Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!

"New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." - Mark Twain

Bob and Carol, Kristy and Steve are all here for Carter's baptism.  Tonight we ate a wonderful dinner at Gustav's.  The strolling accordionist and Kristy had quite the show going for awhile.  He was surprised that I knew all the words to "If I Were a Rich Man" - I said "I was in the play once" and he said, "Were you Tevye?"

Monday, December 28, 2009

My sister is expecting!!!

She is due June 16th, 2010!!  :)

"And there was in that house, much moaning and wailing from the Cold and Pantsless; but behold, much laundry was washed, dried, folded and put away that day, insomuch that the cries of clothing joy were heard throughout the house. And there was great rejoicing in the land on that day"

Also:  I'm a terrible mother for letting her children jump on a frosty trampoline and wishing school started a week earlier.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Boxing Day Shopping

Here we are, enjoying a bench at See's.  Happy times.
 

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas 2009

I'm listening to the Jingle Cats sing "White Christmas" and the new SuperSmash video game, watching Roz jump on the trampoline in her new Snow White dress, and enjoying the crap out of Christmas Day. (Not that it has a lot of crap.)

This is a beautiful Christmas story. Enjoy.
 

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Happy Birthday Carvy :)

Happy 8th Birthday to my sweet boy, Carter. Nothing but fun and cuteness the whole time.

Monday, December 21, 2009

The Old Neighborhood


This is outside our house on Dayton Street in Kennewick. When the city added sidewalks, Ric took advantage of the wet cement and there his signature remains to this day. Cool.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Call the authorities if we're not back in six hours

We're heading out to brave the crowds and stop for food at Applebee's. :-|

Monday, December 14, 2009

"Christmas means carnage!"

I have a newspaper photographer coming over this morning... better get busy hiding the bodies.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Thanks Visiting Teachers, Bawk Bawk

Eating pistachios and chocolate from my visiting teachers. Thanks, Ann and Robynne, you ladies rock!!

Then there was this bit of awesomeness:
Twilight Years from Tom on Vimeo.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

You're Telling Me

Carter just used my cell phone to call our home phone, then walked into the room with phones on both ears and said, "Mommy... this is weird."

It's 15° outside right now. I'm thankful for anything heat-related... maybe even heat rash.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Daring

The nativity sets are safely home. Do I dare display them here?

Also, we have a predicted high temp of 30° today - perfect streaking weather.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Sadness

We just found out that Mr. M, the man who gave us his wife's nativity sets for the festival, passed away September 13. 

Friday, December 4, 2009

The bell choir at the Festival of Nativities was AMAZING. New Christmas tradition!!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Hubby is Sick.

I just gave him some of this.



Gee, I hope they won't miss him at work.

In other, better news: Carter, Roz and I had fun taking Carter's teacher, Miss F, to the nativity festival tonight. She's such a great sport. 

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Excitement

For the 89th time this morning, Carter has announced that he doesn't want to go to school.

Later: 
Roz: "Mommy, Belle is prettier because she's a princess." 
Me: "Prettier than who?" 
Roz: "You."

Oh.

Later still: 
I just came back from helping decorate at the Festival of Nativities... it's looking pretty awesome! Can't wait for tomorrow! 

Monday, November 30, 2009

I love this life

I was sitting with Roz, watching a movie and cross-stitching, and she pulled out a needle and some thread and had the needle threaded within a few minutes. I was shocked! Now she's "cross stitching" with me. What a great blessing to be at home.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Happy Black Friday

I have a refrigerator full of food, and no desire to eat for the next eight weeks. How's that for gratitude?

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Exemplary

If you ask my Primary class what their lesson was about today, they'll probably say "Bristle Blocks."

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Heheheheheheheeeee

Today I fought the law, and won.

I was taking the boys to school and realized I was going 25 mph in a school zone... a cop had already pulled someone else over and I hadn't gone through the queue yet, so I figured when he was done with her, I'd be next, as soon as I pulled out of the school parking lot. 

So I parked the car at the school and walked home. :) 

Hubby, Brennan, Bella and I saw New Moon tonight in Portland!!! My friend from high school, Shawna G, had tickets to a birthday party early showing of New Moon and couldn't go, and offered me her tickets. It was fuuuuun. 

Sunday, November 15, 2009

My Life According to Weird Al

(One of those Facebook memes)

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to people you like and include me (presuming I'm someone you like). You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)" 

Pick your Artist: "Weird Al" Yankovic 

Are you a male or female: Everything You Know Is Wrong 

Describe yourself: Smells Like Nirvana 

How do you feel: Trigger Happy 

Describe where you currently live: Amish Paradise 

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Albuquerque 

Your favorite form of transportation: Truck Drivin' Song 

Your best friend? Do I Creep You Out 

You and your best friends are: White & Nerdy 

What's the weather like: The White Stuff 

Favorite time of day: Callin' In Sick 

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Trapped in the Drive-thru 

What is life to you: Confessions Part III 

Your relationship: Pretty Fly for a Rabbi 

Your fear: Germs 

What is the best advice you have to give: Polka Your Eyes Out 

Thought for the Day: I Can't Watch This 

My motto: Don't Download This Song

Saturday, November 14, 2009

HELP

Roz is stuck on the same "Gaston" lyric: "I use antlers in all of my DEC-orating..."

Friday, November 13, 2009

Oh, Honestly

A Facebook meme.

Can you fill this out without lying? You've been tagged, so now you need to answer all the questions HONESTLY. At the end, choose at least 8 people to be tagged. Don't forget to tag me! 

To do this, copy this entire message, then go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, delete my answers, and type yours. Next, tag at least 8 people (in the right hand corner of the app). Click publish (at the bottom). Have fun! :) 

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? 
Chocolate cake. 

2. Where was your profile picture taken? 
In my room 

3. Can you play Guitar Hero? 
Not very well. 

4. Name someone who made you laugh today? 
My FB peeps 

5. How late did you stay up last night and why? 
I don't know, like, 9:30 or 10ish... because I couldn't make it any longer than that. 

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you? 
Maybe the beach, but I love where I live. 

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? 
Yep. 

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? 
Brian, Brennan & Bella Holt :) 

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends? 
I've seen it happen. 

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper? Dublin or regular? 
"Dublin"? I'm such a lightweight, I have no idea what this is. I'm not a big pop drinker. 

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? 
Sunday 

12. Who took your profile picture? 
I did! 

13. Who was the last person/thing you took a picture of? 
I have no idea... our camera batteries are dead, dead, dead. 

14. Was yesterday better than today? 
It's only 10:20, so time will tell. I hope today will be better. 

15. Can you live a day without TV? 
Yes. 

16. Are you upset about anything? 
No, not really. 

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? 
What kind of a crap question is this?? ;) 

18. Are you a bad influence? 
Um, I guess it depends on whom you ask. 

19. Night out or night in? 
Either. Both! :) 

20. What items could you not go without during the day? 
Computer, food, and my family 

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? 
Timmi R 

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? 
I don't text! I have yet to join the text fray. 

23. How do you feel about your life right now? 
I wish I were better at what I'm doing, but I love my situation and my dear family and friends. 

24. Do you hate anyone right now? 
No. I probably won't ever hate anyone. 

25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find? 
A variety of things - some joshing about WordTwist competitions, some joking around, some conflict... gee, my inbox is kind of exciting. 

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? 
Would I pass what? ;) Yes. 

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect? 
Not in the last little bit. 

28. What song is stuck in your head? 
Spongebob background music 

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be? 
Someone with money, a lot of money. 

30. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50? 
I don't see it happening, but sure. The younger the grandparents, the more time with the grandkids.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I Have A Sick Man In Bed

Please send him "stay home" vibes, so he doesn't go to work and infect everyone there with his yucky goobs (that way I can play with him all day).

Later: It worked!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Neat Veterans Day Idea

Carter brought home a homework assignment today - two sheets of paper stapled together, one red with a big star outlined in black. The other sheet said:

"Wednesday, November 11th is a day that we are not in school. It is not a day off of school, but rather a day we spend to honor those who are in service for our country or who have served in our armed services to protect and preserve the rights of our great nation.

"Attached to this sheet you will find a star. Please have your child fill in the name or names of people in your family, family friends, or beloved members of your family that have passed, who are veterans. 

"Write a bit about what you are thankful for, to the person or persons mentioned on the star. Bring them back and we will build our Veteran's Day Flag!"

I really liked this idea and wanted to share it. Happy Veteran's Day to you and your family members. :)

Sunday, November 8, 2009

DANG IT

Wearing pajama pants under my long skirt and boots at church today. Take that, WEATHER

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!!

We had three zombies, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and a little angel haunting our house this evening... I trotted out the "Betsy Ross" outfit and Hubby watched the Utes on TV. Happy Halloween!



Sort that candy. SORT IT

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Look what spontaneously grew in our garden this year



Just in time for Halloween. Apparently we threw Halloween 2008's pumpkin leavings in the garden and Nature happened, or something. Cool, free pumpkins!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Out and About

We are currently enjoying some autumn colors.
DIRT!! It's everywhere!
I dug up this patch for our wild strawberries so they
wouldn't have to fight that giant pampas grass shrub for sunlight.
Dumb pampas grass shrub.

LOVE that this shrub turns bright red every autumn.

Neighbor Bob's house
Out

Sunday, October 11, 2009

STOP EVERYTHING

Go and watch this.

In other news: as of today, I have a new calling, teaching Primary. A sweet note from Jesse B of the Primary presidency:

I am so happy to have you in jr. primary! I think you'll love your little class!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AWESOME KID

I just finished making a Bostom Cream Pie and THE chocolate cake (yes it's famous)... do I have to make dinner now?

Monday, September 28, 2009

QUICK! What's your favorite Juice Newton song???

I like "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)". But I'm also partial to "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard On Me," BAD. Probably because Ernie and Jeremy changed the "hard" to "fart", and, you know. Anything that reminds me of my brothers is funny.

Conversation in the car this morning... 
Me: "I had a dream that someone gave me Haldol last night."
Hubby: "Yes... a dream."

Monday, September 21, 2009

Now That's What We Like To Hear

"Dear Isabella," my daughter's teacher writes about a finished assignment. "This is by far one of the best short stories I have read in the past two years."

Friday, September 18, 2009

Now I'm Sick

I feel icky. It was just a matter of time... waaaaa!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

*Your Title Here*

I'm glad Harrison lived through this flu thing, and glad that he's going to school. If he doesn't quit bothering his siblings, I'm prepared to take over where the flu left off. Everyone else is healthy! Yay!!

LATER: I don't wanna clean the fridge. It stopped working a few days ago... sat there for a few days... was finally fixed and has been housing grossness for a bit. This isn't the typical clean-out-the-fridge job, not that I LOVE doing that either, but I normally wouldn't whine this much. Probably.

LATER STILL: Watching the season premiere of Survivor: Samoa. Russell is DISGUSTING!!! I'm creepily reminded of Richard Hatch. He's worse than Coach! *shudder*

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Courthouse Puker Update

"It's the new school year! Let's all get deathly ill!"

Harrison is home for one more day. He seems fine except he says his throat hurts. Everyone else made it to school (it was looking iffy this morning, and I wondered how many of them would make it).

In other news: I'm addicted to mango-peach salsa. I should start a support group.

And later: I'm home from the mall and off to soccer practice. "I'm not bored! I'm quite happy! EVERYONE wants to be me!!"

And once more: If the environment wants to be saved so bad, it better start coughing up some cash and making it worth my while. I made the mistake of confessing to using paper lunch bags on my cousin's wall, and someone else was saying how bad they were for the environment and I said, "As soon as the environment forks over money to pay for lunch boxes and thermoses for five kids, I'm there" - which I meant more as a joke, but she didn't seem to find it funny.

See, this is why I don't jump off the ledge and join Greenpeace, or chain myself to a tree. These people have absolutely no sense of humor. Besides, I've already blown any chance I had of being a "good" environmentalist with my massive procreating, so anything I try is going to be too little, too late.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

It takes H1N1 to know H1N1

I'm starting to think that the H1N1 virus exists solely to make people wonder what it is... if it does exist at all. We've been passing this virus around since before Labor Day and no one can tell us exactly what it is. Headache, fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, and one kid threw up.

The Kaiser on-the-phone nurse is trying to tell me it's strep. I think she's full of doo-doo.

I took Harrison out for a "Sorry you puked at the courthouse yesterday" lunch at Sonic. Don't tell my other kids. (We ended up going to KFC.)

Later:  I had fun playing with my dead people tonight... found a fun (?) new project. It's called "Find records of veterans who have died and add their gravesites to Findagrave.com."

I was looking for Civil War vets in my grandmother's ancestors and found a set of archives called "U.S. National Homes for Disabled Soldiers, 1866-1938". The men I'm adding now all died in the Old Soldiers Home in LA county and are buried in Los Angeles National Cemetery.

My friends Sariah and Michelle and I have photographed quite a few headstones from our nearby cemetery and added the pictures and memorials to Findagrave, and we've had a few emails from people, thanking us for finding their grandparents, etc. and adding them to the site. It's been fun.

Monday, September 14, 2009

3 AM and Wide Awake, Dang It

Harrison's up with a fever and sore throat - here comes Victim #4... and now a headache. This virus is slow - it's mostly been one family member at a time. Poor guy, the headache is really hurting right now.

Later: Puking. (sadness) He threw up at the courthouse.

I'm making sure Carter has lots of Harrison exposure. He's the last holdout kid.

Later still: Up late taking care of sick Mr. Bear. Poor lil guy. Thank goodness for naps.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Hurry Autumn

I want autumn weather to get here!! We have rose bushes to move and grass to plant! I don't know where to move my two big rose bushes to. Waaaaa

Tawnee: I know what you mean. It was way too hot today.
Me: What was your high temp?
Tawnee: about 10 degrees TOO HOT

Lately the kids and I have been quoting Chicken Run: "I don't want to be a pie... I don't like gravy!"

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Reading old blog posts and thinking...

"MAN I was verbose."

Later: Watching the Utah - SJSU game and figuring out Bri's Blackberry.

22 Skidoo

1. Name three classes you would take if you could return to college and study things you never got around to before: French, Sociology and Dance

2. Point out one platform or policy item in which you differ from the political party you generally support: Protecting the environment - but intelligently and reasonably. I'm not angry or Greenpeace-y about it.

3.A boy’s name and a girl’s name that you never used to like, but do now: Jasper, Daisy

4. What is your favorite bird? Blue jay - they remind me of living in Brookings, Oregon when I was little

5. Doctor’s office waiting room: Do you pick up “People” or “US News and World Report”? It depends who is on the cover; both appeal equally.

6. If you could spend a season each in four places around the world, where would you choose, and which season? Summer in the UK; Autumn in Logan, Utah; Winter in Key Largo; Spring in Paris

7. What’s the most demeaning thing that anyone has ever said to you during your working life? "We're going to have to let you go." It only happened once, but it was enough to scar me for life.

8. Cary Grant, James Stewart or Robert Mitchum? OR Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn or Jean Arthur? Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. (Can I do both?)

9. A food you despise but wish that you liked and vice versa: I love almost everything, and the things I don't like, it's with good reason. Eggplant, shellfish, organ/weird meats like tongue... I have no desire to like any of these foods. I wish I didn't like cheese so much - any kind.

10. Worst teacher ever, and why: I won't mention him by name, but he taught geometry at KHS and was also the varsity baseball team coach. He'd spend ten minutes teaching the proofs, and the other thirty-five minutes talking sports with the jock in the front row. I didn't do well in that class.

11. What disco/dance song makes you shake your groove thing, despite your best intentions to resist it? I never try to resist it. :) Currently it's Tavares' "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel."

12. You are going somewhere where there will be people you haven’t seen in years. You will be standing for quite some time. Shoes: comfortable, or with pizzazz? Comfortable AND with pizzazz. 

13. Notion of a perfect day in ‘the retirement years’: Being with my daughters or daughters-in-law when they give birth to my grandbabies

14. Let’s Make a Deal: Which door would you pick? Would it be the right one? I don't know, Door #2? It probably wouldn't be the right one - I'd get the donkey or the giant rocking chair. Oh well, I can always eBay them.

15. Name three pretentious, ostentatious and/or seemingly pretentious, ostentatious things that you’ll confess to having a hankering for now and again or more often than that: Brie, classical music, and a good lecture or presentation about some historical event.

16. Which nationality or ethnicity do you think you have a little of by osmosis, even if it is not part of your genetic components? Ooooh, good one. I'd have to go with Jewish/Yiddish because I like the way they sound when they talk, their food rocks, and they're hardy. The stuff they've been through... I hope I'd be strong enough to endure all of it.

17. Name an over-rated painter, writer and actor: Picasso, Jane Austen (sorry, I just can't get into her stuff), and Tom Cruise

18. What is better: finding a $20 bill in the pocket of a pair of pants you haven’t worn in a couple of years, or that one sixty-two degree day that you get in the middle of February every so often? THE CASH BABY

19. If you could say anything to your teenage self, what would it be? Mine would be a list of dos and don'ts: Don't date that guy, don't listen to your idiot feminist teacher and the other idiot feminists around you, do think more positively about yourself, and do realize you'll get through the hard times with happiness waiting for you on the other side.

20.Teal, turquoise, tan or taupe? Taupe, but only as an outside paint color.

21. Three least favorite letters of the alphabet: Q, X, and Z - horrible to get when playing Scrabble. 

22. At the fork in the road, do you stop and mull it over, or do you tentatively head down one way knowing you can always backtrack, or do you decisively plunge forward? It depends on the fork. Sometimes I mull, but more often I plunge. Plunging is my favorite.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Eep-day Oughts-thay

Remembering the victims of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01. Never forget: What this guy said.

Taking Brennan to school. The confounding of languages at the Tower of Babel comes up.

Me: "I bet it was scary."
Brennan: "Yeah, it must have stunk for the guy who got pig-Latin."

Later: My independent little kindergartener wanted to be dropped off at the street corner by the school today - none of this "Mommy walks me to class" stuff. I followed her anyway. Roz threw a screaming fit because I let the boys walk into school by themselves, but I wasn't going to let her do it.

It was a good thing I followed her - she got a little lost. I made sure she lined up with the rest of the kids, then I got to watch Carter play some wall ball.

Some friends and I had a Girls Night Out tonight. We ate treats and watched Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley. One of my friends, Heather G, had never seen the Chippendales sketch, or the Matt Foley motivational speaker sketch... she needed to be indoctrinated.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

"I've never given much thought to how I would die...

...and I'm certainly not going to think about it now."

My sister introduced me to this:


We tried going to early morning Seminary today (!!!) but we failed to get the message that the H building is being remodeled. Oh well, I needed a 5:45 AM tour of my town anyway. :)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

First Day of School 2009

I'm feeling anxious for the kids' first day of school, and can't believe Miss Ross is headed to kindergarten. That was a quick five years.

After taking them to school: Oh yeah... I remember this now. Quiet kid-free house! Ahhhhh. All five babies are in school right now. Brian and I are home alone for two hours. Yay!

After school: Roz is home and did fine and seems bugged by all my questions. Apparently I missed her more than she missed me. I had a lovely nap, so maybe I didn't miss her all that much, either.

 Later:
"Alright here it is, the world's greatest pickup line: 'Hey Miss? Does this smell like Chloroform to you?'"
- Melanie's friend Tom G

Melanie: or... does this smell like BO to you?
Me: I like, "Is this felt?"
Mel: Excuse me, Miss! Do you think I should get rid of this extra nipple?
Me: ewwwwwww!
Mel: um... no.. it's.. ah.. charming... gotta go!
Me: Do you mind if I take a chalk rubbing of it? It's... kind of a hobby of mine...
Mel: Quit chalk rubbing nipples Nee! You're gross!
Me: Oh, I'M gross, Miss Extra Nipple Noticer?
Mel: Nipple noticing Nancy... LOL
Me: I loved Tom's Chloroform line... I laughed so hard I think I'm bleeding internally.
Mel: Ernie told us that one at the beach
Me: LOL!! Stop it!!
Mel: "Quick! Cross you arms, Nancy's coming!"
Me: Ernie told us the Chloroform one?
Mel: yeah.. at the beach. Pretty funny one! Maybe you weren't there at the time.
Me: That must have been the time I stayed at the house.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Don't Try To Live Your Life in One Day

I woke up at 4:19 AM with this Howard Jones song stuck in my head. A message, perhaps? I'm going to enjoy one last peaceful unscheduled day before my life goes into hyperdrive tomorrow, the first day of school.

 Later: I'm officially overwhelmed. Where's my paper bag?

Monday, September 7, 2009

Get Busy, Jim Gizzi*

I woke up motivated to move furniture around in the living room, but options are limited. We only have three walls, two with big windows, and a big white brick fireplace serving as sort of a fourth wall.

SICKWATCH: Brennan is over it, Rozzie is mostly through it, and now it's looking like Bella might have it: the Late Summer Weird Headache and Fever Virus of 2009. Bella's illness initially looked like a migraine, but later she came down with fever and chills. Hope she's better before our first day of school Wednesday. 

*A real estate agent's name I once saw on a sign driving through town. Say this with a Southern accent: "Well I don't give a Jim Gizzi!"

Sunday, September 6, 2009

It's quiet.... too quiet.

Morning: Everyone's still asleep, except Rosalind with her headache and sore throat. Some (if not all) of us are staying home today so we don't infect the rest of the ward... we're nice like that. (pats self on back).

Later: I enjoyed a lovely Sunday nap, and then made soup. "Too warm for soup," you say? Here it's 62° and it's been raining all day. Soup is so cozy.

"We both scrub floors. We're both swell lookers. And neither one of us is Chinese."
(name the movie)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Here Comes Autumn

I'll miss the early sunrises.

Today I'm getting a little tired of the word "MOMMEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Maybe it's the inflection and the attitude behind it that I'm sick of. 

Two realizations: 
1) Food, gas, house, clothes. Everything else is superfluous. Because, babies.

2They're all named Edward, aren't they? Rochester, Ferrars, Cullen.  I'm reading "Jane Eyre" right now and falling in book-love with Mr. Rochester again. *swoon*

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

I'm really going to enjoy this last week before school starts. 

Later: Out the door for more soccer. Hmmm, maybe I should start playing it.

Best news of the day: Roz has afternoon kindergarten! Yay!!! I'm currently babysitting my friend Marcie's little girl Maren, and she comes over in the mornings, so they will still be able to play together. Nice. 

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Girl Who Cried "Pregnant"

Today I'm wondering if Michelle and Jim-Bob Duggar really haven't figured out "what causes that" yet.  She "finally figured out" she was expecting again.  REALLY? This is #19! It should be old hat by now! Even I, with my paltry five babies, was pretty well aware of what was going on each time I found out I was pregnant... but maybe that's just me.  Man, we were in the store buying the pregnancy test the minute I started bawling about some song on the radio. 

I'm also incredulous of those women on those "I didn't know I was pregnant" shows. But in their defense, quite a few of them thought pregnancy was impossible for them. That would mess with your mind a little.

Picture it: Logan, 1995.  We were headed up Logan canyon for a picnic and Hubby ran into Albertson's to get a bag of ice. I was sitting in the car with Brennan and this song came on the radio and I LOST IT.  Hubby came back and saw me freaking out and asked what was wrong... I will never forget the look on his face.

He went back into Albertson's and bought an EPT.


(That was Bella)

(here's the song that was on the radio that day)

Monday, August 31, 2009

Laughing My Guts Out

...at whoever writes this blog.

Bless your heart, honey. May there be a terrific meal of ham, funeral potatoes and a nice green Jello salad with shredded carrots in your near future.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Saturday, August 29, 2009

FACEBOOK IS A DUMBHOLE

I was kicked out of Facebook for making TOO MANY COMMENTS.

I love that someone has been tasked with the job of instructing a computer program to count comments and get upset when someone posts "too many". I think I would have to go home and kill myself, if that were my job.

So what do I do? I start a new Facebook account and move on with my life.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Preparedness Update #1

On April 29, I found this year-long plan to prepare 72-hour kits and food storage for a family, broken down by month. I decided to get busy with May's tasks.

I didn't have any money to blow on emergency supplies, but I wanted to strike while the iron was hot. So I started with a black and white floral backpack Bella had discarded, in which I'd placed six pairs of men's long athletic socks - used, but clean, and good for layering if we get cold. As time goes by, I'll make sure each family member has his/her own backpack with supplies.

Just from what I could find around the house, I added:
1) Plastic utensils, cups and bowls
2) Two envelopes of onion soup mix I had in the cupboard - took them out of their box for squishability, and wrote down the expiration date so we'll be sure to rotate them. Obviously, getting food for the 72-hour kit will be a top priority.

3) A gnarly-looking sharp folding knife I found in Neenaw's hutch drawer (I'd love to know where that thing came from)
4) A flashlight (needs batteries)
5) $5 in change for phone calls, in a cute little metal tin
6) Genealogical records & copies of our patriarchal blessings
7) One kid's birth certificate - copy (should I put in the original?)

8) Four bandanas (Heff, recognize some of those?)
9) A change of underwear for everyone
10) My old lawn-mowing shoes
11) Old T-shirts to help us with our change of clothes - 3 adults', 1 child's
12) A pair of pants for Son #1

13) Toothbrushes
14) Travel-size toiletries: shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, toothpaste, soap
15) Feminine supplies, for those days of the month when we're feeling particularly "feminine"

16) First aid supplies - the blue thing has bandages, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, cotton swabs, etc. The clear plastic box has a book of needles, three paper bags (I assume for hyperventilation), and an Ace bandage.
18) A box of latex gloves my mom bought to clean her hubby's office with, but ended up being too small, so she gave me the box! Score!

Later I added these emergency blankets - I found them for $1 each in a Target dollar bin - and shoved them in with everything else. I forgot about them until I unpacked everything today. Yay!

Also to buy:
100 pounds variety of cereal grains-rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc. per person
24 rolls toilet paper per person
24 packages flavored gelatin per person (I bought seven last week)
Garden seeds
1 small bottle olive oil (for consecrating)
At least one month prescription ahead for all doctor prescribed medication
Battery powered radio - I actually have one of these in the kitchen. It also has a cord, which is what I use when I listen to it. But I think I'll get another smaller one for the 72-hour kit because if things are going south fast enough, I doubt I'll have the presence of mind to grab my kitchen radio. Just being practical.

The above amounts are staggering, let alone "per person." We definitely don't eat that much Jell-O (bad Mormons! BAD!). But I'll buy some of it - better to buy some than not any at all.

This blog is good for keeping you motivated: Safely Gathered In

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Weeding the Mailbox: Before and After

It's been very rainy and stormy here, which kept me from doing much outside, but today I made a little progress. Click on the pictures for more detail.

Here we are, out by the mailbox... quite weedy. The border between our yard and the neighbor's is denoted by the crack in the curb and the bark dust. Sorry about the blur - my camera lens was dirty, I later discovered. This was taken on May 4, so after ten days and a lot of rain, you can imagine how covered over this spot was.

After spending a couple of hours weeding and pruning, we can see some dirt! Hooray for dirt!

While we were outside working, the middle school's marching band came marching down our street, practicing for an upcoming parade in our area. The kids looked embarrassed to have us watch, but Rosalind and I enjoyed it.

This black spot fungus stuff is worrying me. All the rose bushes are affected. I spent some good time pruning the two older bushes, and there's still plenty of vegetation left, but the younger ones are just covered with the stuff. I don't know if they'll make it. From what I've read, all you can do to this fungus is prune it.

This guy has been hanging around our house since Monday. We think he must live close by, because he never seems hungry - just wants to play, climb our trees and hang around on the patio. The bluebird couple who live in our backyard love to taunt him by coming within three feet of him, then jumping away when it looks like he's going to pounce. Quite entertaining.


This is the view from our front window - gorgeous trees in our neighbors' yard.

We feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Speaking of Lilacs...

Click on the pictures for more detail.


The lilac shrub is quite mature and doing very well, especially on the sunny side. It's about three feet away from a red-leafed tree, I think an elm, which shades its right side to the point that hardly anything bloomed. Like most of the other trees and plants on our property, it needs some TLC.


The sunny side - look how long those branches are. We need a haircut.


The one bloom on the "tree" side.


I love the color.

What I Found: How to Prune Lilac Shrubs - though my lilac shrub definitely needs it, I can't do any pruning until after the shrub is finished blooming, or I won't have any blooms next year. I'll be posting some "after" pictures later.

ALSO: I swept the patio and front walk. Doesn't sound like such a huge job, but with the wind blowing so much lately, we've had all kinds of interesting little tree- and flower-related paraphenalia blow onto the property, along with lots of dirt and dust. (sneezing heavily)

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Great Work Quote

WORK IS MAN'S GREATEST FUNCTION

He is nothing, he can do nothing, he can achieve nothing, fulfill nothing without working.
If you are poor-work. If you are rich-continue working.
If you are burdened with seemingly unfair responsibilities- work.
If you are happy, keep right on working. Idleness gives room for doubts and fears.
If disappointments come-work. If your health is threatened- work.
When faith falters- work. When dreams are shattered and hope seems dead- work.
Work as if your life were in peril. It really is.
No matter what ails you-work. Work faithfully, work with faith.
Work is the greatest remedy available- for both mental and physical afflictions.

-James M. Cowan