll just leave it as is and do a shield on the wall. Furthermore, Target (one of my two favorite stores) also had matching sheets that were white with red and blue stars. (Note: Captain America's shield:)
So, I am quite pleased with this solution for the bedding. I am now working on getting wall art. My husband insists that he is going to draw/paint something on his wall. I have hopes that this will happen, but I am not holding my breath (sorry, honey).

In regards to my daughter's room, I am having a hard time really knowing what a true artist would want. I am a left brained rather un-artistic person and I am just not sure. She currently has an easel that we will be removing to make room for the desk so I want to provide her with some things on the wall that will act as her easel. Pottery Barn Kids has some things like that but I plan on going to the craft store to see if I can come up with some cheaper versions.

If you could have the perfect art room, what would you have in it? Please leave me a comment (I know I don't deserve them because of my lack of attention to my blog over the last month, but come on, this is Christmas!).

On a completely different subject - good news... we did the snow dance and now it is going to snow this weekend!

:)

NaNoWriMo - Any takers?

2008-10-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is officially the first day of National Novel Writing Month. I am once again embarking on the most amazing journey of writing a novel. Yup, a book. The goal is 50,000 words in 30 days. Last time I wrote, I did almost 62,000 in 29 days. :)

Truly, I love the process of writing a book from start to finish. It never ceases to amaze me how the characters truly take on their own journey and tell you, the author, where they should go and what they should do.

I am starting my book with a character called Amelie (like Emily but with an "A" - short vowel). If I had had another girl, I wanted to name her that. In any case, my book with be a historical/fantasy romance. Kind of a fairytale type. I am quite excited to see what happens.

Check back through the month for updates and to keep encouraging me. And if you want to join, please do! Click here for the official NaNoWriMo website. A special thanks for my friend Melissa who will be joining me too. :)

Happy writing!

:)

Growing Up

2008-10-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

I had the following description of growing up from my son at 3:30am this morning...

When I grow up I'll be too big for this bed so I'll have to have a big bed like you and I'll sleep with my curtains open and I'll get dressed on Sunday all by myself and I'll put my pajamas on by myself and I'll play with really big trains but not pick my nose and I'll go on the school bus and I'll....

The whole "but not pick my nose" was thrown in there as if it was nothing but an absolute. It cracked me up. :)

My son is sick with a fever and decided that he wanted to sleep with my husband and I, which is unfortunate as we only have a queen size bed so fitting the three of us is not that easy. He then woke up around 3:15am and hasn't gone back to sleep, which means neither have I.

:)

Friday Favorites on Tuesday Night

2008-10-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

I know it's Tuesday but I've been wanting to do this for Friday Favorites. A friend of mine introduced me to this...

The House Fairy

This is an amazing program to help encourage your kids to clean their room and other similar stuff. Basically the "house fairy" comes to your house and checks your kids' rooms. If they are clean, she leaves her pixie dust and a surprise. If they are not clean, she just leaves her pixie dust so they know she was there.

It is amazing how the little motivation of "the house fairy" is to little kids. My sister has been struggling with getting her kids to clean their rooms and I introduced her to this program and she has had great success. She has more info here.

It is really affordable (i.e. $15 for two years for the basic package). If your kids don't keep their rooms clean already, I encourage you to check it out!

:)

And the winner is...

2008-09-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Jenny Durtschi! I used the random number selector from random.org to select a number between 1 and 9 (because that is how many true entries there were) and the random number was 9! Congratulations, Jenny, and to everyone who entered because you will all benefit from the CD that I will be making!

Jenny's idea was to download the top song of every year since 1977 and then burn it to a CD and send it out to 30 friends. 30 songs for 30 friends. I don't know if I have 30 friends so it should be interesting! I loved the other ideas though so thank you everyone!

Love,

me :)

Taking Suggestions...

2008-09-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day being 30. I think I should somehow celebrate that but I'm not entirely sure. Soooo.... I want your suggestions and then I will choose something from your list (using a random selector) and document it with pictures and a subsequent post. Please, don't make me spend a thousand dollars and get a tattoo. If you comment is inappropriate, it will not be chosen. :)

Thanks for playing!

:)

Breakfast at my house

2008-09-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Justis: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Nia: I don't know.
Justis: To buy a toy!

Nia: Why did the cow cross the road?
Justis: I don't know.
Nia: To buy some food!

Justis: Why did the plant cross the road?
Nia: I don't know.
Justis: To buy a plant!
(Nia erupts into a hyena type laughter at this point.)

Justis: Why did the teeth cross the road?
Nia: I don't know.
Justis: To buy an eye!

They just haven't fully grasped the concept of what makes a joke funny. :) Gotta love jokes by kids. :)

Update on my weight

2008-09-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

You may have recalled a post a while back about my frustration with my weight. I am happy to say that since then, both my husband and I have joined LA Weightloss to help us facilitate becoming healthier and loosing weight.

I have lost 7 pounds! I am so excited about that! It's not always easy making the right choices (i.e. no Fruit Loops for breakfast) but I am pleased with my progress. The thing I really like about our program is that it is well balanced and there is accountability... I go in 2-3 weeks and get weighed and talk about my successes, failures, issues, etc.

Anyway, I am on my way to loosing all that stupid weight I put on. :)

:)

What do you call it?

2008-09-10T18:21:00.001-07:00

I need a name for those days when I feel PMSy but technically am not because I am completely missing all those innards.

I feel cranky, grumpy, memosa (it's portuguese), and all around not happy. To sum it up, I feel very PMSy without the cramps (thank heavens for that). :)

I am taking suggestions.

:)

2008 Fall Fashion Show

2008-09-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

Growing up, we had a tradition before school started... a Fashion Show. Since Nia started school last year, I have carried on that tradition. So without further adieu, here is our fashion show we had on Sunday night...

Teach them to Understand

2008-08-31T11:35:00.001-07:00

I know it has been a while since I have posted and I am sorry for that. I have been under the gun with the end of summer, clients, and Church lessons. Last week I taught Gospel Doctrine (I was called to this earlier this summer) and the Relief Society (I got that call on Saturday night at 9:30pm) and this week I am giving a talk. :)

My talk today is entitled "Teach them to Understand" and really covers my lessons last week - the importance or really critical responsibility of teaching our children the gospel. But it is not just teaching them, but teaching them to understand.

My talk today is based on a talk given by Elder David A. Bednar in 1998 at Education Week at Ricks College. Click here for this talk. This is one of the most incredible talks I have read. Please read it and be fed like I have been today.

This talk incorporates a lot of what I do for my work. I know a lot of you really don't know or understand what I do and sometime I will fill you (don't have time now), but it incorporates a lot of teaching principles of success for my specific industry. Many years ago when I was living in Provo and working at Morinda (now called Tahitian Noni), I was trying to decide what to do when we moved back home to the Pacific Northwest. As I prayed and pondered about it, I really felt inspired that I should become a teacher. At that time, I had NO desire to become a teacher. So, I prayed that if that was the right thing for me, then I would have a desire to do that. And of course, my prayers were answered. I grew a desire to teach.

It is funny because at that time, with my limited perspective, I saw teaching as become a classroom teacher. I see now that that was not the case. I am a teacher now, but in my own profession, not in the classroom. And I am a teacher in my home and at church. I love to teach. One of the most important aspects of teaching is to help the students, whoever they may be (children or adults, church or profession or family) to Understand. You cannot truly know a principle or doctrine if you do not understand the Why and How. Knowing the answer is not enough. You have to understand.

Again, read this talk. It will be time well spent.

:)

I wish I knew Chinese

2008-08-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

I wish I knew Chinese. It sounds like such a cool language. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to speak it? My brother in-law speaks it as he went to Hong Kong on his mission. Very cool. :)

It would be particularly helpful to know it so that if people are speaking Chinese but intersperse it with your name, then you would actually know what they were saying. The Chinese people keep saying my name but I have no idea what they are saying about me!

I guess I better start watching Ni-Hao Kailan more. :)

:)

Gold Star to Technology

2008-08-11T17:55:00.001-07:00

Technology gets a Gold Star today. I am sitting on an online meeting right now. We have individuals from China, Canada, Idaho, and myself (on the West Coast). How amazing it is to be able to conference over thousands of miles like this. Wow. :)

:)

All is Well

2008-08-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I finished. :) And (drum roll please) I didn't cheat! I didn't read the end first! I actually taped the last 150 pages or so behind the back cover so I couldn't peak even if I wanted to. Which I did (want to) but didn't (peek). :) Yeah for me!

YEAH! This is me doing a happy dance!

I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it, but suffice it to say I am very pleased with how everything worked out.

Ahhhh... (sigh of relief)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-08-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know that I have done this one already, but how could I not do it today? Today has been a "Avoid thinking about Breaking Dawn coming out and my obsessive need to know that Bella chooses Edward and Jacob imprints with someone else" day. That's right. At the start of my business call, I couldn't help but mention it to someone else while we were waiting for the others.

If you haven't guessed, my Friday Favorites today is the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. If you haven't read it yet, WHY NOT?!!! Honestly, I have not met anyone that has read it that didn't absolutely love it!

I am also happy to say that I am going to the pre-release party at Barnes and Noble tonight. The only bummer is that I won't be able to stay until midnight to actually purchase the book! I have, however, arranged with a friend to do the deed for me. I am trying to determine if I can get it from her before 6am tomorrow morning. :)

My thanks go to my friend, Autumn, who suggested that I tape the last 3/4 of the book closed so I can't cheat. Honestly, I think I am going to have to implement that suggestion. :)

So that is my Friday Favorites for today. Happy reading to one and all. :)

:)

Stressin'

2008-07-30T22:03:00.001-07:00

I'm stressin'. Why? Because I'm not sure how Breaking Dawn is going to end. It is the fourth and last installment in the Twilight Series. I just finished listening to all three books (I read them the first time but listened to them this second time), finishing the last one just moments ago.

I'm concerned about the story ending in a way that I am happy with. Right now, the only way I can see as satisfying is Bella turning into a Vampire. I'm not closed to the idea that she may present another satisfying alternative, I'm just not sure what it is and it's stressin' me out.

I'm also struggling with my desire to read the end of the book (sometimes I even do this in the bookstore before I have even bought the book) before I actually get there. On her website, Stephenie Meyer specifically says to not cheat, but this is a struggle for me. I honestly can't remember the last time I didn't do that.

I JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT IT ENDS HAPPY! EVERYONE HAS TO BE HAPPY (and married)!

If you happen to finish the book before I do, I would appreciate you commenting on this post, letting me know if everyone ends up happy or not. Don't give me the details, I just need to know that everyone is happy.

Thanks. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-07-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

My Friday Favorites today is what I was going to last week... The Police! That's right, The Police! As in Sting, band, Every Breath You Take, Rock, Concert... The Police!

They are one of my husband's favorite bands and we were able to go to their concert last week. It opened with Elvis Costello and then The Police came on. It was awesome. I am also happy to say that I did not fall asleep, which puts me at 2/4 for not falling asleep in concert type things. Crazy, I know. I just can't help it sometimes.

In any case, it was a memorable experience, complete with all the drunk people and the 1.5 hours in the parking lot afterwards (note to self - the close parking lot means the last to get out).

Roxanne!

:)

Husband 1.0

2008-07-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

I received this funny email from my sister, Aimie. Thanks, Aim!

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
distinct slow down in overall system performance -- particularly in the
flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under
Boyfriend
5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such
as
Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed undesirable
programs such as NFL 5.0, NBA 3.0, and Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes
the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to
no avail.

What can I do?
Signed, Desperate

-------------------------------------

Dear Desperate:

First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while
Husband 1.0 is an Operating System. Please enter the command: 'I Thought
You Loved Me.exe' and try to download Tears 6.2 and don't forget to
install the Guilt 3.0 update. If that application works as designed,
Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0
and
Flowers 3.5.

But remember, over use of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to
default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a
very bad program th at will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-law 1.0 (it runs a virus in
the
background that will eventually seize control of all your system.

Also, do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are
unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited
memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider
buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We
recommend
Food 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck,

Tech Support

Cute Clips

2008-07-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

Two funny things from cute kids:

Nia was playing with Justis yesterday and they were playing with a boot. She said something about the boot but it sounded like she had called Justis a "butt." My response was a surprised "What did you say?" She proceeded to tell me what she said again, which had nothing to do with "butt" or with calling Justis a name. Her response was:

"Don't worry, Mom. I would NEVER call Justis a name. So even if it sounds like I did, know that I didn't because I would NEVER do that."

Ahhh... melt my heart. :)

As we do not have AC in our house, the nights that follow a day of 90+ degrees can be rather uncomfortable. Justis wanted to pull his covers up but I told him it was too hot. I told him I would put another blanket over him. I grabbed his favorite blanket and put it over him. His response:

"This isn't a blanket, Mommy! It's a Nite-Nite!"

Ahhh... melt my heart again. :)

:)

Nighttime Funnies

2008-07-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Every night as we put Justis to bed, he tries to convince us that it is not really night time. His reasoning is always the same:

"But it's still morning!"

We tell him "No, it's not," and he replies with an insistent "Yes it is! Look!" Of course, you know what is coming... He is pointing outside which, due to summertime, is still light out.

I am loving the summertime and am grateful for the longer days, but sometimes I wish the blasted sun would just go down! hehehe :)

The other funny thing that happened is that Justis fell out of bed... and didn't wake up. As a parent, you know the "thud" at night is not good. When I heard the "thud," I ran upstairs to make sure he was ok. Sure enough, I find him ASLEEP on the floor! The boy didn't even wake up! This happened one other time as well, but that time I found him sitting on the floor but asleep. He was swaying as his body was trying to keep him upright while in blissful slumber.

Funny boy.

:)

This and That

2008-07-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few blog-worthy items:

Taking a Bath

Saturday was very hot. The kids and spent a good part of the afternoon and evening over at my parent's house (they have AC, we do not). The kids were playing outside in the backyard with water. They were wet and I felt like at that point, they should take a bath. I didn't particularly have a desire to go inside and give them baths (it was already bedtime) and neither did my mom. The solution? We hosed them down. Please do not be offended by this picture but it was one of the things that parents always threaten to - hose the kids down outside - and I did it. So, I thought it was worthy of a picture for documentation purposes. :) (Please note that they did not take off their underwear during the entire process so they were still mostly modest.)

Drinky

Recently, Justis came up with a new word: Drinky. He'll say "Mommy, I'm drinky" which means he's thirsty. He'll also say "Mommy, I need one more drinky" right as he is going to bed. Very cute. :)

Summer School

My kids started a summer school program at a local Montessori school. They are gone from about 8am-1pm. It is really quite odd having all that time to myself. I find that I am accomplishing an incredible amount of work during that time! I had forgotten how much one could do if there are not interruptions or distractions.

They love it though and we give thanks to the government for the tax cut checks that made it possible. That's right Uncle Sam. I gave my money back to the economy, just like you wanted me to. :)

Charming

One could say that I have two excessively charming children. They are both quite charming, but in different ways. We had the missionaries over for dinner Sunday night and Nia had the charm turned on, full blast. The best thing about it was that she wasn't doing it intentionally... she was just being who she is. She would ask the missionaries "Would you like some Lemonade?" and then she would pour some in their glass. "Would you like a brownie?" "Would you like another brownie?" "Could you please cut my chicken for me?" and on and on. To top it all, she would smile and bat her long eyelashes that accenuate her very clear blue eyes. Ahhhh...

It's a good thing she is so young and they are not. Otherwise, we'd have to stop inviting them over. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-06-27T16:05:00.001-07:00

I know I have been off in Never Never land for a little while. Sorry! As I mentioned before, I have been quite busy with end of school year, clients, and launching a new company that my husband and I are part owners of (more of that soon to follow over the summer).

I am also particularly remiss that I missed Friday Favorites before Father's Day. I will make that up to the special men in my life, but not today. :) Not because I don't love them, and not because today's item is better than them, it's a simple matter of time.

Recently, I have received several comments on how my pretty my eye makeup is. One of my recent favorite eye makeup products is a liquid liner by Urban Decay. You can get this at Sephora (I'm not sure where else).

My personal favorite of their line is the purple one. Now, I am not a big color eyeliner person but the purple is amazing and it doesn't shout "Purple Eyeliner!" It has a lot of shimmer/glimmer to it which I think makes a big difference. I love it so much that I bought a brown one just this week. It is not quite as shimmery/glittery as the purple one so purple remains my favorite, but it is great as well.

If you do love color eyeliner, they would be the first line I would look at. They tend to be a little more urban trendy than many other lines.

So there you go... Purple eyeliner by Urban Decay. If you don't believe me, go and try it out. :)

:)

I'm Mad at Myself

2008-06-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the conversation I had with my sweet daughter tonight:

"Mom, I'm mad at myself."
"Why are you mad at yourself." (Brace self for revelation of something she did wrong and now feels the need to confess.)
"For several reasons."
(Turn head, stare at clock, try to control self from bursting into laughter. Take deep breath. Think about something else.)
"The first reason is because I forgot to cover myself with the covers last night. So I was cold all night....
"Next..." (squints eyes, brings hands to cover eyes in a serious ponder over what was next on the list) "...oh, what was next on the list, Nia..." (she's talking to herself there) ..."oh yes. The next reason is because I am silly to myself. I try really hard not to be silly to myself but I can't help it...
"And the last reason is because I like to sneak up on people and scare them..." (Pause with concentration) "I don't know how to explain this one..."

Yes, it was a relief that there was not some confession made, of something that was actually wrong. But, that's not a surprise seeing as how this child is the most angelic, incredibly obedient, Christ-like child that I have ever known. Because Jason and I made up her name, I figured we got to choose the meaning as well. The meaning I chose for her name was "Special Gift" and that is truly what she is. She is the most special, precious spirit.

:)

ABC Tag

2008-06-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

ABC Tag
ABC's "getting to know you" TAG ABC's of you.Each player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then go to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: Jason
C-Cake or Pie: White Cake with lots of awesome frosting - I could eat the whole thing in one day
D- Day of the Week: Friday. It's the beginning of the weekend with the full weekend to look forward to.
E- Essential Item: T3 Tourmaline Hair straightener, and my Mac.
F- Favorite Color: Honestly, I'm not really sure. I love black, pink, brown, and others. Hard to really name one as a favorite.
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: I'll go with gummi worms. Especially sour ones.
H-Home town: Vancouver, WA
I- Indulgences: Buying Clothes and getting my nails done. And reading.
J- January or July?: July. My anniversary month and summertime. :)
K-Kids: 2 amazing ones.
L-Life is incomplete without: My family
M- Marriage Date: July 1996
N- Number of Siblings: 2 two sisters and 2 brothers
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples
P- Phobias or Fears: Spiders and careening off a bridge with my kids in the car. Whenever I go over a bridge, I think of what I would do to save them. I know, I'm a little morbid.
Q- Quote: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. :)
R- Reason To Smile: My kids, My husband, my family, my friends, the gospel, my career, and Dove Chocolate!
S- Season: Summer. I used to be a fall and winter person, but I have been craving summer ever since my cruise in January this year.
T- Tag Three: Chelsea, Aimie, and Shannon
U- Unknown fact about me: I am really quite morbid. I like natural disasters and keep waiting for Armegeddan. :) And I have about 30 kidney stones brewing. Fun. :)
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Animal
W- Worst Habit: Reading when I shouldn't be
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: X-rays - they show how many kidney stones I have.
Y-Your favorite food: Dove Chocolate and Cinnabons
Z: Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Friday Favorites

2008-05-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, I wasn't going to do a Friday Favorites today because I am in Vegas right now, but this was worth doing...

Last night, we went to "Ka" which is a Cirque Du Soleil show. It was INCREDIBLE! We were just flabbergasted. We saw another one of their shows, "Corteo," a couple of months ago, but this one blew that out of the water. If you are ever in Las Vegas, go see Ka. Here are some pictures:

The second picture above is a picture of this wall that they had that moved around and tilted. A couple of times, it was completely verticle and people were moving up and down it.

Anyway... awesome, amazing, fabulous, unbelievable.

And that is my Friday Favorite. :)

:)

Workin' Like a Dog

2008-05-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I will not be posting a Friday Favorites tomorrow as I will be out of town. I'm sorry I haven't been posting much lately but I have been workin' like a dog!

I am helping to launch a new company which is taking up quite a bit of time, in addition to all my other clients. I know many of you don't really know what I do but the jist of it is that I create compensation plans for companies in the Direct Selling/Network Marketing industry. Companies that are in that industry are Pampered Chef, Cookie Lee, Mary Kay, Dove Chocolate at Home, etc. I work primarily with new start-ups, creating a compensation plan (this is all the titles and payouts that distributors can achieve and receive) and consult with them on getting their business up and running.

I love the industry that I work in. It is so unique and is so focused on relationships and building people. I am especially excited to be working with a new company called Choffy that is being started by three individuals aside from myself. It all started with one of my husband's mission companions.

In any case, this is keeping my plate very full right now which leaves me very little time for blogging. I also apologize if I haven't posted any comments on your blogs. I am still trying to keep up with everyone on what is happening, but that often means skimming posts right now and not leaving comments.

In any case, take care and keep checking back. :) When I get back from my trip, I will post some pictures (provided we actually take some). :)

Love to all!

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-05-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

My Friday Favorites today is American Idol. I don't know how many of you have been following it this season, but I thought that this was one of their best seasons. I was so pleased to see that it was the Davids that made it to the finale.

I had a heard time deciding who to vote for and in the end, I voted for both of them (although I did vote for one of them more than the other - I won't say who though).

Thanks to the writer's strike, American Idol is the only show I've been watching for some time now. If American Idol isn't on, I'm either working or reading at night. So... I'm a little bummed that it is over now.

I also really like they put their songs on iTunes. I have downloaded several of them.

Anyway, that is my Friday Favorites. American Idol. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-05-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Sunshine. Summertime. 'Nuff said.

:)

Funny Words and Poor People

2008-05-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Last night for Family Home Evening, we talked about some of the language that is found in the scriptures and that we use in prayers (i.e. Thee, Thy, Saith, etc). Tonight, before Nia said her personal prayer, she looked at me and said "What are those funny words we use?" So cute.

While she was praying, she did use them correctly, and she also prayed for the "Poor People," twice. The second time, she said "And please bless the poor people... again." It was funny. She realized she had already prayed for that so she added the "again." She started praying for the "poor people" recently, all on her own accord. She's just like that. Very sweet, always thinking of others. :)

:)

Nuts!

2008-05-13T03:02:00.000-07:00

After picking my daughter up from school Monday, we promptly went to Nonna's house for lunch and to get Justis. (Nonna means "Grandma" in Italian.) Upon our arrival, my son was so proud to tell us that he helped Nonna make us lunch.

Upon inspection of said lunch, my daughter burst into tears. Why? Because of Nuts, of course! Doesn't everyone burst into tears when they find nuts in their Peanut Butter? That seams quite reasonable to my daughter.

Well, I told her to suck it up and eat the sandwich (in a nicer, more nurturing, motherly sort of way) but she was quite adamant that she could not possibly eat the sandwich with the nuts intact.

The solution? I handed her a utensil and told her this was what was for lunch and if she wanted, she could pick out the nuts. And so, she did.

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-05-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have two Friday Favorites today. My mom and my mom. "What?" you may say? That is correct. My two favorite moms in the whole wide world... Beverly Jensen and Debbie Sherwood.

Beverly Jensen is my mom by birth and Debbie Sherwood is my mom by marriage (my husband's mom). They shall be referred to hereafter as Mom Jensen and Mom Sherwood.

It is impossible to compare the two because that is like comparing apples to oranges. I am so lucky to have both the apple and the orange, without having to choose. :) Their personalities are quite different in many ways but that is what I love about them. I want to incorporate parts of each personality into who I am and who my kids are.

Mom Jensen
It baffles my mind to think of how lucky I am. At the same time, sometimes it makes me sad to realize how little I really appreciated about her when I was growing up. It wasn't because she wasn't as great as she is now, I think it was because my complete adoration of my father blinded me from seeing how great she was. (I have always been a daddy's girl.) As I am older now and also a mom, I look back and see all that I didn't see before and am both stunned and saddened (for not having seen it before.)

Mom Jensen is like a lighthouse in many ways. She is a strong person... one of the strongest I have ever met actually. She carries on no matter how heavy the load is that she has to bear. She spent many years of my youth stifled by depression. I honestly never knew that she had a problem with that until many years later. As I get older, it seems like I always get new insights into just how deep her strength goes.

She sacrifices so much for me. Honestly, I have many jealous friends because of how involved she is with my kids. And she loves it! (The involvement, not the jealousy. :)) She loves to be with my kids and play with them. She watches Justis a lot for me when I am on business calls (and Nia when the calls are in the afternoon). While I try to watch how much this happens (I am sure it happens at the minimum once or twice a week), there are times when it is almost everyday. She is also great because she will tell me when she needs a break. She knows that she doesn't want to get burned out with them and knows that I don't want that either, so she will tell me when she has had enough. I really appreciate that. As if that weren't enough, she often babysits them for us when we go out on a date as well.

She is fun, has a great sense of humor, and is truly one of my best friends. And to top it off, she has a great sense of fashion. :)

Mom Sherwood
Growing up, there were two women in my stake that I adored. They were exactly the kind of women that I wanted for a mother-in-law. One of them actually had a son who I really liked, but in the end I think I had too strong of a personality for him. :) Anyway... when I met Jason's mom and as I got to know her, I was beyond thrilled to find that she is exactly that type of woman!

For many reasons, I don't consider Mom Sherwood as my "mother-in-law." She is much more than that to me. She has such a loving and nurturing spirit about her that you can't but help feel enveloped in her love. I am not her biological daughter, but she cares for me as if I were. She cries when I cry, she rejoices when I rejoice. I can call her and tell her anything. I can call and tell her nothing too. :) She has keen sense about her children's feelings and what is going on in their lives. She knows when things are not right and she is there.

I love how sweet and nurturing she is with my kids. It is funny to see how different her interaction is with them in comparison to Mom Jensen. But I am so grateful that they get both sides, just like I do.

One of my most cherished times with Mom Sherwood was the time that Mom Jensen was on a mission. While I missed Mom Jensen, I wouldn't have traded that time I had with Mom Sherwood for anything. She was my support during that time. She was there for me. She was there for Nia's birth. She was there for everything.

Words cannot express how much I love these two women. I think in their own ways, they truly exemplify what a Woman in Zion should be. I am a better person for having BOTH of these significant women in my life. I am so lucky to have both my apple and my orange. :)

I love you mom and mom. You are not just my Friday Favorites, but your my everyday favorites. :)

Playing Puppy

2008-05-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

I am not entirely sure why, but my kids like to "play puppy." This often includes putting a leash on someone or something. Sometimes it is each other (not around the neck though - we have had that conversation several times) and sometime it is a variety of stuffed animals. Today, they came downstairs during quiet time and looked like this:
Notice the leash... It is a piece of ribbon.
Nia came up with her outfit... a swimsuit and skirt. Justis is wearing a swimsuit and shirt because if Nia was wearing her swimsuit, he had to wear his... of course. :)

And here they are with our real puppy...
Ahhhh.... so cute. They are such a joy. All three of them :)

:)

Superkids w/ Superpowers

2008-05-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

My kids love to pretend that they are superheros. At any given time they may have to five thousand super powers. They apparently need superhero glasses/masks a couple of days ago and enlisted me, their supermom, to help them. Here is the end product...

Ten points goes to anyone who can tell me what is wrong with this picture (you get minus ten points if you say I have a messy kitchen in the background). :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-05-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

Today's Friday Favorites is an awesome new place for fabric... www.ldsfabric.com. They sell the CUTEST LDS fabrics! Here are some pictures...

The fabrics are so cute and have different LDS themes... missionary, temple, Child of God, BYU, etc and even have some general themes such as camping and ballerinas, etc (some of the themes such as camping and ballerinas are under the Cotton link). They have coordinating fabrics in simple patterns such as a polka dots, flowers, and even solids that coordinate with the prints. You can also order pre-made items such as a bib, burp cloth, and baby blanket set.

I ordered a pre-made set for my sister that just had a baby (surprise, Aimie!) and had a great experience with the site. I was able to pay with Paypal (you can also use a credit card) and they sent me order confirmation and shipment confirmation emails as well. They shipped my order in less than 24 hours (I think it was even less than 12 hours).

In any case, I love supporting sites like this and hope you check it out! Click here to visit the site. One note, it is a relatively new site so they are constantly adding fabrics and crafts. I have seen a few new things even from when I visited the site earlier this week. :) You may want to check it often to see what is new there.

And that is my Friday Favorites. :)

:)

Welcome to Earth

2008-04-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Earth, Jaxon. Let me tell you a little bit about what you might expect here. Things will be good, and things will be bad. There will be things that are easy, and things that are hard. I know that sounds crazy and scary, and truthfully it kind of is, but it is also wonderful and the most amazing journey you will ever experience.

Lucky for you, you were born to what I would consider "goodly parents." Meaning: they rock. :) They are funny and fun to be with. They will love you to pieces but teach you to be the man you should become. Listen to them, they're not just playing with you when they tell you things. They are serious and you will be best off if you listen and obey. If you figure out how to do that, please write a book because you could become rich by other parents who want their kids to be as awesome as you.

Your mom is the sweetest girl in the world. She will take good care of you. Please treat her kindly and be sure to help her lots. Your dad is cool. I hope you will always remember that, even if other kids say their dads aren't. Don't worry, yours always will be. He will teach you lots of stuff, but most importantly, follow his example in how he treats your mom. He takes good care of her and you should do the same because someday, you are going to want to marry a hot babe like your mom, and you can only do that if you learn to take good care of her.

You have some fantastic cousins. Lucky for you, you have lots of boy cousins so you will have plenty of playmates. However, remember that if they decide to jump off a bridge (Justis will likely be the ringleader on this - remind him that I said "no"), doesn't mean you should jump off a bridge. Sometimes boys do crazy things that their moms just don't understand. That doesn't mean you have to follow suit. You will save your mom a lot of stress if you don't do some of those things that we moms just don't understand.

Now for the serious part... You're probably a bit freaked out about having to leave our Heavenly Father. That is quite understandable. Not to worry, He is still there, watching and listening. You just can't see Him anymore. Like I mentioned, he has given you awesome parents who know and love the gospel and will do their darndest best to take great care of you, and other extended family members (like me, your favorite aunt), who will also watch out for you and take care of you. Always remember that if you do what He asks, you will be happy. Serve Him, Love Him, Obey Him. Those are the keys.

I love you, little dude. I can't wait to meet you. Welcome to Earth.

With much love,

Your Aunt :)

Turning a New Leaf

2008-04-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been exceptional...

1) Justis has been getting dressed by himself when asked! He is even getting dressed by himself after he goes to the bathroom. Ahhhh.... such a relief. I have been trying to get him to do that for a while but, as with his persistent nature, he has resisted. On Saturday, he even chose his own clothes to wear!

2) Nia and Justis have played so well together the last several days. They always play well together but this weekend was a notch above the other times.

3) Nia got breakfast for her and Justis on Sunday. Not only did she get out the bowls, spoons, cups, etc, but she got the milk out of the fridge and poured it on the cereal! To top it off, she was very sweet because there wasn't a lot of cereal left so she let him have the most and she had what was left. :) By the time I came downstairs to the kitchen, they were almost done with their cereal. That was the first time they got breakfast for themselves. So exciting!

Anyway, it has been so exciting to see this progress and I am especially please with Justis' increased independence. I have finally gotten him to the point that he is no longer insisting being carried - he weighs about 40 pounds so it is about time! :)

On a completely different subject, my sister is having her baby today! I am so excited for them, but bummed that I won't see the baby for a while as they live far away. :( In any case, I am so excited for them and their new miracle. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-04-25T16:32:00.001-07:00

Today's Friday Favorites is a new kids show called Ni Hao Kai-lan. "Ni Hao" means "Hello" in Chinese (really it's more like "Hello. How are you doing?"). It is on Nickelodeon. We are on the West Coast so it plays at 11am our time. Check your local listings for the time and channel where you live. :)

This show is super cute. It is designed to be a Chinese Dora of sorts. Kai-lan (the girl) speaks English and Chinese and teaches kids Chinese in a similar manner to Dora the Explorer. She has a couple of friends - HoHo who is a three year old monkey, Tolee who is a five year old koala, Rintoo who is a five year old tiger and her best friend, and also some others that make less frequent appearances. She and her friends interact with her grandpa, Ye Ye (Grandpa in chinese) quite a bit, and teaches different everyday things such as how to calm down when you are upset. Stylistically, the show has a definite Chinese animation feel to it.

Anyway, it is really cute and my kids (and myself) enjoy it. And that is my Friday Favorites for today.

:)

Grateful

2008-04-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

I am sitting at my desk in the family room listening to the most beautiful sound... children playing happily together.

While every parent would agree that it is one of the best sounds in the world, I am particularly grateful because of everything it took to get these two special spirits into our family.

I remember the exact day that it really hit me that I wanted to have a baby. It was a couple of months after I got married. We had originally agreed before we got married that we would wait a couple of years before having children, but when I agreed to that, I had no idea about how the desire for children would hit me like a brick.

For an entire year, I struggled with having this strong desire, attending a student ward at Ricks (back when it was actually Ricks and not BYU-Idaho) where every other woman except 1 (that is not an exaggeration) either had a baby, was pregnant, or was trying to get pregnant, and not even be trying (Jason wasn't ready yet). That was difficult. There were times when I had forgotten to take my birth control and I secretly hoped that I would get pregnant. I can honestly say I never skipped it on purpose, but I wasn't exactly sad when I really did forget.

I also remember the exact moment when Jason told me that we could start trying to get pregnant. I was ecstatic. I remember shopping for clothes and hesitating to buy anything that I wouldn't be able to wear if I got pregnant. I also remember the utter despair of not getting pregnant at all. I had friends and siblings that got married after us and then pregnant. I had friends at work that were trying at the same time as I that finally got pregnant and then they didn't work anymore. I remember how it felt every time I started my period. It was horrible. If starting my period was bad enough, the cramps and pain that I had each month with it was like salt on an open wound. That, and the oh-so unhelpful comments such as "Just stop thinking about it, then you'll get pregnant." I hate that - never say that to someone trying to get pregnant. :)

Years went by and I wondered if I would ever be able to bear children. After several years (and countless tears), we finally decided to sign up for adoption. We were excited because we felt like we were a cute young couple and that we would be attractive to someone willing to give up their child so that child could have a better life. After a few months, we did get a call. I spoke to a birthmom on the phone and then an appointment was made for us to meet with her. After the appointment, she choose us. Again, we were ecstatic.

Preparations were made, a crib was bought, a room was painted, and clothes were purchased. We were ready! I went to the ultrasound where we learned it would be a boy and we later choose a name for him. Two weeks before her due date, we received a call from the social worker that the agency had received a letter from an attorney indicating that the birthmom had changed her mind and would be placing her baby for adoption through the attorney. The agency was not allowed to contact her anymore. (She was not LDS but was going through LDS Family Services originally based on a referral from a neighbor.)

I held hope that she would change her mind, but she never did. I was brave and strong, only because through the preceding years, I had learned to trust my Heavenly Father. I learned that my struggle with not having children had nothing to do with how often we were having FHE (or the lack of how often - it's hard when it's just the two of you), if I was reading my scriptures daily, etc. I tried bargaining, I tried pleading, I tried everything. The only thing that worked? Trust.

I had to trust Heavenly Father that His will was better than mine. I like planning things out. Not having my plans go accordingly is not something I enjoy. That was something that I had to learn. I didn't know if or when things would work out, I just had to have faith and trust that Heavenly Father loved(s) me, no matter how many times I have (or don't have) FHE, read my scriptures, etc. He loves me for me, despite my shortcomings, and He knows what is best. This was what was best, even if I didn't originally agree with Him. :)

A short side note: Through this trial, I was eventually able to find peace about not being able to get pregnant at that time. It took a while, years really, but I did receive that peace. I feel so grateful for that and was also grateful that it was something that I was able to share with others experiencing infertility and help them find peace as well.

Two months after our failed adoption, my youngest sister got pregnant. I remember how hard it was. I was the first to get married in my family and she was the last (there are five of us). It was hard to see her get pregnant after just a few months of trying and being married.

At her birthday party, I had really bad cramps. It was all I could do to sit there without bursting into tears after she opened up gift after gift of maternity clothes, knowing that I was about to start my period. I stayed as long as I could (it wasn't her fault) and had to leave. I just couldn't do it anymore. I cried all the way home. I went to bed crying (well, that at least sounds dramatic - I don't remember if that is really true though).

Oddly enough, a couple of days later, I still hadn't started my period. Lo and behold, I was pregnant! After five years, I was finally pregnant.

It is now six years later and I am listening to my two miracles playing happily together (our second was another miracle and another story - ironically we had just signed up for adoption again when I got pregnant with him). While I have my moments with them, as every parent does with their children, I feel utterly grateful to have been blessed with two incredible spirits. They are individual in many ways, but they are both strong. As if that wasn't enough, I also feel immensely blessed that they get along so well. 95% of the time, they play together beautifully. They laugh and giggle and help each other (well, mostly it's Nia helping Justis and him helping but not really helping Nia).

Our two miracles are it for us. When we were getting married, I wanted six. After a couple of years of trying, I was willing to go down to four. After a few more years, three was looking great. But alas, Heavenly Father has a will for me. Two is it. In our LDS society, sometimes I feel a little funny for "only having two," but I'm ok with it. In fact, I am happy with it. Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself and He has a plan for me that I know, without a doubt, is better than my plan. My goal is to align my plan with His (which can be difficult because I don't always know what His plan is) and I know that things will ultimately work out for the best. That doesn't mean things will be easy, I am not a fool, but I know that by humbly accepting His will, I accept the best for me.

I could not have chosen better children. It's not that they are perfectly behaved all the time, but they are the perfect for each other and for Jason and I. There are things that I learn from each of them and I adore them both.

:)

P.S. I am also happy to say that we have FHE almost every week now. Sometimes schedules get hectic and we miss it, but generally we are very consistent. Had to put that in there so I know that you know that we are not neglectful with that commandment. :)

Stuck in Limbo

2008-04-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Before I start this post, I have to tell a quick and funny story... Nia came home from Kindergarten today and told me this. She said: "Mommy, you want to know something funny? I gave Cody a heart sticker today and after I gave it to him he wanted me to kiss him!" I thought this was so funny that I had her repeat it to Jason and she added to the story: "I told him No, No, No!" Luckily, we have taught her early enough that we don't kiss boys... except for daddy, grandpas, and brother. :)

Ok, now to my state of limbo...

I feel like I am stuck in a state of limbo between accepting my body and hating my body. In the last year, I have put on almost 30 pounds of weight. It's not that I have started doing something different, I am still working out and eating like I did before. My metabolism has completely shut down.

None of my clothes fit anymore. I have had to buy a whole new wardrobe which under normal circumstances would be quite exciting. Not so much when you jump up three sizes in pants and dresses.

Those that see me often may comment "You don't look like you have gained that much weight" and truly I know that I don't look like one might expect someone to look after putting 30 additional pounds on. For that, I truly am grateful. But I know I do look different and I know how much weight I have put on. I know that I am embarrassed to stand by my sister that weighs 90 pounds (not her fault - and I still love you baby) and I am frustrated as all get out.

I try to eat well, but I am not obsessive about it. Still, even watching my caloric intake (do you know how hard it is to eat only 1700 calories a day?), I have continued to gain weight. I am on thyroid medication but things don't seem to be turning around. I will have another test on my thyroid next month so maybe I will have to up my dosage, but that doesn't change what is happening now.

I am very conscientious about not obsessing over my body or calling myself fat in front of my daughter. I truly do not want her to grow up with a mother who is obsessed about her body and how it looks. But every time I look in the mirror I can't help but be sad and depressed over what is happening.

So this puts me in limbo - I want to be able to accept my body but at the same time I find it very difficult. I find it very difficult to feel good about the way I look when just a year before I was 30 pounds less, and less than a size 4. And to no fault of theirs, it's also hard to feel good about how I look when I am around my two beautiful sisters, who are much trimmer than myself. I love them and it doesn't change the way I feel about them and I hold no resentment towards them at all, it just reinforces my negative feelings about my body.

Sorry this is a downer. Any advice would be appreciated. I want to love my body and I want to accept my body. Some of the most beautiful women I know are not size 4 or less. I truly believe that beauty does not always come in small packages. I'm just struggling and trying to cope with going from a small package to a not so small package.

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-04-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

For Friday Favorites, I want to highlight an outstanding miniseries that has been on HBO: "John Adams."

If you enjoy history, this miniseries is for you. It is amazingly directed and acted by everyone involved. It is very high quality it could have gone to the theater. Probably the only reason it didn't is because it is so long. (I believe there are seven episodes of an hour each.)

It has been so interesting and inspiring to see the struggles, both internal and external, that the founding fathers went through to obtain Independence. Not only does this highlight the founding fathers, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and many others, but it also gives a great portrayal of what the women and the people in general had to sacrifice. I watched part of episode 3 last night and John Adams' wife said that she had spent at least half their marriage separated from her husband because of his responsibilities. I can't imagine how that would be and the toll that would take on a marriage.

The miniseries is specifically about John Adams but all of the others play significant roles as well, making it very well rounded. Honestly, I had no idea about how much John Adams played a role in obtaining freedom for our nation.

This is available for purchase on Amazon and other websites. It would be a great gift for someone that loves history. If you have HBO, they are playing them all the time. Even better, if you have Comcast with On Demand, you can watch the episodes at your leisure. I believe they are available there until May 18th.

Click on this link to go to the site and click on the View Trailer link. I just watched the trailer again and got goose bumps from it again. :) It is that good and it is my Friday Favorite. :)

Enjoy!

:)

A Quickie

2008-04-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

It was decided last Saturday that I would take a very quick trip to Texas on Monday (two days ago) to return my beloved nieces, Tori and Abbie, to their parents who just moved there. It has been a fast and furious trip, but it was good.

The girls were better than I had expected so that was a nice relief. It was fun to be with my sister and her husband as they work to settle into their new life in a new place. I was also able to meet up with one of my best friends, Meredith, and had lunch with her. We ate Tex-Mex, which I figured was appropriate since I was there. It was a great two and a half hours to just talk and laugh with her. She is so great.

I have to give snaps to Dallas for being prettier than I had expected. I have been to other parts of Texas that don't float my boat. The others I have visited are flat, windy, brown, and trees are scarce. For a Pacific Northwest girl, not having trees is almost as bad as not having air. Soooo... I was pleasantly surprised to find that Dallas is LOADED with trees! They are predominantly Deciduous (trees with leaves) whereas we have a great mixture of Evergreen and Deciduous where I am, but hey, some trees are better than no trees!

Anyway, my mom, the saint that she is, watched my kids while I was gone and I was treated to hugs and kisses as I walked out of the security barrier at the airport this afternoon. What a great greeting. :)

Honestly, I LOVE to travel. Let me say that again... I LOVE TO TRAVEL!!! If I had all my savings, retirement, kids' college funds, and shopping fund (that is my other favorite pastime) set, I would spend a lot of money traveling the world.

I have been to five out of seven continents in the world so far, and have my sights set on going to those two (not to mention other countries on the continents I have already been to). I love to see different cultures and places. It is so fascinating to me. My two most favorite trips have been to Taiwan and Italy. (Sorry for the off subject tangent.)

I am glad I was able to take a quickie to Dallas and return my sister's beautiful girls to her, but I am glad to be home to my beautiful kids and wonderful husband too. :)
:)

Friday Favorites

2008-04-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do this last Friday but as I was on my trip and "herding cats," I didn't get a chance.

My Friday Favorites today are my grandparents. They are actually Jason's grandparents but I am extremely close with them. We lived with them while we (Jason) attended BYU (I worked). The two years we spent with them are some of my most fondest dreams. Unfortunately, Grandpa now has Alzheimers. It is such a terrible disease, affecting not just the person who has it, but their family.

Grandma and Grandpa are what I consider to be the perfect grandparents. They even look like the perfect grandparents. :) They are so loving and from the first time I met them while Jason and I were dating, I always felt welcomed and loved by them.

There is something about going home to them that fills my soul. It fills my bucket, so to speak. I visited them last Friday (thus my reason for wanting to highlight them last week). It was so great to see them, even if it was only for a short time. Since I was toting four kids around that day, it was hard to stay very long because it was hard to keep them entertained while I chatted and I was ultra paranoid that they were going to break something. :)

I admire grandma for her patience and endurance. Grandpa is at a stage in his disease that he requires 24 care and supervision.

One neat experience I had with him was last year when I was visiting, Grandma and I were watching TV and talking. He suddenly started speaking (he doesn't speak much anymore). He went on and on for a long time which was very bizarre. The neat thing about it was that it was like he was giving a fireside or a talk at church. (He was a Bishop many years ago.) He talked about obedience and faith. After more than 30 minutes of his talking (again, highly unusual for him with this disease), we had a "closing prayer" with him to help him get out of the circle of thoughts (his thought process got stuck in a loop and he couldn't get out of it so he would start his talk over and over). It touched (and still touches) my heart though because it reiterates to me what his in his heart. He has always been a great example to his/our family and even in the grips of this horrible disease, he still continues.

I wish I could live by Grandma and Grandpa to help them. I can't imagine how hard it is for Grandma to care for the person she has spent her life with, knowing that he doesn't really know her or anyone else anymore.

I love them so much and they are definitely my Friday Favorite. :)

:)

Adventures in Idaho

2008-04-09T18:46:00.001-07:00

Adventure #3: World War 3

Battle 1: The battle of Red Robin
Opponent 1: Justis
Motive: Wish I knew
Opponent 2: Me
Motive: Preserve some sort of sanity, dignity, and not disturb all other restaurant goers. Also to avoid being asked to leave because of the disruptiveness of my son and not allowing my son to act improperly in a restaurant.

The battle: So on our trip, we celebrated Justis' birthday. We all went out to eat at Red Robin, one of my recent preferences because of how family friendly it is. Unfortunately, Justis was so tired that he was not in the proper restaurant attendance mind frame. He decided that he did not want to sit down but would rather walk along the entire long bench (to three or four tables down) and then refused to return to the table. When I tried to remove him from the situation, he brought out the big artillery. Screaming, flailing, crying, and impersonating a jelly fish (limp).

The climax of the battle: trying to remain calm and dignified while asking our waiter to send my dinner (and Justis') home with my family after they finished (we had just ordered), all without bursting into tears of frustration. (Mission accomplished)

The winner: It was a draw. Justis and I left (our great waiter was able to grab our food real quick so he caught us on our way out), leaving Nia with my sister and her family to enjoy my son's birthday dinner. Justis fell asleep within minutes of getting in the car.

Battle #2: The Gas Station Revolution
Opponent 1: Justis
Motive: Get what I want... What did I want?
Artillery: Shoes, Fruit Snacks, Other assorted snacks, fists, screaming, flailing, crying, and impersonating a jelly fish.

Opponent2: Me
Motive: Avoid having onlookers call the police due to what appeared like a potential kidnapping, avoid spanking, avoid giving child up for adoption to anyone who would take him.
Artillery: Strength and amazing ability to compartmentalize so as to avoid going into a complete meltdown.

The scene: Gas station/restroom stop/lunch stop in the middle of nowhere, Utah.

The battle: Trying to carry my screaming, flailing, and intermittently limp child into and out of the gas station because child number 1 (my saving grace) had to go potty. Justis did not want to go in, did not want to stay in the bathroom, did not want to go back out (doesn't that conflict with his desire not to go in?), did not want to get into the car, did not want to sit in his car seat, did not want to get buckled, did not...

I was seriously surprised that someone did not call the cops on me because everyone's faces looked like they thought I was kidnapping the child.

The climax: Getting back to the car, I tried to get him in. He no longer wanted to bet back in the car (this all started with him not wanting to get out of the car). When I tried to get him in the car, he fought me with everything he had. He tried to get out but I blocked the door. He took his shoes off and threw them out into the parking lot. When I went to get them, he hopped out and ran off (yes, in the middle of the parking lot). I finally got him and his shoes and got the door closed... AND LOCKED. He then proceeded to grab anything he could get his hands on (i.e. fruit snacks, crackers, boxes of crackers, etc) and throw it in the car, all the while screaming. When I moved the bin of food to the front seat, he tried to climb into the front seat to grab the food to throw. When I tried to have him to talk to dad and was about to hand him my iPhone, I could see the glimmer in his eyes and knew he would throw it to. Luckily it hadn't let go of it and so we battled over that as well (I won that).

The winner: Hard to say. There was severe loss on both sides.

Battle #3: The battle of the night
Opponent 1: Nia, Justis, Tori, and Abbie (the last two are my youngest sister's kids, ages 5 and 3 respectively)
Motivation: Stay awake as long as humanly possible
Opponent 2: Me
Motivation: Need some peace (to regain my sanity)

The scene: Two adjoining hotel rooms.

The battle: Trying to get two 5 year olds and two 3 year olds in pajamas, in bed, and asleep all at the same time.

The climax: Having to tell three of the four that were already put to bed to go back to bed about three or four times, while I was trying to hook up a portable DVD player so that sanity may be retained tomorrow (my mom's sanity) during Conference.

The winner: ME! Well, at least that makes one out of three. :) I did finally get them all asleep but I equate it to trying to get four cats to lay down and go to sleep in a specific spot and a specific position, all at the same time. This takes "herding cats" to a new level.

:)

A Special Experience

2008-04-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

First of all, sorry I haven't posted for a couple of a days. As you know, I was gone, and then since we got back, I've been trying to get caught up. I will post some more adventures in the next few days.

While I was in Utah, I had the opportunity to go to the Saturday Morning session of General Conference with my dad. My sweet and sainted mom watched not only my kids, but my sisters two as well (a total of four kids between the ages of three and five), in a hotel room.

It was such a neat and special experience to be there for the solemn assembly, to stand and raise our hands to sustain the prophet, who was in that very same room (albeit large room). What made this experience even more neat and special (if that is possible) is that my dad and I were also in attendance for the solemn assembly when President Hinckley was sustained as prophet, back in 1995.

I feel blessed that I was able to go. The Saturday Morning session was the only one I could attend because of my travel plans so I was hoping it would be the solemn assembly. I am so grateful for that opportunity and it is a memory that I will always cherish.

Adventures in Idaho

2008-04-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Adventure #2: Going to the Mall

As any mother can attest, going to the mall with three young kids can be interesting. Luckily, there were two adults there (my sister, Esther, and I) so it wasn't so bad. This was funny though:

Esther and I had split up and I had the kids. We were waiting for her and Avery, her youngest (and quite adorable) decided that she wanted Mommy so she took off. I started following and she ran faster. I was pushing a stroller but it got to the point that I could not run fast enough with the stroller so I ditched the stroller, told Nia to watch it and watch Justis, and I ran, yes... ran, to catch up with Avery who was now running. Have you ever seen a woman literally running through the mall? I have not, but I can only imagine what people were thinking. Especially as Avery was crying "I want my Mommy." Yup, I'm sure I looked like a kidnapper. :)

Overall, the kids were great. It was a little scary taking them into Sephora (makeup store) because they wanted to try all of the tester lipsticks sitting out within arms reach. Yikes.

Here is a picture of the kids with ice cream cones. Quite the mess. :)

While at the mall, we also got Nia's ears pierced. It is something that she has wanted to do for a while. She looks adorable with them pierced and she was very brave.

I am having a fantastic time with my sister. It is so fun to be with her and her sweet family.

:)

Adventures in Idaho

2008-04-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Adventure # 1: Going to Sleep

As I have mentioned before, my son is very persistent. On this trip, he has decided that the only place he can and will sleep is on the couch. Now, let me broaden this perspective for you... His choices were: In the bed with the two other girls, on the floor in the girls' room, in one of the boy's beds, or on the floor in the boys' room. I had chosen to sleep on the couch. The living room has a beautiful couch set: Sofa, loveseat, and oversized chair. Very nice, very comfy. I decided I would sleep on the couch so I wouldn't wake up the kids and vice versa. Well, the first night we were here, there was a big drama over where Nia and Justis would sleep - Justis wanted to sleep wherever Nia and Avery (their cousin) slept, but Nia did not want to sleep with Justis in the bed. She opted to sleep on the floor, so naturally, so did Justis. Since Justis was going to sleep on the floor, she wanted to sleep on the bed... I'm sure you can see they cycle beginning.

Sooo... after a while, Nia decided to sleep on the loveseat because I was going to sleep on the larger sofa. Justis then decided he wanted to sleep on the couch, so Nia decided to go back to the bed. I helped Nia get back in the bed and in that time, Justis decided that he wanted the big couch. When I came back, my persistent son would take nothing else than the large sofa. Nevermind that I am 5'3" something and he is 3'4" something and that the Loveseat is, well, a loveseat. Not made for someone over 4' to stretch out on. After a royal battle with his persistenciness, I finally gave in so I could simply sleep, along with everyone else in the household that was subject to his screaming.

Sooo... for the past three nights, Justis has slept on the large couch and I, the mom, have slept on the loveseat. :)

Good thing they are comfortable. :)

:)

Goin' on a Trip

2008-03-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

We're goin' on a trip
In our favorite Rocketship
Zoomin' on the Road
Little Family.

Climb aboard
Get ready to explore
There's so much to find
Little Family.

We're goin' on a mission (spring break trip)
Start the count down
Five, Four, Three, Two, One!

Everyone to rocket,
Rev it up now....
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

(Key Change)
We're goin' on a trip
In our favorite Rocketship
Zoomin' on the Road
Little Family.

Climb aboard
Get ready to explore
There's so much to find
Little Family.

Come on.
Let's go.
We need you!
Yeah!

(Theme to Little Einsteins)

The kids and I are on a road trip for spring break. The mission: bring joy, happiness, and not too many yucky germs to our family in Idaho and Utah. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-03-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today for Friday Favorites, I wanted to highlight Leelou Blogs. This is a sweet girl (I am thinking probably in my range of age) that creates awesome blog layouts and has them available on her blog for FREE! How cool is that!?!

Her website is:
leeloublogs.blogspot.com

I just went there and it appears she is even making custom headers now too! She has a small fee for those but they are super cute. She will also do wedding blogs and some other stuff so check her out.

Of course, I had to partake of her fabulous work and generosity so I have updated my site with a new look. :) All of her layouts are great so I highly recommend her. :)

:)

Time Wasted Preciously

2008-03-26T22:07:00.001-07:00

Last night I was going to post some pictures and decided I would make a slideshow instead of just putting a bunch of them up separately. The end result is several hours time wasted on a very precious piece I am proud of. :) I hope you enjoy it (probably not quite as much as I do though).

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-03-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

In honor of Easter, my Friday Favorites today is a favorite Easter treat that is a tradition in Jason's family. It is called: Moose Turds. I know, funny and a bit disturbing, but it got it's name from it's shape and color. These are one of my all time favorite treats. Here's the recipe:

Moose Turds

Melt together in double broiler or very carefully in the microwave until smooth:
1 large package of chocolate chips (at least 12 oz)
2 Tbsp. shortening

Filling:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers (should be crushed to pretty fine - you don't want many chunks - the best way to do this is throw them in a blender)
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. flaked coconut
1 c. melted butter

Mix the filling together well. Shape into balls (this is where the moose turd shape comes in) or ovals. Drop in chocolate and roll until covered. Put on waxed paper until chocolate sets.

These are soooo yummy. :) This year, I will be substituting the chocolate chip mixture with my Dove Chocolate. I am quite excited about this.

One note on the process: I have found that dipping the balls in the chocolate can be difficult. Many times I end up putting the chocolate in a bag and drizzling it very generously over the balls/turds. I would recommend giving the whole dipping/rolling process a try and if it gets too frustrating, resort to the drizzling. I am sure it is a "user error" on my part. :)

Bon appetite. :)

Let me know how they work out for you if you try them. I will be making them sometime this weekend. Jason's mom (who is the most awesome mom and mother-in-law in the entire world) just brought us some Easter treats by, including the Moose Turds. The picture is the turds she made for us. Jason is gone with the YM camping... I'm not guaranteeing there will be any for him when he gets back. :)

:)

Brilliant

2008-03-20T18:34:00.001-07:00

My daughter knocked my socks off today - she successfully, and quickly, completed some simple Sudoku games. Keep in mind - she is five years old. :)

The games were with pictures (and stickers) rather than numbers - but the format was the same. There were four squares to a box and four boxes to the complete game. I sat down with her and briefly explained how to do it. She then took it upstairs and did one, by herself, in just a few minutes. She came downstairs and showed it me, and it was perfect.

I was so impressed with her ability and quickness at completing those. She's brilliant. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

For today's Friday Favorites, I decided on one of my favorite book series. Favorite, as in all time top three series.

Author Stephanie Meyers did an amazing job weaving a story line involving Vampires - and other things for which I will not reveal as to avoid spoiling it for others - into a non-science fiction feeling story. I am not really into science fiction and honestly, I had serious doubts about this series seeing as how a regular person falls in love with a vampire.

I was wrong... Oh, so wrong.

My sister loaned them to me (thanks, Chels) right before I went into surgery last fall. I picked the first one up a couple of days before my surgery and started reading, just to see. I could not put it down. I could not stop reading the book! I entered the hospital for my surgery a couple of days later with less than 100 pages left of the third book.

I love this series so much, in fact, that I have purchased my own copies of them because I know I will read them over and over. In fact, I am itching to start it again.

The funny thing about this series is that it appeals to people of all different types. I know of several adult men, even men the age of my father and grandfather, who have read the series. They appeal to real romantics like me, sci-fi people, and everything in between.

I recommend them to everyone that I talk about books with. I actually have two copies of the first one so I can loan one out and keep a copy at the same time. I gave the first one to another one of my sisters and she returned it about two weeks later... She had not only read that one, but she bought the series and had read each book TWICE!

So, if you are feeling like reading - read these books. I don't know of anyone who has not absolutely LOVED this series. Don't be fooled by the fact that it is about vampires - it is so well done the "vampire" issue isn't an issue. If you like vampires already, you will be that much more excited.

The first one is being made into a movie, which should be exciting. I don't see how the movie could be as good as the book though (because the book totally rocks!) so I recommend reading the book first.

And that's my Friday Favorite. :)

Superpowers

2008-03-12T16:36:00.001-07:00

If anyone has superpowers, it's my Grandma. She passed this afternoon, but man... she was a fighter.

Grandma passed away in her sleep, peaceful. She hadn't really ever woken up for since the weekend.

While it is sad, it was not unexpected. It is also a happy time, however. Each of my siblings are flying in - one of which I haven't seen for more than three years. I think Grandma would be happy to know that we will all be together to celebrate her life.

Grandma's superpower? Staying alive against all the odds. :)

I think she had at least ten heart attacks in her life, had diabetes, congenetive heart disease, still smoked like a chimney, and was once an alcoholic. We had said "goodbye" to her at least two other times, expecting her to pass away. But, her superpowers kicked in and she surprised us by bouncing back time and time again. :)

I have to wonder if her ability to bounce back was to due to some deep down, innate nature to fight. I imagine that she had to have a fighting spirit to be able to get through her childhood and to get through all of the other stuff she went through. Maybe that innate piece of her spirit was what kept her alive despite the odds.

We really didn't think she would make it past the weekend, but she did. On Monday, they said her heart beat was at 155-160 and she wouldn't be able to sustain that very long, but she did for longer than anyone expected. Yesterday, she started getting jaundice. We didn't really expect her to make it through the day, but she did. This morning, the hospice called my parents at 4:30am and said that she was going and that if they wanted to see her once more, they needed to go right then, but even then they didn't think my parents would make it in time. But, oh no. They didn't realize Disneyland Grandma (as we all called her) had superpowers. She didn't pass away until late this afternoon.

If you're going to have superpowers, what a great one to have. :)

Everyone and their Dog

2008-03-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

It seems that everyone and their dog is sick. I tried to take my kids to the same-day clinic three times yesterday. The wait ranged from 1 hour - 2 hours. I'm sorry, but waiting for an hour or two with two sick kids, trying to keep them entertained, just doesn't appeal to me. So, after waking up feeling even worse this morning, I headed straight to the clinic right at their opening time. That was the trick. There was only one person in front of us and within minutes, several others came in after me.

The verdict... Justis has an Ear Infection, not to mention his 102 fever. I have bronchitis, and a fever to boot. Sweet. The worst thing about being sick is that as a mom, there are no sick days. You still have to get up, get kids to school, get meals on the table, etc. Gone are the days when you could just go back to bed because you were sick. Ahhh.... oh well. I made it through the day.

I have to say though, I am so grateful that I have the priesthood in my home. It is very comforting knowing that my kids and I can get a blessing at any time. I am grateful that my husband is worthy to do that. :)

:)

Mommy? I need Drink.

2008-03-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

Like many others, I have been nursing sick kids. My son has had a fever all weekend. When I put him to bed last night, I could not get him to go to the bathroom beforehand. Even though he's not quite three, he's never had an accident in bed (he's potty trained) so I felt ok about not forcing the issue.

At 2:30am this morning (it's now 4am), I woke up to him calling me.

Justis: "Mommy?" (brief pause) "Mommy?" (another brief pause) "Mommy?"
Me: (rousing from my sleep and then clumsily stumbling to his room) "What, bud?"
Justis: "I need go bathroom."
Me: "Ok." (pick him up, notice that his body is feverish again, and carry him to the bathroom)
(Go through bathroom routine.)
Justis: (as we are putting on his pants) "Mommy? I need drink."
Me: "Ok." Thank goodness for bathroom dixie cups.
(Justis takes a big drink, than I carry him back to bed, tuck him in, and say good night again.)

10 minutes later - I've not quite fallen back to sleep yet.
Justis: "Mommy?" (brief pause) "Mommy?"
Me: (risk waking Jason up by responding from the convenience of my bed) "What?"
Justis: "Mommy? I need drink."
Me: (reasonable request from a child that has a 101.6 fever) "Ok."
(Get another dixie cup because he had crushed the other one, and take it to him.)
Justis: "Thanks, Mom." (at least he's polite)
(tuck him back in bed - again)

5 minutes later - I'm in bed again but not asleep yet
Justis: "Mommy? I need drink."

repeat full process again 2 more times

about 45 minutes after the process began - this time, I'm a bit smarter...
Justis: "Mommy? Can I get up now?"
Me: "No, bud. It's still sleepy time."
Justis: "I want to get down."
Me: "How about Mommy sleeps with you?"
Justis: (excited) "Ok." Pats the spot next to the wall... "This is your spot, Mommy. I have train bed." (one of the best things we ever bought - train bedding)
Me: (climb into bed, situate bedding, a lay down hoping my throbbing headache will go away - I reach over and hold one of his feverish hands)

5 minutes later...
Justis: "Mommy? I need drink."
Mommy: (get up, fill dixie cup all the way up, come back and hand to Justis)
Justis: (took only a little drink) "Here Mommy. Pour water out."
Mommy: "No. I'll just put this over here in case you need more." (That's me - outsmarting the 2 year old)
We now go through half an hour of trying to go to sleep but obviously, he's not really sleepy anymore. He finally decides that he wants me to hold him. I sit up and hold him, but after 30 seconds, he decides he wants me to stand up and hold him. The problem? The boy weighs almost 40 pounds and it is now almost 4am.

So... here I am at 4:25, completely awake and unable to go sleep, downstairs with my son on the couch watching Dora on On Demand Comcast. Thank goodness for On Demand.

Today's going to be great. :)

:)

What do you Say?

2008-03-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

In memory of my grandma, I am forgoing a Friday Favorites today.

My grandma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last weekend. We expect that she will only be with us a few more days.

In looking back at her life, it is filled with sorrow and regret, but with some rays of sunshine - my dad, his brother, her grandkids, and Grandpa Ken. Those rays, I would have to say, are blessings from Heavenly Father, to let her know that He was mindful of her and loves her. Sadly, I don't know if she quite understood that.

My dad's family is unique. He has one full brother, 9 half brothers and sisters, and 3 step brothers. My dad is the oldest of all the kids, his one full brother is the second oldest, and then the others fall several years behind. Some of them are younger than me.

My grandma, whom we call Disneyland Grandma, is my dad's real mom. I don't know much, actually nothing, about her childhood, other than it was horrible enough that she married to get out. She married my dad's real dad, whom we call Opa. I'm not sure how long they were married, but it ended bitterly. What I do know is that she was/is an Alcoholic and did some things that I don't believe she has ever fully forgiven herself for. There was a period of time, several years I would guess, where she was out of the scene with my dad and his brother. They lived with their dad for some of that time and my dad even lived with his Grandma (whom we call Oma) for part of the time. It was during this time that they were introduced to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, for which I am forever grateful. My dad, his brother, Opa, and Oma all joined the church. My Disneyland Grandma, did not. (Again, she wasn't around at that time.)

After several years, she did find happiness, or at least contentment, with a man we called Grandpa Ken. He was a dear sweet man who had a history of his own, which I think suited them both. I know they loved each other, but in what way, I don't know. They were married at one point, but then he left and they divorced. He came back a couple of years later and honestly, none of us really know whether they actually got married again or just lived together. Kind of funny, I know. :)

My dad and his brother have grown to be strong members of our church, but through it all, Grandma has never accepted the gospel. My understanding is that she has never really forgiven herself and probably feels that she is not worthy of being forgiven for her mistakes.

It saddens me to no end to know that she refuses to accept the gift that our Savior has given her. While I do think she accepts Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, I don't think she has internalized it and accepts it in a personal level. I wish that she could feel the peace that I feel when I know that because of the atonement, I am (not just "can be") forgiven of my sins. I want so much for her to feel that deep, settling, feeling of peace that seeps into the darkest recesses of one's soul.

Several years ago, she opened up to one of my sister's and I, more than I have ever heard her open up before. She shared with us the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) bible she reads every day. But still, the light isn't there.

What do you say to someone standing at death's door, to try to help them feel the peace they have never truly had?

I don't have an answer for this. What I can say is: "I love you, Grandma." And then as I walk away, knowing that door will soon open for her, I pray with all my might that a truer knowledge and understanding will come to her. I pray that someone on the other side will be able to help her see what us, her family, have never been quite able to show her. I pray that somehow, someway, she will come to accept Jesus as her personal Savior and that she will be able to overcome her addictions (she smokes like a chimney) and her feelings of guilt. I don't pretend to think it will happen quickly or easily, but I will hold out hope that it will happen.

I am comforted by the knowledge I have that because Heavenly Father knows each of us, he judges us each individually. I know that he understands her past, better than I obviously, and will take that into consideration. I would venture to say that I will be held to a stricter and higher bar than she will because, as the scriptures say, I have been raised by goodly parents who love the Lord and have taught me the path on which I should go. Grandma didn't have that.

I pray that she passes in peace, with peace.

I love you, Grandma.

:)

Mysterious and Conniving

2008-03-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

Mysterious:

Last night, the kids and I were watching (truth be told, I was reading - but I was in the same room) "The Last Unicorn." (Do you remember that movie from when we were young?) It was 8pm, a little past their bedtime. The phone rings and I check the caller ID. I didn't recognize the name but I answered it because you just never know...

It was, what I thought to be, a boy calling for Nia. The whole conversation was quite odd and humorous at the same time. Nia was completely distracted and uninterested in the conversation. She wasn't sure who it was and neither did I.

It sounded like the caller said "Ian" or "Ethan." She does technically know an Ian and an Ethan but she assured me she did not give them her phone number. She has been known to give out her phone number so I don't imagine that she remembers everyone that she has given it to.

My question is, why is a kindergartener calling another kindergartener at 8pm at night? My kids go to bed before 8pm!

Mystery Solved:

Nia asked Ethan at her school if he called last night and he said "no." However, the mysterious caller rang again today and so before I handed the phone over to Nia, I asked who was calling. It took a moment (and some background prodding from the supervising adult of the caller) before they answered: Jasmine.

I was a little disappointed, only in the fact that it would be a let down to the climax of my story here. However, I am glad to say that she doesn't have any boys calling her (even though I know she has given our number out to at least one boy - only as a friend though). I do find it funny though because Jasmine doesn't really sound like "Ian" or "Ethan" - except for the "n" at the end. :)

Conniving:

My family has all had the nasty cold/flu going around. Nia hasn't been hit overly hard by it but she has been on the verge for several day. Today, I decided that both of the kids really should take a nap. Neither wanted to take a "nap" so I made this bargain: Lay down in your bed and just "rest" - you don't have to go to sleep - until Nia's CD is over. After that, you can get up.

As expected, Nia was out within two or three songs. Justis, on the other hand, was not. To his credit, he had fallen asleep in the car so I was not entirely surprised. However, he really impressed me because he did stay in bed until Nia's music was over. The moment the last song ended, I could hear him get out of bed and he came out. He fulfilled his part of the bargain and he knew it. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-02-29T07:19:00.000-08:00

My Friday Favorites for today is a new website (and products) that a friend recently introduced me to. The company is called Mom Agenda and they have some great organizational products specifically designed for moms. Everything is super cute and designed really well too.

One of their products is a weekly calendar with space for up to four children in addition to space for Mom. That way, you can put all of the kids' schedules and your schedule on the same sheet. The other thing that I really like about it is that it has a heavy duty magnet so you can stick it up on the fridge. Here is a picture:

They also have some note pads for various purposes... To Do List (one of my personal favorites), Grocery List, Permission Slips, Babysitter, Info, and I can't remember what else (that may be it).

The other thing that I got is the "Kitchen Folio." This is really great. It is designed to help you organize your junk drawer in the kitchen and be a type of one-stop-shop for all of your important information - phone numbers, medical info, school info, and extra space for things like coupons, class lists, etc. My husband opened up our junk drawer to look for something and was amazed. :)

A Good Saturday

2008-02-23T12:52:00.000-08:00

I just love Saturdays. It is so nice to have Jason home all day. Here are two funny things from today:

1) Nia (talking to me): Mom, I can't drink mommy milk. I'm Lactose Intolerated.
Me: laugh and smile - what else was going to do?

2) During quiet time today, Nia and Justis came down to do some magic tricks for us. Nia's idea of magic tricks is this:

Nia: Close your eyes for this trick, please. (As audience members and loving parents, we oblige and close our eyes.) Ok. Abra, cadabra, make me disappear (followed by the sounds of running footsteps to hide behind the couch). Ta Da! Open you eyes! (Again, we oblige and act amazed.)

Me: Wow! Where did Nia disappear to?

Nia: Close your eyes again. (We close our eyes.) Abra, cadabra, me me reappear (followed by the sound of running footsteps again - coming out from behind the couch). Ta Da! Open your eyes!

Me: Wow! Great magic trick!

3) This is the picture of our family room today:

You may ask why this is significant? Let me tell you...

On the top left hand side, Jason is working on his computer. On the lower right hand side, Nia and Justis are playing with Nia's Barbie computer/laptop. On the lower left hand side, there is my laptop (in front of the chair) and another computer right behind the chair. (Jason got a new computer and was switching them out). We are technological snobs. While I mention four computers here, I did not mention Jason's other laptop that is also in the same room (but not visible in the computer). Technically, we are outnumbered by computers at our house. :)

As I was working on my computer, I turned around and saw that scene. It made me laugh so I jumped up and took a picture with my iPhone. Did I mention we technology snobs? We are. :)

To us, this is a great Saturday. :)

:)

Friday Favorites

2008-02-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

I have to say, I was quite looking forward to doing this post again. :)

My Friday Favorites today is my mascara. My reason for highlighting this is that I have finally found a mascara that I love. I have searched for years for one. My biggest problem over the years is that my mascara, for whatever reason, flakes off and congregates under my eyes. That by itself is an issue, but coupled with my already existing problem of dark circles under my eyes, it is quite distressing. After trying a multitude of mascaras, including some from Mac (I love Mac makeup), I have found "the one."

Bad Gal Lash by Benefit. It has a huge brush that I really like and it does not flake off! I have been using it for several months now (I'm even on a second tube) and have not had a problem with flaking . For me, that is amazing. :) You can find this superstar at Sephora (the makeup section of JC Penny). I'm sure you can find it other places as well but Sephora is where I get it.

I actually have another mascara that I use in addition to this one sometimes, but I will blog that another time. This mascara is enough on its own.

Happy Friday!

:)

He Saved Me

2008-02-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

I picked up my daughter from the bus stop today and headed straight for home. When we got home, I had the most entertaining conversation with her that went something like this:

Nia: (with all the drama of a five year old girl) Guess what!?! Andrew at school loves me.
Me: (trying to hide my surprise and fear) Really? That's interesting. Did he tell you that?
Nia: No. Ok, here's what happened. I was playing with Cody and Andrew at recess. I'm friends with them. Andrew told Cody that he loves me and told him to tell me so Cody told me that Andrew loves me. (Her eyes get big with excitement. Then she leans in to me and lowers her voice to almost a whisper.) I like him.
Me: (trying to be careful - not wanting to put ideas into her head) What do you mean? As a friend?
Nia: Yeah, and maybe just a little more (holding her thumb and index finger to show just a little). Ok, and here's what else. Mom, HE SAVED ME.
Me: He saved you?
Nia: Yeah, he saved me at recess from these girls that were being mean. They were chasing Cody and Andrew around and he saved me. He hid me from the girls so they wouldn't chase me.
Me: (a bit concerned about a boy hiding my daughter) Where did he hide you?
Nia: In a corner where they play basketball. They didn't see me.
Me: Hmmm... (what else do you say at the first revelation of your child being introduced to the world of "liking" someone?)
Nia: Cody said Andrew was going to marry me.
Me: Hmmm (biting my tongue from saying she should/could only marry him if he was a member of our church because frankly, that's probably a bit unnecessary for this conversation. She knows, we've had that conversation before (and will continue to have it repeatedly), but it just didn't seem the time to bring it up - I'm trying to keep the communication channels open. :))

So over the course of the day, additional information has come out about this whole situation. For example, they let her be in the "middle" of them. Which, after additional explanation from her, means that they let her cut in line in between them and let her sit in the middle of them. The most alarming part of the conversation was when she said that Cody told her they needed to have a "secret kiss" during recess but that they didn't. I did not bite my tongue on that one and reminded her that we do not kiss boys (except for family).

Wow. I have been very cautious about not talking about "liking" boys with her. I was always into boys growing up. I had a boyfriend in kindergarten - his name was Eric Key. I'm not sure why I can remember that but I can. :) I didn't want to give her ideas about it so I have always been very cautious about how I speak about things like that with her. I knew it would only be so long before she was initiated into the process. (I mean come on, she is so stinking cute and sweet!)

I hardly even know what to say. It just makes me laugh and makes me smile, but makes me scared of all to come. I want so much to protect her but I know that part of life is allowing her to have these experiences.

Friday Favorites

2008-02-16T23:58:00.000-08:00

I would like to start a new tradition of sorts... on Fridays, I am going to post about a favorite. In my line of work and my love for shopping, I find some great things and am pretty loyal to my favorites. My Friday favorites will range in both type of product and type of seller. Some will be product specific (like the mascara that I love - to be a future Friday Favorite) and some will be store/c0mpany specific. My objective is to share with you some things that I love and hope that you will also post comments about your specific favorites. I am open to highlighting your favorites as well so don't be shy. :)

My Friday Favorite today (I know it's Saturday - I meant to post it on Friday so just pretend) is Dove Chocolate at Home. I decided to highlight them this week because I have been fully immersed in chocolate all week. :) You can go to their website by clicking on Dove Chocolate at Home.

Dove Chocolate at Home is owned by Mars who creates/sells the Dove Chocolate that you buy at the store (my personal favorite chocolate candy bar). But instead of selling in retail stores, Dove Chocolate at Home sells through the Direct Selling type business model (which is my field of expertise). Dove Chocolate at Home sells chocolate and accessories for candy and dessert making, along with a few pre-made things such as chocolate covered cranberries.

Being a chocolate fanatic, I just had to try their stuff. So, for Valentine's Day, I made some chocolate treats using their chocolate and tempering unit. The tempering unit melts the chocolate differently than just putting it in the microwave and is great for chocolate molds (I made both hearts and circles), dipping in, etc. I dipped pretzels in the chocolate and they were awesome too.

I also made truffles using a recipe that they have and dipped the truffles in "dusting powder" (like powdered sugar but it's chocolate). Holy cow. They were awesome.

In any case, I really love Dove Chocolate at Home because it is not just your ordinary chocolate. If you love really great chocolate, check them out. They have really fantastic stuff.

And that is my Friday Favorite. :)

Fish Jinxer

2008-02-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Please note that if you are cleaning your fish bowl, do not call me to talk. I appear to be a fish jinxer.

The day before my cruise in January, we had an unfortunate incident with our fish, Lila (please see my previous post "Ode to Lila"). We were cleaning his bowl and had him in a small cup while he was waiting for his clean water. He, apparently, did not like his temporary state and made a run, I mean jump, for it. He jumped out of the cup onto the counter, sustaining what appeared to be some internal bleeding. He ended up taking a swim to the ocean, via the porcelain express.

So this morning, I was talking to a good friend on the phone, checking in with since her kids have been sick this week. While we were talking, she was cleaning her fish bowl. When she mentioned that I told about her fish and within minutes, she underwent a similar unfortunate incident. Her fish jumped (maybe got dumped by their 2 year old trying to help - not sure) out of his temporary home, slipping down to the sink disposal. I know, you are probably horrified - don't worry, the disposal, thankfully, was not on. She was able to rescue him but within a minute of being returned to his now clean home, he went belly (I mean side) up.

The moral of the story - please don't call me when you are cleaning your fish bowl (unless you are desirous for a similar outcome). My conscious cannot take any more. :)

:)

*** Update: apparently my friend's fish is not dead. She left it in the bowl for a while and he ended up coming back from the dead. :) Whew. I feel so much better.

Book of Mormon Challenge

2008-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

In Relief Society yesterday, it was mentioned that there is a challenge going around to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days, in memory/honor of President Hinckley. I calculated the daily reading requirement and it would be 5.5 pages per day... doable. :)

I also just found on my sister Esther's blog that there is a website for this challenge... www.hinckleychallenge.com. If you can "accept the challenge" on this website and have access to track your progress. Pretty cool. :)

The challenge begins today, Monday, February 4. I am going to do this. I think it would make President Hinckley smile to know that we love him so much.

If you feel so inclined, join in! We can only receive more blessings. :)

:)

Tights

2008-01-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I was helping Nia put her tights on for church. She commented on the fact that I was wearing nylons as well and said in a very precocious, matter-of-factly voice...

"What's a lady without tights?"

Ahh... the innocence of youth. :)

BTW, this picture is of Nia, after she took her hair out of two french braids she had in for three days.

:)

The Car Wash Monster

2008-01-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

I am not entirely sure why, but the car wash is one of those freaky things that kids just don't like. I took this picture with my phone when we were going through the car wash the other day. I looked back to see how the kids were doing and this is what I saw. :)

I remember not liking the car wash as a kid either.

:)

Ode to Lila

2008-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

(To the tune of "Woman" by Mike Myers on "So I Married an Ax Murder.")

Lila.
Li-la
Li-i-i-i-i-i-i-la.

You were a boy,
Named as a girl.
You looked like a bunch of
Lilacs.

Smelly.
Fishy.
I wish you could have cleaned your bowl
yourself.

Your life was sad,
miserable had.
What was I thinking?
Why was I bringing
you home?

Hey Lila.
Why did you jump out of
your bowl?

This is a tribute to our fish Lila, who had to follow Nemo down the toilet (because all drains lead to the ocean, of course) after an injury sustained as a result of jumping out of its temporary bowl during cleaning.

Note to self... do not buy more fish.

Note to others: those who give us fish, rabbits, or otherwise unwanted and/or unauthorized pets, I will find my revenge.

:)

A Rough Re-entry

2008-01-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

My husband and I, along with my parents, enjoyed 10 days in the sun and warmth. We went to Orlando for three days and then boarded a cruise (Carnival) that set sail for the Western Carribean. I will blog more on this later, including some photos, but the point of this blog is... IT IS COLD back in normal land!!!

When we got off the boat, we went to the Orlando Airport and flew to Chicago. Walking off the plane in Chicago sent my system into shock. It was like 4 below outside!!! Talk about a rough re-entry! We went from 85ish to 4 belowish! Ouch! To make things worse, the actual airport in Chicago was freezing. They were doing some construction in our terminal and the ceiling was completely open (without insulation). As if that wasn't bad enough (did they forget to pay their heating bill?), our flight was delayed two additional hours so we had to just sit and sit and sit in the cold, cold, cold. Brrrr....

Coming back home to what is generally mild, we are in an arctic freeze which means that while it is sunny, it is still stinking cold.

Needless to say, I want to go back!!! :)

:)

New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

12 New Year's Resolutions...

1) Loose enough to get below 12o.
2) Write at least one novel.
3) Edit entire first novel (one pass through).
4) Read my scriptures every day.
5) Improve my family's eating habits.
6) Train Mac (our dog) not to jump on people and to only go potty outside.
7) Be able to successfully play on the "Hard" level on Rock Band (Drums). Silly, I know, but I love that game and LOVE playing the drums!
8) Organize (and keep organized) my bathroom drawers and cabinets.
9) Reserved for future ideas.
10) Reserved for future ideas.
11) Reserved for future ideas.
12) Reserved for future ideas.

Wow, can't believe I could only think of five. That's ok, you never know when something new pops up. :) - See... number six just came to mind. Hahaha :) Now I'm up to 8!

:)

The Upcoming Year

2007-12-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

12 Things I am looking forward to for this coming year:

1) A Cruise
2) A Diamond Ring (I'm lobbying for a new one)
3) Increased Financial Savings
4) My "debut" in my industry - I'll be attending my industry's main convention this year for the first time.
5) Change in jobs for Jason (hopefully)
6) Justis starting pre-school
7) Progress in my current WIP novel
8) Writing a new novel
9) Fixing some of the training issues with our dog
10) Nia's increased reading ability
11) Increased spirituality
12) Continued work with my dad

:)

12 Things...

2007-12-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

12 Things I liked about this year (in no particular order)...

1) Snowfall. We had some good snowfall in January and we have even had snow three times so far this winter - that is unheard of for our area.
2) Hawaii - I had a great trip to Hawaii with Jason... tons of fun.
3) Work - I started doing consulting with my dad at the beginning of this year and it has been an incredible experience. I am so grateful to be able to do that. :)
4) Making new friends - I have made some great new friends this year.
5) Working out with my Mom - We have had a great time working out at the "club" together. It has been a great time for us to talk and exercise. I will always treasure these times with her.
6) Nia starting Kindergarten - Because Nia missed the cut-off date for school, we had to get her tested in order for her to get into Kindergarten. She passed with flying colors and she has had a great time in school. We are also very lucky to have had that opportunity to test her because many of the school districts do not do that kind of thing.
7) My relationship with Jason - Jason and I have always had a great relationship. However, this year I have felt like it has become even stronger. I am very grateful for that.
8) Writer's conference - I really enjoyed going to the writer's conference earlier this year. It was a great experience.
9) Turning 30 - For some reason, it is kind of nice to be out of my 20s. My mom was 29 for at least 10 years. I'm not sure what her fear was about. :) I like being 30. :)
10) Potty Training Justis - I am finally done with dirty, smelly diapers! I'm sure all you moms can appreciate how good that feels. :)
11) Fulfilling dreams - I feel really good about fulfilling one of Jason's dreams this year - I bought him a guitar and guitar lessons for his birthday. It is something he has always wanted to do and it was fun for me to be able to help him reach that goal. :)
12) Family - I love our families and I am so grateful to be so close with all of them. We have had a lot of fun with them this year.

What are 12 things you liked about this year?

:)

Reminiscing...

2007-12-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

At the end of each year, I always have this feeling of let down because it seems like we (as in general society) work so hard each year to get to the end of the year, only to have it end and then have to start all over. Kind of odd, I know. But that is how I feel. On a few rare years, the year had been hard or horrible enough that I enjoyed saying "good riddance" to the year and looked for to the new one.

This year, however, is different. I am not sure what has made it that way, but I am excited about the year we are in and also the one coming up. I don't feel the let down I have felt in years past. I am happy about that.

I think the next couple of blogs I post will be reminiscing on this year and then I will have some (or at least one) about what I hope for next year.

How do you feel about the end of the year?

:)

7 Things you didn't know (and maybe don't want to know)

2007-11-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

A blogger friend did this post a week or so ago and I thought it was fun. So, here are 7 things you probably didn't know about me...

1) When I dream about a house, it is almost always (95%) the house I lived in between ages 3-13).

2) I cannot cook rice. I consider to be a really good cook - except when it comes to rice. I don't know why but it is either not done enough or too done, or sticky. I even have the pampered chef rice cooker and it has helped some, but hasn't completely solved my problem. Any advice would be appreciated. :)

3) I can't remember the last time I did not read the end of the book (at least the last page but often a little more than that) before I got there.

4) I like to think of myself as more funny, clever, and witty than I really am. At least I can admit it. :)

5) I love all of the Barbie Princess movies. I would (and have) watch them by myself - without my daughter. :)

6) I wore a very short tank top (hit a couple of inches below my sports bra) and boxer shorts pushed down around my hips (so my waist was exposed) during Dance Team Practice when I was in High School. This was the most immodest and "rebellious" thing I ever did as a teenager. :) I don't think my mom even knows that. :) Sorry, Mom!

7) I've held hands with two guys (both guys I had feelings for) at the same time - without either of them knowing. (Obviously that was before I was married.)

And just for a bonus (because now I'm on a role)...

8) One of my brother's friends that was staying the night snuck into my room in the middle of the night when I was in 5th or 6th grade. It sounds creepy, but it really wasn't. We liked each other a lot (he was my first love, and one of only three guys I ever truly loved - the last being my husband :)). It was actually very sweet. I have to wonder if he wanted to kiss me but in the end, I was too tired and groggy to say or do much of anything and he only stayed for a few minutes (we talked) before going back downstairs. Let this be a lesson to me, however... don't allow my son to have friends sleep over when my daughter is here too. :)

So, what are 7 things people don't know about you?

:)

Recovering

2007-11-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I recently had a major surgery.

(At this junction, I must add... my husband has instructed me not to divulge too much personal information. In that spirit, I will forgo indicating exactly what the surgery was but will instead use other descriptions... I will not have a "cycle" for the rest of my life, the typical Utah answer to "Guess What?" (the answer being "You're pregnant?") holds additional humor now and is particularly useful when talking with my sister who has also had this surgery, my family of four will not multiple in any way, unless we add another fish which would happen over my dead body.)

I have to say that I am quite glad I had this surgery as it will solve many health problems. Plus, who really wants to have a "cycle." There is just nothing fun about that. :)

Interestingly enough, when I had prayed about having this surgery, I had the distinct impression that it could be a life saving operation. While that was a scary thought, I knew it was true. With the problems I had, I was at a higher risk for cancers and other things as well.

When I went to the doctor for my 2-week post-op, he said that, among other things, they found some pre-cancerous cells on one of the organs they removed. How blessed am I that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and protects me. :)

Now that I am recovering, I have to say that I am a bit surprised. Honestly, I expected to spend most of the first two weeks in bed, reading or working on my computer. In reality, my first two weeks were mostly spent sleeping in my bed. I didn't even read a book in the hospital, which is quite surprising for me since I go through books like chocolate. :)

It is now three weeks after my surgery and the pain is minimal. If it bothers me, I take Advil. Today, I didn't need any (probably the first day). It still hurts a little, but nothing to "write home about." If I do something like lift my son to wash his hands, that hurts, but generally it is very minimal.

My doctor had said "Don't do anything that hurts... If it hurts, don't do it." When he told me that (before the surgery), I didn't think that was very helpful... not until I tried to unload the dishwasher a week or so after my surgery. Who knew that unloading the dishwasher would hurt! It's not like I was lifting one of my kids or something. But alas, his words finally held meaning, and I have tried to abide by his directions.

While the pain is not a big deal anymore, my energy is still suffering. I have found that if I do not get at least one nap, I am doomed. Sometimes for the next day too. I have had to really try to pay attention to my body, which is not necessarily something I am generally known to be good at (I usually just plow ahead, regardless of what my body says).

The effect on my hormones has been interesting (ok, not really interesting, but a unique experience). I hadn't really expected that, but it makes sense when I think about it.

In any case, I am recovering, slowly but surely. I don't have any regrets, and am sure it will only get better as I get further down the recovery road.

:)

Outrageous...

2007-11-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

I received an email today from a company called Intimo. I bought pajamas from them last Christmas for Jason.

Advertised in this email is this...

Yours, for a mere $550.00, is a pair of Cashmere men's pajamas. But hurry, this ends November 13, after which they will be available at their normal price of only $750.

Here is the link:

Outrageous pajamas

Remember, act fast, this is a limited time offer.

To put it mildly, I am flabbergasted. :)

:)

Happy Halloween

2007-11-02T08:33:00.001-07:00

Halloween was a bit different for us this year because I was in the hospital. The kids had a blast with Jason though. Nia was Tinkerbell and Justis was Thomas the Train. Jason said that Justis would go up to people and say "I'm Thomas" instead of "Trick or Treat." Cute kid. :)

They had fun and got plenty of candy, I'm sure. My mom said that Justis wanted to eat candy all day long.

Anyway, the kids enjoyed their time with Jason and I enjoyed my time in the hospital (mostly).

:)

"W"

2007-10-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

My mom has done something really fun: writing little books for Nia (and the other grandkids) that start with different letters of the alphabet. They were trying to think of words that started with "W" and Nia's comment was "We can't use "W" because it starts with a "D"." (Double U). She's so funny.

On a slightly different note, we had Nia's parent-teacher conference on Thursday and she got a glowing report. Her teacher said she is the one of the most balanced little people she has ever known and is a perfect example of the early entrance program (Nia's birthday is after the cut-off date for entrance but they have an early entrance test that kids can take (if their birthday is within 45 days of the cut-off) to get in - they have to score a 60 to be able to be accepted and Nia scored a 98). Nia's teacher said that she was the excelling in math and doing great with reading - she expects that Nia will have progressed farther than what they expect them to by the end of the year. In any case, it was just so nice to hear that her teacher really recognized and appreciated the specialness about Nia. My little sunshine girl is a one of a kind.

:)

My Persistent Son

2007-10-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was like any ordinary day until about 3:30pm when I heard a series of thumps... the kind you hear when something heavy is rolling down the stairs. Yes, that would be my son.

After he landed (thankfully there is a landing half-way so he didn't tumble down the entire flight of stairs), I ran up to him and found blood oozing out of his mouth. I have to say that while this might normally cause me to be really concerned, I couldn't help but notice it was nothing like the gushing I witnessed when he hit his mouth causing his teeth to go all the way through his lip (resulting in six very traumatic stitches at the hospital - a great end to his worst day ever). Because I was quickly able to assess the seriousness of the situation by the amount of blood, I wasn't overly concerned... yet.

I blotted his lip and got the blood to stop. It was an unfortunate laceration on the inside of his lip, but nothing serious.

Apparently, he did not agree.

He kept his mouth open for OVER 5 HOURS! It was crazy! How could he keep it open for that long!? My mouth gets tired of being open when I sit in the dentist chair for an hour - but he did it for more than 5 hours! Talk about persistent.

Justis has shown this tendency towards persistence before - like the time he SCREAMED for 1 hour, in the foyer of our church building because I wouldn't let him down (my rule is - if he has to be taken out, he doesn't get to get down and walk or run around). I know it can be a good trait and maybe I need to find a better channel for him to exercise it, but 5 hours! Yikes.

The end result of all this was that because he would not close his mouth (he didn't eat or drink anything for the entire evening after his accident) and would not talk to us, we became increasingly concerned and ended up taking him to the Emergency Room to see if maybe he had fractured his jaw or had a concussion (again, he didn't talk to us for five hours which is also very uncharacteristic). Thankfully, he had neither so no permanent damage done. Unfortunately, we didn't get home until 1am in the morning.

Persistence is good, but sometimes, it's better to give in. :)

:)

Something to Blog About

2007-10-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

My sister, Angel, has unofficially tagged me with the following questions...

When did you meet your husband? (Day? Month? Year? Event?) First Impression?
My first day back from Christmas Break at Ricks College (back when it was actually called that). It was January 6th or something like that. We met in the parking lot between our two apartment buildings. We were going to build a snow cave at the Albertsons' parking lot in Rexburg. I thought he was cute, fun, and he was from Portland, OR. I wasn't "interested" in a relationship at that time, however. That last about a whole four days.

When did you have your first kiss with your husband?
Five days after we met. We met on a Monday and kissed on Saturday - after about a 30 minute speech (at least it seemed that long) from him on how he didn't really want to make a commitment or get involved with anyone. At the end of his speech, he said "So, can I still kiss you?" I couldn't say anything but "Yes" even though I should have said "No" just to make him wish he hadn't given me his whole speal. At least it ended well for both of us. :)

Do you have a favorite/special song with your husband?
Because you loved me - Celine Dion - it was from a movie we saw on Halloween which was just a couple of days after he said "I love you" for the first time.

Do your kids have special songs?
You are my Sunshine - Nia; You are my Buddy - Justis (original, I know)

Would you rather talk on the phone or chat in person?
Definitely email

If you had one whole day to yourself, what would you do?
Read, take a nap, and maybe go shopping

Can you watch scary movies alone?
Not alone, not with Jason, not with anyone!

Is anything bothering you?
Depends on your definition of bothering.

Would you rather stay home all day, or be out and about?
Home or at my parents. :)

Are you more likely to be with a large group of people or a few close friends?
Honestly - family. I would rather be with my family and Jason's family any day. However, I have some good close friends I love to be with and would choose them over a large party. The one exception to this is if I look really good and I am feeling sassy, then I would enjoy being in a large group of people where I can be the antiquated "Belle of the party." Vain, I know. Sorry! :)

What are your plans for October?
Resting in my hospital bed, probably without internet (bummer - I may call and ask "I am scheduled for surgery next week and will be in the hospital for a few days. Do you by chance have wireless internet I can connect to? They'll probably laugh and hang up thinking it's a prank call). Hopefully Jason or my mom will bring my kids over so I can see them dressed up and show them off to the hospital staff.

Cutest moment this week?
Justis saying to my mom "Obey, my way, right now." That and him singing the "and the doctor said..." part of 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed. Oh, and also listening to Nia talk about the nice boy from the bus stop while looking into her crystal clear, pure, innocent eyes.

What are you doing this weekend?
Hard to say. Preparing for surgery next week, maybe finishing up some work, reading if I'm lucky, hanging out with my family.

What is one fear that you can't seem to overcome?
Spiders

Are you in a good mood?
Sure

What is your favorite thing to wear?
Anything cute, sexy, and sassy :)

You have 3 months left to live, what do you do?
~ Go on a lot of vacations, make movies and recordings for my family, make a will :) Prepare my family for my departure, and enjoy every day. - Ditto (that was Angel's answer but is the same as mine)

You're having a bad day, what's one thing that can make your day better?
Reading, laughing uncontrollably, being held by my husband

If there was a way to know when and how you're going to die, would you like to find out?
No. I would dwell on it to much.

What is your favorite breakfast?
Strawberry Crepes

Your phone rings at 4am, who do you expect it to be?
Angel or Mom saying that it is snowing, Angel saying she's pregnant, or Jason's dad on a business trip forgetting what time it is here. :)

What's your worst habit?
I plead the fifth.

I will now tag Essy. Essy, copy and paste the above and just delete my answers and replace them with your own! :)

Kids say (and do) the funniest things

2007-10-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Justis today told my mom: "Obey, my way, right now." Hmmm... at least he is beginning to understand what "obey" means. :)

Nia (a couple of weeks ago) stomps off after I told her "No" about something and says to Justis: "I can't talk right now. I'm too upset. I'll explain later."

Nia in Macy's the other day: Knowing that we are supposed to flush the public restroom toilets with our feet (so as to avoid touching them and the associated germs with our hands), bends over, puts her hands on the toilet seat, and lifts her foot up to flush the toilet.

Justis on the toilet today while going poopy: "Tell Grandpa I go poopy." This results in me yelling to my dad (I was at their house) "Grandpa, Justis went poopy on the toilet!." Grandpa: "Great! Good job, Justis!"

Justis, in seeing anything to do with Halloween, says: "Scary."

Nia's friend shared her sticker with her - she tore it in half giving Nia the bottom half of??? Not really sure.

At the Family Fun night last week, Justis was dressed up as Thomas the train. He walked around the entire night, shuffling his feet in the most train like manner, and saying "Choo choo, choo choo."

Nia dressed up in her Barbie Island Princess pajamas, put on fake earrings, a tiara, and wings. She came to me and showed me how cute she was. Later, she came up to me and said "I forgot one teensy detail, my Tinkerbell wand. Sorry, mom."

They sure are cute. :)

:)