Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lunch

First Date: McDonalds

2012-01-24T17:08:00.008-07:00

This little girl has managed to capture the Caboose's heart. You can certainly see why, she's a total cutie!
And just like any smitten boy, the Caboose wanted to woo her with a nice meal - at McDonald's. And he wanted to pay for her. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he thought that "It would be nice to do." He earnestly saved up his money until he had $6.00. Enough for two happy meals. He worried "What if she orders something more expensive? What do I do Dad???" Diamond just laughed and said "Amen brother!"
The Caboose wrote the date down in his calendar and counted down the days. When it was finally time, he gathered up all his money into a baggie and the three of us headed to McDonald's.
They had a great time, running and playing and his little friend was kind enough to bring money for two ice creams. If this was my thirteen year old, or even my ten year old I probably wouldn't have been quite so on board with everything. But at five years old, I find the whole thing terribly adorable.

But then I heard the Caboose come out with these gems: "Sometimes I get thirsty chasing the girls" or "I'm kinda fast 'cuz I chase girls." Yeah, I probably need to worry.

Books

2012-01-09T21:49:00.008-07:00

It's seems as if World War II is the theme for about half of these books. You have to realize that I taught history, and my favorite era is WWII, so I may be a bit biased...

New York times #1 best seller Unbroken, tells the true story of Louis Zamborini who was first an Olympic athlete to Berlin in '36 and then a pilot in the Pacific during the war. But that's only the beginning of his story. When Louis' plane crashes he manages to survive for weeks on a drifting life raft, only to be picked up by a Japanese ship and made a POW. The horrors of the Japanese prison camps are almost nauseating, but I was left inspired by how Louis maintained his dignity despite his situation. His is a story of courage and strength and individual power. It's long (and you could probably skip the first 75 pages) but I found his story amazing and ultimately uplifting.

Written by the author of Devil in the White City,Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin, tells the true story of the American Ambassador to Berlin the mid 1930s. While the author stays completely faithful to history, he manages to provide the details and dialogue that makes Garden of Beasts feel like a novel. It's crazy how you can see things start to happen and feel the devil taking hold. Ambassador Dodd struggles to maintain diplomatic relationship with these evil personalities and all the while you know that it's going to end badly. It really gave a sense of the time period and you can see these historical figures as real people. There was sex and power and intrigue. An excellent book!

The Spy Wore Red is the third of the nonfiction World War II reads. This autobiography follows a young American women who becomes a spy for the US in Spain during WWII. It was interesting to learn about life as a spy and to see the role Spain played in WWII. At times her story feels a little exaggerated, but it was still a good story.

OK, enough of WWII. The premise of Life As We Knew It is that an asteroid hit the moon, which forced the moon closer to the Earth with disastrous results. The bulk of the books follows a single mother with her three teenage children as they try to survive. It's like The Road lite. The author does a good job capturing the voice of a teenage girl (the book is set up as her journal - whiny at times, emotional at times, strong at times.) It was a quick and interesting read, leaving me thinking about what I would do in such a situation.

I had seen the Hitchcock movie Rebecca, and loved it and so I was excited to read the book for our book club. The story is great - as a young bride settles into her new life she finds herself dwarfed in the shadow of her husband's dead first wife. It's a bit creepy - a perfect read for fall. It was a bit long, but if you haven't ever been exposed to Rebecca, at least rent the movie.

In my continuing effort to read the classics, I picked up The Secret Garden. What a sweet little story! Spoiled rotten Mary comes to live with her uncle in England and as she begins to explore the grounds she discovers a locked up and neglected garden. What is great about this story is how she, and others come to life as they spend time working and cultivating the garden. I love the idea of how being outside and getting wrapped up in nature allows for growth, healing and happiness.

Me Talk Pretty One Day was a crack up! It's a funny, witty autobiography that was perfect for reading over Christmas break. There are a few shady moments (I skipped the entire chapter about his brother,) but otherwise it was really clever and very enjoyable.

If I didn't end up hating this book I probably would have really liked it. Big Boy #1 had to read Homeless Bird for school and answer a million ridiculous and annoying questions about it all. It wasn't even my homework, and it annoyed me! Thirteen year old Koly is forced into an arraigned marriage only to find herself widowed shortly thereafter. She ends up struggling to survive in the big city in India. Really, if I wasn't for the schoolwork BB#1 had to suffer through, I really would have liked it a lot.

I have a whole list of books to read right now - and lucky me, I got a Kindle for Christmas to read them on! I'm so excited! I love it when there are bunch of books I'm anxious to read. Yay!

Going Platinum

2012-01-07T23:50:00.005-07:00

Diamond has reached Platinum status with Marriott. And it's AWESOME!

Normally, a person has to travel quite a bit to reach this level of service. Diamond however, knows how to work the system and managed to earn the upgrade even with his moderate travel schedule.

Marriott had a deal that once you had so many "stays", you would achieve platinum status. Each time you checked in is considered a "stay", whether you stay one night or a week. Knowing this, Diamond spent a week in Toronto changing hotels every single night - daily checking in and out in an effort to accrue the required "stays". And when people came into town for a work conference, he would kindly checked them into their Marriott hotel rooms - under his member number.

It paid off. Being a Platinum guest with Marriott, comes with certain privileges. We get any available upgrades, have access to the concierges lounge and we always get a "welcome gift". (Like this tray of Haagen-Dazs ice cream and sodas!) Since the upgrade, we've stayed in hotel rooms that are bigger than our first apartment. And I'm becoming a bit of a princess - expecting to have a good breakfast (free of charge) and pouting when the person at the desk tells me no upgrades are available. The boys are even worse!

We have a year to enjoy the finer things of life before we go back to living the life of regular travelers. But who knows? Diamond has a week long trip to Vegas coming up. Maybe he can earn some more "stays" if he's willing to live the life of a vagabond. 'Cuz really, I've grown used to my welcome gift...

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

Christmas speed by again this year. Here are some of our highlights. The Caboose went to see Santa at the library. (Where Santa told the kids that his favorite cookie was chocolate chip, despite our tradition of leaving sugar cookies. The whole time we were decorating the cookies, the Caboose kept telling me we were making the wrong kind of cookie. Oh well.) This year he wanted a pirate ship.

As excited as he was to see Santa, the Caboose really, really wanted to see the Grinch. We saw him last year and the boys loved it! The Grinch gave him a broken candy cane and the Caboose thought it was SOOO funny! He talked about it all year, and would laugh "That silly Grinch!"

We were so excited to have my niece come spend Christmas break with us. Here the kids are making gingerbread houses at Nanna's with cousin Kari.

This is a tradition my mom started back when I was a kid! It's a ton of work for her but we all just love it!

Can you even FIND the house for all the candy on this thing? Their goal was to cover every possible inch with candy. I think they achieved their goal. Crazy! (My favorite part is the little pond - melted Jolly Ranchers - complete with candy fish.)

One treat for me this holiday season was when my old college roommate came into town. We had lunch and went shopping. SO much fun! She's from Arizona and was mesmerized by the snow - "Look! We're leaving footprints as we walk!" Ha!

This year was a white Christmas with lots of snow. On Christmas Eve Diamond took the boys sledding. Except for Big Boy #2, who had walking pneumonia all break.

Christmas Eve is always celebrated at my parents house. Dinner and the nativity. Here are the wise men (wise boys?)

The nativity with all the cousins:

We always have the kids play their musical instruments as part of the program. This year Big Boy #2 performed on the trombone for the first time:

Another tradition is that we have some kind of hunt or activity where the kids 'earn' their new jammies. We did a variation of the Amazing Race for the pajama hunt this year. One of the tasks was organizing these drawing of the life of Christ in chronological order. The kids also had to memorize what the angels said to the shepherds and eat some goat cheese and olives.

After the pajama hunt Christmas Eve. (This years jammies have the helmets of all the NFL teams.)

All the cousins in their new Christmas jammies. (BB#2 is doing the Tebow.)

The boys call this the Christmas Club. On Christmas Eve they all gather in Big Boy #1's bedroom to play games and eat snacks while waiting for Santa. They go so far as to drag in an extra mattress.

After Santa came: This year's big gift was a new TV and entertainment center for the family. (Thus the huge boxes.)

Big Boy #1 was thrilled to get a 'chalker' - the device that sprays chalk on sports fields - for the backyard. The Caboose's favorite gift was a light up scooter. And they all were excited for the new wii game, Madden 12.

Big Boy #2's favorite gifts were a Bronco's coat and tickets to the opening night of the Nuggets.

Since Christmas was on Sunday this year, we took a break from the festivities to head to church. We normally have church at 9:00am, but they moved it back to 10:00 for Christmas day. Thank goodness! I was about to launch a full rebellion over having such an early service! Here are my handsome boys!

After church we headed over to my parents for Christmas Part II. (The kids regularly say that Nanna and Grandpa are better than Santa.) Probably the biggest surprise of the afternoon was when Dad got Mom an iPad. She was so surprised! I love her expression.

At Nanna's, Big Boy #1 scored this programmable, electronic sign. The perfect addition to his diet Pepsi Center! He spent the whole afternoon playing with it and getting it to say cool things.

The Caboose scored a Nintendo dsXL. He LOVES it and plays on it waaaaay too much.

At BB#2 scored a nice, new bike. As well as some new ds and wii games.

Overall, it was a great Christmas. My favorite part is that we enjoy so much down time without all the hustle and busyness of regular life. No school, no scouts, no sports, nothing but family time. Merry Christmas!

It's Amazing!

2011-12-31T16:41:00.002-07:00

Big Boy #1 is officially a teenager. He is wearing a size 12 shoe and is taller than most adult women. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we had an Amazing Race party.

The Race began as teams unscrambled certain words that described BB#1. Once they correctly did that, they were given their next clue which lead them to JAPAN where teams choose between two tasks: Hard to Find and Hard to Swallow. In Hard to Find teams looked for one of four eggs that contained their next clue.

Hard to Swallow involved eating a piece of sushi. (Two teams picked Find, two teams picked Swallow.)

SWEDEN: Teams put 15 pictures of BB#1 in chronological order. (Pictures spanned his life, from an ultrasound picture to a shot of him at Scout Camp this summer - and everything in between.) Clearly BB#1's team had an advantage here, but really, it stumped even him.

Each team was given a map which directed them to the various countries - various parks and open spaces near our neighborhood - and even a friend's home. They moved around the area quite a bit, but things were close enough that they could often run between "countries".

AUSTRIA: BB#1 collects Pez dispensers (that originated in Austria) the teams were given a picture of a groups of pez dispensers. After studying the picture for 30 seconds they had to then put the Pez in the correct order.

MEXICO: They had to count the number of black beans in each jar - and get it exactly right. Most teams had to count at least a couple times to get the precise number (around 250).

INDIA: This challenged really threw them. Eating sushi was fine, but baby food??? Apparently not! (It was only squash!) It really slowed some teams down.

USA: The final challenge was find the one and only penny minted in 1998, the year Big Boy #1 was born. Once they found the penny they had to sing "Happy Birthday" as loud as they could while standing in the front yard.

Teams also selected one player who then was challenged to make five baskets in a row, they were asked trivia questions about BB#1, run the circumference of a park and determined where the next country was based on vague clues. The party was a ton of work, but it was fun and the kids had a great time.

Of all of his birthday presents, his new cell phone was his favorite. We struggled to figure out the best timing for entering into the world of cell phones. We didn't want to get him a phone too soon, (some kids in the area get their own phones in third grade!) but we didn't want him to be the last kid to get one either. Thirteen seemed to be a good age.

And he couldn't be more thrilled! Frankly, it's been really convenient for me to be able to text back and forth.

Happy Birthday big guy! We love you!

The Other Side of the Mountains

2011-12-31T16:41:00.001-07:00

Just a few days before Thanksgiving and Diamond found NO storms forecasted between Colorado and Utah. We wanted to go last year, but the weather kept us home, so this year we made a game time decision and headed out to be with the Smith's for Thanksgiving break. It's been too long since we celebrated Thanksgiving with Diamond's family!

While we were there, Diamond found us tickets to watch the BYU Women's Basketball game verses Wisconsin. The boys loved watching a game in the Marriot Center and with crowds a little thin, everyone got on the jumbo tron - even Diamond and I were on the "kiss cam". Fun!

They invited the kids in the crowd to come onto the court and do the chicken dance. BB#1 wasn't too thrilled about the dancing, but he couldn't turn down the chance to get on the court.

Doing the "Jimmer"!

BYU should really learn to lock their doors. We found our way into the BYU Football Team's practice field. The cousins were having a great time trying to move the blocking sleds.

Hut! Hut!

As we continued our BYU Sports Tour, we also finagled our way into LaVell Edwards Stadium. Again, boys were thrilled. (Later that night I did get in some MUCH needed girl time. Olive Garden with my sisters in law and my fabulous nieces helped give a smidgen of balance to this testosterone driven day!)

Diamond's brother Craig and his son, as well as Diamond's sister's girl (who is an Aggies fan - whaaa???) came with us.

But we did come to eat - and that we did! My wonderful sister in law Jill hosted the meal in her newly redesigned kitchen. She was a great sport considering we added five extra people to her guest list with only a few days notice. I love these ladies!

The cousins loading up some Thanksgiving deliciousness!

What is Thanksgiving without a football game? Well, this is the other side of a Thanksgiving backyard football game. The Caboose caught BB#2's elbow and ended up with this nasty looking black eye. Ouch!

After he stopped crying, the Caboose was thrilled that he looked like a Tulowitzki - Rockies baseball player, with that black paint under his eyes. He loved all the attention!

Later Thanksgiving night, Diamond and I went out searching for Black Friday (Thursday?) bargains. Seriously, these people were C-R-A-Z-Y!!! There were people pushing and screeching. VERY entertaining!

Ready to fight off the madness for a cheap crock pot and a wireless printer! After Walmart we headed to Target (successful) Kohls (sold out) and Best Buy (Oh my GOSH was that check out line long!) We got home after 2:00am, but had managed to gather a nice pile of savings.

All in all, it was a fabulous time with family. The drive was clear, the company excellent and the food delicious! So much to be thankful for!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween, the Caboose was Peter Pan:

Big Boy #2 was a Bronco's Pez Dispenser:

Big Boy #1 was a teenager - it needs no costume, it's plenty scary on it's own.

Happy Halloween!

'Cuz We're Classy Like That

2011-10-29T23:49:00.004-06:00

The pace of rides and attractions at Disneyland can be hectic to say the least, and when the Caboose told me he needed to use the bathroom, while in a line, I asked him if there was any way he could just wait a bit. "Sure mom." Great, right?

But I totally forgot that he needed a restroom break before we got in the Grizzly River Run line at California Adventure.

"Mom, I need to use the bathroom."
"Umm, shoot! Any chance you could manage to wait just a bit longer?"
"Sure mom."

So, as we near the front of the line, Big Boy #1 suddenly informed me that the Caboose had just peed off the side of the walkway, (trying to get it into the little river of the ride) WHILE IN LINE!!! WHAT?!?

I quickly scan the crowd to see if anyone noticed. Phew! All's clear.

Of course I had a talk with the Caboose about how totally inappropriate it was to pee in line, but I also acknowledged that I should have gotten him to a bathroom earlier. I made him promise to never do that again.

All good?

As we are about to load into the raft for the ride, one of the workers pulls me aside and said "Ma'am, if your son needs to use the bathroom, we can help you. I mean... That was really just..."
HORRIFYING!

When the kids wanted another go round on the ride, I told them there was NO way I was going back. I had humiliated myself enough for one day.

After this little gem, I'm halfway to red neck! ARGH!

Hunington Beach

2011-10-29T22:50:00.000-06:00

After two full days at the park, we were ready for a slower day.

And some quality time with the Pacific Ocean fit the bill.

It was a bit chilly, and I spent my time sitting on a towel reading. Sigh!

Why don't I live in California???

Disneyland

2011-10-29T22:36:00.000-06:00

Over fall break we took the family to Disneyland. SO! MUCH! FUN!

Everything is cuter with mouse ears!

The Classics: Peter Pan

The Tea Cups:

Thunder Mountain:

Astro Orbitor:
I see Disneyland is working its magic on Diamond!

Splash Mountain: (We did this one three times in a row!)

On the ferris wheel at California Adventure

My personal favorite: Soarin'

A family favorite was the Buzz Lightyear ride where you shot at the targets and build up points:

At the parade: Love it!

Catching Characters

2011-10-28T22:43:00.000-06:00

When we were planning out trip to Disneyland, I had no idea how much the Caboose (and Big Boy #2) would be into getting autographs from the characters. Big Boy #1, not so much.

The king of Disneyland!

The Caboose was SO into it. For him, these characters were the REAL DEAL! It would be like letting me hang out with Bono, Will Smith and Oprah. How cool would that be? For the Caboose, it meant Mickey, Minnie and Pluto.

We had been advised by a few different friends to try out the Disney Character Dining. It was certainly the most expensive macaroni and cheese we've ever eaten, but the kids really did love the time and attention of so many different characters.

The boys at Goofy's kitchen:

There were all kinds of characters there, including Minnie Mouse:

Minnie reacting to a kiss on the nose from Big Boy #1. Love his reaction!

And here we have Fairy Godmother working her magic to turn Big Boy #1 into a prince!

We found Dale, but no Chip:

Of course not all the characters were from the dinner. We happened across Mary Poppins and Bert while walking around Main Street. We had a great conversation about BB#2 being a wizard and kite flying.

We found Woody by Big Thunder Mountain. I could tell Woody was flattered when I told him that he is my favorite. Giddy up!

The Caboose was adamant about waiting to meet Rapunzel. I mean, this was RAPUNZEL, from the movie Tangled. And here she was IN REAL LIFE! (Not surprisingly, the Big Boys were not about to wait in line and opted to go on a ride instead.)

Then we meet Snow White as well. Ever since our trip to Disneyland, the Caboose has been on a bit of a princess kick. He's been asking for Tangled things for Christmas and reading princess books. It's all been very amusing.

Diamond put Big Boy #1 up to offering Snow White an apple. She was most gracious (as Snow White is bound to be) as she explained that "I don't take apples from strangers anymore!" So funny!

Pluto

If I was going by myself, I doubt I would have opted to wait in line to meet the characters from Winnie the Pooh.

But when you see the look on this kid's face. Ooh! He is so delicous to me!

Even though it's blurry, this is my very favorite picture of all. Love that Tigger!

Ouzel Falls

2011-09-29T22:42:00.003-06:00

With a long weekend from school and some free hotel nights to kill, we decided to spend the weekend up at Estes Park.

We did the normal, swimming and hanging out at the hotel, but then opted for a hike the next day.

It was a gorgeous day and the leaves were just starting to really turn.

But the boys weren't too convinced that the 2 1/2 miles up would be worth the waterfall at the end. It took a bit of prodding to get them up to the top. (Don't they just ooze excitement?)

Once they got there, they did enjoy it. Ouzel Falls was beautiful!

The hike back down went much better. It was downhill and the boys were in high spirits.

We stopped along on the way back to let the kids play in the mountain stream. It was a bit nerve wracking to see the Caboose making his way over wet, slippery rocks. When he slipped and smacked his head on a big rock in the river we were concerned. But that kid is crazy tough and he was good to go before long.

It was a great getaway!

Like Riding a Bike

2011-08-29T22:25:00.003-06:00

After playing at a friend's house, who was riding a two wheeler, the Caboose decided it was time for him to learn.

Not long after we went out to start practicing.
Before long all the neighbor kids came over to cheer him on. They would clap for him, and explain what to do, and line up on the street encouraging him to "see if you can go THIS far!"

By the second night he was able to go the length of the street.

Learning to read and ride a two-wheeler all in the same summer? My baby is evaporating before my eyes!

And he couldn't be more proud of himself.

Pepsi Light

2011-08-27T22:52:00.007-06:00

The Denver Nugget's home court is the Pepsi Center. It's pretty fabulous; great music, live action on the jumbotron, a scoreboard with loud buzzers, etc.

Big Boy #1 has managed to create a miniature version of the Pepsi Center in the basement. I call it the Pepsi Light Center, or the diet Pepsi Center.

One of the best parts of a game at the Pepsi Center is the live video shots on the jumbotron. Big Boy #1 found a bunch of old equipment in the basement and hooked it all up so that it showed the kids live, as they were playing. Then, he created a PowerPoint presentation for the game opening introductions which highlights each player. It is really incredible.

One of my favorite parts of any game in the Pepsi Center is the great music. So BB#1 set up my old stereo to play all kinds of great sports themed music. He also figured out how to get his iPod to play on my old system and then found an app for his iPod that lets him play only the chorus of crowd-thrilling, popular tunes.

The latest addition to the Pepsi Light Center is this scoreboard. It took a lot of mowing, but BB#1 saved up his money and bought this way cool scoreboard. It buzzes when the clock ticks down and everything.

The final touch was when Big Boy #1 set up a bunch of lights around the basement and hooked them all together on one switch, which he flashes on and off during the opening introductions.

It's quite the set up and the boys just love it. They had some friends over earlier this week and they all seemed to think the basement was pretty cool. I'm beginning to wonder if this kid may have a future in sports broadcasting. I know Diamond would love some free tickets!

First Day

2011-08-19T23:35:00.012-06:00

The kids have already been in school for a couple of weeks now. YES, they started the FIRST week of August. (Seriously? I feel so ripped off! I want more summer with my kids!)

I only captured one picture of BB#2 before he took off with his other 5th grade buddies.

And here is Big Boy #2 on the first day of seventh grade.

But the real story this year is that the Caboose started kindergarten. Of all my kids, he is the most ready. He has been to the school countless times, knows so many of the other kids from church, and has been progressing academically. He was BEYOND excited to start school.

But ME??? Well, that's a slightly different story. I was doing just fine, seeing him off and waving goodbye as he walked through the classroom door. But then just as I was about to turn and head home, Big Boy #1 decided to sneak a peek through the glass window to the classroom. How could I resist?

I peeked through the window to admire how darling the Caboose was as he put away his backpack and got into his chair. So CUTE! And wouldn't I be a bad parent if I didn't take a picture or two through the glass???

I admit it may be a tad too much, but he's my baaabbyy!

One of My Favorite Things

2011-08-19T22:12:00.004-06:00

One of my very favorite parts of being a mom is watching my kids learn to read. There is something magical about hearing "cccc-aaaa-ttt, CAT!" and it makes me swoon just a bit. I love watching the world open up as they begin to see words around them and discover the joy of reading.

This summer the Caboose has entered that world. And we owe it all to these little jars of pennies.

When I was a little girl, my parents paid me a penny a page to read. I vividly remember sitting at the kitchen table, reading Hop on Pop and deliberately dropping a shiny penny into a custard dish page after page. While we didn't adopt that strategy with the first two, this summer we started paying the Caboose one cent for every page he read. He has been so motivated to read and earn some cash that over the summer he would pour over simple beginner books for hours on end with those little jars of pennies tucked in next to him. We have gradually introduced more complex books and it has been amazing to see him growing as a reader!

I LOVE reading, and seeing that love blossom in my kids is absolutely a highlight of being a mom. Love it!

Summer Reading

2011-08-10T19:52:00.006-06:00

My favorite time of the year to have a good book in hand is summer. I just LOVE the utter relaxation that comes from mixing sunshine, a diet Coke and a great read. This last batch has some goodies!

This was hands down my favorite of this batch of books. I could hardly put it one down. Tiger Mother is the autobiography of a second generation Chinese immigrant who insists on raising her children in the traditional Chinese way. Amy Chua is tough, occasionally to the point that I would consider abusive, but she makes some fabulous points about the weaknesses of Western parenting. It was a book that gave me a lot of think about and probably even changed my parenting style just a bit. Really, really great.
Tracy recommended Escape on her blog and I found it to be a fabulous book. Escape is another autobiography, but this was of a women who lived under the Warren Jeff's polygamist rule. Carolyn Jessop tells about her life growing up in a polygamous community, her marriage to a powerful church leader and her eventual escape from that life. I can get really, really agitated by the topic of polygamy, and I was a bit hesitant to even read Escape, but for some reason the book didn't leave me feeling anything but fascinated. I liked it a lot.
I didn't see the movie, but all the hype had me reaching for Water for Elephants. I have to give a disclaimer that because the book follows the life of a circus troop it's a bit rough. There is the violent animal master, the drunken exploits, the description of the peep show, etc. The heart of the story is a love triangle between the star performer, her abusive husband and the animal veterinarian. It was really interesting to learn about circus life and I found myself anxious to see what was going to happen next. It's not for everyone, but I found it really compelling.
My friend Danae recommended this one on her blog. It tells the story of four generations of women in rural Appalachia. There's a bit of a slow start, but it picks up steam with story of a set of young twins and their emotionally disturbed mother. It's almost a mystery as the book explores how the disturbed mother become so unstable. As the story revealed itself, my interest grew and by the end I was totally engrossed.

I know I'm a bit behind the curve on this one, but I just finished reading the Last Lecture. It's about a 47 year old college professor who, after finding out that he is dying of pancreatic cancer prepares for and delivers his last lecture to his students at Carnegie Melon. Randy Pausch makes no qualms about the fact that the whole thing is really about leaving a series of life lessons for his three young children. While there were parts of the book that were way too cheesy and other parts were he came of as way too vain, it was still a touching book that left me in tears on more than one occasion.
Ahh, Sophie Kinsella... It's all fluff, but I love me some fluff - especially in the summertime. Mini-Shopaholic continues the series that began with Confessions of a Shopaholic. In this latest addition, Becky's bratty little girl Minnie causes all kinds of grief for her parents while entertaining the reader. It's not great literature, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When the BBC came up with its list of 100 Books to read I felt a bit of a compulsion to start checking items off my list. Reading The Adventures of Sherlock's Holmes came from that urge. I was a bit surprised to realize that the book is a series of vignettes about the famous detective, as opposed to some overarching plot that wove through the story. I had it on my iPod, which really was perfect for that kind of thing. I could read a tale or two, then put it away until the next time I had some time on my hands. The book itself was find enough. I didn't LOVE it, Holmes was a bit too smug for my tastes, but it was good enough for me to spend some time on.

Skipping a Beat is a solid chic-lit read about a high school sweethearts that became extremely wealthy, but emotionally distant. They get a wake up call when the husband has an unexpected heart attack. I found it a bit predictable, but did make some good points about what truly is important in a relationship.I have to thank my fellow bloggers out there who also share what they are reading. So much of what I read comes from recommendations from others. Thanks!

Mount Rushmore

2011-08-03T20:06:00.010-06:00

As a parent of American children, there are certain places we are just "supposed" to take our children, right? Disneyland, Yellowstone, and Mount Rushmore. While Yellowstone will have to wait, we were able to cross Mount Rushmore off the list this summer.

And if we are going to be going on a road trip anyway, why not bring Vern and her family along for the ride? Vern and I drove up in one car with Samantha and the Caboose while the rest of the boys were in the other car. So great! The boys got along wonderfully, and Samantha was amazing with the Caboose.

While at Mt. Rushmore, we were able to catch the evening program, which included a video highlighting the presidents as well as a tribute to all the veterans in the audience. It was touching to hear the crowd cheer and applaud the veterans with Mount Rushmore in the backdrop.

Of course Mount Rushmore was all of about two hours of our trip. Diamond found Fort Hayes, a town constructed by the makers of Dancing with Wolves. It was interesting to walk around and see were the movie had been filmed.

Looks like Drew had had enough of Big Boy #1 by that time.

And it didn't take too long for the kids to wind up here:

Instead of Dances with Wolves, felt like we should be in the musical Oklahoma sitting in this "surrey with a fringe on the top."

I'm not sure what a bunch of historic cars were doing on the set of a Civil War era town, but the boys thought they were very cool.

Bear Country was another highlight of our trip. Here the animals roam free while the people drive around safely caged in their cars. The bears ambled amazingly close to the car thrilling everyone inside.

Vern and the elk:

We also stopped at Jewel Caves to explore the world's largest cave. The Caboose was too little to go on the "Lantern Tour" so the two of us opted for a slightly shorter version.

One of the highlights for the boys was touring "Cosmos", a little place in the Black Hills that optimises optical illusions to create water flowing uphill and strange angles that make you a little dizzy.

It was hard to even walk across the room!

We only spent a few days, but it was a great little getaway before returning to school. Thanks Vern for coming with us!

Scout Camp

2011-08-01T16:58:00.010-06:00

Big Boy #1 went to his first Scout Camp this summer. When asked what he missed most about home he said "my bed and my toilet." Nice. Good to know that bed and toilet rank higher than Mom. Whatever.

I really can't complain. It was a very successful week wherein he earned SEVEN merit badges. (This is were I have to give a HUGE shout out to his Scout leaders who signed up the boys for everything possible, and then still did two extra merit badges with the kids during free time.) He just about earned his Life from that week alone!

BB#1's favorite part of camp was working on his swimming merit badge, even though it was also the hardest thing he did that week. The boys had to make a floatation device out of their jeans. BB#1 described that treading water while trying to take heavy, water-soaked jeans off in the deep end of the pool was far from easy. Picking up a brick from the floor of the deep end wasn't much better. But he enjoyed being in the water and accomplishing something that was difficult.

Although our troop only had four boys come up, BB#1 was able to camp next to the boys from our old ward and was able to spend time with his old friends, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

When we asked about the food, he said the best food was the ice cream and worst food was the mystery meatloaf, that one kid confused for steak. (Yuck!)

Diamond spent a couple nights up at camp with the boys. He's a good sport - especially considering that their tent was downwind of the outhouse. (Double Yuck!)

All in all, a week spent surrounded by beautiful trees, with a bunch of rowdy boys to hang out with was a great success.

Special Day

2011-07-26T00:58:00.008-06:00

With another birthday comes another Special Day with Nanna and Grandpa.

Big Boy #2 was sure to get in all of his favorite things, starting with breakfast at IHOP:

Bowling with Nanna and Grandpa:

Back to Nanna's and Grandpa's house for games:

Then off to see Cars 2:

Yet another wonderful special day for Big Boy #2!

Baseball

2011-07-25T16:53:00.010-06:00

Baseball has been a great this year. Big Boy #1 was able to be part of a really successful team and loved winning so many games. Big Boy #2's team didn't have such a great season, but he personally had a great year with tremendous growth.

Big Boy #1 played second base for most of the season.

He had some great catches and loved being part of a winning team.

Hitting was a bit tricky this year. Historically, BB#2 relied on the weakness of the pitchers to get walked. That strategy didn't pay off for him this year - the pitchers have become too good. It took a little to get the hang of playing at that higher level.

This year Big Boy #2 was able to get on the same team with his friends from the old neighborhood. They loved playing together and picked up right where they had left off.

This was Big Boy #2's first season pitching and he loved it! He is particularly proud that he pitched a couple no hitters and was able to take down the powerhouse Yankees. (I love the picture below. BB#2 plans to use it for his baseball card someday.)

BB#2's coach told me that he loved working with him. He loved that BB#2 has such a great love for the game, and is "all heart." Before the last game of the season, BB#2 hurt his shoulder playing dodge ball. There was talk of him not pitching at all but coach put ended up putting him in after BB#2 was good and warmed up. After his second strike out in as many batters, the coach just put his head back and laughed "He's not hurt!"

I really loved watching BB#2 pitch. Baseball is a slower game and most players only touch the ball every so often. It was great fun to watch BB#2 in the heart of it all. It's so rewarding as a parent to watch your child utterly enthralled with the thing they are doing.

Of course the Caboose wanted in on all of the action. He gots out and played with the big kids whenever he could.

He has even taken to being the umpire when the boys play ball in the back yard with friends. He's got all the motions and terms down. It cracks me up to hear him call "full count!" or "SAFE!"

Having both boys busy with baseball definitely made our summer hectic. That said, it really was a fun year. Both boys had positive experiences with good, upbeat coaches.

Just Trying to Help a Friend

2011-07-17T22:04:00.007-06:00

As many of you know, my BFF Vern and I have been involved in a bit of prank war that has lasted well over ten years. Vern had the last go when she gift wrapped everything in my fridge while I was out of town. Today I decided to provide some improvements to her car. While she was at church. (I think you can be a good person, even if you play a prank on someone while they are preoccupied at church, dontcha think?)

Of course, being the good friend that I am, I started out by doing some service. Her back window was awfully dirty. (BB#2 took some of these pitchers, so they are a tad blurry.)
Once her window was all clean, it looked a little plain. I figured I would jazz it up with some decals.
When it was all done, I thought it looked pretty good. Definitely an improvement.

Each decal was selected carefully to reflect Casa de Vern. (For those of you who know Vern, she has two kids, but I figured that she probably has extra kids just hanging around. And I'm sure there's been a rooster in the yard at least once - maybe.) I'm particularly fond of how Cory is so proud that "My wife is HOT!"

Despite the fact that I was done working on her car by 1:00 this afternoon, she didn't notice until after 5:00. It leaves me a little concerned that her teenage driver wasn't checking her rear view mirror very well.

I can't take too much credit for this. I really just copied the prank that Dodi, Martha and the other Parkview ladies pulled on Tracy. But it was SOOO clever, I just knew it was perfect for Vern.

I did make Vern promise to leave the decals on for at least a little while.

Memory Lane

2011-07-12T00:34:00.000-06:00

As we were driving into Utah Valley at the beginning of our vacation, Big Boy #1 spotted the "Y" (for BYU) on the side of the mountain next to campus. He said he wanted to hike up sometime during our trip. So, on the fourth of July, Diamond and I took the kids up.

Even though our niece and nephew Adrienne and Jake live only 20 minutes away from the Y, they had never been up, so we took them too. And we just made our other nephew Michael come along for fun. He was not a fan of hiking - but he managed to get up to the top.

I had only been up to the Y one other time. My freshmen orientation group went up the week before classes began in August 1990. (See below) I remember breathing hard as I adjusted to the thin mountain air of Utah. Somehow the hike didn't feel any easier this time around. Maybe adding twenty years is about the same handicap as adjusting from sea level?

Diamond had also been up once before, freshmen year on a hike with his girlfriend Julie. (Here is Diamond in 1988.)

No too much has changed; other than that we are now married and have three kids. OK, a LOT has changed.

While we were town, my old college roommate Kristi also happened to be in town visiting family. We were able to meet up and took the kids to a movie at Movies 8 (and talked through the entire thing.) On our way back from the movie, we decided to stop by our old apartment. And why wouldn't we knock on the door and ask the current resident for a tour?

Kristi and I in our shared bedroom in 1993. We made a tape line, dividing our room in half at one point, just to be stupid. (We did stupid a lot back in college.)

And here we are back in the same exact room, seventeen years later.

Back in the old kitchen:

You can see the old kitchen in the background of this picture of all our roommates. Kristi's in front and I'm in back.

Whenever we spend time in our old college town the memories flutter in and out. But this trip hiking the Y and touring our old apartment was crazy fun. It was almost surreal to be back in those places with my kids and husband. SUCH a good time!

I Can't Make This Stuff Up

2011-07-08T23:07:00.006-06:00

Utah is a fabulous place. There are beautiful mountains and good people everywhere. That said, there are things in Utah that you just can't find ANYWHERE else. Utah County (were I took all these pictures) is the most Mormon part of the state, with close to 90% claiming the faith. Growing up as a Mormon in New York there was nothing like what I saw after spending just one week in Utah. On our latest trip, I took my camera with me for proof. I can't make this stuff up!

The billboards are one of the ways that Utah County shows its color. This one, for "Modbod" is advertising a shop that only sells modest clothing. ('Course I go shopping everytime I come to town - you've never seen such a great selection of cute, modest clothes!)

This is my favorite billboard. DearElder.com which offers same-day delivery service to the Mormon missionaries-in-training housed in Provo's Missionary Training Center (MTC).

At the Utah Valley 4th of July parade there are always the religious themed floats. This one makes reference to the Book of Mormon parable of Lehi's dream - complete with an iron rod trailing behind the float. This wouldn't make ANY kind of sense to anyone who wasn't familiar with the Book of Mormon - but they know their audience!

And what kind of parade would it be without the Mormon missionaries? Yea, they walk in it every year. And they always get a standing ovation. ('Course the Democratic Party is either ignored or booed.)

Even the radio has a unique flavor. We had been listening to one particular radio station which had been playing a mix of pop rock hits. But on Sunday? It was broadcasting instrumental versions of hymns. I swear it. I checked the station three times before I realized that it just plays different music for the Sabbath.

Even the names of the banks and stores reflect the unique Mormon culture.

I think this is my favorite of all. A giant, inflatable missionary (complete with backpack and tie) atop a store called the Missionary Mall. And the slogan below? A two year guarantee on suits - for those two year missions.

In full disclosure there are plenty of bars in Utah. And chain stores. And rap music that plays on the radio every day of the week. Only 62% of the people in Utah are Mormon, but Utah County has its own unique thing going on. And I'm not even mentioning the abundant churches (often two on the same street) or the Religion section in the newspaper, or the towns named after Book of Mormon prophets.

It's fun to make fun of it all, but I do love to visit. Visit.

70th Celebration & Reunion

2011-07-08T22:35:00.007-06:00

With so much of Diamond's family living in Utah, it feels like a family reunion every time we come to town. But this year, we made it official. The Smith's planned a family BBQ, talent show and family pictures.

Cheryl's husband Tyler took control of the grill. The flames? He says they were on purpose.

While my mother in law Ann knew that we were having a family reunion, she didn't know it was also a surprise 70th birthday party for her. She was moved to tears when Diamond came out holding her birthday cake:

The queen of the evening:

The grandkids put together a little talent show in honor of Grandma. Annie did a Taylor Swift song, Jake and Ad did a Justin Bieber impersonation and my boys did the Duck Song as a skit. It was all very entertaining! Really, it was hysterical!

My favorite act was when all of the grandson's did a little tribute of My Girl for Grandma:

The Caboose is ready to go:

While this was all about Ann, it was still a family reunion and we had to snap some pictures of everyone. Here is Diamond with the original Smith clan:

Cheryl and Tyler's family:

Our family:

Craig and Jill's family:

Bryan and Melanie's family:

All the grandkids:

It was a wonderful evening and a great celebration.

Not This Year

2011-06-27T10:44:00.010-06:00

Last night Big Boy #2 found out that he did NOT make the All-Star baseball team. He was devastated. Frankly, so was I.

There were plenty of reasons why we thought he would make it: He's had a great season this year. He's been pitching and fielding like a champ. When the coaches watched him pitch at the try outs he got five strikes from six throws. Plus, odds were in his favor. The coaches had vetted the kids pretty well and so there weren't a million kids trying out.

Of course there were reasons he wouldn't make it: Top on the list is that he had basketball camp the same week as try outs. (We didn't realize the conflict until too late.) He would play basketball for six hours, only to have about twenty minutes to get himself together before leaving for try outs. By the end of the second day he was out of steam and was struggling to get even basic ground balls. Plus, his batting could be stronger.

But putting it all together, he still thought he had it. So did I.

The coaches said they would call only those who made the team by Sunday night. Do you know how VAGUE that is? (And really, post a list so there can be a definitive answer!) As the night wore on, he saw his chances diminishing. By 8:45pm he was in tears.

So here is the question: When do you let your kids get into a situation where they can fail? I'm not talking about striking out, or getting a poor grade. I mean the kind of thing were they throw themselves into something, hoping against hope to be successful only to find they didn't cut it.

I philosophically disagree with the mushy 'every one's a winner' mentality. I think trophies for showing up are great, but only for the very youngest of kids. I also believe that self-esteem comes from doing hard things, not from being told you are fabulous.

But, my sweet, little, barely ten year old was crushed last night. And I can't help but wonder how this might shape him as a person. BB#2 is naturally upbeat and confident. I want him to continue to be confident, excited and positive about himself as an athlete and as a person. He has the rest of his life to be told that he didn't cut it. Why should he hear that now?

I will admit to shedding a tear or two of my own last night. Not because I care about the team itself, but because I hate to see my child hurting. He was talking about maybe trying out again next year, but what if he were to be cut again? Do I take that chance with him? Arrr! I hate this!

Double Digets

2011-06-27T09:36:00.001-06:00

Big Boy #2 turned TEN last week. He is so excited to be in 'double digets' now. Instead of having a big party with a bunch of friends, BB#2 opted for a smaller, longer celebration. So we invited three of his good buddies over for a day of bowling, baseball and a water balloon fight.

The water balloon fight somehow morphed into water kickball, where I would spray whomever had the ball with the hose as they played. They were drenched by the end but loved it!

Dinner was at Red Robbin, complete with shake AND ice cream sundae. Good stuff!

Big Boy #2 at TEN:
LOVES: All sports, but especially baseball and basketball, his Nintento DSi, playing Wii, reading, writing stories, hanging out with his friends, treats (especially Slurpees) adventures, cracking jokes.
HATES: going to bed, weeding, not making as much money as BB#1 does mowing lawns, being worn out, getting bugged by his brothers.

NOTABLE SAYINGS:
"I don't like sleeping. Sleep is boring."
"Where are there the most desserts? THAT'S where I want to go on my mission."
"I'm collecting scars."
"You learn to be a good ducker (as in ducking) when you come from a family of three boys!"

We love you SOOO much buddy! You are smart, funny, kind, warm and good. You bring such humor and light into our family. I can't imagine not having you in my life. I love you more than words could say!

Mesa Verde

2011-06-17T23:54:00.006-06:00

Since the historic Mesa Verde ruins were only an hour down the road from Durango, I took the boys to see the park while Diamond was off working to earn this whole little getaway.

It's hard to even comprehend the idea of something being 1,000 years old. When the Caboose asked "Where do they keep theirs cars?" or "How do they get to the store?" I realized I'm not the only one.
The big boys were mostly excited to climb all the ladders.
And loved climbing down into the ceremonial kiva.

We toured both Spruce Tree House and Cliff Palace. I wanted to check out the Balcony House, but one of the park rangers said that would work only if the Caboose would stay RIGHT next to me. HA! Hardly! (Although, he really did do a good job of staying safely closeby.)
It is such a unique site to see something so very, very old in the US. So much of the history of this country is young, like the United States itself. It's cool to see something a little older.

Rocky Mountain High

2011-06-17T21:41:00.007-06:00

We just got back from a bit of a tour of Colorado. Diamond had business in both Glenwood Springs and Durango, and since the boys are out of school we decided to come along.

After our night in Glenwood Springs, we took the Million Dollar Highway through Oary and Silverton. The vistas were some of the most amazing I've seen in the entire world. Absolutely stunning!

Of course the camera doesn't do it any kind of justice, but there were countless places to pull over and snap some shots.

While we were driving along, we noticed this exceptionally large waterfall, maybe six feet across. So we pulled over to get a closer look. There was a little pool of water off to the side and the boys braved getting close enough to put their feet in. But the water was coming so fast and so strong that they quickly wanted to move up and away from the falls.

Along the way we stopped for a few hours in Silverton and wandered around the little mountain town, throwing rocks in a stream and hiking up part of a mountain. But the boys favorite part was riding in an old fashioned elevator. Super cool!

The Caboose, Diamond and Big Boy #2 playing in the stream.

Big Boy #2 combing for rocks to throw into the stream.

What a beautiful way to spend a day!

My mountain man!

Preschool Grad!

2011-06-11T00:12:00.007-06:00

My last child had officially passed from preschool into the ranks of an elementary school student. Hard to believe. My babyyyyyy!!!

His little school did a full program, complete with marching in to Pomp and Circumstance and handing out 'diplomas'.
When we first signed the Caboose up for the five hour, three times a week preschool, I was literally nauseous at the thought of having him away from me for so long. It seemed like I was putting my kid in daycare so I could do my calling: NOT OK. Once I got released, preschool did, in fact, became my daycare. I was worked the whole time he was in school, Tuesday and Thursday teaching class and then Wednesday I would spend prepping. It actually worked out perfectly. Plus, he LOVED going to school. Looking back, I couldn't have planned it all better.

I love that my mom is close by and can come to these kinds of events!
The Caboose's teachers were great: Ms. Sally and Ms. Barb. They had great things to say about our little Caboose. He learned a lot that year, including some great beginning reading skills.
With preschool now in the books, I thought a little review was in order.

The Caboose on the first day of preschool with his friends from church. There were FIVE little boys all from church in that preschool class - about 1/3 of the entire class! It was great to see those boys become buddies.
The Halloween party at preschool. The Caboose was Captain America in the back row.
The Christmas program. The Caboose is in the back, right side.
The Caboose, the flesh-nosed reindeer (sung)
The Caboose liked recess and art the best, then snack and lunch next. He looked forward to each day. It was great fun for him!

A Visit from Grandma & Grandpa

2011-06-10T16:51:00.002-06:00

Last month we were able to have Diamond's parents over for a visit. It was great fun to celebrate Mother's Day with Diamond's mom. Here she is with the boys, right before church. (Um, yes, I do believe that Big Boy #1 is taller than Grandma now!)

Of course, Mother's Day wouldn't be the same without my giant Mrs. Field's cookie slathered in fudgy frosting! (Deliver to me in bed no less!) Diamond asked once if I wouldn't rather have some flowers or something. Umm, nooo.
Before the grandparents left, we managed to get them to play some back yard baseball.
GOOOO GRANDMA!
Even Grandpa got a hit in!
It was a wonderful weekend. Thanks for coming!

Blog Book

2011-06-10T14:20:00.002-06:00

I did it! I finally turned my blog into a book and I couldn't be happier with the results!

My friend recommended blurb.com The final project is about the size and heft of a college textbook. It turned out to be 420 pages with pictures on the front and back covers. The best part is that the site downloaded all my text and photos from my blog and then I was able to totally manipulate both the text and images. I could make the images as large as 8x10 (full page) or as little as I wished. I did spend a significant amount of time working through how I wanted everything to print, but I am really happy with the final product, so I think it was worth the effort. The print quality is excellent.

I will say that once in the process the whole thing crashed on me. Luckily, I had a backup copy, but it doesn't let you save to an outside source. It was pretty easy to use and although it would freeze on me sometimes, I learned how to avoid that pretty quickly. One feature I really loved was the search and replace. I was able to take out all the "Big Boy #1"s and replace them with my kids actual names. Although it was kinda funny how it took Vern out of the middle of some words, like oVERNight. Oh well.

I'm just thrilled that I have a hard copy of my blog. It cost about $100 for the whole thing and I figure that since I haven't printed actual pictures over the last three years, it's a bargain. Yes, I've been doing this for three years, and now I have a permanent copy of all those memories. Yea!

My Mom Rocks!

2011-05-19T23:44:00.010-06:00

Every year I think I will do some kind of tribute to her for Mother's Day, and every year I don't get around to it. Well, it may be belated, but here goes.

Eight reasons why my mom is cooler than your mom:

1. She is the most GENEROUS person I know. I remember one night talking to her about a family I knew who was going to have a difficult time providing a Christmas for their kids. My mom jumped up to get her checkbook before I could even finish the story. Not only does she have the family over every Sunday for dinner, but for two years she made double batches of homemade rolls so that I could add them to meals I had prepared for families in need. In her bedroom she has posted the scripture "be not weary in well-doing". Yup, that's her.

2. She's known for some pretty great sayings. Like when someone was reckless on the road she would shout "That's how angels are born!!!" Loudly. Out an open window. To my utter horror. Or, in a singsong voice, "Christmastime is secret time!" Or, "You're only fourteen! You may NOT go out with that boy!!!" Classic.

3. She has overcome a LOT. She grew up on the 'wrong side' of the tracks in a home that, to put it mildly was 'dysfunctional'. Yet, even at a young age she decided that she wanted more out of her life. Sometimes I wonder what I would be like if I had come from such a background. I can't imagine having the inner-strength and determination that pulled her out of that life.

4. She really knew how to rock the poncho and over sized sunglasses look in the 1970s.

5. She can do ANYTHING. She has made furniture, tiled floors, written computer programs, decorated elaborate wedding cakes, been a Relief Society President, graduated Magna Cum Laude with her bachelors degree after raising all four of us kids, gone zip-lining and tutored dyslexic children. If she sets her mind to it, watch out.

6. She's a great Nanna. Seriously? The kids all but worship her. She spoils them, loves them and works to make them successful. Sometimes my boys will complain about how mean I am. I will then tell them some story about how Nanna didn't have a pantry full of treats for me when I was a kid or how I had to clean my bathroom AND my parents bathroom every Saturday. They literally don't believe me. That just can't fathom that Nanna would be so tough. What.ever.

7. No one makes yummier cinnamon rolls. Mmmm.

8. As good and kind as she is, she is still totally feisty. She stands up for what she believes is right and refuses to let the stupid people take over. I often attribute my um, 'no-nonsense" attitude as something genetically inherited from her. (Yea, so go complain to her if you don't like it!)

So this year for Mother's Day I wanted to pamper HER. We spent an afternoon getting pedicures and going out to lunch. As wonderful as my mom is, it's no surprise that I just love spending time with her. After everything else, my mom is one of my greatest friends.

I love you mom!

Birthday Treat

2011-05-19T23:36:00.002-06:00

Somewhere along the lines the boys got the idea that a basic cupcake was not nearly good enough for their school birthday treat. Big Boy #2 is bringing in his treat tomorrow and we made these:

Kinda cute huh? It's basically two vanilla wafers (the top one has sesame seeds) with a Grasshopper cookie, a blob of orange colored frosting and colored coconut.

See, I can be domestic. Sorta.

Books

2011-05-16T18:07:00.000-06:00

OK, so maybe I was JUST complaining about how busy I am, and then I go and post a blog about all the books I have read over the last couple months. I still maintain that I was busy. However, having books on my iPod has really made all that time waiting in the car much more productive. Plus? most nights I read with the boys (as in, we each read out own books, as part of homework/bedtime routine.) Anyway, here are the latest...

The White Queen was a fascinating book. The book peeks into the power-hungry British monarchy during the War of the Roses, as told from the perspective of the queen. The problem I have is that the main character really bugged me. I didn't like her - at all. Plus her husband was a jerk. I enjoyed the book, but I'm not quite sure how to like a book while hating the main character. These books are a series, so I might pick up the next one, The Red Queen.

Elephant Run is one of my favorites of this batch. It's an historical fiction that tells of a young British boy who leaves the German bombings in London for his father's Burmese elephant-run timber plantation. The plantation is soon taken over by the Japanese and Nick is left dealing with the complexities of war while immersed in a foreign world. It's youth fiction and so some of the awfulness of war (particularly the maliciousness of Japanese POW camps) is muted, but the flavor is there. I really liked it.

The Mennonite in the Little Black Dress is an autobiography of a woman who goes home to her Mennonite roots after a rough divorce. It made me laugh out loud and I really liked her. She was a bit crass, but I appreciated how she managed to both love her Mennonite background and distance herself from it. There was something about her story that I resonated with me, but I am still not totally sure what. Maybe it's the way I embrace my faith, but get irritated by Mormon culture? I don't know.

Wednesday Letters was a book club book. It was a sweet little story about an older couple that died and how their adult children discover a lifetime's worth of letters their dad wrote to their mom. It's fluff, but I'll all for fluff now and again.

It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I had never read Pride and Prejudice before. After all the hype I was expecting to be disappointed. I was not. Although I did keep waiting for Mr. Darcy to go swimming in a pond (I guess that is a scene only in the movie version?) I found the book funny, charming, frustrating and interesting. No surprise, I would recommend it.

I have a hard time figuring out how to review The Girl Who Played with Fire. It's not a book I would ever feel comfortable recommending; it's too yucky. That said, it was also a really compelling, thinking, mystery kind of book. The first third was all foundation, and the second third was fine enough, but by the last third I couldn't put it down. The problem is that there is rape and violence and torture and all kinds of nastiness. That's why I could never fully endorse it. But it was so good that I was driven to read the second in the series.

Now this book I would NOT recommend. As much as Dragon Tattoo was yucky, at least the nastiness forwarded the plot. The Girl Who Played with Fire had all kinds of purposeless raunchiness. The author was Swedish, and his, um, liberal sensibilities were obvious. I did read the whole thing, however I blame that on my strange compulsion to finish books once I begin them. (How else can you explain reading all 945 pages of Lonesome Dove the summer of '89?) But really? Played with Fire wasn't worth it. Sorry.

Now, in contrast, I DIDN'T finish Three Cups of Tea. See, there is one caveat in my whole "have to read a book to completion" obsession: the library. If a book that I'm not enjoying has to be returned before I can finish it I won't check it out again. I have heard so many people rave about how fabulous Three Cups of Tea is, and I thought I would be a total fan; building a school to educate young girls in Pakistan? That has my name all over it! But I just couldn't get myself to really care. It was too slow, too wandering, too lame. I tried, I really did, but I simply didn't like it. And lately, there has been all kinds of controversy over exactly how legitimate his story even is.

Dear John was a book I picked for my trip to Florida. My standards for vacation reads are very different than regular reading. Dear John met my holiday standards: a fluffy, easy, light read. I don't know that I would read normally, but it was nice enough for my purposes.

Well, that's it for this batch. I'm trying to mix in more classics with my reading. Next? The Adventures of Sherlock's Holmes. So far so good. Enjoy!

HecTiC!!!

2011-05-10T18:36:00.010-06:00

As you can tell from the lack of any recent posts, life has been beyond hectic lately. To be honest, it's really starting to bug me. Here's the rundown:

Dave: Between work, traveling for work and bishopric (meetings 2x a week, mutual every Tuesday, and various other commitments) it feels like he is rarely home. Here he is in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Working hard or hardly working???

Me: While I have LOVED teaching this semester, I had somehow forgotten how much work it is to teach a new class. Although I've taught Sociology before, I have never done it in a 2x a week format, using PowerPoint, etc. Working, even though part-time, has taken a LOT.

Big Boy #1: Is likely the busiest of us all! He usually has 1 1/2 hours of homework every night, plus weekends.

Scouts has somehow ended up being 2-3 times a week, (regular weekly meetings, merit badge colleges, helping with an Eagle project, etc.) Here he is after receiving his First Class award:

Then, of course, sports (games and practices)

And finally guitar lessons and practice. He barely has any room for friends or relaxation. Things have become so crazy that we opted to take a bit of a break from guitar just to settle things down a smidge.

Big Boy #2: Managed to fit in both Math Olympiad and Battle of the Books. One highlight was when BB#2 managed to take second place in the Pine Wood Derby! (Thanks Grandpa Green for that one!)

The Caboose: Is the least busy of all of us. He has the time to just chill out and take an occassional nap.

For three years I kept thinking that life would slow down once I was no longer in Relief Society. Unfortunately, I have realized that was just wildly optimistic of me. I just don't know how to maintain this!

Easter

2011-05-09T19:33:00.000-06:00

Dying Easter eggs with the neighbors:

The Sunday morning egg hunt:

The Caboose following the jelly bean trail with exactness!

A second egg hunt at Nanna & Grandpa's house:

Happy Easter all!

Five!

2011-03-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Caboose turned FIVE!

LOVES: Superheros (especially Spiderman) doing anything his brothers are doing, playing with his brothers and their friends, all kinds of sweet treats, mac & cheese, Dinosaur Trains, Cat in the Hat, silly/potty talk (I can't STAND it!) playing games, adventures and sneaking treats

HATES: Going to stores, being sick, boring things, doing chores, losing at games, staying in his room at bedtime and being frustrated.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES:
"I want to be a superhero when I grow up."
"I'm your play date with destiny!"
"I'm a really good sneaker"
"I have a girlfriend. Kelsey (his cousin) AND Adrienne (his other cousin.) I have TWO girlfriends!"

The birthday boy wanted to have a Monster Truck party so the big boys spent quite a bit of time putting together this super cool Monster Truck Track in the living room. We gave each guest a Monster Truck of their own that they could play with on the the track and use for some other games.

We had my niece join in the fun. Here she is trying to get a ball into the tire.

Blowing out the candles

The birthday boy!

In addition to the Monster Truck cake, I made these 'Lucky Leprechaun' cupcakes for the Caboose's preschool birthday treat. I just divided up the batter, colored each portion a different color and then layered each color in the cupcake tins. It was a pain to spread each individual color, but I think they turned out really cute.

Now that he's five years old, the Caboose has promised to give up both his thumb and his blankie. (They tend to go together.) When he went to bed the night before his birthday he swore that would be the last of Blankie. But when he woke up on his birthday he thought he shouldn't have to give it up until after his party.

While he certainly was milking his last moments of 'babyhood', I must admit that I was enjoying it too. It did my heart good to see that a part of him is STILL my baby.

Totally Mint!

2011-03-04T23:53:00.002-07:00

While my friends all made me promise not to publish pictures of them in their 1980s glory, I couldn't resist showing how so totally awesome Diamond and I look when we go retro!

Oh, and Cory, we still have your turtleneck. It was a real crowd pleaser!

Magic Kingdom

2011-03-04T23:31:00.006-07:00

Diamond knew for some time that he would have a business trip to Orlando this February. Of course I insisted that I should go along. Orlando? In February? Youbetcha!

As an Eastern girl, most of my friends had made the trek down to Disney World but my family opted instead for the Carolina beaches. And while I LOVED the beach and have been to Disneyland a few times, I have never been to the happiest place in Florida. Somehow it had me feeling a bit left out.

To be honest, I think I prefer Disneyland, but I did enjoy my time at Magic Kingdom. I had never seen the parade before, plus it seems like every time we made it to Disneyland, I was eleven months pregnant and thus had to forgo Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. (What's with all the mountains anyway???)

But my real objective was to get caught up on my sleep and have some serious time by the pool. I have been feeling so exhausted and burned out with everything going on and I was desperate for some R&R. Although a four day weekend can't undo three years worth of wear, it was a much needed breath of fresh air. Literally.

Ahh, palm trees, fountains and sunshine!

Book Review

2011-01-28T20:59:00.009-07:00

This last batch was much better than the previous group. Here goes:

The best line of this memoir was "An Amber is like a Heather, only she 's attacking your spiritual worthiness and your dress size at the same time." (Genius!!!) My friend TZ read The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance and didn't really like it, but I couldn't put it down. TZ's not Mormon and I'm guessing the non-stop references to the Church and it's doctrine were a bit too much for her. I, however, found it totally compelling and super funny - probably because I could relate to so much of it. Elna tells of her experiences being a single Mormon woman living in New York City. Caught between two worlds in her quest for a husband Elna nailed a whole lot of what I experienced growing up. It's not for everyone (I think the typical Mormon may find it a bit crass, and if you aren't LDS, it may come off as too preachy) but I loved it.

While so much of I Am Number Four follows that irritating teenage formula (ya know, superpowered teen falls in love with a moral while the bad guys are after him and the fate of the world depends on his success, blah, blah, blah) I actually liked this one. Somehow it didn't feel quite so trite. It's fluff for sure and the ending was way too sci-fi for my taste, but I enjoyed it. It's being made into a movie, due to be released next month.

While I didn't see The Lovely Bones movie, it did inspire me to read the book. It's an intriguing concept - a teenage girl is murdered at the beginning of the book and the rest of the story is her watching from heaven as her family copes and adjusts to their loss. There were parts that had me aching for the family and other parts that had me furious at the killer. The ending was lame but it was still worth my time.

This memoir tells of an adopted woman who meets her birth mother only to discover she was the product of an extra-marital affair. Everyone involved is a bit unstable and watching how they interact with one another in the midst of these dramatic changes is unsettling. There were some parts that kinda bored me, but overall The Mistresses Daughter is an interesting look at adoption, family and stability.

I almost quit The Road about 30 pages in, but somehow the story took hold of me. In a post-apocalyptic world a father and his son wander while trying to survive. The tone and pace of the story were both very bleak - but that is exactly what the author was trying to do. McCarthy's writting is incredibly well done. The Road is a downer for sure but the kind that left me feeling incredibly blessed to have plenty of food and a warm bed at night.

I only read A Christmas Carol because it was a free download on my I-Pod plus I figured if I wanted to consider myself well-read I probably should read it. Dickens is a fabulous writer and I was surprised by how funny it was. There is a reason this is a classic.

A woman in our book club has been making her way through some list of young adult fiction. The Witch of Blackbird Pond came from that list and I agree that it was good read. Set in Connecticut in the years prior to the American Revolution, the reader follows Kit as she adjust from her plush life in the West Indies to the Puritanical strictness of New England. Witch is an insightful look into that period of history.

My favorites this time? Mormon Halloween and I am Number Four - bur really, they were all pretty good.

I've got a trip to the beach planned next month and I already have three books lined up; The Mennoite in a Little Black Dress, The White Queen and Pride & Prejudice. I can't wait!!! Reading a good book by the beach is about as good as life gets!

Live Audience Friday

2011-01-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

Yea, I'm pretty much famous. First when I won Last Caller of the Day by telling my story on Mix 100 of how my car ran over an unmanned lawnmower. Then again when I was on the radio as part of Live Audience Friday.

It was Kristy's 40th birthday this past November and she had been wanting to be part of the Live Audience for a long time. So we made reservations for the four of us as part of our gift to her.

Although it looks like I was pretty much dissed in this picture, it really was a fabulous (early) morning with my favorite girls and Dom & Jane.

I'm Baaaaaccck!

2011-01-19T19:46:00.004-07:00

With my recent release from Relief Society, a lot of my friends have been asking if I am enjoying all the down time. What??? There is no down time. I've been working my butt off trying to get prepped for my new teaching position.

Even though I have taught Introduction to Sociology before, I've never written a syllabus, or taught it in a two days a week format, or used PowerPoint as the main presentation tool. (I was using an overhead projector!) I've been working a lot of very late nights trying to figure out all the new technology and get everything in place in time for my first class.

Go figure I was a bit nervous about everything (OK, maybe more than a bit). After all, it's been five years since I've been in the classroom. Tuesday morning, the day of my first class I woke up to find this:

I faithfully waited until I was at school to read Big Boy #1's note. Here is part of it:

"You love this, act like it's for fun and it will be fun." What great advice! Once all the technology was up and working OK I tried to just settle into it.

I have to say, it didn't take long at all to feel like I had never really left. It felt soooo good to be back in the classroom, back in my skin, back to the thing that I love and that I know.

I'm baaaacck!

Change is Good - right???

2011-01-11T23:45:00.009-07:00

*Caution: This post may not make too much sense to anyone who is not at least somewhat familiar with Mormonese (ya know, that unique vocabulary that we tend to use when talking about church things.) But if you can make it through the first paragraph, consider yourself suitably knowledgeable.

Last Sunday our ward split, creating a totally new ward. As part of that split, I was officially released from my calling as the Relief Society President. It's a job I have been doing for the last three years, serving over 150 women.

The question is, how do you pour your whole soul into loving, serving and caring for these amazing women, then just walk away? So many of these families will be attending a different ward now and things will be, well, different. (This picture was taken at the end of our last meeting.)

When I was first asked to serve as the RS President I had only been in the ward for four short months. I didn't know hardly anyone. Now I not only know them but I love them. I see them as warriors, as angels and as heroes. I was able to get in the trenches with these women and then marvel at what they did. Without a doubt I am a better person because of the opportunity I had to watch these amazing, faithful women in action.

I also came to know my Savior in a totally new way. I was able to taste just a smidgen of the love He has for the women whom I served. I learned about the atonement, about grace, about faith, about sacrifice and about service. I have felt my soul enlarge and stretch and grow. This calling has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, but growth never comes without a price.

I have worked with countless women in this capacity and if I try to list them I am certain to leave someone out. But I can't not specifically mention my presidencies. These three women are the poor souls who had to hold my hand during the early, very steep, learning curve.
*Margo thinks about things is such a cool and unique way. I could sit and learn from her for hours and hours.
*Jill is so organized and is such a practical, yet warm woman. She is insightful, thoughtful and wise.
*Katherine kept me organized and in check. She worked with me the entire three years and always seemed to be the voice of reason when I started getting a little too crazy.

But things don't stay the same for very long and eventually I had to replace both Margo and Jill. (Poor Katherine couldn't get away!)
*Lovely, soft, warm Susan joined me about halfway. Susan was my greatest cheerleader, always kind and so willing to love and watch over the women.
*Carolyn is a fabulous balance between gospel centered and feet on the ground practical. She took so much off my plate, all the while asking what more she could do.

And here is my Bishop. He was the one who would meet me at the hospital when something terrible happened. I have to admit that every time I saw his number come up on caller ID my heart would skip a beat - worried about what awful thing he would tell me this time. But I also I remember the times we would meet together with someone who had been struggling. I saw this man love, counsel and care for so many people throughout the time we served together. I have worked with him, worried with him and cried with him. Bishop always made me feel listened to. He cared about what I thought, what my opinions were and how my family was holding up. He is such a good man.

Diamond was my rock. He held together our family while I was off trying to hold up someone else. He let me cry, even in the middle of the night, and would take me away when I was desperate for respite. He championed me at every turn and told me over and over that I was doing a great job - whether it was true or not. What a true blessing this man has been to me.

But now it's Diamond's turn. Last week he was called as first counselor in the new bishopric in our newly formed ward. He's the one having the lengthy meetings now. He's been out almost every night this week to meet with members of our ward and he's the one who has the weight of responsibility.

While there is a part of me that aches at the thought of being released, it's time. Frankly, I'm just so thrilled to be able to take my turn at home. It's a good thing. Right?

Christmas Day

2010-12-26T22:45:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day:

After Santa came:

Big Boy #1 was most excited about Flight Navigator and his remote control helicopter:

BB#2 was excited about his helicopter as well as a set of electronic drums:

The Caboose was thrilled to get the Batman car he has asked for:

Then over to Nanna and Grandpa's where BB#2 was totally surprised by a Nintendo i:

The Caboose loved his new desk for coloring:

And BB#1 got everything to turn his bathroom in to a Bronco's room, including personalized towels in Broncos colors:

Best part of all? My new iPod Touch that I got from BOTH Diamond and my parents! I was hoping that they might go in together on such a great gift, but to get one from BOTH??? NO WAY! I LOVE my new iPod. It seems like it's always within arms reach and after a couple months with it, I already don't know how I ever made it without one. (I ended up 'selling' the second one to my sister and used that money toward a laptop - love that technology!)

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our Christmas Eve is packed full of traditions:

The annual Christmas Eve dinner at Nanna and Grandpa's house, complete with ham, rolls, parsley potatoes and pistachio salad.

After dinner it's into costumes and the Nativity play:

The wise men present their gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Big Boy #1 showed off his newly acquired guitar playing skills in his rendition of Silent Night.

My mother-in-law will be so happy to see this one, Diamond playing We Three Kings of Orient Are.

Big Boy #2 as Samuel the Laminite:

Aunt Ginger came through (yet again!) with a clever way of doing our annual pajama hunt. This year? Bingo!

All changed and ready to go:

Then it's one of my favorite parts of the evening; driving home and looking at all the lights - while keeping an eye out for Rudolph's nose.

Home, setting out Santa's cookies and milk, prayer and finally bed. Now we just need to figure out how to get them to fall asleep before midnight!

Santa Baby

2010-12-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Santa came to Diamond's work party this year.

The Caboose was thrilled to see the Big Man. I just love how his whole face lit up when Santa came in the room. Ahh, the magic of Christmas!

The Caboose was a tricky kid this year. Every time anyone would ask him what he wanted Santa to bring him, he would come up with something different: Batman car, Batman helicopter, Transformers, ambulance, trucks, etc.

BB#2 isn't too sure about the whole Santa thing. He did notice that the man we ate dinner with and Santa sure seemed to sound alike. He wasn't fooled.

Good thing Diamond is still a believer!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like

2010-12-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS! Big Boy #1 has more Christmas spirit than about anyone. If you're not sure, just check out his bedroom:

*****Late in November I won Last Caller of the Day on the radio by telling the story of how I ran into a self-propelled lawn mower careening across the street. My prize? Four tickets to Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

It was absolutely beautiful. A great night that we were able to spend together as a family.

*****Every year we have friends over to make sugar cookies.

It's so fabulous to have the crew from the old neighborhood over to help us celebrate!

Yup, it must be Christmastime!

Hired!

2010-12-21T15:54:00.005-07:00

Back in February Diamond saw a part-time sociology instructor position that had opened up at the local community college. It sounded like the dream job for me, so I put in a resume and waited.

In April I got an email saying that they would be interviewing in the next month or so. Then I didn't hear from them again.

Until last Friday. I saw the caller-ID come up and thought "No. It couldn't be." The department chair was calling to see if I would still be interesting in the adjunct sociology position. "Um, YES!"

So today I went in to interview. To be honest, it wasn't much of an interview at all. It was more like "Here's your textbook, here's your classroom, here's HR."

I GOT THE JOB!!!

I start the middle of January and I'll be teaching three sections of Sociology 101. My schedule couldn't be more ideal. I teach just two mornings a week. Meanwhile the Caboose has preschool those same days. I'll be finished up in time for afternoon carpool. How perfect is THAT?

This truly couldn't be better. My favorite class, a perfect schedule, great timing. Yeah!!!

You can just start calling me Professor Ganelle ;)

Thankful

2010-11-27T14:00:00.010-07:00

As a delicious meal was digesting in my stomach Thanksgiving evening, while surrounded by family and friends, I started looking through all of the Black Friday ads. I caught myself muttering "there is SOO much that I want!"

Wow. What a brat! Not exactly the spirit of Thanksgiving huh? I figured I needed to redeem myself. I have so much to be grateful for:

* We are all healthy: No one in our family has an awful disease. There are no long-term physical or mental challenges that we have to fight day-in and day-out.
* We are all safe: We don't live inside a war zone. Our family exists within the cocoon of a safe neighborhood, in a safe town.
* All of our basic needs are well meet: We don't struggle to put food on the table. Throughout the history of the world, how many people can say that? Our house is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have ample access to medical care. Diamond has a good, secure job that he enjoys.
* We love each other: I consider myself to be very happily married. The love I feel for my children makes me physically ache. I have incredible extended family and the best friend I could ever hope for.
* I feel purpose in life: I have a deep and abiding belief that God is real and that he knows and loves me. I know why I am here.

And yet somehow I still manage to complain that I don't have enough. Hmm. I suppose that multi-billion dollar advertising industry is doing its job. But I need to be smarter than that. More grateful.

After all, "If a fellow isn't grateful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be grateful for what he's going to get." - Frank Clark

Happy Thanksgiving!

Why We Are NOT Going to Utah

2010-11-23T15:02:00.005-07:00

We were hoping to drive to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with Diamond's family. The boys were so excited to see their cousins and I was really, really looking forward to some time "away."

A live shot of Eisenhower tunnel I-70:

We have been watching the forecast, but either Colorado's mountains are getting hit or Utah's mountains are under a blizzard warning. We checked both I-70 and I-80. We were willing to travel different days. The storms aren't letting up. We just can't find an eight hour window to drive through.

Evanston WY this afternoon:
At some point, you just have to concede that mother nature is The Boss.

It looks like it's another Colorado Thanksgiving for us. Happy Thanksgiving all!

Angels

2010-11-05T15:59:00.002-06:00

Sometimes the responsibility of watching over more than 150 women overwhelms me in ways I can't even begin to articulate.

Sometimes I feel like the weight of other people's sorrow is so heavy I'm likely to buckle under it.

Sometimes I will spend a day visiting, crying with, and listening to women, only to come home and have a message or email informing me about one more awful, devastating thing.

Sometimes I feel like it's just too much. Too big. Too heavy.

Being intimate with other people's pain is beyond hard, and it has changed me.

I have a unique vantage into other peoples lives. I see the heartbreak and I hate that part. Hate. It. But I suppose that because I have been so close to the pain, I have also been privy to the grace.

I have seen how there can be peace in the middle of the storm, and how God can give us beauty for ashes.

I have seen something that can only be described as magic when these women come together.

I have witnessed dazzling strength
.....inexplicable power,

.....pure goodness,

.....unwavering faith,

.....breathtaking love.

I have seen saints. And warriors. And heroes. Often all in the same person.

I see the marks of angels all around me.

And that has made me a better person.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T08:12:00.005-06:00

Some Halloween shots: Big Boy #2 was a Crunch Bar, the Caboose was Captain America and Big Boy #1 was a pirate.

When the Caboose spotted a haunted house in the neighborhood, he said "I would never go to a haunted house without my costume." "Why not?" "In my costume I could fight the witches."

The boys chillin' at the church Trunk or Treat, where the kids treat-or-treat cars instead of houses. My favorite costume of the night were two friend who came dressed up as the "Ganelle Fan Club." What did they wear? Nothing special, but they each had a Route 44 Sonic drink in their hands. Love it!

While carving pumpkins, BB#1 said "This is so much fun, we should carve ALL our vegetables!" Hmm. Carved cucumbers???

And of course the class party and parade.

BB#2 handed out mini-Crunch bars to the kids in his class. He got a real kick out of it - even when the kids chased him around, pretended to eat him, or offered to buy him.

Happy Halloween!

Twelve

2010-11-01T13:15:00.000-06:00

Twelve is a big deal birthday in our family. Mostly because it is when the kids leave the children's program at church and enter into the youth program. It also is the age when boys are ordained into the priesthood. And yesterday, on Halloween, Big Boy #1 was ordained as a Deacon.

There is something breathtaking in seeing my young son literally encircled by these men who care for him, want him to be successful and are such great examples of strong, loving, good men. What an amazing thing.

BB#1 has been so excited to start going to Young Mens. He has a whole list of things he's excited about with turning 12; getting the priesthood, passing the sacrament, going to the temple. It's been such a payoff for me to see him genuinely anxious to progress in those ways.

Of course this birthday isn't all about the spiritual realm. He also finally got his I-Pod Touch, which he has been working towards and saving up for for several months. Big Boy #2 gave him a year supply of gum and made up a little Easter-like "gum hunt" for him.

The Caboose found a favorite toy in the basement, wrapped it up like new and gave that to BB#1 as a gift. BB#1 was a great sport about it all. :)

Of course there was dinner at Red Robbin and cake and ice cream. It was a great birthday.

BB#1 is a bright, inquisitive person. He is beyond curious about everything. He is a hard worker and I hardly ever have to tell him to get his homework done. (Although practicing his guitar is another story...) He is funny, tender-hearted and thoughtful. He loves just about every sport, but baseball and basketball are his favorites. His favorite subjects are math, social studies and drama. He's a great kid and we are so glad that he is part of our family!

Reading

2010-10-18T22:55:00.003-06:00

I've heard rumblings that the third book in the Hunger Games series wasn't as light or as fun as some may have hoped, but that is exactly the reason I LOVED it. This book would be a fabulous high school English read, full of great themes to explore: power and fear, scarcity and excess, war and sacrifice, not to mention the influence of the media. I was fascinated by the rich symbolism: parachutes, wolves, food, etc. Even the names: Snow (can look beautiful, but covers up the underlying filth) Two-sided Coin, Primrose (true, hearty beauty unlike Snow's roses), etc. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, but there was depth to it. I have been craving something meaty like that for awhile. I really do wish I could sit in a classroom and examine it all. A fabulous book!

If I read another book about a teenager finding out they have magic powers with which they must fight the dark side, I may just scream. I probably would have liked City of Bones if I hadn't already read this book a MILLION times. Magic? Yup. Vampires? Of course. Werewolves? Who can write a book without them? There was nothing new, nothing that made me think, nothing that moved me in any way. That said, if you love the tried and true teen novel formula, City of Bones will not disappoint.

My sister in law recommended Charms for the Easy Life. It tells the story of three generations of women as they deal with one another and interact in their communities during the Depression and into WWII. It was a fun, light story, and I quite enjoyed the characters within it.

I loved Ender's Game so much that I figured I would try Ender's Shadow. Shadow follows the story of a young boy named Bean, one of the kids that Ender trained with in a futurist space school to fight the "Buggers" for the salvation of the Earth. I totally preferred Ender's Game, but I did find Shadow interesting enough. I wish I had read the books closer together - so that the details would have come together better.

This is a book that Big Boy #1 was reading and I had heard was pretty good. Al Capone Does My Shirts tells the story of the children (of the prison workers and guards) who lived on Alcatraz. But the heart of the story is that 12 year old Moose's sister is mentally challenged. The reader witnesses how the family is consumed with caring for Natalie, and how Moose manages to negotiate his desire to be a normal kid in such unusual circumstances. The ending was darling, but my favorite part was his non-fiction summary of life at Alcatraz in the appendix. It was a quick and easy read - I liked it.

This is the first book in a sequel series to Children of the Promise. Written by a Mormon author for a Mormon audience, Writing on the Wall follows a Mormon family in Utah living in the 1960s. While Hughes does a good job of exposing self-righteous and hypocritical behaviors, there is still a certain tone to the novel that drove me crazy. A bit too "Utah" for me. Nonetheless, my favorite genre is historical fiction, and I have always enjoyed learning about this time period, so I would certainly pick up the next in the series. Anyone have a copy I can borrow?

\ I have never before read any of Agatha Christie's books and I was excited to read Murder on the Orient Express, just for the sake of it. It was a nice little mystery novel. There were a lot of characters that I had to keep track of, but by the end it did all make sense. It was a quick read, and worth my time, just to be familiar with the legend of it all.

Overall, this last batch wasn't too exciting. By and large these books passed the time nicely enough, but other than Mocking Jay, there really wasn't anything that rocked me.

May the Good Winds Be With You

2010-10-12T16:48:00.002-06:00

As we were standing around watching the Balloon Fiesta kick into high gear, a pick up truck pulled up and out poured darthvaderballoon.com. Yup, we managed to land ourselves a front row seat to see the Darth Vader Balloon. Done up in perfect George Lucas style. And yes, Darth deserves his very own blog entry.

Not long after the truck began to unload, an army of storm troopers marched in two by two:

Then Darth himself showed up - complete with voice altering technology:

Even these guys started to mill about, as did several other characters I'm not sure of:

But the balloon team would not be distracted from their ultimate mission.

First the basket was set up and the balloon unrolled; there was such great potential in Anakin at this point:

The team started to grow and cultivate the young Jedi - but not with hot air, there was no anger in him yet:

Tragically, Drath's ego started to expand, as does his head:

A funky chicken quickly escapes before Lord Vader can reign terror in the skies:

Finally the hot air of anger and pride started to lift Darth as he pushed away his fond memories of childhood:

Fully upright, Darth was now ready to take his place as the Master of the Dark Side:

The Emperor lifts off, ready to meet his destiny:

Is it just me, or is Darth looking like he's about to beat the crap out of the balloon guy with glasses?
Oh, the life lessons one can learn from Balloon Fiesta!

Albuquerque

2010-10-11T21:25:00.001-06:00

While we were in New Mexico for the Balloon Fiesta we made the most of the chance to check out the southwestern culture:

Something I'd never seen growing up in New York!

The Three Amigos:

With Balloon Fiesta in high gear, Old Albuquerque was full of performers - including this group of Native Americans. The boys had never had an opportunity to see anything like that before.

Then across the street was a mariachi band. A nod to the Spanish settlement that dominated this city.

In an effort to introduce a bit of culture we stopped at this art museum in Santa Fe, known for its Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit. As we were looking at a modern art piece with white stripes on a white background I was explaining that art is meant to evoke emotions. I asked BB#2 how the painting made him feel. His answer? "It makes me feel stripey."

I would have loved to have spent more time checking out all the museums and shops, but at least we managed to expose the boys just a bit of cultural.

Balloon Fiesta

2010-10-10T22:35:00.009-06:00

In honor of Big Boy #1's twelfth birthday, we decided to surprise the boys with a long weekend in Albuquerque for the renowned Balloon Fiesta.

The first morning we wanted to be there for the "Morning Glow" when the balloonist light up their fires in the dark of early morning. We had to wake up at 4:30am, and it was awfully cold, but LOOK!

I know it's blurry, but the Morning Glow was breath taking. The balloons were actually glowing! Then, after a signal, they would all flash their fires on and off - the combined effect looked like lights on a Christmas tree. Coolest thing ever!

After the sun came up the "Mass Ascension" began. Not coincidentally, this was also about the time BB#2 stopped feeling so miserable from the cold.

The balloons went up in 'launch groups' - so there was a continuous stream of balloons being filled, being launched, and floating away.

BB#1 was enthralled with it all. (It would be hard not to be!)

There were a ton of funky shaped balloons too, including a Pepsi can, a cow, a turkey, the Wells Fargo wagon, Carmen Miranda, Smoky the Bear, a jester, a cherub (with feet that dangled below the basket), and this little family of bees:

Our little family:
At the height of the ascension, the sky was covered in balloons - I've never seen anything like it. Amazing is an understatement!

The second day we were too tired to head to the Fiesta grounds, but the boys were still able to view a ton of balloons from the hotel as they lifted off over the city. Our hotel got really into it, with a balloon basket in the lobby and streamers connected all the way up to the 10th floor.

We weren't sure if the Balloon Fiesta would be worth a whole weekend trip, but, WOW!

Change of Seasons

2010-10-04T19:39:00.004-06:00

And I'm not talking about this:

I mean the change from baseball to basketball:

The boys have been getting the basement in order - complete with basketball court.

What kind of court would it be without baskets on each side and a marked key?

They set up 'stands' for all their fans:

And of course, locker rooms. The boys begin by changing into warm up clothes, then after a brief time, change into their game jerseys and shorts. (Who ever said boys don't play dress up?)

Ah yes, the days are getting shorter, the weather is beginning to cool, and my basement has been taken over by basketball. It must be fall.

The Miracle of the Beef Brisket

2010-09-23T19:30:00.011-06:00

For well over two and a half years now I have been serving as the president of my church's women's organization. I have been entrusted to watch over the physical/mental/spiritual needs of over 150 women. This isn't something I volunteered for, desired, or even remotely wanted, but I was asked to do it and I said yes. It has been quite the undertaking and the weight of the responsibility has been heavy. As much a survival mechanism as anything, I learned pretty early on that a freezer full of frozen meals was a huge help in my efforts to support others. Every now and then I would spend an entire day making meals that I could freeze and then later distribute at a moments notice. Right or wrong, I tend be more generous when the work has already been done and it requires nothing more than pulling something out of the freezer.

But last fall my personal stockpile had completely dwindled away and I had nothing to give, and no time (or energy) to restock my supplies. Meanwhile, I was feeling more than a tad overwhelmed by all the different needs that I was aware of. Several of the situations were known to only a very few people, which added to the responsibility I felt. I wanted to offer some kind of relief for these women, but I didn't know what. Normally, I would have stopped by a frozen dinner or two "for whatever night is particularly tough," but I just wasn't situated to do so. I keenly felt a need to do something for these women, and felt both frustrated and discouraged by all that I was not doing.

Then I went to our ward fall party. The committee who put the party together had recruited a member of our congregation to prepare and serve beef brisket to 350+ people. (As an aside - this guy is amazing. He grew up on a cattle ranch, takes his BBQ seriously, and even enters competitions with the meat he prepares. This brisket was good.) At the end of the night, there was a ton of meat left over, and I was able to bag it up, deliver it to multiple families and still come home with enough brisket to refill my freezer.

As I was driving home after the last of my deliveries, I began a silent prayer to thank my Heavenly Father for providing for all of these different families. Then it hit me.

Those people who received the brisket were certainly grateful for the meals. Having dinner brought in was genuinely helpful. But it was my burden that was lifted. I had been feeling like the weight and the care of those families was entirely on my shoulders. But that night I began to understand that I'm not in this alone. That God is there to help me and sustain me as I do my best to love and serve His other children. I had been trying to shoulder the weight on my own - and that is simply not how God works. He had asked me to do this job, and He was there to compensate for what I couldn't do. I cried the rest of the way home.

I refer to it as the Miracle of the Beef Brisket.

Fast forward to today. Once again there are several families that I am aware of who are having a hard time. People who could use both the logistical and emotional support that a dinner can provide. Once again, my freezer was bare and I was not situated to refill it. And then there was another miracle.

The teenage girls in our ward each pitched in a few ingredients and spent an evening putting together some meals. I took in over fifteen meals this afternoon and my freezer is now overflowing. Tomorrow I plan on making some deliveries.

It may not be the miracle of the fishes and the loaves of bread, but God has taken the little I had to offer and has given back more than enough to meet the needs of these families. But this miracle is my miracle. My personal witness that God is there to lighten my burden, to sustain me and to be my partner in this incredible work.

Celebration

2010-09-08T16:09:00.001-06:00

Although Big Boy #2 turned nine in June, we have only recently managed to get our celebrations in.

Two weekends ago he had his special day with Nanna and Grandpa. The day started with breakfast at I-Hop, complete with a super cool balloon hat.

Then off to #2's baseball game.

Dinner at Qudoba:

Then to see the Rockies v. Reds:

Last weekend we had our "family party." Instead of a birthday party with friends, BB#2 opted for a day with the family (love it!) What did he choose? Breakfast at IHop, baseball practice and a Rockies game.

Hmm. Sound familiar?

Class of 1990

2010-08-28T08:06:00.006-06:00

See the person on the left of the page with the red circle around their head, and a fist covering their face? Well, that's me, twenty years ago. And this picture is Fairport High School's class of 1990.

Tonight is our 20th reunion. And I'm not going.

It's not that I didn't have fun at prom:

It's not that I didn't enjoy graduation:

It's more that I just don't really care.

While I had plenty of friends in my class, my closest friends all seemed to be a year ahead or behind me - if they attended FHS at all .

.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall and just watch everyone, but I don't really want to expend the energy to actually speak to these people. Plus? It's in NY, and there is NO way I'm putting out the cash for a trip to Rochester. 'Course, even if I was in town, I doubt I would go. I just wasn't all that into high school.

I'm hoping that people will post pictures on Facebook so I can see how the night went. Wait! I think I deleted most of my FHS friends from Facebook awhile ago.

See what I mean?

The Best Thing to Happen to TV Since the Remote Control

2010-08-24T17:25:00.008-06:00

We did it. I finally talked Diamond into getting DVR.

I realize we are behind the curve on this one, but I'm already hooked. I can watch my shows anytime? Without commercials? (It's a little sickening to realize that I was watching as much at 4:30 of commercials for every 10 minutes of a programing. ) This is amazing!

It's a little like getting our first remote controlled TV. We had one of those big console TVs (part furniture, part cutting-edge technology) that had to be changed manually. I remember fighting with my sibling about who had to get up to adjust the volume or change the channel (ya know, from ABC to NBC.) Then we got a new TV with a remote, and all of a sudden we could just SIT and change the channel?!? Mindblowing!

Yeah, I don't see us ever going back.

Lost and Found

2010-08-17T19:28:00.007-06:00

If this kid makes it to adulthood, it may just be a miracle.

Earlier this year, he decided he wanted to go play basketball at our neighbors house. At 8:00am. On a Saturday morning. Diamond was out playing ball and I was still asleep as the Caboose headed out the front door. When our neighbors answered the bell, the Caboose said "I'm here to shoot three-pointers." They welcomed him in, served him waffles, and let him play. I had no idea he was even gone. That night we installed an alarm on the front door - so I could hear if he tried to leave.

The problem is that he thinks he is 10 years old, if not 12. If he sees his brothers doing anything, he feels fully capable of doing the same thing.

Take for instance two weeks ago. We meet several other families in our neighborhood for "Family Home Evening" at the park located five minutes from our house. After being at the park for a bit, the big boys wanted to run home to grab a baseball. They asked, I said "sure" and off they went. No problem. But then the Caboose decided he wanted to grab his mitt from the house. Did he ask? Of course not. Did he tell anyone where he was headed? Why would he? There were a ton of kids playing on the playground and I simply didn't notice him slip away.

After a group search and rescue mission, we finally found him. He could NOT understand what he did wrong. His big brothers had walked home to get something, so why couldn't he? HELLO!!! You're FOUR!!!

Then we went camping last weekend. Again, the big boys asked if they could go play with some friends at an adjoining campsite. No problem. But again, the Caboose figured that if the big kids could take off, so could he. He wandered away, without so much as a glance in my direction. With nothing more than the small circle of light provided by the campfire, I was tracking the flickering lights on his sandals as he played near our site. It was only a very brief time before I realized I hadn't seen those little red lights. He had simply vanished. Can I tell you how scary it is to lose a young child, while camping, in the dark?

We found him quickly enough, but I'm beginning to wonder if we will continue to be so fortunate as to find him every time he gets lost. My other kids didn't wander off like this, and I don't really know how to manage it. He's been punished, but it hasn't seem to impress upon him the seriousness of what is happening.

I just love this kid so very, very much.

Carpool Craziness

2010-08-10T19:38:00.002-06:00

THIS kid begins school at 7:25 and finishes at 2:45.

But THIS kid doesn't start school until 9:05. He is done at 4:00.

And even THIS kid has a school schedule to be worked in, beginning at 8:45 and winding up at 1:45 (3x a week.)

It takes over an hour and half each morning to see all the kids off to school, and it takes another two hour window to get them home. Umm, I don't think so.

After more collaboration and negotiation than the Israelis and the Palestinians have ever managed, I am now involved in THREE separate carpool schedules, made up of NINE different families.

Should we start laying bets now as to how long it will be before I blow it, and leave some poor child waiting on a curb somewhere???

***************************************************

On a related note: BB#1 is loving middle school. "It's not what I expected and it's waaaay different from 5th grade, but in a good way." BB#2 is concerned that the boys in his class may not like sports enough, and the Caboose keeps explaining to me that girls have no business whatsoever sitting next to the boys during circle time. Things seem to be proceeding pretty much as expected. Very good.

Rules of the Game

2010-08-08T21:30:00.007-06:00

The boys were recently introduced to the Slugbug/Punchbug game by a friend. (Yeah, thanks for that one!)

There has been some confusion as to the rules of the game. I am here to clear this up:

THE RULES OF THE GAME:

1. When you see a slugbug, you may hit ONLY one person in the car. This is NOT a pass to hit each of your brothers.

2. You may only hit that one person ONCE. One punch, one person, per car. Multiple hits = taking advantage of the situation.

3. When you hit your one person, do so LIGHTLY. If anyone screams "OWWW!!!" after your victory, you have hit too hard. I say, aim for something close to a tap (which will likely feel like a medium hit to whomever is on the receiving end.)

4. It is not enough to SEE the VW bug, you must be the first one to CALL it out loud. You may not argue about who was the first to see the car.

5. If you mistakenly call out "Slugbug" but the car turns out to be something else, whomever you hit may hit you (lightly) back. However, if the confused person DID NOT hit, no one may hit them.

6. There is NO such thing as "Slug-truck" or "Slug-speedy car" or even "Slug-fire truck." VW Beetles - that's it.

See, it's all really simple. Just follow the rules, and you can continue with this parent-approved game of attack.

For Hire

2010-07-27T19:35:00.008-06:00

Big Boy #1 has his eye on this:

He really, really, really wants it. (Frankly, all of his enthusiasm for the the IPod Touch has been a bit contagious. He's got me wanting one too!) Anyway, with a price tag of $300 or so, we recommended that he figure out a way to earn some serious money.

He started with chores around the house, but since we pay worse than a nineteenth century sweatshop, he needed to consider other options. An almost 12 year old boy who wants to earn decent money in the summer has one good shot: mowing lawns.

He started with our own lawn. Then he moved onto Grandpa's to get some more practice. Tonight he mowed the neighbor's grass. His skills are improving and he has managed to save some decent money.

Before long he'll have earned enough to purchase that coveted gadget. I'm very proud of how hard he has worked towards his goal. At the rate he's going he'll have that IPod before me. Maybe I should come and mow your lawn? Nah, too sweaty. But if you're in the market, BB#1 is ready and willing.

Entertainment Value

2010-07-22T23:55:00.007-06:00

I'm throwing these guys overboard.

And using my powers of parental control to block these guys out.

Frankly, I'm pretty much over the Disney channel. All the back-talking, the rudeness, the selfish and egocentric behaviors of these characters are the absolute opposite of what I want my kids to behave like.

And, unfortunately, it seems like my boys are acting more and more like Zach and Cody every day.

While I'm the first one to mock the way the Beaver would say things like "Golly Dad!" I'm kinda wishing my kids could have something a bit more tame to entertain them.

Diamond has talked about getting rid of satellite all together. We compromised by blocking Disney and Nickelodeon.

It's been a few days and I'm seeing an improvement in my kids already.

Birdman

2010-07-19T23:09:00.000-06:00

The Caboose got a hold of a stamp and an ink pad and did this:

When I asked him why he put so many stamps on his arms, he told me that he was Birdman. As in, THIS guy:

Umm, so I'm thinking we need to watch a whole lot LESS basketball.

The Fab One

2010-07-16T15:36:00.009-06:00

I think everyone has their favorite of the Fab Four. (Probably everyone but Vern, who disparages any music created before 1985.)

My favorite was Paul. And last night Paul McCartney and I spent three hours together. (OK, technically, Paul, me and 20,000 other people.)

Diamond was able to land last-minute tickets to his Up and Coming Tour from a guy at work. We started out with these seats, five rows from the very top, which would have provided us with a lovely view of a pole and Paul's backside.

Then, through some crazy twist of fortune we were upgraded from section 352 to section 106; these seats:

We were SO excited!

The thing with Paul McCartney is that his music is transcendent. For every sixty year old bald guy singing there was a twenty-something playing air guitar. His music is bigger than any one age group or decade. He is so much more than a rock star. He is a musician. An icon. I have written papers about his music and the cultural influence of the Beatles.

Paul started with a bunch of his personal songs before settling into the Beatles hits. He sang Hey Jude, Back in the USSR, Paperback Writer, All My Loving, Live or Let Die, Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, etc. He played the piano, a million different guitars and even a ukulele. He sang with a band, but also had a few numbers with nothing more than him and his guitar. It was an experience of a lifetime. Here is a sample of Let It Be.

It was A.MAZ.ING. I love, love, loved it! I saw Paul McCartney! Live! I heard him sing Beatles Music! I sang along, danced and screamed until I was hoarse. I love you PAUL!!!

Reading Recommendations

2010-07-13T16:29:00.000-06:00

I haven't done any book evaluations for awhile, but since reading outside is one of my favorite things about this time of year, here are some books to consider:

I loved Gilbert's humorous voice in Eat, Pray, Love and that same tone comes through in her latest book Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage. Part autobiography, part sociology, Gilbert delves into history, culture and religion to determine what, exactly, marriage is all about. As a sociologist/historian, I found her observations to be fascinating, and I had a hard time putting the book down. That said, it's not for everyone. She makes a strong argument for same-sex marriage that conservatives may want to skip over and she calls into question several marital traditions. In the end, she does come down in favor of marriage. I found it hopeful, insightful and downright funny.

I'm not a fan of science-fiction, but I really, really enjoyed Ender's Game. A very young Ender is pushed through militaristic training to prepare him to combat the "buggers" who threaten to destroy humankind. What I enjoyed was the emphasis on the mental aspects of his training. It was first published in 1977, but don't let that deter you. I would highly recommend this one. The book is certainly self-contained, but there are two other books that star Ender as the main character. I've already ordered them.

If Twilight were to merge with Bewitched and take place in the deep South, you would have Beautiful Creatures. It's the same type of star-crossed, young love, chock-full of angst. That said, I liked Beautiful Creatures better than Twilight. Less silliness and less hype. This certainly isn't great literature, but if you liked Twilight, I'm pretty sure you'll really enjoy Beautiful Creatures. It's a great, light, summer read.

I have always enjoyed Mitch Albom's books. They may be a bit folksy, but I really love the warmth and wisdom that permeates his stories. Have a Little Faith compares two religious men: a rabbi and a reformed drug dealer, turned inner-city minister. The best part about Faith was being exposed to a different spin on the religious ideals and stories I have heard my whole life. I liked it so much I'm hosting it for Book Club next month.

My nephew has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. House Rules follows a teenage boy with Asperger's who is accused of murder. The plot was fine enough (although I figured out the "twist" pretty early on,) but what I found riveting was Picoult's description of what it's like to be in a family dominated by autism. I learned a lot. I have much more respect and empathy for my brother, his wife and their children.

Another Picoult book, Plain Truth follows the investigation of an infant's murder in Amish Pennsylvania. It was an insightful look at the Amish community and the story pulled me along. It's a quick, lighter read - typical Picoult.

Hailed as a book of philosophy, the Alchemist is a simple story full of symbolism. A shepherd, Santiago, goes on a quest to learn wisdom from the famous Alchemist. It's not long, and has been purported to change lives. I found The Alchemist not exactly captivating, but interesting enough with some great tidbits.

This autobiography is by a woman who lived during China's Cultural Revolution. As a wealthy, educated woman she was quickly targeted by the revolutionaries. It was crazy to learn about what happened to her and her family. It was good, but I found Red Scarf Girl to provide comparable insight in a quicker and more captivating way.

A woman in our book club knows the author of Return to Honor, so we read it last month. It tells the story of a young German solider during World War II. It was published independently, so it might be hard to find.

I just finished The Warrior Heir. It's pretty much Harry Potter meets Hunger Games. A teenager finds out he's magic, goes into training, and ends up in a fight to the death which takes place for the amusement/politics of the wizard community. I'm getting a little bored with all the magic/vampire/otherworldly teenagers, but it wasn't a bad read. I took it on vacation with me, and it was great for that kind of thing. That said, I'm really starting to crave something meatier. Any suggestions?

So, my favorites from this batch? Committed, Ender's Game and Beautiful Creatures. Enjoy!

4th of July in Utah

2010-07-12T17:12:00.009-06:00

We recently returned from our annual journey to Utah. It was, as expected, filled with lots of quality family fun, tasty food and a good amount of time in the water.

The first day we were there Grandma treated everyone to a day at the Lindon Community Pool. The boys loved the Flow Rider where they tried their hands on the boogie board. Below is Big Boy #2.

Dave's brother Craig and his wife Jill bought a condo-type thing at this resort in Midway, UT. They let us spend the night where we enjoyed the Swiss architecture nestled in the mountains.

The Swiss theme for the resort came complete with goats. The boys quickly picked their favorites and fed them lots of grass.

Of course the boys wanted to spend every minute with their cousins, so we brought them along for the fun.

The boys loved the indoor/outdoor pool at the resort.

Our family at Zurmatt

We often head to Utah for the 4th of July, and it's a tradition to go to the parade.

A parade in Utah Valley is a bit of an experience. All things Mormon dominate. And though I consider myself to be a faithful, involved Mormon it was just too much for me. Waaaay too much. A TEMPLE on a float? Sponsored by an LDS STAKE? Surrounded in people dressed as MISSIONARIES??? And I'm not even including pictures of the pioneers, or Captain Moroni, or the giant Book of Mormon...

But Utah certainly has it's upsides. And Training Table's Bacon Swiss burger is high on that list. Mmmmm...

After several days of tons of activity and very little sleep we headed back home to find this outside our front door.

There really IS no place like home!
*********************************************************
UPDATE: Thanks for all the votes for the Ugliest Picture contest. I won in a landslide! ('Course I'm sure if I should be thrilled or mortified.) Either way, I'll be thinking of you all as I enjoy my yummy Olive Garden bread sticks.

Who's the Ugliest of Them All?

2010-07-06T19:37:00.003-06:00

My BFF, Vern, is having an ugliest picture contest on her blog. The winner will receive a $10 Olive Garden gift certificate - perfect for a lunch.

While I'm pretty sure this picture makes me a shoe-in, please stop by here and cast your vote for me. 'Cause I pretty much live for Olive Garden bread sticks. (No joke - when Diamond proposed, he put my ring in an Olive Garden "to go" box.)

I think the real question we need to ask is, why my mom ordered this in an 8x10?

Old Friend

2010-06-26T00:31:00.012-06:00

I saw one of my best friends from high school today. She lives in Maryland, and I haven't seen her for TEN years. (Geography has not been kind to us!)

Shanna is one of my oldest friends. We became friends when her family moved to New York - well over twenty-five years now. She holds my high school secrets, and her parents were like my own.

Shanna and I both worked at Wegmans and were both exchange students (I went to Norway, she went to Sweden.) She was there for my first, and second, loves - and I returned the favor. We took art classes together in high school, and skipped those same art class together. We were bunk mates at Youth Conference and on Temple Trips.

Shanna was a year behind me in school, but the day I graduated from High School - she was there to cheer me on:

I was Shanna's bride's maid in April 1994:

Less than two weeks later, at the same temple, we switched places. (OK, I realize now that, despite the popularity of floral dresses in the 1990s, I should have opted for a solid color, like Shanna did.)

She visited me while I was at BYU. Even after we were both married I was able to visit her a couple times in Maryland. This picture was taken in August 1997, Shanna was pregnant with her second child. She now has three girls, I have three boys.

So today we sat in a park at talked. We chatted about our parents and siblings, our kids, our communities, our travels. We talked about what was hard, what was funny and what worried us for the future. We didn't talk too much about old times, but why would we? We just picked up right where we were. What an amazing gift. Love that girl!

Nine

2010-06-25T22:45:00.005-06:00

Big Boy #2 turned nine yesterday and after spending the day at Cub Scout Day Camp, we let him pick a restaurant to celebrate. With eight hours outside in 90' heat, BB#2 picked Red Robbin, opting for both a shake AND a sundae! (This is were I insert that Diamond wins Husband/Father of the Year for taking a day off work to take BB#2 to camp, so I didn't have to. Did I mention the 90' heat, or the million sweaty little boys, or the porta-potties? Ugh!!!)

For his present, we decided to give him a "shopping spree" - a pile of one-dollar bills and an evening with mom to spend it all. He was just jazzed to play with the cash!

It's actually a bit of a tough thing: to have money burning in your pocket, figuring out what is of highest priority, making sure not to go over your budget, etc. But I think he was pretty happy with the results.

So here's BB#2 at age NINE:
-Likes: social studies, watching and playing sports, "adventures", treats, playing games, cuddling with mom, wii, playing ball with dad, staying in hotels, puzzles, sports cards
-Dislikes: fire coral, going to bed, not being able to do everything BB#1 can do, sleeping in his room, chores, shopping for household things
-Good at: sports, reading, making people laugh, writing, archery (at Cub Camp)

I love you tons bud. I'm so glad you are part of our family!

Aspen Adventure

2010-06-25T22:23:00.002-06:00

Diamond had some business in Aspen, and since the boys were out of school we decided to all come along.

One of the highlights was playing in these fountains in the pedestrian mall.

The boys were trying to run over the fountains without getting wet.

Oops! Just missed!

They were having such a great time that they started to draw a bit of an audience, with one guy even offering money to them if they could make it lengthwise without getting wet.

While the weather was pretty much cold and rainy while we were there, it was still a welcomed break from regular life.

The boys enjoyed exploring this little ghost town we spotted off the side of the road and I got a kick out of listening to BB#1 tell us all about Colorado history.

Bucket List

2010-06-21T16:44:00.006-06:00

One of the things on my bucket list is to visit every state in the US. Here's what I've got so far:

It helps to grow up one side of the nation and then settle on the other side. Plus all those road trips between New York and Utah covered a lot of states. My parents always drove new routes so we could see more of the nation. I've been crossing off states since I was a little kid. (One of reasons I opted to travel to New Orleans for Diamond's 40th was because I hadn't been to Louisiana yet.)

I have six states left: Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Alaska. Until last week I thought I had been to Oklahoma. I can't explain the degree to which it annoys me that I have one more state than I had originally figured.

Of course this states thing has become a bit of a competition. My sister only has seven left. Growing up together, she was able to count many of the same states as me. But now she is planning a road trip through the deep south - which will allow her to pull ahead. GRRRR!

Is it crazy that I'm considering a road trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a quick drive through the Oklahoma panhandle?

No Longer a Queen

2010-06-19T18:46:00.000-06:00

After sixteen years of marriage, we finally traded in the Queen.

And upgraded to a King sized bed.

Dave is wondering why we need so many pillows - 14 in all. What a boy! I think they look great.

While it hasn't been a super dramatic change, I have noticed a few things:

1- Getting into this bed is a bit like climbing a small mountain. Do you see how HIGH this thing is - especially compared to our old bed? The boys literally take a running start.
2- It takes a long time to make a bed that has 14 pillows on it.
3- When the boys and I are reading in my bed at nighttime, we actually fit.
4-Handing down our old queen to BB#2 has not stopped him from coming into our room at around 1am every night. And despite the bigger bed, he continues to occupy the floor.
5- I've really enjoyed spreading out in my sleep, but Diamond continues to occupy the same small space on his side of the bed. He has no more sleeping room than before, while I have a managed to commandeer 2/3 of the bed.

I have a friend who told me she wouldn't want a King - she likes sleeping closer to her husband. How sweet. Me? I like my two-thirds of the bed.

Love ya babe!

Charmed, I'm Sure

2010-06-02T23:24:00.009-06:00

Friday is Big Boy #1's last day of elementary school.

He watched the puberty video at school Wednesday.

And I can't quite shake the feeling the days of easy family life, and my charmed existence may very well be numbered.

After being horrified that the boys and girls were made to sit together during the Talk (probably the only way to make that little chat MORE awkward - icky!) Big Boy #1 asked me what the narrator meant when he stated that throughout puberty the kids might feel "mean" and "moody." Although I have historically looked forward to having teenagers in my home, I'm starting to realize that I'm not going to be the "cool" teacher that "gets" the kids. I'm going to be the mom - the one they can't stand, who doesn't understand, locked in battles of will. I am dreading the stress and strain that, even in the best of situations, characterizes what will be happening in my home over the next several years.

I may sometimes complain, but life is really quite good right now.

We're out of the needy and exhausting baby stage. Even the Caboose can manage all the basics. If he's hungry, he can get himself a snack and if he gets bored, he is pretty great about entertaining himself. Meanwhile, the big boys are virtually self-sufficient. I truly loved my babies, but I also really, really enjoy the ease and freedom of having kids that are a bit older.

It feels like we're between two worlds. We are past the babies, and not quite into the teens; children. What a wonderful existence. I just wonder how much longer we have...

The Big 4-0 in the Big Easy!

2010-05-11T14:59:00.000-06:00

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT NEW ORLEANS:

1. The ARCHITECTURE was stunning.

In the Garden District:

The wrought-iron balconies were a.maz.ing

2. BEADS WERE EVERYWHERE. I asked a local why someone doesn't come around after Mardi Gras and take down the beads that accidentally land on the trees, street signs and stoplights. She looked at me like I was crazy - "Why would we???" I loved seeing trees covered in beads!

Where else in the entire WORLD would you find this?

3. The JAZZ MUSIC was as ubiquitous as the iron work in the French Quarter, and I could have sat for hours and just listened to all the street musicians. (Although for every fabulous jazz ensemble, there was someone standing around singing off-key hoping for some cash.)

We spent an evening at Preservation Hall, this little dive that consisted of nothing more than wooden benches and great jazz.

It was such a tiny place, and we were able to get seats right up front, next to the Emmy award winning drummer.

4. The HISTORY was fascinating. We were able to see a couple old sugar plantations, including the original slave homes. (The US History teacher in me was totally intrigued by this!)

Diamond in front of Oak Alley Plantation - beautiful! (Gorgeous 300 year old trees!!!)

Plus the French Quarter has a ton of buildings that date back 300+ years. Love it!

5. It's a BUCKET LIST thing. I've been to almost every state in the US, but somehow have never made it to the deep South. Plus Diamond had wanted to go and see what it was like. Since he was turning 40, and half in the grave (see below!) it was fun to see someplace new.

LaFayette Cemetery #1, famous for all the mausoleums. (We also got to see the grave of Judge Ferguson, from the precedent setting Plessy v. Ferguson case.)

6. It's a PARTY TOWN. I love that people on their balconies were randomly throwing beads into crowds on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. And I felt ridiculously cool that I managed to catch some of those beads while in New Orleans!

What I did NOT like about New Orleans:

1. OH MY GOSH it is HOT! 90' and 90% humidity left me wilting and grouchy. Add that to the fact that since we stayed in the French Quarter we walked everywhere. I was plain exhausted a good bit of the time.

Even if it never rained, I swear all this greenery could just drink in the air!

2. While everyone goes on and on about the great FOOD in Nola, I'm not a fan of seafood and was homesick for some ol' Colorado type Mexican. (I ordered nachos at Hard Rock Cafe - loser, I know!) The one exception were the super delicious beignets at Cafe du Monde. Yeah, had those twice.

3. BOURBON STREET certainly deserves its reputation as one of the world's biggest party streets. I could handle the bars and the drunks, but when a strange woman began to solicit my husband with (I swear I'm not kidding) "Hey Big Boy!"?!? Eww. Eww. Eww.

All in all? Although I have no particular desire to go back, I'm glad we went. But I do wonder if we maybe did it wrong - there was so much to see and we pushed pretty hard to see it ALL, up early every morning, and going strong all day. It was not much of a "Big Easy" trip for us. I kinda wish we could have figured out a way to come on business - less pressure to see everything, more down time....

No matter. It was a great surprise for Diamond, and a fabulous way to turn 40!

Surprise!

2010-05-08T15:00:00.013-06:00

For the last several years, I have been putting aside $20 a month in the name of Diamond's 40th birthday. As his birthday got closer, I started selling some of my scrapbook tools on Craig's List, etc. and by the time I put it all together I had enough for a quick trip somewhere in the US.

Of course Diamond knew nothing about any of this.

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 10:30 Sunday morning, so I got up like I was going to my morning leadership church meetings, but came home shortly after because there was a (pretend) emergency, and Diamond and I needed to quickly head up to the hospital. (Really, it was a totally reasonable scenario.) He quickly put on his suit and we dropped the kids off at my parents before heading up to the "hospital".

About 3/4 of the way to the airport, I told him we were actually going to the airport. His first response? Grumpy.

"What about work?" Vacation time had been pre-approved

"I don't have any clothes!" Our packed bag was in the back.

"What about my Sunday School lesson?" I had organized a substitute.

"How are we paying for this?" Taken care of.

When he was finally convinced that all the details had been taken care of, he started to enjoy the process. Here he is changing into travel clothes at the airport parking lot:

"Where are we going?" was his next question. I wanted to keep him in the dark for as long as possible. While we were in line at security I taunted him; "Think of it, you could be ANYWHERE in the US by lunchtime!!!"

We got all the way to the terminal without him figuring out where we were headed. As I approached the sign which would tell me which gate was ours, Diamond said "Come on! You have to pick a side!!!" Nope! I stood right in the middle and closely looked at each and every screen.

Diamond was thinking Phoenix, or maybe New Orleans. But there were also gates leaving for Orlando, San Diego and Salt Lake. "We better NOT be going to Salt Lake!" (Reason #394 why I married him!)

As we passed by the Phoenix sign, he said "I think we're going there." "Maybe!" "Well, I'm sitting down!" So we sat in the Phoenix waiting area for a bit, then I got up and suggested we keep walking around. We basically did the same thing at the Orlando gate.

Then I spotted a flight that was boarding, headed to New Orleans and we got in line. "So we're going to New Orleans?" I told him that he should know me well enough to know that I would stand in the wrong line, just to throw him off. Then again, this could be our flight...

It wasn't until we gave our tickets to the airline worker and actually got on the plane that Diamond knew where we were going: New Orleans, LA.

I had originally envisioned a beach somewhere, but with our recent cruise, I opted for New Orleans, a place we had never been and were curious to explore. Plus Diamond had mentioned a few times that he would love to go there. Once we were settled into our seats, I handed him some travel books and he read up on "Nola" the whole way there.

Day O' Fun

2010-05-08T14:48:00.010-06:00

For Diamond's 40th birthday, we decided to surprise him with a Day O' Fun. (Actually, this whole day was created just to throw him off of the bigger surprise that was coming the next day.)

We started with a nice breakfast of creepes and cinnamon rolls. We can never do breakfast in bed with him - he's always up too early! When he was done eating, we presented him with his first of several envelopes - that had a little poem which provided a clue as to where we would be going next: a tour of Coors Field.

In the visitor's locker room:

The highlight of the tour was getting to go down by the field and in the dug out.

Just another game at Coors Field:

In the dug out:

After lunch at Smashbrother (yum!) we were off for some baseball and ice-cream:

Ouch! Those numbers have to hurt!!!

Then we headed to dinner at Texas Roadhouse, where a few of his friends were able to surprise him!

Surprise!!!

Our Day O' Fun was a lot of, well, fun. However, it was NOTHING compared to what was coming the next morning...