STOKED (adj.) Full of enthusiasm!

Looking for some fun? Have a bonfire!!

2012-01-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

I know there are a lot of awesome things to do in the world that don't involve a beach. I lived in such a place for the first 13 years of my life. Life was good and fun but, man... I really didn't know what I was missing!! 20 years later and I find myself happily married to a man who is part human/part sea mammal. I am raising little ones who also have a love for the ocean air and don't mind sand between their toes. We are just a 20 minute drive away from the nearest beach and 40 minutes from our favorite surf spots. Tonight we were happy to make the drive to celebrate the birthday of a friend.

This is the Birthday Girl, Thira. Thira has a sweet calmness about her. She has a very natural approach to the world and life and I don't think she has a judgemental bone in her body. We like to refer to her as "The Baby Whisperer". Not only is she good with babies but with the older kids as well. When we arrived at her bonfire birthday party I was not surprised at all to see her at the smaller fire set up for the kiddos. I met her a long time ago but have begun to know her better within the last year or so through camping trips, temple date nights, holliday gatherings, birthday dinners, and (of course) beach outtings. Thira is as sincere as they come and I always come away not only feeling like a better person for knowing her but wanting to be a better person because of her example.

Here is my hubby and Mister Birthday Girl. (We'll just call him "Mark".... since that's his name and it's just easier for many different reasons)
If there is anyone in the world who's hunger for surf could match or even rival that of my husband's, it's this guy. It's no surprise that he chose a beach bonfire as the setting for his bride's birthday gathering. He even showed up extra early at the beach to ~~surf~~ set up. I don't think I've ever seen him without a grin on his face. It must be all the surfing.

The grins were contagious tonight as there were hot dogs to roast and long time friends to hang out with.

(I'm not crazy. The triple flash of my camera just makes me look that way.)

And what's a birthday party without some sort of slide?

So the next time you're planning a party or if you're just looking for some cheap family fun on a Friday night consider a beach bonfire. But don't forget to invite us beach bums!

See ya at the beach!

Common Scents

2012-01-04T01:47:00.000-08:00

Funny how the simple things in life can give us the happiest of feelings. Lately I smile inside everytime I see this...

I don't know what it is. The charming little tray? The interesting bottles? Or just the simple femininty of it all? But I love it and I love choosing each day which one I will wear.

I used to not be a perfume lover, or even a perfume liker for that matter. I'm sensitive to smell and many perfumes give me headaches. But as I've matured I've found what works for me and my husband now has a well-trained sniffer and has surprised me with a few fragrances that I never would have thought I could tolerate let alone love! This is the most perfume I've ever owned at one time and I've decided I want to know just exactly what is in each one that draws me to it. Let's break it down from the oldest to youngest.

This is the first perfume I ever purchased. After hugging a family friend I could smell her the rest of the day and I had to know what it was. I'm not crazy about how it smells straight from the bottle but when sprayed on your skin it smells different. It is a combination of honeysuckle, spicy carnation, citrus, warm musky notes and rose.

This perfume by Bob Mackie is no longer being made but fortunately can still be found if you (or your husband) know where to look. It is the first scent that I could wear everyday and not get tired of. I can't even remember how I found it. A magazine ad, perhaps? It has notes of oriental flowers combined with the softness of woods and musk.

I'm definitely not a fan of Paris Hilton but I am a huge fan of her Can Can! I first started wearing this scent in oil form from when I hosted a perfume show for my sister in law. The oil is what's in the adorable Peacock perfume bottle that I just had to have. It's a fun and flirty combination of cassis, clementine flower, wild orchid, nectarine, musk, orange blossom, woods, and amber.

This was another find from my sister in law's perfume oils. I have to admit that I need to be in the right mood to wear this one but it is of moderate strength so it's won a spot on the tray. It's a mix of honeysuckle, gardenia, jasmine, praline, amber, caramel vanilla, and sandalwood.

A few years back our women's group had a "favorite things" exchange. Each of us was to bring some item that we love and share it with the person whose name we drew from a basket. When I saw my friend, Martha that evening I gave her a hug and commented on how good she smelled and asked her what it was. She whispered it was Brittany Spears' Fantasy and that it's what she brought to give away. I secretly hoped it would be my name she pulled from that basket and what'd'ya know?... It WAS!!! She handed me the cutest little bottle of this stuff and I blew through it faster than Brit shaved her blonde locks from her head. This year Martha suprised me with a gift set for Christmas so not only do I now have a bigger bottle but the shower gel and bubble bath to boot! Thanks Martha! We both love the soft blend of kiwi, white chocolate, musk, lychee, jasmine, orchid, and quince.

I was surprised with this bottle of Flowerbomb for Christmas this year by my hubby. It's the most expensive bottle of perfume I've ever owned and I will now be on the hunt for it at discount stores such as Marshal's and Ross because I cannot see myself ever living without it. I jokingly say that it's "liquid lingerie". It smells so good that if asked to put on something "pretty" (read "sexy"... sorry moms) I think I could get away with just wearing this and call it good. I am amused by the juxtaposition of the feminine, pink-tinted liquid in a bottle that looks like a glass grenade. I purposely don't wear this everyday. Not because I don't want to but because I want it to last and I like to wear my other perfumes, too. But even on the days that I don't wear it I take off the cap and smell it so I can get my daily fix of tea, bergamot, freesia, jasmine, and rose orchid. Viktor and Rolf put the BOMB in Flowerbomb!

This is another one I can't live without. It's a men's fragrance so it's obviously not one that I wear but one that I try to keep constantly stocked for my man. I was flipping through a magazine one day and could barely focus on any of the articles as this tantalizing scent was distracting me from, well, EVERYTHING! I became under it's spell as I could think of nothing else but to find a bottle and find it quick. He I had to have it! I went out that day and purchased some. When he wears it (which is almost daily) I seriously want to just nuzzle into his neck and stay there all day. It's the Happiest Place On Earth as far as I'm concerned. I think it's the male counterpart to my Flowerbomb. (They have a women's version but I haven't sampled it yet.) This is a very masculine combination of sandalwood, cardamom, amber, grapefruit, nutmeg, bergamot, violet, patchouli, and star anise.

A few others worthy of mention is Victoria Secret Halo (which I don't think is available any longer) and Burberry Brit. In the end it looks as if I'm a fan of honeysuckle, woods, musk, among other things and all things Flowerbomb!

What kind of common scents do YOU have?

A New Start

2012-01-04T00:56:00.001-08:00

So I've been a horrible blogger. A pathetic documenter. And a forgetful ~~photographer~~ "picture taker". I actually started a blog post last week where I was awarding myself with the title of "2011 Slacker of The Year" and proving my slacker status by posting pictures of the year's events that have gone un-blogged. My pictures were taking too long to upload and in the end I think it would have been a long post with no real continuity or rythm, if you will. I've decided that I'm going to start the new year off without stressing over my failed blogging habits. I'm no longer going to stress about things being in chronological order or be disappointed in myself if I don't blog each and every day because, let's face it... that's just not realistic (for me).
We recently had friends over for New Year's Eve. It was a fun night full of games, food, fireworks, and sparkling cider. Plenty of opportunity for great pictures but not one was taken. The next day we hosted more friends for individual, homemade pizzas and a family sleepover. I thought about capturing my kitchen table, dusted white with flour and cute bowls filled with toppings; the kids rolling out their dough and the beautiful masterpieces that came out of the oven. But instead I enjoyed the moment and decided to forgo the picture taking. I'm allowing myself to just go with the flow, take the pictures when I want, blog when I want in any order that I want and I think by so doing the posts will come more often if I just let it come naturally. I'll let it come on a whim instead of forcing it just for the sake of documenting it.
So in the posts to come it'll be current events mixed with previous happenings. Or just one or the other. But I look forward to it being without that old monkey on my back named "guilt".
I know a nomination for Blogger of the Year or any such award will never come my way but at least I won't be in a one-woman, self-imposed candidacy for the Slacker Award anymore. This is a guilt-free zone now. Hallelujah and Happy New Year!

The saddest soup story you ever heard.

2011-11-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

I found a delicious recipe back in 2009 in our community magazine. I've made this soup several times during the cold Autumn/Winter months in the last few years. I've even made it two nights in a row. Not because it's so yummy (which it is) but because of some unfortunate events out of my control.

I was so gung-ho on making this soup that I wanted to do every bit of chopping, slicing, cubing, pouring, measuring, seasoning, tasting, and stirring myself. I bought 2 different kinds of squash and a pumpkin. I cut each of them open, scraped out all of the guts and seeds, and cubed each one of those darned things. It was quite labor intensive and not a bit of fun. I finally reached the end result of this wonderful recipe. I proudly escorted that soup pot to a beautifully set table. Just moments before saying the prayer on the food one of my children was doing something silly (I can't even remeber exactly what) with his glass of water. It slipped out of his hand and crashed on the table splashing water and projectiling glass shards everywhere. Including into the pot of my beloved soup. I am not proud to say this but I absolutely lost it. I threw a tempter tantrum that could rival any toddler's. I felt my blood-pressure sky rocket. I cried. I yelled. Then I went to my bedroom for a self-inflicted time out and cried some more because of how I behaved. But I have 3 little words that will justify my behavior and stop your judgements right now.... I was pregnant.

My understanding, patient, and very apologetic boy waited outside my door until his very wise, understanding, patient dad thought it was time he could come in and have a heart to heart with me. We cuddled. We apologized. We cried some more. We hugged. And we decided to go out for pizza instead. (The soup was made again the next night using pre-chopped pumpkin).

Learn from my mistakes! If you make this soup... and I strongly suggest you do.... enjoy all the slicing, pouring, measuring, seasoning, tasting, and stirring but please oh PLEASE leave the chopping to someone else. I strongly believe that if I didn't have to do all of that work I wouldn't have had such a strong reaction. It's really an easy soup to make if you just buy pre-chopped stuff. It's totally worth paying the extra dough. Costco has cubed butternut squash this time of year and that's the only squash/pumpkin I put in this soup anymore. But if you decide to go the longer route then more power to you. Good luck. You are a better cook than I. Here's the recipe. Double it. And let me just add, if soup were a candy.... this would be it!! (It's not super healthy. Get over it.) ;~)

This is how I make it now. This is the "undoubled" version that feeds 5 and leaves us wanting more every time.

1/2 cup chopped bacon

1 cup green onion

2 cups cubed red-skin potatoes (DIY. It's OK.)

2 cups cubed butternut squash (Don't DIY. Scary. Danger. Go to Costco.)

1 quart broth

1 cup cream

1 tsp sage (or rosemary)

1 tsp parsley

salt & pepper to taste

2 T brown sugar

In a large soup pot cook bacon slowly to render fat. When bacon is crisp and brown remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Once cooled chop bacon. Set aside. Saute green onions in bacon fat for 3 minutes. Add potatoes and squash. Cook for 5 minutes stirring ocassionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat them simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add cream and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add brown sugar. Add bacon. Enjoy.

Soups On!!.... All week!!

2011-11-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've done a recipe post. With the weather turning cold and the sun going down earlier we seem to be hunkering down and going for some warm comfort foods. I figured this recipe is worth sharing with the 2 or 3 of you who stop by to read this blog every once in a while.

But let me start out by saying this...

I am a list maker. I make lists for everything. I love lists. Lists keep me organized. They keep me on task. And I love the feeling of accomplishment when I get to cross something off my list. I may be a bit obsessive-compulsive but if I have already accomplished a task before making my list I will even write down that task just so I can cross it off. I think it's good to see in black and white the things you need to and CAN accomplish in a day if you just stay focused.

I especially, 100%, and without exception HAVE to have a list made when I go grocery shopping. I sit down, plan out my menus, scan the fridge and pantry for needed items, and happily make my list. I feel out of control if I just haphazardly throw things in the cart. I feel scattered, confused, and to be honest... a little dirty. I know. Crazy, right? I think my husband appreciates the organized me but thinks my list habit is a bit silly. The few times I've done my shopping his way and shopped without a list I ended up spending more money than necessary, forgot items that I needed, and ended up with things in the pantry that I'm pretty sure are still in there.

Well, this morning he actually sat down with me to make my weekly menu. I gladly welcomed his input on our family dining plan. He totally got caught up perusing the cookbooks for ideas and before either of us knew it he had the pen and paper and HE was making the list. He came up with the brilliant idea of having soup all.... Week.... Long. It took me a few minutes to hop on board with the idea. I didn't want to get bored in the kitchen thus lowering the quality of food coming to the table. And I certainly did not want to hear the whiny complaints of my children (who are good eaters) about having soup, yet again. But I caught the vision and we came up with some soups that are different enough that we won't bore our palates and I am looking forward to a week of easy meals that I think my family will love.

Tonight's soup is Kielbasa and Kale Soup. I found the recipe when I was pregnant with Mercedes in a Fit Pregnancy magazine and it's been a favorite ever since. It might sound like a strange combination but it is yummy. Even my kids like it. It's a broth-based soup and so super healthy. The least healthy thing in there is possibly the Kielbasa but I use Healthy Choice's brand since it has less fat. It is so easy to throw together and you can actually SEE how healthy it is. (Did I mention how yummy and healthy this soup is?) For those of you who actually try this out, come back and let me know how you like it. I won't be offended one way or another. Here it is:

1 large onion, chopped

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 lb. sweet potatoes or yams (scrubbed and diced)

1 (14 oz) pkg. low fat Kielbasa, sliced

3/4 lb. kale, stems trimmed and leaves coarsely chopoped

Coat a large soup pot with nonstick spray. Add onion and saute over med-high heat, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in all other ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

BON APETITE!!!

One on One

2011-11-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend while my older kids were either babysitting, having sleepovers, at the movies, or celebrating the "tweens" at a Beehive/Deacon party, Reef was getting some special one on one time with his Dad.

They started out by heading to one of Dad's favorite surf spots and paddling out into the line-up. Reef was stoked about catching two waves. He not only loves the liberating feeling of heading down the line on his own board but he loves the adventure of the fall and trying to outpaddle the larger sets that roll through. This kid will get rumbled and come up to the surface smiling. I've seen it with my own eyes. The only thing that keeps me from pacing the floors nervously until they return to dry land is the fact that I have complete and utter faith in the man that I married and his respect and knowledge of the ocean. I've seen him take a mild beating himself to make sure that his little ones are safe in the water. He's right next to them at every paddle, every drop-in, every duck dive, and he's beaming from ear to ear. Remember this post? Well, I believe my kids are starting to form their own love for the ocean and for the sport of surfing.

After surfing it was off to watch the Cold Water Classic surf contest and try to spy some professional surfers. Reef got some head nods and smiles from a few recognizable contestants. This kid is not shy and I'm pretty sure if he was given the chance to speak to any of these guys he would have asked them all about why they love to surf, how old they are, what their name is, if they have kids, why they have so many tattoos, and if they think they're a better surfer than his dad. (Because, let's face it, when you're a kid, NOBODY is better than your dad at ANYTHING.) And that's exactly as it should be.

Reef's got a personality that never quits. It's a whole other entity in and of itself. He's also a very deep thinker. He will ask me things like, "Will this dead cow that I'm eatting get resurrected?" "Jesus created the world, right? Well then does that mean he invented cigarettes, too or did Satan do that?" "If somebody kidnapped me would you jump in the car and crash into the kidnappers car to save me.... or would you get a gun out of Dad's gun safe and shoot a bad guy if they were trying to hurt our family?" He is obsessed with "hobos" right now and asks me funny things like if hobos eat fruit , how people become hobos, if hobos are mean to their brothers and sisters. He can handle himself in social situations like no other 6 year old I've ever seen. Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes not. He keeps me on my toes physically and mentally.

While at the contest they got to go inside a video game and be an actual part of the game. I still am a bit confused on the details of this but they both assured me it was a pretty cool experience. Coming from two people who are not "gamers" I don't know if they fully appreciated the opportunity or if it was kind of lame and they just don't have much to compare it to. No matter what the case may be, I love the look on Reef's face in the picture below. It tells me that this precocious little boy that I love is just that.... a little boy.

Next up was meeting Ward Coffey, the shaper who is making Brandon's new, custom surfboard (early Christmas present). He talked this guys ear off and Ward ate it up. I think they talked about everything under the sun except for politics. Reef still confuses the names Osama and Obama so that's probably for the best. (We don't really bring up either of those names in our house, anyway.) Reef got to see how surfboards are made and learned about different board shapes and styles.

They had a fun-filled day and I do feel the tiniest bit as if I missed out. But I know that these one on one moments are important and to be honest I think that the dynamic of the day would have changed with a mom tagging along. All in all, I think if you asked them, both father and son would say that this was the best 'playdate' that either of them have had in a long time.

He's Found His Calling In Life

2011-11-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

He rules the roost in our household....

Why not down at the church, too?

Halloween

2011-10-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

I have so much blogging to catch up on that it's overwhelming. My goal is to TRY to do at least 1 post a day. This is my way of journaling and scrapbooking so there are things that I want to document before the details get fuzzy. I'm thinking it's best to start with current happenings and go backwards from there. But also try to keep current as day to day life continues to happen. So we'll start with Halloween...

I was pretty lame this year and forgot to take my camera with me to school, Trunk or Treat, and Trick or Treating but at least I captured some moments with my phone.

You can always count on Kathryn to have some great, original costume. Mercedes is the White Queen from the Johnny Depp version of Alice in Wonderland. (A few of her friends were also characters from the movie.)

.........Brooklyn was the "Black Queen".

Reef started out wanting to be a werewolf but chose to be Batman instead. His best bud Cody is a zombie dirtbiker.

Beau is also a zombie (baseball player). It's hard to see his makeup with how bright the sun was shining. This is the second year in a row that Beau wanted to be some kind of zombie. Last year it was a "dead" (zombie) dirtbiker. I tried to talk him out of it this year but zombies are the easiest costume EVER. This kid is happy with whatever he's got in his closet and a little bit of face makeup.

Each of our kids have worn this pumpkin costume. It's so simple but so adorable. Re-using old costumes makes it easy to justify splurging on a toothy pacifier.

We partied from 9am until 10pm. After a school parade, a classroom carnival, nacho party, Trunk or Treat, Trick or Treating with friends, and a pre-teen party we are all wiped out.

Especially this little guy. No amount of suckers could keep him awake.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Significant Subtlety

2011-09-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

I walked in the door this morning after dropping kids off at school. My husband greeted me with a smile and a loving demand to give him a kiss. I leaned in and as he wrapped me in his arms he whispered, "Happy Anniversary".

*Gasp*

Now it's not that I forgot about the signifigance of this day. Just last week I was chatting with a friend and the topic of marriage came up (as it often does). I casually mentioned that we'd be celebrating our 14th anniversary at the baseball field. My main squeeze would be coaching our 6 year old's team and this old ball and chain would be at an adjacent field, in the stands cheering on our 8 year old.

We had a great day despite the lack of a formal celebration. He worked, repaired, bargained, loaded, did some bids, sweat, drove, coached, diapered and provided. I cleaned, organized, laundered, answered phones, scheduled jobs, taxied kids around, cooked, helped with homework, cheered, diapered, and nurtured. But this is just the life we live. We are happily wrapped up in each other. Always.

There was no exchange of gifts. We stole kisses and hugs from one another a few times more than we usually do in a day. I left the game I was watching to take him a cold drink from the snack bar. He cleaned up the kitchen after a picnic-style dinner of buffalo wings and veggie sticks. (Not too romantic, but homemade none-the-less.)

Today we "celebrated" 14 blissful years of marriage in our minds and in our hearts. We pondered on the last 14 years in the quiet moments of the day. Our journey together has afforded us opportunities to witness miracles both big and small... 4 of those miracles bring us both frustrations and joy on a daily basis. (I'm not counting the dogs. They mainly bring frustrations. Well, for me, anyway.)

I am a lucky girl to have this man as my eternal companion. It's cliche but he really is my best friend. We laugh often. I think it's one of our favorite things to do together. We have our inside jokes. We kiss and hug in front of the kids. We date. We text love notes to eachother.

It's true that this blog post might be the most attention that's been paid to our 14th Anniversary. I grabbed the camera and had one of my miracles snap a picture of us real quick before going up to bed. The day might have passed without much fanfare. But that doesn't mean it didn't hold any less emotion, appreciation, love or excitement at the prospects of eternity than some of our past years have.

We're just 14 short years into forever. And I can't wait for what's to come.

Just Can't Get Enough

2011-09-25T22:45:00.001-07:00

Of these eyes...

Of this (sticky) mouth...

Of these little hands...

Of these cheeks...

Of this baby boy...

Thank you, Sir. May I have another?

2011-09-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

If you've never heard of the Ragnar Relay Series then go here . Last weekend I had the opportunity to be part of a running team in the first ever Napa Valley Ragnar. San Francisco to Calistoga. 186 miles!! I absolutely loved it.

Highlights from the race.....

Sharing Van 1 with these people

(Caroline, Arnell, Me, Melinda, Mark, "Sanchez")

Finishing the race together as a team of 12

Running into friends on another team and getting to visit with them throughout the race.

No picture of Debbie but had fun texting with her and sharing hugs at every exchange!!

Running through beautiful areas

Having a "slumber party" in the hotel room.

(I forgot my camera but would have loved a picture of Brandon sleeping on the window seat and "Sanchez" sleeping under a table.)

One of the slogans of the Ragnar Series is "Run. Drive. Rest? Repeat"

RUN

I was lucky runner #1 which means I got to run across the Golden Gate Bridge. Also, 2 of my 3 runs were early, early in the morning. Downside? Having to run with a reflective vest, headlamp, and "taillight". Upside? Only having to run one of my legs in the heat of the day!

DRIVE

Decorating your ride is a must in Ragnar. Our team name was "Thrill of Victory... Agony of Da' Feet". It was fun to see how creative peoople got with their team names and their vans.

REST

Don't be fooled by our casual cuddling. Rest was a hard thing to do. I personally found this part harder than the running.

REPEAT

Yes, I will definitely repeat!! Call me crazy, but I think I'm addicted!!

"I Am"

2011-08-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

Keeping in the homework assignment theme, this is an assignment that Beau did a few years ago in 2nd grade. I loved it so much I have had it hanging inside the pantry door. It's obvious what he loves to do, what a sweetheart he his, and what he dreams about.

I Am

I am Beau

I see books

I hear dirt bikes

I touch dirt bikes

I taste chocolate

I smell 2 stroke gas

I am helpful

I wonder how my family feels

I hope my family is happy

I wish I get first place trophy

I know we have fun

I love my family

I am Beau

In a million words or less....

2011-08-26T17:21:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. If I don't hurry up I'll have a year's worth of pictures and events to post about all at once. (yikes). Thank goodness for a friend who urged me to do this post. Hopefully it will get me back into blogging mode. I've definitely missed it.

So.

It's been almost 15 years since I've been assigned homework by a teacher. Who would have thought that sending my daughter off to 7th grade would change that? Her Language Arts teacher sent home an assignment for the parents to tell her about your child in "a million words or less". So... for posterity's sake, here it is. (I can neither confirm nor deny whether Brandon got teary eyed and choked up when I read it to him. I'm just sayin'.)

Million Word Assignment

My daughter, Mercedes Sowards, is an amazing young woman and I feel lucky to have her as my oldest child. She is a very responsible person and not only is she fun to be around but she is very helpful here at home with her three younger brothers. I feel very envious of her teachers who get to spend the day with her. I miss her when she’s gone but I know that when she is away she is learning lessons both academically and socially that will shape her into the woman she will someday be.
Mercedes has enjoyed school ever since she was in Kindergarten. She always received above satisfactory marks as well as great compliments from every one of her teachers. Once she started earning letter grades in 4th grade she came to realize how much fun it was to receive A’s on her report card. She made the decision to strive for straight A’s all through school and thus far she has been able to accomplish that. She’s even gone as far as to tell her 5th grade teacher at the beginning of the school year what her intentions were, grade-wise, and challenged him to teach her well so she could study the material and “ace” her tests so as to complete her first goal of earning Principles List for all of her elementary school years. Mercedes becomes discouraged if she earns a B on a test or assignment but takes that as her cue to regroup and plow ahead in order to make up for it.
Mercedes is an avid reader. She loves most books but as of late has found it hard to sit through any type of fairy tale or mythical material of any kind. She is currently reading the Hunger Games series for the fourth or fifth time, I’ve lost track. She started reading the Harry Potter books when she was in 3rd or 4th grade but although she loves the movies she’s lost interest in the books. Some would say she is quite sheltered as we have not allowed her to read the Twilight series or see the movies yet. Mercedes once asked me why that was. True to her naturally obedient form she has never once questioned my parental judgment on the matter again.
Mercedes is quite the “girly tomboy”. She loves clothes, makeup, shopping, dancing, and has even had a few crushes. But she also owns a dirt bike, loves to surf with her dad and brothers, wakeboards, skates and feels immense pride when she beats any of the boys at running. She was quite disappointed that sports have been cut from Rancho. She ran Cross Country as a 6th grader and was ready to join the Track and Field team.
Mercedes is a friend in every sense of the word. She has her close friends that seem to be attached at the hip but she is very aware of those around her who might need a friend. When courage to extend herself to these lonely ones fails her she is at least good for a friendly smile and a shy “hello”. She is very loyal and even when she has been hurt or has felt left out she is very quick to forgive as well as forget.
My word count at the end of this sentence will be 556. Trust me; I could fill volumes with praises and outspoken love and adoration for my only daughter. But I know that there are many other wonderful students you still are waiting to read about. I hope my “Million Word Assignment”, though much less than a million words, has given you some insight to my daughter and what a great girl and student she is. She is very loved here at home and I am confident that you will soon know why. Take good care of her, please. She’s worth more than a million. A million dollars, a million words … a million anything.

Civic Duties

2011-05-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Remember how the early bird caught the worm? That poor worm got up early, too and what good did it do him? What an ironic end to what probably started out as a beautiful, Spring day. I think it'd be fair to say that his early rise turned out to be quite an inconvenience. Well so is jury duty!!!

I'm baffled at some of my fellow citizens and their excuses as to why they can't serve.

"I'm highly claustrophobic and get anxious in enclosed spaces. I even have a hard time in the back seat of a car." (Lucky me.... this guy is Juror #4)

"I have health issues and sitting down for long periods of time makes my ankles swell and it's not good for my arthritis either." (Seriously? Judging from the way you walked in here, Ms. Cankles I'm sure sitting down for long periods of time is EXACTLY what you do all day....probably tuned in to The People's Court anyway. Why not stay awhile and experience the real thing? No? Okay, dismissed.)

"I got a problem wit' authority." (Buh-bye. Dang. That was too easy. Why didn't I think of that one?)

"I have two daughters. One is only a year and she's used to being around me all day. I just don't think I could leave her." (Hello. Meet my 10 month old son who is also used to being around his mommy all day. Sorry he's not very friendly at the moment. He's been riding around in a truck all day with his daddy so that his mother could be a responsible citizen.)

"I pretty much have a strong animosity toward Distric Attorneys. Why? Oh, because of my previous experience going to trial for narcotic abuse, narcotic posessions & narcotic sales. I think the DA likes to make things up to sound more interesting. But I guess I could be impartial and fair." (Really? What would make you think that? Oh... the narcotics. Right.)

"I really want to serve on this jury. I've been a juror before and it was a great experience. But is there any way that we could start tomorrow around 1 pm so that I can get in touch with all of my clients first?" (Sure. Because of course the Defendant and the DA and the rest of us jurors all agree that the world revolves around you. NOT! But welcome back to jury duty, Juror #11!)

"Sorry, I donta speaka English." (Unless you say something like, "Okay. This is a unique instance. I understand your situation. You're excused from this responsibility." ....I understand that phrase muy bien!!)

So I guess I'll be dropping off the social grid for a few days. I'll be missing my babies, my hubby, my laundry, my Scouts, my vacuum, my errands, my mop, my friends, my music, my business calls... to name a few. But I'll do my best and look forward to the promise of 365 days without a Jury Summons popping up in the mail. What a sarcastic "reward", this Jury Duty service. But it's one of the things that makes our country great.

Proud to be an (inconvenienced) American,
Juror #6

To Mercedes

2011-04-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

Long before the time you can remember
Our Father held you in His arms so tender.
Those loving arms released you as He sent you here to Earth.
He said, "My child, I love you. Don't forget your great worth."

Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God.
Be strong, please remember who you are.
Try to understand, you're part of His great plan.
He's closer than you know. Reach up, He'll take your hand.

It wasn't the first time I cried while singing that song. But this time it was different. You were sitting right next to me. You. My 12 year old daughter. My only daughter. It made me think of how I used to tenderly hold you in my own arms. Could it really have been that long ago? The time is flying at me and I'm really not prepared. Is it possible to look forward to tomorrow and all that it has in store for you while at the same time long for the yesterdays?

You are a daughter. You are my daughter. But more importantly you are His daughter. A daughter of God. You are part of an eternal plan. You are part of an eternal family. My eternal family. Everything you've been taught thus far and all of the lessons to come are teaching you to walk tall. And you've been a good 'student'. But you know what? You've been an even better teacher.

My teacher.

We Gave Thanks

2010-12-23T00:26:00.000-08:00

Over Thanskgiving Break we spent 10 days with people, in places, and with things that we are indeed greatful for....

We gave thanks for connections made (and connections kept) with mission companions. For the memories relived. The abundant laughter. Of our children's acceptance of one another.

We gave thanks for friendship. The oldest kind imaginable. Where there was never a time without that bond. Where generations before us had already created memories of their own together and then watched as we did the same. For the sharing of mothers and grandmothers. The second home (that was just 2 doors down). For the ease of reunion as if time and distance had never made it's interruption. For the promise to make more time in the future. For "Sister Friends".

We gave thanks for weather. A different kind of weather that is found about 6,000 feet above our very comfortable climate here at sea level. The kind of weather that offers four seasons. The smell of static in the air and the shock of it on my fingertips as they brush a child's cheek or grasp a door handle. Struggling to catch leaves mid fall. Praying to stay on icy roads. My children's fascination at holding frozen water in their hands. Capturing the token of a promise made long ago.

We gave thanks for family. Cousins. Aunts. Uncles. Grandparents. Great-Grandparents. Siblings. Nephews. Nieces. Parents.

We gave thanks for delicious food. For sharing our thoughts and shedding some tears over heaping plates. For mass quantities of soda (100 oz to be precise). For having enough and for having excess.

We gave thanks for temples. For forever families. For covenants. For
Freedom to worship the way we believe. The way we know. To stand in holy places. For scriptures. For missionaries. For those who stayed faithful despite persecution at it's worst.

We gave thanks for all this and more. For sharing childhood places, people, and memories with my children. For the visit back home. Not home as a location; one made of wood, stucco, and cement or a valley nestled in the mountains. But home as in people. Special beings that we've shared pieces of time with, having gleaned something (many things) from each of them that have shaped us into who we are today. We huddled closely with these people, this home, and together... We Gave Thanks.

Cruz Thayer Sowards

2010-12-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Cruz,

This blog post is about 5 months past due. Not very good repayment for a baby boy who treated his mommy well during the 9 months she housed you.

You tricked me in the beginning. I thought you were going to be a girl. I felt so different than I did with your two older brothers. But Daddy knew all along that we'd be opening up our stored boxes of blue. I went to the ultrasound with visions of pink and an eagerness to shoot Daddy the "I told you so" look. Instead I left with the peaceful excitement of bringing another boy into the world. A boy that we would teach to be a man. Another missionary to prepare. I was wrong about you being a girl. But it was so right.

A few days later I received a disturbing call. Your ultrasound showed a worrisome cyst on your brain. "No need to worry just yet.", they said. "It could be Trisomy 18 or it could be nothing. These things come and go during pregnancies. We just want to rule out the worst case scenario." I feared the worst and missed you already. We had to talk with a genetic counselor before seeing you again and she happened to have an opening the very next day. We were so greatful and relieved to see that the cyst had already dissipated and we were in the clear. The ultrasound showed that you were going to have all your fingers, toes, organs, and....even hair.

I always feel vibrant and healthy during my pregnancies but even more so with you. We were a good team. I felt light on my feet. Sometimes I would even forget that I was pregnant. I never even got the pregnancy ~~waddle~~ swagger that I did with the others.

Your due date was June 22nd. I thought you'd decide to make your appearance later rather than earlier. But you surprised us by coming exactly on your due date! The night before we went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Less than 6 hours later I was up walking the floor and timing contractions.

Daddy rushed us to the hospital.... 45 minutes away.... and we literally barely made it. I don't know how we did it. If it took us any longer, if the traffic had been any thicker, if I had stayed in the truck while daddy parked it then you're name would have HAD to have been "Ford" because that's where you would have been born.

You took your first breath just over 3 hours after my labor had begun; 6 minutes after arriving at the hospital; 3 minutes after Daddy made it up to the 5th floor. I was officially admitted to the hospital while holding you tenderly close to keep you warm. It was all so shockingly easy that it didn't even seem real.

We are so glad you're here. We are so glad you're healthy. You've taken up ownership of a piece of all of our hearts and our family wouldn't be complete without you. I'm sure there is a lot you could teach us if you could talk. I wonder if the veil is thin for you. Right now you are our little piece of heaven and it is our responsibility to make sure you get back there someday. That we all do. Together.

So this is your story. Minus a lot of details of course but we can fill those in later. Welcome to the family baby Cruz.

I love you,

Mommy

Making lemonade out of lemons

2010-11-05T00:07:00.000-07:00

Lemon: Losing my picture files to who knows where. The process of setting up a new computer and learning a new operating system.

Lemonade: Having a new computer! I miss my Windows XP (Windows 7, why do you hate me so much?) but it was time for that Pentium III to go!!! True story... the young sales associate couldn't believe our computer was beige. He's never seen one that old before. He's been looking for one to display on his shelf at home like an antique.

Lemon: My baby boy having a nasty cold. Watery eyes. Congested and runny nose at the same time (how does that happen?) Sneezing. Grumpiness. Slight fever. Wanting to be held all the time.

Lemonade: Holding my baby boy all the time!!

Lemon: Tweaking my back and having to forgo the half marathon I've been looking forward to running. A mini vacation to Santa Barbara, reaching a goal that's been a year in the making, fun time spent with friends, and a visit to a mouth-watering steak house is gone. POOF. Just like that (until next year).

Lemonade: Finally making an appointment to see the chiropractor which should have been done weeks ago. Not having to take my sick baby on a road trip. Not having to dump my kids off on friends for the night. Saving myself the calories that I surely would have justified myself into consuming. Saving myself the embarassment of what extra baby weight would have done to my race time

That last glass of lemonade isn't as sweet as it sounds.

I think I'd rather have the lemon.

Days of summer

2010-11-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

We did a lot of fun things this summer. I was very pregnant but determined to make sure we packed in as much fun as possible before my attention was drawn away toward the new boy that was about to enter our lives.

Daddy decided that this was the summer to start teaching the kids to surf. He chose the perfect day. The conditions couldn't have been better. The tide was low and there wasn't a cloud in sight. One little taste of that salty sea water and they were hooked! As they say..."The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." We visited the beach several times a week. These are some favorites of my "tree" and our little "apples".

Beau found this broken sand dollar on the beach and said, "Look, Mom. A fifty-cent piece."

BeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeP...BeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeP...

We interrupt this blog post to bring you some devastating news. In an effort to step into the 21st Centruy we purchased some new computers . Many pictures were lost and or accidentally deleted during the transferring of files. This post and many others are currently unable to be completed. Every effort is being made to salvage lost picture files and restore them to their proper place. This is not a test. I repeat, This is NOT a test. :-(

Runner's Amnesia

2010-09-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

I have to admit... since I started training for my half marathon over a month ago it's been difficult to recall why I ever enjoyed running. I think it's been a culmination of extra baby weight, pushing a crying baby in a jogger, bouncy parts of my chest that never used to bounce like that before (gotta love lactation!) and just a general lack of motivation. I have found myself searching for good reasons not to run. But tenacity is a bugger and I've been ~~cursed~~ blessed with large doses of it. So I hit the pavement; Loathing every. single. step.

Until today.

Today the true runner in me resurfaced. The runner that felt light on her feet. The runner that felt strong, almost warrior-like. The runner that could seperate her legs, lungs, and mind into three distinct areas and only focus on the latter. I'm not sure if it was the number on the scale or the husband so willing to offer her some baby-less time to herself that brought her out of her Rip Van Winkle dreamland but she's awake! I feel her taking over and I love it. Together we ran 6.04 miles in less than an hour. Something totally unattainable on my own.

Today there was no crying baby. No jogger to push. It was just us and my iPod. 57min48sec of running bliss. "Running bliss". Not an oxymoron to me any more.

Today I fell in love with running again. For all of the reasons I loved it before. The true runner in me is back. She's here for good. And I welcome her.

Spring Break 2010: Pismo Beach

2010-09-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break we tried something new. We camped at Pismo Beach. This is why we want to go back EVERY year (and why YOU should go if you've never been)...

The Bike Rides

The Walk Through The Dunes To The Beach

The Beach

Friends

Quality Family Time

Our Awesome Campsite

Cruisin' Through Pismo In The Scout

The Pool At Our Friends' Hotel

The 4-Wheeling

The Scouts (and the Landcruiser)

Driving On The Beach

The load of an 11 year old

2010-04-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

"Ah, the responsibilities of an 11 year old.... I'm still getting used to it." (A real quote from my daughter 3 short weeks after turning 11.)

Responsibility #1: Decision Making
Having to decide between going to Disneyland on the actual day of your birthday or staying home to make sure your Science Fair Project gets entered in the county judging. Decisions, decisions. You can imagine what a toughy this one was....

Responsibility #2: Event Planning
Having to come up with the perfect party idea for all of your 10 & 11 year old friends. It had to be something fun. It had to be girls only. It HAD to be a sleepover. It had to encompass all that turning 11 is about. It's a slow exit from little girlhood and a long wait until you're finally an official teenager. So it had to be perfect. And what could be more perfect than makeovers, pampering, dance contests, and giggles until 4 o'clock in the morning?

Responsibility #3: Delegation
Having to choose who would be the makeover specialists for the evening. Anna & Angela did a great job. The party would not have been a success if it weren't for these two adorable gals.

Responsibility #4: Learning Patience as a Virtue
Especially when you can't wait to see the end result.

Responsibility #5: The Balancing Act
Learning to balance your inner Diva with your fun-loving, goofy side. (Not to mention balancing on your mom's high heels.)

Responsibility #5: People Pleasing
It's important to arrange things so that everyone is comfortable and noone feels left out.

Yes. The responsibilities of an 11 year old are more weighty than one might think. Good thing she's got a whole year to get used to it.

Preschool Logic

2010-03-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

When Mercedes was a preschooler she was trying to explain to me that her ankle hurt. Not knowing that the word "ankle" actually existed, she called it her "foot-wrist". Perfectly Logical.

Once on a family bikeride in Montery Beau pedaled as fast as he could for as long as he could. After weaving in and out of joggers, rollerbladers, and the ocassional fringe-topped surrey he decided to stop for a breather. "Wow", he said, "My heart sure is blinking!" Perfectly Logical.

Tonight Reef is courageously dealing with vomitting and diarrhea, two ailments which are unfortunately occurring at the exact same time. I've given him 3 baths in less than 1 hour. He's going through PJ's and Pull-Ups faster than the Octomom goes through Enfamil. He walked into the office and said, "Mom, we need to change my Pull-Up again. I accidentially pooped my pants." "Uh-oh. What happened? Did you throw up again?" "No. It's just this slobber poo. It keeps on leaking out." Slobber Poo. I don't know what can be more logical than that.

Stardate 63676.1 (Yes, I googled that)

2010-03-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

In 11 days Mercedes will celebrate her 11th birthday. My water broke 2 days after her due date. (The longest 2 days ever!!) I was stashed away in a make-shift ~~closet~~ room that just fit a bed, an IV, and a chair. They could not give me the pitocin yet to get things going because this ~~closet~~ room did not have the proper monitors to watch how me and baby girl were doing. I was in there for almost 2 hours. The good nurses there at Good Samaritan Hospital apologized and informed me that it was a full moon that night and there always seemed to be more babies born during full moons. This was the topic for Mercedes' 5th Grade Science Fair project.
We called 6 hospitals but only 3 were willing to be included in the nightly phone calls. We asked 3 labor & delivery nurses their opinions on the matter and ALL 3 of them felt that the moon definitely makes a difference. They even look up at the moon when working night shifts as an indicator of how their shift will go. Interesting. (Note: The moon looks completely full for several days before and several days after a true full moon.)
Mercedes' hypothesis was "More Babies Are Born On a Full Moon". In the end, the hypothesis was wrong. The moon didn't seem to affect anything. More babies were actually born 6 days later. However, we didn't omit any scheduled inductions or C-Sections so who knows? The outcome might have been different if we had thought about that beforehand.
I, for one, would like to think that the reason for my being stuck in that room anxiously awaiting the violence & beauty of childbirth was because of something cool like it being a full moon.
After 2 gluesticks, 5 styrofoam balls, 56 tiny plastic baby bottles, and lots of black, white, pink and blue cardstock a 1st Place Ribbon winner was born. Now it's off to the County Science Fair to see what will happen next.
Good luck, Baby Girl and good job!! Full moon or not, I thank my lucky stars everyday that I have you.

Going green never felt so bad...

2010-03-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

Leprechaun (movie, 1992)

"An Irish fairy escapes from a crate and goes on a gory quest for his 100 stolen gold coins."

Leprechaun; Back 2 Tha Hood (movie, 2003)

"A young woman and her friends incur the wrath of an evil leprechaun who will stop at nothing to protect his gold."

Leprechaun... a new 4 letter word (real life, present day)

"A Stay-at-home-mom colors a gallon of milk, turns pictures upside down, opens all kitchen cupboards and drawers, stacks couch pillows, turns chairs facing outward, and even turns the toilet water green all in an attempt to be fun & festive but unwittingly scars her 4 year old son for life when he suddenly becomes frightened of every little sound and goes ballistic at the very mention of the word, "leprechaun". The family's happiness is at stake when the mother threatens severe consequences if the "L" word is uttered one more time in the presence of the 4 year old boy. A 7 year old brother's fun comes to an abrupt end when the truth has to be unveiled about leprechauns not being real and mom reveals herself as the true culprit of the mornings events in order for 4 year old son to calm down and finally go to bed."

Somebody please remind me why we celebrate this holiday......

Daddy/Daughter Dance

2010-02-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

Realizing that you're going to be Daddy's only little girl has it's advantages. Take going to the Daddy/Daughter dance, for instance. In the past you've gone to these dances and have been content to wear a Sunday dress while Daddy wears nice slacks and a shirt & tie. But knowing that this is your last Daddy/Daughter dance at your elementary school before moving on to junior high and knowing that your Daddy won't have any other daughters to take to one of these dances AND knowing that you don't have to contend with any other sisters for room on Daddy's pinky finger... you can request anything you want.

And get it.

This is the angle Mercedes worked this year. Dinner before the dance would be nice but wearing formal attire to the very last Daddy/Daughter Dance? Perfection. Top it off by having a sleepover with some friends your mom and dad have been praying for (another post) and you've got a night to remember.

I love where I live!!

2010-02-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

If you ask me, California is the best place to live. Yes, it is by nature a liberal state but even as conservative as I am I still love it. Yes, I was born in Utah and lived there until I was 13 but I've now spent the last 19 years here and can't imagine being anywhere else. Where I live I am only 30 minutes from the nearest beach. I can drive to the snow for a day and then drive back out of it. There are beautiful lakes polka-dotted throughout the state. We've got palm trees and sun and sea breeze and Disneyland and year round flip-flops!! We don't have 4 distinct seasons here, and I do miss the fall, but when other parts of the nation are dealing with blizzards, frozen pipes and digging themselves out of their driveways I am driving down the road enjoying the beautiful green hills that the seesaw of rain and sun has left growing here. True, it's short lived as the hot sun begins around the end of March (don't be hatin') and things begin to dry up and turn brown but that's when you head to the coast and enjoy the ocean air and beauty that abounds at the western edge of our nation.

This weekend I was reminded again of my love for where I live. One day I was in Monterey on a whale-watching field trip and the next day I was enjoying the city of San Francisco while taking our family to watch Supercross. Both days offered a break from the recent rain, which I was grateful for, because it allowed my children some experiences that I know they will remember for a long time to come.

I took Reef along to Monterey so I wouldn't have to pawn him off on friends or family. I wasn't going on the boat anyway... not sure how my normally strong belly would handle the movement (and smells) now that there's a baby on board. I rode on the boat last year, anyway. I just followed Reef around wherever he wanted to go. We played in the Pirate Store for a bit then walked around and watched the seals and birds. We ate gummy bears and watched taffy being pulled. We enjoyed samples of fresh Clam Chowder from all of the wharf restaurants. Then we reserved an oceanside table for lunch.

The 5th graders were not disappointed. They saw whales and even some dolphins.

The next day we were off to the races. This year we decided to get Pit Passes and try to meet the pros.

As far as my kids were concerned there was only one guy worthy enough for us me to wait in line for. Ryan Dungey. Not only did he sign the number plates that we brought him but he asked each of my kids' their name and autographed a poster for each of them as well. They were starstruck for sure.

Especially Reef. He pretends to be Dungey when he's out riding his bike. He was not going to let Dungey get away with not remembering him or how to spell his name. Here he is making sure he gets it right. "It's R-E-E-F".

Brandon and I were happy to meet a "veteran" of the sport, Jeff Emig. He retired in 2000 and my kids only really know him as one of the SuperCross announcers they see on TV. But fame is fame to them and they were happy to pose for a picture with him anyway. He was just walking around in the Pits and was very approachable and friendly.

Another favorite rider of theirs is Chad Reed. He broke a bone in his hand racing 2 weeks ago so he was recuperating but his team was there anyway and my kids got to sit on his bike. (Probably a replica specifically for this type of thing but we won't tell them that!)

Due to the rain forecast we almost didn't go and that nearly broke my kids' hearts. I'm glad the weather held up and we were able to give our kids this opportunity. We live near so many great and awesome things here in Cali. and I need to remember not to take it for granted.

Some people think you should have to carry a passport to visit. And maybe someday you will. We have Hollywood and hippies. We also have augmentations and Arnold. And I wouldn't trade it for anything....

Indecisive

2010-01-29T15:50:00.000-08:00

We all know how indecisive a woman can be when she's pregnant. And we also know her need to nest before the arrival of her little one. So I'm asking for your help... (from the 3 of you who read this blog occassionally, anyway).

I can't decide which blanket I want to knit for Baby Boy. (Yes... I said Baby BOY!!) Let me know your thoughts. Here are my top 3 in order of my most favorite.

OPTION A (in these exact same colors)

I love the detail of the cable-knitting in the center. I love the color combination. It's totally "Boy" without being the typical blue that you always see. This is my first pick.

OPTION B (in boy colors, obviously) This is a double-sided blanket.

Definitely more knitting to be done here.
Drawback? "Boy" color options are variations of blue. I was going to add some samples but my goal here is to get some help... not bore you to death.

OPTION C (also in more boyish color.... meaning more blue)

Here's a close-up of this fuzzy muppet-like yarn. Looks sooooo soft!

Drawback? Yarn supply will be limited since this yarn is discontinued. But that could possibly mean I get it at a discount. (Which would make Disneyland Daddy ~~squeal~~ smile in delight.)

So If your're up for helping a sister out then please comment with your opinion. If you don't comment then that will confirm what I've suspected all along... I'm the only one who ever reads this blog.

Thanks for your help!

Which will it be?

2010-01-20T20:20:00.000-08:00

PINK

BLUE

we find out tomorrow......

MAYBE ;)

A borrowed Christmas story

2009-12-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a mischievous little cherub who came to dwell among the other seraphim and cherubim in Paradise. He was known as The Littlest Angel.

From the moment of his arrival, the heavenly peace was never quite the same and The Littlest Angel soon became both the joy and despair of the motherly host.

His crooked halo was permanently tarnished where he held on to it with one hot, little, chubby hand when he ran, and he was always running.

And being so small it seemed to take him twice as long as anyone else to get to nightly prayers. The Littlest Angel always arrived late, knocking every one's wings askew as he darted into his place.

His shrill, ear-splitting tantrums resounded at all hours through the golden streets. It startled the patriarch and disturbed his meditation. All paradise could easily understand why The Littlest Angel would, sooner or later, have to be disciplined. And so he was directed to present his small self before the motherly host in hopes of restoring the peace.

With a heavy heart, he trudged his way to the place of judgement. Standing defiantly, The Littlest Angel tried to pretend that he wasn't at all impressed by such stern words and that he wasn't at all afraid. But his lower lip trembled, and a tear disgraced him by making a new furrow down his already tear-streaked face.

And, as usual, his flaws in behavior were quickly forgiven. For the irresistible appearance of The Littlest Angel always made the motherly host forget to move her wings and she would fall head over halo for him just as she had exactly 4 years, 5 months, 23 days, 11 hours, and 42 minutes ago.

Yes, from the moment of The Littlest angel's arrival, the heavenly peace was never quite the same. But the patriarch and the motherly host and the other seraphim and cherubim loved that mischievous little cherub just the way he was.

Decisions, decisions

2009-12-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

The last few years I have been on the ball when it came to Christmas. Sure, all of this year's shopping has been complete since Thanksgiving but I have yet to wrap and place a single one of those gifts under the tree. Usually our Christmas cards have been ordered, addressed, and stamped weeks ahead of time just waiting for December 12th to roll around so I can drop them in the outgoing mailbox. At this moment there is not a single Christmas card to speak of. We never took a family picture for a card. I'm feeling too frumpy and lazy to attempt to doll myself up let alone make sure we're all matchy-matchy and presentable enough for a family photo shoot. But I still have time to wrap those gifts before the big day comes. And thanks to Costco's web albums and online ordering I'm confident that I can pull together a cute card (with just the kids) in a jiffy. But what I'm really struggling with is what to give friends and neighbors this year. I've had some ideas but nothing that's stuck. I'm blaming this all on the pregnancy, of course. The procrastination. The laziness. The frumpiness. The indecision. But if I wait too long I'm afraid a last minute idea will result in a lame and effortless gift that won't accurately portray how appreciative we are for those friends in our lives. We consider their friendship a gift. An honor. Something to cherish and nurture not only at Christmastime but throughout the entire year. Am I over thinking this? Should it be this hard? In some years past we've always given a bottle of Martinelli's with wishes for a Happy New Year. As I was going through last years pictures I was reminded, yet again, of how behind schedule I am this year.

Last year us and several other families were practicing healthy and clean eating habits as we were all determined to reach our fitness goals. Not wanting to interfere and add to the sugar laden delights that they'd already been tempted with, we decided to give them pineapples. Although it wasn't a homemade treat, it was something tailored to their specific needs and goals at the time.

For the rest of the friends and neighbors we had fun making candied popcorn balls. Making and eating these is a childhood memory for me and it was the first time I had ever made these during my married life or as a mother. So although it may have seemed like a simple treat to those who received it, it really wasn't something that was just thrown together in a hurry. It was made with love, enjoyment, and a ton of Christmas spirit!!

For the kids' teachers, the kids dipped pretzels in chocolate then sprinkled the wet chocolate with crushed candy canes. These were delivered in a cute bag with a bottle of.... can you guess?... Martinelli's! This might possibly have been the first time I let my kids take charge and do all of the work while I sat back and watched. No meddling. No taking over in my control-freakish way. And somehow, I think their teachers would appreciate that (if they had known).

So now back to the tough decision of what to do for 2009? My sweet husband has been trying to help me come up with some ideas but his ideas are just too.... male. (I don't really want to deliver a bunch of Pepperidge Farms salamis and Ritz although he thinks that's the perfect idea.) He did have one other idea. He actually meant it for some comic relief but it needs to be told. He said that we need to get down to the real reason we celebrate Christmas and that we should just buy a bunch of cake mix and make everyone small "Happy Birthday Jesus" cakes. I couldn't even type the sentence without cracking up!!!

Now that I've boosted my morale by reminiscing about the organized Tiffiny of 2008 and giggled myself into a bellyache I think I'm ready to think some more about this oddly difficult decision. This post has been good therapy. And a good distraction.

And for those of you who might end up getting a gift that seems not-so-thoughtful and very last-minute.... just know that I didn't mean for it to end up that way. And that I'll do my best to redeem myself in 2010. But until then... a virtual gift for you:

He's a magician...not a beautician!!!!

2009-12-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

Whenever I'm pregnant and my husband attends my prenatal visits with me he magically becomes a self-appointed, honorary OB/GYN. Whenever my husband gets pulled over he magically becomes San Jose PD. Whenever we're in a crowded, quiet room my husband magically becomes the life of the party. Whenever we're in a comfortable setting with friends my husband magically becomes a comedian.

None of this bothers me. I'm used to it. I'm glad he's always been interested in my pregnancies and wants to know everything the Dr. is doing and why. I'm glad he's a fun, approachable guy who has the gift and ability to make those around him feel comfortable. And even though impersonating an officer is considered a felony it gets him out of a lot of tickets. (And I have to say that he's only done this twice--in a joking matter--and the cops just believed him and let him go--no questions asked--so he wasn't really impersonating an officer.)

But when my husband sees my boys' hair needing a trim and he gets a pair of scissors in his hands he magically becomes a barber. This bothers me. I've begged. I've pleaded. I've threatened. But when I do these things my husband magically becomes deaf. None of his ~~hackjobs~~ haircuts have ended well. There've been bowlcuts, steps, bells, and attempts at a buzz using trimmers from a pet grooming kit. I'ts enough to make me want to run out and buy a Flowbee!!

I'm convinced he was doing this ~~chop~~ trim with his eyes crossed.

I only see two conclusions to this predicament. #1-- I gather all of the scissors and trimmers and bury them in a deep hole in my backyard. OR #2-- I take my boys to get their hair cut on a more regular basis.

I guess you all know where I'll be this afternoon....

This isn't goodbye.

2009-11-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

You're leaving me. Slowly. Bit by bit. Day by day. You're good at goodbye's, it seems for your silent departure appears to come with such ease. Maybe our parting is just as sorrowful for you as it is for me but I'm much too afraid to ask. I guess I'll never know.

I worked very hard to get you. To keep you. But I guess deep down we both knew that we couldn't stay together forever. Something or someone would eventually get in the way. I think we always knew that our relationship would be touch and go. On again ,off again. You're fickle. You always have been and you always will be. The slightest move in the wrong direction and you're ready to flee. But I'm tenacious. And as soon as I felt the shift I would get to work and earn you back. I would do what I needed to do to keep you. But this time I know I've got to let you go. For now.

This is a good time for our break-up, I guess. I'm thinking about the upcoming holliday season. It will be nice not to have to give you a second thought as I'm enjoying my time with family, friends and the season's festivities. I won't be worried about how my actions could possibly hurt you. When I look back on last year I only remember the stress and guilt that you induced in me. Always questioning my actions and making me pay for it later. This year I am free of that. No limitations.

Of course, that's just me putting on a strong facade. I will miss you terribly. I don't like who I am without you. You make me feel good about myself. You keep me in line. You motivate me to be better. You give me confidence. With you in my life I enjoy getting ready to face each new day. Now that you're leaving I dread even getting dressed each new day.

There is another relationship here that is more important than ours, though. I have to remember that. There is someone else that needs my nurturing. My love. My attention. And I know this someone will not be the flight risk that you've always been. This new someone will be here to stay. Will love me forever. No matter my faults. No matter my weaknesses. That is something that I need right now. I think you understand all this even better than I do. Which is why you are leaving without a fuss. Which makes me love you even more.

But be warned. I do intend to earn you back. This is just a temporary thing. I kow that you can never stray too far from me. I will always know where to find you. And when I do you will have no hope of resisitng me. Go free. Enjoy the time away. Because once I get you back, you're never going anywhere again.

So goodbye for now, Waistline. I'll miss you. See you next year!

Lately

2009-11-09T18:09:00.001-08:00

I'm trying to play a game of catch up here so this will be a cornucopia post about what we've been up to lately.

Labwork and pre-surgery bloodwork.......... $50

Anesthesia.......... $115

Removal of 2 tumors(probably malignant).......... $130

Fluids, hospitalization, and take home meds.......... $70

A happy, healthier dog (that doesn't have a tumor hanging from his chest that looks like a long, black, flat, disgusting dangly nipple).......... PRICELESS

Bodi has one more tumor on his elbow that the vet said we could remove but it would require removing his whole leg. The poor dog is already 84 years old (in dog years). We prefer that he enjoy his last days on 4 stable legs rather than turning him into a geriatric tripod.

Halloween was a cinch this year despite the 4 different days I had to dress up the kids for their various parties, parades, etc. One dirtbiker, a zombie dirtbiker, and a white ninja and we called it a holliday. Halloween morning began with an old, nosy neighbor stopping by to offer some input on how to raise my children. I know he's from the old school and I know it takes a village but.... he's not a part of my village. My ego is still trying to get over it's resentment toward him. He purchased some See's Candy for our school fundraiser and that should be enough to redeem him but I'm still trying to get over it. Luckily I had a running date with a friend so I had 10 miles to blow off some steam and vent. We accidentally ran 12 miles. Trunk or Treat was fun. For the first time that I can remember there was music, a cakewalk, and a parade! Fun. Ward Activity Chairperson.... if you're reading this.... which I know you are..... next year Halloween falls on a Sunday. Wouldn't it be fun to have a family dance after the Trunk or Treat? Please? Pretty please?

My little brother is now a Daddy. Oh... she is the most precious little thing. And I love how he looks at her when he holds her. Not that he got to hold her too much when I was there. I think I was quite the baby hog. I've always known Drake would be a good dad. Everytime I had a new baby he would just sit and hold them and snuggle them. And I don't think I ever changed a diaper when he was around. He's a real man.... doesn't mind if they're wet or poopy, he'll change 'em all.

Now my kids have some cousins on my side of the family. And I have to take a moment to give some props to my brother. He's a very hard worker and has a goal to keep mom home with baby which I know is a very tough thing in this economy. I've seen him grow in leaps and bounds the last 5 years or so. We're 7 years apart and I'm looking forward to experiencing our relationship evolve and grow now that he has a little one of his own.

We've recently announced to family & friends that we are expecting Baby #4. It took us a while to get to this point. There were highs and lows. Tears and prayers. Long talks and eternal silence. But our prayers have been answered in just such a way that we know that this is God's will for our family. It would have been so easy to move into the next stage of life, especially with our youngest child being 4 years old, and we almost did just that. But Heavenly Father has a plan for us and I'm grateful that our faith in Him and our desire to do what he would have us do is stronger than our logical fears and concerns. And I'm grateful for those around us who are instruments in His hands who help us see beyond what our own human eyes can see. Like Brandon has said..."Don't ever let anyone think we are not high adventure people. Having a baby in a recession? It doesn't get any more high adventure than that." But everything will be okay. It will all work out.

All is well.

Strangers

2009-10-20T18:29:00.001-07:00

"Enter as strangers, leave as friends."

Saturday night 7 surfers entered my home. One of them was my husband. Three of them were friends I've already met. Three of them were strangers. The three strangers (plus one of the friends) spent the weekend with us.

These men make up about 1/4th of the guys that Brandon goes to Cabo with every May. That means that I was only privy to 1/4th of the laughter, 1/4th of the jokes, and 1/4th of the fun that goes on during their surf trip. I can only imagine what it's like with the whole group present. There's a brotherhood among surfers that is quite amazing to behold. I think it's something that only a surfer (or the wife of a surfer) can understand.

These guys were great guests. Perfect gentlemen. Helpful. Super sweet to my kids. Willing to let me hang as 'one of the guys'. They have nicknames for eachother and even dubbed me with a few nicknames of my own. "T" and "Tiffiny the Epiphany".

They helped fix our broken garage door, took out our garbage, helped my boys show respect for their sister, raided our closet so they could come to church with us, and just really left a great impression on me. They even let me feed them protein & spinach smoothies! I can't wait to meet their wives. (and to reconnect with the wives I already know.)

They would break out into spontaneous song and dance. They harmonized in song both at church and the dinner table. And they even chastised us for not having any Lionel Ritchie on the iPod.

My house was much quieter after they left. Which is sad because we love the chaos and we love having guests. You're welcome back anytime, guys!!!

Saturday night some surfers came to my home. Some entered as strangers. But they ALL left as friends.

Ryan aka "Refi", Rob aka "Rob Base", Lance aka "Lanny or Lancio", Brandon aka "Brando", Glenn aka "G or G-Dog"

Lost Primary Hymn

2009-10-16T22:25:00.001-07:00

A childhood favorite. You can listen to it here

Autumn day, autumn day,

God gives richest gifts today.

Look on ev’ry side and see

Pleasant things for you and me.

Apples red and apples yellow,
Round and juicy, sweet and mellow

Load the trees till they bend over
And their branches brush the clover.

Child, be glad with all that lives,
But forget not God, who gives.

Gizdich Ranch field trip 2009 & Applesauce making @ the Asplund's (Conference weekend)

It's nice to be important.....

2009-10-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

......but it's more important to be nice.

This is a mantra we've recently introduced to our 5th grader when her pre-teen ego gets a little bit bruised. Unfortunately, being nice doesn't always mean you'll come in first.

.........Or that you'll even come in 2nd (there was a 2 way tie for 1st).

But learning how to put yourself out there, take pride in your efforts, and deal with life's disappointments is priceless.

It's not just for keeping vampires away......

2009-09-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

I am now just discovering what many of you probably already know.

A fresh bulb of garlic is the high heel of the kitchen.

You might not have ever thought about it quite this way but if you truly know me then the analogy to shoes isn't such a surprise.

As a new wife, the only form of garlic my kitchen knew was either in salt or powder form. I faked my way through recipes but the food always ended up tasteless and boring. Like a Croc. Bland. I'm not ripping on the resin-based footwear (I have a few pairs myself). But I grew out of that phase. The garlic powder and garlic salt are in the cupboard; on reserve for when a recipe actually calls for it. And the Crocs are at the back of the closet.

Ready-To-Use Minced Garlic was a new discovery for me. For years I've cooked with the monster jar from Costco. It's like a flip-flop. Comfortable. Easy. Convenient. I'm certainly not denouncing the use of this stuff. And I'll always own at least 5 different pairs of flip-flops but let's face it... do flip-flops make any of you feel very chic?

I've recently been trying out new recipes, many of which have called for fresh garlic. Since I've been trying to use fresher ingredients I decided to throw a few garlic bulbs in the grocery cart. I am so glad I did! Not only have the recipes tasted amazing.... I've felt more gourmet than ever before! Mature even. Just as a good high heel gives you a certain flair, fresh garlic makes you feel like you're cooking in style.

Here are two of my new favorite recipes {both using garlic and both very healthy}. Try 'em out. Wearing high heels while you cook is totally optional but if you're cooking with fresh garlic, I promise.... you won't need the heels.

P.S. My picky eaters loved both of these recipes.

Roasted Garlic & Sweet Potato Soup (EASY!)

6 large sweet potatoes

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 head roasted garlic {yay} ;)

6 cups chicken broth

1 or 2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Rub cut surfaces with olive oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet. On the same baking sheet, place a whole bulb of garlic and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake uncovered in center of oven until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add chopped onion and saute until clear and soft. Place in food processor. Remove potato pulp from the sweet potatoes and place in food processor. Squeeze roaste garlic into the food processor. Run the food processor until a smooth puree forms. (Add some of the water if needed.) Place puree into a large saucepan. Add broth and water until desired consistency. Cook on mdium until thoroughly heated.

Makes 10 cups

I reserved some of the roasted garlic, mixed it with butter, then spread on bread and grilled it.

Grilled Chicken & Carrots

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp ground fennel seeds

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional if you don't like spicy)

16 small carrots, peeld (not baby carrots)

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

mushrooms

4 cloves fresh garlic, smashed

Cooking Spray

4 Tbsp plain yogurt

Mix spices in a bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and set aside. Place carrots in boiling water for about 4 minutes and remove. Dry on a paper towel. Set aside. Bring chicken broth to a low boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Smash garlic gloves using the side of a large knife (you want to release full flavors but keep cloves fairly intact). Add mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer about 20 minutes. Discard garlic and set sauce aside. Coat grill with cooking spray and grill chicken 4 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through. Grill carrots about 5 minutes, rotating until charred. Return sauce to stove. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and whisk in yogurt. Serve.

I found the sauce to be very thin but also very yummy. We poured the sauce over the chicken and carrots but I think it would also taste good to chop up the chicken and carrots and serve as a soup.

Unplugged in the 8-3-1

2009-08-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Thursday was Back To School Night. I visited the kids' classes while they played on the playground. As I gathered my chickies (like a good Mother Hen does) I noticed a lot of noise in the air. Small planes and helicopters dotted the sky. A fire had broken out in some distant hills and water was being transported to douse the blaze.

As we were driving through town I noticed how dark everything seemed to be. Dusk was approaching and no streetlamps had yet come on. The insides of stores were dark and traffic lights were blinking, if they were even working at all.

We found out later that a helicopter hit some power lines causing outtages throughout many cities. Over 33,000 were left without power for several hours. I don't know how the other 32,995 people handled the situation but this family of 5 took advantange of our "unplugged" status.

While lighting the candles throughout the house we talked about how electricity has not always been right at our fingertips. We read books by candlelight and played with our flashlights. The kids loved it. The dog didn't. He was restless and acting very protective.

We decided to go outside, sit on the trampoline, and just look at the stars. We cuddled on blankets and enjoyed simple conversation. Some of our neighbors were playing basketball in the dark. Some were enjoying their outdoor firepits. And some were lighting off fireworks. (That's when the dog stopped being protective and tucked his tail between his legs and bolted inside... breaking the screen in the process. So much for being protective. Fireworks are his kryptonite)

We knew the kids were too amped up with this unordinary night to settle down and hit the sack so we decided to go somewhere. (Even though it was a school night.) We didn't have a plan, we just drove. It was very eerie outside. Everything was quiet and dark.

We drove back through town. Our headlights were the only thing slicing through the darkness. We were surprised to find that the city's "Movies Under the Stars" was still going on. It's a new thing this year where they show a family friendly show outdoors. Everyone brings their lawnchairs and blankets and watches the movie on a big blow-up screen. We hadn't attended a single one all summer so we parked the car then parked our family on the grass and enjoyed watching some of Hairspray. They were running it by generator and warned us that once the gas ran out then that was it, it would be time to go home. After about 20 minutes the streetlamps started humming and glowing to life. It was a bit disappointing really. It seemed as if the magic of the night was slowly lifting, evaporating away as the light disrupted the pure darkness. We ignored it for as long as we could. The restored light woke up the responsible parents in us and we decided to get our babies home and into their beds. A few of them didn't even make it that far. They fell asleep in the car during the short 10 minute ride home.

It might sound silly but there really was something magical about this night. It seemed that the lack of instant gratification via satellite television and internet access had brought us back to the basics. A feeling of hearth, home, and family replaced the everyday distractions. A sense of community was discovered as we groaned along with strangers as the electricy brought reality along with it. And it was a good mini-lesson for me about being prepared for the unexpected.

I'm sure that helicopter pilot felt pretty bad about knocking out entire grids of electricity but I would tell him (or her) not to worry about it too much. In fact, I would thank her (or him) for providing my family with an unforgettable evening.

No offense, but.......

2009-08-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

You know you're a Californian if.......

.... your 6 year old wants you to watch him play Mexican jumprope.

(You're also a Californian if you wouldn't be caught dead wearing socks under Teva sandals)

Photo taken from internet. These are NOT my headless, poorly dressed children!!

Is there a pill for this?.....

2009-08-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is a first for me. For the past 5 years I have looked forward to each and every first day of school. It's always been a relief to get back on a schedule -- a consistent bedtime, more homemade dinners, actual baths with shampoo & soap rather than counting on the cholorine of the pool to cleanse my dirty children. But this year I am experiencing some sadness over their return to school.

Maybe it's because my baby girl will be completing her last year of elementary school. Or maybe because I now have to go 6 1/2 hours straight without hearing Beau's giggles. And it's quite possible that I'm sharing some of Reef's separation anxiety from his two favoritest playmates... who are really two of my favoritest playmates, too.

But my kids were super stoked to head back to their institute of learning. Reef keeps asking about pre-school. When does it start? Why can't I go today? Why can't I just go to kindergarten now? This is his last school year home with me and I am very reluctant to send him to any pre-school at all!! He'll get sucked into the school system soon enough. Hot Wheels, Teck Decks, and skateboards will have to be traded in for days full of reading, writing, and playground bullies.

I'm jealous of my kids' teachers because they get to spend the entire day with my kids. I'm quite sad over this whole thing, actually. And although I'm not crying in a dark corner listening to depressing songs by The Cure, I'd be lying if I said that my inner child is not on the floor kicking, screaming, and chanting "Heck no, they can't go! Heck no, they can't go!"

And then the thought occurs to me. They don't have to go. You can keep them home! They can sleep in and snuggle with you all morning. You can continue going on daily outtings. You don't have to be on anyone's schedule but your own! It would be like an eternal summer. But you know what that's called?

Homeschool

And suddenly I'm not so blue anymore. As Mercedes' 5th grade teacher so wisely stated yesterday, "Honesty is the best policy..... insanity is a better defense." I do honestly miss my kids but I think I'm just suffering from a bout of temporary insanity. Sorry for dragging you along.

Is it 3:05, yet?

DO's and DONT's

2009-08-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

Some helpful DO's and DON'Ts of vactioning

1) DON'T expect a welcome full of ceremonious fanfare. You might have to descend a flight of stairs directly off of the plane straight into sweltering heat and heavy air. No gradual acclamation to the climate here, people. Those pseudo-smiling flight attendants rush you off that jet faster than you can say "BUH-BYE"

2) DON'T avoid daily visits to the gym just because you're on vacation....

........ especially when you're eatting delectable dishes such as this every night.

(Stone Bowl at Guacamaya's)

3)DO make sure the dusty, dirt road to your surf destination truly is deserted before blanket-shielding your friend on the side of the road while she goes to the bathroom.

Note the truck in the background. It came outta nowhere!!

4) DO bribe the locals. They are very particular about who visits their beaches and surfs their breaks. Payoffs accepted in the form of Chile Cheetos, Spicy Nacho Doritos, and littered cardboard boxes.

And beware of the super friendly ones. They always have a hidden agenda. They may seem harmless enough......
..... but they'll end up taking you for a ride.

5)DO utilize the pool as often as possible. Just be prepared to save a drunk old lady who comes to do water aerobics and ends up drowning. (Yes, this really happened. No, she didn't die.)

(This is the pool at Las Olas and is not the location of the drowning drama.)

6) DO vacation with goofy friends. DON'T pay attention to crazy looks from strangers. DO milk inside jokes for all they're worth.

7) DO body surf. DON'T worry about all the sand. All body parts need to be exfoliated at least once in your lifetime.
8) DO enjoy a week off of your Mommy & Daddy duties.

9) DON'T forget to blog about about your vacation.

10) DO repeat annually.

You only turn 4 once...... or do you?????

2009-07-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

So far, Reef has had 3 birthdays this year. The first one was actually Brandon's birthday but the Chevy's waitress was confused and sang to Reef instead. As I was giggling over the whole sombrero saga Reef ran around the table, threw his arms around my neck and said, "Are you excited because it's my birthday?"

Wednesday was his real birthday. We celebrated by taking the kids to Gilroy Gardens where Reef got to help out in the bird show and go on both roller coasters for the first time ever!! Turning 4 has it's perks, people.

Reef chose Chili's for his birthday dinner (with a little bit of subliminal messaging from mom & dad.) I have to hand it to Chili's. They used to give the birthday person a chocolate milkshake but have now stepped it up to Chocolate Molten Lava Cake.

After all the fun and food Reef just couldn't keep his 4 year old eyeballs open any longer. He fell asleep in the car and didn't even have the chance to open his presents.

That's how the third 4th birthday was born.... that next morning Reef was finally able to open his presents. Everybody knows that a birthday isn't complete unless you blow out the candles & make a wish. So we had another night of birthday dessert complete with off key singing of the birthday song. Nothing too major.... choclate muffins from Costco & some vanilla ice cream. I mean, we don't want to spoil the kid or anything.

Four things we adore about our Reefy

1) His humor. This kid keeps us (and others) laughing for days. He's a total ham and will do or say anything to entertain those around him. Hmmmm.... sounds a lot like his Daddy.

2) His heart. Under that funny and independent exterior he is a total sweety. He wears his heart on his sleeve and all it takes is a little empathy and TLC then all his cares are quickly forgotten.

3) His enthusiasm. He's game for anything. He has such a zest for life and loves trying new things.

4) His cuddles. Ever since he was a baby he would literally "melt" into you. We've always felt a certain 'soothingness' (is that a word?) when we cuddle with him. And he still lets us kiss all over his warm, soft cheeks.

Happy Birthday, Reef (again). We love you!

The REAL Monday... No kidding this time!

2009-06-08T21:23:00.001-07:00

And that, my friends, is why I started eatting "clean" again and made a goal to hit the gym every day. Wish me luck!!

Eye and Ear Candy

2009-06-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

It's been said that The eyes are the windows to the soul. I tend to disagree. Look at this lovely "window".....

I've told you before how intoxicating this boy's giggles & laughs are. Well now it's visually pleasing as well. Um... not that it wasn't before. I mean, look at those dimples!!!

But now I'm on sensory overload anytime he finds the need to chuckle. Or simply smile. I can't peel my eyes away from him when he does this. I've tried. He's just too irresistable.

Oh, be still my heart.

Grow slow, little tooth.

Please. Grow. Slooooow!!!!

Now will somebody get this adorable boy a haircut before he bumps into a wall and knocks ALL of his teeth out?

Laugh or Cry

2009-06-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

"Either laugh or cry... that's all you can do." That's what my husband says when life throws you unexpected curveballs. If it weren't for a strong neck.... my head would have spun off already. Here's a run down of the last 6 days:

*The transmission of our trucked crapped out on us.
*The running lights & break lights of 2 dump trucks, the Bobcat trailer & my Suburban went out.
*Our Bobcat is misbehaving. The battery needed to be jumped dozens of times while on a job & the fan belt busted while loading it on a trailer.
*I ran out of gas in the Beamer on the way to taking kids to school. The fuel guage deceived me by saying the tank was 1/2 full.
*My Suburban battery flatlined leaving me almost stranded while picking up kids from school.
*One of the brackets holding up our speaker box on the boat is defective. Luckily we had a dog leash in the car to jimmy-rig it for the rest of the drive home from Paso Robles.
*I've been playing "hide & seek" with a high-maintenance contractor reluctant to pay his bill. We're currently financing his massive concrete job until I find him and have his legs broken. It's not what you know... it's WHO you know in the garbage business. "Fuh-get abouuuut it...." ;-)
*I've been helping Brandon play musical dump trucks from here to San Jose and everywhere in between for 4 consecutive days. My poor 3 year old has traveled over 500 miles with nothing exciting to show for it.
*The Hot Shift PTO (power take off) on our newly built dump truck failed the first time we used it thus snapping the drive shaft. Don't ask me any questions about this stuff. I only know the lingo, not the mechanics behind it.
*We worked our whole weekend from dawn 'til dusk shoveling dirt and concrete. The only break we took was for church. We even took the kids out to a job and forced some manual labor out of them. They normally get to ride on the Bobcat with Daddy when he is operating it but this time we swept & shoveled the tighter areas that the bucket was too large to maneuver into. This was actually a highlight for me, though. There's nothing wrong with kids learning how to work and I truly hope that one day my kids (especially my boys) will remember seeing their mom getting dirty side by side with their dad to help out in the family business.

All of this during the last two weeks of school when we're busy with talent shows, class parties, Olympic Day, honor roll assemblies, piano recital and an annual golf tournament thrown by my FIL in Lake Tahoe.

To quote Vanilla Ice... "Will It Ever Stop? Yo, I don't know"

I figured I should document our hellish week. Otherwise I might not believe it ever happened.

I've managed to chuckle and roll my eyes heavenward at the start of each mishap. I have yet to cry over any of it. So I guess I'm not in too bad of shape after all.

Classifieds

2009-05-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

WANTED

MWF (married white female) desperately seeking

Chevy's Sombrero. Left behind after a fun-filled

birthday dinner for DH (dear husband). Must have

forgotten it after enduring LHI (long haired indian)

dubbed "Apache Hendrix" and his heinous versions

of 1980's hits. CW (confused waitress) singing Happy

Birthday to my 3YO(year old) instead of to DH could

also be to blame for my TML (temporary memory loss).

DH insists you don't take Sombrero home. MWF contends

that you do. FDA would agree with MWF(...hello...lice!!!!)

REWARD for those who agree with MWF.

Fortified

2009-05-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's nice to do something different for Family Home Evening. Actually... let's be real.... sometimes it's nice to actually have Family Home Evening. We try really hard.

Sometimes.

We could definitely try harder. We always make sure that we are together on family nights but tend to justify baseball practice or a trip to the grocery store together as our activity and lesson.

But I've come to realize something. It doesn't always have to be about scripture reading, service, or family meetings. I need to stop feeling guilty when I don't plan ahead for a lesson and a treat. (Although that is the ideal goal.)

What we did last night was a treat in and of itself. It's something we've never done before but turned out to be a huge success. It was simple. It was fun. And although it wasn't something that taught my children to strive to be better people and it didn't teach them anything about Heavenly Father, church doctrine or the prophets... it definitely brought us closer together and strengthened our love for one another.

We built a fort.

And cuddled inside of it while reading books.

And sang songs like "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", "Three Blind Mice", and -upon Reef's request- "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen.

And ate peanut butter/milk chocolate chips right out of the bag.

And we were happy.

And strengthened.

And fortified.

2009-05-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

I miss the cartoons of my youth. Smurfs, He-Man, The Snorks, Gummi Bears, Scooby-Doo....

I can tell when my 3 year old has been watching too much Sponge Bob because every sentence ends with the word butt.
"Is it time for a bath?.....BUTT."
"Look at the fire engine!.....BUTT."
"Can I have a snack?....BUTT."
I never even used to let my kids watch Sponge Bob. I guess I've become way more lax in the raising of a 3rd child. But sometimes the good mom outwins the lax mom I turn off the tube in the middle of Patrick mooning the patrons of the Krusty Krab or when Sponge Bob and Patrick are going on a "panty-raid" at Mr. Crab's mother's house...... (I'm NOT making this up!!!)

Every time we come across Max & Ruby I can't help but think.... where are their parents? Ruby is always the one taking care of Max and I think they have a grandmother that comes around once in a while but the only other adult figure is the "Bunny Scout Leader" who really never is shown, only talked about. Do they not have parents? It seems very trivial but this is something I often wonder about.

I used to think you couldn't go too wrong with a kid show on PBS but I've noticed that when Reef watches too much Caillou he talks like a baby. And Mercedes seems to think that Caillou only teaches little ones how to throw a temper-tantrum.

Dora & Diego certainly don't need any censoring but lately Reef insists on praying in Spanish. We let him do it the first time he asked and it was really cute to hear his "version" of Spanish but now it's just becoming disruptive. He's recently begun to enjoy Nio-Hao, Kai-Lan so it's only a matter of time before he starts begging to pray in Chinese.

And Olivia? That show is just down right disturbing to me! And I'm not just saying that because of the whole overblown Swine Flu scare. Pigs in clothes prancing around on their hind legs? And it seems just about every episode has Olivia plotting some way to harm or get rid of her younger brother. The theme of that show seems to be sibling rivalry which I think we experience enough on our own without Nick Jr.'s help.

Don't even get me started on Yo Gabba Gabba. Who hired that acid-tripping writer?

But really I guess these annoyances and perplexities are something I can overlook. I have fond memories of eatting breakfast while watching Captain Kangaroo, The Polka-Dot Door, and The Great Space Coaster. Do I really want to rob my children of their own breakfast-time memories? Of course not. Now if you'll please excuse me... Back at the Barnyard just started.

Spring Break 2009:

2009-04-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: This post is long. It is detailed. It has a lot of photos. But this is how I scrapbook so this post was written without any thoughts for your time constraints. Feel free to read on. Just be prepared to feel totally unproductive for the next few minutes.

Our Mexican Riviera cruise back in February left us yearning for a family vacation with the kids. Sure we go camping several times a year & Disneyland is always an annual destination for us but we wanted our kids to experience a vacation like none they've gone on before. Less than 24 hours of stepping off our cruise we had another one booked... this time for 5!! And as long as we were giving them the opportunity to travel by sea, why not let them experience being hurled through the air at about 500 miles an hour? Thanks to Southwest and their $49 fares we were set to go. And what is a vacation without close, fun friends to hang with? We were stoked that the Lawrence's booked a cruise too!
So a little less than 2 months later the day had finally arrived. Unfortunately our departing flight was delayed 80 minutes but we found a cool Tech Museum display that entertained us all for quite some time. (SOOO much better than Sponge Bob!!) Something else that held Reef's attention was the bikini clad model on the cover of the Sports Illustrated magazine. "Look Mommy, she's pulling down her underwear!!" I decided making a big deal out of it would only fuel his curiosity so I turned the rack around and ushered him to the candy where Disneyland Daddy was letting the other kids pick out sugary sweets to wash down their breakfast. As we walked out of the store Reef spun the rack back around, and pointing with his hand over his mouth repeated his observation to his daddy barely making it through his giggles. "Don't look at that. It's bad." was Daddy's response. Reef's quick reply? " No.... it's gooooooood" Note to self: Keep an eye on that kid. He likes the ladies.

It was finally time to board. I felt just as giddy as my kids as I anticipated their response to their first ever plane ride. They certainly didn't let me down. Mercedes' delighted chuckles as her stomach was stolen away as we took off, Beau's face all lit up as he watched the city below shrink to nothingness & even Reef's continual question "Are we in the air, yet?" (even as we sat on the runway) all made the decision to fly vs. drive totally, absolutely, 110% worth it! I felt like I was experiencing my own first flight. They were absolutely ecstatic when we flew through the clouds. Brandon and I wordlessly communicated with winks & smiles as we sat back and watched our children's awe.

Walking through the airport wasn't a problem. We found a way to keep Reef from wandering off and everyone pulled their own weight.

After settling into our hotel room in Old Town San Diego we took the kids to the pool then hit the town. We toured an old cemetery, were serenaded by two Mariachis while eatting a yummy meal at Coyote Cafe --which I highly recommend-- and just walked around taking in this town so rich with history.
Victorian architecture is not really my style but the restored Victorians in Heritage Park were impressive. We didn't arrive in time to tour the inside of the homes or visit the shops here but had fun peeking through windows and enjoying the flora and fauna without any interruptions from other tourists. We had the entire village to ourselves.

We left Heritage Park in style as we rolled down the hill in front of the church. We were quite disappointed that the Mormon Batallion Visitors Center was closed. It is being remodeled and won't be open until 2010. I felt transported in time as we walked through the rest of Old Town. We saw many of the original buildings and learned their history. Neither Brandon nor I could resist the temptation to run our hands over the walls of the very first brick building in San Diego... built by the Mormons.... as it said in the brochure. To think that we were standing in the very spot and were touching the very bricks of our California pioneers seemed to bridge the time gap. The school was another interesting highlight. We marveled at the rules enforced back then and how shocked the original San Diegans would be if they observed the lack of rule enforcement in our schools today.

We were even able to find a little history in a surf shop. Old skateboard decks & surfboards were hung from ceilings, walls, and stashed in corners.

Back at the hotel we met up with the Lawrence's and Oelrich's who had just arrived from their 2 day stay in Disneyland. It was fun to have some adult conversation and a "date night" away from home.

The next day was the San Diego Zoo where the word of the day was "blustery". We heard this word all day. Starting with the weather man on the local news right down to the quirky, mustached zoo tour bus driver who took his job very, very seriously. We saw a few animal shows, ate some high-priced burgers, and I got up-close and personal with a huge, dead, white rat compliments of my thoughtful hubby. Reef wasn't as afraid of the bears as I thought he would be. And I think he was a bit let down that none of the monkeys threw poop at us. (Prior to the trip, he would tell anyone that would listen that he was going to the zoo where monkeys throw their poop.) Thoughts of the bubbly hot tub back at the hotel kept us warm as we endured our blustery but fun day at the San Diego Zoo.

After the zoo and hot tubbing we decided to take the kids to dinner & a movie. Rather than pay $25 to take the trolley we decide to all load up in Amy's van. That's right... all 16 of us in a Honda Odyssey. Brandon & I took the cargo area. I have always been impressed with the size and depth of the storage capacity in the commercials but never fully appreciated it until I was the cargo. Melinda was on the floor holding a kid or two. Poor Amy. I'm sure it stressed her out to have so many lives hanging precariously in her hands. Thanks for not getting rear ended my friend! I'm sure we were quite a sight getting out of the van. (I wish I had a picture of the Volvo woman's face that we parked next to.) After dinner at California Pizza Kitchen we split up to see a movie. Amy & Josh were truly the heroes of the night. Not only driving us all but taking all of the boys to see Monsters vs. Aliens. Us and the Lawrence's had parent/daughter dates to the Hannah Montanna movie. I. Loved. It.

The next day we couldn't get out of that hotel fast enough. Not just from the excitment of getting on board the ship but Reef was pretty upset over he & Beau getting stuck in the bathroom after showering. Daddy had to huff & puff and practically break that door down. We didn't have to wait long as we were the first group to board the ship. First item of business? The water-slide!! Second order of business? Drying Beau's tears after discovering he's not tall enough for the slide. The water slide was a big deal to this little guy. We kept talking up the vacation and getting him excited for this slide. Little did we know he wasn't quite grasping the idea of it. Since he only has seen one kind of slide on a (house)boat he assumed we would slide right into the ocean but was trusting and willing to try it anyway. We didn't discover this until one night when he asked, "Dad? After we go down the slide, how are we going to be able to catch back up to the ship?" Even Disneyland Daddy's smooth talking didn't buy him a chance to go down. So he soaked up the sun, enjoyed the spa, and every once in a while glanced at that slide with intense longing.

My kids definitely like getting star-quality treatment. Mercedes was stoked about not having to make her bed all week. I am quite proud at how they behaved themselves during dinner. It was great for them to learn where the napkins are supposed to go, which fork to eat with, and how to politely order food themselves. Reef, who is usually a wanderer during mealtime (but I'm sure will grow out of it as my other kids have) sat longer than I thought him capable and enjoyed toasting an empty glass to his good friend, Brock.

The Camp Carnival kids program was great and offered fun activities for each age group. They colored T-shirts, had faces painted, went on scavenger hunts, built & erupted volcanoes, danced in the disco, played video games, played Ping-Pong, made art projects.... it was great. We were glad that each of our kids had one of the Lawrence kids in the same age group. Except for Taylor, that is. But she seemed to take it in stride and enjoy herself.

Mercedes' dreams came true in Ensenada where she got to ride a horse for the first time. It was made even better by being able to horseback on the beach. It was a fun filled hour and nobody laughed harder than Melinda when she fell off her horse and left Brock to his own devices, fearfully clinging to the reins for dear life. I was too busy trying to save the day by attempting to catch Brock's horse to snap any pics but he finally heard his dad yelling at him to pull the reins and was able to stop his horse. Then he jumped off his horse and onto mine probably afraid the horse he had named "Muddy" would bolt off again.

Our shuttle then took us to "La Bufadora" loosely translated as "The Blowhole". It is one of 3 in the world of it's kind and if the tide had been higher it would have been more impressive but we enjoyed it just the same. Walking through the colorful, open-air market I saw the most random thing... a black & white oil painting of Joseph Smith. Then it was time to wash our churro samples down with delicious $1 carne asada tacos & more churros.

Back on the ship we played mini-golf and Lifeguard Brandon made a heroic save of a drowning boy. Miraculously we were ready for formal night in less than one hour. My kids were honestly looking forward to dressing up. Especially Reef. He couldn't wait to put on his "mosquito"(tuxedo) . That night cookies with smiley faces were waiting for the kids on the bed... with the usual chocolates, of course.

It seems that we can never go on a trip without some kind of drama making an appearance. We had a 9:25am flight booked and at 8:30am were still awaiting clearance from the local authorities to debark. To make a long story short, Brandon's quick thinking and smooth talking earned us a personal escort to the front of the V.I.P. line from our Australian Cruise Director and we were the first ones off the ship. Our taxi drivers violated a few driving laws and a family showed us some mercy and let us cut in front of them in the security line. The kids were great sports about running (shoeless) to the gate where we made it with less than 5 minutes to spare. Once I had those boarding passes in my hand a HUGE wave of relief washed over me and I had to fight back the tears. We somehow pulled off the impossible.
I'm convinced that cruising is the best family vacation EVER. Although this is the first big vacation like this that we've taken as a family. So, I don't know. Maybe Hawaii would be better? I sure would like to find out.

Photo Tag

2009-04-22T11:57:00.001-07:00

I was "phot tagged" by my friend Stef. Here are her instructions:

"Take a picture of yourself with no preparing or primping. Just do it how you are right now, and post it on your blog with a tag for someone else to do it."

This is post-vacation, pre-shower. Lovely. I now tag Brookie Cookie, Janae, Brooke Benton, Raimi, D-Dawg, and Ronny-Jean. YOU'RE IT!!!!!

Goodbye to ALL

2009-04-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

I was watching Celebrity Apprentice last week and found myself very saddened by something that a guest executive said. The challenge was for each team to create a viral video for the laundry detergent All. When asked what the target audience would be the All executive said "women over 25 years old with children." One of the contestants said, "OK, so the target audience is Moms?" And the frumpy, bitter, hotshot lady from All said "No. Women with children... not 'moms'." WHAT??

Not "moms"? What's so wrong with the target audience being a "mom"? I am a woman and I have children but GUESS WHAT... that's the very definition of "mom". "Women with children" seems so.... detached. It also seems redundant. If I say the word "woman" the only thing you know is that I am talking about a female but if I say the word "mom" then you know without a doubt that this female has children. Right? Are you guys feeling me?

I guess it would have been too offensive to the womens libbers out there to use such a heinous term as "mom" or "mother". Maybe she should have said "females who breed is the target audience" or "make the video with caregivers of offspring in mind" or "the target audience is people over 25 years old who have had previous occupants in their womb".

To me and many others that I know being a mother is not just something that we do... it's who we are. And it's not only who we are... it's what we love. I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing. Being a mother.. whether the child was born from your body or not... is the best calling a woman could be given. It's more fulfilling than any career. It brings more joy than an empty inbox and a pay raise. Climbing the stairs to peek in on my sleeping angels and kiss their warm cheeks is definitely more rewarding than climbing the ladder of success. Of course... this is all the opinion of a mere "mom"... so what would I know?

It's not as if I can't function unless I'm doing "motherly" things; like I'll completely shut down if there's no laundry to do, toys to pick up, or bread to bake. I date my husband once a week, I get pedicures, I have lunch dates with girlfriends, I go to the gym... things that other women do.

I can only assume that the frumpy, bitter, hotshot lady from All would be offended by the following images. It's all pretty random but it's the simple and small things like this that I find very gratifying.

Reef's assembly of toys under the kitchen table

Well stocked fridge and pantry after a shopping trip.

The boys using a centerpiece as their Tech Deck ramp.

Mercedes and Beau returning from a long day at school.

Women who are mothers find joy in very simple, everyday things. That is the magic of being a mom. Something I don't expect the frumpy, bitter, hotshot lady from All to ever, EVER understand. So now I will step down from my soapbox (no pun intended.) But before I do........

All, YOU'RE FIRED!!

Say "UNCLE"

2009-04-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

I played racquetball for the first time ever a few weekends ago. It was fun. Until I stopped a fierce return from my husband.... with my face.

The next day I was gingerly touching my tender cheek and I immediately thought of my uncle James. When I was a kid he used to endearingly insult me by saying things like, "Hey, does your face hurt?.... 'cuz it's killin' me!!!" (Melts your heart, doesn't it?) Well, my face was killing me and I smiled as I thought about how his little joke would fit so perfectly in this situation.

The only time I've ever called him "uncle" is when he would hold my hands behind my back or put me in a headlock, or some other vice-like grip and tell me to "Say Uncle." And I don't think I have ever called him James in my life. I have always called him (and still to this day call him) "Hoppity".

I don't remember nicknaming him this but my family tells me that he used to put me on his back when I was little and hop around the house saying "hoppity, hoppity, hoppity". It just stuck. A nickname was born.

Hoppity is 10 years older than I am and since we grew up in the same house for most of my childhood he seemed more like an older brother than an uncle. You know... the kind of older brother that teases you to no end... laughs at you... makes you cry... embarasses you on purpose...tickle tortures you... inflicts bodily harm because he finds it funny. But he was also the kind of older brother that stuck up for you... helped plead your case... broke very sad news to you and let you cry on his shoulder... laughed with you... let you tag along with him on trips to the hardware store and even on a date or two... made you feel safe....

I don't get to see Hoppity very often. Especially since he traded sunny, beautiful California for snowy, cold Idaho. But I hope he always knows that I love, appreciate, and miss him very, very much. I have many treasured memories that include him.

So, thanks, Hops. Thanks for letting me be your "little sister". Thanks for being a close friend. Thanks for always letting me call you "Hoppity" no matter how many strange looks we got or embarassing explanations you had to give. Thanks for letting my kids call you "Hoppity", too. Thanks for teaching me how to punch and how to take a punch.

I miss you.

2 things that don't mix

2009-03-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Homemade granola and white tankini bottoms do not mix.

Because when you're eatting a bowl of homemade granola.....

and your funny husband flounces into the room wearing your white tankini bottoms to try to make you laugh.....

that's exactly what you do.

You laugh hysterically.....

and homemade granola almost comes out of your nose....

but you quickly swallow it so that it doesn't exit the nostrils.....

and it goes down your esophagus virtually unchewed....

And it hurts.

But it's still so stinking hilarious that you don't care.

Although I might care tonight when I try to wear tankini bottoms in the hot tub and they're all stretched out.

In which case I'll have no choice but to skinny dip.

Oh, 2 more things that don't mix? 3 year olds and empty hot tubs..... but that's another post....

If I were Irish.....

2009-03-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not Irish. I don't drink beer...or any alcohol for that matter (Nyquil doesn't count). St. Patrick's Day is just a square on the calendar that would pass by unnoticed if I didn't feel an obligation to get into the spirit of it and dress my household in green. Green is NOT my color. But for one day? I can handle it. I've even been known to turn the milk green and make green eggs for breakfast.

But if I was Irish... I would be sending my loved ones a St. Patty's Day card that says the following.

Our Lager

Which art in barrels

Hallowed be thy drink

Thy kegdom come

I fill thee mug

At home, as in the tavern

Give us this day, Our foamy head

And forgive us our spillages,

As we forgive those who spill upon us

And lead us not into inebriation

But deliver us from hangovers.

Barmen

I saw this on a card at the car wash and thought it was too witty & clever not to share it with you. So, Happy St. Patrick's Day.... no matter how you celebrate it!!

Back to Reality

2009-03-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

Land.... My babies..... My routine..... The gym......My babies.......No more buffets.......

These are the things my soul was screaming for that last day of the cruise. It didn't really get too bad until the Ellis' left for the airport a few hours before us. Their leaving marked the end of the vacation.

I was so happy with our decision to fly instead of drive to San Diego. The car trip home would have been torturous.

So we landed in San Jose. I had my phone turned on in a matter of milliseconds. I just wanted to hear my kids' sweet voices. Mercedes' cheery and enthusiastic greeting. Beau's raspy voice with a hint of embarassment behind his words. Reef's interrogation bringing the inflection of his voice to a higher & higher pitch with each question. I could almost see Mercedes' bright eyes and the wide smile. My ears were already tickling with Beau's intoxicating giggles and infectious laughter. I could already feel Reef's warm little palms upon my cheeks or the back of my neck as we looked at eachother, foreheads pressed together. I'd been daydreaming about these things for days now.

Then reality set in. They were still in school. I wouldn't be able to talk to them for at least another hour. But wait. Reef's not in school!!! My thumbs dial at a feverish pace. The annoying beep...beep...beep of the busy tone pierces my ear. I die a little from dissapointment.

With no other hope of speaking to any of my offspring in the next 5-10 minutes I decide to check my texts. I silently escort my husband to the men's bathroom and stand watch over our carry-on bag -- all the while scanning my incoming messages. There's one from Annette. And another. Oh no. Is she trying to get a hold of me because something happened to my kids? Whew. Just a text to say hello and see if we debarked the ship, yet. Brandon returns and I hand the bags over to him. Without looking up I tell him I've got to use the restroom, too. I continue walking (and texting) until I reach the entrance.

I notice the smell right away. It's very faint. But I was looking forward to an odorless restroom. After 9 days on a ship certain smells can start to seep through the pipes. Oh, well. From the corner of my eye I see the silouette of a tall person washing their hands. I feel so rude as I almost bump into somebody coming out of a stall. I should have at least looked up when I said "Excuse me". But she didn't respond to my apology whatsoever so I don't feel so bad anymore. I realize what people must be thinking. "Is she going to keep texting while using the toilet?" I enter the stall while finishing up my message. I press SEND. I turn around to close and lock the door.

That's when reality sets in... again.

I'm surrounded by men. Men at the sink. Men walking in. Men walking out. Men drying their hands. Men facing the wall (urinals). Fat men. Skinny men. Short men. Tall men. Old men. Young men. Men, men, men!!!!! But not one of them giving me any eye contact. Thank goodness!!!!! I die a little of embarassment, anyway.

I open my phone back up. To text Annette and tell her what I've done. Not so much to incriminate myself but to give me something to do so I can maintain our no-eye-contact status while I hastily exit.

I suppress my laughter. I hope noone noticed me exiting the men's room. I frantically look for my husband. For his open arms to hug me and tell me it's OK. To laugh with me. To offer words of comfort. He's walking away with his head to the side, staring at me out of the corner of his eye. He's smiling. He knows. He's laughing. At me. He's embarassed, too. Of me.

I catch up to him. "Why didn't you stop me?" I ask accusingly. "I didn't know. I wasn't sure where you went. I turned around and you were gone." He's telling the truth. Dang. There's nobody to blame but myself. And the airport designers for giving you the option of 2 entrances for each bathroom. And Verizon Wireless for even offering the option of texting in the first place.

I've done this once before, you know. At a McDonald's. I was pregnant at the time. (I don't know if that's really relevant but think people tend to cut you more breaks if your pregnant.) I walked in to see urinals on the wall. Understanding washed over my mind immediately. That time I was lucky. The restroom was vacant.

I look back on my airport experience now and can't figure out if it really happend in slow motion or if it's just my masochistic mind forcing me to remember it that way. Like I'm teaching myself a lesson or something. Like I'm telling myself to pay more attention. Like I'm sternly yelling to not let it happen again or it's only gonna get worse. Well, Self.... lesson learned.

What a harsh way to step back into reality. Whew.... I need a vacation!

Port of Call 3: Manzanillo

2009-03-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Manzanillo, Schmanzanillo.... that's all I have to say about that.

Just kidding. I'll say more.

The cruise director (who got my vote of "room for improvement" on the comment card) sort of, kind of, in-a-way hinted that Manzanillo could be boring. Yes, he told us that it was more of an industrial port. Yes he mentioned that we might get off the ship and say, "What are we doing here?" Yes he personally knocked on each of our doors and held the flare gun to our head until we signed up for a shore excursion. Oh wait... no.... he didn't do that. BUT HE SHOULD HAVE!!!

We had been quite smart to show ourselves around our 2 previous ports. Not only did we save ourselves a lot of money, we were able to squeeze in several activities in a day. If we would have booked an excursion through the ship we would have done and seen about 1/4th of what we actually did and saw on our own. So we figured that we would do the same in Manzanillo.

It didn't work out quite the same way. But we are resilient. When life hands you avacados, make guacamole!! (Or make a turkey sandwhich.... avacados are delicious with turkey!)

Manzanillo does not rely on tourist dollars to survive. This was a very refreshing thing. I felt better about myself in Manzanillo. I didn't feel like the same rude American who pretended to ignore the street ~~stalkers~~ vendors of Acapulco. I wasn't made to feel "taken" after giving the handi-capped Zihuatanejan a few dollars only to discover his electric wheelchair hidden behind a small palm a few yards away. (Just so you know, I would have still given him the money even if I saw the wheelchair first or if he had been sitting in it, even.) One of the first things I noticed while riding in our taxi was that the cars there were much newer, nicer, and cleaner.

Manzanillo clearly didn't need me there and I liked that.

We were in Manzanillo on a Saturday. We decided to walk around the town center and finish up some shopping since we hadn't found anything for the boys yet. I was expecting to endure some cheesy shops luring in all of the sunburned tourists with the same doo-dads the other ports offered. Of course they carried some of those nasty little items, only now printed with 'Manzanillo', and there were some people actually purchasing them but those things just weren't the typical offering here.

I liken Manzanillo to a miniature San Francisco. Minus the fishy smell.

I enjoyed walking shoulder to shoulder with the locals who were out participating in the universal sport of the female gender...... shopping. I tried to blend in as much as possible--I wonder if the camera hanging around my neck gave me away as a tourist rather than the transplanted gringa I was hoping to portray. Oh well.

I couldn't resist buying a bag of fresh "Gorditos"... small, smooth biscuits with a sugary dough. My taste buds had quite the party with these delicious little delights.

I also was able to use my very rusty, heavily American-accented Spanish more here than the other ports. That felt good. It made me want to sign up for Spanish classes again. What was my grandmother thinking for not teaching me her native tongue when I was a wee babe?

Here are the only pictures we took while in Manzanillo....

I hope the beginning of this post didn't give you the wrong idea. I enjoyed Manzanillo. All 3 of our ports were very enjoyable in very different ways.

But what I enjoyed the most about this trip was being with very cherished and treasured friends. I am awed at how we can pick right back up where we left off as if there was no time spent apart.

And what I enjoyed the very most was the reality that the honeymoon doesn't end.....even 11 years later. I fell in love over and over again with my boyfriend, my fiance, "my babies daddy", my best friend. I'm still crushin' on him after all these years. Thanks for an awesome, stress-free, fun, relaxing vacation, Babe. 1-4-3.

Port of Call 2: Zihuatanejo / Ixtapa

2009-03-06T00:59:00.000-08:00

The second port of call was my favorite. Where Acapulco was a tourist trap, Zihuatanejo seemed a little more laid back. Of course we were bombarded by taxi drivers vying for our American dollars and the outdoor market had plenty of Made in China trinkets desperately trying to pose as authentic keepsakes. But we kept our treasure hunting narrowed down to silver, turqoise, and hand-made animal toys & wallets. We are gringo tourists who just came off a cruise ship but we're not fresh off the boat if you know what I'm saying. Even cleverly named shops like this couldn't lure us in with their resin knick-knacks and mugs shaped like men's & women's anatomy (no joke!!)

La Sirena Gorda: The Fat Mermaid

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this. I asked the mother's permission, of course, and although she looked at me as if I was loco en la cabeza she agreed. I even thought of giving her money afterward but the mother in me decided that that would just feel wrong.

This is in the outdoor market. He is swinging suspended between a sales rack & a post that holds the ceiling (a tarp) up.

I noticed the many vivid colors of this quaint town. In Acapulco most buildings were white or a rosy mauve color but it seems that the Zihuatanejans are a bit more daring than the Acapulcoans in the color department. Either that or they just use whatever they can get their hands on. Hmmmm...I think I have some neighbors that are from Zihuatanejo...... that must explain why they painted their house turquoise!!!

I loved the streets of their "downtown". The colored paving stone adds to Zihuatanejo's charm. As do the green bug & yellow convertible, of course.

Notice the splashes of color on the building to the left? Who else could get away with that color combinataion? Only in Mexico, my friends.... only in Mexico. (BTW--my neighbor's house is not turquoise... but I think his mother's is.)

After finally tracking down a taxi driver (gratuitous sarcasm here, people...stick with me) we headed toward Ixtapa. Ixtapa is the neighboring city which is really a more tourist-y area. There are a few resorts but not many and a small shopping mall that looked a little too "American" for my taste. Somewhere along the drive, the road turns from stone, to dirty asphalt (in the inner-city), to clean cement (near the resorts.) While driving along the dirty asphalt phase of our journey I noticed a very clean, white brick building with a chain link fence around it. It stood out from the rest of the buildings nearby. It had a large satellite dish out front. I also noticed an outdoor basketball court. That's when I thought, "Hey. That looks like a church." A split second later my hunch was confirmed as I saw the sign La Iglesia de Jesu Cristo de los Santos de los ultimos dias. Eli, our unsuspecting taxi driver, agreed to stop by on the return trip. Poor guy didn't know what he was getting himself into.

In Ixtapa we took a small boat over to an island.

Rest and relaxation was the order of the day here. Restaurants wer located in the center of the island and you never had to get up from your beach chair for a thing. .

The "waiters" are very attentive. You want snorkel gear? They get it for you. You want drinks? Done. A Band-Aid? They try their best to find one. They see you messing with your broken lounge chair? A new one is hauled over right away. When the 4 of us were in the water snorkeling, swimming, floating, laughing, I noticed our waiter come to our umbrella and get our attention. He held up his thumbs asking us if all was well. He probably would have swam some chips and guacamole out to us if we asked for it. I was so relaxed that I actually allowed the jewlery vendor to lay his wares out so I could have a look-see. The "look-see" turned into a "buy-me". It was a win-win situation all around.

I saw these astonishlingly beautiful black crabs with red claws. Their appearance alone wasn't really what made them beautiful but also the way they seemed to skip quickly across the slippery rocks. I actually saw a crab flee from one fish just to get snatched off the side of the rock by a bigger fish.

I refused to enter the water until I knew it was free of those funky Corn-Backed Brown Trout I've heard of. Lydia and Eric are such great friends. See how they are both giving the hand signal that it is safe to enter the water? What brave souls. (heee-heeee-heeeee.....haaaa-haaaaa-haaaaa)

It was really easy to find the bathrooms.... this is a hard color to ignore!!

The Ixtapa shoreline.

Remember the church I mentioned?

Eli made good on his promise and we stopped by before heading back to the tender station in Zihuatanejo. The doors were unlocked and Lydia and I were thrilled to use a clean bathroom. It felt so good walking into this building. I felt "home" as I saw the familiar paintings on the walls and felt the spirit within. We talked to several senior missionaries and Eli even agreed to have the missionaries visit him on his day off... which happened to be Sunday!!

After leaving Eli asked if we knew the missionaries or if they were family. We explained that in our religion we deem each other as brothers & sisters even though we might, in essence, be complete strangers. It's funny how I was on a cruise ship with thousands of people but the closest I felt to the world I know was in this building talking to these 3 people I never before knew existed.

And I'm sad to say that we never got a picture of Eli. He graciously offered to be our photographer. Gracias, Eli!

This is a picture I had to take for my kids to see.

It's an elementary school. It really seemed out of place on the corner of this downtown street. The classrooms didn't have any doors and the floors were cement.

I thought back to my childhood and imagined what it would be like to attend a school like this. I realized that much of the equipment & supplies here would have been considered used, old, and worn even when I was in elementary school over 20 years ago. Us Americans are so spoiled. Nonetheless, the children all had smiling faces and boisterous giggles. Especially when the silly American lady started taking pictures of their school.

More colorful buildings & charming tiled streets.

I think it was along this alley that Brandon used the bottle opener in the sole of his shoe for the first time. A good portion of that bottled Coca Cola ended up splattered all over us but it made for a good laugh, good memories, and I think several of the locals got a good kick out of it, too.

Looks like there were some funky fish in that water after all.... and Brandon is the lucky angler who snagged the biggest catch of the day!

Looks like he also snagged the affections of this fellow ship-mate. He was in the "Harriest Chest Competition" on our first sea day. The conversation took a distubing twist when he invited Brandon to pull his chesty tresses.

Some people will do anything when their drunk. Now what's Brandon's excuse?

Port of Call 1: Acapulco

2009-03-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

In Acapulco we negotiated a price for a taxi driver to be at our beck and call all day. Surprisingly enough we were offered a nice, clean Suburban with a/c. First stop was the beach where Lydia and I parasailed. Then we we headed down the beach where we rented some jet skis.

All of this play had left us quite hungry. Brandon was ready to find some authentic $1 tacos but Senor Frogs seemed to offer up "safer" food. Not that we ever found out how "safe" that food was. The 25 minute wait we were quoted was proving to be much longer than that. Especially when the locals started showing up and being seated without even having to put their names on the list. So we politley asked our cabbie (subbie?) if he would take us somewhere local and yummy. He didn't let us down. El Zorrito was mucho delicious and the service was more than we expected.

After lunch we played Pollo. (Chicken) This is where silly, American tourists cross 4 lanes of Mexican traffic on foot....safely. Well, what's a trip to Mexico without a little adventure? And a trip to the pharmacy where you can stock up on frequently used medicines for mere pesos on the dollar? We felt much better on the return trip across the street as there were a few locals with sombreros, serrapis, and guitars crossing along with us. Safety in numbers, right?

Then we went shopping. Didn't buy anything. Got lost in the outdoor market. It was a lowlight. Let's move on.

Last stop? Cliff divers. The c-u-t-e-s-t little boy helped us out of our car and escorted us to the pay kiosk. He charmed us the whole entire way. He had soooo much charisma. We could not get over what a little businessman he was. He totally knew how to work it. The cliff divers were pretty cool. And I must say, I've never seen Speedos look so masculine. I was surprised at the varying ages of the cliff diving crazies. They put Spider Man to shame they way they scaled the rocky face of the cliffs, though. The pictures didn't turn out but if you ever find yourself in Acapulco this is a must see. These muchachos are insane. Aye que loco!!!!!

Sea Day Highlights

2009-02-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

We had 4 days at sea. 2 in the beginning of the week and 2 at the end. Here are some of the highlights while afloat on the boat....

1)Working out. This ship had a great gym. It's true that we only made it to the gym twice but we committed ourselves to stair usage the entire week. (These pictures were taken as proof for our personal trainers. And for our posterity when we get old and decrepit and are bedridden.)

2) Soaking up the sun on deck. I enjoyed myself despite the "granny bottoms" of my bathing suit. I almost didn't post this picture because of this but then I looked up in the right corner and saw what that guy is wearing...... cut off denim shorts (rolled-up) for heaven's sake. Somebody get this guy some board shorts.... and some self-respect!!!

As I lounged poolside I heard a little kid whining and pleading with his mom for something. I laid back and secretly enjoyed it because his cute little voice reminded me of my kids back at home and I was already missing them terribly. I was basking in this sound when surprisingly my husband leaned over and said.... "Ahhhh, music to my ears." Apparently he was enjoying it all just as much as I was.

3)Formal Nights. How often do you get to strut around in a formal gown on the arm of a hunk in a tuxedo? Many people find the formal nights of cruising a nuissance but we enjoy every last second of it.

4) Sushi. This ship had a sushi bar every night. We were pushed back to late dining so we were able to take advantage of the raw fish & seaweed being served when 5 o'clock rolled round. Brandon, Eric and Lydia enjoy sushi a little differently than I do, though. They like it this way:

I prefer this:

5) Not losing any money in the casino. Now whether it's because we didn't frequent the tables or because we just have mad gambling skills I will not say. You can make up your own mind and judge us accordingly.

6) Losing to Eric at Spades. This is the only card game any of us knew how to play. And I'm sure we played it incorrectly. But we still had fun. And we still lost just about every single hand to Eric. Beginner's Luck, Enrique. Don't expect us to go so easy on you next time.

7) A hot stone massage & rejuvenation facial that my sweet husband surprised me with.

8) Self-serve ice cream 24/7!!!! This is actually a highlight as well as a lowlight. It was a highlight at the time. It is now a lowlight since I have to work it all off of my booty.

9) Staying up until 5a.m.

10) Sleeping in until lunchtime.

11) Karaoke. Lydia sang "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse. Brandon crooned to the tune of "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam. And I couldn't help but join all of the women in the room while we shook our money-makers to "My Humps" by Fergie. (Eric has video footage of this which I have yet to see. Heaven help us.)

12) Mini-golf on the sun deck.

13)Playing cornhole with the Ellis'. I'll let Lydia explain that one. They're pro's at it now that they're Ohioans. (You've been Cornhole tagged, Lyd!!)

On sea days you didn't feel any pressure to get up early. You didn't have any fear of missing out on anything. You could speak English the entire day. You didn't have hands all up in your face begging for money, offering you "good price, today only". You could read without guilt. You could gorge yourself on buffet food (with delayed guilt.) It was great. But it's about time I move on to the ports of call.....

Bon Voyage!!

2009-02-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

2 weeks ago today was Valentine's Day. There were no roses. No chocolate. No romance. The only significant thing about that day was... spray tan. I was headed for the Mexican Riviera and I'd be darned if I was gonna board that ship lookin' like a "gringa". I wasn't dissapointed about the roses. I like Birds of Paradise better, anyway. And the chocolate and the romance? Well, let's just say that plenty of those things would be waiting for me on the cruise ship. (hee-hee) So spray tanning was the highlight of my love day. It was cold. It was sticky. It washed off after 3 days. It wasn't worth it.

2 days later we were on a flight to San Diego. Eager to meet the Ellis' for 8 fun-filled nights aboard the Carnival Spirit. After many texts, giggles, and my first ever American taxi ride, we met up with our dear friends at the cruise terminal.

I don't know if our ship had an official "Bon Voyage" party up on deck or not. We had just unpacked when the alarm went off telling us to "muster". So muster we did. Then we went to the Ellis' room to have a Bon Voyage party of our own. I'm pretty sure the husbands loved the photo shoot. It was probably the highlight of their day.

Adios, San Diego. See ya in ocho dias!

Love Week 2009 - Day 5

2009-02-13T22:58:00.000-08:00

I Love "Mommy Friends". This is what Reef calls my friends. Because we're all mommies. I was able to spend some fun time with my "Mommy Friends" this week. Let me introduce you to them and what I love about them. They share many of the same qualities. And some qualities are unique to them. But I just went off the cusp with the first thoughts that came to mind. And I knew I needed to keep it short. Because, really.... I could go on and on about these women who touch my life in so many ways.

In order of appearance during the week:

1) Melinda. She is the Service Queen. Always thinking of others. She is my sounding board. Always willing to listen and full of great advice. I have a blast with this girl. We think alike in many ways. We both love to play practical jokes on our kids & husbands. We are very "common sensical" but when we get silly we get very "non-sensical." She has a great laugh. She is strong, physically, spiritually, mentally. I love that Melinda appreciates the "real me" and doesn't judge me for all of my obvious imperfections. I love that Melinda thinks about me and calls or texts even during a busy day. It makes me feel special. Making time for friends in a hectic world is not always easy but Melinda makes the time and I love her for it.

2)Amy. (I'm sorry, friend... this is the only close-up picture I have of you.) Amy becomes a fast friend to anyone who meets her. She's just one of those people who is totally...approachable. She's sincere. She's understanding. I love this picture of her & my baby Reef during a camping trip to Trinity. I love that she let me in on the thoughts running through her mind as she bonded with my baby boy. I love that our sons are only 6 days apart and will be the best of friends. I love that Amy makes me feel like "family".

Amy has accomplished huge goals in the health & fitness area of her life and I am very proud of her for it.

3) Annette. This picture totally captures the Essence of Annette. She's a listener. She is very interested in what others have to say and gives you her full, undivided attention. It's been said that Annette is a "closet athlete". And it's true. She was my very first friend here in Hollister. We lived here less than a week and she & Loren called to invite us out on a double date. She loves babies. She's a total Martha Stewart only way, way better. She's like a human tornado but rather than roll through and make messes, she speeds around cleaning things up in mere seconds! I've seen it with my own eyes! She's amazing. She inspires me to be better.

4)Stefani. This is one talented chick! I could probably bring her the contents of my bathroom garbage & junk drawer and she would create something beautiful. Stef gives the best, most sincere hugs! I love that she encourages others to branch out and try new things. She could be the poster child for Bright Smile; her teeth are a beautiful, brilliant white. If you find yourself lacking confidence with something then just have a chat with Stef. You'll be ready to take on the world. She is the record keeper of the group. Many memories have been preserved because of her. Thanks, Stef!

5)Caroline. Doesn't the name alone sound... saintly? Because that's what Caroline is. A total saint. Brandon always said that Mother Theresa had a daughter -- and it's Caroline!! She has such a fun sense of humor. Sometimes she surprises me by saying something a little "un-saintly" and it only makes me love her all the more. And Caroline is handy! I bet she could build a house from the ground up if she tried. She is a total babe even without make-up. Don't believe me? This picture was taken after a gruelling 2 hour workout with her personal trainer!! And I'm sure she would disagree but I don't think the woman has ever raised her voice! EVER! She's just.....that.....sweet!

6) Erin. Spank me now, but I don't think I have a single picture of Erin. Pretend you're looking at a picture of unbearably beautiful blue-green eyes. There. That's Erin! Oh, and her hair looks super cute all funked out in a daring style. I think Erin shares my love for shoes. Not only does she own some cute pairs herself but her daughters have shoes that make me wish I had bound my feet (like in that old Chinese tradition) so that we could shoe swap. And if you're looking for stand-up comedy then Erin is your gal. I love listening to her speak. She can bring you from tears of laughter to tears of tenderness with her strong testimony all in the same sentence. And Erin is THE BEST visiting teacher EVER! I should know... I used to be her companion. She's also the artsy-fartsy type. She can do wonders with a piece of cardstock.

7)Marisa. She is the most mellow, laid-back, easy-going person you could ever meet. I love Marisa because she sits back and just lets people be themselves. I love that she has such a great sense of humor and can laugh at herself when she needs to.(That's something that used to be impossible for me to do. And we ALL need to laugh at ourselves once in a while) Marisa is just real. There is no pretense. She doesn't try to be anybody else but herself and I think that is very important. Marisa is very loyal which is a quality that I think is very important in a friend. And she let's me call her "Mud". And my kids call her "Auntie Mud". How can you not love that?

8)Deborah. I have much love for Deborah. We started hanging out a few summers back and it was just such a natural thing. We totally "got" eachother right away. We just clicked. Hanging out just came so easy. Deborah is always up for doing fun things. She is sensitive and caring and passionate. We have a lot of laughs together. She is extremely helpful. I love that I can speak my mind around Deborah and she still accepts and loves me as her friend. I really missed her this school year when summer ended and it became harder to get together. I felt an unmistakeable void in my life during that time. There is a certain ease and comfort in being her friend. We are each other's biggest fans when it comes to wakeboarding. We cheer eachother on and enjoy one another's successes. I love summers because it means a lot of Deborah time! Deborah is my kind of people.

9)Michele. AKA "Mishi". AKA my cousin & friend. I talked about Michele a bit in a recent post. Does it get any better than having your family as a friend and a friend as your family? I love that Michele and I think the same. We are so similiar in so many ways. I don't have to explain a lot of things to her. She just gets where I'm coming from. There is never a moment of silence when we're together. We always have something to talk about. She truly takes an interest in the life of my kids which I adore about her. We laugh a lot. We giggle a lot. I think that if Michele and I had grown up together we would have been the best of friends from a very young age. We met as adults but we still have become the best of friends and get to remain that way through our old age. I imagine us sitting in our rockers not only reminiscing but still giggling and still making new jokes and new memories. And still having humongous crushes on our hubbies. Michele's an angel. She has wings. (hint, hint. nudge, nudge. wink, wink.)

10)Jen. This woman is an amazing mom. She is so on the ball with her kids. She is also a good listener. She is very confident which I admire very much. Jen is very giving and selfless. This woman knows how to prioritize and put first things first. If there was ever to be a female Eagle Scout then it would be Jen. She's always so prepared. She is very sweet and very mellow. I think she has a calming effect on people. There is a very motherly feel to her that just makes you feel comfortable and safe. Jen is very firm and steadfast in her beliefs. She is a very classy lady and I am happy to have met her and be able to count her as a friend I love.

11)Ronny Jean. Ronny...is....fun!!! And I miss her dearly. She is so crazy and off the wall but in a very good way. Ronny and I also became friends very quickly. I love how Ronny let me take care of her when she needed it and that she took care of me when I needed it. She has moved to the other end of the nation but we still keep in touch. I can still hear Ronny's laugh. Ronny just kept it real and wasn't afraid to try new things or new styles. She is a very touchy-feely person which I love. I was never afraid to show any emotion around her. I wasn't afraid to act goofy and immature around her, either. Ronny was so great about finding others who needed a friend and welcoming them into her circle of friends. Ronny is a social butterfly.

And last but certainly, definitely, never, ever ,EVER least is

12)Lydia. OK. I'm starting to cry just thinking about her. Lydia is my "sister from another mister". I love this lady. She is so wise. She has such a down-to-earth, real, and very raw way of looking at things. She just says it the way it is with no apologies because she is not offensive in any way. She's not at all afraid to speak up and say what she's thinking. She is very, very loyal and I know she's got my back at all times and in all situations. I have never had to be anybody but myself with her. I can trust her with anything. I love that our friendship has grown nothing but stronger even though she keeps moving farther and farther away from me. (Would you stop doing that? Please?) She is beautifully exotic with a larger than life smile and fabulous cat-like eyes. I've always loved her eyes. (Her son Calvin has the exact same eyes as her.) I feel like she just looks right into my soul and understands everything about me.... even the things I try to hide..... and she loves me anyway. I love her sense of humor. We have lots of laughs together. She is certainly a kindred spirit. I love her and am so ecstatic that I will be spending a whole week with her in just a few short days! Lydia is my sister at heart.

I told you yesterday that this would be a long post. If you're still reading then thanks for enduring. I hope you have had fun meeting these awesome women that I love. There are many others who I did not mention here. It does not mean I love them any less. Especially the women in my family. And I have an idea for them. For a future post. It will be worth the wait, guys. I love you. Thanks for Love Week, D-Dawg. What a great tradition.

Love Week 2009 - Day 4

2009-02-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

1) I love engrish.com If you ever need a good laugh then I highly suggest you go to this site. Browse around a bit. It is full of "engrish". If you don't know what that is then, once again, visit the site. Just don't hold me accountable for anything you find offensive. I'm assuming we're all mature adults here. Don't like what you see on the site? Read on. Move on. Log off. Whatever. Just don't judge me for my appreciation for this type of humor.

2) I love the way my family treats me on my birthday. I woke up this morning to my mom calling me on the phone and sharing some precious memories of the day I was born. She also sent me a beautifully written e-mail. Then my kids dog-piled me in bed & sang "Happy Birthday". We cuddled in bed, laughed, and made the snap decision to keep them home from school today. Easily justified since it was early day and we're going out of town in 3 days. I received many other phone calls throughout the day from family & treasured friends. Brandon & the kids took me to breakfast. I received a flower delivery from my dad. I blogged with no guilt. I got my hair done. Beau wrote me a letter. I l-o-v-e-d today!!

3) New hair cuts. I love the way I feel when walking out of the salon with a good cut. It's refreshing. I also love it when my husband loves it. It took him a few hours but I think he's gotten used to it. Change is good. And man, was I ready for a change!

This isn't the best picture of my new do. It's not as black as it looks. You can't really see all of the textured, choppy pieces with the dark color and artificial lighting. (& it doesn't help that I'm not wearing make-up, either) But it had the fresh-from-salon look that I can never duplicate. Jenn Riggs @ Attitudes & Images is the bomb! Give her a call and tell her that Tiffiny, her "gym friend" sent you.

4) I love finding my kids in the strangest of places. Like in the fruit bowl for instance.....

5) I love my bright kitchen. I was afraid that putting this coral color on this one wall would look a bit juvenile but I did it anyway. Hey, if you're going to paint your wall then paint your wall!! I love bold colors. And I love how cheery & happy my kitchen is when it's nice & clean. And I also love that I was able to find my Kitchen-Aid in such a fun color. This is quite possibly one of my favorite rooms to buy accessories for.

6) I love my husband's comment when he walked into the office just now:

"What are you doing? You can't do 2 blog posts in one day!"

And I love that I could comment with:

"Yes I can. It's my birthday."

And I loved that he agreed.

So just 2 more days of Love Week left. Tomorrow is the day that I'm looking forward to the most. It might be a long one but don't be surprised if you find yourself as one of the things I love.

Much random ado about nothing......

2009-02-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

I'm interrupting Love Week 2009 for this one post. Because it's my birthday. So I can. And I have no guilt wasting away the past few hours on-line even though I have laundry to fold, a kitchen to clean, and a trip to pack for. Because it's my birthday. So I'm freed from those obligations. Right? But I would feel guilty and unproductive if I spent all of this time at the computer and didn't post anything (and I'm not ready to post for Love Week, yet.) So here I am. And guess what today is? It's my birthday. So I'm allowed to give in to to selfish indulgences simply because they make me happy. At least this one time a year, anyway. Oops, I'm forgetting Mother's Day. OK that gives me another wasteful day to look forward to! And my 1/2 birthday which is in exactly 6 months. So 3 wasteful days. But I like even numbers so let's use Groundhog Day, too... Oops... I missed that one. I'll make it up on Arbor Day.
So now that I've rambled on and on about nothing (which I am allowed to do because it's my birthday, mind you) I will share my thoughts with you. And I have some things to get off of my chest.
I'm wierd. Some of you know this. Some of you don't. And if you don't believe me then here's some proof. I "air-type". I'ts kind of like air guitar but I am very subtle and incognito about it. You see, I have this invisible keyboard (in my mind) and when I hear people talk, or when I listen to songs or watch a movie, I type the words. Not always. But often enough to be concerned for myself. I even "backspace" if I know I spelled incorrectly or didn't capitaize or punctuate appropriately. I started this crazy, borderline OCD habit when first learning to type in 5th grade. It helped me learn the key placement on the keyboard but I have not been able to kick this annoying habit. Not that I've really tried. It's been going on for about 12 years now. So if you see a slight tapping of my fingers just know that it's not because I'm bored with our conversation. It's just because I'm weird.
I also memorize license plates. I started doing this (accidentally) because there were so many gold Hondas and white Expeditions and silver Durangos on the road that I never knew if it was one of my friends until it was too late to wave. My friend Caroline does this, too but she's super sweet & drop-dead gorgeous so she can get away with it. I'm not calling her wierd, though. Only myself. (And since it's my birthday I can excuse anyone I want from being classified as weird.)
I killed a bee today. Just for fun. It landed on my windshield. I turned on my window cleaner and swiped it to death. Now I'm guilty. I'll never eat honey again.
Then I parked in a handi-capable stall for about 20 seconds while I checked my mail. I hope the local law enforcement is not scanning the web for confessions. It would stink to be arrested for such a heinous charge on your birthday.
So that's it. I feel lighter somehow. And I guess I'll go be productive. Because it's my birthday. And I can be productive if I want to.

Love Week 2009

2009-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

2 minutes ago, I decided to follow along with my friend D-Dawg and do "Love Week" to celebrate Valentine's Day. Don't think of me as shallow for some of the following "loves". They're just things I love right now in this current stage of life that I thought would be fun to document. And I will get more sentimental as the week ends. Trust me.

Follow the link for her instructions if you want to join in. It's not too late!! Love is in the air!!!

1) Jillian Michaels is my homegirl. She doesn't know it. But I do. And that's enough for me. I'm following one of her fitness regimens and let me tell ya..... it's gruelling. She kicks my butt and I like it! It's torturous in an oddly pleasing way. And I'm seeing results which I also like. Oh, yes..... Tiffy like. Tiffy likey fo' sho'!

2)Family night. Especially the ones when these two peeps roll out to my 'hood. It's my FIL & MIL. Some people think of their in-laws coming to visit and their gut begins to twist & turn and they break into cold sweats. Not me. Oh no.... NOT ME! I think of my hubby's parents and get warm fuzzies. They come to our house every few months for Family Night. They bring a lesson, some games, and dessert. And all I have to do is feed them! How sweet is that? I love them so much it's not even legal. Well, it actually is legal.... it's just not the norm, I guess.

3)Sleeping in. But this is only a recent love. In fact it's probably not even a love. I think me and my snooze button are just having a meaningless fling. I'm usually bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning. But lately I've been finding it really hard to roll out of bed when my alarm goes off. It could be the cold weather. Or the fact that I haven't been falling asleep until well after 1 a.m. But I think it's just a phase. And my husband has been quite accomodating and understanding about it all. I know I could be getting so much done if was "early to bed, early to rise". And I've heard all about the early bird getting the worm. But has anybody ever thought about the early worm? Just think how that poor worms fate would have been different if it only pushed the snooze button a couple of times.

4) Playing dress up. Oh no... a girl is never too old for that. As we age we just go about it differently. My preferred way to play? Going on a cruise. And guess what... even Disneyland Daddy plays along! He looks quite handsome and dapper in his tuxedo. Here are my two favorite "dress-ups". And I'll be wearing them both next week. Can't wait!!!

5) The honesty of my children even when it can be quite incriminating. Tonight the kids were writing out their valentines. Mercedes went about it very quietly and with no help needed. Beau didn't really need help but he did want my opinion;

Beau: "Mom, who do you think I should give the biggest Valentine to?

Me: "O, I don't know. Who do you want to give it to?"

Beau: "I think I'll give it to my very bestest friend."

Me: "That's a good idea. Who is your very bestest friend?"

Beau: "Uuummmmm... my very bestest friend would be...... Bodie."

Me; "I thought you would say that. So why is he your very bestest friend? Is it because he's nice and you guys get along or is it because he has the same name as our dog?"

Beau: "Well.... it's because he's nice. And even though he tattles on me sometimes I still like him."

6)This show. I don't know what it is. Dog and Beth are just cool. They keep it real. They're little boy sports a mullet for heavens sake. Does it get more real than that? I just like them. For no good reason. The end.

7) Shopping with my husband. I'm not kidding. He is my most favorite person to shop with. He's kind of like a girlfriend in that way. And I mean that as a compliment.

So that's it. Sorry for so many loves on my first Love Week post but now I feel caught up. And isn't that what we all want out of life? Oh, and chocolate. I had that love today, too. Ooops. Sorry Jillian.

2009-02-09T21:10:00.001-08:00

I am definitely strong-willed, stubborn, determined, tenacious, confident, and daring. But this kid is all of those things times 10!

He received a bike from Santa this year. And Santa was a little bit concerned about a pedal of that bike not rotating quite the way it should. Santa was quite worried and even lost sleep over the issue. How would this little guy learn to ride this bike if the pedal stayed stuck in one position? How would he advance in his bike riding skills in time to be ready to remove the training wheels shortly before entering kindergarten.

Well, Santa can sleep easy now. This kid couldn't wait until just before kindergarten. 2 weeks after Santa's delivery Reef started begging Daddy to remove those trainling wheels. His desire to do all the same things his older siblings do would not allow him to wait. He wanted them off and he wanted them off NOW! So Daddy removed those wheels (against Mommy's better judgement) and worked with that strong-willed, stubborn, determined, tenacious, confident, and daring 3 year old. 1 hour later, ill-functioning pedal notwithstanding, he was cruising around on 2 wheels.

What a big boy!! Now if I could just get him to stop eatting his boogers....................

Manly Men

2009-02-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

This is what I saw when I walked through the living room tonight.

Brandon and his BFF Troy. OK, so it's totally lame to call these guys BFF's but what else do you call somebody that you've been friends with for 20 years, whose houses you used to walk into without knocking, who you've served as the Best Man at each other's weddings, whose daughters are also BFF's, and who you can communicate with without uttering a single word?

Don't let their cozy position on the loveseat fool you. They're actually doing something very, very viril and masculine.

They are watching a UFC fight. Does it get any manlier than that? Yes, I know that UFC is chock full of men in spandex hot pants rolling around on a rubber mat together but trust me.... it's just for sport. And although I just heard Troy say, "Man. He's looking pretty soft. I wonder if he quit working out", I know he only said it because he can appreciate the hard core shape that these athletes are expected to be in when they get in that octagon cage.

As I continued snapping pictures of them they continued to sit there. Not moving a muscle. Not changing position one iota. Well, they did move enough face muscles to laugh at me. Ha! As if I'm the one in a position to be laughed at! Yes, I can see how my standing behind a camera is way more humorous than finding two men sitting close on a loveseat, in a darkened room, one with an arm around the other. And when Brandon fecitiously said, "What are you gonna do, go put this up on your blog???" I thought, "What a delightful idea." So thanks guys. I was looking for something I could blog about.

And thanks for being such good sports!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

A SUPER Weekend

2009-02-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is going to be way out of character for me. I don't know... dare I say it? At the risk of sounding grown up and responsible I will say it. I think we had way too much fun this weekend.

What? Who said that? What has gotten into me? I'm so ashamed....

This weekend exhausted me. But it was a lot of fun.

Brandon & Beau left for a friend's cabin Thursday night for a fun "guys only" ski trip. Beau ripped it up on his skis and Brandon had fun on his super slider snow skates (thus dubbed by Bradley Meyer; friend and fellow skier). To be fair, I took Mercedes & Reef to a movie Friday with some friends. Then it was a girls night out. No husbands. No brothers. Just us moms & daughters doing what we do best. Shopping. Talking. Eatting.

Then Melinda hatched a plan to "Heart Attack" a couple of girls from church. (I cursed myself all night long for not thinking to bring the camera.) We got home very, very late. So late, in fact, that I'm sure my ski bums were a tiny bit disappointed that we weren't here to welcome them home. So late that it was actually.... tomorrow.

Saturday morning we set off to San Jose to see this Super cool kid get baptized.

Noah Michael Sowards

Ben & Michele Sowards. Noah's parents....

..... and 2 of our most favorite people EVER.

Noah is our 2nd cousin. But I don't really like to think of him that way. That seems so...distant. You see, Ben & Brandon are first cousins. They're also great friends and favorite surfing buddies. So it's only natural that Michele and I have become very close over the past decade. We have many, many memories with these guys. Many, many inside jokes. And many, many similarities. Their family has just moved back to the Bay Area from Southern California and I can't tell you how thrilled we are to have them back home. We are "Uncle B" and "Aunt Tiff" to Noah & his siblings. Our kids call his parents "Uncle Ben" and "Aunt Mishi". That's just the way we roll here at "Team Cuz".

It was very hard to pull ourselves away from the fun festivities and great company. But we had a surprise for the kids. We were on our way to AT&T Park in San Francisco to watch Supercross. The kids were stoked when we told them. You might think they're too young to follow the dirtbiking circuit but then you've never caught my boys outside playing "dirtbike". They call eachother the names of the pro racers. They attempt wheelies on their bikes. They pull off pretend jumps and stage fake crashes. They eat this stuff up. It was so fun to watch them wide-eyed as their favorites were introduced amongst an awesome fireworks & laser show. Mercedes screamed at each introduction as if she were at some tweeny rock concert. We fed them ballpark classics like hot dogs, churros, french fries, soda, and cotton candy. But all of the yummy grub was an easily forgotten sidenote to actually being in the same stadium as these racers who now rank up there with Super heroes. Watching my childrens faces full of wonderment, excitement, and awe made the trip out there and the money spent on tickets soooo worth it. Beau leaned over to me once the 2-Stroke exhaust had billowed up to our seats and said, "Aaaaahhhhh, that smells goooooooood."Well... that was almost more rewarding than the Main Event for me. (Have I ever told you how much I love that smell? He's a boy after my own heart.) I also marveled at how a sea of people from all different walks of life respectfully stood, removed hats, and placed hands over hearts as the Air Force marched in with the American Flag and the National Anthem was sung. You won't find that at a PETA convention! (Or in most schools these days come to think of it.) So we had a blast that night and were in such a state of euphoria (or maybe we were just intoxicated from all of the exhaust) that it didn't even bother us to sit, parked on the pier, for over an hour before finally being able to wiggle our way out of the parking lot.

We returned home late that night. Or early Sunday morning. Take your pick. I have no shame in telling you that we slept in until *gasp* 11am. We were super tired. After church it was back to Ben & Mishi's for a Superbowl party. And a super funny 1 hour episode of The Office. ("Stanley was attacked by his own heart." Hilarious.) We returned home late, once again but it was all worth it.

So now you see how we've had too much fun this past weekend. This is why my kids' have been fed Mac n Cheese, Ravioli's, and eggs & toast for dinners this week. This is why I was in my PJ's before 7 pm on Monday night and fast asleep by 9. This is why there was a mountain of dishes in the kitchen sink until about 45 minutes ago. But it's just what we do. We are a family that works hard& plays hard. And I can't think of better playmates to make these super memories with.

2009-01-29T15:39:00.001-08:00

Remember this show?

Remember this car from this show?

Well, look at what I've got parked in front of my house.....

Brandon obtained this car several years ago from a client we did a job for. He was ecstatic over this gold-toned Beamer. It would be the perfect transportation to and from the beach. It would be fun for Brandon to have a little car to add to his collection of big trucks and work equipment. And it has been. But I don't like it very much and I'm not sure why.

It could be that the electric windows only work when they want to. And the sun roof has a mind of it's own, too. This car doesn't have A/C either so it's a total sweat box in the summer. And it's an ice box in the winter. Not because the heater doesn't work because it does. But when you use the heater some kind of lubricant leaks from a hose onto the top of your right foot. I've forgotten about this three times. Once while wearing flip-flops, another time when wearing open-toed high heels, and again when wearing a pair of not-so-cheap Uggs. (& for those of you who know me.... mess with my shoes and we've got big problems. Comprende?) It's only got 4 seats so it's not even large enough to fit my family. It has 2 doors and I'm a 4 door kind of a gal. It seems to repel certain care that we give it like fixing headlamps and windshield wipers. It's zippy and sometimes I feel cool driving a stick again. But then I realize that I look "1985 cool" which is not really that cool at all. I like that it's good on gas and that it has a trunk but that doesn't make up for the fact that it sometimes poses as our date car!! That's right. It's a surf wagon by day but Moonlights as a date car by night. But I don't complain (until now). If shoes are my first love then date nights are a close second. And oh, what cute shoes I can wear out on those date nights....

My sweet, understanding, deal-lover of a husband is very sensitive to my dislike of this car. There have been a few times when there has been no other option but for me to drive it. The farthest I've ever had to drive it has been to San Jose (about 50 miles) but you would think I was heading off on the Oregon Trail the way Brandon hovers and frets over me. "Now are you sure you're OK driving this? Do you have your iPod? Do you have something to drink? I vacuumed it out for you. Your favorite CD is in the player. When you get home I'll give you a 3 hour massage and feed you chocolates. You're awesome, babe. I love ya." Then he stands on the sidewalk and waves until I'm out of sight.

And you know what? I love him, too. I happen to think he is quite awesome as well. So as long as he is OK with this ghetto-mobile I guess there's no reason why I shouldn't be. And he doesn't really give me 3 hour massages and feed me chocolates. I'll have work that angle the next time I'm forced to drive it........

Tiffiny needs...

2009-01-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Stef for getting me out of my blogging funk. I've been needing a reason to blog. I've been jonesin' for a blog post idea. I've had bloggers block. Somebody stop me....
This is a lot of fun. Go to your preferred search engine, type in your name then "needs". (I couldn't find anything under Tiffiny Needs... apparently all of the other Tiffiny's in the world don't need anything because google asked me, "Did you mean tiffany needs ?") That's OK. I'm used to the spelling controversy of my name. And I went for 10 items because number 9 was just way too funny. You'll see. -Anyhoozer- this is what I need.

1) bigger breasts
2) love & support
3) to pray
4) to be stopped
5)a dreamhouse
6) a job
7) new gold hoops
8) a cough drop
9) the crapper (see.... funny, right?)
10) to attract a job

I had so much fun reading the needs of Stef's husband that I thought I would see what my husband's needs are, too.....

Brandon needs,
1) to suffer severe bodily harm
2) a band
3) to learn "The Kimbo"
4) a vacation from his vacation
5) help
6) a home
7) a sponsor
8) prayers again (again?)
9) friends' videos (yes, we do. Still waiting on the cruise video.... BRAD!!)
10) love

So for anyone out there feeling like you need something but just can't put your finger on it.... you now know what to do.

January 1st. 2009!!!

2009-01-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

(Can anyone tell me why my pics are nice and neat while creating my post but never line up correctly upon publishing?)

Sing to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies:

"This is what we did on the first day of the year.

We scrounged thru the garage 'til everybody had some gear.

Gettin' dirty's what we wanna do, for sure

So we loaded up the truck and drove to Hollister.

Hills that is.

Greasy tools. Dirtbike scars.

The Hollister Hillbillies!!!

(Now wasn't that fun?) So I took 134 pictures of our fun day up in the dirt. No worries. I'm not posting them all. Just a few of my favorites. BTW- above picture is NOT a favorite. I just thought it was a good "hillbilly" picture. And that's not me, either. It's just an innocent victim of my trigger happy shutter finger.

Can you see the determination in this kid? You know what else I see? Future broken bones. But I won't worry too much about those as long as Cal-Star is still around.

Cal-Star is the helicopter company that will come up to Hollister Hills and fly you out of there in the case of broken bones, spinal injuries, etc. We entered a race that was a fundraiser for their Cal-Kids program. They brought a chopper in

and let the kids climb inside. It's not unusual for them to fly up to the Hills 5 times in a Saturday to pick someone up. Mostly for broken legs. Let's just hope this is the only time these kids have to see the inside of one of these. Unless they're a Cal-Star employee someday. That would be cool.

Another great hillbilly picture.

Back to the tune....

"Well now it's time to say good-bye to me and all my kin.

I'd really like to thank you folk for kindly droppin' in.

You're all invited back again to this locality

To have a heapin' helpin' of my hospitality.

'Blogspitality' that is. Set a spell. Take yer shoes off.

Ya'll come back now, y'hear?"

It's really nothing to blog about....

2009-01-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

... but I'm going to anyway. Because I think it's funny. Not roll on the floor, gut-busting laughter funny. It's a different kind of funny. In fact maybe funny is not the word for it. Surprising? Confusing? What the...? Questionable? I don't know.... I can't think of the word. If you think of the perfect word when it's all over then please, share it.
So there was an Eagle Court of Honor a few weeks back. Brandon is the Priest Advisor and planned on attending. During a conversation with a fellow member of our church Brandon mentioned that he was an Eagle Scout. (Church member will be know as Bro. X) Bro. X. could not believe it. He would not believe it. In fact I think he darn near had Brandon talked out of believing it himself! The conversation went something like this;
Bro. X. : "You're an Eagle Scout?"
Brandon : "Yep, I sure am." (Proudly)
Bro. X. : "NNNOOOOO.....Really? (eyebrows raised)
Brandon: "Yes, really." (Chuckling)
Bro. X. : "Are you really? You're not kidding?" (doubtful laughter)
Brandon : "I'm not kidding. I AM an Eagle Scout, Bro. X." (humoring him at this point)

So when Brandon told me about this I, for lack of a better word, thought it was "funny".

Me : "You know what just happened to you, don't you?"
Brandon : "No, what?"
Me : "You've just been spiritually profiled"

At that we both tilted our heads back in boisterous laughter. We saw the humor in it. And we're not offended. In fact, "spiritually profiled" has become a favorite saying of ours. We told our cousin in San Jose about it and he laughed, too. He's decided he's got dibbs on the phrase in the San Jose area and anything south of SJ is ours. (But we never said anything about the World Wide Web. Sorry, Ben... Cyber Space now belongs to us.)
I named our band on Guitar Hero "Spirichlee Profiled" as a tribute to our new favorite term. Our logo is quite fitting... a microphone with wings & a halo. (And as a side note: for those of you who read my post about Disneyland Daddy...and didn't play along with my tag, you Hum-Bugs...... my GH rocker is named "Carnie Mom".)

So we can laugh about it. We'll still go to church on Sunday. We still like Bro. X. But I can't help but wonder.... why the shock & awe? Is it because our boys occasionally attend church donning mohawks & wearing Vans? Is it because Brandon sometimes sports a mildly rebellious "soul patch" under his bottom lip? Is it because we didn't meet and court at BYU? Is it because Brandon is a surfer and our family loves any kind of extreme sports?

I don't know what it is but I'll let you in on a little secret. Brandon is also a seminary graduate!! (but, SSSHHHH don't tell Bro. X. It might be more than he can handle.)