The Greathouse Family

Thoughts at Christmastime 2011....

2011-12-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

At this time of year I seem to do a lot of reflecting on what the season really means to me. So many people try to change Christmas traditions and make bold statements about why the change is warranted. One of these things is the abolition of gifts. So many people I know have decided to not give out gifts at Christmastime.

When this trend first started to gain popularity, I was understanding. 'Of course it's hard to buy gifts for all of those people!' 'Of course you should only give gifts to the children- Christmas is all about them anyway.' And, I let it ride....for a while....slowly realizing that I was becoming selfish. I was buying into the idea that I shouldn't give gifts to people unless they were really important, closely related, or they were going to give me one. How wrong I was!

You see, the less I gave, the unhappier I was becoming. Christmastime was losing it's luster. In fact, I was losing the spirit of Christmas!

The most joyful part of Christmas is the GIVING. It has nothing to do with receiving or buying. A gift is a "gift" because of the love behind it, no matter how simple or small. The joy I feel when giving a gift to someone I love, cannot be replicated. I can bake a cookie with so much excitement and put all of the love I feel for that person into it. That is my gift. My love.

I have stopped worrying about whether or not my gifts will be "good enough" or appreciated. It no longer matters to me. My gift will be given freely without expectations. I do not seek for gratitude or a gift in return. I can only hope that the receiver of my gift will feel my love. For that is the real gift I bring, just wrapped in pretty paper.

Comfort From a Friend....

2011-09-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today, Eric left this life. He fought hard for 16 days. We will all miss him so much.

A dear friend, Tammy Ravsten, sent me some words of comfort and they are so moving, I had to share them with everyone:

This is also a time that reminds us with keen awareness------ who we are missing....

It has been helpful for me to remember the connections I've felt with loved ones,

and to review the reassuring words of the prophets regarding our ongoing bond with loved ones who have passed on.

Perhaps sharing some of these quotes might be beneficial for you as well:

From Joseph Fielding Smith: “And may I say for the consolation of those who mourn, and for the comfort and guidance of all of us, that no righteous man is ever taken before his time. In the case of the faithful Saints, they are simply transferred to other fields of labor. The Lord’s work goes on in this life, in the world of spirits, and in the kingdoms of glory where men go after their resurrection." Funeral Sermon for Elder Richard L. Evans November 4, 1971

See the full Funeral talk at: http://lds.org/ensign/1971/12/funeral-services-for-elder-richard-l-evans?lang=eng

In a funeral sermon, Joseph Smith declared that the spirits of righteous people who have died “are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions….” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.326).

President Ezra Taft Benson said, “The spirit world is not far away. From the Lord’s point of view, it is all one great program on both sides of the veil. Sometimes the veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin. This I know! Our loved ones who have passed on are not far from us.” (Conference Report, April 1971, p.18; or Ensign, June 1971, p. 33; see also President Ezra Taft Benson’s book Come unto Christ (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983), pp. 117–26)

“God lives and his eyes are over us. And his angels are round about us and they are more interested in us than we are in ourselves. Ten thousand times, but we do not know it.” –President John Taylor (quoted by John Bytheway in his book: When Times Are Tough)

“In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike--and they will, you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed.”–Elder Jeffrey Holland ("For Times of Trouble,"New Era,Oct.1980,p.15)

As we know, it was through Joseph Smith that God revealed the truth that the family may endure beyond the grave—that the sympathies, affections, and love for each other may exist forever. One of the early Apostles of this dispensation, Elder Parley P. Pratt, wrote:

“It was Joseph Smith who taught me how to prize the endearing relationships of father and mother, husband and wife; of brother and sister, son and daughter."

“It was from him that I learned that the wife of my bosom might be secured to me for time and all eternity; and that the refined sympathies and affections which endeared us to each other emanated from the fountain of divine eternal love. It was from him that I learned that we might cultivate these affections, and grow and increase in the same to all eternity. …"

“I had loved before, but I knew not why. But now I loved—with a pureness—an intensity of elevated, exalted feeling, which would lift my soul from the transitory things of this groveling sphere and expand it as the ocean. I felt that God was my heavenly Father indeed; that Jesus was my brother, and that the wife of my bosom was an immortal, eternal companion; a kind MINISTERING ANGEL, given to me as a comfort, and a crown of glory for ever and ever. In short, I could now love with the spirit and with the understanding also.”

“Yet, at that time, …Joseph Smith, had barely touched a single key; had merely lifted a corner of the veil and given me a single glance into eternity.”

(Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1968, chapter 36, pp. 297–98, emphasis added)

This discussion with Joseph Smith took place around 1839. In 1837, Parley had lost the wife of his youth,Thankful Halsey, who died shortly after the birth of their son. Her death, at the age of forty, brought overwhelming grief to Parley, which he found no words to express. Later, at one point, she came to him in a dream with a message and comfort from heaven.

During the hours of sleep there is a serenity in which a person is without interruptions. Parley P. Pratt reasoned that this was a most receptive time for communication from departed loved ones / our 'guardian angels', who could communicate to us through the medium of dreams. He wrote:

“In this situation, we frequently hold communication with our departed father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter; or with the former husband or wife of our bosom, whose affection for us, being rooted and grounded in the eternal elements, or issuing from under the sanctuary of love's eternal fountain, can never be lessened or diminished by death, distance of space, or length of years.

… With what tenderness of love, with what solicitude of affection will they watch over our slumbers, hang about our pillow, and seek to communicate with our spirits, to warn us of dangers or temptation, to comfort and soothe our sorrow, or to ward off the ills which might befall us, or perchance to give us some kind token of remembrance or undying love!

…O what a comfort it is, in this dreary world, to be loved and cared for by all-powerful, warm-hearted, and lovely friends!”

(Parley P. Pratt, Key to Theology, see pages 120-124)

President Joseph F. Smith said our deceased loved ones are greatly concerned about our well-being and happiness; he suggested that it is possible that our departed loved ones may be sent to help us who yet live on earth. “Our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their friends and relatives upon the earth again, bringing from the divine presence messages of love, of warning, of reproof or instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh.” (See Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 436)

"The veil which separates us from the Spirit world sometimes seems very thin to us...however, surely those who have passed beyond, can see more clearly through the veil back here to us...I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly beings....We are close to our kindred...I claim we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous of our welfare, they love us now more than ever."

(Joseph F. Smith - Gospel Doctrine, p. 429)

* * *

“All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided

you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it…..

we have a knowledge that those we bury here God will bring up again,

clothed upon and quickened by the Spirit of the great God; and what

mattereth it whether we lay them down, or we lay down with them when

we can keep them no longer? Let these truths sink down in our hearts,

that we may even here begin to enjoy that which shall be in full hereafter.”

“But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death

is swallowed up in Christ.” Mosiah 16:8 Teachings (P. 295) President Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844)

Those bound to us on the other side, are very interested in our well being and probably better able to help and influence us than they could do while with us in mortality.

Go to the temple. The promises we receive there are so reassuring—particularly highlighted this time was the POWER to come forth in the resurrection…! And until that glorious day, they [as well as other loved ones who have passed on] may be near to us - especially within the sacred space of the temple. (Since it serves as a portal between the worlds, a place where heaven and earth come together, many people say that they feel closest to their dear ones on the other side of the veil while in the temple.) When there, our souls feel knit together in love; we feel warmed, uplifted, peaceful; everything feels all right!

"Where is heaven?” asked President Thomas S. Monson, then answering said, “it's not very far when you're in the temple... it's right where you are."

May you all feel the heavenly presence and caress!

"Those we love don't go away.

They walk beside us everyday

Unseen, unheard always near.

Still loved, still missed and very dear."

My Nephew, Eric....

2011-09-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

This is my nephew, Eric. He has been in the ICU for the past 12 days. We are extremely worried about him. He had surgery yesterday to try to clean out some of the infection in his body, but he will need more surgeries before he can get better. Please, if you are looking for something meaningful to pray about, pray for him. He needs so much strength right now. We love him very much and he still has a lot of life yet to live.

I'm Back...

2011-08-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

So, I have been MIA for over a year now, and I am finally ready to start posting again.

This past year has been wonderful, difficult, and quite a learning experience.

I over-extended myself beyond what I was capable of and it came back to bite me. But, I have learned to prioritize and also endure harsh criticism. I feel like I have grown.

There are so many lessons I am meant to learn and the funny thing is not even knowing I need to learn them. I am amazed when a situation arises out of obscurity, completely blindsides me, causes heartbreak, and then miraculously teaches me. My eyes have been opened to so much. I feel that I can see more clearly and I am more open to empathy.

I have lost faith and trust in people that I thought I couldn't live without, and I survived. Almost unbearable pain, sleepless nights crying alone in the dark, hopelessness, loneliness, and grief, gave way to a new kind of happiness. I learned to turn inward, trust my husband and kids more. I finally learned that my little family is enough. And, they are glorious. And I am grateful.

Starting this blog again, I feel like a new person. I don't know how it will turn out, but it will be real. Take me as I am.

Maryn's 6th Birthday!

2010-08-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

In July, on Pioneer Day, Maryn turned 6!

A few days before her birthday, she left a note on the refrigerator for Charles commanding him to wake up everyone on her birthday. (He's always the first to wake up in our house.) She then proceeded to tell us that we should have our gifts laid out on the couch and come into her room and surprise her. So, we did what she wanted. Charles got her a Barbie Charlotte from "The Princess and the Frog" movie, I got her an Elephant that can do all sorts of sounds and moves, and Glenn was told to get her a gift when we took her to Disneyland.

That day was also my mom's family reunion at a park. So, we brought a cake and sang "Happy Birthday". It was a special day with all of our family that we love and a lot of people we are getting to know!

Back in the spring, we had earned free Disneyland tickets from doing their "Give a Day, Get a Day" program. The kids and I made up hygiene kits for teenage girls and delivered them to a shelter. We saved the Disney tickets for Maryn's birthday.

Because of the super busy summer with the All Night Dance Party, Girl's Camp, and Pioneer Trek, it took us a while to schedule a day to go. But, we finally did! Maryn had told us the year before that she didn't want a party, she only wanted to go together as a family. It was so much fun! We started out by letting Glenn get her the Baby Minnie she wanted. Then, Maryn ran the whole day! She picked out all of the rides, chimichangas for lunch, bread bowls for dinner- everything! I wish that I had pictures of this day, but I can't figure out how to load them from my phone!

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Girl's Camp 2010!

2010-08-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

This year I was blessed to be able to go to Girl's Camp again! I have to say that this is one of my favorite things to do with my Young Women. They are the sweetest, purest, and prettiest girls that I know. Just being close to them strengthens my testimony. I wish that I had their level-headed approach to life and strong resolve when I was young.The theme for this year was Super Heroes. We chose Dorcas because our color was yellow which represents Good Works. I made the girls yellow tote bags, and yellow capes. The girls loved them both! We were blessed to even have fabric donated to make them fleece blankets.

We just had a great time together! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Pioneer Trek 2010...

2010-08-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Last week our Stake Youth Conference was a Pioneer Trek through the mountains.

About 4 months ago, Glenn and I were interviewed by the Stake Presidency and asked to be a "Ma and Pa" couple. Right after that, Glenn injured his knee and had surgery. We were praying that he would be well enough to go, and our prayers were answered!

The night before the trek, we gathered at the Stake center and met our 9 kids! We had 5 boys and 4 girls. They were amazing and so much fun! We made our family banner and created a family yell.

The next morning we set out for the hills! When we got there, we set up our handcarts and had a re-enactment of Joseph being tarred and feathered. Then Brother Brigham announced our journey and we took off!

We hike about 4 miles and then stopped for lunch. After we ate, we hiked another 3 to 4 miles and stopped for the day. We camped at a farm on the ground. This night was my favorite! We had our family devotional. It was so beautiful. We all sang beautiful hymns together and many of us teared up during the songs. We all kept singing, hymn after hymn. Then Porter Rockwell came and talked to us for a while and told us all of his wonderful stories.

The next day we took off with the handcarts and went uphill for a long time. It was hard on one of our strongest boys because he had blisters all over his toes. But, like a true Pioneer, he carried on. This day was a challenge for me because the stake leaders wanted the kids to do what they wanted. Our boys were big and strong and wanted to prove themselves, so they literally ran the handcart up the hills. Their pace was too fast for me and some of the girls. I was constantly trying to catch up.

We were stopped by the wagon master and told that we had to cross a creek. We had to unpack the cart and carry it across the gorge. We all had to help each other. It was a great learning experience for all of our youth. They all worked together and helped each other even though it wasn't their cart.

Then we had a play about the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies.

We travelled on and stopped in a valley for lunch and pioneer activities. The kids learned so many things! They shot guns, arrows, made axes, chopped wood, and sawed logs. Glenn and I got to be in charge of the two beautiful Belgium horses, Marty and Mason. We taught the kids how to drive them. I got lots of exercise walking them up and down the hill dozens of times!

After that, we hiked on until we came to the top of this hill that overlooked the gorgeous valley. The girls got to sleep in rope bunks and the boys slept in wagons, pig pens, or out under the stars.

We ate a good dinner of BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn cake. Then we played pioneer games. Then the kids had a square dance! They all loved it! It was so much fun to watch them!

The next morning we packed our handcart for the last time and had a meeting. I was dreading this time. The men were called to war. I started to cry. I wasn't crying because of the emotional moment, I was crying because of how scared I was to do the Women's Pull. You see, I had 4 girls with me. Two of the girl's were prone to exhaustion, and two of the girls had asthma. The day before I could not keep pace with the boys and I had never pulled the cart yet. I didn't know how I was going to do this, but I also knew that I couldn't abandon my girls. Rebecca Chase (a Mia Maid from my ward) saw me crying under my bonnet and came and put her arm around me. She told me that we'd all help each other pull. Her beautiful offering struck my heart.

While the men left, we women had a couple of activities to do. We made dolls, embroidered, wrote letters, and made butter. I was still on the verge of tears at this point. As I was walking to the activities, a thought came to my mind: "Fear is the opposite of Faith." I stopped right there and prayed to my Heavenly Father for the strength I needed for the women's pull. I felt a calmness come over me. When the time came, I put on my gloves, climbed into the yoke of the handcart and pulled with my girls! It was amazing! We did the whole thing and all of us did it together! When we came to the huge hill that we had to do without the men, I was right there and did it. The Lord gave me the strength to do more than I could do on my own. It was such a testimony to me of faith.

Right after we did that hill, the men came down the mountainside to help us. The next leg of our journey was called Testimony Hill. It used to be called The Widowmaker! All of the families were mixed at this point because it was so difficult to maneuver. It was insanely steep. I could barely walk up it. I was useless to pull. But, the men and boys were awesome! Some of the boys were up and down that hill over and over. But, some of the kids overdid it and we had 5 kids end up in the hospital after that hill. I am surprised there were only 5.

After we all made it to the top, we enjoyed some watermelon. Pres. Young came and welcomed us to the valley. We hiked down the hill and enjoyed a bbq. The kids got letters from their parents and we unpacked our carts.

The experience was so amazing. I am so grateful I got to go! I loved my family and my only complaint is that I wished we could stay longer!!

Concert at the Park...

2010-08-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a ward activity at the Eastgate Park in Garden Grove. There was a Journey tribute band playing and they were really good!

We made it a Young Women's Activity because it passes off a Personal Progress requirement. Our girl's had fun, too! I bought a ton- seriously- of tacos and we had a blast!

This was the scripture on the back of our cheese ball bag.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day! Maryn was able to participate in a Memorial Day program at the Westminster Memorial Park. The Girl Scouts were invited to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. It was her first official Girl Scout thing and she was so excited!

The program was so wonderful. I loved it! The Westminster HS band played, we had a congressman speak, and there was a wreath presentation where different groups presented memorial wreaths. They were beautiful. There was even a wreath presented by 2 survivors of Pearl Harbor.

I was really moved by the music, the flowers and, of course, all of the veterans that attended. Maryn was so excited to see all of the flags on the soldier's graves, even though she said it was sad that they died. She wanted to take pictures by every gravestone. It was a special day and I am so grateful we attended. I want to go every year now!

Slade's Birthday Dinner at Bucca Di Beppos!

2010-04-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were invited out to dinner by my grandparents for my brother Slade's 30th birthday! I cannot believe that my youngest brother is turning 30! We had a great time celebrating.

Slade is a wonderful husband and father to 2 girls. It is amazing to watch him with his daughters. They can get him to do ANYTHING! He adores them! It's so surprising to see how he completely softens around them.

Slade is a very hard worker and will do whatever it takes to support his family. He is an awesome provider and makes sure that my SIL, Sara is able to be the mom she wants to be. Sara is a huge blessing to our family. We are so lucky that Slade found her! She puts up with so many of his quirks and teasing and is still able to put the smack-down on him when he's out of line! Love her for that! Seriously, though, she really loves him and takes good care of him, too.

So, "Happy Birthday, little brother!" I love you so much and I think you are pretty amazing!

This was the huge dessert! It was a brownie sundae with gelato and whipped cream!

The kids thought that this fountain was hilarious and wanted me to take their picture in front of it!

On Our Way Home From Church....

2010-04-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

The kids were laughing so hard! They thought he was in his underwear riding his bike!

Spring Break in Vegas 2010!

2010-04-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

This Spring Break was a trip to Vegas with my best friend Mindy and her two youngest kids. We stayed at our timeshare off of the strip. I reserved the penthouse so that we could be comfortable and have lots of room for the kids.

On the way, we stopped in Baker to get some Alien Jerky for Mindy. It's her tradition and since she lives in Utah, she doesn't get to get it very often. The kids love taking pictures of the Alien family in the Taxi.

The first night we couldn't check in until 5pm, so we took the kids to the pool. It was cold and windy- low 60's, but to Utah people, it was summer! I had my jacket on! The kids had fun swimming and going on the water slides. I had fun relaxing with Maryn in the hammock.

We went to the grocery store that night and bought lots of food to make and treats to eat so that we wouldn't have to go out. The kids had fun in the freezer section picking out food!

The next day, we took the kids to the M+M Store and did the whole tour and 3d movie. They had a great time! We also took them next door to the Grand Canyon Store and got them a couple of souvenirs. Maryn got an Indian Doll because she said it would remind her that her birthday is on Pioneer Day. OK? Charles got a ridiculously priced container of M+M's.

(Freddy uses a cellphone now! BEWARE!)

That day we took them swimming and then to the mini arcade in our timeshare. Emily was a pro at the Claw game and won herself and Maryn prizes on the first tries!! Maryn was quite ecstatic and gushed about it for a long time! Emily certainly impresses her! Maryn laughs at all of Emily's crazy stories!

Charles and Joseph loved playing games together and they had a blast just being together! They were like twins the whole time.

On Thursday, we took the kids to the Lied's Children's Science Museum. It was so much fun! There were so many different activities for the kids! I could have stayed there all day if there hadn't been 3 bus loads of kids that arrived at the same time. But, our kids were anxious to try everything and didn't notice the crowds! They LOVED it!

After the Children's Museum, we went across the street to the Old Mormon Fort Museum. This was my favorite activity! I learned so much and I could have stayed there much longer. The kids loved running around and looking at everything. We stayed until the kids got hungry.

Then we took them to find a buffet so they could pig out, but we couldn't find a reasonable price on any. So, we stopped at the Excaliber Hotel and let them eat at the food court. They were happy to get Happy Meals and Cold Stone's!

After the late lunch, we took them swimming for the last time. It was way warmer that day so even I put on a suit. I couldn't get all the way in though- too cold! I found one of the jacuzzis and sat with Maryn in there!

At night in the hotel, we'd let the kid's play in the jacuzzi on the balcony and watch movies. They had so much fun together and got along so well together. It was so pleasant!

I let Maryn and Charles each have a long bath in out huge jacuzzi tub in our room! It could easily fit 4 adults.

Mindy and I would sit in the jacuzzi after the kids would go to bed and just talk for hours! It was so nice and quiet. We stayed up late and played our Phase 10 and Skip-Bo. I totally lost almost every time! We have a tradition that we get matching PJs. So this time, I got us cute pink cupcake nightgowns because Mindy love cupcakes. The kids thought it was funny to see us wearing the same PJs!

The trip was such a wonderful trip and I loved every second of it! Having Mindy, Joseph and Emily there to share it was awesome. We all love them so much!

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Easter was pretty low-key this year. We watched Conference, dyed eggs, and the Easter Bunny came! Last night we had a great talk with the kids and told them about the Resurrection and Atonement. It felt good to answer their questions and also bring Christ into Easter.

I just wanted to share some of our Easter picks with you. I laughed when I realized that Maryn is dying the EASTER eggs, while wearing a HALLOWEEN shirt, and we're using an old plastic CHRISTMAS tablecloth.

Catching Up!

2010-03-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

The past week or so has been a whirlwind, to say the least! We had a wonderful visit with cousins!

Glenn's sister, Joanne and her kids came down for a visit. We were able to spend some time together and make a trip to Disneyland. It was so wonderful to see her and squeeze my nieces and nephew!

Last week-end was Charles' first Blue and Gold Dinner! We made salads and had pizza. Charles entered a cake for the decorating contest (we didn't win). He also participated in the flag ceremony and earned some belt loops. It was the scout's 100th birthday so the boys each brought a collection of 100 items. Charles brought Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

Maryn had another fun day with the Girl Scouts. It was her first official meeting. She received her pins and got to wear her uniform. We also decorated Daisy t-shirts for the adults and girls so that we can wear them when we go out on activities. She is so enthusiastic and loves the girls!

This Week in a Nutshell!

2010-03-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy and fun week! Besides having my first real week of work in my new lunch lady position, we had a lot of fun!

Here are some of the highlights:

Maryn had her first Girl Scout Meet and Greet. We purchased their uniforms and then took them for ice cream! She was so excited and kind of a spazz about the whole thing!

Charles finally got to go to his first hockey game! We gave him the tickets for Christmas and he waited so long! I ended up taking him to the Ducks game because Glenn sprained his knee the night before. We had so much fun together and the game was awesome!

Saturday, we met up with Glenn's buddy from work and his family for a park day. The girls really wanted a play date and so we made it a family event! We had a great time together and the girls have already planned a sleepover!

I also had a super-fun New Moon party with a group of awesome ladies! I wish that I had pictures, but it was fun just to watch the movie again and laugh at all the over-acting! Loved it!

Glenn was also able to visit with his mission buddy, Kent. He was down with his wife and 5 kids. They went to Disneyland for 4 days!

It was a wonderfully scheduled week!

Charles is 9!!!

2010-03-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that I have a 9 year old son! Charles had his birthday about a week ago and it was fabulous! He has been begging me to take him bowling forever and when his birthday rolled around, his dream came true! He had a bowling party!

Charles invited some friends from scouts and cousins. He even made sure that Maryn had some friends to bowl with. He's very thoughtful that way.

We were so lucky to have 2 sets of grandparents there. Grandma and Grandpa Greathouse traveled down from Idaho for the first time since both of their surgeries earlier this year. Also, Grandma and Grandpa English drove down to celebrate with us! It made the day so much more special.

Charles was thrilled to bowl with his buddies! They really had a fun time together! They all bowled for an hour and then they had pizza, cake and ice cream. After all that, he got to open gifts. Almost every gift was cash or had cash in it! You should have seen his face! He got $85!

It was a wonderful party. We had our own party hostess that took care of everything and made it so easy! She had everyone sign a real bowling pin as a memento for Charles.

On the way out, Charles and his buddy bought themselves mustaches from a "gum ball" machine. It was so funny, I had to post this picture!

Charles is such a huge blessing in our family! His calm spirit and sweet obedience, make him a joy to have! He is a beautiful boy inside and out in every way. He has a gentleness, kindness, and generosity that few boys his age possess. He is also such a wonderful athlete and scholar. He sets such an example for Maryn. We all love him so much!! I don't talk about him often because I can't stand bragging, but this is his birthday post and I want to tell how awesome he is!

Roller Skating Fun!

2010-02-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I LOVED roller skating! I lived in skates! I skated around the block for hours and hours. On Saturdays, my dad would take me to the skating rink and I would skate the whole time. I went to every school skating day and even had a skating birthday party once.

So, now that my kids are growing up, and our school is doing skating days, I am catching the fever! I went 3 times last month! I went for YW"S, School day, and a special MLK skating day when the kids were out of school.

That day, we went with my cousins. We all had a blast even though it was very crowded. This was Maryn's first time and she had fun until she fell. Then it was all over and Glenn had to come and get her. I knew that this would be the case and I had seriously worn out my arms and shoulders preventing her bottom from touching the floor. I am going to give her another year before I attempt that again.

We had a wonderful day together and I wanted to share it. I am so excited to have one of my favorite people in the world back in California! It's been so long! Love you, S!

Annie!

2010-02-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

A few months ago when I went to see "Fiddler on the Roof", I saw advertisements for "Annie". I knew that I had to take Maryn to see it! She fell in love with the movie this past summer.

I bought the tickets before Christmas and kept it a surprise for 6 weeks! The week before, I started telling her that we were having a special mommy-daughter date. She was so excited! I told her it was a surprise but she could pick the restaurant. She wanted to eat spaghetti at "The Olive Garden".

The day of, I had her take a nap after school so that she would be ready for the late night. When she woke up, I got her dressed up and off we went!

Dinner was so much fun! We just enjoyed each other and talked a lot. She talked about food and how we need food to live, if we don't have food we will die. She talked about how God made food so that we wouldn't die, etc. I tried something new that was so delicious! It was Braised Beef with Tortalloni. About half-way through the meal, Maryn stopped eating. When I asked her if she was full already, she said that she wasn't, but she was saving room for dessert! So, I stopped eating and ordered dessert! We had the molten chocolate cake with fresh strawberries and cream. Wonderful!

After our awesome dinner, we headed to the Orange County Performing Arts Center to see our show. Maryn was so surprised! She was so happy and excited when I told her that it wasn't the movie, it was real people on a stage and real little girls! She held her ticket as we walked in and people kept complimenting her on how pretty she looked. She asked me why everyone kept telling her that.

The tickets we got were amazing! We were in the second row! I was so happy with the seats! We were off to the side, but it turned out great! Before the show started, we walked around the lobby and I showed her the vendors. Big mistake! I ended up buying her a "Sandy" dog for a price that would make you all think I was stupid- but hey, it was a special night and I got caught up in the moment!

After that, we went back into the theater and Maryn got to look down into the orchestra pit and watch the musicians warm up their instruments. We took pictures of ourselves and had fun talking and watching people fill up the balcony.

The show was amazing!!! Annie had the most beautifully perfect voice that made me tear up every time she sang- I really did. Miss Hannigan stole the show! She was hilarious!! Maryn couldn't stop laughing! I had smuggled in treats in my purse for intermission and it helped her stay awake for the second half.
It was an amazing night! We had a blast together! It was just as I had hoped it would be. I love my Maryn and can't wait to do it again next year!

Late-Night Thoughts...

2010-02-07T00:20:00.000-08:00

I know that it's late tonight and that I should be in bed, but my mind is full and I need to get my thoughts out.

Recently I have been thinking about the trials that all of us go through. I always try to analyze the "why". And, when I can't come up with a good enough answer, I wait to see if the life-lesson is revealed in time.

This past year, so many of the most precious women in my life, have had life-changing experiences. I have cried with them, prayed for them, and lain awake at night just thinking about them. Their pain and sorrows have weighed so heavily on me. As much as I have wanted to offer some sort of help or support, I have felt so utterly useless.

This past Sunday in Relief Society, I was blessed to be able to internalize a life-lesson that I always thought I knew and understood, but it took on a deeper meaning for me. The RS Pres. was talking about serving and helping each other. I started thinking about our Father in Heaven. How difficult it must be for Him to be watching his children on this Earth. He watches His children struggle with so many different challenges. I started thinking about how I would feel if I was watching my children and they needed help so desperately and no one offered a hand. I thought about how we really do need to be Heavenly Father's physical hands upon this Earth. We need to do the things that He physically cannot do for everyone. He is always here for us spiritually and emotionally, but we need to be here for each other. We need to lift each other's burdens. We need to take care of each other the way that our Father wants us to take care of His children. It all hit me so strongly.

I realized that recently I have been caught up with just trying to make it through the day, or week, or month, without really being aware of opportunities to extend a helping hand. I have a renewed desire to do the little things to help others along and be more aware of my surroundings.

To my dear, precious friends and family that have been through the "fire" this past year, I want you to know how deeply I love you. You are amazing and wonderful in every way. You have taught me so many lessons and enriched my life.

Maryn at Carl's Jr.

2010-01-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, I will eventually post about Christmas, but for now I'll have Maryn entertain you with some pictures I took of her at Carl's Jr. one day:

Cookie Exchange Party!

2009-12-26T20:25:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday was my first Cookie Exchange Party! I was so excited to be invited! We had a fun group of women there and the cookies all turned out great!

I drove out with my friend Vivian. We don't get to spend a lot of time together, so this in itself was much fun. We made it our to Irvine to meet the women. The house was decorated and so pretty! We had seven women who brought different types of cookies. We had to follow strict baking rules and dress up.

I was confused on the "dress-up" rule and thought that she wanted nicer attire. When one friend came in festive pj's I was quite jealous! I had been so exhausted that day and did NOT feel like dressing up! The rule was to be festive! I was so disappointed that I wasn't in my comfy pajamas! So, she won the "Festive Award" by unanimous vote! You know what I'll be wearing next year....

We all ate some appetizers and talked about our cookies. I made gingerbread men and snowmen. Recipe: http://glennjamiecharlesmaryn.blogspot.com/2008/01/gingerbread-recipe.html

Then we exchanged our cookies and our recipes. We all sampled each others cookies and had a vote on which cookie won. I won! My gingerbread cookies won! I was so surprised and excited! I got a beautiful apron as a prize, made by the hostess herself!

It was a great night and I can't wait for next year!

Maryn and Charles...

2009-11-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, the other day, I was listening to Maryn and Charles talk to each other and it made me laugh out-loud! Their conversation went like this:

Charles: "Maryn, here's a show you like. Do you want to watch it?"
Maryn: "I want to watch it, but I don't want to watch it."
Charles: "That doesn't even make sense!"
Maryn (with exasperation): "Uh! I knew you were going to say that..."

Seriously?!

2009-11-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

I have debated in my mind whether or not to post about my week. I had an insanely busy and horrible 5 days! I thought it would be fun to document it so I can see how truly insane I really am when I go back and read it years from now.

At the beginning of the week, my sister and her family, and also my mom and her husband, were all here in Orange County to see each other. I was so excited to spend the time with both of them!

Monday started off our school Book Fair and I am in charge. It is always a busy time finding helpers and also setting it up and taking it down everyday. But, Monday night my mom and sister planned our annual "Bonfire at the Beach". They were kind enough to wait for me to be done with the Book Fair before they started. We went to Sunset Beach and walked to the fire pits on the state side to save the $15 parking. We had hot dogs, sausages, chips, s'mores, and corn on the cob that we cooked in the ocean water! All the kids had fun except one of my nieces that just wanted to go home the whole time! I took the kids down to the water and collected seashells with them. It was nice being the only ones on the beach!

After the beach, we went to my brother, Slade's house for his daughter's birthday party. We had fun watching her perform songs with her new microphone! She's so cute!

Tuesday was a day that I will never forget! My sister had planned her big Disneyland Day! Charles was not liking the idea of missing school for Disneyland, (he wants the Perfect Attendance Award) so I took the kids to school in the morning and decided to pull them out early so they wouldn't be counted absent.

When I got to the school to check them out, I parked in the drop-off zone right in front of the office. I hopped out of the car and it took a couple of minutes for the kids to meet me in the office. When we walked out, I looked at my car and the window was completely smashed! There was a huge hole where someone had reached in and grabbed my purse! I sprinted (had no idea that I actually could!) back to the office and told them to call the police. I then called my bank and closed everything I could before the police even showed up. The office manager stayed with me until the police showed up. Glenn was on his way home from work so he met me there.

Long story short: The kids went back to school, Glenn and I searched the neighborhood for my purse in case they dropped it somewhere, $300 to fix the window, no Disneyland, 1 hour crying with the bank teller while she changed my accounts, worked the Book Fair because I had nothing else to do, went to the DMV and was 237th in line, then went to Bunco to regain some sanity, and then visited my sister before she left town.

Wednesday was the emotional aftermath. I dropped the kids off at school and then came home and took a short nap because I had the worst headache from all of the drama of the previous day. Then I went to Disneyland to get our passes replaced. Luckily, I had the police report number, so they did it for free! Then I went to school and did the Book Fair. I ran home after and got ready and made it to the church in time to set up for our YW in Excellence night. It was so beautiful and special! We did that and cleaned up and I made it home and went right to bed!

Thursday I dropped off the kids and went shopping for the food for the Book Fair Family Night event. Then I met Maryn's teacher for a conference. She is doing really great in Kindergarten and there's a few things we need to work on. I am so glad she has such a wonderful teacher! Then, of course, I did the Book Fair! I went home and made dinner, bathed the kids and climbed in bed for a nap before the midnight showing for New Moon!! Glenn got me the tickets and made sure we had the best theater that had the HD screen! Ronda met me at 10pm and we waited in line together and had hot chocolate! I loved the movie and had so much fun!

Friday I was at the school, for about 12 hours! I dropped off the kids, helped in Maryn's class and then went to an awards ceremony for Charles. He got 3 awards!! He had Perfect Attendance, Outstanding Citizenship for Responsibility, and he made the Principal's Honor Roll (4.4 to 5.0 GPA)! Glenn was there and we were both so proud of him! After that, I did the Book Fair, met Charles' teacher for a conference, and then set up for the Family Night event. It was so fun! We sold hot chocolate and cookies, families bought books, and our principal had a reading corner where she read all sorts of books to the kids!

So, that's a week in my life. I am extremely grateful to my kids for being so patient and always coming along for the ride. I love them so much and they are the reason this life is worth living.

Maryn's Nonsensical Conversations...

2009-11-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

Maryn LOVES to talk! A lot of times, she has the most random conversations with me. Today we had two little interactions that made me laugh:

Maryn: "Mom, you're not sick today, are you?"
Me: "Nope."
Maryn: "Yay!! That means you can take us to school, huh, mom?"
Me: "Yep."

This made me laugh because I haven't been sick for over a week and when I was, I took her to school everyday! In the next one, "Ahnika" is her doll:

Maryn: "Mom, I want to bring Ahnika in the car with me."
Me: "Okay."
Maryn: "I can bring Ahnika in the car because she won't melt, huh, mom?"
Me: "Yep."

These are the types of things that Maryn talks about while I am busy doing things like getting ready, cleaning, doing her hair, making breakfast, etc. It's rare that I remember what she talks about, but today I wanted to record it before I forgot!

Glenn's Fabulous Birthday Week-end!

2009-11-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

This past week was Glenn's Birthday! Since the kids had that Friday off of school, I planned for us to go to our timeshare in Palm Springs for a night.

The morning of his birthday, we dropped the kids off at school and headed to Disneyland. Glenn got his $72 birthday gift card from Mickey! We enjoyed having a fun day to ourselves! Glenn really wanted to eat at the new BBQ restaurant because it's all-you-can-eat. He ate 4 buckets of meat!! I sat and watched him and ate my fruit cup. After an hour, I had had enough and asked kindly if we could go. The entertainment was great, though. There was a cowboy with a guitar walking through the audience and making up songs about people! There was a table of kids that were laughing hysterically when he would sing about how messy they were with BBQ sauce all over their faces!

After Disneyland, we picked up the kids from school and headed to Palm Springs! It only took an hour and a half! We got there and immediately changed into our bathing suits and headed for the pool. The water was perfect and the pool was quiet. We had so much fun playing as a family.

After swimming, we headed up to the room and got ready for dinner. Glenn decided on Olive Garden for his Birthday dinner. We had a delicious dinner and our server was so nice. They even sang to him! He ordered a sugar-free dessert just so that I could share!

Then we came back and started a movie as a family, but we all started falling asleep, so we turned it off and went to bed. Later that night, Glenn was up. He was in severe stomach pain. He stayed up the rest of the night. I wonder if the 4 buckets of meat had anything to do with it? Hmmm...

The next morning, Glenn took the kids swimming again while I cleaned up and packed. Then Glenn and I went to a presentation because they promised us $60 cash if we went! Of course, they tried to sell to us, but we didn't buy and got the $60 to go! Glenn took Charles to the pool one more time because the water slide had been closed and he waited so long to go on it!

We all got ready and loaded up the car and headed back to Disneyland! We hardly get to go as a family, so Glenn and I were so excited! We met my brother, Slade and his family there. We had a nice day together. We used our $60 for dinner and a couple of trinkets for the kids. Glenn used his gift card to buy a few Christmas decorations, ornaments and a throw blanket. He gave up trying to find something he wanted for himself. We had gone to every store in the park looking and he couldn't pick out anything!

The next day, Glenn was wiped out and opted out of our LA Zoo excursion. So, I called up friend in the ward and we headed to the zoo with our kids! We have a family pass, so we all got in for free. We packed our lunches and had a blast together!

Overall, it was a wonderful week-end!

Okay, I've Been Tagged...

2009-11-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have been tagged by Mindy who thinks it's been too long since I've posted. I am supposed to write 10 random things about me, so here it is:

1. In 7th grade I could beat every boy in school but 1 in arm wrestling. In 9th grade I could bench press 115 lbs.

2. I like to put ketchup on mac-n-cheese.

3. I love to pick at Glenn's back, but wouldn't dare touch anyone else's.

4. I am fascinated by serial killers and the Holocaust, and hauntings!

5. Chips are my weakness and I refuse to buy them anymore because I have absolutely no self-control!!

6. My favorite thing to order at Claim Jumper is the liver and onions. Glenn thinks I'm crazy and that it's "just sick and wrong" to order that!! LOL!

7. I am very forgiving with people, but it's almost impossible to earn back trust with me after it's been broken.

8. I was FHA President (Future Homemakers of America) in Highschool! So laughable now!!

9. No matter how many times I watch The Color Purple, I cry like a baby at the end.

10. I am insanely obsessed with these men: Hugh Jackman, Arnold Scharzeneggar, Elvis, Liam Neeson, Robert Pattinson, and Djimon Hounsou.
(Don't worry, Glenn knows about all of them!)

So, hopefully these are new things that you haven't heard before and I haven't scared anyone away!!

Maryn's Birthday #5!!!

2009-08-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

We got to celebrate Maryn's birthday on her actual birthday this year! Her birthday was on a Friday. Instead of doing a big party, we opted to spend the money on a nice small party at Build-a-Bear Workshop. It was very nearly a perfect day!

We had her party at 11am. Since it was a Friday, they let us have the upstairs level at Downtown Disney all to ourselves! Maryn invited 5 friends to celebrate with her. I set a budget for each bear before-hand and the party workers help the kids find whatever works with that. It was so simple!

All the kids showed up and looked so cute and fresh! I was so excited and I know Maryn was, too! She wanted all her friends to have a bear so badly! We walked upstairs chanting all the way that we were having a party!

All the kids picked their bears and then sat in a circle and played some games. Then they took turns stuffing their animals. When it got to the part where Maryn put in her heart, all of the kids got to pick a heart, make a special birthday wish for Maryn, and put the hearts into Maryn's bear. It was so special to watch.

Then the kids got to shop for an outfit for their bears. They were so cute with all the things they picked out. I was so happy that all the parents were there to help. Then they all sat and dressed their bears and took pictures. They got their bear box and it had some party favors in it, too. I think they were all very happy with what they got.

After the party, we went outside to eat pizza and cupcakes! The store has a deal with Papa John's Pizza, so the delivered for an awesome price! Then we had the super-special cupcakes!! My friend, Cory, has been taking classes and decorating cute cakes for her kids. So, I asked her if she would make bear-faced cupcakes for Maryn's party. She said 'yes' and I became her first paying customer! They turned out better than I'd imagined! She made all of their little faces with different expressions. It was hard to eat them because I wanted to take them home, but they were really delicious!

(Cory, leave me a comment and link it to your website.)

After that, we all said our 'good-bye's'. I walked Maryn down to Disneyland and got her free birthday ticket. Glenn took Charles to the "Harry Potter" movie. We stayed at Disneyland for a few hours, but Maryn was so wiped out! We went on a couple of rides, she took a nap in my lap, and then she wanted to go home. Originally she had stated that she wanted to see the fireworks and stay until it closed! Ha! We were home before dinner.

Thank you to all who came and made her birthday such a wonderful day for us!

Maryn's Logic...

2009-08-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

This is an example of Maryn's negotiating logic:

Maryn: "Mom, can I have my dessert now?"

Me: "Maryn, you have to eat your peas if you want dessert."

Maryn: "But Mom! If I eat my peas, I'll be too full for dessert!"

Loveland Family Reunion!

2009-08-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

After our visit with Mindy and my sister, Beth, I picked up Glenn from the airport and we headed to Preston, Idaho! (Napoleon Dynamite's hometown!) On the way, we stopped by Glenn's brother Gordon's house in Smithfield to check out their brand new home! It was beautiful and smelled sooo good!

When we got to Preston, we set up camp at Riverdale Resort. Glenn's cousin Lori and her husband own it. It is a natural hot spring, so there were three geothermal pools at different temperatures. It was so much fun! I loved all of them. They also had a huge four-story high tube water slide. They would keep the slide open until midnight just for us. Glenn and I would put the kids to bed in the tent and go ride the water slide together. The 72 step climb was painful, but worth it! On my second time down I was going so fast that the water lifted me up when I was on the turn and slammed me back down on my hand. I got a pretty painful sprain, but the next day I went right back up.

We also had a great time visiting family. We got to see all of Glenn's uncles, aunts, and cousins. We did all the normal stuff like the family auction and talent show. Glenn's mom asks me to sing every time and I always find a way to tell her 'no' gently. This year I couldn't do it. I tried to say 'no', but she's the nicest woman on the planet and I was sick of disappointing her. I said 'yes' at the last minute and sang acapella, cold. She wanted me to sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserable. Aside from my very nervous vibrato, it went well.

One morning, the Loveland uncles were putting together a caravan to go see the old Loveland Home. It has been preserved as a historical site in Chesterfield, Idaho. We packed a lunch and loaded up the kids. I am so glad that we went! It was a long drive, but the boys played their Nintendos. When we finally got there, there was so much to see! There was a whole pioneer town! I wished that we could have gone in all of the buildings, but alas, the kids weren't as interested as the adults.

We got to go inside the Tolman-Loveland home and take pictures. We got to see photos of Glenn's ancestors on the walls of the home and in the museum. We ate our lunch on the lawn outside of the church. It was wonderful to be there.

The next day after breakfast, the family wanted to see Gordon and Sandra's new home. Since we'd just seen it, Glenn and I decided to take the kids and do something on our own. I suggested a short hike or walk somewhere local. So, we started looking at maps to see if we could find a trail or something. That's when Glenn saw Minnetonka Cave on the map. It sounded fun, so we went not knowing what to expect.

It was a long drive to the cave. It was by the city of St. Charles by Bear Lake. When we got to the cave, it was quite the real deal! We had to pay for a tour and got assigned a time slot. The tour s were one and a half hours long with 896 total steps. Elevation was 7800ft. The tour guide said that it was fine for kids so we signed up! Then we discover that the cave is a constant 40 degrees! We went back to the car and dug out a hooded sweatshirt for Maryn, my Disneyland jacket for Charles, and a Scooby-Doo blanket for me! So funny! Glenn was manly enough not to need anything.

The cave was amazing! I could write so much about it, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. When we got to the end of where they let people tour, they shut off all of the lights and let us see complete darkness. It was something that I had never experienced before. We also saw a bat, which the tour guide told us was the first one they've seen in two weeks, so she was excited about that. The way out of the cave was a killer! Glenn and I were seriously ready to die on the steps! The kids did fantastic, though. They didn't even complain.

It was a wonderful reunion!

Glenn drove home with me. We stopped for a night at our timeshare in Cedar Breaks. It felt so good to shower! We ordered pizza from a local place and played games and rented a movie. The next morning we found a local bakery in Parowan that had homemade bread and donuts. The donuts were so delicious!

We made such great time on the rode, that we stopped in Las Vegas for lunch. We had wanted to take the kids on the roller coaster at New York New York, but when we got there, it was $14 a person! Crazy!! So, we went across the street to MGM and ate at the Rainforest Cafe. Then we took the kids to the M+M store and made our way home. It was so awesome to be together and do something fun. I love our family so much!

Visiting Mindy and Beth!!

2009-08-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

On July 3rd, I packed the kids up and went to Orem to stay with Mindy. Although she was still grieving for the loss of Sarah, she wanted to make sure that the kids had a fun summer.

I got to her house in the afternoon and we went shopping for 4th of July. We bought hamburgers and hot dogs for the grill and I got the ingredients for my now famous potato salad! (Mindy and the kids wouldn't touch it, but Dennis, his kids, and Mindy's mom loved it!)

Anyway, that first night we walked to Sarah's grave. It was set on a hill with lots of trees and a little bench nearby. It's very peaceful there.

That night I stayed up to make the potato salad and we just talked. The next morning was a neighborhood parade and breakfast! This was so much fun for the kids! They all looked so cute! After the breakfast, Mindy and I walked to Sarah's grave again so that she could put flowers and flags on it.

That night we had the BBQ and fireworks. Chris brought his friends over and Mindy invited the Fronk's. We had a great time watching the boys light up everything.

That Sunday was testimony meeting. It was the most wonderful meeting I had been to in a long time. It went over, but all of the testimonies were so strong. Mindy bore her testimony, too. I felt so lucky to be able to hear her.

While I was at Mindy's, we took the kids to the Scera pool and play area. I forgot my camera, but it was so much fun! They had water slides, splash pads, diving boards, a lazy river, and a wading pool! Then we got snow cones from a Snow Shack in the parking lot- so many memories!

One of the nights we went to a late movie. Horrible idea! The movie was awful, the whole audience was seriously sobbing, and Mindy couldn't even talk afterwards! I had asked her if she had wanted to walk out, but she thought it would get better. It didn't.

Since I was spending such a long time at Mindy's house, I decided to break up the trip and went to see my sister for a couple of days. We had a great time taking the kids to the Hogle Zoo. On the way back, she stopped at the "This is the Place" monument so that I could take a picture of the kids. We had fun staying up late playing games and talking.

I went back to Mindy's house after that. It had worked out perfectly because her kids had all sorts of things going during those couple of days. We went on a hike to a waterfall really close to Mindy's house. They had never been before, so it was fun for all of us! We got Subway on the way back and had a picnic in Mindy's front yard.

I was also invited to Dennis' family BBQ. The food was great and the best part was driving home! Dennis' son, Andrew has an orange Lotus and if you know me well, you know that I LOVE fast cars. He took me on the best ride of my life! It was so awesome! It was amazing! He drove so fast, took the turns so tight, and raced up the side of a mountain! It was more fun than any amusement park ride!

Dennis also took us out to dinner a couple of times. The best part of the visit was being with Mindy late at night, playing games, talking to her step-daughters, and walking to the cemetery. Mindy even made a Birthday Party for Maryn! Maryn was plagued with attitude and cried throughout the whole thing until she got her present. Very embarrassing!!

Sarah Marie Ige

2009-08-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been gone a long time. I wanted to post about so many things that have been going on, but because of a tragedy that my best friend suffered, I have felt sadness and guilt over my fun times.

My best friend Mindy lost her precious girl, Sarah Marie. She was 22 weeks pregnant. Sarah lived for about 15 minutes before she passed away in her mother's loving arms. Anyone who knows Mindy, knows how passionately she loves everyone around her. After the pregnancy itself being a huge miracle, the loss of this baby was overwhelming. I love her so much and want her to know that I will always be here for her.

Stupid Lady Alert!!

2009-06-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was going to be nice, but I had to title this post "Stupid Lady Alert!!" because some people just deserve to be called "stupid"!!

I just got home from the market because I had to buy some yummy summer fruit for our beach day tomorrow. I picked out some plums, nectarines and apricots because they are all my favorites! I was walking around the fruit area looking at prices on apples when I saw the "stupid lady"!

She was taking her dripping, raw chickens (only bagged in the original package) and putting them in the fruit scales to weigh them!! Then she set them on top of the fresh fruit while she bagged them!!

I was in complete disbelief! Are people really this stupid or just careless? How many people will get sick from the fruit now? I told the checker and he just made a comment about "how she must not know about cross contamination".

So, wash your fruit really well!

Maryn's Creation!

2009-06-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Maryn loves to do my hair and today was another great creation! If you look closely you can see that she put colored ponytail holders around the bow to create a "rainbow". Then she combed out my bangs that I didn't know I had. She said that she hasn't done this style in "YEARS"!

My Birthday Week-End!!

2009-05-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my Birthday! I have to say, it was the best birthday I've had in a very long time!

A few months ago, my friend Celeste called me and told me that her mom just bought ticket for the three of us to see "Dirty Dancing" for my birthday! Celeste and I have always watched the movie together and it's our favorite, so we had to see the play!

They came and picked me up a few hours before the play because they wanted to take me out for sushi at a really cool restaurant, Katsuya, in Hollywood. I have wanted to try sushi for a few years now, but I've never had someone to go with. I was so excited and the food was even better than I was expecting! I LOVED it and now I crave it!

This year my Birthday was on Memorial Day again. I run into this problem often. It's a hard week-end to have a party growing up, because people go out of town or have family BBQ's and such. But, this year, because Disneyland was giving out free tickets for Birthdays, I wanted to get mine even though it was a crazy day to go! I had decided to make it a fun Birthday and see who could come along! In the end, it was Celeste, Ronda and Tiffany. All three of them had a hard time getting babysitters, but they did and they came!! I was so excited! I went and bought matching shirts for all of us and ironed on rhinestone crowns. I loved the way they turned out!

We went to California Adventure Park. We went on Tower of Terror, then got fast passes to the Grizzly River Run before we got lunch. I love the sourdough breadbowls with soup, and luckily that sounded good to everyone else, too. Ronda bought my lunch!

After lunch, we used our fast passes and had so much fun getting soaked! Then Tiffany had to go home to her baby, so we said good-bye. Celeste, Ronda and I went to the roller coaster California Screamin'. Ronda had never been on it before! She was terrified but wanted to go! I had to take lots of pictures on the ride!

Then we walked around and got ice cream sundaes while we sat and talked. It was such a wonderful time. Being with friends made the crowds and lines not so bad!

I came home in the later afternoon to the smell of brownies baking in the oven. Glenn and the kids had asked me what I wanted for my cake and I had told them, brownies with coconut pecan frosting. The kids were so excited to decorate the brownies with candles and tons of sprinkles!

Earlier in the day, I had asked the kids if they wanted to go out to dinner with Glenn and me for my Birthday, and they said "no". They wanted to go to Grandma Great's house and get babysat. (They really hoped she'd take them swimming!) Of course, my grandparents were so happy to watch the kids and Glenn and I were able to go out together. We went to the Olive Garden because that's where we always seem to go when we want to have a quiet dinner. It was really nice to sit and talk.

After dinner Glenn took me to the mall because I had a gift card that I wanted to spend. As much as he HATES shopping, he put on a happy face and didn't complain when I tried on clothes. That was a gift in itself! He ended up buying me a couple of outfits that I really like and will be nice for summer.

Then we picked up the kids and came home for cake! They put all the 34 candles on and it seemed like a lot! Charles gave me a DVD for my gift and Maryn gave me a white teddy bear so that I'll always have something to help me sleep.

It was such a wonderful day!!

Disneyland With Celeste!

2009-05-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a blast! My dear Celeste invited us to go to Disneyland for her daughter, Brooklyn's birthday. We had an awesome time together and the girls were so cute! It was great to have some fun with my "twin sister". (People always ask us if we're twins even though we look nothing alike.)

Charles' Baptism!!

2009-05-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Charles was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, on Friday, April 17, 2009, in Meridian, Idaho.

It was a beautiful trip!! We left on the Monday morning following Easter. We made it all the way to my sister, Beth's house in Clearfield, Ut. We stayed up and played games and talked for hours! The next morning, our BIL, Ken was a baking maniac! He made us cinnamon rolls, breadsticks and homemade pizza- all from scratch!!
The next day, we stopped at our friend's, the Woolf's house and visited for a couple of hours on our way to Glenn's brother, Gordon's house. They live in Smithfield, Ut. We got to visit the site where they are building their new home! Then they drove us up to Preston, Idaho to see Glenn's cousin, Lori's hot spring water park! I was very impressed! We are having our family reunion there in July. It is still a work in progress, but they've really done a lot with it! That night, Sandra, Laurel, Alison, and I watched Twilight together. The next morning, Sandra made us a wonderful breakfast before we headed out to Idaho.

We made it to Glenn's parent's house before dinner and had some time to sit and visit. Then Glenn's sister, Joanne and her family came over. Joanne and I went shopping for all of the food for the baptism dinner. We stayed at Joanne's house for the rest of the trip. The next morning, Joanne made Charles' cake and we got ready for the baptism festivities! We went to Deseret Book and I got him a really nice CTR ring. Glenn took Charles out with the guys and bought him a BB/pellet gun. Then we met up with Glenn's mom and went out to lunch.
The next day was the baptism!! Joanne had made all of the arrangements for the building, but we were on our own! We had to set up and fill the font ourselves! Joanne and Josh made the programs for me and I had bought each of the kids CTR rings to wear at the baptism. We were so excited because our wonderful bishop and his wife and youngest daughter had flown up to Idaho just to see Charles' baptism! It was so special to have them there. He conducted the baptism for us. Glenn got to baptize his son.

The reason we had the baptism in Idaho, was because of Glenn's father, Charles had gotten so ill in January and couldn't travel. Charles had asked him to do the confirmation blessing, and we had to make that happen for both of them. It was a beautiful blessing that made me cry. I felt the spirit so strongly in that room.

After the baptism, we all went to Joanne's house for dinner. I had made a pasta bar. We had red sauce and alfredo sauce over penne pasta with italian sausages cooked on the side. We also had rolls and salad. It was much better than the "spaghetti with no meat" that Charles had requested, and he loved it!

It was such a wonderful time to have almost all of Glenn's family together! Gordon and Sandra came up for the baptism even though we had just been at their house! That was such a blessing that they could make the trip! We loved seeing all of our family. I can't wait until July!!

The next morning, we left Idaho. We went to Glenn's parent's house to say our "good-bye's". His mom made us a good breakfast and sent us on our way!

That day, we made it all the way to St. George. On the way, we stopped in Orem to see my dear Mindy and her family. We had lunch together and visited, but it wasn't long enough! It never is.

When we got to St. George, it was dinner time, but the kids wanted to show Glenn Brigham Young's home before it closed. So we did the tour and I think Glenn liked it! We then checked in the hotel and got freshened up for dinner at Chuck-a-Rama. Glenn LOVED it and it was his favorite part of the whole trip I think. He ate sooo much!!

When we got back to the hotel, Charles wanted to swim, so I took him. Glenn and Maryn decided to watch TV together. I was too cold to go in the pool, but Charles jumped right in! I wanted to get in the jacuzzi, but it was bright green. Too many kids hanging out in there, I think. After a while, coldness won out and I got in knowing I'd be showering after anyway.

The next day, we went home! It was a long drive with minimal stops because Glenn was focused on getting back. We made it in record time, I think!

Thanks to all of you that made this trip so special for us and opened your homes to us! Thank you for helping with the baptism and making it such a happy, loving, experience for us! We love you all!

Easter 2009!!

2009-05-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was awesome! The kids loved it! They looked so cute in their new clothes. The Easter bunny was generous and they had a wonderful time at Grandma and Grandpa Great's house!

Cousins!!

"The Song of Mom and Dad"

2009-03-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last night Charles stayed up in his bed with a flashlight and wrote this song:

"The Song of Mom and Dad"

I love mom and dad so much.

They take care of me, they feed me, they take me special places.

My parents are the best thing that ever happened to me.

They are nice, talented, and helping parents.

I LOVE MY PARENTS!

Love, Charles

I will treasure that poem always.

IHOP, Primary Activity, and Pizza Moment!

2009-03-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

This past week-end was so much fun!

On Friday night we went as a family to Disneyland and finally got Charles and Glenn their passes. We ate dinner there and got on three rides before the crowds wore us out and we had to go home.

Saturday morning, Glenn got up at 5am to go shooting with some guys from the ward and scouts. I got up at that time and worked on sewing costumes for the stake play.

Then I took the kids with me to the Stake center to meet with the Johnson's and the sewing ladies about the costumes. The kids were excited because Danette let them each pick a donut. Since we had some time to kill between that and the primary activity, I took the kids to IHOP for a real breakfast.

When we got there, I knew they weren't that hungry, so I ordered one meal and a carafe of OJ and we shared. When we were eating, a man approached us and offered to make balloon creations for the kids and we thought he was weird at first. Then as he warmed up to us and we started talking, I felt better. He made Maryn an Ariel balloon and he made Charles a drooling alien hat! They looked so awesome and I couldn't believe that the guy was working out of a restaurant! I tipped him $5 and wished that I had more. He was so talented!!

Then we made our way over to the church for the primary activity and it was so much fun! We divided the kids into different "families" and went on a scavenger hunt around the building. Then the kids played a couple of games that were designed to make them work together as a "family". It went really well.

Today in church, Sister Hicks was asking the kids if they could name different types of "houses" we should be making according to the scripture we've been studying this month. She was looking for answers like, "a house of order, a house of fasting, etc..."

My daughter was yelling over all of the other kids, "A HOUSE OF PIZZA!!!", multiple times! What is wrong with her?

My Wolf Cub!

2009-03-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Charles got to go to scouts for the first time!

We are so excited for him. He's been looking forward to this for a long time because he knows it's a right-of-passage. He's growing up!

We went the day before to purchase all the things he needed. $75 later, we left the store. My friend, Mindy, tried to tell me how expensive everything was, but I was still shocked! I am so grateful that Mindy had found a secondhand shirt and gave it to us, or else the total would have been so much more! Thank you, Mindy!

Glenn was so excited to see Charles go to scouts, that he woke up and took him. I confess, I'll continue to encourage that male bonding thing. Anything to cut down on my taxi driving.

Medieval Times!!

2009-03-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Today I had the opportunity to go to a fundraising convention at Medieval Times for the PTA. My friend, Cheyenne, is over the fundraising at our school and invited me to go with her.

We had so much fun! The fundraising exhibits were very creative and involved a lot of free little treats and give-aways. We even got the pictures for free! They served a continental breakfast and gave away so many raffles- of course I didn't win. :( We also got to see all of the horses they use in the night show.

After all of that, they did a mini show for us with all of the horses and sword fights. They served us hot breadsticks during the show. We got to wear our paper crowns and cheer for the Black and White team!

When it was all over, we received gift bags and a roll of gift wrap on our way out. They were filled with coffee mugs and two Entertainment Books!! I can never get enough coupons! I had so much fun and came home with candy and cookies for Glenn because he missed out.

Fun With Desi!!

2009-03-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Last night Maryn's friend, Desi, came over for a sleepover! Desi's mom had doctor's appointments all day today up at UCLA, so I offered to babysit. We had so much fun!

When Dawn dropped her off at our house, she came with two hot pans full of enchiladas. She does this because I have always been praised for my enchiladas, but my kids like hers better! She gets a kick out of this and it's her way of rubbing it in. They are really good.

That night we let the kids go crazy and destroy the playroom. Charles slept out on the couch so that the girls could watch movies and play late. I knew they were going to have a hard time going to sleep, but 11pm?! It was crazy! I was so tired! They stayed up with flashlights and read books and told bedtime stories.

This morning Maryn was up at 6:30am. I knew it would be an interesting day, but it turned out surprisingly well. I made a special lunch- chicken salad sandwiches on rolls, fruit, string cheese, freshly baked cookies, and we headed out to the LA Zoo. Desi was very nervous about the zoo because she heard there were gorillas there and she's afraid of gorillas. But, once she saw them, she realized that they weren't as big as she imagined them, and she was fine after that.

We ate our lunch by the park. There were a lot of school groups there, so it was hard for the girls to play because the other big kids kept running into them and accidentally hitting them. Desi was nervous about trying the chicken salad sandwich, but she liked it! I was happy because it's the first time that I've made it.

The animals were pretty lazy today! The weather was really warm and they were all sleeping. It was hard to get any good pictures of them.

The girls were worn out pretty quickly from their nightly activities and asked to go home soon after our lunch. So, we slowly made our way out of the park as they whined. It seemed their energy quickly refueled when the Dippin' Dots cart came into view. We stopped and I got them each some ice cream.

Then we stopped at the gift shop to get them matching necklaces to remember their zoo day. We had such a wonderful time with her and when we dropped her off at home, her mom had good news, too! There's a surgery they want to try on her heart so they can wait on the heart transplant! Woo-Hoo!

Charles' Good Day!!

2009-03-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today when I picked up Charles from school, his teacher told me that he was the fastest runner in the class when they did their 3 lap run! She also said that he got 100% on his Language test and won their class spelling bee!! I am so happy for him! He is such a talented boy and I'm glad it shines through sometimes!

Pre-School Drama!

2009-03-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

All this year, Maryn has had little upsets at preschool with two of her little friends. She has come home quite frequently upset by some thing they've said to her or done. Mostly she gets her feelings hurt because they'll tell her that she's not their friend anymore.

When this happens, we talk about feelings and how we feel when people say mean things, and what we should do, and all the right ways to talk to others. So, for the past few months, Maryn's been trying to do her best. She'll come home and tell me that they said they weren't her friend anymore and she'll tell them that they are all friends at preschool. So I've been feeling like she's learned a lot this year.

Well, yesterday I was approached by one of the girl's grandma. She told me how her grand-daughter came home crying and so upset that Maryn said she wasn't her friend. Then, this morning, I was approached by the other girl's mother to tell me the same thing! I couldn't believe it! These girls have been talking like that all year, but the first time Maryn says it back, they get all upset!

I felt a little glad that Maryn stood up for herself, but at the same time, I had to remind her about what we've talked about. I tried to explain to both women that Maryn's been hearing those things all year. I apologized for what Maryn said to smooth things over. Now I'm caught between what I should have done. Should I have told the women earlier in the year about their girl's behavior? I didn't want to make a big deal out of 4 year-old's drama, but now I feel like they think Maryn is a brat. The women are asking the other mom's if they've heard about all the pre-school drama that's been happening and telling them about what Maryn said!! I'm seriously feeling like I'm in the Twilight Zone!

Charles in Charge?

2009-03-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

You know how I like to post about the interesting, and sometimes rude, people I come across in daily life. Well, the other day was another unbelievable moment.

I took the kids to the dollar movie theater in the Main Place Mall on Tuesday. We got there a little early and decided to shop around. Charles wanted to got into Game Stop to look for a game he's been wanting. While we were in there, looking at everything, Maryn got excited about a game and called out to Charles to come and look! We both went and looked and I told them it was time to go.

We were making our way out of the store slowly, when I heard the two geeky cashiers start to make fun of Charles' name. They were saying "Charles" in different sarcastic tones and then started singing the theme song "Charles in Charge". I looked over at them in disbelief because we were still in the store! They were talking about how weird his name was like we weren't even there!

I hurried him out of the store before he heard them. I couldn't believe two "adults" ( I use that term loosely) would behave like that.

Mindy! Mindy! Mindy!

2009-03-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from Mindy saying that she wanted to go out to breakfast this morning! I was so excited to see her! She was only here for 12 hours- she came late last night and left this morning. Her mom had to get some stuff from her storage and get back for work and Mindy helped drive. So, we met for breakfast at Marie Callendar's and got to visit before she took off. It was so good to see her! I had to get a picture of us together because she's pregnant now and I've never seen her pregnant before! Sorry it's blurry.

Gangsta Girl!

2009-03-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I was serving Maryn her dinner when she said this:

"Mom, this dinner looks good, Yo!"

All About Maryn!!

2009-03-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

Maryn has said some funny things lately that I haven't recorded. Also, I wanted to ask your opinions on something that really bothered me yesterday.

About a month, or so, ago, Glenn was giving Maryn her bath and we had run out of her body wash. So, Glenn decided to use his body wash to wash her. She was quite upset by this and tried to argue that it was boy soap. I walked in and asked what all the fuss was about and this is what she told me:
"Daddy used the boy soap on me and now I smell like trash!"
Glenn and I started laughing! She wasn't happy until I promised her that she could use my lotion after her bath. Then she said, "Aaah, now I smell like a girl again!"

The other thing she said was on Sunday morning. We were getting ready for church and she came to me with one shoe on, too lazy to look for the other one. Glenn told her, "Come on, Maryn, help me look for the other one."
And she told him, "Dad, we're not on a safari! You have to go on a safari if you want to look for stuff."

The other thing that happened is what bothered me.
Yesterday I took Maryn to her kindergarten vaccinations and check-up. She's 4 1/2. The doctor told me that she was below average for height and overweight. She weighs 40 lbs. The doctor told me to put her on a low-fat, low sodium diet. I was in shock. I feel like I've been very careful with making sure my kids aren't overweight. I asked the nurse what she should weigh at this age and she said 32 lbs. That sounds really low for a girl going on 5. I went home and checked the charts for myself and 38 lbs. is average for her age! What's your opinion? I have never looked at my daughter and seen her as having weight issues, but now I'm paranoid that I'm not seeing something!

Charles' 8th Birthday!!

2009-03-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Charles' 8th birthday! We tried to make it a very special day for him. Because we are doing his baptism in Idaho, we decided not to do a party this year. We wanted to take him to Disneyland for his free birthday ticket. Since Maryn and I were blacked out that day, we decided to have Glenn take him and get the Twofer ticket. That way, we'd be able to upgrade both tickets next month and get them annual passes. It worked out perfectly because Charles wanted to go to California Adventure for his birthday and they upgraded Charles' free ticket to the twofer ticket for free!

We started out the day by going out to breakfast at IHOP, Charles picked it. They even brought him an ice cream sundae and sang to him. I thought that was really cool because it was breakfast time on a Saturday and they really surprised us!

Then I dropped Glenn and Charles off at Disneyland and they had a wonderful time together. Charles got to do whatever he wanted. Glenn got him his own favorite bread bowl for lunch and then a chocolate sundae for dessert. While they were gone, Maryn and I cleaned up the house and did some grocery shopping, and made the cake. We had a great time together. It was sweet watching Maryn get so excited for her brother's birthday! She wanted to do everything for him.

Glenn called for us to pick them up before dinner. We came home and I made chicken nuggets and creamed corn for dinner at Charles' request. I served him on the special birthday plate. After dinner, we all watched his favorite movie, "Hoot" and had the cake. He said that this was his best birthday ever! He's thanked us about five times for making his birthday the best he's ever had! What a sweet boy he is and how grateful we are to have him in our lives.

Here's the pictures of Maryn helping with the cake:

Charles' Open House, Mom's Group, and Cooking Bras?

2009-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

Thursday night was Charles' open house at school. We had the opportunity to see all of the work he's been doing and talk to his teacher for a bit. It was exciting for all of us! I was interested because this is the first year I haven't helped in the classroom. Charles' teacher, Mrs. Lamb, has a dear friend that just retired and she helps out a lot. So, everything was new and exciting to see! The PTA approved a huge budget for the Meet the Masters art program this year. The kids get to study different artists and learn to emulate their different styles. I was so impressed with all of the kid's work! Maryn was excited to tour the kindergarten classrooms to see where she might be next year!

The next day, I took Maryn to Chuck E. Cheese for the mom's group. We had a lot of fun seeing all of our church friends! (A.J. was scared of Chuck E. so she wouldn't get in the picture.)

Today is Charles' Birthday and I'll do a post later about it, but I wanted to let you know that all day Maryn has been excited to help with the cake. Charles wants a white cake with the rainbow chip frosting. This morning Maryn got up and told me, "We've gotta put on our cooking bras to make the cake, ha mom?"

Glenn and I laughed a little bit and then corrected her and told her that we wear "aprons". This afternoon, she and I started making the cake and again I heard, "Oh, no mom! I forgot to put on my cooking bra! I don't want to get my dress dirty!"

A Week Packed With Fun!

2009-02-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

This past week has been rather busy, but so much fun!

Wednesday, my brother Slade called us and invited us to the dollar theater to see "Bolt". It was cute and the kids loved the hamster!

Thursday, before pre-school, I met my friend Rachael at McDonald's for lunch. Maryn and Carter had a blast just playing together. After school, I took Charles to get a karate outfit for his Build-a-Bear. When Maryn got her new bear, she gave her old one to Charles. That was fun. It was another rainy day!

Friday, we stayed home and made mini pizzas and watched movies. Glenn was sick and just needed to sleep. This was after he had to get his truck fixed to pass smog.

Saturday, Glenn had to work a double shift and I really wanted to hang out with friends and make it a fun day! No one could come with me to the park- it seems that everyone else has a life! So, I took the kids by myself and we had a wonderful day! Maryn made lots of little friends because there were lots of birthdays going on. Charles had a good time playing, but got bored because there weren't any kids his age. I promised him that he could spend his birthday money that he got that day from my mom and Chad at Target after the park. He loved that idea! So, we went to the store and he got a new game for his DS and bought himself and Maryn some candy.

That night, still nobody called me back to go out. I fed the kids dinner and called Ronda. She had been gone all day at a conference and hadn't gotten my message. I invited her over for a "Mamma Mia" night and brownie sundaes. Then LuPrele called me back and she wanted to come over, too! So we all got the kids settled and I threw some brownies in the oven! I was so happy to have some "girl" time! It really helps me cope with Glenn's crazy shifts. We stayed up and talked for hours after the movie. I really enjoy spending time with good friends.

Yesterday, we took Charles to get his first set of scriptures! He chose black with gold embossing for his name. They are beautiful! Glenn and I both went and I have to tell you, I got a little teary-eyed in the store. I kept thinking about our beautiful boy that's going to turn 8 on Saturday. Time goes so quickly.

After Deseret Book, we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese for family night. Maryn had taken the class pet home from pre-school that day and we were supposed to take a picture of her doing an activity with it. So, I got the picture! Then, we saw the Rall's walk in and had a great time visiting with them.

That's about all that we've been up to recently. I'll have more fun stuff to write about later this week!

Maryn and "A's" Annual Disneyland Day!

2009-02-17T07:24:00.001-08:00

Yesterday my friend, "R", invited Maryn and me to Disneyland. For the past couple of years, we've loved having a "girl's" trip to the park. It is always so much fun to be together and let the girls decide what they want to do.

The day was so rainy! But, we braved it! I packed extra clothes for Maryn and scarves and ponchos. We still ended up pretty wet. The second half of the day, the rain finally stopped. We all love rainy days, so we had our fun anyway!

We got there and had to do Toy Story first because it's little "A's" favorite! She was so happy! Then we got the sourdough bread bowls with soup for lunch. On a cold day, they were even better than usual!

After lunch, we went to Disneyland and spent some time there doing rides. We got some hot chocolate on our way back to the California park. We made it just in time for the last Playhouse Disney show! The girls both got so excited and Maryn was dancing around the whole time!

After we were done with the parks and the girls were tired, we took them to the Grand Californian hotel to relax in the lobby. The huge fireplace was too crowded for us, but they had a TV with cartoons going and little padded rocking chairs for the kids, so we let the girls sit and watch while "R" and I got to visit. It was a wonderful day. Very relaxing- which is unusual for a Disneyland day! Spending the day with good friends is the best! Thanks for inviting us "R" and "A"!! We love you both!

Valentine's Day at the L.A. Zoo!!

2009-02-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

A Whole Gorilla Family

So Sweet!

Today we decided to spend the day as a family at the LA Zoo! We took the money that we would have spent on flowers, candy, dinner, and cards, and spent it on a really fun family day!! We haven't been to the zoo in over a year and we've been so excited to see the new gorilla camp. We had such a great time! The animals were very active today. The large animals were enjoying the sunshine and the smaller animals were running around and making so much noise! We ate lunch there and watched the bird show. On the way out, Glenn upgraded our tickets to a family pass!! Now we can come back all year and I can take friends! Woo-Hoo!

Rainy Day Fun With the Kids!

2009-02-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the kids had the day off from school so I decided to take them out for a fun day! We went to Downtown Disney to the Build-A-Bear Workshop. I've had a $10 off coupon in my purse for the past 18 months and it was going to expire soon. Charles has wanted a code so that he can go on bearville.com and play. The perfect compromise was to let Maryn make a bear and give Charles the code.

Well, we got to the shop and Maryn immediately found the bear she wanted! It's cream-colored and so soft! Then, when we went to dress it, they had two really cute Valentine's dresses. She picked one and went to the register. Imagine my surprise when after the coupon and my annual pass discount, the bear was only $7.46 total!! Charles then made the birth certificate to get the code and we were all happy!

Since it was raining, there weren't a lot of people at Downtown, so I decided it would be fun to eat lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. We ordered a couple of appetizers to share and enjoyed the animals and waterfall. I ordered the lettuce wraps and the kids got nachos. We left with two boxes of leftovers!

I wish that I had gotten pictures of our day, but with the rain and 3 umbrellas, the camera didn't have priority!

Unexpected Fun!!

2009-02-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Today we went to get our taxes done and then came home for a quiet day. I've had a sore throat all week so I took a nap with the kids. When I woke up, we had visitors!!

Glenn's friend from work came over with his daughter for a visit! His wife was out of town and he was on the way to take his daughter to the movies when he called Glenn. Our kids had never met and his daughter wanted to come play instead of going to the movie. So, the guys played the Wii and the girls played dolls and Candyland. We had so much fun with them that we decided to go out to dinner together! The girls got along so well together and had a great time talking and making up games. They both have creative imaginations!

Kaydence's Visit!

2009-02-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

This week we had the opportunity to babysit for my brother and sister-in-law! For three days we had Kaydence with us! She was such a joy to have around. Her sweetness and gentle spirit really added a special love to our home. She was so much fun! We went to Chuck E Cheese's and Disneyland together. She became my shopping buddy and did all the carpooling with me, too. We all miss her already!

Kaydence LOVES Glenn!

Queen Mary Visit!!

2009-01-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

Today I picked up Charles from school and picked up our friends, Michele and Raylee, and we all went to the Queen Mary! Glenn went on an overnight skiing trip with the guys, so I wanted to do something special with the kids. January was free admission for Southern California residents. We had a blast! The ship was so beautiful, even though it is a little run down in areas. Michele and I loved all the history and old decor. The kids loved playing on whatever was available.

We started on the self-guided tour. We could have spent more time reading every detail, but the kids weren't that patient. Everything was so interesting and I felt a little as if I was being transported back in time. We soon found ourselves on our own tour as we couldn't resist going down strange hallways and opening doors. If it didn't have a sign telling us not to enter, we entered!

As we traveled through the hallways, I couldn't suppress the desire to see one of the rooms. The information desk lady told us that we could ask the check-in counter to show us a room, but I noticed how busy they were checking in guests, so I didn't ask. But, an opportunity arose! I saw a man walking down the hallway towards us with his suitcase. I looked at Michele and smiled. The man stopped right next to us to go into his room. I had to ask him if we could see his room! He was so gracious. He was an older man from England and was so excited to be back on the ship. He said that he had sailed on the ship when he was a child. I was so happy that we got to see the room!

When we were at the information desk, Michele noticed a flyer for a para-normal investigation they were doing tonight at midnight. Seeing as how we are both lovers of ghost stories and hauntings, we were quite disappointed we couldn't participate. It would have been too expensive anyway- $75 a person.

When the kids had had enough of our tour, we decided to eat at one of the restaurants for dinner. It was so beautiful looking out at the water and the shoreline at sunset. It was the perfect ending to our wonderful, wonderful day!

I had to get a picture of Michele's awesome salad! It was so beautiful! Charles ate the flower, if you can believe that!

Glenn's Dad and our Trip to Idaho!

2009-01-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

Warning- this will be a long post!

This past week, Glenn and I packed up the kids on a half-day's notice and drove to Idaho. The Sunday after Christmas, Glenn's father fell on the ice while walking into the prison to do his Bishopric calling. He slipped and broke his hip and right arm in multiple places. He was alone and laid in the snow for quite a while screaming for help until a guard finally heard him. They rushed him to the hospital and did surgery the next day. The surgery was a success even with the diabetes and we were all grateful.

A few days later, he went into respiratory failure, then kidney failure. Our whole world changed that day. He made it through but was still not thriving and seemed to be dwindling away. Because his organs weren't functioning properly, they couldn't process all of the IV fluids. His whole body started breaking out in hundreds of huge, weeping blisters. Then he stopped eating. We had to go visit him immediately!

We pulled Charles out of school for a week and drove to my sister's house. On the way there, Glenn got another call from the family and we almost put him on a plane from Salt Lake that night because it sounded like he might not make it through the night. Glenn's sister, Joanne called us back and reassured us that he would be fine through the night and we stayed at my sister's place that night.

The next morning, we met Glenn's brother, Gordon, at the freeway, to pick up his dad's truck. Glenn got to drive it back to Idaho for him. I think it helped him feel a little closer to him. Glenn drove directly to the hospital and I took the kids to Joanne's house to have a break before we went to the hospital.

When we finally got to the hospital, it was really hard. Glenn's dad was really bad. He was the worst that he'd been since the accident. Joanne was with him when the nurse came to wake him. No one could wake him. He didn't respond to yelling, shaking or squeezing his hands. I started to cry and Glenn had to leave the room. It took him about a half an hour to wake up. He was confused and disoriented. He didn't know we were there. Glenn stayed the night a the hospital for the next two nights. He was hoping to be able to have some sort of conversation with his dad, but he never had any clear moments.

The worst part of the trip was realizing that the hospital staff had given up on him. They stopped giving him blood, or any fluids. They didn't care if he wore his breathing mask or if he ate. They only gave him Tylenol and insulin. Glenn's sister, Pam, was in the room one morning when his doctor came in to do her rounds, and this was her greeting:
"Hi Charles. Remember me? Of course you don't! You don't remember anything, do you?"
At the same time, the insurance company threatened to stop coverage for him because they said he was "chronic" and the hospital was kicking him out to a convalescent home. Glenn's mom was beside herself. To continue basic care, it was going to be $9,000 per month.

At this moment in time, when all seemed lost, a huge blessing happened! Glenn's uncle Paul is a doctor in San Diego and came to visit while he was on a skiing trip. He immediately started talking to everyone at that hospital! He even got a nurse to write a recommendation to the insurance company requesting them to cover a skilled nursing facility and change his status to "acute" which meant he was covered!!! The next day, he was approved for the best care facility we could hope for- $60,000 per month 100% covered by insurance!

Little-by-little we watched him improve. he started recognizing us and said our names. He also started eating a little bit. The new facility is beautiful and so caring. They are taking such good care of him and his wounds. His mind is back in full. If he can regain some energy and avoid infection, I know he'll recover.

This has been the most frightening experience for us. The thought of losing Glenn's dad, is almost unbearable. We love him so much and we will keep praying for his recovery. Tomorrow I'll post the picture I took of him and the kids. I could only get him to open his eyes for a second to take the picture and he didn't know what I was doing. I thought it was the last picture I'd have of him, but now, I hope to take pictures of him at Charles' baptism in April!

Movie Reviews!

2009-01-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I took the kids to the movies because it was Family Night at the Four Star Cinemas. They've been wanting to see "Marley and Me". I had a friend tell me how awesome it was, so I was excited. Within the 1st 30 minutes, they had said 3 swear words, said how good sex was, talked about cutting the dogs "balls" off, showed the dog humping a lady, talked about making babies and showed them making out on the bed to make a baby. I had to walk out! While the movie was PG, it was not for little kids! I exchanged our tickets for "Bedtime Stories" and the kids LOVED it! It was so wonderful and entertaining. The kids loved the guinea pig, of course, and it really was mild and geared towards kids and adults. I hope that this helps some of you avoid an uncomfortable situation with your kids like what happened to me tonight!

Refrigerator Madness!!

2009-01-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have to post about my refrigerator because I'm on the verge of certifiable madness right now! I noticed that the fridge wasn't cooling right on Thursday night but I really wasn't sure. By Friday morning, I noticed that the milk wasn't super cold like usual so I knew we had a problem. I called Sears because we had purchased the service plan when we got the fridge. I called 3 times but was put on hold for more than 20 minutes each time and gave up. I decided to try to book an appointment online and filled out all the info and clicked on the first available appointment- Monday! On Sunday I got an email back telling me that they couldn't complete my request at this time and to reschedule!! Madness set in! I rescheduled for today. But, I never got a confirmation email so I called today and stayed on hold for almost 30 minutes before I got someone on the phone. They said that they had never received any online requests from me and I was NOT scheduled for any repair service!! Needless to say, I was on the verge of real tears when I was on the phone and then anger. They set me up for tomorrow from 8-noon. I won't even be back from the preschool drop-off until after 8:30am. So, with my luck, They will show up first thing tomorrow and I won't be there, so they'll leave and I'll have to reschedule again. It's been 5 days now, but who's counting?

Stephanie's Visit!

2009-01-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

Last week Glenn's cousin, Stephanie, and her family came down here on vacation from Idaho and we got to visit with them and the kids got to spend time with their cousins that they usually only see once every 2 years. We spent a day at the beach with them and then came home to eat pizza and play the Wii. It was really fun!

Joanne's Visit!

2009-01-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

Glenn's sister, Joanne, and her family came to SoCal to visit their family over the break. We got to see them and spend time with them at church and Chuck E. Cheese's. The kids were so cute and it was so good to see them!

Mindy's Visit!!

2009-01-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

Mindy, Emily and Joseph came to visit the day after Christmas. We were so excited to have them!! Charles and Maryn couldn't get enough of them and the whole visit was so much fun! We went to the park to visit with Ronda and the kids, went to Chuck E. Cheese's to visit with Della and family, went out to dinner and a movie with Leasa and Celeste, had a game night with Stephanie, and made a trip down to Sea World to use our passes before they expired. So much to fit into 4 days!

(I've tried for 1 hour to upload photos but it won't work!! I'll catch up later.)

Christmas Morning!!

2009-01-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was such a wonderful time for us! We woke up around 6:30am and had a talk with the kids about the true meaning of Christmas before we let them loose. Charles was the most excited about all the Bakugan stuff he got and Maryn LOVED her mini American Girl doll, Emily! Glenn got a Wii and I got my NordicTrack treadmill, so we were both excited this year! Santa even brought treats for the guinea pigs, so they joined us, too.

Christmas Nativity!

2008-12-23T17:23:00.000-08:00

Last night was our annual Christmas Dinner at my Grandma's house. The nativity was kind of crazy this year! Charles was the narrator and did a fantastic job! Maryn was a golden glowing angel because her mom procrastinated the costume-making this year. She really loved the idea, though, and was very proud of her costume. Little Kaydence was a beautiful angel with stage fright, so she wasn't in the actual performance. And, we were short on actors, so there were no shepherds. Gaven the wise man refused to give the gift to the baby Jesus, so Joseph (Colby) tried to muscle it away, which I found hilarious! Little Beckah was the beautiful Mary and was so sweet! All-in-all, it was very memorable!

Charles' Christmas Program!!

2008-12-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Charles' Christmas Program at school! He did an awesome job and really sang every song! It was so much fun to watch. Glenn missed it this year because of work, but we've been blessed that he's been able to come the last two years.

Later that night, the kids and I decorated the cookies that my grandma brought over and had an awesome movie night! We watched "Elf" and popped popcorn and finished decorating the tree.

Two funny things happened this week:

Maryn loves singing all of the Christmas songs on the radio and has decided that every time "Feliz Navidad" comes on, she sings "feliz naughty dog" just to crack herself up!

And, Charles took two small stockings off of the tree and hung them up for the guinea pigs next to ours, because he said that they've been good girls this year. So now, Santa has to have gifts for two guinea pigs!

California Adventure with Maryn!!

2008-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

Today I had a great day with Maryn! Since we never made it to Disneyland last night or last Tuesday, I had to take her today. We went while Charles was in school. We got there at 9:30am and California Adventure was just opening their gates. We immediately went to Soaring Over California, then got peppermint hot cocoa at the bakery, and still made it to the first showing of Playhouse Disney!

The best part of the day, for me, was Maryn's first time going on Tower of Terror!!! Woo-Hoo! It scared her a little but she still liked it and said she wants to go again next time! I am so excited to have someone to go on that with me!! Charles refuses to go on that with me and Glenn hates it.

After that, we went on Monster's, Inc. (Maryn calls it Monster's Stink) and watched the Muppets 3-D show. Then we split a sourdough bread bowl with broccoli and cheese soup in it and went home.

On the way out, I noticed the signs posted advertising monthly payments for the annual passes. You put $60 down and then make payments starting at $5.45 to $24.95 a month, depending on which pass you buy. I thought that was kind of cool. I don't know if they charge interest though. I just thought I'd pass that on for anyone who might be interested.

Our Knott's Date!!

2008-12-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Today Glenn took me to Knott's Berry Farm for a date! Every year at this time, Glenn's work gets in free! So, thankfully, the Winston's babysat for us so that we could go out alone.

We got there and I was a little disappointed that it closed at 6pm tonight. But when we got in, it was empty! The rides didn't even have lines! Glenn dragged me on the log ride and I dragged him on all of the roller coasters! Our favorite was the Silver Bullet and we both hated Boomerang because it totally messes with your neck and back. I really wanted to take Glenn on the Xcelerator, but it was closed. Lucky for him! He was feeling sick to his stomach after the first ride.

I am thankful that I have a husband who is willing to indulge me in my craving for fast rides. It really has to be one of the things that I enjoy most in this world. If I was a guy, I'd totally be a Nascar driver. I'm really serious! One of my ultimate fantasies would be to rent- okay, if it's really a fantasy, I'd buy- a Corvette and take it out to a deserted, flat highway and just drive it as fast as it could go!

After Knott's we were driving home and passed this diner, Portillo's. We decided to stop and give it a try. It was so awesome! I think that we've found a new favorite. It was so nice inside and decorated like an old-school diner. You order your food at the counter and seat yourself, but the best part is the menu! They have all of our favorites! You can order burgers, hot dogs, sausages, sandwiches, onion rings, malts, made-to-order chopped salads, tamales, and so much more! We both ate for $12. We had an Italian sausage sandwich, onion rings, a large malt, and a tamale with chili and cheese. We will be going back because all the food was so good!

Today was a fantastic day!

Thanksgiving 2008!

2008-12-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

This year we were lucky to have Glenn off for 3 days! We decided to go to my mom's house for Thanksgiving. We left on Wednesday after school. The normal 3 hour drive, took us 6 1/2 hours! I wanted to die!

(Jesse, Chad, and Chris)

When we got there, we were glad to be able to spend time with my step-brothers that I hardly knew and their families. One of the twins wasn't there, but I got to see Chris and Jesse. Charles got to know his cousins, Wesley and Alex. They played video games for hours and hours!
(Charles and Alex)

(Grandpa Smith and Grandma Nelda)

Of course we also got to spend a lot of time with my mom and Chad's dog, Emmy. She's gigantic! She's 80 lbs. and still a puppy! My mom made her a special holiday dress to wear on Thanksgiving. They think she's a human.

Dinner was so great and the visit was relaxed and pleasant. My mom did a great job with the cooking. The turkey was beautiful. She even made homemade apple pies! They were huge! She put 8 apples in each pie. She also made aprons for all of the women and Maryn.

(My SIL Amiee, Slade, and Me)

My mom convinced me to go to Black Friday. I have been against this idea from the start because I HATE getting up early and I really don't care for shopping. But the time with my mom was worth it. I had so much fun with the "girls"! Brenda (Chris' girlfriend), and Jeannie (Jesse's wife) went and so it ended up being a great opportunity to get to know them. They were both so much fun to be around! I am so glad that I got to know them! We went to 4 stores and I was so good. I didn't even buy a lot!

(Brenda and Chris)

(Jesse and Jeannie)

When we got home from the stores, we immediately packed up the car and made our way home. We had promised the kids we'd take them to Santa Claus Lane in Carpenteria, but when we got there, it was gone!! No candy shop, no bakery, no toy store, no ornament shop, nothing!! They have made it a surf town. We were so disappointed to say the least. I've been going there since I was a child.

Since we missed all of that, Glenn and I madly tried to make other plans. We ended up taking the kids to a beach in Ventura. It was so beautiful! The best part was playing Freeze Tag as a family. I enjoyed this so much and will remember it always! Running on the beach in my UGG's was so tiring! We were in this hilly area with little dunes and so it was fun trying to run around and catch each other. What a wonderful trip we had!

(Maryn Enjoying the Appetizers!)

Twilight!!

2008-11-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to go to Twilight with 14 women! We had a blast! I showed up and there were already people there saving our spot. We hung out in line and just talked and some women ate dinner. The theater was packed full of crazy girls and women! It made me laugh to hear all of them going nuts when the movie started. I thought that Edward was so beautiful, although I've heard so many people say that they didn't care for him. I really liked the movie. I can't say loved yet because of certain things that I wish that they had put in- like more character development with the Cullen's family. I though that Emmett was the best and Jasper and Rosalie were over-acting big time! Anyway, the much-needed "girl time" was my favorite! We were all so happy and excited and that made it so much fun to be together!

I stole a picture from Vivian's blog to post since I didn't bring a camera!

Our Family Day at Disneyland!

2008-11-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Glenn and I took the kids to Disneyland! Yes, we were naughty keeping Charles out of school, but it's a rare day that we get to spend together, so we did it! My sister was taking her family that day, and our awesome friend signed Glenn and Charles in. My brother Slade came with his family and my cousin, Tiffany came with her girls, too. We ended up meeting up with my Aunt Bobbie, Uncle Dick, cousin Linda, and Kenzie. So, it was a huge family day! We enjoyed the time together so much!

Kaydence, Maryn and Kenzie!

Notice that my brother Slade has his head in his hands laughing? That's because he was flipping off the camera in the previous picture I took! I didn't find out until I downloaded the pictures because I was trying to take the pictures backwards and just holding the camera up behind me. He thinks that he's sooo funny!

This is us after Splash Mountain. I was in the front. It was getting cold outside and I had already gotten completely- yes, completely drenched on the raft ride earlier that day and had finally dried. Then came this! The guys thought it was so funny! My hair was seriously soaking wet like I had taken a shower and my make-up was running down my face! Charles said that I looked scary.

This is Kenny, Maryn, Maeli, and little Kaydence is in the front!

Charles being a typical big brother!

A Marriage in the Family!

2008-11-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had an exciting event take place in our home. Maryn informed me that her cat, Golden Purple Flower, and her monkey, Monkey Face, got married! A few minutes after the marriage ceremony, Golden Purple Flower was pregnant with a puppy! (See above photo for the expecting couple.)

The new puppy, Cilla, was born within 5 minutes. She was born with lavender ears and a mask. The whole happy family is pictured below.

Bonfire at Huntington Beach!

2008-11-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my mom and Chad came down and treated all of us to a bonfire on the beach! My sister Beth, and her family are here visiting and it's been so much fun. The weather was great- cool but not cold. My brother Slade came with Sara and Kaydence as well. The time together was wonderful. It's really only once a year my sister makes it here from Utah, so it's so special to get to see her and her husband Ken, and the kids: Kenny, Maeli and Sadie. Thanks mom and Chad for making it such a special day!!

Tribute to Glenn!

2008-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

This post is a tribute to my wonderful husband whom I love with all of my heart. He is sunshine to my soul. His birthday was a few days ago amidst all of the election drama and so I'm late with honoring him for his special day.

I wanted to share a few pictures from his past with all of you. I don't have many, but I posted all I have!

Glenn Learning to Walk

Glenn's Junior Picture!

Glenn's Senior Picture!

Glenn's College Freshman Picture!

Glenn's Mission Pictures!

Our Engagement 1995!

Glenn's First Dirt Bike Trip 1996!

Halloween Fun!

2008-10-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today ended up being a great day! This morning we got a call from the body shop and our van was finished. It looks wonderful! I had a little bit of a heart attack when I drove it off the lot and the check engine light came on, but it went off about half-way through the day.

The kids and I had a great time at Chuck E. Cheese this afternoon. We had some tokens left over from last week so the kids played for a couple of hours. It was a much needed break from the everyday worries for me.

Tonight Glenn got to go trick-or-treating with us! We went to my grandma's neighborhood and the kids made out like bandits! At every house I'd try to get the kids to say "Thank you" and "Happy Halloween". Maryn would not do it! All she would say was "Adios!" She said that she had all kinds of "Adios's".

The other interesting thing that happened was at an old man's house. I was the one who walked the kids up to the door while Glenn waited on the street. When I took the kids to this old man's house, he opened the door and the kids said, "Trick or treat!"

The man was so happy! When he welcomed us into his home, we hesitated. I could tell from his thick accent that he was from Germany. We stepped up into the doorway and waited for him to get the candy. He stood there and shook our hands and complimented the kids on how cute they looked but made no move to get any candy from anywhere. I realized that he had no idea what we were doing there. I think he might have had a little bit of Alzheimer's. When he motioned for us to come all the way in, I told him that we couldn't stay. He asked me why we weren't going to visit longer. I told him that we just came to wish him a "Happy Halloween" and show him the kids' costumes. As we walked away, Maryn said, "We didn't even get any candy!" at the top of her voice! I was so embarrassed, but the man didn't notice. He just stood in the doorway and said strange little cute things while waving to the kids, like, "Goody-goody!"

So, that was our Halloween! We came home and had our movie night. We watched a live version of "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride". The kids thought it was a great movie. Now they're in my bed fighting over the covers. Fun fun!

Church Halloween Party!

2008-10-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our church Halloween Party. We had a great time! Charles and Maryn looked so cute in their costumes. Charles was Prince Caspian and Maryn was Vidia from the Tinkerbell movie. I was a polygamist sister wife. The kids came home with tons of junk! They're loving it!

I know that I look old and scary- but that's what happens when I have no make-up on!

Silly Kids!

2008-10-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

The kids can do the funniest things sometimes!

Today, I woke up and Charles was on the couch watching t.v. with no shirt on. I thought it was strange because he's absolutely not one who likes to go around without a shirt on. I said "Good morning" to him. He quickly turned around and demanded to know why I took his shirt off last night! I told him that I didn't do it and asked him where his shirt was. He told me that he found it in the dirty clothes hamper. I started laughing. He must have been sleep-walking last night!

To appreciate this next story, you'd have to have spent some time with Maryn. On the way to pre-school this morning, we were in the car and Maryn said, "My voice won't always be quiet- when I grow up I will have a loud voice! Huh, mom?"

My Tragic Accident...

2008-10-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was involved in my first car accident. I had the kids in the car with me and we were on our way to the stake center for an early choir practice for stake conference. Glenn was on his way home from work.

Anyway, I was going through the intersection of Newland and Bolsa. The right lane was open and the light turned green. I was going probably 25-30mph when a man riding a bicycle rode right in front of me! There were cars in the left lane, so I couldn't even see him until he was in front of me! I braked as fast as I could but I hit him hard. He smashed into my windshield and cut his head. His bike flew across the other lanes and he rolled to the ground. He was wearing a helmet but I have no idea how badly hurt he was because he passed out from all the bleeding. I'm just fretting because there's no way for me to find out if the man is okay! There are so many laws now, that I may never know. I wish there was a way to at least write a letter or something.

The kids are fine. The police made sure that they didn't see anything. Maryn told me today, on the way to preschool, "Mom, make sure you don't hit any boys riding bikes with your car. You're not supposed to do that, Mom." So, I guess I'll be reliving the accident forever.

Halloween Crafts and Butternut Squash Soup!

2008-10-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Today was full of surprises! I took the kids to the Pet Smart today to buy a couple of things. We walked past Michael's craft store and I saw in the window that they had a room set up for kid's crafts. I walked in and asked the ladies what I needed to do so my kids could make a craft. They said it's open to everyone from 10am-12noon! So, I paid $5 per kid and they got to make these really cute wooden Halloween frames! They put together the kits and we got to take home the paint brushes and paint. Next week they're doing scrapbooks.

Then, this afternoon, I made butternut squash soup from scratch for the first time! I've wanted to make it forever, but I've never been brave enough. Yesterday I bought the squash and I got so excited that I had to make it for lunch today! It is so creamy and yummy! I made it with fat free half and half, so it's only about 120 calories per serving!

I also put in a picture of our room after we hung the curtains a few weeks ago.

One Super-Crazy Fabulously Wonderful Day!!

2008-10-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day, but I'm sure you will all think that I'm a little crazy (if you don't already!).

A couple of weeks ago, our landlord came over and asked me if I would chaperon his 14 year old daughter and her friend at Knott's Scary Farm. So, Glenn traded shifts and our landlord got me a ticket so that I could go.

Then a couple of days ago, I got a call from My cousin, Darice, that she was in town from Arizona and going to Disneyland. They already had 2 people to sign them in and offered the last sign-in spot to Charles! He's been dying to go! His 2 boy cousins his age were going also and so that made it so special.

Well, these 2 activities were both yesterday! Yes, I took the kids to Disneyland all day in the heat, and then 2 teenage girls to Knott's all night long!

Disneyland was so much fun! It was my 2 cousins, Darice and Tiffany, and 7 kids! Darice left her 2 little ones home. Surprisingly, the day went very smoothly. We seemed to have great timing and really accomplished so much. Darice and her kids hadn't been in 2 years. Her little Morgan was so cute planning out each ride she wanted to go on. She had a list of 4 things she had to do. She and Maryn really got along well together. The three boys were so awesome together! They worked out ways to go on most of the rides together and really had a fun time! It was interesting to see how this combination played out, because I don't think these 3 had ever been together for any length of time. We have 5 boy cousins born the same year and they are rarely together because they live far away from each other.

I left Disneyland in time to come home and make dinner before the girls showed up at my house. The girls came over at 6pm and we were off! I was a little bit nervous about spending that much time with girls I didn't know very well, but they were so cool! They were really nice girls and didn't seem to mind me tagging along. I offered a few times for them to go do a few things without me, but they didn't really want to. So, that made it possible for me to go on so many rides I'd been dying to go on!! I played it cool and calm, but I was freaking out like a teeny-bopper inside! The rides were so awesome and all the haunted houses were really good! There are some twisted minds in this world! I don't know how they think of all the gruesome stuff I experienced last night!! The girls were not scared of anything! I was the one screaming and covering my eyes the whole time! I really tried to be nonchalant about everything but something would always surprise me and I couldn't help but scream! The night ended about 1am. I was home by 2:15am. Glenn let me sleep until 11am. What a man!

Weekly Sleepover!

2008-10-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

Every week, the kids and I have a sleepover together. Since Glenn works over-night shifts, it gives us the opportunity to have a lot of time together. Saturday night, Glenn and I took the kids to the Cable's housewarming party and then to the dollar theater to see "Journey to the Center of the Earth". It was a fun movie!

After that, we got the kids ready for bed and Glenn took a nap before work in the living room. The kids and I got into our big bed and I brought in a couple of flashlights. That entertained them for a good hour! We played flashlight tag on the ceiling and made all sorts of shapes. The funniest one was when Maryn made a grandma alligator- it really looked like one! Then she had fun making shadows of her foot and saying, "Say hello to Mr. Footy!" about 100 times! I can't tell you how much I love those kinds of memories.

Costco Date?

2008-10-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, today was an interesting day! Glenn surprised me in more ways than one. After I got up extremely early this morning to take Charles to school and pick up Carter for the pre-school carpool, I was kind of lethargic. I put a load of dishes in the dishwasher and plopped down on my bed. Then I realized: Glenn and I have 4 hours together! What to do? Well, I suggested to him that we should do something fun together- such as take me out somewhere. He wanted to take me out to Costco, so we went! I put on my make-up and he drove me in his truck. We just walked around for a while looking at all the Christmas stuff and electronics. Glenn says we "need" a new T.V. After all that shopping, he bought me lunch there. He did ask me for a few dollars to cover it, though.

The second surprising thing he did was go on a walk with me! It was really hot outside but I really wanted to get some exercise. So, he went with me! That is something that I've been trying to get him to do with me for years! Hopefully, he'll do it again soon. It's always fun when after 13 years, my husband can still amaze me.

Another Super-Fun Week-end!!

2008-10-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

This past week-end was another good one!! I worked hard to clean the house because my mom and Chad came to visit. At the last minute, they decided to come down on Saturday morning instead of Friday night.

That worked out perfectly because Ronda had asked me earlier that day if I wanted to go to the movies with her. So, I called her and invited her over for brownie sundaes and a movie! We watched Cinderella Man- one of my all-time favorites! I love the family message. The brownie sundaes were so good, but almost sickeningly sweet! Neither of us could finish, although I did a lot more damage than Ronda, of course!
Saturday morning, my mom and Chad got here bright and early! They came with 2 bicycles for Charles and Maryn!! The kids were so happy!! Charles has been riding with Glenn already and Maryn will have to grow a couple of inches before she'll be able to ride hers. She talks about it everyday! Thanks mom and Chad for thinking of them!
After the kids got the bikes, we took off to the Kid's Faire at the OC Fairgrounds. We met my SIL Sara and Kaydence there. We had a great time walking around the exhibits. I think my mom signed up for everything! Chad bought tickets for Maryn to ride the ponies and Charles to ride a camel! They thought that was so awesome!
When we were done with the fair, we all went to Slade and Sara's house to take naps and have dinner. It was funny to see all the people sleeping! Charles played guitar hero and Sara made a delicious dinner. That night we all crashed out early.

The next morning, I made breakfast for my mom and Chad and they played Candyland with the kids before they had to go home to their 60 pound "baby", Emmy! All-in-all it was a fun visit!

Another Frustrating Encounter!

2008-10-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

I know that I'm always posting about the infuriating people that I come across in my daily comings and goings. It's good to be able to express my frustration at how the general public accepts rudeness as normal! Today was another:

The past couple of months I have been going to a few different grocery stores to shop for their sale items. It has saved me money and I've been able to purchase things I'd normally walk past. Today I was at Albertsons for their 8 hour sale buying cheese and hamburger meat. The back of the store was under construction. The butchers were walking back and forth restocking the meat section but there was no one working the counter. Soon both of the butchers went to the back and started talking. I was waiting there for a minute looking for some sort of bell to ring but I couldn't find one. Both the butchers looked at me a few times while I was standing at the counter but when I tried to wave them over, they would turn around. I was starting to get frustrated waiting there when another woman walked up to the counter, too. I told her that they wouldn't come out. That's when I noticed that behind the counter on a white temporary wall, was a white button. I walked over and pressed it. I heard one of the men say to the other, "Finally! She figured it out!" And they both laughed.

Is it just me or are people just completely selfish and rude?

Butterflies...

2008-09-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we were listening to a speaker at church. She got up to speak and started by expressing how nervous she was. She said that she had a headache, and butterflies in her stomach. Then she proceeded to give a wonderful talk. A few minutes into it, Maryn looked up at me with a worried and sad look in her eyes and asked me: "Why did she eat butterflies?"

Embarrassing Memory!

2008-09-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

I was watching "The Office" a couple of days ago. They were having a weight-loss challenge and everyone had to stand together on a huge freight scale in the warehouse. I started laughing so hard because it triggered one of my most embarrassing memories!

Years ago when I was about 10 weeks pregnant with Charles- I remember because I was carrying around the ultrasound photo in my pocket- I was serving in YW. That day we had all gone down to the OC Food Bank to package food. It was a great day! Anyway, at the beginning of the day a man called us to gather around so he could go over all that was expected. Since I'm kind of short, I stepped onto this metal platform so I could see him better. After a couple of minutes Glenn waved me over to him (he was in YM). He let me know that I had been standing on a huge scale. My weight was broadcasting on a huge digital screen on the wall!! All the people had been watching it! I was so embarrassed and horrified! He let me know that it was way more than what I had told him- nice husband! LOL! I wanted to use the excuse that I was pregnant, but 10 weeks isn't an excuse! After that the youth had a great time playing on the scale- now that they all knew what it was!

Family Movie Nights!

2008-09-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our Family Movie Night! We watched "Tuck Everlasting".

For the past few weeks we've been having a fun time together. Early in the week, I go to the library and check out a good movie that (hopefully) we'll all like. Then on Fridays, we all gather on our bed and watch it in our room. I serve dessert on a blanket on our floor. Tonight was interesting because Maryn wanted a pear for dessert and Charles wanted a pancake with honey. They always surprise me!

The kids love to have both of us there being a family. It's been so much fun! Glenn missed out tonight because he had a game night for Elders Quorum. We missed him, but he really doesn't get much "guy time" so it's okay.

Visitors!

2008-09-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to welcome Glenn's parents for a visit! Since they moved to Idaho a few years ago, we haven't been able to see them very often. This visit was so much fun! They got here- our house- Wednesday morning and took Glenn, Maryn and me out to a late breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. Then we put Maryn down for a nap and waited for Charles to be out of school. When he got home, Dad, Glenn and Charles went to a rock and gem shop at Adventure City, while Mom, Maryn and I went to Rite-Aid and got Glenn a wrist brace.

I know that the Rite-Aid trip doesn't sound fun but it was! They had a 75% off clearance sale on all their school stuff! I was able to get packs of gel pens for 80 cents and even found a dolphin backpack for Maryn that was only $2.49!! Besides that, who doesn't love their ice cream? Of course we had to get a scoop before we left.

In preparation for their visit, Glenn and I had worked hard cleaning our room- top to bottom. We hung curtains and pictures. It looks awesome! I even did complimentary turn-down service with chocolates on the pillows! (The chocolate thing is a tribute to my SIL Sandra who imagines her home a bed and breakfast when family visits!)

That night, we went out to dinner. We were severely spoiled! Glenn was tasting a bit of paradise when he finally got to order his all-you-can-eat riblets from Applebee's. I was just grateful I could order off of the Weight Watcher's menu after our awesome breakfast!

This morning they had to leave. I thought that we'd be able to have lunch together but there was too much work to get done in Ventura. They had to get on the road. So, we will pacify ourselves with the great memories. My favorites:

Dad reading to Maryn,
Mom coloring with Maryn,
Mom playing Poke Mon with Charles- so funny!,
And, Dad watching Project Runway and Karate Kid with me!

We love them so much and look forward to the next visit!