WAY better than Disneyland

Lacy, you just took your youngest child to preschool for the next 3 hours,

what are you going to do next?!

"I'm going to the temple!"

The Real Deal

I woke up in a funk the other morning. Around 4am I had a nightmare about my Dad... I just couldn't seem to shake it all day long.

Things got to me all day, that feeling again like I don't fit in, I'm a terrible mother, a terrible person, a failure.
Life is too hard, things are too sad and scary and HARD.

Did I mention that life is hard?

Stressed, anxious, depressed, scared.

I just wanted to be home with my kids.

I came home and read some scriptures, helped fix some of the girl's Polly Pocket dresses (no small task), helped Beck make a track for his car, moved all the pictures around on my wall and added some more, made dinner, just going through the motions really. I just felt sad and lost today.

Zeke came home tired and stressed too. We couldn't wait to get the kids to bed. I came downstairs to find Zoe starting the movie, "The Other Side of Heaven". I love this movie. I love the Tongan people (and I love Anne Hathaway). Most of all, I love the message. I felt the Spirit so strongly.
My heart needed it.

I couldn't find the exact quote, but I love the part after the storm and they all make it to shore and one of them says sometimes the Lord calms the storm and sometimes He calms the sailor. I've heard that many times before, but then Elder Groberg says, "and sometimes He just lets us swim." Isn't it true? I know that God loves us and helps us, but sometimes I think we have to work things out ourselves so we can learn and grow and exercise our faith.

My favorite quote that brought me peace, "There is a connection between heaven and earth. Finding that connection gives meaning to everything, including death. Losing that connection makes everything lose meaning, including life."

I am convinced the only thing in this world that brings any peace to my troubled heart is The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel better because of the truths I was reminded of that give me hope for a better day and faith in an eternal family. It's the real deal!

I invite all of you, especially those members of my family who don't have this peace in their lives, to come unto Christ. ALL of you.
Pray to know if this Gospel is true.
I know that I haven't been the best example every moment of my life, but I know this church is true and I am forever grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes it possible for me and for everyone to repent of their mistakes and try to become a better person each day. A change of heart. We have the opportunity to be Eternal Families and live again with our Father in Heaven in peace and love because of His Son.
"I tremble to know that for me He was crucified.
That for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled, and died..."
("I Stand All Amazed", Hymns #193)

THIS is the definition of Insanity

"The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." ~ Albert Einstein

I can't believe how often this quote applies to my life. When I finally wake up and realize what I'm doing -- this quote always comes to mind.

Thanks, Gabe, for letting me use your AWESOME gorilla skull on my blog
(I think it would make a cool T-shirt):

I was whining to Zeke this morning (Wednesday after my last post) about how hard it is and how stressed I am, how messy the house is and how grumpy we all are and sick of each other. DUH!

Kids eating breakfast hours apart, sleeping in until 10 or 11, friends coming and going, insanely stressful dinner making times, "the witching hours" as my friend Stephanie calls it. She talked about quiet/play in your room time right before dinner when they're hungry, tired, and excited for Dad to get home. GENIUS. She also told me to spend more one on one time with each child. INSPIRED. Hard to do, but VERY important.

Today I changed, made a schedule, not just in my head, but on paper on the fridge and went through it with each child and well, tried to follow it --aaaaah. So much better! Another quote I need to practice more often, "If you don't write it down, it's simply a wish."
Not every member of the household was pleased with the "SCHEDULE" (i.e. Gabe), but I think they'll figure out soon enough, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" There HAS to be some structure even to summer. June was so crazy and July was so busy. Better late than never, right?

We've done a lot of cool things -- swim lessons, play group, afternoon at the county fair, late nights with friends, summer reading program, cooking together, yard work, sewing, etc, but it's all been "roly-poly, pell-mell tumble-bumble" and I end up at the bottom of the hill in a big heap.
Now that there's only 2 weeks left, I've got it all figured out... for NEXT YEAR! Bring on the Strawberry Shortcake! :) 10 pts. to the first person who can identify one of our favorite books I'm quoting. Oh, and here's the guardian of our front porch (Thank, Caspian):

Is he cute or what?
(Dedra and Tawnya don't need to answer this, but I love you anyway :)

How many Chips Ahoy cookies can you eat in one sitting?

Tonight I am tired, but Zeke is working late and the kids are in bed. Lots of rambling will inevitably follow... you have been warned!

Well, I'm feeling very random this week. I'm looking at the calendar and summer is almost over. Part of me is happy -- I'm ready for more structure and routine and not so much craziness 24/7 with the kids. (Yes, I'm one of THOSE Moms, start your eye-rolling and tsk-tsk-ing now if you must... whatever!) Part of me is sad too, because I don't feel like we've had enough time (or money) to do all of the things I wanted to.

Summer has been a whirlwind of running from here to there and staying home just long enough to play catch-up on the housekeeping (and just barely at that).

I haven't felt very good this week. Mostly today. My loveliest of lovely friends, Tawnya, brought me some back up: Chips Ahoy cookies and Tim's Sour Cream and Onion Potato chips. Yes, for the record they were absolutely divine! Crunchy, chocolatey, salty, sugary goodness. How did you know I love each of these? Thank you! I think I ate 7 or 8 cookies for lunch (yes, for lunch). Then, I had a couple more when I was fixing dinner. Today was a day I needed some comfort food. Tawnya is SO wonderful. I hugged her even though she's not a hugger. Sorry, Tawnya, I just had to! I tried not to break down crying when I opened the door to see my dear friend. I feel like such a baby lately.

Beautiful, aren't they?

Yesterday wasn't exactly my favorite day. Not the worst by any means, but not my favorite. I almost hit a car as I was merging over into the right lane. Zeke says they were in my "blind spot" and they were too close, but it was SO close. It really threw me off. It scared the ba-jeebers out of me and as we pulled into the gas station, I just started crying. Crying because I'm tired, crying because I was scared, crying because I'm frustrated, crying because I'm sick of paying doctor bills (nearly $500 a month!), crying because I don't know why (I realized today that my hormones are out of whack like they always seem to be every couple weeks).

I'm feeling so down on our financial situation. I'm not feeling as optimistic as I was last year at all. I was reading through last summer's posts and I was a nut! I didn't care if we had $5 to our name and last year, we didn't! I was living on faith and just going with the flow and things were taken care of. This year, Zeke has a new job (a better paying job I might add), but the expenses just keep rolling in. I guess I need to recognize that at least we have enough to pay our bills. I am proud to say we are still not incurring any more debt (other than doctor bills, but who has a few thousand dollars just sitting around not earmarked for something else?) Someday we will, but today is not that day. It's like one step forward and ten steps back.

I've also felt a bit somber this last week. My great uncle Nyals passed away. Then, Norma, one of the sweetest older ladies in my parents ward passed away. These deaths came as "blessings" so to speak. Both of them were very old and their poor bodies were just worn out. To top it off, an older sister of one of my neighborhood friends was brutally shot to death right in front of her own son. She was only 39 years old. Life is short. I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope I can become better and better each day so I am ready to meet God when it's my turn to go. Not that I want to go anytime soon. I'm just feeling rather reflective and thankful for Nyals and Norma, but really sad for Tina and her family. I wonder what my kids would say at my funeral? She was tired all the time and cried a lot. Gosh, I hope not! I feel like I'm not living up to my potential each day.

I find myself not accomplishing much these past few weeks. That really bums me out. I look at my house and I just feel more tired. I don't know where to start. When I do, a fight ensues somewhere on another floor of the house. It usually involves Beck and whoever. He is at that age where he's trying to figure out his place in the pecking order so to speak. He wants to be big and do everything the big kids do, but he can't and he knows it, but does it anyway. He spills food every meal, everyday. It's not my favorite thing. He will NOT allow us to sit and watch (and actually hear) a movie. He just can't sit still for that long, even if it's one of HIS movies. Oh, and after a bout of stomach flu, Beck has fallen off the potty-training wagon. Or is he back on? I'm just worn out.

Yesterday, he was sitting at the table coloring and swinging his legs and singing to a made-up tune, "I love my Mommy, she's so cute!" And I proceeded to completely melt right there on the kitchen floor. I wrapped him up in my arms and started crying. (I'm always crying lately)

Why are the hardest things in our lives some of the best things?

Zeke and Gabe made it home safely from Scout Camp on Saturday and I am so grateful. I was missing Gabe SO bad last week. The day before he left I absolutely could not wait for him to go. (Sorry, Gabe!) The incessant teasing, fighting over computer turns, arguments over curfew and chores, and the extremely loveable, somewhat annoying, but ever constant: "Mom, guess what? I'm taller than you!" By Tuesday, I was being a baby, crying some more and wishing I could hear him tell me again that he's taller than me.

Then, last night I watched "Soul Surfer" with Zoe, Kaia, and Zeke. Now, it's not one of the best movies ever made, but the story is really good. The girls loved it, especially Zoe. Even though it's rated PG, Kaia was more than a little freaked out by the shark attack scene. She was up well past midnight crying that she wants to keep all of her arms and legs and NEVER go in the ocean. Oh dear. I must admit I found myself thinking the same thing and even woke up last night from a nightmare about it. (I'm almost 37, by the way. Yeah.)

This girl is AMAZING. Her name is Bethany Hamilton. I love movies and books based on true stories. It had a great message, but I found myself being a little negative about it and then mad at myself because I was. Her family lives in Hawaii and they surf. A LOT. In fact, that's ALL they did. Oh, and they went to church a few times. And surfed and surfed and surfed some more.

My dear husband of 15 years leans over (just as my mind was forming the exact same thought) and says, "What does her parents DO for a living?" "How can they have that much money to live in Hawaii and basically play all day?" I know movies don't show everything, but it seemed to be more than a little vague in that part of the story, if not completely absent. Just wondering.

Okay, so today my kids had to watch the movie 4 MORE TIMES! We got our dollars worth at the Redbox this time! Kaia says, "You know Mom, this movie has really taught me that I should believe in myself and I can do anything I want if I try hard enough!" (She's seven, by the way) Then, she says, "I've decided I want to be a surfer more than anything, but well, since I'm afraid of sharks (no, really?) and since we don't live near an ocean (good point), I'm going to go outside and climb a tree. A really big one." I love what she comes up with. Her take on this movie just made me smile.

Zoe and Kaia have talked about Bethany Hamilton ALL day! I think they'll talk about her for some time to come. Today, they tucked one of their arms in their shirts and were even pretending they only had one arm, just like Bethany. I hope they always remember her story and really believe they can do anything they want to. Well, as long as it doesn't involve oceans. Just kidding. Not really.

I went to the Relief Society Activity for our ward tonight. It was about Education. I was thinking, "Okay, whatever, it's not my time yet." But it was REALLY good. I'll have about 5 hours of "free time" each week during the school year when Beck is in preschool and the older kids are at school. I've been planning to go to the temple one of the days and the other is a free day to do errands, house projects, etc. Just for me. I've waited over 13 years for this. I hope I didn't jinx it. Anyway, one of the speakers talked about the Cache Valley Volunteer Center and I got so excited about it! I'm going to check into it and volunteer a couple days a month. I would like to volunteer at the Literacy Center or the Humane Society.

Anyway, there is no point to this post. I just have so much in my head and it feels good to get some of it out. So I ate about 10 cookies today -- and I didn't get sick at all. Yay, KEFIR! I would be eating more right now, but when I got home from the Relief Society Activity they were ALL GONE. Gabe found them. End of story.

No more PRIVACY!

So I finally got to meet my friend, Dedra! She and her children and her sister, Gina, stopped by on their way through Utah. We had a great time!! :)

She fixed my necklace and made a keychain for Kaia with the leftover beads :)

And we had to try on Beck's goggles just because:

Here's Gina: she made breakfast!

Yeah, it's me:
I am so excited to tell all of you that her blog is not private anymore! Go see! She's funny and way groovy and she ALWAYS makes me laugh.
Bless her heart! (Just kidding, Dedra!)

Dying to tie-dye

My kids have been BEGGING me to make tie-dye some T-shirts for FOREVER. Last Saturday was the first Saturday we've been home in FOREVER. This was it! I got a kit from Wal-Mart ($20):

It was really fun and easy. We also got most of our shirts at the D.I. (thrift store) for $1 each. Yeah! After getting all the shirts damp (I just ran them through a rinse/spin cycle in the washer), we got to wrap them all up and "tie" them with elastic bands according to the pattern we wanted. The kit came with some great ideas and instructions.

I would recommend doing the dyeing part OUTSIDE!

Ziploc baggies came in handy to store the shirts once they had been dyed so they wouldn't bleed onto anything else.

After letting them sit for 8 hours, I washed them according to the directions in the kit. Next time, I think I will let them sit longer for even brighter colors. They faded quite a bit. We wanted to get them done so Gabe could take some to Scout camp. Here we are:

Do we look tired? We are, we stayed up past midnight on Saturday rinsing them all out and getting them in the washer...

As soon as we got home from church on Sunday, we all put on one of our shirts. I decided Caspian needed one too.

Poor cat, he was in the right place at the wrong time...

Toad and Geevy

When I went to my parent's house last weekend, my Mom let me take home a few old photo albums with me so I could scan all the photos into my computer. I knew EXACTLY the first two pictures I wanted for sure. These pictures were taken sometime during the fall of 1989. That's my brother, Jody (Toad) and me (Geevy). I was 14 and Jody was 23. We were headed out on a Friday night (not together exactly) and my Mom stopped us to take a picture.
These are some of my favorite pictures of all time.

Maybe everyone thinks their big brother is cool, but mine is one of THE coolest. I love him so much! Everybody loves "Toad"! It's true. When I started high school, I was so afraid of all the older kids, but as soon as they found out I was "Toad's little sister" I was IN. Zeke says either they thought he was cool or they were afraid he'd beat the crap out them if they messed with me, but either way, I was good to go. Thanks, Jode.

Now we switched hats: (Please forgive our attire... it was the 80's!)

I'll tell you about our nicknames some other time (one has to do with dead flies and a dare and the other one is just some variation of a put down Jody picked up in Vegas? yeah, it's a long story) ... it's late, this week has been CRAZY as usual and my family is waiting for me to continue our Lord of the Rings movie fest. Jody kinda reminds me of Aragorn a little bit... well, a little bit. Aragorn is so serious and Jody's pretty silly and THAT reminds me of Zeke.
You should see the two of them together! :)

Kefir Who?

Okay, so blogger is being SO slow lately... or I am just extra impatient. Sorry everyone, I just can't seem to find a minute to sit down and blog this summer.
Just a quick post here...
This stuff has seriously given me a NEW life. My Aunt Barbara recommended it to me during the 4th of July weekend. THANK YOU!!! I have had stomach problems ALL of my life and nothing has really helped it until.... KEFIR!!! I have not been sick for almost 3 weeks now!

I used to get sick about every other day from different foods I would eat. If I got sick, it would last for a few days at least. I've always been told I have an ulcer or I can't handle greasy/spicy foods or that I should get checked to see if I have diverticulitis or irritable bowel syndrome or even a gluten intolerance. My symptoms have always been inconsistent with any of these problems. And chocolate KILLS me. :( Well, I ate THREE OREOS yesterday and I feel fine. This actually could be a bad thing...

Before, I would just avoid the foods that made me sick, but over the last couple years that list is growing while my incidences of sickness were greatly increasing. I have been so sick this last year and especially the last 6 months that it has been interfering with daily activities and definitely dictating what I do (and don't do). Now, I haven't immediately re-introduced every irritating food back in my diet yet, no way, I am not that crazy. I'm going to take it slow and maybe in a few months I might be able to have a taste of what I have been craving most: SALAD!

I have more energy than I've had in years. My digestive system has been out of balance to say the least and Kefir can help restore the balance. It helps you digest your food, which I know my body hasn't been doing well. If a food made me sick, I would know it about 10 minutes after eating it. Oh, the avocado egg rolls at Aggy's Sports Grill still give me nightmares!

But, start out slowly... it made my stomach feel so good I drank too much the first four days and I broke out in a SERIOUS rash. YIKES! Now I am drinking about 4 ounces every 3 days and I hope to increase it as my body can tolerate it.

What is Kefir? In a nutshell, some SERIOUS probiotic yogurt-type stuff.

This is the kind I have tried, I like the blueberry. I got it in the organic section of our local Smith's Marketplace. $3.49 for 32 ounces.

Seriously, I feel like a NEW person! Dear Aunt Barbara, I owe you BIG TIME!!!!!!:)

Okay, gotta go, Kaia and Beck were tucked into bed and they just came downstairs... AGAIN!

Just call me "JOE"

Last week I got my "baby" all tuned up and repaired. This "baby" of mine has been long neglected. It got new shifters, cables, a chain, and even new hand grips. It's just like new! As soon as I got it home, I took it out of the van and zoomed down the block sans shoes! Ahhh, that one ride brought back so many great memories. :)

I remember when this bike was my LIFE. I used to ride it to work and back everyday the following summer -- 16 miles roundtrip. Wow, I wish my legs could still experience that everyday! I also remember how my bike got stolen about a month after I got it. My Dad's friend heard an ad on a local radio station yard sale/auction thing and actually found my bike! Thanks, Reg! And no, we did NOT have to buy it back, but I did have to go to the house of the guy that stole it and had to identify it -- just a *bit* awkward since everybody knows everybody in my small hometown.

I remember writing an essay about it when I was a Senior in High School... I wanted to share it with you here just for fun. Now, remember, I was 17 when I wrote this... almost TWENTY years ago. Oh, I was/am so dramatic! In some ways, I hope I have REALLY changed, but as I read through it again I thought, in other ways, I hope I'll NEVER change.

Here it is, unedited, for your reading "pleasure"?

Lacy R. -----
Narrative Essay
College English 101

"The Ride of a Lifetime"

Today was the day! All summer long I had been anxiously waiting for it. I felt so fortunate that this day actually came. Three years of hoping and wanting were beginning to disappear, as I pictured myself proudly riding away into the beautiful August sunset. More than anything, I wished for the sun glistening in my hair, and the wind gently teasing my face, as I rode freely on a mountain bike of my very own. Now, which surely was a dream, I was finally going to get one.

It was August 25, 1992, a beautiful summer morning. My mom and I were on our way to Provo in dad's large blue Chevrolet truck. We needed the bed of the truck to take home my new bike.

"Lacy, you know we can't afford this," Mom lectured, "but I guess we'll call it your early graduation present."

"Ok, since I'm already getting my present, I won't have to worry about graduating at all." I teased, slyly turning up " X 96 ", my favorite radio station.

"You'd better graduate, because $500 is a lot of money for a mountain bike!" Mom laughed, innocently turning the radio back down to a low hum.

"Well , Mom, I can use the bike for transportation at college" convincing her, "besides, you know I'll graduate." I promised.

We took the University Avenue exit, and headed straight for the mall. There, we tried to eat lunch, but we were so excited we couldn't eat anything. So we decided to leave , and get on with the important stuff — my mountain bike.

Across the parking lot of the mall stood "Gorilla Bicycle Company" complete with a gigantic grey gorilla above the doorway. I'd heard many good things about this store, all of which convinced me to check it out: awesome bikes, good deals, and gorgeous sales-clerks. So far, it sounded perfect to me.

Walking through the door, I saw hundreds of different bikes. Glancing at me, my Mom figured we would be there until closing before I could decide which bike I wanted. I just smiled back, quickly looking over as the salesclerk came to help us.

"Hi, are ya thinkin' about gettin' a bike?" asked a tall guy with purple and yellow hiking boots, plaid shorts, and a "Red Hot Chili Peppers" concert T-shirt.

I was in love. His long shiny brown hair was casually-pulled back with a leather string, to reveal a small name tag just below his shoulder. In bright green letters, it read simply, "JOE".

He showed me a group of bikes, and I nervously searched for the right one. There it was! Sleek and powerful, it hung from a large orange hook in the ceiling. A 16-inch, Mongoose Alta , with 21- speed 300 xl shifting , and with Shimano brakes.

But it wasn't all of the high-tech components that caught my attention — it was the appearance of the bike. The beautiful color was a rich earthy tan with hints of silver, shiny, yet subtle. The sales sticker said it was 'light champagne'. Joe said it was the color of my hair. All I knew is that it was gorgeous. With a chrome-ally frame and black rims, I knew this was the one.

"Ok, with tax and total, it'll come to $464.87," Joe declared, as his deep coffee-brown eyes looked up from the cash register to meet mine.

I eagerly smiled back, while mom nearly fainted. Whether it was because she just pulled $464.87 from her wallet, or the fact that a 23-year guy with long brown hair and a tattoo was flirting with her daughter; it was a funny sight to see. Joe helped me wheel it outside to the truck, and watched patiently as I carefully lifted it into the back of the truck.

"Thanks a lot," I smiled, looking directly at Joe to let him know that I appreciated it — and that I was extremely available.

"Hey, Lace, anytime," he promised, "and if you need anything just call, okay?" Joe assured me, writing his home phone number on the business card.

"Sure, thanks again, see ya!" I called, carefully driving out of the parking lot.

Mom and I drove to my brother's house in Orem, just seven miles away. My Mom kept smiling at me and looking back, constantly checking to make sure my bike was okay. Soon after, we pulled up to my brother's house, I nearly jumped out before I even turned off the truck. Gently, I lifted my "baby" out of the back and walked it out to the sidewalk, careful not to scratch it or bump it.

"Thanks, mom," I whispered, fighting back the tears of joy.

"You're welcome, Lace," Mom smiled, "I know you'll graduate, because the smile on your face is thanks enough.”

I smiled again and looked down the block. Ahead of me was an endless stretch of road and I was going to ride it. Excitedly, I lifted my leg up over the seat and checked the brakes. Then, I zoomed down the road, the sun glistening in my hair and the wind gently teasing my face. I rode faster and faster; free as the wind itself.

Coming towards a street corner, I slowly came to a stop. Breathing hard and smiling proudly, I reached in my pocket for the "Gorilla Bicycle" business card. Looking around for the nearest payphone, I headed down the next block to 7-11 — I was going to call Joe.

I wish I had a picture of me and my bike way back when, but I did NOT like having my picture taken (just ask my Mom)! I was a teenage nightmare.
Anyway, here's me and my "baby" almost twenty years later...

Just for the record, I didn't really call Joe!

The Zoo, The 4th of July, and Potty Training, OH MY!

Well, our computer is really acting up. Actually it's not acting at all, I think it's really dying.

Beck is right here and my brain is mush. I went to Book Club last night and well, I didn't get to bed too early. Oh, how I love Book Club! These women are beyond wonderful. I love them all.

We went out of town for the weekend and got back late Tuesday night. I was without the internet for FOUR days. FOUR DAYS. Sad, but true. Somehow I survived. Then, I come home to our poor little computer. Blogging may be a bit sporadic for awhile (if it wasn't already)!

On Saturday, we went to Hogle Zoo. We haven't been since 2005. It was fun, but HOT. As in over 100 degrees HOT! The bird show was awesome... that's another story. My favorites were the tigers and the baby lemurs. My kids were troopers. We really felt like we were melting.

Here they are at the "water ball thingy" at the entrance:

Kaia on the carousel:

Zoe on the carousel:

Beck and me on the carousel (he did NOT want to ride on one of the "horses"):

Gabe is almost as tall as a male gorilla.... hmm... just think about that one.

My little monkeys:

Our 4th of July trip home was fantastic and HOT. Yes, HOT is the theme for July and well, I don't do HOT very well. Gabe was with cousins already (and for some reason didn't want a new 4th of July outfit, why not?), but here's
Zoe, Kaia, and Beck going to the morning carnival:

Zoe and cousin Kyden doing the "knock each other off the inflated pedestal with inflated club thingys". Zoe had so much fun with Kyden.
She's talked about him non-stop since we got home.

Zeke just landed at the bottom of a HUGE slide. YIKES!

Kaia climbing up to the HUGE slide:

Look out below!! This slide was HUGE, I'm telling you!

Beck got to go in a giant bubble machine. This really was quite ingenious and I thought it was the hit of the carnival. SO COOL!! Go Salina! :) It's hard to tell from the picture, but Beck is inside a giant bubble!

Zoe with my dear cousin, Nicky. She made a bunch of the cutest flower clips and hair bows for my girls. Zoe tried all of them on at once.
It looked like a crazy shower cap.

Nicky is so sweet! We have so many good memories growing up together. We had fun hanging out with her family this year. Rod, Barbara, Ryan, Aubrey, Randy, Rusty, Maxine, and a plethora of little ones and not-so-little ones... it was a great day. My cousins ROCK and I'm not just saying they are cool... they really ROCK. Seriously, we're just sitting there and next thing I know, full on band playing "Plush" from Stone Temple Pilots. This was the 4th of July, I was in heaven. By the way, Ryan, Randy, Rusty: you guys seriously can sing and play! Zeke was also loving life, because he just happened to bring his guitar and Rusty was teaching him everything he could.

It was the best! Other than my stomach. You know every blog post includes some dumb ailment of mine. I sound like I'm 80. It stinks! But hey, my dear Aunt Barbara said, "You've gotta try some Kefir!" And just like her, she didn't just say it, but she went and got me some and more to take home. It's like an extra concentrated probiotic yogurt. She said it has really helped her. I'm looking forward to having it help me. I came home and found some in the good old organic section at Smith's of course. :)

And just a side note, last Wednesday, the morning ritual of trying to see if today was the day Beck wants to go potty was successful! The morning turned into the afternoon which turned into evening and well, we were potty-training all through the weekend. It was crazy, of course, but that's how we do things around here.

We're on day 9 (counting 4 days of vacation) and things are going rather well. I've reached another milestone in my life. I have been buying diapers for OVER 14 YEARS, PEOPLE!!! But not any more...wow. That's got to help the budget a bit.

Beck is so proud.
My Mom only has one bathroom...yeah.
He especially loved when he got to pee on a tree outside!

This picture is worth a THOUSAND words (and DOLLARS!) :) Woo hoo!