Rely on the Lord

Have you noticed I haven't been blogging this week? Yeah... it's been a crazy week. I think I say that more than I don't so it doesn't really mean anything. (Reminds me of the "Incredibles" when the Mom says, "Everyone's special, Dash." and Dash says, "Which is another way of saying no one is." Yeah, I'm way off...) 

The younger kids are in bed. We celebrated Friday in style eating lots of ice cream and watching, "Ramona and Beezus." It has to be one of my new favorite movies. My Mom sent it to us for a Valentine's surprise. I was surprised how much I really enjoyed it. It just felt real. It made me laugh and cry and laugh and cry some more. Kaia is SO much like Ramona. I always felt like Ramona when I was growing up.

Zeke and my oldest son, Gabe, are sleeping in snow caves somewhere up the canyon with the Scouts... why they do this I will never understand, but they enjoy it.

So now comes the hard part. The house is quiet and I am "alone". Well, not really alone, the cats are sleeping nearby, but the house is SO quiet. TOO quiet. No more distractions to keep my mind busy.

What a week and what a finale! Crazy house stuff: flooring choices, meetings with all the builders and "big wigs", deadlines and delays, a broken window, and not-so-thorough bricklayers. Poor Beck has a double ear infection which means we didn't get much sleep, Parent/Teacher Conferences for Kaia and Gabe, my husband and I were so busy we barely saw each other at all. Oh, and one of our cats has been sick and had to go to the vet and the engine light on our van keeps coming on and we can't figure out why... almost sounds like the lyrics to a REALLY bad country song.

We tried to go out for dinner last night and it was a bit crazy. I was worn out, because of all of the above and more, physically and emotionally. Well, it wasn't the best Valentine's Day ever, but it wasn't the worst; after all, we did have sushi! Then, to top it off, I got sick later that night -- I've never gotten sick from sushi. Well, that won't stop me from eating it again!!

Today is a blur.

Before I put the kids to bed, we read a little verse and quote from "Stand a Little Taller" by Gordon B. Hinckley. It was the perfect quote and scripture for today. My heart needed it.

RELY ON THE LORD

"And by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never cease to prevail until kingdoms of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given unto the saints, to possess it forever and ever." Doctrine & Covenants 103:7

"The Lord has given you this glorious Church. His Church, to guide you and direct you, to give you opportunity for growth and experience, to teach you and lead you and encourage you, to make of you His chosen daughter or son, one upon whom He may look with love and with a desire to help. Of course there will be some problems along the way. There will be difficulties to overcome. But they will not last forever. He will not forsake you." ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

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.

Blah-ging: it's not you, it's me

I've been so busy and I'm just not in the mood to blog... I'll try to catch up on my blog reading tonight. I promise: it's not you, it's ME! Blah.

We had a wonderful weekend:

• We took Friday off and just played. All six of us. It was more than splendid. I'll write more about that later too. We kind of planned it last minute. It was SO fun. We are so blessed. By the way, I love sushi.
  
• On Saturday we cleaned out our garage and car, just to mention a few things. And those are MAJOR things.
  
• I went to a Stake RS meeting and heard a great talk by Emily Watts. She was AWESOME! I'll write more about that later too.
• We rented Harry Potter 7 from the Redbox and I loved it. (Kaia and Beck didn't watch it -- I'll save you the trouble of cussing me out. You're welcome.) *SPOILER ALERT* Tell me I'm not the only person that cried when Dobby got killed? I knew it was going to happen; I've read the book, but it still made me really sad.
  
• We ate dinner outside -- to me, this is THE welcoming ritual of summer. Any suggestions on yummy things to grill?
  
• The girls and I got new swimsuit cover ups and flip flops -- another sign that summer is really coming!

Are they cute or what?
My cover up is the same color as Zoe's. The sash can be worn many different ways and well, that fact made us want them regardless of the color. They can be dresses, skirts, sleeveless cover-ups over your bathing suit, yeah, it's just too groovy. We can't wait to walk around Bear Lake all dressed the same. I am so blessed to have these precious girls.
They are definitely my shopping buddies.

I hope you all have a FABULOUS week.
My kids get out of school on Friday and for the moment,
I'm really happy about it.
No more homework, no more books, no more children's dirty looks! :)
I just want to play...

I will try to fix you...

I just heard this song the other day from that great documentary I told you about called "Young@Heart"... you should seriously watch it. I love Coldplay. What a beautiful song! I am so thankful for my wonderful family and friends... I couldn't survive without you. Love you all!

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.

(Four times four) times Two!

Thanks to Dedra and Kate for the tag :) You girls ROCK! I figured since I got tagged twice... I'll do eight of everything because I had a hard time narrowing things down to just four. Lucky me!

Four (x 2) places I go:

• Smith's Marketplace (on Main always, not the one on 4th!)
  
• Church
• Elementary School
  
• Middle School
• Doctor's office
• Library
• Temple
  
• Tandoori Oven

Four (x2) favorite smells:

• Rain
• Steak
  
• Fingernail polish
• My Mom and Dad's House
• Zeke
• Baby Lotion
• Gasoline
• Something baking in the oven, especially pie or bread
  

Four (x 2) favorite TV shows/movies:

• Mythbusters
  
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
• Elf
  
• Despicable Me
• Bizarre Foods
  
• Avatar: The Last Airbender (The cartoon series from Nickelodeon --only this one!)
  
• My Neighbor Totoro
• You've Got Mail
  

Four (x 2) recommendations:

• A pet. Any kind. Animals definitely have a place in our human world, and the responsibility learned from having a pet is a good thing. (I had to copy Kate, I agree 100%)
  
• Have all of your recommended cancer screenings done as much as needed no matter what!
  
• Don't ever start playing Tetris. Believe me.
  
• A Library card. Don't leave home with out one. (ditto, Kate)
  
• If you don't feel like being pleasant, courteous, or kind -- Act that way and the feelings will come.
• Look for the positive in everyone around you, especially your family.
• Drink LOTS of water.
• Eat less. Move more.
  

Now, I'm supposed to tag 4 (x 2) others:

Lara
Angee
Hilary
Lesa
Tawnya
Lora
Lorie
Shauntae

Surreal... but Nice

Valentine's Day was great. Beck and I went to the Elementary School and helped with the Valentine's Tea. It was really fun! The kids get all dressed up in their "Sunday Best" and they learn table manners and etiquette and such and then, they get to sit down to a little "tea party" with cake and punch.

"Peace, Mom"

Zoe was really excited for Valentine's Day:
I painted their nails that morning:
Then I told them to be silly:
It comes quite naturally to them:

Zoe at the tea party with her class:

Kaia with her class:

When Zeke got home from work, he brought flowers for ALL the girls. (And I didn't get a picture of him walking in the door! Dang!! He looked so cute.) Sorry for the lovely backdrop... our kids don't hold still very long. Our photography "rule" is very similar to golf: "Play the ball where it lies." Um, we need to change that. That's Beck's "potty chart" in the background and our trim still isn't finished along that wall. Well, it's us.Beck wanted a picture with the flowers too:

For dinner that night, we made heart-shaped pizzas and had ice cream sundaes with all sorts of fun toppings. We put the kids to bed early and curled up together and watched a movie. We also had Spumoni ice cream of course!

My husband is my very best friend. I just realized I didn't get a picture of us together... I need to do better. Well, here's an oldie, but a goodie. This is from Girls's Choice 1990 or 91? Yes, that really is me behind all that hair and make-up! Good times :)
Just FYI, I also have a very cool 12 year old son... he does NOT want to be on my blog... unless it's something cool. Well, Gabe, our definitions of cool might be different, but I love you anyway :)

Wonderful "Wii"-kend

We went to visit my parents over the weekend. It was really fun, but as usual, just as CRAZY! We adopted Noira on Thursday and I was worried she would run away since she doesn't really know us yet, so we took her with us! Yeah, have you ever traveled with a cat? Nope, we haven't either. But there was no way I was waiting any longer to see my Mom! Noira was actually really good and it ended up being a lot of fun to have her there.

My Dad really enjoyed Noira:

We finally exchanged Christmas presents:

The much awaited Pillow Pets!!

Ecclesiastes 3:4 "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to DANCE..." (Thank you, Kevin Bacon!)

My parents got us "Just Dance" for our Wii. We "just happened" to bring our Wii with us. It is REALLY fun. My Mom was even doing it, but she refused to hold a controller. How funny! Zoe was doing better than anyone. Zeke took some pictures of us while we were dancing to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. Yeah, I'm a nerd, but it was awesome:

The kids always love doing crafts at Grandma's House.

Thanks to my niece, Angee, for the great presents!

I love Zoe's tongue in this picture:
The boys had to engage in their traditional wrestling match
(or two or three):
What is it about wrestling at Grandma's house?

We watched the movie "Despicable Me" with Steve Carell. I have to tell you, I didn't think I would like it. Zeke and the kids really wanted to see it. My Mom got the DVD from my brother, Brady, for Christmas. Guess what? "Light bulb!" I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!! Really, it was that good to warrant 9 exclamation points. It made me cry and laugh and feel all warm and fuzzy inside (the best kind of movies). I am definitely going to watch it again:

(photo from Internet Movie Database)

On the way home, we stopped at Jody's house (my brother). He and his wife, Kiersten, fed us some yummy dinner and we laughed so hard I thought I would choke. They are so fun! I'm just a sappy little sister I'm sure, but my brothers are SO cool. I just think they are AWESOME! Jody reminds me a lot of Zeke (and vice versa). They are so kind-hearted and generous. They're always making jokes and impersonating voices and not being too serious. It's so good for me. Kiersten is so spunky, I think she's the only person who could put up with Jody. I mean, Jody is great, but he and Zeke can be so exhausting with their silliness sometimes. Gabe thinks Jody is the coolest guy ever. Jody gave Gabe his old amp "just in case" Gabe gets an electric guitar for his birthday. Their kids are SO cute. And well, I left my camera in the car :(

But this is Oskar, Beck, Max, and Kaia when we visited them in August
(I could NOT get them to hold still!):

Here's my wonderful brother, Jody, with baby Samantha
(she's just 4 days old in this picture):

I can take a hint!

Here I am. Monday, January 3rd, 2011. The 3 older kids are back at school again. Zeke is at work. Beck is watching "Kipper" (Thank you, Netflix!) And I'm thinking I need to post on my blog... it's been a week and that's a long time for me!

This last week has been a blur. The entire holiday break is a blur. But we did have fun in spite of all the sickness. And more importantly, we are feeling better for the most part. I'm doing as well as I can right now.

Way back in January 2007, my Dad had a heart attack and I wanted to go see him. Zeke was so wonderful. He took off work and stayed home with the kids so I could drive to Orem where my Dad was in the hospital. Only one problem: my retarded bladder was acting up again. (FYI, stress is one of the triggers for my IC) I remember Zeke gave me a blessing before I left and it was one of those blessings that you didn't really feel better, but you felt peace at the same time. Does that make any sense at all? Probably not. But he said something like, "You will have health problems your entire life, but you will be able to enjoy your life in spite of them." It took my breath away, but at the same time I already knew that would be my fate. I am just so thankful to be here.

I don't suffer from any serious/major health problems really, but I always have something. Anyway, my IC has been terrible this Christmas. Dr. Pitcher gave me a HUGE list of foods that can be triggers for a flare up. Chocolate is one of them. I'm almost positive it affects me. NOT CHOCOLATE! I love chocolate so much! Really. But as horrible as I have felt, it's an easy trade. 2011 will be very different in that respect. But I might fudge a little on that one now and then, no pun intended!

We watched two great movies over the holiday:

"Avalon High" -- A Disney movie made from a book by Meg Cabot (author of the Princess Diaries). Now, this movie won't win any major awards, but I LOVED it! We all did! The twist at the end was AWESOME! I love when I'm surprised by a movie. Very cute. It's all about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot, and Queen Guinevere. My kind of movie.

"Stone of Destiny" -- true story about Ian Hamilton, a guy from Scotland who tried to raid Westminster Abbey in 1951 to bring back the "Stone on Scone" a symbol of Scottish pride back to Scotland where it should be. LOVED THIS!! Charlie Cox from "Stardust" starred in this movie. He's great.

Gabe made shoes out of duct tape! He is so creative.
He actually wore them to school today. :)

On New Year's Eve, we took the kids bowling. It was great!
This was Beck's first time :)

Zeke cooked steak and homemade fries for us and we also had Fortune Cookies (one of our New Year's traditions). I guess I'm the kind of person that believes in fate and destiny and all that, but I try to take my fortunes pretty seriously. The rest of the family got happy, predictable, positive fortunes like: "You will be very prosperous and successful in your business ventures." or "Your travel plans will take an exciting turn this year." or "Your wit and ingenuity will bring great success to your life."

Well, this was my fortune for 2011:

"There is a time to be practical -- NOW."

Coincidence, no! Remember the quote from Elder Holland, "A coincidence is just a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous." This fortune was PERFECT for me. Not exactly what I wanted to hear (not at all really), but I can take a hint.

I have too many plans, I'm trying to run faster than I am able and I know I just need to slow down. For now, my New Year's plans are to:

1. Join the Ward Choir (I've been waiting for the "perfect" timing and I think this is as good as it's going to get)

2. Finish writing my book... more details later. I actually have 3 book ideas, but I've decided to focus on one this year and see if I can actually get it published.

3. Take better care of myself.

4. AND take Ballroom Dance lessons with Zeke! (Did I tell you that was his Christmas present to me?) I was so excited, I started crying when I opened the envelope.

Happy New Year!!

I forgot to add a scripture to go with this post (this is one of my goals for the year as well):

Jacob 6:12 says, "O be wise; what can I say more?"

WA-HOO!!!!

You know the movie "I.Q." with Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins? I love that movie.

What makes me go "Wa-hoo?"
Zeke just finished his Bachelor's Degree yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(but you need to say it like Albert Einstein/Walter Matthau: "vah-hoo!")

He has been in school off and on since before we got married almost 15 years ago! He has been in school continuously for the last 3 years! And he's been working full-time. I am so proud of him!
I am so glad he's done.

It will be so nice to have him back. Poor guy, the last 3 years have been HARD. When he is home (which is rare), he's either so tired he can't keep his eyes open, or so spacey that he can't function. I don't know how we've done it all... and during most of the last 3 years, I was serving as the YW President in our ward and Zeke was the Stake YM President. CRAZY!

I feel like this will be a new chapter. Heck, a new BOOK!! Zeke asked me what I want for Christmas... I told him, "I want to go to the temple with YOU! and I want you to watch the kids so I can do whatever I want for at least 3 or 4 hours all by myself!" Yeah, that is what I want.

YAY!!!! We are so blessed. Heavenly Father has given us miracles (great and small) all along the way to make this possible. I am so thankful. It really is a miracle!

I love this quote: "To live through a period of stress and sorrow with another human being creates a bond which nothing seems able to break." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Graduate he did!!

P.S. I just realized this is my 100th post!!! Hooray! Happy 100th! What a great post too :)

In case you were wondering...

Why I love my children:

They just have so much fun!
We found some stray pipe cleaners in the art cupboard.

I really enjoy cooking:
I made Butter Chicken and Garlic Naan on Saturday... it was awesome! My friend, Jessica, gave me the recipes: seriously, if you've never tried Indian food before, you should. I didn't think I would like it, but I LOVE it. If you want the recipes, let me know. Jessica is so awesome! I was having trouble finding an ingredient and she brought some to my house. FYI, "garam masala" is a spice blend and your grocer probably has it, even if they tell you they don't!

Moments when I don't enjoy being a mother:
My dear son, Gabe, thought it would be funny to get on my Facebook account and post a status as me: "My son wants a phone. Do you think I should get him one?" So by the time I checked my FB later that night, there were 18 public comments and 2 private ones... either cheering me on, "of course, why not?" or condemning me for even considering it!

Basically, I was really TICKED OFF!! (Think of Jack Black on "School of Rock") And I guess it wasn't that big of deal... other than it really embarrassed me and put me on the spot and Gabe shouldn't post on my Facebook. First of all, I would never say that... I do my own thing and I would not ask for public advice about that. Mostly though, "cell phones" are a "we're not having a conversation about this topic" topic. Gabe already knows how we feel about it. He was trying to get the sympathy and sway of the masses to change our minds. "Everybody has one, Mom!" Anyway, all is forgiven, but Gabe has lost some computer time. And he's still NOT getting a phone. I don't even have a cell phone. He's only 12! Did you know, "he's the ONLY kid in school that doesn't have a phone?!" Poor baby! I'm sure! (Aren't I mean?!)

Moments when I enjoy being a Mother:
Zeke buzzed Beck's hair; he looks so handsome. It's been getting pretty long... I took him to the store on Friday and hadn't combed it... he was also wearing sweat pants and sneakers... he looked so goofy, poor guy. He looks SO cute now. It really is the best haircut for a 2 year old boy; you know he just loves having his hair combed.

Beck says, "How was dat one, Mommy?"

Why I love Logan:
We had our first snowstorm of the season on Saturday... the girls immediately got on their snow gear and went outside (Beck was asleep and Gabe was at a birthday party, otherwise, they'd be with them for sure.) Snow is just so beautiful. I love to I go outside at night when it's snowing... everything is so peaceful and quiet.

Why I love our neighbors:
Our wonderful neighbors, David and Lora, needed help moving in a deep freeze on Saturday and they gave us the box. THANKS, Guys!! It was the perfect distraction for a stormy weekend. The girls have been making different curtains... pictures to follow... (They told me they aren't done yet and I can take pictures later! These girls are serious about this box! Gabe and Beck just want to wrestle in it.)

My other two children:
I'm having serious relationship issues... with my two cats!! They just do NOT get along. Well, actually Pippin is just MEAN and NASTY to Caspian. Poor Cassie! I talked with my MIL, Patty, about it. She's good with animals and knows everything about them. She has a degree in Biology and even worked at a veterinary clinic for awhile. She says I need to get Pippin's hormone and thyroid levels checked. He is SO aggressive.. and he hasn't always been quite this bad either.

Me with Caspian (I'm not picking favorites here am I?)

Pippin sleeping with Kaia. He's really sweet with people...This is my Mother in law, Patty.
She is the epitome of groovy in my book.
Don't you think Zoe looks like her?

Why I LOVE the Logan Library:
We just watched "Hairspray" for the first time. I LOVED it. A LOT! Zeke and I also watched "The Legend of Bagger Vance" last night. That show makes me cry every time. I love how it ends... nobody wins, nobody loses, everyone just has FUN! Other movies we watched this weekend that I love: "Nim's Island", "Night at the Museum" (Beck keeps saying, "Dumb dumb, give me gum gum!) and "My Neighbor Totoro":

You should really see this movie! (picture courtesy of Wikipedia)

Why Beck makes me laugh:
Beck stood up in his chair during dinner, poked his tummy out, and was straining himself so much that his face was going red. His eyes were glazed over and he was concentrating on something. We were all laughing and I said, "Beck, what are you doing?" He was VERY serious and said matter-of-factly, "I'm peeing in my diaper, Mom!" Okay, we need to get this kid potty-trained. (I'm really glad he had a diaper on... or the pee would have landed on his plate!)

Why I feel old:
Zoe's birthday is next week. She'll be 10! I can't believe it. She was my only baby born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We've got a big party planned, too big, really, but it's okay... Zoe's so sweet and tenderhearted, she doesn't want to leave anyone out, so she invites all the girls in her school class and a few extra special friends. (Okay, so that's like 20 girls!!??) yeah, I'm nuts, but look at this face:

Zeke and Zoe from the Daddy-Daughter Date a couple weeks ago...
Did I already post this picture? Sorry if I did, but I LOVE it.Being silly!

I'm trying to be a good wife (really):

I can NOT wait to put up our Christmas decorations... Zeke always says not until the day after Thanksgiving... now, just so you know, Zeke doesn't really put his foot down about anything with me, he's very permissive about everything. (Paint the walls red, yellow, and green, Why not? Rip out the pantry and remodel the kitchen, again? Sure! What the heck? Yeah.) So I'll wait for him. He just wants Thanksgiving to be Thanksgiving and I can agree with that... but you know how people get up at 3 or 4 am on Black Friday to go shopping? Well, I'll be up digging out all my Christmas stuff... technically I could do it at midnight...hmm, tempting.

I am so thankful for my husband. He likes me even though I'm a weirdo and that's pretty darn cool.

Yay for cameras, chairs, and radish earrings. Boo for me!

I'm so happy, I got a new camera today, just an inexpensive Sony Cybershot, but a new digital camera nonetheless. Woo hoo! I found out it would be way more than the price of my previous camera to have it fixed, so here we go again. FYI: Cameras do NOT bounce! That cute little strap isn't just for looks, it's like a Wii strap -- it's there for a reason! Put it on your wrist so when your hands let go of the camera while you're holding everything else, it doesn't hit the floor. I dropped our first camera last June. Beck dropped our second camera last week. Our new camera is bright orange! So it must be awesome, right? I wish I could take a picture of it. Let's hope it stays "un-dropped" for awhile.

(drum roll....)
The first picture with the new camera, ironically it's us:
The Camera Destroyers... I'm pretty sure this new camera feels threatened already. At our house, it should.

Our new chairs ($30 each... oh yeah!) We really like red and black (obviously). They're kind of funky; they remind me of licorice or checkers. We decided to put them together all mixed up just because we can. Ha! I love that Zeke and I like the same stuff. We assembled them while watching "You've Got Mail". I have to say that is one of my all-time favorite movies. "I can't help myself!" For years I've been wanting to find that dessert picture Meg Ryan has on the wall in her kitchen. It would look great with my new chairs. (If that isn't a hint for a Christmas present, then I don't know what is.)

I haven't been feeling well... unfortunately, this is a recurring theme with me. I went to the doctor this morning. I am full of infection: sinus, ears, urinary tract... just the usual stuff for me. But I'm sick of being sick. The doctor also said I'm dehydrated... that's hard to believe because I drink water like crazy, but it would partly explain why I've been so tired. And oh yeah, I'm anemic (no, really?!). I think I've always been anemic. I can honestly say for at least 20 hours of every day, I'm thinking of a big juicy steak. Aren't you? Maybe I'm a vampire...

I went to the store and got the kids some gummy vitamins to help me feel like I'm fighting back the impending cold/flu season. "Wall-e" for the boys and "Tinkerbell" for the girls ;) I took some Tinkerbell ones for myself. Maybe my tummy can handle the kiddie vitamins. Sheesh!

Anyway, my doctor wants me to see a urologist tomorrow for the recurring UTI's. (I'm joining a club, by the way, with my friend, Stephanie) I think I would rather have E-coli than a UTI (I am NOT kidding!) I'm such a chicken baby. I don't want to go to the urologist :( that does NOT sound like fun in any sense of the word. What have I done to deserve this cruel and unusual punishment? Okay, don't answer that. I won't! I wish magic was real. I could wave my wand and say "Body Reparo" and Ta-da!

Maybe I should wear my Halloween costume to the appointment? At least the doctor would be more interested in my radish earrings...

Can you guess what my costume is going to be?
If you can, you must be cool (like me).

I have a hard time not feeling discouraged by always being sick. I was going really good for almost a year or so... but I have to remember there is "opposition in all things". Maybe Heavenly Father was just keeping me healthy until we had money to pay for all my doctor visits and medicine. Go figure. Okay, I'm going to give myself a big dose of ice cream tonight. Doctor's orders!

Toothless, Hiccup, Costume Frenzy and "Sorry to all who know me"

(Photo of Toothless from Wikipedia)

Ok, I always say "this post will be quick" but really this one will.

We rented "How to train your dragon" Friday night from the Redbox. We absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED it! So much! Yep, it's very cute. Toothless is the cutest dragon I have ever seen! He reminds me of our big gray cat, Caspian. I am so amazed at the technology and computer animation in this movie. The water and fire look real. Even though Kaia said that I'm Astrid and she's Toothless, I feel more like Hiccup; always messing up, always misunderstood. Kinda like "Flik" in "A Bug's Life". Another good movie by the way. My kids have been drawing dragons all weekend.

Halloween is coming too fast. My girls need their costumes finished by tomorrow for a party at TaVaci. I'm in trouble. Previous lack of funds and sickness have put the costumes on hold. So today is the day! Better get sewing! They are halfway done I suppose, but with a 2 year old.... yeah.

Lastly, for those of you that don't know me too well and again for those of you that do, I just want to say "Sorry for being weird" right up front. I honestly don't want to offend anyone, but I have been told I am a bit of a "germaphobe". It's not the germs I am afraid of ... it's the late night ER visits and hospital stays that aren't my favorite. Yeah, call me crazy, but they're not fun. You wouldn't like it either. I promise.

I haven't always been this way... Kaia got a simple little cold during Christmas 5 years ago and we had to stay overnight in the ER with her. Kaia and Beck both have "Reactive Airway Disease" or sometimes it's called "Illness-induced asthma" meaning, when most people get a little cold, they get bronchitis or pneumonia every time. REALLY. It's so scary to see them wheezing and gasping for air. They get really high fevers as well. Earlier this year, Kaia was so sick, her lips were blue. And when she was three years old, I was driving her to the ER and she actually lost consciousness.

Anyway, I have been ostracized and even made fun of by a few individuals for my behavior (like using hand sanitizer, not wanting to be around sick people, not shaking people's hands -- yeah, crazy I guess.) It's hard for other people to understand unless they KNOW what it's like. I don't think other people aren't clean. Everyone gets sick. Everyone has germs. I'm just trying to protect my children the best I can. And I hope everyone can understand that. I just always feel like I have to explain myself.

I feel bad because we had a movie night planned with some friends and I didn't know one of them was sick so I told Zeke we had to cancel. Sorry guys... it's not you, it's me. I promise.

My Mom goes through the same thing with my Dad with his COPD. She just says I can't worry about what people think, but it's hard not to. :(

Confessions of a Book Snob, Seven Silly Eaters, and Tortellini Vegetable Soup

I was in a blogging frenzy last week.... this week, not so much. I've just been busy taking care of my children and my house and the million other little things that go along with it.

I'm feeling a little "link happy" this morning...
you have been warned.

Saturday night, we rented "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" from the Redbox. Zoe and Gabe have loved the books and we have been wanting to see it. We really enjoyed the movie, even though it strayed from the book quite a bit. I thought it was hilarious... some of you Moms out there may think a few scenes are a bit off-color or whatever... maybe you don't have sons, but it's okay, I forgive you. It's a cute family show and I would watch it again. Steve Zahn is the dad, and he is one of my all time favorite actors for sure. So funny!

I've decided I need to confess something... I am a total "BOOK SNOB". Yep, it's true. I'm sorry, I'm working on it. I get bugged when people freak out and gush and swoon over movies such as "Chronicles of Narnia", "Harry Potter", "The Lightning Thief", and now "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". I'm sure there's more... don't get me started. And I am happy so many people have enjoyed these movies and have been exposed to them, because they are such wonderful stories... but the books are SO MUCH BETTER!!! They are missing out... "The Lightning Thief" for example, is NOTHING like the book! Who is Clarisse? yeah, I bet most people don't know. I guess I just need to let it go.... my husband makes fun of me. I am obsessed with Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy books. I'm almost 36 years old, so maybe that's a little strange, but I don't care. Maybe you won't be as upset as I am when they leave out or change major parts of your favorite book. Then you don't know what's missing so you can just enjoy Annabeth, even though she isn't mean at all and she doesn't have brown hair! Yeah, I have a problem.

Just one more thing, "Dear screen play writers and movie producers, please take special care of my good friend, Fablehaven"!!

ok, breathe...... I'm good.

So now, I have a wonderful book, I want to recommend to you. It is one of our family's top ten favorites! It's called, "The Seven Silly Eaters". Read it, you will love it. It almost makes we want more children (I said ALMOST!) And I don't think anyone will ever make a movie of it for me to complain about either.
This is Kaia and me reading a book (July 2007-ish)

Tonight for dinner, I'm making one of my favorite soup recipes. I got it from my good friend and neighbor, Lorie. Thanks, Lorie.
It's called "Tortellini Vegetable Soup"

Here it is:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small zucchini, diced
5 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
1 med. onion, chopped
1 med. carrot, peeled and diced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
8-9 oz. fresh or frozen tortellini (meat or cheese filled)
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot. Add the vegetables (except tomatoes) and saute over moderate heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the stock, basil, bay leaf, tomatoes, and salt. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add the tortellini and bring the soup back to a low boil. Cook for 2 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer for another 5-6 minutes. Gently stir in the parsley and pepper during the last minute or so. Goes great with a big loaf of french bread :) Mmmmmm, I love soup in the fall!

My name is La5cy (the 5 is silent)

Ok, imagine for a moment, that you're the kind of person that loves music. I mean really LOVES music of all kinds. You especially enjoy ska, punk (as long as it's clean), alternative, 70's rock, 80's hair bands (YEP!) and even David Bowie. Imagine that you're the kind of person that enjoys watching movies where the underdog comes out on top, where there's a cheesy love story, a good dash of comedy, and an "old-fashioned" happy ending. AND!! Reach down deep inside the imagination center of your brain.... imagine that you are a person that likes Vanessa Hudgens. Ok, are you imagining all of these things? Are you wondering what sort of weirdo could possibly like all that stuff?! Well, believe it or not, this weirdo is ME!

Zeke and I watched the movie, "Bandslam" over the weekend. We liked it SO much, we watched it the next day with all the kids! (I rarely watch a movie twice in a row.... rarely) Now, I'm not too critical when it comes to movies (picky, yes! critical, no). I don't follow the Oscars, I don't watch movies just because people say, "You have to see this! The cinematography is spectacular! The special effects are amazing! The acting is phenomenal!" I watch movies that make me laugh and cry all at the same time AND make me feel good when it's over. (And just for the record, "I am Legend" is NOT one of those movies...)

WARNING! This paragraph contains thoughts from the "parent" part of my brain... This movie even has great life lessons like: standing up for yourself and others, never giving up, loyalty, forgiveness, honesty, hard work, stepping out of your comfort zone, and pursuing your dreams.....

This movie also features a great ska-inspired cover of "Everything I own" from the band, Bread. (enough said)

Anyway, there's a scene where the main character gets "lips-on" training in how to kiss a girl. He then, takes this "training" and attempts to employ it on the girl he really likes. Yes, I'm a sentimental, mushy, romantic, cheesy person, but it was SO sweet! And the second time we watched it was even better! Gabe and Zoe were watching it with us, as well as two of their friends... I enjoyed watching their reactions to this attempted kiss more than the movie itself. Do you remember your first kiss? I do! And my stomach still gets butterflies when I think about it.....