So, I tried to read slowly and make it last. I managed all of three days. I finished Breaking Dawn last night, and you can read my review HERE. Don't read if you don't want anything spoiled.
This week without Jeff has been full of highs and lows.
Lows: Allie having a very hard time obeying and receiving several spankings, Allie waking up wet again (after weeks of being dry every morning), Allie sneaking things and lying about it (are we seeing a pattern here?), doing a Tae Bo workout three days ago and being so sore that I could barely get up and down, the toilet getting clogged and there's no one here but me to try to fix it,
Highs: Damon laughing in delight as he sang "She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain," specifically the verse that says, "she'll have to sleep with granny when she comes;" Allie getting to paint with watercolors while KyKy was sleeping and laughing in delight as she turned the water different colors; the kids eating dinner so great, even when they thought they didn't like it; Kyla doing errands for me, like putting her diaper in the trash or taking things to Allie; the awesome weather we've been having with just a tiny hint of fall in the air; and my favorite memory from the week, which lasted all of three seconds. Kyla was wearing Allie's purple dancing skirt (which she thought was so fun) and she came into the kitchen and found the broom and swept the floor. She looked so big (sorry no pictures, Jeff has the camera on his river trip), and I couldn't help but hear "Sing Sweet Nightengale" as she swept, my little Cinderella (and yes, I know Cinderella never wore her gown when she was doing housework, but it was just the moment).
So, it's been good. We'll meet up with Jeff tomorrow and head to St. George for the weekend. Should be fun!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Olympics
Thoughts about the Olympics.
How about some volleyball! With Ryan Millar and the men and Logan Tom and the women, U.S.A. volleyball is alive and well! And not to mention our dominance in beach volleyball. How awesome was that? I went back and forth who I loved more, Misty or Kerri. What must it be like to block like Kerri? But Misty is the better player. So I decided. I want to be Misty May. And I want Kerri Walsh to be my best friend. I love those girls!
I'm a little annoyed that baseball and softball are getting cut from the Olympics. I understand that baseball is pretty boring without any MLB players, and that the U.S. softball team is too good for the rest of the world, but really? There are many "sports" that I think should be cut before baseball and softball: The 20 k walk, trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, field hockey, sailing, judo, Greco Roman wrestling, tae kwon do... And I really don't have anything against any of those events, I am just a little disappointed that baseball and softball are out. Okay, I don't care about baseball. I am sad that softball is out. And do you think the U.S. threw the gold medal game on purpose so softball could be reinstated for 2016?
There's nothing like a good controversy. Especially when it involves gymnasts from China and the U.S. I was fascinated by the U.S. computer hacker who found "proof" that He Kexin is only 14, and how that stirred up so much trouble. Everyone suspects that the Chinese gymnasts are underage, and yet we all knew that the Chinese government was going to provide any necessary proof that they were eligible to compete. Also, it seemed a little fishy that the Chinese gymnasts were getting scores that even Tim Daggett claimed were "a little high." And I don't care how good her first vault was, "Pug Face" didn't deserve a bronze on vault when she fell on her knees on the second.
Luckily, though, our two stars couldn't be stopped. It was another toss-up of who you love more, Shawn or Nastia. I'm just glad they both did so well. It was wonderful to watch.
The Jamaican sprinters were on fire! They all seemed to have their best races at the best time. I really hope they are all clean, because I can't help but be a tad suspicious. Now, I know none of them have ever failed a drug test, and I really do hope they are all doing it without drugs, because it was fun to watch. Especially Usain Bolt. The man is a freak of nature. It's not right to be that tall and to run that fast. Amazing!
New athletes I love: Tyson Gay (did you see the story NBC did on him where he said he could sit and sign autographs all day for kids because he was just so happy to be making a difference in their lives? Love him! And I'm so sad that his Olympics was so awful).
Dara Torres (not technically a NEW athlete, but definitely one of my favs--I told Jeff she should've gotten some fake nails put on before her race, she would've won gold! And then she made the fingernail comment after the race (about how she shouldn't have filed them) and I didn't feel very original).
Kobe Bryant (it was so fun to actually cheer for him instead of detesting him!)
Jason Lezac (we may never see a better finish to a relay than in the 4x100--it was amazing! And thanks to him we got to see Michael Phelps' abs in a way we never would've otherwise!).
So...what am I going to do now that they are over? Jeff is gone all week on a rafting trip, so I will be especially lonely. But I am prepared. I have been waiting for the perfect time to get reacquainted with my good friends, Bella and Edward, and I think this is the time.
How about some volleyball! With Ryan Millar and the men and Logan Tom and the women, U.S.A. volleyball is alive and well! And not to mention our dominance in beach volleyball. How awesome was that? I went back and forth who I loved more, Misty or Kerri. What must it be like to block like Kerri? But Misty is the better player. So I decided. I want to be Misty May. And I want Kerri Walsh to be my best friend. I love those girls!
I'm a little annoyed that baseball and softball are getting cut from the Olympics. I understand that baseball is pretty boring without any MLB players, and that the U.S. softball team is too good for the rest of the world, but really? There are many "sports" that I think should be cut before baseball and softball: The 20 k walk, trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, field hockey, sailing, judo, Greco Roman wrestling, tae kwon do... And I really don't have anything against any of those events, I am just a little disappointed that baseball and softball are out. Okay, I don't care about baseball. I am sad that softball is out. And do you think the U.S. threw the gold medal game on purpose so softball could be reinstated for 2016?
There's nothing like a good controversy. Especially when it involves gymnasts from China and the U.S. I was fascinated by the U.S. computer hacker who found "proof" that He Kexin is only 14, and how that stirred up so much trouble. Everyone suspects that the Chinese gymnasts are underage, and yet we all knew that the Chinese government was going to provide any necessary proof that they were eligible to compete. Also, it seemed a little fishy that the Chinese gymnasts were getting scores that even Tim Daggett claimed were "a little high." And I don't care how good her first vault was, "Pug Face" didn't deserve a bronze on vault when she fell on her knees on the second.
Luckily, though, our two stars couldn't be stopped. It was another toss-up of who you love more, Shawn or Nastia. I'm just glad they both did so well. It was wonderful to watch.
The Jamaican sprinters were on fire! They all seemed to have their best races at the best time. I really hope they are all clean, because I can't help but be a tad suspicious. Now, I know none of them have ever failed a drug test, and I really do hope they are all doing it without drugs, because it was fun to watch. Especially Usain Bolt. The man is a freak of nature. It's not right to be that tall and to run that fast. Amazing!
New athletes I love: Tyson Gay (did you see the story NBC did on him where he said he could sit and sign autographs all day for kids because he was just so happy to be making a difference in their lives? Love him! And I'm so sad that his Olympics was so awful).
Dara Torres (not technically a NEW athlete, but definitely one of my favs--I told Jeff she should've gotten some fake nails put on before her race, she would've won gold! And then she made the fingernail comment after the race (about how she shouldn't have filed them) and I didn't feel very original).
Kobe Bryant (it was so fun to actually cheer for him instead of detesting him!)
Jason Lezac (we may never see a better finish to a relay than in the 4x100--it was amazing! And thanks to him we got to see Michael Phelps' abs in a way we never would've otherwise!).
So...what am I going to do now that they are over? Jeff is gone all week on a rafting trip, so I will be especially lonely. But I am prepared. I have been waiting for the perfect time to get reacquainted with my good friends, Bella and Edward, and I think this is the time.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Pictures at last
Sorry. I know I have really been slacking in the photo department and it's a wonder that anyone reads my posts without pics. So, here are a few that we have taken over the last few days.
Last weekend all the Trapnell boys took a bunch of the kids camping/fishing at Fish Lake for two days. Damon was so excited to go, and even let Jeff talk him into hiking another high point. Jeff, Damon, our nephew Michael and Greg's dog, Vegas, set off on an 8.5 mile hike. Yes, that's right. MILES. Up to an 11,000 foot peak. When I heard about it, I thought they were crazy, but Jeff said the book listed it as a moderate hike and he thought it would be okay. Five and a half hours later, he wasn't so sure. He said the boys did really well, but were both so exhausted at the end that he had to carry them (in shifts) the last couple of miles. This is Damon and Michael at the top of the peak. Damon carried this feather with him all the way. In fact, Jeff said he didn't put the feather down the entire trip.
In the meantime, Allie and I had a girl's weekend. We painted our toenails, tried on lotion and lip gloss, got ice cream from McDonald's and Dairy Queen, and watched Michael Phelps. Good times. Allie has added a new item to her wardrobe: a swimsuit. It must be easier to put on than anything else, because although we haven't been swimming in weeks, she wears one nearly every day. This one made me laugh. Jeff is wondering if I can get one just like it.
Damon and Allie made a "fort" under the stairs outside. They filled it with pillows and spent quite a while hanging out there. Damon even protected them from the spider by blocking its web with a pillow. I'd rather not know the details. This isn't the best pic of Allie, but I love it of Damon.
And finally, Damon started school on Wednesday. He seems to be very happy, but my heart still goes out to him. He told me that on the first day he didn't know that he could leave the cafeteria after lunch to go out to the playground, and just sat there waiting for his teacher to come back and get him (that's what they did at Fort Caroline). I also gathered that he was sitting alone, as he hasn't made any friends in his class yet. Finally, he found his cousin, Maren, in the cafeteria and she took him outside to find David, his cousin in first grade. Sad. Anyway, here he is the morning he left for school. He is looking so grown up! And the hair may be a little too short for those chubby cheeks. 
Last weekend all the Trapnell boys took a bunch of the kids camping/fishing at Fish Lake for two days. Damon was so excited to go, and even let Jeff talk him into hiking another high point. Jeff, Damon, our nephew Michael and Greg's dog, Vegas, set off on an 8.5 mile hike. Yes, that's right. MILES. Up to an 11,000 foot peak. When I heard about it, I thought they were crazy, but Jeff said the book listed it as a moderate hike and he thought it would be okay. Five and a half hours later, he wasn't so sure. He said the boys did really well, but were both so exhausted at the end that he had to carry them (in shifts) the last couple of miles. This is Damon and Michael at the top of the peak. Damon carried this feather with him all the way. In fact, Jeff said he didn't put the feather down the entire trip.
In the meantime, Allie and I had a girl's weekend. We painted our toenails, tried on lotion and lip gloss, got ice cream from McDonald's and Dairy Queen, and watched Michael Phelps. Good times. Allie has added a new item to her wardrobe: a swimsuit. It must be easier to put on than anything else, because although we haven't been swimming in weeks, she wears one nearly every day. This one made me laugh. Jeff is wondering if I can get one just like it.
Damon and Allie made a "fort" under the stairs outside. They filled it with pillows and spent quite a while hanging out there. Damon even protected them from the spider by blocking its web with a pillow. I'd rather not know the details. This isn't the best pic of Allie, but I love it of Damon.
And finally, Damon started school on Wednesday. He seems to be very happy, but my heart still goes out to him. He told me that on the first day he didn't know that he could leave the cafeteria after lunch to go out to the playground, and just sat there waiting for his teacher to come back and get him (that's what they did at Fort Caroline). I also gathered that he was sitting alone, as he hasn't made any friends in his class yet. Finally, he found his cousin, Maren, in the cafeteria and she took him outside to find David, his cousin in first grade. Sad. Anyway, here he is the morning he left for school. He is looking so grown up! And the hair may be a little too short for those chubby cheeks. 
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Eight in '08
Like the rest of the Mormon world, Jeff and I celebrate our anniversary in August. We were married August 19, 2000, and I know you are dying to see pics of that day. Sorry, but they are all still packed, and will have to wait until we are moved into our new house (however long that will be).
In honor of our eight years together, I wanted to share eight memories from our time together. These are not necessarily the best memories, but eight things that stand out. In no particular order.
#1 This comes from when we were newly dating. Jeff and I used to spend a lot of time sitting on the couch in my apartment after my roommates went to bed (or just went into their bedrooms so we could be alone). One night, as he was getting up to leave, we were standing in the doorway (door open to the outside) and he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek before he left. I shut the door and immediately began to analyze what had happened. It had totally caught me off guard, and I started to worry that he had tried to kiss me (for real) and I had turned my head. I didn't want him to feel like I had rejected him, unintentionally, of course, so I decided to ask him about it.
We were sitting in the Benson building watching the Tuesday devotional (our usual spot), and we started writing notes back and forth about it (yeah right, like I was going to bring it up in actual conversation!). He assured me that he wasn't trying to kiss me, and said, "I don't usually miss," and that "when the time is right, you'll know it."
I kept those notes for a long time. I hope I still have them. Just thinking about that really makes me laugh. And as a side note, when he did kiss me, I did know it was coming and he didn't miss.
#2 When we were first married, we lived in a little apartment on University, close to BYU. It was such a cute little place, and perfect for just starting out. There was one window air conditioner in the family room, which really cooled it down. But no air whatsoever made it into the bedroom and we really suffered at night. We started off spraying each other with a water bottle before getting into bed, hoping we'd be asleep before all the water dried. Finally, we moved our mattress out to the family room. There was just enough room to squeeze it in between the couch and the dresser that held our tv. We slept there, on the floor, for at least a month before we moved. Good times.
#3 I will never forget the first time I went through the temple, two weeks before we got married. It was overwhelming, and so much to take in. I remember going from the veil to the celestial room and Jeff was standing there waiting for me and grabbed me in the biggest hug. I had never been so happy to see anyone in my life. One of the temple workers said, "I hope you'll still greet her like that in 50 years!" Jeff said, "I will." I always love to find him waiting for me in the celestial room, and it seems like he gets there before me quite often!
#4 When I was pregnant with Kyla, I really wanted to get a new crib. The crib we had used with Damon and Allie was a hand-me-down, and while very nice, I wanted something white. I had been looking at cribs, but I knew we didn't have the money to buy one, so I just thought it was a dream that wouldn't happen. On Valentine's Day, Jeff called during lunch and told me to go look outside. He was there with his brother's truck, a white crib with a big red bow in the back. I was so surprised! He had called several consignment stores and found one that had what I wanted. He spent his lunch hour figuring out how to get it into the baby's room and put together. There was no better declaration of his love for me than that. And it proved to me that he still had it in him to plan a few surprises.
#5 When Damon was a baby, we took a trip to Chicago (about a six hour drive from Columbus). We had gotten tickets to a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field, something Jeff had always wanted to do. We got stuck in traffic and the game started long before we got there. We listened on the radio as the game progressed, praying that the dark clouds hovering over Chicago would cause a rain delay. And it happened. With the game tied in the seventh inning, rain caused a delay and we FINALLY made it to the park. After an hour, the game resumed, and even went into extra innings. And because of the big delay, most fans had gone home. We got to sit anywhere we wanted, and we ended up just a few rows up on the third base side. The game went 14 innings (we got to see the last 7) and the Cubs won in the end. AND Jeff caught a ball thrown into the crowd by Moises Alou, the left fielder (he ended up giving the ball to a little kid). I'm so glad we got to experience that together.
#6 When I was pregnant with Allie, we took a trip to Washington, D.C. for Spring Break. We stayed with some friends, and had one of the best trips ever. We got to go to the D.C. temple, which was amazing, and enjoy perfect weather as we walked around town. On the way back to Columbus, we stopped to see Falling Water (Frank Lloyd Wright's home, built right on the water) and took a tour. It was awesome!
#7 When we were engaged, I worked as a Sports Camp Counselor at BYU. Most campers went home on Friday, but a few stayed and so a few counselors had to stay Friday night as well. It was my turn to stay a Friday night, but Jeff told me to get someone to trade with me, because he wanted to take me to dinner at The Roof restaurant in SLC. I managed to find someone to stay for me, and I called to ask him what to wear. We had been there once before (and spotted Sheri Dew there on a date!) and I remember feeling underdressed. He acted a little funny and told me I didn't need to wear a skirt. I was confused, but said okay, and wore pants.
While we were driving to SLC, he told me that I had something on my face, and I pulled down the visor so I could look in the mirror. An envelope fell into my lap, and when I opened it, inside were two tickets to the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert. For that night. I was so surprised! We had an awesome time at the concert, and it will always be one of my favorite memories with Jeff.
#8 Allie's birth. I have good memories of him with the births of the other two, but Allie's really stands out in my mind. Jeff and I spent the evening sitting in recliners at Babies R Us, talking about how glad we were I wasn't being induced that night because we were both tired. I hadn't had any contractions, so I was very surprised when I found myself in labor at 12:30 am. After only 15 minutes, I knew we needed to get to the hospital so I woke him up. It was just like in the movies, where the husband jumps up and tries to hurry, but is so disoriented it takes him a few minutes. I distinctly remember both he and my mom laughing at me as I suffered through the contractions on our drive to the hospital, throwing the seat belt off my shoulder. They had no idea that I was REALLY in labor, and thought I was just being dramatic. Once we got to the hospital, and I got to pushing, it was another scene from a movie, where the wife squeezes life out of her husband's hand as she tries desperately to rid herself of the child within. And even though I never want to do that again, I'm so glad we got to experience that together.
It's been a great eight years. Nothing has been perfect, but yet I wouldn't change a thing. All of our adventures have brought us closer together, and I can't wait to see what the rest of our journey has in store for us.
In honor of our eight years together, I wanted to share eight memories from our time together. These are not necessarily the best memories, but eight things that stand out. In no particular order.
#1 This comes from when we were newly dating. Jeff and I used to spend a lot of time sitting on the couch in my apartment after my roommates went to bed (or just went into their bedrooms so we could be alone). One night, as he was getting up to leave, we were standing in the doorway (door open to the outside) and he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek before he left. I shut the door and immediately began to analyze what had happened. It had totally caught me off guard, and I started to worry that he had tried to kiss me (for real) and I had turned my head. I didn't want him to feel like I had rejected him, unintentionally, of course, so I decided to ask him about it.
We were sitting in the Benson building watching the Tuesday devotional (our usual spot), and we started writing notes back and forth about it (yeah right, like I was going to bring it up in actual conversation!). He assured me that he wasn't trying to kiss me, and said, "I don't usually miss," and that "when the time is right, you'll know it."
I kept those notes for a long time. I hope I still have them. Just thinking about that really makes me laugh. And as a side note, when he did kiss me, I did know it was coming and he didn't miss.
#2 When we were first married, we lived in a little apartment on University, close to BYU. It was such a cute little place, and perfect for just starting out. There was one window air conditioner in the family room, which really cooled it down. But no air whatsoever made it into the bedroom and we really suffered at night. We started off spraying each other with a water bottle before getting into bed, hoping we'd be asleep before all the water dried. Finally, we moved our mattress out to the family room. There was just enough room to squeeze it in between the couch and the dresser that held our tv. We slept there, on the floor, for at least a month before we moved. Good times.
#3 I will never forget the first time I went through the temple, two weeks before we got married. It was overwhelming, and so much to take in. I remember going from the veil to the celestial room and Jeff was standing there waiting for me and grabbed me in the biggest hug. I had never been so happy to see anyone in my life. One of the temple workers said, "I hope you'll still greet her like that in 50 years!" Jeff said, "I will." I always love to find him waiting for me in the celestial room, and it seems like he gets there before me quite often!
#4 When I was pregnant with Kyla, I really wanted to get a new crib. The crib we had used with Damon and Allie was a hand-me-down, and while very nice, I wanted something white. I had been looking at cribs, but I knew we didn't have the money to buy one, so I just thought it was a dream that wouldn't happen. On Valentine's Day, Jeff called during lunch and told me to go look outside. He was there with his brother's truck, a white crib with a big red bow in the back. I was so surprised! He had called several consignment stores and found one that had what I wanted. He spent his lunch hour figuring out how to get it into the baby's room and put together. There was no better declaration of his love for me than that. And it proved to me that he still had it in him to plan a few surprises.
#5 When Damon was a baby, we took a trip to Chicago (about a six hour drive from Columbus). We had gotten tickets to a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field, something Jeff had always wanted to do. We got stuck in traffic and the game started long before we got there. We listened on the radio as the game progressed, praying that the dark clouds hovering over Chicago would cause a rain delay. And it happened. With the game tied in the seventh inning, rain caused a delay and we FINALLY made it to the park. After an hour, the game resumed, and even went into extra innings. And because of the big delay, most fans had gone home. We got to sit anywhere we wanted, and we ended up just a few rows up on the third base side. The game went 14 innings (we got to see the last 7) and the Cubs won in the end. AND Jeff caught a ball thrown into the crowd by Moises Alou, the left fielder (he ended up giving the ball to a little kid). I'm so glad we got to experience that together.
#6 When I was pregnant with Allie, we took a trip to Washington, D.C. for Spring Break. We stayed with some friends, and had one of the best trips ever. We got to go to the D.C. temple, which was amazing, and enjoy perfect weather as we walked around town. On the way back to Columbus, we stopped to see Falling Water (Frank Lloyd Wright's home, built right on the water) and took a tour. It was awesome!
#7 When we were engaged, I worked as a Sports Camp Counselor at BYU. Most campers went home on Friday, but a few stayed and so a few counselors had to stay Friday night as well. It was my turn to stay a Friday night, but Jeff told me to get someone to trade with me, because he wanted to take me to dinner at The Roof restaurant in SLC. I managed to find someone to stay for me, and I called to ask him what to wear. We had been there once before (and spotted Sheri Dew there on a date!) and I remember feeling underdressed. He acted a little funny and told me I didn't need to wear a skirt. I was confused, but said okay, and wore pants.
While we were driving to SLC, he told me that I had something on my face, and I pulled down the visor so I could look in the mirror. An envelope fell into my lap, and when I opened it, inside were two tickets to the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert. For that night. I was so surprised! We had an awesome time at the concert, and it will always be one of my favorite memories with Jeff.
#8 Allie's birth. I have good memories of him with the births of the other two, but Allie's really stands out in my mind. Jeff and I spent the evening sitting in recliners at Babies R Us, talking about how glad we were I wasn't being induced that night because we were both tired. I hadn't had any contractions, so I was very surprised when I found myself in labor at 12:30 am. After only 15 minutes, I knew we needed to get to the hospital so I woke him up. It was just like in the movies, where the husband jumps up and tries to hurry, but is so disoriented it takes him a few minutes. I distinctly remember both he and my mom laughing at me as I suffered through the contractions on our drive to the hospital, throwing the seat belt off my shoulder. They had no idea that I was REALLY in labor, and thought I was just being dramatic. Once we got to the hospital, and I got to pushing, it was another scene from a movie, where the wife squeezes life out of her husband's hand as she tries desperately to rid herself of the child within. And even though I never want to do that again, I'm so glad we got to experience that together.
It's been a great eight years. Nothing has been perfect, but yet I wouldn't change a thing. All of our adventures have brought us closer together, and I can't wait to see what the rest of our journey has in store for us.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Advertising
Allie loves to watch commercials. And since we are currently DVR-less and have been watching a lot of Olympics, she has seen a lot of commercials lately. It always amazes me how much she remembers from commercials. You may recall the time she said Kyla needed Lipozene because she was too chubby. Well, her latest comment goes along with that one. She asked me if I was sad, and said, "if you're sad, you need Cymbalta." Really? It's that easy?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Night Thoughts
Poor Kyla. She was sleeping so peacefully until Allie went to bed and woke her up. Now she is having a hard time falling back asleep, and the only time I don't hear her crying is when the noise of the Olympics drowns her out. I'm sure she just wants to be out here enjoying it with me, even if she has no idea why I'm so dang excited.
The whole family has caught the Olympic fever. I have a few pics I want to post, but Jeff has the camera this weekend (the Trapnell boys took a bunch of the kids camping), so that will have to wait. But we all have been thoroughly enjoying watching every day and we won't know what to do with ourselves once they finish next week.
Today has been a very up and down day, and for no reason in particular. It's just part of being a girl, and dealing with all the emotions that surge through our bodies day after day. I love being back here in Utah. It is so nice to be surrounded by family, and to finally be done with school. But it is strange to be back. It's been six years since we last lived here, and I'm not used to "happy valley." Here are a few things that I have had to adjust to since I've been back:
1. HUGE Utah wards. Our ward here in Springville is completely out of control. In Jacksonville, we never filled the soft seats in the chapel, and everyone knew everyone else. Here, if we don't get to church 15 minutes early, we don't get a "soft seat," which makes things ten times harder with the kids. Jeff and I are in primary and we teach half of the nine year olds, and we have nine of them. Senior primary fills the entire primary room, and we have opening exercises in the chapel, where we fill all the "soft seats." It is insane!
2. All the "Mormon movies." There is one coming out right now about sister missionaries called "The Errand of Angels," and the previews feature the song "As Sisters in Zion." It catches me off guard every time I hear it.
3. There are so many Mormons everywhere we go! It's not uncommon to overhear people talking about missions and church at the bank, the grocery store...weird.
4. There are churches everywhere! I knew that, but it's still funny to see them all. There are three within walking distance of the Trapnell's (maybe more, but I haven't actually walked enough to know for sure).
5. While we have lots of family around, and I'm never really lonely, I don't have any friends close by yet. I miss having friends. I miss book clubs, and girls nights out, and park outings...I know it takes time, and mostly it doesn't bother me, but today I just started feeling sad. I'm praying that in our next house, and next ward, I will find some girls I can relate to, that have kids who will bond with my own instantly. Is that too much to ask? Damon is not very good at making friends (never has been), and does better one on one than in groups. There's got to be another six year old boy here in Springville that needs a friend as badly as he does. I'm hoping that he will find one, too.
Speaking of homes, we have spent a lot of time looking at neighborhoods and like several. There is a possibility that we'll end up here in Springville (more to come on that later), which I wasn't expecting, but I know that wherever we go it will be right. And thankfully, we aren't in a huge rush to get out of the basement, so we can wait for just the right situation to come along.
Okay, here's a final thought tonight (Kyla has finally stopped crying, so I can now fully enjoy the rest of the Olympic programming). I would love to be Michael Phelps for one day. It would be amazing to experience what it's like to be the best swimmer in the world. And it would be awesome to be "forced" to eat 8,000-10,000 calories a day.
The whole family has caught the Olympic fever. I have a few pics I want to post, but Jeff has the camera this weekend (the Trapnell boys took a bunch of the kids camping), so that will have to wait. But we all have been thoroughly enjoying watching every day and we won't know what to do with ourselves once they finish next week.
Today has been a very up and down day, and for no reason in particular. It's just part of being a girl, and dealing with all the emotions that surge through our bodies day after day. I love being back here in Utah. It is so nice to be surrounded by family, and to finally be done with school. But it is strange to be back. It's been six years since we last lived here, and I'm not used to "happy valley." Here are a few things that I have had to adjust to since I've been back:
1. HUGE Utah wards. Our ward here in Springville is completely out of control. In Jacksonville, we never filled the soft seats in the chapel, and everyone knew everyone else. Here, if we don't get to church 15 minutes early, we don't get a "soft seat," which makes things ten times harder with the kids. Jeff and I are in primary and we teach half of the nine year olds, and we have nine of them. Senior primary fills the entire primary room, and we have opening exercises in the chapel, where we fill all the "soft seats." It is insane!
2. All the "Mormon movies." There is one coming out right now about sister missionaries called "The Errand of Angels," and the previews feature the song "As Sisters in Zion." It catches me off guard every time I hear it.
3. There are so many Mormons everywhere we go! It's not uncommon to overhear people talking about missions and church at the bank, the grocery store...weird.
4. There are churches everywhere! I knew that, but it's still funny to see them all. There are three within walking distance of the Trapnell's (maybe more, but I haven't actually walked enough to know for sure).
5. While we have lots of family around, and I'm never really lonely, I don't have any friends close by yet. I miss having friends. I miss book clubs, and girls nights out, and park outings...I know it takes time, and mostly it doesn't bother me, but today I just started feeling sad. I'm praying that in our next house, and next ward, I will find some girls I can relate to, that have kids who will bond with my own instantly. Is that too much to ask? Damon is not very good at making friends (never has been), and does better one on one than in groups. There's got to be another six year old boy here in Springville that needs a friend as badly as he does. I'm hoping that he will find one, too.
Speaking of homes, we have spent a lot of time looking at neighborhoods and like several. There is a possibility that we'll end up here in Springville (more to come on that later), which I wasn't expecting, but I know that wherever we go it will be right. And thankfully, we aren't in a huge rush to get out of the basement, so we can wait for just the right situation to come along.
Okay, here's a final thought tonight (Kyla has finally stopped crying, so I can now fully enjoy the rest of the Olympic programming). I would love to be Michael Phelps for one day. It would be amazing to experience what it's like to be the best swimmer in the world. And it would be awesome to be "forced" to eat 8,000-10,000 calories a day.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Cryin'
Remember when I said Allie has gotten so much easier, and I went as far as to proclaim that she is happy 75% of the time? I would like to retract that statement. While she has gotten easier than she was a year ago, I was far too optimistic about the actual percentages. And for some reason, nights have gotten rough again. Just as she is finally consistently staying dry at night, she has started waking up and crying that cry that can only be described as inspired by the devil. Last week, she was up several times, crying and making us want to jab chopsticks in our ears, and Jeff said, "I can't stand her." And even though that sounds awfully harsh, cold and unfeeling, I couldn't help but agree. I certainly couldn't stand her then, either.
Last night really took the cake, though. As we were watching our nightly Olympic coverage upstairs with Jeff's parents, it came to our attention that someone was crying. When I determined it was Allie, I lay down next to her and asked her what was wrong. "I don't know," she blubbered. Great. I don't know the cure for that. I stayed for a few minutes, assuring her everything was fine, and left with her going back to sleep. Or so we thought. A few minutes later, she came out of the room crying, this time complaining about her ear hurting. And listening to her cry, you'd think someone HAD been jabbing chopsticks in there. I gave her a little ibuprofen, hoping mostly for the placebo effect to kick in, and sent her back to bed. Not five minutes later she was back, complaining that the medicine wasn't working and she needed more. I coaxed her back to bed again, telling her she needed to give it more time.
This went on for a while until Jeff and I finally went to bed (after watching the American gymnasts salvage the bronze medal!), and we hoped the worst was over. It wasn't. Five or six times throughout the night this scene continued. At one point she decided to sleep on our floor, but that didn't last either. And the crying was just terrible. Jeff and I took turns trying to reason with her, telling her we could either take her to the hospital or she needed to go back to sleep. Finally, Jeff explained to her that he had to work early in the morning and she needed to leave him alone (this was much nicer than the "I can't stand her" comment from before). I guess that did the trick, because around 4:00 we were able to fall asleep for good. Unfortunately, Kyla woke up at 6:50 and started her morning ritual of crying until I feed her everything in the kitchen.
Isn't motherhood great?
Last night really took the cake, though. As we were watching our nightly Olympic coverage upstairs with Jeff's parents, it came to our attention that someone was crying. When I determined it was Allie, I lay down next to her and asked her what was wrong. "I don't know," she blubbered. Great. I don't know the cure for that. I stayed for a few minutes, assuring her everything was fine, and left with her going back to sleep. Or so we thought. A few minutes later, she came out of the room crying, this time complaining about her ear hurting. And listening to her cry, you'd think someone HAD been jabbing chopsticks in there. I gave her a little ibuprofen, hoping mostly for the placebo effect to kick in, and sent her back to bed. Not five minutes later she was back, complaining that the medicine wasn't working and she needed more. I coaxed her back to bed again, telling her she needed to give it more time.
This went on for a while until Jeff and I finally went to bed (after watching the American gymnasts salvage the bronze medal!), and we hoped the worst was over. It wasn't. Five or six times throughout the night this scene continued. At one point she decided to sleep on our floor, but that didn't last either. And the crying was just terrible. Jeff and I took turns trying to reason with her, telling her we could either take her to the hospital or she needed to go back to sleep. Finally, Jeff explained to her that he had to work early in the morning and she needed to leave him alone (this was much nicer than the "I can't stand her" comment from before). I guess that did the trick, because around 4:00 we were able to fall asleep for good. Unfortunately, Kyla woke up at 6:50 and started her morning ritual of crying until I feed her everything in the kitchen.
Isn't motherhood great?
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Wish List
I am a fairly simple girl. I don't need a lot to make me happy. Or at least content. As we have been looking for a house, I realize that there aren't a lot of things that really matter to me. But occasionally I find myself thinking about things that would be NICE to have. They aren't critical to my happiness, and I'm not in a big rush to have them, but I will put them on my "If We Have Extra Money Someday List." Here are a few items from that list:
1. A Sleep Number Bed. I like my bed soft, Jeff likes it a little more firm. And for the last year or so, I have been the one to get my way. I bought the pillow top memory foam from Costco for my birthday and I loved the comfy softness. But now that we are in the basement, we are sleeping in a huge king bed and the memory foam doesn't fit anymore. I am missing it. Jeff is not. So, my conclusion is that it would be nice to have a bed that we could each set however we wanted.
2. A hot tub. With a really good cover that children can't remove. While maintaining a pool seems like way too much work for me, I think we could handle a hot tub. I have always loved a good soak (we had a special relationship with "Mr. J," Alisha's hot tub, in high school), and I think it would be so nice to put the kids to bed and relax on a cool fall night. Or in the middle of the day during the winter.
3. A Yamaha digital baby grand piano. Ah, the piano of my dreams. And what an amazing thing it is. I will definitely have to wait for that one, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that the owner of a piano store has a house full of teenagers who need braces. Maybe we could work out some sort of trade.
4. A really sweet set of pots and pans. For the past eight years (almost), we have used nothing but wedding gift pots and pans. They are nothing special, and I am looking forward to the day that I can replace them with something better. I asked for some for Christmas and then found out the ones I really wanted were $300 at Costco. That didn't happen. Just before we left Jacksonville, I showed Jeff one of our bigger pots, and how the bottom that was once black was now scraped silver. "That can't be good," he said. "We need a new pot." So I went and bought one at Target for $15. I haven't seen it since we moved to Utah. So, I'm still using the wedding gifts. Only we're down one medium size one pot, and the rest are threatening to break at any moment.
5. A Mac. Our pc is less than two years old, and at times I am ready to throw it out the window. It has major problems with printing, and at times will refuse to work for reasons I can't fathom. I have heard such good things about Macs and how virtually problem-free they are, and I am dreaming of the day we say good-bye to computer problems for good!
6. A sweet washer and dryer. I watched this demo about the Whirlpool Cabrio and I was sold. Too bad they are so dang expensive!
7. This really awesome water filter/softener system that was presented to us in Florida. Seriously, the water was amazing. I was sold when I saw how great pure water cleans anything and everything! Jeff was sold when he tasted the water. If someone comes knocking, offering a free gas card for listening to a water presentation, do it!!
That is a short list. I reserve the right to add anything at any time. It is MY list after all. What things would be on your "wish list?"
1. A Sleep Number Bed. I like my bed soft, Jeff likes it a little more firm. And for the last year or so, I have been the one to get my way. I bought the pillow top memory foam from Costco for my birthday and I loved the comfy softness. But now that we are in the basement, we are sleeping in a huge king bed and the memory foam doesn't fit anymore. I am missing it. Jeff is not. So, my conclusion is that it would be nice to have a bed that we could each set however we wanted.
2. A hot tub. With a really good cover that children can't remove. While maintaining a pool seems like way too much work for me, I think we could handle a hot tub. I have always loved a good soak (we had a special relationship with "Mr. J," Alisha's hot tub, in high school), and I think it would be so nice to put the kids to bed and relax on a cool fall night. Or in the middle of the day during the winter.
3. A Yamaha digital baby grand piano. Ah, the piano of my dreams. And what an amazing thing it is. I will definitely have to wait for that one, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that the owner of a piano store has a house full of teenagers who need braces. Maybe we could work out some sort of trade.
4. A really sweet set of pots and pans. For the past eight years (almost), we have used nothing but wedding gift pots and pans. They are nothing special, and I am looking forward to the day that I can replace them with something better. I asked for some for Christmas and then found out the ones I really wanted were $300 at Costco. That didn't happen. Just before we left Jacksonville, I showed Jeff one of our bigger pots, and how the bottom that was once black was now scraped silver. "That can't be good," he said. "We need a new pot." So I went and bought one at Target for $15. I haven't seen it since we moved to Utah. So, I'm still using the wedding gifts. Only we're down one medium size one pot, and the rest are threatening to break at any moment.
5. A Mac. Our pc is less than two years old, and at times I am ready to throw it out the window. It has major problems with printing, and at times will refuse to work for reasons I can't fathom. I have heard such good things about Macs and how virtually problem-free they are, and I am dreaming of the day we say good-bye to computer problems for good!
6. A sweet washer and dryer. I watched this demo about the Whirlpool Cabrio and I was sold. Too bad they are so dang expensive!
7. This really awesome water filter/softener system that was presented to us in Florida. Seriously, the water was amazing. I was sold when I saw how great pure water cleans anything and everything! Jeff was sold when he tasted the water. If someone comes knocking, offering a free gas card for listening to a water presentation, do it!!
That is a short list. I reserve the right to add anything at any time. It is MY list after all. What things would be on your "wish list?"
Monday, August 04, 2008
Beaver Mountain
We had a great time in St. George, although it was hot, hot, hot! I'll focus on the cool, cool, cool!
Jeff had planned a camping trip with the boys, but once he got up to Beaver Mountain, he called and asked me to come and to bring Allie. We got talked into it when my sister said we could leave Kyla behind.
Damon and Jeff spent the first day hiking and fishing. They hiked the highest peak in Beaver County (and sixth highest in the state), Delano Peak. Damon snapped this shot of Jeff at the top.
They saw a herd of mountain goats at the top and got pretty close to them. My dad was jealous.
Then they went fishing and caught about 20 fish! Jeff thought he had died and gone to heaven. Damon was pretty happy, too.
Allie and I drove up with my BIL, Wayne, and my dad. We drove around looking for the mountain goats (no luck) and tried fishing again (no luck). Allie did manage to fall into the stream and cried for the next hour or so until we got back to camp and out of her wet clothes. You can see in this pic she is wearing Damon's t-shirt and her clothes are "roasting" over the fire. By this time she had cheered up. Jeff had everything set up, and took care of everything, including all the food. He cooked up four of the trout he and Damon had caught and we had a yummy dinner.
The night was rough. We were in the middle of a deer migration (as Jeff claimed) and were awake for several hours listening to the thumpety thump of our deer visitors. At one point we heard a hissing sound, followed by the quick retreat of a deer. That's when I started to get a little scared. I had to pee, but tried to wait it out as long as I could, as I didn't want to face whatever was hissing (do racoons hiss? What else would've been capable of scaring off the deer?). Finally, when all was quiet, I ventured out. It was a little spooky, but I didn't encounter anything out of the ordinary. Damon and Allie slept through it all, which was great, but Jeff and I didn't feel very rested in the morning.
The kids got impossibly dirty for being there such a short time (Damon didn't change once in the three days he was there), and, although Allie didn't have a bad night sleep, she was still pretty tired.
Camping is fun. But it sure is a lot of work. I have been working on getting this mountain of stuff put away. My hair still smells like campfire, but it was definitely worth it. As Damon said, "I love camping because I can get away from home and see the pretty things in nature." He sure must have a lot of pressure here at home if he can't wait to get away.
Jeff had planned a camping trip with the boys, but once he got up to Beaver Mountain, he called and asked me to come and to bring Allie. We got talked into it when my sister said we could leave Kyla behind.
Damon and Jeff spent the first day hiking and fishing. They hiked the highest peak in Beaver County (and sixth highest in the state), Delano Peak. Damon snapped this shot of Jeff at the top.
They saw a herd of mountain goats at the top and got pretty close to them. My dad was jealous.
Then they went fishing and caught about 20 fish! Jeff thought he had died and gone to heaven. Damon was pretty happy, too.
Allie and I drove up with my BIL, Wayne, and my dad. We drove around looking for the mountain goats (no luck) and tried fishing again (no luck). Allie did manage to fall into the stream and cried for the next hour or so until we got back to camp and out of her wet clothes. You can see in this pic she is wearing Damon's t-shirt and her clothes are "roasting" over the fire. By this time she had cheered up. Jeff had everything set up, and took care of everything, including all the food. He cooked up four of the trout he and Damon had caught and we had a yummy dinner.
The night was rough. We were in the middle of a deer migration (as Jeff claimed) and were awake for several hours listening to the thumpety thump of our deer visitors. At one point we heard a hissing sound, followed by the quick retreat of a deer. That's when I started to get a little scared. I had to pee, but tried to wait it out as long as I could, as I didn't want to face whatever was hissing (do racoons hiss? What else would've been capable of scaring off the deer?). Finally, when all was quiet, I ventured out. It was a little spooky, but I didn't encounter anything out of the ordinary. Damon and Allie slept through it all, which was great, but Jeff and I didn't feel very rested in the morning.
The kids got impossibly dirty for being there such a short time (Damon didn't change once in the three days he was there), and, although Allie didn't have a bad night sleep, she was still pretty tired.
Camping is fun. But it sure is a lot of work. I have been working on getting this mountain of stuff put away. My hair still smells like campfire, but it was definitely worth it. As Damon said, "I love camping because I can get away from home and see the pretty things in nature." He sure must have a lot of pressure here at home if he can't wait to get away.
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