2008 in Review, just like I did last year
1. What did you do in 2008? Said good-bye to all of our friends in Florida, moved to Utah, missed Jeff's graduation, spent a lot of time in St. George helping my mom as she underwent treatment for breast cancer.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I would give myself a B. I will make more for this year (and they will probably include continuations).
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Heather and Tara did. Julie did. All girls!
4. Did anyone close to you die? Again, thankfully, no.
5. What countries did you visit? Although I did get a passport in 2008, it has no stamps in it. Hopefully soon, though!
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? A home of our own.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I can't recall the exact date, but it was on our drive home from Time Out for Women in Tallahassee in March when my mom called to tell me that she had found a lump in her breast that she was having removed. Of course, we all know that it turned out to be cancer and sent our family on a journey we never planned on having.
8. What was your biggest personal achievement of the year? Moving our family across the country and adjusting to a new life.
9. What was your biggest failure? Can't think of anything. Good sign?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The biggest was my ectopic pregnancy, but it resolved itself without incident (however slowly). Hopefully 2009 will bring baby #4 to the Trapnell home!
11. What was the best thing you bought? Jeff's camera. We all have benefited from all the pictures he has taken with it.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Jeff for finishing school!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? All those associated with the collapse of the housing market, specifically those who granted loans to people who were far from being qualified.
14. Where did most of your money go? Loan repayment.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? I don't get REALLY excited about very much, so this is a hard question. I would probably say one home after another when it looked like we had found exactly what we wanted. But, as we are still in the basement, obviously I have been disappointed each time. Now I'm trying NOT to get excited about anything until it's final!
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? I have a few. "No One" by Alicia Keys, "Low" by Flo-rida, "All American Girl" by Carrie Underwood, "All I Wanna Do" by Sugarland, "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis and "Fall for You" by Secondhand Serenade.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer? a) happier. b) the same, I think. My clothes fit me the same. c) richer, but by no means rich. We are making money, but we are also paying back loans, so it doesn't actually FEEL like we have money. I am not complaining, though, it's fabulous to have an income!
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Sleeping in past 8:00--there is so much I could do in the morning, if only I could pry myself out of bed!
20. Did you fall in love in 2008? It's pathetic, but I would say yes, with Dan and Serena.
21. What was your favorite TV program? The Office, So You Think You Can Dance, Gossip Girl, Scrubs
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No, still the usual suspects (The Lakers, The Florida Gators, The Yankees...)
23. What was the best book you read? East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Midwives by Chris Bohjalian, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and Austenland by Shannon Hale.
24. What was your greatest musical discovery? Rock Band. So much fun!
26. What did you want and not get? A Wii Fit. I'll work on that one. A bike and bike trailer (because where would I store them?).
27. What was your favorite film of this year? I don't see many movies at the theater, but thanks to Redbox, I have seen a few this year. My favorites were probably The Dark Knight and Get Smart (love Steve Carrell).
28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 29 (gulp) and bought myself tickets to the Carrie Underwood concert.
29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A good, "bosom friend" here in Springville. I miss that.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? The same as last year, only more sweatshirts and puffy vests. And warm boots.
31. What kept you sane? Blogging, as always. Facebook and reconnecting with old friends. Starting a new book club with old friends (even though I won't be able to go every month). Jeff's sister next door, and being close to family.
32. When you think about 2008 what sticks out in your mind? Lots of trips with my family. The best probably being our camping trip to Canyonlands and Arches. I never imagined camping and hiking for two days with three little kids could be so much fun.
33. Best moment of 2008? Phone calls to my brother, Eric, on his mission. The whole family "3 ways" each other on our cell phones, so we are all on there together, talking, laughing and crying. So sweet!
2008 was our best year yet, and I'm anxious to see what 2009 has in store for us. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas 08
Disclaimer: If you read my mom or my sister, Tara's, blog, you have already seen most of these pictures and are excused to go read a more original blog. For those of you who are left, this is our Christmas in St. George.
Jeff had big plans to hike in Zion, but the snow really slowed him down. Instead, he settled for taking pictures in Snow Canyon (understanding maybe for the first time how it got its name) and in the Gorge. It was so fun to see snow in southern Utah and so beautiful!
We took the kids to see Santa for the yearly picture, but Santa was taking an extended break, so we missed him. We did take a pic of all the kids in Santa's chair, though, which was just as good (the kids had all seen various Santas at other activities throughout the month, so they weren't too disappointed).
Christmas Eve was a nice, quiet affair, unlike years past, which meant we actually had time to perform the Nativity, which Damon had been practicing for for days. This is Damon (Joseph) and Maddux and Malakai (shepherd and wiseman). Damon had been looking all over for a stick to use as a staff, and even talked Jeff into driving him out to the desert to look for one (or was it Jeff who talked Damon into it?). Someone (my dad) left a perfect one on the door step on Christmas Eve and Damon was thrilled!
The kids also got their new jammies from the Pajama Elf (another tradition) and we got them to pose a little. Six of the eight grandkids (Alofipos and Trapnells--guess which ones are which). We really missed Heather and her family, especially during the program when I had to play the piano. :)
Damon and Kenya (lovingly called Nena by all, even those who can pronounce her name). Of course he is holding her hand, it wouldn't be any other way with Damon.
Christmas morning we managed to get one shot of the kids lined up on the stairs (I'm not sure where KyKy was), but no other pictures of presents. Let's just say that everyone seemed to have a great time and only a few tears were shed when all the presents were opened.
We made it back to Springville in time to see all the snow before it melted. I'm just kidding, it is far from being melted. Jeff took this pic of the kids yesterday before church. Damon asked for a suit for Christmas and I was lucky enough to find one at Kid to Kid for $12.99. He was so excited, even when he found the price tag and learned that it was from Kid to Kid. I hope he never gets tired of second hand clothes! Allie's dress is new, too, bought by grandma, and she loves it. Kyla's is new to her (aka, was Allie's once), but she hasn't complained, either.
I didn't get most of what I asked Santa for, but I did get some new pots and pans, so I can't complain. It was truly a very nice Christmas and I am looking forward to spending the new year with the Trapnell family.
Jeff had big plans to hike in Zion, but the snow really slowed him down. Instead, he settled for taking pictures in Snow Canyon (understanding maybe for the first time how it got its name) and in the Gorge. It was so fun to see snow in southern Utah and so beautiful!
We took the kids to see Santa for the yearly picture, but Santa was taking an extended break, so we missed him. We did take a pic of all the kids in Santa's chair, though, which was just as good (the kids had all seen various Santas at other activities throughout the month, so they weren't too disappointed).
Christmas Eve was a nice, quiet affair, unlike years past, which meant we actually had time to perform the Nativity, which Damon had been practicing for for days. This is Damon (Joseph) and Maddux and Malakai (shepherd and wiseman). Damon had been looking all over for a stick to use as a staff, and even talked Jeff into driving him out to the desert to look for one (or was it Jeff who talked Damon into it?). Someone (my dad) left a perfect one on the door step on Christmas Eve and Damon was thrilled!
The kids also got their new jammies from the Pajama Elf (another tradition) and we got them to pose a little. Six of the eight grandkids (Alofipos and Trapnells--guess which ones are which). We really missed Heather and her family, especially during the program when I had to play the piano. :)
Damon and Kenya (lovingly called Nena by all, even those who can pronounce her name). Of course he is holding her hand, it wouldn't be any other way with Damon.
The three girls.
Christmas morning we managed to get one shot of the kids lined up on the stairs (I'm not sure where KyKy was), but no other pictures of presents. Let's just say that everyone seemed to have a great time and only a few tears were shed when all the presents were opened.
We made it back to Springville in time to see all the snow before it melted. I'm just kidding, it is far from being melted. Jeff took this pic of the kids yesterday before church. Damon asked for a suit for Christmas and I was lucky enough to find one at Kid to Kid for $12.99. He was so excited, even when he found the price tag and learned that it was from Kid to Kid. I hope he never gets tired of second hand clothes! Allie's dress is new, too, bought by grandma, and she loves it. Kyla's is new to her (aka, was Allie's once), but she hasn't complained, either.I didn't get most of what I asked Santa for, but I did get some new pots and pans, so I can't complain. It was truly a very nice Christmas and I am looking forward to spending the new year with the Trapnell family.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Dear Santa
Dear Santa,
My mom asked me the other night what I wanted for Christmas. I told her I'd have to get back to her on that, because I really didn't know. After thinking long and hard about that question, I decided I would write you a letter, with my Christmas wish list. A while back, I made a list of all the things I would like to have someday. You can keep that list in mind, as those things haven't changed, but I'm not asking you for any of those things. My list this year is a little different.
The first thing I would like is to do away with lunch. If you could just make it so that no one in my family is hungry between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:30 pm that would be fantastic. I wouldn't complain about feeding my family those two meals, and I wouldn't complain about having to wash all the dishes by hand, because we have no dishwasher. I would think this would be an attractive idea to you as well, as I'm sure you would have no trouble shedding those extra pounds if you were never hungry during the day, so just think about it before you say no (or tell me to take it up with The Big Man who made our bodies this way. I've already pleaded my case to Him, and so far, naughta).
Oh, and while we're dealing with vast improbabilities, I would also like a self-cleaning kitchen floor. Do you happen to have anything like that in your black bag?
If, for some reason, you aren't able to grant either of those wishes, I also have a few backup ideas. Could you please keep Damon from becoming cynical, at least for the next five years? I know the day is fast approaching when he will learn the truth about this magical world he lives in, and I can't stand the thought of his not believing in you anymore. Please keep him sweet and innocent, even if that means that he would rather snuggle with his mom than go out and play with his friends, and dance around his room listening to High School Musical rather than play sports. Oh, and when the time comes, could you make sure I'm not the one who has to break the news to him?
I'd also appreciate it if you would bring Allie a little work ethic. When I told her the other day that she needed to learn to clean up her own messes so that she won't be lazy like the Roloff kids, she told me, "I want to be lazy." I realize she is still little, so I'm not asking that she suddenly morph into a cleaning maniac, but it would be amazing if she could occasionally clean up her messes without having to be bribed or threatened.
While you're at it, could you help Kyla's hair to grow in a little thicker (and a little faster)? The she-mullet she is currently sporting, while helping her to be identified as a girl, is not the least bit flattering or attractive. We'd all appreciate it if you could help us out with that one.
My kids are going to ask you for all kinds of things, and while I know you will do your best to make them happy, we'd like you to know that we'd gladly trade everything you've got for us if you will help my mom to regain her strength, and stay cancer free. And not just because we want her to watch our kids in February so we can go on vacation, but because we all miss her boundless energy, and we want her to be around for a long, long time.
I hope you will take these things into consideration this Christmas, Santa. Oh, and don't forget peace on earth and good will toward men, of course.
Love,
Krystal
My mom asked me the other night what I wanted for Christmas. I told her I'd have to get back to her on that, because I really didn't know. After thinking long and hard about that question, I decided I would write you a letter, with my Christmas wish list. A while back, I made a list of all the things I would like to have someday. You can keep that list in mind, as those things haven't changed, but I'm not asking you for any of those things. My list this year is a little different.
The first thing I would like is to do away with lunch. If you could just make it so that no one in my family is hungry between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:30 pm that would be fantastic. I wouldn't complain about feeding my family those two meals, and I wouldn't complain about having to wash all the dishes by hand, because we have no dishwasher. I would think this would be an attractive idea to you as well, as I'm sure you would have no trouble shedding those extra pounds if you were never hungry during the day, so just think about it before you say no (or tell me to take it up with The Big Man who made our bodies this way. I've already pleaded my case to Him, and so far, naughta).
Oh, and while we're dealing with vast improbabilities, I would also like a self-cleaning kitchen floor. Do you happen to have anything like that in your black bag?
If, for some reason, you aren't able to grant either of those wishes, I also have a few backup ideas. Could you please keep Damon from becoming cynical, at least for the next five years? I know the day is fast approaching when he will learn the truth about this magical world he lives in, and I can't stand the thought of his not believing in you anymore. Please keep him sweet and innocent, even if that means that he would rather snuggle with his mom than go out and play with his friends, and dance around his room listening to High School Musical rather than play sports. Oh, and when the time comes, could you make sure I'm not the one who has to break the news to him?
I'd also appreciate it if you would bring Allie a little work ethic. When I told her the other day that she needed to learn to clean up her own messes so that she won't be lazy like the Roloff kids, she told me, "I want to be lazy." I realize she is still little, so I'm not asking that she suddenly morph into a cleaning maniac, but it would be amazing if she could occasionally clean up her messes without having to be bribed or threatened.
While you're at it, could you help Kyla's hair to grow in a little thicker (and a little faster)? The she-mullet she is currently sporting, while helping her to be identified as a girl, is not the least bit flattering or attractive. We'd all appreciate it if you could help us out with that one.
My kids are going to ask you for all kinds of things, and while I know you will do your best to make them happy, we'd like you to know that we'd gladly trade everything you've got for us if you will help my mom to regain her strength, and stay cancer free. And not just because we want her to watch our kids in February so we can go on vacation, but because we all miss her boundless energy, and we want her to be around for a long, long time.
I hope you will take these things into consideration this Christmas, Santa. Oh, and don't forget peace on earth and good will toward men, of course.
Love,
Krystal
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Christmas Card
Due to high demand, I am not sending out quite as many Christmas cards this year (just kidding about the demand part). Those of you who read my blog know more about my life and my kids than you'd probably ever care to, so I am not sending many out to my blogger friends. If you would like a copy in the mail, leave me a comment and I would love to send you one. The letter is not my best effort, but Jeff liked it, and rather than spend any more time on it, I opted to just send it out. So, there you have it.
Merry Christmas 2008!
Amazing that another year has come and gone. It seems like a lot has happened in the Trapnell household, yet things remain basically the same. We moved back to Utah, the kids are growing up, and Jeff and I have a few more wrinkles around our eyes than we did last year.
To recap 2008, we present the First Annual Trapnell Family Awards for your reading pleasure:
Dentition Award
Nominees:
Jeff-Perfected the art of straightening teeth in the clinic at Jacksonville University
Damon-Lost eight teeth, making the perfect Dracula for Halloween
Kyla-Survived the eruption of 12 new teeth, including those nasty molars
Winner:Kyla, in a close vote. She would like to thank her mom for giving her lots of popsicles during the teething process.
Hobby Lobby Award
Nominees:
Jeff-Bought a new camera, took amazing photos of the Grand Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands.
Krystal-Started digital scrapbooking, actually stayed caught up with the family's activities
Damon-Learned to ride his bike (finally) and cruised around the neighborhood.
Allie-Realized she can entertain herself by playing with toys, dressing herself and trying on lipgloss.
Kyla-Training for a career in competitive eating by consuming enormous quantities of food
Winner: Allie. Keyword=ENTERTAIN HERSELF!
Higher Education Award
Nominees:
Jeff-Finished his orthodontic residency, capping 10 years of college
Krystal-Said good-bye to one book club in Florida, got together with friends in Utah to start another
Damon-Learned to read and write, add and subtract.
Allie-Learned to write her name. Practices writing it on everything!
Kyla-Learned hundreds of new words, including her favorite, “no.”
Winner: Jeff. Although learning to read is a major feat, Damon ultimately couldn't compete with the years it took Jeff to finish school. Jeff would like to thank the government for funding his education, which he will be paying back for many years to come.
World Traveler Award
Nominees:
Jeff-Drove cross country from Florida to Utah twice
Krystal-Flew to Las Vegas for the weekend with no kids for Time Out for Women
Damon, Allie, Kyla-Dragged on numerous trips, including The Smoky Mountains; Temecula, CA; and spending our 7 hour layover in NYC exploring the city.
Winner: Krystal. Anytime a mom can go anywhere without kids for more than a day, she wins.
Physical Health Award
Nominees:
Jeff-Hiked several peaks in Utah, including a 8 hour hike with Damon to Fish Lake Hightop
Krystal-Lost all the “baby weight” gained during pregnancy, earning a new wardrobe
Damon-Was the most improved on his soccer team, even scored a couple goals
Allie-Took a weekly gymnastics class, always dressing in a flashy leotard
Kyla-Took advantage of Allie's gymnastics class by learning to hang on the bar and do a front roll
Winner: Damon. A year ago, no one would have believed that he would actually enjoy playing sports.
We had a great 2008 and are so happy to be back close to family (living in the basement of Jeff's parents, we are REALLY close). Jeff is really enjoying his job as an orthodontist, while the kids love living next door to cousins.
Life has been very good to us and we are incredibly grateful for good friends and family who have helped us every step of the way. Happy Holidays! May the spirit of Christmas better your lives this year and always! Love, The Jeff Trapnell Family
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Aint it funny how a melody...
I was doing a little vacuuming today, blasting my tunes like always, when a song came on that really took me back. Do you remember the Clint Black song that starts, "Aint it funny how a melody can bring back a memory?" (That wasn't the song, but isn't it so true? I had a friend named Melody and we used to joke that she would arrange to have that song played at her funeral. I wonder whatever happened to her...)
Anyway, I'm not the only one that this happens to: a song comes on and suddenly a truckload of memories are dumped in your mind and all the feelings come tumbling out. And all you can do is stop and remember. That's what happened this morning.
The song-"Please Remember Me" by Tim McGraw
The scenario-I was finishing my freshman year at BYU, and had just broken up with my boyfriend when I first heard this song on the radio. I met Randy at the beginning of the year, but I had just sent my high school sweetheart out on a mission and was determined not to get involved with anyone. That lasted a whole two months. By November, I was having a great time with Randy--he was a premie (pre-missionary) so he was safe, not looking for anything serious, and I was lonely, and he actually liked me! Still, I was just in it for fun, and because it was nice to feel those butterflies again.
We definitely had our ups and downs during the next five months, probably because I didn't put a lot of effort into our relationship, so it wasn't too surprising when we broke up in April. It was a Sunday night after ward prayer, and we were sitting there in silence, probably both anticipating what was coming. I remember it so clearly, and I even used parts of that night in my first attempt at writing a novel. He asked me to go outside with him, but it was raining so we didn't make it far. Instead, we stood by the bike racks and he said, "What's going on with us?"
I answered honestly, "I don't know."
He said, "It's not the same, is it?"
And I said, "No." (you are getting a glimpse at just how fantastic my story is:).
Then we decided it was best if we broke up, which is what I thought I wanted. He told me that he loved me (which he had said before) and I told him I loved him (which I hadn't ever told him) and he left.
That's when I started crying. I had NO IDEA I would be so sad, but I cried all night. The next day (or maybe the day after, who knows for sure?) I heard the song on the radio and knew it was going to be one of those special songs, written just for me. I was on the computer chatting with another boy in our ward when he told me Randy had just come into his room. Randy sat down and we chatted for a minute, and I was telling him about the song when it came on the radio. I told him to turn the radio on and we sat there, in our separate rooms, listening to it. He agreed that it was written just for us.
Over the next five weeks or so (until school was out), we did anything but avoid each other (it was after we broke up that he sat by me at church for the first time), and I started to realize that my feelings for him were much deeper than I had guessed. I saw him at a dance and we ended up dancing four times, each time a little closer. He got his mission call, and invited me to come to Oregon for his farewell in June (and offered to pay for it!).
Despite all my friends' protests that we were just going to get back together, I wasn't so sure. I didn't know if it was a good idea, especially since our relationship seemed so much better when we were broken up (except that he didn't kiss me anymore, of course). After not seeing him for a month, I flew to Oregon for his farewell, and as soon as I saw him waiting for me at the airport, I knew I really did love him, despite my best intentions not to (that was also the moment I realized that I could never have a fling, because my heart insisted on getting involved). We had a great couple of days together and I gave him a copy of "Please Remember Me" to keep (my sister had bought the cd single and I took it to give to him. I hope you're not mad any more, Heather, but if you are I will pay for you to download the song). I can't listen to the song without remembering all of those feelings (good and bad) and wondering if he still thinks about me when he hears it, too.
I have no idea where he is now (I met Jeff in September, when Randy had only been gone three months) and I haven't seen him since that day I flew out of Oregon. I hope he looks back on the time we spent together with good memories. But I really hope he just remembers at all.
So, that was my morning. What are some songs (and stories) that bring back memories for you? I'd love to hear them! Oh, and I created a playlist that should play this song (and only this song) that I will leave up for a while, for your listening pleasure!
Anyway, I'm not the only one that this happens to: a song comes on and suddenly a truckload of memories are dumped in your mind and all the feelings come tumbling out. And all you can do is stop and remember. That's what happened this morning.
The song-"Please Remember Me" by Tim McGraw
The scenario-I was finishing my freshman year at BYU, and had just broken up with my boyfriend when I first heard this song on the radio. I met Randy at the beginning of the year, but I had just sent my high school sweetheart out on a mission and was determined not to get involved with anyone. That lasted a whole two months. By November, I was having a great time with Randy--he was a premie (pre-missionary) so he was safe, not looking for anything serious, and I was lonely, and he actually liked me! Still, I was just in it for fun, and because it was nice to feel those butterflies again.
We definitely had our ups and downs during the next five months, probably because I didn't put a lot of effort into our relationship, so it wasn't too surprising when we broke up in April. It was a Sunday night after ward prayer, and we were sitting there in silence, probably both anticipating what was coming. I remember it so clearly, and I even used parts of that night in my first attempt at writing a novel. He asked me to go outside with him, but it was raining so we didn't make it far. Instead, we stood by the bike racks and he said, "What's going on with us?"
I answered honestly, "I don't know."
He said, "It's not the same, is it?"
And I said, "No." (you are getting a glimpse at just how fantastic my story is:).
Then we decided it was best if we broke up, which is what I thought I wanted. He told me that he loved me (which he had said before) and I told him I loved him (which I hadn't ever told him) and he left.
That's when I started crying. I had NO IDEA I would be so sad, but I cried all night. The next day (or maybe the day after, who knows for sure?) I heard the song on the radio and knew it was going to be one of those special songs, written just for me. I was on the computer chatting with another boy in our ward when he told me Randy had just come into his room. Randy sat down and we chatted for a minute, and I was telling him about the song when it came on the radio. I told him to turn the radio on and we sat there, in our separate rooms, listening to it. He agreed that it was written just for us.
Over the next five weeks or so (until school was out), we did anything but avoid each other (it was after we broke up that he sat by me at church for the first time), and I started to realize that my feelings for him were much deeper than I had guessed. I saw him at a dance and we ended up dancing four times, each time a little closer. He got his mission call, and invited me to come to Oregon for his farewell in June (and offered to pay for it!).
Despite all my friends' protests that we were just going to get back together, I wasn't so sure. I didn't know if it was a good idea, especially since our relationship seemed so much better when we were broken up (except that he didn't kiss me anymore, of course). After not seeing him for a month, I flew to Oregon for his farewell, and as soon as I saw him waiting for me at the airport, I knew I really did love him, despite my best intentions not to (that was also the moment I realized that I could never have a fling, because my heart insisted on getting involved). We had a great couple of days together and I gave him a copy of "Please Remember Me" to keep (my sister had bought the cd single and I took it to give to him. I hope you're not mad any more, Heather, but if you are I will pay for you to download the song). I can't listen to the song without remembering all of those feelings (good and bad) and wondering if he still thinks about me when he hears it, too.
I have no idea where he is now (I met Jeff in September, when Randy had only been gone three months) and I haven't seen him since that day I flew out of Oregon. I hope he looks back on the time we spent together with good memories. But I really hope he just remembers at all.
So, that was my morning. What are some songs (and stories) that bring back memories for you? I'd love to hear them! Oh, and I created a playlist that should play this song (and only this song) that I will leave up for a while, for your listening pleasure!
Monday, December 08, 2008
Cars
Today I found myself driving behind a red Volkswagen Jetta, and it really took me back. When I was in high school, I thought they were the coolest cars and thought I would have one someday. Of course, that didn't happen, as I was instead sharing an '87 Maxima with my sister, Heather. But I dreamed of owning one one day.
While I was at BYU, I didn't have a car. Between my scholarship and Pell grant, I didn't have to work to pay for school (unless you consider getting good grades "working"), but I didn't have enough money to buy a car. And I didn't really need one. I lived close enough to walk to school, my favorite club (Club Tan), and the BYU creamery. My sophomore year I still lived close enough to walk to school, and got to sit shotgun in Jenny's teal Cavalier anytime my roommates and I needed to run to Sam's Club or Macey's. By then, I was dating Jeff, too, and he could give me a ride in his blue and white Bronco. So I didn't see the need to buy a car of my own. I did dream of one, though, and was certain I would look awesome in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Yes indeed.
When Jeff and I got married, he bought a Honda Accord and we decided to become a one car family for as long as we could. After two years at BYU and three years of dental school at Ohio State, we realized it was finally time to get a second car. Allie was a baby, and we knew we needed something big enough for a family of four. I had my heart set on a Toyota Sequoia. I didn't want to be another Mormon mom in a minivan.
But Jeff talked me out of it. I had to do a lot of driving in Columbus, and he has always hated buying gas, as it just seems like a waste of money. Plus, Sequoias are pretty big and I didn't have the best history keeping our cars dent free and out of accidents. So, reluctantly, I agreed to a minivan. We found a really good deal on a 2001 Toyota Sienna and I got my own car for the first time in my life.
Three years later, I can say that I think we made the right decision. Minivans were made for families. It is so much easier to get kids (and carseats) in and out, without having to heave them up and over seats. They get much better gas mileage than SUV's and we have had very few complaints about ours. I do someday hope to have a newer model (the newer Sienna's have a lot more storage space, like the Odyssey's) with a dvd player built in, but I am hopeful that the van we have now will last us several more years.
But I can still dream, right? Someday I won't be hauling a million kids around, and I will be able to get something with a few less seats. And while I'm not exactly looking forward to that day, I do occasionally think about it. I don't think I'll go back to the Jetta, although the new ones are cute little cars. Right now I think I would go with the Toyota Rav 4. I just love the cute, sporty look without being too huge. It's like the Sequoia without the third row of seats. And I'm hoping that by the time I am ready for one, a hybrid (or even all electric) model will be ready.
What would you drive if you didn't have a family to think about?
While I was at BYU, I didn't have a car. Between my scholarship and Pell grant, I didn't have to work to pay for school (unless you consider getting good grades "working"), but I didn't have enough money to buy a car. And I didn't really need one. I lived close enough to walk to school, my favorite club (Club Tan), and the BYU creamery. My sophomore year I still lived close enough to walk to school, and got to sit shotgun in Jenny's teal Cavalier anytime my roommates and I needed to run to Sam's Club or Macey's. By then, I was dating Jeff, too, and he could give me a ride in his blue and white Bronco. So I didn't see the need to buy a car of my own. I did dream of one, though, and was certain I would look awesome in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Yes indeed.
When Jeff and I got married, he bought a Honda Accord and we decided to become a one car family for as long as we could. After two years at BYU and three years of dental school at Ohio State, we realized it was finally time to get a second car. Allie was a baby, and we knew we needed something big enough for a family of four. I had my heart set on a Toyota Sequoia. I didn't want to be another Mormon mom in a minivan.
But Jeff talked me out of it. I had to do a lot of driving in Columbus, and he has always hated buying gas, as it just seems like a waste of money. Plus, Sequoias are pretty big and I didn't have the best history keeping our cars dent free and out of accidents. So, reluctantly, I agreed to a minivan. We found a really good deal on a 2001 Toyota Sienna and I got my own car for the first time in my life.
Three years later, I can say that I think we made the right decision. Minivans were made for families. It is so much easier to get kids (and carseats) in and out, without having to heave them up and over seats. They get much better gas mileage than SUV's and we have had very few complaints about ours. I do someday hope to have a newer model (the newer Sienna's have a lot more storage space, like the Odyssey's) with a dvd player built in, but I am hopeful that the van we have now will last us several more years.But I can still dream, right? Someday I won't be hauling a million kids around, and I will be able to get something with a few less seats. And while I'm not exactly looking forward to that day, I do occasionally think about it. I don't think I'll go back to the Jetta, although the new ones are cute little cars. Right now I think I would go with the Toyota Rav 4. I just love the cute, sporty look without being too huge. It's like the Sequoia without the third row of seats. And I'm hoping that by the time I am ready for one, a hybrid (or even all electric) model will be ready.
What would you drive if you didn't have a family to think about?
Thursday, December 04, 2008
When did I stop being fun?
We had my 14-year old sister, Kimmy, with us on Sunday as we drove from Las Vegas to St. George. I don't know what brought it on, but at some point during the drive, Allie announced, "Kimmy's not being fun!"
We all had a good laugh at that one, because shouldn't every 14-year old aunt be nothing but fun? It got me thinking though. As the oldest child, I never had nieces or nephews who thought I was nothing but fun, but I like to think there was a time when I was like that.
Not so anymore. We like to put our kids to bed early (Kyla at 7:00, Allie at 7:30, Damon at 8:00). Nothing crazy like Dr. Weissbluth, but we like to have quiet time with no kids every night. The ideal night for me would be dinner between 5:30 and 6:00, giving us enough time to get cleaned up, have baths, scriptures and stories before 7:00 when Kyla goes to bed (or at least by 7:30 when it's Allie's turn). When we get started later, everything gets rushed (and scripture reading goes out the window), and I am not a fan of that.
I would like to say that we do it for the well-being of our children, because getting to bed earlier ensures they get more sleep. That is true, and they do seem to be happier when they go to be early (they still get up between 7 and 8, so it's not like they're getting us up at the crack of dawn or anything), but the real reason we do it is for our own sanity. During Thanksgiving vacation, the kids rarely went to bed before 10:00, and still got up early. Jeff and I thought we would go crazy. We were with the kids ALL THE TIME and never seemed to get any kind of break. I know it was vacation and they were having fun with cousins, but it was getting really old by the time we left. It's been so nice (and quiet) to get back to our schedule.
Which has led me to realize that I'm not fun anymore. How could I be? I look forward to early bedtimes just to be rid of my kids. If we have a family activity that doesn't start until 6:30, it gets on my nerves, as I know my night is going to be upset. I try to remind myself that I am justified; I spend all day reasoning with an unreasonable 3-year old, and answering questions like, "who is Jessica Simps" (four times yesterday), feeding and cleaning up after three messy, apparently helpless children and changing some of the smelliest diapers imaginable. Who wouldn't be ready to take a break from all that by 7:00-8:00 each night?
So, it is without much hesitation that I announce, "MOM'S NOT BEING FUN!" Dang right. Mom is trying to stay sane.
We all had a good laugh at that one, because shouldn't every 14-year old aunt be nothing but fun? It got me thinking though. As the oldest child, I never had nieces or nephews who thought I was nothing but fun, but I like to think there was a time when I was like that.
Not so anymore. We like to put our kids to bed early (Kyla at 7:00, Allie at 7:30, Damon at 8:00). Nothing crazy like Dr. Weissbluth, but we like to have quiet time with no kids every night. The ideal night for me would be dinner between 5:30 and 6:00, giving us enough time to get cleaned up, have baths, scriptures and stories before 7:00 when Kyla goes to bed (or at least by 7:30 when it's Allie's turn). When we get started later, everything gets rushed (and scripture reading goes out the window), and I am not a fan of that.
I would like to say that we do it for the well-being of our children, because getting to bed earlier ensures they get more sleep. That is true, and they do seem to be happier when they go to be early (they still get up between 7 and 8, so it's not like they're getting us up at the crack of dawn or anything), but the real reason we do it is for our own sanity. During Thanksgiving vacation, the kids rarely went to bed before 10:00, and still got up early. Jeff and I thought we would go crazy. We were with the kids ALL THE TIME and never seemed to get any kind of break. I know it was vacation and they were having fun with cousins, but it was getting really old by the time we left. It's been so nice (and quiet) to get back to our schedule.
Which has led me to realize that I'm not fun anymore. How could I be? I look forward to early bedtimes just to be rid of my kids. If we have a family activity that doesn't start until 6:30, it gets on my nerves, as I know my night is going to be upset. I try to remind myself that I am justified; I spend all day reasoning with an unreasonable 3-year old, and answering questions like, "who is Jessica Simps" (four times yesterday), feeding and cleaning up after three messy, apparently helpless children and changing some of the smelliest diapers imaginable. Who wouldn't be ready to take a break from all that by 7:00-8:00 each night?
So, it is without much hesitation that I announce, "MOM'S NOT BEING FUN!" Dang right. Mom is trying to stay sane.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
TV couples
I don't know what got me thinking about this, but I wondered who were the best TV couples of all time (well, from the time I started caring about TV). It seems there is room for debate, as most websites I looked at didn't agree much at all. So, here is the question: who are your favorite TV couples? Vote for as many as you love. Results to follow...
Here are the nominees:
1. Sam/Diane from Cheers
2. Jim/Pam from The Office
3. Buffy/Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. Ross/Rachel (or Chandler/Monica) from Friends
5. Mulder/Scully from X-Files
6. Zack/Kelly from Saved by the Bell
7. Meredith/Derek from Grey's Anatomy
8. Joey/Pacey from Dawson's Creek
9. Michael/Sara from Prison Break
10. Kevin/Winnie from The Wonder Years
11. Doug/Carol from ER
12. Cliff/Claire from The Cosby Show
13. Lana/Clark from Smallville
14. Ned/Chuck from Pushing Daisies
15. Bailey/Sarah from Party of Five
16. Dan/Serena (or Blair/Chuck) from Gossip Girl
17. Luke/Lorelai (or Rory/Logan) from Gilmore Girls
18. JD/Elliott from Scrubs
19. Seth/Summer (or Marissa/Ryan) from The OC
20. Sydney/Vaughn from Alias
Or write in your own nominees
Here are the nominees:
1. Sam/Diane from Cheers
2. Jim/Pam from The Office
3. Buffy/Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. Ross/Rachel (or Chandler/Monica) from Friends
5. Mulder/Scully from X-Files
6. Zack/Kelly from Saved by the Bell
7. Meredith/Derek from Grey's Anatomy
8. Joey/Pacey from Dawson's Creek
9. Michael/Sara from Prison Break
10. Kevin/Winnie from The Wonder Years
11. Doug/Carol from ER
12. Cliff/Claire from The Cosby Show
13. Lana/Clark from Smallville
14. Ned/Chuck from Pushing Daisies
15. Bailey/Sarah from Party of Five
16. Dan/Serena (or Blair/Chuck) from Gossip Girl
17. Luke/Lorelai (or Rory/Logan) from Gilmore Girls
18. JD/Elliott from Scrubs
19. Seth/Summer (or Marissa/Ryan) from The OC
20. Sydney/Vaughn from Alias
Or write in your own nominees
Thanksgiving in the Desert
We spent Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with my family. It was the first time we were with them for Thanksgiving since 2000, and my how things have changed since then. My mom was trying to get us all together for a picture for her Christmas card, and we barely all fit in the frame! This is the silly shot we took.
Front: My brother, Jonny, Damon, Allie and me. Row 2: Heather, my sister, her daughter, Kalia, Kyla, my dad, my sister, Tara, her daughter, Kenya, her twins, Malakai and Maddux. Back: Samuel (Heather's husband), baby Annaliese, my mom (holding her wig), my sister Kimmy, Wayne (Tara's husband) and Jeff. Wow, what a crowd! The only one missing is my brother, Eric, who has 5 months left on his mission in San Diego.
We also took a family shot, since we were there and in coordinating clothes. This is the best we did.
I look at the picture and can't help but realize that our kids are getting big right before my eyes. Amazing. Look how big Kyla is getting.
We didn't take many more pictures, but Jeff stopped a couple of times on our drive home to photograph the desert.
This is what we missed while we were living away--the desert! This last pic is from our drive back to Springville, just off the freeway. The bottom bright light is the moon and the two other bright lights are stars (well, planets most likely). What a cool shot.
We had a great time with family, but we are so glad to be home! Now we are faced with the challenge of getting the kids back on a sleep/eating schedule. Not a lot of fun, but worth it.
Front: My brother, Jonny, Damon, Allie and me. Row 2: Heather, my sister, her daughter, Kalia, Kyla, my dad, my sister, Tara, her daughter, Kenya, her twins, Malakai and Maddux. Back: Samuel (Heather's husband), baby Annaliese, my mom (holding her wig), my sister Kimmy, Wayne (Tara's husband) and Jeff. Wow, what a crowd! The only one missing is my brother, Eric, who has 5 months left on his mission in San Diego.We also took a family shot, since we were there and in coordinating clothes. This is the best we did.
I look at the picture and can't help but realize that our kids are getting big right before my eyes. Amazing. Look how big Kyla is getting.
We didn't take many more pictures, but Jeff stopped a couple of times on our drive home to photograph the desert.
This is what we missed while we were living away--the desert! This last pic is from our drive back to Springville, just off the freeway. The bottom bright light is the moon and the two other bright lights are stars (well, planets most likely). What a cool shot.
We had a great time with family, but we are so glad to be home! Now we are faced with the challenge of getting the kids back on a sleep/eating schedule. Not a lot of fun, but worth it.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Cleaning Day Attire
Today is cleaning day, which is Allie's favorite day of the week, because she gets to watch more TV than normal (small price to pay to have her out of the way). This morning, though, I had to laugh at the outfit she chose for herself after getting out of the bath (those are lacy Sunday socks, if you can't tell).
If KyKy had her choice, she would be naked all the time, but we learned the hard way that she should not be nude for extended periods of time, even if she has already pooped twice that day...so, this is what Kyla was wearing for cleaning day.
And, lest you think that I let my girls go around looking like white trash at the beach (which we know a thing or two about) while I spend all my time on my own appearance, here's one of me. Brace yourself, it's a pretty one.
If KyKy had her choice, she would be naked all the time, but we learned the hard way that she should not be nude for extended periods of time, even if she has already pooped twice that day...so, this is what Kyla was wearing for cleaning day.
And, lest you think that I let my girls go around looking like white trash at the beach (which we know a thing or two about) while I spend all my time on my own appearance, here's one of me. Brace yourself, it's a pretty one.
(You love the Survivor buff, don't you?)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Eight
The title of this post is for Cassie, who introduced me to a book by the same title. Cool book.
This was a tag from Laurie from a while ago, back when I wasn't online. But now I'm back, and I know you're all dying to know this crucial info about me.
8 Favorite TV Shows
1. The Office
2. The Amazing Race
3. So You Think you can Dance
4. American Idol
5. Survivor
6. Pushing Daisies
7. Alias (we are catching up via dvds from the library--finishing season 2)
8. Gossip Girl (well, the first season before Dan and Serena broke up)
8 Things I did yesterday
1. Took Allie to her last gymnastics class, watched her throw several tantrums because she couldn't do something, told her she's not doing gymnastics anymore.
2. Bought groceries--we had no fresh produce left in the house, and the kids were eating cans of mandarin oranges for their fruit. Sad.
3. Returned Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 to redbox. Not nearly as trashy as I thought it would be (meaning: not as trashy as the 4th book). Love those girls and their friendship!
4. Made macaroni and cheese for dinner (for the kids)
5. Saw Carrie Underwood perform at the E Center
6. Blogged
7. Read some blogs
8. Let Allie take a bath in the middle of the day, and then had to listen to her complain about how freezing she was when she had to get out.
8 Things I look forward to
1. Seeing Heather's new baby, Annaliese
2. Thanksgiving with family in Las Vegas
3. Christmas shopping with the girls
4. Twilight movie. I'm prepared for a bit of disappointment.
5. Having Jeff's loans paid off
6. A house of our own
7. A place for Jeff to put all of his stuff (ie: home office)
8. Tara, Wayne, Jonny and Kenzie coming to visit on Sunday
8 Favorite Restaraunts
1. Koja
2. Red Lobster
3. Cafe Rio
4. Panda Express
5. Rosa's-no longer in Provo:(
6. Hoggy's in Columbus
7. Macaroni Grill
8. Golden Corral
8 Things on my Wish list
1. Lasik eye surgery
2. Bigger chest (naturally, not surgically, but without weight gain in other areas)
3. A more comfortable bed
4. Allie to go to preschool for free (I miss Florida)
5. Some good friends close by
6. A dvd player in the van
7. DVR
8. BYU to beat Utah on Saturday
8 People I Would Love to Have as Neighbors (in no particular order)
1. Becky Seymour-one of my besties from high school. She knows me on a deep, emotional level and loves me anyway.
2. Kelly Lewis-our husbands get along, we have many of the same interests. I have always felt like we could be best friends if we had the chance to live close.
3. April Ferguson-only got to be neighbors for under a year. It wasn't long enough. Our kids get along great, we get along great, and I'd have someone to walk with (and chat with) every day!
4. Jenny Ludlow-we haven't lived together since college, but have some of my best memories with her. Especially now that she's about to become a mom, I know it would be way too much fun if we were neighbors.
5. Sarah Watford-I'm saving Damon for her little girl, Taylor (or Kennedy, if it doesn't work out). She could help me decorate my house, and keep me sane.
6. Jenner Brown-We only had a couple months to hang out while we were sports camp counselors, but she always made me laugh. Plus, she could help me score some sweet deals at CVS and thrift stores.
7. Natalie Clarke-my bestie from Ohio. Love everything about her, and her YELLOW personality would see that we always were doing something fun.
8. Suzanne Papa-no one is more real than Suz. Plus, Jeff loves you both. And we could FINALLY get together for some b-ball and v-ball!
This was a tag from Laurie from a while ago, back when I wasn't online. But now I'm back, and I know you're all dying to know this crucial info about me.
8 Favorite TV Shows
1. The Office
2. The Amazing Race
3. So You Think you can Dance
4. American Idol
5. Survivor
6. Pushing Daisies
7. Alias (we are catching up via dvds from the library--finishing season 2)
8. Gossip Girl (well, the first season before Dan and Serena broke up)
8 Things I did yesterday
1. Took Allie to her last gymnastics class, watched her throw several tantrums because she couldn't do something, told her she's not doing gymnastics anymore.
2. Bought groceries--we had no fresh produce left in the house, and the kids were eating cans of mandarin oranges for their fruit. Sad.
3. Returned Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 to redbox. Not nearly as trashy as I thought it would be (meaning: not as trashy as the 4th book). Love those girls and their friendship!
4. Made macaroni and cheese for dinner (for the kids)
5. Saw Carrie Underwood perform at the E Center
6. Blogged
7. Read some blogs
8. Let Allie take a bath in the middle of the day, and then had to listen to her complain about how freezing she was when she had to get out.
8 Things I look forward to
1. Seeing Heather's new baby, Annaliese
2. Thanksgiving with family in Las Vegas
3. Christmas shopping with the girls
4. Twilight movie. I'm prepared for a bit of disappointment.
5. Having Jeff's loans paid off
6. A house of our own
7. A place for Jeff to put all of his stuff (ie: home office)
8. Tara, Wayne, Jonny and Kenzie coming to visit on Sunday
8 Favorite Restaraunts
1. Koja
2. Red Lobster
3. Cafe Rio
4. Panda Express
5. Rosa's-no longer in Provo:(
6. Hoggy's in Columbus
7. Macaroni Grill
8. Golden Corral
8 Things on my Wish list
1. Lasik eye surgery
2. Bigger chest (naturally, not surgically, but without weight gain in other areas)
3. A more comfortable bed
4. Allie to go to preschool for free (I miss Florida)
5. Some good friends close by
6. A dvd player in the van
7. DVR
8. BYU to beat Utah on Saturday
8 People I Would Love to Have as Neighbors (in no particular order)
1. Becky Seymour-one of my besties from high school. She knows me on a deep, emotional level and loves me anyway.
2. Kelly Lewis-our husbands get along, we have many of the same interests. I have always felt like we could be best friends if we had the chance to live close.
3. April Ferguson-only got to be neighbors for under a year. It wasn't long enough. Our kids get along great, we get along great, and I'd have someone to walk with (and chat with) every day!
4. Jenny Ludlow-we haven't lived together since college, but have some of my best memories with her. Especially now that she's about to become a mom, I know it would be way too much fun if we were neighbors.
5. Sarah Watford-I'm saving Damon for her little girl, Taylor (or Kennedy, if it doesn't work out). She could help me decorate my house, and keep me sane.
6. Jenner Brown-We only had a couple months to hang out while we were sports camp counselors, but she always made me laugh. Plus, she could help me score some sweet deals at CVS and thrift stores.
7. Natalie Clarke-my bestie from Ohio. Love everything about her, and her YELLOW personality would see that we always were doing something fun.
8. Suzanne Papa-no one is more real than Suz. Plus, Jeff loves you both. And we could FINALLY get together for some b-ball and v-ball!
Birthday Fun
I turned 29 on Saturday. For the first time, as I intend to claim 29 for the next several years, but this was the legitimate 29. Remember the line from the song, "I still remember when 30 was old?" That's where I'm at (name the song, and not you, Heather Bigler!). I don't feel old. I still feel (more or less) like the 17 year-old who belted that song driving down the Boulevard. Except without the bushy eyebrows.
My birthday started out like any other morning--with Allie screaming. The kids were all up, and Jeff and I were trying to steal a few more minutes of sleep and effectively ignoring them. Since it was a Saturday, Damon got all the kids breakfast (sugary cereal), so no one was bothering us about being hungry. But when he went into the store room to get Kyla out of bed, he thought it would be fun to play in there. A few minutes later, we woke up to Allie screaming and Damon running in to announce, "Allie stepped on a fish hook and it's stuck in her foot." Jeff got up to check it out, and came back to tell me that it was, indeed, stuck deep in her foot. Perfect. Just the way I had envisioned the start of my 30th year.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to remove the hook, we enlisted the help of Jeff's mom, who is a hospice nurse. She quickly called Dr. Garner, the doctor she works with, and he said he would come to the house and take a look. We are so lucky to have him! He does so much for our family (he wrote me a prescription when I had pink eye without even seeing me), and has saved us a lot of time and money. Dr. Garner worked in the ER in Alaska and has removed over 100 fish hooks, so we really lucked out when he came over. He showed Jeff a sweet trick using a shoelace to remove the hook without any anesthetic and really without much pain. So, it really ended up not being a very big deal, but makes for a good story, don't you think?
The rest of my day was uneventful (watching BYU beat Air Force, which was pretty great), because we had already planned to celebrate on the 19th, which is why I am 0nly now getting around to writing about it. A couple of months ago, I saw that Carrie Underwood was coming to the E Center, and I mentioned to Jeff that I would love to go. She is definitely my favorite American Idol and one of my favorite singers period. But after a few days without Jeff taking the hint, I decided to buy the tickets myself and to tell them that they were for my birthday and he didn't need to get me anything. Good move on my part.
Last night was the concert. Jeff agreed to go, but said he needed to make sure he had his binoculars so he could get a good look. I gave him a hard time about wanting to go only because she's hot, but he admitted that he does like her music, too, so the fact that wearing a sexy black dress and boots wasn't the only thing he was excited about (by the way, she did look gorgeous, I will admit. And I had to explain to Jeff that for one girl to say she LOVES another doesn't mean she's attracted to her, but rather that she'd want to be her best friend.). We ate an elegant meal at Quiznos and traveled in style in our mini-van. But man oh man, was it awesome!
The E Center is a great place for a concert--there isn't a bad seat in the house, and the sound is so much better than The Delta Center (excuse me, I mean the Toxic Waste Removal Center). And Carrie sure can sing! I said to Jeff, "Well, at least we know now that she doesn't keep winning Best Female Vocalist because of her looks."It was seriously an awesome concert, and I LOVE CARRIE! And not just because I had a dream about her last week where we WERE best friends. :)
So, it ended being a great birthday, fish hook and all. Thanks so much for all the texts, messages on Facebook, calls and cards. I mean, thanks to Facebook, this is the first year that the boy I had a crush on in 9th grade wished me a happy birthday. If only he would've done that 14 years ago, maybe things would have turned out differently....I wonder how he feels about Carrie Underwood?
p.s. Only joking, Jeff!
My birthday started out like any other morning--with Allie screaming. The kids were all up, and Jeff and I were trying to steal a few more minutes of sleep and effectively ignoring them. Since it was a Saturday, Damon got all the kids breakfast (sugary cereal), so no one was bothering us about being hungry. But when he went into the store room to get Kyla out of bed, he thought it would be fun to play in there. A few minutes later, we woke up to Allie screaming and Damon running in to announce, "Allie stepped on a fish hook and it's stuck in her foot." Jeff got up to check it out, and came back to tell me that it was, indeed, stuck deep in her foot. Perfect. Just the way I had envisioned the start of my 30th year.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to remove the hook, we enlisted the help of Jeff's mom, who is a hospice nurse. She quickly called Dr. Garner, the doctor she works with, and he said he would come to the house and take a look. We are so lucky to have him! He does so much for our family (he wrote me a prescription when I had pink eye without even seeing me), and has saved us a lot of time and money. Dr. Garner worked in the ER in Alaska and has removed over 100 fish hooks, so we really lucked out when he came over. He showed Jeff a sweet trick using a shoelace to remove the hook without any anesthetic and really without much pain. So, it really ended up not being a very big deal, but makes for a good story, don't you think?The rest of my day was uneventful (watching BYU beat Air Force, which was pretty great), because we had already planned to celebrate on the 19th, which is why I am 0nly now getting around to writing about it. A couple of months ago, I saw that Carrie Underwood was coming to the E Center, and I mentioned to Jeff that I would love to go. She is definitely my favorite American Idol and one of my favorite singers period. But after a few days without Jeff taking the hint, I decided to buy the tickets myself and to tell them that they were for my birthday and he didn't need to get me anything. Good move on my part.
Last night was the concert. Jeff agreed to go, but said he needed to make sure he had his binoculars so he could get a good look. I gave him a hard time about wanting to go only because she's hot, but he admitted that he does like her music, too, so the fact that wearing a sexy black dress and boots wasn't the only thing he was excited about (by the way, she did look gorgeous, I will admit. And I had to explain to Jeff that for one girl to say she LOVES another doesn't mean she's attracted to her, but rather that she'd want to be her best friend.). We ate an elegant meal at Quiznos and traveled in style in our mini-van. But man oh man, was it awesome!
The E Center is a great place for a concert--there isn't a bad seat in the house, and the sound is so much better than The Delta Center (excuse me, I mean the Toxic Waste Removal Center). And Carrie sure can sing! I said to Jeff, "Well, at least we know now that she doesn't keep winning Best Female Vocalist because of her looks."It was seriously an awesome concert, and I LOVE CARRIE! And not just because I had a dream about her last week where we WERE best friends. :)So, it ended being a great birthday, fish hook and all. Thanks so much for all the texts, messages on Facebook, calls and cards. I mean, thanks to Facebook, this is the first year that the boy I had a crush on in 9th grade wished me a happy birthday. If only he would've done that 14 years ago, maybe things would have turned out differently....I wonder how he feels about Carrie Underwood?
p.s. Only joking, Jeff!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Pregnancy "issues"
This is going to be a long post, which is probably why I have put off writing it until now. So, you have been warned. Hang in there if you can, otherwise feel free to drop out at any time. One of my favorite quote from one of my favorite movies is this (bonus points for naming the movie):
'" 'Life doesn´t always turn out the way you plan.´
l just wish l realized at the time he was talking about my life."
I am sure I have used it before when writing about my own life, but it's just so
applicable.Whenever I start to make plans about the way my life will be, it's as
if someone says, "Not so fast, missy!"
I am referring to my plans about my family, and future family. I learned a long time
ago that I have very, very little control over when children come into our family,
and shouldn't count on anything as a certainty. When I was pregnant with Allie,
people would ask, "how many kids are you going to have?," and I would tell them,
honestly, "right now, we're just hoping to have two and then we'll see." My plans of
having six kids, with two years between each of them, had gone out the window,
and I realized I shouldn't expect anything to happen just because I wanted it to.
You'd think I would've learned my lesson four years ago. But, no, here I have been
planning how we'll have two more kids in the next three years, as though I have any
control over it. I must be a slow learner, because I am learning, once again, not to
plan on anything, but to just be grateful for what I have already been given.
The rest of this post is going to be written "journal style," because I know there
are specific details I am going to want to remember someday.
October 13-Found out I was pregnant today. I had been suspicious for several days,
but got confirmation today. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I definitely want to
have another baby, but I'm not sure I am ready tobe pregnant again. Especially since
this was our first month trying. But since I can't have a baby without a pregnancy,
I am happy. I just want to enjoy these next few weeks before I get sick.
October 27- I haven't been sick at all, which is great, but also a little surprising.
Usually by now I am gagging all the time and wondering why I wanted to be pregnant at
all. Today I had some cramping. It wasn't horrible, but there were a few times I
had to go sit down. I also had some very light spotting,and I feel very uneasy. I
know neither of these things is reason for great concern, but I have a feeling that
this pregnancy isn't going to end well.
October 28- Less cramping today, but a little more spotting. I also have felt pretty
nauseated and am unsure what that means. It's sort of like my body is trying to
decide whether or not it wants to stay pregnant. I have spent a lot of time on my
knees today praying for the best course of action, whatever that may be, to happen.
I realized how much I DO want this baby, and prayed that, if possible and if
I have a choice in the matter, that I will be able to carry this baby to term.
October 29-Today my bleeding is heavier. I feel that my prayer has been answered, and
this just wasn't meant to be. I'm sad, but okay. I read that one out of five
pregnancies ends in miscarriage, so the odds were not in my favor, this being my
fifth pregnancy (Chance was a completely different category). I made an appointment
at the OB after talking to a nurse, who confirmed that she believed I am miscarrying
as well.
November 3- I had an ultrasound today that confirmed that there is nothing in my
uterus. I was expecting it, but it was still hard to hear. The good news is that she
saw no reason for a D&C, which I was worried about because my bleeding has never been
all that heavy. They also drew some blood to check my hcg levels, to make sure they
are going down, and I expect to have some closure soon. I also had to go to the
hospital to get a Rhogam shot (I'm B-). I hadn't even thought about that, so I am
especially glad that I made the appointment. It was kind of a hassle, and my leg
ached for several hours, but I feel very lucky that we live in a time when I can
have babies, even though we have different blood types. I have been having major mood
swings, going from feeling very sad to just fine in a matter of minutes. I am looking
forward to closure.
November 4-hcg level=2300, need to repeat tomorrow to make sure it is going down.
Hoping that will be the end of it.
November 6-I got a call from the doctor's office today, and my hcg level actually
went up. But only to 2500, which is not enough of a jump to indicate a viable
pregnancy. Either there is more in the uterus that didn't show up in the ultrasound
(because I wasn't far enough along), or I may have an ectopic pregnancy. This has
produced all kinds of emotions in me. I'm scared, as I have heard some horror stories
about ectopic pregnancies and women losing a fallopian tube as a result. But I am
hopeful that whatever is left will be able to pass without complications. Mostly,
though, I just feel like I need to cry, but my body won't let me. That is
frustrating. I am trying to be positive and realize that I don't have any control
over this situation, and I have, again, spent a lot of time on my knees asking for
help.
Today, more than any day I can remember in a long time, I wish I could take a peak
at the list of things I signed up for in the pre-existence. I'm sure I agreed to
this long, long ago, but I know I would feel better if I could actually see what I
signed up for, and know that I will make it out of this alright. Of course,
the fear is that I won't be able to have any more kids, and I know I'm getting WAY
ahead of myself, but it would be nice to be reassured that that won't be the case.
I guess I am going to have to just have more faith.
November 11- My hcg level went up again, to 2600. I haven't had any bleeding in
almost a week. I am going to have another ultrasound to see if anything shows up.
November 12-The ultrasound, again, showed nothing. She even did an internal
ultrasound and couldn't find anything. I talked on the phone with the doctor tonight,
and he said he believes I do have an ectopic pregnancy, even though they can't see
it. My hcg level should be zero if I were finished miscarrying, so there is really
nothing else to conclude. I am going to have a shot of methotrexate tomorrow that
will, in effect, abort the embryo.
November 13- I had the shot this morning. Now, I guess, we just wait. I shouldn't
have read all the drug facts when I picked up the medication, that was scary. The
drug, methotrexate, is a cancer drug and targets any rapidly dividing cells
(unfortunately, my family knows a thing or two about that). I haven't had many side
effects, but I am bracing myself for anything. Hopefully this really will be all
that I need and will be able to move on.
November 18- I have had some cramping and a little bleeding, but neither have been
too bad. I hope that means the drug is working. I have heard that one woman had to
get the shot three times before it finally worked! I was really nauseated for about
24 hours after the shot (they told me that might happen), but nothing else has been
too bad. My mother-in-law said to me, "you just can't do anything easy, can you?"
I laughed. What else could I do? I know I have had some struggles, but they are
nothing compared with some of my friends and family. Like I said before, I know I
probably signed up for this and I am very hopeful that the worst is over.
My plans for having a baby in June are finished, but I am relaxed, knowing that it
will happen again when the time is right. Thankfully, Jeff and I (usually) don't
have much trouble getting pregnant. I debated whether or not to say anything, but
it's hard to not just pretend that none of this happened (and is still happening).
I didn't write this because I was hoping for sympathy--I am really doing fine
emotionally. But I felt like I have been very open about other parts of my life and
that it would probably be okay to be open about this, too.
My heart has definitely been softened, especially toward my own kids, as I have
realized, yet again, what a miracle a healthy baby (and child) is. Maybe the lesson
I need to learn is to be a better mom to the children I have been blessed with
before I will be blessed with any more. If that is the case, I am okay with that,
because I know they deserve the best mom they can get.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
I'm Back!
I know I haven't posted forever. We had a slight computer problem that has left us without the internet for two weeks. I thought there was a possibility I would lose my mind, but we are finally back online. It feels great. I have been keeping notes in my planner about things that have been happening so that I can catch up, so hopefully I will be able to remember everything that has happened.
Halloween was interesting. Jeff had volunteered to make homemade root beer for the party at his sister's house, but hadn't gotten anything he needed for it at 5:00 pm. So, we left Damon with his cousins (he was already in his costume, as he had worn it at school for the school parade--not something we are used to having lived outside Utah, but it was a lot of fun), and took the girls to the grocery store for some dry ice and some root beer extract. The dry ice was easy to find, the root beer extract was very difficult. We went to four different stores, none of which had any extract in stock (apparently making root beer on Halloween is very popular here in the greater Springville area), but I did manage to find root beer concentrate. Jeff wasn't convinced that it would work, but we had already spent a good hour looking for it, so he decided to give it a try.
By the time we got back home, Damon was already gone trick-or-treating. Allie had fallen asleep in the car and began having one of her melt downs when I tried to talk her into putting her costume on. She had been planning on being Cinderella for months, and we recently bought a tiara for her to wear with the costume. She refused the tiara completely and also refused to have her hair done (we had put curlers in earlier in the day, but the curls were all gone--Allie had gotten her hair wet to "make it curly"--, so we were basically starting from scratch). She ended up hysterical in her bedroom, ripping the bobby pins out of her hair and screaming that she didn't want to go trick-or-treating because she was scared. Eventually, she calmed down, and we compromised with a ponytail, but I was past the point of caring then.
We did get some pictures later that night at Laurie's house. Damon didn't know what he wanted to be, but when he lost his front teeth, I told him he should be Dracula (who he had never heard of). I found the costume on Craigslist for $5 and that made my mind up. He actually really enjoyed wearing the costume, and looked pretty cute.
Kyla was Pooh Bear, just as Damon and Allie were at that age. Nothing too great, but I didn't have to spend any money.
I found these awesome tattoo sleeves, which made for an easy costume. We didn't get any pics until after the night's festivities and my black hair and dark eye makeup had worn off a lot.
It was a fun night, but Allie complained that she didn't get enough candy. I gently reminded her that she had spent so much time crying in her room that she didn't get to go to as many houses as Damon went to. Maybe next year she'll feel more cooperative, although I'm not counting on it just yet.
Halloween was interesting. Jeff had volunteered to make homemade root beer for the party at his sister's house, but hadn't gotten anything he needed for it at 5:00 pm. So, we left Damon with his cousins (he was already in his costume, as he had worn it at school for the school parade--not something we are used to having lived outside Utah, but it was a lot of fun), and took the girls to the grocery store for some dry ice and some root beer extract. The dry ice was easy to find, the root beer extract was very difficult. We went to four different stores, none of which had any extract in stock (apparently making root beer on Halloween is very popular here in the greater Springville area), but I did manage to find root beer concentrate. Jeff wasn't convinced that it would work, but we had already spent a good hour looking for it, so he decided to give it a try.
By the time we got back home, Damon was already gone trick-or-treating. Allie had fallen asleep in the car and began having one of her melt downs when I tried to talk her into putting her costume on. She had been planning on being Cinderella for months, and we recently bought a tiara for her to wear with the costume. She refused the tiara completely and also refused to have her hair done (we had put curlers in earlier in the day, but the curls were all gone--Allie had gotten her hair wet to "make it curly"--, so we were basically starting from scratch). She ended up hysterical in her bedroom, ripping the bobby pins out of her hair and screaming that she didn't want to go trick-or-treating because she was scared. Eventually, she calmed down, and we compromised with a ponytail, but I was past the point of caring then.
We did get some pictures later that night at Laurie's house. Damon didn't know what he wanted to be, but when he lost his front teeth, I told him he should be Dracula (who he had never heard of). I found the costume on Craigslist for $5 and that made my mind up. He actually really enjoyed wearing the costume, and looked pretty cute.
Kyla was Pooh Bear, just as Damon and Allie were at that age. Nothing too great, but I didn't have to spend any money.
I found these awesome tattoo sleeves, which made for an easy costume. We didn't get any pics until after the night's festivities and my black hair and dark eye makeup had worn off a lot.
It was a fun night, but Allie complained that she didn't get enough candy. I gently reminded her that she had spent so much time crying in her room that she didn't get to go to as many houses as Damon went to. Maybe next year she'll feel more cooperative, although I'm not counting on it just yet.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Instruction Manual for Kids
Sometimes I think that someone in the pre-existence must have given my children an instruction manual on how to get under my skin. I'm pretty sure it was authored by Luce E. Fur, and was cleverly disguised as a self-help book for dealing with earth life. It has taken me 6+ years to figure out its contents (and I will admit that it probably contains things I have yet to discover). I am sure it includes things like:
This got me thinking about my kids' comfort objects. Damon had an elephant named "Ernie" that played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" when you pulled his string. He loved that elephant, even after we had to removed the music box so Ernie could go into the washer. I was looking through old pictures, sure there would be a lot with Ernie in Damon's arms, and was surprised to only find two in which he makes an appearance. This one is from October 2003. He is with Greg A., one of Jeff's 259 buddies. I'm convinced that it was Greg and Tammy's love of Damon's cheeks that led to their daughter, Emma's, own jowls.
The second picture you can see Ernie (and Baby Ernie) behind Damon (also October 2003). After big Ernie got lost in the Las Vegas airport, Baby Ernie was a good substitute. When Baby Ernie was lost in another airport, and a search online found no good replacement, Damon quickly grew out of his need for a comfort object.
Allie, on the other hand, didn't develop a close bond with her comfort object until just over a year ago. She always loved her baby Bexley, but when she got her new bed and bedding, she really fell in love. Allie's comfort object is her pillow. I was surprised again to find that we only had one picture with the pillow, and it is, again, a background object. This is from June 2008 at Grandma Karen's house. It is the rainbow one on the couch, behind all the grandkids playing with grandma.
Just like Damon loved to rub Ernie's tail between his fingers, Allie loves to rub the corners of her pillow while she falls asleep. I took this picture a couple of days ago, after I realized that we had so little documentation of the beloved pillow. This wasn't posed, this is how she lays on the pillow.
Like I said before, Kyla loves her cow ("dow" as she calls it). She will suck on her finger as soon as she sees the cow, so she also still gets to have her binky at bed time and nap time. It's got the head of a cow, but the body is more like a fleece blanket. Too bad they didn't have one in pink.
She still sounds terrible (like an asthmatic having an attack), but doesn't act too miserable. Maybe it's because she gets "dow" and "btee-btee" so much during the day. Hopefully this week goes better. Otherwise she may have to BE Darth Vador for Halloween. At least that would explain the wheezing.
- The Magnet Principle. As soon as your mother sits down, situate yourself as close to her as possible. You will find the most enjoyment if you are touching her; don't be afraid to sit on her lap, even if it is already occupied by a sibling. This rule only applies to your mother, you will find no such enjoyment crowding around your father when he is sitting down.
- The Proximity Principle I. The moment you witness your mother going into the kitchen, even if it's just to put something in the trash, you will suddenly realize that you are hungry. You will follow her into the kitchen, asking if it's time to eat. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, or how recently you ate, you will be hungry when your mother is in the kitchen.
- The Selective Hearing Principle. You should learn very early on to only hear those things you choose to; that way, when your mother gets angry with you because your room is still a mess, yet she claims to have asked you to clean it at least a dozen times, you will be able to honestly reply, "I didn't hear you." You will quickly learn which things you want to hear, and which things you want to tune out. You should be slow to hear any prompts to do work of any kind, but should be able to hear the announcement that it's time for dessert from any corner of the house.
- The Proximity Principle II. Generally, you will be incredibly well-behaved while your mom is away. Your babysitters will believe, erroneously, that you and your siblings are wonderful children who never cry or do something worthy of earning a timeout. But the moment your mom walks in the door, it will trigger tears and tantrums out of nowhere. You should stand in front of her, holding your hands up to be held, and cry until she reaches down, rolling her eyes, to pick you up.
- The Antonym Principle. Learn quickly that when you ask for something and are denied, your mother really meant "yes" when she said "no." Go ahead and help yourself to whatever it is you want, and act surprised when you get in trouble. Respond with, "today is opposite day," which may get you out of trouble.
- The Fashion Principle. As soon as you are old enough, insist that you dress yourself. Only choose things that you know don't go together, and which you know embarrasses your mom beyond belief when you wear in public. Also, change your clothes several times throughout the day, but only after you have gotten each outfit dirty enough that it can't be worn again. Cry every time you see a brush coming your way, forcing your mother to give in to your fashion sense to keep her sanity.
- The Illness Principle. When you are sick, even the least bit, lay on the floor, moaning like the end is near. Use your illness as an excuse not to go to school or church or as a reason not to have to go to bed. Refuse to eat or drink anything other than ice cream or juice and spend the day crying and whining to prove that you are, in fact, not yourself. You will find that you will receive extra sympathy (and probably will be offered ice cream and juice to avoid starvation) , and will probably even get to have your binky and "comfort object" with you all day long.
This got me thinking about my kids' comfort objects. Damon had an elephant named "Ernie" that played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" when you pulled his string. He loved that elephant, even after we had to removed the music box so Ernie could go into the washer. I was looking through old pictures, sure there would be a lot with Ernie in Damon's arms, and was surprised to only find two in which he makes an appearance. This one is from October 2003. He is with Greg A., one of Jeff's 259 buddies. I'm convinced that it was Greg and Tammy's love of Damon's cheeks that led to their daughter, Emma's, own jowls.
The second picture you can see Ernie (and Baby Ernie) behind Damon (also October 2003). After big Ernie got lost in the Las Vegas airport, Baby Ernie was a good substitute. When Baby Ernie was lost in another airport, and a search online found no good replacement, Damon quickly grew out of his need for a comfort object.
Allie, on the other hand, didn't develop a close bond with her comfort object until just over a year ago. She always loved her baby Bexley, but when she got her new bed and bedding, she really fell in love. Allie's comfort object is her pillow. I was surprised again to find that we only had one picture with the pillow, and it is, again, a background object. This is from June 2008 at Grandma Karen's house. It is the rainbow one on the couch, behind all the grandkids playing with grandma.
Just like Damon loved to rub Ernie's tail between his fingers, Allie loves to rub the corners of her pillow while she falls asleep. I took this picture a couple of days ago, after I realized that we had so little documentation of the beloved pillow. This wasn't posed, this is how she lays on the pillow.
Like I said before, Kyla loves her cow ("dow" as she calls it). She will suck on her finger as soon as she sees the cow, so she also still gets to have her binky at bed time and nap time. It's got the head of a cow, but the body is more like a fleece blanket. Too bad they didn't have one in pink.
She still sounds terrible (like an asthmatic having an attack), but doesn't act too miserable. Maybe it's because she gets "dow" and "btee-btee" so much during the day. Hopefully this week goes better. Otherwise she may have to BE Darth Vador for Halloween. At least that would explain the wheezing.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Birthday Boy
Of all the random blogs I have come across while blog surfing, there is only one I read regularly. A Backwards Attraction by a girl named Liz. She is a great writer and I feel like I know her, even though she knows nothing about me (I did make a comment once, but that hardly counts). A few months ago, she wrote a post for her husband's birthday, about what she would do for him if she could give him the perfect birthday. I loved it, and I am totally "borrowing" her idea, but am giving her credit for it.
Saturday was Jeff's birthday. We were on our way home from Arches National Park, where we had spent the last two days, and I asked him, "Is this the way you would choose to spend your birthday?," sort of joking. He answered seriously, "yes." He has never been one to want to celebrate much, especially when it's his birthday, but I have a hard time just letting it go without much notice. So, for you Jeff, here is what I would give you if I could give you the perfect birthday.
We'd wake up early, before sunrise, in some exotic location, like the Dominican Republic. We would visit somewhere amazing, and be the only two people for miles around. You, of course, would take fabulous photos of our surroundings, and you wouldn't have to fight anyone else for the best possible spot. We'd spend the rest of the morning exploring, and I would never get bored while you rambled off every historical fact you know about our destinations.
After lunch, we would magically be transported back home, where we would find that Ty and the gang had built our dream home, free of charge, and moved all of our things in for us. There would be a sweet new SUV in the garage, one that doesn't need any gasoline at all, but can still go 80 miles an hour on the freeway. After drooling over that fora while, we would spend a couple of hours with the kids. They would all be perfectly well-behaved; Damon would be your willing buddy in any hike you had planned, Allie would entertain us with a hilarious story, and Kyla would magically forget the word "no," and instead, constantly say, "sure" with a huge smile on her face.
After that, we would leave the kids and again be transported to Phoenix, where you would reunite with your 259 buddies. You boys would have several hours to catch up(time has no relevance in perfect birthday world), and you wouldn't lose any rounds of the Dice Game. We'd all enjoy a nice, free dinner (also there is no money needed in perfect birthday world) of steak, lobster and king crab, and we would still have room for dessert (a selection of the world's finest fruit pies for you, something with peanut butter and chocolate for me).
After dinner, we would sit courtside as the Suns won the NBA championship, and would join in the celebration. It wouldn't last long, though, as we would have to make our way to another arena, where 259 would be the opening act at a U2 concert, which you would watch backstage, only feet away from Bono. You would have time to enjoy all your favorite songs before we were suddenly whisked away to Wrigley Field in Chicago, where we would watch the Cubs win the World Series for the first time in nearly 100 years. We would also enjoy a deep dish pizza from Gino's, suddenly finding that we were hungry again. Immediately following the game we would be transported again to the BCS national championship game, where BYU would win their first national championship since 1984.
If you hadn't collapsed with excitement, we would finish the night at a swanky resort in Mexico, where a hot tub, a bikini, and a pair of scissors were waiting for us. Then we would fall asleep in a perfect bed, knowing you would have the best night's sleep you had ever had. And I wouldn't even make you snuggle with me. When you woke in the morning, it would be a little sad, knowing that your perfect day was over, but there would be one last surprise waiting for us when we got back home to our brand new house. There would be a new cell phone tower in Springville, and you would be able to receive calls on your iPhone.
Happy birthday Jeff! I can't promise I can ever give you your perfect day, but as I was writing this, I couldn't help but feel grateful that so much of what you love includes me.
Saturday was Jeff's birthday. We were on our way home from Arches National Park, where we had spent the last two days, and I asked him, "Is this the way you would choose to spend your birthday?," sort of joking. He answered seriously, "yes." He has never been one to want to celebrate much, especially when it's his birthday, but I have a hard time just letting it go without much notice. So, for you Jeff, here is what I would give you if I could give you the perfect birthday.
We'd wake up early, before sunrise, in some exotic location, like the Dominican Republic. We would visit somewhere amazing, and be the only two people for miles around. You, of course, would take fabulous photos of our surroundings, and you wouldn't have to fight anyone else for the best possible spot. We'd spend the rest of the morning exploring, and I would never get bored while you rambled off every historical fact you know about our destinations.
After lunch, we would magically be transported back home, where we would find that Ty and the gang had built our dream home, free of charge, and moved all of our things in for us. There would be a sweet new SUV in the garage, one that doesn't need any gasoline at all, but can still go 80 miles an hour on the freeway. After drooling over that fora while, we would spend a couple of hours with the kids. They would all be perfectly well-behaved; Damon would be your willing buddy in any hike you had planned, Allie would entertain us with a hilarious story, and Kyla would magically forget the word "no," and instead, constantly say, "sure" with a huge smile on her face.
After that, we would leave the kids and again be transported to Phoenix, where you would reunite with your 259 buddies. You boys would have several hours to catch up(time has no relevance in perfect birthday world), and you wouldn't lose any rounds of the Dice Game. We'd all enjoy a nice, free dinner (also there is no money needed in perfect birthday world) of steak, lobster and king crab, and we would still have room for dessert (a selection of the world's finest fruit pies for you, something with peanut butter and chocolate for me).
After dinner, we would sit courtside as the Suns won the NBA championship, and would join in the celebration. It wouldn't last long, though, as we would have to make our way to another arena, where 259 would be the opening act at a U2 concert, which you would watch backstage, only feet away from Bono. You would have time to enjoy all your favorite songs before we were suddenly whisked away to Wrigley Field in Chicago, where we would watch the Cubs win the World Series for the first time in nearly 100 years. We would also enjoy a deep dish pizza from Gino's, suddenly finding that we were hungry again. Immediately following the game we would be transported again to the BCS national championship game, where BYU would win their first national championship since 1984.
If you hadn't collapsed with excitement, we would finish the night at a swanky resort in Mexico, where a hot tub, a bikini, and a pair of scissors were waiting for us. Then we would fall asleep in a perfect bed, knowing you would have the best night's sleep you had ever had. And I wouldn't even make you snuggle with me. When you woke in the morning, it would be a little sad, knowing that your perfect day was over, but there would be one last surprise waiting for us when we got back home to our brand new house. There would be a new cell phone tower in Springville, and you would be able to receive calls on your iPhone.
Happy birthday Jeff! I can't promise I can ever give you your perfect day, but as I was writing this, I couldn't help but feel grateful that so much of what you love includes me.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Allie B
Last Monday for FHE we took a scenic drive on the Nebo Loop to see the fall leaves. Jeff wanted to go take some pictures, and I coerced him to take some of the kids, so we could use them for Christmas cards this year. We did get some good pictures that we will probably be using, and I will post our favorites after we have chosen which ones we like. These are a couple that we aren't using, but I love them. I love this one of Damon with the fuzzy background. Jeff told me what he did to get that effect, but I can't remember what he said. I'm glad he is into learning about photography, and I hope our family will benefit from his knowledge for many years to come.
This next picture is quite possibly our new favorite one ever. Jeff was just getting ready to start shooting the kids and asked Damon and Allie to pose. Damon obliged happily, but Allie wasn't into it. It's so typical of these two, and we just crack up when we look at it. You probably know Allie well enough from reading my blog to understand why it's so classic.
I have been reminding myself (almost daily) why I love this little girl and telling myself I'm going to be so sad when she has grown up a little (although Jeff is wishing she would grow up a little faster). Here are some things I love about Allie, lest you think she is the devil's love child:
This next picture is quite possibly our new favorite one ever. Jeff was just getting ready to start shooting the kids and asked Damon and Allie to pose. Damon obliged happily, but Allie wasn't into it. It's so typical of these two, and we just crack up when we look at it. You probably know Allie well enough from reading my blog to understand why it's so classic.
I have been reminding myself (almost daily) why I love this little girl and telling myself I'm going to be so sad when she has grown up a little (although Jeff is wishing she would grow up a little faster). Here are some things I love about Allie, lest you think she is the devil's love child:
- She is such a conversationalist. I think she says the funniest things and I'm always cracking up just listening to her. She is also really good when it comes to expressing her feelings, even if she doesn't always use the right words. She told me, "reading books is too boring," in a voice that told me it was too hard. She was getting frustrated and said, "I'm so disappointed!" and, while not exactly what she was trying to say, I understood.
- She is petrified of getting cavities. Jeff may have explained in a little too much detail what happens when kids have to have cavities filled, and she will rush to the bathroom to scrub her teeth after eating something with sugar in it.
- She is the ultimate food taster. She wants to try everything, but rarely finishes anything (including desserts). She just can't pass up the opportunity to try something that looks good.
- She loves V8 and is constantly sneaking upstairs to grandma's pantry to pilch a few cans for snack time.
- She is great at entertaining herself while Kyla is napping, which is so nice for me.
- She loves music and is always impressing me with her knowledge of pop culture. I was listening to the new David Cook song on my Playlist, and she said, "Is this David Cook?" I was blown away. I tested her on a few more, and she is pretty good about identifying Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and any other well known song on the radio right now.
- She is also a great singer. She knows a lot of songs and sings with such feeling! She was belting out the two lines of "Connected" from Barbie and the Diamond Castle that she knows at the park last week and I just sat back and smiled.
- She is very self-confident. She thinks she is great at everything, even when her performance doesn't really back it up. I love that about her. She is so pleased with everything she does.
- She has a great imagination and "reads" herself great stories. For some reason, she loves chapter books with no pictures, and I find them in her bed sometimes. I don't quite understand it, but it's always fun to hear what she's going to say next.
- She loves being a girl. She loves makeup, phones, changing her clothes all day long, playing with babies and cooking in her kitchen. It's incredibly obvious that girls and boys are born with inherent differences and she is going to be an awesome mother someday.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
K-k-k-karma
Just the other day I was commenting on Heather W.'s post about escaping an enormous library fine, and now karma is catching up to me. I was bragging about how several times I have thwarted the "replacement fee" by purchasing my own copy of the damaged item (computer game, music cd), and returning it to the library without penalty. I might as well have dialed the Springville Library and left a threatening message, daring them to catch me.
Today, after returning a stack of books (not including Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?, which was still at home needing to have some pages taped back in), I was getting ready to check out another stack and scanned my card. Up popped the following warning in red letters: Fine: $24.99. I nearly laughed out loud, wondering what in the world had caused such an awful mistake. I took my card to the lady behind the desk and was greeted there by another librarian, the one who checks the books in (librarian #1 from now on). She showed me a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar that I had returned that day and explained to me that it was ruined and I would have to pay for it.
I was taken aback. I couldn't think of a single thing that had happened to that book (remember, I hadn't tried to return Brown Bear), and so she opened the book and proceeded to show me food stains on a few pages. She then showed me that a couple of pages were stuck together at the bottom and when she tried to unstick them, she had ripped a page. Two other pages was still stuck together, and she feared trying to unstick them, declaring the book was no longer able to be circulated and needed to be replaced.
I tried to get out of it. I asked if I could take the book home and work on it, sure that I would be able to get the pages unstuck and cleaned up enough to pass inspection, but was denied. A second librarian agreed that the book was ruined, but that after I paid for it, I would be able to keep it. Oh goodie, that makes me feel better. Since I didn't have my wallet on me, I told her I would have to come back later (preferrably after I thought of another plan). She asked librarian #1 (fast becoming my best friend) if I could still check out books, and she replied with a sigh, "Not any more than five. We shouldn't let her check out any."
Now, with tears starting to form in my eyes, I said, "I'll come back later," and walked outside, trying to figure out what I was going to do. Noel was outside with the kids, and I discussed the situation with her. I was a little mad at myself for not checking the book earlier so that I could do one of two things: 1. clean the book and get it in circulating order again, or 2. buying one from half.com for a couple of dollars and pulling the ol' switcheroo. But mostly I was just mad, as I couldn't see any way out of paying for it, so I went to the car to get my wallet.
When I got back inside, librarian #2 was there to help me, telling me again and again how sorry she was. Librarian #3 piped up, "At least you're getting a good book." Internally, I rolled my eyes, but she had a point. At least I wasn't stuck with Eloise Takes a Bawth or some other book that I can't stand (no offense to Eloise, but a story about a girl who takes a bath at a hotel and causes millions of dollars in damage because she lets the water overflow everywhere just isn't very funny). If I was going to pay $24.99 for ANY book, at least it was one we all love. Still, though, I couldn't stop the tears from spilling out onto my cheeks, and I ducked down to talk to Kyla, hoping no one else would notice. Librarian #3 asked if my husband was the orthodontist who had such beautiful flowers outside his office, and I knew she was thinking that if my huband owned that office, we must be loaded, and I shouldn't care so much about a piddly little library book. I said yes and thank you for complimenting his flowers, not bothering to explain that it's really Jeff's brother's office and that he's just an employee there (and therefore, NOT loaded), and it is still a big deal that I'm having to buy the book.
So, it was a rough morning. I came home and taped Brown Bear, Brown Bear back together, and now I'm crossing my fingers that we don't have a repeat episode next week. There were some pages already taped together when we checked it out, so I'm guessing it will be alright, but that brings up another question: apparently it's not a big deal to tape pages back in, but it's not okay to have food stains on pages? I don't understand the logic. But I do understand karma. And I will refrain from any more "braggy" comments from now on. Now, I need to decide which of the kids is going to be getting a slightly used copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for Christmas.
Today, after returning a stack of books (not including Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?, which was still at home needing to have some pages taped back in), I was getting ready to check out another stack and scanned my card. Up popped the following warning in red letters: Fine: $24.99. I nearly laughed out loud, wondering what in the world had caused such an awful mistake. I took my card to the lady behind the desk and was greeted there by another librarian, the one who checks the books in (librarian #1 from now on). She showed me a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar that I had returned that day and explained to me that it was ruined and I would have to pay for it.
I was taken aback. I couldn't think of a single thing that had happened to that book (remember, I hadn't tried to return Brown Bear), and so she opened the book and proceeded to show me food stains on a few pages. She then showed me that a couple of pages were stuck together at the bottom and when she tried to unstick them, she had ripped a page. Two other pages was still stuck together, and she feared trying to unstick them, declaring the book was no longer able to be circulated and needed to be replaced.
I tried to get out of it. I asked if I could take the book home and work on it, sure that I would be able to get the pages unstuck and cleaned up enough to pass inspection, but was denied. A second librarian agreed that the book was ruined, but that after I paid for it, I would be able to keep it. Oh goodie, that makes me feel better. Since I didn't have my wallet on me, I told her I would have to come back later (preferrably after I thought of another plan). She asked librarian #1 (fast becoming my best friend) if I could still check out books, and she replied with a sigh, "Not any more than five. We shouldn't let her check out any."
Now, with tears starting to form in my eyes, I said, "I'll come back later," and walked outside, trying to figure out what I was going to do. Noel was outside with the kids, and I discussed the situation with her. I was a little mad at myself for not checking the book earlier so that I could do one of two things: 1. clean the book and get it in circulating order again, or 2. buying one from half.com for a couple of dollars and pulling the ol' switcheroo. But mostly I was just mad, as I couldn't see any way out of paying for it, so I went to the car to get my wallet.
When I got back inside, librarian #2 was there to help me, telling me again and again how sorry she was. Librarian #3 piped up, "At least you're getting a good book." Internally, I rolled my eyes, but she had a point. At least I wasn't stuck with Eloise Takes a Bawth or some other book that I can't stand (no offense to Eloise, but a story about a girl who takes a bath at a hotel and causes millions of dollars in damage because she lets the water overflow everywhere just isn't very funny). If I was going to pay $24.99 for ANY book, at least it was one we all love. Still, though, I couldn't stop the tears from spilling out onto my cheeks, and I ducked down to talk to Kyla, hoping no one else would notice. Librarian #3 asked if my husband was the orthodontist who had such beautiful flowers outside his office, and I knew she was thinking that if my huband owned that office, we must be loaded, and I shouldn't care so much about a piddly little library book. I said yes and thank you for complimenting his flowers, not bothering to explain that it's really Jeff's brother's office and that he's just an employee there (and therefore, NOT loaded), and it is still a big deal that I'm having to buy the book.
So, it was a rough morning. I came home and taped Brown Bear, Brown Bear back together, and now I'm crossing my fingers that we don't have a repeat episode next week. There were some pages already taped together when we checked it out, so I'm guessing it will be alright, but that brings up another question: apparently it's not a big deal to tape pages back in, but it's not okay to have food stains on pages? I don't understand the logic. But I do understand karma. And I will refrain from any more "braggy" comments from now on. Now, I need to decide which of the kids is going to be getting a slightly used copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for Christmas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)