A Year of Laughter

Can't believe another year is coming to a close. It has been a good year. A really good year.

We have been blessed with love and laughter and lots of other good things all year long. I feel grateful. Grateful for the love and the good things. And the laughter is a bonus.

In honor of the year that presented us with lots of laughter, I want to list a few of the funny (to me) things the children have said this year. I think I only want to include 12 things, but we'll see how it goes as I look through my blog that I call "laughing with my little loves". It's one of those private, invisible blogs. It's a place where I document those silly kids and their funny talk. Well, funny to me and the husband.

And just for your reference, and to put these funny things into perspective, oldest daughter is 9, middle daughter is 7, and little son is 5.

Funny talk of 2011

January
little son and i were watching his one year old cousin who was crying in an unstoppable manner. little son quips: "she scares me when she cries. it hurts my head and my ears. it's kind of like a weapon. a little baby weapon."


February

feb 14-- watching a movie with the children, oldest daughter leans over to me and says: "mom, i feel like satan is tempting me to say 'how the hell?'
mom: "why?"
oldest daughter: "i don't know"
mom: "sing a song to get those icky things out of your head."
oldest daughter hums families can be together forever, pauses and then whispers to mom: "he's like 'do it, say it, it won't hurt.' "

feb 27-- at the blessing of my tiny, new niece, little son leans over to the husband and whispers in his ear: "dad, three things: i. love. you."

March

mar 31-- shortly after tucking the children into bed for the night, little son yells out: "dad, if my leg falls off can we have a funeral for it?"
dad: "yes, son, if your leg falls off we can have a funeral for it"
little son: "yay!"
dad: "but i don't think it's gonna fall off"
little son: "yay!"

April

apr 13-- i was putting pink foam rollers in middle daughters hair one evening as little son came crawling, army-style, into the room.
little son: "i'm dying! i'm dying!"
mom and middle daughter: "what?"
little son, whispering: "mom, take care of yourself when i'm gone..."

May

may 19-- oldest daughter was explaining how nervous she was while having to have a small cavity filled.
oldest daughter: "mom, when i was getting my shot, i just kept thinking to myself, 'jesus had more pain when he died on the cross. jesus had more pain when he died on the cross.' "

June

june 28-- in utah after playing at a bounce house that had an indoor miniature golf course little son proclaims: "someday i really need to play some manager golf. i think i'd be really good at it."

june 29-- also while in utah, the children were getting ready for bed. little son was brushing his teeth while he and a cousin were watching a little star wars. he walks into the bathroom to put away his toothbrush and declares: "i love yoda! he's the awesomest one! he, like, never dies. HE NEVER DIES!"

July

jul 17-- after watching movies about jesus, middle daughter becomes contemplative and asks: "how many lives do we get?"
mom: "just one here on this earth, but after we are done here, we will live forever."
middle daughter: "so we will get born again?"
mom: "no, we will continue living as adults."
middle daughter: "and then we will grow back down to babies?"
mom: "no, we will stay adults."
middle daughter with eyes as huge as saucers: "really?! we will always be adults?"
mom: "yep"

August

aug 22-- shopping with little son
little son: "mom, one time i was shopping with dad and your dad. your dad was looking for some shorts and he said, 'these shorts are too short. i guess that's why they call them shorts.' he is soooooo funny!!!"

aug 19--
mom: "little son, did you just toot?"
little son: "no, i fluffed."
mom: "that's the same thing as tooting."
little son: "no, it's not. a toot sounds like, 'plbbttt' and a fluff sounds like 'fffaaahhhh.' plus, toots don't stink, but fluffs do.

September

sept 10-- middle daughter has really gotten into riddles and trying to stump us by coming up with original riddles.

middle daughter: "two people are in a cabin and they are dead. how do you know they are dead?"
dad: "cause you are not one of them?"
middle daughter: "no"
dad: "cause you read it in a newspaper?"
middle daughter: "no"
mom: "cause they are not breathing?"
middle daughter: "no"
dad and mom: "k, why?"
middle daughter: "it was the pilot and the co-pilot. and then the plane goes down. nobody was in the plane.
my cousin taught me that one."

October

oct 13-- we were watching my cute little 2 year old niece, junie (name changed to protect the 2 year old), for my sister who is going through a very rough pregnancy. after putting junie down for bed, little son told us: "mom, don't be fooled by junie's cuteness, she hurt me and she hurt oldest daughter."

oct 18-- newly returned from school, little son was walking around the house aimlessly picking up items and putting them down, commenting on everything.
little son: "i'm guessing you're gonna say 'how was your p.e.?' "
mom: "how was your p.e.?"
little son: "i knew it!! it was good."

November

nov 9-- upon picking up little son at the bus stop
little son: "mom, i have gummy bears in my back pack and i'm not afraid to use them!"

nov 13-- little son: "mom, me and middle daughter are the funniest ones in this family!!"

December

dec 10-- a woman in our congregation has been very ill and the ward held a special fast for her. upon hearing about the special fast, little son says: "i can fast my candy."
so he did, he had no candy all day.

the next sunday...
mom: "little son, hurry up and eat so that we won't be late for church."
little son: "mom, i'm fasting for sister j."
and he did. he fasted breakfast and lunch.

the next sunday...
mom: "little son, eat breakfast!"
little son: "i'm fasting for sister j again."

at the end of the day, little son says: "how about next time i fast school?"

dec 25-- dad: "little son, will you say the family prayer and be sure to thank heavenly father for all our presents?"
little son: "what abooooouuuuut can i count him in and thank him for him as a present?"
dad: "yes!"

good night hugs and kisses followed after the prayer. the children ran off to bed. little son promptly ran out of his room to say: "dad, one more thing: thank you for all the presents!!"

dec 29-- friends were visiting from utah and little son and his friend wanted to play a board game. little son ran off to the game cupboard and proclaimed: "let me show you where the magic happens!"




Ok, so pretty much, little son says the most funny stuff around here. Apparently. He is at a good age.

Anyway, here's to a new year with new laughs and new good things. Happy New Year to you and yours. May you be blessed abundantly and find joy in all around you.

psychic winning. word.

pretty sure i'm psychic.

we spent the evening playing games with a couple of the husband's cousins and their spouses. it was quite enjoyable.

we played quelf. it's one of those games you hate because you have to make an epic fool of yourself pretending to be a cowgirl ostrich rider who rides around beached whales while your opponents laugh and make fun of you- if that's the card you draw. but, then it's ok, because you do the same to them when it is their turn and they draw the card where they have to perform the ridiculous task of acting like they are stuck in a tree with 5 attacking lobsters and an elf. but, seriously, you hate the game.

i know i am psychic, though, because as we were playing, i was eating german chocolate cake. and i got some of the fudgey frosting way on my upper lip- i'm talking mustache territory, if i were a man. which i am not. but, i had no napkin. so i licked it off- and my tongue had to stretch a lot. and then i remembered how good i am at touching my nose with my tongue. and i began to hope there was a card where i had to touch my tongue to my nose instead of a card where i had to interpretive dance waking up in the morning and going to work only to realize i had forgotten my pants.

sure enough, not two turns later, i drew the tongue-to-nose card! and as a bonus, if i could also roll my tongue, then i could move my biscuit farmer playing piece 2 extra spaces. and there was my moment. i had foreseen this! and i could do both! and i moved my biscuit farmer the additional spaces. FOR THE WIN!

i won the game. probably because of my psychic abilities.

i guess it was worth the impromptu rap all about the word, word. because, really, don't all raps say word, and shawty? who is this shawty person anyway? i suppose that's a question for another day...

Mornings

I am not a morning person. But, mornings with giggles and smiles and hugs- I can do those. I'm glad that we have those most mornings. Today was one of those mornings.

I love our morning routine. Wake up. Get dressed. Breakfast. Song. Scriptures. Hair. Prayer. Goodbyes. (all while the husband takes care of dishes and a load of laundry. hopefully soon we will include the children in a little house cleaning- I would love if I could be left with a clean house by the time I am ready to start my day)

This morning as I waited at the bus stop with the children, we played the latest favorite game. It goes like this: one person starts and says one word. The next person adds a word and so on until we have a silly string of words that hopefully make some sort of a story. There is always laughter as we craft our silly story.

As I returned home, a satisfied smile on my face, I couldn't help but feel oh so blessed with my life. Even at this hour of the morning.

I hope you are having a wonderful morning.

Happy Belated Cinco de Mayo

Yesterday our Little Wedgie familia celebrated Cinco de Mayo in mucho grande style. The children practiced their Spanish, simulated Spanish conversation and generally raised a hubbub as we ate and fiesta-ed.

On the menu was fresh homemade salsa and tortilla chips and tostadas. Muy delicioso! And after dinner, the children went out to play. The husband and I cleaned up the kitchen and retreated to the hammock for a siesta.

It kind of made me giggle a little as I was tucked up in his arms and we relaxed on that most perfect of any invention ever invented that our thoughts were completely in sync. I would say something to the husband and he would reply with, "I was just thinking that." And vice versa. I sometimes think, in our case, telepathy would be quite beneficial. Except, maybe it would be a rude form of communicating for the both of us because we would be coming up with the same thoughts at the same time and interrupting or thinking over the other's thoughts. Make sense? It does to me.

Anyway, it was a pleasant time, swaying in the breeze generated by our patio ceiling fans. It was a warm evening that followed a very warm day. Once the sun went down, we literally felt the temperature cool a noticeable few degrees. Ahhhh.

The children returned from playing at the neighbor's house and we gathered in the kitchen for the crowning event of the day: home made fried ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate and carmel. And it was heaven in a bowl. Perfect for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Next year, I believe we shall celebrate the holiday in more proper fashion by beginning our commemoration on Cuatro de Mayo- which is actually Cinco de Mayo Eve. As suggested by a friend, we will gather around and read the Taco Bell Menu. Together. As a family. And then we will live the spirit of Cinco de Mayo all year long.

A Little More Fissure Fest History (from my perspective)

So, here's the thing: the week we were to close on our house we learned that the area to which we were about to relocate was prone to fissures. I'm talking ground-opening-up-and-swallowing / killing-a-whole-horse type of fissure. It kinda made me nervous. Just a little bit.

All I knew was that we had a good feeling about the house. I called my dad. And I cried to him about the situation. I told him of my worries of my house sinking into the earth someday. And I called my insurance agent. He told me that there was no fissure insurance- nothing to cover us in case of a fissure catastrophe. I called my sisters.

I called the gentleman in charge of fissures at the Arizona State Geological Survey. I asked him every possible question I could think of. He told me everything he could to help me figure out where the fissures currently were in relation to our home. He emailed me images of the latest fissure mapping in the area. I called him back and asked him more questions. He answered them. He sent additional maps. And answered more questions. He was very kind. And patient. And prolly went home with a great story to tell his wife of "this overly-worried lady who called about the fissures and a house she is about to close on." I can only imagine.

I called my dad again. And cried some more. And then I dropped everything and left the husband in charge of his job and the children and went to the temple to find some peace.

I prayed through the whole temple session, searching for the confirmation of our decision to move and some peace to accompany that decision. And nothing came.

As I dressed in the dressing room before leaving the temple, I felt a little confused as to how to proceed. And I walked outside to travel back home. As soon as I exited this sacred building I was met with the greatest assurance of my Heavenly Father's love for me and the knowledge that he was aware of my worries. My eyes were met with the most glorious sunset of purple and coral and pink and gold I had ever witnessed. It hugged the sky from north to south and east to west. It was a gift that spoke directly to me, telling me that He knew that I had concerns, but that I needed to trust and move forward. And it hugged me.

You must know that I love sunsets. I make it a point to stop and seek out the sunset everyday. Every. day. And on this particular day, a sunset was provided for me just to communicate peace. Because I'm pretty sure that Heavenly Father knows that I love sunsets that much. And He speaks my language.

I returned home knowing that we must proceed with the purchase of the home. For whatever reason, we needed to move our family to this particular place.

After this great dilemma, my family had a pretty good time mocking / joking with me about my fissure worries. And it was ok, because I vowed to them that every year we survived the great fissure, we would have a celebration like no other.

And now, in our little family, February is Fissure Fest month at our house. And we have just experienced our first Fissure Fest, which- as we have said before- was a smashing success. We even had a raffle.

And we look forward to many fissure-free years on our little piece of heaven, where we continue to have an excellent view of the sunsets.

night music

it's late. i just finished a long soak in the tub with a good book. once the water started getting a little cold, i got out and dressed in warm pajamas.

i made my way to my family room, which is the most central location in my house, and hopped on the computer to send out a couple emails. as i sat drafting an email, i paused to listen to the sounds of my nighttime abode, so that i could fully inhale the night music emanating from the halls: the breathing of my slumbering family, the whirring of the refrigerator and the ticking of the clocks.

i found myself enchanted by the rhythm of my sleepy house. this is part of the soundtrack of my life. i am often up late after my family finds sleep. i love the peace and the quiet. i love to have time to myself where no one is needing me. i love to have a little time to ponder on my day.

it's late, and i love that my family is providing the background music to one of my most favorite times of the day.

12:30 pm

Post-Edit title: Christmas Adam

(the original title of this post was Christmas Eve, Eve.

My nephew informed me that today

is actually Christmas Adam--- since Adam came before Eve)

The girls made lunch for everyone.

The husband and little son shredded papers

so that the husband can make paper bricks,

his newest green venture.

And I vacuumed.

So we can open presents on a clean rug.

Once the vacuuming was complete,

the girls powered up the Roku.

They were excited to finish watching She-Ra.

When the husband heard the She-Ra music,

he paused the paper shredder and joined them "for lunch."

(But we all know he really just wanted to find out what happened with She-Ra)

Merry Christmas Eve, Eve!!!

Super Hero

I heart weekends. A lot.

I have a nephew who will be leaving to serve a two year voluntary church mission in just 10 days. That is not a lot of days. But, he has been preparing for this mission for 19 years. 19 years=6935 days. That is a lot of days, but still not enough to prepare for a two year goodbye.

He is the oldest nephew on my side of the family. And he is awesome. He loves a lot of things- is passionate about a lot of things- I love his enthusiasm for his passions. He is a drummer. An awesome drummer. And he plays the piano. Awesomely. And he likes to hang with his old aunts and uncles. Which is awesome.

He has some new glasses that he believes make him look a little like Clark Kent. I must say that I agree. I think Clark Kent could be considered a Super Hero, which is perfect- especially in the case of this nephew. Definitely a Super Hero.

This weekend was especially meaningful because we celebrated one of the most favorite of favorite Christmas traditions. And this will be our last time to celebrate this tradition with our awesome nephew for two years. It was our annual desert bonfire party.

Oldest daughter and me as the evening was getting underway

So, we lit the desert bonfire and gathered around and shared dinner, stories, songs and tender feelings. Each member of the family who has already served a two year mission shared memorable stories of Christmases spent in the mission field, in honor of the nephew's upcoming departure.

And then the nephew shared his feelings about getting ready to leave on his amazing adventure. And of course, we cried. And marveled at the maturity of our cute nephew. He is going to be one awesome missionary.

the nephew, in Clark Kent glasses, sharing his feelings

And then, middle daughter requested that my oldest sister recount her very own personal experience of witnessing Santa Claus's boot as he exited our home via the chimney when I was just 4 years old. This story is legend. It never ceases to mystify my children.

And then we returned to the business of celebrating the nephew and the choices he has made in his life which have led him to this point. He has set a tremendous example for his cousins.

I am excited for my nephew. He has the gospel of Jesus Christ to share. For two whole years. 24/7. For many in Latvia, this means they are about to meet someone who just might become their Super Hero. Luckies.

Keeping

It's Friday night. It's 11:15. It's our last night in Utah. It's raining.

We have been here for 6 weeks. It has been wonderful.

I was sitting in the bedroom we have been borrowing from the in-laws for the past 6, preparing a little surprise heart attack as a small, insufficient offering of gratitude for them when thunder started booming. And I couldn't stand it. I had to go out and enjoy the rain, right after I found more scotch tape.

The husband was asleep on the bed beside me, I didn't disturb him- he put in long hours at work today and didn't get home til after 8:30. (because when we come to Utah for the summer, he goes into the Provo office and works whilst the children and grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles and friends and I play. And usually we play pretty hard. Poor, working husband) And I snuck out to the front porch swing and enjoyed the heavenly lightning display, accompanied by rolling thunder. I listened as it came down out of the canyon, rolled right over my rooftop and off to Provo.

And tears formed in my eyes. Like magic. And they were tears of gratitude for in-laws who have put us up in their home for 3 fortnights. I'm going to miss them.

I have a mother-in-law who doesn't know the meaning of the word idle. Nor does she know the meaning of selfish. That silly mother-in-law doesn't know the meaning of the word gossip, either. What she does know is hard work, service and praise. And humility. She knows that one.

And I have a father-in-law who loves to have his family around him. And he loves to tell us stuff. Stuff about stuff. And stuff about people. And stuff about places. He loves to take us flying his model airplanes. And he likes to go on lots of little errands. For Grandma. And stuff.

They are the parents of the husband. And I love them.

As I watched the lightning and tried to capture a picture of that elusive bolt, I looked at my car sitting in the driveway. The one that I was bummed that I had not gotten around to washing. And I was glad for the rain. I ran inside, gathered some rags out of the cleaning closet and went to work. Washing the car at 11:00 on a rainy Friday night. And we'll see how it looks in daylight.

And then I woke the husband up and invited him out into the rainy night with me.

We are traveling home to Arizona tomorrow. I want to bottle up this rain and this cool and this breeze and bring it home with me. Too bad rainy nights don't keep.

But memories of a wonderful 6 weeks in Utah do.

And I totally hope we can fit the area rug that I purchased for the living room in the car without having to leave one of the children behind. Because, hello, when you find the perfect area rug you have to buy it- then and there. Even if you are in Utah and your car is already full with kids and canines and stuff.

birthdays

today is oldest daughter's birthday. she turned 8. i was worried she might not make it to this exciting day- she was holding her breath for it all week. but we made it. and it was a glorious day.

she had her baptism pictures taken by her talented cousin, heather. pictures in her new white dress. and then there were pictures taken of her and the husband together. and it made me a little emotional to look at that handsome man in his dark suit and tie, spinning his daughter in her white dress.

and she was surrounded by family who love her. plus, she got circus peanuts. candy of the gods, according to the husband. i don't care for circus peanuts, but i sure do care for that little 8 year old.

happy birthday, i love you!

Who Rocks?

My nephew rocks.

And rocks again.

(the words in red are actual links. you should click them. really. you should. and then, you would also rock.)

Slow Dancing

This evening I discovered that there is nothing better than slow dancing in the kitchen with the husband. After the children are in bed.

However, I am mourning the thought that the children must return to school in the morning. Mourning for two reasons. One, our 24/7 time together has come to an end. And two, no more sleeping in. Oh how I will miss the sleeping in. And the children.

These past two weeks have flown by in a whirlwind. Our Christmas break was spent laughing, working, traditioning, playing, movie-watching, gifting, singing, snuggling, packing.

Packing.

Did you know?

We are packing up our home of the last five years and moving.

Moving across to the other side of Phoenix. Closer to family. To a bigger home (how does one keep a bigger home clean? Especially when one grapples with keeping the current home clean.) Where we will have a bit more land. With horse privileges. And chicken privileges. We are planning on cashing in on the chicken privilege part. As soon as we learn how to care for chickens. Horses? Maybe later.

We are excited. And sad.

Sad to leave the family we have been adopted into. A wonderful family. A kind of blissful slow dance with people we have come to love. How do you leave such good people?

But, I have my little family. And I get to take them with me wherever I go. And especially, hopefully, into eternity. And that is bliss.

And so, this evening I have come to the conclusion that there is pretty much nothing better than slow-dancing with the husband in the kitchen after the children have been tucked into bed.

Until we heard those little footsteps coming down the stairs.

Slow dances will keep. And new kitchens are calling.

And new families.

A Little Weekend Miscellany

Remember that Halloween donuts are a tradition in my family? They are. And this year was no different. The husband and I loaded the children (and the canine) in the car and traveled on over to Grandma and Grandpa's casa (after two small stops- the first at Sonic for slushes and the second at the Crocs store) where we enjoyed soup that was too good (in the words of one adorable niece) and donuts that can't be beat.

As we all consumed unreasonable amounts of donuts and soup, ooh's and ahh's were in plentiful supply as each family arrived and we marveled at the ingenious costumes that each family assembled.

emo, emo, pumpkin, Wolverine, Arizona Cardinal

Oldest daughter proved her commitment to piano and was rewarded with the Cleopatra costume she had been working to earn all month. She was on cloud nine, swimming laps in the Nile, if you will.

The family gathered for a Halloween portrait. Complete with goofy faces and zero percent loveliness.

Can you guess what the husband and I were?

As we were trick-or-treating with all the cousins, my sister was recalling how three years ago this very holiday, she was receiving a precious little bundle into her home as they were adopting my adorable little nephew. She recounted how emotional the holiday was as she was waiting for that little boy and hoping and praying that the birth mother would decide to go through with the adoption and not cancel it. My very own little middle daughter was listening to the whole story and predicted that through the whole process that cute little baby was probably thinking,

"Yay! New parents!"

I think she is right.

That does it for the Halloween recap. How about a little Miscellany?

First of all, huge thanks to Megan who notified me of my erroneous BYU Football post. For some reason I thought the Cougars were matching up with the Cowboys this past Saturday. Even though I read the date of the game, it just didn't register. So I posted a football post. And sweet cousin Megan (or was it Eph?) alerted me that I had been a little trigger happy. Look for a correct post on Saturday. K?

Middle daughter is pretty motivated by the Internet. Anything we have a question about, she replies with a, "just go to ________dot com!" For instance, we were wondering a bit about Cleopatra's history- since she has been something of an anomaly in our household of late. So, that brilliant middle daughter told us to go to Cleopatra dot com. Got a leg ache? Check out leg ache dot com, won't you?

Plus, she is pretty astute about passwords. She knows that my password for everything is dot dot dot dot. (maybe you already saw that on the husband's twitter feed- he scoops me on everything with that silly tweeting of his)

You will be happy to know that my OB/GYN is pleased to report a normal mammogram. Also pleased? The husband.

Some of you may recall my escapades regarding one Barta Heiner. I have a new visiting teaching partner. Her maiden name is Heiner. I was chuckling when I found out. And of course I regaled her with the entire Barta saga- after inquiring if she knew Barta and if she were a relative. She is not. Not gonna lie- a little bummed.

Today during fast and testimony meeting, oldest daughter asked why I wasn't bearing my testimony. So I told her I would if she would. We waited for the person who was at the mic to finish and then I stood up to take my turn. Oldest daughter didn't follow. Middle daughter did. So, I was duped and had to bear my testimony without oldest daughter. It was ok, though, because little son was sitting on my lap and kept trying to lick me- bearing my testimony was a great way to escape the licking. Thank you oldest daughter.

Finally, our evening was spent swapping riddles. Two hours of made-up riddles with the children. It was enchanting. I highly recommend doing it with your own little offspring. They are pretty clever. And the husband has discovered that he is riddly-gifted. Who knew?

Woo Hoo!!! Bring on the holidays! This is such a brilliant time of year- so. many. traditions. I hope you can handle traditions. I've got a bundle to share. Look for them throughout the next couple of months. And also, Tune In Tuesday for I don't know what yet, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. Suggestions?

Time for Play

I don't know about you,

but I think it has been a little serious

around here for the past couple days.

So I think I'll mix it up.

Just a bit.

With a little silliness.

This is the agenda:

a question

and

a little randomness to follow.

Question:

What did you do last night?

We did this:

Yep, it's October here, too.

And we're letting our kids run through fountains

at 7:00 at night.

I love Arizona in the fall!

A little randomness:

Because the husband is extremely interested

in protecting his assets,

I am scheduled

for a mammogram this afternoon.

My first ever.

I'll letcha know how it goes.

****Stay tuned for the final installment in my series Chasing Motherhood

When One Door's Open, Another Door Closes

After attending an assembly to honor our very own middle daughter as Student of the Month, the husband and I had a hot date Friday night.

That is, until our babysitter canceled on us and we had to make alternate plans.

Still, we had a hot date. We just took 3 extra little people along.

We enjoyed an evening of ballet under the stars. It truly was a lovely evening once the evening air finally cooled off after a day of 105 degree temperatures.

We spread our denim blankets and hunkered down for an evening of pirouettes, jetes and plies.

As we waited for the ballerinas to take the stage, a trio of women claimed a little lawn space near our denim-claimed area. The husband politely moved a corner of blanket out of the way so the women would be allowed a bit more footage. One of the women pulled the blanket back her direction and plopped her little backside right down on the denim- inches from the husband's lap. And there she remained- sharing our little denim blanket for the duration of the ballet. Never mind that we could have used the space she occupied.

The dancers were beautiful and the children sat at attention, noting each leap with sheer pleasure. Oldest daughter's only lament was that she didn't wear that tutu that she originally thought to wear. Middle daughter spread out on her cute little tummy facing the stage, her face in her hands and thrilled with each graceful dancer. And she kept reminding us that it was our pleasure to have the Student of the Month in our presence.

Once the last ballerina had taken her final curtsy, the husband and the children ventured out to see if they could discover a little geocache treasure hidden right behind the stage. As they treasure hunted, I laid on the blanket and gazed up at the stars. Because, who wouldn't take advantage of a night under the stars? And I could see just about 15. Darn those city lights!

But, while I was laying there, I heard little feet running up to me and expected that my little family was returning. The closer the footsteps got, the less they sounded like any of my little footsteppers. And sure enough, a little girl ran right up to me, looked in my face and turned and ran the other way, realizing I was not her mommy.

Following an unsuccessful hunt, my brood returned and we made our way to the sea of cars in the parking lot. As we got nearer and nearer to where we parked, we could see a white van- its sliding door wide open. Could that be ours? Um, yes it could. And it was.

After inspecting the car, we found everything to be intact- right down to the checkbook in the glove compartment. And decided that we must have left the door open. Who does that? And we decided that it was a good thing that the ballet took place far away from our side of the valley, because had we been in our neck of the woods, that car would have been stripped clean. Plus, I think we were blessed.

Once we pulled in our garage and began unloading the car, I went to the trunk to retrieve the blankets. I had an armful and decided to take in half of the load and return for the rest. On my way in the house, I cautioned the children to leave the garage door open because the trunk of the car was still up.

No sooner had I made it inside the house than I hear the husband yelling something with voice elevated at unnatural decibels. And I didn't have to guess twice what the situation was. Our very own Student of the Month had pushed the garage door remote button and the door had crunched against the trunk.

And to make matters worse, I also sternly scolded middle daughter.

I don't know why I did that. I'm fairly certain she understood that she had done something wrong. I should have left it alone. Lesson learned: no need to harp on the children- they know when they have done wrong.

The garage door was bowed a bit, but there was no mark on the car. All was ok afterall- and truly- the car is just a thing. Nothing with lasting significance. I'm pretty sure that our relationship with little daughter will far outlast that of our relationship with the white people mover that is our van.

Another lesson learned: when one door's open, another door closes.

Tune in Tuesday for another awesome guest poster!! You know you can't wait. And neither can I!

A Cabin Story

Last week the husband whisked the children and me away

to one of my most favorite childhood haunts.

The family cabin in the mountains of

Durango, Colorado.

And I wondered:

why has it been ten years since our last trip here?

I couldn't believe this was the first time I was introducing the children to this wonderland. Watching them brought back a flood of memories: days spent with my brothers and sisters and cousins wandering the mountains, warning each other not to pick the columbines- the state flower of Colorado- because, for sure there was a police man waiting just beyond the next towering aspen to apprehend any state flower-picking offender.

Time spent at the waterfall. Washing our hair in the man-made spillway, just up the road from the cabin.

Driving up to the top of the mountain to see the beautiful wildflowers and passing the old mine and the lone chimney- remnants of a burnt out house.

Exploring the meadow across the road from the cabin. The meadow that housed the remains of a pioneer cabin long since abandoned. Visiting the gravestone of the tiny pioneer who lost her life way too early.

Finding the old bottles from the saloon that once buzzed with life and, no doubt, drunk miners.

Remembering the old school that we used to visit and sit in the desks and drink the Mountain Dew supplied by the forest ranger there. What was her name? She was always around those hills, coming up for a visit with Grandma and Grandpa.

Grandpa, sitting in his chair in front of the huge picture window, taking in the view of the mountain. Grandma bathing us in the big silver tub by lantern-light.

Honeymooning with the husband and our first days of

happily ever after.

Those were some good days. All of them.

And so, we introduced the children to the wonder of the cabin.

And they loved it.

And we celebrated Grandma's 90th birthday

with song and laughter, skits and bonfires, food and camping, family and friends.

And it was magical.

The Good News and The Bad News

I have a few items of Good News/ Bad News business to attend to.

Should only take a minute.

Some people like the good news first and some like the bad news first.

I'll mix it up a bit.

The Good News is,

my brother and sister-in-law are the proud parents of a baby boy- arriving 3 weeks early.

The Bad News is,

they live in Kansas- so we won't get to give that cute little bundle any skwunches (don't know how to spell that one- and *squunches* looks way funny) for a while.

The Bad News is,

while I was driving on the crazy freeway the other night,

someone lost their BBQ grill out of the back of their truck.

I was right behind them.

The Good News is,

it didn't hit me. Or any of the other drivers,

but it did provide a fabulous spark display as it spun across three lanes of traffic.

The Good News is,

oldest daughter had her school Talent Show last night.

She did an excellent job playing "Popeye, the Sailor Man"

on piano.

The Bad News is,

no one told us it was a Talent Competition,

and prizes were handed out for the top 3 performers.

Oldest daughter didn't win- she was way sad.

I wish it had just been a Talent Show as advertised.

But, The Good News is,

it taught her a lesson about performing and enjoying the performance.

The Bad News is,

one of the speakers the husband had lined up for church tomorrow fell through.

The Good News is,

he found a replacement today.

The Bad News is,

it is me.

The Good News is,

tomorrow is Mother's Day.

The Bad News is,

I can never find a gift that truly equals the amount of love and appreciation and honor I feel for the mothers in my life.

The REALLY, REALLY, Bad News is,

the husband's car is broken.

It broke the day before I left for Women's Conference.

And he needed it, because I was taking our other car.

The Good News is,

he was able to use my mom's car while I was gone.

The Bad News is,

we received word on Thursday that the car will need a whole new engine.

The REALLY, REALLY Good News is,

we were on our way to pick up his new car when the mechanic called!

The Bad News is,

we couldn't talk him into getting the pink one.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers in the world-

those with children and those who help mother other people's children!

Speaking Volumes

Saturday was a true marathon day. We got up early and didn't stop until late. Nonetheless, it was a rewarding and satisfying day.

We awoke early to travel across town to help my brother and sister-in-law finish up the landscaping in their backyard. I loved it.

At one point little son and I were laying out rolls of sod and he disappeared. I looked over my shoulder to find where my little helper had scampered off to and spotted him alongside the husband. His sod was more inviting than the one I was working on, and the husband had acquired a helper.

The yard turned out beautifully and I am always amazed, but not surprised, by the abilities of my siblings and their spouses. These are some of the most talented people I know. Every. Single. One. No joke.

We travelled back across town to attend a birthday party of a friend. It was very enjoyable. The children were in heaven because there was a bounce house, pizza, cupcakes, lots of kids to play with, a pinata and candy. And it was a wonderful party.

As we buckled seat belts, the husband informed me that he had received a text from my youngest sister. She was wondering where I was. I checked my phone and sure enough, I had a message waiting. I immediately called her back, and her first question was, "Have you checked the comments on your blog from today's post?"

I had not, as we had been occupied all the day long. She then read to me the comment of a reader who was offended by my post for the day. It seems I had included with my post a picture that she felt was offensive in nature and went against the Constitution. And, she declared that she would no longer follow my blog.

I was stunned.

In no way had I meant to offend anyone. And in no way was I stating contempt for this country and its Constitution. In fact, the picture I had posted is one that I did a Google Image search for 'mexican american flags' at 1:00 a.m.- Saturday morning. It was the first image I came across with both the Mexican and American flags, loaded the photo onto my post, linked the photo to where I found it (the first time I have done this, by the way) hit the 'publish post' button and went to bed.

I didn't stop to scrutinize the picture, nor the article from where I got the image. I should have. It turns out the pic had the American flag flying upside down on a flagpole beneath the Mexican flag. I guess that sends a bad message. And I guess I am a little naive. Cause I didn't catch that.

Anyway, after discussing it with my little sis, we concluded that if this person who was so offended was a regular reader, she would know that I am not the kind of person who would do what she insists I did. I feel bad, but I also know that not everyone will always agree with what I write. This is a personal blog- it will contain personal opinion. I welcome comments with opinions which differ from mine. It helps me to see another side of an issue. I respect differing opinions. Afterall, it is our right- under the Constitution.

I am still scratching my head over this one, however. There was really not a controversial opinion expressed in the post.

I gave my sister my login information and she removed the picture for me since we were still a long way from home. I hope she forgot my login info. Because she could really play a great April Fool's joke if she still has it.

Once we arrived home the husband did a little research, posted a little {brilliant} comment of his own, and we loaded a new pic. Which I like better anyway and wish I had found early Saturday morning when I did my original search.

Moving on. We returned home, cleaned out the car, ate a hearty dinner of cold cereal (it was too late to cook- and since it was a marathon day, we opted for the breakfast of champions), took baths, and tucked children into their beds. And floors. It was the weekend after all, and middle daughter's favorite privilege is to camp out on the floor on Friday and Saturday nights.

A favorite tradition is to ask our children at the end of the day, "What was your favorite thing about today?"

As I posed this question to little son, his response spoke volumes to me. He said simply and without hesitation, "Rolling out the grass with Dad." (in his puckered-up voice, of course.)

Out of all the wonderful activities of the day. Playing with the cousins. The grand party. Cold cereal for dinner, for heaven's sake. His favorite moment was one spent near the side of his greatest hero.

And then I colored my hair. A couple shades too dark. Because I was tired of my sexy gray roots. Which I was going to take a picture of in honor of Wonder Woman and this post. But didn't. Because I don't have glasses to go along with the roots.

It was a gold medal marathon day.

We Will Survive

The cable man laughed at me. It seems people don't NOT (I know, double negative) have cable or some other television service- according to the cable man.

After reviewing our television viewing habits, and noticing that the only cable channels we watch are Disney and Noggin (I believe you have heard me mention this before. Somewhere. Can't find the posts, however. Sorry, no link.), we decided to cancel our cable TV service and pocket the savings. A good savings, might I add. $70.00 a month. Afterall, we originally began our cable service in honor of the Summer Olympics so we could get multiple channels for viewing. Oh, and because of my love affair with the Olympics. (You can read about that here and here.)

When I requested the change, cable man asked if we were switching to a satellite service.

Pink is for me. Blue= cable man, of course.

"Nope, we're not."

chuckling, "Well, Ma'am, no one does that. No one cancels their service without replacing it with something else."

"Well, Sir, we do."

"What about your sports programs? How will you get your sports?"

"We don't watch a lot of sports. We just don't have time for that."

snickering, "Ok, what about your movies? People are saving a lot of money these days by staying home from the theaters and watching movies on the movie channels."

"Well, we don't have any of the movie channels anyway."

"You don't have any of the movie channels?! Ma'am, you do realize you have HD service right now, what if we just downgrade?"

"Yes, I realize that. Thank you very much. No downgrade necessary. We just want to cancel."

"Ma'am, let's see if we can work out a package for you. What does your family watch?"

"Really, the only television we watch is children's programming. And we can get that from PBS from now on. The rest of our shows are on network channels- and we don't have to pay for those."

chuckling, again, "PBS? OK. But what about-"

"Please, just cancel our cable. Thank you."

"Sure. I just haven't heard of anyone doing this before."

"We want to keep our internet and phone. Can you tell me what my new bill should be?"

"It looks like you should be saving about $70.00 a month."

"Thank you."


So, please tell me I'm not alone. I'm pretty sure other people watch *Gasp!* ONLY network television. Right?

And let me just report, we have been watching ONLY network television for about two weeks now. I think we are OK. I haven't noticed any strange side effects oozing from our little deprived bodies. No plagues, poxes or diseases. Yet.

It has been nice. The husband and I still record (through our computer) any of the programs that we watch and save them for after the children are in bed. And we're not suffering because that cable box has been removed. I believe we will survive. But I do miss the digital clock display on that box. So, that tells me I was paying $70.00 a month to know what the time was. Time is money.

The cable man laughed at me.

And I don't care.

Conference, in General

This past weekend was a feast of spiritual proportions, for sure. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we participated in General Conference. A time where we are taught by our leaders. Words from a prophet.

There were opportunities for reflecting and recommitting. I felt that many of the addresses were directed to me and my family. Amazing how that works.

In particular, during the Saturday morning session, the husband and I were having difficulties corralling the children and convincing them to sit and listen reverently. As voices heightened and a time out was issued, a new speaker began her talk. No sooner had she started than the husband and I exchanged knowing glances and sheepish expressions.

The speaker was teaching us to have respect for our family. To teach our children to respect others. And to do better. (this is what we drew from her message, among a few other things)

We felt repentant. It was an immediate lesson for us, right on the t.v. screen in our own family room. A servant of the Lord showing us the way to be better parents. She couldn't have shared more perfect words for us than if she had been present in our home moments before. It was as if she had been observing our family and taken action, possibly thinking, "This family needs help and instruction on how to improve their teaching methods. And I need to address this issue right now."

Once again I was touched with the applicability of General Conference messages in my life, so pertinent for Today.

I had favorite messages, of course. Some of them so full of personal testimony that all I could do was nod and make an attempt at note-taking through puddled eyes. All the talks were jam-packed with spiritual nuggets that I will feast on for the next six months. I anticipate the arrival of the addresses in The Ensign. I love to re-read them and mark them and make notes in the margins.

And then, of course, our family participated in our annual General Conference Jeopardy game. It was wonderful, as usual. The trophy was finally won by another family, thus ending the winning streak of my oldest sister's family. Her children reluctantly handed it over to my other sister and her family. It will be displayed in their home until October, when it will again be up for grabs.

I awoke this morning feeling satisfied, full. A feeling only gifts of the spirit can bring. And I think I'm going to smile a lot today. Remembering.