Movies

I must admit that in the past 2 weeks I have been to 2 movies without husband or children. And it was heaven! There is nothing like a good chick flick to re-energize you. My friend and I laughed and cried through "P.S. I Love You". We went to the 9:30pm showing on a Wednesday and there were only 2 other ladies in the theater. Perfect for the one who laughs obnoxiously in movies (that would be me). Then a week later a group of ladies in the neighborhood headed off to see "27 Dresses". Very cute, funny and predictable. But that is what I love! I know I am going to leave the movie with a good feeling. Do I recommend these movies? Yes. Do you have to see them in the theater? Nah, but why not? It is so, so, so good for the soul to get some "me" time in. And laugh out loud ladies! Although I am not sure my neighbor sitting by me will ever go with me again. At one point she said "You have been laughing the whole time." Yeah, I can't help it.

SNOW

You would think I would have something new to blog about. But no. I think I have shoveled about 5 times this week. And what do we encounter as we head off to church this morning? At least 6 inches of snow and it was still coming down! So, after church my hubby had to help with fast offerings and had a meeting (or so he says) so I was out shoveling the driveway with the girls playing nearby. Our neighbor down the road came along with his four wheeler equipped with snow plow, took pity on me and kindly finished the driveway as my other neighbors completed the sidewalk in front. I was so grateful for all of their kindness!

I forgot to take pictures earlier. Piles of snow surrounding our mail box.

The front of the house.

By the time the hubby arrived, the girls and I were in the backyard building a fort around the trampoline. So I passed the buck and headed off to choir practice. When I got home this is what I found!

That's a lot of snow.

Hard at work.

Finished!

Who needs a swing set when you have a snow slide!

Wheee!

The girls.

One packing on top, one packing underneath.

Warning: if shovel is removed, loud noise erupts from toddler.

Snow Fun....As long as no one gets HURT

Ok, so "we" have been enjoying the winter wonderland here in Utah these past couple of months. I say we because I will only go out if it is sunny and not snowing and there is no one else available. Or if we are badly in need of shoveling. I actually don't mind that because a) I get warmed up right away and b) I get some exercise. I know I grew up in it, but not by choice; by birth. The cold and I don't get along. The kids beg almost every day to be able to get all suited up in their gear to go outside and build a snowman, fort (which they did with their dad, but I didn't get any pics), help shovel, walk in it, make snow angels, etc. They love, LOVE it! I probably did too at that age and then I realized that parts of my body can freeze so,so bad that I think they are going to fall off! Frankly, I am surprised it never happened. The guy from Cali can't believe the snow hasn't melted off the street in front of our house for weeks. Welcome to my childhood.


The kids dressed up for snow play. Notice the boots the boy of the family is wearing. I just couldn't buy new ones when he could have potentially only worn them once or twice this winter. Who knew we would have a white, white, white winter! And he wants to be out there every day. Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, To-To, are we in Wisconsin again?

A snowdrift in the backyard. It was well past his knees!


One of the many snowmen built by the girls. They were very proud of it although the younger one got tired of building it half way through, so she just jumped back outside for the picture,minus her coat!


Here is our snow story for the year and hopefully we won't have another like it. Doubtful, but a mom can hope.

My family had a family reunion 2 days after Christmas. Everyone gathered in Utah for festive, winter fun! We kicked off the 3 day event with sledding in Riverton. My hubby was at work that first day, so I packed the kids up and headed off to an afternoon of sledding. The hill was on a golf course and was huge! And someone had built up a bunch of snow for a jump (not us, it was there when we got there). All of the younger kids were good at avoiding it. One of the crazy brothers-in-law decided to try out the jump on a sled.... on his belly. He comes walking up with blood dripping from his nose and a cut between his eyes. Broken nose! His wife firmly tells him he better take care of it because she isn't taking him to the emergency room. Funny!

By that time the two youngest had had it. So, I tote them off to the "kids who have had enough" car and head back to take pictures. That is when I see my nurse sister carrying my oldest over from the hill. "She isn't moving," I say. "She did," she says. A little sigh of relief. We check her out in the car. She can move everything but is complaining of head, neck and shoulder pain. I am freaking out. We head to the emergency room just to make sure there is no internal bleeding. Husband meets us there. All checks out. She has a massive concussion, and ends up sleeping and throwing up multiple times within the next 24 hours. So, what happened?

She was going down the hill on a saucer as seen in the picture. She starts down and ends up backwards, totally oblivious to the jump coming up. She goes straight over it and is thrown into the air and lands on her left shoulder and side of her head. She is unconscious upon impact, rolling like a rag doll. I am actually glad I didn't see it. That is what nightmares are made of. Not funny. Very scary. I am so grateful to all of my family who was immediately there to help her. My brother saw the whole thing and was just sick that he wasn't close enough to stop her. And those who took my babies while I was at the hospital. And for my brothers-in-law who picked up my husband from work and also helped give Emma a Priesthood blessing at the hospital.

So, my moral of the story is make your kids wear helmets. And give them specific instructions as to what to do if they are going backwards, or too fast, or heading for a tree, etc. Just the next week a four year old boy died sledding in Provo. Needless to say we are sticking to the yard for the rest of the year!


My Arizona sister and myself ready to go down "the hill."


Sledding down "the hill."


The victim coming up "the hill" before the accident.





The next day of the family reunion was skiing and ice skating. We took the day off to take care of our injured child. At the end of the day we had kids complaining of blisters from skating and to top it off another brother-in-law decided to try out snowboarding for the first, and I am sure last, time. He ended up twisting his knee completely backwards and was in a lot of pain.

So, I must ask, snow fun or NOT SNOW FUN????

Our Family

We almost got out a Christmas card this year. Well, at least I thought about it for a minute one day. Anyway, here is a family picture in front of our house.

How Fast They Grow! Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

My energetic and quite outgoing middle child turned 4 today! And now all I have to say is "You can do (such and such) because you are 4 now" and it is done. Who knew that 4 was such a magic age. Not me because this is only my second child to turn 4. But, I guess it works. We will see how tomorrow goes.



Mady wanted a swimming party like her big sister always gets. So, we took a few friends over to the rec center and had a jolly time playing in the pool. It quickly turned into a princess party as soon as we got home and opened presents. Almost everything was princess, Ariel being the one true favorite. This was the request and we are sure she will grow out of it soon, so why not indulge her now!


Here is the story of bringing this wonderful child into the world. Here goes!

Once upon a time there was a man who decided to go to Law School because he didn't want to take any test involving math, thus leaving the LSAT as the answer. His wife was pregnant with child #2 when the whole thing began. The due date was January 1st and the couple knew this was divine, for in Law School the only grade you get is for the final test and if you screw that up, well, you get the idea. Thus December was going to be intense and stressful. The husband reminded his wife several times that she couldn't have the baby before his last final on the 16th(like she has any control over this process).

Well, the morning of the sixteenth the husband got himself up, dressed and walked to school for his 3 hour final at 8:30am. As this was happening the wife was quietly laying in bed feeling contractions that were not going away. But, she was not going to be the downfall of this great Law School plan so she kept quiet until the man was gone!

She spent the morning packing the bag, taking care of the 2 year old, pausing for contractions, and patiently waiting for her husband to call to tell her his exciting news of being done with his final. And THEN she could tell him her exciting news. The hours dragged on and there was no phone call. So, she took the matter into her own hands and picked up the phone to call him at 12PM. And low and behold, NO DIAL TONE! She tried the different connections, but to no avail! Of course she found out later there was one she didn't check, but she wasn't exactly in her right mind at the time.

They had only lived in their apartment a short time and didn't know the neighbors well. So as not to cause alarm to the neighbor she waited until a contraction ended, and waddled to the neighbors to use the phone.

This is how the conversation went:
"Hello."
"HI."
"I thought you were done at 11:30am."
"I was. I tried calling you but the phone just kept ringing."
"I know. There is no dial tone."
"OH. Whose phone are you using?"
"The neighbors. I need you to come home."
"Is there a reason? I have some things to finish up for a professor but I will come home as soon as I am done."
"NO, I need you to come home now. I am in labor."
"You are kidding. You are not. (laughs)"
"Yes I am so come home now."
"Can you come pick me up?"
"NO, I AM IN LABOR!"

The man proceeds to pack up his things and start the 20 minute WALK home! Realizing his mistake, he walks back into the Law Building and asks a classmate for a ride home. Upon arrival he realizes that his wife was telling the truth. They time a few contractions which the wife refused to do before his arrival because she couldn't face having a baby on her own in the apartment.

They head off to drop the oldest child at a family members house, labor becoming more intense and contractions being about 1 minute apart. Upon arival at the hospital the nurse asks the laboring woman if she is in labor. There was only the answer of her doubled over and doing perfect lamaze breathing, as husband is off parking the car. "Maybe we should check her to see how far along she is?" Ya think??

"She is at a nine. Call the doctor immediately!" (Nurses running everywhere, that is how I like to see them move!) Husband enters and the nurses try asking more questions. Of course husband doesn't know the answers and the wife is previously engaged, which somehow slipped the mind of the question asking nurse. "We will fill out this paperwork later." Thanks, a little busy here.

Well, needless to say our little bundle o' joy arrived within an hour of arriving at the hospital 2 1/2 weeks early weighing in at 6lb 13oz.

She is such a joy to have in our home. She LOVES Ariel! She and her cousin play Eric and Ariel every week. She loves her little brother. They chase each other all over the house and laugh and laugh! She also loves playing anything with her big sister whether it be dolls or games or jumping on the trampoline. She is a cleaner and is always wanting to help with the dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning baseboards, wiping down mirrors, etc. Just call her Cinderella! She loves to snuggle with her mom. This morning I was in bed and I felt someone holding my hand. I opened my eyes and there was my birthday girl laying beside me watching me sleep and holding my hand! Too sweet!

Halloween

This is for my friend Brenda who still checks my blog even though I only post once every other month! It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, I am just lazy and a little scared that this could take over my life like ebay did!

Here are my cute kids all dressed up for the holiday that was a few weeks..or maybe month ...or maybe more.. ago. Sorry!

Yesterday

I think yesterday will forever be burned into my psyche as the day I realized my own mortality, and this by the news of a good friend. She has been diagnosed with melanoma cancer. She is a beautiful 28 year old wife, the most amazing mother of 3 young boys, a photographer, a nurse, a friend and an inspiration not only to me but to many others. You are in my prayers.

I have always planned that I would have a "lifetime" to become who I wanted to be, but one never knows when that lifetime will end. Lifetime doesn't mean old and gray, lifetime means until your life ends, whether it be tomorrow or 20 years from now or old and gray. Why is it something like this that pleads within me to be better, to be more? Why can't I do this of my own accord and will, a year ago, last week? Why? Can I become who I want to be? Today I want to see the world in the natural light provided, not shaded and stained by my insecurities and doubts, by my lack of insight and selfishness.

Yesterday has come and gone. I can. I can do just one thing to lighten the load on this family who has had a bombshell dropped in their midst. I will.