Willie off the Pickle Boat

Ten Years

2011-07-27T09:26:00.001-07:00

10 years ago I married my best friend.

9 years ago he gave me my first child and I felt the greatest love possible.

8 years ago he showed me how to pick blackberries and my world will never be the same.

7 years ago he brought a little bit of heaven to earth with me as we welcomed our second daughter.

6 years ago he brought me back to Cali to be close to my family.

5 years ago he carried me through the loss of both of my parents.

4 years ago he gave me an angel for a son.

3 years ago he showed me he his faith and trust in me as his partner.

2 years ago he took me to the other side of the world to bring home a suffering child.

1 year ago he gave me a glimpse of his biggest dreams and he began to work toward them.

And in this, our tenth year he helped me learn about sacrifice and the blessings that can come as we keep our priorities in line with what the Lord has taught us. Here's to a lifetime of loving, learning, and finding joy in our family. I love you, Ian.

4 Years

2010-10-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

3 Years, 2 Years, 1 Year.

Malachi

2010-06-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

I was just talking with a friend who mentioned that I haven't blogged in a while. I used the excuse of needing a new camera(or just getting our two fixed). She reminded me that you don't have to have pictures to blog. Later in our conversation we were talking about some of the struggles and triumphs of raising Malachi. I told her that when I go back and read my blogs from the hard times it makes me realize how far he's come. And she said I should write down those triumphs so I can look back on those and be grateful for the positive changes. So, thank you, Betsy! I needed a little kick in the pants. I love reading about my life through past blog posts. I'm not much of a journal-er, but this is a great way for me to remember my wonderful life.

Malachi really is doing exceptionally well - especially considering all of the positive changes. I was asked by one of his church nursery teachers today if he screams a lot at home. If I'd been asked that question 9 months ago, I would have said, "YES!" But today I hesitated. Sometimes he does. Not all the time. This week he did a lot because Ian was gone for 6 days and I ran out of patience on day 2... so you can imagine what Kai's week was like. But overall, I can say that he's not much of a screamer. He's learned most of the rules in the house and even though he doesn't always obey them, he does a pretty good job for a 2 year old. He still gets sent to time out more times than he or I would be okay with, but the nice thing about that is that he actually stays there.

As long as I look for the silver lining, I really can't complain. And the best thing I can say now is that he is a genuinely happy kid. I couldn't say that last August when we brought him home. He is sweet, loving, funny, and happy. He tries my patience, but what two year old wouldn't? I was just so blessed to have an angel of a son in David, that any normal kid would seem like a holy terror in comparison... and many days Malachi does.

I am very grateful that Malachi has his sisters and brothers to play with. He loves running around with them, playing hide and go seek, tag, wrestling, and any other physical game. We've tried to go to the YMCA pool at least twice a week this summer and Malachi is my little fish. Last Friday he was jumping in and swimming to me. One time when he got out to jump to me he changed his mind. Instead of jumping feet first into the pool like he'd been doing, he just leaned forward and kind of fell head-first into the water. It looked like a combination of a dive and a flip. And when he came up he was oh so proud. I've been working on better form, so he can actually move forward when he swims, instead of flopping all over the place. But that boy just LOVES the water!

His speech is continuing to improve. Friday night we were watching a movie and he leaned his head back on the couch, looked at me, and said, "I tired, Mommy." So cute!

So, there you go, Betsy! I blogged! And I'll try to do it again soon! Thanks for the kick in the pants, I needed it!

Is This Real Life?

2010-04-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been sitting on the toilet - while two of your kids are brushing their teeth, two are finishing dinner - and after flushing, stand up and look at yourself in the mirror and think... Is this real life?

I know I shouldn't have to point the obvious out to myself but as I looked in the mirror and noticed my fading dyed hair, expanding waistline(no I'm not pregnant), and over-all slobbish look I just had this realization of who I am.

I am that mom. That is me. I'm the one who just finished yelling at her kids to finish their dinner. The same one who went on the toilet, with the door open, while two of her kids brushed their teeth. I'm also the mom who is dreading the daily bedtime battle and that I am doing it by myself. I'm the one who will go tell Malachi to take a bite for the 567th time tonight. Also the one who will tell Mckenna that the towels don't have to be folded perfectly, to just put them back on the towel ring. I'm the one who will then sigh as she hears Emma and David running around upstairs instead of putting their jammies on. She's me.

Don't get me wrong, I like being her. She's fun, she's outgoing, she's got a great husband who has a great job, four kids who are gorgeous and sweet, a beautiful home that she loves, friends who will drop anything to help her, and family who is always a phone call away. She's happy.

But she's a mom. She's not JUST a mom. She realized years ago that to put the word JUST in front of the word mom is nearly a sin. The word MOM is a strong one. For many people it means many things. For me it means many things. Yes there are times when MOM sounds like a four letter word. And there are times I wish I could push the mute button right before the word MOM is said.

But there are other times when the word MOM is followed by the sweetest words, the softest hugs, and the smooshiest kisses. There are also times when the word mom brings to mind feelings of remembrance. Like what it felt to become a mom. Or the one person in the world who I first knew as mom. Or the woman in my life who became my mom-in-law.

So... back on topic here: I like being the mom. It's just at moments like today when I realize I have lost all privacy, self decency, and for today - all desire to keep up appearances - that I look at myself and remember who I am. And take a few seconds to mentally whine to myself about my naughty kids, messy appearance, missing husband(church), and expanding waistline, before focusing on the fact that my Ethiopian son has enough food in front of him that he is choosing not to finish. My Mckenna Rae has just spent ten minutes folding the bathroom towels so they look pretty. My Emma and David are playing together. PLAYING. TOGETHER. My husband is serving in our church. And I am healthy and in shape. And I am happy.

So, yes, this is real life. And I kinda like it.

4 Years

2010-04-13T16:04:00.001-07:00

Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There she is gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

-Henry Van Dyke

2 Years

3 Years

Today has obviously been a tough one, and there have been other completely unrelated things that have made it harder. However, there have been some very sweet and tender moments that remind me that I am loved, watched over, and so so very blessed. Many big changes have happened in the past four years and there is not a single time I haven't wished my mom could experience it with us. But through it all I have a best friend of a sister, a husband who adores me, children who are my whole world, and friends who go above and beyond the definition of friendship. When my parents left this world they left my sister and me in good hands. And thankfully the two of us share a bond that has been made stronger with each passing year. I love my sister and she has become so much of the woman my mom was. She is strong, she is beautiful, and she doesn't ever let anything get in the way of her dreams. I know in some ways I am also like my mom. And I will spend the rest of my life with her as my hero. So as I finish this post, I hope to inspire those of you who knew her to emulate her amazing qualities in your own life. And for those of you who didn't... then Cowgirl Up!

Fire in the Hole!

2010-03-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

Wow. That's the best word I have to describe the past couple of days. It's been rather eventful. I posted some ambiguous comments on facebook about my kitchen fire, so I thought I should go into more detail here.

Yesterday Mckenna and I were making cookies in the kitchen. I had a candle that had burned down to the bottom of the jar, but had left plenty of wax on the sides. I took the wick and the little metal wick holder out of the jar and put the jar in the microwave to melt the wax down. I just assumed that candle jars can handle microwave heat, since they're meant to handle hot candle heat. Mistake #1.

It had been in the microwave for a little while(2 minutes?) when Mckenna said, "MOM! FIRE!" I looked in the microwave and sure enough, there was a fire. The glass had broken, wax had spilled all over and was now flaming. I opened the microwave. Mistake #2.

The flames got bigger. I instinctively blew on the flames. Nothing happened. I grabbed the sink sprayer to spray the fire with water. I then hesitated because you're not supposed to put water on kitchen fires. Then I remembered that that rule is for grease fires. This didn't seem to fall into that category so I sprayed the fire with the water. BIG mistake #3.

The flames shot to the ceiling immediately. I told Mckenna to go outside. For about half a second I had the thought that I should grab the boys, call 911 and go outside. Then the smart Megan kicked the already so stupid Megan and grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink. The stupid Megan thought she should take the time to read the directions on the fire extinguisher. The smart Megan pulled the pin, aimed at the microwave and pulled the trigger. Fire extinguished. I did it again just to ensure there was no more flamage.

Then the fire alarms went off and I realized my ENTIRE downstairs was covered in smoke. I ran through the house, unplugging fire alarms, turning fans on, opening windows, and closing the upstairs bedroom doors. By the time I went in the backyard to check on Mckenna my hands were shaking like crazy. Luckily she wasn't too freaked out, like I was. I told her she did the right thing by telling me there was a fire, but then she needed to "get low and go." So we talked about that for a while which kind of helped me to calm down.

So since that happened, I've dropped my phone in my smoothie(totally dead), David peed his pants at the gym(emptied the WHOLE bladder), Malachi busted out of the house and was about to run in the street when Mckenna grabbed him, my period with all its lovely cramping started, and the 3 ibuprofen I took out were left on Malachi's changing table when I went to the gym. And then, to make myself feel better, I said something really nasty to my friend's ex husband on facebook. I think I need a vacation... Do you think I could find a hotel with a chocolate hot tub?

Blog Revival

2010-02-21T19:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I've finally updated the blog layout... Hopefully this is a sign of things to come! I'd like to get back to blogging. Both of our cameras have been broken for months and it's hard to motivate myself to blog without pictures. I was reading through some past posts a while ago and realized how much I like having our life written. I have such a horrible memory and it's nice to be able to go back and read about the things we do in our crazy life. So, I'm not promising anything fantastic and amusing, but I would really like to get back on the blogging train. I do apologize about the lack of pictures for a while. Maybe this will also motivate me to actually get the cameras fixed!

I'll try to give a brief mini update...

Ian's still at Bank of America. He's happy to have a job, but somewhat bored. Hopefully he'll be able to move up or over or somewhere that fulfills him and our bank account at the same time. He's also still working with the youth in our church as the Young Men's President, but recently resigned from teaching early morning seminary to the local high school kids. It was just too much. We're happy to have him around the house more and though he misses it, I think he's happier too.

Emma is doing well in school and at home. The change in her diet a year ago has made a world of difference. She still has her moments(and sometimes days...), but overall, she's much better behaved, and much happier! She's still tearing through any book she can get her hands on and talking our ears off when her nose isn't in a book. She's ridiculously creative and always coming up with new art projects or science experiments to try. Alone time is her friend. Being the oldest of 4 can be frustrating to her and she usually asks for alone time at least once a day. Sometimes she just needs her own space for a while. I know how she feels...

Mckenna is still my little sweet thing. She's been a bit of a whiner lately, but we're hoping it's just a phase that will pass sooner than later. She loves kindergarten and ADORES her teachers. I think they think pretty highly of her too. She also(not surprisingly) has more boy friends than girl friends. I love to hear her talk about her day on the way home. It's just so fun to hear what is exciting to her. Homework is just beginning to challenge her, so we might have to come up with some kind of reward system soon. Her newest love is a hat we got free at Chipotle. It's tan and has a little pepper on the front. She wants to wear it every day to school. Kind of kicks cute hairdo's and hair bows out of the picture, but it makes her happy and she's just so cute with it on.

David might be at the tail end of his terrible twos. Either that or he's gearing up for the horrible threes(ok I know there's no such thing, but there could be... somewhere...). He's just been such a sweetheart lately. He'll come and give me a hug, or clean something up and then say, "Mommy! I just make you happy!" Many times he'll say it with such excited sincerity that it brings tears to my eyes. He's such a lover. He likes giving bear hugs and "big" kisses. He'll grab my cheeks, smush my face onto his and hold it there for a few seconds. And he's always very pleased with himself post-kiss. I think he's the one we'll have to watch out for in high school. I adore him and know that any girl who gets one of those kisses will never want to let him go.

Malachi is adjusting wonderfully. That seems to be the question I get asked most often. "How is Malachi adjusting?" I never know how much detail people want so I always say, "He's doing really well," and then see how much more they want to know. I could say... He's not screaming hysterically when he wants something. His language has exploded in the past two weeks. He's calling us Mommy and Daddy and has THE MOST adorable little voice ever. I can't even list how many words he says now, because there are two many. His best word is, "Showwwy," (sorry). Wonder why he's so good at that one? He loves giving random kisses and hugs. He adores dogs, hates nap time, will drink any liquid(including Gymboree bubbles which he tried in nursery today) until you make him stop or he pukes - whichever comes first. We got together with one of his buddies from Ethiopia this week. What a sweet reunion that was! It was a little boy who was in his group, also named Eyob, and the same age as our Malachi Eyob. We had many pics of the two of them together when they were in Ethiopia. It was so fun to see them play together. And I loved seeing the other Eyob's older brother Abel. He and I were buddies at the orphanage. Loved him. And I think he was excited to see me too.

I am (obviously) a very busy momma. Besides the usual mommy duties(carpooling, cooking, cleaning, park days, etc) I've been canning a lot this winter - applesauce is this week, I still hit the gym regularly, and have been slowly trying to become more organized. I was recently called as the Nursery Coordinator for our church. I'm in charge of 4 nurseries that have about 10-20 kids in each. When Sundays roll around I can get pretty busy!

We've lived in this home longer than we've lived anywhere since being married, and I'm loving it. I love our home and I have so many amazing friends. There is always someone to do something with. I love the area and I adore Arizona weather during this time of year. The only thing I'm not liking is the flu season. I feel like we've been sick for three months. Between school, church, and the daycare at the gym, our kids are exposed to soooo many germs that it's impossible to have all six of us be healthy at the same time. We're pretty much just used to functioning with sore throats and runny noses. We better have a healthy summer!

OK, so it wasn't as brief as I'd hoped, but now I'm not so intimidated about blogging! I won't feel the need to fill y'all in and then I can blog whenever I have an inkling! I'll hopefully come on here after Malachi's well check appointment this week. I'm excited to see how much he's grown since he's been home. It's been 6 months!

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

2009 Family Photos

2009-12-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

Don't worry Grandma, you'll get some real ones in the mail soon. :)

And to everyone else, my apologies for my lack of blogging. Um, well...not really. My house is cleaner, my stress level is lower, and my kids are happier. I just have no idea what's going on in anyone else's lives. Merry Christmas!

You Taw and Cal If Or Nee Ya

2009-11-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of October we drove to Utah and Cali for 2 weeks. It was way fun...if you subtract the nasty sickness we had for the majority of the time. The Utah trip was quick, but fun. I wish we had more time there. Cali was great, but we didn't do a whole lot or see very many people because I was so sick! That makes 3 out of the past 4 trips to California that I've been super sick. Maybe it's a sign... We took too many pics for me to put them all up and even after weeding through them all, there are still too many and I'm too lazy to label them all. Make up your own captions. :)

Happy Birthday

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

To the greatest woman I've ever known.

That's My Girl!

2009-11-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

Emma has been learning to ride her bike without training wheels. She is SO my child: TERRIFIED. I didn't learn until I was at least 7-8, and I eventually taught myself because I was too chicken to put myself in someone's hands. I know my sister gave me some awesome pointers. But I digress...

She screams and cries the who-o-o-ole time. I watched one of my neighbors come out of her garage just to see what all the commotion was. It seriously sounds like someone is dragging her by the ponytail or something. Funny thing is - she can do it just fine. Ian lets go all the time and she rides it wonderfully. She's just plain scurred. So today she fell, scraped her elbow, and bonked her knees. You'd think her beloved kitten had just been hit by a car(if she actually had a kitten). So I brought her inside and cleaned up her elbow. While she was recovering she had an awesome one-liner. She was just at the end of her crying when she stopped, looked in the mirror, took a couple breaths, and said, " My shirt kinda makes me feel better cuz it's so cute."

And then she got a popsicle. Because popsicles make everything better.

P.S. As I'm writing this I overheard her tell Ian(after being told to clear her dinner place), "I feel feeble." That girl reads too many books.

Holiday Boutique!

2009-11-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

(Blocked my address for obvious reasons...if you need it, just leave a comment and I'll send you my addy!)

3 Years

2009-10-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

2 Years, 1 Year

Mamamamamamama

2009-09-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

EEEEEEEEE

2009-09-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

We have a 1st word!! Last night at dinner Malachi said, "Eeeee(aka pleeeease)." And today at lunch he said it again! Granted, he said it after I gave him his food, but he said it!!! That is the one word we've worked on the very most - just because he screams every time he wants something. If I could just get him to say please, my life would be much less LOUD!

We went to the Dr. today for a follow up. She told me to pick a birthday somewhere between August and October, but not as late as November. I'd rather stick to the young side, so we're now deciding on October. Anyone have any special reason for a special day?

It's just so heartbreaking to think that when they thought he was 7 months(see pic below) he was actually closer to 15 or 17 months.

Since he's been home, he's gained 2 pounds, grown an inch, gotten a molar and an I tooth, gotten rid of the giardia(I think), started running and jumping, and is now sleeping in his own room. He's still biting and hitting at least once a day, but he is doing better with other limits like not throwing food, staying out of the kitchen when I'm cooking, and moving away from something when I say, "No." My absolute favorite thing is when he gives kisses. He holds your cheeks, pulls you in close and says, "Mmmmm." And now he's actually keeping his mouth closed for most of his kisses.

We had someone from the Arizona Early Intervention Program come to evaluate Malachi's development - and mainly his speech. She said developmentally he is right on track, but his speech is obviously behind. She is going to have the speech evaluator make an appointment, but she said she is sure he will qualify for therapy.

We also had his hearing checked relative to his ability to hear speech sounds. They were basically making sure he could hear well enough to learn to speak. He passed that, but she did say his right ear was too congested(or something) to hear well. Also, his language comprehension isn't strong enough to really isolate his ears, so they just tested his overall hearing and found that it shouldn't be interfering with his ability to speak.

Today his ped prescribed an antibiotic for many reasons - his ear, his nasty cough, his green snot, and now he has a little stye in his eye.

Other than all of that craziness, I really feel like Malachi is doing well. He's a toddler, so there are trying times because of that, but he is a generally happy kid, he eats and sleeps wonderfully and he loves his momma. That is more than we could have hoped for, so I think I'll be happy with that!

Best. Idea. Ever.

2009-09-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

OK so maybe not ever... but definitely the best I've heard all day. There is a family living in Hawaii who is in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. They have a 13 year old son who would love to travel with his family to pick her up. He is raising money for his plane ticket by "contracting" with Santa. Here's the description:

Austin is my oldest son. He’s 13. And he’s super cool! He plays the guitar and ukelele, he dances hula, he has a big heart, and he desperately wants to go to Ethiopia with me to pick up his baby sister. The problem is the cost. Tickets will be about $2500 each. So, he is planning a few things to raise some of the money so that he can go.
We all know that Santa vacations here in Hawaii. He sits on the beach in his beach chair wearing his bright flowery Hawaiian board shorts sipping a pretty umbrella drink. I’ve seen him. Really.
Well... he’s here right now. I imagine that he’s here trying to relax before getting
into full blown Christmas mode. While he’s here in Hawaii, he picks up postcards and sends them to little girls and boys, reminding them to be nice and that soon he will be checking his list again. He also has some really cool stories to tell about Hawaii - the beaches, sea turtles, humpback whales, surfing. I bet he’ll include at least one little bit on each postcard, too.
Be sure to let us know the child(ren)’s name(s) and address(es). In a few short days your child will receive a personal note on a Hawaiian postcard... postmarked from Hawaii, too.
In addition, you get to feel good about your purchase, because it’s helping a 13 year old be creative and work his way to get something he really wants... a trip with his Mom to pick up his new baby sister from Ethiopia.

SO cool, huh? Here's the link to the Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30036303

My kids will be so stoked! Go check it out!

We Speaking Fanish

2009-09-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ice cream and the Trampoline

2009-09-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

First time eating ice cream...and possibly the last for a while.

The trampoline is definitely the most used toy in our house. Santa made a good choice. I've had quite a few people ask me where to get this. I'm pretty sure Santa found it at Toys R Us, but I looked and it wasn't there. It is at Amazon for a bit more than Santa paid at Toys R Us, but temporarily out of stock. If they restock it I think it is SO worth it - as long as you can handle the music. It does have two different volume levels. :)

Anyway, here's Malachi's new thing. The best part is the lack of expression on his face while he is jumping. He did this the other morning and we could NOT stop laughing.

*edit - I don't know why the videos are so dark. When I play them through my files, they're fine. But in blogger they're all dark. Sorry!

Let's Roll

2009-09-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today at the girls' school they had a special flag ceremony for Patriot Day. I was especially touched when their principal talked about the passengers of United Airlines flight 93, who took the plane down themselves before it crashed at the White House. He said they probably saved a lot of polititians. Initially I thought that was kind of funny - that the hijackers failed at something that many people in the U.S. would have appreciated. But the truth is that those brave men and women sacrificed their lives to save a great symbol of our country. And regardless of who they saved - they gave their lives to save others.

So today I am remembering those brave men and women, as well as all of the others who have served or are currently serving our country. I hope I never forget.

Conversations with a Kindergardner

2009-09-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Me: Mckenna, who goes to school with you?
Mckenna: Riley, Brigham, Jacob, Guard(who sounds like God when she says it), Mac, Cole, Colton...
Me: Are there any girls in your class?
Ken: Yeah
Me: What are their names?
Ken: Uh...... (silent thinking for 10 seconds)... I don't know.

We may be in trouble.

A little Q & A

2009-08-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

Since I've been asked the same questions so many times, I figured I might as well throw some of the answers on my blog. It's not that I am sick of talking about Malachi, the adoption, or Ethiopia, (am I ever sick of talking about anything?), I just thought this might be good for those of your who haven't gotten the chance to ask or are just being kind to us and letting us lay low for a while(thanks btw). So, here they are:

Q: How is Malachi doing?

A: He's doing really well...now. The first week was really hard. I think it was a combination of shock, new environment, jet lag/time change, and he cut a molar(ouch!). It was likewise hard on Ian and me because we were also suffering from the jet lag and time change...plus we have 3 other kids to parent. It was a week of a lot of screaming, a lot of sleeping, and a lot of adjusting. The second week(last week) was much better. Malachi is a generally happy kid. He is walking and coming very close to running. He sleeps fantastically - which has been a lifesaver at the end of our stressful days.

Q: What do the other kids think of him?

They love him! Emma acts the same way with him as she did with her other 3 siblings: She is excited about them, she tries to be helpful(sometimes ends up hindering more than helping), but is generally not affected by them very much. Mckenna absolutely ADORES him(which is how she was with David), and the feeling is mutual. If Malachi is sad, you can be sure Mckenna will try to comfort and entertain him within minutes. He will even let her "hold" him for comfort - which is basically just her giving him a hug. David seems rather non-affected by him - except when it comes to toy sharing. The two of them fight just like any other set of brothers. They both know how to push each other's buttons, but thankfully things haven't gotten too rough when they get mad. To summarize: I can count on Emma to watch him, and Mckenna to entertain him, and David to make him scream.

Q: Does he say any words?

A: Nope. :) He hasn't picked up on any English yet and as far as Amharic, we're pretty sure he doesn't say any of those either. We asked Ian's Ethiopian brother and sister to pay close attention for the week they were here and they didn't hear him say anything. He babbles a ton, though so I'm hopeful he'll pick up some words soon.

Q: What does he think of the food?

In general, he loves it. When we first came home - and even while in Ethiopia, he ate very little. We even tried giving him what they gave him at the orphanage(firfir), but he was apparently just too stressed to eat. Now that he is home and a little better adjusted, he eats like a horse! He definitely out-eats my other kids. I'm sure this will slow down once we rid his tummy of the parasites(more on that below), and many times he is rather scream-y at meal time - but overall he is a great eater and likes just about everything we give him. His parasite tests came back positive for Giardia - very common in Ethiopians. We'll be picking up his prescription for that tomorrow. I'm really excited for the meds to start working(if they do...they only work 85-90% of the time), because then we'll have less diapers/blowouts/laundry!

Q: What did you think of Ethiopia?

A: We loved it!! Ethiopia is a beautiful country with wonderful people. We traveled to many different places and saw many different terrains. Ethiopia is a country rich with culture and history. We loved asking our drivers all sorts of questions and they never hesitated to educate us.

The food is divine(unless you're eating at the Roha hotel in Lalibela where the eggs taste like fish and the chicken is tougher than nails). We had all sorts of foods from traditional Ethiopian to burgers and pizza. Italian food is huge over there(due to a short Italian occupation) and they definitely know how to cook it.

In the capital city, Addis Ababa, it rained every day - but never all day. The weather there was actually very nice and refreshing after being in 115 degree Arizona. However, Dire Dawa felt just like home. It is very close to the Somalian desert(hence the camels walking the streets), so it was very hot and dusty. The architecture in Dire Dawa was beautiful, and everything we ate there was delicious. Lalibela was similar in climate to Addis - wet and 60's-70's. We loved Lalibela and can't recommend it enough if you ever have the chance to go.

Q: Why are there are so many orphans in Ethiopia?

A: We've had this question a lot lately and there really is no one simple answer. Overall: poverty. But there are so many factors that contribute to the poverty, and likewise so many problems that come from the poverty that then lead to orphaned children. I would love to direct anyone wanting a better answer to this question to the wonderful book, "There is No Me Without You," by Melissa Fay Greene. That book talks all about the Ethiopia orphan crisis and why it has become what it is. Excellent resource!

Q: How old is he?

A: ...good question - I'd like to know the answer to that one too! When Malachi arrived at Wanna house, their doctors estimated his age to be 7 months. That was at the end of January. So, by their calculations, he is 14 months right now. When we took him to his new pediatrician here in the states she said, "There is no way he's 14 months. I'd say more like 18-24 months." She said this because developmentally he was acting much older but also, if he was 14 months then he is in the 90th percentile for height. He has many signs of malnutrition and so for a malnourished child to be in the 90th percentile for height...that's a little weird. We did a bone scan which can be off by +/- 4 months. The results came back: 24 months!! That's 10 months older than we thought, which is almost twice the 14 months we were told. Right now, we're thinking we'll choose 20 months(what a weird concept...choose how old your child is), because that's on the younger side and we'd rather err on that side than the older side. Essentially the few months we could be off by isn't enough to make that big of a difference in his schooling. Even if we do go all the way up to 24 months, he'll still be in the same class as if we choose 20 months. The weirdest part about all of this is that when we began this process, we thought we'd be bringing a baby home. Turns out he's less than a year younger than our 2 1/2 year old, so we really have two toddlers. Hopefully they can be buds!

So, overall everything is going really well. We're all still getting used to our new life as a family of 6 with all of the craziness that entails. I have a feeling life won't be settling down any time soon so I might as well just start rolling right along with it... and stop stressing so much.
(btw - the camera has stayed in the drawer since we got home. I'll try to break it out soon, but no promises. I'm lucky if I get a shower - I'm not sure I can add picture taking to the list without blowing a gasket!)

Zzzzzzzzzz

2009-08-30T21:27:00.001-07:00

I promise I will blog...someday.

July

2009-08-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

July is always a fun month for us because it has Emma's birthday and our anniversary. I know lately I have just been posting a ton of pics with no captions, so I'll try to narrate these for you.

For our 8th anniversary, Ian planned a super fun surprise day for us. He just told me to be ready at 7am when he got back from seminary. We got in the car and headed south. On the way, we stopped at Dairy Queen...just because it was a special day. So, here's my double PB cup Blizzard at 9:27am:

First we went to a rock climbing place in Tucson only to find out that they were closed until noon. No worries, Ian just bumped up our massages. After a very nice relaxing massage, we went to a super yummy and cute little restaurant for lunch, Tohono Chul Park Tea Room. It was absolutely delicious, with fresh ingredients and yummy prickly pear lemonade.After that we headed down to Kartchner Caverns - a limestone cave where they have living formations made of calcite - for a little spelunking. It was SOOO awesome. They are very into preserving the living stalactites, stalagmites, "soda straws", "bacon", and other really cool things, so you take a guided tour in and they walk you through the caves. On the way down we stopped by this raptor...and any of you who remember our college years will appreciate this pic:

Here's us on our little tram ride to the cave entrance:

They don't let you take pictures inside the caverns, so here's Ian once we came out...pretending to eat a prickly pear. We had lots of prickly pear candy that day, but apparently not enough for him.

After the caverns we walked around the museum part of Kartchner Caverns.

These are very bad representations of what you can see in the caves. For a better idea, go here, here, or here. They have a 58 ft tall(5 stories high) column made from stalactites and stalagmites called Kubla Khan which is absolutely breathtaking.

After Kartchner Caverns we drove back to Tucson for dinner. Ian had researched and planned to go to a specific restaurant, but it was closed on Mondays. We drove a bit further up the road and parked, thinking we'd walk around and find a place. We just happened to park in a lot behind a Greek restaurant. We usually like Greek food, but aren't usually lusting after it, so we walked around a while to see if we could find anything else. We stopped on the way and got a little shopping done and also picked up a little desert for later. After not finding anywhere else to eat, we headed back to Athens on 4th, and OH MY WORD. I have NEVER in my life been to a restaurant with better food or better service. I am definitely going back, even if I have to drive the 2 hours by myself. When we walked in, the owner greeted us and showed us to our table, offering to put our desserts in the fridge, and also telling us we wouldn't need them because he was going to give us his best dessert on the house(which he did and it was divine).
We were brought bread and there was olive oil on the table, but no balsamic vinegar, so I requested some. He hesitated a few seconds and asked how much I like balsamic. When I told him I loved it, he said he'd just got some new balsamic that I was going to love. He wasn't kidding. I could have drank the whole bottle. Throughout the rest of the night I was dipping everything in it. We also ordered an appetizer that was basically cheese and butter on pita bread. Drool worthy. I could go on and on...basically everything in this restaurant was prepared perfectly and I have never loved a restaurant more. Plus, Giorgios told us to come back with our new baby boy and the rest of the family(extended too!) and he'd give us a meal on the house. What could be better than free food? Oh wait...AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS free food. :)

We had a fantastic anniversary! Here's a random silly pic of David. Ian's been taking him to the "Itty Bitty Sports" program at the YMCA. So cute.

Planting flowers:

(Yes I know her shirt is on backwards...she says her tags don't bother her when she wears her clothes backwards. I think she just likes looking like Willie off the Pickle Boat.)

One day in July Ian brought home 20 pounds of cherries...

Which we had a lot of fun canning! Here's D inspecting them:

And Emma stemming them...

Yum! We got 9 quarts, plus a few full bellies.

Pioneer day bike parade:

Emma's 7th Hawaiian birthday party...Painting hibiscus piggy banks:

Cupcakes...I got the idea from my friend Tina's blog and they turned out so cute!

My cute chef hubby

Digging for sea shells

blowing out candles(you've probably seen the hilarious video by now)

I thought this pic of Katelyn and Emma was cute. Looks like a pretty deep convo.

My adorable little man

My bro-in-law Jed and sister Shannon came just for Emma!

All the girls!

After presents they all went upstairs to play. I asked Ian to check on them because I was a little worried about the lack of supervision. Here is what he found:

A puppet show! Complete with audience:

At some point Tami and I got in a pillow fight. I thought this deserved some blog-time. lol!

We still love each other. :)

We have loved having the girls home for the summer, but I'm so excited for the routine of the school year! My sister's coming to watch the kids when we go to Ethiopia, so we'll miss the girls' first day of school and then as soon as we got back, life is going to be insane! Hopefully I'll get on here to blog about our trip! Ciao until then!

Something other than "other"

2009-07-29T22:42:00.001-07:00

I follow anti-racist parent regularly and this week I thought they had some very interesting stuff, so I'm sharing it with you! :) First, there's a post from a woman whose mother is black and father is white, and were married in 1969 - 2 years after interracial marriage became legal. I thought it was a very well written and enlightening article. Kind of a feel-good article too. Click here to read it.

Next, ARP posted a video from another interracial couple about who they want their son to be. Ideally we'd be in a world that didn't need to use race as a label, it would just be a part of who we are - like my mom's freckles or my dad's smile. It's a part of our physicality and heritage, but it doesn't need to be a label. Anyway, I just found both of these interesting and thought I'd share them with you!

Enjoy!

Overheard

2009-07-28T18:51:00.001-07:00

The kids are playing with Wikki Stix(I highly recommened them, they're AWEsome). Mckenna was putting them on her feet and pretending they were bandages. This was the conversation I just heard:

Mckenna: David do you want your foot to be broken?
David: Ya.
M: OK I'm going to put this on it. Does it hurt?
D: No it feel good.
M: No, David. Say it hurts.
D: No, it feel good.
M: No, say it hurts.
D: No, it feel good.
M: No, say it hurts. David, does it hurt?
D: No, it feel good.
M: No, David! Say it hurts!
D: No it feel goooood!
Emma: Is it massive, buddy?

Who needs T.V.?

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

2009-07-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Also known as It's my sister's party and I'll cry if I want to...

Ian's new truck!

2009-07-20T21:30:00.001-07:00

Ian got in a nasty car accident last week and totalled his car. Amazingly he is just fine(he was a bit sore) and the other driver was too. Thank goodness for airbags! So...instead of his fantastically dinkie hybrid, he bought himself a bit of a gas guzzler. At least now he can stop using my Durango to haul the trailer, lumber, Christmas trees, help people move, go offroading, and whatever else he's done that's thoroughly jacked up my trucks's paint job! Plus...he likes it!

And here's a random funny pic of D. He was watching the lightning outside tonight and got this face everytime he saw a new flash. So funny!

Cali

2009-07-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

It just occured to me that I never posted pics of our Cali trip over a month ago! We surprised my sister for her 30th birthday. The kids and I drove down on a Friday and we got to stay for 10 days! Ian flew out on the following Friday so he could spend Father's Day weekend with us and also see some friends/family. It was one of the best vacations and probably our best Cali trip. I did get an awful flu the first night, but it was gone 2 days later and the rest of the trip was fantastic! We didn't get to see a lot of our Murrieta and Temecula friends, but we'll stay further North next time and see everyone. Thanks especially to Shan & Jed, Marlers, and Mahkorns for being so welcoming...especially on such short notice! Here are the pics. I know there are a lot and I'm too lazy to caption all of them. But maybe it's more fun if you write your own captions. I'll give you a few hints - we spent a lot of time at the beach, did Sea World, and visited with great friends. Enjoy!

Doctor

2009-07-12T12:30:00.001-07:00

The girls are playing with their doctor set and this is what I just heard from Emma:

"You've got blood pressure issues, so I don't want to take your blood pressure until you come back next time... Because of your issues"

Busy!

2009-07-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

I know I've been a slacky blogger on here again lately, but trust me...I have a good excuse!! First of all, things have been hoppin' over on my other blog. Secondly, because of all the hoppin' on my other blog, I've been doing a lot of organizing, shopping, cleaning, and painting to get ready for our new baby!

So, I appologize for my past slackiness and for the future slackiness as things get busier around here while we prepare for Malachi Eyob. I will try to get some picture blogging done before we travel to Ethiopia, though so I'm all caught up when we get back!

Hugs!!

Great News!!

2009-06-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

And a picture!

New post

2009-06-26T09:31:00.001-07:00

On our Adoption Blog

Happy Birthday Mckenna Rae!

2009-06-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

I know it's a day after, but I think the pictures are worth the wait. My sweet baby girl joined our family 5 years ago, and we have been completely entertained ever since. Happy birthday my love!

Making the cake:

Yummmmm
Her bday dinner: spaghetti noodles - no sauce, peas, corn, and strawberry banana orange smoothie. And she loved it all.

So did David!

Her cake was SOOOO good!

A few blasts from the past...

Court

2009-06-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

New court date.

Court.

2009-06-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

We didn't pass.

Adoption blog

2009-06-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been there recently, I've added some new posts to our adoption blog:

Click Here

Happy Campers

2009-05-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

We went camping last weekend at Picachu State Rec Area on the Colorado River, just north of Yuma with our good friends, Burke and Amber. Here's a fantastic summary of our trip: Survived the camping trip: 2 bee stings, 1 mountain lion, many wild donkeys(whose footsteps I thought were from a bad guy coming to kill us in the middle of the night)1 near drowning, brakes went out on crazy mountain road, hit one large bird (owl? hawk?), drove on 2 non-roads(one was washed out, one really wasn't a road), woken by coveys of quail, no cell service and to top it off - my hubby wants to do it all over again!
My happy Camper

Mckenna spilled OJ all down her shirt and decided to clean it herself!

Ready for a bike ride!

My friend Kristin just informed me this is a Tarantula Hawk Wasp...with the 2nd most painful stinger in the world...and they were ALL OVER our campsite!! Wiki it...they're crazy!

Emma...my daredevil!

Hot dogs

Gone Fishin'

Sweetie boy.

Tyler and Mckenna were best buds!

Isn't Brooklyn adorable?

The actual "camping" part of our trip was AWEsome...it was everything else, especially the drive there that was so terrible.

WOOHOOO!

2009-05-18T11:40:00.001-07:00

HE GOT THE JOB!!!

Super fun!

2009-05-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

The girls and I drove down to San Diego on Friday(and had the WORST drive ever...had to stop 6 times because of lame car issues...and had to drive the whole way without AC and without the radio) for the Walk for Hope on Saturday morning. My sister and her hubs made awesome sweat bands and knee high socks for everyone on our fundraising team. And team Sandy's Hope rocked it! My sister did a great job with her fundraising, but this was the first year that the team really came through and raised a bunch of money as well! Enjoy the pics:

Emma and Mckenna

Mckenna and Uncle Jed

Aunt Shannie and Emma

Shan, Em, Me

Emma with her note to Grammy on the memory quilt

Mckenna and her note to Grammy

Team Sandy's Hope!

sisters

Mckenna, Me, Brooke, Shannon, Emma And what trip to San Diego would be complete without a visit to the beach(even though it was freezing...)

All Done!!

And less than 24 hours after we arrived, we packed back up and headed home! Luckily the girls conked out before we hit the freeway and slept the entire 6 hour drive home, making the way back MUCH less eventful than the way there!
If you haven't had the chance to donate to the City of Hope, please click the link on the top right of this page to donate and take part with us in the fight against cancer!

Picture Tag

2009-05-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

My s-i-l, Megan, tagged me...

It's a "PICTURE TAG" and this is how it goes. Go to your pictures and go to the 5th folder. Then open up the 5th picture and post it. Then tag 5 people when you are done. Have fun!

I had to go to the fifth file in my fifth file... Cute Mckenna Rae at her dress rehearsal for her dance recital.

I tag...whoever wants to(5 times)!

New Approach

2009-05-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm trying a new approach this year. Most of you know that my mom, Sandy Carr, lost her battle with Breast Cancer 3 years ago. If you know that, then most likely you also know that each year we memorialize her by supporting the City of Hope Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer. Each year I ask you to donate, I give you plenty of time, and plenty of reminder emails.

I'm doing things different this year. I'm asking you to go -right now- and get your wallet. Then, click the link at the bottom of this post. Next: DONATE! Every year, without fail, many of you email me after the deadline, so sad that you missed it! Don't make that mistake. The walk is this Saturday! If you don't donate now, you may never do it.

The City of Hope is an amazing hospital where my mom received a stem cell transplant which gave her 12 more full years of life before her passing. She stayed there for a month during the treatment - the hospital and its staff were amazing! It is also a research hospital, devoted largely to breast cancer research. Here's a little more info:

City of Hope’s dedicated health care and research staff are committed to patients and their families to live longer and better lives. Our pioneering science already has led to therapies such as Herceptin which targets the most aggressive breast cancers without affecting normal cells. Our scientific team engaged in trials that transformed treatment from radical mastectomy to breast conservation, and advanced the adoption of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for patients.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. Roughly 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime which means you likely know women - wives, mothers, sisters and friends - who will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Thanks to the very generous past donations of our friends and family, we have raised over $15,000 for the City of Hope. Together, we are helping to kick cancer's butt!

Please help me show the City of Hope my appreciation for those extra years that I got to spend with my mom, and in turn, help others share precious time with their loved ones.

You can donate or walk with us.

Walk for Hope Information:
The Sandy's Hope team is participating in the 3k Fun Walk. (If you want to show off, you can do a longer walk or a run. We like to go slow and chat.)

Saturday, May 9, 2009
7:15 a.m. - Registration Opens

8:00 a.m. - Ceremony Begins

8:30 a.m. - Walk Begins

Start Location:

University of San Diego

5998 Alcala Park

San Diego, CA 92110

Registration Fee:

Adults - $30

Children (12 and under) - $20

If you want to walk with our team, or donate $$$ click here: http://bit.ly/2DwFVo

To walk with us: Click "Join Team" in pink at the top and follow the directions.

To donate $$$, click my name and follow the directions.

Thank you so much for your support!

Slacky Blogger

2009-05-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

So I've been a slacky blogger...And I don't have any plans to improve for a little while. Things have been crazy around here...and it seems like either 1 or both of our cameras have been broken for the past 4 months. I'm not making any promises, but I'm hopeful that I'll have the time, energy, and pictures to post sometime soon!!

3 Years

2009-04-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Last year I posted a bunch of more recent pics that were on my computer. This year I dug out a few old favorites and scanned them in. Enjoy!

(Emma went to show the picture below to Kenna and she swore little me was Emma...)

Hippity Hoppity!

2009-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

Look at that hair!!!

Another One Bites the Dust

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

My toothless wonder is now minus another one... And it wasn't even the loosest! The bottom left should have been the next to go.

Ian took the girls up to Utah on Thursday so he could translate for General Conference and they could visit their grandparents, aunt, and uncle who also went to Utah for conference. I had just flown back from a long and draining weekend in Daytona 56 hours earlier and wasn't up for another long trip, so David and I just stayed home and played.

On their last night in Utah(tonight) the girls were going to sleep and fighting over a blanket when Em's tooth got pulled out in the midst of the great blanket war. I'm sure I'll be posting pics of two more holes in her mouth in the coming weeks.

Here's a convo David and I had the other day:

David: Mommy...(rather dramatically) Kenna did dat.(He holds up a nightlight in the bathroom that apparently he thinks Mckenna unplugged)
Me: Oh yeah?
David: Mommy...Dat's a no-no! Kenna did a NO-NO!
Me: She did?
David: Yeah. Dat's a no-no, Mommy. I put it back.
Me: OK put it back.
David: OK...(pause while he tries to plug it back in...I know I'm terrible for letting him play with pluggy stuff) Aw MAN! I can't. Mommy do it.

Is he not the most entertaining 2 year old ever? Today I asked him if he wanted some cookies. So I got up and started making them. When he realized I had to make them and wasn't just going to give him one right away he kept telling me that I was doing a "no-no." And every time I added a new ingredient or something from a drawer he'd tell me it was a no-no all over again.

This little mini-vaycay of ours has made me realize what a demanding little boy we have. He seriously thinks he runs the show(and very often does). I guess it's been nice to have the girls gone so I can devote my attention to him and hopefully whip him back into shape! Lucky he's such a sweet little cutie. Friday after my shower he followed me around the bathroom and closet, asking every 15 seconds, "What doin, Mom?" And earlier today when he could tell I was getting annoyed at his climbing all over me when I was trying to watch conference he said, "Mommy hug." And gave me the best hug ever. I love that boy!

My toothless wonder!

2009-03-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

You will never guess how we got this tooth to come out...

My sister said it's like we're stuck in the 50's. I honestly didn't think Emma would do it, and was even more surprised that it worked!!

Happy St. Paddy's!

2009-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

My cousin in law, Carrie has some awesome limericks up on her blog. She did it last year and had so much fun that she did it again. I know I can't compare, but I had fun trying!!

There once was a girl from the Valley
Who always seemed to dilly dally
When her husband lost his job
He began to work for the mob(read:mob wars on facebook)
And she wonders why they ever left Cali

There once was a girl, Emma Lou
When she saw a baby she'd coo
But now there's a brother
Yes, now another
And our house will for sure be a zoo

My daughter has love for Spiderman
When grown she'll be him if she can
But one thing I know
She cannot slay foes
For when she saw a spider she ran

My lover boy is from Seattle
When dating we had many battles
But now we are happy
This poem's too sappy
Guess I'll hop back up on my saddle

I once knew a cousin named Carrie
Long road trips with her can be scary
I wish she lived closer
I miss her the most-er(go with it)
I'll go shave my legs cuz they're hairy
(Sorry I was kind of rhymed out...But I did shave my legs this morning...)

Not Just Allergies!

2009-03-16T11:27:00.001-07:00

But also a sinus infection AND strep throat. Anyone want to come over to play?

Ugh

2009-03-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

ALLERGIES!!! Can I just roll into the grave now?

A post!

2009-03-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

The reason I haven't been blogging much is because I really have nothing to blog about! The kids haven't done anything particularly picture-worthy or talk-worthy, we haven't heard any more baby news(although I think we've decided on a name...), and nobody's really said anything super funny. Oh! Mckenna did say one funny - David went over to give her one of his random kisses and she leaned away from him, put her hand up and said, "You have a snot, DUDE!" He definitely had a nasty snot.

Ian was told at the beginning of last week that his company is closing all of their consumer lending offices across the country...which means in a month or so he'll be out of a job. He's been throwing resumes out left and right, even applying for a ton of jobs that he's not even close to qualified for. Initially we both panicked...especially with the impending adoption, but now that the dust has settled, we're just doing a lot of praying, and he's doing a lot of searching. So...if anyone knows someone is hiring...put in a good word!

Emma and Mckenna have spring break next week and I'm stoked. The weather should be nice and warm and I think the kids are more than ready to play all day every day. And I'm just excited to not have to be driving kids to and from school every day. My friend, Tami and I are hoping to do some fun stuff with the kids, so hopefully I'll have some good pics to post from that.

David is still cracking me up daily. It's so hard to punish him when he does naughty things. Immediately after getting caught, he just looks at you with his big doe brown eyes and tries to give you a hug or a kiss. If you hold his gaze long enough, he'll raise his eyebrows and then smile. Sometimes even chuckle. And then I just can't hold back the laughter. I completely understand how the youngest gets away with anything because he seriously just melts my heart every time. But he's also just so well behaved all the time that I'm not too worried about him being the "naughty kid."

I've found a few more pics of our new baby on the website that traveling families can post pics of their trips. He's just got the best smile and the most gorgeous eyes! It's obviously hard to tell from a picture, but he really just seems like such a happy kid. And what's funny is how many people say he looks like Mckenna and David. Crazy. We just keep praying that we can bring him home soon!

As for me, there really isn't much to say! We've been bustin our butts at the gym lately...we have a trip to Mexico planned for next month with some of our awesome friends(and no kids!), so we're all putting the pressure on! I'm just so glad that my friend's husband, Dave, has been training us. Before that I had no idea what I was doing and just kind of made things up as I went. Now, I'm sore every week - but I really feel like it's working! What's hard, though, is that he has us doing cardio post-workout...when I'm already drained!

Sorry for the lame update...hopefully I'll have more to post about soon!

Adorable Interview

2009-03-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is a cute idea. Copy this note, ask your child the questions and write them down exactly how they respond.

Interview with Mckenna - 4, and Emma - 6

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Kenna: NO!
Emma: That you're sorry for being mean to me. (Nice, Em. Thanks)

2. What makes mom happy?
Kenna: Doing something good and helping you.
Emma: When we're obedient.

3. What makes mom sad?
Kenna: That we don't choose the right.
Emma: When we're naughty.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Kenna: Tickling me.
Emma: Say funny things.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Kenna: A toy.
Emma: A good playful girl.

6. How old is your mom?
Kenna: Fifty fifty. No, SIXTY SIX!
Emma: 27 (good girl!)

7. How tall is your mom?
Kenna: So big.
Emma: Ten feet!

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Kenna: Play a game.
Emma: Work out.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Kenna: Go potty.
Emma: Work.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Kenna: Getting baptised.
Emma: Because you're good at plays. Like stuff you act at.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Kenna: Excercising. And stretching.
Emma: Working out at the gym.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Kenna: Doing things by yourself.
Emma: Being nice to your kids. (I said, I'm not good at that? She said, "You always yell at us!" Apparently I have some things to work on...or maybe they do!)

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Kenna: Clean up.
Emma: Have a dinner group...No! Work out at the gym, even though I already said it.

14. What's your mom's favorite food?
Kenna: Apples.
Emma: Grilled cheese.
Now you give me some Fuji apples AND grilled cheese and I'm a happy camper.

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Kenna: Playing games.
Emma: Nice.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Kenna: The dog.
Emma: Hannah Montana.

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Kenna: Play a game.
Emma: Have fun and play games(I'm surprised she didn't say yell at each other).

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Kenna: We have the same skin.
Emma: We both have two hands.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Kenna: Because we have different hair.
Emma: You have brown eyes, I have blue.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Kenna: Because you love me to the moon and back.
Emma: Because you tell me that every night.

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Kenna: To a mall that has movies.
Emma: YMCA!

So, apparently I yell too much, work out at the Y an awful lot, and would make a great cartoon dog. At least my kids know I love them! :)

It's a...

2009-03-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

BOY!

My baby's 2!

2009-03-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was David's 2nd birthday! I can't believe he's so old.

The night before his birthday I was putting him in his crib and actually got a little teary eye-ed thinking that two years ago I didn't even know what a sweet, funny, amazing little flirt I was going to be blessed with.

This little boy just melts my heart. I still call him my "baby" and have a hard time believing he's 2! He is so loving and funny!

He gives the best hugs and every now and then he will walk up to someone, grab their cheeks and say "(fill in the person's name) kiss," and then he'll just lay one on them. He seems to give Mckenna the most.

And when we're walking up the stairs at bedtime he says "Kenna Emma kiss. Gnight!" He has to climb in their beds and kiss them before he goes to bed.

He's also always trying to make other people laugh. He loves babies and animals and wants to hold them and kiss them too.

So Happy Birthday to my lovable, huggable, heartthrob son! I love you buddy!

Enjoy the pics:

Buzz Lightyear Planet cake!

Blue Mouth Brody!

Presents!

Toy Story toys

Playin with Uncle Vinnie

My cute preggo Kelli!

Brodes rockin out

Thanks so much to everyone who came to celebrate with us - Especially Chris and Vinnie for driving all the way from Cali just for my little man! I can't wait till you guys live closer!

Giveaway!

2009-03-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

My sis-in-law Taya just put this up on her blog...I thought it was so fun, so I'm doing it too!!

The first Three people to comment on this post will get something made by me! My choice--but just for you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year
4. You will have no clue what it is going to be.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.(I like this one...)

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me you did, will win a marvelous homemade gift by me! Let the games begin!! Oh, and I have to be able to contact you with mailing information!!! I promise it will be something good!

Adoption news-ish...

2009-02-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

Check it out.

Blast from the past

2009-02-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

I was just looking through old blog posts and found my favorite videos of all time. I'm sure most of you have seen these, but I could watch them 100 more times.

Bowling Night

2009-02-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

There's something seriously wrong with my husband...

And there's something seriously wrong with my bowling skills...

But Tami's aren't much better!

Maybe I need to adopt Ian's style...

He fell on his bum immediately after I took this pic!My awesome friend Tami planned a bowling night forever ago and I was SO looking forward to it all month. We went bowling and to P.F. Changs after. It was such a fun time and I can't wait to get together with everyone again! Love you guys!

Whoops!

2009-02-18T17:20:00.001-08:00

I fixed the pics that were too big! Sorry Tam!

Prediction

2009-02-17T21:13:00.001-08:00

Danny Gokey.

'nuff said.

Video edit

2009-02-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why the videos aren't working...here are the links if you want to click and watch them through the other website. Be sure to let them load fully before you watch them or they'll be too choppy.

Hail:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/someez/?action=view&current=102_2767.flv

Petting Zoo 1
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/someez/?action=view&current=102_2797.flv

Petting Zoo 2
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/someez/?action=view&current=102_2834.flv

Fondue (by the way, it was not David's bday, nor is he 2...we were just being silly)
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/someez/?action=view&current=102_2852.flv

Valentine crazy candy kids
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/someez/?action=view&current=102_2856.flv

Camera's back!

2009-02-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

We finally got our camera fixed and I've tried to take a bunch of pics to hopefully make up for the lack of posts...So here's the update!

We had another super fun murder mystery party at my friend, Amanda's house. This time the theme was Class of '54 high school reunion(5 years later). So we pretty much dressed like we were from Grease.

Shantal(sp?) and Chris AKA Pris Teen and Cal Q. Layder

Amanda and Neil AKA E.C. Leigh and Del Toydes

Tami and Dave AKA Penny Lofer and Rick Alcitrent

Ian and me AKA Joe K. Awledge and Dee C. Deucer

Last Sunday we had a pretty good storm roll through here...with hail!

On Valentines Day we'd planned to participate in a fundraising run for an amazing family, the Baileys. Ian teaches seminary with the dad. They have conjoined twin daughters who share a heart and liver. They are so amazing and we were so excited to do this run...until Kenna started throwing up the night before. Ian was going to do the 10k and I was planning on the 5k. But, Ian decided to stay home with her and David, and I went with some girlfriends(and one other husband). We had such a fun time and I am so glad I went. Ian met us afterwards with Mckenna and David so we could do all of the other fun stuff. Here are the pics:

Emma and Katelynn all bundled up(it was cold!)

Brody-man!

Me, Amber, and Tami - I love these girls!

Amber with her kids, Christen and Cambria

All of the girls:Cheryl, Kayla, Tami, Rebecca, Hilari, Heather, Me, and Amber

The two men... Dave and Jon lol

More girls:

The end!

Here are some pics from the petting zoo. David was in heaven...he kept walking up to the animals' faces and saying, "Hi!" and then trying to kiss them, hug them, or hold them. It was SOOO adorable.

Tami found a friend:

Emma was terrified. This was about as close as she got.

Spiderman balloon(no idea why she wanted him green and blue)

Emma the princess(no surprise here)

And David with his Buzz Lightyear. He is in LOVE with Buzz right now. Everyday he asks, "Watch Buzz movie?"

After that we had a laid back V-day afternoon. Ian made a delicious dinner and we did chocolate fondue for dessert. (I have no idea why Emma put that thing on her head. In fact I have no idea why she does 3/4 of the things she does.)

Hopefully I can be much better about the blogging now that I have our camera...and hopefully this blog made up for my previous blogging absence!

Flag Vay-Cay

2009-01-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

Cost of one night in a hotel in Flagstaff, AZ: $80
One roll-a-way bed for Emma: $10
One indoor pool and hot tub for swimming in the middle of winter: $0
Movie tickets and treats for a family of 5: $35
Walmart shopping trip to buy snowgear: $70
Entrance to Wing Mountain snow play area: $5

One amazing vacation that our kids have said they'll never forget: Priceless

One amazing vacation that our kids will forget because we went without a camera[because both of the cameras we own are broken(one is currently being fixed, the other will be dropped off this week)]: ARGH!

For Shannie...and Auntie Kiss...

2009-01-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

And whoever else loves staring at pics of our family...I finally figured out how to upload a bunch of pics at once, in order, not huge, through photobucket.com. I'm stoked! I can now do posts with pics WAY faster! Hopefully that means I will post pics on here more often. I usually put it off because it takes so long, they're usually out of order, and it's just annoying.(these are in a weird order because they came from different memory sticks...) So, we're all good now! Here are a ton of pics from the month of Dec...enjoy!David's last pic before his haircut:
David's first pic with short hair...what a big boy!
Emma coming down the stairs on Christmas morning:
Aunt Tuni and David snuggling:
Kenna Claus
Opening his present from Kiss:

Thanks Auntie Kiss!!
David passed out while the boys were racing on Mario Cart. Check out their intense game faces!

Phoenix Science Center:

Eye Keem!
Decorating the Tree:

Emma tried to put the star on the tree and got too scared, David was too small, but Kenna was juuuuust right.

Just before Ken's dance recital:
The first time Mckenna's class performed, one little girl got her hand STOMPED on and tried so hard to keep going, but she really got hurt. Another little girl kicked her shoe off...so after the intermission, they let them perform again. It was adorable. They danced to Elvis's "White Christmas." She was awesome.

We hosted our first annual Christmas party this year and had a blast! We played a silly reindeer antler game which was so fun! Here are the teams:

Ian's cake balls were a huge hit! So yummy. I need to update my recipe blog...
My sweet boys:

David's fav Christmas present:
Family pics:

David's other favorite Christmas present...and everyone elses.
My cute sister-in-law, Tuni.
Emma's awesome kid-proof camera:

Mckenna's Spiderman bike:
Somes Family...everyone's there!
The girls:
The boys:
The kids:
Us!
My adorable in-laws...I love them!

Sorry I took so ridiculously long, hopefully it was worth the wait!!

Idol

2009-01-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

It's back!!! Woohooo!! I'm never a huge fan of the audtitions, but I do like to try and see who's actually good. I loved the part where Kara tried to outsing the bikini girl, but I didn't post a clip because I couldn't find one with just that part. You would have had to watch the whole segment, which was awful! So... I'm posting another slightly awful clip. It's just really poor quality, but the girl was adorable and an excellent singer. So, without further ado...

Best Idol Moment from last night:

Hmm...

2009-01-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'll post Christmas pics by Valentine's day...maybe. Although I may have some disco roller skating pics soon...maybe.

Mckenna-ism

2009-01-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

Mckenna was in the bathroom, David knocked on the door.
Kenna opened it and said: You want to come in?
David: Yes
Kenna: Well you can't come in right now, my house is too messy.
David: Oh
Kenna: You can come back in one year.

Musta been a pretty messy house...

MY 12 Days of Christmas

2009-01-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

12 marshmallow guns

11 loads of laundry(total understatement)

10 kids to play with

9 days of house guests

8 vomiting family members(but only one fainter)

7 meals made by me

6 sets of sheets to wash

5 trips to the store

4 loaves of bread

3 toilets to sanitize

2 trips to the park

1 messy house

As crazy and busy as things have been, I'm sad it's all over. Ian's entire family was here for Christmas, split between our house and his sister, Megan's house. There were 20 people. They arrived Christmas Eve and left today. There was a nasty flu that hit over half of us...amazingly Taya, Megan, and I (all moms of little sick kids) were safe. We ate tons of food, played lots of Rockband, Mario Kart, and Settlers of Cataan, stayed up many late nights, opened lots of presents, and laughed a lot. The kids all got along pretty well, we didn't have any ER trips(even though Shan did pass out), and only one of my Christmas ornaments was broken. I might post pictures later...but for now...I'm worn out and still have plenty of laundry, vacuuming, and de-cluttering to do. Happy New Year!

What did I do??

2008-12-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

He's not my little baby anymore!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

We hope you are having a wonderful day as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Flu Who?

2008-12-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday night I hung out at my sister-in-law's house and had a slight headache. On my way home it got worse. A few times I felt a little nauseous and dizzy. By the time I carried David up to bed I thought I was going to pass out. I had Emma get ready for bed by herself, and left a sleeping Mckenna in the car for Ian to take to bed when he got home 10 minutes later. I took a bunch of Advil and Tylenol and went to bed.

The next morning my whole body was sore, especially my head, neck, and back. Over the next two days I had a fever, chills, night sweats, more nausea and dizziness, heat rash, and was just super super sore all over. The headache was the worst I've ever had, even when I was on 4 Advil and 2 extra strength Tylenol. Wednesday night was the worst. I was shivering more than I ever have in my life. And Thursday morning I stopped halfway down the stairs and just started crying because I hurt so much. Last night was the first night I started feeling a little better. I just figured I got a nasty flu and it had to run its course.

Then I woke up this morning...

...with swollen lips. I looked in the mirror and the inside of my lips looked like I had chomped down on them sometime in the night. There wasn't any broken skin, just big red and purple bumps. Odd...

Then my feet started to itch. And get red bumps, as did the inside of my cheeks and the palms of my hands. I finally went to see a doctor today. The diagnosis?

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. Nice, huh? Yeah - I know what you're thinking: disgusting! You can go Google it, but it's basically just a viral thing that has to run its course. The doctor said once the rash appears, I'm not contagious anymore, but the rash usually lasts about 1-2 weeks. Yuck.

Now I bet you're still wondering why I felt so cruddy the past few days. Well, it turns out that there's a complication with H/F/M disease...you can get Viral Meningitis - very commonly described as "The worst headache you've ever had." Sound familiar? Here's what the Mayo clinic has to say about it:

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord, usually due to the spread of an infection. The swelling associated with meningitis often triggers the "hallmark" symptoms of this condition, including headache, fever and a stiff neck.

So wish me luck as I drink my milky smoothie and rub hydro-cortisone cream all over my feet. Oh and Happy Holidays! Hopefully I haven't coughed on you in the past couple of days.

Ian's Deal

2008-12-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

For all those of you who are mad at me when Ian finds a great deal and I tell you about it after the sale is through...I guess I bugged Ian enough and he typed this all up and emailed it to me, before he even told me there was a good sale this week! Happy Shopping!

Safeway's got some good deals on Kellogg's products - save $5 on your order when you buy 5 participating items. Below are some of the items that interested me (prices shown are after the $5 is taken off your order):

Smart Start $1.88
Mini-wheats $1.49
Special K Red Berries $1.99
12ct Pop-tarts $1.49

I usually don't get these healthier Kellogg's cereals because they're not on sale very often and it's usually hard to find good coupons for them. I think my family is getting sick of Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Captain Crunch! (the Pop-tarts are far from healthy, but they're a cheap & convenient breakfast for those days when we're running late!)

I bought the following coupons on eBay (spent $6.18 total):
(10) $1 off Smart Start
(10) $1 off Special K
(15) $1 off Mini-Wheats
(10) $.55 off Pop-tarts (doubles to $1 off)
Basically, I'm going to get $1.00 off each of these items. Once I'm done, I will get 35 boxes of cereal and 10 boxes of Pop-tarts for $37.16.

Kid-isms

2008-12-09T18:37:00.001-08:00

Mckenna: Mommy my nose hurts. I think someone picked my nose. But it wasn't me! I don't know who did it.

_______________

David's new phrase this week is either "Huh?" or Whaaaat?" And when you answer him, he'll say, "Oooooooh," as in "Oh, it all makes sense now!" He usually says it after you tell him no. Like this:

Me: No, David, we don't play with scissors.
David: Huh?
Me: Remember when you cut your shirt earlier today? We don't play with scissors, bring them to me.
David: Ooooooooh.

More pictures....

2008-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

Our camera has been stuck on the "sports" setting since Halloween, so we took it in to Best Buy and have been minus a camera for a while. Luckily, I bought a new, smaller one on Black Friday. Because I have been bombarded with picture requests(ok...two), I will now pleasure you with a blog full of just pictures....

Our neighborhood had a little mini Christmas party last weekend. Santa came riding up on a firetruck. I guess Emma didn't believe it when we said Santa would be coming out of the truck because this was her face when he did:David wasn't so sure...Emma asked for a basketball hoop and a basketball.

This was Mckenna's first year that she didn't need any prompting. She marched right up and said she wanted blue walkie talkies - I wish this girl would make up her mind, Santa can't keep returning things to Walmart!And David was still a bit unsure...

I love my cuties.

The highlight of the day was meeting the firefighters and sitting in their truck. This guy told them to call him "Uncle" so and so. Uncle? Really? As if they don't already love you, you have to go and make yourself their uncle? Creepy.

For my birthday, the kids and Ian made me this sickeningly sweet cake. And when I say sickeningly sweet, I mean...it was in the trash before the night was through. It was SO good that I knew I'd pig out on it the next day and I'd rather have it in the trash than on my love handles. It had strawberry margarita mixer in the batter and a lime frosting. SOOO good. And it was so cute! Emma decorated the left, Mckenna the right, and Ian and David did the middle. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving I surprised Ian with tickets to a hockey game. We're not sports fanatics, but we both enjoy hockey and I can't remember the last time he and I went on a date with just the two of us. It was such a fun night, I can't wait to go again!

And here are some cookies we made to deliver for turkey day. The kids loved it, Ian got the idea from some website...I think maybe Betty Crocker? That's been our fav lately. That's where he got the idea for my cake above.

Random picture I found on the memory stick...

And, in case you missed it the first time...here is another true definition of Willie off the Pickle Boat. Keep in mind that this child had zero help getting dressed that day. In fact, I told her she could wear whatever she wanted. We were just going for a walk to the park to have a picnic. And here is what she came up with(notice the Billy Bob teeth....thanks Tami, and the visor hanging from her neck, the headband wrapped around her waist, the superman cape above the headband on her waist, and she also has on pink flip flops):

The kids were playing house the other day. Emma was the mom(she always has to be the one in control) and Ken and David were her babies. I thought it was so cute that David wanted in on the action. They're pretending to be asleep. David sat there for like 5 minutes pretending to sleep with Kenna.

Mckenna loves the stickers they wear when they're at the childcare center at the Y and I'm in the gym. As soon as we get in the car she either sticks them on her forehead, her eyes, or on a finger and pretends it's her bandaid. She's such pure entertainment. This time, she insisted she go in to Walmart with it on her head, and to preschool. And just in case you haven't been entertained by her antics enough in this post...here are her mittens that she HAD to have when we went to Goodwill the other day. And lastly...is this not the most beautiful Christmas tree you've EVER seen? Seriously. 8 feet of pure Christmas joy. And it is FAT. And soooo super smelly. Ian said, "I don't think I've ever loved a Christmas tree as much as I love this one." Exactly.

Farfegnugen

2008-12-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

I realized that when I posted all of the Halloween and California pics, I skipped over all of the ones in between. Here they are, plus my trip with Ian to Sedona. (More recent pics to come in another post)

The Friday after we got back from Cali, Ian took David camping with the Young Men in our stake. They got to camp at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport - how fun is that? The YM were taken up one at a time in tiny little planes(don't ask me what they were called!). David was too little, but was more than happy to just be surrounded by airplanes, and to see them take off, land, and fly around in the sky.

Every night when we finish with family prayer and scriptures, we tell the girls to go get in their beds. 8 times out of 10, David climbs into Mckenna's bed, pulls the covers up, and waits for us to come in - with a big smile on his face. He thinks he's hilarious. So one of those nights, Ian decided that meant David was ready for his big boy bed. I totally rolled my eyes at the idea, but decided to let Ian have his fun. I assumed David would either climb out of bed right away, or be up wandering the house all night long. Either way, I figured I'd let him try it one night, and then we'd put him back in the crib the next night. I'm just not ready for him to be in a big bed...all mobile! I like that when he wakes up in the morning I can snooze a little while I listen to him waking up on the monitor. And he's so good at going to sleep. You just lay him in the crib and he's quiet. Anyway, we lay him in his bed, pull the covers up, give him his little blankie(his ni-night), give him kisses, and say good night. Initially he looked at us like he had no idea what was going on. Then he turned and snuggled into his blankie. We left the room and didn't hear another peep from him until 7 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!! I went in to check on him at about 6:30 and he was lying diagonally on his pillow - sound asleep. Is he not the absolute best baby in the world? OK so 20 months isn't really a baby anymore, but he's my baby. I was just so shocked that he stayed put! Ian thought that meant that David would permanently be in the bed...sorry! I'm still not ready for that step! At least we got some cute pics of it:In other related news...One night we went in to check on Emma before we went to bed and here is how we found her:
She had shoved her "greenie"(her blankie) up in her shirt! What a nut!

Here are the pics from our Sedona trip. Ian surprised me with a one-nighter, and our awesome fabulous and wonderful friends, Kelli and Lance stayed with the kids(and I'm sure baby Mia - aka Meemoo - was a big help). I'm not going to bother explaining most of the pics - especially since they're in a way random order. Just suffice it to say - we ate great food, met great people, went on great hikes and great drives, and had a great time!

Notice our blingin' sunglasses? We couldn't find our regular ones, so our Britney and Kevin ones had to suffice. :)Apparently Ian thought this was a great photo op...be grateful I didn't post the other one of me bending over looking at some rocks...I'm not sure why I'm posing like a trophy wife in this one:Ian's Velociraptor rock sculpture:

It was Ms. Scarlet, in the library, with the candlestick!

2008-12-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

For my 27th birthday last week we hosted a Murder Mystery party. It was SOOOOOO SO SOOO much fun! Seriously - I haven't laughed that hard in who knows how long. We all had characters that we had to play. There was a dinner menu, complete with recipes, invitations, a play book for each person, and lots of clues and hints. It was set in a train car in France, June of 1940.

Here are my friends Amber and Tami - AKA Barbra(the perfume heiress) and Belinda(the high society dressmaker):Ryan(Khover the secret agent)and Dave(Mal the Gangster):Mary(ruthless journalist) and Wey(pilot)Idelle(princess) and The Duke(military officer)

Barbra and Khover

Mary and Wey

Belinda and MalThe girls...funny story about this picture. It took 7 shots to finally get a picture that all of us liked and that we weren't absolutely CRACKING UP in. I'm not kidding you. We were ridiculous. And insane. And wildly maniacal.And here's my beautiful table! I was so excited to finally get the chance to use my china tableware. And my crystal!

It was really a super fun night. If anyone is interested you can buy the game on Ebay. Just search for "How to Host a Murder." You can buy them on their website, too, but they're cheaper on Ebay. Oh yeah...and invite me!

Oh and in case you're wondering(and don't read on if you ever plan on hosting this edition)...I was the killer. However... I wasn't actually Princess Idelle, I was Finona Fatale in disguise...the person who's murder I was framing on everyone else! Sneaky me!

Raindrops on Roses...

2008-11-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

With the Holiday season upon us I have been realizing just how much I really love this time of year. The weather finally cooled off this week and now that Thanksgiving is officially over, I can really start enjoying Christmastime. So...to kick the season off, here are a few of my favorite things(of this week!)

Stephens Chocolate Mint Truffle Hot Cocoa... Mmmm... 'nuff said...
I'm not sure why this picture is so ridiculously large(none of these pictures are mine...I googled them all - and somehow they all turned out huge!)... My Great Aunt Peg's famous applesauce cake... I made some on Wed and for some reason it was really dense, but still SO so good!
I ordered this velour hoodie(and the pants) from Old Navy. When the box got here, this was the last thing I tried on...and I've been living in it ever since. I come home and put it on right away and when I wake up in the morning, it's the first thing I go to...Maybe I should get two so I can rotate them. SO cozy!

Black Friday shopping. This year was the first time I went. My friend, Tami invited me, and we had so much fun! I got some pretty good deals, but mostly just had a lot of fun.

Christmas lights! Ian put ours up on Wednesday and Saturday and they look great! I love that my husband loves Christmas as much as I do. We also cleaned the house really good on Wed and Saturday, and decorated inside. I still haven't done our trees - I'm saving that for next weekend.

Thanksgiving leftovers. I know you are all sick of turkey by now, but I just can't seem to get enough! I'm kind of over the soggy green bean casserole, but I love the turkey sandwiches! Ian bought the biggest turkey he could find(my mom taught him well) so we will be eating turkey for a loooooong time! So that's it for my fav's right now. Sorry I didn't actually take any pictures of my favorites, but our camera's been broken for a while. Ian finally took it in to be fixed last Monday, but we won't get it back for a while. In the meantime, I scored on a new camera on black Friday, so I'll try to get some new pics and movies up soon. I haven't been feeling very bloggy lately. I think Christmas is getting to me...I just want to be cleaning and spending time with my sweet kids!

So...what are your favorite things as we enter the Holidays?

NEW NEWS!

2008-11-26T09:21:00.001-08:00

I know my last adoption update was lame-sauce...this one's much better! Go check it out!

Queen Creekers...

2008-11-14T00:29:00.000-08:00

Don't forget!

Happy Birthday Grammy

2008-11-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Happy -would be- 55th!

Mini Update

2008-11-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

I put a little update on our adoption blog. Don't get your panties all in a bunch...it's nothing exciting.

Halloween!

2008-11-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Dressing up for the ward Trunk or Treat: Later that night - dressing up for my friend Amber's Halloween Party(Kfed & Britney-my shirt says "Oops I did it again" with an arrow pointing down - my hat says "Mrs. Federline"):

Amber...aka Beth(Dog the Bounty Hunter's wife)

Kfed and Dog:

I thought these were the best of the night!

Halloween cookie decorating:

Pumpkin painting:

I made 36 cupcakes for Emma's class party...but got sick of making spiders so I only did 24 spider cupcakes:

And 12 of these:

Halloween night trick or treating in the neighborhood:

California

2008-11-06T08:12:00.001-08:00

Here are our pics form our October Cali trip. We had a perfect time! It was so nice to get away from the heat and enjoy some cooler outside time. We went to the beach, a park, my aunt Tina's(where David got a haircut), my friend Brooke's house, the park in our old neighborhood(with all of our neighborhood friends), I saw my friend, Rob, open at the House of Blues for Chris Cagle, and what Cali trip wouldn't be complete without some Santa Ana winds and wildfires. Enjoy!

2008-11-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

Have you? Go now!!

2008-11-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

CA Prop 8 & AZ Prop 102

2008-11-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

I got this as a forwarded email and thought it was worth passing on. It's super long, so I did skim through some of it, but it's well worth your time.

PROPOSITION 8: A CLEAR MESSAGE FROM SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN THERE
I am going to attempt the impossible: I want to try to discuss Proposition 8 in an honest, equitable manner. To demonstrate the divisiveness of the issue, let me first point out that I could only call it 'Proposition 8.' If I'd called it by its original name, 'Proposition 8: California Marriage Protection Act,' you would think that I want you to vote 'Yes on 8.' After all, who wouldn't want to protect marriage? If I'd called it by its new name, as determined by California's attorney general and legislative analyst in July, 'Proposition 8: Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry,' you would think that I want you to vote 'No on 8.' After all, who would want to eliminate someone's rights?

And, to demonstrate how far-reaching its effects, I didn't even need to call it 'California's Proposition 8.' No matter where this email goes, to any of the 50 states that may have propositions up for vote, I'm confident people will know which state's 'Proposition 8' I'm talking about.

Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times describes the Proposition with poetic imagery: 'it is raging like a wind-whipped wildfire in California.' More poetic still...from an article in Monday's San Francisco Chronicle:

'Michelle Sundstrom and her husband gave $30,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign and put a sign on their home. But in response, two women parked an SUV in front of their home, with the words 'Bigots live here' painted on the windshield. Sundstrom believes such responses must come from deep places of pain-and that gays and lesbians are entitled to the same rights as heterosexuals, just not the word marriage. Any animosity toward gays or lesbians is wrong, she said.

'There must be such deep, deep, deep hurt; otherwise there couldn't be so much opposition,' she said. 'They've lived with this. I guess we're getting a taste of where they live.'

Wow. Perhaps all this craziness and hate-slinging is actually getting us somewhere. A heterosexual Mormon couple has a 'Bigots live here' sign parked in front of their house, and what's their response? 'They've lived with this. I guess we're getting a taste of where they live.'

And she didn't just say 'deep hurt.' She said 'deep, deep, deep hurt.' I know the depth of that pain. I grew up Mormon and gay back in the 1970s. That was when we were shunned, ridiculed, bruised, battered, and discriminated against by nearly everyone, religious or otherwise. We hid in the closets because it hurt too much to come out. People who did come out were called perverts, child molesters, predators, queer, sick, you name it. For those of us who were Mormon, it was even worse. We were attracted to the same sex, yet Mormon doctrine stated we were supposed to get married only to a member of the opposite sex. It is a direct conflict between the two strongest, most significant desires in life.

When I was in college, I met a woman with whom I thought I'd spend the rest of my life. But after a couple of years, we broke up. That was when I had this feeling, an impression, to talk to my bishop. I had no idea who he was because I hadn't gone to church in years.

That bishop used the power of the priesthood in my behalf, just as the divine plan had been laid out. He met with me for almost three years as I struggled and faltered. Suicide was a very real threat. I feel blessed, or lucky, or both, not to be among the many who have already pulled the trigger.

I wasn't suicidal because of the Church's unwavering stance on marriage. I hadn't been forced to believe, or guilted into it. I had not been brainwashed. My testimony came from the heart.

In time, my spiritual identity began to gain strength over my sexual identity. I was finally able to choose the right. But it was a troubling choice. I had no desire, whatsoever, to spend a lifetime with a man - much less an eternity. So that left me with celibacy. To this day, sacrificing same-sex relationships is the greatest sacrifice I have made.

Years ago a friend said: 'The sacrifice of a loved one for an attempt to live righteously cannot go unnoticed. The loss is real, the sadness is real, in a world where so few things are real.' Now, the sacrifice is being publicly recognized by Church leaders. In a fireside for Latter-day Saints in California, Elder Quentin L. Cook said, 'There are faithful temple-worthy members of the Church who struggle with this great challenge, often in silence, fear, and great pain.'

Back when I was battling same-sex attractions, I couldn't find any LDS resources dealing with the issue. I'd insist, 'The Church doesn't understand. They don't even care enough to help.' Finally I realized that the Church I was criticizing was not just 'they'. It was also 'I', and perhaps 'I' should quit complaining and start writing. So I did. The title of the book sums it up: Born That Way? A True Story of Overcoming Same-Sex Attraction. Few people were offering hope back then for those who wanted to overcome same-sex attraction. I felt compelled by the spirit to try and provide hope for others with struggles similar to mine.

The secular resources did more harm than good. Back then, the only claims you heard from the 'experts' were: 'Sexual attractions are a permanent part of who you are. They're indelible, unchangeable, and unavoidable.' Fortunately, the 'experts' are now realizing that, just like other aspects of who we are, sexual attractions are influenced by genetics, environment, upbringing, experiences - all of it. Nature and nurture are no longer pitted against each other.

For almost 20 years, I've had the unique opportunity to witness the journey of many people who face this trial. I started in 1990, when Evergreen asked me to help as a volunteer phone counselor. Evergreen is an organization established to help Mormons struggling with same-sex attractions. Over the span of nearly two decades, I've seen some of those Latter-day Saints get married in the temple. I've seen others work to remain celibate - either because they have not found a spouse or because they have not developed attractions toward the opposite sex. I have also seen those who once had very strong testimonies, who tried desperately to bring their lives into accordance with gospel principles, but finally gave up. At least for now.

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: Some people, no matter what they do or how hard they try, will never find themselves attracted to the opposite sex, in this life. They deserve our utmost respect. So do those who identify as gay or straight or bisexual or none of the above. They all deserve our respect.

No doubt because I have lived both sides of this issue, I am not surprised that the wildfires are raging in California. Also, it's not difficult for me to understand how the body of the Church has become divided. I've felt divided, too. Our family lived in California in 2000, when the Defense of Marriage Act came up for vote the first time. My husband and I had been sealed together for time and all eternity, and our children had been born under the new and everlasting covenant. We, as an eternal family, were and are the direct beneficiaries of the Church's unwavering stance on marriage. What once created angst so severe I considered suicide led me to a life I never thought possible. One in which I have been happily married - to a man - for 15 years.

However, I know all too well what it's like to be discriminated against. And the thought of 'eliminating' someone else's rights seems wrong. Up until this week, it seemed to go against my sense of fairness, democracy and justice as a citizen of the United States. It also seemed to run contrary to the core of my faith - the second greatest commandment - to love one another.

Despite my apprehensions in 2000, my husband and I acted in faith and supported Proposition 22 because the prophet asked us to. I hate to admit this, but it wasn't until this week that I was able to reconcile the opposing viewpoints I have continued to debate in my own head. I now understand why the leaders of the Mormon Church have been taking such an active role in all of this. It happened while I was reading a National Public Radio report entitled 'When Gay Rights and Religious Liberties Clash'. It says, 'In recent years, some states have passed laws giving residents the right to same-sex unions in various forms. Gay couples may marry in Massachusetts and California. There are civil unions and domestic partnerships in Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Oregon.'

I was astonished when I read: 'So far, the religious groups are losing.' They listed examples such as Catholic Charities in Massachusetts who had to pull out of the adoption business because they refused to adopt to same-sex couples. Individual rights are being revoked, too. A woman declined to photograph a same-sex couple's commitment ceremony, saying her Christian beliefs prevented her from sanctioning same-sex unions. She was found guilty of discrimination.

When I read that article, it was like a light bulb went on over my head. More importantly, I felt a spiritual confirmation in my heart that the prophet truly is prophetic. And that was when this impression came to me:

It's not that the Mormon Church is trying to get into politics. It's that politics is trying to get into the Church. And not just our church. Any church or congregation or individual who believes that only a marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.

I'm sorry I couldn't see what the prophet could see. I'm sorry I'm not sending this letter until now. I'm sorry for my apathy, for being 'lukewarm'. (I thought it was only a matter of time before same-sex marriages became legal everywhere.)Yes, we're behind in the polls. Yes, it's the Friday before Election Day. So PLEASE, email this letter to anyone and everyone you think could benefit from it - as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, someone has to lose with Proposition 8. Somebody's right to something will be limited after the polls close on Tuesday. I, for one, do not want it to be my right to worship as I please.

Sincerely,
Erin Eldridge
P.S. For those who would like to respond to this letter - whether in anger or frustration or support - I will do my best to respond to every email I receive. But please, be patient. All our kids are still at home and I work part time. Email riverwalk8@gmail.com.

I think I'm in love...

2008-10-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when I'm not looking for a bedding set, I find the most adorable things...but when I am looking...I can't find anything! Not to mention that when I do find something...it has to be the most expensive on the market. Case in point: Pottery Barn's Cherry Blossom bedding set. Ugh.

2 years

2008-10-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

While we were in Cali, David and I visited my dad's memorial bench. (here's last year's post)

Candid

2008-10-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

She had no idea the camera was going. This is just a small portion of the hilarity that happens when Mckenna is playing. I wish she was doing all of the voices she had been doing before I turned the camera on.

Mckenna-ism

2008-10-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Mckenna was wiping David's hands clean after he ate a cinnamon roll. Here was the conversation that ensued:

Mckenna: Mommy, I think David yooks yike he's fom Etioopia.
Me: How come? (yes, I used one of the weirdest expressions in the English language...)
Ken: Because his skin is tooning bwown.
Me: Is it from the cinnamon?
Ken: Yeah...(a pause of about 15 seconds) I mean no. It's not coming off. I think it's just tooning bwown.

BTW - we just got back from a week in Cali which was AWESOME. I'll post a recap with pictures soon.

Albertsons Deal

2008-10-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ian went to Albertsons and scored on some yogurt, Pillsbury rolls, and Progresso Soups. I had him type up how he did it, but you only have until tomorrow(Tuesday) night before the deal ends. Here's what he said:

Albertsons has a great deal where you can get $5.00 back after purchasing 10 participating General Mills items. The best is FREE YOPLAIT YOGURT!!!

Buy 10 Yoplait at Albertsons using 1 coupon (10 for $5.00). You’ll then receive a $5.00 coupon for your next shopping trip. Use that coupon for more yogurts. After you buy your first 10, the rest are free because you’ll get a $5.00 coupon every time.

You can also combine this with some other products by printing coupons from the following sites:
Coupons.com, GeneralMills.com, EatBetterAmerica.com
You should find some of the following:
“Save $0.50 on 6 Yoplait” or “Save $1.00 on 8 Yoplait”
“Save $1.00 on 3 Progresso soups”
“Save “$0.55 on 2 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits”
“Save “$0.35 on 1 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls”

Albertsons doesn’t double coupons, but on the products listed above, they’ll end up costing less than $0.50 if you use the coupons right with the $5.00 back deal. For $3.05, I got the following:
32 Yoplait Yogurt
4 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
4 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
10 Progresso Soups
2 cans Progresso Bread Crumbs

You just have to make sure the items you buy are on the participating list. Happy Saving!

(Almost) Sunday Ramblings

2008-10-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Before I do anything else I need to shamelessly brag about my awesome husband...today he completed the St. George Marathon!!! I'm still in shock that he did the whole thing and still survived! He's been sick this past month and when you add in his busy schedule - he didn't have much time to continue his training. We were worried about how that would affect his ability to do well. But he did it and he did awesome. Good job babe!

On with the ramblings! I went to take all of the pictures off our camera's memory card and was surprised to find that most of the pictures were of food! Look out recipe blog readers... lots of yummy food should be up by sometime tomorrow! The rest were pictures of David - which is surprising since he's either been super sick or super tantrum-y the past two weeks. I'm amazed he's happy in the pics.

The good news is that I've finally found 2 foods David will eat just about any time(he is not a fan of food...): cupcakes and popcorn! The only problem with cupcakes is that apparently they're too messy for him so I have to cut them and give him a fork. Otherwise I end up with this: Do you see the way he's eyeing that frosting covered hand? Like it just walked out of a flying saucer?

Another silly eating habit he's developed is that when he decides he's done eating, I get him all cleaned up and take him out of his high-chair, just for him to climb up on my lap or Ian's lap and munch on our scraps. As long as he's eating, I don't care whose food it is!

Mckenna has been loving her preschool, and David and Christian have finally found friendship! For a little while they either ignored each other or fought over the pretend vacuum cleaner. Lately, though, they've been interacting a little more and actually sharing! They're so stinkin' cute! Right now David is pointing at the picture of them and saying, "Kwinin! Deedee!" (Christian! David!)
As cute as he is in all of these pictures, don't let it fool you. He is no longer my perfectly well behaved, calm, happy child. Just as Emma's leaving her tantrum years, David has decided to enter them. And when I say "enter them," I mean: Somebody help me! He's learned the art of the full fledged - on the floor - kicking and yelling tantrum. Oh yeah...and somewhere along the way he picked up Mckenna's(read: my) stubbornness. Oh it's bad. Good thing he's so cute. The other day he took the stool out of the bathroom. When I told him to put it back he put it over his face and didn't move a muscle. "If Mom can't see me, she won't know I'm here...and I won't have to put this back. Just...don't...move..."
And here's just a cute pic with no explanation needed:
Also, the above pic has the last picture of our sweet dog, Kelly. My mom brought her home as a puppy when I was in 7th grade. I remember wanting to name her freckles because she had the most adorable little brown spots on her nose. She fit in perfectly with my mom, sister and I! My mom loved her so much and she was such a fun, happy dog! In the past few years she finally started showing her age. She was 13 1/2 years old! That's almost 100 years old in dog years! She wasn't as peppy and energetic and she slowly lost her hearing. Two Thursdays ago Ian went out to feed the dogs and Kelly didn't come. He found her curled up in a sweet little ball in a shallow hole she dug a while ago between the AC units. We're thinking she just curled up and left the Earth. The thought that made me smile is that now my mom has a buddy in heaven. :)
Our other dog, Savannah seemed to be doing fine for a while, but this past week she's been whining at the door any time she is outside. She even scratched up the screen one night when I was upstairs and couldn't hear her. She also turned over the pot with one of my plumerias - 3 times! I've been trying to have her inside as much as possible and I've been giving her alot of attention, but we're not always home and I'm sure she gets awfully lonely. Hopefully she'll return to normal soon, but she's only 1 year younger than Kelly, so this could also be a sign of her old age, so we'll see.

Emma and I laid in bed for about ten minutes before she went to sleep tonight. I was just reminded of how much I love that girl. She is such a happy child. So creative and she has such a positive outlook. She is also very intuitive, thoughtful, and is always wanting everyone to be happy. She is also a great friend to everyone she meets. I was trying to get her remember my friend Tina the other day and when I said she had two daughters, Paige and Hailey, she said, "Paige? I know Paige! She's my best friend! I see her at the gym!" Emma's probably been to the gym 4 times and I know she hasn't played with Paige all four times, but just the fact that she considers Paige her best friend tells you what a friend Emma is to everyone. I do wish she would find one or two girls at school to be close friends with, but for now I'll just be happy that she loves everyone - instead of the alternative. Every day she comes home from school with new stories about new people. I just love that girl.

Lastly, I'll just leave you with some self explanatory videos(mainly for Shannie, Grandma, and Auntie Kiss's benefit)

Heaven & Chicken

2008-10-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

Emma decided tonight to tell me what she hopes heaven is like:

"Mommy, I'll try not to forget what I hope heaven's like. [Me: What do you think it's like(while I whip out the laptop to catch this in writing)] It's only grass... and there's a lake in the back. And bushes behind the lake. I think I might want to go swimming when I'm in heaven. And flowers on the bush. I think everybody might be swimming already. I think Jesus is swimming! I really want to see what Jesus looks like. I really want to see Grammy and Kelly(our dog)."

I was cooking a whole chicken in our GF Rotisserie the other day. Emma walked up to it and asked what it was. Here's our convo:

Me: It's chicken
Emma: No, I mean, like what kind of chicken...like cow, or pig, or goat...you know.
Me: Emma, it's a chicken. Like the bird.
Emma: COOL!! I can see the leg and the tail!
Me: Yep the whole thing is there, except the head.
Emma: Awesome! I can see where its head was. Oh! And there's a wing! Mommy, can I have a wing?
Me:(I can't believe she thinks this is cool! I was totally grossed out!) Whatever you want, babe.

She's a keeper.

Slacky

2008-10-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my lack of posting lately...We've been busy and the kids were all sickies over the weekend. This weekend will be a slow, lay-around-the-house weekend, so hopefully I'll get on for an update. I've got some good adoption news and some fun, cute pictures of the kids. I'll also be putting up some yummy new recipes(I've got yours, Heidi...don't worry!). So check back soon! :)

Vote!

2008-09-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

I saw a commercial on TV for this awesome idea. American Express is donating $1.5 million to a cause chosen by cardmembers. There is a list if 25 worthy causes which will be cropped to 5 on September 30, and the winner will be chosen Oct. 14th. I voted on the idea below, but there were many awesome ideas, all submitted by cardmembers. Go check it out!

6 Food Mistakes Parents Make

2008-09-19T16:25:00.001-07:00

I feel like all I've been posting lately are links to other websites...sorry, add this one to the list.

I just came across a very interesting article in the NY Times called "6 Food Mistakes Parents Make." I was surprised at a few and not so surprised at the rest. The first food mistake surprised me the most: Sending Children Out of the Kitchen. I do this all the time! I'm usually a bit stressed when I'm making dinner because bedtime is rapidly approaching, I'm trying to hurry, everyone is hungry and whiny, and the stove is HOT!! So my easiest fix is just to send everyone out of the kitchen so I can finish quickly and nobody gets stepped on or burned. This study suggests that involving your children in food preparation increases their interest and desire to eat the foods being prepared. Most of you know that David is not a big fan of eating in general(and hates chocolate - gasp!) so maybe if I start preparing dinner a little earlier(to lessen the stress factor) he and I will have time to cook together and he might be a little more interested in the food(if that's not a sentence worthy of making an English teacher faint - I don't know what is). Interesting...

Go check it out for yourself!

More Shopping!

2008-09-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

It's Old Navy's Best Friend Weekend Sale. You get 20% off your order, plus free shipping. I bought David: 1 shirt, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of jammies, and one pair of denim capris for me...all on clearance...and all for $24.45 - and that includes tax and shipping!

It's also a great time to buy baby clothes if you're expecting or have a baby to buy for. The smaller sizes are usually easier to get than the bigger sizes.

When you check out use promo code: BFF to get the 20% off and free shipping. Now, go do some shopping!!!

FREE?!

2008-09-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

I love a great deal. I also love free things. What I love even better is something free and a great deal! I got this in the mail today:

Can you believe it? I got a free Shade shirt! There's a new Shade store opening at the Chandler Fashion Center - so they sent me a free shirt, along with 10 coupons to save 30% off my entire purchase. How stinkin awesome is that? The shirt usually costs 14.50 and they're just handing them out. I'm shocked. I love this company. Anyone want to go shopping? I'm going Saturday and I've got plenty of coupons. . .

Sunday Ramblings...and a little announcement

2008-09-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of an update lately...saying we've been busy is an understatement. There really hasn't been anything significant that has kept us busy, other than life in general.

Mckenna started preschool at the beginning of this month. Her teacher is my nephew Porter's old teacher, Amber Olsen. When we moved to AZ she just happened to live 2 doors down from us! They have since moved to a bigger house, but are still in the neighborhood. When I drop off Ken, I pick up her teacher's 1 1/2 year old son and he and David play for a couple hours. Mckenna loves preschool and adores her teacher. I think the thing she loves the most is that she gets to do something fun without her sister dictating her every move. And she comes home with all sorts of stories about everything they did and all of the friends she played with that day. She's such a happy girl, I just love her. Here she is on her first day of school in Amber's driveway:

Warning: Picture with blood below.

2 weeks ago David was lying on our LoveSac upstairs and rolled off, landing on the treadmill. Ian was trying to rub the spot on his head that he thought David had hit until his fingers moved over a little bit and got wet. Sure enough, David had split his head open. I always knew my son would be the first one. After cleaning him up, we got a better look at the cut. It was about 3/4 of an inch long and a couple millimeters wide. It stopped bleeding, but didn't look so great. We called the doctor and waited around for them to call us back. Eventually we just gave up and Ian went to the store, got some liquid bandage, we glued it back together, stuck some butterfly bandages on it and called it good. The moment we finished all that - the doctor finally called back and suggested we take him in and have them staple it. Gee thanks for the speedy reply, Doc. Through all of it, David was a little trooper. He only cried right when it happened and he stayed still every time we needed to look at it, clean it, or when we were bandaging him up. It looks a lot better now. Worst case scenario he'll have a little bald spot on the back of his head. But that's ok, then he'll just look like his daddy(sorry, Laurie, I couldn't resist!). Here's a pic of his cut, before we glued it:

I made sure it was small so you couldn't see the nastiness.

Also, my sweet, perfect, calm little boy has decided it's time to change things up a bit. He's gotten much louder and he's been experimenting with hitting, scratching, and kicking. None of it is painful and most of it is done in a playful way...but each time he'll look up at me with a "Yeah? So? Whatcha gonna do about it?" look on his face...so we're trying to nip this in the bud(or is it butt? I can never remember).

Now on to Emma...She is doing great in school. I really feel like she's being challenged, but at the same time, I feel like she's learning at a very fast rate. She was a little behind most of the kids at the beginning of the year because this school has a different learning style, but she caught up right away and is doing really well. She's made some new friends(like her BFF) and has great new stories about her recess drama everyday. She has gotten her name on the board a few times, but only in true Emma fashion: when she hasn't had enough sleep the night before.

Another thing she did in true Emma fashion happened at church during Primary today...and in this case "true Emma fashion" means she revealed a little more than I would have liked her to.

Each week in Primary the presidency asks the kids to tell about something that makes them special. They call on a few and those kids get to go put a sticker on a poster board with a picture of Christ on it. The kids have their usuals: "I helped my mom do the dishes," and "I cleaned my room." Lately the teachers have been trying to get the kids to say something different than the usuals...which made it the perfect time for Emma to chime in. She doesn't always raise her hand to answer and I'm not sure what made today any different...but she did and she got called on. Here was her answer: "We're adopting from Ethiopia." Sister Perkin's said, "What?" Emma repeated herself. Sister Perkins looked at me...rather confused... To which I repeated Emma, "We're adopting from Ethiopia. Surprise!" I guess we couldn't keep it a secret forever. To read more about it, you can go to my adoption blog. Scroll allllll the way down to the bottom and read from the bottom up. I'm sure you have a million questions and most of them can be answered there. So, thanks for spilling the beans, Em. It had to happen sometime. :)

Also - about my Holiday Boutique. I have almost all of the vendors I need. I'm just looking for 1 more home/holiday decor vendor, 1 handmade jewelry vendor, and one vinyl lettering vendor. I have leads on all three but if you know anyone, pass my post along and I might use them instead! Thanks to all of you who did respond or pass this along to someone you knew. It is going to be so super great! I can't wait!

Betrayal

2008-09-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found out that something you've known to be true your whole life...isn't?? For example, my mom had heard the expression, "Might as well..." plenty of times growing up, but it wasn't until she reached adulthood that she realized that she'd been saying it wrong her whole life. She'd been saying, "Mine as well," and never really even understood what the saying meant.

I just finished reading the book "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg. My two favorite movies of all time are Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes.* Both of those movies are about the strong bond of friendship shared between women. They have many life lessons and are always good at making me laugh and cry at the same time.

When we were growing up, we lived out in the boonies and didn't get any TV reception. My mom had a friend who would record TV shows every now and then for us and my sweet grandma recorded any kid movie that came on TV and we could "check out" movies when we went to visit. Somewhere in there we ended up with a VHS copy of Fried Green Tomatoes. Because we didn't have TV channels, we would watch our VHS tapes over and over and over... So I've seen FGT plenty of times and thought I knew the movie pretty well.

Well wasn't I surprised after reading the book that the two main characters in FGT aren't just good friends but good girlfriends... They're gay! Now - prejudices, religious beliefs, and sexual preferences aside(that's a topic for another day), I am most upset that the main reason I loved the story really isn't even valid any more!! I did a little research and found that I'm not the only one who thought the movie was about friendship - the script was written in such a way that the movie can be interpreted either way, and I obviously chose the friendship route. I know this really doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but you need to take into account how many times I've seen this movie(probably at least 50 times) and how much it helped me to understand and value the importance of friendship between women. And now I have come to find out that the story really wasn't about that at all!!

The book really was a good book and had soo much more to it than the movie(well...obviously...). I need to go back and watch it again. There were so many minor characters in the movie that had a little more story time in the book. There were also a lot of different incidences that they combined so they could fit it into the 2 hour movie. The book is a bit more harsh in some places than the movie and vice-versa.

Anyway, I just needed to vent a bit about the betrayal I'm feeling. So back to my original question:

Have you ever found out that something you've known to be true your whole life...isn't??

*Funny coincidence worth mentioning: When I looked up the movie FGT on Amazon.com it has a package deal with FGT and Steel Magnolias saying that the two are frequently bought together...interesting since they're my all time fav's!

Pass It On...

2008-09-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

I realized I forgot to ask my AZ friends to pass along the link to my boutique post to anyone you think would be interested. I want it to be super great - which means lots of great people selling lots of great stuff! Thanks!