My Not-so-Deep Thoughts

This Old Man

2012-01-31T15:46:00.014-07:00

My sweetheart woke up to a terrible charlie horse in his leg Saturday. No doubt a cruel prank played by his body, which was after all now five DECADES old. I pitied him then reminded him that he was indeed the big 5-0 now. Then I did my best to massage the naughty meat-calf.

I decided a few weeks ago that I had to clue him in to the plans for the celebration instead of being secretive. I guess the calf part was still a surprise to us both, haha.

We went to dinner with several fun friends and enjoyed a great meal and wonderful visits. Then we went home and found lots more friends and family at the house--along with many black balloons and some black streamers... and PIE. Everyone got a little sugar, except for Julie, who has more self-control than anyone I know. And it shows.

It was a fun day. I love Jim, no matter how old or young he is.

Christmas Break

2011-12-29T16:11:00.018-07:00

It was fun to get together with family and friends this Christmas break. We played and ate and laughed a bunch.

Here's a glimpse at some of the fun...

Photos Are Phun!

2011-10-19T15:29:00.015-06:00

More pictures from the NY trip/party...

Sunday after church we went to the cemetery to spend a few peaceful minutes as a family with those who have gone ahead. We sang a few songs.

We drove by FHS after that and visited the memory grove there. It's very nice. Way too many trees though. The J girls hiked the old sledding hill, which looks awesome.

Sunday night was the party at the church with refreshments and photos and mini decor. E3 wrote Grandpa some nice notes as did some older friends.

Apparently the primary kids had learned about the creation recently and posted their artwork on the wall. One of them particulary struck us both for the green monsters and the filters. Very funny!

New York Trip--Saturday on the Lake

2011-10-17T14:17:00.011-06:00

After a little work in the woods (hauling logs, moving brush, trimming dead branches, extracting old trailers), we spent a peaceful 90 minutes or so on Canandaigua Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. We floated aboard the Canandaigua Lady, a two-paddle paddleboat, and took in the first of the fall colors along the shore. We wore our matching shirts (nerd alert) and soaked up some rare sunshine. There was even a little romance at the back of the boat...

Can you spot the winter socks?

Dad Turns 75

2011-10-14T11:10:00.012-06:00

Dad had a birthday, shout "Hooray!" All eight daughters (and three sons in law and four grandkids) flew to NY for the celebration. We worked in the morning (painting, cooking, at the storehouse, etc.), went to lunch together and enjoyed a nice dinner at Mario's. Dessert was homemade lemon meringue pie--one of Dad's very favorite things in the world! Our cousin Carol and her husband joined us for dinner. It was great to see their family again!

P.S. Baby Owen is the cutest, sweetest lil boy!

Our FHE Experiment

2011-08-30T15:21:00.003-06:00

At Stake Conference Sunday, we had a children's choir of 10 and 11-year olds. They sang four or five songs, including "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." I have been impressed with this song ever since I first heard it. And after hearing it Sunday it really stuck in my head. It became the theme for my family home evening lesson last night. We discussed how often we act better when company is at our house. And we shared what we would do and say differently if Jesus came to live at our house for a day. (And luckily there were a few things that we wouldn't have to change!)

We decided to do an experiment and pretend that Jesus would be with us all week long, no matter where we go--school, work, the store, soccer, football, piano lessons, etc. etc. Everyone received a small picture of the Savior to put in their room, locker, desk, mirror, wherever they want to remind them of the challenge. And I taped four 8.5 x 11 pictures of him on various walls in the house. I am really interested to see how this goes. I know all of us can treat each other better, and I hope perhaps most of all for measurable change in myself this week.

Also from stake conf., our stake president shared a study from a scientific journal that proved that whining is the most annoying sound in the world. (To think someone spent money proving this!) He then shared a scripture in the New Testament about Paul and his followers being beaten and imprisoned. And instead of whining they sang hymns and converted the jailer. Pretty cool.

I am going to try to whine less... :)

Kenny mission update Aug. 8

2011-08-08T16:14:00.005-06:00

Last week, Kenny wrote that they were sort of mugged by a guy who stuck his hand in Kenny's companion's pocket. But Kenny said he shoved the little guy off and he left. I guess it was a pretty lame attempt. I know this is common in his area, and I hope he is careful.

Today he wrote that he has had some terrible migraines this week and couldn't even talk. He got a blessing from his comp and wondered why the Lord would wait to heal him since he is there on God's errand. He said his comp blessed him to be able to sleep, and 30-40 mins later he did fall asleep and was doing better the next day though still pounding advil. I could tell from his writing that he had really been in a lot of pain.

He also told me that the churches there (Catholic) are huge with huge golden altars (more like a wall) and pretty impressive. He sent a few pictures, which I'll have to save on here. He said some people cross themselves when the elders walk by them on the street. I'm not sure if they are protecting themselves or trying to bless the elders who they might fear are "lost." My words, not his.

He also said there is an area in their mission that is so dangerous they have to be out of it by 5 pm. They have seen dead guys lying in the street. Lots of drug activity, etc. "It is just really bad," he wrote. But they had baptized a guy who lives there and were visiting him and helping him with some painting.

They expect to baptize about 15 people this month. They were hoping for 25, but it looks like 15. Exciting. We keep him in our prayers and he appreciates it.

Attention Mexico City, the Eagle Scout Has Landed.

2011-07-19T16:32:00.004-06:00

We got an email from our missionary yesterday. A few highlights:

Only one roach in his apartment (so far). When they tried to get it, it got away down the sink drain.

He's seen some drug deals and the police are very casual about giving tickets. They would rather be bribed.

They went up a street and a dog chased them and went for him, so he kicked it in the face. Dog was quiet when they walked back by later on.

He and some elders played soccer with some guys for a while, which was fun. But some kids stole three of their backpacks. One elder lost a camera and some $. He was able to buy an "identical" camera at a shop for $8 the next day.

He bore his testimony in church, basically saying I can't understand very much, but I'm here because I know the gospel is true and I want to share it.

They found a guy who wanted to learn more about God, but he has some lifestyle issues that would be a roadblock.

His comp baptized a man who had an evil spirit, which tried to get out right after the baptism. Very exciting and scary. He said all is well now.

They've been sworn at in English and Spanish. They smile and say thank you.

He said the food is good so far. He has tried pig intestines.

The shower stopped working so they started heating water on the stove. Way to go, boys.

He seemed fairly optimistic about everything. We hope that his second week dulls down a bit.

Best Job Ever

2011-07-14T15:13:00.005-06:00

I heard a discussion on the radio recently about "the worst job ever." And it made me flash back to the summer of 1988 (I believe) when I did an assortment of temp jobs, including one and only one day at a meatpacking plant with bologna fat under my fingernails.

That led me to muse, "What would be the best job ever?" When asked for my "dream job" 15-20 years ago at a church mingler, I answered, "an ice cream taster." This would still be fun but would not be conducive to weighing less than 400 lbs.

I think it might be really cool to work at Sam's Club as the person who writes on your receipt with a highlighter as you leave the store. I think I have the skills necessary. I could even provide my own yellow or blue marker.

I also think it would be fun to be a movie critic. But I wouldn't want to see all the slasher movies or the skin flicks and other dumbness. So I would probably only critique 6 movies a year. Can't make a living doing that.

Maybe I could get paid to watch NFL games and blog about them. I really would enjoy that for a season. Here's hoping there is a season this fall...

I don't really want to move to Hawaii or some other exotic place for a job, no matter how cool. And I'm not that much into travel.

I don't mind getting myself dirty, as long as I'm not covered in manure or tar. But somehow I don't think the best job ever requires you to bathe extra.

With a few years still to go on the mortgage, I better stick to my current job. It may not be the best ever, but it's pretty good!

Fast Forward

2011-05-25T15:57:00.006-06:00

So I was going to try to catch up for the past 7 months, but that would take WAY too long.

Here's Kenny on May 11 right before he entered the MTC for his mission to Mexico City.

He is really busy learning Spanish and everything else they are teaching him.

School is about to end for the kids at home, and that means summertime blues. We're trying to plan in some cool stuff to help the months go by. Swim lessons, football camp, acting camp, violin and guitar lessons, bike trips to get snow cones, etc. The person I worry about most is Jim. He has very little hair left to pull out.

Our spring has been fabulous. Sure we've had record rain and mountain snow and certain rivers are in danger of flooding (sorry for those people). But I must go on record as loving the cool temps and the beautiful green mountains, flowers, grass, trees, etc. It is gorgeous, and it doesn't happen unless we get lotsa rain in this here desert. And besides, pretty soon it will be 90 and extremely dry out and everything will turn brown again. So let me enjoy this little slice of heaven for five more minutes.

In April I got to visit some of my favorite people on earth. They live in rainy Portland. We played and hung out. I got to hold their precious baby boy and laugh and play with the fun big sister and big brother. And I got some new sneakers. And we went out to dinner. It was great. I love running at sea level.

Jon's been playing rugby for the past couple of months. It's fun to watch though I still don't understand all of the rules. He likes it and I think it brings out the maniac in him. (Does he need help with that?)

Happy Spring!

Hallowe'en

2010-10-29T14:07:00.008-06:00

This year, I was pleasantly surprised to NOT see Hallowe'en decorations (indoor or outdoor) until Oct. 1st. And after some initial grinchiness on my part and having been the recipient of a very sweet memory of the late, great Rachel Carr (whose favorite day was Halloween), I decided I had to quit being negative about sugary candy, greedy kids begging and being surrounded by gore, and get into the "spirit" of things. So I bought three giant bags of candy at Sam's and looked up some costume ideas online (the cheap, simple kind).

And voila,

I am a salt shaker. Actually after this picture was taken, my co-worker and friend Rick made me a battery necklace so I could be a salt and battery. He is clever. Here is his costume.

He DOES go all out.

Hopefully I can add more costume pics later.

Hope you have a safe, fun Halloween.

Don't forget to brush!

Happy Fall

2010-10-21T16:36:00.003-06:00

Or, what did the 2/3 say to the 1/3 when they chose the wrong....

Fall is perfect. Perfectly colorful as in leaves. Perfect temperatures for outdoor activities like football watching and playing, running, walking the dog, etc. Cool mornings make you want to eat soup, but warm afternoons make you glad you still have your shorts and T-shirts in your dresser. It also means the best apples all year long--macintosh if you can find them, mutsu, the delicious (red and gold), empire, gala.

Fall means school and papers and tests and grades and new backpacks and sharp pencils and peanut butter sandwiches. It's new friends, leaf piles, riding your bikes after school instead of doing your homework. Til you get busted.

Fall used to mean great new TV shows like Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, One Day at a Time, Mork & Mindy, LA Law, Hill Street Blues, Cheers, ER, Friends, etc. And Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football. I am so out of the current TV scene, I don't know what I'm missing.

Fall in NY means a certain fresh scent is in the air. Some tree or bush that smells like air and school and nature and a new beginning, all wrapped up into a few deep breaths. Ahhh...

Hope your Fall is going great!

Deuce Bowling Party

2010-09-07T19:40:00.011-06:00

On 8-18 we went bowling for David's birthday. We represented pretty well. It was lots of fun with cousins and candy. We also helped Shelly celebrate her birthday. She's 29! Kate and Becky are having fun playing soccer.

More Pictures Worth Sharing

2010-08-06T12:03:00.048-06:00

Here are a few other pictures from July's many happenings...

Yankees, here I come!

Karyn partaking of health food...

Right before the tongues came out.

Sorry, Sara. I know you won't love this one.

Cutie Pie Elina poses.

Sophie stopped for 10 seconds and smiled for me!

Troy's Wedding BBQ. It was hot out!

Brad paying homage to Liz (fingernails)

Madison and Bumblebee

Philly and Amy

Happy Bowler!

What style, what form! What are you doing using the kiddie ramp?

Me and "Fane"

New York Summer = Green and Sticky

2010-08-05T16:22:00.012-06:00

We recently took a trip to my home in New York state. It was very green and humid there. We helped my dad with a few projects--hard work, but fun. We also met up with some cousins from Texas who met us there. Other than the LONG car ride both ways and maybe a few skeeter bites, we all are no worse for the wear.

Dad and Jim dressed up like pioneers and played the parts of Parley P. Pratt and Jacob Hamblin respectively at a stake pioneer day event. Talk about sticky. Some of our kids hid in the church to escape the oppressive humidity. We enjoyed a quick trip to an L.L. Bean store (well, the huge boot outside). Smirks at the Sacred Grove, ice cream at Chill & Grill (before the downpour), and other historical sites.

In Loving Memory

2010-07-07T22:26:00.013-06:00

My niece Liz Harris (Lizzie, Eliza, Lizabeth) lost her battle with melanoma Saturday. A beautiful and talented girl, Liz fought hard. Now she can rest free from pain, and continue her journey on the other side. I'm so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and a knowledge of resurrection and forever families.

Liz opening gifts at a bridal luncheon June 9.

Liz and her dad visiting our house on Memorial Day, watching the dog do tricks.

Liz with cousins Afton and Maddy late Aug. 2009, right before school started.

Fummer Sun

2010-06-22T11:24:00.006-06:00

"Somewhere... over the rainbow... (nervous laughter)"

That's what former Chief Inspector Dreyfus sings when he is going mad and disappearing at the end of The Pink Panther Strikes Again. I'm not crazy. But life sure can get busy.

Lately we've enjoyed:
the end of school
Kenny's graduation from high school
a Memorial Day mini hike (with dog) at Bridal Veil Falls and time with Harrises

job hunting
tennis
tennis elbow (Jim) --not really enjoyable
landscaping projects
a local 5K (5 of us ran and we all finished and nearly met our goals)
a fun bridal luncheon with Liz Harris and relatives
youth conference, complete with rappelling
Jon getting ordained a priest
swim lessons
and more.

I thought it was called "summer break," but it seems to be "summer full speed ahead."

We look forward to seeing lots of relatives in July and continuing to be busy with work, yard projects, running, football camp, staying cool, road trips and more!

Sauron Says...

2010-04-27T11:49:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I found a website that goes into more depth about the eye surgery I had, and it had several posts from people who have had the surgery done and how their recovery has gone. I have to say I feel blessed that mine has gone quite well so far. I only missed six days of work and only went 12 days without driving (no long hauls, just short stuff). Some people have been out four weeks for both of these, have had lots of pain, bruising, irritation with their buckle, double vision, etc. Not me. Nopey.

I'll still be sporting my oh-so-lovely glasses for several weeks before I can wear contacts again. I don't love the look or feel of "six eyes" when I'm wearing sunglasses on top of my glasses. But it's better than being blinded by sunlight. And I haven't really minded not wearing makeup. My eye is still red, though more white is showing now, and it has a pink bump that's hard to see around. Ok, it's impossible. Do not approach me on my right side or we might collide. ha ha. But I feel good and will continue to try to be patient in getting better vision back in that eye. We meet with the surgeon again in two days and will ask a few questions and hopefully get more good news.

I did do some vacuuming on Saturday and I went running with Jim. We were both slow but we did fine. No falling or tripping. And I can use my awesome electric toothbrush again. (I missed it.) :)

On another (random) note, yesterday my second grader told me that she was just going to go to college long enough to get married. "When I find a boy I like, we'll get married, and then I'll stop going to college." I have no idea where this came from. But I told her I thought she should plan to stay in college and finish, since that's a good goal. And people who finish college usually earn more money than people who don't. We'll see how this works out in 12-14 years....

Winkin', Blinkin' and Bored

2010-04-16T17:52:00.007-06:00

Shhh... Don't tell the doctor, but I've snuck onto the computer just for a minute. Been grounded for a week now with eye surgery. Somehow I tore my retina up pretty well. Just lucky (or unlucky) I guess. But my surgeon fixed me up, and I've been resting it quite well (no reading, computers, running, 4-wheeling, electric toothbrush, lawn mowing, cooking, vacuuming, etc. etc.). And no work. Not the kind of vacation most people would sign up for (and if I'm paying for it, I'd like some scenic photos to show for it!).

I had a vitrectomy and scleral buckle. Jim and Shelly said there's a youtube video out there that shows the procedure, but it's pretty icky.

4 days after surgery. No shiner. Looks normal if I keep my eye shut.

But I am happy that I feel pretty good and am on the mend.

6 days after surgery I can open my eye more. It's very red...

I'm grateful for:

a good eye

many great friends and neighbors who are so kind and generous to me!!!

the beauties of this earth

medical technology that prevents blindness in this case

a kind surgeon and anesthesiologist and nurses who tried to quell my fears

other senses

good music and uplifting talks on CD

a priesthood blessing

the option of sleeping on more than one side

clean washcloths

the ability and permission to walk!

phone calls

Nurse Jim and Nurse Shelly for all of their help and pampering

We should have started a list of nicknames before the whole thing happened. My metal eye protector (post surgery and worn at night for the first week) was like something from the Terminator or a Star Trek Borg. I know... cool.

Here's winking at you.

A Few Pictures

2010-04-02T22:13:00.008-06:00

A few pictures from our activities of late: Eagle Scout night, squirting the dog (he LOVES water!), winter sunset, Campbells visit the Harrises, and Jimenezes in Moab. Good times!

March "Madness"

2010-04-02T16:00:00.003-06:00

March was one busy month. Seems like after the holidays, life should slow down, but it hasn't.

(Warning: Bragging alerts)

In March, the city rec. volleyball team I played on took second place in our tournament. It was a fun season and a fun tourney. We lost our first match, then won three consecutive matches to play the undefeated first-place team. We forced them into a third game, and they beat us. But it was so fun to play together with friends and do well and rally. It was 3.5 hours of volleyball!

The Young Women's basketball team from our ward continued its winning ways by going 3-0 in the Regional Tournament in March. Woo-hoo! These are some great gals. I really enjoyed working with them this season and watching them play well together, have fun, help each other and, yes, win.

Also this month, Jim and I ran the 5-mile race in Moab again. This is my 10th or 11th time. I ran a new best time by 12 seconds. I was excited about that but not about the COLD weather down there. We were very cold at the starting area, waiting for 75 minutes or more before the gun. And when I first began running, I was sure I had lumps in my socks under the balls of my feet. Nope, they were just numb. My feet thawed out and were able to carry me to a decent time. I cheered for Jim as he finished and after we cleaned up, we found Hil & Nesto in their half marathon and ran a bit with them. They are awesome! I had hopes of running a half marathon later this summer, but I haven't committed to anything yet. It's a big leap from 5 miles to 13.1.

Jim and I attended our neighborhood caucus meeting along with many neighbors, and we both came home with new responsibilities. We don't want to be bored, do we??

Later that week, Kenny received his Eagle Scout Award with all the glory that goes with it. Well, not really glory. But he got a little attention from his family and church friends and some "condolences" (his word) from state dignitaries, govt. leaders, etc. It was nice to see him honor his grandparents and his dad for their love and support.

Loved seeing Liz and family on her birthday and observing more energy in her. Yeay!

I'll spare you our April Fools stories. No, we weren't pranksters this year, just a few victims of bad luck or germs. Take your pick.

Happy Easter... He is risen! He really is. Ain't it great??

Not Exactly a Teaching Moment

2010-03-09T09:16:00.004-07:00

Our neighbor recently had a baby, and I ran over to her house after work to take some food to their family. When I got back and just as we were about to sit down to dinner, my 9 year-old daughter asked, "How does the baby get out of the mom's tummy anyway?"

Not wanting to go into graphic detail (especially in that setting), I sort of mumbled "down here" and pointed, well, to the front of my pants.

My daughter then replied, "Eww, you have to poop the baby out?!"

My 7 year-old daughter didn't miss a beat: "I am going to adopt children!!"

Genuis

2010-02-26T10:45:00.004-07:00

No it's not a typo. It's sort of a one-word oxymoron.

Many years ago, I worked with a guy who, one particularly busy day, placed a hand-written sign on his door that said: Do Not Disturb. Genuis at Work.

It was one of the funniest, most ironic things I've ever seen. And to this day, the word genuis (pronounced jen-you-is) comes to mind when my actions or someone else's warrant it.

Yesterday, I had a genuis moment when I went to retrieve my cell phone from charging and realized that although I had connected the phone to the cord, I never plugged the cord into the wall. Hmmm, not charged up. Genuis.

The day before that, I was driving to the high school to run on the indoor (smelly) track to avoid the cold rain, and for some reason I treated a two-way stop like a four-way stop and nearly caused an accident. Dumb. Genuis.

Fortunately, I rarely have two genuis moments in a row like this. I think I will blame it on sleep deprivation due to watching lots of Olympics and American Idol. Yes, that's it.

My Lack of Parenting Skills

2010-02-17T15:23:00.006-07:00

Last night after a particulary ugly incident involving me losing my mind and temper with some of my children, I took a long walk. In less than four miles, I came to a few realizations.
1. I am a horrible parent.
2. All kids deserve a loving, patient mother figure in their lives.
3. I wasn't like this before I got married. I used to be fun and nice and even patient.
4. Chocolate and exercise might not be enough in terms of therapy.
5. I worry too much about the little things, including money. (But how do I stop worrying about stuff that's always been important to me?)
6. There are a lot of apartment complexes in our town that I didn't know existed.
7. I needed to apologize to two kids and one husband (I did one before I left and the others after I got back).
8. I am not a quitter, but I felt defeated.

Unfortunately, I haven't solved my problem yet. But I have given up hope for winning StepMother of the Year Award. Ain't gonna happen. Evah. But I am looking for ways to improve. And since leaving the situation is not an option, nor is sedation, I am compiling a list of ideas.

How to Avoid a Stress/Child-Induced Temper Outburst: (feel free to add your ideas)
1. Walk away and take time out.
2. Count to 10. (I never stop to think to count, so this doesn't work for me.)
3. Learn not to care about whatever it is that is setting you off. (How do I not care?)
4. Ignore the little ankle biters.
5. Put up signs to remind you to be nice. (Mine are up too high. I don't see them enough.)
6. Pretend your kids are actually nieces, nephews or neighbor kids since we seem to treat other kids better than our own. Maybe I could give them different names. That might work.
7. Take up karate or some other discipline that leads to self mastery. Nah. Not my thing.
8. Run/massage for stress relief. (I already do this, it's not enough.)
9. Beg God for help in doing better and thank Him for this opportunity to "re-set" myself. There's a thought.

Save your praise for someone else. I deserve very little. But I am taking suggestions for my list.

PBS Fund-Raising Diet Plan

2010-02-02T09:17:00.005-07:00

I'm not that big of a TV watcher, but I like to have something on when I'm doing a little weight training at home. So we flipped through the channels, and (since the Jazz game wasn't on) we landed on PBS and what was listed as America's National Parks. I had heard great things about this series so I started watching.

I soon came to realize that this was the story of the Donner Party--a group of Irish immigrants who moved from Illinois to California in 1846-7 and took a short-cut over the Sierra Nevadas and into 9 blizzards. "What does this have to do with the national parks?" I asked aloud. Jim replied, "They have a park named after them." I kept exercising and watching...

In horror as they gave detailed descriptions of what those poor people went through. The massive and endless blizzards, living in snow caves, the starvation, the madness, the dead bodies in the snow, the cannibalism. The forlorn hope group that went out in search of help. Let me tell you, this show may do wonders as a diet program!

Suddenly, the show stopped mid-stream and a live host in a studio was asking for contributions. "Are you kidding me? This show is way too depressing for people to want to send money. Most watchers are throwing up right now, or they changed the channel after an especially grim detail was shared."

Lying in bed an hour or so later, I realized that Jim was full of crap when he said that there was a national park named after the Donner party. So I called him on it. We laughed. "There's a statue there, they showed it!" Yes, honey, there is a statue. It is probably a state monument. But not a NATIONAL PARK.

Moral 1. Don't believe everything people say, cause half the time they're making it up.
Moral 2. Don't take any short-cuts.

P.S. All of the 5 women in the forlorn hope group survived. Only 2 of the 10 men did.

P.P.S The only family that didn't lose any members was the Reed family--and they were the only ones who never did eat people.

My Trip to Arby’s Drive-thru

2010-01-11T14:25:00.003-07:00

Drive-through service is pretty amazing and wonderfully convenient...sometimes.
Today? Not so much.

Me: (looking around the menu board) Do you still have the chicken salad sandwich?
Voice: Nope we don't, sorry.
Me: Ok... I guess I'll have a medium beef and cheddar. Is there sauce on that? I don't want any sauce.
Voice: You mean the red ranch?
Me: Yeah, whatever it is. I don't want any sauce, just the meat and cheese.
Voice: Ok. So one regular beef and cheddar. That will be $3.76 at the window.
Me: Thanks.

(about 7 seconds later)
Guy in window: $3.76. You want any sauce with that?
Me: Nope. (Were you paying any attention at all 10 seconds ago?!)

I hand him $10.01 and hope he can do the change correctly. He hands me my sandwich in a little bag, then correct change and a receipt. (woo-hoo!)
Me: Thanks.
Guy: Have a nice day.
Me: Thanks, you too.

I drive 30 seconds to work, walk upstairs, sit down and un-wrap my sandwich only to reveal...SAUCE! Even the receipt says "without ranch." So I eat the now-tainted "meat" with a fork, removing the sauce I could.

Dum, da dum dumb.

Shoulda gone to Subway...

Rasslin'

2010-01-08T11:43:00.002-07:00

Jon is wrestling again this year. Last night was our first chance to see him in action. He pinned his guy in 50 seconds. It was great! Hopefully I can post a video later. We're proud of him.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-30T19:40:00.019-07:00

Happy New Year!

We've had a busy last several days. We made lots and lots of nuts & bolts, played with family from Portland, welcomed a missionary home, had festivities with my dad and Jim's parents, had Christmas at our house as a whole clan plus friends, enjoyed visiting with more family on Sunday after church, buried a dog, got another dog, played some more with visitors from Arizona (including bone-crunching sledding), shoveled snow, worked, rested and worked some more. I need a nap!! (My family will attest to that as I have been Sra. Grouchita lately.)

We feel very blessed to have abundance and to share some of that with family, friends and strangers this year. We hope you all have had a great holiday season and that 2010 is a fantastic and safe year for you.

Enjoy the pictures and JOY TO THE WORLD!

Many Talents

2009-12-16T11:27:00.004-07:00

After a few delays, we (Jim) got the Christmas tree up yesterday. Yeay! Now we can stop joking about getting a Festivus pole.

I came home from work and saw the living room all decked out with garland and other decor, and of course the tree. I noticed that there were a bunch of white decorations up high all clustered together. I suggested that maybe we should spread those out more. Jim replied, "That's the angel choir!" I thought perhaps Becky had come up with that and said as much aloud. Nope. It was Jim's idea. So we have a white angel choir near the top of our tree.

"Angels we have heard up high..."

Also last night, the girls "performed" a special dance number that they worked on for at least 30 minutes before dinner. It was to the tunes of a few Christmas songs they had heard on the radio on FM 100. Unfortunately, those songs were not playing again after dinner, so they used a music CD instead. ha ha After producing our custom-made paper tickets at the "gate," Jim, Kenny, Jon and I took our seats in the family room. Then the lights dimmed and after a series of miscues, we were treated to all kinds of lip-synching, cowboy stepping, round-offs, karate kicks, and more that came dangerously close to split-open skulls. Lots of laughter by the performers and sideways glances by the audience members ensued. My favorite moment of the night took place after a costume change, when two girls in dresses (with pants underneath) joined hands and started twirling slowly... then sped up maniacally and whirled each other onto the floor! I wish I had been filming it.

We have all kinds of talents in our household.

Honesty at the Dinner Table

2009-12-03T12:29:00.004-07:00

Last night at dinner , Alicia said she wanted to go weigh herself on our scale. She said that she had been "48 two days ago and only 41 today."

I replied, "I don't think you lost 7 pounds in one day. You would have to go to the bathroom a LOT for that to happen."

She cracked us all up with this straight-faced response: "Well, I was working on it for a very long time."

Girls' Night In

2009-11-25T20:02:00.034-07:00

The other night Jim and the boys had meetings, so it was just the girls at home. Becky was sweeping the kitchen floor and had moved all of the chairs into a line or "train." Pretty soon, they discovered how fun it was to slide on the floor underneath the chairs.

It looked like so much fun, I decided to try it. I haven't army crawled in years, maybe decades. It was tight, but I managed to make it through twice.

I was going to tell you about our pillow fight too, but I am getting mad about the formatting on this blog, so I'm quitting now. Suffice it to say that Becky and Katie are no match for me.

Costume Time

2009-11-05T19:32:00.013-07:00

I went as Swine Flu, complete with pink, curly tail that doesn't show up well here.

This is my friend and neighbor, Susan, modeling "Baby's First Costume." Note the tiny trick or treat bag. Kinda weirded me out.

The girls were as cute as ever, except for the monster teeth.

Halloween concessions

2009-10-27T16:11:00.003-06:00

Lest anyone worry too much, I am not a total Grinch (see last post). I have actually bought two big bags of candy, and Jim has made sure the girls have costumes for their festivities this year. We actually cannot find the old costumes anywhere, so he bought new ones for the youngest two and a bow-tie for Becky's Cat in the Hat get-up, which is cute.

I plan to go minimalist in my costume this year. I'm getting old and tired. YES! I'm going as a mom! ha ha.

Two of our kids were in a little neighborhood play Saturday all about eating healthy food and taking care of our bodies. It was called My Body Machine. It had some cute songs and clever concepts. So afterwards, I was talking to some of the other parents and I told them, "You know, the kids just finished singing and telling stories about evil King Sugar and Sir Salty and Ms. Grease and all that. I think we should use this against them and cancel trick-or-treating." Lots of laughs and chatter ensued. Then when I presented this concept to some of the children (mine in particular), they looked at me quizzically and said rather nervously, "We can still eat candy. After dinner. A little bit." I ended my bluff, but it was fun for a minute to toy with their little minds.

Boo-hoo-hoo-ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh AHH AHH!!! (My best impression of King Sugar's evil laugh)

The Halloween Grinch

2009-10-07T15:55:00.004-06:00

I feel like a Halloween Grinch. I've seen lawn and door decorations for Halloween since early September and it bugs me. Some of these are "cute" and harmless, others are gory and downright spooky...like the ring of floating ghosts holding hands around the tree on Center St. Yeesh! I hate to run past that thing.

I don't want to "celebrate" this "holiday" this year, I want to skip it. I really don't feel like buying or coming up with costumes for the kids (or myself). (Though Jim mentioned that if our little kids go to school without costumes, they will be labeled weirdos. Imagine, a 4-foot vampire or spiderman calling my daughter a weirdo.)

I don't want to buy candy to hand out at home and at work that I REALLY SHOULDN'T eat. I don't like the idea of kids going door to door on a dark, cold night, begging for sugar and forgetting to say thank-you. Then getting sick on it for hours...or days. I can see why my parents didn't let us trick or treat when we were kids. (The begging factor, the safety issue, a candy haul, etc.)

Don't get me wrong. I like bobbing for apples, pumpkins on the porch and suspenseful movies. Just not all the gory yard decorations, giant spiders in grocery stores, candy wrappers all over the lawn, smashed pumpkin bits on the street, etc. I wish the whole thing would just go away. Can we skip it this year? Please?

Fall Fun

2009-09-24T11:14:00.021-06:00

September has been full of fun. We went bowling as a family on the 5th, and that is always an adventure. (It started before we arrived as I had a massive bloody nose in the car and we had to go back so I could clean up and change!) But I still "got it." I rolled two 158s! The boys tried to bowl like Uncle Spencer (throwing the ball halfway down the alley before it hits the floor). But we aren't strong enough to emulate him just yet. The girls had bumpers and each got a strike. It was fun.

September also means soccer, and we've been trying to keep up with two girls' game schedules this year. Katie's team is full of promise and has lost once I think. She plays goalie or forward and likes both. (She is just left of the ball here.) Becky's team is there for the treats and not much else. But they are having fun and getting exercise. Both/all teams tend to run in packs like wild dogs...

Last week I flew to NY to visit Dad along with Saralyn and her kiddos. We had fun playing in the woods and walking the dog a lot. We went to church and the temple too. And we ate yummy food that Saralyn made. Poor Emma got sick on Sunday but she managed to smile for most of the pictures anyway.

We saw lots of old friends from church.

We visited the Sacred Grove on lovely Monday morning. It was fantastic to be there again and enjoy the spirit of that holy place.

Imagine me with my eyes open. Yes, I'm a full-fledged Britt now, always blinking for photos...

I got home that night and found Jim to be recovering from his lack of "independence" or rather, his appendix. He had an internal organ attack on Thursday and surgery on Friday while I was away. Silly man. But he is mending and walking around more each day. A friend who drove the kids to school Monday asked the girls how their dad was doing. Alicia answered, "He can still yell." Katie chimed in, "and spank!" Apparently they were dilly dallying all morning and he got after them. hahaha. Lucky you, I am sparing you the gore of his surgery photos. But if you visit in person, you may not be so lucky.

Feeling blessed this month in many ways.

Dar

Enjoy the Moments

2009-09-04T16:35:00.009-06:00

"Fall is here. For many this means football games, back-to-school nights, pumpkin carving and zucchini bread. Soon the holiday season will be here and the hustle and bustle of normal life will double, maybe even triple.

"No matter how busy life gets, be sure to take time each day to enjoy life itself. Relish a quiet moment, gaze into the face of a child, soak in the fall colors, or spend time with a friend or loved one.

"If you're like me, you're looking for ways to simplify the chaos most days bring. And often, it's not about eliminating a whole lot, it's about looking deeper and finding more. Take time every day to enjoy the simple, important moments."

I wrote this on Sept. 6, 2007, and it was published as a message from the editor in my company's October 2007 magazine. I don't office wax this sentimental (outside of my journal), and ironically, I typed this just a few hours before learning that my little brother had passed away. I came across it again this week as I was cleaning out some magazines from storage.

I think this message still rings true. We need to take time for family and friends, for enjoying nature and making memories. It's not easy to find or make the time. But it is what's most rewarding.

Have a "sweet" day.

--Dar

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

2009-08-27T10:16:00.006-06:00

Today is Shelly's birthday. Yes, she is old. I asked her if she wanted a new hearing aid or walker retreads, and she said she'd just take a big bag of prunes. Ha ha.

Actually, we celebrated her special natal anniversary two nights ago at the Def Leppard concert. You remember DL, they were really popular in the early and mid 80s. They are touring with Poison (we like to pronounce it poo-swah') and Cheap Trick. We missed Cheap, but we heard Poison and were blinded by their light show. They trained us to scream out every time they said "Salt Lake City" to the crowd. or it seemed like it.

Def Leppard sounded really good for a bunch of guys who have been playing rock music for 30 years. We were way too far back to see them, but they could still move around the stage well and they put on a rockin' show with lots of hits like Bringin' on the Heartbreak, Rocket, Photograph, Pour Some Sugar on Me, Rock of Ages and a few others I remembered. Shelly way outshone me in the singing-the-actual-lyrics department. She is a true fan. I am a fake. But we had fun singing and listening and people watching. Wow. What a crowd. I don't get out of my Happy Valley bubble all that often, and I know why! (Mullets and tank tops and beer...oh my!) Not to mention the plentiful potty language and tats everywhere. I definitely felt like a minority with my long pants and long-sleeve shirt on. Very interesting.

But I digress. It's Birthday time! Please raise your Dr. Pepper high...to an unbelievable friend who always has my back...who can tell a story like nobody else...who laughs and loves and works her tail off...who gives generously... who has great taste (especially in friends)...

Happy Birthday, Shell! We love you!

Just a Few More Pictures to Cheer

2009-08-18T21:13:00.025-06:00

A few more... Edinburgh was a "blur," but I love the expression on Dave's face.

The Castle at Tulum, Yucatan, Feb. 2005

Singing at my wedding barbecue party, Oct. 2005

Clifford and friend, Scotland, Aug. 2007

Meeting up with Fords, Fredonia, NY Summer 2004 I think

Super Eagle, Jan. 2007

FHS Graduation Hug

Dave's PJ pants ripped and he made himself a bandanna. This picture makes me laugh every time I see it.

I love this shot. Waiting for the bus at Gatwix airport.

Happy Birthday, David!

2009-08-18T15:57:00.022-06:00

I want to honor my late brother, David Frankie, on what would be his 21st birthday. This beloved boy: sneezed like a horse, painted water towers, took pride in not combing his hair, thought there was a bee in my camera (as a tot), ate steak with his hands, cracked us up constantly, skiied straight down hill then tipped over, cried when he said good-byes, played rugby and volleyball, gave awesome hugs, loved to play games and cards, and had the heart of a giant.

We love Dave/D2/Deuce!

Dave at Edinburgh Castle in August 2007

Dave and Uncle Spencer having lunch on his birthday two years ago in Ireland. He loved ketchup and wasn't impressed with what he found in the British Isles.

Tracy, Saralyn and Dave were home for Dad's 70th birthday in October 2006.

Dave zonked out in the rental van in Scotland. I commissioned this picture.

Dave got his Eagle Scout with the support and help of loving family and friends. Dad was very proud.

I took this picture of Dave and Charity right after graduation from Fairport High School in June of 2007. I love this smile!

All I Want for Christmas...

2009-08-10T22:58:00.021-06:00

Not sleepless in Seattle, toothless in Springville.

The Family that Plays together...

2009-08-04T23:27:00.008-06:00

We played spoons the other night as a family. You know the harmless little card game you played as a kid where you try to collect four of a kind and grab a spoon before they're all gone? Well, Jon and I taught the girls how to play and at first it went smoothly.

Then Jim and Kenny joined in, and it got a little more competitive. Becky got a mashed finger. We had a few whines from those who weren't winning. But the coup de grace was in about the 10th game, in a fight for a spoon.

Final score: Kenny 1, table cloth 0.

Charity Never Faileth and Love is a Battlefield

2009-07-20T22:47:00.005-06:00

So I'm in the parking lot at Sam's Club with a basketful of stuff, right next to my car, when a guy starts talking to me out of the blue, and he's standing right at the other end of my basket. After a second or two, I realize he has some kind of emotional or physical difficulty, and he's asking me for money. He has two dollars crumpled up in his hands. He's muttering something about helping out a stranded person.

I open my door and pull out my planner to see what cash I have for his "bus fare to Salt Lake" which costs $5. He says, "You look like Pat Benatar." I reply, "Hmmm, she's old now. ok."

I hand him a 5 and he mumbles something about Steve Perry and some other thing. Then he quickly noticed that I did not give him the $20 bill that was in my see-through planner pouch. And he says, "More money??" I say, "No, 5 is good. That's what you said you needed for the bus." Then he mumbles something else about Pat Benatar. I reply, "Sorry? I can't understand you very well." And he sticks out his tongue at me and quickly ambles away!

I heard him yelling something to another customer 100 feet away who was putting her groceries in her car. And then he continued west out of the lot.

It was weird. I figure, you know, try not to judge, do something nice, get a warm fuzzy. NOPE. No warm fuzzy. More of a sense of frustration and just plain weirdness. Oh well.

Glacier Beauty

2009-07-08T22:55:00.025-06:00

We just got back from our family reunion at Glacier National Park. It was gorgeous and fun. Here are a few of my favorite shots of the 500 I took.

Dad and the girls

Jacob mugged for me at this pretty little pond.

Emma in the shade of a waterfall

Group hiking Logan Pass to Hidden Lake

Surprise, Dad!

Our hike led us to scenic Hidden Lake overlook

This is a really awesome gorge.

A cool waterfall--one of many!

Batter up for Sandlot baseball!

Did You Realize????

2009-07-08T22:51:00.001-06:00

Today is a very cool day numerologically. Early this morning I realized it was 7-8-9. Then I started thinking out loud and realized at 12:34.56 it was 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9.

THAT doesn't happen very often!

Hope you had a great day!!

Family Fun

2009-06-27T19:52:00.009-06:00

We had fun playing with the Campbells for about 36 hours earlier this week. We played outside, jumped on the trampoline, went running, talked, and took turns holding Thane and trying to find him something to chew on. We wish they lived closer!

Scottish Festival Fun

2009-06-17T16:27:00.013-06:00

Last Saturday, many of us attended a nearby Scottish Festival for the first time. We hoped to see an Anderson Clan tent, but alas there was none. We did watch some Highland games, where strong men, many in kilts, were trying to heave a 28-pound weight over a bar 18-22 feet high. If you look closely, you can see the blue object just below and to the left of the high bar. We also saw many wares for sale--with ties to the motherland, English, Irish and Scottish. We did buy some Walker's shortbread, which Jim and I so loved when we were in Scotland two summers ago.

They had booths of activities, and we did a few, including "Fight the Knight" and face painting. We also enjoyed much of the tattoo--a formal gathering of pipe and drum bands in full regalia that played Scotland the Brave ("This sounds like Praise to the Man!" Jon said.) and other songs. (Note the tiny drummer girl--and she was good!)

And we tapped our toes and even danced to some songs by area bands that have bagpipe and fiddle. It was a fun, different evening, and we all channeled our inner Scot for at least a few moments.

This T-shirt made me giggle: "Forget Tibet. Free Scotland!" I also liked: "Many have been KILT for calling this a SKIRT." But Jim wanted a different one.

Here are a few of the photo highlights.

A Jogging We Will Go

2009-06-16T11:07:00.002-06:00

On June 6, six of us ran the Art City 5K here in town. It was a great morning, not too hot or too cold. Alicia ran with Dad, while the rest of us were on our own. Jon came in first of our group, followed by me, Becky (I still don't owe her $10 because I can still beat her!), Jim/LL, and then Katie who drank two cups of water at the water station and then got a stitch. Oh well. We were all under 43 minutes. Not bad for a bunch of whiners...

Alicia found her motivation when at the two-mile mark she asked Jim, "Will you give me $2 if I finish this race?" He said yes and then the wheels of her mind started working overtime. "Will you give me $5 if I beat Katie?" Yes. And she did. She's a hustler. In more ways than one.

NOW a Warning...

2009-06-08T16:15:00.003-06:00

Yes, Summer is upon us, and we survived the first week. Today was Library day again, and the kids went with Jim to pick out new books and return a few they had read/listened to.

Imagine Jim's surprise as he stood waiting for the girls to make their final selections and noticed a man sitting at the library's centrally located computers, looking at porn. Yes, in broad daylight and in front of children, adults and whoever else was there. Jim notified the staff, and they disconnected the man's computer and he left. Good grief, man. Keep your smut to yourself. I don't want my kids (or my husband) seeing that garbage.

You really can't be too careful.

Uh oh, Summer's Starting...

2009-06-01T10:37:00.002-06:00

You know it's a bad sign when school just ended Friday, and today (three days later), Jim asks me, "How many days until school starts?!"

I think it was mostly a case of waking one girl up before she got the necessary sleep. He since called me and said they went to the park and ran laps. No, this is not a punishment for anything, it's practice for the local 5K this Saturday. Lee Lee just ran/walked the first mile of her life and is signed up to "run" Saturday. Jim has graciously volunteered to stay with her.

I know they were going to the library today too. So summer fun has just begun!

Especially for Karyn

2009-05-23T19:52:00.003-06:00

"So much no longer depends on this green trailer,
eight inches deep in earth,
hidden behind the brush."

(with apologies to Wm. Carlos Williams)

Magnolia blossom from "Mom's tree"

Cobbler recipe

2009-05-18T10:27:00.003-06:00

By request, here's the cobbler recipe. I think it was Charity's recipe originally, but I got it from Shelly.

Three Minute Cobbler

1 stick butter/margarine, melted

Stir into butter until lumps are gone:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt

Pour on top, don't stir in:
1 can (16 oz.) fruit pie filling

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream while still hot/warm.

Dar's note: We double the batter and use 1.5 cans of 21 oz. pie filling. I can't find 16 oz. cans in the stores. It fits nicely in a 9x13 glass dish whether you double it or not.
We usually add on baking time (about 10 minutes).
I made blackberry cobbler last night and it was de-lish.

Enjoy!

Spring in Rochester, NY

2009-05-14T19:39:00.031-06:00

I was just home visiting my dad last weekend and took many pictures. It was gorgeous and green, and many of the trees were in full bloom, including my favorite--lilacs. I'm posting a few for you to enjoy. For full effect, click the pics to enlarge.

Look closely and you'll see a chipmunk.

We gathered some wood.

The temple has lilacs too!

Ominous western NY clouds...

Mother's Day at the cemetery

The plum tree is a nice bright purple.

There's a chipmunk in the tree (hole). Note lilacs behind.

Dad on Mother's Day

Here's me after Dad and I pushed the (dead) tractor about 280 feet.

Love the red dogwoods!

Lilacs!

100,000

2009-05-05T13:59:00.002-06:00

Today is special. My car, the blue Saturn rarely referred to as Blueberry, rolled over to 100,000 miles. I am really excited! I would get my picture on the wall at the Saturn dealership, but they closed a month or so ago. Sad. But I'll post one here to make up for it... when I get some time.

Raspberry Cobbler Flambé

2009-04-21T15:46:00.007-06:00

No, this is not a recipe.

A couple weeks ago, our oven/range tried to kill us. We had gone up to Ogden to visit Grandma Britt who had surgery to repair her broken foot. We got home, I made dinner without incident. Then later, I started talking crazy about cobbler, and Jim got all excited and soon we were making Charity's yummy, easy cobbler with raspberry pie filling. My favorite!

Then Jim and I got busy emailing Jeff in Taiwan. A few minutes later, Kenny yelled up the stairs, "Dad! Dad!" Jim went out into the hall, and we quickly discovered that smokey smell that seems to penetrate every corner of a house in a millisecond, along with actual smoke in the kitchen. Kenny had taken the cobbler out of the oven and put it on the front porch. The thing was, the cobbler had only been in for about 10 minutes, and it's supposed to cook for 30-40! We briefly debated which of us dummies had put the oven on broil instead of bake. Without too much finger pointing, we determined that neither of us had. AND we quickly determined that the oven was still on! Yes, the possessed appliance was broiling at full speed while we stood there, and...while the knob was in the OFF position.

Quick-thinking Jim went to the circuit breakers and flipped the switch, killing power to the oven. We examined the now-cooled cobbler and realized that it had indeed been broiling in the oven. Hence the smoke after only 8-10 minutes. No, it was not salvageable. :( Sinister forces were at work.

Jim flipped the breaker back on and began setting the clock. A minute or two later, I opened the oven (turned off) and, lo and behold, it was broiling again! Pure evil. Back to the breaker box.

We hurriedly shopped for a new range/oven the next day, quickly realizing that not many stores stock many models. We had a bbq that night, and our shiny new sight-unseen Whirlpool was delivered the next day. So far, no stubborn broiling.

We did discover via the Internet superhighway that other people have had this same trouble with Kenmore ranges. Ours was 14 years old, and we couldn't really expect much more life out of it. So it found a new home at the dump. And all is well in the Britt kitchen.

Spring in Utah

2009-04-17T16:00:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, April 16th, we had an interesting April shower. It was of the snow variety. Like 6 to 8 inches! They had forecast it, so we were forewarned. But it still didn't seem likely. All evidence, as you can see here, points to the fact that it was real.

8:00 am: I stuck a large dinner fork straight down in the snow on the back step. This, of course, got Angel's attention. Luckily she didn't injure herself on the fork or the slick steps.

Jim spent several minutes shoveling the wet stuff off of the driveway. If you look closely on the RH side, you'll see the snow was 6 inches deep. Our willow tree broke one branch, but many trees in Provo didn't fare as well and will need major trimming.

The kids are all home for Spring Break (though maybe we should call it Winter Break) and the girls went sledding while the snow lasted. Honestly, 99.9% of it is gone today, so no harm done except to the worms that got flooded out and to the broken branches.

This is pretty dark, but it's our backyard with a cloudy sunrise. I kinda like it.

Happy Spring to you all!

The April Fool

2009-04-01T20:26:00.002-06:00

So the kids were all excited about April Fool's Day. Last night they were scheming about doing "funny" things to their teachers and here at home. Two of the girls followed through on their plans. Becky spotted herself with a washable red marker, so she looked like she had a pronounced case of the pox. (Can you say overdone?) She hammed it up and her teacher took it in stride, telling her to get away so she wouldn't get sick too.

Alicia had a more subtle approach. She asked for an envelope and gave her teacher a "note" that had a blank sheet inside. ha ha, ha, ha ... ha.... Yeah, I don't get it either. But she was happy to have been a part of this special day.

I didn't do much at all. Just a little blue food dye in the water pitcher, which Katie loved. I told them it was diet Kool-Aid when they thought it was real Kool-Aid.

Becky, in all her 10-yr.-old wisdom, decided to fool herself. Drawing from Troy's punking of Dad last year (which was not too successful), she dumped Kool-Aid powder on her OWN towel and then got it all over herself after her shower. Needless to say, she was red, and she showered again. She was still red. And then I gave her 10 minutes to clean the bathroom and take everything tainted to the laundry room. AHEM. Ah well, what can you do? Just keep laughing.

Heard and Overheard

2009-03-23T14:08:00.005-06:00

At the dinnertable...
LL: I’m an herbivore.
Dar: You eat plants?
LL: Yes and other stuff.
Dar: Do you know what you call a person who doesn’t eat meat?
Becky: A veterinarian.

Heard from upstairs...
Jim to the girls while serving them dessert: You guys are about as grateful as a $3 bill! (Como?)

In church on fast Sunday...
A little girl : I know that Bishop Gervais is a true prophet…

Becky’s birthday, opening a small package that revealed two chapsticks…
Kenny: Don’t eat them all at once.

Family Home Evening re: Heavenly Father's plan
Jon: In heaven we chose to follow Jesus. We came to earth as part of his plan. We HAD to come to earth so that we could get a …

(Dar points to and pokes herself in the arm to give girls a clue for “body”)

Becky (not looking): BRAIN!
Katie: ARM!

(Jim and Dar look at each other and can’t hold in the laughter.)

While walking to the park last week...
LL: Most boys have short hair and most girls have long hair. You have short hair.
Dar: Right.
LL: Yeah, and you’re a girl.
Dar: Good thing, or else dad wouldn’t have married me.
LL: Because boys only marry girls…that’s the law.
Dar: Yes, it is. At least for now.

Watch where you're running!

2009-03-09T11:49:00.005-06:00

Saturday, March 7, approx. 11:45, 400 South in Springville

Suddenly, the sidewalk was flying up at me. Strange, this feeling of no control. What happened?

A sudden stoppage killed my momentum and left me on the ground. My hand was scraped up and my knee was sore. Whoa. Oh my gosh! I tripped. How did that happen? Get up quick! Holy cow someone's going to honk at you. Oh man, that must've been funny to see. Wow, my hand is bloody and throbbing. Dang it. Oh, my favorite running pants are ruined! I burned a hole in my knee. What the heck! Good thing I was wearing that knee support, or my knee would hurt a lot more!

Am I so old and uncoordinated now that I can't run from here to there without falling down? Good grief. I guess I better go home and clean myself up. I hope no one saw that. Well, if they did see me fall, they had a good laugh. "Look at that lady--holy cow!" HAHAHAHAHA. Nah, I gotta run more. Don't be a wuss. Finish your measly three miles.

Thinking back on it, I had so much momentum, I actually kind of rolled up and not quite over into a somersault. I think it was more forward and sideways. What an idiot. Now I wish I DID have a video of that. Because I'm sure it was funny to see.

48 hours later: my hand is healing pretty well with band-aids and various goo. My knee is tender but it will be fine. I found a new sore spot on the outside of my left elbow. My pants are lying in state on my bedroom floor as I mourn them.

A Busy February

2009-03-01T20:59:00.009-07:00

Last Sunday we drove up to Farmington to hear Matt Harris give a "previously known as homecoming" talk in church. We visited with the Harris family afterwards. Becky's favorite part was the gerbils. (No, we don't need any.) It was great to see family and support Matt. Tracy, Rachel and Liz sang a beautiful song. I think it was called the Olive Tree. Wow. When we arrived at their house, I had parked in the deep snow to not clog the road. When we left, I wasn't thinking and just hit the gas to get out of the snow. I ended up throwing mud/lawn many many feet. Chunks were all the way to just short of the maroon car. I apologized to Brad who said he had some dirt and he would throw it down with some seed in the spring. Oops. Bad, Dar.

On Feb. 11, we went as a family to the Draper Temple open house. It was a chilly day, so we rushed our photos. But it was a great experience. We look forward to going there later. Kenny wore his new suit and shades and enjoyed thinking he was a CIA agent...or something.

Last, but not least, we celebrated Becky's 10th birthday last week. Her favorite present so far is her hot rollers from grandma, something I know NOTHING about. I stalled as long as I could (four days) and finally caved in today. We rolled some of her hair and well, it was ok. I'm not quitting my day job to become a beautician or anything close. But I think Becky can learn to do this herself soon, hallelujah. I'm missing some serious motherhood genes.

Katie's Baptism

2009-02-05T13:44:00.002-07:00

Katie got baptized by her brother Troy last Saturday. It was a fun day for her, and lots of family was there to share the experience with us. Grandma and Grandpa drove down the day before and were happy to be part of the program. Grandpa's talk on the Holy Ghost will not be soon forgotten. My favorite parts:

1."Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Ghost make up the Godhood."

2. "Heavenly Father doesn't like bad people. He only likes good people."

3. "The Holy Ghost is your special friend. You can pray to your friend when you need help."

Yeah, so he will probably just give a prayer at the next baptism...

Katie was called up to the stand on Sunday to be welcomed as the newest member of the ward. She corrected our new bishop when he accidentally called her Becky. Speaking of our bishop, one of my favorite testimonies shared Sunday was from a young girl, probably 9 or 10. She said, "I know Bishop Gervais is a true prophet."

Happy six more weeks of Winter to all!

Our Busy January

2009-02-04T18:40:00.004-07:00

Winter has been beautiful this year. We had a few amazing snowstorms in January, and I took the camera out to try to capture some of the frigid beauty. I call this first one Winter Willow.

We got a Juice Man. His name is Kenny.

Katie had a birthday party with several little friends. They went bowling then came over for cake, ice cream and general girl silliness. They ended up in the playhouse and going down the snowy, wet slide. I think they had fun.

Treading Water and Stuff

2009-01-26T14:17:00.003-07:00

Seems like we have been so busy lately. The end of January marks three family birthdays in eight days, which means excitement. Katie turned 8 on Friday and we had a small-scale family soiree that night. She REALLY enjoyed her friends party on Saturday. I took her and 6 pals to a bowling alley where they bowled two games and got free drinks. They even got special treats if they got a strike. Well with bumper bowling, strikes were plentiful for some of the gals. Only one cried when she thought she would never get a treat. Guess who... yup, you're right. I reminded her that she had a large Symphony bar at home from the night before and that helped a little. (It's still hidden in my sock drawer so daddy won't break down and eat it.) Any of you had a Tomagatchi? I don't know how to spell it, but it's a little electronic toy that's kind of like a pet. You have to feed it and do other things (by pushing buttons) to help it, or it will die. Here's a tip, don't buy one. Katie is obsessed with it, and now so is Lee Lee.

Katie will be baptized this coming Saturday, and we hope to see a few extended family members there. We had several extra Britts around yesterday as Jim was called to be in our new bishopric. It was one of those things that people had been speculating about for months, since our former bishop's 5 years were up in October. But we didn't think much of it until late December or early January when I got a funny feeling that I couldn't suppress. I shared that with Jim after a week or two, and we thought, whatever happens, we'll do our best. Funny thing, the stake presidency met with me before they met with Jim to tell me about the calling. Poor Jim was in the foyer sweating up a storm. We are excited and humbled about this. I'm not sure what it will mean for my Young Women's calling. I'm sure there's some reorganizing to be done. I will miss sitting by him on Sunday, although half of the time now there's a small girl in between us. I think it will be really good for Jim, and a good challenge for our family. We love the other people that were called and look forward to serving. We all (outgoing and incoming bishoprics and their wives) were part of sacrament meeting yesterday. I thought it was really nice.

Funny story
So last weekend, my in-laws showed up unexpectedly on Friday afternoon. They live 75 minutes away (depending on who's driving). They had gotten a little confused and were, actually, two weeks early for Katie's baptism. So they spent the night with us and we visited Saturday morning for a while. At one point, during a small lull in the conversation, grandma turned to me and said, "I'm sorry we're crazy!" which caught me off guard and was really funny. I told her they could stop by anytime and not to worry. Perhaps I should try this when I do wacky or perhaps regrettable things. "I'm sorry I'm crazy." Enough said.

Sledding Fun

2009-01-22T11:12:00.003-07:00

Reading Makes You Smrt

2009-01-06T14:55:00.003-07:00

So, we encourage the girls to read for 30 minutes every day. And they are pretty good to do this most of the time. The elementary school has their own reading program, and we try to sign the charts and all that jazz. Certain Christmas books made reading more fun for a week or two. But sometimes it's a chore to get certain girls excited about it.

So yesterday, after my white-knuckle drive home, Becky proudly announced to me that she had a new book from the school library (first day back after the holiday break). She held it behind her back and asked me to guess what it was. She quickly interpreted my mood and then playfully asked, "You know that movie Desperaux that's out?"

I replied, "Yes, the one with the mouse."

And she drew forth her shiny new book, complete with the cartoon mouse on the front. "Oh, good," I mustered. Then I decided to see how difficult a book it might be for her... and in about one second I discovered that the entire book was...

in Spanish!

The Joke's on Me

2008-12-23T14:56:00.003-07:00

For a few days, and what seems like a full week or more, I've been hearing a little chirp in my office at work. It reminded me of a chime on a sports wristwatch. Very short and not too loud. After I heard it a few times, I looked around for something electronic that would emit this beep. Not one to bring lots of electronic items to work, I didn't have that much to look through. I really thought it was coming from my phone. Coincidentally, we just had a massive overhaul on our voicemail program last weekend. So after a couple days of beeping and finding nothing, I called Alan, the phone IT guy, and he came up. Of course, when someone is waiting to hear a beep, a beep never happens. Just as he was leaving, we heard it. He seemed sure that that noise wasn't from a phone. He nicely agreed that I should clean up my desk and see if there's something needing fresh batteries.

So I threw out lots of papers this morning, took batteries out of my minicassette recorder. I didn't find anything. I started wondering if my mouse (not cordless) had batteries in it. Duh. I moved things around in my office to see if I could move the noise to farther away. Nothing worked. I finally thought to unplug my phone to see if I could prove that it was the phone after all. About three minutes after I disconnected it, I heard the chirp again!

Of course by this time, I had told a couple people in my area about it. One had even heard the noise. But they didn't seem too worried or interested.

Suddenly, two co-workers, I'll call them Rick and Adam, walk into my office and shut the door behind them. They said they had an intervention for me. Rick walks over to my bookshelf and reaches up and under it and pulls something off the back of it. It's called an ANNOYATRON. Looks like a circuit board, about the size of a credit card. It emits a chirping noise every 2 to 8 minutes at random intervals. His brother in law planted one on him and totally freaked him out for a few days. So of course he had to join the fun. He is pure evil I tell you.

I googled it and they are cheap. If you want to toy with someone's mind, they're only $9.99.

Love Notes and Validation

2008-12-11T09:52:00.002-07:00

Alicia has been having fun lately writing little notes to me. It's great because she practices her writing and spelling, and I usually get a nice note that makes me feel great. I need to post a picture of some of them--just so you know I'm not making it up.

Here is her text from my two favorites so far:
1. I love you Dar. I like you Dad. (I asked Jim, "Did you spank her today?" "No.")

2. I love you.
Thank you for dinnir.
I like you.
I want you to be my mom forever. (We'll need to discuss this...)
I want to be nice to you.
I am loving and kind.
I clean up after school + hang up my coat and do my reading.
I think you are the best mom in the world that I now.
I want to get you a Christmas presents.
I like the coler red to.
Love Alicia

One of my friends wondered if Alicia was buttering me up for Christmas. I know she can be sneaky, but I think she's just being sweet here. I'll enjoy it while it lasts. May we all have love notes and the happiness they bring. :)

Christmas Shopping Lists

2008-11-19T15:25:00.003-07:00

Shelly suggested that I share my 6 year-old's Christmas list--complete with her spelling. This is actually her second list, she revised the original right after a Wal-mart "Kids Holiday Book" arrived in the mail. Sadly I can only intercept mail on Saturdays.

Upon being presented with this second list, I asked, "But what if I'm done with your shopping already from your first list?" She smiled a airy smile and cheerfully replied, "Then you can just get some more from this list."

(my comments are in here)

Crismas list
stuff dogs
fariy
barbies 8 (&) barbie hosue
littleest pet shops
littleest pet shop digital planner (digital what? she's 6!)
pony doll
ponyvile sweet sundae amusement park
swim to me puppy
cook up some fun (actually, this was the headline. the product is "Cupcake maker with bonus")
shimmer shop
walk and wag pluto
beauty salon vanty

I guess the good news is I can get everything at Wal-mart. ;)

Oh, and a few favorite items from Kate's list:
scittles--big pack
polly pokets--cute one (not more of those ugly ones)
candy--succers
cd--I'll pick the songs
close--High school musical (as in, things you wear)
pickle jar--big one 54 oz. (I kid you not)

Happy Holiday shopping. I guess I should start now... let the headache begin.

Our Little "Singer"

2008-11-13T16:11:00.002-07:00

Last night I got home from work and found our youngest sitting on the couch on some pillows, with the Children's Songbook plopped open on her lap. She was singing away. We talked for just a minute about her day at school. I went into the kitchen and she resumed singing. A couple minutes later, Jim came downstairs and walked over to me, saying, "Sorry." I had no idea what for until he pulled the earplugs out of his ears and put them on the counter. "I couldn't take it anymore," he confessed rather quietly. Apparently our little singer had been going for quite some time. And she really doesn't know the songs, so she reads the lyrics and makes up her own happy, high- and off-pitched tunes. She's sweet and we hope not to squelch her. But the choir concert next month might be pretty interesting. :)

These are a Few of My Favorite S Things

2008-11-05T15:53:00.006-07:00

My niece's blog recently had a list of her 10 favorite things that start with the letter L. I made a comment there and "earned the privilege" of receiving a letter from her to make my own list. Mine is S. So I'm playing along.

Here's my list of my 10 favorite S things...

1. Sisters. All seven of them. Great friends, examples and pals. I miss them all and wish they lived closer.
2. Savior. What a friend we have in Jesus. I am amazed by his sacrifice for me, and for all of us, and look forward to having an opportunity to thank him for everything.
3. Sweets. Chocolate is my drug of choice, but sugar in general hits the spot for me.
4. Sports. I love football, basketball, golf, skiing, jogging…not so much swimming.
5. Silliness. From the Zorro, Fletch and Airplane movies, to making up silly songs as a child, to rowdy cheers on the team bus in high school and at football games, to just plain acting goofy after midnight. I miss being silly now that I’m a grown-up and a mom.
6. Shelly. My best friend, help, confidante, lunch pal, save-my-baconer, woommate, best cleaner in the world, decorator, shopping consultant, cheerleader, babysitter, etc. You're the best!
7. Seasons. I love them all. Fall is my favorite, sorry S. Perhaps it has something to do with September—a great time of year for apples, autumn and football!
8. Songs. I am not a singer, but I love hearing good music. I used to be way more current with tunes. Alas, I am getting older and want things gentler. A few favorites of late: the Wicked soundtrack, Enya, Carrie Newcomer, Motabs, Norah Jones, Fergie, Sara Evans, Annie Lennox, Sara Bareilles, etc.
9. Sleep. I appreciate this more than ever before. A nurse in my ward told me that the one night of the year when Americans have the fewest heart attacks happens to be the night Daylight Savings time ends (Fall back). Get your sleep!
10. Senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch. What a great gift we have—our bodies. We should take better care of them. And last but not least…
11. My Sweet (Baby) James. He’s hardly a baby, unless he’s ill, but my honey is a tremendous example to me. He is loyal, adoring, service-minded, strong, loving, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent and helps old ladies across the street.

Chilling at the Bowling Alley

2008-10-26T20:37:00.000-06:00

Bowlin'

2008-10-26T20:32:00.001-06:00

This was taken before I got into my groove. :P

Bowling a la Deuce

2008-10-26T20:27:00.001-06:00

We finally went bowling in memory of Deuce after having postponed it for over a month. It wasn't our best day out, but most of us had fun and no one was injured. Here's Jim's form.

Birthday Cake Cheer 9.30.08

2008-10-26T20:20:00.000-06:00

The Green Cube

2008-10-26T20:11:00.003-06:00

Me "in my element." I won the opportunity to drive this car during September--it was a contest they are doing all year long at work. I also got a $100 gas card and $100 cash (to cover the taxes). It was fun to drive something new for a month. The girls loved opening all the windows... And, yes, I've caught Jim's disease and I'm now blinking in many photos. It helps when he doesn't say when he's taking the pictures...

Sicko

2008-10-20T16:43:00.004-06:00

Last week I had that sinking feeling, along with a scratchy throat that said, "Uh oh, you are sick!" Over the next couple days, my voice went south for the winter, my head stuffed up like a Christmas goose, and I developed a dry cough that is mighty irritating. I had tons to do at work so I made it in every day, though Thursday I missed more than half a day. Ironically, I was well enough to attend our Health Fair at work Wednesday, where I learned even more about orthotic insoles and watched people play Wii bowling and some balance game. But I digress.

Jim has taken care of me, fetching me a bottle of water here and making me a cup of soup there. But for the most part, I managed to get my own meds, herbs, tissues, etc. On the contrary, when he is sick, he stays in bed and can't even move. We call this a man cold. Have you seen the mancold video? If not, here it is. I think it's funny.

> http://glumbert.com/wii/view.php?name=mancold

So, here are my deep thoughts on sickness.

1. Don't assume one full box of tissues is enough.
2. Don't underestimate the power of real herbal ephedra as a decongestant. (I saved it from when we could buy it legally.)
3. Don't take the blame when your obnoxious co-worker says you made him sick.
4. Don't go to bed with a price on your head.
5. Lying in the bathtub in lukewarm water is a BAD time to discover that "someone" turned down the hot water heater. Luckily my sweet husband microwaved water by the mixing bowl-ful and brought it to me to keep me from getting a worse chill. I felt like someone in a Jane Austen novel. or not.
6. It's amazing what self control I have eating good foods when I'm sick, and how that all goes out the window when I'm feeling a bit bettah.
7. I can sing tenor and bass without a problem. On a parallel note, our FHE songs sounded worse than normal last night...
8. Chicken soup is more than just for the soul!

Alright, I'm just rambling. Have a great and healthy day!

Interpreting the Scriptures

2008-10-13T16:03:00.004-06:00

This morning, we were reading scriptures with the girls, and Lee Lee read 2 Nephi 21:5 thusly:

"And righteousness shall be the griddle of his lions..."

Guess those lions better watch it, or they'll be served on toast! It was very cute and I had a big grin on my face.

Becky had her own scripture funny last week. We encourage her to break bigger words into chunks instead of guessing them by looking at the first two letters. So she carefully read without batting an eye, "Dam...ass..kis".

Right! It's Damascus, moving on!

Staying until the end

2008-10-09T09:11:00.013-06:00

Yesterday I left work early and drove up to Orem to watch Kenny's JV football game, something I have done about 5 times this season. Chances are always better that he will get to play in a JV game rather than varsity. He was in for three or four kickoffs, and his team was up 18-7 with about five minutes left. I had already talked myself into staying just a "little bit longer" a few times, knowing that the dinner schedule would be tight with Jim watching girls and running Jon to his FB practice, and me having YW.

Just then, I saw Kenny go in at corner, and right off the bat, the play came his way. For a split second I thought he was beaten, but then he reached out and tackled the receiver and stripped the ball simultaneously, then wrapped up the loose ball on the ground for a Springville recovery. He was elated and I was too. He got all kinds of high fives from teammates on the sidelines.

Springville didn't do much with the possession and ended up punting. Mt. View had the ball deep in their own territory. They threw an out to the receiver on Kenny's side, who looked to pitch it to another guy running by-- a hook and ladder--a play they had scored on in the first half. Kenny was covering the pitch guy and the pitch went bad. He scooped it up and ran it in for a TOUCHDOWN! I had the camera up by my eye when it all happened, AND my phone rang right when the play started. I told Jim "Hold on!" and put the phone down while this play transpired. He heard some cheering and me hollering. Then I screamed at him, "Kenny just scored a touchdown!" It was very cool. I wish I had a better picture of it. You can see him at the back of the end zone (#89).

Kenny had a great night, reliving his shining moments and getting praised by teammates and coaches alike. I was psyched to have been there and seen it. Dinner turned out fine--I talked Jim through it.

Hair Issues

2008-10-02T16:16:00.000-06:00

I took this picture after one of Kenny's football games. I couldn't resist. I felt like yelling at my imaginary friend, "Hey, comb over here!" If only I had an imaginary friend...

Becky had a bad hair day recently. For some reason, she decided to put it in a knot/bun on top of her head, a la the way a lady in our ward often wears her hair. But she grew increasingly frustrated with it. I told her to leave the bathroom, eat breakfast, then try it again. Notably frustrated, she complied then went back at it later. Right after we finished reading scriptures all together, Jim asked her, "What is going on with your hair?" She promptly burst into tears, ran upstairs ranting about "stupid hair" and "hate my family." Dad got a lesson in tact, but I had to chuckle when she was out of earshot. Luckily Shelly showed all the girls a new 'do that is cute and semi-easy. We hope to avoid hair-related tears at least until they are 12.

Password Panic

2008-10-02T16:10:00.001-06:00

I hate passwords. I had to change two passwords in the past two days, and now I can't remember what's what. And my bank isn't helping me remember. They just tell me that my login failed and try again later, moron. Luckily, Shelly emailed me the login and password to this here fine site so I could "remember" it (aka look it up). In a meeting this morning at work, our boss encouraged us to change our passwords often. The MAC users don't have to, but the PC users do every six months, and your password has to contain a capital letter, numeral, symbol and something in Swahili. Honestly. So I'm thinking most of us have a secret list of all of our passwords hidden somewhere so in case they have a brain cramp, they aren't completely useless. Am I right?

2008-09-30T22:14:00.000-06:00

My first deep thought on the anniversary of my natal experience

2008-09-30T21:37:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a great present! I was surprised and excited to "unwrap" this one. Thanks for the great comments that were already there waiting for me too. That's so cool. I only got a quick tutorial, but I figured I'd try to do something here.

I don't feel old, but I feel older. I don't feel young, but I feel immature sometimes. I am happy, I am blessed, I am loved and that makes all the difference in the world to me. My senior quote in the high school yearbook was "A friend is a present you give to yourself." I still believe this, and today, and every day, I have LOTS of presents.

Thanks, ever'body!

(She labeled it deep thoughts, didn't she?)

Happy Birthday Dar!

2008-09-25T18:59:00.000-06:00

This is one of my birthday gifts to Dar. I'm not sure she is really going to appreciate it, but I thought that if I got a blog all set up for her and ready to use, that she might actually enjoy it.

Lots of love from Shelly!