Called To Serve

Have you seen it yet? The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is now producing music videos. I love it!

Called To Serve

I couldn't find it on youtube so you'll have to click on the link above and watch it. Enjoy!

Good Friends

Brent Fryhoff and Jay Johnson are two of my choicest friends. Brent and I have known each other since 5th grade when I moved to St. Charles, Missouri. Jay moved to St. Charles around our sophomore or junior year. It's amazing how you can know someone for a relatively short amount of time yet bond together as if you had been friends since time began. That's how Jay fit in. We went to college together; we served church missions (Brent-Argentina, Jay-Italy, David-Venezuela) at the same time; and we've stayed in touch ever since we returned home 9 years ago and transitioned into adulthood.

Not much has changed.

Each of us has now turned 30 and we decided it was time to have a reunion and hike Mt. Timpanogos again. We had hiked it together 12 years ago while attending college.

This first picture is for my mom. (reminder: if you click on the pictures they get bigger) Both my mom and sisters were quite concerned for my safety. I was no longer 18 and they didn't think wrestling with my 5 kids counted as sufficient exercise to tackle such an excursion. Plus, pneumonia the week before didn't help my case. But I insisted that everything would be fine (and it was).

I was in Richmond this past week at a leadership conference for work. John Spence was our keynote speaker. He didn't really share anything new...just a different perspective. But he was effective and inspiring. One role as a leader is to inspire the hearts of others. I reflected upon this hike not even a month ago. Shortly after we began, we could see the summit of Timp behind a ridge far in the distance.

As we journeyed closer, the elevation, my backpack, and my legs were not helping me. I had not prepared for the additional weight that a sleeping bag, tent, and essential camping gear place on one's shoulders. It was a hard lesson to learn.

But here's what inspired me: seeing the summit off in the distance and knowing the satisfaction I would have from that vantage point; looking back to see the view I had already earned; enjoying my current surroundings; and good friends who spoke words of encouragement...and kept moving forward knowing I would follow them.

That is a visual that will stay in my mind for the rest of my life. Our goals need to be clear...we need to know what we're working towards. Occasionally, we need to look back to see how we got to where we are. We need to enjoy where we are currently. And we need to surround ourselves with good friends who will walk the path with us.

Here are a few pictures from the journey:

It was everything I needed it to be. We talked as only friends can. And we had a blast. Now Brent is back in California. Jay is home in Georgia. And I'm in Virginia. I miss them. But I look forward to our next reunion in the future. Thanks guys!

Anya is braver than Daddy

Daddy took Anya to the dentist today. "Dr. Cook...dentistry with a mother's touch." Makes you feel more at ease, right?

I was at ease. Anya kept saying she was scared (with a smile on her face) as we were driving to the dentist. She was pretty clingy as we got out of the car. I whispered to her that I had said a prayer for her and everything would be ok.

Here's a shot of her smile last Friday (to the right):

The pediatrics office was very open and friendly. The assistant that came out to get us was very welcoming and helped Anya temporarily forget that they were about to cause her great pain.

At our previous appointment, the pediatric advised us that Anya needed 6 teeth pulled....SIX! The teeth that were coming in were behind the baby teeth. They weren't pushing the baby teeth out and there just wasn't room for the permanent teeth. Because of the size of her mouth, she may need some permanent teeth pulled in the future. After today, I don't know if she'll go back!

So we go back to the operating room. We turn on The Incredibles and the assistant begins to apply the numbing agent with a q-tip. Then the pediatric came in to apply the numbing "juice." The "juice" references a shot. They gave her at least eight doses...probably more...but I lost count. After six shots, Anya couldn't feel anything anymore. But her upper lip swelled to the point I thought it was going to burst...literally. I asked if that was n-o-r-m-a-l and the assistant said, "her upper lip is kind of swollen, huh?"

I think that's the time I started to feel really hot. And the room started to move a little. Then my head got really light and I broke out in a cold sweat. But I was allowed to sit on the chair with Anya so I could be strong for her. I took a couple of breath's and kept providing Anya with encouraging comments. She really was brave.

Then the dentist pulled out the tool to extract the teeth. I moved to a chair close enough that Anya could still hold my hand. The dentist explained to Anya that she might hear a crackling sound...like Rice Krispies. By the third tooth I was having difficulty breathing and began fanning myself. The dentist noticed my reaction and told me to put my head in between my legs.

Anya was very brave.

They provided me with water. Anya got to select two prizes. I didn't get any. I sat for a moment, regained my composure, and carried Anya out to the lobby. I was fine by the time we left (after I got over paying them $200 to cause pain to my little girl...fortunately the insurance covered the other $300).


I offered to take Anya because I figured this kind of procedure required Daddy. Perhaps Mommy will go next time.

This is how our princess looks now. Her upper lip is still a little swollen...but it has come down dramatically. Anya was very brave.

We came home and she put in Pride and Prejudice (Keira Knightley version) and was very happy. I'm still trying to figure out why a 6 year old girl is so infatuated with Pride and Prejudice. Something about that is just very adorable to me.

Photo shoot

Someday we'll have a succesful family photo shoot, right? I think my expectations are way too high. Five kids...all under the age of 8...and I expect them to smile at the same time and do whatever the photographer says.

This morning couldn't have gone any better. The kids were great! Even James was happy this morning and excited to get dressed. We planned to leave the house by 9am and we were on the road at 8:58. It was a delightful ride to Richmond. All 5 kids were in pleasant moods.

As we were getting the kids out of the van, I realized James had a deep red line all across his forehead. I gasped...but Karen and I were both able to laugh about it. He had put a rubberband on his head for a good portion of the trip and left quite a mark. No big deal. Karen and I both were stress-free and laughed and helped James stay at ease.

The kids played quietly as we waited our turn. No fights, no one was crying, and James' red mark was slowly going away.

We walk in to the room for our pictures. I sit in my place...Karen takes her place with Luke, Mark and Anya take their place and then James takes his place...

It was then that James decided he didn't want to be there. He sat down and put his head in between his legs and refused to budge. If any of you know James...Karen and I both knew it was over. James is stubborn and independent. We talked quietly with him. We asked him what he needed. But it was over before I even realized there was going to be an issue. The morning had been flawless. Karen and I couldn't have done anything differently.

Someday we'll have the perfect family picture (please humor me a little here).

So, although a partial failure in my book, here are the shots that were salvageable.

The votes are in!

It's official, although there were demands for a recount by certain persnickety fickle minded boys. No names will be mentioned in reference to a seven year old and five year old who had to be re-convinced that they had actually wanted Medieval Times as a Halloween costume prospect. (I'm not really sure who's idea it was initially, my best one was the days of the week, but none of the kids like it, o well!)

But, it is settled. I used the remember you get to have a sword tactic and got them re-excited about it. Then I sat down and discussed with them the particulars of what they wanted their costumes to look like. Then I asked myself why I do this every year! However after some stress, pattern searching and deliberation we are on track and the piece list has been made. Now we start watching for pattern and fabric sales on key pieces. Whew!

Here are my amusing anecdotes from this week:

Anya and James having an argument about how James assumed that Anya had assumed that James was assuming about something and Mommy always says that you shouldn't assume anything! (Honest, I do, and they really did say it just like that.)

Peter was found using the bath towel hooks to very seriously hang all of his green bucket of monkeys. Don't know why, but it was rather amusing at the time.

Winding up Sunday night/Monday morning sharing my bed with, count em', three kids. Amidst the tossing and turning were James' complaints that Anya thought he was Daddy and cuddled too much.

While changing Peter's diaper this evening (stinky), I finished wiping his bum, and while I rolled the diaper he kept his cute little legs straight up in the air and could not resist the urge to shake it a little to the music. I think Mark had a They Might Be Giants cd in and Peter's little body started to bounce like an aerobic exercise. Left and right, and left and right . . . trust me it was funny.

Well, I'll sign off. David is in Delaware tonight and I am a little tired. Thanks to all who participated in our poll. Once the costumes are made in the next umm, two months, we will definitely post pictures.

If the goats can do it...

Jay had THE line of our excursion. "If the goats can do it, so can we." Little did he know that he would soon be eating those words.

I don't have much time...because Laurel and I are playing together this weekend...but I got my pictures developed and had to share one quick story.

Here's a picture of Billy:

Here's a picture of Billy and his friends scaling the cliffs of Mt. Timpanogos:

You'll need to look closely for the white dots near the center of the picture. My courageous friend Jay (I can say that because he's in the Air Force and has done things most mothers never want to hear about) wisely stated that if goats can do it, so can we.

After we set up camp near Emerald Lake, Brent, Jay, and I set out for a sunset view atop Timp. Once you get above the tree line, there is nothing but rocks, some snow patches, and more rocks. And by the way, the rocks are loose. So the three of us, expert hikers that we are, saw a path in the distance and determined that we would be able to meet up with it eventually. So we kept our eyes on the path ahead and began hiking upwards. Sometime between "here and there," it became obvious that we were not on a trail. We questioned if it was even a trail used by goats.

I turned around to get back to the original trail while my brave friends continued their journey. I heard a rock slide while I was hiking back. And about the time I got back on the official trail, I saw this:

This isn't the kind of sight you want to see when scaling the face of a mountain. Brent said he saw his life flash before his eyes a few times. Jay followed behind Brent, but when he took his first steps, a few large rocks went tumbling towards Brent...so Jay decided it would be best to wait for Brent to finish his descent.

Once Brent slid to the official trail, I saw him running towards me...moving out of the way of a rock avalanche created by Jay. Jay found a large rock to rest on while he determined the best strategy for his final descent.

I think Jay has determined to let goats do what goats do...and we humans will stick to the marked trail. It was great fun! We made it to the saddle of Timp in time to enjoy the sun setting over Utah valley.

I'll share more pictures later! I had a blast with Brent and Jay. They are two of my closest friends. We've decided to do this again in 12 years...with Billy.

Bubbles, the miracle toy and some other stuff

This past Wednesday we went to a friend's apartment to go swimming. Before actually going to the pool we played in the apartment for a few minutes. Kids love toys most of all when they are someone elses, so even though all the toys there belonged to and were suited for a 1 year old, all five of mine had a little party.

One of the best things was a bubble wand. It looked at first like a cheap lightsaber knockoff. Small handle, long tube full of glowingish liquid. Then my friend let us in on the magic by unscrewing the handle and pulling out a bubble wand loaded and ready to be blown. I was amazed. How clever! No sticky fingers, minimal drips, no tiny wand falling into the bubble bottle never to be seen again, you know. She said they had gotten it at Walmart, so naturally when we went into town today to run some errands, we stopped the the Walmart in town.

One HOUR later we walked out with a very sad bawling James, and a few things of candy to ease the suffering of the injury. Nowhere in the whole store did they have bubbles. I know lots of toys are seasonal and they don't stock them in the winter and yada, yada, but really! Bubbles! I felt terrible because I wanted to get them bubbles. We lost ours in the move (or I might have thrown them out during one of my cleaning purges) and they have so much fun with bubbles that I really wanted to do this for them.

We headed for home and I had a last chance thought, so I swung the car around, very safely mind you, and headed for ToysRus. They didn't have anything nearly so cool as the sword thing, but they did have some regular sized bottles, so I purchased a few. Now 7 hours later after two bouts of bubble time on the deck and one in the garage due to rain, the bubbles are gone. I am shocked. I think this is a classic case of me forgetting to let them have a childhood. I had to order Anya and James into the house 6 times tonight. INTO the house, not out like normal, but in!

I have found some even cooler bubble swords online that I just might be purchasing soon. So to all parents out there who are tired and worn out and need a break. Buy bubbles. They even have machines now for $13 at Target that will blow the bubbles for you. My kids can blow them on their own, but for little ones, that would be nice. Bubbles, the miracle toy.

In other news today, we had a very brief science/religion lesson it went like this:

Anya: Mom, why are we mamamals? (note, I did not mistype, she actually said it that way)

Mom: Because we are warm blooded, and have babies and have hair all over our bodies.

Anya: okay. (don't you love the innocence of her accepting whatever I say)

James:(very quietly and uncertain) I thought we were sheep.

Mom:(smiling) Well, figuratively we are. As in Jesus Christ is our Shepard and we are his sheep, but biologically we are mammals.

James:(feeling reassured) ok!

I love that I have learned to look for little moments and questions that I can use to my advantage. I always worried when I read others stories about things like that that I would never be able to do it and now I find myself doing it often and I am grateful that I have learned how to listen for the chances.

Oh, yeah, also these pics I just had to add. We got this sleeper for Luke at Target today partly because it was just too cute and more because he needed another one. Why after three other boys I don't have warm weather sleepers in the right size I will never know. Anyway, it and he are too cute. Note the little dog heads on the feet, I don't know why I think it's adorable, but I do.

I Wear My Sunglasses at Night . . .

So I can, so I can see . . .

Truer words were never spoken. (or sung)

My day was very normal and not exciting so I am capitalizing on my sweet husband's misfortune.

I got a call this afternoon. It was David. He made it up and down the mountain without much ado, save for some sore muscles and a sunburn. He will recover, so his Mother can rest at ease now.

I know, right you are wondering where the punchline is. Be patient. It's coming.

You know how much you hate it when you go somewhere far away for a visit and then the moment you return from this long trip realize that you left something behind. I cannot even recall how many times I have done that.

Unfortunately David will remember this for quite awhile. He left his glasses on top of Mount Timpanogos.

Luckily he has prescription sunglasses that he can wear hence the song. He just might be wearing his sunglasses tonight.

Here are some lovely photos the kids and I tweaked for this post. I have been playing on ivillage's make over matic lately and well, it's a lot of fun.

David, you know I love you. I picked the glasses on the left, the kids picked the ones on the right. Both look fabulous! Who doesn't love a man in oversized purple shades :)

Slim Jeans

The search for jeans to fit my beanpole children. Perhaps search is an inadequate term, more like quest. The quest. Every year about this time I have to start thinking about who needs how many of which kinds of clothes for the fall and winter months. Normally I start this inventory and purchase process in September, but with family pictures being moved up because of the dental needs of a certain brown-haired daughter, I found myself needing to find jeans for Mark right now.

I have always had good luck in the past with Target. Their clothes seem to lean towards the normal sized kids, while Walmart's go for the hefty kids. It maybe that Walmart clothes are really normal and I have given birth to several stick children, but either way Target has worked best. That of course is where things gets fun because no matter what worked last year, kids are never the same size two years in a row. This is naturally a good thing, but still difficult for beanpoles. With David enjoying his early midlife crisis, I hauled all five kids to Target on Monday and scurried Mark through trying on five different brands/styles/sizes of jeans.

Straight leg, bootcut, slim, 7, 8, regular, loose! It's like a smorgasbord of jean choices for little boys! They all gave him that balloon pants look that screams My pants don't fit-pick on me!

(If you are feeling some very deep and buried issues about kids picking on other kids about their clothing you are very intuitive, but I really don't want to get into all of that right now:))

So we sadly left the store without jeans and I worried where I would try next.

I came home and measured his waist. Then I thought I would start checking online size charts to figure out what size they put him at. He is a 5, barely. For kids, sizes usually coordinate with their ages, so my almost 8 year old boy has the waist of a 5 year old boy. Great. He still has an eight year old legs. Then a ray of hope shone down (or out if you prefer from the glowing computer screen).

Old Navy. Could it be? The store I had dubbed as too expensive for me and with clothes sized for highly fashion conscious skinny people? oh yeah, skinny people! That's exactly what I have! Low and behold their size chart said that a 7 slim would have a waist of 21.5 inches and height measurements that match his height. So it was with great anxiety and anticipation that we arrived at Old Navy just as they opened this morning to attempt to get Mark jeans for the family picture as well as an outfit for his 8 year old pictures which we are doing at the same visit.

I picked out two pairs, one bootcut and one straight leg. The straight leg were the clear winners. We rushed back to grab a second pair cuz, who can beat 2 for 25 for boys jeans?! That's only 12.50 a piece which is actually less than the regular price for Target jeans that don't fit, and these actually fit. Plus I had a 10 percent off coupon, not a lot but it helps a little.

Almost happy ending. Two pairs of jeans that fit and a nice button down shirt that he and I both like (we rarely agree on fashion things, such as I don't consider olive green pants and a kelley green t shirt to be a good fashion statement). We got home and tried it all on again, just to be sure. He frowns. What?? What could possibly be wrong. "Mom, I really don't like light color jeans. I really like the dark ones." I had picked out one dark and one light for variety. He tried to tell me in the store, but I was in my "We're are done and out of here mode" and did not listen. I quickly reassured him that I was more than happy to take the light ones back and exchange them for dark ones. I certainly don't care what color they are as long as they fit! ahh. Victory.

Add to this lovely experience, a semi quick trip to a pool at a friend's apartment complex where, Peter refused to enter the pool, Luke screamed at the sight of water, I forgot to sunscreen myself and the other three whined about it not being shallow enough and that completes our morning and early afternoon.

We arrived home, ate lunch, had a what are we going to be for Halloween this year planning session-see poll to the left-and I colored my hair. (You see I did/botched a home highlighting kit last year which sort of reddish/blondish/bleached parts of my hair and it had grown out so that root to 6 inches down was my natural color and bone straight and 6 inches to tips was weird colored and damaged, which actually is good for my hair it gives it body. All the same I didn't want two toned hair for pictures) I am proud to have chemical stinky, but all one color hair now.

Then I started getting the kids ready for bed and noticed that some were hot and some were lying on the floor with headaches. Three out of five have fevers ranging from 99 to 101. This has been going on for a day or two now and I am almost certain it is just a bug since it isn't really bothering any of them very much, except Mark who has the headache and a cough. So I doled out the Tylenol, gave them water and put them to bed. Now I am off to clean up the kitchen and try and tie the twin sized quilt that is set up in my kitchen courtesy of the ward quilting group that was a near disaster last night. It could have been worse, but only if a rapid animal had clawed through the glass door and attacked. Anyway . . . .

David is camping up on Timp right now, though I fully expect to get a full blogged report when he gets home next week. Enjoy the evening and stay tuned for tomorrow's party: Playgroup and the Library. Will any have a near death experience? Will the books bring the needed solace?

Who knows? :)

Jury Duty

I got a Jury Duty Survey Letter today.

Sounds really official doesn't it? number 2 pencil, blue or black ink filling in little bubbles. Just like those standardized tests I took in elementary school. It goes over the basics, like are you a felon, do you live here, are you mentally capable of serving on a jury, stuff like that.

There is even a very strict warning on the back which reads:(in bold type and partly underlined)

If you do not return this questionnaire form fully completed you may be summoned to report at your expense for completion of the questionnaire at this office.

At my expense? Hmm, they sound awfully serious.

I ponder what to do. Did I mention that this letter came courtesy of the Jury Commission of McLean County . . . in ILLINOIS.

We moved seven months ago. But there isn't anywhere on this very official form to check a box that says I don't live in Illinois anymore. So I got on their website and emailed the Jury Commission to let them know how far my trip at my own expense would be.

They promptly replied with this

"Thank you for your information. I have deleted you from our list of potential jurors. You may destroy the survey sent to you."

Mostly I just found the seriousness of destroying the survey over the top. Most of the time, people say to disregard or ignore something that obviously cannot apply to you, but destroy! So I thought I would take a poll and see what everyone thinks.

Does destroy mean

a. throw away
b. shred
c. burn
d. crumple up and then throw away
e. frame
f. rip into tiny pieces, then burn and scatter the ashes on the wind


If this post seems a bit off, keep in mind that David left this morning for Utah. For a week. Don't get me wrong when you read this David, I am so happy that you get to go, but everyone knows it's tough to take care of kids alone. My usual relief shift is off duty for six days. Other than a few recorded headaches, some bouts of random crying, a few fevers, and a 10 month old who is teething, we are doing great. Those who know me well, remember what I was like when David and I were dating and had to be apart. This is kind of like that. The first day is the hardest, hence the somewhat quirky/sarcastic/mean posting. It is kind of funny too though, the post I mean. I will try to post each day, or at least if something funny happens. David, be careful and have fun! Power to the Superman Shirt!

The Garden Academy Proudly Presents . . .

Our darling children reciting the first four paragraphs of the Family Proclamation. We have been working very hard on our memorization and we are taking this opportunity to show off what we have learned. They did it with a little prompting, but who doesn't occasionally freeze and forget what they are saying?! I hope you enjoy.

P-New-moan-ya

It's official, the chest x-rays are in! David has Pneumonia. He is on an antibiotic and is resting. In the meantime . . . Peter still has Strep Throat, but is being very good about taking his medicine from a baby eyedropper just like a little bunny. In between dosing my two sick bunnies, I am trying to get some cleaning and laundry done while keeping the natives quiet enough to David can rest.

Escapades of Mark
It has been quiet. A little too quiet. So I went to investigate. I found them all in the boys bedroom with the door closed. I opened the door and saw Mark shove something under the covers on his bed. I walked over and pulled back the covers to see his Leapster. How odd I thought. I reminded him that it's ok for him to be playing Leapster right now since it's the afternoon. Then Peter reached farther under the covers and pulled out the cell phone. Busted! Mark had been getting online with the cell phone and playing a Wall E game. I think he knows more about that cell phone than I do. Of course this comes on the heels of him purchasing a movie download on Amazon barely a week ago for Xmen. This child has been testing me since he was born and everyday brings new challenges. I keep reminding myself to focus his creative skills in a useful direction, but today, I'm too tired to focus me!

That was Mark's naughty side. Here is a sample of his angelic side.
Last night I went to check on the kids like I do every night. (Background: In devotional with the kids I read a chapter or two from the BoM everyday and we were supposed to start Jacob 5 today (which we didn't cuz we had to take Daddy to the doctor) and i had explained how Jacob 5 was long and I wanted to spend time explaining what it was about to them, so we planned to spend at least two days on it.) Most nights I find at least one child not asleep and this night it was Mark. I found him in bed with a flashlight and a book. Now what do you suppose this devilish seven year old was reading? Magic Treehouse? Star Wars? No. The Book of Mormon. More specifically Jacob 5. When I checked on him he it had been about an hour since I had shushed him last and he had been reading that whole time. He begged me to let him finish the last four verses of the chapter. What could I do? I let him finish and went to tell David about it. A few minutes later Mark comes down to our room to explain it all to us. Apparently he started reading and he didn't get what he was reading, so he decided to pray for Heavenly Father to help him understand. After that he told us he understood what the chapter was about and how the bad branches got burned and the good branches had fruit. Then he happily scampered off to bed.

Umm, SWISH! Score a point for the Good Side! I love when I can look back and see that Mark's right choices are getting better and his wrong choices are getting milder. This boy is certainly going to keep me on my toes, intellectually and spiritually. What a weekend!

Is it just me?

Why is it that when I'm sick and have commitments and then cancel those commitments because I'm sick...I tend to feel just a little better? And then I question whether or not I can still follow through on the commitments that I just cancelled?

Is it just me? Or does that ever happen to you?

Is my body just telling me I need a break? Granted...I have a fever, sore throat, and achy body. So I'm legitimately sick and don't need to prove anything to anybody (yet I'm sharing more now as if I do have something to prove). So I will leave it at this.

Now you all know the mind of David just a little better. I can't apologize enough. :)

And now I wonder how Karen does it? She's never sick and even when she is (which is rare) she doesn't stop. She will certainly enjoy the "rest" that comes with immortality in the next life!

Elmer's Glue

I am astonished that it has been two weeks since either David or I have posted on here. Mostly I have been wiggin out about some stuff, but now David has gotten into Facebook. Crazy and fun all at the same time.

So you are now wondering why I titled this post Elmer's Glue. Like is there a reason, or is it the tumor talking??!?!

I have a reason!

Peter's hands have been peeling lately. It's not major or gross or anything. It just looks like he has dried up ELMER'S GLUE on his hands and it is peeling off. But he doesnt. I am neurotic, I don't let a 2 year old near glue. umm, ever! So I asked the doc about it when I was in today with Luke for his checkup. (Note that I have all five kids in an exam room that is 7x7 square and 86 degrees. Not the most fun, but the doctor and nurse are really great) She says to me that his hands peeling could be a sign of Strep Throat. Ya, that sound nutty, but we did the super q-tip in the throat (he was, umm, less than pleased) and it was positive. So tomorrow we start the fabulous pink Amoxicillin, eat it up yum!

Now when you combine that with a scheduling mix-up that had me at the aforementioned doctor's office two times within one hour, James using a toy golf club on a tree during a lightsaber duel, my accidentally erasing David's Facebook account and all the natural guilt I have when I take a day off, like today, and don't do devotional with the kids, and you get an idea of what my life is like today. How does life get so crazy when you aren't really doing anything???

Who knows, but it makes for a great blog!

My Near Death Experience

I took the kids to playgroup this morning at the playground down the street. As is becoming more common we were the only ones there. sigh. It was rather warm and humid so I told the kids we wouldn't be staying long. Still we were there for about our normal time (45 minutes, without a watch I always want to leave after 45 minutes, weird!).



We were close to leaving, 5 minute warning, three minute warning, etc. I was pushing Peter in a baby swing and Luke was in the stroller about three feet away from me. Suddenly I felt a very sharp prick on my hand and looked down to see a bee on the front of me. I calmly brushed it off and then began to make sure that it didn't return to land on me. I have never been stung before, I had no idea what to do. So I panicked.



I quickly and sharply told the kids we were leaving in my "I'm scared beyond words voice." They hustled to the car knowing that it was serious since the last time I used that voice it was because the neighbor's house was on fire. By this point I was lightheaded, dizzy, weak and shaking like a leaf in the wind. I was praying I would make the 1 1/2 minute drive home okay.



The sting site was a tiny red dot and a white swollen area around it about the size of a pencil eraser. I kept thinking how seriously inconvenient it would be to have to go to the hospital, but since it was my first time, I didn't know if I was dying or not. My head started hurting by the time we got home and I hustled everyone inside. I quickly sat down and googled for bee stings.
All the websites I found said to pull out the stinger quickly. More panicking. I couldn't see a stinger! I frantically checked for signs of allergic reaction. It was all very unclear. I did put on an ice pack, but I didn't know what else I could or should do.

So I did what every mature adult mother of five would do.

I called my mommy.
No answer.

So I called my second mommy.
No answer.

More panicking.
I called my husband.
He advised me to wash it and put some neosporin on it. Which I did.
It hurt for a long time. I whined, I moaned and I got a little teary from the pain in my hand.

Now seven hours later I am miraculously alive and my hand is mostly just stiff and a little achy. I can't even see where the sting is. I think I would be classified as a very mild reaction. It's funny how what I think can become what I feel even if I'm not really feeling it.

Though I will probably deny it after this, I know my kids aren't the only drama queens/kings in my little family. I guess all those years in theatre rubbed off on me, or maybe I've always been like this . . .

Peter Speaks, sort of

Peter is our darling 2 1/2 year old boy who for reasons beyond our knowledge doesn't really talk. He has learned to say things like mama, and dada, and hippo, along with snippets of other words like hm, for home, or nya, for Anya. Most of the time we understand what he wants or needs just with his gesture and trademark umgaga.

However, more recently we are finding that his need to communicate with us is getting stronger and yet he still seems unable to make that cute little mouth do what he wants it to. I can sit and read a book to him, he will point to an animal on the page and I will say what it is. He very intently watches my mouth, his little mouth will open a little and it seems as if he is trying to decide if he can make that sound. Most of the time he just replies, with a ya(yes) and a nod.

I have been advised by more than one mom to try and teach him ASL. I tried. He looked at me like I was way off my rocker. I gave up. Then I got re-inspired and checked some dvds out of the library. Now I have three kids who holler, mom, mom! look! and then make really cute uh noises in their throats as they sign to me what they want.

Then there is my darling Peter. He really has enjoyed the videos and I kept encouraging him to sign to me what he needs, but he was resistant to the idea and hung on tight to his gaga, and ya, no responses. (why is it that of all the words a child masters no seems to be the most common and the clearest? :)) Then just this week, things started to change. He took me to the fridge, I opened it and he started his regular umgaga, and pointed to the juice. He's only allowed juice once a day and he had already had it so I replied, No, you can have water or milk, which one do you want. He then began tapping his finger on his chin to sign water. At first it was just one finger and I didn't understand, but then I realized that he was using sign to communicate what he wanted without my prompting him.

He has done it twice today, to tell me about a ball and about some toy apples that Anya has in her room. On one hand it seems like such a small thing, but for Peter and me it is opening up a whole new world. I am not sure I can express how exciting it is for me to have him communicating with me. It's one of those yes! victory moments that we parents get to have every now and then. I just wanted to share my joy with everyone.

Ode to Erin

Not really...but it got your attention, right? She's my newest old friend. And by old, I mean I've known her for like 10-15 years but she was my sister's friend. Now that we're both adults, I suppose it's time to be friends. Partly because we're freakishly similar in odd ways. And that's what makes it fun. I don't know what it is, but something has clicked recently...so here's my shout out to Erin!

I remember a trip to Utah. I was still in high school...maybe my junior year. And I thought I was so cool because I was hanging out with college kids. I remember riding in a car with Erin and Heidi and a couple other guys. I don't know where my sister was and why we got split up. But the car I was in went to Subway and then we headed over to an outdoor concert. It was somewhere in the Provo area. Erin and Laurel...do you remember any of this? I don't know why I remember a detail like eating at Subway...but it's been engrained in my head and I remember having a really good time.

And she tagged me...so here goes:

3 Joys
Early morning fog
Practical jokes
Spiritual ah-hah moments

3 Fears
Spiders (of course)...but not the small ones anymore. And by small, I mean the ones that are so small you can't tell if they're a spider or a regular house bug until you get really close.
Walking up the stairs at night when all the lights are off. I know someone is walking right behind me!
Sharing the Gospel and admitting I'm a political conservative with a group of strangers

3 Goals
Weighing 180 again
Camping out next to Emerald Lake on top of Mt. Timp and enjoying the stars at night while talking with my closest friends
Enjoying the eternities with my family

3 Current Obsessions/Collections
Laziness (sad, isn't it?)
Minesweeper (I don't think I can beat my best scores anymore...they're pretty darn good!)
Wanting to get into the habit of reading good books

3 Random Surprising Facts About Myself
I'm always up for a good musical - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Singing In The Rain, High School Musical (can't wait to see 3...with the kids, of course!), Phantom of the Opera, Newsies, Enchanted, etc. etc. etc.
I'm dramatic - case in point...I had a crush on a girl named Emma in 4th grade while living in Kentucky. She was blonde and from England. The subdivision we lived in butted up against another subdivision but there was no connecting road...just a line of trees and a small dirt path I would ride my bike on to get to the other side. For some reason I thought Emma lived in the other subdivision. So I went on the dirt path...right in the middle of the two subdivisions...and screamed as loudly as I could, "I LOVE YOU, EMMA!!!!!!" Needless to say, I can be dramatic.
I killed 3 Anoles before realizing what I was doing wrong. I thought they needed light at night so I placed my reading lamp over their container. Turns out my reading lamp fried them. I still feel guilty about it. I can't imagine the slow and painful death that the reading lamp caused. I had some friends over and we held a funeral service. They're buried under my parents deck in St. Charles.

I tag...Jay, Kristy, Julie, Sarah, and Steph (yes...you cousin!)

Happy Birthday America!!!!!!!!!!!!

My New Gotta Have

It's hot outside.

It was pleasant at 10 am when we went to ward playgroup at the local playgroud.
(Though Ward Playgroup is a lame name since we are usually the ones there)

We had a nice time swinging, playing, etc. Mark, Anya and James have gotten into the habit of bringing one toy each with them to the park. Usually Woody and Jessie are the top picks. Today was no exception.

The boys were playing nicely on the playset, which is the thing you climb on with all the slides attached, and by playing nicely I mean that no one was screaming or crying. I was a good distance away when I saw Mark standing on the highest platform throw Woody up into the nearby tree. And there he stayed. Mark came running over with a great story about how he slipped and almost fell and Woody fell out of his hand and got stuck in a tree.

Ok, really people! Even if I was only a babysitter who had not seen what happened, I wouldn't believe that story! So naturally I informed him that I had seen what really happened and he tried to hide his I am so guilty and busted grin while explaining that He and James were pretending that their toys were getting hurt and needing rescuing.

For those of you who have not seen the trees here, this was previously a logging forest and there are no tree branches below about 10 feet. So you can imagine that this toy was pleasantly high up wrapped very nicely around a small branch. I thought surely this was the end for Woody, but unfortunately I remembered our lightbulb changer we just purchased to change light bulb in the garage. It telescopes up to 11 feet long. I had to extend it the whole way in order to reach the toy and knock him out of the tree. The other parents probably thought I was a real nut job.

I am afraid I will have much more use for this new tool than simply changing lightbulbs.

One Soul, Institute and Little House

I thought that David starting another blog would encourage me to blog more. Apparently not. It seems as though I have very little to say right now, due in large part to a lot of inner dialogue (which I am not going to subject you fine readers to again) that has been bouncing around in my brain. I have however received what I think was inspiration guiding me along a path that may alleviate some of the stress in my life, but only time and effort will tell. Tonight it is going well, but we shall see.

During our devotional this morning I introduced to the kids the new scripture for July. It happens to be Doctrine and Covenants 18:15. Go ahead, click over and read it, otherwise the rest of this may not make sense :) We read it out loud and then discussed what it meant. While I was reading it, Mark interrupted me to tell me that he knew the one was each of us. We each get ourselves back to Heavenly Father. I agreed with him, after all, he was right. The more I talked with him and thought about it, the more right it became. It's all about agency. The only person that we can bring back to heaven in ourselves. We can be instrumental in helping someone else, or guiding them to the right path, but in the end we are each responsible for our own choices that will either lead us to or away from our Father in Heaven. I love when I get to be a part of those moments with the kids. It was really just the pick me up I needed since yesterday was not the best day and I had been feeling kind of down.

I have also been using the Institute Manuals for my personal scripture study and am 3/4 of the way through Old Testament 1. I have been doing a chapter a day, which on days like today means that I spent 4 hours reading either in the scriptures or the manual. That is almost all of my free study time in the day, but I did find time to read my more fun book, Little House on the Prairie, more on that later. Sometimes the manual asks really silly questions and by silly I mean the other s word that we don't let our kids say. (stupid) However I have found that the notes and commentary explain things that are otherwise so confusing I don't even think about asking a question about them. The experience thus far has been a very enlightening one and I feel as though I am getting to know the scriptures better than I ever have before. I would wholeheartedly recommend using the manuals, though you might not go as hardcore as I have :)

Ok, last thing. Little House on the Prairie. I admit I was inspired to read the series by Laurel's recent post about the show, which I never watched. I was more the Highlander, Star Trek, Charmed kind of girl. I must say I am really enjoying the books. I have read two of the eight in the series and I almost feel a desire to find a plain where no one has lived and build my own little log house and dig a well, and milk a cow, but then I remember that I was born during this time because as my father always reminded us I am "a pampered little princess". Just as a side note, though I haven't read it in the books yet, I do know from the summary bit on the back of some of the later novels that Mary does indeed go blind, how or why I will have to let you know when I get to it.

It may be a while before you hear from me again, or maybe not, who can tell? Just know that I am still here striving to figure out my life and everything that goes with it.

Landscapers are some of our favorite people

Landscapers, lawn maintenance, tree guys...whatever you want to call them--they're cool.

There's something different about them.

They're friendly, laid-back, light-hearted people with just enough "rough around the edges" to make them very personable.

One of our best friends back in Illinois was a landscaper. He was someone I could share the Gospel with until the wee hours of the morning or play Wii with all night long. I wish I had done both of those more often with him. He and his family are good people.

We just had our gutters cleaned tonight. (Do you have any idea how quickly gutters can get plugged up out here in Virginia?!?) The two guys were up on the roof just having fun and getting the job done. Then the owner stopped by and we chatted for a little bit.

He's a member of our ward. And he and his wife are in the process of adopting the 22 year old hispanic kid working for him. It was fun talking with him.

I think landscapers, as a whole, are pretty darn close to being like Jesus. I think it goes: Jesus, then prophets and apostles, then landscapers.

Yep. Landscapers are some of our favorite people.