Uff Dah!

A Rollercoaster Wuss' Guide to Disneyland/Disney California Adventures Part 2: The Funnest Rides

2010-08-15T17:23:00.009-07:00

1. Indiana Jones Adventure-This ride has a a lot of hype and it deserves it! This is just the level of scary for me! What a great mood it sets, and there are only small drops, smaller than Pirates of the Carribean so nothing that freaked me out. There are quick turns that jolt you around but those don't bug me. You are never high up so there are no height issues. You ride in a car four across I think for rows. The set and pathos are equal to Pirates and the Haunted Mansion in my book as well so it is in my book the best ride at Disney Land.

It was the only ride Sam couldn't go on which was strange to me, because it was nowhere as intense as the scary rides we went on, and he was allowed on all of those. We asked why there was a higher height limit and it was explained to us that it was because there were no doors on the car and the car you ride in is high up from the ground so it would be dangerous for smaller children it made sense, but why couldn't they just have added doors dang it? I went on this ride 4 times in 4 days

2. Grizzly River Rapids This ride was at Disney California Adventures. When I saw the drop walking past the ride I got nervous but the drop was nothing when you are in it. It is one of those rides with 8 seats in the inward facing circle position with the wheel in the middle to hold onto. I love the social aspect of the seating because it is easy to share in the fun...seeing everyones expressions and talking the whole time. I loved the choppy and fast parts of the water and I loved the drops (two of them) ...I also loved that before you fall the boat slows and stops..so you arent dealing with the speed and drop at the same time, I think that might be what makes me like it rather than be scared by it. On the last day we were there we went on it at night and with the creepy mood in the cave this makes it even more fun. The line is really short after dark so we went on two times in a row. I would have been happy to go more than that if two conditions were different. First the ride makes you VERY wet, second...California is warm in August , but it cools down after dark, so you go around feeling like a walking swamp cooler afterwards. Hence, the short line after dark. If you bring a Poncho this shouldn't be an issue. It was worth being wet though, no question! We rode this one 4 times.
3. Soarin' over California- This one is also in Disney California. The descriptions of this ride made me nervous unncecessarily. I knew that It was an omni-dome (curveed I-max) that makes it look like you are flying over California and I knew I would love that. What made me nervous was that the ride description at the park says "Sudden drops" and someone I talked to made it sound like you are in individual chairs that rise up high. I was picturing those swings they have at some amusement parks where you are being help up by for chains and swung around a pole. That is MUCH worse than any roller coaster I can imagine. Here is the scoop.

There are benches of about 8 people. You are buckled in, The benches are brought up to meet the screen on large tracks so you feel very secure. Heights don't bother me if I feel secure. Your feet dangle and the chairs move very subtley but if you have to close your eyes it wont freak you out. There are no actual sudden drops. Only if you are watching the movie. The first time I rode this ride it made me a little nervous to watch straight on at first, with the fast and high movement on the screen, but by the second time I was quite comfortable and loved it! I rode this one twice. Next blog will be about classics and kid rides and attractions .

A Rollercoaster Wuss' Guide to Disneyland/Disney California Rides Part 1:The Scary Rides

2010-08-15T16:17:00.012-07:00

For those of you who havn't gotten enough of my whining on Facebook about being home, here is my Disney Ride Review. I went on some really scary ones and some really tame ones and plenty in between so I feel like I covered a good span. I found as I read reviews and descriptions of rides they left me really confused of how scary it really actually would be for me so I want to make a review that people, who are rollercoaster chickens like myself can understand and maybe even trust. With my first in the series I will concentrate on the scary rides. Before i went on these rides I found some clips on Youtube that showed the rides. These helped me prepare for the rides mentally. If these help you too feel free to click on them to get an idea.

Scary Rides
1. Space Mountain- I was freaked out waiting in line for this mostly because I remembered that when my family went to Disney World when I was 10, my dad was in the bathroom for 10 minutes after he went on that ride. I remember being pleased with myself for having the good sense not to go on it. By holding on for dear life and keeping my eyes shut tight I survived it. I may have felt panic (screamed for a second) for a moment but I was still allive so it became a matter of just getting through it. I wouldn't call it fun, lots of quick turns and big dips but I was glad I went at the end, for no other reason than being able to say that I did it. The endorphins were flowing when it ended as well so major high following. This video is in the light so you can see exactly what you will be doing. In the real ride it is all in the dark with some stars and lights.

2. Twilight Zone's Tower of Terror- Of the three scary rides I went on this was my favorite and the one I thought immediately after, "I would do it again". I was nervous in line but not as nervous as I was with the other rides. It wasnt' the same kind of falling sensation I knew I hated so I was willing to try it. I was scared that it would be the kind of thing that would send me in a panic and for one moment, during the fall I did feel that panic, but then. . . again I was still alive and I realized it was just a matter of getting through it. My eyes again were shut tight and my hands gripped the handles for dear life. It was over pretty quick and it was the kind of fright you laugh or cry at and I laughed. If you hate roller coasters, you might still like this one ok. You are buckled in..there are handles on both sides and you have a floor to push your feet down on which helps a lot. Also, you are inside, with about, 17 other people. There is a point when it shows you how high up you are but that is just the beginning. By the end you do three drops but they go fast. I was untrusting at the end...afraid it wasn't really over yet, but when I realized it was...I was elated. This video is long, you can forward it to the ride part. If nothing else it will help you see how long the falls actually are. But really nothing much to prepare you for but down.

3. Splash Mountain-This one equaled and maybe exceeded Space Mountain in anticapatory fear and as my daughter said of the anamatronic geese, after the ride "The birds didn't help". If you have been on the ride, you know how before you go down the music gets dark and the warnings of the animals get more and more anxious.l Considering this ride is the shortest of the drops, this one freaked me out the most. It could be because it was on the third day of the trip so I had walked past the ride so many times and heard the screams so many times I was pretty tense about the whole experience. I believe at one point before the final drop (there are two small ones before the big one) I even swore with Lincoln right in front of me. But the drop was quick, (three seconds) of course, as I knew it would be. The elation at reaching the bottom was surpreme.

For me, the thing I like about riding "scary" rides is the adrenaline rush I feel when they are over. I feel very pleased with myself for facing my fears and honestly, part of what made the vacation so special to me was facing these fears head on. I got more than fun, I went out on the edge a little and saw what I was capable of. I gained a little more confidence and grew a little. If I go to any Disney Park again, I hope I will do the scary rides again because they made my vacation a little more than just a lot of fun. Next time I need to dare the Thunder Mountain Railroad. I don't know so much about the Matterhorn and California Screaming.

Next Blog Entry: The Funnest Rides
Also to follow: Classics, Kids rides and attractions, False rides, and finally Shows

Running, Priesthood and Parents

2010-07-25T20:29:00.006-07:00

What a wonderful and memorable weekend this has been for me.

Saturday was my first 10k. It was the Pioneer Day Special 5k/10k that started on Timpview Drive in Provo, by Timpview High. It went up the "Goliath Hill" and then wrapped around and down Foothill Drive and down some residential streets, coming down the Temple View Drive and past the MTC, then back up Timpview Drive. It was hard for me but I finished and in a time I wasn't embarressed by. I think my next goal is to work on improving my 5K speed. Now that I know I can do both, I just want to improve on it. But I am glad I did it. It feels good to have accomplished it. Not so much physically, I am pretty sore. But it it is a good kind of pain right? My upper back and shoulders especially. I hunched my back apparently. Going up that steep hill...or maybe it was going down hills, made me do strange things to compensate.

Sunday was special because my oldest son Joseph recieved the Priesthood. He was ordained a Deacon by his father and he was assisted in doing this by my two brothers David and Eric, Tim's brother Ben, his Dad Tim and Bishop McIntire. How many times have I day dreamed of this day? One of those snapshots that shall forever remain in the memory book of my mind.

One more great thing about this past week, and probably the most lifechanging of these three events is Tim's dad got a job offer at UVU. He accepted it after much deliberation. I am so happy to have them moving nearbye. I have never lived near either of our parents in the whole 14 years of our marriage so that is special. I am also glad my kids will get to know their grandparents better. I never had that opportunity so it is special to me that my children will. What a HUGE blessing to have them nearby. An even bigger blessing however is that I WANT my in-laws to live nearby. Not everyone is so lucky.

I'm Back!

2010-07-15T22:20:00.002-07:00

I have been so harrassed by a few who shall remain un-named so I will try to re-start this Blogging habbit. I will start with a post about what I have been up to that has kept me so busy.

1. Running- I have kept up the habbit! Yay! I have already run a 5K this year in June and I have a 10K scheduled for July 24th. I am not sure I am ready for it, (especially the Goliath hill that is part of it) but my brother who is also a runner said "Do it!" and has agreed to do it as well. I loved running with him and my other brother's wife in the 5K last month. It is so fun to have that extra support among family. Tim of course is always supportive as well always coming to cheer me on in the races, along with my daughter.

I still love how I feel when I run and hate how I feel when I havn't. I am afraid I am to the point of addiction because if I go too long without running (a whole week is murder) I can tell and I don't like how I feel psychologically. I don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing to be addicted to anything. I guess it is good, if you judge it by its fruits.

2. Hospice Volunteering-What can I say. Very enjoyable and very rewarding. My volunteer supervisors have been wonderful mentors guiding me in my training and experiences. I am so thankful for them, and for those patients who have taught me so much as well. Great learning experiences.

3. Classes- January to April I took an Introduction to Group Psychotherapy class. That was a growing experience and a half. I know because I dreaded it much of the time. Not because it wasn't interesting or enjoyable, but I always came away from class knowing something more about myself, and it wasn't always things I liked. Like that I have a hard time participating in such large group personal sharing and exchange. I think I came out of it having learned a lot about myself and more importantly the subject of therapy. Great class!
Now I taking a class on Intro to Sociology. Interesting, but it is a TV course and it requires me to show great will power when it comes to sitting down and watching it, and reading the texts. Especially with Tim's family here. There is always something more fun to do when they are around, and when they aren't plenty of stuff to catch up on.

4. Tim's family is in town- Usually they come in the middle of July, but this year they came early for a family reunion in the middle of June. It has been wonderful to have more of them. The hard part is trying to do those things I am supposed to be doing on the side...You know...like house work. . and homework mostly. It is worth it to have them here though. A busy life really is a good life.

It has been a great and busy half a year and I hope the rest of the year continues in the same way! I also hope I can pick up this Blogging again. I apologize to those who I havn't been keeping up with or commenting on their blogs. I have been kind of locked out of Blog for a few months. Not sure why. When I just sat down to show Tim and ask for his help it worked. ARRRGHH!

Make that. . two people

2010-01-04T13:20:00.002-07:00

I was telling Sam today that noone is always right. I decided to turn it into a spiritual conversation and added
"There is only one person who is always right. . "
Sam quickly answered "Yeah. . . me!"

Christmas surprise!!!

2009-12-22T16:16:00.003-07:00

Lincoln came home from school today very excited. He exclaimed "Someone put a surprise present in my back pack!" I asked to see it. Surprise indeed. It was the present I put in there for him to give his teacher. Merry Christmas! I suppose I should have made sure they were all listening when I told them there was a present for their teachers in their back packs. Elisabeth didn't give hers to her teacher either. Now she thinks she should get to have it. HA!

Sunday Switch

2009-11-08T22:35:00.002-07:00

Primary is the longest two hours of the week for me. Do you want to know why? Well. . first of all I am the Sunbeam teacher but, you will never guess who my hardest class member is. Sam!! My sweet mild mannered, easy going, smiling Sam. Something happens to that boy in primary. He misbehaves and cries and squirms and just acts out like crazy. I know it is because I am his teacher, but I am his Mom too. . that doesn't effect his behavior the rest of the week.

Ironically my son Lincoln who knows my buttons and pushes them frequently, gets praises from his Primary teacher on an almost weekly basis about how quiet he is and well behaved.

I think they must do some sort of "Freaky Friday" switch or Alfred Hitchcock . "Criss Cross" deal. . . "Lets pretend to be eachother!"

Sam is even an angel in Sacrament meeting. The transition takes place as he enters the Primary room. And the second we get home he is back to his sweet self. . but it does take him a little time to wind back to that. The transition is almost instantaneous both ways.

This is Halloween

2009-11-02T13:16:00.005-07:00

My poor kids were bombarded with Halloween movies this last week. One of them was Nightmare Before Christmas and the song "This is Halloween" is now one of Sam's favorites.

I wont list the other movies I showed my kids because I am not sure you wouldn't find me an unfit parent. Nothing R rated. Nothing slasher. Nothing violent. I can't handle that stuff. Just the spooky ghost kinds of stuff. Some were a little scary, but I was careful. . .for my kids. I think my kids have a healthy appreciation for a good creepy horror movie. Lets just say that. Or maybe unhealthy as the case may be. They want MORE! They loved them.

Here are the Halloween Costume pictures you are all looking at the blog to see.
Joe was Abraham Lincoln, Elisabeth was a black cat, Lincoln and Ninja, Sam and Jedi, Tim and I Star Trek people. Tim got all the cool props.

Next are the Jack O' Lanterns. First Tim's

Joe's Jack I' Lantern. . . with Windows!

Sam's Frankenstein

Lincolns's Ninja lantern. See how just the eyes are showing? It was Lincoln's own design.

Here is my attempt at a house

And Elisabeths Cat O'Lantern

And We Think Waxing is Bad .

2009-10-30T22:31:00.004-07:00

Joe asked me tonight . . "When Dad shaves, does he use an electric tazer?" Wow! ! ! Now there's an image!

Bye Bye Baby!!!

2009-10-21T21:47:00.002-07:00

I would like to announce the end of an era in my life. As of Monday morning, after 11 years of buying and changing diapers I am officially free of them. Sam is potty trained night and day. It occured to me that if he stayed in his diaper in the morning...he kept wetting his diaper. I did an experiment and tested my hypothesis that he wouldn't wet at night if he wasn't wearing a diaper and after 6 nights of no accidents I am rejoicing. YAY!!! I feel like I should have a diaper burning ceremony or something.

Stomach stresser or Head stresser?

2009-10-14T09:31:00.003-07:00

I have decided I stress with my stomach. If I have any worries or stress I always have a stomach ache too. When the stress is gone..so is the stomach ache. So here is the question. . Do you stress with your head and get stress headaches. . or with your stomach and and get stress stomach aches.? I am just curious which is more common. . I know there is a way to make a poll thing on here but I am too lazy to figure it out so just comment below if you want.

My son is bilingual!!

2009-10-01T08:37:00.005-07:00

Lincoln is learning Spanish in school. He is excited he can count to four in the language.
"Uno, dos, tres, taco. . ."

At least he could order lunch!!!!! He wouldn't starve.

Politics Don't Belong in Art

2009-09-17T21:49:00.007-07:00

Some people say it is scary that Obama is trying to get in their kid's class rooms by meeans of speaches aimed directly at them. I have my issues about those issues, but even more I have an issue with Obama being in our family's art room. Every time I go in there I turn on the light and I see this. . . .

. . . and I scream! EVERY TIME!! Because I don't expect to see anyone in our artroom much less the President of the United States. What is he doing in there with the light off and the door closed besides? It makes me fear him . . How can I trust a man who is so secretive? I just hope he isn't brain washing my kids while they work on their crafts!!!

(If you are wondring why we have a cut out of Obama, it is because we used the podium part for Joes Presidential Birthday. . so now we have a 2 dimensional bust of Obama in our house. I am sure Joe will be able to come up with some pretty clever movies using it though.)

Back to School

2009-08-20T08:42:00.002-07:00

Elisabeth wanted to do something special with her hair on the first day. This as good as it gets with me as her mom. But it is better than I did yesterday so I am proud of the progress I made.

The Back to school crew. Joe is going into 6th, Elisabeth is going into 3rd and Lincoln is going into 1st grade.

Can you tell Sam is a little sad about his siblings leaving him alone with his Mom? Plans for celebration? Lunch with Dad for Mom and Sam and a family outing to Harry Potter this evening!

What's the Difference?

2009-08-18T14:04:00.003-07:00

As we were leaving University mall the other day, we walked through the food court. Elisabeth asked:Doesn't Uncle Ben want to be a supreme court Justice some day?
Me: Yes
Elisabeth:He could work at the food court and make Supreme Icees!!!

Party Weekend

2009-07-20T09:26:00.006-07:00

I am taking a break from my New Mexico trip to talk about our great weekend.
Saturday we celebrated Joes birthday even though it is officially on Monday. Tim could not get off work that day and we really wanted him there.

Joe is really into Presidents of the United States so we gave him a presidential birthday. He had 4 friends invited and we had asked them to dress "professional"in shirts and ties . Each was given a blank envelope...each with a role in the "cabinet" of either Vice presient, Press Secretary, Chief of Staff or Head of the Secret Service. They also each received a water gun. They were all body guards too and they all played THAT part especially well.

The party was a surprise for Joe so when they all arrived, we sent them down to get Joe. He was surprised to see his friends. . all dressed up no less. They told him to get dressed up because they were there to help him run for President!

The schedule included, campaining with a poster and buttons that said "Vote Stanley : He loves Bananas, He loves America!" , making a campaign commercial, researching the opposition, in which they watched their opposition Amber Jayeng's (Joe's Aunt) campain commeercial and some other fun little clips.

Next was the debate. It turned out great. We had a visit from Tim's Grandma and Uncle Mark so Amber chose Uncle Mark as her running mate. He did a great job hamming it up. He referred to he and Amber as "The Maverick and I". Amber said that most candidates make big promises and don't deliver. She promised nothing and promised to deliver on that. She also promised to make the economy healthier by spending our money. Joe pointed out that it would be wiser to vote for him because he and his vice president were younger and they would live longer!

Next they were given some hints that might help them win from a secret source. Hints that pointed to Amber possibly being an Alien. These includeed pictures of her in a UFO, Roswell documents with her name on them...hints like Amber crying during all Alien movies. A press conference was held , releasing this information, and then someone tried to assassinate Joseph. Thankfully they were unsuccessful. Then there was an election. And guess what!? Joseph won!!!! He was sworn in by his Uncle Ben (a lawyer with a gavel and black graduation robe) along with his cabinet.

Then he gave his inaguration speech.

We had a birthday cake with an American flag that said "Hail to the Chief" It was a great party and we thank everyone who came and played roles. The kids played the press and cheering crowds and were also much appreciated.

Sunday was my Birthday. I was served breakfast in bread by the kids along with hugs which is always a treat. Later I was told to be able to open my presents I was to play Missionary.

I was to do a door approach and do a visit with the family but I had a pile of silly statements I had to work in to the conversation some how. Stuff like "Stretchy Pants" "I have a chicken in my pants" , " "Food Fight!", "I hear Amber is an alien" etc. It was quite the adventure. Then I was given my presents. They were all great including some beautiful black pearls from my in-laws. some movies, perfume, a book about FDR from Joe, chocolate, and some clothes. Later I was given an Edward T-shirt with his "Blue Steel "dark and brooding face....oooooooooohhhh. Thanks Ben and Rebekah!

Tim made orange chicken with veggies and rice for dinner and it was delicous. Then Tim started cleaning which told me one thing, more people are comeing. We had my brothers and sister in-law and tons of friends. It was a citrus theme with even yellow, orange and yellow balloons. Why? Beccause I love citrus anything. Tim made me a delicous grapefruit bundt cake.

He also made a frozen desert with vanilla icecream, orange sherbet and some kind of cream cheese type thing I have no idea what it is called but it was way good. Others brought clementines, ice cream, muffins and other yummy treats. I felt very loved and had a great time. I even got Citrus scented hand soap!!! Thanks to all who came! I missed those who couldn't. I love you all!

Day 3: Missile Museum and White Sands

2009-07-01T10:58:00.007-07:00

Today was another long day of driving but with more fun stops along the way. First we stopped at the White Sands Missile Museum. Very cool! There was an outdoor part with lots of missils, planes etc.

We had to walk in to the base the museum was in or they would have to search our van and with all the stuff in there...We thought we would give them a break.

The museum had some interesting things to see. My favorite was a former soldier's scrap book of pictures and description of life on base back in the 50s. I don't care so much about the missiles technology. I am more interested in what it was like to be there as a soldier I guess. There was also a Darth Vadar Helmet that was given to them in gratitude for letting them record sounds on the base for the movie "Star Wars".

White Sands National park was beautiful. We had a little rain but not enough to interfere with some playing in the sand.

When we finally arrived at our campground in Carlsbad I was a little dissapointed. First of all, they didn't have our reservation, but they had open spots so no big deal. I apparently had never been to a family Campground/RV park before. Beautiful does not describe it. This turned out to be both my favorite and least favorite campsite of our trip. Least favorite because it lacked nature. . . except for a few trees, a petting zoo and the sounds of many early rising farm animals. The kids enjoyed the turtles right by our tents and the neighborhood cat that visited our tent. The campground was right along the highway so we heard cars and trucks zipping by all night instead of crickets and owls. I slept like a baby though. Warm camping is so much better than cold.

What I did like about it was the clean and free showers so we ended up not having to go too natural afterall. Considering this was during our 3 day stretch of camping I was very grateful for that. I also appreciated the laundry facilities. As Camping/ RV parks go this was probably a good one. I don't have much to compare it to.

Day 2: 4 Corners, Blue Water and Albuquerque

2009-06-30T12:33:00.008-07:00

Today there was LOTS of time on the road. We probably spent about 7 hours total. We did make a quick stop at 4 Corners and got a fun picture or two.

This is what it will feel like when my kids are grown up and spread out into four different states.

On the way we also stopped at a town called Bluewater (near Albuqurque) where one of Tim's co-workers grew up. As he prepared to take a picture of this friend's house he said "Lets see if we can do this without bringing too much attention to ourselves." Then in the process of trying to get a good angle, he lays on the car horn. Memories.

There is a town near by that is called Anaconda. It was built and then evacuated and taken back down. It turned out there was some bad stuff effecting the people due to government testing near by. The city is completely gone now. Kind of cool.

When we arrived in Albuquerque we checked into our hotel. The La Quinta Inn, Albuqureque North. We were very pleased. Clean, comfortable and thanks to Priceline quite cheap!

Tim and his family lived in Albuquerque when he was in 1st to 5th grade so we did a bit of a trip down memory lane while we were in town. For dinner we ate at Ponchos. This was a favorite of Tim's when he was a kid. Tim says he hopes it has gone down hill since he was there last because otherwise his tastes have changed a lot. First you go through a buffet line, kind of like a cafeteria because they scoop it up for you. You have this flag on your table that you raise if you want more and your waiter brings it to you. Our waiter never saw that flag rise. If cheap (in price but also in quality) Mexican food in an non-airconditioned building in New Mexico is your thing, you might like this place!

We went to a park in Tim's old neighborhood called Chelwood Park (kids played, I slept) and saw the house he lived in.

And the school he attended.

It was a great trip down memory lane for him. It was a get to know Tim/Dad trip for the rest of us.

When we came back to the hotel I made sure all the kids had showers and cherished the running hot water. I didn't know how long it would be until we had another shower. We had camping planned for the next three nights.

Day 1 Arches National Park

2009-06-29T12:56:00.006-07:00

We left around 8 am. . about an hour later than planned. Tim and I had about 4 hours of sleep the night before so we began our trip a little sleep deprived. Thankfully we had a short distance to travel this first day.

We made our first stop of our journey at Arches National Park.

The weather was a little overcast the greater part of our day and we had a few rain showers while there. We had two umbrellas which helped a little. Because of the rain we didn't take the longer hike to Delicate Arch that we had hoped to do. We didn't want to get stuck in a storm when it takes about an hour to get there and another to get back.

We did see "Sand Dune Arch" by suggestion of our friends and it was really cool. The kids enjoyed the sand there but we didn't enjoy the sand in our car the rest of the trip. White Sands is partly to blame for that as well though so it can't take all the blame.

We saw Balanced Rock, and the upper and lower viewpoints of Delicate Arch. This arch was dubbed "Cowboy pants" by the kids because it looks like cowboy stirrups.

At this point the clouds broke away and it started to be beautiful and warm.

We walked to Double Arch which was a quick hike to and into the arches. This was my favorite because you got to do a little rock climbing too.

The North and South Windows and Turet Arch path were easy to walk to and had some beautiful panoramic views.

After that we stopped at the museum and went to find a campsite. We found one on BLM land along a stretch of BLM campsites on highway 128. We had one of those overfriendly neighbors, in an RV. He didn't deserve it, but because I was going on 4 hours of sleep and you expect your neighbors in a campsite to remain politely to themselves I was thinking paranoid thoughts all evening. He had a wife and a cute little boy and even offered to lend us his air mattress. Thanks Richard! You were a great neighbor! Even if your first greeting was standing in your door yelling to us with no shirt on and a can of beer in your hand. Sorry for mistrusting you.

The stinky outhouse right next door wasn't so kind. We had to climb down a hill to our tent. I wasn't thrilled by the tricky climb up and down it(especially when we had to brave it in the dark with wind and rain)but it was right next to a river so we heard it gurgling by which was very nice.

Carlsbad or Bust

2009-06-29T12:43:00.004-07:00

Saturday night we rolled in to our drive way at 10:00pm sharp. I wish my feelings were pure relief. There was some, to be back in the comforts of home, but mostly there was the feeling I am not quite done having fun. My kids were getting more irritable and more annoyed with being in the cramped van. . but I wasn't. It is nice not to have to go outside to go to the bathroom or dig in a suitcase to get whatever I want. It is nice not to have to set up a tent and blow up an airmattress before I can go to sleep at night and it is nice to get the heck out of that cramped and not to mention trashed most of the time van. It is also nice to be able to stand while I dress, and have a cozy bed. Air mattresses are much better than the ground but not as good as a good real mattress.
I will miss having my breath taken away by some kind of natural beauty every single day. I will miss the sense of adventure as we have more to see and explore.
From June 20th to June 27th we went on a trip to Southern New Mexico. The main destination was Carlsbad Caverns but we made a bunch of fun stops on the way there and back. It was a lot of fun and everything went according to plan. .except for a 2 hour detour but that is a story for the blogs. I will make a blog a day. I will try to give my rating of the places we stayed and info so if you make a similar trip you can use my links. I will try not to be too boring but no promises. Travel logs ARE travel logs.

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

2009-06-15T21:39:00.009-07:00

First I have to brag that I have an aweome 10 year old. Last Friday we went to the library and I told the kids they could each check out one movie each. Joe chose a 4 hour PBS documentary about Franklin D. Roosevelt. He went home that afternoon and watched the whole thing. On a summer afternoon. Since then he has been begging me to watch it with him. Lucky for him and me, I am a history buff too and LOVE biographies so we watched it today. I learned a lot about both him and his very impressive wife. Here are the things I found most interesting.

- The first thing I learned, because it was the only part I saw when he watched it last Friday was that FDR had an affair before he was president. His wife offered a divorce but they chose to stay married to keep appearances for his political career. They were never very close after that. That was a surprise and a disapointment to me.

-FDR was not popular in school. He never fit in at his boarding school as a youth and was rejected from a prestigious club in college as well.

-His mom was very domineering. When her husband died she moved out to be with Franklin. When FDR and his wife were married, and was returning from his honeymoon they recieved a special gift from his mother. A new home, designed, payed for, and decorated by her. It was also next door and joined with her house. She had free reign to go back and forth. At the dinner table Sarah (his mom) sat at one end, and Franklin at the other. Eleanor sat in the middle with the kids. Poor Eleanor.

-Eleanor had little confidence in her ability to be a mother, especially with her infants and since her mother-in-law was so confident and assertive she always let her be in charge of the raising decisions.

-When he contracted Polio Franklin came very close to giving up his political career. His mother wanted him to just come home to his childhood home and live out the rest of his life quietly like his father had. Eleanor knew her husband well enough to know he would not be happy that way and stood up to Franklin's mother for the first time.

-Frannklin restored "Warm Springs" in Georgia and made it a place for people with Polio to recover and recoperate. He was involved with the other patients treatment and was loved by those who came there. I think this was what impressed me most about him. More than anything he did as President.

-Polio changed Franklin a lot. He became far more patient and sympathetic of other peoples suffereing. Before that he was more distant and more of a flirtatious playboy. He was well loved by the people in Georgia because he would often drive in his customized car (so he could drive with paralyzed legss). He would stop to talk to people in the area and really get to know them.

-When he returned to politics he worked really hard to avoid looking disabled. He would lean on someones arm heavily on one side and a cane on the other and use his body to move his legs so it looked like he could walk.

-Eleanore changed a lot over the years. With a domineering mother-in-law, low confidence as a young mother and her husbands affair, these things made her who she became. She certainly allowed trial to refine her instead of brake her.

-Eleanor was horrified to become the First Lady. She had developed a life of her own and had her own political career that she feared had to end as a First lady. Instead of changing herself to fit the role of First lady however, she changed the role of First lady to fit her and changed the job description forever. I want to learn a lot more about her.

The Verdict

2009-06-11T14:58:00.004-07:00

I finally heard from U of U. I was so excited to see an envelope from them in the mail I couldn't have cared less that it was a rejection. But seriously...of course there is a litttle disapointment but there is even more relief to move on with my life and stop wondering and waiting.

I can tell it is a huge load off of my mind because my eyes are opened to the world around me again instead of my mind being distracted by it's usual (for the last three months) emotional roller coaster ride

"Just Killing Time, Waiting. . ."

2009-06-10T22:45:00.007-07:00

A few weeks ago, when looking through photo albums of my family of origin, I found a letter tucked away. It was from my Dad's dad to my parents. It was written and sent before I was even born. I never got to know my Grandpa Alex because he died when I was 3 so it was so fun to read a letter in his own script, and "hear him talk". He congratulated my parents on the new baby, my older brother David and reminded them
"There is still plenty time yet for a girl. Still Young!"
My favorite quote however was his thoughts on life and getting old,
"Keeping busy cutting grass between showers and fishing but what it amounts to (is) killing time waiting for the time killing you"
My grandpa was a Swede and I understand that Swedes have that matter of fact way of thinking about life and death. I guess my 100% Swedish blood agrees because that just cracks me up. He may have been quoting that from something else but he obviously appreciated it as do I.
Right now, I am just killing time waiting to hear from U of U. I heard through the grapevine, my end of that grapevine being Tim, that someone who applied for the same program I did found out last Thursday that they were accepted. I still have not heard anything. My one comfort right now is I have a friend who had a similar experience applying for another program. His friends were getting their letters like a week before he did and he got in.
I really am OK with not getting in. Worse case scenario: life continues as usual and that isn't bad at all. I really don't have a burning desire to leave my comfort zone right now to be perfectly honest. I will get a chance to get some more experience and some stronger referances for next time is all. I just want to know one way or another. Until I find out though I am just "killing time waiting for the time killing me. . . or at least the suspence.

Pictures: Top: Grandpa Alex fishing
Bottom, Left to Right: Grandma Gert, my brother Eric , unknown relative or friend, Grandpa Alex, my brother David , my Mother and me.

Pictures from Tim's Alien Abduction

2009-06-05T09:52:00.006-07:00

Take a look at these pictures of the hotel Tim stayed at in Atlanta. Did he go to another state or another planet? Very cool architecture! I will be sure to keep the syrup away from Tim. . . just in case. . . .

On the Run

2009-06-01T21:37:00.004-07:00

Last year I got into running on a treadmill, I was doing great, running 20 minutes straight. . then the rec-center closed for its annual maintanance. I hit the real pavement. . or maybe it hit me. I was humbled to see that tread mill running and outdoor running are not the same. I went back to the treadmill when the Rec-center opened again, but I kind of lost my steam.

Earlier this spring I realized I liked the inside track, it was softer on my joints, but at 5:45 am I often just didn't feel up to running. I discovered that when I did run the stuff that stressed me out about my day was less stressful after I ran. I stopped thinking about it just for a few minutes which gave me a different perspective. I realized that if I was in a bad mood, running was the very thing I needed.

Then exercise went out the window entirely for 1 1/2 months. After a while I started missing running and weight training. But I have yet to miss getting up at 6 am to do it. I decided to try it another time of day. I have discovered afternoon running is awesome. I am already awake, warmed up and I have stress that needs relieving. It is my time of the day.

Tim bought me some trainers, for our anniversary to replace my Wal-mart shoes that I am not even sure are running shoes. I warned him that getting me better quality shoes would not necessarily be a wise gamble. . it may not motivate me to run. Well, I was wrong. Running in those shoes one time converted me. Since then I have started a training program and have been faithfull to it for 4 weeks. I love it and I get anxious waiting for the next run. I am hooked. It is nice to be hooked to something good for me for once.

I am doing a running program in "Running Made Easy" (awesome book by the way ) and it makes it very doable and very fun. My only complaint is it might be too easy. But this way, at the end of my run I feel energized, but want more . . which is AWESOME! The first few weeks you run a minute, then walk two minutes and repeat a few times and each week you add one more 3 minute running/walking session to what your are already doing. In two weeks it will turn to two minutes running two minutes walking. Instead of dreading that I keep looking at the schedule wondering how many more weeks I have to wait.

My favorite part of running is the take off. Those first few seconds of speed increase. As I am getting more in shape, that feeling lasts the whole minute I am running, and I am watching the clock for the whole two minutes of walking, wanting to run again. Currently I am entertaining the idea of running a 5K when I finish the program in 6 weeks. I am not the competitive type though, so I am not sure I would like it very much. The fact I am even thinking about doing it is progress for me though.

What I did on my Memorial Day Vacation

2009-05-26T12:39:00.004-07:00

It started off badly. Tim said he scheduled to get off of work 2:30pm Friday. I called him around that time to see if he was ready to be picked up. No answer. This means he is in a meeting or talking to someone. I put my phone in my pocket and waited for him to call back. He did, like 23 times. What I didn't realize was I didn't change my phone from silent from the meeting we went to the night before. ARRRGHH. I wondered what was taking Tim SOOOO long to call back. I finally checked my phone to see what time it was and saw that he had called. . . . many times. I was horrified when I realized. UGH. How annoying!!!

So, instead of leaving around 2:30pm as planned, we left more like 4:30pm. So it was dark when we got to Great Basin National Park. All the camp sites were filled. We needed to find BLM land but it was dark and we had no idea where to start.

After some badly given (or misunderstood) directions to one area of BLM land and advice that the Primitive campsites would be hard to find in the dark, Tim tried to give it a go anyway. They weren't that hard to find and we got a good spot. At like. . 10:30pm. We set up camp and ate dinner and were in bed like at 1am.

The next morning we ate breakfast and climed up to the side of a cliff. It was an unpaved steep climb but we all made it too the top. It wore us all out though. . not to mention the late night before.

We took a tour of Lehmans Caves. Pretty cool! Not MUCH cooloer than Timpenogas Caves, but a little different.

After the tour we were all hungry. We decided as we did food shopping before the trip we would bring enough for dinner and breakfast. If there were places to get more food we would stay two nights. If not we would only stay one. There were two VERY small grocery stores...more like convenince stores. They had ravioli but no paper or plastic supplies to eat it with so we took that as a sign to go home. We were too tired from the late night and hike to do anything but hang out at our campsite anyway. It was a grey and rainy day so that wouldn't have even been any fun. We did do a scenic drive up the mountain before we left though. It was quite pretty.

Monday the outdoor fun continuted. We hiked up to Stewart Falls in the Timpanogos National Park. Beautiful hike! A new favorite. We had never done it before. Two miles up and two down. I highly recommend it!

Our honest opinion of what we did see at Great Basin is that Utah is prettier. Nothing really blew us away with being more beautiful than anything we have seen in Utah.

We are now all excited to go on our annual summer vacation in June to Carlsbad Caverns with lots of fun stops there and back.

Three Reasons Lincoln May Not Be Mormon Tabernacle Choir Material.

2009-05-21T00:39:00.012-07:00

Tonight Lincoln had his Kindergarden end of year program. It was a great show! The kids sang a bunch of songs that they have been learning all year. The best part of the show however was looking at the pictures Tim took throughout. . . (Lincoln is in the green plaid shirt near the middle)

The first is Lincoln dancing between musical numbers

Next is Lincoln harrassing the boy next to him. His "girlfriend" (girl in pigtails upper right) is looking on with disgust. The third is Lincoln bored out of his mind.

Silly Mom!

2009-05-19T21:30:00.003-07:00

As we were sending children upstairs to bed I suddenly remembered that my job of homemaker was not done for the night. I had washed the boys' sheets and hadn't put them back on the beds.
ME: "Oh CRAP!!!!. . I just remembered I still need to make three beds before the kids can go to sleep" (Don't you LOVE that realization????!!!)
Sam: But mom we already have three beds! My bed, Lincoln's bed and Joe's bed. . three beds.

I guess I have THAT to be thankful for. Actually "making" beds would have been much much worse.

Found Keys and Aswered Prayers

2009-05-18T15:03:00.006-07:00

Things like this happen to us all quite often. Then we forget about them. I wanted to record a simple but miraculous answer to a prayer today. I lost my keys. I looked EVERYWHERE! I looked in the morning and looked in the afternoon. I called places I thought they may have been left when I was out on Saturday. Nothing. I kept praying in my heart all day. . Help me find them PLEASE!
I decided to take a break for a while. As I was out checking on kids, the thought occured to me to take the trash out to the curb. I NEVER take my trash out before like 10 pm. Why not do it now though and get it out of the way. There was no way I was going to get any more trash in the cans anyway. But I had two more bags in the garage. I decided to try to stuff them in. As I opened the can I saw the bottom of my stuffed puffin's foot, the one attached to my key chain which was of course attached to my keys. PHEW!!!
I don't know how they got there but I know that If I hadn't decided to try to stuff in those last two bags I never would have found my keys. If I hadn't felt inspired to take the trash out in the afternoon instead of before I go to bed like I have done EVERY other time. . I never would have found those keys. It would have been night time. I never would have seen the little bird foot sticking out in the dark.
Thank Heaven for prayer and inspiration!

How Mole-hills Become Mountatins

2009-05-14T22:40:00.015-07:00

Yes, I have been thinking about this kind of stuff a lot lately. It befuddles me and so I am trying to figure it out. You know how when you get a room clean. . I mean really clean and so you want to keep it that way right? You are putting away the littlest things to keep it looking nice. Wipe off the counter at the first sign of smears. You have seen the room's potential and you want it to live up to it.

Somehow though, a week or so down the road, that room is a mess again. At what point did you stop thinking it was worth picking up every little thing? At what point did you forget that you want that room as nice as it looked when you first cleaned it or at what point did you stop caring so much? I believe stress and tiredness may be the ones to blame.

When I am too stressed, I have other things to worry about that are more important than picking up those shoes or hanging up that outfit I tried on and decided against. It can wait until I am less occupied. I have noticed that when I have a lot on my mind, my physical surroundings just don't seem so important anymore. In this oblivious state, the little messes can get bigger and bigger without my noticing. I know when a big stress has been lifted or I am better rested because suddenly my eyes are opened to the mess around me and I start picking up little things again. I realize, that I have been putting up with that shoe that has been sitting in the hallway for a week now.

I also find that if I am tired or stressed a few dishes to clean seem like a sink full of dishes. One basket full of laundry feels like just too much for me to deal with. I just need a nap and I will take care of it later. I don't take care of that one basket and then it does become two baskets or 3 and suddenly it is so much that, the house work it's self has become the stresser. Suddenly I am swimming in an ocean of laundry and I wonder how I fell off that last wave of productivity.

Going back to my last blog entry, it is always the being too tired or having other stuff to worry about that gets in the way of pushing off and starting my day off right. Even if it is trying to avoid stress by procrastinating. I don't know how many times I have jumped on the computer to avoid that sink of dishes. Lets face it, a sink full of dishes is stressful!

I probably think way too much about housework. Maybe if I worked as much as I think about it, I wouldn't get so buried in it all the time.

Physics Lessons from Ender

2009-05-06T14:31:00.005-07:00

I just finished reading Ender's Game for the 2nd or 3rd time. I actually can't remember how sad is that.

I loved it. A little darker than I remember but very very good. The most surprising thing I got out of it however was a little reminder in physics and motivation. I have been trying to figure out ways to stay on top of "the wave" of house work and there was a scene in the book that helped me out with this.

Ender goes to a school that teaches boys how to be fighters and commanders. They teach them through games they play in rooms with no gravity. He learns early on that in order to be in any control of his movements where there is no gravity he needs to push off with quite a bit of force. Some boys in his group just let go of the wall and drifted. They tried to move but couldn't get where they wanted to go.

What did I learn from this? If I want to accomplish anything in a day I have to start off with a push. I really can't sit down at the computer or go back to bed, or pick up a book at 9:05am and really expect to accomplish a whole lot that day. It might happen if I am really lucky but I shouldn't be surprised at all if I end that day feeling like it was total waste.

For the last two weeks I have been following this advice and I have accomplished more in the last week and a half than I have in a long long time. If I start productive, I can even take a break and nap or read or sit at the computer for a while and I will still bounce back later. Amazing!

Thanks to Ender's Game, I was reminded of the basic rules of housekeeping physics. Those who start working, stay working, people who are unproductive, stay unproductive.

Milestones Part II

2009-04-30T20:36:00.006-07:00

Ironically I had a blog entry eerily similar to this one in March. Last time it was Lincolns birthday and Elisabeth learning to ride her bike in the same week. This time it was Sam's birthday on Tuesday and Lincoln learned to ride his bike today. Tim thinks it might have something to do with desperatly wanting attention equal to the birthday child.

This time I got to witness the maiden voyage. How exciting it is to watch your kid learn something new that will bring them so much enjoyment and self-confidence. I missed Elisabeth's first ride because I was knocked out sick. I got to call Tim and tell him the exciting news.

I can't believe Sam is 4 either. He recieved his wish of everything yellow, except some presents were other colors of the rainbow but I think he forgave us for that.

Commitment Issues

2009-04-24T08:07:00.003-07:00

Lincoln has a new "girlfriend". He has had her as a friend for a while but yesterday he told me the following.
Lincoln: Mindy (name changed to protect the innocent) plays with me at recess every day.
Kristin: Well, thats nice isnt it? To have someone to play with at recess?
Lincoln: NO! It's annoying. She does it EVERY day!
He may have that "come hither" look in his school picture but he also asks that you don't get clingy!

Spring Portraits

2009-04-22T23:07:00.007-07:00

As their Mom, I know I am slightly biased, but I thought their spring school pictures were particulary good this year. I wish the scanned image was as good as the original but you can still get the idea.

I'll Show You Mine Part II: The Ocean of Laundry

2009-04-14T18:10:00.008-07:00

My defense is , I had guests at the time and didn't want to spend hours in my bedroom catching up on folding the laundry. I have since caught up. I just wanted to share with anyone out there who might think they are the only one. Noone else has to share. I understand not everyone wants to show their laundry over the internet, even if it is clean. Last time all I got was my sister-in-law who took a picture of her clean kitchen! Thanks Rebekah!!!!! :)

I have decided house work is like surfing. Or how I imagine surfing. I have never actually surfed. I can't even swim, which doesn't speak well for this particular post.

There are those moments or even days when I feel elation, I am on top of it, riding the wave and I feel great. I wonder how I got up there and how I can stay. But I know in the back of my mind it can't possibly last. I will have to come crashing down again. There is always that inevidable wipe out. Most of the time I am swimming in an ocean of housework that has somehow piled up again around me, as I wonder how the heck I got on that past wave and how I can do it again.

Every Grey Cloud Has a Silver Lining

2009-04-12T23:19:00.004-07:00

I have to admit the lego incident has had one positive result. Somehow, next to that, potty training doesn't seem so bad. I have been dealing with it (It=Sam, wearing underwear during the day) two days now, clean-ups and all and I think I have reached that point where it is worth it to me to grit my teeth and bear it. It will get worse before it gets better, but I think I am just going to push on through it. The trecherous path of underwear, with lots of unpleasent accidents is the only way I am going to get to that glorious pasture of no more diaper changing. I hope it doesn't take 9 months this time. . . . Please??

An Advertisment for Lysol

2009-04-09T09:09:00.006-07:00

Finding out that your cats have been marking your kids legos. . . . horrifying!
Your sister-in-law being the one to discover it PRICELESS!!!!!
At least now I know, that is ANOTHER thing we need to be checking.

I am not pleased with cats right now....UGH!

Out With the Old, In With the New

2009-04-02T08:18:00.003-07:00

Last summer Tim got Lasik/PRK surgery and it was the end of glasses for him. With headaches and clumsiness, this winter, it was brought to our attention that Joe might need glasses. After an eye exam we found out that indeed he does. So far it seems he only needs them for reading the black board, but who knows...he says stores are kind of weird because there is so much he can't see. Here are his cool new glasses. He is excited and Elisabeth and I are jealous. When I was a kid I always wanted glasses, and I am not sure I have grown out of that. Tim assures me it isn't worth it.

The Age of Innocence

2009-03-30T11:05:00.005-07:00

Yesterday Elisabeth was frustrated with Joe because he wouldn't admit that her new stuffed bunny was part of the family. She said he was mean and didn't believe in things anymore. His response?

"I still believe in stuff. I believe in Santa and I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK with only one bullet" He is really into presidential history right now.

Ahh, the age of inncocence. It is gone so soon.

Antibiotics, How do I love thee? Let Me Count the Ways!

2009-03-24T13:00:00.004-07:00

After only two doses of antibiotics, I can already sing their praises.
5. My kitchen is clean again! Tim and the kids did their best but there is a level of clean that only I can (or chose to) reach. Tim is great at cooking when I am sick but isn't quite as excited about the cleaning side. He motivates kids to do it, but you know. . .kids.
4. I can see my bedroom floor again! I finally have picked up on actually folding the clean clothes again and putting them away instead of putting the baskets in our bedroom and sometimes pored them on the floor to find stuff or get more clean clothes
3. I have my libido back! Already too much info.
2. My headaches aren't quite so bad anymore. . .they aren't gone yet!
1. I can breathe through my nose!!!!!! Sometimes. Which is better than never. Last night I was taking all these deep breaths, through my nose and it was glorious!

A Cold by Any Other Name Part II (warning: I whine A LOT in this entry)

2009-03-22T12:01:00.006-07:00

I suppose that by writing a blog like the one I wrote last October, I pretty much cursed myself to the blog I am writing today. YES! Last October I DID have a cold. That is why I didn't think antibiotics were necessary. Today and the two previous days, I have had a Sinus Infection. It sounds so sinister, BECAUSE IT IS!!! What I had last October WAS misery. What I have now is more like torture. When coughing makes you want to cry, because it makes your head hurt so bad, when getting out of bed and moving your head a quarter inch makes you want to cry, that is a Sinus Infection.

I have never had a sinus infection before. Why did it have to start on a Friday afternoon? It wasn't until Saturday morning I realized what exactly I was dealing with. Do I go to Urgent care today and pay $30 for a visit when I know if I call my doctor tomorrow morning she will call me in an antibiotic prescription without even a visit (she just saw me on Wednesday and said she would call in something if I ended up needing it). On the one hand it will just go to my cafeteria plan, AND I could start my cure earlier, on the other hand it is another doctor appointment. I have Advil and Zyrtec-D so I don't always feel this bad, I can probably survive another day. But should I?

Milestones of the Week!

2009-03-21T20:38:00.008-07:00

Elisabeth learned how to ride her bike today! She practiced a little last summer and then decided to try it again yesterday. One more day of practicing and she has got it! She is SO excited. We had told her we would consider getting her a scooter only after she had learned to ride her bike but today she said she doesn't want one because bike riding is so much fun.

Lincoln had his birthday on Thursday. He enjoyed the candy his Grandma and Grampa sent and was excited to wear the outfit they gave him to school that day. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa! He thinks his Zoingo Boingo is tons of fun but I think he is intimidated by it. Everyone else is enjoying it too though along with the games he got. Lincoln gives a great return for his gifts. His reaction is always SO FUN to watch. "OH YES!!!" So fun to see! He is so animated.

I'll Show You Mine If You'll Show Me Yours, . . My Messy Kitchen that is!

2009-03-17T08:51:00.009-07:00

Here is my Residential State of the Kitchen address:

NOT GOOD! Tim once described a similar mess as looking like something out of a Disney Cartoon. I have to agree. I have been sick for the past 5 days so what do you expect? I promise I did the dishes two days ago.

What. . .you want me to work miracles? These things take time. Something like the economy right now wouldn't you say? I propose a Kitchen Bail out package! This would consist of 4 small children and/or one husband that will come in and do the work for me. One of them will come through for me right? For the right price? I think of it as stimulating the economy! Nice?

In all honesty I don't think I can wait that much longer. I need to clean this up before DCFS shows up at my door! I promise it was all done with photo shop! That will be my story . . . if any of you are thinking of sending them my way. . .

So You Think You Can Make It in the Real World 3100

2009-03-16T21:34:00.003-07:00

That is what they should rename the Career Prep for Behavior Science Majors class that I am taking. The class has no tests, and no reading homework, but it is the most mentally and emotionally exhausting class I have taken so far at UVU. It has been at least three times now that I have come home needing to be seriously comforted and cheered up by Tim. This is so incredibly humbling. I took the class because I knew I needed to learn these things. The whole getting into graduate school and finding a job was so mysterious, scary and intimidating. I was pretty sure I was poorly prepared. This class has taught me a valuable thing. I was right! I AM poorly prepared. I should be intimidated, VERY intimidated!!!

I just took a practice GRE practice test online today (one of the assignments for the class) and looking at the questions. . . mostly the math ones, all I could do was laugh (or cry). I never planned on taking the GRE without a class first. Thankfully U of U's MSW doesn't even ask for it if your GPA is good enough so I didn't have to take it for that.

It was no revelation to see how hard it was, but still, I don't enjoy being reminded how little I know. Especially when my house is as trashed as it is after being sick for 5 days straight. I needed one more reason to feel like crap today. Don't we all?

Last week we talked about applying for graduate schools. I learned all the things I should have done before I sent my application off that morning. On the bright side of things I did learn one thing that made me smile.The teacher handed out a timeline to follow for filling out your application etc. It said it should take 4 months to do what I just did in 3 weeks. No wonder I almost had about 15 nervous breakdowns in the process!

Tomorrow in class we will be discussing the things they are judging me on when they look at my application. Considering today was the deadline for turning in applications for the program I applied to it seems very appropriate. I hope Tim is ready to be giving me some serious cheering up. Having kids in bed before I get home (at 7pm) wouldn't be a bad idea.

Wouldn't it be great if. . .?

2009-03-03T20:56:00.007-07:00

This evening I was feeling stressed about grad school again when Sam's face came to my mind. I remembered how I thought it would be great if we had 2 boys and 2 girls. I thought that would be the perfect family. God had a better idea. He gave us Sam. I couldn't love another child more than I do Sam. He made our family perfect. We have been in no way cheated.

I remember when Tim was applying for a job in Kansas city. I thought "Wouldn't it be great if Tim got this job?" I was very stressed about him NOT getting the job because Tim hated his present job so much. God had a better idea. He gave him the job he had applied for a year earlier, the one he wanted the most. It took a few more months but it was worth the wait. We have been in no way cheated.

I remember having a horrible crush on a guy in high school. I remember thinking "Wouldn't it be great if he liked me and we got married some day? God had a better idea. He gave me Tim. I still know this other person and am glad to call him a friend, but he doesn't have half as much in common with me as Tim does. Tim is my dream come true. It took a few more years but it was worth the wait. I have been in no way cheated.

Right now I am thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if I get into graduate school?" I am getting all stressed about the idea that I might not. I need to have faith that if I don't get in, it is because I am supposed to do something else. This stressful application experience is helping me in some way, even if I don't know what it is. Maybe I will learn the thing I need to work on before the next time I apply. Maybe I am supposed to attend a different Social Work program. I need to have faith that if I don't get in to grad school this year, I am not being cheated. God has a better idea and it will be worth the wait.

Applying Myself

2009-03-01T10:50:00.006-07:00

So....presently I am engaged in the ever exciting and ever humbling experience of applying for grad school. Two weeks ago I had no idea I would be doing this right now. I have always been planning on doing this eventually, but thought it would another year or so, when Sam was in school at least half a day. Then Tim heard about a distance education MSW program that is being offered by U of U in which I can go to classes at UVU on Friday nights and Saturdays. This makes it possible now. In two weeks all my stress will be over. This program was just made available to UVU students a couple of weeks ago. The deadline has been extended to March 16th so that we would have a chance to apply. For three weeks my life has been and will be an emotional and mental roller coaster.

Although I already have my Bachelors in Science I have been a stay at home Mom with no real "work experience" for the last 8 years. I don't think I am as qualified as most applicants will be but why not at least give it a try? I have been taking classes for the last 3 1/2 years for this very reason. If nothing else this would be a good experience to see what applying for graduate school is all about. I can see where I might be lacking and know what to work on before I apply again. No lose situation right?

The most humbling part of this process for me has been asking for letters of recommendation. It says in the application
"References should not be relatives, personal friends or religious leaders. One of the references should be your immediate, current supervisor. "
My supervisor? But I can't ask family!!! Otherwise I am sure I can get my kids to write me a raving review. . .but maybe I am better off not. "She works us like slaves and doesn't give us enough Captain Crunch!"

I have been filling a lot of callings which have given me valuable volunteer experience but I can't ask religious leaders either. In these humbling moments there has to be some positive self talk. I have to believe in some small way that I could possibly get in! Otherwise, asking people to write letters of recommendation for me is a waste of my stress and their time and efforts. I have some teachers that know me. Some better than others. I have a Scout Committee chair person that supervised me. She isn't exactly a religious leader because Boy Scouts of America is a volunteer organization in and out of the church. Then I start looking at my experience and think, that maybe I do have plenty of qualifications, they would be wise to choose me. I actually start thinking about myself as someone who could get into graduate school on my own accord. Then I start thinking. . Wouldn't it be awesome if I was accepted? These are my cockier manic moments of my day.

Then I start thinking about who I am competing with: People with all kinds of work experience, who know that they would be excellent candidates and who have supervisors who can testify to the fact. These are the moments when I ask. . .Why am I applying for graduate school again? I will never get in.This is when I have to remind myself that I knew this from the beginning. This is a learning experience. No lose, remember? I gear myself up to face the difficult tasks again, and the cycle begins once more.

As I was talking to Tim about my emotional roller coaster, it occurred to me that I have had this experience put before me for a reason. I feel like it is something I should do. Whether or not I get in, I will gain something from the experience. If I get in it will be because I am supposed to, and by the grace of God. I shouldn't get cocky thinking "Sure I have all it takes, I can get in! Nor should I get depressed thinking that I am so unqualified, so why even try?" Neither is completely true and in the end it really doesn't matter. What matters is that I go through the effort and that I try my best. I really can't control anything past that point so why stress about it?

This sounds kind of familiar doesn't it? To be successful in this life and to return to my Heavenly Father, I am not supposed to think I can reach perfection on my own. Nor should I get depressed over the fact I am not perfect. To think either way is to show a lack of faith.
I am asked to do my best and leave the rest up to the Lord. As long as I am doing all I can to succeed and be obedient, he will make sure that I reach my full potential.

This really is an educational experience!

Mixed Messages

2009-02-13T10:15:00.006-07:00

Last night Joe was very surprised to hear the following conversation between Tim and I at dinner. We have a Webelo in our den who's name is Nathan, who is also one of Joes friends.
K: I am so annoyed with Nathan's character. He used to be good but he made a total 180 degree turn to be a jerk. There is no reason for him to be doing this. It makes no sense. His dad was a jerk and they killed him off so now Nathan has taken his place. It is like they are just playing with our minds. It feels like they are trying to do an experiment, lets just play around and make this person good and this person bad this week and vice versa next week.
J: (hesitantly). . .Are you really going to do an experiment on Nathan?
It occurred to me at this point that Joe assumed we were talking about his friend and our Webelo and had no idea I was discussing Nathan Patrelli on "Heroes"
Poor Joe!

Kudos to Artificial Intelligence

2009-02-07T10:40:00.007-07:00

I have been very successful with my goal in spending less time on my computer this year. I can't take all the credit though. I think a fan on my CPU is broken because my computer will shut itself off after about 30 to 45 minutes of use. The funny thing is my computer seems to know when I am done with what I need to do. If I am working on my budgeting, or an assignment and catching up on my blog it hasn't turned off. It's always when I start playing around, then my computer knows and shuts off. I love it! Maybe I should start calling my computer HAL. Or #13. It might be just a little too intelligent for my comfort. SPOOKY!

Tim's computer is completely broken so I think our tax return will be going to some newer computers. . . it is ridiculous how cheap it would be to buy MUCH better computers. Ours are pretty out of date. I would like one that turns itself off when I am starting to actually waste my time on it. This one has improved my quality of life more than I can say.

Lotion 101

2009-02-05T11:26:00.008-07:00

I learned something interesting from our dermatologist that validated all my beliefs about hand lotion. I don't think it helps me, and it didn't because I was using it incorrectly.
I had heard before that lotion works better if you use it right after washing your hands or bathing. I didn't always remember to do it then so I would do it when I would think about it or desperately needed it. I didn't know that if you put lotion on dry skin it actually seals out the moisture. It acts as a barrier to moisture going out and in. So it does more harm than good. Huh! A piece of information that you don't see on most (any?) lotion bottles. I am moving all my lotions next to my sinks I guess. So far I have been impressed with the difference.

Facebook killed the Blogger Star

2009-01-31T11:15:00.004-07:00

Not that I would consider myself a star in anyway. I think it has killed my desire to blog though. Facebook has a bigger audience,all my friends that looked at my blog are on Facebook and many more. I don't feel like I have to write an essay every time I want to make contact with friends either. Is that bad? Not that I am announcing the end of my Blog here. Just explaining my delinquency. I still plan to write, when I have something to say. . . which appears to be not that often these days.

Blogging is Soooo 2008 (and other ramblings on from a not so little woman)

2009-01-22T15:06:00.006-07:00

Actually I hope not. It is looking that way for me right now though isn't it? Maybe it is something that is going out with the Bush administration. Maybe I am having a brain freeze with all the below freezing temperatures. I just havn't had a lot of ideas for Blog entrys lately. I apologize for being delinquent. Here is a blog to remind you why it isn't such a bad thing.

I watched "Little Women" with my daughter last night. The one with Susan Sarandon as Marmee and Christian Bale as the Laurie (speaking of being late, yes) last night. I read the book with Elisabeth last year so we wanted to see the movie of course. Very well done. Great acting, great casting, great music. The romance between Joe and Frederich was more believable and less pitiful than the one in "Sense and Sensiblity". I cried . . . a lot. I told Elisabeth I really liked it and she responded "Except you kept crying through it!" Of course I had to explain to her that isn't always a bad thing, unless you are a particular friend of mine who hates to cry during movies.

Lacking Inspiration

2009-01-14T13:00:00.004-07:00

I have not been doing very good on my blog but I guess the good news is I am spending less time in front of my computer and that is a good thing since that is my goal. Tim isn't helping me by introducing me to Pandora. com. If you havn't heard of it is a website where you put in your favorite song or music group/musician and they will create a radio station based on that and find all kinds of songs that are similar. I put in "Crack the Shutters" and found a new musician I really like. Peter Bradley Adams. I am really into acoustic guitar lately. I think I have to give credit to the movie "August Rush" for that. Tim learning to play the guitar doesn't hurt either. Anyway. Here are two clips of some of Adam's songs. The "Angeles" one is so much better on the album recording than in concert but still worth listening to. Enjoy!

Always

Angeles

More Joy in the New Year

2009-01-06T10:47:00.003-07:00

This year I want to find more Joy in life. I want to do more of the things that actually make me happier. Less of the things that are easy at the moment but make me feel lousy later. I find the most joy in life through my relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and God. It is sometimes hard to balance this with my need to be alone and have my "quality me time. " I think I can improve my relationship with myself by spending my time in better ways.

I want to spend less time sitting in front of the computer, more time keeping my house in good order, so it is more pleasant to be in. I always feel so much more at peace when my home is clean. Work is one of the other sources of great joy in life. The things that bring most happiness in the long run require work now.

I want to spend less time reading to myself when I should be spending more time reading to my kids. I feel content when I know I am spending time with my kids. Granted, I don 't plant on dropping computer time and reading from my life, it brings me a lot of joy, but I need to keep my priorities in order and only do them when I don't have other things that are more important at the time. The days I have spent just reading or in front of a computer , therefore ignoring my house and family are always followed by a feeling of remorse. A feeling I missed out on something important that day.

I want to spend more fun time with my family. Playing games, doing fun activities, talking and working together. It feels like we spend a lot of time together doing the day to day stuff but it is the fun times that seem to really strengthen our relationships. The week between Christmas and New Years day is a special time for our family. Tim takes the week off of work and we dedicate our days to playing games with each other and with friends. This year in particular I came from this so rejuvenated rather than worn from spending so much time with my kids. I think I can take something from this and apply it to the rest of the year. I can't play all day of course but I can play more with my family on a regular basis.

My "me time" could be better spent improving upon myself, reading scriptures, more prayer and meditation. I will come to terms with myself better by coming to my Savior.

I want to improve my relationships with my neighbors. We get along but I am quite the hermit and really don't put myself out there and allow them to get to know who I am. I want to make a greater effort to get to know my friends and neighbors and bless their lives the way they have blessed mine.

It isn't in the "me time" that I will find most joy in life, it is in the "we time" (no not Wii time, although that is a great way to spend "We time" :). . . ) Quiet alone time is important for me, but it is not what is going to bring me happiness in this life.

New Carpet Cleaner

2009-01-01T11:24:00.004-07:00

I wonder how many other carpet cleaners were bought the morning after a child has thrown up down an entire (carpeted) flight of stairs at 2 a.m.

Late, but Still Inspiring

2008-12-27T12:50:00.004-07:00

When Tim and I visited England (1999) with his parents we stopped one evening at the York Ministry. There was a choir practicing inside and the music was ethereal and brought chills down our spines. Tim and I have agreed it was one of the most spiritual experiences of our lives. We have looked for music that sounded like it ever since. I just found a performance of a favorite German Christmas carol that I found very comparable.When I hear things this beautiful, I know there is something greater and glorious than what can be found in this sometimes dark and dreary world. Happy New Year Everyone!

Cats 1, Tree 0

2008-12-13T14:46:00.006-07:00

We finally got our tree yesterday. I have been dreading this day ever since it occurred to me that it is going to be a totally different experience with cats. I asked a number of friends who have cats for their advice and experiences. Some have had no problems with their cats but many of them have pretty much wished me good luck with a knowing smile on their faces.

I am thinking of keeping score in this battle of the pets versus the tree. Today: Cats 1, Tree 0.

We came home to the tree laying down on it's side today. We havn't decorated it yet so no harm done. I think we will be making our Christmas Tree ornaments out of paper this year and every year until things change in one way or another. It is too bad I have grown attached to our cats. If it had been our rats..they would have been OUT OF HERE!

J.C. Penny Redemption (more Christmas Cheer)

2008-12-09T15:13:00.002-07:00

This is a pretty hilarious add.

http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/video.aspx

A Little Christmas Cheer (. . . at the expense of others)

2008-12-08T13:00:00.005-07:00

For the holidays one year, rather than send gifts, my friend decided to enclose checks in her greeting cards. Inside each card she wrote "Buy your own presents" and then sent them off.
A few months later, she discovered the checks she'd "mailed" under a pile of books.
-Ruth Williams (found in Readers Digest, Jan 2009)

Lincoln's Dream

2008-12-05T14:51:00.007-07:00

Last night Tim was reading the Advent scripture for the night with the kids. The story was the wise men receiving a dream that warned them not to return to Herod after visiting Jesus. Tim told the kids that some day they may receive an important dream as well, and they should not ignore their dreams.
Lincoln then shared that he dreamed about Jesus. At risk of not giving it the proper reverence I would really like to share it. He said,
"I had a dream about Jesus once. He told me to be quiet."
The Lord really does understand doesn't he?

Layering is in!

2008-12-04T23:43:00.004-07:00

Sam has decided he will "change" his own clothes, like 4 times a day. "Chainging" in Sam's language however is "layering" in mine. In this picture he is wearing a blue knit shirt with a collar, then a batman undershirt over that, then an orange and green striped shirt over that and then a blue, white and green striped shirt on top of that. With this in mind, I am glad he asks me to "Change" his diapers for him.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T09:28:00.002-07:00

As Thanksgiving has come and gone, I feel a need to give thanks for all of my many blessings.

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ- Lately, with all the changes and debates going on in our country over moral issues and who is the best person to lead our country, I am so very thankful for the knowledge I have of what is right and wrong. I am also thankful for a leader that is not chosen by the people, but by God. It was such a refreshing difference between all the debates and speeches we have been hearing from our politicians and the talks we heard from the brethren at General Conference. I am grateful for a living prophet who leads us and inspires us. I am thankful for the scriptures and I am thankful for prayer. Without them, I could not receive my own personal knowledge of the truth of this gospel. I am grateful for the knowledge of who I am and what is most important in this life. I am grateful for the knowledge that I can see my parents again some day and that my family, generations past and generations to come will always be a family.

2. Family- I am grateful to my parents who raised me up in the ways of the Lord. They taught me the gospel and they taught me how to love and laugh. They gave me a great childhood which has prepared me for a great adulthood. I am grateful for my brothers and their continued friendship and for my new sister-in-law. She fits in so well with our family and is a wonderful addition.
I am thankful for my husband who puts up with me and can't be praised enough as a husband and father. I am thankful for his family. Especially his parents who have acted as wonderful parents to me with the loss of mine. I can't relate when I hear stories of not getting along with the in-laws and I am grateful for that. I am very blessed to have them. Tim's brothers, and sister and their spouses are always a pleasure to be with and talk with as well. I am grateful for the sisters his family has provided me with. It is fun to be the big sister in his family while I am the little sister in mine.
I am thankful for my wonderful children. As they grow older they become less work and more friends. I know this will probably change in the teens but I hope not too much. They bring so much joy to my life. Of course there is opposition in all things, but from those occasions , I learn valuable lessons of patience and understanding so I am grateful for those moments too.

3. Friends- What would life be without friends? I am thankful for my life long friends that I have way back from my school days. I am thankful for the ones I have made in my adulthood, on my mision and with my new family. I am so grateful for the support they lend me as a parent. It is so nice to have someone to talk to who can say, "No you are not crazy, because I have the same problem." At least I am in good company with my insanity right? I am grateful for the friends my kids have too.
Friends make the hard times easier and the good times even better.

4. Books- I love a good book. I love it's ability to put me in someone else's shoes, in a different place, a different time. I love the knowledge that if I have free time I know exactly how I want to spend it.

5. My home- This includes my neighbors, my ward, our kids school, our yard and the rec-center and park behind us. I have lived in this home for a year and two months and I love it as much if not more now for all of its hidden pleasures. I love everything about it. It is when I am with the people in our ward that I feel the most like this is home to me. What a group of wonderful people.

I have many more things I am grateful for but these are my top 5.

The Last Cookie

2008-11-25T09:26:00.003-07:00

Sometimes being a peace maker means you are willing to eat the last cookie so no one else has to fight over it. It's tough to be a mom.

4 of my Greatest Blessings

2008-11-24T15:35:00.003-07:00

Notice how all blessings have their light and dark sides? :)

Kids and Kittens

2008-11-24T00:37:00.003-07:00

And I had to add this one we took today. You put the kid in a shirt and tie and suddenly he is Mr. Smooth

By Demand Part 2: Indoor pictures

2008-11-20T09:48:00.004-07:00

Entry Way and living room

The Kitchen

The Living room

The Library

Dinning Room(above) TV room in basement (below)

By Demand

2008-11-17T15:31:00.006-07:00

My sister in law asked me to post some pictures of our house she has never seen. . I better oblige. I will post some pictures of the inside some time too.

The Downfall of Autumn

2008-11-17T13:11:00.011-07:00

I love this picture. I love all the leaves but even more I love the look of dismay on their faces. I am guessing it has to do with the leaves.
When I think of Autumn, I think of leaves, then my hands get sweaty and my heart starts to beat a little faster. That first leaf I see on the ground at the beginning of fall brings to mind the Psycho theme: "CHING CHING CHING!!!" Don't get me wrong, I love Autumn I love autumn leaves too. . . If I don't have to rake them. How big of a deal can it be you ask?
Take a look at this picture.

Look at all the leaves my kids are playing with, and then look at all the leaves that are STILL on the trees and are yet to be raked up!!! We have three of these willows. I love the trees. I love that they give beautiful green shade in the summer and lose their leaves in the winter to give plenty of light to our house. I don't love the in between so much. There are TONS more leaves at the side of the house, and in the back of the house. Not just from our trees but the trees behind and beside our back yard.

I admit, I love the bright orange and red ones, even as I am working hard to pick them up, they elicit wonder and awe as they are very beautiful. But by the 15th bag I fill with them, they are less wonderful and more awful. I imagine as the kids get older and can help more and more with this process and as I get a system down, I will learn to loath it less and less. Tim is helpful when he can be, but it is dark by the time he gets home from work and the weekends we would all rather be doing something else than raking leaves all day. I only have last year to remember and all I remember is intimidating piles of leaves calling to me, telling me I need to put them in bags before they blow all over the place again or kill the grass they are piled on.

With all this work and toil comes blessings however. It is a reminder that all beautiful things require work. The work itself brings blessings. Here is an example of one of those blessings.My kids are working together!!!! This gives us all the opportunity to work hard and learn its value. Is this not a blessing? How about the satisfaction we feel when we are done? Doesn't the cocoa taste a little better and the fire a little warmer when we have just finished working hard outside? We know we earned it! It also forces us to be outside in the cold when we might otherwise be inside. We get to see the beautiful colors of fall and feel the crisp cool air of the approaching winter. Lets not forget the great exercise we are getting.

Last year, I had just moved in to the house and I didn't have the same appreciation for our trees that I do now. This fall I am going to try harder to be grateful for our trees. They bring so much beauty to our lives the whole year round. Even in the Autumn.

Counting Down

2008-11-13T09:38:00.004-07:00

I am excited about the new James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" coming out this Friday. I am even more excited that my husband and I are doing a big group date with our friends on Saturday to see it as a matinee.

I have my concerns that I might not like it as much as the last one. Last time I was pleasantly surprised because I am usually not that big a fan of James Bond movies. I wonder what the difference was. . hmmmm. . I am guessing it had a little to do with the casting. Seeing the vulnerable side to James Bond was a nice change too. Usually James Bond movies aren't romances. Now I have higher expectations they may not be able to meet.

It may be a little disappointing, but I doubt it will be THIS bad.

Confessions of a Torn Republican

2008-11-05T09:04:00.006-07:00

I have torn feelings at the end of this election. I voted for McCain but only because his ideas more closely agreed with mine. I didn't think he was the best man for the job either. I don't know a lot about Obama's positions on things but I know he has some very radically liberal ideas. I know there are a lot things he believes in that I do not. He doesn't have a lot of experience behind him either.

At the same time I can't help but be very happy for him as a person. I don't agree with his political views but I don't think he is another Hitler or a person who hates America as I have read so much about on the internet. I realize I don't know what results will come of his election. I may come to wish I never wrote this blog entry but for now I chose to be optimistic.

I can't help but feel very happy for what his election stands for. President Bush put it well in his speech this morning when he said that his success represents the American dream. This means a lot to a lot of people. I was teary eyed listening to Obama's speech last night and to President Bush's this morning. Politics aside I feel proud to be an American and excited about the historic step this country has taken in voting for an African American as it's president.

I've been Tagged

2008-11-03T09:09:00.004-07:00

What Wallpaper do you have on your desktop right now? It says a lot about a person. Describe it or show the picture. Tag 6 other people. My kids begged me to take this picture of them. I could have done so much more with it I know. I thought it an appropriate picture for this week.
I tag Lis, Heather, Heidi, Sarah, Amber and Eileen and Rebekah. . . I know that isn't 6. Too bad!

My Motley Crew

2008-11-02T18:11:00.006-07:00

Here are the kids in their Halloween Costumes. Joe is a Magician, Elisabeth is Nancy Drew, Lincoln is Indiana Jones and Sam is a Ghostbuster. This is after all their Trick or Treating at the mall and Trunk or Treating at our Ward's party so they are a little sloppy. They sure had a lot of fun and sure HAVE a lot of candy! What do you think of Elisabeth's expression in the second picture? We are in BIG trouble!

Namesake

2008-10-29T17:51:00.004-07:00

Today it occurred to me that Lincoln knows his name well enough now that I could have him read his name on our books about Abraham Lincoln and realize he had the same name. Then I could explain to him who he is named after. I asked him if the name looked familiar. He said it didn't. Then I had him spell out his name and pointed out the letters as he said them. He got excited when he realized he had the same name.

Elisabeth almost said Abraham Lincoln was a president but I told her not to because I had been waiting all this time until he was old enough to to appreciate and I wanted to be the one to tell him. Yeah, I am selfish. So I told him that Abraham Lincoln was a President of the United States and did very important things. This is his response
Lincoln: You should tell Dad!
Me: I think you should tell dad... he would think it is cool that you are so excited.
Lincoln: But I am not.

I waited 5 years for this day. . . for him to know he was named after an important person. Apparently I have to wait a little longer if I want him to actually appreciate it.

The Powers that Be

2008-10-29T13:32:00.003-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to get rid of the hard water deposits and scum around your sink drains? Or anywhere? I mean besides getting a water softener. . . My mom taught me a secret the last time she visited my home. I have been noticing a nasty ring around my drains again and thought I should try it again. It always amazes me how well it works and how easy it is. Yeah...I need a life.
Anyway. Here is a before and after. I wish I had thought of taking a before and after picture before my last sink.
The secret? Vinegar. Let it soak for a few minutes. If it doesn't come off, wait some more. Ok. . . some of you may already know this, but for those who don't. Now you do!

IKEA: House of Horrors

2008-10-27T10:40:00.001-07:00

Elisabeth received a coupon for a 3D Spook house at IKEA. We had no idea what it was and we decided to go check it out last weekend. Immediately upon entering the store we started looking for some signs or something to show us where it was. I saw a group of people go by. I heard them talking:
Person 1: Should we go upstairs?
Person 2: No! I don't want to do the maze again!
Foolishly I assumed because we were there for the Spook House , so was everyone else. I said to Tim.
"Hey . . . you should ask them. . .it sounds like they just came from it." I thought to myself "It must be a little scary if he doesn't want to repeat it. "
Tim then enlightened me that "The maze" is most likely in reference to the show room upstairs. I can be so oblivious. Now that I write this it so obvious.

The spook house is good for little kids but but a little cheesy. It is a big tent set up in the far corner of the parking lot, furthest from the store itself. There is a sign at the front stating "NO REFUNDS" Not terribly promising is it? It was fun to see kids reactions and it was probably just perfect for them. Nothing too scary. The kid's school gets $5.00 from what we payed so it is a school fundraiser too. There is a lady waiting at the end looking apologetic. She says
"You guys can go again if you want." What was said in the tone of her voice but not in words was
"I am sorry. I know it isn't that great and maybe you think the $25 dollars you just spent was wasted. Maybe if you do it again for free, quantity will make up for quality." We did it again. I don't think we will want to repeat it next year. I think the maze in the upstairs of IKEA is scarier. It is certainly harder to find your way out at least. As the famous song Hotel California goes "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave. . ." at least not without spending a lot more money and time than you planned to going in.

Joe makes Church Movies now!

2008-10-26T21:21:00.003-07:00

Today Joe was dying to play with his Movie Maker program and since it was Sunday we said he had to make a movie with some spiritual message. We suggested he do it on our scripture of the week. Moses 7:18. I knew he would do good things with it. This is what he and Elisabeth came up with.

The Movie Club

2008-10-25T21:54:00.006-07:00

My son Joseph and his friends Duncan and Jake made this music video for one of my favorite songs, Viva la Vida. I think these boys did a great job picking the pictures and timing it just right. They received NO help from any grown ups. I am impressed that Joe seems to know more about Windows Movie Maker than Tim does these days. Tim was asking him how to do something with the program the other day. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_g63w6BWUw

Fruitsnacks and Applesauce and Juice! Oh My!

2008-10-19T16:48:00.011-07:00

I love our house, and this year, I love our trees and grapevines too. As I explained in an earlier blog, I canned peaches about a month ago, and now it is time to harvest the apples and grapes. Tim went out and bought a juicer and I bought a dehydrator. Both in the name of Tim's birthday. If we have all this fruit every year we are going to have to get this stuff eventually so better sooner than later. I hope my friends forgive me for not making it a girls activity like a planned. There is always next year when I am more familiar with the process and know how much I get.

So, Saturday we made made 6 quarts of concord grape juice. We don't have any canning jars so it is just going to have to drunken soon. That is OK . I LOVE concord grape juice. After this week that might change though. Apparently one needs to prepare to be truly prepared. Wal-mart was out of canning jars on Thursday. Anyone know where else to get them? I haven't even had time to look. I guess next year I will know to be more prepared.

Sunday we dried some apples and bananas. They are addictively yummy. The dehydrator sounds like a blow dryer so we need to find a place to put it other than the kitchen or run it at night. It is just white noise but after 6 hours straight, it can get on the nerves. Yes, I worked on Sunday. We also went to church early enough to sit in the chapel instead of the cultural hall (where we usually sit.) Does that cancel it out? Probably not.

We made apple juice and applesauce as well. The cool part is that with a steam juicer you make them at the same time. You have to peel and core the apples. Then you steam the juice out of the apples. It takes about 90 mins and the bounty isn't as much as for the grapes but the pulp that is left behind is the apple sauce. That makes up for the less juice I think. One 1 lb of apples makes 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of juice.

I didn't have any idea it could be so easy. I thought you would have to have some fancy machine or grate apples till it killed you or your hands. I thought to have juice you would need some fancy press machine. The juicer can be used as a blancher and vegetable steamer as well. It has a water pan, a pan to collect the juice, and a metal basket with wholes to hold the fruit.

Happy Birthday Tim!!!!!

2008-10-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

It is hard to make an entry about Tim that doesn't sound like it is meant for an anniversary or Valentines. That is because I can't celebrate him with out thinking about how happy I was when he became a part of my life. I am so glad he did! I am even more glad that he decided to stay a part of my life. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful man to spend the rest of my life and forever with. I could tell you how awesome he is but I already wrote a blog entry all about him and he is still just as wonderful a person. I love you Tim! Happy Birthday!

Kids make reason stare!

2008-10-14T10:44:00.006-07:00

Lincoln: "Mom, can I eat lunch downstairs?"
Me: "You have to eat the apples and drink your milk up here but then you can bring the sandwich downstairs."
Lincoln: "But I don't like apples! I don't want the milk! (add really whiny tone)"
After arguing this one for a little while
Lincoln: "Mom, Sam has more apples than me!" He then bursts into tears!

Huh?

Elisabeth's Baptism

2008-10-11T12:13:00.004-07:00

My daughter was baptized today! What a nice meeting it was too. Tim performed the baptism and confirmed her. What a blessing it is to have a worthy priesthood holder for a husband. Thank you Tim.

My brother David gave the Holy Ghost talk and used her very special blankie (that we secretly brought with us this morning) for his talk. She was quite thrilled to see it. I asked him to give the talk because he gave the Holy Ghost talk at my baptism so many years ago and did such a great job :) Thanks David! Eric, you have two and a half years to get ready for Lincoln's baptism. Both of my brothers were able to witness and participate in her confirmation. On Tim's side his Grandma was able to come for which we were very grateful. The rest of his family are all in different states. Most of our friends were able to come. Friends and family sure helped a lot in managing my smaller kids. THANK YOU! I was really worried about it from past baptism expereiences so I am more grateful than you can know.

I was able to do a little more for her baptism because I was able to help her dry off and get dressed up again afterwards. I wont get to do that with the boys. That was special for me.
We celebrated with her choice of resturants for lunch. Doc's Pizza Buffet.
Congratulations Elisabeth! We are so proud of you!

A Cold by any other Name

2008-10-10T15:14:00.004-07:00

The last few days I have been suffering from a really stuffy nose, headaches, sneezing attacks, a scratchy throat, and most recently a cough. Up until a few years ago I would have said I have a cold. You treat colds with rest and liquids right? I don't know if I was just ignorant, or my parents were ignorant, but I had never heard of such a thing as a "sinus infection" until I moved to Utah. It sounds so sinister.

I really feel like what I have is a cold and that is what it should be called but I have had friends describe similar illnesses and call it a "Sinus Infection." I hear they take antibiotics to treat it. I never would have dreamed of taking an antibiotic for a "cold". I hope I never have to. My body is already pumped with antibiotics from other infections that I enjoy on a frequent and regular basis. Whatever this thing is called, I call it misery.

Quiters never win and Winners never quit

2008-10-05T21:05:00.004-07:00

So. . . after two days of accidents, I quit potty training Sam. Pitiful I know. I don't know if Sam is ready or not but I know I am NOT ready. Diapers just are still a better option at this point. Maybe next week.

Mediating my Marriage

2008-10-02T18:56:00.010-07:00

I am taking a Mediation and Negotiation class right now. I LOVE it. So interesting. So relevant to my life. I am not currently planning on becoming a Mediator but it is a Legal, Social Work and Psychology cross listed course for a reason. I am sure I will have lots of opportunities to use it in my future (hopeful) career as a counselor. I also know I will be able to use it in my relationships now.

Last night, in class, we talked about Story Telling. The first step of mediation is the Opening Statement when you as a mediator explain the rules and the goals of mediation. The next step is allowing each party to tell their story. No one is allowed to interrupt and it is the role of the mediator to make sure this rule is kept. This is a very important step for working out disputes because it allows everyone to be heard.

How many times do I interrupt Tim when he is sharing his feelings in a disagreement? It is always out of defensiveness, pride or over confidence that I know what he is going to say next (Yeah, I am a jerk.) How much more quickly could we solve our issues if I didn't do that? Do I need a mediator to tell me to shut up so Tim can share his frustrations? I sure hope not. What a simple little thing that could make a big improvement. We are happy together (well I am, I can't speak for Tim) but no matter how happy you are in your marriage, it can always be better right? I love this class!!!!!!!

The Stanley Students 2008

2008-09-29T22:40:00.004-07:00

Here are our kid's school pictures. We are quite pleased with how they turned out!

Joe

Elisabeth

Lincoln

Feeling Peachy Keen

2008-09-26T15:11:00.005-07:00

Today I did something new and adventurous for me. I canned peaches. It came out to 7 quart size jars and 11 pint size jars. Don't ask about the uneven number...something about how many I had left from last year plus a new case.

I killed two birds with one stone today. Not only was I able to store a bunch of peaches for later use but I also cut down on the amount of peaches we will have to dispose of in our backyard. Maybe that will cut down on the fruit flies too. Last year we had just moved in and there were conflicting reports on whether our fruit was safe to eat due to spraying for the Japanese beetle. This year we know it is safe and it has been like the garden of Eden going into our back yard and plucking a perfect peach right off of our tree.

I want to thank my wonderful mother-in-law BK who taught me last year how to can with the apricots in the back yard of our old house. Even better, she wrote down the instructions so I followed them and as far as I can tell it all turned out good. I guess it is just up to the taste test to give me the final verdict.

Now that the peaches are done I need to figure out what to do with my apples and how to juice grapes. I have never done either of those so that will be an even bigger adventure.

Toilet Training here we come!

2008-09-25T22:20:00.004-07:00

This morning I made a decision. I don't know if it is because Sam seems ready or I am finally ready but I have decided it is time to potty train Sam. I will at least give it a good try. If it is easy I would be a fool not to just get it done with. Sam has the kind of personality that I could see this going quickly. He seems eager to please. We also seem to be able to have decent conversations. I think potty training requires in a big part, the ability to communicate. We went to Wal-mart today and bought the little boy underwear. Now I am entering a higher level of commitment.
In the midst of the busy day I kind of decided to wait 'til tomorrow to start. As I was changing his diaper though he said
"No, I want underwear!" so that is how he went to Pack Meeting. No accidents yet! As he was getting out of the car he said
"I show my underwear to my friends"
I said "No, you don't show your underwear to people. That isn't nice." Then he clairified.
"No, I show it to my little friends!" At least he is proud. Hopefully that motivates him.
This should be quite the adventure. It always is.

The End of an Age

2008-09-24T14:38:00.007-07:00

Yes, turning 8 is an exciting age. You, get baptized, you start going to scouts or achievement days and last but not least, you give up the booster seat. For me this is a big one. We had 3 booster seats in our van up until yesterday. Two of them are the backless, light booster seats. The third was a convertible car seat.

It was heavy, (it is the blue one Sam is sitting in) had a big back, arm rests, and an annoying base that makes it hard to buckle . When it was a car seat, with the harness in it, it took an hour to put the harnesses back in after it was washed. Believe me, with Sam, it was washed more than it's fair share. I have been counting the days until I could rid of that annoying, yet life saving contraption. Now that Elisabeth is out of the booster seat I take a deep sigh of relief. The first thing I did the morning of her birthday is take that thing out.

When I look back and see the inside of the van, it obviously no longer caters to the needs of toddlers or infants. I feel a little veklempt. I am saying goodbye to something. It is the end of a stage in our lives. Even if it was not an easy one and I am glad it is over, it is over. The age of infants and toddlers is now over (assuming God doesn't have any surprises up his sleeve.) Now it is the time of pre-schoolers, school agers, pre-teens, teenagers and beyond. And I thought toddlers were hard. HA! !

Happy Birthday Elisabeth!

2008-09-23T08:21:00.011-07:00

Today is my daughter's birthday! It is #8 so it is an important one. Elisabeth is like one of those companions who is never green and even though you might be "senior companion" you know who really seems more apt for the position. Elisabeth is the definition of matronly to me. She is so nurturing to those around to her.

Elisabeth is everything I could ever have asked for in a daughter. She likes girly things but at the same time she is tough enough not to be prissy. She is very loving toward her little brothers and other little kids and is a great friend for her big brother. Even when she was little, I remember I had the choice to leave her with the babysitter or take her to my prenatal appointments. I chose to take her with because she has always been such good company.

Even though she may complain hence her new title "Princess of Wails" she is quite obedient and can (almost) always be counted on to do as asked. Elisabeth is a princess in every way. We love you Wiz! Happy Birthday!

Mystery foods

2008-09-19T08:25:00.002-07:00

Two nights ago I heard the following conversation
Tim: Sam, what do you have in your mouth?
Sam: I don't know.

What more need I say?

Don't Kiss and Tell

2008-09-16T09:52:00.007-07:00

Last week, as I was walking Lincoln home from Kindergarten, a girl walks by with her dad and calls
"Hi Lincoln!"
He responded and then I asked him what her name was. He then yells
"What's your name?"

(This is the same girl who on the first day of School Lincoln tells me just as he comes out of class
"There is only one cute girl in my class, and that's her". )

She answers (I will keep her anonymous for her sake and Lincoln's)
Then Lincoln goes on to say. . .loud enough for the girl and her father to hear
"I like her! I love her! When I grow up I want to marry her!"
After a pause he whispers,
"I kissed her in school"
He later told me
"I was just kidding."

Yesterday at the School carnival the same girl was in line behind us. Thankfully with her friend's family and not her parents. I overheard her tell her friend
"Lincoln kissed me, right on the lips!" She seemed pretty darn proud.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH! !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her friend responded to her
"You shouldn't say that so loud!"
WOW! Are we in such trouble!!!! I can't say I didn't see that one coming though. When Lincoln wants something he gets it. I imagine the same thing goes with the girls.

Tigh and Rosalyn for President

2008-09-09T20:29:00.007-07:00

Granted they are not identical but there is just too much similarity not to have to laugh. Think about how you would describe them to someone:
Tigh/McCain-tortured, imprisoned war hero, married to a hot blond, looks a little like a bull dog, white hair and balding, grew up in military family, favor extreme military measures.
Rosalyn/Palin- religious zealot, political career. Attractive, longer dark brown hair, glasses, The other day I heard a news caster refer to Obama as Apollo.

Sense and Sensibility- I can think of two things wrong with the name of this film

2008-09-09T15:35:00.006-07:00

. . . at least when it comes to the casting.
I just watched "Sense and Sensibility" I remember when I saw it in the theater and I cried for like 1/2 an hour afterwords. Poor Tim. . .Poor Trooly. They were there too. Although I definitely shed tears this time as well it was definitely not the sob session it was for me last time. I had some serious issues last time and the movie seemed to have brought them out.
I like that the movie made me cry. That is a plus for me, really.

What I did not like is that the end made me grimace a bit. I saw nothing romantic about the marriage of Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet. I think they are both great actors...well Alan Rickman at least. . . I have no real opinion of Kate Winslet but I couldn't help but feel sorry for Kate's character none the less. Snape (Harry Potter) and Rose (Titanic) ???? Come on!!!

I also found the uniting of Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant a similar match. I didn't feel sorry for either of them but. . . they just don't make the perfect couple some how. I usually enjoy Hugh Grant's performances but this one kind of bugged me. He was almost painful to watch.

Sympathy from surprising places.

2008-09-07T12:20:00.005-07:00

I am reading a book I read when I was 16. I loved it then and I am loving it even more 20 years later. This author has an amazing ability to capture every day life. In the book there is a family they have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. The characters experience so many things I can identify with at my older age. Kids starting school, moving to a new house, funerals, pets, etc. etc. I wanted to share two of my favorites. See if you can can guess who this author is. You might be surprised.

About waiting at home on your kid's first day of kindergarten:

"When the phone rang at a quarter past ten, Rachel raced for it and answered with a breathless "Hello?" before it could ring a second time. Louis stood in the doorway between his office and the kitchen, sure it would be Ellie's teacher telling them that she had decided Ellie couldn't hack it; the stomach of public education had found her indigestible and was spitting her back."

I think we all hold our breaths on our kids first day of school wondering if our kids are cut out for school, or if our kids school is cut out for them. We know they are smart, we know they are special, but will the school see our kids for what they are worth? Will the teacher understand our kid with all their little quirks? After all it took us 5 years to figure them out only to send them off to some stranger to take over and pick up where we left off.

The other scene that captured my reality at least was the following. The father was trying to go out to fly a kite with his 2 year old. With young children this is much easier said than done.

"Gage's neeks [Sneakers] were finally found. . .they were also under the couch. One of Louis's other beliefs was that in families with small children, the area under living room couches begins after a while to develop a strong and mysterious electromagnetic force that eventually sucks in all sorts of litter-everything from bottles and diaper pins to green Crayolas and old issues of Sesame Street magazine with food mouldering between the pages.

Gage's jacket however, wasn't under the couch-it was halfway down the stairs. His red sox cap, without which Gage refused to leave the house, was the most difficult of all to find because it was where it belonged -in the closet. That was naturally, the last place they looked."

It is this realistic deptiction of normal every day life and my ability to identify with it so well that makes it that much scarier when freaky things start happening in their lives. This writer is a genius. I don't like all his books. Many of them however are masterpieces.

What am I reading? Pet Semetary by Stephen King. And just as a warning. . .He is a horror writer and can be disturbing. . .so don't read his book for these scenes. I was just surprised to find them.

How did I miss this?

2008-09-05T12:21:00.001-07:00

I hope this is as good as it looks! It comes out in December.

It'll pass, and no doubt more quickly than it should.

2008-08-28T14:46:00.003-07:00

I am having one of those days. You know. . .where I cannot force myself to touch the dishes piled in my sink, or laundry piled in their hampers. I just feel unmotivated, fried and overwhelmed. No really good reason. I don't feel sad, just unproductive. I feel like there is no way I can do all that I should today so why even try. Ever have one of those days?

What is annoying about it is, I know how I can make myself feel better. I could be playing with my kids instead of letting them watch PBS all afternoon, I could be tackling those clothes and dishes and I would probably feel better within minutes. Instead I do the things that do nothing to improve my state of mind. Stare at the computer checking e-mails repeatedly, checking blogs repeatedly, eating food even though I am not hungry and playing daytime TV. Laying awake on a couch when I am not tired but gosh darn it. I KNOW I need a nap!

I am feeling like a failure because, today...really I am. And I am refusing to do anything to fix the situation. . . Today. The good thing is we all have these days and tomorrow will probably be better. The fact it will be Friday and the beginning of a 3 day weekend wont hurt either.

I love what Mr. Bennett says about his despair at one point in "Pride and Prejudice" I say the same for myself.
"I am heartily ashamed of myself. . . But don't despair; it'll pass, and no doubt more quickly than it should. "

Glowing Parenting Moments

2008-08-26T21:44:00.005-07:00

I know I complain a lot about my kids on this blog. I had to share something Lincoln did yesterday that just melted my heart. My kids often do sweet wonderful things that make me proud to be there mom. Sometimes he can be such a sweetheart. We had just pulled up to Costco and Sam was asleep. I put him in the cart, and then Lincoln said he wanted to ride in the cart too (YES! That makes my trip SOOO much easier when he does that.) I of course willingly put him in and said...
"Well that is good because Sam needs someone to lean on while he sleeps." Lincoln responded, "He can lean on me" and put his arm around him and gave him a hug. I had to get a picture.He also makes me proud because he started Kindergarten yesterday. He did great and had no problem being left. After two days he says he loves school. Yay! I wish I knew that would last for the next 12 years but so far so good with Joe and Wiz so who knows.

I've been tagged

2008-08-26T16:02:00.002-07:00

Heidi tagged me on her blog so here are my answers and the rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four other people. I am going to tag Lis, Heather, Rebekah and Amber. Have fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? In my pocket

2. Your significant other? Perfection

3. Your hair? shaggy

4. Your mother? Missed

5. Your father? Missed

6. Your favorite thing? Family

7. Your dream last night? Forgotten

8. Your favorite drink? Grapejuice

9. Your dream/goal? Counselor

10. The room you’re in? Computer room

11. Your hobby? Running

12. Your fear? Illness

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? BYU

14. What you’re not? Competitive

15. Muffins? Lemon poppy seed

16. One of your wish list items? running shoes

17. Where you grew up? Germany

18. The last thing you did? Read

19. What are you wearing? capris

20. Favorite gadget? cellphone

21. Your pets? cats

22. Your computer? better

23. Your mood? stressed

24. Missing someone? Parents

25. Your car? Minivan

26. Something you’re not wearing? Socks

27. Favorite store? IKEA

28. Like someone? many

29. Your favorite color? Aqua

30. When is the last time you laughed? kids

31. Last time you cried? Olympics

"The Rest of the Story"

2008-08-24T15:36:00.006-07:00

While in the first area of my mission, with my trainer, I had a hard time with my timidness and lack of faith. I remember one day in particular that I really frustrated my dear trainer with it and I spent the whole day deep in thought while tracting on and off. I realized I couldn't stay like this and have an effective mission. I decided if I wanted to be a better person I needed to keep that ideal version of me in my mind. When I hit a tough situation, I would think of that person, and think of what that person would do and just do it, whether or not I wanted to. This way of thinking has helped me a lot during the years.

The next summer, still on my mission I was taking a moment to eat my lunch in our apartment and was reading a "Church News" article that was magnetized on the refrigerator door. It had been there since before I moved into the area so I figured there must be something worth reading on it. Among other things, there was one of those articles on the back page where they pick a topic and readers send in their experiences and insights on the subject. I noticed someone's response that basically restated the same philosophy that I had realized myself earlier in my mission. I remember thinking "Wow. someone who thinks like I do is out there." It gave me quite a bit of comfort. I payed no attention to who wrote it as it was noone I knew.

A year later, off my mission and attending BYU, I found this article again. This time the name of the contributor stood out at me. It was the name of the person's whose missionary scrapbook I was looking at. The name of the person who I was becoming quite fond of. "Elder Tim Stanley-Riverside Mission".

And I was right, he DOES think a lot like me.
.

Lessons from Running

2008-08-22T10:56:00.004-07:00

This last week has been intersting workout wise. I usually run on the treadmill at the Rec-center every day. I was getting really good at it. The last day I did it I broke my own record and ran 30 minutes straight. I was so proud of myself. I didn't think I had it in me. Then the Rec-center closed for two weeks for their annual cleaning and fixing session. So we moved our workouts to the track outside.

Boy was I disapointed when I could not get anywhere near 30 minutes. I have since read that if you want to get the actual running experience on a treadmill, you need to make it incline just a bit. I felt dispair...had I wasted all this time? I sure felt like it. I now had to restart building up to 30 minutes again. I wonder how often I feel like I have not progressed and I am starting all over again when I am actually not. I am running further on the track then I would have if I hadn't been training on the treadmill all this time..incline or not. It may seem like I am dealing with the same trials...some struggles when this time I am stronger and this is a tougher trial but I don't give myself credit for that.

I was telling Tim I like running because I can see progress, I can feel it getting easier and I can go longer. Housework doesn't feel like that. It feels like I am going in circles doing the same thing again and again...with no end. When I am running around a track it isn't very fun either, and it feels like I am running in circles. . .because I am. If I focus on the moment it is a monatanous task, uncomfortable, and difficult. If I look back I can't even see how far I have gone or how much further I have to go, because the track never starts or stops. I am able to keep going because I focus on the long term results.

Perhaps if I could focus on the long term results of having a home that is clean and beautiful, that functions well and that my family is happy to be in...that is strenthening me and my family. Every time I force myself to fold and put away another pile of clothes...or even more difficult, teaching my kids to do it I am learning a little bit about strengthening my will power, to do what I don't want to at that moment. I am learning to endure and be patient for the results. Wait...isn't that called faith?

I am seeing a trend!

2008-08-20T11:49:00.004-07:00

I have found, chances are very high that after I ask or tell one of my kids to do something they don't want to do they will somehow hurt themselves, "accidentally" they say. Somehow they become surprisingly clumsy. Stubbed toes, tripping, slipping, running into wall, falling down a few stairs on their bum. Perhaps it comes with the tantrum they are thowing or shuffling away in frustration leads to more stubbed toes. I have such split feelings when they get hurt like this because it happens at such opportune times SO OFTEN!

I really have to wonder if it is some kind of ploy to get out of doing the task required of them. At the same time they really are in pain, I don't think they are faking it. Thankfully it is never really serious so they end up doing the task anyway. That is why I think it isn't concious at least. They have never gotten out of their chores because of these accidents but they do get a few minutes more to recover and be comforted. Is it just my kids or do you notice this with your kids too?