Christmas Time is Here!

Well, here it is again...officially my favorite time of the year...Christmas! It seems like it comes faster and faster all the time.  This year I turned around and there it was, staring me in the face.  It's a good thing we're old friends, Christmas and I...

Our children are growing just as fast is seems, and though the days can be long, the years are incredibly short.  We have been so blessed with the family we've been given and are grateful every day for all that they are.



Sister Heywood and Sister Curtis



Makenzie (20) is serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Utica, New York.  She absolutely loves it and we hope she'll be happy to come home in a year from now.  She pretty much wants to stay forever though, so we're not sure.  She's grown so much in confidence and testimony and has given us the best gift we could ask for as parents; a deep faith in her Savior and a desire to serve Him and bring others unto Him. 

Isaiah (17) is a Senior in High School this year and can't wait to move on to his next stage in life.  He is holding down two jobs and is quite the fashion conscious leader of our home.  He finished his Eagle Scout project earlier this year and is looking forward to helping our ward basketball team dominate once again this spring.  He will be taller than his dad any minute now and spends most of his time lifting weights and finding places to drive my car.

Quincy (14)  is in his first year of high school and just made the Freshman soccer team.  He is playing goalie which gives me anxiety, but fortunately he's really good at it.  He is the reason we have lights on the house and Christmas decorations up this year.  If he had a driver's license I'm sure we would've had a tree much earlier than we did. You could say he's festive.  He's up at 5:30 every morning to get to seminary with Isaiah and LOVES Christmas.

Brayden (10) is in 5th grade and asks more questions in a day than anyone I know.  He is 

very curious about everything and bless his little heart, thinks I know all the answers.  He is trying to find a way to become a YouTube sensation and starts basketball in January.  He wants to learn to cook and says macaroni and cheese was a good start, but he's ready to make 'real stuff.'  Next up, linguine with clam sauce...his favorite meal.

Savannah (8) is in 2nd grade and wants to do everything! She just finished playing soccer and is ready for ballet and gymnastics.  She was baptized over Thanksgiving weekend up in Utah so all of her cousins got to be there for her.  Drama and attitude are the two words that best describe her and she keeps us busy. She loves babies and little children and is very sweet with them.  She got her ears pierced for her birthday and is excited that she got to change them for the first time today.

Kelly and I are really just trying to keep it all reigned in.  He's still self employed, still in the bishopric and still the father of 5 kids so he's still a little busy...which is a good thing! I got to take the youngest two kids to Montana and Utah this summer to hang out with my family, which was the best. I still want to write a novel and get my house organized! 

Though we've had our ups and downs this year, we are blessed beyond words to be where we are and have what we have.  The most important things in our lives are our family and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We love spending this time to focus even more on the life of the Savior, who made all things possible.  We love and cherish our friends and family and wish you all a very merry Christmas and a wonderful 2014.          

Every 99 years...

That's the answer to the question, "how often is there scaffolding around the Salt Lake City

Temple?"  If I'm ever on a gameshow where they ask that question,        I. Will. Win! How do I know? How can I be sure???

Because 21 years ago today, my fiance and I pulled up to Salt Lake City Temple to be married... and much to my surprise (and horror at the time), there was scaffolding! I'm pretty sure I cried.  Then I cried because I was going to cry off my make up.  Then I cried more because we left the marriage license in the car.  But, my knight in shining armor (who was probably a little freaked out with all the crying), ran back to the car, procurred the license, and saved the day.  We were married.  We weren't married 'til death do us part, but we were married for eternity. For forever.  And that right there made the scaffolding okay.

We were surrounded by the people we loved, and who loved us.  We were in our favorite temple (even if it was being cleaned for it's 100th birthday the next summer), and we were together.  Kelly's best friend's grandfather performed the sealing.  I'll admit I don't remember a lot of what he said, and my dad had to pry our marriage certificate out of my hands because I nearly twisted it half;  but it was a beautiful day... for us, anyway...

We took pictures by the hundreds with eveyone oohing and aahhing.  I had a ball! I was happy.  We crossed the street to get pictures with the temple in the background, and we were done.  Our photographer snapped one last picture and BAM! The sky opened up and it  began to pour rain! I don't mean it started raining...I mean buckets of water fell from the sky.

 

I did mention we were finished with our pictures, right? Because if we hadn't been, I never would have gotten over it...I don't get over things like that  at all very well.  We actually got a couple of great shots in the rain.  We waited for a break in the deluge...and then... the best thing ever!

A kindly, white haired man in a suit, opened the doors to the Church Office Building and motioned for us to follow him.  He escorted us to what I  like to call, the secret passageway.  The tunnel that leads from the office building to the temple.  Awesome!!

Even though I was giddy, I felt extrememly sad for all the brides who had just gotten married that wouldn't be able to get pictures taken.  Who expects rain at the end of June?!

Now it's 21 years later.  We have a daughter on a mission, a senior, a freshman, a fifth grader and a second grader.  Marriage hasn't always been easy, but it has always been worth it! I would say we lucked out that day, but it's more than that.  We were blessed. 

I believe we were meant to be...even on the days we drive eachother nuts! His is still my favorite hand to hold, my favorite blue eyes, my favorite smile.  He puts up with a lot of...personality... from me, and I believe it when he tells me how much he loves me...every day! I love him dearly and am so happy that my children have him for a father.  He's the best...and I guess he's also pretty lucky too!

Happy 21st Anniversary Kelly...time flies when you're having kids FUN!

Wednesdays

Today is Wednesday... well, for the next 22 minutes or so, but it is still Wednesday nonetheless.  It's the first Wednesday of May, and I have until the last Wednesday of May until I have to say goodbye to my daughter for 18 months.  She is going to Utica, New York to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and while I couldn't be more proud, or wish for her to be any where else on the planet, I am, how you call it, freaking out little bit! (That sounds much better if you read it with a Russian accent).

She's excited, I'm excited, we're all excited...really, truly, deeply.  It's a blessing to have a child be worthy, willing and able to go.  She will be an excellent missionary, of that I am sure.  She loves her Savior, and she loves helping others.  That, my friends, is a winning combination.  She knows how to work hard and she doesn't quit.  She's tough...tougher than me...

I find myself crying in my closet, in my shower, in the car, in the store... pretty much anywhere and at any time.  It doesn't take much to set me off either.  A song, someone saying goodbye to someone else, a picture of her as a little girl...you probably get the idea.  It seems the more I try to hold it in, the more it just leaks out and gets all over everything.  I am hoping that these little mini-meltdowns will help me avoid a major meltdown when that last Wednesday comes.

So, what are we doing? We've made a list...several lists. Movies to see, dvd's to watch, restaurants to frequent and favorite meals to fix.  We've been on a pretty steady diet of good food and late night frivolity since she got home last week! I have to say, I'm a little tired and worn down, but it's worth it! We still have bags to pack and things to buy, and we'll get it done...if we can get some sleep.  These moments of laughing and talking into the wee hours of the morning are to good to pass up, and I'm not going to.

Chicken Soup for my Soul

I can admit it...I'm a stalker...a blog stalker.  There are few things I enjoy more than reading and keeping up on the personal lives of people I don't even know...and some that I do.  I just love it.  I love to see people overcome adversity and then inspire others to do the same.  I love reading about moms who love being moms, but can admit that on some days it can totally suck the life right out of you.  The shared experience is what I love...and I got it today... on a day that I really needed it.

In just a minute I'm going to share a blog post with you that has really changed my life...really.  Don't try skipping ahead to read it now.  I've disabled the settings so that you must finish reading mine before you can be linked to hers.  For real.  Don't even ask me how I did it.

I have to start with a short story...a story in which I may sound like I'm patting myself on the back...but I'm not.  There's a point.

Today two different friends sent me a text for a "buy one-get one free" meal at Chik-Fil-A.  My little kids were getting out early from school and I thought it would be a nice surprise...and mostly, I was really  hungry. I had been doing work for Brayden's teacher and ended up staying a lot longer than I usually do, so I decided to a treat was in order.

As I was about to pull  into the drive thru, I noticed a homeless man sitting on a bench in the cold.  Those of you outside of California may scoff at the use of my word cold, but it has been very chilly here recently.  As I placed my order I decided to order him some soup.  I had a few bags left that we had made with some friends for the homeless during the holidays, so I grabbed one, took the soup and went to find him.  Of course he was gone! I got back in my car, determined to track him down.  I found him, gave him the goods, and teared up as I sat in my warm SUV with heated seats wondering why I ever complain about anything! He had already sat down on the overturned 5-gallon bucket he had been carrying in his cart and started to eat. I was happy that he was enjoying it as I drove away.

Five seconds later I reached into my bag for a waffle fry and I teared up again.

A cup of soup? You are so selfish! Why didn't you give him the chicken and the fries? A cup of soup?? I'm sure that will make a big difference in his life.  Enjoy your lunch!   

That's literally how I felt...like a loser. 

I go through this a lot.  Do something good.  Think of how much better it should have been. Feel bad.

I know that's not how Heavenly Father wanted me to feel.  He is the one who inspired me to feel for the man in the first place.  I am convinced that Satan is behind those kinds of feelings.  Feelings that we haven't done enough, we're not good enough, thin enough, fast enough, strong enough.  Feelings that make us not want to even bother...because it won't be perfect enough.  We've all felt it at one time or another, especially as women.  I had been pondering on this for the rest of the day, and tonight on Facebook (of all places) I came across this blog post that Makenzie's sweet roommate, Annie, had read and shared.  So thank you Annie, thank you Kathryn Thompson of Daringyoungmom.com, it was just what I needed, when I needed it!

And now, read this amazing post:

http://www.daringyoungmom.com/2012/12/19/drops-of-awesome/

"Oh Martha, Oh Christmas!!"

I'm a little sad about my last blog post to be honest.  Not only was I depressed and gloomy...about Christmas of all things, but my grammar and use of proper tense forms were way off.  Please forgive me, I will try not to let it happen again.

But, I must tell you, a Christmas miracle occurred that night.  Nothing like THE Christmas miracle, of course, but more like a minor one in the grand scheme of things.  There I was, bemoaning my lack of Christmas spirit, when I decided to take my own advice (from the afore mentioned post) and break out some hot chocolate.  My dear friend Misty had just delivered some dee-licious Land O Lakes French Vanilla hot cocoa, and as a connoisseur of fine hot cocoas, I must admit, this one might just take the cake...er the cocoa. It warmed my very soul, THAT's how good it was.  

So then, with my warm cup in hand, I decided to do a little surfing on Facebook, because sometimes (and let's be honest here) you feel like your life is less pitiful when you read what other ding-dongs are doing on Facebook! Any hoo, I digress...I'm surfing...on Facebook. Bam! I see the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life.  One of my friends (who is an awesome photographer, by the by) had posted a picture that summed up entirely how I was feeling at that very moment...

And yet, had the power to almost single handedly transform my dreary, dreary mood! Are you ready???? 

Taken by the fabulous Jamie of JamiliaJean Photography...and yes, I can give you her number- you'll have to get your kids to cry!

How do you not love this picture?? This, my friends, was me...People wanted me to be happy - I wanted me to be happy, but I just wasn't happy! Until. I. saw. this! I laughed so hard I cried! I cried real tears! I cried because I was lacking my own JOY. I cried because the kids were crying. I cried because somewhere a mom was probably crying. I cried because at that moment, I knew I shouldn't be crying! My life is good! My life is great! And...I cried because it's Christmas time! My most favorite time of the year!  I love it! I love,  love, love, love, love Christmas time! I truly, truly do.

After shutting down FB, I wandered into the family room with my still-warm cocoa, and watched an episode of Elementary. Love that too. (Are you sensing a theme?) I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, and even though the episode had nothing to do with Christmas, it made me smile...and I just like smiling.

People, I was nearly there! Nearly back to my old Christmassy self... just one last thing.  I hadn't said a decent prayer in two weeks...other than "please don't let me get sick on the plane," and "please make the room stop spinning!" Those kind of prayers, while desperate, aren't really quality prayers.  I knelt down by my bed and offered up a truly heartfelt prayer; gratitude for the many blessings I have and the glorious (though far from perfect) life I have been blessed to lead.  I was almost in awe of the spirit that washed over me.  All of my gloom was gone, just....gone! It was replaced with happiness that had been missing for a while, and JOY...real, live, JOY! I'm usually pretty reverent during my prayers, although I believe my Father in Heaven and I have shared a few chuckles, but at the conclusion of this prayer, I said my 'Amen' and then I let the giddiness overtake me as I hugged myself and breathed out one of my favorite lines from "The Grinch;"  'Oh Martha, Oh Christmas!'

I am now officially full to the brim with Christmas Spirit! No Grinches allowed! (Except on dvd!) 

Where are you Christmas?

Yesterday I finally got dressed at around 4:30...p.m! And when I say I got dressed, I mean I added a bra to my sweats, T-shirt and slippers.  I had to pick Quincy up from school, which being dressed is not a pre-requisite for, but we also had to go to Walmart.  I know, I  know, it would have been perfectly acceptable for me to walk in there sans the bra, but since I can no longer blame my hallucinations and 1/3 of my pride is back, I added the bra.

As I slunk past the bell-ringer, my eyes caught a flashing "20 Days to Christmas!" sign and I literally stopped in my tracks and stared at the sign. 20 days? 20...as in only 6 days more than 2 weeks?! What the (we'll go with heck!) I couldn't believe it! Where had I been?

Home. I had been at home.  In bed.  In bed with the monster flu.  Monster as in the kind old people die from.  In bed for a week.  That just doesn't happen to me.  I was finally up-right, but I had lost a whole week of Christmas planning.  Today I was dressed by 1...in actual jeans and shoes, but I still feel blah, and I don't want to feel blah...it's December! My favorite month of the year.

Quincy's been bugging me to let the creepy little elf out of his box for the last two days, but seriously, I just don't have the heart.  There were many nights last Christmas when I had to rouse myself from bed to go move the little bugger to a new hiding place, and I just can't face it yet.  (I was usually up watering my tree anyway, so two birds, one stone).  I figure if he shows up 2 weeks before Christmas it'll all be just fine. 

College girl is coming home in about 10 days, and I need to be my peppy, perky, holiday-buzzed, overly exuberant self for the rest of the year. I don't have time to wait around for the Christmas spirit to arrive.  I need it NOW!  So, I guess I need a plan.  Here goes:

1. Cut back on all the things I think I need to do to make it a Merry Christmas.
2. Do something nice for someone.
3. Get a peppermint shake from Chik-fil-A.
4. Get my tree up this weekend.
5. Break out the hot cocoa.
6. Watch a Christmas movie...STAT! (I watched It's a Wonderful Life while I had the flu but I wanted to join George when he jumped off the bridge).
7. Get Grammy's nativity set out.
8. Don't even think of making a Santa out of bread for anyone this year!
9. Listen to Christmas music.
10. Focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

That should do it.  I'll start tomorrow. 

Thankful

 My little kids asked Kelly the other day why he always says 'thank you' and he replied that he would be afraid not to say it.  I'm not sure they knew what he meant, but I am.

Today Savannah, Brayden and I were waiting to pull out onto a busy street behind our house.  The light turned green and the car in front of me just sat there long enough for me to contemplate a 'beep' of the horn.  I am grateful that I didn't do it.  As the lady finally looked up, saw the light was green and let off the brake, a huge landscaping truck barrelled through the intersection at full speed, running his red light.  The lady in front of me slammed on her brakes and did honk.  While I am grateful that my impatience didn't cause me to honk and have her pull  into on-coming traffic, I am also eternally and deeply grateful that she was distracted and sat at the stoplight.  Chances are, if she had gone immediately, we would have been in the intersection and been t-boned by that truck. I knew immediately that we were being watched over in that moment.  I am thankful for both the protection and the feeling of being protected.  I talked to my kids about it, we said a prayer of gratitude and talked about what daddy meant.

The rest of what I am grateful for today is silly in comparison; but I'm still going to say it because we should show gratitude for things big and small.

I am grateful that Chik-fil-A didn't wait until December to bring back their peppermint  shakes! They are what one might call...delightful.  I had planned on waiting until after Thanksgiving to indulge (due to my diet), but after eating potato soup, homemade bread, rib eye, apple pie and more homemade bread this week, I decided to live a little.  After all, if I'm gonna get taken out by a truck, I don't want the last thing I ate to be lettuce! :) I am thankful to know that the South Beach diet will be waiting for me after the holiday season.

I am thankful for my adorable kids! After we got lunch in the drive through, Brayden offered to hold the shake for me.  He said, "I'll hold it for you mom, and I won't drink out of it until we get home, because I know you don't want us to get you sick before Thanksgiving!"  It's true, I've been hounding them not to drink and/or eat out of my stuff because I have a tendancy to get sick before major holidays and vacations!

I kept the shake with me and ate the cherry off the top.  Face it, you can't split a cherry into 3 and I paid for it... Brayden then looked at me and said, "I sure hope no one else runs a red light because I don't want my life to end before I get a taste of that shake!"
I laughed and told him how cute he was and he literally beemed.  He said, "Mom, I love being me, I like who I am."  I am so thankful he feels that way and hope he can always carry that with him.

I will follow his example.  I love being me! I am not perfect, I can be a weirdo and I have a lot of flaws.  But I have fun! I am thankful that I like being unique, I like my name, I like laughing...and laughing hard! I am thankful that my kids have these sarcastic, witty senses of humor and that we have inside jokes.  I am thankful that I enjoy being a mom. I have the most amazing family- here, there and everywhere. I am thankful for all the people in my life who have shown me such love and friendship.  I don't know if anyone on the planet has a better support system and group of friends than I do, just truly amazing people.  I am thankful that I'm me!

She Drives Me Crazy!

I'm at the point in my life where I have a teen with a learner's permit...when did that happen??? Makenzie started driving yesterday and I can't believe it!! I'm old!

Happy Birthday Kelly!

So, about 21 years and three weeks ago, I started dating this guy.  I was a nanny in Virginia, he was an intern in Virginia.  We met at church.  (There is a long, crazy story behind this, but this post is not about me, my clumsiness, nor my ensuing scheming, so we'll save that for another day).  Anyway, 21years and three months ago, I started dating this guy...
He was a good guy, I could tell.  It wasn't because he opened car doors for me, because he didn't.  His passenger side door wouldn't open from the outside, so he would have to get in and lean over to open my door.  It may have had something to do with the fact that he just kissed me on my forehead on a night where he probably deserved a real kiss, and that he sat hungry and watched me eat a cheeseburger, fries and key lime pie that he boght me on a night when that's all the money he had in his wallet! (I didn't know that at the time, or I would have shared!) It had a little bit to do with the fact that he knew, loved, and owned the music to "Somewhere in Time," which was a must for any man I would seriously consider marrying, and I asked him if he had heard it on date #2 I think.  I was 19 and immature when I met him, but smart enough to know he was a keeper pretty early on.
3 weeks after our first "date," we celebrated his 25th birthday together with friends.  I wrote him a poem in a card about being a quarter of a century old...then I taped a quarter into the card.  I bought him the soundtrack of 'Dances with Wolves' on cassette (we're sooo old!), because John Barry of Somewhere in Time fame had also composed that music and I knew he would love it! We watched the movie together on our official first date! I also gave him a mug with Hershey kisses and hugs in it.  Well, he kept the mug but gave away the candy and he spent the quarter...but he wore out the cassette in his Walkman, so that's okay. 
So now it's 20 years of marriage and 5 kids later...wow! Today is his birthday and he's...older than 25! :) He's a wonderful husband and a great father and people love him.  They love him because he's kind...to everyone...even, and especially those whom others are not kind too. He always has time to talk to people; friends, family, co-workers and strangers.  There are homeless people that are on a first name basis with him...not because he's always given them money, but because he's always talked to them.  It's a running joke in our family that the homeless and mentally ill are attracted to Kelly - and it's true.  He's been approached by so many different people over the years that I know they can sense the kindness and sincerity in his spirit.  He is honest to a fault (don't ask him how you look in something if you don't really want to know) and works harder than anyone I know.  I don't think he always gets all the credit he deserves, but he's humble and just keeps on keepin' on.  He does what he's supposed to, when he's supposed to and how he's supposed to.  He's not perfect, (if you've read other posts you know that), but he's perfect for me.  He's so much nicer to me than I am to him.  He will do anything for me that I ask, including, but not limited to, getting up at 1am to get me socks for my cold feet, a drink of water, Tylenol or  a barfing kid.  He'll do anything for our kids; pick them up late from movies, get up early to take them to basketball, make a midnight run to a.m./p.m.  for nachos and soda...you get the picture? He'll do almost anything to help anyone, and yes, I have occasionally had to put my foot down- but that's who he is.  The only times he's not nice is if you mess with me, then heaven help you!
What a blessing for parents to have a son like that.  I hope our kids will follow his example of service and Christ-like love for others.  Now that I have known him for almost a quarter of a century, I can honestly say I am the luckiest girl in the world.  Love that guy!! Happy Birthday!

What's on the inside...

*I wrote this inFebruary on my old blog-but this is how I was feeling today and I'm thinking of abandoning the other one (shhh)...so, I put it here.  Maybe it will motivate me to get my crap together if I know someone read it!

Well, I did it. I finished off half a bag of peanut butter m&m's after having corn bread with honey butter for breakfast and before having Ramen noodles for lunch! I think date night tonight may involve a trip to find some pants in a bigger size...'cause I'm beginning to run out of options.


Why does it have to be so hard? I don't expect to be able to eat crap all day and look like a super model, but do I have to eat carrots and celery and drink nothing but water and exercise 2 hours a day to not have a muffin front? (I guess it's a good thing, I don't really have love handles...but I'm sure they could be arranged!) I don't usually eat like I did today, sometimes it's worse, usually it's better, but I just want to be normal! I don't want to obsess about food and my body and what I'm going to wear.

I didn't go to our stake humanitarian project last night for a myriad of reasons, but at the top of the list was this: It was cold...even for California. The pants I was wearing were capris, which means you can really only wear sandals or slip ons without socks... no way! Besides, Kelly called them "Billy Ocean Pants" last night, as in 'painted on jeans,' so obviously I'm rethinking my decision to have worn them out of the house already. I had zero desire to go stand in my closet, stare blankly into space and hope (yet again) that something will magically appear for me to wear. I know what's in there...I see it every day, and it sees me every day...we kind of have a stand off going on. Am I going to lose weight or are they going to D.I.?

I am not trying to complain, there are a lot of problems people have out there and on the scale (ha ha) of things, this isn't a crisis- I am blessed beyond compare. But s.e.r.i.o.u.s.l.y, seriously! We are taught that our bodies shouldn't be our focus, and I agree, but while mine is clearly not my focus, I sure spend a lot of time thinking about it. I believe it's what's inside that counts the most...but when what's on the inside starts showing up on the outside.... whoa!

I'm kind of an all or nothing type of girl...I am either a clean freak, or my house is in shambles for a week or two. I either read my scriptures daily or I don't know where they are. I either hit the gym 5 to 6 days a week and throw away every bit of unhealthy food, or...NOT. I am trying to work on 'moderation in all things', an inspired idea...but it's hard when you're programmed to be 'all or nothing.' Thus, my on-going debate: I really love food and I love to eat. It makes me happy...not in a creepy, childhood trauma, "food is the only thing that loved me" kind of way, just in a "dang, that pasta is off the chain!" - kind of way. Take my Ramen noodles...reminds me of my Grammy. I ate them religiously at her house (and Vienna sausage). She would bring them to me when I stayed home from school, "sick." One time she brought me some and I fixed them after she left. Sadly, they were from her food storage and were full of weevil. To this day it remains one of the most disappointing moments in my life (told you I led a blessed life). I almost tried to eat it, but I couldn't do it. I know they're not good for me...but they're good! Chocolate cake is good, cheesecake, steak, sour cream, butter and ice cream, it's all good, and I'm never, never going to not eat some of it. I guess I just don't need to eat ALL of it.

Home Security

It was hot. Dang hot. So hot you could hardly breathe.  I threw the covers off and looked at the clock...4 a.m. I got up and walked over to the sliding glass door of my bedroom and reached through the blinds to unlock it.  As the 'louder than expected' click echoed through the room, the blinds simultaneously clanked into one another and I realized my mistake.  It was like slow motion as my head turned toward the bed to see Kelly, flinging bed sheets and pillows and going from a prone position to a standing posistion all in one move.  His fists were clenched and he was furious.  He looked like a giant, white hulk, ready for battle as he roared, "WHO-ARE-YOU-AND-WHAT-ARE-YOU-DOING-HERE?!"
"STOP! STOP! IT'S ME, IT'S ME!" I screamed, as I threw one arm up defensively and pressed my body to the glass.  It may seem hard to believe, but my sudden crouching position was both defensive and offensive.  I was prepared to pounce if he came any closer... and I had a target in mind. 
He stood there for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, the only sound was our mutual heavy breathing and the blinds bouncing off eachother. 
"What are you doing? Why were you outside?" He demanded.
"Holy crap! I was just opening the door, it's hot in here!" I demanded right back.
 Silence. Blinds.
"I'm sorry...I was just protecting us..." he said, and tentatively reached out to touch my arm.
"It's fine...I'm going back to bed..." and I did.
But then I had to get back up because now I had a scratchy sore spot in my throat from screaming and I needed a drink and a cough drop...and to go explain to Savannah what Daddy and I were talking about. But I feel safe knowing he's there...mostly! Love you honey <3

The father of our country...German style

In order to keep things real around here, I have to share the real things that happen around here...even if it is during family scriptures study.  There we were, seated on the couches in our living room, scriptures in hand and it begins.  Someone (probably a boy) bumps someone and that someone proceeds to call the bumper a "dirty German."  The whole name-calling thing has been on my priority list of things to rid our family of.  The boys recent fascination with WW2 movies has not made it any easier.
 I scold, correct, try to get back on track.  Quincy says, "don't call me a dirty German, I'm a dutch man."  Only he says 'dootch' which brings about a round of cackles from the peanut gallery (Isaiah) who says, "you're a douche?!" Now I'm fully engaged, scolding and correcting King Peanut, and explaining to Quincy that the word is deutsche (you can bet I had to look that up!) and it's pronounced 'doy-ch.' Well, now all the little ears have perked up and the giggling has intensified.  Brayden wants to know if 'douche' is a bad word and I explain that "no, it's not a bad word, it's just a word that means wash, but it's not a word he should be saying.   Quincy then proceeds to tell us that his body wash says 'gel douche' on the bottle and I say, "I know! It just means wash!" Brayden thinks for a minute and then says, "so in German it would be George Douche-ington!"
We laughed uncontrollably for ten minutes.  Finally I had to get control of the group and I knew I had to make sure this didn't leave the house.  I settled them down and said, "Listen, we do not talk about this to anyone, it would be inappropriate! This is not a word we use." Without skipping a beat, Quincy chimes in..."unless we're in the feminine hygiene aisle!"

iT'S aLL iN hOW yOU loOK aT it

What's Crappy?
Finishing your two hour massage plus facial and having to go through the seven voice mails waiting for you the minute you're done...Discovering that one of those seven messages is from Wickman Elementary calling to let you know the 5 year old is sick and needs to be picked up...Realizing you're 35 minutes away from the school and that kindergarten ended 2 hours ago anyway...Hurrying home after running your "errands" and blowing a tire in the fast lane on the freeway...Picking up 'not-really-so-sick-cartwheel doing-McDonald's eating-computer playing-5 year old from Kelly's office and realizing your spare tire is now going flat...Sitting in Firestone with said 5 year old for an hour and a half... and THEN being told they don't have your tire and will have to get it tomorrow...Having one son chip a tooth eating Skittles and another nearly rip off a fingernail while skateboarding (can you call it skateboarding if you're sitting on your bum?)...all by Wednesday afternoon!!!

What's NOT Crappy?
That you got a 2 hour massage plus facial to relax you before you headed off to war...That you had had a 90 minute hot stone massage the 2 days previous to further your relaxation...That your husband was available to pick up the sick child from school when calls to your cell phone and house phone went unanswered...That some of your "errands" included having lunch by yourself NOT in the car...That said husband was un-ticked off that you were off having a "spa day" while he was playing nurse maid-taxi service-lunch getter-entertainer-soda opener and cleaner upper-popcorn maker-pencil finder-computer game starter while at "work"...hearing the 'pop' of the tire and slowing down immediately and getting to the shoulder of the road before the tire was in shreds...The AAA guy that changed my tire, then followed me to the nearest gas station to put air in spare...The guys at Costco who put more air in my spare tire...The fact that there was a Rite Aid with ice cream next to Firestone...That Quincy convinced Isaiah that they did NOT need to call 911 about Brayden's fingernail...That the older boys took Brayden to the nurse next door and and she cleaned and dressed and bandaged the finger and told us to just let it fall of on it's own...That Kelly stopped on the way home from a long and less than fruitful day of work and picked up more bandages, pain reliever and cream...That I got to go to the Relief Society birthday party and have dinner with my girlfriends...That I went straight from there and enjoyed yet another 90 minute hot stone massage with my friend...Aaaahhh, good (totally not crappy) day!
*For those of you wondering, I have used a total of 12 (12!!!) massage hours in four days! My membership was expiring and you don't get the money back if you don't use them and you can't transfer them to anyone else. My body was not made for marathons...unless it's a massage marathon...that I can do!

Bubble Bath

Yesterday I was feeling a bit under the weather (more on that later, I don't want every blog entry to be about poop and/or vomit), so I decided to take a bath. Savannah had stayed home from school, also sick, and came in to ask if she could take a bath with me. I declined the offer and suggested she finish watching her show. She then asked, "when my show is over can I come sit on the side of your tub and put my feet in and talk to you?" I smiled and said yes, remembering doing the same thing with my mom.
She came in after a few minutes and climbed up onto the side of the tub and plopped her freezing cold feet into my bath. "So," she said, folding her hands together, "which do you like more... being a baby or a mom or a kid?" I guess we were going to really talk. I told her I didn't remember being a baby, that being a kid was super fun, but that being the mom was the best because you can still have fun and you get to have your cute kids. She thought for a while and then said, "so, what were Nana's mom and dad's names?" I told her about Grandpa Butler and Grandma Grace and how many grandpas I had and how many she had and all kinds of questions that I didn't expect a four year old to ask me. Holy cow, she's five, not four! She's just so adorable sometimes!
She's home from school again today with an intestinal bacterial infection...whew! Four of us had the flu over the weekend: me, Brayden, Savannah and Quincy. Some of us (me) just ached like crazy, and two of us (the boys) threw up and Savannah just kept running for the bathroom. However, hers didn't go away so I finally took her to the doctor yesterday and she doesn't have the flu. She's on meds and can hopefully (please, oh please) go back to school tomorrow.
I am having my carpets cleaned in the morning for several reasons: they're dirty, we have company coming this weekend and, most importantly, because I thought Brayden was faking it when he said he didn't feel well Sunday morning. I was going to let him stay home from church anyway, I wasn't really up to fighting him, but I didn't take any preventative measures either. I was still in bed when I heard him yell from the landing, "Guys, I have vomit! I vomited!" My hero Isaiah cleaned it up, although I did weakly offer to do it. Then I had a talk with Brayden about now that he's 8 (in a few days), it's time to start hitting a sink, a trash can, a toilet, something other than the carpet! Dude!
They are all growing up. Quincy just turned 12 and will receive the Priesthood on Sunday. He's a good boy, a really good boy and stands up for the little guy all the time. He's been waiting to be ordained until this weekend when Brayden gets baptized so I just found out he hasn't been going to Young Men on Sundays. He thought he had to be ordained first. See...just a good boy! It'll be a long, busy crazy weekend...but an important one for our two youngest boys and we're very proud of them.

Good Times and Cows...

Something in the air at Disneyland must inspire my children to say strange and hillarious things! We drove thru Burger King on the way home (which, to my credit, we haven't eaten at one in probably 4 years!) and Brayden and I got Whoppers and Savannah had a cheeseburger. Brayden called out to me from the backseat, "Mom, did you know right now you're eating a cow?" My mouth was completely full of cow, and yet I answered him, "I sure do, and I love it!" He was silent for a bit, eating the burger that he had already deemed delicious, and then said, "Mom, I don't want to be a cow." "That's good buddy, 'cause you're not going to be one." Maybe thirty seconds went by and he said, "but mom, if I was a cow, I'd still want to celebrate holidays and stuff, and play with toys, and eat cheeseburgers and not get hunted." I couldn't really think of a great response to that, so I just said, "hmmm," I mean, really, what is there to say. He has a great imagination...or a serious problem.
So, now for the reason we were at Disneyland on a school night... When Kelly and I were first married we met another young couple in our ward that we clicked with immediately. Bryce and Jessica Mecham. We spent many Sunday evenings eating dinner and playing cards, laughing and talking. They were (and are) some of our very favorite people on the planet. The last time we saw them was right before we moved to Califonia, almost 16 years ago. Over time we've both moved and lost touch, and then comes the beauty of Facebook. We finally found eachother and have been talking. They brought their family to California to go to Disneyland and we were privileged to have them come to church with us on Sunday and then come back to our house for dinner and good old fashioned hang out time. Their entire family was such a breath of fresh air and we were reminded how truly blessed we have been to have some remarkable friends in our lives. We were able to pick up right where we left off and it was amazing to spend time with them. If it's not too cliche, I would call them 'kindred spirits.'
We joined them at Disneyland after school for "Family Home Evening" and had a great time. Our Brayden and their Ellie get along fabulously, they may be twins separated at birth! So we're grateful for good friends and looking forward to the time when the four of us can travel together ... 'cause you can't do that with just anyone, y'know!

A note to creepy, stalker salesmen in parking lots...

Whenever a (now usually younger), man approaches me in a pair of khakis and a collared button-up shirt with his hands out and says, much too loudly, "hey, excuse me, don't worry, I'm not crazy!" I automatically think to myself, "what's he selling now?" This happened to me today at Sam's Club, as my rear end is literally hanging out of the back passenger door of the Denali (more on that to follow). I squinted into the sun to see not one, but two, twenty-ish dudes, dressed alike, trying to hand me a brochure to look at. Mind you, I did say I was at Sam's club, but I should clarify that I was LEAVING Sam's, which means I had about $350 worth of meat, milk, refrigerated foods and two boxes of the awesome-est Swiss Miss fudgesicle bars all playing beat the clock before I melt or rot in the ridioculously-still-hot weather that is California. I was in my workout clothes from the gym (the fudgesicles only have 100 calories each!) and my hair was a little frizzy from the sweat. Rico Suavee and his Jr. Companion are trying to sell me 5 visits to the local spa and wanting to know if I've ever had a facial...seriously?! His big cheesy grin fell of his face and dripped down his freshly ironed shirt when I refused to take the card and said, "sorry, I'm not interested right now." He looked at me like he couldn't believe it and skulked off like a child. I finished loading ALL of the groceries into the backseat since the back of the Denali is FULL of cans waiting to go to the recycling center. I'm assuming that they were once bagged up securely, but when I unsuspectingly opened the back door to load my groceries today, a mountain of them fell noisily out of the back of my car! I was totally embarassed as I picked them back up and threw them into the car. Cans were EVERYWHERE! I looked like I had just come from the park where I'd been going through trash cans to collect bottles. Thanks Quincy, my super industrious 11 year old, always trying to make a buck. I finally got into the car and turned the air on high...As I sat lamenting the situation, I saw my fine khaki'd friends approaching another woman trying to unload her Sam's cart...only she had a child with her. They were sent packing yet again. Yikes! Think about it boys, you'd probably do better not holding up the mom with a cart of groceries...I'm just sayin'!

What the hay...

We had yet another late night last night, but it was all good. We went to visit some friends in Glendora that we haven't seen for 6 years!! It's sad how quickly time can pass if you don't pay attention to it. They are dear friends from our ward in Covina and it was amazing how easy it was to pick right up like we saw eachother yesterday. Thanks Stephanie and Hector.
We got home around 10:30 (we wanted to make sure we wore out our welcome!) and Kelly picked up the Bishop's two boys who were spending the night with us because their parents are out of town and they wanted to go on the paint ball trip today. We got everyone into bed and then we get out of bed to go put h20 bottles in the freezer and make lunches for all the paint ballers since they didn't do it earlier...SURPRISE! We finally get back into bed and are talking when Kelly has to excuse himself...not feeling too well. WHENEVER someone in my house has the flu or anything like unto it, my stomach freaks out! I start feeling queasy and it takes a while for me to figure out if I'm physically sick or mentally sick. I'm just thanking my lucky stars I didn't kiss him goodnight yet because then I'd have "it" for sure. He's back and forth for a while and we finally get to sleep. The next thing you know, Brayden is in our room, whimpering that he's scared. He's been coming to get into our bed a lot lately, but I don't want him in there (even more than usual) because Kelly's sick and I want to stop the spread of whatever it is. Brayden is bouncing up and down like he does when he's delirous and needs to use the rest room, so I tell him to go to the bathroom and then I'll take him to bed. He's in there for a little bit and I call out from my bed, "you okay in there?" He says he is so I remind him to wash his hands, with soap and then I'll tuck him in. I get out of bed and we go get him settled in once again, turn on the closet light, and I throw in the obligatory, "you feeling better now?" He cuddles up with his sheets and says, "yeah, I just hope I don't vomit again!" NOT expecting that answer! "What do you mean, vomit? You threw up? Where?" He's starting to fall asleep now and says, "in your bathroom." "Did you throw up in the toilet?" I asked, my stomach is now doing flip-flops! "No, I threw up when I was sitting on the toilet." I'm doing a mental calculation in my head of the last time we had a "using the bathroom and throwing up at the same time" incident and how I wished he had been sitting on the pot for that one and think maybe I dodged a bullet, but I still can't believe what a casual conversation we're having. "You threw up and you didn't tell me?" His eyes aren't even open now. "Sorry Mom...I forgot." Well, I'm taking that as a good sign, it couldn't have been too traumatic and I didn't hear him getting sick, so...
SO...I come back into my room and see Kelly standing at the bathroom door with the light on, dumbstruck, and we both say, "what the..." Vomit is an understatement! I left the room, Kelly cleaned it up, washed his hands and feet, and we finally get back into bed. Just before he falls asleep he rolls over and says, "Happy Anniversary." Because it is now, even though we shouldn't be awake to know that!

Tell me the stories...

Well, I spent the day at Disneyland with my three youngest children today, and it went pretty well. They were 'mostly' good, with the exception of growling at eachother if they were bumped, hurried, asked a question, looked at wrong...you get the idea. As we were leaving the parking lot at the end of the day, Savannah tried to give Brayden his DS (a gaming device, for the grandparents) and he snarled, "I don't want it, you hold it!" She snarled something back and I stood on my tongue to keep from snarling back myself. I decided we could all use a 'teaching moment', so I looked into the rearview mirror and said (more sweetly than usual), "guys, do you think when Jesus was a little boy he growled and snarled at his brothers and sisters or do you think he talked nicely to them?" Brayden admitted that he was probably nice; so having their full attention I 'taught' for a few minutes and then Savannah piped up from the backseat, "no one even knows what you're talking about...Mooother!" Oh, okay! As usual, my mistake.
We have a deal...they say their prayers at night, they get a back rub. Actually, Kelly made the deal, but I'm the one usually here to enforce it (le sigh!)...any hoo...tonight Savannah went first and said a pretty decent prayer. Brayden followed with the usual rush prayer for a back rub. After he hopped into bed I thought I'd have another 'teaching moment' because the first one went so well and all. I said, "I heard a lot of asking for things in the prayers, but not a lot of thanking. What could we tell Heavenly Father we're thankful for?" "Food!" was Brayden's immediate answer, and he usually does say he's thankful for the food in his bedtime prayers, but he forgot tonight in anticipation of the rub. "Besides food..." Blank faces. I talked about how it's a blessing that we can see and walk and Savannah reminded us of the man we saw with his feet broken off (he had no legs) at the movie 'feater. "Right," I said, "and what about today? Where did you get to go? Not every kid gets to go to Disneyland because it costs a lot of money. Your Daddy had a good job and was able to buy you passes to Disneyland, that's a blessing." Savannah propped herself up on one elbow and says, very seriously, "you mean the Daddy that doesn't have any hair?" Yep, that'd be the one. Thanks for the Disneyland passes, hairless Daddy.

Sunday Night Comics

We were just sitting around eating dinner tonight and Quincy asked someone to pass him the melk...not milk...melk. Of course I, being the family grammar police, said, "pass you the what?" He repeated, "melk." Makenzie rolled her eyes and said, "he's just trying to be stupid," and Isaiah laughed. Kelly said "what the heck is 'melk'?" Savannah, who was standing on her chair at the time, shouts, "it's spanglish!" We still haven't gotten out of her where she came up with that, we've never said it. We've asked several times where she heard it and she either responds with, "from myself!" or "you don't need to know!" Pretty darn funny!

Little Devil on Wheels!

I don't know if I've mentioned that Savannah is just like her older sister...competitive! Her friend Chloe learned how to ride a 2-wheeler and it took Savannah two seconds to request the removal of her training wheels. Chloe's dad, Larry, took the wheels off for Savannah, steadied her on the bike and off she went, not allowing any help after that. The next day she was flying down the driveway at break neck speed whilst standing up! Obviously she didn't get that from me...I think I was nine when I learned to ride a bike! She does a great job, but notice where her helmet is...