Sarah's Silly Stuff

Quick Report

2012-01-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

I have set my timer for five minutes. I am going to type as fast as I can to give you a quick report of our family's lives. Here we go:

1) I have been student teaching for three weeks. It is not at all what I expected it to be. I don't want to bore anyone with the details. I think one word sums it up nicely: Politics!

I have not dealt with politics in a long time. I kind of forgot they existed. I kind of assumed that everyone was nice and wanted everyone else to succeed. And I'm kind of finding out that my sunny outlook on life is not realistic. Bummer!

2) Dropping my children off at a daycare has been one of the most emotionally challenging things I have ever done. Hearing my baby Jim crying for me and knowing that I have to walk away and go to work was SO hard! By the time I got out the door I was crying too.

After three weeks he is not crying as I leave him. But he does start crying tears of relief every time I pick him up, which is almost as bad as him crying when I left. I mean, crying tears of relief kind of leads me to believe that he wasn't sure I would BE returning to pick him up. And that is a heart-wrenching thing to think.

3) Hubby started a new job three weeks ago. He says that he is alright, it's just a major learning curve. He also said that maybe I could start using our real names and tell you what his real job is, since he needs clients and all...

Except my timer just went off!!

Sorry!!!

Bravo, Mr. President. Bravo!

2012-01-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

As I was reading the news of the day, I came across this article:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/7/us-redefines-rape-count-more-people-victims/

President Obama and Vice President Biden are helping our country to take a step forward in the fight against violent crimes! The Associated Press reports:

"The Obama administration says it is expanding the FBI's more than eight-decade-old definition of rape to reflect a better understanding of the crime and to broaden protections."

I have seen the devastating impact that rape can have on an individual. I've worked with women who have been raped, been friends with women who were sexually abused as children. The way that a girl or woman starts to define themselves by that horrific event in their life. And the bitterness and self-loathing that can occur when the responsibility for the crime is pushed back on them or when the crime is not taken seriously.

Throughout history, the punishment for rape has varied greatly. Some rapists have been viewed simply as playboys, whose charms women just can't refuse. The thought-process here is that the woman wanted it.

Other times, rape is viewed as a proposal. Remember that terrible book I read...Tess of the D'Ubervilles?? Tess was supposed to marry her rapist. What a frightening prospect!!

In many Greek stories, the woman raped was faulted. Think of the story of Zeus and Europa. Their relationship started with a rape. But it's okay because he is a god?? And she went on to have his children?? Because being raped by a god and getting pregnant makes rape a perfectly fine activity??
In another Greek story, a god, Poseidon, comes upon a beautiful mortal woman worshiping in the temple of Athena. The woman is so beautiful that he cannot help himself and immediately ravishes her...In the Temple! Athena, the Virgin Goddess, is furious that her temple has been desecrated with sex. But does she go after her uncle? Does she blame him? Nope. She blames the girl, punishing her by turning her beautiful long hair into writhing snakes. Yep. Poor Medusa was raped and instead of being comforted, her hair was turned into snakes and any guy who looked at her was turned to stone. Serves her right for being so beautiful...GAG!

Dinah's story in the Old Testament follows Tess's pattern of proposal. Dinah's, daughter of Leah and Jacob, sister to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, rapist thought to marry her. Her story is found in Genesis chapters 33 and 34. While her father seemed willing to go along with the marriage idea, her brothers had different plans. You can read the story yourself. The main point here is that the rapist is actually punished in this story...And quite extremely at that!

(By the way, I thoroughly enjoyed this scripture study's insight into that story. Much food for thought.)

Early America viewed rape similar to Levi and Simeon. It was a crime that ought to be punished. I could honestly go on and on as the examples and variety of consequences are plentiful throughout history. But the topic is quite painful for many people, and I don't want to draw out this terrible thing.

What I want is to state emphatically that rape is not something the victim wanted. It is not, and never should be seen as, a proposal to marriage. And it is not the fault of the victim.

The article gives details of how the definition is being revised and expanded:

"The revised definition covers any gender of victim or attacker and includes instances in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of the influence of drugs or alcohol or because of age. Physical resistance is not required."

This revision by the FBI is HUGE!!!

Many states have taken great strides in the past decades to broaden their definitions of rape. They have expanded their protection of the girls, women, boys, and men who fall victim to this heinous crime. They have made the punishments more severe for the perpetrators. Their efforts have led to a decrease the incidence of rape.

I am so pleased that President Obama and his administration are updating their definition. It has been a long time coming and is a positive step forward in the fight against this atrocious crime. Bravo, Mr. President! Bravo!!

4-H Fun

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

We signed up to participate in 4-H again this year.

Rose and Anne signed up for Cooking, Sewing, Photography, Shooting Sports, Arts & Crafts, and Rabbits. Miss S signed up for Shooting Sports and Rabbits. I informed all three girls that Rabbits were out of the question this year. I will be student teaching in the spring and cannot be their chauffeur to all the rabbit events.

Joe and Prof. X signed up for Cloverbuds. This is the group for 4-H kids who are too young to compete. They have a new leader this year and she is turning out to be FANTASTIC! She wants the Cloverbuds to have a thorough 4-H experience so she has arranged for them to participate in a ton of different events. It is wonderful!

Here's what they've all done so far:

Cloverbuds

Joe & Prof. X toured a seed sprouting facility. We saw acres upon acres of baby plants: lettuce, cabbage, artichokes, celery, broccoli, and more! The place was a dream. The month before the boys (& Rose) painted pottery at a local studio. This was a combined activity with the Arts & Crafts group. The Cloverbud leader is also the Arts & Crafts leader! She has planned for the two groups to do an activity together once every other month. Very fun!

The most recent Cloverbud activity was a tour of a local bakery. I was informed halfway through the activity that is was also an Arts & Crafts activity, so Anne & Rose were invited. Tough luck for them. Fortunately, they were at other activities that Saturday so didn't feel bad about missing the bakery tour.

The boys in their baking aprons

Reading the recipe

Rolling out their dough. Prof. X chose that small pin. Goofy kid!

Joe decorating his cookie

Prof. X showing his decorated cookie.

Can you tell he's been taking bites of the frosting?

Shooting Sports

Miss S., Rose & Anne are working on perfecting their aim every other Saturday using air rifles and bows & arrows. No pictures.

Arts & Crafts

The arts & crafts leader is also the Cloverbud leader. She is lovely. On the Arts & Crafts side, she has arranged for 4-H members to paint pottery at a local studio which was then fired. Anne was sick for this activity. Rose painted a Halloween monster mug.

The other activity they had was to decorate t-shirts. They used iron-on pictures, puff paints, jewels, and more, to jazz up the plain white tees. The end results were crazy!

Cooking

Rose & Anne have experimented with pancakes. Their leader had them try different kinds of flours and rising agents. They also made some sweet potato pancakes and vegan pancakes. Then they tasted all the varieties to see the differences.

For their meeting just before Christmas, they baked all sorts of cookies. Their leader told them to pick out any recipe, but no chocolate chips allowed! She wanted them to try new things. Anne made sugar cookies and Rose made toffee bars. Rose's toffee bars were Excellent! She used the recipe that I used growing up and the bars turned out delicious. Poor Anne's cookies were not so good. In all the excitement of baking, she forgot to add the baking soda, and the baking powder. It is amazing the difference that a teaspoon of each can make!

Sewing

Rose & Anne have done nothing. The youth sewing instructor they had last year did not return. The main sewing instructor, who took all the advanced sewers last year, flat out refused to take any new students. So the girls were left with no instructor. Except, I know a little about sewing and my leader status finally went through... So I volunteered to be the sewing instructor for my girls and any other potential sewers/quilters. We haven't done anything yet. We will have our first meeting in January.

Photography

Rose & Anne have been meeting once or twice a month with the photography leader. She is helping them become familiar with the cameras, teaching them how to set up shots, and other photography related things. One of the things she has stressed is the need to Practice, Practice, Practice!

Here is evidence of the girls' practicing:

Photos of Desert Flora at local park

Photos at Wal-m's Garden Center

I think they are off to a good start. :)

Say What?

2011-12-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

I took Joe and Anne to see the pediatrician for their annual check-up. This is their first Well Child Check with this doctor. Doc wanted to do a TB test on both kids. They were less than thrilled, but bravely held still for the nurse to administer the skin test.

Two days later we returned to the Doc's office to have the tests read. Joe and Anne both tested positive for TB. Hooray! The nurse was quite taken aback. I told her that their dad always tests positive too. The nurse started laughing then. "Lucky them!" she said. "They never have to get that yucky skin test again." I agreed. They are lucky kids! Hahaha!

Anyone who has ever tested positive knows that the next step is a chest x-ray. The x-ray shows if the individual really has TB or if they are a false-positive-reacting-type person.

So we head downstairs to the imaging lab. The gal at the front directs me to sign in on the "Walk-In" side. I ask her how long the wait is. She tells me about thirty minutes. I say alright, we'll go ahead and do this now. And I sign in. Then I have this odd conversation with her...

Gal: "You can sit down." (pause) "I call you right now."

Me: "You'll call me right now? Great!" (and I stand there smiling at her)

Gal: (looking at me weird) "You can go sit down. I call you right now."

Me: (still standing there) "Oh good. Here's my insurance card. Did you want my driver's license too?"

Gal: (slightly exasperated for reasons unknown to me) "No. You go sit down. I call you right now."

Me: "Wait. What? You want me to go sit down?"

Gal: "Yes." (smiling cause she thinks I understand what she is saying now) "You go sit down. I call you right now to get your information."

Me: "What? You'll call me right now. Well, I'm here. Here's my information." (and I try to give her my insurance card again)

Gal: (looking exasperated again) "No. Go sit down. I call you right now."

Me: (really feeling confused because why in the world am I going to sit down when she is calling me right now) "Why would I sit down? You said you are calling me right now."

Gal: "Yes. Right now I call you. Go sit down."

Me: (comprehension slowly dawning on me) "You keep telling me you'll call me 'right now'. 'Right now' means this very instant. Is that what you mean? That you are calling me 'right now'? Or do you mean something else? How long do you mean when you say 'right now'?

Gal: (looks like she is trying to be patient with me cause I obviously don't understand plain English) "Yes. Right now. Like five minutes I call you right now. Go sit down and I call you right now."

Me: (feeling really confused) "Oh. Okay, we'll just go sit down."

Gal: (sighs in relief that I have finally left her counter)

My Dear Friends, Can one of you please explain to me when the meaning of "Right Now" changed from "this very instant" to "In five minutes"?

Hahahaha!!!

Living in the town I live in, I should be used to the idiosyncrasies that exist. But I tell you, this "right now" one is brand new to me. :)

Autumn Catch-Up, Part 3

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Grammy and Grand (my mom and dad) came for Joe's baptism. We were all very happy to see them. At one point during the visit, Grammy made a comment about us coming to visit them and spend the night at their house. I didn't think anything of it...until Monday morning. Cakes had his backpack stuffed full of underwear, socks, pajamas, shirts, shorts, and shoes. He even packed his toothbrush! He had interpreted Grammy's comment as a personal invitation to spend the night with her. He was sure that she was coming to pick him up soon. I tried explaining to him that she was not coming to get him today. After thinking it over, he decided to carry the backpack with him so he would be ready when Grammy came.

Cakes checking the mail, Jim right behind

Autumn-time in our town means the arrival of Hot Air Balloons! Our town has an annual balloon festival. The skies before and after are filled with hot air balloons getting ready for the festival. It is a beautiful sight to behold.

Lone hot air balloon

I have been teaching preschool in my home for the past few months. My students were Cakes, Miss S, and two neighborhood boys--T & D. I threw a little party for them a few days before Halloween. Unfortunately, D was sick! His mom left a message saying he had been throwing up. I thought he had the flu. His mom told me later that he had been to his brother's Halloween party the night before and got a ton of candy which he promptly sat down and ate...ALL OF IT! That's why he was sick! Hahaha! Poor guy. What a terrible way to learn the valuable lesson of Moderation in All Things.

Here are the kids who weren't sick. They wore costumes, ate cupcakes, played, told spooky stories, and generally had a good time.

Miss Nita: princess vampire, T: Tigger, Cakes: ninja, Jim waiting

patiently for his cupcake while his mom takes a picture

Rose, Anne, Joe, Prof. X, and Miss S are members of 4-H. This is my kids second year in and Prof. X and Miss S's first year. Members of 4-H are required to do so many hours of service each year in order to qualify for fair. This year we opted to do "Trick-or-Treat-So-Others-Can-Eat". I'm a certified 4-H leader (only took a year to get my paperwork finished. Grrr.) so I organized the service project around my schedule and my home. It was great! So convenient. :)

In addition to my kids, about eight other kids showed up. On the last Tuesday of October, we passed out flyers detailing the food drive. On the following Saturday, we went door to door collecting food. We ended up getting a few hundred pounds of dry and canned food donated. Rose and I took all the food the our town's community food bank.

4-H members, with Cakes & Miss Nita improperly using their pillowcases.

Part of the haul. The truck bed was filled by the time we were done.

Thanks to everyone in our neighborhood for donating so generously!!

And then it was Officially Halloween!! The kids were allowed to wear their costumes to school. They were so excited! Look at all that red. The kids did not plan that. Just a happy coincidence.

Anne: Devil girl, Prof. X: Red Ninja, Rose: Red Riding Hood

Poor Joe threw up the night before. He had to stay home and miss his class party. I thought he would be really bummed. That sicko didn't even mind! The thought of eating candy made him want to die!

Joe chilling out on the couch. Happy to watch cartoons and NOT eat candy.

That night we had a party. On Sunday the kids and I hand delivered invites to the neighbors on our adjoining streets. We invited them to our house for hot dogs and chili. When we lived in Mesa, our neighborhoods used to have block parties. In the first neighborhood we lived in (remember--we lived in two different houses in Mesa. A small 3-bedroom then we upgraded to a small 4-bedroom.) one neighbor would have a hot dog roast on Halloween. Every one in the neighborhood was invited to come to his front yard and eat. Lots of neighbors stopped by to eat and visit. It was wonderful! In our second Mesa neighborhood our street had a block party once a year. We counted it as our neighborhood watch party. Since our house was in the middle of the street, our driveway became the home of the party for three years. It was wonderful!!! It was a chance for neighbors to get to know one another. I knew every neighbor on that street and they knew me. It makes a difference!! There is a certain bond that develops when neighbors know each other. They start to care for and watch out for each other. Lend helping hands and so on.

Hubby and I were hoping to cultivate a neighborhood bond on our new streets. We have lived here for three years and have yet to see some of the neighbors. Wanting to remedy the situation, we invited the neighbors for dinner Halloween night. We had hot dogs, buns, ketchup, mustard, relish, jalapenos, diced onions, chili with beans, potato salad, lemonade, and water bottles. Basically, we had a ton of yummy Halloween food!!

Joe wanted to see the neighbors. We donned his transformer costume and hung out in the front yard. I managed to get Jim's D.J. Lance costume on, but the boy hated it! Not that he has anything against D.J. Lance. Jim loves that guy! Jim's problem is with changing clothes in general. He does not like the transition from one outfit to the next. It is kind of funny and kind of annoying at the same time. By the end of the evening, Jim did not want to take the costume off.

Jim and Joe waiting for neighbors to arrive.

Rose, Joe, Anne, neighbor M, Miss Nita, Cakes, & Hubby

waiting for the hot dogs to finish on the grill.

Cakes helping pull the cooler to the drinks table while Hubby grills hot dogs.

Hubby grilling up a ton of hot dogs.

Rose's dear friend Sarah and Prof. X

Miss Nita and Cakes chowing down

Neighbor M showing her empty basket

Neighbor boys coming to chow down.

Considering this was our first attempt at throwing a neighborhood block party, I think we did alright. Some neighbors were vary wary of us. Others could not quite believe that we weren't charging for the hot dogs. There are a few things that we will do differently next year. But overall, it was a good event! We met several neighbors and had a great time eating and visiting, which is exactly what we wanted! :)

Moving on from Halloween...

Cakes has been in that weird transition phase for about a year where he doesn't want naps, but still kind of needs them some days. It has been hectic at times. It has also been hilarious at times. Cakes will insist that he is not tired, but then I will find him conked out in the funkiest positions. One example is him snoozing at Joe's baptism. Here is another zany position. I'm including both shots to give the full effect. I sure love this little boy!

Joe's Baptism!

2011-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

Joe was baptized on a Saturday in October 2011. He is now an official member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It was an exciting day. Many family members traveled for many hours to attend Joe's baptism and show their support. It was lovely seeing all of them. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Joe in his new suit, pre-baptism. Isn't he such a handsome and happy little boy?!

Joe with his parents (me & Hubby!)

Three Generations: Joe, Hubby & Papa

Joe sans jacket

Joe up-close

I tried to use this opportunity to take family photos. I figured it would be easy since my children would be dressed nicely and there would be extra adults around to take the picture and help ensure every kid was smiling and looking in the same direction. The family picture idea was a fail. We did manage to get 1 decent picture, but I don't want to use it because Cakes and Jim aren't facing the camera and Rose is in the middle of licking her lips.

Only decent shot of my darling family

I also tried taking individual head shots. Surely if only one person was involved I could get a picture with that person looking at the camera and smiling. Wrong. The kids either 1) would not hold still or 2) gave me weird half-smiles half-grimaces. On the bright side, I did get some good candid shots. Just nothing I could use for a Title Page in the kids' memory books.

Cakes flying around the front yard.

Jim being held in place by me.

Cakes chilling by Hubby's feet

Our Stake Primary Presidency was in charge of the baptism set-up, so we didn't have to leave our house until twenty-til. It was great not having to worry about showing up early to fill the font, set out chairs, play prelude music. Our only job was to Show Up! Hooray!

There were four other kids being baptized. The cultural hall was pretty packed with all five children's family members. I have no idea why, but it appears that I did not take any pictures of Joe & Hubby in their pre-baptism whites.

It was wonderful seeing my dear Joe baptized. I am so happy that he made the decision to accept Jesus and follow his commandment to be baptized. It was also thrilling to then see him confirmed a member of the Church and receive the Holy Ghost. Both ordinances were done by Joe's father (Hubby!).

About twenty minutes in to the baptism service, Cakes fell asleep. All that running around before the baptism and not holding still for pictures tuckered the little guy out. Best part of Cakes falling asleep: the odd position of his body! Check it out...

After the baptism, my parents took loads of pictures of the extended family that showed up. I'm hoping to get copies of those soon. The pictures I took afterwards were of my darling son.

Just looking at this picture is filling me with so many emotions! Astonishment that my son is old enough to be baptized. Nostalgia thinking of the sweet baby boy he was and how much he has grown. Pleasure in knowing that he has a strong testimony. Pride in his striving to always choose the right. Sadness that time seems to be slipping by so fast. And through it all I have an overwhelming love and admiration for this sweet, sweet boy!

I am thrilled that Heavenly Father sent this choice son to me. I am humbled that he would entrust me with the great responsibility of nurturing and guiding such a stalwart soul as Joe. I am so happy to be a part of his life!!!

Autumn Catch-Up, Part 2

2011-12-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Every October our licensing agency throws a party for their families. They don't call it a Halloween party because some foster families don't celebrate holidays. Instead they call it a Fall Party and encourage kids to dress up if they want. The highlight of this party for me is the quilts! A local quilting group donates small quilts to be given to foster families to use with their kids. This year they gave our big family two quilts. The one pictured in the background below and another one that is shades of green.

Miss Nita, the princess vampire

Prof. X as a red ninja, Joe as a Cub Scout (he had a scout meeting right after the party)

Anne as a devil, Miss S trying to get out of the shot, Rose as little red riding hood

Miss S as a party girl, Cakes as a white ninja

I just have to record two little notes about Miss S.

1) She completely dislikes having her picture taken. As soon as she sees a camera pointed in her direction, she will turn her head or walk away. I have lots of pictures of the back of her head and her rump as a result. This picture is another example. As her foster Mom, I am required to keep a memory book together for her. Do you think if I filled it with all the shots I have of her backside she might finally give in and let me take a shot of her face???

2) Her costume is a dress she wore to her friend's quinceanera. I insisted she have sleeves on the dress. It is a standard in our home (and in the LDS church) that sleeves be worn. It didn't even occur to me to talk about the skirt length. Haha! She had told me that she only liked to wear long dresses, so I thought we were alright with that dress standard and didn't give her the lecture on modest dress length. Turns out we have different ideas about what constitutes a "long" dress.

Jim loved this game which involves throwing balls to knock things down. He played

for about fifteen minutes straight...until some other kids showed up and wanted a turn.

The little boy pitched a fit! He did not want to give up his turn.

Cakes manning the water spout. I have no idea what the purpose of this water spout

(which only sprays downward) is or who thought it was a good idea to put it in the middle

of a sandy playground, but Cakes (and every other child who comes across it) use it

in a kind of King-of-the-Mountain way, spraying anyone who dares come close!

Hubby watching Jim knock things down.

In the midst of the October fun, my dear friend moved away. Something about wanting to live in a place that had "four seasons". Pssh! Who needs four seasons? They obviously don't realize that four seasons means snow, sleet, ice, and hail. Yuck. The dear woman was actually looking forward to all that cold. Poor woman, she has obviously lost her mind. ;)

Joe and Cakes adored her children. And my friend was Cakes preschool teacher last year. Cakes loves her! He will do anything she says. Because of her, Cakes began saying "Excuse Me" after his huge, on-purpose burps.

The night before they moved, we went over to say goodbye and take a few pictures.

Joe saying goodbye to his buddy.

Cakes playing with the E girls one more time.

The very next day, Joe was baptized!!! But I think that warrants its very own post. :)

Autumn Catch-Up, Part 1

2011-12-06T13:16:00.001-08:00

Autumn is drawing to a close and I am feeling motivated to catch-up this blog. So be prepared for picture overload in:

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Blast Off!!!

Prof. X guarding the tubes

Hubby has wanted to do a "float down" on the Colorado River since we moved to town in 2008. We go to the river frequently to play and swim, but never just float down. It took a bit of work for Hubby to convince me that all ten members of our family should participate.

A gal from Hubby's office loaned us a bunch of tubes. We went the last Friday of September, leaving as soon as Hubby got home from work.

Joe, Miss Nita, Prof. X, Anne (love that pose!) & Cakes

Long story short: It is a dumb idea to start a float down at 6:30 pm with kids who are afraid of the dark. Factor in that water gets colder as it gets darker and that river-bank-trees look super-spooky in the moonlight and yeah...it was not the best idea. :(

But look how happy we were to start. Haha!

Missionaries scarfing lunch

We signed up to feed the missionaries on the Saturday of General Conference. They asked if they could come for lunch instead. We said sure. We decided to make fancy sandwiches. Saturday morning the missionaries called, asking if they could bring another pair with them. We said sure. They called back a few minutes later, could they bring another pair? Sure! we said. We ended up with eight missionaries for lunch. It was hilarious! I jokingly told them they were lucky we are used to feeding so many people. The Sisters gave us this note of apology. Hilarious!!!

Autumn brought new bikes for a few family members. Since I broke my tailbone twice in the last few years, I had decided not to ride a bike again. I gave my fantastic bike to Rose as soon as she was tall enough to ride it. She was thrilled to get that bike. She has been eyeing it since she was six! I have been happily walking since.

Hubby decided a year ago that I needed to get over it and start riding again. I told him the desire to not ride a bike ever again was not out of fear. This was not a "fall off the horse and get right back on" situation. It was a physical thing. My tailbone did not like me riding a bike.

Well, we celebrated out 14th anniversary this year and Hubby bought me a bike. He justified it by the fact that I was finally able to sit through our whole church meeting without my tailbone dying. He said that proved my rump was healed. :P~~ to him! Haha! It is a very pretty bike though and it begged me to ride it and you can't tell a bike that is begging you to ride it that you will not, in fact, be riding it because that will make your pretty new bike cry. True story. The bike cried until I rode it. And it turns out Hubby was right. My tailbone is doing better. Of course, the padded seat helped quite a bit.

Hubby took us to the park for a family bike ride at the conclusion of General Conference.

Miss S, Miss Nita, and Me!

Anne has grown several inches over the last year and a half. Her old bike was a few sizes to small for her. She was thrilled to pick out her a new bike. She chose a beach cruiser. FUN!

Anne cruising around on her new bike

Joe's bike was too small too! It is crazy how much my kids have been growing lately. They have all experienced amazing growth spurts this year.

Joe posing on his new bike

After riding bikes, we played!

Jim enjoying the swings. He insisted on sitting in this giant swing. He was quite offended when Hubby placed him in a baby swing. Goofy kid. :)

Cakes and Joe posing on top of a giant rock

Jim trying to fly a plane

Prof. X, Miss Nita, & Anne trying to see who barfs first

Our ward had a kickball-picnic party in early October. One of the ward buildings in town has a softball field, so we headed down there for an evening of fun. There were several families who came to participate.

Anne climbing an outfield tree

Running for the ball

The very next day, Joe turned EIGHT!!! How exciting! Since we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this meant two things for the dear boy...Baptism & Cub Scouts. Hooray!

Joe-It's Great to be Eight!

Close up of my darling boy

On your birthday you get to pick your favorite foods for breakfast, dinner, and dessert. These were Joe's requests:

Breakfast = French toast, sausage, milk
Dinner = Green chili chicken enchiladas, salad, refried beans
Dessert = Cheesecake and sherbert

The dessert choice was hilarious. Joe is expanding his horizons and trying new things. Instead of choosing his favorite dessert, he chose cheesecake and sherbert because he had never had them before! He told me he wanted to start out this year trying new things. That's fine by me. I l-o-v-e cheesecake!

Joe's birthday dessert

The following Wednesday, Joe started Cub Scouts. Now, anyone who knows me well knows that I adore the Cub Scout program. It is one of my favorite places to serve, if not THE favorite. I am so excited that my little guy gets to participate in this great program.

I couldn't decide which picture of my boy in his uniform I liked better, so I put them both in. Mother's prerogative. ;)

Joe in his spiffy uniform

This picture makes me happy and sad at the same time!

Happy because look how adorable my boy is.

Sad because look how big he has gotten! My little boy is growing up so fast!!!

And as you may have noticed, Joe got braces. Anne got some too. That's right people...I have two kids in braces at the same time.

Joe started out with spacers to make room for an RPI. Rose had one when she was about his age, but that orthodontist called it "an appliance".

Joe's Spacey Smile

An inside peak at his spacers

The orthodontist only kept the RPI in for a few weeks. Then he put braces on my boy. He is using the Damon System which uses wires and braces to stretch and reform the mouth in a more natural way. I watched a video on the process. It is quite amazing! I'm sure glad that my kids won't have to go through an orthodontic ordeal like their Dad did. For a look at Joe in his braces, see the above Cub Scout pictures.

The orthodontist started Anne out with braces. He's using the Damon System with her too. Poor Anne's teeth are trying to grow in sideways (facing her tongue) instead of straight down. The orthodontist started with braces on the upper teeth only. He is going to add lower braces in a couple of weeks.

Head shot of Anne's braces

Close-up of Anne's braces

See how her teeth are turning in? Our lovely orthodontist is going to fix that.

Look for Autumn Catch-Up, Part 2 in the near future. :)

Finding the Good in All Things...

2011-11-08T22:48:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite books is "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom. It is an excellent story. I especially appreciate the message to be grateful for all the things that come into your life, no matter how horrible they may seem.

I have been a foster parent for several years now. I have had wonderful experiences and terrible experiences. But today, I experienced a first.

Today we discovered that Miss Nita had lice.

Now, with Corrie ten Boom's story in mind, I am trying really hard to find something to be grateful in regards to the lice. This is what I've got so far:

I am grateful that only Miss Nita had lice. I checked and double-checked every person's head in my household. Then I triple-checked using a magnifying glass that came in the little Get-Rid-of-Lice Kit I had just purchased. The rest of us are lice and lice-egg free.

I am grateful that Wal-greens is so close to my house. And I am extremely grateful that they had seven boxes of the all-in-one kits in stock.

I am grateful that five of the ten people in my house are males with short, short hair. They will be so much easier to de-lice!

I am grateful that only three of the five females in this house have excessively long hair. I am grateful that I am one of those three, so Hubby is stuck doing my hair, which means I only have to de-lice four gals!

I am grateful that the de-licing of nine out of ten family members is purely precautionary and not because they have lice. The pharmacist and my mother concur that if one person in the house has lice, everyone has to get the treatment...just in case. That is fine by me. I am always happier being extra precautionary.

I am grateful that my family jumped into action to help sanitize the bedding, stuffed animals, towels, and so forth.

I am grateful that my new washer and dryer have built in Sanitize functions that will blast any hiding bugs to smithereens.

I am grateful my friend who watched Miss Nita, Cakes, and Baby Jim this morning so I could get some teacher observation hours in didn't yell at me or call me any bad names when I called to tell her that Miss Nita had lice.

I am grateful that Hubby only freaked out for five minutes.

I have been wanting some time to just focus on cleaning my house. But other things always get in the way. Kids need to be taken places, homework assignments have to be completed, Baby Jim was sick for a few days and just wanted to be held, and so forth. My house has not had a truly deep and thorough cleaning in quite a while. I am grateful that cleaning the house now gets to be a first priority and my kids support that.

I am grateful that Miss Nita won't have to go to preschool for a few days. I'm pretty sure they won't want her back for a while after I tell them she had lice. And I am absolutely certain that I don't want her there since that is where I think she must have gotten the lice from in the first place. I mean really...the only places she goes without us is to preschool and visits with her parents.

I am grateful that Miss Nita's Mom noticed the lice at their visit today. I thought Miss Nita just had dandruff. When the weather starts getting cold, myself, Hubby, and a couple of our kids get dry scalps for a couple of weeks. Using Head and Shoulders always fixes the problem promptly, so I don't usually think much of it. I am grateful that Miss Nita's Mom recognized the little bugs for what they really were.

Well, I think that is enough to be grateful for now. Hubby just got back from de-bugging the vehicles, which means it's my hair's turn to be de-liced.

Wish us luck!!!

Baby-Proof?

2011-10-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to upload any pictures to my blog for a while. It has been quite annoying. I think I've got the problem fixed now. It just required me to switch from internet explorer to google chrome. So now that it is working, I am going to post a ton of pictures that I've been saving. Starting with Baby Jim!

This kid is really testing my baby-proofing skills. One day during the summer, my neighbor rang my bell to return the boy to me. She told me he was standing by our mailbox, waving to her as she drove past. Key word = DROVE! She quickly stopped her car, scooped him up, and returned him to his befuddled mother. Sheesh. I figured that one of the kids must have forgotten to lock the front door. I admonished everyone to remember to lock the door!

Then a few days later I saw this. I took this picture on July 22, 2011. Baby Jim just shy of being fifteen months. Can you believe it?! I sure couldn't. The little rat was jiggling the locks and actually managed to undo one before I caught him. For heaven's sake! I obviously cannot go to the bathroom anymore. Or blink. :S

Differing World Views

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Miss Nita is always asking questions. The darling girl has an insatiable curiosity. This fact, coupled with her life experiences, however, make for some interesting conversations. I want to record some of her world views here so that I will always remember.

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

Hubby and I celebrated our anniversary earlier this month. My kids always enjoy looking through our wedding album on our anniversary. They think it is hilarious that Hubby and I look "so different" now...since we are obviously super-old. ;)

As Miss Nita was looking at our wedding pictures, she asked "Where are Rose and Anne?" I explained that they aren't in the picture because they weren't born yet.

Miss Nita said, "What!? You got married before you had kids? Why would you do that?"

I started to explain, but only got one word out before Miss Nita continued...

"I think you should have waited until after you had your kids because then they could have seen your wedding. Didn't you want your kids to get to see you get married!?"

She went on to lament the fact that my poor kids did not get to see my wedding and how I had deprived them of that experience.

Hubby and I were doing our best not to laugh.

I explained that Hubby and I met before we had kids. I told her that it's okay for people to get married before they have kids and that some people prefer to do things that way.

She was not happy with that explanation.

I tried to console her by pointing out that my kids could always look at the pictures. She guessed that was alright.

Hubby had to leave the room at that point because his laughter was about to erupt.

Just for the record, my children really don't mind that they missed attending their parents wedding. They are content just looking at the pictures. ;)

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

A few days ago, I was at the computer working on homework while Cakes and Miss Nita were coloring. Out of the blue, Miss Nita asked me if Hubby and I were best friends or if we were husband and wife. Without looking up, I told her we were both.

She gasped!

Loudly.

I looked up from the computer and was met with a completely appalled and disgusted Miss Nita. Seriously! It was the funniest face I have seen in a few months.

Anyways, Miss Nita, still looking disgusted with me, informed me that you cannot be both. She confidently stated that you can be best friends OR you can be husband and wife, but you can't be both.

Trying to hold in my laughter (again), I explained that the best kind of marriages are when you marry your best friend. I told her that Hubby is, in fact, both my husband and my best friend.

She just stared at me. And stared. And stared some more.

Finally, she shook her head, gave an exasperated sigh, and went back to coloring.

Hilarious!

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

I almost forgot this last one!

During Miss Nita's first week with me, while Hubby was at work, she asked me if Hubby was my boyfriend. I told her no, Hubby was my husband.

She said, oh. And went back to playing.

A few minutes later, she asked me if Hubby was my husband. I told her yes. We were married and he was my husband.

She responded by asking, "If Hubby is your husband, then who is your boyfriend?"

I told her I didn't have one.

She told me I needed to get one.

I told her that I was married to Hubby. I explained that when you are married that you don't have boyfriends anymore.

She informed me that her Mommy had a boyfriend when she was married so she knows that you are supposed to have boyfriends.

She told me, again, that I needed to get a boyfriend.

I told her I would think about it.

I told Hubby about this conversation when he returned home that night, including my acquiesence to Miss Nita. He just stared at me. And stared. And stared.

Then he informed me that he would be my boyfriend and my husband.

I told him I would think about it. ;)

Regular Visiting Teaching

2011-09-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

I got a new visiting teaching route this month. I have a new companion and new gals to visit. Of the three gals assigned, two had phone numbers listed. Of those numbers, one actually worked. I left a message for that sister. Didn't hear back.

I searched for phone numbers for the other two sisters, but came up empty handed.

So...My new companion and I decided to do scouting visits.

I typed up the message for the month, put a nice "Hello" message at the top along with mine and my companion's phone numbers, and printed it on bright green paper. Bright green paper is lots easier to see than plain old white paper. I figured if no one was home, I'd tape the message to their front door. And once I knew where they lived, I could come back at different times to try and meet each sister.

My new companion picked me up about 9:15 this morning. We stopped at a bakery on our way out and bought a cinnamon roll far each lady. Why? Because Baked Goodies have magical, mystical powers. Some gals do not like surprise visits from church ladies. Some gals find it rude and decide that they do not like you and will never like you and further more they now do not like the church even more. BUT, if those church ladies come to a gal's house bearing baked goodies, they are usually forgiven for their surprise attack and welcomed into the gal's home. As I said, baked goodies are magic!

We got to the first gal's house and had quite an eye-opening experience. I won't go into the details here for obvious reasons. (In case you don't know what the obvious reason is, I will spell it out for you...p-r-i-v-a-c-y.) The thing I will share here is that this gal seems to not have had visiting teachers for YEARS.

The second gal we visited wasn't home. As I was debating whether to tape my message to her garage door or stick it under the windshield wiper of her guy's work truck, a neighbor came to see what we were doing. I explained that I was looking for the gal. He informed me that the truck was his. He was parking it at her house to make it look like someone was still living there. The gal herself had moved out several months earlier. She was now living in a town four hours away.

This gal had only been baptized a year earlier. She should have had super-visiting teachers coming to see her for a year after her baptism to help her with the transition. I don't know what happened there. What I do know is that she has been gone for several months and her visiting teachers failed to report that. Which most likely means that her visiting teachers were not visiting her.

I couldn't believe that these two gals, who so obviously needed the love and support of visiting teachers, were passed over. I expressed my disappointment to my companion. She told me that she really hadn't had visiting teachers the whole time she has lived in this town either. She told me there was one lady who came to see her every so often (not the regular monthly visiting teaching), but that lady (I know for a fact) moved out of our ward over a year ago. This means that my companion hasn't had visiting teachers for over a year! And she is another one who could have really used the love and support of a visiting teacher.

We got to the third gal's house at that point. She was home and invited us in. We had a nice visit. She was so happy to have us in her home. And she was glad to see the treat, but even more excited to see the little handout I had made with our phone numbers on it. She seemed delighted when we told her to call us anytime she needed help.

Since returning home, I have been thinking long and hard about visiting teaching in my life. I try so hard to visit my ladies. I have since I was eighteen years old and was first given the calling of visiting teacher.

The first two years I lived in this ward, I had the same companion, Sister S. She and I tried to do an in-home visit every month. Sister S was kind of shy, so I was the one who usually made the appointments. If the gals we visited weren't available for an in-home visit, I asked them when was a good time for me to call back and just chat. I let them know that I was interested in them and their lives.

Sister S and I had one gal who just wouldn't commit to visits, so we surprise visited her more often than not, bearing baked goodies of course! We would only stay for a few minutes, but we CAME! We did our best to show her that she was important to us.

My companion was moved to a different route during the third year. I was on my own for a few months, but continued to contact my sisters every month. Now there were a couple of times when I was only able to call them because our schedules were crazy, but I contacted them one way or another every month! I can't same the same of the gals who were assigned to visit me. I can probably count on my fingers the number of times a visiting teacher has actually come to my home to visit me or purposely called to visit with me. This is kind of sad considering that I have lived in this same ward for three years. I'm not writing this because I'm mad or feel left out or anything. I know life gets busy. I'm not trying to judge.

I just wonder...what has become of Visiting Teaching?

And what will become of the women who are forgotten and overlooked in my little town?

What's In A Name?

2011-09-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

My sweet Baby Jim is a PUNK!

At the young age of 13 months, he knew that I was "Momma" and Hubby was "Dadda". He called us that for about two weeks.

Then he started calling me "Dadda" and Hubby "Momma". At first I thought he was just confused. Then the boy called me "Dadda" again and started laughing like crazy.

He knew what he was doing. He was calling us the wrong names on purpose. At the tender age of 14 months, he was already developing a sense of humor. He continued, for the next two months, calling me "Dadda" and Hubby "Momma" and laughing every time. He thought he was so clever. You could see it in his eyes.

At 15 months, Miss Nita and Prof. X joined our family. They call me "Sarah". For the last two months, Baby Jim has heard them calling me "Sarah".

Last week, Baby Jim and I were playing. I had looked away for some reason. Baby Jim called to me, "Momma". I was so happy! For an instant I thought, Finally, that boy is going to start calling me "Momma" again. I turned back to look at him. With a mischevious glint in his eyes, the boy then said to me "Sa-ah" and erupted into laughter. That rat has been calling me "Sa-ah" all week and laughing everytime he says it.

In other news, he has gone back to calling Hubby "Dadda". :P

Recovered

2011-08-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

The bike was recovered last night. They brought it to our home about 7:00 pm. Obviously they were able to track down the girl fairly quickly.

Turns out she is 15 years old and attends the same high school as Miss S. The police officer went to the girl's home to talk to her. The bike was out front. The police officer asked the girl's mom about the bike. Mom said the girl said she had found it at a park. And I am wondering:

"Dear Girl's Mom: If you're daughter found a bike at a park, don't you think the owner of the bike is looking for it? Did you really think someone would just abondon such a nice bike?"

Personally, if my kid came home saying they had found a bike, I would do one of two things. 1) Call the police to report that we had found a lost item or 2) Put up flyers around the park to find the owner myself.

So, Mom calls for the girl to come out front. Police officer asks about the bike. Girl says she found it at a park. Officer informs her that he has video showing her stealing the bike from the library.

The police officer told Hubby, Miss S and I this info, along with some more details that I am not including here. The funny thing here is Miss S's reaction. She was a bit flabbergasted that the police officer had not thrown the girl into jail. She kept asking the officer, "What is going to happen to the girl?" She was quite affronted that the girl seems to have gotten completely off for stealing her bike. She felt a bit better when the officer said that after more questioning and a hard look from her mom that the girl started crying. Miss S figures that shows that she is getting into at least a little trouble. Hubby assured Miss S that this is only the beginning of the girl's punishment. She will still have to go to court and will possibly be fined.

Miss S does not think that is good enough. She actually said to the officer, "You really want people like that out walking around? She thought it was okay to steal my bike. She will probably steal again. And you are just going to let her?"

Can I just say, I am really enjoying having Miss S in my home. :)

Stolen

2011-08-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

Miss S and Rose rode their bikes to the library yesterday afternoon. They have done this before and have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There is a grand sense of satisfaction that comes frombeing able to transport one's self from point A to point B. Rose inherited my old bike after I broke my tailbone for the second time. Bicycle seats and fragile tailbones do not mix well. Miss S received her bike about a week ago from her lovely CASA workers.

Upon leaving the library, they discovered that Miss S's bike had been stolen. The lock had been busted off. Rose called from the library to tell us. They had notified the library personnel who called the police. Hubby immediately jumped in his truck to go help. Due to Hubby's profession, he has a few connections that can help in a case like this. Along with filling out the police report, Hubby and the girls were able to watch the video surveillance that shows the bike abduction. And this is where it gets interesting.

The thief looks like a middle school girl. Rose actually saw her in the teen room. The girl was leaving as Rose was entering. Video shows her walking out of the library, looking quite smug, with two guys. Video shows her testing the locks on ALL the bikes in the rack. It shows how she settled on Miss S's lock and busted it off. It shows her straddle-walking the bike away. And it leaves me with three questions:

1) The bike rack is right by the front entrance of the library. Was everyone so oblivious that they couldn't tell that she was trying to steal a bike?

2) What kind of home/friend environment is this kid a part of that she smuggly steals a bike? Seriously? I would like to see that environment.

3) Did the girl honestly not notice all the cameras watching her? And did she not think that "Oh, I was just using the computers in the teen room and had to use my library card to access it and that the card has all my personal contact info"?

Anyhoo, Hubby is in the process of tracking her down. He would have already had her, but there are some protocol issues that he absolutely has to follow. But those should be completed soon and then, Dear Little Punk Girl Who Stole Miss S's Bike: WATCH OUT! We are coming for you. You are not as sneaky as you thought.

Quick Update

2011-08-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. It has been almost three months since I have posted. The non-posting is due to a combination of business and laziness. I think that is most summers can be described as a combination of being busy and being lazy. Haha! Anyhoo, here is a quick update on things we did this summer.

Hubby took Joe and Cakes to Father and Sons. Camping, fires, throwing things, and general male goofiness was had by all.
I studied for and took two AEPA: Elementary Education Subject Knowledge and Professional Knowledge-Elementary Education. I passed them both. (Thank Heavens!!)
Our family recertified to do foster care.
Miss A participated in a dance concert. She performed a hip-hop number with schoolmates. It rocked!
Miss J & Miss L participated in a dance concert. Miss J performed in two group numbers and Miss L performed in one. They were fantastic!
Miss L graduated from high school. It was a crazy day. Miss L went from being super-happy about graduating to freaking out about what she was supposed to do know. The roller coaster of emotions continued throughout the summer. Poor girl!
Rose participated in a band concert. She has played trombone this year. She sounds good...which is saying a lot!
Rose attended band camp. There were four classes each day: Theory, Intermediate First instrument (trombone), Beginning Second instrument (flute), and Choir. They had a concert at the end of camp. It was wonderful.
Miss Q has shown back up in our lives. We are quite relieved by this. She has been wandering for a while. She was able to graduate from high school. We are helping her get started in college (hopefully) and get on her feet. It will be slow work...
Rose, Anne, and Joe won awards for their Top Readers Group at school. They rocked the competition, each receiving awards and prizes for their reading amounts. They were so happy.
4-H had their year end banquet. It was an interesting night. Rose and Anne ended up being elected as Junior Officers for this next 4-H year. Rose will be Junior Vice President and Anne will be Junior Secretary. This will be a good chance for them to experience responsibility in a new way and to develop leadership skills. It will also be a good chance for me to perfect my driving skills as I chaufer them here and there. ;)
I had a birthday. I spent it driving to the San Diego Temple with a friend. It was an excellent way to spend my birthday.
Our whole family plus the Sisters Three attended Hubby's family reunion in Strawberry. We went to Fossil Creek to swim twice, took a hike to Clover Springs, attended a Fourth of July breakfast, played tons of games, and laughed uproarously as my teenage nephew blatantly (and poorly) attempted to flirt with Miss J and Miss L. Good times, people. Good time!
Saw Harry Potter 7, part 2. As expected, the screen writer completely changed the story in disappointing ways. But I am so happy that I saw it because now it is done!!! I never have to watch the wretched movies again. I can stick with the glorious stories that J.K. first wove.
Miss A turned 14. She usually celebrates with her Mom, but was stuck with us due to the circumstances. The goose had quite the list for her birthday. We took her to Chuck E. Cheese, had a chocolate Hannah Montana cake and vanilla ice cream, sang Happy Birthday about fifty million times (each time she blushed and beamed), ate her favorite breakfast of cheesy eggs and her favorite dinner or burritos, had a pinata filled with candy, and watched shows that she wanted to watch. Miss A is quite young at heart. She had a wonderful, wonderful day.
Our family (minus the Sisters Three who were visiting their Mom) drove to San Diego with another family. It was great. Hubby and I attended a Temple Session while the Mom and Dad watched our kids at a park.Then they went to the Temple while Hubby and I took all the kids to the beach. Afterwards we split up. The other family went to Sea World. We took our kids to see the San Diego Temple then went to the Morman Battalion Historical Site. It was a lovely, lovely day.
Physical and Legal custody of the Sisters Three was granted to their dear Mother. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am by that!! Their Mother was so happy she came right over after court, packed up all their things, rented a trailer, gave me a hug, and drove off into (literally) the sunset. The Sisters Three are all doing well and are happy to be with their Mom.
The very next day a sibling set was brought to our home. The girl (Miss Nita) is 4 and the boy (Professor X) is 6. They are cuties!
And the very next week a teenage girl (Miss S) came to live with us too. So we have a full house again. We are in the process of rearranging our home to best accomodate everyone.
I completed four Master classes. That is twelve more credits out of the way. Hooray! Only a year left. :)
Everyone went to the Dentist. It was pathetic. Our teeth are all super clean, but we still got cavities. Only Rose had no cavitities. Hubby has one near an old filling. I have TWO! One near an old filling and one in between my very back teeth...the teeth that are too close together for me to fit a piece of floss through. It is very depressing.
School started again. Joe, Rose, Anne, and Prof. X are in elementary. Miss S is in high school. It is going to be a great school year.
Hubby built me a compost pile. It is 8 foot long, 32 inches deep, and 36 inches tall. It is beautiful.

Currently, I am studying for another AEPA: Middle Schools Social Studies. I think I am going to fail. History is such a broad topic and there are so many interpretations of events, I'm not sure that I will have the "correct" interpretation that the test requires.

I'm also getting ready to teach preschool to Cakes, Miss Nita, and a couple of boys from the neighborhood. It should be fun.

Is it Fair?

2011-05-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

My grades posted today. I earned A's all around. To celebrate, Hubby is taking me on a date. One of my all-time favorite activities is eating. Knowing this, Hubby is planning on taking me out for dinner. Hooray! I like going out to eat. However, it gets expensive, so we don't do it often. Luckily, we have a gift card and the restaurant we're going to is having a cheap 2 entree deal.

The problem is, I still have eight kids that need to eat dinner since they are not invited on the date. I was wracking my brains this morning trying to think of a meal that would require the least amount of effort on my part, but that the kids would still like. After thinking and thinking, it dawned on me...

Ramen Noodle Soup!

My kids all love Ramen Noodle. They beg for it constantly. I usually refuse to make it for them. Personally, I dislike the flavor. And I don't want to make a dinner that I can't/won't eat.

This is their chance to have as much Ramen as they want! And they can even make it themselves, so I don't have to do any extra work at all! Hooray!

But then I started to think..Having my kids make their own dinner and subjecting them to (yucky) Ramen just didn't seem fair. I felt like I was being a lazy Mom going that route.

So then I decided, I better look at this from my kids perspective.

And do you know what my kids would say:

"We get to make our own dinner? YESSSS!!!" (followed by cheers)

"We get to eat Ramen Noodle? Any flavor we want? YESSSS!!!" (followed by cheers)

They are going to be thrilled.

And me, well, I am going to order a dinner with mushrooms. Does that sound fair?? Again, I looked at it from my kids perspective. And my kids would say:

"Mom, are you sure you don't want some Ramen? We can save you a bowl! You don't have to eat mushrooms."

They'll think they are the ones getting the better deal.

Aaah. The joys of youth and undeveloped palates. ;)

ROCK! ON!

2011-05-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

My first semester of graduate classes is officially over.

Final grades are starting to trickle in.

I have the final results from three classes

And guess what!

I ROCK!!!

I earned an "A" in two classes and a "P" in the third.

In the two "A" classes, I scored 100% on all assignments. Holy Smokes Batman! I think all my Mom's mean and ridiculously thorough editing of any paper I ever wrote as a kid has finally paid off! Hahaha! Thanks Mom!

In the "P" class, that was a Pass or Fail only class. A pass only required a 76% or higher. I scored a 99.5%! Mwhahaha!

I like college so much more than I ever liked high school! My grades fare so much better when my grades on based on the actual work I produce and when I only have to attend classes once a week.

High school was tough!

I had to go to class everyday, ALL day!

That might not seem like a big thing, since everyone in America has the same requirement.

However, for this sicky asthmatic kid, getting to school everyday was not an easy thing. And my grades suffered greatly.

So I am thrilled that in college, I am doing well.

Hooray for me!

And Hooray for classes that only meet once a week! :)

Whadda Ya Know!

2011-05-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! A new post only one day later. Whadda ya know! My sister will be so pleased.

Our family attended one of the "fun" activities last night. It was put on by my licensing agency.

It was a rejuvenating experience.

I've been really debating the whole foster parent thing as of late. It is a hard job. It is time for our family to relicense. Relicensing is an involved and time-consuming process. And since I wasn't sure if I even wanted to be a foster parent anymore, I was considering just not filling out any of the paperwork. Just letting my license run out. (That's the avoidance technique in full swing.)

But after last night, I am recommitted to being a foster parent.

It was wonderful being surrounded by other foster parents, just talking, laughing, and enjoying life. They are such an amazing group of people. And I am grateful for their association.

So anyhoo, YES! I have a ton to do.

But I LOVE IT!

I just have to keep plugging along.

Avoidance

2011-05-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

People ask me all the time how I do everything that I do. Usually, I just laugh about that, because it doesn't seem to me that I do anything at all.

But today, I am feeling it.

All the projects I took on...well, they are all being very demanding this month. This week and next are, in particular, going to be rough.

And how will I deal with it?

Avoidance.

Avoidance is my friend. You see, if I ignore a problem long enough, it magically disappears.

True story.

So today, when the world seems to be crashing down on me...I am ignoring it all and instead writing to YOU on this lovely little blog of mine.

Isn't it wonderful? :)

And just for my own sanity, that is the sanity that I hope to regain sometime soon, I need to list a few of the things I've got going so that I will remember better next time and hopefully, not take on so many projects at once.

Things I've got Going on:

1) Mom to five kids

2) Volunteering for Anne's field trip: something about making dinner for the entire third-grade class and their families...

3) Trying to keep Baby Jim from killing himself. He has learned how to walk and climb and open front doors and be super quiet as he moves faster than light. (I think he might be part weeping angel. Seriously people!! I blink and things get scary!!!)

4) Teaching piano to Rose, Anne, and Joe. Trying to get them to practice and doing my best not to cuss them out after hearing chopsticks and heart and soul for the millionth time. Again, seriously people! I almost cussed at my kids! :(

5) Supporting Hubby as he transitions to a new position while still working the old position.

6) Dealing with a professor who does not know how to properly put together an assignment.

7) Finals week!!! With two finals from the prof. who doesn't know how to give a proper assignment.

By the way, a proper assignment clearly outlines what the teacher wants to see and is perfectly aligned with the way it will be graded. And it should be based on something that was actually covered in YOUR class!

8) Foster appointments out the wazoo. Can I just tell you that NO ONE should get into foster care unless they are ready to commit to it as a full-time job. I am on the phone for hours a day, trying to arrange appointments, contacting this person or that. There are medical appointments, dental appointments, counseling appointments, independent living appointments, CFT meetings, DDD meetings, IEP meetings, and then there are the "fun" activities we are supposed to attend to show our foster kids a good time, except that my foster kids are teenagers and think most of these activities are completely lame, but we still have to go.

9) Dealing with Foster kids, who are lovely girls, but still teenagers. And teenagers, at their best, are still teenagers. And I don't feel that needs any further explanation. ;)

10) Rose has band concerts and competitions, and a class field trip coming up.

11) Driving to Phoenix next week for Foster medical appointment. Drove to Tucson last week. That was a killer day.

There is more going on, except I think I have avoided my homework long enough.

I had better get back to it...before the Babe wakes up from his mid-day nap.

Wish me luck.

I will try to get back to posting regularly at some point.

Key word there: Try.

Church Happenings

2011-04-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

I just got home from church five minutes ago. I had a wonderful time at church. The services were uplifting, the music beautiful. I spoke to many people that I haven't had a chance to talk to in several months. I led the music in Primary and spoke to the children and the leaders there. When the meetings ended, I took my time exiting, stopping to talk with a few more people.

This is all wonderful because an hour before church began, my head was KILLING! Allergies had attacked Hubby and I. Our sinuses ached, our heads throbbed. So we both took a couple Excedrin an hour before church, praying that the medicine would kick in soon. Hubby's started working after only thirty minutes. Mine took a little longer. In the meantime, I could feel my blood sugar dropping. Not wanting to add that mess of symptoms to my already pounding head, I grabbed a cookie...a Pecan Sandie to be exact. To be safe, I ate a second. My blood sugar stabilized just as the Excedrin kicked in. I felt great all through the block of church. I had been blessed and I was grateful.

And then I got home. And I went to the bathroom. Then I washed my hands. And as I washed my hands, I happened to look up into the mirror. And do you know what I saw??? A little piece of pecan stuck at the gum line in between my two top front teeth. Do you hear what I am saying?!?!?! There was a piece of food in my teeth during the entire church block. A dark brown piece of food. A very OBVIOUS piece of food. And no one said anything to me!!!

Aaaaah!! I am so ticked. I am so embarrassed!

I don't know if people just didn't see it? But I don't see how they couldn't! So did they see it and just felt too embarrassed themselves to say anything to me? Or maybe they just didn't really look at me when we were talking? I just don't know.

Aaack!

All I do know is that it is a good thing I am not a teenager anymore. If I was, I would probably die right now from embarrassment and never attend church again.

As it is, I am mature enough to not die AND to still go to church again next week. I'm even mature enough to keep talking to the people who didn't tell me that there was gunk in my teeth without wishing them bodily harm. Haha! I am so glad I'm not a teenager anymore.

Lesson from today, Triple-check your teeth before leaving the safety of your home. ;)

February in Review

2011-03-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

For such a little month, February was sure jam-packed with adventures, projects, and excitement! From start to finish, all 28 days, our family was busy, busy, busy. So what did we do?? Too much to record here!

But here are some of the highlights:

Hubby and I became the proud pseudo-parents to three gorgeous sisters. Miss L is 17, Miss J is 15, and Miss A is 13. This is a long-term placement. I couldn't have asked for nicer girls to join my family. I think I'll call them the "Sisters Three".
Elementary School Pictures for Joe, Anne, and Rose.
Doctor appointments, counselling appointments, court hearings, etc. for the Sisters Three.
Awards Banquet for Miss A. Hubby took her. They both got all dressed up and Hubby treated it like a Daddy-Daughter Date. Miss A beamed the whole time. She was so happy.
4-H Meetings and Projects. Fair is just around the corner!
Favorite Foods Contest for Joe, Anne, and Rose.
Hubby completed the TV Bookcase that I designed.
Trimming trees, digging water holes, planting a garden.
5K Fun Walk! All Blue family members participated.
New church calling for Hubby.
My Masters of Education program hits full swing. I've spent countless hours reading about methods, techniques, theories. And countless hours writing up lesson plans according to this instructor's criteria or that instructor's. It will be nice when I only have to use one format.
Teaching loads of songs to the Primary kids. I'm still loving this calling.
New Glasses for Rose, Miss A, and Miss J.
Dentist appointments for all Blue family members. Rose and Joe both earned $10 for having no cavities. Poor Anne and Cakes were tortured as punishment for having cavities. Hopefully, everyone involved has learned their lessons and will respond to the negative/positive reinforcers in the future.
Rose attends Masters Class for Trombone. Very informative class.
More court hearings for the Sisters Three.
Hubby, Rose, Anne, and Joe got to Disneyland and California Adventure! Remember back in September that I won a four-pack of 2-day passes? Well, they have officially been put to good use. Hubby thought we all should go. I absolutely did not want to though! Fortunately, I had common sense and frugality on my side and got to stay home. Just so we're clear on this, I am not a ride kind of person. I am a great person to take to Disneyland with you if you are planning on taking your kids. I will be happy to stay by the strollers or hold babies while you go on crazy, vomit-inducing rides. I will wave and smile. It really made more sense for me to just stay home. And I had a lovely time. :) Cakes, Jim, and I took the Sisters Three out for dinner and then to see "I am Number Four". FUN!!
Allergy Shots begun and Caveman Diet concluded. The results of the Diet:

I am not allergic to Oats. Hooray!
I am not allergic to Eggs.
I am allergic to Milk in large quantities. One glass is alright. Or one bowl of creamy soup. But no more.
I am allergic to Cheese. My allergist thinks it's the mold of the cheese that is the problem. I'm okay with a teeny, weeny, little bit.
I am not allergic to Corn. But am allergic to Popcorn. How does that even work???
I am not allergic to Wheat...kind of. I'm alright in low quantities, but my body doesn't like to process to much at a time. Weird!
I am allergic to Yeast. A lot. So I'm pretty much avoiding that. Except that I love bread. :(
I am not allergic to Soy.
I am allergic to Walnuts and Pecans. But I already knew that. Still, it was nice to test those out again. I haven't eaten either of those in years! My kids were excited to watch me test the nuts...Until my throat started itching and my eyes started watering, then it wasn't so fun to watch me.
I am allergic to Apples, but only certain kinds. I can pretty much tell just by sniffing them if I'll be alright eating them.
I am allergic to Carrots. But I already knew that too! Carrots are one of those weird things that I am allergic to in Raw form, but can eat when cooked.

And that's about it. Factor in parental visits for the Sisters Three, chauffeuring kiddos to and from various appointments & school activities, and rocking the Baby Jim to sleep in the afternoons and you can see why I haven't posted in a while. :)

I'm not Lazy, I'm just Messed Up!

2011-02-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

For many years now, I have thought myself a lazy person. I needed a solid nine hours of sleep each night and often still needed an hour long nap in the afternoon. Even with all this sleep, I would get tired easily. I couldn't do too much labor intensive work or I would be wiped out. It was no big deal to me. I figured it was just because of my asthma. I have been precluded from many activities due to asthma. I came to terms (mostly) with that when I was a teenager.

I thought I was just made to be a lazy person. We are all given some ucky things to deal with in this life. I decided that asthma and laziness where mine. I came up with ways to cope with this, to work around the weaknesses.

I've done pretty well.

However, I've come to learn in the last four weeks that I AM NOT LAZY!!

I've been taking some Thyroid meds for a couple years now. They have not done a thing for me. I've learned with my asthma that no change is often a good thing. So I just kept taking them.

Except, over the holidays, I talked to my sister in law Kay. She and my sister have the same Thyroid diagnosis problems, which are opposite of mine. Anyhoo, Kay and I were talking and she was telling me how the Doctors were trying to figure out which dosage of X medicine was the right dosage for her, but in the meantime she was SO TIRED and felt SO LAZY. After talking with her I wondered if maybe my dosage wasn't the right one.

So, after all the ENT appointments dealing with my Sinuses, my Doctor started playing with my thyroid dosage.

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!

The change in me is AMAZING!

I can sleep for SEVEN hours and feel great!

I don't need naps in the afternoon!

I don't get ginormous headaches in the afternoon!

I have energy to get my work done and to play with my kids!

And after I have worked hard, I don't just want to lie down and die anymore!!!

My doctor adjusted the dosage about three months ago, but it took a while to get all through my system and for the changes in my body to take place. What a difference!

It really hit home about four weeks ago. My new dosage had run out and I was waiting for a refill in the mail. I had about two weeks between the two. I had still had some of the old dosage and thought, well, I better just take the old dosage so that I at least have a little of the drug in my body. It only took a week on the old dosage for all the good changes to go away. I'm actually quite grateful for that backslide!! It proved unequivacally to me that...

I AM NOT LAZY! My body is just a bit Messed Up!

I have my refill now and the changes kicked back in. It is so, so nice to know that I'm not lazy. It is so nice to know that a small adjustment in medicine can make such a huge difference.

Thank Heavens for Modern Medicine! It is truly one of the best blessings in my life. :)

4-H Values

2011-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Our family joined 4-H this past year. It is a great organization and my kids are having a wonderful time.

One of the requirements for showing at Fair is attendance at Community Club meetings. At these meetings the business of the particular 4-H club is conducted. Reports are made on things like how much money has gone out of the club and how much money has come in, events that are coming up, service opportunities available, and so on.

Recently, they have started reporting our members' results at various animal shows. Attending these shows has been quite the eye-opener for me. "How so?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you...

When showing swine, beef, or lamb, you strut that animal all around a ring, showing off the animals to the judges and audience. The judges look at the size of the body. They watch how the animal carries itself, how it walks, how it stands. They judge their personality and demeanor.

The animals are then taken back out of the ring by their handlers. The judges then "call-back" the animals that they liked. Those animals walk the ring again while the judges scrutinize their every move. This process goes on and on until finally the judges declare a winner. A winning animal is worth a lot of money. That animal is quite a prize!

What's so astounding about this process...

It is just like the try-outs/auditions for actors, models, Miss America, and more! In particular, it reminded me of the musical "A Chorus Line".

Now, I feel that I must make a disclaimer. I am not trying to belittle anyone. I'm not bringing this up to bag on anyone or any organization. Frankly, I love watching the Miss America pageant every year. Mostly, I love see the gorgeous gowns and imagine how I could make them for myself but modest. Haha!

The reason I'm posting this is that I am amazed a the similarities between the two processes. Anyone who really knows me knows that I love to see how things are connected. To see how things have evolved over time. It seems to me that the one process evolved from the other. Can't you just picture the original casting directors--people who had maybe grown up attending Fair and seeing how the animals were judged--adjusting that type of judging to fit their own purposes? Because that's what I see!

I wonder if that's how it actually happened. So interesting!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another great thing from 4-H: it is teaching my kids wonderful values and skills.

For example, one girl proudly reporting how she did in a show said:

"Well, I showed my goat at XYZ Show. I didn't place. But I didn't get last place like last year either."

We all clapped and cheered for her. It was great! She might not have won, but she was getting better and that's what counted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, our family is getting ready for Fair. It is crazy! We aren't doing animals this year. Thank goodness! I don't think I could have handled all the time and effort required for an animal. I'm too busy with my dear children. :)

We do have projects that have to be finished though. Anne and Rose are sewing their hearts out to have their quilts ready. Joe and the girls are all testing recipes to see which will be best to enter. They have a pre-Fair contest coming up next week for cooking. Anne and Rose are in the same category, but they're being good sports about it. They are just hoping that one of them places and they don't care which one. Hooray for being good sports! And sweet Joe is in the non-judging category. 4-H doesn't let the little kids be judged. They feel that the little ones can't handle it. I completely agree. My little Joe would be quite discouraged if judges told him his entry was too dry or a bit under-cooked. The bigger kids, while not liking the criticisms, don't get discouraged...they take the criticism as advice and use the information to make their cooking/baking better the next time.

I'll post pictures and results after we finish the contest next week.

We are loving 4-H!!!

Caveman Say Ugh!

2011-01-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

My previously mentioned diet has been thrown out the window by my lovely allergist. It has been replaced with the "Caveman Diet".

I told that to my Mom and she groaned in sympathy for me.

For those who don't know, when you are on the Caveman Diet you may "eat all you want" of

-Fresh fruits (or frozen if home prepared)

-Fresh vegetables (or frozen if home prepared)

-Broiled, boiled, or baked meat & fish

I may drink all I want of pure fruit juice, pure vegetable juice, and water (bottled or filtered is better)

I may NOT have

-any prepared food products (boxed mixes, etc.)

-cake, cookies, candy, or soft drinks

-any grains or nuts (including rice & soy)

-any dairy products--milk, butter, margarine, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.

-any fruit, vegetable, or meat to which you have been found allergic

-fruit drinks. They contain corn syrup and are NOT allowed

I may have one teaspoon of honey per day.

I really appreciate the upbeat spin they tried to put on this diet by stating that I may "eat all I want" of those three precious food groups.

This is DAY 3 of the Two-Weeks required for this diet.

I don't know if I'll make it...

So far my will-power is holding out.

Actually, I am quite impressed with myself. I have cookies and crackers and bread and chocolate and oats and granola and many other yummy but forbidden foods filling my pantry and fridge. But I haven't succumbed to temptation yet.

Hooray for me.

I just have 11 more days to make it through.

ELEVEN!!!

This CaveGirl says UGH!!!

Decisions, Decisions

2011-01-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

I am so hungry!

But I can't figure out what to eat. In November, when I visited the ENT's office and was diagnosed with more polyps in my sinuses, I was also sent for allergy testing.

I hate allergy testing.

It usually involves a lot of pricking and a very itchy back.

I was fortunate this time. Instead of the back pricks, they tested my blood. Hooray! I just had to sit still while a nice man drew a couple vials of blood.

The results came back a month ago. I had my consultation with the Allergist a week later.

The results, my friends, are not good.

Turns out I am allergic to:

Wheat

Oats

Corn

Soy

Yeast

The yeast is particularly bad. My Allergist recommended that I stay away from it all together. As for the grains, my Allergist suggested that I avoid them for a few months then add them back to my diet one at a time, keeping a couple weeks in between each addition to be sure that there are no adverse effects.

That's right. I am supposed to cut out Wheat and Oats and Corn and Soy! Do you understand???

That means I can't eat Bread, Pasta, Cookies, Cake, Donuts, Rolls, White sauce (it uses flour in the roue), Cream of Wheat, Bagels, Oatmeal, Tamales, Tortillas, Chips, or Tofu.

Now, I am allergic to a lot of things. I have known this for years and years. Dust, molds, trees, pollens, these things practically kill me a couple times each year. There are foods I avoid because they set my throat to itching and swelling and make it difficult for me to breathe. But never have I thought that I was allergic to the grains. I don't know if I've ever even been tested for them.

My Hubby, trying to make me feel better, said, "Well, You can always just eat an apple."

But no, No I can't. Because it turns out I'm allergic to apples too.

COME ON!!!

Who is allergic to apples? Isn't there something unlawful about that? I mean, it's completely un-American to be allergic to apples. Right? RIGHT??

So, I'm on a restricted diet.

I've put it off and put it off, but it can't be put on any longer. I just have to bite the bullet and do it.

Still, it's only for a few months. Just until my body resets itself. Then I should be able to add the grains back in.

Until then, it looks like I will be eating a lot of Rice.

Wish me luck. I am seriously going to need it.

Oh! And wish me some Will-Power while you're at it. I'm going to need loads of that.

Meanwhile, I'm going to go eat a pickle for breakfast. I don't think I'm allergic to those. :(

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2011-01-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

During the kids' winter break we visited extended family in the Phoenix area. It was quite the adventure, but I'll save those stories for later. This post is about HAIR!

I am really picky about my hair. You might not think so if you saw me, but I am. And I'm pretty picky about who I let cut my hair. I have had some crazy bad experiences in the past.

My sister V lives around Phoenix and does hair. While we were in town I scheduled appointments for the three Blue Girls to get our hair trimmed.

Anne went first. This girl has been growing her hair out for three years. She's had it trimmed here and there. But no major cuttage. And she has LOVED having long, long hair. Until Thanksgiving. Then she decided that she wanted a bob and to donate her long hair to Locks of Love.

We've donated to Locks of Love in the past. Rose, Anne, and I all donated in January 2008...three years ago. Rose donated again a few months ago. At the time, Anne and I decided to keep our long hair long and just got trims. Now Anne donating again.

First, Aunt V combed and combed Anne's hair. Anne has super thick hair with a bit of wave.

Then Aunt V sectioned Anne's hair into four ponytails.

Then came the cutting.

Miss Anne posing with her cut locks.

Anne has four thick ponytails to donate. Look at that Gorgeous Color!!!

After the locks were cut, the styling began. Aunt V wet down Anne's hair and went to work. The final result...

Aunt V was going to blow dry it, but we told her not to bother. It was raining pretty steadily outside and we knew it would just end up wet again. :)

Next up was Rose.

She had gotten a bob a few months prior when she donated her longer locks. But her hair grows quickly! She was already in need of a trim.

Aunt V got to work snipping and shaping and buzzing. The final result...

Rose loves that it is shorter in the back than the front.

I came back later that day for my turn. The only cuts that I have had in the last three years are the occasional 1/2 inch trim and one time I cut bangs. My hair is super-long.

But I was ready for a change.

I don't know if this ever happens to you, but there are times in my life where I just have this insane urge to chop all my hair off just so I have something different in my life. Well, I'd been having one of those urges for the entire month prior.

I was ready to ask V for a shaggy bob and to color the hair black. Hahaha!

Luckily, I had a whole month to think about it and make a rational decision. I certainly didn't want to do anything I would regret.

My end result, a new long style and bangs.

You might not be able to tell, but V cut four inches from my length. FOUR! I thought between that and my bangs short again my crazy urges would be cured.

They weren't.

A few days ago I decided the problem was my bangs were too long. So I chopped them shorter. They now look ridiculous and basically stick straight up. I would include a picture but it is too embarrassing. It's bad enough people have to see me in person with the weird bangs!

But at least now I know that the bang length isn't the problem because I'm still having that strong urge to chop all my hair off and color it cRAzY.

Maybe the change of going back to school will be enough to shake my hair cutting urges.

Then again, maybe not...

News!

2011-01-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

So many things have been happening the past month and I just haven't had time to write any of it down. I still don't have time! Haha! I figured I better take a quick five minutes to write a few highlights before I start forgetting. Here goes...

1) We had two songs come true for Christmas for our family. Joe had lost his two front teeth in previous months. Christmas week the two teeth were coming in strongly. We also got a hippopotamus for Christmas in the form of Baby Jim. His two front teeth came in the same time Joe's were coming. But unlike Joe, Jim has a big gap between his front teeth. His sisters have laughed and laughed about it. They say that when he smiles he gappy teeth make him look like a hippo. They are right! It is quite funny to see. The sight also makes my pocketbook happy. He's the first kid to have gappy teeth like his Mom...which translates into He will probably be the only kid out of five that won't need orthodontic work. ;)

2) My Sister Bee had her Baby! The Babe is 3 1/2 weeks early and weighs 9 lb, 7 oz. Yowser! I just laughed when my Mom told me. Not because I'm mean, but because Bee is carrying on the Big Early Baby tradition in our family. Haha! All of my Mom's babies were HUGE and we were all super-early.

3) I got a new church assignment for this year. I say assignment because the calling is the same. I'm a "Primary Worker". As such I spent 2009 in Nursery and 2010 teaching CTR 7. This year I am thrilled to be the Music Leader. Hooray!!! I have wanted to do this calling for YEARS! The desire was cemented when watching Nancy Face in action. She was truly the best Music Leader EVER!

4) I was accepted into NAU's Master of Education in Elementary Education program. Sheesh, what a mouthful! I begin the MEd program next week. I am ecstatic. I have felt so in limbo with my life. Hubby described it as "stagnating". He's right. I was in the Waiting Place for People Just Waiting. I am so happy to get out of that place and into something that will challenge me and help me grow.

5) We got stuck in a snow storm two miles south of Payson on the eve of New Year's Eve. It was crazy! We passed two semi's (one with wheels spinning) jack-knifed on the road. We were fortunate to get past them safely. I thought we could make it all the way to Payson before the storm hit. Our kids all wanted to spend New Year's in the snow. We knew that the roads from Payson to Strawberry were closed so the cabin, which was our original plan, was OUT. But we thought we could get to Payson and just spend the night there. WRONG! When the storm hit it was the perfect mixture of cold enough to snow and for the snow to stick, but also warm enough for the bottom snow to melt just a bit and then refreeze as ICE! Aargh!

At one point I lost control of the van. The wheels lost traction and we started fish-tailing. I got control back and kept plugging along because we were almost there! But after another mile my tires started spinning but wouldn't grip at all. Meanwhile some four-wheeler trucks were trying to pass me. All I could think was, "You Dummies! You'll be lucky if I don't smash into you." At that point we just pulled over to the side of the road to wait for the snow plows. After thirty minutes there was a line behind us as far down the road as I could see.

Thanks to a Cute Young Guy in one of the crazy four-wheel trucks, we were able to get back on the road. The guy stopped to help another motorist behind us. They couldn't be helped. Then he moved on to us. He let a bit of air out of our back tires and told all the kids to get in the back seat to add weight. Our van is rear-wheel drive. He and Hubby then pushed us back onto the road. I thought Hubby would run around to the passenger door and jump in. Nope. Instead he hoisted himself onto our back bumper holding onto the luggage rack to keep himself there. He figured his weight in the back would help more than the weight of all those skinny little kids we have. He was right. What he hadn't figured on was the icy wind blasting him and freezing his knuckles in place. Poor guy. He was a trooper (or maybe just scared for his life) and held on tight the whole time. While traveling those last two miles I saw a snowplow going the opposite direction. I pulled in at the Casino, which is the first traffic light in town. Hubby jumped into the van (he could barely get his door open) and we decided that we were NOT going to spend the night in Payson. We slowly hightailed it after the snowplow and were able to get back to Mesa safely. What an adventure!!!

We were sure grateful to the Cute Young Guy. His idea to let air out of the back tires was genius. After that guy got us on the road, he jumped back into his big truck, passed us, then PURPOSELY put himself into a skid...TWICE! What a goofy young guy. :)

And that is the end of my time.

GO OUTSIDE!!!!!

2010-12-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

Get ready to go outside tonight. I don't care that it is freezing cold in your town. There is something amazing occurring tonight. Something that hasn't happened in about four hundred years. Something that won't happen again for another eighty years.

The TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE is TONIGHT!!!

The show should start at 11:33 pm Arizona time.

Drag your kids out of bed! Drag yourself out of bed! It is sure to be amazing. Just cross your fingers that the clouds don't block the view.

Seriously people! You have to get out of bed and see this. It will be such a wonderful experience to have. Rose is currently putting together her telescope so that we can get a better view when the moon turns red!

That's right...RED!

You absolutely do not want to miss this. So set your alarm clock.

We're going to start watching earlier than 11:33 pm. We want to see the entire shift from Full Moon to Red Moon and Back.

What a marvelous planet we live on!

Return to the Family

2010-12-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

My dear sister, together with her partners, has launched the 2011 Blogging Campaign.

Okay, first of all I have to say, it sounds absolutely crazy saying that about my sister! I mean, she's my sister...a regular person. To the ordinary onlooker she appears to be only a Mom, crafter, and hair guru. But just like Clark Kent and Kara Zor-El, she has another side-a super side. It's a bit unreal sometimes to realize what a big name in blogging she is.

As I was saying, my sister has launched the 2011 Blogging Campaign.

The theme is "Return to the Family".

She introduces the Campaign by stating:

"In today’s world, the family unit is often discounted, and even overlooked, so we are calling for a revolution. We would like to invite you to return to YOUR family, by using these two steps: 1) having regular family dinners and 2) having uplifting art in your home."

I completely agree with these two principles!

I am a firm believer in having regular family meals. We eat breakfast and dinner together every day. It is a time to grow together as a family. We use this time to talk about our days. We listen as family members cheerfully tell of the good things that have happened that day. We talk about the trials they passed through and discuss ways to overcome them in the future. We plan for future activities. And sometimes we just try to see who can tell the funniest joke. No matter the topic, we grow together and strengthen our familial bonds.

And I have always felt that beautiful, uplifting art was an integral part in changing a house into a home. At some point, one of the general authorities had stated that every LDS home needed Five pictures to truly make it a Gospel-Centered Home:

1) A picture of Christ

2) A picture of the Temple

3) A picture of your Family, must include Children!

4) A picture of their Heritage: Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, etc.

5) A picture of the Prophet

I used to have one or more of all these pictures. In our last move my Temple picture broke and I have yet to replace it. And I still haven't hung my picture of President Monson. I love the man and support him as the prophet. It's just that putting up his picture requires taking down President Hinckley's picture. I just haven't been able to part with it yet. Maybe I'll just hang President Monson next to President Hinckley. Hmmm... Decisions, Decisions.

As part of their campaign they teamed with artist Liz Lemon Swindle** to provide Christ-centered art for the project. I'm still going through all her paintings,trying to decide which one I want Hubby to get me for my birthday. ;)

Anyhoo, I think that this is a wonderful program! They're trying to get the word out to everyone. So I'm doing my part in this little corner of the blogosphere. I hope you'll take time to check it out.

**Isn't it great that her name is "Liz Lemon"! Haha! When I read that name my interest was sparked immediately. Of course,being the nerd I am, I was thinking more along the lines of Liz Lemon as played by Tina Fey in 30 Rock. I was quite surprised to see pictures of Christ when I followed the link.

Sonic Screwdriver!

2010-12-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs to read was The Park Bench. It was a gathering place for nerds to go for all the latest news. The author has gotten busy with life and not posted for a while, which means I've had to troll the internet myself to keep abreast of all things science and sci-fi. I have to say, I am not anywhere near as good as Liz. Science news is often buried under the flashy celebrity gossip. And the Sci-fi nuggets I manage to find are, more often than not, fake. It can be quite discouraging. But as the true nerd that I am, I keep plugging along.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I came across this story! This AOL.news story is the U.S. version of this story for the U.K.'s The Telegraph. They both report that a team of British engineers has created a gadget that can manipulate objects via ultrasonic sound waves! Can you believe it! I am so excited! What a marvelous development! It will be fun to watch and see how their new tool develops.

Meanwhile, the Doctor Who Christmas Special is just weeks away. A trailer was released, but is "not available in my area". That's because I live in America and not the U.K. *sigh*

I really love America. It is a wonderful place to be. It truly is the greatest country. I'm happy to be here and wouldn't trade it for anything. But sometimes, when I know the Doctor is coming and I know that he'll arrive in the U.K. soon, but I'll still have to wait months to see him...well, sometimes I wish that I could live in the U.K. ;)

Luckily for me, though, some wonderful fan who feels sorry for us Americans will post the episode somewhere on the wide, wide web. Which takes me back to trolling the internet... Haha! Wish me luck.

The Lady with the Alligator Purse

2010-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

Do you remember in elementary school singing about Ms. Suzy and her baby? Remember? His name was Tiny Tim. Ms. Suzy put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim. Instead of swimming, that goosey baby drank up all the water and he ate up all the soap. Then he tried to eat the bathtub, but it wouldn't fit down his throat.

Do you remember how Ms. Suzy called a Doctor to come help? Except the Doctor didn't know what to do. So the Doctor called a Nurse. That was a pretty smart move. Nurses know lots of stuff and are a great help to patients. However, in this case, the Nurse didn't know what to do either. So the Nurse called in the Lady with the Alligator Purse. Surely she would know what to do!

I don't know what qualified this gal. I don't know why the Nurse would think the Lady could help nor the nature of their relationship. That information is not relevant to the story. The pertinent piece of information is that where the Doctor and Nurse failed, the Lady with the Alligator Purse succeeded. She got all the water and soap out of Tiny Tim. She saved the day. We don't know what methods she used. What we do know is 1) it was painless to the baby, 2) was performed quickly, 3) had little, if any, recovery time, and 4) cost nothing.

At least, that was the version of the song I learned.

And today...I'm wishing for a Lady with an Alligator Purse.

Because I've been to see the Doctor.

And I've been to see the Nurse.

And they agree...I need surgery.

Again.

I have lovely polyps sitting in my sinuses. I'm such a lucky girl!

I wasn't surprised by the diagnosis. I've had polyps before and have undergone surgery twice to have the removed. Such is the plight of the asthmatic, allergy-ridden peoples of the world.

Truthfully, I'm looking forward to the surgery. My face has been hurting for several months now. The pain has spread to my neck, shoulders, and jaw. And my sinuses have been pulsating with their hatred of the polyps. Angry, pulsating sinuses are never fun.

Oh well.

I'm scheduled to go under the knife in just three weeks. So even though I won't get the Lady's magical no pain, quick recovery cure, at least I will be getting it FREE!

Why free? That is all thanks to the Baby Jim and already having met my deductible for the year. Hooray!

Thank You Baby Jim! And thank you good insurance with your reasonable cap. I really appreciate you!

Wish me luck. I'm going to need it. :S

Grateful!

2010-11-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've started a new tradition in my family. Whatever day Thanksgiving falls on, that is how many things you have to write in your journal that you are grateful for.

So this year, Thanksgiving is on November 25th. Meaning we all have to write down twenty-five things we are grateful for. We are waiting until we get back home from our Thanksgiving visit to write our lists down. I, however, also have this lovely blog to record the things I'm grateful for.

Here's my list:

1) A loving Heavenly Father

2) A courageous Older Brother & Savior

3) A comforting Holy Spirit

4) A wonderful Husband

5) Five Darling Children

6) Fantastic Parents and Parent-in-Law

7) Marvelous Siblings and Siblings-in-Law

8) Five Senses that Work

9) A (mostly) Healthy Body

10) A beautiful home

11) A soft bed

12) Warm clothes in the winter

13) Cool clothes in the summer

14) Quilts

15) Books

16) A living Prophet

17) Personal Revelation

18) Temples

19) Mountains to climb

20) Clouds to watch

21) The hummingbirds and roadrunner who visit my home

22) Trees to climb

23) Trees that bear fruit

24) Flowers

25) My energetic dog

Of course, there are many more things to be grateful for. These are the twenty-five that I most appreciate right now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

They're Out to Get Me

2010-11-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Rose and Hubby are trying to kill me.

I thought we were all getting along just fine. I thought we loved each other. I thought we even, occasionally, liked each other. But recent events have proven that Rose and Hubby are out to get me.

I have been battling a major sinus infection. The same infection that I battle every year around this time. I have been working hard trying to stay ahead of the uckiness and hopefully avoid further pollup infestations and tiresome surgeries. To aid me in my battle, every day I use a wonderful Sinus Rinse nasal wash. This consists of a cute little bottle filled with 8 oz. of warm water and mixed with their pre-packaged solution of salt and baking soda. Simple, yet so effective!

It can also be a huge mess. Remember the law of gravity? What goes up must come down. The same applies to liquids shot up one's nose. They come right back out, hopefully dislodging much nastiness in the process.

Anyhoo, the other day Hubby offered to mix the wash for me. I was very grateful. It seemed like such a considerate thing to do! I really ought to have known better.

Hubby hands me the bottle and I promptly start pumping the wash up my nose. It burns!

I think, WHOA! I must have a serious infection. Or maybe the water went the wrong way. I shake it off and try the wash again. That water burned me again. It burned up my sinus, back behind my eyeballs, and down into my throat!! It was awful!

I start spitting and snorting (yes, I know, very attractive) and calling for Hubby to help me. He comes rushing back in. I shout that my throat is burning...like an acid burn. And beg him to help me. And HE starts looking sheepish! Turns out, he had added a whole capful of hydrogen peroxide to my nasal rinse. He thought that I wouldn't even notice. He thought it might help fry all the nastiness that has taken root in my sinuses. At least, that's what he claims...

But, I've got news for you Old Man! I don't believe that claim for an instance! There is no way that you could not have realized the dire consequences on the so-called love of your life's sinuses. NO WAY! I know you were really trying to poison me! You can't fool me. And know this...I'm watching you! You won't have another chance to poison me. You should have gotten it right the first time. >:-(

And then the darling Rose.

A week ago the kids started talking about When We Have Another Baby!!!!

Excuse me? I just had a baby. You all have a little baby. Give your poor Mama some time to recover please. Aargh!

Despite my absolute shock at the topic they were discussing, I stayed quiet and just listened. It all seemed pretty harmless, until Rose confided that she has "been praying for Mom to have twins".

Ummmm.....

What did you just say?

I asked Rose when exactly she had prayed for twins. Was it during her personal prayers?

Nope.

Turns out that for the past two months, during our family prayers she has been praying for me to have twins. And all of us have said "Amen" to each of her prayers.

That sneaky, conniving little...

The way she did it was by saying that part really softly and kind of covering her mouth with her hand. I just thought she was stifling yawns. It just goes to show that you should NEVER say Amen to a prayer that you haven't heard in full. Holy Cow!

I told Rose that twins would kill me. She laughed and said, "No, they wouldn't. They'd be fun. I'd even help with them."

Not only is she trying to kill me, she's laughing about it! Talk about adding insult to injury.

I told her to Get Some Guts! If she was going to pray for me to die during family prayers, she at least needed to have the courtesy to pray loud enough so that all the family members can hear what she is actually saying and then decide if they want to say Amen or not.

And you know what she did tonight? She prayed for twins loud enough that her siblings could all hear. And you know what those rotten twerps did??? They all said "Amen". I guess they all want me dead.

I just glared at them all. Even when they tried to kiss me good night.

And now I'm going to bed. I'm going to have to spend a lot of time praying tonight to try and counteract the prayers of my children. And I don't know that I'll win. My dear Father in Heaven has a soft spot for the prayers of children.

Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.

The Eternal Family

2010-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful talk given in the October 1996 General Conference. I want to always remember this talk, especially the Fifteenth Paragraph. So I'm posting it here, where I can easily access it.

The Eternal Family

Elder Robert D. Hales

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

(included in the November 1996 Ensign, pg. 64)

I wish to speak to all those who would like to know about eternal families and about families being forever. One year ago the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a proclamation to the world concerning the family. It summarizes eternal gospel principles that have been taught since the beginning of recorded history and even before the earth was created.

The doctrine of the family begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them. The Apostle Paul taught that God is the father of our spirits (see Heb. 12:9). From the proclamation we read, “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life.” The proclamation also reiterates to the world that “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

From the earliest beginnings, God established the family and made it eternal. Adam and Eve were sealed in marriage for time and all eternity:

“And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was” (Moses 5:59).

“And Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to multiply and to replenish the earth” (Moses 5:2).

The Savior Himself spoke of this sacred marriage covenant and promise when He gave the authority to His disciples to bind in heaven sacred covenants made on earth:

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).

In this latter day the promise of eternal families was restored in 1829 when the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood were restored to the earth. Seven years later, in the Kirtland Temple, the keys to perform the sealing ordinances were restored, as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants:

“Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

“Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi— …

“… The keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands” (D&C 110:13–14, 16).

With the restoration of these keys and priesthood authority comes the opportunity for all who are worthy to receive the blessings of eternal families. “Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house” (D&C 110:9).

What is the promise of these sealings which are performed in the temples? The Lord outlines the promise and requirements in this sacred verse:

“And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life … and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever” (D&C 132:19).

As taught in this scripture, an eternal bond doesn’t just happen as a result of sealing covenants we make in the temple. How we conduct ourselves in this life will determine what we will be in all the eternities to come. To receive the blessings of the sealing that our Heavenly Father has given to us, we have to keep the commandments and conduct ourselves in such a way that our families will want to live with us in the eternities. The family relationships we have here on this earth are important, but they are much more important for their effect on our families for generations in mortality and throughout all eternity.

By divine commandment, spouses are required to love each other above all others. The Lord clearly declares, “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else” (D&C 42:22). The proclamation states: “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families [see D&C 83:2–4; 1 Tim. 5:8]. [By divine design,] mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” By divine design, husband and wife are equal partners in their marriage and parental responsibilities. By direct commandment of God, “parents have a sacred duty … to teach [their children] to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens [in the countries where they reside]” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102; emphasis added; see D&C 68:25–28; Mosiah 4:14–15).

Because of the importance of the family to the eternal plan of happiness, Satan makes a major effort to destroy the sanctity of the family, demean the importance of the role of men and women, encourage moral uncleanliness and violations of the sacred law of chastity, and to discourage parents from placing the bearing and rearing of children as one of their highest priorities.

So fundamental is the family unit to the plan of salvation that God has declared a warning that those “individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God [their maker]. … The disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities. Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting, and strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families. If we return home alone to our Heavenly Father, we will be asked, “Where is the rest of the family?” This is why we teach that families are forever. The eternal nature of an individual becomes the eternal nature of the family.

The eternal nature of our body and our spirit is a question often pondered by those who live in mortality. All people who will ever live on earth are members of a human family and are eternal children of God, our loving Heavenly Father. After birth and tasting of death in mortality, all will be resurrected because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God the Father. Depending on our individual obedience to the laws, ordinances, and commandments of God, each mortal can have the blessing of attaining eternal life; that is, returning to live in the presence of their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, having eternal increase for all the eternities to come. Through making and keeping the sacred covenants found in the temple ordinances, individuals can return to the presence of God and will be reunited with their families eternally.

The home is where we are nurtured and where we prepare ourselves for living in mortality. It is also where we prepare ourselves for death and for immortality because of our belief and understanding that there is life after death, not only for the individual but also for the family.

Some of the greatest lessons of gospel principles about the eternal nature of the family are learned as we observe how members of the Church, when faced with adversity, apply gospel principles in their lives and in their homes. In the past year I have witnessed the blessings of joy which come to those who honor and revere the gospel teaching of the eternal family during times of adversity in their lives.

A few months ago I had the opportunity of visiting a man who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. As a devoted priesthood holder, he was confronted with the realities of mortality. He found strength, however, in the example of the Savior, who said, in the Lord’s Prayer, “After this manner therefore pray ye: … Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9–10). My friend took courage in knowing that as Jesus was required to endure great pain and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane while completing the atoning sacrifice, He uttered the words, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done” (Matt. 26:42).

My friend came to accept the phrase “Thy will be done” as he faced his own poignant trials and tribulations. As a faithful member of the Church, he was now confronted with some sobering concerns. Particularly touching were his questions, “Have I done all that I need to do to faithfully endure to the end?” “What will death be like?” “Will my family be prepared to stand in faith and be self-reliant when I am gone?”

We had the opportunity to discuss all three questions. They are clearly answered in the doctrine taught to us by our Savior. We discussed how he had spent his life striving to be faithful, to do what God asked of him, to be honest in his dealings with his fellowmen and all others, to care for and love his family. Isn’t that what is meant by enduring to the end? We talked about what happens immediately after death, about what God has taught us about the world of spirits. It is a place of paradise and happiness for those who have lived righteous lives. It is not something to fear.

After our conversation, he called together his wife and the extended family—children and grandchildren—to teach them again the doctrine of the Atonement that all will be resurrected. Everyone came to understand that just as the Lord has said, while there will be mourning at the temporary separation, there is no sorrow for those who die in the Lord (see Rev. 14:13; D&C 42:46). His blessing promised him comfort and reassurance that all would be well, that he would not have pain, that he would have additional time to prepare his family for his departure—even that he would know the time of his departure. The family related to me that on the night before he passed away, he said he would go on the morrow. He passed away the next afternoon at peace, with all his family at his side. This is the solace and comfort that comes to us when we understand the gospel plan and know that families are forever.

Contrast these events with an incident which happened to me when I was a young man in my early twenties. While serving in the Air Force, one of the pilots in my squadron crashed on a training mission and was killed. I was assigned to accompany my fallen comrade on his final journey home to be buried in Brooklyn. I had the honor of standing by his family during the viewing and funeral services and of representing our government in presenting the flag to his grieving widow at the graveside. The funeral service was dark and dismal. No mention was made of his goodness or his accomplishments. His name was never mentioned. At the conclusion of the services, his widow turned to me and asked, “Bob, what is really going to happen to Don?” I was then able to give her the sweet doctrine of the Resurrection and the reality that, if baptized and sealed in the temple for time and all eternity, they could be together eternally. The clergyman standing next to her said, “That is the most beautiful doctrine I have ever heard.”

The fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings great comfort in stressing times of mortality. It brings light where there is darkness and a calming influence where there is turmoil. It gives eternal hope where there is mortal despair. It is more than just beautiful doctrine. It is a reality in our lives that if we can be obedient and obtain the eternal rewards that God grants us, if we will draw nigh unto Him and embrace the eternal doctrine, we will be blessed.

Another incident that has touched my life recently happened when a young man with a terminal illness passed away. He knew that his illness would first take away his manual dexterity and his ability to walk, then its progression would take his ability to speak, and finally his respiratory system would cease to function. But he also had faith that families are forever. With this knowledge, he spoke to each of his children through video recordings for use when he was gone. He produced recordings to be given to his sons and daughters at important, sacred occasions in their lives, such as baptisms, priesthood ordinations, and weddings. He spoke to them with the tender love of a father who knew that while his family was forever, for a time he would not physically be able to be with them, but spiritually he would never leave their side.

The examples of faith shown by steadfast widows and widowers, along with that of their children, after the passing of a spouse or parent are an inspiration to all of us. Great lessons can be learned as we observe their faith and obedience as they strive to remain faithful so that they can once again be together as families through eternity.

The knowledge and understanding of the doctrine that God lives and Jesus is the Christ and that we have an opportunity to be resurrected and live in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, makes it possible to endure otherwise tragic events. This doctrine brings a brightness of hope into an otherwise dark and dreary world. It answers the simple questions of where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. These are truths that must be taught and practiced in our homes.

God lives. Jesus is the Christ. Through His Atonement we will all have the opportunity of being resurrected. This is not just an individual blessing; it is much more than that. It is a blessing to each one of us and to our families. That we may be eternally grateful, that we can live in the presence of God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ, that we may be together in the eternities to come, that we might understand the joy, and that we not only teach this doctrine but live true to it in our lives and in our families, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Halloween 2010!

2010-11-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one our favorite times of the year. We thoroughly enjoy dressing up, playing pretend, attending parties, hanging out with friends, and eating yummy treats.

Without further ado, our costumes & party log:

Our Friend's/Neighbor's Adult Party

Hubby & I attended. I dressed Goth and he dressed as a Biker. This was such a fun party. The couple who hosted it are some of the funnest people around. We ate a delicious dinner and played games along the line of Minute to Win It. We played Boys versus Girls. It was hilarious! At least, until is was my turn. And then I was a sore loser because not only did I lose, but I looked absolutely ridiculous while doing it. My task was to shake six ping-pong balls out of an empty box of Kleenex...except the box was tied around my waist and I had to shake my booty to get the stupid balls out. Ugh! I think it was unfair, because with my big booty, the Kleenex box was aimed straight up. Oh well. Hubby says that he very much enjoyed watching me shake my toush.

Party at Preschool

Cakes preschool teacher had everyone wear their costumes to class. Cakes was so excited to wear his "Hi-Yah!" to preschool. "Hi-Yah" is what he called his costume. They played Halloween games and learned more about the color black and orange. Fun! His teacher is such a fun and creative lady.

**The bigger kids had parties at their school too, but I didn't go so I don't have any pictures of those events. And I don't even care! Hahaha! I have plenty of other pictures of those darling kids. :)

Foster Family Halloween Bash

Everyone attended this activity. It was hosted by the agency who we are licensed through. They are a very nice agency with wonderful, compassionate, and competent workers. They had a hot dog dinner, games, contests, coloring activities, and a dance ring. Anne really got into the dancing. One of the workers showed her a bunch of dance moves. Cakes is a Ninja, Rose is a Devil Girl, Anne is an Egyptian Princess or Greek Goddess...depending on her mood, Joe is a Shadow Ninja, and Baby Jim is a Spider. I dressed Goth again and Hubby was lame and just came in regular clothes. The kids came home LOADED with candy. I came home with a new quilt! The agency regularly gets donations for children coming into care. One quilting group wanted to donate quilts for the Families who fostered. Isn't that kind! So we got a lovely baby-size quilt.

Trick or Treating at Dad's Workplace

Every year Hubby's work has a trick or treat activity at the office. All the employees' kids are invited. It is mostly a way to show off how much your kids have grown over the past year and to see how your co-workers kids have grown. It is hilarious to see grown-up men ooo and aaah over the little kids. I expect it from the ladies of the office, but not from some of these tougher guys.

6 year old Friend's Halloween Bash

Joe's friend, son of Cakes preschool teacher, invited Joe, Anne, and Rose to a Halloween bash at his house. They had a blast! They were fed a dinner of hot dogs and spooky sides and played spooky games. I have no pictures from this event either.

Elementary School's Fall Festival

Hubby and I had to divide and conquer to attend this event because it was the same night at Hubby's trick-or-treat at work and Joe's friend's party. Hubby and Rose went to the Festival first since they had volunteered to work some booths. It was important to Rose to be there and help. Her grade is raising money for a trip to Sea World. It was also important to Anne that her Dad attend, since her class was raising money for a trip to a local historical site. It's funny how the fifth graders are expected to do their own volunteer work, but third graders need their parents to do it.

I came later with Joe, Anne, Cakes, and Jim. Hence the picture with just those four kids. I tried to get a shot of Rose, but she was always moving!

Ward Trunk or Treat

This was a fun event. I have to make special mention of the Dinner. Most ward's just serve hot dogs (if anything). When we lived in Kansas, we always had a pot-luck first...since several people were driving an hour into town just to attend. Our new ward had hot dogs and they also had SLOPPY JOES!!! And not just any sloppy joes, probably the bast sloppy joe I ever did eat in my entire life (no offense Dad). It was so delicious! Many-layered flavor, not-to-sweet, and very savory. I asked the gal who organized the event for the recipe. She says she'll have to make some modifications before she gives it to me because it is a recipe to serve 100! Hahaha! I told her to just give me the recipe as is. I love recipes like that!

We invited two girls to attend the party with us. They are our neighbors and good friends to Anne and Rose. The best part about inviting them was when the older girl came back from getting her dinner. She had Two hot dogs, One sloppy joe, a Huge slice of chocolate cake, several cookies, a couple of cupcakes, and a bit of salad. Hubby and I just stared at her! She looked at us and said, "What? I'm hungry. They said we could have as much as we want. And I haven't eaten since this morning." Then she proceed to eat EVERY BIT OF FOOD ON HER PLATE!!! Well, not every bit. She did have a bit of cake left over. Hahaha!

Hubby decided not to dress like a biker for this event. I'm so glad he didn't! There was a woman who wore his exact costume. Hahaha! She had the biker hat, gloves, and even the fake tattoo sleeve. Hahaha!

Hubby came as a nasty ghoul of a thing. It was awful to look at it. Just plain old awful!

The Actual Day of Halloween

Halloween fell on Sunday this year, so we spent the morning at church. That evening Hubby made us a fantastic hamburger dinner. I had gotten a pineapple at Bountiful Baskets the day before. Hubby sliced it up and grilled it. Plus we had crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, sweet teriyaki sauce, and some tangy cheese. Hubby put it all on the table so we could each make up our own "perfect hamburger". SO GOOD!!! Hubby asked me to take a picture to document the goodness that he created, so he could always remember. Haha!

We spent the evening eating yummy hamburgers and handing out candy. My kids got such a kick out of handing out candy to our neighbors and friends. I truly believe that every kid ought to have the experience of handing out the candy. It is a wonderful feeling to be the one giving out the treats and making the little kids smile. We had great fun admiring the costumes of our neighbors, picking out candy to give out, and wishing them Happy Halloween. I had this experience many times as a kid due to my asthma. October is a bad month for me, even now. My Mom said that if I couldn't breathe right just sitting around, there was No Way she was allowing me to walk. Haha!

3DT (aka DDDT)

2010-11-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that most families have a "saying"? Some small phrase that is repeated often within the family. A saying that helps keep the family grounded and focused on their familial goals.

One saying popular with LDS families is "Return With Honor". This saying reminds family members that the things they do outside the home matter. It encourages them to do good and strive hard in the outside world, so that when they return home, they will return with honor.

A saying popular with Christian families is "What Would Jesus Do?". Family members, when faced with choosing between various options, should ask themselves this question then proceed as Jesus would. This saying helps family members to mirror Jesus' actions, his charity and compassion.

Another saying used in Christian homes is "Wise Men Still Seek Him". This saying lets family members, and others know, that if they wish to be truly wise, they should seek for Christ.

A fun saying that I often seen adorning the walls of friends' homes is "Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much". This saying encourages family members to truly enjoy their lives and live those lives to the fullest.

In my childhood home, the saying was "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." My Mom had even cross-stitched this scripture, framed it, and hung it on the wall in plain sight of all. In our family, there was great focus on truly following the Lord and learning to serve his children here on earth.

I appreciate these sayings. I think there is great wisdom in each. However, none can compare to the effectiveness of the saying that Hubby grew up with. This saying was no mamby-pamby, feel-good phrase. There was no positive spin, no uplifting words...Just straight-forward commonsense.

Now, I have to admit, when I first heard this saying, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that Hubby's Dad had actually said what he said. I was appalled by his lack of compassion and his blatant disregard for other's feelings. But over the years, I have come to understand and appreciate the true wisdom of this simple phrase.

Don't Do Dumb Things

Hubby's family usually referred to this phrase by its acronym: 3DT (pronounced Three, Dee, Tee).

As Hubby and his siblings were walking out the door to various activities, their Dad would call out, 3DT! Reminding them to, obviously, Not do dumb things.

This amazingly simple, yet powerful phrase has been employed in the Blue Household for the last few years. You would be astounded by the effectiveness!

Now, I feel it important to note that in our home we never call a person dumb. There is a palpable distinction made between a person's actions and that person as a whole. My undergraduate degree focused on child development and psychology. I know how detrimental it can be to a child's fragile psyche to be called dumb, especially by their parents. That is part of the reason that I was so appalled when I first heard this saying.

We have emphasized through lecture, modeling, and role play the difference between a person and their actions. Hubby's parents made the distinction too. And it because of this distinction that the saying works.

Our kids know that we know they are super-intelligent. They know we love them and will love them no matter what. They know that they will make mistakes, lots of mistakes. They also know that their mistakes don't define them. We can learn from those dumb mistakes and do better in the future.

On a Side Note: Making the distinction between actions and a person's self-worth was one of the best things we did for our foster daughter, Miss Q. In previous homes she had been called dumb, stupid, retarded, slow, and so on. In our home she was called an intelligent, bright, loving, and wonderful girl who occasionally made mistakes. The change this distinction wrought in her psyche was PHENOMENAL!!

By now you are probably asking yourselves, why the long essay on sayings and 3DT?

Well, that is the background you need to truly appreciate Joe's story.

Papa (Hubby's Dad) came to visit a couple weeks ago during the kids' fall break from school. Papa has been very sad since his wife died. We tried to plan things that would take Papa's mind off Grandma and to do things that he liked.

One day, while Hubby was at work, I made Papa his favorite lunch...Pimento Cheese Sandwiches. He was so tickled! After lunch the kids and I were going to take him to a Mormon Battalion Memorial and show him our favorite park. When the kids finished eating, I instructed them to use the bathroom and get their shoes on because we were leaving in twenty minutes. Simple task, right? WRONG!

After just a few minutes I hear a crash, followed by a wail. A minute later, a crying Joe enters the kitchen followed closely by Rose who is talking a mile a minute, trying to explain what happened and how it wasn't her fault. The short story, Cakes and Joe were in the bathroom (yes, at the same time...apparently boys can pee at the same time if they stand on different sides of the toilet. please don't ask me to delve any further into that scenario as it usually involves me cleaning urine off the floor at a later time). The door was Wide Open. The boys had finished and were washing their hands. For some reason, Joe, who is tall enough to reach the sink without a stool, felt the need to stand on the toilet. Maybe it was the fact that Cakes was standing on a stool...I just don't know.

Anyhoo, Rose walked down the hall, past the open bathroom door. Seeing her two younger brothers, she made a split-second decision to scare them. She turned, made a scary face, and growled. I'm not sure what Cakes reaction was since I am still unable to fully decipher his sentences. But Joe's reaction was to attempt an escape by jumping from the toilet lid to the bathtub...The rim of the bathtub. Naturally, the rim was slippery and the boy slipped. He tried to catch himself with his right hand, which didn't work, and crashed into the tub, crushing his right forearm.

I wasn't sure how serious the injury was, but knew a sure fire way to find out. After a severe lecture to Rose on not trying to scare people in the bathroom and and a milder lecture to Joe on not standing on toilets and not trying to jump to bathtub rims (not once citing 3DT), I loaded everyone into the van and proceeded to the park as planned. A kid with a serious injury will nurse the area while a kid whose just bumped or bruised will forget everything as soon as they reach the slides.

Joe was nursing his injury. Gingerly holding it as he went down the slides and avoiding the monkey bars altogether. It was starting to look like he had a serious injury.

When we returned home, Joe and Cakes ran out back to play. Cakes, being the mischievous little punk that he is, turned on the hose and aimed directly for Joe. Joe leaped out of the way, tripped over his feet in the process, and landed on his already injured right arm. And then he turned into a pile of goo! He literally curled into a ball and sobbed! Oh, my poor little guy!

I quickly put the baby down and rushed over to help Joe. I scooped the boy up, brought him inside, and laid him on the couch. When he had calmed down some, he turned to me and in between sniffs said:

"Mom, don't tell me 3DT about falling down 'cause that was a axe-dent and axe-dents aren't dumb their just axe-dents and if you say it was dumb then you're being mean. So don't be mean to me, 'cause I just don't feel good and my arm hurts and it was a axe-dent. Okay?"

I quickly agreed, gave him a kiss on the head, and high-tailed it out of the living room. As soon as I was out of his ear-shot I laughed and laughed and laughed.

That poor little guy. He was such a pitiful little mess of a kid at the moment, but he still had the wherewithal to recognize his own emotional needs and, in an attempt to avoid adding insult to injury, express those emotional needs to me in a way that showed he understood where he had done wrong earlier and to illustrate that no wrongs had occurred this time round. I was proud of him for voicing his concerns and asking for the things he needed. I was also proud of the depth of understanding he had shown. But, it was so unexpected and framed in such a poor, pitiful way that all I could do was laugh. Oh well, at least I didn't laugh where he could hear me.

It guess this just goes to show that the boy is paying attention as we try to teach him...at least, sometimes. The ironic thing was that this all happened when Papa was there. But he didn't say 3DT either. Come on people! We're not cruel!! ;)

The diagnosis for the darling Joe, a buckle fracture in the distal radius. Translation: He a broken right arm. Poor guy. At least he's left-handed. :)

The darling boy sporting a cast in his favorite color.

A Close-Up of the Cast

Hello Again

2010-10-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's been several weeks since my last post. I'm not the most consistent blogger. Many times, when I sit down to type, I feel guilty for not spending that time elsewhere...in more productive ways. After all, I do have a big house to clean and maintain; five kids to feed, clothe, teach, and entertain; and a myriad of unfinished projects to complete.

I'm also about five years behind in Memory Books. I've kept up with the births of my children, but not their birthdays, Christmas, Easter, or growth and development. And a nagging little voice always reminds me of these facts each time I sit down at my computer to update this blog.

As I sit here now, my kitchen is in shambles, clean laundry is piled high on the couches, dirty laundry lies in piles around my living room, my floor is covered in candy wrappers, and my bed is covered with Halloween costumes. There are so many things that I could be, probably should be doing. And yet here I sit.

Because I realized...I get more done when I think somebody cares about what I'm doing.

Yes, yes. I know that Hubby and the kids care. But it's not the same as having a girlfriend who cares and sympathizes and cheers one on. And let's face it, I am a slow one to make friends. It takes years for me to feel comfortable with others and to truly develop trust and friendship. Blogging helps me stay connected to those dear friends and family members that live far away.

This past month, I purposely avoided blogging. I listened to that nagging, guilt-filled voice. And you know what? My house isn't any cleaner and I've only made a teeny little dent in the projects galore. The only thing that changed was my heart...I have felt so lonely and isolated this past month. And instead of creating more time for myself, I felt as though I had less time and more work than ever!

Looking back, I've realized that I am most productive when I have someone to share with.

I started blogging so my Dear Sister could "stalk" me, as she so sweetly put it. We lived in different states and blogging provided the perfect way for us to stay connected. But, as the popularity of blogging grew, random people began reading my blog and, quite frankly, it weirded me out a bit. I started thinking I needed to write a certain way or only include certain topics. I began to over analyze everything I wrote, worried that someone who didn't know me and my dry, sarcastic sense of humor, might take offense. And for the people who do know me, Offending others is the last thing I would ever want to do. I became bogged down...taking weeks to write and edit a post that should have only taken thirty minutes to type up and post.

And I've decided that I'm done with that.

I am who I am. A nerdy, introverted, sarcastic, homemaking intellect. And I am done worrying about what others think in regards to this blog. Especially when they are faceless names in the cyber-world.

I'm going back to the way I was when my blog was private. I am writing the way I speak. Nothing fancy. Just a nice conversation between sisters and friends.

I'm not vain. I'm not perfect. This blog is only a sliver of me. Reading it does not make you an expert on me or my way of thinking. It only provides a glimpse into my life. But for family and friends who truly know me, the sliver is all they need in order to catch up with my family and I.

People I don't know are welcome to read. Though I may be slow to make true friends, I am friendly to everyone I meet. But if you are going to judge negatively or get your feelings hurt by a person that you haven't even met (namely me), please move on. There are plenty of other blogs to read.

This blog is addressed to my Sisters and Friends.

Which Do You Want First?

2010-09-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

The Good News? Or the Bad News?

Go ahead. Think it over for a minute.

I'm guessing you would like to hear the Good News first...

GOOD NEWS! Paying Your Tithing Brings Blessings!

Hubby entered me into AAA's "We Know Disney" Sweepstakes. And I won. Really! I did. I won a Family Four Pack of 2-Day Park Hopper tickets to Disneyland and California Adventure. We had the option of getting the tickets now and using them by January 3, 2011 or getting the tickets in January and using them by May 31, 2011. We chose the latter.

Our kids are very excited. We started saving up for Disneyland a couple months ago. We were using the experience to teach our kids about working hard, budgeting their earnings, and saving for a long-term goal. We made sure to pay tithing on all our earnings. We discussed with our children the Lord's words, given through the Prophet Malachi: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10)

My kids, remembering our discussion, are convinced that I won because we paid our tithing. Can't say I disagree. ;)

BAD NEWS...Fasting and Prayer Works

Today was Fast Sunday. Hubby and I chose to fast for his Momma to pass soon. She has been slowly dying for four months now. It is not a good situation. The brain cancer is doing horrible things to her.

Our prayers were answered tonight. My dear Mother-In-Law passed on at 8:07 pm. She was only 65 years old.

Testing, Testing...

2010-09-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

So...Blogger has an updated editor. With lots of cool new features. You may have noticed dots between my paragraphs in previous posts. I had to use them to keep the paragraphs separate. Otherwise, all my words and pictures ran together in a big, jumbled mess.

But that doesn't seem to be the case any longer. Wahoo!

Putting pictures in also seems to be easier. So without further ado, here's this week's update:

Rose has been growing her hair steadily for two years to donate to Locks of Love. Rose, Anne and I all donated hair in January 2008. We've all reestablished the length. Anne and I love our long hair. Rose was hating it. She wanted to wait a few more months before donating, but the maintenance just became to much. I took her down to get her hair chopped and styled. We mailed the locks and Rose is enjoying her new shorter do. I think it is quite becoming.

Anne and I have decided to be selfish. We are not donating our hair. We are keeping it. Sorry. Although Anne says she will keep growing her hair down to her bum then chop off ten inches to donate. That way she keeps her long hair and still helps with wigs. We'll see how it goes.

Joe is a Dangerous Boy. As such, he is required to build a go-cart. The Iggulden brothers suggest going to the local dump to get the necessary supplies. Joe and Hubby opted to go to Harbor Freight and the local hardware store instead. The purchased four wheelbarrow wheels, saddle straps, threaded 36 inch dowels, 2 x 4 x 8's, and a few other items.

They got busy putting the cart together. Joe kept calling it a "Goat-Cart". We're not sure where he thought the goats would fit.

Cakes helped too. Mostly he helped by demonstrating to Hubby and Joe that things were or were not put together sturdily enough not to be broken.

They took the cart out for a few test runs. The front wheels could pull a ninety-degree turn on a dime. The guys learned this when Joe, unknowingly, pulled hard on the strap and went flying. Hubby added a wood block to limit the turning degree. They are still working on it. Taking it for rides to test then making the necessary adjustments. It is Wonderful to watch Hubby, Cakes, and Joe work on this "dangerous" activity.

I have fattened up my baby. He now weighs a bit over 15 pounds. He doesn't look much fatter though because he is such a TALL baby. It will be interesting to see if his height follows him into adulthood or if he will just hit 5 foot in third grade and never grow again. Cross your fingers that he makes it to at least 6 feet before the growth spurt stops.

This little cutie is also starting to get teeth. His poor little gums are swollen and he is drooling up a storm-hence the bib. But do you think that would upset him or cause him to grumble? NO!! He is still as happy as ever. I sweat there is nothing that can get this kid upset. He laughs and smiles and coos, just happy as can be. And doesn't he have the prettiest mouth that you ever did see??? SO HANDSOME!!

I have finally figured out how to arrange my living room. I mapped everything out and Hubby is implementing my plans. The blue tape is a rough outline of a bookcase that Hubby is going to build for me. The yellow line represents the TV. The bookcase will be 11 3/4 inches deep and 98 inches tall by 72 inches wide. We purchased BEAUTIFUL solid-Poplar pieces. Poplar is my new Favorite wood. It is a gorgeous hardwood- creamy colors with streaks of green and gray. I LOVE Green and Gray!

I'm counting this as my Anniversary present from Hubby. Now I just have to get him something. He's easy though. He considers a date night with me (sans kids) to be the epitome of grand gifts. So that's what he's getting...except I am bringing the Baby Jim. Hubby agrees-we don't leave babies with sitters until they are one and the Baby Jim is only four months.

And that is the end of my testing. I just "Previewed" this post. Everything stayed in place! And my pictures corresponded perfectly with my text. Hooray for this new editor!

My Counting is Off!

2010-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time my family consisted of: Me, Hubby, Rose, Anne, Joe, and Cakes. Six people. Four children, two adults. I am a counter. I count the kids when we get into the car, during activities, and when we leave. Counting ensures that I know where all kids are at all times, thereby ensuring their safety and my sanity.

A year ago, we added Miss Q to the count. Adding one was fine and I had a few months to get used to the new count of five children.

Then we added Mr. J and our count became six children. Again, adding this one was fine and I had a few months to get used it the new count.

Then came Baby Jim. We had known about his arrival for quite a while, so he was easy, easy to add. And my count was seven.

It was a large family. Nine people in total. Seven kids to keep track of. But I was fine. My count was spot on.

Then the first week of July Mr. J left. The first week of August Miss Q left. And my count was Off!

I kept counting five kids and thinking I'd left someone behind. I'd count and recount. Sometimes while I was driving I'd have the kids count off for me again, just to ensure that everyone was in the car, even though I had counted them getting in. It was ridiculous.

The foster kids left in such rapid succession that it took a while for my brain and count to acclimate themselves to the new number. I now have five children. Only five. Once my count readjusted I was fine. Absolutely fine.

A stranger, on hearing that I had five kids, asked how I managed with "so many children". I laughed and told her Five was easy when compared to Seven...I just had to adjust my count. ;)

Quick Update

2010-08-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

The kids have returned to school. Rose is in 5th Grade, Anne in 3rd Grade, and Joe in 1st grade. Can I just tell you what a relief (and joy) it is to not have to worry about keeping these kids entertained, busy, and not fighting!

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Now it's just Cakes, Jim, and I at home during the week. They are fun and silly little boys. We are working on Memory Books. I am only four years behind. :S

Jim had his four-month check this week. He is 27 1/2 inches long and weighed 14 lb. 11 oz. That puts him in the 98th percentile for height, but only the 45th percentile for weight. My doctor likes the percentages to be closer, but wasn't overly concerned because the Jim-boy looked super-healthy. My Mom and Hubby, on the other hand, think we need to fatten the boy up. Wish me luck!

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I am completely flunking on my diet and exercise plan. The Hubby bought me an entire box of Mars Bars! That was my favorite candy bar when I was fifteen. But they stopped making them when Snickers decided to court almond lovers. That was fine by me. I haven't eaten a candy bar in about 13 years (the two bite-size bars my kids share with me at Halloween don't count. I only eat those to show the kids that we are polite and share. most of the time I will sneakily pocket them, while pretending to chew, and pass them to Hubby later.).

Hubby has, off and on, been tracking the candy bars on my behalf. That was always hilarious to me, because I really don't have a sweet tooth. I much prefer savory foods. For example, when we used to go to his parents' house for dinner, I would opt for an extra roll rather than eat cake and ice cream.

As often happens, my tastes changed with this pregnancy and they have yet to bounce back. I have serious cravings for chocolate that cannot be met! It is quite infuriating to me! I am doing my best to not cave in to the cravings. I was doing so well...

And then Hubby brings home an entire box of Mars! Turns out they never went out of production, they were still being made and sold in England. Only the U.S. stopped selling them. But now they are coming back, exclusively at Wal-mart. I laughed when Hubby unveiled the box. He was so proud of himself. He knew I had been craving chocolate and thought this would be a good remedy.

I was very proud of myself that I didn't spit in his eye.

After much cajoling, I agreed to try one, to see if it tasted as good as I remembered.

I wish I had just spit in his eye. :(

Oh. My. Stars!!

It was delicious!

And I couldn't stop at just one!

That rotten old man! Why did I ever marry him? Ugh!

I do not know what the Baby Jim did to my body, but it was something truly wicked to produce such intense cravings!

Someone please kill me now.

Sunday Musings

2010-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have two callings in my ward. I put together the bulletin and teach primary. I've had these calling for close to two years. I know what they entail. And yet...

The Bishop just called a few minutes ago. He asked if I had a few minutes to talk to him. Those words immediately set my heart to racing. Thoughts of new callings or added assignments race through my mind. My anticipation/dread start to increase as this dear man waits for my answer. When I tell him that yes I do have a few minutes to talk to him, he merely gives me the names of the people speaking in church next week and my heart calms down. Hahaha!

You would think I'd have gotten used to it by now. You would think that I wouldn't freak out just because the Bishop calls and asks specifically for me. I mean, I have been putting the bulletin together for quite a while. Maybe it has something to do with only receiving calls from him every third month. Whatever it is, the fact remains, every time my Bishop calls, my heart starts pounding. Haha! It also doesn't help that his daughter and my Anne are good friends. Sheesh. I have just never had this much casual contact with a Bishop before. And he is a lovely man...it just freaks me out a bit to talk to him. ;)

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My baby Jim is the happiest baby that ever did live. He smiles and coos and loves to be loved. As I watch this darling boy, I am struck by the scripture 1 John 4:19..."We love him, because he first loved us."

When we smile at Jim, his whole face lights up. When someone talks to him and looks into his eyes, his whole face lights up. My kids have deduced that since he smiles at us all so much he must love us. I agree. But I think a lot of it has to do with that scripture. Baby Jim loves us because we first loved him.

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And speaking of scriptures, I'm going to give this one a try: Daniel 1: 3 - 16. I think I've written about this before, if not here's the story...

A few years ago a wonderful woman taught a Relief Society Stake Conference lesson on the subject of Finding Balance in Life. It was a great lesson. She has used the story of Daniel and the Pulse consistently throughout her life.

Research shows that it takes thirty days for a habit to form. But thirty days was 1) Too much time for her to waste if the thing wasn't going to work and 2) too much pressure for her to be consistent with and still take care of her family. Instead, she follows Daniel's advice and gives things a ten day trial to prove them. She'll try something for ten days, determine if it works in her life, if it is blessing or a hindrance. If it works, then she'll try it for ten more days. If it's still working, she'll give it another ten days. And after a few repeats, she's made the thing a habit. If the thing does not work, she's only used up ten days and not wasted a whole month.

I am needing to implement a good exercise program. I have fifteen pounds I need to lose, muscles to tone up, and better circulation to encourage. Unfortunately, I don't have the strength to fully commit to an elaborate exercise routine, but I do have the strength to change my routine for a mere ten days. Yeah. I can handle ten days.

I figure if I go in ten-day increments, I can be on my way to a fit and lean body in just a few months.

Wish me luck. :)

Adios Amiga

2010-08-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

My heart is feeling so sad and conflicted right now.

This morning I attended my final CFT meeting with Miss Q. The Baby Jim and I took her, along with the remainder of her possessions, to the meeting. We had taken her dog and the majority of her belongings to her Mom's place a week ago. At the meeting, I turned in all of my paperwork, handed over Miss Q's birth certificate, social security card, and immunization records. Then I handed the darling girl back to her Mom.

It was hard.

Harder than I had anticipated.

Handing over Mr. J was not this hard.

I think a lot of that has to do with who took custody of Mr. J. He wasn't returned home. He was placed with his Great-Aunt. A marvelous woman. She works hard, maintains employment, is kind & compassionate, and has her head on straight. I really do not worry about Mr. J's physical or emotional well-being while he is in her care. She has proven herself strong and capable. I know he's okay. I know he's loved. I know he will be taken care of in absolutely every facet of his life.

Miss Q's placement, I'm not so sure of.

As I was turning things over and explaining different appointments and expectations to Miss Q's Mom, my heart grew heavy with worry. I've met with her Mom before. I know how her Mom is. I know that the woman does love her daughter. But actually handing over Miss Q to her care...It was hard to walk away.

The only thing that is helping is knowing that this placement is what Miss Q wants

The girl has wanted to return home so badly for such a long time. She didn't think it would be possible until she turned eighteen. She worked hard. And with a little help from our family, she was able to achieve her goal. She is thrilled to be returning to her Mother's care.

And I am happy for her. Really. I am.

I'm happy that she is getting her wish. I'm happy that she is happy. But I am also so, so worried.

I told her to be sure to use me for one of her emergency contacts, especially since most times they want a contact who is not related or living in the same house. I told her to call me any time if she needed help and Hubby or I would be there as quick as can be. I've told her I love her and that I am planning on always being in her life.

But I am so worried.

And I kind of miss that crazy teenage girl.

Holy Nerd-dom Batman!

2010-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I think I might have to turn in my nerd card.

Between entertaining the troops, transitioning foster kids to their new placements, and caring for my newborn, I completely spaced Comic-Con this year!

I can hardly believe it. This is such a huge event. And I missed it. All the hype, all the pre-con interviews, all the new anime. Everything! I missed it all.

I should mention that I have never attended Comic-con in person, but I have stalked the event online for years. There is so much great information that is available online pre-con.

Last year I almost attended in person. I had finally convinced myself that buying a ticket and ditching my family for a few days was not a selfish thing. It was one of those "Take care of yourself so you can take better care of your family" things. But at the last minute (meaning two months prior to Comic-Con when the really good tickets were still available) I chickened out. Like many nerds, I do not look forward to fighting large crowds for a seat in each event. (I'm the type that will pay extra for a concert ticket to ensure a reserved seat.)

I've spent the last week browsing the web for updates and reviews. While I am not an avid comic book fan, I do have a few that I follow. And it's always nice to see the new sci-fi and fantasy movie trailers.

My favorite thing, though, is Anime. And this year's Comic-con had an Anime overload. All four days of the convention, Anime was streaming. They had three rooms set up with each room streaming different Anime from 10:00 am to midnight and beyond! What a treat that would have been!!

Oh well. In other nerd news, a guy working on the Kepler mission has reported that the Milky Way could be home to 100 million Earths. Although preliminary and maybe not 100% accurate, the news is very exciting.

Ummmm.....Sorry??

2010-07-28T16:14:00.001-07:00

Driving home from swim team with all the kids in the car, Anne starts yelling:

"There's a dead guy in the road back there. A dead guy! Mom, Mom! We have to call someone. There's a dead guy. A dead guy!"

At first we thought she was trying to prank us. She insisted she did see a guy lying in the road. So I flipped a U and headed back. Sure enough, there was a guy lying in the road who looked to be dead.

He was passed out in a gutter with his bicycle halfway across his body. He looked like he'd biffed it while riding his bike and maybe knocked himself out. Another man in a red car had arrived just seconds before us. We both pulled over to park. While I instructed Rose to keep the air conditioner on and the doors locked, the red car man started to assess the guy. The guy was non-responsive. The red car man shouted for me to call 911. I grabbed my cell and hastily put in the call. The red car man kept trying to talk to the guy, using both English and Spanish. Spanish seemed to do the trick. The guy finally opened his eyes. The red car man told the guy, in Spanish, to lie still, we had called 911, and help was on the way.

The guy freaked!

He tried to sit up, but could only get his head off the ground. He tried to tell the red car man and I, in Spanish, that he was alright and to not call 911. Ummm....Sorry, but I already called. Meanwhile another car stopped to help. The lady passenger called through her window telling the red car man, in Spanish, that she had called 911.

The guy freaked more!

He dragged his body into a sitting position, staggered to his feet, picked up his bike, and started hobbling away. The red car man and I stared after him. As we heard the sirens drawing close, it occurred to the red car man that this guy might be an illegal immigrant. The red car man started feeling really bad, thinking he might be responsible for this guy getting deported. I started feeling bad too. We were just trying to help the guy, trying to make sure he wasn't dead or hurt. We weren't trying to turn him into to Border Patrol.

Just then the emergency crew arrived: first a police car, followed by a fire truck and two ambulances. Yowser! The man had gotten pretty far down the road, but the policeman** tracked him down. I saw the policeman start talking to the guy, checking him out. A couple minutes later the EMT's arrived and took over the guy's assessment. The policeman then turned to red car man and I to get our stories.

We told him what we saw. The red car man then voiced his concern that the man might deny help because he didn't have his papers on him and was afraid of being arrested and deported. The policeman chuckled. He informed us that immigration status wasn't the problem. The problem was the guy's alcohol intake. The guy had been passed out DRUNK!

Ummmm.... Sorry guy. You were lying in the road, completely unresponsive. We thought you were seriously injured or dead-dead. We didn't realize you were dead drunk.

Hope you feel better soon. Although I'm sure the blaring sirens are doing nothing to help with that...

**Funny thing, I had just seen the responding policeman that morning at the county sheriff's office. He was dropping of some papers while I was getting my fingerprints for my clearance renewal card. He remembered seeing me too. Haha! I love living in a small town. :)

Score!!

2010-07-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, while reading a fun blog, I was introduced to Bountiful Baskets. I've heard the name before, but didn't know how to join or if their was a group in my area. The blog included a link that I followed to get mucho information. After scoping out the site, I registered for an account and put in an order. What did I get??

For a mere $15 I got:

1 Cantaloupe

1 pint Blueberries

5 Navel Oranges

8 Peaches

1 Large Bag of Green Grapes

7 Bananas

1 Bunch of White Asparagus

1 Head Romaine Lettuce

2 Green Bell Peppers

12 oz. Cherry Tomatoes

7 Ears of Corn

2 Yellow Squash

SCORE!!!

And all of it was fresh and fabulous! Not everything was immediately ripe, which was perfect for our family. We were able to eat the ripe fruits and vegetables the first few days giving the other items the chance to ripen to perfection.

This was so great.

They also had "additions" available. For $20 I got 12 pints of blueberries. PINTS! In my local grocery store, 1 pint of blueberries runs $4 or more. I also added a bread order. Five loaves of whole wheat, handmade bread for $10. I was quite nervous about the whole process. I thought for sure there was a type on the screen, or that the food quality would be poor. But No. Everything was great. The blueberries were fresh and fabulous. The bread was great too.

Everything was so yummy and the whole experience was wonderful. I showed up an hour before pick-up time to volunteer. It was such fun. A truck arrived with boxes of the fruits and vegetables. Two rows of seventy baskets were lined up on the sidewalk. The volunteers took the boxes and divided the fruits and veggies among the baskets. When I told my kids about the experience, they quickly asked to accompany me the next time...if I went again. Haha! After such a great experience and after receiving so much quality food for such a great price, how could I not go again! :)

First Harvest & Beaches

2010-07-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Joe planted a garden a few months back. He has faithfully watched over and watered his plants. His excitement as each seed burst through the soil was a delight to see. His enthusiasm never dimmed. The end result of his hard work: a thriving artichoke plant, several sunflowers, and a gorgeous pumpkin vine. Joe harvested a couple artichokes. Steamed and dipped in a light hollandaise sauce, they were delicious! Joe decided to experiment with the rest of the artichokes. He wanted to see what they would look like when they bloomed. They look gorgeous! The choke turned an electric purple and softened considerably.

Joe and Hubby harvested two pumpkins from the vine, which they used to make pumpkin pie. I have no pictures of the pie. Hubby served it up for breakfast and not a slice was left. The only picture I have is of the pumpkin pieces prepped for baking.

The sunflowers are still growing. We have about ten in all. Their seeds should be ready for harvest in a few more weeks. Hubby has been looking online for the best way to harvest and toast the seeds. We are all looking forward to that harvest.

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While Hubby and Joe tend the garden, I take care of the trees. My fruit and citrus are doing extremely well. No fruit this year, but only because I plucked off all the blossoms and tiny buds before they could grow. My trees are too young to be having babies. Their trunks and branches can't support the weight properly. I also didn't want any of the trees' energy used up on producing fruit when that energy could be used to strengthen roots.

My Indian Laurel has been in dire need of trimming, but with my pregnant belly, I couldn't climb up the tree to get the job done. Last weekend I was finally able to complete that task. I deftly climbed the tree, cut away dead branches, and thinned out live branches. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked, but after two hours in the tree, my out-of-shape legs were getting a bit shaky. I thought it best to end while I was still capable of climbing out of the tree.

My children were quite concerned with the number of branches I removed. After a quick lesson in thinning and future growth, they thought I should remove a few more branches from the top. Haha! Maybe next week.
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This the pile of branches left after filling our garbage to the brim. It took two more garbage days to get rid of them all.

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After all that hard work, we needed some fun! My sister and her kids along with my Mom came for a visit. It was nice seeing my family. The first night they were here, we headed to the riverside beach. My kids love that beach. We've gone down many times before. My dear sister held my baby so that I could take the bigger kids down the river. Hubby had his hands full watching Mr. J. I gave the big kids a good lecture about hanging on to floaty noodles and sticking together because the river was deep and had a strong current. Then I took them out to the middle, all the while reminding them to hang on and stick together. I don't know what happened since the last time we came, but the river was only two feet deep! A bunch of sand had washed in and settled on the bottom. We thought it would get deeper eventually, but no. It got shallower in some parts. Haha! My kids and I just laughed and laughed about it. The cousins didn't know any different and had a grand time being pulled down river..

FYI: Friday morning Mr. J left our home. He is now living with his great-aunt. It was a smooth transition, for which we are very grateful. His Auntie is a lovely woman and we are thrilled that he will be with family.

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Here's the kids before they hit the water. Notice Cakes and his cousin already at the river front.
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The next day we drove to San Diego and played in an Ocean Beach. FUN! My kids love going to the ocean. It's nice that the three oldest are strong swimmers and have proven themselves trustworthy on our outdoor adventures. We went over the ocean rules, then they were free to run wild.

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The high in my home town was 116 degrees. San Diego was an overcast 65 degrees. That made for a chilliy day at the beach. Despite the cold, my girls stayed mostly in the water. The boys preferred to play in the sand.

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Baby Jim and I hung out on the beach. I brought along our camp chairs. I took one, my sister and mom took the other two. Of course, we didn't stay in the chairs for long. My one little nephew quickly claimed Grammy as his wave-hopping buddy, while my sister clambered after her other children, and I had my toes buried over and over by Cakes.

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Despite the cold, we had a blast! We only ended up staying two hours. I know my kids, after getting some food in their tummies, would have been happy to stay for another two or three. Cakes was the funniest. As we were leaving, he tried to hide himself in the sand so I wouldn't see him. Goofy kid! He thoroughly enjoyed the sand. It was wonderful sand, so soft and smooth. It felt wonderful on my feet. I think our next adventure will be to the Sand Dunes. I mentioned that to my kids. Rose and Anne agree that we can't go to the dunes until we have quads. Hmmm... I'm not willing to buy any, but I know a few places in town that rent them. ;)

Adjectives

2010-07-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

While pregnant, I spent a lot of time thinking about names. I poured through baby name books and spent hours searching online. Even after Jim's birth, my mind kept mulling over various names, origins, and meanings.

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Then one night, while running on fumes and nursing my baby, I had the funniest thought. I thought I should change my name to fit my moods. Like the Smurfs and Dwarfs had done before me, I would change my name to an Adjective! Unlike those fictional characters, my moods are more dynamic and change over time. That meant that I would need to change my name at least once a day, probably more!

Here are some names that would have been appropriate for me during the last two months:

Sleepy ~ five hours of sleep doesn't cut it, especially the five hours is broken into two or three segments. Sure...2 + 2 + 1 = 5, but it's just not as restorative as a solid five.

Grumpy ~ sleep deprivation following a drastic weight loss can wreak havoc on one's patience

Weepy ~ sleep deprivation following a drastic weight loss can also wreak havoc on one's emotions

Happy ~ my Baby Boy is a smiling maniac! he has been smiling since day one and started laughing at two weeks. it's hard to stay grumpy or weepy with the dear boy smiling at me.

Dopey ~ sleep deprivation turns my brain to mush and renders my speech incomprehensible. luckily Hubby understood my mixed up vocabulary and weird hand gestures.

PigPen ~ there were many days wherein I used my allotted shower time to take a nap instead. my soft bed was so tempting. I decided sleep was more important than general cleanliness. (this name is from Peanuts)

Sneezy ~ a change in the weather kicked my allergies into high gear. nursing prevented me from taking certain medications.

Hefty ~ this one totally applies! honest, it does! it requires a lot of muscle to take care of a newborn plus parent my four children plus two foster kids. I used both physical strength and mental strength.

Clumsy ~ fortunately, I only bonked my toes and elbows and never the baby. Phew!

Greedy ~ I was starving after giving birth and starving for eight weeks afterwards. I have been eating anything and everything. whatever I can get my hands on. food, glorious food!

Slouchy ~ nine months of pregnancy bending my spine caused me to lose an inch off my height. sheesh! between visits to a chiropractor and massages from Hubby after birth I regained the inch, but an quickly losing it again due to my hunched stance while rocking, nursing, and holding the Baby Boy.

Event-Filled Week

2010-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

This past week has been jam-packed!

I spent Tuesday cleaning the house and packing. My darling children all pitched in. Hubby, who's back was out, was assigned to lay in bed and hold the Baby Jim while we worked.

Wednesday morning the kids and I loaded the van, helped Hubby wobble to his seat, and took off. First stop was respite for Miss Q. Surprise, surprise, the respite was at the home of her best friend. Hooray! We left Miss Q behind because she was attending YCL camp with our church Thursday & Friday.

After dropping her off, we drove an hour to drop off Mr. J with his great-aunt. He was going to come with us for the weekend, but a last minute order from the court changed that plan. CPS thought this would be a great opportunity for bonding. We left him in the capable hands of his Auntie then drove on to Mesa, Arizona where our family adventure began!

Wednesday Evening my darling baby was given a name and a blessing by his father. We gathered at Hubby's parents' home. His poor Mama is losing the battle with brain cancer. She was sent home last month with hospice services in place and at this time is unable to get out of bed. We opted to have the blessing at their house for two reasons:

1) This was one of the things my Mother-in-Law used to get through chemo. Did you know that you administer chemo to yourself? I didn't. Each morning my MIL took one of those nasty pills that made her sick, sick, sick, in its attempt to kill the cancer. There were days when she just wanted to give up and not take the pills anymore. At those times one of the things that kept her going was the thought of attending her grandson's blessing. She'd think of the baby to come and swallow the nasty pill. What great courage!

2) The Baby Jim is named after Hubby's father and that man is not leaving his wife's side.

If they were to be included, we had to go to them. My family was wonderful about it. They, along with Hubby's siblings, cheerfully packed into my in-law's small condo.

My Baby Boy

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Thursday was filled with wedding festivities and a court hearing.

In the morning, my sister married her sweetie in the LDS Mesa Arizona Temple. It was a great ceremony. I enjoy attending weddings. They remind me of the covenants I made with my Hubby. As great as our wedding day was, it's nothing compared to the wonderful marriage we've shared for these many years.

With Hubby's back still giving him trouble, I assigned him to take pictures while I managed the kids. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that neither of us did our jobs very well. My kids were so excited to be at the Temple with its sprawling lawns, beautiful gardens, and sparkling pools. They wanted to explore everything. Ey-yah! It was hard to reign them in!

Meanwhile, Hubby tried to take pictures, but extra people kept popping up just as he snapped them. Or another picture-taker would divert the newlyweds' attention, so Hubby would end up with a shot of their backsides. Here are two of the best pictures he took:

Our family at the Temple

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The Bride and Groom

The wedding was followed by a lovely luncheon given by the Groom's family. Then we booked it to the reception hall so Hubby could set up his sound system. He was in charge of the music for the night. The kids and I hauled in his equipment and set it up per his instructions.

Next we raced back to our hotel, got the kids set watching a movie, and called in to our town's juvenile court. We sat on hold for an HOUR! before being patched through to Mr. J's review and report hearing. Wow! What an intense hearing! I can't tell you what happened due to privacy issues, but let's just say it was Soap Opera worthy. The end result is that Mr. J is going to live with his great-aunt. The transition period begins today.

Thursday evening was wedding reception held at Regency Gardens. It was a beautiful location. The decor reminded me of my own reception and of my sister-in-law's reception. We both had garden themes. We spent the evening playing with cousins, eating cake, and dancing. It was such fun to see all my siblings together in one place. I truly love my family!

Grand & Grammy with all their grandchildren.

The Bride & Groom with the Bride's nieces & nephews .

Friday morning, after checking out of our hotel, we headed to Grammy's to swim and eat leftover wedding cake. Yum! In the afternoon we drove up to our Strawberry cabin. This part of our adventure was Hubby's Father's day gift. We used the remaining daylight to play, hike, and explore.

Saturday hiked Tonto Natural Bridge. The bridge is one of my favorite places in Arizona. I have so many great memories of that place. All of the trails are "Steep and Strenuous". Hubby's back was doing better by this point, but with our kids young ages we stuck to the shorter trails.

Hubby and his kids on the Waterfall Trail

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After the hike we drove into Payson. We got drinks from Sonic (a huge treat since this mom rarely allows soda) and headed to the rodeo grounds. We watched the Arizona Juniors compete. Those kids have such great skill!

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Enjoying the show and the drinks

My cute baby sleeping in the shade .
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Team Roping

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It quickly grew hot, so we headed to the movies to see "Toy Story 3". It reminded me of "The Brave Little Toaster". The "Toy Story" storyline was much better.

We drove back home Sunday which, after stopping to wish our Dads a good Father's Day and picking up the two foster kids, took ALL DAY!!! The Baby Jim was not a happy camper after all that travelling.

Monday was the next big event...Court for Miss Q. We've told her and told her that she needs to be brave and speak up when the judge asks her opinion. She was brave a few months ago and her bravery set several things into motion. Court on Monday saw the fruition of her efforts. Miss Q is going to return to her Mother by the end of the summer. To say Miss Q is excited would be an understatement. The girl is practically vibrating with happiness. Her transition begins tomorrow.

So...both foster children will be gone by the end of the summer and both have started their transition periods. I love them both dearly and have enjoyed having them in my home, but I am greatly anticipating the day when it will just be me and my Blue children again.

Well, that is it. My event-filled week. Now I've got to get a bag packed for Mr. J and help Miss Q get her things organized. The transition process has them both spending the weekend with their bio-families. It's nice to see the these two cases going this way, that both kids will end up with family members. Keep you fingers crossed that the transition goes smoothly!

A Day in My Life...

2010-06-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have been super busy. There are so many topics I would like to post about, but free time is hard to come by these days. Please know that I will still be posting a couple of entries regarding the LOST finale. I'll probably have time to post all my notes and thoughts next week. Those posts will take more than a few minutes to type out and a few minutes is all I currently have. And with that in mind, I thought that I would share the events of my day with you. Although the events of each day vary, this list will give you a general idea of where my time is spent.

4:00 am ~ Wake up with Baby Jim. He's a hungry little guy. Watch the World Cup match between "Holanda" and "Dinamarca" to stay awake. Laugh as the Danish team scores a point for their opponent. I thought that only happened on cartoons!

5:00 am ~ Return to bed.

7:06 am ~ Jolt awake when I sense a presence hovering inches from my face. No burglars. Just Hubby trying to see if Baby Jim was breathing. Baby Jim has had a hard few days so he slept in the crook of my arm last night. (And before you think I slept in until 7:00, please know that I didn't even get to bed until after 11:00 pm and then had to get up twice with the dear baby, each time staying awake for at least an hour.)

7:10 am ~ Nurse the baby.

7: 30 am ~ Feed the troops. All seven of them. Take my morning meds...Wait thirty minutes to feed myself.

7:45 am ~ Get Mr. J ready for daycare while getting laundry started. (Mr. J attends daycare as part of his case plan...it's supposed to help him socialize better. Mostly it's just taught him how to say "mine" and how to bite and spit.)

7:50 am ~ Fold laundry. Remind Miss Q of her orthodontic appointment.

8:00 am ~ Wonder why Hubby hasn't left for work yet. He's supposed to take drop off Mr. J on his way...

8:05 am ~ Search out Hubby. Not in the garage. Not in the backyard. Hmmm....

8:07 am ~ Find Hubby in our room. He has changed back into his pajamas and is lying in bed!! Stand dumbfounded in the doorway for a couple of minutes.

8:09 am ~ Ask Hubby what in the world he is doing in his pajamas lying in bed. Listen patiently as the decrepit old man explains that he has thrown out his back. He can't go into work or take Mr. J to day care.

8:10 am ~ Refrain from killing Hubby. Remind him that he has known for eight years that he ought to take care of his back. Refrain from saying anything further on this subject as it will only lead to harsh words and murder.**

8:15 am ~ Hand him Baby Jim, they can lay around together.

8:20 am ~ Pair the kids off. Rose she is in charge of Mr. J, Anne is in charge of Cakes. Inform them that Dad is home, but is limited in his helping capacity. Drive Miss Q to her orthodontic appointment.

8:30 am ~ Make my monthly payment ($$$) for Miss Q's braces while Miss Q gets her braces adjusted. Sit and wait while she is being seen. (I usually have the little boys with me during these appointments. It was nice to be by myself for once.)

8:40 am ~ Remember that the Jim's pediatrician is in the same plaza and even though they don't answer their phones until 9:00 am, their doors open at 8:30!

8:41 am ~ Briskly walk to their office.

8:50 am ~ Make an appointment for Jim.

9:00 am ~ Return to orthodontist office and wait for Miss Q.

9:30 am ~ Appointment over, drive home.

9:45 am ~ Check on Hubby. Rose took pity on him and brought him a drink and some meds. Call around to find a massage therapist who can see him ASAP.

9:55 am ~ Load Mr. J and Jim into the van. Take Mr. J to day care first then head to the pediatrician's office. Order the children to have my kitchen and living room clean by the time I get home!

10:15 am ~ Follow-up appointment for Jim. He was admitted to the hospital over the weekend for breathing problems. It was pretty scary for a few hours, but he's fine now. Breathing great!

10:40 am ~ Return home to a clean kitchen and living room. Thank the kids.

11:00 am ~ Eat lunch.

11:20 am ~ Clean and organize house.

1:00 pm ~ Load the van with Goodwill items

1:30 pm ~ Swim Team for Joe, Rose and Anne. Drop them off at the pool and run to Goodwill to drop off donations, the bank to deposit a check, and Dillard's for wedding clothes.

3:00 pm ~ Massage therapy appointment for Hubby...that I have to drive him to. The man can barely walk let alone drive himself. The poor decrepit old man! It took him about fifteen minutes to walk to the car.

3:30 pm ~ Pick up kids from Swim Team. Pick up Mr. J from day care.

4:00 pm ~ Pick up Hubby from his appointment. On our way home swing by the orthodontist's office to get paperwork for CPS then pick up Hubby's prescription for muscle relaxers.

4:30 pm ~ Finally reach home! Chill out for a while and feed the baby. (Don't freak out thinking I haven't fed him since the morning. He eats every three hours. I just didn't feel like including all his feedings.)

4:40 pm ~ Return a call from CPS. Mr. J is not attending the wedding with us after all. Spend the next thirty minutes on the phone coordinating his stay.

5:10 pm ~ Start dinner. Repeatedly get distracted.

6:00 pm ~ Give a tour of my home and yard to the dear Young Man who graciously agreed to care of our dogs and trees while we attend my sister's wedding.

6:30 pm ~ Finally serve dinner.

7:00 pm ~ Realize that it's still light outside. Order the kids to throw on their swimsuits.

7:10 pm ~ Wash the van and the truck. Rose, Anne, Joe, Miss Q, Cakes, and Mr. J all help.

8:00 pm ~ File inside. Get little boys into their pajamas. Everyone else can do it themselves.

8:10 pm ~ Prayers. Tell Rose and Anne to wait for you. Put boys to bed with a song.

8:15 pm ~ Return a phone call from Miss Q's YCL leader. She's attending YCL camp this week!

8:20 pm ~ Have Rose and Anne try on the wedding clothes you bought at Dillard's. Discuss which dress they like the most. Set them aside.

8:40 pm ~ Put girls to bed.

8:45 pm ~ Call bishopric member who is conducting church this week. We'll be gone, but I'll still have the bulletin ready if he would please print it out and make the copies.

8:50 pm ~ Check on Hubby and Jim. Jim is asleep.

8:54 pm ~ Start updating my blog.

10:06 pm ~ SHEESH!! It took me more than an hour to type up the events of my day. Now this is why I don't update more often. I don't usually have an hour to type. I only have five minutes here and there. And now I've wasted a whole hour of Jim sleeping in which I could have also been sleeping. Alright. That is it. I am going to bed.

Good Night!

**I actually did pretty good about not getting mad or killing the man this time. I really wasn't too mad. Mostly I just laughed and told him that it served him right for not taking care of his decrepit old self.