Bloggin' Beans

Christmas Choir Concert

2010-12-19T17:11:00.005-07:00

Gavin and some of his friends

My camera batteries went dead during this performance so I wasn't able to get very much of it. There is a little blurp of Gavin singing one of his favorite songs. This was the first year the choir director had his concert choir sing the "Hallelujah Chorus" and I must say, I was very impressed by those young kids. Again, it's too bad those batteries went dead! (Oh, and in case you might be wondering, Gavin sings Tenor, for now).

Orchestra Concert

2010-12-14T13:23:00.005-07:00

Allie had her first orchestra concert last Friday. (Gavin also had a choir performance at the University Mall, but I didn't remember to bring the camera...he felt neglected). We were pleasantly surprised at the ability of these 7th graders who hadn't ever picked up an instrument (for the most part) until just a few months ago. "Kudos" to the teacher.

The Ugliest Sweater Award

2010-12-14T12:51:00.009-07:00

I was a "mother-helper" in Allie's english class last week. Funny how it came about actually...I volunteered while under the influence of a sleeping pill and the next morning I couldn't recall a thing about it. I was taken by complete surprise when the teacher replied to my unknown email and thanked me for my willingness to help! (Needless to say, I have asked Richard to keep all electronics and phones away from me after I take my pill at night to avoid any more involuntary acts of service). After I realized I had said I would help, I discovered that my assignment involved dressing up like an old person, an "Elder" from the book, The Giver. I was to wear all black and pull my hair up into a bun.

I did the best I could considering I wasn't really in the mood to do it all. I threw on some jeans, a black shirt and my old grayish/brown Finnish sweater (which is about four sizes to big these days). I stretched my short hair into a stub of a ponytail and showed up for duty. When I got there, all the other mothers were wearing black skirts and the mother I was to sit next to had done herself up all model-like so the contrast between the two of us was quite glaring. As I sat there talking to the pretty mom, Allison came in with her class. When she saw me she smiled, but as soon as she looked at my costume, her smile fell off her face.

"Mom, WHY did you wear that UGLY sweater?!"

"I'm supposed to look old"

"Yeah, but that is the ugliest sweater!" At this point her friend scolded her for being mean to her mother. The next five minutes went by as the other classes gathered in and settled down. And as if twice wasn't enough, Allison again embarrassingly asked me why I wore the ugliest sweater I owned. I just laughed because I knew just how pretty I didn't look.

I was completely surprised when we were all done and Allison wanted me to walk back with her to her classroom...HAND IN HAND with the Ugly Sweater Wearer!

(By the way: I really like my Finnish sweater!)

Ahhh...tis the Season!

2010-11-01T20:54:00.005-06:00

Is it considered child abuse when you send your son to football practice and he continually comes home with blue-ribbon bruises?

Allie and Smokey taken right after soccer practice. She was trying to get a profile photo she liked for her new Facebook account.

This is the only picture I got of "Halloween" and it has nothing to do with the holiday. It was wacky wear day at school and this is what the kids came up with. Slippers on Gavin and Moose socks on Allie. I think they are the ugliest socks I've ever seen and I can't figure out how they ended up in her closet.

I love this time of year, minus the Halloween part. (I know, I know...what a party-pooper I am). This year the kids had friends over for night games and then we had our annual Dinner party with the Graves. We had different kinds of pasta with salad and a fabulous dessert. The kids love this tradition and this year it was made so much simpler. We didn't dress up until after they had ordered their mystery food and then while the parents prepared the meal, the kids went downstairs and dressed for dinner. With make-up and three boxes of dress-ups to choose from, it was fun to see what they came up with. Allie ended up in a hoop skirt complete with a fancy dress and every ounce of her face caked in make-up. Meanwhile, Gavin put a cloak with a hood on and called it good. If only I had thought of taking the camera...

The Bain of My Existence

2010-09-11T17:32:00.008-06:00

It's been awhile since I went upstairs to the kids' rooms and overhauled them in the sort of way that only their mother can do. After a grueling day of cleaning, I am taking issue with a couple of things:

1. Airsoft BB's (Have you ever kneeled on one? Think Legos... They are all over our yard, bright green, white, red, like large plastic fertilizer pellets that never melt away. When Gavin ran out of them during his last airsoft war, he decided to just pick up the ones lying on his bedroom floor to recollect. In one pick-up he hauled off quite a pile and that was before he checked under the bed or in the corners. I found those while I was vaccuuming - after he'd said it had already been done!)

2. Perler Beads (Those colorful plastic beads you make designs with and then melt together. I had a whole refrigerator covered with designs made into magnets at one time. Usually the designs get made and then sit around Allie's bedroom waiting to be ironed. I'm constantly setting them aside to get dinner ready or they have to be carefully moved off her bed and onto the dressers so she can sleep at night. While I was vaccuuming her room the other day, I thought I saw something colorful in the heat vent. Amongst bobby pins, a Scooby-Doo Bandaid, pistachio shells, yarn and who knows what else - I didn't inspect further - I found handful after handful and I still didn't get all of them.)

And, of course, these things don't like to be sucked up by the vaccuum hose. I try every time only to end up picking them up by hand. Is this something I'll miss when they grow up? I think NOT!

Gavin's Bee Sting

2010-08-02T10:21:00.003-06:00

Gavin got stung this weekend while we were in Logan fishing at the Shaws. He's just like his sister and dad and blows up like a balloon when he gets stung. Poor kid!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T23:47:00.003-06:00

SPONTANEITY...

2010-06-19T22:33:00.005-06:00

The act of being SPONTANEOUS.

Spontaneous: Arising from a momentary impulse; not apparantly contrived or manipulated.

Without any encouragement from anyone else in the family, Richard woke up Thursday morning with a plan to go to Logan for the weekend. No real reason to go, just to get out of town. So, yesterday, without any previous planning, we left the funeral we were attending, went home and changed our clothes. The kids made sure to grab their bare essentials and we were able to fit everything we needed in a large tote. (I didn't bring makeup or anything!) In 15 minutes or less we were loaded in the truck and ready to set out. I am so glad Andrew and DeAnna were okay with us just "dropping in" on them like this.

Highlights from the Weekend:

The Shaw's farm drops right down onto the bank of the channel that runs passed their property. It was perfect for them to just run down the hill and fish for a bit, while D and I stayed in with Allison and watched a movie. The next day, we went outside and watched them fish while laying on the grass in the shade of the house. The boys all caught carp and catfish out of the channel and had a great time.

The next day, they took the local farmers up on their requests and went to thin out Rock Chucks from the nearby fields. This was a first for Gavin and he definately scored on his first try. He won the trophy for the largest beast! (shot right in the head).

We also spent time eating. We had Sushi the first night and then ate at the Texas Roadhouse for lunch the next day. The Texas Roadhouse was good, but we are still in awe over the flavor and quality of that sushi!!! It was fabulous. We had about 8 or 9 rolls to share amongst ourselves and those not already on the brave ending of eating raw fish and joined the club of "True Sushi Lovers". This place was SOOOO good! Nice therapy, if I might say so myself.

The Dream Moves On

2010-05-27T00:47:00.007-06:00

Gavin has been drawing up Go-Cart designs for the past month. He and his buddy have it all worked out and they got started last week. Here's what they have done so far.

Step 1: Show your mother the drawings so she will smile and think you are a cute and silly kid, but not really expect anything to come of that nice sketch of a go-cart.

Step 2: Wait a few weeks until mom has almost forgotten about the go-cart plan and call her from a strange friend's cell phone to let her know you are not coming home from school. You have very important business to attend to at Ole' Widower Honey's house (okay, his name is just Brother Honey), but he's expecting them to arrive for their scheduled time.

Step 3: Make an appointment to go back to Honey's house and go through his collection of old metal junk in his shop out back. At the same time, have your other friends contacting their father who owns a mechanic shop and see if you can spend some time down there before the week is out.

Step 4: After you have found the perfect project for scrap metal, realize that you don't want to hurt Bro. Honey's feelings and instead of scrapping the old motor bike you found in his garage, you decide to "practice" on this one before you get into the actual building of the go-carts.

Step 5: First try to talk your father into letting you store the soon-to-be-fabulous-addition-to-the-garage-toys in your back yard. That will fail miserably. Try tactic two: Call your friend who has nothing to do with this plan. Invite him to join the team of mechanics and share the glory of triumph when it runs and moves at the same time. Oh, and if he says he's interested be sure to have him store the junk at his house.

Step 6: Go pick up Yamaha and bring back to the garage. You know your dad has tools you can use. Once it's cleaned up, you can move it the newest member's house.

Step 7: The bike must be cleaned. You'll need four shirts of various sizes out of Gavin's closet to cover your good clothes with his good clothes. He doesn't mind sharing, he knows his mom would never care about grease on good shirts. She's real good and turning things into rags!

Step 8: Tell your sister you'd like her to make some lemonade for the gang. They're getting pretty thirsty with all this work.

Step 9: Gather the tools and start scraping decades of dirt from the frame of the bike. Be sure to use mom's butter knives on the real hard to get grunge. And go ahead with using her favorite food container (you know, the one that gets used whenever there's a meal to be brought to someone else or a treat brought to a function) as a bucket for greasy, grimy, used to be white rags.

Step 10: Be proud. You are on your way to freedom from oppression and on a journey to independence. This project is the gateway between boyhood and manliness. And hopefully as a man, you won't think your mother's butter knife will be your best tool option next time!

Wednesday's Word: Grundle

2010-05-27T00:39:00.003-06:00

GRUNDLE: A fine word used when one wants to indicate an excessive amount. It gives the listener or reader a beautiful depiction of what "a lot" might look like. In a sentence: Wow, you have a grundle of cards in your hand. That grundle looks as if it might win you the game. Oh, my. You won. If it weren't for that grundle, you'd have lost for sure.

Use it in a sentence...go ahead...do it. You know you want to.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T22:52:00.003-06:00

I had to say a few words in Sacrament Meeting today. (I say "few" because I was the last speaker of 8 women. Do you think I had any time left to speak? I had about -4 minutes when it was my turn which was perfectly okay with me). The couselor in our bishopric asked all the former RS presidents of the 4th ward to talk about service and then wanted to end with the current pres. The first speaker shared a story I thought was cute and I figured since it's Mother's Day I'd share it with you.

When her daughter was about five, she came to her and asked if they could go to Grandma's house. Her mother said, "no, they had ironing to do." The five year old asked her mother if she would pretend to be the grandma and they could talk and play as if they were at grandma's house.

So, they did and after a while of talking back and forth, the child started to get a little silly. Pretty soon the mother stopped her daughter and told her to quit the silliness. With her hands on her hips, the five year old looked her mother straight in the eyes and said, "Now Grandma, you're startin' to talk like a Mamma!"

Her message to all of us today was to remember to be "grandma's" more often and not too much "mamma" all the time.

The Innocence of a Child

2009-11-19T23:07:00.009-07:00

I was at my mother-in-law's house on Monday helping her with a few household things and we got to talking about the economy and how rough it has been on so many of us. She was very sweet and kindly offered to let us live with her if we ever had need to. I don't foresee that in the future, but it's always nice to know you have loved ones who will help you out during those inevitable crunch times.

The drive home left me with a lot of thoughts and I considered how our lives would change if we ended up needing to stay with Grandma for a few months. When the kids got home from school, I asked Allison what she thought about moving in with Grandma Bean. Immediately I heard Gavin holler from the other room, "No Way!" (He has no problem with Grandma, just the thought of living anywhere other than here). I asked Alli again what her thoughts were. She sat there for a minutes and then asked me if she would get her own room. I assured she would have the middle room upstairs. She mentioned it might be too small to fit all of her stuff in it, but she continued to ponder. She considered, "Grandma might need a lot of help. She will need me to take her groceries upstairs for her and I might even miss some of my school". I asked her what her final thought on the matter was and her response came through a very solemn and concerned face, "Sure, mom. I can move to Grandma's, but I would miss you guys SOOO much! (on the verge of tears) Do you promise that you'll come and visit me everyday?"

I was so shocked by her reaction...I quickly went through the conversation to see where the misunderstanding had come in. Then I looked over at her sweet and willing face, gave her a big hug and promised her that I meant we would all move together and not to worry because we weren't going anywhere.

The New Emma...FABULOUS!!!!!

2009-10-30T00:11:00.004-06:00

It's exactly midnight. I spent my entire evening finishing this series and I LOVED it! There are six episodes and if you are a Jane Austen fan, I guarantee you'll enjoy them all. I liked the Emma with Gwenyth Paltrow, but I choose this version over the previous one. There is more time to develop the characters. Watch it soon and tell me what you think!

This is the only place I have found that has posted this series, since it has only recently been broadcast in the UK on BBC. I can't wait until we have the DVD available!

Videos - Tudorphiles

No More Spankin's

2009-10-14T15:05:00.004-06:00

We have trouble "encouraging" Allison to keep her room clean. She can have it completely cleaned up and the next day it looks like a tornado hit it. I honestly don't understand. We have tried just about everything. We have threatened extra jobs, groundings, and this last time Richard said he'd spank her for every item left out. Yeah, that didn't really stick because he's developed a hatred toward spanking his kids. Well, this afternoon inspiration came to me. She can pick up dog poop. There seems to be a never ending mess in her room and we have a constant supply of "punishment".

So, that's exactly what she got to do today and after her little experience, I think we found a cure to a her incessantly messy room. She came in from outside completely grossed out.

It's been raining the last couple of days and well, you can imagine. In the process of cleaning up, the bag broke on her and covered her hand and arm. She came running in and practically poured liquid soap all over all exposed skin, while freaking out about the liquid state of the mess she was cleaning off her arms. Poor thing...I was no support. I just chuckled inside and thought to myself, "this is definately going to do the trick!"

I Think This Is Gonna Be Good!

2009-07-28T19:36:00.002-06:00

I just learned of this and am terribly excited. Check out the link to the new BBC's production of Jane Austen's Emma. Tell me your not as ecstatic as I am!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjPMEopKtDs

It's Marketable...Maybe

2009-06-26T15:35:00.012-06:00

Allison had this great idea..."let's make REAL fruit snow cones and sell them on the street corner!" Her mother said "no" to the street corner, but "sure" to the making of snow cones. She chuckled to herself when she thought through the process of how much work it would take to get enough juice to make even one snow cone. Allison's original idea included bananas, but when it was explained how you can't juice a banana with a citrus press, she moved on to other fruit.

So, here's what happens when cousins get together on a "hot" (70 degrees) Seattle afternoon.

Mushing the watermelon with a citrus juicer because the blender was off limits.

The goal: nine, not ten, snow cones.

Awestruck by the perfect cone-top created by Gavin with a kitchen funnel.

Yup, folks. That's almost half a watermelon and nearly an hours worth of time.

Grapefruit proved to be much harder than watermelon and Josi looks...well, done.

They roped off the front porch to inhibit any toddlers from entering the work zone.

Each snow cone was hand selected and flavor was carefully added with a turkey bulb syringe.

There you have it. Three flavors to choose from: Grapefruit (pretty sure that is more than the "one" grapefruit their mother said they could use), Lemon/Lime Gatorade and Watermelon.

After 3 hours of work, they are finally ready to eat! They offered one to the mother, and after sampling them, she'd have to say they were the kind of good only a labor of love can enjoy. (And an hour later, the mess is still on the front porch).

- You might have to zoom in to catch Duncan's expression. He had already eaten his when I went to take the picture. He still wanted to be in the photo so he told me he'd pretend he still had something to eat. This was his re-creation of the experience. Priceless.

Shed No More

2009-06-26T14:32:00.008-06:00

While I hang out in Washington enjoying my nieces and nephews and visits with Jenny and Todd, Richard stayed at home. I think he'd rather be with us, but couldn't take a whole week off of work. To bide the time, he decided to tear into our summer project - the removal of the old, original shed is the first step on the list.

I can't imagine the exhaustion since I am only part of this transition via email and phone. Gavin and Allison helped a bit the first day, but then we left for Seattle and Richard finished the rest. I believe Ben Bird came over to help him get the roof off, which, apparently, was the only thing holding the walls up. When the roof came off the walls jiggled like jello.

We are hoping to use the brick to make an outdoor fireplace and in place of the shed there will be more concrete poured to expand our patio. The walls were actually two brick thick...I think my fear of not having enough brick for our project is dispelled.

We removed some boards and discovered there were windows behind them. Very cool. We are guessing they are probably original, which would date them back 100 years or so. The number of wasp nests were amazing! The old coiled metal looks like it might have been used to make a wagon wheel rim...who knows, I'm totally guessing. Maybe it's not too far fetched considering the family who built our home were Blacksmiths and we found the tool that might have been used for wheels.

The lilac bush is very old. Richard tried to chop it down a few years ago and it just grew back. We are hoping to take starts from it and make a hedge of lilacs to separate the patio from the backyard and new shed.

Maybe we'll use some of it for a path, or wall...or something decorative. That's more brick than I thought there would be!

iNSOMNIA hELP

2009-06-03T23:23:00.003-06:00

What is insomnia good for? Absolutely nothing!...except perhaps blogging. At this particular moment, it beats Spider Solitaire, again. If only this insomnia bout would leave my brain functioning on a somewhat normal level so I could formulate my thoughts for a blog entry.

As many of you may have noticed, I have fallen off the Blogging Band Wagon. I think I fell so long ago that I am no longer even choking on wagon wheel dust. My feeble attempts to stay connected through this medium get weaker and weaker and yet, I still hear a distant sound that calls to me from my blog page beckoning me to do something with all it's wasted, outdated space. So here's what I have to say while I wait for my sleep "enhancers" to kick in.

California Speed. The card game my daughter and I are currently hooked on. She talked me into it last Sunday and we have played every day since. It's nice because I try my hardest to win and she still kicks my trash 80% of the time. She giggles a lot.

Robert's House. Currently, my son is lending his muscles to his uncle for some home repair projects. He left last Sunday with a quick goodbye and a big smile. As he walked out the door I hollared for him to call me when he gets homesick. I waited for his call that very night. I waited the next night and the next. Finally, today I called him. Oops...he was too busy and he didn't remember. Uncle Robert works them hard for the morning and then they spend their afternoons watching movies and eating at buffets for dinner. When I talked to him today, I mentioned he should call me before he went to bed that night even if he didn't miss me, because I missed him. 11PM. He called. We were almost sleep. Now I am on my second round of trying to get my brain to shut down.

Relief Society. I spend one hour a day and that's it. I can't do anymore. If the Bishop needs more he's going to have to bring down the powers of heaven and ask for a miracle. Now that I have set my guide, I am still trying to abide by it or if I am obeying it, I'm trying hard not to feel guilty for not doing something more. Oh, and I just got the new changes in Visiting Teaching taken care of and Richard informed me tonight about another family who's moving. It's not too bad, it just zaps the hormones right out of me. Ask Richard how he feels about that.

Hormones. Levels are too low to be considered hormones anymore, they are more plasma and flesh. I love that I am no longer breaking out like a teenager, but feel the insomnia and hot flashes might go away if I could get these babies back in sync. So, here goes another trial run at what works best with C's body!

Yard Work. Overdone, overestimated and overpaid. It appears nobody wants to work for nothing no matter how bad the economy is looking. We need a lot of concrete and fast. The weeds are making us looney and we simply don't have time for them. However, the garden is already the apple of our eye. We still have our fingers crossed hoping the little green shoots coming through the ground are actually going to bear fruit of some kind. We over-planted watermelon if anybody is interested.

Allison. Grew 1 3/4 inches during her fifth grade school year and she is only one size behind me in shoes. Ahhhhh! Not too mention and maybe I shouldn't, but we had to upgrade some of her undergarments to accomodate for growth. This is not happening. NOT happening. My baby is entering her last year of elementary school.

Gavin. He's The Man. That's all he requires and it's easy really. All we must do to get him to function in our family and do the work that needs to be done is to stroke his already, rapidly growing ego, by telling him "He's the Man". He smiles and does what he's told. Seems pretty simple to me. Do you think there are going to be any long lasting effects from this method of parenting? Guess we won't know until it's too late!

New families moved into the nieghborhood. Nice people. All of them. They like yard work and green seems to be their favorite color for a lawn too. They should fit in nicely. PLUS, they all go to church every week. I hope our goo goo's and gah, gah's over functioning members didn't scare them away.

The more I site the MORE i FEEL RELAXED. tHIS bLOOGGING HAS BEEN JUST WHAT TEH dOCTOER ORDERED. i THINK MY BRAIN IS FINALLY FUZZY ENOUGH FOR DREAM LESS SLEEP.LDFFKKKKKKKKKK JFFFFFFFJFFFFFLS FJJF EJ JF AS ....................................My legs feel like jello when I stand up and my up wants to be flat on the ground. I think they're working.

I LOVE Spring!

2009-04-21T09:05:00.004-06:00

After a long and yard-work filled summer last year, I wasn't really in the mood to plant bulbs. Despite the overwhelming desire to cozy up and hibernate for the winter, I bought 250 bulbs of all sorts. I didn't enjoy the work then, but I am fully enjoying it now!

We also planted about ten new trees last fall, just before the frost came. The excitement over our baby bloomers is almost embarrassing. Richard and I walk the yard almost every day to check on the new fruit trees and goo-goo over the daffodils!

What is it about Spring!? Whatever it is, I love it!

FINISHED!!!

2009-02-17T08:34:00.002-07:00

After 4 weeks, 1 day, 21 hours, and 39 minutes we finally finished our bathroom (aside from a little touch-up painting to be done on the baseboard and walls). I am so excited to have my bedroom back! It's been a construction/war zone for way too long.

We love the new bathroom so much, we're thinking of sprucing up the other one as well. Not quite the same overhaul as the other, but maybe we'll replace the sink and faucet, re-grout the tile and have the tub re-glazed. Not too much since we'll probably end up re-designing that bath into a half-bath/laundry room. We have re-done every other room in the house, it seems a shame not to do something to the only room left to be messed with.

Title Page

2009-02-16T12:01:00.001-07:00

I've Been Bit By the Bug!

2009-02-13T20:28:00.004-07:00

In my de-stress from the Bathroom Construction Zone, I have found something fun to do. I'm trying my hand at very simple. It works for now. I am just excited to have "booked" a whole trip worth of photos. It's been nearly eight years since I could claim that one!

(I am taking the photoshop class from the city's community school, but I have yet to learn a whole lot more than what I already had learned from online tutorials and a sister with great tips. Next week's class will be on Quick Masks, which I know nothing about - so I'm really looking forward to that one. And I signed up for the advanced class which I'm sure will teach me a lot of new techniques and know-how. The instructor is very good and knows A LOT.)

A New Layout or Two

2009-02-10T19:16:00.005-07:00

I have been taking a Photoshop class and it has inspired me to do a few layouts. Keep in mind, these layouts don't represent the typical digital scrapbooking you'll find on the web. You'll find more than one photo on these pages and not much by way of ribbons, buttons, flowers, swirlies, lace...(the list goes on and on), but they were fun to do regardless.

Here are some from our trip to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. We went in October of 2007 with my parents and spent most of our time taking pictures. It was gorgeous!

Political Candidate In The Making

2009-01-28T08:33:00.007-07:00

Last night we watched the Governor's State of State Address. I was so impressed that my kids actually stuck around and listened to what he had to say. I couldn't help but think about how old they're getting and the new stage of political awareness they were heading into. (I'm sure the sandwiches I was feeding them and the fact that the tv happened to be in the kitchen where they had to stay to eat those sandwiches might have had something to do with it, but I still got the feeling they were actually listening to what the governor had to say.)

Then, at the peak of my Mother Pride, Gavin matter-of-factly pipes up during a moment of delayed applause..."They took a while to finally clap on that one...they're faking it." And from that point on, throught the rest of the address, he deciphered whether or not each applause was sincere or not.

At least he got something out of it...

Bathroom Remodel

2009-01-26T15:13:00.004-07:00

What?! A New Post! I know, I shock myself sometimes, too. This post is for those of you who have been visiting and wishing the owner of this blog would do something besides...whatever it is she does during the day that isn't blogging.

We are currently under renovation at our house. Last weekend, we impromtu decided to tear into our odeous Master bathroom. It's needed an over-haul since we moved over six years ago. It didn't take more than three hours to disassemble, but it's sure taking it's own sweet time to come back together. Here's a few photos of the demo. I better have the "after" photos to post soon or you'll have to check my sanity levels. I am getting pretty sick of constant dust and sheets over my bedroom furniture!

The bathroom was a full shower and not a tub. We are ripping out the tile and the fiberglass shower with it's really gross glass doors. The new and improved bathroom will include new tile floor and tub surround, a big, deep soaking tub, a new vanity and top, new fixtures, a can light above the tub and of course we'll have to repaint and add new baseboard. It is sure to be fantastico!

Yeah!!! A new can light above my shower/tub.

Yeah, I know, disgusting!

New Hat

2008-11-28T14:33:00.004-07:00

Alli got a new hat from her aunt. Unexpected and very loved. She has worn it almost everyday for a week.

Twelve Year Olds

2008-11-23T16:07:00.007-07:00

It's Sunday and I'm sick. I made it through the first hour of church and then had to head home. The good thing about my loss of energy is that I have time to slow down and catch up on my blog reading, which of course, prompts me to post.

A word of caution - this will be the very random thoughts of a mother.

Gavin is almost 12. I remember my neighbor commenting about her twelve year old and stating that she cracked her up all the time from the things she'd say. I don't know what it is, maybe it's a switch in their cognitive development, but it's so true.

He teases our neighbor, a little five year old girl, all the time. He claims he's going to marry her just to make her mad. She responds negatively to this attention, which only prompts Gavin to continue with more diligence. She usually "breaks up" with him and makes him walk the school halls alone. Secretly, I think she likes this attention. We were all at her house the other day when the kids came home from school. They were whooping and hollering that this little girl was pinching Gavin's butt all the way up the stairs. When her mom got after her saying that isn't something we do to the neighbor boys, Gavin smiled and piped up, "It's okay...she's just showing me how she feels."

He was also teasing the sister of this five year old. She's Gavin's age and is over at our house all the time to hang out with Alli. She had an otter pop, which Gavin stole and held high above his head. Despite all of her attempts, she wasn't tall enough to reach her treat. I told her a sure-fire way to get that otter pop was to threaten to kiss Gavin if he didn't give it up. To my surprise, she actually did threaten Gavin with a kiss, to which he responded, "Pucker up!"

It must be the age, because this same girl was with Allison picking up some thread for me at the nearby fabric store. I sent them with my cell phone in case they had any questions. Ten minutes after they had left, I got a call on my phone. It was Alli's friend pretending to be an associate at the fabric store. And I quote: "Hi, this is Jo-Ann's Fabric Store. We have a couple of girls here who claim an acquaintance with you. They have been caught shoplifting and we'll need you to come pick them up as soon as possible." I don't know, maybe it was the way she said it, but I laughed and laughed.

The other day Gavin came home from school quite upset. I had substitute taught for a fifth grade class. One of the kids had been bad mouthing me after school about how mean I had been to his class. This particular kid was a real punk. Gavin warned him to stop, but he proceeded to get worse and worse. At about the point when the kid called me a B****, Gavin swung back his fist and hit the kid between the eyes, on the bridge of his nose, knocking him down and making him cry. Gavin was the hero at our house that day and even the principal supported him on that one.

I was tickling him a few nights ago to try and cheer him up. When I moved to his arm pits he yelled out, "Mom, not my arm pits! Those are private and I NEED my hairs for P.E.! I gave him a puzzled look. "What? They make me manly."

Between the off-the-wall comments and the quirky jokes, or even the notes from girls I continue to find in pants pockets, twelve years old is an age to look forward to.

Suprise!

2008-11-14T15:30:00.009-07:00

Last weekend we stole the kids from school and took them to California. The idea was to surprise their Aunt Barbie for her birthday and in return, surprise the kids with a trip to see their aunt in Northern Cali. Saturday was spent at Six Flags, a definate highlight for Gavin and true to Allison's instinct, she stayed planted firmly on the ground most of the time.

It started with a clue, followed by nine more with the intent to have them try and guess where we were going. Each clue had a letter or two that was bolded and capitalized. At the end, they had to unscramble the letters to spell out "AUNT BARBIE". We made it to Reno with Gavin still thinking we were headed to Mexico.

Gavin was slightly embarassed to ride the kiddie rides with his sister - they were the only rides we could get her on and even at that, she only tried out half of them.

I think I have a picture of this from every trip we take. I can't help it!

This is Medusa. Apparently it's the fastest roller coaster in the States (at least that is what Gavin said he read in the World Record book. Needless to say, he was VERY excited about this ride). Richard said he'll never ride another roller coaster unless he's on the front. Apparently, it's THAT good.

Another favorite ride, Velocity. And no, we did not turn this picture around. That is in fact, Gavin smiling while hanging upside down before he shot back down. They actually talked me into this one and I screamed myself hoarse and deaf. Won't do it again.

Yeah, I hated this one too. Gavin and Richard sat in front of me and laughed at me the whole ride.

The kiddie whale ride.

Aunt Barbie has a pool and despite the fact that the tempurature was around 70 and the water around 60, the kids insisted they be allowed to swim. They froze to death! Here they are getting ready to jump in together.

The west side of the house was hot from the sun. They spent more time flayed out against the stucco then then they did in the pool.

Bedroom Makeover

2008-11-03T12:07:00.005-07:00

I wish I had better before pictures of this project, but regardless, I think it turned out pretty cute. I have wanted to paint Allison's furniture for a few years now and FINALLY got around to it. The dresser and nightstand used to be a yellowish stained color with gold drawer pulls. The cedar chest I got for free from a friend that was sending it to D.I. and it used to have a checkered, dark brown pad on top and was a dark stain with those old fashioned, big cover-plate type handles.

All in all, I am very pleased with the results. The cost: $26.00 on new paint brushes, spray paint for turning gold drawer pulls into silver ones and fabric to recover the cushion. (I already had the paint in the garage waiting to be used on a fence, but even if the cost of paint were added, I only used half a gallon for the entire project.)

Now I am working on a few accent pillows and some curtains. I know. Very homemakey. Who would have guessed I had it in me?

Road Trip to Miami!

2008-10-15T18:14:00.007-06:00

As some of you may know, a couple of weeks ago I drove with my sister and her baby to Miami, FL. Her little family is going to live there while her husband is in Med. School.

It was fantastic fun and even the 2 1/2 hour backtrack to Macon for a forgotten purse wasn't a damper on the event. We made it to Miami in four days, speeding at 80mph almost the whole way (unless construction was an issue - which it was about 50% of the time. Florida is much worse than Utah when it comes to orange cones and speed signs. Thankfully, no one pays attention to speed limits there either).

And of course, due to the time crunch we didn't have much time to get out and take pictures. Bathroom breaks and a nursing baby were the only allowances we could make. Not that we let that stop us from trying to capture our memorable trip on camera. It's true what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few highlights:

Kansas, our first stop for the night.

Umm...not sure. Captures our scenery well though.

Just outside Chatanooga, TN. Restrooms we desperately needed
but were off limits to passers by. The sign said we'd be prosecuted,
so we moved on. I know, I should have risked the prosecution, but Big
Daddy's Fireworks was just around the corner and I'll be honest,
I felt a little squeamish about the whole area. Like maybe a guy in
faded blue overalls and missing teeth was going to come bounding out
of his trailer with a shot gun and stop me midstream. You'd think
all the plastic yard ornaments, tree whirlies and silk flowers in the dirt
would have put me at ease...

A bridge for trains.

This guy was with us for most of the trip. I think we named him Bud.

Georgia Peach.

Expensive and famous art.

Road from Macon to Savannah, which we took twice to retrieve
a purse from Zaxby's.

Savannah, Georgia (historic district). Yup. I ate grits.

Miami, FL in all it's glory and the final destination of our trip!

Stinging Mad

2008-10-08T15:05:00.003-06:00

Gavin called me two days ago because he had been stung three times by a wasp...inside his shoe. He ended up coming home because he claimed his foot hurt too bad to walk. Upon closer inspection, it seemed completely fine to me. I kind of gave him a hard time for being "a wuss" because it has always been my experience that bee stings aren't that big of a deal.

But, the next morning, Gavin's foot had puffed up so much he could barely put his shoe on. Now today, it's red, hot and the swelling has gone up to his knee. Even the little wart on his ankle keeps bleeding because it's been stretched beyond it's capacity and it's hard to tell where his ankle should be. He was pretty embarrassed by it, telling me his foot looked like a "hobbit foot".

Apparently, it's the genetics of the situation and we can even go back to Grandma Bean and blame her. Over-reacting to bee stings is just what Richard has always done and now, it's my kid's fate too.

Alli's hand when she was stung by a honey bee.

Richard's hand when he was stung by a yellow jacket.

The Smurfs

2008-10-03T10:17:00.001-06:00

Wuzzles

2008-10-03T10:01:00.001-06:00

FFA - Saturday Morning Cartoons

2008-10-03T10:00:00.008-06:00

As a kid, our Saturdays started at 6am or earlier. Of course, if we woke up too early, we'd get nothing but colored bars on the tv. Not that it mattered. We'd sit and stare at the bars until that eventful minute when the clock struck six. Nothing was better than Saturday Morning Cartoons.

We, my siblings and I, would plan out exactly what we were going to watch on which channel and would have the whole morning of cartoons laid out before Saturday ever even rolled around and the line-up usually went until 11am. By then the "grown-up" shows were on and we had to finally get our work done. We lived, breathed and existed for Saturday mornings.

Some of the favorites, Rose Petal Place, Rescue Rangers, Monchichi's, Fraggle Rock, Gummi Bears, Smurf's, Wuzzles, Jem, She-Ra and Pound Puppies. Of course, Bugs Bunny or Tom and Jerry ruled them all.

And today, I am not even sure if my kids have options on Saturday morning. I seriously wonder if my poor kids will be able to live normal lives and grow into good, upstanding adults despite their deprivation! I mean, if it weren't for Gummi Bears and Jem Star, I wouldn't be who I am today.

Gummi Bears Theme (Orginal)

2008-10-03T10:00:00.001-06:00

Fraggle Rock Intro

2008-10-03T09:59:00.001-06:00

FFA

2008-09-15T17:17:00.006-06:00

Memories of Jr. High

I am going to start off by being brave, and I mean very brave. Pictures often speak more clearly than words, so here's to bravery.

7th Grade: (the days of pink, foam rollers. Only this particular time, I tried a whole head of small braids and then rolled those into the curlers. Quite the look - lumpy, wavy, sort of curly. And the bangs, gotta love the feathered bangs!)

This is the year where my love for Cute Boy began.

8th Grade: (The Scottie Dog pin was a must for this photo - I LOVED it. And who doesn't love the Modified Feathered Bang?)

I developed a love for the mall where I spent many, many hours walking the halls hoping to conveniently bump into Cute Boy. And I remember so clearly the after-school dances (held directly after school) where they played classic songs like "With or Without You" from U2 and everyone stood on the sidelines in tight, huddled groups making it very difficult for some daring boy to break the circle and actually ask a girl to dance.

9th Grade: (I call this my "Kelly Martin" photo - who decided that those abnormally large spectacles were the "in" thing? This is where my bravery takes a peak. This photo has been hidden, stashed and confiscated for the last two decades. I still can't believe I'm posting it on the world wide web, however, it takes a confident soul to finally put something like this on display for all to see - or perhaps I'm just full blown crazy. Yeah, that's probably it because my confidence level just dropped a notch or two since posting this. Poor girl.)

Okay, it's right what they say about Jr. High. It is a never-ending road down to Loserville where the cute, popular boy never speaks to the nerdy girl in saucer glasses.

Despite an obvious indifference on his part, I had worked out a method to my madness by calculating where our classes were and just how slow or fast I needed to walk in order to conveniently pass by him on the way to our next class.

On one particular day, the last bell had rung and the student body was coagulating through the giant, main hall as I was timing my steps just perfectly. It was late in the semester so I'd gotten real good at maneuvering myself within a few feet of him for our last walk out of the school building. I was cranking my neck around to see down the hall behind me to make the needed adjustments in my pace and sure enough, there he was, closer than I thought he'd be and this time he was actually looking back at me! - as if he'd known I was going to be there, as if he were waiting for me.

Our eyes met and for the first time, he didn't turn away. I continued to proceed down the hall without averting my gaze and then...BAM! One of the four giant pillars that kept our school from caving in, jumped out in front of me and stopped me dead in my tracks. It was no small structure, maybe thicker than six of me put together. Not real easy to miss and yet I managed to run right into it, knocking off my glasses and bending them so badly they couldn't be worn. I smacked into it hard enough to send my head ringing and as I bent down to pick up my glasses I looked up to see that Cute Boy was gone, but some other gawking boy was staring at me, laughing. I guess seeing some random boy getting a kick out of my pillar wreck was better than looking up and seeing Cute Boy getting a good chuckle on my behalf.

Ahhh, Jr. High. The Good Ol' Days!

One More...

2008-09-09T22:34:00.003-06:00

DeAnna requested this one be posted as well. It's pretty cute too.

Oh, and she is home from the hospital today. She still has to go in tomorrow for another procedure and who knows how many check-ups, but she should be on the real road to recovery this time!

Cracking Up!

2008-09-07T18:53:00.004-06:00

Lauren was cracking us up, I had to share.

She was coming off the drugs they had her on for a procedure she went through and had everyone rolling with laughter. She kept seeing double doors and when she'd look at her thumb she'd exclaim, "WHOA!" At one time, she was seeing blue airplanes under her eyelids. Finally, her mom grabbed a video camera so we could all enjoy!

In the first video, she has a popsicle and must have tried a couple of times to actually get it in her mouth. In the second video, she sings a song for us that we tried to get her to sing at our reunion and it was like pulling teeth. With narcotics, we couldn't get her to stop.

Lauren

2008-09-04T20:03:00.002-06:00

This my neice, Lauren and her grandma (my mother). I am sitting in a hospital room next to Lauren while her parents are away. Lauren had an accident and subsequently got a severe infection that required a 6 day stay in the hospital. Discharged and on the road to recovery, we thought this stress was over, but her symptoms returned.

Now, on a second visit, Lauren is here a minimum of 7 days while they help her body heal. She ended up having a little surgery to take care of an absess and where they found an unhealed wound and added a few stitches.

She has been quite the trooper and there are only a few things that compare to the chance I get to sit with her and watch Toy Story or Anastasia or read Sleeping Beauty to her. What a sweet little girl! Lauren, get better soon!

Alli Had A Birthday!

2008-09-04T19:50:00.003-06:00

My "little" girl just turned 10! I am still in shock over how fast the last 10 years have gone. I hate to consider how fast the next ten years might fly. Actually, with our plan of action, it should be fairly painful...for her.

We'll refuse to let her talk to boys, DEFINATELY won't be allowed to date them. If she is thinking about getting a driver's liscense...she can think again, because it ain't gonna happen. She will have to deal with the fact that she won't be allowed across Center or Main Street and her phone talking time will be on constant surveillance. Hopefully at this rate, the next ten should slow down considerably because I am putting my foot down and refusing to let her grow up. Sorry, Chica!

A New Olympic Sport - Hair Hacking

2008-08-25T11:34:00.007-06:00

Yes, I finally asked my sister to oblige me and cut all my long tresses off. It was time for a change (and I was still doing all the laundry). So, after a few nice photos of the long hair, I cut it all off.

(And don't mind the real stupid, cheesy photo. I stayed home from church and decided while I was all alone to try the timer on the camera. I spent over 30 minutes timing, clicking, running from camera to spot, reviewing and starting all over again because the color was wierd or my head was chopped off. To wait for somone to come home from church to take it would have required a little patience. Not my virtue.)

Allowable comments:

You may tell me how adorable it is.
You may tell me how I look way skinnier now that it's short.
You may tell me how my eyes sparkle much brighter without the hair distraction.
You may tell me how great it is that I'll be saving a bundle by using less shampoo.
You can even tell me how wonderful you think it is that I can feel the breeze on my neck.

You may tell me pretty much anything, except:

Why on earth did you do that!?
You look fat.
Why would you do such a thing?
You cut off your one true beauty.
Why?
I hate it.
For the love, WHY?
It's out of style. (you all know I've never been "in" style, but I still don't want to hear it).

I'm sorry, but I get way too much grief!

And There You Have It

2008-08-25T00:18:00.006-06:00

Goals. Goals are good. Triathlons. Triathlons are good. They fit right in with the whole goal thing. What doesn't fit in to this scene is getting a head cold. A serious, achey all over the body - like don't try to be sweet and rub my back because I'll freak out due to sensitive back skin, sinuses too clogged up to allow for blowing and yet seem to drip uncontrollably, sore throat ripping through to your ear drums, and drain all energy from the mother ship, kind of head cold.

Thursday. Wake up with Fire Throat and energy wavers off and on throughout the day. Still able to function.

Friday. Fire Throat still lingers past nine a.m. and energy is almost completely depleted, but that's okay because the bed catches my fall and I don't move until one o'clock in the afternoon. Even then, the only movement is from my bed to the bathroom and back to bed. By Friday night I am feeling a bit better. At least I manage to emerge from the sick bed to do the dishes.

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008. The day I have been waiting for all summer. The big day that I used to push myself under water over and over again. The day I remembered in the back of my head when I felt like bagging the whole swim thing and biking for the rest of my life. The day that haunted me for the entire summer and the day I actually began to look forward to...

And, the day I didn't show up for a triathlon due to inflamed sinuses, lack of mobilization and a head-cold hangover! AND, the day I forfeited a $40 registration fee.

Don't talk to me, I'm still really, REALLY mad.

Halleluhah!

2008-08-19T20:36:00.003-06:00

I have been stressing about this race, especially the swimming part. I got online to check the rules and such, since I am only days away, and wouldn't you know it...I was wrong in my calculations! I have been swimming 1/4 mile swim for the last couple of months to get ready for this and discovered I only have to do half that! I couldn't be more relieved. I will still look funny, but at least I am only going to look funny for 1/8 mile instead of double that. Yes!

Triathlon Update

2008-08-05T14:06:00.006-06:00

Some of you have asked, and for those that are interested, here is an update on how my triathlon training is coming along:

Biking Part - I have always loved biking and could go all day. I timed myself the other day and on a gradual incline, facing a head wind, on a mountain bike that slows me down, I made it just over three miles in 12 minutes. I'm sure that's not much to the pros, but I'll take it.

Running Part - I don't love running that much, but I have finally conquered being able to run 2 measley miles without collapsing and gasping for my life. I know that isn't real impressive, but I only have to run 1.7 miles for the race.

Swimming Part - I am going to drown.

I am pretty sure that when this race is over, I'll stick to bike tours and NO races. I don't mind training for the Speedy Spaniard, but I would be surprised if I ever signed up to actually do it. Who needs the pressure? And as far as swimming goes, I am just glad to say when this summer is over, I can stick my face under water without invoking sheer panic. Mission accomplished.

Official Welcome

2008-08-02T22:53:00.007-06:00

This is an official welcome to our new kitty, Smokey (a.k.a. Stupid Cat). He showed up in our hedge a month ago. I went looking for a baby robin with a broken wing, attempting to tape it up and save it's life, when this little guy was discovered. He was skinny, crying and nestled in the hedge. I took him out and immediately Allison took to him. She fed him and carried him around all night long. The following three days resulted in begging and pleading to keep the cat. When we told her she would most likely have to get rid of him, she cried herself to sleep until 1 AM.

She and her friend, Taylor, promised to take care of this kitty. Play with him, feed him, clean up after his little "messes". You know, the typical kid-trying-to-suck-their-parents-in drill. They even made me a little card letting me know that they had named him and that even though I could take him away, I could never take their love for him away. It was real pathetic and cute and it worked. We caved and Richard even came home from work an hour early one day to help them make a cat house.

Gavin wasn't happy about it at all. He was afraid we wouldn't love Kolibar anymore. He is adjusting now, but he still makes special efforts to pamper Kolibar more than normal.

Allison named him Smokey, but Richard will call him "Stupid Cat" for the rest of his little life.

Hmmm...Go on a Cruise or Get a New Roof? It's A Toss Up!

2008-08-02T22:32:00.003-06:00

I hate spending money on home repairs like new windows or a new roof. It's expensive and no fun comes from it. And not only was the new roof not our favorite allocation of funds, it also came with burn spots on our perfectly green grass. It's been a month and a half since we had this done and I am still waiting for the grass to come out of it. (It might go faster if the heat wasn't doing us in). However, the turtle vents have made it much nicer upstairs in the summer time, so I won't complain there.

Anyway, here's a few pictures of the new roof.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Happy Anniversary To Us!

2008-08-02T22:14:00.009-06:00

On July 15th we woke up at 7:30am to a surprise on our front sidewalk. Yes, the front sidewalk. The kids had been up since 6 AM coloring a sign and creating the mood. They had set up a perfect breakfast for us in celebration of our anniversary. Not wanting to share our special breakfast with all passers by, Richard gently asked Gavin if he would move the table to the side yard. Then Allison proceeded to be our waitress while Gavin prepared everything in the kitchen. We didn't know exactly what we were ordering because of the way the menu was written up and it was cold french toast, but it was made with lots of love~and we loved it!

FFA

2008-08-02T21:40:00.003-06:00

Laughing gas at the dentist office...

Let's start with the nose piece that "fits" snugly over your nose to allow proper inhalation. Mine never fits right. There is always a small gap that allows air to escape and jet stream right into my left eye. Always the left eye. I end up pinching the rubber in order to keep my eye ball from drying out. It can be quite uncomfortable.

And does anyone else ever lose their hearing while high? I can never hear the darn television and I end up cranking the volume in order to drown out the drilling sound of dentist tools. (Not that it matters whether or not I can hear anything, the light above my head always ends up being right in the way of the TV.)

My favorite is my never-ending, ever faithful need to pee within 15-20 minutes of initial gas intake. And usually during the drilling, thus postponing my potty break until a more convenient time (an hour later...). Or maybe it's the slight nausea and spinning that comes on when I take too many deep breaths. Of course, these are all very slight inconveniences compared to the bonuses involved. I can't do anything at the dentist without pumping up on happiness.

I caught myself actually laughing out loud once. The hygienists must be thoroughly entertained with all their gassy patients. Although, it occurs to me that perhaps the reason they're all so friendly is because the gas leaks through and permeates the entire office. I swear I can get high in there without ever hooking up.

I have been in enough times now that I know what kind of shows are the best on gas. And it's fairly obvious which ones were written while people were "extra happy". The real normal stuff makes no sense, but everything on VHS or MTV is like watching a movie with 3-D glasses on...a completely different dimension. But I will warn you not to watch I Love Lucy. I have NEVER liked that show, but the other day while trying to find something on daytime television, I ended up on I Love Lucy while I waited for my cleaning to be done. That show is laugh out loud funny when you're intoxicated! In fact, I have decided they probably wrote the script while on something. That whiny little red head actually made me laugh. In fact I ended up changing the channel in order to keep from embarrassing myself.

Laughing Gas. I can't survive the dentist's office without it and it always makes me wonder...will there ever come a time, perhaps in the hereafter, when we can "legally" get high anytime we want? Because I simply love the stuff! And perhaps it's because I have had way too many dental experiences. At this point in my mouth, I can't rinse warm water throughout my teeth without their sensitivity shooting me through the roof. If it weren't for the gas, I'd never see the dentist and continue to rot my teeth out. Praise be to Nitrous Oxide.

FFA

2008-06-21T10:58:00.004-06:00

Freewrite on the old cliche, "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse."

I wasn't quite sure how to freewrite on an old adage that I have never heard of. (Don't laugh.) We'll have to delve into the literal meaning of this "well known" quote from Shakespeare.

Who gives up an entire kingdom for a horse? Is this horse famous? Does he have magical powers? Either this horse is especially fantastic or the king willing to give up his kingdom on a whim is an idiot. Did he lose his horse and forget to bring a spare? You can never be too prepared in times such as these when a horse will come in so handy that you're willing to give up everything you possess to get another one. Bring two, dummy, and keep your kingdom. Never underestimate the power of preparedness.

Perhaps the kingdom being referred to here is nothing but a small section of swamp and mudlands, in which case, I'd definately take the horse and not feel sorry for the poor sap who gave me his horse in exchange. Maybe this king isn't an idiot, but a crafty businessman practicing the art of screwed up capitalism. Cunning and crafty are the ways of most successful businessmen. I'd bet this king would win at the game of Monopoly.

Does this king ever get a horse? Perhaps I should have done some research before trying to attempt a freewrite on such a topic. Let's just say he does get his horse. I hope that horse has good teeth, sweet breath and a warm body because the king no longer has a place to stay and this new horse of his has just become his new best friend. Be kind, King, be kind. He's all you've got in this world and he's likely to be far less foolish than you.

FFA

2008-06-13T10:03:00.007-06:00

What is something you are completely fantastic at, and what is something you are really crappy at?

I've decided to write according to my first thoughts and then follow-through without any consideration as to what I'm actually writing about because...

I am completely fantastic, and I mean FANTASTIC, at blurting out randomness. It doesn't even qualify as talking, really. If you need someone to change the topic on a whim and at 2 minute intervals, I'm your gal!

This ability has been in development for many years...when I was girl a common phrase was, "Carillisa, only tell me if you'd write it in your journal." Little did my father know, I wrote even more in my journal than I talked. After that discovery was made, the phrase changed to, "Go write it in your journal".

I am so good at what I do, I've decided I might bank on my talent and make a few extra bucks for my services. For instance, if you need someone to fill in empty talk time at a party, that can be arranged (for a minimal fee). If you need me to stand in as you argue with someone, I could prove very handy at interrupting and prohibiting any words in edge-wise. And because I have an opinion on just about everything (whether it's right or wrong), I have an endless source of material. Or perhaps you are in need of a good laugh, the good harty "laugh at someone, not with them" kind, in which case, I can do that too (of course, this one might cost more due to humiliation inflation). In fact, this last service might even be my best. All I have to do is open my mouth and start talking, the rest takes care of itself! "Open mouth and insert foot" is never wasted on me.

And as for the second part of the topic, what are you really crappy at? That's easy!

SHUTTING UP.

You Know Your Daughter Has Diabetes When...

2008-06-11T23:18:00.007-06:00

...you pick her up at her friend's house and the girls have spent their evening pretending all their dolls have diabetes. They use old syringes, without needles, to give the shots and even pull out the emergency glycagon kit when one of the doll's sugars drops so low she almost goes into a coma! (That particular doll was lying very quiet on the couch, "recovering".)

Another Trip Log...

2008-06-10T10:35:00.008-06:00

While we were in New Jersey, we took a Sunday walk around the river. It was beautiful and exactly what I'd want my heaven to look like. Lucky David and Natalie...they only live a mile away from this scenic getaway. Everything was in bloom and simply breathtaking. We could have stayed there all day.

I took this for dad. It reminded me of Anne of Green Gables.

This is someone's lane to their home.

For me, this walk was one of the highlights of the whole trip.

FFA

2008-06-06T10:50:00.006-06:00

When technology goes too far...

Cosmetic Surgery.

I know there are many cases when this is a wonderful thing. I have seen lots of people benefit from it's applications. My only complaint, and I'll admit, it's a big one, is when people can't leave it alone. Here's some tidbits to nibble on:

In 2007, men and women combined had a total of:

Liposuction 456,828
Botox 2,775,176
Breast augmentation 399,440
Hyaluronic Acid (Hylaform, Juvederm, Restylane) 1,448,716
Eyelid surgery 240,763
Laser Hair Removal 1,412,657
Abdominoplasty 185,335
Microdermabrasion 829,658
Female breast reduction 153,087
Laser Skin Resurfacing 647,707

In 2002, the total number of elective breast augmentations was 32,000 and that seemed incredible to me. 399,440 is unbelievable.

It's quite addictive and why not? If I had the money and could fix every little flaw, I'd be quite tempted. And I am not objected to a little tummy tuck or a possible lift (heck, if I thought Richard wouldn't object too much, I'd probably opt for a fabulous reduction!) And laser hair removal? Sounds good to me, but when I am fifty, I should look fifty. When I'm eighty, I NEED to look eighty. It's just not natural folks! Besides, if we can just be patient - we're all gonna get brand new bodies to flaunt around in.

In my opinion, this technology can easily go too far.

Plumbing - And It's Various...Um, "Applications"

2008-06-02T01:12:00.004-06:00

Gavin and his father were working out in the garden last week figuring out the best solution for watering. Richard had various plumbing parts laying around and he asked Gavin to grab him a female connector, not the male one. (I'd definately prefer different names for these plumbing parts, but I guess I missed that meeting). So, Gavin hands him the part and then asks what all 11 year boys would ask, "Dad, why do they call them male and female?" A great question and thankfully Richard was on duty to answer it.

He explained the differences and how one part will fit nicely into another. At that precise moment, the lightbulb went on in that enlightened brain of Gavin's and he said, "Oh, yeah! Just like in real life."

Yes, Gavin. Just like in Real Life. I'll bet you never look at plumbing parts the same again.

FFA - Week # (Oh, I don't even remember!)

2008-06-01T19:38:00.007-06:00

I am way behind in our FFA topics and I am not sure I should even try to catch up, but I don't want to be banned or anything (not that it's possible). Besides, I really liked this topic.

This particular week's topic: Who should play you in the movie version of your life?

At first, I didn't know. I hadn't really thought of it. So, what does one do when they are in a stump? Ask the closest person sitting next to them. That happened to be Richard. His answer: Selma Hayek.

Yeah. I know. We only have one thing in common and mine need to be "altered", but a boy can dream can't he? Dream on, I say, while you do the dishes!

I also thought of Bree Hodge from Desperate Housewives. She doesn't look a bit like me, but her personality on the show might resemble me a tad. She is religeous, she likes to bake and host parties and if things aren't in the right order, she'll lose it. I brought this up to Richard and he reminded me that she is also very manipulative and deceitful. Strike Two.

So, I thought I would let you, my faithful blog readers, decide what you think. Growing up I always had people tell me I looked like Candice Cameron (DJ from Full House). I wasn't much of a Full House fan, but I did have long hair.

The other candidate is Kellie Martin. Now I did watch Life Goes On quite faithfully. Many people told me I looked like her as well. I had the same round glasses and the short barrel rolled hair (I thought of posting a photo, but I confess, it's too embarrassing.)

Would you pick one of these or is there someone else that would fit the mold better? Oh, and Bree Hodge is off the docket. I might be slightly manipulative, but definately not deceitful.

Meet Tyker

2008-05-29T16:42:00.004-06:00

Richard just hired a guy a few weeks ago and in talking with him, discovered he has a little hobby. He officially weds pets. Tycker is the reverend with real, certified sealing abilities. Anyway, check out the link on the side bar. It's pretty hilarious! And if you begin to wonder if it's real or not, check out the wedding album.

Triathlon Training: Day #2

2008-05-21T16:46:00.009-06:00

On Monday, I thought I'd see how well I was conditioned for the biking portion of the triathlon. I didn't do too bad, but I have been practicing. Today, I thought I would venture out and try the swimming. As for how I did with that, you be the judge.

I started off by purchasing a swim cap and some goggles. One of the things I hate about swimming (I know, I used the word "hate" and still think I am going to try for the triathlon) is my long hair getting all wet and full of chlorine. The cap would make this experience much better. I picked blue, my favorite color, for luck.

I have never taken official swim lessons. I don't know a single stroke, except the Don't Sink and I still have to hold my nose with my fingers when I jump into the water. I've never liked the water and definitely have never felt comfortable bobbing around in it. Perhaps these issues are why I am feeling the strong desire to conquer my fear of water and do this race. I'm sure everyone goes from no swimming experience to triathlon in a little over a year...

Orem Fitness Center was my desired location this morning. I hadn't been in over ten years and I remembered that it had a decent sized pool. On my drive over, I was really wishing I wasn't going alone. When I got there, everything was changed around. I paused to gather my bearings, walked into the locker room and ran right into a naked old lady, the first of three on my journey. Yup. That's the other reason I don't like swimming. There's walls and walls of stalls with doors, but no one seems to care.

My locker was chosen inside the stall so I could do all my changing completely obscure. And as soon as my socks came off I remembered another reason. Bare feet touching the cold, wet locker room floor, swimming in other peoples' foot water! Um, yeah...skin crawling. Germs clinging.

Have you ever tried to put on a swim cap? I hadn't and I felt like a complete idiot trying to get it to work. I pulled it over my ponytail and ended up with a lop-sided tumor bulging off the side of my cap. I tried again, but the thickness of my hair was making it nearly impossible. I struggled for five minutes before I finally pulled real hard and snapped it on, hair whisping out all over. I was grateful for the goggles that helped hold the cap on. Together the two helped me look the part and I semi-confidently walked into the pool room. My goal was to time myself and see how long I could swim without stopping. You know, check my endurance. I jumped in the water and started the timer.

One lap across the distance of the pool was all it took for my lungs to collapse. Three measly minutes of kicking and arm waving. The confidence I had gained from the goggles had just warn off, but I paid $3.50 to get in and I didn't want to waste my money. So, I took a small rest and headed back down the length of the pool, on my back.

About half-way down, I was stopped by a leathery-looking, old man with a saggy tattoo on his left shoulder. He smiled at me and I tried to focus on him through my foggy goggles. He said, "Lady, you should try kicking with your legs and not your knees, you'll go faster." I laughed inwardly and thanked him for the tip, and at the same time stupidly admitted I didn't know what I was doing (dumb, dumb girl! As if that wasn't completely obvious already.) He took that opportunity to encourage me to take deep breaths and fill my whole body full of air, even my capillaries. I'd float better, he said. Again I thanked him and kicked with my legs all the way back to lonely safety. I couldn't help but wonder if my whole swimming person shouted out novice to everyone in the pool. Maybe I should've worn a sign!

With each pass, my legs hurt and I felt more and more awkward trying to use my legs and not my knees. Not to mention, every time I went by I got a "thumbs up" from my coach, who was sitting in the jacuzzi with four other old men. I wondered if Coach happened to catch me when I choked on pool water and sputtered for my last breath of air.

Twenty-five minutes. I had given up a non-stop swim early on, but I wanted to at least get in thirty minutes. If only my goggles weren't so foggy. It was driving me crazy. I should have asked Coach on my last lap what to do about them. I took them off to investigate. And wouldn't you know it...I figured out the problem all on my own. I had forgotten to take the little clear vinyl covering off the fronts of my eyeballs! The ones that clearly state, "please remove before use". Oh, how I wished there was someone there to laugh with me and not at me. I had already talked to four different people thus far.

On my last lap across the pool, I was splashed with hot water from the jacuzzi. I think this was the third time I'd been splashed, but I couldn't be sure. From the amount of water that hit me, this time must have come from all four men pulling their efforts. I stood up and stopped. I got a double thumbs-up from Coach, "You're doin' real good out there. Lookin' better!"

Thanks. I'm done. Humiliated and DONE!

I walked into the locker room, barely missing another naked woman, and went to take my cap off, if indeed that sucker would come off. As I stood in the mirror looking at my miserable self, I stretched the cap off my head. Water gushed out and poured down my head and all over my body. What the...!

My eyes hadn't recovered from viewing naked, sagging breasts, my nostrils could do nothing but smell chlorine, my feet were being infested by microscopic stranger-foot-germs and my hair was soaked through with pool water!

Maybe I'll try for a DUATHLON. Anybody?

Anybody?

2008-05-18T00:17:00.002-06:00

So, I want to do a triathlon next year, the one in Salem. Is there anybody out there that would participate with me? I am finding it hard to get willing bodies. It would take place in June, so we'd have the whole year to train. I have never done one, so I am not quite sure what it entails, but I am pretty excited at the prospect. I just need company.

FFA Week #9

2008-05-16T13:00:00.012-06:00

Topic: What family traditions can you live without?

This particular tradition was introduced to me a short time after I was married. Richard and I were sitting at the kitchen table of his parent's home playing cards with our friends and my brother-in-law. It was a good clean card game, 5 Card Draw or Blackjack, I can't remember, but we weren't using the family-approved Rook cards. The cards in use had been smuggled in and worked much better.

We were having a great time snacking and enjoying the company, no one winning or losing because we weren't using money or even chips, when the garage door announced the arrival of parents. The look on my husband's face, as well as his brother's, was classic. Sheer panic flashed through their eyes. Immediately, the game came to an abrupt hault, cards began to fly and in less than 15 seconds flat, the cards in our hands had been replaced with old, jumbo "Follow The Prophet" cards (Yeah, I'd never heard of them either). Three of us sat there in awe and confusion as these two brothers expertly hid the taboo cards and replaced them with the next best thing within a quick reach. As my in-laws reached the top step, us twenty-five to thirty year olds were settled and playing a mock game of Go Fish with our prophet cards. And only two of us even broke a sweat. Never in my life had I witnessed an event that could cause two grown men to run for their lives over a deck of cards.

Traditionally, there is one kind of card that is not to be enjoyed within the walls of the Bean Home. I know this is not terribly unusual for some households, but it's a tradition we chose to live without. However, for those special occassions when Rook cards just won't do, we finally found an alternative that can be played at family reunions. Thank you M&M World. Pinochle can still live on!

Niagra Falls - The Next Stop

2008-05-12T23:09:00.007-06:00

After Palmyra, we drove to Niagra Falls. It was still full of ice chunks and a little chilly, but very impressive. After viewing the falls, we went into to Canada and had lunch. Gavin found a Canadian penny and thought that was pretty cool. Interesting: the United States side is very natural looking and the Canadian side is cement and commercialism. Quite the contrast.

I call this our "engagement" shot, but despite it's cheesiness,
I'm still posting it. (Truthfully, I sat up there to hide half my
body in the hopes I might look less "bulky". A girl can try.)

(Maybe by next year, I'll have posted this trip in full! One day at a time, one day at a time.)

FFA - Week #8

2008-05-12T09:04:00.010-06:00

Before I get grief for not posting earlier, I want you to know that I tried at least three times. My computer was soooo slow and it just wasn't worth all the effort. I am banking on the "better late than never" attitude.

Topic 8: What do you, or would you, hide from your children?

Let me start by saying this: When I was a little girl, I heard the phrase, "This is too good for children" or "No, you can't have any. You won't appreciate it". And...can I just say - I hated that! I vowed that when I grew up, I was going to let my kids have whatever delicatessan the grown ups were having, whether they appreciated it or not!

That being said, let me share my thoughts on chocolate. I didn't really care for it growing up. I could take it or leave it. In fact, most of the time, I left it. I failed to see the hype all those grown women would make over it. Well, something must happen to the chemistry of a woman's body as it ascends through it's teenage years, because that was then...

Now, I am a firm believer that chocolate, in almost any form, was created by God to make up for PMS. I can honestly say, it makes me feel better, even if only mentally. And my tastes have become more sophisticated as I have gotten older. I don't want that hard, waxy brown served on the outer layer of a candy bar (although, in a pinch, it will do.) I want the real good stuff! (It's not my fault a larger price tag comes with it...)

Remember the vow I made as a child, that I wouldn't deny my kids the "good stuff"? In some ways, I stayed true to that, but let's face it. The truth is, kids DON'T "appreciate it". I changed course on that vow the moment I watched my child pop a treasured truffle (priced at a dollar a piece) into his mouth and swallow it hole, like a dog and a piece of meat. He didn't even taste it or feel the velvet texture as it melted in his mouth! I am not even sure he knew he was eating chocolate.

From that point on, I have hidden my chocolate. Scattered throughout the house are little nooks and crannies where my treasure can be found, but only if you're over 5 1/2 feet tall. It takes skill and stealth to hide my addiction from my children. Sometimes, they'll walk in just in time to catch me shoving a piece down my throat. Then I have to lie about what I'm actually eating. My usual response, through a mouthfull of melting chocolate with traces sometimes dribbling down my chin, "Oh, nofing."

Now, you tell me, which is worse: telling your kids they have to wait until they can appreciate it or lying and hoarding to keep them from wasting your prized possession?

Lucky Allison!

2008-05-09T13:11:00.003-06:00

Alli went in this morning and had her tonsils and adenoids removed. She did very well. I was surprised at what a quick procedure it was, 30 minutes. I wish they didn't make you stay for another three hours waiting.

We're hoping to keep her doped up for the next few days. We don't believe in natural healing at our house. Give out the drugs and keep 'em coming until the pain completely subsides. Unfortunately, that motto just cost me over 50 bucks in prescriptions.

There were two choices in pain meds: 1. Tylenol with Codeine which would burn all the way down her throat, or 2. Capital with Codeine which is supposed to gently glide down her throat. I hope she appreciates the sacrifice we made for her comfort because she'll be gliding! And I'll be chinking dollar signs with every teaspoonful.

The Joseph Smith Farm and Sacred Grove

2008-05-07T21:19:00.002-06:00

Once we got to New Jersey, we took a mini-trip to Palmyra, New York and then to Niagra Falls. The first stop was the Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove.

This was a really cool statue in the visitors center. It's really, REALLY hard not to get emotional. I don't know what it was, but we liked it.

Gavin and Allison in front of the original log cabin with the Sacred Grove in the background.

I didn't realize this, but there are about three miles of trail through the Grove to wander on. We didn't go the full distance, but we had the place all to ourselves. And it looked very similar to what it would have looked like when Joseph was there. Not the leafy greens we are used to seeing. This is what "early Spring" looks like. The trees were just starting to bud out and daffodils spotted the ground all through the Grove.

Alli is pointing to original bricks in Alvin's house where Joseph hid the plates for a time. 80% of that house was still original. Richard's great uncle, Willard Bean, lived many years in that house after the Smith's had moved on. Willard Bean was quite a big name in the history of those sites. When the missionaries giving the tours found out we were Bean's, they were very excited.

Brace Face

2008-05-06T15:03:00.004-06:00

Gavin is excited to announce that he is officially a "Brace Face". He has been very anxious to get these braces. Last month he spent a couple of days on the Orthodontist's website picking out the color of rubber bands he wanted (you can't tell, but he chose to alternate blue and green).

At church on Sunday he leaned over and whispered there were only 46 hours and 37 minutes left until he got his braces and from that point on he was giving me updates every thirty minutes - until I told him to hush up.

He'll only have to wear them for 9-12 months, just in time for Jr. High. Not bad at all, especially because he was so happy to get them in the first place. I expect that enthusiasm to last a day, at which point the pain will start to kick in!

FFA

2008-05-02T08:44:00.010-06:00

Okay, I have slacked off for a couple of weeks and decided three weeks was just too long to go without writing. Besides, how can I get "picked" if I don't ever write anything!

This week's topic: What is the lamest thing you ever did as a teenager that you thought was SOOOOO cool?

Sunshine Tournament. Enough said.

Okay, I'll expound. I was a sophomore in High School (aka: the golden age for lameness) and we, my chicas and I, decided Sunshine Tournament was a must. You weren't COOL if you didn't go. (Truthfully, I didn't get involved in the planning of this event. I went along for the ride - my Sophomore Theme).

Sunshine Tournament, for those of you who are unawares, takes place south of here and includes: baseball game after baseball game, cruising up and down the main boulevard, getting drunk and making out with whomever will make out with you. Doesn't that sound like my kind of party? I fit into this little gig about as comfortably as a brand new penny loafer.

There were about six or eight of us girls that went together, if my memory serves me correctly, but I was completely surprised to find half the school had transplanted themselves into this sunny little retirement community. As the new girl, this was my first experience with the baseball-craziness that saturated my new hometown. Perhaps our fellow peers flocking around was the reason we felt it necessary to display our coolness with more vibrancy.

That vibrancy came in the form of a non-descript grey and plastic block. While we cruised back and forth, my friend passed her cell phone around for all of us to talk on as if we were someone really important because only the elite and wealthy had cell phones in that day. Of course, this wasn't a real cell phone. She bought it before we left at a toy store as a prop to our coolness. And it wasn't like the cell phones of today. Remember the original box phones that were more like a giant brick against your ear than an actual talking device? Definately cool because you couldn't mistake it for something else and you couldn't ignore these notably hip, newly licensed teenage girls passing a grey block around and talking nonsense to a make-believe recipient.

Oh, we thought for sure with that phone there wasn't a cute boy in town that wouldn't want to hook up with us. I even noticed a really old guy, he must have been around 25, checking us out. When I noticed him, he had a very distinct look on his face. I remember it clearly because we were stopped at a light and I had the phone to my ear and as I turned, I found him watching us. I continued to talk into my phone and he just stared. Poor chap...he was jealous.

For two whole days we paraded around town, hung out at an occassional baseball game, visited the hippest motels where the cute boys gathered and took turns being important with a very impressive, fake, brick phone.

The Lords Prayer by Zoei Isabelle Toh

2008-04-28T09:35:00.001-06:00

This was just too cute!

The Trip Gets Started

2008-04-25T11:56:00.006-06:00

I thought I'd post a few pictures a day of our trip. I don't want to overload the system with the entire collection, but I'll share a few. For those of you who don't like trip dialogues, you might want to tune back in next week. Until then, this blog is all about NEW YORK!

We had a three hour layover in Chicago. Not fun, but we did get pictures of the kids with the Blues Brothers and had authentic Chicago Hot Dogs. (I am happy to say that according to Richard, Provo has hot dogs as good as the ones we tasted.)

After our break in Chicago, we flew on to Philly where Richard's brother picked us up. It was late and we had a long day ahead of us. We were getting up early, which was really early for us when you consider the East Coast runs two whole hours earlier than Utah, but we were taking a mini trip to upstate New York to see Palmyra and Niagra Falls.

I'll post some pictures on the sidebar of random shots and then each day add a little more of the people action as I post about some highlights.

The Late Show

2008-04-25T11:18:00.006-06:00

Imagine walking down a crowded street of New York City and coming upon a blocked off side road with a huge crowd of people clamouring to see what's going on. There's a large camera attached to a camera man and security personnel by the doors of the adjacent building. This building isn't just any building - it's reserved for CBS and the famous David Letterman.

Just like the sheep before us, we wandered over to see what the fuss was all about. Quite a few people came, saw, and left because nothing was there to be fussed over. Only a tennis court painted on the street and a few camera's scanning the crowd. The banners that hung over the people partitions did say THE LATE SHOW on them, but other than that, it was just a mass of fascinated people fascinating over very little.

After questioning the security, we came to find out that Maria Sharapova (winner of the Wimbeldon Tournament - who knew?) was going to be hitting a few with David sometime in the next little bit. The exact time - no one knew - but at least within the hour.

That was all the information I needed. I had lots to see and I didn't really care about David Letterman or the tennis queen that I hadn't even heard of until that moment. As we proceeded to leave, some in our group wanted to stay. So stay we did, for another 25 minutes, making a grand total of 40 minutes. 40 minutes of standing on achey feet in a crowd of other anxious tourists who knew no bounds in terms of personal space.

FINALLY, David Letterman shows up, takes off his coat and gets ready to match Maria, but to my complete surprise, Billy Crystal comes out following Dave. Now, I do know Billy! Maria comes out, but no surprise there - she is a typical, long legged, gorgeous blondie that can kick tennis hiney. They play for a matter of 2 minutes and after Billy throws his racket in trade for a baseball mitt, receives a serve and catches it, they're done. BUT, as an ending to the show, they scanned the crowd once more and... the camera slowed down on Richard, his brother David and I. We waved, it moved on. No biggie. However, we got home that night and recorded the show and wouldn't you know it, we're famous! Our faces graced the screen for split seconds - long enough to get in a quick wave. We were indeed on the tail end of The Late Show with David Letterman broadcasted nationwide. It was great! And, all of the sudden my feet didn't hurt anymore.

Richard's Humor

2008-04-24T16:47:00.003-06:00

We took over 450 pictures in New York. Actually I only took about ten of those. The rest were all Richard, including this one. This is of the Wall Street Bull.

Poor Gavin. He became the "butt" of Richard's joke. I thought he'd be mad when he saw it, but he chuckled right along with his dad, only Richard was louder and laughed much, much longer.

Screwy Heading

2008-04-19T10:52:00.002-06:00

I am in New Jersey enjoying a great family vacation while visiting Richard's brother, David and his family. I came online to check the food blog and quickly looked at the family blog. I have discovered that on David's computer, the heading is all screwed up. This made me wonder if it is screwy looking to anyone else as well. When I posted, it looked just fine on my computer. It's a temporary heading until I can come up with something better, but I want something universal that will work on everyone's computers.

So, if you'll please leave me a quick comment and let me know if it looks weird to you, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

FFA:

2008-04-11T08:46:00.003-06:00

TOPIC: What is your least favorite thing about being a grown up?

Man, I had a hard time thinking of only one thing. The first things that came to mind were taxes, mortgages, emotional constipation...but I think my least favorite thing is my lost ability to turn nothing into something. Do you remember when you were little and your imagination knew no bounds?

We used to play in a dirt hill at the end of our street. That dirt hill had endless possibilities, from a war zone to a castle for princesses, complete with thrones made from hand shovels. As a child, those thrones were impressive and we spent hours and hours carving them out of the hillside, each one custom fit our little derrieres. If we sat in our designated throne and it had lumps, we meticulously smoothed it out with our shovels. By the time we were finished creating, we had the whole dirtside carved into rooms, thrones, tables, beds, etc., etc., etc. Oh, we were so proud of our elaborate handiwork!

The other day Gavin was asking me if I remembered the big dirt pile we had in our backyard last year. He was wanting me to remember when he made a throne in the side and played "King". He was describing to me this wondrous thing and I did remember it, but not the way he did. I remember a vague impression in the side of the pile and, well, that's about it. Then, sadly, it occured to me that perhaps the memory of my cherished dirtside was a little skewed too.

I'll bet if I could go back as an adult, I would find barely noticeable notches in the dirt. What I used to think was an enormous lenth of brown heaven, would probably only be 6 feet long. And all that time we spent working on it...maybe 30 minutes at a time (we all know kids' attention spans aren't HOURS long! If only...)

Being an adult takes the fun out of so many things. If I only could once again make something out of nothing, life would be a lot more entertaining.

21st Century Waterbed

2008-04-11T08:27:00.001-06:00

Bloggers Be Warned

2008-04-08T07:21:00.004-06:00

Lately, I have been receiving emails from total strangers that have come across my blogs. I thought, how strange. I personally don't do a lot of blog surfing, but I have checked links that I thought might be old friends and acquaintances. I mentioned blogs to my neighbor the other day and she informed me of something that I think every blogger should be aware of, if they aren't already.

In talking with the wife of an officer at our county jail, she was informed that a lot of those law breakers spend their time learning all about families and kids by what is posted on their blogs. They will study and follow a particular blog and then approach the kids of the family with all kinds of personal arsenal. Truly thinking the "stranger" is a well-known acquaintance, the children will go willingly.

I have thought a lot about this reality in our society. I am frustrated that once again we have to take special steps to ensure our children's safety. I could just quit blogging all together, but it's so nice to keep in touch with family far from home. The main purpose of this blog is to post pictures of my kids and new events in their lives so other family and friends can stay updated.

The reason I post this is not to scare people out of blogging, but to make you aware (as some of you probably already are), of what's out there. My intent is to continue on, but I have had a chat with my kids and explained the reality of potential danger. I haven't yet decided to restrict visitors - I welcome anyone who wants to visit. However, if you are some sick-minded, demented predator reading this---just know that if you come near my kids I will hunt you down and have you tortured in the town square until you finally succumb to the pain and choke on your last breath of life!

FFA - Yikes!

2008-04-04T10:24:00.005-06:00

I completely forgot about this week's FFA. Without previous thought or planning, here it is:

TOPIC: Write a 20 word poem with the word "sombrero" in it.

I picked out a salsy sombrero,
Right off the shelf of Herrero's.
It's colors were flashy,
It looked kind of clashy,
But I wore it anyways.

I know, it's more than 20 words. ---I'm disqualified.)

Fashion Model On The Job

2008-03-28T15:59:00.001-06:00

FFA

2008-03-28T08:30:00.009-06:00

Today's Topic: If I Were a Fashion Runway Model...

Minx. Call me Minx. I have clawed myself into the revolving world of fashion. I have no contact with the outside world, no real friends to speak of, more men at my disposal than humanly attainable and my closet is infested with the latest Parisian masterpieces. Food and nutrients mean nothing to me, they are for the weak and the ugly. Dignity is mine because I am…a Fashion Runway Model.

Whether it is a hideous pair of trousers, an ostentatious strip of skirt, a flailing, oversized boa or merely bare threads of metallic leather clad to my loins, I marvel in my ability to confidently march the runway. I am a professional clothing navigator, a Tigress, a force to be reckoned with.

The thrill of the catwalk pulses in my veins, clearly visible beneath my pallid, skeletal frame. It surges through my brain virtually renders me senseless and graciously overruns the sharp, taut hunger pains that course through my body down to my third set of prosthetic ankles.

I am at the top of my game until the weight of my eye shadow compromises my equilibrium and into the sea of earthlings I plummet. Time and time again, history repeats itself and I am left to rise above the mass of hysterical spectators. But the shame and degradation are nothing to me because I AM…a Fashion Runway Model.

ENOUGH!

2008-03-26T10:24:00.004-06:00

So, I was browsing for dresses online this morning and found this ad. I was humored at first, but after further thought, I am ready to scream...I have about had it! And since this is the best place for me to voice my opinion -here it is:

"Get the hips and bootie you have always wanted:
Bigger
Bubbly
Rounder
Curvier
Raised
Peach-shaped
Extra “Junk in the Trunk”
or at Least J Lo’s, or Beyonce’s Sexy Bottoms"

"Peach-shaped"? So, if your butt is orange-shaped or even pineapple-shaped, you're out of luck in the sexy department?

PEOPLE! Enough is enough! Let us be who we are and have the chance to actually enjoy it without a constant barrage of infomercials and products telling us we can't be happy just the way we are. Has it really come down to this?

It's interesting that my size of 10/12 is this world's version of obese and yet, when I talk to my grandma, she is sad that she has gone from a 14 to a 12 because now she'll look "older". Hooray for Grandma who helps me keep perspective! I am so tired of the never-ending politics around size and image. What's wrong with just covering our nakedness, being happy with it and moving on?

Don't get me wrong - I think eating healthy and exercising are important, but it's time to boycott the products and diet trends that create unnatural lifestyles. Moderation in ALL things. Stop the obsessions!

And I truly do apologize if you own this article of "clothing". I mean no disrespect. I hope you are enjoying your "bubbly, peach-shaped" butt.

EASTER 2008

2008-03-24T09:31:00.006-06:00

Easter Morning - The Easter Bunny didn't come to our house on Sunday morning this year. Instead he visited on Friday night, in the hopes that Sunday would be calm and non-commercialized. To aid in this anti-chaos pledge, Mr. Bunny only brought the kids an outfit and a special chocolate egg. Very simple...up until we went outside to take a few photos of the occasion! (As a result, Easter pictures have just been moved to any day but Sunday).

For starters, the lighting was all wrong, no matter where I tried to stage the kids. They were either squinting, in shadow or both. To top off the frustration of location, my batteries died, again and again. We spent 30 minutes trying to find batteries in the house that would give enough juice to run the camera, from the flashlights in the drawer to the video game controllers. We even emptied batteries out of the old camera. Each time we switched batteries we were able to take one, maybe two pictures before the camera died. On the fourth switch in batteries, mom's patience had run out and unfortunately the goofy smiling kids took the brunt. You can't get kids to smile naturally by telling them to quit looking so "dorky", which was the only nice word I could come up with due to my exhaustion with the camera. Poor kids.

After all that, I downloaded the pictures and only half of them were viewable. I guess the loss in battery power screwed everything up. So, here's the best we could come up with for Easter Pictures 2008. Good job kids! Despite a cranky mom, you still managed some beautiful smiles.

FFA - A brief intro.

2008-03-21T10:21:00.006-06:00

FFA (a.k.a. - Future Farmers of America) is a well known established "club" at Spanish Fork High School. The closest I ever came to being a part of this elite group was when I was secretly nominated to be part of the Harvet Royalty (or in other words the special Ball for all FFA advocates and members, although it was open to the general populous of the school).

In order to be queened, we had to perform random acts of farmness. Like, drive a tractor (in this case a riding lawn mower that looked like a tractor) through an obstacle course; best time won. The girl who could launch a bale of hay the furthest added points to her total. We wrestled pigs, in a pen full of jello, decorated cakes and the grand-daddy of them all - sewed our own aprons. I knew I was the furthest from being crowned queen when I couldn't catch the little piggy, but the day of the apron contest was a deafening blow.

I showed up with a simple plaid apron that looked more like a painting smock. It was trimmed in biased tape and couldn't have taken more than an hour to cut and make (although I wouldn't really know, because I think my mom did most of it). As I entered the room where the other contestants had displayed their goods, I wanted to laugh out loud at my pale comparison (laughing was better than crying). Each girl had created an ensemble any FFA homemaker would be proud of. They were trimmed in ruffles, had yards of fabric for the full twirl, and cute, trimmed-in-lace pockets. You name it - they had it all.

I didn't even win the runner up, but then I never had a fighting chance to begin with. This is why I am pleased to say the new and improved FFA is something I can cope with. There are no rules, no judges and best of all no bacon chasing and apron sewing. Hope you all enjoy what comes out of these free-for-alls.

FFA -(Friday Free for All)

2008-03-21T09:40:00.013-06:00

TOPIC: For reasons beyond your powers to comprehend, you know that you will soon become the sole survivor of a trans-Atlantic plane crash and will be stranded on a desert island. You do not question your new-found psychic powers, but instead, you start packing the essentials. What 10 things will you take with you?

In order of importance:

1. A HARDBACK COPY OF ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS. This is the only survival guide I’ll need. If she can do it, I can do it! And if it proves to be worthless in times of desperation, I can always convert the hard cover into a fashionable covering to protect my head from the blistering, tropic sun and then burn the pages to cook my supper.

2. PORTABLE DVD PLAYER. Cast Away starring Tom Hanks will already be in the machine (I’m a very organized packer). What I don’t learn from Dolphin Girl, I’ll pick up on in this educational movie. I plan to use scraps of metal from the rim of my suitcase to transmit electricity from the tropical lightening storms that will roll in from time to time. The electric current generated will power my player long enough to learn how Tom cooks crab beyond it’s runny, liquid-sand state; the next storm will allow me to see how he constructs a shelter and so forth, and so on.

3. FASHIONABLE ISLAND WEAR. It is imperative that one looks good while scavenging for food. My outfit consists of remnants of animal skin to cover the essentials. (Essentials for this girl include shoulders, chest, tummy, back and the skins will come to just above my knees.) Sports Illustrated will not be stopping by for the occasional photo shoot. I might be stranded, but I will not lose my dignity! Flips flops (not to be confused with “thongs”) will dress my feet and I’ll wear small dolphin earrings with swirly blue stones embedded in the silver body for a finishing touch. (In honor of my mentor…)

4. A FLASHLIGHT. Doesn’t this accompany all survival kits? I can only imagine how dark it will get without city streetlights! I’ll need to see my way at night in case I have business to take care of.

5. A PICK AND SHOVEL (TRAVEL SIZE). These are for digging in the soil to harvest ore and other earthen materials. From which I will make cooking tools and killing tools.

6. PAPER AND PENCIL. For two reasons: I will want to draw all the beautiful scenery and after spending some time on this island, I am bound to come up with all sorts of creative crafts. By recording the instructions, complete with illustrations, I will by able to publish a book, Carillisa’s Caribbean Crafts, upon return to the States. The royalties will more then compensate me for my trouble while stranded. (Check your local Deseret Book for specials and promotions).

7. SUNSCREEN AND LIP PROTECTANT. I have very fair skin and I care about sunspots and skin cancer. Besides, my lips will boil over and pop without it.

8. LEATHER STRAPS. I don’t know why, but they always seem to come in handy for those survival experts on Discovery Channel. They’re sure to be useful if my flip flops should fall apart and need new toe straps.

9. WATER SHOES. I will have to spear fish for my supper and in order to do that, it will be necessary to enter the ocean. I hate, HATE touching seaweed and craggly rocks with bare feet! My skin crawls just thinking about it. Water shoes will allow me to focus on fish and not the random materials weaving and sifting through my toes. Eeew!

10. HMMM...IT'S A TOSS UP BETWEEN WATER-PROOF MATCHES AND EARPLUGS. I think earplugs are going to have to win on this one. I can’t sleep without them and as everyone knows, sleep deprivation causes death almost as fast as starvation. Only in this case, there’s bound to be fruit and berries I can forage without needing a fire to cook. The loss of sleep is sure to kill me faster than anything else, except maybe a wandering, woman-eating monkey, but I’ll have a killing tool (see #5) to deal with that, but only after a good night’s rest.

You know, this whole “stranded on a desert island” scenario won’t be so bad. With the right gear and proper planning, you can turn any desperate situation into an upbeat and positive one! (Maybe I’ll write a book about that too…)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAVIN!

2008-03-20T19:57:00.012-06:00

Wow! Time flies when you're havin' fun! What happened to the last 11 years...?

Gavin turned 11 years old on the 14th of March. He officially considers himself "pre-teen" now.

A Smile For Her Cousins

2008-03-10T15:28:00.013-06:00

Allison is feeling much better these days. The shock is starting to wear off and we are getting back to normal (if you can consider our lives before-hand "normal"). Allison has even been giving herself shots since Saturday. She does all the calculations, we double check and she gives the shot.

I told her that a lot of friends and family were concerned about her, especially her younger cousins. So...here's some happy photos of Allison eating ice cream.

She thinks she's funny. I told her I wanted a photo of her eating ice cream...her version wasn't quite what I had in mind.

A Child's Prayer

2008-03-07T10:28:00.007-07:00

Occasionally, kids will say something in their prayers that make their parents chuckle. Last night was once of those times. Allison said the family prayer and asked Heavenly Father to please bless her mom, that she would get better at giving her shots so they wouldn't hurt anymore. She then blessed Gavin that he would learn how and be able to help her if she needed it. I waited for her to mention something about her dad, but her prayer ended. Unlike her mother, he gives the perfect shot and needed no extra blessing from heaven.

(Honestly, if dad's around, she'd rather him give the shots than anyone else, but this morning I gave the shot and she informed me that I am getting much better - it's true then, God answers prayers.)

Diabetes Diva

2008-03-05T16:43:00.007-07:00

As some of you already know, Allison was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on Monday. We have known that Allison wasn't feeling like herself for quite some time. For the past few months we have managed to find a reason for every one of her symptoms, none of which had anything to do with the truth.

We had an appointment for her eyes to be checked because of the blurriness; she was scheduled to have her tonsils out in a couple of weeks to take care of her overall not feeling well and always being tired; we figured she drank a lot to ease her chronic sore throats; her weight loss was just a bodily change from her latest growth spurt...we didn't realize it was 12 pounds in 6 weeks. It wasn't until Alece mentioned Diabetes that we began to put the puzzle pieces together. After checking the Mayo Clinic's website Sunday night, we realized that all these symptoms could possibly be being caused by only one thing, Diabetes.

We took her to the doctor Monday morning to confirm our suspicions were wrong, but instead we found ourselves in the hospital three hours later. From that point on things were a whirlwind. They refer to it in the hospital as Diabetes Boot Camp. A lot of information was crammed down our throats in a very short amount of time. We were scared and nervous, but everything is going better now. We're home and that can sometimes make all the difference!

Here are some pictures of the blessed event:

She wasn't a fan of giving herself a shot, something the nurses wanted her to do before she left the hospital. In the end, the nurse inserted the needle and Alli pushed the plunger to inject the insulin. It goes against all human nature to jab a sharp object into your own fleshy parts.

But, despite her downs, she still managed to keep her sense of humor about it - most of the time.

She perked right up teaching her brother and friends how to give a shot. She acted like an old pro, but in the end, the orange was much easier to try on than actual leg. Rufus was a teddy bear that one of the volunteer groups provided for her to practice shots on. He had a colorful patch on all the injection sites and an I.D. tag just like the one Alli will need to wear.

Talk about loot! We had a lot of friends and family send or bring all kinds of things for Allison to stay happy and entertained with. She had so much to to do the t.v. was hardly ever on. She made bracelets, played with paper dolls, and thoroughly enjoyed the tangram puzzle game. Thanks to everyone! It really made these hospital days bearable.

Nighttime was hard. She just wanted to go home and be in her own bed away from nurses who were constantly waking her up to prick her fingers and squeeze all the juice out of them.

She received some cute pajamas from some good friends and a teddy bear, "Fuzz Ball", from the girls at her dad's work. The little doggie was from her Aunt Barbie and Shelly. She named this little dog "Spikes" in memory of her first day full of needles. In her own words, she "wouldn't have made it through her first day without him". Every time they pricked her finger or gave her a shot she held on to that little dog with clenched fists. If it hadn't been so sad, it would have been cute. These two stuffed animals were in her arms the entire stay, especially during the hard parts.

The arsenal we were sent home with, not to mention the 7 prescriptions to be filled. Manuals on Diabetes, nutrition binder, handbooks, needles, meters, nutrtion travel books...etc., etc., etc.

The End of an Era

2008-02-28T08:20:00.009-07:00

Pack Night: A night all boy scouts love and parents try to tolerate. They sing ridiculous songs made up from familiar tunes with new lyrics, the words never quite jiving. They have different cheers for every occasion (example: last night we all stood up and hissed as long and loud as we could, then sat back down). It wasn't long after I started going to Gavin's that I realized why my dad was always willing to pay my brothers $20 not to go. (I tried talking Gavin out of one - only once. His response: "I have to go and support my troops". I refused to give up $20 to him so we went.)

For three years now, we have gone, endured and watched our son enjoy the process. Last night's meeting was really no different from the rest. We sang "Oh, I Wish I Were A Little Hunk of Mud" and hissed our loud Hissing Cheer. Gavin received all twenty of his Weebelos pins (According to Richard, that's a pretty big deal) and his Arrow of Light (again Richard deciphered and let me know it's like an Eagle, but for Cub Scouts). Gavin was excited and I was happy for him. What came next shocked me.

He turns 11 in a couple of weeks and therefore will move up in the Scouting Program. At the end of the meeting, he was called up and given his certificate of Cub Scout Pack Graduation. He will be moving on to the 11-Year Old Scouts which means no more activities after school, no more Pine Wood Derby's and no more Pack Nights. ...No more Pack Nights! Something I thought I would jump for joy over and yet, when he stood at the front of the room and recieved his certificate of advancement, I honest to goodness had to choke back the tears! I wouldn't allow myself to actually let the tears roll down my face, but my heart was heavy and I had such a hard time letting go. I'm sure, part of this sentimentality comes easily knowing that I won't have to endure another one, but I never would have guessed that I would miss those corny little meetings. Knowing that they marked a certain era in my child's life and that it's over makes me appreciate them a little more. Kids really do grow up way too fast!

The Science Guy

2008-02-26T20:58:00.006-07:00

Gavin wearing his medal from the District Fair

So, Gavin and his partner, Trayl Grace, won 2nd place in the school's Science Fair. That, of course, meant they had to go to the district competition. After hanging out at Mapleton Jr. High for 5 hours to be judged and then wait for their deliberation, Gavin and Trayl made it into the finals and will be going to the regional fair. To say the least, Gavin's pretty excited. I am happy for them, but I must admit, I was hoping we were done with this whole thing. I think that makes me a bad mom!

FYI: Their project was to test different kinds of soap and see which one kills the most bacteria. Between regular soap, anti-bacterial soap and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, the sanitizer won.

Kids Pick Up On Everything

2008-02-25T14:16:00.005-07:00

It's a well known fact that Richard Bean is an emotional and tenderhearted guy. Several people in the ward comment or joke with him about the tears he sheds while sitting on the stand in Sacrament meeting. He can't help it, he leaks over something tender almost every week.

While Alece and I were in a little meeting after church yesterday, our kids decided to kill some time in the chapel. I know, not the best place for them to "play" and we weren't thinking much of it until Cole Ercanbrack came in to report what they were up to.

Apparently, they were playing "Sacrament Meeting". Ethan was pretending to be his dad (the Bishop) and Gavin was his dad (the Bishop's counselor). The girls led music and played the organ. When Cole happened upon them, the two boys were sitting on the stand and Gavin, true to character, had a tissue in his hand and was repeatedly dapping his eyes to wipe away the "tears". We all got a good laugh over that one... except Richard.

Before and After

2008-02-21T08:32:00.014-07:00

I hesitated posting this because some of you aren't going to really care, but for those of you who play around in Photoshop, I thought I'd share. Once again I spent way more time on this then necessary, but that seems to be my habit these days.

(BTW - these girls are 5 of the 13 girls my activity day group. We had a big parent night with them last night and I made a poster with their name and photo on it. They turned out pretty cute, but most importantly the girls loved them.)

I admit, she's my favorite!

Smoothed the hair, whitened the teeth (and took the food out of them) and lightened the dark circles under the eyes.

Peep hole and glaring highlight: First you see them, now you don't!

Who knew a few clicks of the mouse was as good as a brush?

This is very subtle. You almost have to look up close to really tell. I couldn't get her to smile much when I took the shot, but in the end, I won by using the Liquify technique.

Mom's Gone Crazy!

2008-02-13T23:21:00.022-07:00

The science fair project has been taking up the week's spare minutes. We didn't even think of what we were going to do with the valentine's boxes for school until the night before they were due (common occurance, I'm afraid). This year needs to be be different the kids keep saying. They want something really cool. Not just a box wrapped in valentine wrapping paper with a hole cut in the top. So, we gather supplies to the table. Alli gets paper and stamps while Gavin starts making a check list of body parts for the robot he wants to create. It's already 8:15pm -

The kids went to bed at 9:00pm. That's right, they lasted 45 minutes. Mom continued to work on boxes all the while remembering the fun she had in elementary school doing this sort of thing with HER mother, only she remembered actually doing it together. Then mom called her friend and they talked and laughed at each other because they were both still up working on valentine's boxes after the kids were long gone from being a part of it.

Dad returned home at 10:00pm from meetings and mom was still working. Punching, glueing, stamping, wrapping, cutting, glueing (again)...

Finally, after 11:00pm, the boxes were complete and certainly not cool enough for the time put into them, but isn't that the way the cookie usually crumbles? Mom has only one thing on her mind that late at night and that is, "why does she feel the need to blog this event before she goes to bed?!"

Supplies:

RODNEY ROBOT- shoe box, foil, nerf football, milk lids - one from the jug scrounged from the bottom of the big, stinky, black garbage can outside and the other off the still full jug in the fridge (my kids are going to be waking for bathroom breaks all night from the milk I made them drink in order to use that lid), toilet paper roll (cut in half), pipe cleaners, a sign that reads "Love-O-Meter" (but only if you have a really cool robot-looking font) and a disposable container spray painted black for the hat (and it doesn't matter how tired you think you are, it really is better to wait for the paint to dry before glueing it on top of the football head).

GROOVY FLOWER BOX - shoe box, swirly wrapping paper meant for wedding gifts (any kind will do as long as you use the expensive stuff that really isn't meant for projects such as this), cookie cutter to use as a template for groovy flowers (I don't think I have ever used a cookie cutter for actual cookies...), two different sized circle punches because two is always better than one (and it's important to feel you've got your money's worth out of those punches you rarely use), alphabet stamps and coordinating ink colors to match the paper you've chosen (once again, coordinating will make you feel better about all those stamp pads and paper you have purchased specifically to match your project. Really, despite what you might think, 4th graders do notice those kinds of things).

And there you have it. Now every mom will have the resources to be as crazy as this one, just don't let the sleep deprivation or collosal aftermath deter you.

Newest Thing For Exercise since the Ab Roller Plus...

2008-02-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

I found this on a friend's blog and thought it was too funny not to share. Thanks Jen!

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2008/01/hawaii_chair.php

I've Been Tagged...

2008-02-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

I tag Chelsey and Jenni

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Gavin was almost a year old, I had just had surgery #2 of 3 and was pregnant with Allison. We were living in Elk Ridge with R's parents. Richard was recovering from the weird aneurysm in his head and was working at Whitewater. Life pretty much stressed us out, but it's better now.

5 things on my to-do list today:

1. Make cookies for the neighbor who just shoveled my driveway and walkways.
2. Buy posterboard and letters for Parent Night with Activity Day girls.
3. Go to the grocery store to buy chips and cheese for Taco Soup
4. Take dinner to my other neighbor who just had a baby
5. Clean the kitchen and the pans of hamburger grease and onion ring oil from the birthday party dinner we had last night for our other, other neighbor.

Things I would do if I were suddenly made a a billionaire:

1. I would pay off all remaining debt.
2. Travel to Europe first then anywhere I darn well pleased
3. Go on a cruise
4. Remodel my house and add on
5. Build a cabin and buy a condo in Spain

2 of my bad habits:

1. I leave my shoes all over the house. As soon as I sit down somewhere the shoes come off and there they stay until I finally pick them up.
2. Richard hates this one. I don't always clean up my hair and makeup stuff immediately upon using them. My excuse is that the curling iron has to cool off or I am in too big of a hurry to get out the door. R still complains, but I am better than when we first got married...

Places I have lived:

1. Orem, UT
2. Blanding, UT
3. Macon, GA
4. Pueblo, CO
5. Columbus, MO
6. Sandy, UT
7. Pleasant Grove, UT
8. Woodland Hills, UT
9. Provo, UT
10. Elk Ridge, UT
11. Spanish Fork, UT (I have lived here for five years now and it's the longest I have lived anywhere since I was born.)

5 Jobs I have had:

1. Bank Teller
2. Receptionist/Loan Processor
3. Floral Delivery gal
4. Waitress at the Burger Barn
5. Cherry Sorter - longest three weeks of my life, aside from the last three weeks of my pregnancy with Allison.

5 Things people don't know about me:

1. I hate the smell of gasoline
2. I had an "accident" at school and had to go home and change clothes (at the age of 31!) Long story, but it's a good one!
3. In order to sleep at night I need ear plugs, total darkness, chilly air and to lay on my right side with the blankets tucked between my knees.
4. I hate rollercoasters, fast rides or even spinning doughnuts in a snowy parking lot.
5. I was the fastest runner out of all the girls in the sixth grade.

A Trip to Italy

2008-02-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Italy. Her plans were complete. She had watched as many others had gone to this beautiful country. They came back sharing such wonderful stories and experiences about their trip. Italy was glorious and the finest place to travel on earth.

She began her preparations and saved her money. It took years to put aside enough funds to make this trip. It would be a once in a lifetime journey, but so worth all the sacrifices made to get there. As the time drew closer to her departure date, she got more and more excited. She couldn’t wait to experience the vacation she had heard so much about! She boarded the plane with visions of great Catholic Cathedrals and dazzling cities and villas. She could almost smell the sweet, fragrant vineyards and salty, coastal winds of the Mediterranean.

As she is dreaming in her window seat, looking down on the ocean, the captain’s voice comes over the speaker above her.

“We have had a change in flight plans. Your destination is no longer Italy. We will be landing in Holland. We’re so sorry for the inconvenience and we regret we are unable to offer any refunds for tickets purchased for Italy.”

Devastation sweeps over the girl. This is not what she expected or what she wants. Italy! She wants Italy! She has never heard of anyone taking a trip to Holland. There has got to be a way for the captain to land the plane in her Italy! She simply isn’t prepared for a vacation to Holland. Her suitcases are filled with beachwear and sandals.

Despite her prayers and pleadings, the plane lands in Holland where she and her luggage are left alone, alone to enjoy uncharted territory. She sees nothing that resembles the golden streets and rustic, antiquated buildings she so vividly pictured in her mind of Italy. But in Holland she must stay.

After days walking the streets of her new destination, the girl soon begins to notice the buildings are charming and lively with architecture as unique as the landscape. Many of the hillsides and fields offer colorful beauty in the tulips that spread for miles. It is almost impossible to describe the varieties that exist in those rows and rows of blooms! In place of cathedrals, she finds windmills of all shapes and sizes. There is much splendor in this hidden country. Holland has surprised her.

In her gallivanting, she has not forgotten Italy. She will always feel the pain associated with the detour that took her away from her lifelong dream. When she returns from her trip, she will continue to hear how fabulous Italy is, all she knows have traveled there. But to allow her thoughts to dwell on a place she cannot go, prevents her from beholding the loveliness her new land has to offer. She would not have chosen this side road and perhaps if given the choice, she would still choose the sun-swept Venetian beaches of Lido. And yet, how can she forget the sites she has seen! They have been more beautiful than she could have dreamed. The air in Holland is crisp and clear; the colors are vibrant and clean. Wildlife and countryside flourish among the waterways that connect the land. Nothing can compare, not even Italy.

The end of her venture comes before she is ready, but she arrives home to find there are others who have also been to the places she has traveled, others who have seen the beauty in the never-ending rows of color and the sunsets that take your breath away. She is not alone, as she once thought. She is happy to have found joy in a place she least expected and happy to know that Italy is not the only place in the world worth journeying to.

I heard this story in bits and pieces. I liked it so much, I had to come home and write it down. Although it's not told as the original probably was, it captures the main parts. I couldn't help but think of my own Holland and the various places that life takes us. They are unexpected and yet, when we take time to see those different destinations for what they are worth, we find more joy in them than we thought was possible.

We Knew The Time Would Come...

2008-01-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the church website and loved it. I am happy for them both...

A Blustery Day

2008-01-28T09:36:00.001-07:00

So the wind really kicked up last night. All around the neighborhood garbage cans are tipped over with their contents blowing in the wind. Our neighbor's patio table, situated snugly behind the house and in a small enclosed backyard, was blown over and their cat kennel was knocked over, with the cat still inside. As we left for carpool, I noticed our own house had some damage. A not-too-happy Richard had to climb up and staple a few shingles back in place. I hope all this wind means a really nice snowstorm!

Which One?

2008-01-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

I am trying to pick a favorite. Unfortunately, there are things I like and dislike in both. I'll have to keep tweaking them, if my mother will let me "borrow" hers back for a few days. What's your pick? (The darks on the second one are a little darker than the real paining. In fact, the lighting is a little off across the whole thing, but I don't have it's original to match it to.)

Finally!

2008-01-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the simple pleasures of life...a baby's laughter, a new summer dress, a drive up the canyon, knobs for the kitchen cupboards.

I have had this on my To-Do List for over three years. I can't count how many fingernails I have ripped and chipped trying to pry my cupboards and drawers open. And finally, ...finally, Richard made my year by purchasing and installing knobs and drawer pulls. It has taken the sting out of the water damage caused by our little mishap a couple of weeks ago. Which, by the way, is going to be fine. No real damage to speak of that can't be covered up by a dishwasher or by closing the cupboard doors. You can see where the sink cabinet is a bit swollen still, but it's something that can be lived with. We were very fortunate!

Wacky Gone Wild

2008-01-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today was Wacky Wear Day, as voted on by the student council. Gavin came home from his meeting so excited about the fun week they had planned.

Tuesday was Quiet As A Mouse Day where no one could talk. If you did, you had to give up an M&M. The goal was to keep all your M&M's until the end of the day.

Today was Wacky Wear Day. As you can see, the kids were very wacky. Gavin buttoned two different shirts together and Allison wore Gavin's clothes. She considered that the extreme of wackiness. And their hair... Gavin declared boys were lucky they didn't have to wear elastics in their hair and Allison enjoyed twisting her braids in all sorts of different do's.

Tomorrow is Hat Day and Allison can't wait to wear her sparkly Princess hat from Aunt Jenny. Friday is Pajama Day.

2008-01-22T10:34:00.001-07:00

Gavin and Allison went sledding yesterday and on the way home last night they were telling me of all their fun trips down the hill. And as Gavin has grown into quite a story-teller, you can imagine what he had to say. He exaggerates just as all good story-tellers should.

As he was describing a jump he went off, he said, "...I went six feet in the air! It was sooo cool!"

I like to keep Gavin in check with his stories by reminding him what is real and what isn't, so I said, "You mean, you felt like you were flying six feet into the air, because you probably weren't really six feet off the ground."

In an exasperated tone, he answered, "Mom, I am not talking about Human Six Feet, I am talking about Brownie Six Feet!"

Apparently six feet measures differently if you're a brownie.

Use It or Lose It

2008-01-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

After over ten years I finally decided to pick up the sketchbook and pencil again. I have always been sad that I haven't kept up on my artwork. It's a great outlet for me. So, the other day I bought a sketchbook and sat down to some soft music and thoroughly enjoyed the hour. I have only whipped out a couple so far, but hopefully there is more to come. They're not masterpieces by any means, just a part of me I wanted to share. Thanks Richard for the easel and paints and DeAnna for the inspiration to not let something I love die.