Not much to say

I am trying to be more regular in my posts, but I can't think of anything to say today. So maybe I'll post some pics and journal them.

Here goes!

See these cute girls? This is my lovely Lauren holding sweet Erika T. Since L is just two years older than her little sister, she didn't get a lot of "holding the baby" moments (protective mom's fault). Isn't she precious? Lauren is not bad, either! Lauren is my little mommy. She is always talking about what she'll do when she is a mommy. I was never ever like that as a kid, so it is so wild to see my own flesh and blood as such a girly-girl. So cute!

Then there is my handsome William. I sure love that blue-eyed boy. He is holding Erika as well. He was so excited to hold the baby. He was so gentle with her (so different than he is with his own sibs), and that just warmed my heart. What a happy boy!

This pic is Hadland playing basketball. He was so excited to play on a team. Some of his good friends were on the same team, and his coach (former NBA player and Larry's home teach-ee) was completely awesome, so although we moved mid-season, he LOVED it! He was always right on top of the score, making sure he knew if the team won or not (not that they were keeping score at all). Now if his dad could teach him some sweet moves...

This pic has a sweet/sad story behind it. We were attending Erika's baby blessing up in Draper at Grandma and Grandpa Thunell's house, and we couldn't find Sarah for a while. That may alarm some of you, but I just thought she was playing somewhere in that huge house. Then someone went to use the bathroom and found a little girl asleep on the rug. Our guess is that she went in and then couldn't get out. She may have even been crying, but I couldn't hear her (lots of talking, laughing, kids running around), so she just gave up and took a nap. Sad, isn't it? But it makes for a funny picture and story.

Well, Savannah, here are some pictures just for you!

(And for anyone else reading this crazy blog!)

Have a great night, and we'll be back tomorrow. Who knows, maybe with more pictures!

A dream as something to learn?

This is going to be a little on the personal side (but since I am kind of an open book, that shouldn't surprise anyone).

At 4 am I was awakened by the anxiety I felt in my dream. I've had this particular dream before, but this time I was so alarmed by its reality that when I awoke, I had to ask Larry for reassurance that it wasn't true.

"Larry, am I getting married to someone else?"

"What?" (remember, it is 4 am)

"Do I need to marry someone else?"

"No, honey, everything is okay."

I felt like weeping from relief. I don't think i can adequately express my turmoil. I do remember that, in my dream, I had cried for several hours because of my predicament.

As you can probably construe, my dream consisted of me making the decision to marry someone else while still married to my sweetheart. There were several things that I didn't like about the situation (completely apart from the marriage thing):

* why was everyone, including my husband, supporting me in this idiotic decision?

* why was I doing it? what was I thinking? why did I feel I needed to go through with it if it was causing me such pain?

* was i trying to "steady the ark" by confronting the loss of my husband? was i taking all of the burden into my own hands in advance?

* where is my faith? don't I know that if something were to happen to my husband, the Lord will see me through?

* why am I trapped in my own decisions? am I not able to change course mid-stream?

In my dream, I felt like I had no choices. But I know that isn't true. However, I sometimes limit my own choices and opportunities by what I think is possible. The overwhelming feeling I had was, I MUST TRUST IN THE LORD--HE WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME!

When I awoke, I wanted to record not the unpleasant circumstances of my dream, but what I felt I was learning. Do those things have application in what is going on in my life now? One thing I know is that I adore and cherish my husband. I want him and none else. Nothing but my own stupidity and poor choices can ever change that. But what about other choices in my life? Am I an "ark-steady-er" in other areas? YIKES! Don't want the consequences of that! The Lord knows what is best. But is my stubborn-ness getting in His way? How can I feel and show my trust in Him more? How can I let go of control more? I know that the Lord doesn't want us to wait for Him to make all our decisions, but sometimes it is hard to know if I am on the right track. I try to study things out in my mind, but sometimes I want things to go a certain way so much that I "override" His approval without even realizing it.

Any thoughts? I'd appreciate some.

Backpedaling

So, I must have jinxed myself last week by my knee-length skirt celebration of spring.

Why, do you ask?

I woke up to snow today.

I feel betrayed, like I been done wrong.

Oh well.
Goodbye, skirts.
Hello, thermals.

Hurry up and come for real, Spring!

What a magical weekend

I have to just boil it down to two things from this weekend:

Saturday: University Singers' concert at BYU
Sunday: Draper Temple Dedication with my hub and my #1 boy

I'll start with Sunday.

Larry and I were planning on going to the Draper temple dedication, and then we found out that our oldest boy was able to go, too. We were so excited for him to experience the joy of seeing a temple turned over to the work of the Lord. As a little background, we were up VERY late on Sat. nite (more on that later), so we were all a little tired. So Hadland basically slept through the entire dedication until Pres. Monson stood up to speak. We were FINALLY able to wake him up long enough for him to hear the prophet speak. It was a glorious occasion. There were many speakers, but they all took only a few minutes, so it didn't seem long at all when Pres. Monson spoke and then gave the dedicatory prayer. As we waited for the dedication to begin, they showed pictures of the different rooms of the temple. I loved explaining to Hadland what everything was--the murals, the bride's room, the celestial room, the sealing rooms, all of it. Temples are such as amazing blessing in our lives! I am so grateful to be sealed to my family, and I pray that there will never be any "empty seats" for any of us.

On Saturday, the whole family went down to Orem/Provo for the evening. The kids spent a fun evening at Delyle and Shauri's while Larry and I met the Livingstons for an amazing choral experience. A little background...when I was at BYU, I was blessed to be a part of Concert Choir under the direction of Mack Wilberg. Let's just say, "GLORY DAYS" for a singer, ok? I loved every single moment I spent in that choir. Yet Concert Choir wasn't the elite of the choral dept at my beloved alma mater. The University Singers, directed by Ron Staheli, was/is the cream of the crop. That group, made up of approximately 30 fantastic singers, is the pinnacle of choral singing at BYU. Unfortunately, I was a lot more immature then (I know, unbelievable, right?), and I consoled myself that I didn't really want to be a part of that bunch of snobs. Yikes! It hurts me to even say that now. Now, being so much more mature than then, I can see that I was just consoling myself that I was having the best experience to be had in the BYU choral department. I never tried out for Singers, but I don't think I was really a good fit (but, to be honest, I would have loved to be proven wrong).

Jeez, I didn't start this post to have a true confessions session! Anyway, since leaving BYU, I try to get my hands on any and all choral CDs that come out of BYU. Most of them happen to be by Singers. And I love them. I adore them. I could listen all day long to the AMAZINGLY talented people who collaborate on those recordings. Many of my friends were Singers at one point or another, and I am proud to say that I am one of their biggest fans (now that I am more humble about my experiences :). The funny thing is that Larry also had many friends in Singers. One of them contacted him on facebook a while back that he was traveling from Florida to attend a Singers reunion/concert. When Larry asked if I wanted to go, I was thrilled! Then I asked my good friend Liz to come along, and it was absolutely wonderful! Better than I had expected, far better. They even sang a piece by one of my favorite composers, Morten Lauridsen. I sighed with contenment, shed a few tears, and, in the end, gave them a standing ovation (by choice, not by peer pressure). I don't know what it is about choral music that finds such a deep place in my heart to touch, but I know I can't live without it. Let everyone else have their favorites, mine will always be choral music. My ipod proves it. I have even converted Larry (although he keeps his dance music close by).

Let's just say that this weekend I felt so blessed by the beauty in my life. Blessed by temples that dot the earth, and blessed by heavenly choirs singing what is in their hearts. How grateful I am!!

Happy Spring!

On the official first day of spring, I am SOOOOO excited for nice weather.

To commemorate, I am wearing a knee length skirt! Hip, hip, hooray!

I have also noticed that I use the exclamation point so very, very much! (hee, hee)

Another book pick

So, after finishing The Count of Monte Cristo, I remembered a piece of advice from the comment section: keep you updated on the books I am reading.

Well, I have another one.

But, I didn't finish it. I had to return it to the library before i had to pay money.

Still, it was amazing. I plan to check it out again so I can finish it.

It is by the same author of The Five Love Languages. (i know I am supposed to underline book titles, but there is no underline that I can find on this program, so you'll just have to accept my bolding instead.)

It is called Love as a Way of Life. Basically, it is a handbook full of examples, anecdotes, and helpful suggestions of how to become more Christ-like. Some of the characteristics it focuses on are: humility, courtesy, forgiveness, patience, kindness, and so on. Amazing book. It also talks about the characteristics that are opposite to each Christ-like one so we know what we are trying to overcome. Very helpful, I must say!

I have really enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to enjoying it more.

Creative kids...

You gotta love 'em.

Our oldest boy has imagination oozing from every pore. Yesterday he spent all afternoon preparing some family fun for St. Patrick's Day. Unfortunately, Daddy took us for an outing, so we didn't get to take advantage of his creativity.

So after dinner tonight we went to the backyard for the festivities. We had a scavenger hunt, played shamrock tic-tac-toe, played tag (where "it" had to wear a green bowler hat), leap-leprechaun (aka leapfrog), and hide and go seek the leprechaun.

I love it when the kids come up with the fun. My boy was so happy to share his ideas with us. But, as usual, it ended with him in tears. His little sister tagged along when he wanted to hide with his dad. What a bummer when a younger sibling needs to take over. It is a hard thing to realize that you have to sacrifice for ones younger than yourself. It isn't always so easy for parents, either.

On a side note, our younger boy went to sleep about 9 p.m. (late you say? he usually can't go to sleep until about 11 p.m.) Tender mercies!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I love green.

And potatoes.

But that is pretty much it when it comes to March 17.

Oh, I also love Ella M. and the fact that Mike married Kristin 20 years ago. (Is that really true--TWENTY years?!!!)

And gold. I like gold. But mostly the kind made of foil that has chocolate in it.

So I guess I am kind of an March 17th fan. A little bit, anyway. I wore a green shirt. Does that earn me any credit? (Probably not, since Larry did, too. He's not really one to decorate himself for any holiday.)

I guess everyone has to has at least one green-ish wardrobe item for this day. That seems a little weird. We don't really wear any other color on any other particular day.

But I do love green, so who am I to complain?

Abnormal

I did something abnormal today, and it was wonderful.

I actually took my kids to a park in the middle of the afternoon and played with them for a couple of hours.

Kinda sad that it is abnormal for me, but I really enjoyed it.

We fed the ducks, made super submarine/river rafts out of pinecones, climbed trees, poked ice on the pond, got dirty, ran and chased each other, played like airplanes, hiked, followed trails, met and petted friendly dogs, and even found a log that looked like a rhinoceros.

Good times.

I even took pictures (on my phone). But I have NO idea how to download the pics, so you'll just have to imagine our smiling, happy faces on a lovely early spring evening.

I actually like my kids. They are pretty fun to be around. Too bad we have responsibilities and I can't always play. But I can certainly play more. Simplify our lives--and maybe we'll have more time to play.

On a similar note, I like the TV, but sometimes I wish it were never invented. I have become too accustomed to gathering around it instead of being outside with my kids. I am going to try to live it up a little more. I still get so excited about changing seasons--CA doesn't really have stuff like that--and I don't want to miss a thing! I was in short sleeves all day...Yippee!

PMS...

Cons: it can wreak havoc on relationships, clothing, food budgets, waistlines, and so much more.

Pros: makes me grateful for an understanding and perceptive husband, and a body that can prepare for a bear children (I had to think REALLY hard to find two things).

What I believe...

There was (is?) a program on NPR where people could give little audio-essays about what they believe. I would often think of what I would say if I were to do one of these pieces.

Then yesterday, I was at this site and saw a variation on this theme.

Only way, way better.

Rachel Esplin, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a student at Harvard, is part of a panel discussion about her beliefs, representing the LDS church. She does an amazing job, especially for a 20-something. I was really impressed, and I recommend you watch the video. She speaks faithfully, articulately, respectfully, and intelligently. Would that all religious conversations took place like this one....

So many blessings...

Larry and I spoke in church today (translation: we were the two main speakers in the general worship service of our church). I actually started pondering and writing down my thoughts a week ago, which is a completely new thing for me. It really worked! I was able to distill my thoughts sufficiently that I didn't feel like I would be babbling on or feeling generally unprepared. It was a wonderful experience to start to speak and know that I had been helped and guided in my preparation. I spoke on the importance of loving and supporting each other in our ward (congregation) family. I have very strong feelings about this because most of our married life has been away from any biological family; therefore, our need for a ward family was acute. We get so focused on our own families (not a wholly bad thing, I must add), that we aren't noticing others around us that might need help, love, acceptance, support, etc.

I can really improve in this area. I find that my insecurities hinder me in opening my heart at church. I think to myself, "So-and-so wouldn't want to be my friend. She's so together all the time. I'd drive her crazy." Or a look from someone might lead me to think, "Oh, they think my kids are awful. I need to stay away from them."

Who wins then? Who loses? So often I have been surprised by a unexpected friend.

Perhaps it is someone, like Liz W., who I want to be friends with, who I am so drawn to, but I don't think I'm cool enough to be her friend. Little did I know that she needed me as much as I needed her. I took a chance, introduced myself, and the rest, as they say, is history. She was a lifeline to me in a difficult time. My first real friend in Utah. What a blessing!

Perhaps it is someone, like Liz L., who I work with at church, who ends up being another amazing life line--someone I admire and want to emulate in SO many ways.

Perhaps it is someone, like Karen, who I was "forced" to work with, one with whom I never thought I would ever have anything in common. She taught me that appearances can be so deceiving and that true Christ-like love is all around us. Her experiences and testimony strengthened and lifted me regularly. I would have never reached toward her without "help" and yet, without that help, I never would have known that love I feel for her and her testimony.

Perhaps it is someone, like Laura, who is so physically stunning that it is sometimes hard to recognize that she may be even more stunning on the inside. I never would have thought I was "cool" enough to be her friend. Thank goodness she had more sense than I did. And she has and continues to bless me in so many ways. I think now I realize that outward appearances are just a tiny part of who we are. She has so much more to offer than just being "Sister Fancy-Clothes." She is an amazing example of unconditional love, and I love her for it. And she told me once that I rock a suit. How can I not love her for that? :)

Perhaps it is someone, like Alexis, who seems absolutely perfect, charming, fun, hilarious, and she is! She listened to the spirit one Stake Conference morning, and my life has been changed and blessed for the next 10 years (have I really known you for 10 years?). There are so many more years for us to lift, inspire, and make each other belly-laugh.

I have been so blessed by angels living among us.

Take a chance. Open your heart. Love.

Your life will never be the same.

The book club

So, I joined one.

No brainer for someone like me, right?

I read books ALL the time. I can't even eat breakfast without some reading material.

The first book is The Count of Monte Cristo.

I remember reading this OVER and OVER in jr high/high school. I must have LOVED it.

I went to the library to check it out yesterday, and I almost fell over when I saw it. It is probably 8 inches thick. I'm not even kidding. I must have read for a couple hours last night and only made it to 147. Not even an inch. Maybe a quarter of an inch. Ack!

I only have until the 24th of this month to finish. Did I really read this book over and over? That must have been in my other life--the one with no responsibilities.

Wish me luck!

Well-trained, If I do say so myself

Hadland said the funniest thing today.

He was drawing (of course) a superhero. When he had finished drawing the face, he brought it to me to show me what a good job he was doing. He pointed out the chin.

"See the double chin? To show he's strong, you know?"

He was serious as a heart attack.

I love that boy. When I get a double chin (Oh, I mean, if...), I know I'll just move up in his opinion. Then I'll really be strong.

Thanks, future double chin.

I must be doing something right with this boy! :)

I am tired today.

Not just run-of-the-mill tired, but bone tired, stone-cold tired. Do you know what I mean? I am sure you do. I went to the gym this morning to get a little exercise and decided I couldn't face another day on the treadmill with nothing to distract me. So I went to a class called Body Sculpting. It should have been called Body Destruction 101. Seriously. I bared lived through it.

I don't think of myself as a wimpy person. In fact, I think I am rather strong. I have some decent cardio fitness as well, thanks to a treadmill that can show DVDs--hence my ability to do 5k races in less than 30 minutes. Not an Ironman (ironperson?), but not a slouch either.

I think my opinion was decidedly changed today.

Shoulders are not meant to be worked out. Moderate workouts on quads are acceptable as long as it doesn't include endless sets of lunges of many varieties.

I am humbled. I am a wimp. The lady that taught the class didn't look like she was in such great shape, but man, she kicked my trash from here to Jupiter (and back). I am not sure if I have it in me to go again.

I AM a wimp, but at least I am a self-aware wimp. That's important, right?

Keeping track

I keep track of all sorts of things. I love to make lists; I love schedules and routines. I think that it is a good thing.

Except in one way.

I keep track of stuff in my marriage. Like when I am working and he's watching TV. After a lot of resentment and acting like a bear, we actually communicated. I didn't want to hear it, but I got schooled where "tracking" is concerned. He's right. It is like forgiveness--the only one hurt is the one harboring the ill feelings. I want my husband to be able to read my mind (or at least hear the "red alert" alarm that goes off when I need his help but am too overwhelmed to ask for it), but that is NEVER going to happen. So if I am stewing while he is oblivious, who is hurting? Duh. That is not to say that I am suddenly going to assume the "rug" position. It is just a matter of the mind. I don't need to keep track. Jesus doesn't keep track (thank goodness!). He just keeps giving and is hopeful that we will receive it with joy and bless others.

If any of you have any great ideas of conquering tracking, let me know. I really need all the help I can get.

But lest you should think I am bagging on myself, I'm not. I am patting myself on the back that I see my weakness and now am empowered to deal with it and change. Cool!

P.S. again: I am still working on the pics. Any ideas about how to make that part easier too?

I love finding free stuff on the internet

So, here's the thing. Math facts are hard for one of our amazing kids. He just struggles with the rote memorization of it. I've worried over it, nagged him, looked for ways to help him, but to no avail. When I was in grade school, I just memorized it. No questions asked. I just did what was asked of me, without complaining. Truth is, I actually liked it. I like predictability. I liked that someone could ask me some math fact, and I could pull it out of my memory--lightning fast. That doesn't seem to be the case with the younger generation. I worry about my boy not knowing his math facts, yet almost all of his teachers don't share my worry. He seems to be one of the more prepared students when it comes to math. Not to bash my boy, but that is truly scary. I don't want him to be mediocre, I want him to have the skills to be able to make change, figure out word problems in his head, without a calculator. yes, I know that every computer has a calculator built in. But did you know that we aren't always tethered to a computer? That we actually exist (or maybe even thrive) in a world apart from our computers. I want my kids to be able to figure things out all by their lonesomes. Is that asking too much? Sometimes I think I may be.

Well, I just had a conversation about just buckling down and memorizing the facts. I think it is important to have those things under one's educational belt. So I am motivated. And grateful for the internet because I found this. Basically, this is a free site dedicated to helping people get their math facts memorized. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. You name it, they will train you. Lovin' it! It must be the "need for order" personality within me that thrills to the idea that in only 3 five-minute sessions a day, you can train yourself to learn these facts. I even did a "workout" with the times tables. And yes, I still got it, baby!

So, check it out. There is all sorts of great stuff on this site. And, as always, if you have found something that has really worked for helping your kids with math, I would LOVE to hear about it!

P.S. savannah, thanks for the reminder that I need to post pictures. You are a great photo-cop!

P.P.S. I will try REALLY hard to get some pictures up tomorrow all about the kids and their cousins and the amazing snow fort they built this afternoon. Thanks for keeping me in line, girl!

Big girl panties

And no, I am not the big girl (although...)

I was feeling a little crazy this morning, and Larry took off Sarah's diaper and never put it back on (it was wet, but from the outside--a glass of spilled water). Put it all together and you have a two-year-old in big girl panties.

She has already sat on the potty twice this morning, but between visits she stood outside of the bathroom in which Larry was showering and peed. On the carpet. 5 feet from the toilet. I know I shouldn't be annoyed, but...pee on the carpet? EEEEUWWWWW! Obviously, I haven't done potty training in a while. I am hoping to be on top of things, but we'll see...

Wish us luck (and helpful bladders)!

Fireproof

Larry and I saw a movie last night that we really enjoyed. I didn't know what to expect from it, but I ended up liking it. It is a story about a couple's marriage on the rocks, and what they do to save it. It is about selfishness and pride within relationships, sin and addiction, and the saving power of Jesus Christ. I thought that it was a bit heavy-handed where the gospel was concerned, but that is just aesthetics. I totally agree with the message, I just don't always enjoy being hit over the head with it. Having said that, I hope it won't deter anyone from seeing it. There is so much good in this movie. It touches on so many timely truths about saving families and how God really is willing AND ABLE to help us to overcome the world in our relationships with the ones who matter the most.

I also thought its treatment of pornography to be very refreshing. We live in a world that doesn't seem to condemn the viewing of pornography as an evil, destructive force. Only in church addresses and magazines have I felt like people are speaking out about how it can destroy people, and therefore, families. I was happy to see that others are also speaking out about this corruption in our time, in a way that makes it clear that it is NOT okay, normal, or acceptable behavior. AMEN and AMEN. I also am very glad to see an example of people taking responsibility for their actions, realizing that no one is going to change them but themselves.

Enough on that, the film is called Fireproof. I hope you will see it--there is much to be gained.

Can I just say that I love my husband? Money is tight, yet he bought me tulips (and roses). I LOVE tulips. They are my all-time favorite flower. Absolutely. Hands down. Even my kids know that I love tulips. Roses are nice, too, but nothing touches my heart like a tulip.

It is the little things that make a woman feel special. Not to sound corny, but I think coming down in the morning to clean dishes in the dishwasher (that I didn't load or start) is one of the most romantic things around. I know, I know, I am easy to please. Thank goodness, I think.

The mother ship has landed

Well, we are here in Ogden. We have already spied out the temple, the train museum, Farr Better Ice Cream, the Treehouse Museum, and so much more. We have figured out that it is only 1/2 mile to one of the Ogden River Parkway entrances--which will be AWESOME come spring for bike riding, running, etc. We also have a pool in our area that we can go to EVERY DAY in the summer. Can you guess what our summer will look like? Totally cool! (I hope, anyway--Utah summers are way too hot for my "native" California blood (I had to put native in quotes because I was actually born in Idaho).

Can I say something about moving? Well, maybe I shouldn't. I was taught that if you don't have something nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. I guess that sums it up. I do have one good thing though. Having a clean slate in a neighborhood is kind of nice. That way you can introduce yourselves to everyone and not have any awkward "just waving hi" relationships. And you get to be a 100% home and visiting teacher all over again. And everyone thinks your kids are great because they were well-behaved once in Primary. Life's little pleasures, right?

William's teacher reminds me of my mother-in-law. I think that has really helped him get settled quickly. He just loves Grandma Johnson. The first day I picked him up, Mrs. Ward said he was "EXCELLENT!" Gotta love that! He got in the car and said, "They don't give marks at this school!" (He had some behavior issues in his last class, and when he misbehaved, he got marks.) Everyday he comes home saying that he wasn't mean to anyone in class. It will certainly be a red-letter day when he comes home saying that he was nice to all his friends. We'll get there!

Hadland has had a little harder time making friends this time. Poor guy. He has never completed two years at the same school. This makes school #5 for him in the five years he has been in school. He is a trooper, though. Maybe we'll stick around a little longer this time. Who knows? We don't want to mess up his "winning" streak, do we? :) On a happy note, we got his class list to do valentine's, and there was a Kaileb Brandley in his class. I pounced on that and wondered if he was related to Scott (bro-in-law). He is, and I think it may be an opportunity to make a friend. Hip, hip, hooray. Thank goodness for Scott's huge extended family! We love you, Brandleys!!!

Lauren is still kind of wondering what happened to school for her. I told her that I would do school with her, but she is still waiting. I'd love to get some sort of song that helps learn letter sounds. William sang one in his preschool, but I don't remember it. Any help would be greatly appreciated! She and Sarah are sharing a room, and it is hilarious (and sometimes really annoying) to hear how long they goof around before going to sleep. I have to remind myself that some of my best memories are going to sleep with Laurel (quoting "Jabberwocky" and singing the Lawrence Welk and Donny and Marie show themes).

I think this move has been hardest on Sarah. She really missed her mom. Although I was always in sight, I was never truly available. I finally got the message when she kept saying "hold me, stand up." She didn't want to stay out of the action, she wanted to be right in the middle of the action and seeing it from my perspective. Smart girl, eh? She's getting more used to getting my attention (good for me, too), and we are slowing getting back in to a pattern where I can still be there for her and keep working and settling in. We'll get there, I just know it!

Well, Larry is lovin' life in his nice office down in the basement. I am willing to give up a playroom so that he can be working and not in the middle of all of our lives. He seems to be getting a lot done (or so he says), and that is a good thing!

I am slowly finding a place for everything and everything in its place. I love to be organized, and moving is an opportunity to have a fresh start! I am trying not to clutter up our new nest too much, and so far I've been reasonably successful. It is a tight squeeze, but I am working to make our new digs a home! We've been to our new ward, and I am excited to get to know some new friends. They even have a ward choir! And they sound pretty decent! We'll see what sort of mischief we can get ourselves into...

DRAT!

I sometimes wish I had more self control. I wish that I could have taken a picture tonight instead of getting angry. As I stood at the sink washing out soiled clothing (with what do you ask?), I remembered I didn't get a photo of the fiasco. As Larry and I were working in the garage getting ready for our move, William opened the door and said, "Sarah stuck her hand in the peanut butter and it is all over the carpet." Needless to say, I had many pictures in my mind of what had happened, but for the first time, it was even more messy than I had imagined (possible? I didn't think so). Sarah was sitting, in her pajamas, about 2 feet away from the TV spouting "Snow White." (the TV was spouting, not Sarah.) Both hands were completely (and I mean COMPLETELY) covered in creamy peanut butter. Her face was covered, most of her pjs were covered, and there were several large streaks of peanut butter across our rug (thank goodness not the carpet). I totally freaked out, questioning my other two children who were in the same room. William told me that he was so close to the TV that he didn't notice his little sister behind him (and I am talking inches behind him). YIKES! Not exactly what I was hoping for tonight, to say the least. You will just have to imagine what she looked like.

On another note, can I just say that I love nephews? Our two strapping young lads that live in our town came over tonight and brought everything up from the basement in to the garage. What a wonderful thing! If you don't have nephews, I wish for you a future with some! They are pretty spectacular (and pretty cute, too).

Does this post even make sense? I wrote it in several installments and I didn't read what i had previously written. I hope it comes across the way it was intended.

Yup, the wind has changed...

And we are off on a new adventure! On Jan. 31, we are heading back to Ogden. For how long? Who knows! We are master adventurers, after all. We can handle it! (nervous giggle inserted here--or maybe maniacal giggle)

Our email will remain the same, so no worries there. If you need our street address, just email me or leave a comment.

I read something in this last week that has shaped how I am feeling. Here it is (by Sarah Ban Breathnach):

“Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

I am sad to leave my home (and all that home implies--dear friends, opportunities, etc.) in Orem, but I am striving to "tend my secret garden of blessings." I have so much--family, health, strength, talents--I'm working on optimism--to be grateful for that I will focus on what I have rather than what I don't, even if that means friends and experiences that I truly love and have cherished. I know that the only thing that stays with us are our relationships and experiences that have shaped us. I have plenty of those. I am truly blessed. Truly.

So wish us luck...And here we go!

I'll be here till the wind changes...

Don't you just love Mary Poppins? I absolutely love that movie, even though Dick Van Dyke's accent is hilariously not even close. The thing that always got me is that Mary knew when it was time to go. And it was ok. The family was better by then, and although it was sad, it all worked out. Everyone could move on and Mary could go and help some other dysfunctional family. :)

I think life is like that. Sometimes the wind brings change. Sometimes good things have to end so better things can eventually come. But I resist change. Tooth and nail. I just read something today that said, "Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." Yikes! That is so true. When we resist change and think pessimistically, we are choosing not to grow. We think it is the easier way. After all, they don't call them "growing pains" for nothing! But not growing isn't really easier. We just keep making the same mistakes over and over and hitting our heads against the same wall. Not really a pretty picture, don't you agree? Growing means learning. Learning what is truly important. Learning to smile. Learning the wisdom of "Come what may. And love it."

We all have so much. I have so much to be grateful for. I have a wonderful, faithful husband, loving, healthy children, and my own good health. I know that God lives and loves me individually. I know that Jesus died for me. I have hope in those things. All things will work together for my good, if I will let it. I hope I can embrace change and learn to enjoy it. Now that would be a valuable lesson learned!

Bye, bye, Michael!

Well, with tears in our eyes and our ears buzzing from the "poppers," we said goodbye to Uncle Michael. My little bro has been living with us for a few months, and we are really going to miss him. I think the kids are going to go through major uncle-withdrawal once they figure out that their cartoon-watching buddy has left only to return for a few Sunday dinners now and again. Seriously, though, it has been so wonderful to have him with us. Since he is many years younger than I am, I only remembered him as a little kid (and not always fondly). I left home before he even left elementary school. He has grown into a good man, a fun and caring man who ALWAYS had time for his attention-starved nieces and nephews.

So, untal mi-tal, if you are reading this, WE MISS YOU and WE LOVE YOU!!!!! Remember you always have a warm bed, warm meal, and hugs and loves here waiting for you!

This one is from the kids!

Lauren: We blog for princesses! That's all.

William: We blog for monster trucks! you guys are silly.

Hadland: I like to eat chocolate bars. and blogging for princesses and monster trucks is toot-some.

Mom: So, this is what i get when i ask them what they would like to blog? Well, at least Hadland has his love for bodily functions alive and well. And potty talk--they can't get enough of it. That's pretty normal, right?

happy 2009!

(do you like the new background? I am not fishing for compliments or anything...)

Couldn't wait tonight.

I just had to post. My heart is so full of gratitude. This has been an interesting Christmas season for us, and we have received so many blessings. I think we have been doorbell-ditched about 15 of the 23 days of December with gifts and treats. But tonight, we found a turkey, milk, eggs, oranges, and so much more on our doorstep. I hope that the people who have blessed our lives know how grateful we are to feel their love. We talked tonight with our kids about how we didn't know who was leaving things for us. It could be anyone we meet. And that means that we need to show how grateful we are by the way we treat them. They could be our "secret Santas"! You never know! That made a real impression on me. And the fact that people are truly generous and kind. If you are reading this, secret Santa, THANK YOU! We feel so loved and blessed. We hope we can be as kind to others as we have been treated. I think that would be the greatest "thank you" of all.

Let it snow (and snow and snow)!

Today is the first day of the Christmas break from school, and the weather cooperated beautifully. We woke up to a pretty dark day (I admit I didn't roll out of bed until 8:45 am), but I didn't think much more of it. Then as I was helping the kids through their chores, I happened to look out the window. WOW--the snow was coming down in huge flakes. It took us a while to get to the playing phase of our day, and by the time that came, we all went outside to play. So far, we've made our own sledding hill and TWO snowmen! Sarah went out for the first time and wasn't too happy unless Mommy was holding her. I even took her down the sledding hill a couple of times. I just LOVE snow days around here. William said to me, "I hope we never move to where there is no snow." I have to admit that I agree with him. Our next door neighbors put both of our snowmen to shame with an enormous over-6-feet-tall specimen. I will have to post pics today...we'll see if I have it in me to tear myself away from all the white stuff outside.

I LOVE Christmas traditions...

Problem is, I can't get any to stick for more than 30 seconds.

I have grand ideas, dreams really (or maybe delusions), of a Christmas filled with meaningful traditions that bring us closer to what this season is all about--LOVE, JOY, PEACE. Sometimes we hit love; we have moments of joy; but we rarely experience peace.

It seems that everything just seems thrown together. I think a lot about how I want things to go, but I live a real life (unlike in my dreams) and things don't happen the way I hope they will. I would love to have traditions that build my family and bring us together without losing my mind.

Having said that, we do have one tradition that seems to stick in our family. And mostly because it revolves around sugar: Gingerbread (well, graham cracker) houses.

We seem to do it every year. We do it the way my family (and Yamashitas) did it, not the way the Johnsons did it (much to Larry's chagrin). I just can't get into real gingerbread. (I know, I know, it is not just about me.) He lights up when he tells stories of his mom's waxed paper patterns and crushed-hard-candy-stained-glass-windows. Hopefully, I will be able to do that for him some day. But for now, it is all about simple and how much candy my kids can cement to some graham crackers. Maybe I'll become Martha Stewart-Johnson later in life (yeah, right).

This year, Auntie Nikki helped Lauren make a princess castle that Lauren promptly called "AWESOOOOOOME." William made a split level roof house that had a perfect spot for Santa and his sleigh (and Santa guards, and a fence, and a garage for extra candy--not even glued down, just a repository). Hadland "borrowed" Uncle Treas' tallest-spire creation to add to his ALCATRAZ. Basically it was his creative answer to all the broken graham crackers (he just piled them up on top of each other and glued them together in a haphazard fashion). He worked longer than anyone and has become this generation's answer to Uncle Nathan--candy junky extraordinaire.

I'm going to post this and add in pictures as soon as I can.

But back to the initial question--how have you incorporated traditions (I'm not being picky here--just ANY tradition will do) into your holidays? What has worked? What hasn't? What have you learned to do without and what can you not live without? I would LOVE some help on this one.

Thought for today

I was visiting teaching yesterday (program where 2 women visit and talk about the gospel with another lady in the congregation), and I literally stumbled across my thought of the day. It has occupied much of my thinking time in the last 24 hours, and I thought I would share it:

"The gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' And like Paul we can answer: 'My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me' (2 Corinthians 12:9)" ("Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?" President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Ensign, Nov. 2007, 19).

Amazing. Take a minute to think about that. I guarantee it will make your day happier, more purposeful, and blessedly more humble.

Have a merry day!

Christmas is coming...

The goose is getting fat!

That's ok, as long as no one mistakes me for a goose!

Do you like the new background? I am LOVING the star, although it always kind of shocks me when I first see it. That's not a bad thing--gets me a-thinkin', ya know?

I am excited for Christmas. This is a lean year, so I am looking forward to experiencing a less-commercial season with my family. Wish us luck! (and please forward any of your great ideas/experiences with less presents/stuff)

Secret Givers

I am trying to have some sort of "Christmas" thought each day throughout December. I haven't missed a day yet! Pat myself on the back, you know? Tonight we read the perfect story about a little boy who learned to think more about what he could give rather than what he would receive because his family had started "doorbell ditching" Christmas gifts and surprises to people in their neighborhood. It was perfect because we had a chance to do just that--leave a treat on the porch and run. Although I am quite aerobically fit, I left the ditching and running to our able-bodied boys. What fun! You gotta love an immediate object lesson, right?

I am thankful

Oh, yes I am. I am thankful for a husband who loves me, children who give me hugs at random moments (and go to bed, eventually), siblings and in-laws who laughingly tolerate and appreciate me, parents who sacrificed so much for me (and still do--thanks mom and dad, for coming for L's bday!), and for dear, sweet friends who take time to talk AND listen.

I am thankful to have hope. I am so thankful that I know there is Someone taking care of me, even if I don't realize it. I am glad there is Someone to listen, to care, to understand. I am thankful that there is Someone who loves me, flaws, fear, and all, and is always cheering me on.

What more could a girl ask for?

(except maybe a Trader Joe's nearby...)

If you are wondering about Clearplay

I've had a request for info on Clearplay. In the other post, I've also put a link. Check it out--it is SO worth it!

"You don't have to be perfect"

I was reminded of this thought this morning by a dear, dear friend. So often I feel like I do need to be perfect in order to get the divine help that we need. However, I make mistakes and that is all part of the process. BECAUSE I make mistakes, I need divine help. And He is willing to give it. Thank goodness, right?

I have been prompted lately to be very, very grateful. I am, and I am working to be even more grateful because I have so much to be grateful for. I have been counting them lately, and it really, really helps.

First I have to make a disclaimer... (and don't forget to look at the other post from today--there is a really cute picture of Sarah)

My family watches all our movies with Clearplay. What is clearplay you ask? It is a DVD player that filters normal movies you rent from Blockbuster, etc. It basically takes out all the stuff you wish wasn't in there in the first place. And we absolutely cannot live without it.

That being said, when I recommend movies to people, I always have to remind them that I may not have seen the whole movie. That really confuses most people. But I am glad that I didn't see "that one scene" that ruined a perfectly good movie.

I also have to say that I love my treadmill. I know that seems to be a non sequitur (doesn't follow). But my treadmill has a TV on it. And I hooked a DVD player up to it. Now I can run more than 30 minutes at a time because I can do it while watching a movie. Luuuuucky, eh?

Tonight I finished a movie that I really loved. It is called P.S. I love you. Now, I KNOW that a TON of stuff was taken out of the movie. You know that the dialogue is a little spicy when the movie seems to be muted for several seconds at a time. And I am pretty sure one of "those scenes" was bleeped, but clearplay is so seamless that I couldn't tell for sure. It made me laugh and cry. I saw a little bit of myself in the main character--sometimes unwilling to embrace change, afraid to get out of her comfort zone, etc. I really liked it. And watch out for William--he's hot. (it felt pretty weird to write that, but he had killer dimples, ok?)

So just know that although I liked the movie, if you want to see it, enter at your own risk. Or even better, treat yourself to a Clearplay DVD player. After all, Christmas is right around the corner. You won't be sorry. I promise!

Yet this apple doesn't fall far from the tree

So, I just have to let you know that when I am in public with my offspring and don't want to make a scene to call them to me, I just make a ch-ch sound in their general direction. You wouldn't think that would be very effective, but actually it is. Almost every time the child I am "calling" turns immediately when I do my little summoning sound. Now, I am not going to say that they come every time, but I can at least get their attention initially.

The other day I got to see just how well this little sound had sunk in to their little psyches. I am notorious for telling my children "just a sec" when they ask me for something, only to completely forget about them and their request. Sarah, my 2-year-old, has got me all figured out. One day she REALLY wanted to show me something. Of course, I told her to hold on, Mommy would be there "in a sec." She was having none of that. She grabbed my hand, said "CH!" and yanked me toward what she wanted me to see. I just stared at her. Did I really just hear what I thought I heard? Naw, but it was funny, right?

A couple days after that, she did it again, only adding "come!" after the yank. That time I had to laugh. She is SO like me in so many ways. I need to be careful with this awesome power over my shadow...

The apple falls FAR from the tree

As I went to sleep last night, I happened to glance over at my daughter sleeping on a mat in my room. What I saw warmed my heart at the same time it completely surprised me. My daughter was curled up on her pillow, cuddling a little baby doll. How sweet! And so unlike me. I think the first babies I ever cuddled were my own (or maybe my younger siblings--although my memory is so bad that I don't remember). I was never a "doll girl". I was a trampoline, soccer, park, bike girl. Not that being a doll girl doesn't have its merits...I just didn't have those merits (or rather, I didn't have them in abundance--how's that for positive?!). I have to say that seeing her there, being a mini-mommy, really touched me. So I turned over in bed to Larry and said, "honey, look at Lauren, that would be such a sweet picture" and promptly she opened her eyes and was completely awake. YIKES! Who sleeps that lightly? NOT ME, that is for sure!

Don't be fractious

I just had to post this. Larry was telling me about his elder's quorum lesson yesterday. All of the RS/Priesthood classes focused on the Joseph Smith lesson full of his letters to Emma. In one of them, Joseph advised Emma, "don't be fractious to them."

The big question was: what does fractious mean?

My favorite answer: don't break their legs.

Alternate I thought of late last night: don't let them do math

Just another celebration of the belly laugh. I'm chortling in my joy!

Happy Monday to you all!

The beauty of a laugh

You need to understand that church worship for us is a monster undertaking. I play the organ for our meetings, and we have four active children. It may not make sense to many of you that those two sentences are related.

But they are.

You see, my wonderful husband plays "single daddy" for more than half of the general worship meeting at our church (called Sacrament Meeting). Now for a mom, that seems like no big deal. We "single parent" all the time. Everyday. All day long (and sometimes into the night). But for a dad it is a little intimidating. Add another layer for the fact that our children should be on their best behavior so as not to disturb the worship of the others of the congregation near us. Add another layer for the fact that our family has been blessed with strong voice capacities. Then add another layer for siblings that can use their superpowers for good and evil (but usually the latter :).

Boy, that is a lot of layers. Kind of like photoshop. But not quite.

Fast forward to after church.

I meet Larry in the car, and he is laughing. With oreo crumbs between his teeth. That makes me laugh. So we are both laughing in our car after church.

And the reason that I am blogging about something so insignificant is that, for us, it isn't. It is a big deal. We are laughing.

Larry made a wise observation.

"It is a lot more fun to laugh than cry."

Amen.

William's birthday

Let's not get technical on dates, ok? I am within a couple of weeks, give or take a day (or two). Nevertheless, here is a little photo essay on our big boy #2 and his big #6 day. (and yes, he chose the cake).

Trip to the Punkin Patch

I know I misspelled it, but I couldn't help spelling it eggzactly the way my kids say it. And, come on now, you know you say it like that sometimes!

So I took the girls to the patch with Lauren's preschool group. We had a great time walking along in the dirt and playing at both of the "parks" within the pumpkin patch. What fun on a beautiful, crisp autumn day.

Have I told you lately that I love fall? I do, I really do. I love the crispness in the air. The colors vibrantly spilling out everywhere. And I LOVE red trees. I can't get enough of red trees! My kids know it, and they alert me to any wonderful specimens I may have missed. Gotta love that!

On another note, we took a Sunday evening drive to Squaw Peak as a family. We got some amazing pictures of the sunset view. It was so much fun to see the colors as they fade away. I think I wish this part of the year could go on forever. I just can't get enough of the changing colors (oh, did I say that already? :).

Here are a few pics. (I know, I know. Pick yourself up of the floor, why dontcha?)

It's official!

I missed October!

Huh?

How did I do that?

Oh, well. Looking forward...

November's going to be grand!



P.S. Happy Belated birthday, Ella!

P.P.S. Happy Actual Birthday, Dad! LOVE YOU BOTH!

Thanks for all the great advice!

As usual, I am feeling better today than I did when I wrote that post the other day. Thanks for letting me vent, but also thank you for taking me seriously and giving me some new things to think about. I actually took my kids to the park last night after dinner and before bedtime, and they went to sleep when asked!!!! Oh my goodness. I'll have to repeat that sometime (when I have dinner on the table before 7 p.m.--not a frequent happening around here!)

On another front, I went to see a podiatrist yesterday. Since this summer I have been suffering with a sore heel on my left foot which turned out to be plantar fasciaitis. After seeing the doctor (who knew exactly where to push on the most painful part of my heel--do they teach that in medical school? ACK!), I decided to get some orthotics to correct my super-flat-footedness, and a shot of steroids to help with the immediate pain. And if I thought him touching my heel was painful, there was no preparing for the excruciating horror that was the steroid shot. It absolutely took my breath away. But I walked out of the office with no pain! He told me to expect some aching the next day, but by Sat or Sunday, I would most likely be out of pain. However, last night the pain came back with a vengeance. Maybe this is just the "ache" stage, but I am not too hopeful due to the fact that it is even more painful than before. YIKES!! Can anyone suggest some supportive, stylish shoes so I don't always have to wear a cute outfit completed so wonderfully by running shoes?

As a last note, yesterday was my dear sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Laurel!! We all love you and hope you are having a wonderful time with your sweet hubby!

Is it too much to ask?

I am wondering...

Has anyone else out there ever gone somewhere solo (but with all the kids) and was then so fed up by their behavior that after 15 minutes, we turn around and come home with mom bawling her head off?

Just checking.

(if anyone has any tips about how to help your kids behave in public, I'm all ears!)

Be careful what you ask...

I just had to laugh today. I sent William late to school on purpose (it helps with the transition to class time for him, go figure!), and then a few minutes later I heard the door open and shut. I called out to find who it was, only to hear William's voice. I was a little alarmed to find him home already, but he walked in and said, "My teacher told me to have this signed and take it back to school." I looked at the paper, which I assumed was important and hadn't made it out of the backpack the night before, thus eliciting such an unexpected delivery. So I duly signed the form and handed it back to my beaming boy who then scooted off to school.

A few minutes later I was making my bed (or something) and heard some distant music which turned out to be my cell phone. I tried to get it but to no avail. I tried to ring back the person who had called (I didn't recognize the number), and I got the school office (YIKES!!). I stated who I am and why I was calling only to have the secretary hand the phone to the principal. By then I was sweating bullets. What had happened now? I said a quick prayer that I wouldn't bawl over the phone if it was something mortifying or horrifying. The principal very sweetly introduced himself and said that the crisis was over, but that they had lost William. Here's what happened: William got to school late, his teacher probably gave him the sheet of paper and told him what to do, and then she didn't think anything else of it. William, having received a direct command, decided to get it taken care of. He went directly home, got it signed, and brought it back--JUST LIKE HE HAD BEEN ASKED!! Where is the problem with that, I ask you? Poor guy, I bet he got a major scolding, just because he, like Amelia Bedelia before him, took his teacher a bit too literally.

I just love that kid. I hope his teacher (and the principal) do, too.

Celebrate the end of soccer!

Can you sing it with me? Ce-le-brate good times, come on! I am one grateful momma that tonight we'll see the last of the soccer games of the year!!!!!!!!!!! Now, don't get me wrong...I love soccer. I actually do. I played from Under-6 until I was a senior in high school. I LOVE soccer. I think that i just don't like watching soccer (or becoming a crazed-and-screaming-lunatic-sideline mom). My voice needs a break. So I will revel in the ending-ness of it tonight! YAHOO!!!

On a more positive note (actually that last paragraph was quite positive--I wasn't whining, was I?), I get to go to the Conference Center in Salt Lake this Saturday evening to attend the Relief Society General Broadcast. I am SOO excited. I got to go 2 years ago, and now I get to go again (ah, there is a silver lining to moving 3 times in one year). I hungrily anticipate this meeting each year as an opportunity to "get in touch with the real woman inside me." That's right--the real woman inside of me is a daughter of God. And sometimes, amidst the hustle and bustle of busy family life, I forget that all-important identity. I love having a meeting JUST FOR ME (and all the other women in the church), where I don't have to keep anyone but myself quiet for a whole two hours! I wish that all the people who criticize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for being a sexist religion could come to this meeting. Here are scores of women, powerful and strong in their own right, leading and discoursing on the doctrines of Christ. Are we, as women in the church, oppressed? NO WAY, JOSE!!!! When I go to this meeting, I feel empowered, understood, loved, cheered on, and so much more. I feel like I can go forth and actually do what I really want to do--be a disciple of Christ in thought and action. Only four more days!

Also, my husband and I talked about the weather yesterday. We were commenting on how much we were looking forward to fall. Larry said, "I just don't think I like summer here. It is WAY too hot." We reminisced about living several years in weather paradise--Ventura County, California. It was gorgeous all year round. I don't think we even owned coats when we lived there (but I had pretty scaly heels from never wearing socks...ever!). But then I decided that if we hadn't had such a sweltering summer, I might not yearn as much for fall. And look so forward to that first snowfall (and the second, and the third...). I actually love having seasons. I also loved having fantastic weather always, but it did get a little boring. Yesterday we saw overcast skies, rain, sun with "cotton ball" clouds, and then in the evening we drove up the canyon to ride the ski lift at Sundance for FHE. And, oh, the colors we saw! The trees are a-changing up in the mountains. I thought I might just die from rapture! I love red trees amidst aspens and evergreens. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. And just think, I didn't get that in CA. There is always something wonderful about wherever you make your home. Bloom where you're planted, so they say. They may just have something there.

Keep posted...I may even try to put up some pictures of the trees we saw last night. But don't get mad at me if I don't, ok? I'll do my best!

have a great day--wherever you live!

Change...

First, I am not sure I can handle this blog background. It is a bit much for me, so I can't imagine how annoying it must be for many of you (not that anyone is reading this!). You may see another change here soon.

Second, the weather has completely changed! Since when has the weather changed from summer to winter on Labor Day Weekend. Not that I am complaining. We have spent so much time already during the day at the park because we aren't roasting to death out there! It is wonderful to be able to use the park between 11 and 5 instead of hiding out in the air conditioned house waiting for it to cool down. I actually wore a long sleeved shirt and long sweats on my walk this morning. Now that is a definite nod to the change in the weather. Bring on fall!

One more thing, I am now my ward's choir director. I have been going through music for the last couple of weeks, and I am LOVING it. Let's hope someone actually comes to practice. bring on the Christmas music! Do any of my Oxnard ward choir members want to move out here and be in my choir? Please? Pretty please?

Whoa--I missed August

I am such a blog-slacker. But I guess that means I have a life, right? Everyone else must have a lot of time on their hands or something. (just trying to make myself feel better, I guess)

Well, August was a whirlwind. What with getting ready for school to start, Doug's wedding, all the house guests (we love you all!), the storytelling festival, our 11th anniversary, and on and on, time just flew. We are still getting tomatoes, and that makes me very happy. We've had tons of family here, which makes me even happier (especially when they bring dill pickle chips! :). School has started for three of my four kids, and so has soccer and music classes/lessons. I am finally feeling what everyone else has been feeling for years--can I just have about 5 more hours in the day (when everyone else is sleeping)?

Hadland is in 4th grade, William started kinder, and Lauren is in Miss Ann's preschool. hadland and William are also playing soccer, and they both also just got back into their music lessons/classes. Finally Hadland is getting back into scouting as well. It will be a miracle if I can keep sane through my week. I think I better become a planning pro!

For our anniversary Larry took me overnight to Sundance. I couldn't have imagined such a wonderful getaway (except if it were longer). We had an amazing suite right next to the river (think sounds of the water from every open window) with window boxes full of pillows just waiting for an avid reader to stake them out, dinner at the Foundry grill (scrumdiddlyumptious food), and then off to "A Midsummer Nights' Dream" at the open air theatre up there. The play had an opening act called the "Thrillionaires." I actually enjoyed that more than the play. They are a broadway musical-style improv group. I almost passed out from laughing so hard. It was exactly what I needed. I will definitely be seeing them again, that is for sure.

Speaking of laughing, I was so glad that my parents came for the Storytelling festival, and that I braved taking my kids with me. It was so much fun. I just love Carmen deedy and Bill Harley. I also loved being introduced to Kevin Kling, Motoko and Jay O'Callahan, and so many more. We had such a great time and were able to go both nights to the Scera Shell for the Fave stories and Laughing night. We also ate lots of yummy stuff at home and abroad. Does it get any better? Good company, good laughs, and good food? I am seriously so blessed :)

On a final note, I really am blessed. I have begun walking in the wee hours with a good friend of mine from my ward, and she truly is an inspiration in so many ways. Such a humble, devoted servant of the Lord with charity in her heart (and a great sense of humor to boot!). I don't even mind getting up a 0' dark thirty to go. Now that's saying somethin'!

Hope September finds you well!

TOMATOES!!!!!!!

I just wanted everyone to hear that I picked TWO tomatoes out of my "garden" yesterday. Hip hip hooray!!!

Memories...

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought I would post it here. No pressure.

Actually, I take that back. Pressure. BIG pressure! I want to see your comments!

This is a "shout out" for memories.

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It’s actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.

There is a reason why our girls aren't named "Grace"

In the space of 6 days, both of my darling, precious girls had stitches. Lest you think I am an irresponsible mother, I had nothing to do with either catastrophe, but I sure worried enough to make about 10 heads of gray hair (thank goodness I am blonde, eh?).

Lauren punctured her head (between the corner of her eye and the bridge of her nose) by tripping on our entry rug and hitting her face on the door hinge. I was sitting on the couch and was not at all surprised by the shriek of pain and anguish emanating from Lauren (not because I am an unfeeling mother but because it happens about every half hour). Being the loving mother that I am, I went to comfort her. Boy, did I get the surprise of my life when I leaned her back to kiss her bumped forehead, and she was covered in blood. Needless to say, the panic reared its ugly head (mine) and I completely lost it. Thank goodness for Melissa Basua and her cool head. She thought it would be better to comfort Lauren than start bellowing for Larry. I did the bellowing part (I knew those singing lessons would come in handy!). We went to the doctor only to wait and wait and then be referred to a plastic surgeon. I knew it would take longer, but I was glad for the specialist option. To make a long story less long (but obviously not short), several hours later, we had triumped, Lauren had her stitches (from a supercool plastic surgeon who happened to be in our last ward), and all was well in the world. Except that she can't be in the sun. Or swimming. Or smiling. (Just kidding on that last one)

I wanted to share a funny thing that happened. Lauren had "conscious sedation" for her procedure, and that basically means she looked completely stoned for the entire thing. The freakiest part was when she was coming out of it. She kept looking at us like she wasn't really seeing us. We were trying to get her to really wake up, and when the doctor came to check up on her, she looked at him, then looked at me and stuttered, "You.....are.....my....my.....mommy!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was so freakishly cute that I think I did both. Then we were talking about all the treats she would get the next day because she was such a trooper. She wanted ice cream and cookies and chips (what about the veggies and fruit, eh? this must come from Larry's sweet tooth!). We asked if anyone else would want cookies and she said, "Ha.....Ha....Ha" and I finished "Hadland?" She nodded. It was so adorable. Then she tried to say Sarah, but only ended up sounding like a snake. The whole sedation thing was pretty trippy to say the least!

The next day, you would not even have known that anything had happened to Lauren. She bounced out of bed about 7 am (after about 6 1/2 hours of sleep) and played vigorously all day long. What a survivor!

That was Wednesday. The next Tuesday (yep, only 6 days later), I was getting a little too much help from Sarah unloading the sharp knives from the dishwasher. I commanded Hadland to take her into the other room and do whatever he had to do to keep her happy and out of the kitchen. The next thing I know Sarah is crying in the other room, but I was expecting that--she doesn't really like to "hang out" with Hadland. I got the dishwasher unloaded, and by that time all was calm on the "kid" front. I went in search of Sarah, found her, and I saw that her shirt was covered in blood. I checked her nose, but she was clear. As I picked her up, I noticed that Hadland's shirt had blood on it as well. I checked Sarah out only to find her hair matted with blood right above her ear. I ran downstairs to consult (translation--freak out) with Larry, and then headed to the doctor yet again. They got me right in, took a look at Sarah, then pronounced that she'd be getting some stitches as well. I don't think they recognized me from the week before, but I was on pins and needles that someone would figure out that this wasn't the first time in June we'd been in for head wounds.

The Lord was certainly on my side that day because Sarah ended up sleeping through the entire stitching process (11 stitches, too). When they were cleaning her up after it was all over, she started to stir. What a tender mercy!!!! Now, I won't subject you to the horror that was the "taking out" of the stitches. I was just grateful that the "putting in" was pretty painless (no pun intended :)

All in all, we have the stitches out, we've gone swimming, and we seem to be healing pretty well. It is a bit of a chore to keep a hat on Lauren's head in the sun. When we swam yesterday, however, she was a champ and kept it on even though it was soaking wet. Hopefully there will be nothing noticeable on her face to remind us of this memorable summer, but if there is, it sure will make a great story!

Thoughts on a Sunday...

I was reminded today that God really does know and love us. He knows me and wants to bless me and help me progress in my life. On the way to church today by myself (the rest of the fam stayed home with a barfing Hadland--sorry if that was too much info :), I prayed that I would hear what I needed to for me to overcome some of my failings and struggles. I was very blessed to be prompted to record some thoughts from Sacrament Meeting in my journal. The very first thing I wrote was the comment someone made about the world being a selfish place and that reading the scriptures helped us distance ourselves from that selfishness all around us. Boy, that was tailor-made for me, I tell ya! Over and over I heard witnesses of the help the scriptures bring to our lives.

My prayer was answered. I know that I am "scripturally malnourished" right now, and the treatment is easy and straightforward--feast upon the scriptures daily with purpose, diligence, faith, and trust.

I also read something this afternoon that was sobering. In Alma 30, an Anti-Christ named Korihor starts teaching the people that all of their faithful traditions are really foolish and that there was no way to prove that God exists. I was reminded of Elder Oaks' talk in April 2008 conference about testimonies and how we know certain things even though they are not scientifically "prove-able". Korihor taught the people something very interesting in verse 17: "And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man ^afared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and ^bwhatsoever a man did was ^cno crime."

What that verse is saying to me is that when I feel myself get discouraged because I can't overcome something or I keep failing, if I stop trying it is because I think that I am all alone in trying to overcome. Korihor had no faith in something greater than himself that was able to and wanted to help him be better. The lack of humility and trust made him an island to himself, with no hope of progress (but also no thought as to judgment either).

I don't want to be Korihor. My faith is strong, and I can humble myself more each day. I know God is willing to help--I just have to trust Him and do my best. He is a loving father who wants what is best for His child--me. I have to remind myself to not be Korihor-ish, but to be believing. It is easy to be discouraged, but it is so much more important to be faithful.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It has blessed my life and will continue to as I feast daily. Have you read today? :)

22nd!

I just found out that I was 22nd in my age group!!! At first I thought there were only 25 people in my age group, but then I found out there were 102. I did a pretty good job, I think.

It is a little sobering when I found out that I placed 581 (but 188 within the female runners), but I was thrilled to know about "22". I have decided that I am going to keep running so that I can move up in the ranks as I grow older. My sister's MIL, Deb, ran/walked a 38:19 and she was 13th in her division! Wow! And she has 10 grandkids! She rocks, and that is the truth!

I am hoping to get some pictures up on here, but I have to rely on Mark (Laurel's FIL) to send them to me first.

Oh, and by the way,

HAPPY (late) FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!


P.S. Melissa Cook--I am so bummed that I wasn't able to see you there--I hope we can see you before you head home!

A friendly face

Ok, so the plan was for Larry and I to run the Freedom 5k today in Provo. Only we have four kids who don't run (or get up early for that matter). So Larry did "daddy duty" (translation: slept in) this morning while I ran. This is only my second 5k, and the first one was really hard for me. And I was doing it by myself. Well, me and my iPod. (important distinction) So I was excited but also feeling a little lame for being a loner.

So I get there, park, and walk to where the race will start. I don't have anyone to take my picture or hold my keys, so the camera (and everything else) stays in the car, and I tie my keys to my drawstring. By this point, I am feeling quite sorry for myself that I don't have any friends or anyone to cheer me on. (note to self: make EVERYONE get up and be my cheering section next time)

Then I saw Mark Child. Happy day, calloo callay (I probably misspelled that). He is my sister's father-in-law. He promptly showed me that his wife, Deb, was also running. Isn't a friendly face such a blessing? We commiserated on our latest endeavor, and she pointed me in the direction of port-a-potties. (Yes, a huge blessing) As I was walking to the potties, I spotted Shauri, MY sister-in-law (what is up with all these in-laws? Can't the Woods get their acts together and be active? :). She was there with Benjamin, my lightning-fast nephew who, I am sure, cannot fathom why anyone would run as slow as I do. (actually, he is very nice to slow ole me)

The Lord was surely giggling at me today. I was feeling sorry for myself, and then He just made friendly faces come out of the woodwork (in fact, my former bishop's daughter was standing right near me as the race started) to let me know I wasn't a loner. I am sure He giggles a lot at the silly thoughts I have. I really am blessed. For so many reasons. Not the least of which is that I had a rockin' playlist for my run! What a difference that makes. (note to self: don't put any classical music on a running playlist, no matter how "peppy" the piece may be) Gotta love the Police, Journey, and a little big band music to swing my stride! Every new song brought a smile to my face!

Mission accomplished (and only a smidge slower than last time)! Go me!

By the way, Benjamin was SIXTH in the whole race (third in his age group) with a time somewhere around 16:30. YIKES!!! Needless to say, I wasn't. At least he wasn't TWICE as fast as I was (pretty close, though). My time was around 30:15. Pretty good for an old fart! (Compared to Benjamin, that is--I am one spring chicken compared to my old geezer mom!) Just joking, mom--you ROCK!!

I did it!

Yesterday my family (sans Big Daddy) drove to SoCal. And it was amazing. We fixed our DVD player in the supervan, and we laughed through three states (actually four). We watched Mr. Bean, National Treasure, Napoleon Dynamite, and listened to Shakespeare's Secret (it is a book, but I can't figure out how to underline--Whattie, please forgive my English incorrect-ness).

But the coolest thing? I filled up at home and then once in Vegas, and I still have more than 1/4 tank left. SWEET! And we already had In N Out. Just couldn't wait.

This vacation is already off to a good start.

Oh, and the "I did it!" refers to making it to CA without maiming any of the little ones!

I am sorry that I whine

Do you remember when I was complaining about scouting? That I wondered if the program was more for moms than the scouts themselves?

Well, first of all, I shouldn't be whining about that. That's dumb.

And second, the scouting program ABSOLUTELY knows how much the moms of the scouts do. That is why the moms get a pin when the scout advances. No one else gets a pin, only the long-suffering scouting-supporting mom.

I feel validated.

But, in my opinion, they shouldn't make the pins so camouflage-y. They should be yellow or red and jump out at you as you pass by and say, "Pat this mom on the back--her son has done something cool in scouts."

I would wear the prototype. I'm serious. I need all the pats on the back that I can get.

I hate ants!

Ok, so my kids would be saying, "Ooh, Mom said hate." But, I think this aversion is as strong as that. I don't strongly dislike them, I hate them. Here is one of the many reasons why:

I have a "laundry chute." (Actually it is just the place where we throw the dirty clothes downstairs from the upper floors. But I like to think that I have a laundry chute, so don't go and burst my bubble, ok?)

I noticed that the laundry was pretty much taking over the entire house, so I thought I should do some laundry room shuttling. As I picked up some of the dirty towels, ants started to pour out of them. EEEEWW! Grody to the max! Gag me with a pitchfork! (OK-enough with the valley girl impersonations)

Did I mention that I hate ants?

I figured out why, too. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I had a pretty idyllic childhood. Fabulous weather, great culture, and NO LARGE BUGS! Or thunderstorms, but that is a different rant. Since moving to different parts of our great nation, I have heard stories of terrifying bugs of gargantuan sizes (mostly from Alexis--Texas and the Hawaii clan of the Johnsons). Yet, I had none of that in my experience. So ants are the epitome of disgusting-ness and yucky-bug-ness. I know I am a bug rookie, but its all I got!

Oh, and I hate ants.

I'm in love!

I sat here today, at this computer, watching my two middle children having a ball on the trampoline. Giggling, laughing, screaming with joy (well, mostly). Then when Hadland came home from school, I mentioned that he could go jump if he wanted to. He did! And William joined him for a long time. I love having a trampoline in my backyard. My kids aren't whining to be glued to the boob tube. They are outside, having a great time together. And no runs to the ER...yet. Tonight, after all the kids were in bed, I jumped for about 10 minutes. Don't worry, no flips for this muchacha! What fun. I jumped in the chilly night air, looking up at Mt. Timpanogos with its fresh blanket of snow. Not bad, eh? Almost makes you want to live here.

Almost.

I am a gardener...

I think.

Are you a gardener if:

1. you can handle a rototiller?

2. you can pay your kids a penny a rock to pick them out of the garden plot?

3. you can wear a big floppy hat in the sun?

4. you then get completely lobster-esque on your arms?

5. you can dream about tomato juice dripping down your chin as you bite into your own homegrown tomato?

Well then, I guess I am a gardener. Really, the only requirement is that you have a garden, right? I guess you have to work in it, too.

Are you a gardener too? (potted plants count, you know?!)

One other question--are gardeners always sore?

Hands

Sarah got a new word this week--hands. She enunciates the "ds" part so well, I just love to hear her. And she still loves to say shoes. She walks around the house picking up, putting on, and walking around in any shoes she can find. She is so funny!

Tonight she and Lauren took a bath (not a regular occurrence in the evening at our house), and they had a bath. I got tired of hanging out on the toilet seat, so I took Sarah out and got her dressed for bed. I was putting away some clothes in her room when Lauren walked in to say that Sarah had fallen into the tub. I ran to the bathroom only to find a fully clothed (in footed pjs) Sarah lying on her belly in the lukewarm tub water. I just had to laugh. I had to locate another pair of pjs (not an easy feat today) and got her safely in to bed before she could get in any more trouble! A few minutes after all this took place, I was looking for a little sympathy and told Larry what had happened. I told him about the baths, and then I asked him if he could guess what Sarah had done next. He answered, "Poop in the tub?" Needless to say, that stopped my pity party right in its tracks--it could DEFINITELY have been worse than a soaked diapers and pair of jammies! Thank you, sweetie, for helping me appreciate the good times! :)

Yikes!

It isn't like I don't check everyone's blogs multiple times a day...and I just love seeing everyone's new posts...but I don't post? What's up with that? Maybe I am just boring...

My back is much better, thank you! And I am getting "back in the saddle" tomorrow. We got a trampoline of our very own, and we'll be putting it up in the morning. I think the kids are going to burst with excitement (at least I will). I can't wait to see our family having fun on it. So many memories on ours growing up...Jeremy's broken leg, sleeping out in the summer, laying out (some of my sisters even wore bikinis--tsk, tsk), and jumping until we couldn't stand it any more. I just love it when the memories can keep going to another generation.

But, no, I will not be doing any more flips...until I can figure out how to do it without injuring my back!

I'm getting old!

Well, it is official. I am getting old. On saturday I went to an indoor trampoline playground. I went with my fabulous sisters for a little laughin' and a little movin' and shakin'. We did plenty of all three!

My little sister Robin did a flip and made it look so easy. So what did I do? Yep--peer pressure did me in! (it is all your fault, Rob! :) When I finished flip #2, I landed on my butt, caught my breath, and jumped up only to feel a crazy twinge in my back. So now, two days later, I am getting better. I am so getting old, and I am BUMMED about it! I guess I just have to accept my "mature" status and get on with being prudent.

But I hate that word.

I'd much rather be jumping on a trampoline, wouldn't you?

And if you're worried that I have lost my nerve--I'm getting right back on that horse (menos flips, I think). I can be kinda mature, maybe!

P.S. Women's Conference ROCKED!!! And my house was clean when I got home! Yippee!