Yahoo For Life!

That's MY Man!

2011-11-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Seriously, the guy should be a model for Ralph Lauren underwear. Check out that pose. So natural. So cool. So collected.

We were meant to be together...but then, I thought that was fairly obvious to the world since date #2.

It was one of those moments. Those moments when you're heart is beating wildly inside you and you just wanna jump up and scream in a semi-fanatical way "He's MINE!!" "Isn't he AMAZING?" "Back away ladies--I'm willing to fight for him!"

We had a wonderful Halloween! (wish I had taken more pictures, but this year I at least remembered to grab the camera and wear around my neck...Maybe next year I will remember to use it!) Little Emri is the only one we caught on camera. (In my defense, Ryan was in charge of the ward halloween party and so I spent that night helping him get ready and just arriving at the party with the kids was a feat in itself. Then we hosted a party for some of our homeschool friends--such a fun afternoon--but I didn't get a chance to talk to anyone let alone take pictures! And then we hosted another dinner party on the night of halloween for some friends and neighbors to come eat with us before we busted out to trick or treat together...ummm yeah...let's just say that was another busy night! And the last 7 days have been spent trying to recover from last week!)

PS-- I really do love that nerd who stands beside me.

Another One bites the dust

2011-10-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Family Night is always pretty adventurous around here. It takes some courage just to attempt it.

Tonight, we actually had a preformed plan...and when friends invited us to join them in their fun adventures, we declined. Because ours was going to be awesome family time at its greatest. Lots of Love. Lots of Laughs. Lots and Lots of Pictures. And, of course, Lots of yummy Treats!

The plan: Get the wagon and strollers out and go on a spooky walk, complete with spooky music, down the spooky canal until we reach the country market on the corner. Then, we would pick out and purchase our pumpkins and treats, take lots of pics, and then happily head home.

The reality: Spooky walk went good. Nobody fell into the canal like on our last walk in the dark. The pumpkin patch and store were closed...wait...did they want business? Who goes to the pumpkin patch during the middle of the day? Isn't that a night thing? Plan B...oh scrud-o!

We ended up going to a little park and having a lesson on family love...and then sang one of my favorite primary songs, "God gave us Families". Then, we listened to the kids fight the rest of the way home.

I am so glad they were listening.

I'm Bringing Home My Baby Bumblebee

2011-10-19T22:00:00.001-07:00

How many days have you gone without washing your hair? My longest was over a week--amazing what a single girl will do to keep the boys away. (Or, that is what I tell myself. I am sure it's not because I am/was disgusting and lazy)

Today is my second longest record. 5 days without water (sweat does not count as water.)

The picture is a little disappointing. I look far more worthy of a shower in real life. (clarifier: I have had a SHOWER on my BODY...just my HAIR is neglected.) So neglected, that it has not been combed since Sunday. It has been in the same raggedy knot on the top of my head for 3 1/2 full days.

This is what homeschooling does to a woman.

I had to make a goal to spend at least 1 minute looking in the mirror. Enough time to throw on some eye shadow and mascara (a very good thing if you have blonde lashes and look nude around the eyes el natural.)

Next goal: spend one more additional minute brushing my teeth in the morning.

Or, maybe I should spend that one minute washing my hair...that takes longer than one minute, so it will have to wait until the "school year" is over.

Small and simple = great things...right?

Line upon line = great things...right?

My personal mantra: I did not come to earth to look amazing or be fabulous. I wanted to be a mother.

I am being a mother.

P.S. Please notice the beautiful color of the walls in my office and the cute green chairs (which Ryan refuses to sit in, he prefers a hard, ugly plastic one.) Rather amusing that "blue" makes me so happy.

And when will those eyebrows ever get plucked? Afterlife?

Apology

2011-10-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

To my horror, I realized this evening that my latest blog entry had a somewhat major misspelling--which has since been corrected. Jeffress, I apologize for spelling your name incorrectly. I should have paid more attention, and the world can sigh with relief that I am not going to quit my day job to become a journalist. ( That's right folks, let it all out and just relax...journalism is not for me.)

On a more positive note, the article that alerted me to my error was one of the highlights on CNN's homepage entitled "Who Says Mormons aren't Christians?" by Dean Obeidallah. If you have a moment, it is worth the read. If not, the last paragraph sums it up in a nutshell:

"In comparing the hate-filled language of Jeffress with the words and good deeds of the Mormons we met, it is clear to me who is best following the teachings of Jesus Christ and truly deserves to be called a Christian."

Thank you Mr. Dean Obeidallah. You did your research well, and I appreciate the fact that you took took the time to share your view.

Jeffress vs Lena

2011-10-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Recent media has definitely shown its spotlight on the "Mormon Church". Being that, "I am a Mormon", I have rankled more than a little at some of the comments made, especially those by Texas Pastor Robert Jeffress. Name calling on national TV is not a good idea, and I hope that most Americans either role their eyes at his remarks and immediately dismiss him, or at least have the decency to check out our side of the story.

But I, of course, can't just leave it at that. I had to share a small portion of my thoughts. So, in reference to Jeffress calling me (yes, I took this personally) a non-christian, and adding the additional insult of cult (which, by definition is not bad, but it does carry an extremely negative connotation), my simple argument is this:

Jeffress calls upon christians to reject the Mormon claim to christianity because we disagree over certain attributes of Jesus Christ. Our disagreements are not over His teachings or His role as Savior of the world, but instead, over the Nicene Creed. Traditional christianity has used this creed to define the makeup of the Godhead, and we, the Mormons, don't believe it to be consistent with the teachings in the Old or New Testament. Because of these differences, and in spite of the fact that we both believe Jesus Christ to be the Savior of the world among other commonalities, Jeffress has ousted me (and all other mormons) to the realm of non-christian. And, I am assuming that the rest of our nation, who claim christianity, get his stamp of approval. But, how many of these people, who qualify as true "CHRISTIANS" in the eyes of Jeffress, even know what the nicene creed is? And, of these same true "christians", how many agree with it? Christians have sloughed off much of the traditional views and theologies of historic christianity. Most christians don't go to church each sunday (roughly 20% do) and I am assuming that the personal acts of studying the scriptures and praying are likewise low, and yet 76% of Americans call themselves christians. So, in Jeffress eyes, if you simply call yourself a christian, without actually knowing what traditional christianity defines God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as, you are a true christian, regardless of your personal set of morals or adherence to living christlike principles and teachings, as taught in the New Testament (which you may or may not have read). But, if you are "cultish" enough to affiliate yourself with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, you have in Jeffress eyes, also chosen to not be a christian, in spite of daily and consistent studying of the scriptures and a sincere desire to be Christlike and follow his teachings to the best of your ability. And now, the very un-Christ-like part of me would like to claim that Jeffress is either daft, ignorant, hateful, and/or bigoted. And then, the part of me that is sincerely trying to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, feels guilty for calling him names when I, myself, was in-flamed at being called a "non-christian".

So, if your definition of Christ is Lord of the Universe, Savior of the world, Redeemer of mankind, Son of God, Friend to all (including Jeffress), and yet lacks the Nicene Creed, then what do you call yourself?

I am a Mormon. I am a CHRISTIAN.

No Small Thing

2011-09-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Baby #5.

I am a seasoned mother.

I know my body.

Boys make me nauseas for the first trimester. They make me throw up a couple times. I am tired, but most days I can skip the nap and opt for an earlier than normal bedtime.

Girls are a completely different story. Nauseas is taken to a whole new level. To stand up is to throw up. Grocery store? Please NO!!! Tired? Can I even get off the couch? A nap in the morning plus an afternoon nap is essential in order to even function...at a very low level.

Girls make me crave chocolate. With boys its cold cereal. Girls cause issues with my veins (we won't go into details). Boys, not so much.

I like patterns. Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl. Nice pattern.

I have ALWAYS correctly guessed the gender. It was pretty easy to tell by about week 6.

So, I am pregnant. I didn't even know I was pregnant on week 6. I was mildly nauseas on some days. Many days I felt so good I forgot I was pregnant or felt certain that I had miscarried. I have had 4 naps this whole pregnancy, and only a handful of early-to-beds. Throw up? THREE times. And what about our pattern? A BOY is next on the list. I MUST be having a boy.

Like I said, I am a seasoned mother. I know my body. I KNOW what pregnant feels like.

What? A Girl? Are you sure? I made them check three different times at three different angles. GIRLS ARE NOT EASY FOR ME...AND THIS HAS BEEN MY EASIEST PREGNANCY! How can this baby be a girl? I have narrowed it down to 2 different reasons why this pregnancy has not followed our typical pattern:

1) The baby is actually an IT. It doesn't have either male or female organs, and no hormones. The correct terminology would be Hermaphrodite.

OR

2) Heavenly Father provided a miracle. He knew that we needed this little girl and that she needed to come this year. He knew that Remington desperately needed the extra help with his reading and the safety of our home. He knew that Indi needed the time with Mom and the time "playing Mom with Emri". He knew that Walker needed the extra help with his letters and lots of extra kisses. He knew that we needed time together as a family. He knew that I needed to know that He was beside me helping me every step of the way and smoothing the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in my way.

He got His message across.

A girl? I am still in shock. Thrilled. But shocked.

A Love Affair

2011-09-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

Some people, in my opinion, are incredibly smart, and some are incredibly stupid. I typically throw all media into the the stupid category: FOX news and CNN are too far on either side of the debate to be smart. Hollywood in general proves over and over that they definitely do NOT belong in the smart category ( a select few make it into the talented category, but that is another blog). So, who is smart? First, I will tickle you taste buds with an excerpt:

"Government taxes cigarettes to stop people from smoking, not to get them to smoke. Government fines speeders so they won't speed, not to encourage them to drive faster. And yet contrary to common sense, it seems perfectly natural to some people that government would tax people who work or companies that are successful only to give that money to people who don't work and to bail out losing companies. The thought never crosses their minds that these policies are the very reason why our economy is in such bad shape."
Wall Street Journal contributor Mr. Laffer
Mr. Laffer, I love you. Your entire article was genius. You, at least in economics, are a very smart man.

And, Wall Street Journal, I love you as well. You are one smart cookie...errr... paper.

Why in the Heck Not?

2011-09-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

So, check it out...

We've all seen it. And, not only do we get a lovely rear end covered in a cleverly decorated boxer, but the front side usually has the left hand clutching the crotch area. I am not sure if they are simply holding up their pants, or if it is a rouse and they are actually holding their "parts"...if you know what I mean. Now, I'm not saying I approve of this, or even appreciate the variety of boxers I get to observe. But, it definitely does seem to be socially acceptable to dress this way...at least, at the mall it is socially acceptable.

The fact is...I am jealous! Schew! It's off my chest! I want to be able to walk around with my hand in my crotch too...but for a different reason. I don't need to hold up my pants, I simply need to keep my "parts" from falling out. Why is it okay for gangster boy, who has nothing to lose but his pants, but not okay for prego white lady me who is about to have her female organs and baby and placenta drop out? Not to mention the pain it would relieve. Maybe I will give it a trial run. The mall would be a good place--don't ya think?

Ryan thinks this is highly inappropriate...maybe a bit too personal...please excuse that...it just chaffs my hide that they can walk around with their hand in their crotch and I can't.

Teeter-Totter of Insanity

2011-08-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

What kind of mother was I going to be?

The kind who baked yummy dinners from the Campbell's Soup Dinner Cookbook.

The kind who made delicious treats on a regular basis so my children would rush home to gobble them up.

The kind who kept an immaculate house--within reason.

The kind who sweetly kissed her kids as they rushed out the door to catch the bus and then was at the door smiling sweetly at the end of their school day as they rushed home to eat the afore mentioned goodies.

The kind who let the kids have the whole neighborhood over every day after school.

What kind of mother am I?

The kind who has banned every preservative from my house...so throw out the Campbell's Soup Cookbook, it won't do me any good!

The kind who will occasionally make a treat with white sugar (we did make cookies last night...whole wheat cookies...) but usually all treats have alternative forms of sweetner (honey, agave nectar, stevia). And, I didn't stop with my sweetners...goats milk is in our fridge, and homemade goat yogurt, and homemade goat cheese...anybody wanna join us for a meal?

The kind whose house is free of mold in the toilets, but some days that's as good as it gets.

The kind who wishes her kids would just want to play with each other a little more, and want the neighborhood over a little less.

The kind (get ready for this...it's a doozy) who doesn't kiss her children sweetly as they rush out the door to catch the school bus. That's right folks. I don't kiss my children before they get on the bus. I don't even put them on the bus...nor do I drive them to school...nor do I walk them, or let them walk themselves, or ride their bikes. I keep them home...that's right...all day long...

What am I smoking? What did YOU put in my water? I NEVER wanted to homeschool my children. I NEVER even gave it a moment's thought. THAT is what OTHER mother's may do. THOSE women are NOT at all like me. I would NEVER do such a thing. I am simply NOT a "homeschool mom". And did I mention I am expecting? That's right...I am a high risk pregnancy and this is my fifth child, and the doctor's love me so much that they insist I come in on a weekly basis so they can get their dose of me.

Let's just say this is a complicated year. There are days when I wonder if there is ANY way possible for me to survive all the demands that I feel on my shoulders. There are days when I feel as if there is NO WAY in this world that I could POSSIBLY do a worse job educating my children than the schools have done. There are days when I feel as if there is NO WAY I can possibly be the mother my children need me to be. There are days I get so excited about all that we will learn, all the improvements we will make (especially with Remington's reading) that I wonder if I will EVER be able to go back to the public education system. And then, there are those days that I want to sit on the floor in the middle of my kitchen and cry. There are days when I KNOW this is what my children need right now and that there is a much wiser and more able power who will help me do and be what I need to do and become.

Teeter. Totter.

Walkety-Talk

2011-05-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Kids really do say the darndest things.

Today Walker was playing with his friend Derek; making forts, having camping "tea parties" (bet you didn't know those existed), and making a huge mess. During all the excitement they also found time to play with Emri and practice their "future dad" skills. Seizing upon the moment, I tell the boys what good dads they will be...someday they will meet a beautiful girl, fall in-love, and get married, and then they will blah-blah-blah (Walker was done listening.) Bashfully Walker interrupts with "I've already done that."

"Done what? "

"I've already done the first part."

Rewind in my mind, blah blah kids, blah married, blah fall in love and meet a beautiful girl..

"Who's the beautiful girl Walker?"

Too embarrassed to tell me, he gives me clues until I finally guess the gorgeous blonde girl that he has recently discovered at a friend's house (she is a cousin to his friend, so they get to see each other on only the most fortuitous days.)

Later that night I tell Walker to tell dad about the girl he likes. Once again, Walker is embarrassed (normally a very rare condition.) After telling Ryan some clues (to say her name would be far too embarrassing to bare) he then goes on to say that he only thinks girls who dress modestly are beautiful because the other ones are too SUXY. (the u is there on purpose)

Because I think I'm funny

2011-02-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Do you ever start to say a one-liner that is just SO funny that you can't even get it out before you are doubled over laughing at yourself? Well, I am one of those annoying people who does that often. And, my favorite people are those who join me in my laughter, even if I wasn't really that funny.

This last week I was doubled over laughing at our Valentine cards. FYI: "come to papa" is a common Walker expression around here.

And since our theme is "funny"...errr...trying to be funny, here's our attempt at humoring our neighbors over the holidays.

Christmas Cheer

Why is it that Santa’s Elves
Are so happy all through the year?
Why is it that their lives are brimming
With bucket loads of Christmas cheer?
The answer is so simple
And we’re happy to share the scoop!
Santa’s Elves are always eating
Lots and lots of reindeer POOP!
And in the spirit of Christmas,
When gifts are given with care,
We’ve ordered a load of reindeer poop
And now we want to share!!!

May the Spirit of Christmas permeate your life
Not just while eating pooh,
But today, tomorrow, and yesterday,
Every single day the whole year through!

Merry Christmas from:
The Slightly Odd and Obsessed with Bodily Functions Stum Family

100th Post!

2011-01-28T12:58:00.001-08:00

Well, isn't that nice. Maybe I will do something special for the 101th post!

Actually, I just wanted to post some of the projects that have been keeping me overly occupied.

First off is my NEW SEWING TABLE!!!!

You would be a lot more impressed if you could see how "uncute" it was when I first picked it up for almost free. It was a sad, old, highly used and abused (but still solid and sturdy) sewing table. And now, it makes me giddy with happiness everytime I see it.

Disclaimer: I didn't refinish it...Ryan did. I started to do it myself, but then Ryan informed me that I was doing it wrong and he took over the project. He did a wonderful job!

Next is our NEW CHALKBOARD!!!

I was trying to find an old chalkboard on craigslist to frame around, but it ended up being cheaper to order it new from a local company that works with the schools in the area.

And this next one has been in the dreaming for over a year...

OUR NEW PICTURE DISPLAY!!!

The picture doesn't really do it justice. It is over 7 feet long and about 4-5 feet tall. The pictures are all printed as a picture board, so they are far cheaper than a canvass and much easier to switch out than a picture frame. What can I say? I'm lazy and I'm cheap!

Simply Ghostly!

2010-11-03T23:23:00.001-07:00

This is the little man who started it all.

When asked what he wanted to be, he would emphatically reply, " a Ghost!" And so it was, we cut up a sheet and painted him white. So then, why the glum face?
Because his sister loves him and wants to be a ghost too! Did he never hear that "imitation is the truest form of flattery?" (umm-hhmmm, that is from Anne of Green Gables, and if you haven't ever watched it, you should.)

And every ghost story needs someone brave. Our story is still looking for that someone, but we did find a color coordinating spiderman (black, red, and white--they all coordinate right?)

And then we get to the grown-up party...do we really have to dress up? Ryan would never let me NOT dress up. He has been mulling over potential costume ideas since last year's Halloween party. (seriously, no joke.) And yet, somehow, we made it to day of the party with NOTHING solidified. We even went to the halloween store for inspiration, but instead we ended up with traumatized children. Is it really necessary to hang bloody heads from their tongues and eyeballs from the ceiling?

We did rule out the hooker outfits, and the whore outfits, and the sleezy mama outfits, and the other hooker, whorer, and sleezy-er outfits, and then we ran out of options. Finally, we decided to pay our Eight year old son the truest compliment and steal his idea. So, there went another set of sheets!

And this is the evidence that we had one too many parties over Halloween weekend. The excitement and joy and sugar overload was more than our little Mr. Walker could handle!

After all the wig-wearing this last weekend I think I might have to go get me a real one. It was a thrilling experience to pull one on over my disheveled and highly ignored hair. I went from hum-drum awful to super wow gorgeous (well, at least not so bad) in seconds! I kinda liked it!

This is what you get at 1:41 AM

2010-10-24T01:41:00.000-07:00

Here I am frantically trying to figure out the final details of my Relief Society Lesson for tomorrow, so without a lot of extra...READ THIS. Every man and woman on the planet should read this...in my humble and tired opinion.
LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Sanctity of Womanhood

Once upon a time...

2010-10-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

...there was a very happy and very much in-love young couple who decided to join forces and get married. Married they were, and even happier they became as they went through the ups and downs of marriage and family life. They saw each other at their best, their moments of generosity and selflessness. They saw each other at their worse, mornings after sleepless nights with morning breathe, engorged body parts (trying to keep this G rated), cranky, and wanting to strangle pretty much everyone...did I mention that "everyone" was still sleeping?

And yet, they still loved each.

In the midst of all the crying, laughing, screaming, fighting (the latter two only done by the kids, of course), and other chaos, they still found themselves supremely happy and satisfied with each other. They were a match made in heaven.

The years pass, and soon, this not so young, but still not old, and still very much in-love couple come upon their 10 year anniversary. What event or thoughtful gift could properly convey the love and appreciation this couple has for each other?

The festivities begin with a last minute impromptu lunch date, with, of course, the baby tagging along(she's only a couple months old, so she goes everywhere mom goes.) She is a wonderful baby, except for the day she is cutting teeth, which lands on the day of their ten year anniversary! That's right. She screamed the entire time. First, thoughtful husband takes her outside so little wifey can eat, and then the wifey takes her out so the husband can eat. Then, they quickly part (not that they weren't apart the entire meal) because the husband has very important business to attend to. No big deal, the day is still young with plenty of time for the thoughtful surprises that are sure to follow.

5:30 rolls around and husbandito shows up with wilted flowers from the neighborhood grocery store. Awesome. Then, since its a school night, they decide to do a family dinner all together. IN-N-OUT it is. What could be more romantic?

Good thing it was only the 10 year anniversary and not something important.

And no, I am not bitter. Though, I have mentioned that next time our 10 year anniversary rolls around, my favorite flowers are TULIPS in the brightest happiest colors possible. And, a nice note never hurt.

He claims that we are going to celebrate it on some future day, when we don't have our little caboose tagging along. hmmmm....

Seriously--this was written with no malice, sarcasm, or hurt feelings. I simply want to remember the day as it was.

Sliced Bread

2010-09-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

He is the best thing in her world...

Even better than sliced bread. Best thing in my world? Listening to them laugh together.

Best thing in Indi's world? A dad who smiles through the lipstick and stick on earrings and hair accessories...hmmm...I find this picture so INCREDIBLY disturbing...

2010-06-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Guess what we've been up to since school got out...

SWIMMING! It's too blasted hot to do anything else!!!

We have had a little bit of "non-swimming" excitement...just a little...

It all began with some frantic cleaning on my part, isn't that how most excitement starts? Then we went to airport on Thursday night and picked up my parents. Then we went to airport on friday morning and picked up Ryan's parents. And then on Friday night we picked up Ryan's sister, Natalie, and three of her kids, Ryan (8) Adam (7) and Amber (9 months). OH! And Remington had his VERY FIRST SCOUT DAY CAMP mixed into all of this. But this is only the very brink of the excitement. On Saturday morning we went to the church and Remington was BAPTIZED!

Remington, my first little baby. Now so big. He is our questioner. Our deep thinker. He houses the softest heart, with the most rugged exterior. Just thinking about my little man, I get all teary eyed!

Remington with his good friend and neighbor, Josh. These two have decided they want to be brothers...which is WONDERFUL in my world. Josh is such a great kid and we LOVE having him around!

Remington with his two cousins, Ryan and Adam. Having them there was such a special treat for Rem! We wish they were closer so we could see them MUCH MORE!

Baptism was followed by a PARTY at OUR PLACE with way too much food and, of course, swimming! That night, while the grandma's watched the baby girls, and my dad picked up Kent from the airport, the rest of us headed to LaserQuest. Love that game. I tried really hard to look tough in the picture, but I look more ticked off than anything.

Sunday was another big day. Ryan, Emri and I all left the house at 7:30 to be at Allie Dover's blessing (the Dovers are super wonderful friends and we really wanted to be there.) We left immediately after the blessing and headed back to our church for Emri's Blessing.

I am just NOT a "bow mom". I try really hard, but, honestly, I think she is so beautiful that the bow detracts from her.

My mom made Emri's blessing dress, and it is perfect. Simple and beautiful. Indi was blessed in my old blessing dress which my mom made from the leftover material of her wedding dress. Emri's dress was made from the leftover material of my wedding dress. Thanks to my mom, both girls have a priceless dress, that they will HAVE to bless their daughters in, even if they think the dress is hideous : )

We also bowled (sad that this is the best picture we have of bowling...)

Outdoor movie.

Tubing (this is when we got all the dirty looks from the wakeboarders--they didn't appreciate the waves.)

Walker got brave and tried the "ski-trainers". These things are hilarious. It is the No Fail skiing system. All you have to do is breathe...you don't have to even stand up if you don't want to. Just breathe, and you will live to tell of how you can ski.

And I had to include this cute one of Grandpa Stum talking to Emri.

And now, I will confess that I have fallen flat on my face with little Miss Emri. I am one tired mama. The house is usually a mess (I get to say usually because it was clean by friday afternoon because I had a wonderful cleaning lady help me out), I have NO desire to cook any meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner. And my brain has completely left me. It was mostly gone during the pregnancy, and once Emri came out, my brain went on hiatus and I am hoping she will be back soon, it is kind of hard to function without one. Life is getting better. We discovered that Emri is allergic to dairy, so I am on a dairy free diet (most of the time) and over the last week, we have discovered that she is even MORE allergic to soy (yes, that soy-based formula was not a good idea. She threw it up and threw it up and then, when it was all out of her stomach she threw up her bile...poor girl!) Next try will be hypoallergenic formula. I have also discovered that ALMOND MILK is pretty good! I kinda like it--until I read the nutrition label on the back...it's the good kind of fat, the good kind of fat, the good kind of fat. Not that it matters, I won't be shedding these baby pounds until I stop buying...

In Love

2010-04-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

We are smitten.

Yes, absolutely and completely smitten.

Not one of us has escaped.

I unashamedly admit that I am smitten the worst. I wish that I could escape from the demands of life and do nothing but kiss her and snuggle her. I am constantly amazed at her perfect little fingers and toes, her cute button nose, her tiny ears, her sweet mouth. My mind has taken a million snapshots of her snuggled on my chest in peaceful slumber. She truly is absolutely perfect. A gift from Heaven.

A big thanks to my mom for coming out and helping so I could get some extra snuggle time in while she did most of the running around and the cooking and the cleaning and the taking care of the bigger kids.

Another big thanks to Kylee for taking these pics! You are so talented!

One baby Here and One on the way (wait a minute here?!?)

2010-04-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

Our super exciting week started with a visit from our good friends Yvonne and her son Ben, from Spokane Washington. They were spending their spring break down here in the glorious sunshine, dividing their time between us and some other friends. Yvonne treated us on family night to some good ol' basque music on her accordion, along with some dancing (on her part, and ours) and then we all got to try to play it.

Next day, tuesday, after spending a restless and contraction filled night pacing our hallways, I went in to the doctors office for a biweekly NST. After loads of heavy contractions on the monitor, and not as much fetal movement as normal, the nurse comes in and announces that the doctor is willing to strip my membranes...WHAT? They told me more than once that they would do nothing to induce labor unitl 39 weeks (I was 38 and 3 days). I wasn't going to refuse...after three days of constant contractions, sleepless nights, being dilated to almost a four, and a belly that felt as if it was literally going to rip in two if it had to stretch anymore. To be honest, I was giddy with the offer, and 10 minutes later I walk, or waddled, out and began the "waiting game".

Yvonne helped me time my contractions, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes...all day long. Never getting harder, never consistent. Finally, around 4:00 PM I convinced Yvonne that I wasn't going to go into hardcore labor and she might as well take the kids to the store to fulfill a promise she had made earlier. She was gone for about 20 minutes when I felt somthing trickling out of my "body". Hmmm...either I have suddenly lost all control of my bodily functions and just peed my pants, or else my water broke. A trip to the bathroom confirmed the latter. OH MY GOSH! It was ACTUALLY happening! It was FINALLY time to go to the hospital! HURRAY! HURRAH! HURROO!

6 hours later, nothing still. same inconsistent contractions, and I hadn't dilated anymore, and my tailbone felt like it was going to fall off if I had to remain on the hospital bed for one more second. They decided to start a VERY LOW oxytocin drip, and also a drip for the epidural that I would want. Nothing was supposed to happen for about 45 minutes. I needed to use the restroom and I wanted to take out my contacts before it got any later, and so I got up to take care of business. Before I made it to the toilet I had had two put me on my knees contractions. I hurry along with the necessities, but before I get back to my bed I am in CONSTANT pain. The contractions are coming so hard and fast that I cant even breathe in between. I was having 7 I want to die or at least swear and scream at someone contractions in a ten minute time span. The nurse turned the oxytocin off completely and then she starts squeezing the bag of fluid that has to go in intravenously before they can give the epidural, trying to help it along. Finally the epidural is in--oh my goodness, I love the man who put it in! (kudos to you ladies who do this naturally of your own free will and choice! I hope to NEVER experience this kind of pain again!) And I can immediately relax a little. 15 minutes later the nurse asks me how I am feeling. And I, of course, told her the honest truth, "It feels as if I need to poop." She quickly checks me and sure enough, she could see our babies head. She tells me NOT to push and runs out to get the doctor. 5 pushes later she was out safe and sound.

The kids are thrilled with their new little sister, Emri Ellen. (I know, that wasn't even one of the choices...we're fickle, what can I say?) Emri, just because, and Ellen after my mom (Mary Ellen) and my great-grandma. She weighed 9 lbs even and she is ALL torso and chubby cheeks.

Emri started life out good sleeping well the first 12 hours, and then she turned into a pill and she wouldn't let me put her down without screaming for even a second (hence, the picture of her screaming...I just wanted to get a picture of her in her funny little hat!) I was a little nervous about what I was in for with such a demanding little one on my hands, plus the other kids...how would I ever manage? I couldn't go to the bathroom, let alone get any sleep without her screaming.

She fussed on the way home, and I was certain that I might not survive the next few months as we walked into our home. Life inside was as busy and chaotic as ever, and all the kids were excited and extra talkative and loud as they pressed their little faces up to hers and touched her cheeks and her toes and her arms, and pretty much smothered her to death. She was immediately calm, and she has been calm ever since. She is home with the people who love her most and she is happy to be here being loved and snuggled and kissed. She sleeps through all the noise, and she has been a great sleeper at night.

Welcome Home Beautiful Emri!

Huge Thanks to Yvonne for managing all the running around with the kids and watching them and fixing dinner for our family. We would've had a lot more stress to deal with, though, all of our friends have been great about volunteering to help out. It was just so nice to not have to worry about imposing on another family, and having Yvonne around to take care of and love our kids--which she did a most excellent job of! It was wonderful having her in town!

AND, the part about another baby on the way... Walker ran up to me when I got home and gave me a big squeeze. Then he excitedly announced, "Mom! You brought our baby home and now we get ANOTHER baby because your tummy is SO big!" Yes, Walker, I do look 7 months prego, thanks for reaffirming that.

Be Not Deceived

2010-03-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

When we were first married, Ryan's uncle asked him if I ever get angry. Ryan's retort was, "Is she ever NOT angry?" For some reason, I give off a more amiable, laid back impression to those who do not know me well; and those who do know me more intimately know very well that I should have been born with red hair considering the fire ball nature that consumes me. Now, add pregnancy, and months of restless sleep to the equation and you get one HUGE raunchy lady.

Case in point: Poor, unaware telemarketer who is simply doing his job calls our home. My blood starts to boil the moment I see who is calling because I have asked them NUMEROUS times to be taken off their calling list. I pick up and immediately ask to be removed from their calling list. He expertly begins to work in his little sales pitch, but I cut him off and inform him that I already know what they are selling and how it works and we are NOT interested and we do not want to be called anymore! He then jumps to the sales pitch part about how this is actually going to save us money (blah-blah-blah...I've already heard this all before) and I finally lose it. I begin in a loud voice that quickly escalates to a yell, "I said that we are not interested and that we do not want to be called again and I am going to sue you (yes, I threatened a law suit) if you call me again. This is harassment and you are harassing me (I have now entered a phase near hysteria)! So stop harassing me! Click!

The moment I finished my little escapade, I immediately felt sheepish and remorseful. Bright side: It has been nearly two weeks and they have not called again. There are some perks to be an overly emotional, highly distraught, drastically sleep-deprived, naturally fiery woman.

Random Pics: Here are the boys in the mud pit known as our yard. Walker especially loves riding the quad in the mud and he begs to do it every day. Ryan is the nice parent who allows such things to happen...

THE MOST IMPORTANT POLL EVER TO BE ON MY BLOG...

2010-02-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Sadly, this MOST IMPORTANT poll will be done in a very un-high-tech fashion.

We are stuck when it comes to baby names. My number one choice has been strongly vetoed by the giver of the other half of the baby's genes. So, tonight I came up with Option #2, and he just can't decide which one he likes most, or least, not sure what is causing the big indecision on his part. We all know that I am the one doing all the work here, I'm the one awake every night with a large and uncomfortable body, I'm the one who threw up for months on end, and I'm the one who gets to go through child birth, so really, I get to choose. But, I am trying to be, or at least appear to be, diplomatic about this, so I suggested a poll. Please choose wisely. Our baby will have to live with this name for the rest of her life.

Choice #1: Shaylor Eve Stum. We would call her Shay most of the time. (Andrea, I realize this is pretty much your daughter's name, please forgive me for the distortion--I just really want to call her Shay, but Shay Stum, or Shay Eve Stum just doesn't work.) And Eve is after Ryan's Grandma, Eva Bell. She is our only remaining Grandma alive and we thought it would tickle her pink to have a great grandchild named after her.

Choice #2: Keva (pronounced Keeva) Lorraine Stum. Once again, Keva is just a derivative of Eva, I just thought it sounded more like it fit with the mix of our other kids' names, and Lorraine is after my maternal grandma, who passed away shortly after Indi was born. I have to admit that I really love this name because I have so many wonderful memories of my grandma. Part of me just wants to drop the K and make it Eva, but Eva Longoria spoils the name for me and I just can't get the bad taste out of my mouth. I just can't do that.

Shaylor or Keva?

And, for those of you who like torture: here is a picture of me three weeks ago. Ryan took one of me tonight, but it is so frightening I just can't bring myself to posting it on my blog. I have been asked at least 10 times this week if I am due any day. No, but thank you for insinuating that I look like a large beached whale with a stomach so bloated that it is about to explode! (sereiously, double the size of my stomach and that's how I look!)

Thank you Indi for blocking the view of my rear end which is equal in size to my tummy in the opposite direction. I look much thinner when you can see only one protruding appendage. (Does appendage relate only arms and legs, fingers and toes? or can tummies and bums fit into this category as well?)

Don't forget to vote!

What Not to Wear

2010-02-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

There are some things that a woman should definitely NOT wear, and I am 100% positive that Stacy and Clinton would agree with me when it comes to wearing this Lovely Contraption:

That's right, a jockstrap with cinchers located on your rear-end (in the perfect spot for all to see, and also provides the added benefit of dividing each bum cheek into two, creating the illusion of FOUR bum cheeks) and the not to be overlooked addition of lace on the front to add a touch of femininity--which is what sold me.

And since we are the topic of things I am dying to wear (literally), Here's my latest purchase:

Maybe some of you own a pair...so don't be offended...but they are HIDEOUS! And EXPENSIVE! My running shoes cost less than these babies (and, up until today I have NEVER spent close to what I pay for my running shoes on any other shoe--my old legs can't keep up with a mid-mileage running schedule unless I baby them.) So what drove me to this insanity, buying UGLY and EXPENSIVE shoes to wear daily until they fall apart on me (gotta get my money out of them)? You guessed it, the bliss of pregnancy! Aching back, aching legs (that keep me awake all night), ankles that are so sore I wanna cry, and you will have to guess what the jockstrap is for, or perhaps you have a beauty of your own hiding in your closet.

Worst case scenario: 6 weeks 4 days until deliverance.

And, in case anybody cares, in the last 30 minutes I have eaten 1 yogurt (the only healthy part) 3 servings of tortilla chips, 2 large handfuls of guittard milk chocolate chips, and now I am headed to the freezer for some ice cream. Ryan is working late, I need him to come home so I can stop gorging my face and go to bed.

Hidden Talents

2010-01-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

One of my hidden talents is creativity. It is so far hidden that if I were the size of planet earth, and all the layers of the earth were my talents, creativity would be hidden somewhere near the core, right next to my house decorating talents. Having said that, we are, once again, attempting to make home-made valentine's day cards; this is after proclaiming from the rooftops last year that I would NEVER again attempt to make vday cards with my children. It's bad on our relationship, bad on my psyche, and bad on the overall general feeling of love that should permeate the holiday. BUT, this year will be different. This year I used technology, the lovely site www.scrapblogs.com, and all I have to do is print and glue on googley eyes.

Just imagine these beauties:

with big googley eyes pasted on them! For some reason, the thought of the finished product makes me laugh. Hopefully they turn out as cute as I imagine!

(Note: Remington had the same body as on Walker's, but he didn't like the shoes...he wanted a "marvel" hero, so we found a "Mr. America" body to use...I am guessing that all the 2nd graders will recognize the superhero body--I sure didn't!)

And, back to creativity, I have an insane desire to paint an oil picture and to decorate a cake with fondant. If anybody has seen my attempts to even draw a stick figure, you would realize how frightening these projects could turn out...I will be sure to post my attempts when I finally get around to them!

A new perspective

2010-01-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

Here he is. My super fun, soft-hearted, bright, extremely competitive, eager to please, and easy to love boy. Yes, the same boy that I have brought to tears many times during exhausting homework sessions that should have, in my mind, taken only 15 minutes to complete and were now approaching HOURS. Yes, I said HOURS (and this began in KINDERGARTEN. Yes, I said KINDERGARTEN.)

Our frustrations started long before Kindergarten. No matter how hard I tried, Remington seemed not interested in learning his letters. Their names, or their sounds. He went to school not able to say his ABC's (not because we hadn't worked on it.) He couldn't even write his name (and I was only working on his shortened name--which uses 3 LETTERS. R. E. M. Not difficult!) I moaned when his teachers asked that he write his entire first name and last name (he still messes his name up...and he is in the second grade.) I am not sure if he can say his days of the week in order. He definitely can't tell you the months of the year. Learning to tie his shoes was a chore, one that his little sister beat him at. Left and right is like speaking chinese if it is directed towards him. His spelling is a mess, even on the easiest words. And, his reading is a mystery. Sometimes he is amazing. He can read the scripture readers like nobody's business; throwing words out like righteous, and lamanites, Zarahemla, and exceedingly. But, then, he messes up the then's, when's, there, where, who, how, and all the other easy sight words.

Needless to say, the last three years have been a struggle. We have drilled and studied, cried and prayed, worked and worried, all the while, trying to make sense of his erratic strengths and struggles at school. Even his math was puzzling. Ask him some math facts and the kid will wow you. Give him his assignment to complete and he will probably do it all wrong. Completely wrong.

This last month has been a month of enlightening. After going over Remington's homework and seeing him write his spelling sentence like this: Ti si early (and no, he wasn't practicing spanish. It was supposed to say: It is early.) I finally decided to call a dyslexic specialist and just get some information (I mean, how many second graders don't know how to spell it and is? This wasn't just getting his d's and b's confused, this was actual writing backwards. Did I mention that he can't draw a question mark? t He gets confused on which direction it curves.) After an hour on the phone, I knew we had hit the jack pot. He had almost EVERY classic symptom of dyslexia, even down to his being a late talker, and stuttering when he was young. I was referred to a website: www.brightsolutions.us , and after watching a 3 HOUR, and yes, I said 3 HOUR, video I was even more convinced.

We have now had Remington tested by a dyslexic specialist (and did you know that dyslexics have a hard time saying that word? I love hearing Remington try to say it--he gets it all sorts of jumbled up and confused...) it is official. He is dyslexic. This brings me to my two frustrations: Why in the world did I not know what dyslexia was (I thought it was seeing things backwards. That's not it at all! It has more to do with auditory and how they process what they hear, combined with "directional confusion" among other things...It's not simple, but it's also not all bad. They have many strengths, and the best part is that something can be done to help them read and spell better--they can actually do really well in school!) Second frustration: Why did none of his teachers suspect and suggest that he might have dyslexia? He is the TYPICAL dyslexic, and all they ever suggested was ADHD (which he definitely is NOT) and ADD (which he does zone out and not pay attention when what is being presented is boring to him--but who doesn't?) Honestly, I don't think that teachers understand what dyslexia is, but shouldn't they? It is estimated that 20% of every classroom struggles with it to some degree (mildly dyslexic to severely dyslexic) Either we educate the early elementary teachers on what to look for, or we educate every parent on what to look for. Personally, I am all for enabling parents to do their job and be the watch-keepers over their children. But, we rely on doctors to correctly diagnose our kids (granted, we have the right and the obligation to get second opinions, do our own research, and ultimately go with our gut instincts), so why shouldn't we have faith that our educators are aware of the the MOST COMMON HEREDITARY LEARNING DISABILITY plaguing our kids and the typical signs. We could have saved Remington three years of struggling, three years of feeling stupid and inferior, three years of pretending like he could read (which he does a remarkable job pretending. A testament to his intelligence.) And three years of torture for me when i helped him with homework (and now I feel tortured whenever I think of how frustrated I would get with him. Why wasn't I more patient?)

And now, when Remington spells his name wrong I laugh and show him where his error is. When he is frustrated with his math homework, I smile and offer to read the story problem to him. It's amazing how many ?'s he gets right if he can listen to the story problem instead of reading it. Now, when I tell him to turn left, and he looks at me in confusion, I point. And, when he writes his ? marks backwards, I stifle my giggle (it makes him feel stupid--and he doesn't like that feeling) I simply give him a hug and leave it for posterity's sake; I now think its cute. Like I said, a new perspective.

ps--I just have to share how excited I am. My friend has a girl who has really struggled in school. They have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on tutoring, and finally, this year they pulled her out and my friend is now home-schooling her daughter. I called her to suggest that she check into dyslexia (only because I wish somebody had suggested it to me years ago when Rem was in Kindergarten, especially if they had a web site that I could visit without feeling any pressure.) She didn't sound very convinced or excited about the prospect and I hung up thinking I had made a mistake and maybe shouldn't have called. Well, she called me this week to tell me thank you and to get more contact information so they could have their daughter tested. She said that she hadn't understood what dyslexia really was (what most of us know, isn't accurate) and the thought that something could be done to help her was so exciting. Hurray! I will now take courage and call a couple more moms that I thought of while I was watching the video (I chickened out after this first lady wasn't very excited about my initial phone call...)

Christmas Magic

2010-01-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning was "magical" (ever seen Saturday Night Live with the imitation Drew Barrymore?) with the frost covered ground. Our kids actually thought that it had snowed...time we go visit some real snow! Santa had visited (see all the presents?) Our Santa only brings one gift and some stocking fillers.

We asked the kids to grab their favorite presents for a picture. Each one chose the gift that their siblings had bought them...ahhh, sweet. (except Walker, and he chose to squeeze Indi with all his might.)

Santa and parents were thinking cheap this year. Indi is sporting the two best finds of the season. Santa brought her some "My Twinn" dolls from Craigs list (originally selling for $140 EACH, but Santa got them two for $40--woohoo! They aren't the American Girl dolls that she was asking for, but she never knew the difference, and even if she did--she loves them.) Then, her mother (yours truly) was searching for some princess dress-ups and wanting something a little higher quality than the typical princess costume (aka--washable and won't rip after the first wearing like the cheap snow white halloween costume) and something far cheaper than the princess disney gowns (at the Disney outlet they sell for $70 on up--and that was during a sale!) She discovered a lady on Craig's List who was getting rid of her online business and selling all her princess dresses for $20 each. These dresses are amazing (all edges surged and finished) and lightweight (important for AZ) and washable...Plus, she threw in some free stuff (like the matching doll dress). Mom was happy, Dad was happy, and Indi was thrilled with her new dress-ups.

The kids were all perfectly happy and content with their christmas. Each child showed so much gratitude for their 2 or three gifts. Ryan and I wondered why we hadn't just stopped there--they were perfectly satisfied. That's when we brought out the big surprise...

Seriously. What were we thinking? Oh yeah. We wanted a little dirt bike for Rem to ride on, but we couldn't find anything on Craigslist. Ryan mentioned something about it to one of his business partners, who then said that he was wanting to sale his quads. They are old (10+ years) but well taken care of. We thought it was a great deal and could be tons of fun (especially since we have our own little "wilderness" to ride around on.) In a moment of insanity we went for it...and now we have over-indulged children on Christmas morning. Part of me shudders when I think about (talk about spoiled kids). The other half of me tells the shuddering half to not be a scrooge and just enjoy it. They have had so much fun and we have had several family adventures over the past week. Remington especially likes the independence. He would drive his quad in ahead of us, or just behind us when we drove into the mountains to one of our favorite campfire spots.

The best christmas magic happened around 1:30 p.m. when Aunt Corrie flew into town. Her presence was magical and she was as much fun to have around as she is cute to look at!

Just imagine the awesomest 20 year old you know, times it by 1 million, wrap it up with someone who lovingly and unselfishly plays with each of your kids hours on end, does your dishes, sweeps the house as she talks to her boyfriend at 1:30 in the morning, shops with you, does fun projects with you, and times it by 1 million again, and then you have someone almost as good as Corrie. She is awesome. We LOVED having her with us.

One last magical moment. Every Christmas we go to the Mesa Temple to see the lights, and we love to go through the visitors center and listen to the sister missionaries talk about the Savior as we sit at his feet (they have a large Christus statue similar to the one in Salt Lake). This year Walker noticed the marks on His feet and in His side. He was troubled that the "owies" were still there and he insisted that we put a band aid on them. We took him out of that area, and found a smaller statue that wasn't in an area with scheduled tours. He touched all the marks and asked many why ?'s. Why did someone hurt Him? Why does He not have a band aid on? Why did he die? Why did his owies not get better? Some were harder to answer on a three year old level than others, but I am glad he asked.

Christmas magic x's a million.

The other half of the Christmas Card--and random pics

2009-12-28T20:29:00.001-08:00

In my natural state of geniuses, I ordered Postcards, instead of cards with envelopes. And then, in my natural state of laziness, we just mailed them out with pretty much nothing on them. Originally, when I thought I was sending out a card with an envelope, this was to accompany it:

Remington Football is something he breathes, eats and drinks
Along with his legos, and some edible sweet treats.
Dyslexia is something brand new in his world,
But he plans to work hard and give tutoring a whirl.
Baptism on June 18th is something he looks forward to,
And if you are close, he’d love you to come through.
Indi A soccer maniac, and a kindergarten joy,
A helper to mom and a playmate to boys,
The one thing she’s lacking is a girl next door
Thus all the excitement over one girl more.
Piano is something she seems to relish
She plays the songs great and likes to embellish.
Walker Wants to grow up too fast, riding away on his 2-wheeled bike
Going to preschool with friends, and finding a girl he likes.
To impress this girl, handsome is something he strives to be
And to smell good for her, a shower is already a necessity.
His prayers are the sweetest as he prays for mom and baby
He wants his family to be safe, and to grow up someday, maybe.
Lena Happy to not be on the couch sick and moving more easily about
Already anxious for April so she can get the baby out.
Running quite slow on her few morning jogs
But running too fast at her motherhood jobs.
Still in Young Women’s and loving every minute
She loves the girls and gets the best babysittin’.
Ryan Busy at work and too little time for recreation
He desperately needed that Kauai vacation.
Constantly complains that his pants are too tight,
His wife has some sympathy cause she knows what it’s like
He’s been super dad going on field trips this fall
And now, he’s gone and volunteered to help coach basketball!

Merry Christmas—We love you!

Non-christmas card note: Santa brought Ryan and I a better camera for christmas so the next batch of pics should be significantly better! Hurray!

BOO!!

2009-11-13T13:33:00.001-08:00

Did we scare you? I scare myself! My tummy is real, Ry's is fake! We dressed for a little halloween party on Friday night and Ryan really got into his character. He would lift his shirt and scratch his belly, toss his "mane" over his shoulder--he played the part quite well, minus the expletives.

The kids got these glasses at our ward halloween party and it was their FAVORITE prize! They all became "Dr. Whoever comes out of my mouth first" for the evening.

Indi and Walker at our ward party. Indi was Snow White (against her will--she would have rather been just about anything other than a princess, crazy how little opinions change over just a few short weeks.) and Walker was a pirate. My mom made his and Rem's costume. Hallelujah--thank you mom! Saved some time and money for me!

Remington did his own beard and mustachio on halloween night. As you can tell, he did a great job with the PERMANENT MARKER!!!! Yeah, a PERMANENT marker. It did mostly come off after about 20 minutes of scrubbing. His face still looked a little dirty on Sunday, but I was afraid to scrub his skin anymore, didn't want the skin to scrub off.

I SHOULD have taken a picture of the MOTHER LOAD our kids came home with! They returned with overflowing goodness--every mother's nightmare. Ryan was determined to stick with tradition and "buy" the kid's candy from them. Pretty much, he pays them pennies for the small bars and candies, and more for the bigger stuff. Our kids love it cuz they get rich. They can choose what to sell and what to keep--and we end up with lots of candy that we should give away, but don't, because we would rather eat it ourselves! Next year, I vow to just let the kids eat their own candy--they can afford the calories, I can't.

Kauai--that's right baby--you read it right!

2009-11-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

3 months ago we had no big plans for a get-away. We definitely wanted to do something, but we were thinking mainland and a little more economy style, but then, the call came. Normally I am great at saying no to the get-away packages offered by companies selling condos. One or two nights in Sedona or Scottsdale is NOT worth a ninety minute high-pressure sales pitch to buy a condo! First the salesman mentions Kauai, then he throws in 5 NIGHTS, then he mentions the retail value (which we double checked and he was right on!), and I started thinking that maybe a 90 minute schpill might be worth it. After discussing it with Ryan and doing some investigating of our own, we decided that it was an AMAZING deal--one we couldn't pass up! AND, to Marriott's credit, the 90 minute schpill was not painful even a little. Our salesman was very cordial and very aware of the fact that we were only milking the system--he did his little ditty and then we were off on some more adventures! That is the most money I have EVER personally made in 90 minutes!

IF you are not big world travelers, and IF you are not fluent in other languages and slightly nervous to try traversing countries without being able to communicate, and IF you like beautiful, exotic landscape without ANY large or dangerous animals or reptiles, then Kauai is the place for you! (Note: if you like lots of commercial stuff and a nightlife--Kauai is NOT the place for you! and that's another reason I like it so much!)

I tried to keep the pics to a minimum--BUT I COULDN'T! EVERYTHING WAS SO WONDERFUL, and, of course, we didn't take nearly enough pictures!

Our first adventure was kayaking up Wailua River and then hiking into Secret (but not really SO secret) Falls. It was gorgeous! We then kayaked further up the river to a rope swing and had some fun--but I won't torture you with the pics.

Snorkeling was fun--but not amazing. Don't go to kauai if you want spectacular snorkeling cuz it is just not there; though, i have heard that it is a lot better off the Napali Coast. You have to take a boat there or hike in or kayak over. But with me being prego and ryan being extremely sea sick combined with really rough seas, we thought it might be more misery than fun.

Ryan took a flight in a what-cha-ma-call-it! He got to see the Napali Coast and he even got to drive--ryan loved it. I was happy to see him safely land. Even though my sickies have mostly subside, my stomach has been so tipsy turvy with this pregnancy that just the mere thought of being in a small airplaney thingey made me want to lose my breakfast.

We did two nice dinners. The first was a luau--which I don't recommend. The food was horrid (but, then again, I am probably the most particular eater when it comes to dining. I like fine dining and healthy...the combination of both is preferable, but if I have to choose I at least want something that is healthy and won't make me feel sick for the next 6 hours.) The Luau would be perfect for a carnivorous husband, I am fortunate and Ryan prefers to have something edible served with his meat. This picture is from our second dining experience at the Beach House. The setting was spectacular--watching the sunset over the ocean. The food left something to be desired (once again, take it for what it's worth.) My watermelon salad was awesome--the rest of the meal wasn't nearly as good as The Cheesecake Factory (fine dining at its finest! Next time you are there, I recommend the mahi mediterranean style--SO GOOD! and Ryan and I share--it is PLENTY big enough!)

Everytime Ryan and I go on vacation we tell ourselves that THIS time we are gonna splurge and get a massage. This time i was determined to actually do it (gosh darn it! I am pregnant and I deserve a stinkin' massage!) Plus, we had a hotel credit with our package--so that made it feel cheaper! We did our massage on the beach and it was the MOST AMAZING and RELAXING massage ever! We both fell asleep towards the end. We have no idea how long we slept--it was awesome. Truly awesome.

One of my favorite activites was surfing. We had a two hour lesson (I need a 2 year lesson--but it was still fun!) Ryan did really good, but unfortunately, our teacher didn't get a great shot of him up on his board. The picture of me is about as good as I got. I made it in on maybe three waves, but I was unsteady and flailing my arms the entire way in. Can I blame this on pregnancy? If you ever go to HI, you have GOT to surf! Warning: wear the long board shorts and a long-sleeved rash guard. Our arms were raw and rashed all around the elbow area, and my legs looked even worse!

The north shore is spectacular! We wish we had more time to spend up there! We did a short hike into Secret Beach (which has forgotten that it's a secret--highly populated with my least favorite ladies--the skinny naked ones. I wish I would've "accidently" thrown some mud or maybe a crab onto their naked bosoms, exposed female lower regions, or bum cracks--maybe then I would'n't feel such animosity for the free show.) WE then hiked all over the lava pools which are sooooooo
beautiful!

Our last days hike was the most adventurous. We did a jungle hike that wound us up a river stream. Half the hike was in the slippery rocks of the river (which was really difficult and dangerous to the toes), and the other half was through mud and vines and over and under logs. It was the best scenery combined with lots of adventure (perfect for Ryan.) And, just in case you are still reading and paying attention to my VERY LONG travel log, you may have noticed a silly purple glove on my hand. That morning I went for a longer than normal run, got lost, tripped and fell, and then walked the last 3/4 of a mile back to the resort with my hand above my head because of excessive bleeding. When I walked up to the main entrance, the valet people freaked out and made me sit on some sofas while they grabbed medical personal. I was dirty, my hand was badly torn up, and my pride heavily wounded. Thankfully, my stomach got a few scratches on it, but I wasn't at all uncomfortable in that region, so hopefully everything was and is fine! We had to protect my hand from the fresh water because they have some sort of bacteria that infects over a hundred people a year--and they get it from open wounds being exposed to the fresh water! My hand made the hike more difficult, but it was still awesome. We will definitely do that hike on our return trip...someday.

Please note the moisture on our skin. That is not rain. That is not water from the river. That is sweat! We were really working hard! Good thing I went for a run that morning!

And, last but not least, everybody swears by Hawaiian shaved ice, so we had to try some! it was good--but once again, the picky eater in me comes out. I would rather have the macadamia nut icecream that is hidden in the middle all by itself! All that syrupy junk on the ice did me in! TOO MUCH!

Kid Pics

2009-10-12T21:47:00.001-07:00

Our fabulous babysitter, the beautiful Miss Kylee, has taken some AWESOME pictures of the kids! Our bunch seems to be "difficult" when it comes to cooperating for pictures (some of you have experience in this particular area...you know what I am talking about.) And, the child that you think SHOULD be the easiest, is actually the HARDEST and most UNCOOPERATIVE, which is frustrating, to say the least. Well, today was magical. The hardest, turned into the easiest, the typical easiest was actually the hardest, but manageable, and the third was, well...your typical 3 year old!
Here's some of the best!

Yes, we are at a junkyard of sorts (I don't think the owners would call it a junkyard, but it had a lot of junk!) And, yes, Indi is wearing a stained t-shirt that I got at Walmart last summer for $3...but I had a dickens of a time finding bright colors for the kids to wear--I really had no other options! And, yes, the boys ties are absolutely amazing...I made them yesterday. Pretty simple, highly imperfect, and no, I won't be making any extras for you to purchase. Please understand, sewing is not really on my radar right now. Maybe when I retire from cooking and cleaning and having babies and life in general, then MAYBE I will venture into the sewing for income world.

And you may ask...

2009-10-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Where have you been? Well, let me explain.
So, now you know. I got the kids off to school, we had a little bit of fun, and then I got hit with the "8 week flu". But, to spare you from my chronic whining, I will, instead, count my many blessings.
* The kids have been SO excited! Walker told EVERYBODY he met that he is gonna be a big bwodda and daddy and a mommy. He got a lot of confused looks.
*I have two angel helpers. One is Indi--she has taken care of Walker and gotten herself ready for school on way too many mornings. I could never have imagined that a 5 year old could be so helpful. The second is our babysitter--she is not only WONDERFUL with the kids (not too mention she has a schedule that allows her to sit during the day while I am at the doctor for HOURS), but, she has also folded my laundry (and it was a LOT of laundry!), put away my groceries (while I was throwing up and trying to get out the door for yet another appointment), and cleaned my house. I really could not have survived without her! Let me repeat, I COULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED WITHOUT HER!!!

And don't get any ideas about setting her up with some great guy--she is already taken! I have decided that she WILL marry my brother! Can't wait to have her as a sister-in-law!

*The baby seems to be growing great! I always get so nervous--there are so many things that can go wrong and I am high risk on so many levels...every ultrasound I breathe a little easier.
* I really LOVE the Dr.'s office that is handling this pregnancy! So far, I have really loved everybody I've worked with...I even love the diabetes educator who is working with me on my sugars. Now, you can't fully appreciate this last one unless you have personally worked with a "food natzi" who makes eating a nightmare. This lady is very educated and up-to-date on all the latest, she is also a diabetic herself--and, therefore, can offer real world advice, plus, she is super fun and sweet to talk to. I love her! I might be switching over to her care permanently after the baby is born! (We'll see though, she is quite a drive!)
*Ryan continues to stick it out and remain married to me in spite of all my cranky attitude. He really does get the brunt of all my tiredness and moodiness. I can keep a smile on my face for only so long, and then I am just too tired and sick for any sort of fun or good humoredness. The world gets the happy me, and Ryan gets the crying, grumpy me--it really isn't fair, and I need to change...maybe in the second trimester. If I could only learn to be nice when I am pregnant...

The Big Getaway

2009-08-02T20:51:00.001-07:00

This summer has been the best! Here are some of the highlights!

1)Our fun started before we even left! Aunt Haley (Ryan's sister) flew down to help me drive up to UT with the kids. We had so much fun renting paddle boats on Tempe Lake. Haley, thanks for all the fun and for your help during the drive!
2) Once in Idaho, the kids had SO much fun playing with their cousins! Indi has requested that we have a baby just like baby Paige. Tall order. We will see what we can do.
3)Watching the kids play in the fort and ditch with Uncle Kent and with cousins (cousin Ryan in the pictures).
4)Uncle Kent is awesome (and handsome)
5)Watching the kids get dirty.... constantly
6)Watching Walker play chubby bunny with Grandpa
7)Being with Uncle Seth before he left for his mission. (Hearing him speak in church before he left was definitely a highlight! He will be such an amazing missionary!)
8)Spending the day with my cousin Diane and her kids at Roaring Springs. We had SO MUCH FUN thanks to them! Her older boy was so sweet to Remington. Eric stayed with Remington the WHOLE day and took him on ride after ride after ride. Rem was in HEAVEN, and I just wanted to give Eric the biggest hug for being so good to Rem. He made Rem so happy! The younger kids all had fun with the younger cousins their age, and Indi loved the attention from Diane's two oldest girls, Jessica and Nicole. AND, I had the greatest time with Diane. I never get to spend enough time with her, so having the whole day with her was a dream come true for me! She is one of my idols.
9)Picking raspberries in Grandma's garden. Indi spent HOURS out there picking and eating the berries. Even Walker helped.
10)Ryan and I having a little get away--what a treat! Thanks Mom!
11)Spending the 4th with more family! Uncle Don and Aunt Renae (who I LOVE SO MUCH!) and cousins Katie and Lexi!)
12)Watching Rem put his rt hand on heart and doing some sort of salute with his left hand during the star spangled banner! Love that kid!
13)More cousins (they were all so good and sweet to my kids! My kids were in heaven the whole trip because of the love of family!)
14)Making bread with Grammy
15)Fishing with Grandpa and Uncle Kent, and then grandpa and uncle Kent cleaning the fish!
16)Shooting a gun with Grandpa (yes, Remington was in heaven!)
17)Going to the cabin. My Grandparents built this when my mom was a young girl. Now it belongs to my uncle. I hadn't been up there for atleast 12 years, so it was so fun to revisit a place with so many wonderful memories! It was far more beautiful than I remembered, and just as fun! We fished and swam and canoed and played with cousins. Uncle Don and Aunt Renae came up too, which meant so much to me! And, they were so good and loving to my children...I was in heaven because my kids were in heaven.
18)S'mores. Yum!
19)Being with Family!
20)Uncle Don took Ry and I and uncle Kent up to the top of West Mountain on four wheelers. From here, we could see the area where I grew up, plus you could see Cascade Lake. It was one of the most picturesque scenes I have ever seen. It was breathtaking. Just being up there and seeing the beauty made me want to never leave! It was a testament to the reality of a God who loves us and who is in control. Thanks Uncle Don!
21)Next we headed to the Stum Reunion. The cabin was AMAZING! Moose Mountain as it is called was the perfect setting for lots of fun! The cousins had such a great time sleeping in "Buffalo Bunks", and we even saw a moose while we were there (it was named MOOSE MOUNTAIN for a reason!) I love the cliff jumping pictures--the first is Ryan's dad, he is a stud, even in his old age (just kidding dad!) Ryan's bro, Nate, is the crazy one doing the superman! I wish I had more pictures from this reunion, but our camera battery decided to go bonkers on us and not work...awesome. If we had the pictures, they would be of fun ping-pong games, amazing family devotionals, delicious meals, fun runs (the fun is debatable--the altitude combined with the steep terrain about killed me) in the crisp morning air, dance parties, and lots and lots of goodness and love. I am very blessed to be part of the Stum family and the Walker family--two very choice groups of people!

I can't imagine a more fun, or a more fulfilling vacation! We were able to spend time with the people we love and our kids LOVED being with grandparents, and uncles and aunts, and cousins! In my dreams we will someday live closer, but for now, we will be satisfied with the little time we were able to spend together! Thank you for loving me and my family!

Past Due for the biggest Muncheroo!

2009-06-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago this amazing little man entered my world and relieved my body of the pain caused by his dwelling inside me. (I know, child birth is not typically remembered as "relieving of pain", but when this big 10 pounder exited my body and entered the world I felt a huge relief!) He is the reason why I swore that big babies were golden babies (this theory was shattered by Walker...) Remington was the best, most amiably, and easy going baby to walk (or just lay there) the earth. He was a dream baby. And I was in heaven. I was so excited to be his mother! I refused to put him in the nursery because I wanted to be the one to take care of him constantly!

Two years later I was keeping him from crushing his new little sister during his very excited first hug!

Thankfully, Indi grew stronger and Remington grew gentler, but the excitement still continues! Remington loves to teach Indi his newest trick, help her learn many useless (and some useful) facts, read to her from his favorite books. He knows who his biggest cheerleader is and he loves having her near!

By the time Walker came to our home, Remington was a seasoned veteran at being a big brother and a big helper. He is the first to make sure the little kids stay out of the street, stay close at the store, don't fall off the monkey bars, or make it to the edge of the pool while swimming. He is also the first to soften and forgive his younger siblings and to beg that we parents forgive and "give them another chance". Many a time, he is the reason I have not carried through with my threats to the younger children. He hates to see them sad.

Remington is a man's man. He loves to fish, shoot guns, wrestle and play rough, and pretty much anything his dad loves to do. The biggest treat for Rem is to spend time with his dad; the next best thing, either of his grandpa's!

Remington is HANDSOME! This kid got the genes when it comes to good looks! He got my brother's dark skin, and his dad's super blue eyes--not to mention, a really beautiful smile. If only I could convince him to wear something other than the freebie t-shirts from my races and sweat shorts! He definitely has opinions about what he wants to wear and how he wants his hair styled (preference being "no style.") I'll take his happy-go-lucky attitude that seems to work his way into his happy-go-lucky-never-need-to-wash-my-clothes-or-body style. Maybe it makes me feel needed. What would I do with my day if I wasn't running around reminding him to put on clean clothes, wash his hands, shut the door, put the toilet seat down?

Remington is fun to be with. If you want an enjoyable afternoon, spend some time with Remington. He gives the best hugs, tells the best stories, gives the best sincere compliments, and he always holds my hand (parental privilege. Side note: his hand is almost as big as mine--frightening!) He will make you laugh (that's guaranteed!) and you will discover that he is an expert on just about everything!

Sometimes all the annoying 7-year-old boy tendencies distract me and I get caught up in trying to break him of his crude noises, less than ideal words, inappropriate attention getters, etc. Thankfully, I have received many heavenly messages reminding me of how special Remington is. I have never heard a young child pray so fervently with so much faith that his Heavenly Father will both hear and answer his prayer as Remington, and his prayers have always been answered, in sometimes very miraculous ways. I have often joked that if I really need a prayer to be answered, all I have to do is put Remington on it! I have never seen a child be so touched and concerned about another human being's suffering. He hurts when he sees another person suffer either emotionally or physically, and he is also easily hurt. He is so very sensitive to the world around him.

Remington, I love you. I love you more and the most, not impossible, because I am the mom, and Heavenly Father gave mom's the most love.

Normally, I'm a Not

2009-06-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Normally, I'm not the type to invite 14 crazy (as in FUN crazy) boys over on the same day, at the same time. Only a crazy woman would do something like that! But when it's all in the name of PARTY, then why not?

Normally, I'm not the type who allows these crazy (again, FUN crazy) boys to shoot water bombs at each other with giant sling shots! But when it's all in the name of PARTY, and Ryan's in charge, then party on dudes!

Normally, I'm not so hot on the idea of these same fun-crazy boys ALL getting in the pool at the same time. But, when Ryan's the one throwing them in, and everyone is having a blast, then enjoy the water party!

Normally, I won't allow food in the pool; having food in the pool is asking for a huge watery mess! But, when it's water football, and the watermelon is the ball, a person's gotta sit back and enjoy the football party!

Normally, I'm not too keen on skulls and swords and guns and bombs. But, when it's a crazy Pirate's Birthday, you gotta have all the pirate goods!

Normally, I wouldn't have a soul over after getting diagnosed with strep throat earlier that day! (I hadn't been feeling so hot for a couple of days, and Ryan finally forced me to go see a doctor...and I am so glad he did!) But, since I have an amazing seven year old who cleaned most of the house and helped me get everything ready, and I have an amazing husband who ran the whole event while I stood back and kept my germs to myself, the party went on!

It really was such a fun party! We swam and had balloon fights and water bomb wars! Ryan made the boys "walk the plank", and he led them in watermelon football. Pizza and watermelon for dinner (FYI: four pizzas is NOT enough food for 17 kids!) Thank you kids for helping me out so much today and for letting me get a nap in. Thank you Ryan for doing 98% of the work once you got home!

Party on!

Sand, Sea, and Where's the Sun?

2009-06-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, sunny California was all that it promises, minus the sunshine.

Our family took a quick trip this last week to visit Sea World with Grandma and Grandpa Stum in San Diego. In my attempt to pack light, I opted to leave behind any cold weather clothing, and instead, took only a light jacket for everyone. Oops on me! The coldest moment? Remington can claim the top spot! Remington was DYING to get splashed during the shows, and since the rest of us weren't as adventurous, he usually sat in the splash zone by himself. Well, he sat by himself until the Shamu show. Past memories of previous shows conjured up images of HUGE waves crashing over the audience, so Ryan and Grandpa and Walker all went to join Remington equipped with rain ponchos to cover and protect. A certain boy who is almost 7 refused to get under his poncho in spite of pleading from the older and wiser. It took only one good wave for Remington to be completely drenched and completely sobbing. He kept sputtering something about how he didn't know the water would be so cold...um yeah, Shamu doesn't live in warm tropical water, and there is a reason the trainers all wear wetsuits! Luckily, it was the end of the day and we wrapped Remington up and carried him to the car. It took a good 12 hours for Remington to forgive Shamu and stop muttering about how much he "hates" the large, finned beast.

I think the shows add an element of low-key-ness to the amusement park vacation. A chance to sit and rest and watch and enjoy!

So much to see and learn! Who would want to run into a mouth like this while swimming in the ocean?

Two days at Sea World was enough for us. On day three we ventured to the beach; the cold, windy, practically freezing beach. Since we were so ill-prepared, we stopped at Target on our way out and I bought the warmest things I could find...which wasn't a lot. The end result was a not quite flattering, but oh so elegant (not) look. I may have gotten a lot of second looks (who wouldn't want to check out the blonde crazy lady in a clown suit?), but it did wonders in keeping me warm!

Ryan's older brother and his family, and one of his younger brothers, met us on the beach.
Cousins+Beach+grandparents+lots of food=lots and lots and lots of fun!

Our last stop was the San Diego Temple. I was seriously stunned when I saw this temple in real life. It is so much more beautiful than any picture I have ever seen! And--miracle of miracles--the kids were actually cooperating during picture time! We had such a wonderful time on the temple grounds and the kids were so happy to be discovering snails and rollie-pollies in the flower beds, it was a near perfect time for our family and the perfect ending note for our trip!

The Birthday Truck came to our house

2009-05-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

And why a truck? Simply because our birthday boy LOVES trucks...and cars...and tractors...and boats!

When Walker was born, he insisted doing things on his own time schedule.I was trying desperately hard to avoid having another c-section; my doctor was willing to work with me as long as my body had progressed far enough that they could break my water. No problem, I thought. Well, I thought wrong! The day before the scheduled c-section, I went in for our last chance...and miraculously, we were able to cancel the c-section and schedule an "induction" instead! Once he came out, he wasn't crying and the nurses swooped him away to the other side of the room and worked on him. I remember watching the head nurse and telling myself that as long as she was smiling I wouldn't worry (she had the sweetest perma-smile on her face). Finally, he let out a cry. Then, during his hearing test at the hospital he failed his first, his second, and third test. They had to pull out the fancy equipment for the final chance, and this test he finally passed! (pictures is Walker during that last hearing test)

Walker was such a good sweet baby in all areas, except for sleep. He, once again, wanted to do things on his time schedule. Many a night I was up ALL night with him...It was impossible to get frustrated with him. He wasn't fussy as long as I held him close, and so we spent most nights curled up on the couch together; me, sound asleep, and Walker sound asleep as long as I was near. He was so patient with Remington and Indi who constantly smothered him with hugs and kisses and songs created especially on his behalf.

He continues to find and give friendship to his older and still doting siblings. He loves to play along, wether his part is a handsome prince kissing the beautiful princess's hand, or a pirate's best ship mate! He is such a fun, funny boy who brings a smile wherever he goes.

He is compassionate to the injured or sad. He pulled grandma Stum through the entire Beene Museum this winter after she had hurt her foot. He can't stand to hear a baby cry...though, his attempts to help are still a little frightening at times. Pulling grandma around by her wheelchair works; pulling a baby's arm in the direction of the infant's mother doesn't work.

Walker is so handsome. His beautiful blue eyes, curly blond hair, and enchanting white smile are irresistible! Just thinking about him makes me want to swoop him up in my arms and give him a squeeze! He doesn't seem to be overly aware of his looks, but he is certainly aware of mine! He often tells me after my runs, "Mom, you sweaty. Need take shower and get boodiful."

Walker is all boy. If it has to do with large motorized vehicles, mud and sticks, balls and tackling, then, he will LOVE it!

Walker LOVES his daddy and he LOVES to go camping with his dad! He got to go on the father/son's this year, and he hasn't stopped talking about it. If he had his way, He would go camping with his dad every single weekend!

Walker's favorite activity to do with his dad (second only to camping) is riding in the ranger. He actually likes to ride in any vehicle. He used to get mad and throw a fit if we would run a short errand because he wasn't ready to get out of the car yet. I remember thinking that he would be cured of his love for riding in the car after we did our ID trip. Nope! 40 car riding hours later he was still as happy and content to be sitting in his carseat as ever! He also loves to drive his little jeep all over the yard. He finds every pothole, rock and obstacle to climb over and he looks just like his dad as he checks the position of his front wheels and the position of his back wheels! Ryan is loving it...I am a little worried. We might be in for it when he finally gets his license! Ry won't think its so funny when he takes our vehicles over the largest obstacle possible!

Walker keeps our family laughing and everybody gets their fair share of hugs and kisses while he is around. Remington loves to get hugged (aka tackled) by Walker when he gets home from school, and Indi and Walker have such a good time playing together (Walker is still willing to do whatever she asks of him...which keeps Indi quite happy!) He is growing up so fast, and I am so glad I get to be his mother and spend my days with him. Soon he will be grown, but for now i will enjoy chasing him and being chased by him around the house! Happy Birthday my little Walker!

No Harm in Taking a Day Off

2009-05-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day around our house had a comical beginning. The kids had been telling me for DAYS they were going to make me breakfast for mother's day. Every time they whispered this secret in my ear, Ryan would shoot them a piercing glare. When Mother's Day finally dawned, Ryan got up early with the kids so I could sleep. I was done with slumber and ready to get going around 8:30, which is the same time that Indi burst into our room announcing, "We are making you breakfast!" and then running off. Guess I won't get up! So I snuggle back down into my comfy bed and sleep a little longer...and then I start tossing and turning and changing positions until I finally decide to get up and see if they need help with breakfast (it is 9:30 by now). I am greeted by Ryan and the kids, but there is no breakfast to be found. "Where's my breakfast?" I ask Ryan. He sheepishly replied that he had changed plans and not made breakfast! Oh great! Not that I really care about the breakfast, but I'd been hanging out in our bedroom for the last hour trying to not ruin the surprise! I spent the rest of the morning working on my lesson for YW's and opening "gifts" from the kids. Indi had wrapped individually every marker and pencil she could find--It was truly thrilling to receive these.

Walker gave me flowers made from his handprints. Don't ya love the picture?

Remington made me a little ceramic pot which I love. I will have to find something with a VERY SMALL root system to plant!

Indi painted my nails. She did a much better job than I expected (thankfully, since she aspires to be a nail-painter someday...her list of future careers is a blog for another day.)

Indi and Remington were partners in crime during the making of a very fancy icecream sunday made especially for yours truly. I loved the 2 TBS of icecream that I found buried beneath the 17 TBS of cool whip. And I was particularly pleased with the three bing cherries gracing the top; my children know me so well (I always pass on the maraschino cherry, but who can refuse a bing--or three?)

Then, we all snuggled up for a movie and I fell asleep (again) to the sound of giggling children.

It was a wonderful Mother's Day! The best part was my children's excitement and their desire to make the day special for me.

Cinderella Continued...

2009-05-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

You cannot imagine how relieved I was when I saw Cinderella hopping around her little aquarium this morning! (If you have no clue who Cinderella is, read this first.)
We weren't available to take Cinderella to her new home until 11:45. We were instructed to NOT feed her, just keep her hydrated. I felt so cruel not giving her anything to eat. She would open her little, or not so little, mouth and beg for food. We had a little picture party with her right before loading her up.

See what I mean? Her mouth is HUGE! The tangerine color on the inside is a dead giveaway to her species (or so they tell me!)

What's not to love? I have to admit...I miss her just a little bit! I am so relieved that she will not die on our watch. The bird man who took her thought she would make it just fine. Maybe we can arrange a visit in a week or two? I know, I am kinda going overboard.

I was trying to capture the pretty yellow color of her breast area. These birds are really cute in a week or two...See? we really do need to visit her!

Indi really wanted to keep her. Thankfully, that was not an option. Western Kingbirds are a federally protected bird here in AZ, not because they are rare (they are very common), but because they are a native bird...I guess being a native species here in AZ is really awesome. Not every bird can survive in this crazy climate!

And so the story goes. Indi and I decided that Cinderalla will always be part our family...even after we die (that was to appease Indi.)

Driving home after dropping Cinderella off I was contemplating how crazy it is that I, Lena Stum, aka--the animal hater--became so attached to this little helpless bird. I couldn't have abondoned it or left it to die. And this was for a bird. How does a human being do that to a child? Breaks me heart. I would really love to do foster care. Anyone want to convince Ry that we should do foster care? You are probably thinking I am crazy--and maybe I am--but it brings me to tears whenever I think of these kids who need someone to love them and protect them and teach them...

Check this out!

2009-05-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

My creative cousin has these super cute banners to give away in a contest!

Check her out and try to win (but if you do win...don't tell me about it. I might be bitter!)

Our New Little Adventure!

2009-05-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

First, let's get one thing straight...I hate animals. If it has a mouth or a bum, I don't like it and I am probably at least a little bit afraid of it. I try to put on a brave tolerant face for my children, and for those who love pets. I honestly don't mind the well-behaved dog, as long as I just have to pet it on the head, but don't ask me to get near either of the previously mentioned body parts, or to clean up anything that comes out of these same parts. So, don't ask me what has possessed me for the last 12 hours, but I have honestly and truly spent HOURS taking care of our new friend...

Please say hello to Cinderella, our little western kingbird who decided to drop in during lunch on the back patio. The kids were telling our friend about the baby bird they saw on the sidewalk the day before (it was dead), just as this one tumbled out of the tree and started squawking at us! I was worried that a cat might eat it for lunch, which seemed so cruel, so we put it in a box, and went to work trying to find food.
Maybe I feel insanely attached to Cinderella since I braved hundreds of fire ants while digging in our irrigation ditch trying to find worms. Miraculously we dug up a bunch before I had to hop out due to dozens of bites on my toes and feet! Yeeouch! The kids had a great time trying to feed her (I tried to capture it in a picture--but they didn't turn out). The poor thing played the part of starving. We fed her 4 or 5 large worms and then, fearing that we would kill her with overfeeding, I put an end to the feeding session.
Cinderella is now safe in an old aquarium meant for turtles, and some soft fleece fabric is her nest. When I checked on her this evening she was snuggled up in it all cozy and sound asleep.

The adventure is about to end. Tomorrow, as soon as I am able, I will take our fury friend to a new home--and these people actually know how to care for her; they are the same people who told me what species she is. Pray that she will make it through the night...I am seriously concerned for her. Why the attachment? I can't figure this out!

Infinity and Beyond

2009-04-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight my body hurts so bad that it is painful to type...my neck, and arms, and legs, and arms, and face, and knees, and wrists, and did I mention my arms?

Have you ever done something that you used to do quite well, only to realize that you really have gotten older? Your body really doesn't move that fast, or go in that position anymore?

Welp, tonight, that was me! But it was oh so worth it!

And what for? Volleyball my friends. Volleyball.

ps. Just in case you are wondering why my face hurts...it cause I dove for a ball, and since I had to hook it over my shoulder to send it back towards the court, my body rotated so that my face came down and skidded on the court. But it was worth it.

Achey Breaky Heart

2009-04-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Hopefully my title isn't too sacrilegious for the context...

For Family Home Evening last week we were watching....drum roll please...

Hopefully all of you have seen this. It is so beautiful. I loved Elder Holland's talk at general conference, and then adding the pictures and the music helped to simplify the text and capture the attention of our little ones.

The children were all fighting as we began our FHE, but within seconds of starting the video, the contention was gone and Remington and Indi (the two fighters) had their arms around each other. We watched all the way through, and then we talked about some of the ideas presented in the video and gave some background and further explanation to some of the events depicted. Then, all three kids were begging to watch it again...so, of course, we let them. During the second viewing, at the part where Elder Holland described Heavenly Father's spirit withdrawing from our Savior as he suffered on the cross, Remington whispered, with tears in his eyes, "Oh! That just breaks my heart!"

He is such a soft hearted, sensitive, and good boy. I know that he grasped at that moment a small glimpse of the reality and the importance of our Savior's sacrifice. I am so grateful for our Savior, and for the good people who devote a large portion of their lives to creating these films.

I am so very proud of my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love the message of the Gospel, I love our leaders, especially our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and I love the good that comes from the members all over the world.

Yahoo for Life!

EASTER--YAHOO!

2009-04-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning started with a panic attack. It was POURING outside! We had five other families coming over and we were counting on picnic tables to seat and feed everyone...but the biggest issue was where to do the crafts? I had made three very large batches (normal batch quadrupled) of playdough, and Walker and I had gathered hundreds of sticks and twigs to use in making little nests. We opted to keep the mess as close to the outside as possible, which meant using the garage! It worked...not exactly pretty--no time to decorate (horrible, I know)--but it worked!

Some of the nests turned out pretty good...

Some were kinda wild...

Some were really wild...

And some never made it to nest form...

We decorated cookies while the dad's hid eggs. Miss Hailey-Bailey makes me laugh everytime I see the pics of her with her crazily topped cookies.

The rain stopped long enough for an easter egg hunt. Sheeew!

Most came away with a killing!

After the egg hunt we had a little bbq with everybody crammed inside! We had a great time, but we hope we can do it outside next year!

On Easter Sunday we went to the Dover's home for a fabulous easter dinner! Super delish and super relaxing (it was a beautiful sunny day, I might add!) Here's Indi and her bestest little friend Mia!

The Swimsuit Stars Have Aligned

2009-04-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

I really get frustrated with finding a new suit...but, with all the use my suits get during a swim season, my favorites don't last long and I always need a new one for the the upcoming year (or so I tell myself.) Since I wear an insulin pump, I prefer a tankini...but it must cover the midsection. (One more perk for the tankini is the opportunity to buy the smallest size possible on the top--thanks to my non-existent bosoms, and then a MUCH larger size on the bottom, due to my old friend, Bubbleishess.

This year's hunt for a new suit has been particularly frustrating. I normally love Modbe's suits, and this year, they are HORRENDOUS! Could we have a little class, please? (Some of the styles are fine--if you have a larger chest than I, which isn't hard to do, they might be worth looking at!) I've also had good luck with Layer's swimsuits, but this year EVERY SUIT has the same style of bottoms (a style that I CANNOT STAND TO WEAR). So, thanks for the variety Layers. And Shade's suits were looking like the best option, but nothing really looked like something I would LOVE to wear. So...after a ridiculous amount of looking, I found the CUTEST website! Lime Ricki has the cutest, funnest swimsuits ever! If you don't believe me, check these babies out!

Does this not make you want to scrapbook? I love this suit...not sure if I would buy it for myself, I might be a little too old for it!

I did buy this suit. I LOVE the colors! Not sure how the neckline will look on me...we shall see!

This suit made me REALLY want to buy a one piece! Why could they not have made this one into a tankini? I absolutely love it. I am still contemplating emailing them and asking them to please, pretty please make it a tankini!

I found Lime Ricki from Jen Modest Fashion Magazine and they have a 10% discount offer if you type in jenswim09! AND, there were several really cute ones in the clearance section...

Hope your swimsuit hunt is quick and painless (if possible!) If you are still needing more options, I thought that hapari had some cute suits...Good luck!

Party On!

2009-04-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Indi has NEVER had a birthday party, which, is not really a big deal. She is only 5. But then, combine that with the fact that Remington has had a fun birthday party EVERY YEAR since he was two, and you sense a little bit of injustice. Plus, I told Indi she could have some friends over last year for a birthday party and we ended up with a crazy flu bug that quarantined us for WEEKS! Her birthday was beyond Lame-O last year. So--this year was the year for a party! I tried desperately hard to lead her towards a fun, gender-neutral theme that would allow for all friends, male and female, to attend...but no, she wanted a PRINCESS party. Okay then...princess what party? We finally agreed upon a Princess spa party and we invited all our princess friends over for an afternoon of pampering, and fun.

Ryan was a trooper! If the mortgage business goes bad he can be a nailtitionisticness. Ryan and our friend Brescia helped paint nails...I had visions of the girls leaning back and just enjoying the pampering. I had bought these little crystal things at the dollar store that you can make in a design on your nails. Let's just say that they were ready for the next activity LONG before everybody's nails were done--and that was just with the polish part. The crystals will either be returned, or maybe Indi and I will do it sometime!

Here they are all polished up!

When I was a child I remember going to a birthday party and eating a dairy queen ice cream cake. I thought it was the most delicious cake I had ever eaten. Since it was so awesome twenty-some years ago, I ordered one for Indi's birthday...let's just say it is not nearly as good as I remember and definitely NOT worth the price! Next time I am sticking with costco--yum! Yum!

The unforeseen bonus of the cake? The blue frosting was a hit! What is not to love about a bright blue mouth?!!

Question of the day: I can handle the party, but watching her open gift after gift (and they were all really fun, amazing gifts-everybody was super generous) I started to feel like overindulgence was setting in a bit. Next year I think we might try having the kids pick an organization to give to, or an orphan child to sponsor, and all the gifts will be for that organization or child. Am I being OCD about this? Should I just relax and let my kids enjoy the overindulgence? Or maybe I should just set a 5 dollar limit on all gifts? Any thoughts?

My first name is...

2009-04-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

LAZY-SCHMAZY! For Indi's Birthday dinner she requested crepes, and since we were having a friend party the next day with cake and ice cream, I figured that we could just have, well ummm...crepes!

Note the paperware, and the cartons of yogurt. I am all about presentation when it comes to important events, like birthday dinners!!! And what you see is what you get. We had crepes and that is it!

Side note: Remington was really sweet. He really wanted to buy her something with his own money, and he picked this coloring book out for her.

Ode to My Indi

2009-04-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Birthdays have come again, and this time it is INDI!

Indi was so tiny (well, tiny compared to Rem...) She seemed so much more fragile. She instantly had us wrapped around her little fingers. A mild mannered baby, she was easy to love. When she left the hospital, after a week's stay in NICU, the nurses cried (honestly and truly, they cried) and begged me to bring her back for visits. She is so easy to love!

Indi has such a great smile! She loves to laugh and to make others laugh!

Indi loves her older brother Remington. She loves to hug and kiss him and be hugged and kissed by him. She loves to do what he does, copy and imitate every little action, and she loves to be included in his activities. She is so blessed to have such a wonderful big brother that watches out for her, helps her when she needs it, and lets her tag along with his friends. Remington is equally blessed to have such an adoring fan. Very rarely is she jealous of his achievements or activies; she is the cheerleader that is always excited and sure that he can win!

Indi loves her little brother Walker. She has been the mother hen, scurrying around trying to help. She is always eager to impart of her 5 year old wisdom, and she is never too busy to show him the ropes of life, or at least, how a new toy works. She has been such a great friend to Walker, and she is always watching out for him, making sure he stays out of danger, trouble, and timeout.

Indi LOVES strawberries. She ate almost every single strawberry out of our little garden in TX long before it was ripe. We went to a strawberry farm to pick when she was two. We could not get her to come out of the field for lunch. We had to eat on the edge of the field so that we could watch her and make sure she was safe...she sat out there for HOURS eating strawberries. We really should've had her weighed before and after and paid the difference! YUM!

Indi is FUNNY! She has such a cute sense of humor. She really is fun to be with! And easy to be with. I could easily and happily take her just about anywhere: shopping, to the doctor, on a hike, you name it, she would be enjoyable company!

Indi is strong and independent--wonder woman was the perfect halloween costume for her. She has a feisty side. She definitely has an opinion, and she would really like to see her every wish fulfilled, her way!

Indi is BEAUTIFUL! I cannot tell you how much I love her little freckles scattered across her nose, ever so lightly. She is beautiful inside and out. She thinks about others feelings and she is so kind. She is such a good listener and obeyer. She really such a joy to have around. Just thinking about her makes me happy!
Indi--I really, really love you! Hope you had a great birthday!

When Life Hands You a Lemon--SMILE!

2009-03-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

We have had Lemons GALORE this year! We enjoyed the free entertainment while our cousins were down this winter, and we have made far too many lemon treats! Our favorite for the year was Lemon Buttermilk Icecream! It calls for 10 lemons, but since ours were so large and juicy, it took only five! If you have lemons coming out your ears, give this a try!

Lemon-Buttermilk Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 10 lemons)
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups whole milk
2 cups fat-free buttermilk

Combine sugar and juice in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add half-and-half, whole milk, and buttermilk. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

Yield: 18 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 130 (25% from fat); FAT 3.6g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.0mg; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 93mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.4g; SODIUM 54mg; PROTEIN 2.8g; FIBER 0.1g

Cooking Light, MAY 2003

PS--this had a very strong buttermilk flavor. We liked it, but some families might prefer to cut the buttermilk in half and use half and half or whole milk in its place.

Ode to My Ryan

2009-03-05T21:21:00.001-08:00

Last week was Ryan's birthday, and since I am such an awesome wife, I am posting his birthday ode within a month of the big day (and for those who got my christmas card, you know that is a miracle!) Hopefully, my tardiness will be on his massively long list of reasons why he loves me. Here is a rather condensed list of reason's I love Ryan...

Ryan works hard. He puts me to shame when it comes to moving fast and getting a job done. He sets a great example for our kids when it comes to work ethic.
He makes working fun. The kids can't wait to help Dad with the next project around the house and he always makes sure the kids have their own tools to use.
He provides for us and does all in his power to ensure our needs are met. His hard work, forethought, and unselfishness have been massive players in his business success thus far.

He goes along with my crazy schemes. He is such a good sport when it comes to supporting me and the kids.
He makes life a party. If you know Ryan, you want him around. He is funny, easy going, makes everyone feel good about themselves, and he brings the party with him.

He loves his grandparents. I am so glad that he always helps them out. When we lived by both sets of grandparents, he visited them as often as possible and helped them every chance he got.
He loves his family. Before we started dating I remember talking to him about his younger siblings and I was really impressed with how much he loved them. You could hear the adoration in his voice as he spoke of each one.

Ryan's always up for an adventure! I am so glad that he doesn't want to spend every vacation sitting on the beach or getting fat on a cruise ship. He wants to be up and doing. His love of adventure has required me to STRETCH way past my comfort level!
On our last date as girlfriend/boyfriend, Ryan took me on a treacherous hike that involved roping up and rock climbing. The hike ended on a steep cliff where we roped up again and he, followed by yours truly, rappelled down to a ledge covered in red carpet and Bocelle playing in the background. We enjoyed dinner, watched the sunset and then he proposed. Only Ryan would figure out how to logistically pull such a feat (with the help of his cronies, two of which are in the picture) for a very romantic and singular evening (and cheap--which is totally good with me!)

Thank goodness one of us has some creative talent! The kids know who to go to if they need a picture drawn...or a gingerbread house (or train). If a cake needs decorated, ask Ryan; if you need to buy an accessory for your home, ask Ryan; if you need a straight line drawn, ask Ryan; if it has anything to do with pencils, pens, markers, paints, placement, sizing, ask Ryan.

This is Ryan with Indi. He is such a great dad. He is strong and humorous, playful and determined, loving and firm. When Ryan walks through the door at the end of a long day, we are all jumping and shouting for joy!

Ryan us FUNNY! He pulls off the crooked, dirty teeth, or the taped up glasses, or the Erkle style shorts (pulled all the way to his armpits) as if it were his natural look! And he uses his funniness to make our home a happier place. One night when I was prego with Remington I was feeling pretty miserable about life in general. We were about to read our scriptures and I was a pathetic sobbing mess. Ryan whipped out his scriptures and started to read the "Ryan Stum Version". He spun his own tale of poor pregnant Sariah traveling in the wilderness with her husband Lehi, and by the end of our scripture reading I was laughing so hard it hurt! My bedtimes snores were intermixed with whispers of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for such a wonderful husband.

The whispers still continue! He has been the truest friend I've ever had. He makes the hard bearable, the fun even funner, and the everyday magical. He's my sounding board when I'm frustrated, my pick-me-up when I'm down, and my grounder when I am out of touch with reality. He makes me feel loved, important and appreciated when everybody else is too busy to notice or care, and he reminds me what is important when lesser duties (or fun outings) call.
Ryan--I LOVE YOU!

Not Quite How I Planned

2009-02-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

This morning was a little rough, to say the least. By the time my sleepy mind registered that it was light outside, and that I was not supposed to be in bed if it was light outside, it was past time for me to be walking out the door with two well-fed and dressed children in tow. OOPS on me! I jumped out of bed, ran straight to the closet to throw on some clothes, glanced in the mirror, only to see that my hair resembled a rooster, and frantically asked Ryan, "What time is it?" I splashed some water on my hair, grabbed the handiest hairband, and gave myself one last glance. I resembled death warmed over just a wee bit. I ran straight to the kitchen to find breakfast for Indi and Walker, and Ryan quickly dressed both of them. Then, in less than 8 minutes, the three of us were out the door and on our way to the doc.

So, how can a responsible parent such as myself, sleep in like an inconsiderate teenager? It's called, the ALARM NEVER WENT OFF!

And why would the alarm not go off? We'll have to back up 7 hours. At approximately 12:00 AM, or shortly after, Ryan and I stumbled into bed after another long day of work (for Ryan), I was just up late blogging (like tonight--I gotta do something while Ryan works, and why in the world would I want to clean my house, or fold the laundry?) At about 2:00 Remington came into our room crying. He had a bad dream, so I put him on the floor by our bed, but he continued to whimper until I finally let him into our bed. He quickly fell asleep, but the boy is an inferno when he sleeps. He was putting off so much body heat I kept scooting away from him. At about 4:00 AM I found myself pinned against Ryan on the left side and Remington was literally halfway under me.
I LOVE to snuggle, but not if it is gonna keep me awake all night! I got up and moved Remington back to floor. Then he was crying and squirming. He was doing the "I gotta go PEE" dance but he was too tired to know what was going on. I helped him get up, sent him on his way to the bathroom, and then I heard him crying...again...he couldn't get the light on. I jumped up, ran to the bathroom, turned the light on, and then listened to him cry, yet again, while peeing because I hurt his feelings. So, I apologized. Then, back to bed, this time Rem was on the floor.
After laying down I rethought my lofty goal of getting up at 5:30 AM to run. I reset my alarm (which is my cell phone) to 6:45, and then, somewhere in between the kids climbing into our bed, AGAIN, my phone got pulled off the nightstand. Unbeknownst to me, the battery came out when it landed, and hence, the alarm never went off!

And now, I am finally off to bed. (This post is to remind me in 30 years why I used to be so tired.)

Oh boy!

2009-02-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

Walker and I were on the search for his blankie--a must have at nighttime. After searching the house and still not finding it, we ventured to the backyard. When I didn't see it still, I sighed an exasperated "Oh Boy!" Then, to my surprise, Walker sighed his own, "Oh Girl!"

This boy CANNOT stay out of the mud!

This morning while snuggling Indi, she informed me that my face isn't really that good. "You've got little polka dots all over!" Nice! Thanks for pointing out my zits crazy girl!

She is such a funy girl!

Ain't she cute? Love her!

I don't make my own bread

2009-02-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

Food storage has ALWAYS been a huge problem for me. The idea of buying a year's supply of food is daunting to say the least, and impossible if you want to store the types of food that we actually eat! The biggest part of our food budget goes to fresh fruits and veggies; bread is a huge staple in our home, but yeast and I are NOT friends, so ours comes from the store; and how in the world do I store a year's worth of ice cream?

So, for the first 7 1/2 years of our marriage, we did not have a nearly adequate food storage...though, we have always had plenty of random canned food items in our supply. But, all that changed when a Daily Bread salesman knocked on our door and introduced us to freeze dried food. This actually seemed DOABLE! We didn't buy from him because there was a VERy large mark-up, but because of him, we found the site Emergency Essentials.

They are the CHEAPEST we could find, and it's a great product (the same brand is sold at REI). We have a year's supply of food that will last indefinitely, and we supplemented it with beans and rice from the cannery. WE also bought a bunch of fun "snacky" items, like freeze-dried strawberries. It's food that we can actually use (great for Ryan on his backpacking trips) and it really does taste good! This site also has awesome emergency supplies. We purchased most of the supplies for our 72 hour kits here. ONe of the coolest things we got is a big battery that is also a radio. It can recharge things during a power outage, we have used it to jump start our vehicles, it has a light on it, it's pretty cool.

So--if you're like me and the thought of accumulating a year's supply leaves you boggled, check it out!

Let Me Call You Sweetheart...

2009-02-17T20:54:00.001-08:00

"Funny" is not necessarily a word I would use to describe myself, though, I would definitely use it to describe Ryan. Let's just say, he is funny, and I'm the sidekick, or the supporting cast. We would rather pull a silly face for a picture than smile and try to look normal (the more normal we try to look, the worse the picture at the end--so we just go for silly and are thrilled with the rather stupid result!) But, we ARE NOT STAND-UP COMEDIANS or PERFORMERS of any sort, so, if you ask us to come to the front and sing with 4 other non-suspecting couples, DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING FUNNY!

Instead, expect this...(accompanied by Ryan's imitation of opera--his one brilliantly funny moment...)

And this...with me secretly wishing the Pheonix Gang Busters would pull a raid on our little party...surely singing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" is something only the most brutal gang would ever engage in.

Yeah, we definitely were NOT FUNNY. The good news, we just ensured that we will never be picked to "perform" again!

Besides the song part, we had a great time at the party!

SO AMAZING IS SHE

2009-02-12T21:34:00.001-08:00

I consider myself very blessed to have incredibly talented, awesome, intelligent, and eloquent friends who share their talents, intelligence, and awesomeness with with the rest of us! One of these amazing ladies has created a blog FULL of super cute blog layouts! If you are still searching for that perfect backdrop to your rantings and creative linguistical expressions, check her out.

All My Dreams Can Come True...

2009-02-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

This will definitely make Vday the best Day ever! It is everything I have ever wanted, and more!

For your very own Lover Bear, go to http://www.vermontteddybear.com/Default.aspx

These advertisements are killing me!!! Seriously...who would be excited about one of these? I would think that Ry had lost his mind if he brought me one. I would rather have a ROCK, because I wouldn't feel bad throwing it away when he wasn't looking!

Ummm...I hope nobody was secretly hoping to get one from their hubby?@!*

Where Are You When I NEED You?

2009-02-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

I was reading about the stimulus bill and where ALL OUR money is going...and just feeling frustrated. Are there so few in Washington who have the backbone to fight for the American people's best interest? Why in the world would they accept a bill that puts MILLIONS and MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars into "optional" programs that will have ZERO effect on our economy? Many of these programs are centered on moral values that the American people have repeatedly voted to not support. How did these sneak into the package and recieve MY MONEY? YOUR MONEY? It makes me so angry. My mind is honestly frazzled at the lack of sense and honesty of law makers in Washington.

So, in frustration I had a brilliant moment. Neal A. Maxwell understands the system and he knows the intricate details of passing a bill in Washington...he would be able to explain all of this to my bewildered mind. He might have the insight I lack. Maybe there is more hope in the situation than I am able to discern with my limited knowledge. Oh wait. Not possible. I guess he is "unavailable" at the moment. So much for my brilliance

And, why are we so afraid of paying for our mistakes. I hear people talking about how hard it is...and yes, it is hard. It's easy to see how removing responsibility from a child spoils and corrupts them. If you don't let a child learn age appropriate lessons when they are young, then the consequences will be so much harsher when they are grown. How about we just suffer the consequences now and take it like a responsible nation instead of overdosing on painkillers and experiencing decidedly harsher consequences in 5,10,20 years. Nobody likes to go without. But going without the luxury items in life sounds infinitely better than going without the necessities.

What about those who walk from their home because it is a "bad investment". Shouldn't that be against the law? Why do they financially benefit while digging a deeper whole for the nation to crawl out of...I will leave this one for a private conversation...I have probably done enough damage for now.

I sincerely hope that all have their needs met today and tomorrow, and everyday.

A Doll?

2009-02-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, you heard me correctly. It was a doll, thrown by my child that went flying through the air during sacrament meeting and landed squarely on "Brother Scowler's" head. I think I might have laughed if "Brother Scowler" would have so much as smirked...but no, he scowled as if he wanted to skin Walker--and yes, it was sweet little Walker that did the throwing! And so, instead of laughing, I gave all children on my bench STRICT commands to not move a muscle...shallow breathing only. We couldn't afford to anger our pew neighbor any further.

Thankfully, the doll was soft and squishy--no chance for injury...unlike the metal car that he threw a couple months ago.

Does he look like a delinquent? If he weren't so cute I would probably be more stern!

And now, since I have convinced you all that I am such a great parent, I thought I would share my newest "favoritest" thing...a parenting book! Maybe I should read it more carefully, and then, maybe my kid wouldn't be huckin' things across the chapel during meetings! (after would be more acceptable.) Seriously, this book is amazing and I wish I were smart enough to memorize it...and then maybe our church meetings would be a little smoother...today was a little rough.

If Price was Irrelevant...

2009-02-04T13:24:00.001-08:00

Then I would definitely buy these shoes. Aren't they cute?

But, not $230 cute!

Just the usual...kind of

2009-01-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

Well, since January is almost over, I thought it was about time to do a post for christmas. This is sad...and the saddest part is that I just BARELY got my christmas cards out. In fact, there are a couple still waiting to be mailed--but don't you worry people--they are coming! and you can rest easy and enjoy the rest of your winter knowing that I didn't forget you! (Hope it didn't ruin your christmas or anything, cuz that would be even sadder than me just being slow!)

On with Christmas pics and narratives and all that goodness...

I couldn't decide which pictures to use...so you get to see them all! (well, not all, but some of the pics from 2 of our sledding adventures!

These are all pics taken by my awesome cousin and one of my most favoritest people EVER! Diane--I love you! The kids are either mine, hers, or her brother Randy's (another awesome cousin and ANOTHER one of my most favoritest people EVER!)

Random thought for the day: I have some serious decision making issues...I couldn't decide which photos to post for the rest of this momentous christmas update, so I decided to make a video which I will upload on another day. I will warn you in advance--it has lots of random pictures--but they are all soooo cute and remind me of our extended family who we miss and love SO much--how could I leave any out? )

Yahoo for blogging and being totally random and being really behind on life in general (did I mention that my floors need swept drastically. And mopped. Oh dear.)

Thankful and 7 things

2009-01-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

So...I told my friend Lucy that I would do a blog about what I am thankful for...but never got to it, and now I find out that I am supposed to do a blog with 7 things about me. So, here is a combination of the two!

#1--I am thankful for my husband.

The man causes some serious laughage in my life--which I love! He treats me far better than I deserve, he is an awesome dad, and, for sure, my best friend!

#2--I am thankful for my kids

Each one is so unique and adds so much to our family. And, they are so loving and forgiving towards me! I La-la-LOVE them!

#3--I am thankful for my religion and faith.

Because I know that God loves me and that he cares about the daily and minute dealings of my life, I can let go of the fears and worries that sometimes try to overwhelm me.

#4--I am thankful for modern medicine. It saved me when I was younger, and now as an adult, I am thankful for it every day as a enjoy a very active and full life in spite of major health obstacles.

#5--I am thankful for extended family.

Their love and support for our family means so much! Every time they wrap their arms around one of my kids, I am so grateful they are a part of our lives.

#6--I am thankful for friends. I started to pick out some pictures and then realized how impossible it would be to try to include everyone! All you friends out there--Thanks for overlooking my gazillion faults and for loving me for who I am (the crazy-psycho-slightly disfunctional person that I am!)

#7--I am thankful for our home. I love where we live. I love the room to roam for the kids, and the great people around us. I love the slower lifestyle and the quietness of our street. It is a great place to live!!

Two More Favorites

2008-12-18T09:11:00.001-08:00

I need to make an amendment to my December 15th post and add three more favorites.

The first is Southwest. We have flown on numerous airlines, and Southwest wins hands down! Their customer service is unparalleled in the industry, plus, they don't nickel and dime you (if you haven't flown lately, you may not realize that other airlines are charging you extra for EVERYTHING!!) We flew on US AIR a couple months ago. We had the MOST TERRIBLE experience with their customer service, plus, we ended having to pay $200 more than we had payed on airfare to take our luggage (they charge $25 per checked bag!) They attempted to charge us $25 for each car seat as well--another $75 each direction! On the other hand, over the last month we have booked and then cancelled 4 flights with Southwest, and changed the day and person on another flight...have we been charged a dime for these cancellations or changes? Nope! US Air also charges a $10 booking fee per ticket if they book your flight via telephone! This is turning into a rip on US Air, not the point. But it helps explain why Ryan said last night that he would rather have a 10 hour layover with Southwest than fly on a different airline!

My second favorite is Walgreens. Odd, I know. I just feel that every time I call with a question, or needing to refill prescriptions, they take such good care of me! I love it that I don't have to call the doc asking for refills, and I like it that they automatically use generics if possible. I just like them (plus, they are super close!)

My third favorite won't be very helpful to anyone, but I really love Minimed (the maker of my insulin pump.) Once again their customer service is unsurpassed. My dealings with them very rarely concern the pump itself (it is surprisingly durable), but when it does, they are super effecient. I also get all my pump supplies from them. They have the best system that I have ever dealt with. I appreciate them so much more because constantly dealing with pump and supplies can be a headache, and they definitely make it as easy as possible!

Totally random--I know.

Ain't he HOTT?

2008-12-16T22:32:00.001-08:00

I think the picture speaks for itself...what do you think?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

2008-12-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

There are some things in this world that a girl would not want to live without. These are just a few of my favorite things!

I tend to have a lot of gaping issues around my neckline and I also am attracted to a lot of sleeveless shirts...This is THE BEST shirt to make all those "not-so-modest" shirts perfectly modest! The best part is that it does it without overheating you! I wear one of these "mini" shirts almost everyday in the summer! This is the MollyMe clothing line.

This is another brand of the mini shirt, but with a little lace. I loved wearing it with a plunging v-neck. I also like this brands plain version. The material is a little thicker, and it works great under those really loose and flowy tank tops. Best part is it acts kinda like a sports bra so no need for the bra layer. This is from Mia Bellina.

Everybody seems to love Trader Joes, and this is one more reason to love them even more! These are the REAL DEAL dried bananas that taste just like the ones our mom's used to make in the fruit dryer. A great snack for kids and grown-ups! And the only ingredient is BANANAS!

Finally! A jean that fits a woman's body!!!! I love the joe's Jean, honey fit! I have two pair of joe's and every time I put them on I am amazed! They feel as if they were made specifically for me! I lucked out and found a pair at TJ MAX for $15, and ever since then, I am hooked!

Ry just bought these for me for christmas and I am so excited because you can take the insert out and wash it and then put it back in! Not to mention, they had half-a-million choices of very cute and casual shoes to choose from...I get so tired of wearing cute and "ouchie" shoes! Maybe that's why I live in flip-flops

And, now, because I am too lazy to grab more pics, my favorite last two items are philosophy supernatural, and MAC eyeshadow. Supernatural is like a powder cover-up, but it looks SO INCREDIBLY natural...even Ryan doesn't notice when I have it on, and yet it still evens the skin tone. LOVE IT. And, as far as eyeshadow goes, I am a complete fan of the MAC brand. For one, they will put it on you and let you see how it looks, and it lasts ALL DAY LONG! I have used the same color (woodwinked) for the last 4 years and I am still lovin' it (maybe that only proves that I am boring!)

Round?

2008-12-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

Remington, after giving Ryan a hug said, "Dad, I would ask why you are getting fat, but that would hurt your feelings...so...why are you getting more round?"

Ryan, trying to explain the phenomenon to Remington, said, "Well, it is just something that happens to a person as they get older."

Remington, "But Dad, Michael Phelps is older, and he is NOT getting more round!"

...I think that Remington made his point. And now, Ryan knows who he is being compared to, Michael Phelps, the most decorated olympic athlete of all time!

As usual...I am a late bloomer

2008-12-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

I know this video was meant to be shown BEFORE elections, and now, a month AFTER elections, I randomly ran across it on my cousin's blog. Kudos for the Catholics!

In my defense...

2008-12-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

The little "dance" clip of me in the video is me making fun of the Sun's Dance Team, or Cheerleaders...whatever they claim to be. Their dance routine was a little provocative , and that is one of the many moves I learned.

Lena is Crazy and I love her.

2008-12-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

I (ryan) am messing around in iMovie and found these clips, so I thought I would share them with you. Lena will kill me once she finds out I have posted this on her blog, but until then... enjoy.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

Thank You Justin

2008-11-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

My awesome bro-in-law helped computer-retardo-me make my blog a little more appealing! Thank you Justin!!!

Another quote

2008-11-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

I guess you could say that my life has been pretty easy. I was born into a loving, good family, who raised me and loved me and taught me. I was able to go to college. I married a good man who loves me and works hard to provide for our family. I have good health, a nice home in a safe neighborhood, my kids are healthy, and we are surrounded, and always have been, by good people. Maybe the ease of my life is what caused me to squirm when I read the following:

...We must set aside our consuming selfishness. We must rise above our love for comfort and ease, and in the very process of effort and struggle, even in our extremity, we shall become better acquainted with our God.

--Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign Nov. 1991

I think I am feeling a little selfish. One too many indulgent trips to the store. Tomorrow I will do better : )

A Tidbit

2008-11-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the most exciting...(not really.) But it was definitely fun. My friend Stacey (middle gal) talked me into doing a 1/2 marathon with her. The other girl is her sister Sara. I have never done one before but have always wanted to. It was SO much fun! I am really excited to do another. The only bad part was that the first and last 2 miles were down hill and then uphill. The hill portion ensured that I would be VERY sore for the next three days. The day of the marathon was also a day of torture. I ran the race, came home to a dirty house (we won't mention who I was frustrated with), cleaned it, canned applesauce (yummy), had 3 neighbor kids over, made a huge pot of chili for the ward fall festival that night, got my kids dressed for the party, laid on the floor while wishing I could die, dragged myself out the door and to the party where I had to man a booth for part of the evening. By the time I got home I was thinking that an amputation on my legs wouldn't be so bad. Did I mention that I had diarrhea after the race and for the rest of the day my bowels weren't quite normal (don't ask me why I feel compelled to share this with you). Long races are not compatible with my digestive system...maybe it will be better on the next race!

We cut Rem's hair last week, and Ryan first gave Remington a mohawk. Rem was a little nervous at first, until Ry assured him that it was temporary and that he would buzz him as soon as he took a picture.

Rem had "crazy sock day" at school and since we couldn't find any for him, we decided to make some! And, since it cost $10 to buy the tie dye kit (Ryan was in charge of this part), we decided to get our monies worth and use it all. We did shirts and socks for all the kids. Indi and Rem got to stay up late and help us...They Loved it!

I found a bra that looks like it might fit me...well...maybe a little too big still. But now I know. Next time I am in the market for buying a bra I will head to the little girl section at Walmart and grab the first Hannah Montana bra I find! (At least it wasn't a Dora the Explorer bra!)

We started off on foot for Halloween night, but the neighbors here are pretty far apart. We did most of our neighborhood on foot and then jumped in the ranger to buzz on over to some friends in the neighborhood next to us.

I guess even the big kids get a little scared on Halloween night!

Walker was our little ninja. I always used to make the kids costumes, but I finally accepted the fact that it is NOT cheaper to make them and I might as well save myself some time and money and just buy them. Sorry the pic is sideways. I am too lazy to fix it.

Indi was our Super Girl. She was so stinkin' cute about it. She insisted that she really was stronger in her outfit, and when she grows up she WILL be able to fly.

Remington was a storm trooper, or in his words, a soldier, AGAIN. He is working on his skills at subduing the enemy. Insurgents--you had better watch out!

And, Remington's class and school voted today. He was so fascinated by the whole idea and he wanted to know who Ryan and I were voting for and why. Ryan asked him if he wanted to be President of the United States when heh grows up, and he honestly admitted, "But I wouldn't know what to do!"

At least Rem is honest about the his experience...(couldn't help throwing that in!)

Because I love this country

2008-10-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Throughout my childhood, I was taught to stand and put my hand over my heart whenever the American flag went by, and especially when the pledge of allegiance was said, or the national anthem sung. It seems that these rules of respect are outdated, old-fashioned, and a thing of the past. Putting your hand over your heart as a symbol of love and respect for our flag, which is a symbol of our country, is no longer important to many in our country.

The other day, my six year old son reminded me of one of my favorite stories. He had drawn a picture of two soldiers struggling to hold up the American flag in the midst of gunfire and peril to their lives. He showed it to me and said," I want to be the soldier that holds up the flag!" This was in reference to the story of William Carney, who risked his life to hold the American flag up during one of the many bloody battles of the Civil War. To refresh everybody's memory, the following excerpt is a condensed version of this true story:

July 18, 1863
Perhaps you've seen the movie "Glory"--an epic based on the true exploits of black soldiers during the Civil War. One of the most gripping portions is the assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. Just two weeks after General Grant's victory at Vicksburg a large Union force gathered outside the walled Confederate fort on the beach at Fort Wagner, an obstacle considered essential to Grant's plan to capture Charleston. From the bay six ironclad Union ships began the bombardment. Lying on the sandy beach within 1000 yards of the fort were members of the Union infantry including the 600 men of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry. Behind them was the 6th Connecticut, but on this day it would be the black soldiers of the 54th who would lead the assault.
The Civil War was almost two years old when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. With that historic step, for the first time, black American's were encouraged to enlist in the Union Army. Among the enlistees was a young man named William Carney. Born on February 29, 1840 at Norfolk, Virginia, William Carney's mother was a slave to Major Carney. Prior to the Civil War there was no program for educating young black men in the South, but Carney was fortunate enough at the age of 14 to attend a secret school where he learned to read and write. Emancipated when Major Carney died, young William Carney had moved to Bedford, Massachusetts and began preparing for a future as a minister.
When volunteers were requested to man the Union Army in 1862, and following President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, William Carney temporarily set aside his plans to enter the ministry. He later stated, "I felt I could best serve my God by serving my Country and my oppressed bothers." He became a member of, and trained with, the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry's C Company. Most of the soldiers in the unit were conscientious and focused on the task at hand. Union General Ullman later said of the men in the all-black units, "They are far more earnest than we...They know the deep stake they have in the issue."
The assault on Fort Wagner would be the first real test of these young black, Union soldiers--everyone of them a volunteer. Though the 54th Massachusetts was Federalized, it was an entirely separate regiment. Despite Lincoln's Proclamation and widening acceptance of these "soldiers of color", some prejudices and preconceived notions still prevailed...even in the North. So it was that the brave but un-battle-tested young men of the 54th found themselves lying in the sand, waiting for the order to lead the advance on Fort Wagner. Among those brave soldiers was 23-year old Sergeant William Carney.
As evening began to fall the order came. The brave young men jumped to their feet and charged at a run towards the enemy stronghold. The Confederate defenders were prepared for them and cannon fire and bullets flew through the air, devastating the advancing 54th. Heedless of the danger and often fighting hand to hand, the 54th continued the advance. Ahead of them Sergeant John Wall carried the colors, the red, white and blue of the United States of America. Suddenly a rifle bullet dropped Sergeant Wall and the flag began to fall to the ground. Sergeant William Carney threw his rifle aside and grasped the colors before they touched the ground.
The 54th attacking Fort Wagner. (From the Granger Collection)
Another rifle slug sliced through the air, this one hitting Sergeant Carney in the leg. With soldiers falling all around him Carney mustered the strength to ignore the pain in his leg, hoist the colors high in the air, and continue to lead the advance. Somehow he gained the entrance to the fort and proudly planted his flag...but he was alone...everyone else either killed or wounded. The solitary figure and his flag pressed against the wall of the fort for half an hour as the battle raged on. Then an attack to the right of the fort's entrance drew the enemy's attention away from him. He noticed a group of soldiers advancing towards him and, mistaking them for friendly troops, hoisted his flag high. Again gunfire split the air as Carney realized all too late that they were Confederate soldiers.
In that moment of danger Carney remembered the flag that represented all he held dear and was fighting to protect that day. Rather than dropping the flag and fleeing for his life, he wrapped the flag around the staff to protect it and ran down an embankment. Stumbling through a ditch, chest-deep in water, he held his flag high. Another bullet struck him in the chest, another in the right arm, then another in his right leg. Carney struggled on alone, determined not to let his flag fall to the enemy.
From the safety of the distance to which they had retreated, what remained of the valiant warriors of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry watched the brave Sergeant struggle towards safety. A retreating member of the 100th New York passed Carney and, seeing the severity of his wounds said, "Let me carry that flag for you." With indomitable courage Sergeant Carney replied, "No one but a member of the 54th should carry the colors." Despite the sounds of rifle and cannon fire that followed him, Carney struggled on. Another enemy bullet found its mark, grazing his head, but Carney wouldn't quit.
Amid the cheers of his battered comrades Sergeant Carney finally reached safety. Before collapsing among them from his many wounds his only words were, "Boys, I only did my duty. The flag never touched the ground."
Photo Courtesy of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Several months later Sergeant William Carney, propped up on a cane from the injuries to his right leg, posed for a picture holding the flag he had risked so much for that day at Fort Wagner. The following year he was discharged from the army for the disabilities of his wounds. William Carney never realized his dream of becoming a minister. Moving back to New Bedford he worked for several years as a mail carrier. After that he worked as a messenger in the Massachusetts State House.
It was not unusual for acts of valor accomplished during the Civil War to go unrecognized for many years. More than half of the 1520 Medals of Honor awarded for heroism during that period were not awarded until 20 or more years after the war. On May 23, 1900 Sergeant William Harvey Carney was awarded his Nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor. Though by that time several other black Americans had already received the award for heroism during the Civil War and the Indian Campaigns, Sergeant Carney's action at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863 was the first to merit the award.
William Harvey Carney died at his home in New Bedford on December 9, 1908, and is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery there. His final resting place bears a distinctive stone, one claimed by less than 3500 Americans. Engraved on the white marble is a gold image of the Medal of Honor, a tribute to a courageous soldier and the flag he loved so dearly.
http://www.homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/1st_floor/flag/1bfa_hist5carney.html

Many people have argued that it doesn't matter that Senator Obama doesn't place his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance. Who Cares! Well, I care. I think that all the great men and women who sacrificed their lives, or who have allowed their children to sacrifice their lives, care. I think the founding fathers who blessed all of us with freedom and the opportunity for happiness care. I think that all the hardworking and oppressed people from other nations who have fled here searching for freedom to live and worship and realize their dreams care. And, I think that those who do not care are those who do not realize the blessing of living in this country. They do not realize the great goodness that is found in the people and the strength that is derived from that goodness, all of which is symbolized in our flag.
Nobody is asking Senator Obama to follow in William Carney's footsteps and risk his life amidst bullets aimed to kill to protect and uphold the flag. A simple hand over the heart would be suffice.
I believe in America. I love and appreciate this great country, and I teach my children to do the same. I would certainly hope that the next President of the Unites States of America would set an example for my children and for the rest of the world!
PS--Obama not putting his hand over his heart is not my only hang up. I completely disagree with his tax reform, I disagree with his policy on the war, and I certainly do not agree with his healthcare plan. AND, the people that a person associates with says a lot about that person. Wackos attracts wackos, slime attracts slime, evil attracts evil, and good attracts good. We should surround ourselves with those we wish to be like.

My new motto

2008-06-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved."

Thomas S. Monson

More than once I have found myself wishing, even though I knew it was impossible, that my children would sit like lumps on a log (meaning: no messes, no fighting, no needing food or potty breaks, not to mention love) while I worked like a mad woman on whatever task or problem was before me. Why is it the day that I need them most to cooperate is the day they need the most to be hugged and snuggled, demanding not only my arms, but also my time and attention?

President Monson's quote opened my eyes. When I run about the house busily attending to my to-do list, especially when I am too busy to stop and hug the kids or so pressed for time that I get frustrated over the simple requests for another drink, or another snack, then my list is more important to me than my children (or, so my actions say.) Time for reform! Tomorrow is another opportunity to do better, to be better.

Can you see the ouchie?

2008-05-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Since our camera is broken, I am using the picture from my previous blog to show Walker's bonk by his eye. A week from last Saturday we were at the temple, during which time, Walker fell off his chair and bonked his head on the table. The fall wasn't super far, but he did split the skin open right next to his eye. Our cute babysitter didn't know what to do because there was a lot of blood. So, she called her grandma (her parents weren't home), but her grandma didn't know where we lived, so she pulled out the family's ward directory and called the first person she saw on the list, a super nice lady who lives just around the corner. Our neighbor gives the grandma directions to our house, plus, she runs over to make sure Walker is all right. She also calls another neighbor, a nurse, and asks her to come over and check out Walker's ouchie.
During this time, the babysitter asks Remington if he knows where the first aid kit is. Remington, rather frantically runs into the bathroom, and comes back to tell her, "I don't know where the first aid kit is, but don't worry, I'm going back to look for the second aid kit!"
All this time, Ryan and I are sitting in the quiet temple, completely unaware that mayhem has broke loose at our house. As soon as we got into Ryan's truck to go out to dinner, my phone rings. It's our wonderful babysitter calling "just to let us know that Walker did fall and that it DID bleed A LOT, but he is fine now, and she just wanted us to know, but we don't need to come home unless we want to." Ryan and I, being the amazing and very concerned parents that we are, asked a couple questions, and then decided that it sounded like everything was under control and we would go out to dinner as planned!
Everything ended up being fine. Walker's eye did bleed a lot. I saw the evidence on some rags in the laundry room. But, it wasn't a very big or deep cut. He did have a black eye for a couple of days, but now, a week later, it looks really good and you can hardly tell that anything happened. We think our babysitter handled it great--we are so glad that she called somebody for help. If for no other reason than to help comfort the other kids...I am sure they were traumatized by the blood! Though, she definitely could have called the temple and we would've rushed home immediately...
Kudos to our babysitter, and kudos to our great neighbors who were so willing to help!
And, one more funny comment by Rem. The next day, Rem was filling us in on the excitement of the night before, and he very casually remarks, "Yeah, we invited 4 neighbor ladies to come over. They wanted to see Walker." Isn't he nice, to invite everyone over? Thoughtful.

Mother's Day and Pancakes

2008-05-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

I know that I am Walker's mom, and therefore, highly biased...but, is he not the cutest kid ever? I thought these were the cutest pictures! Walker is a holding a sign that says, "I Love My Mommy!" The nursery at church put these together! I loved it! Our primary had the kids answer a questionaire about their moms. It was so fun to hear what the kids came up with!

Here's Indi's:

My mom's eye color is BLUE.

My mom is 21 feet and 20 inches tall.

My mom's real hair color is BLUE.

My mom's favorite vacation is IDAHO AND TEXAS. (smart girl!)

My mom's favorite chore is MAKING DINNER. (fooled her!)

My mom's favorite food is POTATOES AND FISH AND CUPCAKES.

My mom has been a mom for 20 HOURS.

My mom's favorite sport is BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL. (I'm so glad she hasn't noticed that I CANNOT catch a ball for the life of me!)

If my mom had a day off she would GO OUT OF THE HOUSE. (she knows me well!)

Here's Remington's:

My mom's eye color is BLUE.

My mom is 4 feet tall.

My mom's real hair color is BLONBE. (he gets his d' and b's mixed up.)

My mom's favorite vacation is IBAHO

My mom's favorite chore is BIMER (most of us call this meal Dinner!)

My mom's favorite food is PANSAKE (the funny thing is that I don't usually like pancakes and I made them today for the first time that I can remember--which is after he wrote this up!)

My mom has been a mom for 5 years.

My mom's favorite sport is TEMIS. (don't know where he came up with that--we don't even own a tennis racket!)

If my mom had a day off she would CHOP. (aka--shop! Smart fellow!)

It was fun to see what they came up with! They are such fun kids!

AND, in case anyone is interested, the pancakes that I made this morning were really yummy and super healthy!! These are not for the light of heart or stomach. They were really heavy and super filling. AND, if your kids don't like nuts, definitely omit them--they do not hide well!

Pecan-Oatmeal Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
· 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (I used old fashioned, steele cut, and I ground my up in the blender!)
· 1 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used splenda)
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 1/2 cups milk
· 2 eggs, lightly beaten
· 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
· 1/2 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine milk, eggs and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in pecans. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown.

We topped with whipped cream and mashed up raspberries slightly sweetened! the kids gobbled these up!

Shout-out for our Community

2008-05-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I think most people know that I am not really a huge fan of the Arizona landscape (though, the picture I posted makes it look pretty good!) To be perfectly honest, I miss big beautiful and sometimes gnarly trees. I miss their shade and their beauty, especially the green color they add. And, in one hugely pessimistic statement: I am sick of brown! The landscape is so brown, and to make it worse, every neighborhood is stuccoed in varying shades of brown! (Maybe I should mention that my house is brownish--tan to be exact, tan with a pink undertone to be super exact--and I am really not a fan!)

Having said this, I really LOVE the community we live in. The people are, for the most part, very value oriented and family driven. I just got done reading the local community paper--which is a simple announcement of what is to come in the next few weeks and a recap of what has happened. There are so many family friendly activities, and what urged me to write this blog, was actually a small advertisement on the last page of the paper. It was an advertisement for being honest. It really does make me proud that I am part of a community that not only supports, but actively promotes the good old fashioned quality of honesty! I mean, if you were able to hand select the people who surround you, would you not want them to be honest. If I had to pick, I would go for honesty over the very desirable trait of cheerful (though, I definitely prefer both!)

So, honestly, did I offend anyone with my reference to brown houses? Hope not. I really do like all colors in the brown spectrum (except for the pinkish tan ones--our color has GOT to go!)

PS--Ryan has just informed me that I should write a book titled, " How to Lose Friends and NOT Influence People." Hopefully my AZ comments were not too derogatory. I am coming around, and maybe, in some very far-distant future day, I will embrace the desert-scape and make my house camo with it's surroundings :) And, for now, I really hope that my "community of blog readers" also believes in and practices the quality of forgiveness and of not taking offense!

I must be doing something wrong

2008-05-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today, Remington came to me and asked, "Mom, do you need some peace and quiet?" To which I responded that peace and quiet is always nice. Then, he informed me that I could go and work on the computer while he takes care of Indi and Walker. Over the last 10 minutes, he has come in to check on me and make sure my "peace and quiet" is "nice and restful."

This would be a cute story if he hadn't told his Grandpa Stum, my father-in-law, a couple of weeks ago that, "my mom needs a break. She needs to go relax for a couple days and have a break because she's tired." Okay! Am I sending the wrong message to my children? No, I do not feel like I need to get away from my kids and relax! And, no, I don't really want my 5 year old watching the younger kids for me so I can have some "peace and quiet!!" And, YES, I do want my kids to feel as if I love being their mother and I love being with them!

And, yes, I do get frustrated with my children. For instance, this morning I found my cell phone charger cord cut up into little pieces, courtesy of Indi. So much for re-charging my phone! I also found 5 or 6 pages from my bible torn out and strewn all over, courtesy of Walker. My poor book of John in the New Testament, I think most of it has been torn out by Walker...I guess that is his favorite book of scripture!

But, there are also moments of pure bliss. Last night, we were all jumping on the trampoline together, and Remington showed his karate moves in mid-air, followed by each of us demonstrating our moves for the rest of the family. The best was after Ryan had done his "jump and kick, land on his back and bounce up and kick, land on his back and bounce up and kick, repeated with a third land on his back and bounce up and kick." After he was done Walker took his turn demonstrating his imitation of Ryan's move. He laid on back and kicked his feet in the air while flailing the rest of his body around. It was HILARIOUS!!! Walker is the king of mimickery--I love it!

So, how do I show my family how much I love them? I loved Elder Ballard's talk in conference (http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-37,00.html). I thought the following points were particularly helpful, especially if I can apply them!

First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction. (I have thought of this quote so many times over the last few weeks. It makes the frustration seems less frustrating, and I want to grab hold of the shining moments because I know it is fleeting!)

I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).( Holy Cow! Do I need to take this one to heart! I am always so busy trying to get on to the next item on our day's agenda, that even if everyone is having a great time, I still march on to the next activity!)

And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. ( I have never loved soaps, but I do love to waste my time on the internet! I am sure that he wasnt' referring to blogging! :)

Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel. Pray deeply about your children and about your role as a mother. Parents can offer a unique and wonderful kind of prayer because they are praying to the Eternal Parent of us all. There is great power in a prayer that essentially says, “We are steward-parents over Thy children, Father; please help us to raise them as Thou wouldst want them raised.” (I love this one. I am finally realizing that my natural parental instincts aren't always right, nor do I always understand what my children need. I am so grateful that somebody does know and that He is willing to share this knowledge.)

So, maybe I should practice this advice and sign off and go play some games, read a couple books, and help clean up the toy room with my kids!!!

Wakeboarding

2008-04-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

Even though we live in the land of the "never-ending sunshine", we still get chilly when boating. The first picture is our friend, Kara, who is sporting the infamous dry suit last fall. Perks of dry-suit: you stay completely dry. Draw backs: you feel like a sumo-wrestler! Thank you Kara for modeling for us!

The rest of the pics are from when we went watersking with Gerron and Kim Dover a couple of weeks ago. Kim was super-awesome-picture-takerer because she must've taken a million in order to get the one good one of me!

This is Ryan. He makes it look easy. He's almost professional. But, not quite!

This is me. If they had a professional category for "most spastic" or "biggest woose when it comes to cold water", then I might be able to go pro!

Mouse in our House

2008-04-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

You would think that after a 100+ scorpions, a snake, and lots of spiders, a mouse wouldn't be that big of a deal. But, I beg to differ. A mouse is a HUGE deal. They a germy, they poop EVERYWHERE, and they are so stinkin fast that you can't squash them! (Not that I would want to step on one and squash it!) We had our first mouse about 2 months ago. We had an alarm system put in that day, and he must have snuck in while the doors were left open. We were sitting on our couch that night when Ryan grabs me and pulls me off the couch just in time to see a mouse crawl out of the cushions behind us and run into the toy room. We follow it and get it cornered in a closet (amid lots of screaming by me). Then we put a mouse trap in the closet and sealed the bottom of the door so he couldn't escape. After 5 days in the closet, he finally got caught in the trap. That one little mouse, who was in our house for only a couple of hours, had pooped all over our couch, requiring LOTS of cleaning, and then I had to clean that whole closet out--yuck!
Well, a couple of weeks later, I see more mouse poop. I wasn't sure if it was from the mouse we had caught earlier, or not, so I had to clean, clean, clean. I was thinking that it must've been from the first mouse, until, one night, I saw a mouse run into our cleaning closet. Once again, we filled the closet with mouse traps and sealed the door up. Well, this mouse's name is Houdini, because somehow he escaped from that closet! We never caught him, and we seriously have traps placed strategically around the house (atleast 15 traps) but I think he got caught in one and somehow got out, and since then, he avoided our traps like the plague! Well, I was starting to think that maybe the mouse had left because I hadn't seen any of his signs (aka poop)! Then, last Monday, I was working on laundry late that night and I heard something run over a hanger on the floor, and out of the corner of my eye I saw something dart behind the water heater. We figured that the mouse was back there, and so I placed those sticky traps on either side of the water heater. If he wanted out, he was gonna have to go over the traps. The next morning I check the traps. Nothing. On Wednesday morning I check the traps, and one of the traps is missing! Houdini! What did you do with my trap! I looked under the mop bucket that is right next to me and scream out in fright because the mouse is on the pad, flopping around and squeaking just inches away from my bare toes! Now, the kids are all scared because of my screaming...time to be brave...and I grab a bucket from the garage, put it over the mouse, and then place a full case of detergent on the bucket! I didn't want Houdini getting away just in case he got off that pad! In the midst of my frantic movements, I knock over a bunch of hangers, which were left there for the rest of the week--no way was I going near that bucket!

(This is the tipped over mop bucket and mess of hangers by the bucket containing the mouse!)

After several days of leaving the mouse alone, I figure he MUST be dead by now. Ryan is refusing to take care of Houdini, so I figure if I want this mouse out of my house, I am gonna have to do it myself! After kicking on the bucket and hearing no squeaks, I carefully lift the bucket up on one side, and then I see a tail moving and the mouse is trying to get out! I scream and slam the bucket down, right on top of the mouse! I am squishing it in half, but there is NO WAY I am letting it out and there is NO WAY I am gonna touch it and put it back in! so I throw the detergent back on the bucket and leave Houdini with his bum hanging out!

Aren't you glad I took a picture of this!

Finally, that night, after being squashed in two for about 12 hours, Ryan and I work together to dispose of the mouse. Houdini really was an amazing mouse because he had gotten off that trap while under the bucket, but fortunately, I had trapped him under the bucket so he starved to death, and then got smushed in two. The area under the bucket was disgusting and it smelled so gross! I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned that area!

Hopefully, Houdini is the last mouse of the winter. I don't know if I could handle anymore excitement! And, just in case you are nervous to come over to our house, we now have the scorpion problem under control, and the snake was just a little 6-8" baby who had wandered in during irrigation! So, come on over!

Schnepf Farms and Walker's Kisses

2008-03-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

There is a local farm here, who has done a great job catering to the wants of the community. Schnepf Farms is a small farm that produces large amounts of income by attracting the public masses. Every year during the fall, they have a huge festival with train rides, pig races, small scale carnival equipment, and, of course, a pumpkin patch.

I shouldn't have been surprised to read of their latest entreprenurial attraction. They are now offering a morning of irrigating, weeding, and harvesting for ages 5 and up. For only $20, our kids could experience the pure pleasure of pulling weeds...when I was a kid, I got paid for doing just that!

Now, this next part doesn't really have anything to do with Schnepf farms, but I had to share. The other night Walker was not sleeping at all! It was midnight and he was screaming bloody murder. I think he might have had a nightmare, and he was fitfully sobbing. I, being tired and lazy, decided to just bring him into our bed to snuggle for a little while (at least, then I could pretend to be asleep!)

Is he not the cutest little guy--even with food all over his face!

He calmed down fairly quickly once in our bed, but he wouldn't go to sleep. I was so exhausted that I was in and out of sleep even with a tossing, kicking child next to me. All of a sudden my 6th sense woke me up. Walker was right in my face watching me carefully. As soon as I opened my sleepy eyeballs, Walker leaned over and gave me the sweetest kiss on my cheek. Then he snuggled down next to me. He did this a couple more times before finally falling asleep. He was so cute and sweet about it that all irritation with him was eliminated!

One more randmon note: Today we went to Remington's school to watch him do some stuff. I thought that Indi and Walker would be so excited to watch and cheer for Rem, so I brought everybody. Well, it didn't exactly work out that way. Walker wanted to be right next to Remington, and when he couldn't, he just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. He sat on the grass next to me and cried, "Rembah-ha-ha! I want Rembah-ha-ha!" No matter what Indi or I did, he wouldn't be pacified. Finally, during a break, Remington ran over and gave him a hug. Walker was so happy until he left again, and then the crying continued! I am glad he loves his brother so much!

Happy Easter

2008-03-26T13:42:00.001-07:00

Indi looked pretty as a princess in her dress. Unfortunately, we couldn' t get her to put her hands down for a picture.

This picture is indicative of how picture taking went! We could not get Walker to cooperate!

We finally went inside thinking that might work better. Wishful thinking! I was throwing Walker onto the kids in an attempt to make him smile long enough to get a picture. This is as good as it got!

We had a great time at our Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday morning. The kids were easily entertained with the hunt, and then tbey had a great time playing with some giant bubble makers, painting some Easter decorations, and eating lots of candy. The candy was a little bit of torture for me. I am trying to not eat any candy or sugary treats (including dessert). I do allow myself two exceptions per week. The candy was a big temptation!!!

Sunday afternoon was awesome! Our friends from out of town stopped by for an hour! It was so great to see them! We don't get visitors near enough here in AZ!

On Sunday evening we had an Easter Dinner with our friends the Dovers and the Dovers, and the Dovers. (They are quite wonderful to always allow us to crash their parties!) It was great fun and the food was super delicious. During the evening, Remington got his feelings hurt by one of his friends. It was funny to watch him try so hard to be tough, and yet sad because it had really hurt deeply. He just couldn't understand why his friend had done what he had done. After hearing him express his hurt and confusion for atleast 30 minutes (we were now home), Ryan and I talked to him about how Jesus Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsamene was not only for our sins, but he also felt all of our sadnesses, and that He will always understand how we feel. After awhile, Remington looked at us and bluntly said, "That doesn't really help me feel better."

Okay! Well then--not sure what to do now! Ryan then took the kids back and got them ready for bed while I put some food away. A little later, Ryan came out and told me what had happened back in the bedroom. Apparently, after going to the bedroom, Remington stopped Ryan and told him,"I think I need to pray." Then he knelt down and said a short prayer asking Heavenly Father to help him forgive his friend. After finishing, he looked up at Ryan and said, "NOW I feel better!"

I guess Rem has got it figured out better than I do. He is such a great kid. He tries so hard to please Ryan and I, and for the most part, he is very obedient. Gotta Love him!!!

Cute Story

2008-03-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening tonight, we are talking about speaking kindly to one another (seems to be a frequent theme.) I found the cutest story by Clare Mishica in the Friend. Just in case anybody else needs toaddress this with their family, here is the link: http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=5b76d9ab50758110VgnVCM100000176f620a____The
I also really loved the quote at the end, and since it is much shorter, I will include it in this blog!

“None of us need one more person … pointing out where we have failed or fallen short. … What each of us does need is family … who believe in us, and who believe we’re trying to do the best we can.”
Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1915–94)2

Not only good for siblings, but also for parents. Sometimes I fall into the pattern of constantly getting after the kids for what they do wrong. They are so eager to please and quick to forgive and easy to love.

Today is my first day of several new goals. New goal #1: Spend as much time preparing for our Family Home Evening as I do for my lessons at church--why should my kids get jipped? New goal #2: Read the Book of Mormon by May 10...it's called the Hinckley Challenge. Check out the website: www.hinckleychallenge.com. New Goal #3: This is actually an old goal that I am newly starting AGAIN...to read one chapter from the Old Testament everyday until I finish it. I love the story of Sister Hinckley making a goal to read one chapter from all four standard works every day, and then she writes to her daughter, "I am on day 4 and I am only 3 days behind." I love it! She was human too!

Speaking of the Hinckleys, and referring back to a previous blog, I read a profound quote from President Hinckley on loneliness. It is from a talk titled, "The Loneliness of Leadership." In it he says, "The price of leadership is loneliness. The price of adherence to principle is loneliness...A man has to live iwth his principles. A man has to live with his convictions. A man has to live with his testimony. Unless he does so, he is miserable--dreadfully miserable. And while there may be thorns, while there may be disappointment, while there may be trouble and travail, heartache and heartbreak, and desperate loneliness, there will be peace and comfort and strength."

Everybody is going to think that I am really lonely and depressed over here. I am actually not. I have been very blessed with wonderful friends both near and far. Of course, I have the occasional lonely pangs of life, but nothing too severe.

The last blog was a fluke!

2008-03-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

Well, all the niceness of the last blog must have been a fluke, because today I am "mean momma!" This week is spring break and I was honestly looking forward to having our mornings be "adventures"! So, today we went to the zoo (and it is a GEEEE-ORGEOUS spring day-- perfect!) I think the whole valley decided to go to the zoo...it was even crazier than the snow day in July! (They bring in truck loads of snow to the zoo, along with large waterslides; it is a huge event.) Needless to say, parking and just walking to the front lines was an adventure in itself! Quickly we meet up with our friends and start navigating through the masses to visit the animals. Soon, everybody is hungry and we find a nice pavilion area where we can eat. We were fortunate enough to get there just as another family was leaving the picnic tables and so we were able to sit and enjoy our picnic lunch, but then the kids started wandering over to the other side of the pavillion where there was a stream to play in. It made me nervous to have the kids by the water when I couldn't always see them, so we picked up our things and moved over to the other side. Once again, we were fortunate enough to get there just as a family was leaving, so we sat down, just my friend and I, while the kids were playing. A couple of young girls, came and sat down on the other side of us, but I wasn't really paying attention to them because Walker was being a little onery and I was trying to help him out. All of a sudden, a woman standing to my right, starts yelling at me, "Excuse me!" (in a very sharp, abrasive tone, "These girls were saving this table for a reason--so we can sit down and eat!" I quickly look over at the girls, who are looking kind of embarrased, and for once in my life, I actually remember the lesson learned the last time a stranger was unkind. So this time I say, "I'm sorry! I had no idea they were trying to save this table."

Then, the screamer sarcastically replies, "Yeah, and we STILL can't sit down!" AT this point, I had the thought, "I am SO GLAD that I have sunglasses on right now! (I knew my eyes were flashing angrily!) And then, I stoop to her level (once again) and sarcastically replied, "Since you asked so nice--SURE!"

At that instant, Indi comes over and says something unkind about Remington in a really grouchy voice, and since I can never leave well enough alone, I tell her, "Indi, please use a nice voice. There are FAR too many RUDE people in this world."

Why am I so dumb? AND, why am I so easily offended? I was thinking about it on my way home and I never want to be the person who takes overything as a personal offense. And, I feel as if I have been that way lately--either that, or I have just been really unlucky to have run into so many rude, grumpy people! Maybe this is Heavenly Father's kinder version of humbling me. I'll try to take the hint.

I forgot to mention stroller safety: Rule #1) Only one kid per seat; Rule #2)No falling out of stroller permited! (Walker fell out today!)

Well, our adventures were not quite over. After crossing the expansive parking lot, we are searching for our car (I forgot to pay attention to where we parked--oops!) when one of the many cars circling the lot looking for a spot pulls up beside us. Two older men are in the car and they ask if we are leaving. I reply, "Yes, if we can find our car!" I spot the car and start to quickly walk towards it, Walker waves and shouts good-bye to the men, and then the one on our side says to Walker, "You have such a pretty mom." AHHHH!!!! These men are in the parking lot looking for helpless moms with lots of kids to prey on!!! (Don't ask me why I took this very nice compliment as a threat, but I honestly just freaked!) I look around and see a car pulling out of a spot nearby and I think, "Oh gosh, I've got to get everyone in the car and locked up before our only witnesses drive away!" I throw Walker in the carseat (he's kicking and screaming), then I throw the stroller in the back, all the while shouting, "Get those seatbelts on please!" In record breaking time, I have everyone and everything loaded up and doors locked, only to discover I have lost the keys! I know that they are near, since I unlocked the van with them, but where? By now, I have realized that my fear of the two men is highly unsubstantiated, but I still need to hurry because the men are waiting to pull into my spot. I search my purse, search my pockets, jump out and search around Walker's car seat and on the floor. Finally I run to the back of the van--maybe they are in the stroller. As I lift the back door, I see the keys sitting on my bumper!

Ahh. Spring break adventures to the zoo.

The Loneliest Job

2008-03-14T13:22:00.001-07:00

I noticed that everybody really loved my last blog and had a lot of feedback for it! Hopefully nobody took offense to it.

I have been thinking lately about how being a mother can be incredibly lonely. There is the obvious lonely mom staying at home all day with little ones that cannot communicate beyond the basic crying or smiling. But, there is also the mom who goes to work all day, but feels cut off because she lacks the friend support of other mothers. There is some basic and intrinsic need for women to have friends who understand how they feel. A friend who can relate to their daily struggles. And, even if a person is lucky enough to have this friend, there are still the inner struggles that leave us feeling lonely. I suppose that all mankind, male or female, experience these. And, I suppose, that if we didn't, then we wouldn't feel an overly immense need for God. Maybe this loneliness is the blessing that sends us to the source and creator of friendship and love.

To all my friends out there, thank you for being my friend. You have made my life richer, more enjoyable, and I love you.

Borrowed This...

2008-02-25T12:48:00.001-08:00

I borrowed this from my friend's blog. I thought it was most enlightening and definitely food for thought! I'm gonna do this the lazy man's way and just copying it straight from her blog (minus the pictures.) if you want the whole thing, pictures and all, her blog address is: http://www.crazygoodlife.blogspot.com

Sin City - aka Salt Lake City?

This article has ranked Salt Lake City, Utah (my hometown) as one of the most sinful cities. It was VERY interesting to me. Of course there is a lot of subjective data and you have to take it all with a grain of salt, but is there some truth to it?

For all my fellow Mormons out there you may be interested to compare this article with these words from Heber C. Kimball:

An army of Elders will be sent to the four quarters of the earth to search out the righteous and warn the wicked of what is coming. All kinds of religions will be started and miracles performed that will deceive the very elect if that were possible. Our sons and daughters must live pure lives so as to be prepared for what is coming.

After a while the Gentiles will gather by the thousands to this place, and Salt Lake City will be classed among the wicked cities of the world. A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession of the Saints, and the results will be financial bondage.

Persecution comes next and all true Latter-day Saints will be tested to the limit. Many will apostatize and others will be still not knowing what to do. Darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people. The judgments of God will be poured out on the wicked to the extent that our Elders from far and near will be called home, or in other words the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and later on carried to the Jews.

Before that day comes, however, the Saints will be put to a test that will try the integrity of the best of them. The pressure will become so great that the more righteous among them will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes.
—Heber C. Kimball, First Counselor in the First Presidency, May 1868, in Deseret News, 23 May 1931; see also Conference Report, Oct. 1930, p. 58–59

Thanks Kara for the great article(s)! I love your deep thinking brain!!!

A Good Read, A Cantankerous Moment, and a Sleepless Night

2008-02-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

First of all, I know that I am really slow on the get go here, but I would like to publicly announce that I love President Hinckley. I'm sure you all blogged about this weeks ago, but since I have been out of the blogging world, I needed to say that. Having said that, my sister (cute Anna) sent me a talk from President Monson's daughter, given at a BYUI devontional. It is a wonderful talk, and it really brings President Monson to life. I loved reading it and wanted to share it with everyone! Here is the web address: http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2008_02_19_Dibb.htm

President Hinckley's biography, Go Forward With Faith, was also wonderful and inspiring!

Now, on to bad news. I, for some reason, love to expose my faults and follies on my blog. So, I thought I would share with ya'll my latest blow-up at a complete stranger. On Thursday, I was running errands with the kids right before dinner, and I realized that I had absolutely nothing to feed everyone. Since we were passing a store at that precise moment, I decided to run in quickly and grab something for our dinner. Well, I should have walked straight out when Indi and Rem and Walker all started squabbling over samples being served. I was so embarrassed when all the kids grabbed one of everything before I could stop them and then started trying them and putting them back because they didn't like it. (used sample cups--anyone?) We had a little chit chat about expected behavior and I continued on my search to find something for dinner. 10 minutes later, after a torterous and hurried trip through the store (and I was already feeling VERY frustrated), we made our way to the checkout, only to be approached by an older gentleman who stepped in front of me and then sputtered, "I could hear your ROWDY children through the whole store!" I was so startled by his unkind words that I stared at him dumbfoundedly, then stammered an apology and began to walk away when this surge of rage went through me and I turned around and loudly retorted, "and I had to listen to your miserable voice!"

Okay, so that wasn't really a great come back. I should've left it alone with the "I'm sorry" portion. Why couldn't I walk the high road and let him be the only unkind person? What about setting an example for my children..."Hey kids, this is how we show respect for grumpy old people and how we respond when we are angry!" Or, if I really must say more than "I'm sorry", how about being honest..."I'm sorry they have disturbed what should have been a relaxing shopping trip for you, Sir. If it makes you feel any better, I am even more irritated with them than you, and you have now succeeded in heightening my frustrations even more."

Note to self: when old, do not ever forget that I was once that young mother with the extremely active children, and that offering a hand or a kind word will do far more than piously pretending that my own children were perfect.

Anybody sense my frustration still?

What happended to the high road? Guess I need to work on that one!

And now, I have to tell about my sleepless night, this last Friday. Walker had been sick all afternoon with the flu, but, a couple hours before bedtime he seemed to feel better and went straight to bed. Indi, awoke at 11:00 that night because she was now throwing up. I had high hopes that it would be like Walker's, where he threw up pretty intensely for a couple of hours and then seemed to be over it. Not so. Indi was up every 20-30 minutes (if we were lucky) for the entire night. And, as always happens, when the food was gone she continued dry heaving. I cannot believe what a cute little trooper she was through it all. She never once cried except for when I sensed her discomfort at one point and asked her how she felt. She sniffled a little and said, "I feel really yucky and I have to poop too much (said with a huge sob!)" She had diahrea along with vomit. I never thought that someone could be cute while throwing-up, but she somehow managed. She is such a tough cookie, and I am so grateful that she was quiet...otherwise we might have had the whole house up! I'm also grateful she's my girl--I am a super lucky (and blessed) mom!

I am a highly complex and contradictory individual.

California

2007-10-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Disneyland with the kids--and, holy cow, was it fun! I think the best area for the kids was Woody's Round-up, which is right next to a petting area. Walker LOVES the goats--he would've been happy spending the entire two days in the petting coral playing with all the animals! Indi was pretty brave with the goats, though, one ran past her and scared her so badly that she let out a great big holler!

Remington made it up on stage during the Woody Show. As you can imagine, he thought it was AWESOME!!!

We survived our trip by giving the kids suckers whenever the "need" (aka: crying, tantrums, fits of rage) arose. It was a miracle worker!

The best part of Disneyland was being with the Beyers family on the second day. Our kids LOVED them and we needed the suckers far less on day 2! So, while Alyse and Yvonne were holding Indi and Walker, and Ben was hanging out with Remington, Ry and I were able to relax a little more. Lots of good fun!

Can't tell about Disneyland without including our "poop" story! It was the first day, about 3:00 in the afternoon, and we were in line for a ride on the airplanes. Right before they opened the gate for us to get in our plane, I smell some poop coming from child #3. I check his pants, and sure enough, he's got a load! Not wanting to stand in line again, I decide to go ahead with the ride and change him after (the ride is only a couple of minutes long.) So, Ryan and Rem get in one plane, and Indi, Walker and I are in another. About 15 seconds after we start moving, I notice that there is more moving in our seat than what is optimal. Brown goop (aka: poop) is FLOWING out of Walker's diaper and landing directly in front of Indi. I pulled Indi back towards me and hold Walker as far away as possible, all the while Indi is screaming, "He's touching me! Walker is getting poop on me!" Finally the ride is over. Ryan came running over and grabs Walker. Before Indi and I can get out, there is a family waiting to jump in our plane. Oh great--now I had to explain to them that they really didn't want to get in THIS plane. After a quick glance, they moved on to the next. Then I had to go get a worker and explain that some sanitation was required in our plane (there was a HUGE pile of poop sitting on the seat!) Where is the paper bag to put over your head when you need one? Next time you go on a ride at an amusement park, make sure you bring hand sanitizer because you never know what happened in your seat!

Don't worry, the stories not over. So, now Walker has poop EVERYWHERE! We are desperately searching for a bathroom. It took atleast 20 minutes to find one, Walker's clothes are unsalvageable and we have nothing else to put him. So, what to do? We take off his clothes and he starts wandering Disneyland looking like a little white trash baby! Needless to say, photographers were everwhere taking pictures of him and we expect to see him on the cover of the National Disneyland Magazine (not really). We had to go buy him something to wear, and the only thing we could find was an $18 dollar ONSIE. Now, that may not be that much to you, but I shop for my kids at the Old Navy clearance rack!

After Disneyland, we went to Newport Beach, which is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! I want to live there someday! We had lots of fun skimboarding, and just standing on the board in the sand!

We also rented a big family bike and pedaled around for an hour! I thought it was a blast, and now I want to get one of these "family bikes" for us to use in our neighborhood--wouldn't that be awesome?

Nothing entertains as easily as the beach with the waves! We could've spent a week there and still not gotten our fill!

On Sunday we attended sacrament meeting and the ward building we visited just happened to be next to the beautiful Newport Beach Temple!

What a fun trip! It wasn't nearly long enough! There are so many things we want to go back for and so many people that we need to meet up with! (For all of you in CA, I didn't realize how close it was to LA-- Next time let's get together!)

Last Post of the Day--I PROMISE!

2007-10-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

I just had to post these pics up because they are so stinkin' cute!!! This weekend we had 2 friends over on Sunday, Jack and Ella, whose parents were in HA (I am so jealous!) Ryan wanted to get a picture of the boys because they looked so sharp in their ties and sunday goods!

Then, Ryan invited Ella to join in the picture, and Walker, who was in the next room, heard Ryan say the word "picture" and he came running, all the while saying "cheese" with his best cheeser face on.

Then, Indi jumps in the picture--what a bunch of cute kiddos!!

Hey! Wait a minute! All the big kids are kneeling! What's up with that? Walker needs to kneel down too! There, we go!

There now! Walker is happy as can be as long as nobody tells him he isn't quite a "big boy" yet!

I would also like to mention that we took all 5 kids to church, and they were AWESOME!!! Our bench was so quiet that I actually heard other people's kids making noise (usually I am so busy trying to keep my own brood quiet that I hardly hear the speaker, let alone other kids!) So now I know, we would survive if we had 5 kids!

Loved it!

2007-10-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

My sister sent this to me after General Conference and I loved Elder Eyring's expression in it!

"After President Hinckley finished with the sustaining of the officers of the church during the Saturday morning session, Elder Eyring moved to his new seat on the stand. Unfortunately, they didn't show this on TV, but when President Hinckley turned around, he stood there for a moment looking at Elder Eyring, then picked up his cane and "knighted" him on his shoulder and head. Truly one of the funniest things I've ever seen him do."

This picture was taken from www.deseretnews.com/photos/midres/46680885.jpg

2007-10-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Misconceptions

2007-10-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Just in case anybody has any misconceptions about my housecleaning capabilities, I thought I should post the following pictures to clarify!

Yes, I am a slob, and so are my children. Sometimes I don't get around to cleaning up breakfast until after lunch, and after I have laid everyone down for a nap, and sometimes my floors don't get swept for a while, even though there is an entire meal on the floor, AND, I am a pile maker! I love to have my counters completely barren and clean of all clutter, but more often than not, they are full of piles from school, piles for Ryan to look at, piles of things to remember--which I never remember, so they sit there for a long time. Next time you are looking at your house and feeling bad about your housekeeping skills, just remember that you know someone with even fewer skills than you--Me! I really love it that I can be the one to make everybody else feel better about themselves....and just in case you are looking at these pics thinking, "it isn't THAT bad", let me tell you, they have been FAR worse. This is just the cluttery mess I am living in today!

For all you Texans

2007-10-12T14:19:00.001-07:00

I thought everyone in TX would get a big kick out of an earlier dialogue between Remington and I.

Whenever the kids see an American flag, they put their hand on their heart and say, "I live in the promised land". Today, trying to help them understand (again) why we say this, I asked Remington, "What does it mean to live in the promised land?" He gave an answer that was sort-of-kind-of correct, so embellishing on his answer, I said, "That's right. Heavenly Father has blessed this land more than any other land in the world!" To which Remington replied, "No sir. He blessed Texas lots more!"

I'm changing my ways

2007-10-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

I just read a friend's blog, and it has inspired me to change my ways and be more positive! So...here is my attempt!

I love my Boyeez. How great is it to live with 3 male comedians?! We have a lot of laughin' goin on over here (admittedly, some of it is fake--how many times can you laugh at a nonsensical knock-knock joke!) We've got everything from Erkle impressions (done by Ryan--a side of him that most will never see), to made up jokes(by Remington), to Walker's chase games (he runs as fast as he can from everyone and everything--which he finds delightful). And of course, they love to torment us girls!

Which brings me to my girl...

Inny Binny!

Indi has also decided she is a comedian. She has chocolate popsicle all over her face in this picture in an attempt to be funny. She is also the best fake laugher over knock-knock jokes and she sings as loud as she can every week in Sacrament meeting (which I love!)

I also love holidays! I love silly traditions like candlelight V-day dinners and millions of miniature easter-egg hunts, fireworks with sour candies and matching Halloween costumes! Last year we were pirates...I think we will be US soldiers this year (my way of saying I support our troops and the war--that may be a controversial comment for some). Best of all, I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!!!!

I also love plain oatmeal cereal with blended up raspberries on top, and fiesta ranch is my new favorite secret cooking ingredient. I love the color blue and blue/greenish colors, and YELLOW (especially on and in houses). I have decided not to color my hair anymore, partially because I always have them color it my natural color (so I spend a lot of money on what?) and because I love it when older women have their natural hair color with all of it's grays or whites, or whatever color it may be, and I want to have my natural color when I'm older...so I might as well start now.

As odd as this is...I love it when my kids go poop because I always worry about their bowels working properly. A good poop means everything is fine! I love it when my prayers are answered, but I love it even more when my children's prayers are answered...one of my favorite things is Indi's prayers. She always prays that Heavenly Father will not let Jesus die again (which we have gone over many,many, MANY times--that he won't ever die again), but she puts it in there for good measure every day. I love Remington's prayers on the nights that I am cranky and trying to get them into bed--quickly!!! He will always make sure that he tells Heavenly Father how thankful he is for his nice, wonderful mom (how can I be cranky after that?) and I love tucking Walker in because we have a kiss and tickle game we play every night--I love having my last moment with him be full of laughter and giggles!

I also love the church and the people it brings into my life. In TX I was always amazed at how good my friends were. I became and better mother and wife and friend and neighbor because I had their good examples to follow. Now, in AZ, I have new friends to watch and learn from--I guess change is good!:)

One thing i REALLY love about AZ

2007-10-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

Here it is...the big announcement you have all been waiting for! One thing I really love about living here in AZ is that we irrigate our property--which means, every 13 days the ditches around our house fill up with water and we open certain gates that allow our yard to fill up with water, like a HUGE swimming pool! It is so fun for the kids! They put on their irrigation boots and run outside to wade through it and play and splash. This last time, Remington and his friend set up a little camp on a bridge that connects our back patio to a little picnic area and pretended to catch sting rays and fish. Indi and her friend ran through it as fast as they could with princess dresses on (the dresses were pulled up to their necks!) and Walker had a hay-day splashing in the mud!

What could be more fun than playing in 1 1/2 acres of muddy water?

Hawaiian bedroom

2007-10-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

I need some advice. I am trying to do the kids room in a hawaiian theme, and I am trying not to splurge and buy the pb quilts for their rooms, but instead I am looking at some fabric to make pillow shams and window treatments. Tell me if you think it is corny or cute!

Let me know what you think!!!

HEB and Central Market

2007-10-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

This morning I had to go grocery shopping...we were truly out of food. So, first I went to a farmer's market to get my veggies and fruits, then to Walmart to get the main staples, and I still have a couple more grocery stores to visit in order to pick up everything on my list. Now, why is it that there is not one grocery chain that can meet all my needs? Why is the ONLY store that doesn't rake you over the coals with high prices also the WORST store to buy fresh food items? Why in the world does HEB not come over this direction? I never knew how addictedI was to that place until we moved here! And now, I get so frustrated with the different grocery chains! Safeway honestly requests one of my arms and legs every time I shop there--it is so expensive I have had to sell off future children. Same with Bashes. And Fry's is even expensive and it is SO ghetto! And what about the specialty foods? Will I never again purchase a healthy pre-cut, pre-everything dinner that all you have to do is throw it all in the skillet? What about making my own PB, or those delicious wheat-free raspberry bars (they are in the bulk section and if you TX ladies haven't tried them, I strongly recommend it!) AND the gelato--oh I miss it! All in a days shopping at HEB or Central Market!

In AZ defense, there is a whole foods somewhere around here...but who can go to a regular whole foods store after shopping at the mothership? I think I got a little spoiled in Austin--they had the best food (and no, I am not referring to the bbq--gag me!) They also had the best lake (a rather random side note.)

Do I complain too much? My next blog will be about all the things I love in AZ...it might take me a while to post again :)!

--I really do like it here more and more...sometimes I just wish taht airfare were cheaper!

Yesterday

2007-09-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

So, last night was the Women's Broadcast, and since I had no children with me, I was actually able to listen. As I walked in (a little late), I began scanning the chapel looking for a quick, convenient seat. I must admit I had a tinge of melancholy as I remembered last year's women's conference--sitting on the back seats (because we were late last year as well--seems to be a recurring theme in my life) surrounded by so many great friends. This year I probably listended better since I wasn't laughing so hard!

Here's a pic of those friends!!!

One of the comments really struck home with me. Sister Beck promised that as we focus on faith, family, and relief, we will "have the courage to forego the frivolous". I seem to struggle with this. I waste so much time searching for the "perfect lights for our house", or the "perfect color" of paint, or the "perfect pair of pants" (which I haven't found yet--at least not at a price I am willing to pay), and yet I don't delve into the scriptures on a regular basis, or get on the ground and build a castle with the kids, or call a friend who is struggling. I feel as if too many of my awake hours are focused on the unimportant.

I look at my life and wonder if I am on track. Am I as big of a person inside as I need to be to fullfill my most important calling as a mother. Have I grown and developed as the Lord would want so that I can be worthy and prepared for the opportunities and blessings that may come my way? I don't want to be denied eternal life because I LOVED to shop and I spent too many hours shopping online instead of serving, and learning, and growing!

These are my thoughts. How do I change? Please don't patronize me in your comments. I don't want compliments...Just any thoughts you might have on the subject! :)

ps--our Home Teacher came over tonight, and during the course of the discussion he commented that we never know when the last opportunity to hear from President Hinckly will be. After he said that, I honestly almost burst into tears! I hope he sticks around and enjoys good health for a while longer! I remember the first time I heard him speak at Ricks College. I was so excited to see him in person and listen live! I fell asleep before he even got up to speak and slept through his entire talk. I was so frustrated with myself and I felt I had really missed out on a great opportunity. not quite the ending ya'll thought--huh? (I had undiagnosed diabetes when President Hinckley was there, and one of the symptoms is EXTREME fatigue. I would fall asleep anytime I was sitting for more than 5 minutes--literally!)

on that happy note--

A few tidbits

2007-09-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

In answer to several of your questions: the triathlon was in Show Low AZ. IT was very nice weather--I wasn't hot once!

This first picture is of the light hanging in our dining room. Ryan took the picture so we could put it on Craig's list and sell the thing! But, I would like everyone to note the cluttered countertop in the background and the swatches of paint on the wall. What a classy picture! People are going to be crawling over each other trying to be first in line for this beaut!

This next picture is the crib set that I have almost completed. You can tell that the bumper pads are not completely put together, but, even incomplete, I am so happy with it--and I don't think I have ever been happy with any other sewing project! I have my mom and sister to thank for the inspiration. My sister did the same color combo and told me that it turned out fabulous, and my mom is an expert seamstress whose patience and skill was a HUGE motivating factor for me through out the project!

The third picture is Ryan holding our new lights where they will go over the dining room table! Aren't they absolutely wonderful! Once the new lights are all in (we are replacing all the lights in the LR, Kitchen/Dining, and FR) and the interior painted, it will feel like a new house! I know, I know. I need to put some pics up for all you far off folks to see our house.

Now, in case anybody is feeling like a bad driver, let me give you a "drive-esteem boost". Last week I was taking Indi to her preschool, and I pulled into the driveway going nice and slow, just like any good mom would do. But, instead of pushing on the brakes to stop, I reached down to grab something (don't remember what) and forgot to push down on the brake (my foot was there--just no pressure). Suddenly we stopped with a very loud banging sound as I crashed into their house. OOPS! No real damage to the car, just a few pock marks from the textured stucco, but I did knock a huge chunk of stucco off her house! Some days I wonder what is wrong with me! My life would be a lot simpler if I didn't have to spend so much time fixing all my boo-boos! So now, next time you do something dumb and your husband is exasperated with you, tell him that at least you don't forget to push on the brake and run into nice people's houses! By the way, Ryan didn't even get mad, though, he did roll his eyes and say, "Why am I not surprised!"

First and Foremost

2007-09-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank everyone who has visited my blog...Being new at this, I was pretty giddy with every comment! And, since I cannot figure out how to get images from the internet onto my blog, I will bless everyone with another picture of my family. This time I put one with my sister, Anna, and her hubby, Parley, and her son, Parker. (I mean, why not? Surely everybody wants to see this random picture that actually belongs on the previous blog. No matter, it eventually ended up on the blog!)

I may be a dork...

2007-09-11T21:06:00.001-07:00

but atleast I have a hot hubby and cute kids!

Here we are in WA on the coast! The weather was pure bliss and we had a great time visiting with my sister and family.

We then got to spend the next 4 days with Ryan's family in the mountains of WA. It was gorgeous and we had a great time together! This is Ryan and Indi and Walker down by the River.

This is Rem and Indi with their cousins playing "ninja turtles"! I don't think my children had ever heard of ninja turtles before the reunion, but now they are loyal fans!