Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Mark Jensen, Jack, Klaire, and Eric!! The last week of December is a busy one according to the family calendar -- each person gets their very own day to celebrate becoming one year older! We hope you each have a fun birthday!

Mark -- so glad you are back in the USA!

Jack -- so glad to have you in Utah!

Klaire -- enjoy the "warmth" of Arizona!

Eric -- celebrate big in the hawaiian tropics and bring us a pineapple (NOT the last minute Costco variety!)

Late Christmas gift!

Matthew's first tooth broke through on the day after Christmas! Yay! He loves feeling it with his fingers and biting down hard on his bottle. Apparently his stuffiness isn't all tooth related though (darn!) since he's still snotty and has been wanting to be held a lot -- not like him. Hopefully the new tooth and the humidifier are making him feel a little better!

Christmas Memories

Heidi's blog inspired me to mention a couple of Christmas memories from when I was little, although I don't think anything can compare to the fun of 12 kids and the violin caroling incident!
Being the youngest child, and very much so, the majority of my Christmas mornings were spent alone with Mom & Dad. However, I remember we always got up about 4:00 a.m. to see what Santa brought us before my Dad had to head outside to the barn to milk cows. I carried on this tradition by myself until somewhere in my late teens, when I realized that I wanted to sleep longer.
I also remember that Christmas seemed to take ALL day. Santa at 4:00 a.m., breakfast around 8:30 or 9:00 at John & Karen's followed by present opening there, then back to our house for more gift opening just before noon -- all gift opening was done one at a time -- then lunch around 1:00 or 1:30. (I still insist on the one-present-at-a-time thing with my kids -- good things come to those who wait!)
Christmas Eve was always a big event as well. We went to G&G's house for dinner and a program. We all had to do some talent for the program and then we read the Christmas story from the Bible, sometimes dressing up and acting it out. Then we opened gifts from G&G and headed home to hang our stockings (our real socks -- it was always a hunt to see who could find and hang the largest stocking -- Dad usually won -- we didn't own soccer socks like my boys do now!)
I was always so excited for Christmas that I remember a couple of Christmases where I actually made myself sick to my stomach and spent a good portion of the evening puking. Lovely, eh?

Lacking motivation

Mark & I registered to run the Moab half-marathon and 5-mile in March. It is a lottery -- they pick 4000 people for the run. Well, we didn't get picked:( There must have been a ton of registrants. Out of 3 people at Mark's work, only 1 got picked to run. Now we are trying to come up with another run to get us motivated to exercise through these cold months. There's not a lot of options that fit with our schedule. Maybe we should start up our own half-marathon event... We could make t-shirts and charge a lot of money too! Yes, people would pay us money for the privledge of running! Hmmm, not a bad idea...

ramblings on shopping

I enjoy shopping. I can easily kill an hour in Target looking around at stuff and not have any specific purpose for going there. I can spend lots of time at a mall, if given the chance. However, I really don't like shopping during the holiday season -- too many people, long check out lines, items I want are out of stock, parking lot is always full, bell ringers block the entrances, and the store aisles are so squished with people that you can't push a cart or stroller through without knocking over merchandise or leaving wheel marks on people or small children. I try to avoid going to the store unless necessary between Thanksgiving and Christmas and NEVER on a Saturday. The thing I find interesting is that the grocery stores are also busier during this season -- why? We all eat year round, not just during the holidays! Last week I had to make a return at Roberts -- I had 3 kids with me and we nearly grew old and died waiting in line for service and then waiting for their lousy computer system to do its thing and refund my money!Despite my not liking to shop during the holidays, I have to admit I had a fun shopping day about a week after Thanksgiving when I hit the Smith's store with my Christmas list and Eric's discount card in hand. I have always wanted to fill a cart one time and then be done with the Christmas shopping -- that day my dream came true. I filled a cart, checked out, and was finished. Well, almost -- I missed 1 thing that was, of course, out of stock, which sent me to another store, another full parking lot, more squished aisles, another bell ringer to avoid, another long check out line, and too many people, but this time it wasn't out of stock! Now I'm just hoping that everything works right so I don't have to survive the return lines the day after Christmas!!

fancy schmancy

Last night Mark and I went to dinner at Millcreek Inn with a lot of other management people from his work. The inn is a pretty cozy place up in the canyon, tucked in among the trees and snowbanks. It is a tie and dress, wine and cheese, mix and mingle affair with a very nice dinner. This year Mark chose the salmon, which was served on a bed of roasted red potatoes and garnished with a parsley sprig. I had the pork loin which was wrapped around some kind of a fig/date/raisin type mixture with a side of white rice, topped with some red stringy gelatin-like stuff with a red sauce drizzled around on the plate. Mark got the best food all around -- it was easily identifiable and very tasty. My pork loin was also very tasty without the fig stuff, unidentifiable red stringy gelatinous stuff, and drizzled red sauce -- so, in other words, the meat and rice were good! They served a delicious apple streudel with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We happened to sit at a table with other couples our age -- a first in the many years we've been invited to this event -- and it made the atmosphere and conversation comfortable, so we had a nice evening together. Meanwhile, G&G Vawdrey came to our house to watch the kids and take Ryan to his basketball game. It was really nice not having to drive all over the valley and Grandpa got to watch Ryan play. Ryan had a good night with a few steals, 6 points, and getting to the free throw line (which rarely happens in his age group).

Why is it...

...so hard to exercise on a Monday?
...that the first 1/2 mile of running about kills me and then I'm fine?
...that sometimes it feels like I have lead in my shoes?
...that I prefer to run nearly the same route all the time?
...that taking off my gloves makes me feel like I can breathe again?
...that other people make it look so easy?
...that sometimes its boring?
...that sometimes its easy?
...that I love running in the drizzle?
...that I feel so good when its all over?
...that I'm doing this?

I know the answers, but I still ask myself these same questions everytime I go out to exercise.

Arrow of Light

Last night Jared received his Arrow of Light award. Yay -- we're proud of him for working hard to get all the requirements done. The ceremony was presented by those indian fellas in the background and it was very well done. The arrow plaque with the feathers is really neat -- a lot of time went into making those for these boys (thank you Bro. Timothy). Also receiving the award are Jared's friends Jason and Caleb. A big thank you to the many scout leaders who put time and effort into helping these boys earn this award!

leave it to the little guy

Jared had an awesome game last night! He scored 17 points -- WOW! That was 1/2 the team's total points for the game. He went to the line 3 times -- he is pretty good at drawing fouls. His defense has improved as well. It was a fun game to watch because both teams were shooting well and taking some outside shots instead of just getting those under the bucket.

It's a snow day

As many of you know, Saturday was quite the snow day! The first real snow of the season was beautiful and perfectly timed (no commute to deal with). We ended up with about 7-8 inches. The kids ran out about 8:00 a.m. to start playing and shoveling (we shoveled again at noon). About 4:30ish I went for a walk and was awed by the scenery and thought I'd snap a couple of picts looking out over the rooftops and up to the sky, which was truly beautiful. The picts didn't turn out very well, but it was a nice thought anyway!

We're rockin'

Mark picked up this DVD for the kids at the library the other day. They have been playing it everyday and listened/watched for hours on Saturday! The kids have watched some of them before, but this DVD has "the whole enchilada" -- the entire collection. I remember when I was little how much I looked forward to hearing these songs between cartoons on Saturday mornings. Love these catchy and educational tunes!

We're in trouble now!

Well, Matthew took off up the stairs earlier this week! He is just not old enough to be doing this (he was 6 3/4 months when he did this for the first time!) He can go up pretty well, but someone always has to be standing right behind him. He tends to lose his balance and tumble backwards if he stops halfway or sits down to take a break. He also has no idea about going down safely. We are all trying to teach him how to go back down. I can't wait until he can do this safely!

Wah -hoo I did it!

I'm talking about my "thankful" list. At the beginning of the month I challenged myself to name 30 things I am thankful for -- one for each day of the month. I also decided to be a little bit general in some areas (like when I said "family" I meant grandparents, cousins, brothers, sisters, etc.), just so that I could challenge myself to notice more of the many blessings I've been given, especially some of the little things I take for granted everyday. As I look back through the list, I can remember when I wrote a particular thing and what was going on that day. Some things seem rather silly, like "chocolate", but yes, it tends to bless me with a better mood when I get my daily dose! Some things are more of a serious or personal nature, like "my faith/church". Some things could do with some explanation of details -- like "sports" -- I'm thankful my kids get to be active and get to be part of a team where they learn cooperation, sportsmanship, athletic skills, and just have fun! I also realize I could add a lot more items to my list. I am very blessed.

Argh! There's no room in this house!

Just a moment to vent frustration. There is no room in this house for anything! At least when you're moving stuff around. I had myself pretty much talked into not putting up a Christmas tree this year (because Matthew would be into it and I didn't want to keep him out of it), but with everyone poo-poo-ing the idea (my children included, although Mark remains anti-tree, anti-Christmas) I gave in and I've found a way to put one up and hopefully out of the reach of Matthew's little paws. Christmas decorations require moving stuff around and rearranging stuff for a month. That's when I really feel squished. I don't consider myself a packrat. Our family is just growing out of this house, and at times, it is really frustrating!

Parent Project #3

Silly me -- I thought that parent project #3 would be the science fair -- NOT! It turned out to be Ryan's indian report on Chief Joseph. Mark and I each spent an hour with Ryan helping him do his research, compiling his report, and fixing errors (it was 1/2 page typed by Ryan), and enduring Ryan's fits. I have to say that this one was not very enjoyable. We're glad it's done! Whew! Now, I wonder what grade we all got?

kids thankful thoughts

I substituted in primary today doing the singing time for jr. primary. I had a memory game on the board with pictures of things that the kids might be thankful for, such as Jesus, toys, prophets, scriptures, etc. and a song associated with each one. Anyway, to start, I asked a few of the kids to name something they are thankful for. Here are a few of their responses (that I can remember): turkey, family, grandparents, Halloween, parents, temple, bodies, friends, and Christmas! I got a laugh out of the Halloween and Christmas responses because what they probably really meant was candy and presents! I had fun subbing and didn't even stress about it -- gotta love that!

A moment to brag...

Jared earned his Webelos badge! He has an amazing cub scout leader right now --yay! He will get his Arrow of Light in the December pack meeting. Way to go Jared!! Many thanks, Angela & Mindy (Den Leaders)!

Ryan has been studying the 50 states and their capitals -- he can name all 50 capitals and identify all fifty states on a map! How many can you remember? Way to go Ryan!!

book challenge

OK, Alicia tagged me. Before my list, you have to know a few things about me and books. When I start a book I don't like to stop reading until it is finished. Which means that things and people get neglected while I read, soooo, a lot of times I won't even pick up a book unless I feel like I can take the time to read it to the end. Which means that I really do not read enough. Which means my list here won't be very long and especially not impressive. Which also means, I'm ashamed! Which means I am setting a goal to do better and would like to read some of the books that Alicia listed! Anywho...


Favorite picture books to read with my kids:

1) The Little Red Caboose
2) Where the Wild Things Are
3) I Stink!
4) Click, Clack, Moo -- Cows That Type


Favorite Series:

1) Harry Potter
2) Little House on the Prairie
3) The Work and the Glory
4) Calvin & Hobbes


Inspirational Book: Running with Angels

Those are a few of my favorites. I'm also a Grisham fan despite the predictable plot lines. Tag: Michelle, Kathleen, & Rachel -- what do you like to read?

Ideas anyone?

Parent project #3 is coming up shortly -- science fair! Apparently it is due in mid-January. What a way to ruin a nice Christmas break! Anyway, Jared is open to suggestions since we have vetoed his popcorn tasting idea (he wanted to taste each brand of buttered popcorn to determine which brand has the most butter!) Ideas???

Parent Project #2

This is Ryan's indian dwelling assignment-- an earthen home used by the Mandan Indians. We built it out of sculpy clay and then used modge podge to stick the dirt to it. We used small popsicle sticks to create the doorway, and used some cotton from the aspirin bottle for the smoke. We looked all over for some little indian guys, but couldn't find any. Ryan's friend saw his project and mentioned he had some at his house, so Ryan added an indian and a horse at the last minute. Fortunately the project went smoothly and the aspirin was only needed for the cotton smoke!

Mark's Adventure

On Saturday, Mark explored the Spiral Jetty on the Great Salt Lake. He's been wanting to visit it for a couple of years now. It's clear the heck out there! It is located beyond Promontory Point (where the trains are) Anyway it was made by Robert Smithson and consists of lots of rocks piled together and forming a spiral out in the lake. It is only visible when the lake is low. Right now it is VERY low -- prime viewing opportunity! He met exactly two people on his explore -- they had come all the way from Wisconsin just to see this. Apparently they travel all over the U.S. in search of wierd art things to visit. They told Mark about a man who has created an artistic masterpiece out of an extinct volcano in Arizona -- we'll have to check that out sometime. Anyway, the journey out to the jetty appeared to be relatively van and family friendly -- just clear the heck out there -- so maybe we'll all explore it sometime.

Finally Found a Friend

As many of you know, Jacob is the only boy his age in the neighborhood. One of the most important reasons to send him to preschool is to find friends (boys). Preschool is where Jacob met Coleman. They have become great friends much to everyone's delight! Thus, today's addition to the "I'm thankful for..." list is friends. We are all blessed to have good friends.

7 random things about me

1. I think feet are ugly -- the only exception is baby feet, which are cute. The older you get, the cuter your feet ain't.

2. I have more scrapbook supplies than I will ever use and I love it! Collecting the supplies is probably more of a hobby than actually using them (mostly because I don't have time to do much scrapbooking)

3. I love Pringles potato chips -- are they even made from real potatoes?

4. I like country music -- current favorite group is Rascal Flatts, John Denver is timeless, and I don't like Johnny Cash.

5. I always have to wear a wristwatch.

6. Given a choice, I'd rather clean the bathroom than the kitchen. This is because the kitchen is usually pretty clean anyway, and when you spend time cleaning it, it doesn't seem to show much difference AND people are constantly eating or getting drinks while you're doing it! At least with the bathroom, it looks better (smells better too) when you're finished, nobody has to use it while you clean (just send them to another bathroom) and therefore stays clean for a few minutes.

7. As much as I like all things chocolate, I don't really care for chocolate cream pie.

I don't think I really know 7 other people (that are bloggers, anyway) to tag, so let me just challenge anyone who reads this to take a moment and come up with 7 wierd things about themselves. It'll bring you a good chuckle and reinforce your individuality!

Sweet Seats

Mark & I went to the Jazz game last night and watched them demolish Golden State! Wahoo! We had sweet seats on the 8th row above the Jazz bench! It is amazing to see how tall those guys really are, to be able to hear them talking and see the beads of sweat in real life. I can't believe I didn't take my camera with me -- I might have gotten a few good picts. If only I would have had a new cell phone with a camera... hint, hint, dear hubby! Ryan went with us to the game -- it was Jr. Jazz night for him. He had a great time with his buddies and he sat in the good seats with me for the 4th quarter so he could get a close up view of the players. Mark ran into an old mission companion and had a great time chatting with him for a few minutes. Fun evening!

A New Perspective

This is how Matthew sees the stairs nowadays. We prefer this view rather than the touch and tumble method!

Another new perspective for us is the new windows. I would post a picture, but it's a little hard to take a picture of a window! The guys finished the windows last week -- hurrah! I'm amazed at how clearly we can see outside now -- we haven't been able to clearly see out the bay window for over a year. And I never realized how dirty the old ones were until the new ones were installed. I still do double takes as I look out my kitchen windows and realize how much more clearly I can see! Amazing what you can see out of a clean window! Maybe this will inspire me to clean my windows on a regular basis. I also put up new valences in the kitchen -- they are burgundy floral and have an olive green and burgundy stripe underlay (I guess that's the best way to describe them) Anywho... I really like them!

Forgotten Fall Fun Foto

I forgot to put this picture on the last post -- it's one of my favorites because playing in the cornbox was so fun -- the texture of the corn was so neat and best of all we didn't get filthy dirty! The extra set of shoes sticking out belong to Jared.

Fall Fun

We finally had a warm Saturday last week, so we took advantage of it and took the family to the corn maze. We only did the mini maze, but we all had a fun time playing together in the courtyard doing things that are shown in the pictures above. Ryan spent a couple extra bucks shooting paintballs and firing the corn cannon. Best of all, things weren't crowded, so we could play and not stand in lines forever. A good time was had by all!

A Successful Halloween

Fred & George Weasley!

My little ghouls: George Weasley, the Grim Reaper or The Axe Murderer, and Spiderman!

This is how Matthew & I dress up for Halloween! BTW -- his socks say "Trick or Treat Smell My Feet"!

The boys got tons of candy -- Ryan alone weighed in with 2 pounds! They had a great time and dragged Mark all over the neighborhood!

Go Jazz!

The Jazz season is underway -- Go Jazz! Tis the season to eat, drink, and sleep Jazz basketball in all forms -- Jr. Jazz games, Jazz games in person, Jazz games on TV, Jazz games on the radio, Jazz games reviewed in the newspaper, and Jazz games discussed!

Bah humbug to Halloween!

The Halloween costumes are finally done -- yay -- and just in time too I suppose. I sewed cloaks for Jared and Ryan this year, so I'm pretty proud of myself. Today we carved the obligatory pumpkins -- Mark hates doing that, so it was just me & the 3 boys. I used to enjoy that, but by the time I have to help gut and carve everyone else's pumpkins I have no desire to create one of my own. The kids have Halloween parties at school tomorrow and I am not involved -- yay! Well, maybe on second thought I'm a wee bit sad about it, but I'm sure I'll get over it. It's just as well, my creative juices are dried up right now. I have no intent to do pumpkin pancakes or anything remotely close to it, for breakfast tomorrow-- I guess I'm a boring mom. I admit it, I'm just not that into Halloween. I will keep up the Halloween "tradition" by serving "mac & cheese cooked in the oven" -- that's short for homemade macaroni and cheese-- for dinner tomorrow night. Good for me. I do enjoy getting the kids dressed up for trick-or-treating though; they have such a great time running around the neighborhood with Mark and their friends and getting loads of candy. When I was a kid and living in the country, we had to drive from house to house to do the trick or treating. It took all night because we had to visit with everyone, not just grab a candy and run. People also made the trick or treat stop really worth it with huge candy bars or huge popcorn balls that wouldn't fit through the hole in the top of my plastic pumpkin bucket. Ahh the memories. If all my kids remember about Halloween is the mac & cheese and the trick or treating, I'll be a happy mom! Happy Halloween everyone!

Yeah, we're still around...

I haven't posted anything for awhile -- way too busy last week to even sit at a computer for a couple minutes. However, this week looks a little less busy, so I am promising pictures! Stay tuned...

Way to go Jared!

In Tuesday's basketball game, Jared got fouled and went to the free throw line to shoot two. This was his first time at the line. He sunk 'em both!! Yea!!

"I don't have anything to wear!"

When girls say this, it usually means such things as: "I hate everything in my closet" or "I'm sick of all my clothes" or "I don't have the right outfit to wear to such and such". And what it really means is: I need new clothes, I'm going shopping! When boys say it, it is much much more literal. For example, Jared & Ryan both said it this morning when they were getting ready for school. It meant that neither one of them had clean jeans to wear to school today! Solution: Jared wore track pants and Ryan and I went "shopping" in the hand-me-down drawer. Jared also said this to me just a few weeks ago, on the first "cold" day of the season when he wanted to wear long pants to school to keep warm. It meant that he honestly did not have ANY jeans to wear -- all the pairs in his drawer were too small and too short to even think about wearing. So I guess he really meant: I need new clothes, take me shopping! Whether a girl says it, or a boy says it, you still end up shopping!

Hat Memories

The lovely hat Eric is wearing belongs to Mark, he wore it himself to a BYU vs. Utah game back in 1982 when Steve Young made some incredible play (Mark knows exactly what play it was and can give details!) and BYU won the game, of course! He wondered what had happened to his beloved hat! Thanks to Michelle for the photo!

A quick follow up

If you didn't read my Australia post, read it before reading this one. Just a quick followup if anyone was wondering. Matthew is fine -- that's the most important thing. The baby gate is now is use and the door to the family room is closed whenever he's down there. The rain gutters are cleared and no one fell off the roof in the process -- ready for the rain that'll probably start again today. The van is back in my garage with good tires, new alignment, and a fresh lube job. I'm glad the flat happened at home and not somewhere else. The toilet works -- and in my defense here, I tried SEVERAL times to plunge the thing myself before passing the plunger on to Mark, where he had to try SEVERAL times before we got it cleared! At least we didn't have to call in the roto-rooter (yet). The windows -- the crescent shaped one in Matthew's room didn't fit because it was made slightly wrong and the measurements were slightly off, so we are waiting for another one to arrive. The window in the sewing room is cracked and has cardboard over it -- the wind came up just right as the guy was putting it in and it broke over his back (he's ok). All in all, the job won't be done for awhile -- a SHORT while we hope. In the meantime, we're still thinking about the leaking window and what would be best to do about it -- any suggestions??

How fast can I get to Australia?

Terrible, horrible, no good very bad days -- yep, we've all had 'em! Yesterday was one of them for us. The window guys came to work on the windows and found out that there was water leaking in around the big window in the kitchen -- either the J-strip (whatever that thing is) is bad, or the caulk didn't get a chance to dry before it rained, or the rain gutter being full constantly drips into the window and allows the window to get wet. Hmmm. The guys did a temporary fix and said they would come back on a sunny day to complete it and figure out the problem. I'm sure that in Australia there are no leaking windows. I took the van to pick up the kids from preschool and thought, hmmm, it doesn't feel right -- well, that's because one of the rear tires was flat -- a big 'ol nail was the culprit. I'm sure that tires never go flat in Australia. Just before the big boys got home from school I put Matthew in the family room with Jacob (playing gamecube) and went to the kitchen to clean the stove. A few minutes later, with a thud and a cry, I discovered Matthew at the bottom of the basement stairs. I'm sure that all houses are flat in Australia and that stairs are simply not allowed. Now the boys are home from school and I hear Ryan from the bathroom, "I think the toilet is going to explode!" I'm sure toilets never get clogged in Australia, maybe that's because the water swirls the opposite way there (according to Bart Simpson). A phone call later we learn that Ryan's soccer game is cancelled due to rain. I'm sure all days are bright and sunny in Australia. Mark of course is putting in an 11 hour work day and hasn't heard the good news from home. I'm sure that in Australia people are only allowed to work reasonable hours and that wives are always able to contact husbands in time of emotional breakdown. Ryan got a ride from his friend to his basketball game and we never got to watch him play because we were trying to fix everything. I'm sure that in Australia parents always get to watch their kids' sports games. The fun continued this morning when Mark got the van to the repair place at 7:00 a.m. and got stuck waiting for hours for new tires and alignment. I'm sure that in Australia all repair places tell their customers that a job will take 3 hours and courteously shuttle them to where they need to be in the meantime. Then again, Australia doesn't have repair places because nothing ever need to be repaired! A UTA bus ride home at 9:30 a.m. led to cleaning out the rain gutters, in the which both of us ended up soaked and dirty. I'm sure Australia doesn't have clogged rain gutters. As we get in the car after paying for the van, the car door handle falls off. I'm sure that in Australia car parts do not fall off! I think I just heard a boarding call for a flight to Australia...

Shopping Tip

This is why women should not take men shopping against their will.

After Mr. and Mrs. Fenton retired, Mrs. Fenton insisted her husband accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, Mr. Fenton was like most men--he found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, Mrs. Fenton was like most women--she loved to browse. One day Mrs. Fenton received the following letter from her local Wal-Mart:



Dear Mrs. Fenton,



Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite acommotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and may be forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Fenton are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras:



1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of Polident and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.



2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.



3. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice,"Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away."



4. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's onlayaway.



5. September 14: Moved a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.



6. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.



7. September 23: When a clerk asked if she could help him, he began crying and screamed, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"



8. October 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as amirror while he picked his nose.



9. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.



10. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudlyhumming the "Mission Impossible" theme.



11. December 6: In the auto department, he practiced his "Madonna look"by using different sizes of funnels.



12. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through,yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"



And last, but not least: 13. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed, "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"



Regards,



Wal-Mart

Hello, Weekend...finally!

Sometimes a week seems long, even though it goes by very fast -- thats probably because the days are so packed. This weekend looks to be busy too with BB practice, piano lessons, and stake conference meetings, so we just hold on tight and enjoy the ride! Jared played an awesome game of basketball this week -- 8 pts., 2 assists, and something else (I forget)-- he keeps his own stats! He has a soccer game tonight. Ryan had a busy Wednesday playing soccer and basketball -- he played well in both games, but lacked a little energy due to a cold. G & G Brady were here to watch him play and we enjoyed having them stay overnight with us.

How much do I really use?

Every summer I wonder about this, and I'm reminded of it again today as I do the laundry and try to get the sandbox out of the jeans and shirts and the formula & baby food out of Matthews clothes. I'm thinking that if I bought some stock in this particular product I would be filthy -- hee hee -- rich! The sandbox has been a source of great pleasure lately for Ryan -- he has built all the continents, along with the oceans and ships in between. With all that kind of fun, you can see why we hesitate to build a shed and do away with the sandbox.

Ahhh...sleeping in

Conference weekend was great -- we got to sleep in -- meaning we got to wake up when we wanted to rather than pounding on the alarm and pushing the snooze button repeatedly! Conference was really good and its always nice to "go to church" in your pj's or jeans and sit on comfy furniture. Mark got a chance to go to the priesthood session at the conference center with our neighbor, Peter, and really enjoyed that opportunity. Sunday afternoon we explored a new park in our fair city and hiked up into the foothills a bit -- I should have taken the camera -- there were lots of sunflowers and since the day was really clear, we could see all over the entire valley. The weather was perfect.

Welcome home to the world travelers -- Mom & Dad Vawdrey!

Church Ball

I had my own little episode of "church ball" last night. I have been playing RS volleyball with our ward. At the first game of the season, our ward didn't have enough people there to do a team by ourselves, so we got combined with another ward in the same situation. The last couple of weeks have been fun and we've basically had the same people playing on our team. Last night was a whole new "ball game" -- there were 4, myself included, from our ward (it was the first time for the other 3) and the other ward had 5 show up (3 of them were there for the first time as well) So basically, we had a whole new team and we lost -- which really doesn't make me upset, its just for fun anyway. However, one of the new girls, from the other ward, was out to do serious volleyball (she probably played in high school) -- she kept swearing (under her breath, of course, but loud enough for anyone next to her in the lineup to hear) whenever she or anyone else goofed up. She was even worked up enough to go red in the face and work up a sweat. Good grief girl -- this is RS volleyball inside the church for heaven's sake! Come on! Anyway, I thought her behavior was over the top and it kind of put a damper on the evening. I liked volleyball the way it used to be -- a week ago!

Last night also fueled an idea for another list: I'm now keeping a list of mispronunciations of my first name. I hardly ever tell people my last name since the combination of the two puts people over the edge. And I hate having to do personal tutoring sessions on how to pronounce my name. However, I will say this -- I'd rather people try to say my name than totally avoid it or refer to me as "Hey, you!"

hump day

Actually, yesterday would be considered hump day (Wednesday), but here's a few days highlights in review: My birthday --thanks to Heidi for taking me to lunch, and introducing me to the tsunami chocolate cake at Rumbi -- YUM! Gratefully, I feel no older than I did last week even though I'm officially a year older. Yesterday Ryan did well in his double header sports day with one soccer goal and two baskets -- a total of $1.50 in earnings!

Quick picts

Matthew is up on all fours and ready to get into the action!

This is how we spend our Sunday evenings. It's all fun and games until someone ends up getting hurt -- which undoubtedly happens every time, although it tends to differ as to which one ends up screaming first.

Sports update

Basketball season has begun. Jared & Ryan both had practices this week and Ryan's first game is Wednesday! That will make a double-header sports day for him since he also has a soccer game that day. Jared's first game is next week. We'll be doing basketball and soccer for most of this month. I can't believe we can fit it all in, but we'll make it work. Basketball season will go thru mid-December. Last week Ryan played some awesome soccer and scored 3 goals. Jared also played some awesome soccer -- he played goalie for 1/2 the game and had some great saves while only letting one ball in the goal. I had volleyball again and our team managed to squeak out a win. The two little boys are good sports about attending all these games -- hope their patience lasts as long as the season!

Case Lot

Why is it that a person can stock up at the grocery store when the case lot sale is going on and come home with nothing to eat?

Warehouse sale

I can't help it -- I love this sale. I went to the warehouse sale on Tuesday. I have lots of scrapbook stuff, so I told myself I would really not buy anything unless it was A) something I was low on, or B) a really great deal. I got some really cool stuff that I can't wait to use and stocked up on some cardstock. Yeah, I spent more than I planned on spending. The best part? It wasn't crowded! I had no wait in line and I found prime parking! This is still one of those sales that you have to grab the things you want and move on, because if you hesitate, it'll be gone (you can sort it out at the register)-- it's a weakness, I love these kinds of places/sales!!

William Tell Overture for Moms

OK, I can't figure out how Eric does the You-Tube posts -- do you have to have an account for that too?? Anyway, this is a very funny little diddy for Moms and everyone who has grown up with a Mom. Here's the web address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oc1j5NakY

kids do the darn-dest things

On Saturday, I assigned Jared to pull out the flowers in the front flower bed and the kidney. I told him to pull the petunias and the marigolds. Then I specifically pointed to one of the perennials in the kidney and told him not to pull it and the other big perennials. So -- what did he do? He pulled EVERYTHING, including all the perennials, EXCEPT for the one little measly perennial I had pointed to!! Arghh! At that point, I sent him back to finish the job and pull the one little measly perennial he had left. I guess we'll start from scratch next spring!



Ryan brought home a note from school on Monday from the teacher, saying that he had not completed any work that day! Of course the note was stapled to all the work that he had to finish. One of the assignments was to simply finish coloring in a map of Europe -- this would seriously take him all of 3 minutes to finish. So he got out his box of 64 crayons -- the state crayons (every color is named after a state) He spent about 15 minutes going through the box and reading the names on the crayons before he happened upon the Puerto Rico one and said, "Hey -- what's Puerto Rico doing in here? It's not a state!" The kid is so NOT dumb -- but it sure takes forever to get homework done!



Jacob was getting ready for school yesterday and I told him to get his socks and shoes on. He obediently put his socks on and put on one sandal and one sneaker, then declared -- "I'm ready to go, Mom!" I guess I need to be a little more specific next time.



Matthew is almost crawling -- good grief! He's up on his knees and his arms are straight and he pushes forward. Fortunately, he's not coordinated enough yet to really take off. He's growing up so fast!

immigrant doll project

Jared had a project at school in which he had to learn about an ancestor that came to America, then make a presentation to his class and dress a paper doll like that ancestor might have dressed. He chose my grandfather, Frederick Peter Hansen, who came from Denmark. We have very little information about his life in Denmark, but we learned a few interesting facts and even listened to an old tape recording of him speaking. When he was a little boy he used to go to the docks and pick up coal that fell from the wagons. His family was poor and he had 11 brothers and sisters-- about 4 of them passed away as small children. He and a friend came to America when he was 17 years old. His passage cost $55. His uncle, who already lived here in America, sent him the money. Once here in America, he sent money home each month to his parents in Denmark -- they never came to America. He lived lots of places in the states, including Iowa, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and California. He spent many years working as a longshoreman in Los Angeles and then retired to St. George.

I think Jared enjoyed the project, but like most of these assignments, it really ends up being an assignment for the parents! However, I can say that this was a good one for us too.

The second trip

The second trip to Walmart (in the same day) caused a "mother moment" -- of the good kind. After school Jared & Ryan wanted to explore the new store and get a chance to use their ice breaker coupons and buy junk food, so I took them with the understanding that they would have to wait while I did the fabric shopping and it would be boring. They figured they could handle the fabric/boring shopping since there would be candy and a look at the toy aisle. Off we went! After the toys, candy, & fabric, I stopped to look at women's clothing for a minute on the way to the checkout. I pulled a jacket off the rack and tried it on. Here's the conversation that followed:
Boys: Try the purple one on, Mom.
Me: That's the color I want!
Boys: (When I had it on) That looks really good on you, Mom!
Boys: You should buy it.
Me: Well, if you think I look nice in it, maybe I'll get it.
Boys: You always look nice, Mom -- well, except for maybe when you get out of bed in the morning!
Me: Nobody looks good when they wake up in the morning!
Yeah, I bought it -- when boys tell you that you look nice, buy it!

if you build it, they will come

Today is the opening day of the new Walmart (or Walm-a-part) as I so lovingly refer to it. I was very much against Walmart building here, but alas, the deed has been done. And so, yes, I went...and shopped...and felt guilty that I was there instead of at Target. It was opening day after all wasn't it? Anyway, I have never seen so many senior citizens in one place at one time (with the exception of the senior center) in my life! They must have come from miles around to explore the new store! The only other customers there were moms with kids in tow like myself. The parking lot was chaos, as if the Christmas season were here -- oh wait, that's always how Walmart is! And the burning question is -- did I actually buy something there? Of course. And I'll probably go back -- maybe before the end of the day actually, since I found some really cute ant (aunt) flannel for $2 a yard and realized I probably should have bought the whole bolt!

Soccer mom

Life with boys includes soccer. Today it is practice for both Jared & Ryan at exactly the same time, but at two different parks. I'm feeling lucky though because both parks are in our city for a change. It has taken several weeks to finally get Ryan's practice moved back into Centerville. Ryan can walk or ride his bike to practice and then I can drive Jared to his practice. We'll do the games later in the week.
I have just been thinking lately how much I love having Jacob & Matthew at home during the day while the big kids are at school. Jacob, of course, has preschool 3 times a week, but these two are just so good-natured that it is just pleasant to be with them. I'm glad I have the opportunity to be home. Home is peaceful and organized till 3:30, then pandemonium breaks out with homework, snacks, friends, fits, teasing, and extracurricular activities jammed together. Gotta love it! Thank goodness the reading and piano practice get taken care of before school!

me, a blogger?

I've finally succumbed to starting a blog. I swore I'd never do it, but yes, I've given in -- mostly because I just wanted to see if I could do it, you know, a challenge. Since I'm not very tech savvy, we'll see what this new adventure brings. Today, I'm just proud of myself for getting this far without technical support. Photos, and other fun stuff will be new adventures to come.