December in a Nutshell

Once again the Christmas season came and went far too fast!

In the middle of the flurry I forgot to bring my camera for a few of our gatherings, including two family gatherings on Christmas day. Here are a few of the pictures that I did get...

December 2008

We made many good memories with family and friends and loved setting aside time to think our Savior and his birth. For me the climax was really the sacrament meeting program at church. The music was heartfelt and beautiful. I felt peace, gratitude, and joy as I listened to the simple narration and testimonies of those who participated. It was the quiet moments of introspection that completed the celebration and made the season truly special.

Favorite Things of Fall 2008

Fall is over, but just barely. It officially ended Dec 20th, so I am only a little late. :)

Here are my favorite things of fall 2008:

1. Roommate Reunion - In September my old roommates and I got together for a weekend getaway. With seven of us living literally from coast to coast I think it was a huge success that we were all able to be there. We stayed at a cabin in Heber (20 miles from Park City, Utah) for a couple nights and we had a great time catching up, talking, eating, laughing, making jewelry, soaking in the hot tub, hiking, playing ping pong, and just relaxing.

(America, Erin, Diedra, Charis
Anna Marie, Gina, Melissa)

I love these women. They are good, strong, wise, funny, spiritual, humble, intelligent, caring, insightful and for many years now they have been some of my real-life heroes. I’ve always admired them, and after spending a few days with them my admiration for them only increased. A lot has happened to each of us since we were nineteen and twenty years old. Life never quite turns out exactly how we expect. Each of them is stronger because of their trials and has greater compassion and love. I admire them for the contribution they each have made to their families, communities and to the world.

I really could go on and on about them individually, their strengths, ambitions and all their accomplishments - just like a proud mother. I feel so blessed to know them and I want everyone to have the same blessing. We talked about putting a group blog together, so when that gets going I’ll post a link. Until then I can refer you to Gina’s blog. I love reading it! Even if I didn’t know her I would love reading it.

2. Russ’s last semester!

For those who missed this chapter of our lives, or if you are one of our children and simply don't remember, I’ll try to briefly fill you in. If you’ve heard this before just move on down to the next one. After Russ graduated from high school he worked for a six months before serving a two-year mission. When he returned he started school full-time. During his first semester we started dating, got engaged, and in June of 2000 we were married. I had one term left before graduation, so that summer Russ worked while I finished school. By July we were anticipating our first baby in March. Our plan was for me to work full-time while Russ went to school until the baby came, but everything fell apart when the morning sickness took me out and I was way too sick to work.

That fall Russ enrolled as a part-time student and worked full-time, by October he had a job offer to work full-time in for a start-up tech company. Like many start-up companies the hours were long (50 - 70 hours a week) and the school pace slowed significantly. Russ wasn’t sure what he wanted to major in, he loved to teach, had a passion for history, and also had a knack with computers. After a year of wavering and trying a few other courses he decided to major in Computer Science. In 2001, Russ was hired as Software Engineer Consultant for LexisNexis in Provo. We bought a house. He continued taking classes at night. Naomi was born. Then he worked for the LDS church as a software engineer. He was called to serve in the bishopric. Savannah was born. He was then hired by VitalSmarts as a software engineer. We sold our house and bought a new one. He was called to serve in the Young Men’s Presidency, which includes weekly activities and occasional weekend scout trips. Mason was born in 2007. All along Russ took classes year-round, one, two and sometimes three at a time. Every other year I would have a little breakdown and insist that we sell the house, he quit his job and just finish school. Then we would talk through it and look at all the options, and then ultimately decide that it didn't make a lot of sense to quit the same job he would hope for after he graduated.

He stuck it out. We stuck it out. Now he is done and it doesn’t quite seem real. We don’t know what life is like without homework, tests, finals, research papers, and projects constantly hanging over head. I try to look at the bright side of this alternative route to a bachelor’s degree, there are some advantages to combining work and education, but we will both quickly add that we don’t recommend it.

3. Daddy-Daughter Derby

My last activity with the Activity Day girls was a good one. For the annual daddy-daughter event we had a pinewood derby. The girls and their dads put together some creative cars and without any weight rules or limitations we had some exciting races. It's a beautiful thing, dads and daughters spending quality time together.


4. Oh Baby! I received one of the cutest pictures ever in my inbox. This one...

Isn’t he absolutely darling?! Calling him a cutie pie is an understatement, he is more than a cutie pie! Did you notice his long dark lashes, his perfectly round cheeks, and every lovely locks? His name is Truman. I just wanted to give the everyone a chance to adore him as much as I do. Thanks Aunt Raquel and Uncle Jesse! It’s really fun to be related to one of the world’s cutes babies and to get such gems in my inbox.

5. School for the kids! Education is a good thing. Keeping energetic kids busy is also a good thing. I really like when kids go to school.



6. Football - We went to the BYU/San Diego State game. (Thanks for the tickets Aunt Pam!) It was a nice long date and BYU won!


7. New Camera! I've loved playing with it!



8. Mild weather is always a plus. We made extra trips to the park this fall, and all the neighbor boys had a few more days to play outside.

Thanksgiving 2008

We celebrated Turkey Day in Arizona with Russ' brother, his family, Randy and Daryl. All the kids were thrilled to spend time together and it was a pleasant getaway at just the right time of year.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese,



witnessed the baby blessing of our newest darling niece,



ate lots of good food,


made some good memories with Grandpa,



and Grandma,


and went to the Phoenix zoo.



I’m thankful for so many good things. This year I’m going to name 2,008 things that make life wonderful.

2,008. Cars - We can go anywhere we want, anytime we want!

2,007. Antibiotics: Have you had strep lately? These things are AMAZING!

2,006. Music: This universal language touches our souls. It can soothe us, inspire us and bring back sweet memories.

2,005. Red bell peppers - sweet, crunchy and delicious!

2,004. Dreyer’s Thin Mint Cookie ice cream. Move over cookies-n-cream, I have a new favorite.

2,003. Bubble Baths - What a luxury! Hot water on demand in a porcelain tub, we have it so good!

2,002. Technology: laptops, cellphones, digital cameras, internet, ipods and so many ways to store information.

2,001. Toothbrushes.

2,000. Spring - The annual reawakening we can count on.

1999. Children’s laughter.

1998. Children sleeping.

1997. Mountains with trails, or even without.

1996. Grandma’s caramel brownies.

1995. Washing Machines: After living in a country where most people wash their clothes by hand I vowed never to complain about laundry. If I have, I officially take it back.

1994. Public Libraries

1993. Good lotion

1992. The sun. We are so dependent on this fiery ball that gives life to everything. It is perfect!

1991. Games! Board games, card games, lawn games, mind games - the fun never ends!

1990. Cilantro - Yum, this could be the world's greatest plant.

1989. Kind people, especially kind and thoughtful strangers.

1988. Fingernail clippers, so simple and yet so nice.

1987. Good humor and belly laughing

1986. Modern conveniences that are not ubiquitous worldwide; ovens, refrigerators, microwaves and dishwashers. We have so much more time and freedom without making daily visits to the market and going to cut firewood. Instead we can buy in bulk, zap our food, store it, freeze it and then stack the dishes in a nice machine for later automatic cleaning.

Just kidding. I won’t actually name 2,008. (You're welcome.)

On our way home we went to the Grand Canyon. We had a grand time trying to get our kids to be quiet and settled in at the lodge and then Mason woke up at 1:00 am and started crying at maximum volume. We tried all our tricks, but he wasn't going to be quiet. Surely he woke the poor souls that were unfortunate enough to get the room next to ours. Russ took Mason out to the van and spent two hours with the engine running off and on to keep them warm. I laid in bed with my regular clothes on, coat on and shoes on my feet ready to take my shift and worried about how Russ and Mason were doing. It was a long night. Parenthood non-stop fun!

We went to breakfast the next morning with tourists from all over the world. Russians, Japanese, Indians, Europeans, and guess who everyone stared at? I mean really stared at. Us! I've lived in the little Utah County bubble for so long that I forget we are an oddity. Four children, under the age of seven, most of the other visitors didn't even have children, let alone three or more. Or maybe my zipper was down. You never know.

We then walked out to the rim of the canyon. The walk became a hike because we were walking parallel to the rim and didn't know it. (Ha ha! Those shuttle buses are for people without four kids.) We finally arrived and found a good location to take a family picture. I asked a woman if she could take our picture, she suggested that her husband do it since he is a good photographer. So a nice tall man took our picture. He carefully lined us up to make sure that no one was standing in another's shadow, and then insisted that he get one of Russ and I together because he knows that sometimes it gets to be all about the kids. He was so kind and asked us about where we were from and if we are done having kids, and he seemed so familiar.

Here we are...

I told him that and he said, "Well, I am an actor. I'm Michael Gross you might know me from Family Ties." Then it clicked and suddenly he didn't seem like an actor at all, I felt like I was meeting Steven Keating. I don't know if he was acting all those years, I think he was just being himself.


So we took a picture of him...

That evening we drove home and saw a beautiful sunset...

and we gave thanks.

He's Walking!

Here's a short video of him just starting out....

Step-by-Step Instructions for Family Pictures.

1. Be stubborn and insist that your family portrait must be taken outdoors.

2. Wait until the last warm day of the year to do it.

3. Scramble to find clothing and shoes to coordinate family.

4. Realize that you still need to go shopping.

5. The night before pictures explain plan to patient husband.

6. The next morning the patient husband must leave for work at 6:00 a.m.

7. Rush through morning routine without husband and miss him.

8. Don't forget that it is also picture day for the kids at school.

9. Comb daughter's hair but don't do anything fancy.

10. Complain about moms that do fancy things with their daughter's hair.

11. Bathe baby and preschooler.

12. Curl preschooler's hair and feel good about being a mom that did something fancy with your daughter's hair.

13. Drop off preschooler - late - but with curls.

14. Take baby and scout out location for family photo.

15. Go to the mall to find missing items.

16. Make last-second-desperate-purchases.

17. Thank the kind lady that tells you your son is missing one of his shoes.

18. Retrace steps looking for shoe. Don't actually find the shoe.

19. Leave immediately to pick-up kindergartner.

20. Clean-up mess in kitchen, make lunch, then regret bathing baby before his lunch.


21. Bathe baby again.

22. Pick-up preschooler from play group.

23. Be happy that preschooler's tantrum ends with her stomping off to her bed where she takes a much needed nap.

24. Don't be surprised by 2nd grader that REALLY doesn't want to take a family picture.

25. Help bathe kindergartner and get out girl's clothes and shoes.

26. Threaten 2nd grader. Tell him he can either cooperate and get ready or be grounded for the remainder of the week.

27. Listen to preschooler tell you she just put a very large and strange hole in her tights.

28. Be grateful you purchased two pairs of tights earlier that day.

29. Rush to meeting place with nice brother that has agreed to serve as photographer.

30. Pass tissue back to kindergartner that suddenly has a cracked and bleeding lip.

31. Pass another tissue, because it's really bleeding!

32. Pay for unexpected "entrance fee" at designated location.

33. Park in front of locked gate that the attendant assured you would be unlocked.

34. Fix preschooler's hair that is no longer curly and must in some way be restrained.

35. Do your best to keep kids corralled and baby smiling.

36. Wonder why you did not insist that all kids use the bathroom before going to a location without bathrooms.

37. Wipe baby's runny nose between every four pictures.

38. Smile.

39. Keep smiling.

40. Remind children of bribes you have promised them for smiling.

41. Try to force kids to smile.

42. Remember that you are outnumbered.

43. Concede that you are not above begging.

44. Recognize when the baby has reached his limit.


45. Suggest turning him upside down because he likes that.



46. Feel good about being right and feel foolish about thinking that it would last longer that .23 seconds.

47. Surrender!

48. Finally, be thankful you got anything worth keeping.

30!

Russ hit the big 3-0!


Isn't he great!

Happy Birthday Dear.....

Our little boy is a year old today! It may be a bit cliche, but I can not believe how fast the last 12 months have gone by! We've done out best to cherish every passing stage and milestone of his, our experience has taught us that babies don't stay babies long enough.

We celebrated with family and friends and had a memorable first birthday party!



Mason has a lot of personality and we have enjoyed becoming acquainted with his sense of humor, determination, energy, likes and dislikes. We have learned that Mason is playful and very comfortable being the center of attention, he relishes getting all of his siblings laughing at once. Mason is very vocal, he combines his strong will with his strong lungs and communicates what he wants emphatically. He is an explorer, I can hardly engage him when we are in a new environment, he does all he can to get out of my arms and into whatever catches his eye. He discovered the phrase "What's that?" and uses it often. He's a dancer. Mason hears the music and does his own version of a tap dance. He likes to try new things. It doesn't matter what food is already on his plate, if he sees something new then he insists that he gets a taste of it. Mason gives great hugs and kisses. He is such a sweet boy and fills a void that we never knew was there!

We love you Mason!

Election Day 2008

I'm having a hard time concentrating today. I'm rather emotionally wrapped up in this election and I thought blogging might help me get this out of my system.

First, I think I owe an apology to some of my friends and family. Over the past 18 months I've sent a few unsolicited-politically-charged emails and more recently I've used facebook to express my opinions. These actions may have rubbed some people the wrong way and for that I am truly sorry. I recognize that this is a subject that many people are passionate about and I hope that in expressing my views I haven't been offensive.

Also, I hope that I haven't been too negative about our current situation. I want to express how much I love this country and I'm so grateful that we can disagree with each other and the government and work for our different causes. I have tremendous respect and appreciation for opposing viewpoints. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Some have complained that this election has cost too much money and that it has all been a waste. I don't think so at all, freedom is priceless and worth every effort and penny.

(That being said, please stop reading here if you find opposition to Obama offensive.)

Secondly, I feel a need to explain myself. Almost two years ago word spread that Mitt Romney would be running for president. This made me very nervous, as a fellow Latter-day Saint I was very concerned about the mudslinging in politics and worried that it was going to come in my general direction. I started reading a lot about politics.

In the spring of 2007 I was pregnant and miserably sick during the first trimester. I read incessantly to distract me from the awful nausea. I learned a few things during that time, the first is that journalists have an agenda and by and large they are liberally minded. (I know, I'm a little slow on that one.) After pouring over articles daily I was appalled that so many writers would twist and contort things to fit to their liking. I knew that most Americans weren't reading political news for 8-10 hours a day like I was and they weren't getting a complete picture of the candidates, their positions, their records and the full context of all those variables. Instead America read headlines on MSNBC or Yahoo and heard sound bites on CNN that consistently leaned to the left and most assuredly reinforced the shortcomings of the GOP candidates, particularly the ones they felt would be most difficult to defeat.

After much deliberation I sided with Ron Paul. Even though he was never considered a top-tier candidate I agreed with everything on his platform and I felt passionate about promoting his campaign. For months I watched in disbelief as the media did everything possible to squelch his campaign. He was a threat to Republicans and Democrats because he had an entirely consistent record, no history of backscratching, he opposed the war and most importantly he defended the Constitution unfailingly. Those with power and money don't want a man in office that can't be bought or persuaded for their own special interests. His campaign was first ignored and then ridiculed.

I did what I could. I donated money, joined political forums, I put a sign in our yard, talked with friends and neighbors, I made phone calls, and sent emails. Unfortunately, it was like trying to dam a river with a toothpick. The power and the influence of the media is overwhelming. I'm sure it's great for Obama fans, it's probably a lot like setting up a sail and letting the wind carry the boat.

Here we are almost two years later, though it feels like decades, Romney is out, Clinton was trampled on, Huckabee is missing in action with Chuck Norris, and Ron Paul's campaign is a memory. Some will only remember Ron Paul in terms of a name spray-painted on a bed sheet, hanging from the overpass on the freeway. To others, like me, Ron Paul is a quiet hero that stood his ground in defending the Constitution - no matter what!

Who do we have left? McCain and Obama, two people I disagree with. I honestly can't support either of them, so I voted third party. It's depressing and frustrating. With Obama and McCain on the ballot I feel a deep sense of hopelessness.

I'm looking down Obama's path and I see a dead end. Socialism (I'm not trying to be offensive here, I'm just calling it what it is) demands taking liberty from the people and giving more control and power to the government. Many are fine with Obama having that control, but what about the presidents that follow? Could there be another Bush in our future that will have even more power and influence? Is socialism going to be limited to the banking and health care industries? What else will the government "have to" control?

Sometimes I wish I could get caught up in the hysteria. I would love to be in the middle of the excitement of dawning a new era, leaving all the negative behind and pioneering a new path. That would be refreshing and exhilarating. And at other times I wish I didn't care at all. Apathy seems like an easy and amiable course.

However, I do care and I am alarmed that at this moment America stands at the crossroads and appears ready to move towards bigger government with the "hope" that that will cure our problems. Obama recently called those who oppose his proposals "selfish." That's really hard for me to swallow. I've been called many things and some deservedly, but I know that I am not selfish. This is about more than just money, the price for his new government is our liberty. Liberty lost is never easily regained. Yes, Senator Obama, I am selfish with liberty. You can add it to the list of things stubborn Americans cling to.



I disagree with the campaign's promoted philosophy of "Yes we can!" because what follows is, "... vote for a man that will change our country." With the loss of liberty the power of the people is being handed to the government.

I believe that America's greatness lies in the hearts and minds of the people. Undoubtably we face challenges. The question lies in how we are going to address them. Are we going to have more government or less? Will we create a system of learned helplessness and a nanny-state or will we nurture self-reliance and personal accountability? We could embrace changing the country by ourselves. Why do we need the government to have greater control? Do we need more social programs to fight poverty? Is the government going to handle Universal Health care the same way they've mismanaged Social Security? Do we need the government to hand over alternative energy sources or can we innovate that ourselves? The government can not do this as well as the people can. Americans give more time and money than any nation on earth. We are industrious, creative and very capable. We have resources and we have people that care.

We will see presidents come and go in our lifetime. I hope that at election time will embrace sound principles that cherish freedom and liberty above all else. I hope that when we face problems we won't point a blaming finger towards Washington, rather we can look within ourselves for the solution. Working collectively, without coercion, we can care for ourselves, each other and the world.

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
- George Washington

Costume Time

Halloween 2008

Family Picture
(SWAT Team Member, Sarah Palin, Napolean Dynamite, Football Player, Pocahontas, Pink Princess)
Mason - Needs to put on his game face!

The kids got a lot of use out of their costumes this year. They wore them to the church festival, to school, they each went to two parties, and Savannah wore hers just to look pretty around the house.

Savannah at preschool.

The girls at a neighborhood party

On the 31st I got to help with Camen's class party.

Getting Ready!


That night we ate "Mummy Dogs" for dinner.
and then Mason tried on his warmer costume for trick-or-treating.

(Thank you to the Johnsons for lending it to us.)

Russ went out with the kids, while I passed out candy and cleaned up the house. I love cleaning when I don't have four little characters working against me!

Afterwards the kids oohed and ahhed at Camen's loot.
Thank you kids! That little Twix was just what I wanted!

Tree

Once upon a time we planted a tree.

It was a tall 'Autumn Blaze'


The tree grew,





and grew,




and grew.





Then one autumn it was ablaze.

Now and Then Tag

With some reluctance I accept the challenge of a tag. I’m kind of an all-or-nothing-person. I think if I take one tag then I will be morally obligated to participate in all tags for the rest of my blogging career. I can’t commit to that, especially in a timely manner. I really liked this one and so after two months of slowly putting this together, here it is... (Thanks for waiting for me Brenda!)

20 Years Ago...

In 1988, I was 11-years-old and living in the beautiful mountain paradise known as “The Air Force Academy.” Our home sat on the edge of base housing in Douglas Valley and in our back yard we had acres and acres of pines trees and trails. It was an ideal childhood, roaming through the trees with friends and siblings making forts and playing night games in our blissful cul-de-sac. The forest extended for what seemed like miles in three directions. Even after five years of roaming those trees I am certain that I left behind unexplored places.

I was blessed with good friends that were kind enough to put up with me. We had just finished elementary school, and in August I was anxiously waiting for my sixth grade team assignment. (The middle school divided each grade into three teams, that basically determined who you would be taking all your classes with.) I was hoping that I would have at least a friend to brave the big middle school with me. When my letter finally came in the mail I was thrilled to learn that Kim Ward and Sandy Wilson were also on the “Blue Team” and so sad that Lynn Wetzler wasn’t.

15 Years Ago...

In 1993 I was a high school junior in Texas. That fall an average day went like this;

1. Early morning seminary (6:00 am)
2. Cross country practice (7:00 am)
3. Theater Arts (That's what the schedule in my scrapbook says but I have no memories of this class. Is it possible that I slept through every single class?)
4. Physics
5. Pre-Calculus
6. Study Hall
7. Lunch
8. AP English
9. Government/Economics
10. Athletics (weight training/endurance)


Photo: A portion of the girls cross-country team.


I was the President of the Interact Club (the high school branch of Rotary International) and Laurels President in our ward, which meant by default I was on the Stake Youth Committee that helped plan firesides, stake dances and youth conference. Like most teenagers I was busy, but it was never too overwhelming and there was always time for friends, dating and goofing off. Even our late night cram sessions for Mrs. Caddie's tests were fun--well, kind of.



It was a toss-up between me and Cable Rose as to who had the best car at our school. It's hard to compete with a sky blue Ford Fairmont, but this 1980 Ford Fiesta was one unforgettable little machine. (I thought I could find a picture of my competitor online, but it seems that nobody wants to show off their Fairmonts, at least in sky blue!) There were other great vehicles in the school parking lot, including three convertible '65 Mustangs, but who could want for more with this beauty?


Fifteen years ago was a happy carefree time with great friends, a good school, just the right amount of challenge and a wonderful balance of growing intellectually, physically and spiritually.

10 Years Ago...

Ten years ago I was a missionary in the Philippines. I had just transferred from the island of Negros to Cebu City where Sara Clemons was my companion. She was an angel to me and to the people we served. Sister Clemons worked hard and loved deeply. I can’t help but cry when I think about her. On one occasion we were had just gotten off a jeepney (Filipino public transit) and we saw a woman Sister Clemons knew from her previous area. They ran to each other, embraced and tears literally flowed down both of their faces.

I was quite surprised by the level of emotion they displayed, but in the months that followed I learned how two people who had only known each other for such a short time could feel such love for each other. Sister Clemons has a big and welcoming heart and this Filipina, like many others, was innately warm and willing to bond on a level that our culture rarely sees between fast friends.




Together we served in a community known as Lahug. It included part of a hillside that housed many squatters and a comparatively affluent area in the valley. The stench of the squatters is something not easily forgotten. I had seen some poverty previously, but not until the summer of 1998 did I get my first full helping of it.

What did I learn from my experience? I learned that money does not equal happiness. Simple enough. Middle class Americans generally accept this with the comparison to their wealthier counterparts, but do we know that you can be completely destitute and still have a genuine smile on your face?

This is a picture of young girl (maybe eight or nine years old) preparing food in the "kitchen" while simultaneously caring for her sister.


We worked closely with Nilor Mojado, Randy Mayol, Philmore Oteda, Arnel Bardoquillo the Rodriguez family, and the Tolado family. I miss them. We also spent time serving in a community immunization clinic. Our primary responsibility was to keep track of the documentation. All of the papers were "filed" in overflowing, ripping folders which were then stacked on top of each other on wicker shelves, any available desk space, and in an assortment of boxes. Somehow their strange system worked. At the time I couldn't help but think there were better ways to do this.

In October Sister Clemons was transferred and I began training a brand new missionary. Sister Roque was from Olongopo, a city on the main island of Luzon. Thankfully her English was great since she didn't know the mission language of Cebuano and I couldn't speak in her native Ilocano or the national language Tagolog.

I was the "trainer" but I learned more from her than she ever learned from me. Sister Roque was always kind and thoughtful and it was very easy for her to understand people and feelings. She had tremendous faith and great work ethic. Her laughter still ripples in my memory. She sang like an angel and her countenance was consistently peaceful and soft.

Here's a picture of the semi-annual Sister's Conference.
Here's a picture of me and three of my companions. (L-R Clemons, Shearer, Roque, Badidoy)

5 Years Ago

2003 - We were living in our first home in Provo, going on 16 months. Camen was 2 1/2 and Naomi almost 8 months old. Camen was pretty cute and Naomi was just coming out of the irritable mood she had that lasted almost 8 months. In October of 2003 we took a trip to Disneyland. We spent some time with my parents in Mesa, Arizona and then we caravanned to Anaheim, California.

On the way there we stopped in Eagle Mountain, California. At its prime Eagle Mountain was a busy mining community. My grandfather took his first job there as a new immigrant from Zimbabwe. That very small mining community was where my dad gave up his British accent and learned to play American football.


The mine shut down long ago and it has since turned into a ghost town. It’s was kind of eerie to drive through the quiet neighborhood streets. Windows and doors were boarded up, the lawns were all dead and the only sign of life was the high school that is still in use by residents from the nearest community. My dad wanted to take a look around, so we all got out of the car and approached the tall chain link fence and the courtyard of the school. Camen was a bit bewildered. With obvious disappointment he asked, “Is THIS Disneyland?”

3 Years Ago

2005 - We were still living in Provo. Life’s pace picked up as we now had three kids, ages 4, 2 and our newest addition, Savannah, was almost 8 months old. They looked like this....


2005 was a good year that turned terrible yet somehow ended on a positive note. Savannah was born in February. She was the sweetest most perfect baby, our brother-in-law died in April, Roxanne lived with us for a few months following his death, my brother James married a wonderful girl named Jennifer, and my dad retired and moved to Utah.

1 Year Ago

Last October Russ's parents took their married children on an amazing vacation to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. We visited many Latter-day Saint history sites, including the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, the Peter Whitmer Farm and Kirtland, Ohio. We also crossed the border into Canada to tour Niagara Falls. I was almost 37 weeks pregnant and feeling quite big. I wasn't at all concerned about going into labor, all three of my pregnancies went a full 40 weeks and I knew I would be fine.


It's hard to quickly summarize such a meaningful and enjoyable trip. Does it suffice it to say that I LOVED IT! We had a fabulous time and it was the perfect getaway before having our 4th baby.

2008

Yesterday, October 17:

The kids were home from school because of UEA weekend. Without the rush of our normal routine I considered either mowing the lawn or cutting the girls hair. It was kind of a slow morning and I had this nagging feeling that I should check the calendar, but I put it off thinking the I had the day's activities all lined up in my head. I put Mason down 30 minutes later than usual (10:00 a.m.) and finally checked the calendar. I had forgotten that I made plans to meet Charis at 10:30! I intended to pack a picnic lunch and showering is always a good idea before leaving the house, but I just had enough time to get everyone in the car, grab a bottle for Mason and Capri Suns for the kids. I then noticed the vibrant leaves on our maple so I ran outside and snapped a few pictures with my parent's camera that I've temporarily taken over. I'm so distractible sometimes! In my haste I also forgot to bring the box of granola bars I had in my hand before I saw the leaves.

We met Charis and her kids, Siena, Christian and Joseph at a park midway between our houses. It really was a beautiful morning. The kids played on the swings and ate all the good snacks Charis thankfully remembered to bring.

Around noon we left to buy a birthday present for Savannah's friend, then stopped at the grocery store for salad makings, but again I was distracted. A case lot sale! We recently took an inventory of our food storage and I had a good mental list of the items we needed.

Poor Camen, if it wasn't for all the great sales, I could have gotten in and out faster and he might have made it to his friend's Halloween party on time. On the way home the kids ate bagels and at 1:15 we ran in the door and Camen put on his new costume. I insisted on taking a picture, I knew that in sending him to hang with a group of rowdy 7-year-old boys hyped up on sugar it was very probable that the cheaply constructed costume might never look the same way again.

After eating a little more Savannah and Mason went down for naps while I worked on laundry, hoping to have my black shirt clean. I wrapped the birthday present and then woke Savannah from her nap. Her friend's birthday party started at 3:00, the same time Camen was finished with his party. Savannah was very excited but a little hesitant at the door. I'm very grateful it didn't take her too long to adjust since I still need to run home and take that long overdue shower. By 4:20 I was clean, had made a salad and very sad that my black shirt wasn't yet dry. We all got in the car and picked Savannah up on our way out of the neighborhood.

An old friend of mine from Colorado, Holli invited us over for dinner with her family. We lost touch with each until last year when Naomi and her son Jaxon were in the same preschool class. Naomi and Jaxon hit it off well, and Naomi gets a silly grin on her face whenever she hears his name and I think the feeling is reciprocated. Russ met us there after work where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and the kids had a great time playing together.

We couldn't stay too long as I made a commitment to listen to my friend from high school speak on campus. It was a very enlightening evening and I'm going to dedicate an entire post to her message because I loved it.

After Jenny's presentation, her little sister Audrey and her friend Michelle invited us to go out with them for something to eat. There's a new restaurant lounge in town called Spark. Wow! You will not find another place like this on the planet. It has a bar that only serves non-alcoholic drinks, a fine menu with cool dishes like "Dueling Edamame" and desserts like "Pink Grapefruit Sorbet with Lavender Froth." It's very hip and the prices fit Provo.


Did I mention Jenny is dating Christian Bale? I had to get a picture of them together.

Today October 18th:

If you don't want to read anymore, my feelings won't be hurt, this is just a long post.

1. Put together shelf for more food storage
2. Take care of kids while Russ trims lawn
3. Mow lawn while Russ takes care of kids
4. Laundry and Lunch
5. We were in West Jordan by 3:00 pm to spend time with family.
6. Family watches Mason, Savannah and Naomi while Camen, Russ and I go to major league soccer game. Bryan (Russ's friend from way back) treated us to a REAL Salt Lake game. It was held in their new stadium and Real beat FC Dallas 3-1!



Have I mentioned to my single friends that Bryan is a super nice and single?

7. Russ drives us home. He did homework on the way there and I blogged on the way back.
8. Eat divine chocolate cake (Thanks Holli, it was sooo good!)
9. More laundry
9. Sleep


I started this post back in August. It took a number of writing sessions and I was easily distracted once I got into all my old photos. However, this was really fun to put together! I won't tag anyone but instead will encourage everyone to take a trip down memory lane and record it on a blog.