life, & the adventures of living it...

More finds in the Camera!!

2011-05-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

I have just completed two of the busiest months of my life...
whew!! A few pictures of the festivities...

Our easter 'peep' show...

Tanner before he performed at the annual Hip Hop recital,
they were Wandering Clowns and won 1st in all of their competitions
this year...it was a really cool dance...

Dale & Keaton just before Father & Sons, I should say
SON because the others were overbooked and couldn't go...

Tanner won the talent show at his school this year,
he & this young lady did an awesome ballroom dance to
"King of Anything" (they even got a standing ovation, which says
alot coming from middle schoolers!)...

Shay's 18th birthday ice cream bash, with 40 of
his closest friends...

And of course, graduation....

The 2nd annual 'burn all of our homework' party...

And the group at Disneyland for Senior trip...

Wow, I might need a nap!

(Baylee and Keaton were along for the ride as well but somehow managed to stay out of most of the pictures)
The goal for summer: RELAX!!!

One for the journal...

2011-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

Because I don't keep a regular journal, this will have to suffice... (I might brag for a minute so bear with me)

A few weeks ago, Tanner walked in front of his entire school, sat down at the piano and played and sang to screaming fans, a mash up of several popular songs. He was in the final round of his schools 'Thunder Idol' competition and his performance was awesome. I was a proud mom.

This year, Shay is on the 'just announced' Region Champ Desert Hills basketball team. The other night he drained the 3 point shot that won the game in overtime. I was a proud mom.

But it's times like these that REALLY make a mama proud...

I dropped off Tanner, alone to watch another schools production of the Miracle Worker.

I said, "Tanner, are you sure you want to go alone?"

He replied, "Yeah, I am sure that I will find a friend there."

Just as he was getting out of the car, he saw Maddie and Macy, two sisters that go to his school and just happen to have downs syndrome.

They saw him, came running and gave him a big hug.

Tanner walked off with them....one arm around Maddie and one arm around Macy.

About a year ago, a cute girl encouraged Shay to come help at Special Needs mutual with her. He has been going every week since then. He has formed a great friendship with two boys in particular. Last night was their annual road show. It was all about happiness. My otherwise reserved son danced and sang to Walking on Sunshine to a packed house at the High School.

My kids are getting it, through the example of some great friends, they are getting it.

I was an inspired mom.

Well, no wonder...

2011-01-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

I have found the solution to the problem. I have been looking at things the wrong way. This morning, after a grueling PowerSculpt class at the gym, the instructor said,

"Good Job, have a great day and stay away from the sugar!"

Funny...I had been thinking that because I worked so hard I should go home and reward myself.

Hey! Look what I found in my camera...

2010-06-29T11:57:00.001-07:00

one of the blessings of the calling...baseball, (and one cute kid)...

fun at the lake...

if Baylee's personality could be captured on film,
this is what it would look like...

kid's quilt retreat, those girls are getting good...

swim camp, Baylee trying to earn enough money for
an ipod touch...

trip to Park City with the Larsen's...

annual Cinco de mayo party...

broken wrist, biking at young men's...

hip-hop dance recital...

there's an update...whew, I barely remembered how to do that!

Changes...

2010-03-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

Last week, I watched my 8th grader kiss a girl and tell her that he loved her...
he was acting, but still...

Yesterday, I went to the maturation assembly with Baylee...
(which, I must say, was rather cheesy, especially when they said
"Once you get things figured out, you'll hardly notice anything different"
to which I wanted to say,
"LIES!!! It's miserable and you notice it every month......BUT, it's worth it.")

Today I am going to the high school to sign my child up to take the ACT test...
yes, ladies and gentlemen, that means college...

Little Snippets of Joy...

2010-01-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

After a week of children throwing up, fevers, EXTREMELY bloody noses, leaking roofs, installed carpet that wasn't quite right and a paint finish that was REALLY not right, I figured it was time for some snippets of joy...

*Desert Hills beat Pine View in probably the most exciting basketball game I have ever been to.
(hence, the extremely bloody nose)

*After church yesterday, my children, in support of their Dad, went straight to their rooms and changed into their Saints attire & sat & watched his beloved team win the game that will take them to the SuperBowl for the first time in 43 years. (I don't care if the offense was weak or if Brett Favre threw a crazy interception....a win is a win and the SAINTS are going to the SuperBowl!!) WHO DAT!!

*Watching Tanner & Baylee, who quite frankly spend most of their time fighting, sit down together & cheer each other on as they got to another stage in Super Mario Brothers.

*Keaton asking me if he could get a facebook account. ??? Are you kidding me? He's 6 and just learning how to read. I had a good laugh though.

*Getting a call from my 'bff', informing me of a new Jane Austen mini-series on PBS.

*After a long, taxing week, sitting down with a bowl of Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream and watching that very Jane Austen mini-series on PBS.

Signs that maybe I might be going crazy...

2010-01-20T00:12:00.001-08:00

Apart from the fact that I have nearly given up blogging altogether and that I haven't cleaned my house in over a month...

this is the reason I believe that I have finally gotten too much on my plate...

The other day, having a rare moment at home, I thought I should cook dinner. I went to the fridge/freezer and thought "mmmm, I don't think I remember how to do that." Which led me to my second thought, "WOW...just how long has it been since I have done that?" Which led me to my third thought, "just exactly what has my family been eating since I did that?"

Fast forward to today, when I actually prepared dinner...a simple chicken & rice casserole. Easy enough, right?

When I went to pull it out of the top oven 2 hours later, I was horrified to find that I had turned on the bottom oven instead. Can you say "what do you want on your sandwich?"

Crazy indeed...pure loco.

Social dance & a kid loving high school...

2009-11-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

We are all shocked that Shay has taken to dancing like he has,

in his words, "Best class, ever!"

on a side note,

Saturday as we were coming home from Soccer

Keaton exclaimed, "I'm unstoppable!"

My first thought, "Wow, he needs to be humbled."

I am blaming this on Dale because the next thing Keaton said was,

"Mom, what does unstoppable mean?"

The IV drip I like to call family...

2009-10-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have an idea that will make me rich.

Self-confidence in liquid form (& no, I am not talking about Diet Coke).

Just a little IV drip each night to put back a little "I don't care what others think of me" into my daughter's bloodstream. Rich, i'm telling you.....millions.

My mom said it will get worse before it gets better. We are going to need it STAT.

Until then, I have to say a big thanks to cousin Ali (who happens to adore Baylee and was just as good as an IV) and to a thoughtful Grandma (picnics and carnivals work too).

what FALL looks like at the FORBES (through FOTOS)

2009-10-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Of course, there is college football...

and flag football...

Shay trying to explain the line of scrimmage to 5 year olds

cut back for a TOUCHDOWN!

and then there is soccer...

* it should be noted that Dale is coaching both

then there is the blooming social life...

Tanner's birthday party

Shay at Homecoming

and a few design jobs for me...

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

but...

Fall is my favorite time of year, I love the crisp mornings, the mellow days, putting on sweaters, wrapping up in blankets, eating soup and finally, finally...the end of 100 degree weather.

Stretching...

2009-08-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

I figured that since I was employed by a Technology College, I should become more 'technical'.

This is my latest purchase, isn't it pretty?

(Yeah, I might be able to work it.)

Tuesday I had class on how to use a smartboard, yugma and a gadget named Elmo.
I have learned to use (& barely understand) terms like Kaizen blitz, Six Sigma and

Lean Manufacturing.

And tonight, I am going to read about fire and rescue accreditation.

My comfort zone has officially become a thing of the past.

Quick change artist...

2009-08-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

On average, Keaton changes his clothes 3 times a day.
The outfit must match the activity after all.
I was mortified though, to see his pile of shorts as I did the laundry this week...22.
No wonder I can't catch up on laundry.
Clearly, the boy needs a talking too.
And then it hit me...

How, how (?) does he have so many to begin with?

Working...

2009-08-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

I have entered the work force again and I am now employed by Dixie Applied Technology College.

There are a few things that I have learned by working...

1. Since I am not around to do everything, the kids miraculously figure things out on their own, who knew?

2. I manage my time so much better when I am busy, and I have been BUSY!!!

3. I kind of like it.

However, sometimes the best laid plans...

It is back to school time and I have been stressed a bit about Keaton and working out babysitting for him before Kindergarten, I had it all arranged for the first week. Things looked as if they were ready to go...

Yesterday, Dale called me and said Keaton came home with a headache...

Ten minutes later, he called and told me Keaton had thrown up all over the floor.

And this morning, I had to call in to work, because he continued to throw up all night.

Have I ever said how much I love the stomach flu?

In any case, here are the kiddos on their first day....(this pose was painful for Shay and Tanner, can you tell?)

Summer fun...

2009-08-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

Cousin Natalee came & stayed for a few weeks...

a great time was had by all

swimming...

sewing...

trip to Price...

baptisms...

pasta factory...

soda sale...

and if you have ever met her, you would know that there was alot of other things as well,

kitchen kids, plays, pottery, all night parties, movies...to name a few.

So much fun, the kids are already having withdrawals.

Who knows how we will ever get used to a schedule and school again.

Love you Natalee!!

Boredom...

2009-07-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Remember how I made the mistake of saying that I might actually be bored?...

Yeah, well, never mind.

Talent...

2009-07-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

It really is unfair that I came to earth not being able to sing. Yeah, I know, I have other talents, blah, blah, but singing is one that I really wished I had and no amount of practice time in the shower is going to make it better.

I hope that there is a place in the next life where I can live out my dream,
where I could play the part of Galinda "with a ga" or even more appropriately, the part of Elphaba.

It would be an awesome part of heaven don't you think? My mom could be a ballerina, Shay could play on an NBA team, Dale would be working at Rivals.com, and my Dad would be sitting in a cow pasture as Sarah Brightman serenades him. Ahhh....

I guess I will just have to settle for being a spectator. Which I was. The other night. And can I just say, that it lives up to all the hype. If you get the chance, I highly recommend it...

Amazing amounts of talent on that stage...

Camping, surgery-ing, sleepover-ing, designing, reading & summer-ing, OH MY!!

2009-06-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Signs of summer:

Doors opening and closing, opening and then closing again, bringing all types of children in and out. Black hand prints on the walls (a sure sign that I need to power spray the driveway, again), popsicle remnants on the concrete, late nights, later mornings and the endless question....Who can I play with now?

I recently returned from girls camp, Shay is at basketball camp, Tanner is leaving for scout camp next week and Keaton is going to flag football camp, he was a little nervous about it and said "Who will I sleep with?" (Apparently he thought it was like Shay's where he slept over. )

On returning from girls camp, I found out that Shay needed surgery on his nose, so we spent the day with the same nurses, in the same hospital, going over the same things as a few weeks ago. I must say, it is much nicer to be on this side of the deductible.

We haven't seen much of Baylee this summer, she is our social butterfly, the older she gets, the bigger and stronger the wingspan. The girl has made an art out of play...and sleepovers, she is rarely seen without a friend.

The past few days I have been working for some friends, helping them set up and decorate a home that will be used as a company retreat. Furniture, bedding, decor, and a full working kitchen!! Last night, we purchased seven full carts at Target. It is rather fun to spend other people's money and I am finding that I do love using my degree, so much so that I am going to get a business license and dabble in it a bit more.

Sounds like a crazy summer, eh? I am amazed at how much time sending my kids to school takes and how much time I save having a son that drives, sometimes I even find myself positively bored. I have even ventured out to the library and I am currently making my way through a stack full of books.

And can I just say, Where did this weather come from? I am a bit nervous that because we are enjoying such wonderful temperatures now, summer might extend into November. Who knows, maybe it's global warming... In any case, I am loving it.

Come on now Shay...

2009-06-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

I keep telling him that he needs to be less confrontational.

You would think that he would listen to his mom.

I don't know what to do, he's always picking fights.

No really,

he had a run in with a teammate while going for a loose ball,

can you say OUCH?

& yes, the nose is broken.

Peer pressure...

2009-05-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

The other day Tanner went to work with Dale. For 12 hours.

There was alot of time for conversation.

Tanner came home & was sharing with Baylee some of it, here is what I heard...

T: "Did you know that when Dad was a teenager he wanted to be in this club
where they had initiations, and he had to climb a tree naked?"

B: "Really, why would he want to be in that club?"

And I thought,

please, please, please let her always feel this way, & act accordingly.

(Dale is going to be so happy that I shared his life story with ya'll)

Milestones...

2009-05-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

I remember turning 16. Vividly. I remember 14, 15..........16!!! It seemed to take forever, but it meant one thing to me....
Independence.
I had a thing for independence.

Here is my picture of the day...

I took Shay to get his drivers license at 7:00 am.
On the way home, I looked over and saw him smiling. He was giddy.
He was planning out his day, driving to and from school, how he was going to pull back the sunroof, what music he would be playing, where he was going to park.
Independence.
I don't know how I feel about independence.

In the back yard of my parents home, a nest was built and a robin laid some eggs. That robin protected those eggs so much so that my Mom was afraid to go out back. We watched the eggs turn into baby birds and then one day the Mom showed up with a worm & perched herself on the opposite wall of the baby birds. They knew she was there with a worm and opened their beaks, waiting for her to come and drop it in. She didn't. She sat on that wall, forcing her babies out of the nest. Waiting for them to fly. And sure enough, that's just what they did.

Faith.

This letting go, this forcing him out of the nest thing is hard, knowing that he is on the cusp of so many decisions, mistakes, challenges and dangers. Knowing that the best thing for him is to gently force him to fly.

Thank goodness we are not exactly like the birds and have to do it in a two week period of time.

So, Happy Birthday, and Independence Day Shay!!! We love you!!!

Ah...surgery...

2009-05-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

I am 6 days post op. One of which I really do not remember, thanks to some wonderful medication.
Things went as well as I could have expected.
I only have an eight inch horizontal scar, rather than a possible vertical one.
My uterus was eight times the normal size, weighing in at just over 2 pounds.
(a difficult way to lose weight, but i'll take it)
I was able to keep my ovaries, so if all goes well, my family will not have to bunker down.
And...
even though I was as close as possible, I did not have to get a transfusion.
Let the Iron building begin!!
I have learned some things over this week...
while it has been nice to lie around, reading books and watching movies, I am grateful that I don't have to do it on a regular basis.
Being able to do housework, drive, and quite frankly, go to the bathroom, are all HUGE blessings.
And...
I am blessed with a network of family, friends and neighbors that are awesome.
I have no choice but to sit back and watch you serve...Thank You!!

Cinco de mayo....

2009-05-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

or Ocho de mayo, however you want to look at it.

Last night was our 3rd annual party, I am always amazed at who shows up...

Somehow, Nacho Libre got an invite...

Teenagers...

2009-05-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last night was Shay's first official date. He went to a school dance, called 'Cheapskate'.

Two nights before the dance I asked these questions:

"Do you have a plan?", "What are you doing for dinner?", "What do you need me to do?"

His response:

"Mom, we've got it under control...don't come in and take over."

Ugh. Okay. I get it. Letting go...now.

Fast forward to Friday night, it's 4:15 pm. His ride is coming at 5:00. He pulls out some t-shirts and said,
"I need to paint our names on these, do you have some paint?" ??????
Fast forward, again, to 4:25 and we are blow drying the painted t-shirts when he gets a text and then says to me,
"So, can we do dinner... here?"

Are you kidding me????????

This, my friends, is why it's hard for me to stay out of things.

Shay: "But we have all of the food, we just need a place to eat"

Me: "Okay, what do you have?"

Shay: "We bought four boxes of Macaroni & Cheese"
(keep in mind, the dance is called 'cheapskate')

Seriously. Are. You. Kidding. Me?

I am a rescuer by nature. I am good at the swooping in. This was no time to watch him fall on his behind. After a frantic trip to the store and to a neighbors, I produced a swanky meal of mac and cheese (this part about killed me), hot dogs, jello and watermelon....complete with sparkling cider in flute glasses, centerpieces & chargers.

At 1 am, when Shay was helping me clean up, he must have said "thank you" 20 times.
I asked him, "on a scale of 1 to 10, how was your first date?"
He said, "probably a 9 or a 10."

And that, my friends, is why I am a rescuer.

Some of the group enjoying the chocolate fountain,

my original responsibility

Hey batter batter...

2009-04-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Keaton has worn some version of his baseball uniform for 20 days now.

Monday night, he begged and begged for a pair of batting gloves, he just had to have them, "for the big game!!"

Today, we took his money & went to Target to buy wristbands.

Tonight, we play the "Red Boston Socks", who "are the best" and could "bury us" because they have a kid named August on their team who can hit the ball "a mile".

Man, I love this kid!!!

Ah....parenthood...

2009-04-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Did I say sometimes I fall short and sometimes I get it right?

When my kids were young, I always felt that others were judging me by the milestones....

"He still has a binky?",

"When do you think that you'll start potty training?"

Since then, my mediocre parenting hasn't been as obvious to the outside world.
Or so I thought...

Shay & I went to the dentist the other day and do you know how many cavities he has????

TEN!!

It's painful, but true.....TEN.....TEN!! And he's not even my sugar eater!!

I could have sworn he was brushing...

Here is reason to retreat...

2009-04-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

At quilt retreat I made these...

and this yummy quilt...

and got to see my VERY fun round robin...

all of which made me incredibly happy, but here is the real reason I retreat...

Yesterday I had an echo-cardiogram, the technician asked how many kids I had, I said 4...
then he said "So, do you know what you're having this time?"
I didn't even cry...I just laughed and thought to myself, poor man, I bet he'd like to find a big rock to hide under.

Today I went to the gynecologist & the dentist. Yes. On the same day. I didn't even cry...I just laughed and thought to myself, how did that happen?

I don't know how long it will be till the effects of the weekend wear off...but I'll tell you this, retreating is good for the soul...

My cousin describes it best on her blog, you should check it out...

Those quilters, they have it figured out...

2009-03-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

A package came today...
it is the third one that I have ordered in the last month, all from different online stores.
They all looked like this, packaged cute & sent with a handwritten thank you note.
I don't know if they are just inherently detail oriented or just content to be surrounded by fabric, but they sure act like they're happy!!!

(*Hey happy ladies!!! Quilt Retreat is in 6 days.....Yoo HOOOOOOO!!!)

It's all starting to make sense...

2009-03-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

It seems like I have discovered the REAL reason I love Diet Coke so much.
I had my blood drawn on Monday.
Tuesday, the Dr.'s office called and politely insisted that I RUN, not walk to the store to get some iron supplements.
I am officially anemic, they rarely see it so low.
Must be why I'm dead tired and always craving a good steak...

Summary...

2009-03-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

I am stealing a minute of time to post, and stealing an idea from a cousin to use in my post....

Current house guests: 15

Days they are staying: 7

Pairs of shoes by the door: 25

Gallons of milk consumed so far: 6

Plastic cups sitting on the counter: 22

Average bed time: 1 (am)

Meltdowns because of the average bedtime (not including my own): 4

Years since they have visited: 4

Amount of fun my kids are having: LOADS

Therapy...

2009-03-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

I am sitting, eavesdropping, on a conversation that Tanner is having with his cousin, she is on speaker phone. Amazing.

She thinks her butt is big and says that she is fat. He told her that she was being silly & that it doesn't matter what she looks like, it's all about how she feels about herself from the inside.

Wow!! That is exactly the conversation that I have had with him many times.

Maybe he is actually listening.

She said,"you should be a psychologist."

He said, "is it working?"

She said, "no."

I guess now he knows how I feel.

I must be addicted...

2009-02-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

How do I know? Let me count the ways...

1. I have a headache and have had one for 8 days.

2. I'm an emotional drinker. I know this because today I threw my back out and I was pretty sure that a Diet Coke would somehow fix it. Tonight I am fighting the urge to run to the convenience store because it would be easier than figuring out how to instill self confidence & moxie into a daughter who's had it all along and lost it somewhere in the last few months.

3. About once every 28 days or so, I get severely anemic. So much so that the Red Cross will not accept my O negative. Anemia=tired. I need caffeine.

4. I just like the fizz.

Now here are the reasons that I will keep up the good fight:

1. Somewhere I heard that caffeine makes your pores bigger. I believe it!! Mine seem to be shrinking. (However, I have had a headache for eight days & I may not be seeing straight.)

2. The static in my hair has not been as bad. (I am hoping that it is from all the water that I am drinking and not from that new hair gel.)

3. Plus, and this one is hard to admit, I just feel better.

4. And, I think I can still be fun without it.

So, with that said, I will stop blogging about Diet Coke. The next time, America, when you read my blog I will be one emotionally sound, smaller pored, headache free, energetic Mom who writes about much more important things.

P.S. I forgot all about my own challenge to create happiness for one day...tomorrow is the day, all day long, I am going to create happiness...wish me luck.

So long, soda....

2009-02-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

One week. Seven days. 168 hours. A lot of minutes. Tons of seconds since my last Diet Coke.

I had to call my sponsor today.
It was rough going there for a minute.

Ode to a great Mom...

2009-02-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

While Dale & I were off cheering our basketballer on, my Mom took over car pool, tutored my daughter & helped the kids make stuffed pigs for a humanitarian project (their goal is 100!!). I feel very lucky. Enough said.

Call me the Fireman (or woman)....that's my name...

2009-02-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

I have been putting out fires for weeks and blogging seems to be only a smoldering one...

Here is what has kept me away...

I have been working on the school yearbook. How did I get myself roped into such a project, you say? I still don't know myself, but if I remember correctly, some lady called me when I was multi-tasking and thus caught me at a weak moment...the answer is always yes when I am weak. Of course, these projects often take far more time than I imagine & this particular one has turned into a wildfire!!

Quilt retreat is coming up, which is a good fire, but my abilities to procrastinate...fan the flames. I have two round robin quilts to catch up on and invitations to make & send. Just a note for family members, the invitations will be coming soon and we are going to have all sorts of FUN!!!

Since I was the one to send out the happiness challenge, I figured that I ought to at least try it out. I have been unsuccessful at spreading happiness for a full day, but have improved in a few areas.
Like now, when Keaton came in & said that he was cold & wanted to sit on my lap (I've been on the computer all day), I said, "absolutely!".

He is now asleep, & making it difficult for me to type...but I'm still smiling.

Or when Baylee wanted to make valentines at the same time I needed to make dinner & pick up Shay.
I showed her where to craft, she made a big mess, the big mess is still there...I'm still smiling. This is a milestone for me.

So, I'm blogging, no sense in getting to that 'clean the house' fire...because no matter how hard I try with that one...it will not extinguish!!!

Time travel...

2009-01-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

It really is silly what makes me happy.

This is post for all of you closeted 80's rockers, the other day I was listening to an 80's station on satellite radio & happened upon a little ditty that I had forgotten about...

Autograph's "Turn up the radio"

It made me so happy while I was driving that I actually did turn up the radio & roll down the windows. My kids were mortified!! Which just fanned the flame...

Seriously, too much fun.

2009 Challenge #4...

2009-01-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, I read the last post in the light of day & want everyone to know that I wrote it more from anger, & the need to vent rather than from self pity. However, it is wonderful to have such kind people in my life.
That being said, and in an effort to pull myself up by my bootstraps (I've located the B12), here is the next challenge...

This one is inspired by the General Relief Society conference address "Happiness, Your Heritage" by President Uchtdorf, (you should read it) & by Enrichment night last week...

Pick a day, any day, & for the WHOLE day...

CREATE happiness.

This will be easy for some but really hard for me, as it is not one of my natural talents.

Deadline: February 22nd.
(I am giving you a whole month, therefore a whole cycle, this will come in handy when choosing the day!!)

A call for honesty...

2009-01-21T21:19:00.001-08:00

This is one of those posts that I will write tonight, & probably delete tomorrow. Sleep might help me see the delirium. The funny thing is that even as I write....I, myself, can see the delirium. I was reading a blog the other day & the writer called for more honesty....

Here is my honesty....

Tonight, I feel like a failure.

Baylee tried to run away (only for a second), but I am sure that she has cried herself to sleep by now. Her math & spelling scores still remain low, and I can't seem to find an extra minute to work on them with her, let alone get her violin practiced & her book report finished.

We went to Shay's basketball games tonight, & he didn't dress for JV or Varsity, which has never happened before & he was near tears sitting in the stands. It has put my in a dark mood all night.

Yesterday, when I announced that it was a 'fend for yourself kind of night' at dinner....Tanner replied, "every night is a fend for yourself kind of night at dinner."

My weight is at an all time high, I don't know this for sure because I am scared to death to step on the scale, but I feel it and it doesn't feel good.

I am sick of feeling inadequate because I don't have a large educational fund in savings for my kids, my boys don't have their eagle scout awards, my food storage is not complete, my baseboards are dirty, we don't read scriptures every night, FHE is just getting in the car to get ice cream....again?, our savings account is dwindling, and I can't seem to be the happy, have cookies ready when the kids come home from school, let my kids roll down the stairs with the bean bags, kind of mom. I'm hating the competition right now, & I wish I could make myself not care.

My mom would say this is hormones, & I wouldn't totally disagree but while were on that subject....progesterone is for the birds & makes me feel like I, myself could power a good year blimp. arghhh....

So....how's that for honesty?

It made me feel a little bit better.

Maybe tomorrow, after I sleep & have a good run, I will be motivated to delete this post...
or maybe, just maybe something magical will happen in the night & I will not care if you all learn that I am not perfect and that honestly, I am sick of trying to be.

Excercise epiphany...

2009-01-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

Because of injury, cold weather, & no motivation, my running friends & I have decided to walk, instead of run during this winter season.

We timed ourselves today... we walk nearly as fast as we run.
My friend said we should aim to be like the speed walkers that compete in the Senior Games.

I don't know which was harder to swallow...
the fact that all these years of running, we were really barely past walking
or
realizing that we are not that far away from qualifying to compete in the Senior Games.

2009 Challenge #3...

2009-01-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

Make that Doctors appointment that you have been putting off.

Deadline: Jan. 21st

Oh, & the challenge isn't complete until you actually GO to the doctor.

And the baby turns five...

2009-01-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

5 reasons to celebrate Keaton:

1. He is a joy to have around & makes us all laugh at the things he says.
2. His enthusiasm for life is endless, roughly translated...he is incapable of holding still.
3. He is good at pretty much everything he does, even break dancing and tumbling.
4. He is a friend to many.
5. He is a charmer & has every one of us under his spell.

Life got the best of me last week.
I knew I had to plan a friend party & the best day was last Saturday.
It was Thursday & I still had no ideas.
Then like magic, I found this great idea via the internet.
I highly recommend this party, it was a hit!!
We pulled it off in two days,
it really was simple, easy & inexpensive.

Keaton's Carnival
Ping pong toss (the prize was a real live goldfish-which half of them, I'm sure are dead....Sorry)
Football throw, Fishing pond, Ring Toss, Bean bag toss, Face painting, duck, duck, goose and
my friend even brought her horses for horse rides...a great time was had by all.

2009 Challenge #2...

2009-01-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

Because the last challenge will take a year to complete, here is another one to keep you busy this week,

Clean and organize a closet.

Hint: You can even take a before and after photo to include in your daily photo challenge.

Deadline, Jan 10th.

My closet and husband will be so happy....

New year, new challenge...

2008-12-30T19:53:00.001-08:00

Ok, this challenge will take some time....a year to be exact.

Take one picture every day for the next year. You can record them however you wish, I am going to buy Becky Higgin's kit of the month off of lisabearnson.com. Her kits are amazing because they include everything you need. I read the idea out of the January issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine and got excited. Just think, a picture a day.....what will your life look like after 365 of them?

Holiday snippets of joy...

2008-12-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

1. Christmas season also means basketball season for us. Two years ago, Dale told Shay that he was going to have to step it up if he wanted to make the High School team. Shay has. He has spent hours at the rec center & hours shooting in the driveway. Long story short....hard work is paying off for him. He made the basketball team and is playing on the Sophomore, JV and Varsity teams. We are having a ball watching him. Which leads me to the next snippet....

2. We are also having a ball watching Baylee play. It is her first year. Dribbling the ball is a new concept, zone? what's a zone?, and full court press it just plain hard to grasp. Since the refs weren't calling anything, and since our girls were being too nice....I told Baylee to just get in there and take the ball away from the other team. She has taken it to a new level. All I can say is that it is a good thing that they don't call fouls, because she would be sitting on the bench.

3. A son with a creative knack. Tanner purchased the yarn & made hats & scarves for all of his cousins....

(His mom is lame & hasn't sent them yet, but they are coming)

4. Gingerbread houses with the family. Who can't be happy when surrounded with that much candy...

5. A mom that brought over a Christmas bag with gifts for the kids to open each day. The gifts had special notes & thoughts about the true meaning of Christmas....

Yep, she's pretty much an awesome Mom & Grandma!!!

6. The shopping prowess of one fabulous friend completed my willow tree nativity this year. Happy, happy....

7. Enjoying putting up the Christmas decor, the cards from friends, the yummy treats from neighbors, game nights with family, the shopping, the wrapping, the lights....

8. Being serenaded by my new Sarah McLachlan CD while putting it all away, vacuuming, organizing & finding my table in the craft room once again...

Ho, ho, ho...

2008-12-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

"You were wrong, Grandma!! He is the real Santa!"

Saturday, we got to meet him...
he remembered the kids from last year & couldn't believe how
they had grown.
Baylee asked for a motor scooter, with a seat.
Keaton asked for an ipod!!??
Santa said he couldn't promise anything (thank you Santa)
and gave them a candy cane...they were thrilled!!

I
It snowed all day today....in St. George. I shopped, listened to Christmas music
and made potato soup for dinner.

People here say I'm crazy because I like the cold,
maybe I only like it because I know it won't last long,
or because I don't have to deal with boots & coats & muddy floors everyday,
or maybe I like it because it reminds me of trips to the cabin when I was young,
of chili & hot chocolate & going out late to ride down through the
trees on Grandpa's old skis,
with the lights reflecting off the snow....
of flying off the back of a snowmobile,
of Christmas day on the slopes of Brianhead, cheering as family
members did crazy things,
of rosy cheeks, cold feet & fun clothes to bundle up in,
of Christmas pageants (and practices),
of the house on the hill that played music from the chimney & lit up
the sky with lights, of NOEL spelled out across the front,
of stockings hung all over the fireplace,
of not being able to sleep & trying to sneak in to see what Santa
had left, & being caught by a Dad who wanted to seem fierce...but wasn't.
of Christmas morning, being so excited that I couldn't stand it
any longer & seeing the clock turn to 6 am & finally getting
to wake up Mom & Dad...
of being convinced one Christmas that I had, in fact, seen
the real Santa,
riding in his real sleigh,
with his real reindeers...
and really saying Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!!!

Watch out...

2008-12-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas, but it really does suck the life out of me.
I look at my ceiling fans collecting absurd amounts of dust,
my craft room is so out of control
and just the other day, Dale wondered, aloud, if we could tackle our closet.
(He can't get to his church clothes anymore, being that they are behind the hamper)

Happy to see it come, happy to see it go.

Basically, I am tired.

My Creating Keepsakes magazine came in the mail today. Usually, I read it, ear mark the pages I want to copy, make fun of what people spend time scrapbooking, feel inadequate for my lack thereof, and then go back to ignoring my pile of pictures that keep...piling up.

Well, not this month....I have great plans for the new year. I might even feel rejuvenated!! Of course, that could also be the Diet Coke talking, but I'm going with it.

Organizing, cleaning, scrapbooking friends beware, there are some new challenges on the horizon...

Good times...

2008-12-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Last night I told Keaton that we were going to GG's (Great Grandma's) for Family Home Evening to help her set up her Christmas tree.

His reply...

"Who is GG? Is she that old girl?....The one with the stick?"

I was a bit hesitant to tell my Grandma this story but realized that she was in her 90's and
must be aware that she is, in fact an old girl...with a stick.

Incidentally, she laughed, a lot, & said that she needed to put it in her history.
So, I figured that I needed to put it in mine too.

Thanksgiving...

2008-11-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

It was bound to happen, being that Thanksgiving is just around the corner...

I am thankful for light sabers, footballs & shoes strewn about my house, because it means that I have been blessed with kids.

I am thankful for a budget, because it means that we still have an income.

I am thankful for dirty dishes, because we have been able to eat...
laundry, because we have clothes...
& toilets to clean, because...well, you get the picture.

I am thankful for a messy, unorganized craft room, because it
means that I am a creative person with little time on my hands for such menial
tasks as actually putting the stuff away once I get it out.

I am thankful for the car pool, because it means that
my children have somewhere to go & some other people to go with.

I am thankful for sore muscles, because it means that I
have a body that works & that I have worked it.

I am thankful for the movie twilight, because there haven't been any
unrealistic chic flicks out for a long time & basically, I like unrealistic chic flicks.
(yeah I read the books, liked them. so what.)

I am thankful for Dale, because he isn't Edward and because in
all reality, it would suck to be married to a vampire.

I can't help but spoil em....

2008-11-19T14:10:00.001-08:00

When Shay was about 10 he was obsessed with Hum-V's. That was the car that he was going to drive when he got older. So being the kind parents that we are we went out & bought him the

latest version....

it's a little bit smaller...

more economical...

we are calling it, the Hum-B-L-E...
(just in case he started to think that he was the Hot Man on Campus)

Yes, that is a big dent in the back-end, we may or may not fix it...depending on his driving skills.
The best thing...it's a standard transmission, so it is harder to multi-task.
By that I mean text & talk on the phone,
and apparently drive...

This is where you are supposed to see a video recording of our
experience teaching Shay to drive stick in the church parking lot
but my computer is archaic & won't upload videos in a timely manner.
Just imagine a lot of jerking, laughing and Dale trying to be patient, oh
and Shay saying "I hope you're not going to put this on your blog!!!"

We had cut the lessons short because I was feeling a bit whip lashed
and getting a monster headache.
Pray for us, that we can get him street ready in 6 months.

Birthday time...

2008-11-14T06:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Baylee turned 10, after the friend party and then the family one...I was tired & didn't get this posted...

B is for the best.
she is the best daughter, the best sister, the best cousin.
she loves to go on dates with Mom & Dad, she reads to Keaton at bedtime and on Sundays, she organizes games of house, store or building forts.

A is for adventurous.
she loves scary rides, bungee tramps, rock climbing...
A could also stand for athletic, she is good at gymnastics & soccer.
Just last week she went head to head on the soccer field with a 12 year old boy & won.

Y is for youthful.
One thing I love about her is that she still plays with Littlest Pets & dolls.

L is for loving.
she loves her friends (she has a lot of them) & loves all 4 legged creatures.

E is for enthusiastic.
she not only lives in color, she lives in techni-color.
everything she does is heightened.

E is for energetic.
if we could figure out how to bottle it, we wouldn't have to save for college.

We love you BAYLEE!!

scenes from the parties

Baylee is lucky to have been born on Friday the 13th,
just like her Uncle Sam...

Happy Birthday
to 2 of our favorite people on earth.

The perfect weekend (almost)...

2008-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Those of you that know Dale, know this about him...
1. He loves LSU and everything Southern
and
2. He can't spend any money on himself, so he justifies it by taking along a willing child
(and since Shay loves LSU as much as Dale, he becomes the willing child)
therefore, the yearly trip to an LSU game has become a tradition.

This year they chose the Alabama game, not exactly a cheap ticket.
They went without tickets, hoping to find some on gameday.
(Dale said he would take out a 2nd mortgage to go, because he didn't want
to let Shay down, of course.)

They got into the game via a friend sharing some season tickets...

pretty sweet seats, I must say & no 2nd mortgage required

went to gameday on ESPN (you can see Dale for a few seconds)...
went to a parade, with the band, cheerleaders & players...

visited family & friends...
ate southern food, alligator, frog legs, po-boys, corn bread dressing (etc.)...
and had a perfect weekend (except for the score...but it was still an exciting game.)

The highlight of the whole weekend was meeting Dale Brown, former head basketball coach,
he coached Shaq, and currently has an office on campus.
Shay wrote him a letter saying that they were coming down & could they meet up with him?!!!
Coach Brown called the house last week and they set up an appointment.
Ask & you shall receive...

Shay is holding one of Shaq's shoes, size 24. (You'd think that they would at least smile.)

Challenge #3...

2008-11-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, I decided to put off the Hip Hop class challenge until later, mostly because it scares me to death, but just so you know & can prepare....it is on my list, so get ready. The next challenge is this...Do something nice for someone who annoys you. Ready, set, go...you have a week.

Really?????

2008-11-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

I am concerned.

The very first thing out of both Tanner & Shay's mouth upon coming home from school was to tell me that they heard a lot of racist comments pointed towards the White House today. I asked "like what?", they repeated a few of them and it was instantly apparent that kids were getting this stuff from home.

Political viewpoints aside, the fact that kids (especially Tanner's age) even know how to utter such words is just plain wrong.

Ok. I'm done. The rose colored glasses are going back on.

Who to vote for...

2008-11-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

If Tanner were President, he said he would make trail mix without raisins.
Baylee said if she were President, she would make it with only M & M's.

Career choices...

2008-11-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

The other day, Baylee announced, as if it were a requirement,

"I don't think I'll run for President when I get older, it takes too much work."

Last night, she said that she wanted to quit violin because you can't play that instrument in a rock band. ???!!!

Shay suggested Coldplay's Viva la Vida,

I said that I seem to remember Metallica using a full orchestra in some of their music,

Tanner brought up America's got Talent,

but the best came from Dale when he said, "What about Charlie Daniel's The Devil went down to Georgia?" Baylee's reply, "WHO?"

Needless to say, practicing this morning went well. And...

If I get a vote on her future career, I would have to say "Rock on Sister!!!"

Some more snippets of joy...

2008-10-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

1. I filled up my car for $55.00. I did the happy dance all the way home.

2. I was able to spend this past weekend with some of my favorite people, working on my family history (a.k.a. scrapbooking). Dale didn't even have to lie when he said that things went well. The house was picked up when I returned. I showed him my happy dance.

3. It is no secret that Tanner is DEATHLY afraid of dogs, so walking home from school is not a simple task for him. But he does it. This week, a neighbor saw that there was a dog roaming around and kindly warned him and offered up her home as a safe haven. That was a really nice thing to do, I think she's an angel and her name is Cecilie Ott.

4. I made a jedi robe in less than 2 hours. It is much cuter than high water Iron Man.

5. I had heard of this story and check in once in awhile to get an update. The story is heartbreaking, the family is amazing. This week I found a post that altered my perspective...
http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ (Scroll down, the post is called Ticket City). Read the story too and grab some tissues.

6. Dale thought it was a good idea to just let the house go for a few days so that the kids would realize how much we do for them. I am embracing the idea.

7. Tomorrow is halloween and I am going to eat lots of candy.

self-confidence...

2008-10-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

The youth put on a halloween carnival at the church last night.
I think he's pretty brave to show up in mixed company with such a sweet tan line.
He said he did it for the kids...

And the others...
I am especially fond of high-waters Iron man...
(there was no talking him out of it)

hApPY hAunTinG!!!

Non-wisdoms from the NEST...

2008-10-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

In all my intelligence-ness, I made a comment to some friends this past weekend that went something like this...

"You have to let them fail, speaking of kids & school work, so that they will learn how to pick
themselves back up and do it on their own"

Oh, how soon my words have come back to humble me and quite frankly, bite me in the behind.
Last night, somehow we forgot about homework. It happens right? Well, it just so happened that the homework was a practice math test. As soon as Baylee frantically started it this morning, it became very obvious that it was a much needed practice math test. This morning was also early choir and the ride happened to come 10 minutes early. I'm sure all you mothers know where this is going and where it quickly went...

So, friends I apologize. Next time I spout off like I know what I am talking about just remember that I really know nothing. Saying it is one thing, practicing it is entirely different.

Warning...

2008-10-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

Before you read the next post, please remember that sarcasm is a big part of my life...

Multitasking...

2008-10-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Just in case you didn't already know....I am amazing. Just today I ordered pictures, ran errands, wrapped gifts, finished a halloween costume, cleaned the bathrooms, organized my scrapbook stuff for the weekend, made several hundred calls to people who needed to be crossed off my list, wrapped some gifts, helped with spelling and a book report, finished a spotlight poster (of all the weeks!!), ironed a scout uniform and thought about making dinner, all without yelling once....I wonder if my husband knows how talented I am...I might need a raise. In any case, I'm probably going crazy if any of you would like to join me...

Challenge #2, complete...

2008-10-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent two days messing around in Photoshop. I figured that was learning something new with my camera. Here are some results...

and this..

And the winner is...

2008-10-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of Dale's job: free Disneyland tickets. With a schedule free weekend and a tank full of gas, we got out of Dodge, so to speak.

I have never been a huge fan of Disneyland, the crowds kill me, but if you must go, California Adventures is less crowded & a lot more fun. This is what it looked like when we went back over to Disneyland to watch the fireworks...

we took one look, ditched the stroller & ran back to our hotel room.

It was fun... for a Disney experience.

But, if you asked any of my kids where they prefer to go, they would all say....

Knott's Berry Farm!!

No lines, awesome rides (for everyone), a pirate treasure hunt for Keaton...

and ticket prices so low, we could not resist. If you are in the area, may I recommend the silver
bullet, or Baylee's favorite, the Supreme Scream...

Car conversations...

2008-10-12T18:39:00.001-07:00

On the way home from extracurricular activities Tanner said this...

"Man, it is hard getting older. You have to think about school, you have to think about what
your doing after, you have to think about church, you have to think about cleaning your room."

Pause (I was thinking...yeah, I know)

Then he said: "Hey mom, did you preview that movie for me?"

To which I replied: "No, I was thinking about dinner, and picking you up, and everyone's
homework, and balancing the checkbook, and getting that load of laundry in.."

Another trip, it was a very cold day, Baylee was talking about the seasons:

"There's Spring, and Fall, and Summer, and..... What's the other one mom?"

I think we have lived in the desert too long.

Challenge #2...

2008-10-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

This one if for you Kathy, even though I had it on the list already.
Pull your camera manual out and teach yourself a new photo technique!!
Deadline (or we wouldn't do it)....October 24th.
The sky is the limit.....Have fun!!!
p.s. don't forget to post what you've learned.

Challenge #1...

2008-10-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

Shay looks so thrilled!

It's probably a good thing that I am doing this bucket list thing. In my mind, it was going to be so much different...

One of the biggest problems about this particular challenge was carving out enough time in everyone's schedule to sit down and eat a calm, serene, formal meal. Still, after all was said and done, Dale got unavoidably delayed and missed it.

That is the first reason I need to repeat it, here is the second...

I set the table before everyone came home from school. The kids walked in and said things like, "Wow, who's coming for dinner?" and "What's going on?"

and the third...

Shortly after sitting down, someone passed gas. (I won't mention her name) This was a wake up call for me. Maybe things have gotten too casual around here. So the meal turned into a lesson on manners. Apparently, having manners to Baylee means that you are from Great Britain...she spent the rest of it talking with an English accent.

and the fourth...

I am reluctant to share this last one because it would ruin the perfect image I am trying to paint of my family (hehe) BUT, we even had to set a timer to see if the kids could go 5 minutes without criticizing each other.

In the end, all I could do was laugh, because this is life...this is the good stuff!!

It's official, 2 teenagers....

2008-10-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Tanner's 13th birthday,
here are 13 reasons to celebrate him....

1. When he was 3 he stood before 50+ relatives at a family reunion talent show and did a perfect, word for word rendition of Britney Spears "Baby, one more time". Ok, the music choice was not that great, I admit that now, but he still brought the house down. And he continues to perform today without any fear!!

2. He is enthusiastic.

3. He has a great laugh & uses it all the time.

4. He has an uncanny ability to befriend misfits.

5. He is sensitive to things around him & feels deeply for people who suffer.

6. He is smart.

7. He loves the same things that I do.

8. When he finds something that he likes to do...he practices & practices. He can pogo stick for hours and can go up and down stairs.

9. He comes home from school and shares the details of the day with me.

10. He is not embarrassed to have me help at his school.

11. We have a little tradition here where I take him to the midnight premieres of all the Harry Potter movies, not my favorite movies but watching his excitement makes it super fun.

12. His views are either black or white, no grey in sight.

13. He is full of life.

Happy Birthday Tanner!! We all love you!!!

Are you up for a challenge?

2008-10-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ok bloggers & people who don't have a blog but still read them (yeah Shanda, I'm talking to you) I am getting a bit sick of the doom & gloom that the media is perpetrating lately. I know that it is reality but I don't want to take off my rose colored glasses just yet. SO.......I am going to start to spread a little joy and wondered if you wanted to come along?

This is a very round about way to get to my idea, but here goes...
A discussion came up lately about what you would do if you knew your time was short on this earth. So I thought it would be cool to make a 'bucket list' of my own. (Not that I think my time is short or anything) As I was thinking about my list, I realized that it consisted of things that scare me. I would be more apt to do those things if I had a friend to do them with. That led me to think that maybe it would be cool to get my online friends to join me....

So I will start with a challenge and you can join in if you want. If you do, make a comment on my blog, take some pictures, post them on yours and we'll see where this goes....
*if you don't have a blog, you can email me at dalejenn27@msn.com!!

1st Challenge: (inspired by April's nightly tradition)

Hold a candlelight dinner for your immediate family, complete with tablecloth & nice dishes. (I may even send out simple invitations.)

Complete the challenge by Oct. 12th..................Have fun!!

5 reasons to smile...

2008-09-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

1. One of the things that sealed the deal for me in choosing to marry my husband, was his hidden creativity. Long story, super short....when he asked me to marry him it involved a policeman, a drunk driving test and a superb acting job on Dale's part.
This past weekend we were asked to go undercover at a local 5 star spa resort & be secret shoppers. (It was really tough, I barely made it through the hot stone massage)
We had to pretend to be from out of state, so the whole weekend Dale played it up. My favorite was when we were in the van going to our early morning hike, he said to the guide "So, tell me about this Too-a-can.." (Tuachan-- a local, world famous summer theater) The way he pronounced it made me have to turn away, and smile. Yep, that's my husband!

2. Last night, we took our boys to a missionary fireside, where they were teaching the kids how to teach the first discussion. At one point, one of the teachers had Shay come up to the front (because he was the closest kid to age 14 in our group), being the smart person I am, I didn't get that the teacher was trying to compare a typical 14 year old to a 14 year old Joseph Smith, so when he asked me to give some characteristics of Shay, I said
"Well, he's obedient and he knows how to tell between wrong & right."
The teacher said "Pretty typical, right?" (I don't think he was paying attention either)
To which, several other mother's said things like, "No...not really"
So...that made me smile. Because, as a mother, I'm aware that he's still pretty typical, and yet pretty special too!!

3. I have been getting a lot of comments about Tanner lately. About how he is growing up & how handsome he is getting. It's true, he is starting THE stretch and will soon be taller than Dale.
Tanner is noticing the changes too and came to me the other day, disgusted by the hair under his arms. I had to smile and think to myself "This is nothing my friend, just wait till you start losing it on your head!" (He is so going to hate me that I shared this on my blog)

4. Baylee came home from school the other day very excited because she had been awarded the Star Student of the Month, for exemplifying September's theme of....

wait for it...

FRIENDSHIP.

This was a huge shock. I just had to smile and think, "WOW, the principal noticed too!!"

5. We are in soccer season here. Keaton lives to play. Everyday, I get questions like,
"Can I wear my uniform today?","Is it Saturday?"& "How many days till Saturday?"
Two Saturday mornings ago, he climbed into bed with me and said "Is it Saturday?"
When I replied that it was, he giggled from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes.
All I could do was smile.

Seventeen years...

2008-09-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Time flies and time stands still. When I say that we have been married for seventeen years, it feels like that is too short of a time....haven't I always known Dale? And yet, I am also amazed that we have been married seventeen years...has it really been that long?
But alas, it has.
Seventeen years ago, today, Dale picked me up in the early morning hours & we drove together to the St. George temple.
The other night, we were sharing the details about our wedding day with Tanner, when he said "Wow! One day you're single & living alone & then the next day you go home together!" Yes....Tanner, it is crazy and very nearly the most important decision you can ever make.
I look back on how young & naive I was as I made that choice & feel so grateful that I was being watched over....that I ended up with one of the good guys!!

On paper, Dale & would never work out.
We are complete opposites:

He goes to bed early, I am a night owl
He saves, I spend
He shows little emotion, I can't contain mine
He has few hobbies, I have too many
He doesn't need to be social, I do
He could care less about movies, I love them
and the list could go on....

But in reality, we are perfect for each other... he completes me (just had to throw that one in for a gag & a laugh!!) No, seriously...we balance one another out...

I have taught him the fine art of spending money, enjoying a movie, and showing some emotion. He has taught me to live on a budget, mellow out & encourages me to go to bed earlier rather than fall asleep on the sofa.

Even though we differ in so many ways, we are similar in all the right areas & I am so glad to call him my husband & friend. So happy 17th Dale.....I love you!

Dance dance EVOLUTION...

2008-09-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

It is no surprise that I am a bit freaked out about the changes happening in my children. It seems like it was yesterday when I was in High School, the memories are still fresh & have had a far reaching effect on my psyche, self-esteem and view about the world.
However, I have made up my mind to embrace these changes & celebrate them rather than live in fear for what lies ahead. (It also dawned on me the other day that fear was not necessary because we have the knowledge & tools to correct any mistake)
I am told with teenagers you are to trust, but verify. So with renewed faith, I am now volunteering for events at the High School, my sly little way of verification.
I signed up to help with the Homecoming Dance & then somehow found myself roped into taking the pictures. How? I still can't figure it out but I think it was because I had a good camera & I was cheap....by that I mean free. My good friend, bless her heart, literally dropped everything & came to help. She had recently purchased some lights & wanted to put them to work and thought that it would be a good opportunity to learn some new things.

Here is what we learned...

1. High School students suck the life out of you!! By nights end, we were beyond exhausted.
2. Photographers should wear comfortable shoes & sweats.
3. Charge money and charge for every shot that they want you to take, because if you let them,
they will stay forever posing & posing....
4. Despite the fact that Shay looks like a gigolo in the pictures, he did behave himself.

Here are a few of the pix... (Keep in mind, we were not in charge of the backdrop)

Shay, his friends & Judy's daughter & neices

I am pretty sure that there were some kids on drugs (some couldn't hold still long enough to snap a picture), definitely some kids making out on the dance floor (Shay told me all about it), and only a few girls scantily clad, but what can you expect with Kid Rock in the house...

Yeah, they're adults, not students. That's Shays boss in the middle.

Before the dance, when Judy's girls were getting ready, Baylee followed them around watching their every move.
She came up to me later & said,
"Do you know why I was following them around? It's because I want a sister!!"
It broke my heart...like I said before, some memories are still fresh on my mind.

some things you should know, peaches & a really big spider...

2008-09-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Some things you should know...

1. I am going to fix my blog, I don't know when, but I am aware that the top is messed up.

2. The other night I set up a blog for Baylee. The next day I went on to see if anyone had commented and found out that a bachelor who confesses that he looks at porn had said hello. This freaked me out. Her blog is now private.

Peaches...

Last week my mom went out to the church orchard, she was there when they opened it up for free picking & she came back with a lot of peaches. Consequently, she spent her week canning. Last week was crazy for me.
As I ran in & out of her house borrowing items for my crazy life, I watched her can & thought..."I really should be doing that".
My natural born instinct (because that's what all children do) was to ask her to make me some for me while she was at it. Not unreasonable of me right?
Well, now that I am mom myself, I realized before I spoke up, that that would have been a bit 'friends of the little red hen' -ish of me.
So, imagine my joy when my mom walked in with these beauties ( she brought freezer jam & frozen peach cocktail too!!)...

Yeah, I know she is pretty great!! Thanks Mom!!
I don't know what it is about having peaches on my shelf in my pantry that makes me feel like I have a years supply of food, but those 12 jars have worked magic on my imagination.
As Dale was admiring the bounty, he asked me if I knew how to do this?
Translation: You should learn. (He feels this way about my mom's ability to make rolls as well). Little does he know that I am hiding my talents under a bushel....literally!!
It was evident tonight just exactly why I don't put my talents to better use. After dinner (did you notice I said after dinner?) Dale opened a jar of peaches......2 seconds later....he & Shay had eaten the whole jar. Before long I heard rumblings of their grand plans for the next one & tomorrow they were going to make peach cobbler & then peaches & cream...
My only reply, "Are you kidding me?" This is my year supply of food that your messing with here....at least let me look at them for one day!! Dale thinks I am crazy, he thinks that they were made to be eaten.
He has no idea about the work that goes into the making of one jar!
I think we should respect them, take pictures of them, blog about them & eat them slowly.
But who am I kidding, they will be gone in a week.

& a really big spider....

I used to say that I was not afraid of spiders, that is no longer the case.....

This one has been haunting me for days. Dale stomped on it just outside my garage...
and where there is one.....?
So now I keep thinking that if I walk around the house in the dark, like I used to, am I going to step on one? Or...Is one going to be in my sheets when I get in bed? eeeewwww, nightmares I say!!

update...

2008-09-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

You might find it interesting to note that one week later....my ears are finally popping & I am starting to be able to hear again. Whew. Also...
Since the City & the Transportation department were so complacent about following the rules, I decided to fight fire with fire and sent Shay on the bus today....he sent me a text message that read, "I got on!". Music to my hears. Man, I am such a rebel, sometimes I shock myself.

I take it back....

2008-09-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ok....there was no 'deer in the headlights' there. Wow!!! I think I am a fan. Finally.

Strange things happen in the dead of night....

2008-09-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for the past few days. Down. And. Out. I am so congested that the voice in my head is getting louder, & quite frankly driving me nuts. It's not pretty. Case in point, the other night I went to bed at 8:30 (unheard of for me), this felt like a good idea at the time, however, at 1:30 am, not so good. I was awake & so was my mind, here are some things that were on it...(be kind, and remember the hour)...

*Is is just me or does Governor Palin's family look like they could be my neighbors? No fake smiles or thick skin there? Doesn't her husband look like a deer in the headlights? I don't think they are ready for this....poor souls.

*Why, why, why did they cancel Moonlight? Come on CBS, give it time. (Yes, I admit it, I have a secret crush on a vampire....and his name is not Edward)

*Did my ear just pop (please, please, please)? Nope...false alarm.

*I wish I could rewind & raise my children in the 80's. Good times. Good times.

*Are my legs getting softer? Man, I really need to get exercising again!!

*I wish that I had better health coverage so that Dale would go to the allergy doctor....he is keeping me up & I am starting to only recognize him by his cough. (And no, this does not mean that I want socialized medicine)

*Please pop ear....please pop!!

*To do list....... shop for food group, cook for food group. PTA meeting, how many do I go to this week? call about soccer practice, oh yeah....new cleats. pay bills....ugh. I probably should scrub some bathrooms. Pick up vacuum from the repair shop....maybe they will need to keep it another week, that would be nice. Laundry. Set up car pool for preschool. Drive carpool. Finish my round robin, my too cool round robin I might add. Get Baylee to practice the violin at least twice this week. Pick up Shay's tux.....

*ugh....maybe I need to call in sick one more day. GO. TO. SLEEP!!!!!

See what I mean....not pretty, not pretty at all.

Are you ready for some football?

2008-09-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

Some husbands hunt, read, play video games, run......my husband lives for football season. Mid summer, I start to notice the changes, conversations between Shay & Dale turn to who's playing this position, who drafted whom. Statistical football magazines are purchased, hours are spent on Rivals.com and the purple & gold take over.
This year I made the comment "Wow, it's like you're dead all year & then football season hits and you come back to life." He had to agree with me.
He was even getting upset that there was a possibility that the 1st game would be postponed because of the hurricane, he had been waiting 265 days for this, after all.
I have tried to fight it, but to no avail, so this year I decided to be a supportive wife & came up with the idea to have a big neighborhood tailgate party to open the season off right.
Needless to say, it was a success, about 100 of our friends came in football attire, decorated their tailgates & we had a big BBQ.
It really is easy to make him happy....Just imagine how pleased he would be if I finally agreed to sell the house, buy an RV and follow the Tigers around the country!!!

All hail to the Virtual Pet....

2008-08-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

We have mourned, Oh how we have mourned. Tiger is especially missed when it is convenient, like bedtime, or practice time. We gave it a few days & then gave Baylee the proceeds from the sale. Is it any wonder what she chose to spend her money on? Tiger is now virtual and for the first time in days, Baylee went to bed without crying. Whew. I have to say, I am liking our new pet, he really is perfect in every way.....he doesn't need to be let out to go to the bathroom, doesn't need to be fed (at least by me) and he can be turned off whenever we are done playing with him. Thank you Nintendo.

Taking on the world makes me tired....

2008-08-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Shay came home yesterday & informed me that he can no longer ride the bus to school. Apparently we are 1.99 miles away from the school & they will only bus you if you live outside of a 2 mile radius. Ok....no big deal, buy the kid a bike, right? Yes, except for the fact that most of the trip is on River Road...one of our busier St. George streets, no sidewalk, no place to cross. The school transportation department said that the city is who we talk to about cross walks or crossing guards, the city claims that it is the schools responsibility. You get the picture. It seems I spoke a little too soon....maybe the school district is a little 'over budget' & thus cannot just add a bus for those that can't possibly get across that street. I know that 1.99 miles is not that far to drive him...however, I must whine just a little because all of my children go to different schools, none of them have buses now, and none of them go at the same time or even in a time frame where I could drop 2 off in one trip. That means four trips to four locations in four different directions, over a 2 hour period. Then get home in time to get some lunch & off we go again to pick them all up. By the time Shay can drive....we will be buying him a car & celebrating!! In any case, part of me wants to fight this fight just on principle alone.

Go Thunder!!

2008-08-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

Some call it a waste, I, on the other hand call it fabulous. If I have to pay taxes, I am at least grateful that my kids get to reap some of the benefits of those monies.
They opened a new High School this year & I went to Back to School night a few nights ago....can I just say WOW!! High School is not what it used to be. Biotechnology lab, a separate vocational building, a college level gymnasium & auditorium & a classroom marked "sewing". I almost wanted to go back to school myself. Another blessing a new school brings....a seasoned principal who handpicked his staff. Public education seems to have gotten it right here in St. George.
Shay is taking a sports marketing class (I know....it is soooooo Shay), where they are designing logos & setting up their own fantasy football league. They will also get to set up the website for the schools sporting programs.
I feel it is my duty as a mom to point out, daily, how lucky he is to have such a nice facility that provides all of these opportunities for him. His response, "I know Mom, I know."
Incidentally, Tanner is also at a new school with a great principal, staff & wonderful opportunities. So far, they both seem to be using it to their advantage by completing all of their homework without too much persuasion from me.....but alas, the year is still young.

Pain

2008-08-18T07:47:00.001-07:00

If Baylee asked me today if I would rope the moon, I am pretty sure that I would try. Last week we made the unpopular decision that finding a new home for the dog would be in our families best interest. After many tears, Baylee decided that Tiger, if "she had to give him up, she would like him to go to Makayla". (Some friends in Pahrump)
I imagined the scene in my mind, but really nothing could have prepared me for it. Another friend was here in town & offered to take him to his new home, she later described the experience as being like she was with CPS, ripping a child from their home. Baylee's pain was so raw that you could feel it and I found myself at a loss as to how to help her through. In her mind, this was the end of the world & I thought how life sometimes just stinks...and as a parent, when you child is hurting, sometimes all you can do is put your arm around them (if they'll let you) & reassure them that it will get better....that, this too shall pass.

10 little snippets of JOY

2008-08-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

1. Rain in St. George forcing the temperature to read 73 degrees.

2. Watching Tanner's face when I asked him if he got to the part where Edward turned Bella into a vampire yet (he's reading eclipse).

3. Showing up to pick up Shay from early morning weights & having to wait 10 minutes because he was in a deep conversation with his coach. He has some great coaches.

4. School shopping with Baylee.

5. Just about every time Keaton opens his mouth to say something.

6. Having energy enough to mop my floor.

7. Watching my body heal. AMAZING, really.

8. Coming home to a mowed lawn. I didn't even have to beg.

9. Having a 'no accident' day with the dog.

10. Watching my husband fulfill his calling.

Life lessons

2008-07-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

I learned some new things over the weekend....

#1-I struggle with patience & Baylee was single handedly sent here to help me master it. We had kids quilt retreat on Friday, after only a few tears, Baylee completed a whole quilt. Her interpretation of 1/4 inch seam & straight line is completely opposite of mine. I had to keep saying in my head, & only occasionally out loud, that it was OK, it was HER quilt, & she is after all 9!! Anyway, the end result was wonderful, don't you think?

Thanks to all my wonderful family for their efforts, this is a great family tradition & I love them all!! Eleven girls & eleven quilts, all in one day!!

#2 a. I am blessed with the greatest family....for cousins that you can stay up late talking with (thanks April, it was so much fun), for sisters-in-laws who are a huge support, for a Mom that lets the grandkids destroy her house in their quest for the latest project, for Natalee's visit & the inspiration for all of the projects, & for the birth of new family members....congrats, Mike & Becky on baby Milo!
b. I am blessed with the greatest friends...my friend Judy & her family passed through town & we spent some time visiting. It is so nice to have people in your life that are comfortable to be around.

#3-The lids on cans are sharp, maybe even sharper than a knife. (If you are queasy, don't look at the rest of this post) Yep, you guessed it.....6 stitches!!

Note to self, and anyone else who wants to make a note, don't try to take the lid off of a can that the can opener didn't go all the way around. #3 is a lesson that was painful to both my hand & my wallet.

Marathon of fun...

2008-07-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

and NO, I am not talking the actual marathon...I know you'll be shocked to find out that I will not be running it this year. (Notice I followed marathon with the word fun, so clearly not the same thing at all!)
This past weekend we had another spontaneous visit from my friend Shanda and her family. In keeping with every other visit they make to St. George, we filled every waking moment with activity. We saw Mama Mia...
Which has been described, very accurately, as being "cheesy fun for a girls night out", we would have completely lost the guys at the scene where the bachelor party danced around in scuba gear. However, I must say that I abba-soulutely loved it and if I were a little less inhibited, I would have been dancing through the aisles....in 70's attire no less.

The guys played golf & swam & then we all went to The Dark Knight...

not a movie that would typically interest me but turned out to be pretty darn good. Leave the little ones at home because it is dark & Heath Ledger's joker is just plain scary!!

That night, we went out to Tuachan & saw Les Miserables..

a great show & a fabulous story but we were all miserable because it was three hours long & we were so hot our feet had swollen to the size of watermelons. Shanda's son, Ryan went so far as to say that it was torture. I liked it though & once again realized that I would LOVE, love, love to be able to sing. And to sing well.
Our husbands get along, our kids love to be together & we enjoy doing the same things....you can't ask for more than that...Thanks Hammar family for a fun weekend!!

We're all in this together....

2008-07-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

After intense auditions, endless rehearsals, and 24 shows, High School Musical wrapped this past weekend. Tanner never complained of the long and late hours, never grumbled when he had to miss out on fun things because of rehearsals and always carried on, even when he was dog tired.
I think he has found his passion, I am so grateful that he has a safe & awesome environment to pursue it in.
The cast was amazing, not only in talent but also in the way they included Tanner in all of their after show get togethers, most of the kids were either in late High School or College, and he has formed some great friendships. One time during the show when Tanner & I were having a teenage moment & he had texted to a member of the cast that "he hated his mom" (yeah...it happens), the cast member texted him back & said "don't say that, your mom does everything for you!" Thank you, thank you!!! (Incidently, his phone was taken away & he has since changed his opinion of me...this is the reason I verify text messages & have passwords on the computer)
There was a boy in the cast that had cerebral palsy (another of the many reasons I love St. George Musical Theater) he has a hard time walking & talking. On closing night, the director asked him to say the prayer before they went on stage, Tanner said that even though they could barely understand what he was saying, everyone was touched by his efforts & started crying.
There is no way I could have manufactured these experiences and I am so glad that Tanner was able to be a part of it!!!

Scrap-4-Less

2008-07-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am off to Pahrump to spend the weekend with my funny friends. Since some of us missed out on the semi-annual scrapbook weekend in the spring, we thought we should hold one of our own.
I am sure of a 3 things:

1. That I will laugh... ALOT.

2. That I will be sleep deprived when I come home.

3. That I will weigh 10 lbs. more then when I left.

Yes, this is what I live for. (OK, not ALL that I live for, but it sure makes the rest of living FUN)!!

I'm melting....

2008-07-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

I feel bad for the horses that live near my home, standing in their pens, suffering (it seems).
My kids can hardly cross the road without smelling of sweat.
Running is just plain gross.
The air conditioners are on overdrive.
Walking across a parking lot makes me feel as if I will spontaneously combust.
The trees & flowers are DYING for a drink of rain water.
It. is. Hot.
In the winter, when everyone seems to be complaining of the cold....THIS is what
I try to remind them of....this feeling of "UGH, tell me again why I live here!"

f r i e n d s

2008-06-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I am the only girl in my family. I've wanted a sister as long as I can remember. More than anything, I just wanted to do sisterly things, talk, shop, share clothes, & have someone always in my corner. (My brothers are always in my corner but the talking, shopping & clothes sharing is just different) When we were just starting out, career wise, Dale moved our little family to Pahrump, Nevada. I cried after spending a day there and thought that I would never be able to survive. (Google Earth and see what I am talking about)....desolation. Four years later, I cried when I left. To this day, some of my dearest friends & memories are from there. One of those friends is coming to visit this week, to do sisterly things, shop, talk & just hang out. It has been 10 years since we moved from Pahrump..how grateful I am to still have my friend Shanda in my life. She has been like a sister to me, someone I can always turn to (especially when I am annoyed), someone that listens & shares & relates to how I feel about nearly everything. And how grateful I am to, my other best friend, her husband Jeff, for allowing her time to play with me and even still, to my best, best friend Dale who will be taking the kids & the dog on a camping trip so that I can TRULY enjoy her visit. I love you guys.

disclaimer

2008-06-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just so everyone knows, I will be reading the conference talk about being SLOW TO ANGER. I was also asked to substitute Tanner's class next week in church, the lesson is, you guessed it, entitled, Controlling your Anger. Mmm...maybe I need to work on some things...

annoy-o-rama

2008-06-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

I see these moms, you know the ones that can completely block out their children misbehaving while they carry on a conversation....yeah, that annoys me.
Or the moms that drop their children in the nursery during enrichment meeting & then vacate the building....that really annoys me.
Oh, & now lets talk about another subject that gets me riled up...
My house.
I mopped the floor yesterday & today it looks as if I don't even OWN a mop....that annoys me.
No one knows how to turn the lights out when they leave a room....yep, you guessed it....annoying.
And the things that can't seem to get picked up?
(shoes, goggles, bags, books, towels, clothes.....) A...nno...ying
People thinking that the kitchen is open 24/7 & an empty pantry...yesiree, annoys me.
And do you want to know what annoys me the most?
People who can go through life NOT being annoyed.
I mean, really, some people just never seem to lose their cool, they are always seeming to be patient & kind, happy & nonplussed. They (whoever 'they' is) say that it is a state of mind, that if I really wanted to, I could just talk myself into calm.....I don't buy it.
Sometimes, my blood just boils and I want to scream!!!
I should have just kept running around in my cave, drinking Diet Coke because, the moment I left those 4 walls.....well, you get the picture.
Unfortunately, my family was the ones who got to witness the come apart & fortunately....they seem to still like me & want to keep me around. At least that is how it seems because I can't leave the house without one million calls to my cell phone....ok, that annoys me too.
And just because I am in the mood, I will say this.....the scouting program annoys me.
Granted, the program is a good thing. But this guilt thing, & maybe it is only because I live in Utah, come on, GIVE ME A BREAK!!
"Statistics say that those boys that get their eagle scout are the ones that serve a mission" "Look around the room girls, you can't go wrong with an eagle scout" (yes, somebody actually said that at an eagle court of honor.) My reply to it all...."Just because they have the feather, doesn't make them a good or a bad person, statistics show that most boys who get their eagle scout didn't actually get it....their mom did"
But what really annoys me is that somehow, deep down, I let it bother me-
I am affected by the guilt.
Yes, as you can tell, I annoy easily.
This isn't a character flaw that I am proud of, it really annoys me that I have it.
On the upside....enrichment is over, my house has been semi-clean for most of the day, my family has forgiven me, I am making my boys go to scout camp, and for the time being, my only complaint is how annoyed I will be when I fall asleep during the movie that I am about to put in...yes, I know that it is 11:26 pm, please don't annoy me by pointing that out!!

A few hours in my cave, endorphins & a big Diet Coke!

2008-06-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I keep forgetting. There are a few things that 'fill' my cup ,I know this, but when I am tired & awnry I also suffer from memory loss. The things 'TO' do overwhelm the list of 'WANT' to do's. Evidently, deadlines work for me. Our family round robin quilt extravaganza is underway & the 1st deadline is July 1st, so I buried myself in my craft room, put on a extremely watched movie & began to sew, pretty much heaven as far as I'm concerned...
Sunday came and alas, I was just plain exhausted. We had no Diet Coke in the house. So I opted for a power nap....it lasted 3-1/2 hours, I woke up feeling like I had been sucker punched. The only remedy (in my mind) was a soda. It really is disgusting how addicted I am. Long story short, I never found one. I fell asleep at 11 pm, which is so not me especially since I had slept so long in the afternoon. I was depressed and having a pity party.
The next morning, I woke up not wanting to run ONE little step, but I went anyway. (It is just not right to get up & move 2 hours before any of the children do). I felt like a slug & was not looking forward to the day...memory loss, I tell you...

Later, as I was driving home from dropping kids off, I stopped & got a Diet Coke. Even later that day I had the nice euphoric thought that I LOVED my life. Was it the quilting, the running or the Diet Coke????? Mmmm....I better not stop doing any of them....

For all those thinking of being a dog owner.....

2008-06-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

At what point do I get to throw in the towel? The dog just had another accident on the carpet....argh!! I told Dale tonight that I was just about done & he said that he was too. The only thing that keeps me from finding him another home is Baylee. She would be completely heart broken and she really has been pulling her own weight.
Dale said that we needed to have the kids do everything....including getting up early to play with him when he is hyper. The only reason I have been so obsessed with keeping watch over him is because I am in constant fear of what he will ruin if I let him out of my sight.
Getting everyday tasks done has become impossible.
My kitchen and the backyard (where the dog is allowed to be) are REALLY clean because that is were I spend most of my time. When he goes in his kennel, I breathe a sigh of relief because I can escape to my bedroom or craft room & get something else done.
To his credit, he is very cute and really is a good puppy but he is just that, a puppy. And puppies are hard to raise. If I were an animal person, this wouldn't be so bad. But alas, I believe that I am a people person, or at the very least, an 'outside' animal person. The CLEAN Spencer genes are just too strong to sit back & watch the dog lick my barstools.

Wait just a second....

2008-06-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Somebody pushed the fast forward button. Yesterday, I was at Costco & saw Shay & Dale walking in front of me. Shay is almost 6 inches taller than Dale.
When did that happen?
Shay also has a job, one where he pays taxes & collects a REAL check.
Is he old enough for that?
Last month, he returned home from EFY and stated that he had met some 'Hot' girls & that he had been someone's COW (Crush Of the Week).

I mean really, what are they teaching at BYU?
Tanner had a movie party the other day & wondered if I could distract the little ones.
Isn't he one of the little ones?
Today, Baylee gathered up her bag of goodies & headed off to her 3rd official babysitting job.
Doesn't she still require a babysitter herself?
Yikes!!! Someone needs to slow this train down!!

The fog is lifting...

2008-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day that I have felt like myself again. We are getting a routine & sort of figuring out this dog thing. It really is all consuming. I was in tears on Saturday night about it, Dale kindly took me away from the house & out to dinner, where he thanked me profusely for doing this for the kids....just what I needed. In some ways it is nice because my kids are happily doing anything I ask, they know that if they don't pull their weight, Tiger will find a new home. We'll see how long it lasts. In my 'coming out of the fog' celebration, I have invited a friend over & we are going to sit by the pool all day. I am determined to enjoy this summer!!!

Dog days of summer

2008-06-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

I caved!! Yes, we are officially dog owners. This is so NOT me, I have been putting this off for a year. Dale said that I needed to stop wishy-washing & just pick one. (Little did he know that the wishy-washing was my way of putting it off) Tanner said "Baylee, it's a good thing that I am afraid of dogs or else we wouldn't have one." He is soooooo right, that is my only reason for doing this. Yesterday I felt like I had postpartum depression. The dog yelped, whined & barked ALL night. I don't think that I slept at all, but when it seemed like morning....there was poop on the floor.
Baylee is in heaven & 'Tiger' has taken to her as well. It is a cute little thing, at least, & from what I hear, this process gets a lot easier with time. For now, I am thinking that we just had our 5th child.

Good feelings gone....

2008-05-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

You know the scene in Finding Nemo where Dori & Marlin are following this light & Marlin is happy, when he shouldn't be happy and then all of the sudden this scary fish jumps out at them?.....yeah, that about sums up how it feels to come back to the mainland. Don't get me wrong, I missed my kids & wanted to come home to them. HOWEVER, St. George seems to be the exact opposite of Hawaii...dry heat vs. humidity (my feet were loving the big island), vacation vs. reality (can you say laundry?), high maintenance living vs. who cares what you look like when you go to the store attitude, beautiful plants & flowers that grow everywhere vs. plants that look like they are DYING for a drink of water, oh and last but not least.....feeling like your rich vs. coming home & finding out that really, you are not! I made a valiant effort to bring a little island love back home, the kids & I a put on our suits & went out to play in the pool. An hour later, I had to give it up & go start crossing things off the list. Good feeling is gone....indeed!!
I just have to share one of my favorite moments though. We went to church on Sunday & enjoyed a wonderful sacrament meeting. Did you know that they have a lei specialist that makes them for all of the visitors? Anyway, after sacrament meeting, they announced that one of their members was moving back to the mainland, they had him come to the pulpit & everyone stood up & sang Aloha Oe to him. Everyone was really into it & the man just stood there & cried. Dale wanted to move there immediately, he loved the brotherhood that they seemed to have for one another.
Well I am back home....& yes, it really is home. I love the desert, I love the desert, I love the desert.....

Aloha!

2008-05-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we swam with a pod of 150 dolphins. Last night, we sat in a hot tub & played in a pool that was surrounded with hibiscus & palms. Today we are snorkeling with Nemo, and hopefully Crush. I think I'd like to live here (even though it costs $8.79 for a package of Ding Dongs).

It's no wonder...

2008-05-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Baylee's teacher is retiring this year. She was so kind to let the kids take home some of her stuff. She's brilliant, actually. Of course, everything is a treasure & will produce tears if we discard. What's a mom to do?
Notice the jolly rancher wrappers...did you know that they are a collector's item? We have been collecting all year. Baylee & her friend worked hard last night to make the teacher a going away present. They took all of their wrappers & taped them to a huge piece of cardboard & crafted a beautiful thank you note. I could have stopped them...but I didn't, two can play at this game after all.

Milestone

2008-05-19T15:41:00.001-07:00

Ok, it's official! As long as there is an adult in the car with him, he can legally drive. Just. Plain. Weird.

Where has the time gone?

2008-05-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

15 years ago, today, I became a mom. I was young, thank goodness, & had no idea what I was doing or the responsibility that I was taking on. Now I am old-er & still have no idea what I am doing, but Shay has made being a mom easy. Am I crazy to say that I love having a teenager? I love having this teenager. He is still obedient, still thankful for the things he has, still thoughtful & kind, and still just a good kid. Tomorrow we will go get his driving permit (ugh), he is growing up in every way, the most noticeable is the actual UP, (six foot one) and his shoe size (12). But the growing up that makes me the most proud is the young man that he is becoming. So, Happy Birthday Shay!! It is an honor being your mom.

Countdown

2008-05-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Tanner slept in today & left in a panic. The backpacks are BULGING with junk, cleaned out of lockers & desks. The constant stream of 'important' papers is piling up. Choir concerts, dance recitals, open gym, & preschool graduations are being attended. Closets are screaming to be organized. Lunch boxes just plain need to be thrown away. Math books are finally being returned. Homework is getting done....barely. The hooks in the mudroom, are buried. 5 days......& counting.

Learning to let up...

2008-05-14T09:38:00.001-07:00

I am a big fan of free agency. Especially if it just involves me, but when my kids demand it...not so much. I AM learning though. Baylee's third grade talent show is today. The suggestion was made that she & her friend might want to play a little piano/violin duet. They chose a hip hop dance number to "Come on Feel the Noise" by Quiet Riot. I held my tongue and then proceeded to curl & rat her hair. It was a full circle moment....boombox & all.

Father's and Son's

2008-05-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Wow!! How times have changed. Shay is starting to look like Sam did and the Saint Bernard pup has given way to cute little Everett. I loved this tradition growing up because my Dad & all the boys would go & leave just my mom & I to have a girls night. The tradition continues, Keaton is now old enough to go so Baylee & I enjoy time together. Some friends came over & we scrapbooked. Baylee could hardly believe that she was included in a scrapbook night. I loved it then and I love it now.
(Poor Tanner couldn't make it though because of his schedule, he goes to rehearsal M-F from 6-10:30 & Sat. 9-5....can you believe it?)