Today I almost skipped Stake Conference. Ken had to work at 10 and I didn't want to to take the kids and sit through a 2 hour meeting by myself. If I'm being honest, I didn't want to sit through a 2 hour meeting period. But, I am so glad I went! The spirit was really strong there but the best part was after it was over. I was able to reunite with an old friend from our ward in Utah. We live in the same Stake and figured it out when they came to visit for niece's baby blessing.
We were in a ward in Utah highly populated with newlyweds-as unofficial student ward. There were 8 of us pregnant at the same time and Stephanie and I sat next to each other in RS and compared our pregnancies. All 8 of us sat in row against the wall-'pregnancy row'-8 babies born within 2 1/2 months of each other. Carson was born 3 weeks before Robert. She and I used to scrapbook together once a week. I clipped her baby's fingernails when she was too scared. I watched him while she went running and she watched Nicole and Matthew after I had to get a job,
I'm so excited that we were able to reconnect and I look forward to getting together with their family. Yay for friends and for it being such a small world, especially in the church.
Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Regifting
Once upon a time my brother, Ryan gave me a really cheap gift for Christmas.
In 1997, the first Christmas Ken and I were married , all the married kids decided to draw names. At the time 4 of us were married. Ken and I got Heather and Farrell's name. Ryan and Rhonda got us. I don't remember the rest of the mix up. Ryan and Rhonda lived in Georgia and while Ryan attended college he worked for Rent a Center. Ken worked for Rent a Center also-in Bremerton. (pre college and getting a life/real job)
Ryan and Rhonda gave us really neat things. A blanket from Mexico, a lot of scrapbooking paper, herbs and spices and ...Love Dust. What?! You've never heard of Love Dust? That's because you could never buy it. I imagine you've never #1 worked for Rent a Center. #2 rented from Rent a Center. If you don't fit either of those descriptions, you would never have come into contact with it.
Ken knew what it was because he worked there. He also knew it was free. and gross. Imagine the flavored sugar, like in pixie sticks, packaged in fake pink plastic heart shaped 'perfume bottles' voila! Love Dust. bleh
Ryan gave us a whole case of that junk.
Fact: I am not a pleasant pregnant person.
Fact: My mom thought it was a lame gift too. (the Love Dust part)
Combine these two facts and you get 2 annoyed women who decide the 'gift' should be saved and returned at a later unexpected date. ie: 2 Christmases later.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve, 2 years later. That morning we had learned that our Aunt Brenda has passed away. Although we didn't see her much, she was one of our aunts on my Dad's side that we did know. We were sad. We went to church that day and that evening we got together as a family for annual gift exchange/party. (Pre-Ensign Ranch) While we were having a good time, there was an underlying feeling of sadness. I remember everyone opening their presents and we were all grateful and appreciative. Then it was Ryan's turn to open his. A lot of the family knew what he was getting. He was completely unsuspecting. He opened it, turned it around to read what it was, looked a little confused and then laughed right out loud. (pre-LOL) A tradition was born that glorious evening.
We no longer give it as a gift, it has to show up as a total surprise. The more embarrassing, somehow the better.
I've received it at lunch in the elementary school I've worked at, in a box while unpacking a move, he broke into my car once and in the mail instead of the thing I was expecting (my scriptures). It's showed up on his office desk, at a ward function, shoved in his luggage while unpacking his car, and the missionaries gave it to him once.
The love dust has resided in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Georgia, New Mexico and Kansas.
Ryan has it right now. It was presented to him at a ward party as gift from one of his Priests. He's the Bishop of his ward and the youth took the opportunity to roast him a couple weeks ago. The evening ended with Ryan receiving a gift...of LOVE DUST. MUAHHAAHAH!! (This was my top secret project, mentioned here-bullet #5.)
When mom died, we gave her one of the little packages of love dust since she was partially responsible for the game.
In 1997, the first Christmas Ken and I were married , all the married kids decided to draw names. At the time 4 of us were married. Ken and I got Heather and Farrell's name. Ryan and Rhonda got us. I don't remember the rest of the mix up. Ryan and Rhonda lived in Georgia and while Ryan attended college he worked for Rent a Center. Ken worked for Rent a Center also-in Bremerton. (pre college and getting a life/real job)
Ryan and Rhonda gave us really neat things. A blanket from Mexico, a lot of scrapbooking paper, herbs and spices and ...Love Dust. What?! You've never heard of Love Dust? That's because you could never buy it. I imagine you've never #1 worked for Rent a Center. #2 rented from Rent a Center. If you don't fit either of those descriptions, you would never have come into contact with it.
Ken knew what it was because he worked there. He also knew it was free. and gross. Imagine the flavored sugar, like in pixie sticks, packaged in fake pink plastic heart shaped 'perfume bottles' voila! Love Dust. bleh
Ryan gave us a whole case of that junk.
Fact: I am not a pleasant pregnant person.
Fact: My mom thought it was a lame gift too. (the Love Dust part)
Combine these two facts and you get 2 annoyed women who decide the 'gift' should be saved and returned at a later unexpected date. ie: 2 Christmases later.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve, 2 years later. That morning we had learned that our Aunt Brenda has passed away. Although we didn't see her much, she was one of our aunts on my Dad's side that we did know. We were sad. We went to church that day and that evening we got together as a family for annual gift exchange/party. (Pre-Ensign Ranch) While we were having a good time, there was an underlying feeling of sadness. I remember everyone opening their presents and we were all grateful and appreciative. Then it was Ryan's turn to open his. A lot of the family knew what he was getting. He was completely unsuspecting. He opened it, turned it around to read what it was, looked a little confused and then laughed right out loud. (pre-LOL) A tradition was born that glorious evening.
We no longer give it as a gift, it has to show up as a total surprise. The more embarrassing, somehow the better.
I've received it at lunch in the elementary school I've worked at, in a box while unpacking a move, he broke into my car once and in the mail instead of the thing I was expecting (my scriptures). It's showed up on his office desk, at a ward function, shoved in his luggage while unpacking his car, and the missionaries gave it to him once.
The love dust has resided in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Georgia, New Mexico and Kansas.
Ryan has it right now. It was presented to him at a ward party as gift from one of his Priests. He's the Bishop of his ward and the youth took the opportunity to roast him a couple weeks ago. The evening ended with Ryan receiving a gift...of LOVE DUST. MUAHHAAHAH!! (This was my top secret project, mentioned here-bullet #5.)
When mom died, we gave her one of the little packages of love dust since she was partially responsible for the game.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Memory Monday...er Wednesday
2nd grade. The year of
- skipping school - Ryan decided to skip school on day but came home before I left. Enter nosy little sister. I told him I wanted to stay home too. He said I couldn't because I wasn't sick. But I was in fact uncomfortable. I had felt like I needed to sneeze. All morning. He finally gave in and let me stay home with him. We had a really fun time except that he makes a crummy lunch and we had to hide in the coat closet for an hour in case mom and dad came home for lunch.
- wearing make up - I was home alone for 20 minutes each morning after everyone left for the day and before I left. One day I decided to try out my mom's makeup. I did so by applying blush to my whole face. I was pretty. My teacher called me out to the hallway to ask why I was wearing makeup and I told her I wasn't. She went and got a tissue and wiped it across my face and showed me the makeup. I still denied it. While I was waiting for her to go get the kleenex I wanted to run out of the room and straight home but I knew I'd get in bigger trouble for doing that. I can't believe she never called my parents.
- moving for the first time
- moving for the second time
- getting baptized
- picking all my own clothes (after mom went to work) - I had twenty minutes after everyone left to ditch the clothes my mom picked for me and put on something cool. I looked terrible everyday, I'm sure of it now. That's probably why my teacher never called home. They probably thought mom and dad were drunks or something. (sorry mom and dad)
- 'Strip' throat
- jumping on the bed
- Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows - Heather and I listened to this song on a record all. day. long. We loved it. A lot. I still do.
- Gina was born
- G.I. Joe in the morning, She-ra in the afternoon
- Garen burned his bum on the wooden stove (big blisters and lots of aloe vera leaves)
- Mrs. Bobo was my teacher after we moved. Worst. Teacher. Ever. Even in 2nd grade I knew she was a witch. Don't let the freaky clown name fool you. I remember her telling our class that she and her husband had made the conscious decision not to have children because they didn't want them. Even in 2nd grade, at 8 years old I knew there was something wrong with that. Because I lost my filter early in life, I raised my hand and asked her, and I quote, 'Why the heck are you teaching school if you don't want kids?' My name was written on the board and I missed recess. boo.
Good times.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
An 8 year gap
I am number four of eight children. There is a nineteen year five month gap between number one and number eight. I have three sisters. One is eight years older than me, one is eight years younger than and one is five years older. [I have spelled out a lot of numbers!] Garen, number five also has about an eight years difference between oldest and youngest brother but I don't have his perspective so I don't know how the age gap affected him.
This is how it has affected [or influenced] me.
Wendi is the best big sister you could ask for. Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when he sent her first. She is patient, kind and understanding.
My very first 'road trip' [from Meridian, Idaho to Ontario, Oregon] without parents was with Wendi. She was fourteen, I was six. It was one of the best days of my life. We were gone until it was dark outside.
As a child she taught me my Articles of Faith, made sure I read my scriptures each night (at the expense of the binding on her scriptures,) took me places and simply cared. We had many talks in the evenings that brought comfort and made memories. She also fixed my hair before school clear through 2nd grade.
When I was in Kindergarten I shared a room with Heather and Wendi had her own room. I LOVED being in there. She kept it under lock and key but she gave me a key. I would go in her room when she wasn't home and sit on her bed and look around. It was exactly the kind of bedroom I wanted to have when I was bigger.
When I was in second grade Gina was born. She is 8 years younger. I was given the same opportunity Wendi was to be the best big sister to Gina that Wendi was to me. There was only one problem. [Or three.] I am not patient, kind or understanding.
I secretly took pride in teasing Gina. I made fun of her, teased her friends, caused her bad dreams and pulled her hair when I fixed it.
When we shared a room I made her clean it herself. Sometimes we would 'exercise' in our room - dance around to a couple of songs and then eat beef jerky.
It's not secret, she bugged me big time and I am not good at hiding my true feelings. Good or bad.
Luckily, Gina became a human in the last 5 or so years and we are good friends.
Why am I telling you this?
Nicole and Anna are 8 years apart.
History is repeating itself...again.
Here are the facts from the last 39 days.
Nicole plays dolls with Anna, helps her pick her clothes out and sometimes fixes her hair. They don't share blankets on the bed. Sometimes she reads to her.
Anna gets in Nicole's things things, copies everything she says and has found many of Nicole's 'buttons' - and pushes them.
This morning I was woken up by them arguing with each other...again. They don't share blankets because Nicole is a blanket hog and Anna sleeps sideways. Apparently Anna had kicked all her blankets to the foot of the bed and was trying to get Nicole's. This caused them both to start crying and feel frustrated. Ken went in [because he was already awake] and told one of them to come get in bed with me. I had to disclose the fact that I was awake when I told them neither of them could get it in my bed. They had to work it out or get up.
They didn't work it out so I told them to get up and get their room picked up. Five minutes later Anna was up and bouncing down the hall. [She bounces everywhere.] I called for Nicole to get out of bed and Anna copied what I said, also telling Nicole to get up. I reminded Anna that the kids don't like it when she copies me like this then I went down the hall to get Nicole up. I walked into her room, turned on her light and told her to wake up. Her response,
I totally get that.
So far Nicole appears to be a happy medium between Wendi the older sister and Dedra the older sister. I haven't seen blatant torture occurring but I also never made Wendi cry. Nicole reads to Anna and tells her to leave her alone. [not in the same sitting.] They like to dress alike. Nicole told me a couple weeks ago she wants to move out and without missing a breath Anna asked if she could keep the bed.
I've been a mom of two for eleven years. The banter that comes with it is not new to me. Throwing Anna into the mix has changed the dynamic. I like it.
Matthew is asking when we are getting another boy.
We're not. :)
This is how it has affected [or influenced] me.
Wendi is the best big sister you could ask for. Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when he sent her first. She is patient, kind and understanding.
My very first 'road trip' [from Meridian, Idaho to Ontario, Oregon] without parents was with Wendi. She was fourteen, I was six. It was one of the best days of my life. We were gone until it was dark outside.
As a child she taught me my Articles of Faith, made sure I read my scriptures each night (at the expense of the binding on her scriptures,) took me places and simply cared. We had many talks in the evenings that brought comfort and made memories. She also fixed my hair before school clear through 2nd grade.
When I was in Kindergarten I shared a room with Heather and Wendi had her own room. I LOVED being in there. She kept it under lock and key but she gave me a key. I would go in her room when she wasn't home and sit on her bed and look around. It was exactly the kind of bedroom I wanted to have when I was bigger.
When I was in second grade Gina was born. She is 8 years younger. I was given the same opportunity Wendi was to be the best big sister to Gina that Wendi was to me. There was only one problem. [Or three.] I am not patient, kind or understanding.
I secretly took pride in teasing Gina. I made fun of her, teased her friends, caused her bad dreams and pulled her hair when I fixed it.
When we shared a room I made her clean it herself. Sometimes we would 'exercise' in our room - dance around to a couple of songs and then eat beef jerky.
It's not secret, she bugged me big time and I am not good at hiding my true feelings. Good or bad.
Luckily, Gina became a human in the last 5 or so years and we are good friends.
Why am I telling you this?
Nicole and Anna are 8 years apart.
History is repeating itself...again.
Here are the facts from the last 39 days.
Nicole plays dolls with Anna, helps her pick her clothes out and sometimes fixes her hair. They don't share blankets on the bed. Sometimes she reads to her.
Anna gets in Nicole's things things, copies everything she says and has found many of Nicole's 'buttons' - and pushes them.
This morning I was woken up by them arguing with each other...again. They don't share blankets because Nicole is a blanket hog and Anna sleeps sideways. Apparently Anna had kicked all her blankets to the foot of the bed and was trying to get Nicole's. This caused them both to start crying and feel frustrated. Ken went in [because he was already awake] and told one of them to come get in bed with me. I had to disclose the fact that I was awake when I told them neither of them could get it in my bed. They had to work it out or get up.
They didn't work it out so I told them to get up and get their room picked up. Five minutes later Anna was up and bouncing down the hall. [She bounces everywhere.] I called for Nicole to get out of bed and Anna copied what I said, also telling Nicole to get up. I reminded Anna that the kids don't like it when she copies me like this then I went down the hall to get Nicole up. I walked into her room, turned on her light and told her to wake up. Her response,
'I'm not sleeping. I'm taking deep breaths.'
So far Nicole appears to be a happy medium between Wendi the older sister and Dedra the older sister. I haven't seen blatant torture occurring but I also never made Wendi cry. Nicole reads to Anna and tells her to leave her alone. [not in the same sitting.] They like to dress alike. Nicole told me a couple weeks ago she wants to move out and without missing a breath Anna asked if she could keep the bed.
I've been a mom of two for eleven years. The banter that comes with it is not new to me. Throwing Anna into the mix has changed the dynamic. I like it.
Matthew is asking when we are getting another boy.
We're not. :)
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Stuff and Things
Post 501 is kind of like the day after Christmas. All the fun is over and it's just a something I do. Lame.
- I have received a few emails from a friend of mine and the subject is often Stuff and Things. I love that title. Welcome to my first 'Stuff and Things' post. A tradition I am sure to maintain for sometime.
- I have A LOT of sewing to do today...or tomorrow. Or Between the hours of 10pm and 3 am on Christmas Eve. I'll decide later.
- My bedroom is an overwhelming mess to me. The whole rest of the house looks great. Even the kids' bedrooms are picked up. Mine? sigh Today I will give it 15 minutes of my attention and see what comes of it. If I don't see improvements soon, I'm catching it on fire.
- Do you remember all my OCDs about death? I remembered another one. As much as I don't care about celebrities, their lives, political views or the choices they make, I totally keep up on who dies. I love the tribute videos at the end of the year and whenever I hear about someone famous dying I go in and read everything I can about it. We don't have television in our home and I'm really bad about keeping up with the current events. I just read last night that Elizabeth Edwards passed away - about 2 weeks ago. I'm a little sad about that! She was a really great woman even if she was married to a dirt bag.
- When I was in first grade I had a dentist appointment to get a cavity filled. After it was done my dentist wrote me a prescription. It was for a free milkshake from the ice cream factory. My dad took me there after we left the dentist. It was my first milkshake that didn't come from Ken's Burger Den.
- I finally hung out family pictures on the walls. I actually did it on Friday. I'm thankful I didn't hang the pictures of Nicole and Matthew until after Anna got here and we had a picture of her. Three frames in a row look very nice. We don't have a family photo yet but I hung our current one and put a 4*6 of Anna with it. It will work until we get a new picture taken, hopefully soon.
- We bought new couches in October. They are super cute and I love they fabric. They are also poorly made. We special ordered them from England Furniture, the same way we did 12 years ago when we bought our first set. Their quality has not been maintained. At 2 months old they look like we've had them for 2 years and we are not rough on our furniture. We are sending the couches back.
- I have been informed that I am on the naughty list.
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is one of my favorite books. The first time I heard it I was in 3rd grade and my teacher read it to us. I think it was also read to my class in 5th grade. Since then I have read it a handful of times. I checked it out from the library last night and then read it after the kids were asleep. I love it even more now. I'm going to read it to my kids over the next couple of days and maybe make it a tradition. It is better than any of the Christmas movies I have watched this year.
- Happy 4 more days until Christmas.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Every blog needs a quote from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
What is your favorite memory? Where you surrounded by people you love? How do you feel when it crosses your mind?
Thinking back on my childhood, our family went on a few road trips and vacations. My favorite trip of all time was when we drove from the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State to Provo, Utah. I had never been to Utah and I was really excited. We went to Temple Square, watched Legacy in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and shopped at the BYU Bookstore. I saw more temples on the trip than I’d ever seen in all my life up to that point.
If you were to ask what my favorite part of that 6 day trip, I wouldn’t have to think long to tell you the answer. The memories that bring back to most emotion for me were created while sitting in the back seat of an old green Ford Galaxy 500 with 6 of my siblings. That’s right, 7 children in the backseat. Who needed seatbelts when we had a large back window and that many laps?
While we drove we listened to music on mix tape created by Ryan. Our favorite song was Piano Man by Billy Joel. Dad got tired of that song by the time we hit Twin Falls, Idaho so we quoted movie lines. Garen quoted lines from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for about 300 miles. The quote repeated the most often: You dirty rat. You killed my brother. Every time he said it, sounding like Michaelangelo imitating James Cagney, we all laughed. We were amazed at his skill to sound exactly like the movie. It came to a point where my parents were tired of hearing TMNT quotes and told us to choose something else. We didn’t. Finally Dad said, ‘If you say that quote one more time I’m stopping the car.’ We asked him what quote he was referring to and he repeated You dirty rat. You killed my brother. We all laughed, and then Garen responded, ‘Ok Dad. I won’t say you dirty rat. You killed my brother, again. More laughing commenced and he didn’t stop the car.
Memories are a funny thing. You go on adventures that you are certain will make a lifelong impression and then learn later the best part of the trip was being stuck in the car for 12 hours with those you love the most.
There are many wondering places to visit in this world. If you think about it, I’m sure you could come up with places you have been that mean a great deal to you. Are they important to you because you purchased something while you were there or attended business training? Or are they important because you spent time with someone dear to you?
The great thing about making memories is you don’t have to go very far or spend any money to create something that lasts a lifetime. Make a tent in your living room and invite your friends over. Sleep on your deck. Go to a warehouse store and have a ‘photo shoot’ with someone you are close to.
It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do when you get there. The memory is created by being there with the ones you love. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘Life is a journey, not a destination.’ Learn to enjoy the journey.
Thinking back on my childhood, our family went on a few road trips and vacations. My favorite trip of all time was when we drove from the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State to Provo, Utah. I had never been to Utah and I was really excited. We went to Temple Square, watched Legacy in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and shopped at the BYU Bookstore. I saw more temples on the trip than I’d ever seen in all my life up to that point.
If you were to ask what my favorite part of that 6 day trip, I wouldn’t have to think long to tell you the answer. The memories that bring back to most emotion for me were created while sitting in the back seat of an old green Ford Galaxy 500 with 6 of my siblings. That’s right, 7 children in the backseat. Who needed seatbelts when we had a large back window and that many laps?
While we drove we listened to music on mix tape created by Ryan. Our favorite song was Piano Man by Billy Joel. Dad got tired of that song by the time we hit Twin Falls, Idaho so we quoted movie lines. Garen quoted lines from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for about 300 miles. The quote repeated the most often: You dirty rat. You killed my brother. Every time he said it, sounding like Michaelangelo imitating James Cagney, we all laughed. We were amazed at his skill to sound exactly like the movie. It came to a point where my parents were tired of hearing TMNT quotes and told us to choose something else. We didn’t. Finally Dad said, ‘If you say that quote one more time I’m stopping the car.’ We asked him what quote he was referring to and he repeated You dirty rat. You killed my brother. We all laughed, and then Garen responded, ‘Ok Dad. I won’t say you dirty rat. You killed my brother, again. More laughing commenced and he didn’t stop the car.
Memories are a funny thing. You go on adventures that you are certain will make a lifelong impression and then learn later the best part of the trip was being stuck in the car for 12 hours with those you love the most.
There are many wondering places to visit in this world. If you think about it, I’m sure you could come up with places you have been that mean a great deal to you. Are they important to you because you purchased something while you were there or attended business training? Or are they important because you spent time with someone dear to you?
The great thing about making memories is you don’t have to go very far or spend any money to create something that lasts a lifetime. Make a tent in your living room and invite your friends over. Sleep on your deck. Go to a warehouse store and have a ‘photo shoot’ with someone you are close to.
It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do when you get there. The memory is created by being there with the ones you love. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘Life is a journey, not a destination.’ Learn to enjoy the journey.
Today I am thankful for road trips
and the priceless memories that accompany them.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
To my favorite Newton, who's not just fruit and cake
Once upon a time my little brother, Garen, and I had a paper route. It wasn't your typical 'we're kids so we deliver papers on our bicycles after school' route. No. It was a 'we're in high school and junior high and we don't have enough on our plates, so we'll work a middle of the night auto route that keeps us out of the house from 11pm to 4am 6 days a week' kind of route. It was horrible and awesome all at the same time. We filled many of the Seattle Post Intelligencer (The P.I.) paper machines in Silverdale, WA and then delivered to about 125 houses/apartments in neighborhoods along Silverdale Way and Ridgetop. Here are some of the best parts about having this paper route.- We got paid pretty well.
- We often got to eat a middle of the night meal with our brother, Ryan, who was the night auditor at Silverdale on the Bay Hotel.
- We listened to the radio as loud as we wanted in the car.
- We could talk about anything and everything.
- It was a time in our life when we were working like adults (that have peaked by getting their own paper route) and being carefree like children.
- I don't know of any other time when Garen and I were so close.
Since those days, 15 years ago (!) I have often thought about them with great memories. Some of the BIG memories that stick out to me that will probably mean nothing to you, but would put Garen and I back in our Dad's Buick Somerset Regal (best. car. ever) delivering the P.I. are:
- Hearing 'Sold' by John Michael Montgomery
- Hearing 'What Mattered Most' by Ty Herndon
In '64 she was born in Baton Rouge
Her favorite song is "In My Life"
I memorized her every move
I knew her books, her car, her cloths
But I paid no attention to what mattered most
- Hearing 'Angels Among Us' by Alabama --they had remixed this song to had commentary about the Oklahoma City Bombing that had just happened.
- I worked at Silverdale on the Bay for about eight months, but when I see that hotel, I think of all time we spent in the foyer with Ryan and Dale, watching movies and eating free restaurant food at 2 in the morning.
- When I drive through Old Town Silverdale and pass the bar by the Arco. I can still see that old lady with long dirty blonde hair we met onthe paper route. Our interactions were - hi - here you go - have a good night - be safe out there - but I liked them.
- Malcolm, the old guy that distributed the papers, was really nice to Garen and me because we were kids. He had minty breath. (probably to hide cigarette and alcohol smells)
- There was a crazy gas attendant that worked at the Chevron on Kitsap Way.
- Many nights we would get home about 90 minutes before I had to be to seminary, so we would buy stuff to cook breakfast when we got home. The first time I ever smelled burnt bacon was when Garen cooked it...maybe I was helping. hahaha
I bet you're wondering why I'm telling you all of this.
TODAY GAREN IS 30 YEARS OLD!!
That's right people, he's an old man. In honor of his 30th birthday, I have found 2 photos for your viewing pleasure.
Happy birthday Newton!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Bathrooms and Pigs and Sugar Cookies...
When I was a little girl visiting my Grandma Price's house I loved using the upstairs bathroom that was down the hall towards her bedroom. It was pink. BEAUTIFUL pink and the soap had a lovely flower smell. There was a doll with a crocheted skirt that hid toilet paper. Seriously, it was the perfect bathroom for a little girl. The only problem with it was the light was not by the door, but over by the toilet instead. I always thought that was a little weird but it didn't bother me too much because I could see the light switch when I walked into the room. One time when I was about 5 years old, I finished with my business and then turned the light off before I walked over to open the door. It was instantly black. No more lovely pink. I didn't know where the door was. I really scared but I didn't want to call for help and be teased. I remember standing in the middle of the room panicking before walking slowly to a wall, placing my hand on the wall and then walking slowly for what seemed like an eternity, until I found the door. It was easily opened and I was free. Phew! That was a close one. I learned a lesson that day. I NEVER again turned the light off before opening the door in the pink bathroom.
Today when I left my children's restroom I turned the light off (which is right next to the door) before opening the door. When the room went black, I was suddenly 5 years old at my grandma's remembering that experience. the only difference was I wasn't lost inside the bathroom. I just opened the door. I just thought I'd share.
Another funny thing that happened today:
My friend came over and we were talking about what we were making for dinner. I told her I was making sloppy joes. She said she was making spaghetti. I told her I don't like spaghetti. (Sorry Kate.) She said she doesn't mind spaghetti but she doesn't like hamburger. I told her my sister, Wendi, doesn't like beef at all. Matthew interrupted:
M: Wendi doesn't like beef?!
Me: nope.
M: How come she has a pig?
Me: Pigs are pork.
M: Oh yeah.
So my friend Kate (who happens to love spaghetti) stole and idea from her friends' blog and I'm stealing it from her. For the month of November, she is sharing one thing each day that she is thankful for. I'm going to do that too.
Yesterday: Believe it or not, yesterday I was thankful for Walmart. It pains me to even type that because I HATE Walmart. But yesterday, they were my dream come true. I bought 3 weeks of groceries for less than $200. there. HOORAY! I also took Ken's watch in to get the battery replaced and they broke it. they couldn't get it put back together, even with THREE associates working on it. They told me they were so sorry and gave him a brand new watch, a nice one like the one they broke, not a crummy one. Thanks Walmart! I'm thankful for you...for the moment.
Today: I'm thankful for good neighbors. Four of the neighbor girls came over and decorated sugar cookies with us today. They are a lot of them, getting them out of my home. It was great to visit with their mom too. I like her. See pictures below for our cookie decorating awesomeness.
Here is my awesome sugar cookie recipe:
1 1/2 C butter softened, not melted
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (I used almond)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
*mix all of the above until well blended (I let them mix in my kitchenaid for about 4 minutes)
5 C flour
*slowly add flour until well blended
*chill for 2-3 hours
*roll out until 1/4-1/2 inch thick
*bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes (I did them for 6)
Frosting
1/3 C butter softened, not melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract (I used almond)
1/4 C milk
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
*cream butter
*add flavoring and milk
*slowly add powdered sugar
*add more milk if needed, to make it spreadable (I usually end up using about 1/3 C)
*add desired food coloring and enjoy decorating your cookies!
Meet Perri. She is SO SWEET! Except when she eats too much sugar. Some people get hyper. She becomes angry. Before that happened, she went home and then off to Activity Days. I felt kind of like a grandma this afternoon. Sugared her up and then sent her home to detox. :)
Today when I left my children's restroom I turned the light off (which is right next to the door) before opening the door. When the room went black, I was suddenly 5 years old at my grandma's remembering that experience. the only difference was I wasn't lost inside the bathroom. I just opened the door. I just thought I'd share.
Another funny thing that happened today:
My friend came over and we were talking about what we were making for dinner. I told her I was making sloppy joes. She said she was making spaghetti. I told her I don't like spaghetti. (Sorry Kate.) She said she doesn't mind spaghetti but she doesn't like hamburger. I told her my sister, Wendi, doesn't like beef at all. Matthew interrupted:
M: Wendi doesn't like beef?!
Me: nope.
M: How come she has a pig?
Me: Pigs are pork.
M: Oh yeah.
So my friend Kate (who happens to love spaghetti) stole and idea from her friends' blog and I'm stealing it from her. For the month of November, she is sharing one thing each day that she is thankful for. I'm going to do that too.
Yesterday: Believe it or not, yesterday I was thankful for Walmart. It pains me to even type that because I HATE Walmart. But yesterday, they were my dream come true. I bought 3 weeks of groceries for less than $200. there. HOORAY! I also took Ken's watch in to get the battery replaced and they broke it. they couldn't get it put back together, even with THREE associates working on it. They told me they were so sorry and gave him a brand new watch, a nice one like the one they broke, not a crummy one. Thanks Walmart! I'm thankful for you...for the moment.
Today: I'm thankful for good neighbors. Four of the neighbor girls came over and decorated sugar cookies with us today. They are a lot of them, getting them out of my home. It was great to visit with their mom too. I like her. See pictures below for our cookie decorating awesomeness.
Here is my awesome sugar cookie recipe:
1 1/2 C butter softened, not melted
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (I used almond)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
*mix all of the above until well blended (I let them mix in my kitchenaid for about 4 minutes)
5 C flour
*slowly add flour until well blended
*chill for 2-3 hours
*roll out until 1/4-1/2 inch thick
*bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes (I did them for 6)
Frosting
1/3 C butter softened, not melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract (I used almond)
1/4 C milk
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
*cream butter
*add flavoring and milk
*slowly add powdered sugar
*add more milk if needed, to make it spreadable (I usually end up using about 1/3 C)
*add desired food coloring and enjoy decorating your cookies!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Early Birthday Present
Once upon a time I was a little girl who lived far away from my grandparents and all my cousins. A couple of times a year we would go visit them and the highlights of my visits were:
*Spending the night in my Uncle Steve and Aunt Marla's home
*Playing "Mother May I" in the playroom
*Riding in the mini car
*Sneaking into the 'orange room' when Mom and Grandma went to town so I could play the piano and the organ
*Eating honeycomb cereal for breakfast
*Seeing my aunts and uncles that came to visit at grandma's while we were there visiting.
Grandma died when I was 11 years old. Although there was a huge void in her home when we would visit, many things remained the same. Eventually the mini car died and we got too old to play 'Mother May I' but other than that, it was a lot the same. Grandpa would let us play the piano but we still had to wait for the grown-ups to leave so we could play the organ.
My senior year of high school grandpa gave the organ to my mom. I remember watching them bring it into the house. It was a novelty for a while so we got to play on it a little bit but as time went on and grandbabies started coming over, Mom eventually covered the keys with towels and no one was allowed to use it. (Play on it)
Mom died when my daughter, Nicole, was 11. (It's strange how much Nicole and I have in common...)many things are the same when we go visit mom and dad's house but there are some voids. The organ is still there and no one is allowed to touch it, without permission. I have practiced it a few times when I've gone over to visit.
Last night my dad gave me the organ. Ken and Dad worked together to surprise me as close to my birthday as possible. Last night as it was being unloaded I had many memories rush through my head. Playing it at grandma's, learning how to play 'Jesus Once Was a Little Child' for a video we sent to Ryan on his mission, and practicing it after mom has died. I thought about watching it being brought into the house and I spotted Nicole watching the same thing. More memories were born last night.
I'm excited to have an organ in my home. Two nights a week at the church practicing isn't enough to make me feel calm on many Sunday mornings, so now I get to practice everyday. I'm also sad to have this specific organ in my home. It truly means my mom had passed away. I have tangible proof in my home. I'm more grateful than sad that it's here. Thank you Ken and Dad for a wonderful birthday surprise!
The orange room. Looking at this picture makes me miss grandama right now. The only thing you can't see if the organ. On the right hand side you can see a small corner of the couch and the organ was right next to it. As a side note, the person who took this picture was standing in the entry way. It was a tile entry way and we used to put on our church shoes and 'tap' for grandma. I have cousins and an aunt who really can tap so she probably thought we were silly, but it was fun.
The organ at Mom and Dad's home. (Dad and I were working on funeral arrangements.) If you click on this picture, you will notice right behind my head the willow tree statue is standing there with her back to us. hahaha
The corner where the organ will go in my home.
The organ in the back of the van.
The bench and the stops in my front room
Ken and our friend James getting it out of the van.
It's in the doorway.
James, Yoshki and Ken got it down 'the stair' and into the front room.
Almost done
Ahhh, all done.
Here it is...in my front room. Ironically an orange (ish) one.
The view from the front window.
*Spending the night in my Uncle Steve and Aunt Marla's home
*Playing "Mother May I" in the playroom
*Riding in the mini car
*Sneaking into the 'orange room' when Mom and Grandma went to town so I could play the piano and the organ
*Eating honeycomb cereal for breakfast
*Seeing my aunts and uncles that came to visit at grandma's while we were there visiting.
Grandma died when I was 11 years old. Although there was a huge void in her home when we would visit, many things remained the same. Eventually the mini car died and we got too old to play 'Mother May I' but other than that, it was a lot the same. Grandpa would let us play the piano but we still had to wait for the grown-ups to leave so we could play the organ.
My senior year of high school grandpa gave the organ to my mom. I remember watching them bring it into the house. It was a novelty for a while so we got to play on it a little bit but as time went on and grandbabies started coming over, Mom eventually covered the keys with towels and no one was allowed to use it. (Play on it)
Mom died when my daughter, Nicole, was 11. (It's strange how much Nicole and I have in common...)many things are the same when we go visit mom and dad's house but there are some voids. The organ is still there and no one is allowed to touch it, without permission. I have practiced it a few times when I've gone over to visit.
Last night my dad gave me the organ. Ken and Dad worked together to surprise me as close to my birthday as possible. Last night as it was being unloaded I had many memories rush through my head. Playing it at grandma's, learning how to play 'Jesus Once Was a Little Child' for a video we sent to Ryan on his mission, and practicing it after mom has died. I thought about watching it being brought into the house and I spotted Nicole watching the same thing. More memories were born last night.
I'm excited to have an organ in my home. Two nights a week at the church practicing isn't enough to make me feel calm on many Sunday mornings, so now I get to practice everyday. I'm also sad to have this specific organ in my home. It truly means my mom had passed away. I have tangible proof in my home. I'm more grateful than sad that it's here. Thank you Ken and Dad for a wonderful birthday surprise!
The orange room. Looking at this picture makes me miss grandama right now. The only thing you can't see if the organ. On the right hand side you can see a small corner of the couch and the organ was right next to it. As a side note, the person who took this picture was standing in the entry way. It was a tile entry way and we used to put on our church shoes and 'tap' for grandma. I have cousins and an aunt who really can tap so she probably thought we were silly, but it was fun.
The organ at Mom and Dad's home. (Dad and I were working on funeral arrangements.) If you click on this picture, you will notice right behind my head the willow tree statue is standing there with her back to us. hahaha
The corner where the organ will go in my home.
The organ in the back of the van.
The bench and the stops in my front room
Ken and our friend James getting it out of the van.
It's in the doorway.
James, Yoshki and Ken got it down 'the stair' and into the front room.
Almost done
Ahhh, all done.
Here it is...in my front room. Ironically an orange (ish) one.
The view from the front window.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thinking about my Mom
Tonight my thoughts have been about my mom. She died 7 1/2 months ago. It seems so long ago and like yesterday all at the same time. Our relationship was different that many mother/daughter relationships. We weren't super close. I lived over 1000 miles away and in the last 3 years of her life I only saw her 7 times. We spoke on the phone semi-often but it was strained...on my end anyway. I had the chance to spend a week with my parents, without Ken or the kids, last January. The last time I saw my mom was when I hugged her goodbye at the airport. I told her I loved her and we hugged. I got teary eyed, promised her I'd be back in the summer to visit her and hugged her again and told I loved her again. As I waited in line to check my bag I turned back and watched dad drive away. At that moment I said to myself and maybe in a prayer also, I will see her again won't I? We knew she was sick with something but her cancer had not yet been discovered, even though it had already metastisized. Less than 2 weeks later we learned her cancer was back and 28 days after that we drove straight through from Kansas to Bremerton to attend her funeral.
I'm not telling you all this to get sympathy. At this moment, my blog is my journal or therapist. Here are some things I want to remember...or maybe I don't want to forget. Is that the same thing?
She wore big hair. She LOVED her big hair. When she was going through chemo the first time, I kind of thought she thought she lost her identity because she didn't have her beehive. When she finished chemo and her hair started growing back, she was the most beautiful I've ever seen her in my life. I wish she would have felt it or could have seen it. This time she was only on chemo for a couple weeks but it was long enough that she started losing her hair. Less than 48 hours before she died Gina gave her a haircut. She didn't shave her, but it was really short. Once again she looked very pretty. I feel sad that she didn't look like herself in her casket because her hair wasn't long and in an updo, even though Gina did a beautiful job on her hair.
She told me many times that she liked to practice the piano because she felt closer to her mom when she practiced than anywhere else. When I practice I just cry a lot. It takes me hours to get through my 'hour a day' and then I just feel more and more insecure about my abilities. She was so sure of herself in that area!
My birthday is in 10 days. Her's is 26 days after mine. We are 30 years apart and Nicole and I are 20 years apart. I loved the year we were 60, 30 and 10. I'm sad we won't see 63, 33 and 13. It actually makes me nauseated thinking about it.
There is no good way to end this post. I miss her. A lot. I'd like to talk to her about my kids and homeschooling and how to get the timing right on the piano piece I'm working on. I'd also like to invite her over for dinner because this is the first place I've ever lived that she hasn't seen. I think she would have loved my new couches. Now how silly is that?
Please don't feel obligated to comment on this post. I think that is all for tonight.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Weekend Update...and a random photo too
Our family spent the weekend in Bremerton at my dad's house. He met us in Bellevue on Friday so we could attend the temple together. On a side note, WHAT A BLESSING it is to see my dad inside the walls of the temple! For so many years, he was absent. I'm so thankful! Before we headed home from the temple, we ate dinner at a little ma/pa restaraunt across the parking lot from Deseret Book.
Saturday and Sunday we watched all sessions of General Conference at the Bremerton Stake Center, minus the Priesthood Session. The guys drove up to Chimacum (as opposed to Chinook--what I noted in my last post) to attend that session with Ryan and eat ice cream afterwards.
Here are some of my favorites from conference:
Favorite Talk: I can never narrow it down here are my top 2--that tied for first place.
*Elder Larry R Lawrence 3rd talk, 5th session
*President Thomas S Monson 4th talk, RS General Meeting
Favorite Quote: At this point, some of you may be thinking, that's all fine and good, but what does it have to do with flying an airplane. Well, let me tell you... President Deiter F Uchtdorf
Favorite Song:
Both of them performed by the MTC Choir at the Priesthood Session.
*Hark All Ye Nations
*Called To Serve
There is something special in the voices of all missionaries that are just beginning their missions. They are beautiful.
I also loved Home, preformed by the family choir during the 2nd session. A LOT.
Favorite Moment:
Looking at both Nicole and Matthew listening to conference and taking notes. Sometimes they were drawing a picture or doodling, but I read the notes they took and they are good. It makes my heart smile.
After the 5th session of conference we went to the cemetery my mom is burried in. While we were there the kids took the time to find 'Grandpa Graves' ' grave also. He is not their grandpa, but he is their cousins' grandpa and he took them in too when we visited and told them to call him Grandpa. They like that they can visit both him and their grandma at the same cemetery. He was also a great example to me during my teenage years and I loved him very much. I miss him and my mom. A lot.
Next we went to Wendi and Larry's house and ate homemade french bread. It was delish.
We got home last night at 9:15 and we were all asleep by 9:30. It was a fun, spiritual and uplifting weekend. I love it.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Is it bad when....
This morning at 6 when I was waking Nicole and Matthew up for school Matthew responded to my morning greeting with, 'Is it bad if my eye is so swollen shut that I can't open it?' I told him it was definately not a good thing. I quickly went to the store to buy benedryl (and batteries for my dead camara).
Matthew was stung by a bee yesterday during P.E. They asked him over and over if he was allergic and he told them no...which is kind of true. His breathing was not affected. He was stung by a yellow jacket about a month ago for the first time. We got home and I gave him a shot of Nyquil. It had the histamine blocker, pain killer and knocked him out for 3 hours as a bonus. When he woke up he didn't even remember he was stung. (this ad is brought to you by Nyquil.) Apparantly I should have done that for him again yesterday.
This picture doesn't give his eye justice. It swelled up to the size of a golfball.
Matthew was stung by a bee yesterday during P.E. They asked him over and over if he was allergic and he told them no...which is kind of true. His breathing was not affected. He was stung by a yellow jacket about a month ago for the first time. We got home and I gave him a shot of Nyquil. It had the histamine blocker, pain killer and knocked him out for 3 hours as a bonus. When he woke up he didn't even remember he was stung. (this ad is brought to you by Nyquil.) Apparantly I should have done that for him again yesterday.
This picture doesn't give his eye justice. It swelled up to the size of a golfball.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day...
In honor of ALL the father's in my life, I'm going to share 1 memory of each father that I'm related to. To be included in this list are my own Dad, my husband, Grandpa's, and Uncles...Living or passed on. Here we go.
Dad-My Dad, Gina and I went to Red Robin for dinner one day in the summer months. We told them the waitress it was Dad's birthday (January 24) so we could get free ice cream. We ate our dinner and then bottomless french fries for over an hour. It was AWESOME!
Ken-When we lived in Utah we lived in a duplex with a lot of trees in our front yard. One fall day Ken went outside to rake leaves and just as he was done the kids joined him. He was getting ready to bag up the leaves when Matthew and Nicole ran through the pile then started playing. I could see that he was frustrated but he allowed himself to get caught up in the moment and they all played in the leaves together. We never did get them cleaned up and in the trash.
Grandpa Price-Last time I saw my Grandpa it was while we were in Bremerton for my Mom's viewing and funeral. One evening while we were at the church for the viewing Grandpa and I were standing at the head of her casket talking and my sister said she would take her picture. I stood there and smiled, and right as Gina snapped the camara Grandpa ducked down so he would be level with the casket. It was really funny.
Grandpa Anderson-I never met him. He passed away before I was born. He actually passed away before any of his grandchildren were born. Both my Mom and my Aunt Chris were pregnant with their first babies at his funeral.
Great Grandpa Calaway-Grandpa Calaway passed away when I was 11 years old. If I remember correctly he lived part time in Idaho and part time in Basin City. Basin City is where I was him. He made the BEST peanut brittle. One of the last times I saw him I went over to his house which was across the street from my grandparents house, and we made peanut brittle together. I think that batch was the best one I ever had and we ate A LOT of it by ourselves.
Steve Price-Steve is my Mom's brother. When I was a child we would visit my grandparents home and on each visit Ryan, Heather and I would spend the night at Steve's house. I was terrified of their dog, Bear. His children are my cousins that I was the closest to and have the most memories with. (That actually shows how very little time we spent with family while I was growing up.) I remember one time Steve was my grandparents house and we were talking about names. He was asking me what each of our middle names were. When I told him Garen's middle name was Clyde, after Grandpa Calaway, Steve told me Garen was named after him. He said his name was Clyde. I didn't believe him. He ended up showing me driver's license. He convinced me of his first name, but not that Garen was named after him. :)
Lyn Price-I didn't see Lyn very often growing up because he didn't live in the same town as many of my Aunts and Uncles. One time he came over to my Grandparents house and I was playing outside. He looked familiar, I knew he was my uncle and I knew it wasn't Steve but I also knew I didn't know who he was. So when he said 'Hi Dedra' I thought quick and said, 'Hi Steve!' He stopped, and then said told me he wasn't Steve. After he told me his name he also informed me that he was MUCH younger AND more handsome than Steve. They are far less than 2 years apart...I was going to say 16 months but I'm not sure. Lyn passed away in May of 2006 and is GREATLY missed.
Tom Collier-I saw Tom a couple of summers ago. First at a family reunion and then I stayed the night in their home while I was driving back to Kansas. Tom gave the prayer that evening and gave thanks that 'Deder' and her kids made it safely. He is one of my only family members that still call me Deder. I like it.
Darcy Price-When I was little I would watch Darcy give my older cousins rides in the back of his truck. When the rides were over my brother would tell my Mom what they did. She'd get mad. Ryan would say I was great. I wanted to go! The first time I got to ride in the back of the truck I felt like it was a HUGE milestone in my life. I was scared to death while we road up to the dairy but it was an equally fun time.
Grant Mathews-When I was 6 years old Ryan told me that Grant was the Incredible Hulk. I was scared of him for MANY years. I wish I had a picture of him to show you. Last time I saw him, Ken and I ran into him and Jill at the Columbia River Temple. After our session, while we are all in the last room you go to, I told him that story. We laughed and he said he hoped I had learned not to believe what Ryan tells me.
Brad Casper-The first flat tire I ever had happened while I was taking my cousin Jessica home. I was parked in front of their house and my cousin Tyler told me he could hear my tire losing air. Brad changed that tire for me. THANKS AGAIN Brad!
Theron Anderson-Theron did chin videos with us the evening after my Mom's Funeral. He acted like it was too juvenile for him, but he loved it!
Sherrall Anderson-Sherrall and his wife Brenda came to visit us a few times when we lived in Meridian, Idaho. I remember his always being kind and happy. I don't actually have a memory of any conversations we have had, but I loved it when I got to play with his children.
Dave Nicoletti-Dave is not legally my Uncle anymore since he and my aunt divorced but I still consider him my Uncle. I haven't seen him well over 20 years but I remember that he LOVED trains. I think the first time I ever heard, 'I saw 'U' 'P' (you pee) on a boxcar', he was the one who said it.
Ernie Kean-I never met Ernie. I only spoke to him on the telephone 3 times in my life. He passed away on July 25, 2003. My memories of Ernie are nothing but positive. The first time we spoke he told me to let my parents know that their baby daughter, Natalie, didn't survive. He bore his testimony to me that Heavenly Father had bigger plans for her. The next 2 times we spoke were after my baby son passed away. He gave me good council and bore his testimony to me again. I wish I could have met him. He was a good man.
Dad-My Dad, Gina and I went to Red Robin for dinner one day in the summer months. We told them the waitress it was Dad's birthday (January 24) so we could get free ice cream. We ate our dinner and then bottomless french fries for over an hour. It was AWESOME!
Ken-When we lived in Utah we lived in a duplex with a lot of trees in our front yard. One fall day Ken went outside to rake leaves and just as he was done the kids joined him. He was getting ready to bag up the leaves when Matthew and Nicole ran through the pile then started playing. I could see that he was frustrated but he allowed himself to get caught up in the moment and they all played in the leaves together. We never did get them cleaned up and in the trash.
Grandpas
Grandpa Price-Last time I saw my Grandpa it was while we were in Bremerton for my Mom's viewing and funeral. One evening while we were at the church for the viewing Grandpa and I were standing at the head of her casket talking and my sister said she would take her picture. I stood there and smiled, and right as Gina snapped the camara Grandpa ducked down so he would be level with the casket. It was really funny.Grandpa Anderson-I never met him. He passed away before I was born. He actually passed away before any of his grandchildren were born. Both my Mom and my Aunt Chris were pregnant with their first babies at his funeral.
Great Grandpa Calaway-Grandpa Calaway passed away when I was 11 years old. If I remember correctly he lived part time in Idaho and part time in Basin City. Basin City is where I was him. He made the BEST peanut brittle. One of the last times I saw him I went over to his house which was across the street from my grandparents house, and we made peanut brittle together. I think that batch was the best one I ever had and we ate A LOT of it by ourselves.
Uncles
Steve Price-Steve is my Mom's brother. When I was a child we would visit my grandparents home and on each visit Ryan, Heather and I would spend the night at Steve's house. I was terrified of their dog, Bear. His children are my cousins that I was the closest to and have the most memories with. (That actually shows how very little time we spent with family while I was growing up.) I remember one time Steve was my grandparents house and we were talking about names. He was asking me what each of our middle names were. When I told him Garen's middle name was Clyde, after Grandpa Calaway, Steve told me Garen was named after him. He said his name was Clyde. I didn't believe him. He ended up showing me driver's license. He convinced me of his first name, but not that Garen was named after him. :)
Lyn Price-I didn't see Lyn very often growing up because he didn't live in the same town as many of my Aunts and Uncles. One time he came over to my Grandparents house and I was playing outside. He looked familiar, I knew he was my uncle and I knew it wasn't Steve but I also knew I didn't know who he was. So when he said 'Hi Dedra' I thought quick and said, 'Hi Steve!' He stopped, and then said told me he wasn't Steve. After he told me his name he also informed me that he was MUCH younger AND more handsome than Steve. They are far less than 2 years apart...I was going to say 16 months but I'm not sure. Lyn passed away in May of 2006 and is GREATLY missed.
Tom Collier-I saw Tom a couple of summers ago. First at a family reunion and then I stayed the night in their home while I was driving back to Kansas. Tom gave the prayer that evening and gave thanks that 'Deder' and her kids made it safely. He is one of my only family members that still call me Deder. I like it.
Darcy Price-When I was little I would watch Darcy give my older cousins rides in the back of his truck. When the rides were over my brother would tell my Mom what they did. She'd get mad. Ryan would say I was great. I wanted to go! The first time I got to ride in the back of the truck I felt like it was a HUGE milestone in my life. I was scared to death while we road up to the dairy but it was an equally fun time.
Grant Mathews-When I was 6 years old Ryan told me that Grant was the Incredible Hulk. I was scared of him for MANY years. I wish I had a picture of him to show you. Last time I saw him, Ken and I ran into him and Jill at the Columbia River Temple. After our session, while we are all in the last room you go to, I told him that story. We laughed and he said he hoped I had learned not to believe what Ryan tells me.
Brad Casper-The first flat tire I ever had happened while I was taking my cousin Jessica home. I was parked in front of their house and my cousin Tyler told me he could hear my tire losing air. Brad changed that tire for me. THANKS AGAIN Brad!
Theron Anderson-Theron did chin videos with us the evening after my Mom's Funeral. He acted like it was too juvenile for him, but he loved it!
Sherrall Anderson-Sherrall and his wife Brenda came to visit us a few times when we lived in Meridian, Idaho. I remember his always being kind and happy. I don't actually have a memory of any conversations we have had, but I loved it when I got to play with his children.
Dave Nicoletti-Dave is not legally my Uncle anymore since he and my aunt divorced but I still consider him my Uncle. I haven't seen him well over 20 years but I remember that he LOVED trains. I think the first time I ever heard, 'I saw 'U' 'P' (you pee) on a boxcar', he was the one who said it.
Ernie Kean-I never met Ernie. I only spoke to him on the telephone 3 times in my life. He passed away on July 25, 2003. My memories of Ernie are nothing but positive. The first time we spoke he told me to let my parents know that their baby daughter, Natalie, didn't survive. He bore his testimony to me that Heavenly Father had bigger plans for her. The next 2 times we spoke were after my baby son passed away. He gave me good council and bore his testimony to me again. I wish I could have met him. He was a good man.
My Dad came over for dinner tonight. Before he left we took a couple of pictures. Something went wrong in the end...
Happy Father's Day!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Uhaul Trucks...
You may think that the best part about having a Uhaul Truck is that it is a fantastic tool to get all your stuff from one location to another. I think that same thing! Sadly, I've been informed that both you and I are incorrect.
Matthew knows there is something WAY better about said truck that the fact that it transports all our junk.
We kept the truck until Friday, even though we were done with it Tuesday night so he could play. His birthday was on June 3rd (11 years old now!) and all he wanted was a an airline ticket to Washington + a week with his favorite cousin (check!) and a Uhaul truck in the driveway (check!). He's actually been asking for these things since July of last year, it was a fluke that it worked out so well, but he doesn't need to know that until he's older and decides to read this blog.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Wrangling Alligators
So I started this post so long ago I'm not even sure I'll get the details correct! Just in case I leave anything out, you can go here to double check my facts. At the beginning of fall each year, our local zoo takes all the alligators out of their swamp and moves them to the airport where they sit out the winter in a lovely heated airport hanger. We were lucky enough to be at the zoo on that day and got to watch them catch the gators. Below are some pics from the event. I took video that was too big to upload on blogger and my computer is too lame to put it on YouTube. If you click on the link mentioned above, you can go to our friends, The Draper's and they have video and good info. Sorry I'm lame!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
12 years of AwSoMeNeSs!!!
Today Ken and I have been married for 12 years. It is hard to believe that we have made it that far and it's also easy to see that we have. Sometimes our wedding day feel like it was just yesterday and other times I feel like it was 50 years ago. The only reason I can tell you that is because I know pretty much every married couple has had both emotions. Luckily for me, I feel like it was just yesterday A LOT more often that I feel the other way.
I know this picture is a rerun but I LOVE IT!
*In 1 day Ken and I ate breakfast is Lehi, Utah, lunch in Newport Beach, California, and Dinner in Bremerton, WA. We were tired when we finally got home.
So often when people find out how we met, they want to know the whole story with all the details...In honor of 12 years, I'll tell all my reading audience...
When I was a senior in HS, Ken was a Full Time Missionary for our church. Missionaries are not allowed to date while they are serving and I wasn't interested in that anyway. The first time I saw him, we were sitting in Sacrament Meeting on a Fast Sunday and he stood up to bear his testimony. The first things he said were, 'Hi, My name is Elder Cheney. I'm from Provo, Utah, please don't hold it against me.' At that moment, the spirit whispered to me, 'you're going to marry him.' My response back (in my head) was, 'what about him companion? He's really cute!'
After I had this experience I non chalantly asked my Mom if we could have the Elders over for dinner. She agreed and we signed up only to have them cancel the night before they were supposed to come to our home. When they canceled, we didn't invite them again for over 4 months. During this time I continued with HS and taught my Primary Class every week. Occasionally the missionaries came in for Sharing Time, but Ken and I never had 1 conversation.
About 4 months later, Ken and his new companion approached us, asking us to sign the dinner calendar. My mom did and they came over later that week. I was so NERVOUS!! For no good reason. Beside the one thought I had 4 months earlier, there was no indication that he even knew who I was and if he didn't, that would have been completely appropriate since he was a missionary!
A couple weeks later, after Garen had been hanging around with them A LOT, he announced one afternoon, 'Elder Cheney said when he gets home off his mission, he's going to come back and date Dedra.' I WAS FLOORED! How many times in a girl's life is she certain she's going to marry a certain boy? ESPECIALLY in HS? Since my experience in the dating department was being friends with my guy friends and not being the girlfriend, it would be putting it mildly that I was nervous and didn't really know how to respond.
After this announcement was made, I told my mom about the experience I had when Ken was first transfered into our ward. Shortly after that, Ken had written me a long letter that was kind of a getting to know you letter. I wrote one back. He gave me a picture of himself and wrote me a lovely little poem. I said thank you and giggled a lot. While he was in our area, I graduated from HS, started working my PT job FT and we wrote letter back and forth, even though he was in my ward.
Near the end of his time in Bremerton, I started having trouble with gall-bladder, but couldn't have surgery since my insurance hadn't kicked in yet at Fred Meyer. I was off work for about 10 days, which allowed me more time to know Ken, as a missionary. I was able to drive them to appointments when my brother was on splits. On a p-day they came to our home to do laundry. 2 days after he went to a new area, I went back to work.
That was all! We wrote a couple letters back and forth and then he got a new Mission President who wouldn't allow us to converse. We spoke on the phone I think 3 times for about 5 minutes each time...he was calling to talk to my Mom and I answered the phone. All of our communication ended in July 1996.
We did see each other 1 more time before he went home but I don't really remember it. I had my Gall Bladder out in October of '96 and he in town for a Zone or District Conference. My mom was at the church dropping something off and saw him. He got permission from his president to come to the hospital and give me a blessing. That took place approx. 40 minutes after I was woken up from being under general anestesia.
Ken got home from his mission January 1997. My mom had been in contact with his mom and she had volunteered to cater his homecoming party, so we went to Utah very shortly after he got home.
January 24 was our first date. I was really sick when he arrived to pick me up but I went anyway. We went out with Ken's friends, the Darringtons, now our friends, along with a few other people that I don't remember. We went ot Mexican, my favorite, but I was too sick to eat. I had a temperature over 100 degrees and secretly just wanted to go home. After dinner, we drove around looking for something to do, the bowling alley was packed so we went back to Randy's parents house...they were out of town. Everyone started doing their own thing, so Ken and I left and went back to his hose and watched a movie with his parents.
The next night we doubled with his Brother and Sister in Law, Brian and Susi. Went to the movie, 'That Thing You Do' at the dollar theater in Provo.
The next night was his homecoming talk at church and his homecoming party that night at his home. That night we played phase 10 with 6 other people and ate a lot of good food. When he drove me back to the house we were staying at that night, I told him that I got my temple recommend but didn't have a date set yet. He told me that night that he'd fly up when I went through. While he was driving me home that night, he ran a red light ON PURPOSE and I told myself when I got out of the car I could never marry him.
The next morning I flew back home and we talked on the phone every night. I set my temple date on February 15 and flew in on the 12th. On the 14th we ate dinner together at Heather and Farrell's house. He spent the night in my parent's living room and the next morning I went through the temple. On the 16th, we went to church together in my ward, the ward he served in. That night around 10 we went for a walk around my neighborhood and down to Lion Field, about a mile away...
This is how our engagement came to be...We were walking and talking and it was mostly Ken doing the talking. He was saying things like...I don't want to be engaged a very long time. I'd like to start a family soon. I think I'll probably live in Washington. I don't want my wife to have to work after the kids get here. I think getting married in Seattle would be perfect. Finally I asked him, 'are we engaged?' His reply??? 'Yeah, I guess so.' YOU CALL THAT AN ENGAGEMENT? HMPH! But that is how it went and we were engaged that night. We got home around midnight and since it wasn't Sunday anymore, we went to Shari's the celebrate. The next day we set our wedding date. He called his mom and told her he was moving back to Washington, and 3 1/2 weeks later, he did. He lived with my sister, Wendi and her family while we were engaged except for a short week or so where he stayed with Heather and Farrell...but they moved out of their hosue.
August 9th, we got married in the Seattle Temple. I was 19, he was 21 and had been home from his mission a short 7 months. We lost our clutch in my clunker car on the way home from Bellevue, so we ended up piling Ken and me, the Darringtons--Jessie was 8 1/2 months pregnant, along with Mom and Dad and 4 siblings into their car and drove home on one of the hottest days of the year with no AC. It was AWESOME.
I know this picture is a rerun but I LOVE IT!
In honor of 12 years married, here are a few fun facts about US!
*We stole salt and pepper shakers from The Old Spaghetti Factory in Seattle, WA the first time we went there. We were with my sister, Heather. After about 4 years of holding said shakers hostage, I confessed to a manager and asked if we could pay for them. He said no, and told us to buy a dessert and we'd be square. I don't know how that can be the case, but we did and my conscience is clear-er now.
ps, the reason we stole them in the first place is because we thought they looked like Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper from Blues Clues. Today, the kids don't watch that show anymore and ironically, we don't use the shakers either.
ps, the reason we stole them in the first place is because we thought they looked like Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper from Blues Clues. Today, the kids don't watch that show anymore and ironically, we don't use the shakers either. *In 1 day Ken and I ate breakfast is Lehi, Utah, lunch in Newport Beach, California, and Dinner in Bremerton, WA. We were tired when we finally got home.
*This is our 12th anniversary and our 5th that we have actually spent in the same state and or town. For many years I was working summers with my parents and I had jobs away from home over our anniversary. Our reasoning then and our belief now is still the same...it's okay if we aren't together on the 9th of August every year. Although that is our anniversary, we love each other every day and don't need 1 special day to celebrate it.
*We take a separate vacation every year in July. Typically Ken goes and visits with his family and in years past I have gone and spent that time with my family. For many it wouldn't work out, but for us it does and we look forward to that time. Let it be known that we also go on vacations together every year as well.
So often when people find out how we met, they want to know the whole story with all the details...In honor of 12 years, I'll tell all my reading audience...
When I was a senior in HS, Ken was a Full Time Missionary for our church. Missionaries are not allowed to date while they are serving and I wasn't interested in that anyway. The first time I saw him, we were sitting in Sacrament Meeting on a Fast Sunday and he stood up to bear his testimony. The first things he said were, 'Hi, My name is Elder Cheney. I'm from Provo, Utah, please don't hold it against me.' At that moment, the spirit whispered to me, 'you're going to marry him.' My response back (in my head) was, 'what about him companion? He's really cute!'
After I had this experience I non chalantly asked my Mom if we could have the Elders over for dinner. She agreed and we signed up only to have them cancel the night before they were supposed to come to our home. When they canceled, we didn't invite them again for over 4 months. During this time I continued with HS and taught my Primary Class every week. Occasionally the missionaries came in for Sharing Time, but Ken and I never had 1 conversation.
About 4 months later, Ken and his new companion approached us, asking us to sign the dinner calendar. My mom did and they came over later that week. I was so NERVOUS!! For no good reason. Beside the one thought I had 4 months earlier, there was no indication that he even knew who I was and if he didn't, that would have been completely appropriate since he was a missionary!
They ate dinner with us. My parents videoed them so they could send home a tape to each of their families. Garen and Adam, 2 of my little brothers, agreed to go on splits with them. (Splits is when 2 non-missionaries volunteer to work the full time missionaries so they can creat 2 companionships and cover more area. They now call it exchanges.)
A couple weeks later, after Garen had been hanging around with them A LOT, he announced one afternoon, 'Elder Cheney said when he gets home off his mission, he's going to come back and date Dedra.' I WAS FLOORED! How many times in a girl's life is she certain she's going to marry a certain boy? ESPECIALLY in HS? Since my experience in the dating department was being friends with my guy friends and not being the girlfriend, it would be putting it mildly that I was nervous and didn't really know how to respond.
After this announcement was made, I told my mom about the experience I had when Ken was first transfered into our ward. Shortly after that, Ken had written me a long letter that was kind of a getting to know you letter. I wrote one back. He gave me a picture of himself and wrote me a lovely little poem. I said thank you and giggled a lot. While he was in our area, I graduated from HS, started working my PT job FT and we wrote letter back and forth, even though he was in my ward.
Near the end of his time in Bremerton, I started having trouble with gall-bladder, but couldn't have surgery since my insurance hadn't kicked in yet at Fred Meyer. I was off work for about 10 days, which allowed me more time to know Ken, as a missionary. I was able to drive them to appointments when my brother was on splits. On a p-day they came to our home to do laundry. 2 days after he went to a new area, I went back to work.
That was all! We wrote a couple letters back and forth and then he got a new Mission President who wouldn't allow us to converse. We spoke on the phone I think 3 times for about 5 minutes each time...he was calling to talk to my Mom and I answered the phone. All of our communication ended in July 1996.
We did see each other 1 more time before he went home but I don't really remember it. I had my Gall Bladder out in October of '96 and he in town for a Zone or District Conference. My mom was at the church dropping something off and saw him. He got permission from his president to come to the hospital and give me a blessing. That took place approx. 40 minutes after I was woken up from being under general anestesia.
Ken got home from his mission January 1997. My mom had been in contact with his mom and she had volunteered to cater his homecoming party, so we went to Utah very shortly after he got home.
January 24 was our first date. I was really sick when he arrived to pick me up but I went anyway. We went out with Ken's friends, the Darringtons, now our friends, along with a few other people that I don't remember. We went ot Mexican, my favorite, but I was too sick to eat. I had a temperature over 100 degrees and secretly just wanted to go home. After dinner, we drove around looking for something to do, the bowling alley was packed so we went back to Randy's parents house...they were out of town. Everyone started doing their own thing, so Ken and I left and went back to his hose and watched a movie with his parents.
The next night we doubled with his Brother and Sister in Law, Brian and Susi. Went to the movie, 'That Thing You Do' at the dollar theater in Provo.
The next night was his homecoming talk at church and his homecoming party that night at his home. That night we played phase 10 with 6 other people and ate a lot of good food. When he drove me back to the house we were staying at that night, I told him that I got my temple recommend but didn't have a date set yet. He told me that night that he'd fly up when I went through. While he was driving me home that night, he ran a red light ON PURPOSE and I told myself when I got out of the car I could never marry him.
The next morning I flew back home and we talked on the phone every night. I set my temple date on February 15 and flew in on the 12th. On the 14th we ate dinner together at Heather and Farrell's house. He spent the night in my parent's living room and the next morning I went through the temple. On the 16th, we went to church together in my ward, the ward he served in. That night around 10 we went for a walk around my neighborhood and down to Lion Field, about a mile away...
This is how our engagement came to be...We were walking and talking and it was mostly Ken doing the talking. He was saying things like...I don't want to be engaged a very long time. I'd like to start a family soon. I think I'll probably live in Washington. I don't want my wife to have to work after the kids get here. I think getting married in Seattle would be perfect. Finally I asked him, 'are we engaged?' His reply??? 'Yeah, I guess so.' YOU CALL THAT AN ENGAGEMENT? HMPH! But that is how it went and we were engaged that night. We got home around midnight and since it wasn't Sunday anymore, we went to Shari's the celebrate. The next day we set our wedding date. He called his mom and told her he was moving back to Washington, and 3 1/2 weeks later, he did. He lived with my sister, Wendi and her family while we were engaged except for a short week or so where he stayed with Heather and Farrell...but they moved out of their hosue.
August 9th, we got married in the Seattle Temple. I was 19, he was 21 and had been home from his mission a short 7 months. We lost our clutch in my clunker car on the way home from Bellevue, so we ended up piling Ken and me, the Darringtons--Jessie was 8 1/2 months pregnant, along with Mom and Dad and 4 siblings into their car and drove home on one of the hottest days of the year with no AC. It was AWESOME.
and that's our story...12 years later, I wouldn't change any of it. I LOVE YOU KEN!!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A little trip down memory lane...
Something I said to my kids that my mom used to say to me:
Child: What do I do first in my room?
Me: Make your bed first.
C: Why?
M: Your room will already look cleaner, even before you put anything away.
C: I hate making my bed!
When I was a kid, I'd always ask my mom that same question and her response would be the same as mine is now. It got to the point, I would just do a shotty job cleaning my room and then I'd just ask her if I could skip making my bed. She would usually let me. It turns out she was right now, I LOVE it when my bed is made, the room really does look cleaner!
A Christmas memory from when I was a kid that I shared with my kids this week:
Every year at our house my Mom and Dad would let us get up at 5 to open gifts. We were told that was the time before we went to bed every year. On Christmas morning, somewhere between 12 and 1 I would get up to look and see if Santa had come yet and once he had, I would go back to bed and then get back up to look again ever 20 or 30 minutes. I LOVED looking what was in my stocking. Each time I would get up, pull everything out, look at it, then try to put it back the same way Santa did, then I'd go back to bed and repeat it a few minutes later. By about 1:30 in the morning, I wo uld have run ins with siblings and then we would start asking if we could get up and open presents. My parents would say no and remind us of the 5am time.
The Christmas we lived in McMinnville, Oregon, the routine was the same for me. But this year, I was up at the same time as my older brother Ryan. We came up with a plan. Actually I think he said something in just, I took it for a great idea and then we executed! Around 2 in the morning, Ryan told me we could get up earlier and open gifts if we just moved the clocks ahead. Mom and Dad would never find out and Christmas would come sooner.
That seemed like a great idea to me. All we had to do was change the clocks on the VCR, the kitchen and on MY DAD'S NIGHTSTAND. Ryan graciously volunteered to change the VCR and the Kitchen and I got the job of sneaking into my Mom and Dads room, sneaking around their bed, and standing in space about 2 feet wide that separated my Dad from his alarm clock to change the time.
It made sense to me though, since I didn't know how to change the VCR time and the kitchen clock was up too high. After this conversation, Ryan went to bed (I don't think he thought I'd do it.) and I took a few deep breaths and went up the stairs and turned left to go into my parents room. I tiptoed in, got to the nightstand, freaked out when I heard my Dad breath out a LOUD snore, then quickly, hit the time button, tapped the hour button twice and then hurried out FAST. By this time is was 3:45ish.
I went down to Ryan and told him I did he, he got up and changed the other clocks, and 15 minutes later I went into my Mom and Dad's room and told them it was already 5!
The got up, somehow more tired than usual and the unwrapping of presents began.
When you have a family of 10, it takes a while to open all the gifts. We typically took about 2 hours. When we were done, and everyone was playing with their new things, I remember my Dad looking at his watch to see what time it was. He was sitting between Ryan and I. (I was in front of the love seat, Ryan was in front of the TV, Dad was in the middle of the floor, close to the archway--in case anyone in my fam is trying to visualize) He looked at his watch, then at the VCR, then back to his watch again. During his breif confusion, he commented we got done early, said "Charlet, I think my watch quit" and then Ryan said, "No, Dedra moved your clock ahead. It's only 5 in the morning!' Then I said 'It was Ryan's idea! He changed the clocks in the living room and kitchen!" I don't remember my parents laughing about it--they got good at holding a straight face I guess, but I also know we didn't get in trouble either.
For the rest of the time that I lived at home, it seems that we retold this story each year at Christmas, and the only bad thing about it, is that once you pull a trick like that, it never works again.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!! ttfn
Child: What do I do first in my room?
Me: Make your bed first.
C: Why?
M: Your room will already look cleaner, even before you put anything away.
C: I hate making my bed!
When I was a kid, I'd always ask my mom that same question and her response would be the same as mine is now. It got to the point, I would just do a shotty job cleaning my room and then I'd just ask her if I could skip making my bed. She would usually let me. It turns out she was right now, I LOVE it when my bed is made, the room really does look cleaner!
A Christmas memory from when I was a kid that I shared with my kids this week:
Every year at our house my Mom and Dad would let us get up at 5 to open gifts. We were told that was the time before we went to bed every year. On Christmas morning, somewhere between 12 and 1 I would get up to look and see if Santa had come yet and once he had, I would go back to bed and then get back up to look again ever 20 or 30 minutes. I LOVED looking what was in my stocking. Each time I would get up, pull everything out, look at it, then try to put it back the same way Santa did, then I'd go back to bed and repeat it a few minutes later. By about 1:30 in the morning, I wo uld have run ins with siblings and then we would start asking if we could get up and open presents. My parents would say no and remind us of the 5am time.
The Christmas we lived in McMinnville, Oregon, the routine was the same for me. But this year, I was up at the same time as my older brother Ryan. We came up with a plan. Actually I think he said something in just, I took it for a great idea and then we executed! Around 2 in the morning, Ryan told me we could get up earlier and open gifts if we just moved the clocks ahead. Mom and Dad would never find out and Christmas would come sooner.
That seemed like a great idea to me. All we had to do was change the clocks on the VCR, the kitchen and on MY DAD'S NIGHTSTAND. Ryan graciously volunteered to change the VCR and the Kitchen and I got the job of sneaking into my Mom and Dads room, sneaking around their bed, and standing in space about 2 feet wide that separated my Dad from his alarm clock to change the time.
It made sense to me though, since I didn't know how to change the VCR time and the kitchen clock was up too high. After this conversation, Ryan went to bed (I don't think he thought I'd do it.) and I took a few deep breaths and went up the stairs and turned left to go into my parents room. I tiptoed in, got to the nightstand, freaked out when I heard my Dad breath out a LOUD snore, then quickly, hit the time button, tapped the hour button twice and then hurried out FAST. By this time is was 3:45ish.
I went down to Ryan and told him I did he, he got up and changed the other clocks, and 15 minutes later I went into my Mom and Dad's room and told them it was already 5!
The got up, somehow more tired than usual and the unwrapping of presents began.
When you have a family of 10, it takes a while to open all the gifts. We typically took about 2 hours. When we were done, and everyone was playing with their new things, I remember my Dad looking at his watch to see what time it was. He was sitting between Ryan and I. (I was in front of the love seat, Ryan was in front of the TV, Dad was in the middle of the floor, close to the archway--in case anyone in my fam is trying to visualize) He looked at his watch, then at the VCR, then back to his watch again. During his breif confusion, he commented we got done early, said "Charlet, I think my watch quit" and then Ryan said, "No, Dedra moved your clock ahead. It's only 5 in the morning!' Then I said 'It was Ryan's idea! He changed the clocks in the living room and kitchen!" I don't remember my parents laughing about it--they got good at holding a straight face I guess, but I also know we didn't get in trouble either.
For the rest of the time that I lived at home, it seems that we retold this story each year at Christmas, and the only bad thing about it, is that once you pull a trick like that, it never works again.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!! ttfn
Thursday, June 5, 2008
All About Nicole
Nicole is 9 years old. She is going into the 5th grade this fall at the middle school! She loves to swim, ride her bike, camp out, BBQ, and attend activity days. If she could live outside, she would. Her favorite colors are red and blue. Her favorite primary song is I Love to See the Temple. Her favorite temple is Seattle. Her favorite foods are Macaroni & Cheese, Cheese Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes w/cheese & bacon, CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE! As a side note, we went to a buffet restaurant a few weeks ago, and after she had one small plate of food, she went back to the buffet line and filled a large plate full of cheese and ate it. It's her favorite!
This summer Nicole is enrolled in a band class, playing the trumpet. She is doing well.
At home Nicole is a great helper. She can clean a bathroom and do the dishes like a pro. She likes to make beds and reluctantly she will rotate laundry and fold it. She is learning how to cook and sew, and you guessed it, she has mastered mac & cheese. This winter she sewed her first pair of pajama pants, and since then she has made capris. This summer she wants to make a new blanket for her bed.
Nicole is very caring. She gets very concerned when she hears that people are ill or if there has been a death...anywhere. She has heard about a death on the news and then she prayed for the bereaved family for over a week, and this happens often. Part of her concern is because of her dad's profession. A cute story on this subject took place when she was 6 or 7. We were reading scriptures in 2 Nephi one night and it was the part where Lehi dies. We got a little bit past that, and Nicole asked in a sad and surprised voice, "Lehi died?" I said told her he died a long time ago. Then she said, "What about Nephi? Sam? Ammon? Moroni?" As she asked each name, Ken and I told her the same answer, yes. After this went on for about a minute, Matthew spoke up. "Everybody in the book of mormon is dead!" Nicole's eyes got really wide and she looked at Ken and I, "Is that true?" Once again we had to tell her yes. We explained to her that we only have one prophet on the earth at one time, not going into the times when they were on different continents at the same time. We told her that President Hinckley couldn't be the prophet if Nephi and Moroni were still on the earth. That night, she had a hard time sleeping. For the next week or so, each time we read scriptures, she seemed to be sad as we read about the different people in the Book of Mormon. She simply couldn't believe they were all dead. This experience was humorous to Ken and I, and to our families as we retold the story to them, even thought we felt sad for her, but I think once she understood that we were reading scriptures written in the past, for us today, it helped her testimony to grow.
Nicole is a kind and loving person. I enjoy watching her grow up, she gets smarter and funnier each day.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
We have TWO 9 year olds!!
two 9 year olds for 40 days, then Nicole turns 10.
It seems like last week I was carrying Matthew in his infant seat and Nicole on my hip, excited for Colie to turn 1, now they're both 9 and just inches shorter than I am!
It seems like last week I was carrying Matthew in his infant seat and Nicole on my hip, excited for Colie to turn 1, now they're both 9 and just inches shorter than I am!I told them they were grounded for getting taller and turning another age older, and I was informed that Heavenly Father wants them to grow up and be strong. Once again I have been taught a lesson by my kiddos.
For Matthew's birthday, we barbequed, he opened his gifts, and then we went to our friends house and the kids played on the trampoline and slip n slide. It was a good
For Matthew's birthday, we barbequed, he opened his gifts, and then we went to our friends house and the kids played on the trampoline and slip n slide. It was a good
time and they were good n tired when we got
home.
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