Before and After

Saturday was a big day for us. It was one of those days when everything is planned down to the second. We had a thousand things going on and I had no time for anything extra. In an effort to help me, Craig and Ethan decided the rearrange the closet. Here's what is looked like before they started:

Here's the "after" picture:

This happened at about 8:30am. I think I handled it well. I didn't blow up or get angry. The pile sat there until this afternoon (Monday). As the french say, c'est la vie.

The other big event happening on Saturday was the trading in of Robert's beloved Jeep. We got this Jeep back when we had one car and were living in Montana. We needed something big enough for the family and all wheel drive. Now, however, we need something small and economical for Robert to commute in since we have the van for the family car. We were also wanting to lower our payments by $100 a month. The babysitter came over at noon and we headed out. We spent all day going to dealerships in Phoenix. Just as I was getting hungry and thought we were going to head home, Robert found IT. We debated and decided it met all of our needs and even still had some warranty left. And he loves it. Since he loved that Jeep so much, and he loved the Mustang we had to get rid of when we had Craig, we decided to go for it.

Sayonara, Jeep. It's been fun. (This picture was taken the day after we bought it.)

Helllloooo Eclipse. We're looking forward to this.

It does fit the two car seats in the back, by the way. We went for a drive yesterday with the boys. They love it, too. It looks like the same color as the Jeep, but it's actually kind of orangey.

Fancy Food Show

Early last week, Robert went on his first business trip for his job at Lehi Valley Trading Company. He spent two days walking around, sampling, and discovering all the fun things at the annual Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. He said it was absolutely enormous. Lehi Valley had a booth there, too. They even had samples of some of Robert's most recent creations, including his fried peanuts (salted and cajun flavored). I guess you eat them shell and all. I haven't tried them yet, but I hear they're really popular among the show-goers. He and his supervisor did so much walking, his feet were bruised, blistered and swollen for days afterward. He had fun, though. He learned a lot and ate some good stuff.

Did he meet anybody famous, you ask? Why yes...yes he did. On the first day, he met this Guy:

If you're not into the whole Food Network thing or if you don't watch much T.V., I'll tell you who he is. His name is Guy Fieri. He got his start with the Food Network when he won the show The Next Food Network Star several years ago. Since then, he's had several shows on Food Network, he owns a few restaurants, he does commercials for T.J. I. Fridays, and recently started hosting a new game show called "Minute to Win It" on NBC (I think). Robert talked to him for a minute and got a picture with him, but I don't have that picture yet. I will post it when I get it.

The next person he met was this gentleman:

Except he wasn't much of a gentleman when Robert talked to him, unfortunately. It sounds to me like he was stressed out and over worked that day. Robert did get a picture with him, too. It was just a bit more awkward. If you don't know him his name is Duff Goldman. He is a trained pastry chef who, while going to the Culinary Institute of America in San Francisco, worked at The French Laundry (the premier restaurant of Robert's idol-chef Thomas Keller), and later started his own extreme cake-making business. His show is called "Ace of Cakes." The day Robert met him, he was making cake pops for a demonstration and giving them out. Robert got two and brought them home for Craig and Ethan. By the time I could get a picture of them, nothing was left but the sticks. So, that's what the picture is of: Craig and Ethan licking the last of the icing off the stick. They look very determined.

Yep, those cake pops were made by Duff himself! Apparently they were yummy. :)

As I said, when/if I get those pictures of Robert with Guy and Duff, I will post them. I'm glad he had a chance to go. This is a whole new world for him--business stuff, travel, desks, computers, memos, etc. All mixed with food, cooking, and recipe development. He's really loving it, though. And I couldn't happier for him (or for the kids and me). :)

Nap time

Jade's favorite nap spot. She just loves sleeping under our bed.

Haircuts

I gave Craig and Ethan hair cuts the other day. I've been getting a lot better with them but still struggle with the blending. Everyone says, "Just keep the clippers going straight up and it will blend itself." I guess I don't understand because that's what I think I'm doing but it always turns out with a really obvious ridge. It's not so bad with Ethan because his hair is still so fine and it lays down pretty well. Craig, however, has this hair that sticks up and out, unless it's several inches long but I'm not into that new long look for boys. This must be how my hair would be if it were short because Craig's hair reminds me a lot of brother's because of this. Since it's like this, it makes a bad fading job more obvious (Lani, have you found this to be true?) I did really well this time, though. I almost got it right and I would have had it perfect if Craig weren't a squirmy 2 year old. I finally gave up (like I always do) and declared it good enough. Robert, however, who has this ability to access a reservoir of patience somewhere deep inside him when it comes to the boys, sat Craig down and managed to finish it, doing an awesome job. Here's side one:

I was gone to the temple at the time (my first trip in a LONG time and it was such a treat) so I wasn't there to help keep an eye on the stinker. Twenty minutes later, Robert realized everything was awfully quiet. He finds Craig upstairs with the clippers. He had managed to get a guard on, thank goodness, but this is what I found on the other side of his head when I came home:

It's much more obvious in person, plus this was several days ago on Saturday. There are two distinct chunks gone, one right above the fade and one right below. So for church on Sunday we did the best we could to spike the top. That made it much less noticeable. I'm just grateful he's a boy and it grows out quickly. I've heard horror stories of girls cutting their own hair. I don't think I ever did that one, but I do remember shaving my legs when I was about four or five. And by "legs" I mean hair AND skin. Yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight. My dad found me and, being a former EMT and a career 911 dispatcher, was more than capable of handling the situation. I remember it vividly, though. What will these kids do next? I'm kind of afraid to find out.

(Mental image that flashed across my mind when I typed that last sentence: my brother falling several feet out of an apple tree at the age of about 10 and my mom having him lay face down on his bed while she cleaned up his back and him crying.)

aaaaaaahhhhhh

I began the remodeling of my attitude and therefore the attitude of the household on Tuesday night. I snuck into my bedroom after I put the boys to bed and before Robert knew I was gone for some quiet reflection and scripture reading. I looked up "anger" in the topical guide and came across some very interesting things in Psalms and Proverbs. That quiet time alone was refreshing. Then, on Wednesday morning, I restructured our morning routine. Instead of cartoons and T.V. while I made breakfast, the boys simply played. The most amazing thing was that they didn't even seem to notice! It was hours later before Craig even mentioned the T.V. I turned on some church music, did the dishes, got us all ready for the day, and we went to the park. It made such a difference in the day and in myself, I can't even thoroughly describe it. We did the same thing today and I am looking forward so much to canceling our T.V. altogether. It's set to go off on Feb. 7, after the Super Bowl. :) The only T.V. we watched yesterday was during Ethan's nap when Craig and I sat and watched Ponyo. It was so cute and he really liked it. Today we went to the store, the bank, took the dog for a walk, and went to the Farmer's Market. How did I ever get anything done before with our old routine? I feel so much better and the boys are doing much better, too.

It's amazing what no T.V. and a little music can do.

I ain't gonna lie

Someone please tell me they can relate to this.

For the past few weeks I have been feeling awful. Not just nauseous and sick. But angry, mean, moody, and everyone (especially Robert) annoys the heck out of me. I keep waiting for this to pass, but it just keeps lingering! Maybe our family blog isn't the best place to post something like this, but I just need to know I'm not alone here. What do I do? I've said it before--I feel the old saying is completely true, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." That's how it is here. So now that I'm going through all this, everyone else is crankier and moodier, too, which (of course) makes it harder for me to cope. I feel like every last ounce of inner peace I've stored up through life has drained from me and I'm constantly in turmoil. I was moody with Craig and Ethan, but nothing like this. Maybe this one is a girl and she will be the biggest drama queen on the planet. Or maybe she'll get it all out of her system now through me and will be a little Jane Bennett. (You know, from Pride and Prejudice?) Or maybe it's just a baby causing all these raging hormones and the best we can do is hold on until it's over.

Any other tips or suggestions?

Reverie

I go through my days noticing things happening here and there and think to myself, "That would be a great blog post. You wouldn't even need pictures." Sometimes I even formulate clever phrases in my head. Later, I get some time to sit at the computer and...nothing. I can't remember a darn thing. Right now is one of those times. So, instead I'm going to write whatever comes to mind.

I've been thinking a lot lately about where I imagine us settling someday. I hate moving, especially long moves, so I've resisted the idea of leaving Arizona. Or Fountain Hills, for that matter. However, I've come to realize that I expect certain things in life in order to have a fulfilling experience. I can be happy anywhere that I have my family, so where ever the Lord takes (or keeps) us is where I can make a home. But if I could choose where we'd end up, it would have to meet these requirements.

1. Some semblance of different seasons other than just different temperatures.
2. In the country, but near enough to a city and airport.
3. Within an hour or two of a temple.
4. Small town, summer festivals, close knit community.
5. Average-sized ward, not the kind where you're lost in a sea of faces.
6. Farm land nearby to get fresh produce for canning.

That's all I can think of right now. Is that asking too much? Does everyone want the same thing--the "good old days?" Do you think it's possible? We used to live in a place that very nearly met all of these requirements. The only exception was it was three and a half hours from the temple, but all the other parts were so thoroughly met, it made up for the longer drive. That place was Stevensville, MT. I have felt home sick for that place for the entire year and a half since we left. When the decision came to leave Montana, I was so excited to come to Arizona. It has been everything I imagined it would be and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the benefits of living here: the zoo, the children's museum, the awesome libraries, the conveniences of living in a city, the restaurants. If nothing else, the job opportunities. Which brings me to the clincher. Places that I dream of living, places like Stevensville, Montana, are out there. The problem is not finding them or even moving to them, it's finding jobs in them. Where does a chef find work in a town with a diner that is only open for lunch and a family run burger joint? "Open your own place," people have said, but that takes $$ and there is a small chance of success in a place where the population of horses is higher than people.

I keep the faith that somehow, someday it will work out and we can go back to our life and our friends in Montana. That once we do, our sojourn here in the wilderness of the big city will have been something we "got out of our systems" and we'll raise our children in that beautiful place with the house, the land, the animals, and the small town life we dream about. Of course, I don't expect there to be no complications and problems once we reach our Eden, but I like to think their stings will be lessened by the healing powers of the Bitterroot Mountains.

Ah, well, now to reality. Off to get dressed, go to the library, and buy some diapers and dog food!

Guitars, guitars, guitars

A few days ago, Craig discovered Robert's and my guitars stuffed into the back of our closet and has been obsessed ever since. Every time I put them away, he pulls them out again. I'll sit and play it with him. He loves it when I "play it loud," he says. I only know two songs by heart anymore, but (bless his heart) each time I play one he acts like it's the best thing he's ever heard. The guitar in this picture is mine, the "less valuable" one. Yesterday, he was gone and totally quiet for about fifteen minutes, so I went looking for him. I found him upstairs in our room sitting just like he is in the picture. So cool. So mellow.

Unfortunately, today my guitar turned from being a really cool way to make sounds and music to a platform for his race cars. And then it was a stepping stool. Ah well, all good things must come to an end. My guitar now lives at the top of Ethan's closet until it can become "new-to-him" again.

Christmas Day

I didn't get many pictures of Christmas Day. I was either exhausted or too busy. Once everyone was up and at 'em, we started opening presents. Robert's mom was here for a few days, but other than that it was just us this year. I made cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast. Craig really had fun opening presents. We hadn't kept any presents under the tree at all so when they came down Christmas morning, they were all there and their stockings were full. I loved watching Craig as he came downstairs and saw it all. We'd been talking about Santa coming and leaving presents for a while, but I think he sort of got it when he saw it all there. Craig's favorite present is the red guitar we got him. In fact, it's the only picture I took. Don't ask me why he's naked. He's at that stage where he likes to take all of his clothes off.


He likes to watch The Wiggles and play his guitar. He'll play and tell me to sing and then Ethan will dance. Ethan had fun, too, but he was just going along with the opening of presents for the fun of it. Robert's mom got them a remote control truck which they love, too. I got Robert some cookbooks he's been wanting called Ad Hoc and Under Pressure written by his favorite chef, Thomas Keller. He has his first two books already, so this rounded off his collection. He got me a new set of kitchen knives. I've already broken them in and cut myself with them, too. :) I was pulling them out of the box and their wrappings and handing them to Robert as he put them in the knife block. I got so excited I wasn't paying attention and one of them nicked the heal of my hand. They're sharp, so it was a clean cut. :) We had prime rib, funeral potatoes, and asparagus for dinner and orange marmalade cake for dessert. The best part of the day, though, was unexpected. Once we were done with presents and breakfast, all of us adults felt totally wiped out so we laid down. The boys were so preoccupied by all their new stuff, we didn't have to worry about them. At one point, Ethan came in ready for a nap, so I put him down, too and went back to bed. All in all, I got about an hour and a half nap Christmas morning! It was very nice. We stayed in all day, watched The Muppets Christmas Carol, and played with the new toys.

I know it's been a great, fulfilling Christmas season when Christmas Day comes and goes and I feel ready to take down the decorations and get on with the new year. That's how I feel now. Not sad that Christmas is gone, but excited for what lies ahead.

Christmas Goings On

I tried to leave my last post up long enough for everyone to see it, but I guess people are getting busy with the holidays and don't have as much time for blogging and reading blogs, so I am moving on. If you haven't seen my last post, then be sure to scroll down.


Anywho, a couple Mondays ago, we went to the local Bass Pro Shops to see Santa and his winter wonderland. It was awesome! They had toys to play with, trains, so many things for a couple of little boys to see, and (of course) Santa! The line wasn't that bad (much better than the mall, I hear). I thought Craig would be afraid to sit on the old man's lap. Ethan is usually the one to be all for something new so we have to have Craig watch Ethan do it first before he wants to try. However, thanks to our morning friends at Nick Jr. and their Christmas cartoons, Craig was totally prepared for the hairy white guy in a big red suit. Ever since, he's been asking to go back and see Santa again. Ethan, however, was the reluctant one, but he made it through.

I've also been baking a lot of Christmas cookies this year. It's tiring and a lot of work, but there's just that Christmas spirit that makes it worth it. This year I did these:

One dozen Brandy Snaps, from Pioneer Woman (I used maple instead of brandy). Sadly, they were a disappointment. Not "snappy" at all--more chewy. Way too much molasses (unless you like that sort of thing, which we don't). I didn't even bother putting them on the Christmas plates. Oh well.

Four dozen Sugar Cookie Buttons with Licorice Laces. I got this idea from the Family Fun magazine but the cookie recipe I used is called Favorite Sugar Cookies from Tasty Kitchen (I think).

Four dozen Gingerbread Men. The recipe I used for these was actually a Swedish cookie called a Pepperkaker, which is kind of like a Swedish gingerbread but different and better. There are some wide variations out there, so if you want the recipe I used, let me know.


Two dozen Peppermint Chocolate Pinwheels from Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies eNewsletter. They are okay, but I wish I had used semi-sweet instead of unsweetened chocolate and the Favorite Sugar Cookie recipe instead of the one they provided. They made the cut, though.


And last but not least, 36 mice (some with Oreo bottoms and some without). If you haven't seen these before, they are really easy. I first made them with a lady and one of my companions on my mission. You dip maraschino cherries (with stems) in chocolate, set it on half an Oreo with the cream, push a Hershey Kiss on for the head, and stand up two almond slices for ears. I used left over Royal Icing from the gingerbread men for the eyes and noses. They're a lot of fun to eat, too. If you start with the head, it's kind of like a real mouse head: small, firm, but not too hard. Then the body is red inside and squishy. (No, I haven't eaten many mice in my day. Snails, yes, mice, no.) I know, that's gross, but I thought it was kind of a cool comparison nonetheless.

All in all, I made 156 cookies (including the mice) and distributed them onto about ten plates (I think) with some leftovers. Phew. Now we are off to deliver them! Happy Baking!

More NEWS

This is what I emailed to Robert at work last week and then called him and told him to check his email while I was on the phone. I couldn't wait until he got home.

Okay, it's only been a week since I found out but I can't stand not telling people anymore.

How am I feeling, you might ask? Great, until today. As I was going to bed I felt a little person inside my head begin pounding a little hammer. It didn't go away after (sort of) sleeping or taking Tylenol. The pounding is making me feel nauseous, the constant drumming kept me from getting much solid rest last night, and when I passed out for 20 minutes this morning, Craig and Ethan created about 30 minutes of clean up time by bringing a Tonka dump truck full of rocks into the living room and evenly spreading them around.

Regardless of all this, I am really excited and feel like this is the right time. I know this will all pass. More will come, but this will pass nonetheless. :)

Ladies and Gentlemen...our 2010 Graduate!

It's been 11 years since I began my college experience at Ricks in June of 1999. There have been many breaks in my education (work, mission, marriage, kids, etc.). Last year, fall of 2009, I began an online program through BYU-Idaho to complete my degree and here I sit, over a year later, facing GRADUATION!

I just took my finals and posted my last posts in the discussion boards. On Saturday, December 18, 2010 I will be an official graduate of BYU-Idaho with a Bachelors in University Studies and a minor in Communications!!!!!

This is something I have always wanted to accomplish but when Robert I got engaged six years ago, I knew it wouldn't happen traditionally for me. I can't explain how awesome it feels to have done this through what some people might call one of the most difficult times in life: having young children, moving, changing jobs, etc. Ethan was only five days old when I began my classes last year but I knew if I didn't take this opportunity now with this online program, I would never do it. I knew things would only get harder and more complicated as the years passed. In January I am starting an online program to get my teaching certificate and will be done with that by this time next year. If I've learned anything in life, I've learned that it's best to start now than to put it off (if possible). I am saying this for all of you out there who have been wanting to do something but didn't think you could right now.

There's no time like the present. Carpe diem!

(There. That's my graduation speech. :))

Our little Pavarati

We've been working with Craig on his ABCs and, since it's the same tune and The Wiggles sing it, he's learned Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Here he is showing off. :)

What is it with kids, dogs, and blankets?

Craig is under the blanket.

I can't seem to wash or fold a blanket without these guys taking it first and rolling around on the floor with it. This one had just come out of the dryer so it was nice and warm. Why do they love these blankets so much, anyway? Are your kids/dog like that?

The 10 Best Cities for Babies/Young Families

I have a subscription to Parents magazine. Most of the time they offer pandering, irritating advice on parenting that only applies to wealthy, middle-aged parents living in big cities (like how to choose a good nanny, for example). I do like their family time ideas, though, and every issue usually has at least one good article. In the November issue they had an article listing the ten best cities for young families to live in. I hoped that the Phoenix area might have made the list somewhere, but I was pleasantly surprised. Did your nearest city make the list?

We live in a (relatively) small community called Fountain Hills. Most people know this area as Scottsdale. And Scottsdale borders Phoenix to the East. Here's the list, beginning at the number one best city to raise a family.

1. SCOTTSDALE! No, joke. :)
2. Fort Wayne, IN
3. Lincoln, NE
4. Pittsburgh
5. Portland, OR (We lived there, too.)
6. Madison, WI
7. PHOENIX! Again, no joke. :)
8. St. Paul, MN
9. Oklahoma City
10. Boston (That one surprises me)

All in all, the best places to live are either in Arizona or the midwest, for the most part. They actually had chosen 100 cities to survey in all. I'm not sure how they chose these 100 cities to being with, but here are a few facts about the rest of the list. You can go here to see the full list.

Number 11 on the list is Mesa! We lived there until earlier this year. Just south of Mesa is Gilbert, which made number 14 on the list and Chandler, which is slightly to the West, made number 17. Glendale, which is West of Phoenix, is number 25. Arizona is the place to be, folks. :) For all the NCRM missionaries out there, Raleigh made number 23 and Charlotte was pushed to number 77! Ha Ha! Even New York got #60. Other than that, for those Californians out there, Stockton did surprisingly well at #93 (being the armpit of California and all) and the very last city on the list? The one that had the worst stats for a family-friendly city? The worst crime, the least family activities, the worst child care resources, the worst finances, and the most dangerous place for a family? Number 100 on the list is................

MODESTO, CA!

For those of you who don't know, my hometown is about 1 1/2 hours away from Modesto, it's where our stake center was, where we would go to the mall, and the closest place with anything like an amusement park.

I just thought this was funny and ironic and interesting. I hope it was to all of you, too. :)

Where did you go, Fairport NY?

Fairport NY has disappeared from my site tracker and now Salt Lake City is stalking me....


I think I know who the culprit is.

Thanksgiving

Sorry, no picture. I wanted to take a picture on Thanksgiving Day, but it just didn't work out. I started on Wednesday and made a pumpkin roll, a pecan pie, a pumpkin cream cheese pie, boiled eggs to "devil" later, brined the turkey, and put together the sweet potato casserole to be baked on Thursday. I think that's it. Anyway, it was a busy day. Robert did the rest on Thursday while I cleaned and prepped the house. What a nice trade off, don't you think? We were trying to get some people over who might not have family nearby, but everyone either had family or were going out of town. We did, however, find a woman in the ward who has two sons in primary (so I know the family a little) but she's a single mom and the boys were with their dad for the day. Her parents were out of town visiting a sibling, so she was going to be all alone. We planned to eat at 3:00, but by the time we all sat down around then, Craig and Ethan were both sound asleep for their naps. So it was just the three of us with a huge table full of food. :) Eventually the boys did get up and eat a little, she took some leftovers home, and we worked on the food over the next few days. All that's left now is some stuffing and a few pieces of pie. And two bottles of Martinellis. I love Thanksgiving and the big gatherings of family and friends. This year was nice, but here's to hoping for more and merrier next year!

Cute things

Jade got a bath today. I also blow-dried her (what IS the proper conjugation for that word, anyway?) She looks pitiful, but I just can't help but laugh at her sad-sack little face. It's like she's pleading for her life. A wet dog is always good for a laugh.

Craig has been getting better with the camera lately. He's learning how to point and shoot. The other day he brought me the camera and said, "Mom, take picture of Craig." And then he smiled this toothy smile. One more thing about Craig: I usually tell him he's a big boy or a cute boy or a smart boy, etc. But when I ask him, "Are you a big boy?" he says, "No." However, the other day we were at Target and he was carrying a little hand basket which he had filled with toy cars (which were strategically placed on the bottom shelf of a display at the front of the store). He was really struggling with it so I said, "Do you want Daddy to help you carry that?" To which Craig replied, "No, I carry it. I'm a big boy." It was so cute and it made me laugh out loud in the middle of the aisle. Of course then he spent the next ten minutes saying, "I'm a big boy, Mom. Hey Mom, I'm a big boy. Mom? MOM? I'm a big boy!" I love my little broken record. :)

What could be better?

Popcorn and chocolate milk. They were in heaven. And so was I...they were quiet for about 20 minutes solid! Not long after this picture was taken, we were vacuuming popcorn off the couch, the floor, in between the cushions...

What have YOU won at a Relief Society activity?

We had an activity tonight where people were supposed to bring an unwanted item to "auction" off. Before the auction, we got "money" (or points) based on our answers to questions like, "Have you done your scripture reading everyday for the last month," and, "Have you done your visiting teaching." Then we used those points to bid on items. Someone (no one said who it was) brought two highly anticipated bags. Now, I've never been one for name brands and expensive things, but it was thrilling to win this. It's nice and roomy, too. It could hold some diapers, a water bottle, and a change of kid's clothes.

Or maybe I'll see what I can get for it on eBay. :)