This is my thinking face

I feel so behind on blogs and blogging. We had a good trip. It's always nice to see my parents. I didn't feel too well most of the time and well, that's just not any fun is it? Can I just tell you how much my parents LOVE the soundtrack to Mamma Mia? ha ha ha... good times. We went for a ride with them and they were SO into the music. It was a treat to see them out of the house and enjoying each other and the music. :)

I'm trying to get my children into some kind of summer routine. Yesterday was great, but I'm not sure yet how blogging will fit into it. Yesterday was also full of unpacking and extra laundry.

I'm trying to finish reading a book because Book Club is TONIGHT! I'm excited, but I've gotta get reading! So far, I really like the book. It's called, "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton. We'll see how it ends. I also need to find a babysitter because Zeke and Gabe are going hiking with the deacons... I will TRIUMPH!

I always feel kinda weird visiting the cemetary... kind of sad and just really introspective. So many memories, so many regrets, so many worries, so many questions, so many hopes and wishes. I enjoyed going to visit the graves of both sets of grandparents, as well as my sister, Brenda, and my cousin, Rory. Life is SO precious. It can be over in an instant. This weekend was FULL of emotions and I find myself overly cautious and smiling on the outside, but worrying like a paranoid crazy person on the inside.

Here's my Mom, Zoe, and Kaia at the Centerfield, Utah Cemetary... it was very cold and windy. This is the headstone of my paternal grandparents, Leo and Eliza Andersen. Don't you just love Zoe and Kaia's headbands/bows? My Mom always has some special little thing for them. She is THE best grandma.
I am so thankful that she can be part of their lives.

Here's the boys: my Dad, Gabe, and Beck
(sorry the picture is so fuzzy, I took it from my phone)

The highlight of the weekend was my Dad singing "one of his songs"... you just have to know my Dad. I'll have to share a few with you later. But this was a song I've never heard before and well, before he got to the second verse, my Mom came running in and shut him up. My kids were laughing so hard and just DYING to know what he was going to sing. Dad, I'm still curious. You said you'd sing it to Zeke later and he could sing it to me. Oh, I can only imagine. :)

As soon as I finish that book, I will catch up on my blog reading!
Oh, and go hug your little ones at least two or three times, ok? :)

This Might Be My Last Post...

It's Tuesday and well, I just haven't been in the mood to blog...

but our computer is being REALLY weird now... as in, I think it may be dying for REAL. Yes, I already told you that I'm a "bit" dramatic. It may be the video card? I don't know, but I've been storing photos like crazy expecting the worst. This is not good.

This just might be my last post... until we can save enough money for whatever it is we might need to replace... gripping, isn't it?

We had a great Easter weekend...

other than I was threatened by a Tongan woman in our ward that she would choke me if I tried to pay her husband for helping with the food for Zeke's graduation party! Yeah, good times!! :) ha ha ha (it was all in good fun) Love you, Sister Pauni! You have to hear her say it, "I come ovah and I choke you!"

took my family rolling Easter eggs... for the FIRST time. Zeke says I'm nuts. Maybe it's a Utah thing...

tried to sing "Because He Lives" with the ward choir on Sunday, but I cried through most of it. Sorry 12th ward for the ugly faces I was trying not to make ... I'm not a pretty crier. That song just gets me.

drum roll... we now have a family room (again). Oh, it's fun to have room to breathe and move around a bit more... I love to move furniture and rearrange rooms... it's a bit of a neurotic thing... I'm taking pills and having injections.

Tonight I told Beck it was time to get out of the tub and he stood up, saluted me, and said, "Yes, your Majesty!" I do not know where he got that one from.

Earlier tonight, Beck got a blue-coconut slush from Sonic and said, "This is the best yummy ever!"

My friend, Tawnya, came over today... I feel so special. I just met her in February and well, she's rather groovy. :) Beck and her son, Sammy, had fun too. She's one of those people that I feel like I just "click" with... do you know people like that? Isn't it great? (I am not sure if Tawnya feels that way, but just keep letting me think that, okay?)

Last week my dear, sweet, wonderful, awesome, groovy neighbor Lora showed up at my door with flowers and candy for ME! "just because" Wow, my life is so blessed right now. I am her visiting teacher and she came over just to cheer ME up. Here's the flowers!! (My camera is not great, but hey, I had to get a picture.)
Getting nervous for Beck's dentist appointment on Thursday... we'll be there for at least 4 hours... I'm bringing 3 books in hopes that at least one of them will keep my mind off of Beck, because I am not allowed to go in with him. The books are:

"The Help" been wanting to read this one for forever.
"Beyonders" Brandon Mull's new one... enough said.
"The Thirteenth Tale" this is the book club choice for April... I need to finish it by May 5th...

I'm planning to bring some chocolate too! Say a prayer for my lil' Beck if you can. This is the FIRST time any of my children have ever had general anesthesia. He can't have any food or water after midnight tomorrow... I hope they can get him in early. I'll be so happy to have it done. Poor lil' gaffer.

I hope you all have a great week!

P.S. If any of you would like to come to Zeke's graduation party on May 7th, send me an email and I'll let you know the details.

Please Stand By

Hello out there...

This week has been BUSY! My children have been home for Spring Break and it's been snowing ALL week, yeah. We have one computer and 5 people who want to use it.

Our computer is having technical difficulties and I feel so lost..... sad, huh? but it's true.

My husband has been installing new anti-virus software on our computer today and it's having issues... it took over 10 minutes for me to bring up my blog and get to the "new post" page. While I was waiting, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and put on my pajamas. (I have no patience and I cannot sit still for more than 5 minutes.)

Anyhoo, I just wanted all of you to know that I'm still here and I'm missing all of your blogs somethin' fierce! Ha! Zeke is working out the kinks on the computer and hopefully things will be a LOT faster by Monday. I can't wait to see what you've been up to!

P.S. I went to Book Club Thursday night. It was AWESOME! These women are so fun, but I always feel kinda dumb.
P.P.S. I watched some fun movies on Netflix and such this weekend:

• "The Pajama Game"-- 1957 musical with Doris Day (yeah, I like that kind of stuff) This one was really silly and some of the choreography was so different and just plain weird; my girls and I could not stop laughing.
  
• "Young @ Heart" -- kind of an independent film/documentary about a Senior Citizen's Choir from Massachusetts that sings songs from Jimi Hendrix, Coldplay, The Clash, Sonic Youth, etc. It was a hoot! Seriously, I want to be like that when I get old.
  
• NOT on Netflix (don't get excited), but we also watched "Tangled". Okay, so I just love this movie to pieces! I have to remind Beck that I'm "happy crying" because he keeps saying, "What's wrong, Mama?" I just love to be in love and see movies with happy endings. CHEESY! But that witch person, Mother Gothel? Yeah, I like want to hurt her (what a hypocrite, I know) but when she sings to Rapunzel, "gettin' kinda chubby" and all of that other horrible stuff, I really want to hit her with a frying pan or something! She's so awful, but isn't that what the Disney villains are supposed to be?
• We've been watching a lot of clips from the musical "South Pacific" on "you tube" this weekend. WHY? Well, it's a bit of a surprise and it involves my husband and a sailor hat...I cannot wait!
  

sorry for the lack of pictures and links..... blah.

The "B" Post

The B Book is one of my all time favorite children's books. We read it at least once a week. I can recite it in my head at night when I can't sleep or in the car when Beck is being cranky and needs a distraction. You seriously need to read it. It makes me laugh every time. Definitely on my Top Ten.

So Thursday was my Birthday. 36 years old. I really like getting older. I feel so Blessed to be alive. This was a birthday full of "B's".

Bladder:
So it's your birthday, what do you do? You go to the urologist of course! No? Well, I did. And I'm glad. Yes, you read that right. I went in early Thursday and finally had the dreaded Bladder scope (Cytoscopy, but that doesn't start with B). I was supposed to do this in November. I feel so Brave and proud of myself and relieved. No tumors or ulcers, just dumb IC. I can live with that.

Book Club:
Yes, total Bliss. Love these women! How did I get so lucky? Thanks, Lora, I will forever be in debt to you. I think at least once a month, you should laugh so hard your stomach hurts. It's good for you. Oh, and Blueberry Pancakes. And Deb gave me chocolate! :)

Breadmaker:
Zeke surprised me with one. I have wanted a Breadmaker ever since we got married. It's been really fun! He is the BEST husband and friend ever. I wish I could tell you all the cute stuff he says to me, but it has nothing to do with bread really, or the letter B. Other than you might barf!

Berry Pie:
After 2 cakes in the last week from Gabe and Beck's birthdays, I had to break the mold. Razzleberry Pie was my "cake".

Bonus:
One of my Best Buddies, Jessica, brought me some absolutely scrumptious Tillamook Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Yes, she loves me! Oh and an almond truffle from her daughter, Charlotte (she's in my Primary class). Thanks you guys, it really made me feel special.

Beautiful Blue Bathing Suit:

This is what I got with some of my Birthday money.
(Thanks, Mom, Patty, Barb, Clyde, and Dani)!
I wasn't actually looking for a bathing suit, but it found me! Really.

**** SOME OF MY PHOTOS ARE MISSING. EVEN PERSONAL PHOTOS... Anyone know why??

It's one of those perfect shopping moments that hardly ever happen: cutest suit ever, my size, on sale, and it fits perfectly!! I can't wait to wear it :) Here's a close-up of the fabric:

I LOVE IT!

Beautiful Blue Bathing Suit, Bonus Breadmaker, Best Buddies,
Benevolent Bridegroom, Book Club Bliss, Breathtaking Berry Pie,
Bounteous Blueberry Pancakes, Belated Bladder Blessings
... and that's what made Lacy's Birthday Beyond Compare!

One of these things is not like the other...

Trying to come up with a title for today's post. Things that came to mind: "One of these things is not like the other" or "Alien from another planet" or simply "My first time at Book Club"

My awesome neighbor, Lora, invited me to her Book Club (well, I hinted on her blog that I would be interested in coming and she agreed to let me... wow, she's really nice and I'm a freak.) I hadn't even read the book for this month! Lora is so fun to be with and last night I found out what a dear friend she really is. Thanks, Lora, you know what I mean. Here's her blog: Thoughts... and Then some. She's very funny and random and sarcastic and awesome and yeah. Did I tell you she likes 80's hair bands? We were meant to be friends!

I won't tell you how nuts I really am. Here's just a sampling... I was so nervous to go to Book Club last night that I made myself sick. Literally. I couldn't eat before, during, or after. My stomach was not happy with me. I was stressing out fixing my hair and stuff while Zeke was getting dinner ready for the kids... and somehow it felt in a very bizarre way like I was getting ready for a date or something. Don't worry, Lora, at least I didn't wear perfume, that would be going too far... oh man, I need help. I almost changed my mind, but my wonderful husband made me go. He was helping me decide what I should wear. How cute is that? He's definitely a keeper, but I already knew that.

Did I have fun? yes! Do I fit in? NOT EVEN CLOSE. Am I okay with that? yeah, I think so.

But hey, it was a very good eye-opener at how socially inept I really am. These last 3 years or so, I have given up a lot. Our lives were so busy, there wasn't much time for a "night out with the girls" so to speak. I'm so thankful that I could serve in the YW while Zeke was in school. Probably the craziest, most insane times ever, but it "forced" me to be with people and get away from my kids. I really miss it.

To: Lora, Amanda, Emily, Tawnya, Maggie, Lacey, Katie, Deb, and Shari, "Thanks for making me laugh so hard I thought I would pee my pants and thanks for making me feel welcome." (In that order!!)

We are quite an eclectic mix of women. I'm one of the oldest, but I feel like I'm 80 compared to these women. I really liked what Lora said on her blog:

"At book club we aren't moms, we're not teachers, we're not professionals, we're not wives. We are women. We are women.

Women who come together once a month with full acceptance. Women who have been judged and have learned that no one can be judged. Women who have stories. Women who have lived different lives no matter how much "in common" some seem to have. We are women who are friends, who care about each other dearly no matter how new to the club. Women who like to laugh and have a good time. Women who need to laugh and have a good time. Women who appreciate each other for who we are."

That really struck me. I think I've forgotten how to be anything other than a wife and mother. Four children is a FULL TIME job. What do I do? Take care of my children, try to keep up on my house, watch movies and play games with Zeke when the kids are/should be in bed, sew and cook and make messes, and try to have a social life through blogging and Facebook. Now that sounds depressing in a way, and it isn't most days, but it's all I know and those little moments can make it all worth it. You know a day goes by... and a week, then a month, and then you look back and you've been a "stay at home Mom" for nearly 13 years!! YIKES!

I know my children so well. They know me (more than I want them too sometimes). I'm here to help them with homework and fix their favorite meals. I'm here to pick them up from school when they get sick or to go see their class program or costume parade on Halloween. I'm here to play trains with and give hugs to my crazy little man, Beck. I honestly don't think any day care provider or good friend could handle him. I love him. Some days, I must confess I wish I had a "job" and I wish Beck was older and he'd stop flicking yogurt on the CAT!! (Dang!! let me go clean that up!)