Verboten

Or, why my posts will have no [current] pictures for a little while. And this is really all in my head, because I have a less than perfect understanding with my computer right now. :) One of my Christmas presents was a new internal hard drive to supplement our old 40-gig hard drive. I filled that one completely up with itunes and digital photographs. My dh [who is pretty much capable of anything, I've discovered] installed the new drive- there was a spot for it, but no hardware to attach it, so he figured all that out, too. Now we're backing up all the current memory, and then we'll switch the pics and tunes to the new drive, and *gulp* erase them from the old drive. So, while all the backing up is going on, I have not downloaded or saved any pictures. And I have taken a few since our trip to LV. Mostly this is because there really is NO ROOM left on the old hard drive. Partly it is also because I'm afraid if I add anything before the [long and extremely slow] back-up process is complete, the whole darn thing will have to restart.

So this is a summary of the last few days: Friday we drove down to a hunt club, and FINALLY took the kids out for a pheasant hunt. [we stopped along the way to see Nate and Caitlin & their boys, and played with all Saxon's new cars] We hunted the gully [that's a very small canyon, BTW] right next to an access road, which meant that Jared and the dogs walked in/near the gully to look for birds, and I walked along the road with any kids that weren't following him. LOL, I have now held 2- yes, TWO- dead pheasants. Oh the things I will do for love ;). Jared was the only one with a gun [thank goodness], and we made sure we stayed behind him, so he knew where NOT to shoot. We ended up with 4 of the fattest pheasants you'll ever see. Or maybe you won't, depending on the whole picture/hard drive thing...

Left the hunt club, drove to my parents' house for games and dinner, and ended up spending the night, which was probably the safer choice. Saturday was a pretty laid-back day; pancakes for breakfast [thanks to my mom, who is an awesome cook], and lots of snow in the yard. Jared spent most of the morning outside with Kyle, Emmeline, Cassie [she's the honorary canine cousin], Alyson, and all our kids, building a huge snow fort. Actually, it is an igloo- it has a roof, and it's tall enough to stand up in. I did go outside and try it out, and take some pics.

We drove home by way of Provo Canyon through Heber, and checked on my grandparents' house- it's for sale now, which is kind of hard, but understandable. We also stopped at the cemetery [kids were all asleep in the back seat- late nights and lots of outdoor exercise, I guess], and Jared shovelled a path from the road into Myles' grave, and my grandparents' and great-grandparents' graves as well. We brushed off the snow, and tidied things up a bit, then headed home. We made it home in one piece- no accidents or close calls- and fed everybody and went to bed. Yesterday was a normal church day, and we had roast pheasant for dinner. Yep, we eat our kills. Anyway, because they're farm raised, and fed like chickens, they basically taste like chicken. I just need to comment that Jared and I came to an agreement early in our marriage: he shoots it, he cleans it, and he prepares it. I'm happy to taste anything, but I do not prepare wild game of any kind. So, yes, Jared cooked the pheasant ;)

Today, we're slowly working our way through a normal day- chores, school, etc. At least, that's the plan. Who knows what might happen?

Gratitude List:
* heat! Oh I am so glad I have a furnace that works :)
* warm oatmeal [with brown sugar and cranberries] and hot cocoa for breakfast. The cocoa isn't exactly healthy, but it feeds my soul, so it stays.
* kids who are old enough to have morning chores, like 'put the dogs outside and feed them.'
* good church meeting yesterday
* my kids
* my husband ;)
* my family and friends
* having my own set of scripture [I mean, 200 years ago, I'd be lucky to know how to read, much less own ANY books at all]

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

and if we had a fire, I'm sure it would be delightful :). We woke up this morning to more than presents from Santa- we had a full-on blizzard raging outside our windows! So much for visiting family this afternoon. I have snow stuck in the upper corners of my window- in between the screen and the glass- because it was so windy. I bet we got 8 or 10 inches [depending on where you measure], and we're due for more tomorrow. We had 2 hours without power, which was interesting. I had the stove on, cooking chukar soup [like chicken noodle soup, but with a different bird] and heating up some wassail, so the kitchen stayed nice and warm 'till the power returned. Thank goodness for gas-powered appliances!

We're going hunting tomorrow. Yes, this is the family hunting trip that has been postponed twice already due to ... WEATHER ... and we're going for the third one, baby. I am doing this because I want to spend time as a family, doing something that my dh loves to do. :) And I think my kids really need to be outside for awhile. That didn't happen today, for various reasons.

On a good note, I am knitting again. This time it's a kicking bag, and since I'm giving it to somebody who sees this blog, I won't be posting pictures, or explaining exactly what a 'kicking bag' really is. At least, not until I've given it away ;). But because of this little project, I have finally tackled [and sort of mastered] knitting a cable stitch. Hooray!

Oh, and I finished "Undaunted Courage" which is an autobiography about Meriweather Lewis. I first heard of the book when we were up in Montana, and promised myself I would find it and read it. I continue to be amazed at the men [and women] who explored and settled this country. Wow. **Jared's reading it now LOL**

Gratitude List:
* our neighbor has come by TWICE today and cleared our sidewalk and driveway with his snowblower. I love our neighbors!
* Santa Claus brought just enough candy- the kids ate it all, so tomorrow should be relatively normal.
* the workers who fixed the power outage in my area, on Christmas Day, so my house would stay warm tonight.
* any calories consumed on major holidays do not count.
* okay, that last one was more wishful thinking than reality. I AM grateful that my problem with food is that I have too much, rather than too little.
* new snow tires, and a 4-wheel-drive vehicle that "dominates" the snow :)
* no school ;) so this teacher can relax for a few days.
* Today was a good day.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

a little memory

This picture that my SIL Emily took seems so appropriate right now- Myles is holding a flashlight, and grinning and squinting at the camera. He loved playing with flashlights- I have a wind-up one I still carry in my purse [you never know when you'll need a good flashlight, after all...] that he thought was his personal flashlight. I'd get it out and wind it up and turn it on for him, and he'd grin and go around the house with it, exploring and trying to wind up the crank and push the buttons himself. He brought so much light to our family.

I want so much to have him as a part of our Christmas this year, and he won't be here except in our memories of him. I don't want to spoil my kids' Christmas day by expecting them to stay solemn and reverent while there are presents to unwrap- they deserve to be allowed to enjoy those presents and express their joy and excitement without me getting upset. But Myles is a part of our family, and I do want him included in this holiday, so I'm planning to do something Christmas Eve. This is usually the time that we discuss why our family celebrates Christmas- that we're celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We tell them about the Atonement that He made, and how this is a gift to us, and then we talk about the gifts we can give Jesus: not wrapped presents, but gifts like obedience to the commandments of God, and honest efforts to better ourselves by following Jesus' example. We usually read the story in Luke of the birth of Jesus Christ, and it seems that remembering our own little angel fits in well with the rest of these sacred, special events.

It has been hard to get excited about toys, and lights, and reindeer and Santa Claus when I wish so much I could watch Myles enjoying and discovering these things for himself. But I have 3 kids who need me to be excited, so I try to focus on them, and enjoy the moments we are sharing.

On a lighter note, we're starting to find presents around the house. My favorite so far is from Morgen to Rudolph, and it was chewing gum. One of her brothers opened it and took the gum, and there was quite a bit of yelling when this thievery was discovered ;). The more traditional presents [from friends and family] have ended up mostly under the tree, and tonight should bring the delivery of still more gifts.

Gratitude List:
* my sons and daughter
* my husband
* we have snow! :) I love Christmastime with snow.
* chocolate oranges [and I'm also grateful they are not sold all year long, because they are highly addictive]
* itunes, which has an enormous selection of my favorite Christmas tunes
* my early Christmas present- a new hard drive- so I have room for the stuff I'm downloading from itunes, and for all those pictures I keep taking.
* friends and family, and that I enjoy spending time with both.
* the opportunity to share the joy of anonymous giving with Santa Claus
* my heater works, and so does my dishwasher
* space in my house. I don't have to worry about my loud kids disturbing neighbors upstairs/downstairs/next door because we have our own house.
* we have enough for ourselves and to share with others. That is a great blessing right now.
* Oh, and gas is down to $1.30 :) thank you, thank you, thank you!

Joy

no, not my sister ;) although I love her and LOVE seeing her name all over this time of year LOL.

A friend of mine posted this link [Joy to Everyone] on her blog, and I needed to share it here.

I'll just say that it is a beautiful video/song, and it is still bringing tears to my eyes everytime I listen to it on my ipod. Because after I found it I had to download it [and it was free!!] and I'm listening over and over...

Merry Christmas to you all :)

White again?

Apparently our traveling is meant to be white this year- we left my in-laws this morning and it was snowing :). The storm followed us all the way home, and as I type this it is still snowing- the gentle sprinkle of powdered sugar-snow over the ground and trees. It is so still, so calm, and so perfect, and I'm feeling a serenity that is not often present in my life of late.

Anyway, we made it home with no mishaps- minor or major- and got everyone fed and in bed. I have a stack of cool presents [no pictures ;) don't want to spoil the surprise] to wrap, and a LOT of baking to do in the next week.

We had a pretty great vacation, all in all. I managed to get a few items checked off my to-do list, and we also spent almost the whole day Thursday in Carson City. Did you know that the capital of Nevada is NOT Las Vegas? Yep, it's CC, and we were able to tour the State Capitol, and play in the Children's Museum, and walk through a mock mine [which even smelled like a real mine!] in the basement of the Nevada State Historical Museum. :)We took a lunch break at Red's Old 395 Grill [no, not for the beer LOL]. There are lots of old wagons and buggies hanging from the high ceiling of the restaurant, and we loved the switched signs in the bathrooms- the inside of the door in the Men's Room says "Women" [and the Women's Room says "Men"], so I immediately had a moment of panic, thinking I'd walked into the wrong room LOL. Walker and Hyrum thought it was a great joke, after they figured out it was a joke! We met up with my BIL Jon and a friend of his, and spent a little while visiting, while the kids finished their food.

Mostly we spent time with family, playing games and watching movies, shopping, and looking for gemstones out in the middle of the desert. :)Lots of fun, and over too soon, but we know we didn't wear out our welcome.

Gratitude list:
* We made it to Fallon and back, over mountain passes, without any accidents- car or child LOL.
* My in-laws actually like me [miracle right there] and love to play with my children.
* Neighbors who anonymously cleared the snow off our driveway :)
* That I have a warm house to come home to.
* Putting up my MIL's extensive collection of nativities and angels- a beautiful reminder of why we celebrate Christmas.
* my new ipod earbuds, which block a lot of noise even when my ipod is silent, which made our car ride home more peaceful [for me, anyway].
* snow on the ground and dusting the trees.
* a dh who made dinner for my kids while I sorted our mail from this week.
* I know that my Father in heaven loves me.

I opened my mouth...

and wished for snow, and what do you know? This morning when I woke up, it was snowing! Beautiful fluffly white flakes, gently falling onto the ground, and the car that we were packing so we could DRIVE to my in-laws today LOL. Thankfully, the snow didn't stick to the roads at all. We made it to Fallon just fine :)

I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed our Las Vegas trip- California was great, but I got really stressed out because we were all in a small room, and none of my children have a mute button. Plus, driving in the CA traffic pretty much terrifies me, so I drove w/ one hand on the wheel, holding my printed directions, and the other was on the gearshift. Vegas was totally different. I don't know if it is because I'm getting used to being out of my comfort zone, or if God has finally blessed me with the patience I so obviously lack :). Even when I got lost, I never felt panicked at all, I just drove until I figured out where I was, and where I wanted to go, and things worked out just fine. We really had a great time down there.

We drove down Sunday, and stopped to do a few geocaches along the way. Those are fun, because we're pretty good at spotting possible hiding spots for them now, and it is nice to have a good reason to drag everybody out of the car to stretch their legs and run around for a minute or two. When we got into Vegas, we drove straight to Josh & Brooks' house, and ate dinner with their family. Quinn, Angela, and their two boys came over, so it was a huge cousin get-together. I got to hold Angela's baby, and he was cuddly and sweet and spitting up just like my babies used to:) We left about bedtime, and headed over to the casino to check in. That was interesting; to parade through the slot machines on our way to the elevators, and try to explain to my 5-year-old WHY people like to play games that lose them money. I ended up telling him that we don't gamble because we don't think that losing money is fun, which made perfect sense to him. Monday morning we did schoolwork at a park down the street, then drove over to Angela's to meet up w/her and Brooks, and take the kids to see "Siegfried and Roy's Dolphin Habitat and Secret Garden" at the Mirage. It was pretty incredible! We had my 3 kids, Brooks' 2 boys [they're 4 and 2], and Angela's 2 boys [2 and almost 3 months]. Strollers were fun :) but there were so many cool things to see that we really didn't need to worry about the kids wandering off. Morgen and Walker rode home with Brooks, and I took her Ethan with Hyrum and me back to the casino to pick up Jared. We stopped for pizza, then ate at Josh and Brooks' house again- I am SO GLAD we didn't have to spend much time in the casino! The room was fine, but the lobby was just smoky and not at all child-friendly. Blech.

So Tuesday we drove down to Boulder City to see the Hoover Dam. Incidentally, did you know that gambling is illegal in Boulder City? Yep. It's the only town in the entire state of Nevada that doesn't allow gambling at all. LOL, there's a huge casino just outside the city limits, though, in case anybody visiting Boulder City should happen to miss out on that whole 'game where you lose money' thing. So, we stopped in Boulder City to look through the local Dam Museum. They call it the Boulder Dam, which is another story all by itself, but there was a lot of interesting information there. The very nice docent made sure I knew that EVERYTHING [and she stressed that several times] was hands-on, so I should please help my kids touch and explore all the exhibits. LOLOL, anybody who is familiar with my kids knows that they have absolutely no problem touching things! We really enjoyed the tour, though, and after we finished at the museum, we ate a quick lunch and headed over to the dam.

The parking lot across the street from HD's visitor's center is very squeaky- I noticed that every time I turned my tires, I heard a horrible nails-on-a-blackboard sound, and it wasn't only my tires. Every car we saw, we heard those same awful squealing sounds first. So we parked, and walked down the 3 stories' worth of stairs, then across the street and down another flight of stairs to where the tours of the dam begin. We had to go through security, and that's when I found out I couldn't take my pocketknife into the dam. *sigh* Okay, back up all the stairs, to the car, put my huge purse into the car and kept keys, water and my camera, then headed back down the stairs again. Halfway down, I realized that I'd left my pocketknife IN MY POCKET, so we climbed back up to the car again, and this time I made sure I left that little piece of prohibited hardware inside the jockeybox. LOL, finally ready to take the tour, we headed back down those stairs one more time, and got into the tour with 4 minutes to spare.

Our guide was excellent- funny, but not rehearsed, and I was really glad we'd spent the time at the museum first, because a lot of the information she gave us we had already seen, and my kids understood better, and were able to make connections about the people and equipment that they wouldn't have otherwise. The whole structure and story of the building of this dam pretty much leaves me breathless. Just the amount of concrete alone is staggering, and all the engineering problems they ran into- figuring out how to cool the concrete so it would set properly, the whole set-up of roads to bring men and machines to the mine itself, diverting the Colorado River so they could build the dam in the first place, all I can say is WOW. We probably could have spent the entire day there, just looking at the dam and exploring everything. :)I have to say that the funniest part for me was when we were walking across the top of the dam, and I noticed the bathrooms- they're towers, and you go inside, climb up a flight of stairs [or use the elevator], use the bathroom that is at the top of the tower, then return to street level. LOL, and the bathrooms are enclosed, but they hang over the edge of the dam... that image still gives me chuckles :)

So I pulled my protesting children away from the fascinating Hoover Dam, and we drove back into Vegas. Jared has some friends we were planning to meet for dinner, and as we walked out to the parking garage, they discovered that their vehicle had been broken into, and their $50 GPS stolen [that was probably the least expensive piece of equipment in the truck, too]. Oh, but the best part was that this had been reported to the casino 3 DAYS ago, and they hadn't even tried to contact the owner, they'd just been paging the license plate number overhead in the casino. Well, this gentleman was there to work, and he doesn't gamble, so he was a bit peeved. Long story short, we ate in the casino restaurant, and enjoyed the meal and the company, even if the atmosphere was lacking.

Wednesday I drove down to Henderson and spent the morning with my friend Tessie- we met right after I moved to Iowa, and have managed to keep in touch via the internet. I had such a good time w/her! Our kids really enjoyed playing at the park, and eating lunch together. She was busy in the afternoon, but invited us to come back down for dinner. We stopped at the Ethel M chocolate factory [tour was not so interesting, but the cactus garden absolutely thrilled my kids], then drove back to the casino and did schoolwork in the hotel room until Jared finished his work, then we all drove back out to Henderson for dinner. Again, it was wonderful to see her family; last time we were all together was before we moved from Iowa, and I was so glad we got a chance to reconnect.

Thursday was another driving day- this time to meet a new friend of mine who also lost a child recently. We met through her blog, and made arrangements to meet in person while I was in Vegas. She invited me over to her home, and we all drove to a nearby park, where our kids rough-housed together. There's something about meeting another mother who shares that same experience of losing a child; an immediate connection that goes very deep. I really enjoyed talking with her, and came away with a great deal of peace. That was good, because I was driving her over to pick up her car, and we were on the freeway, and a mattress had fallen off of whatever vehicle had been carrying it, and we ran it over. I tried to slow down, but wasn't able to get out of the way in time, and so we hit it. Luckily, it was the top mattress, and I was driving the Durango, so it was just a little bump, and not a 'flip-the-car-over' bump. But we certainly got our adrenaline rush for the entire week- whew!

Thursday night we headed back over to Josh and Brooks' house, and grilled hamburgers and hung out again. My BIL Jon was in town for a meeting, and we thought it would be cool to see him too, so we ate dinner, and talked, and let the kids play trains and run around like crazy people. **BTW, Brooks, I really appreciate you letting us invade your home repeatedly while we were in Vegas- it was so much nicer than having to stay in the hotel room of the casino :)

And Friday we packed up and drove back to SLC. Of course we geocached all the way home, and then I got myself all stressed out because I wasn't sure I would be able to get all of my 'to-do' list completed before Monday. I shouldn't have worried so much- it gives me insomnia and I stay up until all hours of the morning doing laundry and other stuff that could totally wait until daytime.

Okay, two funnies from our drive today: Morgen randomly commented, "I have really bad posture." Jared replied, "Well, maybe you should do something about that." And we got another random Morgen comment as her answer, "Posture really isn't familiar to me." *giggling*

Second funny: A song parody came on the talk radio station that Jared was listening to [Rush Limbaugh, and we're not going there for now], and it was about Hilary Clinton, supposedly sung by Bill. Of all the things for Morgen [again with my daughter, today must be her lucky day or something...] to suddenly pay attention to, she had to pick this one. We took a break at the Salt Flats, just outside of SLC, and spent 10 minutes discussing why people make fun of famous people, specifically Hilary, and what a Secretary of State is supposed to do. I thought it was funny because at 8 she's getting a political talk. I don't even remember who was president when I was 8 [probably Reagan], and I certainly don't remember who was running, or any political ads in the background of my life at that point.

So, we're in Fallon this week, and everything's cool, and hopefully my next post will be less of a novel :)

Gratitude List:
* I have a wonderful husband, who is patient and kind and very tolerant of my quirks.
* Friends, old and new, who accept me and all my imperfections.
* Opportunities to relax and enjoy new places.
* I managed to retain my sense of humor for 6 of the 9 hours of our travel time today. Surely that is a record?
* Family, and that I enjoy spending time with mine.
* God's abundant blessings in my life.
* warm fuzzy socks :)
* my camera
* that my very old computer has enough memory to store the 200+ pictures I took in Vegas last week.
* gas prices are $1.51 at our local gas station as of today. HOORAY! [why isn't this on the news? It is an excellent early Christmas present from the economy fairy.]
* Christmas, and the opportunity it brings to remember my Savior Jesus Christ, and celebrate his birth.

Another quick post

:)Las Vegas was cool- saw more family than we expected, which was great! Caught up with one of my friends who used to live in Iowa when we did, and who now lives just south of LV. Met a new friend, also cool :). Saw Hoover Dam- incredible. Made it home, washed clothes, unpacked, and Monday we leave for my in-laws for a week.
Doing well, but feeling a bit hurried. No snow yet, hoping for some before Christmas.

Gratitude List:
* cars- cannot imagine trying to visit far-flung family w/out one!
* computers, when they work.
* texting my husband :)
* I have everything I need- food, shelter, clothes- and many of my wants- chocolate comes to mind...
* Glad to know where I came from and why I'm here on earth and where I'm going when I die.
* my family
* my friends- old and new
* warm fuzzy socks

Gratitude

We're heading into a crazy part of the month- Jared is traveling the next 2 weeks, and we're going with him :). I still have laundry to wash, and invitations to make, and it's always difficult for me to be away from home in December, because there are so many things I think I need to do right at home. But I would rather be with Jared in a hotel than at home without him. :)

We drove down to my parents' for Thanksgiving, and were able to see my dad and mom, Burke & Amber and their kids, and Kyle & Emmeline, Joy, and Alyson. My brother Burke brought his deep fryer, and cooked a turkey in it. You can see he had a lot of help from the other guys :) Morgen is in the bottom corner, petting her newest friend, Cassie. The guys pretty much stayed outside to watch the turkey, and keep the kids [and the dog] out of the hot oil. Removing the turkey took some serious discussion [which my dad was happy to help with]: Hyrum's in the orange, getting some cooking pointers from his dad. We also had an oven-cooked turkey, and both of them were delicious. There were a lot of great pies, and home-made stuffing and cranberry sauce, my mom's delicious turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, and candied yams.

This is my favorite picture from Thanksgiving this year: my nephew Carson enjoying the filling in his lemon tart:

We played "Bohnanza" which is a trading game involving beans. :) Lots of fun- Kyle and Emmeline always have the best games! We also played "Ticket to Ride," and "Imagine If..."

Friday we drove down to Fillmore [about 2 hours] to buy a tree permit, then headed back up toward Scipio to the Fish Lake National Forest to cut down our Christmas tree. Growing up, my family either had an artificial tree, or a fir tree we'd bought at a tree lot. But Jared got pinyon pine trees; their scout troop would cut and transport a bunch of trees back to town, and sell them. Not only is he great at finding, cutting, and transporting trees, he's also pretty good at picking out the perfect one for our living room. And I have to admit, it smells divine :). We went earlier than we did last year, so the weather was cool but not snowy. Here's my kids, helping Jared load the tree on top of the SUV.

I can remember carrying Myles through the snow while we looked for a tree last year. He wanted to walk- he always wanted to walk once he figured out how. But, he had slippers on, and the snow was wet and slushy, so I kept him in my arms, where he fussed and squirmed. Holidays are hard this year, because I have memories of Myles from the last two years, and I won't get any more chances to make them with him.

Gratitude List:
* The times we are allowed to travel with Jared when he works.
* Good food, a wonderful family, and the opportunity to spend time with some of the people I love.
* That I get along w/my family.
* Continuing a tradition we began last year, of cutting down our family tree.
* Memories of Myles, even though they sometimes bring tears, because I'm happy we had him as a part of our family for 19 months.
* My knowledge of life after death, knowing I'll see Myles again.
* Memories we are making as a family now, because I realize how precious they are.
* My husband and my 4 children.
* My family and friends.
* My faith in God and His plan for me.

Little things from the week:

Well, nobody got sunburned at the beach, because I was manic about sunscreen :). Jared has an incredibly unfair advantage because he tans easily and well. Thank goodness our kids have all [even Myles] inherited that from him. I burn, then freckle. So the sunscreen was mostly for me LOL. Ironically, Jared was born in Utah, while I was born in California. If anybody should be able to tan, I think it should be me. :P Oh, and we went to a tiny, but cool, surfing museum when we were in Huntington Beach.

I posted about the Tuesday night stop in St. George. The kids and I drove home Wednesday, and that was, well, it wasn't pretty. But I'm thinking if I bring duct tape next time, I can solve that little problem...

I was supposed to go to a meeting that Wednesday night [some of the Utah moms from the Angels blog], and up until the time of the meeting, I was still unsure whether or not I'd be going. I am so glad I did! I met some wonderful women, and we all shared our stories about the children we lost, and showed pictures, and cried and laughed with each other. It was such a relief to meet other women who experience the anger and grief and guilt and incredible emptiness that comes with losing your child. But I felt so much hope and love and gratitude that night, and I am looking forward to the next time we meet together.

Thursday and Friday were pretty normal days. I was catching up on laundry, and schooling the kids, and also trying to work out what I'm making for Christmas, and when I can get it done LOL. Friday after lunch, I settled the kids in front of a movie [**side note: I have figured out how to avoid fights about this! One child picks 3 movies he/she wants to watch. Next child discards one movie. Last child discards one movie, leaving one movie, which is what gets watched. I have never had anybody argue about what movie to watch since I started this, and I hope that continues**] Okay, so the kids were settled in front of the TV, and I snuck into the bathroom for a nice, long, relaxing bath. I finished looking through one of my magazines, then got dressed and left the bathroom to find my husband sitting on the couch! I knew he'd be home Friday, but I had expected it to be much later in the evening. So that was pretty cool :).

Saturday the kids and I drove up to Red Butte Gardens for a worm class. Once or twice a month the Garden offers children an opportunity to learn something about gardening in general, or about a specific thing/event in the gardens there. This time, as I said, was about worms. At first, Morgen was the only one excited about this [she loves worms, snails, slugs, and most creepy insect things]. After we made it to the class, and discovered we were going to be making a worm farm, there was much enthusiasm from all children! We came home with this for each child: a plant [pineapple sage], 5 or so red wrigglers, some food for the worms, and a worm farm made from 2-liter plastic soda bottles. Oh, and a greater appreciation for worms in general :).

Gratitude List:
* Walker is reading one of my favorite authors: Mercedes Lackey. This means we get to talk about books together :)
* Morgen loves to draw fantastical creatures [mostly unicorns- what is it with girls and unicorns?], and her animals are becoming more recognizable.
* Hyrum writes his name everywhere now, in capital letters. Oh, and he still clears his throat before he prays, and it still makes me giggle.
* Gas was $1.75 at the pump yesterday. Why isn't anybody reporting that?!?
* God
* my family, even when they're crazy.
* Jared
* good friends
* Coldstone has [at least the one in Huntington Beach has this] my favorite flavor of ice cream EVER: Dark Chocolate Peppermint. Mmmmmmm!
* meeting some of the ladies who post on the Angels Blog
* Getting ready for Thanksgiving this week by making pies. Another Mmmmmmm!

I have...

My friend Kristina posted this list on her blog. The idea is to highlight the things on the list that YOU have done:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Home again

LOL, I feel almost like a visitor in my own home- it has been wonderful to spend so much time with Jared [even though he was working a lot of it]. And, overall, I think the kids did well- they are all still alive, and I am still sane ;). Which, after the drive home, is saying a lot. We spent the night in St George because we were dropping Jared off there for another exercize, this one with his own unit. The California trip was to work with out-of-state units [CA, AZ, and I think one other, but can't remember].
Anyway, I wish we could hang out in St George for this one, so we could spend some more time with Emily and Scott & their family. But, we'll have him home by Friday night, so it's just a few days.
I filled up my entire memory card, and part of another one. After I upload them all, and edit out the bad pics, I'll post a few. No pics of the dolphins, because I was too busy watching them to remember to get the camera. I have plenty of pics of the beach, though ;).

Dolphins!

We went to the beach yesterday, and today as well. :)I love California! Yesterday Walker was sure he didn't want to get wet, so he wore shorts. About 30 seconds after we got to the beach, he was waist-deep in the ocean LOL. So today, I made sure we all had swimsuits, and packed a lunch. It's about an hour drive from our hotel to the beach, and with rand mcnally's help I got directions right to the
There weren't many people there when we arrived, but as it got warmer, and the tide receded a bit, a whole bunch of surfers showed up. We saw a little toddler, who was being watched by his grandma. She had him on a soft leash, to keep him out of the ocean. They both live in Huntington Beach, and talked w/me for a little bit, while my kids were playing in the surf. Morgen kept mentioning sharks [too cold this time of year]. We also, thanks to this lady, saw a pod of dolphins swimming and jumping in the waves. There was a girl who came later with her parents. She played with my kids for an hour or so before they went back to their hotel, which was right across the street from the beach.
And that's all for now- off on another adventure :)

I am proud of you, too, son

Sunday was Fast and Testimony meeting at church. It's an opportunity to get up in front of the congregation, as the Spirit moves you, and testify of Jesus Christ. Hyrum has been asking for 3 weeks, "Is today testimony day?" so he was thrilled to finally hear, "Yes." He asked for my help, so I crouched down next to him and prompted him. I thought we were finished, and was ready to help him close, when he popped out this comment, "And I'm very proud of my mom." ??? I made it back to my seat without laughing, which would have hurt his feelings, but it sure made me smile! I just wonder where that comment came from.

Gratitude list:
* I am going scrapping w/some friends tomorrow, and won't be back until Sunday morning.
* Jared
* snow- it snowed today, and I love it!
* warm boots
* Walker shoveled the driveway. I told him if he did, he could skip math today :)
* hot cocoa
* mittens
* a working heater in my car
* that I have a dryer, so my clean and wet clothes don't have to be hung up inside
* Heavenly Father

On to the next project

I've pretty much given up on the hope I can blog daily. LOL, I sometimes feel like I'm going down the big hill of a rollercoaster- going too fast and gonna crash. Luckily I've stayed on track so far :).
Last week Jared took a few days off- Tuesday I spent in my craft room while he took care of the homeschooling. I made a reversible garland for the holidays.
this is the Halloween side:

and here's the Thanksgiving side:

The frame has 2 places for pictures on the left side, and a blank calendar painted on the glass behind the garland. Eventually this will be hung up, but not in my entryway. The door slamming would probably knock it off the wall and onto the tile floor, and I like this too much to want to break it.
So that was Tuesday. Thursday we all went up to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, up near Ogden. I wish there were more/longer trails- we got to drive around a pretty big area, but the walking trail was only a 1/2 mile long. We need more space to run around in, LOL. We did see a blue heron, and several ducks and geese, some coots, and maybe a loon. All in all, a pretty good field trip.

Jared and I went on a date Saturday. When we first started dating, we'd go on long walks and talk- sometimes for 3 or 4 hours. We did that again Saturday, and I really enjoyed it. We also picked out a bunch of little trinkets as possible travel bug charms- each of the kids got one, and I made one too. Hyrum chose a yellow hot-wheels car, Morgen chose a little green ball-cap [ornament] with John Deer written on it, Walker chose a globe compass, and I chose a socket. :) They're all on their way around the country, and we can track them to see how far they travel.

Tuesday of this past week I took the kids up to Heber. The cemetery where Myles is buried is very well-kept, but 3 times a year they do a thorough cleaning, and throw everything but the headstones away. So, we go up the week before and remove anything we want to keep. We bring it all back the next week :). The rest of the year, the cemetery staff clean around these things, even mowing around flower arrangements. Anyway, we pulled everything off his grave and stored it in the trunk, then grabbed some sandwiches and headed over to the North Field. It is beautiful right now, and I let the kids run and play while I read a book.
The rest of this past week I have been sewing. I sewed a witch costume for Morgen, a warlock costume for Walker, and I would have sewn a jaguar [no yellow sweat suits for a cheetah, so we changed it] costume for Hyrum except he fiddled with every single button or switch on my sewing machine. By the time I had ruined the collar of Walker's costume, cut out a new one, and fixed all the settings on my machine so I wouldn't ruin another collar, I was too fed up to sew anything else LOL. He had the black sweat suit, though, and since Walker helped him find a tail, and I did his make-up, he wasn't too upset about it.
Our next project is me helping the kids make doll blankets out of scraps of donated fabric. We picked up the fabric at the LDS Humanitarian Aid Center, and promised we'd return it, sewn into blankets, by the end of November. I'm alternating between excitement [because we're making something together] and dread [this involves scissors, after all].

Then it's Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and New Year's, and I don't know where this year has disappeared to!


Gratitude List:

* 2 quotes I found on other blogs today:
"Please don't nag yourself with thoughts of failure. Do not set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. Simply do what you can do, in the best way you know, and the Lord will accept of your effort." --Gordon B. Hinckley, November 1989 Ensign, p 94.

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God ... and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and mother in heaven." --Orson F. Whitney

* Neighbors who invited my kids over to help make a treehouse, effectively entertaining them for 4 hours now.
* Music on my ipod, and silence in my home.
* That my parents are only an hour away, and that a lot of my family [and many of my friends] are only an email away.
* That I can sew [thank you mom!] and that my kids love home-made costumes.
* My husband.
* Fall weather, changing leaves, crisp apples, and daylight savings time.
* My faith in God.

Time

I never seem to have enough time. I'd like to blog every day, and I usually have something I think is important enough to share, but the reality of my life interferes frequently. :) Jared took Tuesday and Thursday off this week, and Tuesday I spent most of the day hiding in my craft room, working on a garland for Halloween/Thanksgiving. It's finished, and I might remember to post a picture of it, eventually... My kids seem to be progressing in their schooling; at least, their test scores say so. Hyrum is doing much better with his writing.

I had a bit of a freak-out when I realized I have less than a week 'till Halloween, and I need to sew 3 costumes. Gulp! I do have the fabric, though. The good news is that I finished knitting a baby hat, and it turned out pretty cute, so I can move onto my next project :). I have a list- a pretty long one- so I'm focusing on the costumes for now.

I made brownies today. I used the recipe my mom makes to bring to her family events [and it is always a favorite], but I added something: raspberry filling and cream cheese. Mmmmm! Oh, this is such a bad thing for my 'healthy lifestyle' resolution! After I poured the brownie batter into a pan, I squeezed the cream cheese into thin stripes about 2 inches apart across the width of the pan. Then I squeezed the raspberry filling next to/on top of the cream cheese. I ended up cooking the brownies over double the recommended time, because the extra moisture from the added toppings slowed the cooking time down. It was worth every single minute, however :)

And, sadly, we still have a few pumpkin chocolate chip cookies left in the freezer, which means I should really go running before I eat them, too. If I still ran, that is.

Gratitude list:
* pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
* a date with my husband tomorrow
* good friends
* I have the right to vote :) [and I'll be exercizing it, too!]
* the internet- makes research of anything so much easier
* raspberry-cream-cheese brownies
* my family
* a reminder that following Christ can be simple- reading 2 chapters in my scripture study, keeping a prayer in my heart, remembering to thank God for my blessings.

A vague presence

So, just got a text, and Jared's plane [with him in it] is officially on the ground in Salt Lake City. Hooray!!!!
*** that's pretty much my gratitude list for today :)

An unofficial count

Well, the exact amount of alligators that Jared has spotted comes to, and I quote, "lots." Amazingly, the count for cottonmouths and containers is precisely the same, which leads me to believe this may actually be a secret military counting code, and my husband has forgotten to share the translation with me. Yeah. I, in all my recent travels, have seen a genuine pumpkin-seed-eating squirrel. He [she?] left all manner of partially gutted pumpkins all around Red Butte Gardens, and we were privileged enough to witness the actions causing the pumpkin carnage.

Jared's ETA back in Utah is also less than precise: sometime after Saturday, and definitely before Halloween, depending on which plane flight he and his vehicle are assigned to, and whether or not they end up driving back. The good [and sort of weird] news is that we have shirt-tail relatives there in Texas, where he's currently staying. My brother's wife's father's parents live in Silsbee. No, seriously, Amber's grandparents do live there. Like I said, weird. I mean, Texas is a HUGE state, and Silsbee is a small town- what are the chances? Anyway, they got in touch w/Jared to see if he needed anything before he left.

Jared's mom organized a donation to the LDS Humanitarian Aid in memory of Myles' 2nd birthday. She and my FIL drove over to my house today, with a big clothes basket full of outfits, and we went shopping with the money that was donated and bought more clothing. We're taking all of these to the donation center tomorrow.

******WARNING: I am about to step on my soapbox******

And, my latest pet peeve is complaining about the economy. It's not because I think it's doing stellar, but our society tends to believe what we see/hear on the news, and good news doesn't sell. So, a few quotes and definitions to bring some hope [and a reality check] into my life:

"The media has correctly predicted 36 of the last 2 recessions." -Zig Zigler oh how very true this is!

"How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. So always think positively." -Norman Vincent Peale I need to forward this to my congressmen, and probably to the President as well...

Recession: A period of two consecutive quarters of negative GDP [gross domestic product] growth

"Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the second quarter of 2008, (that is, from the first quarter to the second quarter), according to final estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 0.9 percent." ***this was released on Friday, 26 September 2008 on the US Government's Bureau of Economic Analysis website

According to the definition of recession, we are not currently in one. :)The market and our economy are moving slower than a snail in molasses, but they are moving in a positive direction.

Oh, and one more statistic [from Dave Ramsey]: 97% of the 5-year periods in the stock market have made money. 100% of the 10-year periods in the stock market have made money; and this includes the Great Depression, the S&L failures, the dot-com crash, and 9-11.

I think we will weather this storm, and we'll be fine as a country. However, LOL, I am definitely looking for candidates who will balance the national/state/local budgets, and STOP SPENDING MONEY THEY DON'T HAVE. And, I'm making sure I check how they voted for the idiotic [ooooh, I hate this bill] bail-out law that was passed this past week.

******now returning to the regularly scheduled blog******

Gratitude list:
* my ipod and the ability to listen to my music whenever I feel like it.
* the gifts and notes we've received as a family in remembrance of our Myles.
* email, so I can keep in touch with my friends.
* a photographic record of my life, however incomplete it may be.
* God

g'night. or morning. or whatever *yawning*

May you live in interesting times...

That is actually a curse in some cultures. I wish I could remember which book I read it in, then I could tell you which culture uses it as a curse. Anyway, these past few days have been interesting. Jared's doing well- he keeps pretty busy throughout the day, and usually sends me texts to update me on his alligator and cottonmouth sightings. Yes, he counts them. He takes pictures of them, too, LOL. I know it's hard for him to be away from us, but I can tell he enjoys the work he's doing. Currently, he'll be home either Saturday or Monday, depending on when the unit gets transport.

Yesterday I overslept. I woke up to Hyrum throwing up, and Morgen coming upstairs to tell me about it. He spent all day yesterday on the couch, with a 'throw-up bowl' in case he couldn't make it to the toilet, watching movies. Poor little man. He was so subdued, and quiet, and I could tell he really didn't feel well at all. We needed to get some books back to the library, so I bundled everybody into the car about dinnertime, and we took turns going inside- Walker stayed w/Hyrum while Morgen and I rushed to get books for ourselves [and a few for Hyrum]. Then we stayed in the car w/Hyrum while Walker found books for himself. Today I am wondering WHY I didn't just call a neighbor to come over and sit w/Hyrum while I took the other two, and I kicked myself for not thinking of that last night. Hyrum was okay; he had a blanket and spent most of the time in his seat just resting. But I get so focused on what needs to be done that I forget, a lot of times, that I don't have to do it all myself. It is okay to ask for help :).

Today, on another blog, I ran across some very needed [for me] advice. The author is a member of my church, and lost her little boy this past year as well. She posted some notes that her husband took at a local conference. The speaker was Elder Jeffrey R Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles [they act as advisors and assistants to our Prophet]. He was speaking of grief, and broken hearts, and said,

"Don't you dare in those times say, 'Well, I guess God doesn't love me.' If you say that personal problems are equated to God's lack of love, you are wrong...
When you hurt, God hurts. DON'T YOU DARE SAY HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU."

With everything that has been going on this week, I really needed a reminder of this fact.
********************************************
Gratitude list:
* having podcasts of General Conference to listen to
* the note my sister Emily sent on Myles' birthday, with a little memory she had of my son Myles.
* Fall = hot cocoa around my house. Yum!
* Fall also = beautiful leaves on the mountains.
* Somebody [and I truly don't know who] cleaning up Hyrum's vomit from the hall carpet yesterday.
* a letter from Brooks :)
* healthy children today.

Tagging

Mary tagged me, so I'll post a quick reply:

1. I have a to-do list that includes "sew a unicorn costume for Morgen" on it. Originally it was "sew a werewolf costume for Morgen" but I refuse to sew fur ever again.
2. I have a paper dragon sitting in my in-box :)
3. I also have a clock mounted in a small motorcycle on my computer desk.
4. It is snowing right now, and my fingers are cold.
5. I registered to vote last week.
6. Warm cocoa tastes much better than cold cocoa.

Enjoy your Sunday :)

Yesterday

And that title totally brings the Beatles song to mind :). But really, what I wanted to record today was that yesterday was a good day. With Jared gone, I have less motivation to cook dinner- we're all pretty happy with take-out, and it is easier to take the dinner prep time and let the kids watch a movie while I escape to my computer to check email, read blogs, and pay bills. So, yesterday we went to a nearby park, and had pizza and soda, and I let the kids run all over the park while I alternately read and watched them making friends.
I had my camera, but didn't take any pictures, and on the drive home I was hit with an urgent need to know if we'd ever eaten pizza at the park with Myles. Sometimes, after we go to the library, we go get a pizza and eat it at the elementary school playground just north of the library. The kids run around for awhile, and I read, and it is a nice way to unwind from the day. And I suddenly had a memory of one time in the spring this year, with all 4 of my kids, doing just that. It was still a little windy and cold, and I'd bought a six-pack of sprite [since I'd forgotten cups] to go with the pizza. Myles would play for a bit, then come over for a bite of my pizza and a drink of my soda. He could hold the can by himself, but I had to help him tip it, mostly so the soda didn't end up all down the front of his jacket :). He loved playing with his siblings, loved being outside, loved getting a crust of pizza to hold as he wandered around the playground. I am so grateful I stayed, even though it was windy and cold, and I wanted to drag everyone back to the car as soon as the pizza was gone; I am so grateful for that precious memory.
I am grateful for a lot of things today: my family, my faith, my husband, my children, and most of all, I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to continue to make memories with the three children I'm raising. We've spent a lot more time together lately, just us four, and even with the challenges of homeschooling mixed in, I am glad to have this time to enjoy them. Walker will be 11 in 6 months, and the time 'flies on wings of lightning' it seems. Soon enough they'll be grown, and on their own, and so for now I am happy with what I have.

Normal...

I wanted to list some of the sights and sounds that are common around our house:

* "[Name of child], in the game..." followed by a description of what their powers are, or which kind of animal they are, or a rule they think this game should have. This game [and it changes minute-to-minute] is one they will play in the pool, in the car, at home, outside, in their bedrooms; pretty much anywhere that at least 2 of the 3 kids are together.

* Kids singing along with the Snacktime CD[Barenaked Ladies]. I love hearing Hyrum's evil laugh, 'Bwaaah-haah-haah!' at the end of '7-8-9.' And all the kids know 'The Ninjas' by heart, and join in on the chorus: 'The ninjas are deadly and silent! They're also unspeakably violent! They speak Japanese, they do whatever they please, and sometimes they vacation in Ireland!' ;)

* Walker with his 'glasses' on. He likes to wear the frames of his sunglasses, and pretend they are real glasses. Jared doesn't really get this, but I remember doing the same thing, because I [for some weird reason] really wanted to have glasses when I was 12.

* Walker reading something. He inherited a love for reading from both his parents.

* Morgen talking to the dogs. I hear her every morning outside my window, which overlooks our backyard, calling to whichever dog is closer, trying to entice them over to her. She has entire conversations with them :)

* Morgen slamming her bedroom door repeatedly, but only when she doesn't like how W and H are playing 'the game' with her.

* Hyrum clearing his throat before he says a prayer over the food. I asked him, once, why he did this. He believes that when he clears his throat, it changes how his voice sounds *giggling*.

* Hyrum enunciating his 'L' sounds. I have started correcting him, because he lisps :) and says the 'L' sound as 'W': 'wamp' [lamp], 'wike' [like], 'reawy' [really], 'wawking' [walking]. So lately, when he is sounding out words, he concentrates on pronouncing that 'L' sound.

* Knitting needles clicking. When I sit with the kids while they work on their school assignments, I like to have something to do with my hands. Sometimes I read, but lately I've been knitting :).

* phone conversations w/Jared that begin, "How's Texas?" [or wherever he's currently staying in his travels]

quick post

Okay, we're off on a mini-adventure: Jared left this morning for Texas. He and his unit got called up to help down there with clean-up, and of course he was pretty excited to go :). The kids and I are taking this opportunity to visit my in-laws for the weekend; I have been trying to visit them, but only if Jared was out of town. I don't see him as often as I'd like, so when he's home I want to be there as well :). Since Jared won't be home for a few weeks, I thought I'd take advantage of his absence and go spend some time with his parents.

**Jeannette, the MP3 version of the scriptures is here. Each book is a separate download [i.e. the Old Testament and New Testament are 2 downloads], and the best part is that the download is FREE :)

Our week in review

Monday: We worked on school in the morning. My friend Melissa called and wanted to know if I was interested in free tomatoes. YES! My tomatoes produced NOTHING this year. Not sure why... Anyway, she knew a farmer who was finished w/his tomato crop, and was planning to plow the field. He offered us all the free tomatoes we could pick. I ended up with about 6 bushels :)

Tuesday: Remember the tomatoes? We canned a bunch of them. Morgen and Hyrum washed, I blanched, and Walker and Morgen and I all peeled and quartered them. It took all day to do 8 quarts, mostly because of the helpers LOL. I was pretty proud of them, though.

Wednesday: We worked on Math, English, and Spelling. Hyrum got to cut out things that began with the letter "L." We also took some chrysanthemums [yellow] from our flower garden up to the cemetery. Even after I cut enough for Laura May, Myles, and my grandparents and great-grandparents, we still have over half the plant left! Those are some sturdy mums. We cleaned around the graves, and got shakes at Granny's before we drove home.

Thursday: School in the morning, and I went to the temple in the evening- kind of a peaceful day, which is good.

Friday: School in the morning again, then I started another batch of tomatoes. They are spoiling pretty quickly, because they were all so ripe to start with. I had Hyrum wash them for me, then Walker came in and started peeling them for me without me even asking! Wow. :) Oh, and Jared made it back from Chicago safely. Hooray!

Saturday: We drove down to Thanksgiving Point, packed a lunch, and wandered through the Farm Country. The kids love looking at the animals, and wanted to show Jared everything they liked from their last visit. We left so I could attend the General Women's Conference at my church- oh, I enjoyed that :).

Sunday: Church was peaceful and lifted my spirits. I talked to a lady at church who knows how to darn socks, and convinced her to come over to my house to teach me. So, I now know how to darn socks! And, I'm wearing the ones I darned ;). They don't look very pretty- I used a non-matching yarn- but they are warm, and I fixed the holes, and my darns have no lumps [the mark of a superior darn, I'm told]. And I taught Morgen how to knit. Well, I showed her how to cast on, and how to do a knit stitch. She's getting it, but needs me to remind her how it works. [p.s. I also finally learned where to look for an MP3 version of the scriptures, and am downloading it to my Ipod- instant spiritual lift]
**********************

my favorites:

*learning something new and useful [darning]
*making my first batch of white chili this fall
*homemade bread to go with the chili
*children who help without me asking/begging/nagging them
*crisp, fall mornings
*free tomatoes!
*my ipod can do anything ;) [except the dishes]

Weekend fun

Friday evening we drove down to a party at Jared's co-worker's house. It was interesting, and fun, and a lot easier to see these people again. Last time we all got together was back in June for the Lehi Days parade, and I was still pretty unsteady emotionally. So I enjoyed myself a lot more at this party.

We left around 8pm, so I could make it to a crop. I've been less than successful in scrapbooking during the week; I can do it, but there are so many other things I am juggling, it often is pushed to the side. But one of the LSS has a free crop Fridays that starts when they open, and ends at 2am Saturday morning. :)I can usually find one or two of my friends there, and we usually find somebody else we enjoy chatting with as well. So my new goal is to give myself at least one Friday a month to go to a crop and scrapbook. I've decided it is like getting an exercise buddy- committing to attend that crop forces me to scrapbook [and organize LOL], just as an exercise buddy forces me to exercise. Hmmm.... maybe I need to get me an exercise buddy, too ;).

Saturday we took our GPS and some fishing poles and drove out to Heber. We stopped along the highway and found a geocache [looked for a few, but only found one]. Then we visited Myles. I took along some of the roses from the bush in front of our house. It's blooming again- I thought roses only bloomed once a season, but this one seems to bloom in the spring and the fall. Pretty cool! Anyway, we cleaned off his grave, along with my grandparents' grave and my great-grandparents' grave. The kids played, and I think if Myles were still here, he'd be running around with them. Then we ate lunch at Subway and headed up the Mirror Lake Highway to Wall Lake.

We pulled into the parking area at the trailhead, and began unloading our stuff, when a little SUV pulled in, and the woman driving it called out to us, "Where's the lake?" Well, this trailhead serves 4 or 5 lakes, but you have to hike to get to all of them. So Jared told her we were at a trailhead, and described which lakes were on which trails. She said, in disbelief, "You mean, WALK?!?" [we are in a national forest, remember] And he said, "Yes, you'd need to hike to all these lakes." Again she repeated, "You mean, WALK?!?!?!" Well, since you last asked that question, all the lakes felt bad about being so far away, so they moved and you can see them from the parking lot now. Honestly!!! To be fair, there are some lakes in the area that are close to the road, so you can see them from the parking areas. But, if you have a map [which the nice forest service lady will give you when you pay the entry fee], you can see where the lakes are, and whether you need to hike to reach them. Each trail is marked as a trail, not as a road. I promise. *sigh* Well, the [very nice, I'm sure] lady backed up and pulled out of the parking lot, off to find a more easily accessible lake.

We headed up the mountain for a nice, easy 1 mile hike to Wall Lake. I took some magazines, and my knitting, since I don't fish. Okay, I know how, and I will do it if I think it is necessary, but as a general rule, I would rather read or knit than fish; so I read. Everybody else had a lot of fun casting, and Morgen had a strike or two [that is where the fish hits the lure, but doesn't get caught]. After an hour or so of unsuccessful fishing, they decided to explore, and ended up climbing almost half-way up the wall of rock at one end of the lake. Yep, that's why it is called Wall Lake ;). It was getting cold, and rain was beginning to fall, and some stormclouds were moving in, so we headed back to the car. Part-way down the trail it began to rain, then hail, then rain/hail mixed together. :)Morgen and I booked it back to the car. Jared hung back a little and got out Hyrum and Walker's slickers [see, we're prepared LOL]. We drove up to Trial lake and the kids fished for another hour or so, then we geocached all the way back down to Heber. It was about 9:15 pm when we got home, and we got the kids fed and tucked into bed. This morning, they all slept in 'till about 8am!

Jared left this morning for Chicago- he's taking another microscopy class. Morgen, upon hearing about his course of study, informed her father that SHE knew how to use a microscope. His response was, "I thought I did, too!" I guess he's learning a lot about including the microscope as a tool in studying chemical reactions, among other things.

Oh, in other news, our chicken mummy has burst its bag. It seems this is a direct result of me buying too big a bird, then trying to stuff it into the too-small bag. So, we're off to the store tomorrow to buy another bird [I'm thinking a cornish game hen would work much better], and more salt. This time I'll take pictures :)

Chicken Mummy

Or, how to totally gross your kids out in one easy history lesson!

Supplies:
1 dead chicken carcass [ours was skinned, gutted, and beheaded already]
3 cans salt
1 can baking powder
1 box baking soda
rubbing alcohol [since I don't buy wine]
freezer bags
spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves
paper towels
water
bowl

So this month we're studying the ancient Egyptians. And anytime you study them, you study pyramids, and treasures, and mummies :) Which is why we're making a mummy out of a chicken. I didn't get pictures- I was too busy juggling dead chickens and kids to even try.

We did this outside, so I didn't have to worry as much about the mess. First, we rinsed off the outside AND the inside of the dearly departed [chicken] with the hose. Then we patted it dry. That was popular- Morgen and Hyrum were dabbing at the chicken, almost afraid to touch it LOL. I had to dry the inside :). After it was pretty dry, we stuck it in a big bowl and poured alcohol over it. We could have used wine, but since I don't drink, I don't have any of that in my house. I know if I'd purchased some at the state liquor store, I would have run into somebody from my church. And the more you explain why you're doing something you wouldn't normally do, the more lame you sound, LOL. So, we stuck with rubbing alcohol.

We rinsed the carcass in the alcohol, then set it aside to dry a little. We mixed the salt with 1/2 a can of the baking powder and 1/2 a box of the baking soda, then sprinkled in the cinnamon and nutmeg. I added a handful of whole cloves and whole allspice, which I conveniently had on hand for my wassail recipe :). Then we patted the chicken dry again, and again I got the inside. For some reason, reaching into the chicken really grossed out my kids LOL. We poured some of the salt mixture into a bag, then stuffed the chicken inside, then poured more salt into its cavity. We packed the rest of the salt between the bag and the chicken's skin, then tried to seal it shut. I need bigger bags :). Anyway, we double-bagged the chicken, and set it back into the bowl, which I rinsed out first. The general consensus from the kids is that it smelled pretty good.

Currently, it is sitting on my counter, where we will be checking it daily to brush off the clumps of salt that have soaked up water, and adding more salty mixture to the chicken. If all goes well, we'll have a mummy in about 6 weeks. :)Just in time for Halloween!

We also did math, english, and spelling. I wouldn't want you to think this whole homeschooling thing is all fun and games ;).

Great news!

My SIL Angela had her baby on Friday: he was a whopping 8 pounds and 20.5 inches long! That's exactly 1.5 pounds lighter than her first boy, which she said made for a much easier labor :) His name is Callin, and he is adorable. I can't wait to meet him!
In other news, Walker got up this morning and started his English after breakfast WITHOUT me saying anything about it. Wahoo!! Morgen was a complete pill, though, just to make up for her brother's angelic behavior LOL.
Tomorrow we're starting a chicken mummy- wish me luck!

Treasure hunts

Monday we went up to Red Butte Gardens. I was looking for something that the kids could do besides walk ;). We found a little treasure hunt paper- it had pictures of some plants and animals to look for while we were wandering the gardens. We didn't see any bobcats, but we did find the Bristlecone Pine, the Russian Hawthorne, and the Hummingbird Mint. We also saw quail around the Hawthornes, eating the red berries, and hummingbirds feeding at the Hummingbird Mint. I'd pull out my camera to capture the birds, and they'd fly [well, the quail ran] away. Finally, as we were leaving the garden, some people behind us scared these quail into our sight. My kids held so still, and I got pics of the quail!


There were 5 or 6 of these half-grown quail that came through the trees, then Walker spotted the adult lurking back behind this pine tree.

We also spent some time looking at the weird colors on the fish in the pond: the most exciting fish they found had black & blue spots on a gold background :)
I love being out in the mountains this time of year, with the nip in the air, and the colors of the leaves changing.

Afraid?

Two things: September 11 and Fear.

They're sort of related; I remember the shock most of all- that day, in 2001, I drove the WRONG WAY down a one-way street in front of the town post office, because I was still so shocked and upset about the airplanes which had hit the twin towers. Luckily, I didn't hit anybody. I didn't even realize I'd driven the wrong way 'til I passed the drop-off mailboxes and they were on the wrong side of my car. :)
So, what are you doing today to remember? Is it something you do privately, or is this more public [flying a flag on your front porch, attending a memorial service] for you? We're visiting my mom- she had surgery yesterday, and is fine, but bored :). And we're going to go visit Myles again.
Along with the terrorist attacks on September 11 comes a question- how do you quiet your child's fears? I have found that sitting quietly with my kids and holding them works better for fears that are abstract, like when they questioned if a plane was going to hit our house. For more concrete fears like getting wet or going down a slide, I do it with them, or hold their hand. And I remembered a scripture in the New Testament: 1 John 4:18 [King James Version] "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
I thought about how many times I have prayed because I'm afraid of something, and how often I am tormented by what I think will happen. And how, when I stop talking and *listen* to God, that the fear and torment I am feeling disappears. God replaces it with His love, and His peace. Knowing this has added another step to how I quiet my children's fears: we pray. And you know, it works every time!

Tears and hope

Saturday Jared left for another week away. He's playing with anthrax [I know, he is SOOO lucky] *rolling my eyes*. Anyway, we had a stake conference [local parish/congregation is called a 'ward', group of local parishes is a 'stake'] this weekend. Saturday night was the adult session- I took notes, and got a lot of good info and suggestions for myself. Sunday was the general session- everybody comes. And while each of the speakers had a different focus, I noticed that each one spoke of "enduring to the end;" in finances, or as a missionary, or whatever their topic was. I don't know if this was intentional, but I do know God had a hand in it ;). The last speaker was our Stake President, and he shared a poem that I have heard many times before. For some reason, when I heard it Sunday, my heart just overflowed and I began to cry. I'm sharing it here:

THE RACE
by Dee Groberg

"Quit! Give Up! You're beaten,"
They shout at me and plead,
"There's just too much against you now
This time you can't succeed!"

And as I start to hang my head
In front of failure's face,
My downward fall is broken
By the memory of a race.

And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene:
For just the memory of that short race
Rejuvenates my being.

A children's race - young boys, young men
How I remember well.
Excitement, sure! But also fear;
It wasn't hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope,
Each thought to win that race.
Or tie for first, or if not that,
At least take second place.

And fathers watched from off the side
Each cheering for his son,
And each boy hoped to show his dad
That he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they went
Young hearts and hopes afire.
To win and be the hero there
Was each young boy's desire.

And one boy in particular
Whose dad was in the crowd,
Was running in the lead, and thought
"My dad will be so proud!"

But as they speeded down the field
Across a shallow dip,
The little boy who thought to win
Lost his step and slipped!

Trying hard to catch himself,
His hands flew out to brace,
And 'mid the laughter of the crowd,
He fell flat on his face.

So down he fell and with him hope.
He couldn't win it now–
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished
To disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up
And showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said:
"Get up and win the race!"

He quickly rose, no damage done–
Behind a bit, that's all–
And ran with all his mind and might
To make up for his fall.

So anxious to restore himself–
To catch up and to win–
His mind went faster than his legs;
He slipped and fell again!

He wished that he had quit before
With only one disgrace.
"I'm hopeless as a runner now;
I shouldn't try to race."

But in the laughing crowd he searched
And found his father's face;
That steady look which said again
"Get up and win the race!"

So up he jumped to try again–
Ten yards behind the last–
"If I'm going to win those yards," he thought
"I've got to move real fast."

Exerting everything he had
He regained eight or ten,
But trying hard to catch the lead
He slipped and fell again!

Defeat! He lay there silently–
A tear dropped from his eye–
"There's no sense running anymore;
Three strikes: I'm out! Why try!"

The will to rise had disappeared
All hope had fled away.
So far behind, so error prone;
A loser all the way.

"I've lost, so what's the use," he thought
"I'll live with my disgrace."
But then he thought about his dad
Who soon he'd have to face.

"Get up" an echo sounded low.
"Get up and take your place;
You were not meant for failure here.
Get up and win the race."

"With borrowed will, get up," it said
"You haven't lost at all
For winning is no more than this:
To rise each time you fall."

So up he rose to run once more,
And with a new commit
He resolved that, win or lose,
At least he wouldn't quit.

So far behind the others now–
The most he'd ever been–
Still he gave it all he had
And ran as though to win.

Three times he'd fallen, stumbling;
Three times he rose again,
Too far behind to hope to win
He still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner
As he crossed the line- first place.
Head high, and proud, and happy;
No falling, no disgrace.

But when the fallen youngster
Crossed the line- last place,
The crowd gave him the greatest cheer,
For finishing the race.

And even though he came in last
With head bowed low, unproud
You would have thought he'd won the race
To listen to the crowd!

And to his dad he sadly said,
"I didn't do too well."
"To me, you won," his father said
"You rose each time you fell."

And now when things seem dark and hard
And difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy
Helps me in my race.

For all of life is like that race
With ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win
Is rise each time you fall.

"Quit! Give up! You're beaten!"
They all shout in my face
But another voice within me says:
"GET UP AND WIN THE RACE!"

Right now, I need that reminder- I don't have to be the first, or the best; all I need to do is to get back up each time I fall. And I can do that- I *know* I can do that.

I am so *grateful* for my children; I love them very much. :)And I love my husband, too, even if he does like to play with dangerously fatal toxins.

Why homeschooling?

just a quickie: I have talked this over so many times with Jared, and with my immediate family, I forgot I hadn't explained it here :). I haven't been happy with the schooling my kids receive here- even in the advanced class [which both my kids were in], they are not working up to grade level. And while Walker and Morgen both read well, their math was abysmal. I was trying to decide whether I wanted to enroll them in one of the charter schools in the area, or if I was brave enough to homeschool them. Back in February, while I was in the temple, I prayed about this and received an overwhelming assurance that I needed to homeschool them. So, I set about researching what I would need to do/have in order to accomplish this, and after I checked w/the kids, we decided to let them finish out the year at the elementary school. I used those months to accumulate textbooks and advice on how to teach, and once they were out of school, we began working on Math and English. We added Science, History, Spelling, and Book Reports last week, when everybody else started school. We had a few rough days, but have settled into a good schedule now.

Schooling

We seem to have settled into a good homeschooling schedule: daily Math and English lessons for Walker and Morgen, one lesson weekly in Spelling, History, and Science [Hyrum also does the History and Science], plus daily reading, and one new letter weekly, for Hyrum. Once a week we do a field trip, and this week we went to the State Fair. Jared took Thursday off work, so we headed up there around 2pm. Of course we had to do the "Little Hands on the Farm" exhibit, which is supposed to teach the kids where the food they eat comes from. It's interactive, and I always laugh when they enter the chicken coop to collect an egg- the hens are fake [so they don't peck], and the eggs are all visible [instead of hidden away in corners and underneath buildings], but they're getting the general idea, I guess LOL.
We looked at all the animals, and wandered through the exhibits [one whole room full of scrapbook pages!!!], and basically wore everybody out.
Today, after we finished the written part of our history lesson, and after eating lunch and watching a movie [the Spiderwick Chronicles], we did a hands-on history activity. Currently we're studying ancient history, learning about why nomadic tribes would settle in one spot and change their lifestyles to become farmers and herdsmen. So the activity was to pretend they'd decided to settle in our backyard, and build houses [big or small] with only the materials they could find. About 3 hours later, they called me to come look at their creations. They had been busy gathering food, planting and harvesting seeds, making fish traps, etc. for all of those 3 hours! They made a mud pit, and had a little village with houses for everybody. :)Hyrum decided to be a giant, and stepped on a couple of them, which ended the activity, but overall, I think it was pretty successful.
Tomorrow Jared leaves for another week of conferences, so I'm getting myself ready for that. And, I think it's officially fall now. I woke up yesterday morning, and my nose was cold LOL. Mornings are a little bit nippy, and I'm excited to see the leaves changing color soon. This is my favorite time of year.

Rain is falling...

It rained a lot of Sunday, and most of yesterday morning here. I thought it was appropriate- I was bawling.

Right after Myles died, I decided I wanted each of my kids to have a memory book of him. I didn't want to put together a scrapbook FOR them, as I wanted this book to contain their memories, not mine. I got the albums, and the paper, and got stuck when I tried to order the photos– I couldn't do it. So I had a pile of stuff just waiting behind my computer chair. I hate piles.

I finally decided that I'd procrastinated this enough, and sat down to go through my pics. They're organized by year, and by month within each year, and a big event [more than 100 pics] gets its own category in the month. I know, I'm anal :). Anyway, I couldn't do it all at once- I took a lot of breaks [helping the kids with their homeschooling activities]- but I did get most of the pictures ordered.

Yesterday I had to go to the grocery store, and took the opportunity to go alone, since Jared had leave for Labor Day :). It had just stopped raining, and the sun was coming out as I left the house. It struck me as funny, because that was exactly how I felt in my life at that moment: like I was crawling out of a cave into the warm sunshine. The heavy feeling in my chest lightened up- my whole mood improved- just by walking into the sunshine. And I noticed that when I am reading my scriptures daily, and praying daily, that God acts as the sunshine did yesterday- He warms my whole life up, and my burdens are lightened.

Introducing...

Charlotte! This is my newest niece. And I find it very cool that her name is Charlotte :) I've always loved that name. I can't wait to meet her :)

Songs

I have a lot of favorite songs :) and I blame my mother for that. She forced me to take piano lessons [I survived somehow], and allowed me to take voice lessons [I did better w/the piano, sadly], and encouraged a love of music that I still have today. So finding music that my kids like is important to me. And, because I do not like candy-sweet Barney style songs, I don't always have an easy time finding things my kids like that I can listen to more than once a year.

But who doesn't like a song that starts out, "A is for aisle, B is for bdellium, C is for czar, and if you see him would you mind telling him?"
Pretty much every word begins with the correct letter, but none of them start with a sound normally associated with that letter, and we all giggle every time we listen to it! Which is why it's on my playlist now. Anyway, for our recent trips, I burned a CD with all the Barenaked Ladies' songs from "Snacktime"- the CD that includes the crazy ABC song. I also put a few songs from Shrek, and Meet the Robinsons, and "Ordinary Miracle" from Charlotte's Web. You know, songs that are 'grown-up' but the kids can recognize from the movie. Every darn time I hear that song from Charlotte's Web, I get tears in my eyes. It reminds me of Myles, and how much I value every minute I have with my kids now, because I didn't get much time with their little brother. It's a song that Morgen likes to sing to, so I'm not allowed to skip it, either.

And I got to thinking about memory. I sang "Abide With Me" at my Grandma J's funeral, and every time I sing or hear it now, I get choked up. Morgen sang "I am a Child of God" at Myles' funeral, and now I can't even make it through the first verse without crying. I seem to remember things best when they're associated with a song.