admire my carpets, just don't walk on them

In my never ending quest to save money (or at least attempt to) I rented a carpet cleaner yesterday and decided to tackle my carpets. They have desperately needed cleaning for some time, but I have postponed hiring someone because each month the budget was not carpet friendly.

As it was becoming difficult to remember the actual color of my floor coverings, I decided yesterday it was time to take matters into my own hands. I went to the store and paid the very reasonable rental rate, and then saw the cleaning product prices! They lull you in and wham! "Oh, you wanted something to go in the machine, that costs extra!" I maneuvered the awkward machine into my car and then into the house mumbling something about the possible rewards of the savings. A new pair of shoes maybe........Twelve hours later I finished.

Today the carpets look better, and I am exhausted. I had to return for two more bottles of spot cleaner because I had more spots than 101 Dalmatians and it doesn't come in a giant "kids live here" size. I only had one mishap which was good for me. I went to empty the canister of the grimy water when I stepped from the damp carpet onto the hardwood floor. Next thing I know I'm on my backside with gritty, grimy water splashed all over me. Note to self. Reconsider when putting wet feet on a smooth surface.

I woke up this morning sore in every muscle of my body. I was wondering why my bum was sore till I remembered the moment it very ungracefully met the kitchen floor. Today I have turned into mom, protector of the clean carpets. I am sitting on the couch in the main traffic ways "encouraging" my children to take off their shoes when they come in the house. Of course, since it's summer I can't convince them to wear shoes, so I cringe whenever little feet enter the house. I have started foot inspections! I kid you not. I am determined that all my hard work lasts at least one day! I reminded Mark to stay off the carpets and he said, "am I supposed to fly?" I think I am a bit obsessed. Maybe there are pluses to dirty carpets. But I saved money right? Although my feet are too tired for the shoes I can now afford. :)

lessons in nature...

I was weeding my flower beds today and thinking that there was a good reason I wasn't Eve. I would have never relented and purposely chose to have weeds in my life! I am not sure there is an example of faith and obedience stronger than that! :)

Who named morning glory? There is nothing glorious about it. Mine is getting wise and hitting the rose bushes particularly hard because who is going to go into the thorns and remove it? What about those prickley things, nothing says welcome to my garden more than those! They look like some living torture device just daring someone to try to get close. I have yet to meet a glove that can withstand it. Don't even get me started on the grass that doesn't respect boundries and gets greedy conquering new territory. How much space does it need?

Ok, so once again I had too much time on my hands as I was wandering about my yard today. I need an ipod or something apparently, when my mind has a moment things get a little crazy. I might have even been mumbling some not very nice things under my breath. At any rate, as I was weeding I realized that I was giving way too much attention to these uninvited guests and in my frustrated haste, I was failing to notice all the new flowers blooming in my garden.

I think that is how life is some days. I get so caught up in the prickley, unwelcome troubles that I forget to admire the beautiful things around me. I also realize that after I toil and struggle in the dirt, I appreciate the flowers all the more. Perhaps if weeds didn't exist I would take the beauty of flowers for granted. The scriptures talk about how there needs to be opposition in all things and I think I understand that a little bit more today. I learned a lesson in the dirt. Despite how much I hate to admit it, even weeds have a purpose. Eve was pretty smart indeed. Although if they stay gone for awhile, I won't object too much!

(This post is for all those wonderful people I know that despite all the terrible weeds that come into their lives, never fail to not only enjoy the beauty around them, but also share it with others. I have much to learn from you.)

memorial day...

We had fun yesterday joining my siblings and my parents on a hike. It was just a couple miles from my house and yet I had never been there. We had a great time. As I sat and looked over the valley I realized how much I take where I live for granted. What a beautiful place to be.

last week of school.....

Wow! What a crazy, busy, fun week this has been, especially in the Elementary School. It has been a whirlwind. I have had fun seeing Mark and Cass in their various activities.

First up was the Manila Dance Festival. This is a tradition every May where each grade learns a dance and they perform it for the school. Mark's class danced to a Tarzan song, "Trashing the Camp" and Cassie's grade danced to one from High School Musical.


Next was the Talent Show. Every year students can try out for the talent show either individually or in a group. They only choose a handful of those that try out. I was proud of Cassie, her best friend Aubry and two other little girls from the neighborhood. They chorigraphed a dance number completely by themselves. It had cute stunts and fun moves. They worked so hard and made the show. They raided our costume box and found some cute outfits. They were a blast to watch! She didn't get these moves from me, that's for sure. I have two left feet!


Cassie did her sixth grade Graduation Walk this morning. It was sad to think she is leaving Manila Elementary and moving on to Jr. High. Where did the time go? I am not ready for her to grow up. She is sad to leave, but is looking forward to new adventures with her friends.

Simple Joys....

Sunshine. Sunshine. Sunshine!

A hug and "I love you mom" from my eight year old

Seeing a sweet little aging married couple holding hands and their canes while they walked.

Trying a new recipe and having it work!

A seventeen year old son, who randomly and without provocation, cleaned the most unorganized room in the house (no, it's not even his room!) just to say a belated Happy Mother's Day.

A husband who tells me I am beautiful despite what the mirror and scale say.

A flowerbed free of weeds (at least for today).

A daughter playing a hymn on a piano that desperately needs tuning.

An empty laundry basket. (we know that will only last five minutes!)

Brightly painted toenails

A a quiet day to think of my many blessings and then the noise the kids make coming home to tell me about their day.

(I want you all to notice that chocolate was not on my list! I am being good today!)

practice makes perfect....

I remember as a teenager I was asked to play the piano to accompany a young women's choir number in church. I had been taking piano lessons for years and the song was fairly simple. I was scared to death, I hated to perform. I remember weeks of practicing the song over and over until I could play it in my sleep. However, on the day of the performance as I was sitting looking at this music, a strange thing happened. It was as if my fingers had lost their way and they had no connection to the notes in my head. I totally went into a deep freeze with no thaw in sight. I lost it. The musical number turned into an acapella number with a few wrong notes thrown in randomly from the piano. I was mortified and have never played in public since that day.

The phrase practice makes perfect is common but is it accurate? When most people say they have over seventeen years experience in something, you would think them a master. I have found the opposite is true in parenting, the more experience I have, the less I know. I have often said you receive more instructions and directions when you buy a toaster than when you bring a child into this world. And the toaster instructions come in five languages!! I struggle with just speaking English to my children, and on many days simply trying to put the right name to the right child proves a daunting task. I should have named them all the same name and then at least, I would have stood a chance.

I think Mother's Day last week brought this all to my mind. It's a hard time of year for me. All around me, there are stories of incredible mother's and on many days, all I see are my failings. I mean how many times can I teach a child that a clean room means you should be able to actually see the floor not just assume it's there. To scour a bathroom is more than picking up a towel and turning off the light. Maybe they are taking the faith family home evening lessons to seriously, sometimes it is important to see to believe. How many years does it take to understand that homework projects are best when not left until the night before; a kind word to a sibling should be the rule not the exception. I am failing on all these things!

I have incredible children, don't get me wrong. They came to earth perfect and then I came into the picture. :) What was Heavenly Father thinking? If I can't even play a piece on the piano, how does He expect me to cope with motherhood?

Motherhood keeps you humble. Just when you think you have something figured out with one child, you have another one who is completely different and it's back to the drawing board. Come on, really?

The one thing I do know is that despite all my mistakes and misgivings, I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything. What an incredible and frightening experience it is to be put in a situation where your sphere of influence has such lasting impact. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is the only instruction book I will ever need. What a blessing it is to know that I am not alone flailing in the darkness, that I can receive help and inspiration during the struggling times. I am in such awe of single mothers. I know many whose faith, hard work and diligence astounds me. I could not be a parent without my husband. He bails me out on those days when I feel I'm on a sinking ship and land is nowhere in sight.

Mostly, I am grateful to know that although this family choir of mine sings acapella some days, they still keep singing waiting patiently for me to refocus and hit a right note once in awhile.

Cinco de Mayo...

We had a fun family party to celebrate cinco de mayo last week. We had great food, pinata's and fun visiting and hanging out. I mean who can't smile when wearing a sombrero?

Happy Mother's Day to my mom...

This is but a small gift for you on Mother’s day.
It’s designed to be a symbol of what I want to convey.

I could have brought you cut flowers that are beautiful right now-
but their beauty and enjoyment would only a few days allow.

So instead, I brought you seeds that will take some work along the way,
before their beauty will be realized and they will multiply and stay.

To me this represents what you’ve done for me throughout my life.
Someone that has quietly sown seeds here and there and often pulled weeds of strife.

Your work was often unappreciated and the result took years to tell;
but as you look in the faces and lives of your children, I hope you’ll realize you’ve excelled.

For what once were dirty faces, tantrums and teenage rebellion;
has now evolved into temple marriages and an abundance of grandchildren.

This did not happen by mere coincidence
But through daily sowing seeds of faith and patience that was immense.

So today as you look at these packets of simple unsown seeds
I want to thank for not taking a life full of comfort and ease.

For realizing that eternity takes much time and effort to create,
and your divine role of mother is something you never did forsake.

I love my mom, she is an incredible example to me. I am so blessed to have the privilege of being her daughter.

Prom 2010

Ryan attended Pleasant Grove High School's Prom last night. The group he went with asked if Kelly could take pictures before the dance. Kelly met them in the early evening at this fun house in Lindon that has become popular for pictures. He did a great job! It was so fun to be able to have an inside track to pictures so I didn't have to go stalk Ry at the dance and get some! He looked pretty darn handsome in his tux, and Keslee, his date was absolutely beautiful.

it started with a tree and grew into so much more...

Summer of 89 I met the man I would later marry. We met at a stake young adult activity, planting trees on a church welfare farm. He was six months off his mission and I was taking a summer break between my two years at Ricks College. He was putting the trees in the holes and I was in charge of making sure they were straight and aligned with others in the row. He was making me laugh and I was trying to figure out why I had never bumped into him before, considering we grew up practically neighbors. To this day Kelly tells people that from the day we met I have been telling him what to do and not much has changed. :)

The first thing I remember about Kelly was his sense of humor. Not many people could have as much fun in the sun and the dirt as we did that day planting trees, Kelly kept things light and happy that afternoon. For the next year and a half we ended up on dates together..although he would be dating my friends and I his. In October of 90 I was living in an apartment in Provo, but started attending some activities in my old Stake ward in Orem. I was setting a roommate up on a blind date and she wanted me to get a date and come along. I was recently out of a relationship and didn't know who to ask. I thought, "I'll ask my friend Kelly.." who I admit I'd been thinking a lot about recently. Thank goodness he said yes. Good thing I was smart back then and didn't wait around for him to ask me out! That next February we were engaged and April 30, 1991 we married in the Salt Lake temple.

As I think back over the last nineteen years I am amazed at the impact of that decision. When I said yes that day in the temple, I never could have imagined what the next nearly two decades would have in store. I always tell my kids that service brings blessings. Who would have thought that something else was planted that day besides apple trees and later blossomed into so much more. I love you Kelly! You are and will always be my greatest blessing, my best friend and owner of my heart. Happy Anniversary!

We were able to get away to a local resort for a couple of days and it was a wonderful break. Thanks to the kids and others who helped make this spontaneous trip happen.

the domino effect...

Have you ever had days where something goes wrong first thing in the morning and then it's like a row of domino's, things keep falling apart at an increasing fast pace and you are hopeless to stop it? That was my day yesterday. I knew I had a full day when I woke up. I cataloged everything I had to do in my mind so I could accomplish everything. Of course, my short term memory is about ten seconds, but at least I had a plan. Later that night there was going to be a big activity with the Laurels and some of the sisters from the Relief Society. I was in charge of it so I knew all the final preparations would take the majority of my day.

Things got thrown off a little when Cassie missed her carpool and was late to school so I got a later start than I wanted, one domino down. On the way to school, I failed to come to a complete stop while turning right at an empty intersection and was pulled over and issued a citation. Hopefully the money will go towards something useful in my city! Cassie was at this point, totally in tears because she though it was her fault. I tried to tell her that unless her foot mysteriously took over the gas pedal, the blame was mine. I was trying not to get frustrated or break into tears because this wasn't scheduled into my agenda , so I'm sure my voice wasn't exactly calming when I spoke to her. I got kudos from the police officer for being polite; he said, (as he handed me a ticket) "Don't let this ruin your day ma'am" ( Was he kidding? and then added insult to injury by calling me ma'am!) Second domino down.

I got to the store for my first errand and realized my debit card was on the counter at home and I had used the last check that morning for lunch money. Third domino down. I made it home from my errands and started making the four cakes I needed to bake. I opened the fridge and realized I have zero eggs, so back to the store again! ( I am thinking taking a few minutes to make a list first thing that morning might have been a good idea) I made sure I had money this time and I stopped for at least three seconds at every stop sign. I was hoping that something would start to go my way if I was learning from previous mistakes. Fourth domino down. By now, they know me by name at the store..(happens when you are there three times in a half hour!) Maybe they thought I was trying to get some award for the millionth customer, and would keep coming in until something happened.

I was baking cakes and could only find one measuring cup for a fourth a cup. Ever try to count to 24 while adding six cups of flour to a recipe? If Josh were there he'd be yelling..."fifteen, six, hundred and two" while I was doing it. Cakes turned out beautifully amazingly enough...yeah, something went right! (Admit it, you thought I'd burn them didn't you?) I made some decorations for the night and they looked cute. I was on a roll. I did carpool, ran to the craft store to pick up some balloons and back home again to tackle homework. I forgot that helium balloons and ceiling fans should not coexist in the same space for any length of time...Eight balloons died in the battle and my dog will need therapy after all the loud popping and my screaming. Which domino are we on now?

Anyway, that was my day. I could add I lost patience with my kids, didn't get any housework done and it was FFYN (fend for yourself night) at dinner. I would not be up for any mom of the year awards, but maybe if I went back to the store, the customer of the day one would still be available.

The activity was a success. We had fourteen of the seventeen laurels there, their mom's, and some Relief Society sisters that had been secretly dropping things off to them this past month. The theme was a Chocolate Appreciation Night (I mean, I'm planning it, could it be anything else?) We had fun games that mixed people up and got the Laurels talking with different sisters they didn't know well. My candy bar type flower arrangement was cute, and all the cakes tasted good! All in all it was a success!.... Or was it? Sometimes I feel when I succeed in one area, I fail at being a mom. It's good that these days happen once in awhile so I can reevaluate things and hopefully learn something in the process. All I know is I don't want to eat chocolate for awhile and if I see a domino anytime soon I can't guarantee it's safety.

own little world...

I just realized I never posted on Josh's birthday over a month ago!! What a terrible mom I am. I love Josh. He makes me smile no matter what I'm doing. His crazy sense of humor gets me through tough times. He is very talented, he can figure out how things work and design ways to fix things that I had never thought of. He will make a good engineer someday. I can't believe he is 15! He has his learning permit and always wants to go driving. He is pretty goood already! He is an awesome student and gets great grades in hard classes. I love Josh because sometimes things are hard and he has learned to make it through tough times with faith and strength.

I have to include one of the off the wall silly things he has said recently. They just fly out of his mouth without thought and we all laugh. On our trip Josh was being goofy as usual and I remarked that he was in his own little world. He promptly remarked, "yep...population me....and a billion fans!" that is pretty true I think. Even if Josh is in his own little world most of the time, I'm glad I get to visit and be one of his adoring fans!

the easter egg fiasco....

The night before we left for our trip, the day before Easter, Ryan asked a great girl to the Prom. He had it all figured out. He would drop a big chocolate easter egg off at her house with a note saying he would be honored and "egg-cited" if she would go with him to the Prom. Then he told her to go as soon as possible to a local park to find easter eggs with clues of his identity. Great plan, right? I was elected to go hide the eggs at the park while he doorbell ditched the chocolate egg on her porch. He called me from behind some bush in the neighbor's yard saying he thought he saw her running up the street to find out who dropped it off and was worried he was going to get caught. We learned later that it wasn't her running down the street. (Note to self, send binoculars next time)

Meanwhile I was off to hide eggs. It was 5:00 p.m. and cold and blustery outside. No one was at the park, so that was good. I hid the eggs around, slightly visible, but hunting would be required. I hurried and moved my car to an undisclosed location and hiked back to the park to hide behind a bush (now you know where Ryan got his undercover skills) and watched. I waited and waited and was getting cold. Still no prom date sightings. After about a half hour I thought I might be looking suspicious to neighbors because of my spying skills or lack thereof. All I needed was an arrest for stalking! (Note two to self, wear camoflauge clothing next time). I decided I would drive in loops around the park and see when she arrived, hoping that the eggs would be undisturbed. That was not to be. Ryan, by this time was at the Priesthood session of Conference and unreachable. (Note three to self, have a backup plan in place).

After another half hour, I was wondering if I had missed her? I again parked and hiked the back way into the park trying to spy plastic eggs in the distance. Suddenly, I saw a few kids walking through the park. I watched as my perfectly placed eggs were being gathered up and opened! Oh no! What should I do? Should I run up and grab them away from their little hands? I could see the evening news, "Tonight, a crazy lady was spotted at a local park stealing eggs from children, more news at 10:00..." I again didn't want to involve the police so I decided it was time to call it a day. It had been an hour and a half since the first message was placed and for whatever reason, she wasn't coming. Not that there were any eggs to gather at this point.

On to plan B, not that we had one yet. I went to the store and bought more plastic eggs, because we were going to need to figure out a way to do this again. We had left Kelly's cell phone number with the original note, with instructions to text "help" to that number if problems were to arise. We hadn't heard anything so we didn't know what to think. We decided to try again the next day on our way out of town and put the eggs in her yard. At 11:30 that night Kelly got a call on his cell phone from the dad of the future prom date, wondering if they should grab flashlights and head to the park. They had just arrived home. :) We told them not to worry, new directions would be given the next day.

On our way out of town, Ry dropped by and tossed the eggs around her front yard. It was snowing and he didn't want to leave footprints so tossing was as good as it got. :) Two days later, at Disneyland, Ryan got a text from an unknown number telling him to go to Sleeping Beauty's castle and find an attendant there and she would have something for him. Sure enough he got his answer right there at Disneyland. A handwritten note on parchment all rolled up with a ribbon. How did she pull that one off? Ryan said later, "I toss eggs around her yard and she figures out how to answer me at Disneyland!" What can I say, girls are pretty clever! Way to go Keslee. Looking forward to posting pictures soon.

Spring Break

Two years ago for Spring break we took a vacation to California and to Disneyland. We had a fabulous time, the park wasn't busy and we were able to relax and enjoy. Because of that experience, we decided to do it again this year. The difference was Alpine School District just happened to schedule their spring break with the rest of the world! So although we still had a great time, it was a bit more hectic and less relaxing than we had anticipated.

We drove the first day to Vegas and stayed with my sweet sister Cora and her family. They totally rolled out the red carpet. We had tons of room, great food and fun company. It's not easy to host a big family of six, but we were so comfortable and had such a great time. Ryan even held his cousin Jessa, he hasn't held a baby in such a long time. It was really sweet to watch this big kid of mine hold this little girl. He looked a bit stiff, but she warmed right up to him and put her head on his shoulder. Cassie had a great time playing with Jaydee, she loves playing the big sister role.

Ry with Jessa

Jessa and Jaydee

Then on to California. We had a great hotel that was less than a ten minute walk to the park. We spent three days enjoying the rides and the crowds there. Sometimes we had quite a wait in line, but I kept telling the kids it was good bonding time. I mean how often do I get everyone together when they can't go anywhere. :) Mark was still pretty hesitant to try some rides. Kelly and I split the time taking him around to the ones he wanted. The older three loved all the coasters and more exciting rides.

One of the highlights of the trip had to be the night we ordered pizza in our hotel room. We ordered their "big mama" sized one, thinking we have to feed Ry and Josh and really how big could it be? I remember thinking maybe just one pizza wouldn't be enough, we usually eat three Little Caesars; then the pizza arrived and we all gasped in amazement and then collapsed in laughter. That thing was huge, almost three feet in diameter, a few more inches and it wouldn't have made it through the door!! Needless to say, we were grateful for the microwave and fridge in our room, because we ate pizza a lot after that! Best value in Anaheim!

We spent a day in the middle of the week at the beach. Amazingly it wasn't crowded (probably because everyone was at Disneyland!) We flew kites, collected shells, built sand castles and played in the water. I even got some time to relax and read! Kelly was great getting down with the kids to build in the sand, or getting a kite up in the air! What a great man I married, I love to see him play with the kids, and even at times act like one of them!

I always forget that kids have the same issues with each other on vacation as they do at home, it just happens in smaller spaces! Rule number one, when you go on a trip don't to expect it or everyone to be perfect. We had our share of disagreements - similar to "he's touching me" or "she's breathing my air" (my favorite line from Elder Bednar's conference talk last fall). Mark and Cass sat in the back seat with the seat in the middle open. Most of the ride we kept hearing reports of someone crossing over the imaginary line drawn down the middle of the empty seat! Good grief of all the things to argue about, the seat? Really? I understand if it was over who ate the last cookie, but a seat? :)

I love my family. They make me smile and even through the struggling times it is always great to see the little things they do to help each other or make someone smile. I remember big hands of brothers reaching out to Mark to help him not be scared of a ride. I remember Cassie's laughter and smiles when everyone else was grouchy. When I asked her about it she said, "you don't want me to lose my happiness do you? Then what would we do?" I don't ever want her to lose her happiness! I will remember the times we all got SOAKED on Grizzly Rapids and spent the rest of the day drying out or the boys coaching me how to make it through Space Mountain (I survived by the way!) I loved the shared cotton candy and ice cream and catching Kelly's eye as we walked with our crew to yet another line. Families are the best, they are there for you through good and bad times and everything else in between.

Dancing Cassie!

Cassie had her spring ballroom recital the first of April. She did a fantastic job and we are so proud of her. One day her dance partners will be taller than she is. Way to go Cass! (put the cursor on the slideshow and you can turn on or off the music)

addicted to technology..

Our home computer has had it's struggles, faults and downright failures; however, last weekend it decided to take it's last breath. We have one last chance resuscitation effort going on as our good friend and computer genius is looking at it. We are trying to salvage the data - you forget how much of your life is on a hard drive! In the days that have followed our return to the dark ages, life has been crazy.

With only one computer in the house you forget how often it gets used. At first the kids are complaining how they can't get on facebook and check their email. I tell them, "this is a good break", and they are too dependant on technology. Then I find myself eating my words as I need to send out emails for church things, help Cass do research for a paper. Ry and Josh need to type papers and fix school registrations. I need to pay bills and do research for a new computer!! I want to check out the weather or confirm plans for our Spring Break trip not to mention I have pictures to unload off my camera and post on the blog!

Suddenly, I am realizing just how darn convenient the black box is. In the meantime, we have purchased a laptop while we figure out what the destiny is for our other one. We haven't had a laptop before, just our family computer which is in the sitting room of our bedroom. I am hoping this will be more convenient for when the kids need to get on the Internet and paranoid mother that I am , require I be present when they do so. Now they can just follow me wherever I go. :)

After the last few days I have found that in addition to being addicted to chocolate I am addicted to the convenience of technology. How on earth did the pioneers do it? No GPS or weather information. What about blogging about life on the trail? How do you entertain children in a covered wagon or research how to cook with wheat? :) We are so blessed!

definition of spring....

“Spring” is the word given

to define the time between March and May.
It’s the season that suffers
from an identity crisis is what I want to convey!

Some days are utterly deceitful,
offering hope to one and all;
then wham! winter returns
without permission, as I recall.

You never know what to expect
from day to day, hour to hour;
One minute it’s yard work
and the next it’s a surprise cold shower!

It’s the time of year when the sunshine
is into playing a game;
like peek-a-boo or hide and seek,
which really drives me insane!

I do have a sense of humor
and enjoy an occasional practical joke.
But really, snow in April?
Come on, a smile isn’t what that will provoke.

I’m ready to dust off my sandals,
give my toes some color and shine;
but to also keep boots and hot chocolate handy,
I’m afraid I must definitely decline!

It’s very confusing for a person
such as myself and others too;
what to make of what is outside the window
and all of the hullabaloo.

So mother nature it is past time
for you to decide your identity.
Please choose daffodils and tulips
and things that bring serenity.

After yesterday when the weather abruptly changed between snow and sunshine every five minutes, I am ready to get off this roller coaster called Spring and settle into something calmer. Since Mother Nature is so indecisive, I thought I'd take it on myself to declare winter over! I realize it is wishful thinking on my part, but I thought if I stated my intentions someone might listen! It doesn't work around here very much, but I'm hoping for better luck with Mother Nature!

in season...

Last night I was cutting up fresh strawberries with Mark and we were eating every other one. I said to him, "I'm so glad strawberries are coming in season, now we can eat lots of them!" Mark replied, "mom, when do cows come in season? I want to eat steak!"

pondering...

Today I've been wondering:

why there are always crumbs in the silverware drawer?

why there is always an empty toilet paper roll on the dispenser and a full one rolling around on the floor?

why teachers assign parent assisted homework projects during Spring Break?

why you only notice you need to dust when company is over?

why broccoli can't taste like chocolate?

why when you make dinner, there is at least one child who takes issue with the menu?

why there are self cleaning ovens, dishwashers and washing machines but not self cleaning children?

So maybe today I've had too much time thinking about things as I've meandered around the house performing various tasks. But at least that means something is working up there in the vast recesses of my mind. What do you wonder about?

girls night out!!

Cassie and I had a spontaneous girls night out tonight. We haven't been out just the two of us for sometime, so when Kelly took the boys out to do things tonight, we took the opportunity to go have some fun. We went out to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and got to sit in the trolley. Cassie hadn't been there before and she thought that was pretty great. We laughed over pasta and girl talk. After dinner we had fun wandering the mall. I typically am not a mall person, but we had fun window shopping and being silly for a couple hours. We took some fun pictures with my cell phone. She is growing up so fast and we had so much fun. She was so sweet and even though we spent very little money, she made it memorable and we giggled all night long. It was fun to escape the drama that sometimes takes over our lives and enjoy simple things like escalators, lip gloss and sunglasses. Cassie, I love you so much, and it's great to have someone to do girl stuff with! Thanks for making me feel young and silly!

daylight savings...

The only time of year you can get jet lag without ever setting foot in a plane! Who decided this was a good idea? Definitely not parents, that's for sure! :)

kids say the funniest things....

I have always been a terrible journal writer so when my kids said something cute, I never wrote it down and now it's lost out there in the vast space that once housed my memory! I decided when someone said something fun, I would make a quick post so I would remember it tomorrow and hopefully further down the road!

When Mark was asked about what he learned in Primary he remarked, "Noah and the Ark". We were so excited that we had moved past the generic answers of "choose the right, and keeping the commandments" that we typically heard from week to week. We asked him to tell us more about the lesson. He thought for a minute, and then said..."it was about a man named Noah who built an ark!" :) We will keep working.

Tonight at the dinner table we were talking and eating as usual. Ryan was putting gravy on his engineering feat of mashed potatoes and when it didn't hold and gravy erupted over the embankment, he mumbled something to his plate. Cassie said laughing..."my brother talks to gravy! He makes fun of me for talking to stuffed animals! At least stuffed animals have faces!" We all had a good chuckle at that.

FAMILY FUN!!

Recipe for a week of Marks family Fun

Combine together: a great FHE with Grandpa's great lesson, balloons and bubble blowing



Add in a night of lasar tag, skating food and fun



Stir in crazy adults attempting to hit a ball around a room



And Voila! A party filled week with cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents!

My brother Seth, his wonderful wife Anna and their family came in from Arizona this past week and grandma and grandpa planned a full week of fun! We had a great time. I remembered how to blow bubbles in a contest, and although the picture makes me look like I won, I have to be honest...I was terrible! But I should get points for style! I may not be the quickest at creating a bubble, but the bubbles I make are masterpieces!! I love my sweet dad who always gives great lessons, complete with stories and fun visual aids. I love my mom because no one creates buffets of food quite like her. I actually attempted to play in a sporting event and managed to hit a ball or two after squealing like a mouse going through puberty every time a ball came toward me! I am so blessed to be part of a wonderful family. The only thing that would have made this week perfect would have been to have my sisters Cora and Lucy and their families here!! All that means is more fun when they have their turn in town!

the next NBA star.....

Josh just finished playing on a Pleasant Grove Rec basketball team. He did awesome (or in Josh's words...he is a BEAST!!) Their team did very well and placed third overall. It was fun to come and watch and cheer for him. Way to go Josh!!

Loved it...

I rarely recommend books, but after my ridiculous vacuum post, I'd thought I'd let you know that I do other things while I'm trying desperately to get out of house work. Reading is one of them. My sister gave me the book, These is my Words by Nancy Turner, for my birthday and I really loved it. It made me appreciate my life and the fact that I have vacuum cleaners, garbage disposals and just a life free from Indian attacks, snake bites and having children without anesthesia. It's been out there for awhile, but it was new to me, so if you haven't read it yet, maybe you should stay in your sweats for a day and enjoy. (Just keep the vacuum handy if surprise visitors should appear!)