Merry Christmas!

I clearly haven't gotten out a Christmas card this year, but here are a few pics of my kids on Christmas Eve. Don't give up on me yet...maybe you'll get a New Years letter, or a Martin Luther King , Jr. greeting...who knows!

Jacob, 9

Jackson, 7

Bitsy, 5

Abby, 3

Katie, 1

Abby in charge...

If you know me, you know that I laugh. A LOT! So I found this conversation hilarious...you may not.

Abby: rummaging in the pantry...presumably for marshmallows.
Me: Abby, get out of the cupboard.
Abby: I need to get marshmallows for Bitsy. (yeah right!)
Me: Right now Abby.
Abby: Soon Mom. Soon I will get out.

Did I mention she is 2? Well, I suppose she will be 3 next week, but still! She thinks she owns the place!

I am officially dated...

Bits and I were just talking about books. I mentioned that sometimes I listen to books on the radio, with a CD or tape. Bitsy responded, "Tapes? What are tapes?" Whoa. Are we really THAT old? And by "we" I mean "me," of course. Next time I'll bring up 8 tracks or vinyl and REALLY get her head spinning! No pun intended, hehehe.

Happy Halloween, and other stuff...

OK, mostly other stuff. All right, this post has nothing to do with Halloween! Stop badgering me already!

So, to go along with my last post, I thought you all might be interested in this. John Kline is a congressman from Minnesota who has made a commitment to avoid earmarks in legislative bills. He hasn't accepted one in 2 years! I think he is exactly the kind of guy we need to support. There is a petition to support his call to reform the earmark system and STOP THE PORK!

Hold the phone!

I just found out that one of my very favorite people to talk politics with had me ALL wrong! And if Jeff had me all wrong, maybe others do too! Yikes! So, to clarify, I am indeed a card carrying Republican, but I absolutely DO NOT agree with much of what Republican politicians DO. All this time Jeff thought that I was just a 100% party girl who loved all things Republican and followed it completely. What kind of an idiot did he think I was?!?! No. I am a Republican because I believe in the core principles of the platform. I am involved in the party because that is the only way I have any hope of finding politicians who might actually adhere to those principles. I'm not sure if you know how this works, but if you are involved in the party you actually get to choose which Republican is going to run in the general election. That is where the real choice lies...between those candidates that are differing on the details, not the over arching principles. The general election usually gives us 2 different candidates (yes, I know there are additional fringe candidates) who are so different ideologically that I don't need to evaluate the finer points.

So, do I love John McCain? No. He was the last person on my list of candidates that I liked. Will I vote for him? Yes. I'll vote for him because I have a better shot at him doing things I'll approve of some of the time. Probably not much with McCain, but certainly even less with Obama. Feel free to stop reading here, but I'm in the mood, so I'll keep writing. On to some of my views...

Let me tell you why I'm Republican. I vote based on very few core principles. I am fiscally conservative and I believe in small government. I am socially conservative, but I'll vote for a fiscal conservative over a social conservative almost always. It would sure be nice if we had one of those on the table right about now!

Along with small government, it logically follows that I am a federalist. If an issue can be decided by the states, it should be. Better yet, if an issue can be decided by individual municipalities, it should be. Even better than that, if an issue can be decided by individual families, it should be.

Some specifics, or random thoughts. Education. This is near and dear to me. Someone, who shall remain nameless, made a comment to me today that one of the reasons they are a Dem is that Dems are pro education...meaning Republicans aren't. Well now that is just silly. Dems are willing to SPEND more on education, but that is the only solution I have heard from that side of the isle. Now, don't be hasty, the Republicans are doing a pretty poor job with the solutions they are coming up with. NCLB, joke. Vouchers, never work. HOWEVER, they are trying to be innovative and come up with different solutions. Rather than, to coin a phrase, giving us more of the same. Oh wait, did somebody already coin that phrase? By the way, when you go to Nauvoo, they teach you the origin of the phrase 'to coin a phrase.'

Taxes. I can support politicians raising my taxes...as long as they cut 75% of the spending that is currently going on. All right 75% is a figure I just pulled from my backside, so please don't leave me a comment with specific figures and statistics on why that wouldn't work. Just stop spending my money on crap! And don't redistribute my wealth...I actually already do that on my own!

OK, I could go on, but I need to go to bed. The kids are already asleep and Jon's already there...ooh la la. Wink, wink.

So funny...

Elizabeth was just telling me why her ear hurts. It went something like this.

Bits: It happened when I fell down and hurt my self.
Me: When you scraped your wrist?
Bits: No, when I hurt my leg. You know, when I got a scrape and then a band aid was on and it then Jesus was by me and put new skin on it?

She cracks me up. Trust me, this all has nothing to do with the current hurting ear. And I wish Jesus would come put some new skin on me...like switching out all the crazy, post 5 babies, post 2 surgeries yucky stuff on my tummy!

A little inspiration...

I'd like to introduce you to my friends, cjane and NieNie. In truth, they are known to me only through the world of blogging (thank you Lindsey!), but I feel like I know them intimately. And you should too. Stephanie is a long time blogger who was in a plane crash this summer with her husband. The flight instructor that was with them died, while Stephanie and her husband survived with extensive injuries. Courtney is one of her sisters, who has taken over where Stephanie left off. These women have a remarkable understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their roles within it. They so clearly embrace it and exemplify it. But don't let that scare you if you aren't too "churchy." We all have lessons to learn from them on love, compassion, nurturing, passion, and so much more. I hope you'll check out their blogs and tell me that you come to love them as much as I do.

9-11

As I have spent much of the day a little teary listening to discussion and memories of 9-11, I thought I would share what that day was like for me and my feelings about all of this. I believe it was a Tuesday (right?). It was a beautiful sunny day and Jon was playing hookie from work (one of the only times in our entire marriage). I was indulging and watching a little T.V. in the morning, something unusual that I rarely did, when the station turned to fuzz. I started flipping and was only able to get reception on one channel...the one station that had it's antenna on the top of the Empire State Building instead of the World Trade Center. Did I mention that we were living in NJ then? So, we knew immediately what was going on...literally minutes, maybe seconds after it happened. The next few hours were a blur.

Our first order of business was to track down Jon's dad. We had dropped him off that morning for a flight out of Newark. You can imagine that we were somewhat frantic to find out what flights were involved in the terrorism. He was in the air, and his plane was rerouted to St. Louis if I remember correctly. Luckily he has spent his entire adult life traveling and immediately booked the train to SLC before it was full. I believe he still spent a night or two. Incidentally, shortly after his train left SLC, it wrecked.

We spent the rest of the morning tracking down our friends who we knew might be in harms way. This was a lot of people. Fortunately, all the people who would have been in the immediate vicinity of the towers were not there that day for various reasons. I like to think the Lord was watching over them. We have several friends who spent hours trying to find a way out of the city, and back home, as all the tunnels and bridges were being closed. We had several friends in the Navy stationed at the Naval Weapons Station, Earle. Greg's ship was in the harbor immediately.

We watched the first tower fall and cried. Our friend Billy was watching from the roof of his office building a few miles away from us and he threw up. So went the rest of the day. Watching news, crying, talking to people, etc. Jon called the Red Cross to volunteer to go into the city as a nurse (they never needed him). I know we spent much of the day waiting for news on survivors. We lived close enough to the city that the OR where Jon worked was shut down to all non-emergency surgeries to keep the space open for those injured. None ever came that far.

That evening a friend stopped by. He happened to be the Stake Executive Secretary at the time. For those of you who don't know what that means...he was the secretary to our local church Stake President. The Stake President is responsible for overseeing about 10 wards, so a couple of thousand people. At any rate, he told us the EVERY member of our stake had been accounted for. This was a REMARKABLE thing! We lived in an area where a LOT of people worked in the city. A LOT of people had the potential of being directly in harm's way. I gained a testimony that day of the order of the Church. The organization of the Church is set up to insure that EVERY member is taken care of, and it certainly happened that day.

I'm sure there were more tragedies and more triumphs that day, but these are the things that I remember. 9-11 is absolutely vivid in my memory. I won't get into the ramifications of that day here, as I know we can all agree that that day was horrific and changed our country forever. I'll just say that I am grateful to all those who choose to serve our country, to protect it and keep us free.

Out of the doldrums...

What could take me out of the doldrums of blogging? Sarah Palin, of course!

My favorite quote? "The difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom? Lipstick."

I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!! Who the heck heard of Sarah Palin before Friday morning??? Now I think I have died and gone to Heaven. Oh My goodness!!! I am so fired up as I sit here listening to her speech at the RNC. I don't know that she was the most qualified choice McCain could have made, but she was an absolute stroke of genius. First of all, she just leveled the playing field for those fence sitters looking for a historic election. Second, for those of us who choose to be involved in the republican party, we FINALLY got ourselves a conservative on the ticket! Third, she is the girl next door. She comes from a real family who works hard. They don't come from Ivy League schools. They are people from small town America. Fourth, this woman can speak. Have you heard her??? She is fabulous. Fifth, just thought of another one, she actually wears a skirt instead of a pant suit. Thank you for being a woman Sarah Palin!!!

I love my Country. I take pride in the fact that I choose to be involed in choosing our leaders. John McCain was not my first choice for the endorsment of the republican party. He stands taller in my eyes by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Clarifications

Abby (2) just cleared things up for me. I'm a girl. Jon's a buddy. Now she keeps calling me "mommy girl". Better yet, she keeps referring to Jon as "Daddy buddy girl." did I mention that I laugh a lot?

All manner of good things...

Apparently sitting on my butt for a week really brings out the blogger in me! But I digress.

I just have one thing to say. A day without laughter is like a day without chocolate. Why? Why would you ever have either one???? Even though yesterdays laughter was paid for with some extra percocet last night, it was worth every moment. And even though I will pay for the Call chocolate cake with an extra month of running later, you better believe I won't waste a crumb! There are just too many good things in life to worry too much about what we will pay for them.

Tribute to Bits...

I'm afraid that as I sit to write a tribute on Elizabeth's 5th birthday, I find that this is perhaps the most difficult tribute for me to write for my children. Not because she doesn't have a ton of wonderful qualities, but because I feel like she is my child who I have the least grasp of. Let me say that as my children get older, I think she is the reason that I am supposed to homeschool. Her personality is such that she would struggle terribly in school, but can thrive if I ever figure out what drives her (besides Disney princesses and candy)! So, let me just offer a few random thoughts on this child I am so blessed to call mine.

1. Bitsy is CRAZY! It is unbelievably difficult for her to contain her gigantic personality in that little teeny body...and she is teeny. She goes and goes all day long until she crashes. Then heaven help the soul that tries to wake her!

2. Elizabeth is a dancer. This is what I tell myself now. She doesn't mean to be naughty or obnoxious, her body just needs to move and dance. If I don't provide the opportunity, then her body acts out in other ways. :)

3. Elizabeth is wonderfully sweet and affectionate. She is a little cuddle bug and loves to share hugs and kisses.

4. Bits LOVES books. She will sit and listen to books for hours if I am willing to read them. It won't be long now and she will be doing this on her own. She is catching on to reading concepts unbelievably fast. Smart as a whip, that girl!

5. Bitsy is a wonderful caretaker. We found that when Katie was born that Elizabeth could sit and hold her, perfectly still and gentle, for at least a half an hour at a time. Perhaps you have realized from the other things I've said that sitting still is not generally her strength. But to take care of her sweet baby sister, Bitsy is willing to do almost anything.

6. Bits is a GREAT big sister. She loves to play with Abby and share her toys...although she is admittedly a good negotiater to get the toys she really wants!

7. Elizabeth is probably the most outgoing, friendly child I know. She is willing to say hi to, play with, ask questions of, etc. anyone at any time. As you can imagine we have to watch her like a hawk.

8. Bits has a beautiful little voice and loves to sing. Even more fun is her ability to make up a song about anything she is doing. Yes, life is STILL a musical for Bitsy.

9. Elizabeth is inquisitive beyond anything I have ever seen. She is CONSTANTLY asking questions and looking for real answers. I really don't know how I'm going to keep up with her much past 5!

Elizabeth is a beautiful, smart, funny, sensitive little girl. She is a spitfire with energy to match anything we can throw at her. I love her and am so glad she is mine!

Sorry...

Sorry, I don't mean to drone on and on about this. But a good friend of mine, who also happens to be a doctor, just told me that an ectopic pregnancy is one of the few true emergencies in life. Up there with a heart attack or stroke. I had NO idea it was that serious! I know it felt like hell though!

P.S . You do realize that the whole distance runner, wonderfully low resting heart rate thing is now on my permanent medical record, right? Just making sure.

High points & low points...

I thought I'd share with you some of my thoughts on my recent medical issues. We'll start with the low points so we can end on a happy note...

1. I'm sure you are all wondering. They did take at least a portion of both tubes, so no more babies for us. I feel fine about this for now, but I'm sure I'll have days when I cry buckets!
2. They had to do open surgery, and just couldn't follow my c-section scar. So now I have a lovely plus sign on my belly...totally Frankenstein!
3. Recovery sucks! Can't wait to be able to hold kids again, and exercise.

High points...
1. I was already in the hospital. I mean really, I had morphine immediately.
2. When the doctors were giving me the initial once over they asked if I exercise. I told them that I run a couple of miles a day. They responded that that explained why my resting heart rate was nice and low...QUANTIFIABLE RESULTS people!!!! My working out is paying off!!!
3. I had Jacob when I was 24 and have been incontinent ever since. Yes, I just confessed that to everyone. But not much longer, now I can get my bladder fixed!!! You have no idea how much this perked me up right before surgery when Jon mentioned it.
4. I have the best friends in the world and have been incredibly well taken care of.
5. No more crazy "feel good - get pregnant - feel good - have baby - feel good - get pregnant - etc." cycles for my emotions and ability to cope with life. ( I assume that all of you mothers out there know what I'm talking about.)

As you can see, there are many more positives that have come from this experience than negatives. All in all, we are all doing great.

Tender Mercies...

I really don't know how to start, so I'll just jump right in. On Thursday I was in the right place at the right time, and I experienced the tender mercy of the Lord because of it.

My friend Cathie and I were visiting another friend in the hospital. As we were leaving I felt some abdominal pain, and as soon as I said this to Cathie, I started to black out. In a matter of minutes I went from being perfectly fine to blacking out in an elevator, extreme pain, 60/40 blood pressure and sweating like crazy. Cathie rushed me to the ER (just down the hall) where I was given immediate and excellent care.

Through the course of my stay, the doctors figured out that I had an ectopic pregnancy. Remember that miscarriage I thought I had a couple of weeks ago? Guess not. The baby was growing in my left fallopian tube, and it ruptured while I was leaving the hospital. As it turns out, the doctors consider this life threatening due to the risk of bleeding out. To make a long story short, they operated and got got everything fixed up by that evening. I came home Friday evening and am recovering nicely.

I have no doubt that I was on the Lord's errand when we visited our friend and that I was blessed because of it. I hate to imagine what could have happened if I'd been home with the kids, or driving somewhere. I am grateful to know that the Lord is mindful of me.

Home

I love where we live. East Bethel...Where the North Metro meets the North Shore. In East Bethel all the lots have a couple of acres. People might mow a half an acre and leave the rest weeds. No one cares if you have broken down vehicles on your property. In fact, Jon and I often joke that it is code...you must have at least one inoperable vehicle in your back yard (incidentally, we have two). People drive big trucks, and have lawn tractors, not mowers. As if all of this is not evidence enough of how "white trash" our city is, we saw an all new low this morning. At our annual city parade , which is fantastic and conveniently lines up right in front of our house, the mayor was walking as politicians often do in parades. He had candy for the kids, and for the adults...beer. BEER!!!! Have you ever seen such a thing??!??! Welcome to the wrong side of the tracks! Is it any wonder that we homeschool in this community?

Secret Dreams

In preparation for the show, I've been listening to the music for Wicked constantly. Well, listening is only part of it. What I really like to do is put on my iPod and go hang out in the garden where I sing at the top of my lungs. (We have 3 acres, but it occurred to me this morning that my neighbors can probably still hear me!) So, there you go, not a secret anymore... I still dream of being on the stage! Don't most people grow out of the actress dream much earlier in life?!?! I think it is that there is almost no music quite as fun to sing as show tunes. Well, for now I suppose I will continue to live vicariously through attending the theater. Thankfully Jon enjoys that as much as I do!

Tag (again)

This one is just a little different than the one I did last time...
What was I doing 10 years ago?

Getting ready for our delayed honeymoon to France...dreamy.


What is on my to-do list for today?

It's the end of the day, so I'll tell you how I did. Shower. Check.

What are 3 bad habits of mine?

1. Lack of productivity. I really don't understand how I can be doing stuff ALL DAY LONG, and yet never accomplish anything.

2. I tend to neglect my children when I get into a REALLY good book....hello Twilight Series! :) Frankly, it doesn't even have to be that good.

3. Not having enough patience. That is an understatement.


3 Things you might not know about me?

1. I currently have the best calling on the face of the earth, Laurel Adviser. I get all the fun of hanging out with the 16-18 year old girls, and none of the responsibility of being in a presidency.

2. I am back to being a workout junkie. Gym 3 times a week for weights and an easy bike, 3 times a week running. Loving every minute of it. Although it seems that weight is harder to lose after age 30 and 5 kids!

3. I am a complete political junkie. I love knowing what's going on and being involved. I always go to my caucuses and become a delegate. You have no idea how fun it is for me to to have the RNC Convention here this year!


4 movies/t.v. shows I love:

1. The Office, although it just wasn't the same caliber post writer's strike. Let's hope that gets corrected next season.
2. Lost
3. Amazing Race
4. Bachelor/Bachelorette...I know, totally guilty pleasure. Although, minus the Andrew Firestone season, it usually doesn't get overly racey (how do you spell that?).


4 Books I love:

(These are what I consider must reads)
1. The Hiding Place
2. 50 Things Your Kids Won't Learn in School
3. Night
4.Papa Married a Mormon


4 Jobs I've had:

1. Hardees
2. Kitchen Aide in nursing home
3. Nursing Assistant
4. Helped start Family Focus, now the Family Life Education Institute...you can probably google it. I haven't looked into it for a while now.


4 Places I've lived:

1. Roseville, MN
2. Boulder, CO
3. Provo, UT
4. Red Bank, NJ


5 of my favorite foods:

1. Sugar
2. Chocolate
3. Cake
4. Brownies
5. Cinnamon Rolls
(OK, there are a lot of other things I like, but I do a have a wicked sweet tooth...hence the need for the working out!)

Bloggers I'm tagging:

1. Sharon
2. Tammy
3. Katie
4. Jenni

Life

I really have a great life...charmed you might say. It wasn't always that way, and it probably won't always be that way. But, for now, I can't imagine life being any better. So, when I figured out a potentially sad thing yesterday, I was fine, and still am. For the first time in 6 pregnancies (yes, six) I had a miscarriage. I was only 6 weeks along, so there really was no attachment yet. I also don't have a problem with natural physical processes or things like death.
It's funny, I always thought that I would be fine with a miscarriage, but knew that I couldn't know for sure unless it happened. Now I know, I really am fine. Let's face it, six pregnancies...it should have happened long ago. The odds were not in my favor.
So, life is still great. We are still happy. No worries.

Where does she come up with this stuff????

Many of you out there do not know my Bitsy (4). It is just sooo hard to give you an accurate idea of who this girl is. I think I can say that all who know her would agree that she really is one in a million. A complete firecracker, no reservations whatsoever, owns any room she walks into, unbelievably cute, sharp as a whip, almost impossible to keep still, curious beyond belief, hmmmm. I could keep going, but I'll get on with the story.

A friend at church told me that her daughter (10) was playing house with some younger girls in the nursery on Sunday. Elizabeth was assigning everyone a role to play...you be the sister, you be the baby, etc. Then she looked at the 10 year old and said, "And you can be the sugar mama!" SUGAR MAMA?!?! I swear we have NO idea where she got this!!! We don't even have tv! Does she know what she is saying?!?!? With her, I never know! I can't tell you how afraid I am of adolescence.

One cute baby!

Katie REALLY enjoys the Jumperoo! Try to ignore the pestering children in the background! :)

Books

I LOVE books. If I am completely honest with myself, it is sometimes to the detriment of my children. I squeeze in a moment of reading any time I can. If I am in the middle of a really great book, that might mean a movie for the kids. There you go, I said it. OK, don't freak out on me!! My kids are in no way overloaded with electronic stimuli...we don't even get tv reception for crying out loud. Which brings me to my next point...a REALLY good book.

I have very few books on my "must read" list. While there are a ton of books that I enjoy...REALLY enjoy, my "must read" list is reserved for those extraordinary books that I think everyone would benefit from reading. On goodreads they are the only books given 5 stars. Well, I just finished such a book.

You should ALL get your hands on Papa Married a Mormon. It is especially great for all of those dogmatic Mormons (which, let's face it, there are a LOT of) and any other religious zealots. It is a beautiful, biographical story of one family's experience of a Catholic father and Mormon mother. It tells the tale of how profoundly this family loved and respected all people, and how they were loved and respected in return. It is also a wild west story with plenty of adventure that I'm sure my kids will enjoy when I read it to them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and will continue to.

Charlie's Angel, Baby!

So a little over a month ago I took a Conceal and Carry gun class. Before you get all freaked out about me being a gun-toting-lunatic, rest assured...I'd like to be! But alas, we do have any guns in our home, and I've never been particularly comfortable with them. I did, however, feel the need to exercise my right to do so. As it turns out, I totally rock ! That little paper target was TOTALLY dead. I also happened to enjoy it. I still don't know that I will ever own or carry a gun, but now I have that right, which I do feel is important. I am all about preserving our freedoms.

All manner of flowers...

As mothers we are always taking the good with the bad right?

My Morning started with a gift of these wonderful "flowers." I like to call them the best flowers money can't buy...for several reasons. First of all, they come from my kids who work sooo hard to bring mommy something beautiful. Second, they really are pretty when there are so many of them in a little mug. Third, having them in my house gets them out of my yard before they go to seed! Clearly we already have enough dandelions to deal with! Then my morning progressed to a different kind of flour. Yes FLOUR. I was making cinnamon rolls while Abby stood on the stool dipping her finder into the flour bucket for a little taste. OK, it was enough for an actual snack, but that it another story. She got a little shaky and topple right over, bring the flour bucket with her. She was covered, and so was my floor. It's a good thing I was having an especially patient morning...which is rare for me!

A tribute to Jack...

Today is Jackson's 7th birthday, so I thought I'd tell you a little about him. But first, who among you wouldn't want the gene pool that contains those eyes to marry your daughter?!?! Man he's good looking! And we can assume that by the time he reaches an acceptable age for marriage the front tooth will have grown in. I digress.

Jackson is probably my most thoughtful child. He often asks me how my day is going, listens to my answer, and responds appropriately. OK, how many of you married women are still hoping for such behavior from your husbands??

Jackson LOVES babies. He is the one I can count on to take care of Katie when I need help. He plays, coos, carries her around, and just works hard to make her happy.

Jackson is a physical being. He is a natural athlete. He loves and excels at any sport he tries. As an example, he is the only kid I know who was riding a two wheeler at age 3! He is physical about learning...anything with a project is right up his ally. What is really amazing is his ability to start a project and stick to it until it is finished. While all the other kids have long since moved on, Jackson continues to plug away until he is done. His physical nature is also serving him well in learning to play the piano. He seems to have a natural talent and doesn't need to work quite as hard as others.

Jackson is a spiritual being. From a young age Jackson has grasped gospel principles. He occasionally chooses to read scriptures in his free time. What strikes me the most, however, is the very sweet and sincere way in which he prays. He is so very thoughtful...both in being thankful and in his requests.

So as not to be misleading, trust me, Jack is still a 6 (no 7!) year old boy. He is loud, obnoxious, picks on his siblings, etc. Let's face it, he wouldn't be quite as much fun without that "all boy" part of him.

I am just so very lucky that he's mine.

Expressions of Abigail...

I think Abigail may have multiple personality disorder. OK, maybe she is just exploring the relatively new ability she has to express herself. Some of my favorites are:

"Kankoo mommyyy." Translation, "Thank you, mommy." This is said with a sweet little pixie-like voice.

"Poopy butt!" This is usually yelled at her siblings.

"Noooo!" This one is interesting. It is not said in a whiny voice or crying. It is said in a low voice that is just riddled with teenage angst.

"Bitsy not sharing!" This is always said while crying and clearly seeking justice. As soon as I wrote this, Abby came over and said it. Hilarious!

"Baby cute!" This is said in a most excited voice, while at the same time attempting to rip an arm, leg, hand, toe, etc. off of Katie.

Let me just say, Abby is TOTALLY worth having around. I am laughing every time she walks in the room!

Jacob strikes again...

My little wordsmith (and picky eater) is at it again. We were just sitting down to dinner and yet another horrifying meal to Jacob when he exclaimed, "YUM, minus the ummm and add an uck." Poor kid. If he wasn't so darn funny he would make me crazy!

Clarification

Just so there is NO confusion. The compound that was just raided with the creepy old guys married to young girls was NOT Mormon!!!! They were what some call a "fundamentalist" Mormon Church, which is something that does not exist. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has only one body. There are no divisions. If someone else calls themselves fundamentalists, it is NOT because they are true to the doctrines of the Church! Here is a good, somewhat humorous blog entry to check out...I hope you do!

Hmmm...

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Famous or Infamous?

You make the call! Jon was involved in a little photo shoot for the hospital. These pics can end up anywhere...in hospital literature, advertising in the buildings, on billboards, on buses, etc. ANYWHERE! In any hospital in the system! The first we've seen of them is this life-size gem they placed in his own hospital. It was soooo fun embarrassing him (which is hard to do, of course) by taking my kids in for a photo op with daddy!

Try not to wet yourself...

In an effort to offset the soapbox below, here are a couple of HILARIOUS videos for your enjoyment. But really, try not to wet yourself, they are THAT funny. Although I do recommend watching with someone you can laugh with. Isn't everything just a little funnier when enjoyed with someone else?

God bless the USA!

I love our great county. I'm the kind of girl that loves hearing about WWII because of the courageous and selfless stories that come from it. I'm the kind of girl that cries every time I am in a venue where the veterans in attendance are asked to stand. I'm the kind of girl that places my hand over my heart when I proudly recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I am the kind of girl who believes strongly enough in the democratic process that I participate in it as much as I am able. I am also the kind of girl that believes no matter what you believe, you should do something about it. This is why my dad and I, who differ on all things political, are in absolute agreement that we are both patriots. So why do I bring this up today?

Today I saw the democratic process at work, and I loved it. I was participating in an endorsing convention for our representative to the MN House. One of the candidates seeking the endorsement has served 5 terms (10 years) and has always received that endorsement. Three weeks ago he decided to override a veto to pass a significant tax increase...something we republicans are really sick of seeing from our "fiscally conservative" candidates. Even though there was no one opposing him, and therefore no one else to endorse, the convention chose NOT to endorse him. Perhaps if you are not very involved in the political process, this may not seem like such a big deal, but it was HUGE. the fact that we would rather not endorse anyone than endorse a candidate that has served for 10 years is almost unheard of. The people have spoken. If you don't like what, or who, you see...change it! We get to!!! We live in a FREE country that gives us that opportunity!! Don't give it away by choosing not to participate!! GOD BLESS THE USA!!!

End of soapbox.

It's about time!

Finally! I did it! I have documented one entire year of our family...start to finish. And by document I mean scrapbook, of course. Here are a few of my favorites. If you want to be able to read any of the journaling, you can click on the image and it will open full size.

Progression

I'd like to share with you the very sad progression of Elizabeth's hair.

1. As an infant we could see the cowlicks all too well. The back of her head was a swirling group of 3 of them! We knew then that if she didn't have curly hair, adolescence would be a nightmare!2. Her hair grew in and was indeed curly and beautiful. And just wild enough to work with her crazy little personality.
3. Then Jacob, yes my oldest child, decided to play barber, and the hair has never been the same since. Notice the extremely short, spikey stuff right at the top!
4. I had to tell myself that it was just hair, and would grow back. Indeed it did, and after a year we finally had this...

5. Then last week Elizabeth got hold of the scissors, and we start again...This pic was before the real hair cut to fix hers, so most of what Elizabeth left is gone now too.

I know it's just hair, so I'm doing my best to be brave and not cry. I'm sure it will grow back...if I just keep the scissors locked up well enough!!!

Chatty Kathy

We actually call her Katie. But isn't that the name of an old doll? I just can't resist sharing the video of this cute girl squealing with delight. Try to ignore the boys playing Legos in the background. Enjoy...

Civics

Jacob just asked me if we are going to have a new president. Of course I had to give him WAY more information than he was looking for. In the end he had nothing to say except, "It's outrageous that 8 year olds can't vote."

Homeschool Freaks!

Jon and I find this term endearing. Much like we, as Mormons, are a peculiar people, we as homeschoolers are homeschool freaks. Why would we bother homeschooling if not to be just a little bit different. That's the whole point. Sometimes the fact that we, and are children, are a just a little different is very clear...and funny.
Jacob went to a birthday party yesterday with several other 8/9 year old boys, all schooled outside the home. They played a game that goes something like this.
"I'm Joe, and when I go camping I bring a tent."
"Joe brings a tent, I'm Ryan and I bring a flashlight."
Etc...
So the boys are going along, all bringing normal 8/9 year old boy things (which include ridculous and gross thing, of course)...until they get to Jacob. He went through all the things the other boys were bring like a champ and then added his own item. Bee larve. BEE LARVE!!! Does that just SCREAM homeschool freak?!?!?
Ahhh. It's good to be different.

Leave a message...

This afternoon I was busy when the phone rang. As most of you know, I never feel beholden to the phone, but I do like to make sure I answer if Jon calls. So I had Jackson check the caller ID, and told him to just let them leave a message, I'd call back. (I did call back, by the way!) Jack didn't understand that I meant to let the voice mail pick it up. Instead he answered the phone and said, "Hi, this is Jack. Leave a message!" I was just waiting for him to make the little beeping sound! That kid is hilarious!

Tag, your it!

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. B. Each player answers the questions about themselves. C. At the end of the game the player tags 5 people, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago: I was a newly-wed thinking I'd made the biggest mistake of my life. Don't worry, that is no revelation to Jon...he felt the same way. Funny, I think we are happier than the average couple now! Oh, some contributing factors may be that Jon was in his first (and worst) semester of nursing school, I was also going to school full time, Jon was working 3-11 shifts at the hospital several days a week, I was working with hospice patients, etc... And just to add to my depression, all but one of my roommates and closest friends had either graduated or moved on. Again...we're happy now!

5 things on my to-do list today: 1) Make Pot stickers (Thanks Lindsey!!) 2) do schoolwork with my kids (shouldn't have to be a goal, but I struggle every day!) 3) fold laundry ( I think I have about 5 loads clean and waiting), 4) Play games with friends tonight, 5) get my kids to piano on time.

Snacks I enjoy: Boursin and good bread, Nachos with black beans, chocolate chip cookies, I could go on...and on...and on...I really like to eat.

I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire: Build my dream house (good one, Sharon). Buy a new car, and by car I mean a great big, gigantic van...oh, so sad. Fill my new house with all the books I dream about. Pay off debts for all my friends. Send some people on missions. Flood the micro-credit banking world with all the funds they could ever need. Stock the Perpetual Education fund. Hmmm.

3 of my bad habits: 1) Biting my nails. I don't do it all the time anymore, but it is still a problem. 2) I don't watch T.V. very often, but when I do I get completely sucked in. 3) I am a compulsive piler. I have piles all over my house. Piles of paper in the kitchen, piles of toys in the store room, piles of clothes on my floor. It is a miracle my house ever actually feels clean.

5 places I have lived: Red Bank, NJ; Provo, UT; East Bethel, MN; Boulder, CO; Portsmouth, VA (so I was a tiny little baby...it still counts!)

5 jobs that I have had: Wife, Mother, Family Life Educator, Nursing Assistant, Hardees (Oh yeah!)

5 things people don't know about me: Wow, I don't think I hide much, but... 1) People always seem surprised when I confess my problem with laziness. I waste a huge amount of time everyday, doing nothing. It is a childish attribute really...not being able to figure out what to do with myself. I often think to myself, "Wow, I wonder just how much I could accomplish if I actually used all this time that I waste?!" 2) My post partum depression manifests itself as rage. I know, yikes! I confess this for two reasons. Number one, I have NEVER acted on my rage. Number two, I think a lot of women know exactly what I'm talking about. We just don't usually say it out loud. 3) If I could justify it it, I would spend all of my time reading. I can't get enough, but I have to stop myself. Perhaps this goes along with my laziness issue...I know what I WANT to be doing, but also know that I shouldn't do it all day long. 4) I LOVE gardening, canning, freezing etc... But really don't like to cook. Although, I do really like to bake. It's a good thing my kids have Jon, who does enjoy cooking. 5) Ok, here is a good one...I have a wonderfully distorted body image. Most women look in the mirror and think they look twice as big as they really do. I look in the mirror and think, "Wow, I look good!" Then I look at the size of my pants and think, "That can't be right. I am hot!" If only I thought that way when I was a teenager.

5 people I tag are: Tammy, Jenni, Jennifer...anyone else?

We thank thee, oh God, for a prophet...

It is official, Thomas S. Monson has been named as the new President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I won't gush, but I feel nothing but peace and joy with the announcement. I have no doubt that President Monson has been chosen, prepared and ordained of God to lead this Church. I am so thankful to know that such a man exists.

Why we need to support Mitt

The democrats can pay attention as well, but this is really for those of you who have a chance to make a difference for the GOP, especially those of you in Super Tuesday states!!

First of all, I hope I don't lose any credibility as a Mormon, supporting a Mormon. His religion and mine are completely irrelevant. Frankly, he wasn't my first choice, but now that we've lost the others, he is the ONLY choice!

So, why we need to support Mitt:

1. Above all, he is a businessman. this has obvious positive implications when it comes to the economy, but I think it is more encompassing than that. He knows how to look at an organization (as evidenced in a variety of settings), get to the bottom line, and fix it.
2. Mitt Romney is the clearest, most logical THINKER in the running. We need someone who knows how to solve problems, think them through and make decisions. There is ample evidence of Mitt Romney's ability to do this.
3. Romney will protect our country. This is our president's most basic consitutional responsibility, and Romney takes it seriously. This is the one area where McCain would do just as well as Romney, but probably not better.
4. Of course, Romney fits the bill on all of the basic republican values and beliefs. I have to believe that he not only supports them for his campaign, but lives them in his life. I am especially concerned that we can't say the same for McCain, as he seems to be the one to beat. McCain is a good, principled man, but he is not the right choice.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO???

Here is the important part. If you are in a Super Tuesday state, you NEED to go to your caucus!!! I know most people don't do this, so let me walk you through the basics. It is a relatively casual and informal process. They follow Robert's Rules of Order, but you can wear jeans. :) Every state is different in how they caucus, so this is specific to Minnesota, although most states will be similar. For the specifics on your state, google GOP with your state. what you do:
1. you elect delegates to move forward in the caucus process (there is a series of caucus' that make different decisions at each level). In my precinct, so few people come that every once who wants to be a delegate can. I think that is pretty common.
2. you discuss the party platform and vote on any resolutions that will also move up the caucus process. If you want to be involved in this process, it would be helpful to read the platform before you go...I don't bother. Most of the stuff people suggest is ridiculous!
3. You will vote in a straw pole. Now this doesn't mean anything officially, but it gives candidates a HUGE amount of momentum, which is why we need to do it!!

My goal is to get 20 people to a caucus who have never been before (which is most of you!) I'm already up to 10!!! If you are in Minnesota I will take you by the hand and walk you through the process. CALL ME!!! I also know the process in Utah if you are there. Frankly, even if you don't support Romney, you need to get involved. It is the only way we have any real choices about our candidates.

End of Soap Box.

So much blogging, so little time...

So it's 10:30 on a Saturday night, I got home from a mini-vacation at about 4:00, left for a Mitt rally at 5:30, checked my email at 9:30 when I got home to find that I've been "blog tagged" (TWICE!). All of this needs to be blogged, and I haven't even started my YW lesson for tomorrow!! What is a girl to do ???? Blog tomorrow I suppose.

President Hinkley

I got the news late last night that the president of my church, Gordan B. Hinkley, passed away last night. My immediate feeling was relief and happiness for this man who was 97 and lost his wife several years ago. President Hinkley became the Prophet just months after I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and is the only president of the church that I have ever been familiar with. I will miss him. At the same time, I now look forward to welcoming the new prophet and learning from him.

Funny Mommy

Abigail is absolutely the cutest 2 year old on the planet. I'm sorry to have to break that to the rest of you parents of 2 years olds. She is also darn funny. The other night I was putting her to bed. We are in that transition from crib to bed stage where it takes a little more effort. So I was lying down with her, getting more and more frustrated with her chatting and giggling, until I finally thumped her on the head (I know, I know...call the authorities). Don't worry, it wasn't at all effective. She promptly burst out laughing and said, "Funny mommy!"

Mom would be so pleased

I was walking through Walmart with Elizabeth the other day and she said, "Oh mommy, can we look at the beautiful things?" Meaning, "Can we look at the crappy Walmart jewelry?!" Ok, my mom would not be pleased with Elizabeth's clear lack of a discriminating eye when it comes to jewels, but boy did my mom like her bling. Elizabeth is such an appropriate namesake...in more ways than this of course.

Wordsmith

Jacob has been reading for a couple of years now, and has developed a true love of words. He plays with them, experiments, and comes up with great things to say. For example, he has major issues with being a picky eater. So today at lunch I made him eat one orange segment, ONE! After running to the bathroom he came back and told me, "I gagged thrice. I couldn't digest it. I couldn't even get it into my throat." Who says thrice?!?!?

Santa

I know we're a little past Christmas, but hey, I wasn't blogging then!

So on December 23rd I heard Jacob talking to Bits. It turns out he was reading her a letter...one that he'd written to her as Santa.

Dear Bitsy,
You rotten little kid. You have one day to get on the good girl list.
Signed,
Santa

He has repeated all kinds of things that he's read in Calvin and Hobbes. My fear is that he is actually starting to THINK like Calvin! Wish me luck!

Blog Virgin

OK, it's true, I'm a blog virgin. I finally entered this new, strange world of the blogosphere for a couple of reasons.

1. I believe it was Elder Ballard who recently said that we should use this new media to set the record straight and provide reliable information about the Church.
2. Since my mom past away last year, I have no one to tell about the silly, sweet, naughty, bright, etc. things my kids do. I realize that no one else really cares about these things, so I have kept them to myself. Well, no more. I'll just post it here for you to read or ignore.
3. As a mom, and home schooler, I get very little interaction with the outside world! But I still have arguments to make and opinions to express. And as my mom used to believe about herself, I also believe that everyone is entitled to my opinion!
4. What a fun place to post the digi stuff I do!
5. hhmmmm. I'm sure I'll think of other things later.

So that's more than a couple, but isn't that just like me to be long-winded?