Happy Halloween!

What better way to celebrate Hallow's Eve than with a morning run?  My friend Sarah welcomed me into her running group when I first moved here (one of my many unsuccessful efforts to try and morph into a morning person.) Three times a week we meet at 5:45 am to go running. At first it killed me because where I live it's rather hill-y and mountainous.  And, well, running through our neighborhoods still kill me. But I got into shape pretty fast. Turns out Sarah and her girls were training for the Halloween Half Marathon.  I decided why not?  I mostly agreed because the race is downhill nearly the entire way. Sarah and the girls planned a great running costume -the Cheetah Girls!- Black and orange tutus with leopard print arm, leg and ear warmers.  They were sweethearts and sewed my leopard print warmers as crafty women do (the truest act of love in my book) and I actually managed to make my own tutu. (shocker, I know)

Oops! The race almost didn't happen and had it not been for Kyle mentioning the race while we were on a date with friends last night, I would have totally forgotten to pick up my bib number.  Our friends were patient and didn't mind the detour to the Ken Garff Porche in Orem where I had to pick up my stuff. We spent the remainder of the evening enjoying eachothers company over pottery and paints.

Unexpected blessing. I rolled out of bed this morning to find Savvy snuggled up between Kyle and I. I don't know what time she decided to join us, but it didn't seem to interrupt my sleep. For the first time in my life, I actually felt rested when the alarm went off at 5am.  Weird. I don't anticipate that ever happening again, but it was sure appreciated.

Goals. For my first half marathon I had some funny goals:  try and run the entire race without food or drink, and run the entire time.  This time I decided to try out Goo (that sugary energy paste) and walk through the water stations. And just feel good the entire time

Uh-oh. At about 5:50 am just before my ride picked me up, I realized my Shuffle hadn't charged during the night.  My heart sank. The battery was still totally, utterly dead. I was going to have to make it 13.1 miles without ANY music. No David Archuletta or Cyndi Lauper to pump me up. Not even this guy to help pass the mundane miles through the canyon. Argh.
I was devastated.

Driving up the mountain (or is it technically "through the canyon"?)  to Aspen Grove took forever in the school bus and I was having second thoughts. Once we got to the top and warmed up in the lodge I was feeling better. Mostly due to some very amusing costumes. There were a couple runaway brides in full-on wedding dresses, several eighties costumes, an Adam (as in Adam and Eve), Jane Fonda, Wonder Woman and I think my favorite was this Bill Gates guy. He was in a collared shirt with dockers pants carrying a Microsoft brief case. I wondered if he was really going to run in that costume and carry the brief case with him.  Turns out he did. I came home after the race and saw this picture Kyle took:

He's handing out money to Cade and Savvy on the sidelines. Hilarious!

Tender moment. My absolute favorite part of the entire race was running down the steep mountain and coming around a bend to see my family cheering me on.  Seeing my babies' big grins on their faces and waving their arms happily even though they were probably freezing to death was a tender moment.  It was so cold up there! The race started nearly 45 minutes late, so they had been waiting a long time.  I was ready to shed a layer, so it was nice and convenient getting to toss my shirt to Cade.  He was even holding a thermos of hot chocolate. I should have stopped for a drink. Precious.  Kyle was busily snapping pictures to document the moment. What a man.

Brittany and Sarah were great running companions and passed the time quickly. I was shocked that they didn't turn on their music until mile 10.5. Fortunately it was around that time taht the Goo kicked in and I decided I wanted the race to hurry and be over with so I picked up the pace a little. With one mile to go, the no music thing really got to me. All I could hear was my feet pounding. It got old.

I finished about 3 minutes faster than my last time, which is cool. It wasn't my goal, but I guess that's what happens when you drop about 2,000 feet over 13 miles. You go faster.  My sister would be proud. A few weeks ago she asked me what my goal was. I told her it was to finish feeling good. "Well yeah, but I mean how much do you want to beat your time by?"  I told her I didn't care if I beat my time. I think that kind of suprised her. We're total opposites when it comes to running. So, I did end up beating my time and I walked through most of the water stations, ate two Goo packets.  I suppose all that stuff they say about replenishing your body and giving it rest is true. Huh. I suppose all those runners know what they are talking about after all.

So now I am home and Kyle has taken the kiddies out for a few hours so I can sleep. So sweet. Good night.  Looking forward to making a killing...er...helping the kiddies have lots of fun trick-or-treating.  Here's a sneak peak at what they are wearing tonight:  Cade is a rebellious Dash from the Incredibles (he's wearing a Cape. Remember, Edna said "No capes!") and Savvy is a princess fairy. 

Oh I could just eat these kids up, they are so cute. How did I get so lucky?

Leaving . . . and coming home to Mayberry

We left Mayberry last Thursday. It was quite an ordeal trying to head out, actually. The idea was to pack and have everything ready to go so by 3:30 when Cade was out out school, we'd pick him up and head straight to Boise for the wedding of Kyle's sister, Heather.  We lost track of time (more like I kept trying to get all the laundry folded and put away and the house picked up before we left. that's always my goal....never happens though) and we picked up Cade FIFTEEN MINUTES late. Oh it was so sad.  My memory of him that day is forever burned into my mind and etched into my heart forever. It broke my heart. He was standing in the middle of the playground all alone crying. It really was the most heart-wrenching of sights to behold. Kyle jumped out of the car and ran to comfort him. In the mean time, I ran inside the school to turn in Cade's Reflections project (I swear it was just yesterday I was turning in my own).  I discovered that the lady who usually watches the kids after school on the playground was filling in for the office ladies. The school was a little short-staffed that day, hence the scared Cade and the tears. We got him calmed down and after saying sorry a billion times we were on are way. Except I smelled something.  It smelled BAD.

Those who know me well are aware that my nose has a keen sense of smell. It started when I was pregnant with Cade.  For most women that smell sensitivity goes away, but for me, it has stayed with me. It is usually more of a disservice than anything. In addition to the typical intolerance for body odor and rotten food, I can't handle certain colognes or air fresheners. I am particular about what smells I allow in my car and home because a good portion of them give me headaches. I loathe the smell of a dirty diaper and if I smell puke, I usually follow suit.  So at first when I said to Kyle, "Ew! What's that smell?!"  No doubt he wanted to shake his head and say, "Did I pick the wrong cologne again?"  But he sniffed the air.  And then again.  And then we both nodded in agreement. I hurried to check Cade's shoes but they were fine. Then Kyle let out a groan.

He had dog poop all over his shoes and pants.

I couldn't help but laugh.  He spent about ten minutes and 50 baby wipes trying to get the stuff off. Once they were cleaned off enough to toss in the trunk we headed back to our house for Kyle to de-stinkify himself with new jeans and shoes and we tossed the dirty ones in the garage. I also took advantage of the house stop to get Cade some medicine. He was feeling feverish and was uncharacteristically tired. {Not the flu!  I swear, we've been sick for 3 weeks straight! I thought we were done!}

And then we were off.

After about 15 minutes of driving Kyle asked me if remembered my temple recommend. I gasped and cringed. Nope.

So we drove back. Again.

An hour and some change later post desired departure time, we were finally on the road. Cade fell asleep and Savannah enjoyed watching movies on the handheld Fisher Price DVD player (a darn good investment by the way).

Kyle's brother and wife were are gracious hosts for the weekend and I was looking forward to an evening of conversation amongst adults after putting the kids to bed. Savannah was in rare (or her usual...??)  form that night and insisted on sleeping on Kyle and I's bed. Every time I put her in the pack and play she squealed the high-pitched-bloody-murder scream of death. Not wanting to wake the rest of the sleeping children, I consented to letting her fall asleep on my bed. I snuggled up next to her expecting her to quickly sink into dreamland. The next thing I knew it was 2am and I was still in my clothes.  So much for catching up with the sibs and spending a lovely evening chatting.  I must have been tired.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful. I like to be reminded of the covenants I made and refocus on the eternal picture. It was also nice to all be together again.  Just a few months prior we all had gotten together for Randy and Kristen's summer wedding.  Heather and David were permasmiling and I was surprised how well the Mom's kept their emotions at bay.  Cade and Savvy had a blast with their cousin Walker. On a purely selfish note, I loved the jewelry all the sister-in-laws (poor Heather is sister-less) were given to wear.

You know what else was really cool? Even though it rained that evening at her (I know, "their" but really it was hers) outdoor reception, Heather didn't have a care in the world. She had married her man in the temple and nothing else mattered.  And that's as it should be, isn't it?

I have to shake my head at my mother-in-law's continued insanity enormous amount of ambition to make her own food for receptions.  Those who know me know that cooking for large numbers of people (meaning my family of 4 or more) causes me to panic, and so anyone who desires to do it is borderline crazy in my book. I look forward to hiring a cater for my events.  Mary did indeed cook for a large number of people and boy did she feed them some good food. She served a baked potato bar complete with shredded beef and shredded turkey topping (yummmm). My personal favorite was the hot chocolate bar.  The rain was a great way to keep everyone huddled together under the tents and it didn't seem to deter at all from the celebration. It was lovely.

The next morning after a delicous bowl of eggs courtesy of my sister-in-law, I was laying on a massage table while Ursula was working her magic and kneading the last 4 months of stress out of me.  Kyle reminded me about a week before the wedding that I should take advantage of being up in Boise and set up an appointment with my favorite masseuse.  Ursula is one of a kind. I have had a lot of massages in my day, and I have never found anyone like her. I wanted to cry when my session was over. But at least I'll be back for Thanksgiving I told her. I suppose it's a good thing she's 6 hours away. I might end up spending all our savings paying her to get all the knots out of my neck.

 Saturday afternoon Cade and I were off back to Mayberry while Savvy and Daddy stayed in Boise. I was actually looking forward to the quiet scenic drive, although I was afraid sitting in the car for nearly six hours would undo all of Ursula's magic.  Cade fell asleep after being on the road for 20 minutes and he stayed asleep for 3 hours. He is a truly fabulous traveler.  When he awoke, I stopped to get some gas and was feeling really generous. So I let him have one treat of his choice at the convenience store.  After much deliberation he settled upon a pack of orange Tic Tacs. That little boy makes me laugh. Of all the chocolate candy bars and sucker pops he chose Orange Tic Tacs. When we got in the car I asked him if he wanted me to set up a DVD for him to watch.  He declined saying, "No, I want to watch the whole wide world. It changes so much when I look out the window."

So Cade looked at the whole wide world for the next 2 hours, carefully rationing his Tic Tacs to last him the rest of the way home.

When we pulled onto Mayberry Street around 11pm, my neighbor across the street (the dark-haired gal with the sassy 'do who would do anything for anyone and doesn't sweat the small stuff) was in her garage packing up her car.  What was she doing? Packing up her car for a road trip of course. She was surprising her kids in the morning with a trip to Mexico.  See what I mean?  Who cares that school is in session?  She spontaneously decided with her husband the night before that they should go to Mexico. And so there she was loading up her car with suitcases and snacks, preparing for a very long road trip to Mexico to make wonderful memories with her kids.   I love that woman. And then what should I find on my door step?  Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from another neighbor. Just because.

It's good to be home.

PS The beautiful singer-neighbor with the stilletto's just updated her Web site. She's famous! Check her out at www.jodileemusic.com. For your information, yes, she looks that gorgeous all the time. 6:30 am or 11 pm.

Sigh...  :)

More from Mayberry

Two of Cade's favorite things. The backyard and his little sister. Photos taken by Cade a few days after moving here.

There was a bit of a rocky start upon our arrival here in Mayberry. Someone in the neighborhood was displeased that our recycling can was sitting in the driveway in plain view and complained about it to the president of the HOA. To my defense, the city had dropped off the recycling can and I was at Seven Peaks with my children so darnit, it had to sit in my driveway for a few hours before I moved it. This same neighbor complained another 3 times in two days regarding the placement of our garbage can (also dropped off in the driveway on another occasion when I wasn't home), a large bean bag sitting in front of our basement door (I was waiting for Kyle to get home from work because it was too heavy for me to push inside on my own), and the parking placement of the car.

It seems as though some folks here in the 'hood have an awful lot of time on their hands.

Fortunately we got up to speed on the proper placement of our garbage cans (the backyard) and the appropriate places to park our cars so our next door neighbor the HOA prez, who happens to have an uncanny resemblance to Ty Pennington, doesn't receive any more complaint calls about us, being the obscenely white trash neighbors that we seem to be.

The move here has been a pretty easy transition for the kids. All of the sudden they have a dozen friends at their fingertips and every afternoon they hop from house to house. It's been a little tricky trying to train them on the fine art of Letting Mom Know Where They Are. Cade now has the hang of it, but I don't trust Savvy enough to let her roam the street like her big brother. She has remained determined to prove to me she is 17 years old and can handle it though.

One of the most beautiful things about this place is Our Favorite Babysitter. She is amazing and arguably a better guardian for my children than I. She brings a surprise for the kids every time she comes. She makes them dinner. She does my dishes. She gets the kids to bed. She cleans my house. She scolds me if she thinks I paid her too much or if my house was too clean because she didn't have anything to do. She has Cade and Savvy wrapped around her finger. I'm wrapped around her finger. Oh, and did I mention she rides here on her little scooter and lives a mere 2 minutes away?

Another fine attribute about Mayberry is the womenfolk. It really is a taste of Zion. Everyone watches out for everyone. There is no gossip or backbiting and there's just the right amount of friendship and concern. And what I love the most is how different everyone is. Despite the rumor that even I have subscribed to about Utah Valley, there is no cookie cutter woman here on Mayberry Street. I want to be like all of them. There's the gorgeous, brunette singer who although is never found without her stiletto heels, defies every stereotype about gorgeous women who are never found without their stiletto heels. There's the gentle redhead who bakes the neighborhood goodies and doesn't lose her cool when her three year old escapes the house naked while she's feeding her infant. There's the independent and saintly mother with a sassy short 'do who would do anything for anyone and worries about all the right things, and lets everything unimportant go. I could go on, but suffieceth to say, I am in the Company of Good Women.

Getting my move on Part V: The rest of the story

And now for the final installment of how we got to where we've been for the last 2 months. . . {for a refresher on the story of our move this is part I part II part III and part IV }

I last ended with this moment:

{A disappointing phone call from the landlords of our perfect house deciding they weren't going to rent it out anymore. }

I let out a shriek/gasp/moan type noise.

My sister came (well, more like ran) down the stairs to ask what was wrong probably fearing silently something along the lines of "oh no, are you guys living with us for another week?" Just kidding. She doesn't think like that. But I was feeling bad. You can only bum off the family for so long, at at this point there seemed to be no end in sight. I needed a game plan. With my kids sore and cranky from their shots earlier that day, I was ready to put them to bed and figure out the rest of my life. Or at least the next month. My sister gave me a side hug and smile and said, "You can stay here as long as you need." She left with her family to go see their Monday night neighborhood family movie and I, remaining steadfast in my strict MMM (mean-mother-mode) denied my children the choice of drinking up the last days of summer by watching an outdoor movie and promptly put them to bed.

My phone rang and I begrudgingly answered it. Feeling defeated I wasn't sure if I could handle any more disappointments. The call came from a girl living in a rental that I had been interested in. She was returning my call about when I could come by and see the place.

I perked. "Great! So when could I drop by and check it out?"

"Well, the thing is the landlord changed her mind. She doesn't want to rent it out. She wants to sell it"

What is it with all these homeowners deciding to put their homes on the market in August? It really didn't seem like the brightest of ideas...if only for my own selfish reasons of wanting to RENT out their home.

The girl was sweet and sensed my frustration and asked if X+150 (remember X being Kyle's original ultimate price on how much we pay in rent?) was in my price range. At this point, X+ $500 was in my price range. I just wanted a home. She proceeded to tell me about this cute little street with nice homes that were in her stake. She had just been to a party in the neighborhood and heard one of the homes was for rent. She couldn't remember the address, so she gave me directions.

What an angel! I was feeling better already.

I went online back to KSL and noticed The Big Brick House (the recently gutted gorgeous home in my girlfriend's old neighborhood with the language school down the road) was just posted moments for rent. (again) I had to chuckle. I did notice they had risen their already high price to X+$400 but really, at this point it was an option.

So. I had 2 options. Life wasn't completely turning upside down....was it?

I still hadn't called Kyle to tell him the bad news. I didn't want to tell him any news. I just wanted to figure it all out before we spoke again. It was my turn to take over finding our home.

The next morning I arose and poured my heart out to the Lord in prayer. I begged and pleaded that I would find a home for my family. I let go of all of my lists and told Him I would be happy wherever He directed me.

I followed the directions to the mysterious neighborhood the woman on the phone had told me about the night before. It seemed as if the road would never end. It kept going up the mountain. And then I found it. There was one sign in the entire neighborhood. But it was a lease-to-own sign. My heart sank.

I decided to call the number anyway. A soft-spoken guy answered, "This is Sean." I mentioned I was in the neighborhood and wanted to know a little bit more about his home and take a look at it.

"Well," he began. "It's a 4 bedroom , 3 bathroom, availble any time...and it's for rent"

For rent? What about the lease-to-own sign? I didn't see anything for rent. Hmmmm. I decided not to ask and just be happy with what I just heard.

We arranged to meet at the house in 30 minutes. Which was perfect because Savannah was thirsty and Cade needed to use the bathroom.

I drove back to the house and began walking around the front yard. A woman about my mother's age walked up and introduced herself.

"Hi! I am Barbara. I live right over there across the street." She proceeded to tell me about who lived in each home and how old each of the kids were.

It was an omen. A Barbara across the street? Just like Chicago....

It was meant to be.

All that was realized when I looked inside the home. It was perfect. And even more, flexible lease terms. We could move out whenever we found the home we wanted to buy.
It didn't seem real. Flexible lease terms for a reasonable price in Utah. Say what? I called Kyle and he agreed with me. The next morning I found myself signing a lease and picking up keys.

A home at last.

On Friday August 7, 2009 my darling dad drove his motorcycle down and met me. I was too chicken to drive the rental truck to our storage unit, so he did. My wonderful neighbors who hadn't even met me unloaded our storage unit into a truck, and then unloaded it into my house. I swear this place is better than Mayberry.

Allow me to introduce you to....

my view from the kitchen window (one in which I am not looking into someone's family room):

not a bad view, even for a cold, gloomy day is it?

my laundry room with gas hookups for my beloved dryer:

my clothes not battling kyle's clothes for space:

Amazing how many of the little things the Lord keeps in in mind when you do all you can and then put it in His hands...

Circus Pants

On Sunday we had a birthday dinner at my parents' for Rebecca and I had a chance to go through some old photos. Looks like I won out on getting to wear the circus pants. And what do you think of that spiral perm? Pretty cute. Thanks for scanning the photos, Dad! More blasts from the past to come . . .

Full Circle Pumpkins

On Wednesday, October 14, 1987, I awoke to my grandma whispering excitedly in my ear, "Your mom went to the hospital last night to have the baby, Michelle!" I was skeptical. There was a good chance she was coercing me out of bed with a story. Even at the age of five I didn't like to get out of bed. Even though it was a special day.

Today I was going to the pumpkin patch with my kindergarten class.

I remember riding behind the bed of the tractor with my class with anxious anticipation and a little bit of sadness. My mom couldn't come with me to the field trip for obvious reasons and I so badly wanted her to be there. But I couldn't wait to meet my new little sister. For five years I had carried the title of "baby of the family" and I was so excited to relinquish my throne and move up the totem pole. I was later to find out that not only did I not climb any sort of ladder to obtain a more respectable spot amongst my older siblings, but with a brand new adorable baby in the family, I was actually demoted. I was not the oldest, or first girl or the adorable baby. I was simply #3.

After picking a pumpkin and eating lunch with my classmates, we herded back on the bus. On that bus ride I distinctly remember pulling a lock of my brown hair to my nose and breathing in the egg-like aroma. The night before my mother had given me a perm. It was my first one. I loved it. Perhaps it was those aromatic fumes that put her into labor. Of course I wasn't thinking that then. I was thinking about what I was going to wear to the hospital to meet my new little sister.

My circus pants, I thought most definitely. Oh how I loved those yellow courduroy pants with confetti-like designs all over them. I don't know when or how my mom and I decided to call them the circus pants. But circus pants they were.

When I got home Grandma didn't like the idea of wearing the circus pants to the hospital. It was probably due to the fact that the shirt I wanted to wear didn't match, or that I wanted to wear my black patent leather Sunday shoes with the pants. I am not sure. I do remember plaguing, over the phone mind you, my exhausted mother who had just given {natural!!} birth to my baby sister with my very serious 5 year-old complaint that grandma wasn't letting me wear my circus pants and could you please fix it?

I don't recall if my mom fixed it and allowed me to wear the circus pants. Dad-- you'll have to dig up that photo of the three of us holding Rebecca at the hospital to solve that mystery.

But I do remember riding with my dad to the hospital and stopping with him at a florist to pick out flowers for my mom. I remember washing my hands extra good before going into the room to meet my newest best friend.

Today, Wednesday, October 14, 2009 what better way to celebrate Rebecca's 22nd birthday than to join my own little kindergartener on a field trip to the pumpkin patch?

We had a good time.

Happy Birthday, Rebecca!!! Love you. xoxo

run-away

Remember Highlighter Woman? Last week as I was dropping off cookies in the teacher's lounge for a special dinner the PTA was doing for the teachers, highlighter woman began walking towards me.

Uh oh, I thought.

"You look familiar, what's your name?" She asked.

Trying to choke back my laughter (I was expecting some form of catty follow-up on the silent auction episode I guess, so I was surprised.), I coughed loudly and I answered, nervous divulging my name would tip off her memory as to who I was.

"Huh. How many of your kids go here?" Realizing she had absolutely no clue that I was the girl she was up against for the Jazz tickets at the silent auction, (after all, in this particular moment I was wearing make-up and had my hair combed as opposed to donning a hat and going au natural as I had the evening of that fateful auction) I decided to humor her and converse for a moment.

Turns out our kids are in the same class.

I was so tempted to ask her how the Jazz were doing. I just couldn't do it though.

I run away from confrontation.

just a daily...

I've noticed most of my posts are some form of backtracking as a result of either slothful procrastination, or I'm just far too busy in the moment to share what's happening with us in the moment. I assure you that it is the former and here's an attempt to break that slothful run of catch-up posts.

Today... (technically yesterday seeing as how it's now nearing the 2 am mark)

Today Kyle and I spoke in sacrament meeting. By choice, my remarks were on the General Relief Society Broadcast. Kyle spoke on Uchtdorf's and Bednar's talks. And the other couple who spoke? They spoke on Bednar's and Uchtdorf's talk too. So, either I was the only one inspired, or the only one not inspired. Hmmm.

Joking aside (if you could even tell that was a joke) I have to say I quite enjoyed myself sitting up there on the stand. The counselor in the bishopbric who had asked us to speak also arranged for his daughter to watch our children during the entire sacrament meeting. It was very nice being able to take the sacrament without the typical distractions like Savannah reaching for the water tray again because she's "still thirsty" or having to break her grasp from the bread tray because she was still looking for the biggest piece. Sure those are cute little moments I silently smile and chuckle at. But I am really bad at doing what I should be doing during sacrament meeting (which is to reverently think of the Savior, Atonement, repent and commit to do better) and I usually focus on damage control so that my kids don't prevent others from having a proper sacrament meeting experience. So it was just nice to sit and meditate. Granted much of my thoughts were turned to my upcoming talk and I focused a good portion of my energy quelling the nerves, but it was better than shushing my kids or having to give them the look of death if they didn't stop kicking the bench in front of them. Arrange sitters for the kids during sacrament? I'm happy to speak in your ward any time.

After sacrament Kyle and I went to Primary. We were recently called to teach Cade's primary class, which we are enjoying. Our particular primary has 3 CTR 5 classes. As my eyes were wandering around the primary room I noticed the other two CTR 5 classes had like 3 kids each. Our class? 8. Mostly boys. Yes, it is a rowdy bunch but Kyle relates well to them. I noticed that he treats the 5 year-olds in our class the same way he treated his 11, 12, 13 and even 14 year-old scouts. I guess boys don't change... or grow up much.

Some of the funny things occuring during classtime... (I wish I had a voice recorder. These kids really crack me up)

Today's lesson was on showing our love for Jesus. One of the side-shows that was occuring during the lesson was between Emma and Anna. Emma was upset because Anna wouldn't share her gum. Anna's response: "Well I'm not giving it to her because it's my gum and that means I'm in charge of it." Not a bad argument for a five-year-old.

In the middle of the lesson Kyle asked each of the kids what they could do to show Jesus that they loved him. When it was time for Anna to share, Kyle prodded her along by saying, so Anna, if you had something someone wanted, what could you do? You know, to show Jesus that you loved him? Anna didn't take the bait and looked at him with a vacant expression.

Kyle got more specific. "What if you...I don't know...what if you had a pack of gum and you had a friend who wanted some....what could you do to show Jesus you love him?" Anna responds, "I could give her a piece." About 10 seconds later it registered with Anna and she pulled out her purse and gave Emma a piece of gum.

I was cracking up. Mostly at the gall Kyle had to suggest Anna part with her precious gum. But it went over well and Emma stopped pouting.

Another hilarious moment, which I totally brought upon myself I might add, was when I asked the kids what they could do at home to show Jesus they loved him. I got nothing but blank stares so then I asked, what I thought would have been a very good leading question.

"Do any of you have little brothers or sisters who still wear diapers?"

I soon got much more than I was expecting in response to that. These are just a few of the comments:

"I got a sister who is trying to not be in diapers anymore but she keeps peeing in her underwear."
"I still pee at night so I have to wear diapers"
"Yeah, my sister still has accidents in her underwear. It's gross"
"I'm big, I don't wear diapers!"

So then I said, "well wouldn't it be helpful if you got a clean diaper for your brother or sister while they were getting a diaper changed?"

"Uh-huh."

And then I added, "and then you could even throw the dirty diaper away in the garbage."

Of course they all erupted in a "Ewwwwwwwwww gross!" response which made me regret my last statement. So I tried.

Nothing else out of the ordinary happened. Well, I guess it did actually. We came home, had lunch and every single one of us took a nap. It wasn't really planned that way, but it happened. First I put Savvy down as usual. Then I went into Cade's room to help him hang his clothes back up and noticed he had ripped his journal to shreds. Not knowing what to do with him after discovering that (and fearing for his life because I was so upset over it) I ordered him to take a nap. For some reason, Cade did not argue with me. And then Kyle found himself on the guest bed "resting" while talking on the phone, which later turned into a nap. It didn't take long for me to find myself on the bed comfortably wrapped in a blanket with my head on the pillow. It was nice. The unfortunate thing? It was too long. I woke up feeling groggy and hadn't accomplished anything of merit for the day. I had been asleep for two and a half hours. Two and a half hours! It was kind of sad because once I came to, Kyle was getting the kids ready for bed. Sad.

So that is why I am still awake at 2:26 in the morning, still feeling groggy. This feeling reminds me of high school. Taking long marathon naps on Sunday after church catching up on a week's worth of lost sleep and then beginning the week yet again with no sleep because I couldn't fall asleep Sunday evening. What a vicious cycle it was.

Good night! (I hope....)

Instant Happiness and Pictures of the Fair

This morning Cade and I needed a little pick-me-up...

I think it worked.

Last month at the fair....

...there was the coolest exhibit. The Future Farmers of America (FFA--pronounced Eyuf Eyuf Aye. You know, like in that Dixie Chick Song, Goodbye Earl?) put on the most involved and kid-friendly exhibit at the Utah State fair. The kids got to pretend they were farmers and went through the entire process from planting seeds, to picking the fruits of their labors.

Savvy and Cade got to milk a cow and gather eggs from the chicken coop.

They later took their "harvest" via tractor (after gassing it up of course) to the market to sell. They got "money" from the farmer's market and later took it to the store to buy whatever they wanted! Savvy picked chocolate milk and Cade picked a Rice Krispie treat. I was thoroughly impressed. The best part about this exhibit? It was FREE!

Go FFA! I humbly put my head between my knees and grovel for forgiveness for all the times I poked fun at the FFA club in highschool-- my high school was not fortunate enough have an FFA club. I was an ignorant city girl. Hey, we did have the Steppers with Pride, though. You gotta click the link. You will soon realize you're not in Utah anymore.

Savvy on her pony ride. Sure wish I had gotten a photo of Cade with the fish he caught or us on the ferris wheel. Battery died. Good times.